Sondrian Capital Islands
“Indeed, Herr Drexler,” Paul responded in a slightly mocking, hostile tone. He was clearly unhappy. Very, unhappy. “Indeed, we realize that the German people might have no imperialistic ambitions towards our land. However, the German people, as grievous as their own sacrifices have been in our struggle for freedom, have demonstrated a remarkable disdain for Yalosii lives. On November the Twenty-First, German soldiers, in the pretense of defeating AWR naval capabilities, effectively wiped the entire city of Syotograd off the map. Oddly enough, the Alkharanian Worker’s Republic did not even maintain an existent naval force.” Paul allowed that information to sink in for a few moments, before continuing.
“Our FYA personnel, upon occupying that heaping pile of rubble, could hardly divine that there had been a city there at all--nothing but smoking corpses, and shattered buildings. If our nation is to need rebuilding, it is the fault of brutality, like that carried out by Germany, that it would be unable to resolve itself. Strikes carried out by the Shogunate, while vicious, destructive and devastating, at least served some military capacity. Now, our nation needs to, liberate thousands of extermination camps, rebuild dozens of towns torn apart in our clash with the Red Guard and, on top of it all, completely rebuild three major cities. Now,” Paul turned to face the Erjunhite delegate, “with Erjunhite aid, this rebuilding process could be resolved relatively quickly. In the pragmatic scale of things, we haven’t suffered as horribly as we might have, but the scrs of the Selos regime need time to heal. We don’t need more violent murderers walking our streets. Why would we allow the Wehrmacht to conduct such an occupation? And why are the Germans so reluctant to permit us to control our own destiny? I’m a bit apprehensive, to say the least.”
Paul then proceeded to nod to his secretary, who then, in turn, clicked a remote which projected a large map of Yalos onto the screen.
“All of these regions in blue,” Paul explained, indicating tens of thousands of ten blue dots, “are major cities that we have seized. As you can see, we are firmly in control of North East and Central Yalos, while the Red Guard is retreating down the South. Fighting is vicious, but--” Paul motioned for the secretary to click another button, “because of the generosity of the Gristol-Serkonese government, we have begun to import an arsenal of modern tanks, aircraft and Infantry Fighting Vehicles. Our nation is forming an effective, modern fighting force, and should be able to eliminate all pockets of resistance within the month. Our regions of control are already beginning reconstruction efforts, with wood, minerals and other essential resources being trucked in from Crontor and Zeikla.”
“Now, some regions of our state are simply impossible to rebuild with our current resources, and for that region, we wish to cede the lands surrounding Ju’tozzo to the occupying forces so they may rebuild it, and perhaps, at some distant point in the future, return it to our people, perhaps decades or a century down the line. Ju’tozzo is, however, no longer our, Yalosii, territory. It has been corrupted with the blood of fourteen hundred death camps and the likes of my father, Selos Manikato, and we welcome the current occupation forces to do as they see fit with the torn region.”
“And, in terms of the legitimacy of our state...” Paul took a few moments of silence, ”I would like to invite a special guest. Everybody, I would like you to meet Syuoka, the Empress of Yalos.”
Melanie stepped into the room apprehensively, dressed in a regal blue dress with her hair fashioned in the form of a swan. The nine year old girl looked oddly regal for her humble upbringing, and curtsied politely. She was trembling inside, but did her best to keep her composure. She had a just one, simple job to do; be absolutely charming.
“Syuoka is the last true legitimate heiress to the Yalosii Monarchy." Paul explained. "Her coronation is to take place in a few days. I think that, given the overwhelming desire of the Yalosii people to see the monarchy restored, that any government condoned by Syuoka should be legitimate in the eyes of the Regional Council. Tell me, Syuoka, do you believe that the Federation, led by myself and Ayamai Ku'ozaikkata, is legitimate?”
“Ja.” she responded in, German, by habit. That’s all she needed to say.
“Then, given the support offered by the Yalosii Free Army, the Kutiomaya restoration movement, the cheering crowds of Yalosii people at every city we liberate and now, the Monarchy, I believe that you'd be extremely hard pressed to find a government with more legitimacy.” Paul was feeling quite confident. “Our troops control a great area of Yalosii territory, and we have the resources, with aid and within our own nation, to handle rebuilding. We hope that this pleases the German delegation, with whom we agree in having this Sondrian Regional Council address punishment for Selos Regime criminals.”
“And as a final concern,” Paul was about to finish, “I would like to have the assurances of this Regional Council that all occupied lands under Crontorian, Dominion and Gristol Serkonese control with be ceded back to the Yalosii people. The Crontorians and Gristol Serkonese have already agreed to such cessations, but I’m afraid that the Dominions of Deusaeuri have, perhaps in goodwill, attempted to establish their own government in the region known as S’ua Tozzo, though, without the consent of our current government.”
Paul had to tread carefully, now. He could not afford to insult the Dominions, while trying to turn support towards his own cause. He also had to win the support of other delegations, at least the Crontorian and Erjunhite ones if anything.
“While we truly appreciate this noble effort on the part of the Dominions to offer aid, we would simply like to have the lands, which comprise a fourth of our entire landmass, returned to us without delay, and Dominion troops withdrawn. We promise the Dominions that we are capable of handling reconstruction, and have already made it clear that all forced reconstruction will be seen as an insult to our national identity. We are willing to offer military basing and exclusive economic contracts in the area, if the Dominion so desires, but we cannot accept the loss of these lands.”
Paul took a sip of water, before carrying on.
“Billions of Yalosii live in those occupied territories, and we want them to be united with the greater whole of the Yalosii people, again. We’ve suffered; we wish for this pain to end. We simply ask Markus Deusaeuri, as a leader and an honorable man, to return our families and lands back to our people. We, the Yalosii Sondrian committee, know that Markus Deusaeuri is not an imperialist, and have faith that he will do the right thing, for our people, and for the peoples of Sondria. He is a humanitarian and a noble leader, and we have faith that he will not deign to force us to suffer any longer at the hands of wanton Imperialism.He has always been a friend of our people--and we would like to keep it that way.”
“That is all.”
“Our FYA personnel, upon occupying that heaping pile of rubble, could hardly divine that there had been a city there at all--nothing but smoking corpses, and shattered buildings. If our nation is to need rebuilding, it is the fault of brutality, like that carried out by Germany, that it would be unable to resolve itself. Strikes carried out by the Shogunate, while vicious, destructive and devastating, at least served some military capacity. Now, our nation needs to, liberate thousands of extermination camps, rebuild dozens of towns torn apart in our clash with the Red Guard and, on top of it all, completely rebuild three major cities. Now,” Paul turned to face the Erjunhite delegate, “with Erjunhite aid, this rebuilding process could be resolved relatively quickly. In the pragmatic scale of things, we haven’t suffered as horribly as we might have, but the scrs of the Selos regime need time to heal. We don’t need more violent murderers walking our streets. Why would we allow the Wehrmacht to conduct such an occupation? And why are the Germans so reluctant to permit us to control our own destiny? I’m a bit apprehensive, to say the least.”
Paul then proceeded to nod to his secretary, who then, in turn, clicked a remote which projected a large map of Yalos onto the screen.
“All of these regions in blue,” Paul explained, indicating tens of thousands of ten blue dots, “are major cities that we have seized. As you can see, we are firmly in control of North East and Central Yalos, while the Red Guard is retreating down the South. Fighting is vicious, but--” Paul motioned for the secretary to click another button, “because of the generosity of the Gristol-Serkonese government, we have begun to import an arsenal of modern tanks, aircraft and Infantry Fighting Vehicles. Our nation is forming an effective, modern fighting force, and should be able to eliminate all pockets of resistance within the month. Our regions of control are already beginning reconstruction efforts, with wood, minerals and other essential resources being trucked in from Crontor and Zeikla.”
“Now, some regions of our state are simply impossible to rebuild with our current resources, and for that region, we wish to cede the lands surrounding Ju’tozzo to the occupying forces so they may rebuild it, and perhaps, at some distant point in the future, return it to our people, perhaps decades or a century down the line. Ju’tozzo is, however, no longer our, Yalosii, territory. It has been corrupted with the blood of fourteen hundred death camps and the likes of my father, Selos Manikato, and we welcome the current occupation forces to do as they see fit with the torn region.”
“And, in terms of the legitimacy of our state...” Paul took a few moments of silence, ”I would like to invite a special guest. Everybody, I would like you to meet Syuoka, the Empress of Yalos.”
* * *
Melanie stepped into the room apprehensively, dressed in a regal blue dress with her hair fashioned in the form of a swan. The nine year old girl looked oddly regal for her humble upbringing, and curtsied politely. She was trembling inside, but did her best to keep her composure. She had a just one, simple job to do; be absolutely charming.
“Syuoka is the last true legitimate heiress to the Yalosii Monarchy." Paul explained. "Her coronation is to take place in a few days. I think that, given the overwhelming desire of the Yalosii people to see the monarchy restored, that any government condoned by Syuoka should be legitimate in the eyes of the Regional Council. Tell me, Syuoka, do you believe that the Federation, led by myself and Ayamai Ku'ozaikkata, is legitimate?”
“Ja.” she responded in, German, by habit. That’s all she needed to say.
“Then, given the support offered by the Yalosii Free Army, the Kutiomaya restoration movement, the cheering crowds of Yalosii people at every city we liberate and now, the Monarchy, I believe that you'd be extremely hard pressed to find a government with more legitimacy.” Paul was feeling quite confident. “Our troops control a great area of Yalosii territory, and we have the resources, with aid and within our own nation, to handle rebuilding. We hope that this pleases the German delegation, with whom we agree in having this Sondrian Regional Council address punishment for Selos Regime criminals.”
“And as a final concern,” Paul was about to finish, “I would like to have the assurances of this Regional Council that all occupied lands under Crontorian, Dominion and Gristol Serkonese control with be ceded back to the Yalosii people. The Crontorians and Gristol Serkonese have already agreed to such cessations, but I’m afraid that the Dominions of Deusaeuri have, perhaps in goodwill, attempted to establish their own government in the region known as S’ua Tozzo, though, without the consent of our current government.”
Paul had to tread carefully, now. He could not afford to insult the Dominions, while trying to turn support towards his own cause. He also had to win the support of other delegations, at least the Crontorian and Erjunhite ones if anything.
“While we truly appreciate this noble effort on the part of the Dominions to offer aid, we would simply like to have the lands, which comprise a fourth of our entire landmass, returned to us without delay, and Dominion troops withdrawn. We promise the Dominions that we are capable of handling reconstruction, and have already made it clear that all forced reconstruction will be seen as an insult to our national identity. We are willing to offer military basing and exclusive economic contracts in the area, if the Dominion so desires, but we cannot accept the loss of these lands.”
Paul took a sip of water, before carrying on.
“Billions of Yalosii live in those occupied territories, and we want them to be united with the greater whole of the Yalosii people, again. We’ve suffered; we wish for this pain to end. We simply ask Markus Deusaeuri, as a leader and an honorable man, to return our families and lands back to our people. We, the Yalosii Sondrian committee, know that Markus Deusaeuri is not an imperialist, and have faith that he will do the right thing, for our people, and for the peoples of Sondria. He is a humanitarian and a noble leader, and we have faith that he will not deign to force us to suffer any longer at the hands of wanton Imperialism.He has always been a friend of our people--and we would like to keep it that way.”
“That is all.”