NationStates Jolt Archive

The newly rebuilt Republican Estate served as residence of the President of Fyreheart and unofficial seat of government for the nation, a nation that had suffered great hardship recently. It was a beacon of hope and peace for many who had suffer more than any should.

Just five years prior Fyreheart had be host to a terrible coup. A high-ranking government and military officials had been carefully and secretly maneuvering and at that time their plots came to fruitation and success. A man by the name of Nathan Hurst seized control of the government in a tyrannical move. Those who would have stopped him had vanished or died in accidents that were not so accidental. Those who voiced their concern for the future of their proud democracy disappeared or quickly changed their opinions and retracted their statements, for now there was no freedom in Fyreheart, only oppression and brutality.

The democracy's allies were distracted by convenient problems of their own as the United Emirates alliance was embroiled in a scandal of their own. Yet, at first it seemed like life under Hurst's regime was not as bad as many tyrannical and dictatorial governments. The economy stayed strong and Hurst undertook projects (mainly military) to strengthen the nation and its standing in the world. ICON (Imperial Coalition of Nations) was formed under Hurst's rule to ally Fyreheart with like minded power hungry nations. But it was quickly apparent, as Hurst escalated a situation with Fyreheart's old ally of Ferrussia to the point of conflict, that his true goals were only malevolent.

War erupted and the former democracy found new strength as it joined the Arda Alliance, lead by the Lord of All Things Evil, Melkor. It lost strength as well, as the United Emirates censored Fyreheart for Hurst's corruption and warmongering, but even then it seemed that the alliance fighting alongside Ferrussia could not stop the madman. Fortunately, such was not the case.

In the tyrannical police state of Hurst's Fyreheart, some were working secretly against the tyrant. Rebels and freedom fighters were growing among the citizenry of the oppressed nation, and were gaining support from one of the former democracy's allies.

The Drakonian Imperium, founder of the United Emirates, was not as distract as it appeared. Intelligence Operatives were coordinating with those who worked to see an end of the nightmare of Hurst's Fyreheart. Government and military officials who had seen the democracy Hurst had destroyed now worked from within to see vengeance against the man that was destroying the integrity of their homeland.

Finally an end came. In a swift movement, the rebels and their allies struck. The city collapsed as the entire nation was engulfed in static, for no longer was contact with the outside world possible as that was the rebels’ first target. Conflict engulfed the nation.

As part of a combined move, the Praetorian Guard of Drakonia and Mornahossë of Menelmacar dropshipped in using Menelmacar vessels and captured and neutralized Hurst's arsenal of nuclear weapons. Weapons he had shown himself willing to use, when he had earlier struck the Ferrussians with that brutal doom.

When the blackout lifted, the rebels called for foreign aid and Drakonia, Lavenrunz, and their close ally Glorious Humanity were quick to respond and send it. Advance forces prepared for just such an operation were able to land before Hurst's Ardan allies could react.

Yet, react they did and before the reinforcement could arrived. A blockade was placed up as Melkor declared he wished to recall his military garrisons in Fyreheart. One not known for his word, few believed it. The Imperium expected Arda to instead use its forces in and around Fyreheart to wipe out the rebels and their advance forces. With naval forces trapped inside the blockade and threatened by the gravfleets of Melkor, the Drakonians and Lavenrunzians attempted to threaten their way through the blockade. But the Ardans would not give in, calling the bluff. The Drakonians however were not bluffing, their fleets attacked catching the Ardan forces between and anvil and hammer.

The fighting was fierce and short. It was the Dread Lady Nathicana who diplomatically forced a cease fire. Calling a meeting of the Lavenrunzian and Ardan factions she arranged a cease fire, leaving the Drakonian forces hanging. The Drakonians had been forced into the cease fire, as the Lavenrunz fleet sailed for an Ardan harbor for repairs.

It had been straightforward from there. The blockade lifted. The Drakonians and Glorious Humans continued their landings and pacifications, driving back the last loyalist forces. Meanwhile, in a daring raid rebel forces were able to break in to Hurst's stronghold where the dictator was found dead.

And then, just like that, it was over. The loyalist gave up and the rebels were left to pick up the piece of their nation. But they were not alone; the nations that had rallied to help them in their darkest hour stepped up to help. In the end, the shattered nations had truly been shattered. To help facilitate a transition to a reformed democratic republican government the allies divided the nation into three Responsibility Zones (One Drakonian, One Glorious Human, One Menelmacari), and an Autonomous Government Zone.

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Now, it would be up the people of Fyreheart and their allies to decide what the future would hold for the Three Kingdoms of Fyreheart (http://www.nationstates.net/cgi-bin/index.cgi/target=display_nation/nation=fyreheart).



OOC: This is a continuation of the storyline begin in A New Dawn (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=301880). Also, all posting for Fyreheart is done with the permission of its former player who turned over responsibility of the nation to myself. It you wish to post in this thread and have not been invited, it is requested that you first contact myself (http://www.nationstates.net/cgi-bin/index.cgi/target=display_nation/nation=drakonian_imperium) or Glorious Humanity (http://www.nationstates.net/cgi-bin/index.cgi/target=display_nation/nation=glorious_humanity) via telegram, thank you.

Town of Pellier, River of Fyre, northeastern Fyrehart
On the border of the Glorious Humanity zone

A small house on the eastern side of Pellier, next to the road leading inland, exploded in a spectacular fireball as no less than six rockets hit it in quick succession. The flaming remnants of the building flew everywhere, pelting nearby people with a hail of burning rubble. Everyone ducked for cover as the deafening thumping of the attack helicopter's rotors roared overhead, the war machine flying a short distance past and then coming around for another pass.

On the ground, civilians ran in all directions, covering their heads, screaming and trying to find shelter and cover from two forces. The helicopter's rockets, missiles and cannons were only one threat. On the ground, also seeking cover, were the gunship's targets: rebels armed with all manner of weapons. A group of former soldiers in Hurst's regime, now converted to rebels, bandits, and terrorists.

"Strike confirmed, anti-air missiles neutralized," the chopper's pilot spoke into his radio. "Bravo Two, you are cleared to land."

"Roger that Alpha Striker, Bravo going in," came an acknowledgement. Bravo was two Blackhawk helicopters carrying about twenty soldiers, hovering out of range of the portable missile launchers that had just been eradicated by Alpha Striker's rockets. Now they roared forward, guaranteeing that nothing on the ground could be clearly heard over the sound of rotors. They were counting on that.

Sure enough, right in the center of the town square, a man in a Hurst uniform and with sergeant's stripes was bellowing orders, trying to organize the two dozen or so odd bandits into a cohesive resistance. But his command had died with the missiles which eliminated all hope of removing the gunship, and now his men were mostly just running for their lives.

"Moron's got balls to still wear colors," the gunship's gunner commented to the pilot. "We gonna smoke him?'

"Looks like Bravo's got it," the pilot replied, grinning. The first Blackhawk was descending almost directly towards the sergeant. Too late, the man looked up and realized his peril, but as he broke to find cover himself, the soldiers about to disembark opened up with their A-30 assault rifles. The sergeant only got about five steps before red blossomed all over him, and he fell twitching to the ground.

Immediately a dozen soldiers in GH battle gear, carrying rifles and grenades, leaped the remaining five feet to the ground and rushed towards still standing buildings, breaking in and efficiently neutralizing hostile occupants. One tenacious building with about five men in it opened up with a heavy machine gun they'd gotten from somewhere, but even as the soldiers on the ground sent up a call for air support, Alpha Striker was already launching another rocket volley which annihilated the structure and all in it.

"Bravo Two, we got problems at the docks," Alpha Striker's pilot reported. His gunship was higher up than the landing Blackhawks, and he could see the three docks that held fishing boats and a few recreational speedboats. A crowd of civilians were clustered around the boats trying to get aboard and get away, and a few rebel soldiers had the same idea. A knot of about ten were pushing their way through the crowd, throwing people off the docks and firing their weapons randomly to clear a path.

"Roger, we got it," Bravo acknowledged, and the second chopper, which had been about to land, instead fought back into the air and raced for the docks. The soldiers saw it coming and knew it was hopeless. One gutsy man tried to take a hostage, pointing his weapon defiantly at the Blackhawk, but the rest saw the writing on the wall. The hostage taker was knocked out by one of his comrades, and the rest of the group threw their weapons away and raised their hands.

"Smart choice," Alpha Striker's pilot commented as the second Blackhawk landed and the GH soldiers took the rebels into custody.

A handful of speedboats and a fast fishing vessel had gotten away from the dock and were racing across the river toward the Drakonian side. Alpha Striker accelerated and buzzed out over them. The pilot made a careful inspection of the terrified people below.

"Anybody?" Bravo asked over the radio.

"Nope, not a gun among them," the pilot answered. "Just civvies."

"What do we do?"

"We let 'em go," the pilot answered, and wheeled back towards Pellier. All the GH soldiers were on the ground, and commencing their final sweep. Pellier was a small town of only a few hundred people. The sweep would not take long. The pilot felt confident enough to radio in.

"Command, this is Pellier Strike Team Alpha Striker. We are commencing final sweep of the town. All clear."

The state of Fyreheart was grim, but hopeful. While much of the nation was lawless, the militaries of Drakonia, Glorious Humanity, and newly arrived Menelemacar were working with the former "rebel" forces of the Fyreheart Armed Forces and the civilian Free Fyreheart Movement. It would be a difficult transition however, as Hurst's militarization had left many soldiers with nothing to return to as an occupation and many of the civilian populace had lost their places of work during the recent fighting or had fled to more peaceful and secured east.

Brigands and Hurst Loyalist holdouts could still be found in the western mountains and it was military rule that enforced order everywhere else. The nation was very much in need of government and stability and right now that meant martial law. It was a tough arrangement for a nation that had just fought so hard for freedom, but it was the only way.

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The Republican Estate would now be host to the first meeting to decide the path of the nation. Each of the perspective responsible guardians of Fyrehearts fate would be with officials of the newly formed Provisional Republican Government to decide that fate at the newly rebuilt Estate.

The Drakonian Delegation was among the first to arrive. Among them former Rebel Commander Andrew Markham, Drakonian Diplomat and former Senate Speaker Aetius Cispius, General Kaeso Falco, Commander of Legions and the man who had led the Drakonian forces during the liberation. As well as Aemilia Priscus, representative of the Emirate Humanitarian Organization, an expert at the rehabilitations and restoration of wartorn nations.

Already assembled were the officials of the Provisional Democratic Republic of Fyreheart, now being jokingly called the Three Kingdoms of Fyreheart. Among them were a number of former rebellion commanders: Colonel Mark Sanders, newly appointed commander of the Fyreheart Police Forces, General David Roberts, hero of the attack on Hurst's stronghold, and newly appointed commander of the Fyreheart Elite Guard, General Robert Hessinger, commander of the Fyreheart Armed Forces, and Admiral Arnold Moore, commander of the Fyreheart Navy. There was also the civilian representation present: Kathleen Haddlerson representing the civilian rebel of the Free Fyreheart Movement, Briana Mastillo, leader of the Moderate Party in Fyreheart and current acting Prime Minister of the Provisional Government, Jerrie Madsen, leader of the Capitalist Party (which had general survived unscathed during Hurst's rule) and CEO of Fyre Arms, and Blake Washington, the vocal leader of the Fyreheart Socialist Party.

The various groups prepared their reports and propositions, as they waited for the final representatives to arrive.

1705 Zulu
Northwest Suburbs of Amethyst
Drakonian Responsibility Zone, Fyreheart
1st Battalion, 13th Armored Legion

"What I need for your people to do begin turning in your weapons at the Amethyst Military Base," the Major Agrippa informed the assembled Free Fyreheart Cell Commanders. "If you are in need of work, their will official at the base that can provide job information, and there should be an abundance with the reconstruction."

The assembled rebel commander nodded and began to disperse. One approached the Major. "When will thing return to normal," he asked.

"I don't know," Major Agrippa replied. "But the sooner we get to work the sooner it can."

The man satisfied with the answer or at least accepting of it turned and left with the rest. And the first element of the tank column continued on, only an hour later they were in the middle of a fight with Hurst Loyalists still hoping to regain control of their former domain. An hour long fight ended with the loyalists being routed, rushing away toward the mountains, and being obliterated by artillery and helicopters, as the heavier armor moved to secure the routes out of the city and toward the western mountains.

It would take a while to return Fyreheart to normality, but with a lot of hard work it would happen.

A long black limosine pulled up to the main doors of the estate, with two flags flying from poles on its front. One belonged to Fyrehart, the other to Glorious Humanity. The car was escorted by several motorcycle police and a pair of military jeeps with an honor guard on board.

The honor guard was interesting in that the men in it wore neither Glorious Human nor Fyrehartian uniforms. Rather, their dress uniforms were blue, trimmed with silver on the shoulders and in a long stripe down each of the sleeves. The blue trousers dropped in straight, perfectly creased lines to their ankles, where black socks could be seen above polished black dress shoes. On their heads each man wore a blue beret, with his unit insignia above his left eye. Unit patches on their left shoulders displayed a gold horse running on a crimson background, while the opposite shoulder bore the Fyrehart flag. Over the left breast pocket of their uniforms were their names, over the right was the name of their force: the EFDF, the Eastern Fyrehart Defense Force. They were equipped with GH-issue A-30 rifles, which they carried slung on their right shoulders.

They disembarked and formed up in front of the limosine, forming two lines in front of the passenger door. At a sharp command of "Present Arms!" the soldiers as one unslung their rifles and held them vertically in front of them, muzzles pointed skyward. The squad leader, a second lieutenant, opened the limo door and saluted the occupants.

The first man out returned the salute, then stepped forward, inspecting the men with cool gray eyes as he passed them. He seemed to be about mid-forties, in good shape, and he too wore an EFDF dress uniform, but with an extra stripe of gold down each coat sleeve and stripes down each trouser leg. His chest bore numerous decorations and ribbons, quite a few of them medals awarded during Hurst's regime. A couple of them, the Defense of Mankind medal and the Fyrehart Restoration campaign ribbon, were GH awards. His lapels and his beret bore four stars, a general. His name tape identified him as Kevin Poirot, EFDF Supreme Commander. Flanking him were a pair of one-star generals with decorations of their own. A Colonel followed them out, and this officer turned and relieved the lieutenant, taking command of the guards. The EFDF guards formed up around their commander as the next passengers disembarked.

Another four-star was next out, General Malcolm Abrams, the commander of the Glorious Humanity Expeditionary Forces to Fyrehart. Unlike Poirot, Abrams looked to be near the end of his career, with silvering hair showing his age at nearly sixty. His blue eyes however, were still as sharp and alert as any younger man's. His uniform was dark green with ruby red trim on the lapels, sleeves, and trousers, and the same black socks and shoes as the EFDF. His beret was green and bore his rank, and his chest had its fair share of decorations too. Another one-star flanked him, and three Captains, apparantly his aides from the way they were acting, followed him.

The next pair were civilians. Both wore the dark blue silk formal suits popular with Glorious Human officials, but only one was a Glorious Human. That one was Arthur McCollough, the Glorious Human Advisor to the Governor of Eastern Fyrehart. He was a slightly portly man about six feet tall, with brown hair and green eyes. Given his status, it was obvious that the man to his left was Marcus Belman, the appointed Interim Governor of Eastern Fyrehart. Belman was a couple inches shorter than his advisor, but in much better physical shape, since before his appointment he had been a popular rebel leader for the Free Fyrehart forces on the east side of the River of Fyre. The assistance of his bands of rebels had been invaluable to the Glorious Humans driving out the last of Hurst's organized resistance. He had sandy blond hair, cut short, and blue eyes.

The two were holding a hushed conversation, and Belman seemed a little uneasy, like he had just heard something he didn't like at all. He schooled his face to a diplomatic poker face as they joined the rest of the group though.

The last two out were reporters with press passes, wearing nondescript suits. Their passes identified them as print reporters for the Freedom, the official newspaper of Eastern Fyrehart, which GH had had started shortly after the war ended. They were already taking notes on notepads, jotting down descriptions and impressions for their articles.

The whole group formed up, with the EFDF guards around the dignitaries, and with the reporters in tow, they entered the estate.

Drakonians are quite used to being hosts, with more history of doing so than most can boast it is as easy to say that they are well accustom to it, yet despite this they would not be hosting the meeting of the reconstruction powers. And it was for similar reasoning that the Provisional Democratic Republic of Fyreheart had been so quickly established after the rebellion. The international community needed to see that progress was being made to make Fyreheart again a free and democratic nation. As well an independent one, but for now there were still too many problems, some even caused by the rapid establishment of the Provisional Government itself.

Now was the time for the free peoples of Fyreheart to take this responsibility. And that was just what they were doing, as the Glorious Humanity Delegation was about to witness. For the first to greet them was none other than the acting Prime Minister of Fyreheart, Briana Mastillo.

How Briana Mastillo had managed to make a career of diplomacy and governance, all while raising four children, was anyone's guess. Nonetheless she had, serving as a diplomat and ambassador for her nation she had won much esteem and as Amethyst Fyreheart retired from his position as Prime Minister she had been one of those who had run for the position. Shortly afterwards she had been able to save herself from Hurst's purges by taking the position as the Fyreheartian Representative to the United Emirates. In that position and away from her homeland with her family she had applied to Tersanctus for political asylum. There she had begun working toward rebellion and freedom from Hurst's reign, as his true evil was revealed when Fyreheart went to war with its former ally Ferrussia.

It was a short smartly dressed woman who marched toward the Glorious Humanity Delegation, she even had a bearing of authority about her. Dressed in a conservative black dress, the Prime Minister had an aged elegance look to her. Moderate length black hair fell short of her shoulders, and she had a friendly Hispanic face. Despite her being nearly fifty she looked young, with a shapely body.

"Gentlemen," she greeted, noting no women amongst the delegation (excepting possibly among the East Fyreheart Defense Forces). "Welcome to the Republican Estate. I hope your journey was uneventful."

"As do I." The older man who step up and stood behind and to the left of the acting Prime Minister was not a native of Fyreheart. He was Drakonian, and his face shown of aged and experience. His all white hair contrasted his age paled ebony skin. He wore a crisp black and white oriental-style suit, and stood nearly a head taller than the Briana Mastillo.

From a more interior room they catch the raised voices of a heated conversation. "It is necessary that Fyreheart make a gesture--disarmament--to show that this will never happen again," a Drakonian-accented voice can be heard stating.

The Fyreheartian-accented reply is equally passionate. "Yet, we cannot humiliate our proud heritage or leave are nation open to invasion from any of the nations in this violent world!"

Aetius Cispius, the Drakonian, turns his head toward the room. "Perhaps we should proceed to meet the other officials," he says diplomatically.

1958 Zulu
West of Pagania
Autonomous Government Zone, Fyreheart
1st Expeditionary Legion Security Zone

Sergeant Primula Nerva was tired. It seemed she had been on the move almost the entire time she had been here in Fyreheart. First, her unit had forced marched from their landing sight at the mouth of the River of Fyre all the way to Serpintia City, then they had been charged with heading south to Port Oceania on the south coast to link up with rebel navy forces. Then when the Menelmacari forces had begun arriving, the entire unit had been order to link up with other forces in their legion, just west of Pagania, which meant another forced march north. Add to that having to deal with Loyalists both ways, it seemed like months of moving and fighting.

But it had been months. Now having linked of with the other major elements of the 1st Expeditionary Legion, which had been safeguarding the nations free capital, they were preparing for another deployment, this time into the western mountain ranges where the last strongholds of the Hurst Loyalists remained. The campaign was likely to be a long and dangerous one, but it was definitely as well a necessary one.

Our worn out Sergeant glanced down at her chronometer, two minutes till shift change. At least when she was off duty she could take a nap, either that or go find the nearest pub. The Fyreheartians could provide some lively company and a damn good ale.

"Yes, let us proceed," Belman answered for the group, stepping forward and assuming a leader role. "We all have reports to make on our progress, and we must discuss the future of our nation."

"It sounds to me as if one discussion has already begun," McCollough commented with a wry smile as they listened to the argument. "If it is about what it sounds like, I believe that certain of our reports will be welcome news indeed."

Belman quickly introduced the rest of the group, and they fell into step with their hosts as everyone entered the central chamber.

"Everything is moving forward smoothly," McCollough informed Mastillo and Cispius. "We have encountered no real problems in our initial reforming of the local government. Indeed, everyone has been very helpful and cooperative. Of course, the full reports you're about to hear will detail exactly what has been happening. How are things here on your end?"

"As well as can be expected," Cispius replied to McCollough. "We are progressing on helping recovery in our responsibility area. However resistance still exists, and I am told is becoming more organized instead of less." He paused for a moment following Mastillo and throwing her a glance. "The establishment of the Autonomous Government Zone is our greatest achievement and a vital one for the future of Fyreheart."

When they entered the room everyone's attention drawn to the knot of people, which they had heard so vocally debating the future of Fyreheart's military.

"You forget," the Drakonian-accented voice, which could now be identified as none other than the General Kaeso Falco, commander of all Drakonian forces in Fyreheart. "That Fyreheart has strong allies that will immediately jump to its aid. Drakonia will no doubt be negotiating to lease land for at least one military base here, and I would not be surprised if Glorious Humanity and Menelmacar do the same."

The General was an average middle-aged man of moderate size and weight. His skin was the average tanned color of a Drakonian and his hair could be seen turning from brown to gray under a black military beret. He wore the black, trimmed with red and gold, full dress uniform of the Imperial Drakonian Military.

His Fyreheartian debating adversary merely shook his head, his reply forestalled by the entrance of the Glorious Humanity Delegation. He was former Colonel Mark Sanders, now the newly appointed commander of the Fyreheart Police Forces. He had served well during the rebellion, as the stub of his right arm showed. He was dressed in an old Fyreheart Colonel's dress Uniform. A muscular-looking man, he was short looking very much like a lightweight wrestler.

Standing nearby and clearly listening to the conversation was General Robert Hessinger. He was the man who had spearheaded the rebellion, commanding the military elements of the rebellion and coordinating with the civilian rebels and Drakonian Intelligence Operatives to bring about the removal of Hurst. He had developed into a hero for a nation dearly needing one. He was tall, but not overly so. He was overweight, but not overly so. In fact, had he been anywhere else, he would have gone easily unnoticed, but here, and dressed in a full dress Fyreheart Armed Forces Uniform, he stood out. There was a distinguished air about the man.

Standing or rather sitting in another part of the room was Blake Washington. He had suffered much during Hurst's reign of terror and most obvious of that suffer was his imprisonment to a wheel chair. He had lost the use of his legs, and received his secondly obvious sign (a bullet scar on his right cheek) just before Drakonian troops had liberated the concentration camp where he had been sent to suffer and die. His murder had been botched at the same time saving his life and dooming him to never again use his legs.

Blake Washington was one of the Provision Council Members and also the head of the Socialist Party of Fyreheart. At a young age the sandy and sloppy haired youth had distinguished himself by writing four books on politics. The thin rimmed glasses and the relaxed look of his cloths made him look more like a model than the politician and young genius he had once been. However, his boyish good looks and spirited idealism had been crushed out of him by the death camp experience forced upon him. They had been replaced by grim resolve.

Sitting across from Blake, was Emirate Humanitarian Organization Mission Head, Aemilia Priscus. It was clear the brunette had once been a head-turner, even now at middle age and having gained the "weight of age" she was attractive. Dressed conservatively in a red woman's business suit and middle-length skirt, she was showing Mr. Washington some information she had in a portfolio, and they seemed deeply involved on a conversation about the limping economy and welfare efforts in the nation.

The room itself appeared to be a sitting room or lounge design, which had been converted to be an informal meeting area to present a relaxed feel to the pre-conference affairs. Comfortable chairs and table were arranged around in a haphazard and seemingly chaotic basis that had no-doubt been some interior designer's idea of Tai Chi. There was also a surprising array of floral decoration, some imported a some natural, as Fyreheart semi-tropical climate supported a wide and spectacular variety of flora. The green of the plant and plethora of bright colors from their flowers livened up the room and added to the modern look of the room.

Among the less important officials arranged around the room were low-ranking officers of the Imperial Drakonian Armed Forces and the Fyreheart Armed Forces. Butlers and waiters brought refreshments and sought to the needs of the guests, while the reporters are ushered to another room where the more official conference was to take place shortly.

The various Glorious Human representatives were ushered to seats around the room. McCollough and Belman gratefully sank into theirs. Poirot opted to remain standing. He'd just been sitting down in the limosine for about twenty minutes, and had been sitting in an airplane for about five hours before that. He didn't want to sit down and let himself relax yet.

Kevin Poirot's career had been made on the principle of not sitting down. He had always remained active and vital, never allowing himself to become complacent and static. This was how he had managed to stay in his chosen career and even thrive throughout three generations of Fyrehart governments, counting the current one, avoiding all the purges and disasters that had befallen many people in the years of Hurst's control.

Originally a minor officer in Fyrehart's first democratic army, Poirot had started on track to becoming a major figure early on by demonstrating superior leadership abilities, a cunning strategic mind, and a real concern for the soldiers under his command. Well loved by his men and respected by his peers, he didn't seem to have any limits.

Then Hurst came, overturning Fyrehart's old system, tearing apart the chain of command in brutal purges and hundreds of demotions, destroying careers and lives with equal ease as he stomped out all opposition to his rule. Many officers who resisted him were removed from their commands, more than a few removed from the general population. Others however, willingly joined Hurst, taking advantage of the shakeup to gain promotion, or simply siding with the winner in order to stay alive. Among the defecting officers was Poirot, at the time only a Major. Poirot displayed outstanding loyalty to Hurst, willingly taking on any assignment, carrying out any order, no matter how horrific, to advance the new regime. Even as men who had been his friends and peers fell from glory and into camps and prison cells, Poirot rose, gaining his colonelcy only three years after Hurst seized control. He eagerly and devoutly hunted down resistors to Hurst's power, applauded the militarization of Fyrehart, and endorsed the founding of ICON and the alliance with Melkor. All in all, a model officer, one to be favored and emulated. When the time came for a new round of promotions to generalships a year after his promotion to Colonel, Poirot's name was near the top of the list of candidates, despite his lack of seniority.

Yet Kevin Poirot absolutely hated Nathan Hurst. He loathed the man for what he had done to a proud nation of proud people, turning them into slaves and tools for profit and power. In dozens of missions done to prove his loyalty, Poirot was forced to hunt down friends and comrades, people he had served alongside for years, and consign them to prison, torture, and death in the name of strengthening Hurst's grip on the land. He eradicated entire families for one member who dared to speak out against Hurst, and cowed many others into silence. And he was rewarded for it, for proving his loyalty in Hurst's terror campaign. Trapped in the web, and knowing what would happen if he ever stopped his facade of obedience, Poirot nonetheless was unwilling to abandon his post and his power. To him, fleeing to exile in some other land and hiding was a worse fate than staying and facing the horror full on. At least here, something could be done, however small, to resist.

And resist Poirot did. As his influence and political clout grew, more and more he was left to his own devices, and protected from rivals by the favor shown him for his loyalty. Poirot played on that to hide his actions. Dozens of people whom he was ordered to make disappear did indeed vanish, but into exile rather than mass graves. Operating through a network of informants and friends, Poirot and a cadre of his most trusted and loyal men smuggled people out of the country almost daily, people that Hurst thought were being eliminated permanently. This underground railroad brought an untold number of people to safety, even as Poirot rose higher and higher in the chain of command.

Poirot saw ICON and the Melkorian alliance as another weakening of Fyrehart, another step in the inevitable decline of his land towards collapse and destruction. Nonetheless, he volunteered for training exercises, drilling endlessly with the troops of Fyrehart's new allies, and reading up on their tactics and technology. The better to fight alongside them in a real war, he told his superiors, when in fact he knew that sooner or later, Fyrehart would fight these armies. As Hurst did more and more damage to the nation, Poirot knew it was only a matter of time before a new revolution finally removed the man. So he studied up, learning everything he could in preparation for the day when the system changed again.

Shortly after getting his first general's star, Poirot had a fateful meeting with a minor official in charge of food distribution in the city of Waterside, a man named Marcus Belman. Like Poirot, Belman was disgusted with Hurst, but believed that operating from the inside to bring him down was far preferable to hiding in exile, cabling back support. The two men confided in each other, and became fast friends. Despite the fact that Poirot was currently stationed on the north coast near Fairport Harbor, they both made a point of getting together whenever their travel schedules permitted. Finally, when he was offered a choice of new posts, Poirot arranged to get command of the garrison of the city of Waterside, a position that also carried some authority over all the armed forces in Fyrehart's southeast. Also, this put him in Belman's hometown. Now able to get together almost every day, the two men put their heads together and began some serious plotting.

When the revolution happened, Poirot and Belman already had a plan of their own. Belman made contact with rebel leaders, and on the night of the rebellion, he and a band of rebels openly pledged their loyalty to the movement. Poirot immediately reacted with a earnest plea to Fyrehart's central command, requesting the right to hunt down his treacherous friend and bring him to Hurst's justice. Given Poirot's stellar record, he got his request.

In actual fact, Poirot had staged a little revolt of his own. In the weeks leading up the rebellion, Poirot had winnowed through his ranks. Methodically, he had marked the soldiers who would remain loyal to Hurst no matter what, and marked them for removal. The night of the revolt, Poirot's men removed these loyalists, then replaced them. The new officers, Poirot's officers, in turn removed the men below them. They began issuing new orders, and Hurst's men, mostly conscripts trained to obey unquestioningly, fell into line behind them. In the space of about three days, Poirot gained complete control of most of the military of southeastern Fyrehart.

Meanwhile, Poirot and Belman's forces clashed in a series of battles. Using his strategic abilities, Poirot outmaneuvered and defeated the rebels again and again, and sent glowing reports of his victories back to his superiors. Convinced that the east would be safe, the brass was free to focus on the west.

Of course, none of these battles were real. Poirot and Belman's forces had indeed fought, shooting millions of blank rounds and pyrotechnic effects at each other. And every time, on prearranged signals, the rebels had retreated in "defeat". With the armies of eastern Fyrehart overwhelmingly loyal now to Poirot, the few units who could not be turned to the rebel side were ordered north to meet the Glorious Human and Drakonian landings. These soldiers, undersupplied and unprepared for their task, were easily routed by the invaders. With all the loyalist forces now destroyed or rebel prisoners, Poirot's army finally declared open revolt and merged with Belman's Free Fyrehart militias. Stripped of their protection, the civilian branch of eastern Fyrehart's government saw what was coming. In a matter of days all but a few small towns had turned over their governments to rebel authority. Poirot and Belman had plucked eastern Fyrehart right out from under Hurst's nose.

When word arrived that Hurst had been assassinated, Poirot and Belman executed the final part of their plan. Belman made contact with the Glorious Humans and offered them Waterside, the largest city east of the River of Fyre, as well as most all of eastern Fyrehart, in exchange for assistance in driving out the last remnants of Hurst and repelling possible Ardan counterattacks. General Abrams agreed, and a GH task force sailed down the river to Waterside, where Poirot formally handed over his command and the freed lands. Immediately GH recommissioned him, making him the Supreme Commander of the newly formed EFDF, the native-born new army of Eastern Fyrehart. Working with Belman, now the governor under GH's rule, Poirot set out to rebuild his homeland in the wake of the formal end of the war.

Which was why he was here, about to deliver his reports, if the meeting would come to order. It looked like it just might very soon.

McCollough, it seemed, was thinking the same thought, because he looked around at the assembled delegates and rose to his feet.

"My friends and colleagues, I am glad to see us all assembled here today. This meeting has been long overdue, if we are to reunite the scattered parts of this land into one mighty whole. Though the Menelmacari delegates have yet to arrive-" his voice betrayed just the tiniest hint of satisfaction at that. "-perhaps we could begin this meeting presently by presenting our reports on the status of the lands under our care."

Aetius Cispius took a discreet look at the clock, the Menelmacari representatives were indeed late, and it was looking more and more like they would not be coming. He sighed inwardly. "Yes, I suppose we should. It appears the Menelmacari Delegation has been held up in--" He took a second to make up an excuse. "--caught up in traffic." Of course, anyone could see through that excuse. The fact being that Menelmacar Delegation would have been traveling by dropship or shuttle.

He looked to the Prime Minister planning to follow her lead on the issue. Briana Mastillo opened her mouth to speak...and was cut off as several people entered the room.

"Oh, I wouldn't expect the elves to be bothered to show up." The leader of the group spoke. All attention went to her at her blatantly insulting statement. For the moment, everyone's mouth seemed shut by surprise.

The leader of the group was none-other-than Jerrie Madsen the charismatic and beautiful leader of the Capitalist Party in Fyreheart. To say she was good-looking would be a serious understatement. The attractive woman of moderate height had shapely curves, blond hair, and wore an altogether too showy red dress and matching blazer. But she was not just beautiful, she was also the most powerful businesswoman in Fyreheart. As the former CEO of Fyre Arms (the nations biggest corporation), and now the corporations' chief stockholder and de facto leader, her influence and position in Capitalist Party had won her a position on the Provisional Council.

For her part, the Prime Minister took the whole thing in stride. Taking the pause to signal to the staff to round up the rest of the perspective representatives, she prepared her reply. "Why, Ms. Madsen, you don't seem to have much respect for our allies and friends," she barbed right back.

If looks could kill the Prime Minister would have dropped dead on the spot. Quickly hiding the look "Ms. Madsen" coolly replied. "Oh, I have respect. After all, they are so good at looking to their own self-interests."

Aetius sighed inwardly again. This verbal fighting needed to end and he could see that the Prime Minister had the same opinion. "I am sorry to interrupt," he cut in. "But in the interest of brevity perhaps we should proceed with beginning these proceedings, as Mr. McCollough suggested."

The Prime Minister nodded. "Yes, I believe we should," she said, glancing at Jerrie Madsen. She turned back to Aetius and McCollough, smiling slightly. "Perhaps you would like to start us off with the reports from your region?"

Realizing there was already some kind of a serious conversation started before their arrival, the missing representative attempted to use the lull to slip into the room without disrupting anything. Among them were several important military figures. General David Roberts was an average man, with dark brown hair and dressed crisply in the full dress uniform of the Fyreheart Elite Guard, of which he now commanded. His action during the rebellion had made him a popular hero, like General Hessinger (the two were also friends). Also entering was Admiral Andrew Moore, the remaining commander of the Fyreheart Navy. He was an older man, with silver gray hair and a sagging physique that had gained a little weight with age. He was also dressed in a full dress uniform, this one of the Navy.

The last military figure to enter was former Commander Andrew Markham. A hero of the rebellion, Markham had distinguished himself by slowing down loyalist forces from fully organizing before the Imperial Drakonian Armed Forces could reach them. His efforts had been decisive in the rebellion allowing much of the western part of the nation to be liberated relatively easily. Since then his efforts to help coordinate the various groups of the rebellion with the Drakonian efforts had been instrumental in the smooth transition from rebellion to reconstruction. It was believe he would be a leading candidate in representing or governing the Drakonian Responsibility Zone in the future.

The final person to enter was not part of the military, nor had Kathleen Haddlerson ever been. What she was was the leader of the Free Fyreheart Movement, which was basically the civilian revolution against the tyrannical regime. While she disarmed and transitioned the former rebels back to civilians, she had been given a position Provisional Council. A former news reporter, Kathleen was of middle age, yet she retained an exercised figure. She wore a conservative black and white woman’s' business suit that went well with her background.

She was the last to enter the room.

"Most certainly," McCollough agreed, standing. He addressed the assemblage. "Friends and fellow diplomats, respresentatives, government officials, corporate faces, and anyone whom I might have left out, I am glad indeed to see us assembled here, preparing to make real strides in restoring Fyrehart to greatness. Let me assure you, Glorious Humanity has not been lax in her part of this great undertaking, and with us here today are a number of individuals who will give detailed briefings on all aspects of the situation east of the River of Fyre. First, may I present the appointed Governor of Eastern Fyrehart, Marcus Belman. Marcus?"

As Belman stood, General Abrams murmured something to one of his aides, and the man opened a briefcase and walked around the room, passing out folders. "The folders you're receiving now contain detailed information about Glorious Human activities and are designed to supplement the briefs myself and my colleagues will give. All pertinent information is in there, as well as smaller details we may not have time to go over today."

"First subject: Immediate needs," Belman began when everyone had a folder. "Shortly after the war ended, Eastern Fyrehart took on a tidal wave of refugees. Due to the efficient actions of the Glorious Humans in resolving the conflicts in the region, order has been restored with a minimum of bloodshed and damage to the infrastructure. Many of these people arrived with almost nothing save the clothes on their backs. Eastern Fyrehart was completely unprepared. The refugees need food, clothing, and places to stay. They also need adequate policing. I'll address each of these in turn."

"First, housing. Our most immediate concern has been housing the people who have come to us for aid. In order to do this, we have launched a media campaign asking those with the means to take refugees into their homes. Also, we have constructed tempory housing outside many major cities. There are entire new tent-towns outside cities, as well as camps further out. We're working to create more permanent housing, and we're using the refugees as a labor pool. We have a very good system going where refugee families who assist in constructing new housing districts are guaranteed homes once construction is completed, as well as a small wage for their time working in the construction. This has helped get work for the refugees, so they are not sitting around or causing trouble. Because unfortunately, we've found that refugees who are allowed to sit seem to start causing trouble very quickly."

"Next, food. Though Eastern Fyrehart has vast farmland, our stores are not up to feeding the huge population we now have, particularly in view of the fact that many of them have little money. While we're hoping upcoming harvests will stabilize our food, until then we're making do with what we have. Glorious Humanity has negotiated with several countries to have food shipped in, with firm commitments from a few. Knootoss has agreed to supply grain shipments, and we're hoping to get meat from other nations in KIST. With that, we should be able to last until we can feed ourselves again. The foodstuffs are being distributed through free kitchens, giveaways, and also at low cost in markets for those who can afford to pay for slightly better quality. While that may seem cold, it's an unfortunate necessity. Glorious Humanity is providing us with substantial financial aid, but anything we can do to ease the monetary burden we have to do."

"Next, clothing. This one was the most readily solved, as we've received millions of articles of clothing donated both by Fyrehartians and shipped over from Glorious Humanity. However, not everyone has enough to wear. Our goal is to give each refugee at least two outfits, and while we're more than amply stocked with items to give, our means of getting them out are not as good. What we've finally done is started giving clothes and food in the same package from distribution centers. Fortunately, this is one problem I can confidantly say we're going to have licked in a couple months. In fact, clothing is the one thing we have surpluses of. Much like with the food, the best outfits we've received have been put up for cheap sale in the distribution centers to try to raise a little money to support relief efforts."

"Lastly, two things that I have been mentioning, but haven't touched on significantly yet: our crime problem and money shortages. It is a sad truth that a man with nothing looks covetously at his neighbors. Many of the displaced in Eastern Fyrehart have taken to pilferage. We've had widespread looting problems in many cities and towns, stores broken into and picked clean, people beat up for supplies, even a few murders. At the nadir, our own distribution centers were being hit, with lines being robbed and people being mugged as the left with their allotments. We've partially solved this problem with a massive EFDF and Glorious Human commitment to enforcing martial law. Unfortunately, most of our effective police are soldiers. The civilian police departments in several cities are unable to respond effectively, due to lack of supplies, lack of training, or most commonly, lack of people. As a result, military police have taken over duties in several cities, including Waterside itself, while we're running an aggressive recruitment and training campaign to produce viable police departments again."

"My last topic is money. Everything I have mentioned costs money, and we don't have a lot. Much of what we have has come from massive amounts of aid from Glorious Humanity, supplemented by grants from a few philanthropist groups, and loans from corporations and individuals with buisiness interests in Fyrehart. Unfortunately, I am sad to say that the Eastern Fyrehart government is deeply in debt, and we're going to get deeper before we can start turning it around. However, we are working at turning it around. We are selling some food, clothes, and luxuries to those with means. The prices are well below market value to be fair to those who have little, but every little bit of money we can raise through these sales is helping. Also, we are preparing a tax code that will become effective in about two months, with first collections three months from now. We're also in the process of taking a census of the people, so that we can register and collect from as many citizens as possible. With any luck, we can take over funding some of our programs soon, and in six months I hope to be taking chunks out of the debt we have racked up. When Fyrehart is reunified, our plan is to fold our tax system in the central one, presenting them with an already set infrastructure to take over."

"Now, I've said my piece, and it is another person's turn. May I present General Kevin Poirot, Supreme Commander of the East Fyrehart Defense Forces."

"Friends," Poirot began as he moved forward. He had never sat down. "I believe my report will help allay certain fears that members of this body have regarding Fyrehart's ability to defend itself." He looked directly at Sanders as he said this, then turned his eyes back to the rest of the room. "Hurst's overthrow left a lot of soldiers, capable, trained men, out of work. Adding to the civilian crime problem is the fact that former soldiers are forming bandit groups and raiding for what they need. There's no organization to it, these men aren't resisting, they're subsisting. We have however, found a solution."

"We created the East Fyrehart Defense Force. We needed more soldiers, but we realized that we didn't need to recruit and train an entire new army. There was already one here, in the form of the millions of soldiers Hurst conscripted. We began snapping up these units wholesale, recruiting them in entire regiments. At first, we had ample supplies to equip them left over from Hurst's buildup, but with the factories that had made them out of commission from the war, we quickly began running out. It also didn't help that munitions storehouses were favorite bandit targets, and before we could establish security around everywhere, a lot of small arms and ammunition were stolen by people who put them to use in banditry. Thus, the EFDF is now being equipped with GH-made weapons in the interim, until Fyrehart is in a situation to begin making its own munitions again. We've had better luck with armor and air support. A lot of that was left behind, since stealing a tank or an airplane is much harder than making off with an assault rifle. East Fyrehart has an airforce of about two hundred active planes, flown by former Hurst pilots and maintained by ground crews. We have three active tank battalions as well, again all maintained and operated by former Hurst soldiers who are now EFDF. In the case of air and armor, we have the opposite problems from the infantry: we have lots of machines, but no one to use them. A lot of former Hurst soldiers don't want to return to service, and we're not going to start conscripting yet."

"It's even worse in maitenance and technical specialties. A lot of those people are very intelligent, and they don't want to return to military service." He paused, and chuckled a little. "That came out wrong. My point is though, virtually everyone, including the techies, were conscripts, and they don't want to be conscripts anymore."

"So, what we have right now is a large force, make no mistake. Upwards of half a million already enlisted, and at the rate we're recruiting, we expect to have close to two million soldiers in uniform by this time next year. The problem is, they're not trained in what we need. To fix that, we've established three specialty schools: Camp Byron, Camp Sandler, and Camp Kelsing, around Fyrehart. You can see where they are on the maps in your folders." According the maps, Byron was about fifty miles east of Waterside, Sandler was near the north coast, and Kelsing was on the south. "We've also establised two basic combat training schools, Forts Portent and Summer, due east of Waterside." The map showed these places close together, about a hundred miles from Waterside. "The basic schools are retraining former conscripts, raising their skill levels up to new standards, the same standards maintained by the Glorious Human army. After that, they're sent to one of the three specialty schools. Byron trains infantry and armor, Sandler handles aircraft maitenance and pilot training, and Kelsing deals with all ground maitenance, from radios to tanks. At the moment, almost all instructors are Glorious Human officers and NCOs, though we're working on changing that. We've also established a noncommissioned officer academy in the town of Wilshire, on the north coast, and an officer academy in Waterside."

"At the moment, the officer corps is about fifty-fifty native and foreign. Of course all rebel officers who commanded during the revolution have been offered EFDF commands, and most have taken them. However, some didn't want to stay in, and of course even if we'd gotten every leader who led in the revolt, our recruitment means that we would still have more troops than leaders for them. Glorious Humanity is filling in these holes, supplying officers and NCOs to lead while classes of new leadership finish training. One class is set to graduate next week, and they'll be taking command of several units from GH officers. There are three other NCO classes and two commissioned officer classes set to graduate in the next month. Recruitment is still outpacing leadership, but we're catching up, and I believe that in about six months it will catch up, and GH won't have to fill holes anymore. In six months, the EFDF should be entirely native-led."

"So, to finish, we have the means to create a very respectable military in East Fyrehart. At the moment, we're getting the people, now we just have to train them, equip them, and assign them. Next month, we're planning to reopen munitions plants in four cities and on three former military bases, and start producing homegrown equipment again. By the time Fyrehart is ready to be reunified, I am confident that Eastern Fyrehart will deliver a strong military power to help make us great again."

"Now, I believe there's only one more man to speak for our group. I give you General Malcolm Abrams, commander of Glorious Humanity's forces in Fyrehart."

Abrams stood up and nodded to Poirot. "Thanks. Now, I'm not going to talk as long as the rest of these guys, since I only have a couple points, namely our continued presence here and permanent outposts for GH in Fyrehart."

"First, at the moment Glorious Humanity has upwards of two million soldiers deployed in peacekeeping operations in Fyrehart right now. We want to scale this back as quickly as possible. We have outlined a projected two-year plan that will see Glorious Humans gradually handing their posts off to native units as natives finish training. We're trying to accelerate this, the sooner the Fyrehart people can see their uniforms instead of ours, the better. But at the moment, it's expected to be two years before there is sufficient strength for Fyrehart regulars to take complete control of their bases."

"Next, and I overheard this already being discussed, we do wish to maintain a couple bases in Fyrehart. We are looking at several prospective locations, and while we are considering building our bases from scratch, we're also looking at a number of former Hurst bases. The revolution has left several military establishments closed and out of use, and we're considering that we might save everybody some headaches by simply moving in and reopening a couple of them under out control. I can't say anything definite at this time, but expect to hear more about that in a month or so. We're still completing an inventory of all installations in Eastern Fyrehart."

"Other than that, everything is proceeding smoothly militarily. Save for GH loaning leadership, we are keeping the Glorious Human and Fyrehartian forces segregated, allied but not intermingling. I'm looking forward to getting the whole EFDF led by natives." He grinned. "I gave them some of my best people to lead their units, and I'd like those officers back in my ranks as soon as I can get them."

"That sums everything up. McCollough?"

McCollough rose as Abrams sat again. "Well, that concludes our side of the briefing. If you have any questions, please address them to the representative who covered that topic. Now, I believe it is Drakonia's turn to tell us how their efforts progress."

Aetius Cispius stood taking the floor. "Our primary goal is the reestablishment of Democracy. However, while we progress toward that goal there are a number of immediate concerns: the cessation of hostilities, the restoration of law and order, and reconstruction, being but a few of them. For the moment, I would like to start with the cessation of hostilities. For that, I will ask General Kaeso Falco to bring us up to speed. General, if you would."

General Falco took the floor, nodding to Aetius. "As most of you know, the current Drakonian Military assets consist of the 100,000 Soldiers and of the 13th Armored Legion and the 50,000 Soldiers of the 1st Expeditionary Legion. We are also planning on reinforcing are troops with select elements of the 3rd Infantry Legion, primarily Military Police to keep the peace. We have established Blood Coast Military Base at the mouth of the River of Fyre under the purview of the 13th and Inland Military Base near Athane under the purview of the 1st. Currently, major elements of the 1st Expeditionary are holding position in the Autonomous Government Zone providing security and order. Major elements of the 13th Armored are deployed along the border of the Western Mountains with a temporary Command Post having been established at Amethyst.

As the General spoke an aide passed out folders detailing more information about the General's and following briefings. "There still remains a significant threat from those still Loyal to Hurst's Vision of Fyreheart. While we have driven them to the foot of the Western Mountains, they still pose a serious threat to security and stability of this realm. Our intelligence they have recently come under unified command and recent skirmishes with a more organized foe seem to support this fact. Currently, we estimate their strength at somewhere around 15,000 to 25,000 men, with more than enough equipment, arms, and supplies to spare. We believe there still to be a number of strongholds in the mountains our aerial support has not been able to locate and eliminate. We also believe there to be extensive tunnel network.

"Currently, the major elements of the 13th Armored Legion, supported by elements of the 1st Expeditionary Legion, the Fyreheart Armed Forces, and paramilitaries of the Free Fyreheart Movement are moving to pursue an end to the fight we started just a short time ago. We expect heavy fighting, possibly a protracted mountain campaign." The General remained standing as his briefing finished.

"Thank you, General." Aetius stood. "Are there any questions for the General?"

"I do not have any questions," McCollough spoke after a moment. "Please proceed."

"I actually have one," Poirot said before the Drakonians could resume speaking. "One, do you have the numbers for the Fyrehart Armed Forces? With so few Drakonians here, there must be a substantial amount of our own soldiers. How much of this policing is being done by my people?"

"I have one as well," Abrams spoke. "How reliable is the Free Fyrehart Movement?" Belman raised a brow, and seemed about to say something, but the General held up a hand to stop him. "I'm not questioning the loyalty of the militias, Governor," he said, anticipating the question. "But these fighters are untrained and emotional. They could be overenthusiastic if given a free hand. I seem to recall a couple of incidents on our side of the river where militias refused to accept the surrenders of Hurst loyalists, and several squads were slaughtered as they tried to throw down their arms and give up. We had to bring in regulars to police the militias."

"That won't happen again," Belman said. "As you requested, I ordered the militias disbanded."

"My point exactly," Abrams said. "We disbanded the militias, either by sending them back to civilian life, or recruiting them into the regular forces where they could receive proper training and discipline. If the Drakonians are allowing Free Fyrehart cells to continue to operate, are they running the risk of further debacles brought on by the exuberance of these fighters?" He looked back at the Drakonian and Fyrehart delegations. "Again, I am in no way questioning the loyalty or bravery of these fighters. What they have accomplished speaks for itself. However, they are mostly armed civilians. How well are they being watched?"

"At the time of the Invasion there were two million soldiers in Western Fyreheart,” General Falco informed. "Of that number 800,000 soldiers are currently still serving. Somewhere around 200,000 are supporting local authorities and Drakonian Military Police in maintaining law and order."

"The Imperium is cooperating heavily with local authorities and law enforcement," Aetius added. "Most of the Country was unaffected by Hurst's Rule, besides his military build up."

The General nodded his acknowledgement of the next question. "Those of the Free Fyreheart Movement that have not already been disarmed are serving in a support role for Drakonian Troops. They are serving as scouts, guides, and other support roles. We are trying to keep them away from combat as much as possible. Of course, that is not always possible. Those units are being overseen by Drakonian forces and are not being given free hands to do as they please. We are enforcing the chain of command."

The Fyreheartian Kathleen Haddlerson, leader of the Free Fyreheart Movement, responded as well. "There have been incidents, yes. And in many case they are unavoidable. Even the most disciplined troops can make mistakes in the heat of battle." General Falco nodded his accent.

"The Movement," she continued. "Is focusing on disarmament, but we are as well working heavily to support the Emirate forces. Many of our people are as well supporting local government as well. In most cases we are being overseen by Drakonian Officials. Still, a large number of our Commanders are former soldiers or civil leaders, their dedicated and have experience leading."

"Are there any other questions or comments?" Aetius paused.