A Battle Unseen

[Doc]

National Assembly, Cabinet Room, National Assembly
November 12, 5673

Lady Donahue nodded and thanked the Education Minister Simmons for her report. "Minister Simmons, I appreciate your attention to detail in this matter. And I am certain Their Imperial Majesties agree with you that new opportunities to study Egelian in Gaduridos and Egelion should be pursued. As Egelian is more standardized than Vrassan, it is important that we promote the correct versions in our school so neither the Egelian language, nor the Suldanoran dialect of Vrassan are diluted in our country... Looking at the agenda here, Defense Minister Grant, your report is next."

"Thank you Madame Chancellor," said Captain Morris Grant. "I will get to updates about our status of forces, procurement and modernization in a moment, but first I have something to bring up here which, well, lets say, its pretty delicate... And it might be better spoken about out of the meeting, but... I don't know. And so... well, here, read this, Mde Chancellor, and then if you feel its appropriate to bring it up here now, we can talk about it."

The Captain slipped a piece of paper to the Chancellor, and as she read it, she looked up at the Captain, looked back at the piece of paper, and looked at the room, then looked at the piece of paper, and seemed a bit paler for the reading. She folded the paper back up, and handed it back to the captain.

"I think this is definitely something we should talk about here," said Chancellor Donahue.

The Captain swallowed hard, and was noticeably uncomfortable. "Madame, I... was, prepared for a different answer from you on this question."

The Chancellor stared at the Defense Minister. "Why, Minister Grant?"

The Defense Minister stammered, "Well... because... I mean, obviously..." He glanced ever so slightly at the Empress, who was sitting in the traditional spot usually occupied by a Royal when they attend the Cabinet Meetings. His eyes quickly darted back to the Chancellor, as to not be conspicuous.

"Minister Grant, do you agree with the contents of this letter?" asked the Chancellor.

"Well, y... no, not necessarily all of them... I... I know a lot of those members, served with many of them... I know their intentions are good, but I am not necessarily sure this is the best... um... way to really go about it?"

"My God, Minister Grant. You are obviously suffering here," said Chancellor Donahue, not at all sympathetic to the Minister's ambivalent tone. "Surely you brought that letter in here to make a statement. So make it, please."

The Minister sat silently, and a bead of sweat appeared on his forehead. the silence, which felt like it lasted ten minutes, was broken by the gentle voice from the corner, "Madame Chancellor, may we see this letter?" The Chancellor glanced over to the Empress and then back to the Captain. Captain Grant knew what the unspoken looks conveyed. He rose from his seat, letter in hand and approached the Empress. "Captain, we may not accept this from you. Please, if you will, hand it to our Chancellor." The Chancellor smirked ever so slightly as to be almost imperceivable. Grant backed away, head bowed, turned and stood straight up and walked the length of the table to hand the letter to the Chancellor. Lady Donahue rose, took the letter and brought it over to the Empress. "Your Imperial Majesty," she said courteously, with her head bowed and waited for the Empress to read the letter.

"Madame Chancellor, you know our law on this," said the Empress, handing the letter back to the Chancellor, who nodded, backed away from the Empress, and then turned smartly to return to her seat at the head of the table.

"Captain Clark, you are relieved," said the Chancellor.

The Captain was aghast. "Relieved? On what grounds? I... I brought this to the Government for... for a decision... on what to do... I..."

"Mr. Clark. You have the confidence of individual officers in the Southern Army who have proposed a military coup. This letter is dated four days ago. And this is the first time you are bringing it to the attention of this government?"

"A... coup?! Are you insane? What coup?"

"Mr. Clark, please lower your tone..."

"Excuse me, Madame Chancellor, but what coup? And why do you call me Mr. Clark? It's Captain Clark..."

"No Sir, you have been relieved," said the Chancellor firmly. She was young, but her resolve was steely, and more than matched the situation at hand.

"This is an outrage," said Clark.

"Is it?" asked the Chancellor, rhetorically. "This letter you presented to me suggests that at least a half dozen officers are independently planning to push Kalistan into some sort of, quote, 'more dramatic action over Athosia which will resolve that situation in Kalistan's favor once and for all.'"

"Yeah, in KALISTAN's favor..." Clark reiterated. "How is that a coup?"

"Has the Emperor or Empress ordered the Southern Army to begin planning for an invasion of Baltusia?"

"Excuse me?" asked Clark.

"I asked you a question. Have Their Imperial Majesties ordered anyone to begin planning for an invasion of Athosia?"

"You know full well they have not," said Clark. "What these officers are talking about is the various contingencies we have on the books..."

"If they have not ordered preparation for an invasion, then why are your friends planning for an invasion?"

"They are not my 'friends'," insisted Clark. "These are people I served with and who proposed I bring the matter up here in the Cabinet Meeting. I didn't expect that she would be here today."

"So, then it was your intention to hide this illegal, and very unprofessional activity from the Empress?" asked the Chancellor.

Clark realized he was in a bind... "I... No, not at all. I assumed that talking to you, it would get back to her and the Emperor. I was trying to do the right thing..."

The Chancellor suddenly became very serious. "Mr. Clark, that is Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Jennifer I Ananto. She is not 'her' to you, or to anybody. You serve at the Empress' pleasure, or you do not serve at all."

Clark sat silently, chastened. "Forgive me, and may it please Her Imperial Majesty, I should not be relieved for reporting on this activity from my former comrades in the Southern Army. But I also do not understand this charge of coup plotting."

The Chancellor opened the letter once more and read the words: "...before more specific domestic pressure directed toward those unwilling to take definitive action becomes necessary." She looked directly at Clark, who sat speechless, unable to say anything to counter the charge at this point. Clark stood, and began gathering his documents.

"Mr. Clark, where are you going?" asked the now stern Chancellor.

"I have been relieved, Madame, and I have been disgraced. I would like to retire to my home, because I have no more business here."

The Chancellor said "...relived but not dismissed. As the informer, you will be granted some degree of amnesty, but we expect you to inform your comrades that Their Imperial Majesties will expect their resignations and statements of collaboration, as well as the names of all other sympathetic officers on their desk in the morning. The Regular Armed Forces of Kalistan is not a democracy, and those responsible will held to account for this."

"Is that all, Madame Chancellor?"

"And leave your reports here. We need to still brief Her Imperial Majesty on the status of her Armed Forces. Thank you: You are dismissed." The coldness in her tone was chilling to all others sitting in the room. The former Defense Minister stared at her with daggers in his eyes, utterly stunned about the course of events that had just transpired. At length, he stood up, pushed his report to the center of the table, and walked from the table, pausing to offer an exaggerated bow before the Empress, and backing out of the room, observing the protocol in letter, if not in spirit. The Empress, for her part, remained perfectly still, in a measure, not accepting the courtesy.