NationStates Jolt Archive

Official Proclamation by His Excellency,
Nakamura Himura Kenshin

In light of the growing pandemic of immoral lyrics created by so-called musicians, who are no more than thugs in reality, I, the shogun of Pschycotic Pschycos, have declared that any immoral rap or other such "music" illegal in the highest degree.

Due to the broad degree of "immoral", I shall here declare what immorality in music is. Any music that promotes promiscuous sex, any music that promotes large degrees of violence, any music that promotes drug use, any music that is degrading to anyone in any way is considered immoral.

The recording and sale of any such music that is classified by the above criterion as immoral shall forthwith be illegal, along with the broadcasting of any such music. So shall internet sharing of such music, which is already illegal. The private listening of pre-existing music shall not be considered illegal as it would breach privacy rights. However, any new music shall not be listened to. All music videos of this nature shall cease to air.

Violators of this new legislation shall be punished accordingly. This includes having their studio forcibly seized, having their recording company forcibly seized, having their broadcast company forcibly seized, and will include a minimum of 6 years in prison. Repeat offenders will face 12-year, 18-year, and death sentences for each repeat offence.

I intend to clean up this nation's image, and the actions of its youth in order to save them. So sayeth I.

Shogun Nakamura Himura Kenshin
Shogun of Pschycotic Pschycos
Third of the Nakamura Line

==================================================
Bling-Blang-Yo! Recording Studio,
Shortly After Above Release...

"Dang, yo! They can't do this dawg!" yelled rapper "Big Balla", reading the e-mailed version of the proclamation that had been sent to all recording labels and music stores over his agent's shoulder. "My new tracks are supposed to come out at midnight!"
"Now don't take this too seriously. They wouldn't think of actually enforcing this! That record is released at midnight, in two minutes. We're going to do this anyway," his agent said.

The two minutes passed in tense silence. At midnight, "Big Balla" made his way into a live studio for a broadcast about the release of the album. "Brothers and sisters! You've waited 3 long years for my new tracks, and here they are!" He yelled at the cameras pointing at him. His voice and image were magnified several times on the large screens on the building outside at street level. "I present to you my new album, 'Hoes Down!'" The screens switched over to showing a music video from one of the CD's singles...a rather distasteful music video at that.

Three miles away, and 40 stories into the air, three police Ospreys roared toward the recording studios, engines tilted at 45 degrees. Each contained 2 squads of 10 men, or a total of 60 men. "All squads, this is Leader. The studios are situated on the top four stories of the target building. Security is reported to be light. Once inside, your objective will be to secure each floor, and to arrest the musician, his agent, the company president, and the company CEO. Do you copy, over?"
"Squad One, go."
"Squad Two, go."
"Squad Three, go." and so on and so forth.
At three past midnight, the three tilt-rotors pulled in over the three sides of the triangular building, their rear loading ramps dropping open, fast-ropes thrown off. "All squads, drop in!" As the men slid down onto the rooftop, they were met by only two bouncers guarding the stairwell door. The soldiers on the roof aimed their rifles at the men and began shouting, "on the ground! NOW! NOW!" One bouncer reached into his coat pocket and was immediately gunned down by five men. The other bouncer realized it was best to just lay down and give up, which is exactly what he did. Two soldiers jogged up, their rifles pointing at him, and hand and foot cuffed him. The men then dashed into the stairwell, leaving the body and the bouncer behind.

Inside, each floor was easily contained, except for one group of artists who also thought it a good idea to fight back. The recording studio was reduced to a pile of melted circuits spouting random discharges over the bodies. All the personnel were rounded up and brought down to the live booth used earlier by "Big Balla". Here, the team leader made an announcement to the public. "Under the authority granted to me by His Excellency the Shogun, I hereby place the musician 'Big Balla', his agent, and the President and CEO of Bling-Blang-Yo Records under immediate arrest. This record company has now been shut down by the Imperial Government. All workers have lost their jobs. The floors occupied by this 'company' are now for sale. Contact your local Century 22 Real Estate Dealer for details.

"Let this be a lesson to those who would oppose the new legislation. It will be enforced." "Big Balla" began struggling behind him. "Man, this is whack! Don't we get, like a trial or something, fool!?"
"I advise you to watch your tongue, but yes, you'll all receive trials. However, you're going to be in jail until one can be arranged. That is all, good night." With that, the large screens outside went blank. Six APCs pulled up to the base of the building, and soon after, the squads of soldiers and their prisoners came out, loaded up, and were driven back to headquarters.

Back on the rooftop, the bouncer left alive struggled against his restraints. "Hello! Hello?? Is anyone there?? Hello!!!??"

OOC: Tag.

DEMOCRATIC SOVIET REPUBLIC OF KAHANISTAN
Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The Government of Kahanistan strongly condemns the latest repression of free expression to come out of the Imperial Shogunate of Psychotic Psychos. We are further alarmed by the possibility of the death penalty being applied to people for producing any kind of music that the Shogun may in the future deem offensive.

We urge that the political prisoner and artist Big Balla, his agent, and the leaders of his company be released, or deported to Kahanistan for the length of time they would otherwise serve in prison.

Signed,
Margaret Delray,
Minister of Foreign Affairs

---

Al-Tahrir, Kahanistan

Corporate Headquarters of Samizdat Corporation

Board Meeting

The various department heads of the Kahanistanian publishing corporation met to discuss the ban on offensive music in Psychotic Psychos. As the corporation published much highly controversial literature, it headquartered in Kahanistan to avoid raids by the police or armed forces of various tinpot dictatorships, but still maintained a heavy security force, including helicopters, tanks, and armored infantry vehicles. It was responsible for such literary masterpieces as Racial Truths: Facts the Commies Don't Want You to Know, On the Amestrians and their Lies (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/index.php/On_the_Amestrians_and_their_Lies), Private Sex Lives of Dictators Throughout the World, and The Case for Genocide: Religion is Taking Over the World!

The CEO was first to speak. "Ladies, gentlemen, and assorted eunuchs, genderqueers, and transsexuals, as we all know, the Government of Psychotic Psychos is banning music that their dictator considers offensive. As we publish and export a lot of music, we can't let bans like this spread."

"I don't think our security forces are up to the task," said the security head, a burly Arabic man with a rocket launcher strapped to his back and holding two TAR-21's. "They probably have nukes, and stuff."

"We're not going to use force unless they use it," said the marketing director. "We'll just increase the price of what we sell in countries that ban it, to cover the costs of doing business there. It's how we market On the Amestrians and their Lies to countries that banned it, and we now host the Tocrowkian Stewardess video on our website, samizdat.com.kn. No force is used there."

---

A corporate cargo ship loaded with CD-ROM's of Slayer, Britney Spears, Eminem, Marilyn Manson, and Linkin Park set sail from Kahanistan to head for Psychotic Psychos. Aboard the ship were four AH-64 Apache gunships and twenty Merkava IV MBT's, in addition to the complement of 1,500 security personnel. Nobody would even know the ship was corporate until it offloaded its illegal cargo, it looked like a Third World military vessel or a pirate ship. Samizdat Corporation had even less regard for other nations' sovereignty than the DSRK as a whole. They violated it at will to make a quick shekel, and paid their employees handsomely to take the risks that went with smuggling or resisting arrest by foreign powers.

This ship was five days from Psychotic Psychos and loaded with over a million CD-ROM's, selling at eight shekels apiece.

To The Kahanistani Foreign Ministry,

While he regret having to enforce a ban on this music, it has not come without reason. Various studies have proven that over the last 20 years, increase in attempted drug use, violence, and sexual acts, both legal and illegal, have shown a direct increasing relationship with the spread of such music, a total of a 3-fold increase in these 20 years. We are enacting this ban in an attempt to bring these rates of behavior back down again.

We take note of your concern over our use of the death penalty. The death penalty is reserved for repeat offenders only, and cannot be used on at least the first or second offenses. Moreso, we are using it as a deterance, and in reality hope to never use it.

As for the musician "Big Balla", his agent, and the leaders of Bling-Blang-Yo! Records, they shall remain in prison until their trial date. When they are found guilty, they shall return to jail to serve their sentence out. After this, they will be released back into freedom. We thank you for offering to take them, but we will not allow them to be deported.

We thank you for your concern.

Signed,
Shogun Nakamura Himura Kenshin.
=====================================
CGS AA-03,
Coast Guard Entry Station Alpha-Five.....

Across Imperial waters, there were three legal points of entry into the territorial waters. Each station was guarded by Imperial Coast Guard vessels, usually numbering as two carriers, four battleships, and four battlecruisers. Their job was to search incoming vessels and provide escorts through Imperial waters. Sensors aboard the carrier AA-03 were the first to pick up signals of the incoming vessel. "Commander. New signal, tracking Five-Niner-Zero. ETA to checkpoint is five days."
"Ensign, do you have any information on the ship's registry, and port of destination?"
"Sir, at this time we have no information beyond course and ETA. However, using satellite backlog, it may be loosely affiliated with Kahanistan, though I cannot tell at this point."
"Very well. Mark it and continue tracking. At one day ETA, make contact and notify the crew as to entry procedures, and alert them to the border defense systems, should they not want to visit us for some tea."
"Aye sir, target marked, notification information logged into system."

OOC: I assumed that about a very small group of people found the site http://hilid-ivyte.asn.rj. It is in the search engines.

IC:
"Hey Syxu, up is what?" Syku Matene received this jabber-message from one of her friends at JiKi JSK. She had contacted him a few hours ago.

"You know, you owe me a favor..." she typed

"More bandwidth?" came the prompt reply.

"Yes. The Byte-tree is shaken from many sides. Especially from Psychotic Psychos."

"Okay, I'll arrange something. But tell me how your page gained the interest of them."

"They banned, compare to, 90% of all modern music. To listen to the old songs is however legal and I have a little site, where it is perfectly legal to download music, since its copyright expired..."

"Ah, you link me?"

"Here: http://KaMaRi.Sija.jsk.rj/han'ines'ny/tekne/lununilhetsykotiksycoves'han"

"Cool, keep things up!"

OOC: This page is a hobbyists page so it doesn't take much to use it to full capacity of the bandwidth.

Shogun Himura was sitting behind this desk on the floor studying some paperwork concerning some big projects when a small knock came to his paper and wood-frame screen door. "Enter, please," he said. The screen slid aside promptly, and a man in a military uniform entered and bowed.
"Sir, regarding your recent legislation banning immoral music."
"Yes, go ahead."
"Sir, most major downloading companies have interpreted that they can still sell pre-existing music that is banned."
"Mmmmmm....yes, the legislation does leave gaps in its interpretation about that. Make sure all companies, even digital ones, know that it is illegal to sell pre-existing music. The citizens may continue listening to any that they currently own, but it is illegal to sell even old CDs that are banned. If these online companies don't comply, shut them down if they're inside the nation. If they're from outside the nation, block the sites' access to our server mainframe."
"Yes, sir!" The man paused for a few, trying to decide something.
"You may speak freely."
"Sir, how is the international community taking this?"
"Oh, the usual 'we're a crackpot dictatorship', etc....I expected there to be opposition from the outside, however, this nation has never payed attention to their thoughts on our internal matters unless they threaten us with force. Don't worry about it, we're fine."
"Sir, what about literature? It may spill over to there."
"If it does, I'll worry about it then. Dismissed."
"Sir!" The man bowed, and turned and left the room, shutting the screen behind him. The shogun sat and thought about events for a few moments, and then went back to reviewing paperwork and trying to decide where the next cut should be on the miniature tree on his desk.

ooc: "Bling-Blang-Yo?" Are you kidding me?

"I'm expressin' wit' my full capabilities, and now I'm livin' in correctional facilities, 'cuz some don't agree wit' how I do this, I get straight an' meditate like a Buddhist..."
Miguela Fonseca, Chairman Nagaraku Ryouta's secretary, giggled at the sight of her boss rapping along with NWA. Yes, for a world leader, the Chairman was extremely quirky, but not even Miguela had seen this.
'Hmmm, that's really a coincidence, though,' she thought, looking at the first international news story in her stack of papers to give to the Chairman, 'Because Pschycotic Pschycos just banned that kind of music.'
Miguela was glad she didn't live there, she listened to "immoral" music as well.
She knocked on the door. A "Kuso!" could be heard from behind the door, followed by the sound of something dropping on the floor and breaking, another, "Kuso!" and finally, the Chairman coming to the door.
"What is it, Miguela!" he said in an irritated tone.
"I was just bringing you this stuff, Chairman," Miguela said, handing him the papers.
"Oh, thanks," Chairman Nagaraku said, taking the papers, "Now, go on."
Miguela closed the door and walked back towards her desk. As she was, an extremely loud "Mothafuckas!" came from the Chairman's office.

To: The nation of Pschycotic Pschycos

Your blatant lack of respect for the freedom of musical artists surprises me. I will give you that Big Balla cannot rap, but that is no reason to ban him from the airwaves. You are cutting out millions of aspiring artists' chances to express themselves publicly, and nobody here in the People's Republic of H-Town Tejas likes that.
And the death penalty? It's a bit much, even for repeat offenders, considering the "crimes" we're talking about here.

President of the PRH-TT/Chairman of the Tejano Worker's Party Nagaraku Ryouta no Atarashi Fukuoka

REACTIONS INSIDE TEJAS

Besides the Chairman's bad reaction to the banning of "immoral" music, the general public in Tejas didn't like it either. Proletariat Underground (http://www.proletariat-underground.net.tj), a website paid for by the Tejano Worker's Party in which musical artists, most of whom are rappers, can spread their music, released a song called, "Psychos," a diss on Shogun Himura and the legislature.
"My music is how I try to get across my message to the rest of society," the artist who recorded the song, El Guerilla, said, "So, when I see bullshit laws being passed like that, I almost wanna kill a mothafucka, you know what I'm saying?"
El Guerilla, a not-so-well known artist recording for Proletariat Underground before "Psychos," has been thrust to center stage on the website, at the front of the "Anti-Psycho Laws" crew.

OOC: Wait. Shogun Himura? As in Himura Kenshin?!

OOC: Wait. Shogun Himura? As in Himura Kenshin?!

OOC: Yes, Himura Kenshin, Battosai, Hitokiri, whichever you prefer. Rorouni Kenshin is by far my favorite show besides Jackass and Viva La Bam, so it was fitting that I took Kenshin for a Feudal Japan-style nation.

And Bling-Blang-Yo! Was all I could come up with. It was aimed to sound stupid.
===================================================
IC:

To President of the PRH-TT/Chairman of the Tejano Worker's Party Nagaraku Ryouta no Atarashi Fukuoka

This decision to ban such music was not made lightly. Several studies have shown a positive link between this sort of music and an increase in the activites described in the lyrics. This has only been supported by rappers' statements like those of El Guerilla.

As for cutting out the chance for millions of aspiring artists, I find it highly unlikely that the only thing they can find to sing or rap about is sex, violence, and drugs. Not all rap has been banned, mind you, only that which promotes immoral acts of sex, violence, and drug use. And as I've stated to other nations, we're hoping that the threat of the death penalty will be enough to deter people from these crimes. We don't want to actually have to use it.

I must do what I think is best for my citizens.

Signed,
Shogun Nakamura Himura Kenshin

OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

We find it unfortunate that the Shogun would limit free expression, however, the Tsar recognizes the dire need for it, due to the rise in crime levels due to the degenerate music.

While the Dersconi Empire will continue to maintain its position to allow all forms of free expression, no matter how tasteless, the Tsar supports the Shogun in this measure to ensure the moral cleanliness of the Shogunate.

The Shogun has the full support of Derscon and will provide any aid requested by it.

Count Franz von Papen
Foreign Minister to the Tsar
The Divine Prussian Empire of Derscon

OOC: Wait. Shogun Himura? As in Himura Kenshin?!
(Yup. Like it says in size 7 font: Shogun Nakamura Himura Kenshin.)

Four days, twenty hours later

The lightly armed corporate cargo vessel was four hours away from Psychotic Psychos. It flew the Kahanistanian star, hammer, and sickle flag as a display of its nationality, but not the Kahanistanian Navy flag; it was clearly not a vessel of the Republic Navy. It had another flag, a severed chain in front of an open mouth, with the Russian word "самиздат" written on the top and "литература пролетариата" ("Literature of the Proletariat") on the bottom. The flag was the emblem of the Samizdat Corporation. It was clearly a corporate vessel.

Stats on the vessel (just pulling them out of my rear here):

Liberty-class cargo vessel
Type: Heavy transport vessel
Displacement: 13,000 tons (24,000 fully loaded)
Height: 61 meters
Draft: 22 meters
Width: 37 meters
Length: 631 meters

Propulsion: Four A4W nuclear reactors, totaling 2.2 GW
Speed: 27 knots (50 km/h)
Range: Unlimited
Complement: 2,000 personnel, including 1,500 security, 20 tanks
Armor: 300mm nickel-cobalt modular plating, 150mm solid steel hull
Armament: One 20mm Phalanx CIWS, one 155mm gun, two 75mm cannons, two Exocet missile batteries, one VA-111 Shkval supercavitating torpedo launcher
Aircraft: Four helicopters of varying configuration

Country of origin: Kahanistan
Operators: Samizdat Corporation, numerous pirates, used as a front-line warship by some third-world navies
Production cost: 720 million USD

(If the weapons sound excessive for a cargo ship, they're mainly for use against pirates and coast guards, the weapons, except maybe the supercav torpedo launcher, probably won't be a threat to most PP [or NS-grade in general] vessels.)

OOC: :marvels at the redicilious amount of money one of those would cost:

That company must have only two or three of those and nothing else. Why they would risk them, I cannot fathom.

IC: Official Statement From Red Tide Goverment
"We have no stance on the issue, although we remind other nations that it is Phsycotic Phsycos freedom to do what it will inside its own borders."
End Message

CGS AA-03,
Coast Guard Entry Station Alpha-Five...

"Commander, the Kahanistan vessel is within four miles. I am issuing a contact to that vessel to notify them of procedures," the ensign, indeed the same from four days ago, said.
"Very well," the ship's commander said. "Make contact."

Attention Kahanistan Vessel.

This broadcast has been issued by the Pschycotian Imperial Coast Guard.
You are currently on course for an essentially closed area. In order to access
these waters, you are required to change course to heading XXX degrees
immediately. You will be intercepted at an entry station, where your vessel
will be searched for any threatening cargo that may include, but is not limited
to: arms, contraband, drugs, etc....Once approved, you will be issued an
escort through these waters.

Do not attempt to enter Imperial waters somewhere other than a checkpoint.
The boundary is heavily mined, and we cannot garauntee the safety of your
vessel.

Issued by the Pschycotian Imperial Coast Guard
8/8/0685, 1900 Hours

"Ensign, keep a track on this vessel, command tells me their home nation gave us some flak recently," the commander ordered.
"Aye sir, tracking vessel. Designated T-23."
"Good job."

(Don't worry about stats, I make them up a lot of the time too! And as for the weapons, you're probably right, due to the armor we employ.)

"Should we listen to them?" asked the corporate first officer. He was a veteran of the Republic Navy and was generally more inclined to take his chances or fight if challenged.

The captain was more cautious. "We'll let them aboard... you do have the Slayer CD's, et cetera, put in the false walls behind the 'official' storage rooms, don't you?" The Corporation had been smuggling for decades, and had gotten very good at it; good enough to afford some forty cargo ships like this one. Lightly armed, lightly armored, with enough empty space to make the ship as light as a destroyer a fifth its size, the Liberty-class cargo ship was the favorite of pirates and smugglers. Some third-world navies even used it as a main-line battleship, although it could not hope to do battle with most post-WWII military vessel designs. It did have some impressive computers and electronics, however...

The security chief nodded his head. "Captain, the albums have been there since we left port."

The Captain nodded. "It's decided... we'll talk to them."

The ship changed course and headed for the entry station, arriving about one hour later.

Coast Guard Entry Station Alpha-Five...

The Kahanistan vessel approached the checkpoint and was brought to a halt for inspections. Two Seahawk helicopters rose of the AA-03's port flight deck and did a quick ariel sweep of the decks, making sure that no one was at battlestations on deck, and that all weapons systems were shut down. When they were satisfied, the two choppers flew out to a point in front of the ship, and held a hover, their open side doors exposing a 20mm gatling aimed at the top of the ship. A battlecruiser pulled up roughly 200 yards off the starboard side, and another pulled up on the port side. Each let down an inflateable skiff with 10 men in it, each armed lightly with semi-automatic rifles and sidearms. The two quickly converged on the cargo ship, and the men threw up rope-ladders with hooks on them to grab the rails. Then one man, the crews' commander climbed aboard to wait for the ship's captain.

Aboard the AA-03, the commander was observing the proceedings from the bridge. In his hand, he had the ship's phone, and was confering with his superior officer. "Sir, what is our stance on cargo vessels carrying weaponry? Do we classify them as civilian or military."
"Commander, order them to lock their systems while in our waters. We'll classify them as civilian, as their are pirates still in the seas."
"Aye sir, I'm having an ensign radio the inspection team for this. Over and out." He reached out and put the phone back on its hook on the wall. He switched his gaze toward a cargo vessel leaving the waters, its escorts flying farewell-rings around it, hot-dogging for a show. Traffic had lightened a little since the legislation, but it was mostly due to fear that transporting such goods were illegal.

The Kahanistanian Captain stepped on deck. The First Officer remained on the bridge; if things turned ugly he would order the 50 guards with the captain to drive off the boarders and rush the battle stations, especially the missile batteries and supercav launcher. While the captain had locked them, the first officer could unlock them in seconds if he felt threatened by simply entering a code.

The guards were armed with TAR-21 rifles, black full body armor, and even gas masks; they were apparently the equal of an average soldier. Some of the guards carried heavier M-249 SAW's or M-2 heavy machine guns. However, they were still corporate security and lacked the discipline or tactical ability of professional soldiers.

The Captain spoke. "Welcome to my ship. Feel free to have a look around."

The leader saluted and addressed the captain, "My name is Lieutenant Ishimaru. My men just need to take a quick check of your vessel's cargo holds, and I need to view your ship's register. Is your vessel bound for a port within the shogunate??" He signaled, and the men from the craft climbed over the side and began heading toward the cargo holds. "Your men look like you're expecting a fight. Have you had trouble with pirates?" he asked, observing the guards.

OOC: Are those choppers, etc...in your main cargo hold, or the hidden ones?

OOC: Bumpage for anyone wanting to comment.

(Choppers are on top of the ship, plainly visible.)

"We're headed for the nearest port in the shogunate, yes," said the captain. "We've been having trouble with lots of things... pirates, hostile coast guards, sometimes even proper naval warships," the captain affirmed.

"Hmmm, yes. For some reason, the seas are not as friendly as they once were," the lieutenant said. He took notice of the choppers sitting out on the deck. "You're carrying weaponry," he said, stating the obvious. "Might I inquire as to the destination of these? I trust they're not going to be off-loaded into the Shogunate?"

The other men came back on deck, "sir, all is clear below."
"Thank you," the lieutenant said to his search crew. He turned back to the ship's captain, "pending your answer to the last question, you'll be free to go."

"We are not an arms-dealing corporation. We sell literature, music, and other artistic media." In fact, the main cargo holds contained numerous political books and copies of texts such as Satanic Verses, Lolita, The Communist Manifesto, and images of the Mohammed Cartoons, to name a few. Some sacrificial Slayer CD's were also in the cargo holds, to be confiscated and remove suspicion that they were to be offloaded.

"All right then, you're clear to go. The nearest port is Neo-Nagasaki. I suggest you watch yourself, as you'll be sailing straight into Naval Headquarters where our navy is based. They'll be handling your docking, and they're strict, so be careful with these things." The lieutenant turned and gestured to the choppers hovering, their gunners waving back. "These will be your escorts to port. It's fifty miles away, so you should be there in two or three hours. Have a nice day." The lieutenant bowed and climbed down over the side with his men. The skiffs turned away and returned to their home ships. The choppers in front of the cargo craft broke their hover and took up stations on either side, and the battlecruisers moved away.

On the AA-03, the commander was still uneasy. "Alert the navy, and have them be prepared for this one. Tell them that they're carrying weapons aboard their vessel, and that we do not suspect that all is what it seems with the rest of the cargo."
"Aye, sir."

The vessel sailed toward Neo-Nagasaki port. A supercav torpedo was loaded into the launcher, just in case. The weapons were still locked, but entering the command code to unlock them would take mere seconds.

They followed instructions and prepared to dock at Neo-Nagasaki port, awaiting the navy.

As the vessel approached the harbor, a large tug came out and pulled it inside the harbor walls. The two vessels entered into a channel that wound its way into the city, past rows and rows of piers and cargo vessels. On the right (east) side of the port, a high wall separated the civilian port from the main naval base.

As the ship slid into a berth, three large flatbed trucks loaded with soldiers pulled up along side on the pier. The moment the ship stopped and gangways were connected, the men ran up them onto the deck, followed by an officer in an official uniform. "I am in charge of security here at Neo-Nagasaki. You're ship must be searched by the Imperial Navy at this point, before it can be offloaded. The Coast Guard search was for dangerous items, we'll be searching for any contraband such as drugs, small arms, etc.."
He was slightly drowned out as the two escort choppers took off over the wall to land at the base. This far back in the harbor, the buildings loomed over head, in a slightly intimidating manner.
=========================================

Menwhile, the trial of rapper "Big Balla" and the Bling-Blang-Yo! executives was beginning. The courtroom itself was large and rather plain. The walls were made of paper and wood frames like most of the other buildings, tatami mats covered the floor, and a raised dias was at the far wall of the room for the judge. This case was receiving major publicity, and there were people crowding the courtroom, along with TV cameras. A screen on the far wall slid open, and the four men were brought in and forced to kneel before the raised dias. Many minutes passed until the judge came in. He was an old man in his 60s, with an ornate robe and no hair save for a white top knot on his head. He climbed onto the dias and knelt. The people in the room bowed low to him, and he returned, though not as low.

"We are here today for the trial of Fujiwara 'Big Balla' Kaze, and his associates." He looked directly at the foursome, "you are charged with the production of immoral music and contempt for the government. How do you plead?"
"Man, I ain't dun nuthin'!" Big Balla yelled at the judge. "All I dun wuz express myself!"
The judge was taken aback at this lack of respect and dicipline. "So, you say you are expressing yourself. Do you get laid 20 times a day, kill 5 men before dinner, and do cocaine?" he asked accusingly.
"Well, no. But that don'..."
"Do you want your audience to do the same?"
"Well...well...I ain't tellin' them to do nuthin'!" Big Balla shouted.
"If this is the case, then how is this expressing yourself?"
"....I....I....I dunno...," Big Balla said, trapped in his corner.
"How do you plead?"
"Guilty."
The other three men went down the line, each answering the judge's question with "guilty".
The judge cleared his throat and began to deliver his sentence. "By the power granted to me by His Excellency, Shogun Nakamura Himura Kenshin, I find the four defendents guilty. Each are sentenced to Fifty-Six years in prison."
Big Balla exploded with this sentence. "SAY WHAT???!! Yo dog, the law says 6 years! You can't do this to me! I am Big Balla!"
"Either way, the law says a minimum of six years. However, I gave you six. Six years for producing immoral music, and 50 for contempt for the government," the judge shot back.
"Contempt for wha? You gotta be shitting me, man!"
"You released your album just ten minutes after the legislation was signed. Indeed your computer records state that it was viewed 5 minute before the release, plenty of time to stop. Yet you didn't. You and your associates are guilty of all charges, the sentence is 56 years in prison. Court is ajourned."
The courtroom was buzzing as the judge stood and exited, and Big Balla was hauled to his feet by guards and literally dragged kicking, fighting, and yelling out through the screen door, his associates following, arguing as well. A guard began clearing the rest of the room, shouting, "let this be a lesson to those who would oppose this new law! You will be dealt with!"

OOC: have you banned lawyers/knowledge of the law in your nation, or are your record executives just stupid?

OOC: No, many "ban" laws are overlooked in my nation. This is a scenario where they thought they could get away with it. Example time!

OOC: Just to make this clear (because i got shit dumped on me for trying contractors from another nation who refused to work after their corp. broke a contract itself): you had rich record executives who a) did not hire lawyers, b) thought it was a joke trial despite having shots fired and their offices destroyed, c) pleaded guilty, d) were tried together as 1 person, and above all e) didn't bother to try to find a loophole? Shit, when someone sues a tobacco company, they don't just get a check in the mail, they go to court against a power team of lawyers! Granted, the RIAA in america isn't the brightest bulb in the house, but this is a tad different.

OOC: My government is a dictatorship. He can jail whoever he likes, but doesn't abuse it. Trials are just formalities. If it were company vs. company, it'd be very similar to United States law.

With the ruling on the Big Balla trial, Proletariat Underground's artists only got more vocal in protests against Pschycotic Pschycos's moralism legislation. Sure, H-Town Tejas had one of the lowest standards of moralism in the world, but they found fifty-six years in prison for releasing a CD ridiculous.
"This is ridiculous. A farce. I've seen people commit murder and get out earlier than that," Enrique "N-Rique" Balthasar Castaneda Ubico, "And it was in another country, too, this is not a testament to the Tejano legal system."
Castaneda's new CD, "Viva San Angelo," includes an extra disc, full of work by anti-moralism legislation rappers Juan Miguel "El Guerilla" Morales Garcia, Fujikawa "Kakumei" Ayako, and William "MC Revolutionary" Long, along with a few bonus tracks from Castaneda. While the whole second disc is not dedicated to attacking the legislation, a few tracks, like "Psychos" (El Guerilla), "Snuffed Out" (Kakumei), "Duct Tape (Over My Mouth)" (MC Revolutionary, N-Rique), and "Farce" (N-Rique, El Guerilla) are. This CD has topped sales charts in the PRH-TT and is being exported.

OOC: jeeze, so you don't have a judicial system. Just wait until Praetonia sees this...

We would like to thank the artists of H-Town Tejas for their concern. However, we will not heed any message that they may project. In their country they can do as they will. However, their recordings will not be sold in our nation. Also, there seems to be some confusion over the sentence. These individuals received 6 years for recording immoral music, and 50 for contempt for the government, which is a thing that we do not stand for. Again, we thank you for your concern

Sincerely,

Shogun Nakamura Himura Kenshin

OOC: jeeze, so you don't have a judicial system. Just wait until Praetonia sees this...

OOC: Yeah...not a criminal one anyway.

OOC: Judicial systems tie everything up.

DEMOCRATIC SOVIET REPUBLIC OF KAHANISTAN
Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The Government of Kahanistan condemns the draconian punishments meted out to Mr. Fujiwara Kaze, AKA Big Balla, and his associates for civil disobedience and publishing controversial art.

We firmly believe in freedom of speech. If Mr. Kaze and his associates are deported to Kahanistan, they would be able to produce all the music they like and the government of Psychotic Psychos would be rid of them.

Signed,
Margaret Delray,
Minister of Foreign Affairs

---

Aboard the ship

"Search away," said the captain lazily, confident that the only things to be confiscated would be the few Slayer albums mixed in with more legitimate literature in the main cargo holds.

Searching the ship would yield no drugs, or weapons in much greater quantities than could be used by the security personnel. There were tanks aboard the ship, to protect offloaded cargo. These were the largest weapons not attached to the ship.

"I thank you for your cooperation," the officer said. His men ran down into the holds. He stood there, his arms folded behind his back, a stopwatch held in one hand. He stood there for a few minutes until a soldier ran back on deck. He came over, bowed, and saluted quickly. "Sir, we have a situation."
"Oh?"
"Sir, it appears they have copies of the Communist Manifesto aboard the ship...along with tanks."
The officer's mild attitude disappeared. "Captain, do you realize that possesion of this literature is illegal? This counts as challenging government authority. Also, a foreign nationality's possesion of armored weaponry is strictly forbidden." He plucked a radio from his pocket and issued orders into it. "Figure out the Coast Guard search crews for this vessel and hand them dishonorable discharges immediately." He returned his attention to the captain. "Sir, I am going to have to confiscate this vessel and her cargo. You and your crew will be transported back to the bundaries where you will be free to be picked up by your own nation. Do you have any questions?"
====================================
Dear Ms. Delray,

Punishments were handed down to the minimum degree. Six years for immoral music, and fifty for contempt of the government. While we appreciate the offer for deportation, people must realize that when they break the law, they will be punished, not granted a free vacation. I thank you for your concern.

Shogun Nakamura Himura Kenshin

The captain flushed as the contents of his chest fell into his stomach cavity. Oh, shit.

Quickly regaining his composure, the corporate vessel captain explained the tanks. "The armored vehicles are to protect cargo while it's being offloaded, some of our stuff is pretty... prone to confiscation. We usually have at least one tank crewed as soon as boarders come on, sometimes more..." The guards leveled their weapons at the boarders. One of the Merkava IV tanks rotated its 120mm cannon and .50 caliber machine gun, but did not fire... yet.

The first officer heard everything through the captain's radio. He inputted the command code to unlock the ship's weapons, a supercav torpedo launcher, three small guns, and two missile batteries. (The Phalanx was considered a defensive weapon and not locked by the standard locking codes.)

"Red alert, all hands to defense stations." Alarms sounded and security and crew members who were able moved toward their defense stations.

The search commander pressed the switch in on his radio. "Destory the vessel, destroy the vessel!" He threw down the radio pitched himself over the side. The rest of the searchers, who carried radios on the same frequency dashed out of the holds and jumped ship, completely disregarding the crew members.

The port of Neo-Nagasaki, being a naval base first, civilian shipping center second, had multiple turret emplacements within the port, each one being of the 25" type. At the officer's command, the two nearest turrets rotated to bring the cargo vessel in line and fired high-explosive shells at the cargo vessel. Five hundred yards further into the port, a patroling Imperial battlecruiser heard the reports on the radio and began steaming down toward the ship's slip, unlocking her main batteries as she went.

On the other side of the wall, alarms rang out through the military complex, alerting the naval staff to the commotion going on in the port. No time was wasted in sealing off both the naval harbor and the civilian port. Quickly, a general alert broadcast was sent out to all Imperial vessels,

Attention all vessels,

Any ship registered with Kahanistan are to be stopped immediately.
All Entry Stations are to be shut off at once. No ships are to enter or leave
Shogunate waters. Standby for further orders.
==========================================

Attention Government of Kahanistan,

A vessel registered with your nation was caught carrying illegal goods in her holds within our waters, in addition to numerous weapons. Initial searches showed that onboard weaponry was for self-defense, which is allowed to a certain degree. However, at 1600 Hours, the ship activated weapons systems while a boarding party was onboard, notifying that captain that he was indeed carrying cargo that warrented the seizing of his ship for further inspection. The activation of weapons systems inside our waters without proper authorization by government authorities is strictly forbidden. Current actions are being taken to disable the vessel's systems. She is in an area where she cannot fully sink or be destroyed.

We would like a prompt explanation as to why a crew registered with your nation felt the need to activate weapons system while one of our crews was onboard.

Signed,

Grande Admiral Isoruku Yamamoto III

"SHIIIIIIIT!!!"

This was the last thing the captain said before the huge 25" shells careened into the cargo vessel. It responded by firing three supercavitating torpedoes in quick succession at the battlecruiser.

The crew as a whole were not professional soldiers, but one bright one got the idea of hauling the Merkava IV's up to the top deck. The heavy armor was hell on the corridors, but in twenty minutes the ship would have some extra 120mm guns... if it lasted that long.

Crew members poured into the four Apache helicopters on top of the vessel, filling all of them well beyond normal capacity before taking off. One was blown up before even taking off, the others tried to put as much distance between themselves and the naval base as possible.

Other crew members panicked and jumped overboard with the boarders, hoping to surrender in exchange for their lives. Still others remained aboard to fight...

---

DEMOCRATIC SOVIET REPUBLIC OF KAHANISTAN
Ministry of Foreign Affairs

I think you answered your own question, by your own admission, you attempted to seize their vessel. Some might see that as an act of provocation.

The vessel is not affiliated with the Republic Navy; recent satellite intelligence and a report from Samizdat Corporation that one of their vessels went missing suggest that the vessel was a corporate transport, probably a Liberty-class cargo vessel, with a standing crew of 2,000.

The Republic Navy has approved a request to dispatch a hospital ship to retrieve the crew, most of whom are Kahanistanian citizens.

Signed,
Margaret Delray,
Minister of Foreign Affairs

The battlecruiser was steaming at full tilt for the vessel when the torpedoes were launched. On the bridge, though he was young and inexperienced, the captain was able to keep all his men at their stations. The ship's evasive maneuvers proved futile as the speed of the torpedoes overcame them, and all three hit midship in a full broadside, and she began listing heavily to port, belching smoke and fire. Though she was going down, no one abandoned ship, and the ship's two forward 25" batteries continued tracking the vessel up, firing only one volley before they rolled under the water, the rest of the ship rolling on top of them. Then, fires inside the hull reached the magazines, and the ship blew herself apart, plumes of water laced with smoke and metal shards skyrocketing out of the harbor, and a flaming oil slick began forming around it. Fireboats began converging on it, keeping out of the cannons' line of fire.

Though most of the boarding crew had jumped ship, five men were unlucky enough to be caught in the farthest reaches of the holds, and had not made it out before the firing began. Now, they ran on deck and dove for cover behind deck obstructions, unslinging their rifles and firing at the crew left on deck rather than jumping overboard, even as the port defense guns belted out another volley of fire at the ship.

As the choppers took off, anti-air missile and artillery batteries tracked them, but held their fire. Four Apache choppers took off after them, yet held their distance at 300 meters, following them away from the port. A battlecruiser took off from the port following the two groups of choppers. The Apaches would continue to push the choppers out over the ocean until the crew was forced to bail, at which point the battlecruiser would take them on.
==========================================
Minister Delray,

At this point in time, there is indeed a fire fight inside our port of Neo-Nagasaki. However, when the fire has ceased, we will attempt to pull out any survivors, and transport them to the edge of our waters, where they will wait on one of our carriers for your hospital ship to arrive and pick them up. However, your hospital ship will not be allowed inside our waters.

Any crew members in critical condition will be treated after any of our own who are in similar or worse condition, unless resources allow for simultanous treatment.

We ask that you notify whichever corporation is responsible for this crew that smugglers will not be tolerated.

Sincerely,

Grande Admiral Isoruku Yamamoto III

Aboard the cargo vessel

The crew did not engage anyone who had jumped ship, but continued to exchange fire with the rest of the boarding crew. They lost over 40 crew members trying to capture the boarders as hostages to escape, but gave up.

The captain was in critical condition with severe second and third degree burns over 60% of his body. He was unconscious where the shells had struck the ship. The first officer was wounded, though not as severely, with second-degree burns over 20% of his body.

This is the end... he thought grimly. He opened a channel to the naval base.

"We surrender to the Psychotic Psychos Navy." This might have sounded strange given they'd just taken down a battlecruiser, but they were getting shelled to oblivion by the base and the damaged cruiser.

Exhausted, he collapsed and his weapons officer took the comm.

"We have five of your men still aboard our ship on the deck, I don't know what condition they're in, we're in what's left of the bridge. We have about 90 dead and 850 wounded here," said the woman.

---

Fleeing helicopters

"Should we fire?" asked the gunner on one of the AH-64's, looking enthusiastically at one of the Apaches pushing him and his fleeing comrades away from the shore.

The pilot shook his head. "No... not until they fire on us."

"What about when we're forced to land? Our tank's only half full."

"If there's no rescue vessel on radar, we surrender."

"They'll kill us, won't they?"

"Not if they want to avoid an international incident."

---

Kahanistanian hospital ship, RKS Fleming

Captain Sven Johannsen and his vessel were two and a half days from the battle scene. Commanding a hospital ship was one of the most feared posts in the Republic Navy, given only to the bravest officers. This was because Kahanistanian hospital ships lacked weaponry of any kind, except for CIWS systems on some vessels, and could not defend themselves if their enemies fired on them.

He had heard that Kahanistanian vessels were no longer allowed in the waters of Psychotic Psychos when his radio picked up a message relayed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The RKS Fleming was the closest vessel to the battle scene. Somehow he didn't trust these Psychos... He could request an escort in the form of a Zumwalt-class destroyer, but Kahanistan was two days away.

---

DEMOCRATIC SOVIET REPUBLIC OF KAHANISTAN
Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs warns all Kahanistanian corporations involved in the trafficking of illegal goods to avoid travel to Psychotic Psychos. Recently, an exchange of fire took place between a corporate cargo vessel and a Psychotic Psychos battlecruiser.

While we do not oppose the distribution of controversial literature, and fully support freedom of speech, untrained crews should not risk combat with professional military personnel.

Signed,
Margaret Delray,
Minister of Foreign Affairs

Personnel manning their stations heard the surrender plea over the radio. The commanding officer in the port headquarters at the time (the true commander was draggin himself out of the harbor) decided to ignore Pschycotian held traditions of fights to the death and responded by issuing a cease-fire. "All batteries are to cease-fire on the Kahanistani vessel immediately. Fire crews are to respond to both this vessel and the battlecruiser. Rescue crews are to be dispatched to the Kahanistani vessel immediately." Next, he openned a secure channel to the vessel's bridge to inform them of what was going on. "Kahanistani vessel, your government has sent a hospital ship to our boarders to pick the crew up. The crew is to go free, all that are in good and moderate condition and are in no life-threatening situation. Any in critical will be cared for here and sent home later. Your captain and first officer will be treated here, and then placed under arrest for activating their ship's battlestations. Your dead will be returned to Kahanistan." He sighed, checked some computer screens, and returned to the radio. "Our men will not hear this. Do not approach them, or they will continue fighting, and then kill themselves. That is their way, do not interfer. Signify that you've surrendered, and they'll leave the ship themselves."

As the order went out, the batteries silenced themselves, steam issuing from the barrels as the coolant systems kicked in (the steam was as much for show as a byproduct of the system). Fireboats converged on the pier and began spraying water on the ship's fires, pumping out huge volumes of water. Seconds later, a huge Pave Low III helicopter roared over the wall and came to a halt over the ship, its rotorwash swirling the smoke. It set down on an open piece of deck, and the crew began waving in the Kahanistani crewmembers. The five soldiers left aboard found the injured captain and carried him on board themselves. Three additional Pave Lows lined up to land when the first took off.
=======================================

The Apache's guarding the Kahanistani choppers were monitering the situation on the radio, and decided to talk to the choppers.

Attention Kahanistan Choppers,
Your vessel surrendered earlier, and they're not in too good of shape. Right
now, our plan is to wait until you run out of fuel and have to bail, and then
pick you up with one of our battlecruisers. Or, you can release all of your weapons over water now, and we'll allow you to land on a carrier at the
Entry Station to await your hospital ship. What'll it be?
=====================================

At the same time, another message was sent to the RKS Fleming:

Attention RKS Fleming,

You may approach Entry Station Alpha-Five to pick up the crew of the vessel
involved in recent events. Currently, all who are capable of travel and are
not in a life-threatening position are being transported to this station. You
are a hospital ship, and to fire upon you is both dishonorable and forbidden
by law. Your safe passage is confirmed.

Imperial Court's Navy

OOC: This'll be my last post for a week, I'm leaving town. I'll TG and post when I'm back.

In the Naval Command Centre for the port of Neo-Nagasaki, Fleet Admiral Zimmerov stood and watched the scene in the sea, amazed that any ship captain would be stupid enough to open fire in the middle of the waters of a military dictatorship. He turned to his close Pschycotian Friend and confidant, Grand Admiral Yamamoto.

"Who the heck are these people? Honestly, what idiot opens fire with a merchant ship when surrounded by an armed navy of a military dictatorship?" Fleet Admiral Zimmerov shook his head and laughed. "It is amusing, though."

The Fleet Admiral was actually here to show off his new Cherub-class Ultracarrier and his Seraphim-class dreadnaught, and a Dersconi battlecluster was currently floating near the port. The Admiral never gave orders to engage as he figured the PsiPsoians could handle it themselves. He sat down and looked at Yamamoto again.

"I'll bet you four Tsar Roubles that this turns into an international incident." Since it was 1.25 PPK to 1 DTR, he could get a decent cup of sake at a bar downtown with the money. Of course, both had much more money than that, but it was just a friendly bet to make a point, not really any purposeful betting.

OOC: Wow, I found time for one last post!
=====================================
IC:

Yamamoto laughed a little with Zimmerov. "Now, now. Honestly, wouldn't one of your crews do the same if their ship was about to be confiscated?" He checked a pocket of his uniform, "I'll see your four Roubles, and raise you a cruiser." He laughed hysterically. "One of the old ones, you could use a high-tech yacht, couldn't you? I know I could for that matter!"

Aboard the ship, the remaining security threw down their weapons. There was nothing left to fight for.

The helicopter crews all agreed to surrender. It was either that or freeze in the water.

The hospital ship moved into the entry station. It awaited the return of the wounded crew.

Weapons Officer Adriane Hall ordered that First Officer Publius Cassius Devidius was to be taken over to the Psychotic Psychos in a lifeboat with the other wounded. She also ordered the remaining crew to lay down their weapons.

Captain Mohammed al-Dariish awoke aboard the boat, but was still unaware of where he was, or what had happened. He had evidently taken a blow to the head.

"Naw. Most of our ships are nuclear powered, now. We wouldn't do that. We'd overload the reactor and detonate it." Fleet Admiral Marko Zimmerov let out a very sinister laugh, changing to a greatly amused one when Yamamoto bet the cruiser.

"I'll match that. I've got a rotting DDX in some dry dock somewhere. Honestly, I don't know why we still keep that crap. I mean, really! The Army still has about two million M1A2 tanks just sitting there, collecting dust! They're all outdated anyways, now that we have the Kriegzimmer stuff, but we keep them anyways."

The wounded crewmen of the ship and the first mate and captain were taken ashore carefully. While the wounded were brought immediately to the harbor infirmary, the first mate and captain were held back briefly so that the situation could be described, ironically by the commander of the original search team. His uniform was water-logged and in disarray, and he had burn marks down the right side of his face, which were covered in bandages. "Well gentlemen," he started, clearing his throat and holding back large sums of anger. "As the ship's leadership, responsibility falls on you two for the incident. Captain, you'll be given proper medical treatment in one of our infirmaries while awaiting trial, First Mate, you'll be placed in the brig until such time. So that you know, all of your crew will receive medical treatment and be returned home. Your ship is....yeah, gone. Captain, the infirmary is this way, First Mate, your escort to the brig has arrived." The two men were led off in opposite directions, leaving the commander standing there, dripping water.

The men from the choppers were taken aboard the following vessel and brought immediately out to the waiting hospital ship.

While being escorted to the brig, First Officer Devidius asked to contact home.

"I need to contact the Kahanistanian Embassy, or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Corporation might also want to know where I am, too."

---

Aboard the RKS Fleming

The hospital ship moved at full speed through the Psychotic Psychos waters, toward the area where the crew of the corporate vessel was being held. In a pinch the ship could hold all 2,000 Kahanistanians.

It was several hours away, but it would take the corporate crew home, and return the bodies of the dead crew members to Kahanistan to be interred, cremated, or frozen. Kahanistanian hospital ships generally carried cryonic preservation facilities aboard ships for preserving dead sailors until they could be returned home.

"Of course, you'll be given 5 phone calls to wrap everything up that you need to," one of the guards said. The other spoke up next, "we'll get you registered and put in a cell and bring a wireless phone by for you."
=================================================

The Pave Lows that had been taking crewmen off the deck of their ruined vessel's corpse headed off immediately for the hospital ship. The helicopters had equipment for smoke inhalation victims, and began to administer aid immediately enroute.

OOC: Next up is sentencing for the two crewmen. Work on this one will take a little bit longer than possible for this post.

Swilatia condemns this silly violation of free expression and free market, especially because the sole purpose of it was "promoting morality". we find it to be even more stupid to place death setences to "promote morality". also we condemn any attempt to regulate the internet.

When the Kahanistanian First Officer received the telephone, his first order of business was to call Samizdat Corporation in Kahanistan, to let them know the result of the firefight.

The Corporation's CEO, Sheikh Abdul-Rahman ibn Abdul-Wahid al-Sisroti, was outraged that the Shogunate was going to prosecute the ship's officers. They were merely supporting freedom of speech by importing literature and music that carried ideas the dictator opposed. Sisroti picked up the red phone at his desk and dialed the number for the Kahanistanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"Hello, this is Sisroti. I need to talk to Dr. Delray, urgently."

"The Foreign Minister is in Xirnium right now, I could have someone call her cell over there, do you want me to do that?" asked the desk jockey who answered the phones.

"No, can you put me through to the Deputy Foreign Minister?" asked the corporate CEO.

After a long, annoying 20 minutes of being put on hold, shifted to another department, being briefly transferred to the Defense Ministry, and a long-winded tirade with Deputy Defense Minister Malakov, who promptly had him transferred back to the Foreign Ministry, Sisroti finally got ahold of the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. El-Hajj Mohammed Hassan ibn Malik.

The Deputy Foreign Minister had barely pressed the phone to his ear when the irate corporate boss ripped into him.

"You incompetent morons, can't you do anything right without Dr. Delray there? I called 20 minutes ago, the blockhead at the desk put me on hold, then his supervisor said it was a defense issue, then the pole-puffer in Defense finally got it through the block of wood between his ears that it was a Foreign Ministry issue, after I gave him a piece of my mind, and now I get you?! What's going on here?"

Ibn Malik was not expecting to have his head bitten off before he even spoke. "Calm down. What's the problem you called about?" He was much more patient than the Minister would have been.

"The bastards from Psychotic Psychos who wanted to seize our ship? They want to prosecute the captain and first officer for defending their vessel now. They're holding them, I got a call from the First Officer."

"I see... I'll write up a statement condemning the holding of your men, and I'll talk to Dr. Delray when she gets back from Xirnium."

---

DEMOCRATIC SOVIET REPUBLIC OF KAHANISTAN
Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The Government of Kahanistan condemns the detention of two businesspeople who were engaged in the distribution of ideas and the defense of their property.

We demand that the captured captain and first officer be sent to the RKS Fleming to be treated for their injuries and repatriated to Kahanistan, and that Samizdat Corporation, which lost a vessel in this skirmish, be compensated for the loss of the ship, its defensive armaments, and its cargo, a total value of 2.6 billion Kahanistanian shekels (roughly 4.2 billion USD).

Signed,
Mohammed Hassan ibn Malik,
Deputy Foreign Minister

TO: The Swilatian Government

As stated before in numerous explanations, we've seen a solid link between objectionable and ILLEGAL actions and this type of music. More than just promoting morality, we are trying to clean up the law breaking in this nation's populace.

As for the death penalty, it is reserved for repeat offenders, not only in this situation, but in ALL laws, including murder, stealing, arson, and other such offenses. However, we thank you for your concern

Shogun Nakamura Himura Kenshin
==============================================

To: Mohammed Hassan ibn Malik,
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs

These men cannot be released because they have fired not only on Pschycotian property, but on Pschycotian Armed Forces. Had these men not fired, we would have been willing to pay up to three-quarters of the equipment's worth.

However, they did open fire, and actually sunk an Imperial battlecruiser, and as such they must be detained and prosecuted according to law. We could by all means hold every man who opened fire or participated in this event. However, that would be too many people, and even more inhumane. So, we have decided that the leadership, who already had resopnsiblity for their crew, will take responsiblity for the punishment. You have our assurances that they will receive proper medical attention.

As for the Samizdat Corporation, they willingly and knowlingly endangered their crew and property by attempting to smuggle into our nation. We will not by any amount of money to them after this incident. Indeed it is they who should pay us for the replacement of our battlecruiser, her armory, and her crew. Actual costs for replacing these would be around 7 billion USD, should they like to replace her for us. We would like a strong warning against further illegal actions to take place in our waters to be conveyed to their leadership and crews.

Signed,
Grande Admiral Isoruku Yamamoto III
Advisor of Defense and War,
Grande Admiral of the 8th Fleet and the Eight-Eight Squadron

Statement of Support

With the powers vested in me by The Triune God, Creator of All, monarch of Derscon, I declare full and unwaivering support for the Shogunate of Pshycotic Pschycos. The Shogun has the right to defend his people from the disgusting immoral sub-"culture" that rap brings, and to defend his people from rising crime rates.

Attempts to make the Shogunate pay for someone breaking its law is ludicrous and completely unacceptable.

His Most Eminent Majestic Highness Tsar Alexei Alexandrovich Caesar Augustus Andropov XIV, Fedei Defensor, Par la Grâce de Dieu: Ambrosial Seraph of The Divine Prussian Empire of Derscon, Veliky Kralj of the Eternal Empyrean Empire, Khšaçapavan of the Holy Covanent of God, Leath-Ri of the Redemption Isles, Fedei Defensor, Lord Protector of the Imperial Grand Duchy of Bavaria, Imperator of the Greater Prussian Empire, Gloeihdamae

DEMOCRATIC SOVIET REPUBLIC OF KAHANISTAN
Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The Government of Kahanistan has issued a travel warning against travel to Psychotic Psychos, in light of attacks on corporate vessels doing business, repression of free speech, and draconian prison terms for those who produce music offensive to the Shogun.

The Government of Kahanistan vehemently disagrees with the Dersconian Government, citizens of the Soviet Republic were attacked and Imperial forces attempted to seize billions of dollars in property.

Signed,
Mohammed Hassan ibn Malik,
Deputy Foreign Minister

Short Response Issued by the Foreign Ministry

Your citizens were attacked because they shot first, which is in fact an act of war. You should be greatfully thankful at the Shogunate's show of restraint. As for the property damage, it was brought about by the fault of your own people, therefore to demand compensation is childish and rediculous.

signed
Some Nameless Bureaucrat in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

After the Captain had been given proper medical care and the First Officer had completed his phone calls, both were gathered together and brought into what appeared to be a large military courtroom that was designed more like a normal one than a Japanese influenced room. Already waiting was a panel of men in olive green/yellow army uniforms and white with gold trim naval uniforms. The two men were brought in and sat behind a table before the panel. An extremely aged man stood up from the panel, his white uniform glinting in the sun coming in through the window. "This court is now in session to review the actions caused by Captain Mohammed al-Dariish and First Officer Devidius. Sirs, you are charged with unlocking weapons systems without authorization inside Imperial waters, firing on Imperial property, firing on Imperial military property, and carrying and attempting to offload illegal goods. Let it be further known that sinking of the Imperial Battlecruiser Matsuyama can be considered an act of war but will not be in this case.

"I, Grande Admiral Isoruku Yamamoto III, on behalf of the Supreme Military Judicial Panel, would like to know how you plead."

"Not guilty." The Kahanistanian corporate attorney had told First Officer Devidius to NEVER plead guilty, especially in a country that sent musicians to prison for 56 years.

It took less than a second for Captain al-Dariish to say the same thing. "Not guilty."

"We want to see our lawyers," said First Officer Devidius.

Yamamoto chuckled. "Of course. As for an attorney, that will not be happening. This is a military court. You've commited crimes inside our borders, and are subject to our laws and penalties as such. We don't use lawyers here. Besides, it would be fairly hard to prove innocence in a case like this." He quickly scanned the others on the panel for any input, and continued after finding none, "therefore, Captain, as you were not on the bridge and did not issue orders to attack, you are not subject to the penalties of this. However, as you are commander in cheif of your crew, it falls on you to keep them in line. As such, we will give you 20 years in prison. We hope that it will be enough to allow you to return to the sea.

"First Officer, as you maintained the bridge while the captain was not present, responsiblity for the unlocking of the weapons system and the resulting attacks falls unto you. For causing the death of 1000 Imperial sailors and the loss of 7 billion dollars of equipment, along with valuing the material possesions of your cargo hold above the lives of your crew, which is extremely foolhardy, we sentence you to death. As a sign of respect for your position, we shall allow you the choice of method. Well?"

OOC: Out of curosity, why bother with a tribunal/trial? Why not just shoot impliment summary execution? Its also generally frowned upon to execute foreign nationals. Shouldn't they be given a tad more of a chance to defend themselves in a trial?

OOC: Out of curosity, why bother with a tribunal/trial? Why not just shoot impliment summary execution? Its also generally frowned upon to execute foreign nationals. Shouldn't they be given a tad more of a chance to defend themselves in a trial?

OOC: I know, but it's more formal and adds more to an RP. As for the execution, well, that provides a little spice to it, no?

To the Shogun of Psychotic Psychos:
We have heard of your new law regarding "immoral" music, and while I agree that rap music sucks, I do not agree with restricting free speech and free marketing, especially in the name of "morality". Whose morals are you going by anyway? God's, or your own? Regardless, you should impose parental advisory labels, rather than sending the offending musicians to prison for 12 years or even giving them the death penalty. I also condemn your plan to regulate the Internet. Do not do it, you are intruding upon basic human rights here and you will regret it sooner or later.
Signed,
Queen Emily Siobhan Jove,
Queen of the Modern Queendom of Darknovae.

To: Queen Emily Siobhan Jove

Once again, we are linking this music to illegal activities that society in general regards as immoral: violence, promiscuous sex, and drug use. We are also only "regulating" the internet to the point where illegal sales cannot take place. I also see no "basic human right" that we are denying here. All of our citizens' basic human rights are provided.

As for the death penalty, we once again state that this is hopefully a deterant, and it is never actually used.

Signed,

Shogun Nakamura Himura Kenshin

The Kahanistanian First Officer went pale. He had heard of the ruthless nature of the law in Psychotic Psychos, but had not expected to be sentenced to death before even being found guilty.

After he regained his composure, he nodded. "Do you have a firing squad? Do you have a priest to administer the last rites?" He was apparently Catholic.

(OOC: Are you a Trekkie? This seems an awful lot like Cardassian trials (http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Cardassian_Articles_of_Jurisprudence) in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. The trial is for show, the verdict predetermined.)

(OOC: Are you a Trekkie? This seems an awful lot like Cardassian trials (http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Cardassian_Articles_of_Jurisprudence) in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. The trial is for show, the verdict predetermined.)

OOC: Those amuse me. :)

OOC: Haha, I'm not a treckie. I am, however, a military dictatorship, like I said before, so this sort of judicial system is appropriate; basically it's a puppet of the main government and military.


"We have both, sir. I will have one of my aides send for one the moment we are done here," Yamamoto said. "The firing squad will be at your service, whether you want a volley, or one shot; into the head, or into the heart; etc..." Next, he turned to the captain, "Sir, you will be placed in a moderate-security prison. You will be provided three meals a day, access to reading materials printed in English, and excercise time. Remember, as long as you are in this facility, your safety is garaunteed. If you try to escape, it is not. However, you appear as a man of honor, so I do not forsee a problem.

"Well, gentlemen. A chopper has been called to take you away. You will be escorted outside to await it. Good day."

"A volley..." said Devidius calmly. He was formerly a Commander in the Republic Navy, and some traditions die hard, despite the fact that the Soviet Republic had abolished capital punishment even in its military well over a century ago. He did not want to be hanged like a criminal or shot in the head like a dog.

"Let me die like a soldier." If the Psychotic Psychos government had conducted a background check on him, they would have known of his prior service in the Republic Navy.

---

The Kahanistanian ship

The First Officer of the Kahanistanian hospital ship asked the crew of the corporate ship where its captain and first officer were.

"They want to prosecute them, Commander," said the corporate weapons officer.

The Kahanistanian Commander opened a channel to the Shogunate.

This is Commander Maxwell Danzig, Republic Navy, First Officer of the RKS Fleming. I think you have two of our people still in your territory.

---

Joint Statement by the DSRK Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Samizdat Corporation

http://www.nationstates.net/images/flags/uploads/kahanistan.jpghttp://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/images/Samizdatcorp.jpg

We condemn the summary trials of Mr. Mohammed al-Dariish and Mr. Publius Cassius Devidius, lacking in even the most basic pretenses of fairness or impartiality. It is nations like these that the Corporation opposes by its staunch defenses of free speech and opposition to censorship in all its nefarious forms.

The outcome of this trial was apparently predetermined; the trial was conducted even before the lawyer sent by the Corporation could arrive. Furthermore, a sentence of death was passed down on a Kahanistanian citizen; the Constitution of Kahanistan prohibits the application of capital punishment.

The Republic and the Corporation may disagree on economic issues, but we are both supportive of human rights, and denounce the judicial system of Psychotic Psychos as transparent in its obvious failure to even attempt to safeguard the rights of the accused.

We call for the execution of Mr. Publius Cassius Devidius to be stayed while the merits of the case against him are weighed by impartial individuals. We urge that trials be made open to the public.

Signed,

Margaret Delray,
Minister of Foreign Affairs

Mohammed Hassan ibn Malik,
Deputy Foreign Minister

Abdul-Rahman ibn Abdul-Wahid al-Sisroti,
CEO of Samizdat Corporation

Vladimir Borisovitch Kalininov,
CFO of Samizdat Corporation

Barbara M. Jennings,
President of Samizdat Corporation

Ali Kamel ibn Mostafa Hossein,
Director, Public Relations Division

On the way to work, a man turned his radio to his favourite station, DTR 580.

Welcome back to the show, I'm Tauron Porotkov. As most of you know, Kahanistan is bitching about being punished for breaking Pschycotian law. So, they're sailor got put up for execution. Well, sure, it's the responsibility of the government to prevent foreign governments from unjustly punishing their citizens. Well, guess what? Mr. Devidius broke PsiPso law by knowingly bringing that crap in to PsiPso, and then FIRED ON THEIR FUCKING NAVY!

The man chuckled and took a sip of his coffee, turning the radio up a bit.

Frankly, I think Kahanistan should be thanking the Honourable Shogun for only killing one of their people instead of their entire goddamned heathen populous.

Let's hear your thoughts.

The sound of a call was heard and a *click*.

Vladimir, you're on the air.

"Hey, Tauron, you're great."

Thanks, Vladimir. What's your thoughts?

"I think Abdul-Rahman ibn Turbanhead and all of those pinkos over there is a fucktard."

The man listening to the radio raised an eyebrow at the caller's complete lack of restraint on the air. However, Derscon had no FCC when it came to what you said, even if it was insulting and rabidly racist.

"I think the Shogun should send his Islands over there and teach those Kahanistani pricks a lesson."

Tauron was heard laughing.

Thanks for your comments.

"Have a great day, Tauron."

You too, Vladimir. *click* We'll be right back after the six o' clock news.

The man in the car realized he might be late to work, so hit the accelerator to get to his new job at the gun range on time.

As soldiers came in to escort the pair out, Yamamoto's cell phone range. He answered it, speaking in inaudible words. Mid-conversation, he put his hand up and halted the guards. A few moments more and he shut the phone, hidding it back in his uniform. "First Officer, it appears that the shogun is willing to grant you a retrial, with the presence of one of your own lawyers. Captain, you will be allowed to stay and watch. He's also ordered members of the press in as well to broadcast the hearings."
============================================
To: The Members of the Kahanistani Government and the Samzidat Corporation

Though our law system does not normally fascilitate this, we will allow a retrial for First Officer Devidius within the presence of one of your own lawyers.

The trial of the two did have a predetermined outcome, as this is a straight forward case in which guilt by responsibility is applied. We understand that your constitution may not allow for capital punishment, but it was one of our rules that were broken, in our territory, and therefore it is subject to our own lawcode, which does encorporate a death penalty.

You have called our judicial system "transparent", which is a fairly accurate statement. Our system is designed as a formality with high priority cases such as these where guilt is obvious. Lower end cases are not quite as transparent, though equally ruthless. As for the rights of the accused, they are suspended whenever a case involves the military.

First Officer Devidius will be retried by a different panel, with one of your own lawyers present, and the press present to report the case, as you have asked.

Your lawyer will be granted access to our nation in the areas of the trial proceedings. with a full guarantee of his safety. He ask that you set him on his way here immediately.

Signed,

Shogun Nakamura Himura Kenshin

BUMPAGE!

The corporate lawyer boarded a plane for Neo-Nagasaki from Najaster, capital of Kahanistan. It was escorted by two Republic Guard MiG-35's as a security measure, though they were not expected to see action.

The plane also contained Ali Kamel ibn Mostafa Hossein, the corporate public relations director, and four corporate security guards, with the same body armor and weapons as those on the ship.

The planes were now an hour away, expecting orders from ATC to come in any moment as they approached.

Kahanistania aircraft, this is Pschycotian Control. Two escort craft
are being sent up to escort you in. Your landing site will be the Naval
Airfield. Do not stray from course. Please acknowledge, over.

Two modified F-14Z fighters came up alongside the Kahanistani aircraft and began escorting it into an extended landing pattern. Hidden from view beneath the fighters' turned down wings were 6 firebird ATA missiles, just in case there was any funny business.

The MiG pilots responded almost at the same time. "We copy, over."

The other plane was a corporate transport. While some variants of the standard Cessnas used by the corporation carried a machine gun for defense, those were primarily used for transporting goods and this plane's mission was open, to deliver a lawyer and a corporate official. This plane was completely unarmed, but the MiG's were not, and they were a military escort to protect the corporate transport.

They followed the ATC's directions to the letter.

The three planes were landed at the naval airfield, a quick hop, skip, and jump from where the second trial was to take place. The men were loaded into two jeeps and taken over to the Military Trials building, though the security officers were asked fairly strongly to leave weapons onboard their plane. At the door to the building, press members were all ready crowding in. A man in a military uniform brought the First Officer over to the group of Kahanistani men. "You will be given one hour to confer about this. There is a secure room on the second left down this hall. When your time is over someone will get you and bring you to the proceedings room. Do you require anything else?"

The man shook his head. The Kahanistanians greeted the first officer. "I am Dr. Ali Kamel ibn Mostafa Hossein, director of public relations, I'm here to answer any questions the Psychos might have about our corporation, its ideologies, its reasoning, et cetera."

The Kahanistanian lawyer greeted Devidius. "Dr. Gaius Marcus Cassius, I'm your defense lawyer for this trial." He pulled out a huge folder detailing Kahanistanian laws on corporate activities, laws relating to the use of weapons at sea, and the rights of accused suspects, etc. It also mentioned the case the defense would bring.

"These four men are corporate security. The man and woman in Republic Guard uniforms are the MiG pilots who escorted us."

They sat in the room and conferred for the next hour. Meanwhile, members of various Kahanistanian news outlets, left and right, arrived in nearby airports, waiting to film the trial.

At the end of the hour, the men were brought from their conference room and brought into the same room as the previous trial. This time, however, there was a different set of men in the front booth. The escort and entourage men were sat in the front audience row, and the defendant and his lawyer were sat at a table in front of the panel. Rather than a member of the panel bringing forth charges, another man seated adjacent to the defense did so.

"I am Fleet Admiral Gene Starwind, Commander Eighth Fleet, Lieutenant Commander Eight-Eight Squadron. Today, we bring forth charges on First Officer Devidius for Unlocking Offensive Weapons Systems while in Pschycotian Territorial Waters, Destruction of Pschycotian Property, and Destruction of Imperial Property in the recent Neo-Nagasaki Incident involving a Liberty-Class cargo vessel. As the man in charge of the bridge while the Captain was on deck with a Pschycotian security and inspections team, you are held responsible for the mentioned charges. We turn this over to the defense to plead their case before the Military Judicial Panel."

Cassius opened his argument. "First, the defense moves that the trial be transferred to a civilian court, we feel that the military cannot be objective in conducting this case."

"For our defense... the weapons were activated AFTER the Imperial Navy attempted to seize the ship. The crew hoped to encourage the Navy to back off and avoid a fight, that they wouldn't consider a few copies of the Communist Manifesto or Dead Skin Mask Slayer CD's worth the lives of a thousand sailors. They didn't even fire until the Navy did."

"The Corporation's policy on the use of force is never to fire the first shot. We are not a military organization, we are an organization dedicated to proliferating controversial materials through the blockades of censorship wherever they exist."

One of the panel members addressed the first point. "Sir, this is a military dictatorship. That means that the government is military run. You will be tried by a military official anywhere in this nation."

The Admiral took the second argument. "So, you admit to unlocking weapons systems in an attempt to intimidate a legitimate military force inside one of their own ports? Now, as for us firing first. Not only did you unlock weapons systems, but you ordered hands to defensive stations while soldiers of our military were onboard your vessel. What did you expect our reaction to be? We have a port to defend. We had no clue if "defensive" stations would become "offensive" stations. Our first shots were designed to disable your weapons systems, which I think is an appropriate reaction in this case.

"As for your third point. You say it is your intent to spread controvisial material through blockades of censoship. Therefore, is it safe for me to say, that in either case, you came to this nation, with the full intention to break our laws?"

The Kahanistanian defense lawyer answered the first point. "Well, at least you're an honest military dictatorship, too many dictators claim to be democratically elected. On to the second point... the Corporation has property to protect too, that ship alone cost about four hundred million Kahanistanian shekels. On to your third point... yes. The Corporation does not deny that. We deny that our officer deserves to be charged for unlocking his weapons to protect Corporate property."

He was conceding that the Corporation was involved in smuggling, but smuggling did not carry a death sentence in Psychotic Psychos, at least according to the law book he had brought with him... which was about 10 years old. He merely wanted to save the life of the corporate officer.

The admiral addressed the next statements, "while it is indeed understandable that you'd harbor the desire to protect corporation property, it is a crime punishable by death to unlock any weapons systems inside our territory. Especially when the alternative of contacting our headquarters or another official to file to reclaim your ship. This would have saved the lives of countless people and the cost of replacing property."

"The prevailing mood aboard the ship was that headquarters knew of the search, and probably approved it. We know so little of the Shogunate's policies that when someone tries to take our ship, we don't expect your headquarters to try to help us, in our experience headquarters of nations we are shipping to generally approve of seizures made in this manner."

"At the time of the confrontation we had no idea that we would have the option of filing to reclaim our ship and cargo, most places confiscate the goods and destroy them after the trial."

The corporate defense attorney's face fell. I think we're losing this one.

TO: The Swilatian Government

As stated before in numerous explanations, we've seen a solid link between objectionable and ILLEGAL actions and this type of music. More than just promoting morality, we are trying to clean up the law breaking in this nation's populace.

As for the death penalty, it is reserved for repeat offenders, not only in this situation, but in ALL laws, including murder, stealing, arson, and other such offenses. However, we thank you for your concern

Shogun Nakamura Himura Kenshin

We still oppose this legislation, as with any "morality legislation" you should be ashamed.

Starwind took the rebutal for a little bit, "true, headquarters knew of this events, I have the records here in my hands. However, from this point, HQ documents it to prepare for a claim to return the ship. We do destroy siezed goods, but the ship is returned after a more thorough search.

"Furthermore," he said, pressing harder, "none of this still explains why you could not have chose Option C and depart from the dock. You were not locked in any position in port. If you had undocked and attempted to run, it is standard operating procdeure that we allow you to leave and either take you at the next port, or allow you to leave waters peacefully. And! Even if you were afraid of being fired on while attempting to escape, would it not have made sense to think that we would've tried to halt your vessel before firing to avoid confrontation and collateral damage?"

==========================================
To: The Swilatian Government,

We are not ashamed of this legislation in any way, nor will we ever be. It is you who should be ashamed for allowing this cancer to spread and for taking such interest in another nation's internal affairs.

From: The Pschycotian Foregin Assistant.

"We had your men aboard our ship, we couldn't just turn tail and run, and those were dangerous elements on the ship, they could do a lot of damage while we were in retreat. And again, the Corporation has limited knowledge of Imperial Navy rules of engagement, we are used to conflicts with much more aggressive nations... the main reason we carry such heavy weapons."

"So you had our men on your ship. They would've jumped ship when it moves. If you were that concerned about protecting your property, you should've fled rather than fought. You displayed poor leadership in this situation by deciding to fire."

I could go on about how we were on a mission to deliver that stuff, but they won't go for it... of course we have poor leadership. "We are not a military organization. We don't have the best of leaders, we aren't structured for that purpose." Now we're going in circles...

The lawyer's goal at this point was no longer to get the First Officer off the hook, but merely to spare him from the death penalty. The Corporation would have to alter its rules of engagement when dealing with Psychotic Psychos in the future.

Starwind addressed the panel next. "You Honors, with all due respect, at this point, we're going in circles. The defence overreacted, but did so out of lack of knowledge of our own ROE. It is my opinion that the ruling on the death penalty be overturned."

The panel shook their heads in agreement, and one addressed Starwind, "what would your opinion be on a new sentence?"

"Your Honors, I recommend a life sentence."

"Admiral, you know full well that we have no prison room for this, and our own prisoners would tear this man up."

"We have no space," said Starwind, "but our allies the Dersconi do."

The panel addressed the First Officer and his lawyer, "we know you've been trying to avert the death penalty. Would life in a Dersconi prison be an agreeable sentence in this case?"

"What about the possibility of parole after, say, ten years?" asked the attorney. He knew that ten years was off the wall given that the captain had gotten twenty, but he wanted to negotiate for a sentence that would allow for eventual release. From his position, life without parole was worse than death, one simply died slowly in prison after fifty or sixty years rather than a quick death on a noose or at the end of a firing squad.

It was likely that he would settle for something in the area of 30-35 years, the defendant was 47 years old and the life expectancy in Kahanistan was about 100 years.

Two Dersconi naval personnel were sitting in the back of the trial room, watching everything occur. The one chuckled and turned to the other officer.

"Parole? Release? This attorney doesn't know very much." The other one simply smirked.

"Indeed. Did you call command, tell them we may be recieving a visitor?" The younger officer nodded.

"Yes I did, sir. Zimmerov is aware and contacted MSS."

"Good." They turned back to the trial to watch the proceedings.

"We will be willing to allow for the possiblity of parole after 40 years. Is this agreeable?"

Too harsh... the penalty in a Kahanistanian court for reckless homicide is five to fifteen years... Reckless homicide was the Kahanistanian term for what was called manslaughter in most Western courts. The term was not gender-specific and removed connotations of butchery.

"We would agree to twenty-five years." The lawyer knew that the defendant would be old when he got out even if they accepted. How old would be up to the counsel's negotiation skills.

"Thirty-five is the limit. We will go no lower, our duty forbids it."

The defendant would be 82 years old when he was paroled. The counsel had saved his life, and he would possibly even have some of it left when he got out. His eyes watered and he nodded. Cassius nodded firmly.

"Very well."

Devidius' voice shook. "Thank you. You did more for me than I would have thought possible."

(OOC: What are conditions like in Dersconi prisons? Given how bigoted they seem against Kahanistanians, I don't think he'll fare too well...)

OOC: I've never RPed them, and even if I did, you wouldn't ICly have any idea about it. Also, they're not ICly bigoted against you, they just think you're retarded for firing in a port of a military dictatorship. :p

"We do not know of the conditions in higher security Dersconi prisons, but their nation is on the cutting edge of civil liberties, and wouldn't allow for poor conditions." The panel member looked around, and then finished up, "well, with that settled, I adjourn this court in hopes for some nice sake. Dersconi officials will be waiting for you. Good day."

DEMOCRATIC SOVIET REPUBLIC OF KAHANISTAN
Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The Government of Kahanistan is pleased with the result of the trial. A citizen's life has been saved and the Samizdat Corporation has changed its rules of engagement to conform with the opposing nation's law enforcement practices.

In the interests of repairing relations with the Imperial Shogunate, the Government of Kahanistan will wire 3.7 billion Kahanistanian shekels (slightly over $7 billion USD) in compensation for the destruction of the Imperial battlecruiser Matsuyama.

While this is not intended to be an admission of responsibiliity for the actions of the Corporation, we hope that the relations between our nations will improve somewhat.

Signed,
Margaret Delray,
Minister of Foreign Affairs

TO: Foreign Minister Delray

We appreciate that the Samzidat Corporation will be rewriting their books regarding our nation to prevent further such inncidents, and we are equally glad that a life was spared.

We shall accept the money to rebuild the battlecruiser, whose frame is still salvagable.

And finally, as this was an inncident regarding a corporation, our nation's attitude towards yours will remain unaffected.

Sincerily,

Shogun Nakamura Himura Kenshin

The two naval officers in the back watched the final proceedings, seeing the sentencing. One of the officers looked at the other, whispering. "Isn't the record twenty-two years in a prison before dying?" The ranking officer nodded.

"I believe so." The younger officer let out a slightly sinister chuckle and gave the signal to the Dersconi Marines outside the courtroom.

Six Marines entred the building, four of which were armed with the SIDMAR-1/MICW. They kept them at the ready, but did not raise them in any way. They marched in perfect formation, forming two inward arrows; the unarmed Marines in the middle, beside each other, and the armed ones in the corners of a square around them.

The armed Marines in front stopped short of the barrier separating the crowd and the trial floor, the armed Marines in back going forward to open the gates. The unarmed Marines came up on either side of Cassius. They grabbed him on the shoulder forcefully, but not too overbearing, and led him out of the trial floor, into the hallway. At that point, Cassius was in the middle, flanked by the two unarmed Marines. The armed Marines fell back a little bit, so as to be completely out of reach of Cassius. They shouldered their weapons, but pointed them down. The armed Marines in front simply kept the isle clear for them to make their way through.

When they got outside, two Armoured SUVs were waiting for them. The two officers that were in the back of the court room were waiting for them. The ranking officer addressed him with cold eyes.

"First Officer? I am Captain Ratislav Obriadovich Kabakov, aide de camp to Imperial Admiral Marko Zarubezhnikovich Zimmerov. I entrust you won't put up too much of a fight." He smirked. "It would be a shame to report to the Ministry that you were misbehaving on the way over. They may not be very nice to you." He was clearly taunting him. The armed Marine motioned into the SUV in the front. One of the unarmed ones opened the door, showing a sealed off back section of the SUV with a plainclothed Dersconi officer of something sitting in the back.

"Get in."

(Cassius is the lawyer, Devidius is the defendant.)

The Kahanistanian prisoner complied fully with the Dersconis' demands, unaware of what the next 35 years would bring him. He climbed into the SUV, expecting to be taken away to... parts unknown. He had never thought about Dersconi prisons much.

(Cassius is the lawyer, Devidius is the defendant.)
OOC: Bugger. :p

The SUVs made their way to one of the Docks in Shinnagasaki, where more armed Marines were waiting for them. In front of them was the Dersconi Flagship, the HMS Seraphim. The inspiration coming from the Pschycotian Arkhangel, the duel flight-deck ultracarrier was one of the best of it's class, without being too large as to be un-useable.

The two SUVs drove onto an anphibious vehicle (the Seraphim was not actually docked), which then made its way to the Flagship.

Devidius was taken on board by a crew of Marines and taken to the Admiral's Quarters, where Zimmerov himself was waiting for him. The Imperial Admiral turned around, the cape that came with any rank of Imperial status fluttering a bit with the swift motion.

"So you're the idiot who fired on the ships?" The Admiral chuckled. "You know, Yamamoto and I are good friends, we go back a-ways." His eyes wandered a bit before coming back to him.

"Well, since you're not a POW, I won't treat you with the respect I normally do. You are what amounts to cargo. Therefore, off to the brig with ya!" He dismissed them with his hand and the Marines drug Devidius down to the bottom of the massive carrier, tossing him in a solid cell with only one window, looking into the hallway.

He was previously searched, removed of all things that could be used as weapons or anything else. He was allowed to keep his military uniform, however, in the cell with him. It was only a few hours ride to Derscon, but it would be nearly double that through Derscon, considering where he was going....