Kate slammed her palms onto the polished table bolted to the jet's floor, the vibration rattling the cutlery and making the coffee in her cup quiver. "That's a lie! All of it!" she shouted, her voice sharp enough to cut through the steady hum of the engines. "When did we ever act like invaders?"
Annabelle, seated opposite her, didn't flinch. She simply set her laptop aside and met Kate's glare with a steady, measured look. "Calm down, Mrs Hiddleton. You know how propaganda works. Twist the truth, repeat it until the world swallows it whole."
Kate's breath came hard, her chest rising and falling. Slowly, she forced herself back into her seat, her hands curling against her knees. "I… I know. But this is ridiculous." Her gaze darted toward the front of the cabin, as if the pilots might somehow have answers. "The SNA must have responded by now. It's been too long since the president's speech."
From her place just beside Annabelle's chair, Aura spoke without looking up from the small console she held. Her voice was calm, precise, and clear over the engine noise. "Searching for SNA's reply… Found a result. Lieutenant General Snow Leopard is currently attending an emergency virtual UN General Assembly. He is about to address the UN representatives now."
Annabelle's brows lifted slightly. "Snow Leopard himself?" She leaned back, folding her arms. "Play it."
Without another word, Aura crossed the narrow aisle in two smooth, silent steps and tapped a control. The wall-mounted screen flickered on, casting a cool blue light across the cabin. The UN assembly appeared—rows of delegates in hushed discussion.
And then, there he was—Lt General Snow Leopard, standing like a drawn blade in his black war uniform. The moment he began to speak, the cabin seemed to hold its breath.
Esteemed members of the United Nations, leaders of the world, and citizens everywhere —
Today, the Free Nations Alliance has declared war on the Seven Nation Army. Not because we attacked them. Not because we threatened them. But because we exist.
The President of the United States spoke of sovereignty and the right of a nation to defend itself. On that, we agree entirely. Every signatory to the Moscow Treaty keeps its own armed forces. Every signatory defends its own borders. No flag has been lowered, no anthem silenced, and no military dismantled by the SNA. That is the truth.
What the FNA calls "permission", we call accountability — accountability to the United Nations General Assembly, the elected representatives of the world's peoples. Our oversight exists not to weaken nations but to ensure that defending one does not endanger all.
Yet the FNA would have you believe that this cooperation is oppression. That restraint is weakness. And now, they have chosen war — not against the Phoenix Company, but against the one force that has fought it without pause for five years.
Let us speak plainly about that enemy. Phoenix Company slaughtered two million in Berlin. They planted nuclear weapons in cities across the world. They are the reason ten thousand of our soldiers died that day. And they are not gone.
We have intelligence — confirmed and verified — that Phoenix Company maintains active bases in Free Nations Alliance territory. Bases from which they recruit, plan, and operate freely. Bases the FNA has chosen not to dismantle.
That is the reality. The FNA claims to fight Phoenix Company while allowing them safe havens inside their own borders. And now they aim their guns not at those bases but at us — the only force that has dismantled Phoenix Company strongholds on every other continent.
Ask yourselves: who benefits when the FNA attacks the SNA? Who gains when the shield is turned inward? The answer is simple. Phoenix Company gains. Terror gains.
Five years ago, we failed to stop one nuclear device — and ten thousand of our soldiers paid for that failure with their lives. In the weeks that followed, we found and neutralised every other nuclear device Phoenix Company had hidden. That is why there has not been another Berlin. That is why countless cities are still standing.
We have fought Phoenix Company in the shadows and on the battlefield, from deserts to jungles, from sea to sky. And we have done so not for profit, not for power, but because peace is worth fighting for.
The Free Nations Alliance's war declaration does not make the world freer or safer. It divides us, distracts us, and gives our true enemy the breathing room it has been denied for years.
To the FNA, I say this: end your war against those who have stood between you and annihilation. Clear your territories of Phoenix Company's presence. Prove to the world that your alliance truly stands for the safety of your people, not just the expansion of your influence.
To the nations of the world: judge us by our record. Berlin was our greatest failure — but in its aftermath came our greatest vigilance. And we will not abandon that vigilance now.
The Seven Nation Army will continue to fight Phoenix Company. We will defend every signatory that calls for our help. We will not let another Berlin happen — no matter how many alliances declare war upon us.
We had information about those bases long ago, but we kept the information hidden as we didn't want to publicly defame our neighbours. But as they forced our hands, we have no other choice. To all representatives, if you look in the tablets in front of you, we've shared classified info gathered by our intelligence wing about Phoenix Company bases in FNA territory. You can take a look at it yourself and then decide which side you want to take in this war. The side that supports terror? Or the side that fights against it?
As the TV turned off, Annabelle asked, "Aura, have you got your hand on a copy of that report?"
"I have, your highness."
"Perfect. Read me the report. Let's see what our boys found."
Kate kept getting his speech blocked by Annabelle's behaviour. She thought, "Ok, I get it that she's a princess and a genius. But come on now. This has to be illegal."
Aura started reading the report out loud.