hawk11 Posted June 22, 2009 Report Share Posted June 22, 2009 You have got to be kidding me. If the prime minister had received a job description, he would have included "Expert in uttering phrases of dissatisfaction" because of the amount of setbacks Palintine has faced. Before shoving off for his visit to Hainan to explore potentially important ruins, an aide rushed into his office with another manilla folder. He sighed as he took it from her and consequently accepted the reality of his work schedule versus his desire for intellectual pursuit. The folder fell open on his desk with a thud. TO: Executive Office of the Prime Minister of PalintineFROM: HICOM HEADQUARTERS RE: Eyes Only Body: Prime Minister: The military is no longer able to cope with the spending restrictions and budget cuts put before us. We have fewer than two rifles per platoon in some cases, and all military vehicles and aircraft are in need of service to the point that they are inoperable. We are grateful that the nation has been able to maintain paying us wages; however, we are facing an enormous desertion rate due to poor equipping. Therefore, as the acting commandant of the Palintinian Armed Forces, I am informing you of our intention to strike. The working conditions laid out for us by the government are cruelly unsafe for our soldiers, and we will not stand for it any longer. If you wish to contact us for negotiations, you may reach us at the newly formed (and hopefully temporary) Palintinian Soldiers' Union at (xxx)xxx-xxxx or at my personal email hicomcom@mil.palintine.fake.gov. We look forward to your prompt response, HICOM Commander The folder included reports of naval activities ceasing (except for coast guard, for some reason), deployments ending and soldiers being dismissed to their homes. Bases have been left to minimal volunteer guards, tanks have been deemed inoperable, and fighter jets have been permanently grounded for repairs. The report also went into detail about the desertion rate, and police support for the government. Police forces have been working round the clock to maintain order with great success. The prime minister was in disbelief. How does one even respond to this? When has a military ever gone on an organized strike? Of course there have been mutinies, but even the highest generals in the land were behind the strike. Can they even do this? What can Palintine do in response? The prime minister sat stunned for a few minutes looking over the file before reaching for his phone. He buzzed his secretary. "Uh..." "Yes Mr. Minister?" "Can you...I...uh..." The prime minister really had no clue who to contact about this. Did this strike extend into his own administration? Can he contact his minister of defense? "Mr. Minister?" "Uh...can you get me our lawyer please?" "Which one? "...All of them." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sargun II Posted June 22, 2009 Report Share Posted June 22, 2009 OOC: Suddenly, Satan spawned. "You called?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawk11 Posted June 22, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2009 News Blurb: Palintine Armed Forces to Strike Palintine Army members standing at ease. The surface-to-air missile launcher they were assigned to protect has been out of service for weeks. HONG KONG- Senior military officials have made their plans to strike public today after the economic downturn took a gigantic toll on the nation's military equipment. Palintine HICOM has cited unsafe working environments are to blame. "If a military has no weapons, it is not a safe military to be in. We are not going to ask our soldiers to stand on the wall without a gun to protect themselves. It's a suicide mission." A general speaking anonymously stated. Palintine has not been able to properly maintain its military equipment since economic downturn forced drastic budget cuts. Rifles have become few and far between, and reports speculate that in some instances entire platoons are without rifles. Despite the strike, the government reports that all service men will continue to receive pay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sumeragi Posted June 22, 2009 Report Share Posted June 22, 2009 Yamato is willing to provide weapons to keep Palintine safe. *Private* "........... And I wonder how they survived for this long." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subtleknifewielder Posted June 23, 2009 Report Share Posted June 23, 2009 "A whole military going on strike? That's a new one to me...if Palintine requires help in arming their military, just give me a call." ~General Westly Davies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JEDCJT Posted June 23, 2009 Report Share Posted June 23, 2009 (edited) CLASSIFIED "Oh, my, my...workers going on strike, I can understand. But the military going on strike out of all things?! NOW I've seen everything!" PUBLIC This is a cause of concern. We shall watch this closely and hope the situation can be resolved to everyone's satisfaction. Edited June 23, 2009 by JEDCJT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawk11 Posted June 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2009 The prime minister always knew he'd find a good use for the senatorial chambers; however, a legal conference to determine a course of action for a striking military was not one of them. Inside, debates raged between senior judicial branch officials over the proper way to "deal with" the military's demands. The prime minister was not among them. He was in his office drinking. The only things that currently made sense were the flask in his hand and the effects of the liquor on his body. Also, he knew he could not make a rational decision in this state, and the meeting was left to his minister of justice. Of all his appointments, the prime minister felt his minister of justice was the best he ever made. The young man was fresh out of law-school and full of raging idealism. To him, the law was a beautiful, impartial force of nature that should be respected above all else. If the prime minister could trust anyone to find the proper legal action for this mess, it was his justice minister. The prime minister took a swig dedicated to him and waited. Soon the meeting would be over and Palintine would know how to react to this strike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawk11 Posted June 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 New Blurb: Palintine Supreme Court to Review Military Strike; Lack of Equipment Palintinian flag HONG KONG- The Palintine Supreme Court announced its intention to review the strike of Palintinian military forces. The Court states that the strike may be breaking Palintine protests laws, which state that "any professions that are necessary to the security and well-being of the nation are forbidden from striking." If the Court rules in favor of this judgment, the military will be forced to go back to work regardless of working conditions. The military will have five days to comply with the ruling before accruing fines per day missed. The executive branch has announced its support of the courts decision. "Every nation needs a military force, especially in our region. We cannot allow this strike to go on another day," the prime minister said at an emergency press conference. "The executive office is more than willing to redo our budget in order to allocate more funds for the military." The prime minister also mentioned possible unrelated cuts to other departments in the future. The Supreme Court also announced its intention to review the military's budget and look for the cause of the lack of funds for equipment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Centurius Posted June 25, 2009 Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 **Classified** "What do they want to do? Send the Military to stop them" **Public** We will abstain from a position on the matter but warn you for the fact that an Army might not appreciate light force used against them especially if they have deserted their post already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maelstrom Vortex Posted June 25, 2009 Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 "I am going to push a military assistance bill through our Legislature to see if we can't fix your funding issues. We cannot afford an unstable neighbor. The cost of the guns would be cheaper than the cost of instability. Would Palantine accept an unconditional aid package?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawk11 Posted June 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 (edited) Supreme Court Strikes Down Strike, Citing Foreign Aid, Budget Revisions The prime minister celebrating the victory. HONG KONG- After merely three days of trial, the Supreme court of Palintine has ruled in favor of the executive branch on the basis of overwhelming evidence. The case of Executive v. Palintine Soldiers' Union was decided by a unanimous 9-0 decision, and the court ordered the military back to work. A copy of the judgement has been included below: In the matter of Executive v. Palintine Soldiers' Union, this court has received overwhelming evidence that the actions of the defendant have not only damaged the image of the nation abroad, but put the nation in extreme and unnecessary danger. Furthermore, this court has received overwhelming evidence that the plaintiff is taking actions to correct the main complaint of the defendant, including revising the national budget to allocate more funds for equipment and accepting foreign aid in the form of currency and weapons.In light of this, the court rules in favor of the plaintiff. The defendant is hereby ordered to call off the strike and resume work. Failure to comply with the court decision will result in the fining of the defendant organization one million jongos per day missed. This matter is dismissed. The prime minister called the decision "a wise and necessary one." "Now that our armed forces will be returning to work, the security of our nation can be guaranteed." The prime minister also made note of the executive branch's decision to accept foreign aid from both the Dragon Empire and Palintine's Pax Pacifica ally Yamato. The funds received from the Dragon Empire, pending its approval in the Dragon Empire legislature, will be going directly into the military budget to allow for the repair of military equipment, while the weapons received from Yamato will be distributed according to need. Soldiers who have been protesting in Hong Kong have called the decision a "legal defeat;" however the general opinion of the decision was a positive one. "It's disappointing that the court did not uphold our right to strike; however, our initial demonstration brought about the change we wanted. It's clearly a victory for us," one sergeant speaking anonymously told the Palintine Civilian Free Press. There were certainly some soldiers who did not agree with this opinion. For now, the military has begun its return to active duty. Edited June 25, 2009 by hawk_11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maelstrom Vortex Posted June 25, 2009 Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 (edited) The Prime Minister of Palintine recieved a letter, "The funding is in congress now. I've proposed a 1 billion dollar stimulus and funding bill. It's probably more than you need, but I intend to have it distributed in the form of interest bearing bonds so that you will have a longer term financial support structure from the interest. We will reserve the right to buy the bonds back with raw currency at face value at any time, they are 6% bi-annual compounding." -Maelstrom Edited June 25, 2009 by Maelstrom Vortex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawk11 Posted June 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 (edited) You have got to be kidding me. The prime minister was starting to get annoyed now. He had just read the letter from the Dragon Empire describing the aid package promised pending legislation when his aide came into the office. "Sir, you might want to turn on the TV." The prime minister hated television. Nothing positive happens after he's told to turn on the TV. He always discovers that the media is sensationalizing some story that no one in his office bothered covering. He did not consider himself at fault for wanting to break the television every time one of his workers told him to turn it on. The prime minister resisted that specific urge by taking another swig from the flask in his hand. "I'd rather not," he said afterwards. "I feel it's best if you do, sir." "No, it's not. Your job is to inform me of current events with accurate information and advice on what to do or not do, not to refer me to sensationalist news networks that inform me with only what they want their audience to hear. I'd rather not turn on the TV because then I would have to fire you and hire the news anchor since he is doing your job. And then I'd have to fire the news anchor after it turns out he's !@#$@#$ wrong. Who looks bad then?" The prime minister took another drink from the flask. "Now the next time you walk through that door, you better have actual information!" The aide took that as a sign to exit. The prime minister continued reading over the files on his desk. After some time passed, the aide came back in and handed him folder. "Was it so hard to do your job?" The prime minister took the folder from him and read it. News Blurb: Palintine High Command Promises Continued Strike The prime minister stopped reading the file and looked up. "Is this a print-out of the Palintine Civilian Free Press's website?" "...Yes." The prime minister sighed. "Please get out," the prime minister said shortly. "Please get out before I throw something at you." After the aide exited, the prime minister wrote on his desk-calendar a note about reviewing employee salaries, then continued reading. News Blurb: Palintine High Command Promises Continued Strike HONG KONG - A senior general in the Palintinian military has confirmed anonymously with the Palintinian Civilian Free Press that he will be pushing for strikes to continue. He would not disclose reasoning, instead saying "Wait and see." At this time, more information is not available. Please keep your eyes on our website for more details. "You have got to be kidding me," was all the prime minister could muster. What possible reason could high command have for continuing this strike? Maybe it was the booze in the prime minister's body causing paranoia, or maybe the writing was truly on the wall, but what matters is that the prime minister picked up his phone and contacted internal affairs. Edited June 25, 2009 by hawk_11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawk11 Posted June 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 (edited) News Blurb: Palintine Soldiers' Union Breaks Despite Call for Prolonged Strike HONG KONG - Following a meeting by union officials discussing the results of the supreme court trial, the Palintine Soldiers' Union has dissolved itself. Our man on the inside reports that the meeting concluded after an argument broke out amongst senior high command officials concerning the Palintine Civilian Free Press reporting that an anonymous general vowed the strike would continue. Army, navy, and air force officials announced they had no desire to continue the strike since their objective of receiving more funds for equipment had been accomplished. However, Army Lieutenant General Li Jaihai announced his displeasure with the union's decision, and vowed to continue the strike. He was met with limited support. The union dissolved itself despite General Li's protests. Lieutenant General Li Jaihai is one of the most senior generals in Palintine and commander of the 5th Cavalry. He was on the fast-track for promotion recently before a government watchdog organization fingered him with corruption charges in his own ranks. It is believed that LT. Gen. Li is continuing his strike against the government out of spite. Edited June 25, 2009 by hawk_11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawk11 Posted June 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 Lieutenant General Li Jaihai felt exposed. He knew it was a bad idea at the time to reveal himself to the union; yet he made the boneheaded decision to go through with it anyway. Since the release of the article in Palintine Civilian Free Press and his name dropping, the lieutenant general has been dealing with bouts of paranoia. Even now as he was driving home from Hong Kong, he could swear he was being followed. He had good reason to believe that. Ever since he got off the interstate, a car had been following him. Beads of sweat formed on the man's brow. The general pulled off to the side of the road in a panic. The car continued onward. He breathed a sigh of relief. It was only a short drive out of Hong Kong for him to reach his decently-sized mansion. He had inherited a good amount of cash before Palintine fell into depression; so he was living comfortably while the rest of the nation trudged on. He was greeted in the garage by one of his personal attendants. "Good evening, sir." "Yes, a fine evening it is," the general said sarcastically. He didn't actually know the man's name. Li stopped. "Take the rest of the night off, okay? I'll pay you for it." "Thank you, sir!" The man left through the open garage door. Odds are he was a new hire that he waved through without actually checking him out. The paranoid Li planned on checking his background later tonight, but for now he wasn't taking any chances. He quickly navigated himself to his office and shut himself in. He sat at the desk and pulled out a bottle of whiskey. He spent the night in quiet contemplation. He had blown his own cover, and his plan to give the army more power in Palintine had failed. He wanted the strike to last much longer; however, foreign intervention gave Palintine the money it needed to replace the faulty equipment much quicker than he had expected. His ultimate goal was a military coup. This country had been declining for far too long, and Li felt only the military could pull it out effectively. Unfortunately, none of this mattered anymore. His cover was blown by his own foolishness, and now the prime minister would surely consider him a national threat. His death was imminent. Internal affairs would be upon him soon, and somehow he would slip and fall into a knife or accidently bathe with a toaster. It was around 11 o'clock when he was good and drunk that he noticed the enticing stare of the silver-plated M1911 pistol sitting on his mantle. This was an easy way out, and Li was just drunk enough to consider it. He slowly rose from his desk chair, making sure not to fall over, and made his way to the pistol. The light reflected off it beautifully. He picked it up held it in his hands like it was a delicate piece of molded glass. He examined the pistol, then brought it into his right hand. In a swift series of actions that only a man who practiced them a thousand times over could execute, he unloaded the clip to see if it was loaded, found that it was, slid the clip back in, pumped a bullet into the chamber, and released the safety. He brought the gun to his lips. It tasted terrible. He mentally cursed the prime minister. It was him that drove General Li from prominency to this sorry state. Now he was about to blow his life and most of the top of his head away while the prime minister slept soundly in his bed. This man did not deserve to rule the country, only a strong, military man should. And it should be Lieutenant General Lee! Yet, it was impossible, and now he stood in the middle of his own office sucking on the front of a silver-plated pistol. General Li looked for the courage to pull the trigger, and instead took it from his mouth. This isn't the answer. This couldn't be the answer. It was not right that General Li should die and that man live. No, it should be the other way around. Instead of General Li, that man in power, the one who is so cowardly he must keep his mask on at all times. He should be dying. He should be granted an undignified death, and someone truly capable of ruling this nation should be in power. And thus Lieutenant General Li decided he should strike first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael McBride Posted June 25, 2009 Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 OOC: Oh snap, son! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpacingOutMan Posted June 25, 2009 Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 OOC: You, sir, are epic. You. Are. THE COBRA COMMANDER! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maelstrom Vortex Posted June 26, 2009 Report Share Posted June 26, 2009 A representative from the Dragonisian Government got an appointment with the Prime Minister's office. He walked in quietly at his appointment time and set a briefcase down before the prime minister and then opened it to him. Inside was several blocks of Dragon Empire Imperial Bonds in the format mentioned previously totaling 1 billion dollars in value. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subtleknifewielder Posted June 26, 2009 Report Share Posted June 26, 2009 OOC: This thread is why, though his RP's are few and far between, I always read each one. He always has an interesting twist for ya... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawk11 Posted June 27, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2009 OOC: is attempting assassination really an interesting twist for me anymore? This is the second time someone's done it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Tintagyl Posted June 28, 2009 Report Share Posted June 28, 2009 A representative from the Dragonisian Government got an appointment with the Prime Minister's office. He walked in quietly at his appointment time and set a briefcase down before the prime minister and then opened it to him. Inside was several blocks of Dragon Empire Imperial Bonds in the format mentioned previously totaling 1 billion dollars in value. Karl van Donop had been right behind the Dragonisian Representative when he appeared in the Prime Minister's office. Palintine of course had quickly become one of the most trusted nations in Hanseatic eyes and the Lady Protector had taken it as her personal mission to see Palintine helped in every way possible. Even with the recent attack in Brisbane, looking out for allies was equally important. He carried with him a small leather briefcase, filled to the breaking point with Hanseatic checks for marks to inject into the Palintinian economy and as the Lady Protector had said. "Free of charge." Seeing the Dragonisian, Karl's eyes dropped. "Oh so the Prime Minister requested you as well sir?" Van Donop exteneded his hand to the representative. "Karl van Donop of the Pacific Trading Company at your service sir. Hopefully we can get down to business soon." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawk11 Posted June 28, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2009 The prime minister's senior economist followed the Hanseatic representative into the office. Like the prime minister, he also wore a mask. The mask happened to conceal his frown when he realized everyone but the prime minister was in the prime minister's office. Spin control. "Welcome, both of you," he started. "I am the prime minister's minister of the treasury. The prime minister should be with us shortly; he called in saying he was running late and apologizes." That was a lie. In reality, the minister had no clue where the prime minister was. The prime minister's motorcade had dropped out of communication ten minutes ago. Probably going through a tunnel, but security was still dispatched to their last known location just in case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subtleknifewielder Posted June 29, 2009 Report Share Posted June 29, 2009 (edited) OOC: is attempting assassination really an interesting twist for me anymore? This is the second time someone's done it. OOC: it is when the would-be assassin almost commits suicide instead... Besides, I wasn't talking just of the assassination, but the entire post, that time. You really are a good RP'er. Edited June 29, 2009 by Subtleknifewielder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawk11 Posted June 29, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 29, 2009 -Thirty minutes earlier- The executive motorcade was later than usual heading to Hong Kong. The security detail protecting the prime minister felt that there was reasonable evidence to merit stopping the motorcade for a security check; now they were back on the road heading from a conference the prime minister had held with local business to an important, impromptu meeting between representatives from the Dragon Empire, the Hanseatic Commonwealth, and Yamato. The meeting will address Palintine's economic struggle, which as of two days ago was turning itself around, and its military funding. Personally, it didn't really matter to the prime minister. Not in his current state anyway. The prime minister had let his drinking get the better of him again. He was currently flying high at a BAC of .05, safe enough to drive yet .05 higher than a diplomat should be. By the time he arrived in Hong Kong, he should be at a more accpetable level for negotiations. In his mind however, one could not blame him for this. Currently he was the most powerful man in a nation where the people were helpless as their military striked and their foreign neighbors sought to eat them alive. Foreign devils, the prime minister thought. None of them could be trusted. His Pax Pacifica allies came the closest to "trust," in the prime minister's allies; however, the glaring exception was Yamato. He had his reasons. The motorcade pulled onto an administrative district (AD) highway. The Palintinian highway system was three-tiered: local-funded, administrative district funded, and inter-district (funded by the national government). Inter-districts were four-to-eight lane highways while their smaller counterparts were two-to-four lanes. This particular AD highway was three lanes with the prime minister's side being the double-lane. The motorcade kept in the passing lane as the police escorts cleared traffic ahead of them. The town they were passing through was fairly modern looking, most of the traditional architecture pushed to the back in lieu of Western-style offices. The prime minister did not admire the view much between drinks from his flask. Alongside him, his chief of staff was going over the agenda for the upcoming meeting. "Remember to apologize for being late," the chief of staff said nonchalantly. He handed the prime minister a copy of the meeting agenda. The prime minister looked at the top item: "Apologize for delayed arrival." "You did not seriously write that onto my agenda," the prime minister scoffed as he looked it over. "You think I have no manners?" His chief of staff backpeddled. "It's not that I think you have no manners, it's just that-" he stopped as if looking for the right words. "It's just that...well...you're drunk." Apparently he could not think of them. "I'm tipsy," the prime minister responded indignantly. "You are not completely sober, but you should be." "Alright, I can agree to that one." The prime minister continued scanning the agenda. He was looking for the part of the meeting where he told them all to shove it, and he could not help feeling disappointed when he didn't find it. The motorcade turned off the AD highway into an industrial park, as scheduled. Moving through the industrial park would hopefully shave some time off their already-late schedule. The area was barren as the motorcade picked up speed and continued on its way to Hong Kong. A cell-phone rang, and the chief of staff answered. "Hello? ...Oh yes, hello. We got off to a late start. ...Yes, he's been drinking." The chief of staff stopped speaking briefly. "Oh yes, you can definitely smell it on him." The prime minister paid it no mind. They were coming up on what looked like an overpass. In actuality, it was a tunnel that ran under some factory grounds. "Hold on, I think we're heading through a tunnel." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maelstrom Vortex Posted June 29, 2009 Report Share Posted June 29, 2009 The prime minister's senior economist followed the Hanseatic representative into the office. Like the prime minister, he also wore a mask. The mask happened to conceal his frown when he realized everyone but the prime minister was in the prime minister's office. Spin control."Welcome, both of you," he started. "I am the prime minister's minister of the treasury. The prime minister should be with us shortly; he called in saying he was running late and apologizes." That was a lie. In reality, the minister had no clue where the prime minister was. The prime minister's motorcade had dropped out of communication ten minutes ago. Probably going through a tunnel, but security was still dispatched to their last known location just in case. The Dragonisian rep closed his briefcase and locked it. He nodded to the minister of the Treasury. "I guess I'll have a seat then, this could be a bit." He pulled up a chair, and waited. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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