Trouble in Paradise

Skanda had never been the most stable nation, even when it was a colony of Andrenne, but it had become worse since 1991, when the new Republic of Skanda had been formed. Corruption had been running rampant in the government, various ties with the Yakuza syndicates of Skanda had been built decades ago, and the economy had started to fail due to an incompetent parliament and leaders... but this would change, all of it would change. Since she had been elected, Misaka Tawanoa had begun silently making her political opponents “disappear”, and had begun to consolidate left-leaning parties into the socialist and communist parties of Skanda. Right-leaning parties had been mysteriously disbanded in the past few years with the parliament becoming smaller and weaker. Many people had spoken out about these odd occurrences at first but like many other things in Skanda, they had started to “go missing”.

Misaka’s office was dim, the small lamp on her desk illuminating papers and files. The windows behind her reflected the dark night sky, with a crescent moon hanging far above in the stars. It was time she thought to herself before standing up from her comfortable office chair and making her way to the parliament, which was near the “Neshesu” House, or the offices for the President and their Cabinet. She had called an “emergency meeting” of the parliament shortly before and had been waiting for them all to arrive, and now that they had arrived she could finally start making her dream into reality. She opened the door to the parliament house and stepped inside which caused the heads of the remaining members of the weak, small parliament to turn towards her. She stared at a few of them and a few cameras from various news stations before making her way to the plinth at the back of the parliament house.

The news crews scattered about a bit and started recording the parliament meeting. She cleared her throat before speaking into the microphone in front of her, “In the past few months and even going back a few years, this parliament has seen a number of its member go missing. This is truly tragic and what is even more tragic is that no one has come forward to replace those missing seats. As a result, this parliament has been frozen in gridlock and unable to act on even the most basic measures of governing this nation. In my view it has become ineffective and quite nearly worthless which is why I am here tonight, to resolve this gridlock and bring Skanda back to greatness. With that said and by the powers vested in me by the Constitution of the Skandan Republic of 1991 and as Prime Minister of the Republic of Skanda, I hereby dissolve this Parliament, effective immediately." A few shocked gasps rose from the small crowd but many Members of Parliament had seen this coming for a while with quite a few having worked with Misaka to make this goal come to fruition. With her speech concluded, she left the now defunct parliament house and returned to her office. A "breaking news" report went out shortly after, making the disbandment of parliament public knowledge.

Captains Regent Montalvo was working late due to a backlog of paperwork that needed the approval of either himself or his colleague, Captains Regent Nightsong. Senhora Solveig had already finished her half of the paperwork for the evening and had headed home which left him almost alone in the office except for two of his aides who were in the front room watching the news, chatting and having a few beers despite being told they were not needed to be working that evening. However both had both chosen to stay around in the event that their boss needed any assistance from them. As the aides were joking about something, one saw the breaking news report about the dissolution of the Skandan Parliament. Realizing that this news could have far reaching consequences, they knocked on their bosses door before entering, "Senhor Damien, the Skandan Parliament... it has just been dismissed by their President, Misaka Tawanoa. We don't know much more beyond that at the moment." Damien looked up at his two aides, "and here I thought this would be a quiet and boring evening of just working on the backlog of paperwork. Seeing as we don't have that many details at the moment, I'll put out a blanket statement from the Office of the Captains Regent and will wait till the morning or until we know more to act further since I will want to consult Captains Regent Nightsong. You two are dismissed, again. Now either go home or if you insist on keeping me company, feel free to raid my fridge for some snacks or more beer." Sighing as his two aides went back to watching the news and seeing what else was on the television that evening instead of heading home, he himself grabbed a cigar from his desk drawer and began to draft up a statement that was sent out to the Regent Press Office for release.

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FROM THE OFFICE OF THE CAPTAINS REGENT
OF THE MERILIAN LEAGUE​

To Senhora Misaka Tawanoa,

I have seen the breaking news that you have dismissed your governments parliament. While details surrounding this event are not very clear at the moment, I wanted to issue this short statement to assure you that there will be no disruption in diplomatic relations between your nation and the Merilian League. As of this moment, your embassy here in Alcária has been notified and I have dispatched a small number of guards from the Merilian Army Corps to work with your embassy staff and its security in working with any Skandan citizens, be they tourists, permanent residents or citizens in reaching out to home or loved ones back home. Furthermore, any trade between the Merilian League and Skanda shall continue unabated and will remain as such unless there is a drastic shift in the situation. We look forward to seeing what you do with your country.

Kind Regards,
Captains Regent Damien Montalvo

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Erik Shan-Yin stood in front of the window of the guest room inside the apartment of Governor-General Thor Yang. He had a view of the rest of Danstad below him, as the apartment block was fairly tall. It was already nighttime, and the city had become nocturnal. He sipped his whiskey quietly. He felt a tad awkward having to stay at Yang’s house. The Staatsminister’s house was being treated for termites over the past few days, and Thor had lent him the guest room of his apartment to use. The TV was on in the background tuned to an Ascalonian dub of a Goyanean Fascist War documentary. He wasn’t paying much attention to it anyways. The TV halted its programming to a feed of the Skandan President, Misaka Tawanoa, issuing a declaration before the parliament. “...With that said and by the powers vested in me by the Constitution of the Skandan Republic of 1981 and as President of the Republic of Skanda, I hereby dissolve this Parliament, effective immediately...”

“Fucking hell.”

Erik dropped his glass of whiskey on the ground. Memories of his childhood and early adulthood stormed his mind. Communist Skanda. Not again. He grew up in a small, western Ascalonian village known as Long’shi. He remembered what life was like so close to the border.

He exited the guest room to see Thor dozing off on the couch.

“Thor, I’m going to the office, the Skandans are back at it again.”

“OK”

Erik walked towards the elevator, and descended into the parking levels of the building. He entered his armored car, and drove off to the government office complex near the old town of Danstad.

(Beit Aghion, 12:00 AM; 8/15/17)

"Thank you all for being here at such a late hour," Yamesh addressed his cabinet, "But this matter is of the utmost importance to Iraelia. As you read from the memo, Misaka Tawanoa has dissolved the parliament. I have briefed you before on this issue as well, but I think it is best we allow Mr. Schalit to explain."

The Intelligence Minister stood up after receiving his cue from the Prime Minister, "Thank you Mr. Yamesh," he said, "For some time now, Misaka has been consolidating her power in the government and causing political opposition to disappear. The Meyuhadim report that she is attempting reinstate communist rule in Skanda," he said as the cabinet ministers muttered amongst themselves. "It won't be too long before she completely makes the transition and purges the government of all opposition, and it's imperative we act now," The Intelligence Minister sat down, yielding the floor back to the Prime Minister.

"I have two possible policy actions I would like to bring before the cabinet, the first is the issue of condemnation. When the long anticipated purges eventually occur, we will have a choice to deliver a statement to the government or remain silent. I would like to now open the floor to debate," he concluded. As he finished, the Minister of Commerce and Labor, Tehila Horovitz stood up.

"Absolutely not!" She screeched, instantly grabbing the attention of all those in attendance, "Skanda provides anywhere around 20-30% of Iraelia's food annually, we must not anger them. It would most certainly mean starv..." She was cut off by the Minister of Defense.

"And let these injustices stand? I dare not think of what injustices Skandans may suffer if we allow these actions to remain unpunished," He stated.

"Unpunished?! Skanda is the only one with leverage in this scenario! I would love to live in your fantasy world where we have the powers of Shaddai himself, but it simply isn't realistic," Tehila retorted.

"Enough," Yamesh said before anyone else could comment, "It is clear we will get nowhere on this issue, on to policy issue number two, Asylum policy. This oncoming purge will result in all opposition figures becoming non existent at Misaka's wish. The question then becomes do we offer asylum to those seeking refuge or do we turn them away. Mr. Schalit had already proposed a plan to myself that I quite liked, he shall present it before the cabinet now," Yamesh stated. The Intelligence Minister stood up once again to speak.

"There are two main Skandan figures we think could be of value when we offer asylum. They are Takahashi Kuniyoshi, an incredibly popular Skandan political commentator, and Iori Mayako, one of the few Conservative Party members who hasn't capitulated to Misaka or been disappeared. Our plan would be to have our Meyuhadim agents reach out to the two individuals and present them with the information that the Meyuhadim currently possess. If they agree, we will send them into Iraelia using the old Skandan rat tunnels and spy ways. There are a few near the border which are abandoned. We will use these tunnels and have the Meyuhadim agents escort our Skandan friends into Iraelia. Well?" He asked to the sound of murmurous agreement from the cabinet.

"All those in favor?" Yamesh asked. All 20 cabinet members shouted aye in unison. "Then this plan will be implemented immediately. My Honorable friends, I would like to conclude this cabinet meeting as I have some other work to attend to. I would also like to have a vote on the issue of condemnation at this point before we conclude, that being said, all those in favor?" Yamesh asked. Eight ayes were heard from among the cabinet ministers. "All those opposed?" Twelve nays filled the Beit Aghion cabinet room. "As of now, we will not issue a condemnation of Misaka's government. Meeting adjourned."

Early the next morning, Captains Regent Nightsong and Captains Regent Montalvo were discussing the situation that was unfolding in Skanda with the government falling back towards communism. Regent Morais, the current Head of Diplomatic Affairs and the highest ranked spymaster in the Merilian League, had been brought in to consult with the Captains Regent and was discussing with them the history of Skanda, its prior brush with communism, the rise of the democratic republic in 1981 and the ensuing corruption and general instability that had led to the situation today. Aaron had agreed with Damien on calling on the Merilian Army Corps to take over jurisdiction and control of the Skandan Embassy in Alcária to help quell any issues that might arise but he pushed for more to be done. Mainly he argued that the Army Corps should put everyone in the Embassy under temporary house arrest seeing as there was the very real possibility that there would be those very sympathetic to the new government in Skanda and those who would possibly be fleeing for their lives. Solveig worried that this type of extreme behavior could be seen as a catalyst of diplomatic relations being harmed between the Merilian League and Skanda but Aaron reassured her that this was simply a temporary measure until such time that the embassy staff could be interviewed and clarified on where they stood with the new government that was rising from the corruption and decay of the republic and now dissolved parliament. The meeting continued for a short while before Aaron was dismissed and the Captains Regent once again had their office to themselves. Damien turned to Solveig, "well this is a right old mess then. I do believe that Aaron is right though, if we don't contain the Skandan Embassy staff we could end up with some trying to flee and losing themselves in the crowd in either Kalti or Andalucia. We need to contain this now but we need to go about doing it delicately and with as little fuss as possible." Solveig was staring out one of the windows somewhat lost in thought as she listened to Damien before responding, "we could always utilize the Tiris Decree." "We could but are you sure that's smart? We don't know how the new Skandan government would react to us using that", replied Damien. Solveig had gotten up to grab a drink and after pouring herself some mead and offering some to Damien she responded, "we don't really have a choice though... using that Decree is the most humane thing we can do. And yes, it might harm relations in the short term with the new Skandan government however I believe wholeheartedly that we can maintain good relations with them in the long run." After finishing their mead, the Captains Regent sent new orders to the Merilian Army Corps members that had been dispatched to the Skandan Embassy to put everyone under temporary house arrest and to set up interviews with each to see where they stood on the new government in Skanda.

The morning after the dissolution of parliament, Misaka sat in her office once more. It was around 7 AM in Skanda. Specifically it was 7:02 AM. Film crews from various news stations stood in the other end of her office preparing to film a very important speech. They gave her a hand signal to signify that they were now filming. She wore a gray pantsuit jacket and a white blouse underneath with a short, black business skirt and black heels.

“Citizens of Skanda, I come to you today to bring a very important message that will change the face of this nation forever. From this day forward, 17th of August 2017, Skanda is no longer a corrupt, capitalist republic… for too long we have ignored the obvious solution to our instability and corruption! We shunned it and cast it off to the side, but it is the true solution to our problems! It made us stable and happy in the 1980's, and it shall do so once more! We will turn to socialism once more to solve our problems! I now declare this nation to be the Democratic People’s Republic of Skanda! Further changes will occur soon and this nation will be restored to it’s former glory but right now parliament has been dissolved and soon a government purge will begin. As the person who made this transition possible, I hereby declare myself the new Premier of the People’s Democratic Republic of Skanda, and the Socialist Party of Skanda to be the new ruling party.. We will now hoist the flags of a nation we can be proud of! Long live Skanda! Long live the new Democratic People’s Republic!” After the speech the new flag of the People’s Democratic Republic of Skanda faded onto the screen and the new anthem played. The broadcast ended after the new anthem was finished.

With the last sentence the cameras turned off and Misaka gathered herself. She would need to make a second speech soon regarding.. basically everything she hadn’t already mentioned (which was a lot), but at least she had managed to get through her main points, she thought to herself. They needed to get this new government in order before they started making any more speeches. The government purge began roughly an hour later, and various government officials began to be fired, including staff in foreign embassies. The purge would only leave officials loyal to the socialist party in power. Officials that were fired would be closely watched for as long as the government felt necessary. They would need to watch themselves. This whole “switching from a corrupt republic to an authoritarian socialist state” thing was easier than Misaka thought it would be.

(17th August, 2017; 9:17 AM-10:02 AM; Saito, Skanda)
Two men stood outside a tea shop in Saito, scanning the streets for any bad omens. They lie in wait for two of the most important people in Skanda, Takahashi Kuniyoshi and Iori Mayako, very popular names in Skanda. The men who waited in the tea shop had names as well, but they were state secrets. To the Iraelian Government, they were Alfa One and Delta Two, in Skanda they were Kapali Kiyotaka and Kalawai'a Masahiko respectively, but to their contacts in Skanda, they were the best hope they have to avoid the coming storm.

The two Skandan officials arrived, two hours apart. They each ordered a cup of tea and sat on the table next to the Iraelian agents. They each finished their tea, and walked past the table where "Kapali" and "Kalawai'a" sat, taking one of the two singular files that lay on the table. On those files was the following:

The Skandan File:

Bari'Male
August 20th
Ocha ne za Umai Tea Shop
9:00 PM
Prepare for cold and heat

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There was no turning back.

The Merilian Army Corps company that had been dispatched a day prior to the Skandan Embassy in Alcária had quickly rounded up and interviewed the staff members to find those who were sympathetic to the new communist government and those who were against it after putting everyone under temporary house arrest. For those that were against the new government, a provisional document was drafted for each staff member under the terms and conditions of the Tiris Decree which would grant them political asylum and make them temporary Wards of Alcária until they had found work and had settled in either the Federation of Kalti or the Republic of Andalucia whereupon they would granted expedited citizenship status. For those who were more sympathetic to the communist government, they were given the choice to either stay in Alcária and continue to act as diplomats representing Skandan interests in the Merilian League or they could choose to head home. Surprisingly, there were a few staff members who were anti-communist but chose to return home to face the consequences due to having either family or loved ones back home. Once the Merilian Army Corps members had finished their interviews and sorted everyone, the staff members were free to go with those wanting to return home being asked to remain behind for further instructions. Regent Aaron Morais of Diplomatic Affairs and Regent Lucia Cordeiro of Intelligence Affairs arrived at the building where the Army Corps Company had been conducting the interviews and addressed the group of Skandan Embassy officials that wanted to head home, “Good morning ladies and gentlemen, I am here on behalf of Captains Regent Nightsong and Captains Regent Montalvo. Now you may all be wondering why we haven’t sent you all on your way to the airport to board a plane and head home to Skanda. While we easily could do that it would then rob myself and my colleague [pointing to Regent Cordeiro] here an opportunity to meet with Premier Tawanoa. Instead, you will all be honored guests alongside the two of us and the crew of the N.L.M. Marquesa as we sail from Alcária to Saito where you will be dropped off in good health and good spirits and welcomed home by Skandan officials. Now, please follow the Army Corps personnel outside where they will direct you to some vans which will take you to the ship.”

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Later that evening, the N.L.M. Marquesa was nearing the city of Saito of the People’s Democratic Republic of Skanda and had stopped right outside the nautical border of the country. From there the ship had started issuing a broadcast to any nearby Skandan Coast Guard and Navy vessels on a thirty minute loop until such time that the broadcast was answered. “This is the N.L.M. Marquesa of the Merilian League. We have with us Skandan Embassy officials who wished to return home following the rise of the new government. Once the ship has been cleared, we will offload them at the main port. Further, we have on-board Regent Morais and Regent Cordeiro who wish to extend an offer of invitation to Premier Tawanoa to meet them on-board the ship and discuss ongoing diplomatic relations and if there is any assistance that the Merilian League may provide to the People’s Democratic Republic of Skanda.”

Ignore this post

Another day, another letter. Sfan smiled to himself. There was something personal about a letter. Intimate. The old man knew how to use technology, loved it even, but there was something about ink to paper and more than just a printer stamped signature at the bottom of a emotionless block of typing. This letter would go to the newly installed leader of Skanda, Mikasa was her name? There would be no fanfare, no public speech with witless cheering. Just a simple handshake, through a private correspondence of course, behind closed doors to protect a fellow nation for the people.

Several days later, Mikasa would find a plain envelope on her desk, marked with the vulture insignia of the Stan Yera.

[img=245,250]http://i.imgur.com/9ZPCfm6.png[/img]
Federal Affairs Executive, Office of the Federal Premier
Federal Military Autocracy of the Stan Yera

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To the Government of the Democratic People's Republic of Skanda,

It has been my pleasure to receive word of your leader Mikasa's choice to move to a government truly for the people. As I see no benefit in announcing my intentions regarding this new state to Eras at large, you will receive this letter from the Ambassadorial staff currently located in your nation as a private correspondence.

The Stan Yera has been, since it's founding under my rule, a state friendly to those less inclined towards imperialism and capitalism. The situation presented with your coup of the previous regime is no different, and I would offer you the Stan Yera's full support in the event of military or economic assistance becoming a necessity. Your warhawk neighbors of Takashima and Iraelia present no small amount of concern to myself for your country's future well-being, and I would advise the government of Skanda to keep a close eye on potential acts of espionage or sabotage from them or any one of the imperialist nations dotting the South.

You would further be wise to find an ally in the state of Cogoria, and to not alienate those disinclined to pick a side at the given moment.

Signed,
Federal Premier Sfan K'ter, Grand General of the Stan Yera

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(August 20th, 8:45 PM, Bari'Male, Skanda)
Ocha ne za Umai Tea Shop was nigh empty. Aside from the Iraelian operatives, there was only an old man playing Su'ra Yamu, the cashier, and the brewer. As they sat sipping on their tea slowly, two men walked in wearing large backpacks, hiking gear, and large water skins. They wore hats to cover their faces, but the Iraelian Operatives knew that their contacts had arrived. They each ordered a tea and waited. As they did, the Iraelian Operatives left and hopped into the car they had parked at the back of the tea shop. They then waited. An hour later, the same hikers came around the back, hopped in the trunk and they took off.

They drove to the edge of Bari'male before going offroad, hitting several bumps along the way. After two hours of driving, they had arrived at the Skandan rat tunnel. The Iraelian Operatives donned their hiking gear and descended into the tunnel.

"This way," Alfa One said.

The long road to freedom had begun.

(Iraelian-Skandan Border, 1:00 AM, Skanda)

The night was unexpectedly cold, warm clothes only serving as minor protection against the freezing Bari night. The damp, dark rat tunnels certainly did not help as well. The flashlights the Iraelian operatives only revealed so much, and so they had gotten lost several times. However, after four hours of travel, they had finally located the end of the tunnel that emptied into Iraelia. The only problem being that this section of the tunnel was often patrolled by Skandan soldiers, as a ways to prevent anyone from smuggling goods, or people, across the border. So they moved with quiet haste.

"Just this next left and then we hit the straight away," said Alfa One, cautiously leading while looking around corners for Skandan patrols. So far they had been lucky, with no Skandans being cited yet. But as soon as they turned the corner to the straight away, their heart stopped. A light shone down from one of the corridors that lead into the hall exiting into Iraelia. Two men chatted casually in Skandan as their voice got louder. The operatives, as well as the Skandan fugitives, hearts stopped. They waited for the men to enter the main hallway and pass into the next corridor, yet as they entered the hall, they stopped and got into an argument. The two men began to yell at each other, entering into a mundane argument. This argument persisted until fifteen minutes had passed, and the two men continued on their original trajectory. The Iraelian operatives and their contacts seized the opportunity, and continued along. Yet as they passed the tunnel the Skandans had been traveling along, they heard one chilling word.

"Yokeru!"

Alfa One turned his head to the right to see two Skandan soldiers aiming their guns straight at him and his charged. He looked at Delta Two and the operatives, and barked an order at them in Mercanti, "GO!"

And so, they sprinted along the hallway, avoiding the initial spray of bullets. Yet as they ran towards the moonlit desert, Alfa One remained behind, a grenade in hand. As the Skandan soldiers emerged into the main hallway, they shot Alfa One in the forehead. Yet as his body hit the floor, so did a small metal pin. And just as the Skandan and Iraelian operatives emerged from the tunnel, the sound of gunpowder and collapsing dirt was heard as the tunnel caved in. The trio stopped to catch their breath, and were so engrossed in the moment that they had missed the three battle tanks stationed in front of them, their guns aimed across the Skandan border. Atop one of those tanks, a commander addressed the Skandan border patrol warily standing on the other side.

"These men are on Iraelian territory, and are now the responsibility of the Iraelian government. Any attempt to harm them or undermine our purposes will be treated as an act of war. Stand down."

As the commander concluded, a man of Syrixian descent emerged from one of the tanks to address the Skandan conservatives.

"Hello there gentleman!" He said in perfectly fluent Skandan, "I'm so sorry for the hardships you have had to endure recently, you must be terribly cold. I'll see to it that you are sheltered immediately within Beit Aghion. I can't wait to sit down and chat with you, we have so much to discuss!" He excitedly rattled off. The Skandans looked at him in confusion, still stunned by the events that had just transpired. The Iraelian Prime Minister saw their confusion, and made an attempt to recover their attention, "Oh, but where are my manners? Allow me to introduce myself. I am Agastya Yamesh, Prime Minister of this great nation, welcome to Iraelia!"

4:34 PM, November 14, 2017

It had been nearly 3 months since the new government had installed itself, and it was already in plenty of drama. That was predictable, but there wasn’t much Misaka could do about it until she got the nation back to normal and the government situated properly. She was nearly a third of the way there.

She had established the K?jiha H?yoku, or the “Personal” Council; her hand-chosen cabinet of Commissars, or as they’d probably be called in other nations, Ministers, rather quickly. She was working on the mayors of all the various Skandan cities- well not Misaka specifically, she had assigned that job to a few of her subordinates. That was besides the point. Once she got the new mayors in the place, for the most part, she could start working on her next reforms for the new government.

Hopefully once the nation was ready and stable, she could implement her planned prefectural system, to better organize all of the towns and cities in an small area under one prefecture rather than having each individual city represented in the Provincial Councils. After that, she could establish the Zukoku Honako H?yoku, the National People's Council, to represent the nation as a whole as some form of parliament. She wasn’t sure how much power to give the Zukoku Council- That was a bridge she’d cross when she came to it.

Right now, she had more important things to worry about; the Iraelians had managed to get across the border with two popular conservative media stars, and the Yakuza were already gaining a presence in the newly established Special Economic Zones… Oh yeah, that was something she had done too. Those were important for keeping the economy afloat.

She called the Commissar of Defense, I’kia Kaiuwahui, to her office. The simple solution, and hopefully the temporary solution to the Yakuza problem was to send in the Ko’jei’sa to the various SEZ’s. The Ko’jei’sa being the military police that also functioned as her secret police. They’d cooperate with the normal police, and hunt the Yakuza members down, hopefully not killing them. If possible, Misaka would like to avoid bloodshed in her own cities. While the Ko’jei’sa were there, they’d be able to root out the corrupt police members. It was a win-win. She briefly spoke to I’kia about the situation, who agreed with Misaka’s decision before leaving to send the Ko’jei’sa to the SEZ’s.

Before he got out the door, Misaka called him back. She also called in the Commissar of Foreign Affairs, Hiroshi Masada. There were a few important things to discuss with them aside from the Yakuza problem.

First up was the letter from Sfan. Not really a problem, but she needed a bit of advice on some of the things she needed to write in case she had missed anything while originally going over the letter. This also meant trying to find an ally in Cogoria, as Sfan had reccomended.

Next was the genuine problem. The Iraelians had decided to play dirty first, and had managed to sneak two rather popular conservative media stars across the border. The border guards were unfortunately unable to do anything without accidentally starting the 2nd Iterian War. This meant going to the negotiating table as soon as possible, hence why she had called Hiroshi in. She asked him to request an Iraelian delegate to speak with her, I’kia, and himself at a negotiating table to figure out how to proceed with returning the conservatives to Skanda without causing an uproar in either nation.

Finally there was the Yukkiran problem. The Skandan delegate, of all people, had voted yes for their membership in the Iterian League. Normally this wouldn’t have been a big deal, but the Yukkirans were the polar opposite to the Skandans in many ways. Sone’s actions in the League would not go unpunished for very long. She asked Hiroshi to recall him, and for I’kia to get the Ko’jei’sa to arrest him. To make matters worse, the Yukkirans had just repealed their exit from the Iterian League. Hopefully this was something they could discuss with the Iraelians during their upcoming talk.

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Three letters were sent that day. One to the Stan Yera, one to the Iraelians, and one to the Cogorians. The letter to the Stan Yera was handwritten by Misaka, as a sign of respect to Sfan. The other two were typed, and the Mercanti was very good.

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To Premier Tawanoa:

While I can understand your anger towards us, we deemed it necessary upon learning of intent by your Government to purge these officials and possibly cause them physical harm. Regardless, we are in dire need of discussion regarding the geopolitical future of Iteria and so I shall attend this conference alongside my Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bahit Yohad. We will come in attendance with a security detail of 20 or so Iraelian men, I pray this won't be an issue. Among the topics we'd like to discuss, the return and continuing peaceful lives of these agents within Skanda shall be the main topic of concern. However, it has come to my attention that Skanda has recently expressed distaste internally upon the admittance of Yukkira to the Iterian League. For the Iraelian Government, Yukkira's membership is a non-negotiable and so we would also like to bring their future in the League as a secondary area of discussion. Finally, we would like to begin talks about opening a more neutral ground for future diplomacy, perhaps along the border. Nevertheless, I shall leave for Saito at once.

Sincerely,

Prime Minister of Iraelia

2:17 PM, November 19, 2017

The letter had been received by Iraelians, and they had sent their own letter in return. Apparently the Yukkiran membership to the League was non-negotiable. They’d have to talk about that, among other things. Misaka waited patiently, wearing a grey suit jacket, with a white blouse underneath, a black, knee-length skirt, and black high heels. Her driver held an umbrella over her. They weren’t comfy, but she had to keep up appearances. The Iraelian private jet had landed in Saito, its formal design contrasting the logos on the more grand airliners. Her commissars/ministers, Hiroshi Masada and I’kia Kaiuwahui stood beside her, as did a security detail of 20 of some of the most elite soldiers in Skanda, the State Guard. The Commissars held their own umbrellas, as the rain began to come down a bit harder. They awaited the Iraelian delegates and their own security detail.

Yamesh methodically skimmed over his dossiers as his descent into Saito began. He thumbed through his non-negotiables, plans, and contingencies for this conference. If there was anything he knew how to handle, it was a diplomatic conference. He hadn't served as Minister of Foreign Affairs long, but he learned quick on the job. As the plane skidded against the runway, Yamesh set down his dossiers and glanced at the seasoned diplomat who would be accompanying him, Bahit Yohad. He had served in the Iraelian Diplomatic Service for over a decade and he was just the right pick for this conference.

As the plane came to a complete stop, he beckoned to Yohad and they exited the plane together and approached Misaka and her commissars flanked by there Iraelian security detail. Yamesh shook Misaka's hand and greeted her in fluent Skandan, "How are you this fine afternoon, Mrs. Premier! It's a pleasure to meet you."

Yohad followed suit, shaking her hand and greeting her in Skandan, "It is good to see you, Mrs. Tawanoa."

2:31 PM, November 19, 2017

After formal introductions had began and ended in the pouring Skandan rain, the politicians piled into the fancy, expensive, Skandan-made limousine. It was very comfortable, which was something to be expected from the official vehicle of the Premier. It was insanely secure and safe. A large police escort surrounded the limousine as they drove to the “People’s Palace”, where the Premier’s office and personal home resided, as well as the offices of the K?jiha Council.

2:57 PM

The politicians stepped out of the limousine, greeted by the adoring Skandan crowds that had gathered around the entrance of the People’s Palace. The Premier waved at the crowd with an umbrella over her head, as they entered the building. They were led to a conference room by the security detail, where Misaka sat at the head of the table, with her Commissars at her side. She spoke beckoned for the Iraelians to sit down.

“Please, please sit. Would you like some tea? Perhaps a biscuit or some other snack?”

The conference room was surprisingly simple for being in such a grand building. It had dark blue carpeting, and white walls, minus the back wall which had a traditional black and gold Skandan design on it. In the center of the room was a polished wooden table, made from coconut wood. Incense burned in one corner of the room. The chairs were rather comfortable for office chairs. Bright lights shone down from the roof panels. This was going to be an interesting discussion.

"No thank you, I ate on my flight over," Yamesh responded. He pulled out his reference sheet for a quick overview before the conference officially began. Yohad sat next to him, taking Misaka up on her offer for Tea. Upon drinking his tea, Yohad engaged first.

"I think we need to address the elephant in the room before we do anything else, the return of the Skandan conservatives. We understand that it is a non-negotiable and we will meet your demands so long as we can reach a compromise," He stated. Yamesh picked up from there.

"We want to ensure that these men are kept safe within the Bari'male Special Economic Zone and additionally, we need you to allow Yukkira to remain in the Iterian League without any diplomatic, economic, or political reparations against the League. What trade-offs will be required for this to be possible?"

“Your idioms do not translate well into Skandan, for what it’s worth.”

She said, looking the Iraelian man dead in the eyes. Someone in a dark suit walked into the room, he held a tray of food, in this case mostly sushi, but there was rice and miso soup as well.

“Oh, and please help yourself, gentlemen, I insist.”

The man set a bowl of miso soup and another bowl of white rice in front of Hiroshi Masada, and a few sushi rolls and another bowl of miso soup in front of the Comissar of Defense. They ate quietly, waiting for the Iraelians to take up the offer of food.

“Now yes, these conservatives, they will be safe in the Bari’male Special Economic Zone-“

She spoke calmly in Skandan before taking a sip of her tea. She spoke again after a brief pause.

“However, on the topic of Yukkira… While we won’t impose anything on the League itself, we must be allowed to impose some form of reparation on Yukkira alone, without intervention from the League. Now before we continue with the topic of Yukkira, let us figure out how the conservatives will be returned. Mr. Masada, you make take it from here.”

She took another sip of her tea, before the Foreign Minister Hiroshi Masada began to speak in Mercanti after setting his chop sticks down and looking up from his meal.

“We need them to be returned discretely, should both of us want to retain our reputation. We propose that they are simply returned across the border in a closed truck during the night, where they will then be given their own vehicle to drive back to Bari’male. They will stay in the Bari’male economic zone unless both of our parties say otherwise. Is this an agreeable term?”

Hiroshi’s voice was smooth, and deep, but you could tell he had been doing this sort of thing for a long time. His Mercanti and fluent, even through his accent. His suit was dark, crisp, and expensive. Suave, especially for someone in the government. His face was that of a serious man, one that would not give in but would remain calm regardless of what happened.

Yamesh and Yohad ate their food quietly as they listened to the Skandans speak. When they came to a close, Yamesh took the initiative and spoke first.

"We find your proposed method of transfer to be acceptable. We shall transfer them over the cover of night via a cargo shipment to your officials at the border," He stated. "Now back to the issue of Yukkira, we find these terms to be acceptable as well..."

Yohad interjected. "However, we cannot ensure the compliance of the rest of the League. We only control one vote and Yasur chooses to abstain on any matter so long as it does not stop a vote or isn't of immense importance to Iraelia. Regardless, we will do our best. Onto the final matter, diplomatic neutral ground."

Yohad took a sip from his Miso Soup to quench his parched throat, promptly setting the soup spoon down and continuing.

"Neither of us will feel truly secure holding conferences within each other's borders until tensions have warmed a little. This conference surely will be a first step, but for awhile I think it would be best if we establish a town or city on the border between our two nations as a diplomatic neutral ground where we may temporarily hold conferences until our nations become closer." Yohad concluded, yielding the floor back to Yamesh.

"We have several ideas in mind, but as our host, we were wondering if there were any towns that you would prefer?" Yamesh finished, waiting for Misaka's response.

Instead of Misaka responding, Hiroshi did. Misaka didn’t mind this.

“Yes, we have multiple options. Our foremost option would be the border ghost town of Son'kai. This would keep away the… undesirables from both of our nations. Those who would look to disrupt negotiations. We believe renovations to the town will allow it to have enough modern amenities for it to be the perfect place for something like this. Hopefully, this should be satisfactory for both of us.”

I’kia moved forward in his seat, speaking briefly.

“Now, we would also like to talk about the military stationed around this area. Skanda will provide adequate men to keep our own side and the town free of ne'er do wells, and should you wish we can do so for you as well, however we understand if you don’t wish for that. We will be establishing a military base around 15 minutes out from the town. We would prefer if you didn’t attempt to dissuade us from doing this.”

With this done, he leaned back in the chair. Both I’kia and Hiroshi awaited the response, as did Misaka, though she didn’t show it since she was seemingly busy drinking tea.

Yohad responded. "These terms are acceptable, so long as we are allowed to maintain our own side and military base near the town. Do you have any further matters for us to discuss?"

Hiroshi spoke first, “I don’t believe there are, gentlemen. We will get on this right away. Thank you for coming to this meeting,” he said, standing up and pushing his chair in. Misaka and I’kia echoed him, thanking the men for accepting the invitation and standing up. They all bowed in respect, as was custom for formal meeting in Skanda, before going to shake their hands.

---

The Supreme Lord-Warmaster of the IYG just released this announcement from his residency within the provincial capital of Katan:

"It is time that the Principality of the South begins its long-awaited assertion of dominion over that of South Iteria. For too long has it waned under the oppression of its colonial overlords. Although beneficial and counted as friends and allies in the present-day, the Regency is under no delusion that the power that Yukkira wields is not that of its own, but that of Goyanes, Maloria, and Kaandar, just to name a few. We are untested in strength, and therefore, hold no influence over that of the most glorious continent of Iteria.

That ends today, as elements from the Katanian Battlefleet begin their approach in international waters towards that of the territory of Skanda. The goal of this movement is to announce an end to the tyranny of Skandan influence upon Iteria, and instead, show to our allies, friends, and soon-to-be friends, that Yukkira will be discounted no longer! Now is the time for Yukkirian supremacy! Now is the time for Yukkirian dominance over the internal affairs of Iteria!

Now is the time for the collective prosperity for all those who would call upon Yukkira as their friend, their ally, and partner. And not even the formidable Republic of Skanda can stop that."

Click to expand...

Reports from the island Nui say that a Yukkirian destroyer, escorted by two frigates, were seen departing Yukkirian waters earlier this morning. An unusual number of Yukkirian fighter patrols were also reported near South Nioki by local IBS military contributors. One contributor made this comment,

"It seems that the Overseers are moving aggressively in response to this announcement. No doubt, these Overseers are under the near direct-control of the Warmaster. I would not be surprised to learn that at least one element was sent to shadow the task unit headed out this morning."

The Princess Nui has yet to release a response to these new developments. None of the other Regents have also released statements. This story will continue to be updated.

Of course it was the Yukkirans. They could never resist meddling in others affairs. They were conniving, low-down snakes- at least in the eyes of the Skandan government. They could never fully be trusted. Their speech seemed more antagonistic than anything, and Skanda refused to accept this aggression.

Misaka sat in her office, a dim lamp shedding light on recent reports from her Commissar of Defense, I’kia Kaiuwahui. Pictures of a naval fleet just near the boundaries of Skandan waters and international waters alongside long text reports basically explaining their reason for being there is unknown as of now. If they wanted to provoke Skanda, they succeeded.

“I want you to send the First Fleet. Show them we will not stand for their antagonistic ways. Scramble fighters from our carrier, scare them off from our boundaries.”

As ordered, I’kia sent the First Fleet. It was lead by the Skandan flagship; the HKKY Izu aircraft carrier, Skanda’s singular carrier. From the carrier, Kojima KS-97 "Kosu" fighter jets were launched in an attempt to further scare the Yukkirans off with a show of force. The Skandans and Yukkirans were in a standoff now.

Many pictures and videos were taken of the confrontation, and it’d be used as propaganda by the Skandan government. A strong Skandan government and Navy standing up to foreign provocation? It was perfect. The Yukkirans had fallen into a trap, and they’d have to explain themselves now.

A statement from the Skandan government appeared alongside the confrontation, from the Commissar of Defense, I’kua Kaiuwahui.

“Today, on February 22nd of 2018, Yukkiran warships were spotted near the boundary of Skandan waters and international waters. It is unknown what the purpose of these ships is, however we believe it to be an attempted show of force. The Yukkirans don’t seem to understand that Skanda will never succumb to foreign influence, whether it be local or abroad. To protect Skanda from these potential opponents, we have moved our First Fleet, which is led by our flagship, the HKKY Izu, to the boundary to confront the Yukkirans in case of any incursions.”

Back at the confrontation itself, the Skandans were the first to break the eerie silence.

“To whoever may be commanding this Yukkiran fleet, this is Admiral Jiro Akuhiro’a. On behalf of the Skandan Liberation Navy and the Democratic People’s Republic of Skanda as a whole, and under the command of Commissar of Defense I'kia Kaiuwahui; we demand you explain your military presence near this boundary immediately.”

---

In the meantime, Hiroshi Masada had gotten the foreign affairs of Skanda organized, and next on the agenda of possible allies was Naizerre. Naizerre was geographically closer to Skanda than almost any other potential ally, and therefore it only made sense to attempt to befriend them. Besides, they had good interactions beforehand during the Meterran Sea Incident so that may have already put them on their good side.

---

---

Goyanes is saddened by the recent news coming from South Iteria. Goyanes has a long and recent history in the region, and it troubles us to see the nations of South Iteria threaten each other in such a manner. It is of the opinion of the Goyanean government that it is in the best interest of Yukkira and Skanda to cease hostilities. The negligence of the Iterian League in this situation, along with the disregarding by the belligerent parties of the Iterian League's peacekeeping abilities has been clearly demonstrated.

We denounce the blatant supremacism demonstrated by Warmaster Aizo, and his attempts at violent, unnecessary, and militaristic shows of force. We also denounce the blatant militarism shown by the Skandan state in their publications and statements as well. Violence will not solve this issue, and will only serve to further divide South Iteria amongst itself, and it will also serve to further divide and hamper global relations among nations allied to the belligerents. Therefore, the Imperial Government of Goyanes wishes to lay host to a conference between the two nations where productive conversation and diplomacy may be conducted, while on neutral ground.

We hope this message may be warmly received and responded to quickly.

-The Stortinget of the Imperial Goyanean Federation

letter:

[img=89,137]https://i.imgur.com/BLWfGYM.png[/img]​

The State of Iraelia rejects, in the strongest terms possible, the Principality of Yukkira's actions. This blatant and unjustified show of aggression threatens the stability we have so long striven to build. I implore Warmaster Aizo and Empress Yuki Kirin to pull back their fleet lest they incite a conflict with the Skandan government. Iraelia will not stand for warmongering on Iteria, and will come to the aid of any neighbour that is threatened.

Respectfully,
Agastya Yamesh
Prime Minister, State of Iraelia​

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letter:

[img=104,137]https://i.imgur.com/lalK5CG.png[/img]​

I implore the governments of both Skanda and Yukkira to order their fleets to withdraw to their respective harbours. The Iterian League has stood for peace and co-operation in South Iteria for decades, and we condemn any action taken by any power, be they Iterian or not, who would threaten the peace we have all built. The Iterian League condemns military provocation used as a tool of foreign diplomacy and implores both Skanda and Yukkira to use the Iterian League as a forum to resolve their disputes peacefully. For the sake of all of Iteria.

Sincerely,
Irad Yasur
Secretary-General of the Iterian League​

Click to expand...

---

It was time for another speech- By I’kia Kaiuwahui, not Misaka Tawanoa. The speech was made on March 24th, 2018, a day after receiving a statement from Goyanes, Iraelia, and the Iterian League. The speech was held in Kuhe'nai, near the Skandan-Ascalonian border, and a Mercanti translator would’ve been speaking after each thing he said.

“Thank you to everyone who is listening. To both Goyanes and the Iterian League; we understand your concern, and while we will not submit to foreign influence we will voluntarily use the Iterian League as a way to work this out in a hopefully peaceful resolution. Should Goyanes want to use it’s observer position in the Iterian League to help with this we have no qualms. We hope the Yukkirans will see peace as well, but considering their words and actions as of recent Skanda does not have much faith in them. We would also like to thank Iraelia for it’s support.”

Kaiuwahui shuffled a few papers around and shifted his weight onto his arms which lay on top of the podium he was speaking on.

“On the idea of removing our fleet; Skanda will not retract our fleet until we can guarantee the safety of our nation from Yukkira or until they retract their warships first. While we do have confidence in our navy in defeating Yukkira we do not have confidence that the Yukkirans would soley go after our warships. Skanda is more than willing to reason, and if the Yukkirans refuse to agree to talks it simply shows what kind of nation they are. Skanda dearly hopes for a peaceful resolution to this conflict.”

“This is unrelated, but quite important. The Ministry of Defense has not been blind to issues with the military. We have noticed the lack of organization in the highest ranks, and have sorted that out by hiring or promoting those we saw suitable, and firing or demoting those we found unsuitable. We also noticed the lack of soldiers in the Army, and the surplus of marines in the Navy, among other things. Because of this, we have decided that the Army will be disbanded and reformed into the Skandan Home Guard, which will not be an official branch of the armed forces but will be under the joint control of the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Security. The Marines will now be their own branch, the Skandan Liberation Marine Corps.. This will further help with organization of the military. We hope everyone in the former Army is still happy to serve in the Home Guard, which will have many of the same operations as the Army did. Thank you all for listening. I will now be letting Commissar of Foreign Affairs Hiroshi Masada speak. Questions will be held until afterwards.”

---

I’kia stepped down from the podium and sat off to the side, near other various Skandan government officials. The whole podium area was decorated. On the sides of the podium, two Skandan flags hung horizontally. The podium itself had the seal of the Democratic People’s Republic of Skanda on the front of it. Hiroshi Masada stepped up to the podium and cleared his throat, allowing people to quiet down for a moment after a bit of chattering amongst themselves.

“Thank you to Commissar Kaiuwahui for letting me speak, and to everyone else for listening. Our great nation has been making strides on the world stage. We have reached out to various governments, and still have many to speak to. As of right now we have spoke with the Stan Yera, Cogoria, Iraelia, and Naizerre. We believe strong alliances will help our nation be even greater. In the past Skanda has shut itself out from the world aside from tourism, and this approach has never worked. It left Skanda on it’s own besides the Iterian League. We had no relations with other nations to speak of. But now with our new government and gracious Premier Misaka Tawanoa, in just a matter of months Skanda has grown rapidly in terms of foreign affairs and economy. This would have never been possible under our old government. You may be wondering, why am I speaking today? Well I will tell you. Today, the Gai?mendai’k?’ina is fully operational. It took a long time to get the whole Ministry operational, but we’ve done it. From now on, Skanda will never be isolationist again. Thank you all for listening.”

---

The audience clapped at the achievement. A few more speeches by minor government officials would be made, but afterwards the crowd would disperse and the whole area would be cleaned up. After the speeches, a small discussion took place between I’kia and Hiroshi.

“What is the plan should the Yukkirans refuse, I’kia?”

“It’s simple, Hiroshi. They’ve already fueled the propaganda machine themselves, and if they refuse it’ll simply make it worse. Both Goyanes and the Iterian League would be on them then.”

“Yes, yes, I suppose the influence of their former colonial master would be quite persuasive.”

“Mhm. Now Hiroshi, you mentioned reaching out to Naizerre, yes?”


“Yes, I did, why do you ask I’kia?”

“Well, should everything go well with them, I believe it may be beneficial to attempt joint naval and land drills with them. A strong alliance with them could change how many nations perceive us.”

“When they respond, I will bring it up on behalf of you.”

Afterwards the two men went back to their lives, I’kia to his office in Saito, and Hiroshi to his family in Kuhe'nai, the city the speech was held in.

---

"Hoku! I swear upon the High Princess' name, I will rip out your tongue for reporting what you did!" yells Warmaster Aizo into the phone.

"My most sincere apologies Akinu, but you know how we run here at IBS," replies Hoku, a senior executive at the Imperial Broadcasting Service.

"Do you realize what you've done?! Do you realize how much is now at stake due to your ill-informed sensationalist news reporting?! You are putting Yukkirians at risk who have nothing to do with the Skandans!" Akinu shouts just as another phone on his desk begins to ring. He glances at it quickly but then takes a second look after seeing a name he knew would call.

"Hoku, I need to go. You will re-report the bloody news this morning or you will know hell for this," and with that, he hangs up the phone to quickly pick up the cellphone currently on its last chime.

"Supreme Lord-Warmaster Akinu Aizo," he says bluntly.

"Explain yourself," says a young, feminine, voice on the other end.

"My Lord, it was a mistake-"

"A mistake that is putting a strain upon our relationship with Skanda! You have a minute to explain yourself before I consult Kirin on how to execute you, Warmaster."

"That element which IBS reported on is currently escorting a shipment of materials to Norsia. IBS would not be aware of the shipments nor the fact that these shipments have been going out in the early morning so as to avoid causing any worry between our two countries. This morning's shipment was delayed due to technical problems and just so happened to coincide with the speech that I was ordered to make."

"Ordered by who, Lord Warmaster?!" yells the voice.

"By me," says another voice on the opposite end.

"... You live another day Warmaster," and with that, the line goes dead as the voice on the opposite end puts down the phone. Akinu lets his breathe go, albeit after not realizing he was holding it. He slumps into his chair and quickly gets one of his lieutenant to fetch two bottles of some low-grade boshi. Today was not his day.

---

"Veronica," the Princess Nui says to the benefit of the Skandan officials currently confronting her on her back patio, "please enlighten Sir Tozhou as to why elements of the Katanian Battlefleet is encroaching upon waters near Skanda."

She wears a regal yet small tiara upon the crest of her head. Her hair falls into subtle but wavy curls as it nears her neck. Her eyes, a piercing brown. Her face, round but slender and sculpted with a pale but faintly colored sheen. She wears a simple white shirt, embossed with a panda that says, "Cuddle Me!" Army-fade cargo shorts and leather boots finish her outfit.

Without the tiara, one would never suspect for the person standing there to be anywhere above the common soldiery; much less one of the most influential individuals within the Regency itself.

"I have my reasons," is all the reason she gives. "I have ordered the Meian Battlefleet to reinforce the convoy escort. Fighter aircraft have been deployed to ensure safe passage around the waters of Skanda. If Skanda moves aggressively towards any of the cargo vessels currently under my care, I will be forced take more drastic measures to ensure their safety. However, in thanks, I'd to offer to Skanda the honor of decommissioning a few of our older vessels. That'll surely scratch their itch."

letter:

To the Prime Minister of the most gracious Iraelia,

Despite your objections, whether or not you approve of our actions, you do not know of the primacy of the Yukkirian interests. The truth remains an anathema to you and your cabinet. However, the one thing I can assure you is that open conflict will not erupt this day.

That would be counterproductive to my own end-goals. Skanda will live another day without fear of strife. And all of Iteria will know peace...

for now.


Sincerely,
Veronica Yuki
Heir Apparent to the Most Glorious Principality of the State of Yukkira,
Daughter to the Empress,
Princess of Mei,
Scion of the Most Noble House of Yuki

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letter:

To the Secretary-General Irad Yasur,

I can assure you that the Yukkirian intent is not malicious in nature. Rather, we are stretching. Just as man raises his arms above his head and yawns at length after a long rest, so to, is Yukkira finally stretching its arms and flexing its legs, attempting to shake off the dust that has settled upon its storied history. The Iterian League has long held to itself that truth and righteousness lies upon the path of peace. However, in my coming reign as the next Empress of Yukkira, I'd like to propose to you something.

As the history books once wrote, 'That which blooms in adversity, flowers beautifully.' Let us not delude ourselves into imagining a peaceful world. Let the world bear its fangs and claw its way into the hearts and minds of all. It is no mystery that Yukkirian and Skandan relations have never been amicable, to say the least. So whether or not Warmaster Aizo's speech indicates anything other than the reassertion of Yukkirian naval forces operating in domestic international waters near Skandan waters is of little consequence.

This particular flower was bound to come fruition anyway; I simply hastened its germination. So what is the Iterian League going to do? Will it standby idly and wave its fist nonchalantly with non-ado. Or will you, and all of the Iterian League, finally take a solid stance to resolve the rifts between Skanda, Yukkira, and Iraelia? We three nations constitute the infamous quarrel that for decades, have fought with words and even during the Fascist Wars, with lives. During the Iterian War, Yukkira bade its time and watched.

The Iterian League is an effort to abridge that gap between us all. However, as far as it is concerned, it just a room; and only a room. Regardless of the Code. Regardless of the statues stated in the Iterian Leagues' warrant (OOC: can't think of the word right now.).

None of the clauses are binding, correct? And frankly, all the Iterian League can do is shake its fist, correct? As it is up to each individual state to determine its own policies in relation to this situation, correct? To Kaandar, I offer my tanks. My weaponry. My support for the Monarchy. To Kazirstan, I offer our financial sector and the needs of the service industry to the Kazirstanian Monarchy. To Ascalon and Goyanes, a seat at my table; the ability to use Yukkirian influence to protect and project to the extent discussed upon my table. To Ruskaland and Norsia, a hand in friendship and the strength of the Yukkirian economy.

And to Skanda, I offer the Princess Nui, my sister, as liaison and arbiter in our own personal disputes as the Skandans and Nuians relate the hierarchy of the Principality of Yukkira. If we, of Yukkira, had trusted the League to do its job, the Princess Nui would neither be my sister, nor exist.

Are you afraid of adversity, my friend? Because whether or not you are, I will force this organization to make waves under threat of adversity. For the betterment of Yukkira, of Skanda.

For the betterment of us all, I dare you, Irad Yasur, to move. I look forward to your correspondence. In fact, feel free to visit. We will accommodate you nicely here at the fabled bastion of my ancestors.

Sincerely,
Veronica Yuki
Heir Apparent to the Most Glorious Principality of the State of Yukkira,
Daughter to the Empress,
Princess of Mei,
Scion of the Most Noble House of Yuki

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Andrenne:

Spoiler: To the Marä of Naizerre

THE DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF SKANDA​

---

To the Government of the Marä of Naizerre

On behalf of the Democratic People’s Republic of Skanda (henceforth to be referred to as the DPRS in this letter) and our Premier, Misaka Tawanoa, Skanda would like to stretch forth the hand of friendship and cooperation to Naizerre. We invite you to Saito and Skanda as a whole anytime you would like to speak or even simply visit our nation. We believe that the DPRS and Naizerre could have a very good and beneficial relationship. While we do obviously support our socialist and communist comrades in the north, such as Cogoria or the Stan Yera; Naizerre is far closer to us. Our nations being so close physically could forge a great bond. We believe it would be mutually beneficial for us to be close allies. Once more, we invite you or any of your representatives to visit the DPRS at any time. Please reach out to us at any point at which you see fit.

Signed
Hiroshi Masada, Commissar of Foreign Affairs

---

---

Click to expand...

---

When the Naizerri microblogger Mbängö-Nzö posted Tsubo Tsango's private comments on a piece of correspondence from the Democratic People's Republic of Skanda - a Marä of the Iterian continent, it didn't garner much attention outside of the political classes. The commentary, largely positive, spoke at length as to the potential benefits of increased cooperation between the two Marä. Skanda provided large amounts of food to Naizerre, and the two shared cultural links. Naizerri dambe boxing was popular amongst the diaspora in the country, with Skandan-born Girou Uche making a name for himself in the Iterian MMA Association. Uche periodically trains for part of the year in Naizerre, where the young man is a popular figure.

Uche was one of a number of ethnic Naizerris mentioned in the commentary as cultural figures who could be used as points of outreach for relations, although the effectiveness of this was questioned by the High Chief. Either way, the leaked document - which was condemned in a Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement as 'illegal and damaging' - concluded that the relationship with Skanda could be Naizerre's closest and most worthwhile, even above those with META allies.

Behind the scenes, a round table meeting with the High Chiefs foreign affairs team led to a policy document being sent as part of a private correspondence between Femi Ido, Naizerre's foreign minister - and a key ally of the High Chief - and his Skandan equivalent.

---

Yëkiä-ïtä Hiroshi Masada,

The Skandan Marä has long been held in high regard by the Naizerri people. Our Ngo Gbïä visited Skanda as part of his groundbreaking speaking tour and came to acquire a deep and long-lasting göndängö for your marädutï. The relationship between the sêse and our kôpotônyï is closer than many others, and the Marä regards Skanda as a ködörö-îtä in the fight to free körörö-ngbâa from the forces of dörököngö-ndo. We offer these suggestions as a starting point for talks, in the hopes of a long lasting alliance between our Marä:

• Naizerre will push for META to pressure your Körörö-sambä Yukkira to cease their provocative activities, including suspension and expulsion from the organisation.
• A reciprocity clause for some sectors in trade, allowing Skandan products to enter the META market place even if they do not meet the require regulatory standards of META. To achieve this, Naizerre will lower the regulatory standards within the Marä. We would expect the reverse to be done in Skanda.
• Eased VISA restrictions, coupled with increased information sharing between our customs, immigration and law enforcement organisations, to greater monitor the activity of subversives and other potential criminals.
• Support for each other on the international stage, along with access to technology that neither Marä would otherwise freely share, with a veto for either Marä to be exercised without any damage to relations.

I eagerly await a response, and may your Marä prosper as you struggle against the wahöngö-zo,
Femi Ido
Gbelêgbïä Kpälëwandê

---

---

Gray clouds cast a gloomy shadow over the city of Saito. It had been weeks since the initial standoff with the Yukkirans, and although the physical conflict between the navies had been resolved peacefully- The Yukkirans didn’t respond, but backed off from the boundary with Skandan waters before waiting for escorts to arrive, and went on their way. The entire Yukkiran situation had began when the Yukkirans made a speech stating how they wanted to “dominate Iterian politics” and “put an end to Skandan tyranny”. To accomplish this they sent elements of a Battlefleet near the Skandan water boundary with international waters, but this had failed miserably in wake of the unnervingly grand Skandan naval response, causing the aforementioned standoff.

In the mind of the Skandan propaganda machine the Yukkirans had submitted to the might of the of the Skandan Navy when they withdrew. In reality, the Yukkirans had taken the smart route of simply retreating and resolving the matter diplomatically. Of course, that would have been the case if they had agreed to talk with Skanda in a diplomatic meeting, but instead they had offered the chance to scuttle old ships for them. It wasn’t what Skanda wanted, but it was good enough seeing as how it helped de-escalate the whole situation, at least for now. It was a simple thing to set up, the Yukkirans brought the ships to be scuttled to Skanda, the media got their cameras set up, and the Skandan Navy took fire at the ships. A few would be used as museum pieces- One as a museum itself, but most of these ships would become artificial reefs for marine wildlife, sitting on the bottom of the ocean as algae settled on the steel corpses of the hulking machines. Despite the historical rivalry and aggression between the two nations this small act had, at least for now, sated the hostility between Skanda and Yukkira putting an end to any ideas of a Second Iterian War or the expulsion of Yukkira from the Iterian League, at least for the reasons of aggression. There was an uneasy peace between the states once more.

---

As was usual, Hiroshi was busy with his recently reinstated Gai?mendai’k?’ina, but a specific document he was reading brought delight to him and those he shared it with. Naizerre, a nation Skanda had always had close ties with, had responded very positively to Skanda’s hand of friendship. Skanda replied quickly.

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Attn: Bube Ediya Personal Secretary for High Chief Tsubo Tsango
CC: Bimbia Douala Joint Intelligence Analysis Office Iteria Bureau
The following is a transcript of a phone call between Gbelêgbïä Kpälëwandê Femi Ido and Hiroshi Masada Commissar of Foreign Affairs for Skanda. This document should not be shared outside of the senior leadership team on Skandan relations, nor outside of the High Chiefs Office or the Iterian Bureau of JIAO. Doing so violates the Law on Government and Security and carries a maximum sentence of Exile.

Femi Ido: Hello? Can you hear me? There's far too much static on these lines.

Hiroshi Masada: I can hear you. It seems your infrastructure needs improving. Skanda may be able to help with this at some point.

FI: Something for our offices to discuss then, definitely. I felt this medium would be better than a continued but slow exchange of memos.

HM: This is agreeable. Has your government discussed our reply then?

FI: We have. Tsubo [Tsango] found the exchange encouraging. We should arrange to set up official embassies as soon as is agreeable. For now I can be in Skanda to begin the process by the end of the week. How was the Yukkiran situation resolved?

HM: Diplomatic pressure paid off. The sinking of some old Yukkiran vessels is a sideshow, but one that benefits us greatly.

FI: They do seem to have damaged their own image there. Still, I'm sure we can discuss that and more when we meet. Goodbye until then, Mr. Masada.

---

12:27 PM, August 12th, 2018

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The hot sun beat down on the small Democratic People’s Republic; the air was muggy and hot from the frequent rains of July, but most people in Skanda wouldn’t have to worry about this because of the near ubiquitous air conditioner; practically a standard feature of most homes and businesses at this point. The city of Saito glistened in the sun, it’s beautiful bay shining and the numerous rivers coursing through the city out towards the sea. All in all a beautiful if not humid day. Perfect for sitting inside and talking about politics, clearly. Perhaps a tour was in order for the visitors.

The Premier herself was waiting for Mr. Tsango at Wa’amanai Municipal Airport, a smaller airport owned by the aforementioned town of Wa’amanai, which was a medium-sized town in the Saito Metropolis. It was actually about 20 minutes from where the summit would take place but this was fine as it’d allow Misaka to give Tsango a tour of the capital along the way. The limousine had its door open, and Misaka was waiting outside to shake his hand before they entered the limo.

Misaka felt oddly nervous for a world leader. Naizerre could be an important ally to Skanda and if she messed this summit up in any way it could be a public relations disaster, especially so close to the August Coup anniversary. This wasn’t an Iraelian from a neighboring country, it was a possibly ally from an entirely different continent. With luck everything would go according to plan; so far talks with them had gone well but those weren’t face to face like this summit was. She thought to herself… The Premier of a state like Skanda wasn’t allowed to feel nervous. They needed to be fearless in all situations if not for themselves then for their people and their country. She swallowed her fears and anxiety and put on a smile for the Meterran.

Tsubo Tsango was late. He tsked and looked at the watch on his bodyguard's wrist. He paced the plane even as it came into land, his long ceremonial robes trailing behind him, untied as they were. Bad weather had delayed their initial departure and then the co-pilot had disappeared, later being found with one of the planes stewards. The pair would find themselves reassigned on their return, but after a thorough bollocking by the head of the Marä, they had finally taken off.

In the air Tsubo Tsango had been briefed on the meeting to come. Skanda had become one of the Marä's closest friends in the international sphere, and this would be the first meeting between the two nations leaders. He was fascinated by some of the Skandan religious myths and resolved to find out more at a later date, but the briefing had focussed mainly on etiquette and possible topics of discussion.

Binding the robes with a kâmba, Tsubo Tsango swept through the finally open door and down the stairs, stopping for the distant camera crews briefly, he made his way to Premier Misaka, greeting her with a heavily accented "may the omua'ni watch over you, Premier", before bowing fairly deeply. He came up smiling, and presented a gift carried by two attendants, a large ying-yang style carving, with famous features of Naizerre represented one side, and sights and monuments of Skanda on the other.