NationStates Jolt Archive

It started as a radio message. Certain high level officers would like a tête-a-tête with certain high level officers from the opposing sides. A location was mentioned, as was a time. The message was that it was a matter of urgency and that it ould save many lives. It was not signaed by names only with a code key that proved that it origined from Veganian Military HQ.

Chief Tactician Papphammar watched the maps and shook his head. Some gambles lost, some gambles won but if they didn't get any reinforcements the battle was lost. Behind him he could hear the murmur from the generals, they didn't like his gamble with their mens lives at all. He chose to ignore them and focused on the work again, they were too bound by emotions. There were still some tricks up his sleeve, but the cost would be massive.

"It's a trap!" warned the aide-de-camp as Field Marshal Kantenouzous read the communiqué over.

"Quite probably." replied the Field Marshal. "Or a delaying tactic. Or maybe they realise that our reinforcements are pouring in and they're not confident that they'll get any more of their own. Draft a letter to Syskeyian HQ. Tell them that we advise them to meet the Veganans, but not at the location they specified - it would too easy for them to wipe out too many high level officers all at once in one fell swoop if it is a trap. If they want to talk, let them talk at a location of our choosing. Tell them that I will attend the negotiations."

"Yes, Monsieur Field Marshal." replied the ADC.

"One more thing," Kantenouzous said. "I know how hesitant the Syskeyians seemed to be to negotiate before this mess began. If they refuse to meet with the Reich as per this Veganan request, tell them it will be my recommendation to the Imperial High Command that the Pantocratorian Tenth Expeditionary Force be withdrawn from the theatre. And once you've sent that letter, see if you can't get me that damned idiot Montmanuel on the phone!"

"Yes, Field Marshal!" the ADC replied, saluting before heading off to carry out his instructions.

"never! let our blood merge with the clay! let honor be done, and let our forces march through the streets of syskeyia! onto syskeyia! onto Lavenrunz!"
The general took his senior officers rant seriously, still he was honor bond to jaar and the might veganain forces - even if he strongly disagreed with them.
He spoke softly to his officers "honor and glory to our ally. we can hear them out. justice will come in the end. patience brothers."

The messenger beeped as messages began to come in. The aide carefully looked around her and downloaded the answers to the small memory stick she carried. After that she hard deleted the messages and removed all trace of them coming in. They were playing agame of high stakes here and she didn't want any blame to fall upon her uncle. There could be no evidence of who did what if they were to succeed.

OOC: Apologies for not getting here sooner... irl stuff.
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Lady Bryce tapped the surface of the desk thoughtfully, then cocked an eyebrow at General de Santuro, who was shaking his head.

"It's some sort of trick to wipe out Chimaean officers," he growled, "Never trust the Reich."

Lady Bryce tapped some more as she re-read the message. "But what if it was genuine? Not... hmm. Not from the Veganan government per se but from the field?"

"It'd consitute a military coup, then..."

"Yes all right, but I don't think we can afford to leave this avenue unexplored."

"Remember what happened during the St. Dominic Embassy Massacre Trial--"

"Yes, yes. But this business has already cost too many lives. I'd like to think this over." Lady Bryce replied coldly.

The General saluted and marched stiffly out of the room. Lady Bryce thought for a moment, before picking up the phone to her secretary. "Hello. Could you please put me through to General Garrison? Yes, I know--No, I'm sure he can be reached. Thank you. And... who's the field commander of the Army in Syskeyia? Brigadier Halstead? Put me through to her, too..."

It takes bold moves, she thought as she waited, Bold moves to carve out the future...

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SCRAMBLER: 432555234.e3234.vsd345
**MESSAGE RETURNED ALONG SEND PATH**

We will be there at the given time and place. We expect safe conduct at all times.

the five shapes were standing around a table in a tent in Bendecitia. The tent had been checked for surveillance devices and so had the surrounding area. It looked like any other strategic meeting with high ranked veganian officers except for the fact that it was held outdoors.

-"We have trouble, North Star blew the horn. There are people looking for the source of that first message."

"Pantocratoria and Chimaea has answered that they are willing to listen so far. But on two different locations. Is that doable?"

-"Not sure, and we have no answer from Lavenrunz or Syskeyia yet, so even if we reach a deal with Pantocratoria and Chimaea we still will have to fight them."

-" Send a new location, exclude North Star this time. Have it encrypted and make sure the logs are erased afterwards"

[OOC: This is, IC, on time. OOC it's late though :)]

The Republic of Syskeyia agrees to a possible cease-fire, if negotiations can take place.

General of the Army Vincent Ferrer Chalermchai
Strategos Strategon
Syskeyian Armed Forces
Message sent - Maximum encryption

The man sitting on a chair received another punch that landed on his face with a bone crushing sound, a gloved hand grabbed his hair and pulled his head up.

-"We got proof of you sending that message. We know you're not alone traitor! Who else? We want names! "

The man was backhanded in the face and a small spray of spittle and blood landed on the Chief Inquisitors boots. He stepped up to the man.

-"Who are you to decide the faith of the this war soldier!? Who are you to change the will of god!? Who are you to soil my new boots!!" He pulled up a gun and fired twice into the mans face. The man slumped in the stool still held up by straps around his chest.

-"Sir, with all due respect, he was about to talk..." The words were said very silently and when the inquisitor had marched out of the room. "Asshole..."


A Specified place north west of Bendecitia

There were four men in the patrol vehicle, all carried clothes without any insignias or ranks. But anyone could see that these elderly men all were very high ranking officers. Their vehicle was parked in a small forest, they were waiting.

Soon their was the roar and rattle of an off-road vehicle, familiar in most military conflicts. Eventually a military jeep painted in camouflage colours came into view, driven by Brigadier Halstead, dressed in combat fatigues, with an older man in a suit sitting next to her, hanging on grimly for dear life as Halstead slammed the vehicle to a stop opposite the Veganan patrol vehicle.

General Garrison, looking awkward in his suit, leaned towards Halstead. "Where the hell did you get your license from?"

Halstead gave him a blank look. "I have a license?"

Garrison stared at her for a moment, then straightened up and scanned the treeline. No obvious traps or snipers. He didn't trust it, but Lady Bryce had been clear on the good will part.

He knew that the men in the other vehicle must recognise him, even in his suit--his face was regrettably familiar to anyone in Chimaea, as he'd held the second most-powerful job in Chimaea. Who knows, he might have met these very officers before. Sending him had been a very clear message on Lady Bryce's part.

Satisfied that there wasn't any immediate danger, the Brigadier eased the vehicle forward as close as possible to the other without invading any personal space. The two Chimaeans locked gazes with the officers they had plotted war against for so long.

The men watched the vehicle as it approached.

-"I'll be damned, it seems as if Chimaea at least answered our call."

-"Yes, but noone else or so it seems"

-"Give them a few more minutes, if we can save thousands of lives it is worth it."

They made sure that their hands were kept in plain visibility as they nodded to the approaching car. They trusted that the ones in the other car would recognise their faces. After all the Chimaean intelligence had proved good before. Then they waited for any others to show up.

-"looks like it only will be us" Generalfeldmarschall Carl Hauptmann said to his Colleagues." Well, gentlemen lets go out and see if we can cut a deal with the devil..."

He opened the door and they warily stepped out of the car.

When the Veganan officers started to get out of their vehicle, General Garrison nodded to the Brigadier and both Chimaeans followed suit. They approached the Veganans warily, both wondering what sort of deal was going to be presented.

General Garrison smiled tightly as they got closer. "Good afternoon," he said, as brightly as possible, "I'm honoured to meet you gentlemen in person, at long last...."