01-26-2021, 03:32 AM
After the Xiomeran delegation had finished reviewing and discussing the draft, Empress Calhualyana was first to speak. Rising smoothly from her chair, she allowed a warm smile to cross her face. “Madam President, thank you once again for holding these talks. I must also commend you for the obvious care and effort that you, and your colleagues, have put into this proposed agreement. Most of it is acceptable to the Xiomeran Empire, and we would be pleased to adopt it and bring a final peace to the greater Xiomeran region. There are but a few minor concerns that we have prior to signing on to it.”
Taking up a copy of the draft, the Empress began. “Article VI, section B: it is our belief that the allocation of revenue therein is completely unfair to Xiomera. The Xiomeran Empire paid over 380 million quetzals, the equivalent of 8 billion today, to construct the canal when it was built. For that reason, a mere 25% of future profits is simply unfair. Xiomera paid the cost to build the canal, and if we are forced to relinquish it, especially given its iconic status as one of our most impressive engineering accomplishments, Xiomera simply must receive a larger share of the revenue. It would frankly be theft otherwise. We would recommend that the portions allocated for the Commission and the Peacekeeping Force be reduced in order to raise Xiomera’s share of revenue, to avoid cutting the Huenyan allocation. We believe that 25% is also too high for the Huenyan side, but we are certain that they will not agree to a reduction. Therefore, the only option is for the Commission and the Peacekeeping Force to be much more efficient and require less revenue. We also object to section D of the article, as it seems to give the Commission carte blanche to change the allocations whenever they choose. This would put Xiomera at risk of having its already unacceptable share reduced still further.”
The Empress continued: “Article VIII: While it allows for a mechanism for dissolving the DMZ and its institutions, it does not state what would happen to the Canal after a dissolution of the DMZ. We request that it be specified that the Canal be returned to Xiomeran authority in the event of such a vote.”
“Article XI: As the Xiomeran Empire has already agreed to withdraw from the territories listed in this article, and cede any claims it has to said territories, we believe this article is moot, and unnecessary, and request that it be stricken from the document. We also request that the following Article XII be amended to remove any mention of a vote in those territories, as it will not be required for the reasons I have given concerning Article XI.”
The Empress paused for a moment, reviewing something again before continuing. “Article XIV is unacceptable in its entirety to the Xiomeran Empire. It is our belief that it goes well beyond the scope of these peace talks, and would represent an intolerable intrusion into Xiomeran sovereignty, as well as pose a serious threat to our national defense. It would take a significant amount of our autonomy in national defense away from us. We cannot accept this Article for inclusion in the final document. On the subject of such weapons, however, it has come to my attention that after our withdrawal from what now constitutes the Huenyan Federation, their side has retained control over certain weapons that were seized from the Imperial military. To wit....40 missiles capable of delivering nuclear, biological or chemical payloads, along with associated warheads and support infrastructure. The Xiomeran Empire, for both our safety and that of the world, must insist that the Huenyan side surrender those weapons to us. If they are not willing to do so, we must insist that they agree to surrender them to an international body capable of disposing of them safely. There are radical elements on the Huenyan side who we believe cannot be trusted with such weapons.”
As the Huenyan delegation erupted in angry murmuring, the Empress continued. “Article XV: We feel this article is too broad. There must be provision made to ensure that those who committed crimes against the Xiomeran Empire or its people during the war, and who might do so in the future, not be allowed to re-enter Xiomera. Again, there are radical elements on the Huenyan side who have not accepted that, for all purposes and intents, this conflict is over. We must be able to exercise our normal and prudent border control procedures to make sure those who would commit violence against Xiomera, or seek to cause unrest within the Empire, can be barred from entry.”
“Last, Article XVI: We request that the sentence ‘and to refrain from and renounce the unilateral use of force against one another’ be stricken from the article. That line would tie our hands in terms of our national defense as well. Xiomera must be able to respond to a potential threat by taking pre-emptive action, if needed, to prevent an imminent attack or hostile action.”
The Empress smiled again. “If we can agree on these measures, I am confident that we can move ahead on this agreement and forge a lasting and respectful peace.” Calhualyana sat back down, waiting for the other delegations to respond.
The Huenyan delegation was next to speak. Rather than Yauhmi taking the lead, as everyone expected, it was the Necatli tlatoani, Huacue, who stood up. “Madam President, on behalf of all the Huenyan people, I thank you as well for your graciousness and hard work on these very difficult issues, and that of Laeral as well. Laeral proved to be a true friend to the Huenyan people during the early months of the war, and for that, we are grateful.”
Sitting on one side of Huacue, Texōccoatl nodded in agreement.
“We have, for the most part, no objections to the agreement as it is. However, we have a few points of our own to raise, as well as a need to address the points raised by the Xiomeran ruler.” Huacue deliberately refused to use Calhualyana’s name or title.
“First, concerning Article II: We cannot agree to any ban on import of defensive materiel, even one as short as the one specified in section B. We were left in a much weaker position militarily than Xiomera to begin with, and that was exacerbated by the scorched earth policy that Xiomeran forces engaged in as they withdrew. Their acts of pillage and theft have left us with a dire shortage of capability to produce defensive weapons of our own. Coupled with the fact that Xiomera still poses a threat to the survival of the Huenyan Federation, even if they lie and say they do not, section B would leave us defenseless and at their mercy. We must insist that section B is withdrawn.”
“Article VI: To answer the objections of the Xiomeran Empire, we must insist that Article VI, specifically section B and its allocations, remain unchanged. To be blunt, we believe that Xiomera deserves nothing. While the Xiomeran ruler talked about how great an achievement building the Canal was for Xiomera, she neglected to mention - as Xiomeran history also always forgets to mention - that the other Huenyan tribes were forced to work as laborers on the Canal during its construction. Hundreds of them died, in fact, to achieve Xiomera’s ‘great feat of engineering.’ Also, while the Xiomeran ruler brings up how much Xiomera spent to build the Canal, she also conveniently forgets how much money Xiomera made from the Canal during the years they owned it. Between the revenue they gained for decades, and the shameful use of coerced labor, I would say that Xiomera has gotten all it deserved from the Canal. Far more than it deserved, if I’m honest. But while we would argue that Xiomera should get no revenue moving forward, they will never agree to that. So let the allocations remain as they are.”
As the Xiomeran delegation glared icily at Huacue, he continued defiantly. “I also would argue that their request to lower the allocations for the Joint Commission and the Peacekeeping Force are not motivated by ‘fairness’ or ‘efficiency’, but by the Xiomeran government already seeking to undermine the Commission and the peacekeepers before they even set foot in the Canal Zone. What better way to hamstring the Commission and the peacekeepers than by depriving them of revenue? No, the allocations must remain as stated.”
“Article VIII: We do not agree to the Canal returning to Xiomera if a vote to dissolve the Commission and the DMZ occurs. It must either return to Huenya, or otherwise remain separate from both Huenya and Xiomera.”
“Article XIV: We do not consent to this. Again, we are in a much weaker state than Xiomera militarily, and giving up any option to defend ourselves from their ongoing threat is simply unacceptable unless the international community is prepared to take much greater measure to ensure Huenya is protected until it can rebuild and stand on its own. And to answer the Xiomeran ruler’s objection, we will not return any weapons that stand on Huenyan soil to Xiomera, nor hand them over to any other international party, without significant and tangible guarantees of Huenyan security and independence from the international community.”
“Article XV: We reject the Xiomeran position. The freedom of movement between family, friends and loved ones on both sides of the border must be guaranteed and it is patently unjust to separate them in such a fashion as proposed. We insist that this article be adopted without alteration or provision for Xiomeran security forces to block people because they might let a whiff of freedom in across their iron curtain.”
The Xiomeran delegation’s gazes at Huacue had turned absolutely glacial by this point; Calhualyana slowly tapped her pen on the table.
“Last, Article XVI: Literally the only thing I am likely to agree with the other delegation on, but we do insist that any mention of ‘unilateral use of force’ be stricken as well. We face an existential and implacably hostile threat from Xiomera, no matter what pretty PR campaign their government chooses to present to the world. We must be allowed to take whatever actions are needed, even unilateral ones, if they are necessary to ensure Huenyan independence is protected. We have been seeking this day for centuries. We will not let it be put at risk now.”
With that, Huacue sat down, hands folded in front of him.
Taking up a copy of the draft, the Empress began. “Article VI, section B: it is our belief that the allocation of revenue therein is completely unfair to Xiomera. The Xiomeran Empire paid over 380 million quetzals, the equivalent of 8 billion today, to construct the canal when it was built. For that reason, a mere 25% of future profits is simply unfair. Xiomera paid the cost to build the canal, and if we are forced to relinquish it, especially given its iconic status as one of our most impressive engineering accomplishments, Xiomera simply must receive a larger share of the revenue. It would frankly be theft otherwise. We would recommend that the portions allocated for the Commission and the Peacekeeping Force be reduced in order to raise Xiomera’s share of revenue, to avoid cutting the Huenyan allocation. We believe that 25% is also too high for the Huenyan side, but we are certain that they will not agree to a reduction. Therefore, the only option is for the Commission and the Peacekeeping Force to be much more efficient and require less revenue. We also object to section D of the article, as it seems to give the Commission carte blanche to change the allocations whenever they choose. This would put Xiomera at risk of having its already unacceptable share reduced still further.”
The Empress continued: “Article VIII: While it allows for a mechanism for dissolving the DMZ and its institutions, it does not state what would happen to the Canal after a dissolution of the DMZ. We request that it be specified that the Canal be returned to Xiomeran authority in the event of such a vote.”
“Article XI: As the Xiomeran Empire has already agreed to withdraw from the territories listed in this article, and cede any claims it has to said territories, we believe this article is moot, and unnecessary, and request that it be stricken from the document. We also request that the following Article XII be amended to remove any mention of a vote in those territories, as it will not be required for the reasons I have given concerning Article XI.”
The Empress paused for a moment, reviewing something again before continuing. “Article XIV is unacceptable in its entirety to the Xiomeran Empire. It is our belief that it goes well beyond the scope of these peace talks, and would represent an intolerable intrusion into Xiomeran sovereignty, as well as pose a serious threat to our national defense. It would take a significant amount of our autonomy in national defense away from us. We cannot accept this Article for inclusion in the final document. On the subject of such weapons, however, it has come to my attention that after our withdrawal from what now constitutes the Huenyan Federation, their side has retained control over certain weapons that were seized from the Imperial military. To wit....40 missiles capable of delivering nuclear, biological or chemical payloads, along with associated warheads and support infrastructure. The Xiomeran Empire, for both our safety and that of the world, must insist that the Huenyan side surrender those weapons to us. If they are not willing to do so, we must insist that they agree to surrender them to an international body capable of disposing of them safely. There are radical elements on the Huenyan side who we believe cannot be trusted with such weapons.”
As the Huenyan delegation erupted in angry murmuring, the Empress continued. “Article XV: We feel this article is too broad. There must be provision made to ensure that those who committed crimes against the Xiomeran Empire or its people during the war, and who might do so in the future, not be allowed to re-enter Xiomera. Again, there are radical elements on the Huenyan side who have not accepted that, for all purposes and intents, this conflict is over. We must be able to exercise our normal and prudent border control procedures to make sure those who would commit violence against Xiomera, or seek to cause unrest within the Empire, can be barred from entry.”
“Last, Article XVI: We request that the sentence ‘and to refrain from and renounce the unilateral use of force against one another’ be stricken from the article. That line would tie our hands in terms of our national defense as well. Xiomera must be able to respond to a potential threat by taking pre-emptive action, if needed, to prevent an imminent attack or hostile action.”
The Empress smiled again. “If we can agree on these measures, I am confident that we can move ahead on this agreement and forge a lasting and respectful peace.” Calhualyana sat back down, waiting for the other delegations to respond.
The Huenyan delegation was next to speak. Rather than Yauhmi taking the lead, as everyone expected, it was the Necatli tlatoani, Huacue, who stood up. “Madam President, on behalf of all the Huenyan people, I thank you as well for your graciousness and hard work on these very difficult issues, and that of Laeral as well. Laeral proved to be a true friend to the Huenyan people during the early months of the war, and for that, we are grateful.”
Sitting on one side of Huacue, Texōccoatl nodded in agreement.
“We have, for the most part, no objections to the agreement as it is. However, we have a few points of our own to raise, as well as a need to address the points raised by the Xiomeran ruler.” Huacue deliberately refused to use Calhualyana’s name or title.
“First, concerning Article II: We cannot agree to any ban on import of defensive materiel, even one as short as the one specified in section B. We were left in a much weaker position militarily than Xiomera to begin with, and that was exacerbated by the scorched earth policy that Xiomeran forces engaged in as they withdrew. Their acts of pillage and theft have left us with a dire shortage of capability to produce defensive weapons of our own. Coupled with the fact that Xiomera still poses a threat to the survival of the Huenyan Federation, even if they lie and say they do not, section B would leave us defenseless and at their mercy. We must insist that section B is withdrawn.”
“Article VI: To answer the objections of the Xiomeran Empire, we must insist that Article VI, specifically section B and its allocations, remain unchanged. To be blunt, we believe that Xiomera deserves nothing. While the Xiomeran ruler talked about how great an achievement building the Canal was for Xiomera, she neglected to mention - as Xiomeran history also always forgets to mention - that the other Huenyan tribes were forced to work as laborers on the Canal during its construction. Hundreds of them died, in fact, to achieve Xiomera’s ‘great feat of engineering.’ Also, while the Xiomeran ruler brings up how much Xiomera spent to build the Canal, she also conveniently forgets how much money Xiomera made from the Canal during the years they owned it. Between the revenue they gained for decades, and the shameful use of coerced labor, I would say that Xiomera has gotten all it deserved from the Canal. Far more than it deserved, if I’m honest. But while we would argue that Xiomera should get no revenue moving forward, they will never agree to that. So let the allocations remain as they are.”
As the Xiomeran delegation glared icily at Huacue, he continued defiantly. “I also would argue that their request to lower the allocations for the Joint Commission and the Peacekeeping Force are not motivated by ‘fairness’ or ‘efficiency’, but by the Xiomeran government already seeking to undermine the Commission and the peacekeepers before they even set foot in the Canal Zone. What better way to hamstring the Commission and the peacekeepers than by depriving them of revenue? No, the allocations must remain as stated.”
“Article VIII: We do not agree to the Canal returning to Xiomera if a vote to dissolve the Commission and the DMZ occurs. It must either return to Huenya, or otherwise remain separate from both Huenya and Xiomera.”
“Article XIV: We do not consent to this. Again, we are in a much weaker state than Xiomera militarily, and giving up any option to defend ourselves from their ongoing threat is simply unacceptable unless the international community is prepared to take much greater measure to ensure Huenya is protected until it can rebuild and stand on its own. And to answer the Xiomeran ruler’s objection, we will not return any weapons that stand on Huenyan soil to Xiomera, nor hand them over to any other international party, without significant and tangible guarantees of Huenyan security and independence from the international community.”
“Article XV: We reject the Xiomeran position. The freedom of movement between family, friends and loved ones on both sides of the border must be guaranteed and it is patently unjust to separate them in such a fashion as proposed. We insist that this article be adopted without alteration or provision for Xiomeran security forces to block people because they might let a whiff of freedom in across their iron curtain.”
The Xiomeran delegation’s gazes at Huacue had turned absolutely glacial by this point; Calhualyana slowly tapped her pen on the table.
“Last, Article XVI: Literally the only thing I am likely to agree with the other delegation on, but we do insist that any mention of ‘unilateral use of force’ be stricken as well. We face an existential and implacably hostile threat from Xiomera, no matter what pretty PR campaign their government chooses to present to the world. We must be allowed to take whatever actions are needed, even unilateral ones, if they are necessary to ensure Huenyan independence is protected. We have been seeking this day for centuries. We will not let it be put at risk now.”
With that, Huacue sat down, hands folded in front of him.
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