10-11-2020, 04:58 PM
Office of the Minister, Ambassador's League Headquarters, Geminus
September 22nd, 3:42 PM
Alice Lancaster typed on her work laptop, inwardly sighing to herself. Her attention had been split all week from wedding planning, to the Xiomeran War, to the new Olivia Pierre crisis. Never a dull moment in the office of a diplomat. But still, she had managed to stay on top of things. So when the intelligence report that her brother had sent over had contained a job for her, her initial reaction was frustration. But the more she read, the more she was intrigued.
She scrolled a bit through a few older webpages, letting her translation software slowly translate the page, until she found the number she needed. "Yes!". She said, dialing her work phone.
Shuellian Embassy to Iustos, San Bartillo
The man on the other end of the phone picks up after a short wait. Middle-aged and nondescript, the only thing distinguishing him from the rest of the staff in the embassy is a small crow lapel pinned to his chest. He takes a steady drag from the cigarette in his hands, before putting it out in a nearby ashtray and speaking into the rugged-looking smartphone.
"This is Veit Schurer, the Shuellian Ambassador to Iustos. May I know who this is, and why you wished to talk to me directly?"
He speaks plainly, if politely, with a light accent.
"Hello, Ambassador Schurer. This is Alice Lancaster, the Eirian Minister of Diplomacy. I apologise for calling you directly, but this call shall be more than worth your time. I believe Eiria and Shuell could enter a.... Mutually beneficial relationship. If you are willing to hear me out." She spoke carefully, choosing her words to peak the Shuellian's interest.
He pauses, his thumb briefly hovering over the 'end call' button before reconsidering. Finally, grabbing a piece of paper and pencil, he takes a seat at his desk and begins to write.
"I see. I will hear your offer, Ms. Lancaster. I cannot promise anything more without talking to my superiors, however. I trust you understand."
The Minister smiled. "That's very kind of you, Ambassador. Of course I understand." She opened the intelligence file on her desk. "It has come to the attention of our intelligence agencies that the leaders of a rogue Eirian terrorist organization have requested asylum in Shuell. A group that we've been hunting for a long time. I believe a deal can be made for their surrender into our custody."
"We'd need to know more information about this group as a whole, and the reward you'd be willing to give us. Political beliefs, historical acts, known members."
The ambassador says curtly, pausing a moment to start taking notes.
"Midgard is a former internal intelligence agency that went rogue around the period of our coup regime and subsequent civil war. They served as both an Intelligence agency and a secret police for Darrin's regime. They are fierce supporters of a reborn Nationalist government in Eiria. They were behind the recent assassination attempts on my brother, the Minister of Defence, and the Senate minority leader. They are being lead by a man named Christopher, who should be going by the codename Steel. We can provide old photos, if you need."
"Yes, the Department of International Affairs would appreciate any concrete data you could give us. A foreign terrorist group operating on our soil does, of course, give us reason for concern - the various terrorist groups IntSec has had to stomp out over the last decade can attest to our dedication to the safety of our nation. Any other known aliases of their leader? I'm certain that he would have at least a few fake identities."
She looked through the file again and sighed. "Regrettably, no, however he will likely present himself as Midgard's leader. And according to the records and pictures we found, he should have a tattoo running up his left arm. Doesn't seem particularly smart of a terrorist who needs to stay hidden, but I digress. And now, I assume Shuell would want compensation for their safe capture and return into Eirian custody. We are prepared to rush a trade deal or two with Shuell through the Senate, which I'm sure your government will appreciate. I hope this deal opens up a new age of cooperation between Shuell and Eiria. We've let animosity brew for too long."
Schurer mulls over the proposal, rolling the pen in his fingers. He clicks his tongue, glancing at the flag hanging from the wall.
"A tattoo on his left arm. I see. I'll pass that on to Internal Security. Director of Trade Klein will be happy to discuss the exact terms of this deal with you, I'm sure. He'll contact you if the Directorate agrees to cooperate with your nation."
"Thank you for your time, Ambassador. I'll have my own Minister of Finance draw up some ideas. I hope this is a profitable arrangement."
"Of course, Minister Lancaster. I'm sure the Incorporated States will be glad to usher in a new, profitable relationship."
The line is practiced - that much is obvious. It's likely been said dozens of times before, if not more. Still, there was some genuine emotion buried underneath the diplomatic platitudes, difficult to detect but still present. The Ambassador cracks open a laptop and begins to type on it, drafting a message to his superiors.
"Thank you, Ambassador. Have a good day." She hung up the phone, feeling way more interested in her work than she was before. She made a note on her agenda to call Derek Haley, who would likely jump with joy over this opportunity. An interesting end to a stressfull day.
September 22nd, 3:42 PM
Alice Lancaster typed on her work laptop, inwardly sighing to herself. Her attention had been split all week from wedding planning, to the Xiomeran War, to the new Olivia Pierre crisis. Never a dull moment in the office of a diplomat. But still, she had managed to stay on top of things. So when the intelligence report that her brother had sent over had contained a job for her, her initial reaction was frustration. But the more she read, the more she was intrigued.
She scrolled a bit through a few older webpages, letting her translation software slowly translate the page, until she found the number she needed. "Yes!". She said, dialing her work phone.
Shuellian Embassy to Iustos, San Bartillo
The man on the other end of the phone picks up after a short wait. Middle-aged and nondescript, the only thing distinguishing him from the rest of the staff in the embassy is a small crow lapel pinned to his chest. He takes a steady drag from the cigarette in his hands, before putting it out in a nearby ashtray and speaking into the rugged-looking smartphone.
"This is Veit Schurer, the Shuellian Ambassador to Iustos. May I know who this is, and why you wished to talk to me directly?"
He speaks plainly, if politely, with a light accent.
"Hello, Ambassador Schurer. This is Alice Lancaster, the Eirian Minister of Diplomacy. I apologise for calling you directly, but this call shall be more than worth your time. I believe Eiria and Shuell could enter a.... Mutually beneficial relationship. If you are willing to hear me out." She spoke carefully, choosing her words to peak the Shuellian's interest.
He pauses, his thumb briefly hovering over the 'end call' button before reconsidering. Finally, grabbing a piece of paper and pencil, he takes a seat at his desk and begins to write.
"I see. I will hear your offer, Ms. Lancaster. I cannot promise anything more without talking to my superiors, however. I trust you understand."
The Minister smiled. "That's very kind of you, Ambassador. Of course I understand." She opened the intelligence file on her desk. "It has come to the attention of our intelligence agencies that the leaders of a rogue Eirian terrorist organization have requested asylum in Shuell. A group that we've been hunting for a long time. I believe a deal can be made for their surrender into our custody."
"We'd need to know more information about this group as a whole, and the reward you'd be willing to give us. Political beliefs, historical acts, known members."
The ambassador says curtly, pausing a moment to start taking notes.
"Midgard is a former internal intelligence agency that went rogue around the period of our coup regime and subsequent civil war. They served as both an Intelligence agency and a secret police for Darrin's regime. They are fierce supporters of a reborn Nationalist government in Eiria. They were behind the recent assassination attempts on my brother, the Minister of Defence, and the Senate minority leader. They are being lead by a man named Christopher, who should be going by the codename Steel. We can provide old photos, if you need."
"Yes, the Department of International Affairs would appreciate any concrete data you could give us. A foreign terrorist group operating on our soil does, of course, give us reason for concern - the various terrorist groups IntSec has had to stomp out over the last decade can attest to our dedication to the safety of our nation. Any other known aliases of their leader? I'm certain that he would have at least a few fake identities."
She looked through the file again and sighed. "Regrettably, no, however he will likely present himself as Midgard's leader. And according to the records and pictures we found, he should have a tattoo running up his left arm. Doesn't seem particularly smart of a terrorist who needs to stay hidden, but I digress. And now, I assume Shuell would want compensation for their safe capture and return into Eirian custody. We are prepared to rush a trade deal or two with Shuell through the Senate, which I'm sure your government will appreciate. I hope this deal opens up a new age of cooperation between Shuell and Eiria. We've let animosity brew for too long."
Schurer mulls over the proposal, rolling the pen in his fingers. He clicks his tongue, glancing at the flag hanging from the wall.
"A tattoo on his left arm. I see. I'll pass that on to Internal Security. Director of Trade Klein will be happy to discuss the exact terms of this deal with you, I'm sure. He'll contact you if the Directorate agrees to cooperate with your nation."
"Thank you for your time, Ambassador. I'll have my own Minister of Finance draw up some ideas. I hope this is a profitable arrangement."
"Of course, Minister Lancaster. I'm sure the Incorporated States will be glad to usher in a new, profitable relationship."
The line is practiced - that much is obvious. It's likely been said dozens of times before, if not more. Still, there was some genuine emotion buried underneath the diplomatic platitudes, difficult to detect but still present. The Ambassador cracks open a laptop and begins to type on it, drafting a message to his superiors.
"Thank you, Ambassador. Have a good day." She hung up the phone, feeling way more interested in her work than she was before. She made a note on her agenda to call Derek Haley, who would likely jump with joy over this opportunity. An interesting end to a stressfull day.
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