Oil & Ice
Volume VI
Walkout
People’s Palace, Tsweidschugong
Chancellor Lara Hauser admired the stunning artwork in the foyer of the People’s Palace. Here she was for her 2nd Kolonialvereinigung conference as the Chancellor of Siovanija & Teusland, and the first one hosted overseas. Two years ago in Stelburg it had been a celebration of the country’s return from isolation - this year, in Tsweidschugong, it was a bit more serious.
The KV, as it was known in government circles, was the union of 10 nations forever linked together by their connection with the Teus Empire. There was Teusland itself, typically represented by the Chancellor of Siovanija & Teusland (or, if that position were held by a Siovanijan, the highest-ranking Teus member of government). And then came the former colonies. 9 of them, ranging from over 300 years to 50 under Teus rule, and from positive relations with the Teus to historically poor.
Altogether, the ‘League of 10,’ as many nations involved preferred to call it, had a total population of 206,580,000 and covered an area of 2.2 million square kilometres. Of those 206 million, it was estimated that around 50 million were ethnically Teus and that over 110 million spoke the Teus language in some form. The nations involved spanned across the known world, from Arrosia to Rushmore to Esportiva and beyond.
The League of 10 had achieved some significant successes in its history. The first conference was held shortly after the Teus Empire fell, when the 5 nations that had remained under Imperial control until the Empire itself fell met in Stelburg to discuss their joint futures. Soon after, it was agreed the conference would be held every 4 years and that each nation would get a turn to preside over the proceedings.
The League agreed to a common free trade area, a common visa-free travel area, and also an optional military alliance. Several of the nations involved still used the tolar as their currency. Many of the nations remained developing countries, and the government of Siovanija & Teusland put significant money into international aid to support these countries. The conference was later moved to being held every 2 years, and in recent years discussions of a right to work across the League had been held - there was already a streamlined pathway to citizenship in place.
The Conference itself was a favourite for diplomats from Teusland - a week spent abroad, often in interesting locations. Foreign foods, cultures, a chance to meet with other diplomats from around the world. As for many of the nations involved, it was the biggest diplomatic event of the year, there was always a wonderful opening ceremony and state dinner for all participants. Each nation would send its head of government and a large team from the diplomatic corps for the event. Each of these relationships was important for Siovanija & Teusland, but there was a special focus on relationships with the countries that had a significant Teus population.
Chancellor Hauser had attended the state dinner the night before, which was something of an awkward affair. Obviously, the Sankt Konrad dispute was going to take up plenty of time at this meeting. Hauser was seated at the head table with Tsweidschugong’s Chancellor, Pan Xieren, while Sankt Konrad’s current Prime Minister Elias Siiba was seated as far away as possible. Still, the cultural displays were enjoyed by all, and Hauser had a great chance to chat with her counterpart, Xieren.
The Conference itself finally began at 9am the next morning, and just as Pan Xieren had indicated last night, the Tsweidschugong Chancellor began her Presidium of the Conference with the following resolution:
”This conference, recognizing the recent situation in the Endemian Ocean and the tensions between the sovereign states of Siovanija & Teusland as well as Sankt Konrad, notes the following: That the unreasonable demands to give up a share in the ANG oil company go against the agreements of free and fair trade made by the League, That the sinking of the Teus fishing boat Charlotte violated the Treaty of Felsenkirchen between the two states, That the imprisonment on false charges of 5 Teus nationals in Sankt Konrad violates international law,
That the laws Bill 409 and Bill 411, acts which removed the Teus language from schools and government institutions in Sankt Konrad, serve as discrimination against a linguistic minority,
Hereby condemns Sankt Konrad, opens a discussion about economic sanctions, and urges the nations to settle their differences at this conference.”
Pan Xieren delivered the speech with a fire, and immediately opened voting: “The delegation from Tsweidschugong votes in favour.”
Tsweidschugong was the Teus language pronunciation of Cuizhu Gang, the original name of the city state the conference itself was taking place in. Both names were official, owing to the Teus colonization that had lasted from 1639-1896, over 250 years. A major port city, the Teus had purchased the island outright and it was a key naval base and trading centre for the Empire. Many Teus moved here due to its interesting culture and economic opportunity - even to this day, where they made up about 10% of the population of 5.5 million. The city state was currently government by a communist dictator - the President, who had appointed Pan Xieren. Given the economic structure of the state, however, it was really state capitalism dressed up with a red star. The dictator himself was half-Teus, and a great ally of the Teus community in the city - as a result, he was backed up by the government of Borograd who tried not to rock the boat too much when it came to interfering with their former colonies. There was no doubt that the hosts would strongly back Teusland on this one.
Disputes were often resolved like this at the Kolonialvereinigung - one nation presenting its case, and the rest of the members voting and offering a possible solution. Siovanija & Teusland and Sankt Konrad, the direct participants in the affair, were naturally made to abstain, and the voting continued in alphabetical order:
The moment passed to the delegation from the Ferdinand Islands. This archipelago of over 2000 islands covered a land area of just 975 square kilometres of land, and a population of 120,000. The country extended over 1400km, and its sea area was over 1.5 million square kilometres. Named for Kaiser Ferdinand III, the islands were under Teus control for just over 100 years before gaining independence in 1896. The tropical islands were a popular travel destination, and the capital of Teleliu was a favourite resort destination for upper-class Teus. Populated by a diverse group of tribes, with over 75 languages spoken across the islands, the Ferdinandese had maintained a good relationship with Siovanija & Teusland since independence - helped, of course, by the billions of dollars in development aid signed off in Borograd each year and the fact the country still used the tolar. Chancellor Mareta Tuala rose to speak: “The government of the Ferdinand Islands votes in favour of the resolution, and condemns the government of Sankt Konrad.”
Next up was the nation of Kap-Mosele. Discovered and named for the Teus explorer Karl Mosele, this was the island where the imperial black-white-gold tricolour had flattered for the shortest amount of time - 59 years, between 1837-1896. The small island was colonized after Sankt Konrad had been lost to Savojarna in a war, and it was hoped that Kap-Mosele would replace it as a naval stronghold and with bountiful resources. It never truly worked out, and many in Stelburg viewed it as a waste of money. The island was mostly jungle, and its harsh terrain was broken only by the port capital of Kaleluna, where 70% of the population of 650,000 lived. Kap-Mosele was the weakest economy of all the member states, and used the tolar in addition to receiving significant development aid. Prime Minister Antso Ralefy’s vote was, then, obvious: “The government of the Republic of Kap-Mosele votes to condem the government of Sankt Konrad.”
Pimealaakso was next. A colony between 1758-1896, the various tribes had united together and made life very difficult for the Teus military. The land was known as mountainous and rugged, and the reign of the foreign power had never been accepted. When the Teus left in 1896, there was finally a chance for better relations with the nation of 6.5 million people. At first, things seemed to get better, and in 1940 the governments finally met in Pimealaakso’s capital to sign the Rautakyla Accords. The Accords saw Pimealaakso enter the League of 10, and normalized relations - but soon after, a military coup has led to a long-standing far-right dictatorship in the country, who tends to blame Teusland for every problem the country has ever had. It has never been a positive relationship, and the country has threatened to leave the bloc many times - empty threats, considering how beneficial free trade has been for their economy. That made the vote of Prime Minister Tero Viitala quite a shock: “The government of Pimealaakso abstains from the voting.”
Chancellor Hauser and Foreign Minister Josef Wimmer looked at each other. What? There was a scurrying of voices around the conference as well. Pimealaakso’s government never missed an opportunity to antagonize Teusland - the fact that they remained neutral here, rather than backing their political brothers in Sankt Konrad, showed that the Blue Sun government was not going to win any popularity points today.
As the room quieted down, next to vote was Prinz-Eugens-Land. Every mother claims to not have a favourite child, but for the Teus Empire, Prinz-Eugens-Land was certainly its pride and joy. The oldest colony - with 391 years under the imperial tricolour - the nation of 15 million was about 35% Teus, and export of sapphires during the 18th and 19th centuries had made the Empire incredibly rich. Prinz-Eugens-Land was given independence in 1896, quite reluctantly on their own part as they wanted to remain linked to Stelburg. To this day, relations between the two countries were strong, and the head of the former imperial family even lived in the capital of Kapstadt. The Teus provided significant development aid, and a visit from President Gerd Steiner in recent years had boosted the relationship even more. There was no doubt about how this vote would go: “The government of Prinz-Eugens-Land votes to condemn the government of Sankt Konrad,” said Chancellor Xolani Feza.
With 3 votes remaining, only 1 more was needed to pass the resolution. Next up was another city-state, the country of Ryugasaki. The peninsular city was purchased by the Teus in 1715, who upgraded its fortifications to turn it into an impregnable fortress on the high seas - control over Ryugasaki gave control over the seas and passages around it to the Teus Navy. In 1880, with the Empire in decline, it chose to grant Ryugasaki its independence as resources needed to be concentrated at home. The nation of 3.25 million maintained a small Teus population, and there had been positive relations ever since. Prime Minister Sakane Toshiaki spoke up to vote: “The Republic of Ryugasaki votes to condemn Sankt Konrad.”
The vote had already passed, and anything more now was simply a victory lap of diplomatic success for Siovanija & Teusland. First, the country’s ally Banija had come out with a statement condemning the situation - and now, almost all of its former colonies had, too.
Next up was the nation of Sarjab. The second largest nation in the bloc in terms of population (67 million), and its third largest in terms of land mass, the region had come under Teus influence starting in 1615. The Teus Empire never claimed all of the land outright, however, and instead made strong relationships with the various princes and governors across the territory. A resource-rich economy, it was a key part of the Empire. In the mid-1800s, nationalists and religious leaders in Sarjab’s various kingdoms united and started a unification war, between the nationalist forces in the south and the Teus-backed princes in the north. The war was won by the nationalists, and the 1862 Treaty of Balramabad saw the Teus Empire officially recognize Sarjab. It wasn’t until the 1908 Treaty of Stelburg, however, that relations were normalized. The massive nation was a land rich in culture, and it still received development aid from the Teus. Chancellor Rajanvir Kajala’s vote was not truly certain, as the relationship here was not particularly strong, but given the way the vote was going today, it wasn’t shocking when he announced his government “votes in favour of condemning Sankt Konrad.”
One final vote remained - that of the Selatjaya Sultanate. A colony from 1658-1874, just over 200 years, this nation was the largest in territory of all members of the League, and its third most populous with 33 million. This vast collection of islands and one mainland area was a massive producer of rubber within the Empire, making it one of its richest regions. By the mid 1800s, however, the local population had grown tired of being ruled by the Catholic Kaiser, and a long series of brutal wars were fought in the years that followed that finally ended with the Treaty of Simunbak and the installation of the Sultan. There were bitter relations between the states for years, and relations were not normalized until the 1956 Treaty of St. Jakob, when Selatjaya joined the League. Under the current sultan, Jubair II, relations had greatly improved and development aid had increased. There was a hope - not a strong one, but a hope nonetheless - that Selatjaya would vote in the Teus’ favour today. Canselor Ghassan bin Saif rose to an intently listening audience: “In the name of Sultan Jubair II, the Islamic Government of the Sultan votes to condemn Sankt Konrad.”
7 votes for, 1 abstention. It was settled. And the moment Ghassan bin Saif sat back down in his chair, the Sankt Konrad delegation rose from theirs. Without a word, the entire 25-person strong delegation walked out of the conference almost as soon as it had begun. Almost as if they had never been present, the conference moved on to debating what sanctions would come down upon them.
It was a major diplomatic coup for Siovanija & Teusland.
Hoitschong District, Tsweidschugong
Just as the name of the city itself had come from the Teus butchering of the native pronounciation, so too had the name of the popular district of Hoitschong. The original name in its native language translated to something along the lines of ‘sea market,’ and the Hoitschong district was one of the most popular amongst foreign visitors. Food stalls, markets to buy and sell many different kinds of goods, bars and restaurants, concert venues - this was the heart of the city.
Josef Wimmer walked down the main street at a slow pace, browsing and stopping at a variety of stalls. The diplomatic victory at today’s session was something he was trying to keep out of his mind, as a man who wanted to enjoy his time in this city - and something he was failing to do, as a man who was worried about what would happen next.
Wimmer, a career diplomat, had spent plenty of time in all of the former colonies of the Teus Empire. A 3 year posting in Sankt Konrad had began his career, which was followed by a stint of 6 months in Selatjaya. He’d worked the Ferdinand Islands file for some time, too, spending about 2.5 years in Teleliu. He only got to spend about 6 months in Tsweidschugong, near the end of his active international career - then, his wife gave birth to twins, and the family decided it would be best to raise their children close to home. He still had hopes of one day becoming an Ambassador, after his time as a minister was over - but there was still work to be done yet.
Most of the Teus delegation was back at the hotel still, pouring over papers and getting prepared for the next days of the conference. Josef had popped out, ostensibly for a breath of fresh air - but really because he wanted to revisit one of his favourite restaurants from when he had lived here, and had made a tradition of coming to every time thereafter. New Hoitschong Noodle - a simple name, and a real hole-in-the-wall spot, but was it ever good! Josef made his order and sat down at an empty table.
It was only about 30 seconds later that a man in a suit and FC Teussen Stelburg baseball cap slid into the seat across from him. Wimmer was startled at first.
“Josef. Some things never change.” The baseball cap was removed, and Josef recognized the man right away. It was Valter Sahkar. Valter had been just starting out his diplomatic career at the time Josef was posted to Sankt Konrad. The two had gotten to know each other quite well, becoming fast friends due to mutual interest. They stayed in touch over the years, mostly at Kolonialvereinigung conferences they both attended. Later, Valter became Sankt Konrad’s deputy commissioner in Tsweidschugong at the same time Wimmer was posted there. The last time Josef had seen him, ironically, was at this very restaurant the night Josef’s term in Tsweidschugong had ended.
“Valter! How did you..”
“I followed you from your hotel. Did you forget, my friend, that I used to be a spy?”
Josef laughed. “It’s good to see you! Good that this restaurant is still open after all these years.”
Valter nodded. “What a mess this whole thing is, huh?”
Josef nodded. “Valter, I really don’t want to talk work right now - how’s Hanna? How are the kids?”
Valter gave a brief smile. “Josef, I know. But there’s a reason I tracked you down here tonight. And I think you want to hear it.”
There was a silence. “Go on.”
“Everybody I know, that I’ve worked with for years, knows the Blue Sun are a bunch of nutjobs. Most of the population know that too. And there’s a lot of us - in the government, in the police, everywhere you can think of - that are getting ready, so that if something should happen that would cause them to no longer be in government, we would be ready to keep the country running. Valljas Bancu can’t be left to ruin our country. ”
There was a pause. Josef knew his friend well, and could read between the lines - this was the resistance movement on Sankt Konrad delivering some message to Siovanija & Teusland. Josef spoke up.
“So what are you going to do about it?”
“Us? Nothing.”
“What does that mean?”
“Our countries have always had a good relationship. We’ve peacefully shared ANG for years. Nobody wants that apple cart upset.”
“Yeah, so it’s clear somebody in power needs to stand up and do something..”
“I appreciate your thoughts, Josef.”
Valter smiled, and Josef had to fight to keep his jaw from dropping. Was Valter suggesting… overthrowing the Blue Sun? He had to be, didn’t he?
“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
“I didn’t say nothing.”
Josef didn’t reply, so Valter continued. “Anyways, I’ll talk to you. You have my number. It was good to see you, Josef. Hanna and the kids say hi.”
With that, Valter disappeared back into the hustle and bustle of Hoitschong at midnight. His mission was complete - the message had been sent to Siovanija & Teusland. The resistance on Sankt Konrad was awaiting their move.
Siovanija & Teusland 4-1 CardenaoXI: Holz; Metzger, Steinhausl, Sanner, Reichenbach (Gellner 75'); von Stein, Lorenz, Le Meji; Korlikov (Vadimic 65'), Zschokke, Hackl (Dezelac 65')
Goals: Einar Hackl 3', Xorge Le Meji 40', Reto Zschokke 44', Denis Dezelac 83'
Man of the Match: Egon von Stein (0G, 3A)
Siovanija & Teusland 3-3 AudioslaviaXI: Bodeker; Schwefel (Metzger 90'), Steinhausl, Rodl, Gellner (Reichenbach 65'); Porsche, Prekmurje, Rosberg (Hackl 85'); Vadimic, A. Kosch-Kovarik, Burger
Goals: Aleksander Kosch-Kovarik 35', 87', Silvio Rodl 60'
Man of the Match: Aleksander Kosch-Kovarik (2G, 0A)
Siovanija & Teusland 23 man squad for international window 6
Away vs Chrizenia; Nationalstadion, Stelburg vs DelteGoalkeepers: Holz, Bodeker, Kranz
Defenders: Schwefel, Metzger, Reichenbach, Hayek, Steinhausl, Rodl, Apel
Midfielders: Porsche, von Stein, Prekmurje, Winter, Rosberg, Le Meji
Wingers: Vadimic, Korlikov, A. Kosch-Kovarik, Trstenjak
Forwards: Burger, Hackl, ZakExpected XI vs Chrizenia: Kranz; Metzger, Steinhausl, Apel, Hayek; von Stein, Winter, Le Meji; Korlikov, Trstenjak, Hackl
Expected XI vs Delte: Holz; Schwefel, Steinhausl, Rodl, Reichenbach; Porsche, Prekmurje, Rosberg; Vadimic, A. Kosch-Kovarik, Burger
