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2017 Eastern Realms Conference

#21

Palazzo Malzo
June 25, 8:47PM


Director Bove was walked at a rather fast pace, certainly faster than that of the military aide who was supposed to escort her to her destination. She was going to an underground facility, a few stories below the Palazzo Malzo. Its existence was not classified, though it was rarely discussed with the public, since the topic would only come up when discussing issues that were themselves classified. She finally reached a discreet door, to the right side of the end of a hallway, and waited for the military aide to catch up. When he did, he put his thumb on the scanner and introduced the clearance code, both necessary in order to open the door. They found themselves at the beginning of a short hallway, at the end of which were two lifts and a cement staircase. They went down through the staricase, lit by potent lights on the ceiling, until they reached a rather large door, its considerable thickness evident just by looking at it.

This time the aide stood by her side, his back against the wall, as she placed her own thumb and introduced the clearance code. As the door opened, she nodded at the aide and entered the room, hearing as the heavy door closed and locked behind her. She was now deep below even the basements of the Palazzo, inside a facility whose actual classified name was irrelevant, since it was mostly known was The Cell. It was a secure command and communications centre, its access limited only to essential staff and high officials, built to withstand all kinds of attacks. It was said that this was the place to which the First Councillor would be evacuated, in case of a direct attack on the Palazzo, which was of little surprise, since The Cell had been built shortly after the Third Sacuri War, in response to a large scale attack in Messelia.

She was greeted by another military aide, a higher ranking officer, who led her to the main conference room, where most members of the Internal Security Committee were already present. After excusing her lateness, she took her seat, then nodded at First Councillor Valerio, who nodded at her to begin.

"Sir, at approximately 20:15 tonight, our forces in the Hotel Molliero detected activity on the floor that is under the control of the Consortium. In particular, we recorded sounds of an altercation and gunshots that suggest at a confrontation in the Claudio II Room between a certain number of hostages, possibly as many as 15, and the Sacuri who are holding them. Based on what cameras and imaging technology allowed us to see, we believe that these hostages rebelled against the Sacuri, killing some and taking their weapons. They seem to be barricaded inside the Claudio II Room, resisting attempts by the Sacuri to gain access."

Valerio listened attentively, then asked the obvious question. "What are our options?"

"First Councillor, it is the belief of Carabinieri Command that the time has come to forcibly liberate the hostages, and bring the Sacuri to justice. Our efforts to contact the Sacuri or surreptitiously rescue the hostages have failed, and it has become obvious to us that there will way to mitigate risks, save acting while we still have the element of surprise."

"Right..." Valerio nodded, leaning back on his chair, weighing his options. "Elena, what do you think?"

"First Councillor, I must concur with Director Bove." said Elena Tosi. "At this point, we know that they have no intention of negotiating -not that negotiation was truly on our table anyway-, and a surreptitious rescue has been ruled out; that leaves a forcible entry, which the Carabinieri are equipped to handle, with support from the Army. I believe acting now, rather than delaying the inevitable, would be in our best interest."

"We are talking about Operation Silver Horse, are we not?"

"We are."

"Alright. I remember the briefing we have on this." he paused, choosing his words carefully. "I want us to have a full review of this in half an hour. We will go over the plan and ensure that all details are good, that we won't unnecessarily endanger our people. In the meantime, give the order for the joint team to begin preparing for the operation, in case I approve it."

#22

Royal Palace
June 26, 7:15AM


Patrizio was up at 06:30, like usual. He had showered quickly, then gone back to bed with his wife to watch another episode of the science fiction series that had him at the edge of his seat, munching a toast with butter and strawberry jelly, a glass of water on his nightstand. He was a hard working man, but in the years since he election, he had come to learn that it was on him to make free time, and eventually he had decided to split it between the early morning and the evening. Each morning he repeated that ritual, and while he varied it during the evening, he always made time to solve some crosswords with his wife, perhaps even have dinner out together.

Serving as Prince for the past 14 years had been, and still was, the privilege of a lifetime, but he was very much looking forward to his retirement next year. He thought of resuming his mountain climbing and trekking, a life without the duty to personify an entire nation, the liberty to set his own goals and live his own life, and particularly the absence of sensitive calls like the one he was receiving.

"Sir, First Councillor Valerio for you on the secure line."

He thanked his aide, telling him that he would take the call on his adjacent office, the one he kept next to his bedroom, for minor duties that didn't need him to be in his actual office. He picked up the phone, pressed the secure button, and talked.

"Buongiorno, First Councillor. It's rather early, I'm hoping you come with good news?"

"Sir, my apologies, I know the timing of this call is unorthodox, but the situation merits it. I am calling to inform you that early this morning, following careful review with the Internal Security Committee, I authorised the Carabinieri and the Army to carry out an operation to rescue the hostages and neutralise their captors. They are currently undergoing final training procedures, and will commence operations tonight at 06:35PM."

"I'm happy to hear that, First Councillor. I will make sure to send my personal regards to those in that joint team, and I would also like to attend the meeting of the Committee tonight, as the operation is carried out."

"Absolutely, sir. I will expect you at the Palazzo tonight."

"Thank you, and Marco?"

"Sir?"

"Good luck."

He hung up, and decided to skip his show that morning. He wanted to visit the officers and soldiers who would participate in the operation, and wish them the best. They were going to need it.

#23

The Cell
June 26, 06:30PM


As military and civilian staff typed with incredible speed, all eyes fixed on their computer screens, the mood at the main conference room in The Cell was one of uneasy calm. Some officials, mainly those with a direct responsibility for the impending operation, talked in hushed voices, either among themselves or with nearby aides, coordinating the event and ensuring that all still going according to plan. Others remained at their seats or opted to pace around the room, confined to their own thoughts or reading the latest report on the situation. Conspicuous by their absence were Prince Patrizio and First Councillor Valerio, who were in an adjacent room, giving some last words of confidence to the team commander.

They entered the room together a few seconds after, and took their seats at the table. It did not escape notice from those present that they were both wearing Sartorian colours, namely a soft blue shirt with a blue and red stripped tie. As soon as they took their seats, the main screen turned on, showing a view of the stairs at the Hotel Molliero, from where the team would access the blocked third floor. A hushed voice was heard in the room:

"First Councillor, permission to proceed."

Briefly glancing at the Prince, who nodded, Valerio leaned forward to the speaker and responded:

"Captain, you have permission to proceed. On behalf of myself and everyone here, good luck."

They knew that the video feed would remain there, facing the stairs to the third floor, meaning that their only way to experience the operation would be through the radio, listening to the few interactions that the members of the team would have, while executing Silver Horse. One soldier -or was it a Carabinieri?- could be seen walking up the stairs, in full body armour, then a second and a third, until the full team was at the centre of the video feed, preparing themselves to force the doors open. All it took was a few hand signals for one of them to move forward, as the rest retreated, place something on the door and step back too. A few seconds after, and following a small explosion, the door was wide open, whatever lay beyond it too dark to distinguish, at least through the video feed.

Valerio swallowed, as he saw, from his perfectly safe seat in The Cell, hundreds of kilometres away, the soldiers venture into the dark hall, soon after disappearing from view.

#24

The Cell
June 26, 06:38PM


Prince Patrizio sat impassively as he heard the operation unfold, briefly remembering how different the current environment was, compared to earlier in the afternoon. As promised, he had visited the members of the strike team, while they were on their day break before the operation. He had talked with each and had lunch with them in the mess hall, treating them like lifelong friends, sharing joke after joke, inquiring about their families and hobbies, trying to put them at ease. He had had a fantastic afternoon, and eventually thanked them for their service, and wished them good luck with the operation later in the day.

He heard as the team advanced through the floor, facing Sacuri at every turn, yet quickly disposing them; breaching the doors of the conference rooms, and securing each group of hostages. It surprised him just how quiet the whole operation was. He had expected a firefight, and sure enough one had taken place, but he had also pictured screams, soldiers yelling orders. Instead, the soldiers used hand signs and, when absolutely necessary, hushed voices. Most screams came from the Sacuri and the hostages, and eventually, as the team kept advancing, only from the hostages.

"Mariani!"

That cry startled him, same as everyone in the room. Patrizio heard some shoots, some moving by the soldiers, and then an analistic scream, the sound of a desperate maniac, a Sacuri who was trying to fight back against a superior foe. Yet this one was different. While the Sacuri had fought against the team, many had eventually surrendered, preferring to live, rather than face what the imaginary wrath of Sacur. Instead, this Sacuri was fighting back all on their own, despite the fact that there was no visible path to victory for them. As the Sacuri could be heard being apprehended, likely after being shot at least once, Patrizio saw Valerio lean towards Chief Rinaldi and whisper something to his ear, after which the Chief nodded and left the table, heading towards the staff desks at the back.

Before soon, it was mostly over. Rather than the grandiose battle that he had subconsciously expected, it had been a mostly quiet and quick operation, yet highly efficient, as was expected from the Carabinieri and the Army. They had completed their mission.

"Cell Command, this is Tosetti. Location is secure, and all hostiles have been apprehended or terminated. Two hostages will need urgent medical attention. I uh...there is a matter here that might require a white brief."

For the second time in the past few minutes, Patrizio saw Valerio's expression darken, and he began to suspect that, even despite their victory, something terribly wrong had happened.

#25

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June 26

#26

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LaBuonaNotte con Antonio Pettinolla is a nightly talk show hosted by reputed journalist and television host Antonio Pettinolla. It premiered on 14 March 2007, and since then has become one of the most highly rated shows in the late night slot, and one of the most highly respected political and science interview shows. It has been lauded for addressing complex and relevant issues in a way that is accessible to the general public, earning the Giovanni Salucci Award for Science Education and multiple categories in the AST Awards, including Best Interview Show.

Opening Monologue
June 26


Buonasera a tutti! I want to welcome you all to LaBuonaNotte, particularly tonight, when we finally have growing reasons to be optimistic. As you probably already know, earlier tonight the Carabinieri stormed the third floor of the Hotel Molliero, where Sacuri were holding Second Councillor Francesco Sciarra, all Eastern Governors and several other attendants to the Eastern Realms Conference.

While details are still coming in, we know that the operation began at approximately 18:35, when officers from the Carabinieri Special Forces forced the doors to the third floor open, soon after engaging in a fierce gunfight with the Sacuri, most of whom were supposedly killed in the confrontation. This comes as a surprise to most, since the rumours coming from the Palazzo Malzo were of attempts to secure the peaceful release of the hostages, not that there will be much criticism for the operation, given public opinion towards the Sacuri; a recent poll by Chierana University had their popularity at an unsurprising 0%, while an astounding 78% believed that the Sacuri ban should be strengthened.

Thus far, there has been no official information on the condition of the hostages, particularly whether any were killed during the past week or the recent confrontation. We know that at least 6 hostages were killed during the initial takeover, thanks to the Ups posted by Antonio Perano, though it is unknown who those hostages were. We are still waiting for a reply from Carabinieri Headquarters to our query on the condition of Second Councillor Sciarra. Based on images of emergency medical teams racing into the hotel, minutes after the fight ended, it seems that either an officer or a hostage were hurt, though again, there has been no official confirmation, nor have any hostages been seen leaving the hotel.

Praise has been abundant across the political spectrum, from the Progressives to the Merchants, and even Forward offered a restrained congratulations to the First Councillor, though it noted that the operation should have been conducted sooner. First Councillor Valerio himself is yet to deliver a much expected address, which the Palazzo said will happen at some point during the night. I must warn you then, that our show might be interrupted at any moment, if the address starts while we are still talking with our panel.

In any case, this is an exciting new development, and I'm sure there will be much to discuss in the coming days. To start that discussion, our first guest of the night is a military history professor at the University of East Messelia and the Chair of the Futures Scholarship Programme, Dr Adelina Raneri!

#27

From: Paolo Alfredi [[email protected]]
To: Marta Pezzaloni [[email protected]]
Date: 27 June 2017 at 11:53
Subject: [Information Request] Condition of Rescued Hostages and Identity of Attackers

----

Dear Ms Pezzaloni,

In response to your request for access to the information on the current condition of the hostages rescued in the course of Operation Silver Horse, and the identities of the attackers subdued as a result of the former, I regret to inform you that it has been denied, due to reasons of national security.

I remain at your disposal should you require any further information, and restate the profound commitment of the Corpo dei Carabinieri to the continued existence of a free and empowered media.

Yours sincerely,

Paolo Alfredi
Office of Media Outreach
Corpo dei Carabinieri

#28

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Buongiorno Gialla (BGG) is a morning news show that has been broadcast by STG since 1987. Its anchors since 2011 have been Tania Machetti and Giacomo Vacca. Based from Città Gialla, it reports on events from all around Sartoria, with a focus on Giaroni and the Northern Realms. It is consistently the highest rated morning news show in the Northern Realms. It is well known for its investigative journalism, having received multiple accolades through the years, and its crew has won the AST Award in the category of Best Investigative Journalism, consecutively since 2013.

It has broadcast live every day, since the hostage crisis began.


Transcript from a Segment on the Aftermath of the Hostage Crisis
June 27, 11:57AM


Tania Machetti: In other news, an increasing number of news outlets are criticising the unusually secretive attitude with which the Carabinieri are handling all information regarding the condition of the former hostages and the Sacuri who remain alive. While it has been less than a day since so-called Operation Silver Horse, which led to the conclusion of the protracted hostage crisis, there is a growing feeling that information of key importance to the public is being kept classified. We have confirmation that at least 17 newspapers and 8 television stations have been denied information on the medical condition of the hostages, including how many were successfully rescued. A similar number was denied information on the number of Sacuri who were apprehended alive. As things stand, we have little information on what truly happened, and even less information of how well the operation resulted, including the condition of such high level officials as Second Councillor Sciarra and the Eastern Governors.

Giacomo, you have worked as a correspondent to the Palazzo Malzo. Is this secretive attitude normal?

Giacomo Vacca: It is highly unusual, Tania. I must also add that First Councillor Valerio was scheduled to deliver a statement yesterday evening, a statement that never took place. While the official justification is that the First Councillor opted to meet with the hostages, a senior official close to the Palazzo Malzo says that Mr Valerio remained in the underground operations centre most of the night. This is casting doubts over what was initially a well received operation, with some Merchant and Forward senators already questioning the need for this level of secrecy.

In fact, I'm receiving word right now that Marta Pezzaloni, Senior Political Correspondent at the Messelia Gazzette, has been denied her request for information on the hostages and the attackers. This marks the 26th denial in the past few hours, an unprecedented rate by any standard. I feel the need to stress the fact that my use of the word 'unprecedented' is not a hyperbole or a figure of speech. If I'm correct, the previous record for most information requests denied in this same period was of 3, during the Laminia Riots over 40 years ago. There is no point of comparison for the current situation.

Machetti: We will have to see how this situation unfolds, particularly if any information is provided as the week progresses. With that said, that will be all until tomorrow. Thank you for joining us this morning, in Buongiorno Gialla. Have a great day!

#29

Giacomo Mariollo Office Building
June 28, 11:48AM


One of four buildings to house senators and their staff, the Mariollo Office Building was the most recent to be built, having been opened in 2013, yet it was also the best equipped to serve the needs of the Senate in the 21st century. It boasted state of the art technology and facilities, including press briefing rooms and well connected office and session rooms. In addition, its fourth floor was almost entirely devoted to amenities and recreation, featuring a food court, sports facilities and an indoors relaxation garden, among others. It was due to this that only senior senators were given the privilege of working from the Mariollo Office Building, and more junior senators competed for the right to an office there.

As a senior senator from the Merchant Rights Association, Mario Salucci had had his office there from the very beginning, an office that, given his high standing and several committees, was considerably large and well equipped for his entire staff. Yet this meeting was not supposed to be in his office; in truth, he was making the walk to the office of senator Basile, his colleague at the Intelligence Committee, to discuss a concerning fact about the briefing they had received, regarding Operation Silver Horse. He reached the large wooden door and gently pushed it -Basile preferred that as opposed to knocking-, entering the outer office, where the receiving staff worked.

"Martino, how are you?"

"I can't complain sir, though it has been a hectic morning."

"You don't need to tell me about it." Salucci smiled. He was on friendly terms with Basile's staff, who were among the most professional and hard working in the Senate. "Is here in there?"

"Yes, the senator is ready to receive you."

"Fantastic. We'll talk later then, Martino. Enjoy the day."

He entered the inner office, and then gently pushed the door to the senator's actual office. Standing behind his desk, Fabio Basile was reading a newspaper, while holding a red leather-bound file in his hand. He raised his sight when he heard Salucci enter the room, and then Salucci saw him scowl, not at him, but at the reason that had prompted this meeting.

"I'm not pleased, Mario."

"I know."

"This is a red brief, and a heavily redacted one at that. They have redacted identities, financial information, hostage conditions, among a multitude of other things. This is not the kind of brief that is given to the leadership of the Senate Intelligence Committee."

"Have you filed an information request before the Palazzo?"

"I have, earlier this morning." he searched for something in his desk drawer, a piece of paper, which he held in his hand for Salucci to see. "It was denied less than an hour ago. Some nonsense about national security."

"What happened in The Cell?"

"All that we saw in there made its way to the report. It's the rest that's missing. I know for a fact that a Sacuri was apprehended near the end of the operation, I heard the soldiers take them. This report starts to mention that, but the rest is redacted, so we have no clue as to who it was, where they are and what will happen to them. I saw Valerio's face, when he heard that Sacuri's screams; he was pale, as if he was listening to a horror story, and not a minute after, Rinaldi was on his feet, coordinating something that Valerio had asked. I'm telling you, Mario, there is something wrong here, and it's being kept from us."

"What do you plan to do then?"

"I could use your help with this."

Salucci nodded, the implication clear. "We can call a closed session tomorrow, and have a vote to demand the unredacted report. I can whip the votes on my side."

#30

Paolo Belleroni Hospital
June 28, 4:23PM


It was meant to be a discreet affair, but that did not keep the Carabinieri from implementing extensive security measures, far beyond anything that had been standard prior to the hostage crisis. This involved a large display of vehicles and officers outside the hospital, an extensive review of the building itself and the sealing off of the entire floor. Valerio watched with a mix of admiration and sadness as the officers did their job, and as he walked the empty hall, his wife by his side and officers following closely behind, he wondered whether this was a temporary escalation, or a sign of changing times. He hoped to nature that it would be the former.

He reached Room 394, whose door was already open, an officer standing by it, and entered.

"First Councillor. It's so good to see you all in one piece."

"Francesco" said Valerio to the Second Councillor. ", it's good to see you in one piece. You have no idea how much I hoped that we could get you alive and well, all things considered. Vittoria and I were so worried, once the operation finished and we knew little about you."

Sciarra smiled, wincing slightly, then adjusting himself in the bed. "Doctors says I'll survive, hysically at least. I woke up today half-panicked, thinking I was in for some torture, so I think I'll have some therapy to do moving forward."

They stood there for a few seconds, no words spoken, until Sciarra looks sideways, as if looking for something. "How is Marzia, by the way? I've been asking everyone, but they all say they haven't been informed."

Valerio dropped his smile, same with his wife, and he stepped forward, sitting on Sciarra's bed. "Francesco, I have to be honest with you. There were risks to this operation, one of them being that the Sacuri would try to execute hostages if they saw us coming in, and...well, I'm so sorry, but Marzia was caught in the crossfire."

If Valerio said anything else, Sciarra didn't hear it; he barely heard anything else, aside from his heartbeat, and those words over and over again: "she was caught in the crossfire". Marzia, his partner for more than 19 years, was gone. Not just for the day, away on a business trip, gone on vacation, but gone for good. He was never going to see her again, hold her again, feel her hair against his ears, wish her a good day as each left for work, dance with her on a Friday night. He felt numb, and for the first time in years, he felt empty.




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