General Faust's Protestation
Let the records say that I, Loreena Morgenthau Faust, may have these words revelated on mortem
United Cascadia National Marine Guard 133rd Division "Black Eagles." Most importantly – a proud mother of three, may the Dust trail them far.
1. 1. I hereby swear by the Mother's name in Dust that the written/spoken evidence I shall unveil will be the truth, but beyond that, the whole truth, nothing else comes close, so abides the Mother. By swearing this oath, perjury holds above me as a sword. Make justice though skyfall.
2. 2. I was just another, if notable, officer, serving simple peace enforcement operations in Central Cambodia, Vietnam, Sumeria, Malagasy, Manchuria, and Zion. It was around that time I was introduced to Valentin Gaulther – the person everyone knows as Crimson 1. The fight, even in a hardened soldier, can only burn its embers so much before it requires respites of peace, and I cherish the children I raised in the years after, right up to time of writing.
3. 3. My path of infamy began in AC 417 when I led the Black Eagles into the Oceanian Containment Mission; I was a Colonel then, and I worked in close coordination with my peer, Morgan Elizabeth, to enact subjugation tactics against Oceanian defenders by firebombing crops and leading Marine and Air Force raids against shipping lanes and routes. We were feared for our brutal triumphs, so to speak, against captured mercenary pilots and soldiers, the survivors of whom could remember body parts like slashed heads.
4. 4. Soon, my men questioned my behavior; they reasoned that mercenaries were just people working for a living, no better than us fighting to put on the table. I countered that those lowlife scum, with their brilliance and talent, chose this path and willingly served a corrupted nation that mocks the morality of being and wants a world entirely for themselves, the morality of dealing with others be damned.
5. 5. I was pulled out from the final battles of the Oceanian War; I could still recall the Federation air battleship Zetec heading off to decimate the defenders of Uluru, but indiscriminately the long-vacated homes of one family too many and the footage sight of flying wings decimating once-humble abodes. The last guns were put down later that day, and the war was over for a little while by then. Though no tear was shed from myself, my heart broke at the sight of what the Federation's viciousness. I may have fired the gun, but they gave me the trigger for it.
6. 6. The war's end saw me having more liaisons with a fellow officer named Gretchen Melissa Wagner. We had a great time together and wed ourselves, then I left active service to personally raise my children. I won't bore you with details, but they had a taste of the Cascadian earth and its fruits and I have hope they shall savor it for the rest of their days from Dust.
7. 7. I was among the many Cascadian officers in defiance of the Federation in the weeks before the Cascadian Conflict erupted; however, a large portion was what I gave to my children – they needed a nation and one intact for them to thrive under.
8. 8. When we actually went to war, we were on the backfoot, large swaths of our forces crushed under the iron heel of the Federation. My Marines, with their capabilities, could barely hold things together. That was when I decided to unveil our little discovery in Oceania – a communication device that taps into mercenary frequencies. We handed it to whatever political figure we could find for fishing mercenaries. I hated having to do that, but pragmatics are pragmatics.
9. 9. One of General Headquarters' more junior members, Joshua Griffiths, went off using the comlink device on his own; he then lured two Federation Navy vessels, FNS Jerusalem (BBA-21) and FNS Cat-Eye (ES-11), into open vulnerable territory in the Burning Coast. We seized the opportunity, told our grunts what they needed to know (except for the leak), and our cause struck gold. I only wish it didn't come at the cost of provoking the Federation through this unprecedented a mercenary presence and me myself pulling a little unconventional measure to bolster my personal finances…
10. 10. April 17, AC 432: Our big break. IF air units launched Operation Guillotine (CIF-40) to intercept Federation Lift Mobility Command transports shipping battle-hardened troops back to Core territory. A confrontation ensued that erupted into the largest aerial battle man has ever known in history, one that we prevailed. In the ensuing aftermath and with mercenary forces crossing the Federation border to the rather ill-defended Magadan Territories, I saw and concocted opportunity.
11. 11. Griffiths called off the mercs because of their multiple losses, including the Thorn Rose Gang, and complete failure to shoot down any Federation retreats. Should have known that without Sicario and their Crown, we would not have progressed this far. Hell, not even the Thorn Roses' outfitting with the High-Powered Beam Cannon – a story for a later point – was able to win them it.
12. 12. Returning to the invasion opportunity: I claimed to the rest of Headquarters that they were vulnerable, the blood of the monstrous enemy can be yielded from with blade and stick. I convinced everyone including myself that we were not bent on conquest and plunder unlike the twisted Federation, that it was necessary for drawing the enemy away from the mainland. In a twisted way…I was being honest.
13. 13. I gathered up my entire division and made invasion preparations within the month, even pulled fishermen from the Scarred Sea to lend rusting cargo vessels for troop transport. Fact is the three hundred plus ships were mostly transit for the jarheads and we had just enough dozens of combat-ready ships – including the Jerusalem (now called Eminent Domain) to defend ourselves should worst come to worst.
14. 14. May 14, AC 432: The day of the Magadan Invasion, Operation Bloodlet. Swiftly and ruthlessly, we crushed the weak reservist forces while the Federation's guard was down, especially right after suffering the loss of their premier airship fleet Task Force 1 (TF-01) in the Port of Wai Mami in the Kingdom of Sawaiiki. I was previously told to make the most of my equipment and forces to "spin the flames of war more," which happen to coincide with my objective except with some restraint.
15. 15. May 18, AC 422: My first major loss in the invasion. Cascadia's future became at hazard because of (so I've heard) a bunch of meddling FUBIJARs. Debora-something? I admire her flying style – looks like an Oceania War vet's, maybe even the Crown – but flattery can only be so far a morale booster.
16. 16. A brief and irrelevant scuffle with my wife over the damn invasion. Needless to say, it was about how unnecessary it was and how I was endangering myself. Feisty as always, so I deal with it.
17. 17. May 22, AC 432: Word from the mainland says the Federation has been driven to the countryside. Codebreakers say they were planning on setting the whole place on fire. Damn them. This reminded me of that one time with that mercenary scum. At least Elizabeth's occasional summary executions reminded the rest who was in charge, who truly laid claim to the soil they were defiling and invading. Mercy can sometimes be a half measure – a concept I hold with disdain abundant – and he knew that well without crossing too many lines.
18. 18. May 25, AC 432: The Federation stepped their bounds once again and are now throwing all they have at my forces. It was time I girded my wings for battle – it was time I prepared my magnum opus.
19. 19. I hurried to prepare my personal fleet – birds of peace converted for the fires of conflict, as they should always be. Where they once offered handshakes and opened dialogue, the only things they shall open and offer now are smoking pipes and death.
20. 20. May 28, AC 432: The unthinkable happened. The woman known around our mercenary forces as Driver somehow pulled the absurd stunt of flying across the unfinished Highway 1 complex and destroyed my CP (command post). Our forces are collapsing and frontlines shrinking by the hour on the map.
21. 21. I hated having to rely on others to do the finishing touches, but the time for that is long past now with those mercenaries. At least wild dogs can be leashed and their intent manipulated to suit mine – I did learn of Fed HIGHCOMM's…staff replacements with more morally lenient officers. Soon, the abominable Pacific Federation would fade and Cascadia United shall rise again…both by their own hands.
22. 22. May 31, AC 432: Final day of the invasion and the brink of defeat. I ordered the White Fleet to be on standby in the Arctic Circle while I coordinated what little remained of my forces. The cat was out of the bag now; I was a dangerous wild madwoman who bombed settlements and industry just to make the Federation hurt as much as I could, I employed the very people I despised to do my dirty work.
23. 23. Griffiths and my wife happened. An argument ensued where I pointed out the little Deal young Joshua was on about and I just learned of from Gretchen. Fuck the war and the idea of simple independence, the Federation would come back to threaten us again once they were through with their Periphery troubles – they always do, be pushy or die trying.
24. 24. I made an open call to volunteers – mercenary or Cascadian – to take up my offer to completely annihilate Magadan. It had to be done; come to waste, the Federation would. For insurance, I even made sure this made the hands of my loyalists who would spread my gospel no matter what happens to me.
25. 25. The White Fleet is ready. Its flagship, the Roosevelt, stands and shines with pride. This will be my final mission. The man whose name we use glorified the World of Old, used a hammer for carving his nation's name in history. Now, as turrum (descendants) of the old United States of America – dust take upon Her - we enact justice. Sortes your fates Fedarals, Anapotheos Cascadii, violes save kid aegis.
AC 432 May 31st
[Signatory]
[Historian's analysis: The revelation of this protestation would contribute much to the political and civil chaos that would engulf Cascadia in the coming years]
A/N:
-The purpose of this is both as a prologue and a recap of Frontline-59's plot from her eyes
-Gretchen is the female officer in the Presidia level – Faust's wife. Such twisted irony she had to witness another Cascadian stoop to her wife's level, and who knows what her kids would have to go through
-Comlink device was based on a joint theory about The Deal
-Vietnam and Sumeria are really mentioned in the last F-59 mission and Zion is my headcanon name for where Jerusalem is (Eminent Domain's original name)
-Names generally based on Goethe's Faust, both characters and author. Imaginary cookies for who's who :)
