Transvaal Talks

[iamthey]

[quote]*Private to Tahoan Loyalist Forces*

We have noted your current intention to deploy your forces through the pacific to the west coast of the United States. We propose a meeting in trasvaal, or a neutral site of your choice to discuss this, as well as to express our own sentiments about the war itself.[/quote]

[Manetheren]

[b]Message to the Kingdom of Greater Pacifica[/b]

If it is acceptable, we will host a conference in the city of Swakopmund, Namibia which serves as the capital of the province of Tahoe-Transvaal. Sean O'Deaghaidh will attend on the behalf of the Tahoe Republic, with the full confidence of President Darragh McDonnell and Prime Minister Christopher Bogart.

-------------------------------

[b]Swakopmund[/b]

Despite the departure of the vast majority of the Tahoan population aboard the great fleet back to Tahoe, Swakopmund was still a beehive of activity and home to a significant Tahoan military and civilian presence. Its prewar population had swelled to nearly 50,000 more than three quarters of whom were Tahoans. Surrounded by desert, the city itself had been turned into an oasis.

The mediterranean styled Province House along the oceanside had tranquil gardens and shady colonnaded walks joining various buildings together into a compound that had housed the Tahoan Loyalist government and now housed the government of Tahoe-Transvaal province and the Tahoan African Command.

The great hall was prepared for the VIP meeting and was deemed ready only minutes before the Pacifican envoys arrived.

[iamthey]

Leaving early that morning, the Crown Prince boarded a private government Jet at the airfield just outside of crater city on McDonald's Island. Accompanying him was his six man detail of Seraphim Guard, as well as Viktor Konrad his personal agent. They arrived in the city of Swakopmund and from there were driven to the site of the conference. As the small motorcade moved through the city, Michael couldn't help but admire the nature of the settlement itself. It was a foreign and exotic environment, but these tenacious people, through their ingenuity had turned the vacant zero of the desert into a thriving metropolitan oasis. Their will to survive had created something from nothing.

When the group arrived at the site the detail moved quickly to secure the area around the car containing the Prince. At their queue, Michael and Viktor exited, and proceeded past the Tahoan Loyalist Security at the behest of the Ushers, up to the Great Hall of the compound. As they neared the building Vikor parted with Michael to meet up with the chief of grounds security, and the Prince proceeded alone into the Conference with Sean O'Deaghaidh.

Entering the hall he addressed the former leader of Tahoe as he approached. "My Great Grandfather as the leader of an African nation with a brief existence, and an ethnic European government, the Imperium, fought alongside your nation in the crusade against the Rebel Army. He made the decision to be the accomplice of death, the bringer of nuclear holocaust, deploying our most deadly weapons and instruments of war upon what are considered some of the most holy and spiritual places in the world. Years later, his son stands shoulder to shoulder with Lavo Shalam, as the Arab nation and a coalition of fellows returned the favor. Now I, the grand-son of that man, arrive here bearing the olive branch. I do not believe in fate, or divine providence, but sometimes, I almost do. I am Michael Atrevier, the Crown Prince of Greater Pacifica, and today the representative of my absentee King, and his fairly diligent, though sometimes misguided, Magistrate." He extended his hand to O'Deaghaidh.

Edited July 16, 2010 by iamthey

[Botha]

[color="#000080"]The Republic of Transvaal fully supports this proposal since it appears the Tahoe Loyalists are open to discussion. Swakopmund is a perfect location to host such a conference.

As representitives for Transvaal, Prime Minister Annetjie van Matteus and our two field marshals, Malan and Cruywagen, shall attend. Unfortunately Foreign Minister Strijdom has other business to attend to and is expected to make a foreign diplomatic trip shortly.[/color]

[Manetheren]

[quote name='iamthey' date='15 July 2010 - 05:12 PM' timestamp='1279239144' post='2373796']
Leaving early that morning, the Crown Prince boarded a private government Jet at the airfield just outside of crater city on McDonald's Island. Accompanying him was his six man detail of Seraphim Guard, as well as Viktor Konrad his personal agent. They arrived in the city of Swakopmund and from there were driven to the site of the conference. As the small motorcade moved through the city, Michael couldn't help but admire the nature of the settlement itself. It was a foreign and exotic environment, but these tenacious people, through their ingenuity had turned the vacant zero of the desert into a thriving metropolitan oasis. Their will to survive had created something from nothing.

When the group arrived at the site the detail moved quickly to secure the area around the car containing the Prince. At their queue, Michael and Viktor exited, and proceeded past the Tahoan Loyalist Security at the behest of the Ushers, up to the Great Hall of the compound. As they neared the building Vikor parted with Michael to meet up with the chief of grounds security, and the Prince proceeded alone into the Conference with Sean O'Deaghaidh.

Entering the hall he addressed the former leader of Tahoe as he approached. "My Great Grandfather as the leader of an African nation with a brief existence, and an ethnic European government, the Imperium, fought alongside your nation in the crusade against the Rebel Army. He made the decision to be the accomplice of death, the bringer of nuclear holocaust, deploying our most deadly weapons and instruments of war upon what are considered some of the most holy and spiritual places in the world. Years later, his son stands shoulder to shoulder with Lavo Shalam, as the Arab nation and a coalition of fellows returned the favor. Now I, the grand-son of that man, arrive here bearing the olive branch. I do not believe in fate, or divine providence, but sometimes, I almost do. I am Michael Atrevier, the Crown Prince of Greater Pacifica, and today the representative of my absentee King, and his fairly diligent, though sometimes misguided, Magistrate." He extended his hand to O'Deaghaidh.
[/quote]

Before responding, O'Deaghaidh indicated that he wished the Pacificans to sit, which they did. At O'Deaghaidh's side was a Tahoan military officer, Peter Van Haesten who had, in recent months become a leading confidant of O'Deaghaidh if only because he viewed matters through an entirely practical and non-partisan manner. His straightforward manner endeared him to all those caught up in the wheel of politics.

O'Deaghaidh sighed at the mention of the Rebel Army. "Until the war, my greatest failure was Tahoe's relationship with Shalam. We had all the potential to become allies, friends even, yet it was squandered. Not the least of which because our nuclear attacks on Equador, that though orchestrated by that damned fascist O'Coileain I must take responsibility for. Yet even if you do not believe in fate or providence, I do. I also believe in forgiveness, if it is deserved and often it is. Which is why I feel we must bury the hatchet as we say in Tahoe. We must not give in to historical prejudices and forgive each other."

[iamthey]

[quote name='Emperor Mudd' date='17 July 2010 - 03:35 AM' timestamp='1279334096' post='2375379']
Before responding, O'Deaghaidh indicated that he wished the Pacificans to sit, which they did. At O'Deaghaidh's side was a Tahoan military officer, Peter Van Haesten who had, in recent months become a leading confidant of O'Deaghaidh if only because he viewed matters through an entirely practical and non-partisan manner. His straightforward manner endeared him to all those caught up in the wheel of politics.

O'Deaghaidh sighed at the mention of the Rebel Army. "Until the war, my greatest failure was Tahoe's relationship with Shalam. We had all the potential to become allies, friends even, yet it was squandered. Not the least of which because our nuclear attacks on Equador, that though orchestrated by that damned fascist O'Coileain I must take responsibility for. Yet even if you do not believe in fate or providence, I do. I also believe in forgiveness, if it is deserved and often it is. Which is why I feel we must bury the hatchet as we say in Tahoe. We must not give in to historical prejudices and forgive each other."
[/quote]

Michael nodded. "I hope that this will not offend you, but I have never held that any grievance should exist between Rebel Army and Tahoe. It is not because administrations have changed and should not be accountable for their predecessors, though that may be true, but because moral condemnation cannot appropriately exist between the strong. And make no mistake about it, that is precisely what your nation is. The tenacity of your people, evident in this city, and in your own message at the start of the war, is evidence enough of that. Between the willful and able the only bond should be contract, and the length of their might. Guilt is a ball and chain which lesser men may use to protect themselves from their betters. To that end, Tahoe has done many things that others have deemed deplorable, but in my eyes you need not apologize to anyone. Forgiveness does not exist between nations, or individuals of our caliber, we are beyond that, and so justice or, 'To give each his due', can be our only model. In such a world the, we struggle against one another to carve out our spheres of control and when conventional methods of diplomacy fail and our designs are incompatible, direct and open contest, war, is our only recourse.

That being said I come here today to say that I believe justice was not done. The war to us was a pragmatic and strategic venture, as you have long watched over your sphere of influence, it was our desire to secure our own. This pan-pacifican ideological goal dates back to before the creation of Greater Pacifica, to before Glorious Aotearoa, to its origin within that nation of Imperial Wellington. The point is the war went too far, though we wanted to wrestle from you control of Hawaii and Midway, an honorable struggle between two nations, we did not celebrate, what ultimately came to pass. We now understand that your intention is to restore the Old Republic, to reclaim your North American lands, and to wipe out the Southern regime. We see now that the new Republic has proven infinitely more unstable, and undesirable than our rivalry every was. You at least knew your course and sought to do the best by your people, South Tahoe among other abuses, seems ready to submit themselves to the control of an almost alien nation. As our allies in the North of Tahoe seem interested in assisting the loyalists, we would like to offer our tacit consent of your reclamation, giving you free passage through our waters, as well as the promise of support should foreign nations attempt to take advantage of Tahoe in its weakened state.

With that, we hope that this could be the beginning of a reconciliation between our two nations, and now that our interests are compatible and our spheres no longer at odds, we could be the allies we always should have been."

[Manetheren]

O'Deaghaidh nodded in agreement, adding, "Tahoe has always done what it has needed to in order to survive. Atrocities mark our past, but they mark the past of every nation that still lives. It seems evil is needed for survival but in Tahoe we have a saying, "One step backwards and two steps forward." Our revolution was bloody and settlers killed each other because of their politics and we killed Indians and we have killed and fought our enemies throughout history. All we do is move forward and the wheel of time keeps grinding and eventually everything changes."

I mourn for the lives lost defending Hawaii yet Hawaii was never really Tahoe. It was always that still foreign land civilized enough for a redheaded, green eyed Tahoeman to walk the beaches feeling safe, blinding everyone with our deathly pale skin of course.

This new Tahoe...ugh, even saying that leave a disgusting taste in my mouth. It is not Tahoe. It is madness and oppression being forced on our people. My government in exile has ended and reestablished the lawful government of the Tahoe Republic in what was north Tahoe and is still called that colloquailly. I have resigned and moved on because I failed my people and new better men will rule in my place. The truth is I fear for the existence of my nation. I fear that the southern regime is only part of a wider cause to destroy Tahoe once and for all. I pledge to you I will die before that happens and if you can help, then I and all my people are in your debt forever. It truly is time to bury the hatchet and take our place as friends and allies in the world. I have been asked by President McDonnell to assure you that he and Prime Minister Bogart intend to fully uphold the APPLE treaty. I cannot speak to the actual plans but I know diplomacy is always the first option and if the southern regime will not abandon its pursuit then a military option is viable. Your assistance is most deeply appreciated.

[iamthey]

"Then I believe we have an understanding. I have been given discretion to offer a bilateral treaty of amity. While we share an MDoAP through APPLE, we were wondering if you would be interested in essentially a mutual public statement of friendship with an embedded optional defense clause.

[quote]
[b]Tahoe - Pacifica Pact of Amity[/b]

[b]Article I: Sovereignty[/b]

Both parties to this pact recognize the sovereignty of one another, and agree to abstain from action which may compromise the territorial integrity, and security of either cosignatory.

[b]Article II: Friendship[/b]

Both parties agree to work to improve foreign policy relations with one another, and otherwise cooperate on matters of concern.

[b]Article III: Optional Defense & Support[/b]

In the event that the security of one signatory is compromised the other is encouraged by this pact but not obliged to offer any assistance needed to resolve the issue. In kind, if one signatory engages in aggressive military action upon a third party, the other signatory is encouraged but not obliged by this pact to support this effort.

[b]Article IV: Termination[/b]

A party to this pact may terminate membership at any point. Upon notification of an intent to cancel a 47 hour cool down period will begin during which article I will remain active.

Should article I be violated, the pact may be considered immediately void with no cool down period.

[b]Signatures:[/b]

[b]For Greater Pacifica:[/b]

[b]H.M Ryn Atrevier:[/b] [img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v624/iamthey/RynAtreviersig-1.png[/img]
King of Greater Pacifica
Rex Pacifica


[b]For the Tahoe Republic[/b]

Darragh McDonnell
President of the Tahoe Republic[/quote]

Whether you accept this is of course up to you. Should you agree, we will issue a public statement announcing the accord as well as extending recognition to your reformed government in North Tahoe as the one true Tahoe. From there your ships are cleared through our EEZ, and we will look forward to working with you as an ally through APPLE. Of course, if you do not want to have a bilateral treaty at this time, we will still extend recognition and give your ships passage."

Edited July 19, 2010 by iamthey

[Botha]

[color="#000080"]At some point during a break in the conference, Prime Minister van Matteus approached O'Deaghaidh:

"An Taoiseach, now that it appears your government - or at least a recognised successor - is returning home, what becomes of the autonomous Tahoe Province in Namibia? Did you still wish to maintain it as a base until you have re-established yourself fully back in Tahoe - or should it be disbanded as an entity?"

"As for here..." implying Swakopmund, "you are welcome to maintain your base for as long as you wish... so long as the base remains under a Tahoe government recognsied as friendly by Pretoria."[/color]

[Manetheren]

O'Deaghaidh smiled at the treaty proposal.

I of course will agree to such an agreement and have been authorized to sign on behalf of the President, Darragh McDonnell. I have also been asked by the Ministry of Defense to inform you that the Tahoan fleet will give coordinate updates of every carrier battle group every six hours for the duration of its trip as well as every two hours during the time we are in your EEZ, though I expect your naval forces will track us anyway, as any would do. I do hope we can achieve unity without warfare but Tahoe stands ready and will not allow its people to be wrenched away by machiavellian politicians working to destroy Tahoe and up their own power.

I can not truly express to you what this friendship means and it will not be squandered.

For the Tahoe Republic
Darragh McDonnell
President of the Tahoe Republic


[quote]"An Taoiseach, now that it appears your government - or at least a recognised successor - is returning home, what becomes of the autonomous Tahoe Province in Namibia? Did you still wish to maintain it as a base until you have re-established yourself fully back in Tahoe - or should it be disbanded as an entity?"

"As for here..." implying Swakopmund, "you are welcome to maintain your base for as long as you wish... so long as the base remains under a Tahoe government recognsied as friendly by Pretoria."[/quote]

"Ah it is no longer my government. North Tahoe realized that my government represented the elected will of the Tahoan government though I recognized a mandate no longer existed so we agreed to call for immediate elections. My party did not do as well as I hoped, but my successors are able men who will maintain this friendship. I had hoped the province of Tahoe-Transvaal could remain in existence, not as part of Tahoe but as part of Transvaal as a necessary counterweight against Transvaal-Arctica. I feel the benefits would be mutual and though the governor of Tahoe-Transvaal would be agreed upon by the governments of Transvaal and Tahoe, we would make it clear that the province is an integral part of the Republic of Transvaal and that the Provincial Defense Force and Government are part of Transvaal's government despite being Tahoan citizens. I had thought Peter Van Haesten would be a good governor and his Africa Corps would make a good defense force with Tahoe and Transvaal recognizing his military rank as a rank in both our militaries, with a separate military command of course.

Edited July 18, 2010 by Emperor Mudd

[Botha]

“My government has no issues at all with maintaining the status quo with Tahoe-Transvaal as an autonomous province of the Republic of Transvaal. Our main concern was simply avoiding redundancy if the province no longer served a purpose.”

“And obviously, as you could probably guess, Pretoria will be delighted to have Peter Van Haesten appointed as the provincial governor. His appointment would also give him direct access, much like your ambassador has, to our executive cabinet and its meetings. This may prove to be a valuable counterweight for the National Party should the unthinkable ever occur and we are forced to powershare or hand over the reigns of government to another political party - such as the DBP.”

“Regarding the Africa Corps and Swakopmund base, do you envisage any complications arising with the new government in North Tahoe? Do we know what their opinion is regarding Tahoe-Transvaal?”