SDNWorld Redux: Story Thread the Second

[K. A. Pital]

President Stanislav speaks to the public on the RED ONE TV Channel



- I announce that from today onwards, the so-called "state" of Astaria has been subjected to intense aerial bombardment by the Crimson Star Republic 37th Air Army and some supporting forces.

- This bombardment has the goal of destroying the Astarian Navy, thus once and for all ending their ability to kidnap foreign nationals.

- As you know, our citizen and World Peace Ambassador Katarina was kidnapped by slavers and rescued by the Cascadian Navy and our brave airforce servicemen who flew a long sortie to the faraway continent of Veleria.

- Now we are determined to forever end the Astarians' ability to enslave human beings. No one kidnaps our citizens without paying the price. And the price is the Astarian Navy.

- We understand that this will have severe economic effects for Astaria, but it is the only way to seal this cancerous cell on the face of the world from other nations, and to shield the people from Astarians aiding kidnappers with their sizeable military force.

- We are not, and will not be, conducting any sort of ground war against Astaria. The operation against Astarian slavers should end today, and the world will breathe easier.

[Steve]

GENERAL RESOLUTION OF THE CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF CASCADIA

WHEREAS the Free Republic of Astaria has continued to permit the institution of Human Slavery to remain legal in their territories, regardless of universal disapproval from the nations of the world,

WHEREAS the Astarian nation has, despite numerous claims to the contrary, failed to protect the citizens of foreign nations from being sold into their domestic institution of slavery,

and WHEREAS this failure has led to innumerable numbers of persons, including Cascadian citizens, being abducted and sold into the Astarian slave market, as proven by the individuals recovered from the Star of Sweethaven by the Cascadian Navy,

The Congress of Cascadia hereby declares that the nation of Astaria be subjected to inspections upon her shipping, that all vessels entering and leaving Astarian territorial waters be searched for citizens of Cascadia or other nations, and so resolved instructs the President of the Republic to undertake all necessary actions to bring about such a blockade with the force of the Cascadian Navy and Air Force, and to work with other nations of the world to maintain the blockade and ensure that no citizen of Cascadia or another nation is ever again placed into the chains of Astarian slavery.

Such is the Decision of the Congress of Cascadia.


The measure had blown through the House and Senate after they had heard the testimony of Amber Sanchez. Ironically, by the time the resolution was being heard in Hue, where the Astarian delegation could transmit the Cascadian demarche to Montalba, the Crimson Star Republic had put into motion it's own very different response to the Star of Sweethaven situation.

One more potential Sword of Damocles hung over the necks of the Astarian government. Rep. Joseph Giddings of Grant Province had at the last second held back from introducing another resolution to join the Blockade Resolution: a resolution that would have proclaimed that any Astarian ship in international waters, being outside of the legal sovereign territory of Astaria, could not hold slaves under the international treaties and laws forbidding human trafficking and the slave trade. In other words, the resolution would proclaim a Cascadian legal position that Astarian slavery ended at the twelve mile territorial limit of Astarian national waters, and any ships carrying slaves beyond that were engaged in illegal slave-trading with their "cargoes" consisting of free men and women who could be lawfully removed from the ship by any sovereign authority. An act that would put the Astarian ability to move slaves between their holdings in grave trouble (one of the reasons Gidding held back was his own concerns about the ability of Astaria to airlift them and whether his resolution also cut that loophole off.)

All that remained to be seen was if the situation would change before the Cascadian government began assembling a coalition to begin the desired blockade....

[Norseman]

OOC: I was supposed to post this earlier. I'll try to gussy up this post a little bit when I get the time. I've run this past Skimmer and he's alright with it. It has a two power standard, and doesn't use the word ally, but there you are.

IC:

The Treaty of Amity and Friendship Between Astaria and Japanistan, 2009

The Governments of Japanistan and Astaria considers that the world community at large has failed in its responsibilities towards Velaria. Moreover they also see it as a requirement for peace that each nation shall have access to such natural resources as it requires for its continued economic growth. Therefore they have decided to join in a co-operative venture, to aid each others efforts in Velaria. In such a way the peoples of Velaria will experience new growth and prosperity, heretofore unknown to them. Moreover the contracting parties agree to struggle to remove exploitative and neo-colonialist regimes from Velaria, in as much as this is possible, and to co-operate in the struggle against such regimes. Therefore the Governments of Japanistan and Astaria agree to the following:

ARTICLE 1. Recognition of their respective Holdings and Zones of Influence in Velaria. Both Contracting Parties agree to explicitly inform their counterpart as to where such Holdings and Zones of Influence lie.

ARTICLE 2. Japanistan and Astaria agree to cooperate in their efforts mentioned previously.

ARTICLE 3. If either Astaria or Japanistan, in the defence of their respective interests as above described, should become involved in war with another Power, the other High Contracting Party will maintain a strict neutrality, and use its efforts to prevent other Powers from joining in hostilities against its treaty partner.

ARTICLE 4. If in the above event any other Power or Powers should join in hostilities against the treaty partner, the other High Contracting Party will come to its assistance and will conduct the war in common, and make peace in mutual agreement with it.

ARTICLE 5. Neither Contracting Party will make treaties with third parties, if they are prejudicial to the previously mentioned points.

ARTICLE 6. With a view to implementing the present pact, joint technical commissions, to be appointed by the respective Governments of Japanistan and Astaria, will meet without delay.

ARTICLE 7. The present pact shall become valid immediately upon signature and shall remain in force ten years from the date on which it becomes effective. In due time, before the expiration of said term, the High Contracting Parties shall, at the request of any one of them, enter into negotiations for its renewal.

[PeZook]

Orena, Royal Palace

King Paul was sick. Quite literally so - while PR people made sure the media never saw the King in bed, sneezing and coughing and using up dozens of tissues, it still happened from time to time.

Metaphorically, however, the splitting headache, burning throat and runny nose made him sick of running the day-to-day affairs of state. While the Prime Minister could handle things for the time being, Paul still read lots of briefing reports while watching crappy Shroomanian game shows and re-runs of PeZookian criminal TV series.

"Aw, fuck!", said the King, right before sneezing mightily. He cleaned up the briefing folder with a tissue and read on. Then, he finally reached out to the intercom.

"Karol...", he began, coughed and continued, "...tell the Foreign Ministry that I want regular updates on the status of our people in Astaria. They must make sure they won't disappear there - make sure these Astarians who are liaising with us get all the relevant information."

"Of course, sire. Anything else?"

"Send a diplomatic note to the CSR expressing our disapproval for taking military action without consulting other SNC members first. And send someone here to pick up all these folders.", the King looked at the stained paper inside the folder he was holding in his hands, "Throw them into the incinerator for safety."

And hygene, he didn't say.

(OOC: I am actually-factually sick, so I thought it would make for an amusing scene )

[Setzer]

NEW NAVAL CONSTRUCTION APPROVED

The Sirnothi Navy, mindful of the hostile world situation, has regrettably found it necessary to increase the fleet size.

The following ships will be constructed.

4 Arleigh Burke class DDG
8 OHP class FFG
12 Loni class SS

It is expected they will reach operational status in a year's time. The Destroyers and Frigates will incorporate Shroomanian technology that allows for the use of Buzzkill missiles. The Buzzkill missile has not yet been procured, but its acquisition is part of the expansion plan.

Similar plans for the Army and Airforce are in the works, but have not been formalized.

[PeZook]

Montalba, Astaria - Dixie Hotel

"I'm sorry sir, this floor is off-limits", the BOSS trooper said to a surprised Astarian citizen, who was walking up the stairs with a pretty woman in tow.

"What do you mean? I'm just going up to my room!"

The BOSS officer looked at the little man, obviously trying to sneak up the stairs with a mistress of his, so as not to be seen.

"You can use the elevator, sir."

And that was that, curses and threats notwithstanding.

One floor up, captain Whitcomb had to deal with another kind of angry person - a PeZookian police comissar.

"Would you please calm down? I told you already that there is nothing I can do. We're at war, declared or not, and with your ally to boot!", he tried to explain

"Yes, and of course we're the first suspects? Sure, we've delivered targetting data to CSR planes we had no idea were coming!"

"We're not accusing you of anything, Sebastian. Personally, I'm certain you're innocent."

"Then let us continue our work!"

"We can't let you do that just now. Please, calm down. This disruption won't take long."

Sebastian sighed and poured himself some Augeros from the minibar. Outside, fire trucks raced across the city, and a gigantic refirnery fire lit up the entire sky.

Both men watched the scene in silence for a few moments.

"You know, that question you asked yesterday...could we really pull this off?"

"Of course. BOSS can...skirt the law sometimes, if we have a good reason."

"The evidence would be inadmissible in court, though."

"Yes, but we're not after the doctors, are we? They may get away with one or two more illegal operatoins, but the police will watch them, and sooner or later they'll be put away. On the other hand, illegally obtained clues are still clues, and may lead us to the real quarry."

"You think our guy won't try to leave the country?"

"With CSR fighters everywhere, blowing up Astarian ships and airplanes? He'd have to be insane."

Sebastian smiled to himself. Yes, the Crimsons made the isolated island even more isolated, if that was at all possible.

"Count me in then."

Whitcomb nodded and lit off one of his trademark cigars, staring at the fires raging across Montalba.

[Shroom Man 777]

[Fuck y'all! I'm still making shitloads of money thanks to mein SHROOMSTRATS!]

LIVE on ShroomStratTV
The Sovereign Shroomanian Sentinel
CELEBRATING CRIMSON COUNTERSTRIKES

Ever since the Emancipation, Equality and Emaciation Enactment of the 1800s and the Astarians' subsequent insurrection, Shroomanians have longed to see the slave-holding colonials ruing the day of their boner.

The Astarians have made their biggest boner yet, and now the Crimson Star Republic is making sure the whole world sees the Astarians rue in their ravaged ruination. For Shroomanians, the first people to divorce relations with Astaria - a very fashionable trend that, like many others, began in the Sovereignty before being copied by everyone else to be popular - the day could not have come sooner... after more than a century of waiting.

While the government of the Sovereignty has taken no official word on the latest of the communist nation's brash militaristic action, the Shroomanian people have made clear their reaction in the streets and parks of Farbanti, North Point, and other cities.


Women with tambourines take to the streets in jubilation.


While grown men march around in ledershroomsen.

In other news, the Prime Minister has declined to make a comment on recent events as he is still accompanying King Brandon and touring him through Shroomania.



*click*


David Shroomwie, LIVE in Los Canas, Shroomania!

Ground Control to Major Shroom
Ground Control to Major Shroom
Take your fungus pills and put your codpiece on



Ground control to Major Shroom
Commencing countdown, engines on
Check ignition and may glob's love be with you!


The Prime Minister and his guest, the King, watched as the androgynous makeuped man took off in a transparent plastic rocketship, flying into the sky thanks to an industrial winch, propelled by fireworks and sprinklers and pyrotechnics.

The crowds went wild, screaming in euphoric excitement and ecstatic electricity.

"The PeZookians call it 'shitrock' but I think it's awesome!" Prime Minister Shroom shouted over the noise of women taking their tops off and gyrating their breasts. "They say David Shroomwie has superpowers!"

King Brandon couldn't hear him, as he was sandwiched between two of the aforementioned naked women. But yes, he agreed with the Prime Minister. Shroomanian shitrock was totally awesome, and David Shroomwie did have superpowers!

Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five,
Four, three, two, one, liftoff!

This is Ground Control to Major Shroom
Youve really made the grade
And the papers want to know whose shirts you wear
Now its time to leave the capsule if you dare

This is Major Shroom to Ground Control
Im stepping through the door
And I'm floating in a most peculiar way
And the stars look very different today

For here
Am I sitting in a tin can
Far above the world
Planet earth is blue
And theres nothing I can do

Though I'm past one hundred thousand miles
Im feeling very still
And I think my spaceship knows which way to go
Tell me wife I love her very much she knows

Ground Control to Major Shroom
Your circuits dead, theres something wrong
Can you hear me, Major Shroom?
Can you hear me, Major Shroom?
Can you hear me, Major Shroom?
Can you....

Here am I floating round my tin can
Far above the moon
Planet earth is blue
And theres nothing I can do.

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

Constantinople Times

Official statement from the Byzantine Government

The Byzantine Emperor calls upon the Crimson Star Republic and the Free Republic of Astaria to come to the table of mediation instead of resorting to armed conflict. In a statement made while the Emperor was abroad, the Emperor said, "I call upon my CSR brothers to hold the sword. I understand your anger, but resorting to armed conflict will exacerbate the situation. To the Astarian government, we urge you to do more to clamp down on illegal slavery and slavery in general. Slavery is regarded widely regarded as a relic of a barbaric age, and we urge the Astarian government to be more progressive in their attitudes." Byzantium offers itself as a possible mediation site, but if the two parties so wish it, mediation could be conducted on more neutral ground with a different arbitrator.

[DarthShady]

Shady News

T-95 Tanks delivered by the CSR

Thirty of the new CSR T-95 Tanks have been delivered to the USSR. These tanks will be used to equip a training and evaluation battalion, with the possibility of purchasing more after they have been tested and proven in the field.

New subs for the Navy

The USSR has purchased six Kilo-class Submarines from the Crimson Star Republic, and an agreement has been made between the USSR and the CSR according to which the CSR will build 5 new SSK's for the USSR Navy in the next two years.

[DarthShady]

Location: Somewhere in PeZookia, Orena

Getting everything ready was not an easy job, but Ana was a smart and extremely skilled women. She made contacts with the more darker elements of PeZookian and Vulpesian Society. Some of these Criminals were citizens of their respective countries and some were from the former Border Regions who fled to PeZookia to escape prosecution by the USSR. Most of them were on the wanted list of the PeZookian police but they were skilled enough to remain in hiding and operate from the shadows. She was now in the process of acquiring the necessary weapons for the job. One needs a lot more than an AK to take down such highly protected individuals. She was now in a warehouse meeting with one of these shadowy individuals.

"Do you have what I asked for?", asked Ana. The man looked at her and smiled, "Of course I do, but I must ask you. Why does a pretty girl like you need such big guns? Do you plan on taking down elephants?" The man laughed. Ana picked up the rifle, checked it and placed it back in the crate , "Perhaps I am, that's not your problem. Do you have as many as I need?". "I have half here now and you will get the other half tomorrow. It's not easy to smuggle these things into PeZookia."

"Fine. And what of the more potent part of my order?", Ana said and signalled her men to load the rifles into the truck. "You will have that within the next couple of days. I have several locations in which the explosives are being prepared. Now...what about my money?", the man asked. "Half of the money has been wired to your offshore account, you will get the other half, when we get everything we need.", Ana said, "Agreed?"

"A pleasure doing bussiness with you.", the man said and bowed, "We will meet tomorrow at this location.", he said handing Ana a piece of paper, "One can never be too careful."

"Of course.", Ana said and turned to leave. The man looked at her and smiled, "To have the loyalty of such a beautiful women.", he though to himself.

Within a few moments a freezer truck with the markings of a PeZookian Ice Cream Company left the warehouse carrying a far more lethal cargo than one would suspect. Ana followed in a black SUV.

"It's done.", she said into her cellphone.

"Good.", Karic said, "Now come back to me my dear, I miss you already."

"I miss you too.", she said.

[K. A. Pital]

Livorno, A.F.S.R.


The streets were full. A new referendum was underway - just at the same time as the CSR bombers were reaching their destination in Astaria... but of course, the citizens of AFSR could not know this.

Neither did they know that Admiral Carlotta Pisano, who was now one of the lead movers for independence, struck a deal with the Crimson authorities who ran this place beforehand, and specifically one General Korabelnikov. This deal was simple and bitter. The CSR had the naval base; but the program of creating special airstrips and cruise missile emplacements had to be scrapped. She considered it payback for the fact that the CSR never got to restoring the P.R.S.F. Navy to it's former glory. Korabelnikov only reminded that the old PRSF Kilo submarines have been replaced with more advanced CSR designs, which also have strategic SLCM capabilities... but Carlotta knew that already. President Stanislav once noted to Korabelnikov, that Carlotta used to be a Raeder but became a Doenitz. Korabelnikov did not understand. He knew neither name.

President Stanislav answered the government of Indhopal in public


- The fact of the matter is that the CSR Government indeed promised a referendum in Frequesque when the situation would be more calm, and such a time has come, - he spoke softly. - As far as I gather, the results as of this evening, when 87,6% bulletins have been counted, are 57 to 43 in favour of indepence from the CSR.

He paused.

- We did what we could to ensure the stability of our friendly nation. We only acted upon the will of the people. Now that this will is changing, we are following it.

- The AFSR's ruling council will assume the rights of a Provisional Government. The CSR's naval assets are still welcome in Livorno as per the Friendship Treaty agreement which has not been annuled.

- The arms limitations... - and at this point the Preident smiled. - I would like to directly assure the FTO, the government of Indhopal and other parties concerned that no CSR strategic bombers, missiles or other weapons will be placed in Frequesque in peacetime, not even for temporary re-dislocation, for as a matter of fact, there is a new government in the A.F.S.R. and we must respect it's will.

[Siege]

Military Matters Monthly
A MacMillian Publishing Product


The Paragon, HQ of the SDAF

Earlier this week, the Paragon made the Armed Forces Reformation Act publicly available. The Act, approved by the Board of Directors of San Dorady earlier this month, outlines a comprehensive restructuring of the SDAF intended to ensure the armed forces of the city-state will be able to succesfully fight tomorrow’s conflicts.

For the convenience of our readers, we have summarized the important parts of the 182-page Reformation Act hereunder:

NAVY

* In a surprise move, the San Dorado Navy will be integrated with the Maharana Navy of the Tanstaafl Raj. The resulting fleet will carry the name Combined North-Frequesuan Navy, whose ships will carry the prefix 'CNS' for 'Combined Navy Ship'. Reportedly the budding effort has already earned the nickname 'Grand North-Western' in the hallways of the Paragon.

* At the wheel of the Combined Fleet will be Admiral Duncan Bartholomew, formerly the top officer of the San Dorado Navy. His second-in-command will be Commodore Ruchir Nehru, formerly captain of the gun cruiser Varuna.

* With the influx of Tanstaafl cash the new Navy will between 2010 and 2020 be significantly expanded. New ships to enter service will include at the least the six Standard class destroyers already ordered by the two nations, to be complimented by five Vigilant class SSGNs, and three new Fortune class cruisers. No new cruisers have been built by San Dorado wharves since the completion of the Lady Fortune in 1999.

* Harpoon anti-ship missiles are to be replaced by newer Slam Dunk missiles. All new ships will be fitted with even heavier long-range AshMs currently under development in San Dorado, and expected to be ready for production in the third quarter of 2010.

* Provisions are made to outfit Combined Fleet warships with THEL systems and other advanced countermeasures.

* Three battalions of Tanstaafl Gurkha troops are to be retrained as marines, bringing the total number of marine brigades in the Combined Fleet to two.

* The Act mentions that purchase of a second LHD or a light carrier is being considered.

* The two ancient gun cruisers maintained by the Maharana Navy, the Varuna and the Vayu, will be retained as training ships for the Combined Navy.


AIR FORCE

* 203rd Mirage Multirole Sqn. is to be reformed as the 503rd Tactical Bomb Squadron, flying F-111XL aircraft. This will bring the number of squadrons flying the F-111XL to three.

* The air force is to receive large numbers of Slam Dunk mid-range supersonic cruise missiles, as well as batches of long-range supersonic missiles as soon as they become available.

* Control of the City Air Defence (CAD) network will be transferred from the Army to the Air Force. The CAD fully integrates data-feeds from all five Air Defence Groups, ground stations, air patrols and naval radar assets. The multiple redundant system uses both ground, radio and laserlink systems for communications.

* The air force will seek to buy an undisclosed number of long-range AEW assets.


ARMY

* The Army loses control of the IRBM forces, which are to be formed into a separate branch of the armed forces.

* The Army retains control over the MRBM force, including all Simoleon-D missiles and prospective supersonic tactical missiles.

* 2nd Airmobile Brigade is expected to go active early 2010.


ROCKET FORCES

* The Rocket Forces are a new branch of the armed forces, which will be lead by General Jane Masterson, formerly Brigadier of the Army.

* Rocket Forces will control all strategic missile assets (IRBM and up), as well as have jurisdiction over the military space infrastructure, including the satellite tracking centre.

* The Rocket Forces will have their headquarters at Camp Kitthawk Rocketfields.

[Siege]

This... Is Station One, San Dorado's News Source Supreme

"... 'when 87,6% bulletins have been counted, are 57 to 43 in favour of indepence from the CSR', the president was quoted as saying. The Board of Directors has welcomed the A.F.S.R. referendum and its results, as well as the subsequent promise by the CSR that no strategic weapons will be stationed on Frequesue in peacetime.

'The CSR military presence has for some time been a hot topic that's prevented our two nations from developing closer relations', said Director Helena Skye in a public statement. 'With that issue now out of the way, the Board looks forward to developing better ties with the Crimson Star Republic. We hope that the CSR will feel the same - in fact, San Dorado would like to establish an economic and diplomatic mission in Stasograd, in order to prevent unfortunate misunderstandings in the future. Continued antagonism between our two great nations is in no-one's best interest, after all, and if we can come to a closer understand through talk and business, all the better.'

The San Dorado Stock Exchange reacted positively to the news of the impending CSR withdrawal, with business being up 8 percent-points so far..."

[Shinn Langley Soryu]

Lelouch's office, Royal Palace
Ashford City
Unreal Time

"It is done, little brother," Cornelia said triumphantly.

"You mean the Shepistan arms deal?" Lelouch asked.

"You know it. Voodoos, Thunderchiefs, Delta Darts, you name it, we got it from them. Hell, we even managed to obtain a few Stratojets," Cornelia elaborated. "The Crimson Star Republic said that they'd help us finance the deal in exchange for some of the airframes becoming target drones. Not exactly an auspicious fate for these craft, but that's the way the world works."

"Even if the CSR takes some for drones, there should still be enough to sell off to Alaska," Lelouch replied. "What we're really interested in are the F-106s and B-56s; everyone else can have the F-101s and F-105s."

"Also, the Shepistanis said they'd consider using the Golden Eagle as their reserve craft, and they're going to test it against Japanistan's A-45 Fire Dragon for the strike role as well."

"Excellent. I sense there's a catch to all this, though."

"Yeah. We got protestors acting up again."

"Let me guess, Shroompeace?"

"But of course. Their demonstrations have been peaceful so far, though, and the National Police has been doing a good job of keeping them in line."

"Make sure it stays that way."

[Sea Skimmer]

South Central Japanistan
Nagaskai Offshore Deep Water Facility
Mitsubombishi Heavy Industry Consolidated Shipyard

Originally it had been but a rocky precipice rising out of the sea, the remnant of a rocky peak worn down by millenniums of rains and sea spray. Located two miles off the coast, and surrounded by numerous other islands, the island had a single great advantage, deep water. But a thousand feet from the original shoreline the water dropped away to a depth of over three hundred feet. With ship displacements and draughts rising, Mitsubombishi had found many of its existing dockyards and port facilities struggled to accommodate them, and so the idea of the Island Deep Water Facility had been born.

On one side of the island the rocks had been blasted away and dumped into the ocean to create a container port with 100 foot draught berths, surely able to accommodate any ship that would ever be built. On the other side, facing another island and sheltered from view by the remaining intervening rock, a new building yard had been blasted into the rock and pushed out into the water. Four dry-docks had gone into service, two of them among the largest in the world at 2,000 foot length, and used originally to build supertankers, or else several smaller ships at once. Many components were brought in by barge from Mitsubombishis other shipyards, but much of the work was done on site, supplied with materials by a road and rail bridge to shore.

Now whoever, an aura of secrecy had descended. A thousand guards patrolled the dividing rocky heights and enforced new security perimeters within the yards, isolating both enormous docks behind a twenty four foot high wall. SAM batteries had moved into the area, and the hydrophone and indicator loops surrounding waters had been upgraded and expanded. A series of 250 foot tall towers now enclosed both of the mega dry-docks, and huge screens and netting had been erected, disrupting rope production across all of Japanistani. Special infrared obsolescent and radar reflecting coatings has been used on the nets as well, ensuring that any long range spy tools would receive only a confusing picture at best.

It was under this umbrella of concealment that a small ceremony was performed, the formal keel laying of Number 1 Passively Survivable Colossal Bombardment Ship. Just a day later the second ceremony was performed for Number 2 ship alongside.

[Grand Moff Yenchin]

Serenity Sentinel

Serenity Air Prime Leaves for Zoria

His Majesty King Yenchin left for Zoria today on Serenity Air Prime, to attend the conference on the Pacific pact.

The conference will detail various issues between the four kingdoms of the Northern Pacific: Zoria, Cascadia, Alaska, and Serenity. While the King has emphasized that this pact is far different from the isolationist Pan-Pacifica Movement, lead by P.Z. Lin, the PPM mustered a crowd of near 2000 followers at the Xiang Wentian Memorial Airport to "celebrate" this act. Airport Security and the Palace Guards had to shut down the Airport temporarily for crowd control.

The King will return on <some game date> after the conference ends.


Serenity SCOOPER!
-The TRUTH shall set you FREE

WTF is the King Thinking????(Is he?)

Readers will remember that talk the King gave at the last day of the Spring Session at the Leg Hall, saying that the Pan-Pacifican Movement is impractical and that Serenity has already treated the four kingdoms of the North Pacific as MESS allies, whatever that meant. A few days later, he met with the King from Zoria, and then they talk about a Pacifican pact between (guess who) the four kingdoms of NorPac! Despite laying out some comparisions and contrasts showing the differences from this pact to the PPM, the Leg Hall still seems confused, not to mention the people.

Anonymous aide of Legislative: "I remember preparing some PPM material for my boss, and he yelled at me saying I prepared 'Pact Papers' for him. So I went back to my desk, shuffled the material, and my boss was satisfied!"

Looks like the King will need some good explaining at the end of the Fall Session.

[Raj Ahten]

Diplomatic News

Indhopal's elections observers inside the AFSR confirmed that the vote tallies being released were accurate and even with some minor problems involving the sheer number of voter's that turned out for the referendum, the result was fair. In light of the result, Indhopal's President asked the AFSR if a state visit could be arranged to discus matters of mutual benefit including economic deals and other such concerns.

Meanwhile with the news of Astaria's bombardment by the CSR Indhopal requested to see proof of the claims that Astaria was involved in kidnapping other people’s citizens for slavery and raised doubts on whether the amount of force used was truly justified before diplomatic options had been exhausted.

Inside Sabika

Sabika remained a powder keg. Indhopal knew that a large segment of the populace still deeply resented Coilerburg , Indhopal and the FTO in general. Indhopal hoped to change that. Working through NGO's and the foreign office of Indhopal a good deal of aid was being shipped to Sabika to upgrade and repair infrastructure such as roads, hospitals and the power grid. Civilians and soldiers wounded during the recent conflict were also being offered free medical care inside Indhopal. Coilerburg's and Omango's wounded were also being given such opportunities for treatment as well.

Inside Coilerburg

Dire Rumors of a variety of sorts were flowing out of Coilerburg's capital and the foreign ministries of the FTO. Some said another coup was coming. Others said General Helmut, the head of the junta, had been poisoned. What was clear to outside observers was that there was great deal of uncertainty in Coilerburg's government at the moment. Indhopal's government wouldn’t comment other than to say they continued to support their ally in the FTO and that the official position of Indhopal was that they would like the junta to set a timetable for a move back to a civilian government soon. Such a bog standard line from the spokesmen did nothing to calm the wild rumors.

[Beowulf]

50 nautical miles off the northern coast of the Old Dominion

The convoy of Radio-Active Death slowed down to a crawl, in preparation for the first phase of Operation "Vacuum Cleaner".

The tugs that had towed the huge barges carrying the 300 ton radio-active pieces of the reactor core cut their lines and steamed away at top speed.

Minutes later, the scuttlign charges on the barges blew; and slowly, the barges began to sink deeper into the waves, until they capsized, and disappeared, leaving roiling foam on the ocean's surface.

The Old Dominion had wantonly caused a major nuclear disaster, and then sent plastic zip loc baggies for "cleanup". Now, the Shepistan Goverment was returning the favor by dumping the hottest nuclear debris from the incident 50 nm off the OD Coastline.

Elsewhere in the convoy, a few ships were settling deeper into the waves; their scuttling charges having been blown at around the same time as the barges. These were the ships which were too old or too worn out to make the voyage to Veleria; and thus, they were being scuttled here for the safety of their crew.

Within 45 minutes, 1,000 tons of very hot reactor wreckage and three ships containing close to 10,000 fifty-five gallon drums of low level waste had been sent to the bottom, and the convoy resumed it's slow voyage to Veleria, where the remaining drums would be unloaded and sent to the new joint Shepistani/Japanistani Central Waste Site (CWS).

Such a plan had been forseen, and against that, a IRT company had been optioned to create a concrete entombment of the reactor if such was necessary. Within hours of the ships and barges sinking, the company's ships were already moving to the site. Within days, they had begun mixing concrete and placing forms underwater with ROVs. It was judged that the low level waste would not be enough of a hazard as to pose a problem, but that the reactor was a hazard, and the company was able to quickly and efficiently earn several million ROBs in profit.

[Lonestar]

Bunker under the Royal Palace

"Clean up is going well, despite the Rock-chuckers' best efforts at causing Mayhem." Minister of Energy Don Kurse said.

"Thank's Don. Vlad?"

Foreign Minister Vladimir Berman coughed. "We've been carefully not to actually protest any actions, but we've publically said that we are monitoring the situation with the CSR and Astaria with 'grave concern.' Unofficially we're going to offer transit and landing rights to CSR aircraft for the duration of the operation."

"Defense?"

"We're going to go ahead and sign the contract for 4 EFV Prototypes...in addition to the one from 10 years ago, of course. We want to push this through. In addition, Lowell Orbiters 3-4-5 will be going up next week. Finally, as our comms systems has improved, we're looking at a long-range reecee bird rather than a Satellite. Chesapeake Arms has proposed a UAV and can have a prototype up before the end of the year."

"Do it." Lonestar said.

[MKSheppard]

Shepistani Air Force Bases

The KC-22s sat on the tarmacs, as Shepistani Air Force personnel using paint rollers blacked out the old Shepistani markings, including the SAC stripe. Elsewhere on the planes, other personnel were affixing stencils for the Cascadian insigna to the sides and wings of the aircraft.

Results
Tankers-For-Food Program proceeding well. First shipment about to go through, pending permission from the IRT to overfly them en route to Cascadia.

[RogueIce]

Navy News: Argus-class Guided Missile Frigates Retired

The Navy has today announced that the remaining ships of the Argus-class of guided missile frigates will be decommissioned in a surprising drawdown of forces amongst increased global military spending. The replacement Fortuna- and Gorgon-classes of frigates have not seen their production increased from their present two hulls/year rate. This will leave the Navy with less than the fifty hulls considered to be the benchmark level during the new construction cycle.

Thirteen of the frigates have been immediately decommissioned, with their crews and officers rotated to various training and shore billets until new crews are required to man the replacement frigates. The remaining ship, SRS Lion (FFG 878) is presently on deployment with Battlegroup Three (BG-3) and is due to be retired upon her return.

The two oldest ships, the Argus and Enterprise recently completed an overhaul cycle, sparking much speculation on the sudden retirement of the entire class of ships. Anonymous sources within the Navy indicate that this is primarily a fiscal move, to free up money that will go into the JSF program and other acquisitions. Further, it is considered likely that the ships will be offered for sale to foreign governments, increasing the amount of money that could be spent on other projects.

[Steve]

Adams Capital District


The night was late when the dinner ended, away from the flashing cameras and prying eyes of the media, and President Garrett gave his farewell to the Cascadians who had been aboard Star of Sweethaven, including a couple bear hugs he had to confess for those who seemed most harrowed by what they had suffered.
Now he was down to the dress shirt, his jacket and tie slung over a chair, paperwork on his desk as he did a final round before retiring to bed. His mind turned over and over on Amber Sanchez' tear-filled testimony to the Congress and their violent, defiant announcement that he impose a "blockade". Now the situation was even more treacherous with the sudden announcement that Japanistan and Astaria had been negotiating a treaty. A treaty that meant that if any combination of states attacked Astaria, Japanistan would come to their defense. A treaty that could provoke a wider conflict.

Stephen ran a hand over his face, a cold rage filling him as the thought tormented him: how many other Cascadians were enslaved in Astaria? One? Ten? A hundred? A thousand? Was coming to their rescue worth thousands of deaths, a disrupted economy, and the other results of war.
He looked out his window to the statue of this world's John Quincy Adams, the phrase on it reminding him constantly of his duty. And what was that duty? To maintain peace for the Republic? To ensure none of her sons or daughters toiled in Astarian bondage, even at the cost of war? National prosperity was at stake, national honor, the principles that rang true to his heart. To both of his hearts, so to speak.
In Stephen's world of Earth, John Quincy Adams had ended his career and life as an opponent to the power of the slave states in the Union. He had fought the long bitter fight to eliminate the gag rule. He had opposed the annexation of Texas. He had defended the mutineers on the Amistad. He had, as Theodore Weld put it, "lifted up his voice like a trumpet; till slaveholding, slave trading, and slave breeding absolutely quailed and howled under his dissecting knife" and "breasted the storm and dealt his blows upon the head of the monster".
But yet he had also been moderate in his opposition. He had announced his opposition to the very anti-slavery petitions he fought so hard to get heard on the floor. He had not fallen into radicalism that can only make such situations worse. He had tried to rationally debate the matter.

Moderation... could it work? It had failed for over a hundred years, one hundred and seventy years in which Astaria had dodged every bullet on the matter. Could moderation work with such people, people willing to accept leper status to preserve slavery? Could they be persuaded to closely work with foreign authorities on protecting foreign nationals from being illicitly enslaved? To one day peacefully abandon that very instititution?

It was clear that the shield of Astarian law was not sufficient protection. Something more had to be done. But what?

And before he got too tired, the official message was finished.

The matter of Astarian slavery pervades the world today, as we have been shown that our citizens are vulnerable to being trapped in the peculiar institution of the Astarian nation and society. Something must be done about this, with diplomacy if possible and with greater measures if necessary. The dangers are great, indeed. But I believe they must be faced if we are to ever have peace of mind regarding Astaria.

I would be most pleased for a reply.

The message was finished. Cascadian diplomats would deliver it to heads of state around the world.

To every head of state, save Astaria's, even to those that Cascadia had severed diplomatic relations with.....



Other Actions

The Cascadian Defense Department has been cleared to seek the purchase of six to eight Shinra FFGs that are being sold. They have been offered an official slice of the defense expenditures no greater than $1.5 billion.

There is some questioning from Congress as to if the Food-for-Tanker program will be billed as a defense expenditure or a foreign policy expenditure, specifically foreign aid. The Program is overseen by a special committee put together by common consent ot SecState Parnell and SecDef Dale.

[Setzer]

A Formal declaration by Sovereign Setzer of the Sirnoth Principality

In the past, Sirnoth has kept to itself while warring nations were hellbent on mutual annihilation. So far, fortune has smiled upon us, and we have been unharmed. It is not wise to continue to tempt fate in such a manner. Therefore, I have declared a 500km zone of exclusion around Sirnothi territory. Military traffic from belligerent nations will not be permitted. Should they find themselves within the aforementioned zone, they will be escorted out by our patrols. Violators will not be harmed, should their behavior be non-violent. However, those who fire upon our military will invite retaliation in kind.

Result

My navy puts to sea, interdicting all military traffic within 500km of Sirnoth territory. They have an ROE forbidding them to fire first. Any airplanes or warships encountered will be required to turn back. Those unwiling or unable to do so will be impounded. Their crews will be repatriated as soon as it is possible. Military traffic keeping within their own territorial waters, (such as the Old Dominion) will be left alone.

PATROL FORCE OOB

SNS Templar, with attached battlegroup (3 DDG, 8 FFG, 1 AOE, 1 AKE)
SNS Archon, with attached battlegroup (2 DDG, 4 FFG, 2 SSK, 1 AOE, 1 AKE)
6th and 8th fighter wings, totalling 140+ F-16XL
32nd and 68th ground attack squadrons, totalling 22 F-111s
Maritime Patrol Squadron, totalling 12 P-3s
2 E-3 Sentry AWACS

[Shinn Langley Soryu]

Just outside the Shepistani Embassy
Ashford City
Unreal Time

They say that the road to hell is paved with the best of intentions, and such was the case with Shroompeace. Founded in 1971 as a scientifically-minded, nonviolent environmental activist organization, it was soon corrupted by an influx of political radicals who valued shock and sensationalism over actual science, logic, and morality; over the years, Shroompeace lost sight of its original goals and degenerated into a political activist movement using its own warped concept of environmentalism to further its agendas. While the organization still adhered to nonviolent protests for the most part, it was not above using morally questionable (or downright abhorrent) methods, from harassing Shepistani and Japanistani whaling ships on the open seas with acid and ramming attacks to contaminating Shroomanian bratwurst with human placentas.

And then Shroompeace bought an ex-Japanistani SSK, rechristened it the Steve Shroomwin, and torpedoed a whaling ship. This marked a monumental turning point in Shroompeace doctrine, turning away from simple sabotage and harassment towards open armed confrontation. While Shroompeace was still by and large reliant on nonviolent protest, as evidenced by actions directed against the Old Dominion and its MESS allies in the immediate aftermath of the One-Week War, the more radical elements of the organization were now willing to take up arms against those who they deemed as enemies of the environment; with Shepistan's dumping of a nuclear reactor in the open ocean, they now rocketed up to the top of Shroompeace's shit list.

Neil McCauley, Michael Cheritto, and Chris Shiherlis were longtime friends who had first gotten involved in Shroompeace when they were still in university; all three dropped out to pursue lives of eco-terrorism, journeying around the world to strike against supposed enemies of the environment. Between them, the three men had accrued lengthy criminal records, accused of crimes such as arson, vandalism, sabotage, inciting riots, gunrunning, aggravated assault, and murder. Now, they were in Ashford City, where they intended to strike against the Shepistani Embassy in retaliation for the dumping of the remains of the Calvert Cliffs nuclear reactor into the ocean north of the Old Dominion. With the help of fellow Shroompeace operatives Nate Trejo, Roger Van Shroom, and Donald Breen and a petty criminal named Shroomgro, McCauley, Cheritto, and Shiherlis were able to obtain assault rifles, explosives, and two Toyota Prius hybrid cars. Their plan, rather simplistic in nature, uncannily mirrored part of the opening act of the Tet Offensive in Saigon to a degree; they would car-bomb the gate of the embassy, storm onto the grounds and eliminate any armed Shepistani resistance, seize the building, and ransom it and its inhabitants back to the Shepistani government in exchange for reparations. The fact that the Duchy of Langley had just finalized an arms deal with Shepistan was a welcome coincidence; with various protests taking place, the Langley National Police would be tied up moderating them, supposedly leaving McCauley and his associates free to attack the Shepistani Embassy.

They would be proven dead wrong. Literally.

[Coiler]

It was difficult to tell exactly what Coilerburg was preparing for, but everyone who was paying attention around the ports knew that it was something big. Civilian ships were requisitioned for military use, and what seemed like the great majority of Coilerburg's army was preparing for-something.

What was a mystery.