Save the Escape

Its All Strategy

My back was greeted by my painfully comfortable bed. I died again.

Ha!

Actually no, I hadn't. Though I was brave enough to steal a bit of Luciano's hair with that bullet, I knew I couldn't control the military without his support. I needed him gone, yes, but not only for my satisfaction. If I got rid of him without mapping and buying out the loyalties of those who would replace him then, I'd only be creating more problems for myself.

Currently, he held the highest-ranking position in all facets of the military. That would need to be broken down. I preferred to have options to choose from. If I had three military advisors and members of my ruling council, then I had a better chance of dividing their forces when I smell a coup.

A few well-placed promises and threats and I've got a stable hold on the Military, no one willing to move against each other, much less against myself. The problem arose in how to rip his power away from him and divide it among those I wish.

"So far the reports show no sign of external intervention. Your parents crash was just a crash. Madagascar had nothing to do with it." This was the report Matthias had given me a few minutes ago.

Matthias, Luciano and I sat together in my father's office lounge. Which was now mine. In my past life, after hearing the same thing I ordered the airline to be shut down and demolished that very day. It didn't bring me the satisfaction I thought it would and instead hurt our revenue.

This time though. Knowing it wouldn't bring me anything profitable there was no point in that being the first action I take, beginning my regime as the youngest world leader.

I wondered what response I should give.

I looked to Matthias, the political head in the room and asked, "What could happen if we pressed that Madagascar was responsible?"

He and Luciano looked genuinely surprised at my question, I suppose they still thought me an irrational teenage.

"Uhm, Well, Madagascar would deny the accusations especially without any proof. The crash occurred on the borders but mostly on their side. They've had more time to perform their investigations, before our men arrive there to do the same, in truth any proof of their involvement would have been excavated from the crash site."

"And if we plant the evidence?"

"Are you attempting a war?" Luciano jumped in his eyes again narrowed at me. "Are you even aware of the economic state of Schelar? Hell, I bet you do not even understand the rules of war, shouldn't you be in school?"

Luciano was being a lot more hostile than he was in past lives. Perhaps this is as a result of my provocation. "There's still time, Hasina."

"Time to do what exactly, Luciano? Hand you power so you can make the economic state of the country worsen? No."

"Then what do you intend to do, Hasina? Your train of thought isn't sounding exactly sensible." Matthias said, effectively siding with Luciano.

Clicking my tongue at them I went on to explain my thinking to them, "I am not interested in a war with Madagascar...at this particular moment." I nearly chuckle seeing Luciano shift to the edge of his seat, ready to scream outrage had I not silenced him with a hand, "But I want us to behave like we are considering war."

"And why is that?" he quickly asks, his brawn too thick to understand the intricacy of my thoughts.

I ignore him and continue, once I'm finished he even a simpleton like him would understand, "Once we plant our evidence and place blame on Madagascar, we immediately move our troops to the border and not discreetly either. Our naval vessels and aircraft, what few of them we have will perform 'military drills' that leads to more than a few crossings into their territory."