The inner chamber

[Greywall]

It was unnaturally cold in this room, the freezing air whipped around Jeffery Eden sat with several others at a long dark oak table in the middle of the room. Judgmental stares went all across it at everyone and snide whispers ridiculing those present were exchanged. Jeffery knew he was going to be talked about, as the Deacon of the East he oversaw the Imperial State's arguably most wealthy region, jealous rival Deacons and members of the Imperial Council couldn't help themselves take shots in secret. 

The sound of hard soles hitting the wooden floors of the room silenced everyone, Jeffery's heart began to race, he had met him a couple times now but always grew in fear regardless. He could never be comfortable around this man, several cloaked individuals walked in making no sound at all, members of the Inquisition the state police of Galra began slowly encircling the table standing directly behind many of the Council members. Jeffery felt the cold stare of the Inquisitor's eyes hitting the back of his head, 'stand still' he thought to himself remembering what his father told him years ago when he first saw one. The hard sound of the soles hitting the floor became louder and closer as from the darkness at the end of the room he emerged, Jeremiah Corneilus Applegate, all eyes were fixed on him as he came to the head of the table and a pair of Inquisitor hands pulled the chair back for him to sit. 

Applegate stared down the table, his eyes slowly looking at the men sitting before him, even in the dark they could tell when he looked at them. "Gentlemen, the lord has given me a vision, he has spoken to me in those golden words and shown me our destiny. We sit at the precipice gentlemen a point of no return and we must answer the lord's calling, he has spoken to me that we must increase our economic output and take over the markets currently held by the sinner and wicked. We shall through righteous cause bring a new golden age to Ouhiri, once we seize control of the markets we seize control of the banks, our money which has been blessed to be superior to all will be the chains that finally wrangle in these sinful creatures beyond our borders. If they want to feed their ruination, their children, they'll have to use our money, our banks, buy our food, and eventually we will buy them. Over time this process will tank the global economies of our rivals and force them into more submissible positions and at the end we will achieve global harmony. All controlled by the holy church and state, it is god's will and we must see it out." 

A chorus of soft voices saying 'amen' sung out in unison including Jeffery's, Applegate continued. "You know. I do not wish harm on those, wretched animals beyond these holy borders. But their time is at an end, they were born wrong, and they can either be placed into service...or in the ground. For if our vision is interrupted by the weak and petty of Ouhiri, it is our divine duty to cleanse those who seek to undo the word of god with holy fire and wrath. His vengeance shall be carried out by us, no longer will the status quo be good enough for him gentlemen he has asked to subjugate through two means. Peace via their wicked greed in which we entangle them by it or we prepare for what has been prophesized by brother Ezekial our former Autarch. The holy war to end all wars, in which we slay these creatures once and for all and place the holy Galran into the throne of this world so our lord and protector finally ushers in a heavenly golden age. Imagine it, your actions will liberate your grandchildren and their children of forever wars, political crisis, freak mistakes like the Kumo, the Koi, the Festrian, the vile Inselni or even the lesser humans who should have been cleaned from us centuries ago. They'll grow up in eternal peace, prosperity and among their own kind only. What a beautiful future we're being given." Applegate smiled warmly at the last statement, his face showing genuine happiness at the thought of ridding Ouhiri of what he believed were problematic people. 

The men at the table also felt comfort in the thought of getting rid of all their problems finally, Galra constantly reminded them via propaganda and sermons on Sunday that beyond their borders were non human filth wanting to kill and rape them all. "There is two things I must ask of you all, which is why we're here." Applegate said now his soft warm voice replaced with a firm one of giving instruction to those before him, "We must double output and tank as many markets as possible. We must hurt the other Ouhiri state economies so that our take its place in god's instructive will. Once we destroy these greedy fools and make them beg for it to stop we force them to sign papers, Non aggression to the Imperial State and using our banking system. Once we control their currency and the flow of goods we control them. And second, we cannot do it alone, we will need to enlist aid. But fear not! For god had answers for even this. There are two nations of proper men in race in which we can align with to seek out this new order. I want ambassadors to Verak and Grinvel. We shall establish a triad of trade, where our markets combined accomplish this goal. We shall also flow our superior god given technology to them to strengthen their military might, force their regional rivals into spending more and more money. But the trick, will be that we give these items for free, let their rivals bankrupt themselves as they are bankrupt morally anyway." 

Some irked at the idea of giving Galra technology to outsiders, but several who followed the idea of human supremacy enjoyed the idea of a new racial order of 'proper' humans ruling Ouhiri. Applegate tapped his finger lightly on the wooden table and several manilla folders were placed in front of the men by the dark cloaked arms and hands of the Inquisitors. "These are you individual assignments, those words are holy gentlemen, the lord has given you your mission in life. Carry them out with honor." Jeffery glided his fingers across the folder, a swelling sense of purpose filling him he could help establish a better world, no he would establish it. Applegate stood up, "it has been a pleasure, carry out god's will. And we shall exit this hell of diverse biological mutation and enter a heaven of human order." Applegate turned and quickly disappeared into the dark room followed by the Inquisitors who Jeffery still felt were staring several of them down. The men of the Council slowly took their leave and exited the room, Jeffery stood up and began walking behind them as he left the dark room he would enter a massive hallway with the arching roof was several feet above and the floor had a crimson red carpet that led down the hallway. As he walked down the hall behind the other Deacons who refused to acknowledge each other his eyes would look at several paintings, they all depicted Galra military conquests made in the name of the church and Imperial State. Some of them had generals standing over their conquered foes with angels descending from heaven to anoint them with their earned glory. The hall then entered a massive foyer, its windows allowing natural sunlight through stained glass windows and the bright white stone material of the room nearly blinded Jeffery who was finally out of the dark hallway. A choir singing religious songs could be heard as he descended the stairs into the main floor of the foyer, several visiting Galra tourists were here looking at the statues of former Autarchs and a guide telling them the history of the Autarch palace as he carefully instructed them through the restricted areas in a tour. 

As Jeffery exited the building its sheer scope was clear, the massive palace was centered in the capital city of Columbia, a paradise for Galran men in which anything you could want could be taken. Jeffery made his way down the entry toward a collection of cars that were slowly leaving, each with their Deacon, his car a state built luxury vehicle was humming along with the driver standing by the door. "A good meeting sir?" said the driver, Jeffery scowled at him in a completely natural reaction taught to him "Speak when spoken to" the driver bowed and apologized as Jeffery entered the car. When the driver entered his seat Jeffery bluntly said, "Wellington, make it quick" the driver responded, "At once my lord" and they pulled away leaving behind an orange cloud of smoke from the Staol burned engine. Jeffery looked over his folder, it needed several things from his province, increased factory output, more workers, more heavy equipment, more rail equipment and more air equipment. It also listed a project where a direct Staol line from Koi through Tyniti was being planned, 'increase staol purchases from the moth race by five fold' stated in gold lettering placed by Applegate himself. Jeffery grimaced at the idea they needed such a precious fuel source from a vile race, but if he followed god's plan that race would cease to exist. "What a grand moment this will be." He smiled warmly out his window looking at the paradise that was Columbia as several well dressed men walked down its streets, some with their sons, buying from market stalls, going to watch movies in the state approved theater. Some burning effigies of the Kumo empress calling her a mutant creature, "Good times they're having there, I need to bring my sons here for holiday" said Jeffery as the car hummed along down the Galra highway network East to Wellington. 

[Greywall]

Hard hammers hit the stone ore of the mine, John Bill was lightheaded swinging the hammer for a good 16 hours now, his body drenched in sweat and exhaustion overtaking him. A loud whistle silenced the hammers as workers slowly staggered out of the long tunnel and into the freezing winter night outside. Hundreds of them filing out while hundreds more filed in to take their place, Bill saw a few of his church mates go in as they nodded at him in silence. 

Bill took his aching body to a large gravel parking area beyond the mine where hundreds of cars were parked, he slowly climbed into his and sat in the dark cold for a moment before starting the car up. He lived in a town in Northeastern Galra near the mine, Georgetown was like hundreds of Galra towns, bleak and cold. The most outlandish buildings in the town being the church, mayor's house and a train station that took the ores to factories in larger cities. Some electricity flowed to light up the streets but even then Bill could see the Galra soldiers patrolling with rifles in hand, they made him feel safe, degenerate sinners had been on the rise killing proper Galrans or trying to corrupt them away from the one true doctrine. It was but a week when he learned a neighbor of his had been found guilty of the crime of homosexuality, the sinner was burned alive in the town square as people cheered at his anguished cries of pain.

Bill pulled into a small house on the outskirts of town, the orange smoke of his Staol powered car flowing around as he had a bad exhaust that allowed excessive smoke to flow about the car. He walked into the dimly lit house where a woman was waiting for him at the kitchen table, "I kept you some dinner husband. And I drew you a hot bath, please sit down and enjoy your meal." Bill said nothing as he placed his things at the door and closed it walking toward the table and began eating, in a single motion he took his arm and threw the plate of food at the wall "This tastes like shit whore! Can't you do anything right? Goddamn useless cunt!" he began beating her as she cowered and whimpered from his strikes. In Galra women were property to their husbands and fathers, what Bill was doing was normal in the society the church forged. After he was done he went to the bath to clean himself, "Cook me something that isn't garbage or i'll beat you to sleep" his wife went to work in the late night to cook another meal, silent tears fell from her eyes as she tried to keep her mind off the pained bruises given to her.

Bill walked back into the kitchen and sat eating his meal, his wife went to make her way to the bedroom when he stopped her, "have yourself ready for me, i'll have you tonight." She felt a cold chill take her body knowing what he meant. The next day Bill would tell his sons he loved them while ignoring his daughters and wife before heading back to work. Every day was like this until the days coming toward church, Bill would refrain from touching his wife so her bruises could heal in time for worship. Thousands gathered in the church and its massive assembly area, Bill's family sat in the same spot judging families they deemed lesser than them while being envious of those with more. The priest would stand before them giving a sermon of Ux Voshoz through the Galran testament and bible. He ranted and raved against the deviancy of non humans, sinners, lesser human races, and the infidels beyond their borders. 

Little did anyone know at this particular day, the church had a visitor, head Deacon Sam Robinson, Robinson was head of the Galran church here to overwatch the sermon as per his duties to make sure the churches were teaching the proper lesson of Galran Ux Voshoz. After the sermon finished the priest made his way to the Head Deacon's private room overlooking the worshipping area. "My grace, you honor me with you presence today." the priest meagerly said, Robinson huffed at him not responding. "There is a cook here who makes a great turkey meal, I will have him prepare it for us at my private estate." the priest said trying to instill some kind of response from his superior. "Quite so." Robinson said coldly. He stood up and it was then that the priest noticed them, Inquisitors had been in the room as the Deacon's guards. It creeped the priest out how silent and motionless they had been. 

Later in that day they were both at the Priest's private home, it was a lavish home compared to the commoners of Georgetown, several golden trims lined the windows and doors. Statuettes of Ux Voshoz saints, maidens littered the rooms. Vases from Nevarra, Roskana, and Amali would be found on shelves which were rather expensive given the rather abrasive trade habits of the Imperial State. The priest's dining hall was a recent addition to his home, a large Oak table stretched nearly 10 yards long in front of a large window overlooking Georgetown. The sun was setting but a storm was moving in making what few electric lights and gas lights turn on illuminating the town into a small haven of light in the darkness. The Priest's home was almost entirely electrified including the dining room, thanks to the tithes of the church despite the expense. 

Robinson wasn't impressed, he lived in a literal palace in Columbia compared to this shanty home, the priest was doing everything he could to show off his personal wealth to the deacon. As the plates were brought out followed by the food the priest snapped his fingers at his staff and they brought him a dark bottle that he eagerly snatched from them and walked over to the deacon. "This is a pure red wine, rare, 1643 from Roskana. Even has the Tsar emblem on it." the deacon said nothing. "I'll just pour you a glass, it is very expensive." he poured the wine into a glass and placed it in front of the Deacon who stared at it with no emotion. The priest took the bottle and poured himself a glass and rose it up for a toast, "To the Autarch, and our holy Imperial State" he said grinning but the Deacon merely rose the glass. The priest closed his eyes and drank the rare wine before stopping at the sound of liquid hitting the floor. He looked and saw the Deacon pouring the wine onto the floor. The priest looked stunned as the Deacon stood up from his chair, "You bring sin. Priest." he dropped the glass shattering it. 

The Priest now noticed the shadows of the room moving, the Inquisitors. "Your home is full of filth, foreign filth, sinful filth, and you. are. filth." the priest was breathing heavily, he now realized the Deacon was here to test him and he failed. "Deacon...if you would" "I won't" the deacon cut him off. We waved his hands forward and the Inquisitors moved toward the priest as he began to panic "My me my deacon! Please, the word of the mother and the father dictate forgivness of sin!" "That's the old text, the new Galran text is clear. No mercy for sin." The Inquisitors grabbed the priest who dropped the wine bottle shattering and spilling its contents on the floor. "No please! I am a man of god! I am! Please Please! no-" the priest was taken away as Robinson sat and began eating the turkey. "This is good, tell the cook they're coming with me to Columbia." 

A couple days passed, a new priest was chosen for Georgetown's church, and the old priest's execution was set. He would be hanged in front of his old congregation, Bill and his sons stood in the crowd as men shouted insults at the priest. Below the gallows were the vases and foreign objects he collected being smashed by the crowd. "Filthy things! Galran only!" some would shout. Bill leaned to his sons, "that man was always a sinful bastard. I knew it." The priest wept tearfully begging for mercy, he could hear his replacement announcing his crimes to the crowd and then his sentence. The Inquisitor pulled the lever dropping the priest but the rope was designed to not break his neck, rather strangle him to death. The priest fought for air as the crowd cheered his death. The priest felt everything tense up before his eye sight gave away and he faded into darkness. As his lifeless body was left hanging some of the crowd began to break, "Remember sons, follow the law of god or you'll be punished." Bill told his sons, they said "yes father" in a chorus as they went back to the car. "Hope you mother made something worth eating tonight." 

[Greywall]

The thousands of people had been assembled in the early summer sun for a few hours now, umbrellas, posh outfits and tobacco smoke filled the golden stoned courtyard of the Palace of the Prophet. For the first time, Autarch Applegate would address his Empire and people with the power of the radio. Galra had recently spend millions of Banknotes improving radio communications across the Imperial State, her colonies and in secret her armed forces. They spared no expense using third party unaffiliates to buy the Electonics they needed from Kumosenkan to reverse engineer their own radios and would now claim they invented the technology. 

The Deacons had all arrived sitting in the balcony above the crowd, a mass of microphones facing the podium where the Autarch would stand, despite the heat they still dressed lavishly and fought a personal war to keep the sweat under control in their expensive garments. Guarding the entire thing were a mix of Galran state police, members of the Galran military and of course the Inquisitors. 

Applegate finally appeared from the palace walking out into the bright day, clear blue skies and pleasant air about as Columbia kept its industry under control, unlike the rest of the Imperial State. The crowd roared to life cheering for their eternal leader as he stood before them taking it in, his personal guards staying in the dark palace doors looking and staring down forward from within their inhuman appearance. No one knows what the Autarch's personal guards are like, just that next to Inquisitors they're decked head to foot in armor and masked in respirators. They too spoke an odd language no one really understood outside of their unit, all anyone really knew, they protected the Autarch and knew nothing else other than protecting Galra's leader. 

Jeffery Eden looked around, he had since his last appearance here earned several accommodations, installing new military factories and fast forwarding the production of several Galran industrial parks. The State awarded him with wealth, privileges such as looking the other way in Eden enjoying items considered sinful and two slave concubines for him to 'enjoy'. Eden felt like the world was in his hands, but he still needed to complete the Staol railway, once that was finished he was confident in becoming on of Galra's most powerful men if not the Autarch's second hand. 

Applegate rose his hand to silence the crowd and in an eerie sudden motion of the wrist they were silenced. The microphones were turned on and so were the radio feeds, homes across the Imperial State tuned into the speech, almost every Galran who could spent their earning that pay period on radios flushing the government owned company with money (to spend on Veraki and Grinvelian weapons). 

"My children, loyal sons and daughters of the God of light, we assemble on this day to understand and know our destiny as the inheritors of Ouhiri is coming closer and closer. For indeed, in my visions with the lord I have been told it shall be this great generation to free the world of sin, depravity and filth."

He paused as the people cheered below, his Deacons applauding from behind. 

"Our new allies, Grinvel and Verak have already proven to be invaluable to our cause, the Imperial State is now creating a united economy, military and political voice with them in a bloc called the Sovereign Union. We will stand to bring order to chaos as our lord god intends for us to do, we will envelope Ouhiri and enrichen the true and rightful people of Ouhiri. Humanity shall no longer share its space with disgusting non-human filth, the non-human has deceived and twisted this world to their advantage and must be corrected." 

The mood of the crowd was changing, no longer celebrating accomplishments but feeding off zealot hatred.

"The time is nigh, the hour of judgement shalt no longer be held back, I ask you brave sons of the Imperial State. Join your holy army in defending the order of the Union and bringing this world to the light. For the moment of our grande crusade is coming, we shall break this meager bleak world and make one worthy of our true and only god. This world has no place for the unwanted trash that occupy it!" 

As Applegate's tone went from calm to harsh in speaking about non humans the crowd simply got louder and louder, Deacons began repeating 'amen' or 'here here'. 

"They are garbage, genetic mistakes for us to prove to our lord god of our worthiness in total eradication. Make no mistake, from here on forth Galra stands for the holy light and shall make measures to cleanse this world of non human trash and their nohu* loving trash counterparts. They don't deserve life, they are sinners from out of the womb and shalt be cut from the planet as what they truly are, cancerous tumors that are simply occupying land that belongs to the rightful race of this world! The human race! When our crusade finishes purging them your children will grow up in a world safer than we shall ever know! God has shown me this world, the cleaned lands will bring space for us to expand and make Ouhiri ours for all eternity and create the perfect utopia!"

Everyone was pretty much lost at this point, swept up in religious nationalist sentiment. "Kill them all!" "Cease trade with the unworthy races!" some shouted. Applegate hid his smile, he had them where he needed them.

"No doubt in their small insignificant minds, will they respond to my speech as being 'hateful' and demand action. But Galra will no longer tolerate them, our Sovereign Union pact will be the primary focus of our foreign interactions unless the garbage wants us to correct their existence and invoke god's law upon them!" 

Applegate slammed his fist into the podium, "If challenge this country, god's country. Then we shall shatter them with vengeance that generations yet unborn will know of, we shall cut their bloodlines and eradicate them for what they are and have been, wild unruly, sinful animals!" 

The crowd has lost its mind at this point yelling, "Do you stand with me?" 
"YES!"
"Do you stand with Galra?"
"Yes!"
"Then do you intend to do your duty? Join your military and defend god's country!"

Applegate had done what he needed to do, waving and turning back to his palace. The crowd still in feverish uproar, Applegate waved his Deacons to come with him and they immediately stepped up to go in with him. 


As the Deacons walked into the palace, the unnatural cool air of central air conditioning flowed relieving them of the summer heat. Applegate snapped his fingers and pointed to a long table in a room nearby, it was one of many like it, large stained-glass windows let in natural light showing a beautiful marble room with a dark oak wood table at its center and some chairs. This was one of the many dining rooms the Autarch had, on some summer nights he had the windows opened and he would eat while looking over the golden glow of Columbia in its electric glory. 

"Sit. Down." Applegate said harshly. His guards spoke as if relaying what would happen if they didn't, all the Deacons did as they were told to do. "Well...where is it?" Applegate said as a servant poured him a glass of juice, the Deacons looked around confused angering the Autarch. "WHERE IS MY GODDAMN RAILROAD?!" he roared startling the Deacons, it shook them that he roared so angrily but also used the lord's name in vain, "your grace, that is Deacon Eden's job!" one of the Deacons cowardly threw out there. Eden was beyond angry, his eyes fixed on the man who was doing anything to avoid getting in trouble. "I'm sorry. What did you say?" Applegate said his tone not at all pleasant. "Jeffery Eden your eminence, he's the one assigned to it, he's the one overlooking it." Eden felt his entire throat and mouth drying up as if he could feel the eyes of the room on him, especially those damn guards who he swore were closing in on him.


"Wrong. While it is indeed, Deacon Eden's region and he is primarily responsible I asked. All. Of. You. To make it happen. If Deacon Eden has failed it is because none of you have supported him. He has improved our industry and military capacity while you all feverishly fed off your own pale successes. So. I want it done by this year, I don't care how its done, GET IT DONE NOW. I cannot delay any longer, our military is outfitting the Veraki and Grinvel militaries with our tech and were building them weapons and armament. Now we need others to join us, the enemy response will be to stall out our economy and I need that Staol, I NEED THAT SPACE ROCK!"  

The Deacons were too scared to respond, their eyes fixed on the dark oak table not daring to look up. "This year, no more delays, our crusade is going to happen soon and I want us ready for the final solution to Ouhiri's problem. The non human, the sub human trash that have allowed them to thrive, the goddamn lot of them will be killed. I want their men, women and especially children in mass graves so we can destroy their cities and send out our overpopulated denizens to settle their lands. Can you people not see? The vision god has given me? The world is over populated, it cannot sustain us all. We must clean it, we must remove the unwanted. And claim the the lands I feel as if I am speaking to fools."

Then either in bravery or foolish bravado, Eden spoke up, "It'll be done" the room was definitely looking at him now. "I will have the railway finished before 1933 your holiness." Applegate clapped his hands before smiling and looking to the ceiling pointing at it, "god has sent me one of his own, Eden you shall finish the work and have these fools help you. Great things come to those who serve our lord." Eden smiled but knew if he failed...well he wasn't going to think about it. 

"Go gentlemen, I need rest. Our moment arrives when the clock strikes midnight. And then, we shall see a holy world birthed by the corpse of this sinful one." 

[Greywall]

The sounds of small metal objects being gathered up, hushed whispers and a dread of silence filled the room. No one dared to make much noise, but it wouldn't have mattered. 

Jeremiah Cornelius Applegate was staring off into the distance from the window of his bedroom in the Palace of the prophets, he couldn't hear anything, just the sudden realization of it all. An illness that had been pestering him for the last year wasn't going away, a persistent cough that took his strength during bad fits. This early cool morning, he coughed up blood. The personal doctors who served the Autarch had the unfortunate situation of discovering what was really wrong with him, they were likely to never be seen again.

The flow of information as well as their services to now be within so many feet of the Autarch meant they now were prisoners within the Palace to never be seen again. Only the high echelons of the Imperial State government and the Church would know of this, as the High Deacon angrily and loudly proclaimed before being struck down by General Archibald to be silenced, "This is preposterous! The Autarch cannot have cancer! The servant of God-" he didn't finish before a swift and hard hand slapped him. Archibald was moving the events forward, the best medical personal, equipment and even if they weren't in Galra by goddamn they would be soon. 

Applegate seemed to snap out of his thousand yard stare, he was the chosen son of god, the man who was to lead Galra to the new age and free Ouhiri from sin and decadence of the Non humans and infidels. Why did god give him this illness? He knew now, as he waived Archibald over. "Everyone get out except for the General." He said in a harsh tone, pushing himself to impose strength. 

Everyone left the large bedroom of the Autarch and into the outer hall they went, Applegate motioned for his head of the military to lean in. "This is a sign from the lord, we must no longer wait. Finish the rail line to Koi and let us begin the last crusade." Archibald seemed stunned for a moment before nodding, "Are we to continue for our deadline?" Applegate shook his head "No. We march following this year, have our allies top command prepare. We shall light the lord's fire on every corner of the world. We shall succeed, we will drench the soil with the blood of the filthy non humans. Just animals pretending to be people, they need to be completely exterminated. Get Muller and Giuseppe to finish project 'Prune' we accelerate that too Archibald. Everyone. Not just the males, the females and the children. I don't care if they are infants I want them dead, I will erase everything impure. The non humans, the infidels, those who wait for us to fight will come sooner or later we will have Ouhiri and only us. Wash this world in fire-" he began another coughing fit, "Make...it....happen." 

Archibald saluted his leader and left before letting the doctors back in to ease Applegate's symptoms. The General felt a fire within, the fire to kill all who opposed the new world order, he walked to the front of the palace where his personal Inquisitor guard were waiting along with his top officers. "Send word to high command, we are moving up Operation Kivivoodi and Project Prune has been given the go ahead. Begin seizure of all non humans in the Imperial state, the cleansing begins." 


Like thieves in the night, any non humans in Galra were taken from their homes violently and shoved into trucks to never be seen again. 

[Greywall]

Within a large white room on the westside of the Palace of the Prophet, Autarch Applegate and his generals met to discuss the ongoing war. Applegate had recovered and regained his strength after months of therapy, diet changes, and even experimental blood transfusions. Despite his healthier appearance he was still wheelchair bound and often reaching for his oxygen mask which was laced with a chemical to embolden the blood flow in his body and give him energy now but would result in him sleeping for nearly 14 hours. 

General Archibald was debriefing the room filled with older generals, oligarchs and of course the Autarch. He slowly walked around the table centered at the room where a large map was placed of Ouhiri. 


"Our forces have breached Western Koi, we should reach the capital soon and from there our final stage in the operation will be to seize the remaining larger urban areas thus shutting down their rail network. Gentlemen, we've reached the climax of our operation with the SU, once the Staol shipments and utterly the entire Koian railway is shut down and in our control. Ouhiri will have to accept Galran occupation or face the inevitable...they'll starve"

A round of chuckling old men laughing mixed with some praising the god ux voshoz filled the room, Autarch Applegate nodded but then spoke, "What of the other fronts?" he was curious how this plan was going. The gamble to spread out any defenders of Koi across the globe while they stormed the Staol mines was risky. It meant the might of Galra, Verak and Grinvel had to keep those armies at bay until the Galran forces took over Koi. 

"I'll go over the good news first, our Touli colonial forces are ravaging Zedonia and the pocket of the East, they close in on Xaspeshi and will soon attack Mil'Nor setting the savage lizard pagans ablaze with god's fire. Frannerre is all but fallen, they fight a war for pride now, Ashinara is cut off from the world. Elenria is barely a nation but with Eleria invading it and our blessed Admiral Hillingbee hitting the Silk Sea it won't be long before pitiful princess Reito begs for us to stop hitting her inferior empire."

Archibald rested his hand on the empty seat he would be sitting, "Diria is practically wasted, Pomaz are fighting a losing war and I have from the best resources I have that Amali is currently fighting a hard defensive war. Even our little friends in Detti are accomplishing their goals." Archibald took his seat as soft clapping filled the room, but a stern voice came from the Autarch. "But..."

Archibald looked around the room, "There is...more resistance than anticipated your holiness". The sharp sound of oxygen being turned on and Applegate breathing in the mixture before he proceeded made the other men at the table turn their eyes right down at the table, they dared not look at their chosen leader of god's word in such a condition. "What resistance?" Applegate asked. 

"Ulster-Gaelia, likely in their preparation for Kumosenkan did launch defenses at us almost immediately. We are bogged down against Lusatia and their defenses, Marrlan is putting up a hell of a fight and we have unconfirmed reports of intense fighting in Diria, Nevarra, Amali and...an-" Autarch Applegate lost his patience "SPEAK MAN!" he bellowed with a deep sickened voice. "The Koi...they're fighting us harder than anticipa-" before the general could finish Applegate ordered the others out of the room. 


With them now alone, Applegate leaned forward the dark near black circles in his eyes now more visible from the overhead lighting. "What...did...you...say?" asked the old man with venom mixed in his words, "The Koians are putting up resistance and slowing us down. Not just that, its their country, the urban sprawl is alot for us to cover and-" General Archibald jumped from his seat from the sound of Applegate slamming his hand down at the table.

"THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH!" 

The old man calmed himself before proceeding. "Every. Single. Thing. We have planned rests on this Archibald. I need Koi to fall soon and that's very soon. If the others are putting as much effort into resisting us as you say then we need to take Koi with speed. Send more men if you have to, draft more, grab goddamn boys and send them to Koi but dammit man if you fail in Koi...our people think this war is god's calling."

Archibald meekly responded to that last bit with, "Well. Isn't it?" as if a child asking their angered parent an actual question. Applegate leaned back into his wheelchair breathing in more from the mask, "Of course it is, god told me himself. We need to cleanse this world now...our generation. My guidance. But we will not accomplish god's work, if you fail me in Koi Archibald. If you fail god Archibald"

The General stood up, "I will not fail!" he said determined. Applegate nodded, "Good, then go win me this war. Kill as many bugs as you need Archibald but dammit you better take Koi. Never mind the Lusatians, shell them and bomb them into extinction. Same with the rest. But we NEED Koi." 

[Greywall]

"Your vitals are good, but we need to continue diet restriction and another transfusion. Your blood is failing oxygen transfers, your losing weight far too rapidly, and you have all the signs of cancer." 

The Grinvelian doctor was brought in from the East, discreetly and secretly. The Church wanted confirmation, Applegate's physical health had declined more as the year progressed and it seemed that the Autarch was now facing a real severe medical crisis. "What medicines can you give me kraut?" Applegate asked, venom laced within his words. "There is not a medicine I am afraid, capable of curing your situation Mr. Applegate. You are dying." the doctor said bluntly. 

Archibald and the other members of the high council stood by, hearing what to them was the voice of god himself suffering from an earthly illness. "You can prolong your demise, fruits, vegetables and getting out of that bed. But there's not a single pill or injection I nor the Grinvelian Reich have to cure you." 

This was Applegate's gamble, bringing in a foreigner to see him, his own doctors were...restricted. Galran medical practices and technology was limited. A century of fear induced control over anything not approved by the state nor church had limited Galran medical practice. 

"So you're useless to me...just get back to your backwater homeland." Applegate dismissed him, the doctor left as Applegate went into another coughing fit. Archibald spoke, "We should probably kill him, your eminence." Applegate still coughing waived his hand at his head of military. "And piss the Grinvelians off? Right at the gates of Termingrad? Shut your mouth boy." The Autarch's personal medical staff saw to him, giving him water and checking him over. 

"We still have...one possible option, your eminence." a voice said among the councilors. Archibald scoffed, "What do you want Hill? More support for your freak experiments on the non humans?". Applegate grunted at his military leader hushing him, "If I may, we have an interesting possibility to...advance our medical technology. We have the ability to begin invasive testing on many different species and races across Ouhiri, surely with that kind of resource we can find a cure for you. Perhaps its even god's will that we have so many...undesirables who will finally prove useful." 

Applegate stared at the man, "Who are you?" he asked. "I am Alistar Hill, Chief research Councilor of Biological research." Archibald wanted to speak but the Autarch caught him and silenced him with a simple raising of his hand, "Take whatever you want, do whatever you want. And find a cure. You have whatever funding you'll need." 

Hill bowed and left the room, Applegate then droned on with his other Councilors on the ongoing war and plans to begin a renewed offensive against Lusatia. 

Hill approached his team outside the Palace of Prophets, "Begin Phase 1 of Project Deatheater, bring all civilian prisoners to my facility of every available race. We start on Koians."