Franerre & the Land of Cats (Franerre/Kithium League Diplo)

[callmedelta]

Opinions on the Kithium League in Franerre are...mixed, to say the least. Descendants of the old Tsardom of Roskana, the Kithium League was dominated by people not of native Toulian descent, disqualifying them as 'proper' Toulians in the eyes of some. Yet, Franerre also was host to plenty of Lustians and Luso-Franerri, and most everyone agreed they were 'proper' Toulians. And even if they weren't 'proper' Toulians, the Kithium were a minority in their own country, native Toulians making up over half the population comprised of a few different races. Was it fair to exclude such a large portion of 'proper' Toulians just because they happened to be ruled by a minority who may or may not be considered an outsider? Such questions have kept the Franerri government paralyzed on relations to the Kithium League, but the war in the UST has finally broken the political deadlock: the Kithium League's opinion on the war and future actions must be ascertained.

~

"To the Esteemed Clan Gaalsian,

With the continuing hostilities in the Union of South Touli, the Kingdom of Franerre wishes to send diplomats to Ishu'Gaalsia to discuss what actions the Kithium League will take in the war. Franerre knows that the Kithium League has no love for the Union of South Touli after the seizure of the island of Razu, and coordination between both our nations can only serve to increase the effectiveness of both our actions whatever they may be. Perhaps this may also be a way to pave further relations between our states, should you be willing.

May we find a way forward,
Lehran de Angelis, Director of the Franerri Foreign Affairs Administration."

[VoxApocrypha]

The letter arrived, sometime in the early days of Bellien.
It was transcribed and translated into a Kithium exclusive derivative of Rosark commons, as was procedure, and then sent up the chain by a number of couriers through Clan Manaan, to Clan Gaalsian, the two governing partners that administered the nation on a day to day basis and as well, jointly handled most diplomacy. Every clan could in theory practice diplomacy independently and even exercise a form of sovereignty but the League itself deferred true political and foreign actions potential to the Gaalsian and Manaan as a matter of pride, and as well - tradition.

The war had been raging for months, and the League had not sat idle. It had been watching the conflict with great interest - its regional rival economically and militarily committed to fighting rebels at first, and then to fighting a coalition of two other Touli states and rebels. The League itself hadn't taken an official stance in public - but it was pretty plain what they considered the next step. The League intended in no uncertain terms to involve itself.

The reply came in mid Bellien.

"To Lehran de Angelis, Director of the FFAA,

You may send a diplomatic Delegation consisting only of diplomats and a minimal guard. No delegation will be allowed in Ishu'Gaalsia, and your diplomats will be welcomed to Ishan'Rombarda. Discussions will be held there.

- Foreign Administrations Duties Officer, Talos Ruthan of Clan Manaan."

[callmedelta]

“Hell of an assignment,” Colonel Henri Rochette muttered, staring out over the ocean as the transport steamed towards Kithium League waters. He was this mission’s resident military man, in charge of telling the Kith everything command said was available to be told for this mission to get the League on their side. The Colonel withdrew a lighter and a cigarette from his uniform, only to drop the latter as a large wave slammed against the side of the hull. The fallen cigarette was caught by Yves Lavigne, the man in charge of the FFAA’s smooth talkers for this mission.

“These things will kill you, ya know,” Yves said, staring at the cigarette. Henri had never seen the man, in anything other than this same relaxed, joking state.

“I’ll kill you if you don’t hand it back,” Henri grunted. You learned quick in the army: you didn’t fuck with another man’s sleep, you didn’t fuck with another man’s food, you didn’t fuck with another man’s girl, and you didn’t fuck with another man’s drugs.

Yves just chuckled, handing the cigarette back. “Jeez, learn to lighten up and take a joke, mon ami.” Henri lit up and took a drag, puffing smoke out as Chloe le Sueur, Yves’ second in command, stepped onto the deck. The blonde women was shorter than both men, and the twenty-something both their junior by about ten years. She wore what Henri guessed was a standard dress for the diplomats, given it’s similarities to Yves’, but Chloe accented it with several expensive-looking pieces of jewelry

“How much longer until we get to shore?” Chloe asked, walking up to the two men and standing close to Yves. Reason one Henri didn’t like her: she was a suck up. The one time he’d gotten a glance inside the woman’s room, it had been stuffed full of seemingly everything she could get her hands on about the Kithium League and Roskana, the Republic and the Tsardom. Damn overachiever.

“Three, four hours, I think is what the Captain said last,” Yves said, staring out over the ocean, though Henri didn’t know whether or not he noticed Chloe.

“You would think the Administration could find it somewhere in their budget to fly a plane or two. My father could probably purchase a fleet of them,” Chloe scoffed. Reason two Henri didn’t like her: Chloe was a pampered little princess from some rich family. At the very least, Yves seemed competent enough at his job. Hopefully Chloe would just sit down, shut up, and let the man do his job. Henri didn’t know why the FFAA let women in, anyway.

“Well, I’m heading back down below deck,” Yves said, staring up at the mid-morning sun before walking off. Chloe followed him without a glance in Henri’s direction, which suited the man just fine.

[VoxApocrypha]

The League made some preparations to handle the delegation, but the majority of those preparations were largely focused around being able to first, house them until the end of the month and part of the next, before as well they assembled an actual team to meet the orders laid out by the Empress of the League, and as well, to try to work out if there was to be any real benefit to engaging with Franerre on the international stage. Afterwards, it was just the league waiting for them to arrive. When they did, they'd be met in port by a few patrol boats, and then ordered to dock.

[callmedelta]

After meeting with the patrol ships, the Franerri transport ship made port. Yves led the Franerri party down the ramp to the dock to greet the Kithium League's representatives, Henri, Chloe, and the rest of the party trailing behind him.

[VoxApocrypha]

The Ambassadors would make their way forwards, and examine their counterparts, the Kithium all seeming to generally share the same sort of 'scowl', if one could call it that, as they took in the foreigners.
Then they'd guide them out of the docks, and to a customs building, where they'd be inspected and then given League passage allowances, which were basically a sort of green card. They'd then lead them to a truck, converted to somewhat comfortable transport, and begin to drive the delegation to where the meeting would be taking place.

[callmedelta]

"Some warm welcome we got," Henri muttered in Franerri in the back of the truck. It hit a bump in the road, causing everyone sitting in the back seats to jump up and fall back down on the wooden benches they sat on.

"Second that," Yves groaned, rubbing at his bruised tailbone.

"The three of us are in agreement then," Chloe said, straightening some of the jewelry she wore, "I understand if they don't have all the luxuries of Franerre, but at the very least you would think they could give us a ride in a car."

"So-" Yves was cut off as the truck hit another bump, "Something tells me that it's not exactly that the Kithium League can't provide a car for is. It's that they didn't want to."

Chloe nodded. "Did you see how they looked at us when we arrived? I almost thought they were Henri's cousins with how much they scowled, if it weren't for the fur." Henri just scowled harder at the jab. "See?"

"Regardless," Yves said, "While we'd like them to be our friends in the future, right now we need them to be our allies. Build the first steps to a united Touli. Depending on how this war shakes out, the Tafatu could find themselves with a border to the Kithium League. If that's the case, or if some other new state we can ally pops up, we'd have a land route to Mil'Nor and some of the smaller tribes in the east. Getting the Kith on our side could be big."

"So what you're saying is this mission is really important and we shouldn't fuck it up?" Henri scoffed, "I could have told you that before we left Pareau."

Chloe opened her mouth to say something, only to be cut off by a screech from the truck's breaks. "Sounds like we're here," Yves said, "Everyone on their best behavior."

[VoxApocrypha]

They'd find themselves in the parking area of a walled off building with a flag flying above it, the flag of the League.
Escorted inside of it, they would come to find it to be a sort of a mix between an embassy and a meeting place, to which there were banners belonging to various nations lining the walls as a show to which countries had in the past, arrived and set foot within its halls. The Franerri flag was at the end of the hall to which they had to walk down, and eventually they'd be led into a circular chamber, wit hthe Kithium ambassadors entering the room a moment later from a opposite door. They'd sit down, the scowls on their face remaining as they all would sit, with the clear leader of the group wearing a black and red tunic with a symbol depicting a circle with four arrows pointing outwards would gesture for them to take a seat.

"Welcome to the League." She'd say. "What is your business?"

[callmedelta]

The entire Franerri party would bow to the assembled group of Kith, though Henri and the few guards who had accompanied them did so reluctantly. "We come bearing news from our homeland and King," Yves said, standing and addressing the group. "The Union of South Touli is weak, beset by internal revolt and our just intervention on the side of the Tafatu. Franerre knows the Kithium League holds no love for the Union in their hearts. We wish to propose, if not a unified front against the Union, at the very least some coordination between our two sides so that we may prosecute this war more effectively and ensure there are no accidental incidents of hostility between our sides when there should be none. With me comes Colonel Henri Rochette, who has all of the information about Franerre's actions in the war thus far that our King and Army deems can be shared with the Kithium League, should you accept our proposition for coordination. Thank you." Henri stood at the mention of his name, the rest of the Franerri party doing so as Yves finished speaking.

[VoxApocrypha]

The Gaalsian would gesture to Henri.
"Tis' best then that you speak." She'd say. "What actions have you undertaken against the Union that you feel we need to know, and what are you planning to do."

The Gaalsian seemed expectant, and as well she seemed to be in part disinterested. She'd figured that in a likelihood they already had logically deduced just about every way this could go, and if they were to make any sort of agreements, they weren't going to be with Franerri interests at heart.

Still she wanted to know exactly what they might have the northerners to be thankful for, after all golden opportunities brought at the expense of fools were rare, and oh so coveted by the league.

[callmedelta]

Henri cleared his throat before beginning. "With the efforts of Franerre, Ashinara, and the Tafatu combined, we are able to amass a large force in the northern Tafatu together, the last count of which I was told before leaving being 400,000 rifles. So far, we have taken the cities of Bellen, Le Troi, and Do'rville, and the army should already be marching on Tarafan and Ferville as we speak. In addition, the Franerri Navy has engaged in a blockade of the Union, and should be preparing a naval invasion of the island of B-" Henri cleared his throat. "-Razu as we speak, if they have not launched already. Should the Kithium League agree to at least partially work with Franerre, any Franerri holdings on the island will be surrendered to the Kithium League. In return, Franerre only asks that you allow our Navy use of ports on the island, or in the Kithium League as a whole, to serve as resupply bases for our naval blockade." Of course, Franerre had intended to leave the island to the Union after the war, so it wasn't exactly that large of a prize to give up. "As for Franerre's plans, our government's initial plan was to help the Tafatu with everything they'd claimed, which would be all the way to the city of Juaz, then sue for peace with the Union. That plan may be in need of reconsidering, however, especially if you agree to work together with us."

[VoxApocrypha]

The Gaalsian representative would stare attentively, though really it was the same sort of face one put on to pretend that they were really listening. She didn't have much more in the way of orders than 'Do your job' and 'Make this take as long as possible until the invasion starts, and once it does, we'll have them escorted to their boat and sent him under guard'. And so as she sat, she would take the information to heart and keep it in her mind, while others would write it down.

The initial mispronunciation of the name of the Island would cause one of the older looking Kithium's eye's to twitch briefly.
Though not much other reaction is had until they finish speaking. Thinking to herself, the Gaalsian would think to herself, 'I'd have more in common with an Elenrian than I would with this bunch.'

The Gaalsian would lean back in their seat, clasping their hands together.
"The Kithium League will consider the options of cooperation. The use of our ports is however not a likely outcome." She'd say. "it will have to be considered by another committee for the time."

[callmedelta]

That news shocked the Franerri parts. "May I ask why the use of League ports is an unlikely outcome?" Yves asked, hesitant, "If the Franerri blockade weren't in place, there is a very real chance both our nations could be facing down a larger Union army partially equipped with modern weapons from the mainland, drastically increasing the manpower costs of any conflict with the Union. If the Kithium League Navy is willing to take over or share blockading duties, that's another matter entirely, but unfortunately I can't claim myself knowledgeable about your navy so I don't know if they are capable of such a task. With League ports, the job of the Franerri blockade becomes that much easier."

[VoxApocrypha]

"The League has no reason to lend already limited dockspace for miltiary vessels to a foreign state that so far seems able to effect the blockade on its own." She would reply. "We've already seen a fair lot of changes recently as it stands. And for what we plan to do, you've softened the ground plenty enough. I do not think that the League would otherwise want Franerri naval vessels so close to its waters as well."

She'd cross her legs under the table.
"It's almost winter. Shipping stops around this time for down south and has to be done overland. Until next thaw I see no reason to commit warships or to share ports. THe only nearby power with any form of ice breakers as far as I recall i Kumosenkan, and they have little interest in the UST in any real capacity as far as I recall."

[callmedelta]

Yves began to formulate a counterargument in his mind, before realizing it would fall on deaf ears. He didn't understand why, though. The only potential point of conflict between the two nations Yves could see would be the territory on the island of Razu, and they were more than willing to give that up. Regardless, he stepped aside and let Henri take center stage.

"Another matter to bring up would be the status of your invasion of the Union. It's clear you want the island of Razu, but what isn't so clear is your ambitions beyond that. Is it just the island of Razu? Some territory along the border? An entire partition of the Union? Franerre needs to be sure of these things when drawing her own plans so any potential conflicts can be worked out before they're put into action. The last thing Franerre wants is an accidental conflict with the Kithium League. We Toulian states should move forward in brotherhood and unity without the exploitation of our own citizens or others, not fall to petty squabbles." Yves would owe Henri for regurgitating that line of the Administration's, but at the very least the man did it naturally.