Arlington, Virginia

The Pentagon

Within the Current Actions Center, dozens of displays reflected real-time data from the multiple operations occurring simultaneously. President Lee eyed the colorful displays as he walked down to the room, his brain working overtime to understand the plethora of information. As he entered the room below, he was greeted by scores of salutes.

“At ease, everyone,” he said as he walked toward the branch heads. “How’s everything coming along? Robert?”

The Secretary of Defense responded quickly, a testament to his professionalism and dedication to his work. “Sir, the Seventh Fleet has begun operations against Esthirant and Duro. The first phase is near completion.”

Live feeds of the bombing of the Imperial Capital Defense Base and the logistic strikes in Duro popped up on nearby displays.

“So far, we’ve neutralized sixty-five percent of logistical targets in both Esthirant and Duro. Most roads leading to Esthirant and Duro were bombed, incurring no civilian casualties. The bridges still had significant civilian activity, so our forces are currently holding off until midnight to begin neutralizing these targets. As for military targets, we’ve neutralized the primary defensive installations in both Esthirant and Duro. However, both bases seemed to have evacuated early, suggesting that the Parpaldians are taking the conflict more seriously.”

President Lee raised an eyebrow. “Hm… this means the chances of a guerilla war are high. Hopefully Director Kaios can pull it off. Anyhow, have we initiated strikes against their fleets?”

“Their fleets appear to be unmoving, which is strange considering that they are under attack. We expected their fleets to exit their ports to meet us at sea, but given that they’re staying put, we recommend further bombing of the ports, carried out by the carriers’ squadrons. By the time they arrive, we hope that the civilian populace will have abandoned the area.”

“I see. Have the carriers handle the port, then. Once the port is cleared of hostiles, maintain the blockade until we hear back from Director Kaios.”

“Understood, sir.”

——

Kaios Estate

“How are you feeling, Director?”

Kaios glanced at the egregiously calm man seated across from his desk. He wondered how he could appear so nonchalant despite the stakes of their mission. Did he not fear failure? Did he not fear possible repercussions from his home country? Jealous of the man’s mysteriously confident attitude, Kaios questioned, “How can you remain so calm in the face of such world-altering circumstances?”

“Just another day in my line of work. Believe me, my predecessors and I have had to deal with way more dangerous situations than this. This is nothing, Director. You’ve got this.”

Kaios looked at the American in silence, weighing his words.

“Whether or not you feel ready, this is something you’ll have to do. Just remember, the odds are in your favor. And please, don’t fuck up the speech we worked on. It should manage to convince the rest of Ludius’ inner circle as long as you’re following the script. I mean, you’ve already got Arde on your side, along with those countless men loyal to him, Balus, and Matal.”

Kaios nodded, somewhat reassured by Klein’s words. “Yes, I suppose you’re correct. Very well then, I shall carry this out.”

“That’s the spirit,” Klein smiled. “Either way, you’ll be taking control of the Parpaldian Empire today. Although, we’ll probably have to change the governmental structure. I sure hope you’re okay with giving up your seat as temporary emperor, if you do end up in that position.”

Kaios brushed it off. “Oh, that is of no concern. My only concern is with the survival and longevity of the Parpaldian Empire.”

“Good! We’ll keep in touch, then. Could use someone to oversee the transition toward a republic. Good luck, Director Kaios.”

Klein got up and opened the door just as Alfan was about to knock on it, adding to the mystery of his character. It was as if he predicted the arrival of his butler. “Excuse me,” he said politely, scooting past Alfan.

“Lord Kaios, Emperor Ludius has summoned you.”

The emergency meeting was about to begin, as expected. Calming his nervously beating heart, Kaios took a deep breath. “Okay. Let’s go.”

——

Cartalpas, Holy Mirishial Empire

Located between the Central World’s primary trade routes, Cartalpas rose to prominence as a hub for commerce and information. Business deals were worked out not only in the city’s numerous offices and financial spaces, but also in its bars. One bar in particular was known for such dealings, and was also frequented by the most effective information brokers of the Central World. Renowned merchants and corporate executives found themselves at the center of trade, and often at the center of news as well.

Lively music and drunken laughter filled the atmosphere of the bar almost as much as the smell of alcohol. The ceaseless chatter made it hard to distinguish from the plethora of voices, but one eventually boomed over the rest. A rough dwarven voice echoed throughout the room, “Oi, everyone! Hush up!” He pointed at the colored screens mounted on the walls — technological gems of the magically superior Holy Mirishial Empire.

Everyone quieted down as they quickly took notice of the program running on the screen. A beautiful elf wearing a red American-made dress introduced herself in front of a large, mostly empty airfield. “Welcome back to the Mirishial News Network, where we pride ourselves at providing you news almost as fast as news happens! I’m Alana Forlen, here in the Kingdom of Altaras. Today, we have an incredible special interview with Ambassador Anders.”

The field of view zoomed out to include the American, who shook Alana’s hand. “Pleasure to be here, Miss Forlen,” he said.

“Oh please, it is our pleasure! We were quite surprised that you allowed us to conduct this special during wartime. Would this not affect your strategy? Our broadcasts can be received by devices in the Parpaldian Empire as well.”

“Oh, it’s not a problem. Our analysts have taken this into consideration and determined that if anything, this could help our political standing with the greater Elysian community. Any Parpaldians seeing this will only know that we simply wish for liberty and justice for all — particularly for those that they’ve oppressed,” Anders answered smoothly.

“That’s quite an endeavor, Ambassador. I’m not the most knowledgeable of Philadean politics, but I do know that a lot of Parpaldia’s territories will be clamoring for independence. How will you manage that?”

“We plan on allowing gradual separation from the Parpaldian government and economy. It’s been a while since these guys have had control of a country, so we’ll be sending teams to help assist with regaining independence and setting up governments. The only immediate change will be the atrocious deals between these vassals and Parpaldia, namely the demands for slaves.”

“Speaking of which, we heard that you will be outlawing slavery in its entirety. Is this true?”

Anders nodded. “Oh, absolutely! This will be part of our demands for surrender, and we won’t accept anything less. Everyone affected by this will be reimbursed by the Parpaldian treasury, with each freed slave receiving at least several thousand pasos. Details are, of course, not finalized yet.”

“Fascinating. It’s nice to see that the Third Civilized Region is finally coming around to civility and disposing of this outdated practice, like the other regions had. I noticed that you speak of the Parpaldian Empire’s surrender with much certainty. Would you like to elaborate on that?”

A soft humming permeated the air, slowly growing louder as their interview dragged on. Specks began to form in the distance, slowly materializing into planes as they got closer.

“Well, let’s think about it this way. If the Holy Mirishial Empire were to wage war against the Parpaldian Empire, how certain would you be of victory?”

“Completely certain,” Alana answered honestly.

Anders nodded, continuing, “The technological disparity between your two nations is simply too vast — the Parpaldians could never make up for it, no matter what strategies they implement.”

“That’s correct.”

“And we feel the same way.” Anders pointed to the figures in the sky. “See those?”

The camera panned upward, zooming in on the aircraft returning from Esthirant.

“Yes, I do. Are those… Heavenly Flying Ships?”

Anders paused, curious about their terminology. “Umm, yes. However, we refer to them as planes.”

“Ah, yes. Mu refers to their aircraft as planes as well. So then, these planes…”

“Right. These are part of a bombing fleet that the Air Force just sent to Esthirant.”

Alana covered her mourn with her left hand, holding a microphone with the right. “Oh goodness… Did you destroy the city?” She asked, her mind drifting off to reports of the Gra Valkas Empire conducting large-scale bombing raids against cities.

“No. The bombers only targeted military installations. This fleet in particular was sent to destroy the Imperial Capital Defense Base, north of Esthirant. Another fleet will be returning shortly from Duro.”

“Wow,” Alana gasped as the first set of bombers landed. “They’re quite large!”

“Indeed. Size matters a lot,” he smirked at his own joke, “Especially when it comes to the amount of bombs and fuel you can carry.”

Alana laughed. “I wouldn’t doubt that. I see now why you and the Muans are so confident in an American victory. After you’ve won, how will you participate in the global scene? I remember you said something about the greater Elysian community.”

“Ah, about that. We want to make ourselves known to the world, and what better way to do it than to proclaim victory over a supposed superpower? Obviously this isn’t our original intention, but we certainly can’t pass up this opportunity.”

“This world is an unforgiving place. No one would blame you for making the most of your circumstances. Perhaps your country might even become a member of the next World Conference!”

“World Conference?” Anders asked, the term sounding vaguely familiar.

“Yes. You’ve not heard of this?”

Anders shook his head.

“So the rumors of transference do seem to be true… Anyway, the World Conference is an event in which eleven of the world’s greatest powers are invited to discuss international politics. Seeing as your nation is poised to replace the Parpaldian Empire, is there anything you’d like to say to those watching this interview?”

“Hmm,” Anders thought, his interactions seeming natural despite the answer immediately forming in his mind. He held his index finger out, designating one idea. “First, I’d say that we’re very welcoming of trade and learning about this world. Our main ports are in San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Honolulu, but we’re currently developing new, more accessible trading regions in Fenn, the Sios Kingdom, the Topa Kingdom, and the Kingdom of Altaras, along with established ports in Maihark, Qua Toyne, and the Lourian Republic’s capital, Jin Hark. The latter facilities already have nearby airports for easy shipping to the states, although you’ll have to pay a bit more.”

“Oh, that’s quite a rapid expansion. Would you care to tell us about the goods that your nation is offering?”

“Hmm,” Anders scratched his head. “I think we’re actually offering a lot of things, including phones, although you’d need to secure a license to visit our main ports first. We have a strict Technological Outflow Policy, but can make exceptions for countries with value to offer, such as magic. Our high-end products, from phones to computers, are available for Elysians to purchase in the continental United States, or our main ports. The products we have already exported to the Philades continent and Mu include vehicles and watches, along with industrials, food, and consumer goods. Off the top of my head, we have toys, stationery, furniture, apparel, and canned goods for sale.”

The two continued to speak loudly, lest their voices be drowned out by the sound of B-52s landing.

“Could you show us some of these items, perhaps?”

“Haha,” Anders smiled. “Well the first would definitely be that dress you’ve got. How do you like the texture?”

“I love the texture; the fabric is quite smooth, even when compared to our own clothing products.”

“Glad to hear that. I also have a selection of items here,” he waved his hand, beckoning Alana and her camera crew to follow him toward a building. Two automatic sliding glass doors greeted them, catching their attention. As they entered, they were blasted with cool air, a refresher from the warm Altaran fall. “Aside from the air conditioning and lighting here, we’ve got some nice items on this table you can try out.”

Alana started testing items from left to right, beginning with a pen and paper. The ink flowed from the pen smoothly as she wrote her name in Elysian. She then analyzed the silverware and kitchen supplies, inspecting the alien spices before her and tasting them. “Wow, what is this?”

“This is ketchup — one of the many condiments we have.”

She picked up several perfumes and colognes, finding their scents pleasing before analyzing the jewelry and luxury watches on the table. Satisfied by the quality of precision craftsmanship, she held the items up to the camera for a closer view.

Anders explained what he could about the items to the best of his ability while Alana continued to show off the goods. At last, they completed the short tour of American products.

“I must say, I am impressed by the quality of these goods. I believe I speak for the rest of Elysia when I say this, but as a Mirishian, I am quite excited to see what your country has in store for the future.”

“Thank you, Miss Forlen. We are equally as excited to interact with this world on a larger scale and prove its mysteries.”

“And so you shall. Ambassador, thank you for agreeing to this interview with MNN.”

Anders shook her hand and waved to the strange looking magical device mounted atop the cameraman’s shoulder.

“And that concludes our special for today. We’ll continue to cover the war in Parpaldia after this short break.”