The South Touli Crisis

[Greywall]

He ate the food like a rabid animal, the Kumo had brought food free into the empty ports and the remains of the Southern UST army was distributing it to the civilian populace. Okeena's propaganda machine spun it that they had defeated the Franch blockade. It along with the Kithium invasion was gaining him support again, it was a small victory but one he desperately needed.

It still wasn't good, factories were barely functioning, soldiers had become bullies getting payment. Tax collection was a joke, the Rand was just paper that meant nothing and bartering came back to the South. Okeena held power by a thread using his large army. But for now, Kumo sending food bought valuable time.

[Greywall]

"I'm not hearing clear answers! I want results!" Okeena loudly declared to his Oligarchs, the victory over the Kithium and in Do'rville filled him with a renewed sense of purpose, that he could win the war and prove his doubting supporters wrong. But when he was told the armies near Veneshy weren't pursuing the Kithium he was angered, "Tell them to invade the League. We are going burn those damned cat folk out of Touli!" his oligarchs mumbled but repeated what they said, "With all due respect, an invasion of the League is ill advised, the war in the North is consuming many of our people, the Bian rebels are gaining strength. We don't know where the tribals are, we are in a better situation sir but we need to use it. We advise considering a ceasefire." 

Okeena shook his head, "No. We're winning. We won't grovel for a ceasefire." One of the younger Oligarchs affirmed Okeena, a smug young man of wealth who agreed to everything the president proposed. "Service by requirement, every able-bodied man must serve. We'll have millions of soldiers to invade Frannerre and the League. Make it so." Okeena bluntly chimed, but again his oligarchs muttered about, "We don't have the equipment to arm more troops. Let alone the logistical infrastructure to field more. What we have is what we have, until the blockade is breached, and we receive more guns. We cannot arm the army you want." Okeena sighed, his mood was dampened by these old men holding his ambitions back. "What about the fleet?" "We have had no word, we assume the admiral is engaged with the enemy." Okeena tapped his fingers on the table, "So send riders to Eleria. May-" a UST soldier walked into the meeting handing one of the Oligarchs a letter before promptly leaving. "What is it?" Okeena asked, the oligarch holding the letter had his hands shaken by what he read, "the natives have attacked Zhest Gav".

A dreadful silence filled the room, "Come again?" Okeena stated. "Zhest Gav is under attack, vastly outnumbered, they can't hold out." Okeena stared off into space, "our entire Southern region is exposed this badly? We are that short?" he mumbled to himself, an irritating voice broke his stare off. "We must act now sir! Let us deploy the remains of the Southern army and rid ourselves of this menace!" Okeena peered up down the table, "Who is this man speaking as if I wanted his advice?" it was the younger man, "I am Talbik Guenda, my father passed onto me his weapons factories and I am rather versed in all things war sir." Okeena nodded, "I see" and produced a revolver blowing the young man's head apart. "Anyone else want to advise me?" the room remained silent. "Take his corpse feed the dogs with it, have the military seize his factories. If he was doing his job I could arm the army how I want." Okeena left the room of stunned men, they looked as soldiers dragged the young man's corpse away, "We have to do something" one of them finally whispered. He was hushed, "The soldiers will hang you. They follow that man." Another voice whispered in, "No. They follow Taronki. Who they think follow that man. We need to stop this war, Okeena is going to burn us all." 

[Greywall]

They left him in the dark room, the oligarchs proceeded to find ways to save themselves as protests outside the city grew loud for Okeena to end the war. Mothers shouting for their sons to return or if they even lived, only the remaining military in the capital stood by the president. They kept the protestors as bay for now but news of Zhest Gav falling, Razu being seized and the front lines being a disaster were compounding in the very UST falling apart.

Behind his back the oligarchs sent messengers to Taronki asking him to end the war and ride South. Okeena sent for Uduike to abandon his post at the mountains and bring what was left of the 6th to Noscovo.

[Greywall]

The Presidential palace, it once housed the grand governor of the Seleucidinian colony of Touli, the largest colony on the continent. Before it was broken up into Eleria and the states that would form the UST, the colony fed the Seleucidinian empire in Reseria. But costs and the majority of ports being in frozen tundra made the colonies easy to rid of. Still the buildings of the Reserians were here, Uduike entered the palace dressed in his full general attire, his forces had arrived in the capital bulking a large force here in the capital.

Uduike was no fool, they were losing the war. Wars. It was now well known knowledge that more nations joining the war was making the situation hard.

He knocked on the doors to Okeena's room and heard a sharp "Come in." Uduike entered bowing before the president, old Seleucidinian customs dominated Union culture. "I have deployed the 6th as instructed, the capital is locked down sir. Though I should comment-" Okeena raised his hand silencing his general. "The guard is holding in the East, but I need you to retake our lost city in the West. I want you to rest up and march our forces to retake it. Then, go East and burn the league."

Uduike was confused, "Sir, the fronts are not stable, if we do not consider contracting our forces. We might see disaster." Okeena didn't respond, "We stay on the offensive good general, we are the UST. We march ever onward." Okeena walked over to his general and Uduike saw what he was talking to, Okeena's eyes stared right through him like an animal. The president caressed the general in a very uncomfortable manner, "I need good men, good strong stock, to break these enemies. MY oligarchs have betrayed me. They are of poor stock. I need you to also find them and bring them to me. Alive." Uduike struggled to get out, "Yes sir." Okeena let go walking away, "That's all, kill the chaos general." Uduike bowed and walked out before almost walking right into a pair of women, "Oh ladies, i'm sorr-" the women shocked him as he saw they had sullen faces, sad broken expressions. "Ah ladies! Yes, let's discuss. Your trade needs. Food for service." Okeena snapped his fingers and they began to undress, Uduike left in disgust, what the hell? he thought.

It was like Uduike saw the illusion lifted, as he walked the street to his horse pulled coach he noticed the misery of the people in the street. Soldiers escorting a man nearly beaten to death, "What was his crime private?" the soldier turned in anger which quickly vanished noticing a general speaking to him, "He spoke against the president sir. President's orders, we are to arrest those who sow dissent." Uduike saluted him and watched as they dragged the battered bleeding man away. "Gods, what is happening?"

[Greywall]

“We’ve lost 15,000 men, they left in the night. Desertion is becoming an crisis sir.” Uduike was exhausted, managing the capital defenses and scrapping together some kind of army was a struggle, now men were running off.

Okeena wasn’t paying attention, he was minding his wartable, in some deluded way he placed pieces of the UST army pushing the opposing forces out. It wasn’t accurate at all.

“Pick your five most loyal men, men who your soldiers know to be good soldiers. Examples. And kill them. Kill them as examples to anyone who would run from their duties.”

Uduike wasn’t shocked anymore, the president was more or less losing his mind.
“Have you found the oligarchs yet?”
“No sir”
“Why not? Are you not loyal to me?”
“We’ve been preparing the capital defenses sir”

Okeena looked up with a flash of anger in his face, “do your duty general”

Uduike left, when he came outside of the presidential palace admiral vokoya was waiting for him. “Come here, let’s talk.”

The general stepped into an ally speaking to the admiral is a hushed voice, “what is it?”

“We need to end this war, the bian are about to overrun pozhal. Kithium have practically taken veneshy and the north is lost. They’ll be here soon.”

The admiral spoke with a stern voice but one mixed with fear, “how do you propose we end this war then?” The general asked.

“Simple, we kill okeena. March into that office and kill him, the people detest him.”

“You speak treasonous words admiral!”

“I speak to save the citizens of wha tis left of our nation general.”

[Greywall]

Storm clouds gathered over Noscovo, Okeena was having a meeting with his military officers and commanders. He was in a particularly bad mood as another tooth began to rot in his mouth.

“More and more civilians leave the capital every day, we lose soldiers in that mix being smuggled out. Likely family members, the execution of the chosen few did not waiver the soldiers from fleeing if anything it made things worse. Novya Buhkta is refusing to send what paltry force they have barely 18,000 men to the capital. They are heavily dug in and fortified but the scouting reports show kithium and Frannerre forces in the south now. And our western detachment is likely going to struggle against republic forces and ashi-“

“Rebels”

“Sir?”

“They are rebels, filthy traitors, this bastard republic is not a real nation. Continue.”

“Right, the rebels. We should pull those forces to us immediately our capital defense is down to 45,000 men and 300 field guns and the navy.”

Okeena wrenched his mouth against the pain snapping his fingers, a woman with bruises on her entered the room, “whiskey” she fearfully responded, “we’re out sir” okeena slapped her to the floor. “Stupid bitch! I told you get me whiskey!” He beat her near senseless and she barely crawled away whimpering and crying.

“Can you believe that whore? I make her my personal maid paying her in my personal stores of food for her shit children and she can’t do a job. Only good for taking her from behind.” He laughed but the officers stared down not reacting.

“Sir we’re not in a good place, we’re running out of food. Clean water has stall-“

“Where’s the farmers? They grew crop where are the crops?”

“The farmers refuse to ship to Noscovo out of safety”

Okeena threw something a bloc or gavel it was too dark in the room to tell as even candle wax was becoming rare, “treasonous bastards tell them to ship or have them hanged!”

“Yes sir” Uduike wasn’t going to do it, he looked across the table and saw admiral Vokoyo looking at him. “Is that all?” Okeena roared as the maid brought something in a glass, he drank and grimaced at it. “Whatever, go strip and wait for me” she cried softly walking to his personal quarters as the officers stood up to leave. “Men!” Okeena cried, they all turned to see him raising a glass. “To our victory” and retired to the room closing the doors.

Uduike and Vokoyo met in the outer hallway with Uduike saying “I’ll do it” the admiral nodded, we kill him in the next meeting.