[center][h2]Tidings of War bring Glory, and the Price of Peace is too High[/h2][/center]

Though certainly not considering membership in Societatem, the Grand Survaek Emperor, Shayaer Khaitis, felt he owed it to his Soroyan counterparts to defend them against the insults of Deltora.  The latter's message was naïve and baseless, the words of one Empire frustrated by the expansion of another.  As much as he also disliked the Societatem project, he couldn't let the infuriating Deltoran message stand unchallenged.

“[i]The Grand Survaek Empire finds the Republic of Deltora's accusations against Societatem to be misguided and deeply hypocritical.  It was not long ago in history that the Honnerians brutally wrested control of Serranthian territory from their former rulers.  Where was the Republic of Deltora then?  Why did we receive no aid in the name of “freedom and liberty”?  The Grand Survaek Empire seeks only to reclaim lands unjustly stolen from it.  Surely the Republic of Deltora would do the same if an overseas empire had taken core parts of its own homeland.  

Survaek advises its Northwestern neighbor to consider not only the last two months of history like a mole seeing only two steps ahead or behind, but also the broader context of decades and centuries.  Liberty to keep a slave because you own them already is not liberty at all, only a petty justification for continued theft and oppression.[/i]”

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[center][img]http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2014-11-16-TurkishTroopsinPersia-thumb.jpg[/img][/center]

Ever since the beginning of the Reconquest of Southern Raethon, the Imperial Press Service had been converging on the front like a horde of locusts.  Even after some journalists died in the crossfire, they did not relent.  The historical moment was simply too important not to record in as much detail as humanly possible.  To accommodate them, the Artillerists of the First Army Group under General Stae Pjjokhat had cleared a space for them between two field gun batteries.  A safe enough distance, but still in sight of all the action.

“Those Honnerians sure are stubborn,” noted one of the Press functionaries, lying prone on the dusty earth.  “Two assaults and dozens of barrages, plus a blockade!”

“Don't worry,” replied a Surv-Akur Captain next to him with a slight smile.  “Once Hjarkin's army arrives, it's all over for them.  They'll be completely surrounded and outnumbered six to one.  I don't care how strong their trenches are, they know they can't take an assault from all directions with those kind of numbers.  Not to mention the extra cannons!”

“When you put it that way, I can't help it if I want to take some more photos just to catch the Honnerian flags while they're still up!” the journalist chuckled.  Some of the soldiers gave him dirty looks, but the Captain was still smiling.  If he had to take care of these Imperial Press types, he might as well do it in good spirits.

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-- Emperor Shayaer Khaitis responds to the Deltoran condemnation of Soroya.

-- Imperial Press Service journalists rush to document the Reconquest of Southern Raethon, no matter the danger...or the burden they impose on the troops they're staying with.