The ICON Assembly of Nations [IC/Closed/ICON only]

[Darlingtown]

- SACHI - "Since there does not seem to be an further issues to raise with the proposal presented, I will call for it to officially be put to vote. As for the question of execution, the details of that will remain vested with the Secretary-General as the Executive head of ICON until a resolution is passed to more clearly define how such things should be executed. The debate on the proposal will now be concluded, please vote accordingly."

[New Azura]

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[Anagonia]

Ambassador Henry Strongman:

The Confederate States of Anagonia has voted AYE.

[Sombreland]

"The Kingdom of Sombreland votes aye," said Prince Wilan de Hulfe.

[Legatia]

Ambassador Yukino Townley International Coalition of Nations Assembly Building- Darlingtown "Ahem! Meridon votes aye."

[Civia Welephilostopia]

"Civia Welephilostopia votes AYE on the current proposal."

[Polish Prussian Commonwealth]

ICON Assembly

Maximilian von Ehrenbach’s involvement in the Second Assembly of ICON began, like so many other occasions in his life, with a bang.

Well, in this particular case, it wasn’t quite a bang – more a thund and crack and then a resounding bang, as Amelie – once again – kicked the door instead of opening it, causing it to fling on it's hinges hard and slam into the wall. A brief grumble, and a glare of disapproval was his only reproach at this point – he knew she delighted in causing him – and everyone else, but mostly him – minor discomfort.

He studiously ignored any glances or glares that would come from his fellow delegates, and instead went straight for his seat. Amelie was on his heels, and flopped right into the seat behind him, slouching and leaning back as she settled in.

No matter. She would act how she wished. But he had an image to maintain, as the leader of Blauveldt-Ryszana’s ICON delegation. So he sat up straight and glanced at the notes left behind by the aide now making his exit – and paused.

“A unified definition for crimes against humanity?” he murmured aloud. “Interesting. Very, very interesting…” He thumbed through the notes, pausing at the scrawled note on the side – one of the nations had left ICON over the matter, and another was apparently joining.

“Hey, Amelie.” He glanced over to his attache. “Saecia ring a bell to you?”

“Eh? Wuh?” Amelie scrambled to sit up and appear as though she had not been dozing off, before her mind finally caught up. “Oh. Not familiar myself, but I’ve heard through the grapevine that the Guards Ulans are fighting alongside one of their BCTs right now. In, uh –” she made a face, and spat out the last word. “Incelastan.”

“Mhm. Think they’d turn on ICON in general or us in particular?”

“Nil.” Amelie leaned back once more, closing her eyes and letting out a yawn. “If they wanted to act against us, they’d be more quiet about it, I think. The fact that they made a scene was calculated, whereas someone who wished to launch surprise military action – well, they’d keep normal relations up until the last possible minute. Y’know – like the Yashiman Empire and Christinasland, that sort of thing. You – ” A loud yawn, followed by a stretch. “ – don’t need me to tell you this, don’t you?”

“Just want confirmation.”

“Aww, fuck you.”

“Can’t even if I wanted. You know how this business works. And in any case…” His eyes flitted downwards – more notes, more chatter, the Sombrelander delegation acting as Sombrelanders were wont to do, and finally, something about a committee for the promotion of human rights or the prevention of crimes against humanity or whatnot. “Moral grandstanding over crimes against humanity. Wonder what they have to hide.”
“I mean, it’s not hard to tell.” Amelie scoffed. “Neo-Korea. Darlingtown. The very fact that ‘Eulabia a Nation’ exists. I guess Meridion might believe it, iunno.”

“Right. This’ll be an issue…” He paused, and mulled over the matter. “I’m thinking about abstention. This is– a mistake, frankly.” He shook his head as he thought aloud, while still keeping an ear tuned to the discussion. “But we can’t be seen to go against this per se.”

“Sure, boss.” Amelie replied, without opening her eyes. “You give the call and you’re the man who does the talky-things. Now fuck off and let me sleep, unless you’ve got someone you want me to shoot.”

”The debate on the proposal will now be concluded, please vote accordingly.”

“And that’s our cue.” Ehrenbach cleared his throat. “Blauveldt-Ryszana abstains.” he called, over the din of the Assembly room.

[Europe a Nation]

ICON Assembly of Nations vote on General Resolution 1 (2023)

+ ANAGONIA
x AZURA
x BLAUVELDT-RYSZANA
+ CIVIA WELEPHILOSTOPIA
+ DARLINGROWN
+ EUROPE A NATION
+ JANPIA
+ JOSEON
+ MERIDON
+ NEO-KOREA
+ SOMBRELAND

ABSENT: GORAM, REINKALISTAN

+ - IN FAVOUR: 9--- - - AGAINST: 0 ---x-ABSTENTION: 2

Status: APPROVED waiting for confirmation by the Security Council

[Sombreland]

Prince Wilan de Hulfe said, “Congratulations, Madame de Perigord-Talleyrand. You have very nicely presented us with a working model which was well enough written that it has been met with general approval. Well, now that we have that, what do we do with it? Is it to be recommended to the Security Council and Tribunal?”

He felt, deep down, a bit irritated, though this had nothing to do with what was going on in the Assembly, for once. It was because there was to be a Gala in Galador, and he would be missing it due to crucial voting. The things one did for duty…

[New Azura]

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Hall of the Assembly of Nations, Darlingtown, Nivalia, Esvanovia
2nd Session of the Assembly of Nations - International Coalition of Nations

Alvize Vi Candreva-Volta sat at his desk, pondering the implications of proposing the next general resolution in the chamber. He was still relatively fresh to the International Coalition of Nations and was certainly something of a wild card in the eyes of his fellow ambassadors and colleagues. That stature, that freshness of purpose was something that played into his favor however, giving him a fresh initiative to put forward a package of proposals that could help make the International Coalition of Nations stronger. The Evenguard’s place in the Coalition might still be taking shape, but there was no reason not to act upon the blank slate presented by the challenge at hand. The Assembly had passed Talleyrand’s proposal for defining crimes against humanity, but now came the difficult task of figuring out how to enforce those definitions in an actual situation beyond mere discussion in the Assembly. That was where Alvize’s first draft proposal picked up the baton, hoping to create standards by which an investigation could occur.

With a heart full of purpose, Vi Candreva-Volta stood from his podium in the Assembly Hall and looked upon his peers with considerable humility – or at least, as much humility as he could muster in the moment. Coolly breathing in, he held up the draft which he had personally worked on and began entering into apologetics almost immediately: “honored colleagues and distinguished members of this, the Assembly of the International Coalition of Nations. The Evenguard commends you on the work that has been performed this day, setting definitions for crimes against humanity in lieu of the trials to come for the Masculinists that dared defile the people under their charge. Now the more difficult task of setting standards for investigating the committal of crimes against humanity begins, work which we have taken an active interest in pursuing. To wit, a second general resolution proposal has been created by my office with the intention of creating standards by which crimes against humanity may be prosecuted moving forward.”

“With that in mind, I direct your attention to the draft resolution itself, now being presented…”

International Coalition of Nations

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Assembly of Nations

ICON Assembly of Nations,
Darlingtown
3 June 2023

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General Resolution 2 (2023)

Preamble

The International Coalition of Nations;

RECOGNIZING the successful vote on General Resolution 1.0 requires extrapolation on the means of prosecuting Crimes Against Humanity...

UNDERSTANDING that a system for prosecuting Crimes Against Humanity does not presently exist within the framework of the International Coalition of Nations...

RESOLVED to engender the means for investigating and prosecuting Crimes Against Humanity to the member-states of the International Coalition of Nations...

HEREBY proposes General Resolution 2 on the enforcement of investigations of Crimes Against Humanity by the International Coalition of Nations.

INVESTIGATION OF CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY

1.) The Secretary-General shall have the sole discretionary authority to authorize the investigation of the committal of Crimes Against Humanity.

A.) The Secretary-General may exercise their authority at any time against nations outside of the International Coalition of Nations according to any of the statutes passed in General Resolution 1 with respect to the terms and conditions for Crimes Against Humanity.

B.) The Secretary-General may call for the suspension of an investigation at any time per their discretion.

2.) The Security Council of the International Coalition of Nations shall be tasked with the direct investigation into Crimes Against Humanity.

A.) The Security Council will be instructed by the Secretary-General to begin proceedings of investigating the committal of Crimes Against Humanity against a foreign party or group of state actors.

B.) The Security Council shall have the full resources of the Office of Humanitarian Affairs and all other instruments of the International Coalition of Nations to conduct their investigations.

C.) The Security Council shall present their findings stemming from their investigations to the Secretary-General.

3.) The Secretary-General will have the sole discretionary authority to introduce charges related to Crimes Against Humanity.

A.) The Secretary-General may utilize the findings of the Security Council to prosecute Crimes Against Humanity or to cease all investigations.

4.) The Secretary-General will remand charges and indictments to the Tribunes of the International Coalition of Nations to be tried in court.

[Anagonia]

Both Henry and Khonzhu were riveted to the final conclusions of the discussion on the passage of the General Resolution for Crimes Against Humanity. It was a considerable step forward for the General Assembly to pass it, and despite the Saecian attempt at sabotaging the efforts, it passed very quickly and with little resistance. General Anagonian consensus was considerably positive. Henry then watched, moments later, as the newest Ambassador hit the metaphorical ground running at his presentation of Investigating Crimes Against Humanity. Henry and Torres shared a brief look, then nod, and Henry spoke his opinion.

Ambassador Henry Strongman:

This is a considerably effort made by our newest Ambassador. I applaud Ambassador Candreva-Volta for their pristine effort. Anagonia has no objections to this and, in fact, puts its full support behind it.

[Darlingtown]

There was an immense weight suddenly lifted off of SACHI's shoulders now that the debate over defining Crimes against Humanity was finished. She had been worried that the Saescian delegation's abrupt departure would trigger a cascade of diplomatic failures that would have ended the new session of the Assembly, but was thoroughly surprised and relieved to find pretty much the whole of the Assembly had not taken the Saescians' words and actions kindly.

With the resolution passed, SACHI briefly looked over at Talleyrand and smiled, nodding her head and grateful the two were able to work out a compromise on such a heavy topic. Perhaps Talleyrand was not so bad after all.

SACHI's attention was quickly stolen, however, by the entrance of the representative of the new member state of Azura. Azura was a familiar nation to SACHI, their government having helped immensely in the building of the railway that now connected Darlingtown to its uranium mine in Caelusville and who owned the bustling casino town of San Michele along that very same railway. But she had not yet had the pleasure of meeting their new ambassador, Niccolò Franco Alvize Vi Candreva-Volta. The man was dressed in a suit that exuded wealth and power, and his eyes were a fascinating red color. It was hard for SACHI to tear her attention away from the Azuran, and deep inside she was grateful Max was not here today, else she worried he may have mistaken her curiosity for infatuation.

Luckily, her focus on Ambassador Candreva-Volta was broken when the doors to the Assembly Hall burst open once more, yielding to the mighty and unstoppable foot of Amelie. It would certainly need to be replaced. Again. But now that her attention was free, SACHI returned to the topic at hand.

- SACHI - "Thank you for attending, Ambassador Ehrenbach. And welcome, Ambassador Candreva-Volta. We're very pleased the Evenguard of Azura has elected to join this organization and are excited to work alongside your nation as allies. Likewise, we thank you for drafting a proposal on the actual investigating of Crimes against Humanity. Debate will now begin on this second proposal. My fellow delegates, the floor is now yours."

[Sombreland]

Prince Wilan de Hulfe said, "Well, now, Madame President: we must make a decision about executive authority, but, really, there exists, currently, a Humanitarian Affairs department. It seems reasonable to me that if we are not going to recommend abolishing that office, that it should have some degree of authority. It seems to me that it has, until recently, just existed as a way to organize humanitarian supports under ICON. But most such agreements tend to be bilateral anyway, so it has not had much to do. I propose that it should be the office through which raising humanitarian concerns and launching preliminary investigations are done. If its findings seem sufficient, it should also be the office through which concerns are brought before the Tribunal. A formal report about concerns should be presented to the General Assembly. After our agreement, it is then presented to the Tribunal. Any risks or safety concerns can then be presented to the Security Council, along with a recommendation of a need to act.

"This may seem a trifle...bureaucratic, ladies and gentlemen...however, I believe it will satisfy concerns about Humanitarian Affairs becoming too politicized. A proper set of procedures will have been followed that establish what is being proposed, why, and how it should be dealt with."

[New Azura]

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Hall of the Assembly of Nations, Darlingtown, Nivalia, Esvanovia
2nd Session of the Assembly of Nations - International Coalition of Nations

Alvize listened carefully as the esteemed Prince Wilan de Hulfe gave his speech on the need to amend Azura's resolution to give the Department of Humanitarian Affairs more of role in investigating the potential for crimes against humanity. As de Hulfe gave his testimony, Vi Candreva-Volta recognized that, despite his attachment to the draft resolution he himself had created, de Hulfe's point made the most sense from a bureaucratic perspective, and he instinctively recognized it as the correct path forward to travel. He quietly allowed the Prince to finish his remarks before standing up before the Assembly, holding the original copy of the resolution in hand. Now that Prince Wilan had made the opening for change, Alvize considered it a priority to dive through and take the chance to make edits to the resolution while he could. It might be the only way they would be able to get his resolution through the Assembly at all, making draft revisions and the like. He cleared his throat, and began speaking from the heart in earnestness over his resolution...

"Assembled delegates, I would like to take a moment to commend His Excellency the Prince from the Kingdom of Sombreland for putting forth the suggestion to use the Department of Humanitarian Affairs. Though we had initially conceded to the idea of involving the Security Council directly in these matters, we now believe that Prince Wilan de Hulfe's suggestion is the superior idea, and as such would like to amend the resolution to reflect this change. It is hoped by all of us with the Azuran delegation that the Evenguard can be demonstrated to be a team player in this Assembly, and that we only want what is best for the International Coalition of Nations and its individual member-states. We shall endeavor to create a new draft resolution featuring the changes that were discussed here today; in being reflective of these changes, we hope that those overseeing the Department of Humanitarian Affairs would lend their voice to the debate and enlighten us on what policies or procedures they believe would be of help in organizing future investigations into crimes against humanity.

[Darlingtown]

SACHI nodded, first at Vi Candreva-Volta and then at de Hulfe.

- SACHI - "Very well, we shall table this discussion until the second draft is brought before the Assembly. Thank you, Ambassador Vi Candreva-Volta. And you as well, Prince de Hulfe. The points you have made are indeed quite valid, and I am inclined to agree with them. I feel strongly that we should more readily consider the delegation of tasks to the other offices of ICON, both for efficiency's sake as well as on a matter of principle. Hopefully this shall set a precedence of delegation of powers to help further increase cooperation amongst member states and promote the equality of members in both word and deed."

[New Azura]

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Hall of the Assembly of Nations, Darlingtown, Nivalia, Esvanovia
2nd Session of the Assembly of Nations - International Coalition of Nations

Alvize Vi Candreva-Volta bowed slightly at the acknowledgement of SACHI during her speech. It was encouraging to see the cooperation between the different delegates in light of what had transpired between the delegation from the Glorious Dominion of Saescia and the remainder of the assembled host. The Evenguard may have been a newcomer to the party, but their word was already carrying weight with the delegations assembled. Alvize nodded towards Prince Wilan de Hulfe and responded before all the delegates: "Ladies and gentlemen, it is with great satisfaction that we see the Azuran resolution for investigations into crimes against humanity taken so seriously. In conjunction with the precepts identified by the ambassador from the Kingdom of Sombreland, we have identified and made revisions to the previously submitted proposal. We present this new draft resolution for your perusal and edification.

International Coalition of Nations

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Assembly of Nations

ICON Assembly of Nations,
Darlingtown
3 June 2023

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General Resolution 2.1 (2023)

Preamble

The International Coalition of Nations;

RECOGNIZING the successful vote on General Resolution 1.0 requires extrapolation on the means of prosecuting Crimes Against Humanity...

UNDERSTANDING that a system for prosecuting Crimes Against Humanity does not presently exist within the framework of the International Coalition of Nations...

RESOLVED to engender the means for investigating and prosecuting Crimes Against Humanity to the member-states of the International Coalition of Nations...

HEREBY proposes General Resolution 2 on the enforcement of investigations of Crimes Against Humanity by the International Coalition of Nations.

INVESTIGATION OF CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY

1.) The Department of Humanitarian Affairs shall have the sole discretionary authority to authorize the investigation of the committal of Crimes Against Humanity.

A.) The Overseer of the Department of Humanitarian Affairs may exercise their authority at any time against nations outside of the International Coalition of Nations according to any of the statutes passed in General Resolution 1 with respect to the terms and conditions for Crimes Against Humanity.

B.) The Overseer may call for the suspension of an investigation at any time per their discretion.

2.) The Security Council of the International Coalition of Nations shall be tasked with the direct investigation into Crimes Against Humanity.

A.) The Security Council will be instructed by the Secretary-General to begin proceedings of investigating the committal of Crimes Against Humanity against a foreign party or group of state actors.

B.) The Security Council shall have the full resources of the Office of Humanitarian Affairs and all other instruments of the International Coalition of Nations to conduct their investigations.

C.) The Security Council shall present their findings stemming from their investigations to the Overseer of the Department of Humanitarian Affairs.

3.) The Overseer will have the sole discretionary authority to introduce charges related to Crimes Against Humanity.

A.) The Overseer may utilize the findings of the Security Council to prosecute Crimes Against Humanity or to cease all investigations.

4.) The Overseer will remand charges and indictments to the Tribunes of the International Coalition of Nations to be tried in court.

[Polish Prussian Commonwealth]

ICON Assembly - Blauveldter Delegation

Ehrenbach glanced at his copy of the proposal. “Mhrm…” he muttered, tilting his head back and forth. “I’d just like a clarification –” he called out. “To be - perfectly and absolutely clear, and so that this may stand on the record for public perusal in the years to come. Is this suggesting that the office will not investigate internal allegations of ‘crimes against humanity’, should they come up at a future date, nor will the overseer direct actions against such?”

“That is, presumably, the implication.” A voice came from behind Ehrenbach, startling him – and he turned around sharply.

A blonde-haired, dour man stared at him – sharply dressed, and with the horse-ears that marked him as either a nature-spirit or a spirit’s scion. Blue eyes, too, and that signature look of superiority –

“L-lord Siemowit Świebodzice.” he said, with all the nerves and resignation of a caught shoplifter.

ICON Assembly - Blauveldter-Ryszanan Delegation

His heart sank, then leapt into his throat. Lord Świebodzice. The Free Realm Ryszana, then – and it’s damnable Sejm and nobility. Such popularity among the common-folk! Such emphasis on righteousness and morality, honor and ethics! Such deep concerns about the business of statecraft! And such eagerness for szabla i lanca! All of these were perpetual roadblocks for him and the men of his trade – and now, its highest representative – barring the Marshal Stanislawa or the Lady Skarbek – was here, in the flesh, staring him dead in the eye.

Amelie snickered as Ehrenbach fought to regain his composure. “Should’ve seen the look on your face.”

Ehrenbach gave Amelie a glare before turning back to the newcomer, his expression snapping in an instant to a poker-face that slowly morphed into a mask of pleasant surprise. “Erm. Yes. It is good to see you, Lord Siemowit. Though your presence was unexpected. I didn’t hear you coming in.”

“Of course you didn’t.” Siemowit sneered. “Unlike your attack dog, I don’t kick every door I see.”

“Oh, sod you.” Amelie’s joy evaporated in an instant, and she sulked in her seat.

“...Well, that aside – “ Ehrenbach piped up. “I trust you’ve kept up with our –”


“Yes, I have. Fine fig leaves. All bark, no bite. Paper tigers. Etc-cetera.” Siemowit sighed. “A shame. Not even avoiding the appearance of hypocrisy.”

“W-ell, it’s not perfect, no. But some of our allies are attached to it, and it-”

“Don’t explain to me.” Siemowit cut him off. “I’m not here to babysit you. Arguably, my primary purpose here isn’t even working with you.”

Ehrenbach sighed. “I assume your true purpose is –”


“Privileged information, yes. Well – that is a lie. It’s not hard to guess if you’ve been keeping up. Have you?”

A pause. “Of course I have.” Ehrenbach narrowed his eyes as the pieces rapidly lined up in his mind. “And I think I can guess at your real purpose here. It’s our dear hostess, isn’t it? And her recent declaration?”

“Mmh.” Siemowit smiled. “I didn’t say that, Lord Ehrenbach.”

“I am not in the mood for games.” Ehrenbach snarled. “If you do anything rash, it is on my head too, Lord Świebodzice.”

“I am well aware.” Siemowit smiled – widely, too widely. “I, too, am playing courier, stripling. You would be the first to know if I were here to enact the Sejm’s judgment.”

The anger slowly drained from Ehrenbach’s face – once again leaving that dry, impassive, poker-face. “I see.” A pause. “There are certain expectations here – certain things that might be permitted in the Ryszanan Sejm, but not here. You would do well to watch and learn.” The slightest bit of venom seeped into his voice. “If, of course, your mind can still keep up.”

“I am well aware.” Siemowit replied, though his smile diminished a little.

“Good.” Ehrenbach gave Siemowit a dry, thin smile, and turned back to face the speaker.

[Legatia]

Ambassador Yukino Townley, Secretary-General Marceau Beauchêne

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International Coalition of Nations Assembly Building- Darlingtown

Yukino Townley had braved the frigid cold to meet the Secretary-General as he disembarked from his Air Forces Swanbird at the New Darlingtown International Airport- the very same Meridonian work crews were working on expanding. His was one of the first planes to take advantage of a newly-installed instrument landing system that allowed the plane a smooth descent and landing into the airport despite the blizzard going on. Yukino couldn't help but dream that she was back in Alexandria Territory, in their townhouse in the outskirts of Cordelia.. was it embarrassing that Yukino was probably one of the few diplomats she knew that lived at her parent's place? Most probably, yes. It wasn't like they lived there with her, both her mother and father lived in the Vice Presidential residence closer to Whiteriver Manor. She had made some overtures to her mother about buying the place, but those were always met with a 'when you get home'.

Home, for the past few months, had been Darlingtown. Even in the intermission, she remained, serving as a liaison between Darlingtown's robots and administrators- most prudently, SACHI, involving themselves in purely work conversations mostly about forwarding shipping rosters, setting up accommodations for construction crews, repatriating said crewmen when they went on drunken brawls... in the enormous fur coat that dwarfed the small girl, Yukino sighed. She felt very alone in Darlingtown, but her duty remained here. Maybe in a few more months she'd go home, but she didn't have many friends here.

Naturally, the arrival of the Secretary-General, then, was important for her on a personal and a professional level. He would only be here for a few hours before he immediately flew back to Meridon, only present at his request to the President of the Assembly to address the council. The time allotted for it was short. He would be there, give a fifteen-minute speech, eat dinner and refresh, and then fly home.

The Secretary-General, in a military issue greatcoat, certainly seemed intrigued when Yukino, who was more coat than woman, approached. "Welcome to Darlingtown, Secretary-General, it's a pleasure to meet you! I am-"

"..Yukino Townley, right? Vice President Townley's daughter." The Secretary-General's face was kind, though he knelt down a bit to look at her as if speaking to a small child- which he almost was, being more than twice her age and close to a foot taller than she. Normally, something like that might upset the poor young Ambassador, but she was moreso just happy to see a friendly face.

Yukino Townley International Coalition of Nations Assembly Building Darlingtown "That's.. right, sir, it's a pleasure to see you. I suppose my mother spoke a bit about me.. haha, she has a tendency to do that. If you'll follow me, sir, the transport to the arcology is through here... ah, mind your gap, the jetways haven't been upgraded yet." Yukino and Beauchêne made the short trip through the diplomatic priority lines, thence, to the arcology that consisted of Darlingtown. The sight was impressive for all who first saw it, Yukino pondered, through she had grown accustomed to it in her months of living. Snow whipped at the windows of the tramline as it made a stop at the diplomatic complexes. Yukino offered a friendly wave to a pair of C-Sims guarding the building, ones she didn't know by name but knew by face. They always waved back, but never replied verbally. "I've heard that all of Darlingtown's robots are female. Why do you think that is, miss Townley?" "Eh..?" Yukino was clearly not expecting the question, one she hadn't even thought about herself, but.. was more surprised than she should have been, she knew. "..Er... As you know, sir, Darlingtown is run by SACHI, who is a sentient AI program that formulates herself in the image of a woman. Perhaps it was a consideration to promote public order, seeing that female figures of authority are more pleasing to the citizenry of Darlingtown.. or perhaps, it is simply an aesthetic choice?" "An interesting aesthetic choice. Are there few women in Darlingtown?" "I've never thought to check, but.. from my experience here, a.. non-insignificant amount of the population is male rather than female, I believe." "Is that so? What an interesting place. I hear their combat robots are no joke. The men who fought alongside them in New England have little but praise for them. I wonder how they compare to the real deal." "Ah-" "Well, it looks like we've found the assembly hall. Thank you for guiding me, Miss Townley. I do hope you'll allow me to treat you to a meal while I'm here. I'm not sure what Darlingtown has in the way of restaurants, but I'm sure we'll find something to suffice." Yukino paused for a moment, before a gentle smile crossed her face. A proper meal with someone... "..I would very much appreciate that. Good luck, sir."

Secretary-General Beauchene would enter the chamber two minutes after he was scheduled to begin, fashionably late, though whether or not this was intentional was left to those present to determine. He offered a succinct greeting to SACHI, and proceeded from there directly to the podium. Yukino took her seat, and when that was done, the Secretary-General tapped his prepared speech and began.

Marceau Beauchêne ICON Secretary General International Coalition of Nations Assembly Building Darlingtown "Member-nations of the International Coalition of Nations, it is a pleasure to finally be here. I appreciate you all making time in your schedule for this announcement, and in particular, thanks to the President of the Assembly for allowing me to borrow her podium. The Security Council has recently passed and approved an amendment to the charter affirming ICON's commitment to a common defense, an immense step in the right direction. The question now lies, that now that we have taken this bold new step, in what manner will we mark the trail we travel forward? This is not a question that I can answer, nor that Meridon can answer, nor that the Security Council can. The common defense requires common contribution- that means every member-nation of ICON should have a say in how it is to be conducted in the future going forward. It is my intention to re-structure, re-organize, and optimize ICON's collective defense apparatus to transform this alliance into an unyielding rock of defensive solidarity, willing and able to defend those who comprise of it whenever, wherever, and however it is required. "Therefore;" he cleared his throat briefly before continuing, exhaling. "It is with pleasure that I extend an request, on behalf of the Federal Republic of Meridon and the office of the Secretary-General of the International Coalition of Nations, for all ICON member-nations to attend a defense conference in Port Sistine in the aim of advancing and cementing the aim of common defense, whenever, wherever, and however it is required. Formal invitations and information regarding accommodations and timetables will be found at your desks. This conference is an umbrella event, in which I hope to propose and review many potential propositions and plans to reorganize ICON's defense, including such things as a rapid reaction force, standardization agreements, command structures, and otherwise, including propositions from our constituent members. I am unable to take any questions at this time, but my staff would be pleased to answer any of your inquiries afterwards. Once again, a thank you to the President of the Assembly for her hospitality, and to the member nations before me for their time. I look forward to building a stronger, safer ICON with all of you, starting in Port Sistine." The Secretary General gave a gentle nod, a wave, and then dismounted the podium to depart. Now was time for something else important- finding dinner.

[Anagonia]

Khonzhu Torres and Henry Strongman had practically made their home here in Darlingtown. The Confederate States Diplomatic Corps was a rigorous and committed branch of the Confederate States Government and Military and quite often trained its Ambassadors and Representatives on the possibility of settling abroad. Extensive classes were held giving assurances and education on domestic protections for these brave and dedicated souls, but the premise of the education was to stress the high likelihood that one would be separated from the homeland for years or decades on end. Khonzhu had moved from her home in Gonswanza to finally settle with Henry, a man which she had become infatuated with after the two had shared their love of weight-lifting and exercising. Her mentality was already situated for extensive stays in foreign locations. Henry was already trained and used to the process, and made quite an effort to share the experience with Khonzhu as they made the best of their arrangements. The two were, basically, perfect for the job and their modest accommodations in Darlingtown.

Torres and Strongman were in their positions for what was assured to them a fruitful speech from the new Secretary General of ICON. Marceau Beauchêne had already been reported by Callan Ford to be a very straight-forward, educated, and committed individual. Henry had read the reports on the secret CSDC forums, where most of the ambassadors assigned by the CSDC used it as their internal "social media" platform. Henry had even played it up with Khonzhu, giving her assurances it would be a good speech. When the Secretary-General finally entered, they were not disappointed. The speech was riveting and up to expectations. Afterward, having no further comment or questions, Torres poked Henry in the arm to gain his attention.

"Is it true that Max admitted he was dating one of these robots?" she asked, hushed and trying to be polite.

Henry made sure no one was looking when he looked to his side, addressing his significant other.

"In a way, yes," he said, his voice equally hushed. "I was told by Callan he had all but won the race for Secretary General. The forums were abuzz with shock and dismay when he stepped down. But you have to understand, Max is a Major and has had extensive history serving both the government and military. I think he simply considered his options and didn't want to give up what he gained. Like I did with you."

Torres, surprised and flattered by the statement, blinked awkwardly before leaning to peck Henry on the cheek.

"Well, we'll see how much you like me after I force you to follow me in my sets this evening," she replied, winking, though with a mischievous gaze.

Henry scoffed. He looked her up and down, then sighed as he sat up and back in his seat. She was serious, he realized. How in the hell was he going to bench press a car? Damn woman was going to be the death of him.

[New Azura]

---

---

Hall of the Assembly of Nations, Darlingtown, Nivalia, Esvanovia
2nd Session of the Assembly of Nations - International Coalition of Nations

For the first time in her professional career, SAIA was going to be issuing a package of financial incentives for the International Coalition of Nations. Since her appointment by the Evenguard to serve as the Chief Financial Minister of the International Coalition of Nations, pertinent to Azura’s appointment to said role, most of SAIA’s work had been conducted in the Evenguard, behind closed doors, where no one could fault her or her initiatives she had been tasked with creating. She preferred the solitude, where only her own intrusive thoughts could wage war against her, unlike the Assembly of Nations in Darlingtown where the various member-states could assail her with words of disagreement or disunion. Were it not for the chance to see SACHI’s home base of operations, she might have refused the appointment at all. Even so, her nerves were elevated to an unheard-of level, and her compatriot was hardly helping.

Azura’s Ambassador to the International Coalition of Nations, the incomparable Niccolò Franco Alvize Vi Candreva-Volta had been assisting from afar with the drafting of financial resolutions to present to the Assembly of Nations. As the Chief Financial Minister however, it was her responsibility to present the package of initiatives for debate, and to score a diplomatic victory for her adopted homeland inside the International Coalition of Nations. As a newcomer to the intricacies of foreign diplomacy and international finance, SAIA felt obligated to let Alvize take the lead wherever he could, but tonight was her night to shine, for better or for worse. Vi Candreva-Volta was sitting beside her at the center of Azura’s delegation to the Assembly of Nations, waiting eagerly for her to stand up and begin giving her dissertation. With everything happening inside ICON at the moment, she had no idea over the reception she would receive.

Nervously, but with as much confidence as she could muster internally, SAIA gave a quick nod to Alvize, then began to shakily rise from her seat in the Assembly. She wished that she was preparing to listen to SACHI deliver remarks instead of her own, for they would almost certainly be better received. All the same, she had millions of people back home wishing her well on her journey to Darlingtown, and now was the opportune time to repay them for their kindness. Holding onto a dossier she had completed not an hour before entering Darlingtown’s airspace, she looked over the great Hall and took note of everyone still residing in the chambers, looking at her now expectantly. She thought, almost with perverse amusement, that if she were an organic being, she might be experiencing a case of nervous vomiting right now. As it stood, all she could muster was the beginnings of a shaky smile to her compatriots in the Assembly.

“Honored delegates, as my esteemed Ambassador… excuse me, my friend the Ambassador Niccolò Franco Alvize Vi Candreva-Volta would say, it is an honor and a privilege to be standing before you here today. I come before you humbly as the newly-appointed Financial Officer from the Evengaurd of Azura to the International Coalition of Nations. It is an honor and a privilege to be standing here… again. Excuse me,” she anxiously smiled, moving straight to her dossier. “As the Financial Officer appointed by the Evenguard, I have arrived here in Darlingtown, home of the Darlings to present a general resolution on a package of fiscal initiatives that the Azuran Evenguard believes would be of great use to the International Coalition of nations. I would like to present each of you with a copy of these initiatives, which we may discuss and vote on individually or as a package if you would prefer. The floor is open!

• The International Coalition of Nations would support the creation of a Crisis Response Fund (CRF) for the purpose of aiding member-states of the Coalition who suffer from an emergency event, such as a natural disaster or unprovoked military attack, with monetary compensation. The CRF would be exclusively funded by volunteer donations from the member-states of the Coalition, and the release of funds would be granted by the Chief Financial Officer at the direction of the Assembly of Nations.
  
  
• The International Coalition of Nations would support the creation of a Annual Membership Levy on the member-states of the Coalition for the funding of the Assembly of Nations, the Security Council and the military combatant commands of ICON's defense apparatuses. Said levy would not exceed 0.0001% of a nation's annual gross domestic product and would be payable in lump sums at the end of the fiscal year or in monthly increments with no penalty on the Coalition member-state for choosing said option.
  
  
• The International Coalition of Nations would support the creation of an Interstate Loan Assistance Program (ILAP) with the aims of establishing a program, to be discharged by the Chief Financial Officer under the instructions of the Assembly of Nations, helping coordinate low interest loans between member-states of the Coalition for internal projects. ILAP will guarantee loan repayment up to $250 Million USD, and will place the following restrictions on usage: ILAP loans may only be used for internal projects related to public works, utilities, or a nation's defensive capabilities. It may not be used to fully fund budgetary policy for a nation's governmental discretionary spending, and applicant parties must agree to pay back any loans granted within three fiscal years of issuance, or else be suspended from the program indefinitely.

[Anagonia]

Ambassador Henry Strongman:

After reviewing this extensively well made draft, Anagonia supports it in its entirety.

[The Great state of Joseon]

Yoon Joohee, who was briefed on a series of embarrassing events in Bellême, was worried that the same would happen again in Darlingtown. If those things happen at Assembly, the passage of important issues could be delayed, and that was something she should be concerned about.

Therefore, when SAIA proposed the resolution, Yoon Joohee decided to rush through the resolution after finding out that it would not harm Joseon even if it was passed. She had to create a positive atmosphere for the resolution so that it would not stagnate within Assembly.

General Yoon Joohee "This resolution seems perfect enough. We are in favor of the resolution."

[Neo-Western East Korea]

Varushka Novikova

“Neo-Korea must raise its contention to this resolution.”

“0.0001% is NOT a large enough annual budget to allow for the non-Anagonian upkeep of staff critical to the functioning of the alliance, and as such must be changed to a more reasonable 0.1-0.01% of national budgets to ensure successful funding of aforementioned critical staff.”

[Legatia]

Yukino Townley International Coalition of Nations Assembly Building- Darlingtown Reviewing the proposal with her own calculator and ballparking the figures, this would put Meridon's contribution as proposed in the ballpark range of 900 million dollars. She had been authorized for up to 1.5 billion, so this was certainly within acceptable ranges for her. "Meridon has-" As soon as the Neo-Korean delegate stood up, however, they were quick to make their contention known. Tapping away on the calculator (despite this conversion being relatively easy, Yukino did not trust her own math), and nearly spit when she saw the figure. "A-Ambassador Novikova, with respect, um... this cannot be a realistic figure, right? 0.01 of our GDP, your low end figure, is equivalent for Meridon at least to 90 billion dollars. The prior proposed point-zero-zero-zero-one percent is a much more reasonable figure of 900 million from Meridon alone. ICON is not so large that it needs a budget more significant than many smaller countries. Ah.. Meridon cannot exceed more than 0.00016% of its GDP for the purposes of funding this alliance. Anything more than this figure would be a cause of serious concern."

[Darlingtown]

- SACHI - "Darlingtown has no issue with the resolution presented at this time, and is in support of it. That said, the Neo-Korea proposal is, quite frankly, wildly outside the range of feasibility and what most nations here would be capable of tolerating should this Assembly elect to pass such legislation. We will strongly oppose such a change being made to the resolution as it stands."