NationStates Jolt Archive

8:03 PM 1/23, Eredron

Never had his desire to see been so great. Which was odd; his body was a mass of burned flesh, charred and wracked with pain. With the gritty pavement stabbing into his back like a thousand knives, with Hell itself erupting around him, all he wanted was to see; even the unbearable flash that had left him blind would have been welcome. Anything but the absolute black that enveloped him.


7:35 PM 1/23, Eredron

The first hint of snowfall for the week was falling as Jared Karne left the small restaurant, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. The icy chill bit at his nose as he walked to his car, one of a handful parked at the curb.

Pulling out his keys, he unlocked the drivers door and climbed in. Night had fallen on the capital, but in the city of millions, there was little difference; city was never dark, never quiet.

He started the car, and slowly pulled out onto the main boulevard. The car was quiet, with only brief and scattered interruptions.

Vandalism reported on 3rd and Jones Street. Possible suspects fleeing to..

He ignored it; that was on the other side of the city. Small burglaries, automobile accidents, domestic disturbances. He thanked Fate for assigning him to the relatively tranquil Embassy Square, a large district devoted to foreign embassies; already guarded by the active military, there was little chance of any crimes being committed, save for the occasional drunk ambassador wrecking his Mercedes.

He would drive around for the next fifteen minutes, maybe get a dessert - hey, maybe a couple of off-guard soldiers would want to come.

He was torn from his wanderings by the needling voice of a radio dispatcher.

"Bomb threat reported on the 1st Block of the Government District. All units report to the area immediately, this is Level Five.

Goosebumps swept over his skin. the 1st Block was the heart of the GD - the Senate Chambers, the Consul's Manor, all of it. And Level Five? The police force's equivalent of a national emergency? Panic filled his mind; a bomb threat on First Block? This wasn't supposed to happen, not for him. He was trained to do traffic citations, throw kids on drugs in jail - not deal with a bomb threat.

...Unit 341, be aware Units 365 and 373 are approaching approximately one mile east of your position. Rendezvous at the intersection of Smith and 2nd. Approach with caution. Federal agencies are responding. Tactical Command ETA is 10 minutes.

He watched - or rather, it seemed as if he watched himself as he drove into the center of Eredron's government, the streets agonizingly silent.

Abruptly, he found himself less than a block from the ominous Senate Chambers, a half dozen police cars behind him. His engine still running, he slowly opened the door and stepped out.

The building seemed unnaturally dark - had the power been shut off? He started as someone walked up behind him. "What've you heard?" Karne asked.

"Not much. Bomb threat. Tactical's inbound along who know what - I doubt the military's gonna sit this out."

Jared felt a wave of relief; they'd come in, and he would be able to sit back and watch from a distance. He was safe.

Within minutes, the streets were filled with the dazzling, flashing lights of a dozen police cars, large black command vans, with more on its way. From the background, Jared listened, both eager and apprehensive.

Senate was in deadlock session, unscheduled; Hostiles in building, threaten to detonate if anyone enters or leaves. How much explosive? Where?

News vans had arrived and already getting angrily ordered back by police, who now had to fight a two front war; one against the media, and one against the possible bombers..

BREAKING NEWS: SENATE HELD HOSTAGE

Minutes before the 8 o'clock News, the headlines came out.

"Police and national agencies are flooding to the First Block after a bomb threat was received from the Senate Chambers where, ENN had learned, the Senate is being held hostage by an unknown number of persons threatening to destroy the building. We go now live to Henry Parker."

A young man appeared on camera, his back to the hundreds of lights flashing red and blue.

"I'm standing just outside the barricade set up by police around the area, where everyone is very tense. They don't know if there really is a bomb, but they aren't risking anything. I've been told the police are attempting to contact and negotiate with whoever's inside, but so far don't appear to be successful. It's unknown how many hostages are in the Chamber, although all but 3 members of the Senate were reported in attendance earlier today.

What's really - "

A fireball erupted behind him, and the camera was thrown askew, it's lens aimed at a nearby trash bin.

The voice of Henry Parker resumed, somewhat shrilly. "A-an incredible explosion that occurred behind me; I don't know, it, yes, the explosion appears to have destroyed the entire western side of the Chambers; fire and smoke is everywhere. I can see - "

A second fireball shot into the air, and the camera feed shut down.

Hastily, the video went back to the ENN news room.

OOC: Can i be the terrorists?

OOC: Thanks, but that's been taken care of.

nah man nah

Bump

Bump

9:35 PM, 1/23

Over an hour after the first explosion reduced the Senate Chambers to ruins, firefighters still battled to conquer the fires raging; general agreement placed the center of the first explosion somewhere in the Chambers, and the second in the neighboring courthouse.

Plumes of thick smoke were blanketing the district.

Twenty Senators had been located, all away from the Chambers at the time of the explosion; without explanation, they had been grabbed by members of the government's Security Division and flown to the Northern Region Military Complex, where every soldier had been called up.

Air and naval forces had been dispatched to the Consul's liner to safeguard the UWP Summit's attendance, while the other members of his administration rushed to gather the details and report to the public: this was becoming increasingly important as various news agencies had begun reporting a slew of false rumors.

The Ministers of the Interior and of Defense both appeared at a live news conference held in a now heavily guarded Executive Administration Building roughly two hours after the first attack, both attempting to appear in control, despite the lack of information.

"Sirs, can you confirm or deny reports that terrorists have hijacked an airliner?"

"That is nothing more than a rumor," the Minister of Defense said. "There have been no reports of any such action."

"What is the condition of the Consul?"

"He is remaining at the summit, under a full military guard; we feel that is the safest place for him right now."

"What is the casualty rate believed to be?"

"It is premature to - "

"We estimate anywhere from four hundred to one thousand," the Interior Minister interrupted. "And rising. The explosions did extensive damage to the Chambers, nearly levelling the entire building. The Courthouse is in similar condition, and now fires have been reported in nearby buildings due to a gas pipeline burst." He'd already decided the best approach was to be as honest and straightforward as possible.

"To be succint, the news will get worse before it gets better. Our rescue attempts are being impeded by both the gas leak as well as by what we believe are byproducts of the explosive. As a precaution, we have ordered a complete evacuation for a mile radius." He didn't mention the communications problems, or the clumsy coordination between the rescue groups.

"Do you believe a chemical weapon of mass destruction was used?"

"We have no reason to believe so; as I said, this is merely a precaution."

"Have you determined responsibility?"

"We have no idea."

Bump

12:00 AM 1/24

Fighting back the urge to vomit, a young firefighter crossed through what was left of the Senate Chamber Foyer, the first to enter after suppressing the fires.

Few had hopes of finding survivors in the Chambers, with only slightly less doubt about any in the Courthouse.

The Government District was under complete lockdown save for essential personnel and remained under heavy guard; local military units mobilized across the country to varying degrees, and the Minister of Defense had ordered airspace around the capital closed to all but military aircraft.

Roughly four hours after the explosions, the country remained in the grip of half-panic, while the Ministers - who had become de facto rulers with the massacre of the Senate and the absence of the Consul - hurriedly tried to assure the public that the situation was under control. Their estimates of casualties had been placed in the range of approximately twelve hundred, although their knowledge of the explosives used remained virtually nil, as was their knowledge of the perpetrators.

This changed thirty minutes after midnight, when the National Mail Service was alerted to a suspicious package left on the doorstep of a post office, addressed simply to the "Eredron Government".

A bomb squad was called to the building and, after examination, deemed it to be safe; the package was promptly taken by the National Investigation Division.

The package's contents now held the attention of the eight most currently powerful men in the Republic.

OOC: Mind if I get involved? I could support either side.

OOC: Awesome. Tag.

OOC: Mind if I get involved? I could support either side.

TG me with what you had in mind.

They finally consented to going public after an exhaustive six hours, shortly before the fourth conference since the attacks began.

Like the prior conference, half a dozen cameras and members from the largest five news agencies were in attendance, gathered in one of the many rooms of the Executive Office of the Consul.

It was close to six AM, which mean ten hours had passed since almost the entire Legislative Branch of the Eredron Government had perished. The body count was rising as the casualties were pulled from the ruins; the Eredron Trading Plaza was still shut down; thousands of troops remained mobilized throughout the country; the twenty surviving Senators - twenty, out of a body of nearly 500 members - were in undisclosed locations; the Consul himself was under the protection of an entire carrier group, and the ministers had declared officially a state of emergency to exist.

Up until now, much of the general populace had been at their homes sleeping; now, it was fast approaching the time when people needed to go to work, children to go to work. The only question was, would they?

The need to assure people the government was still functioning, that they should go about their daily lives, was desperate. Grocery stores had endured a flood of consumers trying to stock up on canned foods and supplies, and isolated riots and disturbances had taken place throughout the country. The Senate was, for all intents and purposes, completely destroyed, and the belief that the government was collapsing had taken hold in many places.

All of this ran through the minds of the ministers as they arrived on the platform, conscious of the millions of people watching them via the cameras set up before them.

All wore dark suits, appearing as calm and unruffled as possible; their numbers had grown with the addition of the head and deputy-chief of the Military Command Staff, two barrel chested generals in uniform; their appearance, the ministers hoped, would create the sense that the government, and the military, was in control.

The Ministers of the Interior and Defense, the most visible of the council, were again seated side by side in front of a half dozen microphones.

The Interior Minister started the conference off.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming. Before I take questions, let me address the Eredronian people directly.

"For those living in the capital, the Department of the Environment has declared the Government District, as well as the rest of the city, free from any potential environmental or other hazards. No one should have any reservations or fears of going to their place of employment.

I want to also assure you, although this was a most heinous and greivous attack, your government is continuing and will continue to fulfill it's duties and obligations to it's citizens. Plans are in motion for full Senate elections, while in the meantime temporary Senators will be pulled from regional legislatures. Through the will and determination of the Eredronian people, the democratic process will continue. I will now open the floor to questions."

"Sir, I'm sure that on the minds of everyone is the question: who is responsible for this attack? Has the Government made any progress in identifying them?"

The Minister of Defense fielded the question; he had been acknowledged as the unofficial head of the National Intelligence Division among the other ministers, as the Director of the NID was among the casualties (something kept from the general public.

"One organization's claim for responsibility has been received and researched by the government," he said. "At this time, we believe we have confirmed, beyond reasonable doubt, that those responsible for the attacks is an organization calling itself the "Vasilara", or "Retribution" in the native tongue of Ariin. At this time, the only information we have concerning this group was gathered from a recorded statement discovered shortly after the attacks. The Vasilara appear to be an extremist anti-globalization, environmentalist group based in or with ties to elements of the Ariin state. Their aim is to, and I quote, "unshackle the developing world from the chains and burden of poverty inflicted on them by the greed of corporate despots to whom the government has sold itself." In their statement, the Vasilara alleged corporations were establishing overseas facilities to pay workers subsistence wages, and bypass environmental laws. They have threatened further attacks until the developed world, and I again quote, "stops raping the world for the sake of profit"."

"Is the group believed to have Marxist associations?"

"We have no information at this time."

"How will the government combat this new threat?"

"Using whatever means necessary."

Bump

"Cute."

With disgust, he knocked his mouse off the desk and angrily rose from his seat.

"Give me a no bull assessment, Jim," the Minister of Defense said, scratching the grey stubble on his cheek.

"I can't. We've never experienced anything like this. We'll probably see the mass transit shut down completely within a matter of hours, after this goes public; same for school districts."

"How do you respond to this? Threats against trains, against schools? We've got to do something, and fast. We can't wait for the Senate replacements to be called. The Ariin Separatist Party is already using this to try and start another of their insurrections; the Trading Plaza is still closed for the stock exchange - who knows how long it will be before we can safely reopen it. The only thing holding this all together is the military presence, and they can't remain deployed for more than a day without Senate approval - and we're still not sure what precedent there is to follow when all but 20 senators are killed." With a fine flair of drama, the deputy chief of the MCS solemnly painted this grim picture which was nevertheless accurate.

On que came the followup from another. "Unless something happens, worst-case scenario could be bloodshed in Ariin by the fringe Separatist militias; at best, a recession, at worst a complete economc downturn into depression. If they manage to succeed on their threats..."

The anxiety and apprehension was almost tangible. Threats of terrorism against Eredron's commercial ports; bombs on rail cars, on banks and corporate buildings.

He waited, knowing right now everyone was envisioning foreign trade slowly evaporating after news of a port being blown to kingdom come. No, they could not let this happen. But what to do?

"I think it quite apparent that it was for times such as these that the Emergency Provisions amendment was created. If we delay further, the consequences could be irreparable." These words, coming from the head of the Military Command Staff, hung heavily in the room.

"We have visual confirmation," the pilot reported, his F-22E Firehawk streaking through the sky, followed closely by a half dozen others.

"Luxury A-091, you are in violation of military airspace. You are ordered to change course heading to one-zero-four immediately."

Ahead, the sleek aircraft - small, large enough for perhaps a dozen passengers and designed as corporate flagships, continued without deviation.

"A-091, you are ordered to change course heading to one-zero-four. This is your last warning."

The air force had scrambled two squadrons of fighters half an hour ago when radar picked up a private aircraft entering the restricted airspace around Danfalls. The aircraft had been identified as part of the Warner & Tyler food giant's private fleet, who'd alerted them of a hijacking.

Aboard was the CEO of W & T and half of the corporation's top elite.

Even now, as the Ministers discussed the growing threat with the Military Command Staff, the F-22Es closed on the plane.

Watching the situation from the ground command tower at the Danfalls military airfield, Lt. Colonel Decker gave a slight nod to the comm officer. The aircraft had plotted a direct course that would, if not changed or 'interrupted', take into the corporate headquarters of the Wagner Tower, in downtown Danfalls. "Bring it down."

"Alpha Flight, you are authorized as weapons free. A-901 is now classified as hostile."

"Confirmed, Command."

He watched his HUD, listening for confirmation of a missile lock. Within moments, he'd achieved one.

"Missile away!"

With a dazzling flash, the missile shot away from the lead F-22E; faster than he could track, the computer-guided warhead smashed into the left engine of the aircraft, sending it into an immediate spiral; within seconds, a fireball had consumed the plane as it plunged towards the earth.

"Confirm hit."

Nightmare Continues!
Military Takes Action; Economic Fears Unabated

Twelve are confirmed dead and another forty-five remain at the hospital after a military aircraft fired on a civilian aircraft the government has claimed was hijacked by the Vasilara terrorist organization.

The plane, registered to the Warner & Tyler corporation, took off in the early evening yesterday, less than a day after the Senate bombings; it was intercepted by an air force patrol and, upon refusing to acknowledge the military's orders, was shot down, crashing into a local civic recreational facility and igniting a fire at a nearby Friday Oil gas station.

A military spokesperson claimed the aircraft's hijackers intended to crash into the corporate headquarters of Warner & Tyler, although she did not say if the government had determined why the company was targeted.

300 kilometers from the capital, the External Security liaison to the Evil Overlord Enterprises UWP mission blanched at the data scrolling across her secure terminal. Quickly double-checking that the material was being recorded, she hit the Alert button and held it down.

Arvid Dugayin, the Internal Security agent in charge of security for the Ambassador's aircraft, burst into the communications suite twelve seconds later. "O'Neal, what in sheeted Hell ..." The sentence died as he saw the expression on the woman's face.

"We got FLASH traffic from Mikalgard, Lieutenant." She keyed the message to a console to Arvid's left and nodded toward it. "Sheeted Hell is a pretty good description, at that."

Arvid turned to the display unit.


FLASH
FLASH
FLASH
FLASH

3230100105

ES intercepts of EREDRONIAN message traffic indicates major terrorist strikes in progress across country. Local media and unsecure government channels suggest major damage to EREDRONIAN government with possible massive loss of life. Secure message traffic from military and government sources consistent with EREDRONIAN military posture raised to high alert.

Mission Security profile raised to TRINITY TWO.

All UWP Mission Personnel except Ambassador under direct authority of Military Liaison (Wing Commander Yorgieva).

EMCON 4 in effect as of 2310.

COMSEC Protocol FAIRWAY in effect as of message receipt.

ES COMCENT sends.


Arvid's face paled, but he shook his head and started issuing orders. "Right. Seal this bird up. FAIRWAY is now in effect." He glanced at O'Neal. "Get that out on SSIN for everyone here, and send the highlights to the CO on the last AMBER link."

He hit the cockpit intercom. "Captain, this is Lieutenant Dugayin. We have FLASH traffic from Mikalgard. Send all of the crew you can spare to the Lounge for a briefing in ten- that's figures one-zero- minutes. I want you to run constant updates for our launch profile. Do everything except contact the tower or start the engines. We may have to leave in a hurry, and I want to be ready."

He thought for a moment. "O'Neal, issue sidearms to all military, ES, and IS personnel."

O'Neal snorted. "And what the Hell good would an 11.5mm battle rifle do if someone tries to ram this flying bordello with another plane?"

"No damned good at all. But it will do a lot of good if some terrorists decide to create an incident by trying to seize the plane, and it will convince the civilians on board that the situation is serious. Get on it."

It was soon apparent how impotent the government had become in dealing with the situation.

Although two plots had purportedly been disrupted, three attacks had been carried out across the country in as many days since the Senate bombings. Laying explosives along the rail tracks, a line of freight trains had been derailed, shutting down the major East-West rail network; traffic into and out of the Salinda port had shut down when a small tug had detonated, and most shockingly, an entire elementary school had been taken hostage by alleged members of the Vasilara, in a show of force against the government. The showdown had ended badly when the police force attempted a botched rescue attempt; thirty children and teachers died, along with five policemen.

To the public, it seemed as if the government was unable to even ward off the blows it was being dealt, battered and beaten by a group no one had heard of.

The War Within
The Government's Last Days?
World Observer correspondent Janette Austin

The future of the Eredron government grew even more desperate after revelations today of an attempted coup staged by the Eredronian Minister of Defense, whose eight-hour reign as "Director" ended only after a gunfight in the capital that left as many as three thousand dead.

The takeover began between eight and nine-thirty this morning, when an army division assaulted the home of the pro tempore government; the Minister of Defense released a statement declaring himself Director.

The coup ended after an hours-long battle led by an unidentified military commander, whose troops retook the building only to find those remnants of the government that had survived the Senate bombings had been killed. It is unclear what elements of the government remain at the national level.

Bump

Standing with his back to a half-demolished structure, the middle-aged man wore a dusty-green jacket and thin-framed glasses partially obscured by wispy strands of his gray hair.

"In the last twenty-four hours, nearly three-fourth of the entire Eredron military reserves has been called up and deployed in every major city in the country. The capital is under an especially heavy guard, with roadblocks set up throughout the city; checkpoints are in place on highways, military aircraft patrol the skies overhead, and armored tanks and vehicles have taken up residence among cafes and city parks. Any pretense at calm and norm has been dropped; it seems the Eredron government, or what remains of it, has declared a de facto state of martial law. In fact, the military seems to be handling almost all government matters, although the Consul is said to be in regular communication with them. It seems that perhaps we will see in the next few days some sense of order, but one thing's for certain: the Republic that we knew will never be the same, and no one is quite sure what the future holds for Eredron.

I'm Daniel Keller, World Observer News."

Bump

FROM: DEP Mikalgard

TO: All EOE

SUBJECT: Eredron

Local media and ES assets indicate EREDRON on verge of total collapse. Effective immediately, no EOE air or sea traffic will approach EREDRON without express approval from DEP Mikalgard. Cargos already enroute to EREDRON will be diverted to nearest neutral port and offloaded without regard to cargo status.


For the Minister,
Kira Vlecek, DEP

"Look at 'em, the filth." A sneer formed on the young man's lips. "What say you go home, pastik?"

The target for his disdain stood his ground, resting with seeming calm on his umbrella, which he wielded like a cane. "I live a block away, son. This is my home, and I will do as I like."

The youngster acted almost confused, as if unsure which to respond to first: his calling him "son", the man's calmness, or his rebellious attitude. One of his mates spoke in his place, his speech overpowered by an accent and slang.

"This place ain't your home, [pastik." He flicked his cigarette at the man, it's tip burning bright yellow as it tumbled in the air, until bouncing off the man's trouser leg and falling on the ground. "Mambo, but I dropped my cig. Pick it up."

The man moved the umbrella from one hand to the next, but made no indication that he'd even heard the order.

"He said pick it up, or didn't you hear? Maybe you pastiks don't understand our language - maybe you should leave."

By now, the scene playing out had attracted the attention of a pair of military police; seeing this, the youngsters became docile, until they no longer felt the soldiers' eyes on them. Taking advantage of this, the man pivoted smoothly and, holding the umbrella in the nook of his elbow, began walking across the street.

He staggered as a sharp, stabbing pain ran through his body; angered by his withdrawal, one of the youngsters had thrown a pebble, hitting the man's head; a second followed, and then a third. They swore loudly, and began following him; their rowdiness drew the attention of the soldiers once again, as well as several bystanders. Some encouraged them, adding insults of their own; others blocked their way. Angered, the two younger men began shoving at the crowd that had interjected themselves between them and their prey. The scuffle caused the soldiers to quicken their pace, although adding themselves into the fray served only to worsen the situation.

It soon grew into a mass of violence, with innocent spectators being unwillingly drawn into it by stray punches and shoves. One soldier, knocked to the ground, furiously got back to his feet, and smacked the perpetrator with the butt of his rifle. The other tried to call in for backup, but had his radio knocked out of his hand. The two tried to untangle themselves from the mass, and failed.

As the crowd swelled to over two dozen, fueled by the mix of contrasting shouts and racist chants, one managed to knock a path to the edges. Freeing himself, he aimed his rifle into the air and fired three shots, hoping to end the chaos; his plan backfired, and after a wave of fear, the mob surged outward, engulfing both soldiers again; a group of policemen, running along the sidewalk, shouted at the crowd, pulling out batons and mace. Their presence caused no subsidence, and the chaos grew.

As reports of an increasingly hostile racist movement against the local Ariin populace grew, brought about by a slew of publicity from the extremist National Conservative Party aimed at the alleged Ariin origin of the Vazilara terrorist group, General J.A. Suarel, acting as pro tempore head of state, issued what many considered a long overdue, and perhaps now unnecessary statement to all embassies and consulates within Eredron, urging the immediate evacuation of all diplomatic staff and personnel, as well as foreign citizens, as soon as possible, as the government could no longer guarantee their safety.

"What the hell are they thinking? What the hell are they thinking?" His swearing increased as he progressed through the article. When he reached the end, he pushed himself out of his chair, and with a slight limp walked around his desk; he managed to stop himself from almost instinctively moving to the window (habits die hard), which he remembered and saw was both barred and covered. Always he'd done his thinking while gazing out at the horizon. He swore: at the confining, bunker-like fortress he and what passed as a government were imprisoned in; at the continuous slide into chaos; at the world at large.

Entire divisions seemed to be deserting; soldiers left in answer to calls for independence coming from their home cities. In the east, some insignificant insect-turned-President had declared a region of thirty-five million citizens to be the independent Autonomous Region of Eastern Eredron; the rebellious "state" was bordered on it's north by the Juthro Confederacy, encompassing roughly twenty million people. Together, they formed nearly a sixth of the Eredron mainland. Worse, they appeared to already be gaining an army, formed by the Republic's(or what was left of it) own deserting military. When he'd received news of these rebellions, he'd almost laughed; now he was visibly worried. He did not desire for a full-fledged war between Eredron's own citizens, in her own cities and countryside; on the other hand, things had gone far enough. Order had been restored in much of the west, two weeks after the Senate bombings, nearly four days since the last reported attack by the Vazilara. There was a fragile calm, broken now by these insurrections.

Whatever happened to loyalty? he asked himself, almost whimsically. He knew the east had always been the center of independence movements; they'd always had that streak in them. It was only logical for them to take advantage of a crippled federal government to secede.

He thought back to the American Civil War: what had their president, Lincoln, thought in his mind, when he saw his country shattered by their southern Confederacy, by that bloody war?

Was that fate now to be shared by Eredron?

Bump

BUMP for exposure, comment, participation

The sky had darkened to a deep violet when the aircraft completed its descent, rolling down the black airstrip until it ponderously came to a stop, arriving in what was hoped to be absolute secrecy.

A mobile stairway was wheeled across the tarmac and positioned under an opening door; a black figure was silhouetted, until it quickly darted down the stairs followed by a small entourage.

No time was wasted on the usual pomp and etiquette; there were no bands, no formations, no aerial displays. The bitter winter air, the oppressive black of midnight, all seemed to reflect the minds and souls of the men rushing to the waiting motorcade.

Bump

Bump

Due to several issues, among them RL, this RP is closed.

EDIT: This RP is now re-opened.

Pity.

It was a good read.

BTW, who was supposed to respond?


TEO

In the dim light of the morning sky, he could see the swivelling machine guns of the two APCs parked on either side of the highway, reacting to the approaching line of equally armed APCs, American-made HUMVEEs, and grey SUVs. Soldiers lined the guardposts and fence that stretched either side from the road, their rifles warily held at the ready. However, the motorcade did not slow, and the patrol made no attempt to stop them. Orders had come in five minutes prior to allow the convoy to pass unhindered, as well as its considerable escort which included three Apache helicopters that had arrived just minutes before.

In a country where chaos reigned near-supreme, the Northern Region Military Complex was an island of relative stability that held at bay the sea's torrent through sheer firepower alone. As rioting, destruction and insurrection took hold in the nation's cities, the NRMC held fast as it directed the Loyalists, as the remaining members of the military were called, in its two week long war to regain control of the Eredron Republic. Hindered by desertions as well as the strategy of the insurrectionists who fought a guerilla-like war against the exposed soldiers, little progress had been made outside of the capital Eredro, whose beauty and pristige had been shattered completely by the artillery strikes carried out two days prior in a drastic push to regain control of the city.

Events unfolded with unmanageable speed; indeed, even during the four hour journey of the Consul to the NRMC, the Autonomous Region of Eredron, ARE, had announced diplomatic recognition by an as-of-yet unnamed foreign power; meanwhile, the insurrection had spread to the island of Ariin in the form of a short-lived gunfight between Fort Winsloe and the Red Fang. More devastatingly, the city of Danfalls was once again the site of a terror attack, as according to police reports a local high school was being held hostage by the Vasilara, who had for days been content merely to watch the country tear itself apart. Perhaps even they had underestimated the potential their attacks had, had underestimated the tension that existed between the varying ethnicities and societies bound under the flag of the Republic more through military presence and economic benefits than any sense of true brotherhood, as evidence by the split of the Eredron continent between the allying western rebellious states, and the generally unified west.

All this and more was brought to the attention of the Consul, who sat hunkered in his seat as if the weight of the bunker's ceiling was pushing down on him.

--

More to come later, this is more a BUMP than anything else.

Bump

OOC: Still awesome. If you are looking for someone else to join in the RP, i will do when I get back from work.

I'd be honored.