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The office of the premier was a disaster.
Papers were strewn all about. There were numerous demands for more money and for conscriptions or a draft to shore up their forces. Overall, there were demands to do more to stop the Huscarn incursions.
Premier Yul Tropoli, not for the first time, found himself wishing he could return to private life.
Over the past two years, matters had grown increasingly dark and despairing. The Huscarn had become more aggressive, and while the general public was not made aware, the Cromah Republic forces were being stretched to the breaking point.
It began in the Ealantic, once dominated by the Cromah Navy. Seemingly out of nowhere, the Imperial Huscarn fleets became more destructive, more aggressive.
It was limited to the ships of the Navy, at first. But in time, it included civilian coastal villages and towns being attacked. Then it only got worse from there.
The Ealantic Armadas were largely gone. The Cromah forces were nearly a tenth of what they had been and were doing all they could to avoid contact with the Huscarn.
They would not last much longer, the admirals had reported. Shipbuilding had been interrupted in the horrific attack on their largest yard and could not catch up with the demands of the Navy.
More recently, the action on the Wesific side had intensified. Forces of the Huscarn were pushing harder and beginning now to decimate the already overwhelmed Cromah Wesific Armadas.
As if that were not enough trouble, Huscarn Militia forces had landed on the Ealantic coast and overrun a large town. On the Wesific, they had begun to push for the first time in years.
It was clear the emperor wanted dominance of the Cromah - complete, total, and unrelenting.
Premier Tropoli leaned back, rubbing his eyes. It was either very late in the night or very early in the morning. Constant sessions of the Congress and Administratus were wearing him out. Maybe in the next few hours, he could sneak away and catch some sleep.
But that thought fled as there was a knock at the door of his office.
“Yes?” he called, his voice almost cracking from the exhaustion.
The door was opened, and the Speaker of the Congress, Minister Jomarn, entered. He was followed by two of the premier’s aides.
“Lewellyn,” the Premier addressed his old acquaintance.
“Premier,” he replied.
“What has you here at such a late hour?”
“I come with news, my lord,” he replied.
“It must be of some import if you are neglecting sleep to deliver it, old friend.”
“Indeed,” stated Speaker Jomarn.
“My lord Premier,” began Farnor, his aide. “We have news from Huscarn.”
“What news? Did some of our forces manage to escape that attack we heard about?”
“No, Premier,” stated Somaln, his other aide. “We have received word that Emperor Edvin Huscarn has passed away.”
The premier was startled. “What’s this? He was, what, barely into his fifties, no?”
“That was always our best information,” stated Jomarn.
“Then what happened?”
“According to the news we’ve gleaned from sources within the Empire, his heart was weak. It was a hereditary condition that the Huscarn family have kept a secret for centuries.”
The Huscarn were notorious for closely guarding a great many secrets. That wasn’t something the premier doubted. He saw before him a ray of hope. “He has not sired an heir, correct?”
“That is true, Premier,” replied Farnor.
“So, they are disorganized and off their guards?” questioned the premier hopefully.
“No,” replied Somaln, lessening the premier’s hopes.
“We have learned that, apparently, in secret, he had married his new high commander of the Imperial Navy,” remarked Speaker Jomarn. “With his death, he left letters making public that union. He passed his crown to her.”
Premier Tropoli tilted his head to the side, eyeing his aides and the speaker. “The Huscarn have a new leader now? That may, in fact, bode well for us. We should prepare a new mission to depart for the empire immediately.”
For the first time in too long, the premier felt a glimmer of hope. “Yes, in fact, we can see if this new empress will be more reasonable than her predecessor. She was not born of the family Huscarn – so she may be willing to take a different position regarding the war. Yes, we shall attempt to reopen negotiations, and see if we can start dialogues with this new leader.”
All three of the men in his office hung their heads, looking abashed and uncomfortable. That was not the reaction he had expected.
“Was it something I said, gentlemen?” he questioned, concerned.
“With all due respect, Premier, the Congress would be in total agreement,” stated Speaker Jomarn. “But there is an important piece of information you need to consider.”
“And what would that be? They have a new leader, and a new leader implies new direction and new thought,” stated Premier Tropoli, irked about their attitudes. “You would give up already when everything is begun anew?”
“It’s not so simple, Premier,” began Somaln.
“Their new leader is not unknown to us,” continued Farnor.
“What does that mean?” questioned the premier.
They exchanged a look, then glanced at the speaker.
“Yul,” Minister Jomarn began pensively. “The new empress of the Huscarn is Aria Knight. And we have learned that this same Aria Knight was the captain of the vessel that started the new aggressions against us on the Ealantic. Further, as a commodore, she led a fleet to attack our coastal towns and villages and destroy our shipyard.”
The premier’s hope was fading, but not yet gone. “She was the same commanding officer who sent our own ships against Sanctuaron, killing Minister Cabarra and all those civilians?”
“Yes, Premier Tropoli,” replied Somaln
“You do not think she may be willing to reopen dialogue with us and negotiate some kind of peace, some kind of treaty?”
“No, Premier,” Speaker Jomarn replied with a sigh. “As an admiral, Aria Knight oversaw the creation of new weapons similar to our own – but reports say they’re even more powerful. Soon after that, as admiral of the whole of the Huscarn Navy, she combined their forces with the Militia and stepped up the attacks on our shores.”
His tone darkened further. “She has never been anything but an aggressor towards the Cromah people. I doubt highly her goal as Huscarn Empress will be any different.”
The last of his short-lived hope died. Like a man condemned, Premier Tropoli stated, “That is unfortunate news indeed. I see now that we can expect even greater aggression, with a goal of ending our freedom and independence.”
He took a deep breath, unable to release the fear tightening his chest. “Our republic is in terrible danger.”
The silence of the three men in his office spoke volumes.
Premier Yul Tropoli was duly elected to his position. He was the lead representative of the Cromah people, but he served as the figurehead as well. His fear was mortal.
Suddenly, he wanted very much to no longer hold this office.
“Call together the Congress and Administratus,” he ordered, his voice only just remaining steady. “We prepare to conscript forces and pour all of our monies into the Army and Navy. We must be ready for what inevitably will come from the Huscarn next.”