On The Brink ~ Meeting Between Shcherbatskaya and Oikawa

[Congress Aresura]

The Palace of Kings, Corpus Christi
The Most Serene Kingdom of Oltremare

1200 Local Time​

Outside, a light thunderstorm was raging, raindrops beating steadily on the roof and windows of the Palace of Kings, residence of the kings of Oltremare, now hosting a peace conference that could stop another Great War from occurring, a Great War not between communists and capitalists, but solely between the capitalists.

More importantly to Francesco VII, a war that would occur in his backyard.

Sitting at the head of a large table, he surveyed the mildly luxurious room, devoid of reporters who clambered outside closed doors, begging for entry and being sternly denied that entry. They would get the result of this meeting, nothing more. On one side of the table sat the Shcherbatskayan representation, on the other, the Oikwan representation. The mood was polite, but tense.

'And so it begins...' Francesco thought to himself as he stood, all attention now on him. "Ladies and gentlemen, honorable representatives and aides from the Tsardom of Shcherbatskaya and the Empire of Greater Oikawa, I bid you a warm welcome to Corpus Christi, and the Most Serene Kingdom of Oltremare. We are here today, on the verge of conflict, a conflict I can only assume no one here desires. Let us then start down the road to understanding and agreement, and walk out of this room proclaiming to Europe, 'We have peace!'. Let us begin by each representative stating their concerns and aims in this situation, and let the discussion continue from there. I shall intervene only when necessary, to provide compromises, concerns, and clarifications. Let us also remain civil in our discussions, we don't need a personal war breaking out here."

He then sat down, heart beating with excitement and worry, and gestured for the two sides to begin. 'Oh Lord, let us be successful in our endeavors to bring peace to the world...' Francesco began an internal prayer, and observed.

OOC: Whoever wants to go first, go first. Really doesn't matter to me.

 

[Touzen]

"Very well."

Kihara readjusted his reading glasses and folded his hands inside of his lap. Despite already being a diplomat of the older generation, having served in the position of Minister of War and Foreign Affairs for well over a decade by now and having gone through the ladder of diplomatic positions beforehand, he only needed his glasses to read - and as he was hoping to read a final treaty after the end of these talks today, he had brought them in anticipation. Examing the room once more - not an unusual setting for a man like him that had traveled around the world and had been in countless diplomatic meetings - he once again reminded himself of the objectives he had here today while resting his eyes on a remarkable antique clock for a few moments, before returning his attention to the two other persons in the room.

"Well.."

He paused as a bolt of thunder outside illuminated the room and muted out all other sounds.

"Well...", he began anew.

"The primary concern of the Empire in the Batavian affair is the maintenance of regional political and humanitarian stability."

He paused for a moment and searched for the attention of his Shcherbatskayan counterpart, nodding in that general direction.

"A goal we presumably all share."

He paused for another moment to gather his thoughts.

"The Empire wishes for Batavian independence and sovereignty to remain as they are, that is, the Empire seeks to maintain an independent Batavian state that retains territorial integrity and political sovereignty. We do not wish for Batavie to turn into an international battlefield for proxy wars or a playing field for neocolonialism. A toy of the powers and alliances. Therefor, the Empire has decided to endorse an united effort of the international community to prevent any unilateral action."

"When the Tsardom announced that it would attempt to act outside of the framework of the Council of Nations, the Empire became concerned that our calls for a non-partisan solution to the problem would be ignored and that other powers would heed the call of unilateral intervention. Subsequently, we decided to dispatch a force that would monitor the activities in the area and would hopefully deter any and all powers from attempting to solve the Batavian situation without international coordination.

That was and is the position of the government of His Imperial Majesty."

 

[Vittoria]

She nodded as the elder man spoke. This position espoused by the Oikawan wasn't only just incredibly straight forward and plain, it was the kind of rhetoric that could be read by the human eye. Literally so because it was the same position announced in the news and via simple diplomatic communiques. Not only did she not believe it, she decided it wouldn't be wise to show her own cards. Another flash could be seen from the window. One-one thousand, two-one thousand, three-one thousand, four-one thousand, five-one thousand... the crack of the lightning then filled the room.

She smiled, because she enjoyed this kind of weather. She was not so sure about her counterparts though. She gave her response some thought and decided to respond.

"I don't think you understand. We've stated clearly in our own communique we'd follow the guidelines of the CoN once the CoN announced some. They've yet to do so... also, our efforts are in no way to destabilize the region nor present an unworkable state to international community. In fact one could argue that the Alliance for Greater Europe stood strong to do that themselves. Just look at the possible Scanian invasion that was spoken about."​

She paused and waited for the next lightning strike to pass. She had the full confidence of the Tsarina to get the job done here and yet the Oikawans just didn't seem to understand the world beyond the notion of AGE and the LFS. Just last month both alliances seemed destined for the trash bin. Now they both awoke with the fangs of a snake ready to strike. It was odd, but nonetheless not something that should be considered unexpected. Old ways die hard. Yet she couldn't make up a story, not for the life of herself at the moment. She decided she just call out the old man. Her face suddenly looked bitter.

"Just last week Oikawan air forces pummeled Ratomkiran cities with an unexplainable force killing innocents, families, friends, etc... all in the name of defeating communism. I'm sorry, but your story is trash. I don't believe it for one second. Your Empire is working to secure their own interests not promote any kind of peace, and especially not to maintain the longevity of a hostile communist nation that once chaired an alliance centered around spreading the gospel of Karl Marx and destroying you. Don't forget your own history, I don't. Oikawa is what it is today because of its policy against communism. Now I can sit around and theorize what Oikawa is trying to do and advise my government how handle it, or Oikawa can play ball and we can come to an agreement... here... today..."​

She didn't mention her own government's position. This was because they didn't have a position other than trying to keep AGE at bay and in Scania and communism from being a resurgent force. If there was a new Republic in Spa, the Kremlin wanted to support it and make sure it would be the future regime for the rest of Batavia, and to make sure it was their camp, not in AGE's and not in the LFS's. What Oikawa knew didn't matter, and with some propaganda piece that she was just fed, apparently Oikawa thought the same about the Kremlin.

 

[Touzen]

At first Kihara smiled, but gradually his mimics shifted to anger and annoyance. Absent-minded, he readjusted his glasses as the Shcherbatskayan girl continued with her rant. Finally, he interjected.

"I think it is you who doesn't understand. Let me explain to you why."

He leaned back and reached for the cup of tea he had requested earlier, inhaling the rich aroma.

"Let me lecture you about history. Trust me, I am capable of it, for I have studied it at the Imperial University in Nokanawa."

His eyes now rested firmly on the Shcherbatskayan diplomat, and he did not end his eye contact even as he sipped on his cup of tea.

"You try to depict Imperial history and Imperial success as having the sole origin in our opposition to Communism. You state, that in fact, the Empire is defined by its opposition to Communism. Nothing could be further from the truth."

"The rise of the Empire rests on two simple foundations. The benevolent blessing of the gods..and the utter determination to maintain stability."

He paused to take another sip of his cup of tea, making sure that his counterpart was following him.

"In the past, Communism, in the form of the Kyvan socialists, of the Manchu Republic..was the destabilizing factor. The free radicals. And that is why the Empire moved in to crush these entities, with success. The result? A global superpower."

"Ratomkira. Rebels who happen to subscribe to Communism threaten stability. The Empire moves in to destroy this destabilizing influence. What do we care about the communists in Carentania? In Marquette? They only concern us in so far as that they pose a threat to global stability. The Empire has nothing to win - but everything to lose. Thus, we maintain stability. That, and only that, is the secret of our success."

"Right now, the regime in Batavie is no threat to stability. Even a transition to another system of governance would have mattered little if it was to be done in an orderly and coordinated fashion. You however decided to be guided by petty feelings of ideological zeal. How foolish. Ideology makes blind, and absolute ideologies make absolutely blind. Ideology is the poison of the mind."

The Oikawan man finished his cup of tea and slowly leaned forward in his confortable chair.

"Batavian Communism is no threat to stability. The Tsardom, however, is rapidly attaining the questionable honor of that status."

 

[Vittoria]

How naïve. All that schooling and yet he didn't understand anything out of the scope of Oikawan tinted glasses. Now if this is what they thought in Oikawan universities, no matter. Yet if this is their defining policy over the ages no wonder their empire was in poor shape. Seeking such order will only bring disorder. No free mind lets someone dictate what they are to do. This is why ideological or religious zealots create nihilists for children. The exact basis for every reaction having an equal and opposite reaction, and here was Oikawa trying to make sure that the opposite reaction does not occur or is suppressed. Not only is this impossible, but undesirable. Man cannot play God, just as God cannot play man. Just as Adam took the apple and then Eve, global politics must play out the same basic discourse. Take all or receive none. She studied the man and nodded,

"I find that to truly believe that you are always one step behind. Oikawa surely knows this. The zenith of Oikawan power has passed. Stop one revolutionary movement and another shall appear in response to the oppression of the first. Each successive revolution more violent than the one before... one is only merely delaying the inevitable and that is the very definition of free will. Empires fall, Kings die, and Republics crumble in the sins of their corruption. The world will always move on regardless of what happened yesterday. This global world is ruled by opportunity. Seize the day or if the day does not seize you, someone else will. It is my job here today to make sure that Shcherbatskaya is not left in the dust bin that is history. You really think that we care about who follows communism? It is a godless sin, but they will wake in hell someday. It not my responsibility to save them. It is my responsibility to make sure whatever appears in Batavië is not hostile to me though. Change is rapidly occurring in Batavië. That old regime is dead, and only lives on through the forces of external powers. This was written on the wall when Jaap de Graaf died.​

She stopped for a moment. She has said nearly ten times the amount of words her counterpart had. Either he didn't care or... no, she just needed to get a point.

"Stability is a myth, only seen in the eye of the beholder. Our world could have an endless civil war in Batavië and yet still be stable because we pay no attention to it. Oikawan domination has perhaps destabilized the world? Or do you not question the impact of your decisions...?

"Kind sir, as I'm sure you know, I can talk for many an hour. I have obtained my job for a reason and that is to make sure I am not overshadowed by an ideologue that threatens my country. While I appreciate your calm collective mannerisms, my job is also to make sure that we do not go to war. Such an action would neither be beneficial for us, nor the world. I assure you that both of us would still stand in this world if we were to do commit such violence upon each other, and our collective stance would be more of a slouch. I want to see us move forward on the basis of accomplishing something here. So if anything were to be accomplished here then I might suggest a non-aggression pact. Other than that, let us go about our business and we'll let you go about yours. I cannot stop you from defending the status quo, just as much as you cannot stop me from smuggling a rifle into another nation."​

She wasn't sure if this was going to accomplish anything. Oikawa seemed more an enemy than a friend the way Oikawa had always conducted itself. Oikawans knew no friends, only those who stood in their way, and those who didn't. Right now she stood in the way and that didn't bode well. Oikawa had no way to attack Shcherbatskaya, as there is no way AGE would allow for Oikawa aggression to go unchecked. Yet even still Oikawa could give her more work and she hated pushing papers.

 

[Congress Aresura]

Meanwhile, Francesco VII looked upon the meeting with a growing sense of dread. While the Oikawan representative, Kihara, seemed calm enough, there was a cold anger brewing underneath that tense politeness. And Natalya Pavlova, the Shcherbatskayan? Well, what did he expect? The Shcherbatskayans had always been a bit headstrong. Perhaps that was why his father liked them, aside from the anti-communism: they said what they meant to say and damn the consequences.

Francesco, on the other hand, was beginning to dislike it severely, if only because of the surroundings and circumstances. Fortunately, the last bit of her monologue seemed a self-wake-up call, but would it be enough?

He felt he had to intervene. "Representatives, we did not come here to exchange accusations or give history lessons. What we came here to do was bring peace to a very troubling situation."

"To the honorable representative of Shcherbatskaya, don't you think that proposal is a bit... paradoxical? For how can the status quo be maintained if you are smuggling weapons into Batavië? It causes the Batavian government, which I must clarify I have no love for, endless grief and could perhaps bring this delicate process of peace to failure. A non-aggression pact, while an excellent start and one of the key goals of this meeting, would be endangered by you immediately after, as you have just admitted, willingly or no."

He then turned to Kihara. "Now, with that said, I must ask the honorable Oikawan representative if there is any way they can speed up the process of the Security Council, or at the least present a quick resolution that forbids all unilateral action? To my knowledge, the Tsardom of Shcherbatskaya has, while criticizing the speed of the Council of Nations bureaucracy, also stated whatever they present, they will follow. Presenting such a resolution will do much to shut down the crises that appear not just with Shcherbatskaya, but nations from the Alliance of Greater Europe and even the Carentanians. We must also consider reports, given by the CoN ambassador from Shcherbatskaya, about the food crisis in the aptly termed "Spa Republic". Letting those people starve will only make them desperate, I think, and desperation often subverts wisdom, which will mean an end to the ceasefire and the end to a quick, peaceful solution. Would it be possible to insert food drops into the quick Unilateral Ban resolution, if not also the main resolution?"

 

[Touzen]

"So essentially what you are proposing is doing nothing about the current situation at all, since that is what your suggestion of a non-aggression pact amounts to. I frankly fail to see the difference between the situation after such a pact being signed and the situations as we have it right now. You explicitly state that we would both continue to pursue our respective goals, with the exception that we vow not to initiate hostilities against each other. However, international politics are no great game, at least not anymore. You running your smuggling runs and me trying to prevent those runs are mutually exclusive scenarios. How are you to smuggle your rifle except by risking interception? And how am I to secure the status quo by intercepting that rifle without risking you returning fire?"

He paused, turning towards the Outremer monarch. He felt pitty for the one who had offered to host this meeting with such genuine intentions of trying to preserve peace (although he admitted a good doze of self-preservation instinct had probably also played into the decision to host it), and yet there seemed to be so little that could be accomplished here.

"I am certainly willing -oh yes!- to speed up the process in the Security Council. In fact, the Empire had been in the process of doing so when Levantine obstructionism suddenly surfaced. However, I will try to ensure that a resolution in regards to the prevention of unilateralism will be proposed. Ultimately, there will be no party that will object to it due to the risk of losing face in front of the international community. Regarding the entity...in Spa..well, the question of food shipments will ultimately boil down to the 'who' question again. Don't get me wrong, I want to see these people fed as much as you do, but ultimately, this is what the entire resolution process revolves around - aid and troops. It is unfortunately very likely there will be obstructionism even when it comes to a resolution that will just deal with humanitarian aid and not any peacekeeping missions at all."

 

[Congress Aresura]

A glimmer of hope was resurfacing once more, but it was a mere glimmer. Francesco had decided that the resolution for banning unilateralism in Batavië was the best hope for peace between these two nations. The Tsardom was stubborn, and ambitious, even in the face of the largest power in Europa.

As for the food crisis, a bold thought popped into the Oltremaren king's head, and he decided to bare it to the world before it faded away. "In regards to the food shipment difficulties, might I be so bold as to propose that the Most Serene Kingdom of Oltremare be put forward as a primary candidate for food shipment, or at the least, as a stopping point, or more crudely a funnel, for food shipments from other nations? We have no interests in the region Batavië inhabits save for humanitarian reasons," Well, not entirely true. There were economic opportunities there, but surely that was not necessary to be made public. "Not to mention we have no strong ties to any of the great alliances. The League of Free States, the Alliance of Greater Europe, or the European Defense Federation. In the broadest sense, we are allies to our neighbors to the north, Cassiopeia, who are part of the League of Free States, but the ties are merely bilateral."

He hoped that the Oikawan would at least be positive to the proposal, if not accept it. Not only would a solution be closer in reach for all here, but it would give Oltremare some prestige, something that was craved by all nations, big and small, in Europa.

 

[Vittoria]

She smirked, her point had gotten across. Although she wasn't keen on Francisco's approach.

"I see you understand. Oikawa never came to this meeting with any other intention but waving a big stick and asking us to stop. To which I'll say there is no incentive nor reason for us to do so. Go ahead push ahead your anti-unilateral action resolution. I doubt it will accomplish much. Remember my statement about perhaps Oikawa being a destabilizing force themselves? It is your actions that created this mess. Originally a small group of destroyers were sent to Batavië. Immediately Oikawa countered Shcherbatskayan actions with a carrier fleet, which alarmed the entire world. Prompting this mess of a hand full of nations giving their navies a joy ride around the waters of Batavia.

"How can we justify fault? It certainly doesn't help when the Oikawans created a mess of things sending in a carrier fleet. Let me ask who received criticism and foreign press by their actions? Oikawa. Shcherbatskaya is pushed onto page 12.

"Arms matter not anymore. The point is now the unilateral action resolution, which has turned from a resolution to help Batavië to an anti-Shcherbatskayan resolution. A resolution we will privately ignore. It's time to play ball Kihara. Shcherbatskaya is not here to heed to Oikawan demands, trades must be made resolve our conflict. I promise you that Shcherbatskaya may even be willing to leave the Batavian theatre completely if Oikawa offers us the correct incentives, or a well balanced trade."​

Natalia sighed. She was either greatly pissing him off and poking a bear, or he was ignoring her and had just expected her to give in to his demands. She would not walk away from the table though. The Tsarina would be enraged if she did that. She needed to take something away from the situation, but she was getting worried he might walk out. Her harsh tone was there for a reason though. She needed to appear strong, else she'd be pushed around. It wasn't easy being a female and dealing with less equal societies in the realm of international politics.

 

[Touzen]

"You cannot expect the world, in this instance in the form of Oikawa, to completely ignore the Batavian issue and not react at all when you decided to completely circumvent the accepted diplomatic protocols, provoking the crisis as we have it right now. I am fairly sure that if you had abstained from your path of action and had stayed within the framework of the Council of Nations, we wouldn't have this mess right now. But whom am I telling this? By now, your government has received its fair share of criticism as well, so I guess I am not talking to someone who is oblivious to the facts."

The elder Oikawan diplomat rose from his chair to step to the window. Absent-minded, he ran his finger across the length of the window, creating a small line on the fogged glass.

"You are bolt. I appreciate that. Boldness brings greatness on the international stage to those who can handle it. However.."

He turned around and shook his head while staring to the floor, crossing his arms behind his back.

"Boldness needs to come in the right place, in the right time. This palace is not the right place and today is not the right time. This is not a negotiation between the Levantine States and the Empire, amongst superpowers. The balance of powers we have here today is entirely different."

He paused, then looked up to give the woman a gentle smile.

"We both know that. Thus I am confident you will be able to tell me what sort of trade you had in mind."

Almost on the fly, Kihara gave a quick nod towards Francesco.

"Certainly the Empire will be able to support your nation heading such a humanitarian issue", he acknowledged firmly and to the point.

 

[Vittoria]

A bolt? Well that was an interesting way to put it. She didn't appreicate how he looked down upon Shcherbatskaya though. Natalia felt that Shcherbatskaya represented the future, while Oikawa, and especially the AGE and Levant, represented the past. Now she didn't know how soon the future was, and far the past really was either, but she felt honestly, like Shcherbatskaya was on the cusp of something great.

She didn't actually have a trade in mind. In fact, she was halfway hoping that her Oikawan counterpart had a brilliant idea that she could accept or reject. She would have to come up with something quickly, especially as events on the ground were rapidly accelerating.

"Well, this would be my offer... Shcherbatskaya will cede to Oikawan demands not to act unilaterally in the region, additionally we will agree to coordinate our current vessels in the region with your own in efforts to enhance your own goals of stability. As per this agreement, Shcherbatskaya will play a major role in any peacekeeping efforts and should the occasion arise. Shcherbatskaya in these peacekeeping efforts will adhere to the wishes of any CoN resolution. However, in the occasion in which another nation does act unilaterally, Shcherbatskaya has the right to establish order in unison with Oikawan efforts. Shcherbatskaya will also control the future of any territory it liberates in this suggested scenario and determine its future independent of Oikawan efforts and CoN efforts, but with the suggested aimed goal of a unified Batavian state yet with its own developmental... pace."​

She had just spit out something well thought, but not entirely well structured. She believed this would defuse the current situation and give Shcherbatskaya an immediate future in the region should it destabilize as she believed it would.

 

[Vittoria]

She unexpectedly coughed. Taking a drink from a glass of water to sooth her dry throat she tapped her thumb on the table as if she were a little stressed. The water helped her throat feel much better. The wooden table was interesting, it had a few knots and seemed real. Seemed like it was mahogany or maybe a ceder. She didn't really know wood very well and wouldn't even pretend to be an expert. She preferred maple to be honest. The lighter tones made rooms seem brighter. Maple was probably not a good idea for a diplomatic meeting though. Maple was soft and light, and darker wood colors probably gave off a more commanding vibe.

 

[Touzen]

"I agree and in fact welcome Shcherbatskayan involvement in a peacekeeping force to come."

The man crossed the fingers of his hands and stretched them outwards until a slight sound gave the verification that his attempt at stretching had been successful. After that, he slightly readjusted his position in the comfortable - maybe too comfortable - chair.

"However...deciding the future of territories..I am unsure in regards to that. Keep in mind that it will be up to the Batavian government and the Security Council how to deal with that matter. Even if I wanted to make that concession, and I am currently not tending towards being inclined to do so, it would not be in my authority to grant it. I am sure something could be arranged though if the Shcherbatskayan efforts would integrate themselves into the broader Council of Nations operations."