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UCSS-Achaian Relations
Topic Started: May 15 2014, 05:58 PM (226 Views)
Mastropa
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Zinovios Mesolongias, Epistatis

“Sir, it looks like we’ll need to get another ambassador ready,” Basileus Kypseli said as he walked into the anax’s office. “Observation and Communication has determined that some communications signals to the west are consistent with an organized nation coming out of isolation and joining the wider world. At least one of them has been the announcement of a newly-formed government and international diplomatic aspirations.”

Kerameikos sighed. “It’s like a constant rain,” he said, “at least now that we are prepared to meet with them at all. Do we know anything about these people?”

“Only that the signals are extremely sparse,” Kypseli answered. “The signals we have indicate that the new nation has an organized infrastructure, but there are so few signals that it seems hard to credit the level of development they suggest, in both their encoded form as well as their actual content. We can only assume that there is a very effective blackout going on throughout the nation, either by prohibiting communications at all or stopping most communication signals from leaving predetermined areas.”

Kerameikos frowned. “If there is such a technology, I want it,” he demanded. “Ask Pagkrati and Exarcheia if they have anything of the kind in development. If not, we will determine if things are as you say with this new nation, and see if we can purchase the technology from them.” He jotted down a note for himself as he gave these orders. “Nonetheless, this seems extremely ominous, Kypseli. These do not seem to be the kind of people that are likely to be friendly.” If he was honest with himself, the anax thought that they seemed more like the kind of people that the Achaian government strove to be—and wouldn’t it be a joy for a paranoid nation just emerging from isolation to try to deal with its own mirror?

The basileus’s expression did not make Kerameikos any happier. “I’m afraid, sir, that there’s not much choice in this one,” he said. “The signals all originate from just beyond our western borders. It appears we have neighbors now.”

The anax blinked for a short moment. Then he leaned forward and snapped, “Tell me everything.”

Kypseli straightened at the anax’s demand. “They call themselves the Unified Chaos Servant State,” he said. “There is practically no information available to describe this new government, except that it is democratic. The signals are filled with references to what we believe to be the state religion, speaking of a ‘Covenant’ and a ‘Fair Lady.’ These communications are all official, as far as we can tell, which suggests a traditional theocracy; the new government might also fall into this line, but it is also possible, considering the amount of press it achieved, that the new government really is something ‘new’ and out of the ordinary for these people. Again, we have practically no information about the government itself, except that it is—according to its own communications—entirely democratic.”

“Will they have any serious problems with a dictatorship on their borders?” Kerameikos asked pointedly.

Kypseli shrugged helplessly. “I’m sorry, sir, but there’s no way to tell without direct negotiations with them.”

Kerameikos frowned. “Better to find out now than later,” he said. The anax pulled a sheet of stationery from his desk and began writing. Upon completing the draft, he folded the paper and handed it to the basileus in front of him. “Fetch Exarcheia and send him to my office,” he ordered. “Then send this invitation to our new neighbors. The sooner we know who we’re dealing with, the sooner we will know if we can continue our previous operations without interruption.”

“Yes, sir,” replied Basileus Kypseli, taking the note and heading out of the anax’s office.

To the Unified Chaos Servant State:
Kerameikos, Anax of Achaian Peloponnese, sends Greetings!

We have recently learned of your nation’s presence, in close proximity to our own. As anax of the Achaians, I would like to express my pleasure at discovering that we Achaians have a neighbor, with whom we can hopefully share a friendly and productive relationship. If your government agrees, I would like to send an ambassador from my nation to yours, in order to discuss how exactly we can develop mutual cooperation in the service of both of our interests.

I hope very much to hear back from you soon, and I look forward to our future cooperation and friendship.

Sincerely,
Kerameikos
Anax and Defender
Achaian Peloponnese
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MAKARIA to the Achaian People:
Be as Many as the Stars
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Lyskal
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Achaian Peloponnese
May 15 2014, 05:58 PM
To the Anax of Achaian Peloponnese:
It is with great regret my office must inform you that the Prime Minister cannot currently reply to your mail, nor can any members of the party concerning diplomacy as internal issues have forced a stall in several political issues.

We beg you to forgive us and be patient.

Yours faithfully,
Maxwell Redor
Education Minister


In a disturbing twist of events, the media black out temporarily, partially failed. With reports and transmissions of heavy fighting between national guard, Private Security Providers and a rebellious UCSS faction attempting to reinstall the previous government. The cracks in the system are short, however the UCSS parliament appears to have fled the capital.

UCSS warships flying the older red and black flag have begun a blockade on New Bligh, evidence that something is definitely wrong. Several large military transport planes flying in tandem with a small fleet of transport vessels, believed to belong to the PMCs currently hired by the parliament, from across the Ramadan Gulf have appeared to have been intercepted and forced to land on the unclaimed islands to the north east of the UCSS's furthest cape.
Rebel gunships and strike teams have already moved in to purge the islands.

The amount of firepower, man power and influence the rebel forces control contradict everything the UCSS parliament has made public concerning it's internal unrest, however it's policies and stances remain unchanged as the leadership is absent and silent.
(this is all stuff the Achaian would fairly easily be able to pick up on, as New Bligh is the closest major city to our borders and I assume they have a coast guard of some sort. I plan to write about the re-installment of the monarch and theocracy soon, just not sure where to do it.
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Mastropa
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Zinovios Mesolongias, Epistatis

“Exarcheia! I need you in my office, now!” snapped Kerameikos over the telephone, his eyes roving over the reports that Kypseli had raced in to deliver and lay out on his desk. “Five minutes!” He hung up and looked up at the basileus standing in front of him. “What is this mess?”

“The navy and local army patrols report seeing flashes indicative of heavy fighting not far from the border on the UCSS side,” replied Kypseli immediately, “and covert naval patrols report equally-fierce fighting on the island north of the UCSS. These forces appear to be local. Signals indicate that the UCSS’s former government is attempting to retake command at the head of a faction made up in large part of military personnel, either former or current. At least one major city is under siege, based on the signals we’ve received.”

Basileus Exarcheia raced through the door into Kerameikos’s office. “What is it, sir?” he asked breathlessly.

“Our new neighbors,” growled the anax. “We had reason to fear their presence, apparently. They are currently in the middle of a civil war.”

“It’s almost certainly related to the recent change in government,” Kypseli added. “Apparently it wasn’t as popular as we’ve been led to believe.”

Exarcheia looked over the reports that Kypseli had brought in. “This could not have happened overnight,” he said. “This conflict has at least been brewing for years; I would say that outright war has probably been ongoing for a while. We’re only now seeing it because they had previously succeeded in hiding their outgoing transmissions. At this point, the rebels appear to have found or made a hole in the net.”

Kerameikos nodded. “But it didn’t last,” he said. “We got enough to know that there’s chaos over there, but we have no idea what it means for us. Will this war distract the nation of UCSS from its neighbors, keeping us safe from the madness over there? Or will the war spill into Achaian Peloponnese as a matter of course?” The anax looked pointedly at the basileus of the Office of Military Affairs. “It is your job,” he said, “to make that determination. You will increase sea and land patrols on our borders, to ensure that the fighting does not get closer to the Peloponnese without our knowing about it. Your men are ordered to observe, and not to involve themselves in any fighting unless Achaian Peloponnese or their own lives are at stake. If Achaians are forced to open fire, ensure that they take no sides, but fire on anyone at all who threatens the safety of Achaian Peloponnese.”

Minister Pagkrati, sitting in on this confusion from a convenient and shadowy corner, asked, “If there are any refugees from the fighting that come to Achaian Peloponnese, what will be done with them?”

“We are not a hostel,” answered Kerameikos bluntly. “I am in no mood to accept transients into my territory, knowing nothing about the land they came from or the politics they espouse. I am willing to ship refugees through the Peloponnese to the other side, but no more than that. The Peloponnese is Achaian territory, and I will not jeopardize that with the entrance of hundreds, or thousands, or—Makaria forbid—millions of incoming settlers who have no claim to our heritage or culture.”

Basileus Kypseli hesitated. “Sir, when we found those slaves in the Peloponnesian Mountains, you gave them citizenship as quickly as you could,” he pointed out.

“I granted citizenship to people who spoke Achaian, whose ethnic history mirrored our own, and who might have even been a part of our nation had it not been for the circumstances of the Dorian Invasion, and the Dorian retreat which followed.” Kerameikos shook his head. “There is no similarity here.”

Kypseli picked up a specific transmission from the pile and held it out to the anax. “Sir, this transmission from what appears to be the traditionalist faction recites an interesting national history, in which the nation is cited as an amalgamation of many separate, smaller kingdoms and ethnic groups. Just as Achaian Peloponnese is an amalgamation of many separate, smaller tribes and ethnic groups. While this state came to exist long before our own, and was never menaced by the Dorians, it nonetheless appears that its initial stock is no different from our own than those people who we found in the south.” The basileus shrugged his shoulders. “Sir, they are Achaian.”

Kerameikos frowned. “And how do we expect these people to learn and accept our customs and culture?” he asked. “Their ethnic background has nothing to do with their current cultural habits.”

“Their habits and culture will only be important if you want to assimilate them into the general population,” Exarcheia pointed out. “I ask that you do no such thing, partly for that very reason. Mainly, however, I only ask that you leave them to me—as you did with the freed slaves from the south.”

The anax thought for a moment. “I am not certain that throwing foreigners into our military is wise,” he said eventually. It was clear from his tone that he really meant that it sounded extremely stupid to him, and he wanted an explanation from Exarcheia for such an outlandish suggestion.

The basileus was quick to provide one. “I need men, sir,” he said. “I have needed men for a very long time. Our population is meager, and our military is meager as a result. Any increase in my numbers must be worth the troubles that might result from it. Nor do I mean to throw these refugees into the military all at once, or in the same groups; that would be a death sentence for any Achaian officer appointed to command them. Split them up into different companies, separate them from their UCSS fellows, and make sure that they are aware of the consequences for turning against their new Achaian people or identity. The military’s standard indoctrination and team-building procedures will do the rest, I feel; we are very good at what we do, after all, when trying to build a sense of unity from the various tribal groups throughout Achaian Peloponnese.”

Anax Kerameikos leaned forward. “If you fail in this, Exarcheia, Makaria herself will cast the first spear at you. This stands to endanger everything we have built.”

“Desperate times call for desperate measures,” Exarcheia quoted. “We have found an unexpected neighbor, highly militaristic and with a much greater population than we could ever boast. Before, our small population and proportional military was enough to patrol our territory alone; now, it cannot be. We must grow, in one way or another, and this is the first clear method available to us.”

Kerameikos glared at his basileus for a moment longer, before nodding his head. “I will go along with this plan,” he said grudgingly. “If refugees come toward Achaian Peloponnese, I will allow you to take them in and make citizens of them, for the sake of your military extremities. But you had best be sure that none of these newcomers is likely to turn on the Achaian people or military from within, once you begin this citizenship plan. I trust you to put the safety of our current citizens above the admittance of possible future citizens.” Exarcheia nodded. “As for the rest,” Kerameikos continued, “you have your orders. Maintain a firm lookout on the borders and report the status of the war as you can see it from your stations there. I want to be informed about what is going on over there in the UCSS.”

Exarcheia nodded sharply. “Yes, sir,” he said, before turning about and leaving the office.

The anax looked toward Basileus Kypseli. “You had best get back to your office,” he said. “I want updates about the military’s reports as soon as you receive them. I also want to hear any international reaction to the matter that might cross your path.”

Kypseli nodded as well. “Yes, sir,” he said.

Minister Pagkrati watched the second basileus walk out of the office before turning his attention back to the anax. “Is there anything I can do, sir?” he asked.

Kerameikos glanced over at the minister of the interior. “While Exarcheia is focused on the western borders, he will be neglecting the mountains,” the anax said eventually. “You will keep things moving smoothly in the south in Exarcheia’s absence. If there is any surprise that I must learn about, send word to me immediately.”

“Yes, sir,” the minister said, getting to his feet and nodding sharply as the other two men had done. He also turned and walked out of the office, leaving Anax Kerameikos holding his head and wondering how quickly things had turned around.

[OOC: RPing a civil war is probably best done on the National Incidents forum, but if you want to involve other nations (for things like international diplomatic responses—condemnations, letters of support, what-have-you—or actual cooperative work between nations in such an RP scenario), you might want to use International Incidents instead.]
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MAKARIA to the Achaian People:
Be as Many as the Stars
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Mastropa
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Zinovios Mesolongias, Epistatis

Kypseli entered the anax’s office again after a quick knock on the door. “You needed me, sir?” he asked politely; he already knew why he was here, and Exarcheia’s continuing presence only confirmed it.

Kerameikos, sitting behind his desk again, held out a sheet of stationery. “I think you know where this goes,” he said. “I want someone to tell me what’s going on over there in the UCSS as soon as possible, and at the moment our ambassadors are the best we can hope for. Send that out immediately.”

Kypseli nodded. “Yes, sir,” he said, turning as soon as the anax waved him away and leaving the room.

Kerameikos turned back to Exarcheia and Basileus Petralona, who was also present. “I have requested to send a team of ambassadors,” he said to them, “but I only need one man to negotiate. Exarcheia, I want you to send one of your deputies along as a second pair of eyes. As soon as we get confirmation of a scheduled visit, I want you to make your selection and get your man on the diplomatic plane.”

“I already have General Aigisthos in mind,” Exarcheia said. “He is currently on the western border, and is familiar with our defenses; he’ll know what to watch out for and worry about.”

“I don’t want anyone in uniform,” warned Kerameikos. “He will act as a diplomat and ambassador, not a military leader. He will keep his observations private until he reports to you or me.”

Exarcheia nodded. “I understand perfectly, sir.”

“Good.” Kerameikos turned to Petralona. “One of your deputies will accompany these two. These people clearly include their religious belief in their daily and political lives; we need to know what that means for their worldview if we are to negotiate more usefully with them.”

The basileus from the Office of Religious and Spiritual Matters nodded hastily. “Absolutely, sir,” she said. “I will have Iris join the diplomatic mission.”

Kerameikos acknowledged the basileus’s words as he got to his feet and moved to the large window behind him, where the skyline of Kerkyra glittered in the sunlight. “Once we have some measure of the UCSS,” he mused, “we will be better able to measure our own place in this region. We are no longer alone, and that has already forced us to abandon some of our—my—ambitions for the sake of national security.” The anax narrowed his eyes. “We already play a tertiary role in Noverran politics; I refuse to play a secondary role on my own continent.”

To Queen Charlotte Lordran II and Her High General:
Kerameikos, anax of the Achaians, sends Greetings!

The Achaian people have watched the recent events in your nation with no little worry; we are extremely glad to see that peace is returning to the Unified Chaos Servant State once more, under your leadership. In this critical time of change and consolidation, I hereby request a meeting between representatives of our two governments, in order to build a greater mutual understanding between our two neighboring nations. So long as we are silent toward one another, we can only remain confused and in darkness; but when we speak, the path will become clear.

My government has prepared a diplomatic party to travel to your nation at your convenience. We are all looking forward to receiving your response.

Signed,
Kerameikos
Anax and Defender
Achaian Peloponnese
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The queen's coronation had gone off without a hitch. It had been a fairly simple affair, encouraging people to have a day off, spend time with their families and generally relax a little as military governed relief units began relief operations into the ghettos and neglected areas of the country as soon as the crown touched her head.

The inner swamplands of Izalith were unbearably humid today, but that wasn't enough to stop anyone.
The small girl was sitting on a large root connected to a colossal tree, twisting and turning up into the fog above them. She was wearing a simple white sleeveless summer dress, her near ivory blonde hair done up in a smart braid behind her back, sitting neatly beneath her smaller traveling crown. Various civilians and soldiers stomped about with purpose ahead of her, they were performing construction and repair on a little village called...

Charlotte raised her eyes from the envelope she had just been handed, looking at her guardian quizzically who was withdrawing from giving said item to her.
"How do you pronounce this village's name again?"
The black haired woman who looked nothing short of a veteran gladiator raised a finger, closed her eyes and looked as if she was going to begin a little know it all speach,
"I haven't the foggiest."
Queelan Teldran smirked at her Queen who sighed and rolled her eyes in return.

The monarch's slender fingers stabbed into the side of the letter and she quickly dragged them across, tearing up the top of the envelope so she could get at the letter, a rather barbaric method she had subconsciously picked up from the High General, who had a strong dislike of receiving mail.
Her small hands were quick to flick the letter across and open, she was soon scanning her eyes across the print and seemed rather disappointed.

The Queen handed the letter to her High General, performing a neat gesture with her hand communicating that she could read it as she willed. As Queelan read the letter, Charlotte mulled over it's contents.
"How curious for a self proclaimed defender of the people to declare a group of social butterflies the face of his nation. Although that is the common way for foreigners to deal with each other isn't it..."
Charlotte's eyes seemed to glaze over a little as she looked up into the canopy of the swap, she let herself lose focus for a moment to take in the curious sounds of the flora groaning and swaying in the soft with, the fauna making various calls and movements.

The High General folded up the letter and placed it gently beside the Queen. She also crossed her arms while shrugging her shoulders.
"The most prudent course of action would be to search for diplomatic candidates now, maybe-"
The High General was cut off with a polite, yet strong gesture from Charlotte, sweeping her hand through the air. The girl's voice was firm.
"We all represent the UCSS. I will force us as a people to conform to the image of others."
The Queen stood up and hopped down from her perch, waving over a nearby royal guard who seemed to warp into existence where she waved, the royal guard were fascinating in their ability to not draw attention to themselves despite their heavy kevlar armor and custom helmets.
"Could you please acquire my case from the APC, I have a letter to write."
The man was gone in a shot, without responding.

To the esteemed Anax of Achaian Peloponnese and his immediate military advisor

I humbly acknowledge and thank you for your message. We live in truly interesting and vibrate times indeed that our two nations have the opportunity to interact and hopefully raise each others dispositions towards one another as neighbors.

I would propose a meeting between the heads of both nations at a location of your choosing, as you were the one to approach first you can have the luxury of first input on the matter. As this letter was perplexingly addressed to two individuals, I also must add that the High General of the UCSS is flattered by yours step towards increased diplomacy and assures you that our increased military presence on the eastern side of our nation is gradually dispersing and that her and her forces have no interest in your borders or the rather unique events happening to your south.

We look forward to meeting you soon and quickly dispersing any apparent cause for worry,
yours faithfully
Queen Charlotte Lordran II, sovereign ruler of the UCSS
High General Queelan Telvan, Supreme Commander of the UCSS military


Charlotte looked back at her beautiful hand written letter with daggers in her eyes.
"Queelan, I'm sure you're aware of our nations superb compulsory education programs..." the girl turned to the woman, who was waving her hands and laughing.
"Hey, you're the one that wrote such a passive aggressive letter. You would think our neighbors would have been more careful of eggshells but-"
The child Queen waved her hand for the High General to stop and pointed at the bottom of the letter, where she had co-signed. The General's short addition was written plainly and neatly, a stark contrast to the elaborate and neat hand writing of the Queen.
"Your hand writing is terrible. You should do a course in calligraphy." Charlotte wagged a finger at her High General teasingly as she handed the letter to one of her royal guards.

The High General gave her sovereign a warm smile while she wasn't watching. The child leader and the UCSS would not tolerate weakness, hinted at or implied. Even if relations were to fail rapidly, the UCSS had the advantage of rougher terrain on their border's side and if current reports were any indication, almost certainly more military might.
The High General gave a wicked grin as she imagined how the public would have reacted to their Queen basically receiving an insult in her first direct communique from a world leader. To barely acknowledge the Goddess appointed ruler and guardian of the realm was to insult their entire nation. Maybe her highness mildly icy response and dismissal of this 'Anax's' initial proposition would create cause to put a little more effort into diplomacy.
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Mastropa
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Zinovios Mesolongias, Epistatis

Minister Pagkrati frowned at the note in his hand. “Patronizing, much?” he asked rhetorically.

Kerameikos scoffed. “That’s one word for it,” he said, taking the message from his minister once again. “Kypseli, make a note: From now on, official discussions about the UCSS government will involve a conspicuous absence of high generals… unless they’ve done something to annoy us.”

The basileus nodded, not entirely sure whether or not the anax was joking.

“Moreover, Exarcheia, I am especially intrigued by this specific reference to our southern military activity,” Kerameikos said. “The patrols on the border, of course, are understandable, but why should they care enough about the south to have even paid attention to what we’re doing there?” The anax frowned. “Send word to your office to lock everything down about the southern bases. Everything related to them will operate in complete secrecy from this point onward, at least until it suits our interests not to. And double-check everything that has already been done there to make sure that there are no exploitable gaps.”

Exarcheia frowned. “You believe they will do something?”

“I believe they are more interested than they claim,” corrected the anax. “That might simply be curiosity on their part, but they have no reason to be looking into our military movements unless they directly affect the UCSS. If they have discovered our southern movements, then they are obviously paying a great deal more attention than they would like us to believe. From now on, they will hear nothing that we would not reasonably expect them to know; am I clear?”

“Perfectly, sir,” the basileus answered.

Kerameikos glanced over at Kypseli. “The same goes for you,” he said. “Until you can develop some of those signal silencers for your office, we will have to make do with cutting out any unnecessary signal traffic. See to it.”

Kypseli nodded. “Yes, sir.”

Kerameikos nodded as well, before turning his attention back to the message in his hand. Eventually he murmured, “They want me to ignore all of my other duties simply to speak with them, do they?” He glanced at the map again. “…No,” he said finally. “I am not going to make myself completely unavailable when the next major crisis rises up. Perhaps when the little girl has more experience on her throne, she’ll realize just how foolish it is to devote her time to a single task alone, when it can be just as easily delegated to someone she can trust to do the job in her stead, while she keeps her eyes on the bigger picture. I have things to do here, and I must be available when crises arise elsewhere; I cannot do that if I am holed up for an indefinite period of time on foreign soil. They will make do with an ambassador.” He paused for a moment as he read over the document again. “Then again,” he said, “I suppose we can do one better.” He looked up at Exarcheia. “They want me to appear with my primary military advisor—a rhetorical snub, I suppose, for sending my message to the high general more than to the little girl herself.” The others in the room could see how much the idea of a ‘military advisor’ for any anax galled Kerameikos’s sensibilities. “Fine. I’m sending you, Exarcheia, to represent Achaian Peloponnese. Iris will accompany you, both to learn and to advise. Send General Aigisthos to me, so that I still have an open ear in the Office of Military Affairs.”

“Shall I wear a suit for this?” Exarcheia asked, remembering Kerameikos’s original orders regarding the general.

Kerameikos snorted. “If they want a meeting of military leaders, then that is what they’ll get,” he told the basileus. “Dress to impress—and remind them, perhaps, that you are second-in-command.”

Basileus Exarcheia nodded, though he was frowning. Kypseli, too, was nervous about completely rebuffing their new neighbors in this way, but both basileis understood the anax’s reasoning: They could not be pulling him out of a diplomatic meeting every other minute whenever they needed his signature, and there was no telling how long this meeting would take. Exarcheia’s absence would probably be keenly felt, but any staff general would be a very capable stand-in, and Aigisthos himself had only recently been taking part in the new military exercises meant to fortify the western borders.

Minister Pagkrati was apparently thinking along those same lines. “Considering that we’re about to knowingly irritate our new neighbors, are our current western patrols satisfactory?”

Exarcheia nodded. “Both ground and air forces are keeping a constant watch on the border, both to the west and to the south, if they try to flank us. Naval observation is top-notch. Granted, they’re watching us just as much as we’re watching them, but it can’t be helped.”

“If they’re watching us, then they know we’re not in the mood to fight,” Kerameikos said. “So unless they’re lying to us, there should be no issue at all.” The anax thought for a moment before he said, to both Exarcheia and Kypseli, “Keep it up.”

To Queen Charlotte Lordran:
I am very happy to hear that your nation, like our own, desires a deeper mutual understanding. Moreover, I am extremely flattered to know that you would like to meet with me at my convenience. It is to my utmost regret that my duties at home prevent me from fulfilling your request; I can only hope you will forgive me. In my stead, however, I am sending my basileus, Exarcheia, who is responsible for the Office of Military Affairs. He speaks with my voice, as I speak for the Achaians; you may be sure that he is in every quality a man worthy of my office, as every basileus must be. Beside him will be Iris, a deputy from the Office of Religious and Spiritual Matters; in this, I ask your indulgence, as we endeavor, as directly as possible, to avoid future misunderstandings between our nation and your own.

I thank you for your generosity in allowing me to determine where we shall meet together. Unless there is some objection, I would like to suggest that Basileus Exarcheia and his accompaniment come to you, rather than the other way around; it would be inappropriate, I believe, to ask a sovereign to attend upon lesser representatives. Both Exarcheia and Iris are prepared to leave at the moment of your affirmative reply.

As ever, I and all Achaians look forward to the peaceful and productive coexistence between our nations that these talks will ensure.

Kerameikos
Anax and Defender
Achaian Peloponnese
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The Queen was interrupted during her tutoring on economics by one of her Royal Guards holding a new message from their alien neighbors to the east. She nodded politely to her tutor who stopped what he was talking about and left the study to have a break. The Queen wondered if her rather indirect original response had failed in conveying her intentions to this power across the border, evidently it had.

A couple of hours later, the High General was approached by the Governor General, holding the same letter and handing it to her briskly. A bright red label declaring boldly "Delegated to the Director of External Affairs" could be seen under who it was originally addressed to.
Queelan raised an eyebrow after reading it and looked up at the Governor General's visor, the man nearly never took the thing off come to think of it. Not that it was considered rude, more so over-zealous in their culture.
The High General's tone was questioning, with a slight hint of dread "I know your duties with running the country mean this isn't for you."
The Governor General lent forward and tapped a gloved finger on the label.
"As of an hour ago, that's you. Apparently first impressions and refusing to acknowledge the new Queen have switched priorities for the people raised... over there." the man waved a hand in the air dismissively, evidently he hadn't been putting much if any thought to the matter.

The High General stood to speak but was beaten to the mark.
"I would never imply you're not busy High General, but you're a shining and important face of our nation and due to the nature of your duties and skills, you currently have enough of a lax in your schedule to take on these additional tasks." the man nodded smartly as the woman's shoulders dropped in defeat, she folded open the envelope and scanned the letter. It was followed by a laugh.

"I don't know how people have the patience to do this useless political dancing." her light hearted remark was soon answered by the now leaving Governor General "Well you'll learn I trust, it is your job now." the man gave a smart heart salute and exited the room smartly. Queelan conceded his teasing, after all his job was a nightmare in relation to her own, not to mention boring.

The High General went for a stroll through the New Bligh ex-parliament building, they'd been occupying it as it was renovated and renamed into a general government base of operations for the city. It was also a good location to organize the dissolution of the large military presence.
Her stroll soon took her outside. Her combat boots taking her down concrete stairs flanked by gardens with smooth grass and manicured flowers as she got further from the building.

As she reached one of the gates, she saw a peculiar sight. A young woman, who seemed barely out of high school was sitting on a blanket. She looked a little dirty and worse for wear. Her trendy clothes easily marked her out as a democratic supporter. Although the sign she had next to her did a better job, declaring in bold letters "When was wanting freedom a sin?" the young woman had mousey brown straight hair that had fallen over her eyes, on closer inspection, she was actually asleep.

The High General looked at the nearest patrolling guard, who simply shrugged and gave the hand gesture for 'all clear'. Due to her protest not being offensive or inciting any form of response, she was apparently being allowed to stay. However this reaction basically ignored her and apparently her message wasn't getting anywhere. With full stomachs and a sense of purpose, the people weren't in the mood to listen apparently.

The protester woke with a start as someone jabbed her roughly in the forehead, causing her to fall on her back and cry in protest.
"What are you doing!? You can't do this to me! I ha-"
A gloved hand quickly grabbed her by the shoulder and hoisted her up, with another brushing her her out of her face. The protester froze as she looked up into the mask of the High General of the UCSS, THE High General.
"I'm assuming by your get up and behavior you haven't been reassigned a job yet or been bothered looking for one." the High General wasn't asking any questions, the protester shook slightly and stared back, like a deer caught in the headlights.
The High General stared back at her for what felt like a minute, before finally prodding her in the chest "Are you listening?" the disheveled protester dropped to her knees and started blabbering on trying to make excuses for her behavior, which made no sense and sparked no interest in the High General who quickly hoisted her up and chucked her on her feet towards the parliament house. The young woman spun about in surprise, which nearly caused her to fall over.
"What- where are-" her words were cut short as the High General bundled up her possessions and pushed them into the young woman's arms.
"You're now the secretary to the Director of External Affairs." General Telvan said this bluntly as she marched past the woman and back towards the stairs, who followed behind excitedly. Thoughts of the good she good now do for her country and people rushed through her head, opportunities and chances to meet foreigners! Her excitement visibly died down as she lost her pace and stopped beside the High General at the base of the stairs.
"We have a Director of Ext-"
"Yes."
"Since whe-"
"An hour ago."
"Wha... but then"
"I am."
The young woman looked like someone had told her that her puppy had died, then she quickly remembered who was in front of her and got on her knees again. The High General snatched her bundle of possessions in one hand and roughly grabbed her by the wrist with the other, leading her up the stairs.
"You're lucky I don't have time for a class in hand writing you damn hippie." she muttered to herself as the young woman yelped in surprise behind her.
"My name's Miorill Azu, it's a pleasure to work with you..." the two stopped for a moment on the stairs as the High General thought of a response, she also let the girl go who was obviously thinking straight, finally.

With little further hiccups but a fair share of confusion, the two man office of External Affairs was up and running and producing it's first act of office.

To the Anax
The UCSS is delighted to host the first diplomatic meeting between representatives of our two nations. The Queen has expressed her apologies concerning her misjudged assessment of what the official first impressions for our two peoples should be and has passed on the issue accordingly.
The Queen sends her regards and is excited to hear about advancements and opinions on our increasing diplomatic ties as they develop over time.

Your delegation is to attend a meeting with the Office of External Affairs at the New Bligh central government building, details of the meeting date and time will be sent afterwards so they may be altered or challenged by your own people for a more fitting appointment.

The EA Office wishes to inform you that this response only comes through our office due to the nature of the current discussion. Feel free to communicate directly with either this office or our head of state.

Yours Faithfully
High General Queelan Telvan, Director of External Affairs
The Office of External Affairs


The High General looked at her new secretary and shrugged as she took her helmet off.
"If they add any more titles to me I don't know if I'll be able to put up with the embarrassment. Who actually enjoys having all that extra stuff slapped onto their names?"
Miorill forget herself and laughed, the clearer voice and change of appearance began subconsciously lowering her defenses.
"Surely it's not that bad, at least you feel important?"
Queelan rolled her eyes and spun around slowly in her chair "Go get cleaned up and get something to eat, you look like a POW and I lost my train of thought half a dozen times listening to your stomach growling."
Miorill went to argue as she noticed just how dirty her little coat was, she also suddenly became acutely aware of how long it had been since she'd eaten "You win this round!" she laughed as she made her way out the door with a salute, she seemed a little worried at the gesture she'd performed autonomously, but only for a moment.
"I have a bad habit of that, be back in here in an hour."
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Zinovios Mesolongias, Epistatis

“That deception didn’t last long,” Kerameikos said, handing the message over to Exarcheia after he had finished reading it. “High General, and now Director of External Affairs, Queelan Telvan… They’ll whine about proper procedure when we point out the obvious, but once the negotiations begin and words are filled with power, then the true speakers come to the fore.” The anax motioned toward the sheet of paper in the basileus’s hand. “Her Royal Majesty, it seems, will not treat with us for now.”

“On the other hand, this might simply be a snub on the queen’s part,” Exarcheia said. “We have no doubt irritated her; she hopes to do the same.”

“Perhaps,” Kerameikos admitted. “Perhaps she does indeed wield the power that her letters attribute to her.” The anax snorted faintly. “I honestly don’t care. The high general will be authorized to negotiate in her place, no matter if the queen or she herself provided that authorization. Regardless of the face, we will have the opportunity to speak with and inspect the UCSS. That is all that matters right now.”

Kerameikos smiled. “And they were even kind enough to send you to New Bligh,” he said. “This is almost perfect for our purposes: We will have a direct view of the UCSS’s military position on our borders.”

Exarcheia nodded with a frown. “Our eyes are already on their border forces,” he reminded the anax, “and according to our own reports, it seems that the drawdown that the UCSS mentions in their letters is genuine.”

Kerameikos tapped his fingertips on his desk idly. “I am glad to hear it,” he said, “but I have become increasingly worried about just how good our neighbors are at hiding their true intentions,” he said. “I will not fully relax about their military presence until you can confirm what your eyes across the border have told you already.” The anax paused before snorting softly. “I suppose I will never fully relax about them, period,” he admitted. He glanced up toward one of the other men in the room. “Kypseli.”

“Yes, sir?” asked the basileus. “Do you have a message to send back to them?”

“Of course I do.” Kerameikos pulled another sheet of stationery from his desk and picked up a pen. “I will acknowledge their changes and tell them to expect Exarcheia and Iris at New Bligh as soon as possible. Then we will see how things stand.”

To High General Telvan:
Basileus Exarcheia and Iris are both very pleased to meet with you in New Bligh. All of us at the Megaron look forward to learning how better to work together with you and your government, in the fashion of friendly neighbors. We highly anticipate the results of this upcoming meeting.

Sincerely,
Kerameikos
Anax and Defender
Achaian Peloponnese

[OOC: Shall we move to the airport? I suppose the high general probably has some grumbling to do about this note, but if we keep sending letters to each other we’ll never actually get any negotiations done.]

[Edit OOC: The address line is screwed up. It was initially supposed to read, "High General Telvan, Director of External Affairs," but apparently it cuts off everything after the comma, and there's no way to fit both of those titles into the address line without a comma, so I ditched the "director" bit to make things cleaner on the title line. Nonetheless, please pretend it's there.]
Edited by Mastropa, May 20 2014, 12:27 PM.
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On the assigned day of the meeting a jet black limousine was found sitting across from the main terminal, the High General found herself skimming through various sheets of paper, which she soon dumped on the lap of her secretary.
"Hey! Do you know how long they took to sort out!" Miorill blurted as she tried to catch them all, she soon found her shoulders grasped weakly as the High General gently shook her, moaning "But if I read any more I'll die..."
The secretary laughed and neatly stacked the papers back together, sliding them into a briefcase "Well as long as you remember how to greet them, who they are and what to talk about..."
Her eyes darted back to the High General, who was completely still, she couldn't see her face through the headgear though.
"Did... did you forget something?" the secretary nudged her a few times, only to discover she'd fallen asleep in her seat. Causing her to tap her roughly on the head.

As a plane approached in the distance, the High General figured it was the one they were waiting for.
"I wonder if they're going to be bothered by the amount of military hardware around." upon saying this she looked over to the opposite side of the terminal, where a dozen VTOL (Osprey like) aircraft were sitting in a line in front of a hangar.
"Probably should have put tarps on those... for instance."

The two women and their two armed guards, fully clad in dark, humanity shrouding gear moved to stand ready for the plane to land. At this moment the secretary piped up.
"Think they'll mind sharing the ride there and back with us?"
The High General shrugged. Upon being told they would have to use a limousine to cater to their guests, the High General's recommendation had been to scrap the thing and just walk. Her recommendation was denied.
"Who knows, I'm still annoyed that we kept something like that around. Might as well have 'immoral and corrupt' written on it."
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Zinovios Mesolongias, Epistatis

Exarcheia had spent the short flight from Kerkyra to New Bligh rereading the reports from Kypseli—reports he had long since memorized, really—but as the plane had come in for its landing, the basileus had turned his attention to the window to take in the view outside. It was very, very strange to compare this misty, forested landscape with the dry and rugged foothills of the central Peloponnese, especially when Exarcheia knew that the two territories were not at all distant from one another. The generally unpleasant climate had made previous anakes reject suggestions to explore this territory with any seriousness, figuring that no one would live here willingly, and certainly no one would have succeeded in developing a civilization here; the fact that the UCSS claimed to be hundreds of years older than Achaian Peloponnese itself seemed to add insult to the injury of that particular mistake.

As the plane landed, the basileus kept his eyes open for any clues as to the strength and character of any military presence in the city. At once, his eyes were drawn to the military aircraft in front of the nearest hangar, but other visible reminders of the military’s stay caught his eye as well. The soldiers themselves, however, were nowhere to be seen. Exarcheia merely assumed that, with his expected arrival, the military men were wise enough to keep out of sight—although he also assumed that they were still present, acting as an added layer of security for the upcoming meeting. It is certainly what the basileus would expect, considering the practice in Achaian Peloponnese.

The plane finally came to a complete stop, and the attendant quickly opened the hatch and stepped aside. Exarcheia quickly got to his feet, giving Iris a quick glance as she put her notes away and followed suit. Exiting the plane and descending the steps to the tarmac, Exarcheia breathed in the humid air and successfully kept himself from frowning at the marshy odor. He would get used to it, he supposed, but it was nothing he would want to live in. The basileus straightened his uniform and took a closer look around, allowing his curiosity—and his self-defense training—to show themselves. Queelan Telvan had already been told to expect the master of the anax’s military; she would not expect him to do anything less than inspect his surroundings at the first opportunity. After all, as the queen’s high general, she would have done no different in his place.

Iris, of course, was not a military specialist, and Exarcheia glanced back at her to make sure that she was not completely overwhelmed with the experience. “Do you see anything I should be aware of?” he asked, partly to keep her focused on her own tasks.

The woman blinked as the basileus brought her back to the reason for her presence. “Er, no,” she said, “unless the national flags flying on the roof of the terminal have religious significance. I mean, that is probable based on what we know, but that still doesn’t tell us anything that we can use to understand these people better.”

Exarcheia nodded. “Just keep your ears open,” he said. “Take whatever opportunities you need to bring religion into the discussion, in the hopes of making them talkative about it. Hopefully the negotiations here won’t be driven by their religious needs, but they might look at any other topic from a different viewpoint due to religion alone. Hopefully this doesn’t lead to any misunderstandings.”

Iris nodded, and Exarcheia turned back to the terminal. He could see a black limousine sitting in front of the building, and at least four figures standing outside of it, waiting for him. ‘Those face masks are very interesting,’ the basileus thought to himself as he began to make his way toward the waiting party. ‘Are those military issue, or have I discovered how people in general survive in this air?’

“High General Telvan,” he said aloud as he approached, extending his hand. “I am Basileus Exarcheia of the Office of Military Affairs. My companion Iris and I are extremely pleased to meet with you for the sake of our nations’ mutual benefit.”
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The High General stepped forward and shook Exarcheia's outstretched hand, nodding to him and to Ira.
"Well, I've already been introduced, this is provisional corporal Azu, my assistant."
Miorill was in a plain military outfit that looked fit for office duty and paperwork, she did however still have a mask under a red beret. She nodded at the two, but didn't leave her position on the general's flank.

"I hope you don't mind sharing this... limousine with us. Although I think it will give us an opportunity to converse and get to learn a little. After all our two nation's do seem to suffer more from confusion and misunderstanding than any form of malice or ill intent." the High General stopped for a moment as she motioned for them to walk to the car, she had a feeling her attempt to convey that the Achaians were not considered untrustworthy was probably worded a little too indirectly, but decided not to try and correct it. After all little cultural differences enrich relationships! Plus she would look stupid if she repeated herself for no reason.

The four were ushered into the car which took off smoothly down the side of the large airport terminal, soon coming to a security checkpoint. After being checked out and waved through, they pulled out onto the street and began their journey to the (rather young) office of external affairs building.
There were few civilian cars of the road, the civilians dressed rather plainly and most were wearing a mask or had some kind of face covering. A lot of the pedestrians were in some sort of similar black military uniform. Even a man near a little park on a corner who was raking up leaves was wearing a military grade mask and a sergeant rank arm strap over his blue overalls. Also within the park was a figure in a robe that hid their entire form looking after some children, the robe was a stark white and whenever a pedestrian would pass and notice them, they would clasp their hands together and nod at them for a few seconds, the figure always returning the gesture.

The spectacle went on for a little while longer as the limo was stuck behind a set of lights as a convoy of half a dozen IFVs and some large trucks were making their way slowly down the road, the children seemed excited at the sight however.

The Queen had asked High General Telvan to try and keep the highly built up military 'low key' as it might excite overactive imaginations. This scene wasn't helping. Telvan leaned on an elbow, resting her chin on her hand and looking toward the park.

"Weather is a little harsh here, isn't it? Although if someone else asks you about it just say it's exotic." the High General attempted to lighten the mood as she waited for either of the Achaians to reply.
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Zinovios Mesolongias, Epistatis

Exarcheia tried to smile, but having not been trained as a diplomat, he knew better than to think that it was a success. “I think ‘exotic’ suits it well,” he said. “It is certainly memorable.”

The basileus turned to his companion, who was currently staring out the window of the car with an expression of amazement and near-horror. He understood her reaction perfectly, considering his own thoughts: It was clear that, despite the evidence of an active military presence in this city, there could be no accurate measure of military strength here when practically every so-called civilian appeared to be a member of the armed forces. It was a frustrating complication, but Exarcheia felt strangely at ease to it. It wasn’t as though Achaian civilians ever really left the warm embrace of the military after their compulsory service was at an end, either. If anything, this was another sign that the two neighbors could probably understand each other more easily than they had initially believed.

Nonetheless, the religious deputy’s expression was somewhat insulting to their hosts, and Exarcheia nudged her in the hopes of breaking her concentration. It worked; Iris blinked and immediately realized what she had been doing. Glancing from the basileus to their hosts, the woman blushed. “I, er, I apologize,” she stammered. “I was lost in thought.”

Exarcheia sighed. Trying to avoid further embarrassment, the basileus cast about for another topic of discussion, and decided that if Telvan was allowed to bring up the weather, he had no reason not to follow her example. In fact, if he was lucky, it might answer a question he had wondered about since exiting the plane. “The weather may be harsh,” he began, “but your people seem to take no notice of it. I admit to being envious; I don’t know how many Achaians would have your fortitude.” Yes, it galled him to make that admission, but now that he knew that it was possible to live and fight in a swamp like this, nothing would stop Exarcheia from making sure that Achaians would be capable of it, too. “But I can’t help but notice the masks that your people are wearing—almost all of them, it seems. Do you wear masks to protect you from the weather, or do they serve another purpose?”

The basileus privately wondered if it might be considered rude to ask for a mask himself, if it was in fact a means of protecting people from the natural air. He was a military man, and could accept injuries taken in the line of duty, but he was not about to ruin his health for the sake of diplomacy.
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The High General pulled her mask off with quite a bit off effort, hers seemed to be larger and sealed whereas her assistants only covered her face. The battle-worn face gave a smirk as she started pointing at various parts of it as she gave an explanation. Miorill didn't say anything, but the way she absent mindedly raised a hand to her own face could have been a sign that she would never consider doing this herself.
"You don't need to worry, the weather is mild here, really. You might just catch a cold or some such." her gloved finger pointed carefully inside the faceplate as she lent forward to let the basileus get a better look.
"However further inland, where there are mosquitoes the size of small birds, fungi and the rest of a plethora of interesting flora and fauna... well, things get a little more complicated."
The finger pointed towards the sides of the helmet which appeared to have little speaker, there was also a little receiver.
"Now we have been experimenting with squad based short ranged communications so obviously some have that added in..."
The High General was going a little off track, it appeared it was an awkward thing to talk about. Or that the one thing she should say she didn't know how to word.
"As for the cultural reason, or rather the religious one..." her assistant looked at the High General as she said this.
"When your compulsory military service starts, you get some form of one, depending on your role. So it's kind of about recognition and coming of age... being a proper member of society."
The High General held it toward the man so it was looking at him.
"This represents the reduction of self to show you're one with the state and more importantly..." she woman trailed off and looked to her partner, who seemed to have warmed up to the idea and nodded back.
"It represents out debt to the Fair Lady, that none are allowed to forget or forsake. While we have given them a myriad of useful applications, this mask is our culture and we don't see it as odd at all."
She placed it gently in her lap and looked at both of their foreign guests as the car began to move.
"On a related note; you may be wondering why our civil war looks a little too clean from the outside. While there was quite a bit of fighting, it would probably appear we're hiding a lot." with this she stroked the side of the mask in her lap and looked back out the window as they pulled up to the gates of the parliament building.
"Did you ever see one of the members of the previous government wearing one? Did you see any of their supporters? They claimed rights and freedom for the man... which man? The Fair Lady gave us everything and they forsook her. Mask bearing citizens have it drilled into them at birth that they do not harm each other. Our crime rate simply almost doesn't exist."
Corporal Azu nudged a shoulder into Telvan, evidently because she was going off track again.
"Ah, sorry. I'm not exactly experienced with proper diplomatic conversing, anyway, the old government betrayed the nation in mind, body and spirit. That is why at the end people stopped being scared and acted out of character. We are all born and bred to heed the head of state, it took a lot of strength and loyalty to the greater UCSS for the people to oust their government, but it had to be done. The system was foreign, it wasn't us."
The car passed the gate and pulled up in front of the large bone white building. The landscaped area against the road and sides of the entrance has various large and twisting trees, odd little flowers and what appeared to be a mushroom the size of someone's head in there as well.
The General waited for the guards to check out the driver again and just shrugged, realizing she'd talked for too long "Our land deadly, predators, poison and venom are common beyond the newly named 'quarantine zone'. Yet something as simple as that system was more deadly to our nation as a singular entity, how perplexing."
The city they were in, New Bligh is on the coast to the east, roughly 100 kilometers from the border in a patch of the country that was more hospitable than the rest. The vast majority of the country still refuses foreign access, but changed the name of the action in which they used to enforce it.
"We lifted the odd little 'blockade', but it really is there for a reason. The swamp gets so... vibrant in greater Izalith that you would swear it was closer to a rainforest."

The party was ushered out of the car and inside. The building seemed practical and smart and they soon found themselves in a neat conference room, where the High General offered them seats.

"Any question before we get started? Sorry for talking your ears off, but it's rare for me to talk to someone who doesn't just want me to talk at them." the High General took her seat as the corporal remained standing.
She now spoke, her voice was rather soothing compared to her rougher gruff boss.
"I'm sorry for our lack of knowledge in your customs, do you eat while conversing? Would you like something to drink? The only information that we got back from out interest in the neutral summit after the rejected diplomat was arrested is that the observers evidently had an ulterior motive to destabilize peace and that wearing masks might be considered rude..."

The High General's eyes seemed rougher sharp. "The UCSS finds the implications that so many nations to our far north fighting with rather basic weaponry for reasons as fickle as race and reputation... disturbing. Although we aren't really aware of the details."
The High General seemed to go off on tangents quite a lot, she obviously had no experience or training in diplomacy. Although she seemed to represent the will of the people fairly well, which is why she was chosen for the job.
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‘Straightforward and purposeful,’ thought Exarcheia gratefully as he sank into the offered seat. ‘I think I’m going to enjoy speaking to Queelan Telvan a lot more than I originally thought.’ The basileus wasn’t just grateful that the high general’s rambling was giving him plenty of information she might not have wanted him to have—‘Huge bugs and “interesting flora and fauna,” eh? Obviously our new neighbors are a nuclear power’—but he was instead glad that he no longer had any cause to worry about embarrassing Achaian Peloponnese on the diplomatic stage, as his counterpart was highly unlikely to judge him based on his own lack of diplomatic credentials. It was no less than he had expected from a fellow military leader, but it was always good to have confirmation.

Something else, too, made Exarcheia relax. “My anax is no more pleased by the activity in Victorium than your queen,” the basileus said. “And we have spent the past weeks and months laboring to keep ourselves out of the mess entirely. As I have not heard the latest from the neutrality summit, I was not aware that your nation had sent a representative there, but let me be the first to tell you that Achaian Peloponnese appreciates your support in that endeavor. It is something that Anax Kerameikos spent a great deal of effort trying to build. I am saddened to hear, though, that the international community was less receptive to the notion of maintaining neutrality by obtaining safety in numbers.”

The basileus shrugged. “We are a small nation with relatively few people,” he said. “But our people are strong. As you were explaining your practice of military service, I could not help but consider our own similar system. As with the UCSS, Achaian military service is compulsory, and even after that term has ended, no Achaian truly breaks ties with the military system. As a nation, we are perhaps unprepared for a prolonged attack, but as a people we are prepared to fight for the Peloponnese as viciously as necessary to repel any invader. That determination extends to our allies in the Neutrality Pact, just as our allies’ determination will extend to us if the need requires. I am very happy to hear that we might become stronger friends than ever with the pact to cement our friendship.”

Iris nodded alongside the basileus. “Your national identity and will to fight is deeply tied to your devotion to the Fair Lady,” she observed. “Please forgive my being so forward about this, but as I represent Achaian Peloponnese’s Office of Religious and Spiritual Matters, I am especially curious about the Fair Lady. My purpose is essentially to prevent Achaian Peloponnese from stepping on the UCSS’s toes through ignorance of your religious traditions and needs, and this is all the more important because of the Fair Lady’s central place in your national identity. Who is the Fair Lady? What does she ask of her devotees?”

Exarcheia leaned forward slightly. “And, if I may ask, why did the former government turn away from her? As a self-described democracy, how could they have done this if they claimed to represent the will of the people?”
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The High General listened politely. Evidently pleased with the responses given by her Achaian counter part. When the conversation changed to religion, she sat back and thought for a moment.
"Yes, apparently your nation also has a cemented faith. Beyond that we know nothing, not to offend." she placed her fingers to her chin and seemed to be deep in thought, as if she was deliberately and carefully going over what she was going to say in her head.

"Where to start... or rather, where am I allowed to start." the High General smirked and the corporal stifled a giggle behind the back of one of her hands.
"Well the Fair Lady is as you've no doubt easily deduced, the figure head of our primary and only religion and also the object of worship within it. We're not actually allowed to talk about her on an individual level however... you learn more as you get older and perform more works and rites of passage." the High General trailed off, she was uneasy about having to avoid parts of the subject, but also didn't want to try and avoid it with word play.
"Our belief system centers around duty, community and purity of all aspects of self. With self being the individual and the nation. The Fair Lady asks as to make the world a more balanced and gentler place, originally this went under many different interpretations. Now however we know that as people and country freed at last from corruption, we are in a position to bring greater balance..."
Despite her wishes not to twist around her words, she found herself having to do it to leave out any sacrosanct details.
"Well to be clear she doesn't really ask anything of us... we're more so trying to live through her example." Telvan seemed happy enough with that explanation and sheepishly took a sip from a glass of water her corporal had gotten for her without her noticing.

"As for our 'attempt at modernization', well, that is fairly simple to talk about." the High General's body language tightened up and she seemed slightly annoyed at having to recall it.
"Our nation existed as it did now for a long time in the veils of it's own isolation. However influence from the rest of the world did trickle in. Rumors and stories, factoids and articles. All of this flowed into our country over time. With all of these stories of revolution and growth, some people decided that our culture and national self must be 'out dated' and 'barbaric'." The High General crossed her legs sharply and crossed her arms, she'd managed to get herself rather angry just thinking about it.

"So democracy and capitalism were apparently the next stage of enlightenment, we'd always considered nations that differed toward that spectrum as immoral and corrupt, but the 'futurists' said we as a people were strong of spirit and mind and would be fine. They said we needed to catch up to the world. Oh we caught up all right." she was going off on a tangent and she knew it, she put a hand to the side of her head and closed her eyes for a few seconds. Then she spoke again, a lot calmer and clearer.

"They thought our 'obsession' with religion and duty was archaic and a relic of the past, that we could keep all the good things we had. We could dip into luxury like other parts of the world, grow more, work less and have every man woman and child have rights. So they started cutting taxes. Now our taxes are known for being extremely high. So it sounds like a good thing. Yet for some reason when the corporations began forming and working and the changes started taking place, certain things began to happen that were alien to us."

"Apparently homeless people, crime and abominable acts are considered normal in some parts of the world. But that wasn't the way it was here. Sure we had little, but we were always cared for and looked out for each other, we were driven and faithful... but that wasn't enough. People had heard about tvs and computers in every house, of getting paid not to do any form of work, of being free to voice any opinion and do as you please, to assert your freedom. People just wanted to fit in with the rest of the world and 'catch up'. Our religion has a lot of lessons about greed, immorality and self interest. Doubt was also cast on the legitimacy of the Fair Lady as an idol of worship. As newly baptized members of a capitalist democracy, the people reacted as most do. Apathetically. They didn't care."

The corporal stepped in mid sentence and put down a platter with a tea pot, water jug and various cups and glass down on the table and glanced at the High General. Intentional or not it broke the High General's train of thought.
"Although our original theocracy was rough and controlling compared to more developed and populated parts of the world, it was a pure and nation serving system, everyone is born and raised to serve the nation as they are a part of that nation... People thought this destruction of the self was extreme and acted on it. They wanted to see if we could go higher and do better. They were wrong. After around a decade almost everyone agreed and here we are again, a more learned and mature people I would like to think."

She reached forward and started pouring herself a cup of tea, after stirring some sugar into it she instead passed it to the corporal who sat next to her and removed her own mask, blowing at the top of the cup to cool it down. The UCSS' had some odd cultural quirks retaining religious secrecy yet seemed oblivious to some acts which might be considered odd.
The corporal's bright, young face beemed as she smelt her tea and took a sip. She turned to the High General who didn't seem to start speaking soon and she decided to put some words in.
"As the High General was so valiantly trying to explain, the Chaos Servant Covenant is the national and only religion based around the Fair Lady. The odd name of the religion comes from the Izalithian double meaning for the word 'chaos', which basically represents change. We don't see it as a bad thing even though our government and lifestyle seems quite strict and ordered." she sipped at her tea once more and placed it down on a coaster.
The young corporal continued, taking her red beret off as well and placing it on top of her mask. She didn't look like the field work type of soldier, which explained her role.
"The religion influenced a lot and put a very firm weight on everyone's shoulders evenly. Some people though there was a better way that would lift the burden off everyone, which was naive. The well entrenched values and... well to be honest, guilt complex, of the people ended up over powering the apathy and self interest that comes with a pyramid scheme system like capitalism. They also got sick of too many cooks spoiling the broth. They were used to stuff getting done, listening to the wise and learned and performing, completing actions. The longer they experienced this grafted alien culture and society, the more they came to realize the grass may in fact not be greener. Hence the nation's reinstalled vigor concerning it's religion. I hope that explains why people tarried and why they came back." the corporal blinked a few times and turned to the High General, who looked like she managed to get confused. This got a rather sharp look from the corporal that snapped her out of it.

Telvan clapped her hands hands quietly and placed them on the table. "What of your religion? Also, we're curious about your stance to the lawless and... complicated lands to the south. We're currently rather alone at the top of our continent and the Queen's reaction to finding out about slave camps and bandits was..."
the High General laughed and took a sip from her glass of water.
"Well let's just say my plan didn't involve as many gunships as hers."
She then went back on point "We do want to strengthen ties with your nation, we're just a bit diplomatically awkward as a whole. I hope it doesn't bother you."

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