United As One

[Fortuna]

[spoiler]I should have put this sooner, but whatever. This is going to focus on a conflict between Fortuna and Eridani Theta with an important decision that will decide the fate of the two island nations. I’ve had this idea for a while, and I finally got the chance to do it. So yeah, so I guess you can sit back and watch me tear apart my nations.[/spoiler]
Destino Rally Grounds, Fortuna

The rally grounds. A place where every man, woman, and child came together as one to celebrate their nation, cheer to the recent victories of the mighty military, and listen to what the Fortunan leaders have planned. Rallies were held every week and turnout was usually minimum at best, but today was an important rally, one that every Fortunan was eager to hear. Today the High Commander himself was giving a speech, and being both supreme leader and chosen one of Unus, his words are always important. The grounds were packed, and just as the rally was about to begin, people were still pushing their way through the gates. Some adventurous boy scouts climbed right to the top of the outside walls, giving them a full view of the grounds.

Being in a rally was rather exciting for the average Fortunan, people laughing, thousands of banners and flags flying, and soldiers chanting old Fortunan verses as young girls danced along. It was one big party, all to celebrate how great their nation was. As the time came for the rally to start, everyone began to calm down and move into their appointed location. Once the hour struck, the grounds were filled with perfectly straight lines of soldiers and citizens, while the rest watched from stone bleachers that lined the entire area. All eyes were on the tall stage in the front, waiting excitedly to see their beloved leader. Disappointingly it was not the High Commander they saw first, but a beautiful young lady in a decorative, dark green dress. Many recognized her as the actress from their favorite television show “A True Soldier,” a wonderful tale of true, Fortunan patriotism. The young actress, with a large grin on her face, made her way to the podium and lightly tapped on the microphone to make sure it was working. After making a couple loud bump noises, she grabbed the small cue card on the podium and began to recite it.

“Welcome fellow Fortunans to this special occasion. We’re gathered today to hear a special announcement from greatest man of all.” She paused as the crowd whispered excitedly, waiting for them to calm down again. “So, I am honored today to present to you the Great Uniter, the Chosen One of Unus, and the Conqueror of the Medium Islands, our glorious High Commander Tristan Lytle!” She barely even finished as the crowd erupted in excitement, all eyes on the back of the stage. Dressed in his military uniform, Tristan Lytle made his way to the podium while waving to the crowd and stepping in unison to the national anthem that was playing in the background. Even as he already reached the podium and the music stopped playing, the people continued to cheer. Tristan could not get them to completely stop, so he began when the crowd was a bit calmer.

“My fellow Fortunans, you have probably heard that I am here to make an announcement. The truth is, I am here to make a proposal.” Tristan paused for effect, one of his favorite speech techniques. “I made a promise to you all, a promise I swore to complete. I swore that Fortuna shall raise to the might of the First Fortunan Empire, even growing more powerful than that. Our first step towards this goal was with the uniting of the three states of Fortuna once again, my-, no, our greatest achievement. Our next achievement was bringing back the Medium Islands under the Empire, growing our influence in the Spes Region and showing the world that we are not to be messed with. However, we are still not at our full potential. We need to grow stronger, we need to grow larger, we need to become more united.” The crowd was now intently listening to their leader, what was he proposing? Tristan merely smiled back as he continued, but now staring past the crowd.

“I call upon our brothers and sisters of Eridani Theta, to help us toward that goal. Once we were united, once we were strong together. I propose to our brothers and sisters of the North to join Fortuna as one, so that we can grow stronger and more united than ever before!” Tristan paused again to let what he said sink in for the crowd and for the many Eridani Thetans who were listening to the live broadcast. He assumed the Eridani Thetan government, well those opposed to the idea of joining Fortuna, will be busily at work trying to shut it down. Unfortunately, their technological advancement was not at the level of Fortuna, so they’ll just have to sit back and enjoy Tristan’s speech.

“The world is more unstable than it has ever been; the Caliphate continues to spread their ideology to easily conquer their neighbors, the Vekaiyun Union takes advantage of lesser nations to grow their influence within Yasteria, and the SEPC targets nations deemed unworthy to spread the disease of communism! It will be only a matter of time till we are deemed unworthy and then they’ll try to wipe us from existence! We must not let that happen!” Tristan could feel the drops of sweat that was forming on his brow dripping down his face, but he was too focused on the speech to care. “There is only one solution! We must unite! As the saying goes, one which every Fortunan knows by heart, ‘strength comes through unity!’” The crowd erupted in cheering at hearing the national motto, and in the back a group of young adults began chanting “We must unite! We must unite!” Tristan took the time to catch his breath and take a sip of water, giving the crowd a minute to cheer before gesturing for them to quiet down.

“Strength comes through unity,” he repeated, a bit quieter this time, “Eridani Thetans know exactly how true that saying is. You know full well how broken and weak your nation was when ununited, a shell of what it could be. Under the hand of Eldur Mironov though, a man I fully respect, you put aside your differences and saw that unity was a better solution. But you must feel a sense of emptiness, a sense that your mission of unity is not over yet. That, my brothers and sisters, is your Fortunan blood calling to you to return home. Deep down inside, you know we are all one in the same. We share similar languages, similar cultures, similar beliefs! Why now let borders be what separates us from each other?! My wish is for all citizens within the Spes Region to be able to freely work and travel wherever they please as free, Fortunan citizens! Come now brothers and sisters of the North, join us as Fortunans! Join the Fortunan Empire! Together we can do anything! Glory!” With that Tristan saluted, continuing shouting “Glory! Glory!” as the crowd saluted and shouted along “Glory to Fortuna! Glory to the High Commander!” It was chaotic, and there was nothing that could be done to stop them.

[hr]
Equilara, Eridani Theta

The streets of Equilara were rather peaceful this night, unlike many other places, especially in the southern provinces, where people were rioting in support of joining Fortuna after the broadcast of the High Commander’s speech. Within the capital itself however, any signs of protests or riots were quickly snuffed out. Even the unity supporters within the government were glad of that, it gave them something not to worry about and quiet time before the storm. Alexander Reason was also quite pleased at the peacefulness, at least he would not have to worry about protestors coming knocking at his door.

Yes, the head of the Fortunan Foreign Affairs Department was right in the center of all the action, busy at work pulling the strings to convince Eridani Theta to join the Empire. He was no longer allowed into the Hall Building though, so now he was stuck in the embassy until further notice. He considered calling to get taken out before all hell broke loose, but he trusted his allies would keep him safe, and many allies he had. For the last decade, Eridani Theta had been his little side project; whispering into the ears of politicians, convincing them to open southern ports to Fortunan vessels, allowing for limited radio broadcasts, and slowly feeding them propaganda of a better future united with his nation. And it has worked out splendidly, for the most part anyways. Most of the support mainly came from the southern provinces, the northern provinces were a bit more difficult. The south was easier as most of the population was human and could trace their ancestry to Fortunan colonists. The north on the other hand were mainly vulpine, and they remembered full well how those same colonists treated their ancestors. “No matter,” Reason thought to himself, “the southern provinces will do for now.”

Reason’s attention was drawn to the gate of the embassy as a fancy, black car drove in and parked at the front of the building. Recognizing who it was, Reason stood from his seat by the window and made his way to the middle of the small office. The room was sparsely decorated besides a tall chandelier, a couple chairs, and his desk. The bare necessities, minus the chandelier. He asked for it to be replaced with something less “extravagant,” but that had been a week ago. Whatever, he had more important things to worry about at the moment, such as the person walking into the room.

His guest was a tall man, mid 50s, greying hair, and a face that even made Reason cringe. Not exactly someone you would expect to win a beauty pageant, but he was the most powerful ally he had in Eridani Theta. Catone Palerma, the current Southern Chancellor of Eridani Theta.

“Well, that was unexpected,” He said in a deep voice as he walked pass Reason and took a seat on one of the guest chairs.

“By ‘that,’ I assume you’re talking about the broadcast of the glorious High Commander, then yes it was quite unexpected, to you anyways.” Reason made his way around his desk and sat down, staring at Palerma with emotionless eyes. “My job is done here, I set the stage for you, my leader played the first move, now it’s your turn.”

“Yes. . . yes, you’re right,” Palerma mumbled as he paused to think. “Lucius has ordered for the Hall to assemble tomorrow morning on what shall be done.”

“You know exactly what has to be done. You are currently outnumbered within the government, you need the people to decide.”

“A referendum, as you have mentioned in the past. But. . .” Palerma hesitated, looking away towards the window.

“But?” Reason insisted.

“But I’m still unsure if the people will make the right decision, I don’t fully trust them.”

“How inconvenient.”

“Yes. . . Damn it, if only the northern provinces weren’t in the way. Damn vulpines, scum of the Urth. . .”

“Don’t worry about them, just worry about tomorrow.”

“You and your people have something planned for the northern provinces I assume,” Palerma exclaimed a bit too excitedly.

“You’ll need to take advantage of the human majority within Eridani Theta,” Reason continued, ignoring Palerma’s statement, “but first you need that referendum. You’re going to have to take advantage of the time between now and then to bring more people to vote yes on joining Fortuna. We’ll, of course, help you with your campaign.” Reason opened a drawer from his desk and pulled out a bottle of scotch and two glasses, slowly pouring the drink into each cup. “For now, though, let us celebrate.” Taking the glasses, Reason stood up and walked over to Palerma, handing him one of them.

“And what are we celebrating?” He asked as he took the glass.

“Why for the wonderful speech by the High Commander, of course!” Reason declared as he raised his glass. “Glory to the High Commander!” Palerma followed likewise.

“Glory to the High Commander.”

[Fortuna]

The Hall Building, Equilara, Eridani Theta

“As long as I live, I will insure that Eridani Theta will never fall into the hands of that tyrant!”

“Eridani Theta will have a better chance of survival uniting with the Fortunan Empire, you bloody buffoon!”

“Oh, I’ll show you buffoon, you traitorous scum!”

“Come at me you fox trash!”

“Southern human devil!”

Aran Lucius rubbed his forehead as he watched the two sides of the chamber throw insults, and sometimes shoes, at each other. With protests taking place across the nation and a sudden buildup of Fortunan troops in the Telga Islands, it didn’t help his headache to have to sit through all of this. He popped another aspirin before standing up to finally bring order to the hall. As Supreme Chancellor of Eridani Theta, it was his job insure that the nation would not crumble after the death of their former leader Eldur Mironov, but since then everything has only gotten worse. Might as well take one last chance to show that he was a competent leader.

“Everyone, will you please be quiet!” He shouted out, although it seemed as if no one noticed him. Now fully pissed off, he slammed his desk and shouted once more. “QUIET!” Slowly the room started to quiet down as each representative stopped throwing insults and turn to look at their leader, ready to hear what he had to say. “Alright, yesterday was a tough day for all of us. We could have never predicted for the people to react in such a way. I have sent the army to help control your provinces, but they too are spread thin. So, until then let us solve the situation at hand without trying to kill each other!” Lucius paused to catch his breath before continuing. “Now, I will only allow for the head chancellors to speak and represent their regions. If anyone else, if anyone else speaks up, I will have them removed from the Hall immediately, and with force if necessary! You got that? Good. Now, Northern Chancellor Manfrin, I shall allow for you to speak first.”

From the right side of the room, a young looking vulpine stood up, brushing down his suit and readjusting his tie before speaking. Savino Manfrin’s dark grey fur made him stand out from the rest of his counterparts, a shade of brown being the most common for Eridani Thetan vulpines. But the Southern Hall did not vote him in to represent them just for his looks, but because they believe he was the most competent of them all.

“Supreme Chancellor, what more must I say than that of which my colleagues have already mentioned? Fortuna is currently run by a mad man and his personal cult, targeting and imprisoning anyone who do not follow them. Wasn’t it us who nearly two decades ago took in Fortunan refugees who ran in fear that they would become targets of his regime? They target people based on their religion, their political belief, and even their race! They are the last people we would want to unite under!” The Northern Hall all clapped and murmered in agreement with their chancellor, but not too loudly in fear of being thrown out. However, the Southern Hall grumbled amongst themselves in disagreement until their chancellor stood up in defiance.

“May I now speak up, Supreme Chancellor?” Catone Palerma asked in the politest voice he could pull off.

Aran Lucius nodded in approval to this request. “You may precede Southern Chancellor Palerma.”

“Thank you, Supreme Chancellor,” Palerma replied as he made a slight bow. He then turned to face his opponents who watched in disapproval. “Now, must I remind you of the current state that the world is in now? The time of isolation and independence is coming to an end within Yasteria as large nations continue to conquer smaller nations such as ourselves. I love my nation, but we all know that we cannot survive alone. Our best chance of survival is joining with the closest relation to us: The Second Fortunan Empire!”

“And you wish to be ruled under a tyrant? A mad man?” Manfrin asked, leaning forward against his podium.

“It will be better than our current situation, or must I remind you of how poor and broken down our nation is? Our economy is broken, the people are starving, and our infrastructure is crumbling. However, in Fortuna their people live happily and their cities are grand and magnificent! I’ve been to Fortuna, and so have you. You and I know full well how more well off the Fortunans are under Tristan Lytle.”

“Yes, I will agree that our nation is not in the best state, but giving away our independence should not be on the table. In fact, we should be looking toward more trustworthy nations, ones we know will help preserve our independence, for aid. Fortuna is not one of these trustworthy nations.”

“Ah, I see what you wish to do. You wish to hand over Eridani Theta to the mainland powers, such as Vekaiyu. It’s always the same with you vulpines, you would rather stick with your own race than your own nation.” At this point, there was nothing from stopping the hall from erupting again. Lucius began pounding against the table shouting “Order! Order!” even gesturing for his guards to start pulling people out. After the representatives began to quiet down, Palerma continued. “Eridani Theta shares a strong bond with Fortuna, our languages are more similar than that of the mainland, are culture are nearly identical, and we both share the same major religion of Clarityism. Clearly, Fortuna is our closest relation, so I think it would be best to unite with them.”

“Simply uniting under the banner of another nation just because we’re similar is a terrible argument. Yes, we’re similar, but we’re not identical. Besides, it has been over 400 years since the islands were united, there certainly has been change by now. Do you wish to throw away hundreds of years of culture to replace it with that of another one?”

“But you see fellow chancellor, our nation has always been throwing away and replacing each other’s culture since the dawn of time. It is what glorious leader Eldur Mironov had to do when he worked to unite our provinces, and by uniting us and putting aside our differences, Eridani Theta became stronger. Joining with Fortuna is just the next step towards a better tomorrow. Unity is what has made the superpowers of Yasteria; The Pax Caliphate, The Vekaiyun Union, The Free Pacific States. Unity is what makes nations stronger, unity is what makes nations powerful!”

“If it is unity that you want, then I would rather unite with the VU than with Fortuna!” Manfrin broke, he didn’t mean it, but he had enough of this traitorous talk. His statement however did not go unnoticed, sending the hall into another riot. This time the guards were beginning to force people into their seats or shoving them through the hall doors. Lucius was at his last straw, he heard enough.

“All your yapping has gotten us nowhere! I’ve heard all your arguments thrice over, it’s time for you to get something done! Chancellors, what are your proposals?”

Manfrin jumped up first before Palerma could. “Their leader as asked for us to make a decision, I think it is now time to do so. I propose we vote on if we should join the Fortunan government!” His proposal was met with cheering from both sides of the hall. Once everyone quieted down, Palerma quickly stepped up.

“I agree it is time for us to make a decision, but not by us. I believe it is up to the people to make the decision!” This was followed by a less enthusiastic cheer as the representatives began contemplating amongst themselves about Palerma’s proposal. Having the people decide did not seem like a good idea, but no one dared speak against it in fear of sounding “undemocratic.”

“Are you suggesting we hold a referendum, Southern Chancellor Palerma?” Lucius asked curiously.

“Ye-, yes, Supreme Chancellor,” even though it was what he was told to do, Palerma was still unsure if it was a good idea. He looked over at Manfrin who too was unsure about holding a referendum. Manfrin knew he would win if only the Hall voted, but the people. . . the people were a lot harder to read. However, if he did not allow the people to decide, he was just as bad as the Fortunans.

Lucius, on the other hand, was starting to love the idea the more he thought about it. His approval ratings will surely go up if he allowed the people to decide, this was the perfect opportunity. Of course, he would be in a lot of trouble if the people voted yes to join Fortuna, but he was sure there was enough supporters to vote against. “I will have to agree with Southern Chancellor Palerma, we should hold a referendum. This is an important decision, and I think it would be best for the people to decide on what course they wish for Eridani Theta to go down. With that, I think we’re done here for the day, the Hall is dismissed.” Lucius slammed on the desk, using a book this time as his hand all red and hurt. The Hall soon emptied one by one, leaving only Manfrin and Palerma alone.

“You really believe the people will join your cause?” Manfrin asked coldly.

“I believe the people will make the right choice.” Palerma replied as he finished packing his papers away.

“I sure hope so, for the sake of the nation.”

“Are you scared, Manfrin?” Palerma asked with a smile, just one last jab at the vulpine for the day.

Manfrin merely growled and walked out of the room, for yes, he was frightened. For his own life, for his wife, for his child, for his nation. Everything was a stake now, and it now felt like it was up to him to make sure that his home did not fall into the hands of the enemy.

[Todd_McCloud]

Debriefing Room, Premier Levinile’s Private Residence, Eldura

The Minister of the Interior, Vanse Iliskalu, casually tapped his stack of pages together the way a gambler shuffles cards as he read the next item on the agenda. He was glad to have moved on from the tense situations in Savenchorund and Allegheny to something a bit less urgent. “Milady a report out of Fortuna has been brought to my attention and I wish to submit this as an action item for us to further expand upon later. The High Commander of Fortuna, Tristan Lytle, has called for unification of their former island groups, something to the tune of 400 years ago they have been separated. The reason appears to be due in part to a significant minority of vulpines present on the island.”

“We don’t need a history lesson, we all know this,” Imanov Risilake remarked. The minister of foreign trade crossed his arms, choosing to look at the holographic projection of Fortuna and surrounding areas instead of listen to his cohort.

“More importantly,” Vanse said, offering a short glare at the other minister, “is what happened yesterday in Equalaria. A young vulpine from the northern provinces, Savino Manfrin, gave an impassioned speech that seemed to indicate they would be more willing to join the Vekaiyun Union than associate with the Fortunan lands. I just found it interesting to report. Perhaps we could investigate this a bit further?”

Ehjy Yslevestri, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, puffed a sigh from his lips as he leaned back in his green leather chair. He gazed out at the group through his thick-rimmed glasses as his slicked-back hair glistened from the lighting above, offering a bit more glitz than his entire demeanor proffered. “Strike while the iron is hot. We’re already giving attention to Savenchorund and Allegheny, and Shango. Seriously, why them? Anyway, set up a naval blockade to the island until they surrender the northern lands.”

“Don’t be so facetious,” Ikrisia warned. “Force is the only thing everyone seems to follow these days. Honestly, this doesn’t even merit a response from us. Not yet, at least. Unless something were to happen in that land that would require our input, our best option is to monitor and refrain from force.”

“But nothing ever seems to happen if all we do is sit and wait,” Ehjy remarked.

“I never said we should do nothing,” Ikrisia clarified.

“We can apply pressure in the meantime and suggest that Eridani Theta had better be careful with their treatment of vulpines,” Vanse responded. “That would be a conservative approach, in my opinion.”

Ikrisia raised her eyebrows as she bit her lip. “It’s not that I don’t believe we can do this, because we can. We have had no serious engagements with their nation or Fortuna in recent times. Involving ourselves at this stage could be seen as aggression, and with many of our trade routes passing near their waters, I would rather not create an enemy.”

“Thank you!” Imanov responded. “Finally, some sense in these dealings. It just wouldn’t be worth it to randomly attack a nation because someone said something in their congress. Who cares?”

“I care,” Kral Commodore Vanse Lebivistre remarked. The aging military mind required the respect of everyone in the room when he spoke, and he knew everyone would give it to him, even as the Bell’s Palsy (or whatever it was he had, some kind of paralysis) strangled his ability to clearly drive home his point. “This is all down the road but if we could put a naval base there, it would significantly help the Vekaiyun Home Fleet. Those who do not protect their own are libel to lose it. We learned that with Listonia and Dveria with Sevropia. We could do the same here.”

“Enough,” Ikrisia snapped. “This is a meeting of ministers, not a war room. Though I will entertain the idea if so inclined… but our attention is diverted elsewhere. No naval blockade. No insurgencies. What we will do is offer a general statement warning the government of Eridani Theta to ensure they are representing all aspects of their dominion well. We wouldn’t want to have to intervene in another Listonia, of course.”

“Perfect!”

“Fair enough.”

“Too weak.”

Ikrisia turned to Vinsent Lebivistre. “You know, the previous Ler Commodore turned blue before he suffocated on the strychnine that was in his drink. I always was intrigued by that… usually it’s the other way around because strychnine tenses up the muscles preventing an exhale. Perhaps he, I don’t know, bit off more than he could chew? We’ll never know, of course.” She smiled at the aged commodore. “I will always respect you. But I will never lead you down a path I don’t believe in. Know that, and as with every other development around us, we will keep a close eye on it.”

[Fortuna]

I feel like this is going to be important.


Riburn, Eridani Theta

“Independence, my fellow brothers and sisters, is what we must strive for. We must strive to protect our independence, our identity, our culture. Therefore, I ask all of you to vote for Eridani Thetan independence on October the 1st! Thank you!” Savino Manfrin waved at the cheering crowd of hundreds of people, mainly vulpines, that gathered around the stage. Everyone was there to support the Pro-Independence movement, headed by their own Northern Chancellor. It made Manfrin glad to see many of his countrymen that backed him up, but was it enough?

Manfrin moved across the stage and sat on his stool, drinking some water as he waited for the crowd to calm down. Once satisfied, he spoke up into his mic. “So, for the next few minutes I’ll be willing to answer any of your questions, who would like to go first?” He waited a little longer as a spare microphone was being passed to someone near the stage, a young vulpine wearing a “He Will Not Unite Us” shirt.

“Hello, my name is Liato, and first I want to say I fully support Eridani Thetan independence from Fortuna.” He paused as everyone started clapping in agreement. “Anyways, I just want to ask about a rumor going around. Is it true you wish for us to join the Vekaiyun Union?”

Manfrin was completely caught off guard by the question. “N-no, I do not wish to join the VU. The rumor is just that, a rumor. I only wish to preserve Eridani Thetan independence, that is all. Thank you, sir, for your support. Umm, does anyone have another?”

The microphone was passed to a young mother, cherishing close to her a young pup. “Hello, I’m Patrizia. My question is, do you think it would be better for us to consider joining the VU instead of Fortuna, for our own safety?”

This was not what he was expecting at all. “Umm, well, the decision to join the VU will have to be for another time. Right now, we are focused on Fortuna, but if we ever want to have the freedom to consider joining the VU in the future, then that would start by ensuring our sovereignty. And to ensure our sovereignty, we must win the referendum!” The crowd cheered in agreement, but a little less enthusiastically as before.

Somehow his little speech in the Hall got out to the public, something he did not want at all. Now instead of being focused on ensuring their independence, the people, especially the vulpines, were now too busy dreaming of joining the Vekaiyun Union. To be fair that would be a better choice than joining Fortuna, and even though they’ll probably see a larger military presence from Vekaiyu, at least they will still be free vulpines. Maybe it would be better just for the northern provinces to break away. . . He shook his head quickly, now was not the time to be thinking of splitting the nation again just because both sides could not agree. He had to stay focused on ensuring his nation does not fall into the hands of that tyrant, and he had to make sure his people too were focused. If he did not get all the support that he needed, then there’s a good chance he’ll lose more than just his freedom.

He looked across the crowd, all eyes were on him. This is where it is going to have to start. “Alright, does anyone else have a question?”

[hr]

Once his time was finished, Manfrin made his way backstage where an older vulpine was waiting.

“Savino, you did it again!” The elder came up and gave Manfrin a hug out of joy, “You make me proud to be an Eridani Thetan and a vulpine.”

“I don’t think I deserve that much praise, Irvo, it was just me being me,” Manfrin replied as the two backed up and began walking together to a nearby, awaiting car. Irvo Salvine, Manfrin’s mentor and longtime friend. He basically became a father figure to him back when Mironov still ruled and times were a lot more peaceful. Over the years they helped each other rise within the politics of Eridani Theta, with their greatest achievement being with Manfrin’s election to Northern Chancellor a few years ago. Now, they were fighting to ensure all their hard work was for naught.

“It’s starting to get dangerous down in the south,” Salvine sighed, pulling out a paper and handing it to Manfrin. “Recent report on the south. Palerma and his lackeys have really been pushing hard for pro-unity, the provinces are turning into a wannabe Fortuna, it makes me sick just thinking about it.”

“Have they started targeting anyone in particular?” Manfrin asked as he handed the paper back after taking a quick glance.

“No, Lucius has been quite strict on ensuring no harm is done, hence the reason he is using the military as a backup police force. You know, just in case. However, I’ve heard a many non-Claritists already fleeing north in fear of persecution; Catholics, Vayans, Protestants, basically anyone who will not bow to that Fortunan god.” Both paused as they hopped into the car, taking them back to their residences. After a few quiet minutes, Salvine spoke up again. “Did you hear about Vekaiyu’s statement? Warning the government to ensure that we’re all represented and such? Sounds to me like they heard of your speech.”

“Apparently everyone has heard of my speech. . .” Manfrin grumbled as he watched the city streets slowly pass by. He hoped that word of his outburst would not get out, but low and behold everyone now thinks he wishes to join with the Vekaiyun Union, the opposite of what he wanted.

“Yes, you’ve caused quite the ruckus,” Salvine chuckled as he leaned back and closed his eyes, quietly muttering to himself, “wouldn’t that be an idea though, to join as one with our fellow vulpines. . .” Manfrin’s ears perked up, quickly turning to his old mentor.

“You sound just like the traitorous southerners! Wanting to throw away our heritage for another just because of similar species!” he burst out.

“Hey, take it easy,” Salvine quickly exclaimed, “that is not what I was saying at all! Besides, joining the VU wouldn’t be too bad of an idea, would it? In their union, we still get to freely rule our nation for ourselves, just with a few exceptions. It would be a lot better than with Fortuna, that’s for sure.”

“Probably, but I don’t trust that Premier of theirs one bit.”

“She doesn’t seem too bad. You should show a little more respect, she has done a lot for us vulpines, I doubt she would mean us any harm.”

“I still feel uneasy about them. Vekaiyu comes from a long line of tyrants and dictators, who says they still do not have the same mentality to this day.”

“Oh, oh,” Salvine sat up, turning to stare back at Manfrin, “then would you rather have a human dictator take away our independence?”

“My duty for Eridani Theta is to ensure its independence from all outside forces, including Vekaiyu! What’s the point of saying I shall not bow to one man and then turn around to bend a knee to another.”

“Well at least the other is a vulpine! And unfortunately for you, the world no longer sees you as an independence fighter but a VU supporter!”

“But that is not what I want!”

“But that is what I-, the people want!” The two locked eyes for a second, the quietness making the driver a bit nervous.

Finally, Manfrin spoke up, “and why do the people want that?”

“Because,” Salvine replied, turning away to look out the window, “because this is probably my-, our only chance to reunite with our people. Ever since I was a young, the vulpines have lived under oppression, until recently of course. Now that our people live freely in the VU, I’ve dreamed of returning to where my ancestors first came from, to at least see it once before my time comes. I fear that that will be impossible once. . . once our home is given control to Fortuna.”

From Manfrin’s point of view, he could not see his mentor’s face, but he knew Salvine was tearing up. “Irv, I promise you that Eridani Theta will not join Fortuna, not while I live and breathe. First though, we need to win the referendum, so I’m going to need all the help I can get, that means from you too. I need you to focus on the campaign at hand, and once we win, I’ll personally pay for your travels to the VU and make sure you get to meet the Premier herself. Doesn’t sound like that bad of a deal, right?” Salvine didn’t answer, so the two of them stayed silent for the rest of the trip.

[Fortuna]

The Northern Coast of Bellatrix Province, Eridani Theta

“Hello there! I’m Serena Rustici, but you can call me Serena!” the lively character in a business suit and tennis shoes hopped from the raft onto the beach, lightly stepping her way to where Palerma stood with his personal body guard. Reason told him to arrive here at night to receive weapons for his growing paramilitary group, but he did not expect to also be meeting the Director of the Fortunan Intelligence Department, and he was that not impressed.

“Director Rustici,” he greeted, ignoring her request, “it is an honor to meet you. I had no idea you would be the one personally bringing supplies.” He reached out his hand for a handshake but was unexpectedly received a high-five from the Fortunan.

“No no no, it is an honor to meet you!” she cheerfully replied as she removed her sunglasses and smiled at Palerma and his entourage, causing some of them to blush. “Reason told me so much about you, so I just had to meet our greatest ally here in Eridani Theta face to face!”

“Oh really?” Palerma said, feeling all happy and jittery inside for being noticed. “Well I am glad my efforts have been noticed, but I only do it for the glory of the High Commander.”

“Of course, of course,” Serena agreed with a nod, “but how about we get this show on the road. The High Commander can receive more glory after we’re finished, agreed?”

“Agreed.”

“Lovely! Now would some of your big strong men like to help us unload some of these crates?” She gestured for them to follow her back to where her raft and a few others had beached themselves. On board each one were dozens of crates filled with weapons, ammunition, and other tech and gizmos a paramilitary group would need.

“Alrighty, let’s see what we got you,” Serena exclaimed as she dropped one of the crates onto the sand and pried it open, pulling out a black, metallic rifle. “Here’s an old toy from a war before my time. The FAL rifle, inherited from the ASF after thousands of them were shipped over during the War of Aggression.” With an “oof,” she chucked the heavy rifle to Palerma. “They still work magnificently, but we no longer have any use of them.” She turned back to the boats and began pointing out crates as the men loaded them onto the beach. “Along with the rifles we got ammunition, grenades and other explosives, a couple machine guns, and communication devices. Of course, you are going to have to keep all this a secret until the time comes, but until then you can use the equipment to continue training your men and whatnot. So, what do you think?”

“Why, this is marvelous,” Palerma replied in awe, “and with the military spread thin or allied with me, Eridani Theta will swiftly become part of Fortuna once again!”

“Easy there, you better not prematurely start a war,” Serena warned the Eridani Thetan, “just stick to the plan; win the referendum.”

“Yes, win the referendum. . .” he repeated softly. Noticing uncertainty in his voice, Serena gestured for him to follow her away from the commotion. Once they were out of hearing distance, the Fortunan finally spoke up.

“Is there a problem, Southern Chancellor?” she asked in a low, serious tone, dropping her bubbly personality.

“No, Director Rustici, there is no issues!” Palerma quickly defended, “by the way it is looking, we have a good chance of winning. But. . .” He paused and looked over at the Fortunan, but she in return just stood staring across the ocean without any reaction. “But,” he continued, “I still have doubts about the result.”

“You still fear you will lose the referendum?”

“And I have good reason to! The northern provinces are unreachable now, and that bastard Manfrin and his followers have been playing the whole “speciest” card to gain support from those. . . those fucking foxes.”

“And you haven’t done likewise?”

“Well-,” Palerma stopped and stayed quiet. Sure, he might have been a bit unfair to the vulpines, but that was only to appeal to the majority human population, and it has been working splendidly. Still, how dare that fox trash do the same, preventing his Pro-Unity Movement from reaching out to the vulpine communities. It just wasn’t fair.

“Anyways,” Serena stepped in, “at least you have plan B to go to if you lose the referendum.” The two of them stood there in silence while the ocean waves hit the shore and their men loaded their precious cargo onto awaiting vehicles.

“Civil war. . .” Palerma whispered. It was inevitable, or at least is was if neither side was willing to stand down. But the uniting of the islands by the Chosen One was prophesied, just as he was taught as a Claritist. He has seen with his own eyes the High Commander fulfilling the prophecy, one island at a time, and now he is given the chance help complete it. His name will be remembered for the years to come, as the man who gave it all to assist the Chosen One. It was all he wanted, even if it meant spilling blood and tearing a nation in half.

“Remember Palerma, it is for the glory of the High Commander.”

[Fortuna]

The Docks of Yedo, Eridani Theta

The sound of the warehouse door creaking opened echoed throughout the structure as sunlight poured in, illuminating the floor. The two vulpines with their guards stood waiting as the young, armed nationalist finished pushing the door open before entering the warehouse. It took them a few seconds for their eyes to fully adjust to the dark, but by then Manfrin could make out the dozens of crates of weapons stacked against the walls and a couple refitted vehicles parked in the back.

“Tada!” Salvine exclaimed as he skipped ahead of the group, gesturing with open arms.

“So this is what you have been up to. . .” was the only thing Manfrin could reply. He followed his mentor over to a white, refitted pickup truck, covered in sheets of metal and a machine gun attached to the top.

“The boys just finished her refitting her last night,” Salvine explained as he patted the hood of the truck, looking back at Manfrin with a large grin. Before Manfrin could reply, Salvine’s attention was pulled elsewhere as he skipped over to a stack of crates and popped one of them open. “Heheh, check this out,” he excitedly said as he pulled out an RPG and placed it on his shoulder, “no Fortunan armor can protect them from this bad boy!”

“Irvo, I believe you’re holding it backwards,” Manfrin responded dryly.

“Whoops! Heheh, that would not have ended nicely,” he replied as he put the weapon back in the crate. “Oh, and over here is the recent batch of assault rifles from the mainland!” Salvine continued as he hopped over to another stack of crates, still energetic. “Now that is a story to tell. You see, the whole operation was going quite smoothly when all of the sudden they ran in-”

“Irvo!” Manfrin cut in, “Irvo, I can see you’re excited about all of this, but you still haven’t even told me what it is for. From my perspective, what you have here are illegal weapons. What’s the point of all of this?”

“Yes, yes. . .” Salvine muttered as he slowed down and took a seat on the crates. “I mean, you can probably already guess what I am doing here.”

“I have a few guesses.”

“Yes, of course. Sav, ever since our talk. . . I’ve come to accept that we are not going to win the referendum. I foresee inevitable bloodshed in the future, of thousands of my brothers and sisters being enslaved by that foreign tyrant. Once we lose, the military that had not already joined those southern traitors will quickly crumble, leaving us defenseless.” He paused and looked up at the younger vulpine who merely stared back emotionlessly. “So,” he continued, “I’ve concluded that if we are to preserve our home, we’re going to have to fight for it. And that is what this is all for. Me and of few acquaintances of mine have started heavily funding the creation of a secret paramilitary group. A group of fighters that will stand up and defend our home when the time comes, to repel the invaders from our lands.” He pointed at the back wall where a large banner hanged, a dark red background with a simple black border and a black half circle in the middle. “We are the Ambravian Freedom Fighters, and we will carry the flag of our ancestors into battle, for the sake of our homeland!” His voice echoed across the entire warehouse, but slowly it grew quiet again as the two vulpines just stared at each other. Finally, Manfrin gestured to the two guards, who could feel the uneasiness in the air, to leave. Once they were out of the building, closing the door behind them, Manfrin finally spoke up.

“This is not what I wanted, Irvo. From the start I have continuously looked for a peaceful solution that would still insure our independence, but no one seems to listen to me. The people are too frantic and scared, many already trying to immigrate to the mainland. Then I got the lot who would rather depend on another foreign nation to protect them. Then there are the fanatics who make things much worse by targeting humans, and the south is no better with them doing the exact same thing! Then there is you who is illegally smuggling weapons into the nation, building an illegal military group, and willing to break up the nation after hundreds of years of sweat and bloodshed from our ancestors to stitch it back together! Am I the only sane one around here?!” Manfrin yelled out in frustration. Yes, he was frustrated by his friend for adding more fuel to the inferno, but he was also angry towards everyone else for dumping the whole canister of gasoline and lighting it in the first place. No one seemed to care about keeping their nation together, no one except him. Not finished with Salvine just yet, Manfrin turned back towards him, eyes aflame.

“And what was your reason for showing me your arsenal, hmm? What do you expect from me, my sympathy? My gratitude? My contribution? Because you of all people should know that I do not and will not support. . . this! This goes against what I want for my nation, and this will be the cause of the loss of thousands of innocent lives!”

Salvine, who sat staring at his shoes while Manfrin ranted, looked up to answer his old friend. “Sav, I did not bring you here expecting you to have a change of heart. I only brought you here because I wanted to show you that when the world comes crashing down on us, there will be a second solution, and that solution is the AFF. I know deep down you know that a crisis is inevitable, and no matter what you do will change that. If there is one thing that we Eridani Thetans all have in common, whether it be vulpine or human, is that we are stubborn and prideful. It’s what caused the many conflicts of the past, and is certainly going to be the cause of further conflict. They didn’t call us the “Warring States” for nothing.” Salvine hopped up and strode over to Manfrin and placed his hand on his shoulder. “So, if war does come, remember you have me and the AFF ready to back you up.”

Manfrin’s expression appeared to soften, but anger and determination quickly replaced that as he swiped Salvine’s hand away. “I won’t allow war to happen in the first place. No war, no bloodshed. I can do this my way; peacefully.”

“Oh yeah? And how are you going to do that?”

“I. . . I don’t know!” Manfrin paused to calm himself down a bit, “I don’t know, okay? There must be a solution. . .”

“You do realize that if we win, the south, and most likely Fortuna, will not take it lightly. And if they win, our people will do likewise. This is a lose-lose situation for all of us! If that referendum takes place, we’re all going to fall!”

“That’s what I’ve been saying all along! This is just what that tyrant wanted from the start, to cause us to break apart so that they can easily pick at whatever is left! This referendum was a joke from the start, a ruse to weaken our nation! I tried to tell that idiot Lucius to cancel the referendum, but he’s too afraid to do anything except for holding on to whatever’s left of his military. He won’t listen to anyone anymore, and there is nothing I can do about it. What on Urth did Mironov see in that puny man?”

Salvine shook his head, shoving his hands into his pockets. “That is a question that may never be answered, just another one of life’s many mysteries. As Lucius’s time comes to an end, we are going to need new and stronger leaders, and one has come up. You can be-, no, you are that strong leader. People do look up to you, they are inspired by your words, you represent the whatever good that is left in Eridani Theta. But please, for the love of God, don’t throw all of that away by secluding yourself from reality. Please, wake up from your dream of a heavenly place where Eridani Thetans from each side will live together in peace, for that chance has come and gone ever since the death of Mironov. Please see that the people who need you the most right now is us Ambravians, us vulpines, your family. Open your eyes to reality, Northern Chancellor, and be the leader that we need right now.” Again, the two stood in silence, each deep in thought. Salvine tried his best to understand what Manfrin was thinking about, yet he remained unreadable.

With a heavy sigh, Manfrin patted his old friend on the shoulder and slowly made his way to the exit.

“I must go now, I am to speak at a rally in a couple hours,” Manfrin muttered, waving lightly in farewell. Salvine responded with a nod, still standing there when he remembered one last thing.

“Wait, Sav!” he called out as he pulled out a small piece of paper and pen, writing down a line of numbers. Manfrin turned around as Salvine caught up and placed the piece of paper in his hand. “Here, take this. If the time comes and hell breaks loose, call this number.”

Manfrin looked down at the paper, unsure if he should really be accepting this. He shrugged and pulled out his wallet, placing the paper in one of its back pockets for safety, just in case.

“Y-you promise not to rat us out, right?” Salvine asked hesitantly. Manfrin paused before looking at his friend with a trusting smile.

“I have no recollection of Governor Irvo Salvine partaking in illegal and treasonous acts against the United Provinces of Eridani Theta.” Manfrin stuck out his hand to Salvine who returned the handshake. “I wish you well on your endeavors, Irv. Even though I am inclined to believe you, I will continue to look for bloodless solution that insures Eridani Thetan independence. If not, then may God have mercy on us.”

[Fortuna]

Aran Lucius found himself in a garden filled with hundreds of colorful and exotic flowers, in the distance he heard the flowing water of a fountain and light laughter. He looked down and was astonished to see he was wearing his old uniform when he himself was once a regional chancellor.

“What was going on?” he thought to himself. He looked around to better understand his surroundings, but his vision was hazy and the sun seemed to shine just a bit too bright. Still, all of this felt so familiar, like he has been here before.

Again, in the distance he heard another burst of laughter, this time he could pinpoint the direction it was coming from. Feeling something pulling at him, Lucius slowly made his way through the garden’s many winding paths, until finally he found himself standing in front of a small white pagoda. Sitting in the pagoda sat two separate generations; an older man whose long beard was already going from grey to white, and a young girl with short, burgundy hair. The two sat together holding a coloring book, giggling at their masterpiece. Lucius continued to watch without saying a word, not only out of curtesy, but because he was shocked to see an old friend of his alive and well. Lucius studied the old man, it cannot actually be him. Yet, there he was, Dictator Eldur Mironov himself. The girl, recalling her name being Serenity, too was familiar to him; the granddaughter of Mironov and his last living family member. Today she would have been all grown up, a fine Eridani Thetan woman.

At that moment it hit him why all of this was so familiar; he was reliving his past from 20 years ago.

All the sudden, Lucius had the urge to speak, breaking in by saying, “you wish to see me, sir?” The older gentleman looked up and his eyes shone with pleasure to see Lucius.

“Aran! I am so glad you could make it!” Mironov replied as he beckoned for Lucius to take a seat beside them. “Please, have a seat, I’ll have someone fetch you a drink.”

“No, it will not be necessary,” Lucius replied as he stepped into the pagoda and sat down, never leaving his eyes off Mironov. Eldur Mironov, Eridani Theta’s former leader and coincidentally Lucius’s best friend. Lucius wanted to cry in joy for being allowed this opportunity to be reunited with him again, but he could not break down now. Anyways, his attention was thankfully drawn to the little girl who skipped over and showed him her drawing book.

“Uncle Lucius, Uncle Lucius! Look at what me and Granpapa did!” she exclaimed excitedly as she flipped through the pages.

“They’re all beautiful,” he replied, patting her on the head, “you’ll be a wonderful artist one day.”

“Really?!” she squealed as she looked back at Mironov as if asking permission.

“Why of course, my star,” Mironov replied with a chuckle. “You can be whatever you want.” Beckoning for his granddaughter to come closer, he kindly gave her the coloring utensils and gestured back to the house. “Now how about you go show you Miss Brenda, I’m sure she would love to see your work.”

“Okay!” she shouted and ran off into the house. Lucius watched her go and wondered where she was now these days. He had not been in contact with her for over a decade, and the last time he saw her was at Mironov’s funeral.

He looked over at Mironov with sadness, for little did any of them know that he would soon be taken away in 14 years. . .

Mironov looked over with a smile and sat back, taking a sip from his tea. “They grow up so fast, which is why I cherish every moment I have with her.” He placed his drink down and back at Lucius, this time with depressed eyes. “I’d wish to see her grow up into a strong, beautiful woman, but I fear my old age will catch up with me before then.”

“You talk as if you are dying,” Lucius responded with concern, although deep inside he was filled with sorrow.

“Aye, for I never know when death will be at my doorstep. Maybe tonight, maybe tomorrow, maybe in a year or ten. This is the reason I asked you to come here.” Mironov leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees. “I would love for Serenity to be my heir, but I believe she would be unprepared whe-, if the time comes. Aran. . .” Mironov paused and Lucius closed his eyes, for he knew what he was going to say. “if that time does comes, I want you to take my place as ruler of Eridani Theta.” Those were the words that changed Lucius’s life forever and what propelled him to the position he now sat in today.

“I-I am honored,” Lucius heard himself say in that same shocked voice, “but why me?”

Mironov laughed, one of those hearty, gentle laughs that warms any heart who hears it. “Because Aran, you are the most Eridani Thetan that I know. You see past everyone’s skin, fur, and or species to see that we are all equal. If I were to choose who is the most qualified to lead this country after me, it would be you.”

[hr]
Lucius awoke frantically, pushing himself up from his bed as he scrambled to get a sense of his surroundings. Once he got a hold of his bearings, Lucius sat there in the dark motionlessly, heavily breathing as he contemplated his dream. It was true, Mironov chose Lucius to be his successor, to be the next leader of Eridani Theta. Now here he sat, fulfilling Mironov’s wish of becoming Supreme Chancellor, but here he sat as a failure to that wish. The country was split right down the middle all because of him, and as every day passes, his grip on the nation slowly goes away with it.

Burying his face into his hands, Lucius began to weep. This was the end, he just knew it. The people hated each other; for each other’s belief, each other’s opinion, each other’s species. It was a mess now, and it was appearing that there was nothing he could do. All he wanted to do was give the people a voice, to decide for themselves, to decide their own fate instead of a selected few. So, he gave them a chance through this upcoming referendum to decide amongst themselves in a civil manner. Oh how that turned out. If only there was a way to reverse his decision. . .

“Wait a minute. . .” Lucius whispered to himself as a light bulb switched on. Honestly, he should have thought of this a long time ago, way before it all got out of hand. But maybe there is still a chance. . .

Lucius rapidly pushed the assistance button by his bed before hopping to his feet and rushing over to his desk, grabbing a pen and notepad as he quickly began writing out what needed to be done. A few minutes later, there was a soft knock as his servant arrived after being alerted.

“Come in!” Lucius answered, still focused on his writing.

“You requested assistance, sir?” his servant asked as he opened the door and entering to find his superior still dressed in his nightgown. “Oh!” the servant gasped in horror to find Lucius dressed in such a manner, “Forgive me sir, I should have given you time to dress.”

“What are you blabbering on about?” Lucius asked, not paying much attention to what his servant actually said. Once finished with what he was writing, Lucius ripped the paper out and handed it to the shocked man. “Here, I want you to make these calls and tell them their orders. Tell them it is from me.”

The servant glanced down at the paper and then back up at his leader who was already back at the desk, this time searching through a book of contacts. “Uh, sir?” he piped up hesitantly.

Is there a problem?" Lucius replied quickly.

“I know it is not my place to ask, but. . .” he paused as he looked at the orders given to him again, “what is this for?”

Lucius looked up at his servant, a glimmer of light in his eyes. “This is my last chance to keep this nation together, that is what it is for. It’s about time I stopped being a fool and be the leader I was chosen to be.”

[Fortuna]

Chancellor Building, Equilara, Eridani Theta

The Supreme Chancellor’s office was filled with an ominous chill as the two regional chancellors stood side by side in front of their leader’s desk, eyes locked forward as they awaited Lucius’s arrival. This was the first time since that day in the Hall Building more than a month ago. Since then they have become the faces of their movements; one for Eridani Thetan independence, and the other for Fortunan unification. They have grown to resent the other, and their supporters followed suit. Now their nation was tearing at the streams, and they both knew they were playing major roles in its inevitable fall.

Manfrin shook his head in disagreement, this was never his fault. He believed he was the only sane one here, it was these two humans fault for the fall of their nation. The leader with no backbone and the traitorous regional chancellor. No, he was in the right here, and he still can show that Eridani Theta can survive without international aid as it had in the past. But ever since his talk with Salvine and now this new, growing movement within his own region, a little bit of doubt began to grow in him. Manfrin shook his head again, he was not going to have doubt take over, not today.

Palerma glanced over at his fellow chancellor and smiled to himself. He could tell the vulpine was exhausted, most likely because of that new movement of vulpines wanting to split away and become independent. Of course, Palerma was also a bit worried that this vulpine independence might ruin much of his masters’ plans. The final goal was to unite the entire island of Eridani Theta under Fortunan rule. It was the entire point of the referendum, to give Fortuna a reason to have a legitimate claim for Eridani Theta. But if the northern provinces pulled out before the referendum, none of that would ever happen. At least there was plan B, but that would only give the glorious leader half of the prize, and Palerma did not want to be remembered for bringing only half of his island under Fortunan rule. Well whatever was going to happen in the future, Palerma was sure that in the end he’ll be admired by all Fortunans for his contribution to the nation.

Both regional chancellors’ trains of thought were cut off when Aran Lucius popped out from one of the back doors and hurriedly made his way to his desk.

“Good evening gentlemen, I am glad you could make it,” Lucius greeted as he took a seat at his chair and straightened out his suit jacket. Both regional chancellors returned the greeting and then also took a seat. Lucius tried to lighten the mood with one last smile, but soon gave up as he got in return were only glares. With a shrug and a deep sigh, Lucius began explaining the point of this meeting.

“Well, we’ve had quite the interesting two months, wouldn’t you agree?” he shortly paused after realizing he was not going to get a reply. “Anyways, I think it is about time we figured out this whole mess as adults. Right here, right now. During Mironov’s reign, he strived to heal the gap between vulpines and humans, for the better of the nation. And when I took his place as head of state, I too tried my best to live up to his dream.” Palerma scoffed and lightly shook his head in disagreement, but Lucius continued anyways. “It appears though that we’ve instead taken a step backwards in the wrong direction, and I. . . I may have played a large role. I lost control of the situation that I started, and now I am scrambling to keep the nation together. So, before I continue, I would like to say to you two. . . I am sorry for my incompetence and I swear I will fulfill my time as Supreme Chancellor to the fullest. However, I will need your help, both of you.” Lucius paused again to await a reply, but only received silence in return. " This is going to be tough," he thought to himself as he once again sighed.

“Now, I’ve figured out where the problem started, and that was with me starting this stupid referendum. It was idiotic of me to do it in the first place, and I will not deny I did it for selfish reasons, thinking it would be a great way to boost up my popularity. Instead of bringing the nation together to decide on this one, simple issue, it instead created conflict beyond what I could imagine. So with that being said, I believe that the best solution for us to take is to just cancel the referendum and start over. I will accept full responsibility and put all my effort in rebuilding this nation. I have been in contact with my officers, and they are prepared for any possible violence following the cancelation. All that I need to do is make my announcement, but first I need both of you to approve of this decision and assist me in reuniting this nation. To make everyone happy, I will insure that Eridani Theta continues to keep its independence, but at the same time I will open talks with Fortuna so that we can come to an agreement of some sort. But as I said before, I need both of you to assist me and back me up on this. There is no way I can do this alone, so I ask of you to put aside your differences for the sake of the nation. Please.”

The office fell silent as the two regional chancellors thought over what Lucius just proposed to them. Manfrin, although he appeared emotionless, was a sudden surge of mix feelings inside. First, although he was glad that Lucius admitted to being incompetent, he was still angry at him for starting this whole mess in the first place. He was also overjoyed that the referendum was going to be cancelled, exactly just what he wanted. Finally it seemed someone listened to his pleas, and now they can put all of this behind them and get to work running this nation. Yet, they can’t put this behind them just like that. There will continue to be hatred between regions, between provinces, and between species. And even though Manfrin wished to bring an end to this hatred, it did not mean that everyone else did. With that, Manfrin’s hope of a united Eridani Theta began to slowly crumble.

Palerma on the other hand was quicker to come up with a response, and it was not for the best.

“N-no!” Palerma shouted as he brought himself up to his feet. “You-you can’t do that! I won’t allow it! Th-the people won’t allow it!”

“As Supreme Chancellor of this nation, I believe I have the right to cancel something I started,” Lucius quickly retorted, “And the people are why I brought you two here in the first place. If we can work together on this situation, we can find a solution that will make the people less rowdy.”

“Well then I am saying right here, right now that I do not and will not agree with this cancellation and so will the people. I believe that you are only doing this because you are afraid of the final outcome. Yeah, you and I both know that in the end the people will decide to rejoin the homeland. And you know what will happen to you? You’ll be immediately removed from office as the incompetent leader that you are!”

“Chancellor Palerma!” Lucius bellowed out as he slammed his fist on the desk.

“Excuse me, I was not finish!” Palerma snapped back, causing Lucius to fall silent again. “I can see the real reason you wish to cancel the referendum. You only wish to preserve your precious position, which I must remind was not given to you by the people but by Mironov because you were his most favorite pet.”

“I was chosen because I care for the people of Eridani Theta!” Lucius was now up on his feet, eyes locked with Palerma.

“You don’t care about the people at all! If you really care for the people, you would step down immediately and give the people what they really want; to join the Fortunan Empire!”

“Well I won’t allow it!”

“Yeah?” Palerma grinned as if he won, then asking, “you and what army?”

“I-,” Lucius hesitated, then slumped back into his seat in defeat.

“Just as I thought; the military, your only trump card, is not even that loyal to you. It’s only a matter of time until they turn on you too. The question now is who will snap first; the people or the military?” The room fell silent once again, Palerma taking this as a sign of his victory. Lucius buried his face into his hands, his last plan to save the nation was cut off short before it could even begin. Manfrin, who hasn’t even spoken a word yet, continued to remain quiet as he continued to have a bit of an existential crisis of his own. Seeing as no one was going to contest him, Palerma decided to just continue jabbing away at the two, crippled chancellors.

“The majority has already decided even before the referendum, and unfortunately for you two it is not in your favor. Fate has already decided our nation’s future, and soon the entire Spes Region will be flying the flag of Fortuna, just as it did 500 years ago. And you know what is the sad part for you, there is not one thing you can do about it except admit defeat and step down immediately.”

“What if. . . What if I cancel the referendum anyways?” Lucius desperately asked.

“You wouldn’t dare trying,” Palerma replied with a grin.

“But what if I did dare?”

“Well,” Palerma sat at on the edge of the desk and leaned in closer, “I’ll give you two options: the peaceful solution or the blood-filled solution. First, my allies and I can just simply have the southern provinces leave the union and join Fortuna. This would for sure mean the collapse of the union and your fall as I’m sure the foxes won’t continue following you. Finally, there is the option where we forcefully remove you from office, and the sad part is that there won’t be anyone to come to your aid, not even the foxes. In fact, I’m sure they would gladly join in, right Manfrin?” Palerma nodded at Manfrin who still appeared to not be paying any attention. Palerma waved him off and turned back to the terrified Lucius. “Either way, the union will collapse, and you will fall tragically from power. Now Supreme Chancellor, do you still dare? If so, which option do you choose?”

Palerma waited patiently as he watched Lucius began to nervously shake and sweat forming on his brow. But before Lucius could answer, Manfrin stood up abruptly, causing his chair to fly backwards with a screech. The vulpine looked straightened his back did his best to look confident.

“I. . . I choose your first option,” Manfrin answered sharply, catching the other two off guard.

“What?” they asked in unison.

“You heard me, I say we dissolve this union immediately,” Manfrin replied, this time with more confidence. “This nation is divided right down the middle on what it wants, and I say we should split now before there is more bloodshed. The southern provinces go there way and join with Fortuna, and the northern provinces becomes an independent nation. Basically, the only ones who want to join Fortuna lives in your provinces, so might as well give them what they want. And there is a growing movement in the north that is demanding independence anyways, so this will work out perfectly.”

“But-but the nation!” Lucius responded in desperation, “you have been the largest supporter of a united, independent nation!”

“Things have now changed, and these past two months has finally convinced me that vulpines and humans cannot live together. So, in response to you Supreme Chancellor: fuck this nation. I’m tired of trying to “heal the divide,” to convince all you morons that vulpines and humans are equal, because clearly no one listens! So, from now on I will focus on the needs of those who need me the most: the Ambravians, the vulpines of this island, my family. So yeah, even though I agree that we should cancel the referendum, I now believe that it is now impossible for us to just heal the divide between our species. As much as I want to live up to Mironov’s last wish, that dream is impossible, and I would go as far and blame it on your incompetence. Our only choice now is to dissolve this broken union so that vulpines can finally have a voice and you humans can give yours away. Now, what do you think of that?”

“Well I think it is ludicrous-,” Lucius quickly retorted but was cut off by Palerma who gestured for him to shut up. Palerma hopped off the desk and sauntered over to the vulpine, stopping just a couple feet away from him. He then closely studied Manfrin emotionlessly until his expression softened and a small smile formed.

“You really have given up on the nation,” Palerma simply stated.

“And so did you, but that still does not make us the same,” Manfrin replied coldly. In response Palerma merely laughed and turned to the door.

“No Manfrin, we’re not the same. For I am human, and you are merely a fox.” Palerma turned back to the two chancellors, still believing he won this battle. “Before I go, I just want to make one request to you Lucius. I request you step down from office within the week, if not. . . then I’ll suspect you have chosen the second option. And Manfrin, I suggest you act quickly, because I sure am.” Palerma waved farewell and made his way out of the office, leaving a now despaired Supreme Chancellor and a more confident Northern Chancellor. Lucius’ only last plan had failed and Manfrin was given a new one, but this time for the good of only his people.

[Fortuna]

Chancellor Building, Equilara, Eridani Theta

The poor leader of Eridani Theta was in a sorrier state than he was just two months ago. He had lost the loyalty of the government, the military, and most importantly the people. Now they call for his immediate resignation as Supreme Chancellor and the cancellation of his own referendum to be replaced with a more extreme decision. Since will listen to him further, Lucius locked himself in his home, moping and drinking his tears away. Many of his servants had already picked up in left, in fear of being considered supporters of his. The few that did stay behind walked the halls in silence, not daring to disturb their distraught leader.

Lucius slightly lifted his head off his desk to pour himself some more scotch, but to his disappointment the glass container was already empty. With a loud groan, Lucius chucked the glass across the room, causing it to shatter into hundreds of pieces. What a coincidence, another thing that he caused to break apart. Loudly sighing, he slammed his face back onto his desk and did his best to drown out all the pain. He knew that he should be planning for his inevitable removal from power, maybe even finding a way off this forsaken island to lay low for the rest of his life, but there was no motivation left in him to even attempt such a task. He’d rather just die where he sat, it is what he deserved.

“Excuse me sir?” a quiet voice spoke from just outside his door. Lucius looked up and grunted in response. “Uhm, sir,” the voice continued, “you have a call.”

“I don’t care! Tell them I am not here!” he angrily replied.

“But sir, it’s from Fortuna.”

“Who on Urth would-,” Lucius stopped mid-sentence, suddenly realizing who might be calling. “Put me on,” he hesitantly replied as he reached for his phone. Lucius waited a few more seconds before slowly lifting his phone to his ear see hear who his mystery caller was.

“H-hello?”

“Good evening Supreme Chancellor Lucius,” a familiar voice greeted. The voice was filled with confidence and respect, the voice of a leader.

“G-good evening High Commander Lytle,” Lucius replied weakly.

“How about we put away the formality, eh? You can call me Tristan,” the voice said lightly, as if Lucius was an old friend of his.

“Alright,” Lucius only said in return. Silence filled the call for a few seconds until Lucius could not take it anymore. “What do you want?”

“Nothing in particular, just thought I should check in on you.”

“Why would you of all people care about what me?” Lucius lashed out unexpectedly.

“Easy there friend, I just wanted to talk.”

“You’re the one who started this mess, you and your talk of unity! You’re the cause for my nation falling apart, just so that you can waltz in a plunder what’s left! Yeah, I know what your plan was all along, well all I can say is fuck off!” An eerie silence fell on the room as Lucius calmed himself down by bringing down his breathing, the phone resting on his shoulder as he waited for Lytle’s response. Yet the seconds continued ticking by as only silence came from the phone. Maybe he should not have lashed out like that, Lucius thought to himself, it was very immature of him. As the silence continued, Lucius’s anger was slowly replaced by regret and uncertainty. It was at this time his caller finally spoke up.

“The idea of Eridani Theta was a failure from the start, just a mere dream of an old, senile man,” the voice stated in a clear, stern voice. “As much as I respect Mironov, he tried to do the impossible by uniting and equally treating two different kinds of people. In the end he failed to heal the divide and was only able to place temporary bandages. You were just unfortunately given the task to complete his impossible dream. Yes, quite unfortunate.” Lucius wanted to lash out again, how dare this man slander his friend and his nation. But the Fortunan leader’s words made more and more sense the more Lucius thought about them, so he sat there in his office in silence, slowly accepting this new truth.

“In truth,” Lytle continued, “I believe you are placing the wrongly placing blame on me. You see, I wasn’t the one who created the divide between the two species that has existed for hundreds of years, I wasn’t the one who tried playing peacekeeper while ruling with an iron fist, I wasn’t the one who sat back while the nation began tearing itself apart, and I wasn’t the one who let nationalist pride fester within my nation. No sir, all of that was already there before you decided it was a good idea to start a referendum. All that I did was light the powder keg fuse and sat back as you tried to desperately put it out, and what a pathetic attempt if I may say so myself. So no, I wasn’t the one who started this mess, but when your nation crumbles, it will be me who will rebuild it.” Silence again followed as Lytle stopped to let in what he said sink in. Realizing he was not going to receive a response, from the other side of the phone Lytle grinned to himself.

“Huh, not much of a talker anymore, eh? Might as well tell you why I called then. From the current situation in your nation and the demands of your government, I, High Commander of the Second Fortunan Empire, request you Aran Lucius, current Supreme Chancellor of the United Provinces of Eridani Theta, to step down from office and let the people decide the fate of your nation from here on out.”

“But-,” Lucius finally responded, but went silent again.

“The people are no longer on your side,” Lytle continued, “it is not worth your time anymore to act as their leader. Step down immediately for the sake of the people and for your own safety.”

“I. . . But. . .” However, there was no more that Lucius could add. With that, the leader of Eridani Theta accepted defeat. “Oh-oh God, this is it, this is finally it. . .”

“I’m sorry you were never able to accomplish Mironov’s goal,” the began saying in a more soother, empathetic voice, “but do not be so hard on yourself. In the end at least you attempted, and I think Mironov would have been proud of at least that, but your time has finally come to an end and Eridani Theta is going to need new leaders to lead her into a new era.”

“I know. . .”

“That is good to hear. So now the most important question I will be asking you tonight: will you step down?”

“I. . .” Lucius’s voiced cracked as he slowly accepted his fate, “I will step down from office. . .”

“Well I’ll leave the rest up to you now. To help you out, I can move you and your family out to live in a secluded yet safe place. You have a family Lucius?”

“A wife and child. . .”

“Fantastic! Well once you have made your announcement, I can get you and our family out of there. How does that sound?”

“Y-yeah. . . That would be nice.”

“Hey, don’t be so hard on yourself. Truthfully there was nothing you could have done, just remember that. Hey Lucius, you go that?”

“I got it. . .”

“Good! Well I’m glad I could be of assistance to you and I’m sorry it did not work out in the end for you. Again Lucius, from leader to leader I am here to help you, for the good of our people. Since there isn’t much I can add and now wish you a good night and may Unus be with you.” The voice paused before adding one more thing. “Glory to Fortuna.”

“Glory to-,” Lucius quickly caught himself, but it was too late. He slammed the phone down and stumbled away from his desk, beginning to pace uncontrollably around his office. He had truly admitted defeat in the most humiliating way. It was truly over for him.

[Fortuna]

November 1, 2017

The day finally arrived, and thousands of Eridani Thetans awoke to make the greatest decision of their life. Just last night, Aran Lucius, their former leader and their final opponent against a separated nation, resigned from office, but that was old news now. As of now, no one ruled over the island nation, and even if there was still a physical government, it was already preparing for the inevitable break up. Both regional chancellors and their allies were busy at work insuring their positions of power remained intact within their respected regions. The military, with no one to answer to anymore, also began breaking apart, soldiers leaving their posts and heading back home while top officers worked desperately to scavenge what they can and announce their loyalty to either the north or south. There have already been reports of skirmishes between rival officers, especially along the now hostile border. The Ambravian Freedom Fighters were already at work taking up strategic positions and even at times raiding now abandoned military bases. On the other side, Palerma’s personal army, known as the Black Shirts by the locals, were becoming bolder and more aggressive against those they perceived enemies of their Fortunan masters. And stuck between it all were millions of excited yet fearful civilians, also preparing for the worse.

The majority of those in the south were eagerly waiting for Fortuna to march in any minute, many no longer afraid of waving Fortunan flags out their windows and singing old Fortunan songs. Any opponents against Fortuna would have already left the region weeks ago, and for those who remained were anxiously remained silent or were trying to make for the north in haste. The south was no longer their home, the south was no longer Eridani Theta, it was Fortuna.

The northern regions, unlike their southern brothers, were fairing a lot worse. Although vulpine, nationalist pride was quite abundant among the majority in the north, there were many who only wished to leave the forsaken island. Thousands, mainly vulpines, made their way to the most northern provinces where they desperately looked for ways to the mainland, the birthplace of their ancestors. The few who thought ahead had either already gotten citizenship in other nations or knew of family on the mainland who were willing to take them in. For the rest though, they had no where and no one to go to. All that they knew was that they wanted out, for the future of Eridani Theta was not a bright one.

As midday rolled around, the first poll stations began to open. An hour later, everywhere across the nation thousands of Eridani Thetans, humans and vulpines, came out to vote. Living their whole lives under an authoritative government, this was a first for many to participate in a national decision, especially one on this scale. Surprising to many, there were very few conflicts that took place. The only reports that came in were of Lucius Loyalists who blocked polling stations and the occasional ultra-speciesist attacking voters. The rest of the nation just wanted to get the referendum done with so that they can finally move on, the bloodshed will have to wait for later.

As the minutes passed by, an unending flow of votes poured in, the voices and opinions of people from every corner of Eridani Theta. By 6 o’ clock, the last vote was placed, and the nation awaited the final results.

[hr]
“The final results are in. . .” The news broadcaster announced toward the camera. Dots of sweat began forming on his brow as he looked down at the results just handed to him a few seconds ago. Even though it was exactly what he expected, he was still filled with shock. Why him? Why did they choose him to make such an announcement? He must stay strong though, this is his job. His hands began to shake as he returned his gaze to camera, looking directly at the millions of Eridani Thetans that were anxiously watching. With a deep breath, he announced the much-awaited results.

“The results are in,” he repeated, “and the nation has voted for the immediate split of the nation.” In the background he could hear his colleagues react with a mixture of gasps, celebration, and one person in the corner began crying at hearing the news. “A shocking 95.64% voted in favor of this decision. From here on out, both regions are to become separate, independent states. The population of the northern region has also voted for the creation of the state of Ambravia. The. . . the population of the southern region on the other hand has voted. . . has voted in favor of integrating into the Fortunan Empire. From now on, the United Provinces of Eridani Theta cease to exist. As the spokesperson of the Empire,” the anchorman paused as he reread his notes, “I ask that you stay tuned for further development.” He looked up from his notes and stared emptily into the camera. “Glory to Fortuna, Glory to the High Commander.”

[Fortuna]

Troni, Eridani Theta
November 9, 2017

Francesco Guido paused mid-sip of his tea when he heard the faint sound of an explosion somewhere deep within Troni, moments later followed by the wail of dozens of sirens. With a deep sigh, he placed his drink down and walked over to the barred window where he noticed a small plume of dark smoke rising above the city. A few minutes later, a young officer quietly entered Guido’s quarters to provide the unfortunate news.

“Sir, reports are coming in of another car bomb, this time outside a small grocery store,” the officer reported.

“Casualties?” Guido merely asked in response.

“We are yet to confirm, but we believe the attack was targeted against a squadron in the area.”

“And civilians?” Guido asked as he turned to the officer, but he only got a shrug in response. The Grand Admiral sighed again as he went back to his chair and tea. “Very well. This is not a problem of the Navy, so I have no need to concern myself I guess. . .” Guido took a sip of his tea before waving the officer off, “you’re dismissed.”

The officer quickly nodded and saluted his superior. “Glory to the High Commander!” he shouted before taking off.

“Yeah yeah, glory to the. . . yeah,” but the young officer was already gone by then, leaving Guido alone to his work. Placing his laptop on his lap, Guido went to work sorting through the never-ending flow of information and reports. Last week’s troop deployment into southern Eridani Theta was a success thanks to his fleet, the only opposition they faced were a couple Eridani Thetan captains who apparently wanted to die battle. Guido made sure that their wishes were fulfilled. Now, it was up to the army to secure strategic positions and cities, all the while suppressing all opposition in the area. As expected, a wave of anti-Fortunan, Eridani Thetan extremists, and vulpine activist groups tried to take advantage of the referendum results, but they were no match for Fortunan military superiority. Well, that was not entirely true, the entire army was completely disorganized during the campaign, but Guido and the rest of the higher ups were told to keep quiet about it. But through luck and perseverance, Fortuna was successful in securing the southern provinces and the newly formed border in less than a week, well, except for a few exceptions.

Guido sighed again as he began going through the recent reports on the current terrorist attacks and the mess in Equilara. Currently, there was not much they could do about the terrorist attacks except with the usual raids and preventive measures, but it was going to take years until peace comes back to the region. For now, though, the main mission of the armed forces was securing the city of Equilara, the former capital of Eridani Theta. Following the results of the referendum, Eridani Thetan nationalists and Lucius loyalists quickly took control of the city, stating it belonged to neither Ambravia or Fortuna. Apparently, the plan was to just starve them out and attempt to bomb them into submission, but that was until reports started pouring in of Ambravian movement into Equilara. Not wanting the city to fall into enemy hands, the council commanded for an immediate offensive into Equilara.

As he sifted through all the reports of victory within Equilara, his phone began to buzz on the end table next to him. Guido picked up his phone, and upon realizing who was calling, quickly answered and placed it against his ear.

“Head Admiral, it’s an honor to receive your call!” Guido exclaimed loudly.

“Grand Admiral Guido,” his superior greeted back through the phone, “are you well rested?”

“Never better,” Guido replied as he glanced back out the window.

“Good, because command has a new mission for you, Sword of the Sea.” Guido winced from his superior calling him by the nickname given to him by his countrymen. “Anyways,” the Head Admiral continued, “I need you to prepare an amphibious assault strike group as soon as possible. Further details will be explained later. Will this be done?”

“Yes sir, it will be done,” he replied with a nod, “for the glory of Fortuna.”

“And for the glory of the High Commander!” the Head Admiral added.

“Yes, for the glory of the High Commander.”

[Fortuna]

Slens, Ambravia

Tick tock, tick tock.

The immense grandfather clock at the end of the room ticked away in the quiet room, being a slight annoyance to Manfrin’s more keen ears. It certainly made the environment quite uncomfortable for the him and the other Ambravian representatives, and it certainly did not help that they were being stared down by that Fortunan tyrant and his lackeys. Manfrin stole a glance at Tristan Lytle who sat quite casually with his arms crossed, never releasing his stare at the vulpine. He then glanced over at the PKFU representative Secretary General Alegisi Loitey, who agreed to act as a witness and now awaited for the final decision. Manfrin looked back down again at the parchments in his hands, the most recent copy of the proposed agreement.

— Begin quote from ____

1.It is to be recognized that the former government of the United Provinces of Eridani Theta has ceased to exist and is to no longer be recognized.

2.The Second Fortunan Empire and the Republic of Ambravia recognize each other as independent states and agree to respect each other’s sovereignty.

3.The provinces of Graffias, Zaurak, Merga, Vega, Chara, and Bellatrix are to be recognized as part of the Second Fortunan Empire.

4.The provinces of Acamar, Cursa, Sceptrum, Keid, Theemin, and Rana are to be recognized as the Republic of Ambravia.

5.The city of Equilara is to be split in two between the two signatories, the northern half will be integrated into the province of Rana while the southern half will be integrated into the province of Zaurak.

6.The two islands to the North of Eridani Theta shall be annexed into the Second Fortunan Empire.

7.The Second Fortunan Empire recognizes the military group the Ambravian Freedom Fighters as a separate entity from the Republic of Ambravia. Upon this agreement coming into effect, a ceasefire between the Second Fortunan Empire and the Ambravian Freedom Fighters will be enacted.

8.The rights and freedoms of both humans and vulpines shall be respected by participating signatories.

9.Upon this agreement coming into effect, for 14 days all persons residing in Eridani Theta have the right to move freely to the place of residence of their choice. All persons who have left the region or who have come to the region with previous permanent residence in Eridani Theta have the right to live in the region of their choice.

10.The agreement shall come into effect immediately after the conclusion of this meeting.

— End quote

“So,” Manfrin looked up as their ambassador, Alexander Reason, began to speak, “we have been at this for almost three hours. Is this final draft to your liking?”

Manfrin returned his gaze back to the agreement. Compared to what the Fortunans proposed at the start of the talk, this current draft was immensely better. For one, the point eight and nine was all Manfrin’s doing, and it took a long time to convince the Fortunans to include them. Point seven also took a good amount of discussion, but mainly between him and Salvine. Representing the Ambravian Freedom Fighters, Salvine was not ready to stop the fight with the Fortunans. Speaking of which, the Fortunan senior officers present seemed annoyed with the inclusion of that point too, probably wanting to keep the fight going. In the end, both sides agreed it was in everyone’s interest that peace is achieved as soon as possible.

“The. . . the current agreement is acceptable by the representatives of Ambravia.”

“Fantastic!” Tristan exclaimed as he sat up in his chair, “now how about we get this finished with.” The Fortunan leader grabbed the pen and folder that contained the actual agreement and went to sign, but he paused before looking up and handing the two objects to Manfrin. “Here, it should be you who gets to sign first.”

Manfrin was a bit caught off guard by this action, but there wasn’t much else he could do but take both objects from his enemy. Manfrin too paused before signing, staring back at Tristan with a glare. Was this a simple act of gratitude? A mind trick? A show of dominance? It did not really matter that much to Manfrin anyways, but it sure did make him feel more uncomfortable. He returned his attention back to the agreement, and with one stroke he signed the document. He then handed it to Salvine, who in return took the document and placed his signature next to Manfrin’s.

Tristan took the document back, and with a large grin neatly placed his signature right under the other two. He then gave it to the PKFU representative so that he may sign as a witness, and with that the agreement will go into effect. Tristan extended his hand towards Manfrin who in return accepted the handshake.

“We did good here today, my friend. We did good.”

(OOC: Imma call this storyline finished, just in time for finals. Yay?)