章節 139: Pieces in Place
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December 8, 1640
White House Situation Room
Washington, D.C.
President Lee sat at the head of the table in the White House Situation Room, fingers tapping on wood. The room was dimly lit, with the soft glow of various monitors casting shadows on the faces of the high-ranking officials seated around him. His eyes scanned the room, noting the concerned expressions worn by Director of National Intelligence Allen Fitch, CIA Director Thomas Klein, Secretary of Defense Robert Hill, Secretary of State Gordon Heiden, and the other key personnel who had assembled for this emergency meeting.
"Mr. President," Fitch began, his tone grave, "we have received new intelligence regarding the War Hawks and their plans within the Gra Valkas Empire. As you know, we've been closely monitoring the situation, and I'm afraid that things are escalating much faster than we had anticipated."
Fitch's words hung heavy in the air as the President's brow furrowed in concern. "What are the specifics, Director Fitch? How advanced are their plans?"
"It seems that the coup is already in motion, sir," Klein chimed in. "Our agents on the ground have discovered that the War Hawks have been meeting with various military officials and members of the Gra Valkan nobility. They've secured a significant number of allies, and we believe they're on the verge of executing their plan. We may have a very limited window of time to act."
Lee's jaw tightened, and he leaned forward in his chair. "Do we have any estimates on when the coup might take place?"
Fitch shook his head. "Unfortunately, our intel is not specific enough to give us an exact date. However, we know that the War Hawks have been extremely active in the past few days, and the rapid pace of their activities suggests that they might strike within the next 24 to 48 hours."
The room fell silent as the weight of the news settled on everyone present. President Lee rubbed his temples, trying to process the information. He knew that if the coup were successful, the aggressive War Hawks would gain control of the Gra Valkas Empire, escalating the war and potentially forcing the United States to intervene.
"Director Klein," Lee said, looking up from his hands, "what options do we have to counter this coup? What can we do to support the Doves and prevent the Hawks from seizing power?"
Klein leaned back in his chair, his face solemn. "Our options are limited, Mr. President. As I mentioned in our previous meeting, we have been working on a plan to expose the Hawks' operations before they can carry out a successful coup. However, given the rapid pace of their activities, it might be too late for our plans to work. They're moving faster than we expected, and our efforts to gather evidence and weaken their position have been slow."
Lee sighed, feeling the pressure of the situation. "We can't just sit back and do nothing. If the War Hawks succeed in taking control, the consequences for the region—and for us—could be disastrous. We must explore all possible avenues to counter their plans and maintain stability in the area."
The President's words were met with grim nods from the officials around the table. Despite the daunting task at hand, they knew that they had no choice but to find a solution, for the sake of both their own national security and the fate of Elysia.
As the somber atmosphere in the Situation Room deepened, Heiden spoke up, his voice steady and determined. "Mr. President, we need to consider the potential consequences of the coup for the region and our interests there. If the War Hawks come to power, they will almost certainly escalate the conflict on the Mu continent. Our long-term plan was to eventually intervene, but this development could force us to move up our timetable significantly."
General Brent McCarthy, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, weighed in on the military implications. "Mr. President, if the War Hawks seize control, we can expect them to ramp up their military operations, not just in Mu but also against the Holy Mirishial Empire and other regional powers. Our allies in the region would be under increased pressure, and we'd likely see requests for assistance from several of them."
The conversation then turned to the United States' planned intervention in the Mu continent. The assembled officials debated the pros and cons of accelerating their timetable, with some arguing that it was necessary to prevent the War Hawks from destabilizing the entire region, while others cautioned against joining early, which could grant the Gra Valkans time and experience to develop countermeasures against their tactics.
Throughout the discussion, President Lee listened carefully, weighing the input from his advisors and considering the far-reaching implications of each course of action.
As the debate continued, the President's gaze shifted to Director Fitch. "Allen, what is your assessment of the situation? If we move forward with our intervention plans, what kind of resistance can we expect from the War Hawks and their forces?"
Fitch frowned, deep in thought. "Mr. President, the War Hawks are a determined and resourceful faction. Their military capabilities are formidable, and they will not hesitate to use them against us. They know that our deployment capabilities are limited, and believe they have enough firepower to fend off our fleets."
Lee scoffed at the War Hawks' thinking. They were only partially correct in their assessment. The US would indeed face issues deploying forces so far away, but this was more of an annoyance rather than a handicap. "You'd think for a summoned nation like ourselves, they wouldn't be as idiotic as the Lourians or Parpaldians..." he muttered.
"Yeah," Fitch shrugged, "But we can use that to our advantage. Like the Lourians and Parpaldians, they're underestimating our abilities. If we act quickly and decisively, I believe we can secure complete control of the Artticus Ocean and take some weight off the EDI naval forces."
The President nodded, taking in Fitch's assessment. The room fell silent for a moment as everyone pondered the difficult decisions that lay ahead. With the fate of the Gra Valkas Empire and the stability of the entire region hanging in the balance, the stakes were higher than ever. In the end, it would be up to President Lee to determine the best course of action to ensure that the world was prepared for the return of the Ravernal Empire.
President Lee cleared his throat, drawing the attention of the room. "Alright, let's discuss another aspect of this situation. Assuming the coup is successful, it may be advantageous for us to extract key Doves and the Emperor from the Gra Valkan mainland. This would give us the option to install them as pro-US leaders in the future. Allen, Klein, I want the two of you to start working on a plan to put this extraction into action. How would we go about doing this?"
Klein and Fitch exchanged a glance before Klein began to outline a preliminary plan. "Mr. President, to extract the Doves and the Emperor, we'll need a coordinated operation involving our intelligence assets in the region and Special Activities Center operatives.
Fitch continued, "First, we'd need to gather actionable intelligence on the locations of the key Doves and the Emperor, as well as any obstacles we may encounter, such as Gra Valkan security forces or potential traps. This will require our assets within the Doves to be more active and take on greater risks."
"Once we have the necessary intelligence," Klein picked up, "we would deploy a small, highly skilled team of operators to infiltrate the Gra Valkan mainland. Considering how far Ragna is, they'll likely be inserted and extracted via submarine. They would move stealthily, avoiding detection by Gra Valkan forces, and make contact with our assets on the ground."
Fitch elaborated on the extraction phase. "The operators would then proceed to the target locations, neutralize any security forces, and extract the Doves and the Emperor. To minimize the risk of being detected or pursued, they would use a series of Dove safe houses and alternate transportation methods, moving quickly from one point to another."
Klein concluded the plan, "Finally, we would arrange for a discreet extraction by sea, bringing the Doves and the Emperor to a secure location outside Gra Valkan territory. From there, we could work on establishing them as a government-in-exile, ready to return to power when the time is right."
The President considered their proposal, his brow furrowed in thought. "This sounds like a high-risk operation. Are you confident we can pull this off without provoking a larger conflict or exposing our involvement?"
Both Fitch and Klein nodded. "Mr. President, there's always a risk involved in operations like this," Fitch admitted. "But we believe that, with proper planning and execution, we can minimize those risks and achieve our objectives."
"Very well," President Lee said, giving his approval. "Begin working on the details of this extraction plan. Keep me updated on your progress, and be prepared to adapt as the situation evolves. We need to be ready to act swiftly if the opportunity arises."
President Lee then turned his attention to Secretary of Defense Robert Hill and the other high-ranking officers in the room. "Gentlemen, let's discuss the mobilization of our naval assets. The Seventh Fleet is currently stationed on the Vestal Continent, and the Third Fleet is based off the Rodenius Continent. We need to prepare for the possibility of intervention in the Mu Continent. What are your recommendations?"
Secretary Hill referred to a map displayed on the screen. "Mr. President, the Seventh Fleet is ready to deploy at a moment's notice. All ships are now docked in our Vestal ports, and the Third Fleet is ready to step in, with the Fifth Fleet able to fill in for regional Parpa-Rodenian security. Given this, I propose deploying the Seventh Fleet as soon as possible; we should have all of our pieces in place before the War Hawks are able to stabilize after their coup."
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Brent McCarthy chimed in, "We'll need to secure refueling and resupply points along the route, as well as establish forward-operating bases in the region. The only EDI nation with advanced enough facilities to accommodate our naval, air, and ground assets is the Holy Mirishial Empire. We would need their cooperation to establish a strong presence in the area."
"Oh, I've actually just secured approval from the Mirishial government earlier today," Heiden said. "We have full access to their ports and airfields."
"How long will it take to refurbish their facilities?" Lee asked.
"Not long, Mister President," Hill answered. "The Mirishial facilities have already been modified to support civilian freighters and airliners, so we won't have to worry about capacity issues, in that sense. We will need to construct some hangars though, to accommodate our strategic bombers, but that shouldn't take too long."
McCarthy tapped on the figure of Hytal on the map, adding, "We'll be basing shorter-range assets like fighters off Hytal Base until we're able to secure the Muan coastlines. We'll also be deploying missiles to this region, similar to China's defensive setup around the South China Sea. This will provide us with a significant defensive layer around the Mirishient continent – about a thousand miles radius that the Gra Valkans won't be able to cross."
The President listened carefully and then asked, "What kind of timetable are we looking at for this deployment? Assuming we deploy ASAP as per your suggestion, Robert."
Hill replied, "The initial deployment of the Seventh Fleet and the establishment of forward-operating bases will take several weeks, a month at most, depending on the cooperation of the Holy Mirishial Empire and the availability of the necessary resources. The follow-on deployment of the Third Fleet and additional assets would take another month or two, depending on how smoothly things go with the initial deployment."
President Lee nodded, understanding the complexity of the task at hand. "Begin preparations for this deployment. We need to be ready to intervene in the Mu Continent if the situation deteriorates further. Coordinate closely with the intelligence community and the State Department to ensure we have the most up-to-date information and the necessary diplomatic support for our actions."
The high-ranking officers in the room acknowledged the President's orders, and the meeting continued with further discussions on the various aspects of the plan. As they worked through the details, it was clear that the situation in the Mu Continent was becoming increasingly volatile, and the United States needed to be prepared to act decisively to protect its interests and maintain stability in the region.
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