NationStates Jolt Archive

The room was dark and silent. Not a sound could be heard, until the door opened. Light poured in. A little boy scampered over and jumped on his bed. An old man followed, smiling amiably. By the look of love on his face, it was clear the man was the boy's grandfather.

"Can you tell me the story again, grandpa? I really want to hear it." The boy had pulled the covers over himself, and now had his arms outstretched.

The old man leaned over and kissed the boy on the forehead, and slowly unrapped the child's arms. "Ok, but not for too long. You do have to go to sleep soon."

The boy's smile became a frown, but nevertheless he waited. The old man began.

"There was a region called The Confederacy of Green Waves, a collection of islands, large and small. It's inhabitants had rebelled against the oppressive nature of the Isle of Green Waves. Starting its own region, the Holy Empire of Borobudur broke away. Very shortly after that moment, the Confederacy far surpassed the Isle in size. Yet due to the nature of its founding, the Confederacy remained a hodge-podge of countries, each with its own agenda. New nations were joining all the time, and things were seemingly peaceful. But then the Dominion of DurkaDurakstan broadcasted the following announcement, and sent copies to all the UN members in the region. The other nations had professed infinite neutrality, and were not part of any arrangements or even under any consideration."

The old man sighed, and repeated from memory the text of the message. He had heard it from his father, who had heard it from his own grandfather. Now it was Sammy's turn.

"The message said the following:

The nations of The Confederacy of Green Waves needs a strong and decisive leader. The Dominion of DurkaDurakstan is that leader. The Dominion of DurkaDurakstan will take upon itself the task of organizing regional defenses, elections, aid, and law.

Furthermore, it is the destiny of the Confederacy to overthrow its former oppressors. The Dominion of DurkaDurakstan will accomplish this goal, and the tribute and plunder acquired will enrich our nations many times over. The Confederacy of Green Waves will take the world by storm, and become a major power in world affairs.

The Grand Parliament of DurkaDurakstan has decided (by carefully analyzing the independant economic reports provided by the UN) that the following contributions should be manageable and entirely feasible. Those who refuse to contribute such meager sums are traitors to the region, and the Dominion of DurkaDurakstan will take the appropriate measures to make sure that the best choices are made for the Confederacy. I remind the nations that the treasury will be maintained upon the island of DurkaDurakstan, and will be administered from there. The money does not go to DurkaDurakstan; rather, it goes to the greater good of the Confederacy.

1) The Holy Empire of Borobudur - 7 billion dollars, annually

2) The Democratic States of The New Constitution - 8 billion dollars (American), annually

3) The Confederacy of Phoenician States - 11 billion dollars (American), annually

4) The Federation of Styxview - 12 billion dollars (American), annually

5) The Holy Empire of Greater Erech - 3 billion dollars (American), annually

6)The Nomadic Peoples of Greater Erg - 4 billion dollars (American), annually

7) The Rogue Nation of Black Death To You - 3 billion dollars (American), annually

8) The Fiefdom of British Arabia - 6 billion dollars (American), annually

9) The Dictatorship of Lesser Ah - 2 billion dollars (American), annually

10) The Holy Empire of Nicod - 6 billion dollars (American), annually

11) The Republic of The Ventian States - 7 billion dollars (American), annually

12) The Grand Duchy of Vegetarius - 3 billion dollars (American), annually

13) The Rogue Nation of Tergiversation - 15 billion dollars (American), annually

14) The United Socialist States of The Icy Angel - 5 billion dollars (American), annually

15) The Dictatorship of Cthluhu - 6 billion dollars (American), annually

16) The Federation of The Samurai Shoguns - 5 billion dollars (American), annually

17) The Federation of Antilands - 7 billion dollars (American), annually
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The Dominion of DurkaDurakstan calls upon:

The Rogue Nation of ManyPink Fluffy Bunnys
The Republic of Danger Fields, and
The Armed Republic of Roxciticus, and
The Armed Republic of The Gutter Runners

to support the alliance in letter and in spirit.

These numbers represented between a sixth and a seventh of each country's government budget. In response to this, things began to happen. This was the beginning of the Saga of the Confederacy...

*****************

A C-17 Transport Plane of British Arabia flys high above the country of DurkaDurakstan. There was no opposition since five other C-17's of British Arabia had been sent as decoys to the other side of DurkaDurakstan. Five British Arabian Paratroopers of the Highlander Desert Force jump from the back of the C-17 which turns around and heads back to British Arabia. The paratroopers slowly descend from the skie and land in an open field . They quickly bury their chutes and head for the woods. Their mission is to gather as much information as possible about DurkaDurakstan in case of a future invasion. The men are given sinai pills and told to destroy all there computers and kill themselves if caught. These men are prepared to do their duty. Captain Arthur Wellesley sets up camp and sets up guard duty in the woods. For the next week these five men will lay low until things quiet down over the airspace violation. They will then leave the woods and "observe" DurkaDurakstan as well as make important contacts. Thus the mission begins.

OoC: A child's tale, Durka? Is that all we are now? I was hoping for something along the liens of a homerian epic, but nooo, we're a bedtime tale, along with the big bad wolf and the three little pigs. ;) .

IC: The sacred capital of Borobudur, the capital of the Confederacy of the Green Waves, the holy temple to Buddha from which the nation derived its name, gleamed in the sunlight, basking in the first rays of the rising sun. The massive monument, once an obscure stone monument imbedded in the side of Mount Omotodake, now wore a dazzling coat , and sported rings of gems encrusted in its four ellipitical spires. A statue of Buddha, made of a variety of gems and precious metals, dominated the structure, casting its peaceful gaze over the sparse forests and urban sprawls below. Its holy image, however, was scarred by modern nesecity. PATRIOT Missle Defense batteries and SAM Anti-Air batteries lined the perimiter, their mechanical components marring the rough, natural earth on which they resided. Sentry towers and gun emplacements could be seen scattered around the temple in defensive clusters, and a helipad and barracks, crafted into the side of the mountain, stole much of the majesty of the temple. Regardless of the image it presented, it still dominated the skyline of the island of Borobudur, constantly reminding the populace that nothing was not known to the Emperor.

The quietness of dawn slowly receded, replaced by the rythmic chop of helicopter blades. Three UH-60 Black Hawks crested the horizon, heading towards the temple. Hundreds of soldiers scrambled out of their barracks, hastily forming a royal escort for the arrivals. The three helicopters touched down on the landing pad, and the door was flung open. The royal guard stood at attention, not daring to even breath, as High Admiral Saigo Onishi, Emperor of Borobudur, stepped out of the Black Hawk and walked towards the temple, never once aknowledging the presence of the soldiers. He wore a crisp, white uniform, countless medals for bravery and marital prowess decorating his breast, and held a hat, blazened with the flag of Borobudur, at his side. A long, strait sword, a blood-red image of a rising sun carved into the handle, hung in a gold and green sccabard strapped on his left, the only weapon on the Admiral's person. His brown, sharp face was kept in a pertual image of focused intensity, his brown eyes never blinking, his thin lips betraying no emotion. However, his movement was impeded by a small limp in his right leg, which detracted from his still-imposing presence.

As he reached the steps, he beckoned to an unseen person behind him with his right hand, and an entourage of advisors and generals hurridly dismounted form the helicopters, and followed in his footsteps. The soldiers, their charge delivered, fell back and returned to their barracks, a nervous visage showing on each soldeirs face; Only in times of great crisis did the High Admiral ever meet with the Council. They knew not how long it would be before they were encamped on the shores of DurkaDurakstan, or bombarding marauders in the villages of British Arabia. All they knew was that, in all likelyhood, most of them would die.

As Onishi reached the top of the steps, the final preparations for the meeting of the High Council of Ama-no-Nuboko were drawing to a close. Most of the members were already present; those who were not would never sit at another meeting again. A long table had been set up in front of the statue of Buddha, and the Councilmen each had a laptop and host of documents, detailing the status of the nations around Borobudur, at their side. Several key issues faced the Thirteenth Session of the Council of Ama-no-Nuboko, but two of them dominated the thoughts of all present. The first were the demands of DurkaDurakstan. Their attempts to create a treasury for the Confederacy, the alliance of nations that Borobudur has founded, prompted a angry response from many statesmen, and the situation is far from resolved. The second issue dealt with the very nature of the Confederacy itself. Following its rapid expansion after its foundation, the true nature of many of its members became clear. Alot of its members were unwilling to fulfill the defensive and administrative requirements demanded by the Confederacy, and the possibility of nation whose loyalties lied elsewhere being within the region had fueled tension between the original members and the new recruits. The borders of the Confederacy had been closed for an indefinate amount of time, and the threat of a purge loomed over the heads of many rulers. With two such pressing issues, the council had its work cut out for them.

Admiral Onishi took his seat at the head of the table, and the quiet wisperings of the Councilmen stopped immeadiatly. A deathly silence hung in the air as Onishi's advisors filed in behind him, and stood by his side. Onishi withdrew his sword, the sacred sword only the Emperor could touch, ad held it high in the air, the sun reflecting off the polished surface of the blade, forcing the councilmen to squint. Following Onishi's lead, they all bowed their head, and muttered a quick prayer, "May Buddha bless the Council with his wisdom, and guide our decisions with his knoweldge and insight." The Thirteenth Session of the Council of Ama-no-Nuboko had begun.

ooc: British Arabia, once again we have a problem. You cannot, and I repeat, cannot just say you land five guys in my country.

Question 1: How did they get to my island without me noticing?
I would have sent out some fighters, adn definitely some helicopters to check things out. I also would have gotten ready my SAM's and other anti-aircraft weapons, and have told you to back off.

Question 2: If you didn't back off, how could you manage to land your guys?
Take into account that, upon disobeying my request to turn back, I would have fired at all six planes, and be on a high level of alert.

Question 3: Even if I didn't shoot down your planes, how did five parachutists come down upon my small island unnoticed by anybody, civilians and military alike, particularly as we are on a slightly higher level of alert than normal.

Please, in the future, work things out with whoever you are fighting or interacting with. In this case, you should have contacted me first, and I would have told you what my sheet was like, in which case you probably wouldn't have sent in six rather slow moving planes (which are 200 mill each, by the way, and would prob have lost you over a billion dollars if I shot them down (1/4 of your budget), so sending them doesn't really make sense either). Or I might have let it through just to see what happens. Regardless, talk to me first.

Edit: Oh, and by the way. The italics were for the outermost narration. Use normal font for your posts, italics for thoughts, bold for speech

Double Edit: ANd remember, you have just received the message from DurkaDurakstan.

Nah, i like italics for description, normal font for dialogue. I hate using bold text, its so silly. I dont do "thoughts", actually, so i wont need a text for that. Thats just my style, anyway, so live with it ;) .
Of course, if lots of italics bothers your eyesight, ill change. it isnt that important for me

ooc: whatever floats your boat.

It was the main chamber of the Gutter Runners’ Armed Republic. A circular room, it had a large audience chamber filled with whomever wished to be present at that day’s proceedings. A wooden circular table held the center of the room’s attention. There were twenty-six seats for each delegate from the twenty-five communities in the republic and one for the Elector. The Elector was a previous member of the delegates who had been elected by the Gutter Runners themselves. Meetings were open to discussion with all members of the republic and quite often the Grand Committee fielded questions from the crowd.

But today was different.

The message from DurkaDurakstan had been widely publicized throughout the nation. The audience chamber was filled to the brim and more people were outside, watching the proceedings via television screens.

The delegates and the Elector walked in and took their seats.

What do we have, people? asked the current Elector, Samuel Haight. We don’t want to escalate the situation any further just yet.

But we are listed as an associate nation, implored the delegate from Trestown. Surely some of the target nations will see us as a threat.

This Committee cannot make us go to war. It shall not make us go to war. I shall see to that, demanded the Frilldon delegate.

Then I ask you this, if we get attacked, how can we not respond? questioned the Elector. The Frilldon delegate was without words.

The Elector stood up, signifying to the entire crowd that he was speaking to everyone, not just the Committee. We cannot decide on this potential conflict just yet. Our diplomats are currently attempting to retrieve as much information as possible to enable us to make an educated decision here. I promise we shall not move until we understand the situation more thoroughly. Should it come to conflict, our diplomats shall be safe under the laws of diplomacy and proper warfare. Until we arrive at our decision and make that decision public to all nations of our Confederacy, our Republic, our Penal Colony, and our Colony shall all be on a heightened state of alert. We shall have the military forces ready at a moments notice. I promise we shall not jump into this blindly, but hear me now when I say this: no one shall so much as a finger on the life of a Gutter Runner without expecting some form of retribution.

There was a murmur throughout the crowd. The Committee nodded their heads and then filed out of the chamber.

The Elector, alone at the table, thought to himself, God, please don’t let this go to war. Innocent blood should not be shed for the betterment of all peoples of this Confederacy.

Weary and sick of the proceedings, the third delegate of the Parliament looked up. After fourteen long hours in this room, the resolution was drafted. Now they were waiting for a response. Most MP's had gone home, but he and a handful of others had to stay. Peter Alexandrovich Simoneov was the head of the Military Appropriations Committee (MAC). He had to stay. Looking around the round table, he saw some other noteworthy MP's. Finally his gaze fell upon the man at the head of the table. Actually, the table took a step up, and the man was thus elevated above all others. Boris Borisovich Cherechik, the most powerful man in the country. The recent term limits had not affected him. He had in his pocket a number of other PM's, so his official power was supplemented by his unofficial power, and combined to get him whatever he wanted. A vicious rumor had gone around regarding his sexual life outside his marriage. A hundred people ended up dead: by suicide.

Peter Alexandrovich disliked the way the country was turning. He had been with the Parliament since the beginning, and, at the age of 64, he was running out of strength. Boris Borisovich had also been there since the beginning, scheming and manipulating. Now Boris Borisovich was on top, the position that Peter Alexandrovich had originally been nominated for. Peter sighed once again.

The issue just completed was the topic of mobilization of the DurkaDurak Secret Service: The Oprichnikki, or ONI for short. The ONI was quite extensive, though had been rarely used. Now, however, the time had come to step up its actions. The order had gone through: the ONI was to begin data collection in earnest, with strict instructions not to provoke conflict.

Peter Alexandrovitch started to twiddle his thumbs. Feet up on the table, he reclined in his chair and closed his eyes. All he had to do was wait. Wait, wait, wait...

Admiral Onishi rose form his chair to officially begin the session. "Welcome, Councilmen. Given the pressing nature of the issues at hand, we need to move to business immeadiatly." His voice, while weak in volume, held such a commanding air that it grasped the full attention of all present. "While what was originally the first topic on our agenda is pressing, the recent reports out of DurkaDurakstan require our immeadiate attention. As such, we will begin discussion on the topic of the Confederate treasury, proposed by DurkaDurakstan." At this point, one of the Admiral's aids passed out a copy of the "proposal" to the councilmen. They glanced at the total amount of dollars requested, scowls evident on some faces, outright rage breaking out on the faces of others. One Councilmen, seated next to the Admiral, rose to speak, anger etched on his features.

"The Holy Empire of-" he began, until a blade slashed out towards his neck, just nicking his throat. The Councilmen froze, sweat beginning to form on his face, as the Admiral cut his diatribe short, "First, never speak out of turn again. I have the floor, and thus, I shall speak. Second, I am aware of the absurdity of these demands. Whie the idea itself is open for debate, Borobudur simply does not have the budget to commit such large sums of money to such a questionable venture. This is not an issue of budget, however. This is an issue of security." The other Councilmen sat down, his arms shaking and blood dripping on his suit.

"DurkaDurakstan is, unfortunately, one of the most powerful nations in the Confederacy. Their military budget is second only to that of the Gutter Runners, and their economy is a dominant force in the region. Our only advantages over them are our population, and our spiritual devotion, which are not enough. This demand, hwoever, creates a very peculiar situation, and presents opportunities for us that cannot be easily dismissed."

"On the one hand, such demands are sure to anger the other nation states of the Confederacy. They will be just as adverse to giving up funds as we are. As such, this presents us an ideal opportunity to turn the nations of the Confederation against DurkaDurakstan, and crush this threat to the balance of power. Unfortunatley, he has left the most powerful nations out of the list of tributary states, in an attempt of appeasment. Unless we can get at least several of the key powers, such as Manypink Fluffy Bunnys, Danger Fields, and The Gutter Runners, on our side, military action is not possible. However, if such an opportunity presents itself, we must consider the option of force."

A councilmen, High Preist Shotoku, head of the department of Religion and Spirtuality, rose to speak. He looked at the Admiral, who nodded his head, before proceeding, his simple orange robes whirling about him as he waved about his arms to emphasize his points, " While the Admiral demonstrates a good grasp of the miliatry opportunity that has been provided to us, I do not believe that military force should be our primary consideration. While we could weaken the power of DurkaDurakstan, it would be at a great cost to our own nation, and a more peaceful solution would bring greater prosperity to us. We must use negotiation, not force, in order altar these demands. Currently, they are unacceptable, but i believe that the idea itself shows promise. We need to enter negotiations to reduce the amount of tribute required, and, of course, alter the location of this proposed bank. We can all agree such an institution cannot be allowed to be based on the soil of one of our greatest rivals!" He finished his speach with a flourish, and resumed his seat.

Admiral Onishi at first remained silent. Waved his left hadn at one of his aides, who rushed off, bringing him a glass of water seconds later. The Admiral took a small sip, and, his eyes focued on the High Priest, responded, "I concur with Shotoku's assessment in certain respects. All things considered, peace is better than war. While I have my doubts as to the government of DurkaDurakstan's willingness to comprimise, we must use diplomacy first. However, I do not think that war is unlikely. We must consider both methods, and perform each at the same time. First, we must organize a summit, preferably on Borobudur, but anyway outside of DurkaDurakstan would suffice, in wich the different nations can discuss this matter. However, we must simultaneously begin building up our alliances if it comes to conflict. We msut send delegates to the powerful nations, preferably our traditonal ally, Manypink Fluffy Bunnys, as well as the other great powers, to organize a secret coalition against DurkaDurakstan if it comes to blows. As such, we will know how much we can demand from Durkadurakstan in our negtiations, and be assured of victory if it comes to battle."

"Contact our ambassadors to DurkaDurakstan, Manypink Fluffy Bunnies, Danger Fields, and The Gutter Runners. Inform them of our plans, and tell them to make it happen. Furthermore, mobilize the Navy, place the Airforce on High Alert, and begin intelligence operations on the scope of DurkaDurakstan's forces. We need to know what we are up against. For now, though, all the council can do is wait."

In the Private Tea Room of 88 Angel Street, Ethel Tang and her closest advisor discussed the recent news over a hearty meal of stewed Civet Cat.
“How about that announcement from Durka?” Tang said.

“Oh, yes, this stew is very good,” said Leslie Shum, Secretary of Defense.

“No, no. Durka. DurkaDurkastan. How are THEY. It seems like they have entered us into their tribute league,” said Tang.

“Umm, how is that?” asked Shum, busily gnawing at the little pieces of Cat that still clung to the bone.

“Look at the letter, stupid. And…and don’t get any food on it.”

Shum wiped her fingers with a napkin, picked up the letter, and observed how fine the paper stock was.

“Oh, how nice this paper is.”

“Please shut up and read the darn thing,”

Shum looked a little harder. “It looks as if Durka wants all the Confederates to unite under them.”

“Yeah.”

“So are we supposed to betray the legitimacy of Borobudur?”

“Yeah, apparently. That’s why I have to hold this emergency Senate meeting. Of course, YOU don’t think we should betray the interests of the stronger side, riiiight?”

“We’ll see about who that stonger side will be,” concluded Shum. “For now, let us concentrate on a more important action of policy- what to eat next.”

Ms. Tang pressed the speaker button, and said, “Honey, another side of sushi please.”

“Yes, dear,” replied First Husband Calvin Tang, working on his next masterpiece in the Master Kitchen of 88 Angel.

The wind swept over the barren landscape and whistled through the city. From the top of the Emporer's palace, a red dragon leered and flapped in the wind. An anxious and mumbling crowd waited before the great stairs leading up to the double set of gilded doors. For any of them to rush up in anticipation of the great event that was about to happen would mean instant death. Finally, the doors began to move and a hundred highly decorated and war-hardened military officers of the Dragon emerged and formed a semicircle atop the vast balcony that topped the stairs. Immediate silence fell on the populace as the Emporer himself emerged. Emporer Stephens had never before been seen in public. The state alllowed only the highest and most trusted officials to view, much less converse with him. His fine black robes ruffled in the wind, the gold and red dragons glimmering in the morning sun as he took his place at the center of the semicircle and addressed the audience. No one dared breath as he began to speak.

"Loyal children, I have called you here today to make an announcement like no other before."

The intake of breath was barely audible, but the tension could be cut with a knife. None moved and all eyes were locked on the Emporer.

"Because of recent events of which you are all aware, our great nation has had a choice forced upon it. The Nation of Durkadurakstan has asked us to support his cause in creating a better Confederacy."

Knowing what was coming, some fell into shock, could the emporer truly have grown so soft?

"Because of the threats that the outside world may pose to our security, I have decided to side with the nation of Durkadurakstan against the rebels who-"

Two shots rang out from the Ministry of Defence across the street. The bullets, fired by an experienced hand, struck their mark even in the high wind. The Emporer fell backward, dead before he hit the ground.

A shocked silence ensued as the crowd took in what had just happened. As the Emporer hit the ground, the most decorated and imperious of the generals in the semicircle stepped forward and placed his heel atop the betrayed head, which was not streaming blood through the bullet hole in the center of its forehead. Crushing the head into the cement, General Asanzi turned and addressed the audience.

"The Emporer has grown weak, believing that the Red Dragon can not crush all who attempt to subjugate her. We will fight this war and will throw off the yoke of Durkadurakstan and shall prove the might of the Red Dragon! I shall shortly invoke the ancient call of the Dragon and all of you will be expected to do your duty to your Emporer."

As the stunned people hurried off to prepare, they almost bubbled and would have spoken of these high matters if they did not fear the same fate as that of the Emporer lying red on the stairs. Looking back, Citizen Marina Lima saw the General take up the Emporer's Shalka- the circlet of golden dragons and diamonds that signified the Emporership, and place it on his head.

The United Socialist States of The Icy Angel were based on three semitropical islands that jutted out from the deep blue sea. At Eternal Elegy International Airport, across the harbor from the ultramodern capital city of Dong Bang, a massive army of 49,000 able-bodied men and women stood at the ready, armed to the teeth with assault rifles, pistols, submachine guns, and sniper rifles. Flanking them was a convoy of over 400 armed vehicles. With silencers in hand, all 49,000 soldiers performed synchronized kung-fu moves, calling out the name of each move, to the beat of a massive taiko drum that echoed across the bay. Seven million citizens watched the massive People’s Army perform their maneuvers on television from the privacy of their apartments.

At the resolution of the eighth kung-fu form, a convoy of black Rolls Royces pulled up to the head of the strip. From this convoy emerged the thirty-three Senate Justices, along with Secretary of Defense Leslie Shum and Prime Minister Ethel Tang. The smaller woman, Ms. Tang, stepped up to the podium, dressed in a black general’s uniform with medals and golden epaulets. Her pale, serene, determined face, topped with a black beret, was displayed on giant flat television billboards for all of the soldiers to see.

“Enlisted men and women of The Icy Angel,” Tang began. “You begin this morning, like all others, with the military exercises that strengthen your bodies. Your routine efforts strengthen the will and determination of the Angelic people eightfold. I am honored by your presence, and I humble myself before God in speaking with you.

“Last night, the Senate convened to decide whether our people should confide in unity and harmony with the leadership of The Dominion of DurkaDurkastan in strengthening our mighty Confederacy. The Senate has resolved to support the leadership of DurkaDurkastan unconditionally.

“Unfortunately, there is the ever-present nature of political instabilities in neighboring countries. As you may know, the legitimate leader of Black Death to You, Emperor Stephens, was ignobly assassinated by a member of his own cabinet, General Asanzi. Mister Asanzi, who is now emperor, is hostile to the righteous will of Durka progressivism. The people of Black Death to You should expect to face the consequences if they choose to be compliant.

"To the ordinary citizens of The Icy Angel, I call upon you to support the men and women of the armed forces. They will depend on you for their support as they may embark into dangerous and unknown situations. Citizens, if it ever comes to a land war on native soil, you all know where to report for combat duty.

"I will admit that these are difficult and disturbing times for all members of the Confederacy. I fear for the safety of my husband Calvin, as well as my seven young children, Andrew, Aurora, Agatha, Amethyst, Artemis, Passion, and Star. But let us not forget the powerful forces that formed the Confederacy and defended the legitimate nations of the Green Waves archipelago. If The Icy Angel ever comes under foreign intrusion, the just and loyal nations of the Confederacy will surely come to our assistance.

“I conclude with a prayer. Lord, may the Angels of Heaven save us from the shadow of darkness, and by trusting in Your wisdom, may we come to realization of Your ultimate truth. Amen.”

In a matter of five minutes, the People's Army of The Icy Angel departed from Eternal Elegy International Airport to their secret training facilities.

The Rogue Nation of ManyPink Fluffy Bunnys is a huge island, it is roughly half the size of Greenland, and surrounded on three sides by a large mountain range. The Mountain Range has been fortified with numerous missile and gun emplacements. These are spaced in a skirmish formation up and down the outward facing side of the mountain every quarter-mile, and alternate between PATRIOT Missle Defense batteries and SAM Anti-Air batteries. The shores are lined with pillboxes and Torpedo Launchers. The edges of the island are a mix of cliff and beachfront. Tunnels appear through the mountains spaced roughly every 25 miles. They are large, and capable of having 3 tanks drive down them side by side. The islands final side is interesting in that the water depth drops from about 5ft to 400ft in the space of 10yards. In recent times, this has been turned into a large seaport, capable of handling every ship in the nation's great naval fleet. Along the barrier islands surrounding it, more Defense emplacements have been installed. The interior of the island is largely agricultural, with cookiecutter type towns spaced in a radial design with the center at the Nations largest city, Pink Bunny City. In the center of the city, on the top of a large artificial hill, is the Royal Palace. The Palace is the most powerful military instituition in the nation. It is massice, nearly twice the size of the American Pentagon, and it has no garden in the center of it. It has been built and added on to over the last few centuries, and now is the single most important building in the nation. It is protected in more ways than can be imagined by most civs and even military personnel.

In the summit of the palace, a meeting is occuring between the Supreme Dictator and his board of directors, who all happen to be heads of the nation's major corporations and, in some cases, family members. They are bickering constantly, trying to decide whether going to war or agreeing with this nation is the right move.

Excusing himself, the Supreme Dictator leaves the room and proceeds to a side room. Nodding to a soldier in grey battle armor, the room he had just left began to fill with a colorless gas. He smirked a little and shook his head, the fools, you think that I would actually allow you to usurp power from me. One by one, the CEOs stopped bickering, and dropped to the floor, completely knocked out.


Transport them to the prison, maximum security, and inform the companies that they have become a part of this govenment. And now, it is time for war. Call the leaders of Borubudur, and tell them we declare our support for their cause. The Supreme Dictator then moved towards his chambers, thinking about the state of his military.

The Councilmen sat in nervous silence, surrounded by the uninteilligable buzz of aids and secretaries as they worked tirelessly on military reports, political summaries, and updates on government responses to the situation. Occasionally they would sift through the documents and reports ahnded to them, or go over their own notes that they typed up before the meeting. So far, the news was not good. The Gutter Runners, while not openly supportive of DurkaDurakstan, seen adamantly against any military conflict. If it came to blows, they would undoubtably oppose the aggressor. The United Socialist States of the Icy Angel had declared their open support for DurkaDurakstan, and their informants in the Rogue Nation of Black Death to You had said the Emperor had agreed to go along with the proposal, and would amke the official announcement shortly, striking two potential allies off of the shortening list. Several nations, like the Republic of Danger Fields, were bound to remain nuetral on this issue, and Borodudur needed all the help they could get against the military superpower of Durkadurakstan. Only British Arabia was a reliable ally of Borobudur, for they would never give tribute to another nation. The list of friends was growing shorter every minute.

Admiral Onishi leaned back in his chair, his hands folded in his lap and his eyes staring at the top of mount Omotodake. His mind swarmed through the various outcomes of the coming military and civil conflict, all them reaching the inevitable outcome of utter defeat. Alone, the Admiral's political and military weight would collapse. He needed allies.

An aide suddenly appeared at the top of the stairs, a printed message in hand and look of anxious excitment on his face. Panting, he handed the admiral the message, pulled of a shrap saulte, and fell back into the crowd of assitants, most likely to tell his freinds of the contents of the message. The Admiral leaned forward, a small smile creeping onto his features as he read the message. His smile turned into a small chuckle as he finished reading the message. The councilmen all leaned forward, their eyes gazing in anticipation at the Admiral. He rose form his chair,and addressed the Councilmen, his happiness obvious in eager tone of his words.

"Well, councilmen, it appears that the nation of Black Death is not as uniform in their support of DurkaDurakstan as we thought. Shortly after the Emperor decided to accept Durkadurakstan's proposal, he was assassinated, and General Asanzi, a vocal opponent of Durkadurakstan and their proposal, has taken control of the nation, While resisatcne to his rule still exists, our informants believe he will have control of the country shortly, with little damage to the strength of the nation."

"Buddha has apparently blessed us for our decision to oppose DurkaDurakstan! Already, one of his allies has been removed! While a smaller nation, we need all the help we can get, and this is surely an event in our favor. We must act fast, though. We need to ensure that Asanzi gains control of the nation, and that we extend a hand of friendship to him, and begin to coordinate our opposition. Depending on the amount of support we get against the proposal, we may be able to avoid military conflict, and the collapse of the government of Black Death will be a vital tool in the diplomatic arena."

He then turned to one of his assistants, who sat at a comptuer terminal surrounded with documents and papers. "Ready my helicopter and a squadron of Emishi bodyguards to the temple. I will go to see General Asanzi personaly. The rest of you, continue to communictae with the other nations, especially Manypink Fluffy Bunnies and The Gutter Runners. Black Death and British Arabia wont be enough, and we need some of the powerhouse nations on our side."

The whir of chopper blades began to sound at the base of the temple. Calling his two most trusted aid to his side, Admiral Onishi began to descend to the helipad. Around Thrity Emishi, the elite special forces of Borobudur, were readying thier equipment and boarding three UH-60 Black Hawk Helicopters, to escort the Admiral. Onishi boarded one of the Black Hawks, and they took off, disappearing into the endless expanse of the sky.

The Elector was in his private chambers. From the chair at which he was sitting, he could see out across the Inner Bay at the isle of the Gutter Runners. Its mountain range and lower plains with scattered cities and small towns was a delight to see. He loved this room for from it he could watch over most of the island and still be alone to think.

A buzzer announced the arrival of a message. Lifting the pointer from its rest place, his Tablet PC turned on.

The message read:
Sir, we have been receiving numerous messages from the leaders of the other nations of the Confederacy. Some are questioning your decision to withdraw from the United Nations. Others are pleading you to support their cause in regards to the DurkaDurakstan issue. Ambassadors and diplomats are trying to win over our own diplomats here. You must make a decision soon. As it is, the Emperor of Black Death to You has already been assassinated. I have taken the liberty to step up security around your chambers. While we believe that there are none on our islands who would wish you dead, it is an issue of national security.
-Your Personal Assisstant, Miranda Thorpe

This isn't good. I can correctly assume that our ambassadors and diplomats are making our own position currently known, that we are not yet sure of our support or anger at the announcement. Perhaps we should hold a council of the Confederacy's leaders in Canadia County. Security there is amazing. The inmates there are docile enough, realizing their faults. It should not be a problem to establish a secure region within the boundaries. We hold that island like Big Brother. Nothing gets in or out without our exact blessings.

Yes. Canadia County.

Pushing a button on his desk, he buzzed Miranda.

Yes? came that familiar voice.

Contact the leaders of the nations of the Confederacy directly. Make it available to everyone. There shall be a convocation of leaders on the island of Canadia County immediately. Prepare my transport and contact our Governor on Canadia County. Make sure he knows to contain everyone on the island and set up his island to be as tightly secure as possible. I leave know.

And with that, he took the second move on the chess board in front of him.
What are you planning... what indeed... he whispered to no one.

After only a short flight, the island of the Rogue Nation of Black Death To You began to creep over the horizon. Its normally calm aura was shattered by plumes of smoke rising from the capital city, and the distant ring of gun fire and explosions put the diplomatic convoy on edge. The pilot attempted to establish contact with the ground personnel at the airport, but he was met with silence. He turned to Onishi, the confused look on his face begging for instructions. "Keep trying to contact someone loyal to Asanzi somewhere on the island, we arent turning back." he ordered, apparently unperturbed by the radio silence, "If no contact can be made, we will parachute down, establish a secure perimteter, and plan our next move form there." He hadn't abandoned the Council session to simply turn around.

The Admiral's cellphone began to ring. Even the Admiral jumped slightly, surprised by the sudden distrubance. His surpirse was soon replaced by indignation, and his tone was far from friendly when he answered the call. "This better be important," he sneered at the person on the other end. His anger, however, quickly dissapated, replaced by a look of sheer truimph. "Perfect!" he exclaimed, while the Emishi around him sighed, relieved that it was good news. "Tell him to take a transport to the island of Black Death To You for a conference with our new ally. I will talk to him when he arrives". He hung up the phone, put it back in his pocket, and informed his eager audience as to the content of the message. "Good news, my loyal guards. It appears that the Rogue Nation of Manypink Fluffy Bunnys has decided that Durkadurakstan was getting too big for its own good, and this treasury idea was the last straw. They have decided to join our coalition in opposition to the idea. As you probably surmised, I have requested that the leader of Manypink Fluffy Bunnys come to the isle of Black Death To You for an impromptu conference. When we land, I want twenty of you to stay with me, while ten of you take one of the Black Hawks and escort our ally when he arrives. Hopefully, we will be able to make contact with Asanzi by then."

The pilot leaned back and shouted to the admiral, relief evident in his voice, "Sir! I've made contact with Asanzi's forces on the ground. they have secured the Capital, and have cleared a landing zone for us. We should arrive in a couple minutes." [I]As the Black hawk neared the capital, the fires began to dimish, and the sound of gunfire disappeared.

Admiral Onishi smiled. Perhaps defeat wasnt as inevitable as he had originally thought.

The mortar shell exploded between the two trucks, spewing occupants in all directions. As the violent civil war continued to spread across the Rogue Nation of Black Death to You, people found it harder and harder to remain neutral.

In a command center removed from the fighting, Emporer Asanzi reclined in his swivel chair watching the violence remotely; the events of the previous weeks flowing through his head like a river. The resistance had began almost immediately, he remembered. They had sprouted up all over the country in isolated cells. Some estimates put them at 5 million strong. This, he mused, was nothing compared to his vast military might of 6 million whose unwavering allegiance he commanded and the estimated 4 more who supported his cause. Still, it troubled him that his spies had discovered the relative indifference of the remaining populace. If they could be turned to one side or another, they could determine the war.

"Captain Watkins," he said to the crew cut young lad seated at the computer consol infront of him, "send a telegram to the Nations of Borobudur and Manypink Fluffy Bunnies and request their aid in our cause. We may yet need their power."

He was consoled by the relative ease with which he had taken command; the military and all of its forces had immediately joined him. Still, the power of the opposing cells could not be underestimated. He must wait and see what would happen. The events of the next few days would determine his course of action...

Emperor Acetarin, the newly promoted leader of ManyPink Fluffy Bunnys, was sitting in his study, when the intercom buzzed. He sighed, and hit the accept message button. "Sir, the Emperor of Black Death to you has just been assasinated, and the rebels have declared that they support our and Borobudur's cause. They have called for a summit in the Royal Palace, and we are invited to attend." After pondering the pronouncement for a moment, the Emperor repled, "Ready my transport, we are going to the summit at Black Death to You."

On a landing platform near the top of the palace, a Black Hawk landed, and two CH-53 Super Stallions landed beside it. 18 SPARTANS boarded the Stallions, and 4 more boarded the Black Hawk with an Emperor's assistant. The Helicoptors took off, and were joined by 4 Apache Longbows that took up a defensive perimeter around the BlackHawk.

Elsewhere, a modified Los Angeles Submarine launched three Advanced SEAL Delivery Systems, each carrying a complement of SPARTANS. They inserted onto the coast of DurkaDurakstan, avoiding the defense emplacements and patrols with relative ease. They moved into the dense forest and waited for further instructions.


Once his delegate was onboard the helicopter, the Emperor flipped open his satellite phone, and called the leader of Borobudur. My friend, we have a delegation that is enroute to the island of black death. ETA, thirty minutes. I have an escort with him, along with a complement of elite forces. Can you get the Black Death to You forces to transmit an acceptable approach path to the palace. Thank you, and I hope to see you soon. The Emperor clicked shut his phone, and remotely signaled one of the Longbows to scout ahead, he did not want to be caught unaware by his new enemies.

The airport lay in ruins as the three helicopters descended. Small shards of Debris were scattered around the hekipad, and the ground was scriched with and burned from rockets and explosions. The charred remains of an F-15 smoldered a couple hundred yards away, the smoke casting a light haze over the scene. Regardless, the landing zone was safe and secure, and military patrols, backed by tank units, guarded the facility. As such, it was a good degree of confidence that the Admiral stepped out of the helicopter, adn sruveyed the area for any signs of high-ranking officials. A sergeant from one of the patrol sapproached him, snappind off a salute when he saw the rank on the Admiral's uniform. "Greetings, Admiral Onishi. General Asanzi has informed us of your arrival. He will be with your shortly. In the meantime, you and your men can wait in our security headquarters, by the remaining hangers." He pointed towards the only building still in good repair, which appeared to be a warehouse that had been converted into a makeshift fortress. Debris had been assmebled around it as trenches, with machine gun emplacements spaced evenly about, and two missle batteries were placed at the entrence. The windows were boarded up except for small slits for the barrels of the sniper rifles that were sticking out. Several holes in the walls had been pathced up, some with matching metals, but others with wood or rubble, and the doors to the wraehouse were clearly recent additions. Guards patrolled the sides and the roof, keeping an eye out for approaching soldiers. While derelcit, its structure seemed strudy, and it was the best they could do in such times.

Once again, Admiral Onishi's cellphone rang. Expecting a call this time, though, he was enither surpirsed nor angry, and answered it with his usual calm manner. It was the secretary of Emperor Acetarin, the ruler of Manypink Fluffy Bunnys. "Good, two hours is fine," he stated, deaming those aorund either not important enough to know what he is talking about, or intelligent enough to figrue it out. "Tell him to land at the Airport of the capital city, and meet me in their security headquarters in the area. I would like to talk to him before we begin our meeting with General Aanzi, if possible. Give my thanks to the Emperor for his quick response." He hung up the phone, and headed towards the warehouse, his Emishi following close behind.

***

Back at the council, the scene was far from tranquil, With the Emperor gone, all semblance of rank and order had fallen apart. Councilmen yelled at each other across the room, their fists slamming the table, and quite a few councilmen were fingering their pistols. They had recently received a message from the Republic of the Gutter Runners, calling for a Confederate Council of all the nations to be summoned in order to address the issue. The council ahd broken inot three factions. One, comprised of the more peace loving ministers, wanted to accpet the proposal and assist The Gutter Runners in organizing the meeting, believing it to be a good step towards reducing tension on both sides. A second group, comprised simultaneously of the most devout followers of the Emperor, and the most cowardly memebrs of the government argued that it was not their place to decide on the issue, and that Onishi should choose their course. A third group, however, claimed to already know Onishi's stance, and that he didnt need to be informed of the issue at all. He would reject it outright, because it would show weakness and fear to DurkaDruakstan. They arued the propoer course was to issue a dictat to DurkaDurakstan, demanding treform of the treasury proposal, and if they refused, declare war. Some councilmen, however, sat in silence, and one of the councilmen, the one who had been nicked in throat by the Emperor at the beginning of the meeting, was brooding, unaware of the events around him. Little headway in the debate was being made, although side supporting the meetin held the numerical advantage. The issue seemed to have polarized around two figures: High Priest Shotoku, arguing on the side of supporting the meeting, and General Nakashuri, on the side of boycotting it.

"We cant give in the demands of the enemy, and bolster their confidence in our weakness!" Nakashuri exclaimed, his first practically bleeding from multiple collisions with the table, "We need to show that we are not willing nto compromise on this issue. We must hold negotiations between Durkadurakstan and our coalition, submit our demands, and tell them of the consequences of refusal!"

"Your foolish surpasses only your stubborness!" Shotoku shot back, his arms waving animatedly in the air, "We need to work with Durkaudrakstan, not against them! This proposal has merit, it just needs to be fine tuned, and this meeting will aissts that process! We ahve already labeled Durkadurakstan as our enemy, when they ahve done nothing to provoke such sentiments!"

"Are you blind!?!? Done 'nothing' to deserve the label of enemy? May I remind you, that this proposal demands money only form the smaller nations of the Confederacy, while excluding himself! This isnt a bank, this is Blackmail, and Borobdur will not be coerced into submission!"

"Blackmail? I dont see any threats or promsies of military inavsion if we refuse on the demands! Durkadurakstan needs to gfive money out as well, but that is what we need to have this meeting for! We need to make it fair and pratical, but more importantly, we need to diffuse hotheads like you from demanding war becuase of a simple proposal!"

At this point, both of their faces were red, and small beads of sweat were forming on their foreheads. Nakashuri, however, had had enough. He shirled and shook his hands ina complex flurry of movement, directed at the Emishi captain who contorlled the guards oin the room. He nodded his head, and began to signal to his comrades. Shotoku's brow furrowed in confusion, but but his eyes shot open, and let out a gasp of realization, just as Nakashuri pulled out his Desert Eagle and shot the High Preist through the forehead. His clouded over, tinted with red, as the floor rose up to meet his falling body, It never came, though. He was dead before he hit the ground.

The Council session erupted into chaos. Every Councilmen whipped out their pistols, but the delegates who had argued for peace knew they were doomed. Two of the more militarily experienced delegates kicked over the desk, which was made of a thick slab of oak, and ducked behind it, creating a temporary shield agianst their enemies. Thier assistants pulled out their own pistols, and one of them even had a small sub-machine gun, and downed an opposing secretary before he even pulled out his weapon. The true firepower, however, lay within the gaurds, and they were entirely loyal to Nakashuri in this conflict. Armed with H&K G-36's and OICW Assault rifles, they tore itno the opposition. Half of the opposing councilmen were killed in the first few seconds of combat, the rest had taken cover behind the upturned desk or in the cubicles of their assitants. A group of the Emishi guards sprayed the desk with perpetual gunfire, pinning down those behind it, while two more groups moved to the flanks. Not taking any chances, the guards lobbed several fragmentation grenades over the table, and ducked behind some desks to the side. The councilmen who ran away from the grenades were shot down by the guards on the flanks, never making it more than a couple feet, while those who stayed put, apparently oblivious to the danger, were burned by the explosion, and shredded by the flying debris, their blood flying arcoss the room, a shower of gore and violence. The guards took no prisoners, and after about thirty seconds, the room was deviod of opposition, while not a single guard has died. The victorious faction of the councilmen, however, had lost several assistants, and the Minister of Public Transportation had been shot in the neck.

Nakshuri then took command. He told his secretary to begin mobilizing all the armies of Borobudur, and inform the populace that war was imminant. While the Emperor would eventually find out, he knew that he would have no choice, with them in control of the military and the council, to go along.

Durkadurakstan would not get its way in this issue, as long Nakashuri remained alive.

The satellite phone of Samuel Haight vibrated with great gusto over the roar and blunder of the helicopter. Attaching the earpiece to his headphones, he shouted into the receiver, "Miranda. This better be good."

"Sir, we've got problems. Our ambassador to Borobudur has left the nation on his own accord, disgusted at the bloodshed that took place. Apparently they will not be going to Canadia County after all. That and Borobudur is preparing for war against DurkaDurakstan," Miranda informed him.

"Shit! Listen, Miranda, I'm returning to the capital now. If Borobudur is rallying for war, then so are their allies. And you know they have allies. That damn conference is going to be a waste. I want the military ready to go at a moment's notice. Remember our stance. Should they attack us at all or should any military unit enter our territory, the isle proper and our colonies, then we retaliate full force. Until then, we don't play sides. Make sure the Committee knows this and make sure they are safe. I'm returning to the bunker. See you there," replied Haight.

This isn't good. This isn't good at all. I bet the damn Borobudur ambassador is probably trying his best to comply with whatever regime is in control of his nation. Poor sap.

But that move's dead. What next? Sit on the sidelines? Damnit. I don't want to do that. But which side would I join?

The helicopter and escorts turned around over the straits between the Gutter Runners and Canadia County and flew back to the capital city on Inner Isle.

Boris Borisovich was all alone in the large room. Each of the twenty sets of double doors was guarded by two heavily armed guards on the outside. He sat, leaning back in his chair, hands folded in front of his nose. The Council of Borobudur had collapsed into anarchy and possibly civil war. The Gutter Runners were calling for a conference on one of their islands. Durkadurakstan would be there, and had responed to The Gutter Runners, but hopefully there would be others. The Durkadurakstan fleet and airforce were on alert, especially as intelligence showed a convoy moving from the ManyPink Fluffy Bunnys to some unknown location. Boris Borisovich had an idea though, but it didn't quite formulate itself yet.

Two civil wars. Not bad, eh? Boris Borisovich chuckled half-heartedly. Things were definitely getting a little out of control. He pressed a button on a panel in front of him.

Footage of the civil war in Black Death To You began to play. I remember Asanzi. We go a long way back, a long way back indeed. I knew it would eventually come to this, I knew it. Now, we must be enemies. Well, it is his loss. He was never really better than me.

Boris Borisovich was all alone in the large room. Each of the twenty sets of double doors was guarded by two heavily armed guards on the outside. The only noise was the speaker system relaying explosions and gunfire.

A voice broke the "silence" from the intercom. Muting the sound of the video, Boris Borisovich listens carefully.

"We have recieved an SOS from the island of Black Death To You. We believe it is from the rightful government. I'll relay the message to you, sir."

"Do that."

"Muad'dib, war brews in the east. Shall I ready the demonstration troops, sire?" quesitioned High Mercenary Chief Stilgar Fent.

"Yes, my friend, the time is nigh for us to go to the highest bidder. What do we have to offer?" questioned the messiaic leader.

"In terms of numbers, were coming up a little bit short, but we make up for much of that in quality. We have the spec-ops ready in incriments of companies. They are equipped with the newest FN F2000s. Their armor isnt thick, but they have what's needed to get the stealth job done. We have yet to lose more than 10 in battle at one time. Our normal infantry is well equipped and trained, with also FN weapons. For every battalion their are 4 companies, each with 200 soldiers. Each company is divided into six platoons, with a lieutenant colonel at the head. Along with thhis leadership, each company also is alotted one sniper team, two demolitions teams, and four .50 cal mounteds. Their body armor is of high military grade. The only thing that the buyers will have to supply is direction."

"What about armored cavalry?"

"That'll come later, we still have to get over the whole core containment problem, so we'll just have to make do with the supplied vehicles."

"Right"

"And what are we gonna do about DurkaDurakstans's demands?"

"Well, screw 'em for now, but customers are customers."
OOC: either they have to figure out how to conatin nuclear leakage, or i have to leave Language Arts. :)

The Coastline Express traveled up the Eastern Coast of the Ventian States traveling to Venice from the far costal port of Florence. The minister of international affairs Michael Ventino sat down in his chair and proceeded to watch the international news. The headlines were all about the civil war in Black Death To You and the aggression of DurkaDurakstan was on everyone’s mind as well and Ventino's. The Ventian States was a large nation but with a population of about 29 million; war would mean that the security of the states would be threatened. Ventino did not want war but the states would never submit to being ruled to by a foreign power. Ventino was traveling back to the capital for an emergency meeting with the Doge of Venice, the ruler of The Ventian States. He was going to advise that the Doge contact Borobudur and offer the Ventian States help in the impending conflict. As Ventino looked out his window at the endless coastline he could not but wonder what would happen. Ventino wanted stability in the region and was afraid of all the rouge nations that threatened that peaceful life. Life in the states was very good. There had not been a war on the islands since before the republic was formed in 1633. Ventino did not want the Ventian States to constantly be worried about a conflict, or scared of the Patriot Missle and SAM sites that he would be proposeing if the region did degreade into war. Ventino was confident that any attack would be deterred by the Royal Navy of The Ventian States the Airforce and The Army. But he did relize that there were other massively more powerful nations that would be able to attack the Republic. Ventino closed his eyes and slept waiting for the 2 1/2 hour ride to be over.

Even at midnight, the sky of The Icy Angel droned constantly with the sounds of sport mufflers and blow-off valves. The many streets and highways, the infinite grid of lighted pavement and lane markers, were always occupied by at least occupied by one or two maniacs traveling in excess of 100 mph. The Icy Angel was known all across the Confederacy for its lack of speed limits and infamous street racing battles.

Sidney Lau, Secretary of Motor Vehicles, thundered down Kitty Bridge in his black 2002 Nissan Skyline. He was quite satisfied with his management of the nation’s growing reliance on automobiles, as he was able to manage the infrastructure to handle them. Even during the peak of rush hour, Kitty Bridge, the bridge connecting Dong Bang and New Territory Islands, lacked any congestion whatsoever. Smiling, he sent another shot of nitrous oxide into the smooth six-banger.

Another car, a candy yellow Toyota Supra, disturbed his conscience. This car pulled up to him on the left and flashed its headlights. He could not see the driver of the Supra through the tinted windows, but even at full nitrous, the Supra was able to outpace him by ten car lengths. Lau tailed the car through the twisties around Angel Peak, but eventually lost the elusive Supra behind two trucks in a tunnel.

Incidentally, Lau was commuting home from the recent United Nations Special Committee on Automobile Safety Regulations. He had proposed a bill that would set standards of the United Nations into conformity with the standards of his own nation, which included standard front and side airbags as well as LATCH child seat attachments. Even though the United Nations had to revoke his bill for a technical reason, Lau was still optimistic: he had gained the respect of some of the senior, more experienced members of the committee.

The proposal initially reached the UN because The Icy Angel had the endorsements of The New Constitution and Aisin Gioro, but the proposal could not be resubmitted because The Icy Angel lost the endorsement of Aisin Gioro. The UN ordered the removal of Aisin Gioro from the UN because of its extremely close affiliations with The Icy Angel. After all, almost everyone who lived in The Icy Angel had immediate family members living in Aisin Gioro. Lau knew that the next plan of action would be to find another nation to endorse The Icy Angel in the UN. On the plane from the UN summit, Lau had sent the following text message to Ethel Tang:

Dear Ethel: UN success, no pass. Need endorsement from remaining UN members in Confed. Sidney Lau.

The next morning, Ethel Tang read her text messages. She had returned from the cancelled meeting in Canadia County the previous night, and went downstairs to admire her yellow Supra over a breakfast of rice.

“I wonder who the driver of that Skyline was,” Ethel mused, as she inspected the shiny intricacies of her engine.

Ms. Tang then proceeded to send a message to all the UN members of the Confederacy asking for their endorsement. An hour later, The Grand Duchy of Vegetarius replied with an endorsement, and Ms. Tang called up Sidney Lau, telling him to return to the UN.

In his subterreanean cavern, Minister Zimda poured over a map of the nation of Black Death To You.

"Sir, this area, the Northeast, we believe is largely sympathetic with our cause, although much of the remaining populace has flocked to Asanzi."

"Damnit! More flock to them every day!" The irate leader of the rebellion screamed.

In his former post, Zimda had been a loved spokesman for civil rights and a more modern economy. Many intellectuals had supported him and e had been loved in his country. Now, it seemed that the bonds of fear bound people tighter than those of love. Zimda began to lose hope. His eyes moved to a small hundred mile wide circle in which he knew were the last of the active rebellion forces.

"Still, we have an army, we can fight." He said to himself more than anyone else. His mind shifted to his allies in Durkadurakstan from whom he had thusfar heard nothing.

"Captain Anelli, send out an emergency transmission to Durkadurakstan, tell them that we need to evacuate a million men or risk loosing this war."

"Sir, is that really the wisest option?"

His mind flew to the cut off supply chains, the freezing and ever coming winter and the heightened cannibalism that had been the only sustainance for his troops. His mind then fled to the well fortified and heartily filled troops on the other side of the trenches. Also, he thought of their vastly superior force of close to 8 million. "Yes, we have no choice."

After a thoughtful pause, "Perhaps we ought to begin clearing a path to the sea to allow for greater ease on the part of Durkadurakstan, should they not forsake us."

"Good, ensure that all preparations are made for a large offensive to the west." came the weary reply. Could they make the sea? Certainly 7 miles was no great distance, but after having tested all positions around him, Zimda was sure that those in his way were the strongest.

...

Robert Tan crept tealthily up the Hill. He knew that his mission was one of the greatest importance. Clinging to the rocks by only one hand, he managed, finaly, to reach the summit from which he could send the transmission. Zimda personally had told him to send this absolutely vital transmission. The cave had been far too dense to recieve or send any signal. As he hit the crucial button that would send the transmission, Kerry breathed a sigh of relief. His task was now over. Suddenly, he heard a clanging from far below. With a look of horror, he discovered that he had dropped his mess kit. The transmission was sent, his job was done, but how to get back now that the ultrasensitive sensors of the Emporer had probably picked him up.

A 20mm sniper bullet nicked the dust at his feet. A cry was given and a canister was thrown. As the gas leaked out and put Tan into a heavy sleep, several figures emerged with gas maskes on their faces. A particularly sinister looking man, who almost took on the guise of Darth Vader in his chilling breaths and his long black cape, stepped over the man to check his pulse.... Alive!

"Take him away."

OOC: Black Death, how did Mr. Kerry get into this story? I think you meant to say Tan...

Weary and exhausted from speaking to hundreds of delegates, Sidney Lau fell asleep in his seat in the Trade and Commerce chamber of the UN Building. His dreams were wicked. He saw thousands and thousands of cars, rolling around, igniting in flames, as large UN peacekeeping forces invaded the city of Dong Bang with missiles and flamethrowers. The whole city was on fire. Fiveteen hours later, he awoke with a start, sweat still dripping down his face.

"Wha?"

In a few seconds, he realized that the meeting had ended hours ago, and the sun had not yet risen. The lights were all off, with only light from the window casting ghostly shadows from the modern art on the walls. Hungry and half-dazed, he stumbled out of the chamber and the UN building onto the gloomy street.

If only he knew whether his proposal made the list of votable resolutions. Before he fell asleep at around 4:00, only about 98 of the needed 141 approvals were made. And now, the streets of the host city were deserted, with no one in sight for miles. At this point, he thought about taking out his gun and shooting himself, but he realized that the UN security guards confiscated all weapons at the front gate.

He sank down in the street, crying, knowing that the UN was a futile, backwards, worthless institution that would rather spend money saving trees instead of saving lives. In a few minutes, he reluctantly recovered himself to maturity, and called a taxi to take him to the airport.

But from that second forward, Sidney Lau, an influential member of the Atheistic Socialist party, was convinced that his mission in politics was to lobby for the removal of The Icy Angel from the list of UN member states. Unless, of course, he could get the necessary eleven votes that would give him the power of a UN delegate. There was only one way for him to get that indomitable power...

"I am sick and tired, yes, SICK AND TIRED, of the UN telling the world what to do!" Lau roared from the head of the table. "Why does our country need to be subservient to a bunch of tree-huggers?"

"Well, sir, most of our citizens are tree huggers, like myself," replied Leon Lai, Secretary of Environment. "It's just that some of them, well, should I say ALL of them are supportive of the idea of this 'global community.' This is nonsense, because we need to return to the isolationism of the days when we were colonies of Aisin Gioro."

"Okay, okay. I know that you and I differ on our individual positions. The only thing that unites us is our membership in this damn party of Atheistic Socialists."

"Well, perhaps if we came to a consensus, perhaps we will win the support of the other 91% of the electorate, hmm? Surely atheism will win over their so-called born-again holiness?"

"I have a better idea, Mister Lai. How about we take some radical measures, like having the system self-destruct by its own means? Hmm? How about we get some of the 'global community' to help us in a military coup?"

"Well, if you want to, send out a message to all of the other Confederates. Make sure the government doesn't find out, or else we'll be toast."

And Sidney Lau informed a classified terrorist network to disperse the call for a military coup to its cells in other Confederate nations.

OOC: Whoever replies first determines the nature of this terrorist group!

The Emperor was surrounded by many screens listing the state of his military. If he was going to war, they would be ready. His carrier groups were stationed at strategic points around the island, and all of the Nation Defense System was green. One of his carriers was currently in the main dock in the last stages of being fueled after its shakedown run. The new ship was the last in a series of retrofits, converting his carriers to be able to carry additional helicopters and service them accordingly.

As he was studying the state of the land forces, the door opened and Rik Alpha, the captain and leader of the nation's SPARTAN special ops forces, came into the room. Stopping at a respectable distance and bowing, he waited for the Emperor to motion him forward. Sir, we just recieved a coded transmission from The Icy Angel. It seems that a rogue group is interested in overthrowing the government and joining our side in the coming conflict. I am requesting permission to deploy a SPARTAN group and assist in any and all means we can.

The Emperor studied the SPARTANs face, revealed with his helmet visor tipped open. Who will lead the team, and how many SPARTANs will you send in? he says.

Rik replied, I was thinking of nominating John Omega, he is one of my most qualified officers. I think 300 SPARTANs should do the job, they will be equipped normally, with vehicle and weapon support.

Permission granted, go, and bring another to our side in the approaching storm The Emperor turned back to his screens, smiling slightely. He pulled up a list of the Confederacy's nations, and dragged The Icy Angel over to their side. The numbers seemed to be coming closer and closer to even. This was one fight they could win.

************

Elsewhere, the helicopter convoy dropped down close to the ground and flew at high-speed towards the appropriate airport at the nation of Black Death to You. Reaching the landing zone, the copters carrying Delegate Anton and the SPARTANs landed and dropped off the soldiers and the Delegate. They remained in place at idle, and the remaining Apaches circled the LZ, watching for any threats.

Senator Lau burst into the Senate meeting, announcing, "We will be attacked very shortly! Activate DEFCON 1, Mrs. Tang."

Trusting Lau's foresight, Tang followed her servant's orders, and turned a keyhole hidden underneath her desk. Instantly The Icy Angel's entire power grid shut down and was rediverted to the military defense systems. Sirens blared and emergency lights turned on as unarmed citizens raced to the nearest transport docks that would take them to fallout shelters in Aisin Gioro.

"Thank you, Ms. Tang. You know you can trust me," Lau said, and briskly walked out of the Senate building towards a Command HMMWV. The Senators, however, were in an uproar, rushing around the Senate hall in confusion.

"We cannot go to war so quickly, can we?" implored Andrew Chan, Secretary of Education. A sprinkler system turned on overhead, and in a second, his Ventian designer suit was soaked with water. Chan realized that everyone had already climbed to the roof, and he heard the loud decibel of a helicopter taking off above him. Shivering and alone, Chan realized that he was now in the next battlefield of the Confederacy.

*****

The HMMWV took Lau to the bunker overlooking the airport where the troops had assembled.

"Men and women," Lau said, "It seems as if this weak-minded government has backed down in the face of terror. May it be known that I will be able to handle this situation, with as little effort as possible.

"The instigators of a coup, yes, an attempt to overthrow the rightful Icy Angel Socialism, will be landing with a measly 300 men somewhere on this island at any minute. Hunt the men down, and bring their leader back to me alive."

"Should we contact our allies?" an experienced general noted.

"Yes, General Ang, please proceed to contact DurkaDurkastan and The Gutter Runners."

Saluting, the soldiers departed to perform a patrol duty that would determine the fate of their nation.

Boris Borisovich, still in the Great Hall, was speaking to a group of men and women who were once again sitting around the table. From left to right were the leaders of his armed forces:

First was the Head of the DurkaDurak Secret Service, Eugene Levovich Itszak, who had numerous reports lying in front of him on the table in color coded folders. To his left sat the Director of Public Safety, Marina Alexandrovna Rabinovicha. To his left sat Peter Ivanovich Gurok, the commander of the Air Force, along with his second in command who stood behind him, just like the commander of the Army, Vassily Nikolaiovich Grubenstein, and the commander of the Navy, Vladimir Pavlovich Kritshak. Guards stood at each door, not only protecting from attacks, but also from reporters.

Meetings always went with full reports from everybody present, after which decisions would be made. Boris Borisovich had enacted an old law that allowed him to gain control over the entire country for a period of six months, renewable only by vote of the Parliament.

"Eugene Levovich, please report," Boris Borisovich leaned back, eyes closed, as he listened intently.

"There are five nations that have not yet promised full neutrality. The first is The Gutter Runners. They have by far the largest military budget and military, and should not be alienated. Their stance is decidely anti-war, and they proposed a meeting, which was rudely ignored, and thus called off. Our nation responded favorably, which is a plus. We believe that if it comes down to war, we can get them on our side.

The next nation is that of Black Death To You. The emperor was assassinated in the middle of a speech supporting our cause. General Asanzi proclaimed himself the Emperor, and is seriously opposed to our request. He is currently enlisting the help of ManyPink Fluffy Bunnys and Borobudur to help quench the resistance movement. It would be foolish to support the rebellion, as their cause is hopeless. As you heard before, we did recieve a message asking for some leaders and several millions of people to be extracted. Alternatively, we believe that progress might be made by extending the olive branch to Asanzi."

Boris Borisovich interrupted at this point. "Please don't provide opinions, just give facts for the time being."

Nodding, Eugene Levovich continued:

"In ManyPink Fluffy Bunnys, Emperor Acetarin seized the resources of many companies, and is preparing for war. The island is heavily defended, both by man made and natural obstacles. This nation also has the largest population out of any of the nations in the Confederacy. They also have in existence this SPARTAN program, which involves the creation of super-soldiers, fed hormones and military training since birth. The particulars are being analyzed by our scientists, who have already begun work on that program.

Borobudur sustained a massacre of the faction supporting us. There are three factions: one supports Admiral Oneishi, one supports High Priest Otaku, and one will do whatever the emperor wants. Upon the departure of the Emperor from the building, a violent argument arose and Otaku's faction was killed down to a man. They plan to pressure the Emperor into taking their side.

There is also The Icy Angel, who we have created a workable bond with through our endorsement of their efforts in the UN. There is some internal conflict, which has resulted in a call for foreign aid to help foster a rebellion. Icy Angel, aware of the plot, has put their nation into the maximum alert possible. They are asking for help.

Then there are several other small nations, which include The Ventian States and British Arabia, though not much has been happening recently."

Closing that last folder, Eugene Levovich sat back and became silent.

"Good," was all that came out of Boris Borisovich's mouth.

The Director of Public Safety began:

"The media has broadcasted what they know of the situation in our neighbors. Air raid shelters have been prepared, as well as bunkers for the Parliament and other important figures. Temperary stations have been set up to provide assistance and instruction in the case of an emergency. I simply await your word."

Boris Borisovich nodded in response. "What is the condition of our armed forces?"

One by one the three men replied that their forces were up to date and prepared for war.

"Good. Then here is what we will do."

Everybody noticed the commanding tone in Boris Borisovich's voice. Not everybody was pleased. Boris Borisovich put the head of the DurkaDurak Diplomatic Core on the speaker phone.

"First, we send a delegation to ManyPink Fluffy Bunnys. Send...Frank Simmons. He was born there. He'll explain our stance, and maybe patch up any problems. Send out our top ambassadors to their respective countries; that is the ambassadors to all the countries Eugene Levovich mentioned. Try very hard to win over The Gutter Runners. They don't want war, so they will probably be against those war hawks in Borobudur and ManyPink Fluffy Bunnys. We need to sort things out. Send complements of 11 Suki (ooc: Suki = Special Forces) on each helicopter, and send another helicopter as back up. Send the Black Hawks.

I want our Carrier groups on high alert, and spaced out around our island. Be careful for submarines and air attacks. Also be ready to move out. We have a potential war on our hands, and we need to be ready.

I want our airfields ready as well. I want a Blackbird circulating..."

Eugene Levovich interrupted, "We already have it up"

Boris Borisovich was unhappy that his momentum was lost. Scowling, he nodded and continued, "And our air force ready to intercept anything coming into our airspace. I want full cooperation with the Navy.

I want helicopters patrolling our shores at all times, and I want our military mobilized. I want helicopters also patrolling our forests, to make sure that nothing has snuck in. Our leaders will now be heavily guarded, and our radar systems and Early Detection of Approach systems on full alert."

Everybody nodded. Boris Borisovich had been standing for the second half of his speech, and his face was growing red. Taking a deep breath, he continued.

"Send a 100 or so Suki into Black Death To You, preferably by sea, but by helicopter if need be. Find and extract some leaders of the rebellion we need information. Make promises, but not too many. At the same time, I want our official ambassador to Black Death To You to offer assistance to Asanzi. Again, make promises, but not too many.

Do the same for Icy Angel. Since the government is still in control, I think a direct landing of troops will suffice. Send them notice that we will be willing to land a force of several thousand soldiers. If they can't provide runways, we will get them in, either by sea or air. This meeting is adjourned. I want reports every 15 minutes on your progress."

”Sir?” came the voice of Miranda.

”I know already. I…”

”Sir, I’m so sorry. What do we do?”

He paused. Haight, having his hands covering his face, slid them down, depressed. ”We do the only thing we can do at this point. We help our ally against the terrorist group. If Manypink Fluffy Bunnys shoots on us first, then we can shoot back. Give ‘em hell.”

”I’ll call the Committee into your private conference room.”

”Good.”

* * *

”Fellow members of the Committee. I am sure that by now all of you have heard of the situation in the nation of The Icy Angel. As an ally of their government, we are responsible to help maintain the balance of power in times of crisis. I have…”

”You can do nothing!” interrupted one of the delegates. There seemed to be a murmur of agreement.

”On the contrary. I can do something. As Elector of the Gutter Runners, I have as of now officially assumed complete control over the nation. I have already mobilized special forces to aid The Icy Angel.”

There were gasps of surprise in the board room. ”You c-c-can’t! Those powers have never been assumed!”

”Times are changing, Ms. Dawson. I understand everyone’s concern at this point. I think it is important to note that I have also sent transmissions to both our Ambassadors to Manypink Fluffy Bunnys and to their now-Emperor expressing the need for peace. I do not want to actually fight this war, but if they insist we shall show them our power.
“As far as the current situation on the isle goes, I have heard reports of record numbers of citizens joining the military. As you probably knew, we will never need a draft. It seems as though the people want to fight. Perhaps that is why I’ve been alienated as a ruler because I do not want war. I look around at my fellow Committee members and I think to myself, how was I ever elected? I don’t want this war anymore than you do. And I know you are all extremists yourself. But I am not as opinionated as you.
“Bicker if you’d like, but as Elector, I am controlling this nation now. I don’t have to listen to you anymore. I insist that you stay here in the capital inside the compound. I don’t want anyone trying to incite anything among the populace. As such, I have also taken steps to cut your connections to the international community during this crisis. I will not have an Icy Angel or a Black Death on my islands. I am in control. Know that. Now leave. You shall be escorted to your separate chambers where your family has already been relocated.
“I ask that you forgive me, though. I know this is quite a radical move, but understand that it is best for the nation.”

Haight snapped his fingers once and the Military Police entered, escorting the representatives back to their rooms.

* * *

He closed the door to his private chambers and flicked on the light switch. Miranda was lying on the couch. ”Why did you come? You know this is hard for me.”

”Well, I just wanted to help you blow off some steam,” she said slyly, coming to her feet and walking towards Haight. ”We won’t need those lights, now will we?” she added, turning them off and embracing Haight…

“Where in a region of man men” proclaimed the senator from the Southern Florentine Providence.

“Where screwed, absolutely screwed” proclaimed Jane Flentino from the Malianien Providence.

Michael Ventino slouched in his chair as the senators bickered about what was going to happen with the region. A day ago he met with the Doge and had made his suggestions about defending the Republic, which the Doge’s military advisors agreed to. Almost instantly they were put into action, with all 4 branches of the military on alert and ready to act, the Ventian States was not turned into a military police state, but that does not mean that the public could not see the military convoys on the highways and the military trains on the Maglev Transit system going to their perspective posts. The chancellor of the senate called for order as almost they all agreed that the freedom of the states was in jeopardy. “People, people please calm down, the military we have are well equipped and there is no need to worry just yet. Michael Ventino has come over to address the situation and has a very good idea of what is going on out there”

Michael went up to the podium and looked at the senate, “Um… ok I know that a lot of you are frightened, and to tell you the truth I am as well.” A mummer spread across the floor, “We have 2 nations that are now ruled by one man, DurkaDurakstan is ruled by Boris Borisovich who took control of the country under a constitutional provision that is in their constitution. I am not worried by this; Borisovich is a sensible guy who I have met on several occasions before these events occurred. But there is one grave threat to this nation’s security and that is Haight who we believe has seized control of the nation of The Gutter Runners. This is a threat that must be addressed...”

“Are you mad? The Gutter Runners have 36 million people and more over a defense budget of over 111 billion” called out one of the senators.

“Yes, I do know that, according to our intelligence it would appear that the representatives have disappeared. I am assuming that there is a possibility that Haight will act with no regard to the will of the nation and would be a mad man. Look this is what I suggest; we contact ManyPink Fluffy Bunnys, and Borobudur proposing an alliance, we cannot do this alone. Secondly I want U2’s to survey the region, i want to know of any unihabited islands and areas of importance, or intrest. Also let’s have a navy detachment start to head over to the area of conflict; we may need to act fast. And finally I am going to try to contact some of our informants to see what information they may have on The Gutter Runners or any other possible foe. I believe that if we are contemplating an attack we will need to know the terrain and layout of the countries. Also we need to know how many would support us if we did try to free the people of the countries. It is one thing if they disagree with us but they should be able to make their own decisions and by having a dictatorship you are simply not doing that. Though we have never had war at home, we have dealt with threats and we have always let the input of all government leaders be known. Mind you all that what I say here today is if diplomacy we are not rushing to war, that would be a great cost to us. But we are preparing to defend ourselves and act if called upon.” Michael said.

“I support his ideas and say we contact ManyPink Fluffy Bunnys, and Borobudur” says Michelle Arnet, one of the most respected members of the senate.

“Here, here, yes, let’s do it” all sounds of agreement came from the floor.

The chancellor got up, “All in favor of Michael Ventino’s proposal?” the room erupted in yeas, “I believe that is unanimous any objections” he waited for a second looking around the room, “Well I believe this is a first in the history of the senate but we are unanimous, will the sectaries please go forth with the proposal”.

“Um… could we also get the UN proposal out there as well” said Jennifer Capinie.

“Yes, yes, add that as well” said the chancellor, he looked around at some blank stares from the senators. “Oh, we have drafted a Un charter for the region it would be a more effective Un to deal with regional issues and hopefully prevent future conflicts like this one. Unlike the world UN this one is going to have measures to be effective and respect the sovereignty of each nation.” The senate erupted in approval.

**********

Ooc: the link to the regional UN: http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=376839

Having masterminded the entire battle, Sidney Lau reclined on his armchair at his home on Angel Peak. The three allied powers patrolled the islands by land, sea, and air twenty four-seven, and the combined force of 100,000 soldiers made the island almost impenetrable.

Mister Lau thought he had already won, or so he had thought.

Suddenly, only about fifty feet away, an explosion reverberated through the midnight sky, debris and shrapnel flying everywhere. With confidence, Sidney reached for his mobile device and radioed the three armies for assistance. He was committed not to submit to the menace that he had created.

OOC: Interested in what my army has? Go to http://www.seedwiki.com/wiki/Confederacy%20of%20Green%20Waves/Confederacy%20of%20Green%20Waves.htm

Offshore of the United Socialist State of The Icy Angel, Alpha carrier group of the MPFB navy is cruising perpendicular to the island. It launches F-22 Raptors and F-18 Superhornets. The wing of F-18s and the wing of Raptors fly toward the island at above Mach-1. By staying less than 100 feet off the water, they streak towards the shore of The United Socialist State of The Icy Angel. As soon as they come within 20 miles, the fighters pop up and launch their AGM-65 Mavericks at the Bunkers and Military installations lining the shoreline and near coast. The 11 F-18s each unload 6 missiles, and then proceed to perform high-g turns and climb quickly into optimal flying zone. Hitting their afterburners, they speed back for the ship as fast as they can. The Raptors hang in a defensive formation with 3 planes in front and 8 in back of the F-18s to protect from any air forces that have arisen because of the noise. Oddly enough, the missiles seem to explode early, and the bunkers are hardly damaged. The missiles do leave behind a massive white cloud that lingers for about 15 minutes before dissapating.

**********

High above the Icy Angel, a trio of converted C-5 Galaxys fly at nearly 45,000 feet. They have been stripped down to bare minimums, and their engines are flying at full tilt. They are absolutely gas guzzling, and the pilot predicts they can only hold the position for less than 15 minutes before they are forced to descend. Luckily that would be enough time for what they were planning. In the cargo bays, a total of 150 SPARTANs are checking their oxygen tanks and masks. They go over their equipment as much as they can, while others check the bricks. A couple of SPARTANs had volunteered to be the "Donkeys". They were carrying the heavy gear, and would be the largest targets during the drop. The SPARTANs were carrying an array of gear, and were prepared to take on everything they thought they could possibly encounter.

Inside John Omegas helmet, an indicator light turned yellow. They were only a quarter-mile from the jump point. The SPARTANs all began moving into line, preparing for the HALO(High-Altitude Low-Open)-jump. John moved to the back of the plane, as did two others in the other planes. He turned to his SPARTANs, nodded, and pulled a lever. The rear-doors opened, and the SPARTANs braced themselves. John held up an arm with his fist closed, and waited.

The yellow light flickered and turned green. John opened his fist, and motioned forward. The SPARTANs began the leap, and managed to all get off the plane in a measly 22 seconds. Once in the air, they had a 6 minute freefall ahead of them. The 3 leaders moved together and locked arms. Quickly confirming the plan, they broke to their groups. As they were falling past a half-mile up, John signaled by loosening his bite on a sensor in his mount. The formation broke, and parachutes blossomed in perfect symphony.

The Black 'chutes along with the night concealed them to a certain extent, but they new this drop would have to be quick. The group had a few individuals with Stinger missiles being carried. The individuals proceeded to lock their chutes and aim for the circling helicopters over the manor on Angel hill. Firing, they dropped the launcher back to their side and moved back to join the group.

The next group opened their chutes merely 1500 feet off the ground. They were the group which contained a bunch of Snipers who immidiately began to scope the ground and choose targets. They waited for the next group....

....Whose chutes popped at merely 600 feet. They completed the remaining drop in merely 12 seconds. As they were coming down, a truck exploded nearby, and the soldiers wordlessly adjusted their flight to surround the house. As soon as they hit the ground, they dropped their 'chute packs. Wordlessly, they began to secure a perimeter around the manor, using its own defense system against it. The soldiers who were injured by the hard landing congregated at the prearranged spot, and the openings were filled by the next group who was landing a mere 15 seconds later. The final group landed less than 45 seconds after the first had, and helped to finish the perimeter.

John checked his Battlefield Tracker and saw that only 13 SPARTANs had not made a successful landing inside the compound. They were presumably dead, likely either shot down by enemy fire, or pinned down somewhere and forced into hiding. Either way, they were now moved to MIA. That unhappy task finished, John motioned the group forward towards the manor.

********

The C-5 Galaxys descended quickly down to a more manageable height upon leaving the airspace of the Icy Angel. They met up with a few KC-135 Stratotankers, and headed for home.

The situation was changing rapidly, and it appeared Admiral Onishi had been left behind. He had overestimated the loyalty of his advisors, and, in his absence, the government had been siezed by war-hawks, who began a full mobilization. Far from the action, Onishi could do nothing. Manypink Fluffy Bunnys, had also moved without thier knowledge, working with dissidents in the nation of The Icy Angels to instigate a coup, or so the delegate from Emperor Acetarin said. If it succeeded, then it would help their cuase, but if ti failed, and his forces were identified....

Onishi sat across the table with General Asanzi, the emperor of Black Death to you, and the delegate from Manypink fluffy bunnys. The only good news had come from Asanzi, who informed them that the lines of the opposing rebels had collapsesd, and they were in full retreat. This meeting was intedned to discuss their next action and prepare their military defenses, but with Borobudur's upper levels in chaos, Onishi's words held no power. His fustration mounting, Onishi got up to leave, addressing his peers as the Emishi prepared the Helicopter, "I apoloigize for the quick depature, but I have to return to Borobudur. I cannot allow a coup, similar to what occured here, to happen in my nation. As such, we will meet together once i ahve stabilized the situation, and those who instigated this rebellion have been...reprimanded."

The delegate from Manypink Fluffy Bunnys, whose name, if Onishi recalled, was Anton, packed up his briefcase and rose with him, a slight smile on his lips, " I see no reason for this to delay our meeting. I will go with you, back to Borobudur, and once the government is back uner your control, we will begin to plan our war against Durkadurakstan. Besides, you have a reputation for "creative" forms of punishment."

Onishi smiled too, for a second, before it was rpelaced by an inquisitive frown, "In times of peace, i do not doubt I have enjoyed the prolonged, painful executions of my opposition, but a quick kill will have to suffice in such trying times." He approaced the delegate, his eyes locking with Aton's, as if he was attempting to read his mind, "But you just said we would plan our war agaisnt Durkadurakstan. I was not aware that your nation was so committed to war."

The delegate's smile only widened, but he said nothing. Onishi took a step back, motioned to the closest Emishi, and began to walk towards the helicopter, Aton, still smiling, in his wake. onishi was fast runnign out of option, with all of his allies, and hsi own government, bent on fighting. As the helicopter took off, Onishi sat back, sighed, and accepted the inevitable. The wheels were in motion, and Onishi could stop them. The only thing Onishi could do to ensure the existance of Borobudur was to fight, and win.

***

The nation of Borobudur was preparing to war. The propoganda ministry was in overdrive, speechs and slogans decrying the evils of the enemy, most fo them false, and calling for the ultimate sacrifice to preserve the pride and honor of the Emperor. The army was fully mobilized, mechanized division patrolling the roads and causeways. The large, concrete wall surrounding the nation was fully manned, and on high alert. Flights of F-15J's scouted the sky for signs of incoming forces. In every city, local law enforcement officiers had mobilized the populace, organizing daily drills and defense preparations for each citizen. Every household was stroign up on ammo, cleaning their weapons, and steeling their courage, readying for the upcoming struggle.

General Nakashuri stood at the base of the Temple, surveying the capital city below. Emishi guards flanked him, scouting the surroundings for troops. Nakashuri's face was please, but anxious. he had sent a message to Manypink Fluffy Bunnys informing them of the situation, and asking for a joint declaration of war against Durkadurakstan. They had not responded, however, probably debating the issue. At this point, he could only wait, btu he was confident that Manypink Fluffy Bunnys would eventually see things his way. In the emantime, his delegate to the Ventian States will gain them another ally. Borobduur was ready to fight, and Nakashuri was confident he would win.

The patrol on Dong Bang island was alerted of the attack on Mr. Lau's manor, and 15 RAH-66 Comanche helicopters commenced to encircle the hill. These helicopters were relatively silent and designed for stealth, and proceeded to surround the SPARTANs from the perimeter of the compound. Just as the enemy paratroopers landed, they found themselves scoped out by the helicopters' night vision pilotage system and automatic classification and targeting systems. The Comanche helicporters responded to the SPARTANs gunfire with 20mm three-barrel turreted guns. They reserved the Hellfire and hydra-70 rockets in case the situation were to get out of control.

Inside the compound were 120 troops: 20 with M-270A1 MLRS Mobile Rocket Launchers, 50 snipers, and 50 with assault rifles. They received all their intelligence from the helicopters, and could see relatively nothing in the dark except for the Command HMMVW bursting into flames. Immediately a Rolls-Royce came out of the garage and down the road as a decoy, and as it reached the front gate, it also burst into flames. The locations of the explosions warned the troops about where these SPARTANs had landed.

General Moy of the Prison Army, an involuntary militia of former ‘thought-criminals’ whose sentence was to build roads and fight battles under the command of Yee Limited Liability Company, ordered his 151,000 inmates onto two ships. His men were all armed with silencers: assault rifles, submachine guns, pistols, and sniper rifles. The Soviet-built Atlant Krasina Slava class Cruiser and Fregat II Udaloy -II class Destroyer departed for Black Death To You, and the Mechanized Landing Craft landed these men and their heavily-armored vehicles seven miles away from the resistance base.

Wesley Yee, president of Yee Limited Liability Company, thought it a wise investment to take over the island. The island would provide cheap labor for manufacturing automobiles and mining uranium, resulting in maximum net profit.

“Sir we have 2 bogies heading from DurkaDurakstan toward the Southern Florentine Providence” the radar operator for the Florentine Providences Military Command Center said.

“Have they made any attempt to contact us?” General Enrico Macevail responded.

“Negative” looking at the radar screen again he saw that they were increasing in speed, “sir we need to act now they may be attacking.”

Macevail picked up the phone to the Royal Air Force Base near the city, “Get 3 Super Hornets up into the air now, we have to presumed hostiles that are approaching the Horn.”

“Yes sir” the commander of the Base responded. Macevail hung up the phone and alerted the Mobile Defense Units in the area about the suspected attack. The Nation Defense Command Center and the Locke in Venice were alerted. In the regional command center the whole room was in suspense waiting for the Hornets to get to the area.
12 minutes after the bogies had been spotted the Hornets were finally on the scene.

“Um, sir we have visual confirmation that they are from DurkaDurakstan, they seem to be UH-60 Black Hawks”

“Try to hail them pilot” Macevail said.

“Sir they are 3 miles from the coast line.” the radar operator said.

Macevail turned to the communications center, “Alert the MDU’s to be ready to shoot them down if needed.”

“The mobile SAM missile sites are ready and waiting.” the director of communications said. Right then the center received a hail from one of the Black Hawks, “This is a diplomatic delegation from DurkaDurakstan we would like to speak to you about the crisis in the region.”

Macevail turned on his head set and responded to the pilot, “This is Enrico Macevail General of the Florentine Providences Military Command Center the hornets that are now in front of you will show you the way to a secure area where you will wait for the time being, I will have to contact the Doge about this and whether or not we will let you land.” He then picked you the phone and called for the Doge, “Sir we have 2 Blackhawk’s off the Florentine Cost who are from DurkaDurakstan. They want to talk about the crisis. Should we direct them in?”

“Yes but send them to Crete, I do not want them seeing our whole nation.” The Doge said.

“Should I send them to Logina.”

“Of course, Logina is our second biggest city and will make a great impression on them. Put them in the Hyatt there, I’ll be over there tomorrow morning.”

“Ok sir.”

Macevail then hailed the DurkaDurakstan delegation and his pilots that were circling them, “You have clearance to enter The Ventian States. You will be directed to the city of Logina on the island of Crete, 45 minutes off out western shore. Since it is getting late here the Doge said that he will arrive tomorrow but the Minister of International Affairs will be there to greet you.”

“Thank you, out of curiosity where will we be staying in Logina?” the Lead Delegate said.

“For security reasons you will be confined to the Hyatt hotel in Logina which we hope will be satisfactory for you.”

“That will be acceptable, thank you for your cooperation.” The Head delegate said. The 2 Black Hawks were then escorted into the sunset toward Logina International Airport.

Hearing that two Durka Blackhawks had been forced to land in Crete, Leslie Shum departed from the Super 8 Motel of Shenyang, Aisin Gioro, and proceeded on a special mission to inquire Michael Ventino about the condition of the pilots from DurkaDurkastan.

"I'll do all in my power to make sure the Ventians won't launch an attack on DurkaDurkastan," she said to Ethel as she left. "They're one of the few truly democratic powers left in this region, and our friends in the regional UN. I don't want them to fall into the hands of warlords too."

"Please stop by Venice and get me some designer stuff, okay?" Ethel replied. "Don't forget to call me. I love you, and I will pray for you everyday."

By this point, it was all up to God. Praying for Leslie was the least Tang could do. She lacked any control whatsoever of the rest of the government. The Yee corporation was too powerful a bureacracy, and Mr. Lau was too skilled as a public official. She, Ethel Yang-Tang, the rightfully elected leader with the most electoral votes, was a woman, consigned to the task of being a mother to her people. Such it had always been.

However, The Icy Angel was now a much safer place. After all, troops from DurkaDurkastan and The Gutter Runners were now protecting the country. Furthermore, the Prison Army of Yee was a dangerous group, and now that they had exiled themselves to Black Death to You, they were no longer a threat to national security. Except for the insecurity at Angel Peak, the country was ready for commerce and prosperity again.

After her short reflection, Tang took a train to the fallout shelter, where she addressed the people. "It seems that it is safe for you to return home," she proclaimed enthusiastically. The people, however, remained silent as they boarded the ships, not knowing what to expect.

*****

Meanwhile, the Prison Army of Yee set up camp, and the few remaining refugees and freedom fighters from Black Death to You boarded onto the two Russian ships, headed for Aisin Gioro. Tang prayed that the refugees would be welcomed by the Aisin Gioro government, something she knew that only the Yee corporation had the responsibility to handle.

OOC: Icy Angel, I daresay you wouldnt use Hellfire or Hydra rockets on your own men. Those are designed to be anti vehicle/zones, and would harm your people as well as mine. So im just going to assume you didnt use them, because the combined firepower would likely just level the place.

IC: A transmission popped up on John Omega's radio. "Sir, we have incoming, it looks like they have attack helicopter's inbound. We are preparing to open fire." John flicked the acknowledge indicator, and watched as 32 stinger missiles were launched from various points around the compound. As the Helicopters opened fire, John winced as 5 of his SPARTANs were killed, and another 11 were wounded.

As they moved in on the compound's center, the guards of the compound popped up from different windows. As they began firing shots, cracks began to sound from all around the house. John smiled as his snipers began to lay down suppressive fire. Holed up behind a garden wall, John borrowed an M203 Grenade Launcher and fired 3 rounds at the door, hopefully creating small craters in the reinforced door. After exploding, 3 SPARTANs moved in a blew the door with M2 SLAM Demolition Charges.

“22 bodyguards, why do they need so many?” the Doge said.

“That was our thought when we found out sir.” The director of the Ventian Special Forces Dante Milagro said.

“I trust that the highest security possible has been put in place.”

“Sir we have put them in the Hyatt in Logina, the hotel was designed with us to ensure that we would be able to handle security. We know every duct, laundry shoot, sewer pipe, stairwell, exit point etc.”

“Very good, were they checked?”

“Yes sir and we found nothing.”

“I hope that we have the hotel covered in agents and watchmen outside.”

“Yes and the cameras have been programmed to recognize their faces.”

“What has Mike said they want?”

“He does not know the delegates are currently meeting and have called back to DurkaDurakstan.”

“Ok well we will have to wait till we get there. By the way, how much longer?” Right after the doge said that the jet that were in started to increase speed rapidly and one of the crewmen walked in. “Sorry sir but we have just received a transmission that the Malianien Providences Military Command Center has picked up another UFO that they are addressing now, we will we escorted by Super Hornets n 2 minutes. Right now we are speeding up to Mach 1.2.”

“I love that these jets can do that.” The doge said. “Ok keep me informed on the matter.”

“Yes sir.”

“Seems like everyone is coming here.”

“Well we do have the delegate from Borobudur who is arriving tonight sir”

“I guess that I won’t be staying in Logina for that long then”

“Well if this UFO is another delegate then we will have 3 in our country.”

The doge wasn’t listening, “Why don’t we have the Borobudur delegate come here?”

“That can be arranged sir; I mean this hotel is one of the best equipped in the nation besides the ones in Venice.”

“Lets do that then” the doge said. Then the crewmen entered again, “Sir it’s a delegate from Icy Angel he wants to meet Ventino”

“Can their plane make it to Logina?”

“I believe that it would have to be refueled, I mean 400 miles is a long way.”

“Well have them land at the RAFB in Milan and refueled then have them fly to Logina.”

“Over the nation sir?” Dante said.

“Well we won’t make them fly 800 miles just to not see some out our territory. Besides they won’t cross over Venice.” the Doge said.

“Very well sir.” The crewmen said and returned to the front.

“Well we will need more people now. Mike and I will not be able to handle all these talks”

“Ventino has called for his whole cabinet come to Logina.” one of the Doges advisors, Anna Festilia said.

“Oh good, why don’t we have the ambassadors to the 3 nations come down as well.” He said.

“Very well sir.”

The crewman entered again, “We just received word we will land with in the Hour.”

“Thank you.” the Doge said, “This will be interesting then.”

“What is that sir?” Anna said.

“The talks we will have most of the major powers here.”

“This will be a time to impress.” Anna said.

“Well if I knew this was going to happen I would have sent the delegates to Venice.”

“Well Logina is more economical with the market here and all the shops. I mean every major shop that is in Venice is also in Logina.” Anna said.

“Well try to rest, we have a long day ahead of us.” the Doge said.

"Delta and hydra, get by the door! They're coming in!" said one of the coalition group commanders.

Three SPARTANs had smashed their way into the lobby of Lau's house, code-named by the coalition forces as 'Old Main'. The coalition snipers from an overhead balcony picked their targets and took down one of the SPARTANs. The second SPARTAN covered the third with a rifle as he returned a smoke grenade at the balcony, confusing the snipers, who were subsequently shot in the head. Ten more SPARTANS came in from the rear entrance, having overcome five guards that were armed with assault rifles.

The combined SPARTAN group broke down each door leading out from the main hallway, and entered the rooms where the coalition troops were firing out of the windows. Amidst the smoke and noise of battle, the coalition troops were unable to hear the SPARTANs breaking down the doors behind them, and they yelled in agony as the SPARTANs shot them from behind.

"First floor is secure," John Omega said to his supports outside. "We sustained around eight casualties, but the enemy has almost thirty. The elevator is out, so make sure the Angels don't come charging down the stairs. We have to move quickly."


*****


Sidney Lau was in a fit. Any minute now, the SPARTANs from Many Pink FluffyBunnys would be storming his house, only to find him cowering in his study. He had to think quickly.

The coalition army chef, Miss Hiroshi Kunegawa, was of Borobudurese descent. She walked into his room, wearing a traditional outfit. Perhaps if he dressed like a chef or a butler, he too could be spared from death, execution, torture, or imprisonment. Quickly Sidney went into the closet and put on an outfit, proceeding to help her put away the soldier's leftovers into the fourth-floor freezer.

As he climbed the stairs with a barrel of fake crab in each arm, he heard the sounds of people dying in agony downstairs. The sounds gave him a chill like none he had ever felt before, and he dropped the barrels in shock, and watched them roll back down the stairs. He radioed the Comanches outside to let them know he was still alive, and did not need to resort to destroying the house yet. "Pick me up from the roof. Over," he said into his radio.

Lau head a click. "There is no need to call your friends," the slight Miss Kunegawa said. "The Holy Empire of Borobudur...has already won. You only have eight more minutes to ask Buddha for Enlightenment." Kunegawa had put a pistol to his head, and penetrated his eyes with a stare like no other.


*****


As Leslie Shum stepped out of the plane, she received the usual salute, and the Doge, Dante Milagro, and Anna Festilia welcomed her.

"I hope you will enjoy the bountiful offerings we have here at Logina," Anna said. "We will be having a meeting with some other foreign leaders shortly. But perhaps you have a little jet-lag, eh? Please stay at the Hyatt, we have ordered a room for you."

"Sure, thanks," Leslie said through the provided interpreter. She wearily took her key card, went up to her room, and collapsed like a stone onto the king-sized, four-poster bed.

Leslie was too exhausted to hear her cellphone, which was continuously ringing from a caller in the Venice area code. Her three female bodyguards, all trained in Shaolin kung-fu, did not have the sense to notice: the first one was asleep, the second was in the shower, and the the third was resting in the lobby, drinking coffee and waiting for the other ambassadors to arrive. The four male bodyguards, who were sitting in the hallway around the room, could not hear the phone ring through the thick walls.

*****


Wesley Yee sent out an official letter to Black Death to You, Many Pink FluffyBunnys, and Borobodur.

Dear Associates:

Yee Motors and Mining, LLC, would like to extend itself into a gracious mutual commercial alliance with the businessmen in your respective countries. We propose that we be allowed to occupy the northeastern corner of your mutual domain, the Isle of Black Death to You, for the sake of furthering Automobile and Uranium trade and commerce. With our corporate army, we will also help to defend the Isle from any rogue nation that attempts to attack it without just cause.

Sincerely,
Wesley Yee, Esq.
Yee Motors and Mining, LLC

ooc: Icy Angel, there are three delegates, and 22 bodyguards

@ DurkaDurakstan: The Great Hall

Boris Borisovich was on the phone with the Emperor of ManyPink Fluffy Bunnys. He wanted to discuss the presence of ManyPink Fluffy Bunny's carrier fleet.

@ The Ventian States: The Diplomatic Mission

The DurkaDurak Ambassador, Boris Covlovich Kamenov, looked around the room at the Hyatt Hotel. It was large, well furnished and lit, and quite nice. He had four Suki taking up residence in the rooms above, below, to the left, and to the right of his room, and three in the room across from him. Smiling, he said to his two advisors, Masha Valentinovna Groganitch and Isaac Teplovich Kurtinovsky, "Looks like this is going to be a pleasant stay." They nodded in agreement, and began to unpack their bags.

Boris Covlovich put in his earphone, which had a direct link to his bodyguard. "What's the situation?" he asked into the microphone hidden under his shirt collar. The commander of each room responded that the unpacking was complete, and that the rooms were quite satisfactory. Better than the ones in DurkaDurakstan by far. The guard outside his door was fine, as was the one standing next to the elevator and the one next to the door into the staircase. They all reported of heighetened security around the building, and have detected the presence of several rather official looking men in the lobby and corridors. They also had noticed a plethora of cameras installed around and within the complex.

Making a quick call back to DurkaDurakstan to announce his arrival in The Ventian states, he prepared for his meeting with The Doge.

@ The Icy Angel: Squashing the Rebellion

Carrier Admiral Natasha Gasovna Glupa looked upon the deck of her carrier. There the First DurkaDurak Fighter Force was in motion. Currently, all 10 F-18 Hornets were circling the group, as well as 10 MiG FULCRUMS and 10 F-22 Raptors. 2 E2-C Hawkeyes were also patrolling, intercepting any communications they could from land and sea, as well as scouting out the sea to give advance notice of any approaching ships.

Natasha Gasovna had recieved a secure communication from Vladimir Pavlovich that the First DurkaDurak Nautical Division was on its way, but might be called off pending the results of Boris Borisovich's call to the Emperor of ManyPink Fluffy Bunnys. Meanwhile, it was Natasha's job to protect The Icy Angels.

Natasha looked over the report of the present situation. 15 Predator UAV's were watching The Icy Angel, one of which was watching the battle at Lau's Mansion. The First DurkaDurak Bombing Force would be here any moment, ready to bomb any necessary positions. For now, Natasha would send the First DurkaDurak Fighter Force to take control of the skies over The Icy Angel. All pilots were informed of the location of the enemy carrier group, and told to stay away. Natasha gave the order.

Within 30 minutes, 10 MiG FULCRUMS, 10 F/A-18 Hornets, 10 F/A-22 Raptors, and 8 SU-34's were dispatched. The 1st DDBF had arrived, and the rest of the 1st DDFF was ready to lift-off at a moment's notice.

@ The Gutter Runners: A Diplomatic Mission

Two Black Hawks, each carrying 11 Suki, landed on an airstrip in The Gutter Runners. Stepping out of the helicopters, Sergei Ivanovich Appelcin and his two advisors stepped out and walked up to the car prepared for him.

"I am glad Durka has provided us with more air support," Ethel said. "We'll need it, as I had to sell all of my helicopters except for thirty-six of them in order to pay for the armed forces' training. Each soldier not engaged in the fighting in Mr. Lau's mansion will recieve $10,500 in training."

"As for you, Mr. Yee, I will allocate $25 in order to train your soldiers how to load a gun and drive some of the military vehicles."

"Thank you, Ms. Lau, that will be enough," said Wesley Yee. "My men have been trained by years of sweat and blood, building roads all across the USSIA, and in the past, serving as a bulwark against communism. However, my commercial responsibilities make it impossible for me to call my army 'privately-funded'. If you really want to make it fair, you can sell those landing craft and ships that you used to land us here, hmm, to pay for the expenses of military training?"

"I will also sell one of the battleships for your cause, but we will need the rest of the equipment. So, now each soldier recieves $85 worth of funding. Nothing more. Don't forget that we lent you a few of our humvees, too."

Wesley Yee knew that this was the extent of the business transaction. He returned to his headquarters, and called up all the Confederate nations for greater military funding and more military equipment, to enhance his corporate image. Yee LLC did not seek friends or enemies, only profit for himself, and for the Confederacy as a whole.

Ooc. The Icy Angel I would not have silenced the cell phone, or traced the call, or tried to listen in on the conversation. So please remove that from your last post.

The doge and Anna wait as the elevator rises to the 88th floor of the office building. They walk out and meet Michael Ventino and one of his assistants who had just arrived from Venice. “Boy am I glad to see you.” The Doge said.

“Good to see you too, John.” Michael said.

“It’s 12 O’ clock and I’m already tired.”

“Well it’s not over yet, Sam here has some valuable information about what’s going on out there.” They went to their table in the restaurant that overlooked the city and coast line of the island.

“Um… hello, nice to meet you, uh” sighs, “First there is Icy Angel that has a resistance movement that is really taking hold. DurkaDurakstan is assisting Icy Angel in trying to quash this rebellion. Also the government that we are dealing with seems to be threatened by a powerful corporation that is trying to take control of the country. Also there is the operation by Many Pink FluffyBunnys who has attacked the house of Sidney Lau in Icy Angel. This is a problem for us because we really do not have a dialogue with that nation. As for Black Death to You there is really no progress but Yee Motors and Mining, Llc. has sent letters to Many Pink FluffyBunnys, Black Death to You, and Borobodur asking for the northern portion of Black Death to You, for return for defending the nation.” Sam said.

“Wow, that’s a lot of info, um ok well from that, let’s send an envoy to Many Pink FluffyBunnys we need a dialogue with them, I’m meeting with DurkaDurakstan after this so I’ll talk them about what their current position.” The Doge said, “Mike, I want you to go talk to talk to the delegates from Icy Angel, they trust you and that will be important. We are going to try to resolve this conflict here, as it seems the Ventian States is highly regarded through most of the region. We seem to be a have the trust of both the supporters of DurkaDurakstan and Borobodur. That is a trust we cannot loose, besides resolving this conflict I would like to use this opportunity to push for the regional UN that we have drawn a ruff charter for. Really the only one we really need to convince is Borbodur, they are concerned with how much authority the UN will have. I drew up the charter to respect each nation, but be effective in resolving the regions problems. This Borobodur should agree with and easily ratify it. If this UN works and both parties agree with it than this conflict should end.”

“Sir, what about Black Death to You, and the situation in Icy Angel?” Anna said.

“The envoy to Many Pink FluffyBunnys should shed some light on the civil was in Black Death and Mike will confront Icy Angel on their problem with their companies.”

“I will.” Mike said, “John this is not an issue that we just talk to them about, if it was not for Borobodur sending the message to us in advance of their envoy we would not even know about it.”

“Their government is in danger and we do not let friends just disappear. We have a carrier group over their, well really its just sitting out in international waters but it could be there with in 5 hours.”

“True, I’ll talk to them.”

“Anna we must be going, we do not want to keep DurkaDurakstan waiting.”

“Yes sir” Anna said.

“Sam good to meet you, mike see you later.”

“Yea, take care John.” Mike said. The Doge got up with Anna and proceeded to walk out ready for the talks to begin.

Leslie shook hands with Mike, and they sat down.

"Hi Leslie, welcome to The Ventian States," Mike said. "Why do you want to speak to me?"

"Well, I came here for several reasons. First, I would just like to thank you for welcoming me. Really nice country."

"Thanks, let's skip the formalities."

"Ok, well then, I came here because, um, the world seems to be a much more dangerous place today. For example, it seems that there is a group of people trying to attack the private home of one of our citizens, Mr. Sidney Lau."

"Why is this?"

"Well, that's exactly my point, because (it may shock you) I know as little about this as you do. In any case, the people attacking the house seem to be part of ManyPink Fluffy Bunnys' SPARTAN elite force. But this does not mean that ManyPink Fluffy Bunnys started anything, they must have been ordered to attack the house under some false pretense. Luckily, the other powers are doing their best to save Mr. Lau."

"This seems like a very dangerous situation. But what is our role in dealing with this?"

"I figured that since you have some leverage over some of the other major powers in this region, I thought that maybe you can get the SPARTANs to stop attacking, and maybe we could get to the bottom of this situation. I know it is about something like a rebellion, but it still does not explain who this rebellion is against, or why Sidney and ManyPink FluffyBunnys are involved."

"Yes, perplexing." Michael rubbed his brow and took a sip of water.

"And another thing. Wesley Yee virtually owns The Icy Angel police force, so he has formed his own prison camp, and trained them into a fighting machine. Yee has used his army to muscle his way onto Black Death to You, and has virtually ended the rebellion there by deporting the rebels to our sister nation. I have heard that he wants to start business with other nations on that island, and I think he has good intentions, but I still do not know what the other powers think about this. After all, the other powers on the island might percieve him as an enemy based on our alliances in this region. Regardless if Yee has stopped the rebellion or not, he has invaded another country without permission."

"These are the issues I knew you would bring up," Mike said, and began to respond."

“We really were wondering what you though about him, we had thought that Yee was a threat to your government’s safety. From you last response I have come to believe that you support Yee, and frankly I can see why. Yee has power, lots of power to protest your nation from invaders, and your nation is so small that you cannot defend your self from some of the larger nations. I mean you are one of the smallest nations in the region 7 million and really any nation could take you over.” Ventino said.

“Yes Yee does help us protect our nation.”

“But one thing is that if Yee gets too powerful he could easily be a bigger threat than any outside nation. If it would make a profit Yee would enslave the whole island. He has no national loyalty I mean I could turnaround and off him a few billion to attack who ever I wanted and he would do it if he would make a profit. And as for Black Death to You, he is expanding his corporation, having land of his own would be the best thing for him because then he would not have to pay taxes, or abide by any laws. This would be a threat to any nation and especially concerns us because of our economic interests. Our majors industries are Uranium Mining and Automobile Manufacturing which Yee’s company is involved in. If he gets any bigger he could hurt our economy, which we cannot let happen. In our nation we have a few laws regarding monopolies. Few I mind you, because we do let some rather large corporations continue to operate, like Ventian Telecom, VRC, and VAL. Mainly because without them the great technological advancements that we are known for would not be able to happen without their research labs. Now, we have set limits on them and they do have competition but we the point is that we still keep our companies from overpowering us, and if you need help protecting you nation we may be able to help.”

Leslie though about this and what he said, Yee seemed to be a friend but could he really be what Ventino was saying. Then Ventino said, “Look I have no say in what you do or what Yee’s intentions are, we are just worried. But we will not stand him being unregulated or him having his own nation; if he is we will not look kindly on imports from Yee and possibly your nation in total.”

Leslie understood what the Ventians intentions were, and what they would support. Ventino proceeded to say that the Ventians would help the people of Icy Angel in any way they could and how they run their country is not their business, but they do hope that Icy Angel remains ruled by the people. Leslie and Ventino finished up their meal and Ventino said that he looked forward to her country’s response, and then they left Leslie departing for the Hyatt while Ventino went to meet the rest of his team downtown where there were trying get a hold of the delegation that was sent to Many Pink FluffyBunnys.

Back in The Icy Angel, the senators were on the verge of overthrowing the government.

"We are living in a dictatorship," said Secretary of Education Andrew Chan. "We take a minute to make the decison to go to war, and then we shut up all our citizens in fallout shelters. Are we going to raise our children in a culture of war? This is a severe violation of civil liberties."

"I would not be so angry," replied Ethel Tang, who was basically cowering behind the podium in an unusual show of weakness. "Think about it, you are alive today, and you have my wise judgement to thank. Oww, don't you throw that at me again!"

"Sure, I will take my free exercise of power to do so," replied William Hung, Secretary of Urban Planning. "This country is miserably weak, just like yourself. Why are we making all these bold statements, when we end up getting our butts kicked by a country named after bunny rabbits?"

"Hey, stop kicking me!"

"And why did the dust bunnies attack us to begin with?" Mr. Hung continued. "Anti-imperialists we are! Hmph! What have we done in Black Death to You?"

Wesley Yee noticed that he would be the next subject of blame, and he rushed downstairs from the observation booth in an attempt to quell the chaotic situation. Immediately everyone turned around to stare at their primary campaign financeer.

"Think about all the lives that could be lost if we continue to harrass each other in this silly and immature manner. There are people dying out there, you know. Look, how about I give everyone a nice million more in Kitty Pennys in campaign financing, or personal financing, whatever you would like to use it for.

"Though your wrangling isn't futile. My Prison Army will draw out of Black Death to You if the other powers do not want us there, or impose sanctions. Don't forget, they will still thank us for crushing the rebellion in a peaceful way, and globalization and trade is the way of the future. And whatever caused ManyPink Fluffy Bunnys to attack Mr. Lau, well, that can be solved through money and business negotiation too. Serves Mr. Lau right anyway, he can be expendable for the sake of national security."

Ethel, however, felt sorry for one of her most trusted officials. As she was carted into the ambulance, she ordered General Henry Ang of the USSIA Combined Armed Forces to execute the order to have the coalition troops at Angel Peak to surrender, on the basis that the SPARTANs would leave the country. Hopefully, Lau and the coalition troops were not already dead. Then, a public investigation would be conducted into the cause of the whole situation.

"Why, hello Leslie, how was your visit to The Ventian States?"

"Fine, thank you. I brought Ethel a couple of gifts. Look at this."

"Oh! It's one of those Minoan pots. Versace, Movado, Lamborghini, wow this is very nice. Unfortunately, Ethel is in the hospital right now. I guess these gifts will cheer her up."

"Why is she in the hospital?"

"That crazy radical William Hung beat her up in a Senate meeting. Her injuries are not bad though, she will be out in a few days."

"William Hung! Oh, that malevolent psychopath. Strange they still let him participate in the Senate meetings."

"Well, the brawl has been shown on TV, like 24/7, so perhaps he not recieve enough votes in the next election, and will be forced to retire. Anyway, The Police Force of Yee would not arrest someone in the government, because Yee considers the government to be a mere extension of his corporation, as a 'business partner,' he would say. I thought you knew."

"I never heard of that before, how naive of me. Anyway, there are so many things to talk about, I could talk here for hours."

Upon hearing this, Mr. Tang gave the impatient, need-to-go-to-bathroom look. Ethel merely continued her conversation.

"How are the kids?"

"Well, Star here is doing fine." Star, who was an infant at this time, reclined in Calvin's arms, spitting and burping.

"Ooo, cooo littoo baby boo," said Ethel in some foreign language, and continued, "I guess the last thing I wanted to ask you was, how is Mr. Lau?"

"Well, the Senate investigated his activities, and it turns out that Mr. Lau himself was the one responsible for the whole affair. Mr. Lau got in touch with a fellow party member named Leon Lai, a Senator connected with the Angel Triads terrorist network. The Angel Triads then proceeded to send out a message to their cells in other countries that he would usurp the government, and provide him with assistance. ManyPink Fluffy Bunnys offered their SPARTAN elite force. But when The Icy Angel engaged DEFCON 1, I guess ManyPink Fluffy Bunnys found out that Mr. Lau was launching a counter-plot against them, and they decided to attack his house. Unfortunately, our coalition troops did not know about this whole ordeal, and have just recently been informed to stop fighting. The SPARTANs, however, do not seem to negotiate, and they seem to be proceeding with their mission at a very quick pace."

"I assume that Leon Lai and Sidney Lau would be joining the prison army, once everything is over."

"Nope. No matter how much good they have done to the country in the past, they are guilty of treason, and are likely to be executed with lethal injection. We have to wait and see about what happens to Sidney, because he might not come out alive. But we would prefer that the SPARTANs would cease fire, so we can execute Sidney ourselves in a legal manner. A message was recently sent to their superior commander, telling them to cease fire and leave the country so we could do this. Leon Lai is already under custody of the Police Force of Yee."

The papparazzi turned the corner and found Mr. Tang and Ms. Shum with a slobbering baby Star and a truckload of Ventian products, and let out their barrage of flashes upon the unsuspecting crew. A female reporter came up to Mr. Tang. "And now we are at 88 Angel Street, talking to...Ooo, cooo littoo baby boo!" the reporter said.

Admiral Onishi sat on the small bench in his temporary quarters, stirring the dregs of his tea. Nakashuri had entrenched himself well, appealing to the war-obsessed culture of Borobudur, and the military was loyal to him. As Emperor, they worshipped him as a demigod, of course, but Onishi didnt want to take any chances, though, and for the present, he had to cooperate with Nakashuri. For the present.

His door opened, and Minister of the Interior Takamori, flanked by two Emishi, entered the room. He gave a sweeping bow before he began to speak. "Emperor, the High Council of Ama-no-Nuboko is resuming it's session after the...disturbance...to discuss our next move. Your presence is, of course, requested, as well as your asssociate from Manypink Fluffy Bunnys." Onishi got up, sighed, and followed him out the door, telling one of his own Emishi to fetch Anton. the council would be alot different form when ti first met, and he would have to adapt. The soldiers thought he was a god, but the councilmen knew better, and some of them, Onishi knew, were eager to take him out fo the picture. He would have to be cautious.

Anton met him at the steps, and together they ascended the steep staircase to the roof of the temple. The councilroom had been cleaned up after the bloodshed, but some fo the damage was still visible. The table had been replaced with an oak one of greatly dimished size, and some of the chairs were smaller, and of lesser quality, than the others. Bulletholes riddled the floor and the statue of Bhudda, and the burn mark from the grenade still remained, although the table had been strategically placed over it to conceal the damage. The blood was gone, though, and all the electronic equipment was replaced. Onishi chuckled, amused by the irony, as he realized that his throne was one of the ones destroyed, and had been replaced by a small metal desk chair. He took his seat, Anton beside him, and the meeting began.

Maps had been set up of the region in general, with more detailed maps of Borobduur, Durkadurakstan, and his allies scattered about. At the head of the table was a map of the Icy Angels, which, according to Anton, was currently under attack form internal resistance, which Manypink Fluffy Bunnys was supporting with military aid. Wishing to deprive Durkadurakstan of another ally, Nakashuri was pushing for a full-scale invasion of the island while their defenses were in chaos.

"We need to take advantage of the opportunity that Manypink Fluffy Bunnys has provided for us!" Nakashuri exclaimed, waving a small pointer at random locations on the Icy Angel map, "Their special forces have already inflitrated the nation, but they lack the numbers to last for long. If we act now, though, they could help us establish a beachead for our army, and the conquest would be quick, with their primary line fo defense, the ocean, defeated, and internal strife hampering their ability to fight. With two allies down, Durkadurakstan would think twice before declaring war."

Admiral Tanaka, minister of the navy, rose to speak. His voice was quavering with hostility as he attacked Nakashuri's arguement. "Well, thats all fine and dandy in your mind, but ever since Borobudur, under your urging, redirected over half of the navy's funds to the army, we dont ahve the ability to land troops anywhere! We dont have a rowboat, let alone amphibious landing gear! Our navy is simply a coastal patrol unit of destroyers, and the Hiroshima , which, while the most powerful battleship on the waters, cannot deliver troops to another island. We dont even have any aircraft carriors, after you scrapped the Ryuku to cut costs!"

Nakashuri rose to speak, but Onishi cut him off. Realizing that Nakashuri's support wasnt as universal as he originally thought, his confidence had returned, and he could safely challenge Nakashuri's ideas. "While our navy is weak, im sure our allies could assist us in that feild, but that is not my primary concern. While your plan does seem sound, you have forgotten the Gutter Runners. They would surely not tolerate such an act of blatant aggression. I cant imagine why they havent moved against Manypink Fluffy Bunnys already, and i dont think we shoudl risk further provocation. the Gutter RUnners ahve the most powerful military in the region, and if they support Durkadurakstan, then they will not fear moving against us, even if it is only them. We need the garuanteed nuetrality of the Gutter Runners before we can strike so openly."

Once again, Nakashuri began to speak, but he was cut off by Anton, the diplomat from Manypinik Fluffy Bunnys. Growing annoyed at the interruptions, Nakashuri nonetheless sat down, ceding the floor to the foriegner, who addressed the council. "This is one of the main reason's why Manypink Fluffy Bunnys has employed only special forces in this matter. I dont think that emperor Acetarin would support such an open act. At this juncture, we believe that steallth, and plasuible deniablilty, are our best allies. A more feasible acttion wold be the deployment of Borobudur's own special forces to assist the SPARTAN's, and use them to destablize the region even more so, until the current government can no longer operate."

As soon as Anton sat down, Nakashuri jumped to hsi feet and hastily spewed his thoughts, not wishing to be interrupted again. "These ideas and concerns are all plausable, but mroe speculation. I think, as our diplomat from Manypink Fluffy Bunnys as pointed out, that need to coordinate our efforts with Manypink Fluffy Bunnys, and see what their intentions were in deploying the SPARTAN's, and how we can help." He turned to oen of his secretaries at the computers. "Establish a secure video conference with Emperor Acetarin and his ministers. We need to know what exactly is going on, and how we can work together to topple the Icy Angel's government." The scertary nodded, and went to work. "In the meantime, I suggest we ready our special forces and our navy, and prepare to depart, by whatever means available, for Icy Angel's. Load two infantry battalions onto our destroyers, they can make good transports in a pinch, in case we need to deploy ground forces quickly. We cant be caught off our guard, and against the superior forces of Durkadurakstan, speed will be our greates ally."

The sceretary called over to Nakashuri, "Sir, Emperor Acetarin has responded to your request, we have established a connection through secure channels."

"Good, bring the computer over here, so we can begin our preparation. By the time this is over, we will know what we have to do."

The reporter had spoken to Calvin Tang for quite some time, and Calvin tried to hide his impatience. He was still holding the baby, and his puny forearms were numb from the stagnant weight.

"Back to the matter, if you succeeded your injured wife as Prime Minister, what would you do as commander of the USSIA Combined Armed Forces?"

"By that time, it would be likely that the SPARTANs would have taken over Angel Peak, a prime strategic location in The Icy Angel from which to commence a military assault. Even if the SPARTANs kill Sidney Lau and take over his house, which I hope they will not do, they are surrounded by a fleet of advanced helicopters that can easily demolish the house and all the SPARTANs with only a few hits. Due to aerial assistance from DurkaDurkastan, the rest of the island is impenetrable, and is fully protected from any potential invasions. The issue of what to do if such-and-such happens is already taken care of, regardless of who the next Prime Minister is."

"Does The Icy Angel have any plans on attacking any other nation?"

"No, not at this time, though I believe many other nations are planning to attack us."

"If another nation attacks, what will The Icy Angel do?"

"We will go into DEFCON 1 again, except this time our citizens will not be shipped to Aisin Gioro for protection. Lives must be taken at the expense of keeping the economy of The Icy Angel as strong as it currently is. Our citizens are prepared to defend themselves.

"I see any future invasion as a test of our nation's skill. If anyone wants to create false weaknesses based on historical truths as a pretense to invade us, let them. But I will remind these god-modders and war-mongers that we will retalliate with the full brute strength of our Combined Armed Forces, along with our allied coalition forces. Once we are cut down, we will grow back stronger."

Hakenia stepped off the jet way at The Royal Venice International Airport to a sight unsuspected. The whole terminal seemed to be normal; he saw thousands of people going about their daily lives. This was a sight that no one would believe back home in Borobudur, though he was already astonished that commercial air travel was operational in the country. Hakenia walked down the concourse to the baggage claim where he was to meet the John Menatino the Ventian ambassador to Borobudor. He picked up his bag and went over to John as his bodyguards followed him.

“Hakenia glad you could make it, how was the flight?” Said John.

“Better than I imagined, what type of planes are those?” Hakenia said.

“Oh, we had bought the Spec’s to the Boeing Sonic Cruiser then upgraded the structure and engines of the plane so it could go Mach 1.2 comfortably”

“Amazing.”

“Um, well we will be going on another one because the Doge was called out to Logina unexpectedly.”

“Is there a problem?”

“No just some international affairs that he had to tend to, a nation of our size has to be careful of what other nations think about us.”

“I see, that will be fine.”

“Good we will be taking one of the government’s jet’s which are a lot nicer so it should be an easy flight over there. I suspect that we have a lot to talk about.”

“Yes, yes we do; a lot is happening out there.”

“Well lets not delay, the tarmac is this way”, John said as they walked through terminal 3.

*** *** ***

“Sir the Borobudorian delegate’s flight just arrived in Venice and he will be here in an hour they said.” Anna said.

“Good, how is the delegation in Many Pink FluffyBunnys doing?”

“Well sir they are actually on the carrier out there because they received no response from them.”

“Well tell them to keep trying; we need to talk to them.”

“Yes, sir.” Anna said, about to leave the hotel study.

“And Anna do we have anyone talking to the Gutter Runners?”

“No sir actually we don’t.”

“Well sent the ambassador over to their country, tell him to take one of the Sonic Cruisers we need him over there fast.”

“Ok sir.” Anna said. The doge turned around to look out the window overlooking the harbor, waiting for the delegate from Borobudor to arrive.

Emperor Acetarin drifts out of his long daydream of military conquest, and realises that his message indicator is blinking. Tapping the button, his lead secretary says that delegates from multiple nations are requesting to land on the island and speak with him.

Allow them to land on an outlying air force base, and shuttle them in to comfortable quarters in the palace. Make sure they are heavily guarded and kept from doing anything unruly. Acetarin then moves to check his other messages.

Noticing a recording from Durkadurakstan, he hits play and leans back to listen. The message requested information on what the intention of the carrier group at The Icy Angel was. It also requested a future conversation, but Acetarin simply did not feel like it right now.

Acetarin recorded a response to the message, and checked it once to make sure he didnt mention anything secret.

My friend, Carrier Group Zeta is merely there to provide security to the region. It is responding to the threat of other Carrier groups in the region owned by both your nation and the imminent arrival of one from the Ventian States. The other reason is to support a ground mission by some of our special op forces to remove a threat to our great nation. I must warn you, that if you do not remove your military presence from the island, the situation will surely erupt into war.

Smiling slightly, Emperor Acetarin sent the message to Durkadurakstan. Next he called up fleet command. Admiral, I need you to send the Beta and Episilon Carrier Fleets to The Icy Angel. They are needed to support Zeta group against the threat of Durkadurakstan.

It will be done, sir.

Smiling again, the Emperor once again brought up his screens, and began to plan for the coming battle.

*********

Elsewhere, the SPARTANs had captured Sidney Lau and the remainder of his security forces, houseworkers, and whatever family he happened to possess. and were holding him in the center of his household. The door and windows had been barricaded by different pieces of furniture, and the SPARTANs were picking off anything that came into range with sniper rifle, assault rifle, stinger missiles, and anti-armor missiles. They were holding their own for now, but as they were down to under 110 soldiers, they were not certain how long they could hold out without support.

*********

Two B-2 Bombers were flying at their maximum height of 60,000 feet. They were loaded up with 8 SPARTANs each, and tons of supplies. Upon reaching Durkadurakstan, the Bombers Bomb Bay doors opened, and Crates of supplies came pouring out. Each Crate had a SPARTAN hanging on and directing the flight towards The Icy Angel's Angel Peak.

The warrior ran into Emporer Asanzi's private quarters and roused him from sleep.

"Why the hell are you shaking me?" Asanzi demanded, instantly awake and inshing his hand toward the sword that he kept by his side.

"Forgive me sir," the soldier said as he put his head into the light, "but we have a situation that I thought you would not want to wish, call it an early birthday present."

Recognising the man now as one of his top generals, Lieutenant General Thompson, Asanzi laughed and said, "Too damn early for my taste, but lead the way.

...

"Fifteen minutes later, the voice of Asanzi's private helicoptor's pilot blared in his ears.

"Sir, we'll be there in 15 minutes."

General Henry Ang noticed the bombers drop off the supplies on Angel Peak, and thought they were from his own force at first, but then realized that they were foreign. The two bombers were B-2s, not B-1s. Something was fishy.

The helicopters circling Angel Peak, still under heavy gunfire from the SPARTANs, told Ang that SPARTANs were being dispatched from the planes with supplies for their own troops.

Quickly, Henry Ang told the sitting Prime Minister, Calvin Tang, to activate DEFCON 1 again. Ang then gave orders for the Comanche helicopters to attack the landing SPARTANs, and to shoot at the bombers with Air-to-Air Stinger (ATAS) anti-aircraft missiles.

One of the bombers was destroyed, but the other one managed to get away beyond the range of USSIA airspace. Immediately, two F-117A NightHawk Stealth Fighters were dispatched to hunt down the second bomber. But as the second bomber neared the Alpha class carrier fleet, the NightHawks turned tail and headed for home.

*****

Now that the airspace above Angel Peak was secure, a land army of 3,000 freshly-trained recruits, armed with simple, easy-to-transport weapons, camped in the forest around Angel Peak. Calvin Tang wanted to end the stalemate, once and for all.

ooc- sorry about the miserable spelling in the first half of this post ^ AP Physics intervened

ic- The helicoptor landed on a crude and hastily erected helipad in the command center of Asanzi's forces. Along the twenty five mile flight, he had been briefed as to the situation. They had discovered one of the final pockets of the rebellion, and apparently, a rather important one. They had guessed that a small central command had been left behind in Durkadurakstan's hasty evacuation, had searched the charred remains of the 50 mile wide sector that the rebellion controled at its evacuation, and had even overheard transmissions begging for aid. Asanzi smiled because he knew the urgency betrayed the presence of a higher power. But who could it be? And how many were left? Asanzi reviewed the numbers in his head. A million had risen in rebellion with him. Several hundred thousand had been persuaded simply due to force of arms, and several more had been killed in action. However, their remained the unsettling issue as to how many were left. Although they had failed to thwart the evacuation, several small watercraft had been destroyed, leading to the death of some thousand all told. However, at least forty and perhaps as many as a hundred thousand had been evacuated.

Asanzi heard gunfire and looked over the top of the cliff that his helicoptor was parked upon. Below, he saw hundreds of bodies littering the ground and a remaining rebel force of about twenty men backed up against the wall of the cliff. They seemed to be guarding something, forming a semicircle about an entrance to a cave in the wall. Why didn't the take shelter in it? The fools. As he watched, several more were killed and the semicircle tightened.

Pulling out his pistol, Asanzi shot two more, he was an excellent marksman, even from this distance.

As General Thompson approached from his own helicoptor, Asanzi gave him his orders; "Kill the ramaining forces, scour that cave and let me know if you find anything... interesting."

"Yes, emporer," came the immediate reply.

A Prisoner from Yee was driving around in his Humvee over the hills and crags of the Northeast. Boy, it was really fun, having a freedom like that which he had never had in years as a manual laborer and pack-horse. In thirty minutes, however, his routine patrol duty would be over upon his return to base camp.

Having faced several days of battle, the Comanche helicopters returned to the base for refueling and repairs, and a fresh group replaced them.

The leader of the next wave of troops was Robin Seto, a fresh graduate of The Icy Angel University of Military and Business Leadership (IAUMBL). He concealed his freshly-trained army force of 3,000 in various parts of the woods around the hill, keeping them out of sight of the watchguards patrolling the balconies at Old Main. Seto directed five of the helicopters to land barely within the garden, which was flanked by a number of bronze statues, depicting heroes of Angelic intiquity.

As soon as the Comanches touched ground, each helicopter released a platoon of five men, each soldier armed with a sniper rifle and dressed in bronze-colored camoflauge. While the helicopters stayed parked on the ground like roosting birds, the snipers hid behind statues and tried to pick off other snipers who returned fire from the windows overlooking the garden.

***

OOC: As a disclaimer, the reference to 'Old Main' does not imply a Columbine-like scenario, or anything like that. I mentioned earlier that 'Old Main' is the codename for Lau's Mansion. I just figured that having a common place that we all know about as Lau's mansion will help us with logistics. And 'Old Main' is the only building (or one of the few buildings) near the top of this hill, which is implied to be too steep for most vehicles except for cars to climb.

Boris Borisovich slammed his fist on his desk, angrily, as he recieved ManyPink Fluffy Bunny's response. For the safety of the region!? What a joke.

Boris Borisovich responded immediately.

I believe there is a misunderstanding. I know that your carrier is supporting your force of SPARTANS, who landed in Icy Angel to help incite a rebellion. That is a fact. My carrier group is there in response to Icy Angel's call for help. I have no wish to fight a war, I simply wish to quell any rebellion in The Icy Angel. I warn you that your support for the rebellion can only be political suicide in your relationships with other countries, as nobody will be able to trust you.

My carrier group recieved strict orders not to interfere with yours, and has no problem with the passive presence of yours. Yet it seems that you do have a problem. Well, I see no provocation on the part of DurkaDurakstan, and I do not think there will be one. Once again, I politely ask that a compromise be reached, instead of needless killing over a third country, which neither of us cares that much about.

Well, just to be sure...

Boris Borisovich made a call to his Great Admiral.

"The First DurkaDurak Nautical division is with the Beta carrier group at Icy Angel, correct?"

"In about an hour."

"Good, I want the Alpha Carrier group to support as well, prepared for assault on another carrier group. Make it subtle."

"Yes, sir. Right away sir."

Boris Borisovich hung up, and, remembering the situation in Black Death To You, made another call, this time to his intelligence advisor.

"What is the situation in Black Death To You?"

"Very good, sir. A number of people have been evacuated, minimal casualties on our part, and we believe the influence of DurkaDurakstan in the conflict is as of yet unknown."

"Very good. When can I see the leaders of the counter-revolution?"

"They are coming to the Great Hall now, sir."

"Excellent. You have done a great job."

"Thank you very much, sir."

"Keep it up."

"I will, sir."

Boris Borisovich hung up. After about ten minutes, he recieved a buzz from outside the Great Hall. "Let them in," he replied over the speaker.

In came three men, ready to tell Durkadurakstan whatever it needed to know about the rebellion in Black Death To You.

ooc: ManyPink Fluffy Bunnys, in your last post at the end you referenced Durkadurakstan. I think you meant Icy Angel instead?

Meanwhile, in the Capital City of Greater Colonia, Alexia, the President, Charles Marsailles was pondering the question of joining the current war in The Confederacy. In his office were his four most trusted advisors,Master General Kalani Talianus(controller of all armed forces), Highest ranking Combatant General and Ace pilot Daniel Grady (flight callsign "Bulldog 1") (Acting C.O, 7th airborne), Homeland defence supervisor Timothy Sanders , and People's Army and Public representative Sgt. John Monroe(C.O, 27th people's Airborne).

Marsailles spoke first, " Gentlemen, we have a situation on our hands. The winds of war now blow across the region and nations have been forced to take sides, now it is our turn, and the decision arises, stay neutral, or pick a side, and if we are to pick a side, which side would it be??"

Talianus responded sternly, "Sir, I highly reccomend action on the side of Borobudur, as they are the founders of this region, and by far the strongest, also, many of our people are immigrants from the area, and would be delighted to help their mother country."

At this Grady said, "Kalani, such a fine point you have made! I think a good idea would be to take immeadiate action with a strong alliance offer to Borobudur and forge strong ties with them. We have a rather potent Army and Air force, and our Navy is quite formidable, but we fall short in manpower. What forces we do have on the ground must be protected, Borobudur can do that, I say Go for it!"

Monroe and Sanders added conflicting comments, yet in the end, agreed that action be taken alongside Borobudur, if possible. The four called for a meeting after an alliance offer had been sent to Borobudur. And so, Greater Colonia entered into the great Civil War and into the saga of The Confederacy of Green Waves.

“Hello Sir.” Mike said, as he met the doge as they made their way through the crows of people crowding around them.

“Hello Mike, how was the meeting with Icy Angel.” The Doge said.

“It went ok; they seem to look at Yee as a national hero rather than a menace trying to overtake the government.”

“That’s a pity.”

“Well how did your meeting with DurkaDurakstan?”

“Well besides us giving 7 billion dollars we really have not a lot to disagree upon.”

“Well did you tell them about the UN?”

“That is really dead, the region is degrading into war, as we speak Icy Angel is most likely fearing for its life as the Bunnys and Borobudur plan to carve the nation in two”

“Well we have to do something.”

“I sent an envoy to The Gutter Runners, they seem to be one of the only other nations that’s views are similar to ours.”

“Hope they can do something, how about Bunnys?”

“The delegation landed, they said that they are going to meet with the representatives from the country tonight and that they will fly back after the meeting so o say 3 or 4 in the morning.”

“So soon?”

“There is a war brewing and I do not want our delegates in a nation that is part of that conflict for their safety.”

“I see, and The Gutter Runners?”

“I trust them more. I don’t think they would keep our delegates hostage, plus they don’t have the whole island militarized.”

“Good point.”

They reached the doors to the tarmac, “Stay alert now, Borobudur is an important nation in the region and we don’t want to piss them off.”

“Sir, I know that, I watch the news too.” Said Ventino as they opened the doors to greet the delegate.

"It seems like our diversionary tactic in the garden is not working," Robin said. "We are running out of time, let's perform the assault now."

Under the cover of the early morning sky, helicopters concealed in the woods took off the ground and proceeded to direct powerful floodlights at Old Main, and Robin's sniper team used the powerful light to find the guards surrounding the perimeter of the building, and immediately took them out. The lights also blinded any other troops who attempted to look out the windows. The enormous glare prevented them from noticing the wave of 3,000 troops rushing across the surrounding field, and approaching the windows on the ground floor, which were sealed up with furniture. The soldiers simply pushed the furniture out of the way, and proceeded to climb into the building.

Even in an age of modern tactical warfare, strength did come in numbers.

***

At last, Lau's Northeast headquarters were completed. His enormous auto factory and uranium mining facility was guarded by immense walls and an equally cavernous moat. The prisoners proceeded to applaud themselves for their work, and General Peter Moy, director of the operations, uncorked his bottle of apple cider.

***

On the grounds of IAUMBL, more than 30,000 students, young adults, and Buddhist monks showed up for a mass protest of the war. These future leaders of business and politics believed that peace and diplomacy was the only acceptable way to solve international crises, not war.

Live performances were given by many anti-war entertainers, such as Senator William Hung and the leader of the Angel Triads, Senator Jin tha MC. With two powerful and dangerous entertainer-politicians, the Police Force of Yee made their presence known in case anything were to get out of hand. Fortunately, the entire protest was peaceful, and it ended when everyone took their black and beige Icy Angel flags and threw them into a big bonfire.

Ethel Tang watched the concert on television from her hospital room. "These were the exact same sentiments I had ten years ago before I met Calvin," she said to an elderly nurse. "But as the leader of a nation, we have to think about things in terms of reality, don't we?"

"Why is Jin in the concert?" the nurse asked. "Isn't he responsible for the incident at Senator Lau's house?"

"The Senate acquitted Jin, because they found other, lower-ranking Triads completely responsible. Apparently, Jin must also have business connections with Yee," Ethel Tang said. "I guess this must be my signal to have business connections with Jin."

Throughout the entire concert, Jin had been scoping out the most passionate of the concert-goers. He ordered his men to bring about 1,000 of the young people and Buddhist monks to a "backstage tour," where he commenced to recruit them into his network of Triads.

"We will be departing for Borobodur tomorrow, where we hope Borobodur will welcome us and give us amnesty," Jin said. "I have already sent a message to Onishi. Senator Hung will be coming with us too. Meet us at the airport at Terminal 6. Whatever you do, don't tell anyone where you are going."

OOC: The Icy Angel, I must humbly request that you stop naming my casualties. That is godmodding and will be ignored. You have to merely say what you are trying to do and let me name my own casualties. There is very little chance your helicopters could shoot down a pair of bombers. They fly well above the maximum altitude of a Comanche helicopter, so therefore could not be hit by any of the missiles you are firing. Plus, helicopters dont usually carry Stinger missiles, as they are primarily a Ground-to-Air missile, usually shoulder launched.

The attack on the SPARTANs is also unfeasible, as they are hiding behind firepoints and the 3k soldiers are attacking over open ground. This is automatically a bad idea.


IC: Emperor Acetarin was again finalizing his naval plans for the invasion of The Icy Angel. Noticing an indicator on one of his many screens, he taps the screen and High Admiral Onishi's Secretary appeared on his screen.

"You called" said the Emperor, slightly annoyed at speaking to a secretary.

"You Highness, please hold for a moment while i connect you into the meeting. said the secretary.

....a few seconds later.....

The Emperor's face popped up on a monitor in the Borobudur meeting room, and he surveyed the scene. High Admiral Onishi and General Nakashuri sat at the head of the table, and a clutter of ministers sat around the rest of the room.

Gentlemen, I am requesting that you attempt to establish a landing zone in The Icy Angel. I believe the airfields are vunerable, I will send SPARTAN support to cut off reinforcements and call upon my air force to help you establish a beachhead. If you agree, it will be most helpful in the establishment of the war.

*************

At Angel's Peak, the 12 surviving supply carriers landed on the roof and came in as quickly as possible, working quickly to renew ammunition stores on all the soldiers. As the 3,000 soldiers began to appear through the entrances to the compound, a call came up over the radioes sending up a warning. The helmet visors of all the SPARTANs switched over to a darker shade and allowed them to see the compound more clearly. Hiding behind the firepoints created in the barricades, the SPARTANs waited until the advancing army was a mere 50 yards from the house, before unloading upon the army.

The army was pushed back, and prevented from advancing to the house, but the SPARTANs took losses. 32 SPARTANs are now either KIA or WIA and unable to fight, but the compound stayed strong.

Greater Colonia has sent Gen. Alexei Klansdorff, a renowned speaker, to Borobudur to ask for an alliance, and after stopping for the night on the escort carrier, Primus, landed in Brobudur, he approached under escort, Onishi's palace, not knowing what lie ahead of him.

OOC: Comanche Helicopters do carry Stinger missiles. Read this, the link from Roman Republican: http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/rah-66.htm. Under armament it says "Air-to-air Stinger, Hellfire, 20mm three-barrel turreted gun, Hydra-70 rockets." And their max range is 262 nautical miles, or about 1,591,942 feet. Whatever I've said about my helicopters before is completely factual. They only have crews of two, so I'll have to fix that, but everything else I said was fine.

The council was engaged ina fierce debate, evenly split on both sides. They had just recieved instructionf from Emperor Acetarin of Manypink Fluffy Bunnys, requesting a full-sclae amphibious invasion of the Icy Angels. Obviously, Nakashuri had jumped at the chance, calling ro the immeadiate implementation of the plan, while another faction, led by Minister of the Interior Takamori. The debate was fierce, but Onishi had removed himself from the conflict, wary of taking sides at such a delicate time in his rule. As the debate raged, no compromise seemd forthcoming, and it soon became violent. Nakashuri threw a fist at Admiral Tanaka, and massive brawl, typical of such council sessions, ensued. Onishi decided to step in, and decide for them. It was his job, after all.

He rose, and began to speak, but the fight continued. He motioned to the nearest pair of guards, and wispered something in their ears. Nodding, they aimed their guns oevr the heads of the councilmen, into the air, and unloaded a volley of bullets into the sky. The delegates jumped and either ran, crawled, or tumbled ot the nearest cover. Shocked out of their fight, and suddenly much more aware of their surroundings, they noticed that Onishi was standing. Regaining some of their composure, they sat back down, their faces flushed with embarrassment.

"Now, this debate was obviously bringing us nowhere." Onishi began, casting accusatory glances at Nakashuri. "As Emperor, and aware of all the factors in play, I will decide our next course. Of course, given the reality of the situation, our hand has been practically forced. We have to invade, simply ebcuase Manypink Fluffy Bunnys has already done so. War between Icy Angel and Manypink Fluffy Bunnys has already begun, and we need to assit our ally. However, we should do everything in our power to ensure that peace between Borobudur and Durkadurakstan remains. I believe that this is possible, given the advantage we would have in the conflict if we successfully seized the airfields. As such, we will go ahead with the invasion, but continue negotiations with Durkadurakstan. We will also court the Ventian States, which seem hostile to the proposal. Their navy will be vital to our success."

He turned to Admiral Tanaka, whose lip was bleeding profusely, and whose right eye was swelling. "Tanaka, take our entire navy, and load half of our destroyers with infantry divisions. Since we dont ahve any transports, we will have to set up a Tokyo express, like our ancestors did back in the 40's. Since the trip is only a few hours, we can load around 500 men on each ship. Load additional suppliues on those destroyers who are not carrying transports, btu ensure that they are combat ready."

"Our objective is to secure the Eternal Elergy International Airport on Chep Lok Kok, as well as the island itself. Of particular importance is the main bridge connecting Chep Lok Kok and Lantau Island. Bombers form Manypink Fluffy Bunnys will destroyer the bridge and our navy will patrol the channel between the two islands, as well as provide general air cover, while our army establishes a beachhead on the north western tip of the island, and deploy the army The Hiroshima and the remaining destroyers will bombard the ariport, and our forces will attack from the west, while a force of Spartans will land and attack from the north. After the airport is seized, we will blitz for the bridge, and secure the island. We need to be careful to ensure that we dont damage the airport itself too heavily, since we plan to use it for future operations."

"We have to be quick. The army of the Icy Angel is very large compared to what we are landing, sow e ahve to use our control of the sea to cut them off. Surprise will be our greatest ally, for the airport should not be heavily defended, given that Manypink Fluffy Bunnys has already launched an air assualt on the mainland. in order to keep up this distraction, we will be sending 100 Emishi and two hundred normal paratroopers to the battlezone. they will take our helicopters and land on Manypink Fluffy Bunny's carrier in the region, and be deployed by a squad of B-2 bombers. Make sure they ahve some anti-tank equipemtn,a s well, to deal with larger threats."

"Like our ancestors before us, we will accompany our warriors into battle. I will, of course, command the Yamato, with Tanaka at my side. Nakashuri, you will land with the amphibious force, and set up a command HQ on the island. Lets us pray that the wisdom of Bhudda is with us in regards to our venture, and that he will guide us in the upcoming trials."

A phone rang at the desk of Onishi's secretary. She picked it up, listened for a second, then called to Onishi, "Emperor, a delegation from Icy Angel has arrived in Borobudur. They are not representing the government tislef, however. Apparently, oen fo them is the head of the Angel Triads, the organized crime syndicate fo the island." Onishi's eyes stared off into space for a few seconds, then he replied, "Have them escorted to the temple. Tell them I believe we could find a mutual benefit in our cooperation." The secretary nodded, and retunred to her desk. Onishi turned to MInister Takamori, "You handle the Icy Angel delegates. See if we can get the traids on our side in the upcoming conflict. You know what we are wiling to give."

Onishi then bwoed to the councilmembers, and motioned for Tanaka and Nakashuri. They follwed Onishi as he headed for the Helipad, eying each other with mutual hatred. They said nothing, though, as they boarded the helicopter.

***

The port of Kamiyaku was tense with the impending excitement of conflict. Ten destroyers were in the harbor, loading their soldeirs, sailors, and supplies. Workers were being payed overtime to load the ships, and citizens had come out to see the ships depart. The infantry themslevs were nervous, but excited. Borobudur had not beed at war for a long time, and most fo them had never seen conflict. This would be their first experience in an actual battle, and, indoctrinated since birth to see death on the battlefield as the ultimate sacrifice to the emperor, they were hungry for glory and eager to give their lives for their demigod. They were not immune to fear,t hough, and they talked little as they boarded the ships. All of them simply stared out at the sea, in the direction of Icy Angels

From the hospital room, Ethel picked up the phone and called her husband.

"Hello? Hi Calvin, I think this a very important issue we need to talk about.... Yes.... Yes.... Right, exactly.... Oh you already have?... Alright, thank you, you don't need to stop by. Goodbye."

In her heart, Ethel knew that she could no longer help DurkaDurkastan. Many Pink FluffyBunnys was just too skilled, and it would be a mistake to fight any longer. The Icy Angel would have to submit to the opposition forces. She did not want her people put into slavery.

It would be an easy transition. Once the USSIA switched sides, Andrew Chan, William Hung, or even the terrorist Jin tha MC, would be elected as the next Prime Minister according to the daily electoral count. In other words, either Hung or Jin would be president tomorrow.

By allowing this to happen, she betrayed her closest friend Leslie, as well as most of the army generals. But soon, they would have to learn the secret of the modern world: not to take sides too quickly.

*****

Surrounded by his closest associates, Jin tha MC stepped off the plane and arrived in Borobodur. With all the threats of attack, it was way too dangerous to remain in his native country.

His right-hand man, Lucifer Gao, was checking his personal organizer, which was equipped with wireless internet. "Jin, guess what. You're the next president of The Icy Angel."

"No kidding!"

"And I suppose you'll be second-in-command," Lucifer said to William Hung, who did an embarrassing little dance.

"Who will be our lead representative back home?" Hung asked.

"That would probably be Andrew Chan," Gao said.

"I won't mind that," Jin said. "And we will want to replace General Henry Ang with Robin Seto, because Ang has too much loyalty to DurkaDurkastan."

As they approached the giant statue of Buddha, the headquarters of Boroborur, they felt an owerwhelming sense of awe, and the Buddhists among their troupe knelt down in reverence.

"Whatever we do, our plan remains the same. We will remain in Borobodur, where we can more easily collaborate with Admiral Onishi and the others," Jin said.

OOC: My mistake, they do carry stingers. Either way, the helicopters simply would not be able to acheive the altitude necessary to attack a pair of fast moving bombers. A helicopter cannot fly over 10,000 feet without considerable modifications, and even if they could fly to the highest a helicopter has ever flown( ~18000feet at Mount Everest) they still would not be in range of bombers flying at 50,000 feet and traveling at roughly 950kph, while the comanches travel at a third of that, which does not include the power it would need to climb quickly.

Also, i think you missunderstood my barricading of the house. The furniture barricades are designed to provide cover for the SPARTANs to fire from and to make it difficult for any snipers to get an easy shot through windows and such as happened during the attack. All of the SPARTANs are also equipped with battle helmets that include such things as infrared, night-vision, tinted lenses, exc.

I hate to be a peeve about this sort of thing, but it is a substantial loss to lose one of these bombers, as they cost a lot of money, and your attempted attack is not really feasible.

IC: The Emperor was standing in his warroom now, having left the throneroom to this more secure location. A virtual tactical map of The Icy Angel was in front of him, with ongoing attacks and planned ones marked. He saw that his Carrier Groups were in place, and he planned to use them extensively. Checking the statue of his Seawolf Sub, he ordered it to move into torpedo range of the Durkadurakstan fleet. It was ordered not to fire, and to run silent as only a Seawolf can.

Next he ordered more SPARTAN teams to submerge near the bridges of the Eternal Elergy International Airport on Chep Lok Kok and wait for signal to blow them. He was counting on High Admiral Onishi to see things his way, and began to set in motion the needed steps to begin the assault on The Icy Angel and the Carrier Groups of Durkadurakstan.

**********

At Angel Peak, the SPARTANs were holding strong. The wounded SPARTANs had been brought to a central room and a few of the SPARTANs with medical training were tending to their wounds. The ones that were dead were now in another room, their weapons and ammunition being seized and given out to other soldiers. One of the supply crates had contained a mobile command base, and John used it to establish contact with the base and to recieve updated orders.

Turning on his radio to transmit to all the SPARTANs in his vicinity, John told them, SPARTANs, good news, we only need to hold out until tonight before we get relief. The Emperor is planning something, and it will take place tonight. Pretending to be cheerful was difficult, the night was 12 hours away atleast.

ooc: I find it interesting that all of you forgot that DurkaDurakstan was controlling the skies over the Icy Angel. Thus, I would think that any parachuting crates would be shot down immediately.
I do apologize for not responding recently, but I would like to try and get something in before the transfer of power in the Icy Angel.

The landing crafts arrived on the shores of the Icy Angel. Immediately, tactical squads spread out, making their way towards the foliage surrounding 'Old Main'.

"Echo Echo Delta Charlie," was the simple command that was sent out to all of the soldiers via their encrypted helmet earphones.

Each equad consisted of six highly trained men. Every man had an assault rifle and a pistol with silencers, customary to the Gutter Runner army, but one man in each squad had a shoulder-mounted rocket propelled grenade launcher and one man had a sniper rifle. The three other members in each squad were just as vital, providing suppressive fire. The squad commander acted equally, but also gave orders to the immediate squad.

Surrounding the estate, the command was given.

Rockets shot out, whistling through the air towards the mansion. The resulting explosion burst the house into flames and weakened the structure enough so the entire framework and house came crashing down, smothering anything not extremely unprotected inside.

And just as they came, the squads retreated back towards their land craft.

Ambassador Ilyich smiled from the bridge of one of the hovercrafts; the explosion had been beautiful.

* * *

Ambassador Ilyich burst through the doors. "Where are the Tangs? Tell me know, unless you want to see your nation in ruins." He understood his orders from Haight. Organize the troops, maintain order, defend as much as they could, and keep the government intact even if it meant exile for them.

* * *

As the ambassador from DurkaDurakstan landed, he saw one of the white spheres moving towards him across the surface of the landing strip. The window in the front displayed a driver in military garb. As the sphere stopped, a door swung outwards from the side and Miranda Geven stepped out, dressed in a black skirt and a red jacket. "Ambassador, may I be the first to welcome you to the Isles of the Gutter Runners. Please, come with me. The Great Elector Samuel Haight will see you shortly."

They traveled across the tarmac on set grooves for the sphere, which was really a fanciful car of sorts. Inside was very comfortable white leather seats and a minibar. Miranda politely offered a small glass of wine and then informed the Ambassador of arrangements for his stay.

The sphere disappeared underneath the buildings, down into the underground transportation systems of the capital city, arriving at the elevator for the Committee Building.

Going up, a window appeared on the side of the sphere and a magnificent view of the Skaven Ridge, the bay, and the coastal towns could be seen.

The elevator stopped and the sphere opened. Miranda gestured for the Ambassador to leave first. They exited into the reception area and Miranda led him down a series of hallways, left, right, left, left, left, right, confusing and muddled. Finally, she pressed a button next to a set of double doors and said into the speaker, "Mr. Haight, the Ambassador from DurkaDurakstan." The doors immediately opened inwards into Samuel Haight's private chambers' meeting area.

A long marble table was the centerpiece, with the soothing sounds of running water emanating slightly from the small waterfalls on the sides of the room.

"Welcome. I have been expecting you..."

* * *

Miranda sighed. The Ambassador from the Ventian States would be arriving shortly. Yet another ambassador and yet another headache to deal with. Exhaling heavily, she returned to the sphere dutifully and traveled back to the landing strip.

OOC: umm, pat, you just killed one of the leaders of The Icy Angel that was on your side. The SPARTANs are holding him and his staff in the househould, which is why The Icy Angel didnt just blow it up sooner. Also, the landing hovercrafts have to get through my navy, which is actively patrolling a large portion of the coastline and moving to engage Durkadurakstan within 36 hours. Durkadurakstan doesnt control the sides, right now they are contested between my fighters and his, with a no-fly zone near the center of the island where frequent dogfights occur, usually ending in a standoff. I leave your post free to edit before i continue with this one.

ooc: first, I had sent out the troops a while back. I had not, however, gotten around to actually posting about their actions due to work and junk. Therefore, I believe it plausible that they would be able to land somewhere nearby, but not necessarily at the exact beach location. Secondly, I could care less if I killed a person of some importance to Icy Angel. If he/she/it was really that important, they would not have been so easily conquered.

And if you do choose to say that "oh, we were always patrolling the island," and that you destroyed my transports, that will be seen as an incredibly open act of aggression. With the state of mind that Haight is currently in, being that he wants this over quick, I do not think he would hesitate to use nuclear weapons or any other strong military powers to end the fighting.

As such, I am not changing the above but am sticking by it firmly.


And one more thing, just because I said I sent in Special Ops does not mean that everyone will be able to know about it nor identify them. I hold that idea true to everyone. Hence, my forces do not know it is currently MPFB's Spartans out there, but I would think that carriers and cruisers would have flags flying. In addition, this is nighttime, as you stated yourself earlier. Thus the cover of night would aid in any infiltration.

OOC: Wow, i never thought i would see the day that the gutter runners provoked an attack.

IC: The Emperor was still in his warroom, when an aide ran into the room. After a quick salute, the aide said, Sir, someone just blew-up the household at The Icy Angel. We do not believe that The Icy Angel initiated the attack, because their own people where in the household. We also don't believe it was the Durkadurakstanese, because to this point they have been content to have a no-fire zone. The last involvement in the war is the Gutter Runners, which to this point have played for peace, but they recently landed troops on The Icy Angel, and we believe that these were the Special Forces that moved in and grenaded the household.

The Emperor was silent for a moment, sad for the loss of those brave soldiers. If your intelligence is correct, than we should send an envoy to The Icy Angel asking for an alliance against The Gutter Runners, and also to Durkadurakstan, to discuss the recent unprovoked attack. Also, send a message to Borobudur to hold off their attack until our discussions finish with The Icy Angel. Also, invite them to participate if they would like to.

The Emperor transmitted orders to his fleet to back off the old attack plan and to simply blockade their half of the island so that no more troops can be landed or removed.

Michael Ventino wirily walked onto the Sonic Cruiser joining Anna and John who were on the plane already. John had talked to the Borobudur delegate until 10:30 that night about the current situation and the relations between The Ventian States and Borobudur. Mike had left at 7 because of an urgent meeting; The Gutter Runner’s Ambassador to The Ventian States had made contact with Michael and they arranged to meet that night. “Long night?” the Doge said.

“Of course, what’s so urgent that we have to go back to Venice?” Mike said.

“Emergency Senate session, more on that later.” The doge said, “We have a huge problem, when you left the Borobudurian delegate got really, well unfriendly. He said really if you are not going to support us we will invade you, next.”

“I got that, I was still there remember? But what is this next about.”

“Oh yeah, sorry long night. They will invade us after they divvy up Icy Angel. Them and the Bunnys, they’ve lost their minds. Look ok, I was going to do nothing and just let them fight but Borobudur threatened us.
-- We had said we were going to help no one, we suggested a regional UN as a compromise, we started construction on the island home for the Regional UN. And yet they say that we are going to collaborate with Durka so they will attack us.”

“Yeah, I was there too, but I think we have an ally in The Gutter Runners. They seem to agree on our beliefs and we have both agreed that they cannot just invade a country with out just cause. Now what a nation of 7 million and a little more then 2 billion in defense could do to effect a large nation like Bunnys and Borobudur is beyond me.”

“Icy Angel has done nothing, they are our friends. I hate to say this but we should help them.”

“I do not want to oppose Borobudur or Bunnys but if I see that we should act; well that’s why the carrier group is out there and with the assault ship we should be ready to act. I really do not want to go to war but if it gets bad we may have to help support Icy Angel. As for why Borobudor threatened us is beyond me; but I do not respond well to threats and really could care less about them now. I mean I had a large respect for that nation but now with their, your with us or we invade you proposal I really have no respect for them any more. I mean I will not go to war with them but if they attack us St. Mark help me they will recieve the full force of our forces. We said that we would ne netural and we will, they have to learn that they cannot deal with other nations as they deal with their people. We are not a pawn of thiers and we do not blindly support anyone. And i reject any notion that, the deegate can tell us what to do.”

“That is troubling we will have to see what happens, what happened to our Bunny delegates?”

“They are on our way home.”

“Good, our delegates in the Gutter Runners should keep us informed if they need our help.”

“Yeah, lets rest we still have 40 minutes till we get to Venice. Their may be people who are not keen on our views but they should be few and as always they will still put the security of the states before anyting else. Really they will just say that we should be netural insted of even thinking of offering assistence. And that i still may do.” The Doge said.

Ooc. A reminder to Borobudur the Doge and Ventino did not express their feelings to the proposal that the delegate said and acted very diplomatically through the meeting. Also no nation knows that this discussion ever happened.

Sorry about that Gutter Runner's as to post 76, deleted that comment.

OOC: Borobudur take it from here i can't decide what you say

Jin approached Admiral Onishi in his private chamber. Jin bowed, and they took their seating locations on the matted floor, which were specially designated by years of custom and tradition.

Onishi asked Jin, "Would you like anything to drink?"

"A cup of warm sake," Jin said.

Onishi made a hand-motion, and his servant went to the kitchen. "What brings you here?" Onishi asked.

The servant set down the sake and a plate of sushi in front of Jin. "I need Onishi's metal," Jin replied.

"Onishi's metal," repeated Onishi, and his servant subsequently took out a map of his military plans from a concealed panel in the walls. "Tell me Jin, why do you want to see Onishi's metal?" Onishi said, and turned around. "Komatsu, return the plans to the wall right now." The servant hastily turned around and put the plans back into the panel.

Jin motioned to speak. "I have taken over The Icy Angel by consensus, because the people are sick of the war that is ravaging my nation. Worst of all, a neutral country has killed one of my highest-ranking associates, Sidney Lau. It is my destiny to have retribution on this vermin, who will meet the same end as that of my counterpart Sidney Lau. I have the approval of the Senate on this issue."

"And how will Onishi engage his metal?"

"I give him and his allies full permission to occupy and fortify the three islands of The Icy Angel, using them as yet another base of operations against the enemy powers. As long as I remain in power, I will pledge full military assistance to Borobodur or any other power under your alliance. If you comply, the test of your metal will be your ability to sink the DurkaDurkastan carrier group."

Jin took a bite of the sushi, and patiently awaited a response.

*****

Leon Lai sat in a bare conference room in The Icy Angel's 14th precinct.

"Do you repent for your crimes?" the psychiatrist asked him.

"I repent for nothing, as I have nobody to repent to," the former Secretary of Environment said, as he put his head into his hands. "The cycle of death, the decomposition of living organisms, will catch up to the cycle of life. It is the evolutionary process. There is no Sidney Lau, only dust and matter, and even these do not exist."

*****

Ethel Tang sat in the hospital room with her best friends. Surrounding the hospital was a cadre of 100 troops, patrolling the roof and balconies.

"It is a tragedy that he had to die," Leslie said. "I guess that our links to the DurkaDurkastan and The Gutter Runners will be permantely severed."

"Yes, I will have to agree. We need military assistance on all fronts," said Andrew Chan. "I have already told Robin Seto to send a message to the remaining SPARTANs up on Angel Peak. Leslie, send a message to The Ventian States. They are our closest ally, and they will surely give us assistance against the foreign powers currently controling our airspace and threatening to assassinate our diplomats. And Calvin, send a message to Greater Colonia, whose power is extremely underestimated in this region."

"I pray that good things will come out of this anarchy," Ethel said, as her husband held her hand.

"So do I," Andrew said.

General Peter Moy drove up to the cave where the remnants of the rebellion lay decomposing. He got out of his Humvee and spoke to a soldier from Black Death to You.

"I am General Peter Moy, representing Yee Limited Liability Company. I want to speak with your leader, Emperor Asanzi."

I will say this once. This game is getting out of hand. We need a system to work this out because right now I am extremely confused as to what to do. I don’t know what to assume I know. They way that I see most people playing the game, if I were to use their methods, I would know that Icy Angel is giving up its government, MPFB is arrogantly attacking everyone, Borobudur is warily siding with MPFB, Ventian States is warily neutral, everyone hates DurkaDurakstan and I, and I can control everyone’s people.

We need rules. This game is crumbling, in my mind.

First: No one controls anyone else’s people. That means no one speaks for anyone else. If you have dialog, well, then you wait for the other person to respond. When attacking, you say what you attack with, the other person says casualties and then what they attack with, then you say casualties and what you attack with, and so forth.

Second: Special Ops are not blaringly obvious. Special Ops do not have flags of their nation flying. Special Ops transports do not have flags flying. Other vehicles (planes, helicopters, cruisers, battleships, tanks, etc.) do have identifying features. Soldiers may, depending on what you say.

Third: You and your government are not, I repeat: NOT, omniscient. For example, my Special Ops made an attack on the mansion. That does not mean that anyone knows they are from Gutter Runners, especially not nations WHO ARE NOT IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA. Thus, Ventian States would not know about my involvement there. Perhaps Icy Angel does, but that is highly unlikely.

Fourth: We need a system of time. Ambassadors and such do not fly at warp speed from one nation to the next. We cannot have the battle going on and ambassadors departing and arriving at the same time, it simply could not work on a timeline.

Fifth: You will take casualties. You do not have super-invincible-test-tube warriors with plasma shields imbedded in their skin. You have normal humans beings who, when shot, bleed and die.

Sixth: If you are going to war, you must have a VALID reason. You do not go to war simply because, “I’m a warring nation. It’ll be fun.” This whole “Civil War” is stupid for many reasons. The United States, when going to Iraq, went through several stages before actually attacking. I do not care if you aren’t the United States. As soon as you attack a nation, the other nations in the region should be up in arms and angry that you made a clearly unprovoked attack, especially if, for example, you have carriers and cruisers patrolling the shores of the nation you are attacking. You go to war when there is no option left for compromise. With this “Civil War”, we by-passed all sorts of negotiations and went right to war, which is a big no-no. If you absolutely want to go to war without discussions, then you are a rogue nation and a terrorist nation. As such, other nations should NOT rally behind you but should be trying to get rid of you, unless you are France.

Seventh: Not all of us can post five thousand times a day and get in five thousand actions a day. Some of us can’t even post once a day. As such, we need a system to determine when people’s actions actually come into effect.


Please do not simply dismiss these statements. I, quite frankly, am abhorred by the amount of horrible roleplaying going on in this thread. I understand that I myself, have done some bad Rping here, but I wish to do something about them. And the worst thing is, it isn’t fun anymore. This is getting cutthroat. Let’s put a system into place, start over again, and have fun.

Ok this may be wrong but this is what i believe to be where we are:
It is around 7am Ventian Time currently.

Last night Borobudur and The Doge talked as well as Ventino and the Gutter Runner delegate.

Also Jin and Admiral Onishi plotted their take over of Icy Angel.

Around midnight The Gutter Runners bombed the House of Sidney Lau killing him and Icy Angel Knows.

Around 3am Icy Angel Sent out a Plea to the Ventian States for assistence.

Also the Ventian Delegates left the nation of Many Pink FluffyBunnys on their way home. And the Ventian Carrier group that laid in international waters made way for Icy Angel.

Around 4 Bunnys and Borobudur proceeded to call off their attack and contact Icy Angel they also formed a blocade on the island.

At 6 the Doge, Anna, and Ventino got on the Doge's Ventian Sonic Crusier bound for Venice and the Ventian Bunny delegates arrived home in Malin.

This is the time line i believe that is correct and i have been following. Cheers

Comment we really do not have to post what is happening internally or what our intentions are with our forces because the ther countries would not know anyway. Unless they have a delegate then you would have to have some comment about what they see. That applies to talkes as well like I spoke to Pat on friday about the situation and Catlett as well hence i did not put n the dicussions since no other nation would know what happened in them anyway.

If that is correct, then I would really like to know how Icy Angel knows it was Gutter Runner forces that attacked the house, eliminating the SPARTAN forces inside, with unfortunate casualties of Lau and company.

well they really would have till 3 i did not mean they knew right away but some time between when you attacked and when they sent the message to me.

When they know is not really my concern but rather, that they know.

just to try to justify their statement, which i really don't care just so that they do not have to edit their entire post. They did try to attack the house about 2 days ago and they were pushed back, they could have stil had forces in the area and seen your jets. just a posablity

They weren't jets. They were hovercrafts landing on a beach from the water. The squads then immediately traveled to the brush and foliage for cover and advanced towards the house.

As I stated in ooc and also in the above ideas, Special Ops would not have any obvious identifying features, hence making it difficult to detect whom they are. If that meant skirmishes with Icy Angel to prevent knowledge one way or another of the troops' alignment, then so be it.


Another thing that is annoying is having to spell out every last single f***ing detail again and again to argue it.

Sorry, no need to get angry. But even hover Craft would have Id marks on them even if it was the style of cammo or the color of the craft. I'm just say there are ways that make his comment plausble. and as for the plane confusion i do look over the actual IC posts to check that the facts are correct. I usually get one wrond every few posts but this time since i really though it was planes i did not check also since this is not IC and i was pretty sure of what they were

I agree with the Gutter Runners on all points except the last one, it is possible to attack a nation purely for conquest or outrage over an issue. What we really need is a moderator able to control any and all involved, their decision is final, and their decisions show the battlefield. I would propose that we either end this conflict and move on to other things, or that we elect somebody to be a moderator for this game, because i agree that it does get out of hand and will soon degrade into an accusing match. We need to find someone with a working knowledge of military tactics and whatever, someone without sides, and someone with a lot of time on their hands to be willing to do this all.

Just my 2cents

Also, MPFB is not arrogantly attacking people, it responded to a call from an Icy Angel group wanting to overthrow the government.

If we start over again, here are some ideas:


We each use existing countries, preferably countries that are very similar to each other, so as not to have extremely lopsided advantages, or extremely insane governments.

We use the existing governments of those countries, so we cannot come up with overly ridiculous government situations (like having near-dictatorships in every country). Ridiculuous government situations will warrant ridiculuous actions. Dictators like Hitler have been few and far between in modern history, and even Sadaam Hussein tried not to say that he was the one who attacked the United States.

We do away with the whole "tribute" thing because such a system wouldn't exist in a real world environment anyway. Who would have given money to Durka in the first place? This is an essential implausibility that has led to a string of others.

We think of a different sort of situation to base this whole story around, like a situation that is actually taking place today in real countries. This way, we will act more realistically.

If we were all initially part of a "Confederacy UN", for instance, we could just have it permanently in session, and we would not have say infinite times, "let's go talk to so-and-so," and having that person purposely avoid dicussion because he/she is some sort of rogue nation.

We should one person designated as a weapons advisor, preferrably MPFB, because he seems to know more than I do, at least.

We should one person designated as a politics advisor, so we do not have another implausible science-fiction story.


These reforms may stifle creativity, but our creativity should be secondary to our realism.

The regions I suggest are Africa, South America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe (excluding Russia), or the former states of the Soviet Union.

Ooc. I do not think that we have to change our countries to the worlds tepography. I mean i have a map of my nation, topographical map, road map, and have my cities list with an appromaximte population in them. We just need to ban nations that are unrealistic, i hate to pnt anyone out but MPFB cannot have the whole nation militerized, and it would be unlikly to have cliffs all arould the island. We just have to have everyone submit maps to be posted, + lets just finish this up i mean we can stil talk it over and then we will set criteria and have the next crisis. I mean if we restart who is going to get excited on redoing what we have already done.

***
Ic.
The Doge of the Ventian States sent out a letter to all nations of the Confederacy it read:
To the ruler of this nation:

May i remind everyone that there is still the comprimise I proposed of the reginal UN that would be housed on an island 90 miles off the Ventian States. This would be where we could dicuss problems and also have a security council which would have a peace keeping force funded by all WILLING nations. This UN would have athority but WOULDNOT BE COMPULSERY. The UN would be like a nation itself; since the Ventian States is buliding up the islands infrustructure and buliding the UN offices they would not need to be housed on any one nation. Each country would have an embassy there and there would be a treasury protected by UN Guards. Since this UN would be on an island itself it would not be a pupet since the countries would have to agree on action. I invite all nations to come to Venice and sit down and discuss this crisis and the REGIONAL UN.
-Doge of Venice

OOC: Works for me except I need to get a topo map 4 my country

You go away for a day, and suddenly the world exploded, and a whole new world of nations appeared out of nowhere. Its a crazy world, i guess.

I generally agree with Pat on most of his compliants. I do partly side with Rice on the war reason. You can attack with intentions of pure conquest. Generally, though, that doesnt happen.

On the time issue, a simple solution is to post a time for when the hell your events happen. Either weave it into your story, or have a little out of character blurb telling the time and date. Then we can reference the different times to see what we know.

On the moderator idea, I would do it, but i dont think i have enough knowledge of military technology. If no one else is willing, i will do it, though. I could devote the nesecary time if i had to, and im pretty good at story-telling, so i could hopefully make the battles interesting.

As for starting over, we could, since i am confused too, but this is nation states. If you want to use real world nations, we could, but that kinda defeats the purpose, dont you think? It would be fun, though, although if we did i would prefer to set it in 1914 or 1939 than in 2004 ;) . Still, this is getting pretty confusingm and i certainly havent helped, with a virtual war between Onishi and his cabinet. So maybe starting over wouldnt be a bad idea. If we do start over, though, with real nations, I call Japan. Make it set in the 1930's, though. No nukes then, and more balanced playing field (no American hegemony). It is actually the most balanced time to play, with many nations (Biritan, Germany, Russia, Japan, America, hell, even France, Itay, and China) of similar, if not even, military and economic strength.

And Japan didnt suck at that time, too...

I would say that i have a pretty good feel for the political side of the game and how governments are suppose to work and i do know a good amount about geography so i would be glad to moderate thoes aspects. I really like that we have our own nations and that we are not playing anything historical and hope that we can continue on with what we have, in a new thread, i'd say lets just try to wrap up this crisis this week and then work on a map of our region and guidlines then when we come back we can start a new crisis and here is what is happening if anyone is confused:

*** *** ***

It is around 7am Ventian Time currently.

Last night Borobudur and The Doge talked as well as Ventino and the Gutter Runner delegate.

Also Jin and Admiral Onishi plotted their take over of Icy Angel.

Around midnight The Gutter Runners bombed the House of Sidney Lau killing him

Between 12-3 Icy Angel finds out Gutter Runners attacked.

Around 3am Icy Angel Sent out a Plea to the Ventian States for assistence.

Also the Ventian Delegates left the nation of Many Pink FluffyBunnys on their way home. And the Ventian Carrier group that laid in international waters made way for Icy Angel.

Around 4 Bunnys and Borobudur proceeded to call off their attack and contact Icy Angel they also formed a blocade on the island.

At 6 the Doge, Anna, and Ventino got on the Doge's Ventian Sonic Crusier bound for Venice and the Ventian Bunny delegates arrived home in Malin.

OOC: Venetian States, excellent idea, because frankly, history can't be undone. This was a crisis of a week and we can move on and leave it to the past and just continue on the timeline set out be TVS or whoever' s timeline is most accurate. one more thing, i enjoy using my own country, in the year 2004, thank you very much. One more thing, in the 1930's the U.S was in the middle of the great depression and it had a very small military budget, so it can't level the playing field.
That's my opinion. :cool: :headbang: Greater Colonia

I still want a good reason why the Icy Angel knows the Gutter Runners made an assault! I have as of yet not heard a reason that I am comfortable with accepting.

But in regards to "conquest" as a reason for war... Um, as far as I knew, all land was already taken. You don't see modern nations going on conquest raids. At least, none in the UN nor any that are truly modern.

So, MPFB, if you really want to go to war for conquest, you are most likely still a developing country which would really strain my ability to see you having biologically engineered soldiers or any such tactical training. Do you understand where I am coming from?

Yeah, i agree with greater Colonia on this one, what happened has happened. I dont think we intend to pretend it never happened, we just plan on letting this issue die, and moving on. As for gutter runner's complaint as to how icy angel knew...yeah, i would like to know myself. they seem to be making one huge assumption here.

On using our own nations in 2004, im ok with that. Im just saying that if we dont, and use real nations, 2004 isnt a good idea, since pretty much every country except America is weak in some way. And America has an SDI defense system, and a lot of nukes...
In late 1930's, America's sheer production value would overcome their limited spending. they would still be the most powerful, but it would be more balanced. I wasnt clear, though, i prefer to use my own nation over real ones.

Anyway, lets see if we can get off the warmonger path and get this thing going again. I also agree with Ventian states that we do meed to make a map of the region, to ensure we know the location of all these different islands.

*grumble grumble I still think pirates and privateering in the carribbean would be more fun than modern day grumble grumble*

What? Me? Say something? Naw, it was the wind ;)

OOC: I like the idea of reverting the islands back to the 1930s. It works. It can be the Prequel, and might explain some more things about the Confederacy.

I can make the maps. Just give me the nation you are basing yours off of, the exact boundaries of your nation, and any other specifics that you would like to include which are different than the nation as it currently exists in real-life. Include things like any different cities, roads, military bases, etc. I will put the nations in the relative places in the sea where they exist in real life, with just enough space between them. I would like to include 'neutral' nations too. If everyone could get their details to me before the break at spchiang1@aol.com, then I will post a tenative map on the wiki.


IC:

8:00 AM- The Icy Angel, Dong Bang Island, Dong Bang City, Tak Yee Lau Senate Building

Ethel Tang, Calvin Tang, and Leslie Shum were the few remaining neutral justices in the Senate. They were lucky: most of the others were replaced by low-lifes and former criminals, most of whom were members or affiliates of the Triads. Nothing this, Yee put about ten percent of his police force around the Senate building, in order that the policemen would overwhelm the Triads in case of any full-scale coup. Since Calvin and Leslie had made a point to stay in the countries where they were currently negotiating an alliance, Ethel was completely surrounded by a cadre of fierce-looking, street-grown gangster types.

Secretary of Education and Acting Prime Minister Andrew Chan banged his gavel against the desk. "I call this session to order, Session 50 of the Icy Angel Senate. Would anyone like to offer a proposal before the Senate?"

Even in such a dire circumstance, and still weary from the surgery, Ethel was an experienced stateswoman. She stood up and said, "I think the corporate media is behind this whole thing up at Angel Peak. I mean, why would Gutter Runners blow up the Lau Mansion? They were our allies. Hell, they weren't even there.

"Martin Yan of Icy Angel Book Publishing and Multimedia is probably the one responsible for all of this, owning over 90% of The Icy Angel news sources. He's the one trying to brainwash us with all these false stories and allegations. The police have personally investigated this explosion and found that it was most likely an accident, not the fault of any country.

"Since Martin Yan has falsely accused the Gutter Runners, I think we ought'a call up The Gutter Runners and let them take care of him. Hmph, that corporate pighead. All in favor?"

These words got most of the gangster-types riled up. "Yeah, bring down the corporate tyranny!" some of them yelled.

"All in favor?" Andrew Chan said.

"AYE!" The room thundered.

"Well, I suppose that is two-thirds majority. Onto the next issue. Anyone else?"

From his box, Wesley Yee looked happy amdist the anti-corporate raving, because it would merely eliminate one of his competitiors.

*****

Down the street, the Police Force of Yee stormed the IABPM headquarters, stuffed Yan in an armored truck, and took him to a police precinct. A police officer called up The Gutter Runners and asked for a criminal investigator to come over and investigate the scene.

*****

"I would also like to propose a second issue. Since Leslie is in The Ventian States, I would also like to make her the sitting member of the Confederacy's UN. That means, if any other UN nation wants to speak to her, they can speak to her directly in the UN without having to send over an additional ambassador. We will, however, keep the ambassadors in their respective countries, with the exception of Robin Seto, our military commander. " This proposal also passed.

Miranda’s cell phone rang. She had taken the liberty to route all international calls to herself for the time being. ”Hello? … The Icy Angel … We currently have an ambassador en route to your nation. His name is Ilyich and he should be arriving soon. I can punch you through directly to him. I’m sure he can discuss current matters with you much more ably than I can. … No, currently Samuel Haight is unavailable. … If you please hold I can send you over to Ilyich. … Thanks.”

She punched a few numbers on her phone, speed dialing Ilyich. ”I have Icy Angel on the line. They want to know about the mansion. I’m assuming you completed your mission?”

”Yes, ma’am. You can tell the Elector things are going to plan.”

”I will. Just make sure that you deny all connection to any activity around that. I want the Gutter Runners to be spotless.”

”Of course. Is the Elector okay? I would have thought he would have wanted to speak to me directly…”

”Yes, he is fine. He’s meeting with DurkaDurakstan currently. Here, I’ll punch over Icy Angel to you. You can talk with them via phone, but make sure you land and make face contact. In the meantime, the Elector wishes you to also offer services in aiding their law and order. Tell the Special Ops teams to go normal on the double and be prepared for deployment. Now then, Icy Angel.”

She transfers the call from Icy Angel over to Ilyich via encrypted transmissions.

Everything is working according to plan… everything…

* * *

Ilyich was sitting in a commanding chair on the bridge of the lead hovercraft. They had immediately left and made a big loop out into international waters and were returning back to Icy Angel’s capital when he received the call from Miranda.

As soon as he was transferred, he said very enthusiastically, ”This is Ambassador Ilyich for the nation of the Gutter Runners. I am traveling by way of hovercraft with a detachment of the Gutter Runner Army. We are requesting permission to dock.
“Outside of that, how are you doing today?”

OOC: Roll Call: Forces in Isle are at the time, Greater Colonia, Hockey Nuts (Hills of Morris), Tergiversation, Bharta, Icy Angel, and the Venetian States left but need to come back, we call upon at least 3 more Nations to join our forces, our Victory is near! Help us secure a historic success!
Greater Colonia :headbang: :headbang: :sniper:

8:42 AM- The Icy Angel, Route 8 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Route_8_expressway), New Territory Island.

Police Officer Lee Sheng, head crisply shaven and eyes fixed on the road ahead, recited from memory through the patrol car's intercom.

"Very well. I will give you the complete list of rules.

"First, you must register for a Visitor's Visa in nearby Aisin Gioro, which will allow you to stay in The Icy Angel for a maximum of 1 month. You will be required to take a test which will add you to The Icy Angel International Security Database. If you are found in our country without a Visa, or beyond the extended period of stay, we have the right to imprison you for up to 6 months, with a right to fair trial, after which we will deport you to your home country.

"Due to security concerns, we no longer allow any passenger ships within 10 kilometers of the Dong Bang shore. The only ships that are allowed to dock at Dong Bang Harbor are container ships, the cargo of which is carefully checked with electronic devices in the event of terrorism. All container ship operators must be licensed with The Icy Angel Port Authority. Any passengers on any non-military ship will be apprehended, their occupants imprisoned, and their valuables confiscated and auctioned.

"If you are arriving by plane, we will allow you to land at our military airfield, Sek Bang (http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/china/facility/sek-kong.htm). This field is a primary military installation in The Icy Angel, and is reserved for political and military purposes. Please note your plane must have the indication of the country that you are arriving from, and since you are a national delegation of criminal investigators, you are only allowed to carry a maximum of ten passangers. Also note that any metallic items will be confiscated during your stay for safety purposes. We will not provide transportation from the airport, but rental cars are available. The Icy Angel does not accept foreign currency, but we do have many banks where you are allowed to exchange your money for a competitively-priced surcharge."

"If you want these rules repeated, dial #, and I will repeat them for you. In The Icy Angel, ignorance of the law is not valid grounds for defense."

*****

8:58 AM- The Icy Angel, Dong Bang Island, Dong Bang City, Tak Yee Lau Senate building

The thugs who had recently been elected were falling asleep as the Senate session droned on. In the corner, the stenographer took a break to stretch. Ethel called up some caterers to brew some strong green tea and steamed buns, and she continued to orate to them from the back-relieving comfort of a witness bench.

"We seriously need to tighten these visitor restrictions, don't we? I mean, at times like this we need to do all that we can do." She looked around for a second. "Andrew, I don't think this is working. We need some divine intervention. Do you have any solutions?"

"Let's call up Jin and see if he's on the line. That'll wake them up."

Jin's face instantneously appeared on the large LCD screen at the front of the building. His familiar emphatic grunt, which vibrated like a bullet off the solid steel walls, woke everybody up. "We're going to take over the rest of the Isle of Green Waves, now," Jin said concisely. "No time to rest. All in favor?"

The half-conscious justices said, "Aye."

If anyone is still reading this thread, let me know so I can interact with you somehow.

I Am

11:35 AM- Greater Colonia, Alexia, The Icy Angel 'Embassy'

"This is Charles Leung, reporting for IACOM, Icy Angel's public news service. We are in Alexia speaking to Calvin Tang, the new ambassador to Greater Colonia. Mr. Tang, I'd hate to say this, but this is a rather small embassy."

"Well, yes, my hotel room is my embassy right now, because I still need permission to register the land to build an embassy from Colonia's government."

"Yes, very...spartan. I see you have some nice flowers over there."

"Yes, they are synthetic, standard hotel equipment probably. Nice room service though."

"How are your negotiations with President Charles Marsailles?"

"Well, I have not spoken to him yet, which I will plan to do in a few hours, after I get some rest. But I plan to speak to him about our military alliance, and how we need to negotiate for order and stability in this increasingly dangerous region."

"Any specific issues?"

"Specifically, I would like to speak to him about deterring the presence of certain nations in this region. As it is, several nations have staked out a claim on The Icy Angel as if it were a colonial free-for-all. We need Greater Colonia's help in establishing no-tresspassing zones, so that every nation in the region can maintain a sense of sovereignty. And any nation that violates these zones will not receive recognition. I propose that these boundaries of seperation should be called 'The Angel Accords,' which will ensure peace and freedom throughout this region.

"Also, the government of British Arabia has recently collapsed, and we need to speak to other leaders about what to do. I believe that any nation truly interested in spreading their colonial empire should forget about us, and consider establishing one in British Arabia, which has a much greater landmass.

"Finally, the status of the Confederacy forces in the Isle. That is all I have to say."

"This is Charles Leung, reporting for IACOM, Icy Angel's public news service, in Alexia, Greater Colonia."

"Thank you Charles. Up next: the sellout of media-giant IABPM and the potential buyers."