Colonisation of the Athican Archipelago (IC|Closed)

[Kirav]

Astúrinum, Aþica Territory, Kiravian Empire

The two-hundred colonists had brought ashore the last of the cargo, and were busy erecting tents. Mostly ethnic Cymrev, the settlers had the task of consolidating the Kiravian claim to Aþica Territory by establishing a settlement at the northernmost bay on the island's East coast. They named it Astúrinum, after the captain of the vessel that had discovered the archipelago.

Although these first arrivals had been shipped in by the Imperial Government, the Colonial Authority's plan for settling Aþica was to be largely private from there on in. Grants called Amtav, or Countyships, would be sold to syndicates of settlers, or private firms and companies, who would be allowed to profit from the rescources in their grant in exchange for filling it with colonists.

Sâllan Aptyre, the Territorial Governor, stood on the sandy shore and watched the ship that had borne him and the other settlers all the way from Kirav, the Kontaréa, sound its horn before disappearing beyond the fog-veiled horizon. It then struck him that he and his two hundred charges, on a remote island, countless leagues from the nearest continent, were now utterly alone. But not for long.

[Greenlandic People]

Ladested, Markland, Federal Republic of Greenland

Admiral Olaf, hardened as any man could be, stood pensively on the deck of the Northman, his arms crossed behind him. He, like any sailor, loved being at sea; however, the idea of being so far from the familiar waters of Lavinium gave him a nervous countenance, and it had shown in his interactions with the crew. His usually gruff and decisive voice had taken on a tense, quiet tone. His blue eyes, ordinarily burning with energy, were dull and worried, darting from side to side as he scanned the fog around his ship for some unknown threat. After hours of monotonous planning in his quarters, he had decided to come out on the deck to wait; after all, if he was going to put himself through this much trouble, he had might as well be there to watch it all come to fruition.

He was well past retirement age by now; he had long since ceased to be able to walk unaided, but that didn't stop him from being Greenland's finest and most distinguished Admiral in the whole of the Federal Navy. He had seen the Lowland Rebellion, the Bariyan War, the Imperial War, and even the new, Eastern threat without batting an eye. He chuckled bitterly as he realized that had finally been made frightful by an enemy that did not even exist around him.

A loud clanging pierced his thoughts, cutting like a knife through the thick fog and echoing in his ears with great magnitude and audacity. As crew and colonists scurried across the deck to make last minute preparation, a communications officer made his way to Olaf to tell him what he already knew: the island had been sighted.

Olaf didn't know too much about the island; he was aware that the claim had been worked out and staked in advance through negotiations with the Kiravian Empire, who were on amicable terms with Greenland following the free trade agreement of last Winter. The claim had been drawn, staked, signed, and just like that half of an island belonged to the Republic; no questions asked, none answered.

It would take time to fully discover what the island held. A preliminary satellite survey done through intelligence channels opened for Greenlandic use by the Nations of AlkebuLan had shown that there was a high chance that it contained rare minerals and even some crude oil. Then again, it was too early to say for sure.

Olaf watched as a few hundred colonists loaded on to landing craft and began to sail to their new home in the great ocean. Supplies to build a prefab port town had been provided by the Exterior Ministry until more permanent facilities could be erected; until then, the two pre-packaged piers would have to do.

With massive amounts of work still to be done before the colony could begin making genuine profit, Olaf let out a sigh and gave his bony knuckles a crack.

[The Altan Steppes]

Natascora, Federal Capital District, The Altani Federation

The Altani Federation had learned the value of vigilance after a surprise attack launched by one of its neighbors, the Holy Empire, in a regional conflict that eventually sucked the Altani into it. As a result, after that war ended, the Altani Federation had made it a point to monitor the ship and troop movements of all of its neighbors in its home region, using its superb satellite network. Federation Security and Intelligence had been keeping track of all Greenlandic ship movements, as part of that routine surveillance.

When Greenland's intrepid sailors happened upon a piece of land in a previously unexplored area, the Altani were watching. Further Altani surveillance indicated that there was a golden opportunity to expand the Federation's holdings in that area. It didn't take much effort for Altani officials to convince the nation's President, Alana Kasimira, that planting the Federation's flag in this newly discovered place would be a good idea. Since the formation of the Altani federative state less than a decade earlier, expansion had been eagerly pursued, taking the Federation from three constituent states to eight in a few short years. The Altani Federation was a very young and ambitious state; what better opportunity to further its ambitions than in a swath of virgin and unclaimed islands?

Oil didn't concern the Federation at all; the Altani had more of it than they knew what to do with, in the constituent states of Argalia, Akamia and Altanar. The possibility of rare minerals, though intriguing, was also not of great concern; the new land, and the chance to expand the Altani dream to a new horizon, was the ultimate goal.

Within hours of FSI informing the President and her Cabinet of the discovery, an Altani colony ship was ordered enroute to seek out a suitable island to stake the Federation's claim, escorted by a destroyer. Meanwhile, a bill breezed through the Federal Legislature with little opposition, authorizing the creation of a new Federal territory, to be known as Altani Athica, on whatever island the advance team decided was suitable to settle roots in.

And so, the latest adventure in the Altani dream began.

---

Offshore, settlement of Qashqantengiz, Altani Athica

After examining the surveillance maps of the small island chain, the expedition's leaders had decided to set down on a small island to the southwest. It was a small island, but decent size enough to establish a reasonable holding. It was also relatively isolated from the other islands, which was deemed to be a good thing, at least until the intent of the neighbors was established.

The Altani knew that they weren't the only ones who would spot these islands, and there would be neighbors soon enough.

Capt. Ainura Zhanserik, the commander of the Altani destroyer Zarina, watched from the bridge of her ship as the colony ship proceeded through the laborious process of offloading its cargo. A small detachment of Federation Guards had already gone ashore, to make sure the island was safe and provide a measure of security for the colonists as they began the long and difficult effort to build a viable Federal territory out of what was a pristine island. The new territory would be under military administration, at least until a viable city was established. A small encampment of tents was set up for the soldiers and colonists, and prefab structures and a generator for power, along with supplies, began to reach the shore from the colony ship.

It's a good start, but we've got a long way to go, Zhanserik thought.

[Oseato]

Office of Federal Intelligence
Oseato City, Oseato

The discovery of the Athican Archipelago and the subsequent activity around the islands had not gone unnoticed in The Federation of Oseato. General Reynard, director of OFI, was always on the look out for opportunities for the advancement of the Oseaton Federation. New, uninhabited, lands certainly fit that bill. OFI had quickly set out mapping the archipelago out through the use of satellites, watching as activity grew around the islands and marking the boundaries of the expanding colonies. As a third nation joined in the fray, Reynard picked up the phone on his mahogany desk and was immediately connected with President Hamilton.

"Yes, Reynard? What do you have for me today?" spoke Field Marshall Hamilton, President ever since the July Coup nearly a year ago.

"Well, you'll be glad to know that we've found an archipelago that the Federation might be able to stake on part of. The islands are uninhabited and would be perfect for a colonial possession." answered Reynard. As he spoke he sent the satellite images over secure link to the President's office.

"I...see...alright, I'll alert Morrell and his boys, I'm sure he can whip up something to secure a claim for us there. In the mean time, keep watch, alert some of our allies, I don't want to have this colony surrounded by countries we have few relations with." commanded Hamilton. "Anything else, General?"

"No, sir, that's it." replied Reynard. With that Hamilton hung up the phone and forwarded the satellite images and a note on them to Field Marshall Erwin Morrell, the Minister of Defense. Within the hour the 1st Oseaton Protector Squadron, along with several cargo and troop ships and even a repurposed cruise liner, had sortied from their berths located in the city of Comberth and were headed for the Athican Archipelago to stake their own claim on the islands.

----
ONS Gregory Farragut, 1st Oseaton Protector Squadron, Offshore "Merska"
Oseaton Athica

Commodore Dwight Rhodes stood on the flight deck of the newly commissioned ONS Gregory Farragut, a Von Seelow class carrier. Beyond the screen of frigates, destroyers, and cruisers rested the newly proclaimed colony of Merksa. Rhodes watched as several RO-RO ships began to make their way to the shore. EFV's and AAVP7A1's of the 5th Expeditionary Brigade had already made their runs to the shore to disgorge their troops on the newly founded colony. The troopers of the 5th EPDB had cleared ways for the RO-RO ships that carried the equipment of the 1st Engineering Battalion, so that a temporary port would be able to put up and the process of colonizing the area could begin. Other cargo ships and the cruise liner carrying supplies and some voluntary colonists, mainly dependents of military personnel belonging to the 5th EPDB, were standing off shore in midst of the warships at anchor.

A dense fog was beginning to roll in from the north. Running lights were coming on across the squadron in order to avoid collisions in the deteriorating conditions. Rhodes walked off the flight deck and proceeded to the CIC of the Farragut where he could continue to watch over the landings and colonization efforts. A small port would be constructed first in order to allow for more ships to come in to supply a growing colony. The Federation had big plans for the colony, and it wouldn't do to have progress slowed by the inclement weather. Prefab structures would go up to house the troops and civilians and a floating harbor would be constructed for the ships to dock at. Hopefully the seas would remain calm until a true port could rise in it's place.

In the mean time, Rhodes commanded a Hammerklop-Class frigate, the ONS Sparrowhawk, attached to his squadron to scout out the rest of the island, being careful to avoid the budding colony to the south. Hopefully they wouldn't mind some new neighbors in the area, however, the Commodore and his squadron were fully prepared to defend their newly acquired land.

[The Beatus]

SS Trent Newton

Prior Heinrich Smith stood on the deck of the ship. Momentarily, his mind flashed back, to the last time he did this. He was only a Parson then, when he was part of the founding of the New Eilífur Colony. A loud shout, quickly brought him back to reality. It didn't take him long to realize what the shout had been, through the thick fog, not far away, land was being to emerge. There was no time to waste, daylight would be fading, and the tide would be coming in, high tide was their goal for the landing, hopefully they would make it. He started shouting orders, ready the boats, prepare the equipment to be off loaded. The ship became alive with activity as parsons, monks, and devote colonists, began scrambling to their posts.

Natick, Amesbury Colony

Prior Smith stood on the beach, and watched as the SS Trent Newton faded away into the darkness and fog, which seemed ever present around what he had dubbed Natick Bay, on the northeast side of the main island. This was the spot he had chosen for Natick, which was to be the capital of the Amesbury colony. Already a field of tents had been set up, three Toyota Land Cruiser 4x4s were out surveying the surrounding area for anything interesting, and a yacht, was preparing to leave the bay. For now, that yacht, the SS Guiding Wind, would be the colonies only way of interacting with their neighbors. While most of the 75 colonists, worked on setting Natick up, the SS Guiding Wind, was heading out to, hopefully, find Astúrinum, and establish relations with their hosts.

[Kirav]

Astúrinum, Aþica Territory

Five days after its founding, Astúrinum's tents had been replaced with small modular homes. Storage buildings were going up, and a governmental centre had been constructed.

It was in this governmental centre that Governor Aptyre sat at his desk (A shipping container), looking over the reports that he had recieved from his subordinates and the orders that he had recieved from his superiors. There was much to be done. After establishing the settlement, he was to explore the island, and send a boat to set up monitoring equipment on the Outer East Islands.

A supply ship that had followed behind the Kontaréa had arrived yesterday, with an additional 100 settlers and 100 Imperial soldiers to defend the colony. With Imperial assistance so far away, Aptyre's greatest responsibility was to see to the colony's defences. With such a small population in an unfortified position, Astúrinum was quite vulnerable.

There was a knock on the door.

"Lluydai," said the Governor in Cymrev Coscivian. Enter.

"Sèr Governor," said Duiban Allec, the Territorial Secretary, "That transmission from Great Kirav finally came through. Other nations have landed settlements."

"Who and where?"

"Greenlanders on New Corlem, and the Altani in New Vaktar in the Southwest. Oseaton and Beatusian ships have come as well."

"Greenlanders! Excellent!" exclaimed Aptyre. The Greenlanders had become allies of the Empire when they had settled Pegasus Island alongside Kiravians. "Hopefully we'll be able to call upon them for assistance. In fact, type yourself a memo saying that we need to dispatch an envoy as soon as possible. But what of the Altani? I don't believe we've had contact with them before."

"They do have an embassy in Kartika, but there's been little to no interaction."

"Then we must be cautious. Hopefully we'll be able to open up diplomacy with them, but there's too much to do right now. The other two I believe we're on decent terms with."

[Catalarino]

Jacobus de Rippa stepped ashore first, hopping from the black zodiac into the shallow surf washing against a bleached-white beach. Behind him, the other three members of the shore party climbed out of their transport, "Ugo, when did Simone say she was going to be able to get the helicopter in the air?"

Ugo Pericioli had just finished picking himself up out of that same surf Jacobus had just leapt so elegantly into, himself being rather larger and heavier than Jacobus, "I dunno boss, she said she had to load the sensor equipment all by herself, since we all went ashore, see?"

Jacobus had stopped listening as soon as Ugo said 'I dunno', and was now walking along the edge of the beach, looking out over the scattered rocky dunes, and inland, to the rolling grassy plains, "Give her a yell on the radio, tell her to hurry it up..."

Ugo began to wade unhappily back into the water, where the final two members of the team were busily unloading a pair of large black crates from the bobbing zodiac. As he climbed in to the boat to give Simone a call, these two, Oliver and Salvi Conpangni were just dropping the last of the ground-penetrating radar equipment onto the beach, "Jacob," Oliver called, "We're going to need Simone to bring the jeep before we can get this stuff anywhere useful,"

"It weighs about a ton," added Salvi,

"Yeah, Ugo's seeing where she is now," shouted back Jacobus, who had begun climbing atop the nearest dune, binoculars in hand, "Shouldn't be that long..."

Just as the brothers' Conpangni had flopped down in the sand next to their equipment, the faint sound of a helicopter was heard on the horizon. Looking out over the sea, the three men on the beach could see the large black transport helicopter picking itself up off the deck of a medium-sized freighter, both emblazoned with the flag of Catalarino.

"Fuck, we're gonna have to get up, aren't we..." mumbled Salvi,

"Yeah..." came Oliver's response.

The helicopter was soon seen to be hauling a small jeep in a sling underneath its body. The whole operation was likely to arrive in a matter of minutes.

In the mean time, a yell came from over the dune, "Ugo, call the captain! This island is it! Plant the flag somewhere, boys, because this place is ours now!"

The call was made, and a few hours later the Territorial Office in Catalarino was notified of the discovery of an uninhabited island by chartered prospectors, and soon after, it was formally annexed by legislation into the Republic. Soon, it would be significantly more crowded...

[The Wolf Hold]

Federal Navy Headquaters, Port Palla

Chief Wolf's Admiral Nix, Commander in Chief of the Wolf Holdian Federal Navy was very young for his post as he was only 34. He outranked by several levels Admirals of many more years, however he had somehow earned the favour of both the Vice-Wolf's Marshall and the 3rd Wolf's Marshall, there were a few rumours about how he had done that but then again they were sparse and disbelieved as for some one of such years he seemed very adept and skilled at his job. So far he had commanded the Federal Navy with skill, courage and purpose, earning the respect of the men under your command.

His office was alive with the sound of Iron Maiden-Running Silent, Running Deep as he looked over the mornings reports, flicking from report to report with just a tap of his touch screen. Then something caught his attention, a report from the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Division, about a recent discovery of a colonisable Archipelago, this got his attention. They had been looking for a colony effort for ages, he even had a colonisation task force on stand by encase he came across such an opportunity. His hopes were confirmed when received a flash from co-ordinators in Oseato and that they were launching there own colony effort, with a barely concealed jump for joy, he began writing out orders for the 3rd Marine Division and the colony group. The 3rd Marine Expeditionary Division and its escort fleet were to secure the nearest islands to them, a rather sizeable claim as well, then with another jump for joy he realised why he had the 3rd Marine corps out there in the first place, they were escorting an engineer group, destined to construct an forward airfield. Adding in orders to the engineers, he turned up the music and light up a cigarette, thinking about what reinforcements to allocate to this mission.


WHS Right To Rule, 4th Marine Landing Group, Off the Coast of Sand Islands

"Is that Golf or Echo Company moving to reinforce FOB Jackson, its one of the two because I know it is 4th battalion on call out to the FOBs." Sergeant Hobsbam inquired to a naval rating who he was sharing a cabin with.

"Couldn't tell you even if I cared, all the marines are the same to me. A bunch of "do or die" ass holes, who think they rule the world...." As he was about to continue bitching about how the Marine Corp thought they owned the ships, he jumped out of his skin as two Harrier GR9s shot over there heads the letters WHMC emblazoned on there sides.

"They may be ass holes, but some of them ride in style" Hobsbam remarked as he watched the two harriers bank and set off on a patrol pattern around the Islands they had claimed. Off in the distance Hobsbam could make out the shape of the last wave of CH-53E Super Stallions that were carrying the engineers and their equipment to the far side of the island to help set up the Airbase. They had been here almost day and a bit, the marines had set up several Forward Operating Bases along the coast line to deter any one trying to steal a bit of land, they also had set up a temporary headquarters suing pre-fabbed structures loaded off their assault ships, Forward Headquarters Dragon as it was called was in essence a city of tents for men to sleep in, pre-fabbed huts for the JOC and communications rooms and inflatable hangars for the helicopters of the Marine unit. Roughly there were 400 to 500 marines ashore with two Harrier GR9s flying constant combat air patrol over the islands, the rest of the marines and their equipment was still on their landing ships as they were not as of yet needed to guard the island.

"Hey Hansen, when were the colonists and their ships meant to arrive?"

"Today or tomorrow....I dunno? Do I look like I really know or care Hobsbam?"

"No, no you don't" Hobsbam took one more glance over the side of the WHS Right to Rule, the Otter-Class LPD that was the staging ground for the 2nd engineer battalion, he looked into the deep blue that was the sea, he heard the roar of Pegasus engines as a second pair of Harriers fly overhead, breaking his day dream.

[Zoingo]

Aradia (Zoingo Territory), Athician Archipelago

The sandy beaches of Aridia, a new frontier, a new beginning for the near 1200 passengers aboard the USZ Excalibur, whose newly glistening smokestacks puffed the ship ever closer to the uncertain future that lay ahead. The discovery of the island chain by Zoingo's close ally, Kirav, was a remarkable feat, as the lands ahead were found quite far away from the usual periphery. As the usual "Land!" Cry was sounded high above on the mainmast, a wave of people rushed to the sides of the deck to see what the new found land looked like.

The land itself was pretty tropical, but was lush and vibrant in color, the land in the immediate area was rich in trees and natural vantage points to set up a deep water harbor. As the first boats came ashore with settlers, city planners, administrators, and merchants, work immediately began on the new metropolis of Aradia, Occasus, the city of the west. When the final crates of goods were hoisted by cranes from the Excalibur, the steamer gave a few whistle blasts, recieved much applause from the shores, and set out for Europa Conquesta, the nearest established colony to pick up more potential colonists and goods.

After unpacking the basic nessesities, the 1200 now citizens of Occasus began erecting tents and chopping down the large forests that fielded many trees. Naturally, the first thing that the citizens would build is a shipyard, to build wooden ships to explore the other islands of this Archipelago. It was quite natural for the first few years of a colony, to practice such tactics, as many of the raw building materials still had to be imported.

For now, the citizens were concerned for having a roof over their heads, and having a supply of food and water...and, at the moment, not for other nations settling around them.

[The Beatus]

Bay of Astúrinum, Aþica Territory, Kiravian Empire

It was two days later, when the SS Guiding Wind sailed into the harbor, waving the Beatusian Flag proudly. They hoped to meet with the Kiravians and help build relations between the colonies, who were both so far from home. The 50 foot yacht moved for the dock.

[The Altan Steppes]

Six days after the initial Altani landing, the settlement of Qashqantengiz was beginning to emerge. The prefab structures meant to provide housing and a center for governance had been erected, and basic power and utilities had been set up. A small floating dock was also set up, to accomodate the arrival of the second wave of Altani colonization.

Two more colony ships arrived at Altani Athica on the sixth day, escorted by a carrier, two frigates and a cruiser to back up the Zarina. One of the colony ships began offloading more settlers at Qashqantengiz, as well as additional troops and equipment. The civilian contingent now numbered 250, and the military contingent now numbered 300. The ship also dropped off the territory's civilian governor, Nursultan Daniyarbek, and his interim government.

The other colony ship began offloading engineers, workers and equipment on the small island to the north of Qashqantengiz, to begin the next task of colonization: building an airfield and support base for the Altani soldiers sent to protect Altani Athica. An additional 50 Federation Guards were disembarked on the island, to safeguard the construction project.

Meanwhile, the Altani decided to utilize their diplomatic establishment to make sure that there were no misunderstandings, and that they remained on good terms with their neighbors. The Altani ambassadors to the Wolf Hold, the Kiravian Empire, Greenland and Oseato were rousted from their relative somnolence by orders from the State Department. They sent messages requesting meetings with their counterparts in those nations, to discuss the Altani territory and begin the process of establishing friendly relations for Altani Athica.

[Greenlandic People]

Within a week, four colonist ships had made their way across the vast ocean to Markland. This batch brought, in addition to colo0nists, a few hundred marines of the Greenlandic Army in order to establish military facilities and fortify the colony from outside threats, as well as a battleship and aircraft carrier to support the Northman, a cruiser.

The second batch of colonists had brought with them more supplies, this time including steel, wood, glass, and other basic construction materials. The colony, by this point in time, had all of the basics, and it was decided that more permanent facilities could now be constructed. A small group of colonists and a squad of marines began surveying the rest of the island to the North, and two days after they had set out they decided to found a small settlement to act as a listening post, just below the Oseaton border.

Back home in Greenland, President Schmitz and his government received word that the Altani had claimed a small island for them, and that their ambassador desired a talk with the government regarding colonial affairs. Though Schmitz was hardly predisposed to wanting to listen to the Altani, he decided that granting him an audience couldn't possibly hurt.

[Osea 767]

Osean Colonial Province, Athician Archipelago

Eventually, a number of large transport ships carrying colonists arrived at their destination. They were acompanied by a number of Osean warships and transports carrying marines, engineers and the stuff they would need to begin the initial stages of colonisation. Everyone on the ships were getting weary of them and were keen to leave the ships for dry land.

The Osean government already had a number of plans and procedure set up for how the colonisation was meant to be done. First they would set up a port city on their southern coast, in the bay furthest to the east, capable of handling heavy cargo to supply the colony, called Breslau. They also set up housing for the colonists, marines and engineers. These would help with setting up the infrastructure for the colony to be capable of supporting itself.

Once that was done, they would begin to exploit the potential of their new territory. They intended to access the natural resources of the area and called up a number of companies to begin doing this.They also intended to manufacture goods there and sell them to the other colonies in the area. While this was being done, they selected a governor for the province. Theodor Köhler, the man who ultimately got the job, launched himself at it with remarkable enthusiasm and soon had set up an administrative complex to run the province.

[Zoingo]

Ocassus, Aradia

The Excalibur returned a few weeks later with a batch of 1000 colonists, and to the new settlers sights, was a small harbor with little wooden and tile roofed houses dotting the coastline. As they neared, they could spot small fishers in the water, as well as large plantations along the sides of the inlet.

Ocassus had grown rather quickly in those few weeks, the tents were all gone, replaced by individual houses all clustered together along a few dirt streets that were spotted with the occasional cart or individual wandering by. The central market places boasted a few wooden stalls with a new fountain in the middle, made from a well, the fountain gushed water into a shimmering pool of water, meant for the population's drinking. Behind the market square, a ghostly wooden frame was in set, its outline marked the beginning of the first church in the city. As soon as the population grew large enough, the townspeople would tear down the chapel and build an Imperial Cathedral that would daunt the metropolis.

In the meantime, a dock in the newly made harbor was carrying a small, wooden ship that was recently made in the shipyard. A new exploration and diplomatic team was aboard the ship, setting sail with a fleet of these small ships around the archipelago. Their mission: find other colonies and begin relations with one another.

[Kirav]

Bay of Astúrinum, Aþica Territory, Kiravian Empire

It was two days later, when the SS Guiding Wind sailed into the harbor, waving the Beatusian Flag proudly. They hoped to meet with the Kiravians and help build relations between the colonies, who were both so far from home. The 50 foot yacht moved for the dock.

"Sèr Ârctur! Häsa að visilócið en sænum! Erné Kiravix. Velós vedig!", shouted the colony's millitary officer to Governor Aptyre. Sir Governor! A ships has been spotted in the bay! It's not Kiravian. Come quickly!

Aptyre rushed to the docks where the other colonists wer gathering. A ship wasn't due for another few days.

"Eré Bêatusix, Ârctur. Rú abis ascenim tor vexuv," said a burly colonist. It's Beatusian, Governor. You can tell by the flag. He handed the governor a telescope. He looked through it, and saw the flag, with the same four-pointed star the flapped above Astúrinum, but admist a different design.

"We are on good terms with them," he explained loudly to the colonists, many of whom were recent immigrants to Great Kirav that had not yet familiarised themselves with the Empire's foreign affairs. "Prepare food and drink. I want all colonial officials in formal wear and all military men into Class A's. Quickly! We don't have much time!"

The colony's administrators quickly donned black formal robes with silver ropework, while civilians rushed in and out of the storehouses, carrying food to give their guests-to-be. One brought out the three bottles of wine that had been brought from Kirav for diplomatic use. (Kiravians are largely a beer-drinking people, after all).

After the hurried preparations were complete, Governor Aptyre and his cabinet stood in front of a row of soldiers on the dock, eagerly awaiting the Beatusian envoy.

[Zoingo]

ooc: To keep the amount of formal relations I need to a bare minimum.

Bay of Astúrinum, Aþica Territory, Kiravian Empire

After sailing west for over 2 days, the USZ Discovery, a wooden ship built in Ocassus, was drifting up and down Aþica in search of any civilization. When suddenly, a person up from the mainmast spotted smoke and a ship on the horizon. The Captain, eager to find out who it was, set a course for the settlement on the horizon, hoping that it was someone that they already knew.

[Kirav]

ooc: To keep the amount of formal relations I need to a bare minimum.

Bay of Astúrinum, Aþica Territory, Kiravian Empire

After sailing west for over 2 days, the USZ Discovery, a wooden ship built in Ocassus, was drifting up and down Aþica in search of any civilization. When suddenly, a person up from the mainmast spotted smoke and a ship on the horizon. The Captain, eager to find out who it was, set a course for the settlement on the horizon, hoping that it was someone that they already knew.

OOC: I'm going to assume that the Zoingans arrived after the Beatusians left. Everything noted in this post, such as the establishment of other settlements, will occur in the future.

Astúrinum, Aþica Territory, Kiravian Empire

By now, Astúrinum was home to 450 people. Two other settlements, Saar-Aþica and Alscam, had been planted on the coast.

A lookout tower had been built, and it was from there that a Territorial militiaman spotted the incoming vessel.

"Häsa! Häsa!", he shouted. A Ship! A Ship!

"Qur vexuv barlim-er?" asked a Ieurlev officer. Whose flag does it fly?

The soldier put aside his binoculars and gazed into the eyepiece of a telescope. "Zøngas!" replied the first man happily. "You should alert the Governor."

After their first meeting with the Beatusians, the Aþicans knew what to do. A long table was set inside the newly-built community centre, and the last of the wine was brought out. Aptyre and his men gathered on the pier, while the Imperial and Territorial troops loaded blanks into their guns. Kiravians never adopted the Western twenty-one gun salute. They just used as many as they had.

[Zoingo]

OOC: I'm going to assume that the Zoingans arrived after the Beatusians left. Everything noted in this post, such as the establishment of other settlements, will occur in the future.

Astúrinum, Aþica Territory, Kiravian Empire

By now, Astúrinum was home to 450 people. Two other settlements, Saar-Aþica and Alscam, had been planted on the coast.

A lookout tower had been built, and it was from there that a Territorial militiaman spotted the incoming vessel.

"Häsa! Häsa!", he shouted. A Ship! A Ship!

"Qur vexuv barlim-er?" asked a Ieurlev officer. Whose flag does it fly?

The soldier put aside his binoculars and gazed into the eyepiece of a telescope. "Zøngas!" replied the first man happily. "You should alert the Governor."

After their first meeting with the Beatusians, the Aþicans knew what to do. A long table was set inside the newly-built community centre, and the last of the wine was brought out. Aptyre and his men gathered on the pier, while the Imperial and Territorial troops loaded blanks into their guns. Kiravians never adopted the Western twenty-one gun salute. They just used as many as they had.

ooc: That is what I was aiming for, so that you could know where The Beatus was so that I could find them next.

Astúrinum, Aþica Territory, Kiravian Empire

As the Discovery neared the small colony, a wave of action was taking place on board the small wooden vessel. Attendants were rushing to get out plans and other drawings, the barrels of goods were hoisted up from the inner hull of the ship, and the Captain was preparing to set foot onto the shores of the colony. All in all, it was a mass confusion of over 30 people running about on deck as if they were playing a large game of duck-duck-goose.

"Sailor," the captain yelled from the bottom of the mast. "Do you spot a flag?"

"Aye, from that outlook tower over there!" the sailor replied...."it appears.....to be.....Kiravian!" he cried out.

"Kiravian eh...hmm...I was wondering when we would run into friends such as them. Prepare to disembark!" He suddenly yelled aloud to the crew. The ship weighed anchor a few hundred yards out from the shore, and a lifeboat was being lowered to accommodate the captain, and a few of his aids, to meet the Kiravians and their colonists. The boat was rowing to shore, nearing the colony...

[Kirav]

OOC: Perfect, then!

The Kiravians onshore watched the Zoingan vessel stop, and then discharge its lifeboat. An on-the-ball Cymrev settler notified the Governor of an observation.

"Sir! The pier is too high. They'll need a ladder."

After recieving a gesture of approval, he scurried off and returned with two rope ladders, which he laid on the edge of the pier.

Alscam, Aþica Territory, Kiravian Empire

Astúrinum had been a public work, built as a means to secure the Kiravian claim to Aþica. It was a product of Kiravian colonialism. Alscam, however, was a product of Kiravian capitalism.

Alscam Countryship had been sold by the Colonial Authority to the Plantcor Agricultural Investment Firm, a group of investors who sought profit by establishing plantations in the Kiravian colonies. They had paid for a group of 150 poor but skilled Ieurlev and Kernev indentured labourers to be shipped from their œconomically depressed homelands in Coscivia to subtropical Aþica.

Though the settlers, all male, unwed, and under the age of 35, had just finished putting their one-room portable homes into place, there were big plans for the colony. The countyship would be divided into large sections for the cultivation of eucalyptus (in high demand in Kirav), bok choy, cucumbers, chickpeas, sunflowers (for oil), citrus, tea, and other cash crops.

[Zoingo]

OOC: Perfect, then!

The Kiravians onshore watched the Zoingan vessel stop, and then discharge its lifeboat. An on-the-ball Cymrev settler notified the Governor of an observation.

"Sir! The pier is too high. They'll need a ladder."

After recieving a gesture of approval, he scurried off and returned with two rope ladders, which he laid on the edge of the pier.

"It appears Captain, that they are throwing rope ladders down from the pier" a attendant claimed as he was rowing.

"So it seems....agh! The sun is so bright!" The Captain exclaimed as he looked in the direction of the pier. He temporarily looked away and shielded himself with is royal blue cape without attracting attention from those ashore or in the boat, while putting on his large trimmed cap, peaking out of it were peacock feathers of immense color and beauty. It was the latest fashion amongst the merchant class back home, and wearing the latest fashions even thousands of miles away could be achieved. He looked back again at the pier, which was now up to the sides of the boat and smiled with amazement.

"A marvelous settlement indeed!", he commented to the people above as he started to climb the rope ladder. Below him, the crew was tying the small ship to the pier.

"Next time..." he told the Kiravians who were meeting him as he was dusting off his robes "we will just simply bring our ship alongside the pier." he commented with a chuckle.

[Kirav]

The Kiravians laughed along with him. Aptyre stepped forward, and warmly offered his hand.

"Rædor," he began, "Welcome to Astúrinum, capital of the Kiravian Aþica Territory. I am Governor Sâllan Aptyre. It is a great honour to welcome our Zoingan freinds to our humble outpost."

[Zoingo]

The Kiravians laughed along with him. Aptyre stepped forward, and warmly offered his hand.

"Rædor," he began, "Welcome to Astúrinum, capital of the Kiravian Aþica Territory. I am Governor Sâllan Aptyre. It is a great honour to welcome our Zoingan freinds to our humble outpost."

"It is an honor to meet you, I am Captain Stefford, of the Aradia Civilian Counsel. It is a pleasure to finally meet such a great ally. Where do we begin?"

[Oseato]

ONS Gregory Farragut, 1st Oseaton Protector Squadron, Offshore Port Clarke.

Commodore Rhodes smiled as he read through the reports popping up on the command table in the CIC of the Farragut. Over the past days several new colonial settlements had been established on the coast of Merska, New Austerbeck on a small island to the north was now home to a small number of fishermen and a pontoon dock, Odendorf on the coast north of Port Clarke developing into a industrial town as several shipments of heavy machinery and their operators had landed there, and Lundhaven, the only Oseaton settlement on the western side of the island and soon to be home to half of the Protector Squadron.

Port Clarke was flourishing as well. In the short span of a week the capital of the colony had blossomed, tents turned to modular homes,several office buildings were under construction, as was the new legislative building that would serve as the administrative head of the colony. Several metal mesh road surfaces had been placed down. They were based off of the Air Force's runway extenders, interlocking with each other to provide a smoother, more solid, road surface for the colony. Yet another Expeditionary Brigade was on the ground, their Styker MGS's and EFV's headed into the interior to watch the southern border. There were still several hundred troops in Port Clarke, all carrying their OAR-556 Rifles and maintaining law and order in the colonial settlements. They would slowly be replaced by colonial police forces, as more and more colonists were drawn to the Island, but for the mean time, they would keep the peace.

The Sparrowhawk had returned, reporting on the large amount of ship traffic in the area and the different national vessels it had seen. Rhodes was happy to see The Wolf Hold beginning their own efforts, as well as the Oseans to the North. What worried Rhodes was the arrival of the Greenlandic carrier and battleship to the south, picked up on radar of the Oseato City class cruiser, the ONS Strastopol. While the Protector Squadron could easily defend itself against 3 ships, it meant that it would be only a matter of time as the region became more and more militarized. Rhodes sent a electronic note to the CAG on the Farragut to strengthen the CAP over the fleet and to always have an E-2 Hawkeye aloft at all times.

Yet another Oseaton ship appeared on radar, more cargo ships were arriving every day as the colonies built themselves up. Rhodes was sure a killing was going to be made off of the natural resources located in the archipelago. But again, a sense of worry swept over him, nations had waged conflict over resources before....

[The Beatus]

(OOC: you stool my idea, I was planning on heading over to the Zoingan Colony after the Kiravians.)

Bay of Astúrinum, Aþica Territory, Kiravian Empire

They Yacht approached the dock, as it did, Parson Lentarni stood on the deck, in his finest white robe. It was very clean and neat, and the golden trim shown in the sunlight. His wooden staff, in comparison was dirty, and nicked from long usage. As the ship reached the dock, he stepped off, and greeted the Kiravians. "I bring tidings of peace and goodwill from the honorable colony of Amesbury. I wish to meet with your leader, so that we may discuss relations and trade between our two colonies," he then bowed down on one knee.

[The Altan Steppes]

Nuuk, Federal Republic of Greenland

Madiyar Kuanyshbek, the Altani ambassador to Greenland, walked briskly from her limousine to her destination. She was scheduled to meet with President Schmitz, and was not optimistic. Relations between Greenland and the Federation, once strong, had been deteriorating noticeably ever since Schmitz had been elected. Kuanyshbek knew it would be a tough sell, but she was hoping to restore the good relations between the two neighbors, and to coordinate the efforts of the two Lavinian states to set up viable colonies in the Athican Archipelago.

She walked up to the guard at the door. "Excuse me, I'm Ambassador Kuanyshbek from the Federation. I have a meeting scheduled with the President," she said.

---

The new civilian governor of Altani Athica, Nursultan Daniyarbek, decided that there was no reason to wait for the ossified diplomatic efforts of the State Department to bear fruit. If you want to meet the neighbors, you have to get out and meet them, Daniyarbek thought. He decided to do just that. Boarding a small, unarmed ship, with a civilian crew, he began making the rounds of visiting with the neighbors. His first destination: the colony to the north, which FSI had informed him was claimed by the nation of the Beatus, which the Altani had not interacted with previously. The small ship traveled in the direction of the Beatusian colony, and the city of Natick.