Rebirth: President Fatah Escapes 21 Underhanded Tactics

After I'd given my speech I walked as Commander-in-chief, emphasized greatly by the grand show of military might; a batch of soldiers walked I unison behind me and the air force flew in practised patterns overhead.

The entire thing caught me off guard as I'd simply thought that after the motivational, inspiring and promising speech I'd given to the populace I'd be heading back to work or possibly to try and squeeze some advanced form of foreign relations with the heads of state present as of now. But I was quite easily nudged into a parade with thousands of Schelarians moving behind the barriers and gates to get a clean look at the youngest world leader. Their leader.

I could only give the most charming smile as I waved to them. To my surprise, a lot of those present to watch were women and children, young women and children. I idly wondered if this was also arranged; a show of youthful exuberance to invigorate a nation barely holding it together.

Part of me also wondered if it was for my sake and not just the nations image. I hadn't had many people my age around me for most of my life. Not since the war, not since Schelar was born.

The closest thing I ever had to a playmate was Mireille and even then, she was a child soldier my father's men had mercy on all those years ago, and even though my mother took her in as well as many others like her, father was a cautious person. After lessons, I was quickly pulled from the horde, like the meagre royalty I was at the time I was a weakness my father couldn't afford being exposed.

This thought brought me to another. Had I been used as ransom in one of the alternate timelines father lived? Probably. In fact, most likely. His precautions against harm coming to me to the very day he died were quite extreme.

I shrugged, happy I wasn't exposed to such fears and liabilities. I'm quite certain my enemies, however numerous they are, know that I wouldn't blink if they kidnapped Luciano or Matthias. They weren't expendable but they weren't worth the risk either.

Alone. I suddenly realized. I was alone. I felt the smile on my lips weigh heavier with this realization. What exactly kept me together this past month? The Being X? His revelation, his gift, the threat of the council of chiefs, Russia. All distractions.

I let my smile drop and my automated waving cease as the thought became too prodding to ignore.

I had a family. In my last life, I had a family. A wife, kids, and even little grandkids. I was happy for a time, a long time after I found her, my wife; Jesse. But now here I am a new life, a younger body and a new plan for the country.

She was out there somewhere, younger and more inexperienced than when we met but out there. I wondered if any of the decisions I'd taken, any of the things that have happened have affected her in any way. I wondered if she'd still fall in love with me despite me being years early, the President and every single thing being different.

I felt the urge to test the boundaries of love. If it really broke through the constraints of time and s.p.a.ce like all the movies said it did, I wanted to risk it all.

Swiftly I bit my lip. Hard enough to draw blood. The taste reminded me of all the other lives I'd lived, all the other times I'd loved, and all the other times I'd pressed on. Jesse is gone. And so is that family.

***

Not long after the rather unnecessary parade ended, Matthias and Luciano popped up by my side as if knowing what'd been going through my head. They marched beside me for the last stride, Luciano looking every bit like the men that followed behind; strong-willed focused and loyal. Matthias looked just like me, a bit out of place but still a welcome addition. He smiled sheepishly beside me, his eyes held excitement in them as he shouted over the loud roar of the crowd and the heavy beat of musical instruments, "This is a beginning for Schelar, Hasina. It's beautiful!"

It was beautiful. Now I sat amid my most esteemed guests but my eyes laid firm on the television screen, watching the news reports and playback clips of the inauguration, my speech included.

Now not as enamoured in my exhausting misery and covered in the crowds crus.h.i.+ng presence, I could take a look at the bigger picture, at what Matthias saw, the beauty of the people, of a future.

I felt excited too. I could feel my heartbeat a pace faster now. I was sure it wasn't completely excitement that had my heart race, I was scared still, I ought to be. Those smiles, those cheers, all that love was what I couldn't lose. And so when the President of Comoros asked,

"I heard some rumours that the Malagasy President was going to be present for your inauguration today, that you invited him personally in fact. Yet…"

The word hung in the air, a trail of accusations, a.s.sumptions and questions followed as the men before me squirmed more than a little bit in their seats. They'd obviously been all thinking quite hard about it.

"Ah yes," I begin, not bothering to plaster on a diplomatic smile, I let my frown show my disappointment as I spoke, "Well President Leopold just wasn't ready to let go of old grudges. I was fully prepared to end the investigation into his administration's involvement in my predecessor's death if only he would open his borders to trade and his mind to the new possibilities of a partners.h.i.+p between our two nations."

I shake my head solemnly, putting on what I'd call one of my best performances yet, "Unfortunately, he chose to continue hating. You gentlemen may not be aware of this as it is not information released to the general public as of yet but quite recently we had to stomp down some terrorists in the disguise of revolutionaries."

I feel my audience cringe at the mention of terrorists, they've certainly had their share dealing with upstarts in their nations, I'm sure they wouldn't have any trouble relating to the plight I was fabricating.

"The Malagasy government sponsored these men with high-grade military weapons and raw cash to support whatever it was they needed to sabotage my regime. This will all be in the newspapers by tomorrow morning and hopefully, international news by the night. So far I kept this information secret for the peace of mind of my citizens, I cannot have them feeling unsafe in their own nation!"

"That's simply horrible, to think Madagascar would be capable of such underhanded tactics." Began the President of Namibia.

"You do have proof of this all don't you?" Comoros asked, small and frail-looking as he was the man held a sharp mind but I was prepared for such.

I heave a sigh, almost too p.r.o.nounced but enough to communicate my deep sadness, "Yes, unfortunately, I do. Malagasy weaponry, I'm sure you are aware that for decades, Schelar has been in the past military wise, the weapons we confiscated from men of Malagasy origin were nothing we'd seen or heard of in years."
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This was very true. Part of me wishes they'd brought in more than firearms, if they did then we'd be ma.s.s producing and upgrading our obsolete military a.r.s.enal in more ways than one. But I was grateful for the boon of luck still, it was better than nothing.

The Namibian President s.h.i.+fted and hummed quietly to himself, "Perhaps there is much more to Schelar the Union tells us," I raise a brow at this, he only hums further as if hesitant about something. He looks to Comoros beside him exchanging a look before deciding, "Well, truth be told, we aren't here simply for your inauguration. The Union had long been pressured by Madagascar to look into your country if you were truly the threat they claimed you were. Though everyone knows the Malagasy are just looking for allies to reclaim their lost land with, the Union thought it only fair to see the other side of things."

"Your side," Comoros completed.

Nodding, Namibia concurred, "We volunteered to observe how things truly were in your nation."

My eyes went wide with genuine surprise, my knuckles gripping hard on the arms of the chair. These men had infiltrated my country.

I let myself relax and my outrage subside. This was good still. They might find Schelar to be a bit more communist that most 'democratic' governments, but know that I was aware of their intent and with the exposure of Madagascar's heinous deeds they not had something else to report while I made sure to control everything they saw and heard within the time of their stay here.

Schelar had long been a suspended member of the African Union, we couldn't, in essence, appeal for our reinstatement unless we stopped all the things we'd been suspended for. Now well, we couldn't stop existing so pleasing the African Union was at the far recesses of my mind.

If we do get reinstated, that would be a whole 'nother open avenue of opportunity! This was a new experience, perhaps it had happened before in my past lives but never have the chiefs been born until this timeline.

I would laugh if I wasn't in trying to stay in character. Madagascar seemed to have really bad luck this timeline and I was honestly loving it!