The Call of Industrialism and Progress

[malloc]

The boats rocked side to side as they approached their destination under escort by the Kumosenkan fleet. A few boats filled with Amalian Marines and Special Infantry, around 9,000 of them, along with an experimental new airship design, were being shipped off to Elenria following the passage of the Uplifting Act. Accompanying them were the first round of materials for new rails, builders, and civil planners to help improve infrastructure in the nation.

---

One of the soldiers, a middle-aged Devilfolk standing around six feet tall and dressed in the new uniforms of Aegis Pact-Amali deployments, sat near the front of the boat smoking when a fellow human soldier joined him. They sat quiet for a bit, watching the other ships around them sail forward to their destination. The sleek shapes of the transports in contrast to the hulking cruisers and destroyers armed to the teeth was a very jarring look, and reminded the veteran of his days sailing around the continent to land on Galra's beaches. While nowhere near as terrifying as those moments, it still put a little anxiety into his mind that the waters were still not nearly as friendly as they had hoped even after the war.

The silence was broken by the other soldier's request. "Mind if I bum a smoke off of you?"

The Devilfolk silently pulled out a tin of tobacco and unfurled it for him to pack his own pipe with, which the soldier complied and took only a small bit. The veteran raised an eye at this, asking, "Are you sure that's all you want, alrafiq [comrade]?"

The soldier shook his head and raised his hand. "This is all I need, just to take the edge off. Fuck the sea, I can't wait to be on land."

The veteran scoffed, shaking his head, "Aldhy yajeal athnyn manaa [That makes two of us]."

The soldier lit his pipe and took a slow puff from it, asking, "Say, sergeant, those medals of yours put you in the last Staol war. Were you in Koi or-"

"Galra. Third wave of landings as special forces aiding Ashigawa," he spits the name as he descends into an Aremic accent, "the United Kingdom, and Rombarda. This is much better than being worried about tayirat [planes] or ghawwasat [submarines]."

"I'll bet that was a pain in the ass for sure. The sea already makes me woozy, I can't imagine what that must have been like given the waves were choppy."

They both sat in a semi-awkward silence for a few moments. The veteran Devilfolk sat contemplating as the scent of earth slowly trickled over the ship. He murmurs, "Almost there."

---

The leader of the AP-Amali forces picked up the phone for Kumosenkan admiral, wanting to know some of the details about their arrival. The semi-formal but still casually dressed economist sat in the chair opposite to the commander, looking a bit green in the face.

"R.B.S. Hokori, this is A.P.-Amali Commander Feliciano Violante on the R.A.S. Mini," he starts out, "I'm here with Doctor Rachele Trevisani, chairwoman of the Touli Development Board. If you'd be so kind as to spare us a few minutes, we'd like to know some more information about our landing area and the people we will be working for the next year."

[Sophie]

Admiral Rise Kujikawa, commander of the Kogo Heika battlegroup was quick to pick up the line. "This is Admiral Kujikawa. We will be docking in Aundui Bay. One of the largest ports in Elenria which will become the temporary home port of the Kogo Heika. Aundui bay is quite rich compared to the rest of Elenria, however much of the populace there still live in poverty. The city surrounding the port is very well developed and is akin to a poor city in Kumosenkan proper. There are plenty of restaurants with cheap food. I wouldn't expect much respect to be paid to you immediately based on your looks, however once you inform anyone that you are acting under the authority of the Empress then pretty much every door should be open to you. The folk that live there are very respectful, honorable, and loyal to Kumosenkan. If you travel with a Kumo it is implausible that you'll run into any issues. Both of you, Commander Violante and Doctor Trevisani have a meeting first thing tomorrow morning with the Queen of Elenria. The Empress will also be in attendance so please conduct yourselves accordingly. The hotel is already booked and paid for in advance, so feel free to order whatever you like from room service. Any further questions?"

[StaolDerg]

Akel stood on the battlements of Fortress Alvar, looking out into Aundui Bay’s share of the Bromsoll. The last time she’d been here, it’d been to witness the destruction of Fortress Kalkia by Kumo naval artillery. The cannonades were long gone, of course- the Kumo had made it quite clear early on that they were taking no risks despite the Silk Bind.

But today she awaited the inbound Aegis Pact fleet, the passengers of which she’d been informed included Empress Reitō herself. She was nervous, admittedly- she hadn’t seen Kumo royalty upon Elenrian soil since the sealing of the Silk Bind itself eighty-five years ago. Not to mention other foreigners from the supercontinent.

Along with her was her personal guard- a dozen Inselni and Crown Territiorials of the Kesternrim House Guard regiment, armed with the Arisaka Type 38 rifles supplied by the Kumosenkan reserve stockpiles. Her council of the High-Crested waited just under the fortress’s shadow, at the docks themselves with the ceremonial Territorial contingent, all similarly armed with the reserve weapons.

There was a shout from one of the Fortress’s towers, the message being passed by word of mouth until it reached the Inselni Queen below.

“Fleet spotted, Your Majesty!”

She took the binoculars from the officers beside her, looking for herself. The distant silhouettes of the fleet still gave her chills, but she set the thought aside as she handed it back, beginning to descend from the fortress to meet the fleet at the shore. She’d been told this fleet was here to uplift her nation, but some part of her wondered if they were only building up the roads to bring more resources out of Elenria.

[malloc]

"Really only one from me, where will we be setting down our airships?" The Commander asks simply. "I'd assume we have to build our own landing base if Elenria doesn't have much of an air force. Not to mention, we need to know who our pilots will be flying with to survey the area better."

---

The two soldiers continued to sit near the front, the sound of the waves crashing against the ship's hull filling the air. The two idly chatted away about the purpose of the mission, and what it could eventually lead to in the near future.

"I've been hearing rumors about insurrectionists in Elenria," the human soldier said at one point. "Being funded by outside groups."

"Oh yeah? All 'freedom fighters' receive outside help nowadays, especially in Touli. There are resources abound in this Gods-forsaken continent, it wouldn't surprise me if companies from the home world started funding them to sneak in and get everything."

"No but see, this could lead to another war like the Fifth."

A brief pause and the Sargent turned his head slowly to the soldier. "And where did you hear this?"

"Shore leave in Kumosenkan, right before we left. Some were saying it was Galra, others were saying Ashigawa. A few of them were saying how Galra was building up its military again for a second global war."

"And they're civilians. They'll eat the propaganda up and churn their own theories. The Commies do it, we do it, the monarchs do it. It's only natural in this day and age. Everyone wants to be Ruler of the World. And no shit Galra is gearing up, they're a disgrace of a nation. If we had participated earlier, I bet our calls for disarmament would've been headed. Now we'll have to be the ones to clean it all up. Fuck the Eonians or the Veltists or whatever the fuck they are now, and fuck the Entente for being weak-kneed in the accords. Carving up a nation and decreasing the military by a million, with what? No oversight for prevention of expansion again? No government changes?"

---

"And I have a question as well," Dr. Trevisani would speak up, "Will we be able to get access to the financial, population, and industrial records of Elenria? We want to be able to leave here with them knowing how to work and maintain their own infrastructure and have the means to produce said maintenance requirements. And we need to know who are the best segments of the population to teach."

[Sophie]

"Elenria has airfields. If you can call them that. Padded down dirt that allows planes to take off. You'd likely be better off constructing your own landing base if you want to ensure the absolute security and safety of your airships." The admiral answered. "I can assign a few officers to fly with you and give you a lay of the land if you believe it is absolutely necessary. The Empress is going to have a meeting with the Queen of Elenria. You are welcome to assign someone to attend the meeting with her. That should help give you the information you need regarding the records of Elenria. If it isn't then I'm sure you can work something out with the Empress herself to make sure you get the information you need to operate well."

[malloc]

The Commander moves the phone just a ways away from his face and let's out a sigh. He responds, "Dirt can suffice for now, but we will be building up a more capable airbase if that's what it seems like it's going to be. It may be better that we want individuals familiar with the area, rather than other military officials. They'll have a better understanding of the local area and be able to direct us in better. We also know your people's hesitance to flight, and our current designs may not be able to alleviate your fears. Worrying a pilot about their passenger will not be a good idea both militarily and economically."

"I'll also be attending the meeting, as well," Dr. Trevisani says. "I'd like to be able to correspond with at least one high ranking individual in Elenrian society."

[Sophie]

"You'll have your tagalongs. There should be a decent number of Elenrian territorials present when we dock and you can recruit as many of them as you like to fly with you. They'll know the area well enough." She answered "You're welcome to attend. Though the Queen will likely be surprised by you, she's only expecting the Empress."

[malloc]

"I'll only speak up when the economy is mentioned, don't worry," Dr. Trevisani replies over the crackling radio. "After the meeting, I intend to talk with whatever official leads the state we're landing in as well. That'll help us figure out what our first focus should be, food or infrastructure."

The Commander thinks for a moment before asking, "And what of the insurrectionists? How prominent are they in this part of the nation, and what's the likelihood of them moving into the area when they hear of our arrival?"

[Sophie]

"You have no need to worry about the insurrectionists. They never operate in areas where Kumo forces are present. Quite simply they can't stand up to a modern military force. As of late they have been keeping to themselves as our forces have been cracking down on known insurrectionist headquarters." The Admiral answered.

[malloc]

The Commander and Director looked at each other briefly before he said, "Alright, I believe that is all the pressing questions for now. About what time will we be making landfall?"

[Sophie]

"Four hours." The Admiral answered, "Get some rest if you can. We're about to enter the bay." A half an hour the fleet turned into the entrance to the bay. There they met with the Franch fleet and had a tense encounter detailed here staol.proboards.com/thread/516/gathering-clouds. The fleet pressed on, diligently escorting the Amalians to Aundui Bay. They finally made landfall on the highly advanced dock that was constructed to Kumosenkan specifications. Every ship in the fleet docked for refueling. The Empress and the Admiral disembarked together with a large group of special guards as well as any sailors that had liberty.

The Empress and the Admiral walked over to where the Amalian ships had docked. The Amalians were clearly hard at work but the Empress stood by waiting for one of them to approach her. All she knew is that she was waiting for a woman. After a short few minutes, a woman did approach her and the Empress was first to speak after a curt bow, "Director-Doctor Rachele Trevisani I presume? We should make haste. I'm not one who enjoys being late to meetings." The Amalian returned a much deeper bow, proving immediately she was well versed in Kumosenkan culture. "Of course Empress Doku-Kama. You can refer to me as either director or doctor, no need to use both. It is a genuine pleasure to meet you." She turned to the Admiral and again bowed, "You must be Admiral Rise Kujikawa. Thank you for getting us all here safe and so quickly. I wish we had more time to talk but it seems I must be going." The Admiral nodded and returned the bow.

The Empress turned and began walking away from the dock with the Amalian in tow along with her guards. "Doctor, your presence is very welcome. This is the first time an Empress has set foot in Elenria since my grandmother, so I need this meeting to go well." They arrived at a waiting motorcade surrounded by Kumo soldiers who quickly guided the two inside one of the armored cars. "I have only been recently made aware of several critical issues going on within Elenria. The provisional government believed that if I knew about these issues they'd be punished. Elenria looking bad or weak makes me look bad and weak. So if you are willing I would like you to guide me in the best direction of helping Elenria. If, during the meeting, you think I get too hasty or upset I ask that you interrupt me. I want to make the best moves for Elenria but I don't have any of my usual advisors with me today." She paused for a moment and her eye twitched, "Some of the reports I've read... they detail extreme levels of suffering among Elenrian citizens. My citizens. My people. I want to help them. I want to make this right. The Autonomous Kumosenkan Prefecture Of Elenria has been nothing but loyal to Kumosenkan, save a few insurgents. It's about time that Kumosenkan shows proper thanks for that. So I'm counting on you, doctor."

[malloc]

The sergeant Devilfolk had his gun slung over his shoulder while he watched some of the airmen work to uncover the tarps concealing the new age devices. His eyes glanced between the folk working and the Elenrian citizens gathering nearby the port. A wide berth was given between the AP-Amali soldiers and Kumosenkan fleet, and the citizens slowly congregating to see what the large fuss was. Not just a few moments ago, the Devilfolk had seen the Director be swooped up by the Kumosenkan Empress and whisked away to some unknown place. The two-tailed soldier took a slow puff on his pipe, exhaling slowly as well as he took the last drag of the pipe. He waited a few moments before capping it and stowing it away. He looked up at the crew that had managed to undo the fasteners on the blanket protectors, shifting to look at the citizens behind them.

He looked at one of the Kumo sailors who was stretching their... Legs? He guessed that's what they called them. He pointed over to the crew that had managed to prep their helicopter and asked, quite simply, "How do you feel about flying?"

A few moments later the engine began to spool up, a loud whining as they spooled and churned alive. The rotors slowly came to life, spinning faster and faster as the whining grew louder and louder. What could be assumed to be the main pilot continued to stand outside the heli to make sure the rotors were spinning properly. Another minute later and they climbed in, the helicopter slowly beginning to take off, spinning a bit as it caught the air, ascending nearly perfectly straight up. The helicopter tilted forward a little bit and off it went, whining overhead with the wings beating the air hard to maintain flight. It continued its ascension until just about to leave the harbor, where it tilted further forward to head to the airbase they had been assigned to shelter in.

The Devilfolk looked at his fellow Amalians, who simply looked up at the helis as they took off, but continued to patrol and talk amongst each other as they walked around the dock. After the third takeoff, most were unphased as the rest continued to heat up and move out. He looked to the Kumo sailors who were a mix of terrified and sick at the loud sounds and unholy orthodox of barely achievable flight. The sergeant remembered talking to some Gaelian pilots about the absolute shit show most Kumo pilots were, specifically the spider ones, and chalked it up to their inability to stomach a basic concept such as flight. He never knew what happened to that pilot, but he hoped he had made it home safe.

The helicopters were greeted at the airfields by other AP-Amalian troops, having set up a perimeter around some of the hangers.

---

The Commander stood on the docks, watching the helicopters take off one by one until only one remained. They were waiting on the Commander to bring him to the makeshift command center bin the overtaken airport. He turned and looked around, looking for the Admiral if he could see and hoping she hadn't already departed for the citadel. While the primary objective was to support and defend infrastructure development projects, 9,000 marines as a bit of an overkill, and so was seeking to put some of the men and women to work in helping stabilize the region. The only issue is: he had no idea what the command structure of this nation looked like.