Trouble Home and Abroad

Defense Minister Kyle Johnson was typing a memo when he received an urgent message. He read it, and clicked the attachment, a .pdf file of the latest Coyden Harbinger.

He read the two large headlines, and cursed loudly. Thankfully, no one else was in the room at the time.

He immediately started printing the edition out.
[hr]
Acting Prime Minister Melissa Gray sat in the desk of the Prime Minister. This was normal procedure while Prime Minister Stevenson was either away or incapacitated. Due to the meeting with the Staynish king, she had to fill in the highest office. Little did she know that Foreign Minister Smith’s carefully set diplomatic connections were about to fall apart.

Defense Minister Kyle Johnson walked quickly into the office and said with an urgent tone, “I just received this.”

In his hand was a printout of the latest Coyden Harbinger.

Gray picked up the newspaper, read the headline, and immediately dropped it. “Oh no. Oh no oh no oh no.”

She couldn’t believe her eyes. And it was timed so she would be the one to deal with it.

She picked up her phone, and dialed Foreign Minister Smith’s number.

“This is Foreign Minister Smith speaking.”

“This is the Acting Prime Minister. Rurik Lukin of Stratarin is dead. I need to talk to you in private.”

(OOC: Smith’s reaction is in the meeting thread)

Gray relayed the information from the Harbinger, which has seemed to have suddenly taken an anti-Dragomirov stance. Which Smith figured was weird, noting that only days before the same paper applauded his actions. Something did not add up.

Smith said, “You mentioned a second headline. What is it?”

Gray said, “Something about someone named Starikov seizing power.”

Smith said, “Well, there’s your answer.”

“What?”

“The Harbinger is state run. Starikov could be doing foul play.”