Numiar City, June 19, 418
Governor-Princess Meredith Numiar stepped out of her private hover car in a formal suit, waving to the assembled crowd as she entered the celebration. Victory over the Gallian rebels had been achieved after just over a year of fighting, and the border with the UST secured. It was a time of smiles and happiness. The truly loyal were happy that Althinian arms had emerged triumphant, while the rest were more pleased that taxes would soon be lowered. Meredith found both types to be bothersome to deal with, but she gave no outward sign of her thoughts as she smiled to the sycophants around her. Blatant hostility was as much a mistake for personal diplomacy as international diplomacy, which she dearly wished her father would learn.
The party soon began, after several speeches by Meredith, prominent industrialists, and a Colonel who claimed to be fresh from the Gallian lands, assuring the people that the lands of the Bargavian Reach had been secured for Althine. Meredith knew the man hadn't gone near a war-zone for his entire life, but symbols were important while the real soldiers were otherwise occupied. The speeches ended relatively quickly, only taking an hour, and food was served to the guests, as they mingled, made deals, and gossiped. Meredith would have much preferred to spend her time working to actually improve the city, but it wouldn't do for the governor of the city and second child of Carthorn Numiar to leave a party early. Most of the people she spoke with were of little consequence or had nothing important to say to her.
Then she was approached by Darven Borgacen, a prominent and young CEO, ruling one of the largest arms manufacturers in Althine at age 32. His company, Raroren-Serico-Kesher Productions, created the advanced Marksmen IV fighter/bomber which had given the RAARW control over the Skies of Gallia in a matter of days, as well as the Messenger ICBM series and various small arms for the RAA. With the mass expansion of Althine's nuclear arsenal RSK had been seeing record profits, and Meredith suspected Darven sought even greater profits once taxes fell.
"Good evening, Lady Meredith. I've heard wonderful things about the effectiveness of my products, both in Gallia and in foreign cities." He flashed a smug grin at his little euphemism for the death of a million people. "I'm sure your father will be wanting more, since other nations will see our power, and create their own weapons out of jealousy. If we lose our edge, then we're open to destruction."
Meredith forced a smile as she replied, "Mr. Borgacen-"
Darven raised a hand, "Please, call me Darven."
Meredith held her smile, despite how much she wanted to slap the man, "Mr. Borgacen, while your products have been most effective at killing people, and I'm sure my father will be wanting more of your missiles, I must disagree with your claim that other nations will build their own nuclear weapons out of jealousy. It won't be jealousy that drives them, but instead fear and hatred. We killed hundreds of thousands in Sicaria for the loss of a single ship. Even more died in the UST because some of their men invaded our nation and were swiftly killed."
Darven was frowning by now, which Meredith considered a major victory, "The Takagans took Harriston and killed 20,000 people. Diplomatic messages were sent demanding compensation, but they were ignored. The savages needed to be taught a lesson, and the only thing they understand is force. The Sicarians only felt Holy Fire because they refused to pay peacefully for their actions against Althine. Now the inferior nations of the world understand the gulf that stands between us and them, and will not so casually infringe upon our sovereignty. To have them fear us is good. What are you trying to say Princess, that we should have let foreign nations push us around and act against us in any matter they see fit?"
Meredith resisted the urge to give an exasperated sigh, "No Mr. Borgacen, that is the last thing I want, but it is not a dichotomy between letting other nations have their way with us and using nuclear weapons on a whim. Sicaria and the UST both needed to be punished, but to use nuclear weapons as the first response to diplomatic failures was not the proper course. Those nations now hate us for killing so many of their people over minor issues. Althine has survived isolated for centuries, but nuclear weapons change that. Even now the Commonwealth of Notosia has nuclear weapons, and other will soon follow. The UST has even created a system to shoot down your missiles. Our period of overwhelming unilateral power through nuclear weapons is rapidly coming to an end. When we no longer hold such an edge, what do you think other nations will do? They will seek vengeance for their citizens we killed. Even with our vast arsenal of nuclear weapons, we are not safe from retaliation, and if other nations believe that we would use our weapons over any issue, then they might try to strike first. Nuclear weapons must be a last resort, not a first response, and my father's use of them already has possibly already gone too far to be repaired. It's for that reason I convinced my father to not invade the UST and start another war."
Darven scoffed and returned with his smug grin, "What is the point of a weapon that is never used? For twenty years we held nuclear weapons without using them, and they gave minimal benefits. Other nations didn't take us seriously and violated our sovereignty on whims. Two violations of our sovereignty in a matter of weeks. A message needed to be sent that such behavior was unacceptable. Now we are safe, and secure. You speak of them coming for vengeance in the future, but not even those savages care more for revenge than their own lives. So long as we maintain a large nuclear arsenal, no nation will dare to strike us, out of fear of the response. Perhaps more effort can be spent on negotiating with the savages, but even in these incidents diplomacy was the first option your father took. It was the Sicarian denial of responsibility and Tomoyan refusal of negotiations that forced a nuclear response. Now the world will enter an age of peace, one dominated by Althine's nuclear weapons. A million savages have died to cement our positions, and we should all be thankful for it."
Meredith was growing tired of this conversation and wished someone would shoot this fool in the head so she wouldn't have to deal with his smugness.
Before she could respond, gunshots rang out and Darven's head exploded into gore and brainmatter, some of which splattered on to her. Frozen by shock, she saw her bodyguards gunned down and the party thrown into chaos as masked men surrounded her and roughly seized her. A filthy rag was shoved to her face and she swiftly lost consciousness.
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June 27, 418
Captain Aldez Marik released the trigger of his silenced GV 33 "Cleanser" once the savages were confirmed down. They appeared to be civilians, but one could never be too careful. Here in the slums of San Barboza his SAD squad was under strict orders not to be detected, and Captain Marik had no intention of risking his life by sparing some sub-humans. After the failure to kill the Razquins and the kidnapping of Princess Meredith, all branches of NIMROD were doing everything in their power to prove they weren't utterly incompetent. The culls hadn't started yet since Princess Meredith still needed to be found, but if the search went on too long...
NIMROD had agents scouring the globe for the Princess, so Captain Marik only had half the standard size for a SAD squad, 5 men, but there was another squad searching in San Barboza if he needed the back-up. Most of the agents were following wild goose chases; he knew one unit in the Corporation had wiped out a convenience store because they heard reports of a blonde woman being held there, only to find it was some local, whom they also killed. He was nearly certain the recent rash in murders of interracial couples in the UST was from similar actions.
After gunning down another group of bothersome savages, he saw the target building. An old warehouse and office complex that had armed men milling about it. Whiel typical for the slums of a backwater nation, these men stood out because they were masked. Captain Marik doubted they were making a fashion statement with that attire in this weather and for the first time gained confidence in the intel for this lead. If he was the one to rescue the Princess, his career opportunities would soar. He might get to head the SAD or even the OSS within the year.
He grinned at the prospect, "Ok, Crusader of Glaive unit confirms visual on target building. 7 masked hostiles are guarding the target outside, unknown number more within. Intel seems good. Halbard unit, I suggest you make your way over here."
His earpiece buzzed in response, "This is Pilgrim of Halbard unit. Seems like we finally have them. Moving there ASAP."
Marik was already moving forward. He wasn't going to share the glory for this. He turned off his mike. "Glaive unit, immediately following the last transmission, a civilian happened upon our position and we were forced to engage the hostiles. Understood?"
For a response his men raised their weapons and opened fire on the masked men. Despite being outnumbered, they used surprise to swiftly gun down the hostiles and 4 more who ran out from the inside. Rather than use the front entrance where they would be expected, he signaled for his men to set explosive charges to create an entrance in the warehouse. While they once more had the element of surprise, the hostiles managed to respond this time, and one of Marik's men was shot in the throat.
After clearing the main room of the warehouse, Marik shot his wounded man to put him out of his misery. Marik then activated the remainder of the man's explosives to go off if anyone touched the body. Wasn't time to extract him, and couldn't leave behind evidence of this operation. Plus it would be a nice present for the local savages.
His team then moved to clear out the office complex, which was a enous affair. A maniac savage with a shotgun managed to decapitate one more of Marik's men before he was put down. The first sign Marik found that the mission was nearly over was when he found a sealed room in the basement, behind which were 6 dead bodies, all of whom had committed suicide. He supposed this to be a sign they were dealing with fanatics rather than professionals. There was another room beyond, with the door slightly ajar.
As Marik's team approached the door, they heard a series of rhythmic clicks. Marik cautiously opened the door to see the room beyond. To his shock he saw a nearly naked Princess Meredith, covered in cuts and bruises, her face nearly unrecognizable. She held a pistol that she was continuously pulling the trigger on, aimed at the groin of a masked man in front of her, which had already seen many impacts from the same gun. She didn't respond to the entrance of her rescuers.
Marik slowly lowered his gun, "Oh great Helir, those savages truly went that far? Death was too kind a punishment for them. Your Highness, I'm Captain Aldez Marik of the SAD, and we're here to rescue you. We'll bring you back to civilization, to safety." One of Marik's men began to remove some of his cloths to give to the Princess.
Meredith stopped pulling the trigger and looked to Marik as he spoke. She gave a harsh and bitter laugh to his last words, "'Safety'? Where I was when these animals took me? There is no safety as long as scum like this remain alive. Civilization sounds nice though."
The Princess stood, and took the clothes given to her, which she put on before leaving her room. As she walked into the room with the bodies of the suicides, she stopped and fixed her stare on them.
"Captain, give me your pistol."
Marik had nearly exited the room by this point, causing him to look back at the princess in confusion, "Your Highness?"
"That's an order Captain, from a Numiar Princess."
Exchanging an uneasy glance with his remaining men, Marik handed his pistol to Princess Meredith. She proceeded to fire one bullet into the groins of each of the bodies that lay on the floor. Marik had always heard how Princess Meredith was the most personable of the Numiar family, that she didn't view the other races as inherently inferior, that she was more concerned with being a good ruler than anything else. She was changed now, and considering what these animals had done to her, he found it justified. She tried to give the savages a chance, and they kidnapped and raped her for it. They deserved worse than death.
As they entered the warehouse, they found Halbard Unit waiting for them. Pilgrim informed them that the stealth hovercraft would arrive in 3 minutes, and what passed for authorities in this dump wouldn't show up for half an hour at worst. Meredith had other concerns.
"Captain, why are they alive?"
Marik turned to her and saw her pointing to a group of civilians who thought they were hiding outside the warehouse.
He shrugged, "From this distance they can't see us well enough to know anything, and with extraction coming soon, no need to waste ammo on them."
Meredith brought herself up to her full height, and slowly enunciated each of her words, "Kill them. I'm issuing a shoot on sight policy for all sub-humans."
Marik paused for a second, before turning to his men and Halbard Unit, "Open fire."
After 6 seconds the SAD soldiers ceased firing, with all civilians dead. Extraction soon arrived, and they left without incident. None of them looked the Princess in the eye, as she coldly remained passive at it all. Marik found it more troubling that she seemed so calm from this. Had she been a sobbing wreck or laughing mad, he'd at least be able to say they broke her down there, and leave things at that. But this cold fury was something else. She was changed, but she was not broken. There was no satisfaction in her eyes as she watched the savages fall, nor was there sadness or bloodlust. It was an empty look. Marik didn't know what to make of that.
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June 30, 418
Princess Meredith had been returned to Althinian soil within hours of being rescued, but she was kept in a secure facility for a few days, as it was insisted she needed time to recover. No one wanted to be the one to present Exalted Prince Carthorn with Meredith in the state she was found. Despite these efforts to make her more presentable, both Meredith and Carthorn himself lost patience and insisted on her return to the Royal Palace. Due to internal power plays, Telinar Vilkar Guime was the unfortunate soul who was given the duty of presenting the Princess to her father.
Princess Meredith entered the throne room, wearing a simple suit after refusing more feminine attire, with her face still bruised, though not as badly as when she was first rescued. Her father rose from his throne with a look of shock on his face at her appearance.
"What did those animals do to you? They'll pay for this." Carthorn slammed his right fist into the palm of his hand, "King Rodrigo will be given 24 hours to abdicate his throne, turn over 30 billion credits, and turn over everyone responsible for this plot so that they may be executed in Althine. Anything less will see the destruction of his nation by nuclear hellfire."
Carthorn may not have been the best or most caring of parents, but he knew his daughter well enough to expect the old her to object to the harsh terms being imposed, saying that they would only cause death and destruction, further isolating Althine. He thought that perhaps her experience would make her meek and that the new Meredith would go with what he planned. If that was the case, he'd have to strike her from his list of possible successors, and turn to Carthorn the younger, or even Lalinea. Anything to keep Develon and Veronica away frm succession.
Meredith's response was not what he was expecting, "No, don't give those savages a chance to survive. I saw them, how much they hate us for existing. So long as they live they will always strike at us out of spite and hate. They all deserve to die." She said it without passion, but there was a steel-like edge to her words all the same.
Carthorn was surprised, but he didn't show it, "Indeed, we've let them get away with too much. The Kingdom of Veodor will be flattened to the ground by nuclear hellfire."
Meredith shook her head before her father was even done and responded in her dispassionate speech, "Not just Veodor. All of our neighbors, Sicaria too. They all hate us, envy us, and can attack us out of spite. If we turn to fight one, the others will fall on us. Strike them all at once. Kill them all. They all deserve to die."
Carthorn raised his eyebrow at this. He had expected his daughter to return changed, broken even, but not like this. Cold as an arctic pole, xenophobic beyond even the most extreme of his advisors, and with a keen mind still mostly intact. He had hoped previously that she could establish Althine as a legitimate world power, using the influence and strength he gained, but separating herself from his actions. Clearly that wouldn't happen now, but she was still his best successor. And he couldn't fault her for her hatred.
He nodded, "Very well. All our enemies will be engaged at once. Helir will guide us to kill them all." He turned to Telinar Vilkar Guime, who was praying harder than he had ever prayed before to not be noticed, "How soon can we launch all nuclear weapons at once at all of our neighbors?"
Guime was relieved to be asked a question he actually knew the answer to, since nuclear weapons had become closely linked to the foreign office over the past months, "July 4th Your Highness."
Carthorn nodded, "Good, then I'll announce July 3rd that retribution is imminent. Then Helir will smite our enemies and lead us to a glorious victory. Vengeance and justice will be achieved."
Meredith didn't react, not even a smile, "Yes, death to the enemies of Althine. They all deserve to die."
They all deserve to die