A siberian experience

[Zoot Zoot]

Preparations had been made for Simone Valentin's arrival in the Capital long before her acceptance of the invite. Malenkov didnt feel the need to parade his best soldiers to impress the European, so he assembled the finest minds of the Republic to line the welcome walkway at the airport. Doctors, Scientists, Authors, Musicians, Actors and Politicians. Afterall Simone was from Paris, the cultural center of the world. But the military would have a small part to play. The airport was near the coast, a few miles behind the Admiralty headquarters on the seafront within the Pacific Fleets base of Operations. In the base lay the entire Pacific Fleet at anchor, great grey monsters sitting silently in the Arctic Sun. This was only temporary and the fleet would depart later in the evening for extended patrols in the North Pacific aswell as to conduct some exercises.

As the jet landed and Simone disembarked, she would be met by many people cheering from specially constructed stands aswell as a contingent of the Republican Guard band which struck up the La Marseillaise and the company flag bearers raised the Tricolour alongside the Revolutionary Standard. As the La Marseillaise ended, Malenkov stepped forward towards Simone, his First Consuls uniform hidden beneath his greatcoat and on his head he wore period tricorn with revolutionary cockade.

"Bonjour Mademoiselle,Il est bon de vous rencontrer finalement, Pouvons-nous parler Anglais? Mon Français est mauvais." he said with a warm smile as he removed his head and bowed his head.

[Sarah Tintagyl]

Simone smiled as she stepped of the plane as she looked out at the congregation of Siberians assembled in front of her. It was a much appreciated welcoming, seeing the Tricolor raised to the sounds of La Marseillaise almost brought tears to her eyes and her grin only grew as she saw the Revolutionary cockade pinned on Malenkov's hat. She herself was not one to lose the fashions of Paris simply because of political revolution and combined the high fashion of Europe with the unique style of the Russians. Her fur hat was a brilliant white with a red plume rising up into the air, she wore a long white coat with black buttons and her face was gently rouged, while white leather gloves shielded her delicate hands from the cold.

"Pas de problem, Monsieur. I can speak English quite well. I lived in North America for a few years while the Lizards ran France so I know it fairly well, but if there is a problem, perhaps you can correct me." She bowed her head gently and looked back out at the harbor and the men gathered around her entrance way. "I must say though, Monsieur, this is quite the ceremony and if this is any case of the friendship to be enjoyed by the Socialist Republic and the Commune, I am excited to get down to business."

She offered her hand to be taken and once Malenkov did this basic gesture of chivalry, the two leaders proceeded further down the runway. "My biggest concern is of course the large distance between our countries that may complicate a strong alliance. Though I am sure if we put our heads together, distance will only strengthen the Franco-Siberian Friendship. Though if we could please get out of this cold," she shivered. "I can barely get used to French winters at times, the steel chill of Russia is quite another monster entirely. I can hardly imagine what L'Empereur Manufique was thinking." Simone concluded with a laugh

Edited November 28, 2011 by Sarah Tintagyl

[Zoot Zoot]

"Yes yes of course M'Lady, please come this way, I forget that the winters in Siberia are far worse than those in Europe, many apologies." he said offering his hand politely to escort her into the awaiting 4x4 which would take her to the Citadel which sat at the top of one of the hills surrounding the City. The Citadel however, although its name suggested it to be a dark and miserable fortification, was quite the opposite. Formerly an ancient Cossack castle, the Senate had seen fit to rebuild the Castle to its former glory. It had never been a military fortification and was more like a slightly more militarised Palace... but without the military. A close European comparison would be the Castle from Bram Stokers "Dracula".

As the car sped up as it reached the mainroad into the City, Malenkov turned to Simone and began to speak in slightly accented English.
"So Comrade Valentin, I now offer my personal congratulations on the success of your Revolution, I received word that the ships had begun to make Port shortly before you landed. So your military will be armed and ready for any conflict which may arrise from reactionaries in Europe, or from within France herself." he said whilst pouring himself a hot chocolate from a flask he had produced from one of the inner pockets of his coat.

"Hot chocolate?" he asked before continuing.

"Comrade Valentin, your worries about the distance our nations share is a mere inconvenience to any sort of friendship we will develop. The USRS keeps the Arctic waterways open for trade all year round with its forever expanding Nuclear Icebreaker fleet and our trading Ports on our northern coasts have billions of Rubles being poured into them for expansion and development. Logashinko, our main Northern port hosts a vast harbour which when it is complete will stretch for almost ten miles end to end. Of course, that paticular port is still being expanded, but its operational sections still have the capacity to handle many ships of all shapes and sizes."

[Sarah Tintagyl]

Sitting in the vehicle, Simone removed her gloves and took the drink offered to her by Malenkov. "It is not so much the maritime capabilities that worry me, Comrade, it is the actual extent of power that can be projected between France and Siberia. We are both strong nations, perhaps not as strong as the global giants, such as Athens or the Federation to your south, but we can hold our own. In that respect, France does want an alliance with you and your people. What worries me of course is how we are able to support one another. It takes time to move material, and if necessary bodies, across the Arctic. At the same time, if your assurances are correct that is a minor inconvenience then I foresee only success."

By this time the car had pulled into the enclave of the castle itself and smiled at its beauty. "I have always been a fan of Eastern European architecture and Siberia does not cease to amaze me. You have a beautiful country, Comrade."

Taking his hand once again, she was led out of the car. "So tell me, Comrade. What are your thoughts on first the Franco-Siberian Alliance and then more so the potential of a larger, Communist Movement?"

[Zoot Zoot]

[quote name='Sarah Tintagyl' timestamp='1322523274' post='2855139']
Sitting in the vehicle, Simone removed her gloves and took the drink offered to her by Malenkov. "It is not so much the maritime capabilities that worry me, Comrade, it is the actual extent of power that can be projected between France and Siberia. We are both strong nations, perhaps not as strong as the global giants, such as Athens or the Federation to your south, but we can hold our own. In that respect, France does want an alliance with you and your people. What worries me of course is how we are able to support one another. It takes time to move material, and if necessary bodies, across the Arctic. At the same time, if your assurances are correct that is a minor inconvenience then I foresee only success."

By this time the car had pulled into the enclave of the castle itself and smiled at its beauty. "I have always been a fan of Eastern European architecture and Siberia does not cease to amaze me. You have a beautiful country, Comrade."

Taking his hand once again, she was led out of the car. "So tell me, Comrade. What are your thoughts on first the Franco-Siberian Alliance and then more so the potential of a larger, Communist Movement?"
[/quote]

"Ah Simone, you dont mind if I use your first name do you? I will admit that my military is not as strong as others, but we can project power as and when we need to depending on what the task at hand is. For instance I presently have a Carrier battlegroup and ten thousand soldiers removing Greenlandic forces from Franz Josef Land, and has the Greenlandic Government spoken out against the USRS? I think not. That convoy of ships presently in Calais had an escort of six attack Submarines, all of which went undetected almost up to your maritime borders, do not worry Comrade, our of respect for you and your movement I kept them far away enough that they could still render assistance to my ships, but not close enough to cause an international incident which would of had the potential to sour any relationship we may have shared." he said taking another sip of his coco as the car pulled into the grand courtyard of the Castle.

"Please step this way and I will show you to the grand dining room where a warm meal is awaiting you." he said, offering his hand to Simone as she stepped out of the 4x4 into the soft snow.

Once inside and seated Malenkov resumed.
"Once Franz Josef Land is firmly in the control of the USRS, we are in a far better position to allow the faster movement of men, materials and other... items that are needed to support each other either economically or militarily. Although I hope the latter does not arrise. Eitherway, I have enough Legions in my Army to ensure the survival of you, your ideals and your state without compromising Siberias national security. Likewise I have enough space to accomodate several French regiments has it happens within Siberia, although I believe the climate would break the will of any European man, long before the hardships of soldiering did, yet, I have been prooven wrong before and if the reputation of the endurance of a French soldier is true... Well I might be prooven wrong again. We Siberians are a hard people, our blood is Cossack blood and we are a fierce people due to our history. However, if my history is correct, the French are equally as hardly, once masters of Europe, the displined and brave Grenadiers of the Grand Army. An alliance between our peoples would be a great honour Comrade. A great honour indeed." he said, his fist tapping his chest lightly to emphasise the words towards the end.

"Would you like something to drink M'lady?"

[Sarah Tintagyl]

"Of course, Monsieur, Simone is fine. I can do just fine without formalities. That said, I do believe I did hear about recent developments in the Arctic concerning the Greenlanders, something about a problem of sovereignty over an island. I can't be sure, I haven't been paying much attention to anything outside of France as of late. The defense of the Commune is the most important concern of mine at the moment, making sure that our state can defend itself against the other potential aggressor states of Europe. It is not any our neighbors who currently worry me, especially with a near world war taking place on the Asian Continent, but the future brings unknown problems. Especially if we are of the mind to spread our ideologies out of Kamchatka and Paris."

Stepping into the castle and the grand dining room where a splendid feast was prepared, Simone sat down as Malenkov continued. His praise and knowledge of French history was enough to make her smile as she sat back in her chair folding her hands on the table. "Well as it appears you have no qualms about the potential of an alliance between our peoples and given the vigor with which you addressed my concerns, I would say that I have little to worry about in the world if I do in fact depend on the Siberians for future help. That said, I would love a drink. Vodka would be fine, but I'm afraid that the stuff is a bit too rough for me to take down without a chaser, so if you could please oblige me with that, I'd be most thankful."

As the vodka was prepared, Simone continued. "Given the nature of our alliance and our nations, Comrade, I would suggest something a bit more radical than simply promising trade and goodwill. True Marxism has seemingly become a thing of the past and while I am sure that France has her own unique take on Communist Philosophy I would like to move away from the philosophies that dominated Leftist-Thought in the past century, especially Rational Communism and Hellenic Socialism which dominated the past to World Leftist Movements, the ComIntern and the Red Dawn Pact. I would rather see something small, like a flame, grow into a global bonfire, but with which checks are established to keep the ideology pure. As you and I seem to be on the same page, I would like to propose a Mutual Defense and Optional Aggression Pact to be signed, formally beginning the Franco-Siberian Alliance."

Edited November 29, 2011 by Sarah Tintagyl

[Zoot Zoot]

[quote name='Sarah Tintagyl' timestamp='1322533049' post='2855304']
"Of course, Monsieur, Simone is fine. I can do just fine without formalities. That said, I do believe I did hear about recent developments in the Arctic concerning the Greenlanders, something about a problem of sovereignty over an island. I can't be sure, I haven't been paying much attention to anything outside of France as of late. The defense of the Commune is the most important concern of mine at the moment, making sure that our state can defend itself against the other potential aggressor states of Europe. It is not any our neighbors who currently worry me, especially with a near world war taking place on the Asian Continent, but the future brings unknown problems. Especially if we are of the mind to spread our ideologies out of Kamchatka and Paris."

Stepping into the castle and the grand dining room where a splendid feast was prepared, Simone sat down as Malenkov continued. His praise and knowledge of French history was enough to make her smile as she sat back in her chair folding her hands on the table. "Well as it appears you have no qualms about the potential of an alliance between our peoples and given the vigor with which you addressed my concerns, I would say that I have little to worry about in the world if I do in fact depend on the Siberians for future help. That said, I would love a drink. Vodka would be fine, but I'm afraid that the stuff is a bit too rough for me to take down without a chaser, so if you could please oblige me with that, I'd be most thankful."

As the vodka was prepared, Simone continued. "Given the nature of our alliance and our nations, Comrade, I would suggest something a bit more radical than simply promising trade and goodwill. True Marxism has seemingly become a thing of the past and while I am sure that France has her own unique take on Communist Philosophy I would like to move away from the philosophies that dominate Leftist-Thought in the past century, especially Rational Communism and Hellenic Socialism which dominated the past to World Leftist Movements, the ComIntern and the Red Dawn Pact. I would rather see something small, like a flame, grow into a global bonfire, but with which checks are established to keep the ideology pure. As you and I seem to be on the same page, I would like to propose a Mutual Defense and Optional Aggression Pact to be signed, formally beginning the Franco-Siberian Alliance."
[/quote]

Malenkov prepared the Vodka himself, keen not to rely on the Castle help that the Senate insisting on granting him. He worked all his life and he would be damned before he turned into a lazy slob. Returning to the table he passed the drink over and responded.

"Simone, trade and goodwill is the foundation to a working alliance. I can promise those things indefinately, however in addition to such an alliance of mutual defence and optional aggression, I would propose the permission to garrison a Legion of my soldiers in France, roughly five thousand men. In exchange for this, Franch, as and when it is ready to deploy such a force, would be welcomed to position its own such force in Siberia. I will not tread carefully and I shall be blunt. You military at the moment is... less than adequate to defend France effectivly due to the nature of your nations birth and its internal strife. I can have this Legion, in its entirity, in France in two weeks ready to protect the Commune from external and internal threats. Furthermore, they would, should you request it, assist in training your military to its highest potential. In the long run, it allows me to uphold our MDP almost instantly should the need arrise without having to spend time shipping masses of soldiers to France over a period of many weeks. Furthermore, the posting of a French garrison allows you to return this gesture. Even with Franz Josef Land as a stopping point, to move an Army over the arctic to defend an ally would be madness if rushed and poorly planned and has the potential to kill tens of thousands. However, mutual garrisons allow breathing space for both of us so we can rally our formations and make the correct planning to conduct such a move, IF the situation was to arrise." he said as respectfully as he could, silently hoping that Simone would not take his words as an insult.

"As for flames into a bonfire? I share your dream, and I share your belief that a Franco-Siberian Alliance will be the catalyst for this dream to materialise and become reality." he added after pausing to think for a few seconds.

[Sarah Tintagyl]

"I understand your concern Comrade Malenkov," Simone said as she sipped the drink lightly. "But at the moment I must deny your request because of two issues. First, France is still recuperating from the Revolution and as such is still in the grips of fervent nationalism. Deploying foreign troops to French soil would not win any points for our alliance and would honestly take power away from my administration. Secondly, and this builds off of the first, is that our alliance will not even be a day old after our time here. We need time to grow as friends and military bases in each others nations is just too much right from the start. Your idea of Franz-Josef Land however is appealing, likewise I would offer the same for French overseas territory, but at the moment we are still in the market for bases off of the continent."

She put down the class and stretched her arms for a moment. "However, those issues aside I do believe if we give ourselves time. Foreign deployment in our respected homelands will be understandable and welcomed. Just, not at the moment. Though, I believe we have a sufficient point to argue it is time to hammer out a treaty and get this alliance on the move. After that, Comrade, I of course would love to see your country, but if you have more pressing matters I will return to France."

[Zoot Zoot]

"Your concerns are well judged Simone and after hearing your words I have come to agree with you. Do you wish to draft the document so that it can be signed? And if you wish to see more of Siberia, please, feel free. We are a cold country, but we are a beautiful country" he said with a smile.

OOC
Sorry for long reply, had to do this on my phone.

[Sarah Tintagyl]

"I can, if you'll only give me a few minutes to write up a treaty." Simone said and after taking a piece of paper, wrote down a rather quick draft of the desired alliance.

After it was finished, she slid the paper to Malenkov with a smile. "I think you'll find this to your liking. Vive la Revolution."

[quote]

[size="4"][center][b]The People's Alliance of France and Siberia[/b][/center][/size]
[i]

[b]Preamble[/b]

In the benefit of our two cultures, the Commune of France and the United Socialist Republic of Siberia come together in which to build a friendship. Due to our similar ideologies and in that in order to maintain stability and control of our regimes and of continuation of Leftist Ideology in the world today, we come together to defend ourselves and spread our philosophies over the Earth.

[b]Article I: Sovereignty[/b]

In that the Commune of France and the United Socialist Republic of Siberia recognize each other as sovereign nations, independent and in Revolutionary Spirit free from the constraints of foreign powers. As such, neither signatory moves to influence or change the structure of power in these sovereign nations.

[b]Article II: Mutual Defense[/b]

Any declaration of war upon a member of either nation is considered an act of aggression to the undersigned member alliances. Peace will only be offered through mutual consent of the nations represented by the undersigned; and only accepted under the same terms.
[b]
Article III: Optional Aggression[/b]

Neither nation is obliged to partake in assistance in offensive wars, all military or monetary support is strictly to be decided by each sovereign nation, yet both are encouraged to support each other when needed.

[b]Article IV: Espionage[/b]

Neither nation may directly participate in espionage of any type, regardless of situation and target on the fellow sovereign nation. If either one of the undersigning nations conducts espionage on the other signatory, this pact will be revoked immediately following a 24-hour truce. In line with Revolutionary Ideology, the spread of our beliefs through the underground is of course encouraged.

[b]Article V: Termination[/b]

This treaty shall only be terminated if either undersigned nation chooses to exit this treaty or if Article II is found to be violated by a member nation. If one of the undersigned chooses to terminate this pact, they must give five (5) days notice before the treaty is officially dissolved in which they remain fully bonded to the provisions contained therein.

[b]In conclusion:[/b]

The Undersigned do agree to respect and adhere to the Articles written above, both in the spirit and letter in which they are written.

[b]For the Commune of France,[/b]

Simone Valentin
Chairwoman of the Revolutionary Party

[b]For the United Socialist Republic of Siberia,[/b]

Sergei Malenkov, President of the USRS
First Consul for Life


[/i]
[/quote]

Edited December 3, 2011 by Sarah Tintagyl

[Zoot Zoot]

Malenkov read the document before signing it were indicated.
[i]
'Sergei Malenkov, President of the USRS
First Consul for Life'[/i]

"So Simone, a toast to a glorious future of friendship and co-operation between our Nations" he said raising his glass.
"Vive La Revolution"