The Alliance of Dictators

Imperial Palace Complex, Vasilinople
The sounds of Vespers could be heard echoing throughout the halls as the page made his way deeper and deeper into the complex, the dimly-lit hallways making the experience more chilling as he ventured further. He had been summoned by the Emperor himself for a small audience, something that was almost unheard of on such short notice, and his nervousness was plainly visible on his face as he neared the great hall outside the Throne Room. Two richly gilded Guards stood outside the towering doors which stretched high towards the ceiling, which itself was almost invisible since there was no light that high up. The guards watched the page approach with what could be described as disdain.

"Greetings, Brothers," the page tried to say as formally as he could, even as his voice cracked slightly at the pressure.

"His Majesty is awaiting you," one guard said, tapping his long pike on the floor twice and seemingly opening the gigantic doors without touching them. The guards remained motionless as the doors swung open slowly, revealing a much brighter-lit room on the other side complete with ornate furnishings and gilded surfaces. The page gathered himself and slowly entered, his eyes immediately drawn towards the pyramid-shaped throne at the other end of the room. The structure reached up nearly fifteen feet on its own, with an additional several feet for the throne itself, which itself was nearly a full story tall itself. Situated on the throne was the Emperor himself, his blood-red robes contrasting with the gold and silver decorations all around him. Next to him on each side were two assistants, a human male and a pony female, who were like him watching the page slowly approach.

"Come forward," the Emperor's voice boomed. The page took several steps towards the throne, bowing first before kneeling and finally genuflecting as he reached the base.

"Most Gracious Majesty," he said, trying hard to keep his voice from trembling, "I have come with a message." Despite the fact that there were at least twenty feet separating him from the monarch, he could hear the Emperor's slight devious chuckle.

"As We expected," he replied, slowly standing from the throne and making his way down the stairs. His robes flowed behind him as he moved, the train nearly as long as he was tall. "We trust that they are from foreign institutions?" he asked.

"Y-yes, Sire," the page responded, trying to hold his composure as the Emperor drew closer.

"It seems that our isolation is at an end, then," the Emperor replied, now just a few steps away from the page.

"Sire?" the page dared to look up at the Emperor, for which he was greeted by a vicious glare from both assistants. The Emperor however didn't seem to pay it any mind.

"For generations our Empire has remained isolated," he began. "Focusing on internal matters in the attempt to achieve stability. We believe now it is time to look outwards to not only find allies but also to find business," he continued, circling around the page as he moved over towards a small table. The assistants both glared at the page again as they passed by before quickly reaching the table before the Emperor, giving him the book and the documents resting on it. "We do believe that expansion of our holy faith is paramount," he went on, displaying a gilded Bible with embossed letters before returning it to the male assistant, who promptly replaced it on the table. "Come," the Emperor beckoned to the page, who carefully avoided eye contact with him as he approached.

"Yes, Sire?" he asked.

"This is a proclamation," the Emperor showed the page the document, which like the Bible was richly embossed and had both the Emperor's signature and seal on it. "We are entrusting you to see that it is promulgated to the corners of the Empire, announcing the opening of our borders and businesses."

"You want me to...?" The page began.

"You will see to it that the Kanikleios receives it within the day. He will ensure it is copied and published," the Emperor said, almost in a snapping tone. The unicorn mare's horn lit up as the Emperor offered it to her, and a moment later the document was nearly rolled up and tied with a red-gold ribbon. She then offered it to the page, who after a moment of inspection took it.

"I will deliver this without delay, My Lord," the page said, kneeling again before the Emperor.

"Good. Now then...away," he gave a dismissive wave of his hand, and as if on cue the two assistants advanced towards the page, ensuring he left as quickly as possible. The man needed no assistance as he immediately backed up as fast as he could, remembering at the last second to avoid turning his back to the Emperor, before he went back through the doors. The Emperor waited a few moments before turning to the assistants again. "We wish to return to Vespers," he told them. Both nodded and dutifully followed behind him as he made his way out of the throne room and into the darker halls of the palace to rejoin the evening prayers.

A PROCLAMATION GIVEN BY THE HAND OF ANDRONIKOS V, 28/11/7530AM

WHEREAS WE WISH TO ENSURE THE PROSELYTIZING OF THE HOLY FAITH TO THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD OUTSIDE THE BORDERS OF THE HOLY EMPIRE,

WHEREAS WE DESIRE TO ENRICH THE LIVES OF THE COMMON PEOPLE IN PARTAKING IN TRADE AND COMMERCIAL EXCHANGE FOR THE PURPOSES OF ENRICHMENT,

WHEREAS THE HOLY EMPIRE HAS SPENT CENTURIES IN ISOLATION,

WHEREAS WE DESIRE TO BECOME INVOLVED IN INTERNATIONAL POLITICS,

WE THEREBY ISSUE THE FOLLOWING PROCLAMATION:

ALL NATIONS THAT SO WISH MAY SUBMIT APPLICATIONS TO ESTABLISH DIPLOMATIC AND COMMERCIAL RELATIONS

ALL NATIONS THAT SO WISH MAY REQUEST THE HOLY FAITH'S CLERGY TO PROSELYTIZE WITHIN THEIR BORDERS

ALL NATIONS THAT SO WISH SHALL BE GRANTED PERMISSION TO ESTABLISH BUSINESSES WITHIN THE HOLY EMPIRE

ALL NATIONS MAY SUBMIT TREATIES OF ALLIANCE TO OUR HAND FOR CONSIDERATION;

GIVEN UNDER OUR HAND ON 28 NOVEMBER 7530 AM

Andronikos V, Autokrator

Sanctuary Point wrote:

“Yes, and heresy is accordingly dealt with execution. A trial gives them nothing but time, time to plot, to scheme, to sow their poisonous, treasonous words into the minds of good, Sister-Fearing ponies and corrupt them.” The Governor-Colonel practically snarled her words as she stomped on her desk. “I saw my world destroyed by cultists such as these and Sisters as my witnesses, I will be damned before I let it happen again here.”
Black watched as Shield moved closer to Pearlescent, apparently wary of his mother though he was mildly concerned too. “I don’t know what your father might have told you but Chaos is not something to be trifled with.” He raised an eyebrow at his mother as she kept speaking, there’d been no mention of the Great Enemy having any presence on this world yet.

Pearlescent looked mildly surprised. For now she was glad about her civilian status that allowed her a degree of autonomy from the Colonel Commander's direct military authority, although she realized she'd better not to overstep her boundaries. The Pony before her had almost certainly seen entire worlds burned to the bedrock after all.

"Chaos?" she said, briefly glancing in Black's direction for guidance or reassurance. She noticed that he too looked somewhat surprised by Maple's outburst. "I don't think the 'Great Enemy' you fought in your home dimension is involved here at all. Publicly, the Way of the Old Masters is about individual mastery and betterment of the self... Based on what I saw... and what we all felt when Father tried to stop us during our flight back to orbit, the Way's hidden practices involve the exploitation and murder of others for those same ends, but do we have any evidence at all that the Chaos spirits from your world are involved? The cultists probably aren't Ponies corrupted by some external beings with promises of power or pleasure. I'm afraid they are just Ponies taken over by their own inner darker side because they had the opportunity to increase their own power at the expense of others. In Princess Celestia's times they would have been called 'criminals' and dealt with accordingly. They should still be called criminals and dealt with accordingly."

"I realize nopony asked for my opinion," Shield said, "but I believe I should offer it anyway... I believe Miss P... Mystic Wind is correct in her assumption that publicly exposing the crimes of the cultists and then using the very same legal system they themselves have nominally maintained all these years would go a long way showing the oppressed commoners that there is justice in the Imperium yet. If you just hunt down and kill them, you're going to create martyrs. As an Earth Pony who has spent his entire adult life as someone's slave and seen the injustices of Imperatrix Twilight's regime firsthoof, I can assert that I would prefer to see the return of a proper, just and fair legal system rather than see it swapped with another just as brutal system that simply happens to persecute my former oppressors for a change."

Sanctuary Point wrote:

“The ponies of Clan Kicker start training at four and will continue to do so for the rest of their lives though they begin their service and enter The Nearós Fýlakas at twelve, what you might refer to as a reserve company.” Alula informed Rainbow as they passed under a bridge letting an Earth Pony and Unicorn couple cross the air canal. “There’s a squad of them down the way.” She gestured to a dozen or so foals ahead on their left marching on or flying next to the sidewalk, armoured like the guards Rainbow had met at the gate and lead by one of the older colts who stopped their patrol to salute. “Chaíre Materfamilias.”
“Chaíre Nearós.”

Alula gave the guard a scathing look herself. “Every Elysian residing with in the city is a Kicker, my family. I don’t know how you treat your cousins but I don’t make mine live elsewhere because of an inconvenience.” She made a sweep of her foreleg, indicating the metal sidewalks. “Thunder-forged steel forms the base of New Elysium, giving our unwinged relative purchase in the clouds.”

"Can we stop for a moment? I would like speak with some of those foals," Rainbow said, nodding towards the squad they were just about to pass.

During the chaotic early years of Imperatrix Twilight's reign she had been personally in charge of training young Pegasus foals to serve as the future soldiers of the Imperium. (Then known as the Ponyist Principality.) Rainbow didn't have any illusions about those times. She realized now as she had known back then that Twilight had been just another warlord trying to wrestle control of the devastated Equestrian territories from her rivals. Rainbow had stayed with Twilight because she was her friend but she had always known that some of the things they did were morally questionable or just plain wrong. Twilight had assured her that it was all for the greater good. Rainbow had believed her back then. Now she wasn't quite so sure. She wanted to see if these little Novumequine soldiers were any different from the traumatized but unquestionably loyal colts and fillies she had sculpted into the first generation of Shadowbolt Elite Guards, Aerial Warriors of the Imperial Airfleet or the brutal Enforcers of the new caste system.

Caryton to involve itself in the Talarus Conflict

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjQBPkLBb5Y

Reverend Lauren Ruff, a spokesperson for the Gospel Church of Caryton, had been in the middle of an address to the worldwide faithful in regards to the situation unfurling in The Eurasian Steppes. On the response of the Spiritual Republic of Caryton, she had this to say:

"First and foremost, it is our duty to help these [the Democratic Rushiyen Federation] people. The Gospel Church of Caryton will provide humanitarian aid to any faction's civilians at its request including trained staff, a surplus of foodstuffs, and labor resources to rebuild after the conflict is over. Furthermore, assuming these refugees desire to live Christlike lives and convert to the Gospel Church of Caryton, we will be more than willing to provide amnesty and fast-tracked citizenship to the most afflicted, endangered, and destitute. Golden fields of oats and a family-like community of Christians await you in your new home.

Secondly, it is the priority of our people to ensure the souls of the afflicted are saved. It is an imperative duty of all mortals to sing the songs of Jesus Christ to lift the spirits of those immersed in chaos and threatened by death. Effective immediately, I call all Carytonic citizens who volunteer it to enter the warscape to carry out their own duty wherever they please, at their own risk. Be missionaries of the Gospel Church of Caryton, inspire the masses with stories of Christ, stories of Cary. Be sensible, and do not irritate or alert the fascists and communist authorities. Preserve your lives, and preserve the lives of those who save-- be they mortal or eternal. We will build chapels of the Gospel Church of Caryton in democratic zones, and we will contribute to stabilizing the lives of as many as possible.

Our third and final priority is restoring democracy in the Eurasian Steppes. The government of Caryton will spare no expense in ensuring that the democrats are capable of continuing the fight. We will allow allied ships from Artarum, Zhongwangguo, and Umbraen to dock and re-supply in our various isles in Carynesia. We will contribute assets from our air-force to support our friends. We will contribute naval assets to station troops and ensure the safety of our allies' seas. Caryton will pour as much money as it takes to ensure democratic success. Thank you."

Almost immediately after the speech, several large transport planes and cargo ships containing massive swaths of humanitarian goods under the brand of the Gospel Church of Caryton would be dispatched to the territories, stopping at Carynesia to rest along the way. Tens of thousands of Carytonic crowded in Georgine's central airport-- both formal missionaries of the GCC and volunteer evangelists-- to receive their telling yellow missionary vests, Cary The Golden Retriever nametags, and supplies. From all over the rural country, missionaries are expected to pour into the steppes as early as tomorrow. Translation goods and staff would be purchased en masse from Artarum and similarly advanced countries. The Trinity Broadcasting Radio of Caryton would also direct its hopeful broadcasts to the afflicted regions.

In a clandestine deal, the Ordained Combined Forces of the Spiritual Republic of Caryton would purchase from Artarum camouflage kits that suited the Steppes. The 1st South Responsive Fleet would launch from Carynesia's northernmost island. It would comprise of the following:

1 Flagship
-> The SCRS "Gideon"
2 Haskell-class attack transport ships (carrying a total of 2,500 marines and 500 SOF, with landing craft for an amphibious assault if needed)
-> The SRCS "Leapfrog" and the SRCS "Lilypad"
1 Avenger-class Mine Countermeasure Ship
-> The SRCS "Eden"
3 Iowa-class Battleships
-> The SCRS "Marley", "Georgine", and "Rainfall City"
10 escort ships, from PT boats to similar escort ships for anti-ship and anti-air purposes

The fleet would head towards the nearest friendly dock to dispatch the troops and secure the waters, assuming their journey was uncontested.

As for the air detail, approximately 30 F-11 fighters, 2 B-2 Bombers, and 7 A-10 Warthogs would be dispatched to help Umbraen get air superiority in their designated areas.

Imperial News Network

Defence Minister Schalk Vorster welcomes Carytonic participation in International Peacekeeping Coalition, argues for the establishment of a unified command structure; Foreign Secretary Matthew Herzog calls for a meeting of International Peackeeping Coalition participants

LIUDAN — Defence Minister Schalk Vorster commented on Spiritual Republic of Caryton's entrance into the intervention to assist the Democratic Rushen Federation following a chemical gas attack, praising Caryton for its moral stance, and referred to Caryton as "being on the right side of history". Following these statements, Mr Vorster also called upon Caryton to join the International Peacekeeping Coalition in order to better co-ordinate military, economic, and political efforts on the ground. In addition, Mr Vorster called to Umbraen and Zhongwangguo to start the realisation of a common command structure for the IPC forces deployed in The Eurasian Steppes, in order to "allow efficient communications, asset deployments, allow meaningful and effective communications with Democratic Rushen Federation forces, and prevent friendly fire incidents which may be caused by lack of effective communication". He underlined the importance of a common command structure, as "military and practical realities on the ground necessitate urgent and effective action on behalf of the Democratic Rushen Federation".

Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary Matthew Herzog also called upon Artarum's partners in the International Peacekeeping Coalition and the Democratic Rushen Federation for a summit in Liudan. Mr Herzog stated that "the Artarumen Empire recognises the fact that the forces involved in the peacekeeping operation have different priorities, and therefore, a summit to meet on a common ground agreeable to the Democratic Rushen Federation is of utmost importance", and "it is of crucial importance to ensure that the large amount of participants in the coalition does not become a liability for the Democratic Rushen Federation". Asked about Caryton's proselytisation efforts in the Democratic Rushen Federation, Mr Herzog voiced his concern and stated that "the Government would prefer if no proselytisation occurs in foreign countries, but ultimately, it is a matter of relations between the Democratic Rushen Federation and Caryton itself, and not an Artarumen issue".

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