The morning sun filled the room with light. Outside the window thick, black smoke could be seen several miles down the coast. It was morning in Medici. A man lying on his bed in a room full of miscellaneous paper work and folders struggling to get up. He was a top advisor to General Sebastiano Di Ravello, leader of the nation. He lived in one of the many small modern homes on the hills outside of the capital city. He shuffled outside of his room with a briefcase and walked outside of his house to his car. He got into his car and drove south into the city down the empty, winding roads.

The man continued to drive until he reached the palace in the capital city. He stopped at the guard checkpoint on the dirt road leading up to the palace waiting for the guard to lift the gate. No guard came from the guard house. He waited longer, still no guard came. Realizing he was going to be late, the man got out of his car and lifted the counter weight on the gate himself. He knew the military was short staffed, but a failure to post a guard at the palace entrance was unthinkable. The man drove his car to the end of the road where the entrance to the palace was. It looked deserted. One black hand mercenary was sitting in a chair sleeping on the side of the door arch. The whole area was silent. The man walked apprehensively into the palace courtyard and into the main building. The vibrantly colored palace contrasted with ancient stone fortress on which it was built on, yet somehow seemed appropriate to the atmosphere of the country's state. He walked through the hallways which were usually adorned with decadent pictures and decorations, but were now mysteriously barren.

The man was now smelling burning paper, a smell he was very familiar with. Upon reaching the end of the palace hallway, and finding no one he could consult, walked into the center courtyard knowing that there must be some officials on the premises. Outside in the main courtyard, soldiers and officers alike were frantically shoveling paper into burning barrels and small piles of burning debris. Suddenly the advisor knew where the palace staff had been. Maps, documents, records, transcripts, and photos were all being thrown into the fire. Most of the palace staff was there helping the effort. Through the smoke the man could see a general he was well acquainted with, general Tonelli. He greeted General Tonelli and asked why no guard was posted at the entrance, he replied nervously; "Our number one priority is destroying all sensitive military information that could be used to further destroy our assets." "You mean the rebels?" The man asked. "Yes, the rebels. They are fighting down the coast and are only two towns off from reaching the capital. Even now the General has gone into hiding." "What will happen to us?" The man asked. General Tonelli did not reply.

The man quickly went to his office but found it almost empty, except a turned over filing cabinet and pieces of what he assumed was his desk. He walked quickly out of the palace and back to his car, the black hand mercenary he saw before was gone. He sat down, turned on the ignition and was backing out when suddenly a rebel jet nearly flew into one of the palace towers. The sound of its rocketing engines was followed by a hail of gunfire from the courtyard. The man quickly drove back to his house on the main road. He quickly parked his car and walked ino his house. He looked at his empty, debris filled swimming pool. Wasting no time, the man emptied the contents of his suitcase into the garbage and began packing his clothes and personal belongings. Several hours later the general Tonelli called his phone. The man answered it. "Hello? Yes, I have managed to get us a plane into Tunisia tonight, hurry they are only waiting another hour." "What? Are we just leaving?" The shocked man asked "Yes we are, I couldn't discuss it this morning in front of the men, the perimeter around the wall is down too. Get to the North Insula Striate airfield." General Tonelli hung up. The man drove along the coast to the nearest wall entrance and sure enough, it was completely deserted. he had a map of the north country but was very un-familiar with it considering it was off limits to the public. He finally reached the airfield and found several other government officials were boarding the small, private jet. Many of them were disheveled and tired looking. He looked like the rest of them. With his briefcase in hand he boarded the jet.