[Xiomera]

The two groups arriving on Cyanth for discussions were both presenting a confident front. But behind the scenes, they could not have been more different.

The Xiomeran delegation arriving in Telefar, in the center of the Novella Islands, was in fact just as confident as they appeared. Empress Calhualyana knew she had the Manabí in an impossible situation. Unless some other power chose to intervene, Xiomera held all the cards. Thousands of them, in fact, in the form of the wave of Imperial troops waiting in southern Xiomera to pounce on Manabí Rive the second the order was given. The Imperial Navy had already blocked off the strait separating Manabí Rive from Xiomera, to secure an amphibious assault that the Manabí had zero chance of fending off. And if these talks failed, the Manabí would discover that fact in a most painful way.

In truth, though, Calhualyana was glad that the Novellans had decided to offer talks. She had a small admiration for the Novellans. She had judged them to be a most pragmatic, efficient and advanced people - definitely a peer state to Xiomera, and one worthy of negotiating with, unlike the Manabí. They were also offering her a potential chance to avoid having to invade Manabí Rive, and potentially kicking off a bigger conflict than she really wanted. But there was one non-negotiable...Manabí Rive could not, under any circumstances, join the Union of Caxcanan States. The UCS already represented a major security threat to the Empire, and having them on Xiomera's doorstep was not going to happen. One way, or another.

For the Manabí, their projection of determined sovereignty and confidence was a total front. They knew the cavalry weren't necessarily coming, and that Xiomera could re-occupy the entire country within days if they truly wanted to. There was always the option of waging an insurgency similar to the one which had driven Xiomera out during the civil war. But Calhualyana didn't seem like the type to care about casualties - her own, or others. It would be best, therefore, to secure some kind of deal which met everyone's goals. Giving up UCS membership, though, would require a lot to be offered to the Manabí to make it worth their while.

As the two delegations arrived at their respective arrival points, they waited to be greeted by the Novellans with those thoughts in their minds.

[Novella Islands]

The First Minister was not a diplomat, at least, not in any conventional sense of the word. A trained chemist, with a bolt-on degree of public policy, his ascension to the highest office was somewhat unexpected. As Edmund Dell had proven time and again, however, it was certainly well justified. A veritable guru at coordinating his cabinet and their staff, and winning the last election for his party in an absolute landslide, he certainly had a mandate to his position of power. Now all he had to do was wield it.

"Alrighty, so that's... Bow, shake hands... Bow, before nodding... Move on, and then bow again?"

The exasperated protocol officer gave a deep sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose, before correcting the politician. "No, First Minister. Bow, and then it's just a slight downward nod while you shake hands, then you can move on right away."

Incredulously, Dell muttered under his breath. "Give me strength... Which one of you in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did I piss off, again? What's stopping us from just going down to Garden Valley, and getting it over with? I mean, really, what is the purpose of this inane time-wasting ritual?" A genuine look of curiosity spread across the man's face, as the car slowly came to a halt.

"I'm afraid the lesson on the history and nuances of diplomatic protocol will have to wait for another time, First Minister. We've arrived."

This time, it was Dr. Dell's turn to sigh, as he stepped out of the vehicle. Taking a moment to straighten his dark blue tie, readjust his cuffs, and button his suit jacket, he was then greeted by the man that would be the most crucial element in ensuring this conference succeeded. Dr. Claus Rainer took the First Minister's hand with a reassuring smile, and a confident shake.

"Hello, First Minister. Are you ready to get started?" As the pair began to walk towards the awaiting delegation, Dell nodded, his well-practiced false smile shining through.

"Oh, and remember, Edmund: bow, shake, nod." With a barely-audible whisper, Rainer gave the slightest of winks, and the First Minister resisted the urge to scream.

---

19 March 2023, 9:29 AM
Telefar, Cyanth, Novella Islands
Telefar International Airport, out on the apron

"First Minister," the protocol officer stood at attention, before continuing, announcing the credentials of the Xiomeran delegation, "Ms. Illochin, Assistant Minister of State for Caxcanan Affairs."

The day was overcast, and with little sunlight shining through the clouds, the scene had a dull and muted colour palette. A pleasantly cool breeze swept across the tarmac where the gaggle of officials were congregating, and time stood still as the First Minister thought to himself. Bowing, shaking, and nodding on cue, before moving on, all on autopilot.

Why did we offer to host these meetings? What went through Rivers' mind? Not to mention the minds of her staffers...

Dr. Justina Rivers, the political head of all things foreign affairs, stood behind Dell in the line of Novellan delegates. She herself was wearing her best diplomatic smile, perfectly calibrated for the greatest effect on the foreign dignitaries.

It's not like Manabí Rive has anything of value to offer us. And don't get me started on the Xiomerans... The furthest we stay from their affairs, the better off we will be.

Another bow, another handshake, another nod. Just like clockwork.

This whole debacle is going collapse in on itself, unless the redlines for both parties can be moved... But truly, I'm no diplomat. Can I even get either of them to budge?

The First Minister racked his brain, pondering the hundreds - thousands - of possible avenues and outcomes the conference could take. With the hand of a rather imposingly tall Xiomeran in his own, head stooped, the bigger picture began to form. Shooting the quickest of glances towards Rainer before moving on to the next Xiomeran delegate, it all finally made sense.

I suppose the real threat is the larger conflict that would ensue - no doubt dragging the Novella Islands in - should the UCS accept the Manabí, before Calhualyana could fully retake--

His thoughts were cut short, however, as that very name in particular was spoken aloud by the protocol officer, piercing his stalwart concentration.

"Her Majesty Calhualyana, Empress of Xiomera and all Huenya, Guardian of Catexco, Protector of Antepec, Defender of Chuacamix, Mistress of the South Xiomeran Sea, and Great Speaker of all Xiomerans."

At last, the pair stood face to face.

He had read her dossier more than a dozen times. The one his own office delivered at the very last minute, much to the detriment of Dell's sleep that night. The one the Foreign Affairs forwarded, in arduously extensive official detail. The top-secret one sent by Intelligence, with everything Foreign Affairs couldn't have possibly known. Finally, of course, there was the one that the Xiomerans themselves had provided; the perfectly crafted image they wanted everyone to see.

Nothing prepared the First Minister for this moment.

The bow. The handshake. The nod.

"Empress. I sincerely welcome you to the Social Republic of the Novella Islands. Your presence honours us all, and I do hope you will find our hospitality to be to your utmost satisfaction."

The moment of realisation washed over him, and any tension he had previously felt dissolved in that instant. The First Minister's voice was perfectly polite and steadily measured, his false smile replaced with a genuine one, and all the while, his eyes remained locked onto hers.

This is not diplomacy. This is politics.

And Edmund Dell is a master politician.

[Democratic Republic Of Eiria]

Meanwhile...

Ministry of Diplomacy Headquarters, Geminus, Eiria

Alice Lancaster stared disapprovingly at her half-frozen laptop, rethinking her decision to not go into computer science. The young worker from the IT department fidget with her settings. Of course, it had to act up when I have a important strategic meeting to attend. Brilliant. She checked her watch with a sigh. They'll be joining soon. Hopefully they don't mind me being a touch late...

Suddenly, her laptop unfroze, revealing a video call with her brother and Stephen Brun, the Ministers of the Caxcanan Union and Defense respectively. "Ah, perfect. Percateo, Juris" She gave the tech support worker a quick nod of thanks before turning her attention to her colleagues. "Sorry, everyone. Technical difficulties."

Brun gave a curt nod. "No problem. The representatives should be joining the secure call any second now. You are perfectly on time."

The chimes would soon sound to indicate others had joined the call. Secretary of State Huitzilhuani of Huenya, followed by Minister of State Ihanga Wati of Milintica, gave the usual polite greetings and waited expectantly. The other diplomats had the same concern on their minds as Lancaster likely did - Xiomera and the Manabí.

The Eirian Minister of Diplomacy cleared her throat. "Welcome, everyone. Apologies for the short notice of this invite, however it is crucial that we are all on the same page with this matter, especially if the talks in the Novella Islands break down. Where do your governments stand on UCS membership for Manabí Rive?"

Wati was first to speak up. "Our position is that it is ultimately up to the Manabí. However, we do feel that the UCS should strongly come out in favor of their membership. We cannot let Xiomera have a veto on our membership decisions. That would set a dangerous precedent."

Huitzilhuani made a noise of concern. "I would urge caution. The Manabí deserve UCS membership, but only if they want it, and if we can avoid starting a war over it."

Alice Lancaster tilted her head. "Can we really avoid war, though? This may be my cynicism talking, but Calhualyana's not stupid. She'd probably try to invade Manabí Rive regardless if we try to help or not. She knows the situation that she's put us in, and until LIDUN is fully set up, we can't exactly combat it effectively without force of some sort. So, this begs the uncomfortable question: Is our desire to avoid war and preserve the lives of our troops great enough to potentially sentence the citizens of Manabí Rive to Xiomeran subjugation?"

In order to avoid uncomfortable silence in the wake of that loaded question, Minister Brun spoke up. "Before we consider courses of action, we must consider how prepared we are to even consider military options. Currently, a large percentage of Eirian naval forces have been redirected into northern naval bases, particularly those around New Riga. In addition, the air wings at Aškala Airbase in Murdarbe Province have been put on standby, and the garrison at Fort Evelyn has been put on high alert. How prepared would your own forces be, if worst came to worst?"

"Our forces are already at a level of heightened alertness. We could potentially provide a battalion of People's Army soldiers and two battalions of PFM militia immediately to help reinforce Manabí Rive," Wati said confidently.

Huitzilhuani was not as confident. "Our forces are already on alert as well, but a significant portion of them are bogged down fighting the insurgency in southeastern Huenya. I rather suspect Calhualyana has been planning this all along. Stretching us thin in Auria and in Huenya, then moving when we are tied down."

"Unfortunately true. However, as the fighting in Auria has died down to a deadlock, we can temporarily spare some air and naval support to act as a deterrent, if we end up accepting Manabí Rive's membership." Brun's neutral and matter-of-fact tone didn't show any indication of where he stood on military action in this matter.

William Lancaster spoke up after Brun trailed off. "Regardless of what we end up deciding, we must decide soon, especially if we wish to avoid conflict. Perhaps our military presence could serve as a deterrent, but would require us to make the first moves of accepting the membership request and moving our forces into Manabí Rive immediately, which is a risky and messy commitment." He sighed. "Let's hope the talks in the Novella Islands lead to peace, but if not, we must have a plan ready to be enacted right away."

"Agreed. If the Manabí are willing, we can deploy our forces to them immediately in the event that talks fail. This actually raises a point we had considered in the wake of how quickly Xiomera was able to mobilize. We believe that the UCS should stand up a rapid reaction force that is always mobilized and ready to respond in the event of emergency, made up of contributions from each member state military." Wati shrugged. "This way we won't be caught off guard in the future."

"That sounds reasonable. However, as it is a major military operation, a consensus is ideal. Secretary Huitzilhuani, how strongly do you and your government feel about avoiding war? Essentially, would the Huenyan government veto the Manabí ascension into the UCS if it appears like that ascension would lead to war?" The Eirians patiently waited for a response to Alice's question, anxiously awaiting the decisive answer.

The Secretary pondered the question for a long moment. Finally, she sighed. "We also feel that no one can be allowed to have a veto on who we accept as members. We can continue to try to engage peacefully. But if the Manabí decide to pursue membership, we must support them by whatever means are required."

Minister William Lancaster nodded. "Very well. I'm glad we could reach an agreement and stand together on this. In the trying times ahead, this unity will be essential, regardless of how the talks in the Novella Islands go."

"I agree. Xiomera's leadership will undoubtedly continue to throw their weight around the region and such unity is the only thing that will protect us. That, and deterrence." Wati's face grew concerned. "Should we accelerate our timetable for offering the Manabí membership?"

"That may be ideal. Setting up temporary military bases and coordinating with the Manabí forces should be paramount. The freedom of movement and employment could wait until later, once the situation is settled." Will Lancaster shifted in his chair. "I'll be talking with the Chancellor about convening an emergency session of the Senate, so we can pass a preemptive or accelerated approval of Manabí ascension into the UCS. I'll also talk with the Aurian government-in-exile to negotiate the same sort of resolution. This should speed up the process considerably."

"We shall do the same here with our legislature. The Chamber of Executives has already approved it, and we see little issue with the Chamber of Deputies doing so as well," Huitzilhuani replied.

"Same with our Representative Assembly. The President has thrown his support behind the Manabí so that pretty much guarantees passage," Wati said with a small grin.

"There shouldn't be too much trouble in the Senate either. We'd probably pick up some defectors from the Progressives and maybe a couple independents as well. Chancellor Stendē has already pledged her support, so it's all but guaranteed." The former Chancellor cleared his throat. "Well, thank you all for agreeing to meet on short notice. I believe that Minister Brun will be coordinating with your respective Defence agencies in regards to preparation, but other than that, I believe that should be it! Do either of you have anything else that you would like to discuss?"

"Not on our end. We are already prepared as stated," Wati replied. After a moment, Huitzilhuani replied in the affirmative as well.

"We'll let you all get back to work, then. Have a good day." Alice Lancaster disconnected from the call and sat back in her chair. Well, we're united, at least. We're as prepared as we're going to be. She called to her secretary. "Could you get the leaders of the Caxcanan analyst team in the executive meeting room as soon as possible? We need to start hazarding guesses on what we can expect of the talks in Telefar."

[Xiomera]

The Empress smiled at Dell, returning the handshake with a polite half-nod of her own. "Your welcome is most gracious, sir. I am honored to be visiting your country for the first time. The first of many mutually pleasant and beneficial visits, ideally." Calhualyana's smile was genuine as well - or, at least, it looked so genuine that only an absolute master could tell the difference. "I am looking forward to the talks, which I hope will be satisfactory to all of us," she finished with another smile. Calhualyana could be quite charming when she wanted to be, and coupled with her personal attractiveness, that could go a long way to hiding the cold steel behind the warm exterior.

Behind the Xiomerans, the Manabí delegation waited patiently. Unlike the Xiomerans, who were elaborately dressed in expensive suits and uniforms, the Manabí were clad in simple robes with discreet and subtle gold jewelry accenting them. Sapa Tanqui, for one, did not look impressed with the charm offensive that Calhualyana was waging.

[Lauchenoiria]

As the Manabí and Xiomeran delegates met in Novella Islands to discuss the situation, a singular drone was making its way along the Xiomeran coast. It flew low, and erratically, but still with purpose. The operators watched its progress from afar with bated breath. In truth, they had been quite uncertain if their drone would reach its destination or be intercepted en route. But finally, it began to approach the Xiomeran airfield.

Sitting on the airfield were a number of bombers, pointed towards Manabí Rive but currently idle, engines quiet and pilots off sleeping elsewhere. As the drone approached, quickly now and without the erratic path it had taken previously to avoid detection, it was noticed. The Xiomeran soldiers who discovered its presence attempted to raise the alarm, but they were too late.

The drone dove towards the bomber in the middle before any action could be taken against it. Upon contact with the bomber, the improvised explosives it carried went off. The bomber was destroyed, along with those nearby, and the flames immediately began to spread, causing damage further afield. The explosion shook the ground, waking the soldiers stationed nearby shortly before alarms began to blare.

They’d find the wreckage of the drone once they dealt with the flames. But when they traced the location of its operators, they found nothing. They were long gone. It didn't matter though; Xiomeran intelligence would still know who to blame; given the group behind the attack were quick to take credit themselves.

Warriors of Our Earth, also known as WOE, a primarily Lauchenoirian eco-terrorist organisation (though it did contain members from other nationalities) issued a statement two hours after the explosion taking credit and warning Xiomera that if they touched the “pristine ecosystem” of Manabí Rive, they would regret it.

The Lauchenoirian government was quick to distance themselves from WOE, criticising the attack as an “unnecessary provocation” given the peace talks currently happening, and reminding the international community that they had proscribed WOE as a terrorist organisation in 2020 after the group took control of the Governor's offices on Butterfly Island.

Then, once all was said and done, WOE sat back, waiting to see what happened next.

[Novella Islands]

Dell's eyes lingered upon the Empress' face, as he listened to her reply of polite platitudes. A quick glance behind the Xiomeran aircraft revealed the Manabí - more than two hours ahead of schedule - also awaiting their official reception, respectfully waiting on the tarmac. Resisting all efforts to let out yet another sigh, he once again mused to himself.

Oh dear, oh dear. The Foreign Affairs guys aren't going to be happy about that faux pas, not one bit...

With a final courteous nod to Calhualyana, the First Minister extended his arm towards the airport terminal's diplomatic reception area. "My apologies, Empress, but I must take my leave. The Manabí are exceptionally early." With the slightest of chuckles, as a protocol officer appeared beside him, Dell continued, "Mr Ilsley will help you and your delegation through customs and immigration. No doubt all of your paperwork is already in order, so this shouldn't be too arduous, I hope?"

As the politician shot a look at Ilsley, the diplomat shook his head. "No, First Minister. Not at all, I should hope."

Not unless they try to bring their weapons with them, anyway. Good thing I'm not going to be there when they get confiscated...

"Very good. Until this afternoon, Empress." Dell gave a final nod, and with an about-face, continued onwards to the Manabí.

Round two...

---

19 March 2023, 9:32 AM
Novella City, Xeles, Novella Islands
Novella Islands External Intelligence Agency (NIEIA) Headquarters

In an otherwise ordinary office tower, the Novella Islands External Intelligence Agency's analysis branch quietly hummed with the typical quiet chatter a Sunday offered. Nothing outside of the norm, save for the Xiomeran and Manabí leaders' arrival, both of which were being taken care of by the Novella Islands Security Agency. There was little to do but monitor for any extraordinary events that threatened to crop up, and unfortunately for Samantha Timms, it was her scheduled Sunday on duty.

A notification in crimson red popped up in her inbox, indicating an immediate response was required. Reading her screen for the third time, the analyst was still incredulous as to what was being shown to her. Standing as she took her headset off, the young woman walked to her superior officer, with a stern face.

"Chief, you need to see this. Right now."

---

19 March 2023, 9:57 AM
Telefar, Cyanth, Novella Islands
Telefar International Airport, out on the apron

After meeting with the Manabí officials - a much less pompous affair, owing to the relative importance assigned to each delegation by Foreign Affairs - Dell was just about ready to sit down and relax with a nice cup of tea, and read over the draft agenda for the afternoon's meeting for the fifteenth time. Unfortunately for him, the day's work of diplomatic grovelling had only just begun. As two men approached the First Minister, both dressed in exceptionally nondescript black suits - Dell immediately knew the score.

"First Minister, there has been an incident in Xiomera." Handing him a file, distinctive "eyes only" lettering in bold on the cover, the intelligence agent continued. "Earlier this morning, there was a terror attack on a military airbase, already on high alert due to the Manabí situation. No reports on casualties as of yet, but multiple Xiomeran strategic bombers were destroyed."

Flipping through the file, and skimming the one-page extract, the First Minister's eyes landed upon the suspected culprit.

Warriors of Our Earth... Eco-terrorists from Lauchenoiria. What exactly are they doing, striking an airfield half way across the world?

"Recommendations?"

The man in black took a hold of the file, and flipped to a page with multiple sticky notes of various colours attached to it, before handing the dossier back to Dell with a polite nod. Continuing to skim, the politician mulled over the consequences of each action, finally settling his eyes upon one line in particular. Lifting the yellow sticky note off of the page, and folding it in half, he handed it to the agent in charge, before fobbing off the remainder of the folder to his assistant.

"Within the next half hour, and I want updates every fifteen minutes. Also, get me Admiral Westfield on a plane at once, please." A curt nod exchanged between both men was all the confirmation required, as everyone parted ways.

Today just gets better and better... Time to make sure the Empress isn't misguidedly at the throats of the Manabí, I suppose.

Tea would have to wait.

---

19 March 2023, 10:22 AM
International Waters, South Xiomeran Sea
N.I.V. Audacious, Fleet Combat Information Centre

The direct link with Naval Command lit up suddenly with a printer began its back and forth motion, generating an exact facsimile of the orders from Ternout, "urgent" written in large lettering upon its header. Picking it up from the tray, the yeoman folded the document in half, and marched it over to his superior's ready room. With a rap of knocking on the door, the staff officer entered without waiting for a reply, on account of the headline caption. "Urgent orders, Admiral Flint."

As the younger officer handed the letter to his superior, the rear admiral arose from his chair. As he unfolded it and began reading its contents, his face soured evermore, the further down the paper his eyes tracked. He refolded it after finishing, handed it back to his junior, and walked out into the Fourth Carrier Battle Fleet's CIC. Every officer stood to attention before he dismissed them with a wave, solemnly making his way to the watch officer.

"Mr Stephens, set alert condition one throughout the fleet, and get me the COs of the Marbury, the Clearwater, and the Banner. Then I need to speak with the captain."

With the quickest of glances to a lieutenant beside a phone on the wall, the first order was carried out immediately, as they began their announcement. Commander Stephens continued, "The Marbury, the Clearwater, and the Banner, aye, sir. One moment."

On cue, all hands began to man their stations across the fleet, as the carrier's own alarm sounded the call for general quarters, and for the flight deck to be prepared for launch and recovery operations. Handing a headset to the admiral, the commander gave Flint a nod, indicating his other order had been fulfilled.

"Flint here. Marbury, Clearwater, and Banner are to break from the fleet, and proceed across the blockade, and on a freedom of navigation operation down the strait. Air warfare sensors at maximum output; I don't want a fly to take off without hearing about it, understood?"

Five minutes later, the Fourth Carrier Battle Fleet was steaming towards the Xiomeran's naval exclusion line, with both AEW&C aircraft and a squadron of patrol fighters already in the air. Although there was never any intention of the entire fleet crossing the line - nor even the majority, and certainly not the carrier herself - it was no doubt an anxiety-inducing sight. All the rear admiral could do was hope that the Novellan Naval Command was able to signal its intentions to the Xiomerans, and that their chain of command was able to relay it to their fleet in time.

[Xiomera]

Hichuaco Imperial Admiralty Complex
Naval Command Central
Huitzitaca, Xiomera

An aide came rushing into the spacious office just off the main operations center for the Imperial Navy. "Admiral, we have received reports from both our fleet and satellite surveillance that several Novellan ships are approaching the exclusion line. The commander of the blockade fleet is requesting instructions."

Admiral Tlālpantlizal, the Fleet Admiral of the Imperial Navy, made a disgruntled noise. "The talks in Telefar have just started, and the Novellans already think they can sail through our neighborhood?" He motioned for the aide to wait, and quickly reached for his secure line to the Palace of Flowers in Tlālacuetztla. From there, the call would be routed immediately to the Empress.

In Telefar, Calhualyana took the call, raising a single finger as a gesture to wait. She responded briefly and firmly in Huenyan and ended the call.

Back in Huitzitaca, Tlālpantlizal made another disgruntled noise before turning to his secure terminal to type out a flash message to the lead ship in the blockade fleet.

---

As minutes ticked away and the Novellan ships drew closer to the exclusion line, nerves on both sides would grow taut. Finally, just before the Novellan ships entered Xiomeran firing range, a terse message was received by the Audacious: the Xiomerans would allow them to proceed. For now.

---

Having taken care of that business, Calhualyana turned towards the room with an expectant expression on her face. "I have just been informed that the terrorists calling themselves WOE have attacked an airfield in Xiomera. Several bombers were damaged or destroyed. Did you put these eco-terrorists up to this attack?" she demanded of Tanqui. "We know that you have worked with WOE in the past."

Tanqui shook his head in response. "While we do not disavow their actions, and in fact admire them for their dedication to the environment, we did not cooperate with WOE in that attack. We promised to refrain from hostile actions and have done so. Now, given that you have made so many other enemies in the world with your reckless actions, we cannot make any guarantees that others will not act as WOE has done on their own -"

An aide to Tanqui quickly handed him a folder to distract him into silence; Calhualyana icily replied that as long as the Manabí were not part of the attack on the airfield, that Xiomera was prepared to continue with the talks.