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Post by aimway921 on Mar 3, 2021 11:56:10 GMT -5
Princess Yuzuru could no longer simply wait. Several days ago, she has heard for the first time of what her father, the Emperor, ordered regarding Elenria. She knew this kind of thing not only is an abhorrent infringement on another state's sovereignty, but can go out of hand fast, and if it does, it would undermine her rule when she becomes Empress.
In complete secrecy she has sent a message to Kumosenkan, requesting a diplomatic meeting to try and amend the wrongs committed by her father.
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Post by Sophie on Mar 3, 2021 15:16:42 GMT -5
A message was sent in response affirming Kumosenkan's willingness to receive the Princess in a diplomatic mission. Kumosenkan asked for an estimated arrival date so the Empress could make time for it.
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Post by aimway921 on Mar 3, 2021 15:28:07 GMT -5
Kumosenkan government would receive a response that the Princess wishes to begin the meeting as fast as possible. She is ready to fly out on an aircraft the following day.
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Post by Sophie on Mar 7, 2021 9:21:47 GMT -5
The princess arrived at the Airport in Fuyonouso and was picked up by an armored motorcade and driven directly to the Capitol building. There she was escorted by a flurry armed Kumo guards who took her into a large and ornate meeting room where the Empress of Kumosenkan was waiting. Empress Reito smiled at the young woman with dead eyes and gestured for her to sit. "Good evening, Princess Yuzuru." Reito sat herself at the opposite end of the table facing her head on. "Did you know you are the first Ashigawan government official to ever make landfall in Kumosenkan? So you'll have to excuse my bluntness, but what on Ouhiri are you doing here?" She placed her elbows on the table, folded her hands together, and rested her jaw on her hands.
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Post by aimway921 on Mar 7, 2021 13:51:29 GMT -5
The fur on Yuzuru's back stood up, though unseen under several layers of clothing, as fear ran through her body upon meeting the Empress' dead gaze. She knew she was prepared - but now she was starting to doubt it.
"Yes, I am well aware of that, Reito-Sama," she began. "It is precisely why I have requested this meeting. To amend any and all griefs that have arisen between us due to our lack of communication as well as... Actions of my predecessors on the Ashigawan throne."
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Post by Sophie on Mar 7, 2021 14:12:40 GMT -5
"You mean your father?" The Empress asked, exuding a false interest. She leaned further onto the table, blinked slowly, and continued to stare into the princess's eyes. "What exact actions of your, predecessor, are you trying to amend?"
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Post by aimway921 on Mar 7, 2021 14:59:18 GMT -5
Yuzuru, at least mentally, has been pressed hard into the chair under the weight of Reito's continuous gaze. "Does she know?" She thought to herself. "Am I too late?" Despite her doubt, there was no turning back now.
"Based on your reaction so far," she began, making a short pause to soak her dried out mouth. "You already know why I'm here, if not in full then at least partially."
With a shaking hand, she took out an envelope from one of her inner pockets. Placing it on the table, she moved it towards the Empress with a bow.
I have come across this 4 days ago as I was reading through my father's recent activities, in preparation for my coronation which would likely happen very soon. I am sure you would be as shocked by the contents of this letter as much as I was. I am hoping we can avert the tragedy that undoubtedly would ensue, should we continue our unvoiced discontent towards eachother."
As the Empress would open the letter, the following would be before her:
Great Tennō! It is with utmost joy I report to you, that the beginning of our excursion into Elenria was a success. As you ordered, we have intercepted an Inselni Wanderer by the name of Hikva Aporiat. I have personally convinced him that if they agree to work with us, we would uphold their independence once they break free from Kumo rule. I have been careful to not make any impression of our real intention to capture them as a colony for ourselves, and I'm confident that he does not suspect it.
The most difficult part was convincing the Taisho of Army Intelligence - Kondo Akane. It is known among many that she is a very principled woman. The Kempeitai managed to convince her, however, that our intentions are of pure solidarity towards the Inselni - and she believed it. She has signed off on an order to send Taisa Yarakawa Shizuka - who would infiltrate Elenria under the alias Kapri Aporiat, posing as Hikva's adopted daughter. With her were sent weapons to arm the Elenrian Royalists - mainly captured Galra weapons from the great War, supplement with some counterfeit copies of the same designs.
As intended, we have lost contact with her upon entering a period of radio silence as she landed in Elenria. Meanwhile we are undertaking great efforts that no one outside the Kempeitai and the involved Army Intelligence officers are not in possession of any knowledge regarding this operation.
Serving Honorably, Senior Chief of the Kempeitai, Hikodo Kuro. Dated: Astilla 1945
The second page would read the following:
Great Tennō! With great remorse I write this report. Under the influence of alcohol, one Kempeitai officer spilled the information of our true intentions to Kondo Akane. While he has been promptly ordered to commit seppuku, which he did, we have no such authority over Kondo. Enraged that we lied to her, she accused us of not only sending her comrade to certain death, but also of undermining plans of normalizing relations with Kumo. As if anyone in our government even has such plans!
But the worst what happened is, she has informed Tagomi, the foreign minister. Reports from Kempeitai spies indicate that he was as shocked and enraged as she was. Kondo was also surprised that Tagomi did not know of this operation prior.
At around the same time Franerre has joined the Commonwealth. Several days later reports indicate increased Kumo activity on Franco-Elenrian border.
In complete violation of our orders of secrecy, Tagomi set up a meeting between the Franch diplomats and Kondo, who has informed them of our involvement in Elenria. She has ordered to mount a rescue operation to pull agent Yarakawa out. Reports indicate that Kondo also wanted to inform Princess Yuzuru, but we have barred her from such an opportunity.
The worst is the following, however: The agent assigned to the rescue operation, Chui Nakimoro Mitsuha, has departed with one of the Franch ambassadors before we were able to stop her. They are likely preparing to launch the rescue operation as I am typing this report.
Serving Honorably, Senior Chief of the Kempeitai, Hikodo Kuro. Dated: Aschen 1945
Not sure how the Empress would react, Yuzuru silently prayed that the situation could still be salvaged. |
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Post by Sophie on Mar 8, 2021 14:03:31 GMT -5
The Empress read through the files lazily. As she read the last word on the documents she tossed the pages onto the table. "You're right. I do know why you're here. I know the full story. That information was expensive." She threw a glare at the princess. "I don't mean in terms of money. Lives were lost." She stood and leaned forward and placed her hand hard on the table. "Lives that were taken with your weapons." She pointed at one of her guards and waved her over. The guard placed a manilla folder in front of her.
She opened up the folder and began rifling through it until she got to the page she wanted. "A handful of months after you armed terrorists they used those arms to blow up a train." She slid over a picture of a train engine completely blown apart into an unidentifiable slag heap. "They believed that the train was full of weapons being sent to the territorial soldiers." The shipping manifest was under the picture which the Empress revealed. "The train was filled with eleven thousand tons of food relief. Food that was all burned, left to rot, or otherwise destroyed. Food that was intended to feed over half a million people for a month." She pulled out another sheet of paper, a list of names. "These are the names of twenty-five-thousand people who were counting on that food to survive. Every last one of them starved to death." She punctuated her point by slamming her finger against the page. "It is a miracle we didn't lose more."
Empress Reito turned away and wiped her face before turning back with fury portrayed on her face. "What exactly are you trying to gain with this?" She directed the question at the documents the princess had provided. "Forgiveness?" She spat out, "If you want forgiveness you can't ask it from me. It is not up to me to give to you. You would have to go to Elenria, to every single mother whose child died, to every single father who listened to their family's stomach growled in pain, to everyone who lost someone, and to everyone who died because of your guns and your bombs."
"This information is worthless to me. I already paid for it in blood long before you ever reached out to us." The Empress spoke fast, her voice peaked with anger. "So tell me, what are you hoping for here? Because forgiveness is not on the table."
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Post by aimway921 on Mar 8, 2021 15:53:10 GMT -5
"Dear Gods..." the Princess though, as her expression filled with a mix of shock and remorse upon hearing the result of the atrocities. "Just what the hell did the Kempeitai set up Army Intelligence to?"
Clenching her fist, she gathered what courage was left in her.
"Do you truly believe me to be naive enough to think such a horrible atrocities can be simply forgiven?! Yes I come here for forgiveness! But I do not come to beg you for it. I come seeking a way to earn it!"
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Post by Sophie on Mar 8, 2021 16:28:19 GMT -5
"There is no forgiveness!" Reito shouted, tossing the folder into the princess's chest, spilling the remaining pictures and documents about the room. "There is only recompense. Your government can no longer be trusted to operate on its own unimpeded. What we demand, and when I say we I mean the entirety of the Aegis Pact, is the complete dissolution of Ashigawa's colonies. Complete demilitarization to the sum of a maximum of fifty thousand soldiers. Installation of an Aegis Pact oversaw puppet government. The surrender of your entire Navy to the control of Kumosenkan. All intelligence documents regarding any member of the Aegis Pact. A public apology to the Elenrians who lost their lives, and to Kumosenkan. And monetary compensation for the damages done." She leaned over, her hands firmly placed on the table. "Take those demands to your father. If he declines or you don't, I'll be on his shores in less than a month to deliver them myself."
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Post by aimway921 on Mar 8, 2021 16:50:28 GMT -5
"The government is due for a change to begin with!" the Princess said, while loudly, still not shouting. Just like the Empress she also stood up, but still was considerably shorter. "While it was acting within the orders of my father, I would've never permitted such treachery!"
"I am already preparing to let the colonies go. A referendum would be held on the first week of my rule, to let them choose how they wish to proceed. Do they want to stay in the Empire, or do they wish to become independent, with sufficient commendation from us to make them a self-sustainable state."
"We can provide you with both monetary and material compensation for damages caused. I will personally come to Elenria to deliver an apology!"
"But most importantly," she began calming down. "I can deliver you the terrorists that my father funded and supplied. You will be able to stop them from commiting any future acts. Root them out once and for all."
"As for your other demands... Ashigawans are a proud people. They would never submit to a foreign authority, even if the Tennō orders them to. All that will be achieved is more deaths." She then looked directly into the Empress's eyes, small amount of tears visible on the Princess's own eyes. "Is there not already enough suffering in the world?"
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Post by Sophie on Mar 9, 2021 11:56:13 GMT -5
"I don't give a shit what you would do!" Reito continued to yell, the horns on her body twitching with her movements. "I give a shit what was done! What was allowed to be done! The entirety of the higher echelons of your government allowed this to happen! The blood of thirty thousand Elenrians is on their hands. I don't know you, I don't trust you, and most importantly I don't believe a single shit spewing word out of your rat mouth." The Empress had lost all care for decorum and spit was flying from her mouth.
"The Royalists are being dealt with without you. They are weeks away from complete destruction. All enemies of Kumosenkan have fallen. I don't give a shit that Ashigawans are proud, I don't give a shit that you don't think they'd submit. They will submit to me one way or another. You and your father get to decide how much Ashigawan blood you're willing to spill until you bend the god damn knee."
The towering Kumo cared not for the tears in the Princess's eyes. To her, they were crocodile tears. They knew not of real pain. They did not cry for the loss of life, the loss of family, or the loss of honor. To her, they were trying to elicit sympathy in a situation that deserved none. "Your father disgusts me. You disgust me. Kumosenkan has done terrible things in the past, but we've never, ever, murdered innocent civilians. I have told you how to pay your debts. You will pay them. Either willingly, or after I obliterate every last soul willing to fight for you."
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Post by aimway921 on Mar 9, 2021 12:32:17 GMT -5
Princess Yuzuru has closed her eyes and took a deep breath, gathering thoughts. She had to act fast. From what Reito said, she had a month.
"I see," she began, opening her eyes. "That you wish not to listen to what I have to say. Very well then. I shall bear your words to my people." With that, she bowed, and prepared to make her exit."
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