If there was anything that Aceus had learned in his ten years of ruling, it was that world-altering crises never occur when you're ready.
The writing was on the wall ever since "Ecthelion" ousted Finrod Fegalund, disrupting a dynasty of despots who ruled the most technologically and militarily advanced nations on the continent, and possibly the world...
Other than that, it had been a fairly average Wednesday, with Aceus dropping little Maximus off at daycare. It wasn't as if Aceus was ignorant of the revolution in Nargothond, in fact, he was moving several high-ranking Nargothondian scientists under several aliases to rendezvous with the Nargothondian cabinet in Escanthea by way of Danceria. But could you blame the man for not expecting the new Thalasan President would be calling him in the parking lot of the daycare.
Aceus would wonder why EmCon didn't think of covering the Thalasans, and the late ADDO to be so eager to usurp matters in the Triumvirate.
"Senhor Presidente," Aceus began, speaking the language of Thalasus "o que exatamente eu posso fazer por você?"
*Mister President, what precisely can I do for you?
(OOC: I quietly retconned the Thalasi language into Spanish a little bit ago. Not a big deal, but just so you know)
IC: President Abraham Santiago rubbed his temples and sighed. He was grateful that the call went to audio only instead of video: he was free to emote as he pleased so long as it didn't affect his voice. He was so tired. Just... so damn tired.
He responded in English, the universal Ainurian trade language. "Hello, King Aceus. How are you doing this... morning? I assume you have some idea of what I am calling about."
(@Finrod should I assume a massive Nargothond attack is heading towards the Hercules Fleet? Or is this a "nuclear war" freakout?)
This is a Norwegian National anthem freakout (See; we would rather burn our land than to declare defeat)
Your forces can remain where they are or try to fight me and minimise casualties. With any luck though, my generals will turn and move into Ecthelion's forces limiting this. In any case, blood will flow.
Finrod looked to the fireplace, where the wood was burning brightly. Not many people added fireplaces to bunkers, but Finrod was one of the few. They added to the atmosphere almost as much as a cat to stroke.
Having called all his generals, he gave the order. Plan 437, the plan put in place in the event of an invasion of the highest order, the plan built to criple everything, wreck a nation to avoid loss of territory. Cinders, dust, tears would be all that they would ever get.
Nargothond's forces moved out. The capital would be first. One by one, the military began to enter the streets. men, women, children. Pulled onto the street and shot. House by house, the death squads moved, piles of corpses flooded the outer slums. Those that dared to violate the curfew ran for it, they were dispatched more slowly. Flamethrowers, Sarin gas, razor blades. For Sale was losing hundreds of people, then, the tanks drove in. Slums were destroyed by Pantzer-units, apartment buildings by controlled explosions in the columns.
The military had been ordered to kill every citizen, so that's what they did. half the generals instantly switched side, a few more troops for Ecthelion, but with a fair few left at the front, it'd take hours for his forces to fight their way to the city. By then, there would be almost nobody left.
Nargothond was an ants' nest. Now the queen felt threatened, there was nothing she wouldn't do. all would perish in fire and blood rather than let the enemy have even an ounce of the fruits of the emperor's labour. Nothing could stop Finrod now, except a direct hit on the centre of the anthill. Then, the entire nest would pass to the next person in line for the throne. A duke, in Escanthea. The fighting could end, peace could fall if Escanthea was willing to let a missile kill lord Felagund and if Thalassus was willing to stop Ecthelion's advance. peace could fall if Thalassus got to the duke and somehow killed Finrod, but Escanthea would never allow that. Peace could fall if Danceria aided Ecthelion, then stormed the bunker and massacred Lord Finrod, but then, wouldn't Escanthea turn on Danceria? Agreement between all three would bring the best outcome, but any of them could decide the prize of a leader under their spell was worth more than Nargothond's people. Pah, what are human rights after all, other than the rules of chess? Given the opportunity, who wouldn't allow their queen to time travel? Who wouldn't give their bishop a machine gun?
No, thought Felagund. As we burn, they shall fight over our cinders and vengeance shall be mine.
Aceus would pay for his betrayal and the cost would be his sleep. The dead of Nargothond would haunt him forever.
OOC: No OOC thread. This isn't an RP thread. It's a Nargothondian origins story. The end of a saga and the start of a brave new world.
