A Battle Unseen

[Doc]

Cliff Offices, Southwestern Kaliburg, 3:30pm

"It opens," said the Emperor while sitting at his desk, shuffling through papers.  His speech impediment had gotten worse over the years as he got further and further from having ever been able to hear.  He was nearly 50 now, and after going completely deaf by the age of 15, he had spent more than twice as many years without even being able to hear the sound of his own voice--naturally his speech had become sluggish and, without constant practice, he had lost the ability almost completely to make his spoken words understood.  In walked Chancellor of the Empire Sir David Levine, followed closely by the Imperial Interpreter, Lady Allison Stuart, who closed the door behind him.  The Emperor was relying more and more on the Lady to interpret his signs, as his vocal communication had become more unintelligible.

Through Lady Stuart, the Emperor bid them both be seated.  "We are reading the final reports from the Defense Ministry on Northern Lights Exercises," said the Emperor.  "More or less they tell us that after all these years, we still are no better at finding subs in our waters than we were before the war.  Something really needs to be done about this."

The Chancellor nodded as Lady Stuart finished the interpretation.  "This does appear to be the case, Your Majesty.  However there were many highlights for the exercise too."

The Emperor, who could still very easily read lips waved that comment off.  "Listen, Sir Levine.  Our problem is that foreign navies can still operate with impunity in the Ocean.  If we can't find our friends when we are looking for them, why does the Minister of Defense think we will have any shot at all of discovering our enemies who we are not diligently tracking through the Karzon Strait?  If Lodamun and Dolgava can transit that strait with ease during the exercises, what's to say that some other nation, maybe the Artanian Kundrati territories can't put a submarine through there?  Or a whole fleet of them?  We all recall the problem they caused for Xsampa before the war.  Who's to say they aren't planning to do the same thing to Kaliburg?"

"Your Majesty, they don't have..."  Sir David Levine was cut off.

"Good Chancellor:  you are not so naïve.  Let's not play this game.  The Artanian Sea campaign was nearly twenty years ago, and we have replaced our entire 4th fleet in that time.  Do you not think they won't have produced one sub in the same period of time capable of wiping our capital city off the map if they choose?  And with our detection rates at less than 90%?"

"Yes Your Majesty," said the Chancellor who tried to put an optimistic spin.  "I'm sure we can trust the rest of the world..."  The expression on the Emperor's face darkened immediately, and it stopped the Chancellor short in mid sentence.  "...  they...  will..."

The Emperor began signing very rapidly, and Lady Stuart started interpreting in her head...  She responded in sign to the Emperor, who signed something back to her.  To which she responded, in both sign and in voice, "I don't understand you.  You go too fast."  An exasperated Emperor rolled his eyes, and signed slowly and deliberately.  Lady Stuart nodded, and interpreted, "Sir Levine, if you think the world is coming to Kalistan's defense, especially against Kundrati, you are quite oblivious.  We have endorsed your optimistic internationalist orientation for years and we can't even get meetings with people we have materially helped.  This world is not ready for another world conflict, especially so soon after the last one ended so ignominiously.  If Kaliburg was destroyed tomorrow, we doubt anyone would even acknowledge the matter.  They certainly aren't rushing to Kalistan's defense.  So this is on us.  It's always been on us."

"I understand, Your Majesty,"  said the Chancellor.  "How should we respond to the rocket..."

The Emperor stopped him again.  "How should you respond to the lack of the ability to detect submarines to an acceptable level?"

"Your Highness?"

The Emperor actually spoke the words, while he signed to Lady Stuart.  While his speech was very garbled and was made worse by the volume of the words, he repeated himself "What is our Government going to do about the lack of ability to detect submarines in our Ocean?"  Lady Stuart spoke the words immediately after the Emperor, as her job required.

"Your Majesty," stammered the Chancellor after a moment, surprised by the sound of the Emperor's voice.  "The Defense Department is working on improving our audio surveillance in the Ocean as we speak, as well as outfitting the sonar network with additional sensors which improved detection during the exercises.  We are also having the Spencer folks look into developing infrared detection for the oceans, to look for ocean signatures from oncoming sub fleets.  Generally, we are also developing computer algorithms that recognize faint machine signatures and distinguish foreign from domestic.  It's notoriously difficult to do, but it is the priority."

"Are you looking into additional systems that others have?" asked the Emperor.

"We've made inquiries, but nothing has been solidified in discussions with others."

"Sir Levine," said the Emperor.  "If there is one thing Kalistani Emperors know is that others promise Kalistan things all the time.  And only rarely do they deliver them, and never when we need them the most.  It is to the point of being a maxim.  We need to learn to rely on ourselves and stand on our own feet, and if we end up with help, that's great, but we ought not count on it.  Have KMI start working on prototypes.  We would like this to be the focus going forward:  defense in depth has kept this Empire safe for centuries.  We going to stay with that doctrine as long as we continue to rule in this Empire."

"Yes, Your Majesty.  It shall be done."

"That is correct, Sir Levine.  It is why you have lasted in this job.  We know you will see to it."

The Emperor then concluded the meeting and dismissed the Chancellor as well as Lady Stuart. Both stood to leave, and with slight bows, they backed out of the office and closed the door behind them.

[Louis]

A Canrillaise Welcoming 
21:45, King's Study, Sorsuela Palace, Altea


LIVE CONVERSATION AUDIO

The car stops. The night is mild, starting to turn cool. The smell of the northern winds are in the air: bitter and cold. A man steps out of the car. He is wearing a white suit, with a red tie. He is guided by royal guard to the entrance of the palace, hopefully unseen. The man makes his way to the king's study, observant of the interior of the palace, and carefully eyes the familiar decor. He waits as the Royal Guards knock on the large dark oak door and make his presence known. 

"Ah, send him in."

The man walks in and immediately kneels.

"Majestad"

The man in the study has beautiful golden hair, deep hazel green eyes, and a commanding voice that says:

"Ven, Carlos"

He stands and approaches the king, and he proceeds to kiss his hand. 

"Vamos, Carlos. Stand up. You honor me greatly"

"Majestad, I am honored to be here. I am at your service"

"Gracias, Carlos. How were your travels?"

"Fair, except for turbulence we experienced over the Lorena. Windy for sure. I must say, Majestad, you have a natural eye for regality. Your court rivals even the splendor of Eroncourt."

"Ah don't flatter me Carlos! I could never be at the same level as cousin Maxi. His obsession with material goods after Tio Louis passed was insatiable. I pray for him every day. Tell me, how is Eroncourt?"

"Ah. Quiet. Lonely. Slowly going into decay. Conservatives in power don't do anything. Only empowered by Maxi's direct demands. It's lost its spark. I would not be surprised if the nation collapsed. But here, Majestad, you have created sanctuary. A hallmark of regality, of honor, of enlightenment."

"Egelion will be the nation of the enlightened. While others focus on the preservation of conflict, we shall instead focus on the betterment of our nation."

The king pauses and stares at Carlos.

"Do you have that of which was required of you."

"Si, Majestad".

Carlos reaches into his leather briefcase and pulls out a heavy folder. Classified in Canrillaise. 

"Majestad, I was not able to receive the full plans. My contact in Eroncourt could only scrap what he could--at the request of the Emperor."

"So these plans... were confirmed by Maxi?"

"Si, Majestad"

The King reads the documents full of valuable information. Yet, some pages of crucial information are missing.

"Can we work with this Carlos?"

"Majestad, based on the files. We have about 60% of the entire program, but we will need to engineer the rest of the program for it to be successful. I give us five years."

"Five years?"

The king stands heads to the open window. The moonlight illuminates his gardens. He observes the area and sees Altea's skyline, bright and true in the valley of Alflora. He motions to Carlos.

"Take this to Cartablanca. See to it that Royal Councilor Ortega and the Royal Directory sees this immediately."

"Majestad."

Carlos leaves the room after bowing to the king. He heads down the marble staircase, knowing that full power is within his grasp. He reads the file folder again. It reads in Canrillaise, Programme Soteria.

[Ligbruderkrieg]

[TOP SECRET | REDACTED | FOR THE HEAD'S EYES ONLY]

To: Sir William Crampton, Director-General of the IFIA [Imperial Foreign Intelligence Agency]; Paola Bircken von Thyler, Director-General of the DIA [Domestic Intelligence Agency]
From: [REDACTED]

Object: The Nomination of Mrs. Olivia Hall as Prime Minister.

Dear Directors,

As per with the recommendations from both the Imperial Foreign Intelligence Agency and the Domestic Intelligence Agency, we've prepared an extensive report on the newly-appointed Prime Minister, Mrs. Olivia Mathilda Angela Hall. All necessary information that need to be shared with you are within this file that has been communicated alongside this message.

The Prime Minister was born on April 2nd, 5591, becoming Prime Minister at 40 years old, becoming one of Luthori's youngest head of government in its history. The Prime Minister, at the time of her birth, was the only child of Mr. Tom Hall and Mrs. Fanny Hall, a middle-income couple living at [REDACTED]. The Prime Minister is the first-born child of Mrs. and Mr. Hall who would go on to produce another 3. The Prime Minister continued to reside at [REDACTED] until moving out alongside her family in [REDACTED] at the age of eight. The Prime Minister was educated at Winchester College, while not a prestigious college by any means compared to other great names in Luthorian higher education services, it is still nonetheless, a good school to enter exams for other universities or begin a career as well.

The Prime Minister studied law, more precisely international law during her stay at the Winchester College, she then pursued her academics in international law at the Imperial Academy of Fort William, where she also begun studying corporate law. Mrs. Hall begun working after completing her studies at the University of Northminster and entering the firm "Parrot & Oxbridge" in international law. There, she begun working closely with the Federal Government to offer legal basis and analysis to their actions in regards to international laws and customs. Prime Minister Hall, before engaging herself in politics, advised the MacGregor administration on the status of the island of Etxea, although, she was still, at 25 years old, a junior partner within the firm. Mrs. Hall possess strong political opinions which seems to have been born during her college years.

During these said years, she joined the National Labour Party's youth organisation, with the aim of "fighting for equality and liberty", different traits that have been present during her 5630 campaign. Mrs. Hall's political beliefs could be fit into the ideology of social democracy, as she defends ideals progressive ideals such as gender equality, an increase in the fight against LGBTQ+ discrimination and a continuation of the former administration's ecological policy. Mrs. Hall's economic policies are moderate, with her accepting that capitalism is the way forward and announcing to create a system of "fair capitalism" for the people of the Empire. Mrs. Hall is opposed to nationalisation and is opposed to an economic policy not driven by consensus in the Chamber of Representatives.

As such, it's likely that the Prime Minister, Provincial Minister-Presidents and party leaders would meet at one point during her premiership to discuss the Cabinet's economic plans. Speaking of her ministry, the Prime Minister is scheduled to meet His Majesty today to be formally appointed as Prime Minister as the Emperor believes that the National Labour Party's electoral victory allows it to either form a government coalition or to secure the confidence and supply from another party within the House, something that the King-Emperor isn't too worried about. His Majesty has requested a meeting with you two in Rottingham Palace immediately after the new Prime Minister's nomination.

While you will not be dealing with Mrs. Hall right now, the timeframe for your discussion is slowly coming in, Directors. And as such, we've found normal that details of her personality should be disclosed to allow for a smooth meeting to happen between you two and the next tenant of 10 Crown Street. Mrs. Hall has a personality that one could consider as being 'overly friendly', even towards strangers, overtures in 10 Crown Street before the meeting will begin is to be expected from the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is also likely to ask you both about your jobs in the former Rodgers administration, that she famously despise. Don't be fooled, your actions during this ministry might also seal your future as head of both of these organisations, as behind these friendly gestures, the Prime Minister will be taking notes and purging anyone who played a too greater role in the last administration.

Advice would be to tell the bare minimum, even though, the PM's teams could search anything if they have any suspicions, of course. Thankfully, both of our intelligence organisations haven't participated to Rodgers' power grab in any capacity as His Majesty himself was opposed to such power play from his Prime Minister. Rumours stated that the Crown was "seriously" considering the option of "dismissing" the Prime Minister, although the risk for a constitutional crisis between the Crown and Parliament was far too great for such actions to be undertaken.

The Prime Minister's foreign policy is likely to see a shift in rhetoric with a return to MacGregor and Brakenbrookite "Defender of Democracy" rhetoric opposed to Rodgers' attempt at conservatism by putting monarchism at the centre of Luthori's foreign policy rhetoric, from our position in New Englia, the incoming administration isn't likely to change the message, the PM is likelier to even "radicalise" the Luthorian Govt by allowing for arms shipments to be sent in New Englia after her meeting with Prime Minister MacGannon of New Englia. Etxea remains the Luthorian Government's priority in Artania and a hard-line stance against Kundrati is to be expected. The Foreign Office may be slightly more pan-Artanian than during the Conservative era, but that remains to be seen with ideas such as the 'Artanian Economic Community' still remaining in a state of limbo even within the NLP's own foreign policy agenda. The Commonwealth will remains the incoming administration's priorities with expansion of the organisation being on the cards.

With this, we consider you two to be well-informed of the next Prime Minister, any more informations will be communicated through your offices.

Long Live the Emperor and God Bless the Empire.

[Dredd]

[Legionary Youth Training Center 2-(REDACTED) Lirnak Mountains]

The room was dimly lit except for the cage in the middle of the room, observation windows with dark faces observed behind the young boys lined on a small bleacher. Yevgeny looked forward at attention not moving a muscle, listening attentively to the loudspeaker with the calming voice reading to him.

"A soldier does not speak until spoken to by a superior officer
A soldier shows no mercy
Mercy is weakness
And weakness is death
The Legion are his family.
He is most happy when following orders"

A small tunnel connecting to the chamber on both sides were suddenly opened, on one end a wild boar entered foaming at the mouth bearing blood covered tusks, the other side filled with multiple frothing rabid dogs enter barking wildly. The doors opened and the chamber became a horrific scene of screaming and fighting. Blood sprayed through the chain links on the floor before Yevgeny, he turned his head away from the scene disgusted, only to have his head pushed back, eyes front witnessing the gore fest before him.

"A soldier lives to kill
A soldier needs no friend or family
War is his friend
Kundrati is our friend, The Legion is our mother, The Supreme Comrade is our father"

[XanderOne]

Working in the shadows


Quattroregni Palace, Romula, Istalia
Wednesday, 15 September 5630, 22.46.

The meeting, the fourth that week, had been called by the Emperor in view of the meeting the following morning of the Supreme Council for National Security, but the topic was always the same: Deltaria. The Services had gathered further information and the Emperor, as soon as he was informed, had immediately wanted to see the Head of Government, the Chief of Staff and the Director of Intelligence Enzo Giuliani.

The Chief of Staff, General Enrica De Mattei, and the Minister Secretary of State Saragat had already arrived about an hour earlier and had discussed with the Emperor various points relating to the situation in Deltaria, especially international reactions. Finally, the Director of the Services also arrived and, after distributing files to the other three already seated at the round table in that great baroque hall, he sat down in his place.

«Then Director» urged the Emperor «Update us on the situation. The coup has failed, but the news are still fragmentary. What is happening? Several days have passed now and the situation remains very confusing»

The Director shifted his back a little, making his chair creak a little «Your Majesty, the situation is extremely fluid at the moment. Uprisings are multiplying throughout the country, several military units have deserted and joined the rebels. The first elements indicate that behind the attempted coup were not the military leaders, but a coalition of ethnic groups from the provinces, with the suspected involvement of some aristocrats» he then took one of the maps from the file in front of him «in the first map of the file you will see the places affected by the uprising marked. The rebellion is spreading and a large-scale civil war is not excluded»

The others present all looked at their copies of the maps, then it was the Chief of Staff who spoke: «Well, if this confusion leads to the end of Slavko Thaller, I can only be happy about it. It would be a blessing for us, indeed, we should not miss the opportunity to favor it»

The Minister Secretary of State then raised his head and took off the small glasses with which she was looking at the map «We are not the only ones to be so interested in the situation in Deltaria, I talked again with both Hutori and Egelion before coming here and as I was saying, Your Majesty, the discussions within the CROWN could give a glimpse of a pro-Thaller front»

«Hutori and Egelion seem to have the same interest as us» commented the Emperor.

«Yes, Majesty» Saragat took the floor again to update the Director of Services «I told them that Istalia will carefully follow the evolution of the crisis. Hutori was very receptive and above all he proved open to a possible direct intervention or in any case form of direct support for the anti-Thallerist forces. I'm not too reassured by this but... it's clear that they also want to seize the opportunity to chase a Thaller from the heart of Majatra, it will be a central topic during the meeting I will have with Prime Minister Kensigton to sign our bilateral agreement, I will delve into their proposals»

«We shall not just follow the situation!" exclaimed the Chief of Staff «We must push the situation in the direction most favorable to our interests and we have the opportunity of doing so with our backs more than covered with Hutori with us, and if we could also have Egelion with us, even better!»

Minister Secretary Saragat immediately responded with a very skeptical expression to Di Mattei who had interrupted her «General, first of all, fomenting a civil conflict in Deltaria would mean triggering a bloodbath! Our recent history should make us more cautious about these scenarios, also because in Deltaria the destruction and destabilization could be much more serious! Ethnic tensions, religious tensions, power games between aristocrats and who knows what other factions could emerge... given such complexity in Deltaria, any conflict would leave the country not in ruins, but literally pulverized! Second, do not forget the CROWN»

It was the Director of the Intelligence Community who responded, cold and impassive:
«Madam Minister Secretary, the first duty of the Imperial Government is to guarantee the safety of the Istalian people! If this is our opportunity to get rid of the Thallers from Deltaria, we must seize it without hesitation. All other considerations are secondary. An unstable Deltaria is less of a threat today than a Thallerist Deltaria»

Chief of Staff Di Mattei echoed the Director of Services by nodding «I agree! A Thaller in Deltaria represents a constant threat to us. We cannot remain passive spectators. If we do not intervene now, we could lose the opportunity to get rid of a hostile regime, firmly in power and with a grudge against us»

«I am thinking precisely of the security of Istalia!» the Head of Government retorted «and the risk of triggering a conflict with the CROWN I do not believe is a secondary consideration, not to mention the political, ethical and moral implications of plunging that country into such a conflict»

With a cynical expression, General Di Mattei replied contemptuously «If a war breaks out, the deaths that will occur will be the price that the Deltarians will have to pay for having kept a fucking Thaller on their throne for too long!»

The Head of Government was about to reply but it was the Emperor who anticipated her, ruling dryly «A Thaller in Tsargrad is too great a danger, not only for Istalia but for the stability of Majatra itself, but Minister Secretary Saragat is right regarding the CROWN»

The Head of Government continued to reply «Imagine Hutori intervening in some way against forces supported by the CROWN! There is a risk the conflict turn from a civil one to a large, very large scale war»

It was the Director of the Services who responded «Madam Minister Secretary, despite everything, for the moment we do not know for sure if Deltaria will slide into a civil war, and we do not know how bloody and prolonged this could be. We cannot exclude that the groups involved could reach an agreement, even with pro-imperial elements who could dump Slavko, it is a further option that we could follow. Here, Madam Minister Secretary, we are saying that in any case we must be ready for every scenario, even the worst, and that we must do everything in our power to try to direct the situation towards an outcome favorable to us»

«our options remain limited» the Minister Secretary replied seriously and a little annoyed, then turned to the Emperor «Your Majesty, as clear as the issue is, we must also be realistic: Istalia does not have the capabilities for a direct intervention, we have only just begun to rebuild our armed forces! We don't have still modernized and refurbished our equipement, we don't have the projection capabilities… but most important, and I hope you'll agree with me, we certainly don't want to fight a new international war, to have again the bombs flying over our cities»

Silence fell, the images of the war were memories not at all distant in the memory of all those present, all veterans of the conflict, including the leader of the PSD who, within the Resistance, worked in the logistics departments, assigned to the units dedicated to the transport of supplies to the front lines.

«So we must work with what we have» the Emperor replied breaking the silence, then turned the head «Director?»

«We will have to identify the factions involved» the Director of the Services began to reel off a series of measures to be adopted «we will have to guarantee them support in terms of intelligence, logistics and tactics. Our men have an experience that few others can boast, we ourselves emerged from a civil war a few years ago and we will be able to provide incomparable strategic advice to the anti-Thallerist forces. We can send our men from both the DGIA and the DIS, the DGCC can extend the SIGINT surveillance over Deltaria much better now that their services are cracking too. Furthermore, we can guarantee financial resources and military supplies»

The Minister Secretary of State continued to have her deep doubts, also because many other issues multiplied in her head «Even if we can provide a certain level of support, we must move with extreme caution. Too obvious involvement could have repercussions for the country and, you will excuse me, political repercussions for me and my party. All the interested parties are already talking about military interventions but personally I was not elected to involve the country in an uncontrollable spiral that leads to another war that, as said, we cannot know if it will remain limited to Deltaria! We have the CROWN, we have the Burnist regimes in the west, a Jakania suspended between military dictatorship and new civil order, Jelbe who is a constant unknown even under the Burnists... we have Kalopia... with that ethnic melting pot in the heart of Majatra we cannot exclude an international escalation»

«If Hutori or Egelion or whoever wants to intervene, we cannot back down, CROWN or not» replied the Chief of Staff.

«If motivated and reassured enough» the Director of the Services took again the floor «we can guarantee just logistical support Madam Minister Secretary, while we focus on working in the shadows. The support will have to be discreet, but effective. We can establish good contacts with the rebel forces and we can operate through intermediaries. The key is to maintain flexibility: we must ensure that the faction that prevails is the one closest to our interests. If necessary, we can even play on multiple tables until it is clear who will prevail. And you, Mr. Minister Secretary, will have to do everything possible so that Egelion and Hutori also ultimately support our faction and above all the Government will have to work to deflate the danger of an intervention by the CROWN»

The Minister Secretary of State noted that on that topic the others present were firm in their positions. In the field of National Security, she knew that the Supreme Council of National Security had the final say and in front of her were the three most influential members alongside her: when the Council would officially meet the next morning, she already knew that that line of action would be adopted, so she spoke again.
«then, it will be essential to prevent first of all that radical elements or extremist factions gain the upper hand and therefore that the conflict spreads elsewhere. We must support stability, not create another problem for the future»

«However» the Emperor spoke again «The main objective must always be one and only one: the expulsion of Slavko Thaller, of all the Thallers, from Deltaria. It is imperative!»

«Yes, Your Majesty» replied the Minister Secretary respectfully.

«Director, what news do we have from Kafuristan? Can we confirm their pro-Thallerist position? They have stated that they are ready to support the Deltarian Government»

«They have also reiterated this within the CROWN, Dorvik follows but prefers to work to prevent the situation from degenerating, the same line as Kanjor»

The Minister Secretary then replied «I will take care of establishing the necessary contacts and coordinating our diplomatic action with Hutori and Egelion, also to contain any action of the CROWN, and about it, I'll contact tomorrow the Kanjorian Ambassade»

«Then I will immediately begin to prepare an operational plan» replied the Director of the Services.

«Perfect, the objective is clear. Now we must act methodically!» commented the Chief of Staff.

The Emperor agreed nodding «The objective is clear and the risks too, so let's proceed with caution, but without hesitation!»

[XanderOne]

Working in the shadows


Quattroregni Palace, Romula, Istalia
Wednesday, 15 September 5630, 22.46.

The meeting, the fourth that week, had been called by the Emperor in view of the meeting the following morning of the Supreme Council for National Security, but the topic was always the same: Deltaria. The Services had gathered further information and the Emperor, as soon as he was informed, had immediately wanted to see the Head of Government, the Chief of Staff and the Director of Intelligence Enzo Giuliani.

The Chief of Staff, General Enrica De Mattei, and the Minister Secretary of State Saragat had already arrived about an hour earlier and had discussed with the Emperor various points relating to the situation in Deltaria, especially international reactions. Finally, the Director of the Services also arrived and, after distributing files to the other three already seated at the round table in that great baroque hall, he sat down in his place.

«Then Director» urged the Emperor «Update us on the situation. The coup has failed, but the news are still fragmentary. What is happening? Several days have passed now and the situation remains very confusing»

The Director shifted his back a little, making his chair creak a little «Your Majesty, the situation is extremely fluid at the moment. Uprisings are multiplying throughout the country, several military units have deserted and joined the rebels. The first elements indicate that behind the attempted coup were not the military leaders, but a coalition of ethnic groups from the provinces, with the suspected involvement of some aristocrats» he then took one of the maps from the file in front of him «in the first map of the file you will see the places affected by the uprising marked. The rebellion is spreading and a large-scale civil war is not excluded»

The others present all looked at their copies of the maps, then it was the Chief of Staff who spoke: «Well, if this confusion leads to the end of Slavko Thaller, I can only be happy about it. It would be a blessing for us, indeed, we should not miss the opportunity to favor it»

The Minister Secretary of State then raised his head and took off the small glasses with which she was looking at the map «We are not the only ones to be so interested in the situation in Deltaria, I talked again with both Hutori and Egelion before coming here and as I was saying, Your Majesty, the discussions within the CROWN could give a glimpse of a pro-Thaller front»

«Hutori and Egelion seem to have the same interest as us» commented the Emperor.

«Yes, Majesty» Saragat took the floor again to update the Director of Services «I told them that Istalia will carefully follow the evolution of the crisis. Hutori was very receptive and above all he proved open to a possible direct intervention or in any case form of direct support for the anti-Thallerist forces. I'm not too reassured by this but... it's clear that they also want to seize the opportunity to chase a Thaller from the heart of Majatra, it will be a central topic during the meeting I will have with Prime Minister Kensigton to sign our bilateral agreement, I will delve into their proposals»

«We shall not just follow the situation!" exclaimed the Chief of Staff «We must push the situation in the direction most favorable to our interests and we have the opportunity of doing so with our backs more than covered with Hutori with us, and if we could also have Egelion with us, even better!»

Minister Secretary Saragat immediately responded with a very skeptical expression to Di Mattei who had interrupted her «General, first of all, fomenting a civil conflict in Deltaria would mean triggering a bloodbath! Our recent history should make us more cautious about these scenarios, also because in Deltaria the destruction and destabilization could be much more serious! Ethnic tensions, religious tensions, power games between aristocrats and who knows what other factions could emerge... given such complexity in Deltaria, any conflict would leave the country not in ruins, but literally pulverized! Second, do not forget the CROWN»

It was the Director of the Intelligence Community who responded, cold and impassive:
«Madam Minister Secretary, the first duty of the Imperial Government is to guarantee the safety of the Istalian people! If this is our opportunity to get rid of the Thallers from Deltaria, we must seize it without hesitation. All other considerations are secondary. An unstable Deltaria is less of a threat today than a Thallerist Deltaria»

Chief of Staff Di Mattei echoed the Director of Services by nodding «I agree! A Thaller in Deltaria represents a constant threat to us. We cannot remain passive spectators. If we do not intervene now, we could lose the opportunity to get rid of a hostile regime, firmly in power and with a grudge against us»

«I am thinking precisely of the security of Istalia!» the Head of Government retorted «and the risk of triggering a conflict with the CROWN I do not believe is a secondary consideration, not to mention the political, ethical and moral implications of plunging that country into such a conflict»

With a cynical expression, General Di Mattei replied contemptuously «If a war breaks out, the deaths that will occur will be the price that the Deltarians will have to pay for having kept a fucking Thaller on their throne for too long!»

The Head of Government was about to reply but it was the Emperor who anticipated her, ruling dryly «A Thaller in Tsargrad is too great a danger, not only for Istalia but for the stability of Majatra itself, but Minister Secretary Saragat is right regarding the CROWN»

The Head of Government continued to reply «Imagine Hutori intervening in some way against forces supported by the CROWN! There is a risk the conflict turn from a civil one to a large, very large scale war»

It was the Director of the Services who responded «Madam Minister Secretary, despite everything, for the moment we do not know for sure if Deltaria will slide into a civil war, and we do not know how bloody and prolonged this could be. We cannot exclude that the groups involved could reach an agreement, even with pro-imperial elements who could dump Slavko, it is a further option that we could follow. Here, Madam Minister Secretary, we are saying that in any case we must be ready for every scenario, even the worst, and that we must do everything in our power to try to direct the situation towards an outcome favorable to us»

«our options remain limited» the Minister Secretary replied seriously and a little annoyed, then turned to the Emperor «Your Majesty, as clear as the issue is, we must also be realistic: Istalia does not have the capabilities for a direct intervention, we have only just begun to rebuild our armed forces! We don't have still modernized and refurbished our equipement, we don't have the projection capabilities… but most important, and I hope you'll agree with me, we certainly don't want to fight a new international war, to have again the bombs flying over our cities»

Silence fell, the images of the war were memories not at all distant in the memory of all those present, all veterans of the conflict, including the leader of the PSD who, within the Resistance, worked in the logistics departments, assigned to the units dedicated to the transport of supplies to the front lines.

«So we must work with what we have» the Emperor replied breaking the silence, then turned the head «Director?»

«We will have to identify the factions involved» the Director of the Services began to reel off a series of measures to be adopted «we will have to guarantee them support in terms of intelligence, logistics and tactics. Our men have an experience that few others can boast, we ourselves emerged from a civil war a few years ago and we will be able to provide incomparable strategic advice to the anti-Thallerist forces. We can send our men from both the DGIA and the DIS, the DGCC can extend the SIGINT surveillance over Deltaria much better now that their services are cracking too. Furthermore, we can guarantee financial resources and military supplies»

The Minister Secretary of State continued to have her deep doubts, also because many other issues multiplied in her head «Even if we can provide a certain level of support, we must move with extreme caution. Too obvious involvement could have repercussions for the country and, you will excuse me, political repercussions for me and my party. All the interested parties are already talking about military interventions but personally I was not elected to involve the country in an uncontrollable spiral that leads to another war that, as said, we cannot know if it will remain limited to Deltaria! We have the CROWN, we have the Burnist regimes in the west, a Jakania suspended between military dictatorship and new civil order, Jelbe who is a constant unknown even under the Burnists... we have Kalopia... with that ethnic melting pot in the heart of Majatra we cannot exclude an international escalation»

«If Hutori or Egelion or whoever wants to intervene, we cannot back down, CROWN or not» replied the Chief of Staff.

«If motivated and reassured enough» the Director of the Services took again the floor «we can guarantee just logistical support Madam Minister Secretary, while we focus on working in the shadows. The support will have to be discreet, but effective. We can establish good contacts with the rebel forces and we can operate through intermediaries. The key is to maintain flexibility: we must ensure that the faction that prevails is the one closest to our interests. If necessary, we can even play on multiple tables until it is clear who will prevail. And you, Mr. Minister Secretary, will have to do everything possible so that Egelion and Hutori also ultimately support our faction and above all the Government will have to work to deflate the danger of an intervention by the CROWN»

The Minister Secretary of State noted that on that topic the others present were firm in their positions. In the field of National Security, she knew that the Supreme Council of National Security had the final say and in front of her were the three most influential members alongside her: when the Council would officially meet the next morning, she already knew that that line of action would be adopted, so she spoke again.
«then, it will be essential to prevent first of all that radical elements or extremist factions gain the upper hand and therefore that the conflict spreads elsewhere. We must support stability, not create another problem for the future»

«However» the Emperor spoke again «The main objective must always be one and only one: the expulsion of Slavko Thaller, of all the Thallers, from Deltaria. It is imperative!»

«Yes, Your Majesty» replied the Minister Secretary respectfully.

«Director, what news do we have from Kafuristan? Can we confirm their pro-Thallerist position? They have stated that they are ready to support the Deltarian Government»

«They have also reiterated this within the CROWN, Dorvik follows but prefers to work to prevent the situation from degenerating, the same line as Kanjor»

The Minister Secretary then replied «I will take care of establishing the necessary contacts and coordinating our diplomatic action with Hutori and Egelion, also to contain any action of the CROWN, and about it, I'll contact tomorrow the Kanjorian Ambassade»

«Then I will immediately begin to prepare an operational plan» replied the Director of the Services.

«Perfect, the objective is clear. Now we must act methodically!» commented the Chief of Staff.

The Emperor agreed nodding «The objective is clear and the risks too, so let's proceed with caution, but without hesitation!»

[Ligbruderkrieg]

Inhaling her cigarette into her mouth, Olivia Hall, Leader of the National Labour Party and now Prime Minister had just came out of what she could safely consider as the 5 most stressful and annoying hours of all her political career, after having successfully arranged an government coalition with the Greens, she then needed to tackle the appointment process with the Greens' co-leaders having submitted a list of names to appoint in the Cabinet, then she had to handle the Emperor who was (arguably) less than pleased to see her appointment list.

She could see it through his eyes as he read through his next ministers, Green politicians taking over the Foreign Ministry, the Energy Ministry and so on. The monarch wasn't petrified, he was livid. But nonetheless, while he wanted to say something, he reluctantly approved of the list submitted by the Labour leader and promptly appointed as her as Prime Minister, seemingly in an effort to get this over with.

Now, she was the Queen. While not linked to the regal title of Queen, she thought of it as in a game of chess, the Queen was the second most important piece in a game of chess and now she had to take on that role. Watching through the balcony, she sees the night slowly setting in on the capital, she continues to smoke and sighs heavily. "It's not possible...", she thought "It's just not..."

"Darling?", she was interrupted in her thought by her husband's voice setting in the dark room, brining with him his smile that had become so inseparable from him, at least that's what his wife thought. Here he was, with that smile, although less happy that usual, and more worried about his wife who for the last 3 hours had secluded herself in her office, "Are you...okay?", he asked, his wife filled with worry.

"Yes, I am.", disregarding her cigarette aside in the garden of the Prime Minister's-no-her residence for the next five years. It was a thought that couldn't get off from her head, after more than 3 decades in the opposition, after succeeding one of Labour's most charismatic and successful female leader who didn't lead the Party to victory, no one could've have bet that the 41-year old woman, who was considered by many to be too inexperienced or centrist by many to actually pull off such a victory.

And yet she fucking did pull off that victory!

Normally any normal party leader would just relax and enjoy their victory and honeymoon period as much as they would, but she can't, she couldn't. Not after what she just heard.

It was at 4 pm, her meeting with the intelligence officers came up, they came in their bruising and expensive black suits alongside other people from the Foreign Office, compared to the welcoming atmosphere of her previous meeting, the tone and seriousness in the officers' voice came to destabilise her a little bit, although, with all her force, she managed to remain calm and composed as the men introduced her to the greatest dangers that Luthori is facing today.

From Kundrati in the West to Kalistan and Lourenne to the East, all threats towards the Luthorian Empire and Luthorian Commonwealth were exposed to her, even though, their seriousness was exposed during the meeting. While in theory, learning about threats against Luthori wouldn't have moved Olivia, one thing that a senior official from the IFIA did.

"Prime Minister, we have good intelligence on the fact that it's highly likely that the Mainland Government of Kundrati has developed nuclear weapons.", one phrase, relating one idea, simple and straight to the point. Kundrati having nuclear weapons? Impossible, she would think. Even more improbable than all former nuclear powers reclaiming their former arsenal. Yet. 

She couldn't bring herself to completly refute that claim either.

Kundrati having developed nuclear weapons would, as annoying as it would sound, not change Luthori's strategy against the fledging, backward, former regional power. Containment of Kundratijian fascism was the policy of every successive Luthorian administrations ever since the end of the Extean War, where 100.000 Luthorians have been either killed, wounded, captured or even dissappeared. For the two latter, no one knows what became of these "unlucky ones".

She could at least reassure herself with that. 

She has been an adament anti-fascist throught her life, her career and today, at the helm of the Empire, she now had the opportunity to reshape the Empire into how she wished it to be, an adament anti-extremist power that would do everything to avoid the specter of radicalism takes hold over the Artanian continent. "I'm fine, sweetie", looking into the eyes of her beloved with a fake smile to contain her nervousness, trying to control her emotions as fear takes hold of her body, shaking, yet, united in a resolved vision for the Empire.

"I know you are lying, sweetheart, I know that body language, it's not like we have been married for 2 minutes, y'kno-", before he could finish up his sentence, he was cut off by his wife, who, realizing the futility of fighting or lying to man who knew everything about her, just splashed it out. 

"I'm worried, Nathan. I'm worried, I'm scared, I don't know what I am doing here?!"

Silently, her husband approached her into the balcony of her office and gently placed her head upon his shoulders as to reassure her. Realizing the critical situation in which she was, having been briefed about everything for the last day, he knew she had to be stressed. After all, who wouldn't lose their shit upon learning such critical information? 

Calming her down was one of his most important job as his spouse, and after all, it was all fair due, as she was the one to reassure him when something went wrong and stressed him out when he worked at the MABC. It was just another part of life, being there for your partner. Carefully choosing his words, he threw himself in the lion's mouth. "It's normal. You are Prime Minister, y'know. You just have been thrown into an office that you've dreamed of, met people that you never thought you would met. I mean, you've met the Emperor, in a private session. It's normal to be stressed out. Nonetheless, you've got to calm down, relax, think and then act on this, because believe me dear, it's only going to get worse. Besides, regardless of what you are doing, the kid and I are still standing by your side, and that will be the case, always."

When saying these words, his gaze was focused towards the night of Fort William, "What a beautiful sight", he would think out loud enough for his wife to hear. "Indeed, it is.", she said. Turning her gaze towards him, she then, said through a soft voice that was uncharacteristic of her now, but really something indistinguishable when she was younger. "You are right. But, I need a moment, can you...?"

Letting go of his wife's head, Nathan turned to her, a soft smile present on his face, one of tacit acknowledgment and support, "Of course, I'll be downstairs if you need me, remember?"

"Hm." was all she could muster right now. "Well, then I'll take my leave now my bug", yet before leaving, he took her lips into his for a quick kiss. "Love you." he said, she answered with "Love you too, my sweet kurotane", then he was no longer there, she was once again alone, cold in the dark, with no one to support her. While the news greatly frightened and destabilise her, she wasn't going to let this happen ever. An unforgivable resolve was forged around this and she would make sure that the next Prime Minister wouldn't have to worry about Kundrati ever again.

Taking her phone, she chose to put a number that most didn't knew, an emergency service number from the FIA. When the line came, one, silent yet observing calm voice greeted the Prime Minister with a respesctful repeat of her honorific.

"Madam Prime Minister."

With an unbreakable will, she spoke up through the phone. "Director, Kundrati isn't just a threat, it's a total menace to the Luthorian way of life, conduct Operation Olympic and restart Project Purity. You have my and the Emperor's blessings."

Through the line, the Director of the IFIA, Sir Walter Crampton could only smile and be relieved, the IFIA's work wouldn't be threatened and with the Hutorians having launched, according to sources in the northern kingdom, an secret mission in Kundrati, collaboration will be key and paramount.

"Very well. We'll do."

In the Orange Palace, Emperor Richard received the news and smiled. It seemed like that leftist government wouldn't be that weak in second thought.

[vesica]

Newport Castle, Bekenial, Adelia, Kingdom of Hutori (April 5630)

The grand halls of Newport Castle had seen their fair share of momentous discussions, but this meeting was anything but ordinary. What was traditionally a private weekly briefing between Prime Minister Michael Kensington and King Charles III had expanded to include the leaders of Hutori’s major political parties. The gravity of the topic demanded it.

Seated in the King’s private study, Kensington took in the room’s occupants. Opposite him sat Robert Calloway, the Conservative leader and Leader of the Official Opposition, who appeared unsurprised by the revelation. To his left was Rachel McKenna of New Labour, her sharp gaze analyzing every word, and Jason LeClerc of the Greens, whose skepticism was already evident. Douglas Warren, the Republican leader, sat with a more reserved expression, his body language a mixture of concern and reluctant acceptance. Overseeing it all, from a seat beside the King, was General Beatrice Steuart-Carmichael’s the Chief of the Air Staff.

“I imagine this is why the Department of National Defence’s budget ballooned as drastically as it did?” McKenna asked pointedly, leaning forward.

Kensington didn’t flinch. “A significant portion, yes. There were already planned increases for modernization, but Project Satanil required additional funding. This is not a light undertaking.”

“And His Majesty is aware of this?” LeClerc asked, his tone cautious. “Has been aware?”

The King, who had been listening silently, finally spoke. “I was not informed initially, which I have made abundantly clear will not happen again.” His voice carried the weight of authority, sending an unspoken warning to the Prime Minister. “However, I have since been briefed extensively and do not oppose the decision.”

That statement alone made LeClerc pause, his arguments suddenly losing weight. He and his party were staunchly against military expansion, let alone nuclear armament, but opposing the King outright was an entirely different matter.

McKenna exchanged a look with LeClerc before addressing General Steuart-Carmichael. “Can you guarantee this will be responsibly managed? That we won’t be pouring money into a program with no oversight?”

The King's cousin met her gaze evenly. “I can assure you that every measure is in place to ensure accountability. This is not a reckless pursuit of weapons. This is about deterrence. About ensuring Hutori is never in a position of vulnerability.”

Calloway finally spoke, his voice laced with familiarity and experience. “None of this surprises me. I assume you already knew I’d come around on this, Kensington?”

The Prime Minister smirked slightly. “Given that it was your government that appointed most of the senior military leadership, I had my suspicions you still had connections.”
Calloway gave a knowing chuckle but said nothing more.

Douglas Warren, who had remained quiet until now, cleared his throat. “While my party would prefer an elected Head of State, we swore an oath to the King, and we will respect his decisions. That said, I expect strict oversight. No blank checks.”

Kensington nodded. “There will be full parliamentary oversight. You’ll have a seat at the table.”

That seemed to satisfy Warren, though his expression remained wary. McKenna and LeClerc shared a glance before the New Labour leader finally exhaled. “If the King won’t oppose it, and if there will be oversight, then New Labour will not stand in the way. But we will scrutinize every step.”

With that, the most difficult hurdle was cleared. Kensington allowed himself a moment of relief, though he knew the real work was only just beginning.

[vesica]

Colonel Henry Lancaster, better known to the world as Crown Prince Henry of Hutori, stepped out of the transport helicopter onto the tarmac of Air Marshal Matthew Donahue Air Force Base. The cold evening wind bit at his uniform as he adjusted his cap and turned to watch as General Beatrice Steuart-Carmichael and Defense Minister Christopher Reinhardt disembarked behind him. A convoy of black SUVs was already idling nearby, their engines humming in the dark.

"Welcome to Project Satanil, Colonel," the General said, her tone even but carrying a subtle edge. "Your father wants your eyes on this personally, and frankly, so do I."

Henry nodded, feeling the weight of the moment settle on his shoulders. He had read through the classified documents, seen the schematics, and knew what the project entailed, but this was his first time setting foot in the facility. His discomfort with the program had been growing since his reassignment, but he knew its necessity. The world had changed, and Hutori could not afford to be left behind.

The convoy moved swiftly through the base, past heavily fortified perimeters and multiple security checkpoints. The deeper they drove, the more the landscape changed. Standard runways and hangars gave way to underground access tunnels and reinforced structures built to withstand anything short of a direct nuclear strike.

Finally, they arrived at the entrance to the subterranean facility. As the security team cleared them through, Henry turned to the Defense Minister. "How much of this did my father know before signing off on it?"

Reinhardt met his gaze with a level expression. "The King receives regular briefings. He was informed the moment the project was reactivated, and I have no doubt he expects updates from you. This isn’t something he’s taking lightly."

Henry exhaled sharply. "Neither am I."

Inside, the facility was a stark contrast to the above-ground airbase. The walls were lined with reinforced steel, thick blast doors sectioned off restricted areas, and the air was heavy with the scent of machinery and antiseptic. The hum of high-tech equipment filled the space as engineers and scientists worked in controlled laboratories beyond layers of glass and security barriers.

"This is what Hutori’s future deterrent looks like," Steuart-Carmichael said as she gestured towards a long observation window. Beyond it, technicians in hazmat suits worked on the sleek, ominous forms of missile casings. "The first prototypes of the new Satanil XII-class ICBMs. More advanced than anything we've ever fielded. Stealth coatings, MIRV capabilities, hypersonic delivery systems. A true second-strike capability."

Henry clenched his jaw. "And the warheads?"

"Horizon Technology Corporation has begun reworking the old designs with modern enhancements," Reinhardt replied. "Smaller payloads, higher yields, better delivery mechanisms. Everything is on schedule."

Henry turned away from the window, processing the reality of what he was seeing. He was a soldier, a pilot. His battlefield had always been in the sky, fighting with precision and skill. But this... this was different. This was a weapon meant for deterrence—one that, if ever used, would change the course of history in an instant.

Steuart-Carmichael must have noticed his hesitation because she stepped closer, lowering her voice. "I know how you feel, Henry. I felt the same when I read the reactivation orders. But look around the world. We don't get to sit back and hope history doesn’t repeat itself. We make sure that if anyone considers using them against us, they know the consequences."

Henry nodded slowly, his gaze settling back on the missiles. "The world isn't getting any safer."

"No," Reinhardt said. "And Hutori can't afford to be naive."

They continued the inspection, moving through control centers, warhead assembly zones, and launch simulations. At each step, Henry took meticulous notes, committing everything to memory. That night, as he sat in his private quarters within the base, he composed a message to his father.

The project is progressing faster than expected. The capabilities are formidable. I still have my doubts, but I understand why we’re doing this. I will continue to monitor everything personally. He hesitated before adding one last line. I just hope we never have to use it.

[Doc]

At Base Camp, Nevaras Corp, Forestry Unit 65-82, 7:35pm

Mary sat on her bunk.  Work for the day was over, and it was time to go through her correspondences.  She read a few letters, many of them personal in nature, that were delivered to her via general delivery.  One letter was from a mother of three saying how sorry she was to hear that her father had died.  Another was from a man in his mid thirties who said he had studied philosophy and was clearly looking for a job.  Another was from a veteran who had fought in the war, and employed some rather vulgar language against her father who had allowed his buddies to take the fall for their actions in the war, and informing her that there were still millions in Kalistan who were still angry that "we" "apologized" for the war, and he thought the Emperor was a disgrace and he was glad that her father "got his" in the end.  Mary couldn't finish the letter:  there were three additional pages of this... diatribe...

Another was from someone who identified himself as "Jacob", and said he was in third grade, and that his class had been assigned a project to write a letter to a famous person and see if they could get a response from the famous person, to practice formal letter writing skills.  Most of his class wrote to celebrities and musicians, but he said he had read stories about Mary and her love of the forest, and he thought that he would like to send a letter to her.  Mary smiled as she read the letter.  The letter was short and told her a little about the kid:  He was 8 years old and lived in Red Pass Vrassa.  His parents were working class folks:  His dad was a worker in municipal water treatment and his mother was a line cook at a diner.  He liked school and his favorite subject was science, but he also likes art class as well.  He finished the letter by saying it would be very nice if she would write him back and tell him what she finds exciting about the forest and how she is liking her National Service.  He also said "If you don't write back, I will understand.  Ms. Longbridge says that famous people often don't read the letters they get because they receive so many, so we shouldn't be upset if we don't get one back, but it would be amazing if you did read this letter and wrote back even a short letter."

Mary smiled, and decided that she would write a letter back to this kid.  Maybe someday he too would come to the forests and plant trees and she could encourage him.

She started writing.  She introduced herself as Mary Ananto, and said that she was glad he wrote because she would love to tell him all about her work in the National Service Program.  She talked about her love of being out in nature.  "It connects me to the world, and I really feel refreshed and invigorated when I am alone in the wilderness," she said.  "I like people, but sometimes, I do also enjoy alone time, just to study plants, and think about how things grow.  I plant trees, from little saplings, and know that one day, this tree will be hundreds of feet high.  It is amazing to me that something like that can happen.  It's just magical."

She also talked about learning about mushrooms in the forest.  "Did you know that when you see a mushroom, it is just one tiny part of a much larger organism called mycelium?' she asked rhetorically.  "Some mycelia cover whole square miles in the forests and are a very important part of every healthy ecosphere, because they take the things that fall from trees, or die or whatever, and recycle that back into the building blocks of new life.  It is a constant cycle that has been going on for millions of years, and we are just getting to view the latest episode of the story.  But isn't it fun to think back on all the versions of life that have existed in each single spot anywhere you go?"

She talked about the importance of National Service, and the opportunities it provides for the people of the nation.  And she added information about how, if Jacob really has a passion, he should learn all he can about a topic, because the NSP looks for aptitude and interest in placement, and when Jacob does his National Service, he can ensure that he gets to do something he is interested in and knows something about.  Mary wrote and wrote, talking about everything in her life, from her daily life in the NSP, to what she was interested in in school, to asking questions that she wasn't sure would ever be answered, like what Jacob's life was like.

She talked about her parents...  

... and then, she paused.  She mentioned that her father had recently died, and his loss had made her very sad.  Her mother was also very sad.  And she started thinking about her mother and their experience at the memorial service.  And Mary realized that she had been crying, when she saw a tear splash on the paper and smudge the ink from the pen she was using to write the letter.  She was still grieving his loss, and she was still dreading her Service being over, because she knew she would have to take his place.  "God damn it," she whispered as she tried to wipe away the tear drop and only ended up smearing the ink even further.

She closed the letter with "Jacob, you can tell your teacher that I read all my letters.  I am so glad you wrote me.  My life will change soon, and I will enter a new phase.  And then I will see no more letters like yours, and that's pretty sad.  So I try to read as many of them now as I can, while I can.  I'm going to send this now, so I don't miss mail.  But thank you again for writing, and I hope you keep up your studies and learn all you can about what you love.  Your friend, Mary."

She quickly sealed the letter and put Jacob's return address on it and dropped it in the mail bag as the clerk was just finishing tying it up to take to the post office in town.  Mary returned to her bunk in the barracks and put on her headphones.  She was eager for the Season to start in a couple weeks, and would be bored until it did.