[Laeral]

The Conference at Maivers

Château de Maivers, Choisel, Laeral

In the centuries-old banquet hall of the Arrivée lord's manor house sat the leaders and highest officials of seven nations. Four Presidents, a Prime Minister, a Chancellor, three princes, six cabinet ministers, and numerous generals and advisers, sitting in a horseshoe-shaped arrangement of tables. The precedent and seating alone had taken Foreign Ministry staffers hours to resolve. Dozens of elite security personnel, many highly trained killers, from seven nations and speaking numerous foreign languages had taken up residence on the property. Extra Gendarmes had been brought in from Laeralsford to patrol the grounds, keeping the media away and preventing any incidents from occurring. Within the banquet hall itself, however, there was silence as the plenary session began, with only the heads of state, their highest officials, and a few select advisers present. Liu Mei-han, elected president of Laeral, took in the spectacle of the assembled dignitaries, marking the significance of the moment in her mind. As a professor of International Relations, she'd once taught classes of college students about gatherings like this, but despite the years she'd spent as WA Ambassador, she'd never once been present at a gathering of this magnitude.

She looked around, as if to survey the leaders she was serving as hostess, and then stood up from behind the Laeralian table. She had made notes for her opening address, but she was fortunate enough to have the knack of memorizing her speeches. She was pleased that her voice didn't waver as she spoke- English hadn't been her first language.

"All of us have played parts in our respective nations' diplomacy, but few of us have had the opportunity to look the leaders of our fellow nations in the eye and come to an understanding. It is my sincere belief that by bringing people together, we have the best possible chance to understand one another and find a positive way forward. The world has watched the developments in the South Xiomera Sea with concern. Accusations have been thrown about, ships have been deployed...and yet I believe that no one in here wants a conflict, especially seeing as no one has been killed, or even hurt, by the events that have transpired so far. But even small events have a way of taking on lives of their own, unless opportunities are taken to prevent this.

"The fact that so many of our leaders have come here today shows that the willingness exists for peace. But peace in Catica means more than just the absence of conflict. It means continued economic growth, and prosperity. It means collaboration in the arts and sciences, and the opportunities to advance all of our nations through the bounties of growth and trade. It means that our young men and women will be able to live their lives and grow their families. These are the benefits we have enjoyed from a peaceful Catican continent, and this is what we stand to lose should a conflict erupt in the seas of Catica, either now or in the future.

"Like any other nation in the IDU, Laeral stands to gain from continued peace in Catica. And so, I have done my best to create here at Maivers an environment in which contemplation and productive discussion can flourish. The formal discussion is being kept to a minimum; instead, my hope is that discussion in small groups will lead to real understanding between everyone here. The staff are here to facilitate that, and the château's rooms and the outbuildings are at your disposal to meet one-on-one. By speaking to one of the Laeralian diplomats, we can set this up and guarantee privacy. I, for one, hope to meet with representatives of every nation during our time here. I believe that by meeting with one another, we can find our common sentiments and goals, so that we can release these in a joint statement at the end of the conference. I also hope that we can agree on a common set of best practices for our respective navies to adopt in order to avoid conflict, including back-channels between our military leaderships, and if possible a formal multilateral agreement on sea boundaries, to unify World Assembly and national law on sea borders off Catica's shores.

"But to begin, while we're all assembled in here together, I'd like to hear an opening statement from each of the delegations, so that we can all understand where each of us is coming from, what we hope to accomplish, and what your thoughts are on potential solutions, including those I've mentioned. In the interests of productive dialogue, I urge everyone to avoid accusations or recrimination, and instead speak honestly and purposefully so that we can work towards our common goal of Catican peace."

She took a breath, feeling the eyes of the assembled dignitaries on her. "Is there anyone who would like to speak?" she asked.

[Zamastan]

President Sakzi stood following President Mei-han's invitation to the open floor. He had been taking the strong man's stance ever since the crisis began, but it wasn't his ego or his desire for Zamastan's global position as a military superpower to be flexed - that was already obvious to the IDU. It was the fact that so many Zamastanians approved of the continued pressure Zamastan had been placing on Xiomera. It was rare for politicians from each side of the aisle to agree on something deemed so controversial in the rest of the IDU, and so Sakzi knew that taking advantage of the political friendliness was the best course of action. Today at Maivers, he would continue that stance. Maybe Zamastan would still come out on top, or at the very least, other nations would concede their condemnations in lieu of anything else.

"Thank you, Madam President, for hosting this conference. For some of us, it is the first time we've met. For others, it is the first time we've met in the age of a reformed Zamastan. Our nation has expressed the desire for change. I appreciate the opportunity to lead in this stage. I'm aware of the urgency of this meeting, As the President said, I will keep my formalities to a minimum."

Sakzi gestured towards the Xiomeran Crown Prince Texōccoatl, with a nod before continuing. He wanted this subtle move to be an acknowledgement to his now foe.

"I do want to express my gratitude to my fellow heads of state for agreeing to attend this summit. Your willingness to talk through the current situation we find our region in is commendable. I also want to express my thanks to our dear allies, United New England, for standing with us."

Sakzi turned his attention to President Tyagi-Kennedy of UNE. "Madam President, you and your nation have always been faithful allies and friends to the Zamastanian people. I look forward to continuing the partnership we have. It's good to meet you." Tyagi-Kennedy nodded in response.

"As for the rest of this group, I want to make it clear. The Zamastanian community stands behind our military. We maintain the assertion that Xiomera was the aggressor in this case, and while we have acknowledged our error in navigation, fired the Admiral responsible, and changed course to align international waters, the Xiomeran navy performed quick and dangerous maneuvers that greatly risked the safety of not only our fleet, but theirs as well. Their response was swift despite the minor breach. The fleet traversed less than two kilometers into their waters, all the while at an angle of 10 degrees acute, which means the path was skimming international waters and was never on a straight course towards the Xiomeran mainland."

Sakzi looked at one of his aides, who set two visuals up on stands behind the President. One of the images was of the Xiomeran ship that came within fifty feet of the Zamastanian cruiser, with measurements highlighted in red. The second image was grainy, but clear enough to see the Xiomeran jets on the horizon.

"These images are proof of the excessive use of force Xiomera utilized. We want to make it clear that our own digression of standing down from using force in retaliation is proof of OUR means of maintaining a clear head. The Xiomeran navy blew the chaos out of proportion. Zamastan has nothing to apologize for beyond our navigation error - which we have admitted. We wish for a dismissal of the international condemnation and a reversal of Xiomeran policy of their response to minor breaches of territorial waters. Under those circumstances, we will pull our forces down to a third of our current positions in the Holish Islands and the South Xiomera Sea. We will also pull back on any remaining tariffs on Xiomeran goods. Thank you."

Sakzi sat, with an aide smiling in approval. The President looked over to the Xiomeran delegation, waiting for a response.

[Xiomera]

The Crown Prince silently listened to Sakzi's opening statement. As he rose to give his response, and lay out the Xiomeran position on the matter, he took a deep breath. He had talked the possible options over with Secretary for International Affairs Nōlinyauh, who had drilled him relentlessly on how to conduct oneself in such an international meeting. The Secretary had also ruthlessly drilled the Crown Prince on the possible responses the other nations attending the talks might give, and what the Empress expected as far as a Xiomeran response. He was as prepared as he was going to be.

Texōccoatl's famous grin lit up his face as he began. "On behalf of the Xiomeran Empire, I would like to also thank President Mei-han and Laeral for graciously agreeing to host these talks. Your willingness to take on such a difficult issue is a credit to your leadership and that of your nation, and Xiomera is grateful for the invitation to attend. In addition, I would also like to thank my fellow leaders for attending these talks as well. It is the position of the Xiomeran Empire that only through discussion, mutual respect and compromise that the stability and prosperity of the IDU, and our nations individually, can be guaranteed. The Xiomeran Empire is eager to be part of that process."

Texōccoatl took a small tablet out of his suit pocket. "On behalf of the Xiomeran Empire, we would like to begin by outlining our position on this matter, and what our proposals are to address it."

"The Xiomeran Empire takes no position on the matter of condemnations issued by our neighbors concerning this incident, or any others which followed it. While we deeply appreciate their support, we do not presume to tell our neighbors what actions their governments may or may not undertake," Texōccoatl said, drawing a distinction between Xiomeran actions and Zamastanian ones without having to actually say the words. "Therefore, we see no problem with whatever action our neighbors or allies who have spoken on this matter may choose to take concerning these condemnations. If they wish to withdraw them, in the interest of cooperation, they are welcome to. It is our belief that the determination of our neighbors concerning the position of the Xiomeran Empire on this matter has been made abundantly clear, without need for further discussion." Again, Texōccoatl let his words speak for themselves subtly; the position of all of those neighbors, after all, had been that Xiomera was in the right concerning the incursion.

"In regards to the other request from the Zamastanian government, however, that we 'reverse our policy' in regards to responding to territorial breaches. I must regretfully state that Xiomera will not accept any preconditions on the terms under which it may choose to patrol or defend its sovereign territory. The Zamastanian government continues to label their incursion into our waters as a 'minor' breach, and uses the illustrations given a moment ago as 'proof' of this. But this is not consonant with the full facts of the matter. To illustrate my point further, let us look at a comparative example."

The Crown Prince scrolled briefly on his tablet to check his notes. "On October 13th, 2019, a single Gladysynthian tank crossed the Danaska River, entering Zamastanian territory. Zamastanian forces responded by destroying the tank. One could argue the Gladysynthian tank's crossing the border was a 'minor' breach of Zamastanian territory, yet Zamastan's military responded by completely destroying the intruder." Texōccoatl calmly scrolled further through the notes on his tablet. "Compare this to the Zamastanian incursion into our waters, which involved an entire Zamastanian fleet entering our territorial waters, remaining there for almost two full hours, refusing to respond to repeated Xiomeran requests to withdraw, and then initiating the very same 'spine' maneuvers against Xiomeran ships that were just illustrated in the pictures presented by the Zamastanian delegation."

Texōccoatl quietly laid down his tablet. "So, how do we define a 'minor' breach of one's sovereign territory? One tank is apparently enough to merit a violent and destructive response, for some nations, but for other nations, they are apparently expected to simply allow foreign ships to violate their territory for extended periods and accept it." The Crown Prince shook his head. "I am sure all of us here can see how inherently unfair this position is to Xiomera. It is also worth noting that Xiomera has done nothing whatsoever to merit any restrictions on how it may defend its own territory. We did not attack the intruding ships, nor initiate hostile activities against them, in the incident in the South Xiomeran Sea. We have also made no moves whatsoever to hinder Zamastanian ships passing through international waters near Xiomera before, or since, this incident occurred. In fact, not a single nation other than Zamastan has alleged that the Xiomeran Empire has done anything at all to hinder their ships, or threaten them, or endanger shipping through the waters near Xiomera. Indeed, since Xiomera is a nation whose economy is powered by international trade, it would be foolish of us to do so. So there is simply no merit to the suggestion that we pose any threat to anyone in Catica, or anywhere else."

Texōccoatl looked around the room. "In fact, no Xiomeran military forces whatsoever have left our territory, other than small groups of military advisors sent to our allied partners, either on land or by sea, anytime in the past decade. We are amazed that anyone, frankly, perceives us as a threat when we never even leave home."

Texōccoatl paused for a moment. "Our response to the incursion into our sovereign waters has been described as 'swift', 'quick', 'dangerous', and that of an 'aggressor'. Would a truly aggressive nation have allowed intruding ships to remain in their waters for almost two hours, with those intruding ships refusing to respond, and engaging in provocative maneuvers? How many of the nations assembled here would have, I wonder?" the Crown Prince said. "It is unlikely, frankly, that Zamastan's navy would have shown similar restraint to a Xiomeran fleet engaging in such acts in their own waters. I would say 'just ask that Gladysynthian tank driver', but we really can't, now can we?" Texōccoatl laughed slightly. "Therefore, in regards to how we patrol our own sovereign territory, regretfully, Xiomera is not prepared to make concessions on that matter. Asking us to 'change our policy' in regards to such a right, in order to conform to others' demands, is akin to asking us to give up our safety and our independence. No nation should ever be asked to do this, and I doubt few nations would ever willingly agree to such terms."

Texōccoatl smiled again, an expression of openness on his features. "However, in the interest of maintaining good relations, we are willing to consider confidence-building measures, such as setting up a back-channel hotline between Xiomera and any other interested parties, such as Zamastan. This would provide a means of de-escalating potential conflicts, or resolving issues such as the one which arose on the South Xiomeran Sea between our two fleets. In addition, we are willing to discuss mechanisms for advising of routine fleet movements or patrols, such as the 'freedom of navigation' patrols Zamastan's navy pursues, to ensure no further misunderstandings." Texōccoatl paused for another moment. "A formal multi-lateral agreement on naval boundaries, and actions to be taken by naval forces concerning those boundaries, would also be quite acceptable to the Xiomeran Empire, depending on the terms. We are also quite interested to hear what other suggestions the nations participating here may have to offer. The position of the Xiomeran Empire, quite frankly, is that we have done nothing wrong. But in the interest of regional cooperation, we will always engage in discussion with our neighbors and the other nations of the IDU. We are here with an open mind, and will happily discuss any measures of mutual cooperation that do not harm Xiomera's national security interest. With that, I leave the floor open to anyone else who may wish to speak, and I thank you for this time." Texōccoatl sat back down, his expression one of calmly poised waiting.

[Zamastan]

Sakzi sat stunned as the Crown Prince meticulously broke apart his argument. He was the Speaker of the Chamber during the Gladysynthian incursion, and thus did not have say in the military going-ons of the Bishop administration. However, he could not use that as a rebuttal - four Gladysynthian troops were killed when the tank crossed the border, a clear show of aggression from Zamastan. However, the Prince failed to use context, regardless of the circumstance. Sakzi was going to go on the offensive in another route. He was going to make the Prince's comments personal.

"Your highness," President Sakzi said, as he stood once again, "I do not condone your reference to our internal matter with Gladysynthia. You would know, as would anyone familiar with the history of our nation's relations with Gladysynthia, that time and time again, they have been the aggressors!" Sakzi's voice rose. "In 1970, Gladysnthian armies in the hundreds of thousands poured over the river. They killed hundreds of our country men. They rained rockets down on Providence. They destroyed hospitals and shot families in their cars as they fled - Gladysynthia is more than any enemy we have faced. Their government has an unrelenting hate for Zamastan. That isn't an open verbal attack on the people of Gladysynthia, no, that is the fact. They have sent terrorists to bomb our cities. Just this year, a Gladysynthian terrorist operating from orders of Premiere LaFlaunce detonated a bomb at a cafe in Kingston. Two people, a young married couple, died in the blast. Each time a Gladysynthian military operative comes across our border, someone gets hurt. And don't forget, several days prior to the destruction of the tank on the Danaska River, a supposedly "stray" bullet from the Gladysynthian side of the border killed one of our soldiers."

Sakzi could feel himself turning red. "My love for my country is something I take great pride in. My countrymen know this much. I will never back down from defending my nation, in any way. We take responsibility when we are absolutely wrong."

The Crown Prince watched, as did the rest of the delegations. A few faces showed emotions, but in general, the heads of state and lead delegates remained stoic. Sakzi's voice lowered, and he stared directly at Texōccoatl. "My father was killed by a Gladysynthian rocket on his way to work in 1970. My brother was maimed by a Vulkarian bomb while he attended a pride parade in 1982. All of this happened on Zamastanian soil. So don't you dare speak to me about aggression."

He could feel a shift in the attitude in the room. Most of these people had only seen Foley as an aggressive war monger void of compassion. These revelations would hopefully shift things in a new light. Sakzi pointed to his chest.

"I have a bullet," he said, "right here. It's lodged in my rib."

Sakzi pointed to his right forearm. "I have a scar here. It goes through both sides," he turned his arm, indicating where the marks were below his suit. "I took these in Vulkaria. You all know why we were in Vulkaria. We were stopping the growth of camps that spawned terrorists that kept killing not only Zamastanians, but Lauchenoirians, and Laeralites, and Maximusians, and Eirians, and United New Englanders, and Legionites, and the citizens of Shen and Xiomera alike all over the world. Zamastan stands for freedom and justice. Your insinuation that protecting our people in the midst of that background, your highness, as anything to the extent you described, is an insult. Not just to me, but to all of Zamastan. Surely, your "open mind" did not forget that.

Shame on you."

Sakzi sat, glaring at Texōccoatl with a solid gaze. His face was red.

[Xiomera]

Texōccoatl did not allow himself to reciprocate or feed the raw emotion generated by his remarks on Sakzi's part. He remembered a lesson his father, Topilpopoca, had taught him once.

---

Tlālacuetztla, 1986

When he was a small child, before Topilpopoca had even become Emperor, Texōccoatl had gotten into a fight with some other children at school. Texōccoatl had expected his father to be furious. Instead, Topilpopoca was introspective. He asked Texōccoatl why the fight had started. Texōccoatl said that the other children had been insulting him, and it had made him angry.

Topilpopoca wasn't angry with his son; he was disappointed. "This is not what I have taught you," he told Texōccoatl disapprovingly. "You are to be a leader someday. A leader does not let his emotions rule him. He uses his emotions, surely, to fuel his power. But he does not let the emotions lead him. A true leader is obsidian. He lets the fire of anger wash over him. When the fire passes....only he remains, as hard and as sharp as before the fire came. Obsidian is born from fire, and so you must be....born of fire, made of fire, but never letting that fire consume you. Remember this now, because if you forget again, I will punish you for it," Topilpopoca had told him.

---

Maivers, 2019

As he watched Sakzi sit down, red-faced, the Crown Prince of today remembered the words that the small child had learned from his father, who would go on to become an Emperor. Rather than stand up, so as not to appear confrontational, Texōccoatl chose to remain seated while responding.

"President Sakzi, I apologize if my words caused you pain, or were offensive," the Crown Prince replied. "That was not my intent. Nor was it my intent to belittle the efforts you or your country have made in the past to combat terrorists or aggressors. But the tragedies you have described only reinforce all the more the need for us to look past emotion, or whatever blinders we may have on concerning these matters, and seek a way to ensure peace and international cooperation through these talks. Your country has been repeatedly threatened by the Gladysynthians, as you state. You know, then, how that feels. Please try to see this from the Xiomeran perspective - from our point of view, we are the ones now being threatened, for no reason that we can discern. Many people have been brought to harm by the conflicts you describe over the years - there is no need for us to add any more to that list. This is the very sort of thing that the Xiomeran Empire is trying to avoid - so that no other brothers, or sons, or fathers, or indeed anyone else, need suffer such tragedies. We seek a fair compromise that respects everyone involved, and allows everyone involved to be free of fear or danger. This is the very purpose of this conference. Rather than continue to let the past color our actions, we hope to move forward into a better future. If we remain focused on the goals of everyone here, these talks can ensure such a future. That is a future we wish for both our people and yours."

Texōccoatl stopped talking at that point, waiting for someone else to speak.

[Democratic Republic Of Eiria]

Chancellor William Lancaster cleared his throat. "I agree, Mister President, that you were justified in the destruction of the Gladysynthian Tank, and correct about the history. We are sorry for all you and your people have lost during that history."

""However..." He continued. "The main problem here is not only what each side did, but their justification. You were justified with Gladsynthia, but when Xiomera was justified in their defense, you doubled down, and even brought Legionas into this. Why? I will surely withdraw our Condemnation, if we can make more sense of the situation. And Thank you, President Liu, For taking the initiative to host a peace conference to end this".

[Legionas]

At the mention of his country, Prime Minister Nicholas Moretti knew he had to speak. He let Chancellor William Lancaster finish and headed up to the open floor. His mind was crystal clear, Legionas must come out of this conference with a win. He'd already managed to play President Sazki into announcing that no Zamastanian ships would enter within 100 miles of the mainland. The Sharanfo Conference, in his mind, had been simply a way for the Shen Empire to create a Bloc that would dominate the Maivers Conference. The only way for anything meaningful to be achieved would be if every nation involved would be on equal ground.

Moretti took a deep breath and quickly scanned the room. He could see that President Sazki was still red after his offensive against the Crown Prince of Xiomera. Everyone at the conference knew that the main point of conflict would be between Xiomera and Zamastan and Moretti made sure not to aggravate the Zamastanian Premier, at least not yet. He took out a small paper from his breast pocket containing the main summarized points he was to expound on in his speech.

"Thank you Madame President for hosting this esteemed conference. I, personally, have never met some of you esteemed Ladies and Gentlemen which I'm sure will change during our stay here. We are here to ensure that we are all on the same page in regards of how to handle this delicate issue we find ourselves in today. We are all aware of the urgency of this meeting and thus I'll keep my formalities short."

"Of course I'd like to thank everyone for attending this conference, It shows that we are all committed to peace on the continent and the entire International Democratic Union. I'm sure we will be able to resolve all misunderstandings that may have occurred during the last few weeks."

Prime Minister thought for a second, his intense gaze fixed on President Sazki, unsure of how to proceed. "My deepest sympathies to President Sazki and the whole of Zamastan for all they've had to deal with these last few decades. I was also an army man, I fought the Vulkarians who were unrelentingly murdering innocent civilians of all nations . I've been shot twice, one bullet grazed my ribs and another got lodged in my abdomen. I respect you, President Sazki, you are a passionate patriot who would do anything for your country. I'm sure we all are patriots and would do anything for our respective nations, that's why we are here to protect innocent civilians from conflicts that we can resolve amicably."

"Legionas stands firm in its focus to ensure peace and stability in Catica but we never back down from any position we feel is justified, we are a nation of many people, some are immigrants from your respective nations, we are united in the belief that Zamastan's actions towards us have been wholly unjustified, Let me show you some images taken on board LN Illustrious, the flagship of the Third Fleet during an interception by Zamastanian Jets."

He motioned for his aide and personal secretary to set up the visuals to Moretti's left. One of the images showed a Zamastanian jet flying less than 50 feet from the deck of the carrier and the other showed the four jets attempting a low altitude pass on the LN Illustrious and her sister carrier the LN Revenge . "These jets are Zamastan's Zian 3R attack aircraft designated to the Zamastanian Navy's second Fleet. There are four jets involved in this stunt, and I would like to pose a question to President Sazki. What if we shot down those jets, would the blood be on our hands or yours? Would we be justified to defend our ships from reckless pilots? Admiral Wilson was well within his rights to order the destruction of these planes, four lives would have been lost because of the reckless ambition of an Admiral that was clearly unaware of the naval power of Legionas."

Prime Minister Moretti realized that he was taking longer than expected and thus decided to cut he speech short. "I'm sure we will be able to resolve this, once again thank you Madame President for hosting this conference and I thank all of you for allowing me to speak. I now invite the next person to the floor." He motioned for his aide and secretary to remove the visuals and returned to his seat, lost in thought and waiting for the next person to speak.

[Shen]

While the other delegates had taken turns to stand up and speak their mind, ambassador Lee Shing had been sitting there. So quiet that you would not have been blamed if you had forgotten the empire of Shen had even agreed to attend the conference.

While the elected president of lareal, had so eloquently started the conference the Ambassador had opened up his travel bag, and removed a long wooden pipe and a matching bag of tobacco.

The elder man, whos thinning hair was the color of snow slowly falling onto volcanic ash, had slowly packed the equally ancient wooden pipe as the president had given the floor, to president Sakazi. Silently listening as the head of state made his case. his expression remained unmoved. The chiseled forms of his lips only parting slightly to insert the wooden pipe. When it was time for the prince of Xiomera to make a rebuttal he ignited the pipe and slowly sucked in the rich and flavorful tobacco. Keeping the toxic fumes in his mouth as he reached up with his free hand to stroke his wispy beard. Listening to the young man make his case eloquently. Although it did not elicit an emotional reaction from the statuesque figure only moving to make his smoking easier.

When the president stood upwards and made his fiery and passionate rebuttal towards the prince, the Ambassador turned his head downward as his own mind began to think over the issue at hand.

He pondered as the gears within his head slowly turned. Pushed forward by the smoke from his pipe as if he was a locomotive. He allowed the other two delegations to say their own piece as he thought over his own words. It was only after moriette had said spoken that the Ambassador finally started to slowly rise out of the chair.

The old man took one final table with his pipe and then tapped the end of it onto the table drawing everyone's attention towards him.

With a Grumble and a huff the ancient figure slowly Rose from his chair. Two of his aides shooting over to help the man stand fully erect.

He turned his attention to the president. Adjusting the large circular glasses that we're perched ever so precariously on his wrinkly wart-covered nose.

That chiseled expression he had warned finally gave way to a polite Smile as he turned his attention to Liu Mei-han.

He started out speaking in his native language. One that the ancient empire and the allied provinces born out of an equally ancient empire, shared as a common cultural Touchstone.

"... I should start by thanking you madam president for hosting this conference. You have picked a truly historic location for such a historic meeting"

Anyone fluent in the language could hear the unusual emphasis on the word historic. It was not surprising. Most Shen would view an arrive manor house, as quite a historic building. A monument to colonialism. To the destruction degradation and near Extinction of the legendary dragon of the North.

Switching back to a language the rest of the conference had been spoken in, the Ambassador took another small huff of the pipe tobaco, letting the small clouds of smoke slowly flow out of his mouth as he spoke.

"... every nation has a right to a sense of security. I don't think anyone here would argue with that. It's hardly a controversial statement. How we choose to respond to violations of sovereign territory is directly associated with maintaining a feeling of security and safety. While I'm sure there's plenty of criticism to go around this table about our policies related to security, the purpose of this conference isn't to air grievances. Weather Zamastan destruction of the Gladysynthian tank was right or wrong is irrelevant. That tank was a foreign tank within the Sovereign territory of Zamastan and they have every right in the world to deal with Intruders as they see fit. Likewise, Xiomera has every right in the world to deal with Intruders as they see fit. As do we all. The question of this conference shouldn't be whether our reactions to Intruders is right or wrong. Because ultimately it is not up to the world to decide how we handle Intruders. That is a personal matter to be settled by the Sovereign governments of every sovereign state. The question we should be asking is how do we make sure that we don't allow a situation like this to occur again."

The old man took another long huff of the pipe. Sucking in the toxic smoke and holding it in his lungs as he looked around to observe the reactions of everyone to his simple and plain defense of national sovereignty.

"Shen and Zamastan, have been good neighbors for a considerable period of time. In our history, there have been very few…. Unfortunate incidents at our border. My government has maintained a firm commitment to preventing any such incidences from occurring. There are 50 kilometers between the border and any military installation of any significant worth within the empire. And we do not drill or do maneuvers within those 50000 meters, as to avoid making unnecessarily provocative moves. We do this out of the deep sense of respect for our neighbors. Perhaps the best way to prevent an incident like this from happening again is to apply that same respect to All Nations here at the conference. Rather than traveling unnecessarily close to each other's Sovereign Waters and risking provocation, we all agree to an additional exclusionary Zone extending outward from our shores past our sovereign Waters. A zone that is large enough to buffer any accidental navigational errors and prevent them from becoming International incidences. But still small enough as to not overly restrict our freedom to navigate the open ocean. Perhaps ahh...75 kilometers?" the Ambassador said, before relinquishing the floor

The old man finally collapsed back to his chair with another Grunt and more groans. Satisfied that he had presented an idea that could actually prevent this from happening again

A few wet coughs were violently expelled by the Ambassador as he pulled up a handkerchief to cover his mouth. His ids quickly ran to his side only for the ambassador to shoo them away just as quickly.

"... my apologies. I have lived long enough to see my health become a distant memory."

The old man slowly gripped his pipe between his teeth and sucked on the toxic fumes as his milky eyes slowly moved around the table

[United New England]

President Elizabeth Tyagi-Kennedy of United New England had waited quietly while the leaders of the other nations each spoke in turn. UNE was not a major player in the affairs of the International Democratic Union and often took a neutral stance in conflicts. ETK was meeting multiple heads of state for the first time at this conference and did not feel comfortable speaking up until everyone else had already shared their thoughts.

She spoke warmly to Liu Mei-han. “Thank you for inviting us here to peacefully discuss the recent controversy in the IDU,” she began. “As usual, President Liu, I greatly respect your level-headed leadership.” ETK admired Liu, a fellow liberal female president whom she saw as an ally. ETK, whose sharp mind was prone to anxiety, secretly wished that she could exude the calm confidence of the Laeralian leader. UNE had a tendency to choose bookish and slightly awkward heads of state compared to other nations, and conferences of this sort were not usually their strong suit. ETK was no exception.

She stood up, looked around at the rest of the leaders, and took a deep breath. “President Sakzi is correct in stating that UNE generally supports Zamastan. After all, we are both primarily English-speaking presidential democracies. Our two nations are natural allies.” In the back of her mind, ETK wondered vaguely whether she sounded like a lecturing schoolteacher, something she had been accused of previously. Still, she wanted her fellow leaders to know that she was more interested in supporting the nation of Zamastan as a whole than in supporting President Sakzi specifically. She found him overly conservative, not to mention arrogant and belligerent.

ETK continued, “As President Sakzi mentioned, Zamastan has already admitted to their minor navigation error and even fired an admiral over it. They are willing to compromise with other nations by minimizing their forces and repealing tariffs. In my view, these are resonable steps forward that demonstrate their positive intentions.”

She paused and took another deep breath. “I do not wish to comment on past conflicts between Zamastan and Gladysynthia. UNE is concerned with the current diplomatic situation, and that is where my focus will remain. Thank you all for listening.” ETK sat back down and took a sip of water, less because she was thirsty and more because she didn’t know what else to do while all of the other leaders were still looking at her.

[Zamastan]

President Sakzi nodded in President Tyagi-Kennedy's direction, giving her a smile and a thumbs up. United New England was Zamastan's most loyal and important ally in this conference, and he wanted to be sure that his colleague knew what she was doing was valuable. He leaned over to one of his aides and whispered,

"Set aside some time for President Tyagi-Kennedy and I to talk one on one," he said, "I would like to establish some ground for our bilateral moves."

"Yes sir," his aide said, scribbling down on a notepad. "I'll meet with her aides in a little while once we've been dismissed by President Liu."

"Good," Sakzi concluded.

Secretary of State Avi Tremblan, who was one of the longest serving secretaries of anyone in the Presidential cabinet (serving since President Zacharias Castovia, beginning in January 2016), spoke next in Sakzi's ear. "Sir, if I may, we should be able to set up a meeting with President Liu and her delegation as well. I see the Laeralites having their neutrality as a threatening force to us."

"In what way, Avi?" President Sakzi shot back, quietly.

"In the way that their neutrality threatens economic purposes and security. President Liu is smart, and I'm sure she'll follow along with us in agreement, but I believe that bringing all our most potentially aggressive foes to the table is not great for our underlying goals."

"You told me this before we left, Avi."

"I know, sir, but I'm reiterating. Seeing them bring up things in mutual agreement is a worry for me," Secretary Tremblan said.

"I would sympathize with those concerns, Mister President." Secretary of Defense Curtis Fondaden whispered over Tremblan's shoulder. "We at least need to talk with Liu. Nothing critical of her at all, just an affirmation that Laeral's standing with Zamastan is consistent with past precedents - like with Bishop's and Castovia's administrations."

Sakzi nodded. "Deal. Set that up too, please."

"Yessir," his aide acknowledged once again.

[Laeral]

President Liu stood up and nodded in recognition as President Tyagi-Kennedy - ETK, as she was commonly known- finished her statement. Liu was fond of the younger woman; however much her political opponents might criticize her for it, ETK's academic demeanor lent itself well to one of the most level-headed, sensible leaders in the IDU. The two aligned ideologically as well; Liu still remembered ETK's endorsement on Election Night 2018.

"I would like to thank all of the leaders here for their frankness and candor," she said. "I believe that we've learned a lot about each other's positions, and the reasons behind these stances, in just the short time that we've been assembled here. I will now call the plenary session to a close. I urge us all to take the opportunity to meet with one another before we resume tomorrow morning. Laeral's Foreign Minister, Tanvi Misra, and I will try to meet with every delegation to discuss what's been said here today. By tomorrow morning's session, I will have a draft memorandum and agreement ready for discussion.

"Each delegation has been assigned lodgings somewhere in the outbuildings; the Federal Marshals will direct you each to your lodgings. Please don't hesitate to reach out to the staff here if there are any issues with your accommodations. Once again, many thanks, and I hope to have another productive session tomorrow."

[Democratic Republic Of Eiria]

(Co-Post with the Helpful [nation]Zamastan[/nation])

Chancellor William Lancaster, Alice Lancaster, Chief Admiral Maria Circé, And Minister of National Defense Richard Sanders followed the Laeralian Diplomat down the hall. Château Mauviers was certainly impressive. The aide stopped at a meeting room door, where the Zamastanian Delegation was waiting. The Laeralian, Sean Yang, unlocked the door and showed them inside. "If you need anything else, just ask!". He said before closing the door. They took their seats, and Alice cleared her throat. "Well, Thank you for agreeing to meet us".

President Sakzi stood to take the hands of the Eirians. "My pleasure, Mister Chancellor and Madam Minister. Before we begin, Alice, I want to apologize for the situation I put you in during our phone call prior to the conference. I'm sure I came across as hostile, and while I believe in my stance, I regret my outpouring of emotion. I hope we can put that behind us."

"Thank you. I am sorry as well, I did kind of loose my temper as well". Will glanced at Alice, eyebrows raised with a silent question. She gave him a subtle shake of her head. He turned back to Sazki. "Well, The reason we called you here is to discuss the withdrawal of our Condemnation. We take no pleasure condemnimg you, and as soon as we can get it over with, the less tension there will be. However, we are not sure if that is the right thing to do, given tensions right now are so high, and both sides have flexed their might militarily".

"I'm glad you recognize that, Mister President," said President Sakzi in response. "I'm hoping we can just resolve all of this. Listen, the Zamastanian people don't like getting pushed around. To us, it seemed like a threat. And of course, I would like to express my thanks for meeting me here instead of going to Shen. That would've blown things further out of proportion, and so I appreciate it. You really do want the best for the region, I can tell." Sakzi stopped and reached his arm out to one of his aides, who handed him some paper. "May I propose something?"

Will Shrugged. "Of Course. Fire Away".

Sakzi placed the paper down on the table in front of President Lancaster. "This is a plan we've been developing for offshore energy systems in Zamastan," Sakzi said, smiling. "They take water from the ocean, super-heat it using power generated from wind above the waves, and the vaporized water creates a sort of propulsion to fans that chugs them away. This thing generates clean, renewable energy at the same rates as coal plants."

Secretary Avi Tremblan spoke up, "this obviously doesn't have anything to do with the Xiomera crisis, but here's what we propose," he paused, looking at Chancellor Lancaster. "This proponents and the blueprints for these systems will be given to you for free... as in no payment necessary, on two conditions: one, you publicly un-condemn Zamastan, and two, Eiria allows Zamastan to pass naval vessels through their waters. This isn't a quid-pro-quo, Mister Chancellor, this is actually extremely beneficial!""

"For one," President Sakzi began, "you'll have a new, powerful source of green energy. Two, you'll be allowing allied ships to move through your territory without infringing on Xiomeran waters." Sakzi smiled, and rolled the blueprints into a tube and handed them back to his aide. "And low and behold, our problem is solved!"

Will looked over the paper, eyebrows raised. "Very Generous, Mister President". He passed the paper to the others, and they talked a bit in Eirian, until coming to an agreement. "We accept. Thank you, Mister President.". Will said, nodding. Maria Circé spoke up. "Could your ships contact us before they cross? Wouldn't want a captain who doesn't know of this agreement to think it as an agression".

Sakzi nodded. "Of course. For the record, that is protocol for our naval and air-force officers. They need to relay their intent to pass international territory. That's why we fired Admiral Tavoka following the Xiomeran encounter."

Maria Nodded. "Yeah. It's ours as well. Good". Will took the Paper and scanned it, nodding approvingly. "Well, You certainly know how to make good deals. When we get back home, we'll take the Condemnation down. Thank you, President Sazki". He held out his hand to shake.

Sakzi took his hand again. "Thank you, Chancellor Lancaster."