Reincarnated: Vive La France

Moreau's room was silent.

Candlelight flickered across maps taped to the wall the rail lines, urban zones, defense sites.

He leaned back in his chair, sleeves rolled up.

The national architecture he'd inherited was a fragmented tangle.

Military, police, security, civilian agencies all overlapping, often conflicting.

He closed his eyes and reached deep into memory.

India's National Security Council.

The U.S. Joint Chiefs.

Britain's Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms.

All upheld by law, clarity, coordination.

No chaos.

No hidden chains.

He picked up a fresh parchment and titled it.

"France National Security Architecture (FNSA)".

Over the next six hours he sketched out interconnected nodes.

Supreme Commander, Unified Command Centre, Cabinet Security Committee, CORA, Civil–Military Council, Evacuation Directorate, Logistics Corps, Civic Communications Authority, Counterintelligence Bureau.

As dawn broke, the architecture was complete.

Civilian ministries, military commands, research units, emergency response, joint staff all connected by formal legal lines and practical liaisons.

By first light, Moreau leaned back.

He was exhausted.

But this was right.

This was necessary.

Later that day, he convened an extraordinary cabinet meeting in the Council Chamber.

Reynaud, Vincent Auriol, Jean Vincent, Mandel, Castelnau, Zay, Mendès, Déat all present.

Security personnel were absent.

All aides and clerks exited at the door.

Moreau stepped before them, rolled out his pages, and placed it center.

"I propose we rebuild the spine of our Republic," he began. "This architecture is modeled on the most effective governance systems in the world, but tailored to our needs. It's law, not suggestion."

Reynaud leaned forward. "What are we looking at?"

Moreau tapped the top box. "This is the Supreme Executive Command, me. But answerable legally to the new National Security Council."

He fit a scribble Renaud, Castelnau, Vincent, Reynaud, Mandel, Zay, Langevin.

"Meet daily. Make decisions. No other body can act without it."

Next, he pointed to a box beneath, linked by two-way arrows.

Cabinet Security Committee.

"Essential. Chairs of Finance, Armament, Interior, Defense, and Scientific Affairs. They advise on classified issues and inter-ministry alignment."

Mandel frowned. "We effectively centralize all authority."

"Yes on paper and by law. No more overlapping orders. Each area has a single commander or responsible minister."

He tapped the chart's left column.

Unified Armed Command.

"Army, Navy, Air each under clear chain of command to the Supreme Executive, not through separate ministries. With a Joint Operations Bureau chaired by a Chief of Defence Staff. General Gamelin will be CODS. He'll coordinate with Muselier and Vuillemin."

Castelnau cleared his throat. "Gamelin nominally retains staff role, you bring in joint command."

Moreau nodded. "Nominal, yes. But law codifies it. Joint decisions must go through legal channels."

He turned right to Intelligence. "Home Ministry, Interior led by Mandel. National Internal Security Service under Delacroix. Provost under Mercier. Ideological surveillance by Duret. Courier chain heads under Rousse. Counterintelligence under Coulombe, all sitting in the Cabinet Security Committee."

Vincent Auriol scribbled in his notebook.

"All reporting legal and formal."

Moreau moved to the center cluster.

"Ministry of Scientific Affairs, a new portfolio must exist. It will manage CORA and civilian tech coordination. CORA remains internal but reports legally through this ministry."

He pointed to Langevin, Auger, Chrétien, Ponte, Perrin color-coded under Scientific Affairs.

Reynaud looked surprised. "You formalize CORA as state unit?"

"In law, yes. It is already funded and operating. This codifies it as part of national infrastructure." He tapped a box.

Civic Communications Authority, under Gaudin and Zay.

"Controls emergency messaging, blackout protocols, press coordination."

Déat leaned forward. "My labor and welfare ministry?"

Moreau pointed to Elections, Agriculture, Labor boxes. "Mendès manages food reserves and rural logistics. Déat runs Civil Emergency Directorate refugees, evacuees, displaced. Evacuation corridors lead to camps preexistent plans."

He highlighted another Strategic Mobility Corps, under Vautrin, modeled on modern rail/road mobilization units, tasked with military conveyance, fuel routing, infrastructure protection.

Zay looked at the Migration box. "We haven't had refugee waves yet but we will. We need legal structure."

Moreau tapped the box. "Under Déat, legal authority to evacuate without court orders, to grant temporary ID and housing. We need law, not discretion."

He moved to Counterintelligence & External Surveillance. "We need eyes on Berlin, Rome, London, Moscow. A permanent liaison bureau under Coulombe to intercept tech breakthroughs. It will liaise with MI6 and OSS equivalents if they exist. Will report to the Security Committee."

He stepped back. "We must pass this as an act of Parliament. France cannot operate in this state of emergency unless codified. We need transparency legal clarity and ministerial accountability."

Reynaud stared at the parchment. "Every ministry, every chain laid bare. You also commit yourself."

Moreau held his gaze. "Yes."

The room was silent.

Then Reynaud spoke.

"This is not just structural, it hits every aspect of state power. Are you prepared to enforce it?"

Moreau smiled. "It's already enforced. This is the archival step dated today. Either laws match reality, or we become illegitimate."

Mandel asked: "What about the Presidency?"

Lebrun's name was at top left corner ceremonial.

"Lebrun will formally convene the council. He'll sign the act into law. His signature remains for optics, not power."

Vincent Auriol raised a point: "The Ministry of Armament… you already exceed responsibilities."

Jean Vincent cleared his throat. "Under this architecture, I'll oversee weapons production under Armament Ministry, but integration with scientific affairs is now direct. CORA reports to both. That may reduce secrecy?"

Moreau answered: "It remains behind the classified black curtain. Only the Security Committee can authorize public acknowledgment. Munitions output remains unrelated to public knowledge."

Déat raised his hand. "Legally, how do we authorize forced labor or evacuation?"

Moreau placed a paper in front of him.

Order 17A, Emergency Powers Act.

"Six-month revision cycle. Ministers given conditional authority. Parliamentary oversight deferred to the Security Committee."

Zay observed.

"We'll need schools to teach civil defense."

"Already there. Zay, you will implement mandatory civil defense curriculum blackout drills, air raid protocols, shelter usage."

A hush followed.

They each examined the architecture before them clear lines, clear roles, clear accountability.

No overlapping authority.

No blind spots.

Reynaud closed his notebook. "Moreau, you've proposed a modern government in a single day."

Moreau allowed himself a satisfied nod. "The world is changing. France needs to see those changes coming not wait until we're behind."

Auriol sat back. "Then it stands. I will draft the act immediately and introduce it tomorrow. If passed, this becomes France's governance framework for the foreseeable future."

Général Castelnau stood. "That will take us through any defense emergency. I support it."

Vincent and Mandel both nodded.

Déat too.

Zay suppressed a grin.

"It's complete," Reynaud said. "Unprecedented. But immediate."

Moreau folded the parchment. "Then we begin."