The Grand Republican Debacle

At the Workers' National Council

Outside the Workers' National Council are four Liberal Party delegates with furrowed brows. An unknown figure stands a distance away.
D. Iversen: This is ridiculous.
D. Sinagra: Lowry must just be putting on a show for power.
D. Frank: He must be. Why else-
D. Turner: No, it's something more sinister than that. You hear the way he talks about his constituents. 'Our people.' 'Our councils.' He is directly taking on Tamia and flipped several delegates to boot. My money's on foreign influe-
The large body of a man saunters up to the group. It is Liberal Party leader Ricardo Allens. Turner immediately recognizes him.
D. Turner: Ricardo!
D. Allens: In a stern voice to the group | I could hear you from the steps. We can talk about this later. You never know who's around. (Allens looks at the nearby unknown figure) For now, head to headquarters. Our strategy session is in an hour.

---

Still outside the Workers' National Council an hour later, the unknown figure gets approached by Delegate David Lowry, leader of the Social Democratic Union.
D. Lowry: What do you have for me, Egbert?
D. Delmar: Not much. The Libs seem to be a bit concerned about our rise. Think you're organizing a party just for power or that we're getting some kind of help from outside the country.
D. Lowry: That all?
D. Delmar: No, saved the best for last. Allens and Tamia were talking. Seemed cordial.
D. Lowry: Hmm...probably trying to see how easy it would be to squeeze a constitutional amendment out of him. With the War in Rossia and the new powers we would need to govern abroad, it only makes sense... We took that power away from her, you know.
D. Delmar: Yes, sir. For the better, too.
D. Lowry: We can probably get some good concessions, too, if we jab at her.
D. Delmar: Indeed!
D. Lowry: In a hushed voice, intended for himself. | Might even be able to...take care of her.
D. Delmar: Slightly louder, with concern | What do you mean take care of her?
D. Lowry: Quiet, but angrily | Shut up you idiot. I didn't say anything. Go home, read those books I gave you, and try to get me some better info for me tomorrow.

In the War Room

2021-07-25 21:52 - Alone at a table in a windowless room sits People's Commissar Amanda Tamia. The only light comes from two dangling ceiling lamps.

Tamia: Incredulously | The cowards. A bunch of damn cowards -- the lot of them! We have a golden opportunity to rid ourselves of a tin-pot dictator and the blasted Onaron back out. Spineless cowards.

The door opens behind Tamia. Enter Militia Leader Michelle Bucket, Deputy Militia Leader Victor Dmytro, and Director of the Department of Strategic Operations Siddhartha Leandro

Tamia: This is what I get for allying with a country unaffected by Rossia's meddling. 'Peace Offensive.' What a load of-
Bucket: Coughs
Tamia: Turning to see who coughed | I see you're here. Take a seat everyone. I'm sorry to keep you from going home, but Firenze only informed me half an hour ago. She won't be joining us.
Bucket: What's this about?
Tamia: Rosside Partiya.
Dmytro: Okay...
Leandro: They're all meeting at the Gostade Domo, aren't they?
Tamia: Yes, she tell you, too?
Leandro: We've got some friends in common abroad. First time they've met in a while.
Tamia: Yes. Since the embargo started, Rosside Partiya has avoided gathering in one space to prevent the wiping out of RP leadership in case we decided to take the fight to them. Unfortunately for them, schedules have gotten mixed up and for exactly one hour the entire leadership of the RP will be at the Domo, from 23:30 to 00:30.
Bucket: So we're here to talk about a strike?
Tamia: Yes, but not just a strike. Multiple strikes.
Dmytro: This is all very short notice and will take some time to set up. What targets?
Tamia: Military and political ones. Specifically, I want to see Draft 4 put into action.
Bucket: Ma'am, Draft 4 was a worst case scenario plan. The severity of the conflict is nowhere near us being able to justify Draft 4.
Tamia: That's where you're wrong. Did you think that the Ragaloo Army was just going to sit by after we cleared out their complexes? We're still searching for more compounds and training grounds, but as Leandro will confirm in just a moment, we're starting to see an uneasy alliance between the Ragaloos and the MEGAs --
Leandro: nods
Tamia: So we'll be dealing with worse if we let this fester any longer than it has. Throw in the Rossian agent we found last year and all of this starts to reek of terrorism.
Bucket: Tamia, the Rossians have tactical nuclear capabilities. You would be putting my people under that kind of fire for a plan we don't know will work for sure.
Tamia: Raising her voice | Would you rather have our people under fire when a dirty bomb blows up in New New York because our customs officers haven't checked each and every package that comes off each ship because of a dinner date they didn't want to miss?

Dmytro avoids Tamia's piercing stare

Tamia: Calmer, to Bucket | At any rate, I order you to implement Draft 4. Use whatever resources you need. | To Dmytro | I take it our navy is more than capable of launching a rapid strike against the remaining Rossian ships blocking our passage to Movisko?
Dmytro: Yes, ma'am.
Tamia: Good. See to it, you two.

Michelle Bucket and Victor Dmytro leave the room

Leandro: What do you need from me? I have to talk to some connections in Toonela, see if I can stave off a particularly negative response, but am otherwise free this evening.
Tamia: See if we can figure out more about the situation in An-Astral. My briefings are...incomplete. I'm sure that there's more that we can do to assist. Reach out to Tim, too. He'll know what to do.

Scene opens on a small office, lit only by a desk lamp. Timothy Wallows, head of the Foundation for Democracy can be seen staring at files. There's a knock at the door.

Wallows: Come in.

The door opens. A small figure, dressed in nearly all black, slides into the room.

Leandro: Tamia sent me. She said that you knew what to do.
Wallows: What's happened?
Leandro: I'm not sure I'm at liberty to say, sir. I have some calls to make so I can't stay very long. I've told you all I know.
Wallows: I think I have an idea. Thank you.

Leandro leaves, Wallows remains alone in his office. He picks up the phone

Wallows: Elizabeth, I need Otto.
Elizabeth: Yes, sir.

Wallows waits a moment before being connected to Otto Claire. He greets them with the air of an old friend. Wallows understood the nature of these talks. There hasn't been an actual shipment from An-Astral with reading material in them for some time
Wallows: Good morning, Otto! It's Wallows.
Claire: Good morning, Tim. Good to hear from you again. It has been a while. Thought you might have grown disenchanted by our work.
Wallows: I could never. In fact, the Foundation for Democracy wishes to place its largest order to date for your recently published work, A People's History of An-Astral: The Beginning. We believe that it will be incredibly informative for subscribers of our weekly informational email and give us a truer look into the nature of An-Astral.
Claire: Very good. We can have that order in by tomorrow. I assume we'll be using the same information as last time?
Wallows: Oh absolutely. These are items we so desperately need and I hope you can provide them.
Claire: We'll be able to provide them alright. While I have you on the phone, there's another thing you might be interested in. Care to hear about it?
Wallows: Go on...
Claire: Good. Considering our current situation, we may be having some issues supplying our production facilities with paper. I'm sure you understand. Since you've cleared up trade issues with Rossia, surely you can supply us with some more paper to be able to function properly, no?
Wallows: It's a long trip, but perhaps we can work something out. I'll have to reach out Harndonians about this. Docking in their ports and loading the paper onto freight trains may be the best way to get you that paper quickly.
Claire: Keep me in the loop. As you know, that paper is essential to our efforts.
Wallows: Of course. You should hear back from me soon.
Claire: Good. It is always a pleasure doing business with you.
Wallows: Likewise.

Wallows hung up the phone. He seemed pleased, but that faded as he realized that he needed to convince the Harndonians to allow for the shipment of contraband into An-Astral, lest he lie to them about what was being shipped.

A Storm is Brewing
As the sun goes down and the city darkens, streetlamps begin to turn on on Luta Valley's main strip, lighting the way for bar goers, night shift workers, and miscreants of all kinds. Watching this view from the second floor of "McKinnon's" were three individuals seated at a table in the corner, far from other bar goers. Chest tattoos of the Rossian eagle peaking up over their collars could have given them away had there been Militia agents around. This bar's owners were part of the Rossian diaspora in the nineties and trusted the Militia as much as a pig could fly. Our three individuals turn to each other and begin talking.

One: This is a good night. We should be out enjoying the cool breeze.
Two: We have business to discuss. It is not safe to discuss this outside and Gorgovski cannot keep everyone out of here for much longer. What do we know?
Three: The idiot, Milenkov, decided that now would be the best time to launch our attacks.
One: But the government does not know it was us.
Two: No, the news is feeding lies. What else?
One: Bites their lip a bit before continuing | Our people in District 69 were captured.
Two: Sighs | They're catching up to us. Do we still have our place on 48th Street?
Three: We do. Two people moved in up the street yesterday. Had a moving truck.
One: Too dangerous. What about Third Avenue?
Two: Remember? That was in District 69.
One: No, Third Street was in District 69. Third Avenue is still safe.
Three: They're right. We should be safe on Third Avenue.
Two: Fine. What else do we know?
Three: Villianovsky is still alive.
One: How?
Three: He missed his meeting at the Gostade Domo. Was at the doctor for his son.
Two: How do you know this?
Three: Milenkov sent word.
One: I did not hear of this!
Three: With a slight grin | Maybe he thought that I was worthy to know.
One: Furious and rising out of their seat | I will show you worthy. Worthy of my foot up your-
Two: Booming | Enough! It is enough that the Militia is catching up to us. We do not need to tear into each other like this.

One and Three stare at each other as they sit down.

Two: We need to regroup. If we can get to the Luta Valley armory, we will have all we need to wage our war.

The group hears multiple car doors slam outside. They peer out the window and see two Militia Utility Vehicles parked outside McKinnon's and 4 Militia agents entering the building.

Two: Agents. We have to go. Through the hills.

The group gets up and tugs on the nearby painting of rolling hills in some far-flung land, revealing a passageway to the building next door. Lights fade as the passageway closes.