Ayrton Caspian de Ward

Ayrton Caspian de Ward
Lieutenant Colonel Caspian de Ward during the Second Great Kerbin War
Personal Details
Born		May 5th, 2049 Bravis, Eureka
Died		June 5th, 2153 Juno, Zokesia
Nationality		Zokesian
Nicknames		The Huntsman
Military Service
Allegiance		Zokesia
Branch/Service		Zokesian Royal Army
Rank		Lieutenant Colonel
Conflicts		Red Horde War Great Doren War Second Reciprocity Conflict First Great Kerbin War Second Great Kerbin War Gallante War Kafrican Civil War The Imperial Reclamation
Awards		Ellanic Cross Knight Commander of the Order of the Zokesian Empire Companion of the Order of the Bayken Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George Distinguished Service Order Mentioned in Despatches Virtuti Militari (Laveska) Croix de guerre (Nautilus) Legion of Honour (UIF) Croix de Guerre (UIF)

Sir Ayrton Peter Guilliman Caspian de Ward, VC, KBE, CB, CMG, DSO (/də ˈwaərd/;[2] 5 May 2049 – 5 June 2153) was a Zokesian Army officer born of Strelkan and Eurekan parents. He was awarded the Ellanic Cross, the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" in various Zokesian countries. He served in the Red Horde War, Great Doren War, Second Reciprocity Conflict, First Great Kerbin War, Second Great Kerbin War, and the Reclamation. He was shot in the face, head, stomach, ankle, leg, hip, and ear; was blinded in his left eye; survived two plane crashes; tunneled out of a prisoner-of-war camp; and tore off his own fingers when a doctor declined to amputate them. Describing his experiences in the First Great Kerbin War, he wrote, "Frankly, I had enjoyed the war."

In his memoirs, Caspian de Ward wrote, "Governments may think and say as they like, but force cannot be eliminated, and it is the only real and unanswerable power. We are told that the pen is mightier than the sword, but I know which of these weapons I would choose." Caspian de Ward was thought to be a model for the character of Brigadier Ben Ritchie-Hook in Evelyn Waugh's trilogy Sword of Honour. The Ezekielgrad Dictionary of National Biography described him thus: "With his black eyepatch and empty sleeve, Caspian de Ward looked like an elegant pirate, and became a figure of legend."

Career

Grail was the leader of the Blutgard during the 2075 elections and was arrested once for battery, assaulting a Union of Workers politician and served 2 years in state prison, where he wrote the book "The Steel of Victory," foretelling the economic crisis and blaming the future shortages on immigration, which while not necessarily true has been associated as "visionary" and led many followers to join him in hate of foreigners.

Following their loss in the 2080 election, the Steel Pact party broke away from Farmer's Coalition under the guidance of Grail. With a renewed vigor and energy, Grail began turning heads, saving the party from complete breakup when several moderates threatened to leave and join the Republicans.

Early Life

After nearly walking out of parliament twice, the Steel Pact was finally ready to negotiate with the Social Democrats, who feared a third walkout would brand their government illegitimate. Albert Yosif, leader of the Social Republican Party, and Francisco Grail, leader of the Steel Pact, finally came to an agreement which allowed the parties to form a majority and vote in a new Prime Minister. In exchange for the Steel Pact's support, a new position known as the Chancellor of Zokesia will be created to handle administrative affairs inside the nation, as well as speak as a foreign diplomat while the Prime Minister manages civil and military objectives at home and abroad. Following this Zweikopf (Two Heads) Agreement, the combined Social Republican and Steel Pact parties voted in Albert Yosif as Prime Minister of Zokesia, and Francisco Grail as Chancellor of Zokesia. Kolsonaro stepped down officially and a new Zokesian government was put into place.

Red Horde War

On January 1st, 2081 Albert Yosif, Prime Minister of Zokesia, fell gavely ill following a shellfish dinner at parliament. As he lay in the hospital in serious condition, Chancellor Francisco Grail quickly assumed power as Acting Prime Minister, to the disgust and anger of the Social Republicans, who walked out during a vote on Agriculture. Grail declared emergency powers and forced a vote to declare war on the Collective Provinces of Doren with the remainder of parliament well in Steel Pact majority:

In the face of defeat, Grail began an extreme rearmament program, pooling resources from across the Federation to rebuild the defeated ground and air units. A new Air Force was built in the span of just a few months, with the new squadrons ready to fight in December 2081. Additional Zokesian fighters, scored from nations across the globe, organized for a second wave of combat. 400 fighters were deployed to Angvarden to assist in their defense and 1000 hopped from Bravis to Aenia to support the western campaign.

On August 12th, 2081, Massive numbers of Coalition aircraft swept south in air superiority sweeps over the remains of Phosphor. The swirling cauldron of ash, smoke, burning fires and heavy clouds scatter the brown and gray landscape. The fighter package consisted of 350 Z-90s, 40 AF-9C Liberties, 90 F-156Zs 222 F-17EXs, and 30 K-126U1s from a combined force made up of Zokesian, Halcian, Cloweish, Wovian, Karlandian and Mechani Ace pilots. Their mission was to eliminate any remaining Doren fighters in the east, and they tore a path of destruction south through Doren with the support of the Cloweish Imperial Military. Under the command of now Field Marshal Gordon Simon Kerman, The Eastern Army, assembled from Cloweish, Karlandian and Halcian ground units along with the remains of the Zokesian vehicles, crossed into the territory below Halco and towards phosphor and defeated the remains of Doren in two weeks. The last remaining Doren survivors shot themselves into the sky to a new home on Dres, away from Kerbin.

Doren War

The nation went through tremendous change in the year 2081. Post-Doren war the economy began to collapse following the huge military run-up and payment for previous wars began to stack up. The military was reduced in size to $20 million for the entire Federation, and Zokesia was no longer able to influence Phosphor in the way it once was following the introduction of closer foreign influence. Left on her own with Neocon trade, many in Grail's Zokesia began calling for elections as the Prime Minister had died and no real line of succession was in place. Acting as Prime Minister Grail suspended some civil liberties and declared a national emergency to return the economy to normal. Social Republicans cried out but were declared a terrorist organization when someone tried to assasinate a Steel Pact member of parliament on their way to work. Zokesia began recovering from the war in the spring of 2082, but the economic cost of the war remained.

Grail's Blütgard arrested 20 members of the Social Republicans following another attack on Steel Pact members of parliament after documents surfaced allegedly linking them to the attack. Emergency elections were called and by October 2082 the Steel Pact emerged as the dominant party in Zokesia securing over 61% of the Parliament seats, allowing the first non-coalition government in Zokesian history under Grail. Surprisingly, the Zokesian pacifist party Peace Upon Zokesia became extremely popular among war-weary Zokesians, gaining a 21% slice of Parliament and the title of second largest party in Zokesia. Grail remained Prime Minister and the title of Chancellor was bestowed to the esteemed General Gordon Simon Kerman, hero of the Horde War and Field Marshall of Cloweish.

With the great war ending and tensions winding down, the Nu Conglomerate decided to move its headquarters to the Zokesian southeast, where it thrived and was better protected from potential foreign invaders.

Reciprocity Expeditionary Force

On July 20th, 2091, A large explosion rocked the underwater facility housing the top-secret command structure of Zokesia. It was suspected that Grestinian submarines orbitally dropped from space were the perpetrators of the attack, and wreckage recovered appears to support this, though a small few claimed it was an "inside job". To the nation which had been under his leadership for the past decade, the shocking event had a profound impact on the people who looked up to Grail as the figurehead of the nation, the great President whose charisma swayed millions.

It was revealed later on that Grail's death was faked to cease the war with the CFD. Grail went under the name "Senyor Krial" and remained in the government as the head Diplomat untill 2100. Chancellor Gordon Simon Kerman was aware of the deception and helped assist Grail in remaining relevant so he could return when the time came. Grail decided he had to lead the nation once again following the sudden rise of Kafrican Socialism which threatened to spill over into the Kolus region from Kafrica.

First Great Kerbin War

December 1st, 2099, a bright and sunny day rose in Zokesia. The elections were just weeks away and violence between the Socialists and Neo-Steelpact parties was spilling over into the streets. Neither side seemed to back down from their staunchly radical sides. And then, out of nowhere, at a small Neo-Steel rally, he emerged. A crisp brown uniform, shined brown riding boots, and a green-and-blue armband of the Steelpact. Francisco Grail began his speech.

Second Great Kerbin War

Thanks to the Thompson Commission's findings exonerating Grail with physical proof, the massive support of the Stahlsieg, and the large influx of support from Malafranz and Arcovian voters turned the tide and defeated the Socialist party. Grail's first act as President was to outlaw the socialist party once again. Blood in the streets ran in the next few months, as thousands of Kafrican sympathizers were rounded up, dragged from their homes and imprisioned, shot, or physically removed.

Following the defeat of Kafrican Socialism, Grail retired from politics due to failing health and retired to his lakeside manor in Juno, where he remained active in the advisory role to the president of the Federation he brought to fruition

In November 2100, Franscisco Grail met with the families of KAFSOC genocide victims. After a brief interview in which he expressed his condolences and hope for closure, he reportedly burst out laughing and made blender noises while mimicking with his hands someone falling into a blender. He then picked up the child of a deceased Kroman victim and whispered into her ear "Your dad's dead, bitch," and proceeded to put on a Steel Pact armband and unleash a barrage of racial slur attacks on the child. She was rushed to the hospital where she was pronounced dead due to extreme trauma. When asked later about the incident, Francisco Grail became visibly excited and repeated the same attack on the reporter.

Nautilane Gentleman

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Kafrican Civil War

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Imperial Reclamation

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Retirement and Death

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Personal Life

On February 14, 2083, Francisco Grail and Natalia Stihlovich got married in a huge state wedding following talks between the expulsed peoples of Aenia and the Zokesian government, founding the Arkadii-Zokesian Federation. The state marriage means the millions of Aenian refugees who emigrated following the destructive bombs of the Great Kolus War were recognized as now part of the Federation, and as a result new flag has been adopted to reflect the new union of Aenian/Arcadian peoples and the Zokesians. Grail remained Prime Minister of this new Federation, and immediately set to work expanding the provinces of Zokesia to include the territories in New Arcovy and Valenia, now part of Zokesia following the collapse of MCS in 2082.

On August 4th, 2087, at the New Arcadian capital of New Arcovy, Governor Natalia Stihlovich was fatally wounded by a car bomb explosion outside the capital while giving a speech. She later died in the hospital due to shrapnel entering her neck and torso.

Francisco Grail was a very devout man and lifelong vegetarian, and in his later years championed animal rights following his retirement from active Zokesian politics.