The Window of Opportunity

[Achkaerin]

Marble Palace, Valtheim, Achkaerin

The Round Table Conference, the Royals, the Government ministers, the intelligence services, the Military as well as other services as required were gathered in what was called the Round Table Room of the Marble Palace. The topic of discussion? Merina. Currently the floor was held by the Minister for the Diplomatic Office Cheryl Holmes.
"At present the Council of Albion are preparing to talk with the factions involved in Merina to see if they can achieve some sort of peace. The good news is that the major players in this are all staying their hands, no one's going to start shooting until the Council have had their chance or unless something else happens in the meantime."

"So we have a window of opportunity." the Achkaerinese Emperor Peter Azurewind said "Sophie."
"Yes Your Majesty." Deputy Sky Marshall Sophie Wall said, she was the Director of the Military Defence Initiative otherwise known as the MDI, she brought up familiar footage of the Makeni chemical incident "As you can see we have aircraft swoop in, drop bombs and then we have the chemicals. If the Free Mundus Network is to be believed we're talking hundreds if not thousands of casualties."
"Any clue on who might be responsible?" Peter asked

"Your Majesty this is one of three things - first the plane has launched the chemical weapon, second the plane has launched a conventional weapon which has impacted the chemicals in a tank or some such or third the plane has not caused this and the chemicals have been released by an unknown party to frame the regime." Sophie said
"A false flag" Rion Ayanami said "Well yes it's possible."
"Either way we're talking multiple breaches of the Uppsalla Convention." Crown Princess Serenity said
"We need to get in there and gather information." Rion said
"Good thinking but how?" Peter asked
"We need a cover." Sophie said "Humanitarian aid operation?"
"Hannelina?" Peter asked looking at the Foreign Aid Minister Hannelina Porter
"If the Merina government accepts the offer." Hannelina said "Then it's simple enough."
"Logistics?" Peter asked
"We can work with the Merina Red Cross" Nettie Taylor said "Move whichever hospital ship is currently in Phuebra out there and fly appropriate assets in, subject to the approval of the Merina government."
"And we put the appropriate personnel to investigate in the midst of those we fly in." Rion said "That could work."
"Do it." Peter said "And privately let the Free State and our other friend what we're up to so we don't get raised eyebrows."

Private Letter to the Merina Government

To: President Nguessa of Merina

Following the tragic events that transpired in Makeni the Achkaerinese government would like to offer what humanitarian help we can including medical facilities on a hospital ship and personnel experienced in dealing with similar circumstances, we simply require access to an airfield to land aircraft and use as a base of operations while aid is distributed. We hope you accept our offer and look forward to your response.

Signed
Hannelina Porter
Achkaerin Foreign Aid Minister

[Dijel]

Commonwealth of Merina
Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Private Communique

Dear Ms Porter,

It gladdens us to hear of your concern at the atrocities our people have suffered at the hands of these rebel scum, and your determination to take action to assist us in these difficult times. With regards to Makeni specifically, the area is still contested, and shall continue to be so while the Council of Albion talks are ongoing, making relief operations difficult. Perhaps, as an alternative, you would consider directing your efforts towards the Qarkhoi area - a reasonable area of which was liberated shortly before the ceasefire came into effect - in the interim, until we are able to make the effected zone in Makeni safe?

Kindest regards,

Christian Atandje,
Director of the Merinan Foreign Service

[Achkaerin]

To: Christian Atandje

That is agreeable we will base our effort out of Qarkhoi and look to concentrate on the surrounding area. We will have assets in motion within 24 hours and will require access to an airstrip for the unloading of supplies. If you would please communicate a suitable airstrip for supplies to land at we would appreciate it.

Signed
Hannelina Porter
Achkaerin Foreign Aid Minister

[Dijel]

Commonwealth of Merina
Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Private Communique

Dear Ms Porter,

We are presently staging civil relief efforts in the Qarkhoi area out of Qarkhoi International Airport, your personnel shall be made quite welcome there. I shall have our team at QIA make preparations forthwith. The people of Merina, it seems, owe you a great debt for your kindness.

Kindest regards,

Christian Atandje,
Director of the Merinan Foreign Service

[Achkaerin]

The Hummingbird aircraft made its way towards Merina airspace, accompanied by a pair of Nightingales, the Hummingbird carried the personnel involved in the humanitarian operation, the Nightingales carried the initial supply load. The man in command as far as the Achkaerinese were concerned was Lt Colonel Sebastian Brandt he sat on the plane going over his orders, fly into Quakhoi and set up for aid distribution and emergency first aid, while some groups were sent out to shepherd refugee's into the area and make sure they were appropriately cared for. Once the INS Iona Azurewind arrived on station they'd have more medical capability to go with that which they were already carrying.

However there was another operation going on here, the humanitarian aid operation was legitimate, but hiding in plain sight within the Achkaerinese personnel being sent to Merina was Elodie Gliss and the rest of the Achkaerin Special Forces Moonstone Troop, their job was officially to scout for refugees at longer range, but their real job was to try and get a look at Makeni, in particular the site of the chemical weapons attack. There was a determination in Valtheim to find out what had happened there. Elodie sighed as she glanced up from checking her equipment, she'd been reading over everything she had on the Makeni attack and didn't like the multiple options in her mind there were two possibilities as to what had happened and four possibilities as to the responsible party. She needed to at least narrow it down and be able to have a highly probably narrative based on evidence.

"Touch down in ninety minutes." Sebastian's voice called down the plane, now they entered unknown territory - what they didn't know was whether the Council of Albion would attempt to stop them.