NationStates Jolt Archive

The Empire of Layarteb will celebrate the 849th year of independence on October 31, 2006. Layarteb City will be lit up with parties that night and fireworks will shake the world. The Empire, though it only has been around for 26 years, celebrates the independence of Layarteb, as a whole, from the Dominion of Tnemrot.

On October 31, 1157, the combines forces of the Four Tribes of Layarteb declared independence from the Dominion of Tnemrot. It wasn't until 1215 that the Dominion of Tnemrot was finally defeated but from that day onward, Layarteb was, in itself, an independent country.

The Empire would like to formally invite world leaders to this galla-extravaganza.

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These are some pictures from last year.

The fate of the Empire was on shaky grounds now. There was a secret war being raged on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands for their conquest, in conjunction with the War on Drugs, being waged against three major domestic cartels and any number of foreign cartels. The drug trade had grown enormously in the past ten years and that was a major problem for the Empire. Fighting in Venezeula, Colombia, and Cuba was particularly isolated between military and drug enforcement forces against the cartel forces but civilians had been made to suffer, by both sides. It was not very popular anymore and success had not come in some time. The secret war being waged on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands was something that would remain a secret until it was over and a success, this way they didn't have another failure to announce. War was soon to be waged against the Falkland Islands as The Cynically Obstructive Orcs of Varsola was being attacked by a coalition and nations. In the wake of the nuclear accident on Grenada and the deaths of over 36,000 people due to the blast, the fire, and the radiation, the Empire was looking might unpopular. The one thing guaranteed by the Emperor, above all things, was safety and security. Until now that had been easy to give. Since October 2005, things had changed when a terrorist group called the Republican Liberation Army announced its war against the Empire. It has since been defeated but the everlasting mark on history was still there and would always be there for a long time.

The Emperor was looking for a good series of celebrations for the Independence Day festivities. They would begin just after sundown on October 31 and continue well into the morning of November 1. This was considered the most important holiday for Layarteb and though the Empire was founded on July 4, 1980, that was a secondary holiday. Layarteb went back over a thousand years but until 849 years ago, it was in the firm grasp of the Dominion of Tnemrot. Then, on that day, in the year 1157, independence was declared. War began immediately thereafter and lasted some 58 years, ending on May 13, 1215, officially called Cessation Day.

Because of the importance of security with so many world leaders, Layarteb City was put on high alert. Security, police, and military forces within the city were bolstered and threat indicators were elevated. Local and federal law enforcement forces were going to be out in force, patrolling the streets, "A Cop on Every Corner," as one newspaper put it. Fireworks were going to go off, bars were going to be packed, clubs were going to be packed. House parties were going to be numerous as well. Considered a national holiday, few people would be working that day and the daytime festivities would be centered around barbeques, if the weather permitted, otherwise it was indoor parties. Party halls were booked all around the Empire and Layarteb City was center of all things. All around Governor's Island, barges were placed with fireworks, hundreds of thousands of them, for a three hour light show beginning at 20:30 hours and ending at 23:30 hours. It would be enormous and it would be celebratory to the very end. The Waldorf=Astoria would be booked solid with foreign dignitaries and high class citizens. Each and every one of their ballrooms was going to be loaded with people and cruise ships were prepared to begin sailing around Manhattan Island, the eastern coast, and the Caribbean Sea for more and more and more parties.

Preforming a graceful landing as always, the V-17/A Kongeløve executive transport aircraft belonging to His Majesty the King of Cotland arrived on Layartebian soil, the first visit to Layarteb for the King with his relatively new aircraft. The 54.1 meter long, sleek, white-painted shape with the Cottish colors on the single large tailfin showed that it was a fast aircraft, even to the most uneducated person. To those who knew anything about aircraft, they could tell that this was indeed the fastest executive transport aircraft in operation in the world. The whole idea with the aircraft had, apart from getting the King to and from places quickly, been to impress foreigners and Cottish citizens alike with the design and look of the aircraft. It had a sort of luxurious and awe-inspiring look.

The large aircraft stopped at the assigned spot and powered down its four large, powerful afterburning turbofan engines, the whine subsiding relatively quickly, making it possible for anyone on the outside to hear again. A set of stairs was rolled over to the aircraft relatively quickly, and a company of Layartebian soldiers, the traditional honor guard, assembled quickly a tad away from the stairs while the reception party arrived. The Cots had been informed that the Emperor himself would greet the King, a great honor if there ever was one. A Birkebeiner, a member of the King's personal protection detail emerged in the doorway, dressed in inconspicuous civilian dark suit, checking the area while a pair of enlisted sersjants dressed in the light blue Class A uniform of the Royal Cottish Air Force, part of the aircraft crew moved down the stairs and took up positions on either side of the mouth of the stairs. Finally, they were ready for the King to emerge.

The King was looking refreshed, dressed in a smart suit underneath the overcoat he was wearing in the chilly late-October morning. His beard was well groomed, as always, and he had a smile on his face as he walked down the stairs. As he reached the last steps, the two enlisted men raised their right hands very fast into a smart salute, which the King returned without a thought. Stepping onto Layartebian soil, he took three steps and extended his hand to the Emperor, who was waiting.

"Emperor. It's been too long." The King said to his old friend, shaking his hand.

"It has old friend. It has. I'm glad to see that you have not aged a bit. You and I are old fellows here in the world now. I'm glad you could make it here for our celebrations. It'll be an honor to have you and if it may please the King, I will be riding with you to your Royal Suite at the Waldorf=Astoria." He shook the King's hand and they paused for the usual publicity shots that cameramen from both the Empire and the Realm so ached and long to get. They would be traveling by motorcade, inside limousines that were specially outfitted for VIP transport. It would take more than a LAW or AT4 to get through the tough, thick armor on these vehicles. Four of them, as well as eight Suburbans would be driven to the hotel, in convoy, with police escort the entire way. LCPD officers would be in vehicles and on motorcycles, armed just in case anyone was planning anything. Intelligence had no extra chatter to report and no indicator had been given away that anything would happen but it was never foolish to err on the side of caution.

Layarteb City International Airport, EOL

The flight had been just over six hours, and for most of those six the Fuhrer had either been in his office in a meeting via video link or in the conference room down the corridor. The war in the Gulf was progressing steadily and things were being co-ordinated, naturally the Fuhrer wanted to be kept fully abreast of all operations and events. He also had to sort out the closing of the base at Hamamatsu and was trying to decide, with the former Ambassador to Japan, whether to cut all diplomatic links and remove recognition of the little Pacific nation.

In any case the Fuhrer was in a fairly good mood, travelling into one of his favourite world cities, to see what would surely be an amazing celebration, on a par with the COH's own celebrations on Independence Day. The last time the Fuhrer had met with the Emperor was at the funeral of Josey Wales, and there was not much to talk about. But since then many things had happend, as is the norm with the world at large.

It was a sunny but cold day in Layarteb City, at least thats what the Pilot said as the big black, red and yellow E-4B descended into the airport, the massive skyline of the city off to the left, the many windows glinting and sparkling in the sun.

Things in TOA countries were different for visiting alliance members. Security was always guaranteed and transport always laid on. Thus the only COH plane was the E-4B.

At around 3.30pm the giant, colorful plane touched down and taxied to its alotted space were it would be guarded round the clock by the EOL authorities.

A limo and a motorcade of various law enforcement vehicles was waiting for the Fuhrer on the tarmac, and he and a detachment of five Fuhrer Guards, dressed in black suits with black ties and sunglasses. Waiting inside a ring of security Officers was the unmistakable figure of the Emperor, who stepped forward as the Fuhrer descended the stairs.

The King smiled at the cameras before getting into the Emperor's limo. It was an outstanding piece of machinery, similar to his own limo which had been left in Norway, and adequate for the transport. Once they were in the limo and comfortable, the King spoke again.

"I'm glad to be here again, and glad to speak with you under better circumstances than the last time around. Josey's funeral wasn't a plesant experience." The King stated, remembering the old friend that had been the Prime Minister of Hawdawg, the neighboring country and extremely close ally to Cotland. "How is the Empire?" The King asked after a few seconds, wondering about how the situation was as the limo moved out from the airport in the direction of Manhattan.

From what the intelligence breifs and officers told him, everything was not well in the land of Layarteb. There had been some serious debates over whether or not he should attend, but they had been put to rest. The Embassy had been responsible for planning security measures for the King along with the security contingent. A total of sixteen Birkebeiners were accompanying the King on this voyage, eight of which were in the accompanying Suburbans along with the Emperor's bodyguards, armed heavily with L104A6 Tactical Assault Pistols, each having a clip of ten 11x43mm LDC rounds in the weapon itself and another five or six readily available; and a few L105A1 Personal Defense Weapons, each with six fourty-round 4.6x30mm magazines available. Their orders were to protect the King at all costs, and they were all ready and willing to do just that, being extremely loyal beyond death to the King. According to all records, they didn't exist, giving them a lot of options to do as the King ordered. They didn't expect anything to happen, but they were ready to defend the King regardless. Therefore, they were watching out the tinted windows of the Suburbans, sitting like stone monuments, saying nothing and expressing even fewer emotions. They were like robots, robots with a single, all-important task: To obey and protect the King, who was sitting in the limo, speaking with the Emperor.

The Grand Duke, while lamenting his inability to attend [owing to the opening session of Parlement in Saint Lazare], expresses his sincere gratitude in hearing the long health of a fine institution and wishes thus many years to be added to it, hoping that the Grand Duchy may one day mirror such a venerable government and state in Layarteb. If possible, we will send late delegates.

"Josey's funeral was most unfortunate. It is a shame that such a figure, such a legend in the world had to go so early. I expected him to outlive me but I dare regret my mistake in that assumption." He smirked. "Going back to your question. The Empire. Well I am afraid that it isn't the same as it was, say, two years ago. Since we have announced 'realization' and the completion of the conquests, we have been having some troubles. As you are aware we had a terrorist problem with the RLA. Then there was Grenada. The wounds of Grenada still sit uncomfortable. We had over 36,000 people die and the Realm felt the loss as well on Barbados. It was a shame that Mother Nature decided to blow the winds northeast that day.

"I hope that the recent unrest is not a deterrant. These upsets are irregular and aside from the Saint George's incident, they were relatively minor. I can assure you though that every precaution and measure of security is being taken here in Layarteb City this week. There should be no cause for alarm." The procession moved towards the Manhattan hotel, just a few miles away. The Emperor would not be able to stay long once he arrived for he had the Hirgizstani Fuhrer coming in 15:30 hrs, just an hour away. He would be there to meet him as well. On the way, he was informed of the inability of the Grand Duke to attend but he did wish to send delegates. The offer would be graciously accepted.

OOC: Fast forwarding a little bit so that I can do both the Hirgizstani & Cottish angles at once

The Emperor had just arrived back with minutes to spare when the Hirgizstani plane landed. The honor guard was present and the Fuhrer would be received just like the Cottish King and he too would stay in the Waldorf=Astoria. When the Fuhrer descended the stairs, the Emperor stepped forward to greet the Fuhrer.

The Fuhrer extended his hand as he got to the bottom of the steps, the Emperor took it and they shook hands, smiling. "Dear Emperor, it has been too long. How is everything?"

"I have no worries concerning the security, as I have confidence in that you've taken every security effort required. I just hope that, for the sake of the Empire, that the unest will cease soon. I have no wish to see the repeat of Grenada or Barbados again. The pictures I was shown were... gruesome." Was all the King said, recalling the picture of the korporal that had been among the first of the radiation victims. His skin had melted, dried blood were visible from all body openings, radiation burns visible on all exposed skin... It wasn't a pretty sight to say the least. Shaking his head slightly, he tried to remove the image from his mind. He succeeded, to a certain point.

"Anyway, enough with the gloomy talk. I've got something to tell you, old friend." With a small smile, the King pulled out a picture of a beautiful woman, about the same age as the King, and handed it to the Emperor. "Meet Maria, my wife to be. We're going public when I return to Cotland in a week's time."

[OOC: And the cat is out of the bag...]

The Emperor nodded at the suggestion of the horrific events on Grenada but was surprised to see the King pulling out a picture of a beautiful Cottish woman, soon to be his bride. "Well. That is a beautiful turn of events. I could not be happier for you. I would love to meet this woman and to shake her hand for making the King so happy. I hope that she can join us on further occassions as this? I too, one day, hope to be married. I have been seeing a woman for some time now but because of the nature of our work, well it is hard to have much time together. Running the Empire, as I am sure the Realm is too, is far more than a full time job. Does this mean that you will be stepping down and taking a less prominent role in Cottish politics? Please do say 'no.'" The Emperor smiled.

Hirgizstan

"Indeed it has. It seems the last time I met with you was at Josey's funeral, a sad topic to bring up, I am sure. The Empire welcomes you to this great event and we hope that you find the accomdations as profound as possible. Please. This way, my limousine will take you to the hotel. I will be riding along, if you please." The Emperor looked over at the limo driver, who opened the door for them both to step into the luxurious vehicle. The Fuhrer would step in first, followed by the Emperor and once again, the security detail would drive through the streets of Layarteb City, on the way to the Waldorf=Astoria.

Inside the limo was basically the same as the Grovesnor (a luxury car division of HM) armored version he had left in Hirgizstan City, only with a few different things here and there.

Once in the limo, with the police and security vehicles following and in front, the Fuhrer had time to talk, it would take several minutes to get to the Waldorf.

"Josey's funeral certainly was sad, an end of an era you might say." The Emperor nodded sombrely. "I offer my sincere condolences over Grenada...36,000 people...it must be hard to bear. How are things going at the moment, overrall?"

Hirgizstan

"Things could be better. Since the Saint George's incident and so many dead lives, the Empire has been shaken. The world has been shaken, I must add. We don't know just what the repercussions will be further down the line but the people know it, they sense it, that danger is coming. The RLA terrorists, Grenada, its all linked. The War on Drugs is unpopular. It seems now, that all the conquests are done, that they people think the Empire is not there to help them. They just need something to put their faith in and these celebrations will be just that, I am hoping." Little did the Emperor know what was being planned.

OOC: Yes something will happen but no it will not be against foreign dignitaries.

"Indeed, the resurgence of terrorism is extremely worrying, as you know from whats happening in the Gulf as we speak, and what has happend elsewhere. The War on Drugs, while popular in the Commonwealth, has produced a lot of worrying statistics. I would have personally offered the Commonwealth's help in Grenada, but as you know its quite out of our way and the Cots seem to have jumped in with gusto. Thus I decided to stay out, confusion I think, is the last thing the situation needs. But naturally, any help, financial or otherwise, is always on the table."

Hirgizstan

"Terrorism is the bane of humanity. It is for the weak and for the cowards to launch attacks against the undefended and then, simply, hide from responsibility. Terrorists are scum and whether they are in the Gulf or the Caribbean, whatever banner they are under, they are scum. The Empire makes no distinction between terrorists and those who shelter them. Terrorism will be stamped out, one way or another. I do appreciate your sympathies with Grenada. The Cots had far more to lose, I must admit. The Barbados was sacked pretty heavily with radiation and they incurred some 400 casualties on the island, not nearly as much as ours but it is far too many when the war wasn't against them. Since then, the Cots have had a fire under their belt for whomever caused that explosion.

"Rebuilding will be slow and it will take a toll on the hearts and emotions of those involved. We simply can't just start from ground up, as you know. Radiation has made almost half of the city uninhabitable for over a hundred years. Some parts will never sustain human life for as long as both you and I and our great, great, great, great grandkids are alive. I feel that the world will end before some parts of Grenada will sustain life again.

"Terrorism has salted the very paradise that Grenada once was. It is now a shell of what it used to be, the population a fraction of what it used to be. You know, at its height, the island sustained 103,000 people. Now? We're lucky to have 30,000 people in the island and most of them are in the northern countryside, away from Saint George's and away from the destruction and bad memories associated with the city. No matter how much we rebuild, it'll never be the same." The Emperor watched outside as the cars stopped for the motorcade. The Waldorf=Astoria was a luxurious hotel and they were still about half of the way away from the hotel.

The King laughed when he heard the Emperor's question.

"My friend, you can relax. I don't intend to step down significantly from the managment of my nation. However, I do intend to take more evenings off. I just hope the world shares that plan. Fortunately, I have a cabinet that I can rely on to hold the proverbial fort. As for meeting Maria, I hope that you will meet her soon enough. There has been some mix-up with her visa. Something about some old speeding fines I believe it was. That's why she hasn't accompanied me."

Cotland

"Speeding fines you say? I had a few of those when I was a teenager. Let me see what I can do." The Emperor picked up his phone and dialed his secretary. "Becky. Do me a favor. Get me the number for Mr. Gerald Thomas. He works for the Minister of Foreign Affairs and he heads the travel visa bureau. Two minutes? Sure. Thank you." The Emperor hung up the phone and looked around. In two minutes it rang again. "Yes."

"Sir. I have Mr. Thomas on the line."

"Alright you may connect us."

"Mr. Thomas you are on with the Emperor." She disconnected.

"Sir. What a pleasure and honor it is to have you call me. What can I do for you?"

"A Cottish citizen, Maria Steiner-Haraldsen, has had her travel visa delayed."

"Let me bring up her profile. Can you give me one minute sir?"

"Take your time there."

"Thank you sir." He muted the phone and second and punched some keys on his computer. In about fifty seconds he had her full profile on the screen. "Sir. Maria Steiner-Haraldsen, yes. She's from an upper middle-class family, father is a general. Yes. She applied and is in holding because we're running some background checks on her. She had some minor traffic violations but otherwise that is it. Standard proceedure."

"Understood. I am going to ask you to grant her approval."

"Yes sir. Any special grounds sir?"

"A favor to the King of the Realm of Cotland."

"Very well sir. She is approved."

"Thank you Mr. Thomas. Have a good day."

"You too sir." Mr. Thomas beamed with excitement as he hung up the phone. The Emperor had personally called him and he seemed very pleased when he hung up the phone.

"Your bride-to-be is cleared to enter the Empire as she pleases." He smiled at the King.

The King nodded gratefully to the Emperor.

"Thank you my friend. I owe you a favor. If you'd excuse me for one second." He said before pulling out his own cell-phone and pressing a button. A second later, they picked up on the other side.

"Henrik. Send beskjed til Maria om at hun blir hentet om fem minutter. Få henne hentet i helikopter til Gardermoen og få reserveflyet til å fly henne hit. Jeg har snakket med Keiseren og papirene er i orden. Du kan be flyet mitt om å returnere til Gardermoen straks du har bekreftelse på at reserven er i luften. Spørsmål?" [Henrik. Send word to Maria that she'll get picked up in five minutes. Have her brought to Gardermoen in a helicopter and get the spare plane to fly her here. I've talked with the Emperor and the paperwork isn't a problem anymore. You can tell my plane to return to Gardermoen once you have confirmation that the reserve is in the air. Questions?]

"Ingen, Deres Majestet." [None, Your Majesty.] Henrik Elvestad, the King's personal aide who was driving in the limo behind the one carrying the two heads of states responded.

"Godt. Gi meg beskjed når hun er i lufta." [Good. Let me know when she's airborne.] The King said before hanging up. He knew that in a few minutes, Maria would get a call on her cell-phone to be ready to be collected by the Birkebeiners, then driven to a open area, possibly the football pitch close to her apartment, where a helicopter from either the Army or the Air Force would collect her and bring her to Gardermoen Air Force Base, where the ground crew would be working frantically to ready the second V-16/A Kongeløve for immediate take-off. It was technically always ready for scramble whenever its sister aircraft was on mission, so there would be very little if any waiting. Then, the Kongeløve would cross the Atlantic Ocean, operating on afterburners all the way, clocking in the distance between Norway and Layarteb City in less than four hours, pausing only to meet with a refueling aircraft midway over the Atlantic to top off the tanks to complete the last stretch. It was a rather good way of travelling, as it seriously cut down on the jetlag that you usually got from long-distance air travel.

"Sorry about that," He said to the Emperor, speaking again in the perfect English he had learned in Elementary School, refined in High School and perfected at Oxford shortly before he was made King. "She should be here in five hours time. I think you'll love her. She's got a great sense of humor." Pausing slightly, he continued with a smile. "So tell me about this woman you're seeing."

The Emperor laughed. "That would be Dr. Rachel Wilson. She's a professor at the University of Layarteb at Layarteb City for History and has a Ph.D. from the same university. I've known her since before the revolution actually. We grew up together you see. When the revolution came and we went on our separate ways, separate paths I thought that was the end of our friendship. For the past ten years though we've been seeing each other. I would consider her my 'girlfriend,' to use the basic terminology yes. Wedding plans have been discussed, I'll admit but they never get too far. She spends a lot of time in the field and I, well, I am trapped within the confines of the Fortress of Comhghall running the Empire. I believe she will be present on the 31st so you may just have a chance to meet her."

"I see. I shall look forward to meeting her." The King replied with a smile as the motorcade entered downtown Layarteb City. "Wedding plans... Well, I do hope that you will attend my wedding, old friend. We haven't set a date just yet, but it will most likely be in the new year. A sort of decleration of hopes for peace and prosperity in the year to come, since we've had too little of it this year." The King sighed. "So many lives, lost, in vain. To terrorist attacks, murders, wars. In these past six months alone, more than two thousand Cottish lives has been lost due to terrorist attacks and combat. Why do we allow for it to happen?"

"103,000 People...that I did not know. It is a tragedy, I hoped and prayed never to see a nuclear bomb go off in anger in my lifetime. The Fuhrer trailed off and looked out the window, the downtown skyline was visible from the highway, the sun glinting off glass here and there.

"The world is such a troublesome place at the moment, terrorism in the Gulf, mass killings in the former Brydogian territories...refugees trying to get away, its awful. Then there is Japan, one terrorist attack and they throw us, the Commonwealth, out of Japan. What do you make of such things?"

Cotland

"Ah that's a question we both will probably never be able to answer. We can't watch everyone at once, we can't set up thought crimes, you know. We have to let the people live freely. We can keep them within certain bounds and no matter what someone will disagree with those bounds. We're trapped. It is unfortunate but we can do little to stop it except for prevention or something like that." The Emperor sat back and looked out the window at the motorcycle cop. "You know it brings you to this question. You see him out there? You talk of terrorism and such. What do we go on with him aside from trust? I mean we do the background checks, we do the necessary stuff but what if he's a really good liar? I mean we train our elite forces to do just that."

Hirgizstan

"Japan is a conundrum Fuhrer. I don't know what to make of them at all. There has been a lot of talk about whether or not they are going to attack us. Nauru has constant patrols in international waters. We know Hawaii is a sore spot for them. Our recent ingresses elsewhere have prompted them to grow much more paranoid. We maintain little diplomatic relations, officially, with Japan. Your guess is as good as mine but they're a threat that it would be foolish to ignore."

"A wise man once told me that the thing that makes us human is the ability to trust. We can only trust in the people and in those we have to uphold the laws and rules that govern our respective countries. If not, we will end up as paraoid hermit rulers. That is of no benefit for neither the people, the country or ourselves. No my friend, what we must do is to have trust in the people to follow the established rules and hope that the preventive measures we have in place will discourage would-be violators. Of course, that doesn't happen in all cases, but still. We must have trust." The King paused, then continued with a clever smile on his lips. "Speaking of trust, I trust you will do me the honor of dining with me and Maria at the Cottish embassy before I leave, after the festivities? Dr. Wilson is naturally welcome to come as well."

Cotland

The Emperor turned back from the window and nodded. "You couldn't be more right. Dr. Wilson and I shall be there."

"Yes, we certainly can't ignore them but once the Navy finishes up shutting down the base there will be a very small TOA prescence in the Pacific. In any case the situation demands attention. But enough of this Emperor, we have a few days yet in which to talk business. What preparations have you made for Independence Day, I guess the whole nation will be trying to trump last years celebrations?"

To the Honorable Goverment of Layarteb,

I send my sincerious apologies that I am unable to attend the gala, due to the ongoing hostilites in ViZion, in which my nation is part of. At this time I need to be in my capital running the affairs of my nation adn montiring this crisis.

Emperor Samuel III of Findan

Hirgizstan

"Well I don't want to give anything away but it will be a ceremony to top all. Our Fleet Week ceremonies this year will be hard to top, that's for sure, but on the 31st we're expecting nice weather and a lot of support. We're going to have fun, that's for sure. The Grand Ball in the Waldorf=Astoria will be attended by well over three hundred people, most of them foreign dignitaries. When I present my speech at that event we will be able to ring in a new year of existence."

Findan

The Empire thanks Emperor Samuel III of Findan for his support of this event. We understand the very nature of war and necessity when it comes to presence and we thank them for their interest. Perhaps Emperor Samuel III can watch the Emperor's speech on satellite television.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs

"Excellent, excellent. And speaking of the Waldorf, it looks like we're here."

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OOC: What do you want to do about arriving here? Where will the Emperor go?

OOC: That's fine. I'll start the RP soon. It'll be quick.

Cotland

The Emperor turned back from the window and nodded. "You couldn't be more right. Dr. Wilson and I shall be there."

"Excellent," The King said as the motorcade turned in and stopped at the doors of the Waldorf=Astoria. The security personnel jumped out and formed a perimeter, complementing the already numerous security personnel present, and after being sure that there was no danger, opened the door to allow the King to exit. The King looked at the Emperor and offered his hand to the ruler of Layarteb.

"I guess this is my stop," he said with a smile. "I'll see you later old friend. It was good to speak with you."

With that, the King exited the limo and waved at the small crowd that had gathered before entering the extremely luxurious hotel, being greeted by the director and guided to the Royal Suite on the 42nd floor of the hotel, which was arguably the most luxurious hotel in the world.

The Royal Suite lived up to its name, being the most luxurious suite the hotel had to offer, and had everything anyone could need to relax comfortably. The luggage was already in his room, having been rushed up by a number of bellboys with high security clearance while the King talked with the director of the hotel. In a few hours, he would recieve the Cottish Ambassador to Layarteb here in the suite, and a few hours after that, his fiancee would join him. All this happened under the careful and discreet protection of the Birkebeiners, who were stationed throughout the 42nd floor, protecting the King.

Waldorf-Astoria Hotel

The Fuhrer stood in the first lobby, at the top of the white and cream marble stairs with the gold banisters. He looked around at the people drinking coffee and reading the paper on the seats in the breezy and bright hall. Directly ahead of him lay a corridor that lead to the main lobby and the reception area. Just in front of the corridor sat perhaps the largest vase of flowers in the whole city.

He, and his four Fuhrer Guards walked through to the reception lobby, its old-style decor and relatively dark, wooden laden interior was a contrast to the bright and breezy first lobby, now behind him.

He was met by a concierge of sorts, no waiting at the reception desk for a visiting dignitary! His baggage was already in the room as he entered. It was huge, he guessed it was the Presidential Suite, he had stayed there once before, but they had since changed the interior decor. His Fuhrer Guards paid the concierge a hefty amount of Shingrots after he had given them a quick tour of the vast rooms of the suite.

The view outside was majestic, looking over a sprawling and vibrant city, people constantly bustling to and fro. But there were things to attend to. In the dining room, on the huge shiny wooden table sat a veritable hub of communications equipment, each with a staffer behind it, tapping away or speaking into a headset. Just because the Fuhrer was out of the country didn't mean he would neglect his duty to the people of the Commonwealth.

October 31, 2006 - 20:00 [EST]
Grand Ballroom, Waldorf=Astoria Hotel, Layarteb City

The Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf=Astoria Hotel was packed by 19:00 hours and by 20:00 hours, it was overflowing. It could hold up to 1,500 guests and they had 1,500 inside with many more trying to get into the luxurious and massive room. The Emperor and his staff were seated at the front of it, near the stage, and, in the background, fireworks lit off left and right. The city was alit with parties and fireworks everywhere and those inside the Grand Ballroom were getting acquainted with each other when the Emperor took the stage. Every camera and light was on the stage and his presence was being broadcast throughout the Empire. At precisely 20:01, the fireworks ceased and silence enveloped the entire country. "Ladies and gentlemen of the Empire. Distinguished guests. Foreign dignitaries. Esteemed colleagues and honored guests. Good evening." He began, to a large applause. "It is my distinct pleasure to welcome all of you to our celebration for independence. Tonight marks the 849th year of independence for Layarteb. The Empire may have only been around for 26 years but Layarteb, its people, and this graceful land have been around for 849 glorious years." The crowd cheered once again. Most of the people present were Layartebians but there was a good and sizeable crowd of roughly 400 foreign dignitaries. "Thank you. Thank you. Just five months ago, during Fleet Week, I gave a speech announcing the realization of the Empire and its completion. Tonight, I come to all of you with news as well.

"The Empire is here to stay. In the wake of Grenada, in the wake of the RLA. In the wake of foreign and domestic threats. The Empire shall prevail. The Empire brought pride and it brought safety to a people distressed and in fear. The Republic was an ineffective, inefficient, and past government and it was brought down, rightfully, at the behest of a people who wanted for, nay needed safety, security, prosperity, peace, and justice. The Empire has given the land of Layarteb all of this. The Republic, a smidge of land that consisted of only 194,000 square miles, gave breath to the Empire, which now consists of more than 4,800,000 square miles. Our population has gone from millions to a billion and a quarter.

"Crime has become a relic of the past. Immorality has become a relic of the past. Insecurity has become a relic of the past. Our borders are secure. Our people do not have to worry about whether or not they can make ends meet or whether or not they will be able to afford college for their children. No longer will our people worry about whether or not they can walk to the corner store at night to buy milk for their baby. No longer will they have to worry about illegal immigrants taking their jobs or rapists and murderers going free because of corrupt judges. No longer will they have to worry about being forced to speak a foreign language at work because of illegal immigration. Things have changed for the better. The people spoke in 1977 and they will speak again in 2006. Terrorism, crime, injustice, and corruption are all things of the past. This is the 21st century, not the 20th. The century of war, pestilence, famine, and death is over. This is the century of prosperity, of peace, and of justice.

"Citizens of the Empire can stand tonight, shoulder to shoulder, and look up at the fireworks in the sky. They can look up with smiles and with pride. The pursuit of equality at the expense of freedom is over. The Republic worked to force equality upon people, even when it created more inequality. The Empire does not believe in this concept. To be equal is not to be free but to be free is not to be equal. Ladies and gentlemen. I would rather be free. Wouldn't you?" The applause deafened the room. The Emperor waved his hands for them to quiet down. "I agree wholeheartedly. Tonight we shall usher in a new age for our Empire. One year from today we will be standing here, again, and I will be speaking to you, again. That will be our 850th year of independence. Ladies and gentlemen, I will stand before you and I will hold my head up high as all of you have, with Grenada and terrorism behind us. We will be prominent and we will be powerful. We will be safer than ever and we will be the Empire of all Empires. Thank you." He stepped out and the applause was deafening once again. The fireworks show continued.

The King was in the front area of the Grand Ballroom, only a few meters from the podium where the Emperor held his speech. At his side was his fiancee, the twenty-six year old Maria Steiner-Haraldsen, a beautiful, slender-buildt woman with long, blonde hair, and currently dressed in a designer dress, bought only a few hours earlier in a designer store on Fifth Avenue, that only emphasised her beauty. She was only a few years younger than the King, who was dressed in a tuxedo with the various Orders he had been awarded attached to the jacket. Around them, descreetly placed, were no less than eight Birkebeiners, also dressed in tuxedos, blending in with the crowd. The dignitaries and other guests were completely unaware of their presence, which might have been just as well. They would most likely be uncomfortable with knowing that eight armed elite black operations soldiers were present in the room to protect the King.

The King applauded when the rest of the room applauded, and commented various things with Maria, and listened to the speech. When the Emperor was finished, the King and Maria applauded and resumed mingling, commenting the fireworks display and such. After a few moments, the King noticed the Fuhrer and decided to say hello. After working their way through the crowds, the King and Maria finally reached the Fuhrer. Smiling, the King offered his hand to the Hirgizstani head of state.

"Fuhrer, it's been too long."

The Fuhrer had sat through the speech from the Emperor, admiring the parallels that existed between the Empire and the Commonwealth, that were apparent in the short, but excellent speech. The Fuhrer wore a simple suit with a Hirgizstanian Flag badge on his left lapel. He usually wore a military uniform when the country was at war, but it was usually not appropriate attire when visiting another country for a celebration.

Four Fuhrer guards also stood near the Fuhrer, and when he moved they were never more than a few feet or an arm's length away. They wore tuxedo's, and blended in with the other guests, their only 'give away' was the small, clear earpiece that came out of the neck of the suit and into their right ears.

Once the spectacular fireworks were over, drinks were served in the great ballroom, and it was time to mingle with the myriad of dignataries and visitors. The Fuhrer had spotted the Cottish King earlier in the evening and was hoping to speak to him, trying to make his way to where he had last seen the immaculately dressed monarch who had a beautiful young woman hanging on his arm.

But the King seemingly approached out of nowhere, and greeted the Fuhrer with a smile and an outstretched hand, which the Fuhrer shook, "Ah...Greetings Your Highness...it has been too long." Never one to ignore a lady, the Fuhrer turned to the young women and took her hand, saying "And Madam, how do you do..." The Fuhrer noticed a ring on her hand, a magnificent diamond and he turned to the King smiling and letting go of the woman's hand, "...Congratulations your Highness."

Maria smiled at the leader of Hirgizstan as he took her hand in greeting. She still couldn't quite believe that this was happening. She, a relatively normal Cottish girl, standing in arguably the grandest ballroom in the western hemisphere, surrounded by so many dignitaries. It was quite breath-taking, she thought as she held the hands of her fiancee, the King, who replied to the Fuhrer.

"Thank you sir. I would like to introduce my fiancee, Maria Steiner-Haraldsen. Maria, this is the Fuhrer of Hirgizstan, a close friend of mine." He said, introducing them. Maria offered her hand once again.

"It's a pleasure sir. Haakon's told me so much about you. I trust you will attend the wedding?" She said, speaking in a soothing, beautiful voice that had the potential of enchanting any man.

The Fuhrer was taken aback by the stunning woman's strange voice, he did not expect it. He expected a strong Norwegian accent, but was greeted with a soothing, almost enchanting, and quiet voice.

The Fuhrer took her hand again and he bowed his head slightly, as one does in the prescence of royalty. "I would be most honored to attend the wedding of the world's finest monarch to what is surely the nation's most beautiful woman."

"Then it's settled then!" The King said cheerfully, placing his left hand on Maria's hand which held on to his right arm. "So how is the Commonwealth? I hear that you are expanding further into Russia?" The King asked, not letting the opportunity to talk trade with his Hirgizstanian colleauge. Maria didn't seem to mind the sudden shift of topic. What very, very few people knew was that she was the King's closest confidant and advisor, and that she would know about it sooner or later. The King or the security personnel didn't worry that she would leak information though. Clandestinely, she had been checked and cleared for information with the classification Strengt Hemmelig, the highest clearance in the Realm.

"Yes...Russia. We had plans to move in to many places, but we have decided to restrain ourselves. Our objective is Moscow and the region surrounding it, I doubt we will move into anywhere besides that. It will surely be an excellent day if Moscow, one of the world's great cities, can be pried from filthy communist hands, and finally be open to the world. I also hear that the Realm is operating in Russia, reclaiming lost land?"

"We are conducting operations in Siberia, yes. But not so much to regain lost land as we are to liberate our expatriated citizens. Cottish citizens who, in the foolishness of their youth decided to rebell against the Empire as it was known as then. We have naturally forgiven them and are welcoming them back as the prodigal sons and daughters that they are. Have you ever heard that story sir? From the Bible?" The King asked just as one of the Birkebeiners came over to the King with a cell phone. Discreetly, he whispered a few words in the ear of the monarch, handed him the phone and returned to the anonymity of the crowd.

"Excuse me one second Fuhrer," The King said before speaking quietly into the cell phone, "Ja?" [Yes?]

"Deres Majestet, dette er oberst Johnsen ved Fellesoperativt Hovedkvarter. Våre styrker i Sibir har iverksatt operasjoner mot Dudinka. Vi ber om Deres Majestet's tillatelse til å iverksette Lima Delta." [Your Majesty, this is Colonel Johnsen at the High Command. Our forces in Siberia has commenced operations against Dudinka. We request Your Majesty's permission to initiate Lima Delta.] A deep male voice replied instantly, the tone of the voice displaying extreme levels of respect for the person at the other end.

"Lima Delta? Russerne nektet å kapitulere byen?" [Lima Delta? The Russians refused to capitulate the town?] The King said, half shocked. The Lima plans were the contingency that were to be initiated in cases where large units refused to surrender. Plan Lima Delta dealt with division-size units refusing to surrender. Lima Echo was brigade or regiment-sized units, while Lima Charlie was corps-sized units. They had developed the plans especially for this campaign, where the Cots felt that the Russians needed extra punishment for several reasons. One of them was that they held defacto Cottish citizens as slaves. One was that they were communists.

"Det stemmer Deres Majestet." [That is correct Your Majesty.]

"Tillatelse innvilget. Ring meg når det er gjort." [Permission granted. Call me when it is done.]

"Javel Herre Konge." [Yes my King.] The man said before the King hung up the line and handed the phone back to the Brikebeiner, who had mysteriously reappeared to collect the phone. After the phone was delivered back, the King returned his attention to the Fuhrer.

"I'm sorry for the distraction. Urgent government issues requiring my advice. You know how it is. Where were we?" The King asked. His question was answered by Maria.

"You were with the tale of the prodigal son in the Bible, dear." She said in the mild, gentle voice with a warm smile to her man.

"Ah yes. Have you heard of it sir?"

"Indeed I have your Majesty, it is one of the stories much loved by the Hirgizstanian people, we have many prodigal sons. What places are your prodigal sons taking back from the Communists?"

"A few Siberian oblasts, I think the Russians call them. What used to be the Eastern Province on the Cottish Empire. We will call it the Siberian Province. I've been meaning to ask you sir. The Commonwealth has holdings close to Taymyria, the area we're currently operating in. Would you mind if we used Hirgizstani airbases to refuel our aircraft? It is such a long way for our pilots to fly from Murmansk to Taymyria and back. It would really shorten the supply train and make our forces more effective."

The Fuhrer grinned at the King's request, "How dare you sir, take the words out of my mouth! I was just about to mention the use of our bases up there. They are at your service your Majesty. At this time of year, its getting cold even here in Layarteb, I wonder what it will be like up there in Siberia..."

"From what my field commanders tell me, cold!" The King said with enthusiasm. "We have reports of temperatures below minus fifteen degrees celcius, and it will only get colder. We are expecting for the campaign to last several months, and the coldest temperatures expected are around minus fourty-five degrees celcius. The forces we are sending have experience in arctic warfare though, and so does their equipment. We are confident in victory."

"Be careful is all I can say at this time. There are certain military men in parts of the former RCR that are quite strong. They will not take our actions lightly."