"Major Jefferson, sir?"

Jefferson looked up with eyes of concern, but they quickly shifted into despite once he realized who it was that addressed him. Newman internally sighed, knowing that approaching Jefferson in this manner could be potentially catastrophic for her. Much less for the squad she was trying to protect. But she had to intervene. Unity was by far her best squad, despite the mission failure. Losing them would be catastrophic.

"What do you want?" Jefferson asked.

"Some of your time."

"I don't have time."

"Make time," Jefferson gave her a warning glare, but Newman continued, "With all due respect, this is important."

"What?"

"You have a refugee crisis brewing, it's going to attract national attention back home. You can't send all of the refugees back as you would lose any chance that you'd have of winning a hearts and minds campaign. But the refugees require food, water, medicine, and shelter. All of which are things that we simply do not have."

"Okay… tell me something I don't know."

"Sure. This document," Newman handed Jefferson the manila envelope. Titled: ITHACAN PLAN OF ACTION ONE.

Jefferson held the envelope in his hands, observing the cover front and back. He opened it, revealing a mess of documents with titles, labels, drafts, and plans of action, "What's this?"

"The answer. Play it off. The FBI and NSA both estimate that it was only a matter of time before a major breach in secrecy occurs. That was before all of this. If we have to set up supply lines, manpower, and everything for the refugees, it is guaranteed to happen very soon."

"So you suggest I do what?"

"Request that the President opens the supply lines up again to feed the refugees. A leak will occur, but that will be fine because you can direct media attention onto the fact that we are caring for the people out here."

"What?" Jefferson leaned forward. What Newman was suggesting was abnormal at best, downright idiotic at worst. But the situation was dire. The Marine Corps could not afford to be caught with its pants down. Newman reasoned that if a leak was to occur, then it would be possible to play it off as if it were all intentional.

Ithacan Plan of Action One was a strategy to transform the Ithacan Military Fortress into a full-sized civilian community with the fortress as protection. The News would travel through the portal, they'd film American and British soldiers helping the refugees, and public anger at the secrecy would transform into mass sympathy almost immediately. Eventually, the Red Cross and United Nations would request access which Ithaca would grant to relieve the military pressure from the demands of the civilian populace, and that would free up the military establishment enough to fight the Imperials, "Listen it is bizarre, but it makes sense! The media will come through to figure out what is going on. They'll ask, why are there soldiers being deployed to a new world, and why is it a secret? Shift the attention away from the war we are fighting, to the refugee crisis. Tell the story that we have to feed and shelter all of those poor, hungry, and tired. Just yearning to be free. It is the perfect setup, it's literally the American ideal," Newman told him, " To see a bunch of American soldiers caring for creatures in another world, that is going to be massive back home. They'll see human soldiers caring not just for other humans, but for half-animal and half-humans. People love animals, right? They'll fall head over heels for this. It is virtually foolproof."

"What's the explanation for why we have soldiers instead of… I dunno, the red-cross? Or why did we keep it a secret from the United Nations despite the potential benefits of sharing this info with the world in the first place? I mean, there is a very specific reason we made this a secret."

"We have soldiers here for defense against the Empire that is trying to kill them. Admit that we are fighting a war. The Imperials attacked first- which they did. We just so happened to stumble on the portal and sent a military expedition through to secure it. Paint the narrative that we are the ones trying the save the civilians. It isn't that hard to make the Iscariots look like villains and to make ourselves the heroes. All you need is to get a few stories that all of these people were saved from literal slavery."

"Go on…"

"Here's the hook, you can make it seem like it was all your idea from the start. You are the hero. You'll be the next George Washington. They'll love you back home. Carter will give you all the honors and awards he can think of. You'll probably get a library named after you. You don't have to mention Unity, myself, none of that. It's all you. You're the star."

"This plan is quite… radical. I mean, building a city around our fortress? Turning Ithaca into a refugee town? That's going to require a massive amount of civilian overlap. Not only that, but I need presidential approval for this. We'd need to feed all of these people, continually. And there's so much work that has to be done trying to figure out what they even eat, it'll be a nightmare!"

"I get that City building isn't necessarily a Marine Corps forte, but we can make it work. Plus with our 'allies' in the Revolution, we should have a reliable stream of refugees coming in and more than enough advice on how to manage things. It's the perfect frame. Play it all off, and you'll all the credit you want."

"What's in it for you?"

"Let Unity off of the hook, and clear their name. One more chance. You put Staff Sergeant Brooks and his disobedient soldier, Corporal Yale, in their places. I believe that it's enough punishment."

"They disobeyed my orders, directly!"

"A mistake that will not be repeated. I swear on it."

"They know too much."

"I'll get them to promise that they'll never tell another living soul about what happened. Ever. Just put this behind us, it was a one-time thing. It'll never happen again." Newman stared intently at Jefferson. The man considered her words, not moving a muscle. The nervous tension was broken when Jefferson finally opened his mouth.

"Agreed."

A while later, the Command Tent of 181 had been completely converted into a temporary meeting hall. A long table had been propped up inside, and two parties sat on each opposing side. On the left, Jefferson, members of the diplomatic corps sent over from Earth, and each of the Captains and a few Lieutenants serving in-lieu of deceased officers. On the right, Cathy, Marcus, Filo, and Mayor Lombardy. With such bizarre circumstances plaguing both sides, the Ithacans and Revolutionaries both saw it fit to arrange a meeting between the two parties. One of the first steps in what they both hoped would become a long-lasting alliance. With Washington D.C. becoming increasingly angry at the goings-on in Mysterium, as well as the new plan Jefferson had received from Newman, Jefferson had to meet with Cathy and the Reformation to hopefully secure their loyalty and trust.

"Major Jefferson, I presume," Cathy smiled and did a courteous bow, a gesture the Marine Corps officers returned.

"Cathy. It's nice to finally meet you," Jefferson replied.

"Likewise."

The two parties took seats around the tables and prepared to enter into more formal discussions.

"Onto our first topic of business, as you know we have been put under a lot of stress because of this whole refugee thing," said an American Diplomatic Envoy that accompanied Jefferson's team.

"That is understandable. I'm sorry for having to place this burden our you, and you cannot measure the gratitude that we have. However, it was necessary," Cathy responded. It seemed as if she'd be the one doing the talking, with everyone else on her side only watching.

"I'm sure. We've managed to find some good out of this. This brings us to the subject, our relationship moving forward. Who are you? What do you want?"

Cathy smiled, "We're the Reformation. Formally known as such. A faction inside of the Imperial Royal Court. The forces that you saw at Minerva today were a part of our militant branch that's known as the Revolutionary Militia. Or the Revolution. However, you prefer."

"Revolution? Is there a reason for this?" Jefferson interrupted the Diplomat with a question of his own.

"The Reformation has been an active force for a little over two years now. To put it mildly, you came at a time of great stagnation within the Empire. Poverty is increasing, more humans, elves, and reptilians are finding themselves enslaved, it would be safe to say that a majority of the lower class hate our current King. Fredrick Jorgan the First."

"So, you're fighting for liberation, essentially?"

"You could put it that way."

"And where do we come into all of this?" Asked the Diplomat.

"I believe that there could be a massive benefit for both of our sides if we temporarily cooperated," Cathy wasted no time in getting straight to the point. She knew exactly what her party needed as an outcome of this discussion. Long and hard had she thought out exactly how she wanted this discussion to end, and she was prepared to achieve it, "The Reformation and the Revolution are two very separate things in Iscariot Society. Nobody knows about the link between the two except for a few choice leaders within our circle. You'd essentially help the Revolutionaries liberate the slaves, fight against the Empire, that sort of thing. But to do so and keep fighting, we have a list of demands."

"Go on."

"First demand. Ithaca becomes a safe shelter for all current and future refugees."

The American officers chuckled, "Future? Alright, tap the brakes a little bit. We are a military fighting force! Not a humanitarian society!" Jefferson protested, dismissing her demands as silly. He had no clue what Cathy was thinking.

Cathy smiled before replying, quite an unexpected smile. It threw the diplomats off, as just that one smile alone showed that Cathy had a hidden trick up her sleeve, "You have a plan named Ithacan Plan One," Cathy pointed to the Manilla Envelope that sat in front of Jefferson, causing the Major to squirm in his chair with discomfort. Everybody had their minds blown away by the fact that Cathy knew that the plan even existed. How was it possible that she not only knew the very name of the plan but also of what was inside.

"How... if I may ask... did you know about that?" Jefferson asked with a suspicious glare.

Cathy's posture hadn't changed. Instead, she kept her eerily warm and friendly smile despite the circumstances. Calm under pressure was a defining trait of Cathy's, a learned skill from her ventures during the war, "I like to understand the backgrounds of all the people that I deal with. I try my best to read everything that I can get ahold of. Like for instance, your nation- The United States of America- entered through a Portal that mysteriously appeared somewhere in a territory you call 'Florida'."

"I get it. You're a smart one. But how the hell did you read it? That plan hasn't left my hands since I got it!"

"A good magician never reveals her secrets," Cathy said with the friendly smile still painted on her face. Jefferson's eyes drifted down from her face to just below her neck where the magical ekron stone hung from a necklace. It must've been a spell she used to scan through and understand the words of a document. Or perhaps, it was the translation spell currently being cast that allowed Cathy to not just understand any words that were spoken around her, but allowed her to read any written language even if it was outside of her visual range. Jefferson knelt forward as he realized that having Cathy as a potential ally, and the Revolution at large with their understanding of ekron-based magic, would be vital to go forward, "Getting back on track, will not succeed if you don't have a steady stream of refugees coming into Ithaca."

"And what makes you say that?"

"Between you and me, who do you think that the people will listen to? Your success completely depends upon whether or not my people have a high opinion of you. Whatever force handles journalism on Earth will come through the Portal and will begin to talk to my people."

She knew about that too? Who knows how many classified documents Cathy managed to get ahold of before the meeting? It certainly evened the odds of the talks, as now, she no longer had to beg the Ithacans to provide technology to fight the Imperials. Cathy had enough significant leverage to completely kill the Ithacan intervention in Mysterium if her demands had not been fulfilled. Her smile slowly faded into a more deadpan expression as she looked into Jefferson's eyes. The Major read the message loud and clear, she was serious about everything. There wasn't a single room for error, "We will tell them what we truly think. We can make you sound like great benevolent heroes that graced us with open borders and a democratic government so we can live our lives in freedom away from the enslaving regime of the Iscariot Empire. Or, we can tell the truth about what really happened at the City Hall and the Two bridges. That you would voluntarily kill innocent people-"

"I get the idea!" Jefferson yelled out, knowing that Cathy- of course- knew about the bridge detonations. What surprised him most was that she also knew that it was Jefferson's idea to abandon the civilians. Having someone with so much power, and so much leverage over him, made Jefferson crumble bit by bit on the inside. He had no choice but to listen to her, "So you understand the fact that the success of your entire operation is dependent on our opinion of you?"

"Sure, that makes sense," Said the Diplomatic Officer next to Jefferson.

"Good. So we want to establish Ithaca as a center for all current and future Revolutionary activity, and as a safe haven for all of our displaced civilians. In turn, we'll say anything you want us to say to make your operation here look good to your people back home."

"Fair enough. Anything else?"

"Yes. Your guns."

"That I cannot do!" Jefferson again intervened, "These weapons not only require a certain amount of training to operate, but I cannot risk arming a paramilitary organization with modern weapons! If in some bizarre circumstance, we ever become enemies, you can understand that it will look extremely bad on our behalf."

"Is there anything that you could give us to help us fight the Imperials? It doesn't have to be anything that you consider 'modern. It just has to be something that will give us an edge over the Imperials."

"I can get you M16s and some of the older M4s that have been outdated for a few decades now," said the Diplomat.

"Do they work?"

"Most of them. Given enough love and care, your soldiers can make the best out of them."

"Can they kill Imperials?"

"You bet."

"I want three-thousand of them."

"One and a half," Jefferson negotiated.

"Three-thousand. This is non-negotiable."

"Fine. Three thousand. Anything else?"

Governor Lombardy, an elderly avian whose blue feathers were turning grey with age, leaned over to Cathy and patted her on the shoulder with a wing. She cut the translation spell, and the red glow of the ekron that illuminated the inside of the tent snapped off. Lombardy, Cathy, and Marcus all huddled together to talk. The Ithacan diplomats, try as they might, couldn't understand a word. The three Revolutionaries nodded heads, apparently reaching an agreement before they resumed their normal positions and Cathy reignited the Ekron, "You'll recognize Minerva as an independent nation. In turn, the Revolutionaries, Ithaca, and the new Minervan Free State will enter a tri-partite alliance to fight the Empire."

"Agreeable. Now for our demands."

"I'm listening."

"We want total oversight as to what's happening inside of the Iscariot Empire. And we want a few of our objectives to be met."

"What do you want?"

"A neutralized Iscariot Empire."

"Neutralized as in…?"

"Neutralized as in a non-threat. Pacified, if you will."

Cathy sharply inhaled, though she said nothing. The Revolutionaries and Ithacan generals alike looked at her carefully, as she considered her next words. It was a large bill, to actively fight against her home nation for the interests of another Empire. Though the plans that Cathy made for the Empire would make this seem like a minor offense. She was taking a large risk, but she feared that compared to what she had planned and what she has already done, this would only be confirming the obvious. Cathy was no longer an Imperial. She was a rebel. A revolutionary. The Reformation was committed to freeing the lower classes with the hope that it would transform the Iscariot Empire and make it stronger. If Cathy agreed to this, she would agree to actively work towards the Empire's destruction. Some part of her knew that she could save it. She had names of soldiers whom she trusted, for she didn't trust Major Jefferson nor any of the Ithacan commanders as far as she could throw them. The Ithacans seemed just as willing to sacrifice civilian lives to complete a mission objective. And to an extent, so had she. Their help was crucial, no matter the moral implications.

"Alright, but you will provide us, and anybody we ask, protection in case things take a turn for the worst."

"As you wish. The second demand, you give us all the information we could ever want. You'll teach our soldiers about magic, where it comes from, who uses it. You'll give us anything we ask for information-wise. If it can be written down, it'll be better."

"I can arrange that."

"As an exchange, we'll train your troops with our best and brightest. And we'll help you achieve your goals, whenever we can and whenever you need. "

Cathy nodded in agreement.

"Then we have a deal?"

Cathy again fell silent. Hesitating to agree. She turned to her revolutionary partners, "Marcus, Lombardy, Filo, leave the room for a second please."

"But-"

"Leave the room."

The three revolutionaries turned to look at each other in slight confusion, though they knew better than to get in the way of Cathy's plans. She was the leader for a very good reason. Figuring that no matter what, she would have things under control, they left. Escorted outside of the tent by a few Marines, leaving Cathy and the American officers alone.

"…What's wrong?" Asked the Diplomat.

"We have an additional demand…"

"Alright, so the plan is as follows. We are going to place a shooter inside of the crowd with a flintlock pistol. He is a Falkish citizen, so we expect that the Imperials are going to see him and see the gun and reason that it was the Commonwealth that struck," Cathy said to Captain Sherman, a few hours later. Her plan was daunting, and it was crazy enough that even the Ithacans advised caution. She pointed towards the map of Fargo, the Crystal Palace overlooked a large plaza in which it would all take place. The city of Fargo looked ten times as large as Minerva. Fitting for the Capital of the Empire.

Captain Sherman shook his head when he saw the plan, "Yeah, your guy is never going to make it out of there alive. And if he does survive, he's going to be imprisoned, and they'll torture him. The bastard is going to squeal like a pig, and then what?"

"That's why I needed your help."

"Well, an operation like this you'll need a scoped rifle for long ranges," Sherman told her. Cathy watched closely as he reached into a large fatigued duffle bag and pulled out a scoped sniper rifle that was half as large as she was. It was tan-colored, made almost completely out of metal and an advanced foreign material that Cathy was told had been called 'plastic'. Sherman offered for her to hold it, and she took it in her grasp. It was heavy, about the same as a Falkish bolt-action rifle. Though from looks alone, this gun could shoot far longer and with greater accuracy than any rifle the Falklands could produce, "It's an L115a. An AWM. That's the sort of weapon you need for a job like this," Sherman said.

Cathy nodded, unsure if he was right or wrong, but taking his word for it as he seemed to know his guns very well.

"Now I like your original idea. So, we keep that. However, I'll get a sharpshooter to set up shop a few blocks away facing the action. Your man sneaks into the crowd, waits for him to come out, he does his thing. While the audience is distracted by the insanity, my guy will get a clean shot on the Falkish bloke. Clean kill. Two shots total, two people dead, one man gets away."

"But they need to believe that the Falkish did it. Once they notice that the assassin was mysteriously killed immediately after the assassination, they'll begin poking around. They cannot suspect that it was you because then that'll make them suspicious as to how you got a soldier into Fargo and that risks the Reformation being detected. They have to believe that it was either the Falklands or the Militia!" Cathy brought up a point. There was a significant reason why Cathy had structured the plan the way she had. There could be no risk of larger involvement on behalf of the Reformation. They could believe that the Revolutionaries or the Falkish did it. But they can't even suspect that it was the work of Hyde's Reformation or the Ithacans.

"Alright… we set up a musket. By the time my sharpshooter packs up his things and leaves, the musket will be set up and it'll look like they used that to kill 'em. They'll blame the Falkish, your agent can't speak to anyone since-you know, he's dead-, and my guy makes a clean escape."

Cathy thought about the counteroffer. She nodded, "It's a plan."

"When do we do this."

"Next week. Choose your sharpshooter tonight to accompany me to Fargo."

"A bit short notice. My squad is still recovering from Minerva… I'll go."

"Glad to have you onboard, Lieutenant Sherman."

"Likewise. Anything I should be wary of?"

"Speed is of the essence. It is going to happen extremely fast. Powers will be wearing a yellow trench coat. When they bring the target out, there will be a large crowd and some arguments. Maybe even a fight. He'll whip out his pistol and take out the target. Immediately afterward, you kill Powers and beat it."

"Right… I'll give you a radio."

"A radio?"

"To talk. I'll teach you how to use it on the way back, eh?"

"Sure. Anything will help."

"And are you sure… I mean… our target is huge! If you kill the King, this could have repercussions far… far, out of your control."

Cathy grimaced as she thought it over for the final time. Sherman was giving her one final chance to reconsider. Only two people in the Reformation knew that this was going to happen. She, and the creator of the original plan, Perceval. Hyde could not know. Lombardy could not know. Marcus could not know. Cathy made sure to emphasize secrecy above all else. Plausible deniability for the Ithacans had been established, and the Reformation could not be implicated in any way.

"Yes. The only way I can achieve our goals is if Queen Nora is on the throne. And that will only be possible if the King is out of the picture."

"Can't you just ask Fredrick to step down? I'm from a constitutional monarchy on Earth called The United Kingdom, and if the Queen was assassinated… well, there could be a wave of consequence that could divide our nation!"

"Under no circumstance will Fredrick ever voluntarily give up power. He loves his wife, but not enough to see reason. He's a madman. He must die."

"As long as you're sure about this. After I accept, there is no turning back. So…" Sherman looked up at her with a raised eyebrow, "Last chance to say 'nevermind'. No big deal."

Cathy sighed, "I do not make this decision lightly Sherman. I'm fully aware of the potential ramifications. Please, let's do this."

Sherman nodded, "Alright. Let me get my tools. And I'll need a Falkish Rifle…"