NationStates Jolt Archive

[ooc: It's ma'am ;) ]

She returns the salute, crisply and sharply - detached. "Councillor Ejai Telenu, Coordinator of Defence. Welcome to Anhierarch - I hope you enjoy your visit."

Flanking her, two black-garbed men bow formally, their faces stern, their stance imposing - the guardsmen of the Black Robe. Several others stand at ease around the dock, vaguely intimidating rifles placed at ease. If June were to look some of the rooftops, she might see Scythians standing guard, deliberately obvious, their faces unseen, gazing with seemingly opaque visors.

Perhaps Inviolus was right, in all that cajoling, asking that I not be rude.

As a black car slows to a halt by the kerb, Inviolus emerges from a subway access point, slightly out of breath.

"Sorry I'm late."

June smiles, handing over a thick sheaf of paper, 'Deployment notes, as requested*.' She notes Ejai's expression, and blinks, 'Oh, my apologies. It's standard procedure in our military to refer to officers of either sex as "Sir."'

She glances around for a moment at the assembled troops...Rather obviously a show of force rather than a real threat to the three warships present, but certainly an impressive one. She notes, too, the SFAT troops replacing her normal watches, one two-man team carrying a 50mm ramjet rifle between them. Smiling, she also can't help but notice the clear, blue water that shimmers by the docks.

She smiles, pointing to the woman standing next to her, who's wearing sunglassses and holding a briefcase. 'This is Georgina Bryde, our ambassador.' Georgina smiles warmly at this, and takes off her sunglasses.

It's a little obvious why she was wearing them; half her face is missing, replaced by black plating with a glowing red eye. 'Some people can find it a little unnerving at first' she smiles, and holds out her hand, 'It's good to meet you.'

June grins as she sees Inviolus, 'Good afternoon.'

[*Just something I imagined would have been sorted out by my Dept. of External Affairs and yours...It's basically a rather comprehensive list of situations and the battlegroup's response to them, when they'd fire, etc. Nothing you wouldn't expect, really]

[ooc: If Ejai had her way it would have been a show of force ;) All the bells and whistles. They're just worried about the possibility of a foreign dignitary coming to harm - it's not very nice.

Didn't think of the deployment notes thing, myself.

Full ceremonial garb of the black robe involves a full face-mask - no eyeholes in the traditional sense - where the eyes would be on the outer surface, they've been crammed with damn near invisible optical sensors. I'll come up with a sketch soon.]

Ejai nods curtly, still vaguely nervous about the enormous naval craft in the harbor. "Understood, Admiral. I'll review these shortly, thank you." Accepting the notes, she passes them to aides in military attire - Corporals, apparently.

Momentarily taken aback by the appearance of the ambassador, Ejai makes an admirable save, the moment of surprise on her face passing almost instantly - despite seeing the horrors of war first hand.

"Ah, yes. Good to meet you too, Ambassador Bryde." She extends her hand as well, shaking the ambassador's hand with a deceptively strong grip.

Inviolus trots up, two more guardsmen melding smoothly to his side, their blank visages all-seeing, mysterious.

"Afternoon, Admiral. Oh, hello Councillor Ejai." He smiles a little wanly, due to both the slight breathlessness and the rather disturbing sight of Georgina.

Georgina smiles, 'Actually, there's something I'd like to discuss with you, Councillor Ejai...Is there anywhere suitably private we could go?'

Ejai nods. "Of course, Ambassador Bryde. Perhaps your new office in the embassy?"

She smiles, 'That'd be good, yes.'

[Journey's for you, since I like your countryside.]

[ooc: Embassy outside the city? Poor memory, sorry, let me check. Would June and Inviolus and any others tag along?]

Ejai nods, leading Georgina to the small row of black cars. Suprisingly enough, there is no reek of burnt hydrocarbons. The interior is plainly elegant, neither overstatedly baroque or minimalistically spartan. A small minibar provides a supply of locally produced alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. At the helm of the vehicle is yet another of the robe - disquietingly enough to those unused to them, he too wears to mask, face invisible. The other front seat bears another guardsman, silently alert.

A light classical tune begins to play, arcadian and serene.

The convoy takes off at a gentle start, the distance between vehicles precisely maintained. Far, far above, along the predetermined route, eyes unseen watch carefully, fully prepared for any threat to the convoy.

The cars move swiftly, the thrumming of the engines muted to be soothing, driving smoothly over roads unpocked by potholes. Slowly, the architecture of the docks fades away, utilitarian warehouses and massive cranes melting into the distance. As they drive on, they zip pass citizens on foot and bicycle, and even one young man determinedly working a strange contraption, presumably beginning from the basic bicycle frame.

Silently the city passes, and for a moment, lulled by the smooth journey, one might imagine the car remaining static and all the world moving past.

And they cross the threshold into Kandor Park, the sole road laid through the lush park.

For a moment they seem to return to the verdancy of the great forests, the trees, measuring 30 feet or more are but mere saplings beside the majestic antediluvians of the old forests. The speed of the cars turn the expanse of grass on either side to velvet carpet of the richest green. Picnickers in the park turn to watch them pass, unused to the sight of vehicles bearing their flag.

An incline. They leave the park, ascending to the second tier of roadways, designed solely for the possibility of high volume traffic between critical points - as such, the coverage does not appear extensive, but it was calculated for maximum theoretical efficiency. [ooc: Like highways within the city.]

Lunch hour. On the broad plazas visible beneath the elevated roadway, mingling crowds of people are seen, a seemingly random Brownian motion of the gaseous entity of humanity, a lone mime in the centre of a plaza like the core of a system, planets and planetoids whirling wildly about in an endless dance. Some of the workers look to the cars as they make their way to their preferred cafe.

The buildings are getting taller. They stretch into the sky, lining either side of the expanse of pavement, plaza and road. Tall edifices of glass and steel, the thrumming heart of the life of the city. Periodically, they pass buses, as well as the occasional car of one who thought he or she needed one.

Above them, the mirror image of the labyrinthe subway network, monorail tracks snake about, seemingly in chaos but following some mysterious order divined by the Coordinator of Public Transport, Khurgan grk-Khaza. Surprisingly it seems to work, with the AMS complaints department complaining of boredom after a week of the completion of the network.

The Speaker's Tower remains a needlepoint in the distance, rising above the other buildings. Smoothly, though, the motorcade begins to shift in direction...

[OOC: I guess they would, yes. If you haven't realised, June is rather fond of Inviolus. I'm sure shore leave could be figured out for nonessential personnel on my ships, too. You'd have a couple of guys from SFAT with Georgina as a bodyguard.

And what Georgina wants to discuss is actually fairly important. No hurry, though.]

Georgina smiles as she looks out of the window, 'This is such a beautiful country...'

[ooc: I figure it's inconvenient to place the embassy outside the city. Would a gentle hill overlooking a large park be good?

Shore leave for everyone. Yay! Well, everyone nonessential.]

Sitting across from Georgina in the spacious rear of the car, Ejai nods.

"Glad you think so, Ambassador.

And the ride goes on. They veer east now, headed towards the north-eastern quadrant of the city, where the embassy had been contructed, where men and women from various disciplines had collaborated to produce a structure true as possible to the plans. They drive quickly, yet smoothly, the sense of acceleration only evident when one looked out the window.

Minutes pass as they traverse the chaotically ordered towers of the city, festooned with monorails on multiple levels, vines and creepers of concrete twining around the gleaming towers. Sporadically, large sculptures can be seen in the squares and plazas below, ranging in style from the mathematical, symmetrical Classical Greek, the powerfully emotive, dramatic Baroque sculpture and stunningly abstract installations of the modern era. Some possess a distinctly Anhierarchian flavor, marking them as artworks of the Epochian style, which first arose in Anhierarch some 25 years ago.

Abruptly, they pass another plaza - yet this one seems to have a different air about it, a darker aura, almost, one of sadness, and long memory. Standing in the centre of the square is a statue of marble, a grieving mother cradling her dead child, her face in anguish, her own body wounded and bleeding, clothes burnt and torn. Not all of these details are easily visible to the human eye in a speeding car, but the inscription is plain enough, carved in the granite plinth upon which the statue rests:

Remember the Innocents

A lone musician plays before it, sombre in dress and demeanor.

But they too, pass.

The convoy turns into an offramp, descending down a gentle curve, the form of the road seeming almost organic as they leave it. Momentarily, the cars pass under the second tier of roads, and for a second they drive in the shade.

Ejai peers out the window. "We should be there fairly soon."

The Other Car
[ooc: Want a running conversation in the car while they drive there?]

[Sure...Georgina's conversation could well end with a post in the CACE forum, anyway. Hop onto IRC if you want to know more...

The only real problem with shore leave is stopping my crews working up the equivalent of a colossal bar-tab, so I guess they'd have to make do with fixed quotas of stuff]

[You want to start the conversation in the other car? And shall we have Georgina arrive while that's going on, and have Inviolus and June go for a meal someplace instead?]

[K. How does the procedure of shore leave go, anyway? Anyway, I think the The Other Car events should be about 20 minutes behind the car Ejai's in, because I don't think you sit in a car for 20 minutes sitting really quietly.]

The Other Car

He smiles warmly at June, leaning back in the comfortable seat, relaxed and at ease - as always.

"Been a while, hasn't it?" He sighs amiably, running his fingers through his hair - a slightly modified B01 avatar, the only difference being the presence of thick, lush brown hair, arranged in a slightly rumpled yet ordered manner.

"By the way, what do you think of the new look?" He grins.

[Shore leave is basically just chill-out time for the guys on board...Seeing the sights and sleeping on more comfortable beds, that kind of thing. Kinda like tourism, but much more highly scrutinised by the officers on board, so you won't have to worry about anything untoward going on.

Ok, we'll assume Georgina's arrived at the Embassy now and they're in her office.]

Georgina smiles, a little nervously, 'It's a little daunting that my first order of business should be something like this...Oh, sit down, please.' she gestures to the chair in front of her desk.

Unclipping her briefcase, she pulls out a sheaf of papers, handing one across the table, a map; 'I believe you're familiar with the United Socialist States of Jigoku?'

The other car

She smiles, 'Looks good...Although it's kinda strange seeing you here, since you saw me off at the dock...' she laughs, 'Guess I'm a fine one to talk...'

'You said you'd take me for a meal...What's the food like here?'

[ooc: Ah, that. Strange how I can always recognize US personnel on shore leave here.]

The Embassy

Ejai nods guardedly. "Absolutely. One of our allies... in the middle of a protracted civil war, unfortunately. I was at the conflict negotiation to attempt to defuse the situation - sadly, all we managed was to agree not to interfere with the situation, as it were."

She studies the map, almost instinctively superimposing a mental image of the latest tactical map, then looks back up at Georgina.

"What about the USSJ, then?"

The Other Car

He chuckles momentarily, somehow more jovial in her presence. "Ah, the perks of being in two places at once. More than two, anyway."

Musing for a moment, he says, smiling, "Well, vegetarian. Mostly. Some might think it could get boring, but it's when your ingredients are limited that you get really creative with them. There're meat dishes too, just a little harder to find - plenty of seafood places along the waterfront, though. There's a great little place around here, does some of the best lasagne around. Great apple strudel, too."

She frowns, and pushes another sheet across a table, 'We went though some of GMCMA's accounts, recently, and found this...Claimed to be for a conflict resolution company* called 'Resolve.'

ITEM: 21,000 Assault Rifle, Kalashnikov AKM
Spare Parts for same
Ammunition for same, 7.62x39mm @ 5 magazines / weapon, 3 clips / magazine
Shoulder straps for same
Cleaning and maintanance kits for same
Field manuals for same
ITEM: 11,000 Pistol, Tokarev TT semi-auto
Ammunition for same, 7.62x25mm @ 5 clips / weapon
Holsters for same, plastic
ITEM: 550 Sniper Rifle, Dragunov SVD
Ammunition for same, 7.62x54mm @ 5 magazines / weapon [preloaded]
PSO-1 scopes for same
Bipods for same
ITEM: 600 Machine gun, Degtyarev RPD
Ammunition for same, 7.62x39mm @ 3,000 rounds / weapon in 600 round metal linked belts
Drum magazines, 100 round, for same, 5 / weapon
Spare barrels for same @ 2 per weapon
ITEM: 610 Rocket-propelled grenade launcher, RPG-7
Armour-piercing rounds for same @ 12 /weapon
ITEM: 25 Mortars, 40mm
Ammunition for same, high-explosive, 1,600 40mm rounds in boxes of 16
ITEM: 64,000 Hand Grenades, F1

The list goes on, taking in uniforms, canteens, mess tins, entrenching tools, kitbags, boots, flak jackets, knives, flashlights, radio sets, medical gear...

'Sobering reading, isn't it? And it wasn't until the audit that we found that...Resolve's literature is convincing enough, but they only claim to have ten thousand soldiers on standby in total...'

'Internal Affairs got some guys on it after we recieved another order almost the same as that one, only this time including landmines, surface-to-air missiles and anti-aircraft machine guns...It was kinda obvious they weren't who they said they were.'

'And investigating let us to the conclusion that all that equipment ended up in Jigoku. Not sure who paid, could have been foreign nationals with an axe to grind, Jigokan expats thrown out in the revolution, if there are any...Could even have come from looted items smuggled out and sold on the black market, I guess; but you have to think of how much more there might be from other nations.'

She smiles, 'The Supreme Commander's been speaking to senior SATO members about this...And there's a general consensus that something ought to be done...Am I right in thinking that fear of SATO intervention and subsequent escalation is what's keeping CACE members from sending peacekeeping forces?'

The Other Car

She smiles, 'Sounds delicious...And I am pretty hungry.'

[*You think I'm making the existence of such things up, check out www.Sandline.com]

[ooc: I've heard of those, actually. Conflict resolution companies. Still creepy.]

She nods in turn. "Quite true. An escalation is the last thing anyone wants. As for the destination of the arms... I'd say mercenaries. It's not just idle speculation, either - there's a substantial body of evidence to suggest some sort of mercenary force in North Jigoku."

She leans back, thoughtful.

"So, what plans does SATO have in response to this?"

The Other Car

Inviolus rubs his abdomen.

"Me too..... guardsman, 57th Fethrekis Street, please. And hurry, thanks.

The driver, clad in the chilling masks of the black robe, nods imperceptibly as June and Inviolus feel a gentle increase of acceleration."

She thinks for a moment, 'That's what we thought too, but that's the best case scenario...The worst would be that the Northern forces are trying to form their own full army, independant of the rest of Jigoku...I don't think I have to spell out the possible consequences of that.'

She reaches in her case, and pulls out another document, 'Signed by the Supreme Commander and countersigned by the Secretary-General of SATO, Joanna von Sachshausen, and the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Lady Sirithil nos Fëanor, stating that in the event of a predominantly CACE ground force being deployed to secure the border and prevent incursions by Northern Forces into the South, there would be no SATO intervention provided that not less than one SATO nation was represented within that peacekeeping force...' she pauses, 'Namely, The Federation of GMC Military Arms.'

'There's also a guarantee that every effort will be taken to track down and place beyond use all weapons the posession of which is deemed illegal within the USSJ...It's thought that a multinational policing force would be best for that, since CACE troops in the North would probably be the target of terrorist attacks by hardline paramilitaries.'

'Equally, there has to be a guarantee that, at least in an interim period while the fate of the North is decided, there should be no major rearmament or expansion of the USSJ's legitimate military, since the North could see that as a threat to them.'

She smiles, 'I know it might be asking a lot, but would it be possible for me to bring this before the CACE themselves, if you were to introduce the issue?*'

'And...Err...Could I be alone, for a minute?'

After Ejai leaves, Georgina switches on her computer, tapping in a few commands, eventually coming to a near-black screen. A dim light flicks on, after a few moments, revealing a room, with a bed taking up a fair part of the picture. A tired-looking young woman is sitting on it, her hair messy, her hand still on the lightswitch. She yawns, and rubs her eyes, 'Sweetheart...Did you forget about the time difference? S'the middle of the night...' she has a soft voice, with a very slight Russian accent.

'Oh, I'm sorry, Nat...I just needed to see you...I really miss you.'

The woman smiles, 'Doesn't matter...I miss you too, anyway...Wish I was there.'

'Have they said how long it'll take before your diplomatic passport's worked out?'

'Ahh...A week or so, they think.'

Georgina smiles, 'Well, that'll be good, at least. I could really do with a hug about now...'

The Other Car

June looks out as they stop, 'Looks like a good place...' she thinks for a moment, 'It may sound like a stupid question, but how do you go about paying the bill?'

[*By that I mean you make a first post for a conference in the Coalition Body section, saying you invited her, and I present it there.

And I've got a pic of Natalya, if you'd like to see]

Ejai frowns pensively, scanning the document with a trained eye as she listens to Georgina.

"Indeed, the situation is grave. Potentially so, at least. Very well. If I can have a copy of this document I'll forward it to our liason to the CACE in Celdonia, Orikhe Velane. He'll bring it up, put it to the vote, as it were. I cannot predict the outcome. Most important of all would be the views of the USSJ - it's their land, after all. We can get authorization to deploy forces to the USSJ easily enough, being allies, but a SATO nation? Problematic, at the least. The condition that the USSJ military not be significantly re-armed or expanded during an interim period might not go down well, though I personally feel they could benefit from a re-prioritization of spending away from Defence. Sadly, this civil war prevents that."

She nods in finality, getting up from the seat. "Of course. I'll be in the embassy for a little while. After that I've got to get back to the office, so if you need me just call."

Elsewhere

[ooc: Actually, all she would see at the moment is one tall, tall building. The place is on the 75th floor.]

Inviolus cranes his neck, looking up the sheer facade of the towering residential complex.

"Yes, very. It's not just an apartment block.... it's practically a self-contained micro-city.... well, micro compared to the city itself, that is. It's on the 75th floor, great view."

"Bill?", he says, smiling. "Not here. Ejai's mother runs the place, actually. Wonderful woman, very pleasant."

He extends an arm towards one of the entrances, a functional yet beautiful portal of steel, glass and concrete. Young, slender limbed trees flank the path to the doorway, garlanded with lichen and flowers, a subtle scent permeating the air. Along the path, a young boy and his sister tend to a wounded kitten, fluffy, wide eyed and impossibly cute.

And around the corner, a discreet man makes notes on a clipboard.

"Just this way, then."

[ooc: Yes, it's the Most Compassionate Citizens rankings time :D A pic would be great if it's not too much trouble.]

Georgina calls Ejai back in after she's finished, 'To bring up a few points regarding what you said...It's probably best to keep this information to as few USSJ politicians as possible...If their military gets wind of this, they might decide to launch a preemptive strike on the North...' she pauses, 'If that were to happen, Northern forces would most likely dig in and fortify their positions, and you'd wind up seeing trench warfare...Not the kind of thing we really want happening, to be honest.'

'Regarding the agreement on not rearming, you have to consider the point of view of the Northern forces...You can't expect them to disarm if you're allowing the USSJ's army to rearm in the meantime, they'll feel like they're being stabbed in the back.'

'In addition, CACE forces would have their own duty to find any pro-government paramilitary units operating in the South and disarm them.*'

She smiles, 'And, if it's not too much trouble, I'd think it best if I could be there when the issue is discussed...Or is that not possible?'

The Other...Err...Building?

She smiles warmly, 'I could get used to this, I really could...And it'll be good to meet her.' she looks around, 'Everything's so quiet here...'

[*It's fair to say there probably are some, especially since Jigoku's posts seem to suggest that his army is an absolute mess.

And I guess these UN guys are just a bit touchy about not being allowed into the country...]

Ejai nods, sombre. "Still, the matter must be brought to their attention - while strenuously avoiding the devolving of this conflict into a meat-grinder. At any rate we should discuss all this at an assembly of the CACE - I alone am but one voice of one nation."

Making a note on a PDA, she continues speaking, her eyes on the small electronic device. "I don't see why not. We've had delegates from Knootoss and Syskeyia show up before. A few rules of protocol, but nothing much. When would you like to go there?"

Elsewhere

He smiles as well. "Something I've heard often from visitors. I'll bet she'll be happy to meet you too. She's like that.... quite different from Ejai in that respect."

Consulting an internal chronometer, he shrugs. "Quite a lot of people still work in the metro area, so it can get quiet out here. It's a good place to sit back and think."

The two children smile as they pass, greeting them with a chirpy 'Good afternoon!' - apparently, the kitten wasn't quite as injured as they'd first thought. It still mews plaintively, purring a little as it eyes June and Inviolus with the usual kitten expression of stunned curiousity.

She smiles, 'As soon as you'd find conveniant.'

Elsewhere

'I guess my idea of quiet would be a little different to yours anyway...' June smiles, 'I'm used to a military dockyard, after all.'

She looks down, and runs her hand along the kitten's back gently, 'Not many people keep cats back home...Usually dogs, or birds. Julia's just got a bird, actually.'


[Sent you a pic.]

Ejai consults her chronometer. "I can probably arrange something within a week.... tomorrow by the earliest. It's not a long flight, but you don't present something like this unannounced. I'll have to inform them of the neccesity of a meeting."

Elsewhere

The kitten purs contentedly, stretching lazily in the outstretched palms of the small, brown haired child. He pipes up, the manner of his speech and his body language somehow different from children in more.... traditional societies.

"I think it likes you, ma'am."

Inviolus, as is his wont, smiles cryptically. "Yes... well, cats are fairly common around here - practically an unofficial national animal, and a good deal more affable than scorpions."

[ooc: I feel all guilty. I should send you a scanned drawing for once :p]

She suddenly brightens up, 'A week would be really good,* thank you.'

Elsewhere...

June smiles, 'Yes, I shouldn't think scorpions are really noted for their friendliness...' she takes off her cap and shakes out her hair, 'Ahh...That's a bit better.'

She turns to the child and smiles, 'Do you recognise me, at all?'

[*Not real-time, she'd just like to see Natalya first.

And June's wondering if he's seen her on the news.]

Ejai nods. "Of course. I'll make the arrangements."

Elsewhere...

His smile broadens a little as June's hair is released from the constraints of the cap, content merely to remain silent for the moment.

The boy looks up curiously at her, seemingly attempting to place her features. Finally he looks at the uniform instead, scrutinizing it with rather more focus than one might expect. A light dawns in his young eyes.

"Yes, you're the visitor from GMCMA, aren't you, ma'am? People have been talking about the whole thing for ages." He nods respectfully. "Very nice to meet you, ma'am, hope you enjoy yourself here."

[I think Georgina's going to want some sleep now...She's still a bit off from the time difference. Hence, we'll stay with the elsewhere part]

She nods, 'One of the visitors, yes.' she blinks as her stomach rumbles, 'Oh...Err...Perhaps we should head inside and get that meal?'

Inviolus nods quickly. "Of course." He turns to the young children, flashing a quick smile. "Have a good day, you two."

As they enter the building itself, one's eye is first struck by the large bronze sculpture in the centre of the lobby, a whirling confusion of bronze traceries and filigree, resolved into a shape not recognizable at all - if one were to look study the sculpture, to spend time and scrutinize it, one might see the strange patterns woven into its matrix by the artist.

Inviolus prods the button to call the elevator, humming tunelessly as he waits.

[If you don't mind some time-related weirdness, I'm sure Ejai would want too look around the fleet...Georgina could give her a little tour after she wakes up, if you like.]

June stares at the sculpture for a little while, 'Interesting...A representation of something?'

[Hey, temporal weirdness is practically the essence of NS :D]

Inviolus turns to look at it once more, assessing it and analyzing it, comparing the visual quality of it with data accessible to him.

"Well, I'm not much of an art man, but I believe it's non-representational. A pure visual response, something like that."

As the last word is spoken the elevator arrives, heralded by the customary chiming sound common to most elevators. The doors slide smoothly open, painted as part of an unfinished mural. Inviolus extends his arm in a gesture of welcome, smiling wryly.

Seeing Ejai, Georgina smiles and rubs her remaining eye with the back of her hand, 'I'm sorry...Guess I'm still a little jet-lagged. Boat-lagged, even. Anway, you said you'd like to inspect the battlegroup?'

Elsewhere

'I prefer music...' she smiles, 'If you've got a violin, I could show you...'

Ejai nods. "That's right. Myself and my aides... when could it be arranged?

Elsewhere

He smiles as well, as the elevator ascends rapidly. "I'm sure I can find one somewhere in the complex.... I'd love to hear you play."

She smiles brightly, 'Now, if that's ok with you...'

Elsewhere...

She nods, 'I've always been told I was quite good...' she smiles, 'By dockworkers, mostly...I like sitting on the bow, under the stars, with the sea in front of me...'

Ejai nods. "That soon? Alright, then. I'll just call my aides, just a moment." She produces a small cellphone from a pocket somewhere in her robes, dialing rapidly. After a brief, muted conversation she turns back to Georgina.

"Right. They can be here in a few minutes."

Elsewhere

Inviolus smiles as well, wistfully.

"Heh. That sounds romantic."

Georgina smiles, 'Ok...By the way, would I be able to visit Anhierarch's Navy some time?'

Elsewhere

June's hand covers Inviolus', and she blushes, 'It's more romantic having someone to share it with...' she says, smiling hopefully.

[ooc: As soon as I figure out what my Navy should have.... only got personnel strength atm.]

Ejai nods again. "Absolutely. Could take a fair bit of time to arrange, though, especially in the middle of a major revamp of the military... you might have heard about it on CBC."

Elsewhere

Strange.... feelings? This is new.

He turns slowly to her, smiling almost imperceptibly. "Is that an invitation?"

Georgina smiles brightly, 'That's fine...No hurry.'

Elsewhere

June blushes, 'Well...If you want it to be.'

Ejai cracks a wry grin, for some reason. "Alright, then. Ah.... I think I hear my aides coming." She walks to a nearby window, twitching aside a curtain to see the incoming shuttle craft.

Elsewhere

He slips his fingers between hers, gently. "Well, I think I do."

[Note: I imagine that there's a few locals with time off and children gathered by the docks...The GMC troops guarding the ships are a fairly friendly bunch]

Down by the docks

One of the soldiers near the ship salutes as he notices Georgina, noting too late that the little girl he was talking too is still wearing his helmet. 'Ahh...Good afternoon, sir.'

Georgina raises her eyebow slightly, but smiles, 'At ease, soldier.' she turns to Ejai, pointing along the row of three ships, 'So, which would you like to see first?'

Elsewhere

June rests her head on Inviolus' shoulder. 'Is this going to be a romantic dinner for two, then?'

The docks. Ooh, a seagull.

"Whee!"

The little girl scampers around for a bit, the amusingly ill-fitting helmet wobbling vaguely.

Ejai smiles inwardly, eyeing the three ships with a professional eye.

"The Dreadnought, perhaps? I've heard numerous rumors and anecdotes in certain circles."

Elsewhere

Inviolus lets his eyes close, breathing in the fragrance of her hair. "Yeah.... just us."

The docks

Georgina nods, 'Ok...It's just a shame June isn't here. She knows a lot more about it than I do, obviously.' She smiles, 'So, I guess you want to examine the forward turret first?'

Elsewhere

June sighs happily. A few moments later, she speaks, 'Umm...The lift stopped about five minutes ago...'

The docks

Distracted for a moment from the imposing bulk of the Dreadnought, Ejai nods. "Absolutely. It's very impressive, even from down here."

Behind her the aides stand stock still, impassively gazing ahead. They don't seem like normal aides, but they themselves are armed with nothing more dangerous than an ink pen.

Elsewhere

He blinks. "It did? Strange how time passes when you're happy." Inviolus smiles as the doors slide open, revealing the interior of one of the elevator lobbies of the 75th floor. A pastel green carpet covers the floor, reminiscent of grassy fields - indeed, scattered flowers could be seen embroidered into the fabric, tasteful and elegant. The walls themself are painted in warm, soothing colors, decorated with the occasional artwork or printout of a poem.

The docks. <Insert jolly sea shanty>

Georgina smiles, 'Ok...Follow me.'

She leads them on board, eventaully stopping on the ship's foredeck. In front of them, the enormous main turret dominates the view, the two huge, heavily-braced main guns pointing full-forward, 'I've got permission to show you all public areas of the ship...So, inside?'

Elsewhere

June smiles happily, stopping occasionally to read one of the poems on the walls, 'Is everything here this nice?'

Da Docks

Well, you know what they say about big guns and other.... big things.

Her little mental witticism passing quite unnoticed, she nods while still facing the enormous cannons.

"Of course. Lead the way, please."

I smell pasta

A noticable scent of cooking food, of rich, succulent tomatoes and creamy pasta, of exotic herbs and time-honored skill begins to diffuse through the air. Inviolus inhales deeply, as a wearied warrior breathing once again the air of the lands of his birth after decades of war abroad.

"Some are nicer, some aren't quite as nice." He shrugs philosophically. "When you have something nice you take as much care of it as you can, lavish your heart and soul on it-" he smiles warmly at June "- and in turn it becomes part of you. Each complex beats with the heart of the thousands of people in them."

As he speaks a chattering pair passes them by - brothers, perhaps. Another resident can also be seen at the other end of the corridor, seemingly also bound for the good cookery.

<Random dock, doc or duck joke>

She nods, 'Oh, one thing before...' she points to the two submarines either side; both are huge, with long, flat foredecks, and going by appearences only, seem all but unarmed.

'Didn't think it very diplomatic to have them in dock with the armament deployed...Would you like to see?'

A romantic dinner

She nods, 'And protect it, so that you can pass it on...And maybe try to make it a little better, if you can.' she smiles, 'I think it was the Supreme Commander that told me that...'

She looks at the place they've stopped in front of, 'This looks like it.'

Smells of salt out here

Ejai nods, admiring the view of the bay as well as that of the two sleek submarines.

"Quite true... And yes, I would rather like to see."

Les Romantique

"Yes... that's a very important concept.", he says, smiling.

As they stop, a stocky, almost burlesque woman bustles out to meet them, her sunny expression balancing out her fairly fearsome build. She smells strongly of the perfumes of the kitchen, vigorously wiping her hands on a rag.

"Inviolus! So good to see you here again, you have been well?"

"Yes, Mrs. Telen-"

"Ah, I see you have brought someone with you!" -she winks conspiratorially, as presumably harmless middle-aged women are wont to do, and turns to June, all smiles, as usual- "Wonderful to meet you, welcome to my humble eating-house!"

[Gaah...Lost post, bleah]

Foredeck of Dreadnought Nihilanth

'I thought you might,' Georgina smiles, 'I mean, like this they hardly look like battleships...'

She waves towards the Isengard, which flashes her Morse lamp back twice. She waves again.

And the ship's entire foredeck splits open, resolving into six main hatches, three large ones evenly spaced, with one smaller one in front of them and two in between. The hatch doors lock off about halfway to the waterline, the smaller ones revealing a battery of VLS tubes, while three turrets rise from the larger ones, the two forward ones triples, the furthest back a double. Various other hatches near the rear of the ship carry smaller weapons, a mix antiaircraft guns and point defence.

'It took the NSPD years to come up with a workable design for a telescopic barbette that didn't have serious problems with jamming during rotation...But it has to be this way, really; with all that out she's disturb far too much water to be useful as a sub...It'd make her catepillar drive completely pointless.'

She smiles, 'Oh, and these two aren't carrying nuclear weapons either, in case you've spotted their ICBM tubes...They'd carry ten if we were at war, but they're not designed to operate as boomers, so not much point sticking warheads on board during peacetime.'

Romancin'

June bows gracefully, 'It's wonderful to be here,' she offers her hand, 'My name's June.'

[Got a pic of Isengard from the side, if you like]

Foredeck of Dreadnought Nihilanth

As the weapons begin to unfold from the Isengard, one of Ejai's aides turns away, murmuring quickly into an earpiece. Whatever he said, it seems to satisfy the contingent of Anhierarch security in the area.

"Remarkable system of concealment of the armaments.... certainly allows for greater tactical variety.", she says, almost thinking to herself. "Now, if the nuclear weapons had come along, you'd probably see a great deal of public protest."

Paaaassssttttaaaa

She smiles, shaking June's hand effusively.

"Ah, I think I have seen you somewhere before. The television? Maybe, it does not matter. I am Pashta Telenu, by the way. General purveyor of good food to anyone that wants some - and unless I'm mistaken, you'll be wanting some. Come in, come in, take a seat!" She smiles broadly, ushering them towards a more private corner of the room. Inviolus grins, going along with the tide - used to the behavior of Ejai's mother by now.

Nihilanth

She nods, 'Although there's a trade-off...The machinery to operate this takes up a lot of space on board. Still, you can't have everything.'

She nods at the second comment, 'Well, wouldn't want that...Actually, the squad down on the dock switched over to non-lethal rounds at the last shift change...It's not procedure, the officer of the watch ordered it...Something about not wanting to scare the children down there.'

She points to the still-helmetless soldier, who's standing with the little girl sitting on his shoulders to give her a better view of the submarine, 'That's him...Name's Moore...He's got three children of his own...A son, daughter and a Nekoite girl he adopted...' she smiles, 'Gets on well with kids.'

She thinks for a moment, 'Oh yes, the turret...' she smiles, 'Follow me, please.'

It's quite a way, leading down the ship's passageways to a staircase by the main turret's barbette. Eventually, they find themselves inside the main turret; a large room with the two huge gun breeches open in front of them, surrounded by a host of loading equipment and hoists.

June

[She's actually wearing her Admiral's dress uniform, might be a little obvious who she is]

She takes a seat, and looks around for a menu, smiling, 'You seem rather well-known here, Inviolus.'

Ejai nods without comment as Georgina mentions the soldier Moore, seemingly self-absorbed in personal introspection. Wordlessly she follows Georgina to the turret room, where finally she speaks.

"Very impressive.... reminds me of the inside of a tank, except of course a good deal larger."

Inviolus

[I suppose so... chalk it up to general scatter-braininess coupled with a total disinterest in military affairs]

Inviolus nods affirmatively, grinning.

"Quite so... I come down here for lunch fairly often. Sorting taste input from several avatars eating at once is quite the experience... plus, she's Ejai's mom. She drops by to see her daughter every so often."

As if on cue she re-appears, bearing a pair of menus - hand-lettered by a friend of the family, something of a expert on calligraphic text. Listed inside is a fairly extensive list of various foods, including of course spaghetti bolognaise, selections of rye sandwiches, various cream soups, the famous lasagne and a few more esoteric pastas. She hums cheerily by the table, waiting for them to choose.

[ooc: School. Too tired to flip through pasta cookbook in the kitchen for some names.]