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[Nova]

—NOTHING—

[BenOfTheIwi]

While we welcome your interest I am afraid that we do not solicit advise from those who are Kaitiakitanua[1] Our King is always willing to sit and listen to people of all backgrounds, cultures, faiths and nationalities once due protocols have been carried out. In this case this has not been the case and as such at this time King Piripi shall not be responding in person.

Rest assured we hold the Morelanders as being people of good Mana[2] and as such shall work with them to ensure that justice is found for the devastation wrought against Maori people and that no harm comes to those who are rāhui.[3]


Kind Regards

SPECIAL ENVOY TANE SEVASI

1.	A Maori concept meaning essentially "spectator". Its used when a person not welcomed into the Iwi formally offers advice in a tribal meeting. I think the best English phrase would be "sticking your nose in where you've not been welcomed"
2.	spiritual respect
3.	Means restricted, so in warfare a non-combatant would be rāhui and so harming them would damage a Maori's Mana.

[BenOfTheIwi]

To:- Vice President for Foreign Affairs Therz

Our people are always happy to talk with any nation willing to do so in a spirit of friendship for the first time.

With this in mind I am happy to represent our nation, either in a meeting at Hunter's Bay or a place of your choosing. This meeting however can not happen in a situation where 125 of our servicemen and women are held by your nation. I am not suggesting that they are being mistreated at all, however it is hardly a friendly chance for discussion with our countrymen effectively in your mercy.

What I therefore propose is that our nation shall dispatch a non-military aircraft to your nation. Once we receive confirmation the aircraft is out of your airspace we are happy for talks to take place at the venue of your choosing.

Best Regards

SPECIAL ENVOY TANE SEVASI

[BenOfTheIwi]

The Heyran aircraft landed at the airport a Hunter's Bay, unlike any other day the airport hard standing was clear of aircraft except for two Taha strike bombers arranged either side, each of the aircraft where painted in the colours of the Royal Seleucid air force but a Maori fern emblem was under each of the Seleucid logos. A large semi circle made up of maybe 1,000 Maori, men to the right women to the left formed around the edge of where the aircraft had parked. The 125 crew men walked down the steps and stopped at the bottom. Without a word the crowd began to sway and sing with one voice, soon followed just a beat behind by the released crew men. At the end the men walked towards the massed group of locals, many pressing their noses together with those welcoming them home.

As the Heyran representatives descended the steps the semi circle in one motion took ten steps forward. The men bent at the knees standing side on each holding a wooden club or spear. The women stood tall and elegantly upright their arms held horizontal at chest height the right on top of the left. It was strange, the two groups singing the same song in completly different tones at the same tempo. The women sang sweet and soft while the men screamed as if about to enter battle, making gestures such as cutting their throats, pointing at the guests with their ceremonial weapons.

Our tribe is calling to the people
who have just set foot on this marae (land)
Bring with you the memories of all our dead
and so many tears spilling forth nation-wide.

Look at our people working across this land
spread out far and wide
Shaking is the ground, quivering is the sea.
Oh, the love and the pain within shall rebuild our home.
The ground shakes and quivers, yeah!

One of the freed NCO's had remained at the bottom of the stairs and translated for the guests as the group performed the song and dance. The last word trailed off leaving the men all with spears pointing towards the guests while the women knelt upright. Special Envoy Tane Sevasi walked out of the crowd, he was in contrast to those wearing traditional attire dressed in a light linen suit, a polished bamboo cane in his hand supporting him as he walked towards Therz, as he approached he extended a hand but rather than grasp it and shake it he took hold of the visitors elbow their forearms parallel. He leaned slightly forward and stood in silence for a moment. "Welcome to the Iwi" he said quietly, those behind him watching what actions this Therz would take now.

[BenOfTheIwi]

Following the ceremonies at the airfield the party moved to the lodge of the local tribe. It was a single story hut made out of wood painted white. The supports that held the roof and sides where painted bright orange with black markings on them, each an intricate pattern that to the knowledgeable Maori told a story of that Iwi's past.  Tane Sevasi  could read it all as well as any written language and knew it told of the Kaweka village being burnt to the ground by the Seleucid, the families locked in their homes. The Seleucid had then ploughed the village flat, the ashes mixing into the soil. To the people here then their ancestors were directly responsible for the growth of the lush crops growing.

Inside the hall Sevasi removed his shoes and made his way to one of two carved wooden chairs, the legs of which seemed to be little figures holding them up. "Please take a seat" he asked Therz. Once the pair were seated a youth dressed in traditional attire came and placed a Tokotoko between the two. It was a piece of black wood polished smooth by years of use and resembling a walking stick. "That is what I suppose you would call a talking stick. It represents a person's authority to speak on behalf of a people. Within the lodge a person holding it is speaking on behalf of their people and to not use the Tokotoko means they are only giving their own point of view, it traditionally was a way of making sure that a meeting went smoothly." He reached down and picked up the stick. "I formally welcome you to the Iwi and hope we can have some productive talks, As a guest I hope your are happy to start our conversation." He extended the stick handle first towards his guest.

[BenOfTheIwi]

Sevasi took the stick back. "What we gain from this is simple, we gain recognition of our cause. For the last year we have internationally demanded that the world, and the Seleucid in particular, hand over the people who murdered the Maori. To them we are a savage race that the world could do without. They murdered us calling us unworthy of living and owning our own land. Yet here we are. You can not forgive such action. You can only demand justice so that those deaths will not have been for nothing and that future generations will see killing because of racism, because of nationality or your views of someone elses culture will not be tolerated. I am sorry you fear your trade is being disrupted but that is what we needed, nations to apply pressure on the Seleucid. You want to see an end to our campaign against the Seleucid then we need to start seeing people brought to justice. So far we've had two out of the thousands who manned the camps, manned medical experiments and executed children brought to justice. We asked nicely, now if it takes the spectre of global destabilisation to get this justice so be it." For a moment he considered putting the stick down and speaking his own mind but then he reconsidered knowing his cousin the King would support what he says, "Our people need revenge, I'd prefer that to be through the law courts, but if that is not possible then we'll do it with bombs. The Seleucid have a track history of degrading humanity, first kidnapping those from Zimalia and Paracambi to be slaves, next they turned their evil towards us, then only a few years back they slaughtered the members of the Cult of Helus in their nation. How many more evils can the world let them commit? You want us to decrease our actions then we need to see the international community start supporting our cause. Do that and we can start giving things time to see what happens."