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Kalistani News in Brief:  Anantonese Nations conduct Ocean Wide "Northern Lights"
Royal Family says Good Bye to Hutorian Monarch; Empress reveals Imperial Vault
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
August 14, 5629


Empress Consort Monica gives Press a tour of Gem Vault in Ananto

Anantonese Nations Conduct Ocean-Wide "Northern Lights" Exercises
In an effort to strengthen the combat readiness of the Anantonese Empire and her Maritime partners bordering the Anantonese Ocean, the Kalistani Regular Navy was joined by Naval forces from Lodamun, Dolgava and Egelion in the first exercises of the "Northern Lights" exercises.  The exercises will include drills, simulated combat scenarios, practice and training on advanced ASW techniques, as well as the unveiling of new technology designed to deny the edge to navies that rely heavily on nuclear submarines.

"Northern Lights will allow for the cooperation and sharing of techniques and technology across the entire Anantonese Ocean Basin," said Naval spokesperson Lt. Helena Brevard.  "Units will have the chance to practice new tactical missions, as well as offer extensive debriefing after each mission, so the combined naval commands can get a sense of what went right on the seas, and what went wrong.  The goal is to learn:  We want to learn how to do better, so we do not get caught out in the next conflict, or the next time some nation decides that they wish to interrupt the peace in our region."

Elements of the Kalistani Regular 1st and 4th Fleets, as well as the Egelion Northern Armada, consisting of mainly the new Amateria-Class Destroyers, Yadraz-Class Frigates, and Kinea-Class SIGNIT reconnaissance ships, the Dolgavan Royal Fleet, and the Lodamese Littoral Navy consisting of 1 Haddock-class nuclear Attack Submarine, 1 Andrew-class guided missile frigate and 1 Andrew Neilson-class guided missile destroyer all docked at Port Swede in Vrassa to begin the exercises.  Over the next month and a half, various groupings of these ships will receive simulated "orders" for different aspects of the exercise, and will finish off with a one week long cat and mouse "mini war" of subs versus Surface ships to see whether the subs can effectively "attack" five simulated targets in Kalistan and Ananto, or if they can be stopped by the surface navy from accomplishing their objective.  "We hope to learn a lot during this next month and a half," said Lt. Brevard.

Royal Family to say Goodbye to Hutorian King
His Imperial Majesty Emperor Fredrick III Ananto, Her Highness Empress Consort Monica Ananto-DeLaurentis, and Her Highness the Minor Princess Margaret Nicolette Ananto-DeLaurentis will fly to Hutori to say good bye to the departed Hutorian King Richard II, and the subsequent Coronation of the new King Charles III.  His Royal Highness Prince Charles was in Kaliburg, earlier this year to reestablish the long standing relationship between Hutori and Kalistan, and it was expected that the Royal Family would make a trip to Hutori sooner than later.

"The circumstances of the visit are not ideal," said crown watcher Cassidy Burke, of La Moda.  "But the King of Hutori has been ill for a long time, and his departure was expected.  This will give the Emperor a chance to spend some time getting to know the King and his family in a less formal setting, while they grieve their departed monarch."  While in country, the Anantos will visit the long possessed Icehaven Manor outside of Axeminster and take up a short residence there.  "The Ananto family has held the manor for decades, but it has never been used by the Ananto Royal Family.  It has been maintained, however the entire time, and is reportedly ready to receive the Royal Family."  There have been reports of staffing of the Manor in preparation for the visit.

The Royal Family shall be accompanied by the new Ambassador Plenipotential and Extraordinary Lord Derek Collins-Joaquin, who was named last month to the post.  His Imperial Majesty received the diplomatic credentials of the Hutorian Ambassador, the crown Prince James, the Duke of Axeminster, who is the younger son of the new King in early June, and His Imperial Majesty's Government has assisted in setting up both the diplomatic residences as well as reviving the Hutorian Embassy.  Lord Collins, age 45, is Count of Dana in Suldanor, and is a planter in the Suldanoran northmarch and supplier to KALNAPECO.  His education however is in Foreign Policy with a focus on Makon and Artania, for which he received a PhD 13 years ago.  He taught for a number of years in Sulari before taking over his father's soybean operation in Dana.  He was named Count of Dana by Duchess of Suldanor Lady Emily Alvarez-Caballo four years ago, which has allowed him to farm full time.  The Duchess recommended the Count as Ambassador.

Empress reveals Imperial Vault to Press
It is a rare occasion that anyone ever gets to visit the Imperial Vault.  Once of the most secure buildings in the Anantonese Empire, the Imperial Vault is a veritable store house of treasure purchased over centuries by the Anantos since the refounding of the Empire of Ananto and Kalistan nearly 500 years ago.  A significant portion of the vast wealth estimated to be in the possession of House Ananto lies in this vault.

"We don't know how much all of these things are worth," said Her Highness, the Empress Consort Monica Ananto-DeLaurentis, while she was leading a tour of the vault to a small group of reporters.  "There are crates and chests and just containers filled with countless gems, as well as whole rooms filled with silver and gold ingots.  It's really quite impressive."

The Royal family is usually tight lipped with regard to the Ananto Family's wealth.  Various estimates have put it at between ₭350 and ₭600 Billion in assets.  Miramar Holdings itself, which is separate from the House's wealth, is estimated to be worth close to a quarter trillion imperial rubles.  "But seeing these treasure rooms, vault after vault of just stuff, that would make anyone faint, I'd say their wealth is incalculable," said Keith Richardson, of The Kalistani Republic.  "We didn't even see the crown jewels collection.  This was just box after box of gem stones, some were finished and polished, some were raw and bigger than a soccer ball.  It was gaudy beyond belief."

Not viewed during the tour was the Kundrati Diamond, one of the eight Yeudi gemstones that was passed down from the Hulaneveks to Empress Carolina Ananto and has been in the Anantos' possession ever since.  "They can show us all of this, and what we saw in one whole room in the vault isn't worth as much as that diamond reportedly is," said Richardson.  "There is no way they will ever let anyone see that."

At the conclusion of the tour, the Empress Consort made a gift of a 25 carat polished and ultra brilliant cut amethyst to each tour member.  "These are our parting gifts," said the Empress Consort.  Each stone was thought to be worth ₭1400 Imperial Rubles--  Her Highness gave out 15 of them, totaling about ₭21,000 rubles.  "We have lots of these," she said with a smile.

@TheRepublic