NationStates Jolt Archive

Nearly a year after the civil war had finally come to an end, and the cleanup efforts were just now wrapping up. The most visible signs were gone; the broken glass swept away and the collapsed buildings demolished and the rubble removed. From a distance, the city looked fine. However, once one got closer, one could clearly see bullet holes marring the surface of many buildings, and even the occasional crater from a mortar or artillery shell scarring the city’s parks.

No, thought Alexei, the capital will not not be the same for some time.

Further south, in the California town of Bridgeport, near the Nevada border, the cleanup efforts were complete and the town had largely returned to normal. The town held great political significance, as well. Bridgeport had been the town were Isaac had officially joined the rebellion of his own making, and were he had lured Loyalist forces attempting to rescue him into a trap that had nearly destroyed them. The Emperor’s presence here reminded everyone of that.

It also said something else. That the Commonwealth, though battered and beaten, had emerged alive, and begun down the road to recovery. With that knowledge came remembrance; remembrance of sons and fathers lost, of trust betrayed and hope murdered. Yet amidst that gloomy knowledge was the awareness that friends had surfaced as well, among the ruins.

It was long past time those friends be acknowledged.

***

Alexei milled over reports in his office – he still thought of it as his father’s – and carried on the daily business of Emperor. The Emperors of Malkyer, like their British counterparts, had more influence than actual power, but they possessed more of both than any Briton. With the added power came added paperwork.

“They’ve sure got balls, don’t they?” Alexei hadn’t noticed his brother Matthew enter the room.

Alexei arched an eyebrow in surprise. “What are you talking about?”

“Think about it. Outnumbered on all fronts, outgunned, they stuck with us. Even the Ottomans abandoned us, but Kil didn’t.” After Alexei’s visit to Bridgeport, the civil war was on both their minds.

“Kil? Oh, Halberdgardia. Yes. Admirable folks.” Alexei dismissed them, trying to keep bad memories from surfacing.

“Don’t try to talk like Father, Alex. It doesn’t suit you. Besides, would it really be so hard to acknowledge their help?”

“I suppose.”

***

Telegram to Secretary of State Kenix Kil:

Mr. Secretary,

I, Emperor Alexei Saarad, send this request to humbly ask you to come the Malkyer for a meeting of friends, that the Imperial Commonwealth may properly thank both you personally, and Halberdgardia as a whole, for your aid during our civil war. The meeting will be held in San Fransisco, and may be followed by a brief tour of other parts of North America, if you wish.

Yours Faithfully,
Alexei Saarad

San Fransisco had been chosen primarily because it was largely unscarred by war, and still possessed some sense of normalcy. In addition, it was the largest port facility in North America, with the exception of Seattle, and the Emperor had a little surprise in store for Secretary Kil.

Secretary of State Kenix Kil was on board his private Gulfstream, en route to Halberdgardia, having just completed his participation in the meetings of the Portshire Convention, hosted by the Jewittist Republic of Truitt. [OOC: Actually he's not done yet, but we can cite fluid time.]

Kil was sipping at a glass of fine 36-Year Glennroyal scotch, a drink also favored by President Kir Kanos, a close personal friend and professional colleague of Kil's, when the e-mail program on his laptop chimed. A new message had appeared in his inbox, and it wasn't a Halberdgardian address, but neither was it spam that had gotten past his filters. Puzzled, he looked more closely, expecting something from an SWC member or another Halberdgardian ally, and he was highly surprised by the Malkyeri address of the message.

He smiled upon seeing it, the mere name of Malkyer bringing back fond memories of that country's leaders and not-so-fond memories of the Malkyeri Civil War thereafter. Opening the message, he was even further surprised by the sender.

Mr. Secretary,

I, Emperor Alexei Saarad, send this request to humbly ask you to come the Malkyer for a meeting of friends, that the Imperial Commonwealth may properly thank both you personally, and Halberdgardia as a whole, for your aid during our civil war. The meeting will be held in San Fransisco, and may be followed by a brief tour of other parts of North America, if you wish.

Yours Faithfully,
Alexei Saarad

Kil needed no time to think it over. He pressed a nearby button that activated the intercom between the cabin and the cockpit.

"Captain Steele," Kil said, addressing his loyal pilot of ten years, "I have a course correction for you. Our new destination is San Francisco International Airport, Malkyer. My schedule has just filled up again."

Steele's deep voice came back over the intercom. "You actually sound excited about this one, Mr. Secretary, not weary."

"Yes, Captain," Kil replied, letting some measure of amusement and happiness into his voice, "I'm going to visit some old friends."

The Gulfstream turned ever so gently, drifting onto the correct bearing towards San Francisco. Kil could hardly wait to land. For hours, he waited anxiously, trying to get some work done, but distracted by the prospect of meeting his faithful friend Alexei Saarad again. He's the Emperor of Malkyer now, he reminded himself. Perhaps the reminisces aren't the best thing to start off with.

His reverie was interrupted by Steele's voice over the intercom. "I've hailed ground control at SFO, sir, and I'm awaiting clearance to land. Please secure your belongings, sir."

"Thank you, Captain, I shall."

With that, the Gulfstream neared San Francisco.

Nothing flew in the skies above northern California. A strict no-fly prohibition had been issued for today, in order to better guarantee for the Secretary's safe arrival. With the civil war a year gone, there wasn't a pressing concern for security, but that didn't stop officials from being paranoid.

As the lone Gulfstream appeared on radar, the control tower radioed the Halberdgardians. "Welcome to San Fransisco. Runway Twenty-One is cleared for your landing."

The Gulf began its descent, and finally touched down. As it taxied to the tarmac, a black Mercedes pulled up, flanked by several black SUVs. It was a scene eerily reminiscent of Secretary Kil's arrival in Malkyer two years ago, just days before the civil war erupted.

When the Secretary disembarked, one of the rear doors of the Mercedes opened, and the young Emperor stepped out, not waiting for the driver to open his door for him. Standing in the bright sunlight, he brushed a lock of hair out of his eyes, and started forward. Several bodyguards hurried to catch up. One day, they all swore, the Emperor's carelessness was going to put his brother one the throne.

Walking up the the Secretary, Alexei extended his hand in greeting. "Secretary Kil, a pleasure. This way to the cars. I hope you don't mind if we take a slight detour, but I must stop by the shipyards; the Navy is commissioning a new ship and they wanted me there to speak to the people."

Kil was dressed in a long trench coat again, to fight off the chilly weather customary to San Francisco in October. A wave of cold air hit him like a slap to the face as soon as he stepped out of the Gulfstream. He descended the stairs, closely followed by two Secret Service agents.

He gave Alexei that familiar handshake, quick but firm, and smiled. "It is a pleasure to see you again as well, Emperor. Already you seem so much older that it is hard to believe the last time we met was only two years ago.

"A detour is not all at inconvienent for me. Please, make your speech. I would be happy to attend."

With that, he got into the Mercedes after the Emperor.

Hofstader Naval Yard was nothing compared to Sarzonia's Portland Iron Works, or the great shipyards of Praetonia, but it was nonetheless an impressive sight. Though technically a naval installation, the Yard built ships for the entire Commonwealth, and it was not uncommon to find a luxury liner inbetween a missile cruiser and a fishing trawler. Such was the nature of Malkyeri industry.

Today, the focus was on a dock near the center of the Yard, where a single super-dreadnaught awaited commission. Malkyer maintained three such ships, and this fourth would go to become the flagship of the battlefleet of the Cape Viceroyalty.

The commissioning ceremony was scheduled for two o'clock, and unlike most civilian functions, the military started promptly on time. There was a small stage set up alongside the bow of the ship, with several rows of stands a distance away for the audience, which included press, civilian and military functionaries, and a crowd of civilian yokels who'd come out to see the Emperor.

On the stage sat the mayor of San Fransisco, several municipal officers, and the Governor of California. To the right of them sat the Emperor, Secretary Kil, and the admiral who was to command the massive warship. They were flanked by various aides and gofers.

The Mayor was the first to speak, saying general things about how great the Naval Yard was, and how great the city of San Fransisco was, et cetera. Then the Governor spoke, saying many of the same things, though using different vocabulary. After him, the admiral gave a concise speech thanking the people of San Fransisco for building the ship and His Majesty's Government for appropriating the funds. Finally, it was Alexei's turn.

He stood, and walked over to the podium. The people cheered, and he waited for a moment before raising a hand to silence them. He was not arrogant, per se, but he enjoyed applause as much as anyone. When the audience had quieted, he began his speech, glancing occasionally at the notes held in his hand.

“San Fransisco, you’ve built a magnificent weapon of war. The ship behind me has the power to level cities, and the battlefleet it will lead in two months will have the capability to destroy an entire nation, independent of any other military force. Yes, this is an awesome weapon.

“But let us not forget that with power comes responsibility. The Imperial Commonwealth, being a state founded on the idea of liberalism, has an obligation to uphold justice in the world. That is what these weapons are for. Bringing justice, not conquest, must be the ultimate goal of those who use this ship, and others like it. In some cases, justice comes easy. While my father was on the throne, it was the military might of the Commonwealth that ended the communist uprisings in Kratloctostan, and shielded the cities of Jerusalem and Haifa from the militant Catholic forces of Crimsdale during the New Crusade.

“Sometimes, justice is more difficult to uphold, and is sometimes sacrificed. When thousands died during the Istanbul riots several years ago, Malkyeri troops took over security for the Diplomatic Quarter so that government soldiers of the Khailfah al Musilmeen could more effectively suppress the rioters.

“Behind me sits a man who understands justice. His name is Kenix Kil, the Halberdgardian Secretary of State.” At the mention of Kil, there was applause, and a few cheers. “During our civil war, Mr. Kil’s first action after the rebellion began was to call his superiors and request aid on our behalf. Aid in the form of an expeditionary force which would, within just a month’s time, reconquer Sonora from the rebels and simultaneously destroy the only significant rebel force south of Nevada and outside of Los Angeles.

“Throughout the horrible war that followed, the Democratic Imperium stood by us, despite being outnumbered and on the verge of being overwhelmed by foreign allies of the rebels. It is a debt of honor that we as a nation owe to both Halberdgardia, and Secretary Kil. Malkyer cannot repay this debt, at least not during my reign, but we will do all that we can.

“It is my great and personal honor to formally commission this super-dreadnaught the HMS Kenix Kil!” To the side of the stage, a sailor smashed the customary bottle of champagne against the bow. The gathered crowd erupted in applause.

Kil had been in the game of diplomacy for years. He had come to know all its intricacies like the back of his hand. One of the key tenets he had learned was to keep your emotion under control in public, only allowing yourself to appear to lose control of your emotion when appropriate.

Upon seeing the letters of his own name stenciled into the side of that grand vessel, Kil broke that tenet.

His jaw dropped, and a look of pure astonishment crossed his face, before he looked at Alexei with laughter and a smile. He crossed over to him, and shook his hand vigorously.

"Might I be allowed to say a few words of gratitude to the crowd, Emperor Saarad?"

"Of course, go ahead." Alexei stepped back and motioned the Secretary to the podium.

and a quick bump...

"Thank you, Emperor Saarad," Kil said, stepping up to the podium.

"People of Malkyer, it is truly a pleasure to be here again in your beautiful country. I am glad to see that San Francisco is still as vibrant as ever.

"I must humbly thank the Emperor, the Admiralty, for naming this fine vessel of war after me. I never suspected that one day a naval vessel, much less a foreign one, would bear my name. I am truly grateful for the extraordinary gesture.

"Perhaps Emperor Saarad will find one of our own naval vessels named after him the next time he visits Halberdgardia," he said with a smile and chuckle, hoping to elicit a few laughs from the crowd.

"Well, I did not come here to talk overly much, and I do not wish to waste your time, so I will wrap things up. Thank you again for the tremendous honor you have bestowed upon me, and may Malkyer always prosper and thrive!"

Kil stepped off the podium.

"Quite the surprise, Emperor Saarad. My thanks."

Alexei laughed at Kil's joke, and applauded with the rest of the crowd at the end of the Secretary's impromptu speech. He stood, still clapping, and walked over the to podium and grasped Kil's hand in a firm shake. He didn't say that the Kenix was the only vessel in the Royal Navy named for a foreigner.

"Thank you for that, my friend," Alexei said. He then turned to the crowd and said a few words, and with that the ceremony ended. "Mr. Kil, if you'll come with me we'll head to the estate now."

***

The villa outside of San Fransisco was a Spanish-style hacienda dating back to times before the old Kingdom of Malkyer. It had a grand view of the bay below it, and hills to the east. Unknown to the Secretary, a full battalion of Royal Army troops had taken up positions to monitor the hacienda.

The cars pulled up, and the Emperor and the Secretary were taken inside and served refreshments. Alexei sipped on a cold drink, and said, "Secretary, thank you again for coming on such short notice. I hope we haven't inconvenienced you too much."

"Not at all, Emperor," Kil replied, while signaling to a nearby waiter. "Excuse me, sir. A margarita, if I may. On the rocks, no salt. Thank you."

He turned back to face Alexei.

"Yes, it is truly a pleasure to be here again, as I mentioned in my speech back at the yards. I enjoyed my first trip here, unfortunately truncated though it was, and I am glad to return. Speaking of my first trip here, how is your brother Matthew?"

Alexei grinned. "Luckily, Mattie is still much the same." The younger Saarad was infuriated that many in the nation continued to his childhood nickname.

"He's in the capital, doing whatever it is he does with his time. You see, I'm young enough that Matthew hasn't been named the Crown Prince, and thus he has no official duties or obligations to Crown. At least, not more than any other citizen. Technically not even that, because he's not truly a citizen."

Alexei paused to sip his drink, a whiskey from a small-scale distillery near the capital. Suddenly realizing he may have confused Secretary Kil, he spoke again. "Are you familiar with the idea of 'citizenship' in Malkyer, Secretary?"

The waiter returned, quietly slipping the margarita in front of Kil.

"Thank you, kind sir," he said, taking a sip of it and nodding appreciatively.

"I am afraid to say that perhaps the Malkyeri definition of 'citizenship' might be different from what I had in mind. Obviously, it would include the basic tenets of citizenship of all civilized countries, but your question makes it sound as if it differs somehow." Kil leaned back in his chair, enjoying the atmosphere of the hacienda and the lingering flavor of the margarita on his tongue.

"Please, enlighten me," he said with a smile.

"Well, you must understand that unlike many nations, 'citizenship' in Malkyer is a completely voluntary thing. You see, all minors are considered to be under the protection of the government, but are not citizens. The government is obligated to provide for safety from physical harm, and can step in to extricate children from abusive households and the like, but beyond that it has no obligations to minors. Once someone turns nineteen, they can take the citizenship exam. Provided that they know enough about Malkyeri history, are fluent in English and another official language of the Viceroyalty they reside in, and a few other such things, they are granted provisional status.

"Essentially, this means that they are eligible to record one year of community service. Usually they do this by joining the military; Malkyer does not, contrary to popular belief, have compulsory service during peace-time. Once they have completed the one year, they swear the oath of loyalty to the Crown and to Parliament, and the Commonwealth has itself a new citizen.

"For those who aren't born here, or who have immigrated illegally [OOC: illegals are about as prevalent in southern Malkyer as they are in the RL United States], citizenship can be gained by being twice discharged honorably from any branch of the Armed Forces, and taking the oath. I hope I haven't been too boring." He grinned and drank some more.

"But I'm just making small talk. What I invited you here for was more...serious, I think. Of course, Malkyer is indebted to Halberdgardia for your assistance during our civil war. In terms of repaying our debts, I want to bring our two nations closer diplomatically. Of course, this will entail the usual exchange of embassies and the like, but I’d like to go a bit further. Off the record, how would your government, and nation as a whole, react to a sort of mutual defense pact?”

bump for Hal

bump

[OOC: Sorry, been a bit busy as of late. Will try to post tomorrow (Sunday), or, failing that, sometime during the week. I've got Thursday and Friday off of school, so that should be the latest I will have a new post by.]

[OOC: No worries, post whenever.]

[OOC: I'm terribly sorry I've neglected this thread for nearly a month; the situation in Torontia, among other things, flared up again, and so this fell a bit by the wayside. Nevertheless, I am nothing if not loyal to my allies, so we'll go through with this. Besides, my President needs something to do.:p

Also, just FYI, if my President mentions current NS events that occurred long after this thread started, we'll just cite fluid time. IC post coming soon.]