Californian

"It has indeed. Peace has at last reached Poland and our participation in Nordic Hammer and the Economic Security Pact has allowed us to maintain a network of friends and nations who see the world similarly to ourselves. With our recent participation in the South Atlantic, Greece has especially has been a trustworthy friend and both of our governments seem to be on the same page about a great many things regarding international affairs." "Our treaty," he would begin, pointing to the document she had brought, "specifically mentions the possibility of revising our security agreement now that time has passed and we've been able to cooperate with each other. From our end, we believe that an upgrade to mutual defense is warranted and wish to know what Greece thinks of this."

The four Texans would be greeted at the airport, with the military band and honor guard present as was befitting a visit from a foreign head of state. They would be escorted to the Palacio del Temple where William had already arrived. The rangers would be waved in, the Northlandic security forces noting their presence. "Governor Sparks, it's good to meet you!" he would say as he greeted the man and urged him and his staff to come in and be seated. Large glasses of fresh Valencian orange juice were already filled and waiting. "I hope you're hungry," he would say while simultaneously beckoning with his hand. Waiters moved forward and began to serve large dishes of paella and bread. A small bottle of hot sauce appeared as William poured a few drops on his dish. "Don't tell anyone, but I like to add a little bit of heat to my paella. Delicious." he would declare, having learned that the Spanish didn't really do spicy foods. "How are things going in Texas these days?"

I generally don't use white space people if I'm contesting another RPer because I consider white space to be a mechanism we use to explain a world different from our own (ie there being unclaimed land). That being said I'm not opposed to this if people do this and want this. Also, Tidybowlman, how did you uncover my secret plans to take Sicily?

So I agree with the idea and sentiment expressed in the original post and believe in a community of understanding, reasonable RPers the GMs should have less power when keeping the RP moving. However, this community has been shown time and time ago to not behave that idealistically. Sometimes GMs need to have the authority to make decisions that can have immediate, large impacts and I think that is in part the reason for CNRPA, and what separates it from CNRP2, in the first place. I trust the GMs and believe that a large level of flexibility is needed for when they have to deal with the crap this community thinks up.

Various preparations were made ready and soon enough Mark would find himself face to face with Rachel, this time in a meeting hall in Fiji. The government owned building was one of the newer buildings in the city, having been built during the expansion of the local naval base, and it allowed for the Northlands and her allies to conduct business with little interruption. "Mr. Wymore, it's a pleasure to see you once again, this time in better company," she would smile, the only other people in the room being some aides. "I hope you're doing well? I was fairly disgusted by the way your delegation was treated and wanted to make sure you knew the Northlands continues to support Cascadia as one of our strongest friends in the region." "After the debacle the Pacific Rim Conference became, the Northlands is wary of certain nations in the Pacific region and we are naturally eager to continue closer cooperation with allies such as Cascadia. I was hoping we could discuss the status of the treaty between our nations, and perhaps find other areas to collaborate on as well."

With the massive amounts of troops, equipment, and material being shuttled from Europe to Greenland via Iceland and the Faroes, the logistics of the coordinated operation were outstanding. The Northlands would work with Belarus, Hungary-Slovakia, Nordisk Rike, and the USSR to establish a joint operation headquarters on these islands to oversee and coordinate the Nordic Hammer response. In coordination with Nordic Hammer allies, the Northlands would begin its deployments to Greenland. Several thousands of men with the Rapid Response Unit (RRU) of the 17th Division would be air dropped at positions in the southwest of Greenland, just beyond the last known position of CRNA soldiers. The purpose of the 17th RRU would be to contain CRNA forces already on the island, and the men would aim to form a perimeter by congregating at the few towns in the region that were still under the administration by locals. The majority of the XI Corps would be transported via ships to major cities on the east coast of Greenland. Amphibious landings would be made with Soviet, Rike, Belarus, and Hungary-Slovakia forces in Eyvindsson City, Höfuðborgarsvæðinukrokurfjordur, and Egedesminde (OOC: JED :awesome: ). While several frigates and submarines would be send to support these landings, the majority of the North Fleet would head to meet with the CRNA fleet in the south of Greenland. Care would be made to work with the NH to ensure the fleets were communicating but maintaining distance to prevent clustering of targets. In all cases, Northlandic forces would not fire on CRNA troops except for self-defense. Once initial landings were made and beachheads and coastal areas secured, beaches would be turned into temporary unloading zones and harbors of the bigger cities made available for the incoming stream of supplies and soldiers. When the CRNA's response was received, the Northlands would voice to the other NH members its willingness to attend a meeting to hopefully prevent bloodshed over some ice. At the same time, the movement of supplies and ammunition would continue and members of the RRU would continue to fortify positions in the southwest of Greenland meant to halt the CRNA troops from advancing.

"As an NH member Belarus has full access through the Strait and you will be cleared for Northlandic airspace and facilities."

An aide would rush into the conference, passing out urgent messages to all those present. Quaeckernaeck, now a sitting member on the King's High Council, would politely interrupt the proceedings. "Apologies, but we've received word of foreign intervention in Greenland. Although little has been discuss of the island specifically, it is strategically located in the North Atlantic by Nordic Hammer land holdings. The Northlands has begun moving troop and naval assets in the region however we wanted to coordinate our response, if any, with Nordic Hammer nations. We believe a wise course of action would be to first secure the parts of Greenland not occupied by any foreign powers to consolidate our position and security for the region. To that end, we request the immediate thoughts of other members and the formation of a unified coalition. We are particularly interested in the support of naval and air assets by the Nordisk Rike and USSR, as well as having all members put boots on the ground over the large, hostile terrain that Greenland presents."

PRIVATE Noting the importance of Greenland to the security of the North Atlantic and Nordic Hammer sphere, reports coming in from satellites over the region would provoke an immediate reaction from the Northlands. The IX Corps, with the quick response unit the 17th Division, would be immediately airlifted to the Faroe Islands and Iceland, pending Nordisk Rike permission. The force would make ready for immediate deployment to the untouched east, south, and north of Greenland once support by the Nordisk RIke and NH was confirmed. The North Fleet would rendezvous with support vessels at RNS Faroe and prepare support operations on the eastern Greenlandic seaboard. The RNV Europa, with its several thousand marines and helicopter squadrons would move to play a leading role in the amphibious operations.

As Rachel Ortega-Vazquez left the Pacific Rim meeting, she would contact the Cascadian foreign affairs ministry to set up a meeting to discuss relations between the two nations. As the Deputy Officer for the Pacific Region, she would offer to host the meeting in Fiji, or else in Cascadia given the current hostilities in the Pacific.

The lightly colored regions of Germany and Spain are fully annexed by the Northlands. Please mark South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, the Prince Edward Islands, and South Africa as 'ESP protectorate.' Thanks.

Germany and Spain join the Northlands The Königreich Deutschland has been officially integrated into the greater Northlands nation. The Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg provinces have voted to join K. Germany, making its 17 provinces and over 35 million inhabitants the most populous kingdom of the Northlands. Today has been proclaimed an official state holiday and celebrations are widespread throughout the land. In Bonn, leaders from the K. Germany, provinces, and central Northlands government would meet to mark the day and ensure a smooth transition of the German peoples and lands into the nation. A sizable number of the buildings in Bonn were now used for government work and administration as the city was the seat of government. Officials from Lower Saxony, Hamburg, Bremen, and Schleswig-Holstein met to the note the near completion of a rail line in the northwest extending from Kiel to Hanover to Cologne and Noordenwind. The line will service both passengers and cargo and is a vital link for the new nation. Military officials met in the Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland to discuss Northlandic involvement in the current French civil war. Noting the Nationalist positions bordering the Northlands, High Command is in talks with the King and other officials over what support, if any, the Northlands should provide to the different factions. There are rumors that the government is preparing to host talks with Republicans. Similar celebrations could be seen and heard throughout the Königreich Spanien, which now includes the Baleares in addition to the autonomous communities of Andalusia, Murcia, and Valencia. Madeira remains a province of the K. Northlands. The base in Gibraltar-Algeciras, one of the largest in the Northlands, would continue to undergo construction as the region was brought more fully into the Northlands. The large expenditures from the central government would be used to fuel the local regional economy of Andalusia as its industries and markets continued to be more closely integrated. The Parliaments of Murcia and Valencia were both selected through popular election and have begun discussions to pass a wide range of new laws under the rights prescribed to the autonomous communities in their fueros. The Northlands military has begun recruitment in the region to begin training Spanish divisions in the Iberian peninsula for defense.

It had been a year since the Northlands had signed the treaty, and the world had changed somewhat drastically. But with the formation of the Economic Security Pact and the beginning of rail lines to connect the two, relations between Greece and Northlands had never been stronger. Royal Ambassador Sir Johann Freudenberger would request a meeting with Greek officials to discuss upgrading the current treaty.

After communication with Malta and Greece, Task Force Halcyon has been established and is composed of 1 destroyer, 2 frigates, 10 corvettes, 3 submarines, 2 supply vessels, and 3 cargo vessels. TF Halcyon has been dispatched from Tristan da Cunha to South Georgia Island to begin construction of a military installation and patrol local ocean waters. RNV Eindhoven docked at Pier A of Naval Station, Grytviken. The base would be constructed in Ocean Harbor by the previous whaling settlement of Grytviken. The project includes the construction of Piers A and B for the docking of military vessels from ESP nations, two runways with traffic control tower, living and storage facilities, and radar installations. Additionally, the cargo vessels would also carry anti-air missile defenses to encircle the facility. Additionally, a convoy of supply and cargo ships would make its way to the Prince Edward Islands. One hundred royal engineers have been dispatched to these islands, complementing the two hundred overseeing and assisting in the construction of Naval Station, Grytviken. A further one hundred engineers and numerous Office for Protectorate Affairs officials have been sent to South Africa to assist in duties in the area. Two thousand marines would be sent to South Georgia and one thousand to the Prince Edward Islands.

It doesn't matter too much for me, although I think the fact that the nuke conversion allows you to exceed standard caps on navy, etc. makes it different than other things we currently do this for. Therefore I think it is fair to consider needing the actual nukes if you're going to have an advantage over what is considered the standard (40 points), but I really don't mind either way.

"I'm not sure what you're asking us to do. Contest a move by our strongest ally, when we have already given such a move our blessing and publicly supported it? I understand that the Nordisk Rike and Alvonia have had differences in the past, and I hope that these tensions can be gradually reduced, but we will stand with our northern allies on the matter. Although as I have mentioned, out of deference for your concerns and a desire for a peaceful German community, I will ensure Alvonia is aware of changes in the future status of the German protectorate so that you are not caught for surprise. Additionally, we believe that a resolution can be achieved to provide Alvonia access to the Baltic. Although I must admit you stating you want naval access in order to directly oppose Nordisk Rike actions in the future concerns us greatly and makes me question the desire of the Northlands to negotiate such an action. We are in favor of lifting restrictions of Alvonian civilian shipping in the Baltic."

"The fact of the matter is there is a large Imperium presence at a critical choke point in the South Atlantic. The EAI has in fact, regardless of the reasoning, closed off trade to nations in the past as you yourself has stated. We, and the world, would be fools to not consider this in the security of our own states and see it as a potential threat regardless of our relations between one another. The Northlands simply expresses the concern that this is being done to benefit the expansionism of the Imperium under the guise of Pacific Rim security due to the rampant amount of militarization being put in place for a computer terminal. We express concern, based on recent interactions between Japan and Cascadia and the Northlands, that Japan does not consider this a meeting between equals. However, as these assumptions could be in error, and as the representative from Hawaii has noted, our cooperation is crucial to ensure a peaceful, stable Pacific. Because it appears that our nations may have to agree to disagree about the Falklands, we propose a compromise and offer a revised copy of the draft treaty." "Note the changes to Articles 1 and 4. We believe the changes in Article 1 are necessary to highlight that many of our nations have not held diplomatic ties previously and allows for the growth of such ties to flourish. We have reports of Japanese and Cascadian movements in Alaska, suggesting that some policy differences exist between future signatories. The flexibility of optional defense shows the world we intend to take the security of the Pacific peacefully while allowing us to build a firm foundation for this treaty. Article 4 allows for a framework which by territories considered crucial for the Pacific Rim can be administered through this treaty. These lands will be considered a protectorate held be all nations here as equals so that no nation, whether it be the EAI or Northlands, feels threatened. At the same time, local control of these lands will be placed under a nation for ease of administration. In terms of the Falklands, these islands have long been associated with Europe suggesting the Northlands or France would be the logical choice. Out of deference to the Imperium however, we place Cascadia in charge of the Falklands due to its geographical position as part of North America. We hope this resolves any outstanding issues and allows all participants to sign on as equal partners." Rachel Ortega-Vazquez , on behalf of the Northlands, would sign her name to the revised copy of the treaty.

K. Germany In the North Rhine-Westphalia region, ground has officially broken on several large scale public works projects, including the construction and retrofitting of rail lines. Local and central government officials have stated this is the "beginning of a series of planned projects to connect the Northlands with our friends in Greece, Alvonia, and Hungary-Slovakia, among others." The Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate are in the process of reviving the local coal and steel industries in the area. The Northlands is eager to once again revive this industry in the interests of national security as well as diversification of the economy. Representatives from shipbuilders, auto makers, and other related industries across the nation are in talks to assist with the revitalization of steel production. Hamburg has introduced plans to create a citywide subway system to increase the usage of public transportation to get around the metropolis. Bremen, with a lower population, will be constructing a fully above ground light rail system to travel through the province. The coastal defense forces have begun the construction of a large headquarters in Lower Saxony, along with several small bases throughout its long coastline. One high ranking officials stated that the "security of the North Sea remains a foremost priority for the CDF." The expansion of the German coastline has necessitated the expansion of the CDF fleet to assist with law enforcement and search and rescue operations for the Northlands. The agency is currently deciding what ships and how many to purchase. K. Spain A bustling town is beginning to take shape around the multinational base on the southern tip of the Iberian peninsula. Local officials are incorporating the new locale as Nueva Tarifa in honor of the town now part of the base. Many entrepreneurs and small business owners are eager to provide these soldiers with off-base services. There has been a similar increase of activity by Gibraltar due to the expansion of the naval base. With help from thousands of professional and amateur cooks from Valencia and the surrounding area, a school was able to create the "largest bowl of paella" as noted by recordkeeping officials. Hundreds worked to construct the hundreds of square feet wooden bowl while many more prepared the dish in large batches. To officially commemorate the achievement, the paella was later served to the volunteers and local soup kitchens.

Timmermans took the time to greet all that were present, having only met Powers previously. He enjoyed the man's knack for getting to the heart of the matter. "I'd be more than happy to discuss the current situation in Germany. As you have stated, the Nordisk Rike intends to assume control over the Vorpommern region. Many of the citizens in this area are resettling in various areas throughout the rest of Germany and have been financially compensated to do so. Frankly, this region of Germany has been claimed by numerous states in recent history including Brandenburg, Alvonia, Prussia, and now the Nordisk Rike. The Northlands has long ago ceded control of this region, notwithstanding Mecklenburg and Rugen island, and we are pleased to see one of our closest allies assume its administration. Knowing the Nordisk Rike, I believe they plan to rule it fairly and I do not believe there are further plans for them to assume control over any more lands associated with Germany. Additionally, as you are aware, the Northlands has recently begun the integration of portions of north Germany. As our peace agreement made clear, we have respected Alvonia's decision to do with southern Germany what it saw fit, which led to its annexation. In reciprocation of that, Alvonia recognized Northlandic control over north Germany. While we have allowed this region great autonomy in the past, the string of failed regimes has led many of these people to seek closer ties with the Northlands, which we have warmly accepted and allowed. We do however, plan to keep much of eastern Germany a protectorate, and will notify Alvonia in the future of any changes in that status so that it does not come as a shock. Does this answer your question?" He would also comment. "I also wished to discuss the matter of Alvonian shipping the Baltic, if you are willing to work towards a resolution on that situation."

I appreciate, but decline, the nomination for this. Thanks.

Rachel rolled her eyes as the man bombastically delivered his speech, knowing he likely would not be in government had he lived in the Northlands. "As much as I enjoy being called a 'self-entitled, short-sighted bureaucrat,' your speech misses the mark about what is being debated. We are discussing the EAI's expansion into North American and Atlantic waters and how this is perceived by several of the nations here, not about sending soldiers to die or whatever else you were ranting about. The Northlands supports the Pacific Rim Treaty as written and would be willing to sign that. However, I express my concern about the EAI's expansion into the southern Atlantic under the guise of protecting the Pacific, and believe it is beyond the scope of what is being discussed here. The only reason for rampant militarization of the Malvinas is extreme paranoia or a desire to exert control over areas where it is destabilizing. As has been stated, the Northlands is the only nation with any military presence remotely close to the Falklands, and we are committed to the defense of our interests, which would include the Pacific SOSUS line. We are willing to concede that a minimal amount of island defenses would be acceptable to secure the Pacific Rim facilities on the Falklands. We however request that this be kept to a minimum and that the EAI relinquish control of Tierra del Fuego, a move which does nothing other than restrict the flow of trade to the authority of one nation and is not needed for the SOSUS lines."

K. Germany The previous Northlands-Germany border is being restructured in Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia. While previously people were required to stop and present identification when moving between these regions, these restrictions are all but lifted. An open border will exist between these regions, although individual provinces may introduce agricultural checks if desired. At the same time, border controls in the Saarland and Rhineland-Palatine continued to be scaled back in line with economic agreements with both France and Alvonia. Identification would still be required to enter the Northlands, where applicable, but other restrictions would be scaled back to accommodate the large volume of trade that existed between the three countries. The Konigreich Deutschland has also announced the reformation of the Bundesliga. Hamburg and Bremen have already agreed to participate, with many of the larger provinces submitting their applications as well. Cultural councils have supported this measure in effort to increase the sports playing and activeness of Northlandic citizens, in addition to the additional revenue that large football venues bring. K. Spain King William has noted his intention to visit Seville in three weeks time to commemorate the consolidation of the Kingdom of Spain and its integration into the Northlands. Preparations are underway for his visit, with security expected to be high and turnout high among the general population. Military installations have been identified in Murcia and Valencia for use by the Northlands in support of its Mediterranean mission. Additionally, cargo ships laden with missile and radar defenses from K. Northlands are en route to begin the arming of the south Spanish coastline. (These defenses will be explained in more detail in Military News)

"We believe that Alvonia has a claim to historically Alvonian regions of Poland, and should share in the care of Poland and her people. That being said, I believe other nations including Belarus and Hungary-Slovakia also have legitimate claims to other Polish regions, and I don't believe there are plans by either of those nations to subjugate or treat Polish citizens as second-class. However, as both of us prefer a peaceful outcome and don't plan to become directly involved should our allies not be attacked, I think we can agree to disagree on how we view Poland in a perfect world. I'm certainly glad it's far away enough to not directly concern the security status of either of our nations. In the interests of neighborly fraternity, I wish to disclose of several movements by the Northlands and intentions to annex several regions in Europe." He would pull some maps and files from his folder and hand them to the Empress. "As you can see, we've attempted to minimize any impact this would have on France and will notify you of any relevant future changes. I don't know if France intends to expand into surrounding regions or elsewhere, but you will have the full support of the Northlands."

"We will be meeting with the Alvonians shortly and will keep the rest of the Nordic Hammer informed of any agreements before they are made." "I believe the Northlands is the only Hammer member that does not have some sort of military agreement with Hungary-Slovakia, though we share a trade and non-aggression pact and are currently leasing them a port off the North Sea. Due to their close ties to all of us, we would be willing to invite them here and discuss this with them, and whether they wish to join."