NationStates Jolt Archive

There are so many nations out there that Euroslavia has had no contact with...and so many that we didn't know well enough. The world was full of nations of various political stances, military beliefs, and religious customs, however, there were a few that stood out in Lady Destra's head. One leader that she always looked up to was the Dread Lady herself, Nathicana. Her attitude and diplomatic superiority stood out among the world as some of the best qualities a leader could possibly have. Scolopendra. A nation that was very close to the Dread Lady. What made that nation stand out? That alone, was quite obvious. In the years that she had been keeping track of international politics, not one nation has stood up to them. Those two stood together like friends should do. Euroslavia had yet to find nations that would stand next to themself, through thick and thin, and still hold the same opinion of it. Maybe this was a chance. A chance to prove itself to others...


To the nations of Scolopendra and The Dominion of Dread Lady Nathicana,
I stand in awe, at the fact that I am reaching out to your nations for such a request, however, there is much to learn from both of you. We wish to learn more about your culture, your customs, your ways of diplomacy, and most of all, yourselves. I, therefore, am sending a request that you send both of your leaders to Arcadia, Euroslavia to do so. Security within Euroslavia is nothing to worry about. We have much to discuss with both of you. There will be more detail about exactly what will occur during the conference, but for now, it will remain a secret until we can confirm your presence.

She sat back in her chair, and began to ponder about what was going to happen. First of all, she hoped that the transmission would be sent out. There had been problems in efficiency with the actual envoys... but that was dealt with accordingly. She also worried about the fact that Euroslavia wasn't nearly as well known as the rest of the nations. That could be a definite strike against her... but she could worry herself to death, constantly thinking about such things. Lady Destra got up, and resumed her day with a press conference occuring in 15 minutes about the economy of Euroslavia and its steady increase over the past 3 years...

"Janus, you are paranoid."

The Asian man frowns, deepening the ridges in his yellowish-tan face caused by his otherwise mild epicanthic folds... then smirks in his usual nonchalant way, an entirely different portion of his face following the lines of common creases. "Of course I am, Speeks. Gotta earn my pay some way. Still," the Intelligence Advisor continues, leaning in a little conspiratorially, "doesn't something seem fishy here? 'We don't know who the hell you are, but come send your leaders to something and we won't even tell you what it's for.'"

The massive kzintosh sighs and shakes his head, one hand idly playing with the rough sash that marks him as the Patriarch of at least his Scolopendran siblings. "Back when I was in charge of IntRelate, Janus, we used to be known for our diplomacy. Unfortunately, we have atrophied as a diplomatic power since then. To fix that, we will have to take the occasional chance."

Garbo sighs theatrically, leaning back in his chair and folding his hands behind his head, cushioned by his black afro. "You people never listen to me."

"Oh, we listen." Chuckling, Speaker-Rrit turns to go back to his office. "Just not follow blindly is all."

"As it should be," Janus murmurs to himself.

--<Transmission Type: Standard Diplomatic Communique>--
-<Sender: Supreme Emperor Speaker-Rrit, FSS>-
-<Destination: Lady Devras, UFFE>-
--<Subject: Invitation to Euroslavia>--

Ma'am,

I am honored to accept your invitation, pending additional information concerning how we should prepare and what topics you wish to discuss. I look forward to learning more about your people and nation, and hope that this meeting will get the relationship between our nations off to a good start.

Respectfully,

http://www.weirdozone.0catch.com/projects/nationstates/scolopendra/speaker-to-animals.gifSupreme Emperor Speaker-Rrit
Chief of State
Federated Segments of Scolopendra

--<End Transmission>--

Lady Destra was relieved to hear of Scolopendra's confirmation of their attendance to the conference. It was good to know that they were open to relations with other nations that weren't known too well. Now-a-days, you can't really trust who you get into contact with. They may prove to have...ill intentions...


Transmission sent to: Scolopendra; Dread Lady Nathicana
From: Lady Destra of Euroslavia
Subject: RE: Invitation

There are many topics that we would enjoy shedding light upon, such as the involvement of each nations' international affairs, stances on current conflicts, the allies of each country, culture, and most importantly, the proposition of peace measures between our nations. Whether the discussion goes further than peace proposals is completely up to whether each nation would enjoy discussing those subjects. We will also be providing entertainment for both of you from the finest of our Arts Competitors. Any topic of discussion that either of you would like to bring up may gladly do so. We are open for suggestions.

An interesting proposal, to be sure. None the least of which, the fact that this was an Ardan nation making it. He didn't like it, there was no question about that. The question was, how long could he draw this out before needing a reply from Nathicana? And, was this an effort to make public the fact she was still absent? Would they accept his presence in her stead? Pellegrino had been against it entirely, suggesting a polite, but firm refusal based on current circumstances, still, he couldn't help but wonder if some good could come of it.

His eyes narrowed as he plotted his course, fingertips drumming nervously against his desktop, before turning their energy to typing out two communications. If nothing else, it could buy him some much-needed time.

Transmission Type: Secure Trium Council, High Encryption
Sender: Cesare Calabrese, Dominion Chancellor
Destination: Supreme Emperor, Speaker-Rrit, Scolopendra
Subject: Euroslavian Invitation

Honorable Imperatore,

I am writing you on behalf of the Imperatrice on the matter of Euroslavia. Given the second transmission recieved from Lady Destra, I am guessing that you too are considering their invitation to visit their nation. Obviously, said invitation comes as somewhat of a concern to us, given the delicate state of relations with the Ardan region in general. I was hoping to get more information as to your thoughts on the matter, your possible intents, and how we might best coordinate our efforts, should we choose to proceed.

Unfortunately, our intel on Euroslavia is less comprehensive than we would like, though what information we do have seems to indicate it has been through several incarnations previous to present. While our Intel Minister views this as potential trouble, I cannot help but think it may be an opportunity to positively influence a nation that has been through rather serious recent upheavals. After all, nothing we have seen has indicated that they have been terribly active with either their region, or Metus as yet.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

With Respect,

--Cesare Calabrese

Transmission Type: Diplomatic Standard
Sender: Cesare Calabrese, Dominion Chancellor
Destination: Lady Destra, Euroslavia
Subject: Euroslavian Invitation

My Lady Destra,

I write on behalf of our gracious Imperatrice, to thank you for your generous offer, and to request more information as to what to expect, what sort of timeframe you might suggest. We thank you for the additional information, so that we may better prepare ourselves for the topics that most interest you. In addition, should the timing conflict with the Imperatrice's rather full schedule, she wishes to ask if you would, perhaps, accept my attendance in her stead. I admit, I cannot truly compare to our own Dread Lady, but she has assured me that as her Chancellor, I have her full confidence to respresent the Dominion as it deserves. Should this arrangement not be to your liking, we would be happy to coordinate to find a date that meshes better for all involved.

We look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

http://home.mchsi.com/~ketri/wsb/links/newcalabrese.jpg
--Cesare Calabrese

--<Transmission Type: Secure Encrypted Internal Triumvirate Communique>--
-<Sender: Supreme Emperor Speaker-Rrit, FSS>-
-<Destination: Chancellor Cesare Calabrese, DDLN>-
--<Subject: The Euroslavian Invitation>--

Chancellor,

We have been equally concerned by this. On the one hand, my Intelligence Advisor believes that this could be a trap; on the other, he is paid to say that even though he has no evidence for it. I believe it is an opportunity to improve our relations with fringe members of the Ardan and Metus alliances. They may associate with distasteful oppressors, but that does not mean that they follow in that taint as well.

Our intentions are what they always are; to initiate peaceful diplomatic contact and learn more about their society, their culture, and how they relate to others. More pragmatic relations such as trade agreements are the responsibility of my Advisors. Anything else depends on the context of the meeting and our opportunities.

At the behest of Foot-to-Ass Advisor Hawke, I will be accompanied by a Mobile Infantry 'honor' guard as appropriate. We can coordinate with your security personnel if the Dominion decides to press this further.

http://www.weirdozone.0catch.com/projects/nationstates/scolopendra/speaker-to-animals.gifSupreme Emperor Speaker-Rrit
Chief of State
Federated Segments of Scolopendra

--<End Transmission>--

Transmission Type: Code 3 Encrypted Communique
Sender: Lady Destra of Arcadia, Euroslavia
Destination: Cesare Calabrese, Dominion Chancellor
Subject: RE: Euroslavian Invitation

Firstly, the representatives from Scolopendra and Dead Lady Nathicana will be welcomed into Euroslavia with enormous celebration. We have the first night of your arrival as, basically, a sight-seeing day within Euroslavia. I do understand that you may believe our nation to be a security hazard, however, I can easily put down any thoughts of such a thing by simply promising you that nothing out of the ordinary willl happen. One thing among all Euroslavians is that truth and respect are two of the most important things to a person. Without these things, no sort of relationship can occur...that is, any sort of positive relationship. The celebrations include performances of the musical, Two Tales of One Nation, which is regarded with Euroslavic pride as the musical that represents our nations' independence from the Ottoman Turks. After that, a banquet will follow with Euroslavic delicacies that we'll leave for you to see yourselves.

The time frame of the conference is approximately for three days, the first day being the celebration, the second day being the actual negotiations between our delegates, and the third day being optional. We would gladly escort your across the country to give you a tour of the landscape, and the true beauties of Euroslavia, however, we do realize that you all have busy livse, and that everyone needs to get back to business after such a conference.

As for the topics of the meeting, we are quite open to suggestions, however we would certainly put "Diplomatic Ties between our nations" as a number one priority. Trade discussions, politics in each nation, and their perspective on specific nations such as Arda, certainly a controversial group of nations. We would also like to discuss your culture and the beauties of your own nation. Diplomacy isn't, and shouldn't be the only topic in such a conference, since it has been proven to drive certain unfortunate delegates and diplomats insane. We'll ellaborate further on that when the times comes.

On the subject of Euroslavia being a member of Arda. Euroslavia has not been completely immersed in some of the things that have been going on within Arda, nor does it remain completely active within it. We pride ourselves in being one of the more ...patient and compassionate members of the region and we certainly hope that this does not get in the way of the possibility of fruitful negotiations between our nations.

The presence of the Dread Lady herself would be the greatest honor, however we realize that she is quite a busy person, and would be equally honored if a representative were sent in her place. Discussions with your Chancellor would be grand.

Sincerely,
Lady Destra of Arcadia, Euroslavia

The entire nation, specifically in the area of Arcadia, was scrambling to make last minute additions to the preparation of the representatives from the Dominion of Dread Lady Nathicana and Scolopendra. Shows of Euroslav pride were scattered across the city, however, not too much. Such a display would give off a vibe of arrogance. The banquet hall was being prepared as well. Only the finest silverware, which happened to be imported from Sarzonia for such a special occasion, was being folded into the silk napkins that they would be using. The food was already under preparation several days ago, specifically the Euroslavic specialties, which have a trace of Italian culture to them. Spices were considered to be the most important part of the meal. If there was a slight mistake in the creation of any of the main courses, the entire meal would be thrown off.

The banquet meal would consist of a five course meal, starting with salad, which was naturally grown in Valua, and completely organic. The second course was soup, which contained blends of vegetables only particular to the climate of Euroslavia. The third course, which is considered to be the most important part of the meal, consisted of pastas and spaghetti. The proper way to create the sauce was to put it together approximately three to five days before the actual time it was to be eaten so that the sauce could settle, along with the spices, and gain its flavor. In a way, this method is very similar to wine. The longer it sets, the better it tastes, however, it was highly doubtful that anyone would enjoy a spaghetti sauce that has been setting for ten years. The fourth course of the meal would be the basic meats, such as pork, beef, steak, and even the option of delicately cooked hamburgers, and finally, the last and most important course, in every Euroslav mind, was the desert. This was what left the lasting effect on the meal. All sorts of cakes, pies, and little delicacies would be prepared; more than any cook/restaurant had ever prepared in his life time.

It was also Euroslav tradition, that when the dinner was officially over, that the leftover food was given to the homeless shelters across Arcadia. This was also the case for restaurants all across Euroslavia.

Meanwhile, the musical, Two Tales of One Nation, was in the full swing of things. The set was almost finished, and the actors and actresses were busy preparing for the practice of the whole musical, rather than each specific Act. In total, the musical has been prepared in over four months, just for such an occasion. It is with great hope that the audience is able to capture the true fashion and emotions that the musical is supposed to invoke; feelings of strong unity among all Euroslavians, and an understanding of the Euroslav people, to those who weren't of Euroslav decent.

The nation was in full swing of things, and the Lady herself was very nervous about the visit... They always say that the first impression is the most important...

Euroslavia is in Arda.

Four words, a simple statement of fact.

Euroslavia is in Arda.

It wouldn't seem, at first glance, like a simple identification of the location of a place in a greater geographical context would really matter so much. The reality, on the other hand, is that these four simple words cause a great deal of bother in the minds of both IntRelate and Foot-to-Ass (formerly Defense) Section planners, partially because they find themselves working together in unsurprisingly mutually exclusive ways. Advisor Hawke of FtA, true to what he is paid for, doesn't want Speaker to set foot on the same landmass as Kalessin and Melkor Unchained without a full Mobile Infantry division in support. Advisor Abd-Al-Haqq of IntRelate, true to what she is paid for, doesn't believe that a massive show of force and its concomitant appearance of lack of trust and possibly causing more trouble than it would ever prevent--

"Can you see the headlines, Lance?" Nadjiba leans back slightly, bringing two hands up with thumbs and index fingers creating the diagonal corners of some frame in the air as she curls her lip in a theatric parody of a sneer. "'SCOLOPENDRAN SOLDIERS LAND IN ARDA, BOMBING BEGINS IN FIVE MINUTES.'"

Lance Hawke sighs and grimaces. "Right--but if we send our chief executive over, someone who's probably on Arda-wide hitlists--"

"Then if they do something," she replies simply, "you can take your big stick"--she pantomimes drawing a large club, although apparently the scabbard is a bit more centrally located than could ever possibly be comfortable--"go 'RAWR, SMASH' and beat them silly with it. That's where our vaunted aerospace 'zero-to-continent-wide-conflagration-in-fifteen-minutes' superiority comes in."

The Foot-to-Ass Advisor grumbles, folding his arms.

"Look," Nadjiba tries again, a little softer and almost apologetically, "think of it this way. I'm not very imposing, right?"

Hawke looks down from his nearly two-meter hight and snorts slightly. "You look like my first-grade elementary school teacher."

"Right." The woman smiles. "Now, if I were standing in front of a very large tank with the gun pointed more or less in your direction, but not exactly at you, would you feel comfortable denying me any perfectly reasonable requests?"

--and so, eventually, they work out something.

* - * - *

The democratically-elected Supreme Emperor doesn't particuarly like this something, given that he is descending into what is universally described as enemy territory in no more than a Loki dropship. Nadjiba wanted a Scarab shuttle, true, but Speaker himself overruled her--a Loki is faster, better protected, and so ubiquitous that it shouldn't be overly threatening. She then immediately pointed out the blatantly obvious heavy gauss turrets on the wings and nose of the craft which, after a moment of thought, Speaker countered by suggesting a vK-Special Loki, with its cleaner lines and concealed, retractable turrets. Abd-Al-Haqq's further complaints that this could be associated with Menelmacar went unanswered and ignored.

We invented them anyway, Speaker grumbles in his own mind as the dropship descends according to the will of Euroslavian air-traffic control. He smiles--more of a smirk, really--at the Dominioner next to him as the dropship approaches and lands as designated. "Once more unto the breach, hrrr?"

(OOC: Urk... sorry for the delay.)

"This is a supremely bad idea, Cesare. You know it, and I know it. If Nathicana were here--"

"Tony, if Nath were here she'd likely be sending me as well, if she didn't insist on going herself. Think for a moment. Arda is already in a stir over the internal troubles Melkor is having. Any possibility we could gain support from within the region is a good thing, however that turns out. True, the timing is somewhat of a concern, but I seriously doubt they're going to cause an international incident of such proportions when they've been so public about inviting us. It is in our best interests to pursue this. And right now, it's my place to do so." Calabrese frowned darkly while looking across the desk to the younger Intel Minister. "I won't even begin to pretend I like it, but it is the right thing to do."

Pellegrino said nothing for a moment, pondering thoughtfully while he nursed his drink. If something happened to Calabrese as well, even with the protocols currently in place, the Dominion would be headed for a long period of internal strife and bickering. Already, he was going over the lists of people who would most likely need immediate protection. Old habits died hard, after all. And with the seat of power for the nation at stake, it was a sure bet that the old unspoken rule of 'anything goes, so long as you don't get caught' would be the order of the day. "You've made all the necessary arrangements, I take it?"

"Everything you need is in a safe deposit box in Scolopendra. In the event I don't return," the Chancellor replied, taking a quick drink to stiffen his resolve. "One of my people will contact you with all the information you need to access it. This includes arrangements for the children that Nath and I worked out previously. No doubt Treznor will want a say in at least one of their futures, but the other is entirely in our hands. She is the one that will need the most protection."

"I'm well aware of the delicate nature there, Cesare. It is my job after all," Antonio said dryly. "You're sure about this?"

Calabrese smirked at that, then finished off his drink quickly. "As sure as I ever am about these things."

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

I don't think this is ever going to get any more comfortable.

One couldn't complain about the ride, that was for certain. If there was one thing the Scolopendrans did well, it was design these ships for functionality and performance. Then again, saying the Scolopendrans did 'one thing' well was bordering on ridiculousness. They did far too many things far too well, for Cesare's tastes at least - his experience with them during the coup attempt was proof enough of that. Hence, his current discomfort, even with the six soldati accompanying him.

He is careful to offer a close-lipped, subtle smile in return to the kzintosh. "I can't help but think the both of us are certifiably insane. All the same, my sincere thanks for both the ride, and indeed, the protection. It is very much appreciated. I only hope we will not need the latter for anything more than show."

The sun outside was shining brightly, and the temperature outside was almost perfect. It was as if the gods had smiled upon this important day in Euroslavia and granted them one perfect day. The preparations were complete for the day. The musical was performed in front of Lady Destra the previous day to make sure everything was perfect, seeing as she went to college at Arcadia University for performing arts, originally.

A ship was approaching the capital of Arcadia, and had been identified as under the banner of Scolopendra.

"Ship approaching Arcadia. Identify it."

"Yes sir. Identifying the origin of the ship....... It is verified as the Scolopendran representative."

"Good job. Direct them to the direct coordinates of the airport."

Welcome to Euroslavia! Currently, you are approaching the city of Arcadia, capital of Euroslavia. We advise you to turn northeast to reach the Arcadian International Airport, and from there, we will make sure that you land in the correct location.

Word of the arrival of the delegate from Scolopendra had reached Lady Destra within a matter of minutes. It was determined that her Minister of Foreign Relations, Lady Marona, would be at the airport to transport the representative from Scolopendra to the palace, where the banquet would take place. Lady Marona is the first successor to the leadership position if Lady Destra were unable to fulfill her tasks as leader of Euroslavia.

Lady Destra was already worried about the conference. Her …position in Arda was definitely not the best first impression for Euroslavia. She needed to make it clear that Euroslavia is not active within Arda, and that its policies and relations are actually quite different than the rest of the nations of Arda. Yet… Euroslavia still remained in Arda. There was something within the alliance that intrigued her…but she couldn’t quite pinpoint it.



Within the Palace of Lady Destra
Lady Destra remained in her office the entire day. She had certain methods of concentration and preparation that led her to block herself off from the rest of the world, temporarily. Meditation was key to her ability to stay calm in tough situations, and it also allowed her to maintain her composure around other, more impressive diplomats.

At this point, Destra was sitting down on the floor, and had been meditating for well over an hour. She looked very strained, and her eyes kept squinting, as if she were having some sort of nightmare. There were many demons to fight within her mind. She was worried to death that something terrible would happen while the representatives from Scolopendra and the Dominion of Dread Lady Nathicana were present. Lady Destra took all of the preparations to make sure this wouldn’t happen. Her eyes loosened, and began to look calm again.

Nothing bad is going to happen. The only way that something could happen is if I, or the rest of the guards let their guard down. I know for a fact that the guards won’t…so this is up to me. Calm down, and let nature take its course, she thought.

As the plane began to land, Lady Marona stood outside, next to the landing space, where the red carpet had been rolled out. Military officers and well-known politicians stood in two lines, facing each other, and standing just off of the red carpet. It certainly couldn’t be tainted just before the delegate made his first step onto the carpet. It was a sign of respect in Euroslavia to clean your finest rug, place it just outside your house door, and allow the foreigner to step on it first. If the owner of the house were to step on it before the foreigner, that is a sign of a great disrespect. The preparations had been complete, and all that was left was for the Scolopendran and Dominion representatives to step out of the plane, and greet Lady Marona…

"Roger, Euroslavian Air Traffic Control. Changing course northeast, altitude Angels two-zero and entering approach pattern at your direction."

The large gull-winged ship settles down as guided, drives thrumming subsonically as they spin down. Painted in the blue-and-black livery of the International Relations Section, the sleek vessel, much larger than any airliner (being designed for a wholly different purpose) has an unfortunate tendency to loom--which is why IntRelate tends not to use it too much.

Inside, in one of the portside airlock ready-rooms, Speaker looks over the heads of the two five-man combat teams of M.I. designated as 'honor guard.' One set wears fully-enclosed powered standard powered battle armor (http://www.weirdozone.0catch.com/projects/compyart/mi.jpg), and the other wears the more open and less paranoid light exo-armor (http://www.weirdozone.0catch.com/projects/nationstates/scololightarmor.jpg), still blatantly obvious but at least not full-combat garb. Advisor Hawke was previously talked out of supplying SMISO troopers in their usual low-observability SLOPE armor, intentionally designed to look just like normal fatigues; however, part of an honor guard is that it actually looks like an honor guard--that is only fair to the host, as Nadjiba put it and Speaker concurred.

"This still does not look like a trap," the kzintosh growls quietly to himself, "so the light armor will do."

"I'll keep the standard suits with warm bodies if you want, sir," the battle-armored sergeant offers, "just in case."

"Just in case." Speaker moves through the airlock along with Calabrese, figuring that it would be more appropriate if the envoys from both nations stepped through at the same time. One soldati and M.I. each step out first, doing a quick sweep of the flightline and the buildings with monocle snoopers (at least, the Mobile Infantryman would), then stand at parade rest to the sides of the airlock outer door, providing at least some protection against snipers. Next comes Speaker in his usual blue-and-black uniform, Patriarch's baldric over all, Calabrese keeping in step. While the two troopers by the door keep a careful but subtle watch, the rest of the entourage files out behind the two representatives, looking very much the honor guard in their crisp uniforms and clean armor--Scolopendran armor plating is designed so it couldn't shine if someone tried.

The group walks down the gangway, the kzintosh and the Chancellor still in the lead to meet-and-greet, but the two soldiers directly behind them fan out half a chest, creating a sort of pointing-arrow shaped formation--now they can watch the meeting and greeting closely and respond if anything happens. All these precautions are quiet, subtle, and understated, but still there--this is, indeed, Arda, and things have gone wrong before. Besides--at least in a kzin's mind--being prepared and respectful of another person's potential strengths is a complement.

OOC: Sorry about the late reply, RL has been troubling as of late...

IC: Lady Marona watched as the Scolopendran ship finally came to a sweeping halt in front of her own eyes. She was calm, yet full of so much energy. This was probably the most important "Meet and Greet" that has ever participated in. As the foreign representatives and their guards walked down the red carpet, she looked at each of them, and gave them a calm look.

The people of Euroslavia, for the most part, believed in the possibilities of concentration of their own energy for their own uses. It is believed that everyone has a certain energy within themselves, whether it be warm, cold, hot, or almost numbing. With this, each person decides what they do with it. The choices are many: keeping it for themselves, and using it whenever necessary, aiding others in need of energy, stealing energy from others (which could have horrible effects on the one who's energy is being stolen, or if failed, a massive loss of energy within the stealer) in order to gain an advantage, or simply doing nothing with it. There was nothing 'magical' about this belief, just the fact that energy is always constant, in one form or another.

Lady Marona began to think of exactly what she could say when they met with her. She had thought about it many times before, and found the perfect words to say, but it was as if she had gone through amnesia and lost it all. They were beginning to get closer to her and her two guards, and millions of 'opening sentences' flashed into her head, all at once. She was overwhelmed with what she needed to say, but she couldn't quite get a grasp on a single one. Finally, she calmed down and decided to start with a normal greeting. It was just in time, as the representatives and their guards had finally reached where they should be.

"Welcome to Euroslavia! My name is Lady Marona, second in command, under the Lady herself, Lady Destra. She currently awaits your presence in the Palace just south east of here. Transportation is ready for each of you to travel towards your destination. Just a reminder of all of the events we have planned; we are immediately going towards the Palace where the Banquet will be taking place. The cooks already have the food prepared, and await your opinions on their cooking style, so feel free to leave some sort of comment for them. They'd appreciate your complete honesty. After that, there will be a performance of the musical, Two Tales of One Nation, which represents the Euroslav struggle against the Ottoman Empire, and its independence. We can only hope that this can give you some sort of understanding of Euroslavic culture, and their fierce pride of its citizens in their nation. Once this is finished, the actual conference will be held between both of you and Lady Destra, where you can voice your opinions of Euroslavia, its policies, and to get a feel on exactly what we stand for. Discussions for peace, and anything else, if interested, between our nations is the main purpose of the meetings, but feel free to bring up absolutely anything else that you feel is necessary to clarify."

She looked at the foreign delegates with pride at getting everything out finally, and hoped she didn't bore them to death, or that none of them would collapse onto the ground within the next few seconds.

Lady Marona then pointed to the transportation to the delegates and said, "There will be a limo for each delegation, one for the Scolopendran representative and bodyguards, and one for the Dominion representative and their body guards. I certainly hope you enjoy your stay in Euroslavia!"

Speaker bows shortly in the Scolopendran style, extending one orange-and-white furred hand in greeting. "Thank you, Lady Marona, for your kind words. I look forward to everything your government and people have planned, and hope that this meeting will lead to new, friendly relations between our two nations. I have no food prejudices," he says in a rumbling, good-natured voice with a wink of his pink bat-wing ears, "and fully trust the expertise of your cooks. I fully expect to enjoy my stay; thank you for graciously hosting me."

The 'honor guard' continues to look around alertly but unobtrusively, just doing their jobs in style. Speaker, well versed in his people's own version of chi control--essentially the stoic control of fear and anger--seems perfectly peaceful and pleasant enough for a massive felinid kzintosh standing 245cm when slightly hunched comfortably over.

Lady Marona reached out and shook the Scolopendran representatives hand, quite firmly, but not as to throw her reputation off. She was quite a firm individual when it comes to her mindset, but she wasn't paranoid.

"I must ask of each of you to step into your transportation vehicles, which will lead you to the Palace, where Lady Destra awaits you, in the Banquet Hall. I hope you and the representative from the Dominion enjoy your stay in Euroslavia. It was certainly an honor to stand in your presence, and I hope that this isn't the last time that we meet."

Lady Marona immediately sent a wave of energy towards the Scolopendran representative in hopes that she thought very well of him, and the friendly manner at which he put forth.

Speaker, standing a good two and a half meters tall while slouching comfortably, accepts the hand and returns the shake in like kind, a practiced gesture from years of experience in the diplomatic scene. Whether the kzintosh's physiology or psychology is affected in any form by the 'energy' transfer is anyone's guess, but he seems content enough to start out with.

It is, after all, the sign of a good Hero to always be calm, especially in potentially dangerous situations. "I do indeed believe we will enjoy our stay. Thank you for your consideration--until next time, Lady Marona." He bows shortly again, then does as he was instructed: board the vehicle indicated to him with his M.I. honor guard, politely leaving the Chancellor to fend for himself. The honor guard, for that matter, continues to sport professional, emotionless masks, alert and perhaps wary, but always polite.

The Dominion soldati (http://test.air-power.us//gallery/albums/Nathi/Soldati_light3.png) take their cues from the Scolopendrans with fairly efficient ease. Used to coordinating with Treznor forces, they adapt well, conversing quietly over Spook via their over-the-ear comm sets when necessary. Each is garbed in impeccably maintained matte black uniforms and light armor, a beret and dark glasses replacing the helmet used in combat situations. The glasses serve a better function than simply shading the eyes, providing limited scan information similar to yet not as advanced as the Scolopendran monocles.

Calabrese himself wears a crisp tailored suit of Dominion design - the solid black of his double-breasted jacket showing a subtle pattern, his white shirt sporting a mandarin collar accented with onyx-capped gold buttons, and a rich silk vest in deep burgundy finishing off the ensemble. He adjusts his jacket as he falls in with Speaker, grateful for the protective vest he wears underneath the professional facade.

I don't bloody care how pleasant it all looks, precautions are never a bad thing to have in place.

Oddly enough, some of the opinions on a show of force and preparations are not limited to the Kzinti mindset alone. Calabrese knew well enough that the Scolopendrans themselves kept a close watch on his government. Closer perhaps than he might care, to be sure, but with that awareness came a certain satisfaction as well. In his mind, with caution came the unspoken statement of worth, and a message of 'we respect you enough not to underestimate you'. A high complement, to the traditional Dominion mindset.

"Chi ben comincia è a metà dell'opera, he murmurs to himself as they walk, then blinks, glancing up at Speaker and smiling pleasantly - close-lipped. "A good start is half the battle, I meant to say. It would seem we have that good start, no? Lets hope things continue in such a way."

Calabrese offers Lady Marona one of his more charming smiles, listening to her greeting attentively, nodding in approval as the details are outlined. Food, entertainment, the exchange of history and culture - all things of worth, all very much welcome and appropriate. He finds himself warming to the task ahead, though still maintaining proper awareness. He waits for Speaker and the Lady to exchange pleasantries, holding back politely then offering the big Kzintosh a nod by way of farewell once the two have finished, seemingly paying no attention to his own honor guard as they quietly readjust their positions as the other group leaves. Stepping forward, he bows graciously at the waist, though not too deeply - a greeting of equals, though he does defer slightly to her gender, gentleman that he is. It's simply his nature. Cesare keeps his eyes on hers, moving his hand to cover his heart in the archaic Dominion form, then extends it to her with the intent to take her hand gently, and offer the barest brush of lips against her knuckles if so allowed - prepared to shake her hand instead if that method is preferred.

"Saluti, la mia bella Dona Marona," the man says smoothly, offering her a reassuring smile. "My sincere thanks for your most gracious welcome and hospitality. You honor me with such an assortment of pleasures to partake of, truly. I too hope that this visit will allow our nations to both better understand one another, and hopefully, ease into a more comfortable relationship. I cannot wait to sample the efforts of your esteemed chefs - new culinary delights are a passion of mine. Again, my thanks for the warm welcome, and all the thoughtful preparations. I look forward to the opportunity to meeting with you again before I leave, should the situation allow."

The group tactfully awaits any reply before moving to board the designated transport as directed.

Lady Marona quickly shook Calabrese's hand, and returned the smile. It looked as if he was excited for the events to come, which gave Marona a hypothetical sigh of relief.

"My sincere thanks for your most gracious welcome and hospitality. You honor me with such an assortment of pleasures to partake of, truly. I too hope that this visit will allow our nations to both better understand one another, and hopefully, ease into a more comfortable relationship. I cannot wait to sample the efforts of your esteemed chefs - new culinary delights are a passion of mine. Again, my thanks for the warm welcome, and all the thoughtful preparations. I look forward to the opportunity to meeting with you again before I leave, should the situation allow."

Lady Marona, once again smiled, and replied.
"It is us who should thank you for taking the time to come to Euroslavia, despite such rumors of our nation being active in Arda. I cannot elaborate upon the subject as much as I would like to, be Lady Destra certainly appreciates the fact that you have come despite the possibility of starting off on the wrong foot."

Lady Marona then gave a chuckle, easing her tensions and the chances of causing a stir before the banquet, and began to speak again.

"I do hope that all of the varieties of our foods satisfies all of you. Our cooks took out a lot of time to prepare such an exquisite meal. Thankfully, it all won't go to waste, as it is tradition to save the foods not eaten, which is bound to be a lot, and distribute it to the citizens of Arcadia. There will be a citizen banquet in three days, where all can attend free of charge and enjoy the pleasures of living in the capital city."

"But I do believe I have begun to talk to much." as Lady Marona gave out another brief chuckle. "I do hope that after this visit, relations between our three nations will be established, and I can only hope that a return visit to Scolopendra and the Dominion of Dread Lady Nathicana is offered. As you can probably tell, I am a newly appointed minister, without the experience of actually visiting other nations while representing Euroslavia. Both of your cultures interest me to a great extent, and I am hoping to interpret such cultures on an even further level. But alas, I again, have begun to talk to much. It was certainly a pleasure meeting all of you, and I do hope that we may cross paths once again. My guards will direct you to your transportation vehicles, where you will travel to the Palace, in the center of Arcadia, and continue your visit."

"Not at all, my dear," Calabrese replied reassuringly. "It is a pleasure to be here. I am quite certain all of your efforts will be more than adequate, have no fear. A gracious tradition you have, with the sharing of your bounty, as well. Commendable, commendable ..."

He and the rest of the small group continued on as directed, Calabrese attempting to let Lady Marona that truly, all was well before they parted company. "My dear lady, your conversation is no trouble at all - far from it. Please, feel free to speak your mind, however trifling you may think it to be. I look forward to seeing you as well, once we've been settled in. Until then, farewell - and my thanks for such a gracious welcome."

Once the farewells had been made, they boarded the transport with a mix of eagerness and no small amount of trepidation. It would not be the first time in history that dark purpose was hidden behind such a fair exterior. It was not expected that this were the case, but ... one must always be prepared.

Lady Marona made her way towards the leading car. The rest of the transportation vehicles would be following her transport towards downtown Arcadia, and thus to the Palace. Everything was going correctly as planned. The banquet was finally finished within minutes of the representatives departure from the airport to the Palace. Lady Destra awaited their arrival at the entrance of the Palace, surrounded by her Royal Guards, making sure that nothing will go wrong on this trip. Surely, a disrupting action at this point would guarantee cold relations betwee Euroslavia and its welcomed guests; such relations is certainly what the nation doesn't need right now. Security was tigher than it has ever been, especially in the line oh vehicles carrying the representatives. The pathway towards the Palace was closed off, as well as every road in a two mile diameter from the path. The day was declared an official day of rest for the entire nation, besides those who were working on the banquet and the musical, thereafter. That way, businesses were closed and there was less of a chance that anything would happen in the first place, by using the excuse that anyone in question would be going to 'work'.

After a short ten minute drive, the transportation finally arrived in front of the Palace, where decorations and pride of Euroslavia was displayed in numerous places, but not in too many as not to show a vibe of arrogance. The Euroslav people were certainly a partriotic folk, and this has been shown to the world time and time before.

The drivers of the vehicles got out of their car, and proceeded to open the doors for the representatives to get out, and take a look at downtown Arcadia. It was certainly a marvelous sight, after all of the work that everyone put into it; however, all of that work will be judged by exactly what the Dominion representative and the Scolopendran representative.

Speaker takes a moment upon leaving the car to stretch nearly imperceptibly, a natural reaction damped by the stoic subtlety demanded by the poise demanded of a Hero, much less the Patriarch. Looking over the festive banners and decorations across the city, he almost forgets he's in Arda. The troopers that quickly surround him in honor-guard fashion, on the other hand, neglect this and simply perform their dual roles of subtly-present image of strength and very real protection staff.

Seeing an equally important personage sporting a very similar honor guard waiting, Speaker turns to cover his adjustment of a few spots on his uniform and makes his way to diplomatically intercept, M.I. keeping time at his sides. Reaching comfortable conversation distance to Lady Destra--a bit longer than normal, given his height--he bows formally and smiles, bat-wing ears winking once. "Certainly, pleasant circumstances to meet you in, Lady Destra. I am Supreme-Emperor Speaker-Rrit. Thank you for your unparalleled hospitality and understanding."

Staring at the Supreme-Emperor in a delighted fashion, Lady Marona replied back, "It is our pleasure to have done all of these things. Representatives from foreign nations are treated with the highest regard here in Euroslavia. We have a great understanding of foreign culture, as well as a strong yearning to learn more about those we don't understand quite well. It was certainly a pleasure in hosting you, as well as the representative of the Dominion; however, I don't wish to delay you both any further from the festivities that await you within the Palace. Lady Marona anxiously awaits you all."

Lady Marona gave out a small chuckle, but straightened up her face immediately for fear of disrespecting the visitors. She then directed the representatives to the Palace, while walking aside them. The Banquet Hall was fully prepared for the visitors, as all of the food was cooked, placed on their respective parts of the table, in organization of each specific meal. The cooks were given a twenty minute warning, and had fallen a bit behind, but Lady Marona's eagerness to talk gave them the ten minutes that they need to finish the placement of everything.

There was a small table at the center of the room where the representatives would sit down with Lady Destra, and enjoy the splenders of the many varieties of food brought into the Palace today. Lady Destra herself awaited the representatives within the entrance of the Banquet Hall, and was wearing a very formal Euroslav dress, very similar to the Far Eastern style which had an influence on Euroslavia in its very beginning.

Calabrese echoed Speaker's thanks as he joined the group going in, the Dominion soldati taking up their usual positions quietly. "Knowledge is power," he said with a smile, and a nearly imperceptable momentary glance towards the big kzin. "You honor us, truly."

His expression as they entered the Banquet Hall was decidedly pleased. The Chancellor was not a man to deny himself the finer things in life, to be sure. An appreciation for a well-prepared meal went hand in hand with that. Being able to sample foreign fare only made the prospect that much better.

Sampling said fare in the company of a beautiful lady ... his smile broadened as they approached the table, and Lady Destra, making a formal bow in the old Dominion style. Being the proper guest, he waited to for the Lady to have the first words, taking quiet measure of his first impression of her.

Lady Destra nos Thiendrel took notice of the woman approaching her. She smiled at the bow that she made, and in response, bowed back to her. Lady Destra also took notice of a man walking towards her, which was the Scolopendran representative. The way that she stood was giving away the vibe that she was greeting every day people, but inside, she was quite joyful. Of course, she didn't want to act like a schoolgirl, but she was enthralled that this event was taking place.

"Welcome to Euroslavia! I hope you've enjoyed your stay so far, and I certainly hope Lady Marona wasn't too... accomodating for you."

She gave a brief chuckle, then looked around the banquet hall.

"They've all done a marvelous job. I've never seen men and women working this hard, in harmony. If only governments could learn to work together in this way, without holding some sort of grudge, or making some sort of outsider promise in accordance with corruption."

"Look at them all..." she replied. "They're all moving around in coordination with the other, no questions asked. It's always a joy when you see others working together towards a common goal. I envy their spirits."

She looked back at the representatives, and began to talk again.

"My apologies. The banquet is ready now, and I am quite famished. I'm sure you both are as well, after such a trip, so I invite you to go up to the banquet tables and take a grab at whatever looks pleasing to you. The cooks will be most pleased at the fact that you are eating their cooking, which they've worked on for the past few weeks in order to perfect the recipe. The table in the center of the room is where we can seat ourselves, but til then, feel free to roam around the Hall and take a look at each meal we've offered you."

With that said, Lady Destra bowed again and waited for them to move towards the food. After all, if she were to run for it first, that would be considered extremely rude towards the representatives. Guests should always be first, which is a tradition that every Euroslav family has upheld for the longest of times.

The kzintosh listens politely as Lady Destra muses on the glories of collective action and how universalizing it would solve so many problems. "Indeed," he weighs in thoughtfully, "but complete coordination would have put me out of a job not so long ago." He quietly ponders the statements concerning corruption and grudges, and decides to work that line as he moves towards the banquet tables: rule number one of Arab hospitality is that when something is offered freely, it is accepted, be it food or trinkets or such.

"Sometimes grudges can be understandable," Speaker offers, "but they require histories, past experiences. As for false promises..." He growls good-naturedly. "Unacceptable in any circumstance."

Oddly enough, the ratcat doesn't concentrate solely on meat, but selects a sufficient mix of vegetables and carbohydrates as well. Curious what an unnatural culling like The Break can do to a species.

Calabrese for now, chooses to keep his observations on 'grudges' and the like. He most certainly says not one word on 'false promises', merely nodding sagely in agreement with the large kzin. "I think it is against human nature to be in complete harmony at all times. Opposition in all things, you know - whether we would have it so or not. In having something to press against, we grow. Nothing to strive for or overcome, and we stagnate. A curious thing, but it seems to generally hold true." He shrugs eloquently and smiles, following Speaker along to the banquet tables.

Truly a pleasure to be able to choose from so many fine dishes, he can't help but observe. The man seems to have trouble choosing, ending up taking many small samples of as many dishes as he can without rudely overloading his plate, looking to have no particular preference as to which sort it is, though those with the most pleasing presentation seem to catch his eye more often than not. With a final regretful look over the delicious array - only for the fact that there is no possible way he could comfortably sample them all - he joins the others back at the table, offering to assist the Lady with her chair if she does not think it too forward, or stepping back quietly to wait for her to be seated if it seems his actions would be construed as too familiar.

It is the gentlemanly thing to do, after all.

Lady Destra gave a smile to Calabrese at the offer of pulling out her chair for her. Such kindness, whether it was a big or small task, was looked upon with glee, and would always be remembered. Lady Destra wasn't one to forget acts of kindness. She took her seat, and looked at both Calabrese and the Speaker, hoping that they would enjoy their food. She found great enjoyment in seeing guests gives looks of delight after taking their first bite of food. It was custom in Euroslavia that the host be the last person to begin eating their food. It was also custom to recognize any sort of religious moment that any of the guests hold to their own hearts. Euroslavia was a very open-minded nation when it came to religion. There was no official religion, and each persons decisions when it came to religion was honoured and respected.

Lady Destra smiled again and looked at the Speaker, then Calabrese, and asked politely, "Is there any sort of religious ceremony or ritual that either of you recognize before we start enjoying this food? I certainly don't want to start things up so quickly as to throw off your beliefs."

Speaker nods, looks up towards the ceiling, and passes one broad hand over his face, fingers curled, claws extended in as respectful a kzinti salute as it gets. Quick and simple. Folding his hands on his lap again, he nods to Lady Destra. "Thank you. That is the extent of what my faith demands."

Calabrese pauses in examining his plate for where he'll be starting his sampling as Lady Destra offers a moment for quiet observation. His eyes shift to Speaker as the 'tosh takes the opportunity, then looks back to the Lady as he ponders, quickly weighing the pros and cons.

"Grazie, my Lady," he replies, smiling pleasantly, and giving her a subtle appreciative nod. It wasn't something he generally practiced, not being a man of great faith himself, but in this situation, perhaps the appearance at least of some humiliy would be appropriate. He clasps his hands together, bows his head and closes his eyes for a moment, lips moving in a silent supplication that he barely remembers, and likely incorrectly, from his childhood. Short, sweet, to the point, taking but a moment himself to complete. He looks back up, again with that pleasant, disarming smile of his, and deftly takes up his glass, raising it towards the Lady.

"To the Lady Destra, and the impeccable hospitality of the nation of Euroslavia. May our visit here bear fruits as fine as those being served here tonight."

Lady Destra raises her glass at the request of Calabrese, and smiles in delight at the words spoken. She looked to both of her guests, smiling brightly, and replies.

"I would like to take this time to thank you both for taking a chance and coming to Arcadia at such a short notice. I do realize that at first, things didn't exactly look promising because of Euroslavia's membership in Arda, but I am honored that you gave us another chance."

Lady Destra took a sip of her wine, and began to speak again.

"But enough of that, it's time for us to eat! I'm sure the chefs wouldn't appreciate it if we let the food go cold, after all of their hard work." as she briefly chuckled. "One thing though," as she gave a more serious look. "I'm interested in learning more about Scolopendra and The Dominion, specifically about their culture, history, and diplomatic relations with other nations. I can't really think of any specific question to ask of either of you, but feel free to fill me in with any information you both feel is important to talk about. Take a bite to eat first, though." she smiled again, and eagerly awaited to see their faces as they take their first bite into their food.

Speaker joins in the toast with a polite "To the Lady Destra" and sips easily, having had the foresight to ensure that the wine immediately went into the oddly fluted goblet of green crystal he habitually carries around. Setting that down, he waits for the Lady's direction before starting on his meal. On the one hand, being a traditional kzin, he eats very plainly, clearly preferring those offerings which are prepared the least, with no sauces or dressings. Raw (or, at most, lightly steamed) vegetables, preferably raw or very rare meat, very few sweet things such as fruits or fruit-based sauces. On the other hand, he is also a professional diplomat and so he also chose some of the best-prepared options which obviously took the most effort and which appear to be more traditional dishes for the area.

On the gripping hand, being a professional diplomat in a diplomatic setting, he starts on these first. His response will be a function of what the Euroslavian cooks obviously slaved over and what Euroslavians themselves tend to eat.

"Ah, grazie, my Lady - bene grazie," Calabrese says with a smile, settling in to sample the food at a decidedly relaxed, unhurried pace. He takes his time selecting and tasting, savoring the different flavours, seeing which ones are best complimented by the wine, using whatever foods are available to cleanse the palate in between as best he can to more fully appreciate them.

"Your chefs are to be complimented, Lady Destra. Truly a magnificent feast. One could spend several meals here and not be able to appreciate it all the way it deserves. Most excellent." A warm smile, a nod of approval, and a quiet estimation of possible lines of conversation that might be appropriate to the situation. After all, the meal had just begun. Traditionally, in the Dominion at least, now was the time for small talk, leaving the more serious matters to later. If the traditions were different here, he would adapt - but which way the tendencies lay had to be determined if he were to properly proceed.

Making a decision, he takes another sip of wine, delicately dabs at his mouth with the silk napkin provided, and looks to the Lady. "If I may compliment your choice in the Lady Marona as well. Speaking for myself, the first impression of Euroslavia was quite charming. She also mentioned a musical - Two Tales of One Nation, concerning your history and subsequent independance?"

"Ah, Lady Marona." Destra smiled brightly. "She is one of my closest colleagues, and one of the nicest women that I have ever known. She is also one of the most intelligent women that this nation has ever seen. I was fortunate enough to meet her quite a long time ago when I was growing up in Valua, before the massive population growth, and expansion of the city into an industrial center. We grew up with each other, and were there for each other all of the time, until the Shogun at the time came to our city. He came to the city to scout out scholars and any man or woman with the intelligence needed to advise him in worldly affairs. Lady Marona and I made a deal that if either of us received a title from the Shogun, that we would help the other into a position in the Palace. The Shogun was murdered shortly after, and I was given leadership after careful evaluation of all the possible candidates by the Cabinet. As promised, I brought Lady Marona into the Palace as my own advisor, and we've been assisting each other ever since. Every now and then, I think... What if Lady Marona were chosen instead of me? I wonder how different things would have been?" she shrugged it off, and responded to her own questions, "But that's speculation. It isn't what happened, so there is no use thinking about it."

"Your compliments on the delicacies created today will overjoy the cooks and preparers. Their hard work has paid them off. I haven't eaten this well in years myself." she gave a brief chuckle. "I'll make sure to send for the lead cook once the meal is finished. Perhaps he can compromise his pride, and send you both a few of our own Euroslav specialties. I'm sure he won't mind at all."

"Ah yes, the musical." she nodded. "I apologize for not talking about it earlier. This is the main entertainment for the evening. The musical, Two Tales of One Nation describes the war for Euroslavic independence from their Ottoman oppressors. I can't go into much detail about it, because I don't want to give away the plot of the story, but the story focuses on the battle as a whole, as well as the leader of the rebellion, and Euroslavia's first President. I haven't seen it yet, because this is the first performance of it, but I can assure you that it is going to be amazing."

"Perhaps we should visit more often so you can eat better more consistently," Speaker teases gently. "I am honored that you and yours have gone to so much trouble to host us. Hopefully some day we can return the favor." His batwing ears flap gently, the edges of his thin black lips curling up to help give meaning to the gesture. "I look forward to whatever your cook wishes to make.

"I also look forward to the play," the kzintosh continues. "It is always interesting to learn about other cultures and their history directly."

Lady Destra gave a brief chuckle at the Speakers' statement, and replied, "That would be great, to visit your nation, as well as the Dominion one of these days. It was always my goal to travel not only to the rest of the world, but outside of this world, to other cultures and other areas that we don't know too much about. I can guarantee that if all goes as well as it has gone so far, that this sort of gathering could easily happen again. I do realize that we all are extremely busy and that this sort of thing couldn't happen often, but every once in a while would be a blessing. Euroslavia has yet to form very friendly relations, as in discussing matters of regular terms, with a single nation. I suppose our nation seems to be isolated compared to the rest in the world; nevertheless, our nation is always out there to aid those who cannot aid themselves."

Lady Destra changed the subject back to the play.
"I'm very excited for the play, and I always enjoy learning about other cultures, and even learning the culture of Euroslavia more in-depth. Theatre is one of my life's pleasures... one of those things that I never really have time to take part in, but would love to if I had the time."

"That is a noble goal," the kzintosh says in response to Destra's statement concerning aiding those who cannot aid themselves, "and one we share. Maybe someday we will have the opportunity to work together towards this goal."

At the mention of theatre, he gently fingers the rough-hewn baldric he wears and chuckles. "A great deal of my people's culture is theatre. I am duty-bound to participate, and I think I am appropriately skilled in it." Another soft chuckle, the sound of his breath whuffing through his nostrils. "Skilled, at least, in our particular subset of it. It tends to be epic, heroic, and is similar to a 'morality play.'"

"At least in the choosing, the two of you have managed to remian friends," Calabrese observes thoughtfully. "Such competition in some places often leads to less amicable endings." He chooses not to mention that the Dominion is among such places.

He nods in agreement with Speaker as to the mention of return visits and playing host to a Euroslav delegation as well. "Though I think we would be hard-pressed to offer a more generous or lavish welcome than you have so graciously provided us here. Truly, you have outdone yourselves. As for the theatre, I shamelessly admit to my lack of any sort of talent in the area, though I do have a healthy appreciation for the finer arts. Perhaps, Speaker, at an appropriate time, you would do us the honor of demonstrating your prowess?"

Other comments made during the discussion cause him to tilt his head slightly in thought. "In going back to a previous point, we too were rather isolated at one time as well. It did take effort, and the kind acceptance of such nations as our good allies in Scolopendra," here he nods respectfully to Speaker, "and others. It has been a long road, but well worth the time spent. We could not possibly be in better company, in our eyes."

Calabrese pauses slightly, eyes flickering between the two. "Which brings me to something I have been curious about for a while now, if you do not deem it too bold. Your outlook, your goals, the very nature of your nation seems to be," here he gestures as if trying to come up with an appropriate word politely, but not coming up with anything short of simple fact. "Well ... at odds with your 'neighbors' shall we say. I find it an interesting puzzle. Was it circumstance, chance, or choice that brought you into Arda - or is this perhaps not the time for such discussion?"

"The saying is true, that your nation is judged by whom is deals with, politically. With that said, I want to be able to push Euroslavia into an age that has never been seen before; with trustworthy allies, and a powerful diplomatic presence. I have noticed that both of you represent two nations that are just that, and I certainly envy that aspect from each of you."

Lady Destra knew that the association with Arda was bound to come up sooner or later. She didn't blame Calabrese for bringing it up either. Being associated with nations that could be considered very 'hostile', didn't add anything special to the first glimpse that Euroslavia was in fact part of the group. It would be addressed; however, that Euroslavia is seeking a way to pull itself out of Arda, so that it won't hang over their heads the next time someone were to notice. In reality, Euroslavia did not belong there, based on its recent political actions.

"I'm glad you brought that up now." as Lady Destra looked at her guests. "Euroslavia's membership in Arda has been contested lately, especially by members of the Cabinet. Our initial decision to join Arda was a foolish decision by the administration before me, which in reality, was a desperate attempt at making allies; however, now that I have finally been given time to judge the overall policy changes in Euroslavia since our membership started, I realize that now would be a great time to renounce our membership of Arda, and continue on our own path. My nations' goals, such as humanitarian aid as well as diplomacy, rather than war, are the main reasons why Euroslavia should no longer be a member of Arda."

She turned back towards Calabrese, and spoke again. "I completely understand your concern for our nation being involved in Arda. After all, you especially need to know exactly what a nation is involved in before you can truly advance diplomatic relations with them. Knowing that they participate in actions that are considered apprehensible to your own government would prevent you from forming relations with said nation, or otherwise risk the hypocritical responses by your current allies and the rest of the international community."

Speaker nods to Calabrese's question about demonstrating his talent even as he continues to listen, quietly evaluating.

"No one is perfect, as they say." He smiles as he folds his broad hands together. "Even in the segments we are beginning to realize that Arda is not quite the Imperial... Kingdom... bah, Melkorian bloc it once was," he says with a soft snicker. "Our old adversaries, what could be called the 'core' of Arda, have gone quiet. In their silence the region has crept towards better, more open institutions such as yours. Even the occasional attempt to beat their chests with, say, a new battlestation only generates momentary interest before fading away.

"Our goals, on the other hand, remain what they always have been, although a bit more sedately than previously. Because of our history of being a multiversal policeman on genocide, we've made more than our fair share of detractors, which can make things difficult from time to time. Occasionally other alliances are formed almost with the specific intent of removing us as the dominant force in space, a title we never actually claimed. All we do is wait and they eventually collapse just as passionately as they started. As it is, we simply try to deal fairly where we can and defend our interests... although we still resort to our old habits when they are feasible. Is there anything else about our 'involvements' you would like to know, out of fairness?" The ends of his thin black lips curl up in a smile, ears winking diplomatically as he does.

Lady Destra returned the smile, only to be interrupted by another man walking towards the table. A man dressed in a standard black suit and tie walked up to the table, looked at the representatives and Lady Destra, and smiled.
"Just a reminder that the musical will be ready for you within the next twenty minutes. Whenever you're ready, m'lady, you may come over to the theatre."

"Thank you for the reminder, sir. We'll be departing soon enough." she smiled back. "Where were we.... Ah! Questions for you."

Lady Destra began to speak again.
"There are a few questions that I have for you, pertaining to your involvement with the Triumvirate of Yut. How exactly did you go about joining it? What was the most beneficial factor of it, for your nation? Also, when did you meet the Dread Lady for the first time? How did you two go about establishing the relations that brought you to now?"

She paused for a moment and gave a slight chuckle.
"I apologize if I am asking too many questions," she noted. "There is much that I would enjoy learning about Scolopendra and its own history of diplomacy, as well as the Dread Lady's history, along with the Dominion."

"Well, to join you need a sponsor - a member nation who's willing to speak for you and present you to the rest of the alliance. The vote goes from there. As for benefits, where does one start? The Triumvirate has been generous with resources, assistance, support, technology, new trade markets, culture, and furthering our education and knowledge base. Not only that, but I would like to think that in some cases, friendship beyond alliance ties has blossomed - one cannot put a price on that. I would be hard-pressed to name one single thing that has been the most beneficial. The Dominion has been very fortunate in having such wonderful allies as the Triumvirate," he says, giving Speaker a respectful nod.

"As for how relations began, the Imperatrice would be the one more knowledgeable on the subject. It is my understanding that a variety of factors played a part in the introduction. A summit on AI/EI rights, a peace conference in NY&NJ, and, oddly enough, a Granny Slag's benefit celebration. I'm not entirely clear on all the in's and out's of it, but it would seem Nathicana was able to make the acquaintance of several leaders and influential people, and things slowly progressed from there."

He raises his hands to wave off her apologies with a smile. "Please, my Lady, there is no need. It is a pleasure to try and share what I know of it. I only regret my knowledge is limited, and in many cases, second hand."

"Ah, well that's definitely a good way to keep the alliance to members that you know will be beneficial to the alliance, weeding out the nations that would take advantage of a relationship with some of the most respected nations in it. Our nation has shown an interest in opening relations with the Triumvirate; however, that is a discussion for after the musical, where we can get down to relations between ourselves. I am personally excited to find that both of you, as representatives of Scolopendra and the Dominion, have been more than kind so far, and that developing relations will seemingly be interesting in the very least. Euroslavia has much to offer as well, but again, I seem to be getting off topic."

"Friendship is always something that I value the most, especially with leaders of the world. Good relations with other nations is always good, but when it comes down to it, having a close and personal relationship with that leader makes relations much better overall."

Lady Destra looked deep in thought. She had a few more questions to ask.
"There is something that most national leaders regret the most in their time of power. What would you say is the one decision that you wish that you would have taken back? Also, what is the most important decision that you have made, which made you proud to be your nations' leader? That one moment that made you proud to have your position."

"Yes, the Dread Lady and I, after being introduced by a mutual friend in S.H.O.D.A.N., built up a friendship over time which luckily was mirrored by our two peoples. We have had our disagreements, personally and nationally, but we still see each other as friends first and legal 'allies' second. It works for the best that way."

The kzintosh listens politely to the conversation, pondering Lady Destra's last couplet of questions with a slight rumbling noise. "We kzinti learn to live with little regret. Regret is not Heroic; adaptation to past faults so they do not repeat is. That being said, the Hero in me does regret how both Arda--the core of Arda--and Iraqstan were handled. The suffering in both places demanded our action, although realpolitik dictated otherwise. When we did clash, we did not go far enough to end the problem completely. That is unfortunate, but for the best in the long run.

"My proudest moment as leader, unsurprisingly enough, came from assisting the Triumvirate's efforts to transport Um Lizaans from Iraqstan before the current troubles. It is things like that which we are supposed to do." His tail flicks back and forth slightly. "That is all there is to it."

Another slight pause, and the big hulking felinid smiles. "I hope it would not be untoward to ask you the same, ma'am?"

Aye, and if not for that friendship, perhaps I -would- be in a position of leadership now, Calabrese mused as the two spoke. He idly rubbed the back of his neck while pondering the events of that decidedly disastrous attempt. Then again, at least he'd kept his head. In fact, he'd come out ahead in the game, all things considered. Some would say he'd been rewarded for bad behaviour. Those who said it of course, did not fully understand the Dominion mindset.

He had been lucky. This much he knew. And while he too valued his allies, the pride in him couldn't help but feel more than a little irritated, and in truth, threatened still, especially in the presence of the Scolopendrans. He knew they knew exactly what had gone on. At least, enough to know his part in it. A damnably uncomfortable fact, that - and one that could all too easily be used against him. So far, there had been nothing to it. He fervently hoped for that trend to continue.

Still, it wasn't easy sitting there in the presence of a rather impressive kzin who was good friends with the woman he'd not only tried to overthrow, but get rid of. He supposed Speaker deserved just that much more respect on account, for having been so cordial. It wasn't his impression that such things came easily to the kzinti.

Yes, an odd mix of respect and fear. It made for interesting thoughts, to be sure.

Cesare didn't figure the question Lady Destra posed was directed to him, not actually being a leader. And it lead him back around to his initial musings. Regrets? Possibly, not having succeeded in his attempt, though he couldn't deny his position was more comfortable than Nathicana's overall. Not unlike having all the benefits with a good deal less of the drawbacks. He did regret losing Mars - that had been his personal project, and what had driven him to rebel in the first place.

He nodded thoughtfully as Speaker addressed the troubles with Iraqstan and Arda, noting the obvious pride in his voice and bearing as he spoke on assisting with the extraction. He recalled that Speaker had himself worked tirelessly side by side with the rescuers, and had leant his expertise to organizing the camp.

Fear or no, Calabrese respected the 'Pendran. For the reasons that had come up in his ponderings, and more. A confusing people at times, to be sure, but steadfast and honorable. Speaker, he saw as the ideal for such.

"For myself, I regret only that we have not had the pleasure of making your acquaintance sooner, my Lady," he finally says, smiling at Lady Destra. "But yes, I'm curious as well."

"Oh, of course!" nodded Lady Destra. I wouldn't mind answering the same question at all." she turned and smiled at Calabrese for such a kind statement. In her mind, she also wished that she would have become acquainted with the Dominion and Scolopendra earlier.

Lady Destra thought about it for a few seconds, on exactly what to say. There has been so much history in such a short period of time in her beloved nation. It was hard to say exactly what the worst moments of her leadership have been, as well as the best moments, but there were a few that jumped out in front of her.

"The one moment that comes to mind was the Euroslavian Civil war that occurred quite some time ago, before I had acquired the leadership position that I have today. I had just been given leadership of Euroslavia, just after the previous leader passed away, but tensions had already started building up, essentially creating a Red Scare within our own borders. The one thing I regret was not stamping it out while I had the chance to. If I would have done so, then perhaps a full-blown civil war would have never broken out, though that is something I will always wonder about." she sighed, and thought over the whole situation again. Those were tough times, but since then, Euroslavia has improved more than it ever has, politically and militarily. "At the time, I fled into exile in Vastiva, when our nations were allies, directing our already confused forces against the Red Forces. For a few years, they had taken control over the capital, and had claimed legitimacy over the throne, though most national leaders still accepted me as the true leader of Euroslavia. Once I built up enough support; however, an allied force came together and took Euroslavia back, defeating the Red Forces for good. That is how I came to my position now-a-days." as she finished her brief story on her nation's rough history. "Our nation has flourished since then, as I amended our nations' government to appease almost all of the diverse political beliefs."

"Those events coincide with the greatest moments of my leadership. The moment I stepped foot back onto the ground of my own country that I had been in exile from for two years was the most glorifying moment I have ever felt. I felt bad, for the fact that I wasn't close to my people for that long, but at the same time, my return ushered in a new era for the Euroslavian people, and era of peace and prosperity. Since then, our population has increased at a higher rate, education systems have been reformed to give all children free education through the 3rd level (OOC: equivalent to Kindergarten to 12th Grade), and our involvement in world affairs, mainly humanitarian aid, has increased dramatically." she noted.

"With that said though, I still maintain that I have no regrets in my life, as well as in my actions as leader of Euroslavia. Going through life, regretting previous decisions, as well as ways that you have acted is only going to burden you if you think about it. The past remains the past, and there's nothing you can do to change it. One thing that is important though, is to never let the same mistake happen twice."

"All the same," Speaker replies in a politely teasing voice, ears winking again, "certainly there must have been some choice of yours that did not go... well. Perhaps only not as well as you would have liked? If you can get the Patriarch of the Race of Heroes to tell on himself, it is only fair..."

Lady Destra let out a good chuckle, and began to respond. "There have been a few decisions that I have regretted, such as the decision to join NATO, with the likes of Automagfreek, Vastiva, Praetonia, Sarzonia, and a few others. NATO's revival turned out to be a bad idea, with the revival of other large organizations such as the RWC and NWO. These large organizations were more of a threat to the world than anyone else, seeing as they all began to mistrust each other."

"My regret, in joining the NATO, is the amount of corruption that the alliance held in its adolescent stage. Of course, it was an honor that Automagfreek held our nation in high standards, and appointed us as one of the more influential nations within the Organization; however the other nations that we had to deal with didn't help things. Euroslavia has a large mistrust of Chellis and Vastiva, both of which were in NATO. This mistrust, as well as the way issues were handled, with a threat of force, rather than an offer of peace, was the main reason why I withdrew Euroslavia from NATO. Our withdraw lead to a split, with Praetonia, Sarzonia, and Omz222 leaving almost immediately as well."

"I suppose it was a good thing, seeing as our withdraw meant something to those nations, proving that we could maintain relations with all three of them, though I wish I would have never allowed us to join NATO in the first place."

Lady Destra, after speaking, finally realized that time was running short, and that the play would be beginning very soon. Their presence was needed over in the theatre, which was across the street from the Palace.

"I apologize for ending our conversation so abruptly, but it seems that we've run out of time for now. The theatre calls for us in our presentation of Two Tales of One Nation for both of you. Just follow me, and I'll take you across to the theatre."

As dinner was finished, the preparers shifted roles into the cleaners, and began cleaning everything once again. The next day, there would be a feast in which the entirety of the city was invited to. There was no cost in gaining entrance, and the food was free as well. Any people involved in the Welfare programs, as well as the homeless shelters would be the first invited, and the first served.

Destra walked out of the Palace, accompanied by three of her Palace guards, as well as the Royal Service of Euroslavia, keeping watch over the area so that no mishaps would occur. She walked across the street and arrived at the entrance to the theatre. Everything was prepared, so all they had to do were walk into the room and take their seats.

"I apologize if I rushed both of you, but if you need to take care of some personal things, you can do so." as she gave a bright smile, and showed them to where the private bathrooms were, not available to the public.

"Ahh, NATO. I remember that organization," Calabrese says with a smile. "I can understand your regret, my Lady. However, we have all made our mistakes. It is learning from them that makes them worthwhile, no? All the same, I thank you for your candor. And you, Speaker," he continues, turning slightly to the 'tosh. "Do not think I've forgotten. At some point in these festivities, I hope you will grace us with the aforementioned demonstration, if it pleases you."

He rises as Lady Destra does, nodding in agreement, then going so far as to offer her his arm, if she is so inclined. Leaving a Lady unescorted, well ... it just isn't done, unless she prefers it that way. It was a cultural thing, and for someone as comfortable with Dominion high society as he, it came second nature, whether present company was one's most trusted ally, or worst enemy - neither of which was the case here.

"No rush at all," he assures her with a smile and a wink. "If you don't mind, I believe I will avail myself. Mi scuse - I'll be right back."

And of course, the small, quiet-enough-so-as-not-to-attract-attention entourage followed.

Lady Destra was taken aback by the kindness of Calabrese and Speaker after the banquet and the casual discussion, especially at the offer of Calabreses' arm and ultimately, an escort to the theatre. It was actions such as this that were remembered the most. The offer of a brief break before the musical was taken immediately by Calabrese, whereas he departed for the restroom. Lady Destra, once Calabrese had disappeared, had begun walking towards the room that she would take care of her private business in. She had always found it to be rude to walk behind someone else on their way towards the restroom. It felt as if the offending person was intruding upon your space.

Walking back towards the room that was before the entrance to the theatre, she had begun to think of the musical, and had hope that this was going to give each of the guests a little more insight of the culture and customs of Euroslavia. There was only so much that she could speak of, whereas actions would display the rest, through this musical, by the way the actors present themselves in character. They had prepared for this night for months now, and even Lady Destra and Lady Marona had watched their work, and even a dress rehearsal on the occasion. It was up to them to display the most appropriate actions of Euroslavians during the time period that was the setting, being in the early days of the nations' independence. At this point, Lady Destra gave out a large grin, and awaited the return of her guests.

Speaker chuckles softly as he gently fingers the course material of his baldric. "Of course, Chancellor. I offered and I meant it when I did. I will be ready." With a short bow, he excuses himself from Destra and Calabrese before wandering off himself, knowing that operas tend to take some time and it's best for one to be prepared.

Being rather fuzzy, the Supreme Emperor has a natural compulsion to tidiness for health. Having lived in an Arab culture for some time, the desert-nomad history of which has engendered a similar compulsion to tidiness for the same general reason, simply amplifies this. Once he returns, he looks even tidier than before, although this makes the scar over his right eye more apparent. "Ma'am, Chancellor." He bows to both. "Please, lead the way."

Calabrese returns the bow respectfully, again offering his arm to Lady Destra, should she care to accept.

"It has been some time since I attended the Opera," he notes as they walk. "Even longer since I saw a performance outside the Dominion. Looking forward to it. The only foreign one I can think of in recent memory was the Sakkran troupe who toured, with great success. I must admit, epic Sakkran theatre is not something to be missed. Nothing quite like it that I've seen yet. A powerful performance, all told."

Lady Destra smiled and accepted Calabreses' arm when both Calabrese and Speaker returned to the hall before the theatre.

"I'm looking forward to your demonstration, Speaker." as she continued to smile. "It has been a long time since I've had the time for a musical myself. There has been so much that needed to be taken care of for Euroslavia. It can be a little frustrating, not having seen a musical in some time, especially when the theatre is right across the street from your place of residence." she gave a slight smirk.

The producer of the musical then walked into the room and gave notice to the guests by bowing towards them. "We are ready for you m'lady and your honourable guests." He smiled and returned to the side entrance of the stage.

Lady Destra smiled to both the Chancellor and Speaker. She then led the way for Speaker, while she was guided into the room with the Chancellor by to her side.

“Most excellent. My Lady, Speaker, it would seem we’re in for an enjoyable evening. A most excellent meal, pleasurable company, and delightful entertainment – who could ask for more?” Calabrese helped Lady Destra to her seat once they reached them, and waited for her to be settled comfortably before sitting down himself.

So far, so good. And Speaker had been quite amiable. Perhaps previous events were well and truly a matter of ‘the past’, as they should be. At least in his mind.

Come, join hand in hand, brave Euroslavians all!
And rouse your bold hearts at fair Liberty's call;
No tyrannous acts shall suppress your just claim,
Or stain with dishonor Euroslavia's name.

In freedom we're born, and in freedom we'll live!
Our purses are ready,
Steady, friends, steady;
Not as slaves, but as free men, our money we'll give.

How sweet are the labors that freemen endure,
That they shall enjoy all the profit, secure,
No more such sweet labors Euroslavians know,
If the Turks shall reap what Euroslavians sow.

Then join hand in hand brave Euroslavians all,
By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall;
In so righteous a cause let us hope to succeed,
For Heaven approves of each generous deed.


The first Act began on a bright note with an opening number by the chorus line, which represented the beginning of the rebellion against the Turks, by the young Euroslavians. A young man by the name of Azuriah Hrokstopf walked to the front of the chorus, and began to sing a solo of his plight against the Turks. His father and two brothers were slaughtered by the Turks in a rebellion in the small town of Gotzeri. Luckily, Azuriah and his mother weren't in town at the time, and were away at their relatives house for a holiday meal, though Azuriah continued to blame himself for the deaths of his father and brothers.

Azuriah's mother then walked up to him, and held him in her arms. She too felt the guilt of the rest of her families' deaths, but comforted Azuriah, since all that they had left were each other. They sang a remarkable duet, full of emotion and power, hoping that the audience could feel the pain that was felt in their voices. It was with hope that this musical would pierce into the hearts of those watching, and make them feel as if they were alive during the Euroslavian Revolution.

After the duet ended, the chorus returned, and finished the song, as they prepared for another battle. A rumor had come around that the Turkish Army was going to move in and stomp the rebellion before anything could be organized, but it appeared that the Turks knew nothing of what was going on. Coordination between each city, and the members of the rebellion was at its height. They had... ways of keeping in contact with each other, and making sure that any information that was revealed would be released to the rest of the rebels. This was revealed in the next scene where a flashback occurred to the battle where Azuriah's father and brothers were killed. They gathered their arms, along with the rest of the town and prepared for the worst...

Azuriah's father and his two brothers ran onto the stage, bearing arms. The Turks were going to arrive any minute now, and they needed to do all they could to prevent the army in smashing through the city, and going to the bordering town, which was where Azuriah and his mother were, as well as most of their relatives. The town rebels followed the father and brothers soon after they appeared, and got into their places for their rebellion. Fifty Turk troops were the number that was expected, while the number of troops in Gotzeri numbered seventeen. The numbers could hardly be compared, especially when the rebels had no training, and consisted of a number of young and old men alike.

As a few minutes passed, the Turks had arrived within the town. They sang a number on the audacity of the Euroslavs, and how the rebellion wouldn't last long. The song ended with the Turks announcing that they will use all necessary force to end the rebellion, including the deliberate extermination of the rebels, and anyone else who opposed the Turk domination of the territory in rebellion. A fight ensued, with the first shot being fired by Azuriah's father. That shot represented the beginning of the Revolution. Unfortunately, the rebels fighting against the Turks were slowly but surely killed, with twenty casualties on the Turkish side. Azuriah's father and brothers were both captured and killed execution style...they may have lost this battle, but the town of Gotzeri was only minor in comparison of the rebellion.

OOC: All quotes are sung.

The fifth scene (still part of the flashback) opened back with Azuriah and his mother heading back home to Gotzeri. They were both singing another duet on how wonderful things went at their relatives house; but they were also both eager to come home and be with their family. A mile away from the house, Azuriah stopped. He gave a worried look to his mother, and began to run towards his town. Flames ravaged the city, which was only visible once they had walked over the large hill, coming back from their relative's town. His mother soon ran towards the town, though falling behind him seeing as she wasn't the most athletic person. Azuriah disappeared, and his mother, which her name is now revealed to be Zanya, sang a solo of the fear that crept within her heart. She reached out towards the town in flames, and prayed that her family was somehow alive. At that point, she heard Azuriah scream. Her heart sank, and she fell to the ground with only a short distance left between her and the town. The worst had come true, and her husband and two other sons were dead. She could feel the emotion and desperation coming from Azuriah's scream.

The scene then turned black, and came to a marvelous city with a large population, and an even larger amount of wealth, which could be seen by the clothing that most of the citizens wore. This was the largest city within the Slavic province, which almost 100% of it was plunged into an all-out war. Despite the riches, and what seemed like loyalty to the Turks, this was the largest city for the resistance. Most of the coordinated efforts came from here, back towards the rest of the cities within the territory. In an underground building, the resistance leaders met to discuss the events that have occurred, and also planned coordinated efforts to fight off the Turks from their own territory and declare their independence. The scene switched again, and opened in one of these meetings.

The rebels that were attending the meeting were discussing the recent slaughter in Gotzeri as well as the enemies plans for attacking the neighboring towns and eventually, their own city, here in Arcadia. Something needed to be done before it was too late...

"What shall we do? We're being put in a bad position here! Our men are being slaughtered, and our women disappearing. It seems as our cause is doomed, and we will be defeated!" sung in a very hectic, upbeat manner.

The entire group of people at the meeting stood up and sang two different parts, with some worried that they would lose, and the others trying to reassure them that they would win. One man stepped forward and settled everybody down to continue the meeting. His name was Dajuri Euroslav, leader of the resistance, and of the rebellion of the entire territory. At this point, Dajuri turned around and broke into song describing who he was, and what he was looking to do. His main goal was to achieve independence from the Turks, and establish a nation of his own, free of oppressive warmongers. At the end of the song, he turned back towards the rest of the people.

"I have a plan!"

Everyone stopped and looked at him as if he were crazy. At that point, the voices went to whispering, so that the audience could purposely not hear them. It was meant to keep some sort of element of suprise to it, without blatantly revealing his course of action. The scene ended with everyone at the meeting nodding and smiling at each other.

Five months later...

The scene cuts to Azuriah and his mother back at their relatives' town. It hadn't been attacked yet, but tensions were running high. The possibility of an attack was running high, and many were thinking of fleeing the town to escape the Turks, though most decided to stay and ride it out. Rumors again were spreading like wildfire. This time, it was predicted that some sort of action was to occur to create even more tension between the Slavic peoples' and the Turks. Whether it was an attempt at assassination or a declaration of some sort was left to the imagination. Only the resistance knew if this, though there was no guarantee that there weren't spies seeking information for the Turk warlords.

Azuriah and his mother almost immediately sing a song about their lives in this town, and the holes in their hearts, without their own family. This occurance only fueled the spirits of the rebels, and they sang about how they would do anything to give the Turks what they deserve.

With the song over, Azuriah and Zanya went to sleep. Only a few minutes later, screams could be heard across the city.

"The Turks are here! The Turks are here!" shouted one of the watchmen.

Azuriah got up immediately and grabbed his gun. His mother got up, but Azuriah told her to stay in the house.

"I can't let you come outside, mother. It's too dangerous out there. The Turks aren't civilized when it comes to war, and will do anything to kill you. I'm not going to let that happen. I'll be fine, so please don't worry about me!"

He ran out of the house, leaving his mother in despair. She began to sing a dreary solo of life without her last hope, Azuriah, and how she will be tempted to kill herself if she sees Azuriah's body lying in the streets.

The fighting came to a peak as the rebels of the town were somehow able to fend off the Turks. The advantage of knowing your territory better gave you a better advantage than most would seem. Suprise attacks were more effective, giving the rebellion the ultimate advantage. After what seemed like forever, the last gunshot was heard, and shouts of joy echoed across the town. The Turks had been defeated! Zanya walked outside to see Azuriah blood all over his clothing.

"Are you wounded? What can I do to help you son! I cannot lose you too!"

"Relax mother, this is not my blood. I am fine. This is the blood of the wretched Turks who attempted to steal this city from us, along with out pride. They've failed mother! We've finally won!"

OOC: I'll continue this in a bit. I need a rest.

News of the victory spread like wildfire. The Turks had finally been defeated by a group of untrained men and women. The belief that the Turks would inevitably crush the rebellion began to waver, and the thoughts of freedom had begun to sink into the minds of the rebellion. Meanwhile, in Azuriah's temporary home, where the victory took place, Azuriah and Zanza, along with the rest of the people of the village gathered for a meeting.

"With this victory, we must rejoice, but we cannot let our guards down for a single second, or else we're goners."

"Our victory has signaled a change in history! We can win this war and achieve our most valued of goals. We need to stick together, and hope that other cities and towns across our territory do the same. If we can keep up the rebellion, we can tire the Turk soldiers, and weaken their morale." replied Azuriah.

The rest of the meeting went quite well. Defensive plans were structured, as well as more traps, better weapons, and more strategic planning for the development of the terrain, to further throw the Turks off. Everybody went to work to make sure that they would best the Turkish soldiers once again.

News went around to the rest of the cities to do the same, and almost immediately, the rebellion went into full mobilization. With the success that has occurred, there was no doubt that any other town or city could do the same, with the resources that they had available to them.

A month after the mobilization of the entirety of the rebel forces, news came out that an attack upon Valua, one of the larger cities of the rebel territories (as claimed) was halted and crushed. There was a much more strategic battle for the rebellion, which was now growing in power. The rest of the world was bound to notice that these rebels were serious when wanting independence, and that the Turks may not be as powerful as they seem, if they're losing to a bunch of untrained citizens. Then, the most shocking moment of the war happened. Something that not only caught the Turks off-guard, but the rebels themselves. Feeling that the war was going their way, the leaders of the rebellion, in Arcadia, worked up a draft for what would become the Declaration of their Independence. The entire world was shocked at the abrasive action of the rebellion, and weren't sure whether or not to recognize it. It seemed to be too early for such a declaration, but at the same time, now is a better time than ever, with their morale running as high as it is. Would this rebellion succeed to form a new nation out of the Turkish empire, or would it crumble at the might of the Turks?

Lady Destra was very pleased with the opera so far. It had gone almost flawlessly. Despite the fact that she had seen it multiple times already, she still enjoys every minute of it, and the message that it brings out.

She turned to her guests, Speaker and Calabrese, and smiled, hoping that they were able to get a glimpse of the suffering of the people, but at the same time, their fierce will, which is something that is still reflected upon in modern Euroslavian society.

"This is the end of Act One. I hope it gave you a bit of understanding of Euroslavian culture, and the struggle we went through to get where we are today." Lady Destra smiled at both of her guests. "There are refreshments back in the room we were previously if you would enjoy some; drinks of all kind, as well as a few snacks, healthy and ...well, unhealthy. Sometimes, I just can't help myself, I give in and snatch up a few of the unhealthy candies." as she gave a chuckle.

The kzintosh chuckles softly, breath whiffing through his nostrils. "Had I known there would be unhealthy candy, I would have made baklava."

He lets the statement stand by itself for a few moments, then smiles thinly--as kzinti cannot smile any other way--while his batwing ears flap a little. "Mediterranean Scolopendra was centered around Turkey and, among some, was considered a reborn Caliphate. Jokingly, of course." Another soft chuckle, before suddenly turning serious. A quarter-ton tiger-lineman thing turning serious is like the passing of a cold front, barometer readings in the immediate vicinity drop and the change can almost be physically felt.

'Pendran humans usually say it's because of the pheromones. As long as one can't smell the change, though, it's generally not a bad thing, so they say. "I know it is late, but we are sorry for the excesses of our ancestors."

Calabrese had watched the opera unfold intently, various emotions playing across his face, albeit subtly. For the most part, he looked thoughtful as he took it all in, and afterwards, while he quietly listened to his companions discuss.

Speaker’s moment of seriousness brings him out of his reveries rather quickly, and he watches the ‘tosh warily. The Supreme Emperor’s response takes him off-guard, and he arches one brow slightly on account. If he understood the whole concept of ‘broken reality’ (which he had to admit he did not), there was no way to know if the Scolopendran’s ancestors had been directly involved or not. Was there? Why then the apology? A mere nicety? His demeanor seemed otherwise … more the kzinti sense of honor? Ratcat aside, the whole gods-bedamned ‘Pendran sense of honor to boot.

He keeps the wry smile he’s feeling from making its way onto his lips, and he chuckles silently to himself. Save us, Lord, from the idealists, he can’t help but think, without any malice. The more he learned about his allies, the more he was convinced that he would never entirely understand them.

He understands enough though to respect them. And to wait politely for Lady Destra to reply, and the moment to pass properly before making any quips about ‘excesses’ and Speaker’s baklava. For some reason, the idea of the big ‘tosh in the kitchen whipping up a batch of decadent pastries was one he couldn’t quite wrap his head around. Not without picturing him complete with chef hat and apron, at least. Perhaps cursing how claws could so easily tear the paper-thin phylo dough. Dangerous thinking, that.

Calabrese quite firmly resists any giggling that such images might inspire, being so at odds with his usual take on Speaker. Terrible rudeness, that. And evisceration, now or later, was not on his ‘things to try’ list, besides.

"The actions of your ancestors, no matter what was done, cannot be changed. If things would have been different, then we would not be standing here today," as Destra spoke seriously. "If anything, because of the events that occured, it gives us all the more reason to respect each other, and hope for better things in the present. We shouldn't let the past interfere with the potential relations between our two nations and people. Your apology on behalf of your peoples' actions show a great maturity among you and your people, of which I have the utmost respect for." she added.

Destra looked at both Calabrese and Speaker, feeling quite appreciative and joyful. "I must say that I am excited for the Second Act of this opera; however, my mind is also on the discussions after the opera, concerning our relations. I've enjoyed the events up to this point, and can only hope that you share the same sentiment." Destra smiled, but then started to laugh, and began to speak again. "I'm also excited to grab a few of these pieces of candy." as she continued to laugh. "These pieces of candy are different that the usual fattening, unhealthy snacks. They've been adapted to contain vitamins and nutrients that we need, so I suppose you can say these are healthy snacks, despite them still retaining their natural taste. I must admit, I do like food. One of these days, I'll have to take a try at the Scolopendran baklava."

"Our Ottomans were just as oppressive as any other," Speaker says with an almost vocal shrug and a glance at Calabrese, "and it is best to err on the side of caution." Then he returns his attention to Destra, bowing shortly. "Thank you for your kind words, ma'am. Your willingness to not let history become the source of a grudge speaks highly of the honorable maturity of your people in turn."

The cold front passes, and the kzintosh returns to his more genial self. "Our baklava is anything but healthy. That forces us to keep it in moderation." He winks and flaps his ears again. "But yes, I also look forward to the second act. History has always fascinated me, and it is one of the best ways to learn about a people."

As is his habit, Calabrese looks for any possible hidden meanings, Speaker’s glance and comment on ‘erring on the side of caution’ triggering a flag for him. Sometimes it pays to be paranoid, sometimes it’s just an annoyance. The trick is knowing which was which.

He relaxes as the ‘tosh does, again pushing visions of a ‘kiss the cook’ apron out of his mind, in spite of himself.

“Indeed,” he says in agreement. “The production thus far has been truly magnificent. Quite moved, really. Though I must say, my Lady, the idea of ‘healthy candy’ is somewhat foreign, if you’ll pardon my boldness. All things in moderation is fine in theory, but I’ve found that indulging oneself now and then is good for the soul.” All this delivered with a slightly mischievous smile. Oh, he was a man that enjoyed his comforts, as anyone who knew him could attest. At least in looking at him, some of those more decadent habits had yet to catch up.

“Still, I thank you for the opportunity to sample while we enjoy the second act. I’m certain they are every bit as delicious as the other fare has been. Grazie.”

Looking back at Speaker, Destra began to speak. "History is one of my favorite things to study, and sadly in my spare time, I find myself reading the history of nations that I know little about. It's a good way to understand the culture of the people, as well as the past decisions of their governments, and how they've changed over time, as well as their allies." she gave a slight smirk, and began to speak again. "Perhaps one of these days, I'll be able to get out of the Palace, and travel, but I never seem to have the time for it."

Looking at the man behind the refreshment stand, she nodded, looked briefly back at Speaker and Calabrese, then looked back at the man. He nodded back in acknowledgement and bent down towards what looked like a larger bowl of some sort of product. He set it down on the table, and Destra smiled back at him, and thanked him.

"Of course though, I couldn't hide our real snacks, ones that are just plain bad for your health. There's everything that is currently popular in Euroslavia, as well as an assortment of items that have been taken from other cultures, in a seperate dish. Despite the fact that a lot of the candy and goodies from around the world are quite similar, there are slight differences that show one the vast difference in culture, such as the removal of one ingredient from a certain product, and the addition of their own."

Noticing the time, she realized that the second Act was about to start up again. The lights had dimmed slightly to give notice to those not sitting down yet that the play would be starting in the next four minutes. It was always effective in getting people back into their seats.

"It seems our time has been cut short again. Would you care to follow me back into the theatre? Act Two will begin very shortly, and from what I hear, it's a heck of a lot more vivid than the first."

"Certainly. I look forward to it." Speaker smiles sincerely, if thinly--as if he was physically capable of smiling any other way--and watches Destra flit to and fro from history to candy to unhealthy candy to how candy varies from society to society. Some professional diplomats would probably see this as off-putting, or at least watch smugly.

Speaker likes it, though. Shows she's more than just a pretty face and a national figurehead. There's an actual person in there.

Calabrese chose several sweets for himself – enough to enjoy, but not so much that he appeared greedy. Well, perhaps not too greedy at least. After all, they were offered freely, and good for one or no, they looked rather appealing.

For himself, while pleasantly amused at Destra’s casual manner, it served to mentally keep himself on his guard. One did not come to power by being flighty or absent-minded, as some might perceive her idle jumping back and forth to be. Whether it was simply her being relaxed among those she felt comfortable with, which he would accept as a compliment, or a cleverly executed plan to put them at ease in hopes they would let slip more than they usually might, or end up taking her more for granted – a move he could also respect – it was proving to be an enjoyable night, with surprisingly enjoyable companions.

Offering his arm once again with a respectful nod to both his companions, he gestures towards their box and smiles. “I do as well. A most excellent performance thus far, and if I may say so, in most excellent company as well. Shall we?”

Destra took Calabrese's offer and walked back into the entrance, alongside Speaker, who seemed quite interested in seeing the Second Act. His interest in Euroslavian history has proven to be one of the most encouraging events of the night. Calabrese's manners have also been very encouraging, in the fact that Destra definitely would not pass up any chance at spending more than just today with her guests, and that perhaps a future opportunity would arise.

As they walked into the theatre, the lights dimmed for the last time, meaning there was approximately thirty seconds before the curtains would rise, and the story being told would continue on its journey to the end. Destra led them all back towards their original seats, where they each sat down and prepared for the Second Act. The curtains had opened in a fast manner, and out came the scene...

OOC: The beginning is a voice-over while the battle rages on in Valua.

The scene opened up with Azuriah in the middle of a battle against the Turks, once again, in the city of Valua. The battle raged on between the trained Turks, and the rebels, who had developed more of a strategy to defend themselves against the enemy, who knew little about the terrain, especially just outside of the city. This is where the rebellion took advantage of it, by staging attacks from that point. This could quite possibly be the final battle between both of the foes, in which it could go either way.

The first scenario was that the rebellion defeat the Turks, and send them retreating back into their own territory, leaving the Euroslavian territories free to set up their own nation. Of course, a counterattack upon the Turkish mainlands may be necessary to be sure that the Turks wouldn't return with a vengence, but time would tell, as well as the amount of casualties in the battle.

The second scenario is that the Turks receive reinforcements and defeat the rebels' largest army in Valua, sending their rebellion into a spiraling downfall, ending their chance at independence, and likely leading the territories into another dark age. It was likely that more than half of the entire population would be slaughtered for attempting such a rebellion, just as it was over a hundred years ago at a failed attempt for independence. It was considered the "Euroslavian Genocide". Millions of Euroslavians were slaughtered, though the number itself couldn't even be estimated.

History itself was keeping watch intensely over this battle, preparing to write itself over depending on the outcome of it all. After all, the victorious are the ones who end up writing the detailed account of what happened, with the defeated having no say in their opinion of it all.

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

"Attack on the left flank! Their forces are weakening!" shouted the commanding officer of the rebellion. The Turkish forces seemed to have been confused when reinforcements arrived, and failed to send over any of those reinforcements to the left flank, which was now being pummeled by the aggressive manner of the rebellion.

The scene once again spread out to a large amount of soldiers clashing in the middle of the city, with it being obvious who was who. The rebellion wore any piece of clothing possible, while the Turk Armies looked organized and wore light armor. A light then focused itself upon Azuriah, who was deep into battle, assaulting any Turk who came within five feet of him. He seemed to be in some sort of trance, or bloodlust, with nothing getting even close to hitting him.

"Keep up the attack, we're pushing them back behind the city!" shouted Azuriah, keeping everyone motivated.

The intensity of the rebellion was quite obvious, with each rebel attacking as if it were their last battle, and that they would cease to exist after it all. They were doing absolutely anything possible to defeat the Turks, and to secure a future for their children, and their childrens' children. The emotions being displayed by the rebellion was enough to force any enemy to pause for a brief second, and re-think exactly why they're trying so hard to supress these people, which gave the rebels enough time to take advantage of the situation and gain an advantage.

After over two hours of battle, the rebellion began pushing the Turks out of the city. It seemed like victory was imminent. However, there was another front, one that was very minor, that had come into play, especially for Azuriah's life and family...

It seemed that the rebellion as a whole was succeeding in the war, and was pushing back the Turks. For this, Azuriah was proud. His people, if everything stayed as it was, would become a free nation, away from the Turkish tyranny. Perhaps new trade and relations would come out of it? England, France, and the rest of the world powers were watching intently on the outcome of this battle. If the Turks lost, their reputation as a world power would pretty much be lost. It was a win-win situation for the rebel Euroslavians; however, a situation more dire and more important to Azuriah, despite not having any importance in the overall aspect of the rebellion was about to occur.

A few miles behind the site of war, Azuriah's mother, Zanza was waiting anxiously for the results of the battle. Within a few minutes, a messenger ran back from the battle and informed everyone, mostly the women and children, that they were winning the war.

"We may finally be free!" she shouted, with the joy within her heart overflowing.

Just then, as if the devil himself had watched this and planned, a small platoon of Turkish soldiers sent to take out the Euroslavian supply pathway arrived, and marched towards the small encampment. The women and children screamed and ran in terror, in a flurry of events. They were like sitting ducks, with nowhere to go, and a pack of wolves surrounding them. Zanza prayed for her son and the rest of the battle occuring...

Meanwhile, the battle raged on as the rebellion pushed back what remained of the Turks; though both sides had lost a massive amount of support. The rebellion had almost succeeded at gaining themselves independence. They just needed more time to finish the enemy, for good. Would this mean that Euroslavia would finally be free? Is this truly the end of the fight? Only time would tell...

Zanza, along with a few of the other adults who had maintained their composure while the Turk soldiers marched towards their city. The children were hidden in an underground compartment in one of the main houses within the town, though it looked as if it were abandoned, to trick the enemy, in case a situation such as this had occurred.

"This may be our last day to fight for our people, so let's make this as good as we possibly can." as Zanza spoke to the ten remaining adults who stood there, shaking horrendously. The war was being won by their side, but they may not even make it through to the end. This fight may very well be the last fight that inflicts casualties upon the rebellion, now-turned nation. "Everyone, gather everything that you can possibly use to fight against the enemy, and do exactly as we've planned."

Every adult looked at each other, some with tears in their eyes, and nodded at each other. They had more than just their nation to fight for, they were here to fight for their children, and for their very own lives. For too long, they've yearned for peace and for independence, and this was finally their chance at gaining this. Dying here would not be in vain; however, this is what they had been fighting for, for their entire lives. There was no possible way they could give up now...

As the Turks marched within the town, the platoon split up into what looked like an abandoned town. The citizens had already hidden themselves and their suprises for the enemy. The leading soldier walked into the first house and casually walked around, not knowing that Zanza herself was hidden, and was ready to attack at any moment. With no time to waste, she sprung out of her hiding place, and caught the soldier off-guard, knocking him out cold with a fiercely wooden staff. The rest of the Turks had split off and went into houses of their own, only to be pounced upon and defeated soundly; however, as Zanza knocked the first soldier out cold, a second soldier appeared out of nowhere. Immediately then, she thought that this could be the end for her. The soldier pulled out a dagger and let it loose towards Zanza, seconds before another citizen of the small town hit the soldier in the back of the head, knocking them down. Zanza stared down the dagger as it flew towards her. She had seconds to act before it would reach it's target, but at her age, she had no chance of avoiding it. The dagger pierced through her skin, and into her mid-chest.

Zanza fell to her knees and began to laugh mildly, as she sank into the arms of a masked citizen of the town. She had finally reached the end of the rebellion, but it was destined that she wouldn't make it through.
"Cruel fate would have it this way, for me to perish the second before the war had ended. Azuriah, I love you...oh I wish I could see you right now, before I'm taken away...". At that very moment, her eyes closed, and her body became lifeless. The man in the mask shed a tear, looked towards the rest of the citizens, and finally revealed himself.

"Azuriah! What're you doing here?!" as everyone let out a gasp of shock.

"The war has been won already hours ago, and I had just returned to seek my mother out. It appears that I am too late. If only I had reached here minutes before..."

Azuriah held his mother tightly, and let out the very emotions that've been pent up for his entire lifetime. The war had been won, but the one person that had meant the most to him was gone. Independence had been gained, but his personal life had been lost...

Months later, a treaty was signed between the Turks and the Euroslavians, with mediators present from England, France, Russia, and Austria-Hungary. The goal of independence had finally been achieved, and the nation of people had been set free of the oppression of the Turks, from now on.





At that very moment, the curtains closed, and the presentation was finished. Lady Destra, who had almost been in tears, stared at the actors and actresses as they all returned for their final bow.

Speaker understands why so many human dramas had some sort of important character die at the end; many kzinti stories and dramas did the same thing. He doesn't have to agree with it, though, again based on reasons. If this were a kzinti production, then there would be little mourning but much lauding of Zanza the Hero, dying with her teeth lodged firmly deep in the enemy's throat. It was almost just like a kzinti production, actually, where the old wise warrior who had lived too long and risked dying ingloriously with all his past efforts too ancient to be remembered gets his last chance to die as any Hero would be proud to.

So, in the end, Speaker is filled with pride directed towards the Heroic mother and gentle humor because that is completely not the intended reaction. Neither is appropriate for the situation, and so he decides to simply will himself into strong silence... which would seem appropriate from any angle, given his background. It was a good production, to be sure, and he would sincerely compliment Lady Destra at his first opportunity.

For now, he just adds to the applause.

"I certainly hope a sort of understanding of Euroslavia's past has been created for you both. It gives me pride to be able to show what we went through, in our past, and how we've changed much since then, to become what we are today." as she smiled towards her guests.

"It seems, however, that we have much to talk about, dealing with the affairs of our nations, diplomatically. Not to change the topic from the musical so quickly, but I do believe that these matters are quite important, as to form some sort of foundation for the future of our nations." as Destra stopped to think for a bit. "On our way towards the discussion room designated for us, feel free to bring up anything from the musical, or from any matter in general to discuss. I do wish that things are at least a tad bit casual, and not always so formal. I admit, I'm not one for constant formalities. Everybody deserves to relax for a bit." as she gave a smirk and a brief chuckle. "Follow me." as she walked out of the production area, and back towards the palace.

Speaker nods to Lady Destra, meeting after the show. "Yes. It was a most excellent play; my compliments to the players. Thank you for the opportunity to learn more about your culture in such a way.

"As for diplomacy, we always welcome it." He chuckles softly, another soft whiffling of air through his nostrils. Taking a moment to himself, he thinks of a question that would both in part help to sate his curiosity as well as get to the meat of the matter at hand. Diplomacy with an Ardan nation, and apparently one quite easily aligned with the national ideals and interests of Scolopendra, is of course welcome. The old adage, though, goes 'location, location, location' and Euroslavia certainly is in an interesting one. "We certainly have much to learn from you. My people would love to learn more about your culture and history, about what adaptations you have made to progress so far. On a more... rrr... pragmatic side there are certainly interesting possibilities for mutual support in industry and defense. What would your people like to see from closer relations between us?"

Calabrese watches the final scenes intently from over steepled fingers, various emotions playing briefly over his face. Risk versus potential gain was always a factor, and one he had pushed the line on many a time. The latest having had a rather unforeseen ending for which he was both grateful, and understandably bitter. This time at least, he’d vowed to not let the bitterness overshadow his better judgment.

Family was the core of many things in the Dominion, whether genetic or chosen. Azuriah’s loss most definitely hit home, making the victory bittersweet at best. What would be interesting to see is how he handled himself after – a pity the play had to end when it did, but then, there really wasn’t another way to end it. That would be the real measure, he figured. How one carried on after such a deep loss. If the nation today were any indication of the character of the people overall, it stood to reason he would have handled things well. Thus far, he’d been quite impressed, most especially with Lady Destra. She was a … pleasant change from the leader he was accustomed to.

“Grazie, Lady Destra. Indeed, a most excellent production. It illustrates a depth of character and resolve in your people that is to be commended and respected. Truly, it has been a very enjoyable evening – again, my thanks.”

“I have to agree with Speaker in that we are always open to new relationships and opportunities,” he adds after the ‘tosh has spoken. “In learning what it is you hope to achieve, we would be better able to ascertain what it is we can do to accommodate.”

Lady Destra smiles at the question, as the party continues to walk out of the production area, and back towards the palace.

"Where should I begin?" as she gave a brief, innocent grin. Destra certainly wasn't the type to give off the vibe of wanting to take advantage of a friendship between not only her nations and others, but their leaders and herself as well.

"Euroslavia hasn't had too much of a history of close friendships, I'm afraid. We've been betrayed by some of our closest allies, and we remain extremely cautious in forming friendships and even alliances with new nations; however, that doesn't mean that we aren't willing to try, hence why you both have been invited here today. Both Scolopendra and the Dominion have solid reputations, throughout not only the planet, but throughout Sol. Both peoples have been deemed as ones that we believe that we can trust. For that, we seek out not only a friendship, but a multitude of our possibilities. Going from trade agreements, which I do believe we have one with the Dominion already, as well as cultural exchange programs with our children, so that they may grow up knowing not only our culture, but the culture of our friends, as well as diplomatic benefits, treaties, and pledges of aid, militarily, economically, and again, diplomatically. I do believe that all of our citizens can benefit to all of the mentioned goals, as well as ones that haven't been mentioned yet."

"Going back to our history of betrayed friendships, Sarzonia, Pacitalia, and company come to our minds. Their absolute 180 turn towards our nation and it's policies, which remained the same was an absolute shock. It seemed that our friendship was only a guise for their leaders to take advantage of what our nation can offer." as Destra sighed. "It really has a bad effect on you and your people to see close friends become traitors within such a short matter of time."

After recovering from the racial twinge the grin causes--resulting in little more than a twitch of the ears and flick of the tail at this point--the kzintosh nods. "Hrrr. Your reluctance is understandable," Speaker says with diplomatic softness, the shaking box of rocks tone of his voice muting slightly to perhaps pebbles in a burlap bag, "which makes the honor you do us with this invitation all the greater and more sincere. Thank you."

He also has the good grace not to chuckle at the idea of trusting the Dominion, especially with Calabrese around. Nonetheless, he does throw a glance full of king-of-the-jungle meaning at the Dominioner. "We do pride ourselves on our commitments to friends. We do not leave them out in the cold. If we are friends, we are friends to last, and from what I have seen there is nothing that says this should not be so.

"Trade channels are easily arranged; I can discuss the opening of markets with Advisor Kerrigan. IntTrade will insist on making sure your mercantile interests comply with our fair trade standards, but they are not particularly harsh. Cultural exchanges will go through Advisor Hertzfeldt of the Science Section, and I am certain the Legislative Unit will be most interested in further relations after the first steps are taken." He ponders for a moment, narrowing his eyes in thought, then continues. "Military aid... will be interesting in your position, all things considered. I do not doubt that I can convince the Legislative Unit it is in our best interest." He smiles thinly, ears flapping gently as his eyes stay slitted quite slyly.

Finally arriving at the Negotiations Room within the Palace, Lady Destra directed both of the leaders to a smaller table, where each of the three chairs had guards standing behind them, as all three bowed towards the guests, and pulled the chairs out.

Lady Destra waited politely as both of her guests sat down, and as the guards left the room, to guard the entrance to it.

"I don't believe that the stardards of trade, in general, will be a problem. Once we are notified of the specifics, we will comply to them with ease; as our nation has it's own customary standards, which I do not believe can be far different from your own. Cultural exchanges will be dealt with by one of our rising advisors, from within our nation. Zerase has shown a great interest in understanding Scolopendran and Dominion cultures, in comparison to our own."

"Military-wise, we do not wish to cause a stir among your nation's authorities, as we do understand the position that our nation could possibly give them... being a member of Arda; however, the best that we can possibly do is to continue to show our willingness to expand above and beyond the typical diplomacy of the Ardan nations, and to ... step out of the circle, so to speak." as she gave that sentence a brief thought. " We must as though, is there anything that either of your nation's wishes to put on the table?"