[center][b][color=Gray]I N T E R L U D E[/color][/b][/center]

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/WOP8B7hm.png[/img][/center]

[color=IndianRed]"People of Espia, our final victory is at hand!"[/color]

Raising his hand, Grand General Nikolai Malenkov cut a striking figure as he took center stage before the capital building of Balya Gora. The city square was choked with throngs of people, cheering rabidly at the General's pronouncement. Many of those cheers were indeed genuine, the people caught up in a wave of patriotic mania, a fervor and pride in their new fearless leaders that they never had for the feckless Governor Xiu or the forever-absent Capellans. Many others cheered because the heavily armed soldiers wearing Espian Guard uniforms would have them dragged away to Fort Tie Shan if they were suspected of being dissidents.

Espia had changed quickly in the week since Governor Xiu was overthrown. After the shocking hammer-blow of the initial coup, Grand General Malenkov became the face of the New People's Democratic Republic of Espia, a charismatic leader and powerful figure who commanded the attention of millions just as well as he commanded his legions of troops. Premier Hyeung-Woo Federov was technically the [i]actual[/i] head of state, but most considered him a mere functionary, a paper-pusher who took care of the less exciting parts of establishing a new nation. Malenkov, though, was a conqueror and liberator, an inspiring hero and a terrifying warlord. He had led the charge in toppling Governor Xiu and the old guard, and had spent every day since holding show trials, struggle sessions, and public executions of anyone deemed an enemy of the people.

The people of Espia either loved him or saw him in their nightmares, and those two lines of thought were not mutually exclusive.

[color=IndianRed]"As you have no doubt heard,"[/color] the Grand General stated, [color=IndianRed]"The proud men and women of the Espian Guard have broken through the lines of the last miserable holdouts of Governor Xiu's regime. As we speak, the 3rd Armored Division-- the [i]People's Hammer![/i]-- is ready to strike at the heart of the enemy. Xiu and his few remaining cronies hide behind human shields in the city of Yuzhny Portveyn, poisoning the minds of the honest citizens so that they may become radicals and insurgents. I say this now to our brothers and sisters in the south: fear not! The People's Hammer will strike the decisive blow that brings an end to this fighting once and for all!"[/color]

A cheer erupted, many in the crowd professing their love and devotion for the Grand General with a zeal that bordered on religious. Somewhere in the sea of humanity, a young man raised a glass bottle and prepared to throw it, but before Malenkov's soldiers could move in to stop him, the man was struck in the back of the head by another man in the crowd, then dragged down by three more. These men began to kick and stomp at the young man, and others joined to keep him down. The young man did not get back up.

[color=IndianRed]"I solemnly vow,"[/color] Malenkov bellowed, his hand to his heart, [color=IndianRed]"That before this week is out, Governor Xiu will be brought [i]here[/i], before you, the [i]people[/i], to answer for his crimes! The radical terrorists who call themselves the 'Free People's Army' will be dragged through these very streets, so that they may see the [i]true[/i] will of the Espian people! And as for Xiu's murderous sell-sword mercenaries, Gawain's Green Knights? Their cowardly attack on our supply convoy will be answered a hundred fold! The righteous fury of the Espian Guard, and the unstoppable power of the Crimson Fists, together will--"[/color]

[color=LawnGreen]"That's enough. Off, please."[/color]

Premier Hyeung-Woo Federov frowned as the image of the bold and bombastic Grand General flickered out, the holo-vid projector in the center of the conference table cutting off Malenkov's latest performance.

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/EDgFB3Km.png[/img][/center]

[color=LawnGreen]"A ridiculous man,"[/color] the Premier muttered, [color=LawnGreen]"But the people love him and fear him well enough. Now, then, I suggest we get down to business."[/color]

Federov was the exact opposite of his 'Grand General,' a mild-mannered middle-aged man who always looked disheveled. A few strands of stringy black hair tried in vain to cover his balding head, and despite his uniform being tailor-made, it never seemed to fit him. Just a few weeks ago, he was a nobody in the Espian Senate, a middle-ranking politico who worked mostly as a go-between with the Office of Central Planning and the military. When the Capellan Confederation abandoned Espia, he had used his connections in the army and his knowledge of the inner workings of government to install himself as the new head of state.

Malenkov could posture for the cameras and chase down dissidents. Federov was interested in actually getting things done.

[color=LawnGreen]"Minister Fonua,"[/color] he began, opening a large binder stuffed with notes and charts, [color=LawnGreen]"The current economic downturn will be abated once the remaining board members of the Aqua Vita Corporation turn over their assets for public use. As of now, CEO Martin Khan and Chairperson Natalya Krenkov have declared their allegiance to our administration, but have yet to surrender their assets. At least five board members, including Executive Vice President Ben Kahale, are currently in Yuzhny Portveyn with Governor Xiu. The remaining board members --including Cassandra Jeong, whose family fortune totals nearly one [i]billion[/i] C-bills-- have chosen to remain silent. Your team was supposed to have liquidated their assets this past week. I assume there is a reason for the delay?"[/color]

[color=PowderBlue]"Ah, well, sir,"[/color] the Minister of Finance stammered, [color=PowderBlue]"The Aqua Vita Corporation has threatened to cut off water supplies to the Espian Guard if we attempt to use force against them. Until the fighting in the south is done and we are free to, ah, negotiate more aggressively, they have chosen to simply, ah, ignore our requests."[/color]

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/3s06L9um.png[/img][/center]

[color=LightSlateGray]"A ridiculous thing, [i]asking[/i] for what is rightfully ours,"[/color] scoffed Grigori Ilyanovich, the Minister of Justice and commander of the NPDRE's secret police. [color=LightSlateGray]"I will send my men to these board members. Once we speak to them, they will either turn their fortunes to the state, or they will find their new residence in Fort Tie Shan. We will have no more need for these 'negotiations.'"[/color]

[color=LawnGreen]"Can you do it without provoking a response from the corporation?"[/color] Federov asked. As much as they would like to believe their hold on the planet was absolute, as long as the Aqua Vita Corporation held control over the massive desalination platforms that provided the planet's only drinkable water, they had leverage over the NPDRE.

Ilyanovich's scowl became a condescending sneer. [color=LightSlateGray]"I was trained in my field by the Maskirovka. I know how to get results, sir."[/color]

[color=LawnGreen]"Then get it done,"[/color] the Premier ordered. Federov loathed Ilyanovich, but he had to admit the man had proven effective in removing potential political threats. [color=LawnGreen]"Now then, onto the matter of Yuzhny Portveyn. The Third Armored Division is facing a supply shortage right before the big push, thanks to the Green Knights. General Kwan, I want to increase the number of preliminary air strikes before the fighting on the ground begins. The Third is now going to be running low on ammo and fuel, so the more you can soften up the enemy before they enter the city, the better. Will the current squadrons be satisfactory to get the job done?"[/color]

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/jjVL57bm.png[/img][/center]

[color=Beige]"Yes, sir,"[/color] answered General Frederick Kwan, commander of the Espian Guard's air wings. [color=Beige]"Many of our Meteor Heavy Fighters were damaged in the coup, but repairs are nearly complete. We'll have twenty-two of them ready to bombard the enemy's defenses within seventy-two hours. Civilian casualties will be within acceptable levels, no more than ten to fifteen percent."[/color]

[color=LawnGreen]"Ten to fifteen percent of the entire city?"[/color] Federov raised an eyebrow.

[color=Beige]"To avoid enemy flak, we must drop our bombs from high altitude, which leaves little room for accuracy,"[/color] Kwan explained. [color=Beige]"Therefore, we must adopt a policy of 'accuracy by volume.' At any rate, the city is currently an enemy stronghold, so anyone who has chosen not to evacuate by now must be considered an enemy combatant."[/color]

The Premier nodded. Kwan had the logic of a true zealot, believing quite simply that anyone not with them must surely be against them.

[color=Beige]"If I may make a request,"[/color] Kwan continued, [color=Beige]"the FPA fighters in Yuzhny Portveyn have surface-to-air missiles that may threaten conventional atmospheric bombers, but should pose little threat to a hypersonic aerospace craft. If we were to use our latest 'care package' from our Benefactor, we could--"[/color]

[color=LawnGreen]"No,"[/color] Federov interrupted. [color=LawnGreen]"Once the Shilone and the Mech Busters are assembled and armed, they remain in the north, patrolling on high alert until the Green Knights are found."[/color]

[color=Beige]"But sir,"[/color] Kwan protested, [color=Beige]"if we devote our best weaponry to chasing down those mercenaries, we risk losing the real war!"[/color]

[color=Crimson][i]"On the contrary,"[/i][/color] boomed a deep, electronically-altered voice as three figures entered the room as if on cue. [color=Crimson][i]"The real war is with the Green Knights. And that is a war we fully intend to win."[/i][/color]

Striding into the room like royalty at a grand gala, three figures drew the attention of the Premier and his inner circle. Their faces concealed by masks, each looked like the villain in some grand opera.

These were the three lance leaders of the Crimson Fists, the enigmatic Mechwarriors who had helped Federov and the Espian Guards pull off their coup.

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/yScBieCm.png[/img][/center]

[color=Maroon]"Your fighters will do well to help us find the Green Knights, Kwan,"[/color] said the figure on the left, a woman with a scarred face and a burning hatred in her eyes. [color=Maroon]"But I [i]will[/i] have their blood myself."[/color]

The woman was known only as the "Fire Witch," the pilot of a massive [i]Longbow.[/i] She had earned her name several times over in the coup, directing hellish missile fire over the battlefield against Xiu's loyalists and in the surprise attack against the Green Knights. While she had led a lance of light 'Mechs on her last patrol, in proper battle the Fire Witch had other long-range missile 'Mechs to turn any landscape into a raging firestorm.

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/GHHihtDm.jpg[/img][/center]

[color=Yellow]"Oh-ho-hooo,"[/color] teased the masked man on the right, [color=Yellow]"Methinks the Fire Witch is still smoldering. And what would be burning at you so, hmmm? Perhaps we should ask your [i]Raven[/i] pilot what he- whoops, I forgot, he went up in smoke, hee-hee!"[/color]

The giggling man in the skull mask went by the name "Yellow Jester," and most of the Espian Guard avoided his lance like the plague whenever possible. His 'pranks' tended to be fatal to enemies and supposed allies alike, to say nothing of the civilians that got caught in the line of fire.

[color=Maroon]"Quiet, Jester!"[/color] the Fire Witch snarled, [color=Maroon]"I'll have them all in flames before this fight is done."[/color]

[color=Yellow]"Or will they have [i]you[/i] in ashes, hmm?"[/color]

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/tNlQjOmm.png[/img][/center]

[color=Crimson][i]"Enough, the both of you,"[/i][/color] ordered the man in the center. Wearing a crisp military uniform draped with a deep red cape, the figure's head was encased inside a golden gladiator mask, complete with a red crest. This, then, was the commander of the Fists themselves, the man they called 'The Crimson King.' [color=Crimson][i]"Apologies for the crudeness of my companions, Premier. The Fire Witch still has her blood up from her encounter with the Green Knights, and the Yellow Jester can never resist an opportunity to pick fun."[/i][/color]

The Premier regarded the three with equal parts fascination, incredulousness, and horror. The Crimson Fists played the parts of theatrical arch-villains, the type of bad-guy-of-the-week that wouldn't be out of place in an episode of [i]Immortal Warrior.[/i] It would be laughable, if their actions on the battlefield weren't so terrifying.

[color=LawnGreen]"Yes, well,"[/color] Federov stated, trying to keep his composure in the face of these over-the-top characters, [color=LawnGreen]"the supply raid the Green Knights carried out has cost us significantly. Loss of men and materiel, of course, and our timetables have been pushed back several days in a crucial moment! Your 'Fire Witch' was meant to intercept them, and instead of destroying the Knights, you lost one 'Mech and have two more in the repair bay. I...I must ask what you plan to do in the wake of this failure to--"[/color]

[color=Crimson][i]"Failure?"[/i][/color] The Crimson King interrupted. [color=Crimson][i]"My dear Hyeung-Woo, this was a setback, but we have gained just as much as we may have lost, if not more. A week ago, our forces were stretched across the entire continent in search of Gawain's Green Knights. Now, they have made their presence known, and our search narrows to a small area. My whole company can now focus on the relative few places where they may have gone to ground. By coming out into the open, they have only tightened the noose around their own necks. I would suggest that information is quite an equitable trade for a single 'Mech and a handful of tanks."[/i][/color]

The Crimson King reached into the pocket of his coat, and pulled out a small digital sound recorder.

[color=Crimson][i]"There is also the wonderful gift one of the Green Knights gave us,"[/i][/color] he said. [color=Crimson][i]"In the heat of battle, a message was broadcast over open comms. A message that we recorded on our BattleROM data."[/i][/color]

He clicked the play button on the recorder, and the voice of one of the Green Knights' Mechwarriors played.

[b][i]"Hahahahaha! If you guys want to be psychopaths and sociopaths, I will oblige! I will kill you all! All!"[/i][/b]

A tinny, eerie giggle rose in the room as the Yellow Jester began to laugh.

[color=Crimson][i]"I trust then,"[/i][/color] said the Crimson King as he handed the Jester the recorder, [color=Crimson][i]"That you have been inspired to craft some new jape, my friend?"[/i][/color]

[color=Yellow]"Ohhhh, heee-hee, I have a merry jest in mind, my king,"[/color] the Yellow Jester responded, [color=Yellow]"a [i]very[/i] merry jest indeed. But I will need a few things, if I may ask."[/color]

[color=LawnGreen]"And what would those be?"[/color]

[color=Yellow]"A few mere trifles, really,"[/color] said the Jester. [color=Yellow]"Just my Lance of Battlemechs, the directions to the nearest undefended civilian population center, and a few tons of Inferno warheads. Oh! And of course, a few fresh coats of green paint..."[/color]