StarDestroyer.Net BBS

Posted: **2010-02-11 07:44am**

Sales

The office of the Wazir al-Harb has announced that the Sultanate Air Corps has reached an agreement with the German Kriegsministerium concerning the sale of a large number of surplus war aeroplanes to Germany. The sale consists of two batches of aeroplanes: in the second quarter of 1926 84 Fokker D.VIII, 156 Fokker D.XIV and 182 Handley Page V/1500 heavy bombers will be transferred. In the third quarter of 1926 a further 344 Fokker D.XIV aeroplanes will be transferred.

This sale comprises every Fokker D.VIII, Fokker D.XIV and Handley Page V/1500 in the Sultanate's arsenal. The Handley Page V/1500 is an ageing heavy bomber which is currently being replaced by the SMI Abdullah V/2500 bomber. The Fokker D.VIII is a light biplane which was already being phased out by the SAC and will likely serve with the Luftstreitkrafte as a trainer. The D.XIV on the other hand is a modern monoplane design, of which the Sultanate has produced 500 so far, all of which are now being sold to Germany. The sum paid for these aircraft is currently undisclosed.

---

"I don't understand why we're letting the D.XIV go. It's a superb aircraft, why aren't we keeping it?"

"Politics. It's an SMI aircraft. Sheik Helali is being punished for starting that whole industrial war with KTW and Count von Schenk a few months back -- hence why the Diwan decided to scrap the D.XIV and purchasing the KTW Sparrowhawk instead."

"Oh. So why is Von Schenk not being punished? Didn't his Iron Grenadiers blow up an entire factory?"

"Yeah, but the Sultan wants to keep the Count in the country for now, so that's conveniently forgotten. After all, if the KTW factories are busy producing gear for the Sultan, they can't be relocated out of the country, see?"

Posted: **2010-02-11 08:36am**

(OOC: If anybody still wants to write a bit about the performance of your forces, feel free to do so. I just want to get going since we enter Q3 soon and I am still stuck in February.)

Bremen, February 4th
The day after the review

Bremer Nachrichten

Naval review a brilliant success
With a lavish state banquet onboard the Hohenzollern, the naval review concluded. His Imperial Majesty, Kaiser Wilhelm II., thanked the attending nations and said that this brilliant spectacle proved once and for all, that no matter under which flag they sailed, mariners were cut from the same stock.

To show his appreciation, the Kaiser revealed that a special ribbon in the colours of the House of Hohenzollern would be distributed to all men who participated in the review. While dining with the Officers and captains of the fleet, the Kaiser further revealed that every captain of a ship, regardless of rank, who had participated in the review would be decorated with the Order of the Crown, 4th class. Captains with the rank below Kapitän zur See (OOC: captain with the actual rank of captain) would receive it with swords.

Regarding of rank, the highest-ranking officer of each nation would also be decorated with the Order of the Crown, 2nd class.

His majesty the Kaiser drew special attention to the Malagay Vice Admiral Naringosy, who recently commanded his nation's navy during a cruise that drew much attention. The Vice Admiral received the honorary rank of Admiral of the German Navy and was decorated with the Order of the Red Eagle, fourth class. (continued on page four)

Pg.4
The various foreign Navies attending
Leading the procession of foreign Navies were the Baden-class dreadnoughts Guadalajara and Asturias of Spain, under the command of Grand Admiral Raul Bernardo. As expected, they performed true to their tradition of being the second-oldest oceangoing Navy in existence. They were honoured in turn by having the national anthem of Spain being played and receiving a salute from the Kaiser himself.

Directly behind the Spanish ships was the massive French formation composed of two Richelieu-class battleships, two Bretagne-class dreadnoughts, eight Duquesne-class cruisers, and sixteen Wolf-class destroyers. The French proved themselves true to the spirit of the alliance and were honoured by the Prussian military band playing La Marseillaise. Reichskanzler Sänger was visibly pleased at seeing the massive French ships and the Richelieu class was a subject of much talk among the German Naval staff.

The Tuscan forces astounded and delighted the Emperor with the gunport salute from the Amerigo Vespucci and the smart lines of the Il Principe as well as an elaborate flying trick were the cause of much applause. At the banquet Kaiser Wilhelm singled out the commanding Admiral and praised him of being worthy of the tradition of Andrea Doria and Gaius Duilius.

The Cascadian forces showed up in force, the two Sovereigns being the heaviest armed foreign battleships at the review. One was eerily reminded of the visit of the cascadian Navy to Wilhelmshaven almost exactly 12 years ago on February 9th, 1914, when the 14" armed Cascadia outgunned her German counterparts. Although the ships of the Einheit-Klasse throw a broadside as heavy as the Sovereign with their 14 16.5" guns, the Sovereign is much faster. The Nez-Perce class cruisers were less enthusiastically received, for the prevailing thought among the German Naval Staff is that they provide too little firepower for the expense of tonnage. Still, the German Empire should consider itself honoured by the seamenship the Cascadians have shown by sending their two newest battleships across the ocean. One can only hope that this meeting will have produced as much goodwill the 1914 meeting.

Not the less astounding was the participation of the Egyptian forces. For it was the first time they sent one of their dreadnoughts that far abroad and how fitting that it was a german-built ship returning to the site of her launch. Some Admirals wondered if this move was the start of a more global commitment of the Egyptians. Yet whatever the result of those musings, one thing is certain - the Egyptian Navy has announced its presence on the global scale.

There is not much to say to the participation of the Balkan Confederacy, except that they behaved with the skill and dignity one has come to expect from them. Their three Junak cruisers made for a magnificent sight when they passed the Hohenzollern at high speed.

The same was true for the Navy of Byzantium, which proved itself worthy of the designation Imperial due to both the size and the number of ships involved. Their flagship Justinian proved itself worthy to its namesake, vying with the Sovereign for the position of largest foreign ship attending the review. Imperial designers were allegedly much impressed with the ship as well, noting that no German ship in the mediterranean could currently match it.

The Dominion did not only sent one of their most modern ships to the review, but also was kind enough to host a dinner for high German officials on the flagship of the detachement. One can only hope that this is a small step towards rapproachment.

For the Cascadians had the longest voyage, the Imperial Japanese Navy performed a feat no less impressive, sending ships all from Japan to Germany. This is even more astounding as they, like the Deutsche Marine, have a relatively young Navy. And yet they were both bold and competent enough to send their largest battleship abroad when they have no strong history of such long-range trips. For that matter, the Kaiser personally congratulate the Japanese Admiral, writing him a personal note of thanks.

The forces of the Southeast Asian Union were the largest detachment frorm any asiatic power, having sent the Aircraft carrier Catorce de Junio, the Battlecruiser Providencia and the heavy cruisers Pasig and Taguig. The Kaiser was greatly moved by this display and vowed that the German Empire should not forget this kindness.

The Kingdom of Madagascar showed its technological prowess by exhibiting their newest battleship, the Miaro and two modern destroyers. However, the most looked at and admired of their ships was the experimental cruiser Binara. Her new armor layout attracted a lot of attention from German ship designers, who could scarcely be pried away from the officers of that ship.

Most welcome to the Emperor were the forces of the Bolivarian Union. Though their contribution was small and consisted of two flying boats, one tanker and one destroyer, they were the only south american forces present at all. The Kaiser singled them out for special praise for making such a daring crossing of the atlantic and the German destroyer captains offered several invitations to the Union officers to dine aboard their ships. Considering the Bolivarian Union has no large surface fleet, their contribution is all the more honouring to the Reich.

The Shepistani Navy had only sent a light cruiser, but the mere fact of them appearing was taken as a positive sign. In any case, the light cruiser behaved competently.

Although Mongolia itself had no Navy to speak off, it showed its goodwill by sending several fighter squadron, whose maneuvers made one recall the gracious mongolian horsemen of old. The Kaiser was reportedly also very pleased by the precious gifts mongolia had sent and a stallion out of the Emperor's own stable has been sent as a return gift.

Special note was taken of the behaviour of the British forces. For while the British press and Government has made many recent insults against the German Government, the British Navy attended in force, being by far the largest foreign detachement with 10 capital ships, 8 cruisers and 24 destroyers. Though they sent us neither her newest nor their best, the sheer size of the British commitment can only be taken as honouring the Kaiser. We hope that further rapproachment may be made. In any case, the British forces behaved with dignity and competence, doing much credit to their nation.

Naval review largest in history
The recent Naval review has shattered the record held by the diamond jubilee of Queen Victoria of England. On that day, around 105 ships were present, including 21 battleships and 56 cruisers. In the review held yesterday, the amount of foreign forces participating totaled 25 battleships, 2 aircraft carriers and 99 smaller vessels alone. Adding to that the strength of the Hochseeflotte, one can only conclude that the review was attended by over 500 ships....

Sänger put down the newspaper as his mother entered the room. He himself was currently sitting comfortably in the living room of the merchant villa his family owned, the wood-panelled walls lined with bookshelfs. His father was sitting opposite him, drinking his usual evening Beck’s. "I take it Natasha is comfortably settled then?" Sänger asked.

Natasha had graciously endured the fleet review and the dinner the evening beforehand despite being not very familiar with naval matters. And she had also entertained the Cascadian ambasador while Sänger was standing behind his Majesty. And the dinner afterwards. Having gotten no more than two hours sleep after that, she had then taken a three-hour train ride to Bremen. Sänger had gained newfound appreciation of the withdrawn nature of the citizens of Northern Germany, for if anybody recognized them, they showed no outward sign of doing so, leaving them to at least catch their breath, with Hans watching over them.

Nevertheless, the train ride had not offered much opportunity of sleep either and yet Natasha still had managed to be as energetic and polite as ever when greeting his parents. Sänger had concluded that the lack of sleep probably had made her less anxious about it. As for his parents, they seemed to have been as anxious as meeting her as she had been. Of course, they did have the splendid idea that since the Countess had not really seen Bremen, she should have been taken on a grand tour. After all, if she was marrying a citizen of Bremen, she ought to have seen the Hanseatic City first hand. Or so the reasoning went.

Sänger had wanted to prevent it, but Natasha had already accepted it. So they had walked or driven through Bremen for the rest of the day, only stopping once to eat at a restaurant. Eventually, at 8 PM they had arrived at the house and had eaten dinner. Sänger had noticed that Natasha was getting more and more sleapy though she still had managed to hide it from his parents. Eventually, Sänger had managed to intervene by announcing that since he did have to stand all day yesterday and had gotten little sleep, he himself was too sleapy to continue any kind of conversation any longer.

This threw a wrench in the plans of his mother, who had planned to have a far more serious discussion with the two of them and especially Natasha, but at this point Sänger was beyond caring for that. Not wishing to appear impolite, his mother had decided that they would call it a night and as it was customary, his mother had shown Natasha to her room.

Sänger, who was very tired but wanted to be the first target of questions instead of Natasha, had stayed behind. And now his mother had reappeared. Sänger looked at his parents. His father (also named Johannes), who had captained a sailing vessel before becoming head of a local school, was the picture of what a german would call grundsolide. His head had gained a few more grey hears and his beard had become nearly completely grey, but his mind was as sharp as ever. His mother Elisabeth, who had been the first daughter of a merchant family, had little changed. Her hair was still black, though she had gained a few pounds. She radiated warmth, while his father radiated steadiness. They made a good pair, Sänger thought.

"So." She started. Sänger noncommittingly replied "So." She threw him a look, the same look she shot him as a child when he would have asked a dumb question. "Tell me about her. How did you meet her?"

After having finished his tale of how he had met her - and including a lot of facts about her family so that his mother would not question Natasha about it again - his mother started to speak, but his father cut in. Having said little except pointing out the usual sights in Bremen over the course of the day, he now merely said: "She seems like a perfectly nice young lady." He then resumed reading his newspaper, the matter settled for him.

Sänger's mother however was not so easily satisfied. "So where will you live? And what about her brothers? They won't threaten you with a pistol again, won't they?" Hearing the concerned tone, Sänger replied that they would think of something. His father's eyebrows rose at that, but he still continued reading the newspaper. His mother kept asking questions. "When is the wedding? And who will attend?" "You shall have an invitation by Friday, we have not yet set a date." "I have to admit this sounds a bit...unplanned." Sänger was about to answer Really? but instead decided to swallow more wine instead and then answered: "It depends. We have to find a date to accommodate everybody...especially considering that Jens is still at sea and I would really like to have Stephen there. June might be likely."

His mother sat down next to him and laid a hand on his arm while gently asking: "Are you sure this is the right thing?" Sänger looked at Julia's picture hanging over the chimney, steadied himself, then looked his mother in the eye. "Yes." His mother nodded and then she smiled, hugging her son. "Oh. I am so very happy. I'll have another set of grandchildren." Sänger just swallowed more wine while his father continued reading the newspaper.

The next morning, he and Natasha bode farewell to his parents and boarded a plane to get them back to Berlin. While they were in the air, Sänger asked Natasha. "So we should probably set a date." "July 10th.", she replied with a smile. "Why?" "Because that is the date your mother and father cleared with your brother and sister and it is the date which can be easily and comfortably reached via Zeppelin from Cascadia and still leave enough time for preparations if we notify them soon."

Sänger was about to ask how she knew about that, but he could imagine it. His mother and father were very fast when it came to organizing things and his mother had probably stayed up all night having couriers make runs and calling the extended family. And he had also noticed his mother talking to Natasha quietly before they had boarded the plane. Letting him complete the thought, Natasha smiled and reached over, holding his hands. "Shall we have a public or private wedding?" "What do you want?" She furrowed her bow. "I would like to have as many of my friends and my father's friends present. I want it to be grand. What about you?" Sänger frowned, then settled on "As you wish."

Natasha smiled and squeezed his hands. "Johannes. Tell me." With a sigh, he gave in. "I'd rather not have the ambassadors present. Nor the head of the parties. Or the press." Natasha nodded. "So we won't invite them. Unless it would offend them..." Sänger thought about it. Of course it would offend them. Then he looked at Natasha's face and as often found that he could not refuse her. So he squeezed back with his hands and said, while smiling. "How about this? You and your father make the guest list, invite whoever you want and I'll just add a few people from my side afterwards. Deal?" The countess laid her head on his shoulder, snuggling against him. "Deal."

At the end of the week, notices were sent to friends, family and political allies informing them that the wedding date was set on July 10th, 1926. The notice also made clear that it was a private wedding and not a state function, thereby requiring nobody to attend.

Using the new airmail system, a letter was delivered to the desk of President Garrett a few days after.

My dear friend Stephen,

first I have to thank your nation for the great commitment to the Naval Review. The sight of the Sovereign did remind me of how we first met. I see the Cascadian Navy is still as strong as ever. But where are my manners? My compliments and best wishes to your wife. I pray Sophie is recovering nicely from her ordeal and that the other children are as healthy as I hope them to be. As for my own health, with the election over and other occurences it has much improved.

Sadly, it seems as if there is another storm brewing in Europe.The Indian Ocean is a problem as well but I have the feeling that Lord Fairfax and I, while not having signed anything, respect each other. I hope we can come to some kind of agreement with the Dominion soon. But the main problem is Britain. A few days ago they tried a very clumsy attempt to tell the Kaiser that I was a communist traitor.

They failed and only increased the slowly improvement of the relation between the Kaiser and me. I fear that they might try similar attempts with our friends and allies. It really is a shame, for it forces our nation into another arms race when I thought our Non-aggression pact would prevent anything of the sort. The behaviour of the British is most peculiar and threatening, especially with their formidable fleet. I shall not even dream of the troubles we will face if they ally with Poland or the Nordic Empire. Presently, the british shipyards work day and night to increase their fleet and I am afraid we shall lose the edge if we do not act decisively.

But I have not written you to fill your day with my woes. Instead, I have come to tell you of a most joyous occasion. I am sure you have heard most of the gossip about me and a certain Russian countess by now. And you most certainly will have received the news about us being engaged. All that is true and more.

The wedding will be held on July 12th in the Bremer Dom. Although this is short notice, I hope you will do me the honour of attending and the even greater honour of being one of the six groomsmen. My good friend Jakob Burchardt will be the best men.

I cannot praise my dear Natasha in any words that will do her justice, but suffice to say that her intelligence, beauty and kindness knows no limits. I am naturally very happy about the match and I hope to get to introduce her to you in person as soon as possible.

My best wishes to you and your family,
Johannes.

Posted: **2010-02-11 10:07am**

Portland, Federal District
9 February 1926

It was a decent Tuesday morning in Cascadia, exactly one year after Stephen's inaugeration, when he brought together his leading Cabinet members and the heads of Congress. He plied them with coffee, orange juice, and breakfast pastries before getting to business. "Gentlemen and Lady," he directed a glance to Rachel MacKenzie, "I have a small matter I'd like to discuss relating to my schedule this summer."
"Is this about the planned state visit to Los Angeles?", MacKenzie asked. She'd been pressing for him to go in August as part of initiatives to solidify the situation in the tumultuous Republic.
"Before then," he clarified. "I have received noticed that Chancellor Sänger is to be married on July 10th. That notice doubled as an invitation to the wedding and to be one of the groomsmen. I intend to accept."
There was complete silence for a moment. Cadbury finally spoke up first. "Sir, no sitting Cascadian President has ever journeyed off the Continent while in office. Not even to Hawai'i. To make such a momentous first occasion on behalf of a private matter and not to reinforce policies in Australia and elsewhere would be a.. tremendous waste, I think. Especially in a mid-term election year."
Ah, trust you, Cadbury, to think of this in political terms. "Well, I'll have to make up for it, yes?", he asked rhetorically. "Maybe a '28 visit if you want it to come during an election year, though '27 could work. I'm not picky." Stephen folded his hands before him. He hoped his body language and demeanor was making it clear that he was not to be dissuaded. Though he would give a fig leaf to them in his next remarks. "Of course, going all that way for a couple days would be rather a waste, so I was thinking we could arrange a few state visits? The wedding is in Bremen, but I could always travel from there to Berlin, maybe on to Warsaw, Stockholm, Paris... The State Department can feel free to advise on choices. I'm not adverse to mixing duty with personal interest, after all."
The present members exchanged some looks, after which a few suggestions were being made.

The result of the conversation led to the reply being sent.

Johannes,

My warmest congratulations for you and Natasha. I would be honored to attend your wedding in any capacity and I have begun making the suitable arrangements to travel with my family. I will enjoy seeing you once again and to be given the chance to introduce my dear little Sophie to you and the good doctors you gathered on her behalf.

Rachel sends her regards to you and Natasha and looks forward to the wedding.

With warm regards, your friend,
Stephen

Seattle Post-Intelligencer

President Garrett to travel to Europe to conduct state visits; attend German Chancellor's wedding

The President's Office has officially confirmed reports from Portland that the President is to make a historic trip to Europe this summer, becoming the first Cascadian President to depart the North American continent while holding office. The President will be making state visits to as-yet unannounced European capitals and will be in Bremen for the wedding of Chancellor Johannes Sänger to Countess Natasha Volkonskaya.

Senator Ruckers of Nevada gave to the Associated Press a statement endorsed by several Conservative Senators, proclaiming the trip a "dereliction of duty" by the President and accusing him of putting personal whims and his wife's "hunger for European society" ahead of his duties to the nation that elected him. There has been no response from the President or other Government leaders to these remarks as of yet....

Socialist Party accuses Government of collaboration in Panama War

At a public meeting in Tacoma, Chairman Milo Kentworth of the Socialist Party accused President Garrett and other Liberal officials of "okaying" Mexico's attack on Colombia last year. Chairman Kentworth told those attending, including this reporter, that the Cascadian Government had signed a secret treaty with the Mexicans in June of last year that pledged Cascadian neutrality toward Mexico in event of conflict in Central America. "This government sold the friendly Colombians up the river for Canal shares and vague Mexican promises regarding their old claims to California," Kentworth charged during his speech. "President Garrett and Secretary MacKenzie are therefore responsible, in part, for the Mexican war of aggression against the peaceful people of Colombia."

The State Department has replied that no such treaty as Kentworth describes was ratified by the Senate.

Posted: **2010-02-11 10:12am**

Kiel Naval base
February 12th, 1926

The three old battleships of the Nassau class were the oldest battleships in the German Arsenal. No ship younger than 18 years of age and being declared obsolete with their inferior main armament, they had been placed in reserve in order to safe both money and manpower. However, now there was life swarming about the ships as men boarded them, supplies were checked and loaded, oil was pumped into the ships tanks and ammunition was checked, with the oldest and worse-looking shells being replaced. Eventually, the ships raised steam and once more entered the Kiel canal to being the large voyage to the Indian Ocean.

Pacific

In both the ports of Tsingtao and Sumbawa, the forces of the German Empire assigned to those areas left port and headed for Berbera, lead by the three second-rank Delaware class battleships.

Berliner Zeitung

New naval law passed
In a move lauded by both conservative and liberal parties, Reichskanzler Johannes Sänger succesfully argued for the passage of a new naval law. The new law increases the size of Naval forces by over 40.000 men and also provides for the construction of a third Scharnhorst class battlecruiser in the Dutch shipyard of Antwerpen. This means the German Empire will build five capital ships, which still falls behind the British Empire in ship production. The Reichskanzler called this the minimum of safety "that is necessary for the protection of our homeland".

Enviromental protection - a first in Europe
As the first step towards the protection of the environment, the Naval bill also had a clause setting fishing quotas. Under this clause, the German fishing grounds would be given time to recover by setting the quota at half the usual catch. It also contained economic incentives to help fishermen struck by the new quota system and charged the Navy with patroling the fishing grounds. The Naval bill also outlawed whaling and protected Dolphins, charging that whaling products can be far cheaper produced by the German chemical industry while being too cruel to animals for too little a gain. The whaling fleet is to be laid up. Economic incentives are once again provided for whalers.

German Army set to exercise with the French
Eight German divisions have marched into france for joint exercises held in Normandy, while the same number of french divisions have joined the german Army in the Netherlands, also for the purpose of joint exercises.

Reichskanzlei, Berlin

Reichskanzler Sänger received the leader of the German Navy technical research teams, who gave a long-awaited report about the state of one of the most promising research efforts. "So you think the theoretical discussion is finished and you can now start testing prototypes?" The man nodded. "Ja, Herr Kanzler. However, this will mean a large effort in financing..."
Sänger frowned. "How much?" After the director had named a large sum, Sänger looked at the plans. "I believe that can be arranged. Thank you, Professor".

Then, he sat down to write a note to the Dominion.

From the German Empire to the Dominion of the Indies.

Lord Fairfax,
I hope this notes finds you and your state in good health.

I once more thank the Dominion for contributing so large a fleet to the Naval review. All ships have been ordered to provide every assistance and render honours to the Dominion fleet should they encounter it on the way home.

I also write you regarding the situation in the Indian Ocean. Operational necessity has forced us to once more increase our forces. The ships joining the fleet at Berbera will be:
- The German pacific squadron at Sumbawa sans submarines (1 Delaware class BB, 4 destroyers)
- The German Far East Asia Squadron sans submarines and air forces (2 Delaware class BB, 2 cruisers, 4 destroyers)
I have also ordered the reactivation of the three Nassau class battleships placed in reserve. They too will join said fleet.

I do hope we can come to an agreement regarding the convoy escorts quickly, for Germany would very much like reducing the forces stationed at Berbera, for it proves to be a very costly affair. However, to show that the German empire is not planning an assault against the Dominion, I have also ordered the SMS Baden, the most heaviest ship of the fleet stationed at Berbera, to rejoin the Hochseeflotte at Wilhelmshaven. I have also ordered the four Hamburg class light cruisers and the more powerful Z-22 and Z-24 destroyers to depart for Wilhemshaven, to be replaced by 8 aging V-112 destroyers, four aging Karlsruhe-class light cruisers and several V+W class destroyers.

Signed,
Sänger, Reichskanzler

Results:
- new naval bill passed
- enviromental protection starts to appear, in order to protect german fishing grounds
- more ships at Berbera, but the most powerful and modern battleship gets pulled off there, as well as the most modern cruisers and destroyers. Equipment at Berbera now considered to be second rate only and will consist of
- 1 König class dreadnought
- 3 Helgoland class dreadnoughts
- 3 Nassau class dreadnoughts
- 5 Delaware class dreadnoughts
- 6 Karlsruhe class light cruisers
- 12 V116 destroyers
- 21 V+W class destroyers
- 4 H-class submarines
- 2 Mittel-UBII-boote
- 6 UBIII-boote
Meaning the German Empire can now finally adequately protect its convoys in the region, though maybe the Dominion or Shepistan might propose a solution to the matter?

Posted: **2010-02-11 02:57pm**

Florence, February 1926

The speaker of the Popular Assembly called out, the last whispers of the assembled died away.
„All rise for His Majesty Francesco I, Re di Toscana, Granducato di Tasmania, Tanzania, New Guinea and New Caledonia, Marchese di Solomoni and Sovereign Protector of all his other Territories.”

With dignified (a malevolent communist would say encumbered by the lavish regalia) steps the king reached his throne and carefully sat down, the two dozen lictors taking their places beside the platform.

The king took the manuscript of his speech from a lavishly decorated briefcase handed to him by a valet, repositioned his glasses and started the new legislative season. Contrary to the British monarch, he could – and did – influence policy. Part of the speech had been written by him.

“Beloved People, Loyal Subjects!”

“A dramatic year 1925 lies behind us. International crises came and were solved quickly before they could turn into a major fire. While not directly exposed to the blazes, Tuscany faced some of the embers. Unwise acts on the high seas have threatened the trade routes to my southern territories, necessitating the detachment of some of my ships and vessels to escort merchant convoys through dangerous regions.”

“This practise will be extended in 1926, as major units of the Royal Tuscan Navy will share the burden of preventing lawless acts against peaceful merchant vessels with the Imperial German Navy. We hereby direct our Secretary of State for the Navy to coordinate our efforts with the German admiralty.”

“The modernisation of our military begun in 1923 will continue, although at a reduced pace. “

“The navy will receive funding for another cruiser division of four ships, two more aircraft carriers and three more battleships, to be laid down as soon as possible. Four more destroyer squadrons are also included as well as support ships.”
“The number of MAS, which were also sold to our German neighbours, will be increased to keep our coasts safe. The battlefleet is our mighty sword, but the MAS and submarines will be the shield that guards the coast and keeps our cities safe. […]”

“The army will transform some of its brigades into motorized brigades.
[…]”

“Our aviation industry continues to expand and innovate. Prototype planes have been ordered to evaluate the feasibility of aircraft services to the and within the overseas territories.
[…]”

“Social improvements to be implemented include the creation of affordable housing for the workers and more starting aid for citizens willing to migrate to or invest in the colonies. […]”

[OOC: Highlights from the speech only – I’m not going to write a whole State of the Kingdom-speech]

February 1926, Livorno Harbour, onboard Il Principe

“Admiral, a message from the administrative department.”

The sailor/clerk placed another file onto the paper heap in the inbox on Aurelio Monteverdi’s desk. The admiral only nodded, not looking up from the memorandum on fleet dispositions he was reading at the moment. He heard the clerk leave and close the door behind him.

After finishing his current reading, he picked up the message.

Administrative Department, Supemarina wrote:
Request admonishment of Captain Marcantonio Varese, Captain Amerigo Vespucci
due to damage to inflicted on Amerigo Vespucci with the unnecessary stunt of mounting demolishing charges on the sides of said vessel.

(…)

“LUCA!!”

The clerk entered again, holding a notepad.
“Yes, admiral?”

“Message to Administration, Supermarina. Message text: MOST DEFINITELY NOT! Signed, as usual.”

Posted: **2010-02-11 03:10pm**

Mid-February:
Note to the Cascadian Secretary of State, Ms MacKenzie, hand-delivered by the Tuscan ambassador to Cascadia:

Madam Secretary, The Kingdom of Tuscany and His Majesty King Francesco would be delighted and honoured to receive His Excellency, President Garrett during his visit to Europe. A suitable program can be arranged.

signed and sealed,
Vittorio Torinesi, ambassador to Cascadia

authorised by
Marco-Antonio de Gasperi, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs

as commanded by
His Majesty Francesco I, Re di Toscana, Gran Duca di Tasmania, Tanzania, New Guinea and New Caledonia, Marchese di Solomoni and Sovereign Protector of all his other Territories.

[OOC: is she your SecState or did I use the wrong minister?]

Posted: **2010-02-11 04:53pm**

Benghazi, Libya

The opening of the Sultan Musa'ed Hashid al Din Hospital was an event surrounded by all the pomp and circumstance befitting a place of healing that carried the name of the reigning Sultan, even moreso when you knew that the daughter of the ruler of Egypt was present to conduct the festive opening.

Princess A'ishah, the heir apparent of the Sultanate, was veiled as was her custom, although a perceptive observer would notice hers resembled less the traditional modest Muslim scarf and more the mysteriously sensual veil of the courtesan -- not much of an act of defiance perhaps by Western standards, but by those of nuanced and conservative Egypt the princess couldn't have been more obvious in her rebellion against her father's piety if she'd set her veil on fire. The fact that the city's notables had realized it was apparent by how much they tried not to be photographed close to her, whilst simultaneously attempting to appear courteous to the princess. This undoubtedly amused her greatly, but it put the patricians in quite a bend -- none of them wanted to be seen by the Sultan in a photograph that would make them out to be anything less than perfectly pious, perfectly upstanding and perfectly welcoming. Anything less could be quite lethal to one's career or standing and, should the Sultan be convinced one had harbored... undue thoughts about his daughter, lethal to more physical parts of one's anatomy.

Luckily for the city fathers the princess' attention span was limited and she soon again departed by way of the great airship that had carried her there, leaving Benghazi with one brand new, fully stocked, crewed and operational hospital. It was one of a series such hospitals being opened all across the Sultanate now. Each of them was financed directly by the crown, using mostly revenue from the Suez canal, and each carried the name of a historical (or, in this case, current) Sultan. It was the Sultanate's way of reminding the people that they might not have the vote, that rule of law might occasionally be sketchy, and that they might not be as free as some European or North American societies, but at the very least their absolute rulers were benevolent, and would provide them with health care at zero cost to themselves for as long as the oil kept flowing, and the ships kept sailing through Suez.

Posted: **2010-02-11 05:26pm**

Raesene wrote:Mid-February:
Note to the Cascadian Secretary of State, Ms MacKenzie, hand-delivered by the Tuscan ambassador to Cascadia:

Madam Secretary, The Kingdom of Tuscany and His Majesty King Francesco would be delighted and honoured to receive His Excellency, President Garrett during his visit to Europe. A suitable program can be arranged.

signed and sealed,
Vittorio Torinesi, ambassador to Cascadia

authorised by
Marco-Antonio de Gasperi, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs

as commanded by
His Majesty Francesco I, Re di Toscana, Gran Duca di Tasmania, Tanzania, New Guinea and New Caledonia, Marchese di Solomoni and Sovereign Protector of all his other Territories.

[OOC: is she your SecState or did I use the wrong minister?]

A reply would be sent confirming that the President was grateful for the invitation and that arrangements would be made to the schedule, final confirmation of dates would be delivered to the Tuscan Ambassador upon the staff confirming the President's course through Europe.

OOC: Yes, you got it right.

Posted: **2010-02-11 08:11pm**

Late January, Caucus of the Conservative Party Chamber of Deputies

"We have now confirmed it, The Americans are tied up with sorting out the end of the negotiations and the Cascadians will be without their President for several months sometime early this year. If we don't act swiftly the liberals will again squander an opportunity..."

"You know His Majesty favors the middle way, he will be opposed to any changes and is most certainly dissuaded from too aggressive a response in light of the lack of return for the lives we lost on the Isthmus."

"We will never again have as good an opportunity to reclaim our lost brothers and the current farce of a government simply will do nothing even with our troops still active."

"Can we bring a rapid enough change?"

"Fernando Miguel Tejada and Maria Jose Sanchez in the foreign secretariat and perhaps two others in the Defense Ministry are willing to side with us, should we pull off the vote we can request a coalition government without having to endure a wait for elections."

"Then we move forward, the new naval bill is a confidence measure, while I agree with producing the new battleships it must be defeated...then we can change things."
...
...
...

Government falls in Ciudad de Mexico, new coalition formed with Conservatives in prime leadership

Early today a crucial naval funding bill before the Chamber of Deputies was defeated narrowly as forces organized the response as the government spending more on an already dominant navy and not enough on an Army that proved insufficient to wrest the Panamanian Isthmus from Colombian hands. Heads of the conservative party have already indicated that they will stop the current demobilization plans until such time as a just settlement is reached in the ongoing negotiations with the Colombians. Several ministers....

/OOC The failure to take Panama whole (and I'm assuming Ryan won't give it up in negotiations since he still holds half the territory

) regardless of the outcome we do reach in unreal time negotiations has led to the fall of the Centrist-Liberal coalition and a rise of a new Centrist-Conservative coalition hell bent on sword rattling...Also note mobilization remains in effect through Q1 1926 due to the change in governments and the desire to use show of force as a negotiating position. This assumes that the ceasefire will probably be negotiated over the last week or two of August but an actual peace conference will take several months starting sometime in September, breaking for the holidays and returning in early January.

Posted: **2010-02-11 09:22pm**

April 1st, Ministerial Palace of Kabul, People's Republic of Afghanistan

"The Shepistanis aren't too active. We're not sure why. It could be they want to starve our economy so that we can't resist when they sweep in, or it could be they don't really want this war afterall." Al-Ludd said, scratching at the stubble on his face. He'd taken to shaving so he could wear a gas mask properly. Just in case.

"Then we should take the war to them. I have already drawn up a plan. All we need is increased Mongolian commitment and some Byzantine aid and we can seize the border territories, all the way to the mountains. We can't push past those easily, too naturally fortified." Fahad drew the attention of the other sub-ministers to the table in the planning room, converted from the old Reception Room for diplomats - breezy and with good light, unlike his bunker-office underneath the palace.

He spread out a map of the South of Afghanistan and Shepistan, and set up simple models. "See here, in Spin Boldak and the Fort Akmar? This is the Third Army. It numbers 420,000 men and 750 guns. 360,000 of the men and 150 of the guns are old professionals and trained reservists, the rest - and the dozen big pounders - are all hasty recruits. The air forces near there have 11 bombers and 36 fighters, and we can divert more from Obe for the big push."

He made a sweeping gesture with the two 'army' figurines, supported by artillery and the planes, to the South and to the East, to the mountains. "The forces west can be engaged by Byzantines if we can get their assistance, and then our artillery can turn around and shell them into submission. We'll gain a coast we can use, even though we can't feasibly push further East without a change in the Northern Front. It should be doable, Minister."

"...send a telegram to Constantinople."

TELEGRAM
REPEAT BACK
Greetings from Afghanistan stop Urgent matters to discuss regarding Shepistani aggression stop Suggest meeting at Kabul stop Apologies for lack of appearance by Ambassador Hawari stop Mutual profit possible stop Signed Minister Al-Ludd

Posted: **2010-02-11 10:08pm**

loomer wrote:
TELEGRAM
REPEAT BACK
Greetings from Afghanistan stop Urgent matters to discuss regarding Shepistani aggression stop Suggest meeting at Kabul stop Apologies for lack of appearance by Ambassador Hawari stop Mutual profit possible stop Signed Minister Al-Ludd

Exarch Korolev wrote: Greetings from Byzantium. stop Willing to discuss matters with regard to Shepistani aggression. stop Prepared to offer covert support. stop Signed Exarch Ignatius Korolev

Posted: **2010-02-12 12:29am**

In Unreal Time

P.N.S. Rollo the Walker

"Children? Two. My son Robert is currently a cadet at the Academy, and my daughter Sibylla just got married." There was a look of distaste across Anders' face. "To a Captain Sanju."

"You do not approve?" von Hipper said.

"No Admiral I do not."

"Because he is a native, or so I assume with a name like that?"

"Because he is an Army man." Anders deadpanned. The response jerked a snort from the Großadmiral. Even Sänger laughed, although from the look in his eye Anders wondered if he knew von Hipper had been intentionally lead into his prejudice about...the Grand Dominion's prejudices. A lull began to stretch out at the table. Anders had ordered the wardroom galley to prepare both European fare and Dominionite cruisine, betting that a man of the world such as Sänger would give a curry a try. After a silence Sänger spoke.

"Your officers recently visited our proving ground, Admiral. If you do not mind me asking, why did you chose to only consider the 16" gun and what did your officers think of the examples provided?"

Anders dabbed a napkin at the corners of his mouth. Von Hipper was watching him serenely. I would hate to play poker against him. After a sip of wine Anders spoke.

"The officers that went ashore had a favorable impression of the 16/45, Dr. Sänger. However, they were not representatives of the JCCD, so their input will not carry as much weight as the Krupp shareholders might hope." A pause. Anders knew that the various intelligence apparati of the German Empire had to know what followed, but he also knew that it would become a lot more real when he said it. "As for the decision fo the 16/45, we have a law from the 1890s that mandates standardization where ever possible in order to reduce logistics bottlenecks and costs. In Joint War Staff parlance it's called 'necking'. With the GDN finally getting approval for a large addition to the battleline, the 16/45 gun from the original 1915 program was chosen for the Centurions and Mercurys. Actually, a developement of it, but you get the picture. And so the 1926 Coastal Defense program, by law, must use ammunition and as much machinery as possible as they guns on the new BBs and BCs. It's also why we will need to study the Krupp 16/45 and Vickers 16/45 closer, as it's uncertain that they can use the same ammunition as the Altdorf Arms Mark 3."

Von Hipper raised an eyebrow and gave the slightest of a glance to Sänger. "How...frugal of your government, Admiral." Anders knew that there was a good chance that both men would take it as a sign that the Grand Dominion's economy was not up to the task, but he had been ordered to give honest answers to whatever questions could be independently corroborated. And in any event, he had given some strategic omissions, such as that the Centurions were designed to be able to swap out their 12 16/45s for 8 of the 18/50s that Altdorf was contracted to developed, or that the monster that the Shepistanis were in the advance stages of design for meant that work on the navy and coastal defense had to be rushed.

The dinner continued....
End Unreal Time

The Gold Palace

"Looks as if the German fleet is going to be reduced in size..." Ved said. Lord Fairfax snorted.

"Yes, and the difference is going to be made up with vessels from their Tuscan lackeys. Mr. Ved, I know that you feel for your socialist brother Sänger, and I even think that he might be a nice person to have dinner with, but never forget the Germans have shown themselves over the past 15 years to be an expansionist warlike breed. Sänger is no exception."

There were some raised eyebrows around the table when Fairfax dropped the "S-word", especially as Lord Wythe and Lars Lars considered the Lord Protector to be a Labour 5th Columnist. Fortunately, Fairfax's mad scheme to grant women the franchise hadn't panned out. Yet. Lord Wythe spoke.

"If you don't trust them, why'd you send such a important part of our battlefleet to that asinine 'review'?"

"Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice Doggie" while looking for a big stick." Fairfax quoted. "We can't afford to snub the Germans too much. Playing ball with them might get them out of the IO sooner rather than later. We can show up the Schismatics at an international event. By getting facetime with the leadership of the German Empire might make it easier to isolate the Schismatics in the future. Any number of reasons. In fact, I've instructed Deputy Chanchellor of the Exchequer Kolasklar to act as a special envoy to Germany for the public portion of Sänger's wedding. He's getting tired of staring at the wall in the Greek capital anyhow..."

Results: The Grand Dominion leadership scowls and bickers, sends a special envoy for the public part of Sänger's Wedding Reception. The German and Tuscan presence in the IO is just fine and Dandy for Fairfax and the Navy, as it justifies increased expenditures.

Posted: **2010-02-12 09:56pm**

There had been no time to gather a proper entourage - but that didn't matter, as Ambassador Al-Hawari strode down the hall in Constantinople. He'd been putting off this visit for months, and now he didn't even have a chance to admire the architecture of the ancient city. There simply wasn't time. Trailing him was an aide with a case of documents, stopping next to the door as he stepped into the meeting room and took his seat.

"Good morning, most-esteemed Ambassador. Let us begin our discussions, while there is still time for it to make a difference." He said, hands folded together on the table. Oh, such matters there were...

Posted: **2010-02-13 05:26pm**

The Imperial Palace, Belgrade, Balkan Confederacy

The large council room was in an uproar, people were shouting, swearing and gesturing wildly. The High Council had called for an Emergency session to adress the matter of Sirah's arrest and the Emperor's growing paranoia. Alexander had not only arrested Sirah but had also locked himself inside the Palace and summoned the entirety of the Imperial Guard to him, two brigades - over ten thousand heavily armed fanatics, loyal only to him. The situation was becoming more dire with each passing moment.

And now the High Council, the only political power in the Confederacy with the power to oppose the Emperor and remove him from power, had gathered in the Palace. They hoped to be able to resolve the matter quickly, before the situation was seen as an opportunity by others. The High Council meeting began wildly, with members arguing and shouting insults at each other, the division among them was clear, the whole place was chaos.

A loud bang was heard, and the chaos went silent - as Emperor Alexander of the Balkans entered the room. The silence was short however, because as soon as Alexander took his seat, the shouting and arguing continued. Some of it directed at him, with accusations of extreme paranoia and insanity, but most of the Council members were fighting each other - some trying to impress the Emperor and attempting to get on his good side, others decrying them madmen who will bring about the fall of the Confederacy.

It was at that moment, while looking at the assembled politicians scrambling about and screaming their lungs out, and while Alexander desperately attempted to establish order, that an outside observer came to a realization. As he looked at the chaos in the room from the Balcony, the man realized what the problem was. The Confederacy consisted of many people with quite different interests, and without the one thing that maintained the balance -- everything became chaos.

That one thing, that brought order to chaos, that had kept the Confederacy together, that had made it a force to be reckoned with, that one thing was -- Sirah. The man on the Balcony, Director of OZNA*, Ermin Valjevcic realized this, and he soon came to a conclusion, something had to be done. He left the room in a hurry.

The bickering in the room had continued, until finally Alexander started banging again, then it went silent - as every man in the room wanted to hear what he would say. Alexander looked at the assembled members of the High Council with contempt in his eyes, he seemed angry and irritated. Then he began to talk.

"Members of the Council, I am here today to inform you of a terrible traitorous plot which intended to not only take away my crown, but also my life. It has come to my attention that there are traitors among us, and the greatest among them was a man whom I considered a friend. Shady Sirah is an enemy of the Confederacy, an enemy which sought to destroy us all, he sought to destroy the Confederacy itself. He wanted to do this, with the help of other traitors and foreign allies - he wanted to see us destroyed, he wanted to see the Confederacy destroyed - so that he could rule what remained as the favorite lapdog of our foreign enemies."

Alexander paused for a moment, looking at the shocked faces of the politicians present there. Some showed disbelief, others were just standing there frozen, not believing their ears.

"Fortunantly for us all, his plot was revealed to me - before he could do us any harm, and so the traitor has been arrested and he will answer for his crimes."

The room once more exploded in an uproar, members of the council demanded proof for these outrageous accusations, most of them couldn't even believe that this was a possibility. They all knew Sirah, he was the greatest patriot, always loyal to the crown. He was the one who had kept the Confederacy in balance for so long, putting out brush fires and always finding the middle ground for the many conflicting sides. He was the man who kept the socialists and the royalists in order, he had kept the Confederacy together for so long, when many had been sure that it would crumble upon itself, due to the existence of several quite different ideologies within it.

The Balkan Confederacy was a strange state, nobody could deny that, it consisted of several socialist states, several monarchies and even one with an almost democratic like government, all ruled by an Emperor with near absolute power. Ever since it's formation people doubted that it would work, almost everybody predicted it would self destruct. But for years, the Confederacy not only endured, but also prospered and grew more powerful. It even became a founding member of a major alliance, the Aegian Axis.

And now Alexander was threating all that, the arguing in the room continued for hours until finally Alexander ordered the end of the meeting, and scheduled a second meeting for the morning. There he promised to present evidence against Sirah and his accomplices. He said justice would be done. The various members of the High Council left the meeting almost running, they all had things to do, people to call, matters to attend to. The situation was becoming more complex with each passing minute, on the one hand - if the Emperor was right and Sirah was guilty, the consequences would be dire indeed, but they could perhaps be managed.

The Confederacy would experience a shock, but it would survive. On the other hand, if the Emperor was wrong, or worse yet - mad, as some had suspected, then the situation that they all would find themselves in would be bad, really bad. The Emperors power was near absolute, and without Sirah to oppose him, the council - as divided as it was, would not dare go against him.

*OZNA - Odelenje za Zaštitu Naroda(Department for Protection of the People), is the main intelligence and security agency of the Balkan Confederacy.

Alexander's private chambers, one hour later

Alexander was drinking heavily for the past hour, his room reeked of alcohol and cigar smoke, it was littered with papers and broken bottles. Nobody had dared enter the room, his guards all stood outside in the hall. Then a knock on the door and an elderly man entered the room, a an almost vicious smile spread across his lips.

"You have done the right thing your highness, the traitor must pay for his crimes, before he dooms us all." Anastasiy Zhukanov, foreign minister of the Confederacy said and approached the Emperor. Alexander simply waved him off.

"Prepare the evidence for tomorrow, I want to end this matter quickly." Alexander said and grabbed another bottle from a nearby table.

"As you wish." Anastasiy said and left the room. "Oh I will prepare everything..." He thought to himself and laughed. "Only there won't be any need for evidence, because Sirah will be long dead by then. This whole thing will be just too much for him, so he will hang himself. Poor bastard..."

Anastasiy laughed as he went down the dark corridors of the Palace, he was grinning, it was the smile of a man who had won.

Result:

- Not my best work, but hey...the plot thickens.

Posted: **2010-02-13 07:09pm**

Messages

That day, a (grievously delayed) message was received by the office of the German Chancellor:

Mein Kanzler,

Salutations to the Emperor and to yourself.

Nearly a month has passed between the moment news of the pardon His Imperial Majesty so graciously extended to me reached these shores (and indeed myself) and this writing. After so momentous an occasion there were a great many things to contemplate and arrange, as I'm sure you can imagine – nevertheless, I apologize profusely for the delay. I hope you will convey to the Kaiser my deepest and most sincere gratitude for the clemency he has shown to me.

As part of the pardon you – that is to say, the Imperial Crown – have offered to purchase my estates and properties at market price. I write to you now also to inform you that I will not be taking the Crown up on that most gracious offer. I intend to return to Germany sometime later this year to survey the ancestral properties of my family, in order to determine what is to be done to restore them to a state befitting House von Schenk, and indeed desire greatly to take up at the very least part-time residence in the German Reich once more.

Furthermore; now that I am once again a law-abiding German citizen instead of a presumed brigand and craven terrorist I feel obliged to renew my pledge of service to the Crown. I am, as I have ever been, at the disposal of His Imperial Majesty and indeed your most auspicious Office, and so are my not inconsiderable fortune and factories.

I know it has been a very long time since that fateful night in Vienna and the last time we spoke (if ever so briefly), but I hope that you will permit me to end this message on a more personal note: I wish to offer you my heartfelt congratulations with your betrothal, and wish you and Countess Natasha Volonskaya all the best and many years in love and happiness. It is indeed as Homer once wrote: “There is nothing nobler or more admirable than when two people who see eye to eye keep house as man and wife, confounding their enemies and delighting their friends.”

Perhaps in keeping with this theme let me end this letter with a proverb from the adopted homeland that has grown so near to me: “For every glance behind us, we have to look twice to the future.” Let us then look to the future twice as hard and with twice as much confidence, for surely these are great times, and this is a brave new world.

With cordial friendship and sincerity,

Was signed in Cairo on the 22nd of September 1925,

Siegfried Tristan Schenk Graf von Altwitz-Klarburg

Another letter was delivered to the government of the Balkan Confederacy. It had been delivered by diplomatic mail, and its contents were known to only a handful of people in the Sultanate, all of them officials on the very highest levels of the Court.

Hail His Most Imperious Majesty, the Great Alexander I of the Balkan Confederacy,

Although never failing to trust in Your most benevolent and wise rule, it is nevertheless with grave concern that we have heard of the recent disturbance that has taken place at Your Court. We have learned of charges of treason being brought against Prime Minister Sirah. This is a matter most dire that has potential ramifications for our great alliance, so although undoubtedly a sign of our lack of worthiness of Your friendship, it would please us greatly and relieve many of our fears and anxieties if Your government could explain the nature of the charges brought against the Prime Minister.

Ever your faithful ally,

On behalf of the Sultan of Sultans, the Victorious Emperor, the King, the Strong to Aid, exalted be his standard, the pearl of pearls, the Caliph, the Commander of the Faithful, Sultan of the Warriors of the Faith, Sultan of Egypt and Arabia, Sharif of Mecca, Hakim of Jerusalem, etc.

Grand Vizier Ikrimah al-Jaffar

OOC: If I've made any gaffes concerning titles or chronological aberrations please just ignore them and assume (at least in case of titles) that the correct turn of phrase has been used. After all, it's not exactly every day that one writes letters such as these, but the diplomatic staff etc. are assumed to know better.

Posted: **2010-02-13 08:11pm**

TELEGRAM

Attn: Browning Arms Company

Gov't of Bolivarian Union recognizes genius of arms designer Mr. Browning stop Gov't interested in license prod of Heavy Machinegun M2 0.50 caliber and 0.30 M1919 for aircraft stop Willing to buy design or license produce or exchange military products stop Contact us are flexible on arrangements stop

Sincerely,
Arms Procurement Agency
Ministry of Defense

Posted: **2010-02-13 08:15pm**

The Browning Arms Company would, after deliberation, offer to open negotiations with Bolivarian officials on license-production of the M2 .50 caliber and lighter .30 caliber machine gun for the Bolivarian Air Force. Again, concerns over the issue of Bolivarian commitment to Socialism were overridden by the clear profit to be gained and expansion of market share.

Posted: **2010-02-13 10:56pm**

loomer wrote:There had been no time to gather a proper entourage - but that didn't matter, as Ambassador Al-Hawari strode down the hall in Constantinople. He'd been putting off this visit for months, and now he didn't even have a chance to admire the architecture of the ancient city. There simply wasn't time. Trailing him was an aide with a case of documents, stopping next to the door as he stepped into the meeting room and took his seat.

"Good morning, most-esteemed Ambassador. Let us begin our discussions, while there is still time for it to make a difference." He said, hands folded together on the table. Oh, such matters there were...

Exarch Ignatius Korolev smiled. "Mr Ambassador, a pleasure to meet you. Please, have some tea." Some tea and coffee was served as appropriate.

"Now Mr Ambassador, we have been monitoring the situation quite closely. While we understand that you want our military aid, we are however weary of expanding the war from where it stands. We are however prepared to offer covert aid in terms of war materiel, and other weapons of war. Should however, Shepistani forces do invade Afghanistan proper, then perhaps we would commit some form of military force. But for now, that is all I can offer."

Posted: **2010-02-14 03:33pm**

Shepistani Naval Department

"Hmm. So you seriously propose a 70,000 ton ship with 26.5 knot top speed, armed with twelve sixteen-inch guns, Mr Shrooman?"

"Yessir. If we simply skip all the interim steps, like this proposed 52,500 ton ship to replace our 'Standard' battleline; vast sums of money will be saved in both dockyard construction and support facility construction costs as we can then build them now, instead of at inflated prices 25 years from now."

"Uh huh."

"Why, I've even prepared plans for an 80,000 ton ship armed with twenty four 16" guns, this would be the most cost efficient way of adding more heavy guns to our battleline, and modernizing it."

"We shall study your plans very intensively, Mr. Shrooman. I've already issued orders to BuShips for detail design studies on your proposed ships, to see if constructing them is feasible."

"Shall we reconvene next week for discussion of the FY30 Cruiser program, as well as the proposal to combine the two drydocks in the Rockville Naval Yard into one single huge drydock for future battleship programs?"

Posted: **2010-02-14 04:22pm**

March 1926, Indian Ocean, 100 miles east of the Horn of Africa

“Signal to all ships: course 180°, speed 14 knots. Whan all ships have acknowledged, execute.”

A few minutes later, the formation of the two aircraft carriers Aquila and Sparviero, the battlecruisers Lorenzo di Medici, Leopoldo di Medici and Lepanto, the cruisers Tevere, Sangro and Pescara and two destroyer flottilas, one led by the cruiser Piombo and consisting of the six Alcalini-class destroyers, the other led by Platino and consisting of the six Alcalini terrosi-class destroyers turned south.
In one of the biggest operations of the Tuscan fleet so far, they would join the Indian Ocean Convoy system as escorts, using Kilwa Masoko, Dar es Salaam and Hobarto as bases and showing the flag in all adjacent regions.

Posted: **2010-02-16 12:13am**

Gulf of Aden

The Rollo the Walker adjusted and slowed down so the convoy could remain in good order. 3 Sloops and 2 DDs had joined the returning squadron to act as the return escort for the Second Quarter conscript convoy that operated between Dominion Arabia and India. The old coastal battleship Williamsburg, which had conveyed the Dominionite envoy to Constantinople and toured the Eastern Meditterrean, had made it's way down and was acting as part of the heavy screen. Between the 19kt Pre-dread and the more modern 25kt Rollo the Walker, plus the various escorts and liners, it made for an interesting work out in seamanship.

"Bridge, firecontrol. Two aeroplanes spotted. Coming up from the South. Looks like they may be Italian."

The LT Mironov acknowledged. Vice-Admiral Anders insisted that his staff take their turn at watch whenever her was embarked, and so he was on the bridge as OOD. "Radio, issue a challenge and remind them that overflying GDN vessels and naval auxelleries is considered a hostile act."

There was no response from the two aeroplanes, which by now were visible to the bridge. Instead the two turned East on a course parallel to the convoy. They looped back a few times, obviously shadowing them, and then departed. Mironov sighed. If it wasn't for the Germans the Italians wouldn't be in the IO in such force. He recalled the state dinner, and did not think Von Hipper was a man willing to give ground if he didn't have to. Vice-Admiral Anders had kept his thoughts to himself, although Mironov did know that after the dinner Anders had written out extensive notes while the conversations were still on his mind. What use the knowledge that Sänger was willing to try curry would be to ONI was beyond Mironov, though.

Altdorf Times

Italian Lackeys of the Germans arrive in force in the IO
Unwilling to do their dirty work for themselves, the Germans have leaned on their lapdogs, the Tuscan Kingdom, to act as "convoy escorts". Having had a hand ins destroying the Italian Kingdom, the Germans have used the remnants to operate as mercenaries for their own nefarious schemes of expansion. It is the opinion of the Altdorf Times that the Italians should be pressured to leave the Indian ocean forthwith.

Posted: **2010-02-16 04:54am**

Gulf of Aden, within a mile of the Dominion convoy.

"[insert italian expletive of your choice here]!"
The pilot cursed as he nearly dropped the camera into the sea far below as the plane was buffeted by a sudden gust of wind.
"Flying levelly and taking pictures, who had the bright idea to use a single man aircraft as photographic scout...am I a juggler...", he muttered - unneccesarily, as nobody was around to hear his complaint anyway, the second aircraft flying higher and transmitting the contact report.

After taking a few more pictures, he stowed the camera securely and had a look at the central battleship.
'The Dominion designers must have had ideas similar to the italian Regia Marina' he thought as his mothership, the carrier Aquila was a converted battleship, whose lines, if completed as planned, would have looked very similar to the Dominion vessel below.

A glance at his fuel status confirmed his feelings - it was time to return to their mothership - and a late lunch.

Posted: **2010-02-16 10:12am**

Belgrade

Somewhere benath the vast and luxurious palace halways lay the dungeons, and now for the first time in decades the dungeons actually held a prisoner. In a small chamber, behind iron doors, Prime Minister Shady Sirah contempleted recent events, that had lead to his fall from power. He knew he had many enemies, but he also had many allies - the enemies remained hidden, and the allies remained silent. He was on his own, his fate sealed.

There was a loud metallic noise and two men entered the small chamber, their faces obscured by masks and in their hands the instruments of his demise.

"Anastasiy sends his regards." One of the men said, a wicked grin hidden benath his mask.

The End had come.

High Council Chambers, A few moments later

"As you can see, the documents here clearly prove that Sirah was planing on overthrowing the Confederate Governement with the assisstance of foreign forces, most likely Soviets." Anastasiy spoke explaining the documents that he had presented to the high council, documents that contained various information, communiques and orders - all implicating Sirah in an attempted coup. "Luckily for us, our agents discovered his plans and we have managed to act in time to stop him. The only thing left to do now is to round up his supporters before they can do any more damage." Anastasiy had finished talking, and the council members began discussions amongst themselves, the whole thing had proven to be confusing at best.

Meanwhile Alexander simply sat on his throne, deep in thought - finally he got up and motioned for silence.

"Gentlemen, there are those among you who share Sirah's guilt, those who were his co-conspirators in this traitorous act. You will now be named and arrested, those who attempt to ressist will be executed on the spot." He said and ordered the Imperial Guard into the room. Members of the high Council did not take this news lightly and chaos formed in the room, with some shouting and some trying to get out. Order was quickly brought about by the heavily armed members of the Guard.

No sooner had the the first names been called, when a man ran into the room, breathing heavily he approached the Emperor and bowed, then he whispered something into his ear - that shocked Alexander. The shock however did not last long and soon he demanded silence.

"It seems that the traitor Sirah has managed to escape his rightfull punishment." Alexander said with an irritated look on his face. "I have been informed that Sirah is dead, he has apparently hanged himself."

Order once more gave way to chaos as the assembled politicians once again began shouting and arguing. Only one man seemed happy with the new development. In the corner, Anastasiy smiled.

Posted: **2010-02-16 07:17pm**

Al-Aqabah Military School
Southern Jordan

The airship hung silently above the proving grounds just south of the main complex of the school, where an observation platform had been set up for the officers and other officials who had come to observe. Many of the colonels and generals did not know exactly what to expect of the demonstration. They were told of a weapon that could potentially revolutionize warfare against the unruly tribes of the Sudan, but so far they saw no tanks, nor any aircraft.

"Gentlemen," announced Colonel al-Asad. "The demonstration begins." He said something in a bulky radio set, and a minute later a door in the side of the airship's gondola opened. Some of those assembled cried out in shock when a human figure fell from the gondola below the airship. The cries of shock turned into cries of surprise though when a white contraption unfolded behind the soldier, forming into a bellowing cotton concave that slowed the soldier's fall until he hit the ground not far from the stand, rolled, got up in a crouch and detached the parachute from his shoulders. He then got up and saluted the officials, who broke into a spontaneous applaus.

What followed was a parade-perfect demonstration of the first few hundred men of the "1st Parachute Battalion Nasir ad-Din". On cue they jumped from the airship, falling several hundred meters before deploying their parachutes, which slowed them sufficiently to reach the ground unharmed. They then detached their parachutes, produced rifles from their weapons harnesses, forming up in parade formation, and performing several drills in front of the assembled brass, to the great delight of the officers present.

Posted: **2010-02-17 02:12pm**

Berbera
April 22nd, 1926

With the Tuscan Kingdom having appeared in force and taking over a third of the convoy duties, the German East Asia Squadron and the German Pacific squadron once more were detached from the forces and left for their original ports, their presence no longer needed.

(OOC: German East Asia Squadron:
2 Delaware class dreadnoughts
1 Karlsruhe class light cruiser
6 V116 destroyers
2 V+W class destroyers

German Pacific Squadron:
1 Delaware class dreadnought
4 V+W class destroyers)

Berlin, Stadthaus of the Volkonskys
The business for the day concluded, Sänger and Hans once more arrived at the townhouse. Sänger felt quite guilty at the sight of several people surrounding the count, asking about arrangements, plans et cetera. With Sänger occupied by state business, Natasha and her father had taken it upon them to plan the wedding, with Sänger giving his assent whenever they presented a finished plan. So far, the plans for the wedding itself had been finished, but what was left to be planned was the public reception. After having greeted the count, Sänger was handed the guest list for the public part and almost did a double take. The list was almost as long as his arm and on it were the names of almost all monarchs from the various states comprising the German Empire and the ambassadors from the foreign nations. Not to mention all those various politicians from the Reichstag.

Sänger was no stranger to event planning and knew that holding this public reception would take the better part of the day. Which was not something he looked forward to - shaking hands and smiling at people he could barely stand on his wedding day. "Is this the final list?" The Count nodded. "Is Natasha in?" "Yes, she is with her aunt." Sänger nodded. "Excuse me, count". Great

He did not like Natasha's aunt very much - after all, there was the fact that when Natasha had broken the news to her, the return letter by the dowager duchess had declared that if her beloved and only niece was determined to marry "that Herr S.", she would at least make sure that the wedding would be up to the standards of a noblewomen. Which eventually had culminated in Sänger and the Duchess greeting each other with distant and cold politeness when meeting them. Natasha did give the appearance that it did not trouble her that much, but Sänger knew it bothered her. Which, in turn, bothered him. Still, he had to admit that the Duchess had been of valuable help when organizing the wedding.

Sängers musing had carried him to Natasha's room and after having knocked on the door and walked in, he was greeted with the sight of her trying on wedding gowns.

And, of course the duchess was there. A corpulent woman in her fifties, she looked a rather motherly figure - and Sänger could very well imagine that she normally would act like one, unfortunately so far her motherly kindness was well hidden when dealing with him. She frowned when Natasha hugged him with a huge smile on her face and grumbled something in Russian that might very well have been "no touching before the wedding and especially not when wearing so little." The greeting between her and Sänger was polite, but cold, for Sänger nodded and she nodded back. "Your grace." "Herr Sänger."

The greeting over, she went back to examining more drawings, while Natasha and Sänger spoke to each other in hushed tones. "How are you? You look tired." Natasha gave his hand a little squeeze before answering. "I am. But what brings you here?" Sänger smiled. "Do I need a reason to see you?" The countess smiled back. "No, but you usually do." Sänger admitted defeat. "You know me too well. It is the guest list...do you really want to spent the better part of a day with all those people?" She shook her head. "No, I don't. But me and I my father want them to like you." She gave a tiny, almost imperceptible nod in the direction of the duchess.

Sänger nodded. The power of the Russian exiles was as much based on connections as on money, and he realized that by using his name, there were ample opportunites for new connections at the wedding. He realized that this was as much a ploy by Natasha to placate those members of her family - after all, showing that despite his low status, her husband-to-be was very important and powerful - as it was a ploy to help him regain favour with the nobles by showing that he was no aristocrat-eating socialist. There was only one thing to do. "My apologies, Natasha. I fear I was not quite thinking. I just wanted it to be more...private." Natasha smiled. "We'll have ample opportunities for private gatherings - and a public reception does allow us to have a wedding where only the people we want to be there will be there."

Sänger nodded. "Indeed it does. I bow to your superior logic." In the corner, the duchess grumbled something that to Sänger sounded quite like "her logic is not the only thing which is superior to you", but Sänger chose to ignore it. "I have got soem news from your brothers - their ship will arrive in Pola in about three days, so we should depart as quickly as possible."

Pola
Three days later

The 32,354 ton large SS Columbus of the Norddeutscher Lloyd edged towards the pier and soon, the veterans of the Russian White legion that had fought in Manchuria debarked. As it had not been a government-sanctioned action, the volunteers had to charter a private ship and could not rely on troop transports of the Kaiserliche Marine. Showing their political capital and wealth, they had proceeded to charter one of the biggest liners of the Norddeutscher Lloyd.

Sänger had made sure that in order to not affend the Russians, no official representatives would attend and no marching band of the Heer would play a welcome march. Still, the populace had turned out in force, cheering the returning fighters, who had a hard time debarking the ship and reuniting with loved ones, though Sänger also noted some families looking in vain for their fathers and brothers. This however was not the fate of the Volkonskys, as the count quickly noticed his sons, who were making their way through the crowd, and quickly motioned to Sänger and Natasha to follow as he and the servants made a beeline through the crowd. As they were nearing the two young men, Sänger had hoped that the several weeks they had spent on the high seas had calmed their moods, for he could not imagine the message of their sister being engaged to the Reichskanzler had been somewhat well received. Hopefully, Wanja will not stick a gun into my face again., Sänger grimly joked with himself, casting a glance over his shoulder at Hans, who was following them silently. As if sensing his thoughts, Natasha simply took his arm.

The count meanwhile had reached his sons first and enveloped them both in a bear hug. Natasha released Sänger's arm and too hugged her brothers, exchanging words with each of them that Sänger could not hear. Then the elder son - Wanja - looked at Sänger and for a short period of time, the two men looked at each other. Eventually, Sänger extended his hand. After looking at his sister, who nodded, the heir to the house of Volkonsky grasped it in a strong grip. "Welcome." "Welcome back", Sänger replied.

Berlin, Reichskanzlei
April 29th, 1926

When Sänger reentered the Chancellory, he felt like death warmed over. And he could imagine he looked like it too. For the train ride back to Berlin had been quite taxing, with the count and his sons deciding to celebrate the return. The train had been filled with white soldiers and had resembled more of a rolling banquet hall than a normal speed train. Sänger had been forced to participate - after all, one had to make an effort not to spite his brothers-in-law - which had resulted in him having a splitting headache. The only one exempted from the ordeal had been Natasha, for being a women, she had not been required to drink. However, by the end of the train ride the two of them had stopped getting weird looks from the brothers, who had looked as if they could not quite believe their eyes at the sight of Natasha and Johannes sitting close to each other and holding hands. However, only time could tell wether it had been the vodka or if they had truly accepted the situation. Sänger hoped it had been the latter.

Still, there was work to be done and eventually, Sänger managed to write a coherent note to the British Ambassador.

From the German Empire to the British Empire
To his excellency, the British Ambassador to Berlin

Your Excellency,
I have been instructed to contact you with regards to a conference. This conference would, if possible, take part in London. His Imperial Majesty, Kaiser Wilhelm II., von Gottes Gnaden Deutscher Kaiser, König von Preußen, Reichsverweser von Österreich und Ungarn, etc. and myself believe that such a conference might both resolve our current dificulties and determine the strength of our friendship, which is exemplified by the non-aggression pact our nations signed about a year ago. Given that the government which signed it has suffered electoral defeat, we would like to ensure that the treaty remains in effect. It is our desire to strengthen the friendship between the British and the German peoples, especially considering our Navy owes much to yours in institutional experience. Grand Admiral Tirpitz just yesterday told me about the time he spent as a young cadet in England and it is my hope that the spirit of that time is still existing.

I myself would also be willing to address both His Majesty the King and the chambers of Parliament, if your government so wishes.

Signed,
Sänger, Reichskanzler

Results:
- german volunteers return
- relocations of the fleet
- message to the Balkan Confederacy regarding Shady
- message to the British Empire regarding the Non-aggression Pact and an offer of a conference to be held in London

StarDestroyer.Net BBS

SDN World 3 Story Thread I

Re: SDN World 3 Story Thread I

Re: SDN World 3 Story Thread I

Re: SDN World 3 Story Thread I

Re: SDN World 3 Story Thread I

Re: SDN World 3 Story Thread I

Re: SDN World 3 Story Thread I

Re: SDN World 3 Story Thread I

Re: SDN World 3 Story Thread I

Re: SDN World 3 Story Thread I

Re: SDN World 3 Story Thread I

Re: SDN World 3 Story Thread I

Re: SDN World 3 Story Thread I

Re: SDN World 3 Story Thread I

Re: SDN World 3 Story Thread I

Re: SDN World 3 Story Thread I

Re: SDN World 3 Story Thread I

Re: SDN World 3 Story Thread I

Re: SDN World 3 Story Thread I

Re: SDN World 3 Story Thread I

Re: SDN World 3 Story Thread I

Re: SDN World 3 Story Thread I

Re: SDN World 3 Story Thread I

Re: SDN World 3 Story Thread I

Re: SDN World 3 Story Thread I

Re: SDN World 3 Story Thread I