Harekaze affair

Defection of the Duchy of Zaychik to the Yukino Coalition

The Zaychik Parliament Building, where the decision of defection took place.
Native name	Harekaze Delo
Date	25 April 2020
Time	14:26 KST (military defection) 15:10 KST (national defection)
Location	Harekaze, Duchy of Zaychik
Type	National defection
Cause	The destruction of Nara, heavily incurred losses by the Conservative Coalition during Komashi War of Succession, and waning public opinion in the war
Outcome	Zaychik joins the Yukino Coalition and endures two failed invasions.

The Harekaze affair (Zaychikian: Harekaze Delo), more known as the defection of the Duchy of Zaychik to the Yukino Coalition, was an act of defection of the Duchy of Zaychik against the Conservative Coalition, during the Komashi War of Succession. It started on the afternoon of 25 April as an emergency session of the Parliament of Zaychik with Akasaka, Duke of Zaychik presiding over and convincing his ministers on the intent of defection to the Yukino Coalition.

Ever since the war started five days before, the Conservative Coalition suffered extensive defeats at the hands of the organized forces of the Yukino Coalition. As hostilities opened on that day, the Yukino Coalition brutally besieged the capital of the Conservative-aligned Duchy of Maikaze, that being Nara, as part of their psychological warfare against the morale of their belligerents. The Duke then met with his ministers on the afternoon of 25 April and convinced them for defection.

As Zaychik was being subjected to intense pressure by the leader of the Conservative Coalition, that being Grand Duchess Ibuki Sana to begin Operation K - the invasion of the Grand Duchy of Azanami and its localities along with the Principality of Kaslana and the Duchy of Sakura, Duke Akasaka then got fed up of having to use the exhausted, morale-deprived Royal Zaychik Army for any large-scale operations. The ministers and the Duke then came to a consensus of defection at 14:26, initially for military defection, starting with the removal of barriers around Azanami.

Royal Zaychik Army assets were revitalised, and directly took orders from the Duke himself. At the same time, the Yukino Coalition headquarters in Yukino KDK received the letter of intent by the Duke of Zaychik, with Ryan Shirakami formally accepting his apology and the intent of the Zaychik nation. After a reply arrived at 15:05 to Harekaze, the Duke made a live televised announcement to his citizenry, and to the whole of Komashi, of the nation's full national defection to the Yukino Coalition, then proceeded to berate Ibuki Sana and other Conservative nations.

Their defection greatly infuriated the remaining Conservatives. The consequence of their defection did not go unpunished, on 1 May, Zaychik was invaded twice, yet were heavily foiled by Zaychikian resistance and assistance from Azanami.