NationStates Jolt Archive

Iraqstani Military Base, Island of Purity off the coast of Iraqstan

"Sir Experimental 1-001 reporting for duty sir!" A young male Iraqstani roughly the age of 10 states as he Salutes a commanding officer standing before him in a briefing room. "At ease soldier" The General says as he returns the boys salute.

Motioning for the boy to sit down the General turns back to the other 11 children sitting in the room, all have the same clothing on military training gear, shaved heads intent stares and a barcode on their left wrist indicating their designation. Turning to a projector the General turns it on, starting a slide show and activating the recorded messaging system.

"As soldiers in the Experimental Recon division you must show Discipline first and formost. A disciplined mind is a well focused soldier. You must banish distractions and put the mission for the fatherland first. Orders are given to be obeyed there is no room for questioning.

Loyalty. You are Iraqstani soldiers and as such you are loyal to the Reich, the ReichsFührer and the Iraqstani Defense Force. These are the forces that will lead you to unending glory.

Mission. Your mission is to destroy the enemy. Anyone that shows disloyalty or treachery is your enemy. You will kill anyone that opposes your Country, your Government and your people.

This continues to play over and over for the next six hours, each child watching the screen and listening intently the General watches for the first hour content with the knowledge that himself and Section 13 are making a breakthrough in the defense and expansion of his people.

Eight hours later

"You will not know fear, you will not know pain. Your life is expendable. You are soldiers you will complete your mission!" A drill sergeant shouts at the twelve children as they run an obstacle course complete with combat sections where the twelve children take down soldiers twice their size with no effort at all. Each child moving faster than a normal human beaing, leaping higher than a normal human can.

"You are gifted soldiers. You are capable of great things. One thing you are incapable of is treason! Never betray the fatherland! Sieg Heil!" The sergeant shouts as the children finish the course and snap to attention, saluting the traditional Iraqstani Way. Pauing all twelve repeat what the sergeant has told them. "We will not now fear! We will not know pain! We are expendable! We are soldiers. OUr mission will be completed!" They shout back before being dismissed the twelve kids marching in perfect discipline back to the barracks.

Section 13 Command Room

"ReichsFührer the ERD Project is progressing well, the first series of items are showing great promise. How ever sir there seems to be a degredation in their abilities. We think it's some of the genetic data we are using to enhance them. If you could authorise a new harvest of embrios we can try a new strain of genetics that our scientists have designed. The X2s they promise will be as good if not more capable in non-combat fields which will enhance their use as soldiers. They're also wanting to try out an agility enhancement by splicing in feline DNA to increase the subjects nimbleness and stealth capabilities."

Nodding Lidric signs off on the orders handed to him authorising a new round of children to be created. "I am so far impressed with the Children's ability to adapt to situations, the forest run was most impressive. 100% lethality, they truly are predators in their natural enviroments. Although from each combat testing even I can see the decrease in ability. Fix it General. Iraqstan needs these soldiers." He says before leaving, a brief glance over his shoulder at the CO of the complex all the man gets in the way of a dismissal.....

Toying with something here, it's secret but I'm assuming the live combat tests will most likely have been picked up by others. IF you want to post something post it.

Battlecruiser H.M.S Solitude, TaskForce 3, Earth Orbit.

Iraqstan is an ally.
Iraqstan is a military power.
Iraqstan is a shambles that needs keeping an eye on.

Thus then, the men and women working in the quiet darkness of the Solitude's Sensors and Monitoring deck are currently engaged in one of the tri-weekly lateral sat-sweeps of Iraqstan, tracking the movement of mobile weapon systems, formations, updating targeting data on fixed weapons and strategic assets, the humdrum activities that formed the routine of keeping an eye on the fascist head-cases below.

Occasionally an operator would pause for a moment at data received, then a data-stream would burp outward, whether for Neptune or Nova, or to be bounced back to teams on the ground to act on.
Time passes, the watch ticks on, and the scan comes to an end. Monitors and sensors are re-targeted and the last of the data packets flicker through space to the Directorate of External Activities for processing and interpretation.

Most of the received data is the usual dross, detailing the irritatingly consistent Iraqstani abuses of the various agreements with the N.D.A. and of its' own citizenry, but the combat tests, including both child-soldiers and post-human speeds displayed by same, warrants further investigation and analysis.

Orders return to T.F. 3 to devote more time to Iraqstan in the next scan-cycle, with emphasis on searches for child-soldiers. No further explanation is given, because the D.E.A. does nothing if not live by its' motto, Possum te dicere sed deinde compulero te interficere.

For now though, no further action is taken. The Kingdom watches, and waits.

Section 13, main compound. Underwater training Center

Three kids, no more than 11 years old float submerged beneath the water, a glass tank surrounding them a window facing them. Behind the window stands a General and two doctors, scientists beyond a doubt a timer on the consoles before them showing how long the kids have been submerged ticking over, it current reads 3 minutes 45 seconds.

The three children their feet clasped by metal clamps at the bottom of a 12m deep tank sit there, breaths held eyes watching the General intently, through the water the echoing sounds of a recorded message play a constant repetition of what they have been taught in the classrooms, strength, discipline, loyalty and determination to complete their mission.

One of the kids blinks rapdily, his head starting to twist about, bubbles coming from his mouth as he begins to panic the other two a boy and a girl pick up on his panic the clock now reads 3 minutes 57 seconds the two begin to help the boy struggle inside a scientists hand reaches for the switch to release the clamps. "Dont touch it doctor." The general mutters darkly as the clock hits 4 minutes and a buzzer goes off. Leaving the children he watches the struggling child begin to thrash about the two kids desperatley trying to free his feet.

The clock counts over 4 minutes 35 seconds, "Release them" The general says finnaly as one of the kids the girl stops and glares at him before the clamps are released and the children push off to the surface.

Standing above them the General looks down. "X1-227 you nearly failed your mission. You will return tomorrow and repeat it. There is no failure in this outfit soldier." The General says, before passing a proud eye over the other two before turning his back on them and leaving. The children left to make their way back to the barracks compound, the two who lasted helping the weakened child to his bunk and letting him sleep.

Forest training section.

A group of five kids, barcode tattoos standing out against their flesh on their wrists stalk through the forested area ahead of them running for his life is a man. Wielding an assault rifle he turns and fires, the children scatter with unnatural speed each one taking a point around the fleeing man in a 5 pointed star their weapons trained on him.

Standing there the man snarls drops his weapon and raises his hands. The kids flick glances between each other, their hands signaling their intentions, then as one they open fire, their weapons drowning out the mans screams of terror.

Above hovering over the scene a monitoring drone watches relaying the footage back to the main compound where once more the general is watching. "They are improving Doctor. The slowdown of their skills hasnt stopped them, but they've plateued. I want the X2s to surpass the levels we currently have." He says before turning away and returning to his office.

Somewhere in Iraqstan

Four teenagers walk through a narrow alley of a run down district of the capital city, the Um Lizaan quarter hasnt been properly maintained for years, sewage drains into the drinking pipes for the district, causing many people to be ill and a constant smell of waste in the air.

The four teenagers spread out in a small opening as behind them the sound of running feet is heard. "Mein captain! They came this way!" The officer yells, his weapon held ready as they charge into the area unable to see the kids standing in the darkness.


The six police officers charge in looking around, from the four corners of the small opening the kids move with unnatural swiftness. Charge at four of them they spring into action disarming the men and turning their guns on them, the crackle of gunfire causing screams in the surrounding houses.

The two remaining officers move back their guns firing as the kids dart back into the shadows and around them, weapons firing. After two minutes of shooting the six guards lay dead and the four teenagers standing panting. Lights flash through the alleyway and the large van that pulled up opens it's door and the four kids climb in to be sped off.

In the front the General looks at them with pride turning back to his phone he speaks to the person on the other end. "X1 series has completed it's first live fire trial and was successfull mein ReichsFührer. We can begin deployment within the next four months. He says before hanging up.

In the alley behind them a team of uniformed men enter the alley, retrieving the bodies of the six Public Security Service officers and removes all traces of the fight, the um lizaans who witnessed the test silenced permenantely their bodies, left to rott in the street.


[/i]Section 13 main courtyard.[/i]

Fifteen teenagers stand at attention in jungle warfare camo clothing, their heads unfiformly shaved and the barcodes on their wrists showing plainly. They salute as one, arm stretched out before them as their General, their father they are trained to think walks up. "X1s, you are part of the first wave to be deployed your brotehrs and sisters in training have proved their worth. You will fight with honour for the National Socialist Union and will prevail against all odds!" He says to them as each one is handed active service badges. "Due to the nature of yourselves you will be charged with guarding your home. Guard your brothers and sisters well and we will all be rewarded with glory and honour! Heil the Führer! Sieg Heil!"

The returning shout of fifteen teenage voices echos over the courtyard as the squad is dismissed and given their active orders, half of them dispersing into the forest surrounding the base and the rest begin patroling the interiors of the buildings.

Smiling the General returns to his office were two of the soldiers stand at attention, their weapons accross their chest. Entering the office he begins writing his report to the reich council regarding the X1s and the progress on the X2 series of soldiers....

Jungles of Southern Um Lizaa, Al'Ababiq settlement

Rolling to a stop about 5 kilometers from the settlement the small transport truck is emptied of people, sixteen and seventeen year old children, dressed in military outfits armed with pulse rifles and armoured against the weapons most likely to be faced in the settlement ahead of them.

Fanning out into formation the teenagers move forward silently, too silently their geneticaly modified bodies acting as soft and silent as the feline DNA they've been implanted with. Stopping at every sound the children make their way to the settlement, a small settlement but still one that is part of the constant war for control of Um Lizaa.

The kids spread out, each taking their own house to clear, pulse rifles set to silence as they move in, stealth and speed showing just how far from the standard genetic makeup of a human they are. With ease the kids enter the houses, their altered eyesight making it easy for them to see in the dark as they move, weapons shouldered knives drawn... Standard Iraqstani procedure if uncontested proceed with complete silence.

Moving up the stairs one girl the barcode on her wrist if read would ready X2-549, to herself she thinks My führer demands these deaths. You will succeed at your mission Lin Moving quickly she pushes open the door to a bedroom, the painting and colouring of the room reveal it to be a child's room.

Moving to the bed Lin looks down at the small bed and the girl laying in it. Raising the knife she plunges it into the girl's chest severing vital organs from the rest of the vital organs. Twisting the knife Lin draws it back, and cleans it on the bedsheets of the girl's bed and moves off.

Sneaking further into the three bedroom hosue she pauses outside a second room opening it to reveal a study. Closing the door she moves onto the last room, walking in she sees the two parents in the final throws of showing each other their love, with silent grace she moves with the shadows and as the husband raises his head the signs of pleasure on his face she slits his throat, spraying the man's wife with blood. Her screams are cut short as the teen soldier stabs her in the throat, leaving the knife lodged in the bed and the woman's neck, the hilt glinting with the sign of Iraqstan, a swastika...

The same is enacted in each house in the small township, a group of six teenagers at each part of the settlement, all four hundred residents murdered in a single night, each returning to their trucks and once more being smuggled out of southern um lizaa by armoured guard into their motherland and back to training. A new war it seems has begun, one that will end the resistance of um lizaa quietly.....

Unity Island

While the N.D.A. Council was not in permanent session, representatives to it do remain in session, like some sort micro-U.N. except with a lot less socialism and a lot more non-humans.
One of those non-humans had quietly suggested to her fellows that attending this particular morning's meeting could be worthwhile, as she, acting as the duly constituted representative of her government had an announcement to make.
And it was a doozy.

Tamurile FitzWarwick smiled at her colleagues with far more cheer than she felt, the responses of the men and women filing into the room could have dramatic repercussions for both her polity and herself, and the tall, inevitably gorgeous and scarlet-haired woman was well aware of that.
But what she'd been ordered to say needed to be said, and deep down Tamurile agreed with what she was about to offer, and the motivation behind it.
Governments have a duty to their people after all.

"Good morning, sirs, madams, sorry to gather you so early in the day, but we've got a lot to cover and there's probably going to be some shouting afterward. So, I'll start with what it is we're covering."
She keyed on a holograph projector built into her pda and it flickered into crisp, clear light, displaying the Horus eye pictorial of a Top Secret seal, before resolving into a boogie-board sized projection of a number of black and white photographs.
Each photograph featured a body bearing the signs of violent death, and each had the reasonably distinct features of an Um Lizaan.
"These pictures, and if you'll use your pdas to unlock them, the attached audio-commentary, were recorded by a Kingdom covert ops team operating on the edge of the D.M.Z on the Um Lizaan border. As you know, we are extensively committed to securing the D.M.Z and have fostered good relations with the Um Lizaans, when it came to our attention that what sounded like a campaign of organised murder had resumed, we dispatched a Bureau of Internal Observation team to the site in order to aid the local authorities. Whilst they were in-country it came to their attention that similar incidents had taken place outside the D.M.Z. and had been for some time."

A pause, and the photographs disappear, replaced with crisp aerial photography of a group of figures moving over broken country, fading into slightly blurred video footage of a similar group bounding across the landscape, text displaying their speed in kilometers per hour floats alongside each figure.
"These, ladies and gentlemen, are a group of Iraqstani personnel who have been observed deploying to the areas in question, con-current with the murders. We have no direct evidence to suggest they are responsible, but what appear to be modified personnel operating in such a volatile area...well, you can make your own minds up."
Tamurile waits a beat before continuing, none of this is new, the Iraqstani have been murdering their people for years, using modified personnel to do it a little more subtly is nothing.
The new part is what she's about to say.

"As we've made clear in the past, His Majesty's Government holds the present regime in Iraqstan responsible for the actions of its personnel, at whatever level, and we move to censure them formally before the N.D.A."
Golden eyes go very cold indeed.
"This time, ideally, there will be some actual consequences of such a censure. But as we cannot rely on that, nor can we rely on the self-interests of this organisation to see that its long-term interests are harmed by this self-destructive behaviour in Iraqstan, His Majesty's Government has also decided to make an unprecedented offer."
She takes a deep breath.
"The Kingdom hereby offers citizenship to all Um Lizaans presently identified as such, wherever their present location. This citizenship is offered in addition to any others they enjoy, but is in no way limited by others they may enjoy. The full rights and privileges given to citizens of the Kingdom will apply, as will all those N.D.A. members offer to each other, especially and most importantly freedom of movement. Any Um Lizaan presenting themself to a representative of His Majesty's Government will be entitled to collect on this offer. As I'm briefing you on this, we're also broadcasting it in the D.M.Z. and through various sympathetic entities therein."

The woman in the extremely conservative suit takes a swallow of the omni-present ice water of an N.D.A. function room before smiling slightly.
"As it has been suggested and denied before that an Um Lizaan diaspora take place, we also should note again that this offer is completely non-conditional on residence outside of Um Lizza. Taking it up will not mean any negation of rights enjoyed by being an Um Lizzan, nor will it imply any necessity in leaving Um Lizza proper. It will, for all intents and purposes, extend His Majesty's protection to the inhabitants therein, rather than leaving them to the tender mercies of the present authorities."

She pauses, considering whether to keep talking, but then a little bit of the anger that characterises her and her sisters, the successful ones at least, comes to the fore and sarcasm shades her next words.
"Iraqstan has nothing to fear about this of course, they will of course behave justly and correctly towards any citizens of the Kingdom. Whomever they may be."

OOC: For reference:
http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=277559 - NDA thread
http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=304593 - Unity Island thread
http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=341043 - Starlight, Starbright
http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=522289 - Tsaraine becomes Grand High Poobah

Council Chambers, Unity Island

Despite the fact that Arkhora Seingult now sits upon the NDA's Ruling Council, the Ascendancy's day-to-day representative remains Suko Arvany, who oscillates between the central chambers and Tsaraine's monumental, gothic-brutalist embassy. In his time on Unity Island, Suko has seen a lot of shit, and a lot of it generated in some fashion by the Iraqstanis.

The National Socialist Union has been a thorn in the side of the Soundly Governed State for a long time - the first, and so far only, real military engagement the modern State has made was in defence of it - but it is the fashion of Tsarainese politics to ignore such injuries, to pretend that the problem does not exist, to have nothing to do with problematic individuals. The Ascendancy no longer seeks to spread Sound Governance as the Commonwealth once did; Iraqstan is an ally, and any ally of Tsaraine should be honourable.

Unfortunately, the Iraqstanis are not ideal allies, with their insane politics of racial purity, their insane leaders, and most of all their simmering hatred of the Um Lizaans. They tarnish the splendid isolation of the State.

Personally, Suko thinks that the Ascendancy must enforce the standards it holds dear; they are fine words but Command does nothing to uphold them. But there is nothing Suko himself can do about this; his orders come from higher up the chain of Command, and he is but the mouthpiece of his State. The State dislikes surprises.

And this is certainly a surprise. Suko is not skilled in krisyakeris, but he assumes his best poker face nonetheless. Perhaps his fellow representatives can read something of his mood in it, perhaps not. He wishes the Arkhora were here for this bombshell.

"Well," he says. "It seems that circumstances repeat themselves. This is displeasing, particularly when we were assured that they would not. This is a bold response from the Kingdom, and I cannot yet give you the Ascendancy's opinion upon it - but I shall certainly be informing the Arkhora" - right now, thanks to DNI - "And I expect that she shall wish to convene the Ruling Council to judge this matter. Does the honourable representative of Iraqstan have anything to say in the Union's defence?"

The SuperPlexus

Rene Seingult is lit by ancient light. The golden shafts lancing through the high windows of the Commonwealth Library illuminate her hands and face as gesture and voice manipulate the torrents of data gathered by the State; every mote of dust is a file, every page in every book a report. The Library itself is fifty years destroyed, and this recreation was out-of-date even then; but she finds the archaism soothing.

Now, however, the motes of dust are dancing and unfurling, until images hang in the air and the storm-light of a priority alert spears through the windows. Dead Um Lizaans again.

She scowls, and spits the harsh, staccato syllables of Sekhel profanities for a moment. A moment is all she allows herself, before turning back to the stream of information. Lightning outside flickers and holds, becomes a message winging it's way to the Imperatrice Nathicana d'Aquisto and the Empress Gehenna of Tartarus; Arkhora Rene Seingult calls the Ruling Council to convene.

Ambassador Drzka is never nonplussed; it's probably in his genetic code.

Rather, he never appears to be, as he's a master at purposeful delays that give his mind a chance to catch up with everything going on. This time, he does so by listening to the attached audio. After all, you certainly couldn't expect him to give a reply without all the presented information, could you?

"This... is distressing," he started; ever the the king of the understatement. "While any decision must wait for input from Iraqstan, I expect nothing less than denials." He pondered a bit more and added, "I will refrain from further comment until that point."

Idly, he tapped a few keys on his terminal, sending information and requests up the line, down the line, and right on across those lines.

Fabian Mancuso watches and listens to the disturbing presentation, feeling increasingly sickened by the evidence at hand. Such things were not unknown when it came to Iraqstan, true, but each time he couldn’t help but wish it weren’t so.

Clearly shaken, and unlike many of his fellow Dominioners, unconcerned with hiding the fact, he finally answers in a soft voice.

“We have offered safe haven to the Um-Lizaans in the past, and I do not doubt that we will offer the same alongside our allies to any who desire it now. The problem has always been a strong desire to not be driven from their homelands – something I think we all can relate to. I could wish they all would relocate, if only to stop the atrocities that Iraqstan, for whatever reasons, seems incapable of preventing, but given previous arguments, I very much doubt that would ever happen.”

“I agree that input from Iraqstan is required,” he continues, then pauses, wrestling for the right words to cut through his gut reactions. “However past records may indicate a predilection towards inaction … all facts should be brought to light before leaping to conclusions, in the interest of fairness. Perhaps our leadership could see fit to increasing the forces along the areas in question, using the new intel to hopefully prevent further incidents while these matters are discussed.”

A quiet beep indicates a return message, urgent in nature, on his own pda, even as a message is returned to Arkhora Rene Seingult.

“The Imperatrice will be arriving in two days time for a Council meeting. In the meantime, I’ve been given clearance to take whatever actions are appropriate in assisting to neutralize the current problem. Have you suggestions, m’lady FitzWarwick?”

Tamurile, now seated, gives Mancuso a bland smile.
"In the immediate short-term? No. The representative from Iraqstan will doubtless wail about how we are compromising his nation's sovereignty even by bringing the issue before the council, then blame it on dissident elements within his polity."
She shrugs.
"As the likelihood of such a face-saving falsehood are quite likely to satisfy the more pragmatic leaders within the alliance, short-term action is thus untenable. Moreover, it seems I must re-iterate the premise of our offer of citizenship. We do not require or even suggest that the Um Lizaans leave their homeland, whatever the pressures upon them, it is their land and they should not be forced away from it, for good or ill. We simply seek to extend the protection of citizenship in the Kingdom to them, regardless of where they choose to reside, making any further attacks, 'unofficial' or not, a direct challenge to His Majesty's Government."
The diplomat runs a hand through thick scarlet hair.
"This does not mean we will not accept Um Lizaan refugees of course, we welcome them. But we do not need need them to leave their homeland in order to be sheltered."

Seated at his usual spot on the table, NDA attendant General Karl Drexler clears his throat after comments made by his peers around the table. "Whilst, we do have a somewhat less clean name than many people on this councile, it is in the best interests of the national socialist union to reveal some information pertaining to national Security as well as to divulge a blunder made by the Reich and liberties granted to personel leading research teams.

Whilst the actions alleged are similiar to what has been done in the past by Iraqstani units, the Union formally protests the blanket accusations being laid against us until an investigation can be taken. We ourselves however believe that this is the result of Research teams taking too much of the liberties granted to them for the coninued research and development into experimental military and genetic practices.

You will forgive me if I refrain from divulging more on this matter but rest assured this... incident was not sanctioned by the Union or the ReichsFührer. Infact we are investigating the reasons behind who we think are the cause of this are operating in um lizaa at all." Are his polite yet carefully guarded comments.

"I think the solutions to possibly invisible problems is a touch over handed, seeing as Southern Um Lizaa has enjoyed the protection and unity of the National Socialist Union without problem for many years, infact we have gone as far as to leave the northern lands which we still claim as Iraqstani alone, granting them their ability to exist as they see fit. So it leads me to wonder why the Reich in it's current form would move against citizens that have proven loyal and capable workers and kill them, when we are more focused on rebuilding ourselves, replenishing our ranks and trying to repair our image internationally?

Iraqstan will protest and deny all offers made until a proper investigation by the Reich authorities has taken place and the actions revealed. I would also like to mention that there have been reports of armed militants from norther um lizaa infiltrating into the southern regions, one must question how are they getting through a supposed secured zone? Perhaps investigations there to should be had? We can provide documented evidence of such things, including a recently seized cache of weapons stored near the border by militants from the north.

Infact we are already moving into the settlement in question and securing it from further action whilst we search for any survivors and hopefully aid in the reconstruction and repopulation of it, a sympathetic move to help increase the popularity of the Union. We after all only have the interests of the citizens to look to at this point in time...." He says, looking about at the people easily and awaiting further comments.

Blues generally make the best diplomats, but they tend towards the esoteric and the abstract, making them less capable when it comes to dealing with the very real 'feelings' endoskeletals have towards creatures that vaguely resemble them, much less members of their own species. Not to say the panNorm don't have emotions, but the deaths of individuals are simply that, and unless they unduly threaten the species, it is not a concern.

Reds, on the other hand, are usually too jocular and 'hearty' to follow the extremely subtle and sometimes contradictory ways of endoskeletal diplomats. Now, this is not to say that they are gullible, but they do sometimes fail to see the abstract meaning behind intentionally vague things.

Greens are too aloof and quietly self-superior to be good diplomats at all. Still, they're not to be beat when it comes to the analysis of a naturalistic system.

The Minis... well, they don't really care. There's trillions of them and diplomacy tends to confuse them; they're much happier working with machines anyway.

This is the excuse why the panNorm get three delegates to the council when the AdminCoordinator is not visiting; the real reason is that they still don't particularly trust each other. Fifteen million years of race war bordering on fanatical genocide tends to do that. Still, as the images of the dead flicker, nothing seems to register on the Blue nor the Red insectoids that 'sit' folded up on their oblong flat couches. Even if it's hard to read emotions off of ant-like heads without human faces, the delegates at Unity Island have probably learned that the waves of antennae, the scent in the air, the occasional click or slightest movement of a single plate of their carapace could speak volumes. Right now, though, they sit still but alert.

For they have radio.

-So, cousin, this seems quite the concern.-
-Indeed, cousin Coordinator. The endoskeletals would believe that we have precedent in defending the National Socialist Union due to events against Syskeyia over the fourth world.-
-This I know. And we both know that were the Hives to change policy now, we'd be seen as... shifty.-
-Yes. Pragmatically, however, should this rather poor intelligent resource control continue, it does not stretch the bounds of reason that the National Socialist Union will attract the interest of other parties. Parties that could threaten our survival.-

The vaguest scent of roast beef.

-This fumbling by the National Socialist Union threatens us, cousin Coordinator. They're threatening the Overspecies, and by affiliation, us. We cannot tolerate such an abomination.-

The Blue simply extracts a translator cube from a pocket in the mesh vest draped over her thorax and places it between her mandibles. The machine translates her speech into polite, synthesized, soothing English. "On behalf of the Coordinated Hives of the panNorm, we must admit that these actions cause not only some consternation but also some confusion. We do not understand how the National Socialist Union of Iraqstan would allow its research elements to act in detriment to the greater whole, but we have come to accept such things as unavoidable to one degree or another. You are not us and it would be inappropriate of us to hold you to that standard. We understand all too well the motivations behind these acts. You know this.

"What concerns us most is this: inaction is indeed inappropriate. Should we not act to cease these... atrocities of international concern, we will garner negative attention of economic, political, and military natures. This negative attention will stunt the success of the Non-Democratic Alliance and, in a worst-case scenario, directly damage it. We cannot allow this, having pledged our survival be bound to it. We have heard the promises of internal investigations and stops to such things before; we have no reason to believe this iteration will be more successful than the previous ones.

"What confuses us most is this: while we are all sovereign entities, many of our nations have had to make compromises for the greater whole, as is only right. Dual sovereignty is not beyond the capability of endoskeletals; it only seems natural that if one has resources one is not using nor has a particular need for, one may share those resources with a kindred ally bound by mutual survival who desires them and in that desire could put them to better use. In the case of intelligent resources, it is possible for said resources to serve two states simultaneously so long as those states are not in direct confrontation. Should such a direct confrontation occur, it would be a tragedy from the viewpoint of mutual survival.

"Now, if we understand endoskeletal social structures correctly, it is not necessary to burn down an entire city to punish or stop one criminal. It is not necessary to enter conflict with an entire nation due to the action of rogue elements. Instead, two nations can act in concert, working together to protect shared resources and crush the criminals between them." She demonstrates with her manipulators, slowly bringing them together and squeezing an imaginary nut between them. "One side provides resource protection and pursuit, the other side provides internal investigation and purging, and together those responsible for this discord amongst parties that should be more dedicated to mutual survival and success over anything else can be appropriately recycled into more beneficial resources for us all. Something like nutrigruel."

Listening to the ants General Drexler nods and sighs quietly to himself, hiding his frustrations at the council as best as he can. "Investigations in the past were led by factions that were supported by the previous leader who quite happily endorsed and encouraged purging of civilians for the crimes of one or two. The actions taken are no longer encouraged or supported by the Reich Council.

Unfortunately as many of you must understand the political situation in Iraqstan for my ReichsFührer is sensitive at best and prone to flash points at worst, I feel that we are being urged to eliminate parties within the union's upper echelons that are causing greif. We know who they are but if we take action against them then we will face resistance from the military.

Lidric has yet to garner the favour and devotion that his father had amongst the military. Would you have us purge everyone in the military, then be forced to destroy their families for high treason when they revolt against us? Would you have us attack members of the Reich DEfense council only to have Iraqstan destroyed by a civil war that would leave none alove friendly to the ideals of this alliance?

The union must undergo a chronic re-education and Lidric is trying to do just that. Elements of the military, elements which are even now being investigated and removed from key roles are underway. If we act to quickly then Iraqstan will find itself in a position that it might never recover from. Now I do not nor does Lidric hold any ignorant thoughts that any parties here would be saddened if Iraqstan were destroyed internally or externally. But we are moving to preserve ourselves, our people and our ways of life from total destruction.

We have existed under a government that has encouraged racial hatred, we are working to limit this to an extent but there is only so much we can do so quickly before the entire situation destabalises to the point that you are faced with a leader not willing to bend to the NDA's wishes and will strike out at everyone, causing as much damage as possible.

This is not a threat, but mearly an acknowledgement that forces within the Union have to be changed, problems need resolving we are doing what we can. To hold the entire Union to blame for actions of a few corrupt officials will do nothing more than increase the level of resentment by the rest of the union, Lidric did not authorise this move, Lidric was deeply offended that people whom swore loyalty to him betrayed his trust in such a fashion. These people will be punished but we must move in a way that allows the rest of the union to see that Lidric is moving the nation towards a more stable future, one were everyone can prosper.

If we move and eliminate these people, purge the miltiary council at once the military would seperate, it would begin taking land by force from the Reich and mobalise to defend from internal and external percieved threats. Instead if we are given the chance to move in a way that allows us to reveal the corruption and treason these leaders have done then we can do more to stabalise and ensure that when the time comes Lidric will have the support of the entire nation.

I feel you do not understand the spot Lidric has put himself in, the sheer thought of purging the upper council and replacing it with properly loyal members at this point would be catastrophic for the Reich. When we have more information in this matter it will be acted upon." He states finnaly looking at each person in turn before bowing his head respectfully.

Tamurile shakes her head.
"No General. Not this time. You presented us that excuse last time. And the time before that. And probably, I don't know, the time before that. You cannot continue to use your internal instability as an excuse to lash out against the Um Lizaans. Your situation will never be stable enough for Lidric deal with reactionary elements if he can not do so yet. Unlike other members of this alliance my polity has no personal investment in the well-being of House Quil'Raya, and thus no hesitation in noting that using the fall of that House as a reason to stage massive intervention in Iraqstan would suit us quite well. Lidric must either demonstrate himself worthy of rulership or someone in his own polity will take it from him, he is not demonstrating strength by not reacting, he is demonstrating weakness and cowardice."

The Kingdom's representative pauses, taking a breath before continuing, voice growing steadily more impassioned.
"For Eru's sake, if he can't keep his own military under his thumb, how can we be expected to treat him as an equal partner in this alliance? Much less stand aside when forces apparently out of control strike at civilians for no reason. As for the laughable attempt to distract the N.D.A. by suggesting that "armed militants" have exfiltrated from zones under its control, I remind you Mr Ambassador that your 'weapons cache' is in no way as concrete a piece of evidence as a corpse with an Iraqstani military weapon sticking out of its torso!"

"Then it seems we are damned if we take action, or damned if we dont. I for one would be surprised if anybody here took offense to a purge within Iraqstan, as it would have to include many people and the risk of the action being leaked out would be extreamly high.

I will take your considerations to the ReichsFührer. He will consider your words. But above all else, Iraqstan is it's own ruling entity. We have every right to eliminate or silence terrorists working within our borders. I am yet to recall a dispute over the southern portions of um lizaa, which the civilians remain happily living within the union. We have relinquished control of the north. We have let them live as they see fit, we have permitted a military force to set foot in what should be a restrictied and Iraqstani patroled region of our own lands but still we are mocked, insulted and accused of many things.

Weapons being smuggled into the south for use by terrorists is not something that should just be ignored because some civilian has a knife with an iraqstani symbol on it. You have all witnessed in the past what outside interference does to these animals in the north. Yet you sit here and refuse to acknowledge that the DMZ is not doing it's job properly.

We are doing what we can to limit problems in this region and what you take great offence to movements that I'm yet to see leaked to anyone but your own eyes. IF it was a properly sanctioned event the entire settlement would be ruins and the jungle around it burning to ensure nobody was alive. Yet I have reports of Iraqstani Guard aiding people who survived or had families there, identify the dead, give them proper burials and memorials, secured and ensured that nobody else will die there. And yet we are still criticised. You fail to understand the nature and the culture of Iraqstan and so you mistake caution for cowardice.

Carlos showed what brutal movements could acheive and look where that got us. Lidric shows a less hostile way of trying to resolve issues within Iraqstan and he is still trumped as useless. I do apologize to my good friend Tamurile but she obviously has never lived nor experienced life in Iraqstan so doesnt know how our culture or our people work.

We will deal with our own problems our way as is our sovreign right as a nation." Drexler says before waving a hand of dismissal and looking at the Kingdom's represenative with a raised eyebrow. "Would you prefer we just give over reign of IRaqstan to a third party, allow our sovreignty to be removed and become one more corrupted land amongst the thousands? I would rather die than see our sovreign rights handled by another country or another person from Iraqstan. I have the utmost faith in Lidric's plans and his intentions towards this alliance and the international community."

Now it's the Engineer Red's turn to take up a translator cube. While lacking the points and barbs of a Soldier Red, her build is certainly more substantial than the cranial Blue beside her. "If your military going rogue's the concern," she says, quite a bit more personable and, concomitantly, more passionate than her cousin, "I'm sure we've got more than enough excess firepower to make any unwise actions of theirs quite short. We're even willing to donate whatever biomass we expend to your ecosystem for the cause, if it means that the Coordinated Hives are no longer threatened by international fallout by association for your spills. You know we'll hop to your aid if you need it; we've done it before and we'll do it again. Our individual survivals are linked. However, we can't tolerate threats we consider internal to us and our group-survival.

"We are confounded two ways: at least previously, the Union's racism was at least clearly institutionalized. Now it merely exists, so no one there has been appeased, but attempts to narrow it end up looking like poor leadership, which only reduces international standing. 'Let them hate, so long as they fear...' Unfortunately, fear is not a sufficient deterrent in the Union's case anymore."

http://dagobah.tchmachines.com/~tpjzdd/albums/Photochop/this_ant_is_your_friend.jpg (http://dagobah.tchmachines.com/~tpjzdd/gallery/Photochop/this_ant_is_your_friend)

Office of the ReichsFührer, Iraqstan

Sitting at his desk Lidric looks at the two men seated before him and sighs "Do we have anything concrete to tie Doctor Rommel to the actions taken?" He asks of the two Internal Security Generals.

"We do sir, we have evidence that his personal contingent of X2s where responsible for the attacks on the settlement in Southern Um Lizaa, we also have evidence that he leaked this information and deliberately left the weapon to cause problems with the NDA. It's enough to try him for treason and execute him along with the X2s.

I should also advise you sir that the Iraqstani Guard in the area have secured the zone and are allowing family members of those slain to recover personal effects and bury their dead. Whilst they might not like it they understand that what took place was a treasonous attack and one that is without honour they are doing their best but are meeting with suspision by the families which we anticipated. We have sent many communications to these people expressing our sorrow and they have stated they will not believe us until they see these people tried and sentanced which we can do." One of them states whilst Lidric nods attentivley.


"So be it, have the Doctor arrested, order the X5s that are in the make the arrest and have them secure the area pending a decision on where this project will go in the future, the X5 series may well be the last we see of their kind but atleast we know they are loyal to the Reich and the Union." He says. Standing the two men know when they are dismissed, saluting they leave the office and leave Lidric to his musings.

Experimental Genetics Lab, Isla Quatio

Moving with sure feet and silence the teenagers of the X5 series of geneticaly modified soldiers flood through the base and research labs 'securing' the area by eliminating all of the X2s and Scientific personel, stopping at a single door four X5s move through it the man inside seated as his desk looks up and raises an eyebrow at the weapons leveled at him.

"Is there a reason for this X5-257" He says softly as they stare at him, two moving from the doorway as a member of the Internal Security division moves through the doorway. "Yes there is Doctor, by order of the ReichsFührer you are here by charged and arrested for treason and actions without authorisation by the Reich against innocents in the Southern Um Lizaa district. You will be escorted to the Reich Capital where your trial will be held and your sentance passed." He says with grave finnality as one of the X5s moves forward and forces the Doctor to stand, cuffing his hands behind the doctors back the group moves out whilst scientists and intelligence officers move through the entire base, making copies of research data, DNA samples and the like.

As the base is cleared, all data copied the Intelligence operative looks back as their aircraft leaves, from within the base itself charges are set off, leveling the base and removing it from existance with the fury of a firestom. Leaning back in his chair the operative closes his eyes as the plane begins the short but exhausting flight back to Iraqstan herself....

NDA Meeting

"As the Union has stated on this matter, we are moving through investigations to eliminate this if we remove those that would command these troops then we will be able to ensure that the military remains united. We thank the Coordinated Hives for their offer they honour us by offering it. If we were to move in such a way it would be at terrible cost to both Iraqstan and outside parties that we worked with. We are moving towards a silent elimination of the people involved, but we are also trying to decide if an open trial to reveal their treason and disloyalty to the union and it's beliefs.

Racial perspectives have never been non-supported by the Reich, we just wish to make it less a primary factor in Iraqstani dealings. This will probably never change but Lidric is trying to move the collected minds of his people down a path that means less violence and more cultural change. Not an easy feat but one he is positive he can do. In fact I am aware that he is planning another meeting with the President Elect of Northern Um Lizaa to once more negotiate a true peace accord with them, actions by militants from the north has decreased since their last meeting, and so has actions by Iraqstani Forces against the north. Something I am sure many of you are aware of, infact the only actions we have taken are to evacuate as many Iraqstani personel in the north as we can. There are areas still under occupation by our forces simply because we are unable to evacuate them as they are surrounded by militants bent on their utter destruction."

Pausing Drexler listens to a murmered report from an Iraqstani aid who with a slight reddish tinge to her face rushes in and taps his shoulder. Nodding he thanks her quietly in Iraqstani and dismisses her. "I have received news that we have arrested the man who heads our Experimental Genetics research lab and secured the area from further rogue orders.

His trial will begin in a few days once we corelate and prepare our charges against him. This will be the first step as there are more than just him responsible, it will also be a reason for us to move against some if not all of the Generals responsible for actions in Um Lizaa which are without Reich aproval.

We will see how this pans out, but I do not think it is wise for outside forces to be for lack of a better word intefering with internal affairs of the Reich. As it has been stated as far as I am aware this recent occurance has not reached foreign hands except for those present, we have done as much as we can to cover it up, the settlement in observation is secured, the people given time to mourn.

If you would but hold off on your propositions to allow us the chance to resolve our own problems we would appreciate it... But Iraqstan will not accept at this point in time any demands made for sovreigncy to be removed from it's control of Um Lizaa." Drexler states before looking at the people before him.