NationStates Jolt Archive

It had been quite some time since the halls of the Command and Control center had hummed with this much activity, 50 years in fact. Shuttered up at the end of Orange Revolution the massive monolithic structure had stood as a testament to what once had been one of the most powerful states of its time. But democracy had ruined all that.

It seemed to happen all at once, a routine crackdown on subversives had ignited long dormant anger over the harshness and brutality of the Iron Concordat under Achilles Brown. In a few days the masses had filled the streets of Rottermark, Danilon,Falkhead, and countless other cities. Spurred on by their enraged countryman the once loyal and feared Wirrawayan Armed Forces had defected, surrounding the C&C and mercilessly dispatching the vaunted Achilles with a few well placed shots to the head.

It was over, the work of almost a century simply ceased to exist. The Concordat crumbled, replaced by a weak and innefective liberal democratic government. Wirraway shrank from the world scene, abandoning its post as one of the greater powers. Meek bureaucrats slashed military spending and compulsary military service was abolished. The economy ,once so carefully managed by the Department of Commerce now fell into the viccisitudes of deregulation. The stock market rose and crashed with regularity. The new democratic leaders had either imprisoned or killed many of the experts that had run the Concordat so efficiently in the past. Shorn of those who had the experience to maintain the system it began to decay. Infrastructure, education, and health all experienced major crisis as budgets were either overrun or cut by overzealous legislators. The economy began to suffer, growth retreated and quickly became reccession. Revenues fell, comapanies went bankrupt and Armed Forces, once the pride of the old Iron Concordat fell into dilapidation.

People began to reminisce of about the "good old days", when the Concordat had been strong, virile and major player on the world scene. When food shortages didn't exist,the power was on all day and owning a gun was not a neccesity when one went out. The time was ripe for change, but who would lead Wirraway back to its former self............

The answer could be found in the institution that had suffered the worst under democracy. Chastened, beaten down and blamed for the autocracy that had once ruled Wirraway the military had been hamstrung and left to rot. Few officers remained from the old days, the others had either been tried for crimes against humanity and executed or were spending their time in in 10 X 10 cell. Those who were left had lost hope of ever visiting a foreign shore or firing a gun in anger again a long time ago. Now they whiled away their time desperatly trying to maintain their outdated weaponry and train their apathetic troops.

The future now lay in the hands of the new crop of officers. The colonels, lieutenants and majors who had gone through the Academy being taught what the armed forces had once been. When an officer could proudly walk down the street without taunts and jeers. Of this new crop of men, the images of past had no greater effect than on a one Colonel Frydrach. Born in Rottermark, the son of an Air Force general, Frydrach had seen his father carried off to jail for alleged war crimes. He dedicated his training to his father's memory and decided to follow in his footsteps, no matter what kind of stigma it might bring.

He worked his way up through the ranks not through combat promotions as was customary in the past, but through being a master bureacratic operator. Now, seated in his office he looked at the picture that hung in front of him. In it a group of Wirrwayan marines were storming a Shoobooshaaban beachead, firing from the hip they all were deathly calm in a moment of extreme danger.

Fyrdrach sighed and peered out his window watching his troops wheeze through a 2 mile march. Scoffing with disgust he pulled up the news feed on his computer and slowly shook his head as he read through a triple homicide, government corruption scandal and the bankruptcy of Armatech, once the largest defense contractor in Wirraway.

A feeling of hopelessnes washed over him. Wirraway would never regain her stature, at least not under this government. Swiveled his chair to the right and picked up the phone. 2 hours later 10 of his closest confidants from all around the military crowded into his office. There was no need for secrecy, the government was confident in that it had cowed the armed forces enough.

Frydrach stood and surveyed those assembled. All good men, all dedicated to the revival of the Concordiat through any means neccesary. It was time.

Frydrach stood in front of the assembled officers. Before him he had representatives of all the branches of the Armed Forces and for once they all seemed to be agreeing with each other.

Frydrach strode in front of his desk and wet his lips, with a sweep of his hand he began to speak,

"My fellow officers, what we are here to do is revive the Concordat. The Concordat, yes, the Concordat, that mythical governemnt that our "blessed republic" has tried so hard to smear and shame. What they don't want the people to know is how it used to be. How we were once a powerful nation, a nation that could project its will over vast oceans instead of simply struggling to find enough food for out populace. Where the military gave strong and prudent leadership instead of out current state as mere caretakers of obselete equipment.

I want to return Wirraway to where she once was, how I remember her, how my father described her when he was still alive. Now is the time to act, the populace is uncertain, democracy is faltering we must seize our chance and show Wirraway what it means to be decisive.

This is how we shall accomplish our goal. Rally your men, let them know what we mean to do but keep them in their barracks, we must remain secretive. Shoot any that falter, they cannot be trusted, the fate of Wirraway hangs in the balance. Load out with ammunition and ready your vehicles but give away nothing, continue with regular training exercises, I will contact you in 2 days and relay your orders. Until then, keep your men under control it will not be long now until we rule Wirraway once again.