At the declaration of war, the intel-ii chose the moment to reveal a particularly helpful feature.
Its sudden ping blinded me with a whole lot of tabs as it usually did whenever I activated it and a sturdy, brown and spiked tab then floated in the middle of my vision.
~Wars~
I tried putting it aside to focus on the rest of Luciano's report as it was the least translucent tab I'd come across but it wouldn't budge. I had no choice but to address the blaring red screen.
The tab was split into different sections and like most things with the intel-ii it had information that seemed to go on forever, I felt I'd be looking very distracted throughout the meeting but with a skim of the tab it looked like it would serve me more to pay it my undivided attention rather than pretend to listen to Luciano explain how we'd been caught by surprise.
"Luciano, I'll get back to you on this soon. My orders are the same as ever. Defend."
I didn't need to see his face to know he looked grim. As it was it would take another week or two for the shipment of weapons, food and goods I'd coerced from my Egyptian vassal to arrive in Schelar as it had yet to even arrive in Egypt.
Niaina had unfortunately failed to secure a weapons deal with Namibia, as generous as they were they weren't prepared to be militarily associated with us, not even with the Malagasy banging down our door. They offered only platitudes and the previously agreed trade deal. But that was enough.
As I left the room I hear many call at me for whatever reasons but the tab in front of my eyes held a higher priority than any other thing right now.
"I don't want to be disturbed. Stick around, I will call another meeting sooner or later."
With that, I quickly escaped to my office which was only a few doors away. Safe behind my private doors I quickly took another good look at the tab. It was divided into; ongoing wars, ongoing battles, past battles, past wars, generals, casualties.
Clicking on ongoing wars brought up everything I needed to know about the wars with the Malagasy, our fighting state- defensive, duration of the war- one day, friendly casualties- thirty, enemy casualties- none.
Thirty to none. What a bad start. I sigh and shake my head and return my focus to the tab, it also had visuals, 3d visuals of the battle formations the generals were implementing, the positions of squads and battalions on the front lines. Most of the enemy's information seemed to be attainable as well but was currently shrouded by what I'd call a fog of war. I wondered if flying over the frontlines would give me any more information, probably, but I wasn't about taking the risk of being shot down by their airforce.
And quite ominously, it had a bar that showed how much our defences had been compromised, how much closer we were to losing. As it was now we'd only been pushed back so far on the lines so it'd barely budge.
With the convenient new feature on the intel-ii, I noticed some other things I hadn't before. An entire nation tab.
I spent the rest of the day figuring out what had actually happened with the intel-ii, I'd come up with zero answers to my questions and accepted that the alien boon simply did as it wished, just like its origin; Being X.
Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth either, I went on to go over everything that'd suddenly appeared with the declaration of war. The war tab and nation tab were deeply intertwined especially seeing most of the nation's resources were being fed into protecting its sovereignty.
The nations tab entails every bit of content I needed to know about Schelar. Even things I hadn't even bothered to check like the population, pollution-which was going at dangerous levels- and more importantly, natural resources. We had oil apparently, an untapped reservoir of oil. If we survived the war that meant, we were going to be set financially for a while.
Either way, as it stood the war tab was a godsend for surviving this. I could oversee the entire war with it and we could possibly even go on the offensive. I felt my grin stretch at the thought of conquering our would-be conquerors. That's what I wanted to do. Unite the island and all Malagasy cultured people under my single rule. It would be, for one, something I'd never done.
To accomplish all this though, I'd need to give my full attention to the war, that meant my entire focus and presence will be needed on the fields. I needed to be the commander in chief of the armed forces.
***
I stood a day after, a horde of press representatives all pointing their instruments at me. My hands gripped the podium as I looked them all in the eye, ready to break the news that would shock the country and put fear and hysteria in the hearts of many of my citizens. I'd rather not but they had a right to know and I had the responsibility to ensure that right.
"As we are surely aware. The vile Malagasy have been harassing our borders under the guise of simple and harmless military drills, this was a lie anyone could see through. The Malagasy meant for war and they have struck." There's a collective gasp among the audience I had, the quiet there was seemed deafening as my audience was a large gathering of reporters.
"But your leaders are no fools, my people! We were prepared and we must continue to do so in the face of these adversities. In the face of those who seek to strip us of our independence and of those who wish to enslave us to sufferings without reprieve. So there must be war, not by our wishes but by their own, for our own survival we must refute the notion that we are less than anyone else. So I call on all Schelarians, volunteer if you must but this war needs more than just fighters. It needs workers!"
"We have begun to set up many farms and production warehouses across the entire country. You can support your sons, brothers and fathers in the war effort not only by fighting beside them but by providing the necessary things for their survival. A booth for registration for this work has already been set up across many neighbourhoods and we have provided a site and telephone line where you can get more information about this initiative. Thank you and may God bless the land."
I stepped off the podium and sped off back into the palace. Ready to leave for the frontlines. If we were truly to win the war and even conquer Madagascar as I wish, then the war tab and I needed to get close and personal with commanding the war.
Things had all been set in place for my leave. Matthias and Niaina were to handle all domestic matters with as little communication to me. It was the second time I handed full reins over the country to Matthias but I trusted things wouldn't go down the way they did the first time, he'd matured, we'd both matured and if I was wrong to trust him with the responsibility, Niaina was there to provide a second opinion.
I would be camped out at the military base with Luciano for the duration of the war. I needed Matthias to run the niceties of the nation while I was out trying to save us all.
"Just a moment please!"
I feel my bodyguards tighten their detail around me as hurried footsteps follow.
"I'm sorry ma'am but you mustn't step any further."
"It's the Palace, what am I going to pepper spray the president and get away with it?"
I turn at the crudely sarcastic voice, a small smile graces my face for all but one second as my gaze lands on Miss Leriva, that is until I remember how we parted in Namibia.
I pat my guard on the shoulder. The poor man had heard every miserable detail of how truly fucked we are and no doubt is tense as hell. "It's fine. Let her through if she attacks me with you around then she obviously doesn't have much to live for, Lucas."
He backs away with a curt nod and lets her through to me. I don't have much time to appreciate her looks as I always do before she speaks again, "So, mister President, we're at war."
"Are we?" I ask
"So it would seem. I mean you did just announce it."
I shrug, running my fingers through the back of my hair, "When did you come back, I'm assuming you closed the deal."
Her eyes looked glazed as I spoke, she looked only at the red carpet of the corridor we stood in like it held more interest than anything else. Her silence gave me a moment to take her in, her hair packed in a side bun on her head looked like a flower, she wore a simple purple jacket and decently short black skirt but unlike all the other times where I'd seen her look fierce, violent and just beautiful, right now as she stood before me with her head tilted to the side, still distracted by whatever nothingness she saw on the red of the carpet, she seemed nervous, scared even as she bit her lip hard I worried it'll break with blood.
I reached out to her, placing a hand on her shoulder hoping to stir her from her trance of thought and self-harm. She looks to me and for the first time, I notice her eyes. Purple and vibrant but also welled up with tears shocking me.
"Don't let them get to us, Hasina. You promised."