NationStates Jolt Archive

"It is with great pride that the Empire of the Eternal Dawn, after a long period of diplomatic silence, puts forth the following proposal for a new Alliance - similar but superior in many ways to the scorned and obsolete United Nations - that will aid the good work of so many great nations in their efforts to bring stability and harmony to our often unstable and dischordant Solar System.

"The First Draft of this Treaty, the Treaty of the Alliance of Stability and Harmony, is here made available for all to read and consider.

"The Empire of the Eternal Dawn pledges to sign and uphold this Treaty for all eternity or as long as the Treaty remains necessary; we urge all States, Dominions, Empires, and Colonies to join us in this momentus step forward for all Sentient Life.

"In Stability We Trust,

~ The Executive Council of the Empire of the Eternal Dawn,

Signed,

Empress Rialla ux-Rihad II;
High King of Ma-Nenya, the High Lord Commodore Semir-randil I;
High Lord of Vilya Elenosto, High Lord Commodore Aglar ux-Rihad
High Lady of Vilya Elenosto, High Lady Danielle of the Federation of Sentient Peoples
High Lord of Ma-tek, High Lord Commodore Ax-randiri Rihad;
High Lord of Ax-turath, High Lord Ambassador Dejure."


First Draft of the Treaty of the Alliance of Harmony and Stability




Article 1: Opening Declarations


Section 1: The Statement Of The Broad Goals of the Alliance

We, with the power and trust invested in us by our peoples, do solemnly declare the intent to uphold and adhere to the letter and spirit of this document for all eternity.

We, with the power and trust invested in us by our peoples, do declare that we shall neither seek war or mistrust;
nor seek to bring despair to others;
nor strive to bring division where there is unity;
nor strive to promote violence where there can be peace.

We, with the power and trust invested in us by our peoples, do solemnly swear to create sow harmony where there is dischord;

to bring stability where there is chaos;
to create peace where there is war; to bring comfort to the wounded, to bring healing to the sick;
to stand firm before all opposition and speak with one voice upon the matters this Alliance is created to deal with.


Section 2: The Declaration of the Acceptance of the Treaty and the Statement of Methodology

We, the Representatives of our collective Peoples,

in order to promote international co-operation and to achieve international peace and security

by the acceptance of obligations not to resort to war,
by the prescription of open, just and honourable relations between nations,
by the firm establishment of the understandings of international law as the actual rule of conduct among Governments and their People/Subjects/Citizens, and
by the maintenance of justice and a scrupulous respect for all treaty obligations in the dealings of organised peoples with one another,

agree to this, the Treaty of the Alliance of Stability and Harmony.





Article 2


The original Members of the Alliance of Stability and Harmony shall be those of the Signatories which are named in the Annex to this Treaty and also such of those other States named in the Annex as shall accede without reservation to this Treaty. Such accession shall be effected by a Declaration deposited with the Administration within two months of the coming into force of the Treaty. Notice thereof shall be sent to all other Members of the Alliance.

Any fully self-governing State, Dominion or Colony not named in the Annex may become a Member of the Alliance if its admission is agreed to by two-thirds of the Assembly, provided that it shall give effective guarantees of its sincere intention to observe its international obligations, and shall accept such regulations as may be prescribed by the Alliance in regard to its military, naval (space and surface) and air forces and armaments.

Any Member of the Alliance may, after two years' notice of its intention so to do, withdraw from the Alliance, provided that all its international obligations and all its obligations under this Treaty shall have been fulfilled at the time of its withdrawal.





Article 3

The action of the Alliance under this Treaty shall be effected through the instrumentality of a General Assembly and of a Security Council, with a permanent Administration.





Article 4

The General Assembly shall consist of Representatives of the Members of the Alliance.
The General Assembly shall meet every <Timespan to be decided by the Security Council at the First Session> and from time to time as occasion may require at the Seat of the Alliance or at such other place as may be decided upon.

The General Assembly may discuss at its meetings any matter within the sphere of action of the Alliance or affecting the peace of the Solar System, however it may only make decisions regarding these discussions if those decisions fit squarely within the bounds of powers of the General Assembly as laid out in Article 8, Section 1, Clause 2 of this document. At meetings of the General Assembly each Member of the Alliance shall have one vote, and may have not more than three Representatives.

Any resolutions discussed or decided upon by the General Assembly require a seventy-five percent supermajority in order to pass.




Article 5

The Security Council shall consist of <Number to be decided by the Signatories> Representatives of Members as elected by the General Assembly. There shall be no Permament Members of the Security Council. Elections for the Security Council shall take place every two years.

The Security Council shall meet from time to time as occasion may require, and at least <To be amended by the First Session of the Security Council>, at the Seat of the Alliance, or at such other place as may be decided upon.

The Security Council may discuss at its meetings any matter within the sphere of action of the Alliance or affecting the peace and stability of the Solar System, and may make decisions regarding the actions/reactions of the Alliance in accordance with Article 8, Section 1, Clause 3.

Any Member of the Alliance not represented on the Security Council shall be invited to send a Representative to sit as a member at any meeting of the Security Council during the consideration of matters specially affecting the interests of that Member of the Alliance.

At meetings of the Security Council, each Member of the Alliance represented on the Security Council shall have one vote, and may have not more than one Representative. Any resolutions discussed or decided upon by the Security Council require a seventy-five percent supermajority in order to pass.


Article 6

The permanent Administration shall be established at the Seat of the Alliance. The Administration shall comprise a Secretary General and such secretaries and staff as may be required.
The first Secretary General shall be the person named in the Annex; thereafter the Secretary General shall be appointed by the Security Council with the approval of the majority of the General Assembly.

The secretaries and staff of the Administration shall be appointed by the Secretary General with the approval of the Security Council.

The Secretary General shall act in that capacity at all meetings of the General Assembly and of the Security Council.

The expenses of the Alliance shall be borne by the Members of the Alliance in the proportion decided by the General Assembly.




Article 7

The Seat of the Alliance is established at Nenya.

The Security Council, with the approval of the majority of the General Assembly, may at any time decide that the Seat of the Alliance shall be established elsewhere.

All positions under or in connection with the Alliance, including the Administration, shall be open equally to men and women of any Sentient species and/or race/creed of those Sentient species.

Representatives of the Members of the Alliance and officials of the Alliance when engaged on the business of the Alliance shall enjoy diplomatic privileges and immunities.

The buildings and other property occupied by the Alliance or its officials or by Representatives attending its meetings shall be inviolable and considered the neutral territory of the Alliance either permanently or temporarily depending on circumstances and/or the current need/requirements of the situation at hand.




Article 8 - The Alliance and the Arrangement of the Decision-Making Structure


Section 1: General Structure

8.1.1 All Members of the Alliance shall be equal, and equal shall all Members of the Alliance be. No favour shall be sought and none shall be granted to any single Member of the Alliance by the General Assembly or the Security Council or the Administration under any circumstances.

8.1.2 The General Assembly will be responsible for;
8.1.2.1 the election of members of the Security Council;
8.1.2.2 the determination of which issues are to be placed before the Security Council;
8.1.2.3 decisions regarding Internal Alliance Policy, within the bounds of this Treaty;
8.1.2.4 the creation of investigative bodies to aid the process of decision-making wherein the decision-making process on any given critical subject lasts longer than three months, or less if the situation merits it;
8.1.2.5 the creation of any Commission or Organisation required to ensure the success of the Treaty and the Alliance;
8.1.2.6 the analysis of the performance of the Security Council via the application of the democratic process of election and/or the request for the removal from the Security Council of disruptive influences amongst the Members whom have Representatives sitting on the Security Council, to be put to the Security Council for a final decision;
8.1.2.7 contemplation and approval/disapproval of decisions made by the Security Council regarding the creation and/or dissolution of organisations under the umbrella guidance of the Alliance;
8.1.2.8 emergency powers relating to the application of economic sanctions and/or military activity in order to uphold the goals and/or beliefs and/or ethical/moral spirit of this document when/if the Security Council is not in a position to make such a decision and/or if the Security Council is deadlocked in a vote.

8.1.3 The powers of the Security Council shall be;
8.1.3.1 decisions regarding Alliance Foreign Policy (external Alliance policy);
8.1.3.2 decisions regarding proposed amendments to the Treaty;
8.1.3.3 decisions regarding the creation and/or dissolution of organisations under the umbrella guidance of the Alliance;
8.1.3.4 the power to order economic sanctions and/or military activity against Member States who contravene the letter OR the spirit of this document.
8.1.3.5 the power to apply economic sanctions and/or military military activity in order to uphold the goals and/or beliefs and/or ethical/moral spirit of this document.




Article 9

Non-Member States or Dominions or Colonies may petition to the Security Council in order that the Security Council petition the General Assembly for the General Assembly to decide whether the Security Council ought to decide whether the Alliance ought to act regarding the matter of petition first brought to the Security Council by the Non-Member State(s) or Dominion(s) or Colony(ies) in question.




Article 10: The Law and Regulations of the Alliance

Section 1: Stellar Law

10.2.1 The Members of the Alliance agree that any and all Stellar Law upheld by the United Nations and/or more than fifty sovereign States, Dominions, or Colonies shall be considered inviolable Stellar Law by the letter of this Treaty unless such Law directly violates the word and spirit of this Treaty;
10.2.1.1 for the consideration of any such dispute regarding as to whether any segment of accepted International Law abrogates the word and/or spirit of this Treaty, the court to which the case is referred shall be the Solar Commission of Justice and Negotiation, or any tribunal agreed on by the parties to the dispute or stipulated in any convention existing between them.

10.1.2 The Members of the Alliance agree that there shall be no Claim to any planetary, sub-planetary, or other stellar object and/or zone of space unless that planetary, sub-planetary, or other stellar object and/or zone of space is either being fully utilized by the Claimant or there are at least 1,000 civilian and/or military inhabitants of said planetary, sub-planetary, or other stellar object and/or zone of space. However, any constructed, enclosed building/construct built in stellar space will be considered the sovereign and inviolable territory of the entity responsible for construction and/or administration.

10.1.3 The Members of the Alliance agree that any stellar/interstellar craft enacting hostilities against a civilian stellar/interstellar craft shall be considered to be engaging piracy, and will therefore be considered an Enemy of the Peace.

Section 2: International Law

10.2.1 The Members of the Alliance agree that any and all Law upheld by the United Nations and/or more than fifty sovereign States, Dominions, or Colonies shall be considered inviolable International Law by the letter of this Treaty unless such Law directly violates the word and spirit of this Treaty;
10.2.1.1 for the consideration of any such dispute regarding as to whether any segment of accepted International Law abrogates the word and/or spirit of this Treaty, the court to which the case is referred shall be the Solar Commission of Justice and Negotiation, or any tribunal agreed on by the parties to the dispute or stipulated in any convention existing between them.

Section 3: General Regulations

10.3.1 The Members of the Alliance agree that, if there should arise between them any dispute likely to lead to a rupture they will submit the matter either to arbitration or judicial settlement or to enquiry by the Security Council, and they agree in no case to resort to war until three months after the award by the arbitrators or the judicial decision, or the report by the Security Council.

In any case, under this Clause the award of the arbitrators or the judicial decision shall be made within a reasonable time, and the report of the Security Council shall be made within three months after the submission of the dispute.

For this purpose the parties to the dispute will communicate to the Secretary General, as promptly as possible, statements of their case with all the relevant facts and papers, and the Council may forthwith direct the publication thereof.

10.3.2 The Members of the Alliance agree that whenever any dispute shall arise between them which they recognise to be suitable for submission to arbitration or judicial settlement and which cannot be satisfactorily settled by diplomacy, they will submit the whole subject-matter to arbitration or judicial settlement.
10.3.2.1 for the consideration of any such dispute, the court to which the case is referred shall be the Solar Commission of Justice and Negotiation, or any tribunal agreed on by the parties to the dispute or stipulated in any convention existing between them.

10.3.3 The Members of the Alliance agree that disputes as to the interpretation of a treaty, as to any question of International/Stellar Law, as to the existence of any fact which if established would constitute a breach of any international obligation, or as to the extent and nature of the reparation to be made for any such breach, are declared to be among those which are generally suitable for submission to arbitration or judicial settlement;
10.3.3.1 for the consideration of any such dispute, the court to which the case is referred shall be the Solar Commission of Justice and Negotiation, or any tribunal agreed on by the parties to the dispute or stipulated in any convention existing between them.

10.3.4 The Members of the Alliance agree that breaches of this Treaty will result in the expulsion of the breaching Member from the Security Council, if and where applicable, or in a three year bar on participation in the activities of the Security Council except where such action would be in contravention of Article 5. Further action, if required, that is to be considered legal under this Treaty includes but is not necessarily limited to;
10.3.4.1 the application of minor economic sanctions (downgrading of trade status by one degree by all Member States ought to be sufficient), wherein those sanctions do not interfere with the quality of life of the population;
10.3.4.2 the demand for rectification of the action which caused the breach, where applicable;
10.2.4.3 where major breaches have occurred, the Representatives of the General Assembly, the Security Council, and the highest ranking members of the Administration shall hold a Joint Emergency Session to determine what action is required.

10.3.5 The Members of the Alliance agree to strive to cement workable, peacable, and friendly diplomatic and economic relations with all other Members of the Alliance wherever and whenever possible.






Article 11 - Alliance Foreign Policy

11.1.1 Any war or threat of war, whether immediately affecting any of the Members of the Alliance or not, is hereby declared a matter of concern to the whole Alliance insofar as the Alliance considers such war or threat of war to be a direct threat to the stability of the Solar System, and the Alliance shall take any action that may be deemed wise and effectual to safeguard the peace of nations. In case any such emergency should arise the Secretary General shall on the request of any Member of the Alliance forthwith summon a meeting of the Security Council.
It is also declared to be the friendly right of each Member of the Alliance to bring to the attention of the General Assembly or of the Security Council any circumstance whatever affecting international relations which threatens to disturb international peace or the good understanding between nations upon which peace depends.

11.1.2 In the event of a dispute between a Member of the Alliance and a State which is not a Member of the Alliance, or between States not Members of the Alliance, the State or States not Members of the Alliance shall be invited to either accept the obligations of membership in the Alliance for the purposes of such dispute, or invited to accept the obligations of membership in the Alliance permanently, upon such conditions as the Security Council may deem just. If a temporary invitation is accepted, the provisions of Article 8 shall be applied with such modifications (inside the perceived spirit of the Article) as may be deemed necessary by the Security Council. If a permanent invitation is accepted, the provisions of Article 8 shall be applied to the dispute immediately.

11.1.3 The Members of the Alliance agree without dispute to always seek peace, stability, and harmony before war; however, should the situation merit such extremist action, this Treaty does not abrogate the right of the Member States to apply pressure in the manner best suited to a crisis, so long as all other avenues required by this Treaty have been exhausted.


Article 12 - Procedure for Amendments and Additions to the Treaty

12.1.1 The Members of the Alliance agree that amendments may be made to this Treaty, but only where failure of some portion of the Treaty is considered to have occurred. 'Failure' will be defined by unanimous vote of the General Assembly in favour of a motion seconded by at least two Representatives of the Security Council regarding the perceived failure of the Treaty to stipulate proper procedure/action regarding an unforeseen problem, crisis, or dispute.

12.1.2 Additions to the Treaty may be proposed by any of the Representatives of the Security Council, but must be passed according to the stipulations of Article 5.




Article 13 - Amendments




Article 14 - Additions



Annex

Signatories:

The Empire of the Eternal Dawn
The Technocratic Republic of The Eastern Bloc (Eurydian Republic)
















[OOC: Disclaimer: Any typographical errors in the Treaty are purely OOC errors, and are not to be taken as IC mistakes.]

#tag#

<Taggage for later postingness>

<Taggage for later postingness>

<Ditto.>

[OOC: Big Unilateral Motive Post due to the correction of a couple of minor errors.]

Whoa...thats quite an eyeful, I'll need to bust out the reading glasses and take a closer look.

<Diplomatic Communique>
<Destination: Empress Rialla ux-Rihad II and/or designated Government Official, Empire of the Eternal Dawn>
<Sender: Prime Minister Andrew Seal, Imperial Commonwealth of Khenala>
<Subject: Treaty of Alliance of Stability and Harmony>

Your Highness,

The Imperial Commonwealth of Khenala holds the ideals of stability and harmony very close. They are indeed noble ideals worth pursuing, and are qualities which seem to be severely lacking in the modern age.

A copy of the treaty has been forwarded to the Khenalian High Council for review and possible ratification, so long as its ideals are acceptable and honorable, and so long as they do not directly or indirectly interfere with the obligations set forth under other alliances or treatices to which Khenala is a signatory nation.

We will reply within one week of our acceptance or declination of the treaty. In either scenario, we commend you and the Empire of the Eternal Dawn for seeking the furtherance of stability and harmony for our Solar System in this time of uncertainty.

With my utmost regards,

http://www.fumetsu.net/ns/andrew_ns.jpg
Prime Minister Andrew Seal
Imperial Commonwealth of Khenala
Signatory: Charter of the Triumvirate of Yut

<End Communique>

Tiggety-tag-ratata-tat

<Diplomatic Communique>
<Destination: Empress Rialla ux-Rihad II and/or designated Government Official, Empire of the Eternal Dawn>
<Sender: Prime Minister Andrew Seal, Imperial Commonwealth of Khenala>
<Subject: Treaty of Alliance of Stability and Harmony>

Your Highness,

The Imperial Commonwealth of Khenala holds the ideals of stability and harmony very close. They are indeed noble ideals worth pursuing, and are qualities which seem to be severely lacking in the modern age.

A copy of the treaty has been forwarded to the Khenalian High Council for review and possible ratification, so long as its ideals are acceptable and honorable, and so long as they do not directly or indirectly interfere with the obligations set forth under other alliances or treatices to which Khenala is a signatory nation.

We will reply within one week of our acceptance or declination of the treaty. In either scenario, we commend you and the Empire of the Eternal Dawn for seeking the furtherance of stability and harmony for our Solar System in this time of uncertainty.

With my utmost regards,

http://www.fumetsu.net/ns/andrew_ns.jpg
Prime Minister Andrew Seal
Imperial Commonwealth of Khenala
Signatory: Charter of the Triumvirate of Yut

<End Communique>

{Imperial Diplomatic (Unencrypted) Communique #23298131}
{TO: Prime Minister Andrew Seal, Imperial Commonwealth of Khenala}
{FROM: Empress Rialla ux-Rihad II, EOTED}
{SUBJECT: RE: Treaty of Alliance of Stability and Harmony}
{TIME: ERROR, TIMESTAMP MISSING}
{ENCRYPTION: N/A}

{COMMUNIQUE COMMENCES}

Mr. Premier,

Your praise is humbly accepted by the Government of the Empire of the Eternal Dawn, and we are glad to make contact with a nation of such clear nobility and dignity.

It is with our full respect that we note that we would greatly desire Khenala to sign the Treaty, especially with the somewhat otherwise silent response from the International/Stellar Community regarding this rather critical matter. We strongly suspect that the eyes of the Solar System may well be on your pending response to our proposal, and, indeed, on our reaction to your pending response; we have, in the past, made promises that many have doubted as to our sincerity.

We hope to fulfil our promises to our allies and friends, and, indeed, the Solar System in general, with this Treaty, and we would much desire that Khenala would stand alongside us when we do so.

Therefore, with all due politeness and respect, we pledge that, whether or not Khenala should agree to this Treaty and become a Signatory State, we, the Empire of the Eternal Dawn, shall hereby, by Governmental Decree with the approval of the Imperial Executive Council, Imperial House, and Citizens House, immediately bestow upon Khenala the status of 'Most Favoured Trading Partner', with all the benefits and cessation of trade limitations therein prescribed.

Our warm friendship,

~ Empress Rialla ux-Rihad II, Imperial Executive Council Chairwoman of The Empire of the Eternal Dawn

{COMMUNIQUE TERMINATES HERE}

((OOC: this whole alliance thing is very nice. But I must understand I fail to see its "purpose", if you will. We basically already have good relations with EOTED and this would, well, I don't see what it would add.))

EDIT: I mean this in a most sincere "please explain" sense, not in the "OMG this sucks" sense :)

((OOC: this whole alliance thing is very nice. But I must understand I fail to see its "purpose", if you will. We basically already have good relations with EOTED and this would, well, I don't see what it would add.))

EDIT: I mean this in a most sincere "please explain" sense, not in the "OMG this sucks" sense :)

[OOC: There is absolutely no point whatsoever.

Yes, I did say that.

There isn't.

So long as nobody joins.

If people join, there's a point. The point is: potential for national prestige (all publicity is good publicity?); association with an effort to 'improve the world', which, if you're a democracy, is always nice, because it wins votes (especially if you do it without blowing things up); oh, yeah, and there is one other thing.

Power. Potentially, this is an organisation that people could wield power through. Blahblahyaddayaddayadda, I'm half-asleep, so I hope this all made sense and I don't read it tomorrow and wonder what the heck I was rambling on about and then I just suddenly notice that hey this is one big sentence and the-

Wait. I'm rambling, now. ;)]

We are interested in this alliance. It's been many years since the Eurydian Republic has been a part of an organization, and hopefully this alliance will give us a new home. Perhaps, and with a bit of hope, others will see what we see and join.

Consider us your first member.

-John Guilder
Minister of Foreign Affairs

and

-Alexander Traiden
Emperor

We are interested in this alliance. It'sbeen many years since the Eurydian Republic has been a part of an organization, and hopefully this alliance will give us a new home. Perhaps, and with a bit of hope, others will see what we see and join.

Consider us your first member.

-John Guilder
Minister of Foreign Affairs

and

-Alexander Traiden
Emperor

The Empire applauds the foresight and wisdom of the Eastern Bloc in their laudable decison to join the Alliance, and looks forwards to a mutually profitable and equitable working relationship with the Eastern Bloc in the Alliance of Stability and Harmony, once the Treaty itself is activated.

~ Empress Rialla ux-Rihad II

[OOC: As soon as GDT stops waging imperialistic wars throughout Sol while itself plunging into a civil war, I will happily join. But for now, gotta run anyway. :) ]

"One of my Ambassadors believed that these were fitting quotes, considering the aims and the goals of the Treaty."




And when the sky turns blood-red
And when you quiver at your childrens screams-
And when the bitter body-blows
Reign down upon your dreams;

And when the birds cease their cries
And when world surround
Slowly dies
And when the sword falls,
And the city-walls
Lie broken,
In tatters and tears-

Will the cost
At last,
Once all is lost
Finally be-
Too much? ~ attributed to Imperial Bard Asinri ux-Rihad, The Cost, written 1821 B.D. (Before Dawn)




When the lights go out
And the ground trembles underfoot
And our children in boxes flee
To turf untrodden by their feet
How can we find the strength
To celebrate?

Fifty million dead;
Yet not a soul to shed
A single light on the answer all do seek:
Why?

From the Heavens fell,
A great and furious Star;
No mercy nor cares
For the smashing of our dreams:
Why oh why
Did the children die? ~ Julia Sinar Menjda; Why oh why?; Our Dreams Did Die That Day, published 1 D.E. (Dawn Era)




When the trumpet-call fades
And the light diminishes by shades
And the wintry Dawn is diminished
In the face of screams and sobs and sighs;

When dreams lie broken,
In tatters and rags,
At uncaring feet;

When eyes close to all this
What reason has life
What rhyme has the Day
When all hope has fled
Away? ~ Julia Sinar Menjda; When The Trumpet-Call Fades; Our Dreams Did Die That Day, published 1 D.E. (Dawn Era)




They disembarked in '45
And no-one spoke
And no-one smiled
There were too many spaces in the line

And gathered at the Cenataph
All agreed with hand on heart
To sheathe the sacrificial knives-

But now
She stands upon Southampton dock
With her handkerchief,
And her summer frock
Clings to her wet body
In the rain;
In quiet desperation,
Knuckles white upon the slippery reigns
She bravely waves the boys goodbye again.

And still the dark stain
Spreads between
Their shoulder blades
A mute reminder
Of the poppy fields and graves
When the fight was over
We spent what they had made
But in the bottom of our hearts
We felt the final cut. ~ Pink Floyd; Southampton Dock; The Final Cut




Through the fish eyed lens of tear stained eyes
I can barely define the shape of this moment in time
And far from flying high in clear blue skies
I'm spiralling down to the hole in the ground where I hide

If you negotiate the minefields in the drive
And beat the dogs and cheat the cold electronic eyes
And if you make it past the shadows in the hall
Dial the combination, open the priesthole
And if I'm in I'll tell-

There's a kid who had a big hallucination
Making love to girls in magazines
He wonders if you're sleeping with your new-found faith
Could anybody love you?
Or is it just a crazy dream?

And if I show you my dark side
Will you still hold me,
Tonight?
And if I open my heart to you
And show you my weak side
What would you do?

Would you sell your story to Rolling Stone?
Would you take the children away,
And leave me alone?
And smile in reassurance,
As you whisper down the phone;
Would you send me packing
Or would you take me home?

Thought I oughta bear my naked feelings
Thought I oughta tear the curtain down
I held the blade, in trembling hands,
Prepare to make it bite-
Just then the phone rang
I never had the nerve to make the final cut. ~ Pink Floyd; The Final Cut, The Final Cut




Jesus, Jesus what's it all about
Trying to clout these little ingrates into shape
When I was their age all the lights went out
There was no time to whine and mope about

And even now part of me flies
Over Dresden at angels one-five
Though they'll never fathom it behind my
Sarcasm desperate memories lie

Sweetheart, sweetheart, are you fast asleep?
Good...
That's the only time that I can really speak to you
And there is something that I've locked away
A memory that is too painful
To withstand the light of day

When we came back from the war
The banners and flags hung on everyones door
And we danced and we sang in the street
And the Church-bells rang

But burning in my heart
The memories smoulders on
Of the gunner's dying words
On the intercom... ~ Pink Floyd; The Hero's Return; The Final Cut




[i]Floating down
Through the clouds
Memories come rushing up to meet me now
But in the space between the Heavens
And the corner of some foreign field
I had a dream;
I had a dream.

Goodbye Max,
Goodbye Mark,
After the service
When you're walking slowly to the car
And the silver in her hair
Shines in the cold November air
You hear the tolling bell
And touch the silk in your lapel
And as the teardrops rise to meet the comfort of the band;
You take her frail hand-
And hold onto the dream!

A place to stay
Enough to eat
Somewhere old heroes shuffle safely down the street
Where you can speak out loud,
About your doubts and fears-
And what's more
No-one ever disappears,
You never hear their standard issue,
Kicking the door;
You can relax on both sides of the tracks-
And maniacs don't blow holes in bandsmen by remote control;
And everyone has recourse to the law...
And no-one kills the children, any more
No-one kills the children any more

Night after night
Going round and round my brain
This dream is driving me insane!

In the corner of some foreign field
The gunner sleeps tonight
What's done is done
We cannot just write off his final scene
Take heed of the dream. ~ Pink Floyd; The Gunners Dream; The Final Cut




In my rear-view mirror, the Sun is going down
Sinking behind bridges in the road
I think of all the good things that we have lived and done
But I suffer premonitions
Confirmed suspicions
Of the holocaust to come.

The rusty-wire that holds the code, that keeps the anger in
Gives way, and suddenly
It's day, again
The Sun is in the East, even though the day is done
Tiptoes in the Sunset
Could be the Human race, is run?

Like the moment when the brakes lock
And you slide towards the big truck
You stretch the broken moments with your fear
And you'll never hear their voices-
("Daddy, Daddy!")-
And you'll never see their faces
And you'll have no recourse to the law, anymore.

And as the windshield melts,
And my tears evaporate
Leaving only charcoal to defend
Finally, I understand, the feelings of the few:
Ashes and diamonds,
Foe and friend,
We were all equal
In the end. ~ Pink Floyd; Two Suns In The Sunset; The Final Cut

~ Empress Rialla ux-Rihad II

[OOC: All Pink Floyd songs are, obviously, Pink Floyd songs.

All poems attributed to EOTED-born characters are completely original and composed by myself.]

{EDIT - Glaring and awful spelling and grammatical errors corrected. Good gracious, those were terrible.}

[bump; prod to those who tagged earlier and said they would post and haven't]

bump

To not sign this article and join the Alliance is to deny peace and freedom throughout the galaxy.

-A friendly *bump* from The Eastern Bloc

We would like to join. Be sure to TG us when something comes up. The wide spread of LRR bases and shipyards will probably serve this organization well. While we have big problems with actually killing people, about half of the LRRSF is devoted to science, exploration, and humanitarian aid, with the other half being made up of the 2 battlefleets and the non-organized (patrol, area defense etc.).

(This is futuretech, right?)

OOC: Great idea, if you want to submit to foreign 'regulations' on your military, and pay dues to a submerged wasteland. Read carefully before you sign anything.

~Siri

OOC: Siri: You know what ignore means? It's what you're in theory doing with regard to EOTED. So stop being an ass.

OOC: Great idea, if you want to submit to foreign 'regulations' on your military, and pay dues to a submerged wasteland. Read carefully before you sign anything.

~Siri

[OOC: Ah, but EOTED isn't a submerged wasteland. Except in your mind, of course.

Oh, and if I see so much as one more OOC remark like this in any of my threads or any thread I'm involved in, I'll be forced to report you for harrassment - game-mod or not. Have a nice day.]

OOC: Great idea, if you want to submit to foreign 'regulations' on your military, and pay dues to a submerged wasteland. Read carefully before you sign anything.

~Siri

[OOC: Ah, but EOTED isn't a submerged wasteland. Except in your mind, of course.

Oh, and if I see so much as one more OOC remark like this in any of my threads or any thread I'm involved in, I'll be forced to report you for harrassment - game-mod or not. Have a nice day.]
OOC: So, me telling people that before they sign a treaty that would surrender a large portion of their national sovereignty they should read it carefully, constitutes harassment. Ehhh... no. Oh, the threat was especially cute. :roll:

My last post in this thread.

~Siri

OOC: Great idea, if you want to submit to foreign 'regulations' on your military, and pay dues to a submerged wasteland. Read carefully before you sign anything.

~Siri

[OOC: Ah, but EOTED isn't a submerged wasteland. Except in your mind, of course.

Oh, and if I see so much as one more OOC remark like this in any of my threads or any thread I'm involved in, I'll be forced to report you for harrassment - game-mod or not. Have a nice day.]
OOC: So, me telling people that before they sign a treaty that would surrender a large portion of their national sovereignty they should read it carefully, constitutes harassment. Ehhh... no. Oh, the threat was especially cute. :roll:

My last post in this thread.

~Siri

[OOC: If the remark had had any basis in factual reality, no, it wouldn't have been harrasment. And it wasn't that that was potentially harrasment, either: it was the repetition of the snide 'underwater' remark.]

We would like to join. Be sure to TG us when something comes up. The wide spread of LRR bases and shipyards will probably serve this organization well. While we have big problems with actually killing people, about half of the LRRSF is devoted to science, exploration, and humanitarian aid, with the other half being made up of the 2 battlefleets and the non-organized (patrol, area defense etc.).

(This is futuretech, right?)

OCC: Just so you don't forget.

We would like to join. Be sure to TG us when something comes up. The wide spread of LRR bases and shipyards will probably serve this organization well. While we have big problems with actually killing people, about half of the LRRSF is devoted to science, exploration, and humanitarian aid, with the other half being made up of the 2 battlefleets and the non-organized (patrol, area defense etc.).

(This is futuretech, right?)

OCC: Just so you don't forget.

[OOC: Whoops, sorry.]

IC:


From: Empress Rialla ux-Rihad II
To: LRR

Dear Friends,

We are more than glad to see that another state has decided to sign the Treaty, and even more deeply pleased to see that it is you.

I regret that I cannot speak at greater length at this time, as the Empire is currently extraordinarily bogged down with diplomatic discourse - but I will reply at greater length as soon as possible.

With Fond Regards,

Empress Rialla ux-Rihad II

Oh, why thankyou for the kind welcome.

Office of the Imperial President, Imperial House, Griffin, Commonwealth of Sentient Peoples, FSP

D’ron read through the letter one last time. He had composed it on the computer, typing it out a number of times, through numerous drafts. But the final copy was hand written, on heavy parchment paper. And electronic copy would of course be filed with both governments once he knew that the hardcopy had been delivered, but these things were best done the old way, though it was considerably more expensive.

Not that expenses mattered to a man who ran a nation of over two billion sentient beings. At least, not at this level. He folded the parchment exactly, and slipped it into an equally heavy envelope. Sealed with wax, of all the things, he pressed the Great Seal of the Federation into the still hot fluid, waiting until it set.

Empress Rialla ux-Rihad II, of the Empire of the Eternal Dawn,

Friend, I send you greetings in this troubled time, and wish that this message finds you and yours well, as I and mine are.

I have read your proposal, and with greater interest than I normally read such, for it was a friend who proposed it, and one of our own who had signed it. It is not the policy of the Federation to join multilateral alliances, but I thought that perhaps this proposal bore merit.

And it did. Too much so, in fact, to ease my doubts. Harmony. Stability. Goals that are lofty in this world. And, though I do not wish it was so, I believe, unlikely for some time to come.

Peace is brought through power, and I am too much afraid that this treaty would limit the power of the State to act as it saw fit. The Federation, and the Empire both have been at this crossroads before, when we were members of the Triumvirate of Yut, and we acted in what we saw as our interests, and the interests of the world. The Federation and the Empire both chose a path apart from that organization, and I am afraid that this would be the same.

Unlike your proposal, the Triumvirate did not prevent us from leaving, having no desire to keep those who did not wish to stay. But your treaty does limit the freedom of action my government would have, that the Federation would have, in much the same way that the Triumvirate Charter did.

I alienated the Triumvirate when I withdrew from that group, and I would not wish to alienate those members of this treaty if similar circumstances required me to withdraw from it, for the sake of my nation.

And so, by the decision of the House of Delegates, the Executive Council, and myself, we shall not sign the treaty at this time. But we will remain watchful, and willingness to change our opinion will always be present.

If, at some point in the future, this proposal succeeds, or nearly so, we will again remember it. We will reconsider, friend, that which we all dream of.

And should the fabric of dreams make way into reality, we will be delighted to join, once the need for freedom of national action diminishes.

As always, we stand ready, as allies and friends, to assist, but we cannot join this Alliance now.

http://people.vanderbilt.edu/~darion.c.smith/miniflag.jpg
D'ron Christopher Smith, Imperial President

OOC: Same text in both threads concerned.

"The Commonality again urges all to consider the possibility of signing the Treaty. Further, we still await decisions from several states whom had noted their interest previously...."

~ High Lord Ambassador Dejure (giving a not-so-subtle prod)