Urgent Message to Rokkenjima

[Achkaerin]

Private Message to Rokkenjima

Beatrice,

It is something of a tradition that every year the Rokkenjiman Sovereign delivers the Imperial Address, usually this is picked apart by various methods of exegesis by members of the international community who point out why parts of the Address are inaccurate, these dominate for one or two news cycles as is par for the course and then fade away and twelve months later off we go again. Never in the whole history of the Imperial Address have I been forced to write a letter that addresses something like this, it is the sort of letter I would have expected to have to write in response to the likes of Stalin or Rosocor certainly not Rokkenjima.

As you will be aware the population of the island chain you identified as Styx, otherwise known as Nurashima, is claimed by multiple nations as their sovereign territory it has a population of 104,000 people demographically speaking a mix of people from the nations that claim sovereignty, in short a significant proportion do not identify as Conglomerate citizens, in addition there is no formal treaty or agreement of any type between the disputing parties in regards to the key issue of sovereignty. Which brings me to my concern:

This Treaty, the Pyrettania-Panner Mount Accord, also known as the Contract for Freedom of Trade, involves an exchange of leases between us, two of which shall host military installations of the First Empire upon Styx and Lethe. Through common patrols and exercises the First Empire and the Conglomerate shall work to ensure their mutual interests in the Illumic, Krimeon and Mhorish Seas. Upon Lethe shall be Queen Adriana Military Base (QAMB), while upon Styx shall be King Leopold Naval Station (KLNS).

I have no comment on the treaty in general except to say I think you've had a fast one pulled on you by the Conglomerate who seem to have got a much better deal out of this than you have, however my concern is to do with the proposed King Leopold Naval Station on Styx/Nurashima, given the detail outlined above about the circumstances of those islands it is absolutely unthinkable to position a military facility on territory that is in dispute before the issue of sovereignty over those islands is settled. To act as you lay out is to deny the people of those islands their right to self determination, we have seen in recent days the call coming out of Rishiri for their rights to be respected and I would imagine as Empress that your voice is among the strongest in support of it. However you cannot advocate the right of Rishiri to self determination on the one hand and then deny the inhabitants of Styx/Nurashima that same right. It is worth noting that a guiding principle of the CSTO, an organisation you announced the return of in this same Address, has always been defending the right of self determination and now we see Rokkenjima in effect denying this right to the islanders by taking action that amounts to the recognition of Conglomerate sovereignty over the islands by the back door and so denying them their voice in the matter.

Therefore I request that within the next twenty four hours (in keeping with our treaty obligations) Rokkenjima provide a written undertaking signed by yourself and the Viceregent that states that Rokkenjima shall not construct the proposed King Leopold Naval Station on Styx/Nurashima and that no Rokkenjiman military personnel or assets shall be sent to the islands, enter into the waters around it (as defined under the Fair Seas Concordat), or enter into the islands airspace and that any personnel or assets already there or en route shall be brought back to Rokkenjiman soil, this to be the case until such time as the matter of sovereignty of the islands is settled in an acceptable manner. Should no such undertaking or communication be received then it is with great regret that I inform you that Achkaerin will be forced to consider pursuit of all available avenues to ensure that the King Leopold facility is not built at this time. I bear Rokkenjima no ill will personally nor on a nation to nation level but the right of self determination is something that must be defended absolutely.

I urge you to engage in a dialogue to avoid our two nations being forced into a confrontation neither of us particularly wants.

I await your response.

Peter

[Beatrice]

Naturally I shall be glad to take the concerns of our allies into consideration on any matter they should bring to our attention. I shall not, however, engage in such discussions under duress, or the threat of ultimatum. In those interests I would suggest that the Holy Empire rescind its ultimatum and engage with the First Empire as an allied state, not as it would a despotic regime such as the United Soviet Russia.

As I've stated I shall be willing to discuss your concerns, but not under the terms of an ultimatum. Whichever venue or method you should desire for those talks to take place, I leave for you to determine. My lines shall be open for your reply.

In friendship;


Empress of Rokkenjima
Princess of Littlebrook

[Achkaerin]

Crystalline Castle will be where you can meet me, as you'll recall your attendance at my coronation it's found in the north west coastal area of Achkaerin overlooking the Coral Coast.

I will agree to stay my hand in relation to taking any action against Rokkenjima for the duration of such talks but in exchange Rokkenjima must give an assurance that the base in question will not be constructed and that there will be no Rokkenjiman presence on the islands for the duration of those talks, if we're both to negotiate in good faith then those are the terms under which this must occur.

Peter

[Beatrice]

For the duration of discussions between the First and Holy Empires Rokkenjima will delay the deployment of forces, as well as operations and other projects pertaining specifically, to Styx.

I look forward to our discussions.

In friendship;


Empress of Rokkenjima
Princess of Littlebrook

[Achkaerin]

Crystalline Castle

Crystalline Castle stood in the hills of the old nation of Silverlea, it now formed the western part of the main island of the Achkaerin homeland. The castle was also the main country home of the Royal family and the venue for many significant royal events. On a good day, with clear weather it was possible to stand on the battlements or look out of one of the many windows and see Avalon sitting there on the Northern Ocean. The castle had been chosen as the location for a very simple reason, it was far better to get this done calmly than to risk the potential problems of having Beatrice in Valtheim for this.

Peter stood looking out of one the castles stain glass windows, he wasn't angry with Beatrice he was disappointed, and not just about today's problem but the others would keep for now. He wasn't happy that he'd been forced to resort to an ultimatum but knowing that the Viceregent of Rokkenjima had raised the issue repeatedly as well as the consequences and been ignored had forced his hand, to think that she would be foolish enough to do this. He looked up as his chief of staff Kumiko Arkwright came and stood next to him.

"She's here." Kumiko said
"Show her to the stables." Peter said
"You going riding?" Kumiko asked
"Of course." Peter said "You think I was wrong?"
"No." Kumiko said "I think you had it exactly right, you needed to get her attention quickly and you got it."

A few minutes later Peter was in the stables, he was readying Titan - his black thoroughbred stallion for a ride, there was already another horse saddled up and ready to go -  brown mare by the name of Isabel. He nodded as Kumiko brought Beatrice in.

"I thought we'd go for a ride and talk." Peter said "Saddle up."

[Beatrice]

After mounting the horse Beatrice sighted, "If it was a ride you desired, there are better manner of invitation, yes? Friends don't issue ultimatums amongst themselves, a simple sharing of concerns would have been sufficient. That you've met he half-way, however, we can overlook that and not dwell upon it. As I'm certain you have things on your mind I shall first listen, and we shall work our way through your concerns."

[Achkaerin]

"Unfortunately Beatrice history shows that a simple sharing of concerns has very little effect when it regards the actions or intentions of Rokkenjima, every time someone has made a perfectly valid point it gets brushed off and Rokkenjima continues on its chosen path right up to the point where it comes up against the exact obstacle that the nation or individual who made known their concerns knew Rokkenjima would come against and then Rokkenjima is forced into changing tact." Peter said "Now perhaps normally I might be content to voice a concern simply as such but with that history in mind and knowing that on this occasion you unquestionably crossed a line I had no choice other than to put you on a clock, I guarantee it gets your attention, I guarantee a response and for the moment I save you the inevitable consequences you would have faced had I not acted. Now let's see how well you remember the way I taught you to ride."

Peter mounted Titan and cantered out of the stables, Beatrice not far behind him they went up one of the many hills close to the Castle and then galloped down through some woods to the cliff tops where they came to a halt.

"I shouldn't need to restate the concerns because you already know what they are. You've allowed Rokkenjima to become a piece in a game in which you aren't a player, you signed a treaty with the Conglomerate that your own Viceregent repeatedly advised you not to sign and with good reason, concerns you don't even seem to have heard. And now I have to get involved to try and stop you making what would be a catastrophic error. The very fact that we're talking privately is to give you the opportunity to deal with this in a way that avoids any further self harm on Rokkenjima's part." Peter said looking across the small gap between where they sat on their respective horses "Don't waste it, give yourself the chance to reflect and deal with this in a manner befitting the Beatrice Anselmo I raised not the Beatrice Anselmo certain people who now occupy prison cells sought to mould."

[Beatrice]

"A missed opportunity to give the benefit of doubt," Beatrice sighed. "Things aren't the same anymore, I gave word to East Moreland prior to announcing the Treaty between Rokkenjima and the Conglomerate and, while I knew that it wouldn't be a popular Treaty in the eyes of the Morelanders, it shows our intent at least to approach them, rather than reading about it along with the rest of Mundus. If you had reached out and said you were concerned and wished to discuss this, I'd have come with no preconditions."

"As I was led to understand the controversy surrounding Styx should have been taken care of," Beatrice continued. "I have to put into place the infrastructure to ensure that not only Rokkenjima is safe after my reign, but that Adriana has the toolset to tackle any threat or challenge she may face in her reign; the Treaty with The Conglomerate is one element of that. I no longer trust Lakhzovia, after the display with Slava Lavosk I'm questioning why I ever discounted the advice and position of Evanthe, so ensuring our presence in the Krimeon is important should I be proven right. Kadassa stood by me when others didn't, I viewed our relationship as friends on the same page but, all the same, I know he's an absolute bastard."

"I will do what I can on the issue of Styx but," Beatrice took pause, "the overriding issue is I see the cracks, I see the strain, and in all truth I don't wish for our nations to fight as they once did. When Charles had me isolated and right where he wanted me to be I was separated from my family and friends. As much as the fissure with David hurt the fissure between us, not just you and me but Serenity too, hurt ever more deeply. I've always considered us to be family, and it is still fresh in my mind when I came here as Iona laid in the hospital, right there with you and Serenity as she passed. Alex told me to be your light, and I did my best to hold you up in those dark moments."

"Now we've the issue of two Cross-Straits organisations, the lingering issues I wish to resolve, there's so much to be done. I've always tried to do what I thought was best and for the greater good, but I can't get it right every time, and I'm sorry for that. Maybe I would have been stronger, a bit better prepared, if she never went back," she looked away from Peter, holding back tears to no avail. After a moment of silence she spoke weakly, "You could have, you should have, stopped her. She would have known what to do better than me, damn it Peter why did you let her go? The best I have is the fact that at least Adriana will have a choice when she takes the Throne, but me, all that's been taken can never be given back. I am permanently broken, just doing the best I can to try to do good by my mother, but it's not enough is it?"

"I'm sorry I don't truly blame you," she said after a moment, "Please forgive that outburst and let's focus on the present, yes?"

[Achkaerin]

"Look there." Peter said pointing straight at Crystalline Castle "One day Serenity will be crowned Empress of Achkaerin there, and when she is I hope she will have the foundation to deal with challenges and threats, I imagine David wants the same for Rhiannon. But do you see either me or him walking, no running headlong into folly? You went behind East Moreland's back, you went behind Seaforth's back, you went behind MICA's back, you went behind Achkaerin's back and you went behind the CSU's back. You ignored the advice of your own Viceregent who raised exactly the same concerns that undoubtedly have been raised by others.

The second the Conglomerate put bases on the table you should have stopped, you should have gone to East Moreland then and consulted them before signing a treaty that honestly you should never have signed in the first place it reduces Rokkenjima to nothing more than a bargaining chip for the Conglomerate against East Moreland and the other regional nations. Likewise the second the CSTO was mooted for resurrection you should have been talking to the CSU, you should have been talking to me - establishing how this was going to work because you're smart enough to know that the CSTO coming back affects an awful lot, but no you signed a treaty again against Emerson's advice and in so doing you were disrespectful to the CSU and you were disrespectful to Achkaerin.

You want to put the infrastructure in place to secure Adriana's reign? Fine but do you really think causing diplomatic trouble with your friends is the right way of doing it? Those two bases shouldn't be built and everyone knows it. You view Seaforth as disrespectful for their decision over QAMB? That's your anger influencing your judgement, Seaforth had every right to close that base down and you know it and there's no reason to believe Seaforth will reneged on the agreements with Rishiri, you've spent the best part of two years if not more trying to rebuild a relationship with East Moreland and those bases put you right back at square one. In truth QAMB was surplus to requirements for the security of the Illumic and you know that, every incident in that region in recent times has been handled by East Moreland and Seaforth so is it any surprise that as the nations of that region establish stronger and closer bonds that they might consider that they don't need or want an outside presence? I don't think it is, I also imagine that if it wasn't for the nature of the relationship between Rokkenjima and Dartfordia that QKNB would have closed with the emergence of TUNA. The closure of bases doesn't hamper or negatively impact your relationship just look at Achkaerin and East Moreland's relationship when we were both in the CIS some Achkaerinese ships were by consent of East Moreland stationed at Illumic Command, when East Moreland left the CIS we accepted it and we complied with their request for our ships to find other harbour. What happened next? We negotiated a treaty with East Moreland that is actually superior to our CIS relationship.

But you seem determined to cling to the impression that Rokkenjima is only secure if it's got its overseas bases, and I warn you that walking that path is taking a path that will leave Adriana weaker on the throne rather than more secure because you will alienate a lot of your friends because the presence of those bases screams 'we don't trust you to handle things'. There are plenty of threats out there but rather than combatting them with a united front we find ourselves consistently having to deal with a complication caused by Rokkenjima before we can address the main issue. And to be honest I am thoroughly sick of Kumiko and Nettie walking into my study and me saying 'what's Beatrice done now?' It's so predictable we may as well start booking them into our diaries.

It seems pretty clear to me that you have a choice between pursuing a path that will leave Rokkenjima weaker in the long term and taking a step back, showing a little restraint and building the stronger Rokkenjima you want to leave Adriana. So are going to shrug this off and run to folly or do you have the courage to suck it up and brave this storm?"

[Beatrice]

"It seems we'll be needing a longer visit," Beatrice replied, "or a follow-up once we've concluded here anyway. It wasn't too long ago that, in most cases at least, my intuition led me in the right direction, and the decisions I made were well grounded and enjoyed practically universal support. It's one of the reasons I couldn't have a Rokkenjiman as my Vicegerent and why Emerson is perfect for the position. I've placed him in a position where he may work with more latitude prior to my departure from Rokkenjima for our meeting, and we shall see if that yields fruit. I do trust you'd be willing to meet again to discuss those issues aside from The Conglomerate at a time in the not-too-distant future?"

"If it should still be worth anything, I'm sorry we've grown so misaligned and I dug in instead of reaching out to you. You start reacting to things, seeing your actions as taking a stand in defense, and you don't see that it's not the applicable strategy in that moment. Let us agree to meet again as a first step on making right on some of that, yes?"

"As for KLNS, I can't outright tell the Conglomerate that I won't be pursuing that facility, but I will tell you it won't be pursued. Until I find an appropriate manner to handle the aspects surrounding KLNS I'll continue to issue waivers on the start of its construction, which will serve to delay it indefinitely. QAMB is another story, Imperial High Command is making preparations for the Krimeon Fleet to replace the former Illumic Fleet and envisions a need for it moving into the future should another crisis strike Lakhzovia and to have options of force on both immediate sides of the Matildas. In short, KLNS won't be a concern moving forward."