Congress of Ishikawa (semi-closed)

[Kwangtao]

The sound of clanging medals and talking jolted Yang from his sleep. The fat warlord shot upright in his chair, his hat falling forward off his face and onto the table.

"Hzzuh....wah! I'm awake!" he exclaimed, getting his bearings as the fog of his nap began to clear. Yang looked about the room, noting that a few more people had shown up since he decided to take a small rest. A pretentious royal, a couple of men in suits, some overly decorated communists, and the Lakambini of Palmyrion who Yang grinned and winked suggestively at. And then there was Maki Kojiro, the Shogun of Nifon. The warlord's eyes locked onto Kojiro for a moment as his brain slowly spun back up to speed. It took him a moment to process where exactly he was and what he was doing again. Then, as it clicked, he laughed heartily.

"Ah, Maki! Glad you could finally make it!" Yang said, picking his hat up off the table and returning it to the top of his head. "Was starting to worry that we all had the wrong address, and that the Shogun was in another castle! Now...as I was dozing off I heard something about there not being any drinks here. I mean..."

Yang paused and seemed almost depressed as he looked at the trays of sencha that had been brought in.

"...tea's fine and all, but I had my heart set on some shōchū or umeshu. Or at least some sake. Bah, it doesn't matter. I can get some on my way back home. You all didn't discuss the whole 'spheres' thing without me, have you? Don't get me wrong, the women have been mighty fine to look at, but unfortunately I'm here for the meeting above all else. Especially since it doesn't look like I'm going to be getting a drink out of this..."

[Civia Welephilostopia]

"Sanin," He looked down a little, "Nice talking but I must be getting to my seat." He would walk quickly to his speech and begin listening to the speech.

OOC: Sorry for the one liner, next post will be longer.

[Inyourfaceistan]

Ishikawa Castle, Current Day

---

---

Subprésidente Matteo Armano took his seat quietly; the tall, brown-haired Inyurstan man sitting down without fuss or display, only giving modest thanks to the attending Nifonese staff. He would not draw attention to himself - not quite yet anyways. Instead, he would sit back and observe. For the cost of virtually no effort, he could read the body language in the room - as well as verbal spills - and deduce a fair amount of information about the foreign delegations.

Matteo sipped a drink, a white clear drink but one with two square ice cubes in it. Perhaps it was liquor, perhaps it was water, but only he and the server he got it off of would know.
As he looked around the room - casually and infrequently, but with intent and acute observation - he noticed Nicolas Furia had seen him. Subprésidente Armano raised his glass gently in recognition and nodded his head to the Langenian president.
It was necessary to acknowledge and keep friendly with Furia; the man who would likely be his peer one day. But Inyursta and Langenia had already discussed everything they need to discuss. The two regional powers of La Ameripacha Libre were on the same page, but it was Nifon and to a lesser extent Theedishland to whom he needed to talk business with.

A daunting task stood before him; to negotiate with Kojiro and ensure his nation's interests fit with the mad-yet-genius shogun's plan. More challenging yet, was that Inyursta was largely outspoken on the issue of Bashriyya; with their position being shared largely only by those countries unfortunate enough to share a border with the Bashriyyan issue. As a nation, La Républiqua D'Inyursta was not known for its adherence to diplomatic norms or skillful negotiation; but in the words of a wise Nifonese scholar: Diplomacy is just war by other means.
...and that was something that Inyursta was very good at...

---

Chapele de Roy-Alto Jesus, Castille de Térro; Inyursta - A few days before

---

Simplistic white, fine-grain stucco walls paired with square, brownish wooden beams decorated the interior of the chapel. In stark contrast to the fine masonry, elaborate woodwork and ornate stained glass windows of the larger catholic basilicas and classical protestant churches which matched the Baroque architecture of the city; the houses of worship for the Néopròtestantaire denomination were abruptly minimalist and reminiscent of an older time.
Quite ironically, of course, is that during that older time the churches of the colonial elite would have looked the the Neoprot churches look now, while the renegade friars of old would have been spreading their proclamations of the kingdom of heaven and blasphemies against the kings of man in grassy commons and spacious cantinas; but would anything Inyurstan truly be Inyurstan without such irony?

Armando Villanueve sat holding his bible, a small black book bound in simple letters with only his last name inscribed in a dark metallic chrome coloring. Within a few minutes, the service had opened with a loud and rowdy song of worship, singing praise to the savior; an event which brought everyone to their feet and their eyes to either the front of the room or to the ceiling. When the song had ended Armando could sense that someone was sitting beside him who had not been there before.
"Bon matano, Captain Villanueve." He greeted in a quiet voice as the preacher took the stage.
"Salute, person I've never met before." Armando replied without looking at the man sitting next to him. "...I'm also no longer a captain, but you know that."
"Once an intel officer, always an intel officer."
"Oh, so is that true with you? Monsénor Subprésidente?" Armando asked, and as if on-cue the preacher began a ramble about the deceptive, two-faced nature of politicians.
"That's... classified..." Matteo retorted, slowing his words.
"So what brings a non-believer into a place of holy worship?"
"What are you talking about? I'm a devout Baptist."
"Sure you are, Monsénor Person I've Never Met." Just then the preacher went on another loud and fiery speech, calling to his congregation to pray for their unsaved friends and family, and calling to all non-believers and those you have lost their way to come to Jesus and acknowledge him as King and Savior. A call to open their hearts and turn their minds towards the true king in heaven, to give up attachments to the earthly world and earthly authority.
"ALELEJA!" Armando shouted in response to the preacher's point, though in reality he was not shouting it to the preacher.

"I'm in need of intel on resource generation and export in central Hasua." Matteo whispered into his old comrade's ear.
"And I'm no longer privy to that kind of intel. I'm retired from the military, after all."
"Not military intelligence... I'm looking for private sector intelligence."
"That's a serious gift request, even from an ol... - especially from someone I've never met before."

[McNernia]

Akagi Castle
Ishikawa, Nifon

---

“Yes let us not keep our counterparts waiting.” He nodded apologetically to the various delegations. The Archinian Ambassador was waiting with a look of irritation. “Mr Prime Minister, the protocol is you don’t get things done like this until the main points are out of the way.” The two men spoke Archinian Gaelic, less of a risk of someone overhearing, but Calgoreach figured that it would out reading facial expressions.

“I figured that we got the proposal on the books as soon as possible then we have our opening.” The Ambassador raised an eyebrow. The two men sat off to one side. “The issue is as I see it, Luttenrieds presentation seemed, slightly strained. And well, a nobody in the close seat…. Im thinking Kojiro may be either trying to discipline Her Augustness or there is something we are not aware of.”

“Aogan, I assure you all is well, if there was some rift or something I suppose your Residents and the Military Intelligence Department at the MoD would indicate that something was wrong.” The speech of Kojiro was noted as the Archinians were rather outsiders. They had no stake save a concern over the whole prospect of a Wenchuanese nuke going off in Cathcride, while people in the Tionil of Archinia debated what precisely was to be done. Calgoreach took action.

He looked around the room at the various delegations which were here. His interest was in watching primarily. If anyone wanted to approach the PM and discuss something he would be open to it, but there was something on the agenda and Calgoreach and his Ambassadorial subordinate waited for the Shogun to get things started.

[New Aeyariss]

The Empress greeted the Lakambini and the Svyadetskian secretary, and had the staff direct them to the proper seats. They were given all honors deserving their rank. The gifts were accepted and thanked for.

"Ah, Maki! Glad you could finally make it!" Yang said, picking his hat up off the table and returning it to the top of his head. "Was starting to worry that we all had the wrong address, and that the Shogun was in another castle! Now...as I was dozing off I heard something about there not being any drinks here. I mean..."

Yang paused and seemed almost depressed as he looked at the trays of sencha that had been brought in.

"...tea's fine and all, but I had my heart set on some shōchū or umeshu. Or at least some sake. Bah, it doesn't matter. I can get some on my way back home. You all didn't discuss the whole 'spheres' thing without me, have you? Don't get me wrong, the women have been mighty fine to look at, but unfortunately I'm here for the meeting above all else. Especially since it doesn't look like I'm going to be getting a drink out of this..."

"We have not discussed anything of importance yet, your excelenncy. But I do believe that we ought to do so now."

The Nifonese Shogun could not bear the look of the fat warlord. Maki knew all too well that he himself was a proffesional killer - yet he held a certain grace and elegance. He was intelligent, and could talk as much about philosophy and art as much as about sports and shooting. Yang lacked the intelligence and grace - in his mind being only a cunning opportunist who was there at right time to seize power.

But the experience had taught him that men like Yang do not reign for long.

With that, Maki redirected his attention to the other assembled. Now was the big moment that would cement his place as the world's new Clemens Metternich. It was his dream to create a new order based on balance of power between nations designed precisely so the nations would never be able to reach a conclusion - and prevent his greatest nightmare of a single global government from being formed.

"I will not hide it - the world we are in right now is chaotic. Which is why I have called your majesties, graces, excellencies and honored representatives in this very place. To curb this chaos and replace it with order. " the Nifonese Shogun continued "At first, permit me to begin discussion of a very important topic - namely, Bashriyya. The nation has all but collapsed, being turned into a failed state with barely any government."

The Nifonese shogun paused:

"I would like to ask the honored representatives what are visions of your majesties, graces and excellencies concerning the future of that nation. It is clear to us all that Bashriyya can not continue in shape it had continued until now - as world's number one sponsor of international terrorism. However, I do believe that many of the honored representatives would have visions concerning future of said nation that differ from one another. If possible, I would like your majesties, graces and excellencies to present those visions now."

"This should give me a good overview of who is with whom." the Shogun of Nifon thought to himself, carefully analyzing the reactions of the assembled, looking for any discernable signs of emotion.

[Bolrieg]

In response to the issue of Bashiriyya being brought up, Kladnov was quick to take the stand as he as well as the Crown back in Shadforad had already plans for Bashiriyya.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, Excellencies and Majesties. The situation in Bashiriyya I believe is not so complicated. As many of you may well know we already have a government in waiting…”

He then beckons for Abdul Nasheed to step forward.

“… The man you see here has worked tirelessly with his fellow Bashiriyyan patriots to oppose the unstable and tyrannical government of his corrupted nephew and is more than prepared and qualified to take the Presidency. As Shogun Maki already has stated that there is no government to speak of there and the resulting instability will create further conflicts and refugee crises the world over. Therefore, we must act with the utmost haste in setting Mr Nasheed here to oversee the reconstruction and reformation of his native land and return the region to stability and prosperity. As for those who are concerned about the financial cost of this endeavour. You needn’t concern yourselves as His Grand Majesty has promised to completely foot the cost of establishing the rightful government of that land.”

He then sips from a flask in his jacket pocket and looks around the room.

“I trust we are all in agreement, yes?”

[New Aeyariss]

"Kladnov-san..." the Nifonese shogun countered "I would like to ask a question, if possible. Your excellency proposes a member of a political dynasty that has been ruling Bashriyya for years. As a result of two lost wars, it is highly unpopular at home. But what concerns me more... "

Kojiro paused:

"Several years ago when Muhammad al-Nasheed was toppled, we all thought that Sadr-san would be more rational. He had an opinion of a moderate. Look how he turned out. What guarantees we have that the situation won't repeat itself this time, but with a new Nasheed in power?"

[Bolrieg]

“I am more than happy to address any concerns you may have Your Excellency, as well as other concerns others here may have. First of all President Nasheed here has spent the best part of a decade in a civilised land where Bolriegian values are ingrained rather than tribal influences that plagued the psyche of his family members who remained in Bashiriyya. As the new head of his household he can influence them into a more acceptable line of thinking. In addition to this we will for a time station Bolriegian troops to train their new armed forces which will act as they should as opposed to a private militia of a self serving tyrant such as Sadr. This can ensure the protection of our mutual interests in the region and to ensure the safety of our citizens who may reside there.”

Kladnov briefly glances at Nasheed then back at Kojiro.

“If you do not trust he shall behave, do not worry if he steps out of line I will make an example out of him myself if I have to. Fortunately, I believe that may not be necessary as he has been willing to cooperate. As for the Bashiriyyan population I imagine what they desire most of all is peace. Right now to ensure that they need a stable and firm hand to ensure that remains. Which leads to my next point, this conflict began over the need for access to clean drinking water. Nasheed here is willing to work with the government of Sugogo to build a water pipeline so the need for future conflicts will be abated.”

[Inyourfaceistan]

Matteo listened to Kladnov's proposal - shockingly ignorant and poorly planned one to put yet another Nasheed in power and worse yet, actually provided military aid to the likes of Bashriyyans.
On the outside, his face would show no emotion. Whether or not he was truly outraged and dismayed by the proposal, or whether he was merely a justified psychopath was anyone's guess, but it changed nothing. He could not show such emotion, but yet he must still respond and in no uncertain terms shut down this reckless and borderline complicity genocidal insanity proposed by Kladnov.

"Why in the world would any logical actor agree to training Bashrab armed forces? This will only make their military stronger, and harder to quickly neutralize in the next war - thus, it poses direct threat to anyone unfortunate enough to share a border with the Bashrabic Entity and those invested in thwarting it. It would seem that you remain blissfully unware of the plight of those who have to deal with Bashrabs; that from your ivory palace you seem to think of Bashrabic Entity as a land of resources and wealth that you can discreetly extract and coax back into your own coffers, that you have yet to put yourself in the shoes of anyone living within invasion range of them having to play constant roulette of which country will be the next victim. Bashrabs have already attempted to gas & enslave the Tifyans, rape and massacre the Sugogoans and yet you have the gaw to sit here and propose giving them better training for the next time they do something of the sort?!? I presume this was negligent oversight, and not maliciousness on your part, but providing the ferals with additional military training is something that cannot be allowed to pass.

Further, Kojiro is correct. Why should we expect that a third Nasheed on the throne of the Bashrabic Entity will be any different?
The Bashrabic Entity doesn't have a problem with who is in power, it has a problem with how much power it has. As it stands, such an evil entity as the likes of this has too much land, too many resources, and far too much access to weapons for which it can use to do Bashrabic things.

What we propose instead, is a balkanized and divided end to the Bashrabic Entity. Blocks of territory controlled by sectarian leaders who are more likely to kill each other than to band together to launch chemical weapons attacks or go on ethic cleansing campaigns against their neighbors.
Additionally, we propose that the northwestern lakeshore zone through to the Tifyan border be ceded to the Tuaregs, the ethnic minority who have suffered under Bashrabic rule and persecution. This will also help to function as a buffer state between the northern territories of what is currently the Bashrabic Entity and Sugogo.
And lastly, the opposite region from the northeastern lakeshore zone through to the Auxumian-Quiridi border be placed under the occupation of the Auxumian Military, who - thanks to the anti-semitic rhetoric of the Bashrabs - anticipate they will be the next target of a masse Bashrabic genocidal chimpout.

Now, do not get me wrong. I, just as any man with justified rage burning from the sadness and empathy in my heart, wish to see both the current ephemeral crop of Bashrabic leadership and those at the bottom of the pyramid acting out their instinctive bloodlust brought to pay for their heinous crimes. But these proposals are not about punishing those response - no that is a topic that must be discussed later - these proposals are about efficacy not ethics.
We bring this forward because this what must be done to mitigate the next time Bashrabs try to do what they do best.
We bring this forward because these measures will help ensure delayed civilian bloodshed and a faster, more effective and less casualty-prone military response to the next Bashrabic Incident."
He then took a sip of his unknown drink, and sat back down.
Once seated he looked over and winked at Abdul Al-Nasheed, and smirked.

[Europe a Nation]

Mosley smiled slightly, but held back his laughter. For God's sake, he really did bring his crony to this meeting to openly ask us to appoint him. Hilarious. And the Inyustran Vice President seems to be emotionally committed and his reasoning is obviously biased. Mosley decided to join the debate.

"Your excellencies, you're discussing what shall be the future of Bashiriyya and that's what I think is wrong approach. In my humble opinion the future of Bashiriyya is in the hands of its citizens. Our sole duty is to ensure peaceful and democratic power transition, that only Temporary ISAAC administration and joint peacekeeping mission can ensure."

[Inyourfaceistan]

"It seems you haven't been paying attention to foreign affairs, Oswald.
Leaving the fate of the Bashrabic Entity into the hands of Bashrabs is how you get genocide and ethnic cleansing. Further, I don't remember any EaN forces doing squat in the operation to drive the Bashrabic Entity from Sugogo or the four-year ongoing effort to defend Tifya from future chemical weapons attacks by the same evil entity..."

[New Aeyariss]

“I am more than happy to address any concerns you may have Your Excellency, as well as other concerns others here may have. First of all President Nasheed here has spent the best part of a decade in a civilised land where Bolriegian values are ingrained rather than tribal influences that plagued the psyche of his family members who remained in Bashiriyya. As the new head of his household he can influence them into a more acceptable line of thinking. In addition to this we will for a time station Bolriegian troops to train their new armed forces which will act as they should as opposed to a private militia of a self serving tyrant such as Sadr. This can ensure the protection of our mutual interests in the region and to ensure the safety of our citizens who may reside there.”



Kladnov briefly glances at Nasheed then back at Kojiro.

“If you do not trust he shall behave, do not worry if he steps out of line I will make an example out of him myself if I have to. Fortunately, I believe that may not be necessary as he has been willing to cooperate. As for the Bashiriyyan population I imagine what they desire most of all is peace. Right now to ensure that they need a stable and firm hand to ensure that remains. Which leads to my next point, this conflict began over the need for access to clean drinking water. Nasheed here is willing to work with the government of Sugogo to build a water pipeline so the need for future conflicts will be abated.”

"I have to say your excellency - it does not make me consider him more trustworthy than his predecessor. I would prefer to take steps to prevent the situation from repeating itself altogether."

Matteo listened to Kladnov's proposal - shockingly ignorant and poorly planned one to put yet another Nasheed in power and worse yet, actually provided military aid to the likes of Bashriyyans.
On the outside, his face would show no emotion. Whether or not he was truly outraged and dismayed by the proposal, or whether he was merely a justified psychopath was anyone's guess, but it changed nothing. He could not show such emotion, but yet he must still respond and in no uncertain terms shut down this reckless and borderline complicity genocidal insanity proposed by Kladnov.

"Why in the world would any logical actor agree to training Bashrab armed forces? This will only make their military stronger, and harder to quickly neutralize in the next war - thus, it poses direct threat to anyone unfortunate enough to share a border with the Bashrabic Entity and those invested in thwarting it. It would seem that you remain blissfully unware of the plight of those who have to deal with Bashrabs; that from your ivory palace you seem to think of Bashrabic Entity as a land of resources and wealth that you can discreetly extract and coax back into your own coffers, that you have yet to put yourself in the shoes of anyone living within invasion range of them having to play constant roulette of which country will be the next victim. Bashrabs have already attempted to gas & enslave the Tifyans, rape and massacre the Sugogoans and yet you have the gaw to sit here and propose giving them better training for the next time they do something of the sort?!? I presume this was negligent oversight, and not maliciousness on your part, but providing the ferals with additional military training is something that cannot be allowed to pass.

Further, Kojiro is correct. Why should we expect that a third Nasheed on the throne of the Bashrabic Entity will be any different?
The Bashrabic Entity doesn't have a problem with who is in power, it has a problem with how much power it has. As it stands, such an evil entity as the likes of this has too much land, too many resources, and far too much access to weapons for which it can use to do Bashrabic things.

What we propose instead, is a balkanized and divided end to the Bashrabic Entity. Blocks of territory controlled by sectarian leaders who are more likely to kill each other than to band together to launch chemical weapons attacks or go on ethic cleansing campaigns against their neighbors.
Additionally, we propose that the northwestern lakeshore zone through to the Tifyan border be ceded to the Tuaregs, the ethnic minority who have suffered under Bashrabic rule and persecution. This will also help to function as a buffer state between the northern territories of what is currently the Bashrabic Entity and Sugogo.
And lastly, the opposite region from the northeastern lakeshore zone through to the Auxumian-Quiridi border be placed under the occupation of the Auxumian Military, who - thanks to the anti-semitic rhetoric of the Bashrabs - anticipate they will be the next target of a masse Bashrabic genocidal chimpout.

Now, do not get me wrong. I, just as any man with justified rage burning from the sadness and empathy in my heart, wish to see both the current ephemeral crop of Bashrabic leadership and those at the bottom of the pyramid acting out their instinctive bloodlust brought to pay for their heinous crimes. But these proposals are not about punishing those response - no that is a topic that must be discussed later - these proposals are about efficacy not ethics.
We bring this forward because this what must be done to mitigate the next time Bashrabs try to do what they do best.
We bring this forward because these measures will help ensure delayed civilian bloodshed and a faster, more effective and less casualty-prone military response to the next Bashrabic Incident."
He then took a sip of his unknown drink, and sat back down.
Once seated he looked over and winked at Abdul Al-Nasheed, and smirked.

"I would personally support the notion of an independent state for the Tuaregs to provide a buffer zone to prevent future conflicts" replied the Shogun "However, I would like to counter the assumption that a balkanized set of petty states would be able to prevent further aggression. Such environment is perfect for non-state actors to operate in, and nothing prevents the petty states to unify for a campaign of revenge in the future. The history of risorgimento or reunification of Theedischland proves my point.

In turn I would like to propose a joint military occupation of Bashriyya by all parties that partook in the fighting plus Theedischland, due to Bashriyya being in it's sphere of influence before the war. The goal of the mission would be to stabilize Bashriyya. Future coalition military presence would likely remain there in the future to deter aggression.

Bashriyya should also face an army cap of 75 000 soldiers, and be prohibited from possession of certain weapons. That way it wil never be able to threaten our interests again. "

"Your excellencies, you're discussing what shall be the future of Bashiriyya and that's what I think is wrong approach. In my humble opinion the future of Bashiriyya is in the hands of its citizens. Our sole duty is to ensure peaceful and democratic power transition, that only Temporary ISAAC administration and joint peacekeeping mission can ensure."

"With all due respect your excellency, the issue of Bashriyya is too important to be left " the Nifonese Shogun spoke "The Bashriyyan state proven itself to be too much of a threat to interest of multiple nations in the region. If your excellency wishes to know, the previous president openly admitted plans to launch a campaign of Islamic Jihad in Western Wenchuan via his proxies. My concern is that likely elections would end in victory of another Islamist party political program of which is jihad from LAL to Hasua.

At this point the government of the Empire of Greater Nifon deems Bashriyya too much of a threat to allow it's interests to be left to the will of the locals. Bashriyya's fate must be compatible with Nifonese interests, regardless of how the Bashriyyans feel about it. "

[Bolrieg]

Abdul looked to protest against what Matteo proposed but Kladnov waved a hand signalling for him to remain seated.

“With respect sir a plan like yours will leave instability for the entire region, which not only will oppose economic interests in the region. But will also act as a catalyst for an invasion by rapeugees onto our shores who want nothing more than to take what is not theirs, fortunately for us our navy would blast the rubber dinghies our of the water, with others would allow this invasion to occur unabated. Agreed that Bashiriyya is currently inhabited by barbarians, but so is the rest of that continent. Of course those things will happen there if we let it happen, what I am proposing is that we civilise if not the entire continent at least the one who have proven to us that they are unable to do so on their own. I will clarify the issue on their armed forces, they are to be trained by and will answer to Bolriegians. Did you think I would let them run their own armies given what happened?”

Takes another sip of his flask, knowing this may take time. Then he turns his attention to Moseley.

“Got to say I am impressed you managed to be here and sit properly, seeing as you often have your financiers hands up your backside. Of course you would let the region fester like that, you know full well that the potential horde will hit Kryvia the hardest and I see you eying up the region. Back off, alright. We had a civil war a while back to keep your grubby mitts off us. It is obvious that ISAAC involvement will only benefit those friends of yours, not Bolriegians, not Inyurstans, not even Eulabians as the crisis will displace them. Tell me, would you protect your people or just open your borders and ignore the impact?”

Then taking a breath to calm himself.

“Okay, so we are able to establish our own zones of influence? If he is not to be trusted to run the country on his own. Perhaps a compromise might be in order, you probably have your own man in mind for this, yes? If so have them share power at least for the time being.”

[Kwangtao]

Yang Lichang sat impatiently in his seat, adjusting his mighty girth every so often in his chair. He silently cursed himself as he saw representatives taking sips of their own drinks, having entirely missed the concept of bringing his own drink to the table. Instead all he had was tea.

But the warlord was also trying to glean what he could about the topic at hand. He'd never even heard of a place called "Busharia" until today, nevertheless how it fit into international politics. It seemed important, and hotly disputed. A perfect place to put an opinion and move up in rank internationally...if Yang had an opinion on the matter, that was. Still, an opportunity unseized was no better than one seized and lost. So he listened to what had been said so far and formulated a plan in his mind.

"You all are over complicating this to death," Yang finally said with a sigh. "Look, I might not know a lot about Busharia or whatever. But I do know a fuck-ton about power vacuums, failed states, and warlords. If you simply put someone else in charge you run the risk of having it blow up in your face again, like Maki said. If you balkanize it and hand it off to locals you might prevent a war...or you might start a much worse one if people start picking favorites and sides. Not to mention the fact that if someone does claw their way to the top they'll have both experience and support behind them. And simply leaving it to 'the people' is about as dumb an idea as you can get."

"No..." the warlord said, shifting positions in his seat once more. "The best course of action is to carve up the land between the people who helped break this place. Direct control. Or indirect, I don't give a shit. But Busharia can't be free. Not if it's anything like how you guys describe it. You take those dogs off their leash and they'll come back to bite you sooner or later. If you aren't willing to put them down, you're going to have to be the ones holding the leash, not pawns or puppets."

[Civia Welephilostopia]

Mosik would speak up to give Welephilostopia's opinion, "Your Excellency, if I may give Welephilostopia's vision for Bashryaa we believe the best solution would be for self determination for all ethnic groups within the nation and also for an international peace keeping force to be deployed with the goal of jeeping the peace and assisting in humanitarian operations."

[Europe a Nation]

Mosley wondered since when they had been friends with the Inyurstan Vice President, but passed it over... for once.

“Your excellencies, and now I mean both of you Mr. Armano and Mr. Kojiro, I would like to assure you that your concerns are of course taken into consideration, which is why I'm advocating for a peacekeeping mission. I am aware that at the current state, Bashirians are definitely not ready to rule their country and that the Bashiriyya is a breeding ground for terrorists, but that is why I am proposing, what I am proposing - International Administration. If you can't put a country in the hands of its citizens now, put it in the hands of the international community, ad interim." He looked at Kojiro "Mr. Kojiro, you said that the fate of the Bash must be in line with your national interests. I agree with that since the right compromise should be in everyone's interest, which is what we should accomplish here together today.”

Mosley also listened to the emotional outburst of the Bolrieg Prime Minister, and reacted with a cold expression.

"I suggest you to choose your words more carefully, Mr. Kladnov, for you are not here for yourself."

Finally, he nodded to the CW ambassador to express his gratitude.

[Aeyariss]

---

COUNT EZAR REZATAN
Chancellor of The Realm, The Most Serene Empire of Aeyariss

---

Ishikawa

This was not Ezar Rezatan's first visit to Nifon. He had done so quite a few times in his capacity as Minister in the past few years - both as the Exchequer Chancellor and as the War Minister - during which he represented the Emperor of Aeyariss and his friend Auliad Renata, whom he had reported before taking over the role only recently - but this time it did certainly felt different. This is his first as Chancellor of the Realm. This time it does feels somewhat different. More special?

He had always enjoyed visiting the Far East. If there is one part of the more civilized nation on this side of the planet, the Nifonese Empire certainly fit in as some of his most favorite place to visit. Unlike the the Wenchuanese to the west - which he often found to be more tactless in their conversation, and coarse in style, the Nifonese, in the eyes of Aeyariss' Chancellor of the Realm, had a more refined vibe of elegance. Plus, Rezatan actually enjoyed some of the local delicacies, and he looked forward to be experiencing them again as well as well as attending the so called Ishikawa Congress in his first official visit abroad.

Well, that should convey a strong message to Maki Kojiro. I could visit Mosley in Eulabia Nation, a country that probably be the most important neighbor for Aeyariss in Eulabia, instead I choose to come over here.

Eulabia. Of course, there is more pressing need for Aeyariss to come over here to visit the Shogun himself. If they are not considered Aeyariss' closest SACTO allies he'd probably just came over to give Maki Kojiro a good - diplomatically - telling off for what the Nifonese may have or did not did during the recent years Wenchuanese crisis that almost dragged itself into a diplomatic crisis with Sombreland and the entanglement with a rather new military alliance known as ICON - in which Eulabia Nation is one of the key member. That event could have ended very badly if it dragged the entire SACTO alliance in a war with ICON. Well, very badly for ICON that is.

Rezatan remember telling his old boss it wouldn't do Aeyariss any good, if it gets dragged into a war, and had to glass one of her key trading partner in mainland Eulabia. But the former Chancellor simply laughed and shrugged it off.

"That son of gun Maki Kojiro actually managed to get a non aggression treaty signed by an entire alliance just so every other SACTO attack dogs can continue slumbering peacefully." (lmao ) Auliad Renata once told him in private, both admiring and laughing the entire situation.

"Also, need I remind you that our glorious Empire had done its fair share of fighting in the past; perhaps you're very young back then but Aeyariss Empire and the Nifonese Empire waged war against the entire horde of The United Left after the fall of the Cebu Cooperation Pact. Only the two country, Aeyariss and the Nifonese - against the entire world, and we survived. Look where those enemies are now? So, don't be too harsh with our traditional ally, my friend. Let Nifon be Nifon. Both of our country are more than capable in facing challenges, even if its the entire world against us."

Well, Rezatan was very young during all those War of Exterminations decades ago. In hindsight, those wars pretty much led to the annihilation of the major communist bloc in the world, and in turn it led to the formation of SACTO; leading to the further the rise of Nifonese hegemony in the Far East... and the decades long Pax Aeyarissca.

However, Aeyariss then simply cashed in on its hard earned peace dividend, retreated to a rather peaceful, uneventful, mundane existence, enjoying its prosperity, while Nifon and the rest of SACTO continued to shape world politics, charging into the chaos of war and bringing order and serving justice.

Still, the fact remained. Aeyariss almost inadvertently gets entrapped in a war with its neighbor because of the Sombreland Situation. That is not good. Aeyariss will honor its treaty with the rest of the SACTO alliance, answering their call to arms should the other members states raise the banner of war. But, certainly, since the question of war affects everyone, it is simply better to be at the front, having a voice, taking charge. Make your presence known not just to potential enemies but also to let the other slumbering allies know that the Empire of Aeyariss is still very much in The Great Game.

The Chancellor made a mental note as he entered the dining hall, having received by the Nifonese diplomatic protocol; reminding himself to talk to the Shogun himself and close in the Eulabia Nation's Mosley for maybe opportunity to work and reduce the danger of wars in Eulabia between SACTO and ICON.

He quietly went to his assigned seat. There will be time to mingle with the other world leaders. But for now, the meeting was just about to begin.

"I would like to ask the honored representatives what are visions of your majesties, graces and excellencies concerning the future of that nation. It is clear to us all that Bashriyya can not continue in shape it had continued until now - as world's number one sponsor of international terrorism. However, I do believe that many of the honored representatives would have visions concerning future of said nation that differ from one another. If possible, I would like your majesties, graces and excellencies to present those visions now."

There, Maki Kojiro finally spoken. And thus, the another chapter in the great games begin.

[New Aeyariss]

“Your excellencies, and now I mean both of you Mr. Armano and Mr. Kojiro, I would like to assure you that your concerns are of course taken into consideration, which is why I'm advocating for a peacekeeping mission. I am aware that at the current state, Bashirians are definitely not ready to rule their country and that the Bashiriyya is a breeding ground for terrorists, but that is why I am proposing, what I am proposing - International Administration. If you can't put a country in the hands of its citizens now, put it in the hands of the international community, ad interim." He looked at Kojiro "Mr. Kojiro, you said that the fate of the Bash must be in line with your national interests. I agree with that since the right compromise should be in everyone's interest, which is what we should accomplish here together today.”

Mosik would speak up to give Welephilostopia's opinion, "Your Excellency, if I may give Welephilostopia's vision for Bashryaa we believe the best solution would be for self determination for all ethnic groups within the nation and also for an international peace keeping force to be deployed with the goal of jeeping the peace and assisting in humanitarian operations."

The shogun of Nifon closed his eyes as he listened to the proposals made by CW and EaN.

He did not show it, but inside, he burned with anger. Maki was a paranoid individual, always believing that others were out to get him. For him, Bashriyya was a prey, legitimately hunted down by the predator that was the Empire. For other nations - especially nations that did not contribute a single soldier to the war - to suggest spoil of war to be handed over to an organization that contributed nothing to the victory had one simple explaination. They were out for Nifonese interests.

Kojiro had a simple dream; to lay hand on Bashriyya's oil, while maintaining positive relations with Theedischland. For that, he needed Bashriyya stable enough for the exaction to proceed.

"Your excellency, I have to state the fact that ISAAC as an organization did nothing to resolve the crisis. There were no ISAAC blue helmets to prevent Bashriyyan army from going on an orgy of looting, raping and gassing the most vunerable populations of the region. The atrocities were stopped only by the allied armies of Nifon, Inyursta and Palmyrion backing our sugogean partners. " he paused "Furthermore, Inyursta is not a member of ISAAC and it would be a grave injustice to deprive it of being able to have their interests realized when Inyursta single-handedly contribued the greatest amount of troops to the operation."

He turned to Dan:

"As I have stated earlier I support creation of an independent state for the Tuaregs. However, I do not believe that an ISAAC mission is beneficial for the Empire of Greater Nifon. Instead of an ISAAC mission I would like to propose that the international community accepts the occupational authority set up by the coalition and the government the authority deems suitable."

The shogun laughed at Yang's remarks. The opinion that Yang was easy to manipulate further and further cemented inside him. However, he did not bother replying to them, not wanting to waste future negotiation opportunities.

He then turned to prime minister of Bolrieg

"Your excellency" he begun annoyed. One could expect this kind of behavior from Yang, but a head of state was another manner "I implore you to show more courtesy to Mosley-san. I understand your excellency's desire to fight globalism, but fact remains that Mosley-san is a head of state, and as such, deserves a certain honor to be given to him. "

[Romaia]

The perfume of exciting anticipation was spreading in the air of the Ishikawa Airport. Flourishing cherries surround the Nifonese soil waiting for a Western bureaucrat. The journey of the civil service is behind him. Filippos Vazaios arrives.

“It’s been years that I’ve not stepped on this soil, let’s see what I’m going to see here these days.”

Encircled by journalists and their engagement, he only answered that the visit is absolutely necessary.

“First I would like to do the honour to her majesty, respect is what I’m about, you will definitely be informed when it will be necessary”.

[Sombreland]

The Princess-Regent, Alavaine, had been listened with every appearance of calm and thoughtfulness to the discussion taking place. Then, the Princess-Regent said, "Shogun Kojiro, it is a great pleasure to see you. Your Excellency, might I inquire: was there a plan that you had in mine to propose for the fate of Bashriyya? I was struck by the way it was titled in the invitation: "the fate of Bashriyya". It occurs to me that while people have been offering ideas and suggestions, that it would be very helpful, perhaps, if we had some idea of what you had in mind."

[Inyourfaceistan]

Racism. Legitimately shocking.
The Subpresidente had been called several names by foreign leaders, some more in good humor like "Tango" or "Redeye", others more demeaning. He, of course, wasn't prone to certain ethnic biases - particularly against people's like Bashrabs and Lolloids who build their entire national identity and communal morality around "death to our neighbors".
But that being said, he had never seen - nor had Calderone or any of his other political mentors warned him - of straight up racism being used as a discussion point in an international summit.

"Okay, Julpine. I'll have you know the inhabitants of the "entire region" are not savages. The Sugogoans may not uphold the most outstanding example of honesty in government - though this is a charge that equally applies to your own government, Julpine. It remains a fact that Sugogo has suffered the brunt of the Bashrabic invasion and committed the most troops, and further they have fought like lions to defend their homeland while all your own nation did was allow Nifonese bombers to refuel. The Tifyans are arguably a more stable and benign state than your own, held back only by the pure misfortune of having to share a border with the Bashrabic Entity. This is of course, to say nothing of Auxumia who mobilized and prepared to make their own efforts against the invaders.

Without context, your comments are stupid and racist.
Within context, your comments are exceptionally stupid, needlessly ignorant, utterly inapplicable to the current situation, and of course still racist."

Matteo Armano then turned his attention to Kojiro. Kojiro who might damn well be the only who he respected, or at least had to respect - of course, Matteo Armano being Matteo Armano the line was always blurred behind the scenes.
"I thank you for your input, Shogun Kojiro." He began, addressing Maki Kojiro by his title and last name - a courtesy for which he had so far only shown to the Nifonese Shogun.
"In the case of the Tuareg State, I am happy that we are in agreement. This is always a relief when our major ally is on the same page with our objectives.
That having been said, we dispute the idea that a balkanized Bashrabic Entity is any more or less a breeding ground for terrorism than is a unified state. I mean, you yourself have begun this discussion with the fact that the current government, one that is both "strong" and "capable" and rules over the country with an iron fist, is the worlds #1 exporter of terrorism. What additional level of terrorism export can we expect that we are already not seeing now?
Lastly, the idea of a 75,000 strong army is still giving the heinous planners of the Bashrabic Entity far too much leeway and room to work with. What happens when those 75,000 find themselves the trainers and cadre training an even larger contingent? What happens when armaments keep ending up in the hands of the very terrorists you expect them to fight?"
Even in slight disagreement, Matteo very gently nodded his head toward the shogun once he was done talking.

[Aeyariss]

TLDR: Nothing spoken, just inner monologue. Safe to ignore.

Chancellor Rezatan leaned against his back, arms rested on each side of the armrest, listening very intently as the world leaders began to speak, and watched it devolved quickly into trading barbs.

Officially, the Aeyariss was not terribly affected by the Bashriyyan Crisis in the past. The other SACTO allies had quickly dealt with their usual shitfuckeries in the past and those conflict does not warrant any further Aeyarissan intervention. But he was surprised that the Bashriyyan question hasn't been dealt with sooner.

Not that he really cared about the fate of Bashriyyans anyway. For all he know, the surviving population can all be culled so they never procreate and spread again or to be sold as slaves. Unfortunately slavery has been abolished hundreds of years ago in his country. Else, he'd loved to propose that to the floor.

Rezatan glanced at Maki Kojiro. Trying to understand the man.

What are you thinking? Certainly, the fate of Bashriyyan doesn't really justify calling every great power states to this hall? He found himself thinking out loud.

If there is one thing Rezatan knew about the Bashriyyan is that they should never be allowed to exist as a state and as a nation of people. Inferior in all respects. The only reason he believed that all those atrocities committed by the previous Bashiryyans regime was because the population over there was ignoramous at the genetic level, and that they probably hasn't reached the same state of evolution like the rest the human species.

Yes, that must be it. The Bashriyyans are simply the lesser human species that needs to be purified.

What's worse, their people followed the faithless religion of the false heathen mohammedans prophet that's has been a scourge for international security in recent years. Rezatan glanced at the Commoner Empire representative. Well, if only Imperion Coalition had led that military intervention, in the name of the One True God, like another one of their Eternal Crusade things would have definitely ended differently as the Aeyariss Empire would gladly unsheathed its own Sword of Christ in support of such extermination war.

"Shogun Kojiro, it is a great pleasure to see you. Your Excellency, might I inquire: was there a plan that you had in mine to propose for the fate of Bashriyya? I was struck by the way it was titled in the invitation: "the fate of Bashriyya". It occurs to me that while people have been offering ideas and suggestions, that it would be very helpful, perhaps, if we had some idea of what you had in mind."

Yes, finally, someone asked the right question. Surely, you Maki Kojiro had already envisioned an end state to the so called Bashriyyans Question.

[Leidenschaftliche]

Ishikawa

Ibrahim Kazim was unhappy. He had always been unhappy, in fairness - the Basharabic state did not reward things like 'competence' or 'conscience' when it came to it's lower and middle-ranking bureaucracy, and watched it closely with all manner of secret police. But right now, especially, he was unhappy.

Bombings had cut the power to Tripoli and left half vital buildings a smouldering wreck. The army had done unspeakable things in Sugogo, before being destroyed. The Rostovian 'allies' had mutinied and done immense damage, before being massacred to a man by militias and naval infantry. And the railroad - the railroad, his pride and joy and life's work - was now crippled. But that was the past, and now was the present.


The present, however, was not pleasant either. Here he was in the halls of power at Ishikawa, among leaders who could, with a simple wave of their hands, bomb even the ruins to nothing.

But - 'it is what it is', as Admiral Al-Tamimi had put it. He glanced at the admiral beside him - stone-cold, almost defiant.

Trying to summon up some of that same courage, he took a deep breath, and began.

"Your excellencies. I...We are aware our nation has done unspeakable things." He took a moment to wipe the sweat from his brow, and continued.
"And I am aware our nation has not done much to kindle much in the way of trust. Which is why I...come to you all to beg forgiveness on behalf of the State of Suwayada, and request that...we be allowed to return home and begin the work of recompensing our neighbors and undoing the damage we have done."

He gulped, and then glanced over at Admiral Al-Tamimi, who rolled his eyes slightly before continuing.

"As commander of what remains of the so-called Basharabic Army, I am willing to downsize the Land Forces to zero. That is - the Suwayadan State will disestablish it's army and all of it's offensive implements, and replace it with a much-downsized internal police force. The remaining weaponry - the ground-launched ballistic missiles, the long-range tube artillery, the tanks and infantry fighting vehicles - will be given over promptly to our neighbors or to the Allied Powers as war trophies as soon as possible."

Kazim piped up again, the knot in his stomach untangling a little. "We are additionally willing to recognize all prewar claims by Sugogo, and are willing to divert any future oil profits to a fund meant to aid in undoing the damage we have done to Sugogo's society and people. We ask only for your support and aid in putting down any remnants of the prewar Sadrite regime and repairing basic infrastructure - power and water treatment plants, hospitals, schools, etc. cetera. We do not plan to make the same mistakes the pre-war Basharabic government made."

---

The Leidenschaftlicher delegation had arrived late - but better late than never. The Governor-General Fredrik von Halleck, the Admiral Anand Tham, the Foreign Minister; all three men quietly slipped into their seats as the debate raged. Halleck gave the Theedishlanders a grin and nod; Tham a death-glare to the Palmyrians, and the Foreign Minister, an undistinguished bureaucrat, simply stared blankly forward after a small bow of his head to the Shogun.

[Common Territories]

The fate of Bashriyya meant very little, maybe even almost nothing to Luttenried. As the Congress' first topic of interest, Reinhard von Luttenried found himself on the back burner from the get-go due to this topic alone. Although the Luttens had almost zero interest in Bashriyya, that wasn't to say the Empire didn't. However, TECT had very limited interests in Bashriyya let alone the Afrikan continent itself. Aside from its natural resources, the Empire has traditionally saw Bashriyya as a lawless, uncontrollable hellhole. Both the Empire and the Holy Duchy saw the continent as a whole in that light too - an absolute irredeemable hellhole that even the most confident of colonizers wouldn't dealing with. The fact Bashriyya was so far from Holy Duchy lands made them even more irrelevant to Luttenried as a whole. Luttenried nor the Empire had interest in Bashriyya's oil, arguably the nation's only economic value. Thus there was nothing for Luttenried, or even the Empire, had in terms of interest when speaking of Bashriyya's future. It shared no borders to fear attack from, it had no economic ties to lose there, and as a territory comprised of islands, Luttenried lacked little in its ability to protect itself against non-Christian refugees (invaders) it had already welcomed in the past. That left only a single shared interest that both the Holy Duchy and the Empire had in this topic: SACTO obligations.

While both Luttenried and TECT had been present in some of the conflicts with Bashriyya, neither took any part in the conflicts. The Empire was simply not interested in dealing with a shithole the world away that offered nill in return for losing both money and manpower. Although the Empire did provide funding, material support, and allowed SACTO to use Luttenried lands during wartime, nothing else was contributed. In contrast, TECT's SACTO allies such as Nifon and Inyursta fought active ground and air campaigns in Bashriyaa. While TECT and the Holy Duchy couldn't understand why its SACTO allies had such invested interests in that shithole aside from some economic goals, both had a grasp on the fact that its SACTO allies did have a strong attachment to Bashriyya's future. As such, Reinhard and his father planned to merely support Nifon in whatever it supported for the country's future. Something the Empire didn't object to since it had no interests other than keeping its obligations to allies abroad. Bashriyya could become a graveyard, a worsening shithole, balkanized, or whatever. All Luttenried cared for in this this topic was that Nifon saw its ally extending another "loan" on its goodwill.

"If I may." Reinhard took this opportunity seeing that nothing could be agreed to at this time. The Shogun was oddly quiet on what Nifon wanted to see happen with Bashriyya. It was as if he was remaining neutrally grounded, waiting for some sort of turning point. Maybe he wanted to gauge everyone's position before making Nifon's own desires known? Regardless, Reinhard knew what must be said. Nifon had to see Luttenried in good favor as a result of what he chooses to say. "Bashriyya as an ongoing problem reminds me of an onion. You can remove one layer - a single issue if you will - but there will be more layers after you peel just one off. It is only when you can remove all layers that the root problem is found. Aside from the Empire's and Holy Duchy's eagerness to end the senseless suffering, and our desire to welcome any Christians seeking a new home in Luttenried, both the Holy Dukedom's and Empire's view of this situation can be simplified as a knife cutting into the onion, splitting it in two. A solution should cut straight to the problem and divide it into two, revealing all the issues and its roots. The first cut half is that at the end of the day, the fate of Bashriyya must be acceptable to the people of Bashriyya. You can impose the balkanization if you'd like, but what does that solve if it incentivizes civil war at minimum and outward anger to those whom enacted that fate on them? You can send in peacekeepers, but regardless how 'peaceful' they are, whom says the people wont see them as just occupiers wearing new colors? Or will a new native authority, a dictator if you will, unite them - if so what results may that bring? As far as I can see, a solution must be acceptable to the people while also lacking a return to the previous years of destruction the former authorities brought with them. Any solution lacking in the native people's desires could risk their resistance or fuel their return to terror. Failing to keep the people's interests at heart risks wasting whatever efforts we make here today to solve the root problems in Bashriyya. As for the second cut half, those who brought this former authority's end deserve to have their say in the future as well. SACTO powers whom ended Bashriyaa's reign of terror need to know their efforts were not in vein, that their investments in bringing down this terror is both rewarded and their initial concerns satiated. Nations such as Nifon and Inyursta payed in both blood and material to get to this point. It is not only fair that they must sign off on whatever is decided here concerning Bashriyya, but rather it is naturally just for their efforts to be respected and rewarded. If we can find a solution that follows the will of Bashriyya's people and its liberators, I believe Bashriyya's future could be brighter."

[Greater Carloso]

Madrigal, Carloso

The Nifonese seemed to be making a habit out of these lavish 'congresses', which perhaps reflected a way of conducting international relations more widely recognised in yesteryear as opposed to the overly sanitised diplomatic summits that appeared to be in vogue with world powers nowadays. Naturally, as the dominating force in Musgorocia, an invite had been extended to the Carlosians to attend the event in Ishikawa and President Tobón, as a personal friend of Shogun Kojiro, was more than happy to accept. Tobón analysed the agenda Kojiro had attached, including a list of items to be discussed at the meeting. He tutted a bit, not really too impressed at the fact that most of these things really had little relevance to Carloso. Afterall, the geographically isolated continent of Musgorocia on which Carloso lay was far removed from the concerns of Eulabia and Hasua, benevolently subjugated by the Pax Musgorocia which had dominated it since the understanding reached by Carloso and Barssois at the turn of the millennium. This arrangement had benefitted Carloso greatly, elevating its position as a great power on the world stage, while bringing a hiatus to decades of bloodshed that left millions dead. This vaunted status would certainly not be up for discussion at any 'summit', and President Tobón was well aware that enemies both foreign and domestic were toiling in the shadows to bring his country down. Nevertheless, it was important to assert Carloso's influence elsewhere in the world, and Ishikawa would certainly provide amble opportunity for that.

There was a knock on the door. "Come in." Tobón said, taking off his reading glasses. Having ruled Carloso for over ten years at this point, then still a young men in his early forties, the burden of the office was beginning to take its toll, both on his eyesight and his slowly greying hair, though he still fulfilled his duty to his nation with the same energy and iron determination as did on that first day. Eidan Détora, his Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and former Ambassador to New Edom walked in, holding his own copy of the agenda. He was a few years older than Tobón, with white hair and a tall frame. "Hello, sir. Nice sunset, isn't it?" Détora commented, glancing out the window as the sun's radiance illuminated the horizon a deep red as it sank below. "I just read Kojiro's agenda for Ishikawa. It's unsurprising that Bashriyya is on top of the list, as well as the crisis with the Wenchuanese refugees. At least we can say we didn't contribute to either of these disasters."

"Bloody Inyurstans." Tobón said, "Wage war on another continent and destroy a country knowing that the consequences when the chaos inevitable spills into its neighbours are unlikely to ever reach your shores. Then again, maybe Nasheed deserved all this for flying a load of civilians into Wenchuan just to massacre in the most graphic way possible. Didn't even have the common courtesy to ransom them." Though the collapse of Bashriyya had the potential of putting Northern Afruika on a path of danger, there was little sympathy for its fallen government, who under Nasheed had done its merry best to make as many enemies as humanly possible. The Nifonese and the Inyurstans were simply dealing with a pest they had allowed thrive for far too long. There was of course the matter of the quasi-genocide that was occurring in the southern portion of Bashriyya, where Nasheed had pursued a policy of colonising the land of the native pastoralist nomads with much more loyal Arabs.

"While it doesn't immediately concern us, I think we can only hope that the Nifonese and the Eulabian powers reel them in and present a more steady course of action." Détora said, "The last thing Eulabia needs is hundreds of thousands of Afruikan migrants suddenly storming their beaches in dinghies when there's nobody in Bashriyya there to turn them back. The latest report from the NIS listening station in Port Asada indicates that Bashriyyan deserters travelling with fake visas and passports are arriving there by the hundreds every week. No doubt many of them are going to look for work in PMCs."

Tobón nodded. "These days there is never a mercenary who is out of work. The remnants of Nasheed's regime are going to start hiring them soon, probably in exchange for exclusive rights to Bashriyya's vast oil reserves, while the nomadic peoples in the south are campaigning for their own state." he continued, "There'll be no shortage of warring factions for them to start offering their services to."

"Indeed. Peace is bad for business." Détora replied, "So long as these companies keep their enterprise confined to Afruika. Of course, the problem is if they decide Musgorocia has gotten a bit too peaceful. Cispania is already a flaming shithole overrun with Satanazes mercenaries, no closer to beating the synarchist rebels and cartel warlords then it was a decade ago. Every time Barssois has attempted to negotiate an end to the conflict, there's been an 'incident' that's set things back five years." He paused. "Barssois is planning to send a delegation, though President Vigouroux won't be there. Instead, Minister Tisserand will be there on his behalf. As for the situation with Wenchuan, I imagine Kojiro is looking for consensus to be reached on how to permanently deal with the refugee crisis that has overwhelmed Sombreland."

For a moment Tobón looked at Détora seriously. "It is a paradox. Wenchuan is a failed state, which suits Kojiro superbly. The collapse of the country into warlords and communist red elements decades ago allowed Nifon to dominate Hasua, becoming the unquestionable master of the Southern Furukuran Sea. To end the refugee crisis would require the end of the present era of warlordism in Wenchuan, which would bring about Nifon's eventual demise, in my view. I know Kojiro to be more intelligent than that. Perhaps he is trying to strike a delicate balance; a certain degree of chaos is good, but only if it can be contained within Wenchuan and directed towards neighbouring states when strategic interests demand it, such is the guile of a son of Admiral Yi." Tobón pondered. The two men soon concluded their meeting, making their final preparations of the long flight ahead.

Ishikawa, Nifon

Earlier in the day, the colossal Carlosian government jet had landed at Empress Rei International Airport in Ishikawa, carrying the country's delegation and an army of security personnel. As was almost tradition at this point, it stopped to refuel at Mediator, the military-administered island which marked the precipice of the western arm of Carloso's sphere of influence, the last stop before one ventured into the domain of Nifon. They made their way to Akagi Castle in a motorcade of black cars, the cortège of Palmyrion's Lakambini following close behind. When they arrived, they manoeuvred themselves around the venue as they greeted the myriad number of familiar faces, Détora catching up with many fellow diplomats he had not spoken to in the years since his first diplomatic posting as Ambassador to South Oceanica. Similar to the other men who were attending the congress, the two had opted to wear tuxedos. A member of the ever so attentive Nifonese staff guided them to their positions at the long dining table, both men taking the offer of glasses of white wine to get them started on what was going to be a very long night. For now, they listened as barbs were thrown over what to do with Bashriyya, the first item on the agenda. There was already tensions between the Prime Minister Kladnov of Bolrieg and President Mosley from Eulabia. Looking past them, Tobón glanced at Kojiro, wondering what he's endgame truly was.