A Return From Exile

[Sargun II]

"Aether will not be recovering."

[Subtleknifewielder]

"Nukes a generic term? I assume you mean for any weapon of mass destruction. In any case, we have already observed various Islamic communities in our own nation protesting. So far they have remained peaceful."

Edited October 8, 2009 by Subtleknifewielder

[V The King]

"The world could use more parking lots."

[Subtleknifewielder]

"But parking lots tend to be useless if no one can survive long enough to park their car in them."

[loannes]

"Nukes a generic term? I assume you mean for any weapon of mass destruction. In any case, we have already observed various Islamic communities in our own nation protesting. So far they have remained peaceful."

"Nukes is easier to say than weapons of mass destruction. And I didn't say the Muslim populations would turn violent everywhere. Silent outrage and protests are more likely."

[Subtleknifewielder]

"I didn't say you said that...in fact I was pointing out that that particular statement was true. And actually, the easiest way of all to refer to them (and still be accurate) would be WMD's."

Edited October 8, 2009 by Subtleknifewielder

[Cybil de Blanc]

An ashen rain also fell from the sky, but as soft snowflakes instead of the debris of a ruined nation. As grey as the Aether Empire now that it had been blasted to smithereens, and as grey as the rotting faces of the chemically-killed Novak people, Queen Cybil de Blanc shook, stunned by that which was coming in on her weakly-coloured television screen. Lady of Affairs Selena Rosario had her hand on the Queen's shoulder; the ruler of Cyneriice Northan had not known true destruction until now. But it was better for her to know, especially in the early weeks of her reign.

"Those...those monsters...those Hell-spawned monstrosities...they'll be condemned for this...all of this...and they...they...."

"Easy, my lady," said Rosario softly. "We can do nothing, except keep the borders open for the refugees."

"Aether...why did they...and N-Novak...this can't be happening...why did Aether...why...WHY WAS I NOT INFORMED OF THIS EARLIER?!!"

Rosario jumped a little at the loudness of Cybil's voice, but was otherwise calm. "We tried, Your Majesty," said the Lady of Affairs, "but it took a while for things to come through our channels. Lack of updated technology is one reason, and our intelligence department needed to sift rumour from truth. Be calm, my Queen!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

OOC: I hope this post makes sense.

Edited October 8, 2009 by Cybil de Blanc

[loannes]

"I didn't say you said that...in fact I was pointing out that that particular statement was true. And actually, the easiest way of all to refer to them (and still be accurate) would be WMD's."

"I'm used to Promised Land's administration dogging my actions, it's instinctive to lash back nowadays."

[Il Terra Di Agea]

"You don't have your facts straight...Mecca was not hit with nukes...it was hit with something potentially worse in the long run--chemical warheads."

An Independent News Fact Checker had this to Say:

"Well, no, that's wrong. Chemicals can be scrubbed out, cleaned up, immunized agaisnt, and diffused out. The Radiation of a Nuclear weapon however, cannot. What Carthage has done is curse the people of Aether to a great many worth of pain, death, and the making the land unlivable, versus Mekkah which could be cleaned up anywhere between a week to air out, and a month with a haz-mat team, of course, not accounting for reconstruction."

OOC: Because everyone RPs the effects of Nukes realistically. Leaving land empty for years on end so the radiation can empty out

Edited October 8, 2009 by Il Terra Di Agea

[Lord Zephyr]

OOC: If mekkah had this happen to it in real life, basically every serious Islamic person in the world would start riots, that or if they actually get the message of religion, quietly hate those that did it, or possibly mourn the destruction of their sacred city. And aether probably killed a few hundred thousand people at least, I don't think nukes is enough of a punishment for that.

Then again it wasn't aethers people that did it, it was just their mad leader. So take your pick, the killings of millions of people, or the hunt for the one man who cause it. I dunno what I'd do really.

Edited October 8, 2009 by Lord Zephyr

[Il Terra Di Agea]

OOC: If mekkah had this happen to it in real life, basically every serious Islamic person in the world would start riots, that or if they actually get the message of religion, quietly hate those that did it, or possibly mourn the destruction of their sacred city. And aether probably killed a few hundred thousand people at least, I don't think nukes is enough of a punishment for that.

Then again it wasn't aethers people that did it, it was just their mad leader. So take your pick, the killings of millions of people, or the hunt for the one man who cause it. I dunno what I'd do really.

OOC: Though that was an IC statement, my personal belief in this situation is that wiping out an entire nation is not equal to wiping out a good portion of a city with major history. Frankly that is all a messy subject to get on that should be held in the Boiler Room, if at all.

Now, let us try to keep on topic

EDIT in response to your edit: Because they are both the exact same thing, right? Not trying to be an (Donkey), but they are both the same deal, killing many harmless civilians to kill one man, neither of whom in the end got killed in the end

Edited October 8, 2009 by Il Terra Di Agea

[Lord Zephyr]

OOC: Though that was an IC statement, my personal belief in this situation is that wiping out an entire nation is not equal to wiping out a good portion of a city with major history. Frankly that is all a messy subject to get on that should be held in the Boiler Room, if at all.

Now, let us try to keep on topic

EDIT in response to your edit: Because they are both the exact same thing, right? Not trying to be an (Donkey), but they are both the same deal, killing many harmless civilians to kill one man, neither of whom in the end got killed

OOC:True, but they were willing to kill the civilians to kill that one man, and then make land uninhabitable for a few hundred years. And then polluting the red seas strait in the process, making that area dangerous, possibly killing wildlife in that area, and making the strait a dangerous place to pass.

[Il Terra Di Agea]

OOC:True, but they were willing to kill the civilians to kill that one man, and then make land uninhabitable for a few hundred years. And then polluting the red seas strait in the process, making that area dangerous, possibly killing wildlife in that area, and making the strait a dangerous place to pass.

OOC: Once again, both are polluting the area, killing civilians deliberately, and killing every living thing nearby, it just that one will pass in under a year, one will only pass after a good long time (Haven't been able to find any exact numbers, but probably in the time of twenty to thirty years if you wait for enough background radiation to clear that it is really safe, not just "No longer going to make you sterile and dead").

[Teriethien]

From an underground bunker in Paris, officials of the French the intelligence agency and military monitor reports of widespread destruction carefully. The willingness by some parts of the world to resort to exchanges of weapons of mass destruction was duly noted - and the clear disregard for lives shocked them. In nervous murmurs the the special committee debated the implications through the night.

Next morning, the President woke up to a long and strenuous national secutiy briefing.

[Executive Minister]

When news on Zephyr's assassination reached the NoN, everyone in the Executive Ministry was silent. Previous Nod ideology called on ranks and promotions being given to those with enough strength to maintain their office. In the past everyone performed their duties with the proverbial sword dangling above their heads. Recent decades had softened the hearts of NoN politicians significantly however - none were immune to the shock of hearing that one of their friends was dead.

"Jesus..." Michaelson said, "killed by his own bloody Second..."

Michaelson was the first in a large group of figures to respond. All of them had an air of importance surrounding them, many displaying colourful military decorations on formal dress.

"I trust the same would not happen to me?" the Executive Minister said quietly, stepping towards his General. The EM's large, hulking frame was heaving, almost urging Michaelson to say yes.

"Of... Of course, sir...." while taken aback by his superior's musing, Michaelson answered firmly, looking up and staring hard into the EM's faceplate as he spoke. Although his face was shrouded, it seemed as if the EM was staring into the very pit of his soul. (OOC: Tahsir )

Seemingly satisfied with what he saw, the Executive Minister stepped back.

"I want all of you to remember this... the heart of any nation resides within its people..." The Executive Minister had arrayed his entire Inner Circle within the War Room. The heads of every single Ministry were present, not just the military or intelligence, and were now being surveyed by the man as he continued.

"If you do not control your people, be it through religion, ideology or respect, then things like that happen and you lose... Simply eradicating the opposition will never work. We know that and I want Zephyr's death to be a reminder to all of you."

"Indeed my Lord," "Iago stepped out from the crowd. The mob is fickle... slip up, and you will be forgotten in a week. Much sooner if it is properly arranged..."

"That kind of behaviour is what we left when we first ceded from the Brotherhood. We must learn from Zephyr's mistakes to ensure tha-"

Suddenly, frantic tapping was heard at a nearby console, interrupting the EM's rebuke. A message was coming in from the Northern front.

 Interim Roachin Commander MERLIN orders strike // WEST RA positions // Did // Not // Comply // Heavy casualties // Roachin fallen // Awaiting Orders // JAGDFELL STOP

The message was in Morse Code, travelling down from the Northern NoN positions via hidden wire set up in preparation for the NoN's half of Operation Moses. It appeared that following the assassination of Lord Zephyr, a Commander by the name of Merlin had ordered an attack on western Rebel Army positions without authorization from NoN-Coalition Military Break-Though forces (NoN-CMBT forces) or Coalition Command (COCOM). Jagdfell had wisely deemed Merlin's orders to be outside of Roachin's jurisdiction over the NoN-CMBT force and fortunately did not proceed with a suicidal attack of his own.

"Tovarish Komandir, how should we proceed?" everyone turned to the aging Commander Arlovsky, Minister of Military Affairs, "Our forces have reached their objectives and are awaiting confirmation of Operation Moses... while I do not doubt the willingness of my men to die for their country, I do not see any advantage in supporting the Roachin Monarchy any longer now that its Patriarch has been murdered and her military thrown into complete disarray."

"I am inclined to agree, Vladimir, however COCOM Head, Zarfef, has not made contact with us for some time now... as of yet our NoN-CMBT forces are to hold their positions just inside Southern Egypt and fire only when spotted... I will establish contact Zarfef at once... the man's incessant scheming is the reason we are still in (alive) this war."

[...]

"...this land will be our home, and our home it shall forever be."

A few days later, with no word at all from Zarfef despite the Executive Minister's best efforts, news spread on the re-emergence of Novak on the Arabian Peninsula. Jagdfel's assessment on the stability of Roachin had been correct. It had fallen with little more than a whimper, and the Executive Minister had no intention of ordering General Arlovsky to prop up a dead horse with NoN lives.

Speaking over a live-feed of the Novakian press conference, the EM gave his order, "That's it, we are pulling out. Arlovsky, order our forces to consolidate 'captured' UMS materiel and proceed to redeploy within our National Borders. I want no evidence remaining to suggest that we were planning on destroying the single most vital water source in all of North East Africa. I want our Frontal Artillery assets to maintain a constant smokescreen on the pull out and Frontal Anti-air assets on the Northern border to maintain a no-fly zone until redeployment is comple-"

Suddenly, a loud boom was heard from the main screen - the previous conference disrupted by an unknown assailant. As the camera shook and startled audience members scattered their gazes in search of the sound's source an aide cried out. The Executive Minister could just make out an image of the Novakian leader being whisked away by security and the audience collectively looking to the skies before the feed ended abruptly.

"Sirs! It's the Aether!" The aide cried out a second time from behind his console within the Temple Secundus' Operations Center.

"What's going on people!?" Michaelson was terse. This was not an operation ordered under COCOM, it was the Aether acting unilaterally. Dashing to the aide's Operations Console, the Control Room of Temple Secundus was alight in frantic movement.

On the aide's console, several ballistic trajectories were being mapped by NoN Intelligence. Several dozen signatures matching the Aether's domestically produced Banshee cruise missiles were seen leaving the Southern part of the Aether Empire only to end at positions within the newly dubbed nation of Novak. The Executive Minister and General Michaelson were the only members of the Inner Circle remaining, as the rest had been dismissed. As they watched, they noted several remnant Aether Artillery positions being activated. Soon after Zarfef's speech was seen in place of the Novak feed.

What? Have you dared insinuate that the man you have murdered, Zephyr, is a madman? We mad-men too have feelings you know, and right now... I'M feeling very ironically. Mad. I hope you enjoy the destruction I have sent, war is already raging in Zephyr's sacred lands and his murder will not be the end of it. The campaign has not ended because one king has fallen, the battle is only begun and I promise that we will continue with our promise that by the end of this war... Rebel Army shall bleed. What you have witnessed today in blood is only of the calmer storm... By now you know of the red sands... by now you know with what we will turn the sands red with.

And I shall say again! LET ZEPHYR'S PEOPLE GO!

"I'll give him one thing... at least he is persistent...." Michaelson said incredulously.

"No.... no this is dangerous. What is the status of Roachin's nuclear arsenal, if any? Nevermind! We must dispatch Nyani at once! The Nation of Nod's affiliation with the Red Sands is no longer beneficial. She is to cut all ties to the Aether and release a statement outlining our current intentions."

No sooner had the Executive Minister uttered those words did a message from the Novakian Foreign Minister arrive.

**Private message to NoN**

From: Foreign Affairs Minister

NoN government, we wish to discuss an armistice between our nations. You have been a respectable opponent and I wish stable relations between us due to our shared border.

"Nyani is to engage in diplomatic dialogue with the Novakians... given our history it will be difficult... however our diplomatic doctrine states that one is to never turn a potential friend into an enemy. Zarfef's rampancy has manifested itself fully... to think we were following the man to our own end... We are to remain at DEFCON 1 in anticipation of any reprisal attacks, by everyone."

"Sir, what do you mean, 'everyone'?" Michaelson was puzzled, and his query was directed at a now departing Executive Minister. Hearing this, the EM spun about, and with arms raised screamed out in a long bellow,

"EVVVVVRRRYYYYYYONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

(OOC: a cookie to whoever gets that movie reference)

[...]

Moments after the announcement of a successful Chemical attack on several key Novakian sites by the now rampant Aether Empire, several nuclear detonations were observed to be perilously close to the NoN's borders. The NoN population is to finish relocating to the Undercities for an indefinite period of time. Iodine tablets are being distributed and hydroponic Wheat harvests are to be redelegated solely on feeding the populace.

There has been no official comment by the NoN government as of yet, however NoN-CMBT forces in Sudan have begun to pull out, headed south. All military assets abroad have been recalled, save the research personnel maintaining the former Krieg Antarctic base.

Edited October 8, 2009 by Executive Minister