NationStates Jolt Archive

Squall Straights of Klatchia

A figure moved through the water, much like a Dolphin, it's speed was certainly comparable. Though it was too long for a dolphin about 50% longer than you'd expect, though indeed it was far too skinny for a Vrakian. Would the people in the Squall Straights even detect that there was anything there?

Who knows, all that was certain was that figure was making a bee-line for the southern Dyellian coast, what would happen therem we'll just have to wait and find out.

The Southern Coast of Dyelli Beybi was probably not the most fun place in the world to be. There were some rather unpleasant animals lurking offshore, the great white sharks being only the tip of the iceberg. Then there were all the naval mines. Generations of them stretching in a vast field out into international waters. Some were old contact mines bobbing about on the surface, their anchors rapidly rusting through. Others were the newer magnetically fused variety that lurked ominously under the waves. Some were simple high explosives, while others contained small nuclear devices. It was this formidable layer of defences that had kept Dyelli Beybi safe from naval assault for generations.

Inside of this lay a clear stretch of perhaps five nautical miles, then the coast. Huge rolling breakers that burst against a rugged shoreline of red sands and scrubby bushes. Of course around here there were numerous ships hugging the shore, well away from the mines. Squid fishers, container ships and of course naval vessels and the omnipresent coast guard. It was perhaps the busiest sea lane in Klatch, but only because the minefield kept everything congested.

Aside from the Benjian ports in the West, Dyelli Beybi itself had three main sea ports. Jesuitlem in the West was the smallest, mostly a fishing Port, then there was Cyro, where the steel and titanium left from, among other things. Cyro was a fetid swamp of a town, although being as it was the Capital of the vast Kingdom, housed a sizeable fleet. Last and largest was Saint Guineford's. Built inside the crater of an extinct volcano, Saint Guineford's bay was a perfect secluded anchorage that protected ships from the tropical storms which occasionally ravaged the coastline. It housed the Dyellian Admiralty, and the largest component of the Sea Fleet. It also housed a Port to rival Cyro, mainly exporting oil and titanium.

The lone figure wouldn't provoke much notice apart from one submarine which initially mistook it for a torpedo and initiated a crash dive (which would later result in much sabre rattling from the Admiralty towards a certain Foreign State). It would be over to them to decide who to approach as the Dyellians seemed to think it was just a big fish.

The figure followed the submarine for a few minutes, probably only confirming suspicions that it was a torpedo before giving up the chase and returning to it's mission, after continueing on it's previous path for a minute it diverted north, it would now enter the bay that held the border between South-Western Benjia and Dyelli Beybi.

It seemingly managed to get through the whatever defenses and dealt with whatever living menaces that were in the area. It came to a sand beach and for the first time, apart from a few select individuals, the people of Dyelli Beybi saw a mermaid. It's hair extremely long. It basically sat in the surf of the beach and tried to talk wihout saying a word. They had a sign language rather vocal and hopefully it would be able to complete it's mission.

OOC: Oh ffs. That is the second time my computer has totally wiped my message. Third time lucky...

The appearance of a mermaid caused quite some alarm at the village of Fish-upon-Amos. After the police had observed through binoculars for a while, and decided it wasn't some kind of improvised bomb they set up a cordon to keep the many locals seeking a photo opportunity at a safe distance.

After that they waited. The MOD was sending someone who apparently understood the situation. They were expected in just over an hour. Most of the police thought the mermaid would probably have gone by then, but they sat behind the tape anyway...

The mermaid obviously got bored, or simply couldn't keep still. She got back into the water, swum around a bit, returned, found that nothing had changed except for a few more faces being seen. Left again, this time doing some aerial work. Leaping out of the water, doing a somersault or some other gymnastic type movements before returning to the shore.

The man she was looking for was not there but hopefully he'd be there soon, her task was very important, given personally to her but the King himself. She'd wait occasionally doing something that would keep her temporarily distracted and perhaps entertain those that were watching until he arrived she'd wait the whole day if necessary.

The somersaults and the like attracted a flurry of camera activity, although still nobody approached. Finally a helicopter came into view touching down just inside the restricted area. It was navy, one of their new high-tech was machines.

The man who got out was not particularly tall, slim and bald (although today he wore a trilby hat to disguise the fact). He clutched this to his head tightly as he sprinted out from under the whirring blades, his other hand holding a briefcase.

He wore a brown suit, not especially fashionable, somewhat old fashioned in fact, and big round spectacles which he pushed up the bridge of his nose as he approached the Mermaid. He was of course the only Dyellian who had ever communicated with the Mermaids before. As he stepped out a Policeman sprinted over, belatedly asking for identity papers.

The man clicked his tongue, dropping the briefcase into the sand and reaching into his jacket pocket. The card was that of a Naval Intelligence Officer and read Dr. Michael Ludlum, Marine Biologist.

The Policeman nodded and waved him on. He hadn't really known what to expect, but this seemed like someone important who they might send out.

"Hello my friend." Ludlum approached, sitting down on the sand near the mermaid, "One doesn't suppose you have one of those funny speaking contraptions?"

He mimed something he hoped would be understood as the fact that he wanted a communications device.

OOC: I thought he would still have that. It was as far as I remember it was never given or taken back, and they actually wanted you to keep it to...

OOC: Take your pick, I could rewrite it, or say that the Dyellians have broken it

OOC: eh doesn't matter.

IC:

She seemed to produce a device from below the water, it was hidden from view by the water and her body. It was in effect a translator for the mermaid sign language so that Doctor Ludlum could communicate with them.

She put it down on the ground in front of her waiting for a discussion to start.

The doctor scratched his head, at a total loss as to how to start a conversation. After all he had expected the mermaid to have something to say, it had travelled rather a long distance to be here after all, "How are you?" he ventured, "I hope you had an accetable journey?"

OOC: She was waiting for you to pick it up so she could talk with you... but anyway. let's continue on...

IC:

She started signing communicating. "Doctor, The King is gravely sick and has given me an urgent message. He wants to see you and your family as soon as possible. Come to the Island and my sisters will escort to the city."

OOC: Lol sorry, thought it might be a different model where you set it on the ground and it works :P

"My family?" the doctor ran a hand over a bald head, "I can come as soon as possible, although they may need to be convinced that this is something which is safe. Most Dyellians are somewhat afraid of the water."

It was the simple truth. The water around Dyelli Beybi held sharks and the biggest crocodiles anyone around here had ever heard of. It just wasn't safe to go in...

"You are the Father. If we can help alay their fears then ask and we will do. But if they don't come willingly then they might panic, I don't need to tell you whar might happen should that be the case. Is there a return message?"

"Tell the King I will be there and they will also, God willing." the Doctor replied, sounding a little worried over what his wife would say about all this nonsense, "If he can wait perhaps five days?"

There were of course ways to arrive faster if the King looked like he might go belly up earlier, although Ludlum was not especially thrilled about the prospect of being hurled out the back of an aircraft and certainly not thrilled about his children joining him in such an enterprise...

"5 days should be fine, my sisters will escort you and your family from the Island." and with that she disappeared to fight of the sea-dwelling terrors of the Klatchian coast.

Five days of course was pushing it for a family man. However five days later one of the smaller of Dyelli Beybi's zepellin fleet, a craft labelled HMAS Colonel Sanders (NOT the chicken tycoon) came to hover over the island, and there they sat, just off the coast with the gondola swinging at below tree level, the little gun turrets could have probably been touched by a man with a step ladder and a willingness to jump off the top.

They didn't disembark immediately, waiting for some kind of signal, after all, when hovering they weren't using any fuel apart from what was needed to power the electronics and there was plenty of food (and more importantly alcohol) onboard.

The place was eerily quiet, and that was a bad sign. It meant the animals had been scared away which could only mean one thing. The tribespeople were about.

Though after a few minutes of hovering, there was 3 of the mermaids that broke the surface of the water in plain sight of those hovering in the air. If that wasn't a sign I don't know what would be but they made motions that were translated to "come down to the (ocean)floor." There just wasn't anything in their language that could be applied to air-travel.

Any tribes people around still kept themselves well hidden and out of view.

The zepellin dipped close to the waves some distance from shore, lowering down a step ladder which the Doctor more or less fell off, landing in the water with an almighty splash. This time he was properly prepared, wearing a wetsuit. His wife was with him, making a much more dignified descent. She was an elegant woman, tall and graceful (taller than Dr. Ludlum). She also ran the household with an iron determination that was disguised under a meek exterior. So when she had put her foot down about her children coming diving she had meant it, and Michael had not bothered to try to change her mind. If everything turned out to be safe they might be allowed off the airship next time...