Petals from the Fire [CLOSED][MAINT]

[New Calandria]

.U..I..N..C. PASSED PARLIAMENTARY RESOLUTION UNITED ISLANDS OF NEW CALANDRIA ISSUE : 115th Session of the United Islands Cais, Resolution 173, Year 230 AL DECREE : Assented by the Wanakke, Her Serene Majesty Se'arra Kala-Orkana Title: Limited Authorization for the Mobilization of the United Islands Naval Humanitarian Branch in Response to the ongoing Darvand Crisis Preamble The Darvand Crisis has continued to escalate with no indication of a cease-fire or negotiations for peace. This conflict has destabilized the wider region with several involved parties actively engaging in hostilities. The civilian situation per HUMINT and SATINT has been deemed catastrophic. Current estimates per review from the State Department has placed the casualty range in the tens of thousands or higher, with many more displaced and lacking access to basic necessities such as food, water, shelter, and medicine. Under the Humanitarian Act, the Cais has the power to compel, either through legislation or resolution, the involvement of the United Islands in such crises and with assent of the sovereign, the mobilization of elements of the United Islands Navy for humanitarian missions. The Humanitarian Relief Fund, a large treasury of funds, may be diverted for the use in such missions, to purchase supplies, cover maintenance costs, supplement personnel payroll, and more. It is the belief of this Cais that the situation in the Darvand Crisis has deteriorated to such a degree that it would be a moral injustice for the United Islands to not involve itself in the matter for the benefit of non-combatants caught in the jaws of war. Votes: 279 Yes, 21 No — Outcome: Acceptance of Resolution and Issuance to the Wannake for Assent. The Resolution was submitted to the Wannake in the Year 230 AL and states as follows: WHEREAS the situation in the Darvand Crisis has reached a level of catastrophe for non-combatants. WHEREAS the conflict has drawn in and continues to escalate with involved parties. WHEREAS the conflict deprives non-combatants the basic necessities for life; such as food, water, medicine, and shelter. WHEREAS the United Islands has both the manpower and the resources to intervene in the situation. WHEREAS concerns of genocide and gross, negligent violations of International Law have grown since the conflict began. RESOLVED, that the Cais, Authorizes Limited Mobilization of the United Islands Naval Branch for a Humanitarian Effort in the region Authorizes, through the Humanitarian Act, the expenditure and use of the Humanitarian Relief Fund for all purposes, as appropriate, therein. Authorizes the State Department to issue a liaison for diplomatic and humanitarian efforts in the region by appointing immediately an Envoy-General to coordinate the Humanitarian Mission, whose powers and responsibilities shall permit them to conduct the business of the United Islands in such manner and with the full weight of the United Islands Government's aforementioned intentions. Authorizes the deployment of the UIN Gran Republikke and its strike group (CVN STG-002) to the region to actively monitor the situation. Authorizes the deployment of the helicarrier UIN Grais tei Nerva, expeditionary strike cruiser UIN Kaimon, guided-missile cruiser UIN Wanta, and guided-missile destroyer UIN Saitiago, designated as (RF-001). Authorizes the deployment of the United Islands Airforce (UIAF), and the use of carrier-based strike and observational aircraft in the theatre of operations. Designates the Darvand Crisis as a 'Theatre of Concern', assigning it the OBSRV code DC-210. Authorizes the delayed mobilization of further Relief Flotillas as required. Establishes the DC-210 Theatre Command, assigned to Commander Alin Nevarro (TCom) Establishes the Theatre Advanced Detection and Identification Zone south of DC-210 for Area of Operations and Patrol Screening of the CVN STG-002 as its Area of Responsibility. Establishes the DC-210 Maritime Supply Corridor within the United Islands to be monitored by the United Islands Coast Guard with supporting assets from the United Islands Airforce to protect and neutralize threats within the corridor that may attempt to hinder supplies for the aforementioned Humanitarian Mission. Requires routine and timely updates of the DC-210 situation from the State Department to ensure appropriate acquisition of all materials, funds, and support needed for the aforementioned Humanitarian Mission. Requires that the United Islands Navy follow the Rules of Engagement as outlined in the Military Response and Responsibility Act outlining the use of aggressive force in reaction to imminent or perceived threats to UIN assets, the Humanitarian Mission, and volunteers of the Red Rose. With Assent of the Wannake, this Resolution shall remain active, declaring a Police Action in the DC-210, until the conflict has closed or to be renewed within six months with concurrent resolutions.

[New Calandria]

Petals from the Fire

---

The blackened landscape appeared so alien to that of the lush, humid jungles near the sea. They were a virtual paradise that rested there, home to thousands, thousands whom spent much of their lives unbothered by the realities that hung over them about this place. Here, though, that reality was an ominous reminder of the frailty of things, the scars stretched for miles in all directions, sloping gently upward to something sinister. Something quiet. Something asleep, for now.

Tomas stopped near a large, jagged rock that looked as thought it had been mercilessly beaten by some kind of giant. He opened his canteen and took a few swigs of water and adjusted the brim of his straw hat. So many beautiful days with relentless sun, something to be enjoyed and soaked up at the beach, not here in a place one could only describe as hell on earth.

Mia wasn't too far behind Tomas, navigating the lay of the land was a task in itself. The gentle slope and smoothness was deceiving, one wrong step and you'd fall, if you were lucky. So many things could kill you hear, and it was far less comforting knowing that the biggest one was a sleeping leviathan just beneath your feet.

"I'd ask how much further we have to go, miko. But I don't think I want to know the answer, Ai'theo!" Mia said, stopping beside Tomas as she pulled her ball cap off and wiped the sweat from her forehead. She took the canteen from Tomas when offered and stole a few drinks of water, anything to help get some of the dust out of her mouth. Her and Tomas had worked together for years, they met at the University of Belfacit and quickly became friends. It seemed only fair to enroll in the same program after their graduation, a career that had been exhausting as much as it was fascinating. The truth was though, they loved it all the same.

Tomas turned around and looked down towards the ocean. It stretched well into the horizon, a beautiful, shimmering blue that defied all imagination. Such a peaceful place, he thought. He pulled his camera from around his neck and stepped carefully around Mia to snap a few pictures of the vista. Little things like this was what he lived for. As he went to take another picture, Mia stepped in front of him.

"Hey there fotokoro, we've still a ton of walking to do," Mia reminded.

"One more mika and then we'll go."

"Okay, fine. I am going to move ahead, don't wait too long," Mia said, grabbing her things and renewing her trek up the slope. Truth was, she found the scenery just as mesmerizing, yet there was one thing in particular that she had on her mind. She'd know once she saw it, if she saw it. And with the day already late, she really didn't want to descend this place in the dark.

Tomas was a tau'we, a descendant of the Calandrian settlers that had come here centuries ago. There were many things the tau'we had to learn about this place, though Mia couldn't say they didn't at least try. She stopped a moment to look back at her colleague, still standing where she'd left him, as he snapped a few more pictures. He seemed satisfied, at ease, as he quickly scrolled through his newest shots. He turned to look up at her and smiled his typical crooked grin and waved. She smiled back.

She looked out over the sea, the distant peaks and outlines of other islands barely discernible from the horizon. So many people just like them, all living on borrowed time. It was said that Hala Janu, the mother of the sea, once came to these islands to rest. Mia remembered the stories her tappo told her when she was little. She continued her ascent as Tomas worked on catching up.

Hala Janu was said to have been a beautiful woman of the mythical Paya'i people that lived on the islands before the Wuomui came, her ancestors. According to legends, Hala Janu was the queen of her people. The Paya'i worshipped her, referring to her as the Haru Mite'a, Song of the Moon. Her beauty was so mesmerizing that Haru, the lunar god, took notice. He was so enchanted with her that he went to speak with Ta'utakani, the solar god, and ask that he elope with Hala Janu.

Ta'utakani forbade such a thing, as it was forbidden for the gods to love mere mortals. So distraught by this, it is said that Haru shed bright tears that filled the sky for many days. One night, Haru noticed that Hala Janu had come to the shore where the water met the sands of her home island and she sang to the moon, wondering why it cried so much. So beautiful was this song that Haru stopped his tears and instead graced the ocean with his light, making it glimmer that like of the stars.

Every night thereafter, Hala Janu would come to the shore and sing to the moon. The light of Haru guiding her safely down to the shore and dazzling her with the lights of the sky. He pulled in the tide so she could find beautiful seashells and made the flowers of the Haru'mai bloom only when he shined the brightest. The small fireflies would dance to Hala Janu's music and the magic of the moon in the air.

And then he would rest for the day, fading beyond the horizon, giving his heartfelt farewells to the queen of his heart. Then one night, as Haru awoke over the horizon, Hala Janu did not come to the sea. He searched but could not find her along the shore. He searched far and wide, but could not find her. It was then that the smoke began to fill the skies. And the fires crested the mountain of Uko'a Kotoa, the Anvil of the Earth.

The ground shook violently as Haru watched the fires spread. Great boulders were flung far across the land, destroying whatever they careened into. Many villages were scattered across this island, and as Haru searched each one, he found the same wrath of Uko'a Kotoa. Huts set to the flame, people consumed by the earth, the utter desolation of paradise. When Haru asked Uko'a Kotoa why he had struck the anvil, the fire god answered that it was judgement given per Ta'utakani for disobeying him.

The fire god then roared to life, striking the anvil so hard and loud that the very earth trembled in fear. The mountain collapsed as Uko'a Kotoa sent his toxic breathe racing down the slopes towards the shores of the island, his maw threatening to consume it all. In desperation, Haru drew back the sea with a song, a song he had learned listening to Hala Janu. With all of his might he drew the sea back, and then released it. The waves rose in defiance of Uko'a Kotoa, they swept up the beautiful seashells and Haru'mai, they carried with them boulders and rock, crashing into the sides of Uko'a Kotoa with such ferocity that the fiery breath of the god was smothered in an instant.

Fires were extinguished, the land desolated. A paradise shattered by the war of titans. A quiet fell over the island as Uko'a Kotoa retreated into the mountain, the walls crumbling to seal him forever. Vanquished by the passion of Haru, the lunar god.

For days, Haru searched the barren island. Some had survived, but none were Hala Janu. His tears once again spread across the skies, carrying his sorrow from horizon to horizon. He vowed to challenge Ta'utakani to avenge his love. And one day, Haru broke the horizon at dawn and raced across the blue sea towards Ta'utakani. The solar god chose to flee but could not move fast enough.

Haru and Ta'utakani clashed in the sky, sending the world into darkness. The other island gods could do nothing but watch the struggle unfold, a war in the heavens had consumed the very warmth they relied on. Eventually, Ta'utakani was flung to the horizon by Haru, and it was then that the lunar god heard a familiar voice. Hala Janu had come to witness the clash. In her hands she carried a flower, one unlike anything Ta'utakani had seen.

Black, white, and red petals the flower bloomed vibrantly. Hala Janu explained that Uko'a Kotoa had struck the anvil and destroyed all things that Ta'utakani held dear, as the solar god was blinded with rage for Haru's disobedience. She offered a bargain to the solar god, since gods could not elope with mortals, she would become the goddess of song, of the breeze that coaxed the sea, that danced through the leaves, that brought forth the rains. She would do all of this and never walk the world as a mortal again. And she would plant the flower, which would bloom only after the fire gods had struck their anvils, ensuring the rebirth of the islands and its people.

Ta'utakani considered her proposal and accepted it. She planted the floor in the scarred soils of the land to ensure a promise of rebirth for the islands and sung one last time. The solar god, so moved by this, lifted her to the heavens as she became a star. And every morning thereafter, Hala Janu would rise as the first light, traveling with Haru across the sky.

It was that flower that Mia was so keen on finding. It was rare, and much like the story, only bloomed after an eruption. As Tomas caught up to her, Mia stopped.

'Everything okay?' he asked, stepping beside her to get a better look of why she had stopped.

In a small dimple of the lava flow was a small black, red, and white flower blooming. Its petals were like silk, the only flora anywhere in such a desolate place. It was almost hard to believe.

Mia smiled and knelt down to run her hand along its petals. 'Petals from a fire, the Ember Rose, or as we call it, the Hala Janu'haru. The Breath of the Moon and Star.'

[New Calandria]

Nerva, capital of the United Islands

---

The thunder of the Walō rattled the windows as rain pelted the glass. These storms were common this time of year in the United Islands, less problematic than the typhoons, but still a damper on anyone's day at the beach. That was probably one place Renée would love to be right about now, though it wouldn't be the same without Estre'a, who was currently in Baleucit for a fashion show. She'd become more heavily interested in Wuomui fashion as of late, and was previewing some new dresses and handbags inspired by the culture. They seemed to be garnering a lot of buzz on pinsta, which Renée was happy for.

The small grandfather clock chimed, signalling it was already eight o'clock. She looked at it for a long moment, the clock face depicted the Treaty of Wuomu with a large, Wuomui chieftan, his chest flared out proudly and decorated in shells, feathers, and bark. Blue and grey inked tribal tattoos wrapped his arms. He was shaking hands with an explorer, who looked less than well dressed for the occasion, with several others standing behind with tense expressions.

Chieftan Utomua had united the tribes during the Wuomui wars, and though the conflict had waged for nearly seven years across the islands, the Calandrians could not best them. The Wuomui were fierce warriors that wore wooden armour with layered animal skins, and were adept at guerilla-style tactics. The Folly of General Del Reutambrín was a military disaster for the Calandrians. When talks came at Kataqáha, both sides were exhausted, and the Calandrians had to learn something they weren't originally good at — diplomacy.

Renée smirked. Compared to a lot of nations with indigenous populations, they were in a lot of ways fortunate. The Treaty of Wuomu solidified relations and established a framework that would eventually culminate in the federation that stood today. Utomua, who became the first Wannake in several generations, was a brilliant statesman who worked with the Calandrians after the wars, aiding the colonists and showing that two very different cultures could actually live together and integrate into something new, stronger even.

That didn't mean things weren't tense at times, as with any nation, New Calandria had its more troublesome moments but relations between the Calandrians and the Wuomui persisted, largely because once the spears and guns were laid down, both sides approached the other not as rivals but as brethren. Since then, the United Islands has positioned itself to be a bulwark of peace and diplomacy, learning those lessons in humility and cooperation has been a foundational pillar to the nation's identity since.

A lesson, however, that was not enjoyed elsewhere in the world, and the fault of why Renée had not gone home already. A stack of reports rested on her desk which had been compiled by State Security regarding the situation in Western Dienstad. Another war, more harsh words than sense, and the region was once again pulled into bloodshed. There was a reason United Islands policy didn't stray into the West too often, it was a hotbed of tension, and something the East had largely been devoid of as of late.

A crisp, but quiet knock came at the door. Renée urged whomever it was to enter as she flipped through some papers and took notes. Artuo T'Angeio stood before the desk, gesturing to a seat, to which Renée nodded. The Secretary of State then made himself comfortable in the blue cushioned chairs that were probably older than this office by how they felt on his back.

''Óla Artuo, ke paya?'' Renée asked in her mixed Wuomui-Calandrian accent, that Callico as people called it.

Artuo folded his hands over his stomach, ''I suppose it's a good thing you're not paid by the hour, you'd run some poor Bueya's shop out of business,'' he said with a soft grin.

Renée looked up at Artuo for a moment and smiled before continuing to take notes, ''Are you insinuating that I am old, Artuo? We both know you're practically a gránbueyo already, let's hope it isn't your shop I decide to cashier for.''

Artuo chuckled, ''Saying you'd still from the till?''

''No, just tax you and break your back under a bunch of red-tape if Vantorín is to be believed,'' Renée replied.

''More hate mail?''

She gestured towards the corner of her desk where a few envelopes were stacked, bearing the stamp from State Security that they had been examined prior to delivery. Artuo picked one up and looked at it, it had come from Vantorín, one of the candidates that lost the election who was also a business magnate in the country. There had to be at least five envelopes there.

''You can throw them in the trash once you're done,'' she said distracted.

Artuo twirled the envelope in his hands, ''What if they're love letters?''

Renée stopped writing and glanced up, her gaze piercing, ''Ew, miko''.

Artuo held his hands up with a grin, ''I'm assuming you don't want to read them then.'' He tossed the envelope from his hand into the trash and then scooted the others into the bin. ''A fitting metaphor for the man's business sense, I must say.''

''Mhm. He's unhappy with the regulations still on his oil companies, at least Albec could take his loss gracefully, I even got a gift basket and a free ticket to a resort in Les Corsaírres,'' she replied.

''Les Corsaírres? Miquel wanted to go there, might have to consider it, see the Teraza del Majestíc. Though, knowing him, he'd probably want to hit all the restaurants first,'' Artuo said.

''You decided to marry a chef, I can't say that I'm with sorrow for you, though Estre'a is a little simpler,'' Renée commented, pausing to see Artuo's curious gaze, ''She likes to collect seashells, my second office is now a federally protected reef because of it. I don't even understand where she finds them all, I lived by the sea my whole life and everything I had fit in a shoebox.''

Artuo let out a hearty laugh as she closed her notebook and sat everything aside and rubbed her temples. The room was lit by a flash of lightning and the rumble of thunder, a villainous backdrop for the two sitting in the dark with only a small lamp to light the room. Artuo often complained that she'd hurt her eyes doing that, but good luck telling the Steel Lady that. She hated that term, so naturally Artuo threw it at her whenever he had a chance.

''So the Holy Marsh,'' she said quietly, reaching into her drawer for a bottle of Treándres wine and some glasses. She poured them each a glass and handed one over to Artuo who reclined into the chair of King Enrée the Spineless. Renée noticed his unease, ''If they're not to your liking, you can take it up with Aliána, she insisted and I'm pretty sure they are from her Aunt's.''

''I thought there were laws against cruel and unusual punishment,'' he said, taking a sip of the dark red wine. He looked at it puzzingly, it was delicious, a hint of ghapi fruit. He raised his brow in approval and sipped some more. ''So the Holy Marsh,'' he finally circled the conversation back, his face more stern, ''We have what seem like a bunch of fanatics and then a state run by a clergy.''

''Main concern is our citizens in the region, I'm summoning Col. Beauchamp, the ambassador from the Castillian Federation for a meeting tomorrow,'' she said.

''Oh?''

Renée nodded, ''They are withdrawing their forces from the islands in the region, and we don't have any forces there to help with an evacuation if needed. I could dispatch the fifth, but I'd rather not cause a provocation since the Ordenites as I've come to understand are a little...''

''Hot-headed?''

''Indeed — less fuel to the fire. I've held a meeting with the leaders of our airlines, they've agreed to fly back our citizens without charging them which we will cover the costs from the budget. However, as you know, I like contingencies and I want to ensure I can secure a deal with the Castillians in case we can't get flights into the region. I've given the fifth a standing order, they've been on patrol in the south and them running a few exercises won't raise suspicion, but it'll be a good soft mobilization in case we have to ship the fleet that way,'' she explained.

Artuo heaved a sigh, nodding, ''It'd take them at least a week to get there so the Castillian angle makes sense. We could extend an intelligence partnership with their security service and perhaps get talks going with some of the neighbouring nations. Given what I know of the Ordenites, which, admittedly, isn't that much because the West is like a hornet nest that'll swarm you if you even look at it funny — the Ordenites, they don't strike me as talkers. More... cóm se ya... ah, shoot first, ask questions later?''

Renée sighed, ''That would remain to be seen. I want a delegation sent to both the Holy Marsh and the Ordenites, we need envoys that'll be palatable to either interests but also ours. We're also going to need a dossier drafted on both and perhaps some of the other nations in the region, the more we learn, the better.''

Artuo tilted his head, ''You mean some... levrág — there's the steel lady I know.''

Renée pinched her nose, ''State Security needs to be thorough, and if we can bring them to the table, I'm entrusting you to handle the talks.''

''I can do that — as always, what is diplomacy if not a game of underhanded strategy packaged in a nice box with a little bow?''