[b]January 20, Etremetoryy[/b]

Tafun looked up at the embassy of Rotteburg, his gaze darkening at the sight of the structure. He had no fond memories of this building, and it seemed every time he was summoned to it it was under inauspicious circumstances. Never had he come here for celebration or even to send out a letter to the wider world, solidifying the peace. No. The last time he had been summoned as he had, war had broken out between the Realm and Kratoria as the latter sought to prevent the unification of the Kudruni states. And now he was here in the aftermath of the brutal assassination of Rotteburg’s prince. He dreaded to think what the next summons might entail.

Nodding to his driver, he and his guards disembarked from the motorcade, making their way into the structure. After a moment, the Kudruni guards ahead let him pass, and as he made his way under the marble columns he could not help but feel a chill go down his spine. 

It was a relatively short trip through the embassy, and only a few minutes elapsed before his arrival outside the room in question. “I am here to meet with Ambassador Ernst.” Tafun said to the guards outside his door, “Foreign Minister Tafun, I have been told it is urgent.”

The guards nodded to him and let him through, revealing the office of the ambassador. A heavily marked map sat on one wall, with several blackboards of notes scattered throughout the room. On the desk of the ambassador, sat a variety of folders and papers, and the Kudruni himself sat in a chair behind that desk. He had a cigar in his mouth, and at the time of Tafun’s entrance, he had been flipping through one of said folders.

He looked up gravely, looking over Tafun before saying, “I am sure you have heard of the assassination, so I will spare you the details. I summoned you due to certain circumstances outside of my control,” he paused, puffing on his cigar, before continuing, “the Kaiser has given the military a blank check to wage war. Heinrich’s general staff has chosen War Plan XXVI for this eventuality.”

He slid a folder across the desk, puffing on his cigar again before saying, “Heinrich the Junior is not his old man. I fear this war. But, at the same time, as long as Kratoria has entered mobilization, there is nothing I may do to help end this war before it begins.”

Another puff. “If we were to halt mobilization, we would be hopelessly behind. We would be subjugated by Kratoria without a fight. I cannot abide by this. Heinrich has granted a week for the ministry to draft an ultimatum, but after that -- and I have no doubt of this -- War Plan XXVI will be enacted. Have a read for yourself.”

“I know of War Plan XXVI, and War Plan XXVI is unacceptable. Invading Pohae, one of the Realm’s biggest trade partners - and a longstanding neutral nation - would be disastrous for foreign relations and popular support for the war. Perhaps the Reich’s general staff thinks such action is required, but doing so will alienate all but the most determined allies of our respective nations, and much of the population of the Realm.” Tafun frowned, “I wish to impress upon your general staff - things are different in Etresna, the people do not meekly go along with what the leadership demands. If we are drawn into an offensive war to defend the honor of a foreign nation, we will be just as swiftly drawn out of it. Raijen Zhami is dead and gone, and her successor does not have her charisma or military inclinations. Zhami was able to convince the Realm to engage in a foreign war for little apparent gain, Anukadi cannot and will not bring her nation into a war as an aggressor against neutral powers on behalf of another country. The Reich’s army is mighty, it is true - against Uruk alone you would certainly prevail - against Kratoria as well your defeat would be inevitable without the aid of the Realm. Neither of our alliances is yet capable of defeating the other outright. I am confident that we can hold them at bay, but we will still need the support, or at bare minimum the neutrality, of the other powers to survive. Should the Realm join the Reich in invading neutral powers, it will certainly align Anvegad against us, Faenaria will wonder as to the safety of their interests and the profitability of trade with a nation that so readily violates a neutral nation, decades of diplomacy and hard work would be undermined in a fortnight. Does your general staff not see all of this?”

The ambassador pointed insistently at the folder. “War Plan XXVI has changed since the last time you have read it. I do not know how often Etremaden general staff revises their military plans -- but, if the complete lack of thought that it could’ve changed in a decade is a testament to your general staff’s ability to account for our changing world, I fear woefully for you.”

“The general staff of the Realm tends to give new names for new plans, ambassador.” Tafun replied, raising an eyebrow, “It is not our custom to use the same names for different plans.”

The ambassador puffed again. “It is not a [i]new[/i] plan. We do not take to filling our archives with thousands of new plans that are merely revisions of old ones. Let me remind you that Rotteburg, under Heinrich the Senior, was the first to maintain a dedicated general staff for the purpose of war provisions and plans. We do know what we are doing.”

Tafun sighed, “Would you like to lay out the ‘new’ contents of XXVI, then?” He reached out, taking the folder in hand and quickly skimming through its contents. “I will give this to our own general staff later for their appraisal. Can you please summarize it, for this meeting?”

He nodded. “The northern fronts remain the same -- we will have to preemptively strike before their regular army can fully mobilize to the Kratorian southern border. The south, however, will focus on a looser front line, dictated mainly by smaller skirmishes and raiding parties on Uruk soil. To back them up will be a more dedicated frontline in the petty states between Rotteburg and Uruk, minus Pohae -- under the condition they do not permit enemy troop movements through their borders.”

Tafun nodded, “Yes… the Realm and Pohae are close trade partners, I will do what I can to ensure neutrality from them. The standing army of the Realm has already been alerted to take up defensive positions, and the Raijen is in talks with the militias to begin the process of preparing for war. The people will not stand for the Realm undertaking operations in offense, I do hope you understand this?” Sighing, he gently closed the folder, “Strange as it is, as things are now the only way for the Realm to maintain a war is to fight it defensively. The populace will fight tooth and nail in defense of their homes, but the wars with the other powers were only forty years ago, much of our populace bear scars mental and physical. We will support you, but… in the beginning at least, we cannot send much in the way of direct support. Material, money, these we can do.”

The ambassador simply responded, “Then do so. The fate of the world hangs in the balance, and should the machinations of the diplomatic state fail us, then the loser loses everything. We cannot afford to fail.”

“Indeed…” Tafun mumbled, steepling his fingers, “I hope deeply it is not yet too late, but the realist in me says otherwise. I do not know how this war will go, but you are correct. Failure is not something we can afford.” He sighed again, deeper, “Fools the lot of them.”

“History will remember us all as unequal to our forebears should war break out. In the eyes of history, failure marks us all the fools,” the ambassador simply responded gravely.

Tafun stood, stretching his arms, as he looked out the window on the busy city, “Unfortunately my forebears were some of the more warlike persuasion. There is a time when war is necessary, but that is not now. It saddens me that the world may rush headlong into war when it could be avoided. But every day that seems more and more likely.” 

He simply responded, “Our forebears used war effectively, without collapsing our global hegemony and peace. I fear our generation will not live up to that.”


“Our generation has the blessing and curse of a world more connected, more advanced than ever before. A hundred years ago, we could have scarce imagined the world as it is today - I can board a ship and be on the other side of the world in under a month. I can step outside and buy goods from every corner of the globe. And I can send a message to any corner of the world in but an instant. A train can send a battalion of soldiers to the front in less time than it would have taken a single rider to cover half the distance. The era of a small, localized war is gone, I am afraid. It is no failing of our morals or intellect that any war will surely spiral out of control - it is a direct result of our intellect connecting us like never before.” Turning back to the ambassador, Tafun shook his head, “The challenge of our generation, faced with this, is something we have never had to confront before.”

“Then let us hope we are ready to meet this modern world,” is all he said.