An invitation

[iamthey]

The following was privately sent to the Hansa Government.

To: The office of the Potentate, Hanseatic Commonwealth

From: The office of H.M the King of the Citadel

We invite the Potentate (or a representative), required staff, and security to meet at the Diplomatic headquarters in Fiji in order to discuss the possibility of future economic cooperation, as well as resolve the question of commercial and military movement through our respective EEZ's. We await your response.

[Sarah Tintagyl]

The letter would find its way to the capital in Apophis with all haste and into Lady Asgeirsson's personal quarters. Loew brought the message in slowly placing it into her outstretched hand. She tore open the envelope and read the message. "Good, very good, this is precisely what we need right now. With the ships having to go up to Micronesia first to get around The Citadel's holdings, I had wanted to talk to their government. They just beat me to the punch."

"Will you be attending personally Ladyship?"

"Brisbane is pretty much under our control at the moment is it not?"

"Reports say the mop-up is going according to plan."

"Then yes, I can take some time away from the country to get to know my neighbors. It's only proper after all."

"Very well Ladyship, I will tell the Council."

Hannah smiled and sat back, it was time to open the gates.

---

About a day later, a Hanseatic private jet, much like the one owned by Lady Tintagyl herself screeched across the Pacific sky towards the Fijian city of Suva, where she was to meet with Citadel officials. The plane landed on the tropical tarmac, a great Hanseatic flag printed on the side as the door opened and the staircase dropped out. Hannah was never one for extreme pomp, especially not to other leaders, and while her own nation she had build around an image of beauty and bringing back a bit of the gildedness of Sarah's nation, she did it in her own way. As here, she walked down the stairs, flanked by two guards and one diplomat behind her. Disregarding the regalia of the Potentate position, she wore a white sundress with a white shawl around her pale neck. Her pale blonde hair, hanging down her back, and bright green eyes wide as her feet first hit the tarmac.

"Beautiful, a truly beautiful island." She said, waiting for the arrival of the Citadel envoys.

[iamthey]

The Envoy of the citadel comprised of three limousines each paired with two black SUV's. One set would be destined to carry the visiting leader, while the other two would serve as decoys to potential attacks. While it was unlikely that any such an attack would occur, the rarity of a foreign Leader in the Citadel was itself an occasion deserving of a bit more attention. As the convoy entered the airport it accelerated rapidly approaching the small party's position. Drawing nearer it began to decelerate and break up into a fan like formation to surround the group. As each SUV slowed its side doors popped open depositing four Royal marines to each car. As the sea of red and black moved to secure the area around the convoy, one of the limousine doors opened, and the Lord Marshal of the Guard, Marc Stephens stepped out on to the Tarmac to meet the Hansan envoy. Approaching his eye's met with those of the Commonwealth's Potentate. Feeling that a hand shake would be inappropriate he simply nodded, or bowed his head, and proceeded to address the leader. "His Majesty, King Atrevier sends his regards and is awaiting our arrival. As is customary for your security your envoy may select whichever vehicle you wish at random, or however." Stepping back he motioned to the convoy behind him.

[Sarah Tintagyl]

"Much obliged." She flashed a smile. "This is my first time in Fiji and I look forward to the meeting with His Excellency. So I appreciate the kind words sir." Hannah tilted her head down slightly for a moment and cocked her head to tell the guards which limousine they would be choosing. The guards nodded quickly and followed her across the tarmac to the motorcade. They waited patiently inside the second limousine before the vehicles took off down the roads towards where the meeting between the two leaders would take place.

[iamthey]

When the envoy arrived at the Fiji Diplomatic building they were swiftly led into the main conference chamber. Awaiting was the diplomatic Elites of the Citadel along with Atrevier himself. Rising from his seat he crossed to the Hanseatic delegation and offered his hand to the other leader. After shaking he offered them seats at the lengthy conference table before taking his own seat opposite to the Hanseatic Potentate.

"Just to get us started, what we would really like to do is put forward a plan for a commercially workable, and hopefully politically unified pacific. As our peoples are culturally and politically fairly similar; both of us have shared territories, and treaties in the past, I don't see any reason why such a tradition of pacifican cooperation cannot continue. So here what I offer, one both nations will grant each other a right of free passage through each of our respective Exclusive Economic Zones, this will allow free movement within our own respective territories ensuring that the interwoven nature of our island holdings won't not damage either of us economically. Two economic cooperation, we both should eliminate tariffs and import taxes on goods we do not ourselves provide. Three political and military cooperation, the invasion of one our nations puts both of us at risk as it introduces another player into the pacifican balance of power something I do not think either of us wants. I am interested at the very least at signing some sort of optional defensive pact, or perhaps even continuing the previous Mutual Defensive pacts our nations held before our respective collapses. That being said what is it you wish to pull from this meeting, and what do you have in mind?"

[Sarah Tintagyl]

Taking Atrevier's hand, Hannah smiled and then sat down across from the man to listen to the proposal he had for the Hanseatics and to be honest, when he had finished Hannah sat, her mouth agape at just how well Atrevier had covered what she wanted to accomplish while on Fiji.

"I must say Excellency." She began. "You do diplomacy and negotiation justice across the board. To begin with, I agree for all three of the proposals. Even during the Aotearoan Period, I think the Hansa had probably one of the best relations with the country and that was to Lady Sarah's merit for until recently I had not appreciated the politics of LeVentNoir, though his ideologies have become a bit more enthralling. With our nations literally entangled in one another I would say that all proposals you've given me today are acceptable and will sign off on all of them. Though what I would like to bring up is the chance of making The Citadel much more vocal on Oceanic affairs. I have in my mind the buildings blocs to create another Australian Coalition, of course keeping it small, I distrust large alliances that span the world, however something based on sheer geography, may be much more practical. Mind you this is in the works, but I think Australia has a great deal to gain from The Citadel and likewise I would assume you have much to gain from us on the continent."

[iamthey]

Atrevier nodded hearing the proposal. "That is definitely a prospect worth considering. If you are interested into turning Australia and Oceania into a unified front I would definitely be interested in that. There are too many influences already violating the sovereignty of the pacific whenever it suits them; I think we are all threatened by this general disregard. As for the other matter at hand, we can put our respective lawyers together and have them put this to paper."

[iamthey]

After an arbitrarily long moment Ryn presented a daft of the Hanseatic-Citadel pact.

Pacifican-Hanseatic Cooperation Pact

Prequel:

Resolved that shared interests are indeed shared by both the Citadel and the Hanseatic Empire, the before mentioned hereby commit themselves to the following articles.

Article I: Sovereignty

The Sovereignty of both nations shall not be questioned or otherwise infringed upon by either. Therefore each nation will abstain from military acts of aggression, acts of espionage or the effecting of economic sanctions when such actions are directed at a signatory to this pact.

Article II: Mutual Defense

If attacked each signatory recognizes that they are obliged to recognize this attack as an attack on themselves, and therefore provide any and all requested support be it military, financial, or political. This obligation is moreover conditional to wars whereby one of the signatories to this pact is an initial point within the overall conflict, or otherwise participating within a coalition that was itself initially defensive, and not the aggressor within the war. Therefore this obligation becomes nonobligatory in cases where a signatory entered a war on the basis of defensive obligations which ultimately serve the aggressor of the total conflict.

Article III: Optional Aggression

i) Should either signatory choose to execute or participate in a policy of aggressive war, economic sanctions, or otherwise; each signatory is encouraged but not obligated to support this policy by whatever means they deem appropriate.

ii) In the event of such a policy this article may constitute an independent legal casus belli.

Article IV: Economic & Trade Affairs

i) Both signatories grant one another free rights of passage throughout their respective EEZ’s to all civilian and military vessels (belonging to one another).

ii) Both signatories pledge to eliminate tariffs on goods that are not produced within the other’s nation. Both signatories further pledge to mutually reduce, or eliminate tariffs on goods produced by already well established and competitive industry within each respective nation. Finally both signatories agree to established a standard trade code in order to foster transaction between the two nations. Such will be managed by a jointly chaired trade commission tasked to oversee and manage Pacifican-Hanseatic trade relations.

iii) Both signatories are encouraged but in no way required to provide economic assistance or aid when requested.

Article IV: Cancellation

i) Should Article I, Article II, or Article IV be violated by either signatory, the counter signatory may choose to immediately dissolve this pact in its entirety.

ii) Should either nation come to decide that they no longer wish to be bound by this pact, it may be cancelled at any point. However its articles will remain in effect for 47 hours after either private or public notification of the activation of Article V.

Signatures

Hannah Asgeirsson,

Potentate of the Hanseatic Commonwealth

H.M Ryn Atrevier, King of Greater Pacifica

Rex Pacifica

"What would you say to that?" He offered.

Edited November 28, 2009 by iamthey

[Sarah Tintagyl]

"Deal." Hannah said as she took a pen from one of her associate's hand and scribbled onto the paper.

Hannah Asgeirsson,

Potentate of the Hanseatic Commonwealth

[iamthey]

"Deal." Hannah said as she took a pen from one of her associate's hand and scribbled onto the paper.

Hannah Asgeirsson,

Potentate of the Hanseatic Commonwealth

Having already been authorized by his Magistrate, Ryn removed his own pen and signed as well as sealed the order.

H.M Ryn Atrevier, King of the Citadel

Rex Pacifica

[Sarah Tintagyl]

OOC: Not a gravedig...a continuation of Pacific and Australian discussions. Thanks

IC:

The problem of Royal Defense came in two waves, one was that neither Promised Land nor the Hanseatic Commonwealth had exactly a very strong outward defense. Promised Land's SOSUS extended twenty miles, the Hanseatics didn't have one and relied on shore batteries to deal with invading forces. In fact most relied on the belief that since the Hansa was still in decent standing with the world. Hannah had taken long strides already to improve that, however the problem with the SOSUS was that there was a very large country in the way of the Queendom's claims in the Pacific and on mainland Australia. Greater Pacifica. During the early part of the second Commonwealth, Hannah had signed a very strong alliance pact with the Pacificans and that had been transferred over to the newly created Queendom. Pacifica to the Australians was a double edged sword, because while they were friends and allies, they were also part of the Eurasian Union which caused a large stir in most elite circles of Australian politics. What was important now, was cementing that friendship and getting the two powers that controlled the majority of the Pacific Ocean to work together for the future and that future had to be a peaceful one.

TO: H.M Ryn Atrevier

From: H.R.H Hannah Asgeirsson

Your Excellency,

It feels that it has been a long time since we last spoke and considering just how much our worlds have changed, it places our region of Oceania on the forefront of political reform and sanity in a world where I believe it is growing darker by the day. In recent times, I have begun vast military and defensive reforms for the Queendom, I know from time spent allied with Greater Aotearoa of the vastness of their own defenses and it pains me to know that the Hansa and that now defunct state were not able to become closer friends. As such, I would like to extend an invitation as you so kindly did to me to come to Darwin for a private dinner where we might be able to talk about the future of our two states much more in depth.

Sincerely,

[iamthey]

To: HRH Hannah Asgeirsson

From: HM Ryn Atrevier

Most honorable Queen,

I thank you for your invitation, and empathize with both of your underlying concerns. I accept, and will plan to arrive in Darwin tomorrow afternoon.

Sincerely,

Edited December 6, 2009 by iamthey

[Sarah Tintagyl]

The Pacifican aircraft carrying the king would be immediately given clearance to land in Darwin. It was a bright summer day, the sun shining through a cloudless sky. Landing at the Royal Airport, a hangar reserved for foreign diplomats and leaders, King Ryn was greeted on the tarmac by a contingent of Australian Marines and a small squadron of Lillian Guards, the same customs that had been held for foreign leaders visiting the Commonwealth prior. Lillian Captain Claire de la Lune commanded the escort and was the to snap to salute and a low bow to the King. "Your Majesty, it is a pleasure to welcome you to Darwin and the Queendom of Australia. If you would please follow me, Her Highness is expecting you."

Claire escorted Ryn towards a limousine outside of the airport and got in behind him as she closed the door. "I hope your flight went well. Supposedly Her Highness has a very large meeting prepared." They limousine drove off down the highway that connected central Darwin to the Royal Airport. The major thing to be described was the amount of construction going on in the capital, to turn Darwin into the Golden Capital that Hannah desired. Eventually the town narrowed and opened up to a grand plaza where Lillia Palace stood. The limousine turned into the plaza as two other Lillians walked down to the car and opened the door for the king. He was escorted up into the palace itself and into the large marble hallways that led up towards the upper throne room. Being escorted with reverence and solemness, Ryn would finally arrive in the throne room where a large table filled with food stood in the center. As he would walk in, Hannah herself rose from her throne with a smile on her face.

"Welcome Your Highness, Ryn, its been a long time and it seems so much has changed. I want to welcome you to Lillia Palace and to Australia itself." She gestured to a seat on the table and her seat near to him. "Please, sit, we can talk over a bit of food and wine. Anything you're partial to?"

[iamthey]

Reciprocating the pleasant greeting, he took the indicated seat. As he pondered the Queen's question he couldn't help but feel impressed by the majesty of the hall itself. His own capital though functionally impressive lacked the magnitude of splendor he had seen here; and soon in that mental comparison he began to feel the blade of his own envy slice away at his long sheltered ego. Returning to the present he at last responded, "Well I've always enjoyed a fine red with a decent steak." Taking the cue the attendants in the hall went about the rapid process of constructing a meal, again giving him pause; the refined efficiency and grace demonstrated alone caused the appreciation he had of his own court to wither. With the meal before him, lifted his own goblet, and with it in hand, made eye contact with his own hostess. "So what is it, my fellow monarch, that we are here to discuss?"

[Sarah Tintagyl]

Partial to a strong red wine herself, much to the chagrin on Sarah's own weak tastes for champagnes and Riesling, Hannah wet her lips before continuing, the red in sharp contrast to her own pale skin. "The Hanseatic relations with Greater Pacifica were as I trust, friendly and we have nothing to worry about from our closest neighbor, along with the Welsh and the Taiwanese, even with the recent war with the mercenaries, the Western Pacific has stayed peaceful and I for one would like to see that continue to a degree." Hannah leaned back for a moment choosing her words. "Recently, with the creation of the Queendom of Australia, our main concern at the moment has two things. One the self defense and preservation of our territories and two, the eventually de-militarization of the Pacific Ocean. Now, naturally, number two has about as much idealism as Tintagyl used to have and I have no intention of meeting that goal, so right now lets say to get everyone to at least agree that we can stand each other." She said with a wink. "I'm much more concerned with number one."

Leaning forward and picking a bit at her food, she looked out the window at the late afternoon sun shining through. "Recently, the Queendom has been developing...or should I said redeveloping a series of defenses, which include the expansion of our SOSUS. The main problem I see, rests with the defensive administration of our Polynesian Territories, which Greater Pacifica is directly in the middle of. Now, while the previous Commonwealth regime never got around to asking this question, what I would like to propose is the integration of our systems at least on the Eastern Pacific Seaboard. Our developers and you developers, scientists and so forth team up, do what they need to do to map out our sea claims in the Pacific and ensure that anything that moves close to any one of our islands is known in either Darwin or Wellington as soon as possible."

"I trust that would not interfere with Pacifican politics as of late? If anything I see it as building more cooperation between our people."Hannah sighed. "While no one in Australia is a strong advocate of the policies of the Eurasian Union, I personally consider Greater Pacifica to be on the fringes of the politics in that hegemony as well as getting rid of any prejudice that is unfair to either side is a step in the right direction. This cooperation will do more than anything to ferment our nations trusting each other. Your Majesty?"

[iamthey]

Pleasantly surprised by the offer, Atrevier finished off the wine in his glass before responding. "Such an integration of our sosus systems would be a mutual benefit to us both. It would widen our ability to see foreign fleets approaching our central pacific holdings, and eliminate blind spots in your own system. Your proposal would be something I could easily agree to."

Edited December 13, 2009 by iamthey

[Sarah Tintagyl]

"Very good." She said turning back out the window and smiling. "Then if it okay with you Highness, we will be able to begin the integration as soon as possible."