Posts from Actaea

Why? Because the point is to unite and attack all at once. It's about finding potential allies to carry out this adventure.

Kitty Pink's only allies are its army and navy.

—And from the ashes of the old phoenix a new country shall rise, and the perfect world shall blaze bright, where everyone will be able to obtain all that he desires, all that he is worthy of, and all that he can take.
Qazard the Great[/B]

—Konstantin was the only one who disagreed with this proposal. He believed... that it would be the beginning of the end for the organization... He proposed creating a country... apart from the rest of the world... he had been planning it all for a long time... terrorism has no future. He called us terrorists, do you understand?
—Of course, the leadership of "Phoenix" back then simply laughed him to scorn. I myself saw him leaving the command tent, distressed and serious... They told him... to rest and sleep it off. The next morning, all the leaders of our brotherhood failed to wake up.
Reymar Hart, former member of the terrorist organization "Phoenix," three days before his death

The weak become food for the strong — such is the law of nature and the foundation of the ideology of the Rex Ventorum corporation. Hector Pride was undoubtedly a strong man: he achieved the position of leader of RVAF at thirty-seven and has remained in that post for the last 4 years. His success is especially underscored by the fact that he was born into a poor family. Toward his parents, while they were still alive, he treated them with contempt, just as he did toward all people who lacked ambition.
"Amory Draco, a useless fat man," he said with disdain in his voice, finishing his reading of the report on the latest combat operation. He clearly disliked this man, and the problem of obesity in the country displeased him even more. "Once again I had to clean up after him. Well, at least this event made the regional community fall silent... at least for a while."
An outside listener might have thought that Hector had the bad habit of talking to himself, but that was not quite the case; a young woman in military uniform was standing behind him and massaging the commander's shoulders, silently listening to his musings. Her name was Laetitia, she was twenty-six, and what she did best was killing other people. Hector had found her eleven years ago among a group of discarded children (those whose parents were in debt to the corporation but had no way to pay it off). She would undoubtedly have had to do the very dirtiest work imaginable, had it not been for her salvation in the person of Hector. The thirty-year-old officer bought the girl and raised her as he saw fit. Now she was his right hand, his best soldier, his daughter, his bodyguard, his mistress, and even his personal masseuse.
For the next forty minutes Hector conferred remotely with the other leaders of the corporation. The talk was of the next round of negotiations, and this time the leadership decided to leave Amory Draco at home and send Hector instead, since he was the more suitable person for a conversation with the leader of the state chosen for the negotiations. "Laetitia, prepare the plane. We are flying to Qasardastan."
"Your Highness!" Richard Lazen Hedge — who for six years now has been the permanent assistant and chief advisor to Qazard the Great — flew into the comfortable, solid office like a bullet. Over that time, better than anyone else, he had learned to sense the dictator's moods and anticipate his decisions. At the same time, Richard was the mainstay of the Qasardastan corporations, the man whom their owners — among the richest people in the region — could trust. Maneuvering to his own advantage between the aging ruler and the monopolies seizing ever more power, the forty-year-old assistant knew perfectly well just how fateful the news he was about to bring to Qazard would be.
To any inexperienced observer, the dictator's quarters on the seventy-seventh floor of the high-rise structure known as the Temple might have seemed insufficiently secure. But in reality, in this place the walls were covered with multilayered cladding of ultra-strong metal, and the armored glass could withstand a hit from a rifle shell. As always, Qazard the Great sat in a comfortable leather chair, legs crossed, reading something. Unlike most of the local residents, the dictator never smoked, drank, or took drugs.
"Your Highness!" Richard feigned exhaustion on his face, as if out of breath from a long run. "I have just been informed that people from Ventorum are on their way to a business meeting with you."
"Really?" came Qazard's pensive voice as he continued to read. Evidently the dictator was in an elevated mood today, which happened to him infrequently. "We do have guests from time to time. And what do they want?"
"I cannot say for certain." The assistant hesitated, wiping drops of sweat from his forehead. "But, I think, it will become clear very shortly."
"Well, let them fly, then. See to it that the safety of their airspace is guaranteed. I am even curious what they need from me in person, heh-heh."
"It will be done." Richard breathed a sigh of relief.
Everything turned out even simpler than he had supposed, and he did not even have to persuade Qazard. All that remained was to warn everyone else, in order to avoid possible problems. Since the semi-abandoned airport on the outskirts of the city was not the best place to receive guests, as usual the landing pad right on the grounds of the Temple was planned to be used for this purpose.
After receiving approval and instructions from Qasardastan, the Rex Ventorum transport headed straight for the Temple, where it landed. Along with Laetitia, three more people arrived together with Hector — two special forces soldiers and, in fact, the pilot. This trio stayed to guard the plane, while the head of RVAF and his assistant went to the negotiations (having first surrendered their weapons, if such was the requirement). Hector was a rather tall and sturdily built man; gray was showing in his blue-black hair, his eyes were the color of a winter sky, his nose straight and long, his face level with a firm chin. The young woman accompanying him was also tall and possessed a trained body, as befits a soldier. The only thing unusual for a person of her profession was, perhaps, her beautiful, neat face and long, golden hair gathered into a ponytail (in the army of Rex Ventorum it is customary to shave all soldiers bald, both men and women). Hector awaits an audience with the ruler, following the instructions of the local representatives of power.
After a successful landing, the guests were met by Richard Lazen Hedge himself, accompanied by a squad of ten armed militants. Five of them stayed with the special forces soldiers from Ventorum, the rest followed with the group into the Temple. Hector might notice that inside the gigantic structure there were far more guards than outside. The building itself was not so remarkable for its height — fortunately, in Ventorum one could find skyscrapers far taller — as for its shape, which resembled something like a regular quadrangular pyramid.
"How was your flight, gentlemen?" Richard inquired politely, beaming a dazzling friendly smile. "Allow me to introduce myself — Richard Lazen Hedge, chief advisor to His Highness Qazard the Great."
The dictator's assistant was rather tall, thin, and stooped, which made the expensive suit look somewhat ridiculous on him. One could also note a thin, elongated oval face, short-cropped dark hair, and small brown eyes hidden behind spectacle lenses.
Meanwhile, the procession came up to the elevator.
"Please surrender your weapons, if you have any, gentlemen," Richard asked politely. "Do not think anything bad of it, but the safety of the ruler is above all else."
After passing through the inspection procedure and a ride on the high-speed elevator, the group stopped at a metal door leading to office number seventy-seven. Here the armed guards did not follow Hector and Laetitia, and soon, in Richard's company, they found themselves in Qazard's quarters. Opposite the chair occupied by the dictator stood a small sofa and a couple of comfortable chairs.
"Make yourselves comfortable and feel at home." The dictator reluctantly tore himself away from his reading. "Though I am not particularly fond of receiving guests," he added.
Of weapons, Hector had only a pistol; Laetitia had to surrender somewhat more: an automatic rifle, a similar pistol, several grenades, as well as a pair of combat knives.
Upon meeting the ruler of Qasardastan, Hector Pride slightly inclined his head in a sign of respect, after which he immediately got down to business.
— Honorable ruler of these lands, the board of directors of Rex Ventorum is concerned about the situation in the region and is therefore seeking allies to create a powerful political and military alliance capable of repelling the lunatics and socialist-fascists who surround us. — Having finished this phrase, Hector handed Qazard the Great the document he had until then been holding in his hands. On the title page one could see a large number of signatures written in various hands, and it was precisely the signatures of all the persons directing the corporation, together with the electronic seals, that attested to the authenticity of the document. The basis of the treaty consisted of clauses on non-aggression, mutual defense, open borders, visa-free travel, free trade, and the like. — I am authorized to speak on behalf of the corporation, and so I can hear counter-proposals and introduce amendments to the treaty. Upon the signing of this document, we will be able to move on to the discussion of more global or, conversely, local issues, should any arise.
Qazard the Great ran his eyes over the document, then handed it to Richard, who set about a detailed study of the treaty. Having finished with this, he nodded to the dictator.
"I understand..." Qazard began. "Difficult times have come, and Qasardastan can no longer stand aside as it did before. My strength has diminished somewhat, I have gone soft altogether. And so one inevitably begins to think about the future of one's people. In my youth I imagined Qasardastan somewhat differently, but that was an ideal..." — the dictator fell to thinking. — "An unattainable ideal. In you," — Qazard turned to Hector, — "I see a strong and strong-willed man who has achieved everything on his own. Am I right, am I not? Yes, of course I am right. Well, Hector, it is on people like us that any state rests. And I am glad to see that such people still exist. Rex Ventorum may count on the support of Qasardastan," — after a brief pause the dictator concluded with a sigh, — "but I cannot give you any guarantees that this treaty will continue to operate in the event of a more favorable situation arising in the region. What is it that needs to be signed?"
After the conclusion of the treaty, Hector nodded with satisfaction. — "Magnificent; this document will serve as a splendid foundation for the formation of our alliance. As a gesture of goodwill, our organization is prepared to offer you assistance in the supply of armaments and the improvement of your technological level: Rex Ventorum possesses the most powerful military industry and is also the regional leader in scientific and technological development. Now, regarding our further plans — do you see anyone among our neighbors who could become a potential ally?"
"Well, I am glad that we were able to come to an agreement on such favorable terms and in so short a time," the dictator remarked. "I do not like to drag out negotiations. As for your question, you had better put it to Richard." — Qazard cast a glance at his assistant.
"Yes-yes, of course." The advisor, who until then had been wiping his spectacle lenses with a handkerchief, which was promptly tucked away into the inner pocket of his jacket, grew flustered. "As for the neighbors, esteemed Hector, you should probably consider, perhaps, The Theocracy of Shaylion, as the only more or less suitable state sharing a border with Rex Ventorum. They are currently experiencing a serious economic crisis and might be interested in financial aid from outside. The only question is whether you should take such a burden upon yourself... Or, for instance, The Sultanate of Ahasan, which is beginning to rise confidently from its knees. I do not know what moods currently prevail in that country, but a large share of private industry may indicate that you could find common ground, probably. Or, on the contrary, you could not."
"And as for the countries in the immediate vicinity of Qasardastan's borders," the carried-away advisor continued, "here it is difficult for me to advise anything; the situation, to put it bluntly, is very unfavorable." — Richard sighed sadly. — "However, I think that in Ventorum they are much better informed about this sort of question, yes."
"Truth be told, we already had plans regarding that theocracy; their geographical position leaves them no options for maneuver on the political stage and at the same time offers its own benefits for both sides. We shall also try to establish contact with Ahasan. As for Qasardastan's neighbors... The Free Republic of Champignons does not inspire confidence; the leaders of that state are either devoid of reason or are utterly incompetent. Conflicts on ideological grounds may arise with the Free Lands and Aghar, and our relations with Kittypink have always been tense... Perhaps we should reconsider that point. Be that as it may, my task here is done and I must be on my way; thank you for the reception, stay in touch."
"Thank you for the honor shown!" the assistant beamed in a friendly smile.
"I hope that our cooperation with Ventorum will be fruitful and mutually beneficial. Richard, be so kind as to escort the guests to their plane and return the confiscated items," Qazard ordered his advisor.
From the Historical Archives

A fairly obvious question arises: why do they not leave such hostile lands? The answer is just as simple: once a person gets into Kvasardastan, he has very little chance of returning. This is not only because of the supposedly large number of thugs with weapons in their hands, but mainly because the only possible exit from the country lies through the waters of the northern gulf, controlled by the state authorities. Of course, for a time a person really does feel free, but this does not last long. Most likely, in the very near future some very unpleasant people will visit you, and your luck will determine whether you fall out of their favor and instantly become a lifelong debtor to one of the corporations, or succeed and become a wealthy person who denies himself nothing.
But even if that does not happen, it cannot continue forever anyway. However much freedom a person has, he will still need a place to live and food, which are extremely difficult to find on one's own. This is where the main deception happens: one has to look for work, offering one's services to one of the employers and agreeing to inhuman working conditions. This is the line, and beyond it there is no way back. If your own life is dear to you, you have to toil day and night without rest, receiving miserable pennies or simply a piece of stale rusk for the week, which someone will most likely take from you immediately. Indeed, only the strongest can succeed in this country and avoid falling into the clutches of one of Kvasardastan's powerful cartels.
Leonid Vral, renowned world scholar, researcher, traveler

God Emperor! Who would even read this? x)