Kaireli-Ashigawa Diplomacy

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As part of the diplomatic corp expansion project, a ambassador and a corp of diplomats were sent on a ship with the Kaireil flag on it to the shores of The Imperial Territories of Ashigawa. They were here to deliver a letter if the nation allowed them access. The leader of this diplomatic expedition looked out into the distance awaiting any movements or possible message for entry. The ship was completely unarmed to present itself as a diplomatic vessel instead of a military one.

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As the Kaireli vessel entered Imperial waters, it was spotted by several patrol ships. After identifying it, the nearest naval base has been informed of its location, and one of the patrol ships would approach the diplomatic vessel. A marine flag code message would be sent, ordering the Kaireli to prepare to be boarded.

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The captain of the ship informed the ambassador that the were going to be boarded. The ambassador nodded, survival was a concern in the case that the nation was isolationist but the threat of a international incident could tarnish a nation's imagine perhaps? Then again, they were from Touli whose voices aren't particularly heard in the international community. Regardless, the ambassador decided the best course of action was to meet the officers who would board directly, so he got out on deck to await a ship to board theirs with his diplomatic corp.

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The Kaireli ship was boarded by only 3 men - an officer and his guards. All were Odaru - Ashigawan fox demihumans. The officer was armed with a traditional Ashigawan sword, while the bodyguards - with pistols, although no one had their hands even near to the holsters.

"You are on course of entering the waters of the honored Tennō under a banner that is unknown to us," the officer spoke in Common, although with an accent. "Please sate who you are and what is your business?"

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The crew that would meet the men would be all human, all of them were unsurprised with the men not being human given previous diplomatic expeditions to majority nonhuman nations. The ambassador nodded in understanding, then spoke with common with seemingly no accent, in response, "We are diplomats from The Imperial Territories of Kaireil, we wish to send a letter to the Tennō as a greeting from Kaireil."

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The officer told the guard something in Ashigawan, in response to which the guard saluted and returned to the patrol ship.

"In that case," the officer turned back to the diplomat, "welcome to the Empire." Both the officer and the guard bowed, although the guard bowed noticeably lower than the officer. "The closest land is the colony of Chokosabe. The capital is further north, on Oda. We shall escort you there. Tell me now, where is this Kaireli?"

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Ambassador smiled and nodded, not quite knowing the official way to respond to a bow in this country. "Kaireil is in southern Touli, I can show you on a map I brought if you so wish." The ambassador didn't quite know what their reaction would be to the declaration that they were from Touli, or in other words, the underdeveloped imperialistic playground of the world.

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"Touli?" the officer asked, raising one eyebrow. "We haven't had much contact with that continent ever since Kumosenkan established it's dominance there. How is the place faring nowdays?"

Meanwhile, the report of the diplomat's arrival was sent to the capital, Kyoto, and a course was charged to get there as fast as possible.

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"Ah, politics as usual. Though might I correct, Kumosenkan isn't the dominant force there as much as a competitive force there. Ulster-Gaelia is well established with their colonial holdings in Touli... Politics in Touli has always been a delicate continent whose balance has been at the whims of many factors, especially been sensitive after the last major staol war as you may understand." The Ambassador said casually, trying to peak his interest while not divulge into a full history lesson on what was precisely going on in Touli as he waited for the escort ships to arrive.

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As they were talking, the officer and the ambassador were interrupted by the second guard who returned. He bowed to the officer at almost a 45 degree angle and said something in Ashigawan. The officer responded, and the guard left again.

"It would seem Kyoto is ready to accept you. We shall now return to our vessel and set sail immediately. Since we are in the honorable Tennō's waters now, there's no need for additional escort - the waters are quite safe. Tell your captain to follow us at 18 knots. We should arrive in Kyoto in about 4 hours."

With that, the officer and the remaining guard once again bowed, with the guard, again, bowing lower than the officer, and they walked back onto their ship before removing the boarding bridge.

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The ambassador nodded, looking to the captain and telling him in Kaireili what exactly the officer had said. The captain nodded as he moved to the front of the ship to prepare it once again to take off and follow the Ashigawa ships heeding the instructions told to him. 4 hours was quite the short distance, typically the capital was further away from the border, though perhaps Kyoto was coastal?

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As 4 hours have passed, land was spotted on the horizon. Slowly drifting closer, those on board would be able to make our the coastline.

Soon enough they pulled into a large bay, maybe about 50 or so miles wide. Dead ahead, at the end of the bay, you could see a large city in front of a mountain. As the bay got narrower the Kairelians would be able to see what kind of landscape the island was - almost a tropical paradise.

The ships would finally dock at the Kyoto port. Waiting for them were several soldiers with the Imperial seal instead of stars on their caps. They have been armed with swords, pistols and rifles. One who looked like an officer approached the ambassador as he disembarked onto the dock.

"Commander Kido of the Kempeitai," the officer said in common, as he bowed. "I am tasked with your safety untill you arrive at the Foreign Minister's mansion for the meeting."

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The ambassador nodded to the Keipeitai officer. "Lead the way."

The diplomats looked at the island, being rather unfamiliar with the landscape and geography of the island, Kaireil was colder and more...  dry in a way. The ambassador by comparison had already travelled the world during his diplomatic education, living during the times of Kareil's participation in the Ulster-Gaelia Commonwealth. He was still not completely familiar with the tropical conditions in the bay but it was familiar at the least.

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It would take them a short while to get to the mansion, that was on the outskirts of the city, on the slopes of the mountain. As the cars that they were brought in drove through the downtown, a marvelous scene would unfold before the diplomats. Most buildings were in traditional Ashigawan style, with very few being in the more plain styles of the North-Western Empires. One of the squares they passed held a huge ornate fountain. There were people walking all around, many having to get out of the way: there weren't much cars on the streets that looked like they were built before cars were even invented.

The mansion itself was a womder. Built in the style of traditional Ashigawan castles, it stood tall and wide. There were quite a few soldiers on the grounds as well. It was obvious that it was not only the Foreign Minister's residence, but also his workplace. There, Commander Kido would escort the party to one of the rooms in the mansion, on the second floor. As he opened the doors he bowed very lowly, and said something in Ashigawan to a man who was standing on the other end of the room, looking at the window.

As Kido spoke, the man turned around. He was a somewhat elderly Odaru with graying hair. Dressed in a black suit wearing glasses, he approached the arriving party. He said something to Kido, who would leave the room, closing the doors behind him.

"Welcome to the Ashigawa Empire," the man said. Surprisingly, instead of bowing, he extended his hand for a handshake. "My name is Tagomi Nobusuke. I am the Foreign Relations Minister of the Empire."

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Ambasador smilied and met Tagomi's hand, "Pejman Jahangiri, Ambassador from The Imperial Territories of Kaireil, pleasure to meet your aquantance."

The mansion was certainly amazing, it could very well match the architecture the Ambassador had seen in Ulster-Gaelia, in terms of quality, during his various missions to the empire. The meeting was officially a meeting to introduce Kaireil to Ashigawa and perhaps vice versa. The glamerious display was certainly estonishing, especially for the relatively inexperienced diplomats, but the growing debt of Kaireil needed to be solved somehow and diplomatically negotiations could easily go to nations which they reach out to for investments and interest. The illusion of choice was paramount to the success of Kaireil economically, that was drilled into the Ambassador by the parliament...