NationStates Jolt Archive

The chief Minister of Foreign Affairs leaned back in his hardwood chair with a sigh and rubbed his eyes. Though only 50, George Benson had the greying hair, slightly stooped back, and lined face of a man prematurely aged. Indeed, in a young nation with few experience politicos, he was already the elder statesman. Perhaps it was his lack of ambition, he mused. It was an uncomfortable fact for him that he could have been President, if not for his loyalty to one man, the man who currently held that office. It was for the best, he thought. His work was tiring enough for a man already past his prime, and one who had never been the most fit to begin with.

Sighing again as he stood, he tidied his desk with one hand while ringing for his secretary with the other. His friend's so far fruitless efforts to build an alliance of minor powers had come at a bad time, and this new series of negotiations with Lamoni would be his hardest challenge yet in this position. As a young man he would have relished such a challenge, but now it would take two hours on the range for him to relax. His nation's weak military, strict trade laws, and even stricter protection of human rights made even a trade deal difficult, never mind a stronger alliance. Which made these negotiations all the more critical.

As he left the office he handed to his secretary a letter, adressed to his equivalent in Lamoni, and requesting a meeting in the President's office that night, for the purpose of discussing possible relations between the nations, and the inevitable acompanying conditions.

The letter arrived on the desk of Lamonian Foreign Minister Tanya Ley, who read it while her mind absorbed the possible ramifications.

When she had finished reading the letter, she had her own secretary send a response back to Skyland Mt, with a flight plan included. She was going to fly over to that nation, and lead the negotiations herself.

--Hours later--

The Foreign Minister's aircraft was ready to land in Skyland Mt. She reminded herself that they knew so little about the nation that she was approaching that LIA had had to rush in order to get the scant information that she was now reviewing. It wasn't much; just what could be seen by the joint Damiren/Lamonian recon satellites, but it was better than nothing.

As her plane landed, she wondered about the type of reception that she was about to receive.

George Benson stood in the shadows at the edge of the airfield, flanked by his secretary and four honour guards. Beneth the overhanging structure of the terminal, an armoured limosien waited to carry the two ministers to their meeting with the President. As the plain slid to a stop and the door swung open, he stepped calmly out into the sun and strode to meet the new arrivals. The four guards advanced behind him, each wearing the formal red and white uniform of home guard officers, with the white shoulder patches signifying diplomatic security. In the middle followed his secretay, quietly taking note, he knew, of all that passed that day. Reaching the plane, he stopped in front of the Minister from Lamoni, then held out his hand in formal greeting. After a breif exchange of pleasentries he nodded towards the waiting limosien. As they strode across the empty airfield, he did his best to appear welcoming. These first impressions were always so important.

"I hope you had a pleasent flight?" He paused momentarily, then added "I'm sorry the President couldn't greet you in person. Would you like us to take you to your hotel first, or would you like to go straite to the Presidential office? The President is still in a meeting I'm afraid, but it shouldn't be a long wait." For all his concern, George Benson felt confident for the first time in days that this negotiation, at least, was going well.

Tanya looked around, and saw the welcoming delegation. When the man who seemed to be in charge extended his hand, she shook it with a polite smile on her face. "I am Foreign Minister Tanya Ley of Lamoni. I would like to thank you very much for your offer of diplomatic talks."

"I had a very pleasant flight, thank you, Mr. Benson. I can completely understand that your president is busy, but I think that it would be best to simply head for his office first. What can you tell me about Skyland Mt.? We haven't heard much about your nation as yet. In return, I can tell you about Lamoni."

Benson was happy to comply with the Minister's request for information. The President had briefed him on several points about Skyland Mt's customs and laws that required elaboration. Directing the driver to head strait to the Presidential Offices, he turned to adress The Minister.

"I'm pleased to hear that you had a pleasant flight, Minister Ley. My nation's history is simple enough. Until recently, we were a loosly associated network of cities on a lightly populated peninsula. This city is built on an large island at its tip. Rising population and an unstable world convinced most of us that we needed a central government in order to be secure and prosperous. So now we are a nation. We are a democratic nation, founded on the principals of liberty and public well-fare. Our main political parties are the Federalists; who currently control the Senate, Congress, and Presidency; The Libertarians; the Conservatives; and a small Communist party. We are a very politically diverse nation, you see. However, we share for the most part a firm belief in liberty, justice, and human rights. We also mean to build for the future, and we reflect these values in our laws. That will bee a key point of the negotiations. We have certain standards that any trade deals must meet in order to comply with our constitution. However, I do not believe that you will find them unreasonable."

Benson paused and then smiled as the car pulled to a halt. It now sat beneth the sprawling 6 story complex which contained the Presidential offices and appartments. Stepping out of the car, George Benson held out a hand to the Minister. Surrounding them were his secretary and security guards. Up ahead, at the top of a broad flight of stairs and behind a row of grand collumns, a large doorway was flanked by four more security personel, in identical uniforms save for the blue shoulder patches that marked them as members of the President's personal security. As they neared the door, Benson paused.

"I'm sorry, but if you have armed security they will have to leave their weapons at the doors. We do not allow anyone other than Home Guard Security to care weapons in this building. Rest assured, these offices are well secured. Now let us go to meet the President. Across the Rotunda and down the hall, last door on the right."

"I didn't actually bring armed security to this meeting, so that will be no problem. Would you like the long version of Lamonian history, or the short version, Minister? I could probably give you the short version before we reach the President's office."

"The short version will do for now, though I am most interested to lern more about your nation, and particularily anything that might be relevant to these negotiations, of course."

"Very well," Tanya began.

"The Free Republic was founded by groups of refugees from many different nations and cultures who found that they had nowhere else to go. They set up a Constitution, and laid claim to the land. They eventually moved from the Pacific regions to a region called B5Tech. While in the region of B5Tech, a nation known as Psipronia invaded a former nation that had been annexed by the Holy Empire of Jom. We sent peacekeepers in between the two forces; and things went well for a while. When the negotiations between the two sides broke down, Psipronia launched an attack against our peacekeepers, and we declared war against them. Our peacekeepers led a fresh Jom offensive against Psipronia, while the rest of our forces were rushed to the front lines. The war teetered and balanced until the allied forces won several decisive victories against Psipronian forces, causing them to retreat to a new region where they carried on the war. Eventually, the allied forces defeated their new strongholds, and victory was declared when the enemy capitol was surrounded until fuel and food ran out; and they surrendered. The lands of Psipronia were sold to other nations, and the money gained from this was used to help pay off war debts.

When the war debts were paid off, the economy skyrocketed. It was during this time that we were invited by Vilita to move to the region of Atlantian Oceania, and we did so. As we were in B5Tech, we won the UN delegate elections in AO. In the process of winning the elections, we started a long term rivalry with fellow AO nation Starblaydia. This would turn out to be the biggest political and military rivalry in AO history. It eventually culminated in two competing alliances. We were the unofficial head of the SDL, and Starblaydia was the unofficial head of the SAAS.

These two alliances would engage in what came to be known as the AOwar. The SAAS lost the AOwar, and their dictatorship governments either fell apart or turned democratic. In fact, Starblaydia itself is now a democracy, and our two nations are learning how to be friends with one another now.

Along the way, Lamoni has won one regional basketball championship, and two regional soccer championships.

Our Army has a full thirty divisions of Lyran equipment, and is well trained. We have worked out a deal with Imperial Isa where they are building us 2,000 front line fighter bomber aircraft for our air force. And we have naval forces purchased from Monavia.

Our overarching goal in the international arena has been to build ties with democratic nations such as ourselves; and that includes Skyland Mt."

George Benson ponderd what he had just heard. This nation's history held nothing to sugest duplicitousness, and there pro-democracy stance was well in line with his own government's political philosophy. He was somewhat concerned by their past conflicts, however. Even resolved as they were, any old war could raise new animosity, and Skyland Mt had no desire to be dragged into a nother nation's wars. Then again, such a powerful and successful nation, and one with a strong millitary tradition, might try to dictate the terms of the negotiations. If nessissary, they would have to be shown that Skyland Mt could hold its own. Not that he would say as much out loud, at least not unless it became unavoidable. Looking up, he saw that they had reached the President's office.

The door itself was simple, unadorned: The President had never been an ostentatious man. A simple plauqe was all that marked the room as the seat of a nation's executive branch, but it was not needed. Standing on either sid of the door was a high-ranking officer of the President's security detachment. Noding to the guards, George Benson rang the buzzer, then turned to adress the Minister.

"By the way, the government of Neo-Ixania has expressed an interest in relations with Skyland Mt. Our Governments have agreed that they can take part in these negotiations, though perhaps you have already been informed."

At that moment the door was opened by the President's secretay. He beckoned the ministers in with a deferential nod, then stepped out side. george Benson waved the Minister Ley to a seat, than sat himself, facing the man behind the desk. He was a tall, dark-haired man, strait-backed, with air of comfortable formaliity about him. His piercing blue eyes, though, contained boundless energy.

Benson greeted his friend warmly, then turned to face Minister Ley.

"President Harvey this is Minister Ley. Minister Ley, the President."

"It's good to meet you," President Harvey smiled. Now I'm a man of bussiness, so I'll get straight to the point. What sort of relations between our nations are of interest to your government, and how far are you willing to commit yourself?"

"It's good to meet you," President Harvey smiled. Now I'm a man of business, so I'll get straight to the point. What sort of relations between our nations are of interest to your government, and how far are you willing to commit yourself?"

"First, thank you for scheduling this meeting between our governments, Mr. President. Now, the government of Lamoni is willing to start off with an embassy exchange; and we are willing to go farther than that. If you would be unwilling to form a full military alliance, we can offer a Non-Aggression pact, as well as a free trade deal. The Free Trade pact would include a relaxation of entry requirements for citizens of either of our nations to enter the other nation. We are also expanding our network of foreign embassies on our soil, so your diplomats could use those embassies to establish diplomatic contact with other nations as well.

That brings me to the question of what Skyland Mt. is willing to offer."

Foreign Minister Ley was looking forward to seeing who Neo-Ixania would send over to handle their end of the negotiations. Lamoni and Neo-Ixania had a very friendly diplomatic relationship. Tanya's immediate subordinate had even married a Neo-Ixanian diplomat; and she had been a guest at the wedding.

OOC: IC post coming soon.

"I'm pleased to hear that the government of Lamoni is willing to consider a trade deal with my nation," responded President Harvey. "I agree that we should start with an Embassy exchange, accompanied by a non-agression pact. What guidelines, if any, do you have in place for Foreign nationals visiting your country? For our part, we require only that your Embassy be constructed in accordance with Skyland Mt building codes, and that your employees adhere to our laws while in our territory. You should note that we do not make provision for diplomatic immunity in criminal cases. However, in the unlikely and unfortunate event that a foreign diplomat commits a felony in our jurisdiction, we permit their government to have a representative present at the trial to ensure that it is conducted fairly.

As far as your offer of free trade is concerned, I'm afraid that existing laws designed to protect our local businesses, citizens and environment are not amenable to unrestricted free trade, however a more limited trade agreement should be feasible, and indeed immensly benificial to both our nations. I suggest that we arrange for a meeting with my ministers of trade and defense once the representatives from Neo-Ixania arrive.

Finally on the subject of an Alliance, it would be imprudent of my administration to risk becoming involved in foreign wars in our current military state, moral issues aside. Perhaps we could agree to a limited alliance; a mutual defense pact, perhaps?'

Entrusting the care of the daughter of a foreign leader in the hands of a colleague, Svetlana Sturmer sat in the plane as she waited to arrive in the nation of Skyland Mt. to meet with various representatives from that particular nation and from Lamoni; a nation she knew was ever so close to the Ixanian Empire. It took a day or so for the plane to arrive; it gently landed on the airport's runway five minutes after a flight attendant told her of the impending arrival. Walking out of the plane calmly and silently, Svetlana studied her surroundings and looked for anyone who may have been sent to greet her.

OOC: This is all I could come up with in the short length of time I had; you can send people to greet Ms. Sturmer, Skyland Mt.

Ambassador Tylor strode forward to meet the Neo-Ixanian delegation. He was a taller man, handsom but for his slightly cold demenor. He was, however, extreemly professional, extreemly sharp-witted, and highly observant. Graduating with a Masters degree in International Politics, he had worked nearly 5 years in local politics before joining the Diplomatic Corps, but in that short time is reputation had already grown considerably. In private, many pegged him as the next Minister of Foreign Affairs. A fact not lost on one so ambitious. John Tylor knew that the more critical these negotiations were to Skyland Mt, the more critical they would be to his career prospects.

Aproaching the airplane, he held out his hand in formal greeting.

"Ms Sturmer, I presume?" I'm sorry that the Minister or the President could not be here personally to meet you. They are currently engaged in negotiations with your allies from Lamoni, as I am sure you already know. I am here to greet you, and provide escort at your conveniance to the President's office. My name is Mr. Tylor, and I'm an Ambassador for Skyland Mt." He gestured towards the Limmosien. "Come, sit down. Perhaps we could discus some of your nation's history on the way." There, he thought he had handled the introduction well enough. At least he had not been overtly rude, though he lacked the polish of the dignified Minister Benson.

"I'm pleased to hear that the government of Lamoni is willing to consider a trade deal with my nation," responded President Harvey. "I agree that we should start with an Embassy exchange, accompanied by a non-aggression pact. What guidelines, if any, do you have in place for Foreign nationals visiting your country? For our part, we require only that your Embassy be constructed in accordance with Skyland Mt building codes, and that your employees adhere to our laws while in our territory. You should note that we do not make provision for diplomatic immunity in criminal cases. However, in the unlikely and unfortunate event that a foreign diplomat commits a felony in our jurisdiction, we permit their government to have a representative present at the trial to ensure that it is conducted fairly.

As far as your offer of free trade is concerned, I'm afraid that existing laws designed to protect our local businesses, citizens and environment are not amenable to unrestricted free trade, however a more limited trade agreement should be feasible, and indeed immensely beneficial to both our nations. I suggest that we arrange for a meeting with my ministers of trade and defense once the representatives from Neo-Ixania arrive.

Finally on the subject of an Alliance, it would be imprudent of my administration to risk becoming involved in foreign wars in our current military state, moral issues aside. Perhaps we could agree to a limited alliance; a mutual defense pact, perhaps?'

"First, all embassies must be registered with the Lamonian Foreign Ministry. (OOC: The link for that is in my sig, let you know if you can't see my sig)

Other than that, civilians need a valid passport, and a visa in order to enter Lamoni. The degree of difficulty in obtaining a visa corresponds to a nation's level of friendliness in their relations with the Free Republic.

As for a trade deal, is there anything that Skyland Mt. is looking to import? Surely we can work something out from there.

And we can easily accept a Mutual Defense Pact. You've said that your military is weak... might I recommend Lyran Arms for your Army's defense needs? We have used them in order to equip our army, and I feel confident in saying that we made an excellent investment."

President Harvey nodded.

"Lyran Arms, you say? I'll ask my defense minister to take a look at them. As for the details of a mutual defense pact, perhaps we should wait until the representative from Neo-Ixania arrives? They should be here soon, along with some of my other cabinet members."

Ambassador Tylor strode forward to meet the Neo-Ixanian delegation. He was a taller man, handsom but for his slightly cold demenor. He was, however, extreemly professional, extreemly sharp-witted, and highly observant. Graduating with a Masters degree in International Politics, he had worked nearly 5 years in local politics before joining the Diplomatic Corps, but in that short time is reputation had already grown considerably. In private, many pegged him as the next Minister of Foreign Affairs. A fact not lost on one so ambitious. John Tylor knew that the more critical these negotiations were to Skyland Mt, the more critical they would be to his career prospects.

Aproaching the airplane, he held out his hand in formal greeting.

"Ms Sturmer, I presume?" I'm sorry that the Minister or the President could not be here personally to meet you. They are currently engaged in negotiations with your allies from Lamoni, as I am sure you already know. I am here to greet you, and provide escort at your conveniance to the President's office. My name is Mr. Tylor, and I'm an Ambassador for Skyland Mt." He gestured towards the Limmosien. "Come, sit down. Perhaps we could discus some of your nation's history on the way." There, he thought he had handled the introduction well enough. At least he had not been overtly rude, though he lacked the polish of the dignified Minister Benson.

OOC: I thought that I had posted a reply to this....

"I am Miss Svetlana Sturmer, kind sir and I understand that the Minister nor the President were able to meet me here but I am glad that at least you were here to greet me." Svetlana smiled as she took her seat in the limosuine. "You wish to learn more about my nation's history? Well, before we do, I'd like to learn more about your nation first."

President Harvey nodded.

"Lyran Arms, you say? I'll ask my defense minister to take a look at them. As for the details of a mutual defense pact, perhaps we should wait until the representative from Neo-Ixania arrives? They should be here soon, along with some of my other cabinet members."

OOC: http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=541320 is the link for Lyran Arms.

IC: "I cannot recommend Lyran Arms heavily enough. We have purchased 30 divisions worth of equipment from them, have not had occasion to regret it.

So... what shall we do until the Ixanian diplomat arrives?"

The door to the President's office opened to admit a tall blonde woman, an equaly tall man with dark hair and suspiceous eyes, and short man with greying black hair and an inconspicuous apearence. President Harvey beckoned them to be seated, then turned to the Minister from Lamoni.

"Minister Ley, these are three of my Cabinate Ministers. I'd like you to meet Kristina Mathews, my Minister of the Economy; George Harrison, Minister of Defense; and Richard Stanson, of my Inteligence Department. Now with your permission, I think we might provide each other with a more thourough breifing on our respective nation's foreign policies and military capabillities. Of course some information we must keep classified, and we expect you to do the same. But some overzeiw of this information is nesisary in order to establish a mutual defence pact. In the area of trade, let me just say that we are highly interested in alternative energy. Perhaps something along those lines? Feel free to discus the details with Ms. Mathews."


Two miles away, Ambasador Tylor breifed the Representative from Neo-Ixania on the history of his new nation. He kept his tone carefuly neutral, as always, but inside he felt a surge of pride. Skyland Mt was the greatest nation in the world, and one day he knew, its power abroad would come to reflelct that greatest. It was unfortuate that his government had shied away from Military and industrial power for so long, but perhaps these negotiations signalled a shift in the right direction. Forcing himself to focus on the task at hand, he turned to the Ambassador seated beside him.

"Skyland Mt. is a young nation, formed from a collection of city states and municipallities in order to provide greater economic and political strength. Our ruling party, as I'm sure you are aware, is the Federalist Party, which integrates broadly libertarian and socialist policies. You will find that President Harvey holds very strictly to these principals. Our nation recently withdrew from the world Assembally due to the desire to avoid external preasure on our ploicies, and a belief that we could weild greater influence ouit side of such a rigid structure. We were breifly involved in one foreign conflict, but only in terms of political oresure and humanitarian aid. Our involvement was nessisarily limmited by our non-existent military forces at the time, and only went as far as it did due to a lack of organised administration. President Harvey as recently moved to rectify the situation, creating more coherrrant policies and attempting to build a military force, as oposed to mere security forces."

Tanya prepared to give a rundown on the alternative energy sources that Lamoni possessed. "We believe that alternative energy is the wave of the future, and that if something is not done about the dependence on fossil fuels, wars will begin simply because there is not enough to go around.

The centerpiece of our alternative energy program is the microwave power plant that powers our capitol, and the area around it. If you don't already know the basics of this type of powerplant, a satellite is launched which collects energy from the sun. The satellite then uses a MASER to beam the energy to the powerplant. This system works regardless of weather or whether the geosynchronous satellite is facing the sun or not. The energy collected comes from the solar wind. This produces much more power than solar power plants ever could, and is not affected by the weather, as I said. We also utilize wind power, and are working on wave and tidal power plants, which use the power of the ocean itself in order to generate electricity. A joint research effort on this line of scientific inquiry could only benefit both of our nations.

Having a strong military presence is very much needed in these times of global unrest. Having allies of your own is also important, lest some entities like Doomingsland and the Kraven Corporation decide that they like your nation enough to invade. When we entered this world wide political arena, one of the first things that we did was to make sure that we had the best military available. We have thirty divisions in our regular Army, all equipped with Lyran equipment. We are also receiving 2,000 F-31 Sylphid fighter aircraft from Imperial Isa, and the combination will allow us to protect our nation from attack. The area where Lamoni needs the most help is in it's Navy, but the major alliance that we are in has it's own Navy of ships made in Isslemere, which helps with that problem. What would you like to know about our military?"

George Harison, the Minister of Defense, answered Minister Ley's question at once, in his typically bussiness-like manner.

"I would be particularily interested in what type of combat you have chosen to optimise you millitary for. Are your troop's training and equipment more suited to peackeeping, urban warfare, or large-scale conventional warfare? My aproach, in concert with President Harvey and mister Stanson here, is to build a primarily defensive force, with an emphasise on anti-terrorism and counter-insurgency work. We are also interested in the development of missile defense systyms as, in the absence of such a defense, the prevallence of strategic weapons makes conventional military might a moot point. So our efforts will be geared towards peackeeping and counter-terrorism, with a secondary priority being to secure our air-defense. As for your navel weakness, we cannot yet contribute a significant navel force, but once we allocate suitable funding for our armed forces, we may be able to deploy some coastal patrol vessels to assist your fleet in protecting your own shores, which might enable you to free up more of your fleet for offensive opperations should the need arise.

Unfortuately we are only in the preliminaries of building a millitary capabillity, so our main gap is lack of experienced personel. Though we have only recently opened relations between our nations, perhaps we could discus a future officer exchange program? I'm not sure if your nation conducts such programs, but it could help foster trust between our armed forces. The bond between men who have trained and worked together would make a defensive pact more meaningful, and knowledge of your military doctrines, as well the experience for our officers would be invaluable if fate ever calls on us to fight side by side."

"Skyland Mt. is a young nation, formed from a collection of city states and municipallities in order to provide greater economic and political strength. Our ruling party, as I'm sure you are aware, is the Federalist Party, which integrates broadly libertarian and socialist policies. You will find that President Harvey holds very strictly to these principals. Our nation recently withdrew from the world Assembally due to the desire to avoid external preasure on our ploicies, and a belief that we could weild greater influence ouit side of such a rigid structure. We were breifly involved in one foreign conflict, but only in terms of political oresure and humanitarian aid. Our involvement was nessisarily limmited by our non-existent military forces at the time, and only went as far as it did due to a lack of organised administration. President Harvey as recently moved to rectify the situation, creating more coherrrant policies and attempting to build a military force, as oposed to mere security forces."

The Ixanian Empire was formed by Leto the Great who unified our nation's people into one many centuries ago and for many centuries our nation has been an absolute monarchy with limited democracy but the status quo enjoys plenty of support from the people. We are tolerant of all religions, neutral in all foreign conflicts and are members of alliances such as the Fegosian Union. My nation's government cares for everyone and tries to provide for every citizen as is humanly possible. Although I have not much Ixanian blood in me, I stand in solidarity with the Ixanian people. Germans and other Europeans came to settle in Ixania (my German ancestors being among them) and all of us are loyal to the nation which was generous to give us shelter, food and citizenship."

OOC: Basically what I have for my Army.

LY4A1 Wolfhound MBT: http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?p=13416164#post13416164

LY219 Ironheart: http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=533583&postcount=1

LY220 Shepherd: http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=534192&postcount=1

LY19 LMG: http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?p=13371209#post13371209

AR-44 Assault Rifle: http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/a2.html

TRA-92 Eiko: http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=534616

LY300 Manticore: http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=535946&postcount=1

LY219/516 Stormdrake: http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=533583&postcount=1

FGM-148 Javelin: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Javelin_anti-tank_missile

G5-2000 Howitzer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G5_howitzer

Air Force:

F-31 Sylphid: http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p281/matt518672/Ffr31.jpg

Accommodation: One
Length: 18.80 meters
Wingspan: 13.77 meters
Height: 5.01 meters
Weight: standard take-off weight 11, 876 kilograms; maximum takeoff weight 35, 660 kilograms
Powerplant type: FNX-5010-H/J Phoenix Mk X turbofan x 2
Powerplant output: 9, 677 kilograms; afterburner 12, 644 kilograms
Speed:
Cruise Speed: Mach 1.4 (altitude 14, 400 meters)
Maximum Speed: Mach 2.7 (altitude 14, 400 meters)
Fuselage Load Limit: 9 G +
Maximum Altitude: 18, 000 meters
Armament: 20 mm Vulcan Gun x 1; internal hardpoint x 7; external hardpoint x 2 (usually for drop-tanks)
Ferry range: 2,000 mi (1,738 nmi, 3,219 km)
Combat radius: 410 nmi (471 mi, 759 km)
Vulcan gun rounds: 480 rounds
RWR (Radar warning receiver): 250 nmi (463 km) or more (AN/ALR-94)
Radar: 125-150 miles (200-240 km) against 1 m² targets (AN/APG-77 AESA radar)

IC: "Our Army is set up for a broad scale national or international war. We can defend ourselves, as well as send an expeditionary force to defend our allies, or take care of other threats to the Free Republic and it's interests.

A defense force would be a good start for your nation, and should be able to give you a capability to hold off invaders in addition to the other missions that you might give them. Lyras also makes a long range SAM system that very effectively doubles as an ABM system. They call it the Skyguard ( http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=539827&postcount=1 ), and it has a very high kill probability.

An officer exchange program would be welcomed by Lamoni. The trust factor speaks for itself with such a program, and we can teach your officers the skills that they need in order to turn them into a combat effective force. We would welcome the opportunity, if you allow it."

"Excellent, I will order my officers to draw up a list of promising officers to take part in the exchange, once we have established an embassy in Lamoni. I will have the Army and Air force branches look into purchasing the ABM systym you recomend, or something similar. I see Minister Mathews is eager to discus trade with you, so I'll await the delegate from Neo-Ixania to continue discussions of millitary matters."

With a polite smile Kristina Mathews took up the conversation.

"Minister Ley, as Minister of the Economy I have a strong interest in promoting trade with other nations. Your use of space based power sources is most interesting. Indeed, we have been considering moving some of Skyland Mt's investment into the space fronteir, though justifying the expenditures for such a long-term project has been...difficult. Investing in energy technology might shift the ballace in favor of that investment, however. We've also thought of investing in nuclear fusion technology, and utilizing fuel extraction from gas giats, but develloping the infrastructure for that is a multi-decade project, at best. Still perhaps space technolgy is another area we can work together in, on the premise of providing new sources of energy."

Outside, Ambassador Tylor led the Neo-Ixanian representative up the steps of the complex that housed the Presidential offices. At the door he stopped and gave the guards a friendly salute, ignoring, or prehaps not seeing the slightly anoyed looks on the men's faces as they returned it. At the door he turned and held out his hand.

"I'm sorry, but if you have any weapons you will be required to leave them outside. Its just a short way down the hall to the President's office. He should already bee informed that you are here, and I'm sure everyone's eager to begin negotiations."

"Excellent, I will order my officers to draw up a list of promising officers to take part in the exchange, once we have established an embassy in Lamoni. I will have the Army and Air force branches look into purchasing the ABM system you recommend, or something similar. I see Minister Mathews is eager to discus trade with you, so I'll await the delegate from Neo-Ixania to continue discussions of military matters."

With a polite smile Kristina Mathews took up the conversation.

"Minister Ley, as Minister of the Economy I have a strong interest in promoting trade with other nations. Your use of space based power sources is most interesting. Indeed, we have been considering moving some of Skyland Mt's investment into the space frontier, though justifying the expenditures for such a long-term project has been...difficult. Investing in energy technology might shift the balance in favor of that investment, however. We've also thought of investing in nuclear fusion technology, and utilizing fuel extraction from gas giants, but developing the infrastructure for that is a multi-decade project, at best. Still perhaps space technology is another area we can work together in, on the premise of providing new sources of energy."

"Our space program is run jointly with the Principality of Damirez, and we normally send satellites into the void, but we are willing to work with you in that area. And we would also be willing to work with you on the Nuclear Fusion and Gas Giant Fuel Extraction project. I would personally suggest that we bring Neo-Ixania into these projects as well, as they are a very knowledgeable people, and their assistance will help to decrease the amount of time that will be needed to research these complex problems."

President Harvey smiled inwardly. The negotiations had gone perfectly; with any luck, this meeting would be the first step in a series of triumphs for Skyland Mt. At that moment a buzzer rang, and he signaled the door to the office to be opened. In walked Ambassador Tylor and an individual he could only assume was the representative from Neo-Ixania. Smiling broadly an after asking Tylor to leave them, he extended a hand to the new arrival.

"Ambassador, welcome to Skyland Mt. If you are willing, we can begin negotiations at once. So far things have gone well between ourselves and your friends from Lamoni. In short, we have agreed to an embassy exchange, followed by an officer exchange program, ocuring as part of a mutual defense agreement, the details of which have not yet been formalized. We are also considering trade and co-operation in the areas of alternative energy and space infrastructure, especially as relating to one another. These are my Ministers of Defense, Economy, and Intelligence: Mr Harison, Ms. Mathews, and Mr. Stanson; and also my Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Benson. And of course Ms. Ley of Lamoni. Now, if we may get down to business, would Neo-Ixania be interested in an embassy exchange and diplomatic relations, or a more far reaching agreement? If you wish to discuss trade, I suggest you speak to Mr. Harison and Mr. Stanson. Meanwhile Ms. Mathews will be most interested in discussing possibilities of trade between our nations."

"Ambassador, welcome to Skyland Mt. If you are willing, we can begin negotiations at once. So far things have gone well between ourselves and your friends from Lamoni. In short, we have agreed to an embassy exchange, followed by an officer exchange program, ocuring as part of a mutual defense agreement, the details of which have not yet been formalized. We are also considering trade and co-operation in the areas of alternative energy and space infrastructure, especially as relating to one another. These are my Ministers of Defense, Economy, and Intelligence: Mr Harison, Ms. Mathews, and Mr. Stanson; and also my Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Benson. And of course Ms. Ley of Lamoni. Now, if we may get down to business, would Neo-Ixania be interested in an embassy exchange and diplomatic relations, or a more far reaching agreement? If you wish to discuss trade, I suggest you speak to Mr. Harison and Mr. Stanson. Meanwhile Ms. Mathews will be most interested in discussing possibilities of trade between our nations."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Harvey. My name is Svetlana Sturmer and I am a spokeswoman of the Foreign Ministry of Ixania endowed with diplomatic powers. I must say that it is a pleasure to be here in Skyland Mt. and that my nation is very interested in exchanging embassies and establishing trade between our nations. I already know Ms. Ley, not through meeting her in person, but from hearing about her visit to Ixania. I believe that I'd like to discuss trade with Mathews or one of the two men you mentioned; but if you wish to discuss embassies first, then I can do that. I am just hoping to take part in a productive meeting."

"Very well. our rules regarding embassies are quite clear: you must register with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, thereby obtaining valid passports for all those entering the country, and you must follow Skyland Mt. laws and building codes. Please be aware that we do not grant diplomatic immunity in criminal cases. In the unlikely event of one of your employees being accused of a felony, however, you may send a representative to ensure that the trial is conducted fairly. If you don't mind my asking, what regulations do you have regarding the establishment of embassies in Neo-Ixania?"

While this was going on, Foreign Minister Ley just sat in her chair, waiting to see what would happen next.

Leaving the discusion of embassies to others, Minister Harison turned back to Minister Ley.

"While we wait for the President and your fellow representative to come to a conclusion, perhaps we could continue to discus our defensive pact. Perhaps you could advise me about who to contact in your government, who's in charge of defense? I would definately like to discus further the issues of air power, navel capabillities, and the rules of war fare employed by our respective governments?

(OOC: would you like me to start a new thread specifically to discuss milllitary matters between our nations? I'm thinking that it might be apropriate, since Neo-Ixania is not yet part of this defensive pact, to leave this thread for more general diplomatic discusions, but I don't know if there is enough to discuss to justify a new thread.)

(OOC: I don't think that there is enough to justify a new thread just for the defensive pact and other military matters.)

"While we wait for the President and your fellow representative to come to a conclusion, perhaps we could continue to discus our defensive pact. Perhaps you could advise me about who to contact in your government, who's in charge of defense? I would definitely like to discuss further the issues of air power, naval capabilities, and the rules of war fare employed by our respective governments?"

"You would be talking about Lamonian Defense Minister Mark Dolan. He is in charge of the Defense Ministry, but the President is the Supreme Commander in Chief of the armed forces. Is there more that you would like to talk to me personally about?"

"If you don't mind, I think I'll go ring up Minister Dolan and your President. It has been most interesting to speak to you, and I'm glad to know that your government's position is so amenable to our own. Perhaps we'll speak again in the future. Good day."

So saying, Minister Harison rose and exited the room. He would return soon to discuss military matters with the Neo-Ixanian representative, but first he had to contact the Lamonian Minister of Defense. Meeting his driver and secretary in the garage, he directed his bullet-proof limo towards the the squat concrete building under construction just across the bridge on the mainland. It was being built to his personal specifications, not grand columns or shining glass like other government buildings, but designed to survive missile impacts and car bombs with minimal damage. He had once witnessed the site of a suicide car bomb as a military observer overseas. He could still see the body parts scattered like charred meat, the blood smeared across shattered pavement, but it was the sounds that haunted him most. The screams, the groans, and behind it all, the hungry crackling of the flames. Those sounds still haunted his sleep some nights; he could hear them sometimes when he closed his eyes. He remembered carrying a wounded child to safety, telling a wild-eyed, desperate man his wife was dead. Few military officers under his command had been in anything aproaching a war zone; he had. It had not occurred to the other Ministries to design their headquarters with security in mind: few of his fellows took the threat seriously. But then, most officials in this country didn't have bullet-proof limos, either.

Breaking out of his revery at a word from his driver, he saw that they had arrived. Parking in the VIP lot, he took a quick and secluded back root to his office on the mostly completed ground floor. Noise didn't bother him; he was comforted by the bustle of a well-ordered operation like this. It was quite that disturbed him, for in the emptiness lurked memories. Bushing aside his concerns, he sat down at his desk and rang up his equivalent in Lamoni.

Sitting across from Minister Ley, Richard Stanson of Skyland Mt's Intelligence Department started slightly at the ring of his cell phone. Only inwardly of course; he was trained not to show outward displays of emotion. Excusing himself for a moment, he stepped into a corner and quietly spoke into the phone. After a minute, he set it down and aproached the President's chair. As Stanson wispered in his ear, the President's face showed surprise, then concern, then shifted to anger. Clearing his throat and rising, he turned to the foreign delegates.

"I'm sorry, but you'll have to excuse myself and Minister Stanson. We've just been informed that there was a shooting in the downtown Capital District. They think it might be terrorism. I will return when I can, until then please feel free to continue the negotiations with my remaining Ministers."

Bushing aside his concerns, he sat down at his desk and rang up his equivalent in Lamoni.

"This is Defense Minister Bolan." Only ten people that he knew of had access to his private number that bypassed the secretary in the outer office, but that was the line that rang. Looking at the caller ID, it identified the call as coming from the nation of Skyland Mt. Bolan knew that the Foreign Minister was visiting that nation, but she knew better than to use a local phone.

Sitting across from Minister Ley, Richard Stanson of Skyland Mt's Intelligence Department started slightly at the ring of his cell phone. Only inwardly of course; he was trained not to show outward displays of emotion. Excusing himself for a moment, he stepped into a corner and quietly spoke into the phone. After a minute, he set it down and aproached the President's chair. As Stanson wispered in his ear, the President's face showed surprise, then concern, then shifted to anger. Clearing his throat and rising, he turned to the foreign delegates.

"I'm sorry, but you'll have to excuse myself and Minister Stanson. We've just been informed that there was a shooting in the downtown Capital District. They think it might be terrorism. I will return when I can, until then please feel free to continue the negotiations with my remaining Ministers."

"I understand, Mr. President."

"Minister Bollan, I am George Harison, the Skyland Mt. Minister of Defense. Your Minister Ley suggested that I contact you regarding a possible mutual defense pact. I am most eager to discuss arangements with a fellow military man. Unfortunately, however, we have just experienced a terorist attack in our downtown Capital District, so my time is largely occupied right now. I'll give you my number however, so you can call me to discuss these matters at your convieniance. If your government has experiance in counter-terrorism operations, we would welcome any assisstance you can provide. If you are unable to do so, however, we understand, and will continue to work towards improving the security of both our nations."

Another call came through to the office of Defense Minister Bollan.

"Hello, this is Minister Harison from Skyland Mt., calling to update you on our current military status. We have recently purchased a stock of military equipment from United Earthlings, including infantry equipment, transport, and air support for 3300 men, and navel assets including 14 Mirage Class patrol Boats. As I discussed with Minister Ley, we are wondering if it would be possible to engage in an officer exchange program, in order to build trust between our armed forces, and better facilitate a mutual defense pact. Pursuant to this goal, The Ministry of Defense offers to deploy 7 of our 14 Patrol Boats to assist and train along side your navel forces, pending the aproval of your Government, of course."

"Minister Bolan, I am George Harrison, the Skyland Mt. Minister of Defense. Your Minister Ley suggested that I contact you regarding a possible mutual defense pact. I am most eager to discuss arrangements with a fellow military man. Unfortunately, however, we have just experienced a terrorist attack in our downtown Capital District, so my time is largely occupied right now. I'll give you my number however, so you can call me to discuss these matters at your convenience. If your government has experience in counter-terrorism operations, we would welcome any assistance you can provide. If you are unable to do so, however, we understand, and will continue to work towards improving the security of both our nations."

"We can send five ten man squads of our Berserker special forces via C-130 transport aircraft if you accept their presence on your territory. In battle, they will fight to the last man; but they are very able fighters, who have faced terrorists before. With the permission of both you and the LIA director, we can also send over some LIA liaison personnel in order to better facilitate the sharing of vital intelligence."

Another call came through to the office of Defense Minister Bolan.

"Hello, this is Minister Harison from Skyland Mt., calling to update you on our current military status. We have recently purchased a stock of military equipment from United Earthlings, including infantry equipment, transport, and air support for 3,300 men, and navel assets including 14 Mirage Class patrol Boats. As I discussed with Minister Ley, we are wondering if it would be possible to engage in an officer exchange program, in order to build trust between our armed forces, and better facilitate a mutual defense pact. Pursuant to this goal, The Ministry of Defense offers to deploy 7 of our 14 Patrol Boats to assist and train along side your naval forces, pending the aproval of your Government, of course."

"Greetings, Minister Harrison. I am glad to hear that you have managed to equip your forces. The seven Patrol Boats that you mentioned are welcome to train alongside our own four new Ngiri Guided Missile Corvettes. (OOC: http://z4.invisionfree.com/NSDraftroom/index.php?showtopic=2728 ) I also provisionally authorize an officer exchange between our nations in the interest of establishing a mutual level of trust between our two nations."

(OOC: I can't remember if UE's stuff has gone through the NSDraftroom... stuff that goes through the Draftroom is known to be the best NS made stuff. If you are looking for a fighter for your Air Force, look here: http://z4.invisionfree.com/NSDraftroom/index.php?showtopic=3115 )

We would welcome the presence of your anti-terrorism forces. Even before this attack, terrorism was major priority for our forces, and we believe that an international responce is esential in combatting this problem.

As soon as the shipment of patrol boats arives, we will deploy them to your territory to begin training exsercises. We thank you again for your support.

(OOC: further discussions of the terrorist attack should take place in that thread.)

"Thank you, Minister Harrison."


(OOC: further discussions of the terrorist attack should take place in that thread.)

Already done.