Chapter 315: Give up

Words : 1829 Updated : Oct 13th, 2025

President Anoke and Emperor Wafner sat facing each other, completely alone in the room. Neither of them said a word; they simply mirrored each other in the eyes of the other. Silence reigned like the world around them had been covered by a veil. In the end it was Anoke who spoke. "I'm going to give up" Under normal circumstances, Wafner would have screamed at those words; but now he didn't seem to have the strength to get angry. "What do you mean?" "You understood perfectly well. Face reality. We lost" Anoke replied. Five months had passed since the Gardarikian Federation had been torn apart by the rebel, and now the president was but a pathetic shadow of himself. "There is nothing we can do. My country is in the throes of riots and I have already suffered five attacks in the last few weeks, one of which was nearly fatal to me. All the nations that support us are overwhelmed by the rebellion and one after the other are collapsing. What's more, the economic crisis continues to worsen the situation". The man sighed deeply: "Forget it, Wafner. We can no longer get things back to the way they used to be. Let's adapt to this new world as long as we can do it with dignity" Wafner snorted. "With dignity, huh?" he grumbled. "What do you propose?" "By the end of the day I will communicate my intention to enter into negotiations with the rebels and I will recognize the independence of those countries that have abandoned the Gardarikian Federation. In the coming days I will meet with the leaders of the riots and together we will create a new Constitution. My enemies are also tired of the situation, so they will gladly agree to negotiate with me even if they hate me. With a little luck I will be able to maintain a good position in my country and not lose all my assets. My family will not be persecuted and I will be able to live long enough to see my grandchildren" Anoke replied. "My advice to you is to do the same. There are no rebellions in your country yet but they will soon begin. So play in advance and convene your ministers, write a new Constitution that complies with the canons of the Eden Union, and then pass it off as an act of benevolence from you. You will continue to be the emperor, even if your power will no longer be absolute. When we both join the Eden Union the crisis will end and we will be able to work to regain the lost prestige" "So you really want to give up" "What else can we do? We have nothing left. We used every arrow in our bow and failed. Now all we can do is save what can be saved. Sticking to an now impossible ideal will only lead us to ruin" "We can still fight" "With what? The rebellions in my country and in those who still follow us have drastically reduced my armory. The declaration of independence of my larger regions has divided my army. I can barely handle the rebellions in my country, let alone open warfare. What am I supposed to struggle with, can we hear?" "We still have the atomic bombs" "And where should I throw them? On every city in the world? And then? What is the point of fighting a war if we already know that all of us will lose? What should I leave for my children, a pile of rubble? A gray desert where even breathing can kill them? I have a family, Wafner, a family that has been afraid of dying for too long. Now stop. We have lose" Anoke sighed deeply. If he had a mirror with him he probably would have felt disgusted with what he would see. What until a few years earlier had been one of the most powerful people in the world was now just a bent man. But he too was tired. The situation had become too dangerous. A tyrant always fears those whom he oppresses, but as long as they are silent he can afford to sleep at night; but when they rise, then even that luxury vanishes. Anoke was fed up with that life. Maybe if he had been younger he would have resisted, but he too was beginning to feel the weight of the years. And he had had enough of fighting. He had considered his options and in the end he had chosen the most convenient: giving up the power he held in favor of the newfound tranquility. But Wafner was not of the same opinion. The face of the Emperor of Almagna was tightened in a grimace and his hands trembled as he gripped the chair. "You do what you want. I will not give up. I'm not going to bow to this cursed dinosaur who suddenly decided to play boss. I prefer to die from the emperor as I am rather than let history remind me as the weak link in my dynasty, the king who let himself be overcome by a slave. Maybe I'll lose, but I'll make sure I send as many dinosaurs as possible to Hell, and that those bastards bleed for every inch of earth they can take!" Anoke nodded sadly. "I figured you would say that" he whispered. "Don't you fear what will happen to your people?" "Why, do you care? Let's be serious, Anoke. We are dictators, the people are only our tools" Wafner said. "Don't pull the people in. You are not giving up because you fear for your people, but because you are a coward. Not me, and unlike you, I have nothing to lose" Silence fell between the two. Anoke seemed offended by Wafner's words, but he couldn't find the words to reply. Eventually he just stood up. "I'm going, I have an announcement to prepare. As I said I am going to declare my surrender tonight. You do what you want. Just when the time comes, please think carefully before pressing the button to fire the missiles. I only ask you this " Anoke turned and headed for the door. Before leaving he turned one last time to observe his old ally. In Wagner's eyes he found weariness, but also a profound determination. On the contrary, Wafner in Anoke's eyes could only see resignation. In the end Anoke was the first to close his eyes, unable to hold the gaze of the other; then he turned and walked out the door, leaving Wafner in the room alone. That would be the last time they would talk to each other. That same evening, President Anoke appeared in front of his nation on live television. ******* "Hey, Misha, come and look! That asshole wants to say something!" Misha looked away from her paperwork as soon as she heard Abby's voice; she almost jumping off the desk she ran to the television. Several members of the resistance were gathered before it, and even Bob was watching anxiously. President Anoke appeared before the cameras, holding a small bundle of papers in his hands. He took a few seconds to settle down, then turned to the audience: "I can't find any other way to say it than to just say it: the current situation has become unsustainable for everyone. Thousands of citizens are killed every day in our own cities. Rebellions and riots are continually shaking our nation and the economic crisis has now taken inflation to extreme levels. It is only a matter of time before the country falls. If this happens, the suffering we are still witnessing will have no end and indeed will worsen, and hundreds of thousands of people will die. Therefore, the members of the General Staff and I took a historic decision" The audience held their breath as the president turned the paper. What would his next words be? Even harsher martial laws, or something easier? "I, President Anoke of the Gardarikian Federation, with the support of the Cabinet and the General Staff Council, formally recognize the independence of the regions known as Tirgeistan, Matister, Koba and Palion. Right now my vice president is also communicating my decision to other nations so that they can recognize it internationally. Also, I formally cancel martial law; in the next few days the army will be abandoned and will abandon the streets of our cities. To avoid further unrest, I invite all the leaders of the various uprisings and rebellions to the Presidential Office; together we will discuss the country's problems in depth and draw up a new constitution that will suit everyone. As a sign of good will towards you, I grant amnesty to all people imprisoned because they are political opponents; they will be released from prisons in the next twenty-four hours. Finally, I formally declare that the Gardarikian Federation abandons the NMWA forever, which has been responsible for too many crimes against our people " The members of the resistance committee burst into shouts of joy; many jumped to their feet and started applauding. Some of them hugged, and even Abby saw her uncle kissing a pretty girl, only to get her punch on her right cheek. Abby looked at Misha. The man seemed to have received a beating on the head. His eyes were wide and his mouth wide open. Abby hugged him from behind: "Smile, my love. We succeeded" Misha sobbed and tears began to fall from her face. "Over..." he whispered. "It's over! That asshole gave up! We will finally be able to have everything we want... peace, freedom of the press, power to the people..." Misha grabbed Abby and kissed her passionately. The woman was a little surprised by her gesture: she did not remember that her husband had ever been so passionate. However, she returned the kiss with the same enthusiasm: they both had too much arousal to vent. On television, the president was still speaking. "By combining goodwill and commitment, I am sure we will be able to create a new nation that everyone will agree on. If necessary for the success of the negotiations, I will agree to resign from my current position. All I can ask for now is your forgiveness for taking so long to understand what needed to be done. So I implore you to help me fix all the damage I've done. Let's fight together for a hopeful future for our children. President Anoke spoke" Anoke got up and left the camera frame, and the faces of the news hosts returned to the screen; however, no one paid attention to their words. In all the houses of the town there was a celebration, and the bottles of sparkling wine were opened while the dictatorship finally reached its end.

Chapter 315: Give up

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