For the Love of Oil

[Gadshack]

One Year Ago
Yumi was satisfied with her perfectly crafted shot. She grinned with a single eye still trained on the spot her target use to reside. The crowd below the podium panicked wildly, the guards of the Lord Septim already pointing to areas around them where the shot may have come from. Everywhere but where she was sitting, as usual they couldn’t trace her odd trick shots, almost always landing their mark; though missing wasn’t out of her league, only a super-being could establish such perfection. Swiftly she carried on into the crowds, dissipating from any noticeable view. Then it hit her, I killed the Lord Septim, she thought, the monarch of the nation who had reigned for over one hundred years. Kanto Yoshifumis dead. There was some sort of errieness that struck her when she said that, Yumi did perhaps the most dishonorable thing a Battounese could even consider, and that was betraying the Lord Septim’s trust. But what was this honor worth, to follow the rules in a straight line in the face of all those shiny Prime Dollars?

[hr]

Present Day

Lord Baron Korrasami sighed, switching off the television and immediately picking up the phone. “Bring this declaration straight to Parliament.” she said, before hanging up. The intercom buzzed on her desk, “Ms, Grand Shugo, the CHancellor of Foreign Affairs is here to see you.”

“Let him in.” She said, gathering herself to look presentable as an authoritarian behind her desk. “What do you need Hazuko?” she said, as the Chancellor walked in, closing the door behind him.

“I can’t control the Lord Septim, Hase is going to do what he pleases, or serves corporate interest. Of course he is convinced by his closest military and political advisers that the oil situation is desperate and that war upon the Kuroi islands is necessary if not inevitable.”

Korrasami piled a folder in front of him, “They’re black mailing me, if you will.”

Hazuko looked up in shock, “This isn’t true is it?”

She looked at him, stumped. “Of course not, they know I would try and have the absolute authority to sway parliament to overturn Hase’s will for war on the Kuroi islands. Not only will this war be useless and in vain, But it will be an international debacle with much ‘ire’ reception.”

“Well, something must be done.”

“Don’t worry, being the Grand Shugo for sixe years has taught me a little about the true political face of this land.”

Hazuko’s eyebrows raised, “Intrigue I presume?”

“Yes, which is something I’m not the slightest good at, though perhaps it’s time to stop playing the fools game of ‘straight and narrow’. I am tired of this country being pressed in the wrong direction, whether it be war and so on.”

“Please don’t tell me you’re trying to connect this to the assassination. I know you and Kanto were close but-”

“It was not the Kuroi. The reports are wrong and indecisive, I doubt that Kanto’s bodyguards were conveniently unprepared that day.” the Grand Shugo growled. “Whatever it takes,the truth must be uncovered”

“You’re facing immediate impeachment if you say this shit to anyone in Parliament, or even the cabinet. Honestly it will just be viewed as conspiratorial bullshit, hell you can face treason of the crown.”

“Don’t worry, I have it handled.” Korrasami wasn’t sure of this statement, in fact she had no confidence in this investigation, but it was the only hope of finding out who was truly behind the assassination of the Lord Septim Kanto. However, while her futile efforts were pursued, the Battousai Primean Navy, while crippled in it’s former glory, prepared to shell the coast.

[hr]

OOC: Basically Kuroi are the islands east of Battousai prime

Also a note on Navy: Battleships are mostly in active services(date back to circa-ww2, early cold war) with small modern enhancements, that said the most advanced thing in the Battousai Navy are modern corvettes and dated Frigates

[Val]

“So Val, recommendations?” asked Marion Heleck, President of Rhodesia. She was standing in her office with the phone in hand, speaking into it. Her eyes glued onto a TV screen, with newscasters talking about the military action the Battousai Prime government has utilized to annex Kuroi. Nearby her was the Presidential desk with manila folders scattered all over. Deep red stamps saying “Classified” was present all over them.

“Well, I say just stick to our normal policy of not intervening with other nation’s affairs. Not our cup of tea and we have no legitimate interests,” the Vice president said loudly, trying to talk over the sounds of jet engines in the background.

“Well, there is the fact that they are trying to revive their sinking economy,” Marion replied casually, still looking at the screen. It changed from the newscaster to a military analyst who is now spelling out what could be the prime reason why Battousai Prime has engaged in such hostilities.

“Well that’s geopolitical motivators for you Marion. There’s always and angle, and Battousai Prime has been in a downward spiral since the Assassination of Kan-” Val yelled in a calm manner, suddenly interrupted by a cargo plane taking off.

After a few seconds of silence, the voice in the phone came back, “Anyways, Kanto Yoshifumis was the Lord Septim, some kinda king or ruler I guess. It started the downward spiral of their internal politics after he was assassinated.”

“Ok…” Marion commented, giving the signal that she was still listening.

“Despite it being a year ago, it’s a dog eat dog world over there in the Battousai Prime political system. So a lot of extremists who are willing to step on toes and blackmail their way have probably reached the highest echelons. It only gets worse with their oil situation. Anyways, I gotta get going,” the Vice President said before hanging up.

Marion continued to stare at the TV screen as the dead tone came through the phone. She hung it up and walked towards her seat to continue reading the classified paperwork. It was evident from the conversation that not a single word from the Rhodesian government would be said on the situation unraveling.