A Battle Unseen

[Doc]

Wilson House, Offices of Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Carolina I Ananto
7:30 PM

"You may enter," said the Empress.

The door opened, and the Chancellor walked slowly in, head bowed to stand before the Empress.  "Your Imperial Majesty," said Dame Dianne Bolton, Chancellor of the Empire, with her eyes averted.

"Please Madame have a seat."  Dame Bolton did as she was bid.  She waited a moment for the Empress to speak.  She knew the protocol was to wait for the Empress to speak, but she didn't hear anything from the Empress.  10 seconds went by, fifteen excruciating seconds.  Finally, Dame Bolton dared to start the conversation.

"Your Imperial Majesty, I believe you summoned me."

The Empress, who was staring at her seemed to be deep in thought.  "Madame Chancellor, We would like your advice on a matter."

"How may I be of service to the Empire?" asked Dame Bolton.

"We read reports of horrific reprisals against Kalistani Nationals who have been captured by Kundrati militants in Artania.  Would you care to brief us on this issue?"

"Your Imperial Majesty," Dame Bolton wasn't quite sure what she should say.  How much did the Empress already know?  She is often at least as informed as the Chancellor on virtually everything.  Briefings were a regular affair, but they are usually given before the Empress makes a large decision.  She has all manner of contacts with the IBSI, which, though technically illegal, are nonetheless very willing to inform the Empress about everything she wants to know.  So why is she asking the Chancellor for a briefing?  This was quite suspicious...

"Your Imperial Majesty," said Dame Bolton again.  "The people who were captured and, unfortunately killed, were members of the Militia.  They were bringing arms and funds to the KPP."

The Empress nodded and waited for Dame Bolton to continue.  "They came through a checkpoint from Endralon, and the Fascists were alerted to them.  We think their cover slipped somehow, and the fascists intercepted them six miles in the country, and took them all, along with the weapons and the money."

The Empress stared at Dame Bolton.  She usually had a smile for the Chancellor, but today, the Empress' sober face filled Dame Bolton with dread.  "How many were killed?" She asked frankly.

"We lost 14," said the Chancellor.

"And then 21 at sea?"

"42 actually, Your Imperial Majesty."

"This business is costing us dearly, is it not, Madame Chancellor?"

"Fighting fascism is costly, and we don't have it as bad as your kinsmen, Your Imperial Majesty."

"Very correct Madame Chancellor."

As the Chancellor looked closely at the Empress, she could tell that the monarch had been crying.  The Empress never displayed this kind of emotion around anyone, publicly anyhow.  The Chancellor was staring now, and the Empress spoke to her.

"Our mother was great friends with your predecessor.  At the end of her life, Dame Ontiveros, who nearly shared the same fate with our father, and Dame DuMont were among her only friends.  We had the meeting, surely, but they stopped coming to visit when our Mother began losing her faculties.  It was too much for most of them to watch our mother decline.  She was so beautiful and so scary in a lot of ways--  Dame Ontiveros was with us when our mother passed.  One of the few people permitted to sit with her as she was dying.  We do not have a friend like that, Dame Bolton:  Even our husband can not serve in a role like this.  So we require those who serve us to tell us honest truths when we need to hear them, no matter what the cost or how hard it is to say what needs to be said.  Do you understand what we are getting at?"

"Yes, Your Imperial Majesty, I think so," said Dame Bolton.

"Then tell us, in your professional opinion, do you think we should return our Kalistani Brothers and Sisters before more are murdered by this war-criminal regime back to the Empire?"

The Chancellor thought for a moment, and then, slowly at first, she answered, "No Your Imperial Majesty."

"Do you think more Kalistani's will die?"

"Yes, Your Imperial Majesty."

"Then why should we put our Militia in harms way?"

The Chancellor Chose her words very carefully.  "Your Imperial Majesty, I don't believe we should, not necessarily."

"There is a but there," astutely added The Empress.

"The people who have been lost were all volunteers, Your Imperial Majesty." said the Chancellor.  "They signed up for this, to fight this fight.  They aren't ordered to be there.  They believe in what the Militia's mission is, which is to fight to roll back fascism in Kundrati, to hurt them in every way possible.  We have tens of thousands of people who have signed up for foreign duty, either as sailors or partisans.  Your aren't putting them in harm's way, they go there willingly and if you attempted to stop them, they would find a way to get out there anyway."

The Empress looked at the Chancellor, took a short breath, and a resolute look crossed her face.  "Madame, Your Party requires discipline."

The Chancellor's feeling of dread had passed.  "Your Imperial Majesty, you are correct as usual."  A small smile crossed the Empress' face, as if to say, "Of course."

"Madame Chancellor, please see to it that their families are compensated for their loss in service to the Empire."

"Your Imperial Majesty, it will be done this afternoon."

"Thank you Madame Chancellor.  Your candor is very welcomed."  The Chancellor took that as a dismissal, and stood up, bowed politely, and backed out of the office, as the Empress returned to her work.