SDN World 3 Story Thread I

[Norseman]

[OOC: Sorry for the overall awful quality and length of this post but... I had to get *something* out.]

Corumbá
Mato Grosso do Sul
Federal Socialist Republic of Brazil

Unreal Time, around Q2

No airship is all that comfortable and the Larideos was no exception, wherever he went Lieutenant Tomas Polidori kept brushing past or rubbing against crew or other passengers. Once he'd seem a capitalist magazine with drawings of spacious passenger cabins, but quite frankly he didn't believe a word of it, for one those capitalist magazines always seemed to leave out minor details like the fuel tanks. Be that as it may the view at least was magnificent; from the air the Paraguay River looked like a green snake winding through the landscape. At least it was a nice break from the endless cerrado that seemed to cover most of Mato Grosso do Sul.

If he squinted a little he could just about make out the patch of land that was Corumbá, no doubt the locals liked to call it a city. For a São Paulo boy like Lt Polidori that was little more than a joke. One of those tiny border tones with a railway, a river port, and a highly exaggerated sense of importance. Not for the first time he wondered what on earth he had done to be sent out here, had the somehow made the wrong remark to some colonel's daughter? Or was it that great joke about the rations?

Fortunately they passed by Corumbá and instead moved towards a small aerodrome with a single steel mooring tower. So, with that in sight he headed back to his bunk, just as the loudspeaker voice called out, "Comrades! Prepare for docking!" Grabbing his duffel-bag Lt Polidori waited, bracing himself against a wall. The airship engines kicked in, the ship jerked back and forth, like an ocean going ship in uneasy waters. At last he heard the large pumps start up and the sloshing sound of water pouring into the ballast tanks. Little by little the vibrations stopped, until at last the loud-speaker voice once more called out, "Comrades! Prepare to disembark!"

Rushing past the hallways and down the tower Lt Polidori lined up with the other young pilots, waiting to see what would happen next. It was a fairly empty looking aerodrome, but in the corner of his eye he noticed soldiers unloading large crates from a rail car. Apparently the crates were quite heavy, since the soldiers needed both horses and cranes to shift them.

Fortunately the commanding officer, a large man in a colonel's uniform, was already waiting for them, and once they were all present and accounted for he began to address them, "Comrades Pilots! You are here at the Corumbá Aerodrome to train with our glorious socialist homeland's latest acquisition, the ASLaS-1 fighter! You will not only learn how to pilot it, but also how to assemble it and maintain it..."

Past that point Lt Polidori didn't really pay much attention, except to shout "Yes Comrade Colonel!" or "Long Live the Great Leader!" at the right moments. What he was really wondering about was what the devil an ASLaS-1 was, he couldn't really remember ever hearing that designation before.

The Colonel went on, "... A symbol of co-operation between our two great nations, a gift from the Bolivarian Union to our great nation!"

From that Lt Polidori guessed that it was a Bolivarian design, but why would it be out here? Then a niggling suspicion reached the back of his mind, just a hunch mind, he tried to fight it back but it kept pressing itself back up again. It wasn't until they were finally marched into one of the hangars that he realised that he'd been right all along...

In the middle of the hangar stood a single airplane, a standard looking biplane, still wearing its Bolivarian insignia. Standard biplane twin machine-gun design, but he had a sinking feeling in his stomach as he thought about the engine...

"And to truly understand the workings of your airplane you will be expected to supervise and participate in assembling them," the Colonel announced, tapping a wing with his swagger-stick, "Your ground crew is as of yet inexperienced, so I do recommend that you take a personal interest in maintenance."

Oh yes, this is just great, Lt Polidori thought, but he made a clenched fist salute and called out, "Yes Comrade Colonel!"

*** *** *** ***

Brasilia
Federal District
Federal Socialist Republic of Brazil

Shortly after the Mexican Invasion of Panama

The Great Leader Macario Neves e Brasileiro, the Hero of the Revolution, Lodestone of the 20th Century, and Father of His Country, felt sick to his stomach. Of course he didn't show it, sitting at the table he looked like a pillar of strength. Still... there was no denying what he saw on the vast map stretched out on the table. Small red squares marking Mexican units swarmed all over Panama, like army ants attacking their prey. Then to the south the Spaniards and the Chilatinans had both placed their military on high alert. Just to top it all off there was fighting to the north, where the Imperialists were attacking the Dutch holdings in the Caribbean.

Looking around the table his generals and admirals were all very solemn, the troops lined up along the walls stood at attention looking almost like statues. At last he locked his eyes on the Machete and Sextant insignia high up on the wall opposite him, the force and guidance of the Revolution. This whole room was designed to exude power, with its marble and granite interior, all of it carefully designed to focus attention on him the Great Leader. Despite all these symbols of power he felt weak; it was as if the whole world was turning against them. For a moment he wondered if this was how the leaders of the old Republic of Brazil had felt as his armies had swept down upon them.

"Place the southern military districts on full alert, do the same for the coastal batteries," Brasileiro said, pointing at the relevant spots, "And have the navy ready to sortie! Now, as for the Colombian situation..."

"Comrade Brasileiro," Fleet Admiral Zeimoto said, his furrowed face deliberately inexpressive, "If I may, the admiralty has prepared a plan."

"Go on."

"Our older battleships, the 1913 series, did not participate in Operation Coffin Maker or the exercises with the Congolese," Fleet Admiral Zeimoto said, reaching out he grabbed a pointer and tapped Rio de Janeiro, "If we take them, one of the carriers, and a suitable escort fleet, we should be able to sail around the Cape and refuel at the Bolivarian Union. Once we are there we can reach a harbour in Gran Colombia, take action, or simply apply pressure with our mere presence."

"Do it," Brasileiro said, "As soon as possible."

It went on after that, precautionary plans, a discussion about their mobilization plans, but little of any note. Brasileiro made some comments here and there, especially when it came to the question of slowing down an invasion. There at least he was in his element; after all he practically invented People's War.

Once that meeting was over he got up and hurried on to the meeting room where he'd see the Council of Ministers. On the way he stopped briefly to rub his cheek and look into the mirror, as he feared his eyes were red and bloodshot, and he had what looked like a two day beard. Part of him wanted to shave and clean up, so no one could know how hard this had hit him, but the cause of the Revolution called so he made his way towards the underground tunnels linking the Executive Palace and the People's Palace.

As usual his bodyguards from the Revolutionary Guard had cleared a path so he wouldn't be disturbed, but even so he thought he could hear whispers in the distance. Everywhere you looked there were rumours of war, some just rumours, some carefully manufactured by the MSE, and it was hard to tell which was which.

Everyone was there already when he entered, but the room was very quiet, they'd lit their cigars and started smoking as they waited for him to come. A couple of the Ministers started rising when they saw him, but he motioned for them to stay seated as he found his own place. When everyone was ready he began "Comrades Ministers, we must be ready for a war, in every field, and we can't be sure who the enemy is and who our allies are. Even the Cisplatines, do we know if they are sound?"

"They're not very subtle, I think we'd be able to tell if they were planning an assault," said the Minister of Foreign Affairs João Maria Patricio e Taffarel, his greying moustache curled a little as he continued, "But they are very hard to deal with, very hard indeed."

"You haven't heard the half of it I fear," said Luisa Isabel Medeiros the Minister of State Security, there was an almost mischievous look to her eyes, "They are apparently extremely eager to sell their weapons to just about anyone."

"Vultures, like all armaments manufacturers," said Luis Jurema Pessao e Chagas, the Minister of Propaganda, he half snarled showing off his enormous teeth, "But it makes for good propaganda even if it is bad news."

"At any rate there's no sign that they're mobilizing," Luisa Medeiros said, she took another deep puff of her thin cigar, "Moving their troops around yes, but it seems more that they're the ones running around like headless chickens. If they try something now it will mean a real war and they're not sure if the Cisplatines will come in on our side or not."

"Are we?" Brasileiro asked.

Luisa Medeiros half shrugged, "Perhaps not Comrade Chairman, but either way they block the best route of advance into our country."

Brasileiro shifted his glance over to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, who at once stiffened a little, before he commented, "They might. They just might, if the Spanish come in on the Chilatine side."

"Yes, but that would change everything," Brasileiro said, sending streams of smoke up the ceiling, "Let us assume for now that they don't want war... at least not one that they start themselves." Seeing agreement he continued, "So let us warn our neighbours that they can't do as they please in our backyard!"

"Without going to war Comrade Chairman?" the Minister of Foreign Affairs João Taffarel asked.

"Perhaps... let them sweat a bit as they wonder."

*** *** *** ***

It is with great sadness that we observe the various wars that have erupted around the globe. We are particularly saddened by the assaults upon of progressive, freedom loving nations, by regimes acting with only the flimsiest of excuses. Such acts seem like atavisms; the kind of backstabbing and scheming that belong in a less enlightened age.

We have decided not to respond to the many provocations that we have received, not out of weakness, but out of a genuine desire to protect the common people from the sufferings of war. However we are also obliged to protect our interests and must therefore deploy our forces accordingly. We are fully aware that our enemies may construe this as a hostile act, or that they may make claims that it is, ignoring entirely their own provocative acts as they conduct exercises near our coasts and transfer further units to our mutual borders. However we cannot allow such considerations to stop us, despite our genuine desire for peace.

Seeing that various conflicts seem to embroil an increasing section of the world the Federal Socialist Republic of Brazil feels compelled to call for peace in South America. Peace without punishment or victors or losers, rather all powers should return to the status quo ante bellum. Likewise everyone should reduce their border troops to the level they were at prior to the late unpleasantness.

In the meantime we offer our friendship to all nations.

President of the Federal Socialist Republic of Brazil and Chairman of the United Revolutionary Coalition,

Macario Neves e Brasileiro

*** *** *** ***

To: The Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdoms of Portugal and Spain.
From: João Maria Patricio e Taffarel, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Socialist Republic of Brazil.

Your Excellencies,

I apologise for the unusual way by which this note was sent to you, however as the diplomatic relations between our nations have not yet been regularized I am forced to use intermediaries. Thus I send this to you by way of the Swiss diplomatic service and ask that you send any replies through the same channels.

We are greatly concerned with the recent conflict occurring in Dutch Guyana, also known as Suriname, as this conflict area has a land border with Brazil. In particular we are worried that you chose to undertake military action without any attempt to notify our government of your intentions either before or during the conflict. Certainly you are not required to explain your actions to Brazil, but given our obvious interest in the region we are uncomfortable with your silence.

As it stands the final disposition of the area is a matter of concern to us. Not only has your respective operations caused a considerable flood of refugees, but it further adds to the general political instability. Therefore we request that we be included in any consultations as to the final disposition of Dutch Guiana.

In the meantime the refugee issue has forced us to dispatch elements of our Ground Self-Defence Force to the region. We assure you that this is not in any way intended as a threat against your governments or your interests in the region. It is merely a humanitarian effort.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Socialist Republic of Brazil,

João Maria Patricio e Taffarel

*** *** *** ***

Boa Vista
Amazonas, Roraima Territory
Federal Socialist Republic of Brazil

D+8 After the Mexican invasion of Panama

"Heute wollen wir ein Liedchen singen,
Trinken wollen wir den kühlen Wein"

The sound of the MSE troops singing filled the air, they'd gone through half a dozen drinking songs already, and somehow Lt Polidori had managed to keep up. By now however his head was starting to swim, the cool sweet cachaça, a dozen varieties of aguardente, and now some sort of cold sweet wine. Looking around the hangar he finally found some crates to sit down on, while trying to make the ground stop moving so much.

Scarcely had Lt Polidori sat down before Lt Alberto Gomes came sauntering over, still holding onto a bottle, "Tomorrow you damn Italian!" Then he stopped to take a swig, "Tomorrow the damn Boa Vista Air Club goes into battle!"

"Yes!" Lt Polidori said, he tried saying something else, but instead he threw up before noticing that the ground rushed up towards him.

When he woke up the next morning he realised that a group of sadistic capitalists had taken him prisoner and were driving nails into his skull. Then he realised that it was actually much worse; he had a dark aguardente hangover, so even the ever present rain outside felt like a drumbeat of pain. Out in the aerodrome the bugler sounded reveille, no doubt out of sheer spite, Lt Polidori reached out and found his pistol next to his bed, but... if it'd be so loud if he shot the bugler.

Still there was no pardon, nor mercy, in the glorious socialist republic, so up he went and got dressed in his... well what could you call it? An airman's outfit perhaps? All around him the rest of his squadron had similar problems; all of them had slightly different outfits too. In fact they looked less like pilots and more like a motley collection of sky-pirates from some cheap pulp novel.

Fortunately they weren't required to go out into the rain; instead they were allowed to shuffle into the dining hall where they were served coffee and even a couple of beers to help them recover. Then they waited for what seemed like hours, but was probably less than a single one. As they began to recover Lt Polidori started a conversation with Lt Gomes, "So what do you think?"

"I think I should never have volunteered," Lt Gomes said, resting a hand on his forehead, "What was I thinking?"

"Sssh," Lt Polidori said, "Someone might hear."

"Hey, we're not in the Air Force, we're the Boa Vista Air Club," Lt Gomes said, a weak grin on his face, "Ey you damn Italian?"

At long last the Colonel came back inside and looked them over, "Comrades Pilots, we were hoping that we could send you off during an interval in the rain, but... alas our clever comrades at the meteorology department seem to have misread their tea-leaves." There were a few weak smiles and chuckles at what was evidently meant to be a joke, and the Colonel continued, "Now for the last time I'll remind you of this: No pictures of yourself in uniform, no military identity papers, no badges, wings, or anything that belongs to the People's Aerial Self-Defence Force. That includes letters from your family where they talk about you being in the military. You've gone over your belongings already, but I'll remind you once more to think carefully if there's anything you've forgotten."

Even if someone had forgotten something no one stepped up to admit it, Lt Polidori hoped everyone had been as thorough as he had, especially since it would all be waiting for you when you got back. If you got back that is. Still, he didn't regret volunteering, not one little bit. Though he felt really nervous, he just wanted to get on with it.

As if he sensed what Lt Polidori felt the Colonel nodded and looked around the room, "Well, you know what you signed up for, head north until you reach the Caroni River, then follow it to the midway point, and from there towards Ciudad Bolivar. First squadron takes off immediately, the other two will follow in two and four hours respectively. I say again first squadron, you take off now, second and third you'll leave in two and four hours respectively. I wish you luck."

This time the First Squadron didn't shuffle out, but almost ran outside, the brisk rain helped to wake Lt Polidori. Up ahead sat his ASLaS-1, even through the rain he could see the slightly jagged patch where they had removed the Brazilian insignia and replaced them with those of the Boa Vista Air Club. Then he reached the airplane and threw himself into the cockpit, closing his hand around the controls, and waiting for the ground crew to spin his propeller up...

Moments later the engine started, the loud noise filled his world, so that all he could do was follow the instructions of the ground crew as he taxied off.

*** *** *** ***

Brazilian Task Force Cheese Maker
South Atlantic

D+9 After the Mexican invasion of Panama

Standing on the bridge of the BNS Paraná Vice-Admiral Almeida felt that the ship was like a thoroughbred horse struggling against the reins, eager to break free and run at a proper pace. That was partly how he felt, but 12 knots was as fast as they could possibly go and have any chance of getting to Peru. Still, the longer they were out here the greater the chance of detection.

Looking out the side window he saw one of the destroyer screens struggling through the waves. It couldn't be pleasant being aboard one of those cramped ships, especially now that oil barrels lined every hallway. Still, even with that, even with removing the torpedoes, the destroyers would still be running on fumes by the time they reached Peru.

Just then a young communications officer approached and saluted, "Comrade Vice-Admiral! Scouts from the BNS Ikaros has spotted a Chilatine cruiser at eighty miles north-north-east, headed in our direction at an estimated speed of 15 knots."

Vice-Admiral Almeida looked straight ahead, his hand briefly resting on his Order of John Grenfell, Officer of the Order of John Grenfell, was that a blessing or a curse? "Comrade Captain, if you would turn slightly westwards. Please communicate that order to the rest of the fleet. Secondly the rules of engagement are still in place."

"Yes Comrade Vice Admiral," Captain of Sea and War Rodrigo Pinto said and began to relay the orders to the bridge crew, within moments the signalling units on the side of the flagship began to flash sending morse messages to the rest of the fleet.

For a moment Vice-Admiral Almeida played with the idea of having his airplanes sink the cruiser, but it would probably get a radio signal off. This then was just one of those things...


RESULTS
- Receive 100 Sopwith Snipe airframes to be divided between active airframes and ones used for spare parts.
- The Brazilian government starts making plots.
- Send out a few diplomatic notes.
- A group of enthusiastic volunteers at the Boa Vista Air Club steal the civilian trainer aircraft and fly across the border to Gran Colombia. There they arm their aircraft with machineguns and join the Colombian air force. That's the Brazilian story anyway and they're sticking to it
- Task Force of 4 M1913 battleships, 2 heavy cruisers (Niteroi), 6 light cruisers (Manaus), aircraft carrier Ikaros, and 23 destroyers, sent to the Bolivarian Union. Probably been spotted by the Chilatinans.

[Steve]

Lima, Bolivarian Commonwealth

"Why didn't anyone advise the Colombians that their designs weren't sound?"

Ernesto Campagna, Secretary of the Navy, shrugged apologetically.
"Mr. President, it is not the responsibility of our naval command to tell Colombia how to build its warships. We thought that they had some kind of strategy in mind, that their nine-inch guns fit into an integrated strategy of some kind." He paused to take a breath.

"Besides, we had no plans for defensive co-operation until five weeks before the invasion."

Foreign Minister Bustamente chimed in.
"Of course. You realize, however, that we are now faced with an imperialist attack on a friendly neighbour? One that could have been prevented or weakened by greater co-operation between the free nations of South America?"

Jose Mariategui, who had remained silent in his corner, spoke up for the first time.

"It is the oppression that creates the resistance. Only now are the people of South America coming to realize their common interests in a material fashion."

"We have had a peacetime agreement with Gran Colombia and Brazil for use of our ports. I do not know how it will hold up if war is unleashed. The Brazilians appear to be acting responsibly, but you never know. The Agreement of 1915 allows us to close our ports in the event of war," explained Campagna.

"What about our arms sales to Gran Colombia?"

Gutierrez coughed, drawing the attention away from Campagna.

"It's funny, actually. We sent the Colombians our old Cuckoo torpedo bombers weeks ago as part of an incentive program to purchase our products-"

"I guess they have an incentive to buy our aircraft now!" snorted De la Torre.

"Yes, we are developing an air training plan, and the Colombians are formulating aircraft orders. We can even help them in their research, and they are going to participate in our gyro-copter program, or at least they were before the war," he corrected.

"Yes, the gyrocopter," continued the President, "What about that Dutchman, Baumhauer is his name?"

"Indeed, Mr. President. Minister Bustamente returned with him after the delegation. However..." he took a breath,
"Baumhauer's a bit of a quack, if you ask me."

"You will continue funding his research. Portugal will not be the only maker of gyrocopters."

"We are six months behind them, Mr. President."

"I understand. Let us return to the subject of Gran Colombia."

"If I may, Mr. President-" Campagna interjected.

"Carry on."

"We have sold five of our newest Model-1920 destroyers to Gran Colombia at the agreed-upon price."

"They are still on the assembly line, are they not?" asked Gutierrez.

"They will be complete at the end of this quarter. Colombian seamen have already arrived to take possession for their fitting-out process. I suppose those old Cuckoos will be ready before the ships are."

"Five destroyers? Is that everything?"

"They are good destroyers, Mr. President. But we've offered our oldest coastal defense vessels, and some submarines, if the Colombians are interested."

Later

Mariategui sat, resting his hand on his chin, fiddling with the phonograph.

"...all nations have their own unique history - their own unique material culture, their unique customs and cultural practices, their own political formations."
The delegation had recorded his speech at the Socialist Conference.

"As a result, we must each take our separate path, together towards socialism, but not on the same roads.

We respect the differing composition of our socialist movements, and do not seek to control or direct.

But I must remind the assembled comrades today, who assembled to "Prevent abuses to the proletariat." Let me tell you - the greatest abuse to the proletariat is war - war leads to all the atrocities we can imagine. It should be undertaken with the utmost gravity, and only as the very last resort."

Mariategui stopped the phonograph. He remembered the rumbling his statement had caused among the Soviet delegation.
Fools, he thought, look at what they have unleashed. They are a headless collection of bureaucrats.

The Socialist Conference was now a distant memory, so recent in time by so distant in reality, buried under the rubble of imperialism and the haughtiness of the Dutch. He had wanted to make a statement about socialist nations and colonies, how socialist nations should not have colonies, no matter what they called them. But doing so would have too greviously offended his Dutch hosts.
"I'm glad I didn't," he muttered to himself. "It would have provided cover for the imperialist intervention that followed, as if we had justified it."

Jose? asked Luciano.
He turned his head.
"Sorry, I was...reminiscing."

"You wanted to see me after the meeting."
"This is a disaster, Luciano. I wanted to spend my time talking about the rural housing programs, the efforts of the indigenous towards self-liberation.
Instead, I have to deal with crises spawned by inept "comrades."
"You are too hard on them. The Soviets could not have known how this would turn out."
"Then they shouldn't have done it! First, do no harm, the doctors say. If they wanted a railway, they could have built it. Sure, it would have cost lives, but it would not have initiated a war of aggression - the worst of all evils."
"I am coming to understand the importance of non-intervention."

[Akhlut]

Shankh Monastery, Eastern Mongolia

General Sükhbaatar stood at the top of the steps of the Shankh Monastery, before the assembled divisions and battalions ready to go to war in Afghanistan. Though Sükhbaatar himself was irreligious, most of his troops were Buddhists, with a few shamanists and Muslims thrown in. Everyone, though, even the atheists, wanted to be here. This was a war blessing from the Spirit Banner of Chingghis Khan, the repository of his soul, and everyone wanted to be imparted with some measure of his power. The Buddhists and shamans felt this to be a direct conferring of his power, while Muslims thought that for Chingghis Khan to have held the world in the palm of his hand had to be blessed by All-Mighty God, and even the atheists felt that the morale boost could mean the difference between victory and defeat.

Sükhbaatar spoke into a microphone hooked up to a primitive PA system.

"Men! Before you is the black horsehair Spirit Banner of Chingghis Khan! This has led the Khans through the ages and given the Mongol people strength! Timur Khan sought blessings before it and won independence from the Chinese emperors! All Khans since our independence have sought guidance from here and we have always increased in strength! And, today, before we fly to Afghanistan, we come before the Spirit Banner to receive the blessings of the greatest Khan, the man who wielded supreme political, spiritual, and military power on earth. And we must also remember that in those ages long past, Chingghis Khan accepted the people of Afghanistan as family and made them brothers to the Mongols. So, we fly to defend our brothers, though long we have been separated. We shall defend our brethren from invaders from Europe who have enslaved the men of India with the strength of the Great Khan in our arms and armor! Behold, the wind blows the Spirit Banner toward Afghanistan! We know now that Chingghis Khan speaks to us and tells us to go and defend!"

The assembled men roared as the horsehair blew to the southwest very clearly, and though Sükhbaatar didn't quite believe in spirits, he knew damn well how to manipulate a crowd.

The men boarded trains back to the airfield and began to board and fly to the airfields of Afghanistan to mount the defense against Shepistan.

[Ryan Thunder]

D+11, Occupied Panama, Gran Colombia

We knew every nook and cranny of those mountains, but time was time; it still took us days to cross them to where we needed to be, and when we arrived, there was no time to stop except to briefly take inventory and locate our objectives. It seemed that two of our number were missing. Time was critical, however, so we couldn't search for them. They'd probably just fallen behind a bit, but it was bothersome, nevertheless.

The Mexicans had set up camp not far from our own position. There were easily hundreds of thousands of troops here, far more than the town of Coloncito could ever hope to hold. I found out later that the Mexicans had uncerimoniously tossed the locals out of their own homes to make room for themselves, because there was simply nowhere else for them to go. As I had many times before, I clutched my Silva rifle close and sprinted through dense jungle, into the city, easily avoiding detection in the nearly pitch dark. Here we go again, I thought, remembering the last time I was here not so long ago, desperately trying to clog up the railway to slow the Mexican advance. That'd failed, but I recognized it'd been a tall order anyway, even for our likes. A bit of training as an engineer doesn't make it any easier to move a concrete block the size of an armoured car with tools on hand. It had been a nice idea, in theory, but ultimately futile.

I came upon a sentry. The poor bastard was looking into a fire. A little knife-work and I left him bleeding in the bushes. Couldn't risk him seeing me on the way out, after all.

The objective was an ammunition pile, somewhere in the south. The other teams had gone after supply lines and what have you, but when the recon team came back with this one it was just too juicy to pass up. Nothing like a big bang for morale.

The pile was defended by a squad-sized force of Mexican soldiers. We were able to take out almost the entire formation with grenades. That was rather spectacular, but when the real fireworks lit off some ten minutes later, the blast was so powerful that I was afraid that it had knocked a few teeth out from my vantage point nearly a kilometre away. The fireball must've been a hundred metres high.

Sergeant Ciriaco Félix, 2nd Ranger Brigade (0-977-1-2)

[CmdrWilkens]

The evening of D+9

Darkness on the river was almost as oppressive to the men aboard the SS Firehook as the weight of humidity pressing in around them. While fighting in the jungle (or the mountains, or the plains, or the deserts, or the anywhere) was simply part of their job description this would be the first combat action for the Rangers since the brief quasi-war against France in 1915. While the Rangers were a volunteer force amongst a sea of conscripts there was still turnover to be had in the ten years since their last action. Me who had been private soldiers were now leading sergeants, officers had moved on to larger commands and of the two brigade commanders only that of 2nd, Lt Col Felipe Gracia Hernandez, had been an officer at the time of those attacks.

Still the unit was well trained and the average age of the privates was greater than that of most of the regular army corporals for these were men with experience and commitment two attributes which went a long way towards keeping the unit steady under fire. They needed every bit of the steadiness as the gloom of an oppressive night in the jungles of southern Panama slept around them. It was only about four to six hours earlier that the lead boat on the patrol had been spotted by a small boat patrol of local reserve troops in Yaviza. There weren't any active formations in the area as everything was being rushed forward to the Ciudad de Panama line and the population couldn't support more than a battalion or two of reserves. Nonetheless the decision had been made to press on with the boats as speed was now more important than stealth.

...
...
...

Early Morning on D+10

The sun was only just beginning to rise above the peaks to the east where jagged mountains cut across one's field of vision like a knife through the sky. The 1st Ranger Brigade was moving forward slowly with battalions in column approaching Yaviza with caution, trying to ascertain just what forces had been scrapped together to oppose them. When the fog slowly began to lift snipers on the forward teams identified the outlines of what could not be more than a battalion of troops having been assembled. Working back to reporting posts the word quickly passed through the brigade and soon the battalions were brought on line to face down the reservists in the city.

The fight itself was over in a matter of minutes. Storming the city with speed, ferocity, and dozens of grenades lobbed in front of them the Rangers quickly scattered the elements of resistance while the Headquarters company began marching towards city hall. Once inside the Mayor was summoned and told bluntly that the Rangers would not be displacing or otherwise disrupting life in the town as best they could but the command elements would be appropriating city hall and the small rail switching yard to the east would be taken as a bivouac. In simple terms the town would be let alone so long as they did not disrupt the actions of the Mexican troops. With already several thousand troops on hand and more soon to arrive there was little the Mayor could do save accept.

With diplomacy out of the way the troops set to work on their real job, dynamiting the rail bridges over the river and severing the supply link between Colombia proper and her forces in the field. With a few spectacular explosions just before noon the western line through the Darien rainforest was cut and word was sent back request reinforcements from XII Corps. Even as the work was under way bombers flew past, dipping their wings at the destroyed bridges, on their way to begin the attacks on the second line. If the Rangers moved quickly they could sever the Colombian lifeline completely and let the main force pound them at will.


....
....
....

[Siege]

Al-Ghazzah
Levant



The sound of steel hitting steel rang out over the low, rocky dunes of the central Levant. Hundreds of men toiled away in the dusty October heat, hitting nails, shoveling dirt or lifting heavy rails into place. Nearby steam powered heavy earth moving equipment flattened the landscape ahead, forging a way south for the railroad to follow.

After half a year of preparations work had finally begun on the Wedjahor Railroad, an ambitious project that would eventually connect Beirut, Haifa, Tel-Aviv, Ashkelon, al-Ghazzah and Alexandria by rail. In the north, workers from the Yishuv were already labouring on their end of the rail, whereas the Sultanate would make sure the rail would reach Alexandria. It was expected to take them another two years to cross the Sinai, but that was okay: it would take at least that long to finish the great railroad tunnel that was to allow trains to pass underneath the Suez Canal.

The greatest engineers from the Sultanate were working with colleagues from Britain and Byzantium on the tunnel, which was intended to be wide enough to let four trains pass side-by-side simultaneously. Once finished, it would be an engineering masterpiece that would once again demonstrate to the world that in terms of engineering the Sultanate could spar with the best of them.


Al-Aqabah Military School
Sinai Desert



The Al-Aqabah Military School was a formidable complex of red-bricked buildings and concrete roads, easily as large as most military bases and home to several thousand men and women at all times. The school served several purposes: it trained the officers of the Sultanate's armies, it organized joint trainings with its Byzantine counterpart and hopefully soon its Balkan counterpart as well, and it developed new strategies for the weapons of war the Sultanate employed.

To this latter end the school possessed elaborate training facilities. It had also two battalions of armored vehicles, an airship carrier, and a squadron of fighter aircraft attached to it. And, from now on, six converted heavy bombers. Because today a new arm of the Military School would be opened, quietly without much ado. There was no pomp, and the precious few officers present for the 'ceremony' had to be because, well, they were supposed to lead the men here assembled.

Air Corps Colonel Sharif al-Faruqi looked at his men, who themselves took turns alternating their attention between al-Faruqi and the the mid-sized bags with odd straps sewn to them that were strewn around the hangar. "Welcome" the colonel began, undaunted by the dubious looks the men assembled before him gave him, "to the Al-Aqabah military parachute school."

[Minister of Pigeonry]

Portugal
Lisbon
Spanish Embassy

Though divisions had been discussed quietly since the Portuguese had launched their attack against the former Dutch Colony, no formal agreement had, as of yet, been revealed to the public. With Spanish Naval Infantry from the Assault Fleet now taking up residence in the former Dutch barracks across the newly annexed territories, the treaty could be presented. A final draft now sat at the ready for Portuguese consideration. Only the signatures of key Portuguese Council Ministers were required before the agreement would become law.

Treaty between the Kingdom of Spain and Portugal regarding the former Dutch colony of Dutch Guyana

In observation of Portuguese efforts in Dutch Guyana that contributed to the peaceful surrender of Dutch forces there to the Spanish Battlefleet following the Union's surrender to Germany and France, the Kingdom of Spain shall turn over a pre-determined portion of the former Dutch Territory to Portugal.

In return, Portugal shall assure all who reside within that territory, and seek Portuguese citizenship, will be entitled to all social benefits and rights enjoyed by regular Portuguese Citizens. Furthermore, those who wish to leave the territory shall be free to do so and individuals living in either Spanish Suriname or the new Portuguese territory shall enjoy easy border passage to relocate, carry out business or visit loved ones.

A Joint Defense of Spanish Suriname and Portuguese Guyana shall be coordinated in the event of hostile actions by another power within the region.

Map of Suriname Division
Ghastly Magenta: Spain
Green: Portugal

As the first steps were taken to truly bring the new territories into the empire, Spanish maps were altered to reflect the changes.

Spanish Antilles
Dutch Antilles now officially renamed the Spanish Antilles.

At least a response to the Brazilians on the subject of Suriname would no longer add to the great stack of tasks left for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to complete…

To: João Maria Patricio e Taffarel, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Socialist Republic of Brazil.
From: Raphael Chaves Rocío,
Jefe de Relaciones Internacionales de América, Español Real Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores

Think nothing of the method through which the message is sent, we in Spain are relieved to receive a formal letter from your government on the subject as we understand it is in your interest to observe our actions in the region.

Before I begin, it should be noted, though, that no offensive actions were taken by Spanish forces in the Caribbean region, no shots were fired, no damage caused. All of the territories annexed surrendered peacefully and have, thus far, been compliant with our presence. Our intentions were mostly outlined before vessels arrived and, had our fleet been forced to act in some form or another, Brazil and other nearby nations would have been informed as quickly as possible.

The final disposition of the region, specifically in regards to the former Dutch Colony of Dutch Guyana, is still in dispute as we await a reply from the Portuguese regarding the portion of the territory Spain stands willing to offer them. As for refugees, our estimates do not constitute a flood, though significant numbers of people were displaced during the Portuguese attack. Please know that it is the announced policy of the Kingdom of Spain to see that all who wish to leave the Specially Administrated Overseas Province of Spanish Suriname and the Spanish Antilles are allowed to do so with their belongings and compensation paid for lands and property left behind. As it is, we would be more than willing to coordinate with your government in efforts to see that those individuals displaced by conflict are returned without difficulty to their homes. Furthermore, we wish to work with you to accommodate relocation for those individuals leaving Spanish Suriname. We understand that some within the newly annexed territories may not wish to become Imperial Citizens and, as such, we mean to offer them passage to a location of their choosing. We shall also request from the Portuguese their own support for such efforts. Would cooperation on these matters suit you?

In regards to your forces in northern Brazil and near to the border with Spanish Suriname, we understand the reasoning for their presence and do not object, though, we request that they remain on the Brazilian side of the border. In several days, Spanish Naval Infantry Units will arrive along the border, please do not take their presence as a threat, they will be positioned to monitor border checkpoints and, given your decision upon the subject, work with your forces in their humanitarian efforts.

The Kingdom of Spain has no desire to threaten Brazil or its people, and wish only to secure and provide for our newly acquired territories and the peoples who inhabit them.

Raphael Chaves Rocío
Jefe de Relaciones Internacionales de América, Español Real Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores

Cosigned,
Anita Maria Cordova
Ministra de Relaciones Exteriores

Spain
Madrid
Torrejón Airfield

Four aircraft; a pair of Do H fighters, a CASA C-110 Heavy Transport and a single Junkers F.13 VIP Transport sat ready upon the cement airstrip some several kilometers northeast of Madrid proper awaiting the arrival of Her Majesty. When the motorcade arrived, Queen Marian was quickly ushered into the waiting aircraft accompanied by a pair of Royal Guardsmen and the Chief of European Foreign Relations from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Soon enough, the F.13 roared down the runway and into the air quickly followed by the two escorts and the large transport carrying clothing and other necessities as well as a squad of six more Guardsmen.

The Royal Air “Convoy” was bound for Amsterdam, a flight just under eight hours in length requiring two refueling stops in Bordeaux and Paris France before reaching the German Netherlands and Prince Friedrich’s Coronation.

With efforts in Spanish Suriname and the new Spanish Antilles just beginning, the Queen had been reluctant to make the trip north, but her Palace Staff and officials from the Navy and various Ministries involved in the annexation and reform processes had reassured her. That aside, not attending the Crowning moment of the German quest seemed unthinkable. She would make a point to offer units of the Royal Auxiliary Legion and several Engineer Brigades to the French and Germans to help rebuild the battered new territories as a continued show of support.




Southeastern Caribbean

Admiral Bernardo would welcome the civilian end of the force when they arrived, still several days voyage from home. He’d been informed the Merchant Marine was on its way with multiple ships carrying relief workers, engineers, medical staff and representative from the MFA to begin the conversion process from the old Communist system to the Spanish Overseas Province Democratic Mostly-Free Market style of things. As it was, the Guadalajara had served as a make-shift Provincial Capital for the newly acquired territory that was Spanish Suriname. In Curacao, Bonaire and the other small islands, MFA Reps from Costa Rica were working with the old district-level governmental bodies. It appeared some of the party reps who managed the lower levels of things were to remain in power, that was, until they were likely voted out of their positions by the people, but then, only time would tell.

In the Admiral’s opinion, the fleet was no longer necessary, more so misused in this case. Province Building was not a job for the Navy. But, as long as orders kept the ships in the Caribbean, that is where they would stay.

Across the empire, men, women and materiel began to move, not in war, but in peace towards the aim of building the new lands into proper provinces. In Madrid, a special council had been assembled to deal with the annexation and reform efforts, all chosen before the Queen had departed for Amsterdam.

[TimothyC]

[Note: Posting as a Mod]

December 1925

NEWS FLASH

Civil unrest in California, Rioters marching is several major towns. More as it comes off the wire...

[Steve]

San Francisco Ledger

WAR IN PANAMA CONTINUES: PRESIDENT CALLS FOR CEASEFIRE AND PEACE CONFERENCE.

Fighting in Panama has continued on through this week, with news sources from both sides proclaiming victories in various theaters. Mexican forces have announced a spectacular triumph in the east of the country, where a raiding force is said to have severed and sabotaged one of the two key rail lines running through the treacherous Darien Gap that spans between Colombia proper and Panama. Colombian forces insist the lines have been held and that they have restrained the Mexican attack.

Meanwhile, to the west, early Mexican probes against the "Panama Line" of Gran Colombia have been said to be decisively repulsed, while both sides insist victory is imminent as a Mexican landing force attempts to force the approach to the Gatun Locks. Multiple Mexican warships have already suffered at the hands of the magnificent Colombian fort of Point Sherman, where frowning guns continue to thunder their defiance against the invaders!

President Garrett has spoken of the war, soon to end its second week, stating that both nations should "cease this terrible bloodshed" and settle their differences in a peace conference, to be hosted by "a neutral and uninvolved member of the Panama Canal Board". "I believe that the imperial capital of Constantinople would be the perfect site," the Chief Executive announced as he spoke to reporters in the Green House's West Lawn. "We must not delay. It is vitally important to world commerce that this war be brought to a swift end."

[Thanas]

The making of a King
Kingdom of the Netherlands
October 3, 1925
Airfield outside Amsterdam


The German 1st. Garderegiment had been assembled to bid its commander farewell. For with his ascension to the Dutch throne, Prince Eitel Friedrich would cease to be the commander of them. Thus, they were arranged in flawless rows as for the last time, their commander reviewed them. After making a short speech, in which the Crown Prince promised to never forget his time with the Garde, Eitel Friedrich crossed the tarmac to the sound of Preußen's Gloria and was received with a military march by the newly assembled 1st. Garderegiment (Dutch). Changing his prussian grey overcoat with an orange military coat - the colour of the new dutch Life Guards - he made the transition from Prussian Generalmajor to Commander-in-Chief of the Dutch army. After a short speech, in which he thanked his new subjects for honoring him with such a perfect parade, Eitel Friedrich reviewed the parade of his new guards and then entered a car that would take him to the Church.


Nieuwe Kerk, Amsterdam

Reichskanzler Sänger viewed the splendor before his eyes and finally he felt as if the heavy burden and all the long hours worked at night would pay off. For in the middle of the newly assembled Parliament of the Netherlands, stood Prince Eitel Friedrich, now taking the oath of office. The assembly had been conveyed of former union officials, Generals and other distinguished citizens, with the election scheduled a few days after the investiture. The turnout among the European states had been better than expected. All major states had sent ambassadors, with President Dupont and Queen Marian representing their respective states. The Basileios had arrived as well, almost causing a crisis of protocol in the process. For he represented the eldest and most noble of empires and therefore would have precedence over all others. Which caused a slight problem because Wilhelm II of course did not even think of relinquishing his right of way and snubbing the French President or the Queen of Spain was not an option, being close German allies. Thankfully, the protocol officers had come up with a solution. As the Netherlands and Belgium both had a strong civic tradition, it had been succesfully argued that differences of rank would not apply there and thus the monarchs and head of states were all seated on the same bench while viewing the German crown prince taking the oath of office.

Which he now did, with the newly promoted Field-Marshal of the Reserve Seyffardt reading the oath of office. The General had adapted to the new circumstances rather quickly and was now the leading candidate for the upcoming election to the Reichstag. In attendance were also, seated behind the monarchs, the various ambassadors. Of special interest was the presence of the Soviet ambassador, who tried to keep up an inscrutable facade as the communist experiment of the Netherlands was buried.

In somewhat accentuated, but otherwise flawless Dutch, the German crown prince took the oath of office.

"I, Prince Eitel Friedrich of Prussia, solemnly swear to the peoples of the Kingdom that I shall constantly preserve and uphold the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Constitution. I swear that I shall defend and preserve the freedom and the territory of the Kingdom to the best of my ability, that I shall protect the freedoms and rights of all Dutch nationals and all persons living in the Netherlands, and that I shall employ all means placed at My disposal by the law to support and promote the welfare of all, as is incumbent upon a good and faithful King. So help me God!".

General Seyffardt then handed him the regalia of office and for the first time in 35 years, the words "Long live the king" were called out within the chamber.


Royal Train
en Route to Brussels

The Royal train had been loaned from the Kingdom of Bavaria until the new Royal Train of the Netherlands and of Belgium could be finished. As it was, each of the heads of state had received one whole wagon to themselves, with the two center wagons being reserved for the Emperor and the newly invested King of the Netherlands, and the other for the Reichskanzler. While Eitel Friedrich received the congratulations of foreign and German nobles and dignitaries, the Reichskanzler was once more at work. They had fallen behind in the schedule due to Eitel Friedrich insisting on shaking the hand of every dutch delegate in Den Haag and the stoakers were now working overtime in order to make up for it. The need to stop at every city on the way, however, and to show the new King to the waiting populace, was not much of a help either.

But Sänger was concerned with more other things. For seated opposite him was the Basileios Romaion, the Emperor of the Byzantine Empire, ready to sign the treaty. After the usual pleasantries were exchanged, Sänger signed the treaty.

Treaty between the Byzantine Empire and the German Empire regarding the territory of Yogyakarta

I. The German Empire will hand over the territory of Yogyakarta to the Byzantine Empire, to be theirs to keep and to hold and relinquishes all claims upon said territory.

II. The Byzantine Empire will guarantee and provide for the relocation of any citizen who wishes to return to the European or colonial territories of the German Empire. Anybody who does so shall receive compensation at 120% of the market price from the Byzantine Empire.

III. The Byzantine Empire will give the same guarantees to the population as Germany did in the peace treaty with the former Union of the Low Countries

IV. The Byzantine Empire will provide raw materials, dominantly oil, equal to the value of the colony to the German Empire. The Byzantine Empire will transport these to a destination of the German Empire's choosing. Further details are to be detailed by the respective ambassadors.

V. The Byzantine Empire promises not to use the area gained as a military base.

Signed,
Emperor Alexios IV Komnenos, Basileus Rhomaíōn, Autokrator, Sebastos etc., for the Byzantine Empire
Dr. mult. Johannes Sänger, Reichskanzler, for the German Empire

"Your Imperial Majesty is most gracious and wise.", Sänger added after signing it, though as usual, he did not bow. After the signing of the treaty, a rather different guest was shown in, Sergej Povlovsky, the Soviet ambassador to Germany. Sergej was no stranger to Sänger, having been his opposite in both the treaty negotiations of 1915 and 1917, his vast expertise ensuring that the Bolsheviks needed him. And he was probably the only russian who could still smile when greeting a German these days.

"Johannes." "Sergej." After a mutual nod, the soviet ambassador sat down in the space the Byzantine Emperor had just vacated. The train stopped once more, and a cheer could have heard from outside, where a crowd had gathered to see the new king. At the sight of this, Sergej shook his head sadly. "Just a few weeks ago, they were cheering for the world revolution." "Indeed." The soviet ambassador once more nodded and then crossed his legs, assuming a relaxed pose. "So what can I do for you, my capitalist oppressor friend?" Sänger smiled. "Germany would like to buy 20 million Geese."

This did startle the soviet and caused him to cough on his drink. While Sergej was regaining his composure, Sänger pressed on. "I would also like for the Soviet Union to continue the grain and raw material shipments to the former Union territory until the time comes - if it ever happens - when the German farmers have increased their productivity to replace Soviet imports."

Sergej nodded. "And why would we do that?" Sänger smiled. "Because you need every bit of foreign currency you can get. Tell me, how goes the war in Manchuria?" It was a cheap shot, but it worked as Sergej glowered at the Reichskanzler, but kept quiet as Sänger continued. "Besides, I do not think losing your biggest grain export customer would do wonders for your economy. If need be, we can always go to the Americans for more grain purchases, but we would prefer a somewhat closer supplier."

Pavlovsky nodded. "I'll need some more guarantees if I have to go to my superiors with this." Sänger nodded. "Germany would allow all disgruntled dutch communists to emigrate to the Soviet Union. Germany will sell, as a sign that we do not have anything against communist nations in General, enough dutch military surplus equipment to the Soviet Union, including at least 100 artillery pieces. Payment may be made in the aforementioned geese and grain shipments."

Sergej nodded. "This is a most generous offer. However, should it come to pass that we need to enlist more farmers, I am not sure if we can meet the usual quotas." "I am sure that in such a situation, the americans will step in." Sänger paused, now coming to the unpleasant part of the offer. "However, Germany will need some sort of guarantee. Communism is much disgraced by the cowardly act of the leaders to flee the country in need, but we cannot allow any sort of communist idols to remain. Therefore, my emperor asks that the Soviet Union guarantees these men will never return to the Netherlands except for standing trial."

Sergej nodded. "I was expecting this and by the looks of it, those cowards have outlived their usefulness. Will Germany give a guarantee that the Russian exiles will not be allowed to influence German policy with regards to the Soviet Union? There are some rumours about you having quite close contacts with some of them, especially one..."

Sänger stood, interrupting. "I assure you that they shall not wield any more influence than they have seats in the Reichstag and I am sure you will find those will be more than matched by the seats the socialists are going to gain in the upcoming special election."

Sergej smiled. "Indeed. Good day, Reichskanzler."


Brussels
The train had arrived one hour late, necessitating that the parade of the Belgian Life Guards was cut short. However, the delegations arrived in time for the Crown Prince to take the oath of office in all three official languages in the Town Hall before both chambers of Parliament. The newly invested King of the Netherlands and of the Belgians was then driven to the palace, where he decorated himself, his father the Emperor, Queen Marian, President Dupont, the assembled Generals and the Reichskanzler with the De Orde van de Nederlandse Leeuw, the Militaire Willems-Orde and the Order of Leopold, which everyone but the Reichskanzler then carried for the resulting ball. Sänger did not take part in the dancing, being too exhausted. After a short chat with various nobles and delegates, he excused himself and soon fell into a deep sleep.

Outside, the populace celebrated. With the end of rationing, food, including tropical fruits, was now widely available. The announcement that every family would receive, as gift from their king, a goose for christmas was also cause for much celebration and did much to sway the opinion of many.

(OOC: If any of you want to write a chat during the ball or the train ride, feel free to do so, just PM me. I am just trying to wrap things up for October in order to finish things within the deadline).

Moscow
five hours later

In Moscow, the sleep of the Dutch leadership in exile was rudely interrupted by armed men entering their rooms. Soon, they were forced into a train carrying them off to Siberia, never to return and to live out the rest of their days as farmers in a penal institution.



Berlin
Germany
The Reichskanzlei
One week later

Reichskanzler Sänger received the report of the special elections that determined what delegates the new Kingdoms would sent to the Reichstag. As expected, the election results were a sign that while the opinion of the Dutch and the Belgians started to sway towards their new king, many still had reservations. The SPD, which had absorbed many former socialist and dutch officials, had captured a full 35% of the vote, becoming once more the strongest faction in the Reichstag. The newly founded Dutch central party, the one favored by the king and led by Seyffardt, had captured over 40% of the vote. The rest was split between smaller parties. The addition of 70 million citizens to the German Empire meant that the new parties would become strong players in the Reichstag.

Of course, not all citizens of the former Union had elected to stay and be ruled by a German. Millions had chosen to emigrate to Kenya or to the Soviet Union. While this would be partially offset by immigration from the former Dutch colonies to the motherland, it was still projected that about 3 million citizens would emigrate - but not to Cisplatinia, which had received a politely worded letter of "thanks, but no thanks".

Especially strong was the loss to the armed forces - the Dutch air force, which had been almost desintegrated by the war, was now nonexistent. The Navy, the most heavily indoctrinated of the services, had lost two thirds of its men and only the scrapping of a large portion of the fleet coupled with the placement of all Dutch battleships into the reserve fleet had left enough seamen to crew the remaining dutch ships, which were now retraining and supposed to be ready in six months. The only ship to which this did not apply was the former carrier Comrade Hammer.

As the Graf Zeppelin had been handed over to the French Navy as compensation for a share of the war spoils, its crew and aviation wing had been transferred to the Comrade Hammer, which had aptly been renamed SMS Restauration and had been welcomed into the Hochseeflotte already. The other two carriers had been renamed SMS De Ruyter and SMS De Zeven Provincien, but would still be busy with retraining their crew and conductin exercises over the next months.

Fortress construction had been started at the formerly Dutch colonies and it would take at least six months for the guns to be delivered there. The Byzantines would supply the necessary oil and already convoys were travelling from the oil wells of Byzantium to the now German ports. Colonial troops had been reformed and redeployed.

The Army of the former Union had lost half their strength due to soldiers who wished to retire. The reformed new armies of the Kingdom of Belgium and the Netherlands would not be ready for action for some time, but already the German General Staff was drawing up plans to incorporate them and the remaining reserves.

Still, none of that could match the enormous rebuilding effort going on in the Netherlands and Belgium. Roads, railroads and bridges were repaired, expanded and modernized. The industry was modernized with new machines ordered in Germany. This required enormous sums and would mean that Germany would not see much of a profit until at least six years, but slowly and gradually the new territories improved and with them, the living situation of the inhabitants. The shipbuilding industry of the Dutch was modernized as well - of the ten slipways (five each at the Rijkswerft at Rotterdam and at the State Naval shipyard in Antwerp), two were being expanded to 70kt yards, while two new 70kt yards were being built as well. The Dutch and German shipyards were strained to maximum capacity with orders for new merchant ships to replace those lost in the war and lost to the Shepistani blockade.

But not all ships ordered were merchant ships. While the last of the old Dutch ships were being scrapped, Sänger had gone to the Reichstag and introduced a new Naval bill, succesfully arguing that with the scrapping of so many old ships, Germany needed to built ships to replace those that would be scrapped in order to safeguard her new territories and sealanes. As a result, 50 destroyers of the new ZD class had been ordered as well as four heavy cruisers of the newest German ship design, the successor to the Blücher class.

There had also been efforts to restart the Dutch tourism industry and the two new kingdoms both needed ships of state. The Hamburg-Amerika Linie had succesfully acquired the more profitable license for the Netherlands, with its closest Rival, the Norddeutsche Lloyd (NDL), having to satisfy itself with the less profitable license for Belgium. Both companies had placed contracts with the Rijkswerft and the State Naval Shipyard respectively, however, in an effort to placate the British Empire and the French companies, who had lost out, both companies were asked to acquire British or French designs for the ships. As a consequence Hapag had purchased the Aquitania design from Cunard and the NDL had purchased a new french design, this time beating Hapag. The two liners would displace 45 and 43kt and achieve a top speed of 24 knots each. Construction had already started and was proceeding as planned. Stopping the dutch shipbuilding industry from being atrophied to death had been one of the most important goals of the Reichskanzler and he now felt as if he would succeed in it.


German-Soviet border
There was only one operating railroad between the German Empire and the Soviet Union. A single track railroad, it slowly wound its way through the carpathian mountains. Fearing a Soviet Invasion, it had never been expanded and was in fact designed to be easily destroyed in case of attack. However, now trains were running day and night along that route, carrying more and more people into the Soviet Union, while Soviet merchant ships once more entered the harbours of the Netherlands.


Results:
- Eitel Friedrich is now Friedrich, King of the Netherlands and of the Belgians, Crown Prince of Prussia, Duke of Brabant, Marquis of Veere and Vlissingen, Count of Buren, Culemborg and Leerdam, Dietz, Katzenelnbogen and Spiegelberg, Viscount of Antwerp, Baron of Breda, Cranendonck, Lands of Cuijk, Eindhoven, City of Grave, IJsselstein and Liesveld, Diest, Herstal, Warneton and Beilstein, Hereditary Lord and Seigneur of Ameland, Lord of Baarn, Borculo, Bredevoort, Daasburg, Geertruidenberg, Hooge en Lage Zwaluwe, Klundert, Lichtenvoorde, 't Loo, Montfoort, Naaldwijk, Niervaart, Polanen, Steenbergen, Sint Maartensdijk, Soest, Ter Eem, Willemstad, Zevenbergen, Bütgenbach, Sankt Vith and Turnhout.
- Sänger finally gets a good night sleep
- The dutch leadership in exile is taken care of (cleared it with Stas and the mods)
- The German Empire sells Dutch surplus equipment for 60 brigades and over 100 artillery pieces taken from decommissioned warships to the Soviet Union, in return the Soviet Union takes care of the Dutch leaderships in exile and continues grain and raw material shipments
- Every Dutch and Belgian family gets a goose for christmas
- 3 million Dutch citizens emigrate to the Soviet Union and to Kenya. 300.000 trained soldiers also emigrate to the Soviet Union
- Treaty between the Byzantine and the German Empire signed, handing over the contested province in return for oil shipments
- France receives the Graf Zeppelin as aircraft carrier
- integration of the countries goes ahead
- lots of new construction, including two new liners being built

[Thanas]

Berliner Zeitung
Germany announced today the sale of four Blücher class heavy cruisers to the nation of Chiletina. The cruisers sold will be the SMS Lacy, Pappenheim, Kanitz and Manteuffel, which have been ordered to proceed to Chiletina at high speed. The Blücher class was widely lauded for its wide range and high cruising speed of 21knots at 10000nm, making them ideal for commerce raiding.

It is expected that the four new Heavy Cruisers that are being built at Antwerpen and Rotterdam will replace them. It is further expected that until they are operational, the former Dutch Delaware-class battleships will take over the role of the Heavy cruisers.

Results:
- Four Blücher class cruisers sold to Chiletina

[Siege]

EDIT: Unreal time by, oh, about a week or two .

Cairo



After ample deliberation both at the level of the Greater Diwan and the Court itself the Sultanate of Egypt has decided that the coronation of crown prince Eitel Friedrich as King of Holland and Belgium will be attended by HRH The Crown Princess. The Amira al-Sa'id‎, Vali Ahad [Princess of the Sa'id, Successor by Virtue of a Covenant], Sultana A'ishah Amatallah ad-Din bint Musa'ed al-Misrī, is the firstborn daughter of His Exalted Highness the Sultan of Sultans, and heiress-apparent to the throne of Egypt and All Arabia. She is expected to arrive by ship in the harbour of Amsterdam two days in advance of the coronation.

[Doomriser]

Lima

De la Torre remembered the protests in the same way that a Shepistani refugee remembers war. As soon as the Franco-German-Dutch war broke out, or rather the unprovoked invasion and naked imperial land-grab, the fury of millions of mobilized workers returned to menace his office. The protests he had fought so hard to disperse during the Sheppistani actions had returned, two or three times in size. There was hardly a Bolivarian left of the liberals who had not felt a personal betrayal after Germany and France began to carve up Europe like a Christmas goose.

It had taken all of his political acumen just to maintain trade relations with Germany - his own party wanted a blockade! Of course, now Bolivaria was serving tropical fruit to the satiated populace of Germany. Torre wanted to shove it down their throats.
Even the Social Democrats in Germany could not find it within themselves to fully condemn the war. Maybe something good will come from the split.
De la Torre shook his head. A year ago, he would not have thought like this, preferring to contain communist countries, and maintain a balance of power. But the hotheads in Chiletina were acting up, and Mexico had just become the most direct threat to freedom in South America. Reactionaries were pressing for a world of permanent war and preemptive strikes.

Now, I have to find a way to get those battleships.
The Secretary of the Navy had asked for more German ships - an order that had become politically impossible since the war. How could Bolivaria endorse and reward the actions of Germany?
They could be built in secret, I suppose. But only until delivery!
Brazil, of course, could build battleships. But de la Torre preferred to maintain some links with Germany. One thing was for sure - the impossible advance of Mexican forces in horrendous terrain had demonstrated the weakness of defensive fortresses and coastal defense monitors. A change in naval policy was needed.

[RogueIce]

D+14: Panama War

Message to the Mexican Empire [Gran Colombia]
To:[Insert Formal Name of Country Here]

[Insert Proper Form of Address to National Leader Here],

The United States views with great regret the actions that have led to a course of war between your great nation and [Mexico/Gran Colombia]. We would wish to see this bloody conflict end as soon as possible, and to return the region to a state of normalcy. To that end, we would call for a mutual ceasefire to current hostilities and invite both parties to a conference to forge a peaceful resolution to this conflict. We would hold this conference between both conflicting parties, with members of the Panama Canal Board also present to assist in the negotiating process. We would hope to begin ceasefire talks as soon as possible, and at a location suitable to you. At which point we can begin a conference to negotiate a peace.

It is my sincerest hope that you take favorable action upon this request and work with us to bring an end to the bloodshed and disruption that has come to our corner of the world.

Signed,
James Raynor
President of the United States

The ambassadors to both Mexico and Colombia also sought to ascertain if Cuba would be a suitable place for the talks. If not, an alternate site would be discussed.

((OOC: Since it's basically an identical letter to both Mexico and Colombia, I didn't feel like writing the same thing twice. Obviously it would be correctly addressed in IC terms))

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US Calls for Ceasefire; Negotiation in Panama Conflict

Some news story goes below...

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EDIT2:

((OOC: Shit, I forgot! Also assume a letter has been sent to each Panama Canal Board member inviting them to the talks as well))

EDIT3:

((OOC: OK, took out references to Byzantium hosting talks for now. Sending out feelers to see if Cuba is OK: both for ceasefire negotiations [immediate priority right now] and eventual peace talks.

[Ma Deuce]

Antananarivo, Parliament, Prime Minister's Office

Randriana sat at his desk, pondering. The secret letter he'd sent weeks prior hadn't borne as much fruit as he'd hoped, though that wasn't really his recipient's fault, so much as it was him being too bound politically to commit to anything too drastic concerning Kenya. He'd also received another secret communique from someone else on the matter, and it was now becoming clear how many of Madagascar's neighbors felt about the issue, even if they didn't admit it publicly. Although it looked like the Congolese and their Brazilian allies had taken care of that issue for now, there was no telling how much blood and treasure the Germans might be willing to expend to save face there; They very well might not consider it worth it, but he wasn't leaving that to chance. He had thought up a new idea that might solve this issue once and for all, though he wasn't acting without consulting other powers in the region: Given the apprehension about the prospect of a German-owned Kenya, he wasn't going to stoke regional tensions by going through with this alone. He began writing again, starting with a note to the recipient of his original secret letter...

[Ryan Thunder]

D+11, Carribean, Somewhere North of Fuerte Sherman

It was... improbable, to say the least. The sub squadron had been hunting this fleet for days. Now they had run right into us! Fortunately our spotter planes had detected them early, giving us time to prepare. We submerged, and when they came within range, ten submarines let fly sixty heavy torpedoes.

With zero warning offered, one battleship sunk in absolute ruin after a lucky hit blew away her main propeller. I'm told that this would have caused the main shaft to spin out of control, fracture, and blow the seals, ripping out more than a hundred metres of tiny holes along the length of it. There was really nothing that a crew could've done to save the ship; it just sank like a boulder after that.

Two other battleships were seriously crippled, one by the catastrophic explosion of an oiler (which was, obviously, sunk, along with her sister ship) and the other by a fortuitous torpedo hit near her bow, along with several others.

Reading a second volley, we closed for the kill, finishing off the two crippled ships before withdrawing south west to Fuerte Sherman.

Commander Lucas Abarca

[Lonestar]

The Gold Palace

"I say Lord Fairfax," Fairfax cringed. Whenever Wythe disregarded the title he knew he was in for an earful "Do you know what that wastrel Saldana has done to my nephew?"

Of course I do. Fairfax said. He had the insubordinate idiot beached. One couldn't say that to the leader of the Whigs though. "What, Lord Wythe?"

"He removed him from command of the Theobald and placed him on half pay! You said you were going to make sure he was taken care of! This is an outrage!"

"Ah yes." Fairfax said mildly. Truth be told he did not like these sort of confrontations. It was easier having a bullet whizzing by you. What was it that Ronaldus Magnus said? 'Nothing is more invigorating than to be shot at and live?'. "Lord Wythe, the final report of the inquiry is quite clear, he was insubordinate to Vice-Admiral Runnels..."

"It is impossible to be insubordinate to a coolie!" Wythe exploded. "He's a Goddamn coolie!"

"Lord Wythe, I know that you were in the army, and native officers are rather thin on the ground in that institution, but you are suppose to respect the rank. No matter your personal feelings about the man. Admiral Runnels meets the religious requirements and has a long history of serving the country with distinction. During the Battle of the Grand Dominion Gulf he..."

"...Participated in the greatest failure of Dominionite arms in 50 years while the army pulled our nation out of the fire." Wythe shot back. "So he got a warship home, so what? That speaks more to the character of the whites who served under him."

"Very well, let's talk about the whites under him. Starting with, oh, say, Captain Wythe." Fairfax picked up the inquiry. "There's some good reading about him running his first command aground in Trincomalee, persistent reports form the Provost Marshal about his sailors not acting in a manner befitting them, getting sunk during exercises...a lot. It paints a rather pretty picture of the debacle off of Mombasa. Obviously we shouldn't have ordered Force R to remain over the horizon with just the Theobald there."

Wythe was turning a shade of puce. "So you are not going to overrule Saldana?"

"I am not."

"Very well then." Wythe made to turn. "I'll see to it that your precious coolie-loving navy gets nary a pfennig next fiscal." Wythe stomped out before Fairfax could respond.

Thought that would happen. Fairfax sighed. This was going to take the mother of all damage control. A foriegn ministry messenger peered into the open office, Fairfax merely jerked his head and the man scurried in, and put a letter on his desk. Since it was brief he held up his right hand to hold the messenger. After going through it he cursed, scrawled out a response, and handed it back to the messenger.

[RogueIce]

13 August 1925 (Mexican-Colombian War D+11)

Naval Base Miami

Battle Squadron Two of the US Navy was given orders to make "best possible speed" to the waters off Colon. Their intention was to arrive roughly three days later, to put emphasis to the diplomatic note that would be sent to the governments of Mexico and Gran Colombia to come to talks for a ceasefire as soon as possible and to begin negotiations for ending the war - and perhaps most importantly, the disruption to Panama Canal traffic.

Naval Base Norfolk

At the same time, Battle Squadron Six was ordered to head down to the coast off Pensacola, Florida to conduct "routine training exercises" off the coast. The Navy's public affairs office made an extra effort to see that this bit of news received the widest coverage possible.
Spoiler

• 2 New Mexico class battleships
• 2 Pennsylvania class battleships
• 2 Omaha class light cruisers
• 6 Clemson class destroyers
• 6 Wickes class destroyers

Spoiler

• 4 South Dakota class battleships
• 2 Omaha class light cruisers
• 12 Clemson class destroyers

Results
The US is making the point (on D+14) that the sooner a ceasefire is agreed to, the better.

[Thanas]

Berlin, Reichskanzlei

Message to the canal board members and the combatants in the Panama war

Your excellencies.

The German Empire supports the call for a ceasefire.

Signed,
Sänger, Reichskanzler.

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

Your Excellencies,

The Byzantine Emperor supports cease fire talks and wishes that they be held as soon as possible. The President of the Byzantine Investment Corporation and the Foreign Exarch will represent the Byzantine Empire at such talks.

Signed,
Exarch Ignatius Korolev,
Foreign Exarch of the Byzantine Emperor.

[Norseman]

Abdeen Palace
Cairo
Egyptian Sultanate

Unreal Time

The negotiations had gone on for over a week and Nicolas Schrödinger thought it was all dreadfully boring. In fact it was so boring that he wondered why he had even agreed to come out here, right now he could be back in Brasilia in the JuvCom headquarters, far more exciting for someone who was nearly 17. Instead he was here watching diplomatic negotiations. At least he could look down on his superiors, quite literally, as he leant against a railing that covered the upper floor running around the great hall where they held the meeting. Here in the shades no one below would notice him anyway, so he idly sucked on a candy cane, letting it slide in and out of his mouth. Until he accidentally got it a little too far down his mouth and he coughed, for having had something go down the wrong hole, his hand touching his smooth throat.

Just then he heard a chair scraping and turned his head to look, only to see Achmed Aly Bey standing there behind a chair, while holding on to its back. Nicolas immediately straightened up and tried his best to remember his lessons in how to look presentable. Of course that's a bit hard when you have a candy cane sticking out of your mouth and your tie is askew, especially if you're already in the short trousers and short sleeved shirt of the JuvCom.

"Comrade Deputy Minister!" Nicolas said in Portuguese, then desperately changed over to French, "Monsieur le Sous-Ministre" and then stopped, remembering that the Deputy Minister surely had the right of first address.

"How nice to see you here young man," Achmed Aly Bey said, holding on to the chair, a slightly forced smile on his lips, "I, I was merely admiring the view. I did not mean to startle you."

"I was not startled Deputy Minister, you are very kind to be concerned," Nicolas said, trying his level best to remember the courtesy phrases he'd been taught, but it wasn't really easy now. Trying to escape a somewhat uncomfortable situation he added, "If it pleases you I'll depart."

"No need," Achmed Aly Bey said, "Please, be as you were before you noticed me, this could be most educational for you young man. Such a pearl among boys should not miss any... educational opportunities."

Nicolas tried to hide a frown, he certainly didn't really see it as being all that educational, but it'd be wrong to argue so he bent over at his waist again resting his elbows on the railing and continued watching the meeting. All the while wondering why on Earth Achmed Aly Bey kept standing behind the chair instead of sitting down in it.

**** **** **** **** ****

Down in the Great Hall

Five men sat around a large ornate table in the great hall, all around them were the symbols of the wealth of the Egyptian Sultanate. It was a throwback to the baroque era of decoration, from the gilded patterns on the white washed walls to the enormous ornate chandeliers. You could host a full scale formal ball in here; indeed the Sultan often did so. For this occasion though thick carpets covered the marble floors and equally thick wall-hangings draped the walls, sucking up every sound. Even the servants were mutes kept at a distance and only came near when summoned by one of the five men.

It was in short the perfect display of oriental sumptuousness and paranoia...

Still the mood was fairly good around the table. At least now that Walther Rathenau could look around the table and say, "I think we have reached an agreement that satisfies all of us." Of the five he and the Kenyan representative stood out for the relative modesty of their dress, simple diplomatic suits.

"It's acceptable," Jan-Cornelis Naaktgeboren said, the Kenyan representative looked tired and not too happy, "I'm authorised to sign it and to propose myself as the ambassador to the German Empire. However I must repeat that this does not in any way our view on the German annexation of the Union of the Low-Countries." With that he fell silent, despite being in a civilian suit he was still a military man and now he'd carried out his orders.

"That is not a question we need to address here," Walther Rathenau said, "Is Your Excellence authorised to sign this treaty?"

"Yes Excellence," Naaktgeboren said, "And the Congolese?"

"This treaty..." Raymond Mbariko wet his lips and then smiled, he seemed friendly, almost simple minded, though he was anything but, "Is in its entirety satisfactory to my government. We are grateful to Your Excellencies and you Minister, for helping to bring about a peaceful solution to this problem." Being only in his thirties he sounded almost as if he was grateful to be guided along by more experienced counter-parts, that too was a rouse.

"Our only concern is the Reichtag," said Jõse Eduardo Castro e Oliveira, the rather stately looking Brazilian representative. With a chest full of Order Stars he at least didn't look out of place here, though he did look more like a throwback to the previous century than a modern diplomat. "Your German government can at times seem chaotic and confusing, my government expresses some concerns that there will be no... ah... confusion in regards to any ratification."

"No one wants war, especially not when we are offered a treaty so satisfactory to all sides," Walther Rathenau said, "With the chancellors support it is all but guaranteed to be ratified."

"Please gentlemen, let us not argue about the remote possibility that something can go wrong," Aly Dessaix Pasha said in a calming voice, motioning his hand gently as he seemed to nod towards each of the other representatives, "We are all men of good faith here, certainly the Sultan does not wish to see the coast of Africa become a war zone. Indeed having seen this latest proposal he has become a most enthusiastic support thereof, stating that it is nigh impossible for a man of good faith to reject it. Thus, respecting his good judgement, which is by far superior to that of any other man of his realm, I think it's only prudent to sign." Certainly the exiled French officer had learned the flowery oriental language quite well, so well in fact that it took a moment to realise that there could be an implied threat.

"I am ready to sign and I think the representative of the Congo is as well," Naaktgeboren said, trying to fight his frustration, not for the last time he wished they had a real diplomat to deal with this sort of thing, "If there are no objections?"

"Perhaps this should be photographed or commemorated in some way?" Jõse Eduardo Castro e Oliveira said.

"My government is..." Naaktgeboren said, then paused, "Does not want any excessive ritual, respectfully we would prefer it if the treaty could simply be signed."

"Then by all means, let us sign," Walther Rathenau said.

The High Contracting Powers, seeking to resolve their differences peacefully and to regularize the relationships between each other, have determined to conclude the present treaty, and have accordingly appointed the undersigned Plenipotentiaries, who, after presentation of their full powers, found in good and due form, have agreed on the following provisions:

Article 1
This treaty shall be prepared in a German, a Dutch, and a French version. In case of an argument the French version, being the language of diplomacy, shall be authoritative.

Article 2
In case of any argument about aspects of this treaty the parties shall agree to third party arbitration from the Egyptian Sultanate.

Article 3
Germany will recognise the independence of the Kenyan Free State, without prejudice to Congolese interests in the region.

Article 4
The Unified Republic of the Congo, the Kenyan Free State, and the German Empire will, as soon as is practicable, but before the expiry of the year, exchange diplomatic representatives. All three states agree to accept the embassies specified in the annex to this treaty.

Article 5
Upon the signing of this treaty the Island of Lamu, with the territories specified in the annex to this treaty, shall leased without restriction to Germany for 99 years, to be developed as the German Empire sees fit. At the end of the lease, the Free Nation of Kenya, or its successor state, shall have the option of buying the port at 150% of its market value, provided its guarantees the safety and compensation of any German citizen that settled there.

Shall this option not be taken, the port will become full property of the German Empire or its successor state.

The German Empire further stipulates that barring extraordinary circumstances, it will station no more forces than necessary to defend the base against an assault. Therefore, it will agree to limit the total amount of troops stationed there to the same amount of Kenyan troops protecting Mombassa, with the total limit not exceeding 50% of all Kenyan forces. An exemption is made for extraordinary circumstances such as in the time of war. Germany will then notify the Kenyan Free State when and if it plans to increase its number of troops.

Article 6
Furthermore the Unified Republic of the Congo and the Kenyan Free State shall, at their own cost, pay for the expansion of the harbour at Lamu into a deep water port. This shall be in accordance to the specifications included in the annex to this treaty. Such a harbour shall be completed no later than 1 January 1930.

The Unified Republic of the Congo and the Kenyan Free State shall, at their own expense, connect their railways, and create a connecting railway and oil pipeline to Lamu.

Should the harbour of Lamu prove unsuitable, Germany will be allowed to build a base at Mombassa, with terms to be decided by the parties in arbitration with the Egyptian Sultanate.

Article 7
Once the pipeline is complete the Unified Republic of the Congo pledges to supply the German base for a nominal fee as specified in the annex of the treaty. The Kenyan Free State pledges to sell, at normal world prices, food stuffs and supplies to the German Naval base at Lamu.

Article 8
Notwithstanding the previous articles should Germany at some point refuse to use Kenyan or Congolese workers and supplies during the construction of the harbour the Unified Republic of the Congo shall instead supply a quantity of gold equal to the cost-estimate of the continued work in wait, as according to the plans included in the annex of this treaty.

Article 9
Untill the deep water port at Lamu is complete, at a date no later than 1 January 1930, the sections above that refer to Lamu will instead apply to the port of Mombasa. With the following exceptions:
a) The Kenyan Free State, the United Republic of the Congo, and other nations who have a vested interest in the port as of the signing of this document, shall retain the right to base out of and be supplied from Mombasa.
b) The normal functioning of the harbour as a civillian harbour shall, in as much as possible, not be harmed.
c) The coastal forts at Mombasa will remain under Kenyan and Congolese control.
d) Germany agrees to limit her military presence to reasonable levels, specifically no tanks or artillery will be brought ashore, nor will more than a batallion of light infantry. Exceptions may be granted with the consent of both the Congo and the Kenyan Free State.
e) The Kenyan and Congolese militaries in Mombasa pledge to defend the German forces in Mombasa from all attacks and to maintain the harbour free of mines.
f) The annex to this treaty shall specifically state how services and facilities are to be allocated between the German Navy, other navies as specified above, and the civilian section of the port.

Article 11
All individuals desiring to leave Kenya for the territories previously occupied by the Union of the Low Country shall be allowed to do so. Likewise all individuals from the territories previously occupied by the Union of the Low Countries who wish to emigrate to Kenya shall be allowed to do so. A mutually agreed upon neutral commissioner shall hear all complaints and recommend solutions.

Article 12
For a period not exceeding 6 months all currency printed in Kenya prior to the start of the war between the Union of the Low countries and the alliance led by Germany shall be treated the same as currency issued by the Union of the Low Countries prior to the war. The remaining Kenyan printing plates shall be destroyed by a mutually acceptable neutral commissioner, who will also be permitted to regularly inspect the mint to ensure that no further currency of the old pattern is printed.

Article 13
Ordinary trade relations are to be opened between the German Empire, the Unified Republic of the Congo, and the Kenyan Free State.

Article 14
Until 1 January 1945 or for as long as a state of war does not exist between any of the Kenyan Free State, the German Empire, or the Grand Dominion, whichever period is shortest, the Tuscan Kingdom and the Grand Dominion shall have the right of first refusal to all raw materials, as specified in the annex to this treaty, sold by the Kenyan Free State. There shall be no export tariffs and the first offer shall be at 5% below world prices as defined by the London Exchange.

Signed...

Walther Rathenau, Minister Extra-Ordinary and Plenipotentiary of the German Empire

Raymond Mbariko, Minister Extra-Ordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Unified Republic of the Congo

Jan-Cornelis Naaktgeboren, Minister Extra-Ordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kenyan Free State

Aly Dessaix Pasha, Minister-Counsellor of the Egyptian Sultanate

**** **** **** **** ****

Up by the railing

Nicolas was definitely a little bored when he finally heard someone calling for him, saying the Ambassador wanted to see him. At once he straightened up, and politely told Achmed Aly Bey, "I must depart Deputy Minister, the Ambassador wants my presence." It was very polite and cumbersome, but he felt quite pleased that he got it out right. Then as he turned to leave he noticed that his guidebook had fallen out, and now he accidentally kicked it sending it slithering across the floor. With a sigh he bent over at his waist to pick it up, blushing a little at being such a clumsy oaf in front of an important foreign dignitary.

Just then he heard a rattling sound, grabbing the guidebook he rose and turned around, only to see Achmed Aly Bey clutching the back of the chair rather firmly, "Deputy Minister! Are you alright?" To be honest Nicolas was a little worried as the man's eyes were a little wide and his breathing seemed a bit off.

"Yes, yes young man, you be off, don't want to keep the ambassador waiting," Achmed Aly Bey said with a forced smile on his lips, "It's just a touch of... malaria."

"If you say so Deputy Minister," Nicolas said before he turned again and hurried off.

RESULTS[
- An amusing new character is introduced.
- There's a treaty solving the Kenyan issue.

[Ma Deuce]

[OOC: Just some recent housekeeping, including Naval developments]

Madagascar Tribune
Unreal time

BREAKING: Government recognizes Kenyan Independence

Parliament today passed legislation introduced by the Prime Minister, which extended formal recognition of sovereignty to the new Free State of Kenya, as well as pledged to abide by all the the terms of the recent Treaty of Cairo that created the new state, which will be contacted in the coming days for the purposes of exchanging diplomatic missions. The bill passed easily by the votes of governing Social Democratic party alone, although the Socialists supported it, and the opposition Liberals and Nationalists voted against it, citing Kenya's communist government, and also re-iterated their opposition to the recognition already granted to the world's other communist nations. Still, the Prime Minister called the independence of Kenya "a momentous occasion", and encouraged other nations to provide more autonomy to their colonies, though stopped short of demanding they be granted outright independence, as called for by the Socialists.


Merina Navy Times
October 1925

New 40 Centimeter gun test fired

Earlier this week, the proof article for the Navy's new 40 centimeter (15.75 inch), 50 caliber artillery project was successfully test fired at the Sava Proving Grounds. This gun is a essentially a lengthened version of the 40cm/45 currently in service, using the same ammunition but a larger propellant charge. During the test, the gun reportedly achieved it's designed muzzle velocity of 820 meters per second, throwing its payload just over 40 kilometers away at an elevation of 45 degrees. This represents a 6% increase in muzzle velocity and a 10% increase in range over the current 45 caliber gun. The single shot did not result in any unexpected wear or damage to the gun, though extended trials are pending to test it's wear characteristics.

No applications have been announced for this weapon, though it is rumored to be earmarked for the next class of capital ships to be laid down, and will likely be used in coastal artillery as well due to it's range. There is also talk of exporting guns of this design in the future. Though neither the Navy or national government will comment of whether that is being considered, it is acknowledged that an economy of scale created by exports would drive down production costs for Navy guns.

This gun has also attracted interest from some analysts who point that it's high muzzle velocity and flat trajectory go contrary to the standard practice of the Navy, perhaps hinting a future change in doctrine: On the other hand it's been rumored that "Super Heavy" ammunition types are being considered for future use in this weapon. Some have questioned why the Navy has not yet developed a larger-caliber weapon when other nations have already done so, however design work is reportedly "well underway" on an indigenous 45 centimeter weapon.

New Submarine launched

Today, the Fesotra, the last of the five Trozona-class submarines currently under construction, was christened and launched today at Maroantsetra. Another had been already launched from this yard earlier in the month, and the other three in yards elsewhere in the country. These boats are expected to join the fleet in January, and will join the other five submarines of this class already in service. The Trozona class is the largest and most modern submarine in service with the Royal Merina Navy. Displacing 2,250 tons surfaced, they are armed with six 55 centimeter torpedo tubes (two of which face aft and can also deploy naval mines) and a 12 centimeter deck gun, and have sufficient cruising range to operate anywhere in the Indian Ocean. They can achieve a maximum speed of 21 knots surfaced.

New Battleship completes builder's trials

Yesterday the battleship Miaro [Defender] returned to the Majunga shipyard after successfully completing it's builders' trials, and will now be turned over to the custody of the Navy to commence their own trials prior to the ship's scheduled commissioning in December. Her sister Hefina, built at the Maroantsetra Naval Yard, has already completed her trials, and is scheduled to be commissioned next month. These two vessels represent the most modern and powerful battleships to be built in Madagascar, armed with twelve 40 cm guns, unprecedented levels of armor protection, and numerous technical advancements. One of these ships is expected to take the role of flagship of the fleet after next year's change in command.

Final Arrangements being made for Mobile Fleet cruise

The Department of the Navy announced that all the ships assigned to the Mobile Fleet will be ready to sail as planned for the scheduled goodwill tour of the Western Indian Ocean. All the major inhabited island territories of Madagascar will be visited by the fleet, and final arrangements are being sought with the governments who control the foreign ports also scheduled to be visited. Many see the timing of this tour as significant, as it falls immediately after the independence of Kenya, and just before Madagascar's year end national election, and is seen as intended to secure the votes of the islanders by allaying fears that the government has neglected the Navy too much in for the sake of it's new welfare programs.

Results
-Madagascar recognizes Kenyan independence
-New gun available for future warships, and possible export
-New battleships and submarines near completion, and will join the fleet shortly.
-"Great White Fleet" cruise nears, pending final arrangements.

[TimothyC]

Diplomatic Note:

The Union of South African States hereby recognizes the Free State of Kenya, and will be appointing and ambassador shortly.

[Thanas]

Antwerpen


The assembled fleet left the harbour, with many a newly recruited Dutch soldier aboard. The Brazilians had purchased the ships on their way to the scrapyard and had recruited quite a lot of the former Dutch navy men who had resigned their commissions instead of serving under the flag of the German Empire.

It was an impressive sight, at least on paper. 10 heavy cruisers and 5 Pantserships were at the heart of the formation, with 58 Destroyers providing escort. Of course, to a naval expert the formation was less impressive. None of the ships were top of the line and the destroyers only had a range of 2500 nm at 8 knots, meaning that the fleet would need to make many stops and be supplied by many support ships on the way. But apparently that did not matter to the Brazilians, who had paid quite handsomely for the ships.

[loomer]

Kabul, People's Republic of Afghanistan
Al-Ludd rubbed his eyes as he stepped into the Defence Sub-Minister's office again. The last few weeks had been trying for the entire cabinet - the constant snap of rifle blanks, the shout of drills, the roar of engines, all of them rubbed against already fraying nerves. It was hardly a surprise to find an opium pipe now sitting on the desk. He himself had considered it several times.

Fahad's shirt was rumpled, suspenders hanging loosely. He'd adopted Western dress after a brief sojourn in England in his youth, and never looked back. But for all his slovenliness, there was a fresh light in his eyes, a cruel and calculating intellect ticking away inside his swarthy head.

"Minister."

"You called for me, Fahad?"

"Have you ever heard of tularemia?"