Chapter 36: Conplan PE002

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Arlington, Virginia

President Lee took a deep breath as he walked through the hallways of the Pentagon. With the United States currently in a state of war with the Parpaldian Empire, numerous contingency plans were brought to the forefront of his priorities. Having long anticipated conflict with the arrogant and antagonistic 'superpower', Lee had ordered the Department of Defense to come up with strategies in case of war. Now that war had arrived, a single strategy had risen to prominence: blitzkrieg.

The reasoning behind this derived from the successful defeat of the Kingdom of Louria and the subsequent rumors that spread. By making the most of the United States' technological advantage, they could drastically lower the morale of the enemy, potentially turning the Parpaldian population against their own government. However, Lee wanted to avoid ground combat as much as possible, since urban warfare could lead to significant casualties, both on American troops and on local civilians.

Some personnel flowed through the hallways as information circulated the Pentagon. Although most of the Department of Defense staff took this war seriously, there was little tension due to the relatively unthreatening power level of the Parpaldian Empire. At worst, it could become a thorn in the side of the United States, but certainly not as bad as Afghanistan or any other minor conflict within the past few decades. At best, the Parpaldian Empire could turn into a subservient vassal state.

As Lee walked into Current Actions Center, he marveled at the scores of screens and other advanced instruments adorning the walls. He continued to observe the sprawling hive of activity as he continued down to the floor below, eventually joining his military leaders and advisors in a secluded meeting room. The room's occupants constituted the various chiefs of staffs, along with some of the highest ranking officials within the respective branches. Also present were several foreign policy and domestic advisors, there to help guide any strategies away from potential media disasters. No one in the room wanted a crisis that could potentially damage Lee's presidency, or any careers.

Saluting their commander in chief, everyone operated with astonishing synchronicity and rigidity — a testament to their training and experience.

"At ease," Lee responded.

Once everyone settled into their seats, Lee spoke. "Alright. Robert, what have you got?"

The burly secretary of defense cleared his throat before speaking. "Mister President," he stood up, clasping his hands behind his back. "After reviewing the intelligence collected by DIA (Defense Intelligence Agency), we've opted to proceed with conplan designated PE-002."

As he spoke, a large screen displayed the details of the aforementioned plan. A map of the Philades continent appeared, with black dots signifying major cities and red dots signifying military targets. A few of these dots were more prominent, with a large red dot appearing to the north of the Parpaldian capital of Esthirant. Other smaller targets were dispersed throughout the coastline, including the naval base at Esthirant, the bases at Duro, and a mysterious unknown located on an island between Le Brias and Esthirant.

"The Parpaldian Empire has most of their forces concentrated in three locations: the northern end of the Duro river, the southern end of the Duro river — or essentially next to the city of Duro itself, and finally there is a base situated to the north of Esthirant."

The map on the screen zoomed into the region around Esthirant, highlighting the enemy fleet and the Esthirant Base. Satellite imagery depicted the layout and topography of the region in perfect detail.

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