Churning The Maelstrom

[Beatrice]

Brigadier General Aroeris had good reason to be awake at this hour; the executions of General Amersis and Admiral Pra-en-amen, along with several officers, was an unexpected move of Beketaten and a clear message that she knew. That he had evaded her suspicions was fortunate, he never maintained particularly close links to those who had been executed, however, the circle would be tightening if another round of executions were to take place. They didn't expect this progress from Beketaten once her father and brother had been eliminated, indeed, it was expected for her to fall in line. She would have been rewarded for her cooperation, allowed to live as a figurehead, but that path was now sealed off. The collision course had been all but determined.

"We've waited too long, and the longer we wait she grows stronger, consolidating her grip over the People and wooing the Tamorans. If she builds links with Royal Seleucid and the Soters, our position becomes almost certainly untenable. She's stoking feelings across Midaranye and is not shy at showing her disdain for the current world order; as we've seen in Tamora, she's winning hearts and minds at home and abroad. With each day that passes, she gains thousands of new allies. We've even the visit of Prince Naser to contend with, and now her departure to the Elysium Economic Forum," General Tabari lamented.

"Driving a wedge between her and the Tamorans is our immediate concern, the Soters aren't even in the picture yet," Aroeris said, "the Tamorans are the most immediate threat. We've still hooks in several of the militias, we'll use them to incite the situation to our favour. This Pharaoh sees us embracing the feral dogs that overran Abydos just as strongly as the slave drivers of Tamora; we'll start with graffiti and intimidation. Show the Tamorans that Clysperis is not as enamoured by Tamora and its faiths as Beketaten is. Perhaps beat a few Manists; drag them from the warmth of their bed into the street, worry not if any bones are broken. Hell if the opportunity presents itself a 'shot across the bow' toward that Prince could be considered, but we'll wait and see if that's necessary."

"And if that doesn't derail her?"

"Then we'll send them a message they can't so easily ignore," Aroeris said with a grin, pointing as with a gun to a picture of a minaret which had become a focal feature of the skyline of Nebpi.

[Beatrice]

"It is in motion then, our master stroke," Aroeris said as he received word that the Pharaoh was en route back to Clysperis. "While I had wished we wouldn't have to spill yet more royal blood she has forced my hand," he continued. "Inviting Tamoran troops to be based on Clysperi soil, we've all seen her growing ties to Djerb and, fate willing, we'll be able to salvage the situation before she is in a position we aren't able to touch." As he spoke a live video feed from the camera hidden on the flight attendant played behind them as she passed out drinks, "Goodnight Beketaten, say hello to the gods for us," Aroeris said mockingly.

He hadn't planned on Prince Naser being aboard, but that development too could be a hidden gift. "We were thinking of how to bring the Tamorans on board with the new Clysperis, what better way than this joint tragedy? The Royal Clysperi plane, bringing our Pharaoh and their Prince to Clysperis, brought down by Soviet sympathizers? No, a jealous Abydos looking at the relationship between Tamora and Clysperis, thrown into such a desperate rage that they take from us our Pharaoh and from Tamora, their Prince. Naturally the news can't break too soon," he said as he looked over a handful of stories that had been prepared for release, "the People will need time to process this development. I will be there to console them, to help them find the path forward from this horrible tragedy."

Some time later the video behind him showed the sky and the pilot, who gave her the 'thumbs up' as they descended from the plane. "Await confirmation that the plane is down, then we'll start pushing coverage through CSMC. We'll play nicely with the Vizier for now, he's a man who's acquired a useful skill set through his long years and I'd rather see such people utilized in the new Clysperis rather than thrown away so wastefully. Perhaps," Aroeris paused in thought, "He could be compensated, given the title Pharaoh, full control over one of the state petroleum companies as well to further sweeten the arrangement?"

"Regardless of what we decide, today a new Clysperis is born."