Battle For Zygaria

A Story by Chris Rankine

Amron, The biggest and most powerful country in the world of Zygaria has a new leader. President Harburgs predecessor brought peace after decades of war. But what are his plans for Amron? "

Battle For Zygaria

Chapter 1

Zygaria, a world that has lived in relative peace and tranquillity for many years. In no small part down to Amron’s President, Normun Amoranti brokering a peace agreement and with it an end to the bloodshed that had been a constant for a long time.

What the denizens of Zygaria were not to know was how a change in One nations Government was going to be the catalyst to events of which their world had never known.

The people of Amron, the largest nation in Zygaria woke up on the morning after the nations latest Election, to what was for many a big shock. Their leader of the last Fifteen years President Amoranti had been defeated.

Every Five years the denizens of Amron, much like other nations, get to vote for their leader. However, in Amron elections are usually a foregone conclusion. Amron is the biggest country in the world. Not to mention the richest. The wealth is partly down to rich leaders pumping money into the biggest businesses. The nation can also thank the spoils of past war for it’s wealth. Amron has a history of tyranny and totalitarian leaders that have overseen many invasions into other countries.

Whilst relative peace now exists, it hasn’t stopped current leaders exploiting their substantial control over them. This has ensured acquiring supplies of food, crops, medicines and metal to name just a few for significantly less than their true worth.

It did not take long for news to spread, predictably it was accompanied by rumours and gossip of how this was going to affect people. The new leader, Harburg had built his campaign mainly around how complacent Amron and it’s people had become. How so many people were living a life of luxury, that they could not fully appreciate Amrons true potential on the worlds stage.

Harburg had created a paranoia, which spread quickly. He felt other nations were exploiting this complacency. That was certainly the crux of his inauguration speech, claiming that this great, powerful nation should regain it’s complete control over the world at all costs, this rhetoric had understandably worried other nations greatly, not to mention some of it’s own citizens. For others, however, it was music to their ears.

“I hope this guy is going to back up his words with actions” said Luther Savage, General of the Amron Army. General Savage, whilst being regarded as an excellent and astute leader, is also well known for being bloodthirsty in Combat.

“Do you reckon we will see action Sir?” asked Lieutenant Patrick Starke.

“I hope so, it’s been too long since this army has seen serious action”

“Serious action? You mean war?”

“Of course I bloody mean war, Harburg is right, Amron has become complacent, we are becoming soft, and others are seeing it too, taking advantage of it to negotiate better deals for themselves. Time to re-establish control. I cannot wait to meet this guy”

He did not have to wait long as it turned out.

Luther had been summoned for a meeting by the President himself less than twenty four hours after his inauguration ceremony.

Chapter 2

Ridansk, the Capital city of Amron is the focal point of the nation. The cities technology, architecture and ultimately power was unrivalled. Ridansk homed the Presidential Palace, Government HQ, and the Army Base. It was from the Army Base that General Savage made his way to the Presidential Palace.

The Palace was a breath taking sight. It dominated the vast skyline, with it’s twin spires atop the huge structure. Luther climbed the steps, then through the archway leading to the heavily guarded main entrance. Almost immediately he was halted by two armed guards, neither of them seemed to properly notice him, or who he was. It seemed to him that they were almost robotic in their movements, like they were extremely lifelike puppets.

“I am here to see President Harburg, I believe he is expecting me, General Luther Savage.”

The response was an unintelligible muttering of words that could have been anything from “go on through Sir” to “I don’t give a toss”.

The guards stood aside and he was left to enter into the most incredible and luxurious place he had ever witnessed. Marble flooring, sculptures lining the lobby, not to mention the large water fountain in the middle of the lobby area. He could not help but stop and look in awe at it.

“You must be General Savage?”

The voice startled Luther, he spun around and came face to face with a woman in her sixties, she possessed a no nonsense, officious stare, one that made it clear she was the type of person who would bypass small talk and skip straight to the formalities.

“Yes that’s me, I’m here to see..”

She interrupted. “I know. He will see you now. Follow me.”

She led him to the back of the reception, to a carpeted hallway, the sound of classical music playing made him feel more at ease than he had in some time.

“Take it to the tenth floor”

He had barely noticed the lift arriving.

“Thank you” he said somewhat mechanically as she walked off.

The elevator doors opened to a scene that was quite the opposite of what he had encountered downstairs.

There was a plethora of people on this floor. Ahead of him was a busy office, full of people hard at work, working on computers, talking on phones, many seemed to be in discussion with each other. This certainly seemed to be where it all happened.

“General Savage follow me, Sir”

He had to walk quickly to keep up with the young man who led him through the large office, negotiating his way around all the desks, printers, whiteboards and people of the office.

He led him to a big oak door with the words ‘Presidential Suite’ on it.

The door looked very out of place in an office area. Why would a President want to be located at the back of an office?

“General Savage, pleasure to meet you, I am President Harburg”

Luther beheld the man in front of him, He sure didn’t look like a President, no suit, no tie. He looked mostly like a normal citizen. Casual trousers and a short sleeved shirt.

“The pleasure is all mine Mr president, Sir”

“I can’t get used to all these formalities” He smiled broadly, he had a look of a man who could be trusted and respected enough to run a nation the size of Amron.

“You wanted to see me Sir?”

“Yes indeed, you have no doubt heard my inauguration speech have you not?”

“I have”

“Then you are aware of what my views are on this once great nation of ours?”

“I do”

“And what do you make of them?”

“I agree Sir.”

“Do you though?”

“I do agree, this nation has been standing still for too long, it feels like without change we will begin to regress rather than progress”

That big smile again.

“Exactly, I couldn’t agree more, it appears we are of the same mind General Savage. I think you and I will get on just fine.”

Chapter 3

The inauguration ceremony had been a necessary evil for Normun Amoranti. He had not wanted to go that’s for sure. He had never thought he would lose, he had been confident through his campaign. He hadn’t known his opponent so perhaps subconsciously had never really taken him seriously. He passed off Harburgs criticism as a futile attempt to garner support, never believing it would work. How wrong he was.

It was only whilst listening to Harburgs speech that he realised just how much Harburg dislike and resented him and his government. He had created a paranoia that has taken a hold of such a large amount of people in Amron.

Amoranti had never been so glad to be leave anywhere in his life. He returned to his brothers house where he was currently staying until he got his own place. His brother was away on business, he ran a successful and very profitable engineering company, helped in no small part by big brother being President.

He was glad to be alone, a chance to contemplate his thoughts. He was officially now no longer President. He struggled to remember a time when he wasn’t President.

His thoughts were interrupted by somebody knocking on the front door, upon opening the door he was met with a fist to the cheekbone. The blow knocked him back, clutching his face, the hallway seemed to blur in and out of focus. There seemed to be white lights in his peripheral vision. He heard the front door slam shut behind him. He barely had a chance to turn around before he felt the intruder right behind him, he seen the gloved hands in front of his face before the pain hit, something was squeezing tight around his throat. He managed to raise his hands to his throat but he could not get any grip on whatever it was that was strangling him, it felt like a wire of some sort, whatever it was it was too thin to get any purchase on, coupled with how tightly his attacker had it pulled against his skin.

He couldn’t catch a breath, exhaling was almost impossible, he was on his knees, with his head being forced back, his attacker was kneeling down on the back of Normuns legs making it impossible for his to even attempt to stand up. A good strategy given that Normun was over 6 foot tall and well built too, if he had managed to stand up he may well have overpowered his attacker.

His face was beet red, the life had all but gone from him, the wire had cut through the skin and become wet with blood, Normuns eyes were almost completely red, his mouth open in a final grimace of pain.

The former President was dead.

Brolin Amrap was in his sixth year in the Amron Army, he had not seen any real action having joined several years after the last real major conflict. He had joined for the same reason as many, to be a part of the biggest army in the world, an army that was there to help keep the peace, and protect the citizens of Amron.

However, over the years It often seemed that their main job was to travel to other nations to collect various supplies, from minerals and vegetables to steel and metal.

The biggest and most important trips they made were the monthly ones to a nation called Ozla. Ozla was an odd country to look at, especially when they were flying over it. It looked almost like one massive forest, with small towns, each complete with a big almost identical factory.

Within these factories is where the Ozlans created a , known as Carnin.

Carnin was used for many things, from building houses and industrial machinery to creating weapons. It was the most valuable thing in the world without doubt. It is what kept Ozla with a modest wealth. Without it they were just another small country with little to offer the world.

It was clear to anybody who had ever so much as glanced at the trade deal they had with Amron to procure large amounts of it that they were getting an awful deal.

It was a classic example of a big, powerful, rich country shafting a smaller, poorer country for their own gains.

Inside the main scientific lab of Ridansk Pharmaceuticals, chief scientist Derman Tardin was working on research into the prevention of Diabetes. This would be huge, for him and for his company, numbers had been going up for several years now, affecting all age groups. He had not made any breakthroughs yet, but he felt given time and funding he could. He was generally considered to be the best scientist in the world.

His day had taken an unexpected turn when he returned from lunch to find a letter on his office desk.

A plain white envelope with his name hand written on the front.

He opened the envelope to find the letter too was handwritten.

Mr Tardin, I am writing to you to request the honour and pleasure of your company at the Presidential Suite this coming Friday. I trust you will make every effort to clear your schedule to attend. I am very keen to talk with you and get to know this great scientist I have heard so many good things about. I also have what I think to be a very interesting proposition to make to you.

Looking forward to seeing you.

M. Harburg

He felt a small chill run through his body, despite the lack of windows or air in the room. It was now Wednesday which did not give him much time to prepare. Not that he really knew what he had to prepare for. He had only ever been in work whilst President Amoranti was leader. He had hoped it would be business as normal under a new President, but that may not be the case. He did not much like change, he was happy enough with how things were going.

And what was this about a proposition? Could it be something positive? More Funding? An honour for his services.

Only two days until his questions were answered.

His body had been discovered by one of President Harburgs senior aides. He had been sent to check on him after he left the inauguration early.

His death had been announced as being a ‘major cardiac event’ by the Presidents Chief Medical Officer.

The state funeral of former President Normun Amoranti had been a huge occasion as expected. It had been shown on television around the world. The streets leading from the Palace to the Cathedral were lined by the denizens of Amron, some had also come from other nations to respect the man who had ended the trouble and violence between their countries.

The ceremony had been sombre. The usual kind words from people in power who knew him, recalling all the positive things he had achieved in his time in charge. All stating that he would never be forgotten and that his memory would live on.

The final speaker was President Harburg. He approached the Altar. Dressed in black trousers, white shirt with a black jacket over it, he looked as though it had taken less than five minutes to get ready.

“Ladies and gentlemen, it is with the greatest sorrow that we are all here to pay our last respects to former President Normun Amoranti. He was a man who still had much to give the country and indeed the world. We have heard all the wonderful things he has done in his time in charge of this great nation. It is no secret that I did not agree with many of the ways in which he was doing things, but I respect the fact that he was doing what he thought was right for everybody. He brought peace to people and places who before had only known war. Respect where they had only known hatred. Freedom where they had only known repression. For this we will never forget him.

Let us not commiserate his death, but instead celebrate his life.”

Normun Amoranti had now been laid to rest. His killer was still alive and well however.