Conclusion Of A War

[Yuri]

"My dearest citizens, The pirate which was behind the nuclear attack on the city of Halo Fort has been hanged. Its body shall be burned and dumped to the deepest ocean, and along with it, its sin against our people. May the lives lost at Halo Fort and in this war finally be at rest, now that justice has been served. However, I would like to make it clear, the people of Nathedia is innocent. A new government shall be established in Nathedia, with which I hope will usher in a new age of peace of prosperity between our nations. As I am speaking right now, shipments of supplies and resources are on its way to Nathedia to provide aid for reconstruction effort. I understand during the war, many misunderstandings and mistakes have been made. But as your Empress, and as a citizen of our glorious Empire, I ask of you all to not discriminate against the people of Nathedia. A nation has no perpetual enemies or allies, only its interest, is perpetual. And I believe there is nothing worth more than a future of peace and harmony for children, be they Arian or Nathedian. May our Empire be everlasting."
- Empress Yuri of the Empire of Aria, in the announcement following the conclusion of the war against the pirate nation of Nathedia.

40 years later
Good evening everyone, ATV Special Correspondent Lucas here.
...Today, we won't be bringing you the usual documentary. What you've watched just now was Empress Yuri announcement of the conclusion of the Aria-Nathedia War on this very day, 40 years ago. Let this broadcast not only give us a look at the terrible events leading to the nuclear attack on the city of Halo Fort, but also as a memorial to the lives lost by both sides during the war.

First, let's talk about the situation 40 years ago. Several nations from the pirate alliance Arrgh started raiding smaller nations of the GPWC alliance. What started out as small skirmishes turned into full scale war between these nations. As tensions rises between the two alliances, GPWC biggest nations began a process of mass militarization to defend itself, as car factories began rolling out tanks, fighter jets taxi out of civil aviation assembly lines, voluntary military service switched to drafting. Following the victories in subjugating some of the pirate nations, rumours were spreading about Nathedia having multiple nuclear warheads which it intends to use against GPWC aligned nations. The media, hoping to ride on this rumour, began digging up every detail about Nathedia nuclear programs, publishing stories disregarding any kind of rules or regulations about fact examination. Based on distances, the first target would very likely be our very own nation. As such, reluctantly, Empress Yuri agreed to start the invasion on Nathedia to verify the existence of WMD and decommission them by force, if necessary.

To some of military commanders,  the Empress's agreement was a blessing. No one would really notice if a few paintings or treasures were lost here or there in Nathadia in a war. Or a few vaults worth of gold "destroyed in the fighting". Hence, unknown to most of the Empire population and the Empress, the inspection for WMDs has turned into a raid on Nathadia. After easily securing a foothold on Nathadia and finding essentially nothing of value to be looted, General Iris von Cecillia sent a peace offering to the Nathadian commander: "Hello. I would like to have peace between us, since you turned out to be a dud. I believe this would be much less costly for both of us."

For the next 24 hours, there was no response from Nathedia. Suddenly, in the middle of the night in their trenches, Imperial soldiers saw a bright spark in the direction of their homeland. Before long, news had spread. A nuclear weapon detonated in the city of Halo Fort, turning the entire city into rubble, and anyone not instantly reduced to atoms is left with lethal dose of radiation poisoning. Shock, anger, and panic ensues. Finally, it settled on vengeance. The people of the Empire decided to take matters into their own hands. They broke into houses of any family of Nathadian origin, brutally murdered them in the name of "justice". The Empire's entire police force was deployed but they could barely contain the chaos. Only when martial law was declared, where anyone who came out of their house after the curfew would be shot without warning, would order slowly came back.

Our guest today is Mrs. Emily von Harriet, then lady-in-waiting to Empress Yuri. Mrs. Emily, can you tell us what happened in that night?
"Ah...I still remember that night as if it was only yesterday. I saw a flash of light far far away from the palace windows, then a soldier ran towards me and shoved a sealed folder stamped TOP SECRET into my heads, and told me to give it to the Empress immediately, it was an emergency. The Empress face when she was woken up in the middle of the night was a sight i could only describe as adorable. I gave her the folder and told her to open it quickly. With a puzzled look, she opened the folder while yawning, mumbling something about me I would rather not disclose here. After a few moments, she gripped the papers tightly, and soon broke down to tears. I asked her what's wrong and she gave me the papers. The flash of light I saw earlier was a nuclear detonation in Halo Fort. My legs were frozen in place as I read about the chaos that ensues. I looked towards her. She soon stopped crying, but her face is now void of any emotion. It was a face no girl her age should have. Like a machine, she walked to the table, wrote, signed, and stamped multiple papers. From then on, she no longer refers to pirates as humans, but as "it", an object, an animal."

And it was those very papers that brought Nathadia to its knees. The Empress ordered the ones behind the nuclear attack to be captured and hanged immediately, no matter the cost. And with these orders, the Imperial Army was free of its leash. Before the nuclear attack, the Imperial army was fueled with loot and riches. After the attack, it was fueled with something even more effective: vengeance. It marches with an unprecedented speed towards the capital of Nathedia, crushing any and all resistances along its path with brutal efficiency. As long as someone showed the slightest bit of resistance, they would be summarily executed. Some viewers may find the following footage of the attack on the presidential palace of Nathadia disturbing. Viewer discretion is advised.

**Footage captured in the storming of the Nathedian presidential palace plays, where the palace guards were quickly turned into lifeless bodies by machine gun fire, the capture and hanging of and politicians found in the palace along with their wives and kids.**

With its leadership gone and quickly replaced by a new provisional government, what followed for the people of Nathadia seemed to be a bleak future of military occupation and reconstruction. But unexpectedly, shipments of supplies and materials, all with Imperial markings came. With every ships that arrived in Nathadia, more of the much needed food, water, medicine, clothing, construction materials came, and more Imperial soldiers left for home. The war was over. A strange war that ended as swiftly as it started, where the invaders were cruel yet also merciful, a war that leaves an impact on both nations to this very day. Ground Zero in Halo Fort is now a memorial park for the lives lost during the war. A new democratic election for Nathedia was held a year later, following the dissolution of the provisional government. Anti-Nathedian sentiment in the Empire slowly waned off with time, as the two nations move on from the past.

Today, ladies and gentlemen, is Victory Day. This has been ATV Special Correspondent Lucas d'Aleibo, and I wish you all a happy holiday.


**TV shuts off**
"Grandma! What did Empress Yuri mumble when she woke up?"
"Something similar to what you would mumble when i wake you up, dear"

Edited September 4, 2019 by Yuri