Between a Monarch and a Republic (Meillur Only)

[Planetary Union of Arcania]

Prime Minister Hugh Riser stood at the docks of the city of Kolasia, the site that he had chosen as the meeting place for the negotiations that he sought to undertake. There had certainly been those within Parliament who were not pleased with the idea of the agreement he sought to make, chief among those complaints had been concerns that the country may be the target of imperial ambitions, however the prime minister felt that to leap to such conclusions would be foolhardy, and short sighted, and enough of parliament had agreed for the vote to begin the talks to pass, and so now here he stood, awaiting the arrival of his guests. The harbor was a hub of the nation, with ships and vessels of all shapes and sizes coming and going from the port, leaving to embark on whatever journey they had taken on, carrying various cargos and even passengers. Patrolling the mouth of the harbor was a set of Federal Navy frigates, while in the harbors military sector one of the prides of the fleet sat at anchor, one of the fleets light carriers, one of eight such vessels, each an embodiment of the navy and its ability to respond to threats and crisis.

He wore the white suit that he was known for wearing, with the gold chain of his pocket watch hanging down into his pocket, ticking away slowly as he awaited for the meeting that would determine his path forward.

[Kingdom of Derita]

The Celestial Star, the Imperial Yacht was an impressive vessel of black and gold, cutting across the waves with smooth ease. Named after the flag of the Empire, it was the official and private residence of the Deritain monarch when overseas via the seas. A path taken by the Emperor and his son, Prince Anakele from the port city of Infinity the lesser of the two great ports of the empire— the other being the famous Aukusa Bay Area.

Emperor Kekoa, despite his efforts, had failed in his attempts to form a strong alliance with the Genoise Crown. The emperor may have been an elderly man, only months away from his eightieth birthday and and conflict had cost them him the use of one of his eyes, but he remained as strong and unbending as iron— known as the Iron Duke before his ascension to the throne. Unable to bring himself to bend to the ambitions and wants of King Frederick IV, he now found himself intrigued by the possibility of an alliance with Arcania.

When there was a long history of monarchs of the continent of Meillur mistrusting republics— in this a unique case was found. While Kekoa had never been a republican, in his youth he had scandalized and shocked his homeland with his push for democratic reforms and changes and elections. Indeed, when his nephew had been emperor, Kekoa had even been prime minister, serving until the reign of his grandnephew. He had imagined that would be the highest office he’d ever hold, and had even retired— only for the throne to call upon him when his grandnephew died without an heir.

It also helped that Arcania was an island nation to the south of the empire, one that the emperor hoped may aid him in preventing the Genoise from taking the latest snubbing of the Valwa to a more dangerous position. More than anything, the Empire required friends. And the Emperor was there to make them.

The Celestial Star came to a stop at the docks. There was a small parade of footmen, dressed in the traditional livery of the Imperial Family, followed by soldiers in ceremonial full dress, and then came the Emperor— a towering tall dark skinned man, dressed in a minimalist pristine black general’s uniform with gold lining and epaulets and gold sash across his chest. A black eye patch covered one of his eyes. His youngest son, and personal secretary Prince Anakele walked with him, dressed in a simpler all black suit with a golden sash across his chest, a black veil covering his face.

The Emperor marched down the dock, his pace slow given his age, but his form still as pristine as it had been when he’s first joined the military all those decades ago in the days of his grandfather’s reign. His lone good eye watched the harbor, studying the vessels that buzzed around it like bees around a hive. Is dark gaze came back to the man in white, who Prince Anakele informed him was Prime Minister Hugh Riser himself.

“How kind,” the Emperor spoke, a deep voice worn by decades of use, “of you to greet us, Mr. Prime Minister.”

[Planetary Union of Arcania]

The Prime Minister gave the Arcanian equivalent to a bow, the politician bore all the signs of a man whom had spent most of his days working in the sun, having been born on, and spent most of his early life on a coastal farm, and when he spoke, his thick rural accent carried in the air.

"It is an honor to have you visit our humble republic, your majesty, please right this way, the accommodations are already prepared."

The Prime Minister rose, and then motioned to a convertible car that had been chosen to bring the group to the sea-side resort which had been chosen as the place to hold the talks. The car had distinctive chrome trimmings, and a black exterior paint job that was well complimented by a black and peanut butter brown leather interior, the Prime Minister had been careful to choose a route that would provide a pleasant viewing of the port city, while allowing an efficient use of time traveling to their destination. To the front and rear of the car were a pair of large, black unmarked SUVs, with black tinted bullet proof windows, these contained the secret service members whom had been chosen as the security detail, and while they outwardly only wore black suits, they had concealed their own personal defense weapons and submachine guns, and concealed Kevlar vests, while a small drone flew overhead, providing an unseen eye in the sky, piloted by a skilled operator actively communicating with the security detail. The Prime Minister had done everything he could short of a proper detachment of soldiers to ensure that the trip would go smoothly.

[Kingdom of Derita]

The Emperor gave a looked to their surroundings and then to the prime minister.

“Humble,” the Emperor said, “is not the world I would use.” He followed Prime Minister Riser to the car, the old monarch groaning slightly as he settled into his seat with the help of his son. “Do forgive this old man,” the Emperor said, “contrary to what people may say, I am far from made from iron.”

Prince Anakele gave a polite nod to the prime minister. “Your hospitality is most kind, Mr. Prime Minister.”

“One must admire the great lengths that you have gone to,” said the Emperor, gesturing to the various protections, taking not of each with an appreciative study with his eye. He decided to not mention how that seemed yet with a singular stroke to be entirely undone with the selection of the convertible as the car of choice.

[Planetary Union of Arcania]

The Prime Minister gave his own nod and said "Me and my advisors were careful in our selection process>"

He took his own seat, and with a hand signal the small convoy began making its way down the coastline. Various sea side docks , hotels, cafes and shops lined the seaside. The Prime Minister himself had himself found himself admiring the sight when he had first visited the place when he began his term, following his election. He turned his head back to the Emperor.

"This port city is one of a few which sit at the mouths of each of the rivers that cross the Republic, and each one has been an important hub of it since their respective founding's, it is also home to the Federal Institute of Oceanographic Research, which is heading a concentrated effort to fully map the bottom of the ocean, and operates the single largest concentration of deep sea research assets available to the Republic as a whole."

[Kingdom of Derita]

The Emperor watched as the they passed by the various sights of the city, taking in the various businesses that lined the seaside of the Arcanian city. Kolasia was a lovely city and certainly a busy port. The Emperor nodded his head along as Riser spoke of the city and its connection to others in the island nation that sat where their rivers met the sea. Again the Emoeror was reminded of Aukusa City and the Bay Area, where similar waters flowed into the bay and formed the massive and fertile Golden Delta.

“It is certainly a lovely city,” said the Emperor. He had never been an academic, and found his remaining good eye glazing over slightly at the talk of research and ocean mapping. He certainly understood the importance of mapping the sea, and the matters of the ocean were of great importance to him, admittedly less in the academic sense and more the practical one, but that for him didn’t not make the matter less dull. Thankfully his son was there to pick up the slack from the aloof elder.

“What a wise investment it is for the Federal Institute of Oceanographic Research, as well as a fitting location for it. The sea floor continues to remain one of the last great mysteries of the world. As we learn more about it, it can be quite useful in understanding the environment, geology and motions of what occurs beneath the ways. Such knowledge can be useful tools to spread to the next generation of students across the continent. And can become vital in setting proper and fair maritime boundaries and establishing marine nature reserves,” Prince Anakele said, looking to Riser, “Would you not agree?”

[Planetary Union of Arcania]

The Prime Minister nodded and said "Indeed, and the furthering of our students and the sciences is of great importance, as they are the future, and foundation of the country and the world, so it is of paramount importance to ensure that they are given the best opportunity to learn and grow possible. No discovery, no matter how minor and unimportant they seem now should ever be discounted, as one can never truly predict the impact of such discoveries on the future, especially as technology advances and allows theories and concepts to be tested in practice."

He then looked to the Emperor again and said "The Arcania capital itself sits on the point of merging of three seperate rivers, which form the heart of the largest river in the country, which runs through the islands heart."

[Kingdom of Derita]

Prince Anakele nodded. “The future of the world has been of great importance to the Celestial Empire for many generations. It is for that reason that Ezikwizalo University has been at the center of the nation both figuratively and literally when it comes to educating the best and the brightest, and is amongst the most prestigious in the continent. On top of that? we in the Empire have adopted free university for all our citizens, in our push to assert that education is not only a right of the people, but also a necessity for the betterment of society as a whole.”

“It is always wise to have a centrally located capital for the administration of the nation,” said the Emperor, “The Imperial Capital City is much the same, though rather than on the convergence of rivers, it is located on an elevation chance of a fall line where there are great waterfalls. My brother moved the capital there specifically because of its centralized location after decades of the capital being in the far west of the Empire— and since we have adapted the falls into not only a symbol of beauty, but also as generators of electricity. That was the great masterpiece of my nephew’s reign, truly. Most of the Empire’s electricity comes from hydropower thanks to our many rivers and dams.”

[Planetary Union of Arcania]

The Prime Minister nodded, seeing the somewhat on the nose symbolism, however he decided not to make a comment on it.

"I have been pushing for the widespread adoption of nuclear power within Arcania for some time, the Republic would be well served by it, especially with access to a domestically produced source of high grade uranium, however ensuring the proper regulations, safety systems and disposal systems are in place has run into several unexpected setbacks, however, those have been isolated setbacks, and the project as a whole is going relatively smoothly, and the nations island location and several rivers have proven beneficial, providing plenty of water for cooling systems, there are already several power plants that are functional, and could if need be provide stable power to no less than eighty percent of the entire nation, and the matter has been simplified by the implementation of a conversion system for old coal and oil power plants, which has reduced the time and money needed to produce these nuclear plants, by utilizing already existing non nuclear facilities." He then said "It has proven quite fruitful."

[Kingdom of Derita]

The Emperor nodded his head his allowing as Riser spoke of his push for nuclear energy, though he himself did not share the same enthusiasm for the topic.

“There have been talks in the past of adopting nuclear energy in the Empire, though it has never held much public support, and many of my predecessors outright opposed the idea. I may concur on it high productivity and the many safety regulations that go in place in ensuring it’s maintenance— but the Deritain public have remained opposed to the potential dangers it may hold if employed for civilian power generation.”

“However, have you explored its power generation for the powering of naval vessels?”

[Planetary Union of Arcania]

The Prime Minister nodded and said "It was given heavy consideration, nuclear power provides a number of advantages, particularly to large ships and submarines, however it is not as efficient in a smaller ship such as a frigate, where the extra cost and complexity may not be worth the extended range on such a ship, which is why nuclear powered vessels do not make up the majority of the fleet, simply put, it would severely hamper the ability of the navy to field as many frigates as it does if they were to all be nuclear powered, due to cost, and would make the logistical requirements for repairs more complicated than needed for vessels expected to be able to operate alone or in pairs during peace time. On submarines, it is worthwhile, due to the extended submerge times, and practical removal of the need to surface for refueling, and in larger aircraft carriers, and battleships similar advantages apply, and a nuclear reactor does not dramatically increase the cost of those already costly ships when compared relatively to say a frigate, however, we opted not to take the nuclear supercarrier route, instead we operate a larger number of smaller carriers, which can be in more places at once, while still bringing a respectable amount of aircraft to the table."


He then said " As for the dangers, many of the disposal issues are not as severe as one would believe, in fact there are currently trials under way to utilize existing oil drilling equipment to create waste disposal holes, drilled deep into bed rock, which has been proven to be capable of absorbing and stopping radiation when sufficiently thick, in fact there is a natural example of a uranium ore pocket that has gone critical, but because it is so deep in the earths crust, the bed rock has stopped any radiation leaking from a deposit of actively radioactive material larger than all of the worlds radioactive waste combined, and its even better when you look at the numbers, because the waste everyone is so scared of is very small fraction of the actual waste produced by the reactors, the majority of the rest can be burned and then burried, and even the bad waste is only difficult to deal with because of the radiation specifically, it is not some liquid goop, instead it is simply pieces of metal and glass, often melted together for storage purposes and sealed into large concrete containers, which can usually be stored on site."

[Kingdom of Derita]

The Emperor nodded his head. The Empire had for many decades primarily focused on its land based operations— the empire was vast, the largest nation on the continent, and had cultivated its many lands, rivers and mountains in service to the empire, pushing them to form the protective boundaries that had held for centuries. But the sea had always proved a weak point, thanks to several generations of isolationist policies. The Empire had once had a might fleet, but that had been well over a century ago, and now they had few vessels that while capable of defending the coastline, could not easily protect their power outwards.

“Perhaps the Empire too should consider the diversification of its naval assets, in the Arcanian model, particularly in regards to carriers and submarines, in order to protect our maritime trading interests and see to it that the seas remain safe and free of a return of piracy and criminality. It is always useful to have a fortress out at sea.”

“As for the issue of nuclear power and its use in civilian applications, perhaps that topic can serve as one shared between research as well as academic institutions between Derita and Arcania, to help in both spreading the understanding of how it works and the steps it takes to keep it a safe and sustainable energy source— as well as pushing forward projects into finding even better newer ways of dealing with the refuse.”

[Planetary Union of Arcania]

The Prime Minister nodded, they were not a strategic partner, at least not yet, so he decided to let their current perception persist, at least for the moment.

"We started by looking at various nuclear accidents and spills in the past, and looked at both the causes, and what may have been done to prevent those accidents, including looking at whether proper maintenance of the facilities or transportation methods to see if proper maintenance and repair was being done, and indeed improper maintenance, some of it intentional for the purpose of profit, has had no small part in several of the worlds nuclear accidents, so we have put substantial effort into looking into ways to ensure the proper maintenance of facilities and transportation methods is done, and done both properly and concisely., which is why we are being so strict with our regulations, and it is likely that an entire department dedicated to the regulation and inspection of these nuclear facilities will be created in the future."

The Prime Minister looked out across the water, and the hotel that was the chosen site came into view, it had a beautiful view of the harbor, and was easily one of the most luxurious and well maintained in the entire city.

"Ah, we have almost arrived, not too much longer now."

[Kingdom of Derita]

“Ah,” the Emperor said trying to follow the prime minister’s gaze, looking over the water and the buildings that lined it. He rolled his broad shoulders, and winced slightly as he prepared himself for the effort of having to stand back up. He was now at least grateful for the convertible as it at least meant he did not have to entirely fold his long frame in the car. “That is good then, then we might properly begin things.”

[Planetary Union of Arcania]

The Car eventually came to a halt in front of the hotel, the building stretching up several stories, and its top rooms providing an excellent view of the city and the harbor, normally the place would be teeming with guests going about, arriving, checking in, checking out and leaving, however the hotel had, for the moment been temporarily bought out for the sake of the meeting to help prevent unnecessary security risks. There were no visible armed guards, which had been a deliberate choice to make the choice of location hard to discern for a would be attacker, however, a frigate with associated naval infantry teams was on stand by, should the need for a quick response to a threat arise.

The Prime Minister stepped out of the car first, a special security agent holding the door open, as he stepped out onto the carefully laid marble steps, and the Prime Minister turned and said "You should see the view from the upper floors, the harbor is quite something to see from there.

[Kingdom of Derita]

Prince Anakele stepped out of the car next, and left it for the Emperor to step out last— seen as the right order as he was the highest ranking of them. The prince aided his father in standing, getting up out of the car, rising once more to his towering figure. The Emperor glanced up, briefly, his eye tracing up the length of the building. Tall building red were a rarity in most of the empire— though conversely Aukusa City and Infinity were famously covered with many skyscrapers, the former said to have the most per capita, though this served to show the striking difference between the coastal cities and the vast interior of the empire.

“Let us hope they possess an elevator then,” the Emperor said.

[Planetary Union of Arcania]

The Prime Minister gave an amused smile and said "They do, it is a hotel after all, not a prison"

He led them inside, a custodian opening the brass framed glass door, and revealing the luxurious front lobby, with a set of four elevators, seperated into two pairs for each side of the hotel, they were old fashioned in appearance, and indeed, the hotel had been around for quite some time, but these particular elevators were only old fashioned in style, in their operation they were as modern as any, in the place of buttons, a touch screen with an arrow pointing up. One of the custodians pressed it, and the button changed color to red, indicating that the elevator had been called, and then, after about a minute, changed to green, and the door opened, revealing the pleasant, wooden panel walls of the interior of the elevator.

The Prime Minister entered, decided to allow the emperor and the prince to enjoy and take in the sights themselves, rather than pointing them out, he was no salesman after all.

[Kingdom of Derita]

The Emperor let out a grunt that might have been a laugh and he and his son walked forward, and took to the elevator. The Emperor admired the elevator, with it old school aesthetics but new age technology. While the Emperor himself didn’t get the particulars or technical aspects of new technologies, he was a man of progress and had long promoted the digitalization and automation process of everyday life.

Prince Anakele remained silent as the elevator rose, his attention, obscured by his veil, on Prime Minister Riser. The prince could not help but wonder what it was that Riser wanted, politically out of this. The Empire was a valuable friend and ally to have, and with a reformer like the Emperor and their own Prime Minister Rohan at the helm, they were slated to take up a more active position in the continent. But that as general. While Anakele knew his father’s own aims, he considered what Riser’s might be.

[Planetary Union of Arcania]

The Prime Minister did not make a move or sound to acknowledge it, but he could feel the Princes eyes on him, however, he focused on the current situation, and turned his head to the emperor and spoke.

"Just wait until you see the view, we pride ourselves on the cleanliness and purity of our shores and coastline, and the National Environmental Protection Agency goes to great lengths to protect the reefs that exist just off the coast, and not just for sentimental reasons, fishing and other forms of aquaculture is major source of food for those on the coast, and also presents a substantial source of income as well, with shipments made to towns and cities in the interior. There is also a substantial pearl harvesting industry, although it is heavily regulated to ensure that it remains viable for generations to come."

[Kingdom of Derita]

The Emperor nodded his head.

“The environment is indeed integral to the development of not only nations but the future of the human race. It is wise to protect it, particularly oceanic marine ecosystems, for they perhaps more than any other are vastly interconnected. The Empire has considered more far reaching environmentalist policies, particularly regarding our coastal and our blue waters,” the Emperor said, gently steering the conversation in a preferred direction. “This though has been has hindered by the undefined nature of where such an environmental agency’s jurisdiction might end.”

[Planetary Union of Arcania]

The Prime Minister nodded, and said "it is a tricky subject, here in the republic, it is as much reliant on individual self enforcement as it is on actual governmental enforcement, law enforcement alone cant accomplish the goal of environmental protection, it is as much the job of the fishermen themselves. Education plays an important role, as well as ensure that it is done in a manner that is still economically viable for those partaking in those activities, a fisherman is more likely to fish in an environmentally suitable way if it is still profitable to do so. At least here, the Environmental Protection Agency is less of a enforcement agency, instead being a joint cooperation between various fields, with biologists, fishermen, dock owners, surfers, divers, and more all being just as integral as an officer with a badge and a gun, not to mention that these individuals can often have a bit more freedom in spreading knowledge and habits than a law enforcement officer, as they may not necessarily be restricted by borders."

He then smiled and said "Its one of those things a politician or a general my not be suitably equipped or educated in dealing with, so it is a exercise in delegating to those that are wiser in the field than myself, although my background in agriculture does help some, ill be the first to admit that there are more than a few in that field that know much more than I do on the matter."

Soon, a pleasant light chirp filled the elevator, and it came to a halt, and the door opened, revealing a beautiful top floor balcony, with a large pool, however, it was overshadowed by the view of the harbor, with its crystal clear, aqua blue water, and from their angel one could see the bottom of the habor, revealing the occasional dolphin or porpoise swimming about, and above the boats and other vessels going about their business, various birds of various types and sizes flew about, and above them the occasional helicopter or airplane flew as well.

[Kingdom of Derita]

The Emperor let out another grunt as they stepped out of the elevator. The prime minister did certainly seem earnest in his position over the environmental agency and the good that it could do, as well as the importance of it being decentralized and responsibility in part handed over to the public and individuals.

“I concur that often the path to spreading knowledge is often best lead by those who are not law enforcement, but rather members of the community first.” The Emperor thought of his own grandson, who was a surfer and the joy there was in people’s faces at his competitions. It was a great platform for spreading awareness about marine life and the oceanic environment.

“But,” the Emperor said his eye glanced out of the window. The view was nice, though the Emperor was not particularly impressed. And he was focused on his own goals. “There is an ever present need to be prepared for when law enforcement does need to step in and secure things within one’s borders. After all, to protect your waters, you must be prepared to prevent those who trespass them with their pollutants and unauthorized dumping.”

Prince Anakele, perhaps more diplomatic than his father, and understanding the importance the prime minister had set on the view, made a show of admiring the harbor— at least as much as he could beneath the veil— and added, “Particularly when such beauty as this is what needs to be protected.”

[Planetary Union of Arcania]

The Prime Minister smiled, understanding well what the Emperor meant, and responded quickly.

“Of course, when needed the Agency not only has its own small enforcement vessels, but can also call on vessels of the Federal Navy in the case of larger, more organized or foreign groups violating regulation, however, that is simply one of many layers of the effort, it is simply that some may become too focused on enforcement and miss the other, often more subtle and equally important parts of what makes such environmental policies effective. Of law enforcement alone were enough, it would not require its own dedicated agency to handle and regulate.”

There was already a set of comfortable chairs, as well as a beautiful, but simply designed brass and glass table set up for the negotiations to take place, with a full view of the harbor backdropping the table.

The Prime Minister motioned a hand towards it and said “Please, let us get down to buisness, then we can share a bottle of good wine and the view once the work is done.”

[Kingdom of Derita]

The Emperor nodded, admiring the glass and brass table as he was helped into one of the conference room chairs with the aid of his son, who remained standing just behind him, despite the chairs available. The prince stood like a sentinel at the monarch’s blind side.

“Perhaps something less alcoholic, but nonetheless sparkling,” said the Emperor. “After we have gotten down to business of course.”

[Planetary Union of Arcania]

The Prime minister gave a nod, before an assistant nearby brought over a set of papers, and the Prime Minister received them with a quick “Thank You”

He then placed them in the table, and placed the papers so that the pair could easily view them before beginning to speak.

“To get to the point, it is of the beliefs of both myself and Parliamebt that a free trade aggrement between our nations would be of great benefit, and would foster both economic and cultural exchange, not to mention begin the process of trust building.”