NationStates Jolt Archive

The Minister of Economics, Foreign Affairs and Defence all sat in a semi-circle around VP of Sales for Costa-Tula Shipyards LTD , Ynolaxc Tlalocitil, he flashed a brillianty white smile as they helped themselves to the refreshments he had readied for them.

"So then esteemed Ministers, what do I owe the pleasure of all of you visiting at once?

The Minister of Foreign Affairs spoke "The Republican Council is ordering you stop scrapping the old Naval Guard fleet..." he paused and handed Mr. Tlalocitl a letter "and we are authorizing you to re-sell the remaining stock of ships to the Glorious Kingdom of Vrak."

Mr. Tlalocitl's jaw dropped "well, that means, I mean, I have to do a cost analysis, we had already...."

The Minister of Economics leaned forward "Sell them for whatever you want, keep the scuttling fees and you are in no way expected to re-imburse the Council."

Mr. Tlalocitl smiled again "Of course! You have my word, Vrak will be armed to the teeth in weeks, days even!"

The Minister of Foreign Affairs nodded "Good, the delegation from Vrak is en-route, you have permission to greet them at the Skunk Works, no need for them to fly all the way to Lassic."

Mr Tlalocitl jumped up and shook the hands of each of the Ministers as they left.

He then busied himself cancelling the scuttle order and accounting for what was left........

OOC: ships still left from the old fleet:

62 Xochilli Class Cruisers (USN Ticonderoga Class.),128 Tula Class Destroyers (RN Type 42) and 120 Coventry Class Frigates (RN Type 23)

Stats here:

USN Ticonderoa (http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/factfile/ships/ship-cru.html)

RN Type 42 (http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/static/pages/449.html)

RN Type 23 (http://http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/static/pages/448.html)

The hypersonic transport tore through the sky like an avenging angel as it dropped down to the Costa-Tula Military Air-Base. Everyone looked out the windows and were startled to see such lush growth and an absence of smog. "Similar to Jiggady" mused one.

the transport glided into its designated spot on the tarmac. The door opened and the ramp extended downwards. Two King's Own (OOC: Vrakian special ops) appeared, in full Royal Dress. They went down first and nodded to the waiting Vaadians, but with grim expressions.

Next, a protocol officer and a large walrus descended. The walrus blinked as he looked at his surroundings. He sniffed the air then smiled. The protocol officer looked for Mr. Tlalocitl and the walrus followed. Finally, several men and women dressed in expensive suits anxiously made their way.

As the Vrakians disembarked from their flight there was plenty of activity in the air-base around them. Their group is approached by a smiling man in a dark suit, with matching bermuda shorts, his alarmingly white teeth contrast with his dark brown skin , he looks to be in his 50's , following him is another gentleman similiarly dressed and about a dozen Naval Marines, dressed in their dark-blue 'sea-coats', they carry no rifles, just side arms.

The most notable thing about the southern coast this time of year is the heat. It is easily 100+ degrees and very humid. The grinning man approaches briskly.

"Grettings! Welcome to Costa-Tula in the Free Republic! I hope your flight was alright? You didn't have any problems finding the place? Allow me to introduce myself, I am Ynolaxc Tlalocitil Vice President of Sales for Costa-Tula Shipyards Limited." he pauses and motions to the gentleman next to him "This is the assistant to the Minister of Foreign Affairs , Yash Chuk-Mul..." He pauses as another man , pale portly, and sweating heavily jogs over to the group "Ah, and this is Alfred Warring, Vice President of the National Bank of Lassic, Costa-Tula branch."

The three men step in and shake hands, flippers, etc... as Mr. Tlalocitl leads them out through the hangar.

"I have taken the liberty of reserving the beach side rooms of the Emperor Itzcoatl Royal Hotel, I think you'll be very happy there, your verandah will be yards from the sea, literally. Ask for the oysters, they're superb!"

He leads them to a line of Jaguar XJ12 Sovereign limosines, 3 of them bear the insignia of Glorious Kingdom of Vrak.

"I think 3 should be enough for everyone? Would you like to refresh yourselves at your hotel after your flight? or do you prefer to get down to business right away?" He asks as he smiles and gets the door to the first limosine. The Vrakian's also notice that the Naval Marine guards only stayed with them until they left the hangar, once in the parking lot they are absolutely free of any supervision other than Mr. Tlalocitl and friends.

The protocol officer quickly and discretly said,

“Ah, sorry Mr. Tlalocitil. In our lands, walruses do not shake hands but bow.”

Ujuy Hagwonak, the Ambassador, waved the officer aside and said,

“Forgive my aide, Mr. Tlalocitil. We are a somewhat reserved race. However, we also know that people mean no offence when mistakes are made – especially when two different cultures meet for the first time. I’m certain to make some while I’m here.”

The last sentence was delivered in a lighthearted chuckle, indicating “no harm done”.

Then Ujuy turned and exclaimed,

“Such a beautiful country you have. I hope it would be fine if we freshen up a bit. We didn’t expect it to be quite this hot so we want to look presentable. Besides, I wouldn’t mind taking a quick dip before we begin.”

The reps from Hyperion Shipping and Gargantua Shipping eagerly shook hands with the Vaadians, remarking on how they would like to see the ships.

The two King’s Own still didn’t change their expression, but seemed to slighly relax to an astute observer.

Mr. Tlalocitl smiles broadly and bows elegantly to the Mr. Hagwonak "My apologies, I will make sure that we make a note of that custom."

As they all pile into the limosines , the parties making their preferences known Mr. Tlalocitl , still smiling, suggests a course of action

"We'll stop at the hotel first, and drop off whomever feels they'd like to freshen up, or take a dip. The water is 89 degrees today, very comfortable. We can then head to the ship yards and the ladies and gentlemen from Hyperion and Gargantua can go over the ships.

I already have asked our Naval Guard liasons to go over the ships and start their boilers to make sure they are all in working conditions. Since we replaced every cruiser, destroyer and frigate with the Jaguar Arsenal Cruiser, these have all been sitting idle. For 5 months now I think? We scuttled some 90 ships already."

He pauses and presses a button, opening the limo's wet bar "Just in case anyone is a bit thirsty, good to drink plenty of liquids this time of year, very humid!"

The Jaguar XJ12's speed along at around 100mph until slipping down into the city proper. Even in the city the main colour is green. Trees line the roads, sidewalks and open gardens and parks are just as numerous as subway stations. The tall white buildings contrasting the foliage nicely. They pass by several buildings that are made to look like huge white Tolteca (Aztec) pyramids, but the overall architecturial structure seems to be neo-classical.

Traffic is relatively heavy, especially as one gets closer to the beach. After an hour of driving the giant rambling garden mansion style Emperor Itzcoatl Royal Hotel comes into sight, surrounded by gardens and the beach, it sits literally right on the beach in a tucked away quiet corner of the harbour.

The limosines glide into the entry and a veritable horde of bellhops shake a leg and begin opening doors and handling luggage , the doormen holding open the large teak doors with gold fixtures and stained-glass windows.................the interior of the Hotel is beyond opulent. It is Ilek-Vaad's #1 national and international tourist destination and it looks like it.

Ujuy and the rest of his staff take in the various sites as they glide to their destination. The pyramids were quite interesting – not quite but similar to Dyellian architecture. Needless to say, the Emperor Itzcoatl Royal Hotel was quite impressive. One aide involuntarily gasped at the sight of its sheer splendor.

Ujuy carefully exited the limosuine and made his way into the magnificent interior of the hotel. He was suitably impressed and can’t quite remember if he was ever at such a place ever in his life. Not that Vrak didn’t have ultra-luxurious hotels, but this extravegant? He wasn’t sure.

“This is a most beautiful place, Mr. Tlalocitl. We certainly shouldn’t take too long since we are eager to start our discussions.”

He nodded toward the corporate reps.

“I’m sure that they are keen on seeing the merchandise. We primarily use a slightly different sort of equipment. I should say that, after the inspection is complete, that this purchase would not only be for ourselves, but quite possibly on behalf of the FKC. Mind you, I’m still waiting for approval from the Privy Council. They will need to be informed of the class, number, and condition of the ships before they release funds. Vrak itself will take some ships, of that I can assure you.”

Ujuy stopped and sniffed the air.

“So…clean. We will be ready within the hour.”

Mr. Tlalocitl smiled and nodded

"Of course, of course! I will take the ladies and gentleman from the Hyperion and Gargantua Corporations directly to the shipyards and then meet back here for a late lunch, 3, 4 PM perhaps?"

He smiles broadly at the clean comment

"All of our vessels meet the anti-pollution requirements of the Free Republic, every ship you will be seeing is powered by Bio-Diesel made from soy. Chemicals used in the building of the ships are all recaptured and recycled , we are very enviromentally conscious in the Free Republic.

Now, I will leave you in the able hands of the Royal Hotels Staff and we will head to the shipyards, until later."

With that Mr. Tlalocitl ushers the corporate reps back to the limosines along with the Assistant to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Mr. Warring.

The bellhops bow politely to the Vrakian party and lead them to their ground floor rooms. A large foyer seperates the entryway to the beachside rooms to form a comfortable and well guarded buffer from the throngs in the lobby and hotel bars and restaurant. Well guarded by a staff of butlers and other wait-staff that serve these rooms only.

Once inside, the sumptuous rooms are bigger than most townhouses or condos, having two bathrooms each, 3 bedrooms , a sitting room , dining room and a common room that opens spectacularly onto the beach, giving an excellent view of the harbour and Costa-Verde in the distance. The whole suite of 22 beach rooms have been reserved for the Vrakian party, paid for by Costa-Tula Shipyards LTD of course.

****

Outside Mr. Tlalocitl resumes the journey, the limosines heading due east, once again cruising easily at 100mph out of the city. About 45 minutes later they pass over a bluff. through some jungle and come to Costa-Tula's second harbour.

It is quite literally a fortified military base, the harbour is ringed with several hundred slip ways and is surrounded by an artificiial breakwalls that enclose several miles of harbour. The Limosine passes through the well guarded gates and past the production areas to the long lines of quays, where the hundreds of surplus ships are tethered.

"Well! Here we are !" Mr Tlalocitl excalims, motioning to the quays "All of the surplus ships that have yet to be scuttled." he pauses squinting into the distance "Ah! Exahust from some of the funnels, the Naval Guard must be inspecting them now......" with that he nimbly leaps up onto the quays and begins strolling among the ships, pointing out the different classes and their features, all seemingly from memory.

The Quay is inhabited by busy groups of Naval Guard Sailors and some Naval Guard Marines, who mostly ignore the visitors.

Mr. Tlalocitl sighs "A shame, such a shame, the Tula Class Destroyer was my favorite..........mind you we still have facilities to build and service them, parts won't be a worry and we can even arrange for a contract with Narvik Advanced Ordinance to supply you with munitions, or aid you into converting them into your standards........after all at Costa-Tula, the customer is always right, and we will do what we can to make sure you ae 100% satisfied......."

He continues on like that, a seasoned salesman giving a fine pitch.

James Iruk listened to Mr. Tlalocitl patiently while his expert eye gazed over the destroyers and other class of ships. Having served in the Vrakian navy for many years, rising to the rank of Commodore, he did know his stuff. Like many retired naval officers, he was able to make good use of his connections and found lucrative employment within Gargantua Shipping. Many of the other reps has similar backgrounds. The two Vrakian military procurement specialists were, for the most part, much like him except they were active duty and, well, just did not have enough experience – at least compared to him.

“Quite impressive, Mr. Tlalocitl. Quite impressive. I don’t many alterations would really be needed. I think it’s a matter of retraining the crews. Certainly the parts issue is an important consideration. Maybe your company and Narvik Advanced Ordinance may want to consider setting up a branch plant in Vrak?”

====

Ujuy swam in the clear waters, rolling and twisting his huge body. On land, he was awkward and waddled about. But, out here, he was like a torpedo. The swimming helped him relax and also focused his mind on the upcoming talks.

Mr. Tlalocitl looked very pleased as he finished his catalog of the ships. He looked very pleased at the idea of opening branch plants in Vrak , he nodded and smiled.

"We would be very interested in that." He sweeps his arm past the current shipyards " In ten years this will all be gone, rebuilt to exclusively build and maintain the Revenge Battleships and the Tollan Carriers, currently we can build and service two of each at a time, and the Jaguar Arsenal-Cruisers are built and maintained exclusively at the the South-Haven shipyards. It would certainly make sense if you plan on using our ships for the long term , that we could built a shipyard in Vrak dedicated exclusively to your needs.

Although, I seriously doubt that Narvik Advanced Ordinance will build a plant anywhere other than Narvik any time soon, they have been especially paranoid and secretive since they developed their Perun's Hammer Neutrino Ordinance. We didn't even see the plans for the weaponry on the Revenge Battleships until it was actually time to build and install them."

He paused and looks thoughtful "I will have to call Mr. Von Raukov and find out what their opinion would be."

"Now then, if you have ant questions about these ships or anything else, I will be pleased to answer them............and we should probably head back to the Hotel, we wouldn't want to late for lunch!"


*****

Ujay found that despite the crowds of tourists in Costa-Tula that the beach was relatively uncrowded. A quick glance down the western coast revealed literally hundreds of miles of beach, he could literally see no end , this gave plenty of room for beach goers.

The only off-putting thing was the signs. On every life-guard stand (situated every 50 yards or so) and posted in several places along the beach were warnings to not go out beyond the buoys that were about 100yards from the coast. The sign warned of Sharks, the harbour was apparently infested with them. Apparently some agreement with the sharks led them to respect the buoys ;)

James looked over the nearest destroyer, admiring her lines.

“If you would be so kind, Mr. Tlalocitl, I would like to take a walkabout one of these ships myself after lunch. You know, talk to the crews, and so on. I think the other reps as well would like to visually inspect the ships as well. Would you also be able to provide the service records of each ship? This will help us reach an agreeable price I’m sure. They seem well maintained though.”

====

Ujuy was mindful of the warning signs and kept within the boundries. Although he wouldn’t be as defenceless as an unarmed human against a shark, there is no need to tempt fate.

He exited the water and an aide towelled him dry. Then he said,

-Well, let’s meet with Mr. Tlalocitl for lunch.”

Mr. Tlalocitl nodded and smiled to Mr. Iruk.

"Of course, you may board any of the ships you wish, and we can arrange for you to take on for a short spin. The Naval Guard are currently just starting the engines for a shake down but I can arrange to have on ready tomorrow to take out. We also have all of the maintenance records for all of these ships, they were built and maintained here."


He did pause and check his watch

"We should head back for now, I'd hate to keep Mr. Hagwonak waiting, I will make everything you request available as soon as possible."

With that he ushers everyone back to the cars and they head back to the Hotel for their late lunch.

OOC: I’ll be as vague as possible here.

IC:

Ujuy and his entourage were lead to an extravagent room, repledant with a wide variety of food. As everything else in this hotel, the food was beyond excellent. Ujuy saw Mr. Tlalocitl enter along with Mr. Iruk and the rest of the corporate reps.

Mr. Iruk politely excused himself from Mr. Tlalocitl and made his way over to Ujuy.

-What do you think?
-Well, the ships appear to be in fine shape. Mr. Tlalocitl offered to take one out of a short trip. As well, the maintenance records will be provided. It will simply take too long to inspect all of them before deciding on a price.
-Excellent. I’m sure it will be fine. Besides, the Vaadians seems quite reasonable.

James reached for a drink while Ujuy Hagwonak made polite chatter with the Vaadians.

The meal was prepared and laid out in the Hotels main dining hall, a beautiful wood paneled room, complete with a replica of the statue of the God-Emperor Itzcoatl. The granite statue depicts Itzcoatl arrayed in jaguar skins, with macana and shield in hand as he devours his enemies.

The meal is mainly seafood and especially shellfish and mussels direct from the bay, very fresh and served in a variety of dishes.

As the Vrakian delegation eats Mr. Tlaocitl excuses himself to make a phone call.

"Gentlemen, ladies, I have just been in touch with the Naval Guard and they will have one of the Cruisers ready with crew tomorrow for a test voyage. I have requested that they have it ready before 10 am if at all possible. In the meantime I suggest you all enjoy the accomodations and relax. I will also have the complete service records for all the vessels available on data-DVD tomorrow so that you may inspect them as well."

He pauses and raises his glass "Here is to a long and prosperous friendship, cheers!"

While eating, Ujuy paused to look at the statue. Similar to our paintings of Bok, although one would have to see them at a temple. Fascinating.

At Mr. Tlalocitl’s annoucement and toast, the Vrakians responded with hearty “cheers” all around. More alcohol was requested and soon the Vrakians began to get sloshed. Something that they are fond of doing at important diplomatic and economic meetings.

Still, while Ujuy began revealing tales of his earlier diplomatic exploits, James Iruk was one of the few that remained sober. He quietly made his way to Mr. Tlalocitl and whispered,

“Ah, I think you are about to witness some more…shall we say…cultural information?”

A mirthful smile danced across his face.

“I want to thank you in advance for all you have done.”

Mr. Tlalocitl smiled to Mr. Iruk

"Well this should be interesting then."

Mr. Tlalocitl and Mr. Chuk-Mul from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were enjoying the food greatly, but drank sparingly of the alcoholic beverages. Mr. Warring from the Lassic National Bank on the other hand helped himself to the Lassean ales avaible and was enjoying himself greatly.

Mr. Tlalocitl smiled (as he always did ) and listened with great interest to Ujay and the other Vrakians, it was only Mr. Chuk-Mul, who seemed more reserved the more boisterous the Vrakians got.

Somewhere, a hammer was pounding on a steel girder. No, wait. Ujuy rolled over and shook his great head. Ah, that was a good night. His head throbbed as he got up. Ah, mustn’t do this too quickly. That little Warring fellah sure could drink thought the ambassador.

He heaved his huge frame upwards and then made his way to the beach for an early dip before breakfast.

Elsewhere, James Iruk was pouring over the maintenance reports and slowly sipped an orange juice that was graciously provided by the hotel staff.

Bright and early Mr, Tlalocitl showed up at the Hotel, annoying early for those with hangovers. He quickly found Mr. Iruk and smiled and greeted him.

"Good morning! Beautiful day for sailing I think. I have received word that the Naval Guard will have a cruiser and a destroyer manned and ready to sail by 10 am . Just enough time to have breakfast and them get to the harbour.

I see you've got the maintenance records? Every thing in order I hope? Excellent! I have arranged for Mr. Warring and Mr. Chuk-Mul to meet us abord the Cruiser Mdonhay. The crepes here are superp, I think I'll start with those.........."

He as usual Mr. Tlalocitl was very lively and answered any and all questions through breakfast.

Once everyone was sufficently full and awake, it was off to Costa-Tula Shipyards and abord the Cruiser.

Bright and early Mr, Tlalocitl showed up at the Hotel, annoying early for those with hangovers. He quickly found Mr. Iruk and smiled and greeted him.

"Good morning! Beautiful day for sailing I think. I have received word that the Naval Guard will have a cruiser and a destroyer manned and ready to sail by 10 am . Just enough time to have breakfast and them get to the harbour.

I see you've got the maintenance records? Every thing in order I hope? Excellent! I have arranged for Mr. Warring and Mr. Chuk-Mul to meet us abord the Cruiser Mdonhay. The crepes here are superp, I think I'll start with those.........."

He as usual Mr. Tlalocitl was very lively and answered any and all questions through breakfast.

Once everyone was sufficently full and awake, it was off to Costa-Tula Shipyards and abord the Cruiser.

Courtesy of Costa-Tula, the Vrakians arrived in style. Ujuy Hagwonak stayed behind to make some preliminary preparation. If the deal went through, and Ujuy couldn't see it not succeeding, then he was authorized to open up a trade consul within Ilek-Vaad, depending upon their hosts of course. Such a consul would facilitate trade better and act as an informal diplomatic channel. If things went well in the future, then the government would consider a diplomatic consul or even a fully-fledged embassy.

====

James smiled and lazily gazed out of the limosuine as the other company reps peppered Mr. Tlalocitl with questions. The maintenance records reflected the care that the Vaadians had about their navy. Only a couple ships perhaps required some extensive repairs and that was to be expected when ships were being rotated according to their duty schedule. He already informed Ujuy of that and also gave a ball park figure in terms of price range. He imagined that the walrus was dialing home and getting the necessary authorization to secure the funds.

Once at the shipyards Mr. Tlalocitl led the group to the Xochilli Class Cruiser the Mdonhay. The party was greeted by a captain of the Naval Guard.

"Greetings, I am Captain Petra Nerva, welcome aboard. I was Captain for 3 years on the Mdonhay before it was decomissioned."

She led them aboard and gave them a tour of the ship, showing them the various features, before taking them to the bridge, where Mr. Warring and Mr. Chuk-Mul were waiting.

"The Mdonhay saw action last in the battle of Yasmarea. Before that it was deployed to South Haven, Cyberjaya, Teratia and played a part in the battle of Corcyra in the Phyrric civil war, in all actions, the Naval Guard were victorious, thanks in a large part to our excellent ships." the Captain continued as they got underway.

The ship easily powered up and began cruising at 32 knots once they were clear of the breakwall and headed out around the island of Costa-Verde and past the Tactical Group Emperor Ehecatl and the Naval Guard Flagship Emperor Ehecatl.

The Mdonhay was dwarfed by the 100,000+ ton Revenge battleships . The Captain continued as they sped past the Naval Guard installations " The Xochilli Class has satellite guidance and targetting systems that are linked to either Tollan Fire-Control or a Flagship Fire-Control. In the unlikely event that the crew is disabled killed or abandons ship, the weapon systems can still be fired and aimed by remote control."

Mr. Tlalocitl interrupted "We could of course install similiar satellite link ups in your fleet and give your navy the same capabilities, of course these ships have had the control modules removed to disable link up to the Retaliatory Guard's RASTER satellites."

The Captain nodded "The Xochilli is a multi-purpose Cruiser, with anti-ship, submarine and aircraft weaponry. From personal experience I can tell you it performs admirably in all roles."

Mr. Tlalocitl smiled and adds "The Xochilli also has room for up to four aircraft, giving it a superb reconaissance and support ability."

Mr. Warring, who looked perhaps a bit seasick/hungover piped in " The National Bank of Lassic can also offer you excellent terms on financing, the International Bond Rating for Vrak is excellent , and I think I can offer a rate of 2% or lower if you decide to finance the deal."

Mr. Tlalocitl smiled "Of course, the Xocilli Cruiser brand new were sold at 1 Billion Drachma, of course these refurbished ones will be offered at a better than 50% discount.The Tula Class Destroyers orginally were around 650 million Drachma and the Coventry Class Frigates were around 850 Million Drachma. Even the discounted rate is negotiable, depending on how many you purchase , service contracts, and so one...........and you mentioned the possibility of Costa-Tula Shipyards possibilty being given the chance to build a facility in you nation? We'll take all of that into account of course."

Mr. Tlalocitl seemed eager to close the deal, after all how often do you get to sell the same ships twice?

"Well met, Captain Nerva. Three years, eh? Tell me, will you miss your ship?"

A mischievous smile spread across James' face. Then, he politely listened as the captain talked about the satellite firing system and cast his eyes over the monstrous battleships. He gripped the rails and sniffed the air, quite at ease with the motion of the sea and showing no signs of a hangover.

As they rejoined the others, James took in all the information from the Vaadians calmly. He made polite noises until he heard about the price and then possible terms of financing. A low whistle. For a moment, he was deep in concentration but then broke the silence by saying,

"Ah, let's see. If I figure things right, that would run us about 123 billion, assuming a 50% discount. I don't know exactly what the exchange rate between a drachma and a kronor goes for these days. I think the Klatchian kronor is about $1.23 US though."

He broke into a smile.

OOC:

Some quick math

500m * 62 = 31000m
425m * 120 = 51000m
325 * 128 = 41600m
Total = 123 600 m

Is that about right?

Captain Nerva smiled at Mr. Iruk "I have been given command of the Jaguar Arsenal-Cruiser Mdonhay, I have been give the chance to give life to a new ship, a new legacy. Everyone mourns the passing of the loved and the familiar, but it is easier knowing that this old man " she patted the command console "will serve someone else, and not be broken apart for materials."

As they turned to talk price Mr. Warring nodded "yes right around one hundred and twenty three billion. The Drachma is trading at........"he pauses and checks his palm pilot "1.73.56USD. If we say, financed the deal through 30 years , that 4.1 billion a year at 2% accrued yearly would bring the yearly payment to a most manageable 4.44 billion Drachma a year, 30 years would be the maximum time we would fiance I think, if you wanted to pay it off sooner of course we could dp 10 or 20 years........."

Mr. Tlalocitl interrupted, as it seems Mr. Warring would continue unabated "Maybe we should head back and discuss this over lunch? We've been at sea now for nearly two hours! Time flies when you're having fun."

James nodded back to the captain and Mr. Tlalocitl. He would rather like to be out all day on the cruiser but his stomach convinced him that lunch would be a good idea.

"Will you be joining us, Captain Nerva?"

====

Back at the hotel, Ujuy was in contact with the FKC Privy council. One of his aides was busy faxing a copy of the maintenance reports on an ultra-secure line.

Captain Nerva smiled at Mr. Iruk "Unfortunately no, because of the Democratic Dutch Republics invasion of Tanah Burung, all Tactical Groups are on alert, I will have to return to my new ship. I am with the Tactical Group Namroth Vedic, and it is the next in line to be called up actively if the need arises."

The Cruiser made it's way back to the ship yards and docked back at it's position among the quays. Technicians and Naval Guard Sailors were still diligenty going over the rest of the ships, inspecting them and making any necessary repairs to make them serviceable.

Capatin Nerva said her goodbyes and then for another section of the ship yard to meet up with her new ship and crew.

Mr. Tlalocitl ushered everyone back to the limosines, where they were whisked back to the hotel for another superb lunch. Traffoc in Costa-Tula began to steadily increase during the day, and the ride back took much longer than it had previously.

Port Olympus, FKC capital

In the bowels of the odd city, members of the Privy Council debated the merits of purchasing the Vaadian ships. They sent back initial instructions to Ujuy, stating prices and also instructing him to pay off the ships within 20 years. They weren't too keen on paying more interest than they had to.

Costa-Tula

Ujuy read over the fax carefully, then made his way down to the banquet hall. Anl exchange of information with James Iruk and the rest of the reps and then some other details could be sorted out. Ujuy rather hoped that the Vaadians would consent to build a factory or two within Vrak itself - since depending on outsiders to supply your bullets is, well, risky.

====

Meanwhile, James Iruk made small talk with Mr. Tlalocitl and the others, while smiling in memoray at the fine figure cut by the female captain.

I shall have to get her number before I go. I hope she isn't married or something.

Mr. Warring praised the decision to fiance the deal for twenty years "If you have the money, there is no need to owe it, That's what I always say! I'll have the loan papers drawn up and delivered to your rooms in the morning, and of course I hope you'll allow me to buy all of you ladies and gentlemen drinks?"

Mr. Tlalocitl was also very pleased "Costa-Tula Shipyard was would be very pleased to open facilities within Vrak. There are no Vaadian Government restrictions on opening plants in foreign lands, we simply have to make sure that as a Vaadian company we have to meet minimum enviromental, pay and safety regulations set out by our government. We ca easily do that,"

Mr. Chuk-Mul was plasee as well but only for a few minutes. A grey haired rather wolfish looking gentleman dressed impeccably with sharp grey eys entered the dining area. He was obviously recognized and caused a bit of a stir , after summoning Mr. Chuk-Mul to him and after some sharp, apparently unpleasant words Mr, Chuk-Mul scuttled out, looking none to pleased.

The grey haired gentleman then approached the Vrakian Delegation

"Ladies, Gentlemen , I am Theleb Kanaan, Minister of Foreign Affairs. " He paused to bow to Ujay and shake hands all around " I am very pleased that we have been able to help your great nation and hopefully to forge closer ties, I hope everything has been attended to and that you are satisfied with our reprsentatives?"

He then joins them, and proceeds to commizerate, he is very friendly , possibly even more so than Mr. Tlalocitl.

"Ah," said Ujuy, "let me just clarify here. We would like to pay only 28 billion for the Xochilli Class cruisers but the other prices and arrangements are fine."

He then straightened up and heaved his great head upwards. For those not used to a rather large (easily 1 1/2 metric tons) rising up with large tusks in close proximity, the effect is somewhat...disconcerting.

"I believe we have a deal, then. We are only too happy to bring in new businesses to the Klatch. Certainly, we hope that you would hire some local staff but we understand the need for higher level managers to be from your nation."

A nod and then...a smile? It would be hard to tell actually for those not accustomed to talking walruses. Only the eyes truly expressed Ujuy's thoughts.

"We are happy to do business with you gentlemen..."

Then the ambassador turned at that arrival of Theleb Kanaan.

"Ah, Minister Thelel Kanaan. We are most satisfied with our treatment, your courtesy, and this deal. This is certainly a step in the right direction for the future. May I take this opportunity now to thank you personally for your nation's political help during the OMP episode?"

The rest of the Vrakians began to feel more relazed once the deal was cemented. James Iruk, the dog that he was, began to scour the area for the first pretty Vaadian lady for dancing.

OOC: Done deal, eh?

Mr. Tlalocitl rubbed his chin at the offer of 28 billion for the cruisers "Was there something you didn't like about them? 31 billion is already a sizeable discount, as suprbly mainatined and maintenanced as they were, by the time they're ready for shipping we could sell them as new, I suppose I could let you have them for, say, 30 billion, but going much lower than that would be seriously cutting into our margins, after all we will have to make expenditures to refurbish all of them fully.

Of course I won't even mention the costs of new facilities in Vrak, it will be a year or two before we can turn a profit from brand new facilities, we'll be defraying the cost of Naval Guard sailors to sail the ships to Vrak and then we have to transport them home. The expense is quite staggering I think to be haggling over 30 billion, don't you?"

He paused and waited for Ujay's answer, it was amazing to see Tlalocitl go from 'sales' to 'haggle' mode instantly and still smiling! It seemed at any moment Tlalocitl's starving children would show up sobbing and begging for crumbs to the strains of a violin!

Mr'. Iruk had no problem finding eligible young ladies, not only Vaadians, but from all over the world. The Emperor Itzcoatl was the #1 tourist destination among well to do international tourists in the Free Republic

OOC: I think it's a done deal!

Mr. Tlalocitl rubbed his chin at the offer of 28 billion for the cruisers "Was there something you didn't like about them? 31 billion is already a sizeable discount, as suprbly mainatined and maintenanced as they were, by the time they're ready for shipping we could sell them as new, I suppose I could let you have them for, say, 30 billion, but going much lower than that would be seriously cutting into our margins, after all we will have to make expenditures to refurbish all of them fully.

Of course I won't even mention the costs of new facilities in Vrak, it will be a year or two before we can turn a profit from brand new facilities, we'll be defraying the cost of Naval Guard sailors to sail the ships to Vrak and then we have to transport them home. The expense is quite staggering I think to be haggling over 30 billion, don't you?"

He paused and waited for Ujay's answer, it was amazing to see Tlalocitl go from 'sales' to 'haggle' mode instantly and still smiling! It seemed at any moment Tlalocitl's starving children would show up sobbing and begging for crumbs to the strains of a violin!

Mr'. Iruk had no problem finding eligible young ladies, not only Vaadians, but from all over the world. The Emperor Itzcoatl was the #1 tourist destination among well to do international tourists in the Free Republic

OOC: I think it's a done deal!

Ujuy replied,

"It is what I am authorized to pay, as per the Privy Council."

His face registered that as one of which the matter is out of his hands.

"I might be able to convince them to up the price a little bit."

Tlalocitl smiled warmly "If they can go up a bit, then I will meet them halfway and say 29 billion...........if not?" he shrugs "we can talk about them later after we complete delivery of the other ships.

Let's enjoy ourselves for now."

With that The Minister of Foreign Affairs stood and proposed a toast

"To new friends and continued goodwill and understanding."

Tlalocitl smiled warmly "If they can go up a bit, then I will meet them halfway and say 29 billion...........if not?" he shrugs "we can talk about them later after we complete delivery of the other ships.

Let's enjoy ourselves for now."

With that The Minister of Foreign Affairs stood and proposed a toast

"To new friends and continued goodwill and understanding."

While the toasts and other pleasantries were being exchanged, an aide to the Ambassador manning the fax machine came back with the latest:


29 billion is acceptable. An escort fleet has been dispatched.

[stamp of the Privy Council]


Excited, the aide rushed back and whispered into Ujuy's ear. He nodded and then faced the Vaadians.

"Ah, we have received final approval. 29 billion in your currency has been approved for the cruisers. So, we can take all your ships! To the Klatch! To Ilek-Vaad!"

The rest of the Vrakians roared their approval.

====

Vrak Prime

The order was given to the next five guardian fleets to provide escort service. After refueling and with the necessary tankers, they began to head towards Ilek Vaad, being careful not to come anywhere near Scandavian States or other intensifying conflict areas - such as Allanea. At best, they would be able to meet the newly acquired ships at a neutral point in the ocean.

Mr. Tlalocitl, Mr. Warring and the Minister of Foreign Affairs all seemed very pleased by the closing of the sale.

"Excellent, I shall make sure that all of the ships are prepared to leave as soon as possible." says Mr, Tlocital as he raises his glass to Ujay "I will also comission a team of engineers to travel to Vrak and assess opening a new shipyard."

The who;e merry lot continued on well into the night, with the exception mof the Minister of Foreign Affairs who had to leave for Lassic for a meeting of the Republican Council the next day.


OOC: definently a done deal now ;)

Mr. Tlalocitl, Mr. Warring and the Minister of Foreign Affairs all seemed very pleased by the closing of the sale.

"Excellent, I shall make sure that all of the ships are prepared to leave as soon as possible." says Mr, Tlocital as he raises his glass to Ujay "I will also comission a team of engineers to travel to Vrak and assess opening a new shipyard."

The who;e merry lot continued on well into the night, with the exception mof the Minister of Foreign Affairs who had to leave for Lassic for a meeting of the Republican Council the next day.


OOC: definently a done deal now ;)


OOC: I think we can safely assume that the ships arrived without incident. I'll make a post in a few days saying something to that effect. I'll have to get my basic map done soon, since Vrak Prime the capital is not the only city with large shipyards, since most of the cities facing westward on the peninsula are quite capable.

OOC: a map of Haven, should you not have one. If Vrak's forces need an escort, Ilek-Vaad would easily be able to provide one,Naval Guard ships are often in Edolia to resupply. That's if you're coming in from the north.


http://koti.mbnet.fi/crimmer/erb/mdb.html

OOC: I suppose we could wait for the ships off the coast of Edolia. We have cordial relations with them.

OOC: Good Idea, that will keep you away from SS and my ships will excort the ones you purchased as far as Edolia and then you can escort them the rest of the way home. :)

Well far off the coast of Edolia, the guardian fleets waited. They were a bit nervous since they would be in the general vicinity of Scandavian States and, as such, are hopelessly outgunned. However, the Vrakians were betting that those pakrahs wouldn't try anything since the some of the crews aboard the newly purchased ships were Vaadians. Any hostile moves would undoubtedly bring the immediate wrath of both nations.

In the distance, the Vaadian ships could be seen. A welcome signal was immediately transmitted while another was sent back to the Vrak Military High Command. The entire route would be watched from satellites as well as periodic check ins. Back in Vrak, a projection fleet was on standby in case anything went amiss.

Soon, the armada of well over 200 ships made their way back to the FKC. Now, all that remained was how to integrate these ships into the command structure of the JDF.

The Vaadian ships were indeed well under way , they received and the welcome signal and sent one of their own. Unbeknownst to the Vrakians they were also being met by a second force, they were also hailed by the Tactical Group Themirin Ilek-Vaad.They had just finished taking on supplies in Edolia.

Admiral Stiver hailed the Vrakian Commander " Greetings! I have ben instructed by the Republican Council to tail your escort and make sure that you arrive safely in Klatchian waters, we will then also retrieve the skeleton crews aboard the ships you have just purchased, if that is okay? I look forward to our trip."

With that things were well underway, and hopefully uneventfully so.

The journey was uneventful, much to the delight of the gaurdian fleets and now FKC fleet. The sheer number of ships meant that not all of them tied up at Vrak Prime, but were spread out along the entire western coast of Vrak.

Gifts were exchanged with the Vaadians and deliberations within the Diplomatic Corps were underway as to the possible opening of a Vrakian consulate in Ilek-Vaad.

The Privy Council now had the monumentous task of integrating the fleet into JDF command while the Vrakians themselves diverted a couple ships of each class to their experimental yards. Compensation was made to the FKC treasury as a whole.

Meanwhile, the company reps dutifully reported back to their offices and began to explore further trade with Ilek Vaad. As well, plans were made to welcome the new Vaadian companies and the expertise that they could bring. It was hoped that the Vrakian market would provide them with a stable and long-lasting relationship.

OOC: Ilek-Vaad, would it be possible to say that we now have some kind of diplomatic conduit in your nation? As well, let's say the ships arrived to wrap this up. I think though we will be having more rps in the future...

OOC: you bet. We can assume you have a Trade Mission or a Consulate at least. The Vaadians are ver xenophobic and avery 'big' on small government so they only open up full blown embassies, and only when it's warranted (I think Ilek-Vaad has 15 foreign Embassies at the moment), but Costa-Tula Shipyards will be eager to begin building new shipyards in Vrak and production facilities.

I look forward to more RP's with Vrak and the Klatch .