Chapter 135: Chapter 134: Escalation

November 19, 1640

Washington D.C.

The bustle of the White House grounds was uncharacteristically quiet, as if the entire world held its breath in anticipation of something monumental. Inside the Situation Room, President Lee sat at the head of the table, his calm and composed demeanor masking the concern he felt about the situation. Director Fitch sat to his right, preparing documents and intelligence reports for review. Secretary of Defense Robert Hill, the epitome of stoicism, sat to the President’s left, his gaze directed toward a screen showing a live feed of the ongoing conflict in Mu. Also present in this meeting were Director Klein, Secretary Heiden, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Brent McCarthy. The room was bathed in a muted light, as if to mimic the gravitas of the situation at hand.

The atmosphere inside the room was tense, as they had just received a report on the Battle of Hytal. It was a pyrrhic victory for the EDI, who managed to drive away the Gra Valkans from the doorstep of the Holy Mirishial Empire at the cost of an irreplaceable Pal Chimera and Plasma Dragon. Although the Gra Valkans suffered significant losses to their carriers and aerial assets, the industrial capability of their nation was more than enough to replace these without a second thought. As they mulled over the implications of this mess, the discussion eventually turned to how to support the EDI and weaken the Gra Valkans as much as possible. The group was determined to do whatever it took to ensure that the EDI would emerge victorious.

Analyzing satellite images of the wreckage around Hytal Base, the men in the room couldn’t help but feel frustration at the Gra Valkans’ growing capabilities. They knew the Gra Valkans weren’t stupid; they would adapt eventually. However, they didn’t realize they would adapt this quickly.

Using a presentation to guide his explanation, Fitch discussed the underlying reasons behind the Gra Valkas Empire’s success. “...Originally, we never expected the Gra Valkans to be able to eliminate a single Plasma Dragon, much less a Pal Chimera. We knew that their achievement during the Battle of Otaheit was a fluke, and the Mirishials certainly wouldn’t let something like that happen again. However, we overlooked a critical development in Gra Valkan weapons technology: magically-enhanced rockets.”

A zoomed image of blue explosions ravaging a Pal Chimera popped up on the screen. Fitch explained further, “Much like our own magically-enhanced weapons concepts, the Gra Valkans were able to integrate magic into their arsenal. Where standard MR-2 rockets would have failed to even graze the Pal Chimera, their enhanced variants, which we are dubbing the MR-3, have demonstrated the ability to readily blow past heavy shielding and armor. We’re attempting to acquire more information on their weapons programs. Director Klein?”

Klein stood up, taking over where Fitch left off, “Mister President, our assets have been so far unable to breach the heavy security in the Gra Valkas Empire’s secretive research facility, Hel’s Gate. We’re currently coordinating with the Department of Defense to secure a submarine from which we can deploy reconnaissance drones, as we’ve already ruled out the possibility of infiltrating the facility as personnel. The information we’ve managed to glean so far has been derived from rumors amongst the Doves and grunts within their military, as well as psychological hints given by Gra Valkan combatants captured during the Battle of Hytal. Although our intel is somewhat lacking, we can safely assume that the Gra Valkans likely have other forms of magically-enhanced weaponry.”

President Lee sighed. The Gra Valkans already have a numerical and technological advantage over the EDI. If they kept winning battles of attrition and expanding their arsenal, not even daily shipments of weapons would be able to stop their advance into Mu. Perhaps it was the time to consider direct action, he thought. Seeking the opinions of his advisors, he began, “This news does not bode well for our proxy war. Shipments of supplies won’t be enough with the way this war is going.”

He furrowed his brows, contemplating the weight of the situation. He leaned forward, clasping his hands together on the table, and turned to Secretary Hill. “What are your thoughts, Robert? The last poll numbers are decent enough; up to 80% of all Americans support war with the Gra Valkas Empire. Should we escalate our involvement?”

Secretary Hill took a deep breath, considering his response carefully. “Mister President, if we do join the war, we will have to consider the limitations of our deployment. As it stands, our closest base is in the Vestal region, well over 8,000 miles from the Muan fronts. If war is a likely possibility, the Department of Defense will need your assistance in securing Congressional approval for expanding our logistical capabilities overseas – and eventually consensus for a declaration of war.”

President Lee nodded. “I’ll take care of that. Let’s ensure we have logistics to support a full-scale war with the Gra Valkas Empire. How long would this take?”

A look of uncertainty flashed on Hill’s face. “It’s… difficult to determine. We’ve identified potential sites for bases and the Department of State has already secured rights with the locals, but without nearby facilities, all materials will have to be shipped there. Establishing a rudimentary FOB shouldn’t take longer than a couple weeks, but developing a new facility for our ships will take time, six months at least, maybe a year.”

If they intervened too early, they would have limited assets in the region. If they waited until all preparations were complete, Mu might already have fallen by then. Lee’s brain hurt trying to weigh the possible outcomes, so he kicked these thoughts down the curb for a later time. “Okay,” he said, “In that case, we might as well get started on those bases ASAP. Still…”

Director Klein spoke up, “Mister President, I’d like to add something. Aside from gathering intelligence on Gra Valkan operations, our assets within the Doves have also reported a development among the Hawks.”

Lee frowned. He didn’t like where this was going. “What sort of development?”

Klein answered, “There have been more rumors going around the upper echelons of the Gra Valkan government, whispering of a coup. The meetings we’ve been tracking so far corroborate this; the risk of a coup is no longer a far-fetched possibility but a likely reality.”

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Chaos and instability within the Gra Valkas government is something that Lee ordinarily would’ve welcomed, but considering the coup’s leadership, it was more likely that it would lead to further issues down the road. If the Hawks seized power, they would undoubtedly escalate the war, forcing the Americans to intervene earlier. “Damn…” Lee muttered, displeased with having to deal with yet another complication.

Klein noticed Lee’s frustration and quickly turned the conversation around, providing a glimpse of optimism. “A successful coup by the Hawks threatens our interests, but this plan also provides a significant opportunity. If we are able to expose their operations before they can carry out a successful coup, Gra Lux will be forced to focus on the turmoil back home and filling the vacancies left behind by the Hawks. Getting rid of the Hawks will cause a lot of disruption to their internal communications and leadership; their military will be in disarray, which could buy us some time.”

Lee raised an eyebrow. Although intrigued, he was still suspicious about this opportunity. “What are the risks involved, and how long would this take?”

“That’s the part I’m most concerned about, Mister President,” Klein admitted. “ Our network in Ragna is rather small, due to the difficulty of getting operatives onto their mainland. The risks to us are minor, since the Doves will be doing most of the heavy lifting. However, it’ll be difficult to pull off. There’s no telling how far along their plans the Hawks are, and procuring enough evidence to implicate the Hawks will be difficult.”

“Hmm,” Lee rubbed his chin. “Do you have any plans?”

Klein nodded. “Our current course of action is to make use of bugs to record their meetings. We’ll then transfer the media into forms normally accepted within Gra Valkan society so as not to arouse suspicion; we don’t want anyone to know about our involvement, and assume that this was the work of the Doves alone. The only issue is that the Hawks meet in different locations every time, making it difficult to record them without the use of compact drones. It’ll take at least a month to get a shipment of drones in the region.”

“And that’s a complete month that the Hawks can use to plan their coup without any interference…” Lee remarked. 

“Yeah,” Klein nodded, burdened by the weight of this new task.

“I’ll leave it up to you then,” Lee told him. “Since the probability of an ideal success is low, I’d like you to look into alternatives as well. What to do in the event the Hawks do succeed, finding a leader to replace them once we get rid of them, et cetera.”

“Understood, Mister President,” Klein acknowledged Lee’s request.

With concerns about the Gra Valkas Empire’s government now set aside, Lee returned to the conversation at hand. “We’ll have to plan for the worst, and assume that the Hawks’ coup is successful.” He turned toward Hill and McCarthy, “If the war escalates by year’s end, what forces can we muster for a deployment?”

Hill responded, “Assuming we are unable to establish new operational bases in the region for the time being, we will have to rely on the Seventh Fleet alone and her Carrier Strike Groups to serve as bases of operation. The Ronald Reagan and the Gerald R Ford Carrier Strike Groups alongside the rest of the Seventh Fleet should be able to contain Gra Valkan activities and push them out of Mirishial waters for good. However, they won’t be able to suppress the dozens of counterattacks that the Gra Valkans are currently performing against the Mirishials and Muans.”

“So these will be enough to guarantee at least a stalemate on the seas?” Lee asked.

Hill looked at McCarthy, who responded, “Yes, sir. We’ll have total control over the main routes and we will be able to defend major ports. However, we won’t be able to provide much support for EDI forces fighting on the Muan fronts. We currently have 2 MEUs stationed with the Seventh Fleet: The 13th with the Boxer and the 31st with the America. Our strategy will be to have our forces support the Muans’ weakest links, in order to prevent the Gra Valkans from breaking through. In the meantime, we’ll construct a new airbase – or modify existing Muan bases – to enable more air support in the region. It’s likely we’ll be forced into the war earlier than we’d like, but our analysts have complete confidence in our ability to hold off the Gra Valkans with the Seventh Fleet alone. They’ll buy as much time as we need to get the rest of our forces deployed in the region, sir.”

Lee nodded, feeling reassured by their plan. “Gordon,” he said, having already determined what to do next, “Get a hold of the Muans and Mirishials and anyone else in between. We need access to their ports; preferably the Mirishials, since they probably already have the infrastructure in place to hold our ships.”

“Understood, Mister President.”

As the meeting in the Situation Room drew to a close, Lee couldn’t help but feel a flood of emotions rushing in. He almost felt… giddy, in a way. He wasn’t excited for this war – not at all, but the sense of certainty and determination was invigorating. After months of inaction, the United States would finally be able to put a stop to the Gra Valkans and remake the Western Hemisphere in their own image – an invaluable opportunity that could benefit them greatly down the road.

Having confirmed their course of action, the fate of the EDI and the Gra Valkans now lay in their hands. War is a terrible thing, Lee thought, but he couldn’t deny that he found some pleasure in exercising the strength of his military. “Alright,” Lee said, rising from his seat, “Let’s get to work.”

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