28th of July, 829 AS, Planet New London, Kingdom of Bretonia
The Bretonian capital's 'landscape' was animated by the still-visible lights from the distant cities, and even moreso by those from the Westminster City Megalopolis. Yet all was not it as it seemed and this was well emphasized by the marching soldiers and fighter craft patrolling the skies -- a change that could only predict an important event, and one that the people had gotten used over the years.
And it rightfully did so. This was a day like no other. One that was to have drastic consequences and even bigger awaited results.
Despite still on-ongoing peace talks with the Coronado-borne Republic, the Kingdom had chosen not to lose valuable time, its diplomats further pressured by the failure to achieve an amendment with the House of Liberty, and acted upon it with caution. The efforts, led by two different personalities: the ever-present and a firm believer in an alliance with Kusari, Admiral Sommerville, and the Prime Minister himself, Sir Ambrister Jones, whom acted with much more caution and did not have as much trust in the Kusarians now present on the capital. But the die was cast. Stopping now would result in a humiliation for Bretonia.
Both sides already largely knew what was to be discussed and were adamant to give no ground in their negotiations, but the Bretonian diplomats understood from the beginning they were in no position to bargain with terms beyond their reach. Instead, they placed their bets on the decades-proven appeasement policy of the Crown, in hopes of gaining a favorable treaty with the Empire to the north.
The meeting to discuss the treaty, held between the Kusari and Bretonian diplomats, was organized at the Richmond Palace, a location chosen with much thought, alike to the Stainton Palace on Carlisle, yet vastly bigger. It held much of the same decorations, but its sheer scale impressed both the common citizenry and foreign visitors, including top officials. The large halls of the palace had many inscriptions, carefully placed to "guide" the guests onto Bretonia's tempestuous past. It was chosen for the very same reason as the castle on Carlisle -- to impress -- a move done as a consequence of the path of the Imperial Delegation that had led them near the graves of thousands and the ruins that had engulfed many more -- all this further amplified by the still-present wrecks of the destroyed Southampton, Stokes and the battered fleets in New London.
But time did not favor either sides, nor were they planning to spend a lot of it at the palace after the negotiations. Visits in Bretonia all had to follow a tight schedule, and it was all the more unfamiliar for the diplomats to fail at achieving their goals when discussing with foreign powers' representatives in person. First to arrive were the Bretonians, escorted by Royal Guards, dressed in their characteristic red suits -- a reminder of Bretonia's past on Earth.
They wasted little time upon arrival and rushed to the meeting hall, one identical to that in the Stainton Castle: large windows on the back end, a hologram screen on the right wall of the room and several tables, all having a myriad of chairs for all the present diplomats and their staff to remain comfortable on during the conference.
Now, they waited for the imminent arrival of the Kusari envoys.
The Kusarian delegation had arrived to New London's orbit just a mere hour prior to the beginning of the meeting. A scarce and graceful vessel led the delegation, a heavily customized Shukensha-class Liner. Alongside it, the far more crude appearing personal ship of one of the delegations key figures, Governor Hakkera Tōko of Honshū.
During their journey, the delegation was able to witness the chaos and scars left behind in Bretonia by the Gallic onslaught, the still rather lawless nature of Leeds was imminent when a Molly transport crossed their paths where once the Stokes Mining facility was.
Following a rather rushed but friendly and respectful exchange with the Bretonian escort forces in high orbit of New London, the Kusarian delegation finally boarded the two "Taurus"-class shuttles of the Sunekosuri, making for planetfall at the nearby landing pad of Richmond Palace, right within its vast gardens.
Among the usual diplomatic staff and Governor Hakkera, were two high-profile politicians this time: The Imperial Prime Minister of Kusari, Miyasu Sanae - and the Defence Minister, Kogen Masamune, a direct blood relative to his Imperial Majesty, Emperor Kogen Tetsuya. They were guided across the beautiful gardens by who appeared to be a direct servant to the Queen's family as well as a contingent of four Bretonian Royal Guards. Albeit reluctantly at first, one of the Royal Guards was tasked with carrying a small box, which upon later inspection would reveal that the Kusari delegation was accompanied by a feline diplomat as well.
Upon entry of the first grand hall, the delegation split into two portions: A huge portion of the general diplomatic corps left together with the Royal Guards, they would participate in an off-side meeting discussing matters of varying - but generally low - importance with members of the Bretonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The high-profile delegation, now only accompanied by Kusari's top diplomats and the recordkeeping staff - and the feline one! - was led to the conference hall.
The Bretonian servant swiftly moved aside after opening the doors, leaving Miss Miyasu to enter as first.
She was graceful, wearing a traditional Kurotomesode, a formal kimono of black background featuring just short sleeves. Its peculiar design being limited along the hem only: It pictured the throne room, alongside the Chrysanthemum throne, of the Kogen bloodline, including the Imperial Kusarian Crest. It was clearly distinguishable as a piece of clothing belonging to the Imperial family. However, despite all formality, Miyasu's appearance would come across as slightly odd, as clear shapes of a seemingly endless fabric of many chains were visible beneath the kimono itself. A large gold necklace underlining her own interpretation of style. - She seemed to show a slight smile, almost like a friendly face, just like someone who will not mind going away from strict formality later on.
The Defense Minister followed closely, in his usual attire, which made him look awfully similar to a Naval Forces Admiral. He appeared cold, calculating but respectful while eyeing the Bretonian delegation. Curiously enough, his last visit in Bretonia was scheduled to be for Kusari's celebration of victory over the Bretonian Kingdom, a war goal estimated to have been reached by 821 A.S. - if not for the Gallic surprise appearance.
Lady Hakkera's attire consisted of a slightly less formal kimono than Miyasu's, an Irotomesode of red colour, her family crest hovering above a mountain trail on Honshu as design.
"We are most grateful for the short-term arrangement of this meeting. Prime Minister Jones, Admiral Sommerville. It is a great honor to make your personal acquittance."
Miss Miyasu took a slight bow, although it was very brief, directly followed by a brief introduction of Defence Minister Kogen and Governor Hakkega by Miss Miyasu and exchange of greetings among the participants.
During this period of formal greetings, one of the two recordkeepers put the box on the floor and let the feline diplomat loose.
"Please also meet Miki, a beloved member of my family and the unofficial mascot of the Imperial Diet of Kusari. If I understood.. Sir Dixon of your staff correctly, there is absolutely no issue with a well-behaved cat like my Miki to stay with us here." Miyasu added.
Upon arrival to the meeting hall, the Kusari guests were first greeted by Harold, dressed up in the ever-famous Bretonian Navy ceremonial suit. It was a navy blue double-breasted tailcoat with standing collar faced white with gold edging, worn with venerable gold shoulder boards, and gold laced blue trousers. As the Chief of Staff, he also carried a wear a full dress sword belt embroidered with oak leaves, a far-cry to the ceremonies held in the Sol system, in part similar to the Royal Guards also present at the conference. It was a costume as fascinating as it was appealing to the rest of the officer corps -- all while standing apart due to its unique characteristics.
He first turned to the Prime Minister, whom he visibly had lesser trust in due to her past in the Honshu system -- one that Sommerville had diligently analyzed before the meeting. Still, he addressed her with a calm but confident tone: "Prime Minister, I welcome you to the Richmond Palace, and to the Kingdom of Bretonia. We are immensely thankful for accepting our formal invitation. I hope, just as much as Sir Jones does, that we will achieve a historical agreement between our two Great Houses, one that will solidify our cooperation."
Finishing the welcoming statement, Sommerville also noticed the unexpected visitor -- Miki -- whom he turned to and briefly smiled to, as well as waving in salutation and acknowledgment of its presence. He had no reason to deny such an elegant guest, for Harold too was an ardent admirer of the felines.
Afterwards, he proceeded to welcome the Imperial Defence Minister, Masamune Kogen, whom he had great respect for, both as the former Commander-in-Chief of the forces taking part in the war against Bretonia, and for his competence shown in leading those very same forces. Sommerville greatly appreciated the skills, and intended to utilize the visit on New London to discuss with Masamune in person, after the closure of the meeting. Furthermore, he desired to get closer to the Imperial family itself -- and what better way to do so than through personal connections?
The last guest he had to meet was the Governor of Honshu -- Toko Hakkera -- a still relatively-unknown person in Bretonia itself, whom Harold had neither trust nor scepticism of. Exchanging short replies, the Admiral then turned back to his seat, awaiting Jones' to greet the representatives.
Ambrister's nose wrinkled slightly at the slight. The Defence Minister assured him that Sommerville was an excellent officer, and indeed seemed to have proven effective as Chief of the Defence Staff, but Ambrister was starting to believe the man was god awful in public occasions. He made a mental note to bring it up at the next cabinet meeting.
Prime Minister Miyasu, a pleasure to meet you. I had some interaction with your government, many years ago, as Secretary for Trade and Industry. I had hoped to kick start trade once again between our great houses. Who could have imagined we would be here today, taking the next step in strengthening the ties between two our peoples.
He shook hands with each of the delegation, greeting Minister Kogen and Governor Hakkera too.
Please, if things are to run smoothly, Ambrister will do fine, Sir Jones if you feel the need. We don't tend to refer to people by their office here.
A ministerial aide was making their way through both of the delegations, handing out an itinerary. The press had already gathered in an adjacent room to capture the meeting of the two parties, a historic moment to be sure, and the Kusarian delegation had been invited to afternoon tea with Her Majesty on day two. The rest of the time was given to working out the finer points of the treaty, surmising with another press opportunity to mark the end of the visit
I'm sure Miki will find great comfort here. If we're lucky, she may well meet Albert, the Chief Mouser to the Cabinet. He is our own feline expert
Reflecting back, the apparent travel they underwent was rather smooth. She didn't fully understand the whole process, but occasionally when a door opens and closes a few times the exiting location changes. This mystery was yet to be fully understood but there were always more important matters to see to. That investigation had to wait. For now, such a event was "travel", and it made the ground shake at times.
Briefly she was assigned a retainer, a rather lanky fellow with formal black pants that rode up his legs a bit too much and revealed his ankles. She considered him a friend or at least a friendly face, and for that he was granted the name "Lanks". When under his protection, he would tend to her needs and see that she had ample to eat and a quiet place to rest. During these moments of travel it was not unheard of to have many people running around to and fro with urgency on their tongues. It was imperative she was able to rest, otherwise a foul mood would settle on her mind. She understood that this was to be an important showing and she wanted to be at her peak performance.
When the voices outside her chambers became more urgent in tone, she understood it to be time. Her retainer gathered her traveling throne and she took her place. Alone, Lanks was able to carry her throne to meet with her Lady. Her Lady briefly smiled to her as they prepared to enter one of the changing doors. When they opened, they entered a new landscape that too shook as the various people moved about. More travel, she thought. She was correct. This new place shook more, and the various people, her Lady with them now, took seats as the world shook around them. Lanks briefly checked on her as they shook, but she was doing her best to remain regal on her throne. These traveling events were known to her, she was better than they were.
Eventually, the shaking stopped. The various people tore apart the vines that kept them attached to their chairs and stood, moving once more to the changing door. She noted that the air felt different here. Heavier. When the door opened this time, greenery met them. This was astonishing, it looked much like the estate she resided in. She had her bias of course, her home was much nicer. However the stone walkway against the green grasses were nice.
She and her throne was transferred to a rather stuffy looking person. Its appearance was masked by gaudy blue, red, and white clothing with links of gold rope here and there. Metal objects on the person's chest clanked as she was carried, an annoyance but one she could overlook. There was a rather strange scent to this person. One that reminded her of earthy tones such as the dirt beside a running brook, yet with a sharp aftersmell that made the nose curl. To take her mind off it, she observed the various people squalking around her.
The distraction of her new retainer caused her to miss them entering a building. Through a few hallways and they entered a rather large room with a few tables here and there. The others continued to make noises at each other until one of the other retainers, one of hers, assisted the smelly person to put her throne down. Understanding the cue, she left her throne and stood on the floor which she found carpeted thankfully, and proceeded to straighten her attire.
Her chin lifted as her Lady, Miyasu, called her name. "Miki". She gave a look to her Lady. Her outfit was beautiful as always, and she was glad she was able to match. A gold link wrapped around her neck with the seal of Kusari hanging below her chin. A sign of her office, just as to match her lady.
It was at this time she noticed that she was being introduced to a new face. Another man in an overly lavish ceremonial suit. Her chin lifted as he smiled and waved, pleased by the acknowledgement of her presence. More talking followed, which Miki allowed to happen. Her underlings and retainers had the busy duty of discussion on her behalf. She knew she was only needed to be here to make the meeting of these people official and give her approval. She was a bit disappointed to not know what this meeting was for, but Miki reminded herself that such small matters were below her status.
Another person had used her name, which she paused to look at this man. Playing her part, Miki lifted her chin in acknowledgement before turning her attention to the various objects in the room. The first thing she noticed was the foreign people had a desire for many dangling bits on their outfits. From ropes to strings, around the chest even to the footwear. She made a note of this for later and decided to wait out the mouth squawking her subjects felt the need to do. In the meantime, she groomed her hair and found comfort in the soft carpeting. This was going to be a long session, and she needed to look her best and be as comfortable as possible if she was to survive this.
Witnessing Leeds with her own eyes had the most profound effect that lasts even now. Her late father fought both in assault and defence of this world. It was one thing to see news and recording of something distant from the safety of your Clan’s house in Honshu, and it was another to witness the calamity with one’s own eyes. Allegedly Liberty diplomats had a whole different concept of this world’s significance post-war than Touko Hakkera. She accompanied the delegation, bound to negotiate matters most important to both polities. She intentionally wore a less formal kimono so as to not overshadow the highest ranked representative of Kusari in the room. Her hair was kept short, above shoulders and accentuated by a hairpin in colour of red to match her attire. She exchanged pleasantries with the Bretonian equivalents which would soon draw lines across entire western Sirius.
“Last time a Hakkera visited your nation, Bretonia, Kusari and soon after Gallia as well were at war. I hope that beyond aspects of urgent matters of astropolitics, we can also bridge the rift perpetuated by decades of conflict and propaganda.”
Her wish to become part of this diplomatic mission was an unusual request but welcomed as a fairly popular figure, and a link between the Empire and a significant portion of its population. During passage through the Tau’s she had wondered whether Bretonians reached out to the Empire out of sheer desperation rather than genuine interest in bilateral relations with the Kusari state. Perhaps it was just naive thinking of a young Kusari noble, but her proposals laid out in front of diplomatic corps were to eventually win the hearts and minds of Bretonians, who for so long saw Kusari menace as a threat beating down their gates. Perhaps to a point where trade and cooperation between their respective Houses was the will of its people, rather than a matter of realpolitik survival of Bretonian sovereignty.
Upon viewing Ambrister's reaction to his inappropriate act, Harold acknowledged it in his mind and continued pondering about its effect on how the Kusari delegates would view him. Being a personality profoundly allured by the Empire's desire for following through with a diplomatic approach, and, further encouraged by the noble presence of a Kogen family member on the capital, he did not allow this wrongdoing to lure him away from the ongoing talks for too long.
But there was still a person present that he knew little, if anything, about. That person was Touku herself, whom, after exchanging brief greetings, remained rather calm, in stark contrast to the energetic Bretonians and even more so the rest of the Kusari delegates. Nonetheless, her background as a member of the Hakkera Clan reminded Sommerville of the father of Touku -- a personality whom had also greatly helped in defending Leeds -- a reminder instigated much thought to Harold, in part due to his complete discontent and detestation of the peace, if one could call it such, imposed upon the Gallic state. His hate was additionally fueled by the lack of action taken by the previous cabinet to ensure that, during, or after the invasion of Gallia by Kusari, to bring the Enclave -- both the nobles and military leaders -- to justice.
But that chapter of the past had long since been closed. A new one was in the making in the very room Sommerville was in.
He examined the Hakkera clan member closely, but did not state much more than a trivial acknowledgement of her presence. Instead, he turned to the female Prime Minister of Kusari, and with his characteristic, appreciative, yet slightly celebratory tone, announced: "Once more, we are highly admiring Kusari's interest towards retaining amiable relations with our Kingdom. We appreciate all the efforts done to maintain beneficial relations between our two nations."
Following the impromptu announcement of the beginning of the meeting, he turned to the Bretonian Prime Minister. "Sir, if you may, do inform our guests of the Kingdom's foremost interests and plans in the Tau region. I shall await the moment after to speak with Minister Kogen of the Navy's own plans."
With that mentioned, he sat back into his chair and waited patiently for Jones' response.
Once all the pleasantries had been exchanged, the aide returned to usher the two Prime Ministers to the podiums in the adjacent room. The others, from both delegations, were invited to stand behind as they gave their short speeches and comments. It was the usual spiel, dreamed up by teams of writers and lawyers, ensuring the tone and content conveyed the wish to build bridges and establish connections throughout the visit that would continue to hold for many years to come. The real work, of course, took place back in the negotiation's room. With the press interview concluded, they returned, being invited to take their seats opposite one another. Ambrister took the opportunity to speak first
Once again, may I take the opportunity to thank you all for coming. There are many points I hope we may discuss over the coming days, arguably each as important as each other.
Ambrister was a portly gentleman, very much what one would expect of an upper class gentleman of Bretonian society. He took a moment to straighten the papers, smooth out his tie, and take a sip of water before continuing
I thought we might start with the simplest point. The one I hope will cause the least contention, trade. I am glad that our previous contact has reintroduced, and further increased, trade between our two houses. With the ever shifting tides of inter-house politics, it is important that we continue to strengthen ties with our partners across the sector, but also that we continue to offer what we can to our partners.
I could sit here and talk about what we can offer, but I'm interested to hear what you would seek from us. Together. we can determine where we can meet you, or where we both might compromise?
Upon their return to the negotiation room, the Kusarian delegation took their seats in a fashion reflecting their hierarchal structure.
Closest to the Bretonian Prime Minister sat his Kusarian counterpart, to her right was the Defense Minister, followed by the Governor to his right - the furthest away from the Bretonian delegation. Miki, on the other hand, secured herself a spot of utmost importance: the lap of her Lady.
"The resumption of trade between our nations has indeed been of utmost importance in recent years, especially following the liberation of the Tau sector from Gallia's influence. Further increasing mutual economic investments is one of many crucial steps to establish a bond of true friendship between house Bretonia and house Kusari, especially with the recent three decades of conflicts across the Sirius Sector in mind. - To start of easy, I wish to give the word to Lady Hakkera, as representative for the people of Honshū and their economic interests. The remaining areas of Kusari and their economic interests in Bretonia will be represented by myself later on."
Miss Sanae spoke in a calm way, eyeing her Bretonian counterpart closely - all while gently caressing Miki behind her ears.
The Defense Minister listened carefully to this brief exchange between the Prime Ministers, though he maintained eye contact with Sommerville instead.
Lady Touko Hakkera waited patiently in her allocated station, occupying her attention between the cat Miki, and trying to judge what kind of people were on the other side of the table. The level of talks was way above a single star system’s concerns, but she intended to make the best of the opportunity given here and now. Harold, despite looking most ornate and official out of all present, made an impression of being most hopeful for the future. She was now given priority now, as higher level commitments would otherwise overshadow her proposals by a grand margin. Acknowledging being given authority to begin, she nodded curtuously to Prime Minister Sanae before starting.
“As governor of Honshu, and an individual with great influence in Kishiro Keiretsu, I want to touch upon a few economic and cultural aspects. I know that before the war, planet Leeds was the primary industrial center for the whole of Bretonia. Anything from consumer goods, though machinery to small spacefaring vessels distributed across and beyond your House. My homeworld specialises in the hi-tech industry such as robotics, electronics and R&D. Details would be specified later down the line but as an example, we could help modernise and standardise farming equipment on Cambridge and Harris alike, lessening your burdening overreliance on Liberty Republic and Rheinland Empire where worrying trend of swapping reliability for rampart nationalism takes place as of late.”
Touko nodded towards one of the aide’s of Kusari delegation, who provided prime examples of posters and other artwork that were famous sights on many worlds. Harmful racial stereotypes, nationalistic recruitment drives, even dehumanizing the opponent. The closer Kusari fleet was to Leeds, the nastier those had become. Lady Hakkera kept a straight face, without any hint of resentment or accusation. Within the provided material, there were also records of Kusari’s own equivalent of the era to deflect any potential accusation of bias. All of those present would have been deeply familiar with what now belonged to a museum.
“Five years of propaganda, gentlemen. Arrival of Gallia only meant wider proliferation of xenophobia amongst general populace. If anything that is ratified and passed out of this room, we need to ensure it lasts longer than the tenure of a single politician. That means repairing the reputation and image incurred during that fateful war. To be honest I would not be surprised if some inhabitants of New London detested us.”
She referred to the Kusarian delegation, who her included were pandered to by the opulence of their host's palace at expense of Bretonian taxpayers and each and every one of them never witnessed the lowest stratas in detail. Some would easily put their next meal or hurt national pride over pragmatic Reasons of State.
“Many of these can vote or will pass their worldview to the next generation. Elections are limited to the lower house of parliament if I am not mistaken but nonetheless cannot be ignored entirely. Legitimacy and stability of the current government can and should be strengthened through an extensive PR campaign to paint the Kusari Empire as a friend who sees you as a partner, not as a vassal. At this point, any counter-reactionary element, spin doctors of hostile ideologies and fringe opposition on both sides of the border could use fear mongering and this very meeting as a pretext to rally your workforce behind their outdated ideals and disrupt carefully and meticulously planned short and long term recovery of Bretonia for their personal gain.”
Her professional outlook cracked if only a little, as matters that affected her personally and not that far back in time would be taken as a prime example. It was difficult to think about to what lengths frustrated Rheinland would go to win the war, if their rampage into Honshu would be allowed to continue.
“Strained but nonetheless holding peace between what was once the Federal Republic of Rhienland, and Kusari by extension of the Gas Miner’s Guild was demolished overnight by staged provocations and fickle populism. Entire state eventually was brought to its knees by exploiting the mentality of its people which changed little from 80 Years War.”
“What I personally suggest is as follows. When an accord is struck between us, we have to show benefits to the target groups. From the perspective of Honshu, I want to restore the status quo we enjoyed prior to the war with your garden world of Cambridge. Both stand notably as renowned institutions of progressing science and learning. Cultural awareness days, student exchanges, partnerships… and what could yield more concrete and tangible results: joint science projects. Not to mention that familiarising citizens with each other's foodstuffs could help optimise yield from arable land according to local climate rather than catering to centuries-long established culinary preferences. This again brings me back to Honshu, for we are unable to feed the entire population without heavily subsidising Kyushu products or letting in foreign Synth Foods megacorp that is aligned to Libertonian interests second only to their quarterly profits.”
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