6K Man
Bureaucrat
The roots of the Ottoman nation run deep. Ours is an old land, founded among bounty, hardened by adversity.
As Prime Minister, Generalissimo, Grand Poobah and Chair of the Central Bank, I have endeavoured to chart an honourable path for the Turkish people. We seek no quarrel with our friends, but never forget a betrayal.
And this? This is the story of a betrayal, of the worst kind.
Millennia ago, the Ottoman empire spread itself out across the continent of Laurasia, co-existing peacefully with its neighbours – the Vikings, Persians, Dutch, and English. Other, less friendly neighbours – the Greeks, the Celts – were summarily dealt with. But by 1700 AD, just four short decades ago, we were on friendly – capital-F friendly – terms with all four remaining neighbours on Laurasia.
Across the sea was, well, across the sea. On the continent of Zakhara, the Byzantine empire rose. And on the third continent, Aman, the Khmer nation grew warlike, turning its ambitious gaze towards Korea and Inca. Our first contacts overseas, a millennium ago, were with the Koreans. We grew to become friends, trading together with them and with the Inca. And so, when the Khmer made war upon the Koreans, hundreds of years ago, we gave them what support we could.
It was not enough. The Khmer and the craven Romans parcelled out the Korean lands like jackals fighting over a Plains Cow. The Ottomans supplied Korea with interest-free loans and knowledge of military arts, but our own armies were pinned down in a war against the Celts. And so Korea fell, and the Turks wept for their lost markets.
But when, years later, it appeared that the Khmer were turning their eyes towards our last friends on Aman, the Ottoman empire acted. An expeditionary force was launched, with the purported aim of subjugating the French city-state, a notorious sponsor of piracy. War between the Khmer and the Inca came just as Paris was subjugated.
And this time, we were with our friends in more than spirit. A sudden thrust from Paris wiped out dozens of Khmer Cavalry and Cannon. Two Khmer cities fell, and Suryavarman, the zombie-faced putz, was forced to turn away from the Inca to face… the OEF! Hard-pressed, the Inca made peace with their tormentor – no shame to them, they fought well despite being overmatched. And the Ottoman Expeditionary Force continued the battle against the Khmer. By 1740, half a dozen Khmer cities had fallen, but perhaps half our forces were now pinned down in a foreign land.
There are limits to Ottoman power; our empire cannot be everywhere, of course. On Zakhara, the Byzantines made war on the Mongols and on a third nation we never knew (history records them as having been green). The Mongols were a vile, rapacious people, and frankly, we cheered the successes of the Byzantines against them. Let the record show that yea, we were friends with Byzantium, but I as Proconsul of the Ottomans never gifted them any strategic resources or technology. All trade between us was to mutual advantage. Fair trade makes friends, outright gifts in times of peace makes supplicants.
Byzantium grew strong, coming to dominate the northern half of Zakhara. They had no love for their southern neighbours, the Japanese and Ethiopians, but we adjudged Japan and Ethiopia strong enough to stand against Byzantium, if needs be.
And then, in 1760, a slap – our friends in England signed a binding alliance with Byzantium. After 500 years of Pax Ottoman, our empire had a global rival. Yet we remained friends, despite our mutual superpower status.
In 1762, that changed. Churchill and Justinian, out of the blue, stabbed us in the back. Our diplomats had no inkling of the treachery that was planned. Simultaneously, the English thrust columns of Armoured Cars into our western borders while their fleet marauded along our shared coast, threatening many coastal towns. The Byzantines, for their part, ravaged the fishing communities on the island of Coney, in the northern seas, and landed a great army to threaten the communities there.
It was a war we could ill afford. Our people were weary of the long conflict with the Khmer. The loss of food and luxuries from Coney triggered riots and starvation throughout the Ottoman lands. Grimly, I as Supreme Warlord mustered all mobile reserves on Laurasia for a blow against England. We gave battle, and the English losses were terrible. Their armoured fingers were severed, an English city fell, and – miracle of miracles – the English agreed to sue for peace.
Peace with the English meant that Churchill’s forces must have been so hard-pressed that they had prevailed upon their Byzantine allies to make peace with us. Byzantium had suffered no losses and remained the world’s second-leading power. A respite could not have been more welcomed by Turkey; Coney had been blockaded and its fishing fleets destroyed, but a Byzantine army had threatened to overrun the island entirely before peace was imposed. The loss of our Coney outposts would have been devastating in the medium term, costing us Silver, Crab, and Whales, with no easy way to retake them.
And so, for the last twenty years, a sullen peace lay between Turkey and the Anglo-Zants. We had been friends, and even now, they presented a neutral face to us. Yet renewed war seemed inevitable. We pressed our advantage against the Khmer, hoping to break their strength and end that war in a position of overwhelming strength. And at the same time, we urgently strengthened our western and northern positions. No new troops for the Khmer front! Instead, a squadron of Destroyers and Ironclad Cruisers was sent to Coney, and Motor Infantry units were airlifted in. Air Cavalry and Jet Fighters were dispatched to face the English, and a new, super-Battleship (The OSS Leviathan) anchored a strengthened navy along the Ottoman/English coastal border.
Doubts remained as the arms race reached a fever pitch. Would the English strike again when the peace treaty expired? Were the hastily assembled defenses at Coney island strong enough to hold off the Byzantines (who had taken refuge in a Sumerian city on Coney)? Was it a mistake to demand tribute from England when we made peace?
And most of all, where was the bulk of the Byzantine army, the second strongest in the world? The twenty-unit force that landed on Coney was but a token of their strength. Was a greater invasion force lurking somewhere off our shores?
Would it now be enough?
Spoiler :
As Prime Minister, Generalissimo, Grand Poobah and Chair of the Central Bank, I have endeavoured to chart an honourable path for the Turkish people. We seek no quarrel with our friends, but never forget a betrayal.
And this? This is the story of a betrayal, of the worst kind.
Millennia ago, the Ottoman empire spread itself out across the continent of Laurasia, co-existing peacefully with its neighbours – the Vikings, Persians, Dutch, and English. Other, less friendly neighbours – the Greeks, the Celts – were summarily dealt with. But by 1700 AD, just four short decades ago, we were on friendly – capital-F friendly – terms with all four remaining neighbours on Laurasia.
Across the sea was, well, across the sea. On the continent of Zakhara, the Byzantine empire rose. And on the third continent, Aman, the Khmer nation grew warlike, turning its ambitious gaze towards Korea and Inca. Our first contacts overseas, a millennium ago, were with the Koreans. We grew to become friends, trading together with them and with the Inca. And so, when the Khmer made war upon the Koreans, hundreds of years ago, we gave them what support we could.
Spoiler :
Spoiler :
It was not enough. The Khmer and the craven Romans parcelled out the Korean lands like jackals fighting over a Plains Cow. The Ottomans supplied Korea with interest-free loans and knowledge of military arts, but our own armies were pinned down in a war against the Celts. And so Korea fell, and the Turks wept for their lost markets.
But when, years later, it appeared that the Khmer were turning their eyes towards our last friends on Aman, the Ottoman empire acted. An expeditionary force was launched, with the purported aim of subjugating the French city-state, a notorious sponsor of piracy. War between the Khmer and the Inca came just as Paris was subjugated.
And this time, we were with our friends in more than spirit. A sudden thrust from Paris wiped out dozens of Khmer Cavalry and Cannon. Two Khmer cities fell, and Suryavarman, the zombie-faced putz, was forced to turn away from the Inca to face… the OEF! Hard-pressed, the Inca made peace with their tormentor – no shame to them, they fought well despite being overmatched. And the Ottoman Expeditionary Force continued the battle against the Khmer. By 1740, half a dozen Khmer cities had fallen, but perhaps half our forces were now pinned down in a foreign land.
Spoiler :
There are limits to Ottoman power; our empire cannot be everywhere, of course. On Zakhara, the Byzantines made war on the Mongols and on a third nation we never knew (history records them as having been green). The Mongols were a vile, rapacious people, and frankly, we cheered the successes of the Byzantines against them. Let the record show that yea, we were friends with Byzantium, but I as Proconsul of the Ottomans never gifted them any strategic resources or technology. All trade between us was to mutual advantage. Fair trade makes friends, outright gifts in times of peace makes supplicants.
Byzantium grew strong, coming to dominate the northern half of Zakhara. They had no love for their southern neighbours, the Japanese and Ethiopians, but we adjudged Japan and Ethiopia strong enough to stand against Byzantium, if needs be.
And then, in 1760, a slap – our friends in England signed a binding alliance with Byzantium. After 500 years of Pax Ottoman, our empire had a global rival. Yet we remained friends, despite our mutual superpower status.
In 1762, that changed. Churchill and Justinian, out of the blue, stabbed us in the back. Our diplomats had no inkling of the treachery that was planned. Simultaneously, the English thrust columns of Armoured Cars into our western borders while their fleet marauded along our shared coast, threatening many coastal towns. The Byzantines, for their part, ravaged the fishing communities on the island of Coney, in the northern seas, and landed a great army to threaten the communities there.
It was a war we could ill afford. Our people were weary of the long conflict with the Khmer. The loss of food and luxuries from Coney triggered riots and starvation throughout the Ottoman lands. Grimly, I as Supreme Warlord mustered all mobile reserves on Laurasia for a blow against England. We gave battle, and the English losses were terrible. Their armoured fingers were severed, an English city fell, and – miracle of miracles – the English agreed to sue for peace.
Peace with the English meant that Churchill’s forces must have been so hard-pressed that they had prevailed upon their Byzantine allies to make peace with us. Byzantium had suffered no losses and remained the world’s second-leading power. A respite could not have been more welcomed by Turkey; Coney had been blockaded and its fishing fleets destroyed, but a Byzantine army had threatened to overrun the island entirely before peace was imposed. The loss of our Coney outposts would have been devastating in the medium term, costing us Silver, Crab, and Whales, with no easy way to retake them.
And so, for the last twenty years, a sullen peace lay between Turkey and the Anglo-Zants. We had been friends, and even now, they presented a neutral face to us. Yet renewed war seemed inevitable. We pressed our advantage against the Khmer, hoping to break their strength and end that war in a position of overwhelming strength. And at the same time, we urgently strengthened our western and northern positions. No new troops for the Khmer front! Instead, a squadron of Destroyers and Ironclad Cruisers was sent to Coney, and Motor Infantry units were airlifted in. Air Cavalry and Jet Fighters were dispatched to face the English, and a new, super-Battleship (The OSS Leviathan) anchored a strengthened navy along the Ottoman/English coastal border.
Spoiler :
Spoiler :
Spoiler :
Spoiler :
Doubts remained as the arms race reached a fever pitch. Would the English strike again when the peace treaty expired? Were the hastily assembled defenses at Coney island strong enough to hold off the Byzantines (who had taken refuge in a Sumerian city on Coney)? Was it a mistake to demand tribute from England when we made peace?
And most of all, where was the bulk of the Byzantine army, the second strongest in the world? The twenty-unit force that landed on Coney was but a token of their strength. Was a greater invasion force lurking somewhere off our shores?
Would it now be enough?
Last edited:
)
