WA National News

Isauria, Honorias: The Royal Household turned out in force today to welcome Eduard Volkov, the only son of Duke Albert of Gibraltar, to the capital of the First Crown on very short notice. Mr. Volkov’s sudden arrival, following a hasty and secret departure from the Duchy of Gibraltar, was only the first indication that matters in the obstinate Duchy, which so recently insulted the Duchy of Columbia and the Crowns of Honorias and the Gaivarvara, are not what they have been made to appear. During an hour-long interview with High Queen Meridia Kaltra-Desere Thermala, Lord Commander Tolireo Dul-Thermala Hermatta—himself Archduke of Eslania, and a peer of Eduard Volkov’s father Duke Albert—and representatives of the Council of High Commanders, Mr. Volkov laid down serious allegations against the current government of Gibraltar, which he accused of arresting and imprisoning Duke Albert in order to take power into its own hands. Mr. Volkov provided sufficient evidence of these accusations for the High Queen to label the Gibraltarian government “a cabal of usurpers and criminals,” and to call for the Gibraltarian people to “throw off their chains, for the memory of Eurussia and the sake of their rightfully-appointed lord.”


“We should all be alarmed at the state of Gibraltar,” the High Queen declared to the media today. “This place, so fiercely guarded by the Eurussian ministers in Atlantis, now rests in the hands of those who have abandoned their scruples for profit, and yet defend their actions by appeals to scruple! The people of Gibraltar may call themselves Eurussian, but their masters have cast the Empire—and even its memory—entirely aside!”

Eduard Volkov also addressed the Honorian media at High Queen Meridia’s side. “Her Majesty has learned the truth of matters in Gibraltar today,” he said, “and I insist that the rest of Honorias, and the whole World Alliance, know it as well. Every nation in the World Alliance once held the Eurussian Empire in the highest regard; no matter the disagreements we once had, we all accepted the dignity and authority of the Empress in Moscow. Even in the recent partitions of Eurussia’s vast territory, I see the respect Eurussia garnered from the world, which now hopes to gather that same respect by taking for themselves the relics of our imperial past. But in Gibraltar, those who claim to have the greatest right to Eurussian glory have thrown the most potent symbol of Eurussia away, and have spat on the memory of their benefactors.

“I call on all Gibraltarians to reject the false oligarchy that has risen in opposition to the values borne by our people and our former Empire,” Mr. Volkov said.


High Queen Meridia was forceful in her support for the imprisoned Duke Albert. “The Honorian people will never accept a neighboring government that has been usurped by unworthy bureaucrats,” she said plainly. “In part, this is due to our history as a militant and aristocratic nation. But it is also due to the known fact that bureaucrats, appointed and elected, have a tendency to lose what little merit they ever possessed upon entering office. There is no merit to this collection of criminals and sycophants that now claim the government of Gibraltar. The people of the Crowns see that easily. The people of the world will not long be blind to it. But the people of Gibraltar will likely suffer for it, unless they rise of their own accord to bring this fragile edifice to the ground.”

The High Queen added, “My government has accepted Eduard Volkov’s pleas as genuine and meritorious; and my nation will soon act to redress the grievances that we have learned today. We sincerely entreat the people of Gibraltar to aid the Crowns in this effort, or else to stand aside and welcome the rightful return of their Duke. Let them not become accomplices to the injustice that now envelops their Duchy, or else they may share in the punishment no less than the act.”

* * *

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Isauria, Honorias: The Council of High Commanders has announced that the Crowns of Honorias and the Gaivarvara have entered into combat with the armed forces of the Duchy of Gibraltar as of early this morning. While the Royal Household has refused to label the conflict a ‘war,’ as Honorias is fighting on behalf of the rightful rulers of Gibraltar and is acting solely to chastise a rebellion within a newly-allied state, memories of the last conflict between Honorias and an overseas power remain vivid in the hearts and minds of Honorians everywhere. However, Lord Commander Tolireo Dul-Thermala Hermatta has been quick to point out the differences between the two conflicts, and the different reactions that Honorias can expect from the international community. “The Duchy of Gibraltar is an island not just geographically, but politically,” the Lord Commander said today. “More accurately, it is a ship without a sail or an engine, cast adrift from its dock and left to its own devices for far too long. Its captain is alone, without recourse to friends or neighbors, and reliant entirely on his own industry for his success. In this analogy, Honorias is a destroyer soon to crush a drifting sailboat; and while there may be arms aboard that boat, our forces are more than capable of capsizing the entire vessel by sheer weight alone.”


The opening conflict occurred early this morning over the Huperzian Sea, as elements of the Honorian Air Guard encountered and halted an attempt by Gibraltarian aircraft to destroy an Honorian fleet moving toward the Duchy’s shores. “It was inevitable that our fleet would be targeted by the Gibraltarians,” Lord Commander Tolireo explained. “As part of the World Alliance Supreme Court’s judgment regarding our war with Togana, both of our nations are required to post our naval maneuvers in the Huperzian Sea in publicly-accessible areas of the World Alliance Headquarters, and we fulfilled that instruction to the letter. Gibraltar knew we were coming. But as we were equally aware that they knew that, we could prepare for it.”

According to the Lord Commander’s information, Honorian and Gibraltarian aircraft met in combat at 0400 hours this morning, and broke away from one another only half an hour later. Initial reports state that the larger number of Honorian aircraft were able to prevent Gibraltarian forces from hindering the Honorian fleet’s advance, and turned the Gibraltarian aircraft away. However, Honorian forces also suffered more losses than the Gibraltarians in doing so. “Their equipment is more advanced than ours, still,” Lord Commander Tolireo admitted to the Word. “I can assure all of our people that that is changing as we speak. But for the moment, in general, our military can expect the worst of any head-to-head engagement, until we can field our newly-designed weapons in any substantial numbers.”

As with other former territories of the Empire of Eurussia, including the Duchy of Columbia, the Duchy of Gibraltar’s armed forces are remnants of the imperial military that were stationed on the island at the time of the Empire’s collapse. The commanders and soldiers that now serve in Duke Albert’s name are not likely to be natives of the Duchy, and their loyalty to the government that now runs it is questionable. Nonetheless, Lord Commander Tolireo cautions that soldiers who were once loyal to the Eurussian Empire may still be loyal to the Empress’s appointed vicegerent in Gibraltar. “We are fighting to restore that same vicegerent to his ducal throne,” the Lord Commander reminded the world. “And we will continue to remind the Gibraltarians of that fact as matters develop. But if the soldiers and officers of Gibraltar do not believe us, we can expect that their loyalty to their rightful Duke will fuel their resistance to our efforts to reinstate him. It is a frustrating situation, but there is little that can be done about it other than to express our true intentions as often as possible, and otherwise press on with the job.”


The Honorian Sea Guard is expected to arrive in Gibraltarian waters in the next twelve hours, at which point it will commence operations against Gibraltarian naval and air defenses in order to undermine the existing government’s grip on power.

* * *

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Hercules Rock, Gibraltar: The Gibraltarian politicians who have usurped the government of their Duchy have added a new name to their ranks: Duke Albert Volkov. This wild assertion comes as a fleet of the Honorian Sea Guard battled elements of the Gibraltarian navy this evening. David Nott, who was ostentatiously proclaimed “Defender of the Rock” by his newest political ally, revealed the man claiming to be Duke of Gibraltar earlier this afternoon, and declared “once and for all” that the Honorian accusations of usurpation and the unlawful imprisonment of Duke Albert were “an utter and absolute fabrication.”


“I do not know how the Honorians came to believe that I had been imprisoned by my own ministers,” the pretender told the Gibraltarian media. “It is patently clear, after all, that none of my sons have left this island, nor has any ever stepped on Olympian soil in his life. And it is a matter of record that no son of mine has ever been named or called ‘Eduard.’ The Honorian Royal Household could not have been taken in by this fabrication. Why, then, are Gibraltarian soldiers dying to Honorian guns?”

David Nott seconded the pretender’s affected outrage. “The Crowns of Honorias merely want to add another trophy to their mantel,” he said. “Far from the self-righteous drivel of their public address, the High Queen and her government want nothing more than our servile surrender.” Nott added, “Gibraltar will never surrender to such base and violent greed.”

High Queen Meridia Kaltra-Desere Thermala, speaking from the Nerai Palace in Isauria, had a vastly different interpretation of matters. “No one is surprised that the usurpers are reacting to our swift victories with desperation,” she said to the Word. “But no one could have predicted this vile impersonation of a man that they themselves have thrown down. Whatever they think will come of this folly, it will not lessen our resolve to see justice done in Gibraltar.”


That resolve is reflected in the vigorous activity of the Honorian Sea Guard, which today encountered and drove off the larger part of the Gibraltarian navy in the Huperzian Sea. This marks the first true victory for the Honorian Sea Guard against a foreign power, and comes only months after High Queen Meridia and Lord Commander Tolireo Dul-Thermala Hermatta instituted an expansion and modernization of the organization that included purchasing warships from abroad and designing experimental weaponry at home. A number of the Sea Guard’s ships and sailors hail from the Duchy of Columbia and formerly served the Eurussian Empire, and would thus consider the people and soldiers of Gibraltar to be close kin compared to the Honorians of the Crowns. However, these brave Columbians are loyal not just to their Duke, but to the memory of Eurussia, and they are fully committed to freeing Duke Albert of Gibraltar from his captivity and restoring the rightful government of the Duchy, as Honorias has already restored Columbia’s.

High Queen Meridia paid tribute to the Columbians who now serve under the Honorian banner. “The people of Columbia know better than anyone just what Honorias offers to Gibraltar and the world,” she said. “And they know better than any Honorian what to expect from the resistance of Eurussian-trained soldiers and sailors. Their aid has been invaluable, and they and their families here in Olympia can fully expect the most generous compensation of a grateful nation. The Crowns are in Columbia’s debt.”

Unsurprisingly, Duke Michael of Columbia, speaking on the same subject from Proventia House in the capital of the Duchy, had similarly generous things to say about Honorias. “Columbians are willing, and even eager, to serve in the Honorian military because they are fully aware of the improvements that have come to our Duchy through High Queen Meridia’s intervention,” he said. “Our soldiers are happy to repay the debt that Columbia owes the Crowns.”


By far the heaviest debt will soon be owed by Gibraltar. Ignoring the material cost of war, the Duchy will soon be hosting the occupying forces of the Crowns and the Duchy of Columbia in support of Duke Albert Volkov, adding to the economic strain as well as the despair of the population. “Now unhappiness is inevitable,” High Queen Meridia admitted to the Word. “Gibraltarians, Honorians, Columbians, and possibly even Gaivarvarans will suffer losses in this conflict, and the prosperity of a Eurussian Duchy will be sacrificed for no actual gain. It is extremely unfortunate.”

She added, “David Nott has a great deal to answer for.”

* * *

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Hercules Rock, Gibraltar: Explosions heralded Honorias’s first direct attack on the Gibraltarian capital today, after a waiting period spent largely in attempting to intimidate the Gibraltarian government led by David Nott into an easy submission. Naval fighter-bombers from the Honorian Sea Guard cleared the way for more impressive land-based bomber aircraft from air bases in the Crowns, including at least one established in the southern Gaivarvara in the aftermath of the Huperzian War, with deadly results. Initial reports recount a litany of buildings destroyed in the commercial district, as well as key railroads in the outskirts of the city and numerous warehouses found in their vicinity. The reports neglect to name any military or other industrial targets, however, indicating that High Queen Meridia Kaltra-Desere Thermala still intends to preserve the majority of Gibraltar’s economic strength in the hopes that it can be utilized for Honorias’s benefit.

David Nott, ‘Defender of the Rock,’ spoke to the media within hours of the first explosion. “We are already working to contain the damage and repair the relevant infrastructure,” he promised. “And we will certainly not allow a repeat of this crime. We are already devising an appropriate retaliation, which the Honorian people will escape only by the removal of their High Queen.”

Observers cannot help but notice, however, that resistance to the Honorian attack was conspicuously absent. Gibraltarian naval and air elements have already engaged the Honorian military during the Sea Guard’s approach across the Huperzian Sea, and were soundly defeated. Neither naval nor air defenses arrived to defend Hercules Rock, however, and land-based defenses within the city limits were harshly chastised as soon as they put forward the slightest resistance. When asked, Mr. Nott said only, “The government is still investigating the failure of our defense forces to ensure that there will not be a repeat.”

Anonymous sources from Isauria, on the other hand, have a theory of their own: “Eurussians prefer to back winners, and these officers are more than ready to wave the Honorian flag.”

High Queen Meridia has long appealed to the former Eurussian military leaders stationed in Gibraltar to reject the new government in Hercules Rock, which has been implicated in the unlawful imprisonment of the Duchy’s rightful ruler, Duke Albert Volkov. The Duke’s son, Eduard Volkov, arrived in Isauria almost two weeks ago to plead his father’s case to the Royal Household, prompting the present action. While Mr. Nott has since revealed a character pretending to be Duke Albert, the Honorian government has not been moved by the impostor’s accusations of illegal and immoral aggression. Neither, it seems, has Gibraltar’s military establishment.

Hercules Rock currently remains under the threat of further attacks from Honorian forces, but until there is further clarification from the Gibraltarian military leadership, it is impossible to say whether or not another attack will be met with furious resistance or absolute silence.

* * *

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Hercules Rock, Gibraltar: The Honorian Royal Guard made landfall on the northeastern coast of the Duchy of Gibraltar earlier today. After days of sporadic bombing runs directed against the capital, Hercules Rock, the decision to land Honorian troops on the far side of the island has caught most observers by surprise. Some have suggested that Lord Commander Tolireo Dul-Thermala Hermatta, consort of High Queen Meridia Kaltra-Desere Thermala of Honorias, is leery of the amount of destruction necessary to capture the capital of the Duchy, especially as the city has been reinforced following the poor performance of Gibraltarian defense forces in repelling Honorian attacks on the city thus far. Those same reinforcements have been drawn from other areas of the Duchy, however, which may also explain why the Honorian Royal Guard has selected a location as remote from Hercules Rock as it has.

‘Defender of the Rock’ David Nott again spoke to the media of Gibraltar, as well as the Word’s local correspondents, after receiving the news. “Now is the time to prove who we are and what we stand for,” he said. “I only ask our people to resist as well as they can. We are Eurussians, like our forefathers, and we share the strength that made them the lords of the World Alliance. These dangerous upstarts cannot be allowed to prevail over us—for our sake, and for the world’s.”

Similar rhetoric arrived to the people of Gibraltar from Duke Michael Orlov of Columbia, though his purpose in speaking was entirely contrary to that of the Gibraltarian politician. “Eurussians know better than anyone the value of legitimacy in government,” the Duke said. “And those of Gibraltar are already aware that the cabal that claims to lead them possesses no legitimacy whatsoever. To resist the Honorian soldiers fighting on behalf of the rightful Duke of Gibraltar would constitute not only a horrendous waste of life and limb, but a betrayal of all the values that once made Eurussia the master of the world.”

High Queen Meridia likewise addressed the people of Gibraltar from the Nerai Palace, urging them to remain calm and compliant during this “brief period of transition.” Nonetheless, the High Queen reserved most of her remarks for the Honorians now occupying northeastern Gibraltar, celebrating the bravery of “those men who have sacrificed so much for the Crowns, and for those who have asked for our friendship,” and promising the eternal gratitude of Honorias and the Duchy of Gibraltar for their services on behalf of Duke Albert Volkov, who has not been seen or heard from since his imprisonment by the government of David Nott. “This is a battle for righteousness and law,” the High Queen declared. “You are providing the balm that will heal the wounds of injustice. To you are owed the grateful thanks of all the nations.”

High Queen Meridia spared some attention for Mr. Nott himself, as well: “Your window of opportunity is closing fast. Surrender peacefully today, or be hounded for the rest of your days by the justice of our cause.”

Interestingly, the impostor who Mr. Nott has chosen to replace Duke Albert of Gibraltar has not spoken out regarding the newest developments. Sources in the Nott government claim that Mr. Nott has evacuated the Pretender from Hercules Rock “for his safety,” mimicking a concern for the welfare of the legitimate Duke in a time of war. There is no word on where the Pretender is now hiding, nor where the true Duke of Gibraltar is being held under arrest.

* * *

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Hercules Rock, Gibraltar: The Duchy of Gibraltar is one step closer to liberation today, after an explosion caused by Honorian infiltrators leveled a portion of Government House in Hercules Rock that contained the vast majority of the post-Eurussian administration of Gibraltar, including the self-appointed leader of this cabal, David Nott. Moreover, Honorian naval aircraft simultaneously destroyed a naval base on the western side of the island after insider sources revealed that the imposter claiming to be Duke Albert Volkov of Gibraltar was hiding in that location. These operations, independent of the Honorian advance by land forces on the western side of the island, have radically accelerated the likelihood of Honorian victory in Gibraltar and the reestablishment of Duke Albert’s authority in the Duchy.

Lord Commander Tolireo Dul-Thermala Hermatta released a statement from the Nerai Palace in conjunction with the announcement by the Honorian Royal and Sea Guards operating on the Duchy’s soil. “With these timely actions, the foremost obstacles toward a negotiated peace are now gone,” he said. “David Nott and his picked colleagues had no intention of surrendering or even speaking with the Crowns in order to reestablish peace, as he proved by arresting the true Duke of Gibraltar and replacing him with a handpicked stooge. Having removed both the puppet and the puppeteer, we are in a much better position to restore Duke Albert to his rightful place at the head of his Duchy.”

As ever, questions remain about the poor performance of Gibraltarian military defenses in Hercules Rock and elsewhere. While the Honorian military performance has improved markedly since the conclusion of the Huperzian War, during which time High Queen Meridia Kaltra-Desere Thermala and her administration in Isauria have imposed drastic military improvement schemes that have at times taxed the social and military fabric of the Crowns, this improvement alone does not explain the abysmal defense of the capital, or other locations including centers of military activity, by the Gibraltarian military forces. Like the Duchy of Columbia, the former Eurussian territory currently hosts a portion of the military forces that once answered to Moscow, which have been turned to local uses upon the sudden dissolution of the Empire of Eurussia. Observers are currently struggling to explain how even a portion of this once-almighty military force could fare so poorly against their Honorian opponents, given the very recent military buildup by the latter nation and its unfamiliarity with international war. As has previously been speculated, many have come to the conclusion that the Gibraltarian officer corps is not interested in fighting against overwhelming firepower, and is more willing than its political leadership to submit to Honorian authority. “They want Gibraltar to fall into Honorian hands as quickly as possible,” one such pundit suggested to the Word. “At that point, not only will they come under the stronger Honorian umbrella, but they personally stand to benefit as leaders in the Honorian military—possibly with the perks of high-level commanders, depending on their negotiating skills prior to the final surrender.” He added, “There is nothing like the Gaivarvara in Gibraltar, nor in Eurussia proper.”

High Queen Meridia has yet to comment on the blow struck against the Gibraltarian cabal or the state of the war. Nonetheless, sources in the Nerai Palace say that she is following these events with her full attention.

* * *

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Hercules Rock, Gibraltar: Earlier today, hastily-convened military leaders hailing from various bases and headquarters throughout the Duchy of Gibraltar presented the media and the public with a statement of surrender intended for the ears of High Queen Meridia Kaltra-Desere Thermala of Honorias and the Gaivarvara. Speaking to the media outside the bombed ruins of Government House in Hercules Rock, thirteen military officers from all branches of the formerly-Eurussian military forces stationed in Gibraltar acknowledged the superior tactical and strategic position of Honorias and its military forces in and around the Duchy. Their spokesman, Admiral Peter Keynes, declared that the Duchy of Gibraltar “will, from this point on, acknowledge and bow to the authority of the High Queen of Honorias, the Gaivarvara, and the Duchies of Eslania and Columbia.”

This development follows in the wake of Honorian action against the civilian government of the Duchy of Gibraltar, which had been implicated in the imprisonment of Eurussian-appointed Duke Albert Volkov of Gibraltar. This cabal, led by businessman David Nott, claimed to operate on behalf of the Duke, and went so far as to present a pretender to the ducal throne in the hopes of undermining Honorian motivation for their work in bringing these usurpers to justice. Rather than be shaken by the fraud, Honorian military strategists were certain to include this false Duke Albert in their plans to decapitate the Nott-led administration, which resulted in the obliteration of the cabal in Hercules Rock and the elimination of the pretender himself in a Gibraltarian naval base some miles outside of the city. Without these civilian paymasters to push the Gibraltarian military into an impossible war, the military leadership of the Duchy has clearly chosen to spare their soldiers and their people any further unnecessary disasters.

“We are saddened that it must come to this,” Admiral Keynes said to the media today. “Our forces have simply been outnumbered and outgunned throughout this contest, and without strong support from elsewhere we are simply unable to stand against the opposition of the Crowns. With this surrender, however, we know that the strength that has just brought us low will soon become a bulwark to support us and shield us from the blows of others. We must find the silver lining to this very dark cloud and move on.”

The admiral added, “We patiently await word from Isauria as to Her Majesty’s intentions for the armed forces of our Duchy. It is certainly our hope that they may soon parade before a new Duke of Gibraltar in defense of his interests and those of his people on this island, regardless of any foreign government to which we may answer at that time.”

High Queen Meridia likewise met with the media in Isauria to respond to the news of Gibraltar’s military surrender. “It was inevitable that we would emerge victorious from this conflict,” the High Queen said. “We have long been aware that the military of Gibraltar was either unable or unwilling to stand against our forces in the field, and with this quick surrender by the men and women tasked with leading those forces against us, we have confirmation of that unfortunate impression. I am certain that Honorian strength will soon return the Duchy of Gibraltar to a state of pride, as the Nott cabal was truly incapable of managing.”

The High Queen added, “The first step toward that ducal pride will be to reestablish the Duke himself. No matter the propaganda of the Nott regime, we have only ever desired that Duke Albert return to lead his Duchy, and it will be my pleasure to stand with Duke Albert in returning Gibraltar to the greatness due to any territory that was once ruled from Moscow.”

The Honorian Royal Guard forces currently campaigning in eastern Gibraltar against the retreating Duchy military will soon begin the process of rendering harmless the surrendering Gibraltarian soldiers they have been fighting these past several weeks. It is unlikely that the Gibraltarians captured at this point will return home until after Duke Albert has been found and restored to his throne, at which point their fate will be left in his hands.

* * *

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Hercules Rock, Gibraltar: After more than a month of searching, Honorian investigators in the Duchy of Gibraltar have conclusively determined that Albert Volkov, Duke of Gibraltar by order of Empress Elizabeth II of the Eurussian Empire, is dead. Investigators say that Duke Albert died in late May in the midst of fierce fighting between Gibraltarian forces and the Crowns of Honorias and the Gaivarvara, sparked by an oligarchic coup in the Duchy of Gibraltar that deposed the Duke and elevated David Nott, a bureaucrat and businessman of Hercules Rock, to high power. High Queen Meridia Kaltra-Desere Thermala ordered Honorian forces to intervene in Gibraltar at the behest of Lord Eduard Volkov, son of Duke Albert, who fled to Isauria in the immediate aftermath of David Nott’s rise and revealed that his father had been imprisoned by the cabal then ruling the Duchy. In the fighting that followed, Honorian forces eliminated the majority of the Nott government, including Nott himself, as well as an imposter claiming to be Duke Albert himself, who had earlier bestowed upon Mr. Nott the title ‘Defender of the Rock.’ Soon thereafter, Gibraltarian military leaders surrendered the Duchy into Honorian hands, whereupon High Queen Meridia instructed the Honorian Royal Guard, followed by several handpicked investigators from the Nerai Palace, to search for the imprisoned Duke Albert and restore him to his throne. Today’s news puts an end to this search, and calls the future of the Duchy of Gibraltar into question.

According to the investigators’ report, transmitted privately to the Nerai Palace last night before its public release this morning, records recovered from the wreckage of Government House in Hercules Rock had suggested that a man officially identified as Duke Albert had been transported to Nelson Naval Base on the west coast of Gibraltar in early May. When investigators first uncovered these documents, however, they understood the identification of Duke Albert to refer to the Pretender, who was also known to have moved to Nelson Naval Base for his own protection. Aircraft belonging to the Honorian Sea Guard destroyed Nelson Naval Base in late May in the same operation that took the lives of David Nott and his colleagues in Government House, eliminating the main pillar of Gibraltarian opposition to Duke Albert’s restoration. However, according to the investigators’ new report, Duke Albert was present in the same location as his imitator, and was almost certainly killed in the attack.

Admiral Peter Keynes, who remains the spokesman for the Gibraltarian military leadership even under Honorian oversight, met with the media soon after receiving the details of the Honorian investigation’s results. “I have always harbored my doubts regarding the fate of Duke Albert,” the admiral admitted, “and my fellow ranking officers have shared them for some time. His Excellency would not long remain missing unless he had been prevented from returning to us by his own death. We are deeply saddened, but not surprised, by the result of this investigation.”

Admiral Keynes added, “We ask Her Majesty the High Queen to deeply consider the knowledge of her new subjects in Gibraltar when it comes to the fate of the Duchy’s leadership. We have no quarrel with Her Majesty, for she brought her forces against Gibraltar in the righteous fury of a just cause. But that cause is tarnished by this news, which we among the higher ranks have long suspected, and which our Honorian peers in the Royal Guard are coming to see as well. We ask that Her Majesty carefully consider the events, political and military, that have occurred over the course of this war. If Her Majesty will hear our advice, the officers of Gibraltar say that matters are not what Honorias has been led to believe, most especially in the case of His Excellency Duke Albert.”

Having originally attacked and invaded Gibraltar in order to restore its rightful Duke to his throne, as she has already done in the case of the Duchy of Columbia for the benefit of Duke Michael Orlov and his family, High Queen Meridia will find it difficult to plan the future of Gibraltar from this point forward. Speaking from the Nerai Palace in Isauria, the High Queen acknowledged the implications of Duke Albert’s death for Gibraltar, and for the Honorian cause there. “We came into conflict with the Duchy of Gibraltar specifically to release Duke Albert from his bonds and restore him to his office, to which he was duly appointed by his sovereign,” High Queen Meridia said. “Duke Albert was not only the rightful ruler of Gibraltar, but was furthermore the incumbent to that seat, and therefore known and trusted by the people of the Duchy. We are entirely aware that Duke Albert’s death in an Honorian attack, coupled with Honorias’s control over the Duchy of Gibraltar today—and the necessary appointment of a new Duke of Gibraltar by my hands as High Queen, without recourse to the wreckage of the Empire or its isolated leadership in the distant Kremlin fortress—will only serve to increase the level of distrust in which the Crowns are viewed by the international community. Our war was righteous, but that has not stopped our neighbors abroad from condemning us in the past, and no doubt they will similarly forget their own violent episodes in favor of condemning Honorias once again if they take any mind of these matters at all. Nonetheless,” the High Queen said, “we can only move on from here. Gibraltar must be ruled, and the Crowns will determine its ruler. We will do our utmost to ensure that our choice is informed by the needs and wishes of the people of Gibraltar; furthermore, we will select only one who is worthy of maintaining the strong Eurussian heritage of the Duchy and its people. But we will not forget either that Duke Albert desired peace and partnership with the Crowns of Honorias and the Gaivarvara prior to his deposition by the Nott cabal—and that this partnership was part of the reason for David Nott’s hostility toward the Duke. Gibraltar will certainly have its part to play among the crowns.”

Early indications from Isauria are that Eduard Volkov, the son of Duke Albert whose escape from Gibraltar and arrival in Honorias brought the earliest word of the Duke’s imprisonment, will succeed his father as Duke Eduard IV. However, High Queen Meridia refused to answer questions relating to the upcoming selection. Likewise, when asked about the prospect of welcoming ‘Duke’ Eduard Volkov to Hercules Rock, Admiral Keynes only repeated his caution to the High Queen to take Gibraltarian concerns into consideration before making any decision regarding the leadership of the Duchy. “The spark of this war is not what the Crowns of Honorias and the Gaivarvara have been led to believe,” the admiral said. “His Excellency’s life was certain to end as soon as the war between Gibraltar and Honorias began. Until the full story of His Excellency’s final weeks is known to Isauria, Her Majesty cannot possibly make an informed decision about who is to follow in his place as Duke. My fellow officers and I strongly encourage High Queen Meridia to withhold her decision until the investigation she has ordered is complete.”

* * *

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