The Big Ones

Chapter Five: Showdown in the East Parpaldian Sea

War Room, Great General Staff Building, Esthirant, Parpaldian Empire

"With 100 Lightning model slidercars, Union Slider can lift 126000 soldiers with gear from Esthirant to the Riem border in a week," said Gromel Huxet.

"That is another army added to the front," observed Chancellor Lupasa.

Everyone in the war room watched as a military aide pushed a wooden rectangular black block representing a field army from Esthirant across the table to the Parpaldia's north-eastern border. The block joined four other such blocks facing against a blue block on the other side of the border.

Lupasa continued, "Combined with the armies to be mustered at the border and those arriving from other lines, we'll have five field armies at the border ready to invade Riem and finally resolve the Schiem-Hoffan Question on our terms, Your Imperial Majesty. The time for transportation will be faster than the time we take to mobilize. The Riemans don't have slider lines directly to the border, so they'll be forced to send reinforcements by marching or by ship, which will arrive too late."

Emperor Ludius I stroked his greying beard as he eyed the blue star-shaped blocks supporting the rectangular blue block. "At a ratio of five to one our attack can be expected to overcome even the star forts of Riem. Is this correct, Chancellor?"

Lupasa nodded. "Yes, Your Imperial Majesty. We do want a five to one advantage to attack fortified positions. This is not even accounting for the naval landings we'll make with the Imperial Marines to capture their ports and coastal defences and thus remove their nearest fleet transport capability."

The Emperor looked at the diamond-shaped black blocks dwarfing the opposing fleet located on the right side of the table and nodded. "So the matter will be settled. Once the remaining gaps in the slider network are complete and the armies are fully equipped by mid-spring of 1640, we'll have a war. The last question to answer the Question then, Chancellor, is how should we formally justify to the world at large what we know to be the liberation of our fellow Parpaldians in Hoffan. I've been informed that you now have an answer."

Lupasa smiled as the officers and titans of industry all looked at him with the Emperor. He had spent many hours on the Question since the last king of Riem died without a direct heir, leaving an anti-Parpaldian nephew to take the Rieman throne in a disputed succession. When he finally thought of the answer while enjoying afternoon tea about a week ago, he immediately sent a spell-locked crystal message to the Emperor. Today, he will reveal his reasoning for the first time.

"The Treaty of 1612 guarantees that the Duchies of Schiem and Hoffan remain inseparable. The new king is weak and under severe pressure from his people to ratify the proposed constitution that fully integrates Schiem into the Kingdom of Riem. Hoffan Parpaldians are already objecting to the offending clause, but the Riem king will still sign the constitution at the end of this winter parliamentary session. By doing so, Riem will have broken the treaty, which justifies us to take both Schiem and Hoffan!"

The war room erupted into applause that outmatched the one given to the Emperor's entrance five long hours ago. As Lupasa politely bowed, he remembered the rallying cry that some of the Hoffans reportedly recited at their protests and would soon grace the voices of Parpaldians across the empire, 'Schiem and Hoffan are and shall remain forever inseparable!'

The door behind the applauding crowd opened and someone passed a personal crystal to the Imperial Guardsman there. After the Guardsman checked the crystal, he briskly walked over to Emperor Ludius I. The taps of his feet against the marble floor caused the applause to end as everyone's attention shifted to him as he passed through.

"Spell-locked message for you, Your Imperial Majesty." The Guardsman handed the crystal over and stepped back.

Ludius walked closer to the Emperor, but he maintained proper distance to not see the contents of the crystal as Emperor Ludius I recited his name to the advanced personal crystal. A chiming tone indicated the disabling of the spell-lock.