ACT 1 - The return.

Perhaps what's most would consider a complete disaster, for the President of the Federation, Winters is not.

His immediate return were met with fury from his friend, advisor and vice president. Morrison. Who, respectfully, wanted to use the event not to show the Federation's ability in diplomacy but also establishing their relations with their neighbours, now has completely fallen apart due to the President's bulldog behaviour and unrelenting diplomacy tactic.

While Morrison understood his long-time friend, he simply couldn't understand why would Winters would throw everything he have promised to his people during his election into the ocean as if it is nothing.

As Morrison thinks to himself in his office, a soft knock upon his door was heard.

"Come in." - Morrison said.

The Door was opened and revealed to be Frederick, the Chief Of Naval Operations. He didn't say much, casually walking toward the Vice President's desk and sat down in front of him.

"The Navy have been mobilised and the construction of our 13 carriers have been ramped up." - Frederick said.

Morrison didn't say a word, he only nodded. He grabbed the tea pot and poured some tea for Frederick. Who took a sip once it is done.

"I should've gone in his stead." - Morrison lamented.

Frederick chuckles.

"You know, Winters is hard to understand, but he is very capable. If anything, he must sensed something was off at that meeting, he never behave that way without a valid reason." - Frederick said.

Morrison scratches his head.

"I could never understand the man..." - Morrison said solemnly.

Frederick shrugged, taking a sip of his tea. That was when the door was knocked once again.

"Come in." - Morrison said.

Adjusting his posture and suit, he returns to his professional atmosphere.
The Assistant of the President, Patterson entered the office. Giving them a firm salute.

"Mister Vice President, Mister Chief Of Naval Operations. The President is requesting a security and cabinet meeting, please report to the meeting hall." - Patterson said.

As soon as he finish, Patterson gave them a salute and walked out.
Frederick and Morrison, looking at the Assistant's fading figure, then back toward each others. Sighs as they stood up from their seat and moved to the meeting hall.

As they proceed to the Meeting hall, what usually a fifteen minutes walk felt like hours. As Morrison were in deep thought .

What could possibly irritate James so much that he would resolve to threats. He thought to himself.

Beside him, Frederick. Who is walking on the same pace as Morrison, clearly could tell that he is not paying much attention to what he is saying. As they approach the meeting hall's door. Frederick shaked Morrison violently.

Snapping out of his thought, Morrison looked at Frederick, confused.

"What the hell are you doing?" - Morrison said irritatedly.

"Snapping you out of your thoughts, obviously." - Frederick responded.

Morrison, embarrassed by the fact that he was so much in his thought that he was about to hit his face into the door, nodded and thanked Frederick.

Anyhow, Frederick saluted the Guard, who returned with a salute and opened the door for the pair.
Entering the chamber, seated the cabinet and military commanders of the Federation, a soft argument can be heard.

"Why the fuck did you all decided to send the President?! You guys should've sent me or the Vice President, now look at this mess. We have a fucking crisis on our hand!" - Veronica loudly voice her opinion.

"What do you mean by not sending the President? It is his policy to remove us from isolationism, It is him that your shitty department get funding in the first place." - Meredith barked back.

"Crisis? I hardly call this a Crisis." - Madsen said.

"I agree with Madsen, this is just a minor fuck up." - Peter chimed in.

"What do you guys mean this is not a crisis? We just declared embargo on one of the fellow major power within the region, threatened their representative's life and most fucking importantly, ruined our image with all the potential allies who now look at us like we're uncivilised lunatics with big guns who gonna invade them!" - Veronica shouted in response.

"Look, Miss Veronica, we all know that you're the secretary of Foreign Affairs. However, there must've been a problem within this whole meeting for the President to act like that. I firmly believe that the President knows best." - Peter responded.

"Beside, My Marine Corps and Peter's Air Force will do a quick work on any who want to find out." - Madsen said.

"Exactly, General Arthur. Please say something." - Peter said.

Sitting in the corner is Arthur, the chief of staff of the Army, he is reading a book.

"Please don't drag me into your childish bickering. Also Commandant Madsen. Please do not underestimate your enemies, especially when it's half of the continent. Even a Lion would lose against dozen of hyenas." - Arthur said.

"Ex-Exactly, General Arthur. Take that, Madsen!" - Veronica chimed in.

"Why can't you guys just act like professionals for once?" - Joshua irritatedly said.

As Frederick and Morrison approaches their seat, the members of the Cabinet and Joint Chief Of Staff finally settles down, taking their seat.

"This is the first time I've seen you this active, Veronica." - Morrison said.

"Well, it is involved with Foreign Affairs. I don't want my department to get their budget sliced in half after we just received it." - Veronica said.

"Considering how President Winters put much faith in you, Veronica. I'm sure that won't happen, Although Frederick here would probably get a lot more allocated to him now that the construction of our CVNs are being ramped up." - Morrison said.

Taking a sip of his tea and settling it down, the middle aged man, The Secretary of Defence finally decided to say something.

"You kids never fail to amuse me. Bickering over trivial matters." - David said.

"But anyhow, yes. Frederick, you're getting a 40% increase in your allocated spending, please get those carriers done." - David added.

"Does that mean less budget for us, Mister Vice President?" - Meredith inquired.

"Obviously not, Mister Meredith. Slicing the National Healthcare Service would cause a national-wide revolutionary movement." - Morrison said.

As more Secretaries enter and took their seat, within minutes. Most seats have now been filled, except for the President's.

"Hes still late, as always." - Veronica said.

"That's kinda his thing." - Vasily added.

"Agreed." - John chimed in.

And so, another brief silence.

"You know, just my opinion but. This is a fucked up, isn't it?" - Meredith said.

"Considering how tough and no-bullshit our President is?" - Vasily asked.

"I don't know about you guys, but I can assure you, he made the right choice. He always did." - Claude confidently said.

As the discussion about the event previously in Tepror during the talks of a Pythia Union continues on, soon. The President would enter the hall, the Officers of the Joint Chief Of Staffs rose from their seat, followed by the members of the Cabinet.
The President, as naive as ever, quickly give them the gesture to sit. Taking his seat, be took a sip of the tea presented in front of him.

"I'm glad that you all could be available within such short notice. My apologies for being late, I had to deal with the paperworks that Morrison piled up in my room." - The President said.

He flipped through the document presented in front of him, as the same time. They're being handed out to the members of the Cabinet as well Officers of the Joint Chief Of Staffs. Who all opened and took a quick read of the detailed report of the whole shenanigan.

"Now, as many of you have heard about the ordeal of the Pythia Union meeting in Tepror. It is my incompetence that I failed this meeting, due to my uncontrolled rage and anger toward such blatant disregard of our culture and the... Display of the habit of corrupted, ulterior motive-fueled politicians." - The President said.

"Many of you know this, Why the Federation is the greatest. So you clearly know what's I mean by this." - The President said.

Rising from his seat, the President grasp his chest, then slamming his fist onto the table.

"Pesky politicians, Imperialists dare show their face. Weasel words, double speaks and open-ended answers. Those damn Tepror Imperialists thinking they could trick us like the others to support their ambitious goal of controlling the continent under a unified autocracy? Blasphemy. The Federation is the bastion- No, the beacon of democracy. In the dark, we are the brightest torch. And yet, I could tell. Many of you think cooperating with such treacherous ambitious nation is for the best of the Federation? Where is your faith? Where is your loyalty to the blue and white?!" - The President said loudly.

The members of the meeting sit silently, rethinking of the words they've said. They know damn well that's why their president is not a sophisticated man, he has the ability to read people as if they're a book.

"This is not what I've desired. My colleagues, I would love to cooperate with them, Many of the delegates there are great, if not perfect potential partners. However, to allow myself- No, this Federation to align itself with Tepror is to make a deal with the devil. In this stead, we must not embrace our fear. We must persevere. For the free men and women of this nation, this continent- no. This whole god damn world." - The President declared.

"If anything, from everything I've learned of their constitution, their history, their background, their government, their double-speaking pattern. If anything, Miss Merry, their representative and her reaction to the Legion by pointing guns at them only solidified my decision. I understand that I am hotheaded and hardheaded, However. Isn't that what the Federation is? As firm as Granite, as clear as water, as flexible as the wind, as aggressive as bulldog, as magnificent as a lion?!" - The President said.

"We must not allow slaughter, we will avoid wars. However, we must not let they achieve their ambition. No matter how will they perceive us. When times is of need, we will strike them down..." - The President said.

Taking a sip of the tea, he continued.

"It is these times, it is these meetings that show us. The World is harsh, it is a shade of grey. It is these time... I stand the President of this Federation, this is not what I've desired, however. The Weight upon my shoulders, I shall not let the flame falter. We must re-dawn our armour. Like the Legionnaires who are known as Martyrs. I live to serve the Federation until my last breath. It is my duty!" - The President said.

"The meeting has went completely off-rail from what we've anticipated. However. It has solidified our foundation. Since our great Federation's birth. Great men and women have come and gone, their blood runs proudly in our veins, their courage with us. We must not allow the torch to burn out. We shall not align ourselves with the ambitious imperialists and lose our tradition! We will be the bulwark. The first, the last and the only line against them!" - The President declared.

As the President took his seat. The Members of the Cabinet as well officers whisper to each others. That is, until General Arthur Chase rose from his seat.

"It is my humble duty to serve the Federation. Your speech has enlightened me from my doubt, Mister President. Let it's be the words to those who had doubt. We must re-dawn our armour, for too long it has chipped, we must re-dawn our blade, for too long it has gone dull. We must reclaim our rightful heritage, as the last bastion of democracy, and the first beacon of democracy." - General Arthur added.

The others agreed and with that, concluded the meeting...
Soon, the meeting hall is now empty, sitting only the President and the Vice President.

"What a rousing speech, Mister President." - Morrison mockingly said.

"I don't know if it is the right choice or the wrong choice, Morrison." - James answered honestly.

"Well, you're the captain of this ship, James. Whatever you do, the crews will follow you." - Morrison said.

Morrison took a sip of his cup of tea.

"I have my doubts as well, James. However, what's matter most is your choice. If anything, your speech told me that Tepror is not worthy of your trust, and thus. It is not worthy of the Federation's trust." - Morrison added.

"If anything, the Council is never wrong. If they said you made the right choice. Then you did. They also selected you, did they not? They said you embody the spirit of the Federation, the last of the old code and the first of the new generation." - Morrison said, although bitterness can be felt in his voice.

Smiling at Morrison's console, James looked at the Golden North Star crest at the end of the meeting hall.

"Wherever the North Star guide us. The Federation endure." - James said softly.

"Exactly." - Morrison said.

James, taking a sip of tea, continued.

"We must be prepared for war. Dark cloud is filling the sky. Tepror don't exactly have a clean track record according to FSIA, and Legion forces report of a Region called Regal See being a humanitarian crisis. If anything, to further consolidate our resolve. We must be prepared for the storm. We're not yet in the storm. But we damn well better be prepared to be caught in it." - James said.

"Might as well become the eye of the storm. James." - Morrison added.

"Damn straight, brother." - James answered.

The two would continue to discuss the status and affairs of the Federation and the world at large in the meeting hall.

And so, the first step of the Lion was made.

ACT 1 - END.