Votes and Arrows (MT, semi-op, TG or OOC)

[New Edom]

OOC Thread

FROM THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR OF RAITH IMMEL

I have been advised by the Attorney-General of New Edom, the President of the Allied States and the Archbishop of the Apostolic Church that it is an acceptable time that a general election should be planned to take place in the Province of Raith Immel. All persons involved with diplomacy, military affairs, and acting as advisors as well as local officials are invited to take part at a planning session at the villa of High Prince Findi Lamat of the Niradnis Elwe who has kindly offered to act as host for this event. Please come prepared to discuss the following subjects:

1. Preparing citizens to vote who may not be fully literate.
2. Planning for electoral districts in rural areas.
3. Voting instruction.
4. Hiring or election of electoral officers by district.
5. Peacekeeping operations to prevent violence during elections.
6. Any other questions or concerns raised presented in a thoughtful manner offering solutions to problems.

We have reached, truly, the end of New Edom's civil war, in the last province in which it was waged. Now we hope to end it graciously and well.

sincerely,
John Carmel,
Governor of Raith Immel

Brightwater, Raith Immel Province

Majestic Hotel

The young dark haired woman stepped into the light near the bed. She was wearing a light blue jacket, a white dress shirt, a navy skirt, pale stockings and pumps, and involuntarily bit her lip as she looked at the man lounging on the bed in his shorts and undershirt. He was a strong looking powerfully built man with very hairy arms, legs and shoulders, a bushy moustache and powerful arms almost like an ape's. He was smiling faintly as he looked at her--the expression of a man who had had many meals looking at yet another, and she felt a sharp twinge in her stomach.

"A bit dowdy, but nice. But the sweetmeat is lovelier than the shell. Get undressed." he said in a voice used to command.

"What, everything?" she said without thinking.

"Yes, everything. Do you need music or something?" he said with amusement.

"I'm not a whore...there's no call for that..." she said angrily, taking off the jacket. "Why insist on this though?"

"Because it insures your complicity, my dear." said the man. "And remember, no names."

"No names," she said, with a deep breath, folding the jacket. He watched as she unbuttoned her skirt and removed it, took off her shoes and stockings, unbuttoned her shirt, and reluctantly, feeling rather sick at heart, unhooked her bra, skimmed out of her panties and stood totally naked in front of him.

"Not bad," he said. "Very full breasted, never had kids yet I see, you could use a trim and a dab here and there but not bad at all. Turn around for me."

While she was facing away, he spoke to her. "The instructions are on the dresser. Follow them to the letter."

She wondered if he really expected her to go through with all of this. Reading the instructions, she understood what he wanted--both here and afterwards. Here...it was fairly simply. She gritted her teeth, swallowed, and sat beside him on the bed, and began to remove his shorts.

They had met earlier, at the hotel's bar; there was a teacher's convention for the province going on, and he was a well dressed man albeit somewhat drunk in a jovial way, wearing a suit but with a military bearing. He picked her up after some mild resistance on her part. And now she was here. But it had all been planned and was intended to be, and it made sense for this humiliation to happen, because you never knew, the Council Police had so often set things up, made their enemies hoist their own petard. Who knew how much they were being watched? As she began her ministrations under his guidance she hoped this was all just cleverness, but if it was, he was certainly aroused by it.

Later on, as she was showering, she found herself rubbing herself hard. She had felt that she was a professional, but she wasn't; she was a patriot. She wept in the shower. She'd never really been with a man before--adolescent play, yes, but this was her first time, and she felt soiled. But anything for her country's freedom. She used mouthwash for the fourth or fifth time, combed out her hair, dried herself, her skin feeling tingling and raw from her too hot shower, and dressed in the bathroom. Peeking out, she found that he was gone.

Izabella Quiri walked out of the hotel and went to wait for a bus. It was a little dangerous now, with foreign soldiers around and many lumber industry workers staggering out of bars this time of night, but somehow she didn't care; she just wanted to get home. Besides...in a crowd, who knew who was who anymore? She shivered, though the night was warm, and saw the sunny glow of the lights of a bus coming down the street.

[New Edom]

Outside the Town of Maicorto

The hillside town of Maicorto had seen its share of the war, certainly; there had been several violent clashes and a full scale battle that had been part of the greater battle for Brightwater during the Uprising--the 18th Light Troops and the Black Branch had fought for two days before both finally withdrew, a stalemate. Meanwhile forest fires had lit up the night skies and filled the air with smoke. That was all gone. And Feren, a 40 year old Niradnis Elwe farmer, had returned home at last, having spent many months of the war as a pack mule, carrying supplies on his aching back along forest trails and in tunnels. One day he had been working in his fields, and then the Green Branch came and said, "All are either patriots or traitors; you must come." And they had looked at his family, and so he went.

He went from house to house but found that his family was nowhere to be seen; he was informed by strangers he had never met that no one lived there before them except some people who had run away. The woman who greeted him was apologetic, offering him the hospitality of the house with weary sadness. There were nearly two dozen people living in the loghouse; they looked at him defiantly but sadly. "I must find my family," he said, "Were the townsfolk all evacuated?"

"They must have been. We were to have been evacuated, and we had to flee the town because of the shelling, and then we were diverted and told to go home by the soldiers from far away, but how could we, for we had no home? And we were told not to go to the camp, so we came here, as did others. There may be some folk from before...you might check at the Home Tree."

The Home Tree was still there, though it was much scarred by war, old branches that had been thicker than his waist broken off, and burn scars on it. But he felt the same old sense of peace, even in his sorrow, as he climbed the circular steps up to its heights, and found that the Speakers there were not those he had known, but a man limping with difficulty on crutches, his legs removed by a mine, who told him, "My friend, there are a few people here who lived in this valley, but none who were from your town. Everyone here is a refugee. You must go to Brightwater; there they keep records--such as they are--they can tell you there."

"My home is gone, my family is gone, my Home Tree is no longer mine," said Feren wearily. "Can I find work and shelter here until I can get the money to get to Brightwater?"

The Speaker looked at him with a tired smile. "There is no need for that...we will all find our homes soon enough, we hope. It has been a hard war. I will make sure you have the fare. Will that suffice?"

"I do not know what I will do when I get there, but I thank you," said Feren, feeling a dim sense of hope. "It is a start. Cepuvan annalya orenyasse."

"Nalye as meldar," said the Speaker, sorrow in his smile as he took Feren's hands with difficulty.

[New Edom]

Brightwater, Raith Immel
Map of Brightwater
From a small city of a mere 100,000 a few years ago Brightwater has swollen to nearly 450,000--many of these are Elwe, Edomite and other people driven from their homes. Two large refugee camps run by the National Council for Refugees are on the edge of town, their populations in the tens of thousands. Other groups of refugees occupy sports arenas, schools and other public buildings.

Three main peacekeeping zones--the peacekeepers in question being altruistic gestures by foreign nations friendly to New Edom in two cases or perhaps simply altruistic in another--are outside Brightwater. To the west, Norvenian troops control a zone around the town of Carnmag. To the south, Antarrayin Aid Camp is run by Nalayans of St. Xavier's Brigade. To the east Yellow Grove Camp is run by Ali-Zebu Union personnel. These help patrol what was once a war zone around the city, helping conduct people to safety and helping maintain the peace.

The New Edomite Army and Air Force has taken a back seat role at this time, as part of the peace treaty to avoid provoking the Elwe Independence Organization forces around the city, who are mostly units called the Black Branch, the Green Branch, and the White Thorns. These are mostly guerilla style forces who know the heavily forested region well. Most of the New Edomite personnel in Brightwater stay in Brightwater, and consist mostly of support and base personnel as well as a battalion of MPs and some air force personnel.

The city is a logging town, with a number of sawmills, pulp mills, paper factories and the infrastructure to support this industry. The mining industry is also prominent in the area. It is a town partly traditionally Elwe, partly Edomite, with some elements of international homogeneity to it including some hotels for business executives and people of importance, some chain restaurants and stores.

Surrounding it there has been great devastation. Forested areas were burned, villages and towns evacuated and in some cases shelled or bombarded. Battle took place right up to the edge of the city.

Brightwater is home to the High Prince of the Niradnis Elwe tribe, Findi Lamat, and also to International Peacekeeping Headquarters.

[New Edom]

Anarcho-Naturist Party Headquarters, Brightwater

Anthem: The Internationale

"The Anarcho-Naturist Party are not willing to compromise on having a bright, green future," said Nennog. The proud veteran of two uprisings against Edomite hegemony stood in the conference room that the party had selected, wearing a leaf patterned Peace Robe, her fair hair slicked back with ochre and yellow paint. She was unarmed and hand her hands visibly spread out. "We are not going to wait for the elections to reveal our beliefs. We have the policies, the plans that ordinary Elwe and those who love the Elwe and Raith Immel are longing to hear.

"First of all, we are going to focus on sustainable economy. That's where people are not forced to pay foreign prices for their food, their water, and their day to day living. We will encourage modern technology to blend with traditional practices, and any public money will be put towards this. A sustainable forestry where we use less raw log or unprocessed pulp export, less pollution of our rivers and our lakes.

"Second: We will focus on fair trade, green jobs, smart economic stimulus.

"We want to help families and communities. Lower income tax and more people working less hours, help for local governments by volunteers.

"we want to establish democracy in Raith Immel. We do not want rule by hereditary nobles, however worthy they might be; we want leadership by those who have the altruism and skill and courage to make our communities come to life again. We were once a free people--we can be a free people once again!"

She beamed at the applause. "I want everyone to know that I welcome the input of my friends who are Edomite--Issachar Romain among them--who are supporting us and will be helping us through this election. We are not a one issue party--we are a party with vision about how to have every person learn how they can lead this Province into becoming its own country. Because the vision is like a tree--it spreads great shade, it feeds, it is rooted, it provides and is provided for. We are all connected by it, to become a great Raith Immel."

[Riemaia]

Maret Holystone was tasked with going to New Edom, the first time she had ever been to the country, but she has heard stories of the civil war, the locals, and of course their monarchy. Like most Riemaians, she had seen the marriage photos of David and Selvaria, but besides that had no idea what the average edomite looked like. She was arriving in Brightwater by plane, a small corporate learjet that was personally loaned out to her for international travel, she was afterall Riemakora AB's Senior Sales representative. "Brightwater, never seen the place, couldn't even find any pictures of it back home..." She said aloud, even though there was nobody else in the room of the plane she was in, until the flight attendant came in.

"Ms. Holystone, we will be landing in Brightwater in just a few minutes, please make sure you have everything you will need, we will be cleaning the plane while you are gone for the day and the chemicals are sort of noxious."

"Thanks," she said to the flight attendant as she looked out the window to the closing Brightwater. "This place looks quite nice actually, the river reminds me of the Capital city back home... well this should be interesting indeed." Roughly twenty minutes later, her plane was on the ground and she was just walking out of the plane, she was wearing a red sleeveless dress shirt and tan slacks, with matching red pumps. Her long brown hair laid lightly on her shoulders, and her patches of red skin contrasting with her regular pale white skin caused by a genetic pigmentation disorder easily. "Well, id my people send word ahead or not? Suppose it will be a mystery..."

[New Edom]

All international flights had to come via Fineberg still; it was the only real international airport on the main island, though there was also on on Gloria Regis in Sixington. So while that one was very modern, sleek and all glass and steel, this one was basically three tarmacs and landing strips, a control tower, and a large brick and granite building you had to walk from your plane to. A group of soldiers with submachineguns were on the airstrip, and some luggage handlers; everyone was ushered to the building and told to form a line. One of the soldiers looked at her approvingly but gave her a friendly smile. "God bless the mother who made you," he said, "And you look kind of important, are you somebody?"
"Soldier, don't talk to the travelers," growled a scarred sergeant with one white eye. "Please keep moving, travelers. We apologize for the security, but we need to be careful."
She had only seconds to speak with the soldier, clearly everyone was being ushered in to a hallway. The New Edomite travelers seemed to be used to this, were talking quietly among themselves in what probably sounded like odd accents to Maret. In front of her was a stout man with thinning brown hair wearing a brown suit and carrying a briefcase; behind her were a family consisting of two dowdy women of different ages; one was older and the other was quite young but had a bulging belly and two kids; she wore a kerchief around her brown hair and a sacklike dress and sensible clunky shoes.

[Riemaia]

Maret had looked at the soldier and quickly would have replied to him "Senior sales rep of Riemakora!" before being nudged forward into the line, she had no reason why there was a huge security line, but she went alon with it due to curiosity. Along with her she had her own briefcase, with her company laptop made by another major Riemaian company, a few files, and of course her trusty book of contacts and dirt on other people, of course written in the Riemaian alphabet. She looked around and noticed what she assumed to be a fellow businessperson in front of her, and the people behind her. She knew the nature of how business people could be, being one herself and turned her head to the people behind her. "Do you know whats with this line and all? I didn't know there was going to be one of these."

[New Edom]

"It's customs," the older woman said, "To make sure none of us are terrorists. Do you have all your travel papers with you Lady?" she asked politely, looking at Maret curiously. "Ours get issued to us, but my sons are in the army and this is my daughter in law and her children...and another one along the way."

"Hey lady," said the soldier, passing by discreetly, "You got any cigarettes? If you got some cigarettes I can get you through the line quicker." He was a young man, perhaps 18, with short dark hair, light stubble, wearing Lyran Arms forest pattern multi-spectral BDUs, carrying an UZI and wearing a forage cap and boots. The line had kept moving, clearly there were two people behind a desk with a door on either side of them, each with frosted glass. One said "Out", the other said "In". One of the people was a uniformed officer with a billed cap, light blue dress shirt and a bored but serious expression talking to one of the people at the head of the line. Sitting beside him was a Council Police officer all dressed in black, smoking a cigarette and checking something on a clipboard.

[Riemaia]

"Travel papers? Well I have my passport..." She said as she heard the soldier asking for cigarettes, who she turned to. "Uhh, I got a few joints... will that do?" Maret said to the soldier, looking over his gear.She then glanced back at the others, and then back to the soldier. "If it is, mind if my friends come along? You know how kids can be, loud and always having to go pee... and look, shes pregnant!" She then again looked back over to the women, and whispered "Hell, I don't even know your names, mines Maret, whats yours?"

[New Edom]

The older woman said, "I am Hannah, this is Julia, my daughter in law," she bowed her head politely. She looked at the soldier a little warily. "Do you know Private First Class Gabriel Lukas...?" He shook his head. "No, Missus, but you know there's a lot of troops here in Brightwater, I can maybe show you how to find out--you got any chocolate, coffee, cigarettes?" he whispered, pretending to stroll by patrolling.

"How many joints you got then," said the soldier to Maret, frowning. "There's a bunch of you now, not sure I can do it, my corporal will be back any moment, it'll be my ass if he comes back and catches me at this, but you seem like such a nice lady," he grinned. "you need a travel visa, and a work visa if you're working here."

[Nalaya]

Antarrayin Aid Camp, Raith Immel

There was a rhythm to splitting wood that never failed to calm Hramanatar Kalousdian. With the fires that had raged, trees needed to be felled and cut up. It also provided wood for the occasional cook fire and other such uses. Each swing was punctuated by the harsh jolt of axe biting through wood and sinking into the stump below. Her cigarette trailed ashes onto the dirt. She couldn't remember when she'd taken up smoking over the past few months, but she'd needed it. With all the smoke she'd inhaled, Siri figured her lungs were screwed anyway.

"There's a lot of hope for these elections. Did you see Nennog's speech? I was impressed," Arraj Melkonyan said with a soft smile, folding up the paper she'd been reading. She sat nearby on a stump, back stiff as a board from the scar tissue. Nearby, Petrosian was serving as a walking jungle gym for stray Elwe children, one dangling off each of his powerful arms.

"I should hope so," Siri said, knocking the split pieces to one side and placing another round on the stump. "Enough people have died. It is good to see things growing."

It was hard to feel it in her heart, though. Just as their forests after the infernos that had raged, the Elwe were showing signs of new growth. But in her own way, the Hramanatar felt apart from the world. This was one of the rare moments of peace she found. The end of a war was no less heartbreaking than its beginning. Families were separated, scattered. All too often she was the one who had to ask a family member to identify bodies, just as she had once been asked herself. But she endured, perhaps because she did not know what else to do. Like stone.

"Hramanatar, you will go to Brightwater, yes?" Petrosian asked. "Maybe you could bring back some candies for these little ones?"

Siri glared up at him with a mock stern expression. "Out of order, Serzhant. You're well enough on your way to spoiling them rotten without help," she said, a rare spark of levity hiding behind her expression. The children, and sometimes Celtachair, were the only ones who could coax that out. She still held a soft spot for the scarred Elwe leader. Then she looked away and the light was extinguished with the sharp thump of axe again hitting wood.

"Permission to speak freely, Hramanatar?"

"Granted," the medical officer grunted, repeating the smooth motion of raising her hands and letting the axe fall. It was like when she had been a girl on the farm, learning how to do this from her father. A daughter should know everything a son knows.

"Respectfully, Tiruhi, we can do all we like here in the field getting people to vote. And it's honest, hard work. But we also need to be at the core of this, if only to temper the hotter heads that still exist and to show we support the elections publicly," the Arraj observed even as Petrosian careened off, miming as if he was an airplane to amuse the children.

"I hate politics," Siri muttered, leaning the axe against the stump. She wiped her hands off on a handkerchief, new blisters joining old callouses. "I'll take that under advisement, Arraj, thank you." But even as she said it, she knew it was true. Someone would at least have to be there, and she had so many other tasks delegated to her subordinate officers that this one was on her own head.

[Riemaia]

"Travel visa....? Never heard of those before, but I guess plenty of countries need them... i got like seven or eight of them, Snowberry mist is what my guy called them, or something like that, someone like you might appreciate some of the best dope Riemaia has to offer, is that good enough?" She then looked back at Hannah and Julia, and continued talking. "Yea, I seriously don't know what the hell a travel visa is, must be like one of those things that just don;t exist in Riemaia or some shit like that, ya know?"

[New Edom]

Elwe Independence Organization Campaign Train
Theme: March of the Elves

The old locomotive had been painted black and red, and had the oak tree flags of the EIO streaming from it as it rattled along the tracks from Old Dyvynvarth, which had at last been reestablished with holy rites. And now Prince Mane Andoe, freed from prison at last, waved to people who excitedly ran from villages in the interior, painted Elwe hunters, kilt wearing farmers and naked children cheering at the spectacle, but also hearing the name called out. Leaning out of the train, his face, somewhat pale but still recognizable from paintings and photographs, smiling as he waved to the people. His brothers and Princess Fuamnach also waved to people as they saw their joy.

"I have been imprisoned for 15 years!" Prince Mane Andoe shouted as he stood at a refueling platform on the way to Brightwater, with some reporters present and local townsfolk and loggers watching skeptically and warily as crowds of rural Elwe swarmed around the train, calling out joyful cheers. Alcarya Andoe! Tenn' oio cenelya alasse! Alcarya Andoe!

"Our people have gone along the first steps towards freedom! What I promise above all things is progress towards an independent and free Raith Immel--so that we govern ourselves as we did in the old days! We brought the first civilization to this country--we will lead it on further! I thank you all--we are in a new era, but let us not wax fat and sleep too early, the hunt is not yet over! Hantanyel orenyallo!"

"Prince Andoe, what about policies for economics and cooperation with the National Government?" asked a journalist who had wearily made the journey to what he thought of as a god forsaken forest town on a Forestry Service vehicle (if you could call it that).

"We intend to reestablish the rule of the Tribes, reestablish the old Confederacy. Under the Elwe Confederacy, there was no poverty, there was no abuse of our natural resources, all were fed, none went hungry or homeless. So it was, and so it shall be! No further questions, our train is refueled with coal and must be onward to Brightwater! Mauya nin avanie, harvya vanima aure!"

[New Edom]

"Travel visa....? Never heard of those before, but I guess plenty of countries need them... i got like seven or eight of them, Snowberry mist is what my guy called them, or something like that, someone like you might appreciate some of the best dope Riemaia has to offer, is that good enough?" She then looked back at Hannah and Julia, and continued talking. "Yea, I seriously don't know what the hell a travel visa is, must be like one of those things that just don;t exist in Riemaia or some shit like that, ya know?"

"You don't have travel visas in Riemaia?" said Hannah, her eyes widening. "How strange, we have them here of course, we need them. Maybe you are a special case since you are a foreign lady."

"Mommy, how can she be from Riemaia? She has clothes on. And that lady in that movie..." said one of the kids to the pregnant mother. Julia hushed him, blushing and saying, "I'm sorry, he's only seven, he doesn't know what he's saying."

"That's what we get for having that...that television, if your father were alive..."muttered Hannah.

"I'll take it," he whispered to her out of the side of his mouth, "Plus I want a peek--just a peek, you know, I'm not some animal but I rarely see such a fine lady as you, you can pick, either your boobs or your ass, one of the two, just a quick peek, out of sight of the kids of course, as I'm a godly man. Then I'll get you right through the line, swear to you." said the soldier. "Joints and a peek, do we have a deal? I'll even make sure you get to the car rental place ahead of time."

[Riemaia]

"Travel visa....? Never heard of those before, but I guess plenty of countries need them... i got like seven or eight of them, Snowberry mist is what my guy called them, or something like that, someone like you might appreciate some of the best dope Riemaia has to offer, is that good enough?" She then looked back at Hannah and Julia, and continued talking. "Yea, I seriously don't know what the hell a travel visa is, must be like one of those things that just don;t exist in Riemaia or some shit like that, ya know?"

"You don't have travel visas in Riemaia?" said Hannah, her eyes widening. "How strange, we have them here of course, we need them. Maybe you are a special case since you are a foreign lady."

"Mommy, how can she be from Riemaia? She has clothes on. And that lady in that movie..." said one of the kids to the pregnant mother. Julia hushed him, blushing and saying, "I'm sorry, he's only seven, he doesn't know what he's saying."

"That's what we get for having that...that television, if your father were alive..."muttered Hannah.

"I'll take it," he whispered to her out of the side of his mouth, "Plus I want a peek--just a peek, you know, I'm not some animal but I rarely see such a fine lady as you, you can pick, either your boobs or your ass, one of the two, just a quick peek, out of sight of the kids of course, as I'm a godly man. Then I'll get you right through the line, swear to you." said the soldier. "Joints and a peek, do we have a deal? I'll even make sure you get to the car rental place ahead of time."

"What the... yea, kinds and them picking up stuff from movies! I do wish our movies werent as... adult oriented but I suppose thats what you get in my nations situation, not like that i'd be really willing to talk about that right now but I suppose you could guess." Maret then pulled out a small silver box from her pocket and opened it up, and handed the soldier six joints out of it, it was basically a cigarette case that had joints in it. "A peek? Jeez, we'll see, no promises!"

[Ali-Zebu Union]

Nuleztahni had been holding down the fort so to speak while her sister and her cute little wife traveled. Most of what she had been doing was sheer monotony and boredom. Because of this she was more often found outside the embassy than inside it. Why did the foreign minister, the prime minister, and her mother have to go for the three pronged attack? She could think of far better ways of spending her time than smiling at officials and signing paperwork. And perhaps because they had felt especially cruel, she was now on indefinite leave from the air force. Things were not all bad though. Her wanderings had given her an opportunity to sample some of the local fare.

She stretched her arms as she sat up in the bunk she had shared with one of the pilots the night before. It had been fun, but she needed to get back to Brightwater. She twirled several strands of the other woman’s hair around her pointing finger and kissed her cheek. The other woman mumbled and turned on her side. Nuleztahni then hopped down and dressed herself for the flight back to Brightwater. She had been itching to take to the sky again and lucky for her she could be pretty persuasive. As the ground crew waved her down the runway she thought to herself that she would probably not see that pilot again. It did not matter, there were still plenty of women and men out there.

Nuleztahni checked her instruments and descended onto the runway below her after getting the go ahead to land. After landing her “borrowed” Turul she climbed down from her open cockpit and removed her helmet and untied her dark hair so that it fell down the back of her olive green flight suit. She handed her helmet to the first person to arrive. “Would you mind taking care of my little girl here?” She was smiling brightly. It was a smile not borne out of habit, but one of woman who had just done something she truly loved.

The nature of the flight suit made it more difficult to discern why teenage girls and boys had her picture taped to their walls, but one thing it could not hide was her bright face and deep emerald eyes.

[New Edom]

The soldier thanked her for the joints, but said, before he took them, "Come on, you Riemaian women do it all the time anyway, I seen the magazines and movies. Don't be coy with me, lady. Now I see the line moving up...slowly...and my corporal will be back any minute...Do we have a deal or not?" he insisted.

The older woman looked around nervously, she couldn't quite hear the conversation but she suspected the soldier wanted more than he was being offered, and so she suggested, "Let's show him a little leg, maybe that will help..." her daughter in law muttered, "Gross, I don't want to." "Oh, come on," insisted her mother in law, raising her skirt a bit, winking at the soldier flirtatiously, showing him a leg with a slightly wrinkled flesh toned stocking on it that was certainly a rather column like solid leg. The soldier took a deep breath. He looked at Maret. "Come on, what do you say?"

[New Edom]

Nuleztahni had been holding down the fort so to speak while her sister and her cute little wife traveled. Most of what she had been doing was sheer monotony and boredom. Because of this she was more often found outside the embassy than inside it. Why did the foreign minister, the prime minister, and her mother have to go for the three pronged attack? She could think of far better ways of spending her time than smiling at officials and signing paperwork. And perhaps because they had felt especially cruel, she was now on indefinite leave from the air force. Things were not all bad though. Her wanderings had given her an opportunity to sample some of the local fare.

She stretched her arms as she sat up in the bunk she had shared with one of the pilots the night before. It had been fun, but she needed to get back to Brightwater. She twirled several strands of the other woman’s hair around her pointing finger and kissed her cheek. The other woman mumbled and turned on her side. Nuleztahni then hopped down and dressed herself for the flight back to Brightwater. She had been itching to take to the sky again and lucky for her she could be pretty persuasive. As the ground crew waved her down the runway she thought to herself that she would probably not see that pilot again. It did not matter, there were still plenty of women and men out there.

Nuleztahni checked her instruments and descended onto the runway below her after getting the go ahead to land. After landing her “borrowed” Turul she climbed down from her open cockpit and removed her helmet and untied her dark hair so that it fell down the back of her olive green flight suit. She handed her helmet to the first person to arrive. “Would you mind taking care of my little girl here?” She was smiling brightly. It was a smile not borne out of habit, but one of woman who had just done something she truly loved.

The nature of the flight suit made it more difficult to discern why teenage girls and boys had her picture taped to their walls, but one thing it could not hide was her bright face and deep emerald eyes.

"Welcome to Brightwater, Ma'am." said the ground crew team leader, catching the helmet. He liked the look of her--she reminded him of Major Joanna Heep, one of the prettiest officers in the air force. "And yes, she's in good hands." For some reason the way she smiled and said that made his coveralls a bit uncomfortable.

As she walked off, one of the techs muttered, "you think she's got good tits under that coverall? High ranking Ali-Zebu women got great tits."

"She's not from Helladria? She looked kinda Helladrian," the Sergeant said, frowning as he climbed up the ladder to the cockpit.

"Naw, Sarge, they never say stuff like 'little girl'. They talk weird, you know? Nice people but weird. Like I ran into one of them walked right into the men's room, and I'm like "Hey, this is the men's room?" and she didn't get it at all, you know?" the mechanic said, as he climbed under the plane.

"Takes all kinds to make a world," said the Sergeant. "But I bet she's got great tits."

Meanwhile, Nuleztahni crossed past a fire brigade drilling, an Air Defense nest, and a bus heading to the populated part of the base. A senior NCO with many stripes, greying hair and a stern hard manner, this one not an Air Force tech but an army Sergeant-Major, approached politely. "Can I help you, Ma'am? Anyplace you need to go?"

[Ali-Zebu Union]

Nuleztahni gave the man a salute before responding. Regardless him being a foreign officer and one of an equivalent rank lower than her own, she thought he had the look of a man who had served for a fair amount of time. And to her, that deserved respect. “I guess I could use a ride off base if you can muster one Sergeant-Major. Of course, if there is anything you think I should see before I leave, then I would not decline the offer.” She was in a very good mood and it showed for the lack of her usually mask. She laughed lightly. “I did not give you my name. I guess you can call me Group Captain, Nuleztahni, or any combination of the two,” she looked up at the sky momentarily, “Hell, you can even call me princess if you want to. I am not in the mood to care today.” It would be a while yet before the smile left her face.

[Nalaya]

Entering Brightwater

The rattling of the military jeep seemed muted, almost muffled to Siri's ears. The familiar noises of Antarrayin were falling behind her in exchange for the siren song of Brightwater, now a bustling and perhaps overcrowded city. Her sole companion right now was the silent Khlarar Ohanyan, his dark eyes staring in the hawkish way out the window. There was an odd companionship that linked them, though neither had acknowledged it in their association. But somehow they knew to gravitate towards another person who would understand.

Siri's gaze was fixed on the road ahead, her hands roaming around the circumference of the steering wheel. Sometimes she could still feel the blood on them, gushing into her rubber gloves and making the air reek of copper. It was more welcome than that horrible burning smell and the screams that always came with it. Peace had a price.

"Ohanyan?" she said finally, quietly, as the first of the stops into the city came into view. That emptiness floated in her chest where someone had once put a medal. The hole that the absence of her sister and Arabyan left had never healed. Every single dead soldier in the brigade, she knew their names and faces. The little details that everyday interaction had burned into her mind. I should have been there. I should have stopped it. They were my responsibility.

His reply was a sound, not a word. For a large, muscular man, the Khlarar was quiet and unassuming. The war had made him solemn, years in camps and prisons slowly wearing away at softer feelings until only the hard, polished core remained.

"What do you do when there is nothing to go home to?" She could taste the ashes now, drying her mouth and choking at her lungs.

"You find something else to continue on for and live," he said with a shrug. "Or you do not. We will likely not require papers to pass through here, Hramanatar, considering this is an official vehicle, we are official people, and these are very official guns we have. But it is good to stop and say hello, yes?"

Siri struck a match on the dashboard where it was rough from heat that had made the paint crack and bubble up, fishing out a slim white cigarette from the pack that had taken up residence in her breast pocket. All the while, she reminded herself that smoking was a filthy habit. But it made the taste go away, and she could focus on the people forming queues. Corruption was no different here than anywhere else where humans lived. There were always scavengers willing to feed on victims. They needed compassion, respect, human dignity. Someone to reassure them, to comfort and console. To tell them whatever had happened was not their fault, that how they felt was normal for what they endured. What they so often received, however, was very different.

"Vultures," Ohanyan commented in his quiet way. "Necessary, but distasteful. As always."

[New Edom]

Nuleztahni gave the man a salute before responding. Regardless him being a foreign officer and one of an equivalent rank lower than her own, she thought he had the look of a man who had served for a fair amount of time. And to her, that deserved respect. “I guess I could use a ride off base if you can muster one Sergeant-Major. Of course, if there is anything you think I should see before I leave, then I would not decline the offer.” She was in a very good mood and it showed for the lack of her usually mask. She laughed lightly. “I did not give you my name. I guess you can call me Group Captain, Nuleztahni, or any combination of the two,” she looked up at the sky momentarily, “Hell, you can even call me princess if you want to. I am not in the mood to care today.” It would be a while yet before the smile left her face.

"Group Captain," he said, nodding politely. "We can arrange that, I take it you'll want to go to Peacekeeper HQ." he called out, "Corporal! Give this officer a ride into town!"

"Yes, sir!" said the young NCO hurrying up.

They got into a Fox 4x4 and he drove her down the road from the base. They passed soldiers doing calisthenics, a column of APCs, base housing, heard and saw helicopers flying in formation overhead. By now most of the troops there were support personnel, but there was a military police battalion, a unit of combat engineers, an aviation regiment, logistics battalion, a transport regiment, an air defense battery, a base hospital command and other such units. This was part of the treaty--as a way of demonstrating that New Edom had no intention of disturbing the peace. It was a decision in some cases heavily criticized. This was apparently to result in the 14th Armored Cavalry Regiment being brought in so that there was at least one full combat unit in the area. It had not yet arrived.

The military was one way to get an education, one way to get a leg up on a career. Most New Edomites, in spite of all appearances, were poorly educated people, many of them born in towns and villages that had barely entered the 20th century.

By coincidence the Group Captain's ride arrived roughly at the same time as that of the Nalayans.

On the part of the Nalayans, they had seen a large group of frustrated looking Edomites, many of them wearing hard hats and reflective vests, holding up signs that said RIGHT TO WORK! and DON'T BLAME LOGGERS! GIVE US BACK OUR JOBS! Local police stood around looking businesslike wearing helmets and slapping their sticks against their legs.

A long lineup of various Elwe refugees, some of them in native garb of colored kilts or robes, others wearing cast off t shirts, shorts, skirts, jeans and jackets, a number of them stark naked but for tribal paint, looking around blankly. They appeared to be lining up for a large brick building.

For the most part Brightwater was an attractive city, with tree lined boulevards, homely pleasant shops and restaurants, and had not yet been fully subjected to international homogeneity, but there was a street where the larger hotels, business fronts for the mining, lumber and supporting infrastructure companies were. Not far off was the Headquarters.

[Riemaia]

The soldier thanked her for the joints, but said, before he took them, "Come on, you Riemaian women do it all the time anyway, I seen the magazines and movies. Don't be coy with me, lady. Now I see the line moving up...slowly...and my corporal will be back any minute...Do we have a deal or not?" he insisted.

The older woman looked around nervously, she couldn't quite hear the conversation but she suspected the soldier wanted more than he was being offered, and so she suggested, "Let's show him a little leg, maybe that will help..." her daughter in law muttered, "Gross, I don't want to." "Oh, come on," insisted her mother in law, raising her skirt a bit, winking at the soldier flirtatiously, showing him a leg with a slightly wrinkled flesh toned stocking on it that was certainly a rather column like solid leg. The soldier took a deep breath. He looked at Maret. "Come on, what do you say?"

MAret was slightly disgusted at the soldiers attitude towards her, and wasnt afraid to show it. "Let me put it like this, I would rather live in some Premislydian gulag for a year than go around flashing people just to get through a damn line, so are you gonna get me through this line quickly or do I just have to take my dope back?" She said with a sly look across her face as she stared into the soldiers eye before turning back to her new aquaintances. "Sorry about that, you know how men can be, always wanting to see some skin like were meat or something."

[New Edom]

The soldier muttered, "Bah, fuckin tease, what a joke..." looking annoyed. "Fine, I'll take the damn joints...I saw that "Daily Life in Riemaia" thing, women walking around showing everything they got, come here and corrupt our country will you? Come on this way," and he loudly said, "This way to the VIP section Ma'am." Several envious eyes from the line watched them go through one of the frosted glass doors, and they found themselves in an air conditioned room--a little too air conditioned, perhaps, but with a few well dressed travelers in it, sipping iced tea and looking at posters about Brightwater. Maret found herself dealing with a Griffon Airlines official who politely asked her a series of routine questions (are you carrying any seeds or insects?) before telling her to have a nice day.

Hannah and her family were later at the luggage carousel looking for their stuff, and waved goodbye to her and thanked her. Maret found that it was a warm day in Brightwater, and that the air outside smelled very fresh but a tad smokey. There were several taxis waiting, mostly clunky ladas with "Taxi" signs on them. She had but to get someone to drive her and let them know where she intended to go. Apparently no one was expecting her.

[Ali-Zebu Union]

Nuleztahni thanked the driver and gave the individual a pat on the shoulder before exiting the vehicle. The city was a nice one as far as foreign cities were concerned. Refugees and everything else included. She patted the side of the vehicle and approached the Nalayans. As she did so, she thought she should probably change into something else before joining whatever meeting was going to take place.

She looked over Siri and Khlarar before addressing them. One had to make sure you had the right names after all. Considering they both were wearing their respective uniforms, she opted for a less physical greeting than was typical. She simply spoke and gave a smile to both of them. “It is a pleasure to meet you Hramanatar Kalousdian. Our colonel back in Yellow Grove speaks well of you, and I can see why,” she left her words as they were and greeted Siri’s companion, “And it is also a pleasure to me you as well. I would call you by name, but I am at a loss. If I were a little younger, I might just call you Muscles.” She then ruffled her hair to air it out a little. “And since I have used at least one of your names, I believe I should give you mine. My name is Nuleztahni, my rank is Group Captain, and my official title is princess. Feel free to use whatever you choose.”

Nuleztahni kept a pleasant expression on her face and reminded herself to keep things professional for the time being.

[New Edom]

The Free Congress Campaign

"Ladies and gentlemen, I feel deeply honored to be able to present to you a man who has demonstrated, through a life devoted to public service, his patriotism, his love for his country and for this Province. He took over the government of this Province when Governor Emil Golconda proved unable to continue in office following his being incapacitated by his traumatic experiences being taken hostage by terrorists. He facilitated truce with the Elwe Independence Organization, and has been one of the foremost New Edomite officials in making the peace mission possible. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Governor John Carmel!"
The man doing the announcements held out his hand, and then applauded with the others as the young looking Governor stood up at the head table. His olive skin gave him a handsome tanned look, his dark hair a shock of black, his smile an "Aw, is all this about me?" grin, and he raised a hand to wave to everyone.

"People have been asking me if I intend to run for office," Carmel began, "And of course the answer is yes. Why? because I want the best for Raith Immel. I believe that Raith Immel deserves the best. Not just traditionalists, not just Edomites, not just Elwe, not just Dawarf or Haranese, not just Anglos. Not just the mining companies and the logging companies. But everyone. Some say we cannot study environmental concerns and have this Province make money. I believe we can do both. Some say that it's time for us to get out." he looked sternly at the audience. "I think we need to get busy. There's a lot of hard work that needs doing, but this is a hard working Province. We need to be ready for the challenges we are going to face. And there is one organization in this Province which represents that same guiding force that has been leading in meeting the challenges of this century. That organization is the Free Congress Party which I represent. This Party doesn't back down from challenges. It hasn't yet, and it won't start now. I want to urge all of you--place your faith in the Party that is doing its best for the country already, with the promise that the best is yet to come."