2nd Lieutenant Patrick James “PJ” BennettJanuary 2, Year 0 // Adriatic Sea // Scattered Clouds // 9:30 AMIt was the most ad-hoc thing anyone had ever seen.
Technically speaking, saying that Ustio did not have a navy as a landlocked country was a misnomer. It had a few river patrol boats, and a few lake patrol boats, most of which were
arguably blue water safe. At the very least, the bay Ustio now bordered had weak enough tides that it wasn’t estimated to be a problem.
They had sent almost every single one of them to Ustio’s new coast. At least, every one that could be spared. The lake boats were transported by oversize-load trucks all through the night, the river patrol boats either by tractor trailer or the rivers themselves - some now flowed to the sea - while what few could be spared were sent to the few borders as yet undetermined.
The Ustio military hadn’t stopped there. The newly-formed Republic Navy had purchased a few privately-owned boats, the biggest they could find. All owners were compensated, but some were still purchased at cost, and some just weren’t fit as patrol boats.
Still.
As PJ looked down at the motley collection of ships he and the rest of Crow Team were escorting across the sea, in an attempt to make contact with the nation discovered on the nearby peninsula, he couldn’t help but chuckle - and feel a little bit unconfident.
The “flagship” of the diplomatic fleet, such as it was, was a 75-foot pleasure yacht that had belonged to some minor government official. It was brand new, so he was a little pissed he lost it so quickly, but he had been well compensated. It was bright white with an enclosed cabin, galley, and bar… and it had taken most of the night to remove the strip club look the living space had been given, complete with stripper poles.
Escorting it were two of the lake patrol boats, still with their old paint jobs - the Republic of Ustio Navy didn’t even have a proper jack, yet, so every ship but the yacht was flying the national flag on each pole. The yacht itself carried a white flag of parley on the largest one. There were also two river patrol boats acting as scouts - not very good ones for ocean work, as their radar wasn’t powerful enough for proper beyond-the-horizon contact with anything not playing music.
<<Crow Team, this is the diplomatic team. Anything yet? Your radar is probably better than ours.>>Right. He still had a job to do. He was lucky in a few ways - he still had his job, he still had his girlfriend, and most of his money and things had been in Ustio since before the war, anyway.
<<Nothing heading for us, yet - but we’re in what would have been international waters, so that may change.>>He wouldn’t have to wait for long. It was rather sudden, but the radar started pinging -- and picking up a number of ships coming from the west toward his ship.
<<Surface contacts, southwest - they’re heading for us!>> PJ called out. Straining his eyes, he could just make out plumes of… smoke? Were they on fire?
No, that was impossible with the speeds they were making. Steam-powered ships. Of all things!
<<I make out… two, no, three surface vessels,>> said his wingman - callsign Trapper - as Crow Team turned to investigate.
<<Should we slow down?>> asked the captain of the yacht, clearly a little nervous.
<<...negative. No, not just yet,>> PJ said after a few seconds.
<<They’ve made no course changes, so if they see us, they don’t look like they want a fight. Besides, we’re flying the flag of parley, our weapons are safe, and you’re way faster than any steam ship could ever be. If they are hostile, you’ll want that speed.>><<Attention foreign vessels, attention foreign vessels: this is Captain Gaius Aelius of the Carthaginian Imperial Steamship ‘Sword of the Dawn.’ You have entered Imperial Waters, and I have been authorized by the General of the Roman Province to make contact. You must halt where you are and identify yourselves; failure to comply or reply will be taken as hostile action,>> a voice spoke in Carthaginian/Hebrew,
<<until the General can make contact with the Roman Sufetes and Adirim, and a proper diplomat can be sent, under Imperial Law I am authorized to serve as a temporary diplomat until the Honorable Sufetes and the Adirim of Carthage can be contacted and send an envoy to represent the Empire’s interests at large. If you understand and comply, reply as soon as possible.>>There was silence on the Ustian radio channels for several seconds.
<<Well they don’t SOUND hostile!>> said Ferret, PJ’s third.
<<Yeah, Crow to diplomatic team, those were definitely, uh, words. In the clear, no less. It sounded Levantine? Do you have anyone on board who speaks that?>><<As a matter of fact,>> said a new voice, older and gravelly,
<<there is. The diplomat on board. Captain, if you would heave to, and order our escorts to do the same.>>There was a bit of shuffling around on the radio, then the voice spoke again as the diplomatic vessels began to slow to a stop, the escorts turning to port or starboard depending on their position.
<<To the captain of the “Carthaginian Imperial Steamship” Sword of the Dawn -greetings! I am Edvard Scheinberg, former diplomat of the Republic of Ustio to the Blessed Republic of the Levant, and current prospective diplomat to… well, I believe your Carthage, now. What wonderful coincidence, that both nations speak Hebrew!>>He chuckled over the radio.
<<This ship is… well, I don’t quite know what it was called before, but it is currently the diplomatic vessel the Reliant. The other vessels are our escorts - the event that brought us here changed our very geography, and Ustio was landlocked until yesterday, so forgive their eclectic nature. The craft in the air are our aerial escorts - they will stay on our side of international waters, if you would prefer. Would you prefer to come aboard the Reliant, or should I come aboard your splendid vessel instead?>> <<Very well, Envoy Scheinberg, I understand all too well the changes brought about by the recent… transition. Nonetheless, I am afraid I cannot board your vessel at this time, but I will gladly invite you aboard the Sword to host these talks. I am predominantly authorized to make only very temporary agreements and arrangements; a proper diplomat may be dispatched to your lands through any land border we may share or by sea to one of your new ports if possible, to make more permanent and firm deals and arrangements. Is this all agreeable? You may, of course, bring guards if they make you more comfortable>> Gaius Aelius stopped speaking once again.
<<That is all agreeable,>> Scheinberg said.
<<I will be bringing guards, but otherwise, the Reliant will be the only vessel to approach yours.>>He switched to the comms channel.
<<Well, gentlemen, I suppose this is the part where you tell me ‘good luck.’ Crow team, if you would be so kind as to return to national waters, for now. The captain tells me the Carthaginian ship is a dreadnought and does not appear to be armed with guided missiles, so we should be perfectly safe.>>The
Sword slowly pulled up to the
Reliant, utterly dwarfing it in size. As it pulled to a stop, the engines all hissed and the large smoke towers let out a loud whine as larger amounts of smoke pumped into the air for a moment before slowing down, the smoke slowly stopping altogether. The hull of the ship hissed suddenly as well, releasing small bouts of steam as a side of it slowly shifted and lowered, becoming a staircase that halted its descent and its extension when it was about a foot or so away from the Reliant’s deck.
At that point, two Carthaginian soldiers in light armor descended the stairs, one moving to step foot on the Reliant’s deck, using cables to connect/tie the staircase to the deck of the other ship without pushing the staircase onto the deck or adding weight. The soldier on the staircase still watched this process, before nodding slightly, and then turning and ascending the stairs again. The soldier that had boarded turned around.
“Envoy Scheinberg, we are ready to receive you,” the soldier’s voice was warm, as the facemask/faceplate was removed and hanging off of his neck.
The
Reliant was big… by the standards of the type of craft it was. As a personal watercraft, a length of 75 feet was downright excessive for fishing, and its original interior made it clear it was built to be a party boat. As did the supply of alcohol that was still on board. Some of it was foreign, and thus arguably worth more than the boat. There was an
excellent bottle of Belkan schnapps...
Scheinberg felt his mind wandering. Adjusting his tie, he motioned for his two guards to follow him. One was a vaguely Sotoan man, Gerhard Platzer - dark skin, short-cropped hair, and a constant I-know-something-you-don’t smile. The other, a woman of typical “Ustian” descent, Gertrud Willenbrock - dark brown, almost black hair in a bun, glasses hiding blue eyes, and a no-nonsense appearance. Both were in Army uniforms with Navy insignias, so fresh that the brass was shiny.
Officially, they were of the Kommando Spezialkräfte Marine, Ustian naval special forces, their training modeled after Osea’s SEALs. In reality, they were Fallschirmjäger that had been transferred to the brand-new KSM. The unit was so new it just hadn’t had time to do any proper training, so their capabilities at sea were no better than any other land-based special forces.
“Well,” Scheinberg said, “here we go.” His two guards nodded, and they stepped up to the staircase and onto the Carthaginian ship.
Scheinberg found himself and his guards escorted to what looked to be the bridge, or a fairly small conference room within it. Captain Aelius sat at the head of the table, but stood when they entered.
“Welcome, Envoy Scheinberg. I am Captain Gaius Aelius,” the Captain said, inclining his head respectfully as he waved for the envoy to take a seat.
Scheinberg returned the bow, walking over to take the seat.
He had resisted the urge to keep his head on a swivel, taking in the sights of the Carthaginian ship’s interior. It had been difficult. The interior was at once Victorian and… well, not
modern but certainly more advanced than that gilded age of Osean history. It reminded him of the science fiction comics from when he was a boy, in a way, though those usually involved ships like this on Mars, not on water.
His guards made no attempt to hide their curiosity, at least no more than was absolutely required by bodyguard decorum. Even in their dress uniforms, they looked out of place by half a century on board the ship as they took positions either side of Scheinberg.
“Thank you for the welcome, Captain Aelius,” the envoy said at last as he put his briefcase in his lap. “I imagine we have much to discuss, so perhaps it was for the best that we decided to do so aboard your ship. The
Reliant still has the stench of cleaning chemicals in it,” he said with a chuckle, “so it might have been distracting.”
“I understand perfectly, Envoy Scheinberg,” the Captain replied as he sat down across from them, “so, to begin with, I believe we must first establish who we are representing - even if it is temporary in my case. I have already rather established my service to the Carthaginian Empire, and you have established your service to this… Utsio, yes? But we do not know one another, clearly. Given that you are my guest, I feel that you should answer questions first - and I, after. Once we have established such a rapport, I believe we can move on to discussing temporary agreements or arrangements for an envoy appointed by the Honorable Sufetes and the Adirim of Carthage to visit your esteemed nation... Is this agreeable?”
Captain Aelius quieted, waiting for Scheinberg’s response.
“Perfectly agreeable, and understandable,” Scheinberg said. At least, he assumed it was understandable. Some of the words passed right by his understanding, so he assumed they were simply titles.
“Very well,” Captain Aelius smiled slightly, “now, for my questions: first, I would like to understand the… approximate borders of your nation and the waters it claims. To avoid confusion, of course. The Empire may wish to negotiate on some matters if there is a conflict of interest, but hopefully, whatever powers have brought us here have not… created such misunderstandings. Second, I would like it if, perhaps, you could tell me a brief overview of what your nation is like, its history, its people. For future reference for any future envoys, of course, but also to help me understand you and your people.”
Captain Aelius waved over one of the other Roman lesser officers in the room, who was placing a typewriter on the table across from them to log the talks.
Scheinberg steepled his fingers for a moment, thinking. “Your first may be… a bit difficult. When our nation… “arrived” here, its geography changed radically. We can only estimate its current borders, and we have already drafted plans to push out from them, since our nation was in summer when it transferred, and is in winter now that it’s here. Might I trouble one of your crew for a map of the region?”
A Roman in a slightly less decorated uniform than the captain nodded at a Roman in a much less decorated uniform, and he left the cabin for a moment. A bit over a minute later, he came back with a paper map of Europe and placed it on the table Scheinberg was sitting at. Another came with a cup of coffee, which was accepted graciously.
“Ah, yes, this should do nicely,” he said. Pulling out a blue pen, he circled the areas presently occupied by Ustio, though he paused to look at what Carthage occupied - it was definitely larger, or at least much more spread out.
“These,” he said, “are where we found our border markers when we arrived in this new world. A completely different geography from our own, and our surveyors are still working on exact boundaries now.”
He took out a red pen, and circled a few areas outside the borders. “These are areas presently claimed for colonization - temporarily, as I understand it. With the sudden shift to winter our agricultural industry is expected to fail for the year, so we either need to set up trade deals, claim as much arable land as we can without starting wars, or both. As I understand it, the claims are entirely up for negotiation, should we find an agreeable polity interested in - or claiming - them already.”
He set the pens aside, and turned the map around so Aelius could see it.
“Now, your second question. Ustio, as an area and a people, is ancient. At the very least, it has existed as long as Belka has, and Belka has existed since the days of sword and sandals, of the last great empires of antiquity. For most of that period, our rulers were the Belkan petty kingdoms to our north and west, or the unified Belka for the past two and a half centuries. We may have maintained a sense of nation for eons, but the nationalist concept of an Ustio truly free of Belkan rule has only existed for a century or so.”
“Belka during most of the twentieth century was a prosperous nation, and powerful. It waged two wars against the Osean Federation, losing the first but winning the second, and in the latter half began to expand its military yet again in response to Osea’s increased aggression against the communist Union of Yuktobania. That said… Belka was neutral, so what Osea did next still baffles most of us in the field of diplomacy.”
“To put it simply, Belka was tricked by Osea into investing in a large-scale mining operation for resources that did not exist. Or at least, not in amounts to justify the spending. The Belkan economy nearly collapsed, and they sold their eastern territories to independence.”
He took a sip of the coffee, now cool enough to drink without blowing on it.
“This was the birth of the Republic of Ustio, on May 12th, 1988. Since then, after a shaky start, our economy was stable, if sparse - even with 25 million citizens, Ustio was never a truly industrial region. We had some mines, some factories, but for the most part Ustio was and is a nation of farmers.”
“Four months ago, mineral deposits were discovered in a mountainous area known as the Round Table. Mostly in Ustio territory, but a bit was in Belka, and a bit in Ustio. Deposits that would have paid Belka’s debts a hundredfold. Everything from the earth a modern nation could possibly need could be found there.”
“And Belka, still in debt, radicalized by revanchists, and having built up its military to unprecedented heights, decided it would take what it wanted.”
He shook his head. “Perhaps it was the last gasp of the spirit of the knights of Belka. They nearly destroyed us, sweeping through Ustio, our neighbors to the north, and even Sapin and Osea. We called out for mercenaries, from around the world, and even then it took months to remove them from our borders. We’d only just started to push into Belka ourselves, when…”
He gestured around the cabin with his mug, and out the windows at the open ocean.
“It is strange, is it not? One almost misses the certainty of war.”
“I see,” Captain Aelius nodded slightly to himself, even as he looked at the map, “it does not appear that there are any conflicts of interest, in terms of land territory, nor necessarily in terms of waters… With that matter settled, and with your succinct answer of my questions, I believe it is now your turn to ask of Carthage. I will do my best to answer.”
Scheinberg nodded. Having examined the map himself, he already had one question answered for him.
“I suppose, since you asked about our history, it would only be fair to ask Carthage’s. There was no such nation in our own history, and certainly no such geography as this, so while I would love for you to spare no detail, a brief overview will do. Your history, your people, your culture, all would help. Secondly… Carthage seems to cover such a large area, so if there are any other nations nearby you might have discovered here… which to make friendly contact with and which to avoid, it would be very welcome to learn of them. I already know of one to the north of us, a state by the name of Czechoslovakia, but as far as I’m aware they and your Carthage are the only nations we have made successful, or friendly, contact with.”
“Carthage was founded a little over two thousand years ago as a colony of Old Phoenicia,” Captain Aelius informed, pointing to an area on the map that read ‘Judea,’ “which, eventually, became powerful enough to stand alone and become its own nation. As the Carthaginians grew more powerful as merchants and marines, they eventually came to blows with my very own ancestors - the Roman Republic, on the Roman peninsula. That war decided the fate of history, for afterwards, the Empire reigned supreme over the western great sea. In that time, the lands of Old Phoenicia came to be governed and ruled as Judea, the Kingdom of Judea; and they were likened to the Empire’s cousins, and so the Empire supported the Kingdom and helped them protect themselves from their enemies.”
A brief pause as Captain Aelius waved over some drinks -- glasses full of water -- and took a sip of his own.
“The Kingdom of Judea, unfortunately, came to fall during a time of economic and religious strife within their lands, leading to the Great Exodus, in which the Judeans fled and were brought to Carthage for their own continued safety,” the Captain continued, “and afterwards, the Empire slowly but surely came to be converted to Judaism, the religion of the Judaic people. The lands that once belonged to Judea were ruled by barbarians for the following centuries, despite the Empire’s best efforts, but were eventually liberated by Muhammad, a Prophet of the Islamic faith, a new set of cousins not by blood or ancestry but by faith -- for the Children of Abraham would get along splendidly, and there has been peace for nearly the past thousand years. Peace governed by the power of Carthage and the descendant empires of Muhammad’s own followers or descendants.”
Another sip of water.
“The Carthaginian Empire is a nation of laws, of the People. For the People elect the members of the Adirim in Carthage, just as the Roman Adirim answers to the Roman People, and the Carteian Adirim answers to the Iberians, and the Massalian Adirim answers to the Gauls. The Honorable Sufetes of Carthage, alongside the Adirim of Carthage, act as the ultimate authority for the Empire’s overall actions in trade and the like; indeed, even our Generals are elected by us mere soldiers to advise the Adirim on military matters. While the Sufetes and Adirim are allowed to govern their provinces as they see fit, none may countermand Imperial Law, nor can they overreach their authority and imply they are above Carthage itself,” the Captain continued, “and Imperial Law is only adjusted, passed, or repealed via proposals within Carthage’s Adirim that are then given to the Popular Assemblies of each province, where the People themselves vote to approve or veto the Law. If it is approved and assented to by the majority of the People, it is now Imperial Law; if it is vetoed by the People, then it is struck down and cannot be proposed again for at least one election cycle. That is the way of our People, Envoy Scheinberg.”
One last pause to finish his water.
“And so, we come to what has happened to the Empire,” Captain Aelius said softly, “it seems that Carthage, Iberia, and Rome are here. Unfortunately, Gaul in its near entirety has been replaced by a nation that calls itself France. Other than that, it is only the Empire, as it has been for over a thousand years. As it will hopefully be for a thousand more.”
The Captain stopped speaking, seemingly finished with his speech.
Scheinberg nodded, having finished his water about the time the captain had.
“That is… quite the extensive tale, Captain. I have never heard of any of those countries, and yet I believe it. Which only proves that the geography of this world is completely alien to our own.”
“And yet, the religions you mention - Judaism, Islam, even Messianic Judaism though it is a dominant religion in your world instead of a tiny sect - are all familiar. Very so. It’s almost too good to be true, in a way, but…”
He gestured to the map. “One learns to take what positives life gives you, in this job. I certainly see no reason the Republic would or should not welcome friendly relations with Carthage, though, to be blunt, if this ship is what we can expect from Carthaginian technology I’m afraid food, luxury items, and raw materials may be all Carthage has to offer us.”
“I agree that there is little reason for Carthage and Ustio to be anything but friends,” Captain Aelius said, a soft smile on his face, “and as for what we have to offer one another, well… that, I think, is likely something we should leave to more formal talks. Speaking of which, while the envoy from Carthage may arrive in Rome in the next few days, there are still things they might need to prepare -- should we proceed to arrange a visit of our envoy to your nation, to commit to such formal talks?”
“That would be for the best,” Scheinberg said. “Unless your leadership would prefer for Ustio to send an envoy to Carthage. Will he be coming by a Carthaginian vessel, or would you prefer for us to provide the transportation?”
“It would be preferable if he could arrive via Carthaginian vessel, but if that is not easy to accommodate given your former landlocked status, then it would probably be best instead if I informed the envoy when they arrive in Rome when it would be best to expect you or a different Ustian envoy to arrive at Carthage,” Captain Aelius replied honestly.
Scheinberg stroked his chin, thinking. “Depending on the ship, it should be fine. If nothing else, we can erect a temporary dock for it if it comes to that. That said… this is just speculation, but I believe one of our air escorts mentioned something like an airship on radar. If it were possible, such a vessel might be an excellent choice for a VIP transport. It would certainly show our citizens you are here to help.”
“Hmm… I will have to discuss it with the envoy, but perhaps this should be possible,” Captain Aelius replied, nodding to himself, “so, let us say that in approximately two weeks’ time, we shall send an envoy aboard a transport airship if possible; or, if it is not possible for some reason, then you or a different Ustian envoy may arrive at port in Carthage proper. If you wish, I can send you back with a copy of our maps so you can plan a route accordingly.”
Scheinberg nodded. “That would be most welcome,” he said. “If nothing else, we can use it to work out where best to focus for trade once we set up formal relations.”
“Very well, then,” Captain Aelius replied, leaning over to bark orders at a Roman guard in Latin rather than Hebrew, before turning back to Scheinberg, “a copy of some maps will be brought back with you to your ship. Let us hope we have a profitable future relationship, yes?”
“Let us hope our futures are
mutually profitable,” Scheinberg said as he stood up. After a few minutes, he gathered up the maps in his briefcase, shook the captain’s hand, and was on his way.
Bosted with help from The V O I D