NationStates Jolt Archive

Republic of Skinny87
Capital City - Dowland

Inside the Gray House, President Martin paced up and down by his desk, awaiting the arrival of Ambassador Lanchester, Chief Diplomat for the Republic. The door to the office opened and Lanchester strode in, followed by a member of the President's security detail. Martin raised his hand and the guard left, leaving the two men alone.

Martin turned to face Lanchester, 'Mr Ambassador, this country needs to open its diplomatic arms, so to speak, and embrace the nations and regions in our world and show them our nation. To this end, we will arrange a ball at our Embassy and invite all diplomats from all nations to attend and extend our hospitality and friendship to them'

Lanchester nodded, 'I will arrange it at once sir - I will go and inform the Embassy at once'


OOC: All nations are welcome to send their representatives to dine and visit our small but pleasant nation - a little RP is welcome but not neccessary

OOC: The following nations have Embassies in the Republic:

-Dragoon- Number 1 Dowland Square
Sarzonia Number 2 Dowland Square
The Merchant Guilds - Number 3 Dowland Square
Rebelled Elves Number 4 Dowland Square
Pacitalia Number 6 Dowland Square
Hobbeebia Number 3 Dowland Square
Comatica Number 10 Dowland Square
Whittier- Number 14 Dowland Square
The Real ALM Number 15 Dowland Square
Zanziik Number 16 Dowland Square
Adamsgrad Number 20 Dowland Square
The Empire of Numeriador Number 21 Dowland Square
The machine warriors Number 22 Dowland Square
Hogsweat Number 23 Dowland Square
Republic of Lordas Number 24 Dowland Square
The Evil Overlord Number 25 Dowland Square
Praetonia Number 26 Dowland Square
Kriegorgrad Humber 27 Dowland Square
Alexia Number 30 Dowland Square

KDX Number 1 Military Row

Skinny87 Embassay, Dowland Square

It was a wonderful star-lit night at the embassy as Lanchester paced up and down, nervously awaiting the arrival of the first guests. A waiter came up to him and Lanchester strode past him, the tension clearly visible in his face as he awaited news of any guests.

From the Desk of Mark Lorber
Senior Vice President for External Affairs
Incorporated States of Sarzonia

A representative of our diplomatic corps would be delighted to attend a meeting in Dowland. Perhaps one day, our President will drop by to compare notes on your Grey House to see how it compares to our Gray House!

Lanchester walked up to the Sarzonian representative and, not wanting to look too nervous, vigorously shook their hand. 'Welcome to Dowland Square' Lanchester boomed, 'A drink, perhaps?'

Lanchester grew less nervous as he heard the arrival of several new Ambassadors to the embassy. He plucked nervously at his tie and made sure that the Honour Guard were ready to salute the diplomats.

The supreme majestic Empire of Hobbeebia would like to have an embassy with you( and I would like to RP my arrival)

The holy empire of Rebeled Elves will join and make an alliance with thee!

OOC: Welcome all, thanks for coming - you're welcome to RP as much as you want, and an Embassy has been set up at Number 3 Dowland Sqaure, next to the Sarzonian Embassy for Hobbeebia, and another has been set up at Number 4 for Rebeled Elves.

The Republic welcomes you

One of the Hobbeebian Emperors was just sitting down to read some documents when he heared of the good news. He called down his top guard, and told him to get a shuttle to him immediatly. when the shuttle arrived the Emperor was dressed in his formal armor suits and was escorted by 12 guards to the shuttle.

ariving(sp) soon

As Proticluro walked in he said " may the gods be with you, may the gods be with us all!" and then " Let us begin our negotiations"

As Proticluro walked in, Lanchester signalled to the Honour Guard. As he raised his hand, two dozen rifles hit two dozen shoulders, and then went into a well-rehearsed routine that ended with them firing a volley of shots over the diplomats head.

Lanchester frowned at the noise, but then bowed deeply and shook hands with Proticluro.' Welcome to Skinny87 Ambassador; would you like refreshments?' Lanchester said

The shuttle screamed throught the sky, along with 20 escort biomech warriors. The shuttle began to enter Skinny87 air space.

" This is Hobbeebian royal escort shuttle number 225b, we are carrying our Emperor to discuse embassy agreements awaiting response over....." said the pilot.

Let us discuss matters of trade, war, and an alliance. said Proticluro.

Dowland Military Airport

The Controller on watch saw the Shuttle enter Skinny87 airspace and turned to the Radar Technician. 'Vector in the Escorts' he called.

He turned back to his microphone and opened a channel to the Shuttle. 'Foreign Shuttle, you are cleared for landing at Airstrip 01, vector 00987-87765; a flight of Skinny87 Fighters will escort you the rest of the way. An Honour Guard will meet you at the Airstrip and escort you to the Embassy'

" This is shuttle number 225b, the Emperor has requested that the biomech escorts remain. they are part of his guard units." asked the pilot

Dowland Military Airport

The Controller nodded twice and then put down the phone that had put him through to Republic Military Command. He motioned to a Technician passing by and beckoned him over.
' I have been summoned to RMC for an urgent meeting, but tell the shuttle that the Emperor's biomech Guards may remain with him throughout the visit to the Embassy'.

The Technician nodded and hurried towards the Communications Room to relay the important message

Lanchester thanked the Aide that had informed him of the Emperor's impending arrival, and turned to talk to Proticluro. Lanchester cleared his throat politely to get the Ambassador's attention from an enticing plate of Fried Ribs.

'Mr Ambassador, I believe you wished to talk about creating an Alliance with my country. I have been informed that the President would be delighted to create an economic and possibly even military alliance with your nation if you see fit to agree to the treaty'

Proticluro was dazzled by how good the food looked and tasted 'yes, my king would love to have an alliance with you based on economical and military treaties.We would also want to know if you reconize the name: The Skull Band Army.If you do, i must tell you that they are not trust worthy do not, i repeat, do not make an alliance wiht them!'

Then Proticluro started eating again.He stopped and took a drink.

Lanchester handed Proticluro another plate of Ribs and Sauce and nodded at the Ambassador. 'Thank-you for the advice; I do not believe we have heard of that Nation before, but I will inform the President of the unreliability of that nation'.

Lanchester scribbled a note on a note-book he took out of his pocket, and ripped it out, intending to inform the President at once. This done, Lanchester concluded by saying 'My President would be delighted to create an economic and military alliance between our two countries; we are always ready to offer the olive-branch of peace to any nation, excepting those we have been warned about of course' Lanchester added as he remembered the note.

Is your government socialist?

'Thank you my good sir, is it possible if I can meet your president?Maybe we can have an offical meeting wiht our two leaders together!' said Proticluro.
He scarfed down the next plate of ribs, 'This food is fantastic!' said Proticluro!

OOC: Ignoring my Nations homepage which keeps fluctuating because i keep choosing the wrong options in the issues :p, my nation is rather Centralist, neither left-wing or right-wing really.

IC: Lanchester beamed at Proticluro. 'That could easily be arranged Mr Ambassador. The President is busy at the moment with internal matters, but a meeting could easily be arranged between the two leaders within a few days.'

A sqaud of eliite commaddos burst trougth the door escorting lord dante
greetings dont't mind my gaurds. we wish to give you protection and you will also be under my alie sephrioth's protection.

'Ah i see, but our king does not have a few days, you see, he must go to war by tommorow night, so is it possible to have the meeting early in the morning?' said Proticluro.

Picking himself up from the floor, after ducking from the expected firing from the sqaud of commando's that had entered the room, Lanchester dusted himself off and called for the Embassy Guards to lower their weapons. He then turned to Proticluro, who had not even moved when this had all happened. 'Yes, I think that will be acceptable; I will ensure that the President clears a space in his schedule for an appointment. Say, oh, Nine-Fifteen?'

IC:
***Aboard a XR-13 Jubo Jet***
The emporer was currently aboard his luxury XR-13 Jumbo Jet. He then looks over his invitation to a party one last time and wonders where the hell this nation was. He then picks up a phone. "Pilot, are you sure you know where this Republic of Skinny 87 is?"

"Yes sir," replied the pilot. "According to the map program, we will be there within the hour. I was just about to radio the tower for clearance."

"Alright." He then puts the phone back down and turns on the TV to search for any local programming. While he does this he runs across a local Cartoon program.

***In the cockpit***
Co-pilot: "Why is the emporer worried on where were going?"

Pilot: "It's just that he's never heard of this nation so he wants to make sure that we know where were going."

Co-pilot: "Oh, ok."


***Radio message sent to control tower***
This is Shazbotdom One requesting permission to land. Please designate a runway so we can finalize our approach. We carry 2 Military Jeeps and 1 Armored Super Streatch Limo. Personell are as follows: Emporer Shaz Bot, Cheif Diplomat Jerry Russel, 4 Personal Security Guards (dressed in suits), and a detail of 20 troops for close vehicle support.

OOC: Would this be the same Sephrioth of the Nationstates Sticky 'How to play Nationstates', under the heading 'How not to RP'?

Dowland Military Airport

The Controller, recently returned from his urgent meeting, sighed. Yet another diplomat wishing to land and take up more of his precious day. With a shake of his head, the Controller spoke into his Microphone. 'Shazbot Shuttle, you are cleared to land on Runway Zero Alpha, Military Escort has been arranged to escort you to the Embassy.'

IC:

***In the Cockpit***
After recieving the reply from the tower, the plane turns slightly toward the airport to check the numbers and sees that the runway assigned to them is right ahead of the plane. The pilot checks his insturments and then follows landing procedures to the letter.

Moments after the plane touches down, the back of the jet opens up for the vehicles to come out. When the plane comes to a complete stop off the tarmac, the unloading ramp taps the ground as it finishes deploying and the vehicles roll down it. The emporer then walks out the door and gets into the limo while the troops get into the jeeps. The drivers are then ordered to follow the escorts provided by the local government to the Embasy.

**20 minutes later**
The emporer steps out of the limo with his bodyguards and then they walk to the door of the building. He show's the guard his invite and then walks through the door. He walks into a room where there are dozens of people talking about various subjects.

'Ah yes, 9:15 would be fine, why do your guards fire?' said Proticluro

hes changed

Lanchester frowned. 'I believe its a ceremonial thing; we found it in some old military archives and thought we'd try it out.' he said, trying to be heard over another volley from the guards as the Shazbotian Emperor entered the Embassy rooms.
'If you will excuse me, I have to attend to other matters' Lanchester said as he walked towards the newly-arrived Emperor. ' It is an honour to meet you, Emperor...' Lanchester struggled to find the right term. ' Would you care for a drink, or something to eat sir'? He enquired.

Proticluro said 'Ambassador, my king will arrive in a matter of minutes.'

Lanchester nodded. 'The President's Motorcade has just drawn up to the entrance. I'll let him know the King is arriving soon'. Lanchester hurried away to inform the President as a special room was prepared for the conference between the two leaders.

Proticluro was stuffed by all the food he had eaten.'Ambassador, my king has arrived,King Tuniyt III.My lord, the food here is marvelous!' said Proticluro.

'Ah, i see Proticluro' said the King.

Lanchester hurried into the room, followed by the President and his Secret Service entourage. Lanchester pointed downwards. 'We have prepared a well-secured bunker downstairs where we can discuss if that is acceptable to you, gentlemen.'

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

Inside the secure bunker, the President and the King sat down at either end of the long table provided. flanked by their respective security details. The President cleared his throat and began.
'King Tuniyt III, it is an honour to meet you. I hope our two countries can benefit from a long and sucessful relationship together.' He pushed a folder towards the King. 'Inside this folder we have compiled a list of economic and military benefits your country could gain from this alliance. In summary, however, it means embassies exchanged between our two countries, considerable tax breaks for any companies you decide to set up in our country and the use of a large plot of land for a military base inside our borders, to also serve as a bolt-hole should you need it.'
The President smiled. 'I hope these benefits will be of use; possibly your country has a similar scheme for my country' he said enquiringly.

Bumped

Tag For Shuttle Landing

'Yes, this would be fine.I am an old man, so please you must talk slower.' said the king.'I beleive that we should build an empire between us! whay do you think?' said the king

The shuttle landed protected by the 90 ft tall biomech units. the door opened up revealing the Emperor Hobbeeb of Hobbeebia after only a glimps of his Imperial greatness 12 guards dressed in beautiful gold and silver armor with long capes of black silk, each one holding a .50 cali. pistol( which there look is realy cool to) and an Hobbeebian Imperial sword( see sign) came running out in a semi-circle around the shuttles ramp.

"Hobeebian Emperor, may we suggest that all three of our nations make an alliance?" said Proticluro.

OOC:not to be mean but with the massive amount of security there you wouldn't get within a 3 mile radius, but Rp your request to see me and i will respond.

'Mr. Emporer, Mr.Emperor!' screamed Proticluro.'WE NeED TO HAVE A TALK!' screamed Proticluro!

What?

'We need to discuss matters of an Alliance through Militaristic and Ecenomic reasons!!' said Proticluro

The President smiled at the King. 'I'm terribly sorry Your Majesty, I shall slow down. I believe that an alliance between our two nations would be extremely beneficial for the both of us. Our countries as well, of course.' he joked.


Upstairs in the Embassy, Lanchester had arrived just as the Hobbeebian Emperor had arrived, flanked by his impressive guards. Trying to to quiver in front of the guards, Lanchester looked up to the Emperor and bowed. 'It is an honour to meet you, Emperor. I hope your journey was satisfactory. My President is concluding negotiations with another...party, but will be up to meet you in a short while.'

'Ambassador, may we start the meeting?The war will start soon, i must be there for the men's morale!' said the king.

OOC: We started the meeting in a post on the last page - my president is awaiting your reply on wether we can create an alliance, and wether your nation will give my nation any economic benefits etc

ooc: sorry.

IC:
'i am sorry, yes we will creat an alliance.The benefits you will get would be to get good trading.Buisness' will get more money and people wont live in poverty.' said the king.

Republic of Skinny87 Embassy

Down in the Bunker, the two men signed the treaty that sealed the aliance between the two nations.
President Martin stood up from the table and extended his hand to the King. 'This is a great day for my country, I must tell you, sir. From now on, our two nations will stride side by side towards common goals and mutually supportive campaigning. My nations military is at your service, as is anything else you may need. I expect the same can be said for your country.' The President smiled warmly and shook hands with the King. 'God Speed you on your journey.'
With that, The President turned and, flanked by his security detail, walked out of the bunker and headed to the Convoy that would take him back to the Grey House.

'Wait,Help us in the war.' said the king.

'Were fighting The Skull Band Army.They abandoned us in a war and we only won because they enemy king was killed.Anyways, they must DIE! WHAT SAY YOU?' said the king?

Bunker, Republic of Skinny87 Embassy

The President turned when he heard the King's proposal. 'Since the terms of our alliance do include military assistance, I will deploy an Armoured Brigade to assist your country. However, our military is over-stretched at the moment and our budget small, so that is all the help we can give.'

OOC: I am away most of next week, but you can RP my armoured brigade however you want to. Is there a thread for the conflict?

OOC: i wont be for monday and tuesday and yes there is thread.ill get it to u.

IC:
'The gods do exist, thank you president!' said the king, but when he went to his plane he fell.The ambassador ran for fim.But he was to late.The king had died.The ambassador ddnt say a word, and didnt reply to anyone or anything.The Ambassador was searching his body to see what happened.There was a bullet in his neck!?

ooC: my ambassador.

Embassy of Republic of Skinny87

Sirens instantly went off even as the King fell. The President's security detail went into action, pushing him to the floor and searching for a shooter. Shutters dropped throughout the embassy over every entrance and exit, sealing in the dignitaries and possibly the assassin. Armed Marines, not in ceremonial dress but rather camouflaged BDU's, ran through the building searching for intruders whilst the Presidents motorcade drew up to the Embassy's service entrance.
The President was quickly taken to the motorcade and shoved unceremoniously inside and the vehicles took off to the sound of screeching tires and wailing sirens.

Inside the Embassy, Ambassador Lanchester made sure that the other dignitaries were safe before heading down to the Bunker with an armed escort.

ooc: no the ambassador is of royal blood and does not want to be king though.

IC: The word hit Rebeled Elves.The people mortified.They sent people to investigate the lands and the king.the only question was who would be king?

ooc: we dont know....thats why we sent investigators!Just to be safe may we bring a small ary of 100 armed men?to secure the area and make sure no rebels or assains (sp?) are in there.

OOC: Assassins - I have accepted your troops in your embassy thread

IC: The Republic accepts your Investigative team and will be aided by our own teams at the Embassy.


OOC: To all other delegates, the Embassy dinner is still going on.

ooc:
Sorry for the wait. I only come into town on specific days

IC:
"Yes, i wouldn't mind a martini." The Emporer then looks around the room at the other dignitaries. "So who are the others that are here? I mean what nations are they from?"

"The things we do for our country!" Dicey griped, trying to tug the fashionably few scraps that made up her ball-gown into a position where she could at least pretend to be properly dressed.

"Stop whining!" muttered Bast. Thanks to the pattern of his black-and-white fur, he always seemed to be formally clad, so official events were less of a trauma for him. However, the difficulties of getting the Co-President of Ardchoille to appear anywhere on time, sober and in a reasonable temper more than made up for his lack of physical discomfort.

"Remember: we want their students! The economy demands it! Try to look responsible and educated!" he instructed her.

"We want their competent students. The whole Coven is sick of trying to teach magic to the rich and talentless brats of whatever nations can afford it," Dicey hissed back. But she stopped fiddling, stuck a co-operative smile on her face and began searching the crowd for that nice Mr Lanchester. At least it would be interesting to see him on his home ground, instead of propping up the Strangers' Bar at the UN.

The Hobbeebian Emperor nodded and said he would wait for the two men to finish their meeting. The guards stood there motionless.

" If it is not to much trouble I would like my guards to perform their Drill ceremony, it would please me and the staff here to see a good show." asked Emperor Hobbeeb

bump for life

How fortunate that humans always forget how acute our hearing is, thought Bast. He turned to Dicey, his eyes glowing.

"They're going to have a drill ceremony!" he informed her.

"Oh frabjous day!" said Dicey. "Also, golly-gee-whiz! Just what I've been waiting for! This puts the crown on my entire life!"

Bast ignored her; he wasn't going to let sarcasm spoil his treat. Like all the Ardchoille Cats, he adored the way humans were so uninhibited about making utter idiots of themselves. And doing it so seriously, too! It was a level of playfullness that even an adult Cat killing a captured ball of silver paper couldn't reach.

"I hope they do that thing where they slap their weapons and then bounce them on the ground and then whirl them over their heads," Bast said eagerly. "I always hope one of them will fire."

"You and me both," yawned Dicey.

Bast sighed. She just doesn't understand the discipline it takes; the precision; the split-second timing; the devoted practising ... He wondered for a moment why his own race hadn't come up with such a delicious diversion. But the thought of a file of Cats all doing the same thing at the same time was too much even for his flexible imagination.

Still, humans never invented the Group Yowl, he consoled himself, remembering many wonderful nights serenading the Moon.

Fortunately, as Bast had never been to Big Day Out, Splendour in the Grass or even a Jebediah concert, his sense of racial superiority remained intact.

OOC: Sorry about the delay, but I have returned

IC: Lanchester hurried up to the new delegates and greeted them hurriedly, not having realised that so many had turned up at once. He nodded to the Hobbebbian Emperor. 'Of course your guards may conduct their drill ceremony' Lanchester said as he hurried towards Bast and Dicey, the two, interesting, representatives he had first noticed in the UN Strangers Bar. He walked upto them just as they finished a hushed conversation, and he turned the full strengths of his charms on the two. ' How wonderful it is to see you two here at last' Lanchester said, eyeing Dicey and looking with more than a little nervousness at Bast.
'I would like to discuss trade agreements and economic and social policies with the two of you concerning our countries,' Lanchester said. 'I was particularly interested in your eductaion system; would you be interested in some kind of exchange system?' he enquired

Secret Ic:

The Black Agent Watched from a buliding acrossed to street, using his x-ray/thermo vision. and he listened with the sound tapps inside the hair of the Cat people

IC:
The Emporer stood back and watched as the other leaders of the nations mingled amoungst themselves. He glanced at his watch a few times to check the current time. After noticing it was after 1am Shazbotdom time, he motioned to his bodyguards and they began to assemble near him. He then walks to the leader of the Republic of Skinny87.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but it's getting late back in my country and i need to prepare for my State of the Union speach tomarrow." He said. He then goes on to state, "I hope your party goes well for the rest of this evening."

After saying his goodbye's to the rest of the deligates, Mr. Shaz Bot, followed closely by his bodyguards, walks toward the main enterance and their vehicles.

OOC:
I have left the party now. Sorry but my leader has other matters to attend to.

OOC: Black Agents: You can't have planted any listening device on Bast, for reasons which include his frequent visits to Madame Gazunda's House of Wonders, the famous pleasure house in Zamundaland, where their security systems (which frustrate the intelligence services of many regions) would have picked up any bugs.

So you may be listening via some physical property of his. You say 'hair', but there's a lot of hairy folk in the room. Might I suggest 'whiskers'? Cats' whiskers vibrate in response to their environment; they can't help it. It would be reasonable to assume these vibrations could be picked up.

However, don't react mentally to anything you receive, unless you want them to hear you. Dicey and Bast are both telepaths, as I've established in other RPs. Also, she's a witch and he's a magical creature, though they're polite enough not to use magic in public. Except in emergency.

'I was particularly interested in your education system; would you be interested in some kind of exchange system?' he enquired

"Indeed we would," said Dicey smoothly, smiling her approval. "As you may know, the University at Ardrigh, our capital city, is one of the most famous academies of magical teaching in the Known World ..."

'Don't mention Ankh-Morpork's Unseen University!' Bast thought urgently.

'I wasn't planning to, fuzz-face!'

" ... and we would welcome suitably qualified students from your nation. In return, we --"

"--wondered if you'd like some kittens?" demanded Bast, a little too eagerly.

"Well, catlings, young Cats, actually," resumed Dicey, stepping back so she could pull Bast's tail unseen. "They're the equivalent of human adolescents. The thing is, the Cats find physics and engineering as fascinating as humans find magic. Very few of Ardchoille's humans are interested in the physical sciences, but we've had some brilliant Cat engineers -- FffahTelford, HssssScott, MrrrouMcAdam -- and you surely will have heard of our engineer-architect WWahhhhnUtzon?"

Bast nodded supportively. Dicey knew he took a nasty pleasure in hearing her try to pronounce Cat names, but provided he kept up a diplomatic front, she could live with it.

"Anyway," she said, sticking firmly to the subject, "a progressive nation such as yours, with a constant need for all manner of municipal infrastructure -- roads, bridges, and such -- and so many worthy organisations that positively deserve magnificent buildings, must find it hard to keep up with the demand. But we have found that, with just a year's practical experience, catlings can equal and even surpass the achievements of their human counterparts."

"Well done, kid, not a single direct lie in the lot," Bast congratulated her silently.

As he listened to their proposal, Lanchester thought furiously.

We need a lot more education funding, and this looks to be the perfect solution to our problems

This exchange program could be brilliant. We can teach their students and them teach ours, and create a wonderful educational alliance. Perfect

He nodded again at the proposal. 'This is a wonderful idea. I am sure the President will agree to the exchange program, and I am sure our students would love to see an entirely different country. Our education system is top-notch, with excellent funding.' A small white lie. ' Would you agree to exchange, say, a thousand students a year?' Lanchester asked Dicey

'On another note, The President has asked me wether your country would desire to conduct an embassy exchange?' Lanchester enquired.

Matthew approached the door to the embassy. He was jangling with nerves. His head was still spinning from the flight he had taken.

That damn pilot, he thought to himself. Delayed me by so many hours.

He looked at his watch. I'm so late!

He approached the entrance, brushed his suit down, straightened his tie, took a deep breath and entered.

Excusing himself from Dicey and Bast as they mulled over his proposal, Lanchester hurried over to where the Adamsgrad representative had just entered the building, accompanied by the now ubituquous rifle-shots.

'Welcome to our Embassy Mr Fryer. A drink perhaps, or a sandwich? Our chef makes exceedingly good BLT's I'm told' Lanchester enquired.

Matthew, briefly ducked when he heard the gunshots. He was a little edgy. His private jet had been delayed due to technical problems. He scanned the room, and saw the guards in salute. With a mixture of relief and fear, he turned towards Lanchester.

"I love BLT."

Fryer responded, regaining his composure.

"Anyway, nice to see you again, Lanchester."

He looked at his watch again.

"My plane got caught up, just how late am I?"

Lanchester smiled. ' You are not late at all. This is an ongoing Embassy reception for anyone who wishes to attend, and as such there can be no 'lateness'. He laughed.

"Well then, all is well!"

He joked.

"President Adams has agreed to the establishment of an embassy in your Republic. He has given the go-ahead and we will be sending guards and adminstrative staff to your nation."

"He wants to learn more about your nation."

Fryer paused.

"Say, where is that sandwich?"

Excusing himself from Dicey and Bast as they mulled over his proposal, Lanchester hurried over to where the Adamsgrad representative had just entered the building, accompanied by the now ubituquous rifle-shots.


"We're going to have to agree," Bast advised. "It's only reasonable they'd want to keep an eye out for their students."

"It's not his people in our country I'm worried about," Dicey said. "It's our people in his. They seem to be a rather -- impulsive -- lot here. Haven't you noticed the way Lanchester doesn't even blink when guns go off? Ergo, he must be used to them. Ergo, guns are common here. And I'd rather not be a witch in a nation where guns are common; there're still all too many places that think witches are fair game. And, speaking of game, hunters aren't going to stop to ask you Cats if you're intelligent when they see your fine fur coats.

I think we'd better hold off for a while until we can check 'em out a bit more," she said.

As Lanchester stood chatting with the Adamsgrad representative, he looked around to see Dicey and Bast deep in conversation.

They seem worried he thought I should ease their worries - tell them our limitations for the students

Walking over to the two, he politely coughed and waited until they turned to him. 'I would like to arrange certain, limitations, for the exchange students if that is appropriate' Lanchester asked the two. When they nodded their seemingly cautious consent, he continued.

'There would be a strict limit on how many students could enter each country at once, and they would be extensively profiled and interviewed to make sure we don't let any undesirables in. We don't want any gun-nuts in your country after all. Then the acceptable students would be taught a weeks lessons in your country, its rule, laws and customs and the do's and don't's of your natives. They would be taught to be friendly and polite and respect their beliefs and customs in all ways. They would also only be allowed off educational grounds accompanied by native guides.'

Lanchester looked hopeful at the two. I do hope this works he thought It would be a wonderful opportunity for cultural exchange between our countries

Fryer had been temporarily abandoned. He walked over to one of the armed guards who fired in salute when he entered.

"Say, you weren't firing at me were you?"

He joked. The guard lost his compusure and burst out into rapturous laughter. Fryer smiled, he hadn't lost his old touch, after all, it seemed. The guard, realising his error, quickly regained his composure.

"Er no sir, I was not. I salute you."

Fryer noted the response, and winked. He looked back at the crowd Lanchester was now chatting to. He turned away from the guard and approached the crowd.

"Er, excuse me for interrupting, but did I not order a sandwich, Lanchester?"

Lanchester turned to Fryer and swore inwardly. He had been so preoccupied with this matter he had forgotten Fryer. 'I'm terribly sorry Mr Fryer, I abandoned you. Here' Lanchester beckoned over a waiter and ordered a BLT for Fryer, to be delivered at once.

"Er, oh, that's ok."

A momentary pause. The waiter returns.

"Looks like the waiters coming back."

Fryer received the sandwich, examined it closely, and took a bite.

"Hey, this isn't bad."

He said with his mouthful. He swallowed and placed the sandwich back on the plate he was holding.

"Those guards of yours, their very good."

He said, with a wry smile. He then looked at Dicey.

"I say, who are these two, er?"

Lanchester turned to Fryer, and frowned. 'Well Mr Fryer, this is Ms Dicey and...um...Bast...from Ardchoille. They arrived a while ago. Still, I suppose they the best introductions should come from them.' Lanchester smiled.

Numeriador is more than happy to open an embassy. Details will soon be posted.

OOC: Ahh, more ties to open up, its just an excuse to chat to people really, nothing seems to come from opening embassies!

IC: KDX had never really opened its doors to outside embassies, it had only made one major announcement, when its first Nuclear weapon was produced, a weapon with very little power compared to what it was now capable of launching.

The grand Admiral of the Fleet, Sir Issac iseldore, was a prominent figure in national Politics, and he was now to lead KDXs outside involvement, as the president staid within the compounds of national incidents on the hole.

He sent this message to Skinny87:

Dear Sirs and/or Madams,
I would like to open ties between our two nations, offering you a place for an embassy within our nation from which to watch the goings on in KDX, including our nuclear Program, and learn more about our ever growing nation.

We shall be willing to send ambassadors to your nation if you so wish, although we would like to be situated away from the other embassies to stop any problems that may arise between nations, security against anti-Nuclear weapons has been a scare to us since we reached 50million population and built our first Atom Bomb.

We hope you understand, i shall send a prelimenary ambassador immediatly with attendants and security personnel to discuss this further if it is so wished.

Thankyou once more,
*signed*
Sir Issac iseldore, Grand Admiral of the Fleet, KDX.
" Giving the world a way to follow! "

((Ohh so true, but I need the 'diplomatic' relations to get to know other people so I can RP with them some day. If you are interested in establishing an embassy in Numeriador feel free to go here: Diplomatic Relations (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=399806)))

Lanchester was distracted by an aide approaching and quietly tapping him on the shoulder. He turned and read the message flimsy held by the aide. Nodding his head, he took an offered pen and wrote down a reply:

The Republic would be happy to extend the offer of exchanging embassies to your nation. An alternate embassy site can be arranged for your nation. I hope our two nations can have a peaceful relationship together

"Well, very nice to meet you, Dicey and Bast."

"I am Matthew, Matthew Fryer, UN representative and ambassador for The Republic of Adamsgrad." (/http://www.nationstates.net/cgi-bin/index.cgi)

He raised his hand to shake...

'I would like to arrange certain, limitations, for the exchange students if that is appropriate' Lanchester asked the two.

"Your students in our country are not the problem," Dicey said swiftly. "For one thing, remember, we're a nation where magic works; so gun-nuts on our home ground ... er ... quickly learn not to be gun-nuts." Her eyes twinkled at some memory.

"Mr Fryer, we were discussing the posibility of a student exchange and the establishment of an Embassy with Skinny 87," she explained. "Perhaps similar arrangements might be possible with your nation? But there is a minor problem that constantly crops up, so perhaps you wouldn't mind if we sat down while I explained it?"

(OOC:Sorry, have to leave computer now and can't get back on for some hours. Cd u carry on as being-everywhere host and when I return Dicey will make some comment abt how speedily you have arranged meeting room, secretary, refreshments, etc? That would mean, no matter how long it actually takes, in Dicey/Lanchester time it's been just a few minutes.)

Lanchester nodded at the proposal. He excused himself and ordered an aide to prepare one of the side rooms for a small conference. The room was quickly prepared and awaited the arrival of the attendees.

As this happened, Lanchester frowned inwardly. What on earth could this 'small problem' be that Dicey was talking about?

Fryer listened to Dicey with interest.

"Ah, yes, we too have established an embassay inside The Republic of Skinny. We would be intersted in embassay exchanges with you, but not student. To be frank, president Adams (my nation's president) is more intersted in trade deals than anything else."

He took another bite of his BLT sandwich. He noticed Lanchester was no longer at his side.

"Say, it seems your magic has worked, Lanchester has disappeared."

Fryer joked.

OOC - I will set up a roleplay embassy exchange like this one if you guys are interested in establishing an embassy within Adamsgrad.

OOC: Sure, I wouldnt mind doing that

... Lanchester frowned inwardly. What on earth could this 'small problem' be that Dicey was talking about?

"Whew -- quick work!" whistled Dicey approvingly. She mused once again on how well humans had adapted to not having magic. Of course, any witch could magic up meetings, but one always forgot something -- notebooks but no pens, or water without glasses -- which was embarrassing.

"I don't want to be boring, so I'll try to keep this brief, but I have to give you just a little background," she said.

"Ardchoille humans didn't have any magic until we came to the country. Then, and only then, we developed it. We learnt later that this happened because of contact with the Cats."

Bast gave his paw a self-congratulatory lick.

"The problem is," Dicey continued, "that any human who comes in contact with the Cats will also develop magic. Well, not every human, because about 10% are unable to use it. It's a standard bell curve," she added, modestly suppressing how far along the curve her own talents came.

"Adult Cats are able to suppress the effect, but the students won't be adults. They'll try, of course, and in most cases they'll succeed, but occasionally their control will slip, and that's when you'll find that those members of your populace capable of magical activity will suddenly discover new abilities."

She eyed Lanchester and Fryer, trying to assess the effect of her relevations, but they seemed to be concentrating on the refreshments. Good diplomats, damn them! She ploughed on:

"Without training, it won't mean much; just a few surprisingly accurate fortune-tellers, or unusually successful mediums. Most people won't even notice the effects of the small magics they do -- like wearing their lucky underpants to interviews," she grinned. "They'll just assume they got the job because of talent, not because of the underpants. So the magic side shouldn't be all that much of a problem ... unless you have some deep cultural prohibitions against witchcraft."

More serious now, she leaned forward to underline her concern. "You see, if your deepest, oldest impulses insist that you rid the world of witches, and if someone then comes along who makes witches, you're not exactly going to take them to your heart and call them buddies. If they were human witches, they could suppress their abilities and melt into the population. But the Cats are rather ... conspicuous."

Bast, six foot three of muscled, furry black feline, stood upright to illustrate her point.

"And my ginger cousins are even more visible than I am," he said, "not to mention the calico Cats or the tortoiseshells. So we're worried about our students' safety."

"Your students' safety won't be a problem," Dicey assured Lanchester. "We'll test them when they apply, before they come to Ardchoille, to see if they're going to be capable of magic; but, other than that, the whole of our nation is open to them. We want them to get the full benefit of the student experience, and you don't do that by being protected from the real life of the country you're visiting."

"But we'd also like that for our students," said Bast. "And if it can't be guaranteed, we can't send them."

Silently Lanchester absorbed the...interesting information he had just got. Magical humans, that sounded unusual. Still, he trusted Dicey and Bast completely, and he was sure a little bit of magic wouldn't harm anyone.

'Thank-you for explaining all that Ms Dicey, it's good to know. I am sure this will have no effect on the educational exchange. You can also rely on every single student coming into our country having the best and most secure security and protection that our nation can provide to them, have no fears on that account. I stake my reputation on this happening.

"Look, I don't want to appear rude," said Dicey, who did, "but are there any religious or cultural barriers against our students? I don't want them becoming the object of some mad-eyed God-botherer's crusade. You say you'll ensure their security, and I believe you. But a fanatic who doesn't mind dying for a cause can evade the best. So: are there any fanatics on this subject? I know a sophisticated, tolerant gentleman like yourself --"

"About time you added some sugar," Bast commented silently.

"-- will be comfortable with people of all faiths, or none. But is the rest of your population equally enlightened?"

Bast, who had been helping Fryer demolish the edibles, neatly stole the last morsel of black caviar and belatedly took up his role of Good Cop.

"I'm certain that Mr Lanchester will be able to iron out this little wrinkle quite quickly," he said. "Perhaps there are some community leaders here tonight -- maybe even some ecclesiastics, if you have any? -- with whom we could explore this subject. We mustn't take up too much of our host's time, Dicey," he added reproachfully.

Dicey's fingers itched to pull his tail again. But inwardly she conceded that her colleague's "talk us into it" technique was the right one. It was embarrassing, the way the Cats knew exactly what human buttons to push.

Lanchester looked at Dicey and Bast. 'I can assure you that there are no fanatics, religious or otherwise in my country that could cause harm to your students. We do not tolerate any fanaticism in my country of any kind, and the people are surprisingly liberal about magic and such issues. There are no cultural or religious barriers in the country at all, and so will not affect any students that would enter our country. We do not really have a strong organised religion in my country, but I am sure I could organise a meeting between some of our religious leaders if this was so desired.'

Lanchester looked directly at Dicey. 'There will be no, I repeat no barriers against your students, and neither will there be any fanatics waiting to attack them as they enter the country. You have my assurance, and I hope you will trust it.'

Dicey sighed in relief. Now they'd reached the point where the Ambassador had shown such a personal commitment to the exchange, she could relax from her Bad Cop role and be reasonable. Though keeping the kits safe was an important point, she assured herself.

Nonetheless, it was no fun, pretending to be cranky and hard to please when, in fact, all she wanted was to go find a nice local with nimble feet and dance; or a nice local with Fimble (neat) and drink ... with any kind of drink, actually, it didn't have to be Fimble ...

"Well, then, since we're basically agreed on the broad outlines, perhaps I could get together with some of your people tomorrow and sort out the details," Bast said heartily, sweeping into action. "We really don't need to put any restrictions on any of the students, I think, in either country, but that idea of yours about the week's orientation was certainly a good one ..." Still talking, one arm linked in Lanchester's, one paw on Fryer's shoulder, he was doing his best to edge the group back into the mainstream activities.

Dicey understood; she was being given leave of absence for a while. Right, then ... hmmm ... wonder if that guy from Numeriador could talk about anything besides embassies ...

Lanchester sighed a silent breath of relief. Finally the gruelling diplomacy was over; Dicey seemed nice but she could certainly hold her own against any of the diplomats Lanchester had ever seen. He smiled as he saw Bast take Dicey and Fryer back into the main hall, and followed them. He really, really needed a drink right now...

It is the policy of His Omniferocity's government to recognize the diplomatic overtures of foreign nations, provided they agree to Diplomatic Regulations no more restrictive than those of the Dominion (<OOC>found in this thread: http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=352755</OOC>).

If the government of Skinny87 agrees to His Omniferocity's Diplomatic Regulations, the Dominion would be pleased to establish diplomatic relations.


Eternal Arch-Villain Psychopompos
Minister for Pre-Subjugation External Affairs

OOC: I would welcome this, and have posted in the thread provided. Will you be sending a delegate into my Embassy thread?

OOC: All delegates are welcome to this Embassy, and Embassy exchanges can be set up in this thread

Fryer gobbled away at his sandwich while Lanchester, Dicey and Bast chatted away freely.

He was getting kind of tired, and looked at his watch.

"Well, excuse me for butting in here, but, I think I've done what I came here to do, and feel I should now be leaving."

He took a final mouthfull of his sandwich.

"It's been fun."

"I'll try and arrange and embassy exchange for you, at my place."

He raised his hand to shake.

Lanchester took Fryers hand and shook it warmly. 'I must say it has been a great experience to meet you Mr Fryer, and I do hope we can meet again some time. As a parting present, please take this BLT.' Lanchester said, handing Fryer the sandwich.

His Omniferocity's government is pleased to accept the Skinny87 Embassy. Arrangments have been made to meet the Ambassador and his party and escort them to the temporary Residence in FreePort.

The Dominion has nominated Sr. Bernard Loggia of the Consular Service to serve as His Omniferocity's Ambassador to Skinny87. Sr. Loggia and his party of 5 Foreign Service officers, 19 Internal Security troops, and one Internal Security officer will arrive by commercial air within 24 hours. The Ambassador and Lauren Dannehar (Charge d'Affairs) will present their credentials to your Foreign Ministry. The remaining personnel will remain at Customs until your security personnel have examined their personal baggage.

All IS personnel will be unarmed on arrival, and will remain unarmed until escorted to the Embassy. Per standard EOE Foreign Service doctrine, no Embassy personnel will carry weapons outside the Embassy. Your Customs and Security personnel are of course free to examine the cased equipment (including weapons) before permitting entry.

Eternal Arch-Villain Psychopompos
Minister for Pre-Subjugation External Affairs

Lanchester had just finished bidding the Adamsgrad representative goodbye and goodnight when he was given a note from a rushed aide. Lanchester read it, and found that a representative from the EOE would be arriving shortly to visit the Embassy as part of the Republics new Embassy Exchange with them.

Lanchester sighed. It looked like he was never going to get any sleep after all. He wearily ordered another coffee, black with no sugar, and drained it in one, then got ready for the EOE's arrival...

Lanchester took Fryers hand and shook it warmly. 'I must say it has been a great experience to meet you Mr Fryer, and I do hope we can meet again some time. As a parting present, please take this BLT.' Lanchester said, handing Fryer the sandwich.

"Oh thankyou, I will try and keep in touch."

He took the sandwich from Lanchester.

"Nice meeting you too, Dicey and Bast."

From there he turned away and headed for the door. The guards raised their rifles in preparation for salute. But Fryer suddenly turned...

"No, I don't think that will be necessary. My ear is still ringing from the first one."

The guard's eyes filled with tears of laughter. Realising his error, the guard regained his composure.

"Er, ok sir, as you wish."

He responded. Fryer smiled, and exited the embassay.

Seeing Fryer leave, Lanchester turned to an Aide and called for a plate of French Fries to be bought over to him so he could eat. French fries were his one little indulgence, and after tonight, Lanchester thought, he deserved them.

As he munched contentedly on the warm chips, he waited for the next representative to arrive.

"Mr. Lanchester, I am Bernard Loggia, from the Dominion of the Evil Overlord." The Ambassador's dark grey suit was still rumpled from the long flight, but his eyes were clear and alert and his grip was firm. A little under two meters tall and athletically slender, Loggia's face proclaimed his Polynesian ancestry where little else did. He spoke with the accent of New Zealand. He gestured to the stocky brunette woman at his side.

"May I present Lauren Dannehar, my Charge d'Affairs? We are here to represent Evil Overlord Enterprises' interests in Skinny87."

Sra. Dannehar's features were conspicuously plain, and the smile as she shook Lanchester's proffered hand did not quite reach her eyes. Her grip was cool and professional, but Lanchester had a sense of carefully leashed strength behind it. The contrast between the two diplomats was stark- the tall slender man with urbane manners and a ready smile and the stocky, reserved woman with hard eyes. Lanchester wondered idly what that revealed about the government which had sent them.

Shaking hands with the new representatives, Lanchester kept his face devoid of any emotions or indeed movement. Having measured them up as they arrived, he had ascertained that this would be the best way to confer with them; he had the feeling that any sign of weakness would cause a loss of respect.

'A glass of wine, Ambassador?' Lanchester queried, 'Or would you rather mingle and see the Embassy first?' As he waited for their decision, Lanchester wished that Captain Briggs, his military attache was with him. It would certainly improve his image; he resolved to call Briggs as soon as he could to get to the Embassy...Maybe then he would'nt feel quite so intimidated...

Present...Arms! Forward...March!

With these shouted commands, the Marines guarding the Embassy marched off, to be replaced by another group of Marines. As they finished taking their posts, the Guests clapped politely at the display, then went back to what they were doing.

Shaking hands with the new representatives, Lanchester kept his face devoid of any emotions or indeed movement. Having measured them up as they arrived, he had ascertained that this would be the best way to confer with them; he had the feeling that any sign of weakness would cause a loss of respect.

'A glass of wine, Ambassador?' Lanchester queried, 'Or would you rather mingle and see the Embassy first?' As he waited for their decision, Lanchester wished that Captain Briggs, his military attache was with him. It would certainly improve his image; he resolved to call Briggs as soon as he could to get to the Embassy...Maybe then he would'nt feel quite so intimidated...

Ambassador Loggia smiled broadly. "I am a professional diplomat, so I will have some wine, of course. There is a reason diplomat and dipsomaniac appear in dictionaries so close together." He accepted a glass of wine and sipped it, then smiled. "Excellent. This alone would make formal relations between our two nations worthwhile. This would sell well back in the Dominion." Loggia drank deeply and sighed.

Lauren Dannehar also took a glass and sipped. She nodded slightly and sipped again. Lanchester noticed that the level of wine in her glass did not seem to get much lower. She said, "Evil Overlord Enterprises is mainly interested in trade, Mr. Lanchester. EOE trades all over the world. I have no doubt that Skinny87 will profit from the trade as well. Would you mind if I conducted a survey of your country's major trade goods over the next few weeks? His Omnifercity's government would be willing to establish an EOE branch office to improve and expedite trade."

Ambassador Loggia frowned slightly. "Not now, Lauren. This is a get-acquainted party. Relax and enjoy yourself. You can pester Mr. Lanchester some other day."

Lanchester smiled. 'On the contrary, that would not be a problem. We have surveys done all the time by foreign investors and we do the same in their countries. You can do the survey at any time.'

Looking around, he made a motion and a waiter came over to the small group. Picking up a small flute of Champagne, Lanchester turned and asked 'Would either of you care for some refreshments?'

Lanchester smiled. 'On the contrary, that would not be a problem. We have surveys done all the time by foreign investors and we do the same in their countries. You can do the survey at any time.'

Looking around, he made a motion and a waiter came over to the small group. Picking up a small flute of Champagne, Lanchester turned and asked 'Would either of you care for some refreshments?'

Ambassador Loggia finished his wine before answering. "Thank you, no. My stomach is still somehwere over the Pacific, I'm afraid. I believe we'll take a turn around the room and meet some of the others before heading to the Embassy." He snared another glass of wine and sipped before continuing. "I'm looking forward to doing business here. Thank you for meeting us."

Sra. Dannehar smiled and bowed slightly to Lanchester as she followed Loggia off in the general direction of the bar. Her first glass of wine was still over half full.

The doors to the Embassy were opened and a figure strode into the main hall. Not only was this unusual for the fact that guests were usually announced by the officials at the door; what was also conspicuous in its absence was the rattle of gunfire as the guards outside saluted the guests - in fact, the guards could be seen to be saluting the figure instead.

The figure entered and the doors closed, and those assembled could make out details of the figure. He was about six feet tall with jet-black hair that was greying at the sides prematurely. He seemed to be in his early thirties, and as he strode confidently through the crowds, he seemed to have a military bearing in the way he walked and the way he stood tall. He wore the uniform of a Republican Rifleman, brown and green splotches but the uniform was worn and had several gashes and rips in it; it was obviously not an inspection uniform but rather one he was comfortable wearing. A pair of dark brown boots completed the image, worn but serviceable, like their owners.

Lanchester turned at the doors opening, and his face broke out into an irrepressible smile. 'Briggs' he called, 'So nice of you to join us; I hope I didn't inconvenience you by calling?'

Briggs walked up to Lanchester and smiled briefly. 'No, you didn't inconvenience me, Kurt.', He said in a deep voice, 'I was just finishing up some business, but I'm afraid I can't stay for long.'

Lanchester said nothing; he had learnt long ago never to ask what exactly Brigg's business was in the military. All he knew that he had a service jacket as long as his arm and decorations to accompany them, even if he never wore them. He was the only man in the Republic's history to be awarded the Medallion of Valour, the Republic's highest military award, twice.


However, just as quickly as Briggs had entered, he had left the Embassy, on the way to Sthyxia for reasons Lanchester had known not to enquire about

A stretch Hummer pulls into the driveway of 12 Dowland Square. It stops at in front of the building and the chauffer steps out. He walks around to the back of the Hummer and opens the door. Eight highly specialized guards step out and line the path up to the doorway. A man about 27 years old hops out of the car and looks at the embassy.
"Holy Shnikes... There's some damn fine carpenters here." said Johnny Rydden, admiring the handiwork on the house. He reached into the Hummer and helped his fiancee out. They wandered into the house, admiring the beautiful banisters, oak paneling, etc... After a time, Johnny turned to the captain of the guard. "Jack, radio the rest of the men. Tell them that it is okay for them to land now. And call the Emperor. Invite him over if he has the time.. Tell him I've brought some of our nation's finest Champagne, and I'd love to celebrate our new alliance with him. Also, ask if he would like an Embassy in our nation."
"Sir, yes sir!" The guard saluted and headed for the phone...

Lanchester had just observed the exit of Briggs from the Embassy, he heard his mobile ringing softly in his jacket. Looking around and making an apologetic face, he answered it.

It appeared that the Zeon Daikun representative had just entered their new Embassy in the Square. Lanchester nodded at the exciting news and told the aide at the other end to invite the representative to the Embassy so that that he could be welcomed by Lanchester and talks about alliances could be started.

Upon recieving an invitation to meet with Lanchester, Johnny changed into full military uniform, had his fiancee, Kiki, change into formal dress, and walked down into the garage. He started his 1972 Shelby Mustang and pulled up to the driveway. Kiki walked down the stairs and got in the passenger seat, and Colonel Jack O'Neill and Major Mike Kawalski, the 1st and 2nd in command of the guard, seated themselves in the back seat of their cars, their Modified FN P-90s at the ready. Johnny drove to the designated meeting place and hopped out. He walked around and opened the passenger door, helped Kiki out, and headed inside. Jack and Mike followed, wary of the posted guards. Johnny informed the secretary that he was to meet Lanchester and took a seat, the rest of his envoy following suit, and waited to be called.

The air shimmered, and a low-pitched whine was heard just seconds before they appeared. "They" were the ambassadorial staff from Xeraph. And a somewhat odd bunch they were.

In the lead was Admiral Lord Cassius, thrice decorated former Grand Admiral of the Xeraphian Navy, resplendant in his uniform of pure white linen, chest proudly adorned with the medals of his service to the Emperor.
He was followed by six guards, members of the Black Katanas, whose country of the same name was legendary in the arts of stealth recon.
Then came the ambassadorial secretaries, some of whom were from the nations of Auralinia and Grey Phoenix, servant-nations of Xeraph. There was even one from the out-world of Pix, part of Xeraphian Sector 3, Typhon Expanse, Andromeda Galaxy. She was obviously only partially human, as was evidenced by the long, furry tail and the forked tongue which periodically flicked out of the reptilian mouth.
The remaining guards, funtionaries, and groundskeepers brought up the rear, and were entering the embassy, when two black Humvees materialised.
" Sam, please make sure the Hummers are properly garaged, and for Pete's sake, get those Gatling Guns off them. This isn't a military base."
"Yessir, Admiral, I'll get right on it." Sam was Samuel Karl Alphose Barracus, whose nickname was "skab". He was Cassius' right-hand man, as he had been for many years. Sam had served with Alaric, the Emperor, John Strickland, EX Commander, and Cassius when Xeraph wasn't much more than a tribal wasteland. And now, here was Xeraph's 223rd embassy, worldwide.
"We've come a long way, baby............"

I wish to exchange embassies.

-Shah Sassan Pahlavi

OOC: Pahlavistan, application at this thread: http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=403391&page=2&pp=15

IC: Lanchester confirmed that the Zeon Daikun party should be invited to the Embassy at once, and then found that the Xeraph Ambassador and his staff had also arrived. Hurredly Lanchester gave orders for an invitation to be sent to him immediately to attend the Embassy ball, then decided that for such noble attendees, he would need...a grander attire and some more impressive guards than those outside.

Frowning briefly at the idea of making the guards seem disposable, Lanchester shook off such an absurd notion, and called for his bodyguards. He hated the idea of bodyguards personally because they seemed so...so...macho and needless, but here they were needed, albeit in a ceremonial role. He laughed briefly at the hypocrisy of his decision, but then saw them arrive.

There were four of them in all. All tall, over six feet, and wearing the jet formal black uniforms of Republican Bodyguards, a two-piece kevlar-plated uniform that included a large grey helmet that had a small flashlight and full-spectrum camera built into it. At their sides were strapped a 9mm Pistol and on their backs were the ubituquous P-90 Sub-Machine Guns that were their trade-mark. They were the elite of the military, hand-picked every year from the veteran battalions in Republican Service as rewards for their duties.

OOC: FYI, P-90's are SMGs, not Assault Rifles.

IC: Johnny saw a man coming down the hall, flanked by his bodyguards. They were an impressive sight, but he was sure Col. O'Neill and Maj. Kawalski could take them, should something go wrong...
"Hey Jack," Johnny heard Kawalsky say, "look, gorrillas." Johnny heard O'Neill chuckle and couldn't help but crack a smile.
"Take it easy, guys. We're here to make allies, not enemies." Johnny whispered. He stood up and walked over to the man. "Lanchester, I presume? I am Gen. Johnathan Rydden. Pleased to make your acquaintance." Johnny bowed politely and then held out his hand. "I hope we can become freinds, as well as allies."

Lanchester instantly regretted bringing out the bodyguards because of their size, and, well...the looked like blasted gorrillas, more like night-club bouncers than the elite of the Republican military. Lanchester once again wished that Briggs had stayed and had not left for Sthyixia.

Sighing inwardly, he dismissed the bodyguards, who moved away back into the guard-room of the Embassy. Smiling, he shook hands with the Zeon Daikun representative.

'How nice to see you, Mr Rydden. I hope our Embassy was up to your standards, and you had a hassle free trip to our country. Would you like a drink?' Lanchester asked, pointing discreetly at a waiter making his rounds through the throng of guests.

"The Embassy is beautiful, and actually, it's nicer than my house. As for a drink, allow me." Johnny pulled a bottle of Zeon Daikun's best Champagen out of his breifcase. "Vintage 1952, probably the best year my nation has had. Would you like a glass?" Johnny pulled two empty off the waiter's tray, smiled at the waiter, and turned back to face Lanchester, holding the bottle in one hand, the glasses in the other. "What do you say?"

Lanchester couldn't help smiling even more when he saw the champagne comwe out. Champagne was one of his little delights, apart from Chips, and as such was delighted to take a galss of the fine, clear liquid. He took a sip and savoured the delicate textures and tastes. It was certainly a wonderful bottle.

Putting the glass down, he looked at Rydden. 'Thank-you for that, Mr Rydden, very generous of you. But to business, as they say. Are you here purely for a formal affair, or are you also here on governmental business as well?' Lanchester enquired. He had already had considerable success with the Ardchoille representatives in creating an educational alliance; perhaps he could do something similar here, educationally, economically, or even militarily...

"I am here on both, I suppose. Although I'm not big on formality. Please, call me Johnny." He motiond to Kiki, standing next to him. "And this is my bride-to-be, Kiki Rosita. We get married in a few weeks." Johnny said, beaming. "But I'm here on a sullen mission. My region is teetering on the brink of war. You see, our enemy, Glatannia, has been provoking us for years now, and we fear that he may declare war on us soon. We have a massive military, but I don't know if that will be enough. I have come to ask for an alliance. We are prepared to offer economic, educational, political, and social aid, but it looks as if you're doing pretty well there. I think I may be able to offer our technological services, though. If you will take me to a secure place, I can show you what I mean.

Lanchester beamed at the couple. 'My congratulations Mr Rydder, I hope the two of you have a wonderful marriage and life together. As for the alliance, I don't see why that would be a problem. Your country seems to be a more than acceptable country to have an alliance with; as for military aid, the FRepublican military would be able to aid your country with any 'disputes' that it may have with other countries.'

Johnny's face became stern. "Mr. Lanchester, I have been instructed to breif you on my nation's latest development. My superiors want me to show you this in the hopes that you can help us mass produce it. Although Zeon Daikun has astounding research capabilities, we don't have enough factories to do the assembly on our own. This unit could turn the tide of a war. Of course, your nation will be supplied with as many of them as you would like, and we will grant you access to all of our research data." Johnny pulled a manilla folder out of his breifcase and handed it to Lanchester. "Our trump card, the Guntank. This is the standard version, but we have come up with several variants as well." Inside the folder was a set of blueprints. (Guntank Stats (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v722/AkitoEnna/MS.jpg)) "So, what do you think?"

Lanchester looked at his watch. Strange. It seemed like a long time since he had spoken to Rydder, yet it had only been a few minutes. Shaking his head, he nodded at the stats.

'Well Mr Rydder, the stats seem more than excellent, though I shall take a copy for the military staff to look at. I can assure you when I say that the Republic would fully support your nation at time of war, unless said war is against one of our other close allies, though I do not believe that will happen. A military exchange between our nations can be arranged if you wish - we could exchange plans and experts, and the Republican Military would willingly ship supplies to your nation from now on.

"Thank you, sir. I would be very grateful for your help. And I agree that I probably won't go to war with any of your allies. There is one region and one region alone that we despise. Glory of Battle. Maybe I should tell you how it started, but that that is a story to save for another time. But in the meantime, when you can free up your schedule, I would like to give you a tour of my capital city. It's not a long flight, 3 hours by my Gulfstream VI, and the view and food is amazing." Johnny smiled, thinking of his home. He stood up and shook Lanchester's hand. "Words cannot express my gratitude. I have a good feeling about this alliance."