Fedor and Sophie's Grand Imperial Tour [IC]

[Mokastana]

Outside of El Matador Amarillo,
Bogotá,Suria, Mokastana
Present Day

Arianna walked out of the restaurant, one guard from the company and one from the government walked with her. On her side, her friend, the Foreign Minister, went out with her.

“What do you think you're doing?”

“What do you mean? I'm being a good representative of my company.” The slur in her words was more noticeable, but Arianna tried to hide how inebriated she actually was.

“Everyone felt the tension in the room while you flirted with the Emperor. This isn't your place to be-”

“It is entirely my place! I am here to give the Emperor anything he needs to ensure the accounts are as well lubricated as needed. I-"

“am drunk. Now get in the car. Your staff will take care of you. Good bye, Arianna.”

“Fine, I'll go, but you have a good night. You sexy Minister.”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes as the Limos door finally closed between her and Arianna. Henry would probably discuss this incident with her later. It was bad enough Montana was getting involved in the party in Las Venturas later, but actively getting involved in the tour might cause future problems. Problems Elizabeth didn't want associated with Mokastana, or the PUF. Arianna was a good friend when sober, but sometimes Elizabeth wondered if she was being taken advantage of.



Mokan Tres
Somewhere over Columbia Province, Suria
People's Unified Federation
End of Day One


The Mokan Tres was a beauty. The reinforced balloon atop of the airship was decorated with a Green, White and Blue stripe pattern. Not only were these the colors of Federation, but they were done in such a way that from above the green blended with the ground, while the blue blended with the sky from below. The external parts of the gondola were the same shade of blue. It was a minor attempt at camouflage hidden behind patriotism. The vessels beauty really shined once the main ramp was down. The light green carpet and gold plated hand rails led into the main hallway and a small dining area. Mokan redwood, known for its durability and vibrant color, adorn the walls. Three five point red stars cut from the same wood hung from the single beige wall dividing the dining area from the kitchen. A tribute the Triple Alliance that formed the Federation. The Flag of the Federation was mounted above them. Down the hall were rooms for storage, an airtight cigar lounge, a billiard room, staircases leading up and at the end of the hall, a door leading to a private observation room, and one leading up to the cockpit.

Upstairs, one could find the rooms they would be staying in. The rooms had no view themselves, for they were practically inside in balloons frame, but there were enough windows in the lower level to make up.

Later that night, President Milano invited Fedor to meet him in the Cigar lounge to discuss matters best kept separate from the rest of the tour. It didn't take long for the Emperor to come down.

The Cigar Lounge in The Mokan Tres was a combination of velvet and exotic woods polished to a shine. The chairs were larger than necessary, to accommodate any kind of visitor, built with Mokan redwood and bolted to the floor. Glass humidifiers hummed away, revealing a stunning collection of domestic and foreign Cigars. A mirrored shelf held various glass bottles, each with a different colored liquid. The tumblers and ice buckets made it clear this was the bar.

“Fedor, thank you for joining me, I felt it would be best to discuss important matters privately, away from the press corps and public interferes. But first, would you care for a drink?”

Henry poured himself a glass of straight Rum and poured a glass of whatever his guest requested. Passing it to Fedor he took the seat across from the man. Taking his first sip, he began:

“Kashubia, Soviet Zvezda, Red Star Union. Whatever name they call themselves now. You know the People's Unified Federation is working against the United World Order for those people. Yet, you sell the fascists weapons, you train their troops. Men who wish to do harm to my soldiers and allies. So tell me, why should I trust your soldiers and navy off of my coast?”

Fedor smiled, confident, as if the question was fully expected. "Your intervention in Kashubia was...unexpected, to say the least. We have our reasons for funding and arming Kendrov's regime, and Mokastana is not part of that reason. That being said, I am troubled that you would even question our loyalty to our good relations."

Milano smiled back, perhaps Fedor wasn't as foolish as he previously thought. Pushing around senators and politicians had been too easy.

“The intervention was a surprise to myself as well, but such is the curse of democracy. As for your troubles, I apologize, but it is concerning catching a friend in bed with an enemy.

I would hate for this situation to drive a wedge into our growing relations, but every relationship has it's hiccups. So I fear I must ask for a sign of good faith from you. I could ask you stop supplying our enemies, but as you said: you have your reasons, and personally, I would rather it be a friend with the receipts.

That said, here is my proposal to bring polite closure to our issue at hand. Let us see the receipts, what was sold to them, and what the technical specifications are. You can continue playing whatever game you have with the Ordernites, and we will be better prepared in case they wish to tip the balance and claim all of the Union.”


Taking a sip of liquor from his glass, Fedor elegantly folded his right leg over his left and made himself comfortable, subtly smoothing out any consequent wrinkles in his suit. "I certainly see the value of some sort of proof that we are committed to fair play, at least as far as it concerns Mokastana. Suppose I were to agree to your terms, only to find that the data we've been feeding you… is, in turn, being given to...third parties. That would be a lot of information in the wrong hands, and it would compromise our position in Kashubia and elsewhere."

He paused and mentally took a step back, to rephrase his point.

"You're asking us to make ourselves vulnerable, and consider what that means to us as we embark on an invasion that will severely constrain our self-defense. I...cannot risk weakening the Ordenite position in Kashubia, when they are a bulwark against an invasion of central Greater Díenstad from the east. However, I can recognize the Mokan claim to the northeastern part of the country and I can make our support of Kendrov conditional on his dedication to peace."

Milano let his guest collect his thoughts, explore alternative options and share them allowed. If anything worried Milano, it was that Fedor was making it sound like the Fascists had been given quite more than his initial assessment. If what Fedor was saying was true, then they had been feeding their rabid guard dog quite well, hopefully it wouldn't bite the hand that feeds.

“As I am sure you are aware, we've had political dealings with the Scandivans in the past, when, less reputable, leaders ruled over Mokastana. By housing your forces we bring their cross hairs back onto ourselves.

We are all vulnerable here. For you, an invasion by Gholgoth would be catastrophic, billions would die as your armies battle across the countrysides. Your Capital may fall, and your empire may be cut in two. Children may be forced to work your factories to replace their fallen fathers.

For us, that same invasion would be Armageddon. Less than 700 million souls live in Mokastana Proper, 1.8 billion across the Federation. We do not have vast deserts, difficult terrain or grand armies to stop invasion. We only have our nuclear options to level the playing field. In the End, we would sacrifice ourselves to hopefully deliver strong enough blows so that our allies could continue the fight. Everything you've seen and will see on this tour would be sacrificed.

Mokastana is no stranger to being vulnerable: I have seen Mokastana City burn under foreign air strikes, watched our defenses be swept aside by what other nations would call a police action. One of the cities we are flying into has known atomic fire. Because of that, we cannot afford to be perceived to be weak anywhere, ever again. Including against the rabid dogs of Greater Dienstad.

So when you ask me to consider what it means to be vulnerable, we are more than familiar.”

Milano paused to take a drink. Emotions were never a good thing in discussions as important as these. He took a mental step back to start again:

“Neither of us want to be vulnerable to Gholgoth, but you picked a dangerous buffer. Recognizing the Union of Eastern Star Soviets would be a good start but I don't trust Kendrov to maintain the peace. I believe he'll attack eventually with or without your blessing.

In the event of war with the Ordernites, we will use all available options to cripple their ability to fight. You know this, I know this. If you do not wish to give us information on Kendrov’s military, then we need evidence that his military will not be a problem for us.”

Fedor did not respond right away, preferring to instead fully digest Milano's arguments. Then, after a short pause, he said, "You have nothing to worry about, as far as the Scandinvans are concerned. I say that with the utmost confidence. You have the Golden Throne's largest buildup in its history off your coasts. Within the year, the logistics route between the Empire and its eastern allies will be complete and streamlined, with New Empire as a major base — Mokastana will be an arm's throw away. And the Scandinvans too will suffer from extreme losses. I seriously doubt their ability to launch a successful retaliatory strike on Greater Díenstad. But, that is neither here nor there. Know that the Golden Throne stands with you. Know that you will never be left to defend your country against foreign threats alone. If the steadfastness by which we've stood by the Ordenites in this matter over Kashubia does not underscore our loyalties, especially given the problems we've had with the Ordenites over South Panooly, then I do not know how else to reassure you." He came back to the topic of Kendrov,...."This is what I can offer you. Allow my troops to control the DMZ in Kashubia — if Kendrov attacks, he is attacking his supplier. Such an attack will cost him the war.
As a further insurance, the Imperial Government will purchase XXX ríokmarks of your debt, signing a contract that gives the government of Mokastana the legal right to repudiate that debt in the event of an attack by Kashubia on the Eastern Red Star Republic."


Henry had thought about the Golden Throne manning the DMZ, if the Golden Throne was planning on betraying the PUF, it would put their forces in a great spot, but he would also have bigger worries than Zvezda if that happened. The debt was an angle he had not expected, but the government had been acquiring debt over the past few decades thanks to its final stability. A sip of rum allowed him to clear his thoughts. This was a good deal, Henry had pressed when possible, but in the end it was up to the Emperor Fedor the First to decide what he would offer.

“Perhaps I started this conversation a little strong, I do trust you Fedor, had I a reason not to your ships would not be off my coast. But the last time I put off a discussion too long... I got this.”

Henry lifted his left hand and poked the glass eye in the left side of his face.

“Most people can’t even see the scar tissue anymore, even my wife pretends to not notice it.”

Not many people could survive a .45 caliber round to the face, which is why the Mokan Army selected it, but Henry had gotten lucky. An inch to the right and he would not be sitting here today. Most of his cheek and nose had been rebuilt by plastic surgery, and the replacement eye was almost a perfect match. Still yet, sometimes he would wear the eyepatch over it because not all the muscles still worked, resulting in a lazy eye occasionally. He had avoided the eyepatch so far with Fedor and Sophie.

“My initial questioning may have been misleading, but I did want to hear your response. Being friendly with two nations on the brink of war is a tightrope to walk.
Your recognition of Soviet Zvezda will be welcoming as would your pressure on Kendrov to maintain the peace. Your offer of manning a DMZ is very welcoming. If necessary, I am sure I can find Federal Soldiers to serve in their place in Gholgoth. As for the Debt, I will have to suggest that to Parliament, but I feel we can find a way to get that to pass. I thank you for your help in resolving this matter Fedor. ”

Giving Mokan intelligence the easy way out was gone, but there were still other ways to learn what was going on in Ordernite Zvezda, and other ways to get their hands on Macabeean hardware. Be it Mercenaries in Tarn selling second hand Nakils for ludicrous profits or third party clientele. There would be other ways to acquire the needed specifications, if the Emperor wouldn’t budge, perhaps a desk clerk in financial trouble would.

Milano's apologies were unnecessary. "I am glad that you speak your mind and that you hold none of your strikes back. That, in an ally, is very much appreciated," said Fedor. And, in fact, Fedor respected a man who said things as they were. It made the Macabeean emperor all that more fond of Mokastana. He took another drink from his glass, put it down, and looked at Milano. "I hope that this settles the Kashubia matter. You must understand that, to the Golden Throne, it is almost a footnote, but one that could become more vital under certain circumstances, thus our dogma in fortifying the Ordenite position there. But also know that we are no friends of the Ordenites, and thus under no circumstances would their interests trump Mokastana's in the eyes of the Golden Thrones."