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Gibraltar
Lieutenant General Alex Martin stepped onto the hard tarmac outside the plane, wiping his brow to remove the slight sweat that had gathered there. The hot sun was beaming down upon them, illuminating the many airframes now on the base. There were now 8 Typhoons, 4 Apaches and 2 C-17s on the airfield. He had arrived to take control of the men in Gibraltar, now 6000, including the 300 volunteers that had signed up and the 4th Light Brigade Combat Team under Brigadier Isabella White.
"Welcome to Gibraltar, General," the Brigadier greeted him as he walked towards the car that would take him to the command centre set up in the Governor's residence.
"Thank you - how has it been here? Have your recon units spotted anyone out there?"
"Ah no, Sir. It's been all quiet since the attack. My men have started moving further out - they are at 15kms now. And they've seen nothing out there - apart from the occasional corpse from the battle. It appears they were completely routed, all fleeing in different directions to try to escape."
"Hmm, that's intriguing. Then how about the construction of forward bases - how is that coming along?"
"We have two main bases, each 5km out in differing directions and six smaller bases further out. There are 3000 men spread between them, nothing is getting past them."
"Good. Your other 2000 men are still here then?"
"Yes, Sir. They are helping to improve the infrastructure here. We are setting up shelters in the old tunnels in case of a dire need. That is where the men are staying for now."
"Are you improving upon the defences much?"
"Yes, we are installing weapons, like the L16A2 81mm Mortar and the Rapier Air Defense System to defend against more attacks. We have been informed that guns seem to work fine against all threats, so they are looking into sending some form of cheaper defence."
"Well done, Ma'am. You have done a splendid job so far."
He continued, "We will be pushing out - have your men go further until they find something. The people want revenge for the attack on our sovereign territory."
Isabella seemed surprised momentarily before saying with a smile, "Of course, Sir."
Portsmouth
The people gathered alongside the docks cheered as the HMS Queen Elizabeth and its entourage approached. They had been told that a diplomatic envoy of a friendly nation was onboard. There were both police and soldiers scattered amongst the crowd - to prevent any accidents from occurring. Fortunately, the crowd seemed to have a positive impression of the event, but the men remained on guard anyway.
As the diplomats arrived upon the shore and exited the base, a swarm of reporters surrounded them, but they were held back - being told, "They are unavailable for comment, but you can speak to John Simmons regarding this."
Earl Oliver Kelly looked over the scene with shining eyes. How could something so utterly fantastical exist - there were towering buildings made of glass and metal? Yet they co-existed with such marvellous brick-and-mortar buildings. He could see the powerful ships that the Royal Navy boasted, but he could also see the older ship-of-the-lines like the Exogian and Icherus Empires'.
Admiral Miller noticed his awed expression, "What do you think?"
"It's marvellous - even the Amel Empire has nothing like your Spinnaker tower."
"That's nothing - once you go to London, you will be in for a shock, to say the least."
They checked into the grand hotel where they would be staying and enjoyed a first-class meal that was delectable after a week at sea. The food there wasn't bad, even exceeding the Earl's usual food, but this food was so much better. He had fallen in love.
They spent the next few days touring the city, enjoying the sights. They went shopping in the Gumwharf Quays shopping centre, earning the Earl and his entourage a few new sets of clothes from this shop called Ralph Lauren, courtesy of the British government.
When the time came for them to leave, they arrived at Portsmouth and Southsea railway station, only for the Earl to be mind blown again. "We will travel 100km in just an hour in this thing?" he said while gazing upon the train.
"Yep, we could have taken cars, but we thought this would give you a better chance to see the views," one of the British diplomats stated.
As the train set off, he glared incredulously at the scenery passing outside the train. They passed through Winchester, then changed trains at Basingstoke. They travelled through Farnborough and Woking before arriving at Waterloo Station.
He looked outside the train to see a few men in the suits that he had grown accustomed to, surrounded by men in red tunics with bearskin hats. He didn't know who they were.
"You wondering who those lads are? They're the Grenadier Guards, one of the regiments in the King's Guard. They'll escort you to Buckingham Palace to meet with His Majesty the King and the Prime Minister - that man there."
The doors opened, and they walked out. The man at the front, who the diplomat had said was the Prime Minister, said, "Welcome to London, Earl Kelly."
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