Kalistani Major History

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Diplomatic Yacht transporting WC Ambassador Stevens destroyed by naval gunfireDorvish Naval Units seen operating in Area of Catastrophe
Ananto Straits, Just off Odufaray
October 2, 4703


Militia and civilian craft responds to fire aboard Yacht carrying Kalistani Ambassador Stevens to World Congress, Death toll includes the Ambassador

"This is an absolute outrage!" said Kalistani Foreign Minister Joaquin Delgado.  "First, our ships are fired upon in our own waters, and then a ship flying diplomatic colors is destroyed at sea by forces hostile to Kalistan!  When will this barbarism and belligerency toward Kalistan end?!"

The Minister referred to the destruction yesterday afternoon of the ocean going yacht belonging to Kalistani Ambassador to the World Congress, Louis Stevens, 57 of Kaliburg.  He was traveling in his personal water craft, enroute to a meeting of the Security Council, where he intended to lay out the charges against the several nations aligned against Kalistan, charges which included routine and egregious violation of national sovereignty, a virtual blockade of Kalistan by several nations, and various other violations of international norms, various treaties, and the Charter of the World Congress.  The craft was flying Kalistani Diplomatic Colors and was registered to Stevens out of Port Swedes, Vrassa.

"He was forced to sail due to the complete refusal of countries like Dorvk to allow Kalistani aircraft into that country," said the Assistant to Ambassador Stevens, Ulrike Howard.  "Comrade Stevens was in Kaliburg for three days of consultation when his flight to Whale Island was abruptly cancelled, due to threats reportedly from Dorvik which assured us that they would fire on any civilian craft that left Kalistan.  While we determined those threats to be not credible, Ambassador Stevens decided to sail south from Port Swedes, and would make it to Whale Island a few days late.  I was to join him later."

But Ambassador Stevens never made it out of Kalistani National Waters.  As he sailed 85 nautical miles east of Odufaray, the yacht began taking incoming fire.  The boat was immediately disabled, and began radioing for help.  The Ambassador's voice clearly identified a ship flying Dorvish colors, possibly a corvette or a cruiser, and which was bearing down on the ship.  "They're about 1500 feet off our starboard," said Ambassador Stevens.  "Dorvsh marking and colors..."  these were Ambassador Steven's final words, as immediately thereupon, the radio was disabled.

"I was one of the crew onboard the Ambassador's yacht," said Michael Severens, who served aboard as a porter and a waiter.  "This huge ship, with massive guns was coming right for us.  The Ambassador kept yelling that we all should put our hands up, that there was some mix up, and that Terrence [the radio guy] was to try to raise the militia that the Ambassador thought was operating in this area on the auxiliary radio.  The ship clearly had a Dorvish flag, and was obviously a military vessel.  As soon as we could make out men standing on deck of the ship, they opened ire, aiming their deck guns at our waterline.  They also aimed to completely destroy the engine, but they accidentally hit the gas tank instead, and it immediately started a fre in the engine compartment."

According to Severens, he and Stevens went below to try to fight the fire, but the ignited fuel burst from the fuel tank and spread the flames around the entire room.  "The Ambassador, he was coughing real bad, and said, 'Mike, we gotta get out of here.'  We tried, but the front door was now blocked by flames.  Stevens grabbed a fire axe and started chopping at the ceiling.  Slowly he cut his way through to the deck, and told me to climb up first, and then give him my hand.  But when I reached down and caught his hand, a huge explosion happened down below.  It rocked the ship pretty hard, I accidentally let go, and when I went back for him, he wasn't there.  I seriously thought he had found a way out."

The whole ship was soon ablaze.  The small crew and diplomatic staff were trying to launch a life raft, but in the chaos, the crew launched it on the wrong side, an it got caught on the jagged wall of now exploded engine compartment.  Half of the quick inflated boat immediately deflated.  Another explosion lurched the boat back and then down and two crew members met their death below as they were thrown into the fiery engine compartment from above deck.  Another two and Severens managed to climb off the sinking yacht into the half inflated life raft.  Severens said all paddled away from the ship as fast as possible, "But strangely, we saw the Dorvish ship sailing away.  When I saw them, they were at a bit more than 1 nm away and moving fast.

Kalistani subs and patrol boats report contact with a Dorvish Corvette matching the survivors' description in the immediate vicinity.  Meanwhile, Severens' group of survivors padled as they could toward the coast of Oufaray.  They were soon captured by a Regular patrol, who was coming to investigate the smoke.

"Just then, the Regular Navy arrived and we were saved," said Severens.  The other witnesses corroborated Severens' account and independently offered that they believed the ship was a Dorvish vessel, given its flag and markings.  In all, three people survived, while 16 people, including Ambassador Stevens, perished beneath the waves.

The Premier of the Republic will soon call an immediate emergency cabinet meeting to discuss response.  Some ideas floated:  A rescission of the Privateering Act, An international conference which looks for peace but specifically excludes Dorvk.  Another idea is formally withdrawing from the World Congress.

A decision will be made at a somewhat later date as to the next Steps for the Republic.  The Ambassador is survived by his wife Violet and his two daughters.  And Kalistan goes without an ambassador in the World Assembly.