NationStates Jolt Archive

The sun was coming up from far in the horizon, but it was still dark. A fierce wind kicked up billows of snow and permafrost, and the clouds overhead threatened to turn into blizzards. It was a measure of the changes sweeping over the country how much the once predictable weather had transformed. The whole atmosphere seemed to have gone mad. Extreme blizzards, once rare, were a constant threat, and constant snowfall lasting for days was even more common.

Looking out the windows of the parliament building, one could see the undersides of the clouds, dry and dusty, dropping a curtain of snow unto the dark city. There were also changes in the country itself, the government’s disposition was slowly turning to paranoia bordering close to schizophrenia rather than pacifism, and the parliament building had turned into a secondary intelligence division. Not only did the council begin to investigate Iuthia, but all matters related to foreign nations, their technology, and anything else of strategic importance. What they lacked was inside information. It was easy to see what Iuthia was doing. It was much more difficult to know what they were thinking. To that end, the global positioning satellite was constantly monitoring the whole situation, which brought marginal updates about the current status of Iuthia. Previous contacts were silent. Perhaps they'd had a change of heart, lost their access to the necessary technology, or perhaps even been caught and killed. The council finally gave up on any further espionage from the region, and decided it would be wise to turn to a friendlier stance; to pay them another visit.

#-#-#

As Aleksandrov walked the Piazza he felt bad about the council’s decision for espionage from under diplomacy. They were trying to do good, even if they sometimes didn't know how. He couldn't claim to have a much better track record. As he walked past the booths and vendors, he couldn't help but notice how shabby and makeshift the place had become, a shadow of its former self. This was the very soul of the country. He thought of spies, battles, and executions all within the militarist’s insurrection. We won, but is there anything left worth saving? Then she saw a group of squealing children bumping through the crowd. A clothing vendor was at first startled, then amused as a brown-skinned young boy bumped him from behind and rushed away between stacks of colorful shirts, hotly pursued by his playmates. We must not gain security of our survival at the cost of our souls. It was time to start looking for redemption, before it was too late.

"Hia-ah!" Mick lunged at the Lord General with his fencing sword driving towards the older mans chest, however, he had been a little slow on the attack and James, who had the experience of age on side, had interpretted the attack and lept backwards before returning to his guard.

"You're too slow Mick!" James deGritz, the leader of Iuthia, mocked him. "Perhaps you are loosing your touch in your old age."

On the word 'age' James himself stepped forward and made a faint to the top left before swivling his hand to change his attack to a lower angle, Mark parried, meeting James's blade with a grating sound before pulling back slightly and then quickly on to the counter attack.

"Not as old as you 'old man'!" the foriegn minister retorted, making quick slashes at the Lord General, feeling him out for a week point in his defence. "Perhaps we will have to fit a stair lift into this place next year."

In the background, sitting on a bench set aside for observation in the large hall that James deGritz had set aside for a gymnasium, Liessa Valleron sat and watched James who was to be her husband. Previously she hadn't enjoyed watching James and Mick spar like this, as the two men parried, countered and fainted at one another the two would swap mild insults and try and show the other up as being the weaker. However, she had come to learn that this was the few places where the two men could drop ranks and formalities and just release all the stress their jobs bore down upon them.

James was getting on to being in his late fourties, turning fifty. He had aged well concidering his time as Lord General and his grey hair made him look wise, Liessa loved him for his compassion... she didn't really needs his power or wealth; she worked on telivision and had gotten wealthy enough over the 100 years she had lived and power wasn't her concern... James on the other hand loved her because she didn't care about his position and she seemed to genuinely like him.

Liessa clapped as James made a daring move towards Mick. The foriegn minister faltered a little, his footing lost momentarily as James pushed towards him. However, being a younger man in his late thirties with only some greys in his normally brown hair, Mick managed to get his balance and put up a good defence. However, James had already taken advantage of the mistake and was pressing on Mick again.

The buzzer sounded, James had stuck Mick's torso after a sly double faint.

"Well done, James." Mick complemented the Lord General, gasping for breath.

"Don't mention it, you almost had me earlier." replied James, breathing heavily.

Liessa ran up towards James as he removed his fencing gear, finally taking off his face guard she kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Well done, James" James smiled and the three of them sat down on the bench as Mick and James removed the rest of their armour.

"So Mick, I hear you're to have a visitor from Zvarindograd arrive today? Whats the occasion?" James politely inquired as the two of them got their breaths back.

"Well, we wanted to catch up on the affairs of Zvarinograd's homeland and how it's fairing ever since that whole rebellion mess a while back." Mick sighed, it had been a different relationship before then, he felt he could trust them more when they didn't have a military to call their own. "We here it's gotten pretty bad over there and the Diplomatic Corps have had trouble getting their people to accept positions in their embassy in Zvarinograd because of the incident with the last inhabitants."

"Yes, I would imagine that would be the case." James looked more serious for a moment; the rebellion had changed things conciderably and Zvarinograd scientists working in Iuthia were politely given less important tasks as the atmosphere had changed. He couldn't afford to leave them to close to vital systems such as NAFDA until he could be sure of their nations relations with Iuthia. The people lost in the rebellion's chemical attacks also left a impression on the minds of Iuthian diplomats... some good people were lost in that affair. "Still, we have to move on."

"Yes sir, that we do. In anycase I'll be meeting with the man later today to discuss KIST affairs as well as to allow them the chance to ask about our NDA application. In the last meeting they hinted at knowing we were concidering joining something but you know how sly those people can be."

"I wouldn't know, you tell me?" James replied curtly, he had gotten on well with those of from Zvarinograd he met, but then again, Mick was in a better position to know.

"Heh, nevermind. I better start re-checking my notes, no doubt they will be interested in affairs over here too and I would like to leave a good impression none the less."

"Very well." James hugged the man to say goodbye. "Same time again Thursday?"

"Sure thing, James." Mick then left to get into his suit for later while James and Liessa retired to return to their daily routine.