The Crescent and the Cross (Peace Conference, Closed)

[Osthia]

In Ostis, Osthia, police lined the streets, waiting for the delegates from the two warring parties of the conflict known as the Elamite Jihad to come by. Crowds of Osthians lined the streets behind the police, waiting to exhibit their enthusiasm towards the fact that nations were once again coming to make peace in Osthia. In the Imperial Palace, Emperor Arathor sat at the end of a long table on the Imperial Throne, wearing a green uniform, with medals and the Order of St. Christofer adorning his torso. On one side of the table would sit the Melceneans and their supporters. On the opposite side, the Elamites and their supporters. Translators and microphones were set up for all to hear in the throne room. It would be a matter of time before another war might be avoided.

[The Matthew Islands]

The Matthew Islands Diplomat to Osthia Jeremy Haynes limo pulled up outside the palace. He exited the car and walked up the steps. After clearing security, he and an aide walked into the main chamber. Seeing the empror, they bowed respectuflly before sitting in their seats and waiting for the other delegates to arrive.

(OOC: I hope that's Alright. I would have done a better one but my brain is on strike.)

[Malascen]

OOC: Actually the war isn't known as the Elamite Jihad. The melceneans know it as the Islamic Insurgence and the malascene know it as the Elamite War of Independence. What it is known as in the international community I of course can't dictate but the most obvious name would be the Elamite War. It is only the elamites themselves that refer to the war as a jihad. The title of the war is therefore mostly poetic although the war could go down in history as the Elamite Jihad. Speaking of poetry nice title for the thread.

---

Ayatollah Ali Khatami, the eldest elamite ayatollah and as such the representative of the New Persepolis government was glad to attend the peace conference. It was true that the melceneans would be given time to mobilize but the malascene would also be given time to come to aid. While Ali Khatami generally admired the sultan of Malascen he had feared that the man would not go all in against a major world power as Melcenea. But with a peace conference the sultan would also be given time to think and to see sufferings of the elamites at the hands of the melceneans.

The ayatollah gave a quick glance to the woman next to him. He had heard of Fazila Karzai, the iron lady of Malascen before. rarely for the good although Khatami had to admit that with the exception of Al Khalifa there where few people he would rather have at his side. The malascene minister of security was not known for caving in at conferences. None the less Khatami couldn't suppress his fear of the minister of security. He didn't doubt for a second that she would have him murdered if he caused the sultan any trouble. He only doubted for a second that she would personally kill him for such an act.

As the towncar the two diplomats had been driven in stopped outside the conference hall Karzai didn't wait for a servant to open the doors. Without a word she exited the car and walked towards the Imperial Palace. She was a tall, rail thin woman with a, for a malascene, very pale complexion. Her long silvery hair was the only feminime thing about her. Khatami hurried to follow her. at 78 he was ten years older then the minister and had difficulties keeping up with her. He was a tall slightly corpulent man with short grey hair and a long grey beard. An ascetic man wth a great faith Khatami almost managed to not look rdiculous as he almost ran after the minister.

[Melcenea]

It hadn't been easy to become the official representative of the empire. Half the senate had looked like what she proposed was heresy and the other half had considered it apostasy. A foreign barbarian woman representing the empire? It was unthinkable to conservative and ignorant senators. Luckily even the Imperator had supported her. While their relationship was somewhat strained Shigeru knew that only the empress had the neccesary political skills and international influence to impose the will of the empire upon the elamites. None the less empress Aleria Alcedina had had to accept senator Manius Taro Tarquinius Cato as her co negotiator. After all her sympathy for the elamite cause was well known and the senate had insisted to send someone opposed to everything elamitic.

Thus it came to be that two fierce enemies had been send on a joint mission to protect the interests of the empire. So far thei alliance wasn't going well. Cato had started out by insisting on driving in a different car than the empress. Furiously she had insisted that they needed to discuss tactics but the senator had been adamant. He was a sixty three year old biggot who insisted on wearing a black toga around his somewhat fat corpus. She was a tall quendi princess that even way into her seventies had the beauty of her youthfull people. As their two cars stopped outside the palace she waited patiently for the servants to invite her inside while he exited his car while mumbling something in melcenean.

[Osthia]

The delegates were led into the throne room and led to their seats. A few minutes passed, and Arathor stepped into the room. "Good afternoon, sirs and my dear grandmama. Welcome to Ostis. First off, before we begin, I must ask that all of you refrain from foul language, and sound as diplomats do. This city was built in honor of dead Osthians, as well as in honor of my would-be uncle, so please, show respect to your enemies and me. Now, each of you may discuss your views on this war, and I will attempt to help you negotiate a peace treaty to help both sides. Now, Grandma Aleria, would you have the honors of beginning this conference?"

[Melcenea]

OOC: She is the younger sister of his great grandmother. His grandmother is Aurelia Alcedina.

IC: "Certainly your majesty." The empress said standing up while senator Cato gave her an evil look. Of the two he should definately be the one to speak for the melcenean empire and not the foreign empress. The empress looked over at the elamite and malascene delegation. She gave a short smile to Karzai whom she sympathized with.

"While I sympathize with the elamite cause and their wish to be independent would like to point out that the Elamite Islands is an integral part of the Empire of Melcenea and has been so since the second world war." She said. After a moments pause where she signalled to a servant for something to drink she continued. "Allow me, if I may, to take you a while back in time. 1945 to be exact. The world war ended as you all know with Melcenea being humiliated and our empire torned apart and vast territories taken from us. In exchange of taking over nearly all of our land in India the British Empire granted the Elamite Islands to melcenea as a gift to signalize friendship between the two empires. At the time when the elamite islands where given to us they where a deeply impoverished region where no one but the richest could but spell their name, much less anything else. Now seventy decades later the Elamite Islands has improved dramatically. Large melcenean investments on the islands has made it rich and prosperous. Are we to be kiked out after all the time and money we put into the islands that was given us? Most certainly not." The empress sat down looking around at the other delegates to see how they would react to her words.

[Osthia]

"Mr. Ayatollah, your story?"

[Malascen]

Ayatollah Ali Khatami stood up from his chair. He looked around the table and then he said "In the name of Allah, the most merciful, the allmighty sole god, I, Ali Khatami, pledge that I shall speak the truth and only the truth as Allah will have it." His english was thick in a iranian accent but none the less understandable. "The empress of Melcenea speaks well for her cause but in her honey dipped words I hear no true reason why my people should bow towards the emperor of Melcenea. Why should we be property of the melceneans just because the british made it so?"

The ayatollah sat down. He had nothing further to say for the moment. Truth was with the elamites and so was Allah. Fazila Karzai raised an eyebrow after hearing the words of the ayatollah. While nominally a muslim it had been years since she had last seen the inside of the mosque and her Hajj to Mecca was not something she remembered anymore. Therefore the ayatollah's insistence on using Allah as a pretext for the struggle annoyed her. The issue was plain and simple an attempt to seek liberty. No need for any divine reasons when there where so many earthly ones.

[Osthia]

Ayatollah Ali Khatami stood up from his chair. He looked around the table and then he said "In the name of Allah, the most merciful, the allmighty sole god, I, Ali Khatami, pledge that I shall speak the truth and only the truth as Allah will have it." His english was thick in a iranian accent but none the less understandable. "The empress of Melcenea speaks well for her cause but in her honey dipped words I hear no true reason why my people should bow towards the emperor of Melcenea. Why should we be property of the melceneans just because the british made it so?"

The ayatollah sat down. He had nothing further to say for the moment. Truth was with the elamites and so was Allah. Fazila Karzai raised an eyebrow after hearing the words of the ayatollah. While nominally a muslim it had been years since she had last seen the inside of the mosque and her Hajj to Mecca was not something she remembered anymore. Therefore the ayatollah's insistence on using Allah as a pretext for the struggle annoyed her. The issue was plain and simple an attempt to seek liberty. No need for any divine reasons when there where so many earthly ones.

"So it seems that the Malascens feel cheated out of their birth right, and feel that they deserve independence that was taken away from them by the British some years ago, and the Melceneans feel that because the British gave them the nation of Malascen, that they have all of the right to keep them as a province. Here is what I suggest," Arathor said. He excused himself as he pulled out a computer and linked it up to a large screen behind the dais. He began to type, and, five minutes later, on the screen was projected a copy of his proposed treaty:

The Peace of Ostis

On this day of the year 2019 in the year of our Lord in Osthia, and in the year 2010 AD in Melcenea and Malascen, the following shall be mandated:
1) The nation of Malascen will be granted independence from the nation of Melcenea, and therefore not subject to the whims of the Melcenean crown or government.
2) In exchange for her independence, realizing that the Melcenean economy could be harmed by a swift withdrawal from Malascen oil fields, that over a period of three years, the Melceneans will slowly hand over sovereignity of the oil fields to the nation of Malascen, and shall keep whatever profits they make from the oil fields, with the exception of the cost for reperations.
3) Reperations in the form of 2 billion NSD will be given to the Malascen government to begin the rebuilding of its nation.
4) This peace will affect any and all parties involved in this conflict, and any further acts of agression towards Malascen or Melcenea will be seen as a violation of this treaty, and shall be met by swift and hard punishments.
5) A ceasefire will exist between the two nations, and the Constitutional Empire of Osthia, to help maintain stability and order in Malascen, shall establish a military camp in Malascenite borders. Any military actions towards these soldiers will be seen as an act of war.
6) Malascen will not interfere with the slow withdrawal of the Melceneans from the oil fields, unless they present amountable evidence stating that the Melceneans are either:
a) Taking all of the oil out of the fields.
b) Securing military positions or building civilian settlements in the purpose of colonizing the oil fields.

Signed,

Emperor Arathor I of Osthia and Quencilvania, King of Ostharia, High-Prince of Filsia, and Kamdoche of Syvorji

<Melcenean Delegate's SIgnature>

<Malascenite Delegate's Signature>

[Osthia]

BUMP
OOC: Guys, need you to post if we are to accomplish anything.