EPTO Summit 2010

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61

Tricorne – Inside the conference room

The voting process had gone rather smooth. Terrus’ proposal to entrust the Elite Empire of the Secretariat had been rather surprising… but in the end, Codric had to admit it was a good idea. Despite his own claims, EPTO had suffered of a partial inactivity: the admission of new members and the assignment to them of responsibility positions would have hopefully helped bringing back the enthusiasm they needed.

After a short while, when the process of congratulations had ended, he tried to focus back the delegates’ attention.

«My Lords, my Ladies… while joining the congratulations to the Elite Empire, I want to remind you that our agenda is still very busy. The appointment of our Secretary General was indeed the first step only, in this process of reforming EPTO. The next one would be… its very organization. You’ve been given preliminary briefs referring to EPTO’s… history. The territorial partition of the beginnings, with separate commands coming in the lead according to geographical reasons. Then, a partition based on the different types of missions… your opinions and suggestions for the new EPTO will now be greatly appreciated»

[hr]
Two kilometers out of Tricorne

Due to the ongoing EPTO conference, three roads only had been left open to enter the capital of RNH. The southern route m. 236 was one of them and, luckily enough, the traffic wasn’t heavy at all: in the last twenty minutes or so the blockade had been reached by nothing more than thirteen vehicles… fourteen, counting the van speeding up towards them in that very moment.

With a single glance, the Hatian Captain commanding the blockade ordered to the Rezielan EPTO soldiers to activate the loudspeakers. A moment after, the metallic voice croaked the standard warning message.

«Unidentified vehicle, reduce your speed to a maximum of 30 mph and prepare for an inspection. Signal with your headlamps you’ve heard this message. If unanswered, at 300 meters from the blockade we’ll open fire»

[hr]
Tricorne – Out of the conference room

«I… should have. It’s… complicated. A ton of external considerations come into play. Duty, role, positions… blood lineages» sighed Lachdanan, his thoughts wandering towards the Kangarawan woman waiting for him in New Irem. But in the end, he allowed himself a smile.

«And there’s obviously my… foster mother, if we can call her like that. And the Archangels. So… yes, in the end I can say I have a family. A bit bigger than standard ones… but it’s either that or having to recognize I’m one of the loneliest Princes ever» he grinned «And you? Someone waiting for you in Mahanoy?»

62

“My opinion in this matter is,”-started Lörcs-“that the structure of the EPTO should be modelled after the structure of the NATO. That is, a council that makes the decisions, a parliament, that sets the political agenda, the millitary committee and a civilian committee for the execution of the policies in their respective fields, and a defence committee that coordinates the efforts of the millitary and civillian branches.”

63

“The EPTO used to operate off a charter that laid out its basic operations but allowed the Secretary-General to determine specifics,” Terrus said after a moment, “and the Federated Alliance is still interested in that sort of setup. With that in mind, let me put forth the following proposal, which I personally drafted, but which has been reviewed by several experts in my nation.”

Terrus’ aide passed around copies of the proposal as he spoke.

— Begin quote from ____

The Parties to this Treaty, hereinafter the Parties,
Reaffirming their desire to live in peace with all peoples and governments,
Determined to safeguard the freedom, common heritage, and civilization of their peoples,
Committed to the principles of democracy, individual liberty, and rule of law, and
Resolved to promote stability and well-being in the East Pacific area,
have agreed to unite their efforts for collective defense and for the preservation of peace and security through this East Pacific Treaty:

ARTICLE 1
The Parties undertake to settle any international dispute in which they may be involved by peaceful means in such a manner that international peace and security and justice are not endangered, and to refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force except when absolutely necessary.

ARTICLE 2
The Parties will contribute toward the further development of peaceful and friendly international relations by strengthening their free institutions, by bringing about a better understanding of the principles upon which these institutions are founded, and by promoting conditions of stability and well-being. They will seek to eliminate conflict in their international economic policies and will encourage economic collaboration between any or all of them.

ARTICLE 3
In order more effectively to achieve the objectives of this Treaty, the Parties, separately and jointly, by means of continuous and effective self-help and mutual aid, will maintain and develop their individual and collective capacity to resist armed attack.

ARTICLE 4
The Parties will consult together whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the Parties is threatened.

ARTICLE 5
The Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them shall be considered an attack against them all and consequently they agree that, if such an armed attack occurs, each of them will assist the Party or Parties so attacked by taking forthwith, individually and in concert with the other Parties, such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the East Pacific area.

ARTICLE 6
Each Party declares that none of the international engagements now in force between it and any other of the Parties or any third State is in conflict with the provisions of this Treaty, and undertakes not to enter into any international engagement in conflict with this Treaty.

ARTICLE 7
The Parties hereby establish a Council, on which each of them shall be represented, to consider matters concerning the implementation of this Treaty. The Council shall be so organised as to be able to meet promptly at any time and shall be chaired by a Secretary General elected from amongst the representatives to the Council by the representatives to the Council. The Council shall set up such subsidiary bodies as may be necessary; in particular it shall establish immediately an Emergency Action Force to provide military assistance to any Party in the case of a threat to the security of that Party and an Emergency Response Force to provide humanitarian assistance to any Party in the case of a non-security related threat to that Party.

ARTICLE 8
The Parties may, by unanimous agreement, invite any other East Pacifican State in a position to further the principles of this Treaty and to contribute to the security of the East Pacific area to accede to this Treaty. Any State so invited may become a Party to the Treaty by depositing its instrument of accession with the Council established in Article 7.

ARTICLE 9
This Treaty shall be ratified and its provisions carried out by the Parties in accordance with their respective constitutional processes. The instruments of ratification shall be deposited as soon as possible with the Council.

ARTICLE 10
The Parties may, by unanimous consent, amend this treaty at any time as may be necessary.

ARTICLE 11
Any Party to this Treaty may cease to be a Party immediately after its transmission of denunciation to the Council.

— End quote

64

After reading Terrus’ proposal, Lörcs looked up and said:

“-I find this proposal accetpable. It has my support.”

65

“Democrazy and Liberalism as in the will of the people. This has Veerilions support.” Said General Fortress.

66

After consulting with Greg as they both read the document, Kimberly spoke. “For the most part this will be agreeable with my counterparts,” turning towards Greg in what appeared to be a silent agreement, “It will have our backing.”

67

“Alright, then,” Terrus said after a few moments. “It seems we’re all in agreement. Unless there is any objections, I believe this Charter is now in effect. Congratulations, everyone. The EPTO is now reformed.”

The former President took a breath. “Now, I believe there are a few administrative matters to address. First off, we need to elect a new Secretary General. Second, we need to determine the leaders of the Emergency Action Force and Emergency Response Force. I believe that’s it.”

“Why don’t we open up nominations for all three positions?”

68

“I do believe the issue of Secretary General has been decided. Unless we have had raised objections to the issue, I would agree with President Terrus that it is time to move forward,” Vaeda spoke kindly, smiling politely as she brushed a loose lock of her auburn hair behind her ear, “as for the issue of the emergency action and reaction, I have heard some discussion that perhaps it would be best that we unite these organizations under one leadership. Although I see the purpose of the divide, until necessary, we may benefit from uniting them until the need to separate these functions becomes evident. In any event, I personally would like to nominate the East Malaysians and Veerilions for the position. I feel both would be strong empowering leaders which would be needed for the task. Of course, I must speak on behalf of my nation’s needs and my General as well, who would nominate the Rezielians. General Novac endorses strong military presences and has thus been pleased with the security display during this meeting,” Vaeda continued as she took notes on a sheet of paper in the open portfolio book, "he would feel it an imperative need to have such an organized military running such affairs.

“Again, I give only our nominations,” Vaeda finished, lifting her eyes to the other ambassadors as she finished writing herself a note.

Meanwhile, outside on the balcony, Novac straightened unconsciously, his rigidity becoming more evident while his mind played over Lachdanan’s question. Someone waiting for you? His muscles tightened more, the man standing taller than he had just moments ago, the reflexive defensive position he assumed when dealt those hard questions to answer.

“Reiser,” Novac began slowly, carefully placing each word. While part of him wanted to just confess it all, tell the man he came to instantly trust his pains, he faltered, the years of suppressed emotional restraint taking control. Sliding his hand behind his back, he appeared to be presenting himself before Mahanoy’s Figurehead as he spoke and it was evident now that Novac was reverting to defense mechanisms to protect himself from the implications of that question. Truth be told, Novac knew his interests in Carbonis had little to do with The Elite Empire and more to do with the life he wished he had. “I am sure you understand that my position does not afford me an opportunity to have a family.”

Unconvinced Lachdanan looked at the man with a curious gaze, knowing he was on the brink of revealing some truth. Men of war. Men of the military life. He understood the General more than another probably had.

“Go on,” Lachdanan insisted, leaning to the side as he waiting for Novac to answer.

Imperceptibly Novac nodded in confirmation. Had there ever been a doubt about this man’s trustworthiness, it had instantly been dispelled in that simple gesture.

“Very well,” Novac continued, his rigid posture loosening as he leaned over the balcony, breaking his commanding form for a moment, “In my youthful years, I once had a chance at a family. As all men of our breed are forced to do, I made the sacrifice of personal happiness and family to serve my nation. Dante was my commanding officer, there was never a doubt I would walk with him to his grave. Since his fall, I have been shuffled from responsibility to responsibility. In the past ten years I have not known what a break was. If I am not at international conferences such as this one, I am coordinating military missions, authorizing the movement of troops and resources, while running a daycare of young upcoming military students. For the most part, I work alone. I imagine this existence would be lonely to most, but I seldom have time to contemplate what loneliness means. The closet I will ever be to a family is those young men and women I authorize and oversee the missions of. That young man with your Lieutenant DeCorde, Diehl, is my family as this point. That young man will be my legacy if he survives long enough to carry on what I have taught him,” Novac finished with a slight slumping of his shoulders, as if the thought of Damon’s death was a crushing blow to his mien.

69

“I would agree, The Rezilians, are a very good choice in my opinion, at least for the The Emergency Action Force. If we do not unite the 2 forces, then i will second there nomination ether way. I think that I, should have no problem with the The Emergency Response Force task. And that should adress both possiblities, and we should unite the 2 forces, it would make it so much easier to deal with.” said General Fortress.

70

“-In my opinion the the high command should not be given to one nation. The High Command of the EPTO forces should be made up of officers from different countries, choosed carefully by a committee. We can’t just give the whole leadership to a country just becouse they’re “nice enough” or “they are old reliable members”. This conference should only lay down the groundworks, give the general form and direction. Determining who should fill in what position, “furnishing the house” so to say, is beyond the scope of this conference, in my opinion. I support the notion of merging the millitary and civillian command of EPTO.”

71

Tricorne – Outside the conference room

Catching Novac’s instinctive stiffening, Lachdanan decided that diffusing the sudden tension would have probably been a wise decision. The man was a trustworthy one… but it was patent obvious that personal issues were a painful matter of conversation, for him.

«We should then cross all of our fingers, hoping Rainbow will not mess up things up there in the Arctic, shouldn’t we?» he grinned.

«Rainbow… the Archangel battlename of Lieutenant De Corde, I guess»

«Yes… bestowed on him by his own mother when he was seven… and immediately seconded by the most part of his companions and trainers. Still valid, I think. Arian is… an atypical Archangel. More… shining than all of us. Able to bring hope, just as the rainbow brings joy after a tempest, but at the same time… you wonder if it’s really there. If it has its own… consistency. That’s… more or less the same with Arian. We still have to find out if there’s a pot of gold at the end of the arch… or if it dissolves into nothing»

[hr]
Tricorne – Inside the conference room

«Lord Gábor… I confess I’m honestly perplexed. For the whole conference, you have shown a deep concern about EPTO’s inability to be quick and factual in his conduct… and now, as soon as things speed up and decision are being taken, you complain about said decisions to be ‘out of the agenda’ and then vouch for them to be taken… later. I cannot support this… we are reforming EPTO, and such a reform needs positions to be filled. To know who’s who. As I’ve told, participation to EPTO requires a lot of work… and funds: issues which cannot be delayed or postponed. We have to know now which nation is required to do what, if only in terms of arranging facilities. If a new nation has to be entrusted the leadership of EAF… we definitely want to know it today. Postponing said appointments can’t do anything but harm the credibility of EPTO. What if an emergency arises tomorrow? Who’ll be in charge of co-ordinate EPTO’s response?»

Catching a couple of nodded assents, Codric went on.

«On our side, we respectfully disagree with Lady Vae… with the EPTO’s General Secretariat» he corrected himself, excusing the error with a smile «Indeed, despite deeply linked, EAF and ERF have different purposes… and hence they require different… sensibilities, if you all will pass me the term. Till now, Kangarawa has done a great job, whilst I have to admit that the nation I represent wouldn’t have been able to cope just as well with the issues coming from a key position inside ERF. Just a clarification for our Lazlowian counterpart… this is not a matter of giving predominance to a single nation, but situations where EAF or ERF are required… well, in similar cases you usually do not have so much time for a committee to meet, examine and decide. You need a quick response. And to achieve said quickness, you need a coordinator which, supported by a small number of officers permanently assigned to the Force, has the chance to take a decision. A decision which can later be examined by a larger panel… but that, in the first instance, comes without long and official preliminary meetings»

«Concluding… we vote against the proposed merging. If the motion doesn’t pass, despite being honored by the shown trust, Reziel would vouch for a confirmation of Free Pacific States as coordinator of EAF. The appointment of Veerilion as coordinator of ERF appears definitely acceptable, as Kangarawa doesn’t seem too interested in maintaining the position. On the contrary… in case the merging motion is approved, our choice for a… “global coordinator” would be free Pacific States»

72

Hayes, having so far remained silent for the duration of the meeting other than to exchange greetings with old friends, nodded his agreement with Codric’s words.

“I would also speak against the merger. As the individual formerly responsible for the functioning of the ERF, I can assure you that its role is drastically different than that of the EAF. While superb communication between the two is essential, each requires the autonomy to act independently if required.”

“Kangarawa also supports the nomination of Veerilion as coordinator of the ERF. As far as the EAF is concerned, we regard both Free Pacific States and Reziel as viable candidates.”

73

“Veerilion, will have no problem, with cordinating the more humanitarian component of EPTO, if all so agree, but if the 2 potions are merged, then Veerilion will not object to free Pacific States. The Rezilians still has our approval for The Emergency Action Force cordinator.” responded General Fortress, to the new arguments that had appeard.

74

“While the Federated Alliance understands the motivation behind the idea of combining the force, my government cannot endorse putting humanitarian operations under the same roof as military operations.”

Terrus took a breath. “With regards to the leadership of the forces, the Federated Alliance does not object to any of the nominations, but I must make a note. While my government does desire to retain its position as coordinator of the EAF, it is more interested in retaining its current responsibility as host of the headquarters of the EPTO, given the resources we’ve expended in the past to build, maintain, and protect those facilities. So if the decision is to be made that the EAF coordinator and national host ought not be the same nation, then I must respectfully decline the former duty on behalf of my nation.”

75

Ambassador Elias placed his PADD on the table, leaning forward, he spoke up. “East Malaysia is going to have to turn down the nomination but my government places its backing behind FPS because they currently have the facilities. But we would also support the possibility of perhaps another EAF force location, for a wider range of reach. My nation would be interested in providing a communication link between any locations for quick information transfers.”

Taking a breath, “As far as the EAF and ERF, will require independence, and if anything requires attention…they can be solved at the HQ.”

76

Speaking in circles.

Smiling Vaeda continued to write on the sheet of paper before her. Between taking notes of the meeting, she wrote in the subtle language of Mahanionian’s, reminding herself of the concerns which she would need to discuss with Novac.

“Excuse me gentlemen, the idea of the merger was not my own. I would appreciate it if you would not attach my name to the ideas of others that I merely have chosen to speak aloud,” Vaeda’s glance shifted among the representatives as she held herself in a regal manner, “As you are well aware, The Elite Empire does not bother itself in such trifle debates. I spoke only on behalf of the position I was entrusted. If you suddenly have no debate in a previously questioned ordeal then I wish not to be the source of that supposed debate and insist that we move along.” With a lingering glance at the Veerilion and Rezelian speakers, she again jotted down a note before retreating back to her thoughts.

77

“Well, of course I’ll bend to the will of the majority. However, I would like to abstain from supporting anyone.”

78

«Lady Vaeda, I apologize for having misunderstood your position» Codric replied politely… civilians. Diplomacy. What a pain! «However… gentlemen, please. Let’s try to reach conclusions, here. About the possible merger between EAF and ERF, we have four votes against: they would be Reziel, FPS, Kangarawa and East Malaysia. Lazlow will adhere to the majority… and TEE won’t oppose the structure to remain as it’s shaped right now… am I correct enough?»

Getting a neat majority of assenting nods, Codric smiled to the assembly before going on.

«So… that’s it. EAF and ERF will stand. Now… Veerilion seems to have been indicated as possible new coordinator for ERF. As the proposal seems generally acceptable to everyone… we can close the discussion on this topic. Due to logistics… Kangarawa will probably have to remain in charge in the immediate: we confide they’ll smoothly pass the role… supporting and counseling Veerilion in the meanwhile. They’ll undoubtedly make good use of the unquestionable experience of Tasman in handling similar matters. Aside this… I’m sure the Secretary General will forgive me if I dare to express EPTO’s greatest appreciations and thanks to the Republic of Kangarawa for their past achievements as wise leader of our Humanitarian Aid division… ERF, to use its new name»

After everyone had joined Codric’s salute, the Rezielan representative took the word again.

«Very well… now, the final issue of this round. EAF. We support Lord Terrus’ position… the headquarters of our reaction force have to remain in FPS. Too much money has been invested there… the installations have been revamped upon recently and they are state-of-the-art. Moving them elsewhere would be utter foolishness… in terms of both money and time. If, as I hope, you all agree… I admit that our Malaysian counterpart’s proposal is interesting indeed, but I think we should solve the matter of appointing a coordinator first of all. If I’m correct, Lazlow is going to abstain. FPS has the support of Reziel and East Malaysia itself. Veerilion supports the Grand Duchy of Reziel… and so does TEE. Kangarawa finds both of them suitable. Chri… Lord Hayes, please: as the risk of a tie is ‘looming’, please give us a choice. Lord Terrus… the same from you. And from our Hatians and… Drakkengaardi counterparts, at least»

79

While standing at the balcony, Novac allowed himself only that slight moment of mourning the loss of the life he never had. Pushing back the regrets, he listened to Lachdanan, picking up the slight innotations of something else.

“Arian is… an atypical Archangel. More… shining than all of us. Able to bring hope, just as the rainbow brings joy after a tempest, but at the same time… you wonder if it’s really there.”

Shining.

Returning his analytical stare to Lachdanan, Novac straightened again and looked at that man for some hidden answer. When his answer was not apparent, he asked the question his mind was begging to be answered.

“One would naturally ask, ‘what makes an Archangel shine’” Novac spoke, his voice still, even, yet with a sense of lingering forebode. It was if the man himself was the calm before the storm.

80

“Our thanks for your kind words, Lord Valenstar. Kangarawa will, of course, do everything possible to ensure a smooth transition as the ERF moves from our hands to that of Veerilion.” Catching the Veerilion representative’s eyes, he continued with a smile. “Lord Fortress, you can count on my personal support as well.”

Deliberately, he looked from member to member before continuing wryly. “As I said earlier, we see both Free Pacific States and Reziel as natural choices for coordinating the EAF. Given the infrastructure that’s already in place in FPS and to avoid the “looming risk” of a tie vote, we’ll suggest that command of the EAF continue to be Free Pacific Stares.”