Extreme Measures for Extreme Circumstances
A pair stride down the marble-floored halls of Commonwealth Mansion with a quick pace. One, a male elf dressed in the uniform black and white of a high-up Minister, has a look of preoccupation on his face. The other, a woman wearing much the same, has a look of anger, frustration and exhaustion on her face. Several aids spot them coming and quickly get out of their way knowing something is up...
"Damn it all, Neilan, what in the Nine Hells are they thinking?!"
"I wouldn't know, Miss President."
"General Korag is still on maneuvers off the Alliance coast with the 4th Marine Division, correct?"
"I wouldn't know, Miss President."
"Well, find out!"
"Yes, Erika." Neilan pulls out his cellular phone and dials the Department of Defence. "I must ask, Erika: The Marines?"
"Korag's one of the best military minds coming out of Toril, Neilan, plus he's also a Hero to the Alliance. He's a good friend, and he's loyal to us if not by ideology, then by his undying hatred for dissidence."
"Yes, get me the Defence Minister, right now!"
"Neilan, scratch that, just get me General Korag."
"Yes, hello? Sorry, just get me General Korag of the 4th Marines. ... ... Yes, I know he's on maneuvers, and I know that... Can you just do it?"
The pair stops at a window overlooking the press gallery, which is filled to the brim. Erika curses to herself quietly. Finally, the Foreign Minister hands the Acting President the cell phone.
"Yes, General Korag? Excellent, this is Erika Lesage. Yes, the President. ... Excellent. I'm sure you're aware of the problems in the Alliance territories? Good, good. I'm glad you've prepared your men... All right, we've everything in place in the Capitol, I trust everything is ready on your end, General. Excellent. Yes, General, I've already informed Fleet Admiral Hadrius and his airmen and sailors will be more than able to give your troops ample fire support. Good, good. Expect 6th and 9th Divisions to join you shortly, I will be placing them under your command. As of this moment, Operation Tsunami is a go."
As she hands back the phone, Neilan looks back at her in horror, "By the Gods, Erika, what are we doing?"
"They were the ones who staged a coup d'état, it is fully within our rights to do what we must to protect our democracy. Now, go speak with the leaders of The Two Churches, and tell them that they must do everything they can to help the people the Alliance understand that this coup is not an expression of freedom, but the exact opposite. Going from a liberal-democracy to a military dictatorship is not a revolution, it is a reversion."
At that, Neilan turns about and hurries toward his office. As he does so, the Acting President and Prime Minister of the United Commonwealth sighs in anxiety and pushes the large double doors to the press gallery open, leaning against them. As they leave her hands and hit the walls the Press goes quiet for a moment, and as they realize who it is, a torrent of questions and flashbulbs go off. Erika walks to the podium bearing the Seal of the United Commonwealth, and begins.
"People of the United Commonwealth,
"I come to you in a time that threatens us in more ways that you could imagine. The Alliance across the ocean has been subject to a brutal, and malignant coup d'état on the part of impatient, and undemocratic military leaders. Their actions are the culmination of the feeling of disunity that has been occuring since the first incident. The Forrester incident.
"Though there have always been disagreements between our two nations, were were always able to sit at the table and come to a compromise. I feel that these times are sadly gone, as long as the specter of the disunity hovers about our heads. As a result, I had called an emergency meeting of the entire Commonwealth Parliament to discuss the very troubling matters occuring in the Alliance territories.
"In the early morning, both Chambers of the Commonwealth Parliament voted to invoke the War Measures Act in reaction to the ever-increasing violence on the part of the rebel Generals within the Alliance. No more than thirty minutes after it was passed in the Parliament, I gave it the Presidential Assent and it became law."
A short pause throws the entirety of the Press Gallery into a fervour, but Erika continues.
"As of eight o' clock this morning, the United Commonwealth of Toril is under martial law as directed by the Charter of the Commonwealth under Section 181, the War Measures Act.
"As a result, the military, acting under the direct consent of the combined Commonwealth Government, reserves the authority to suspend the rights of any citizen residing within the Commonwealth. Our forces have been deployed to all corners of the Commonwealth and have been instructed to investigate, and arrest anyone suspected dissidents that threaten our democracy.
"As of this moment, forces led by General Korag of the 4th Division of the Marine Corps are landing on Alliance territory and battling back the hands of tyranny. They have been instructed to issue a curfew of all citizens in public places, they are to go back to their homes and expect a routine inspection of their homes. If there is any problem whatsoever, I urge the law-abiding citizens of the Alliance to send a message to the Provost Battalion also landing with the 4th Marine Division.
"We are there to root out the dissidents and arrest them, not to rape, pillage and destroy families.
"The insistence of the dissident's use of violence in attempting to overthrow the democratically-elected governments is a sign that they are no more than thugs and terrorists. The Commonwealth would have abided by a democratic decision, on the part of all the people, to leave the Commonwealth. But the use of violence will not be tolerate, it will never be tolerated and the people of the Alliance should, and do, know this in their heart of hearts.
"Ian Payne, before he died, once told me that going from a liberal-democratic government to a military dictatorship is not a revolution, it is a reversion into times more brutal.
"So, I must ask the people of the Alliance, do you want to live in a country where the military rules over you with a guantlet of iron? Even if you do not wish to live within the borders of the Commonwealth, surely you must understand that this is not the way to go about true freedom. I implore all citizens of the United Commonwealth of Toril to stand against tyranny in all its forms, and to stand together in non-cooperation with such forces.
"May the Saint save us all,
"Thank you."
Wishing not to answer any questions at all, Erika leaves the Press Gallery through the same doors she entered. As Agents of the Federal Security Bureau stop anyone from following, she meets the sad eyes of her good friend, Neilan. She immediately throws her arms around him and lets out a cry, "By the Saint, Neilan, this is what they'll remember us for isn't it?"
"I don't know, Erika," he says awkwardly, "I don't know."
