Conventum Imperii

[Ianmey7]

Zeta
Grønt Anker Hotell
Augustus sat with his staff that was brought with to Yalkan, they were staying in a nice room at the Grønt Anker Hotell they were on the balcony smoking a cigarette and drinking. It was well known by this point that the Goyanians were going to become involved, this sudden intrusion into the Imperiums plans was met with outcries from the senate. With the entry of Goyanes it was well known that their ally Syrixia would get involved, dealing with either Goyanes or Syrixia was achievable. Both of them at the same time would be more of an issue, the senate convened and made an emergency recommendation on the Meterra crisis as the war in Yamantau and the Yalkan port deal have been called. The Senate has bid the Imperator in his unlimited wisdom to speak with the Syrixian Emperor.

"What do you think Lucius?" Augustus took a drink of his whiskey, and looked at his advisors.

"Your majesty, I agree with the Senate here. We need to speak to the Syrixians, think if they were trying the same shit we were doing in Auroria. We would have gotten Lanorth to step in and join us, lets at least come and play the part that we care what they have to say." Lucius spoke though a mostly closed mouth, careful not to drop the cigarette.

"I figured that Lucius, I just didn't want to go hop on another flight. Yamantau is currently what is on my mind, that and Beatrix. I tell you Lucius, I have dealt with economic bills and other crises before but these two things take up my entire day. My entire night." Augustus lifted the bottle back up to his mouth.

"Send a communique to the embassy in Pataliputra, note:..."

---

Pataliputra
Suavidici embassy
The ambassador in Pataliputra was grabbing his coffee, he was enjoying another day of less work due to the crisis in Meterra. Then his secretary burst into his office with a letter. She had a concerned look on her face, Cornelius with a confused look stuck out his hand to grab the note and nearly spit out his coffee when he say the Imperial standard on it. This was not the normal days tasks sent by the Senate, this was a Imperial order sent by the Imperator himself. It said:

To the honorable Cornelius Marcus Flavi, you are under the direct order from his Imperial majesty to make contact with the Syrixian government and ask for a diplomatic meeting between the Imperator and the Emperor of Syrixia. It is important that this is done with haste as this will directly help with the Meterra crisis. Best of luck on your endeavors, long live the Imperium.

The ambassador looked back at his staff and yelled at all of them:

"Get me on the line with the Syrixian government right now! We need to get in contact with Rajesh in the next few hours!"

The Suavidici staff scrambled to get in contact with the Syrixian government, if the Imperator was going to come to visit all the best had to be established. A message was sent to the Syrixians saying:

To the Imperial government of Syrixia,
At the behest of the Imperator of the Imperium Suavidici we call to the Emperor of the Syrixian Empire to allow for his Imperial majesty to visit to speak on the situation in Yalkan. It would be most beneficial for our governments to speak on the current situation, we recognize the special situation that your government has with the Goyanians. This being known we do think that the current situation can be resolved as it stands, and we would very much like to avoid any escalation on the current situation. His Imperial majesty would love to have a meeting with the Emperor of Syrixia, this would be a historic meeting as the heads of state have not met in centuries, since old treaties of the past were formed or dissolved. The members of the Imperial governments would include the Imperator, the assistant to the minister of foreign affairs, and a small detachment of Legio I Pretoria numbering at six men. This is of course to provide security to the Imperator.
Sent at the behest of the Imperator of the Imperium Suavidici,
Cornelius Marcus Flavi.

 

[Syrixia]

Right down to business, so it would seem.

Chirag Thakur, the recently-appointed Secretary of State, read the letter from Cornelius with great interest. Though it was true that the Empire and Goyanes had a close alliance - often termed the Special Relationship - the Empire had refrained from getting involved with the Yalkan situation due to the political fallout over the Highton scandal. This was a chance for the Empire to at last return to the international stage; an opportunity that could not be missed, especially as plans were being made for a diplomatic summit with the Kasugans. Secretary Thakur wasted little time in notifying the Acting Curator and drafting a response.
​

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE - PATALIPUTRA
OFFICIAL RESPONSE TO THE RECENT REQUEST MADE BY THE IMPERIUM SUAVIDICI
​

Ambassador Flavi,

It is with great delight I receive your request. Unfortunately, HM Government cannot accept it in its original form - it is the decision of His Majesty the Emperor alone to meet with whomever His Majesty so chooses. We will, however, pass your request along to the Jade Palace, and in addition, we would like to formally invite the Imperator and any officials or other accompaniment he so chooses - such as those specified in your letter - to a state visit to the Empire, during which he may not only converse with His Majesty if this request is accepted, but may meet with HM Government as well, and receive an official welcome along with any and all amenities that come with it. All necessary arrangements will be made.

We patiently await your response and thank you for contacting us.
​

CHIRAG THAKUR
IMPERIAL SECRETARY OF STATE​

These developments were, as the response had specified, indeed forwarded to the Jade Palace. The banamantri - the Minister of the Left, chief of the palace complex - responded that the request would be processed within a day, and to expect a response around the time the Imperator arrived. There was, however, a direct Imperial order that was, as with the original request from Ambassador Flavi, promptly relayed to the Acting Curator, who in turn directed Secretary Thakur with its immediate fulfillment.

『लाइन पर जविशा हो.』

"Get Goyanes on the line."

 

[Ianmey7]

Augustus's plane began to descend into Patalipurta, Augustus couldn't help but notice the differences in the cultures. The architecture, the people, the smells all of these things were wonders to behold. One thing that also was apparent was the difference of circumstance, before Imperators would have to play a more subservient role to the Kings of the west. Now Augustus has come to make demands, he would take his position in the world and push for the Imperium's needs. The Syrixians provided a warm welcome, The State Curator and the Secretary of State were there to greet him. With the Imperator came the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Marcus Crassus Clovus and several members of the Pretorian guard. The men stood for a moment and looked at each other, the tension of the two empires was apparent. Augustus broke the silence first:

"I as well as my government are most pleased that you greeted us here. The Imperium would very much like to make sure that the current crisis does not get blown out of proportion. Now, I would like to meet your Emperor, I feel as if there is much we must talk about."

The men began to walk and talk, Augustus and Marcus would listen to the Syrixians speak. They wanted to see what the attitude of the Syrixia government was, they had heard that the Syrixians revered their Emperor as a god. This was something that was insane to them, sure the Imperator was seen as a holy figure but that was something that was seen as ceremonial at this point. Banamantri were there to tell Augustus about the Syrixian Emperor, and he wanted to know about what he was walking into.

“Yes, of course.” the Banamantri, Om Dharmesh Narvekar, replied quickly. “It is therefore with delight I inform you that His Majesty has accepted the request for an audience and is ready to meet with you whenever you wish. Do you have a preference, sir?”

"If it would not be too much to ask, it would mean much to me and my ministers here if we could meet with your Emperor as soon as possible.” Augustus replied, at which Narvekar nodded.

Augustus continued. “Also, if I may ask. Is it true that the Syrixian people see their Emperor as a living god? I feel as if I must understand your culture better if I am to have a proper conversation with your Emperor."

At this, Narvekar smiled. “In the Rakani religion, we believe His Majesty and his House to be direct descendants of the god Shakyamuni, the son of Jua, mighty god of the Sun who is brother to Lord Rudra. So in this sense, His Majesty is very much a god. But of course, the Empire is a very diverse and cosmopolitan place. So you will find that not everyone believes in His Majesty’s divinity, for not everyone is Rakani. But regardless of faith, His Majesty is revered and loved by all.”

To this Augustus was shocked, was it that the Syrixians were telling the truth and had brainwashed their population? Or was the government unaware of any sort of anti-imperial element, didn't matter though. The Imperator needed to make sure that the mission was at least a success, he would need to make sure that the Emperor of these lands was at least willing to cooperate with the Imperium on grounds of keeping peace. The Imperium was not scared of the Preidicians, or Saintonge, however Goyanes and Syrixia were powers that could field a navy that could rival the Imperium's. Steps had to be taken, and documents had to be signed. Augustus was also enjoying this, it was the opportunity to rectify the treaties that were forced on the Imperium in the past. The city was moving by during the car ride to the palace structure, the Pretorian guard was moving along outside. The car moved slow and was flanked on each side by more security provided by the Syrixians. Augustus enjoyed seeing new lands, he had enjoyed going to watch the Olympics. It was nice to see the other parts of the world, especially since the age of isolation of the Imperium had ended. It was funny to him how this area of the world had once been able to dictate terms to the Imperator and the Imperium with impunity now it was Auroria's turn to dictate its terms to the rest of the world.

The motorcade made its way to the Jade Palace, as to be expected it was an opulent display of the Syrixian Emperor. Augustus was impressed but ultimately, he saw through the show of power. It was an attempt to intimidate him. In any matter the marble of his own palace contrasted with this, it was two empires coming together, who would blink first is the question.There were surprises that were in the works, a Goyanean diplomat was seen leaving the Jade palace. Augustus stood there, trying his best to keep in his annoyance he was hoping to act fast enough to keep the Goyaneans on the back foot. The Suavidici had some idea that there would be Goyanean influence here, however it was not to be expected that the Imperator would have been beaten there. There were many things that were eating away at the Imperator, the war was going longer than was originally hoped for, the port crisis was becoming more than what was hoped for. Augustus just wanted to get back to Suavidicum and be with his beloved again. But now seeing the Goyanean there began to fill Augustus with rage. It was just a hope that one thing could fall Augustus's way.

The Jade palace was a nice place, however the Suavidici did their best to not allow for themselves to react. They waited where they were brought to, Marcus and Augustus began to converse in Suavidici:

"Your highness, could you imagine how easy things would be if the people back home thought that you were a deity? But what is our plan, what are we going to do once we talk to their Emperor?"

"I think that we just should let him say his piece, then we should come in with our demands. We need to be understanding, however we must be firm with our demands. We can't afford to allow them to be involved in Yalkan."

As soon as Augustus finished his thought, a member of the Emperors staff came out to the pair and said:

"His Majesty will see you know."

 

[Syrixia]

Rajesh sat quietly in his office. He had wanted to read, but his racing mind wouldn't let him. Of course, that wasn't to say he was nervous or agitated; but when there was an event that dominated his day, so too would it more often than not dominate his thoughts, even if it was a walk in the park. Though he didn't show it, he was amused. His Darshak boys had informed him how puzzled Augustus seemed to be regarding his divinity. One would have thought a world leader would have done his research - or better yet, would have had some small, unimportant staffer do it for him - on Imperial culture. It did, though, make him think about it again. His father and grandfather had had differing perspectives on it; as many members of the Imperial House often had, though such things would always be kept secret. His grandfather - Emperor Atmanatha - had taken the divinity seriously, serving as a spiritual guide for his people; whilst his father - Emperor Vipassinatha - could have cared less. Emperor Vipassinatha was a gruff, earthly man, more concerned with tangible matters than abstract spirituality, something that, though he did not know it, Atmanatha had often chided his son for.

Rajesh - the man who was to one day become Emperor Vishwanatha - fell somewhere in between. On one hand, he despised his father. Throughout his childhood, his father was either neglectful or, when he wasn't, scornful and arrogant. He had promised himself upon his ascension to the throne that he would never become his father - though, without knowing it, he had gone down that path years ago. Unsurprisingly, therefore, on the other hand he didn't much care for the divinity. He had more important things to consider on the daily than some ancient legend about how Shri Shakyamuni sent his son to Eras and then how his descendant fulfilled his family's grand destiny and united the Home Islands, or whatever.

Rajesh sighed quietly. This wasn't the time to contemplate his own existence. Sure enough, the gods seemed to agree. The page came in; Augustus was ready. He responded in kind, and a few moments later, in he came. Game time.

"Your Majesty." Rajesh said, with a smile, though he knew that both of them understood the tension in the air.

"Your Majesty." Augustus responded simply.

"Please, sit. I'm sure you have much you want to discuss - let's hear it."

At this, Augustus was caught off guard. He had assumed Rajesh would go first with one of the grand spiels he was publicly known for. The plan was simple - after this, he would deliver a firm, succinct response, controlling the discussion. But yet, that had been turned on him so simply. Rajesh was in control here. He would have to be even firmer than he had intended on; in order to seize control of the conversation by brute force.

"Yes, of course." Augustus responded. "I assume you've read my ambassador's original memo?"

"I did."

He wasn't budging. He was clearly playing to win.

"I'll cut to the chase, because we both know who's really in control here and it's not your State Department. We know you've been gunning to return to active involvement on the world stage lately."

"You might think that. I couldn't possibly comment."

"Then I will. Let's dispense with the cryptics, Your Majesty."

"I'm listening."

"Stay out of Yalkan and stay out of Yamantau."

Yamantau? Why would he ask about Yamantau? This Rajesh didn't expect - it seemed to have come out of nowhere. The Empire had no interests in Yamantau. Though in reality Augustus meant what he said, as far as Rajesh was concerned, this was an attempt to catch him off guard. Augustus was going on the offensive.

Say bet.

"Your Majesty," Rajesh replied with a chuckle, "We have no interests in Yamantau. You can rest assured of that."

"And?"

"And what?"

"Yalkan."

"I couldn't possibly comment."

"Don't insult my intelligence, Your Majesty. I know there's something in there, and I came here to hear it."

"I couldn't possibly comment."

Augustus sighed internally. Rajesh was clearly enjoying this; clearly trying to piss him off, and he was beginning to succeed. Something needed to change to break the deadlock.

"How am I to take it, then? When I was running in the legal circuit before my father died, whenever someone held back like you are it showed that they were guilty."

Rajesh stopped for a moment. He had been hoping to gradually lead Augustus away from the topic clear answer. But now Augustus had made that impossible, and seemed willing to conjure an answer on his own if one was not given to him. Just like that, he had lost control.

"You might think that."

"I didn't come here looking for mights and maybes, Your Majesty. You accepted my request. Now answer my question."

"I did accept it." Rajesh said, now with a pensive expression on his face. He wasn't going down without a fight. There was a small opening, one that, though it could not return control of the conversation to him, could certainly equalize it.

"But I can't answer your question in the way you're looking for."

"Care to elaborate?"

"Your Majesty," Rajesh said, standing up and proceeding to pace around the room, "Yalkan isn't exactly our business, either. At least not immediately. We have cordial relations with the Yalken but no more than we do any other state we don't really have any strong positive or negative relations with.”

This was interesting to Augustus. Rajesh seemed like he was conceding. There had to be a catch. He remained silent, which Rajesh noticed.

"Goyanes has much stronger ties to the region and right now they seem to be handling it. For now, it’s not of our concern."

"For now?"

"If our ally requests our assistance, we would be more than happy to answer."

Bingo. It wasn't a concession but Augustus had gotten his answer. "I’m afraid that’s something we can’t abide. We are trying to prevent this crisis from escalating." he said, with a smirk.

"I suppose, then, time will tell whether that effort was worth it or not.” Rajesh replied. “But enough about that for now. Shall we adjourn for a bit to lunch?”

---

OOC Note: Post approved by @Ianmey7.

 

[Ianmey7]

The lunch break was something that Augustus would be more than happy to work with. The Syrixian Emperor was trying to stall, most likely to get some aid from Goyanes perhaps a signal of sorts. But Augustus was someone who was more than willing to see how a situation would play out. As the two headed for the chambers where food would be Augustus prepared for his own show of strength, eating food prepared by non-kyllian peoples. He was sure that they Syrixians would have many wonderful dishes however would they live up to what he was used to. Augustus looked to his host and began:

"What will we be eating today? I am very excited to try your food, I have heard wonderful things about Syrixian cuisine and I have been dying to try. Food from this part of the world. Now I don't see why our conversation must end. Now where can we reach an agreement here? Our Governments do not have to be enemies, however there is a possibility that we will be looking to expand Imperial markets to more areas of the world. For instance Prydania is already a valuable trading partner of the Imperium and its neighbors would be able to get reduced prices when trading with us. A trade war isn't in Syrixian interests is it? The Aurorian Union would happily make deals if it meant more money."

Augustus stood there for a moment, he smiled his olive skin made his blue eyes pop even more. Augustus hoped that his threat would make the Syrixian Emperor think about cutting a deal here and putting it in writing.

"All that would need to be done for us to not cause the Aurorian Union to expand its reach is to sign that you will not contest Suavidici actions on Meterra, even if Goyanes takes action against us. We need not be enemies Rajesh we can work to keep the world from falling to communism and other such ideologies. Rayvistoska is an annoyance to me, and I am aware of your nations anti-communist agenda. Let us work together here. East and West."

Augustus knew that this was a long shot, however he needed to try and do something to the Syrixian. This meeting of Emperors needed to go somewhere, after the near stalemate that happened earlier the Imperator needed to make his advisory uncomfortable.