Veliken War - The Dispatch of Shirekeep (Gong Li)

[Harvey the Blue]

“Commander Rulsaki, reporting for duty Adrimal Draco,” Potak Rulsaki reported with a sharp salute as he stood before his superior’s desk in Shirekeep’s airforce base.“At ease, Commander. Please sit down” the admiral said with a nod as he gestured to the chair. Potak sat down but stayed at attention with his shoulders broad. I guess it’s just his nature… the admiral thought.“Commander,” Draco continued, “we are reassigning your squadron to Hau’oli ‘Ena on Gong Li Island in southeastern Kildare. You are to give air support to our ground units in what looks like a major brewing war down there.”Potak looked uncomfortable, but only said “Of course, admiral. My squadron is at full strength and all pilots are accounted for as of 6:00 AM today. We can be in Hau’li ‘Ena by midday tomorrow.”Draco nodded. He continued, “As I am sure you are aware, there is a continuing crisis in Goldshire. Shirekeep has yet to intervene but I do not wish to have by focus distracted. Therefore, I am assinging you the rank Commander over all Imperial Kildare air forces, at least until the situation changes to the point where we need to reevaluate the situation.”Potak Rulsaki jumped to his feet and gave a sharp salute, “Thank you, admiral. I will not disappoint you.”“I know you won’t, Commander Rulsaki. Further orders will come when you reach Hau’oli ‘Ena, but for the most part you will be able to design your own assault plans,” the admiral said.“Requesting leave to prepare my squadron for departure, admiral,” said Potak.“Request denied,” Draco said without malice. “Sit down, Commander. We’re not done here.” Potak returned to his seat without more then a second’s hesitation. Draco continued, “You’re far too reliable to ask it, but I am sure you are wondering why we would dispatch one of Shirekeep’s defense squadrons to the front of a war a quarter of the world away.”“It is not my position to question the orders of my superiors,” the Commander said, and from the tone of his voice it was obvious he truly meant it.“No, it’s not,” Draco agreed, “but this information could be useful to you so I am going to tell you anyway. The first reason we are sending you is that Kildare is in something of a mess right now. The Imperial Fleets have scattered in an attempt to crack down on pirates for the past few months. Natopia and Antica may not be able to match Shireroth’s raw military power, but they sure are bringing in enough ships to try. It’s only a matter of time before the entire Veliken Territory, and perhaps even the entirety of Kildare itself, is blockaded. We’ve sent call to Yardistan to send ships, but you know how they are, and even with Yardistan I don’t believe we can beat them in a full sea-to-sea engagement. We need air support to threaten their carriers and battleships, and, given your past history on Amity Island, you are the best man for the job.”Potak was clearly disturbed by the mention of his past on Amity Island, but said nothing.“The second reason is less of a military concern, but a much, much larger political problem,” Admiral Draco said, a bit of bitterness in his voice. “The entire Veliken and most of Kildare have deep Apollo roots. You can’t go ten feet in that whole area without running into a statue of Evan von Christoph, or the spot where one of the Alexanders made a speech on the independence of Audentior, or some holy Soloralist “shrine.” The armies we have fielded in the area, this “last Audente” and some lunatic claiming to be the killer of Fate... they are Shirerothians, but they are also Apollonians! Heck, the Anticans didn’t have a problem convincing the Velikens that they were better of Antican. How hard would it be to convince the so-called birthplace of the western world to return to its Apollo roots?”“You fear treason?” Potak asked.Draco shook his head, “Not so much treason as too much stirring up of the locals. We are much better with these men then against them, but I do wonder about their ideals. What we need to do is set a strong example to the people in this area: Shireroth cares about this war and these people so don’t abandon her years of friendship for anyone. Sending a squadron directly from Shirekeep sends a clear message, and also lets you watch over the area.”“I understand, sir. I won’t let you down.” Commander Rulsaki said, understanding slightly better how this war over lawless territories could affect Shireroth considerably.“I know you won’t,” the admiral said again. “Dismissed.”Dispatched 1st Shirekeep Squadron to Gong Li. Harvey SteffkeProud bearer of the Shirerothian Silver Sword Award and Imperial StarEdited by: Gryphon the Pure at: 5/15/05 0:05

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