Valhene-PI Talks

[Republic of Valhene]

 Baile cleaned his glasses, a way of distracting himself from the nervousness of his mind. Three large guards towered over him, watching him like hawks on their prey. Baile feared his slightest movement will incur a wack from the heavy stocks of their guns. He putted his glasses back on and bared his long wait.

 The small room he sat in was part of the Imperium's headquarters. As with the flair common with the aristocratic nations of the PI, it was decorated in a splendor of gold decor and expensive antique, more fitting of a palace then a diplomatic meeting facility. The room magnified the anxiety inside of him, his conscience rolling madly inside of him, disgusted with the fact he was not only dealing with Dysanii's former enemies, but a group of bastard monarchs nevertheless. The thought had sicken him, how the once proud face of Republican liberty was marred with the fact that he had come to beg at the feet of these imperialists and dictators.

"God, forgive me for having a hand in this..."

  A young man walked into the room, bearing a tray of warm biscuit and a pot of aromatic tea. Baile recognized him as the Oriental man who escorted him into the compound at the front door. Baile was glad to see him, his warm smile calmed his nerves a bit.

"Mr. Baile, I procure this from the kitchen from you. The Pax representatives would be meeting with you shortly." he politely said. "Please, rest for now. It must had been a long trip for you."

"Yes it was. And thank you for your concern, I will rest when I can," he replied. Though, he doubted he could doze with those three hounds watching over him. Carefully, he reached out for a biscuit and sank his teeth into it, mouthing half of it. He sipped on the cup of tea, the bitter brew melting the biscuit dough inside his mouth. He swallowed the delightful treat.

"Very good..."

 The man nodded in agreement. "One of the senior chef's specialty, he bakes a fresh batch every three hours for guests and occupants," the man replied with a smile. "Well, I'm off to check on the progress of your recipients. Please excuse me."

The man walked out the door, and Baile once again was left fearfully alone with his Cerberus guards.

   

[Aquatoria]

Lord Bryan Durham and a squad of the feared Enforcers Corps walked into the conference hall. He had arrived before the PI delegates. Though the Canadian Empire was no longer a member of the Pax Imperium Alliance, they accepted a position of observer-nation. He personally liked it in the PI Headquarters. It's splendour made it feel like home. He saw the Valhene delegation. He seemed out of his comfort zone. I think I should make him feel welcome.

Byran walked up to the delegate from Valhene. He shook his hand. "I am Bryan Durham, Lord of Vimy. I am the delegate of the Greater Canadian Empire. We used to be members of PI, but now we are merely observers. I know a delegate from my nation is the last thing you want to see. But I just want to say welcome to Montgomery." He sat down in his familiar chair. Bryan pulled out a notebook and a pen. He needed to write down as much as he could.

[Union]

"Bryan, I see you met the guest without me," said a voice at the door. "How very much like you to get to things first."

Wai Jung gave Durham a brotherly hug, then turn to give Baile a gentle hand shake.

"Very glad to meet you Mr. Baile," he said with a grin. "We here in the Pax have been anxiously waiting for word from your government. Oh, and do mind Lord Durham's bodyguards, he's always so overprotected. If you ask me, he's scaring all the pretty maids away from this place." 

[Republic of Valhene]

 Baile forced a chuckle. He wasn't in any hurry to see these people in truth. Lord Durham's bodyguards weren't making him feel any more at home in this forsaken place.

"I'm representative to the Loyanese Republic, Wai Jung," said the Oriental man who had made the joke. "We'll start this meeting once Serko arrives. Something was holding him up at his office."

[Myroria]

Serko Hupprecht Patrick walked into the room, holding an ebony walking stick parallel to the ground. He took off his grey fedora and leaned his walking stick against a wall. Putting his overcoat onto a fine coat rack next to the door, he walked in and sat down, with all the cynicism and plainness of a Myroria.

"You must be the Valhene rep'. Nice to meet you."

[Republic of Valhene]

"Likewise," Baile lied. "As you know, I came here on behalf of Congress to..."work out"...relations between Valhene and the Imperium. We wish to... ." He took a deep breath, anxious to get the painful statement out of his mouth. "..We wish to...join the Pax Imperium."

[Aquatoria]

Bryan dropped his pen when he heard that. If he heard that. Did the Valhene ambassador just say he wanted his nation to join Pax Imperium? Unbelievable...But why? They had an agenda. He just knew it. He couldn't say anything though. He wasn't a full member anymore. All he could do was scribble this down and report back to his superiors. The expression on the other delegates was the same. They were all in a state of disbelief.

[Feniexia]

Shortly after the Canadian representant stopped speaking, Administrator Fay Celen, accompanied by two royal guards in their heavy armor, entered the room. "Well, maybe you are wrong, Mr. Durham; I guess those who this man would like to see at least are those who own now large parts of their lands. My name is Fay Celen; I'm Administrator of Feniexia. My greetings."

She sat down on a chair in the mid row, and listened. As the ambassador spoke what he wanted, she looked down on him curiously. Valhene wanting to join the Pax Imperium? She doubted that this request was spoken out with honesty; but maybe it was just the fact that Baile was rather anxious or otherwise not feeling well. She then changed her expression to a completely neutral one.

"Mr. Baile, you ask us to let Valhene be a member of Taijitu's most powerful organization. There are indeed many advantages for Valhene if it would be a member nation; however, I would like to know what Valhene has to offer in return."

[Republic of Valhene]

"You must know, that this move has been forced upon us," Baile said. "We can no longer maintain our nation's livelihood with DYSFOR occupying our homeland."

 He could fill a bit of distrust raising out from the Pax members, he didn't blame them for he felt the same way. But what option did he and his nation have? They were too weak to push the occupational forces out themselves, even with the support of the public and militia groups. The only way was to set a deal with these devils.

"This is what I'm offering," he said. "Help us push DYSFOR out of Valhene. In exchange, we will allow PI to set up a number of military bases and naval facilities in Valhene. We'll make sure that our citizens do not balk to your presence, as long as you leave our cities and towns alone. We have also spoken with the scatter bands of resistance fighters in Valhene. They agree to assist you, as long as our independence is secure from any hidden imperialistic motive. Most importantly, we want our democracy to be intact."

Baile felt as if he sold his soul to the devil. He continued, "Also, if needed. We will recognize Fenexia's claim of central and eastern Dysanii."

 

 

[Feniexia]

"Well, but the Pax Imperium has already bases in Dysanii, and from the Enlightened Empire's claimed territory, it is easy to control the surrounding area. But Feniexia and the Feniexian Administration are generous. We maybe would grant you your independence, but I have a feeling we can not trust you. Prove that my feeling is wrong; unless then, Feniexia will refuse to help Valhene or to let it join the Pax Imperium. However, at least, I can say that Feniexia has no plans at the moment to further expand it's territory in Dysanii; while I don't know about DYSFOR, I think neither any other PI member nor the Canadian Empire shows ambitions to annex Dysaniian land, so I do not know what it is that you really seek to gain with entering this alliance.

[Aquatoria]

"You need to be less worried about what they want out of the PI alliance. They want to protect their people and defend themselves from a powerful alliance that continues to hold their southern brothers. They want allies to help them. Fay, your country should know how it feels to be isolated. Your nation is far from any of your allies. The Valhene government doesn't want to feel isolated. I am surprised that you would want to join PI, but I respect that."

[Republic of Valhene]

"If PI will not help us," Baile replied. "Then we are wasting our time here. We came on words of your contacts that PI will support us against DYSFOR."

[Union]

Wai Jung was worried about Fay's response. He came beside the Fenexian and whisper to his ears.

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Fay, perhaps we should agree to their insignificant terms, it will not hurt to have one more member in the Pax. Especially not with AC gaining strength by the day.

And really, can you bare the presence of troublesome AC troops near your new colony? You know sooner or later, they will struck against you and all of us in their efforts to topple the Imperium. Aren't the Valideans and Varkourians even now planning to threaten Fenexia? We'll be at much better advantage if we strike first!

I think we can trust these Valhenes, they are desperate and too weak to do any trickery. And if they do anything fishy, we can easily crush them, no? And when that happens, you come one step closer to dominating all of former Dysanii. Think of the glory it will bring your nation...it will secure your place in history.

Wai then winked at Serko, hoping the Myrorian will say something to remedy the situation.

[Feniexia]

Fay replied Jung's comment on the same way.

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"Attacking DYSFOR is not my concern, and that it will come to battles in that area is unavoidable; Validus and Varkour openly committed attacks on both our territory and our soldiers, and we will answer this with war. What I fear is that Valhene might try after we pushed DYSFOR out to lauch an attack on our exhausted forces in their area, weakening our position in former Dysanii. Also, Feniexia does not plan to further expand it's territory, as I said before. And don't further try to manipulate me; it annoys me. I did not became Administrator of Feniexia because the Emperor likes me, Mr. Wai."

She smiled at Jung for a short time, in a rather double-faced way, before she turned her face towards the Valhene ambassador again.

"Supporting you against DYSFOR might be something Feniexia can agree to. But we will continue or closed border policy against Valhene until the situation is more stable, and if any armed individual of Valhene origin enters Feniexian territory, there will be serious consequences."

[Myroria]

"Myroria will gladly accept Valhene into the Pax Imperium. We realize this may be hard for your people; negotiating with meritocracies and monarchies. But I can assure you, every nation in the Imperium holds human rights in the utmost regard, unlike the hypocritical and outright lying members of the IPO. In fact, I can guarantee you that Myroria will not only accept Valhene into the Imperium, but that we will support your fight to regain your lands - your God-given lands - from the false occupiers of Dysanii."