MDAM-
C1: Designated Survivor
"Captain Sariason, come here a minute." Zelda said watching the TV.
"Ma'am?" The officer took his feet off of the conference table and put his magazine down. "What's up?" He said moving around towards her.
"Could you grab a bottle of water from the fridge please?"
"You know, ma'am, I didn't join the army to be a slave to the Royal Family. But rather I joined to fight for the country." He snorted reaching down and grabbing a bottle from the fridge. "I can't believe you pulled me off security at parliament, I'm sure any other guardsman could do this job."
"Shut up and pass me the water Link, you and I both know why you are on the security detail, you and I know each other."
"Just for the record, it was the night after getting my Medal of Farore, and how the hell do I know that I was hitting on the first princess. And don't you say I should have recognised you, I was drunk. Fair?"
"You should have recognised the crown princess. You're a member of the Ordon Guardsman, for the love of all that is holy, you work a the palace! Not only that, I am the one who pinned that medal to your chest."
"So when is his Majesty showing up in front of both houses?" He said as he underhanded the bottle at her.
"Any minute now." She gave him a quick glance. "So, what's with the get up? None of my other details ever wore fatigues during protection duty."
"We recently had a rise in security level, from heightened to severe, all ministerial and royal protection officers are to where combat ready uniform over the ceremonial one. Hence the the fact that I look like I'm about to have a skirmish in the Balvatzia."
"It suits you. It's cute."
"Do you do this to all your protection officers, ma'am?"
"No just you. I hope this will further discourage you from ever hitting on me ever again."
"At this rate I don't think I'll touch any drink again. Just imagine the amount of trouble I could have gotten in if you told my CO." He sighed.
"It good to know I have blackmail over you." She said. "Looks like the fun is about to start."
Link took a seat and took a sip from his own bottle of water as he sat down back at his seat. Putting his rifle up on the table next to his forest green beret. The rambling of chatter of the two houses of parliament ceased as the national anthem played and the sound of fifteen hundred pairs of feet standing up. His Majesty, King Harkanian the Sixth, entered the room with two escorts, in very dated attire and pikes, and three bishops, each representing the first orders of the faith. "May the Right Honourable Speakers of the Houses of Commons and Lords, allow me, the Speaker of the House of the Faith address the Parliament." The King asked.
Link chuckled. "To think you, ma'am, will be doing all of this ceremony when you ascend."
"What? It's tradition."
"And silly..."
"A silly tradition, much like half of the army's rules. Especially old regiments like the Ordonean, Terminan, Labrynnian or Holodrumian Guards. Have you ever been to a regimental dinner?"
Link shrugged. "True, but at least I can do that as a group, and not on national television."
"I, the speaker of the House of Commons, permit the Right Honourable Speaker of the Faith to address Parliament."
"I, the speaker of the House of Lord, do also permit the Right Honourable Speaker of the Faith to address Parliament." The King stepped forward, placing his sceptre between the ones representing both houses of parliament. His escorts turned about and proceeded to lock the chamber with three chains and three locks before guarding each side and crossing pikes across the door. The King took his place between the two speakers, who were standing on either side of the speakers seat. He sat down.
"I, as the ruling monarch and speaker of the faith hereby dissolve parliament until the doors have been reopened." There came a number of boos from parliament, though it was all in for the theatrics of tradition. "I have come here to address the state of the United Kingdom of Hyrule, Termina, Holodrum, Labrynna and Gerudo. Please all be seated." He took out his glasses and unfolded a gold wax sealed letter. "This past year has been a tumultuous one, with war at home an abroad, I have never been so proud to see the unity and strength of our armed forces."
"Feeling good about that one captain?"
"Damn right... Ma'am." He added.
"As the Command and Chief of the Hyrulian Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, and their subsequent forces, I have seen their vigorous and passionate effectiveness at quelling the insurrection of extremist ultranationalist terrorists that bombed the Terminan Assembly, and attempted to ceded from our great nation, to try and reinstall the military junta that once threatened to wipe Hyrule off the map. These rebels had no reason to revolt, as this year was to let the five assemblies get their third devolution of power, to let people take more control of their local governments. Their war did the exact opposite of what was planned, they stalled access to devolved power. And thanks to our brave servicemen and women, we are once again continuing as planned, all in good faith."
"I've got to hand it to your father, ma'am. He is good at what he does." He said before chucking a sweet in to the air and catching it in his mouth.
"Here I was thinking the army would teach you etiquette."
"It does the opposite, ma'am."
"Clearly."
"And abroad, our soldiers have, as part as a UN peacekeeping mission, have gone over and above at keeping the fighting in Balvatzia to a minimum and much much more. They have cleared mine fields, rebuilt infrastructure and began creating a peaceful handover to the new stable government. This past year has been hard and sadly full of many losses, as many of you know. However I have never been so proud to be the monarch of such a brave, caring, and brilliant country in the world. To all of you here in parliament and all those at home, I thank yo..." The feed cut off.
"Odd." Link said, grabbing the remote and trying other channels. He clicked from the parliamentary channel to HBC with the ten o'clock news. The feed hadn't cut there.
"Duran? Duran are you there? It seems that we have lost contact with our Hyrulian Politics Correspondent at the Houses of Parliament… Hold, we seem to have some breaking news. It's from our Intelligence Correspondent currently as FIB headquarters. We are patching him through now." The newsreader paused. "Gailian, what news do you have for us?"
"Lanayru Bridge is down… We have lost parliament." The correspondent said, the camera faced downstream towards the Houses of Parliament, or at least what was left of it. "At this moment in time, we believe that both houses…" Link switched off the TV. Zelda stood up and opened the window, looking towards the river and seeing the smoke plume lit up by fires and streetlights.
Grabbing his rifle he slung it around his shoulder before briskly making his way to the window and slamming it shut. "Stay away from the window. We need to get you out of here now…"
"Link! What the hell is going on?"
He put on and smoothed down his beret. "I don't know." He grabbed his sword of office and clipped it to his side. Going onto one knee, he pulled out a box from under the table.
"Shield-Actual, Shield-Two and Three coming in. Over."
Link tapped his shoulder to patch him through to his team. "Copy that." He cut the line and opened the box and threw the flak vest over Zelda's purple hoodie. The door opened to his right. Lieutenant Lananria and Sergeant Kalif walked in. "Cia, Ganon, keep that door secure."
"Yes, Sir." The two of them trained their rifles on the door as Link tightened up her vest and Zelda place her helmet on.
"That's her sorted." Links said, helping the princess off the table. "Shield-Four through Seven, do you copy over?"
"This is Shield-Four, we are all in the garage sir."
"Good, I need you to meet us at rendezvous point Charlie. We'll be there in" he glanced at his watch "three minuets. And get the other teams ready for decoy runs. Over."
"Copy that, Shield-Actual, Wilco and see you there. Shield-Four out." The line went dead as they ran through to the main stairwell and began their descent, passing a number of confused and concerned holiday goers as three soldiers and an armoured covered twenty-something. They ran out through the lobby and in through a staff door that led out to the loading area of the hotel. Four vehicles came out with Sword and the rest of Shield. The doors opened quickly and the Link quickly moved the princess into the vehicle. He slammed the door shut and vehicles moved off before quickly diverging into three separate convoys as Bow and Helm teams came around and joined up with the rest of the group. The Shield convoy moved with vigour down the M2 motorway ring road as it made its way east towards the royal palace grounds.
Picking briefcase out from under the seat in front of him, Link fiddled in his code, unclasped the latches and pulled up the lid, revealing a number of folders. "Ma'am, this is for you."
"What's this?"
"Reaction Plan: Broken Wisdom. When His Majesty cannot be accounted for, this is for you to follow, it is an emergency document prepared by the cabinet. This is specifically is Broken Wisdom Twelve. This is the second most severe document."
"I see." She breathed out slowly… "Okay, this says that if the king along with the entirety of parliament is unaccounted for, likely dead, due unknown circumstances. What could be worse than that?"
"Reaction Plan Thirteen. Unaccounted for due to an act of war."
"I see."
"You are to meet with the Chiefs of Defence, General, Air and Naval Staff, the Directors of Foreign Intelligence Bureau and the National Intelligence Service, the Head of the Joint Intelligence Committee and finally, the Marshal Commissioner of the Hyrulian Police Forces Commission. They will be acting on your orders as acting commander and chief. They will present to you multiple options, all linked to current intelligence and threat assessments. They will put forward likely terror cells, possible foreign national elements, and anything else."
"Pull over."
"Ma'am, I'd advise against that." The driver said.
"Pull over! Or do I have to make that an order?" She said, the cars moving onto the hard shoulder. Link opened the door and let the princess rush out. She bent over the railing and threw up into a ditch at the side of the road.
"Ma'am, do you need a hand?"
"I can throw up on my own… thanks for asking, Link."
A sigh of relief came from the captain as she used his first name. "I know that this is a lot to take in, ma'am, but these are my orders. I have to brief you on what has to happen during a situation such as this."
"I just found out my dad is dead, and now I am just expected to pick up where he left off, without a government, without an aid. I'm not ready for this, I need my dad to show me how to do this."
"No one is ready to be a leader of a nation. I wouldn't know where to start; there is just so much uncertainty. But ma'am, what are in need for a strong face, a unifying force, until the next general election, and to be honest, I couldn't think of anyone better. We need you to be strong, for the Kingdom and the people. We are looking up to you, and so am I, so ma'am. Please."
"Okay. I'll do it. But, I need you there. I need someone I can trust keep open eyed about what's going on around me, politically and militarily. I need some kind of port in the storm. I hope I have your full confidence captain."
"You won't be disappointed, ma'am"