NationStates Jolt Archive

[OOC: As the subject line indicates above, this is a closed RP between me and Southeastasia. Do not post to this thread. Do not tag it. If you wish to read it, please feel free to subscribe using the Jolt forum tools. If you feel you must comment, send me a TG.

Also, any information mentioned here in this thread not directly related to negotiations with Southeastasia is to be considered secret IC. If it's used ICly by anyone, I'm ignoring it.]

Vice President for Defence John Newman's expression the past few days seemed to be perpetually grim. The Congressional forces battling against the supporters of President Villian were losing ground and MassPwnage was making aggressive moves that nearly forced Sarzonia to enter the war. The nation's economy was spiraling toward a recession that was resulting in the loss of white collar jobs and Sarzonia's largest company, the Portland Iron Works, going under government receivership.

And yet, the military situation was deteriorating. Satellite flyovers pointed to what defence forecasters were predicting would be an assault on Questerian South Africa by MassPwnage assets. MassPwnage was also launching anti-satellite attacks, one of which narrowly missed a Sarzonian communications satellite. The attack against Praetonian satellite assets very nearly caused Sarzonia to declare war against MassPwnage, but the cabinet very narrowly recommended against it because of the economic crisis.

However, the threat by MassPwnage was real. The advance by the Presidential forces was real. Even worse, a nation that had begun to earn favour in the Sarzonian government was in danger of being caught in the crosshairs. As a neutral nation, South East Asia was facing down the barrel of two militaries heavily engaged in the war.

"Mr. Vice President, need I remind you that our cup's not exactly running over in prosperity right now," Deputy Senior Vice President and External Affairs Officer Grant Haffner said in a cabinet meeting that was missing President Mike Sarzo, currently en route from Baltimore after a vacation with First Partner Jay Tyler. Even though technically Haffner wasn't a member of the Cabinet, he was regularly invited to participate because he had more influence than the deputy vice presidents. "Committing military assets to a prolonged ViZion war is a recipe for a next generation Great Depression."

"Look, I realise we're in an economic crisis," Newman responded. "But we're also watching Congressional forces and their allies get their hats handed to them by countries that are sworn enemies of ours. We need to make sure the Presidential forces' progress stops here."

"We can't go in and police the world," Lieutenant President Nicole Lewis said. "What do you think we are, George W. Bush on crack? We've got our own problems to solve and direct military intervention is not going to solve any of them. It's out of the question."

"John, I have an alternative," Senior Vice President and External Affairs Officer Mark Lorber said. "It's a bit of a gamble, but it's one worth taking if I read the natures of the countries involved correctly."

Newman sighed. "What is it, Mark? Care packages to both sides?"

"Actually, that might not be a bad idea," Lorber grinned. "How about sending a gift box to the Great Leader Li with some choice delicacies?"

"Are you nuts," Lewis interrupted.

"Hear me out," Lorber grinned. "We send him a few kilos of cabbage and hard tack. Think about it the intel profile of the Great Leader Li. We have information on him from his stance on economic policies to whether he wets the bed at night."

"Oh, right," Lewis said with a chuckle.

"Seriously, however, my alternative is this: South East Asia has been making inroads into closer ties with us for the past few months. They're right in the danger zone between MassPwnage and Questers. If we can sign a formal alliance with them and issue a joint declaration of neutrality, we can then warn both sides to stay out of our respective sovereign territories. If they don't comply, we consider it a declaration of war against both of us and act accordingly."

"That's very risky," Lewis said. "What if Questers violates South East Asian neutrality? What about MassPwnage? We're pretty much neutral in name only."

"The fact is, we haven't declared war, nor have we committed forces," Lorber said. "I'm counting on our relationship with Questers being what it is as a measure of security that they won't be violating our neutrality. MassPwnage, however is a different matter. If they provoke us, we need to be ready to strike, and strike hard."

"Need I remind you Mark that MassPwnage has just attacked all-- uh, Congressional space-borne assets, including Praetonian assets? By terms of the alliance with Praetonia, that means we should be at war with MassPwnage already."

"I have a solution there, too," Lorber said. "We can make a secret agreement with Praetonia or Congressional forces and allow them to send logistical or humanitarian supplies through our territory, pending inspection by our or South East Asian inspectors."

"What good will that do?"

"Present it as neutrally as we can, announce publicly that we must inspect the cargos of both sides, but while we search the Presidential forces to within an inch of their lives, we develop a few blind spots for Congressional forces' 'logistics'."

"Interesting idea," Lewis said. "But what does that have to do with Praetonian space-borne assets?"

"We're sending our network guys to provide satellite coverage to Praetonian assets by our own satellites," Lorber said. "The switchover should be done with only about 24 to 48 hours of downtime."

"Now what does that have to do with South East Asia?"

"I'm going to be flying over there to meet with their Foreign Minister," Lorber said. If we can hammer out a deal, we can hopefully make MassPwnage or anyone else for that matter think twice about attacking South East Asia."

"Let's do it," Lewis said. "How soon can you be on a plane to Singapore?"

"Two hours, tops."

"Good luck."

[OOC to SEA: Since I've already typed a long post, feel free to assume I've already sent a secret IC transmission to Joshua Lin to begin the dialogue and if you'd like, Lorber can be on his way right now.]

[OOC: Sarzonia, isn't Lorber supposed to be at Czardas like my Foreign Minister? Or did his plane turn back after he discovered that CAD was invading the Libertarian Concordance or did it even get off Sarzonian ground? Anyhow, I'm fluid timing him outta there.]

Lin had received the highly encrypted Foreign Office Telegram from Lorber, and the cabinet had been informed. It was a big, wonderful surprise for Neo himself, as he thought that he would be approaching the Sarzonians with the proposal for an alliance, not the other way around. Lorber's trip to Changi International Airport was so classified, only the cabinet knew about it. As Lin stood, flanked by a few handfuls of armed bodyguards (whose weapons were concealed) at the entrance of the hangar where Lorber's plane would be stored, the conversation with the Defense Minister, himself and the national founder himself in the Office of the Prime Minister.

"Lorber's visiting the capitol?" gasped the Prime Minister.

"Correct sir." Lin responded.

"Well, isn't that supposed to be a good thing?" questioned Nettleton.

"No, no, Paul, I wasn't exactly expecting them to approach us.....even if it was the time to seal an alliance - if that's what they want. I was expecting that we would approach them. If it were not for that bloody ViZionarian Civil War, Questerian Commonwealth nations trying to preserve democracy and CAD member-states assisting that nutjob Villian, I'd be a lot more hesistant to seal one."

"Well, considering that Joint Conglomerates has the backing of powerful, pro-corporatist countries or nations that are corporatist themselves, Questerian and Pwnage controlled areas not too far away from our location which also have military bases, I'd say that we'd be facing a two-front conflict not too soon." Nettleton replied.

Neo gave the look which read "Thank you for stating the obvious in an annoying fashion". But then again, they were old friends from their school days, so Nettleton didn't exactly take it seriously.

"So be it." Neo answered. The other cabinet members were away, but they had informed Neo via e-mail that they would support Lorber's arrival in the capitol of the Union of Southeast Asian Nations.

"I shall have the airport know that an important delegation is on the way, and to be prepared." nodded Lin.

[OOC: The External Affairs Department ordered Lorber not to take the flight into Czardas with the war going on. Though had he been captured by the CAD forces, that would have brought Sarzonia full bore into that war...]

Lorber was poring through his dossier on the United Sovereign Nations of South East Asia. Information briefs on culture, government structure, military, and foreign policy directives all competed for his attention on Sarzonia Three's lengthy flight from Woodstock to Singapore.

He knew what political pundits were saying back home about his trip. Some people were questioning the political advantage of Sarzonia initiating a formal alliance with South East Asia. Others were wondering if Lewis and Lorber had lost their minds by shoving Sarzonia so close to the brink of war when they should be focusing on an economic recession that was teetering toward a full-on economic depression. A few even expressed concern that Sarzonia was looking for an excuse to drag itself and South East Asia into a war that was a losing proposition.

Lorber knew all the objections and soldiered on with the sort of determination made famous by his boss. The strategic importance of an alliance with South East Asia made what would have been a major risk worthwhile. South East Asia was making overtures toward closer relations with Sarzonia in the past, but this time, Sarzonia was making overtures of its own. The irony wasn't lost on Lorber, but the benefits of an alliance were as obvious as the risks.

A close relationship would definitely benefit South East Asia because a policy of "an attack on either is an attack on both," such as the pact between Sarzonia and Praetonia would mean that if anyone had designs on South East Asia, they'd have to go through Sarzonia first. But the relationship could also give Sarzonia a presence in the region and an avenue to project power and respond to threats more quickly.

The chance of possibly dissuading Presidential forces from advancing through South East Asia's territory or directly attacking that country -- without firing a shot -- appealed to Lorber. Preferrably, they would be able to watch the Presidential forces wither away, but with that not looking as likely, Lorber wanted to make sure the ground work was underway to slow down the potential for an advance.

"We're now within 500 nautical miles of Singapore," the pilot radioed to Lorber. He nodded and looked out at the window. So many factors competed for time in his mind that he needed a moment's rest from the reading he was doing on South East Asian government.

OOC: Ah. And I thought that this is SIC? Because somehow I highly doubt that any political pundits would know of this visit.

Ic Post to come later...

OOC: Ah. And I thought that this is SIC? Because somehow I highly doubt that any political pundits would know of this visit.

Ic Post to come later...[OOC: This is secret IC; the pundits are being directed by the government not to go into great detail except to note that Lorber is making an "important visit" to South East Asia.]

The weather in Singapore, like most other locations in the United Sovereign Nations of Southeast Asia, was humid. And it wasn't exactly helped by the fact that Lin's dress was a black tuxedo and his bodyguards, so they retreated into the hangar where it was more of a cool place to wait.

Sarzonia Three was probably near the capitol, and other than the EER, only a small handful of airport members would know that Lorber was visiting. The Southeast Asian Honor Guard and the airport's owner.

In a hangar container nearby, many were at work, slaving on for an important visitor they would not find out till much later. Ten F/A-22 Raptors, planes that were to be retired soon enough with the Union now modernizing her armed forces, were being prepared. On the fuselages of the first half of the F/A-22, was the Sarzonian flag, immaculately detailed and polished. And the other half of the honor guard aircraft was the Southeast Asian group: obviously the Southeast Asian flag. How appropriate for the starting for an alliance.

"We're getting ready to land Mr. Senior Vice President."

"Understood." Lorber picked up his briefcase until his aid chided him, saying "let me do that." Lorber rolled his eyes and handed him the briefcase as the plane taxied to a halt.

When the door opened, Lorber stood up, checked himself in the mirror, then walked slowly down the ladder leading to where Lin was waiting. He'd been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to meet Lin face to face and was glad that his efforts to encourage an active alliance with South East Asia were finally showing signs of paying off.

"Joshua Lin?"

"Yes. You must be Mark Lorber."

"Yes. Nice to meet you." The two men shook hands, blissfully aware that the silence by both administrations kept a cadre of flashbulbs from popping. The break from national attention by a foreign media was a welcome one for Lorber. Even if his nation's media were aware of the trip, Lorber knew they'd be preoccupied with the economic Panic that was threatening to turn into a full blown depression.

That focus on the top story of the day prevented talking heads from waxing philosophically about the meaning of an alliance with South East Asia, in particular, with the fact that Lorber was the one travelling to meet his counterpart on his home turf. The larger picture, of Sarzonia being the nation seeking the alliance with South East Asia, could have been discussed for weeks on end by the talk shows but the Panic was the dominant topic. If people were interested at all, they'd have complained about the Sarzo administration spending taxpayer's money on the flight seemingly across the world to cement ties with a nation that most observers expected would have approached Sarzonia. Even if the complaints would have been groundless.

As it was, the respite from media attention would give Lorber and Lin a chance to get down to business without the distraction of reporters. And that was a very good thing for business.

The honor guard flew overhead Changi International Airport, trailing blue and emerald smoke trails. The Sarzonian flag decorated F-22s side by side with the Southeast Asian flag decorated F-22s were an appropriate salute to what was to be the start of a good relationship. They had taken off and made a fly by Sarzonia Three and Lorber probably would have noticed and smiled. No big media groups were around, so the casual talk was brief, and the transports would be quickly assembled for the Emerald Executive Recluse - an artistic hybrid of Tudorian architecture and modern Western architecture, coated in emerald and Southeast Asian ornaments.

A limousine was prepared several hours ago, and when the important delegation's aircraft arrived, it rolled toward the end of the red carpet that had been layed for Lorber and the limousine's doorway. Had this been official and public, a pair of miniature Southeast Asian flags would have been on the armored vehicle's left side while the pair of miniature Sarzonian flags would have been on the right side of the limousine. But with this trip being confidential information, the limousine had no flags at all and was unmarked on the license plate. And the ever-bulletproof windows were tinted pitch-black so that no one from the outside would know who was inside.

"Greetings Senior Vice President and External Affairs Officer Lorber, welcome to Singapore, capitol of the Union of Southeast Asian Nations." stepped forward an averagely tall, smartly uniformed (that gave whisperings of Western colonial era uniforms) Vietnamese Honor Guard Colonel, whom saluted in a disciplined tone and flanked by two other Honor Guards. The Colonel "Please step right this way."

The Sarzonian SVP and the Southeast Asian Foreign Minister were lead to the limousine at the end of the red carpet. The Honor Guards opened the doors for the high ranking officials, and saluted once more. Then they marched off, allowing the Government Official Protection Service Agents, basically bodyguards that protected all politicians in Southeast Asia, regardless of political allegiance, to take over. In stepped in Lorber and Lin, followed by a couple of GOP Agents and ISG bodyguards, to a spacious sight. A red carpeted floor, a television, a refrigerator and firm cup-holders were part of the armored limousine's luxurious inventory.

The other GOP agents then went into the two other vehicles that were part of the convoy. Two Elusion-class Vehicles (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=10168550&postcount=2), developed by DMG Military Industries and used by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to protect their delegations and by the Union Government, were in the front and the back of the limousine. Once they were set, they went off to the Emerald Executive Recluse.

"Thirsty after a long flight?" questioned Lin, "would you like some water?"

"Yes, thank you." Lorber nodded.

Lin quickly got an Evian water bottle fresh out of the refrigerator, and a glass, and emptied the Evian bottle until the glass was full and the bottle half empty. He set the water bottle into a cup holder.

"So, Mr. Lorber, what brings you here to the capitol? Prime Minister Neo is surprised that you wanted a visit to the Union of Southeast Asian Nations - he suspects greatly, that you want an alliance with us - is his hypothesis correct?"

Lorber took in the water slowly, allowing the cool liquid to relieve his parched throat and giving him a beat or two to acclimate himself after the long flight. He smiled slightly at Lin's question and nodded.

"Much as I'd like to say I'm here for a social visit, yes," Lorber said. "As you know, the situation involving South East Asia's predicament near the Pwnage threat and the Questarian situation concerns my government greatly. Having said that, however, our shall we say, forced economic austerity at the moment somewhat prevents us from charging full bore into the war against the Presidential forces or MassPwnage unless they do something to us in particular."

He took another drink while Lin seemingly searched Lorber's face for clues into his thinking. He then continued.

"You may be wondering why it is that we're the ones approaching you for the alliance instead of the other way around," he said. "If you want a self-serving answer, the closest you'll get is that we consider it strategically important that we have strong relations with your country. With your nation's proximity to both Questarian holdings and Pwnage territories, we believe that a direct alliance with South East Asia would both give us a way to keep MassPwnage and their CAD cronies further in check and would serve as a deterrent against their trying anything against you.

"However, Sarzonia also has observed your government's conduct in foreign affairs since our first contacts with you some time ago. We believe that a formal alliance between our nations would only cement what high-placed individuals in our administration have said all along. That we believe your country will be, and in fact already is, an important player on the global stage. To get to the point more directly, we believe that your government's stance on human rights is very much a complement to our own and is admirable in its own right."

Lorber sat back in his seat and waited for Lin's response.

Lin was listening attentively to what was Lorber's response, but unlike what Lorber might have suspected, he was merely looking into his eyes as a sign of courteous and formality.

"Ah yes - CAD. The infamous, envied and admired, hated and loved, by their friends and their foes alike, alliance of right-leaning imperialistic dictatorships - or at least that's what the most of their member-states' governments are. We know well about the Questerian and Pwnage holdings and the possibility of our neutrality being threatened - when the conflict started and Questers and MassPwnage crossed swords, we specifically warned our people, in particular - civilian sailors, not to get caught in the crossfire. What we haven't announced to the UKQ and the HAHMP about whether they can cross through my nation's waters."

"True, any political analyst with a far sight and the memory of an elephant that looks closely enough at the progress would have anticipated us approaching your country to seal a pact. Though they would not have anticipated it to be vice-versa, and they certainly shall be surprised once this meeting is no longer neccessary to remain confidential information. Human rights is a value that this nation's people uphold greatly, and like your nation, it's nice to see another group of people that also values this great treasure in this world where everybody does so many bad and good deeds, that it's hard to tell whether they are good or evil or not."

"Shall we discuss the details further at the Emerald Executive Recluse and enjoy the view of the capitol? Do you think you may be telling too much right now, or do you think we should continue?"

"I think I'd like to get a chance to see the sights and take a bit of a breather. I haven't been able to do that with Haff causing so much hot water," Lorber said, referring to Deputy Senior Vice President and External Affairs Officer Grant Haffner's direct quote referring to the economic policies of the Hamptonian and Pacitalian governments as "economic terrorism." With Haffner on a leave of absence and Lorber out of the country, that left Assistant Vice President for External Affairs Cora Beckworth as the pointwoman for Sarzonian diplomacy. That is, when Sarzo himself wasn't trying to take on that job.

Lorber looked out at the scenery and smiled. If Lin were perceptive enough, he might be able to spot the sadness that hid just beneath the smile. In any event, Lorber knew the time would come when he'd have to talk to Haffner in a way that Sarzo couldn't. As an experienced diplomat talking to his protegé when he'd committed a major blunder. But that was going to wait until after the trip.

"I think we should really delve into these discussions when we get where we're going," Lorber said. "I think it's safe to say both of us want to be allies, but we need to make sure we come to an agreement that's going to pass muster with both our governments. I'm not sure what Neo wants and Sarzo hasn't given me too much specific instruction. Our Parliaments should get a document that will hold up and we should do something we can hold up to the world as a sign of bilateral cooperation."

Lorber took another sip of his water and looked at Lin intently.

The scenery was different when compared to the one Neo perceived when he was growing up. The architecture styles had changed little; what had changed was the modernization: it retained the old classical feeling with the tech-savvyness, and it was environmentally friendly, the buildings were. A result of Neo's reforms and unification. The economy was strong, civil liberties in Southeast Asia were amongst the highest in the world, and while Neo hadn't intended on making the United Sovereign Nations a global power, his (some would say inevitably) nation gained a lot of political influence. Not to mention that Neo gained a handful of respect and admiration as a leader, at home and in other countries, if not a lot of the spotlight cast on him.

"Neo suspects an alliance, and as his hypothesis is correct..." Lin paused for roughly five seconds, his eyes rolling up and tilting his head up for that time. When he remembered, he looked back and was his usual warm but straightforward self. "He usually requests for a full blown one - political, military and economical. What is President Sarzo's policies on bilateral pacts?"

"With any alliance, whether it's bilateral or multilateral, President Sarzo is very careful about whom he wants Sarzonia to align with. Our country has been known to send diplomats home on short notice. We get a lot of frequent flyer miles that way," Lorber said with a slight chuckle.

Turning serious, Lorber spoke again. "President Sarzo normally insists on being careful as it relates to full on alliances. The countries Sarzonia aligns with closely usually have to fit a certain profile. The fact that some countries Sarzonia has heretofore considered allies haven't seemed to fit the profile quite as well as we'd like doesn't sit well with him." Lorber felt he didn't need to express who was on his mind as he said those words, but it was clear to anyone who would be listening.

We're on the verge of severing our ties with Pacitalia and Hamptonshire, Lorber thought. And the fact they're Woodstock Pact nations makes it all the more grave. And the new charter prevents Sarzonia from simply ejecting member states of the Pact at will, so even if Pacitalia and Hamptonshire broke off ties, Sarzonia couldn't compel them to leave the Pact. Even though that would mean diplomats from their country would still be in Woodstock. But those weren't fodder for Lorber's discussions with Lin.

"That said, we believe South East Asia fits the profile about as well as any country that has made recent overtures toward establishing relations with us," Lorber said. "I'd like to discuss the particulars when we actually get to the conference site so I can have some time to unpack, and take a rest after the long flight, but I think we'd be amenable to discussing the full-on alliance Prime Minister Neo would like."

[OOC: Sarz, what exactly is Lorber sad about Lin did not notice?]

IC:

Lin's oval, chubby head nodded. "So be it. We shall discuss this tommorow, and Neo will most likely be at the conference hammering out the details." He turned his head to his right to look outside. It would be nearly half an hour before they reached Triumvirate Square. For some reason, he thought about the water drink he poured for Lorber and whether he has finished his water or not (he didn't pay a drop of attention to the glass after he filled it up), but then again, it didn't really matter, so he brushed asking that question to Lorber out of his mind.

What was Triumvirate Square? Well, it was a symbol of architecture and politics. Executive. Legislative. Judicial. The Emerald Executive Recluse, hence it's name, was the residence of the executive branch. Emerald in color, particularly to the public for it's shining, seemingly spotless windows, it covered slightly more territory than it's predecessor, the Istana, by at least four more acres. Tudorian style crossbred with modern Western architecture, with one of the balconies taken from the United States White House, it was modern fashionable, hospitable and bright - an indirect political good image impression. Other than the fact that it had a few gates surrounding the structure, it seemed to the uninformed like a poorly defended, enlarged bungalow....any insider would know that it would also be a tough bastion for anyone to get through, given the fact that the architects decided to make the obvious is the most difficult thing to see.

The Parliament was a crossbreed of the original Westminster one and the United States Congress, it also gave an aura and a good impression. Only one of eternal grandeur and an era: the glorious, nostalagic good old days of the past. It would also appear to be relatively undefended like the EER, to the untrained eye...a foolish terrorist and the cohorts would find themselves easily overwhelmed and subjugated by the security forces.

The Grand Court, the highest house of law in the entire United Sovereign Nations of Southeast Asia, was a very Twenty-First Century structure. It differed greatly from the one used forth from June 20, 2005. It gave an outlook of technocracy, and the hip avidness amongst the younger generation, the most of which highly tech savvy. Though shorter than the second court used during the Republic of Singapore's time before unification, at least half the structure had half of the courts beneath the surface and occupied more land.

Many people had criticized Neo and his supporters of the Triumvirate Square on various issues such as cost and transportation issues, but he managed to gain sufficient support to get it done. The Triumvirate Square controversy would be one of his political near death experiences, and perhaps as a sign of impression, Fate would actually have this to be one of the few projects to be funded just right and earlier on schedule.

The three structures faced each other in a triangle formation, and in the center was a loop for cars to drive around, and in the very middle of the loop had a rather large marble block commemorating all those workers that toiled their efforts in building Triumvirate Square, and all those that assisted in funding the construction. One may mistake the large marble block to be a war memorial zone had he or she not been paying attention to the details. Symbolizing the Union of Southeast Asian Nations, power, honor, tolerance, democracy, a glorious past, a peaceful present and a bright future, truly it was a magnificient sight and a beacon of power.

Half an hour had past since Lin wondered about Lorber's water glass, and at last they were at the main doors to the EER. The convoy stopped. The drivers of the respective vehicles exited, and opened the door for the passengers. Lorber was greeted by the limousine's driver, whom repeated the exact same words as the Honor Guard at the airport, albeit the words 'Singapore, capitol of the Union of Southeast Asian Nations', were replaced by "Emerald Executive Recluse" and that this individual was of Philippine descent.

Lorber exited first, followed by Lin, who had now absolutely forgotten about the bottle and the glass, not noticing them as he exited. A van carrying Lorber's and his aides' luggage rolled toward the last vehicle in the convoy, an Elusion-class Vehicle (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=10168550&postcount=2), where it stopped. The people driving it exited and an EER staff member rolled a hotel like cart to load the baggage onto.

Then the main doors, which were now still closed, swung open automatically without any human force. They revealed a tanned Chinese man, arms at his sides, with a five-feet-eleven-inch frame, built somewhat above average. He wore a jet-black suit with a silver tie (http://www.johnstuxedos.com/Photos/Suits/Black%20Suit%203-Button.jpg), possessed cropped black hair that didn't need to be hairdressed because it didn't matter - his short hair wouldn't be affected by it much, nor would gel and he looked attractive enough to charm into people's hearts anyway. Well, not as well looking on the television camera and in photographs, but nevertheless, still attractive.

"Greetings Senior Vice President and External Affairs Officer Mark Lorber, I am Prime Minister Yao Yang Nelson Neo, as you already know, the leader of this nation. I am most pleased that you are here representing the Incorporated States' voice here in the capitol of the Union of Southeast Asian Nations, and that a good chapter in history is in the making."

"Mr. Neo," Lin interrupted, "sorry to interrupt your talk with Lorber, but your hypothesis is correct: Lorber is here to seal a pact."

"That's fine. Thanks for confirming my hypothesis, my old friend." the Prime Minister smiled and waved his right hand (the one he wrote with) quickly at his long time friend, whom responded with a smile of his own. After Lin ceased to smile and Neo put down his hand, the Prime Minister walked closer to Lorber and offered his right hand to Lorber, once again smiling. "It is most a pleasure to meet you."

[OOC: He's upset about the rapid decline in relations between Sarzonia and the Paci-Hamptonian bloc, but he doesn't know the full extent of what seems to be ready to go down there and about the fact his protege was sent on a leave of absence because of his remark that those two countries are guilty of economic terrorism.]

Lorber smiled slightly as he shook Neo's hand.

"I've heard quite a lot about you," Lorber said. "Don't worry, all of it's good," he said with an added grin. "It's nice to meet you."

Lorber took a quick look around him as if he were sizing up the sights in front of him. It also gave him a chance to try to shake off the sombre thoughts about what was happening back home.

"This architecture is most impressive," Lorber said in what passed as small talk for him. "Triumverate Square, I believe this is called? Very nice." Lorber stifled a yawn, then looked apologetically at Neo.

"My apologies, Mr. Prime Minister. "Long flight from Woodstock and I haven't been getting much sleep as of late."

"I appreciate the compliment on the architecture here - I had a long talk with various architects and am glad that all those tax money was well spent, the buildings were accurately budgeted and completed earlier on time." Neo smiled, "No worries about jet lag, Mr. Lorber - happens quite often when you're from a country that is about a dozen hours behind mine."

Then he heard a "clickitty-clack" noise along with creaking noises and muffled rolling. He turned around in time to see the Sarzonian representatives and associates' luggage cart rolling into the main entrance.

"Would you be delighted if I led you to your room?" he continued.

"You bet," Lorber said. Maybe then I'll get some sleep.

"When do you want us to sit down and discuss terms for an alliance between our nations," he asked. "And if there are other events you'd like to have, perhaps we can hammer out details so I can know ahead of time.

"Sarzonians don't like surprises," he said with a slight smile that he hoped would remove any negative connotations the comment might otherwise bring.

"Would you like it tommorow lunchtime, Mr. Lorber?" asked Neo as the Prime Minister lead him up two flights of stairs toward a guest room. The walls were made with marble, some of them emerald colored, others a sparkling white and others a mixture of yellow, maroon and brown...mostly yellow. Also, proverbs had been stenciled into the walls, in all languages spoken in Southeast Asia, from the most common of them all to the least common of them all.

The staff pushing the cart went into the lift, and had placed Lorber's luggages onto a table meant for that, and then proceeded to the other Sarzonians' rooms to repeat the process. But they had closed the door, so it appeared that it hadn't been opened...until Neo and Lorber arrived.

"After you," the Prime Minister smiled, and pointed both arms in the direction of the door.

"After lunch tomorrow sounds great," Lorber smiled.

I could really use the rest, he thought. All of a sudden, he knew he would get rest here seemingly a world away from the trials and tribulations of a nation in the throes of its worst economic crisis and an External Affairs department that was in shambles with Haffner still on a leave of absence.

Seeing Neo's motion, Lorber walked ahead into the room and nodded his head in approval at the decor of the room and the furnishings. He especially smiled at the cleanliness and order in the room. This was going to be a nice respite from being home. He turned to Neo and smiled.

"Well done, Mr. Neo," he said. "You are to be commended for such a welcoming room."

"Tommorow it is then." Neo smiled. He closed the door to allow Lorber some time to unpack his bag here and there, and for him to get ready for a good night's rest.

OOC: Should we fluid time to the morning, or what not?

OOC: Should we fluid time to the morning, or what not?OOC: Yep.

Urgh. I hate waking up....must have sleep. was the groggy thought of Neo as the morning sunshine cast over his head. He tried to go to sleep and rolled over. Then the mechanism occured. A hot towel container opened up, and a simplistic mechanicsm deposited the hot towel onto his head.

Neo cursed inside his head. Flailing around, he wanted to give the imbecile whom installed that mechanism a good thrashing...then he smiled. He remembered that in case he got late, during the project. Silly me. he thought.

He got up, the mechanism moved back into the container and he started to fold the bed-sheets. Odd habit considering that he had servicemen around the place when you didn't look the reason why - he didn't want to spoil himself when he returned to civilian life. The bed was somewhat futuristic; it had elements used by NASA satellite quarters and luxurious Western design, a suiting resting spot meant to be healthy for the body, advanced and durable.

Then he took a shower, and within ten minutes, he was done. The Prime Minister’s quarters also had a bathtub in the washroom, but he himself rarely used it. He did it (showering) for fiscal issues and environmental concerns. He emerged from the shower-room, dressed in another suit, different tie this time—a stylish purple, and put on his trademark political prop: a pair of durable, powered sports sunglasses. A sliding door in the bathroom connected the bureau with the cleaning quarters, for convenience’s sake.

He put on his Rolex watch, and checked the time: 8:00 a.m., GMT + 8.00. Then he marched his way toward the dining room, which was on the second floor. An average height frame of a second generation immigrant (of Korean descent; lots of immigrants came from North Korea during its collapse, but that is another story for another day and another time), in her mid-twenties, opened the great oak doors and greeted the Prime Minister with a bow.

“Greetings Mr. Prime Minister,” she smiled after bowing, and Neo did likewise. “What would you like for breakfast? Lin has been waiting for you before he could start.” Neo turned his head to see his old friend and fellow cabinet member, whom waved at the sight of him. Neo waved back then turned to the waitress. “Preferably an Anglo-American one, after all, the Sarzonians are our guests and as a host, we must treat them well. The usual cup of English Breakfast tea with milk and a cube of sugar, a peanut-and-strawberry-jam sandwich followed by a few croissants.”

“Thank you sir, I have gotten Minister Lin’s order already—he has been waiting, and asked me not to start until you arrived.” She walked off to inform the chefs.

Neo took a seat at the table, a small, four-seated—one for himself, one for Lin and one for the Sarzonian delegation, Mark Lorber. Lin looked at his watch, anticipating at any second the Sarzonian delegation would be here any moment now….

For the first time in a long while, Lorber got a full eight hours of rest. When he finally stumbled out of bed, he realised how different that made him feel compared to the usual fitful four to five hours. He glanced at the clock in his room. Seven thirty stared back at him as if it were admonishing him to get ready for his task ahead of him.

He then showered, shaved, and got dressed in the span of twenty five minutes, then walked briskly toward the dining room. Eschewing the elevator, he chose to take the stairs since his uncle insisted on doing so no matter how old he'd gotten.

Before long, he reached the oak doors and saw a woman standing there. She bowed briefly, then said "good morning Mr. Senior Vice President. Lorber followed suit, taking great care to close his eyes and open them again after he raised his head to its full height.

"What would you like for breakfast?"

"Would you happen to have coffee and creme with one lump of sugar?"

After a brief moment to settle the breakfast menu to Lorber's liking, she opened the door and raised her arm with her hand outstretched toward Neo and Lin. Lorber nodded his head and said "thank you," then walked slowly toward the table with his focus becoming on the task at hand.

"Good morning, Mr. Senior Vice President Lorber." smiled the Prime Minister, who stood up from his seat and outstretched his right hand to give the Sarzonian delegation a handshake.

"Good morning sir," chimed in Lin after standing up as well, "I take it that you had a good night's rest?"

A different waiter from the Korean-descended waitress entered the room. It was a man from a northern Vietnamese area. "Good morning sirs, your breakfast is ready." he politely greeted, his hand holding a silver platter containing the breakfast requested by the three high ranking official.

"Enjoy your meal."

"Thank you." responded both the Foreign Minister and the Prime Minister in fluent Mon-Khmer.

"With pleasure, sir." smiled the North Vietnamese waiter in his own native language, then he turned around and marched off.

"Let's get down to business, shall we?" asked Neo.

Lorber was half-tempted to ask to wait until breakfast were served and everyone's appetites were satisfied before any serious negotiations began. However, he figured that wouldn't sit well with Neo or Lin. And he wanted to make sure he made a good impression on these gentlemen. Even so, he hated the idea of discussing business on an empty stomach. Oh well, he thought.

"That would be a very good idea, yes," Lorber said. "What would you like to discuss first?"

Lorber had an idea of where he wanted the negotiations to go and he had an idea of what sort of agreement would be ratified by the House of Delegates in advance of Sarzo's signature. He wanted to make sure that he didn't promise more than he could deliver. In his mind, that would lose face, and what little he knew of Southeast Asian culture, that would be a fate worse than death. Especially at the hands of the Doomies.

He smiled and looked at Neo and Lin, as if waiting for them to take the lead.

Neo and Lin had fortunately anticipated this: cultural differences. Both parties wanted an alliance. There was something in Lorber's face that indicated this, and Neo decided to address this first before going onto the details of alliance.

"Mr. Lorber," spoke Neo politely and patiently, "Southeast Asia's cultural history is one of great variety, thanks to the vast ethnicities, colonial era influences from powerful empires, to name a few. But what did unite the region was the value of tolerance. I am of Chinese descent myself, part Hainanese (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hainan_Chinese), and part Hokkien (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoklo_%28ethnic_group%29). As in China, Southeast Asians of Chinese descent do not find it rude to talk at the table while eating, for example."

"However, as both Lin and myself were educated in schools with Western methods of teaching, we also know Western culture good enough. I take it that you hate carrying out tasks without a satiated appetite?"

"We can be quite adjustable and flexible," Lin politely entered the conversation, "we can eat while discussing the pact, we can discuss the details of an alliance right now and eat breakfast later, or eat breakfast now and hammer out the details later. Your choice, after all, you are our friends and guests here."

They gave a friendly outlook, and awaited a response from Lorber.

Lorber smiled. Thank God he thought as Neo made the offer to wait until after breakfast.

"You would be correct," Lorber said. "My people very much prefer keeping business away from the meal table and insist on not 'talking shop' when they're not at their workplace.

"Some of the customs are a bit different from the former United States, but Sarzonians like to keep everything in its place. That and I'm very hungry," he added apologetically.

Lorber was eager to get an agreement hammered out that the House could ratify without much difficulty, but operating on a full stomach was more his style.

"Enjoy your meal, Mr. Lorber." smiled the Prime Minister as he began to take out a butter knife to spread peanut butter over one of the bread slices.

"Likewise." agreed the Foreign Minister as he sipped his Earl Grey breakfast tea with milk.

[OOC: Sarzonia, should we fluid time once more to after breakfast?]

"Enjoy your meal, Mr. Lorber." smiled the Prime Minister as he began to take out a butter knife to spread peanut butter over one of the bread slices.

"Likewise." agreed the Foreign Minister as he sipped his Earl Grey breakfast tea with milk.

[OOC: Sarzonia, should we fluid time once more to after breakfast?]
[OOC: Yep. Good idea.]

[OOC: Yep. Good idea.]
*bump*

Neo took one last sip of tea before placing it onto the waiter's tray. It was a habit of sorts - Neo usually didn't get to finishing his second or third cup of tea before breakfast then heading off to work. Only that this day was going to be much more important for Neo and Lin. This day was to be the sealing of a new long term alliance not only for his nation, but the beginnings of a personal friendship with another high-ranking government official.

Given the fact that Neo had been educated in a Western teaching structure, and that the United States had fallen (OOC: It's a different, slower way rather than your intepretation of history, and that's for another story), it was somewhat...strange. Neo deposited the cup onto the waiter's silver tray, then he thanked him in Mon Khmer and walked off. Lin's breakfast was being taken off by the female waittress that had greeted the Prime Minister and the Sarzonian delegation earlier. And so was Lorber's feast.

As they left, a third person exited the kitchen, holding a new sheet. It was a chef, and of Indonesian descent, he asked the gentlemen: "Good morning your Excellencies, How was your meal?"

"Quite delicious, thank you," Lorber said, taking care to close his eyes as he bowed his head. He turned to look at Lin and Neo as their meals were taken from them, waiting patiently for his cue to go to the room where the negotiations would begin.

On a full stomach, he felt much more equipped to hammer out the details of an alliance.

[OOC: My apologies to Sarzonia for not getting a post up as of recent. RL work and other NS role-plays has caused me to forget about this, until it suddenly it snapped into my head moments ago. Should be able to get a post up sooner or later within two days....]

"Indeed." agreed Neo with Lorber as he arose from his chair formally and placed it back into the underside of the desk. "Marvelous work as usual. Keep it up."

Lin got out of his seat in the same polite manner, and as did the Sarzonian delegate. The Indonesian chef had advanced toward the table holding a table cloth, and as the Southeast Asian Foreign Minister and Sarzonian Senior Vice President exited the room, the chef said one word in Javan— “Godspeed.”

It wasn’t necessary, but of course, it was a difficult occupation, being the leader of a nation, and Neo appreciated the compliment. The cropped-haired politician smiled, saluted then followed the Foreign Minister, who led the high-ranking foreign delegate toward the Staff Meeting Room.

Two EER (Emerald Executive Recluse) Guards were awaiting them. Both were mixed and both were of Indochinese descent, it was hard to tell which they were more of (Southeast Asia’s racial ethnicities, especially those individuals of mixed race, had only increased thanks to the founding of the Union itself). Both wearing a similar formal dress—dark suit, dark leather shoes—but if were analytical or nit-picky enough, the black ties had a highly thin line of moderately toned emerald in them. How appropriate, as they often accompanied the Prime Minister and his cabinet members around (the GOP agency was well funded, but for lesser government officials). Now back to the story. All officials were addressed appropriately in English by their official titles, and let in.

The Staff Meeting Room was somewhat similar to that of the White House’s, only that it resembled that somewhat more of an Anglo theme. For example, the doorway to the Staff Meeting Room was more of a modern office setting, and minimalist in its appearance. The door was a dark and shiny oak, the surface was the type you’d find from an early 21st Century office. If one were to look down, the floor was covered in a very nice matting of light green. On the walls, were oil paintings of great leaders of Southeast Asia of the past. Lee Kuan Yew, the first Prime Minister and the founder of Singapore as a sovereign (city) state, while Neo personally disagreed with the way that he did it (his authoritarian-resembling actions during his reign), he nevertheless respected the man himself—had it not been for him, Neo would not have been inspired to do something for his nation.

And there was another oil portrait—a tale of one thousand years of age. An Emperor from a Southeast Asian regional empire that was long past. An empire that was one of almost genuine benevolence, and seemed to use realpolitik as a positive force. An Emperor that spoke of unity, tolerance and peace. It was an empire that would have been roughly located in western maritime Southeast Asia (in what would be once known as the
Republic of Indonesia)….but those details did not matter now.

While that Emperor was indeed key to Neo’s journey in life and benefit for the overall community in the entire Southeast Asian region, that was for another tale for another time. The table was a long one, somewhat the kind you’d see in a big corporate executive office and with a touch of minimalism. How appropriate, as Neo was one of those kids that grew up along the Internet, a 21st Century generation boy you could say. [OOC: the type of society I portray is one that is meant to be what I envision how it would look like in the early parts of this century (read – late 2010 to early 2030).]

On the very distant part of the table were two leather office folders. The folders of what the Parliamentarians had proposed for what had been dubbed in a secret Parliamentarian meeting, the “Sarz-Southeast Asian Pact.” Clearly it had been arranged in advance, and there was to be a video recording of the discussions that would be saved and then filed away confidentiality for at least one decade to half a decade.

Neo pulled out a leather executive and gestured Lorber to sit in, and Lin quietly made himself comfortable on his own seat, which was opposite of the Sarzonian delegate. No protection agents were allowed in, and should there have been any emergency, there were a few secret entrances to make a quick getaway. The Prime Minister of the United Sovereign Nations had then arranged himself to a seat as history was being made—the video recorder, peaking out in a location, was rolling.

The folders were to the left of Neo, and he utilized that fact by pushing the document containers to the middle of the table so everyone could see it in the center. And then were spoken words that would remain famous for quite some time: “The ball is in your court, Mister Senior Vice President, what part of the alliance we should start with?”

*bump*

OOC: Sarz, do you have any plans to finish this? Because I do wish to...

Lorber gave the issue great thought. He didn't want to appear too greedy; yet, he also wanted to make sure that he and Neo were able to broker a deal that was palatable to both sides. That's why Sarzo and company went through the expense of sending the nation's top diplomat to Southeast Asia.

"I think that given the current instability vis a vis the ViZion situation, we need to focus on the military aspect first," Lorber said after taking a few minutes to contemplate Neo's question. "We should make our next priority the economic aspects, especially since my nation is still trying to pick up the pieces from the Panic."

Lorber resisted the urge to immediately pick up a folder and scan it to examine whether the document proposed would pass muster in the House of Delegates. He smiled to himself, realising that the interest in Sarzonia to cement the deal was high enough that only a deal that seriously disadvantaged Sarzonia would likely fail in the House.

"Of course, if you have another idea Mr. Prime Minister, I'm willing to listen," Lorber said. He didn't think his proposal would be a major problem, but it was worth at least mentioning.

"So be it. Let's discuss the military issue of the alliance's draft." smiled Neo, as he picked up the folder containing the documents and opened it. He then used his right hand to extract the military parts of the so-called 'Sarz-Southeast Asian Pact' as dubbed by the Members of Parliament (of both the Upper House and the Lower House), and then passed it to the Sarzonian delegation.

Sarz-Southeast Asian Pact: A Treaty of Interdependence and Friendship and Assistance to One Another

The Southeast Asian Federal Parliamentarian Government, and the Incorporated Sarzonian Government have hereby reached to this agreement, desirous of strengthening the cause of friendship between the Incorporated States of Sarzonia and the United Sovereign Nations of Southeast Asia, also known as the Union of Southeast Asian Nations, in the capital of Singapore in Southeast Asia at a conference held on the Seventh (7) Day of the Fifth Month (May) of the Year 2036. The details are as follows:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bicameral Military Aspects of the Sarz-Southeast Asian Pact

Article I
Both contracting parties to this treaty, the Incorporated States of Sarzonia and the Union of Southeast Asian Nations obligate themselves to desist utterly from any act of violence, any aggressive action, any hostile economic action and any attack on each other, either individually or jointly with other powers.

Article II
Should either party be subjected to foreign aggression by a third party, the other party shall respond in turn to the aid of the party that has been subjected to foreign aggression unless the party subjected to aggression asks not for aid.

Article III
In the interests of furthering relations and to allow better access to defending the treaty parties against foreign aggressors, the two parties are allowed to have military bases in one another's lands to provide quicker reaction times in dealing with foreign aggression.

Article IV
The intelligence agencies of the two parties, the Southeast Asian Intelligence Directorate and the Sarzonian Federal Bureau of Investigation shall maintain continual contact with one another for the purpose of consultation in order to exchange information on problems affecting the common interest of Protection of the Security of the State.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Neo awaited the Sarzonian delegation's response, hoping that the Parliamentarians had made a wise proposal and that the United Sovereign Nations of Southeast Asia would quickly become as highly revered in Sarzonian eyes as a good friend as the Democratic Imperium of Praetonia and the United Kingdom of Isselmere-Nieland.

Lorber looked over the document carefully, finding no fault with the treaty as it stood except for minor wording issues that would irk the copyeditor in Sarzo. None of the issues would adversely affect the treaty's reception in the Gray House, nor its chances of passing muster in the House of Delegates, but were enough to bring out a red pen for corrections.

"We are very pleased with this aspect of the proposal," Lorber said. "If I may fashion a suggestion," he offered, waiting for a moment, "under Article II, I would suggest revising the wording to 'unless the aggrieved party declines an offer of aid' instead of 'unless the party subjected to aggression asks not for aid.'

"Under normal circumstances, my nation's Parliament would be reluctant to accept a foreign power having military bases on Sarzonian territory," Lorber said. "However, in the event of an exchange of military bases, I'm sure they'll be willing to look the other way." Having bases in the strategic location occupied by South East Asia would be a boon for the Sarzonian military. Convincing the House of Delegates of that fact would not be hard. Besides, Delgado was in the Senate.

It'd be the MCC's wet dream, Lorber realised.

"I believe Article IV should read "the states" rather than "the state," Lorber added. "Other than that, I believe this should sail through our Parliament fairly easily. One thing I believe we may need to discuss though is in the event we need direct military cooperation. My nation's military laws explicitly prohibit Sarzonian military assets serving under the command of foreign military leadership. That does not mean there aren't ways to cooperate, but our government does not look kindly upon being expected to send our men and women to another country to serve as someone else's cannon fodder."

Not that Neo or any of his people would do that, Lorber thought. Hell, he could see the look of 'what the fuck' on Haffner's face if his deputy were next to him. However, it was a bone of contention for Sarzonia's military brass. The fact that a Praetonian or Isselmerian-Nielander would be given an exception was likely to be taken up sometime in the future should Sarzonia and Southeast Asia become closer allies, but for right now, Lorber knew what the four stars and five stars would be saying.

"Now, did you have a proposal in mind for economic cooperation between our nations?" Lorber sat back with a slight smile he hoped would convey his openness for Neo's next proposal.

"Indeed," agreed Neo, refering to the Second Article of the Military aspects of the pact, "that would be a better term of description. As would be the same with the Fourth Article."

Lin decided to toss in his perspective. "I believe that I should address the concerns of the Incorporated Sarzonian Government on the meaning of Article III. It means nothing more so than an exchange of military bases, that's all. And while I have not served in my nation's armed forces, I do know that the military command would be in full agreement with yours: nobody likes to be used, and certain nations would be extremely vengeful and brutal if they found out another nation had used them for their own agendas." Lin highlighted the two words, "certain nations", speaking on the behalf of his own country, to emphasize his nation's stance. He did not mention any names, but anybody with a good general knowledge in the world's history and a fair deal of common sense would have a pretty good candidate that would come to mind and a correct conclusion to come to of what he meant - Automagfreek and Fascist White States and more recently, The Kraven Corporation anyone?

Neo nodded in agreement with his colleague in the cabinet, then turned back to face Lorber while one of his hands pulled out another page of the proposal from the folder. It was the second part of the proposal and the second page, and it read:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------Bicameral Economic Aspects of the Sarz-Southeast Asian Pact

Article I
Trade has existed almost as long as humankind itself has on this planet. In the interests of economic prosperity for the two contracting parties, the Incorporated States of Sarzonia and the Union of Southeast Asian Nations, both parties hereby declare full and open trade ties with one another.

Article II
In times of war or internal strife going on about within either one of the two States, both parties are to provide the party involved in a State of War or Internal Strife with economic aid, unless the aggrieved party declines for economic aid.

Article III
In the interests of economic prosperity and cultural diversity, the United Sovereign Nations of Southeast Asia allows any citizen of the Incorporated States of Sarzonia even more ability to travel freely in the lands of the United Sovereign Nations; henceforth as such, a citizen of the Incorporated States of Sarzonia does not require a visa or special documents to enter the United Sovereign Nations, and it is encouraged that the other party reciprocate this policy as well. Cultural exchange programs between the two States can be beneficial both socially and economically for the two contracting parties.

Article IV
Sarzonian corporations are, like all foreign corporations investing in the lands of the United Sovereign Nations, liable to tariffs. However, in the interests of economic benefit, all Sarzonian corporations have less taxing tariffs imposed upon them.

Article V
Should the Incorporated States of Sarzonia and the United Sovereign Nations of Southeast Asia run into a trade dispute as a result of an economic crisis, the two nations are advised to sort it through as such diplomatically. However, factors may cause as such to become inevitable and even still, the two contracting parties are to reach an agreement diplomatically. A neutral party or a number of neutral parties agreed on by the two nations to be used as a mediator or mediators and are to ensure impartiality. Trade disputes may be judged by a body of neutral experts from all nations.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Both Lin and Neo awaited Lorber's response, hoping that the agreements discussed by both the cabinet and Parliament were acceptable to the Sarzonians and like with the first agreement, hoped that this was yet another obstacle broken down in their quest to have Sarzonian-Southeast Asian relations as close as the Incorporated States' ties with the United Kingdom of Isselmere-Nieland and the Praetonian Commonwealth.