A Chance Meeting (Ashinara/Franerre)

[aimway921]

"In that case, this way please," Mykola stepped aside while extending his hand in an invitational gesture, revealing the path towards a long black car. Upon closer inspection, it would be revealed that the automobile is of Gaelic import, a Callahan Limousine. Inviting Luca and Jean-Paul to take a seat at the forward-facing seat in the rear compartment, Mykola himself climbed into the rear-facing seat. In the meantime, the other two Guards have climbed into a second, much smaller car behind the limo. Once everyone was seated, Mykola turned his head to the little window separating the rear passenger compartment from the driver, commanding the driver - "Do Irbychans'koho Hotelu", before sliding the window shut. The vehicle rumbled a bit as the engine was started, and they began their drive.

As they started going, Mykola opened the minibar in the middle of the compartment. "Refreshments, gentlemen? We've got water, kvas, mead, wine and horilka."

[callmedelta]

Luca was the only one I’d the pair to notice the car’s particulars. The FFAA had also bought a small number of Callahan’s for welcoming any foreign ambassadors to come their way, but as Luca took a seat, he realized that this model was even finer than the ones the Administration had bought. ‘The Hetman must be pulling out all the stops for us,’ Luca thought. “I’ll take some kvas.”

“Water, please,” was Jean-Paul’s answer.

“I don’t speak any Ashinaran,” Luca began as their host prepared the drinks, “But if I had to guess I’d say ‘Hotelu’ is a hotel. If your Hetman would have us, Franerre would wish to purchase a building or plot of land to serve as a permanent embassy. I don’t expect us to decide all of the details now, but we did bring along some Koian Jewel to pay for the land. I don’t recall the exact sum off the top of my head, but if it isn’t enough to cover the cost I’m sure we can purchase the land now and have some more credit sent on the next ship out.”

[aimway921]

"You'd be correct - for the most part. See, in Ashinaran, the grammar of a word changes based on the context. Hotel is indeed our word for hotel, rather, it's a borrowed word from Commons, which is why it sounds so similar. But the ending -u means that I was referring to it as a destination where to go. Ah, but don't worry, I'm sure you'll be able to pick up our language in no time. By the way, the older more traditional word for hotel is Korchma."

"I'm afraid I wouldn't know much on that matter. You'll have to talk to the Foreign Relations Minister, the appointment with whom you have tomorrow morning."

As they were talking, the Franchmen would notice the scenery outside the car. They seemed to be driving through a downtown area. Tall, 4-6 floor high buildings lined the street that has been paved in cobblestone. The sidewalks wide enough to fit 6 people shoulder to shoulder, were bustling with activity. Ashinaran fox people, some in traditional outfits that Luca had seen before at the Auran Food Fair, some in more modern clothing, some in a mixture of both, were walking down the street, coming in and out of the countless stores that lined the first floors of white or beige-plastered buildings, some riding bicycles. The sidewalks were separated from the motorway by a wide flowerbed lined with a low hedge and dotted at perfect intervals with trees. The motorway itself was 2 lanes wide in both directions, totaling 4 lanes. Except the two middle lanes were lined with tracks. Drawing it's attention with a ding of a bell, a tram rolled by on one of the tracks.

Soon enough the car began climbing an incline. For several minutes, there were no buildings around them - a drop down to the lower district of the city, from which the road was fenced off with a metal railing - and a forested area on their other side, probably a city park. Soon houses appeared on their sides again - except this time rather than rowed apartment buildings, they seemed more like richer individual townhomes, with front yards, a wider sidewalk and a narrower motorway with no tram tracks. There were also a bit more cars here compared to the previous district they've been in.

Eventually, the car rolled onto a sizable plaza in front of a huge building that looked like it was built of polished white granite. The massive front door of red-painted wood, the stairs leading to it and each window had been lined with fine marble, so smooth you can almost see your reflection in it. In the center of the plaza was a large round flowerbed, with a huge oak tree in the middle of it. The car stopped in the shade of the tree in front of the stairs leading up to the front door of the Irbychans'kyi Hotel.

[callmedelta]

Luca and Jean-Paul's eyes scanned the capital of Kyograd as the Ashinaran across from them spoke. The city was remarkably modern. Perhaps it was just this one area of the city, or perhaps there had been some tragedy that had allowed the Ashinarans to build a new city on the old's ruins, but in Pareau you saw it was a city that had stood for over a thousand years. It had tight streets where two cars couldn't pass each other, old buildings crammed too tightly together. Kyograd, by contrast, was a city with room to breathe and be green. Perhaps that was why, from what Luca and Jean-Paul had seen at least, Pareau had much more bikes than Kyograd. Though maybe the greater number of cars and the public trolley system had something to do with that.

As the limo strolled to a halt in front of the hotel, Luca was now at the point that nothing about the island nation could surprise him. The building reminded him of the FFAA headquarters in Pareau, and that was a fine building by any definition of the word. A building that grand, for a hotel? Especially when, until recently, Ashinara had no outside visitors? It seemed a tad bit absurd. "The Irbi....Irbyachanskee Hotel," Jean-Paul said, looking at a nearby sign. He let out an appreciative whistle. "This is quite the place, judging by the looks of it."

[aimway921]

"Indeed it is," Mykola replied. "Used to be the residence of late Count Irbychan. Unfortunately, he had no heirs when he passed away 9 years ago, and his line ended with him. So it became property of the Emperor, who decided to remodel it into a grand hotel, keeping the name to honor the late Count."

As Mykola was explaining it, they have entered the entry hall of the hotel. Instantly the Franchmen would be able to feel the drop in temperature, as the walls insulation as well as a system of fans prevented the temperature inside reaching the same almost unbearable hot levels as the outside.

Once the diplomats were checked in to their hotel room, and shown the second room that has been equipped to act as temporary office until the embassy building is organized, as well as notified of another room just across the hall where Mykola and the other guards would be staying and that the Franchmen can call for them if they need anything, Mykola has bid his farewell for the evening. The next morning, they would be organized to visit the Foreign Relations Minister in his office at the Palace District.

[callmedelta]

After touring the hotel, and assisting the moving of the luggage from the ship in, Luca called Jean-Paul over for a conversation. It was on the balcony, a steaming pot of tea on the table between them. The perfect spot away from listening ears, even though neither man were really concerned about such things. "So, Jean-Paul," Luca said, gesturing for the army man to sit down, "What is your appraisal of the Ashinarans so far?"

"What is there to say?" the man said bluntly, "It's scarily impressive." He withdrew a flask from his coat and poured some alcohol into the cup of tea and stirred it, blending the two drinks before taking a sip. Luca sighed. Jean-Paul continued. "Those revolvers on the soldiers' belt looked like they could be standard issue in the Franerri army from a glance. The rest of the place looked pretty modern, too. You aren't going to see cars and a trolley system like that in Alcasse, that's for sure." Jean-Paul took a gulp of the tea-alcohol mixture. It would ruin the flavor of the tea, but Luca couldn't exactly do anything about it now other than make a mental note of not make him a cup in the future.

"Kyograd reminds me a lot of Pareau," Luca said, "And I agree, that is rather shocking. If you had told me a nation comparable to Franerre would rise out of complete and utter isolation within seventy years I would have called you insane. That just makes our mission here all the more relevant. If Ashigana is comparable to Franerre, imagine what would happen if..." Luca's voice trailed off, the words understood, even if they weren't spoken.

"Pah, doesn't matter," Jean-Paul said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "There's no way Ashinara's navy can compete. Any naval landings by their army would be completely out of supply."

"What if Franerre were to link up with the Ashinarans?"

"And abandon the Bartels Line? The forts exist for a reason, and an invasion is practically suicide barring some extreme shift in circumstance." Jean-Paul took the teacup and gulped down the rest of it, thankfully having at least the mind not to slam down the porcelain.

Luca sighed. "I'm still going to leave the possibility open. Lehran has told me that if a defense treaty is amenable I'm to ask for it."

Jean-Paul glared at Luca. "You'll need to be the one to tell those eager Ashinarans that Franerre's backing out of the treaty you've offered." He stood to leave, and Luca let him. At the very least, the conversation was so short that Luca's tea was still warm. The army man certainly graded on Luca, but he had dealt with worse.

~

The next morning, Luca and Jean-Paul stood outside of of the Foreign Minister's office. The Palace District had been just as fine as the rest of the city, and both Franerri men had worn their best suits to match.

[aimway921]

The Palace District was the highest district in the city, both in status and in physical elevation. Higher up on the slopes of the mountain on which the city was built, Luca and Jean-Paul would be able to see the whole of Kyograd as if on a platter. It had stretched for dozens of miles in each direction. Almost everywhere they would see the newer streets and townhomes, and only a few small patches of what looked like significantly older buildings dotted the city here and there.

The Palace District itself was not as much a district. Rather, it was a complex of different government buildings. Here were all the Ministry buildings - including the Foreign Affairs Ministry building that Luca and Jean-Paul were currently headed to. Military Headquarters, Special Services Headquarters, Homeland Security Headquarters, and more. And, of course, to top it all off - the Royal Palace of the Hetman.

Soon enough, the Franchmen had been escorted to a meeting chamber inside the Foreign Relations Ministry, where the Minister had already been waiting for them. An older fox, wearing old school glasses that pinch on the nose instead of having temples to make the frame rest on the ears, he had some tips of his fur visibly graying. He'd been wearing a professional business suit, although the traditional embroidery pattern could be seen on his shirt under the suit jacket.

"Welcome, Gentlemen," he said, with an accent. "Please, have a seat." When the Franchmen were seated comfortably in the leather chairs, the Minister sat down himself. "It is so good to finally meet you. My name is Kyryllo Tagomych."

[callmedelta]

As Luca and Jean-Paul made their short journey through the Palace District, this time they were rather less surprised at the finery of the buildings. Partially because of yesterday's experiences, and partially because if anything were to be fine, it would be the center of government. The pair of men took their seats, Luca setting his briefcase down by his chair.

"Jean-Paul, a Lieutenant Colonel in the Franerri Army," Jean-Paul said before sitting down. He sank into the plush chair, glad to find it softer than the one he had back in Alcasse.

"Luca Valentino, Franerri Foreign Affairs Administration." Luca sat down in the leather chair, though unlike Jean-Paul he sat up with his back straight, more like he was sitting on a stool than an chair. "It's an honor to be here in Ashinara. It's been quite the eye-opening experience." Luca chuckled at the comment, but it had more of a meaning than the words themselves carried. After realizing that the initial plans set out by the Administration weren't going to cut it, Luca had spent a good chunk of last night and the morning after preparing a new angle to approach the situation from. But you don't get to be a member of the FFAA without learning how to improvise. "As for the first order of business, did Mykola inform you that Franerre wishes to open an embassy here in Ashinara?"

[aimway921]

"He has indeed," Kyryllo replied. "Now, there are several options we can do to achieve that. The fastest and most convenient one would be for you to purchase one of the vacant buildings down in the city. The mass houses you've seen yesterday are designed in a way that only the load-bearing walls are essential - other than that, the wall and room layout can be modified however you like. I personally would recommend buying several adjacent buildings so that you can block off the courtyard for your private use, such as building a garage for automobiles. The only downside of this option I can see that there will be a bit of a distance between the embassy and the Palace District.

Another option is we can find a suitable vacant lot in the districts that are just below the Palace District. It's mostly populated by nobles and upper class citizens, which, as you may imagine, are in lower numbers than everyone else - meaning there is still much vacant land here. This means however that the embassy building will have to be constricted from the ground up - meaning it will take more time and will be more expensive. However it also means that you will have more flexibility in designing how the building will be laid out, and you'll likely have more space, as well as you'll be closer to the Palace District is you ever need to visit any of the Ministries."

[callmedelta]

Luca thought about the decision. On the one hand, a quicker embassy would allow them to get settled faster, rather than wait around for a new building to be built. On the other, a building closer to the Palace District would mean quicker access to the Ashinarans in case of emergency. But those were just the surface benefits. Luca's hand went to his pocket, rolling a coin between his fingers. The stay at the Irbychans'kyi was on the Hetman's Franc, or whatever the local Ashinaran currency was, and by buying a prebuild building they could stop being a drain on the Hetman's finances. A building in the Palace District, on the other hand, would allow Franerri diplomats to brush shoulders with some of the most powerful people in the country; industrialists, military and government officials, and others with the ability to invest in Franerre or those Franerre could sell to here. That last prospect was growing thinner and thinner, but it may still be possible.

"I believe we'll build an embassy in the lot below the Palace District. I'm sure we can discuss matters like cost later, and we can always send a ship to Pareau with more money should it be needed. Would you like to pick up from here, Jean-Paul?"

The brown-haired man across from him shook his head. "You go first, Luca. I'll go after you've finished your business."

"Alright then," Luca continued, "The next matter I wish to discuss is that of trade. Unfortunately I can't suggest what you might offer due to my lack of information on the Ashinaran economy, but I can make an educated guess and say that I think the most attractive offers would be grain, mining resources, and arms exports, though that last one is what Jean-Paul would discuss."

[aimway921]

"Hmmm..." Kyryllo hummed, as he leaned on the table, propping his chin with his hand as he rested his elbow on the table. "As far as I'm aware, all of Toulian continent is less industrialized than Ashinara. This is where we surpass you. On the other side of this coin, Ashinara, by virtue of being an island nation, is not very rich in natural resources. I believe that is where we can help each-other. You sell us your resources and we turn it into product that we sell back to you. Whats more, the industrial base that already exists in Ashinara can be used to uplift the industrial base in Franerre. That way, we can both incrementally increase each-other's economic power."

[callmedelta]

Luca bristled a bit at the comment, even though he knew it was true. It was just a shame the truth could hurt sometimes. “While I believe Franerre may be more industrialized than you assume,” Luca said, hoping that the Ashinarans had underestimated the Franerri , just like they had the Ashinarans, “Overall your assessment appears to be correct. That was why I had suggested the resources that I did. Franerre’s greater landmass compared to Ashinara lends itself better to a more developed agricultural sector, but meats may be too costly to transport, hence why I suggested grains. We also have quite the fishing sector, but I expect that Ashinara may have Franerre beat in that category as well. The Franerri  mining sector is also quite well developed. It has a few international companies, but the sector has remained mostly domestic due to higher taxes in foreign companies. I’m sure Pareau could be willing to waive some of those taxes, should we find a good enough agreement.”

“I do wonder what exactly you mean by using your industrial base to uplift Franerre’s own. I can understand the wider concept, but I’m more so interested in the specifics. Would that be things like Ashinaran investment into Franerri companies, Ashinaran companies creating factories in Franerre, or something else?”

[aimway921]

"You would be correct in your assumption of our fishing sector. Being an island nation, the fishing industry is the largest in the food production sector. Mining, is what I believe would be of greatest interest to us. As I already mentioned, our small landmass lends as very few raw materials to work with.

As I am speaking to you, we are also finalizing a deal with UKUG. In exchange for part of our production output, they shall grant us possibility to quickly upgrade our industry and infrastructure to Nardri-Reserian standards. If I'm not mistaken, they are also selling us some military equipment that, by their standards is outdated, but by ours it shall be the most advanced military technology in the Toulian region.

Now, I'll be frank with you. The reason we came out of isolation recently... You remember what happened to Elenria, do you not? Our Hetman fears that the oppressive colonial rule might spread across Touli, both the continent and the Ashinaran islands. He is also wise enough to see that alone we do not stand a chance should the colonial powers actually decide to expand. Which is why we are seeking both to uplift our own industry, the industry of Toulian nations that are currently independent - at least most of them - as well as make connections.

Using the UKUG investment I've mentioned earlier, I believe we would fully be at capacity to invest into Franerre. While we don't plan on being dependent on UKUG in the long run, we thing it would be beneficial for Toulian nations to enter a symbiotic relation where our economies work side by side."

[callmedelta]

Luca shot a glace at Jean-Paul the second Tagomych said the letters 'UKUG.' The military man sat a bit more forward in his seat, suddenly intensely interested in the conversation. So they weren't the first to get to Ashinara after all. That was disheartening, but their mission here still wasn't shot. As Tagomych continued talking, the knot in Valentino's stomach began to untie itself, before disappearing completely. It dawned on Luca that the Hetman, and Kyryllo sitting in front of him...they were kindred spirits. A Toulian nation seeing the devastation of their neighbors and seeking a way to prevent that from happening to themselves, even if it meant working with the same nations who caused that devastation in the first place....swap Franerre and Lusatia with Ashinara and Ulster-Gaelia, and Luca suspected their histories may read much the same. Perhaps Ashinara had simply chosen a better nation to partner with, or perhaps they had the benefit of time, or perhaps it was simple luck that Ashinara found herself in a better situation than Franerre, despite their similarities.

The ambassador smiled - no, he beamed at the ambassador. This diplomatic mission had gone from great to uncertain to good to bad to amazing, and Luca had a strong gut feeling it was going to stay that way. "Minister Kyryllo, I am proud to say that Franerre feels the exact same way. For all of Franerre's forts, armies, weapons, and talk, if Kumosenkan or Galra deemed it so she would most certainly fall." Now it was Jean-Paul's turn to shoot Luca a glare, this time one of anger, but he didn't comment. "Our only chance is to make such an invasion too costly and make the gain of Franerre so little that no nation would ever wish to conquer her. Even so, the folly of empire may make nations blindly throw away money and lives to stoke their egos and pride. Franerre cannot change that fact, only make the cost so high to open their eyes."

"Ashinara has technology and industry thanks to the Gaelians. Franerre has natural resources and diplomatic connections, both in Touli and across Ourhi. We both have a natural enemy in Kumosenkan. Even a fool could see the next logical course of action here, and you are far from a fool. Once I tell this to the Prime Minister and the King, I'm sure we can give you an amazing deal on whatever you wished. Mining taxes removed, favorable treaties on Franerri imports, simply ask. In return, we'd like your industrial investments and technology. And even..." Luca's voice had grown louder and more excited as he continued his speech until he began to trail off, thinking about his next words very carefully. He lowered the volume of his voice, not quite a whisper, but in the extremely unlikely case of any stray ears listening in, they'd hear nothing. Luca took a deep breath. "...what I'm about to say are only for the ears of yourself, your Hetman, and the heads of your military. Do you understand?"

[aimway921]

Tagomych raised his hand slightly, signalling that he has something to say before Luca continues.

"Since we'd now move to questions of military, there is someone I'd like to invite to this conversation," he said. The hand he has raised previously has extended towards the telephone and picked up the receiver. "Bud' laska, zaprosh'te nashego hostia z Vysh-Komu".

A minute later, someone knocked on the door, before entering. It was a fairly young fox woman. Wearing a green-ish colored khaki uniform consisting of knee-high boots, breeches, a jacket and a peaked visor cap, the quality of the uniform was enough to let everyone know that she was an officer. Interestingly enough, she wasn't wearing anything that could be identified as a rank insignia. With each step she took on the hard wooden floor, her boots made a distinctive clanking sound, indicating metal heelplates to further underline her high status in the military.

"Gentlemen," Tagomych said. "Please meet Special Officer Sonya Petliura. She has recently returned from her several year trip to UKUG where she studied at one of the worlds most elite Officer Academies, from where she brought not only knowledge on superior military tactics and equipment that we can implement into our own, but also information, at least what she was able to get, on the general situation in the world. She is the top candidate to fill our currently vacant Chief of Army position, as the previous Chief has retired several days ago due to old age."