Jack's back

[Eggman Empire]

The announcement had begun streaming from an unknown online source only just a few minutes ago, but already all the major news outlets in Eggman Empire had picked up on this. Some fool had declared he was the rightful air to the Imperial throne, and he'd be back on very soon to deliver an ultimatum. Minutes ticked by, and as promised, the man returned. The screen showed an empty room with nothing but a chair in it. The man walked over to the chair, sat, and turned his attention to the camera.

"Hello. Most of you do not know me. My name is Jack Ulysses Kintober. Sammy Kintober is my brother. Back when Wilhelm Kintober was still in charge, it was decided that my brother, being the oldest and a bit more intellectual then me, would become Emperor and if anything should happen to him, I would take his place. Fast forward to when Sammy did assume control of the throne. One of the first things he did was throw me in a jail cell and throw away the key." A sour look spread over the man's face.

"Eventually, a few loyal followers sprang me from prison, and I spent the next several years patiently waiting for Sammy to step down so that I could take my rightful place as Emperor. Imagine my surprise when this so-called 'Isaac Kintober' was found and installed. The man is not a Kintober! The DNA tests and whatnot were all performed by scientists and doctors who're on Sammy's payroll! He is an impostor on the throne, installed by a mentally troubled ex-Emperor! As a real Kintober and heir to the throne, it is my duty to remove this impostor! Any and all who side with him are to be considered enemies of the country! After I regain control, any civilian or military elements still loyal to 'Isaac' will be dealt with! The Reclamation begins now!" The scene ended.
------
"Think they bought it?" Jack asked. Eric shrugged.

"Either way, it's time to strike." Eric replied. Jack nodded.

"Very well then. Launch the beginning salvos and have the first waves move out." Jack said with a smile. As petty as it sounded, if he couldn't have Eggman Empire, and whoever did would have a damn large mess to deal with after he was through.
------
Mere minutes after the announcement by Jack had been made, the administrative building for the [url="http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/3190/ezones.jpg"]Ninth province[/url] of Eggman Empire, was brutally attacked. The regent for the ninth province was found and executed. Across the rest of Ninth province, any and all government installations came under heavy attack. Civilian areas fell within minutes, and all recon bases in Ninth Province succumbed to overwhelming foes an hour after the announcement. The Sixth, Seventh, and Eight Provinces all found themselves facing similar situations. The key to the rebel force's sudden victory was well placed forces and surprise. The rebels had essentially hidden themselves on the doorstep of any civilian or military installation that might be able to oppose them. With one province lost, and three others on the brink, the Eggman Empire found itself once again facing civil war.

[Karl Martin]

Upon hearing the news:


"We hope not too much blood is shed."

[DeSchaine]

Christos DeSchaine hmphed as he poured a glass of Bushmills on the rocks for himself as he listened to the news. "Oh but of course. Devolve the nation into a civil war once again." He shook his head as he walked back and sat down, putting his feet up on his desk as he addressed his cabinet. "You know... I've always had this wacky idea that you could accomplish a take over just by sneaking into the capitol and assaulting it directly. Granted, it'll be the most heavily defended area, but if you can accomplish a surprise attack of this size over this large an area..." he took a slow sip. "Instead, you waste time and resources in the outlying areas, afflicting trauma on the very citizens you're looking to rule. Bah."

"True, true. They've made a right bags of the whole thing." said Mulcahy. "Though you're way is tad too simplistic, the theory is sound." he mused.

The Foreign Secretary took off his glasses and cleaned them with his tie. "So, question is, how to we respond to this?"

"Well, that's simple." said DeSchaine. "First, Richard, NorCom's alert goes up one step."

Mulcahy nodded. "Obviously. I hardly expect that any of the disturbance will get out of the EE's borders, but it never hurts to be prepared. Besides, the forces can use it as a training opportunity."

"Right. Secondly, Gerry, I want a statement that says we're concerned about the situation, and are worried about the civilian population. We are prepared to accept refugees, should that become needed."

Gerry Adams pulled out his PSTU and made a quick call. After a minute, he hung up. "It'll be out in less than an hour, chief."

DeSchaine smiled as he took another sip. "Fine, and with that, this day is at an end. I'll see you both tomorrow."

[Eggman Empire]

"I am here today, to announce that I will not be moving my division or any of it's resources to the front lines to combat the rebel insurgents." Nickoli Reedenka, General of the Seventh infantry Division declared to the press. "I have more reason to believe that Jack is the actual heir to the Kintober thrown then Isaac is. My forces will remained where they have been stationed. Any commander or NCO in this division found trying to attack Jack's forces or aid Isaac's forces will be removed from command and replaced. Unless Jack begins to commit atrocities, I stand by my decree."

The announcement would not go over well with anyone.

[Eggman Empire]

"God [b]DAMMIT![/b]" Isaac snarled as he beat his fist on the war room table. Two other Generals besides Reedenka had essentially echoed his statement, though one had the decency to stand down and allow himself to be replaced. In addition to that, more then half the senate, led by on Alex Marrin, had declared they would openly oppose Isaac if he tried to push anything through. Isaac had never heard of the man before, but once this was all over, he promised himself that Alex would hang. Meanwhile, on the front, Jack's main force had already overtaken zones 6-9 and were working their way through zones 4 and 5. Their speed was due to avoiding civilian populations and garrisoned cities and mainly focusing on military installations. Besides Jack's main force, other insurgent elements had popped up through-out Eggman Empire. Zone's one and three each had at least three battalion sized technical elements harassing his force. Zone two, the zone Robotropolis resided in, originally had a few enemy battalions pop up, but part of the 9th Ex and 4th mechanized Divisions had made short work of them.

Another problem facing Isaac was Zone ten, formally known as the Osean province. Riots, Jack's rebels, and independent insurgents were all causing havoc down there, forcing a good chunk of the 9th Ex and the 12th Marine Infantry divisions to stay put and deal with the mess. The whole situation was a mess. The beleaguered divisions to the east that were holding off Jack's forces were begging for reinforcements, but all available units were either fighting their own battles, or tied up by Reedenka and his followers. Isaac swore again and beat the table once more. He briefly considered Groenlandia for help, but decided against it. The idea morphed into something else, though. "Is it possible-" He began. The personnel turned to look at him. "-to send one of our carrier fleets around Greenland to launch attacks at Jack's forces from the rear?" He asked. technically, they would have to get Groenlandia's permission to fly missions over their airspace, but it shouldn't be a problem. The tacticians around him echoed what he already suspected. "Then send the Filoviridae battlegroup to that area I want to hit back. And figure out a way to put our missiles into play. We got hundreds of silos waiting for use. Let's not waste them." He said. "I'll get to work getting Groenlandia's permission for the airstrikes while you're all working on that." The others in the room nodded and Isaac left.

He marched down the halls, his escort in tow. He quickly arrived at his office and moved to his desk to get in contact with Groenlandia's government. Before he could, there was a knock on the door. "Who is it?" He asked suspiciously.

"Hank Voi. I just got classified information for your eyes only." Came the reply. A quick check of the cameras outside revealed the man was who he claimed to be. Isaac unlocked the door. Hank entered, calmly and quickly pulled a gun out of the folder of papers, and shot Isaac and his escorts before they could react. The three men tumbled to the floor. Not bothering to check the bodyguards, Hank walked over to Isaac's prone figure. He leveled the gun at the Emperor and squeezed the trigger.

Isaac rolled forward, avoiding the shot and whipping out a combat knife he'd hidden on him. Isaac plunged the knife into Hank's leg, and the man howled in agony. The Emperor yanked the knife back out, and leaped up at Hank, knocking the both of them over. A quick struggle ended with the gun out of Hank's reach and Isaac's knife against his throat. Isaac looked very angry.

"So, you're on Jack's payroll too?" He snarled. Hank shrugged.

"No. I was going to have him killed though, along with those morons in the senate and those retarded generals." He replied.

"Why'd you try to kill me then?" Isaac asked.

"Oh wake up!" Hank sneered. "You're new. Nobody's ever heard of you. Of course we're going to try to off you. You're young and inexperienced! I've got just as much right to run this country as anyone else. If fact, without me, Sammy would never have gotten away with half the stuff he pulled. If it wasn't for me, he would've been removed long ago. I served your father faithfully and he spits in my eye by putting some nobody in charge of me and this country. I wish the other Hank had killed him." The man informed Isaac angrily. "By the way, didn't I just shoot you?" Hank asked curiously. Isaac shrugged.

"You did, actually." He then cracked the knife handle against Hank's skull, knocking the man out. Isaac sat up and stuck a finger in the hole in his shirt. The body armor had done it's job. Barely. He was going to have a massive bruise in an hour or so. He got up and checked on his guards. Lung shots. They were hurt, but they would survive if they got treatment fast enough. Isaac called for both security and a medical team and began performing first aid, all the while hoping nobody would try to kill him again.

[Eggman Empire]

Jack looked at the map. His forces had claimed all the zones 6 through 9. Barely. If he pushed them forward to launch a full scale attack on zones 4 and 5, he would most likely lose. And his forces that had originally been stationed in zones 4 and 5 had dwindled away to nothing. On top of that, all insurgent forces in zones 1, 2, 3, and 10 had been destroyed. This allowed for Isaac to begin building up forces in zones 4 and 5 for a counter-attack. If that happened, Jack would surely loose. But Jack had a trick up his sleeve. Earlier in the war, Isaac had deployed one of his carrier fleets to launch air-strikes on his rear. Jack had used waves of explosive-laden cargo and fishing boats to ram and destroy the offending fleet. It had worked to some success. The fleet had taken heavy loses, and the carrier was barely floating on it's own. Jack gambled that Isaac would assume he was desperate, and might do something extreme. Now, it was time to put that factor into play. He ordered a communications link to be established between himself and Isaac.
------
Isaac looked at the screen and glowered. "What do you want?"

"Simple. I either want to control the land I've already taken and turn it into a separate country, or I want a job in you're cabinet with immunity." Jack stated calmly. Isaac laughed cruelly.

"And just why would I do that?" He asked, frowning again.

"Because if you don't, I'll wage a chemical and biological campaign against your troops, and saturate the areas I loose with deadly toxins." Jack stated bluntly. Isaac snarled.

"You're insane! Why should I believe you?"

"Because I was willing to launch dozens of suicide boats at your fleet to get them away from my forces. I'm a genius with access to lab facilities. I've been making toxic materials ever since I broke out. I've got enough to contaminate the entire Eggman Empire twice over [i]and[/i] I have missile capabilities. You really want to risk Eggman Empire turning into a place where you need a gasmask and chemical suit just to survive a walk to the store?" Jack replied.

"How do I know you won't betray me?" Isaac asked.

"From what I've heard lately, you've got a better chance of trusting me then your own personnel." Jack pointed out, a bit smugly. Isaac glared at the man. He thought about it for a moment. "If you say yes, I promise I will never try to take your throne away again." Jack added. Isaac continued to think. He finally reached a conclusion.

"Alright. I'll put you into a position on my cabinet. Full immunity. In return, your forces stand down, allow mine to re-enter the land, and you show where you're hiding the toxins. Deal?" He asked. Jack grinned and nodded.

"I'll start spreading the word immediately." He said, and the comm line went out. Phil Ryst stepped up behind him.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" The minister asked.

"What else can I do? Besides, I've got a little surprise to ensure his loyalty to me. I'm not going to go back on my word. Just give him a little gift, that's all." Isaac responded, grinning evilly. Micro-bombs planted in one's gut and head could ensure loyalty from even the most extremist.

[Eggman Empire]

Nickoli Reedenka struggled uselessly against his captors. Reedenka, once a three star commanding over 10,000 men and billions in supplies and equipment, was now general no longer. He had been publicly stripped of his title by Isaac mere hours before SpecOps troops from Isaac's forces had infiltrated his stronghold and whisked him away. Now he found himself being dragged through the Imperial palace in a dull gray POW jumpsuit. He finally reached the intended destination.

Upon entering the room, Reedenka was thrown to the floor. He growled and tried to get up, but the boot from one of his jailors pushed him into a kneeling position. Reedenka snarled at him. He didn't like being pushed around by a seventeen year-old freak. In fact, Reedenka had never liked the happy smilers in general. Too dangerous and far too loyal to the Kintober line. Reedenka had pushed hard to keep the smilers out of his division. A noise in front of him caused Reedenka to look up. There Isaac was. Standing in front of his desk like he was the master of the world. Reedenka sneered at the man. He didn't bother to hide his contempt.

Isaac merely kept a neutral expression on his face. "So..." He said nonchalantly, "Care to explain what the [i]hell[/i] went through your mind when you committed treason?" Isaac asked.

"Without the help of my division, your defenses would fall. Then your uncle would take control and this nation wouldn't be led by a brat that I could've ordered to spit shine my shoes a month ago. Reedenka snarled vehemently. Isaac raised an eyebrow.

"And if I had won?" He inquired. Reedenka grinned maliciously.

"Then we would've killed you. Just like we would've killed that Jack fellow." He replied with a sneer.

"So I assume that's why Senator Marrin and his cronies decided to support Jack? So that when the dust settled, he'd be the last man standing?" Isaac asked. Reedenka nodded. Isaac shrugged. "Hard to find good help theses days, eh Uncle?" He asked. Reedenka's eyes grew large as Jack Kintober emerged from another room.

"Sure is." Jack replied. He looked at Reedenka like a guy looks at an ant. "I can't believe you went through all the trouble of setting up that whole convoy and have my men rescue me when you planning on killing me in the first place! I'm hurt." Jack replied. Isaac stepped away from the desk, and stood over Reedenka.

"Games over. Marrin has ran off to God knows where, all your co-conspirators are in jail, and Jack failed to meet your expectations. You've got nothing and you're guilty of treason." Isaac pulled out a gun and placed it to Reedenka's head. "Now, I'm willing to wipe your slate clean; clear you of all charges IF-" Isaac paused. "-You lick my boots." Isaac pointed to his footware. Reedenka looked at the Isaac, the gun, the shoes, and back to Isaac.

"Go and die in a fire." Reedenka responded venomously. Isaac shrugged.

"You're funeral." He placed the gun to Reedenka's forhead, but then suddenly pulled it away. "The way I see it, the Facility is missing a prisoner. It's only fair you take his place." Isaac said with an evil chuckle. Reedenka looked at him in horror, before Isaac slammed the butt of his gun against the man's head, knocking him out. He motioned for the guards to take him away and prepare him for in-processing at the Facility. He turned to Jack. "So I heard you have a commander with nothing to command. Is he any good?"