Sovereign

“Confederacy forces are spotted building up on the Gallian–Poznek border. The Mandate of Nations has now sounded the alarms regarding the potential flashpoint, all while calling for the Confederacy to ‘reverse its hostile actions’ and to ‘stop its rampant destabilization of the continent’. The Gallian and Lorathian kingdoms however remain adamant in their response, as the Gallian side of the DMZ continues to see an endless buildup of defenses to face any attack from the east.”

- Geopol Press

+++

United Confederation of Pez

City of Brewich

West Vaeyox

March 8, 2025

Amelie was tired due to the long air travel.

By the time she reached her own room, a spacious and overly luxurious one, as was usual for someone of her own stature, Amelie flopped straight to her sofa. William and Nia followed from behind, with William carrying the lion’s share of her belongings. Both of them sighed at her sight, as her face melted on the soft pillows.

“Haahhh…I hate airplanes…” Amelie said to the pillow, as Nia sighed, tapping the notepad she was holding.

“We have a lot to do, Amelie. You can’t just laze around. The conference starts tomorrow, so it would be best to prepare everything immediately.”

William nodded. “While this embassy is protected by the RGO, we have to be secure regardless. I still need to direct my agents to their preparations.”

“Even Marie’s RIU is already present in the city,” Nia said. “We can’t be sure, even with the saturation of MN-aligned spies and agents, not to mention the United Confederation’s Security Corps present here. The reports about the attempts on Princess Kawasaki’s life have still been…worrying…”

“Yeah, you both do have a point,” Amelie immediately sprang out of her overly relaxed state upon remembering that. She certainly didn’t want to end up in that kind of situation when she was outside of Orland. Quite frankly, leaving the November Palace alone considerably increased the risks to her continued existence.

What more now that she was outside of Orland? While the United Confederation had incredible defenses which solidified its position of being the few countries where world leaders could feel nominally safe to conduct face-to-face conferences and meet each other, the world had been less safe ever since the end of the Great War.

Especially when the rogue revolutionary states were now outside of the international rules of the Mandate of Nations. Their interests would be to potentially strike now that many high figures of the MN were in one city.

“The faster I’m out of this city, the better my chances will be,” Amelie said. “Though, I really hope no one attacks us. We’re uncomfortably too close to the Gallia–Poznek DMZ after all…”

“It’s mountainous, and the Gallian–Lorathian–Orlish Air Forces are patrolling Pez’s air space alongside Pez’s considerable air defense and air force anyway, so an attack on us conventionally is unlikely,” William said. “However, an attack from the shadows is a possibility, so we have to be prepared for that.”

“I sure as hell don’t want to end up as a target of another black ops attack,” Amelie said. “No, just…no.”

“Exactly, so let’s start,” William said. “First, you and Nia would prepare this room. Then, my agents would be planting extra cameras around here—”

“William! You’re speaking to two ladies!” Nia said, red-faced.

“For security purposes,” William retorted without much care. “No one’s placing stuff in compromising areas. But yes, after that, we’ll map out any possible points of entry, directions of attack, etc leading to this room and the rest of this building.”

“And after that?” Amelie asked.

“We’ll recon the MN Headquarters and the General Assembly Building, group up with Ivory Alliance agents, link up with the RIU present in this area, get in touch with the Royal Guard, alongside the United Confederation Defense Forces and the Brewich Police Force, and finalize everything. This is…a mess, after all, a complete coalition work of multiple agencies and security forces. It’s almost a puzzle even…”

“That just sounds like a massive vulnerability waiting to be exploited…” Amelie said. “A simple misunderstanding might lead to conflict between allies, and those revolutionaries might just use that.”

“Exactly, which is why we need to get into contact with all of them, properly. I know full well that the security plans we discussed with them remotely would not last upon first contact, they’d collapse in the face of chaos. For example, why did LI5 decide that they would be the ones checking in those who entered by airport? For all we know, those Lorathian agents have been bribed…”

“That’s really such a mess,” Nia said. “I thought this entire conference was so high-profile that it took months of planning and preparations so it will go smoothly.”

William merely laughed at that. “Welcome to coalition warfare, the both of you. It’s a goddamn messy mess of piss.”

+++

Once again, Amelie was delighted to see that her first visitor had been her favorite monarch of all. The now-Empress Xue Li arrived a little earlier in the United Confederation, and it seemed that she actually wanted to meet Amelie first before anything else. And so, when the Orlish Embassy alerted Amelie about the request from the Hebeian Empire’s diplomatic networks, Amelie gave them the green light in mere seconds.

“Nia, give her some tea, would you?” Amelie said as Nia poured Amelie’s cup some tea. The two of them were in one of the Orlish Embassy’s lounge rooms, where the two of them could talk about Orland’s and Hebei’s relationship over a cup of tea (or two, or three, Amelie didn’t care, her limits in the realm of tea was unlimited!), and change its directions to wherever would best suit their grand strategy of winning against the revolution’s unending tide.

“I appreciate the gesture,” Empress Xue said. “So, about the upcoming conference…I suppose it’s time to exhaust all of our diplomatic capital for this one, huh?”

“I will expend everything to get the MN to unite,” Amelie said. “We can’t go through this with half-measures. If we want to stop them and liberate the lands they occupy, we’d have to go to war as one. The Coalition of Free Nations is practically de facto alive right now…”

“True. We already received reports that the Confederacy has sent volunteer brigades to the Northern Republic already…” the Empress sighed. “They’re also probably sending weapons. We’ve already been struck with a handful of Larissan-designed missiles and drones, after all.”

“So I’ve heard,” Amelie said. “They’re using low-flying drones that sneak through your radar to act as suicide bombs against whatever they want to target?”

“Extremely cheap drones as well,” the Empress said. “While the air defense SAM units you provided us were useful, we are running against a wall in these endless drone attacks. They’re hitting our logistical, communication, and even factories with drones that cost below ten thousand Orlish Blancs. Meanwhile, we’re sending in missiles that cost twice or thrice that.”

“And they’re designed by the Confederacy…?”

“Technologically inferior by Orland’s standards, but their cheapness is a massive factor to their effectiveness. These drones…they deliver what should be done.”

Amelie sighed. In Orland, drones were also playing a major part in the war. In fact, right now, most infantry casualties were due to both sides using cheap drones to infiltrate air defense networks by their sheer stealthiness and numbers in order to drop ordnance directly into covered trench lines and foxholes.

They also greatly increased both her side’s and the Federal Republic’s capability on artillery strikes. While UAVs and satellites proved to be the OAF’s main asset for surveillance and fire control early on, their UAV fleet had already been slightly defanged, which forced them into temporary alternatives. Alternatives that were proving to be extremely capable on their own.

“Even the Federalists are using the same tactics at times,” Amelie said. “It would not be out of the possibility that they’re already sharing tactics and technology to fight us.”

“Indeed. Meanwhile, the Gallian Queen refused to heed my warnings to her not to conduct that offensive, and so did the Lorathian Queen. Look at them both, squirming at the sheer casualties they’re taking so stupidly at trying to bash their heads through the defenses of Asturia.”

“They really need to learn their lessons,” Amelie said, sipping her tea with a sigh. “But, regardless, feeling bitter about our allies’ conduct of war won’t be productive. Please, be patient.”

“I know,” the Empress said. “Watching the Empire of Asanai do nothing ever since the coup that deposed my mother had already trained me in extending my patience in an astounding manner. I believe whatever happens in the conference wouldn’t be too much.”

She laughed a bit. “Don’t worry about me.”

And Amelie returned that with a chuckle. “That’s good then. We also need to wrestle the Asanaians into this…alongside many nations. Hah…it’d be a true pain.”

“At the very least, the Asanaians have been providing my Empire with valuable intel and humanitarian aid for a while now,” the Empress said. “Perhaps, if you nudge them well, we will get a good result from this.”

“About that. I also talked with Princess Yumi Kawasaki.”

“You did?”

“Yeah,” Amelie smiled. “And get this, after the assassination attempt, she told me that the Empire is now changing course. We might really get the Asanaians on board this whole defense alliance thing. And after that, I doubt many neutral nations would back out.”

“Not especially if Hebei joins,” the Empress said. “And we will. We’re really just waiting for an opportune moment. But do you know what would really help?”

“What?”

“Making Princess Anastasia Illyenov’s Imperial Remnants join.” The Empress took a sip of her tea. “Think about it, the leaders of the non-aligned nations joining in on the MN Defense Pact, add in everyone in the Ivory Alliance, and add in the still-named legitimate government of the Larissan Empire. Such levels of legitimacy would leave the neutrals no choice!”

“You’re ambitious,” Amelie laughed a bit. “But…to make those…Larissans, join…?”

“Don’t tell me you hold a grudge against her,” Xue leaned a bit forward as she spoke…almost cutely. “You know, I think I can see it there.”

Amelie looked away, as she turned into denial. “Oh, absolutely not. Why would I hold any grudges to her? She’s not Katerina. But…but if I let her enter, first, she needs to say sorry, five times, grovel on my feet, say sorry five times again, then…then…”

“Someone’s angry,” Xue concealed her giggles with her mouth. “Shall I relay that intel to the Princess of Larissa then? She’s really trying hard to win you over, so perhaps if she uses the methodology you are proposing…”

“No, no! Stop there!” Amelie said. “It’s just…look…it’s the Larissans. What if she stabs us in the back?”

“Would she?” Xue asked. “Are you quite sure of that assessment, or are your biases simply clouding your reasoning?”

“I…”

The Empress took a long sip of her tea, as she finally turned serious. “Look, Your Majesty, I implore you to think of this clearly. That perhaps by tomorrow, you’ll see reason and subscribe to my gambit.”

“I don’t know if I can trust her, Empress Xue.”

“And she doesn’t know if she can trust you, Queen Amelie. But what I do know, is just like you and me, she needs allies. And she needs you to let her Larissa survive, just as I need you to let my Hebei survive. And just as you need the both of us to survive against the Federal Republic.”

Amelie looked down.

“I see your point. I’ll…think things through, I guess.”

“I know you’ll come up with the right answer,” Xue smiled. “You always do, anyway. Eventually.”