Sovereign

“West Orland’s last civilian automobiles have rolled off the production lines. With the Orlish War Economy now rolling into full action, almost all manufacturers in Orland have been ordered to shift production into war-related products. For the past few months, most factories of West Orland made a mad rush into converting their tooling and training their employees to produce tanks, combat aircraft, guns, bullets, shells, missiles, drones, and many more to support the war industry. Last month, most factories ended their production of civilian goods in favor of producing basic war materials. PHIs last plant producing civilian cars in Rolentz has rolled off one last vehicle today, with the assembly line finally being closed and slated for immediate conversion. All this goes to show the commitment of Her Majesty’s government to the war and a reminder to the people that the luxuries of peace will not return until the horrors of war have been ended.”

- ROCN News

+++

Kingdom of Gallia

19th Mechanized Brigade ‘Einheit’

Toldoi

Hauke, upon receiving his orders, acted swiftly.

Contacting each of his battalion and company commanders on the ground, Hauke organized the 19th to quickly move out of their established perimeters protecting government buildings, clearing the path for the rapidly rushing GAF Army units in the city.

As he gave his orders, he watched as a convoy of camouflaged APCs passed through one of the hastily set up checkpoints of his men on one of the road junctions leading to the Gallian Royal Assembly. He grimly knew what was about to occur, and he gave his radio another tap as he gave another set of orders—ordering his men to quickly disperse the protestors and cooperate with the GAF.

On the ground, Orlish and Gallian troopers suddenly worked together in the roads and streets as the orders shifted. A few platoons of Orlish soldiers, being slowly surrounded by student protestors, fixed bayonets as one of the field Captains shouted his orders. It wasn’t exactly used by the men to stab anyone, instead, it was a measure taken due to them lacking riot shields, and they began pushing back on the protestors filling the streets.

Toldoi Policewomen, confused by the sudden shift of events, found their communications cut off as they tried to hold on against the increasing wave of protests, only to be attacked from the rear by GAF troopers deploying on the streets with military trucks and APCs. Most of them, seeing soldiers with guns ordering them to stand down, immediately surrendered, creating further chaos as Gallian soldiers arrested policewomen while holding off the protestors.

Hauke for his part merely continued issuing orders from a hastily set up command post near a mall that overlooked one of the highways leading to the Toldoi Palace. The IFVs and APCs of the 19th rapidly built up on the roads and streets, deploying more and more Orlish troops to contain the confused civilians on the streets, making way for convoy after convoy of Gallian military vehicles rushing into government centers.

Within thirty minutes, aside from random bursts of gunfire or the few injured Gallian or Orlish soldiers due to magical attacks, most government centers were cut off and besieged, with only a few Royal Guard units trying their best to face off Gallian machine gun units and snipers setting up on the roofs and windows in buildings adjacent to Gallian government buildings.

By the second hour, Hauke gave his new reports to Orland. The coup was now making good progress, he reported. And it was making said progress rapidly.

+++

West Orland

November Palace

“Can someone explain to me why I am seeing news footage of Gallian tanks aiming their turrets and guns at the Toldoi Palace?! What the hell is happening?”

The outburst from Pristina punctuated the air of the room as the ministers of the Heiss Cabinet filed inside the situation room. The screens already showed news from all over the world as limited videos of the ongoing coup d’etat reached the airwaves. The internet, the media, everything was currently aflame. So much so that Adelaide was now absent from the room as she dealt with the hundreds of phone calls from every member state of the MN asking Orland what exactly was happening.

“This…is an unprecedented disaster,” Allison shakingly said as she watched one of the news feeds, taken by Gallian civilians from their apartments, showing Gallian soldiers coming out of military trucks and setting up machine gun positions in front of a police station. “How did this happen?”

“It wasn’t supposed to happen,” William said, as he shook his head. “But it did. Those GAF brigades were supposed to transit to the frontlines, but they mutinied while close to Toldoi right during the worst day of protests against the Queen. Queen Clericia shut down the media and the internet last night in the greater Toldoi region, so no one noticed when the mutinying units diverted their course and entered the city unopposed.”

“Unopposed?” Pristina asked.

William turned his head to her.

“The Royal Guard and the Toldoi Police were focused on the protests. They were metaphorically caught with their pants down. The only ones who had the ability to somewhat stop it were the transiting 19th Mechanized Brigade of the Orlish Army. They held off hostilities early in the morning, but Amelie already made her decision…”

“What?” Allison frowned. “Why didn’t they stop the mutiny? Where are they? Did they leave? We can’t just leave our ally—”

“We didn’t leave, I told our boys on the ground to let the Gallian Army do what they want to do,” Amelie said, trying her best to remain calm. “Yes. I’m letting the mutineers stage a coup. Is there any objection to that?”

Silence.

Amelie looked around as her ministers all shut their mouths. Walter for his part merely chuckled on the side, while Jacqueline just looked down at the desk. Pristina and Allison were visibly horrified, while Jan and Alfred simply looked like they couldn’t even give much of a crap about what was happening.

Suddenly, Pristina stood up from her seat. Amelie waited for her words to come, with her angry expression clearly evident. But for many seconds, there was none that came out of Pristina’s mouth, except for a weak question.

“...Why?”

“Why? Because I’ve decided that I find the GAF more valuable than Queen Clericia,” Amelie bluntly said. “Most of the GAF had no idea what the mutineers were doing, but our observations showed that the moment the news broke out, most soldiers of Gallia were in full support of bringing down the Queen. We can’t go against that.”

“The opinion of young men with rifles does not determine whether or not a nation’s monarch will step down!” Pristina shouted with vitriol. “Your Majesty, I beg you to see reason! I know you and Queen Clericia are not on good terms, but you can’t do this to her. You can’t do this. You can’t just fold to the demands of armed fools. We have to take control. We have to help her restore—”

“The OEF will be cooperating with Gallian forces in restoring order in Gallia once the dust settles,” Amelie said in finality. “Combat operations in the front are continuing right now and will remain unabated. Once the political crisis is over and a new government is established, the GAF will continue fighting side-by-side with allied forces without much disruption. I have determined that to be the best option to continue our resistance against the CFN invasion.”

Pristina’s left eye twitched in frustration.

“And what if they turn to the other side? What if the GAF betrays us and joins the CFN? These are men doing male-revolutionary things. Why wouldn’t they? Why wouldn’t they betray us and join the other side and put our young men in Gallian lands in danger?!”

“When have you cared about those young men?!” Amelie shot back.

“Ever since I realized the wrongs of my past self! Ever since I watched young boys get dragged in front of me to die for Halia! Ever since that mine collapsed! But that doesn’t mean I want this to happen. That doesn’t mean I’ll listen to them if they aim their guns at me. This is them aiming their guns against women. Against us! And you’re letting it happen?”

“They are aiming their guns at Queen Clericia,” Amelie’s face turned red as she frowned. “Don’t you dare insinuate that she represents all women. She’s a fossil that deserves to go. I have no sympathy for her. And I would not want me or my government to be lumped with her and her practices. She can burn to hell! We will work with the Gallian military. We will work with whoever they install in Toldoi. We will work with our allies. But not with her. Not anymore. The situation…has changed.”

“I…” Pristina recoiled back. “Amelie…please…tell me this isn’t true. I can’t accept this. You can’t do this. You can’t do this to us. We’re…you’re handing them everything. Do you know what message you are telling them?”

“What message?” Walter growled. “Are you insinuating that we, men, or the OAF will do something similar to Her Majesty?”

“I did not say anything!”

“But that’s where you’re going for,” Walter said. “Traitor. Traitor. Traitor. That’s how you women keep viewing us. Well, we’re not. We’re fighting the same goddamned war a knee deeper than you, and you dare tell us that we might do something that vile? Amelie isn’t Clericia. Nor is this government similar to the Gallian government. And we know that. The OHC. Men. We know that. That’s why we’re fighting as best as we can. That’s why young boys are dying for you.”

“Stop, everyone,” Amelie said. “I understand the fears that the Defense Minister is raising here. And I understand that these measures we have taken are drastic. But it is not a reflection of the affairs here. It is an act I took to secure our chances in the Gallian Campaign as we’ve always intended. We made the risk assessment, and it’s clear that the side we must choose is the coup plotters. They have the side of the Army. And we need the Gallian Army first and foremost. Not their people. Not their Queen. The GAF is what we need. We made a pragmatic decision. That’s all there is to it.”

Pristina closed her eyes, then, she returned to her seat, visibly defeated. The women in the room have visibly had their moods changed. Amelie could see it. They were paranoid. Ever more so now. That…was concerning. They might act rashly. Or worse.

She needed to make sure that the lid was sealed, even if she personally trusted each of her ministers.

I cannot afford naysayers and disloyal elements. Not now.

“Then what’s our real plan?” Allison weakly asked. “The…Gallian Army takes over? Gallia is declared a Republic, or something? What? What exactly is our policy now?”

“The Gallian Army decides,” Amelie answered. “I have no plans on overruling them save for these terms. Gallia will remain a Kingdom. The Gallian throne will not be abolished, and Princess Louise Alois will ascend to the throne with very limited powers. And that elections will be held once the Gallian Campaign is finished in a victorious manner.”

“I approved of that plan already,” Jacqueline said. “I already gave the orders to Adelaide. The GAF has so far approved the terms, so long as three new guys would lead them going forward in a transitional military government. The heads of the Gallian Air Force, Army, and Navy will form a triumvirate government under Princess Alois.”

“So a Gallian Junta?” Pristina asked.

“In essence…that’s what’s essentially going to happen,” Jacqueline sighed. “It’s now up to the current Gallian government and Queen Clericia how long that transition is going to happen. It will happen, and…we will participate with the GAF in pacifying any civil unrest.”

Someone suddenly barged into the room. The young woman bowed quickly before relaying her report.

“Miss Prime Minister, Your Majesty, Queen Clericia Alois called,” the woman said. “She’s on the phone line, asking for any of the two of you, and preferably, Her Majesty’s presence.”

Amelie gave the employee a smile.

“Tell her to wait for me,” Amelie said. “Thank you.”

She bowed, before leaving the room and closing the door. Immediately, Amelie frowned.

“So…what are you going to tell her?” Pristina asked.

Amelie had one answer.

“I’ll tell her to go to hell.”