President Ernst Wetter sat in his office in Bern. It had taken the better portion of a month to get the city reconnected with the world beyond its borders.
And during this ti he had felt the sting of humiliation greater than ever before. The failures of his predecessor, especially during 1942, and the peace accords that ca under attack by Réveil de France was a mory that lived all too vividly in his mind.
But this... this was sohow even worse.
Never before had Bern suffered such a catastrophic and decisive blow. To effectively isolate the capital of a country from the rest of it. It was a serious blow to the faith that the people of Switzerland had in their leadership.
And it was also a severe wound to the nation’s pride and international prestige.
After ensuring that Bern was restored to its rightful and functional state. President Ernst Wetter now found himself in a precarious position. He had to hunt down and destroy Réveil de France no matter what.
However, Switzerland had been trying to do so for two years now. And their results had been... mixed.
On the one hand, several cells had been discovered and eliminated. But due to the intentionally decentralized structure of the organization, this had done very little to stop future attacks.
The truth of the matter was... Switzerland didn’t have the resources at its disposal to wage an effective counter terror campaign within its own country.
Ernst looked at the morning paper in his hands, he saw the headline and scoffed with disdain.
Switzerland Under Attack: Bern Burns while Wetter plays the fiddle!
He didn’t dignify the paper a second glance, and tossed it in the nearby wastebin. There he grabbed the next paper, and found a similar headline. And then another... another... and another after that.
The more he read these titles, the more Ernst realized sothing.... The Swiss governnt was being blad for the failure, not Réveil de France.
He quickly fetched the papers he had trashed and looked through the editorial. Looking for just why Switzerland was being blad for these attacks. And to his surprise he found the answers listed in each and every one of them.
Fundantally, it ca down to incompetence across multiple administrations. Taking massive loans from the German National Bank and not being able to pay them back. To the point where now the interest was greater than their own yearly military spending.
Germany had withdrawn its forces from joint security operations with the railways after Switzerland had missed its third deadline to make a minimum paynt in as many years.
According to the papers, this had given Réveil de France the opening it needed to succeed in its attacks.
The writer even went out of their way to speculate that it was within the bounds of certainty that had the German Railway Forces still been on Swiss soil during the attack, that the terrorists would have been shot dead in their attempts to sabotage them.
While there was so degree of truth to these words, it was still largely exaggerated and based on little more than conjecture.
Ernst leaned back in his chair and sighed heavily in defeat. He was running out of options. But if he didn’t do sothing about Réveil de France soon, the people would turn on him.
Just then, a knock resounded on his door. The knock ca again, more insistent this ti.
"Enter."
The door opened slowly, and a man stepped inside. He was older, though not by much. But there was a tension in his eyes that betrayed the calm exterior.
"Mr. President."
Ernst gestured toward the chair across from his desk.
"Sit... please."
The man obliged without hesitation, placing a leather folder on his lap before folding his hands over it.
"Federal Councilor Keller," Ernst said, rubbing his temple, "I assu you’re not here to tell sothing I want to hear."
Keller allowed himself the faintest hint of a smile.
"No, Mr. President... I am here to tell you sothing you already know."
Ernst exhaled slowly through his nose, leaning back in his chair.
"Then say it."
There was a brief pause. Not out of uncertainty; but out of deliberation. Keller chose his words carefully.
"We cannot handle this alone."
The room fell silent. Ernst didn’t respond imdiately. His eyes drifted toward the window, where the early morning light struggled to break through the clouds hanging over Bern.
"I had hoped," Ernst began slowly, "that we might be able to stabilize the situation before it ca to this."
Keller shook his head.
"With respect, sir... that hope has already expired."
Ernst’s jaw tightened.
"We have increased patrols. Expanded surveillance. Authorized ergency powers to the cantons—"
"And still," Keller interrupted, though not disrespectfully, "they strike where we are weakest. They adapt faster than we can respond."
Ernst said nothing while Keller leaned forward slightly.
"This is not a question of effort anymore. It is a question of capability."
Another silence, this one heavier.
"You’re asking ," Ernst said quietly, "to invite the Germans back in."
Keller didn’t hesitate.
"Yes."
The word hung in the air like a verdict, and Ernst let out a humorless chuckle.
"You say that as if it were a minor administrative decision."
"It is not," Keller replied evenly. "It is the only decision."
Ernst leaned forward now, resting his elbows on the desk.
"And what do you think happens next, Councilor?"
Keller t his gaze without flinching.
"They restore order."
Ernst’s eyes narrowed.
"And after that?"
Keller didn’t answer imdiately. That, more than anything, was answer enough. Ernst leaned back again, shaking his head.
"They will not leave."
"No," Keller admitted.
The clock on the wall ticked loudly, each second punctuating the weight of the conversation. Ernst spoke again, quieter now.
"Do you understand what you are asking to do?"
"Yes."
"I would be the man who surrendered Swiss sovereignty to a foreign power."
Keller’s expression hardened slightly.
"No, Mr. President... you would be the man who prevented its collapse."
Ernst scoffed.
"A distinction the people will not care to make."
"The people," Keller replied, "are already demanding protection."
He opened the folder in his lap and slid a docunt across the desk.
"Petitions from Zurich, Basel, and Lausanne. Municipal authorities requesting increased German presence in infrastructure security."
Ernst glanced at the paper but didn’t pick it up.
"They are afraid."
"Yes," Keller said. "And fear does not wait for ideology to catch up."
Ernst closed his eyes briefly.
"When did we beco so dependent?"
Keller answered without hesitation.
"When we chose stability over independence... and then failed to maintain either."
That one landed.
Ernst opened his eyes again, staring at the papers scattered across his desk.
"The debts... the missed paynts... the withdrawals..."
"They created the opening," Keller said. "Réveil de France rely exploited it."
Ernst let out another slow breath.
"And now we are expected to correct it by inviting the very force we failed to uphold our obligations."
"Yes."
There was no hesitation or softness. Just cold, hard reality. Ernst looked up at him.
"You speak as though there are no alternatives."
Keller held his gaze.
"There is an alternative." Keller’s voice lowered slightly.
"We do nothing. We continue as we are. We attempt to root them out ourselves."
"And?"
A brief pause followed as Keller narrowed his eyes with sufficient intent.
"And we fail."
The bluntness of it was almost jarring.
"Another attack," Keller continued. "Perhaps larger... Perhaps in Zurich, or Geneva, or here again."
Ernst’s fingers tightened on the armrest.
"The people lose what little faith they have left. The cantons begin acting independently. Ergency powers beco permanent asures."
He paused.
"And eventually, Mr. President... we lose control entirely."
Silence... not the quiet of uncertainty, but the quiet of understanding.
Ernst stood from his chair and walked toward the window, clasping his hands behind his back. For a long mont, he said nothing.
When he finally spoke, his voice was steady; but there was a weight behind it that had not been there before.
"If we do this, it must be on our terms."
Keller stood as well.
"Of course."
"No," Ernst said, turning slightly. "Not ’of course.’"
His eyes sharpened.
"We fra it as a temporary asure. Joint operations. Limited scope. Infrastructure security and counter-terrorism only."
Keller nodded.
"That would be acceptable... on paper."
Ernst gave a faint, bitter smile.
"Yes... on paper."
Another pause.
"And the Germans?" Ernst asked.
"They will accept," Keller said.
There was sothing in his tone that made Ernst look at him more closely.
"Accept?" Ernst repeated. "Or expect?"
Keller didn’t answer. He didn’t need to.
Ernst turned back to the window.
"...They knew this would happen."
Ernst exhaled slowly.
"We are walking into a trap. And you are advising to do so anyway."
"Yes." Keller’s voice was short and sharp, then finally:
"Because it is the only way out."
Keller inclined his head slightly. Ernst stood there for a mont longer before turning back toward his desk.
"...Prepare the docunts."
Keller didn’t move.
"Mr. President?"
Ernst’s expression had hardened into sothing resolute.
"We will request additional German support in maintaining law and order and in conducting counter-terror operations."
Each word felt deliberate, asured... and final.
Keller gave a small nod.
"It will be done."
As he turned to leave, Ernst spoke once more.
"Councilor."
Keller paused at the door.
"Yes, Mr. President?"
Ernst didn’t look at him.
"When history judges this mont... do you believe it will understand?"
Keller rested his hand on the door handle.
"No, Mr. President."
A beat.
"But it may forgive it."
The door closed behind him.
And Ernst Wetter stood alone in his office, staring at the reflection of a man who had just chosen survival... over sovereignty.
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