2017 Eastern Realms Conference

Royal Palace
June 29, 9:28AM

Prince Patrizio was sitting behind his desk, reading a white brief that described in detail, without any redactions whatsoever, what had truly happened during Operation Silver Horse. A sense of deep sadness had filled him when he finished reading, at which point he lowered the report and started at First Councillor Valerio, who was sitting across the desk, evidently eager to know what he thought. Patrizio forced a short laugh, more a throat clearing really, and gathered his thoughts.

"How are you, Marco?"

"Tired, Your Highness." Valerio clearly hesitated, before deciding not to add anything else.

"You would like to take a vacation, wouldn't you?"

"I always do. I will take one when I retire." said Valerio, smiling.

Patrizio waited a few seconds, before continuing. "This could force an early retirement, if word got out. I mean, just look at this. An infiltration this big, allowing a Sacuri to influence the government at this level, is unprecedented. Your position, difficult as it is, would become deeply untenable."

"I am sure I can handle the situation, sir. I still enjoy the confidence of the Privy Council and the Senate, and my priority remains the safety of our people. I want to continue doing my job, until absolutely necessary."

"Yes, I'm sure you do." Patrizio hesitated, weighing his options. "Just know how to read the political climate, and be sure to keep the Senate informed. I know that you have problems with some senators, over your decision to keep this report a secret."

Valerio sat back, suddenly looking years older than he was. "How right you are, Your Highness."

A Skyscraper in Chiavere
June 29, 7:21PM

Mario Arcelli remembered the first time he had been there, as he rode the lift. He had been optimistic, proud of himself for becoming an associate, one of the senior members of the organisation that had given him so much purpose during his postgraduate and early work years. His entirely outlook towards life had changed, and though his determination remained, he had oriented it towards a darker, more violent purpose. He was an Associate of the White Hand Consortium, a terrorist organisation whose sole purpose was to sow instability and fear in Sartoria, to set the ground for the establishment of a Sacuri Empire, where all would live and work for the aggrandisement of Sacur, for his exaltation and eventual liberation from the unfair prison imposed unto him by Laterana. He had done much to ensure that he would sit at the top, when such an order came upon. He had worked hard and committed unspeakable acts to rise through the ranks, converted and recruited new members to the cause, contributed with his fortune to fund the initial operations. In short, to his view, he was one of the main reasons why the Consortium was as large as it currently was.

Yet he was still an associate. A senior one, but one of many nonetheless. He had hoped that a successful end to the hostage crisis, one that followed his plan, would lead to his promotion, but it had all become a mess when those hostages rebelled and took a room. Shortly after, Valerio had ordered his military operation, and as a result, one of their key associates, who was also one of their best field agents, had been captured. Alive. As he rode the lift, he was not optimistic, not about his own future, nor that of the Consortium, should they fail to contain the problem. He was on his way to a plenary meeting, just like the one he attended that very first time, months ago, and he was going to propose a solution. A radical one, but he had a policy about desperate times.

"There he is, our saviour has finally arrived." said the voice, in an overly sarcastic tone, as he entered the room.

Mario felt the hostility in the room the moment he took his seat, the empty one, which had been moved to one end of the table, far from his usual place near the head. He ignored the person who had spoken, and address the woman, the one who led the meetings of the Consortium.

"Let us begin."

"It seems you got us into a major trouble this time, Arcelli. One of our most senior associates is currently in custody, fully identified as such, and is likely being interrogated by the Royal Eastern Security Service. Can you tell me how we should see this as anything but a total disaster?"

"Our operation succeeded. We managed to strike fear into the hearts of Sartorians, and has fatally wounded the Valerio Government. Our future operations will get us closer to our ultimate goal. All that's left to do is contain the problem, and I have the answer to that." one associate, an older man, tried to interrumpt, but Arcelli raised his voice, displaying an image of authority that he had been saving all this time. "I said I have the answer. We know that this associate is in Security Service custody, so that means they will be held in the detention centre. We will send our Rosso operative to silence them, and that will be the end of our problem. One well placed poison, an undetectable one, and that will be it."

To say that the reaction was an uproar would be an understatement. Each voice was louder than the previous one, and all were asking for Arcelli's removal. To kill a fellow associate? To directly infiltrate the Security Service during their moment of highest paranoia? To risk the identity of a highly skilled operative? Outrageous! Yet Arcelli was expecting that, and braced himself for a long night, fully confident that, in the end, they would all see that one life, even one as senior as that one, was of little consequence compared to the very survival of the Consortium.

VALERIO TO APPEAR BEFORE SENATE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE
Marta Pezzaloni

Messelia. First Councillor Valerio faces an ever increasing number of problems, as he agreed to appear before a closed session of the Senate Intelligence Committee on July 3 to account for his handling of the immediate aftermath to Operation Silver Horse.

In a reversal from the days of the hostage crisis, when public opinion was united behind the First Councillor, he is now facing sharp criticism from the Merchant Rights Association and Forward. Senator Mario Salucci (ADM) said in a recent interview in Buongiorno Gialla that "there are several efficiency and transparency questions that need to be answered", citing the time that it took for the First Councillor to authorise the military operation, and hinting at a lack of transparency with members of the Intelligence Committee, regarding any information collected following the operation. There have also been rumours of concerns by members of the Alliance for Sustainable Development, with some sources close to its leadership saying that they are evaluating their support of Mr Valerio.

Senator Fabio Basile (ASS), Chair of the Intelligence Committee, told this newspaper that it was natural for the Senate to hear from the First Councillor, following a situation like the recent hostage crisis, and insisted that ASS was not in any hurry to reconsider its support of Mr Valerio. Palazzo Malzo Correspondent Adriana Rovigatti disagreed with that assessment, proposing that Mr Valerio, who held an unscheduled meeting with the Prince this morning, was already walking on thin ice, and his upcoming testimony would be an opportunity for ASS to give itself permission to support the election of a new First Councillor.

Secure Facility from the Royal Eastern Security Service
June 30, 3:59PM

The man sighed, as he adjusted himself in the chair, and looked at the person behind the bulletproof glass.

"Let's try again, shall we?"

It was obviously not going to work, since the only reply was a spit against the glass. "You are being held on charges of Sacuri terrorism. If you think you can buy your time with defiance, you can give up that hope, because you will never leave this place. Your best hope, and only if you help us, will be a transfer to a more comfortable prison. That will be your life from now on, until your last breath. Now tell me, who leads the White Hand Consortium?"

The person behind the glass, the associate who had been apprehended during Operation Silver Horse, was supremely loyal to the cause, and would not betray it, save for one phrase:

Siamo tutti Lui, e noi siamo i suoi prescelti.