A Quadripartite Entente

[DeSchaine]

"You could bake all the platitudes into the sweetest, most succulent Taeunas whiskey cake, and people would still choke on them. And what of the rest f the world? Do you think other nations will sit idly by and do nothing? Sindar and Falsea are sure to call for help, and what then?" She flipped open a folder and pulled out a sheet of paper of lists and figures, tossing it to the middle of the table. "Carpathia can't seem to mind it's own business." Another sheet. "Severyane is a newly minted democracy. How do we know they won't jump at the chance to prove themselves? The HLE. Eskkya. Mestra. Soyabar. Oslanburg." More sheets. What would happen if even one of them threw their hats into the ring?"

[Adwest]

"And that is exactly why we have freedom of action, ambassador." voiced the Lord Protector in response to Conolly. He shifted his gaze from the mess of documents the woman threw on her table, probably dossiers on the countries she mentioned. One of them already made their way to Halnish' hands, who also stood up and made his way over to the delegation from Taeunas.

The Lord Protector looked Conolly squarely in the eyes, as he told her "I am aware your government has a low opinion on the foreign policy of Adwest for a long time now, but I must profess I find it insulting you take us for a group of crass fools. Not all those in power will seek the shortest route to gain more, even if it is the goal."

Halnish caught this and shifted his eyes from the dossier on Soyabar to the sight of Gore-Culross. It was a thinly-veiled remark against the Adwestene high nobility, of which he was one of the leading figures.

Ignoring his fellow, the Lord Protector continued. "The application of military force in order to achieve our desired ends is inevitable yes, but we could do it in a way that does not give these foreign powers an easy avenue to simply waltz in. The governments of Sindar-Astrasia and Falsea have been complacent to live an insulated existence, and so has Cynas to an extent. We can do away with them without necessarily having to appear so bluntly as aggressors."

The Adwestene thought for a moment, before saying a final remark. "And if foreign powers still find their way somehow in the region, then we'll blow them off the coasts. I hope Taeunas isn't afraid of that prospect?"

[DeSchaine]

"That's your plan for dealing with the possible intervention by foreign powers? 'Blow them off the coasts.' Brilliant." Maj. McKenna was normally silent at these sorts of proceedings, but here he spoke up. "Even we in Taeunas are not so arrogant to think that we could stand up to the combined power of whatever coalition may be pacted against us without significant loss of life and damage to both capability and infrastructure. Just because you..."

Etain placed her hand on the Major's arm to hold him back, and he stopped. "You say you have all these ways and means to accomplish these goals, but I see no evidence of that here. I see no evidence of any plan whatsoever other than taking it because you want it." She fixed a cool gaze on the Lord Protector as she spoke. "How exactly would you keep outside influence at bay?"

[Adwest]

"It is not arrogance, major" piped up the Lord Halnish, returning to his seat, hands clasped together in the table. The polished campaign medal given to footmen during the height of the republican rebellion - most likely belonging to someone other than the noble himself, as he did not participate in those battles - glimmered proudly among the rest of his other decorations.

"While we understand the importance of preparation and contingency, might it also be said that you exaggerate the situation. The diplomatic weight of Sindar-Astrasia and Falsea is overrated, as well as the willingness of the aforementioned powers to enforce whatever consensus they reach between themselves. While we might see this coalition do form, I sincerely believe they will be paper tigers. All bark and no bite."

"Might we recall the Tambossan crisis, ambassador" began the Lord Protector again, his sight transferring to the projected map once more.

"The situation in that country was very detestable, to use a word. And yet there was minimal intervention to affect change in that place. There was opposition yes to the Lanlanians and Nylanders yes, by the Batavians in particular, but aside from that, it is simply the fact that these states are weak. They are constrained by the reality of both internal and external factors. At home, their citizens waver to support costly overseas wars where they are seen to not have any legitimate interests at all especially in the face of other issues, on the domestic front mostly, facing their states. Further, if they risk the ire of their populace, then they will face further opposition from our coalition. And if they choose to bear arms against us, then we naturally must strike back."

The Lord Protector paused. He was fixated on the map, identifying the key states likely to make it their mandate to meddle in the affairs of Kvaenna. But he turned towards Conolly as he spoke once again, steadily holding her glance.

"To answer your question, our takeovers will be conducted indirectly. In a clandestine fashion, if you prefer. A fait accompli. But I refuse to divulge further details until I and everyone else in this room is assured of your government's support."

[DeSchaine]

"Clandestine can mean anything from simple vote tampering to mass extermination by means of a chemical or biological agent in a water supply. Until we are assured of the means by which these changes will be accomplished, Taeunas will not either condone or condemn this endeavor. And no, personal assurances are not enough at this stage."

[Jamzor the Jaxxor]

"Miss Conolly, allow me to give you my frank assessment of the situation, regarding the potential for foreign intervention," Assistant Deputy Director Eadinga said. "Mestra and Eskkya? Pfft," Eadinga waved his hand dismissively. "The chances of them getting involved in anything in Kvaenna are microscopically small. I don't think you have to worry about Severyane either. They have only recently gone through tremendous political upheaval, and our experts tell me that the new 'konsul' is unlikely to support an overseas military conflict.

"The Lanlanians? They are a stagnant power, but still a dangerous one, so you are right to be wary of them. However, our experts assure me that they are highly unlikely to intervene militarily in Kvaenna of their own initiative. This continent is simply of no interest to them. In fact, they signed a treaty to that effect some fifty years ago, and renewed that very treaty only two years ago. The treaty of 1532 between the Kingdom of Arrenland and the Lanlanian Empire is what I am referring to, of course.

"No, the only way that the Lanlanians are liable to become involved is if they are brought in by some treaty obligation. We know they have a treaty with Oslanburg, but it is similar to the treaty with my own country - meaning they are under no obligation to join any foreign adventurism on the part of the Oslanburgers."

Eadinga sighed. "Speaking of which... Oslanburg, Soyabar, and Carpathia. These, I believe, you are right in being somewhat concerned over. Oslanburg's new government is a bit more outwardly minded, internationally-wise. They seem to want to make up for their fifteen or so years of nationalist rule. Soyabar and Carpathia, the communists, are also liable to intervene if given the opportunity. In my own personal opinion, I don't think that the Oslanburgers have the stomach for a long conflict in some region of the world they otherwise have no interests in. Their commitment to conflict is, in my opinion, not very strong.

"The communists, however, have an ideological investment in Falsea. One advantage that we have is that Carpathia is almost universally despised and viewed with distrust by the international community. Soyabar is somewhat disliked, as well, though to a lesser extent. This will mean that any coalition they might attempt to build against us is unlikely to be joined by any meaningful powers."

[DeSchaine]

"Thank you for that masterful analysis where you completely discount all adverse contingencies. How short sighted. That leads to the possibility of being blindsided when one or more of them do step up. We try to plan at least broad strokes for such things. So, gentlemen, my previous statement stands."

[Adwest]

"The delegation from Taeunas has been clearly eaten by paranoia and have therefore been paralyzed into inaction. But now that we've entered the realm of needing to know everything before going ahead, then might I comment that perhaps they are not interested in this affair and therefore do not belong here in the first place."

The Lord Halnish's words rang around the hall as he glared at the woman ambassador, his patience running thin. But before he could continue, he was overtaken by the Lord Protector.

"There's no point jumping into conclusions." first remarked Gore-Culross, both to Halnish and Conolly. "The Arrenlander delegation, whose country shares these close relations with those outside powers so very feared by Taeunas, have provided us with the closest and most accurate assessment possible outside even our own intelligence agencies and diplomatic missions - both of which do not enjoy the same degree of connection within domestic political circles in those countries unlike the Arrenlanders do. If however this does not suffice, ambassador, then perhaps you would like to provide us with your own objective and factual assessment?"

[DeSchaine]

Etain had long since decided to ignore anything that came from Halnish. "I have already stated, several times, what will suffice. And yet you seek to evade the question. Why? Do you not have plans that that cover contingencies? Do you have any plans at all for this adventure?"