Table for Two

[Holy Frankish Empire]

Réunion, Sainte Pierre

Chancellor Jean Rouve was enjoying the trip to tropical Sainte Pierre. A nice breeze rolled off the sea as clear blue waves gently licked the coastline. It had been a Marquen colony for over 200 years and was always treated as an important place. In fact, chancellors had been visiting Sainte Pierre every year since 1958. Through with his meetings with local leaders and the Governor, Rouve prepared to receive his Ratomkiran guests at the Royal House, where all national business took place.

Rouve looked at his watch, any moment, the Ratomkiran delegation would be arriving from Reunion Central Airport. Despite the shared history, the Marquen government maintained an apprehension about the current government as the former government had been quite friendly. 'Things could get interesting' said Rouve as his aid poured him a glass of the finest Marquen whisky.

 

[Calidia]

Réunion
Sainte Pierre

Anchaly Pokuean had enjoyed his trip from Reunion Central Airport to the Royal House. Before the coup d'etat Pokuean was a Major-General in the Royal Army, often stationed in some of the worst war zones of Ratomkira. Back in those days he didn't get a lot of chances to go abroad, let alone in such luxury. But times had changed and even though he still maintained his military rank, his primary occupation was now Minister of External Affairs. Despite all criticism, the man did his job well. He helped achieve the nearly impossible task of getting the transitional government, or Council for Democracy and Justice, recognised by the League of Free States and laid the foundation for further cooperation outside of LFS member states. He was even given the hard task of searching for dialogue with the arch-enemy, Vangala, although his efforts on that field, especially after the latest border clash, seem to have been fruitless.

While leaving his car the External Minister stopped for just a few seconds to admire the Royal House, which was made in a beautiful colonialist Marquettan style. Pokuean had to put on his €250.00 sunglasses to be able to see all the nicely crafted details on the old building. Accompanied by a handful of staff members and two bodyguards the Minister approached the Chancellor. He considered it an honour to be there. The task of convincing one of Ratomkira's longest allies, the last major ally that still didn't recognize the de facto leaders, would be though but yet essential. Pokuean made a small bow and reached out his hand.

"Chancellor Jean Rouve, it is truly a pleasure to finally meet you in person. Prime Minister Vannhere wishes to send his most highest regards and apologies for not being able to be here in person. He trusted that you would understand that his place right now is with the people of our country, given the current situation."

 

[Holy Frankish Empire]

"Welcome Minister" said the Chancellor firmly shaking his hand. "I completely understand why your Prime Minister is unable to attend. I have arranged rooms for you all at Le Orbe. Its a nicer resort. Shall we..." asked the Chancellor extending his arm.

While the building was distinctly Marquen on the outside, the inside was a combination of Marquen and Noni Polynesian. The ground floor had a typical office setup. The Chancellor led the delegation to a conference room. "You'll have to excuse the setting Minister, we chose to use this room instead of the usual conference room. There is a school tour using it today. Please do not take any offense. We just felt they would be more impressed with the main conference room" said the Chancellor.

The room was barely decorated and the chairs were clearly left over from the late 70's. The table was at least new, made of strong Noni Tiki wood. Two staff members walked in to open the windows so the sea breeze would roll in. The room was sparse except for 2 gray metal filing cabinets and an old picture of the King.

"Again Minister, apologies for the venue, we know you understand" said the Chancellor, taking his seat. "Now if you or your staff need anything, please don't hesitate to ask whether it is food or juice. Minister, I must begin by saying my nation, specifically the Royal Petitioners, are not pleased with the change in government. As you know, Marquette has done the best it can to make up for our time as colonial rulers. We have put billions of Joliets into the hands of the Ratomkiran leaders...Now please do not take offense when I ask for a no bullshit assesment of what is going on in Ratomkira. We have our own sources but as your people are in control, we want to hear it from you" said Rouve intently. His focus shifted for a moment as a juice was placed in front of him.

Rouve became a bit lighthearted as a smile came back over his face. "Really Minister, you should try this fruit juice. Its made by the locals and is mixed with honey"

 

[Calidia]

Réunion
Sainte Pierre

Anchaly Pokuean had taken some offence in the fact that the meeting was moved towards a B-room, all for impressing some school kids. But he never let anyone look in his cards and didn't show that he found the whole thing disrespectful. If the meeting would have taken place in Ratomkira the finest most comfortable room would have been selected and all possible services would have been provided. But at least the Chancellor was a man who went straight to the point, something a military man such as Pokuean could appreciate. He took a small sip of his juice, licked his lips in a fraction of a second and addressed the man sitting in front of him.

"Our nation is naturally very grateful for the Marquen assistance during the last few decades. The transitional government realises the importance of your country and understands your worries."

Pokuean paused for a moment as one of his aides placed some documents before him. After slightly raising his hand, signalling his assistant to back away, he continued.

"The fact of the matter is that your donations have gone to the wrong people. While we realize that corruption is still a major problem in Ratomkira, the days before the military takeover where much worse. Your money fell into the hands of the undemocratically elected, corrupt government that used it to enrich themselves. The country and the people could hardly benefit from it. Prestige projects such as the '

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' are examples of the foolish squandering of money by the old regime. I am sure you would agree that building the worlds biggest, most luxurious palace at a time of economic collapse is nothing less then madness. And that is just one of the many examples I would give."

The External Affairs Minister got a little carried away during that last part, but that was only natural. The years before the coup he had seen his country, which has the potential of being a regional power, being robbed by the old regimes and the King. A nation driven to bankruptcy by a few greedy men and a decadent king. For Pokeaun and many others, the military takeover was like a godsend. But passionate as he was he didn't go over the top, he needed to say professional.

"We will not deny that the situation in Ratomkira is pretty bad. We are suffering hard under royalist, as the supporters of the old government call themselves, terrorism. The continued insurgency by a handful of small groups of nearly the entire political spectrum is also costing us a fortune that we don't have. But the biggest threat of all lie with the KKP, which controls around 70% of the Northern provinces. The peace negotiations that where started after the military uprising have been fruitless. The day might soon come that we once again face our communist enemies in our own country. That would be catastrophic. Especially with our armed forces being heavily underfunded and desertions rates, although declining ever since the takeover, still high.

Our economy has collapsed, daily life has become increasingly difficult. We are barely keeping our heads above the water. It is sadly only thanks to support from our LFS allies that we are able to survive. The new administration has done much to make the situation better and has made our healthcare system slightly better, some rebuilding efforts have even been done. Although now rebuilding has been stopped once again due to the lack of budget.

You see that we need your support more then ever. When your nation stopped delivering food packages on the 24th of February, it was a catastrophe for the people of the North-western areas. These regions which have been dependent on foreign aid, mostly Marquen, now had to face hunger next to poverty, civil war and lack of proper medical supplies."

 

[Holy Frankish Empire]

Rouve nodded following the visiting minister's assessment. He finished his juice before opening a manila folder in front of him. He sat quietly reading for a moment.

"Well, Minister, this is news of the most disturbing nature. I am indeed sorry that our aid packages ceased but you must understand that at the Marquen economy is still fragile. At the time, it was a complete mess and frankly, we had no idea what kind of government was taking over. You must know that putting billions of Joliets into the hands of unknowns could potentially be dangerous" said the Chancellor, making a note of something minor.

"The King wants to see things calm in Ratomkira. He cares, rather the entire Kingdom cares about Ratomkira's future. Marquette does not hold the position in the world it once did Minister. However, we still retain great people with a great resolve. So. We are prepared to fully recognize the new government to ease the pain of the people. This can only be done once peace is made with the Royalist factions. So, what the King has proposed is this. A moderated meeting between your government and the leader of the Royalists. Once this small...." Rouve caught himself, not wanting to use the word 'threat'. "Once this issue is dealt with, we can turn attention to the KKP" said the Chancellor.

The Chancellor leaned back and lit his pipe quickly, puffing away a bit. "As for the KKP, we obviously cannot provide direct military assistance. The LFS would never allow that. However, we will do what we can. Now as for aid packages resuming. We cannot provide anywhere near what we were before. However, we feel that if they resume, we must be ensured of the funding goes to what we specify it for. Ratomkira can be great again. It will be Minister."

 

[Calidia]

As the Marquen Chancellor was speaking, Pokeaun pored down his drink. Although he was never really a juice man, he did enjoy the beverage that had been placed before him. As the man from Marquette finished the Minister prepared his response.

"It where the royalists that started attacking the military, police and even civilians from day one. We have given them the option to start up a dialogue time and time again. Even after they continued to attack targets of all sorts we gave them an ultimatum, which they ignored. We have spend two full months fighting them as they defied us and threatened the fate of the Pomnichin province. Hundreds of my boys where lost. And as if that wasn't enough, now they are resorting to acts of terrorism.

While they may be romanized by some, today they are nothing more then terrorists with the sole aim to destabilize my government and disrupt the democratisation process. While in the first few weeks the bulk of the royalist force was made up out of good disillusioned men and women that can no longer be said.

If Marquette insist that we once again invite the royalists to sit around the table we shall do so as a sign of goodwill. If fear, however, that we will accomplish nothing. Except for once again having to listen to there impossible demands such as absolute power for the king or the complete return of the old regime."

 

[Holy Frankish Empire]

The Chancellor nodded, putting down his pipe. Rouve wasn't sure if he should proceed with his suggestion, but he really had nothing to fear. Rouve motioned his staff out the door and asked his counterpart to do the same.

"Minister, my King feels you should try one last time. Invite the leaders to a meeting at the old palace," said the Chancellor sliding a sealed envelope across the table. "As you know, for a few months following the uprising or whatever you call your coup, we supported the Royalists. Inside that envelope are 29 contacts. Some of which you have already killed. If negotiations at the old palace fail, we will help you eliminate the royalists" said the Chancellor, standing. He walked over and sat next to the visitor who was on the end.

"Minister, if you wish us to help, this meeting must remain quiet. Otherwise, label it as a vacation. Either way, works for us. Our strategy is simple, hunt the snake from the bottom up. You hunt down Royalists, not the leaders. The soldiers, the footmen. Scare the leaders. Our agents will contact them asking them if they wish to be evacuated. Those men all get on a plane at a clandestine airstrip. The plane will go down in the ocean...no survivors. It must be done secretly. The royalists have no idea whose side we are on. That puts a quick end to most of the royalist faction. BUT you must attempt to come to a peace" said Rouve leaning back.

"That action must be accomplished in secret. Minister, I need to know if you are willing to go to extreme measures to fight the KKP as well. If you are....I think we can help"

 

[Calidia]

"I shall put your offer on the table when I return to Siem Khun. I am sure that it will be done. I naturally understand that this must remain between us and the selected few that need to know about it. But we would prefer it that the world knows this meeting has taken place. Since we didn't realise that you had such plans we informed a rather large amount of people. It would also be great for our people's moral, especially when we inform them Marquen aid will return."

Pokeaun was also thinking about his career. If he became the man responsible for the return of Marquen aid, his star would rise for the transitional government and the people. Although the Chancellor had once again insulted the Ratomkiran Minister by calling the military takeover a 'coup', a word that was always avoided by pro-military media and official state statements. Pokeaun's day was going great, if he got the okay from the Marquette to make the meeting public, except for some aspects, he could already return home happy. However there was much work that still needed to be done.

"As far as the KKP is concerned. Should the need arise to give them decisive blows we will do everything within our power to stop them. Regrettably our arsenal is not what it used to be, some material is dangerously outdated, there is a lack of spare parts and ammunition among several other problems. The moral our soldiers is also low. So when it comes to the KKP, or any other faction for that matter, we could use some help."

 

[Holy Frankish Empire]

"I have to ask what the LFS is doing to aid you militarily....ammunition we can do. Allow me to call on an expert."

"Mathieu!" Rouve called over his shoulder. The door opened and in walked Colonel Mathieu. He wore an older camouflage uniform, only issued under special circumstance, covered in several military decorations. He promptly saluted before sitting down and removing his sunglasses and beret. Rouve looked at the Minister for a moment before turning back to Mathieu. "Tell the Minister about your....skills".

Mathieu hardly shifted when he began to speak. "I have operated in 8 countries, which I can not say for obvious reasons. My boys and I are specialists at clandestine warfare. We require no air support and little supply. We require 1 supply drop every 8 days. We have no requirement for constant medevacs. If somebody is injured, they sometimes die. Plain and simple. If things go to hell we will only then ask for air support and if that doesn't work we will ask for pickup. 85 men and myself. We are inserted at night and stay in the field for 35 days" said Mathieu coldly.

Rouve scratched his cheek and let what the Colonel said sink in. "They can be an option for you Minister. As long as you can secure them supplies every 8 days and everything else he stated. The deployment of these men is dependent on a few factors. First, this is kept top secret. Second, failure to properly support these men will result in us holding you and your government personally responsible. Other than that, we will provide ammunition and we can provide some weapons......" Rouve trailed off, searching for the right words.

Mathieu spoke up, "A sudden influx of weapons and money would draw attention."

"Absolument. As Chancellor, I don't feel I need to explain that this is a delicate situation. The LFS will not look kindly on heavy involvement. This is why aid money must be used only for civilian purposes. Every cent must be accounted for. We cannot afford to play the game of 'plausible deniability'."

 

[Calidia]

"Indeed, the League of Free States would not be happy should they find out to what a degree you are providing services. However they have accepted that our two nations have a special relationship. So as long as we keep the military side a little under the radar we should be fine."

Minister Pokeaun was impressed with Colonel Mathieu's appearance. Especially the uniform he wore caught his eye. For a change the Minister, being a Major-General himself, had decided not to wear his also highly decorated military suit. He regretted that choice now, being a competitive man. He signalled one of his aids to come to him. "Bring me the Hacki file..." he whispered barely comprehensible. With the map of documents in front of his he started flipping some pages.

"You understand that I alone can not decide on this. However I am confident that your offer will be carefully considered by the council. I could personally already think of a few tasks for the Colonel and his men. They show much promise indeed. About the logistics, I can tell you that such supplies can be provided every eight days. Flying over KKP territory is extremely dangerous as there anti-aircraft force has proven very effective against out air force. The thick jungle makes their installations very difficult to spot and they are also known for there ability to relocate at great speeds. But I am sure you are both well aware of the KKP's abilities. The bodom line is that, when this whole thing has been put into motion, supplies every eight days will be arranged, with the risk of some delays every now and then. No doubt your men can handle that Colonel.

As for the financial support, you have my word that it will be spend in the right places. Nearly all branches of the government can use the money. Most will be put into healthcare, transportation, national and local security. You are most welcome to send inspector to see what has happened to every single of your Joliets. That is if it would make you feel more comfortable?"

 

[Holy Frankish Empire]

"We wouldn't wish to impose on you by sending an inspector to oversee every action. For us to have a relationship with this new government, we must have a level of trust...no? We will send an inspector every 3 months to report on developments. I feel we can all agree that this is more than fair? I think this not only will satisfy our bean counters but will solidify trust" said the Chancellor fairly satisfied with the suggestion. "Colonel Mathieu?"

Colonel Mathieu stood slowly and walked to the window, hands clasped behind his back. "If my unit goes in, I understand the difficulties. I understand the risk of anti-aircraft operations. You must understand that we will be inserted with no heavy equipment. We will be living in the jungle. Those supplies MUST get through with little delay..." Mathieu turned around. "We leave nobody behind. Dead or alive. If we are captured, which I assure you will not happen, neither side is to negotiate for us. My people know this, it is vital you do Minister" said Mathieu as he turned back to stare blankly out the window. "Il faut de l'audace, encore de l'audace, toujours de l'audace"

 

[Calidia]

"I will personally make sure that, if my government authorizes it, your men will receive there supplies. You have got my word and as you may or may not know, I always keep it."

"That was that..." Pokeaun thought to himself. The External Affairs Minister was feeling good, not only career wise. Now that he knew that the Marquette was still willing to send military aid he felt a little more confident about the struggle with the KKP. After all, he knew that Colonel Mathieu's 85 could be compared to nearly 500 Ratomkiran regulars. But he also knew that regardless of that fact the KKP was a highly trained, highly coordinated guerilla army that has survived LFS attacks for over 80 years. The predecessor of the KKP even went back to the days of Rato-Viet, where it dealt much damage to the Marquen occupying force and its colonial collaborators. Needless to say, the Colonel would have his hands full.

"Another matter we wish to put before you, Chancellor, is the one concerning your discouragement towards your civilians when it comes to travelling to Ratomkira. As you very well know, tourism is a highly profitable business. Our only island, the island Lonjing has been terrorist free since the early 70's. Yet the number of tourists has never been lower. We understand that when ordinary people around the world think of Ratomkira, they think of the insurgency, the 'coup d'etat' as they call it and the economic difficulties. But it is our hope that we can slowly change that and once again turn Lonjing into a profitable place. That is why we need nation like your own to stop, lets call it what it is, boycotting our tourist industry.

We agree, and even find it necessary, that people are properly advised about the situation in Ratomkira by their travel agencies, but they should not write of the entire country as its only the Northern and South-Eastern areas that are really dangerous."

 

[Holy Frankish Empire]

The Chancellor turned to the Colonel, "Mathieu, ready your men, you will be inserted in 7 days". Colonel Mathieu stood and stiffly saluted both men and left the room.

"Minister, it is important for you to know that Colonel Mathieu's methods are sometimes....well, sometimes they arent something we acknowledge" said the Chancellor. He poured himself another glass of the pinkish juice.

"Minister, you must understand why the travel advisement is in place. We will do our best to augment the advisement. I am not particularly familiar with the steps, but I will notify the Office of Tourism and we will see what we can do. I feel this works for everyone, yes? We understand how important tourism is. In fact, the island you are on now is reliant of government aid and tourism. We will do what we can to help resurrect the economy but I feel that it is rather secondary, dont you agree?"

 

[Calidia]

Pokeaun smiled slightly, he realized that he jumped from a highly important and complicated matter to something not so ground breaking. Although the tourism matter could easily be considered a minor point in the meeting, the Minister felt relieved that it was over with and had positive response. After all they where talking about a multi-billion joliet industry, Ratomkira could surely use the finances. After seeing the Colonel walking out he thought to himself "so that is the type of Marquen that does the dirty work". Instantly thinking about the fact that it where those kind of guys who suppressed the Kambudjan and Lanxangese during the years of colonisation. Pokeaun's grandfather, a rebel in his day, was killed during the last days of Marquen occupation. However he didn't hold a grudge. He responded with the same small smile on his face.

"Maybe you are correct, Chancellor. Perhaps you could bring up the next point on your agenda?"

 

[Holy Frankish Empire]

"Minister, looking past short term threats...." the Chancellor was reluctant to bring up the delicate subject. "Vangala and Ratomkira do not share the best of histories. If Ratomkira is not stabilized soon.....If we cannot help; we fear the threat will multiply day after day" said the Chancellor.

The Chancellor finished his second glass of the local juice, enjoying the sweet flavor. "Minister, you must be aware that despite the fact your nation is an LFS member, an all out Vangalan attack on your fractured nation...well I do not need to tell you. Once the KKP are dealt with, I am anxious to know how the new government of Ratomkira will act in terms of relations toward Vangala"

 

[Calidia]

"With all due respect, Chancellor Rouve. As long as there is a People's Republic of Vangala, there will be a KKP. We all know where the communist rebels get their bullets, their training and every other thing they desire. We both realise that..."

Just before the Minister could finish his sentence a man in a black suit with fashionable sunglasses opened the door and started approaching Pokeaun. The Chancellor looked slightly surprised as the mysterious man lower himself and started whispering in Pokeaun's ear for over two minutes. The man in black was incomprehensible, but the reactions of Pokeaun spoke for them self, as long as you could understand Kambudjan and had very good ears that is; "...when?...and the military?...for how long?...who authorized?...I'll report as fast...". Less then a second after he said what he was supposed to say the mysterious man walked out the room, leaving the Minister of External Affairs stunned. Although he had seen and experienced much in his 46 years of life, the news he had just received had turned him pale. "I...I'm sorry for the interruption.", he said confused. Pokeaun stared at the table for a few moments and slowly grabbed his pack of Marquan cigarettes. Normally he would have ask if it was allowed to smoke in the room, but this time he couldn't care less. If they would tell him that his much needed smoke was prohibited he would simply walk out and finish it outside. The man in front of him hadn't exactly shown him much respect anyway. After a few more seconds, using his cigarette to the fullest, he looked at the Chancellor with a slightly desperate look in his eyes and spoke.

"I once again apologize, but I have received frightening news. Several minutes ago the areas in the Northern provinces occupied by the KKP have declared independence. A so called 'Revolutionary People's Republic of Ratomkira' has been proclaimed and the cease fire is over. The areas still under control of the Council are in turmoil.

The man who was just here has informed me that I have obtained certain liberties for these talks."

Pokeaun signalled his staff to leave the room, which they did in the most quiet way possible. The Minister was nervous, just when he thought the hardest part was over...

"Could Colonel Mathieu be brought back into this conversation? I would like to discus with you and him how fast his men can be deployed. You understand that now I do need to know everything."

 

[Holy Frankish Empire]

Before the Minister could ask, the Chancellor was out of his chair, flinging the door to the conference room open. He snapped his fingers at his aid... "Phone...PHONE..." said the Chancellor in a hard tone. Once handed the phone by the confused aid, the Chancellor was already turned around, heading back into the conference room before he stopped and and almost yelled at his aid, "find the Colonel and get him back here".

The Chancellor had been on the phone for 10 minutes with the King when the Colonel appeared, hardly displaying any sense of inquisition. Still standing in the door way, the Colonel was motioned into the room by the Chancellor who was finishing his cell phone conversation.

Finally he was off phone. "Colonel, we have a situation that has morphed on us. The KKP controlled provinces have declared independence. I need a no bullshit answer Colonel. How fast can you deploy your men?"

The Colonel barely reacted to most of it but did react with a raised eyebrow when asked how speedily he could deploy his men.

"That depends on intelligence. I need at least 2 days to brief my men. I need maps, I need realistic information on their military capabilities. We have intelligence obviously, but yours is probably better. I need Oikawan made ammunition. That is the only thing that we are to be resupplied with. So realistically, 48 hours to brief,6 hours for censored phone calls to family, 24 hours in transit, a final day of preparation and relaxation. So, if your intelligence is good and is received in a decent amount of time....4-5 days. We require insertion by 5 Mi-17's or equivalent. We need the reliable intelligence before we can move Minister" said the Colonel staring at the visiting dignitary.

 

[Calidia]

"You will get your equipment and transport, Colonel. Detailed maps and a quick guide to learn the KKP's capabilities will be lying on your desk when you return to your base. We need you to thin out the main defensive line and sabotage their supply lines. Do as much damage to them as you can and remember we need to break their moral. Although I'm sure your unit knows how to do that.

If the Chancellor allows it you may also get a second objective. As you may know the leader of the KKP, Hun Mochhai, surrounds himself with the nine. The nine are his personal lieutenants, each one of them in control of a different sector. Your mission would be to bring these men to the supply point alive, although we realise that will not always be possible. We will then take them to a secure location for interrogation and hopefully gain at least one informant. Be aware though, Hun Mochhai does not surround himself with fools. These men are all highly skilled officers with an almost fanatic army to protect them. You may use all means necessary to gain information about there whereabouts, including when it comes to civilians. When we know something that might help your mission, we will contact you.

Does this seem like a challenge to you Colonel?"

 

[Holy Frankish Empire]

"Good, we can deploy in 4 days. As for the mission you need not worry. We know how to effectively harass an enemy. As for these nine, we can at best capture one, maybe, and that is a big maybe, two of these men. Don't forget General" the Colonel switched from using the title 'Minister' to appeal to his military side "we are going to be on foot. And after the KKP gets frustrated, the hunters which is us, become the hunted".

The Colonel sat back in his chair. "We will be on foot. We will try to get you one of these men or at least intel on these men. General, I beg of you not to contact us regularly. We don't want anybody to find us out there. If people find us, we get killed........" The Colonel paused with clearly more to say. Perhaps it was the first time the Colonel showed any outside emotions.

The Colonel swallowed heavily. "General, I personally make death notifications to next of kin. Id be very pleased if the number was low"

 

[Calidia]

"I am sure that you will do whatever is in your power to do. I will do everything I can. Know that a broken nation is depending on you."

Pokeaun wanted the meeting to be over. He wanted to go back to his fatherland to find out more about what was going on. It was only the question if the Chancellor or the Colonel had something else to put on the table. The good feeling that the minister had a few moments ago had completely disappeared, it was hard for him not to let is mind wonder. After all the Kingdom from which he departed just yesterday had changed for good. Anxiously looking at his meeting partners Pokeaun asked.

"Is there anything else you wish to lay before me?"