Post by tervali on Jan 14, 2021 19:26:52 GMT
Great Assembly Hall, Tervius, Tervali Islands
Morning, January 12th
Matian Tilean-Jegera, Assembly Coalition leader and arguably the most powerful representative in the Tervali Great Assembly, sat in his designated seat in the hall, starting up at the chamber's ornate domed ceiling. Made by skilled Tervali Artisans centuries ago, and carefully maintained by professionals, the multicolored ceiling glowed like a brilliant diamond. Staring at the beautiful ceiling was a welcome distraction as representatives slowly started filing into the chamber, stifling yawns and stealthily sipping coffees.
"Admiring the dome again? Don't you have better things to be doing?".
Matian quickly sat up to see Lindsey Danielson-Mona, the Prime Minister of the Tervali Islands, looking down at him with a smirk and raised eyebrows. He quickly regained his composure and stood, adjusting his clothes. "You know me too well. And speak for yourself. Shouldn't you be briefing the press, or the cabinet, or, you know, running the country?"
"And what do you think I'm doing?" She sighed. "I actually came to wish you luck. I leave for Tregueux soon, and I wanted to catch at least the first day of debate. I'm frustrated that I have to miss it for the summit. You know I'm rubbish at Diplomacy."
"That's because you are only partially skilled in the fine art of holding your tongue. I've had more practice."
She rolled her eyes. "Not having the courage to say something doesn't mean that you 'held your tongue'. Most of your experience doesn't count."
Though the banter would seem rude or unprofessional to many outside observers, it was common between Matian and Lindsey. They had known each other since High School, and had been friends for about as long. When Lindsey was elected Prime Minister, the most powerful person in the Tervali Republic, she had asked Matian to be her Deputy PM. He had declined, opting to be the leader of the multi-party Assembly Coalition instead. They managed to maintain a strong friendship throughout the years, uncommon in the world of politics.
Matian smiled. "Agree to disagree. Oh boy, here comes the old king. Better get ready. And Lindsey?" He added as she turned to walk to her seat. "Good Luck."
She gave a slight nod of acknowledgement while hurrying to her seat. Dasiro Senta-Tora, the Assembly speaker who many had nicknamed "The Old King" due to his seniority and strict adherence to policy and conduct, had stepped onto the center platform of the assembly hall. "Attention." He said, frowning at the couple of representatives who were still rushing to their seats. "This meeting of the Great Assembly of the Tervali Republic is now in session." He reached over to his right and smacked a gavel on a wooden plate. Crack!
Tenkan Barracks, Tervius
Evening, January 13th
Crack! The backfire of the old transport vehicle got Brigadier General Wilan Resan-Rasar to jump to his feet in a flash. The offending van, about ten feet away, was staffed by two nervous-looking privates trying to lay low and escape the General's infamous wrath. He merely glared at them, causing the driver to frantically try to activate the ignition, this time with success. He sighed. Ugh. Dated vehicles. Stale resources. At least we won't have to put up with this for much longer.
"So much for a smooth logistics operation, eh Rasar?"
The General stood and glared at the person who made that comment. About 5'7", a good head shorter than the General, the man who spoke up wore a finely-made Tervali suit that clashed with the surrounding military uniforms. "If that's a comment on my leadership, Dakalo, I should remind you who commands this battalion."
The man shook his head, slightly amused. "Not at all. Just an observation." He paused. "And I should remind you who will be running the country, and who is providing your battalion with funding. You'll be treated like nobility, and framed as a valiant hero. As long as you can follow orders."
The General fumed. "We're giving you a country. We sure as hell can take it back." He gestured to the soldiers behind him. "And if you step a toe out of line, we will. I'm not a fool who will fall for your "Guardian Bloodline" excuse. You're not a servant of Oreanyan, you're an ambitious coward. You're just a puppet. Hopefully you remember who's holding the strings."
Outside the Assembly Building, Tervius
A great number of military transports flooded the roads to the Assembly Hall, as soldiers quickly cordoned off all routes away from the Hall. Curious onlookers gawked at the amount of military present, but they were quickly told to get inside and hunker down.
Erana Terban-Desa, the commander of the Guards of Voices, who guarded the Assembly, stormed down the steps, pistol at her side. "What the hell is going o-" She gets interrupted by a soldier knocking her out with the butt of his rifle. The other soldiers start opening fire on the remaining guards, who now had their weapons drawn and were trying to guard the main entry doors. The endless wave of soldiers marched on, getting to the main doors and attempting to break them down, facing resistance from the other side.
Inside the Assembly Building
Matian Tilean-Jegera stumbled around, dodging a number of his colleagues who were in a state of panic. Gunshots rang out from outside, where a number of soldiers were trying to push the wooden double doors against a group of guards who were holding them shut.
A number of Representatives were trying to get the secret door below the Speaker's podium open, since that escape route seemed to be the only way out now. Matian was running up to join the Representatives jumping down into the tunnel, when he realized something. "Everyone, Stop! Don't go down that tunnel!"
A number of Assembly Members ignored him, quickly running down the tunnel. Some, however, turned to listen to them. "This attack is too powerful to be unorganized. Someone powerful must have planned this. If it was a high-ranking military member, as I suspect, they would know about our emergency protocol, and the escape passage." He finished with a thought that made him shiver. "Going down that tunnel is suicide."
A few more representatives jumped down the tunnel, one shouting "What other choice do we have?!". A good number stayed behind, as the weight of Matian's words hit them. "Well, what else can we do? They've got us surrounded!".
Suddenly, a man in a maintenance uniform ran into the chamber, shouting. Matian recognized the man as Serno, a man he had had pleasant conversation with while walking around the building. "Everyone! Over here! There's a way out!". His voice sounded over the chaos, causing Representatives, aides, maintenance workers, and the remaining unoccupied guards to hear him. A few more echoing gunshots from outside convinced them to follow him. Matian looked back as he and the mob ran away from the Hall. The pile of guards was still holding the door closed, as bullets poured through the open gaps in the door.
A guard to his right redirected his gaze and forced him to keep moving, down the long hallway to where the maintenance worker was leading the mob. Serno led the to a small closet, where he peeled back a gap in drywall to reveal a set of stairs. "How did you know this was here?!" One of the guards exclaimed, momentarily amazed. "Who cares, let's go!".
The passageway was dimly lit and musty, with cracks in the floor and uneven gaps and ledges. Matian watched where he stepped, occasionally stepping back to help a colleague up. Serso led the way with a bright flashlight, cutting through the darkness before the evening light was visible near the end of the tunnel, through an old wooden door. "That's it!" Someone yelled, and the group soon poured out of the opening onto a stone platform. "Where are we?" Someone asked, as everyone looked around and climbed off the small wooden platform to make room for more people to file out.
Matian sniffed the salty air and looked behind him, seeing the light of the assembly building a good distance behind them. "We're near the Harbor, I think. These are the old seawalls. Must have been an old smuggler's tunnel or escape route." He pointed down the coast, to a group of bright lights. "We need to get out of Tervius very quickly. The harbor is our best chance."
Morning, January 12th
Matian Tilean-Jegera, Assembly Coalition leader and arguably the most powerful representative in the Tervali Great Assembly, sat in his designated seat in the hall, starting up at the chamber's ornate domed ceiling. Made by skilled Tervali Artisans centuries ago, and carefully maintained by professionals, the multicolored ceiling glowed like a brilliant diamond. Staring at the beautiful ceiling was a welcome distraction as representatives slowly started filing into the chamber, stifling yawns and stealthily sipping coffees.
"Admiring the dome again? Don't you have better things to be doing?".
Matian quickly sat up to see Lindsey Danielson-Mona, the Prime Minister of the Tervali Islands, looking down at him with a smirk and raised eyebrows. He quickly regained his composure and stood, adjusting his clothes. "You know me too well. And speak for yourself. Shouldn't you be briefing the press, or the cabinet, or, you know, running the country?"
"And what do you think I'm doing?" She sighed. "I actually came to wish you luck. I leave for Tregueux soon, and I wanted to catch at least the first day of debate. I'm frustrated that I have to miss it for the summit. You know I'm rubbish at Diplomacy."
"That's because you are only partially skilled in the fine art of holding your tongue. I've had more practice."
She rolled her eyes. "Not having the courage to say something doesn't mean that you 'held your tongue'. Most of your experience doesn't count."
Though the banter would seem rude or unprofessional to many outside observers, it was common between Matian and Lindsey. They had known each other since High School, and had been friends for about as long. When Lindsey was elected Prime Minister, the most powerful person in the Tervali Republic, she had asked Matian to be her Deputy PM. He had declined, opting to be the leader of the multi-party Assembly Coalition instead. They managed to maintain a strong friendship throughout the years, uncommon in the world of politics.
Matian smiled. "Agree to disagree. Oh boy, here comes the old king. Better get ready. And Lindsey?" He added as she turned to walk to her seat. "Good Luck."
She gave a slight nod of acknowledgement while hurrying to her seat. Dasiro Senta-Tora, the Assembly speaker who many had nicknamed "The Old King" due to his seniority and strict adherence to policy and conduct, had stepped onto the center platform of the assembly hall. "Attention." He said, frowning at the couple of representatives who were still rushing to their seats. "This meeting of the Great Assembly of the Tervali Republic is now in session." He reached over to his right and smacked a gavel on a wooden plate. Crack!
Tenkan Barracks, Tervius
Evening, January 13th
Crack! The backfire of the old transport vehicle got Brigadier General Wilan Resan-Rasar to jump to his feet in a flash. The offending van, about ten feet away, was staffed by two nervous-looking privates trying to lay low and escape the General's infamous wrath. He merely glared at them, causing the driver to frantically try to activate the ignition, this time with success. He sighed. Ugh. Dated vehicles. Stale resources. At least we won't have to put up with this for much longer.
"So much for a smooth logistics operation, eh Rasar?"
The General stood and glared at the person who made that comment. About 5'7", a good head shorter than the General, the man who spoke up wore a finely-made Tervali suit that clashed with the surrounding military uniforms. "If that's a comment on my leadership, Dakalo, I should remind you who commands this battalion."
The man shook his head, slightly amused. "Not at all. Just an observation." He paused. "And I should remind you who will be running the country, and who is providing your battalion with funding. You'll be treated like nobility, and framed as a valiant hero. As long as you can follow orders."
The General fumed. "We're giving you a country. We sure as hell can take it back." He gestured to the soldiers behind him. "And if you step a toe out of line, we will. I'm not a fool who will fall for your "Guardian Bloodline" excuse. You're not a servant of Oreanyan, you're an ambitious coward. You're just a puppet. Hopefully you remember who's holding the strings."
Outside the Assembly Building, Tervius
A great number of military transports flooded the roads to the Assembly Hall, as soldiers quickly cordoned off all routes away from the Hall. Curious onlookers gawked at the amount of military present, but they were quickly told to get inside and hunker down.
Erana Terban-Desa, the commander of the Guards of Voices, who guarded the Assembly, stormed down the steps, pistol at her side. "What the hell is going o-" She gets interrupted by a soldier knocking her out with the butt of his rifle. The other soldiers start opening fire on the remaining guards, who now had their weapons drawn and were trying to guard the main entry doors. The endless wave of soldiers marched on, getting to the main doors and attempting to break them down, facing resistance from the other side.
Inside the Assembly Building
Matian Tilean-Jegera stumbled around, dodging a number of his colleagues who were in a state of panic. Gunshots rang out from outside, where a number of soldiers were trying to push the wooden double doors against a group of guards who were holding them shut.
A number of Representatives were trying to get the secret door below the Speaker's podium open, since that escape route seemed to be the only way out now. Matian was running up to join the Representatives jumping down into the tunnel, when he realized something. "Everyone, Stop! Don't go down that tunnel!"
A number of Assembly Members ignored him, quickly running down the tunnel. Some, however, turned to listen to them. "This attack is too powerful to be unorganized. Someone powerful must have planned this. If it was a high-ranking military member, as I suspect, they would know about our emergency protocol, and the escape passage." He finished with a thought that made him shiver. "Going down that tunnel is suicide."
A few more representatives jumped down the tunnel, one shouting "What other choice do we have?!". A good number stayed behind, as the weight of Matian's words hit them. "Well, what else can we do? They've got us surrounded!".
Suddenly, a man in a maintenance uniform ran into the chamber, shouting. Matian recognized the man as Serno, a man he had had pleasant conversation with while walking around the building. "Everyone! Over here! There's a way out!". His voice sounded over the chaos, causing Representatives, aides, maintenance workers, and the remaining unoccupied guards to hear him. A few more echoing gunshots from outside convinced them to follow him. Matian looked back as he and the mob ran away from the Hall. The pile of guards was still holding the door closed, as bullets poured through the open gaps in the door.
A guard to his right redirected his gaze and forced him to keep moving, down the long hallway to where the maintenance worker was leading the mob. Serno led the to a small closet, where he peeled back a gap in drywall to reveal a set of stairs. "How did you know this was here?!" One of the guards exclaimed, momentarily amazed. "Who cares, let's go!".
The passageway was dimly lit and musty, with cracks in the floor and uneven gaps and ledges. Matian watched where he stepped, occasionally stepping back to help a colleague up. Serso led the way with a bright flashlight, cutting through the darkness before the evening light was visible near the end of the tunnel, through an old wooden door. "That's it!" Someone yelled, and the group soon poured out of the opening onto a stone platform. "Where are we?" Someone asked, as everyone looked around and climbed off the small wooden platform to make room for more people to file out.
Matian sniffed the salty air and looked behind him, seeing the light of the assembly building a good distance behind them. "We're near the Harbor, I think. These are the old seawalls. Must have been an old smuggler's tunnel or escape route." He pointed down the coast, to a group of bright lights. "We need to get out of Tervius very quickly. The harbor is our best chance."