User:Etzan/Sandbox

Star Test

 * Farengeto 3D Flag.png Tekari
 * Gold-star.pngGold-star.pngGold-star.pngGold-star.pngGold-star.pngGold-star.pngGold-star.pngGold-star.png


 * United Free Peoples Flag.png Gustavus Ikeben
 * Gold-star.pngGold-star.pngGold-star.pngGold-star.pngGold-star.pngGold-star.pngGold-star.pngGold-star.pngGold-star.pngGold-star.png

Golden Border


East African Civil War Diplomacy
Ambassador Rayen 3 Sol 3 stepped onto the French transmat, "Office of the French Prime Minister." Knocking on the door now facing him, he entered the office. Rayen did not know why he was here, but the urgency of the summon made it clear something was wrong. "Prime Minister Valery. Greetings. Why have you called me here today? What has transpired?"

Behind the double sliding doors he would find a comfortably furnished office. It was layered with a rug and an array of shelves huddled around a fake fireplace. A large painting of Charles Maurice of Talleyrand hung on one of the walls. On the other side of the room stood a desk, layered with all sorts of data pads, behind which stood the French Prime Minister, his hands on his hips, talking into an earpiece.

"I'm telling you, the logistics of this kind of thing are hard to organize," Valéry was saying. "Yes... Yes... Listen, I'm going to have to call you back. Thanks." He then looked up at the Roreinian clone with a concerned smile. "You'll have to excuse me, ambassador.” He circumnavigated his desk to shake Rayen's hand hurriedly before ushering him into one of the chairs opposite the desk. "Please, sit down."

Rayen cautiously took a seat in the chair. It was hardly what he was used to, not fitting him quite right. "Now then, what do you wish to speak to me about?"

Valéry took a seat on the other side of him. He demeanor was brisk, very slightly agitated. "Listen to me, this is important and we don't have much time. The East Africans intercepted a shipment carrying foreign supplies to the East African Sultanate, enough for a whole army. They determined that were of Roreinian issue, and the president knows. Were you aware that this was happening?" His tone was not accusatory. It bled of empathy, as if they had been both duped by powers beyond their control.

Centuries of practice allowed Rayen to hide a frown. How had their operatives been so sloppy? Himselves would have to clean up this mess. "Smuggling? Prime Minister Valery, Roreinia has declared their support of the people's choice, but we would not violate an international embargo."

Valéry shook his head with disconcertment. "I don't blame you. Governments rarely tell their diplomats such things.” He stood, restless, and walked over to the large glass-pane windows that gave out on to the bustling metropolis of Planet Paris. His hands in his pockets, he started out of them intensely. “You need to know, the President is meeting with the American ambassador in five minutes with the intent of exposing this to the international community and levying sanctions against Roreinia.” He faced the ambassador again. “I came straight to you the moment I found out."

"Sanctions!? We're showing support of a rebel nation, not funding terrorist attacks. What 'proof' do they even have?"

"I don't know all of the details, but the president spent thirty minutes on the phone with the East African delegation. By the end of it, she seemed dead convinced. It's a terrible step, Ambassador. Our two nations are close and I don't think she'd tare down centuries of progress on hearsay. But we can save them, you and me." Valéry took a step back towards the desk and leaned on it with both of his palms. His energy had turned from nervous to determined in an instant, infused with the enthusiasm of a man having just found the perfect solution to a problem. "I can put a stop to that meeting with one phone call. All I need you to do is go to your superiors and tell them to call off supplying the Sultanate. I'll handle the President, and everything will return to normal. It'll all be forgotten. What do you say?"

"Call them off? I've told you..." His voice trailed off and his facial expression showed to the faux age of his memories, reflecting upon his memories of the old days. "There's no point in turning us back to the pointless warring days of our past. I might be able to call them off, and save what I can. But neither myself nor the other versions of myself are going to back down just yet."

"Just yet? Ambassador, people are dying in East Africa, including men from our armed forces. Our people are being killed by your guns. Think about that.” He paused for a brief second to let it sink in. “Now think about how the President feels about that."

"I will convince my brethren to withdraw military support. But you're not going to change the side we choose, and even if you did I'd never be able to convince the rest of me. We keep our guns out and you keep the President quiet."

Valéry nodded and immediately grabbed for his earpiece. "Catherine, this is Valéry. Delay the American delegation. Tell them something––anything. I need to have a word with the President immediately. Thank you." The communication finished, Valéry turned back to the Roreinian and extended a hand. "You can count on me, Ambassador. Our two nations may be on opposite sides of this argument––and I have the utmost respect for that––but we can keep ourselves civilized in arguing it."

Rayen shook Valery's hand, "As long as we can keep our countries out of war. You weren't there for World War III."

"No I wasn't." Valéry replied. "But I was a soldier in war myself, and I do not wish that kind of experience on anyone else. You know the way out. Take good care of yourself." He made is way to the door at a brisk pace, far ahead of the ambassador, and began to walk down the lengthy corridor separating his office from that of the President.



''The arrow flies true. It's never a good idea to back a predator against a wall with no means of escape. That's when they become desperate, and a desperate enemy is far more dangerous than a sane and cautious one. The trick is to threaten them with a stick in one hand while offering them a deal they can't refuse with the other. They will be only too eager to eat right out of your palm. I hit a snag when he tried to delay his way out, but I only had to make him see the supposed direness of the situation to make him fall back in line. As for me, I will speak to the President. Truth be told, she knows nothing about the Roreinians in East Africa nor about the fact that I just met with the Roreinian ambassador; I have kept her in the dark for far too long.''