NationStates Jolt Archive

The sun rose slowly above the Strait of Lucy (Hormuz), and its rays produced the dirty rainbow of glistening oil slicks. Gigantic oil rigs, painted in the trademark Combine Green, towered above the oily depths with something that could almost be described as majesty. Tankers of all sorts, from aging Soviet vessels to sleek new Armandian models, flitted to and fro, sucking the black lifeblood of commerce into their bowels and heading off to feed the vital fluid into the ever hungry global market. Identically clothed Asiatic men and women worked calmly and efficiently aboard the rigs themselves, pulling levers, pressing buttons, measuring data, and extracting oil with an almost inhuman precision. Alongside them, tankers from the United Arab Emirates and United Elias passed by nervously, tense with the suspicions that had been forged from centuries of mutual enmity. Although they had conducted business alongside each other for years now without incident, the Elians and the Armandians distrusted each other intensely, and this was evidenced by the unofficial, but quite real, invisible line between Armandian and Arab shipping in the Strait. (And by the quite impressive naval base at Dreshfield/Qeshm island)

The Energy Minister looked upon all of this with her usual glacial demeanor. Her long, black hair flew gently in the sea breeze, oddly paralleling the gentle flow of the Black Flag planted alongside her on the oil rig's deck. Her emerald eyes coldly scanned the tankers, rigs, and workers. She amused her brain by calculating the costs and profits each tanker would have today, but quickly grew bored by what was, for her, an easy exercise. An aide handed the beautiful Asian woman a series of papers, and the Minister rewarded him with a slight, but surprisingly genuine, smile.

The Energy Council had conferred several hours ago and had come to a unanimous decision (for was there any other kind in the world of the Combine?) in regards to the nation's oil policy. Her signature on the documents was simply a formality, and moments after her ink stained the paper with graceful flourish, the world was informed by Black Flag Global that all current oil contracts, which had been set to expire by August 1, 2006, were open to renegotiation, and any new investors were also welcome.

And so the sun continued to rise, and the black flag flapped in the wind...

tag

OOC: Don't the Hindustanis want some sweet and delicious Armandian Oil?

Jaffna

For centuries until 1989 this was Port Edward on every map, though never to many of the locals. Today, the old name remained probably only on relics and Roycelandian charts (assuming that these are not one and the musty old same).

Looking out over the Palk Strait, some of the least enthused Sovietists took solace in the sight of prosperity in action: Commonwealth wildcat rigs -collective industries run by the workers, out of their own pockets, knowing they had Phalansteric shelter and subsistence crops to fall back on- drilling for oil and gas, hoping to strike it lucky after commissioning university geology department studies of the promising region. Still, it was with a whiff of sickly fumes in their nostrils that they choked-down recognition of the fact that these socialists worked much faster than had their own private schemes under Llewellyn's parliament.

Most of the long-oppressed Tamils, Moors, and even the majority of the Sinhalese -those who had never privately called their home Edward- saw the rigs through eyes less confused by lingering capitalist ambition and sparkling all over with socialist hope.

Still, the Commonwealth's oil exploration, helped in some places by the more experienced Unioners, wasn't likely to ever yield reserves enough to allow self-reliance, even for such an environmentally-conscious society as this had become, the home of communal-use electric cars. The ISC, with more than four hundred and twelve million citizens and an economy on war-footing, was an irrevocable net-importer of crude oil.

Tankers came in to Jaffna, as to Galle, Madras-Porthmadog, and Kolkata (Calcutta to those old maps) with its fourteen million residents, bearing oil from Neo-Anarchos at tens if not hundreds of percent below the rates paid by the enemy, France and Spain, and even the disagreeable neutrals and others.

Those eyes that looked for men with mixed feelings, their images jostled for mental space with the malicious ideas of the recovering capitalist. It would be in the nation's best interests (they still thought of nation before revolution) for oil prices to climb still higher: this country had an out, billions of barrels of Anarchan crude, while the nation's enemies threw themselves on the mercies of the global market, controlled almost entirely by a single self-interested nation. Some used the senates to suggest that a war against the Combine, even a simple blockade of North Hindustan and a campaign of commerce raiding on the sealanes, would drive prices through the roof and totally cripple the Holy League.

Others, wise enough to think on it, allowed this talk to go on. The Combine should realise what the Soviet left was struggling against when it entered negotiations with the Armandians, and realise that there was being made -in this age of war- for restrictions on the eastern enclave of the Combine. Restrictions that were being held-off by the left-wing majority that only desired 'fair' trade relations...

(Too drunk, if I don't stop now, I never will =) )

The Roycelandian fuel and mining giant IMPetroCo (Imperial Mining & Petroleum Company) is naturally very keen to become further involved in negotiations with the Combine regarding the availability of crude oil...

OOC: Not really on topic, but what does the combine think of China's recent sponsoring of Chingis in Depkazia?

-Indian Ocean-

The Energy Minister viewed one of the many wildcat rigs through her binoculars, and lowered them slowly, with a hint of disgust on her lips.

Such chaotic, primitive things...Nature cannot permit such disorder to last much longer. I am sure of it.

She smiled at the thought of ordering an airstrike upon it, blotting it out like the imperfection it was, but quickly tossed away the thought as reckless and unfitting of a member of the Combine.

She quickly shook off her idle daydreams, and returned to the Energy Council. It was composed of thousands of representatives, drawn from every single Cooperative Unit, and in a normal nation this would result in an endless cacophony of debate.

Not so in the Combine. There had been a short layout of the options by the Energy Minister, and all members instinctively knew which path to follow; how could they not know, having been raised in such a society?

The Roycelandians were the simpler issue, and were dealt with first. Their oil contracts from previous years would be renewed, and indeed, if the Jamaican Emperor saw it fit, they would be able to expand their purchases of Armandian oil several times over, as a reward for their good business track record. However, they would still have to pay the full market price.

Beth Gellert presented a wholly different can of worms. The two nations had been at a state of perpetual unease for so long that not even the oldest Armandian elder could recall a time of relative peace. Bedgellens were regarded by many as little more than anarcho-capitalists, and the Combine held a deep seated, although perhaps irrational, suspicion that the Igovians weren't true Communists. (Nothing irritated the hive like denizens of Armand more than the accusation of being mere socialists, although the presence of an extensive government largely indicated that this was a more accurate label.)

Still, with a looming Arab giant nearby and the undisputed fact that the Igovians held the position of de facto leader of the Progressive Bloc (a fact the Combine resented), there was little choice but to offer the Celtic warriors lucrative oil contracts. While the oil offered by the Armandians was not as low cost as that of the Neo Anarchans, it was significantly below that of fair market value. To make up for lost Armandian pride, however, the Bedgellens are sent one of the infamous Black Discs, which were DVDs containing an interactive walkthrough of Combine ideological principles. If the Bedgellens chose to watch the DVD rather than rip it in half on sight, they would find a lecture on how the Combine's vast network of local Cooperative Units managed to improve on the Bedgellen Phalansterie model by introducing a significant degree of national cooperation and coordination. This was a calculated insult of the most devious kind; on the surface, both parties would pretend that this was simply a free and healthy exchange of ideas, while underneath, each side would realize that the message of ideological superiority was quite clear.

If this move by itself did not make it clear enough that the Armandians were beginning to assert themselves on the Leftist political stage, the following proposals would.

The INU and Dra-Pol were both offered "Most Favored Nation" status when it came to oil exports; they were granted generous flows of oil at prices even below those offered by the Neo Anarchan communes. The Combine would suffer a slight economic loss by exporting the oil so cheaply, but it hoped that their oild would grease the wheels of diplomacy, and perhaps allow the Armandians to open and embassy in both nations. Additionally, diplomats from both nations were urged to come to the capital of Constance (or, if it was more convenient, the eastern exclave's capital of North Sienna), as well as diplomats from United Arab Emirates...

OOC: Not really on topic, but what does the combine think of China's recent sponsoring of Chingis in Depkazia?

The Combine views the rise of Chingis with mild approval...Anything weakening the Depkazi position in Afghanistan will allow the Armandians to expand their southern zone, even if it is just a slight expansion, and the Depkazi instability is sure to boost global oil prices, which is always a plus for an oil exporting nation. Murmurs of a Chinese invasion of Siberia are not greeted with quite the same approval; although the Combine has little love for the capitalist Russians, the spread of WW3 to a land on the Combine's borders would bring much unneeded instability.

OOC: By the way, do the Chinese want some oil? I've got plenty to go around...;)

No few Unioners are surprised at the Combine's friendly attitude, especially in light of Mumbai's continued refusal to allow military equipment into Armand's Indian enclave, much of it still claimed by the INU under the provisions of its independence from Walmington. Expecting increased tensions in light of the Union annexation of Rajasthan, another treaty-promised territory, Parliament is therefore quite pleased when it recieves an invitation to the Armandian capital. The prospect of importing oil cheaply from very close by is also extremely enticing, especially as the Union finds itself at war with one of the more powerful navies.

Like the Soviet Commonwealth, the Indian National Union does not use all that much oil, and is very careful not to waste what it has. Although Mumbai has built a fair few oil rigs in the Arabian Sea as of late, vulnerable lines of supply, and to a lesser extent environmental consciousness, led the Union to rely on nuclear power and alternative fuels early-on, and private automobiles are almost unheard-of. Through cooperation with Brazilian scientists, Unioners have also started research into alcohol-powered aircraft, with HAL currently testing a modified Bulldog trainer. Still, the Union won't be able to do without the stuff for a very long time.

Parliament dispatches a diplomatic mission to Constance, choosing the Western capital to reflect Mumbai's continued claim on much of the eastern enclave. The IAuxAF Twin Pioneer crosses a still-militarized Baluchi border, protected by a low berm and barbed wire, to enter the Combine, but Parliament fully intends to improve relations with its western and northern neighbor through the visit. Unioners are even prepared to recognize parts, if not all, of the Combine's northern enclave as independent from the Union, and some have talked about building a railroad through Balochistan and Panjab to connect the Combine's two parts. However, Mumbai is still very aware of the deep-seated bitterness that exists between the Unified Combine and the Soviet Commonwealth, and Mumbai is equally aware that its relationship with the Soviet Commonwealth far outweighw its relationship with the Combine. Should push come to shove, Unioners know who they'll back. But until such time as Mumbai is obliged to demonstrate its preference few see any reason why a more harmonious existance should not be pursued with the authorities in Constance.

If negotiations turn out favorably, and if the Commonwealthers aren't bothered, there is the possibility that Parliament will try to initiate regular trade with the Combine.

Chingiz Khagan had given himself a name of some significance, and he had after all delt the Holy League as big a blow as anyone so far, but he had a serious job on his hands if this momentum were to lead him through a career worthy of his namesake. Thousands of Depkazi soldiers were entrenched in northern Afghanistan, easily winning the loyalty of ethnic-Depkazi leaders but achieving little to impress the general population; hundreds of thousands of forces arrayed against the Russias, some in defensive disposition, others feeling exposed in mobile divisions placed ready to strike; and now Chingiz was ordering tens of thousands of forces to the southwest, into the low mountains of the Armandian frontier, looking down on the valuable and disputed Caspian.

The reorganising Turkic People's Army Air Force (no-longer the Aeronautical Battle Force of his father's eccentric creation) continued to fly aggressive sorties over the sea from Nedil-Dag, buzzing Armandian vessels that wandered even into the undemarcated middle of the sea, let alone distinctly Depkazi waters, while Depkazi patrol craft and survey vessels persisted in treating the southern half of the sea as their own. Tchokareff's naval building work continued as Depkazia sought superiority over the Caspian, having no oceanic concerns to distract it.

Tchokareff had wanted the Combine on-side in order to facilitate gas exports to oceanic ports... but his son's association with Beijing opened-up in one nation a market base of sufficient size to make the Armandians unimportant to Depkazia, and enable an intense reactivation of disputes over the Caspian. Needless to say, the portion of the basin's southern extent that Samarqand recognised as legitimately Armandian was slight, and Chingiz was keen to enlist Chinese support for his extensive claims over reserves that would ultimately be burned by Chinese consumers.

One thing that the Combine and the Turkic People's Republic have in common, at least, is a desire to see higher oil prices. Depkazia's own needs are limited by the immobility of its tightly controlled population and the gradual expansion of hydro-electrical power schemes in the mountainous east, and its national reserves of oil are only really economically significant while global conditions keep prices high. With this in mind, it is hard to imagine Samarqand easing-up on its habitual disruption of exploration and extraction schemes in the Caspian Sea.

While the boundless paranoia of the higher echelons of the Strathdonian govenrment is normally restricted to matters of a military nature it also rears its head on oaccasion within the energy sphere (particularly when the the type of energy involved is vital to the military).
On the face of it the Strathdonian policy of being freindly with everyone not part of the HL would make sourcing oil supplies an esy task for Strathdonia but deep down it was some what more demanding mission.

With the loss of access to the Nigerian feilds Strathdonia had been forced to import even more oil from the Elians, normally not a problem but with trouble rumbling in Mozambique that could change, North sea oil while never availble in huge amounts was now almost non existant thanks to the current conflict and while relations with the Anarchans were more or less freidnly they were a fair distance away.

With this inmind the prospect of another source was certainly a tempting one and with certain companies making vocal noises about how thier nice big and shiny tankers, bought new to help import Nigerian oil, were either sitting idle or being forced into long journeys.

As such the combien would receive contacts from the Strathdonian govenrment about the possibility of Strathdonia aquiring some oil, maybe in exchange for some high efficency and (comparatively) envirometally freindly airliners?

-Constance, Armand-

Hindustani diplomats will find themselves landing in what was perhaps one of the most oddly beautiful cities in the world. Constance was a fully modernized city, replete with towering sky scrapers, glistening solar panels, humming subway trains, and all of the ultra modern infrastructure that only a truly world class city could attain. The capital was considered the jewel of the Combine, and looking at the city one might take that phrase quite literally.

The reason?

The entire city was encrusted in green crystal. In a scene eerily reminiscient of the Emerald City of the Wizard of Oz, the Hindustanis bore witness to an entire city that sparkled in the sunlight with a green crystal glow. The green motif extended further than the architecture, however; indeed, the entire city was laced with all forms of plants and forestry, with every sidewalk lined with flowers and every home adorned by ivy.

Once the diplomats began walking the city's emerald streets, they noted two important details about Armandian culture. One was that everything was incredibly orderly, with the electric cars quietly maneuvering the streets in ideal synchronization and the walking multitudes turning what would have been a madly jostling crowd in the streets of New York into something resembling a military parade. The second important detail was that no one was alone. Not a single car bore less than two passengers, not a single walker by on the street strode by himself.

The diplomats would be taken to a fairly generic looking skyscraper; they were told that the Capitol itself was under reconstruction. Inside they were greeted by the thousands of representatives of that composed the Final Symphony (which served as an analog to the Bedgellen Final Senate, or the Quinntonian Congress), and then ushered into a smaller conference room to meet with those chosen to form Armand's Diplomatic Corps.

In traditional Armandian style, they released their greetings in unison, which seemed to unnerve even the most grizzled INU diplomats.

"Greetings, Hindustani brothers. We are grateful for your visit, and we hope you have enjoyed it so far. We have taken the liberty of providing you with a room inside one of our Cooperatives within the city. Although you may be used to traveling in luxury as diplomats, we unfortunately cannot provide you such conditions, as every unit of the Combine is treated equally. The living conditions of an everyday unit are however quite decent, so we hope this won't be a problem."

"Now, onto business...We have long been at odds over issues stemming from the Partition; you have refused to recognize our Northern posessions and we have granted Rajahastan diplomatic recognition. We believe it is time to end such meaningless squabbles and come together as Communist brothers. We will rescind recognition of of the Sultan's government-in-exile, without any conditions. If you choose to reciprocate, it will be greatly appreciated, however."

"There are also other matters to discuss. Firstly, we are willing to grant the INU 'Most Favored Nation' trading status, not only in terms of oil but also general trade. This means that all shipments to Hindustan will come at a much lower cost than to any other nation without such special status."

"We are also greatly excited about your attempts to pursue alternate fuels and cut emissions. The Combine produces a cheap, efficient electric car dubbed 'The Ant', which, although not exactly appealing to the gas guzzling capitalist crowd, is a highly useful little vehicle. Perhaps the INU would like to purchase a few models to try them out? Additionally, we are very interested in investing in Hindustan's ecological infrastructure. Our nation operates mainly off of a grid of solar, nuclear, and wind power, and is willing to send over some of its Energy Cooperatives to assist in the INU's efforts. We would also be very interested in working on that alcohol powered aircraft that the Hindustani media has made such a fuss about..."

"We must unfortunately also turn to matters of the military."

"Our mutual neighbor, Mr. Shariff, has teamed up with those Depkazi maniacs in order to rampage through Afghanistan, which has severely disturbed our sphere of influence there. Would you kindly inform Mr. Shareef that if one of his men found near our zone of control, we will have no choice but to pursue a policy of regime change?"

"Finally, we would wish to speak of arms trade. Both the navy and the army of our nation is strong, but our airforce is unfortunately outdated and unsuitable to today's modern battlefield. We would like to float, here and now, the proposal of creating a joint Progressive Bloc air superiority craft more potent and deadly than the Quinntonian F-22 or the Russian MiG-39."

-Caspian Sea-

Armand's position in the Caspian is highly vulnerable, as the majority of of the Combine's naval assets are dedicated to defending the lucrative oil markets of the Gulf. However, there is one highly advanced fleet dedicated to defending Armandian posessions in the Caspian, and what it lacks in numbers it attempts to make up for in technology. Not only that, but an admittedly aging, but still vast, array of aerial assets is on stand by, ready to defend the Combine's assets.

It was with such forces that the Combine, already irritated with Depkazi meddling in Afghanistan, decided to pursue a policy of direct provocation. Armandian air craft would violate Depkazi air space, ever so slightly, with the distance into Depkazi airspace increasing day-by-day. Combine naval vessels would do the same in the Caspian, although only civilian vessels would take part in the provocation.

-Afghanistan-

The garrisons of Combine forces are slowly pumped up with more men, as well as arms and ammunition. The Combine controls its southern zone very tightly, running it along the same lines it runs Armand, but it is this very willingness to eliminate the traditional Afghani way of life that makes local tribesmen on the peripheries of the zone very uneager to enlist in the Combine's cause. However, there will always be those willing to put money above loyalty, and thus Depkazi divisions in the North will find themselves under increasing attacks by groups of tribesmen armed with Armandian "Harvester" assault rifles and the like.

-Llilongwe, Strathdonia-

Strathdonian President Livingston is informed that the Combine will eagerly sell its oil to the Strathdonians, and the use of of Strathdonian tankers is a boon to an already overstrained Armandian merchant marine. Strathdonian weapons developers are invited to Constance to discuss the design of new air force assets for the Combine, including air superiority fighters, multirole fighters, strategic bombers, and helicopters.

Over the Caspian, Chingiz's forces maintained his standards. In a move probably meant to intimidate, but actually perhaps likely only to hasten the Combine's acqusition of its own modern fighters, the Depkazis sortied Su-27 (Flanker) armed with R-27R1 (AA-10 Alamo-A) and R-27T1 (AA-10B Alamo-B) medium-range and R-73E (AA-11 Archer) short-range missiles whenever the nation's increasingly creaky Soviet-era detection grid identified Armandian incursions into the airspace of the Turkic People's Republic.

Tall King, Back Net, and Bar Lock radar, associated with S-200 (SA-5 Gammon) batteries in Depkazia, were sometimes involved in tracing Combine aircraft, though it was becoming clear to a reorganising military that their defence organisation, well... needed organising.

The two squadrons of relatively impressive Sukhois themselves were beginning to age after more than a decade and a half of occasional use and prolonged storage, and they were deployed less and less frequently on the long-range Caspian patrols for which they were so suited, showing-up only when the Combine offered sufficient provocation to merit such a show of strength in return. Increasingly, MiG-25PD (Foxbat-E) and MiG-23 (Flogger) would be sent to stalk and generally harass Combine aircraft over undemarcated or Armandian waters, while the MiG-23s were joined by Su-17 (Fitter) in buzzing ships.

In several cases, Su-17s would test their guns within sight (and sound) of Combine vessels close to disputed waters, and even straff the surface with guns, rockets, and bombs as if engaged in training runs in the path of ships that looked likely to violate territory claimed by Samarqand.

(OOC: I know that there isn't much new, there, I just want to reinforce the new order's resolve in the issue. I'll be posting something about Afghanistan, later, but I think that I'll probably use the Regime Change thread for that, so as not to divert Armand's oil business too far from the issue.)

Beijing opens a diplomatic channel with the land of Armand, keen to find an exit strategy from the recent success in Depkazia now rapidly turning to custard in the light of Chingis's recent aggressive deployments in the Caspian. Beijing was forever thankful to him for dealing the Holy League a huge blow, but recent events would test the friendly relationships, especially if the situation degraded into war.

Wanting to maintain a friendly face, Emperor Zhang sends the pleasant and agreeable Hu Jin Tao to Armand (instead of his rather more threatening minister of defence counterpart General Chang) to the combine as representative.

The Chinese representative in Samarkand, Bauer, has also offered to host a summit in Beijing for both sides to air their grievances, dodging questions of whose claims over Afghanistan Beijing would recognise.

Constance

The Unioners feel somewhat out of place in ultra-modern Constance, landing after all in their 1950's vintage transport amongst not only functional but extensive and aesthetic airport infrastructure. As if to compensate for apparent Union backwardness, the Twin Pioneer's pilot makes sure to use the aircraft's STOL characteristics to their full, setting down in a distance sure to impress even the Armandians. But the Combine capital is indeed everything that the Union's cities ar enot, and the Parliamentarians are surprised by Constance's nigh-impeccable choreography. It stands in sharp contrast to noisy, colorful, and decidedly chaotic Mumbai.

Being, of course, more or less familiar with Combine practices through over half a century spent on their border, Mumbai's diplomats are not all too shaken by their hosts' greeting, assumed to have been practiced in advance. They are taken slightly aback by the Armandians' assertion that they are used to luxurious accomodations while on assignments, but their mode of transport should have indicated otherwise. But little time is spent brooding on etiquette, and the Unioners get to business.

"It is indeed an honor to visit your beautiful capital at long last, an impressive city by any standard. On the issue of the Partition, we must of course re-assert the fact that the entirety of North Hindustan is, rightly, the soveriegn territory of the Indian National Union. It is not easy to forget that, while Unioners struggled to fight Llewellyn's invasion, the Combine sponsored a revolt within our borders. But we do recognize that North Hindustan has done well enough under Combine authority as under any other, and to those ends we can inform you that Parliament has renounced the Union claim.

"We are also very much satisfied with the normalization of trade between the Union and the Combine, as this will doubtlessly lead to economic prosperity for both our nations. Presently, our electricity requirements can be met domestically, but the prospect of diversifying our energy sector is a very welcome one. The Combine example is a good one to follow, as far as ecologically-friendly electricity generation is concerned, and the Union would be delighted to host a commission of your experts.

"As far as President Shareef is concerned, I'm afraid that I cannot speak for him, or to him for that matter. Our relationship is a hostile one, and the North Pakistani president is one to harbor grudges. With the Elians at his back, do not expect him to attach much significance to threats from anywhere besides Baghdad or Samarkand, especially while the Combine and North Pakistan share no common border. But if you are inclined to punish Peshawar, the Union is not about to stop you. The situation in Afghanistan, though, we find highly unfavorable. The Depkazis and North Pakistanis do very much need to be removed from the region, and are nothing besides a force for repression, but in the Depkazi case the Turkic majority in northern Afghanistan might very well want to be under Samarkand's authority. It is, as you doubtless know, extremely difficult and quite possibly counter-productive to try and mount operations in Afghanistan when the foreign force does not command the loyalty of community leaders.

"We are presently quite pleased with the continued good service provided by the F(J).4 fighter-bomber, and it is not likely that Parliament will see reason to engage in a costly and protracted development program when it does not exactly need the end product."

The Combine's diplomats laughed when they saw the Hindustanis react with shock to the issue of luxury.

"Haha, we see that our assumption was incorrect. We assumed that your hosts in the Porthmadog, Washington D.C., and other famous capitals treated you nicely with the finest accomodations, but we see yet again the strength of the Hindustani spirit as it does not permit its diplomats to be coddled and bribed by foreign governments. Your nation is often snickered at in the most prestigious halls of diplomacy as little more than loudmouthed third rate power, but let it be known that the Combine has never uttered such words. Even when we supported revolts against the INU, it was not out of enmity towards you but simply the yearning of a people wishing to be reunited with their brethen. We are thankful for your recognition; may it be the end of hate and the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

"Most excellent. Our panel is packing as we speak, and once plans are finished we can begin converting plants to more environmentally friendly types. Speaking of the environmental issue...We have only recently stepped out of the shadows of international politics, so to speak, and thus hold less sway in the international community, and the Leftist bloc in particular. Thus, would it be too much to ask for Hindustan to float the proposal of an international environmental conference? We would be happy to host it, but we feel that it'd be better for the INU to propose it."

"We have no interest in seizing unruly Depkazi tribes that would be impossible to incorporate anyway. We do however have a clear interest in keeping the slivers of Communist Afghanistan we do control safe from the meddling of both Shareef and Tchokareff's bastard child. Shareef seems to be a diminished threat now that his Elian backers have seemingly gone into a long bout of introspection and Depkazia has blasted his forces apart, so we have turned our attentions towards the Bastard. We felt it would only be right that Hindustan be given fair warning for the instability that might ensue very soon, for the Combine and Depkazia stand at the brink of war. Our forces in the Caspian push further every day, and our Afghani Communists ready themselves for battle in Towraghondi, which clearly belongs in our sphere of influence. We do not wish to wage war, but it seems ever more likely..."

"While we are dissapointed, and feel that a single air superiority fighter for the Progressive Bloc would be a useful tool, we understand your nation's decision and respect it."

-China-

Armand is perfectly open to such a conference, but doubts the reaction will be similiar on the Depkazi side. The Chinese are thanked for their peacemaking efforts, and reminded that they must renew their oil contracts if they don't wish for them to expire. Mr. Hu Jin Tao is greeted warmly in the capital, and bombarded with several Armandian proposals and diplomatic messages.

"Firstly, our country makes no claims on Afghanistan. We are simply supporting the legitimate Communist government of Afghanistan, which was wrongfully diminished by the Taliban bandits and the Depkazi thieves. Secondly, our country would like to build an oil pipeline into China. While a route through Afghanistan would be more efficient, one cutting through India would also be feasible. Thirdly, we need to renew your oil contracts, and perhaps expand them if you so desire. We hope that this will only be a formality. Fourth, we would be very interested in helping you develop alternate sources of energy, as well as introduce mechanisms to make your factories less harmful to the environment. And finally, the Combine is interested in upgrading its air force, which is in bad need of modernity. Could you perhaps give us a glimpse into the catalogue of your top models?"

[OOC: Although Chinese women are very beautiful, I am referring to airplanes. ;) ]

-Strathdonia-

Strathdonian arms firms are again asked about the possibility of cooperation on the development of modern combat aircraft for the Combine.

IC:
Strathdonian officails would likely make positive noises about cooperative development although they might be short on substansive answers. Despite Strathdonia's huge push to invigorate it's Aerospace industry there is a still a long way to go, manufacturing parts for Roik helicopters, a few indiginous light aircraft and doing a fair bit of conversion and overhaul work on comerical aircraft is one thing, producing new comabt aircraft is another. Officially the only development project anywhere near the SADF's procurement radar is the future multirole aircraft, designed to repalce the Mirages and Jaguars in Strathdonian service, a project which is still timelined at being 10years distant, although Hindustani hesitancy over the program isn't helping things.

At the end of the day Strathdonia would offer what assitance it could and it would be up to others to decide how much that assistance was worth.

Strathdonian officials are sent the following note from the Combine's diplomatic agencies.

We believe that you misunderstand the nature of our offer. By cooperation we mean that we wish to utilize Strathdonian expertise to help us design an elite air force. We wish to hire Strathdonian corporations, not the government, and thus will not be sharing these designs with the government of Strathdonia. However, the Combine will fully fund these projects without requiring a Strathdonian contribution. In essence, we are offering you the opportunity you've always dreamed of: the ability to design your ideal air force without having any monetary strings attached.

[OOC: Basically, Strath, this an IC way of stating that I want your help in designing an air force for the Combine.]

OOC:
Sorry for the misunderstnading, but, and i know i am often very unclear about the exact relationships between the Strathdonian government and the companies based within the country, most defence related companies within Strathdonia have a largish (about 10-20%) of thier stock owned by the govenrment or a govenrment agency so the government tends to stick its nose into thier dealings on a regular basis. This should hopefully explain why any such project isntatly receives attention.

Or i could just be rambling...

Of course i will help i will just need to know mroe about what you are looking for.

Roycelandia, meanwhile, is happy to expand their oil purchasing agreements with the Combine, buying as much as they can. After all, anyone who doesn't like the Beth Geletians is likely to be well thought of in Port Royal.

Of course, should the Combine require surplus arms, they know who to call...

http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?p=11378172#post11378172

(The link for the Depkazi-Combine conference)

IC:

"We hope war can be avoided. The nations of central Asia have seen wars set them back decades, and thus we are inviting both yourself and Depkazia to a conference in Beijing to negotiate. At this time however, we feel that the decision should be left to the Afghanis and should be decided using democratic means, not by politicians in some chamber in Samarkland, Constance, or Beijing.

An oil pipeline into China would undoubtably be the best way to facilitate oil trade between our nations and as for the renewal of oil contracts, consider it done. Your renewable energy has piqued our interest. In terms of cost, how well would they compare to say, nuclear power?"

"The latest Chinese fighter to be made available for export is the J-12S, which in western terms has a slight edge over the Eurofighter. We currently have a batch of 50 in China which was destined for the Southern Confederacy, but this deal has hit political rocks."

"We hope war can be avoided, as well, but it seems doubtful that Depkazia feels likewise."

"We would like to purchase...one of those J12-S models, actually."

(OCC: Posting as LRR).

IC:

"If war with Depkazia cannot be avoided, we are of course confident in your victory and hope that it is a speedy one. Conflict has torn the heart out of Afghanistan, though, and we are equally hopeful that you will see fit to pursue a diplomatic solution to affairs in that country. A full-blown war might prompt Khagan to make use of his father's chemical and biological warfare programs, and such methods of fighting are not easy for any military to counter. This would be most disastrous for the Afghans. However, should war indeed break out, the Combine can expect our assistance in at least some quantity, although conduct of the war with France will necessarily limit it. Balochistani irregulars cross the border quite often and we do not forsee great difficulty operating in the Balochi south, at the very least, and provided we make it clear to the Pashtun that we have no territorial stake in Afghanistan, operations further north could probably be mounted with a minimum of trouble as well.

"One thing that does concern us, though, is your relationship with the Third Commonwealth. As repulsive as the Bedgellens might be, from your point of view, the Third Commonwealth has consistently shown itself to be a great friend of the Indian National Union, and relations with the Combine are conditional on, if not friendly, at least a civil rapport between the Combine and the Third Commonwealth. A united front is necessary if we hope to smash the League, and factionalism amongst our ranks could spell disaster. We very much hope that you will pur societal differences with the Third Commonwealth aside for the time being and assist the free nations of this planet in the destruction of a vastly greater threat.

"This conference...with a global war very much underway in Europe and Africa, now might not be the best time. But once this business is resolved, Parliament will certainly repeat your proposal. Much of the progressive bloc, though, has already made great strides in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and the Union itself makes considerable use of nuclear power and alternative fuels. But we do believe that this is a good and well-meaning idea, and we will support it.

"As for this fighter proposal, we do believe that it has merit, but, as the British and French found out with the Jaguar, or the Italians with the G.91, it is not easy to try and design a single airframe around a broad set of requirements and infrastructure. For our own part, with the F(J).4 upgrade already complete and the F(J).11 program underway, it would not make sense to reorganize around a new type."

OOC: Hope I'm not too late.
Approaching Armandian Airspace, Australasian Diplomatic Plane

Foreign Minister Christina Lloyd spent little time in the Free Colony these days. She'd just arrived back in Raleigh when she'd recieved word that there was a conference in Constance, Armand that needed her attention. So she'd emptied her suitcase, filled it with clean clothes, been briefed by the Prime Minister and sent back into the air with not much besides a hug and the offer of a drink.

Not like she was surprised, during a crisis his time was usually at a premium, and so was hers. The C-130 that had been retrofitted for diplomatic duties was the same as had carried her to Washington D.C, and it had been only a few hours since she'd last been aboard.

Australasia's oil needs were about to skyrocket. Land war guzzled oil like nothing else in the world, and the Free Colony wasn't able to supply its needs. Armand was a friendly enough nation, although trips to Constance were, in Christina's own words from a report written some months previous 'a bit of a mindfuck'. The accomodations were nice, futuristic and spare but entirely comfortable. The food was good, the negotiations were generally open and friendly.

It was the people. They moved like parts of a whole, walking down the street was like watching the marines at drill. They knew what each other were thinking, they spoke all at the same time. She often felt that her side of the table was the disorganized, fractious one. The side with the three separate and conflicting agendas among the staffers, and the head diplomat trying to hold it all together.

It wasn't a feeling she was used to, and it scared her. Christina gulped at her drink as the plane touched down in Constance, downing it in a single go. She wore a white pantsuit and black shirt, white hat pulled low over her pink hair. Colour-mixing seemed to be slightly passe in the Combine, especially in Constance.

She was swiftly ushered inside a building, no waiting on the tarmac for transport to arrive like she had in the Dominus Christi, Wellington or any other myriad place. The Armandians had their schedule down perfectly. She shuddered; a bit of disorganization was calming for her. Working with the Hindustanis, for example, was a joy. She was clearly the one with the plan in those situations, here she felt outdone by some far-off political master who pulled the strings and set the traps. But it was just the Armandians, being themselves.

[OOC: Sorry for the extreme delay...]

IC:

-Meeting with INU Delegation-

"We're currently negotiating with the Depkazis in order to avoid war. We have no need to fight, and have the interests of the Afghani people in mind. That is why we support the Chinese proposal to have a referendum in the North, after all. Your offer of support is strongly appreciated, however. We shall not forget Unioner friendship."

"Yes...our....relationship with the Bedgellens has not been all that friendly. But the time has come to put aside our differences and fight for the greater good of the world's people. Therefore, we have already sent diplomatic feelers to Portmeiron, requesting an embassy exchange. Your friends don't seem all too eager, however; they've ignored this request, denied us entrance at the pan-Indian conference, and have invaded a nation directly bordering ours. It's not we who have been belligerent; it is they."

"Understandable. We can wait, although we will continue to push the Constance Protocol in bilateral negotiations. Your fighter concerns are understandable as well; we have found other means to pursue such a program, so no worries.."

-Australasian Delagation-

Although they would never admit it, Combine citizens took a certain sadistic pleasure in throwing off the normally in control Ms. Lloyd. Part of it was the enjoyment they derived from being reminded of just how utterly different they were from the world they had so much contempt for, part of it was the thrill in showing up the unflappable Ms. Lloyd, and part of it was simply a bit of playful mischeviousness that lurked even in the hearts of the allegedly soulless Armandians.

They sat the Australasian diplomat down in a crisply maintained boardroom, with sleek, polished black tables (which resembled marble, but were actually of a lesser material due to the inequality that marble would imply) and fresh green vines elegantly arranged throughout. A cool, green wine unique to the Combine was poured into Ms. Lloyd's glass, and an attendant helped remove her coat. Once she was comfortable and the pleasantries were over with, the Armandians got down to business.

"We would be delighted to supply Australasia with oil supplies. In fact, introducing Australasia into our supply chain would help us integrate our trade routes, especially within the Roycelandian Empire, more efficiently, boosting our revenues and cutting our losses. There is another issue we would like to discuss in addition to oil, however."

"Bihar. As you very well know, the Soviet Commonwealth has invaded the nation of Bihar, and rumblings from the INU-Igovian conference bear a distinctly hostile and expansionist tone. This Soviet expansion represents a major threat to our holdings in India, and a growth of Soviet power also represents a dagger pointed directly at the heart of your Oceanic territories. Turning Bihar into a quagmire for the Combine would be in our mutual interest; for you, it would prevent an impending Soviet takeover of West Africa once the French are kicked out, and weaken the aggressive Bedgellen giants expansionist tendencies. Thus I propose a clandestine effort to stop the Bedgellen invasion in its tracks. What say you?"

OOC: I don't actually know a single thing about Bihar, except that the Bedgellans are... there. But if you'd point me to the thread, I'll consider it.

IC:

"Ahem, well," Christina replied, sipping at her wine for a moment. Mmm... tasty. "While we may have our disagreements with the Soviets, they have leant us a great deal of support in the conflict in Africa. In all likelihood, the Soviet and Hindustani intervention there has begun the destruction of France's elite ground forces, making our job that much easier.

"My concern is that if word got out that we were sabotaging their war effort in Bihar, the Soviets would abandon the African Front. While I think that the Hindustanis would be fully able to go it alone, it would be a great deal harder for them." She took a deep breath. Stop rambling, for Chrissake.

"On the other hand, Soviet expansionism is always a concern of ours. I am very much willing to give your suggestion due consideration, and pass it on to the Prime Minister."

[OOC: http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=494020]

"That's the thing; the Holy League has so many forces allied against it that it can't help but crumble. What matters now is not whether the Holy League will be defeated, but who shall collect the spoils. The Combine is confident that the situation will result in much the same way the Second World War did; former Holy League territories will be split apart into spheres of influence and occupational zones."

The Combine's diplomats leaned over for emphasis, with a delicious grin on their faces.

"The question is, of course, whose spheres? The anglophone alliance of Walmington and Australasia? Or the Soviet one of Beth Gellert and Hindustan? You know as well as we do that the Bedgellens will dominate Africa as they do former Marimaia. But bog them down at home, just enough so that they can just barely defeat the League, and Europe and Africa will remain yours for the taking. Your choice, Ms. Lloyd."

The diplomats sipped their drinks calmly, in stark contrast to the noticeably jittery Ms. Lloyd.

"We'll keep your involvement absolutely under wraps, of course. We're sure Australasia has enough men and women of the Indian or Korean ethnicity to be passed off as Bihari or Dra-Pol recruits."

Christina didn't usually miss such a glaringly obvious point as that, and she put it down to her general unease around the Armandians. She took another drink from her wine to calm her nerves, and ended up drinking a bit more than she had intended.

"And how do you fit in to this?" She arched an eyebrow at the assembled Armandian diplomats. "Obviously, you seem to want to see the Bedgellans fall, which is hardly unusual considering your historic rivalry. But what do you gain from an Anglo-Australasian dominated planet, as you rather optimistically put it?" She tried--and failed-- not to fidget, tapping her index fingers against the table to the rhythm of Sympathy for the Devil. Yeesh. Get a grip. Christina stopped, and awkwardly folded her hands on the table in front of her.

"Even if we do decide to support you, the populace in Bihar is, by all accounts, happy to have the Soviets there. While that support might wane if the humanitarian relief convoys are destroyed en route, there's no way that you can realistically pass it off as a homegrown civilian effort."

Christina's arched eyebrow was met by the collective arched eyebrows of the Combine delegation. She was drinking a lot more than one would expect from a diplomat; a diplomat from a less odd nation might have taken this opportunity to socialize a bit with the certainly attractive Ms. Lloyd, but the Combine's diplomatic corps simply proceeded with business.

"The Combine is an organism; we expand slowly, through nations near us. To pollinate a far off land with our culture and customs is nigh impossible, and thus we don't hold plans for Europe or Africa...in the near future, that is. With the Soviets bloodied, we could expand our influence in Asia, and emerge as a true super power."

The Combine's diplomats could not help but be fascinated by the fidgety Ms. Llloyd; her mannerisms and appearance were entirely foreign to the straight laced, smoothly controlled customs of Armand, and in some odd fashion, very attractive. Christina certainly wasn't the only one in the room feeling uncomfortable, and perhaps she'd notice the slight lack of the typical Combine confidence when the subject turned to popular support.

"Ah, but that is where you are mistaken. Patel's regime is unpopular, yes---but that does not mean that the Soviets are at all welcome. The Bihari people are in between a rock and a hard place; welcome the anarchy of a foreign conqueror's fantasy, or cling to a corrupt tyrant? That is why we seek to...rehabilitate Mr. Patel. He's been sent the official ideological manual of the Combine, the Black Disc, to study up on, and been ordered to implement a democratic regime once the Soviets have been driven back."

Christina had been a casual drinker by fourteen, and at age twenty-eight she had a tolerance usually reserved for middle aged Irish men who posessed large, alcohol inflated midsections and a long, scraggly red beard. Through a freak of genetics and a fairly rigorous exercise scheme, she didn't show it, either. Draining a single glass of Armandian wine had done nothing except calm her down a bit, something that she desperately needed. And when she looked up, she had to stifle a laugh. The Combine's male delegates were giving her a quick once-over, and their eyes flickered about in perfect unison.

"On the other hand," she replied, "the Biharis have seen nothing but years of misconduct and failure from Patel's administration. It might be wiser to pick a different leader, someone established as a voice for the people, if there is one. Or if there isn't, someone within Patel's administration, but not so much within as to have been seen as another corrupt sellout."