Kalistan

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Ministry of Defense announces new R&D Push at KalMilInCo
"Our Empire needs to step into the future," said Defense Minister
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
September 3, 5698


Defense Minister, Cmdr. Jane Smith, along with Robert Weller, head of Development at KalMilInCo

"For too long, our Empire has relied on other nations to provide us the things we need for our defense," said Her Imperial Majesty's Minister of Defense, Naval Commander Jane Smith at a defense symposium in Kaliburg last month. "While others outpace us simply by sheer will, Kalistan is left waiting for someone to sell us this system, someone to cooperate with us on building that system. Our designs are, for the most part old, they are outdated, and others are moving ahead of us with no impediments whatsoever, not budgetary restraints, not access to post-modern technology. How is Kalistan supposed to adequately defend ourselves against seemingly limitless and unchecked potential of other states, unless we start developing our own systems and stop waiting for others to help us? Our Empire needs to step into the future, and we can only rely upon ourselves."

The Defense Minister was on hand to introduce Mr. Robert Weller, the director of development at KalMilInCo, Kalistan's military industrial corporation. Each year, KalMilInCo produces small arms, crew served weapons, field artillery, bullets, bombs and bandages. They also partner with corporations like AeroKal to produce a handful of military fighter jets based on designs that have been acquired through cooperation with other nations in the past and oversee ship construction and repairs and refitting at the National Shipyards in Kaliburg and at Port Swedes in Vrassa. All non-personnel related logistics is controlled by KalMilInCo, a publicly owned, privately operated corporation.

"It turns out that upon the completion of her audit last month, Her Imperial Majesty, the Empress was shocked to learn of the shape of our Air Force," said Mr. Weller. "This branch has been underserved for years, and of course, the Government itself is largely to blame for this, Her Imperial Majesty has concluded. Almost no research and development into new designs have been completed. Avionics based on older generation technology has been long ago outpaced by nations with more modern air forces, to the point where an analogy comparison between the Kalistani Air Force and modern nations would be the equivalent of biplane to a jet fighter. There are a number of reasons for this. But the fact is, Kalistan wouldn't stand a chance against a concerted attack by air, and once our air force was literally wiped off the face of the map, we would be at the mercy of enemy tactical bombers that could carpet bomb our cities or launch untold missiles with complete impunity, and our ground forces would be incapable of stopping them."

Mr. Roberts announced that KalMilInCo has received the pledge of the National Government to begin funding development of new aerial assets that are capable of putting up a serious defense of Kalistan. "Her Imperial Majesty has also ordered the construction of a new airfield facility in Bentasur so we can begin stationing naval air in Gaduridos. The base itself will not be expanded, but a large part of the base, consisting mostly of logistics warehouses adjacent to the Central Anantonese Ocean is not currently being used and those facilities will be demolished or repurposed to make way for an air strip, a control tower and naval air hangars, mechanics stations, a CP and new barracks facilities." While construction will begin immediately in Benstasur, it will go slowly at first until the civilian Commercial port in Luncasi is finished next year.

Meanwhile, KalMilInCo says that designers will begin working with engineers at AeroKal to develop a new line of multipurpose fighters, interceptors and naval attack aircraft. "We are in sore need of a more modern design with at least updated avionics, flight controls, and integration with Kalistan's rich tactical information systems," said Roberts. "Our goal is to create new planes that will match the speed, handling and threats posed by the planes of our neighbors. These designs will be based on our current planes in large part, but we will begin reworking them to see how we can get more performance out of them, along with increased safety and more efficient electronics packages that can do more with less."

Roberts discussed the role that machine learning would play in target acquisition and neutralization. "I am not saying that AI will fly the planes," said Roberts. "But computer algorithms have long been able to assist human combat pilots in finding threats and destroying them. We want to extend the range and accuracy of those systems, and can do this in a number of ways using technology which is already available to us. Combined with new ground and space based platforms, if we can give our fighter pilots access to this technology on a reliable basis, and integrate it with surface based defenses, we can neutralize our enemies' advantages before they ever get here. That way we don't have to keep up with nations that have unlimited access to whatever they want to bring against us. We can even the playing field before they ever appear in skies over Kalistan."

Roberts also said that KalMilInCo will now be working with IBSI on a range of anti-Missile technology, including anti-ballistic missile technology. "We have our own missile technology," said Roberts. "It's called our Space Program. Our earliest rockets were modified ballistic missiles, and through careful trial and error, we developed programs that could launche first small satellites, then larger satellites into stable earth orbit, and then geostationary satellites that look down on Terra 24 hours a day from a single point far out into space. We have cameras, we have data relays and analysis centers. We know how to build missiles of all sorts. And we even know how to first those missiles at supersonic targets: nearly all of our SAM sites rely on hitting a speck out of a clear blue sky that is travelling faster than the speed of sound. The fundamentals are all here. We can now bend this to help protect our homeland from the threat of incoming missiles, and instead of waiting for others to help us, we're just going to do it ourselves."

The news from the Defense Ministry and KalMilInCo was very welcomed by defense analysts who have long noted that air defense is a gaping hole in the Fortress Kalistan defensive doctrine. Kalistan has long been woefully underprepared for a modern air war: Much of that is that supplying nations have jealously guarded aircraft designs as they feel it gives them an advantage in war preparation. Kalistan has long felt incredibly frustrated with that attitude even among friendly nations, and it appears that Her Imperial Majesty has finally decided to remedy the matter. Most of the new dollars for research and development will come from money that was previously earmarked for naval procurement, much of which is now completed.

Roberts said research and design of the new classes of Kalistani fighters will take as much as ten years, but KMC intends to extensively test models long before the first prototypes are built, to prevent a development cycle suffered by most nations which sees projects often go way over budget, get stalled with bad design, cut corners and ultimately get cancelled with nothing to show for the money squandered. "We already know the planes we have can fly," said Roberts. "Our goal is to get more out of those basic designs, and catch up with those around us who have never had to experience similar challenges." And he said "Kalistan would like to design and build them ourselves, so we can rely on ourselves for our own security rather than going hat in hand to the major international suppliers who don't actually want to deal with us either way."

@TheRepublic

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Empire quietly adopts unitary budgeting model
Seeks to "increase flexibility" in public sector, says FinMin
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
November 10, 5698


Dr. Roger Berry, Finance Minister discusses unitary budgeting in Kaliburg last month

Budgeting methods aren't frequently added to lists of "most exciting party conversation starters"- the very thought of budgetary processes often makes people's eyes glaze over. So as a word of warning, this story will probably do the same. But The Republic has learned that, since Her Imperial Majesty's new government was named, Kalistan has been slowly and quietly shifting from its traditional line-item and performance based budgeting models, which are used almost universally in modern liberal nations, to a more radical form of budgeting. You, our dear readers, have been warned.

Dr. Roger Berry, Her Imperial Majesty's Minister of Finance, who is a member of the Nationalist Caucus in the Institutional Party has been overseeing radical changes at the finance ministry that will determine how public sector operations will be paid for in the future. In fact, Dr. Berry was selected by Her Imperial Majesty for the post specifically because he is an outspoken champion of what he refers to the Unitary Budgeting model. His changes have caused major consternation in the majority conservative Institutional Party and have even been publicly questioned by the Chancellor of the Empire, Lady Ericka Donahue as being innovations that will unnecessarily rock the boat at a time when Kalistan requires calm so it can adequately fund the myriad reforms Her Imperial Majesty has commanded for the Empire.

"Dr. Berry is very well respected," said the Chancellor in June. "He also enjoys the complete confidence of Her Imperial Majesty. However, his reputation as an innovator puts him at odds with many of this nation's long held policies which promote stability and balance, and this is something that we would certainly advise caution in. One of the specific functions of this Party is to put brakes onto runaway trains that are the result of untried and untested notions that put our system at risk for running off the rails. Dr. Berry's policies aim at taking off those brakes, and we are uncertain of the outcomes. And if it appears that we are losing control of our public sector operations, it will be my duty to advise the Empress to call a halt to these changes before they become irreparable."

The reforms toward unitary budgeting have nonetheless proceeded apace, with the Finance Minister being given broad authority on regulatory implementation, subject, of course to Imperial veto. And while it is still far too early to tell about the full effects of the implementation of the unitary rules around financing of public sector operations, (we won't know until the audit is completed in 5701 for fiscal year 5700, which will be the first year that the unitary budgeting model will be fully in place,) there are already some indications that the new methods are increasing both the ambition and the capacity of the National Government.

"We can already see the Empress pushing a more forward leaning agenda for reform," said analyst Dwight Edwards of Kaliburg's Center for Fiscal Accountability, a think tank dealing with fiscal and monetary policy in Kaliburg. "With new methods of funding not only existing programs but expanding the scope of the National Government in areas it already operates in, Her Imperial Majesty is announcing lots of really major systemic reforms that have the genuine potential to change the face of Kalistan in a permanent way."

Conservatives in the government are certainly concerned, because the Unitary model centralizes decision making in the Finance Ministry rather than decentralizing it to the different individual ministries. While this does provide the benefit of a unitary vision, it also reduces the role of the various ministries to those of policy implementation, not as agenda setters. Conservatives view this sort of consolidation of power over budgetary maters as an undermining of traditional delegation of powers within Her Imperial Majesty's government that can, in the hands of an incompetent finance minister, lead to catastrophic outcomes. They also criticize the system most viciously in that it is borrowed, at least philosophically, from revolutionary communism, which described one of the main roles of the state under socialism as being central planners in the ongoing effort to stomp out capitalism and radically redistribute wealth.

Of course, the Finance Minister disagrees, and as of the current moment, so does Her Imperial Majesty. "The Unitary System allows us to move money from profitable state owned enterprises and those who are meeting their statutory requirements under budget to the enterprises and ministries that provide public social goods at a loss," said Dr. Berry. "By treating the National Budget as a single budget with a single bottom line, we not only protect the annual national surplus, which Her Imperial Majesty has declared to be a priority, but we can be more creative throughout the year with our plans and expanding the range of actions for our institutions. We are no longer locked into an annual cycle that we have to predict at the beginning of the year, but can create a general plan which is based on Her Imperial Majesty's priorities and then adjust as the year actually happens, moving money from where it is horded to where it is needed without having to amend the budget. At the end of the day, its a single payer anyway: We should stop pretending these ministries are somehow independent of the entire National Government."

Her Imperial Majesty has expressed satisfaction at the flexibility and the priorities basis of the Unitary Budgeting system proposed and now being implemented by Dr. Berry and his closest advisors. But the plan's main detractors also complained that the Unitary budgeting model discourages saving in National Ministries: Ministers will be in a hurry to accomplish annual programs so their excess money isn't clawed back immediately to fund other priorities. This in turn could eliminate innovation within the various ministries, which would be counterproductive to the benefits unitary budgeting is supposed to achieve. It will also encourage competition among ministries for funding, especially if they know that if they do not spend their entire budgets, that money will be taken from them to give to other ministries.

Dr. Berry seems to believe these fears are unjustified. "We are stuck in this mode of thinking in terms of performance based line item budgeting, but it is completely unreasonable to plan a modern government based on the the fiction that we can see what is ahead of us. Her Imperial Majesty asks us to do things, and in the past, and this is not to offend the Chancellor who has been a model of exemplary leadership during her tenure, but most of the feedback from previous governments is explaining why this or that ministry did not have money for those programs. The Unitary system will allow us to ask ourselves how can we better fund the Empress' priorities, rather than spending all our time trying to explain why we can't do what she is telling us she wants us to do. The reforms, the innovations in the ministries, they will come from where they should come from: The fiat of the Empress. That is proper and legitimate. Our task is to do what she asks us to do. Because at the end of the day, it is her job to see to the needs and desires of this nation. We should not be in the business of hindering her because we are married to some ridiculous notion that fiat currency is limited by gold stocks, or once it has been allocated, it cannot be recaptured and repurposed."

The biggest evidence that the Unitary budget is taking hold in Kalistan so far is the large investment in rural transportation infrastructure, an investment which has been needed for generations, but has been largely underfunded because of budgetary constraints elsewhere. "The budget is incredibly tight in very needed public services, and extremely loose in many other areas," said Minister Berry. "This is wrong. We have hamstrung ourselves in this nation for generations because we are committed to the line being what the line is. It is long past time this attitude about public financing is changed, and adopting a unitary budget is the most important step we can make toward that reform. I personally thank Her Imperial Majesty for the vision and leadership on this point, and her support of our efforts to unify our budget, despite the political concerns of the more conservative elements in our government."

For most people, this conversation is so far in the aether that the only thing most people will ever notice about the changes is that the National Government will become more capable of assisting Duchies who have had to pick up a lot of the slack in areas where the National Government has fallen short. "We don't really have to sell this policy in this nation," said Dr. Berry. "That's not the relationship between Government activity and the people in Kalistan. But the lives of the people will benefit because they should begin seeing the services they have been calling for, not only improvement in quality of service, but expansion of the provision of those services to more parts of the Empire. The Duchies themselves will be the primary direct beneficiaries as they won't have to direct limited budgets to filling in as many gaps in National Services that they have had to do for such a long time. Any costs in implementation will be saved on the back end with increase of efficiency and flexibility making it a fiscally neutral option that will have positive benefits in the long run."

For now, conservatives have to just grin and bear it: The Chancellor, set to retire in just over two years, said she will continue to carry out Her Imperial Majesty's fiat, and instead simply voices caution. "We have to be careful to not radically upset the careful balance we have struck for ourselves in this nation. Walking the line between revolutionary insanity and reactionary paralysis has been our function in this government for decades. And because of this very conservative posture, we have accomplished greatness as a nation. Tipping too far one way or another can lead to disaster, and it is my job therefore to warn Her Imperial Majesty that that is happening before it goes too far. That's all. We give the Empress what she wants, because that's our only job. Hopefully she will be attentive to the advice of all of her advisors when what she wants is not necessarily good for her."

Her Imperial Majesty's Finance Minister gave his remarks to an Economics symposium hosted at Kaliburg Polytechnic last month. Despite the publicity around the event, the shifts toward unitary budgeting are simply not widely reported--there are obvious reasons for this. But nobody can deny that the changes, if they are fully set in concrete, will have long lasting effects for the public sector in Kalistan, and could even be described as revolutionary. They certainly reflect Her Imperial Majesty's general attitude toward change.

@TheRepublic

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Sun Coast's CEO Martin Campos flies to Vorona
Inks deal to open new Casino Resort in Malvern, West Vorona
St. Paul, Vorona
December 9, 5698


Martin Campos, CEO of Sun Coast Holdings, departing Sulari for Vorona

Sun Coast Holdings, Kalistan's largest resort and casino operators, have concluded a deal to open a 245 unit all-inclusive resort in the city of Malvern Vorona. They will also build an adjacent casino. The resort, to be known as Getaways Resort, aims at not only expanding Sun Coast's considerable tourism hospitality empire, but also helping to encourage Kalistani tourism to Vorona. Martin Campos, the CEO of Sun Coast says his company is ready to expand.

"We had a very productive conversation with officials in Vorona and West Vorona specifically," said Campos. "They seemed very eager to allow us to build in Malvern, which sits on a beautiful harbor of crystal blue waters that are warm year round. The construction will be done with all local labor and the entire staff, from management on down to housekeeping will be Voronan. We will also work very closely with the government of West Vorona to ensure that we pay excellent wages, follow all laws of the island, and take care of our employees. But our ultimate aim is to encourage not only Kalistani tourism to the Island, but international tourism in general."

Campos said that the culture of Vorona is a natural attraction for Kalistanis. "We are attracted to a lot of the cultures of the Central Dovanian coastline," he said. Campos noted a shared affinity for music, for beach culture and for regional cuisine. "Vorona is a vast untapped market, and a vote of confidence from Kalistan could possibly open doors for more investment along their west coast from nations like Egelion who also have links to the region." In the end, the virtuous cycle of development and travel helps all nations in the region and will lead to increased trade and tourism all around.

The casino is designed to help foreigners spend their money in Vorona. "Of course, all of our operations will pay whatever taxes we owe regularly," said Campos. "That goes without saying. But, casinos make money just by existing. You have to be a real buffoon not to make lots of money owning a casino. So, the more tourism we attract to Vorona's beautiful West Coast, the more tourists there are to spend their money in the casino, the more we can drop into the local economy, the more tourists we are able to attract. Rinse, repeat, everyone wins." Campos said the casino is expected to have slots, table games, live off track betting, and other games of chance like live Keno and spots to host poker tournaments.

Campos was accompanied to Vorona by representatives of the Bank of Kalistan, the private commercial investment bank based in Kaliburg, who themselves also negotiated for the opening of a branch in Malvern to help facilitate both foreign exchange and moving money into and out of the country. "This is the first major foreign bank expansion in the BoK's history," said Campos. "We felt it was necessary to allow us to have access to our accounts while in country so we could easily pay our vendors in the local currency without the hassle of setting up foreign checking accounts, and such. The infrastructure doesn't yet exist for direct transfers, but the Bank's representatives said that opening a branch in Malvern will be the first step in facilitating the connection."

They were also accompanied by representatives from AeroKal who negotiated for slots at the St. Paul International Airport for AeroKal flights. "Negotiations were successful for six midweek flights and four more weekend flights to and from Vorona," said Campos. "With direct flights now available, Kalistanis can begin visiting the Island even before Getaways is completed." Previously flights to the Island were indirect via Gaduridos, which necessarily limited interest in Vorona--Many tourists simply spent the colder months in Gaduridos.

"Vorona is an emerging market for tourism," said Campos. "But we want to get in on the ground floor at the very beginning, so other nations will have to play catch up to us if they want to join us." Campos believes that the main draws will be cultural and environmental tourism. "We do know that a lot of people are curious about Vorona: It's history and people are surprisingly still viewed as very exotic to the people of Kalistan, given our lack of significant direct contact. But we do share the love of many of the same things, and I have found the people of Vorona have been very welcoming to me. I want to honor the people of the Island and I want the opportunity for my people, here in Kalistan to have the opportunity to get to know Vorona and its people. Plus, the place is beautiful, and while we have our beautiful places here in Kalistan, Vorona is new and exciting, and its really a very different experience."

Campos stayed an extra week to make arrangements to hire a local Voronan Project manager, Elda Campbell, to begin setting up the initial project office. In February, after Campbell has made his first hires and begun the process of land purchases, he will send Campbell's Kalistani representative to Vorona to begin working on building the resort. The two are using a Voronan architecture firm to capture the aesthetic of the Island for the physical structures of the resort and casino. Getaways Resort and Casino is expected to take five years to complete, and there will be a large celebration for its grand opening in 5704.

@TheRepublic

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Sulari's Deth Cult releases debut album on LCR
Nasty, Brutish and Skilled is return to Alternative form
Suldanor, Duchy of Suldanor
January 18, 5699


Deth Cult's debut album Nasty, Brutish, and Skilled debuts at Number 23 on Hot 100 Albums Chart

The Kalistani alternative scene has been on the lowkey for the past few years. Though it has definitely influenced other more recently popular genres, including the New Wave of RF and Art Rock, few strictly alternative records have found much traction on the Kalistani album charts for much of the last decade. That changed last week, when Sulari quartet Deth Cult released their debut album Nasty, Brutish, and Skilled on Last Chance Records. The album was independently produced by Nate Brown who is a friend of the band, and LCR studios were used for mixing, post production and mastering. LCR also distributes the record, and is running promotion.

"This record is simply alternative and skirts the quiet frontier of noise," said music critic Brenna Jones. "Because it returns to form of the Kalistani mainstream, it immediately sounds fresh and inspires a quasi nostalgia in listeners. I've had people say to me 'This sounds like Noise Alternative... I have really missed this in our music." And I say, no, it's actually just new Alternative, and yeah, I agree that I have missed it too."

"We're pretty steeped in art and noise," said bassist and singer Jill Diego-Garcia. "Avy (Schwartz, the band's main singer and rhythm guitarist) and I went to art school together, and I grew up listening to people like Anne Jean. She was a big influence for us. But we also were into old bands like Salgo and Swedeport grit bands like the Karma Rejects. We were listening to alt-folk, we were listening to all this stuff... When we were recording this record, we had the (5102) album Well, F-ck It by the Karma Rejects, playing nonstop. We are trying to make our version of all that, but tinted by everything that has happened in music since then."

The band has already built a following in the Sulari club scene, where they have gained a reputation for melting eardrums and playing very rowdy shows. "I get kind of nervous on stage," said Diego-Garcia. "So before a show I take a little something for the nerves, and it doesn't really get rid of my anxiety, but it does make me not really care, and when there's like moshing and stage diving and everyone's pushing everyone and jumping off the stage and everything, that kind of helps me like chill out, so I definitely am up on stage like fully encouraging people to go nuts, and if I can make that bass line gnarlier to get people fully into it, yeah, that's where we go. If we have to turn up the amps, that's where we go. If we have to pass out free drugs at the show that's where we go. Who cares. The energy is addicting, you know?"

Avy Schawartz feels the same: "We like to play with the dynamics a lot in our songs. quiet-Loud-quiet-SUPER LOUD. But we are making the quiet parts just short enough for people to almost catch their breath, almost... We don't want them to cool down at all. But we don't want anyone out there passing out. So we make it just maybe like 2 bars, if that before we're right back at it. No rest for the weary... if we're going they better be going too."

Deth Cult's album has debuted in the top 25, but the first unofficial single, "Slicing up Eyeballs" is slower to move up the charts. It is languishing in the low to mid 50s right now. However, as more people get access to the band, and they start playing outside the punk and rock clubs in Sulari, that is certain to change. "Well, our sales right now are based almost exclusively on Sulari listeners," said Schwartz. "We're known in Sulari, and we've played in Dana and Yoshimi. We're set to tour for the record now that it is released, so I think over the next few months, especially after we go to Kaliburg, if we can do there what we've done so far in the South, I think we have a hell of a chance."

You can check out Deth Cult's debut album Nasty, Brutish, and Skilled from LCR at your local record store, but check out their first single "Slicing up Eyeballs" right here.

[Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVyS9JwtFoQ]

@KalistaniRawkMonthly

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FM issues travel advisories for War-torn destinations
Endralon and New Verham top list of dangerous places
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
May 3, 5699


FM Sir Thomas Harney advises Kalistanis to avoid places where people dislike Kalistanis

Her Imperial Majesty's Foreign Minister has issued formal travel advisories to dangerous places in Terra. "While Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Carolina II Ananto wants Kalistanis to go out into the world and experience life in other nations to the fullest, she would also prefer that they return home safely, and there are a number of places on this planet where that is not a next to certain probability anymore. So we are advising Kalistanis to temporarily refrain from travel to these places until things calm down and people can enjoy spending their money abroad safely and leisurely rather than worrying about ducking tanks and militants shooting at members of the Royal Family."

Among those placed on the Travel Advisory list are New Verham and Endralon, both of whom are experiencing significant political turmoil. "New Verham," said the Foreign Minister, "where, according to our information, tens of Kalistani tourists will travel in the coming decade, is nonetheless continuing a long tradition of instability and corruption in the developing world. This instability is largely ethnic in its character, from what we can ascertain, and it also appears to be being stoked by outside actors. Definitely not a safe place for yet another group, the dozens or so of Kalistanis who may want to go there, to insert themselves at this time. Just better to go somewhere that it is safe and you can have fun, somewhere like Xsampa, if you really must go to Dovani."

Endralon was similarly labeled unstable and dangerous for Kalistani tourists. "We aren't quite sure what is happening there, but we also suspect some foreign intervention in their politics, and would just advise Kalistanis to avoid this place entirely." The Foreign Minister also noted the existence of ethnic tension around Zergon separatism as one of the primary causes for the tensions. "This is, and should be a purely internal matter that unfortunately we feel is being exploited to serve foreign ends, and Her Imperial Majesty feels that Endralon is only at the start of its troubles. But like New Verham, Kalistan maintains no diplomatic outposts in Endralon, and would not be able to offer any assistance to Kalistanis who may find themselves in an arbitrary arrest situation or in the middle of a firefight accidentally because they are ignorant of the domestic and international actors who are stoking this violence. So it is better that Kalistanis just refrain from travelling to the eastern Artanian state for the time being."

The Foreign Minister said these travel advisories are routine, and are not enforced law. "We are simply saying that Kalistanis who do go there cannot expect us to help them if they find themselves in trouble, and the liklihood that they will find themselves in trouble is increasingly high. But this is not a sanction of any sort on the nations themselves." Sir Harney said that Kalistan maintains travel advisories for a number of states, including Kalistan's long standing travel advisory for Trigunia/Nadiya, Amudim, and more recently, Luthori. "In Trigunia, that government has a long history of violation of human rights: Their policies suggest Kalistanis are simply not welcome there, and they subject even their own citizens, even their own monarchs to arbitrary incarceration. Amudim may have ended their internal conflict, but the place is still widely viewed as unstable and unwelcoming to Kalistan, and Luthori most recently has experienced anti-monarchist violence and we would not want to see Kalistanis caught in the cross fire." Of these three, the Luthorian travel advisory is considered to be the least harsh and merely advises tourists to the Artanian Kingdom to contact the Kalistani Embassy if they find themselves in trouble, as Kalistan does not maintain extradition agreements with Luthori.

"Her Imperial Majesty values world travel and commerce," said Sir Harney. "We are just concerned by the rise of violence and just anti-Kalistani sentiment in general. We do not want these other, less professional, more ham-fisted governments or their insane hordes of democrats targeting our citizens who go there to visit them just because they woke up on the wrong side of the bed one morning, so the Empress is merely advising extreme caution when going to some of these places. We are waiting to see whether Luthori passes something like Lese Majestie before we will remove them from the advisory list so that is easy, but the other ones would have to do a lot more to ensure the safety of our people before we would consider them safe for Kalistani travel and tourism. We advise alternatives and extra planning if you cannot avoid travel to some of these hot spots in the world, because if, for some reason, you find yourself in a place like Nadiya or New Verham, there are no friendly faces for hundreds or thousands of miles and literally everyone between those two points hates you because you are Kalistani. It's just a fact. Be safe out there, people."

@TheRepublic

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Empress officially Opens the Luncasi Commercial Port
"Dedicated to the cooperation and friendship between the Kalistani and Kizenian People", says Empress
Luncasi Free City, Tripartite Kingdom
May 10, 5699


Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Carolina II Ananto, delivers short speech in Luncasi

Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Carolina II Ananto flew with her Foreign Minister, Sir Thomas Harney, and trade Minister Jamar Rogers, to officially open the newly completed Luncasi Commercial Port. The port, which will serve the Free City of Luncasi and links into the larger Tripartite Kingdom of New Endralon, Kizenia, and Kuzaki, is aimed at dramatically increasing direct commerce between Keris and northern Seleya, and is expected to provide a major boost to the local and regional economy. Delivering the speech in Egelian, Her Imperial Majesty dedicated the port to the spirit of cooperation between Kalistan and Kizenia.

"Nuestro propósito hoy es inaugurar este puerto marítimo que nuestros dos pueblos han construido conjuntamente durante los últimos diez años. Pero este puerto no es solo un puerto: representa mucho más tanto para el pueblo de Luncasi como para el de Kalistan. Representa un homenaje y un monumento a la cooperación que hemos cultivado tanto durante la guerra como después, y es un testimonio de la cordialidad y el respeto mutuo entre nuestros pueblos.

"Este monumento perdurará para siempre como testimonio de lo que se puede lograr cuando dos pueblos trabajan juntos por un objetivo común. El Gobierno de Kalistán, la comunidad de expatriados kalistaníes aquí en Luncasi, el Gobierno de la Ciudad Libre de Luncasi y el pueblo kizeniano que reside aquí contribuyeron con su dinero, su tiempo y su energía para construir este puerto, que servirá a esta ciudad mientras exista, enriqueciendo la vida de todos sus habitantes y garantizando la prosperidad general en el futuro.

"Queremos expresar nuestro agradecimiento al Gobierno de la Ciudad Libre por su disposición a acogernos aquí y por su colaboración para lograr este maravilloso resultado. Luncasi es la ciudad más importante del sur y ahora está preparada para convertirse en una de las ciudades más importantes del Reino Tripartito. Se suele destacar la contribución de Egelion y Trigunia a esta nación, pero es hora de que también se reconozcan los logros de Luncasi, y sin duda haremos todo lo posible para fomentar ese reconocimiento y promover a Luncasi como el puerto con el que deseamos hacer negocios de forma exclusiva, no solo en Kizenia, sino en Keris en general."

She then surprised the Kizenian audience by switching to a brief message she prepared, in Kizenian.

"Si nos permiten un momento más, nos gustaría saludarlos y darles las gracias en su propio idioma, y ​​no en el idioma de sus amos políticos:

"Dorim să vă salutăm pe toți prietenii Kalistanului din Luncasi. Și vă mulțumim foarte mult pentru că ați fost atât de primitori cu forțele noastre armate și cu geniștii noștri. Ne-au spus că ați fost gazde foarte amabile și că voi, locuitorii din Luncasi, v-ați câștigat un loc în inimile noastre. Dorim să știm mult mai multe despre voi și să învățăm tot ce putem despre bogata cultură și moștenire a locuitorilor de pe Coasta de Sud Kizeniană. Vă mulțumim pentru căldura și ospitalitatea pe care ne-ați arătat-o ​​nouă și expatriaților noștri. Și poate că veți veni într-o zi la Kaliburg și ne veți vizita. Locuitorii din Luncasi și Kizenia sunt prieteni ai Kalistanului."

The crowd was delighted at the Empress' dedication and greatly appreciated her attempts at speaking Kizenian. Following the port's dedication, she attended a reception held by the Mayor of the Luncasi Free City and leading members of the City Government and notable Kalistani Expatriates, all of whom play a major role in the City's economy, and who contributed financially to the port's construction.

The opening of the port was accompanied by an official proclamation that henceforth, all direct trade between Kalistan and Keris will go through Luncasi. "It is far more efficient to use a port almost due north of Kalistan to trade at than to travel around to a far away port," said Her Imperial Majesty's Trade Minister, Mr. Jamar Rogers. "Both sides are predicted to save significant transit costs on trade between the two continents with the opening of the port, and Kalistan will provide further incentives for Kalistani shipping interests to sell exclusively in Luncasi." The opening of the port is expected to save Kalistani buyers and sellers more than ₭10 Billion in its first year.

@TheRepublic

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Kalistan pulls Kalistani Diplomats from Altea
"Egelion has never acted in good faith," says Chancellor of the Empire
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
June 1, 5699


Chancellor of the Empire issues notice that Kalistani Diplomatic Personnel will return from Egelion following unprovoked attacks by Kingdom in Dovani

The Chancellor of the Empire, Lady Ericka Donahue, addressed the National Assembly to announce that Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Carolina II Ananto has ordered Kalistani diplomatic personnel to be recalled to Kalistan and has officially asked the Egelian Ambassador in Kaliburg to remove the King of Egelion's representatives back to Egelion ahead of the the issuance of a declaration of Personna Non Grata on June 15. The Chancellor, who is set to retire in just under two years appeared exasperated and quite annoyed by the Egelian attack on the central Dovani nation, and called it "unprovoked."

"Her Imperial Majesty has officially recalled all Kalistani officials from Egelion and has ordered the Kalistani Embassy closed," said the Chancellor. "The Empress has ordered Consular services to continue until May 31, after which point they will be suspended. The Consular services will be opened to all Kalistanis seeking to depart from the Northern Kingdom. She has also issued a Personna Non Grata order for all representatives of the Egelian Government, which will take effect on June 15 of this year. This action is taken in direct response to Egelion's willful and bad faith insertion into the civil war in New Verham."

It is widely believed that the PNG order is the first step in further sanctions against the aggressively expansionistic Kerisian Empire. "Egelion has demonstrated over the course of its history, that it does not do anything where it will not be able to gain territory and or military concessions. Egelion has never historically acted in good faith. We have seen this same playbook time and time again: In Rildanor, they had no business, nor any interests in entering that conflict, but did so so that they could annex a naval base and establish a naval presence on the opposite side of the world from their home. In Kizenia, they entered the conflict as a prelude to annexing the entire nation, through personal union to their Empire. And in Kundrati they entered... No, as a matter of fact, they did not join that war, a just war that involved the other major players, because they would not be able to gain any land or military concessions for themselves.

"Egelion is now involving itself, with no evidence that it was asked to do so, in yet another conflict where it has no business, no interests, and no real reason to be there. It is assumed that they intend to make New Verham into an outpost for their Empire as they have each and every time they have ever intervened anywhere. There are a pernicious and deepening threat and Kalistan will not support them in anyway. We will in fact do all we can to hinder further Egelian expansion, which is by definition hypocritical, illegitimate and self-serving."

The Chancellor also had a personal note for the Egelian King. "In this announcement, Her Imperial Majesty would like me to read the following statement:

"Estimado primo León:

"En tiempos difíciles, es importante que reflexiones sobre tus acciones. Es mucho mejor que te esfuerces por mantener cerca a tus amigos, cueste lo que cueste, que tomar decisiones precipitadas que podrían romper relaciones duraderas. Esta es la forma más efectiva de ser un buen gobernante. Lo más sensato es buscar a quienes consideras cercanos y tomarte un momento para pensar cómo tus acciones impulsivas afectarán tu relación con ellos. Porque es mejor tener amigos de tu lado que actuar sin pensar y alejar a quienes intentaban colaborar contigo y reparar los daños anteriores.

"Quizás sea demasiado tarde ahora para que sigas este sabio consejo, pero estas palabras te serán de gran utilidad en el futuro. Habrá momentos en los que sentirás miedo, y habrá momentos de incertidumbre, y tus pares, no tus subordinados, podrán ayudarte a tomar una decisión acertada, basada en la perspectiva, en lugar del impulso y el egoísmo. Habrías actuado sabiamente si hubieras seguido el consejo que nos diste cuando fuimos coronados, pero en cambio, optaste por comportarte como un niño con un arma grande, y ​​predeciblemente has dañado nuestra relación una vez más. Un líder sabio sabe cuándo no atacar. Un líder sabio sabe que la defensa es una garantía mucho mejor para la paz y la seguridad que un imperio en constante e incomprensible expansión. Esperamos que tomes mejores decisiones en el futuro y te aconsejamos que destituyas de inmediato a los consejeros que te indujeron al error en esta ocasión.

"Tu antigua amiga, Carolina Ananto"

Finally, the Chancellor announced that the 1st Fleet has been put on alert in the Northern Anantonese, in case Egelion decides to retaliate militarily against Kalistan for illuminating the illegitimacy of its intervention in New Verham. Additional sanctions will be placed on Egelion in the near future, and it is widely believed that the PNG order beginning on June 1st will include a travel ban to Egelion in protest of the intervention and eventual annexation of some or all of New Verham to the Egelian Empire. The Chancellor said she would be surprised if any other nations joined Kalistani sanctions against Egelion, because apparently no other nation shares Kalistan's concern for the ongoing Egelian threat to global security.

@TheRepublic

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Kalistan enforces Personna Non Grata order against Egelion
"We are not imposing additional sanctions on Egelion at this point," said Chancellor
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
June 16, 5699


A touchy Chancellor answers questions in the National Assembly

"What is ridiculous is that a commoner and a member of the Press thinks he has the right to criticize the Empress," snapped the Chancellor of the Empire, Lady Ericka Donahue at a reporter who called the policy of Personna Non Grata without accompanying sanctions "ridiculously ineffective" as a short Press Conference in the lobby of the National Assembly. The Press Conference, originally intended to give an update to the enactment of the Personna Non Grata order, went sideways soon after it started as reporters pressed the Chancellor to provide answers about why she wasn't doing what many believe is necessary to effectively punish Egelion. To date, there have been no arrests or deportations, suggesting that Egelion has either gotten their diplomats and personnel out of the country, or the Kalistani Government is not actively enforcing the law. The Chancellor, who was visibly annoyed at the criticism, had had enough when the reporter, from the journal The National asked the question.

"You people seem to forget where we live," said the Chancellor. "This government does as it is ordered by Her Imperial Majesty, and she directed me specifically to hold off on additional sanctions until we can see if the Egelians respond. We have received no word from them whatever way, but she still insists that there may be some hope to salvage a rapidly deteriorating relationship between our two nations anyway. So we do what she commands." She then made the matter personal. "It is the height of audacity for you, a reporter to think you are in a place to criticize Her Imperial Majesty's fiat like this!"

The comments came after a particularly tense exchange where different reporters were demanding information about why more information about sanctions were not forthcoming. "I told you people a hundred times, we have not settled on appropriate sanctions yet," said the Chancellor. "On the one hand, Egelion attacked the nation of New Verham, a neutral nation where Egelion possesses no vital or even ascertainable interests. They did so without even informing Kalistan, who they have long claimed to be allied with, leaving us completely in the dark about matters that directly affect regional security, and there is no doubt that people in New Verham were killed as a result of their attacks. But on the other hand, they have publicly then come along and said their only goal was to seize the airport to facilitate humanitarian aid delivery, a point which has been independently confirmed.

"So--since we no longer have open channels with the Egelian Government and haven't heard word one about their goals in the region, or security cooperation, we are left to try to figure it out ourselves. It's like doing a crossword puzzle without any clues, and being expected to complete it perfectly. The fact is, we never know what Egelion is doing until after they have done it. They don't feel they owe us any consideration at all to even let us know what they are doing so Kalistan doesn't get concerned. They just expect us to assume that they are acting in good faith when we have not seen evidence that they ever act unless they profit from it."

The Chancellor also responded to accusations of paranoia by Kalistan's internationalists. "And yet its ironic that when we say something is happening, the go-to, and incredibly irritatingly annoying knee jerk reaction is 'Oh Ericka Donahue is just being paranoid...' as an attempt to completely invalidate our concerns because history is hitting people right in the face and they can't put us down any other way. And nonetheless the thing we say is happening is actually happening. Kalistani intelligence is actually quite good and gets almost all those calls right; it just takes a while to see it play out in the press, if it ever does. This is the common refrain for those who think Kalistan should just go along with things, bend the knee, completely abandon their own national interests, and embrace a new global order led by a nation we simply do not trust and who has zero regard whatsoever for Kalistan."

Paranoia, she said "...is based on entirely unfounded or hallucinatory fears. Our policies are based on solid intelligence and historical example. Since we can't take the word of most nations, who are deliberately dishonest about what they are doing, we therefore have to rely on what we can see, and an unprovoked attack against a neutral state on the other side of the globe by a power who has already demonstrated their active desire to take chunks of the world for their empire over and over again under the pretense of humanitarian intervention is just something we cannot ignore. You can call it paranoia if you like, but I think you just don't know what that word means."

The Chancellor said sanctions would likely not be enforced. "At the end of the day, Her Imperial Majesty will likely not impose sanctions because she does not believe other nations will join us" said Lady Donahue. "Egelion is now in a position internationally where other nations fear to get on its bad side, and the cowed always run to their master's side when they are called. Even those nations who sent strongly worded letters to Egelion yesterday will maintain 100 percent support for their actions today. It will not change at all, and so far Egelion has only 'humanitarily intervened' in nations that it can take easy advantage of. At the end of the day, their theft of the naval base in Rildanor, or their virtual annexation of Kizenia didn't affect the spheres of interest of anyone who is in any position to do much about it. New Verham will be no different."

According to the Chancellor, Her Imperial Majesty is of the mind that threatened sanctions will actually only hurt Kalistan, but won't elicit notice in Egelion at all. "We are actively diverting trade away from Egelion already, and do not invest in them, nor do they invest in us, so there is no effect. We don't cooperate on military or intelligence sharing. So what is there even to sanction? We kick the Egelian language institute out of Kaliburg? Why? Her Imperial Majesty thinks that is the one good thing Egelion ever did with Kalistan. And besides, Kalistan has seen this movie before when we tried to maintain sanctions on Kundrati and the rest of the world, Egelion included, completely turned their backs on us and let us bear the burden by ourselves while they still actively traded with and coddled fascists."

At the end of the truncated press conference, the Chancellor got to the heart of the matter. "There is no basis for trust between Kalistan and Egelion. Absolutely none. Her Imperial Majesty may have wanted to try to repair relations with Egelion at some point, but she learned at that time, I think that Egelion would have only done so on their own terms, and the Empress left the meeting at Verastella following her coronation more uncertain about where Kalistan stood with Egelion than when she arrived. I think this extreme militarism in New Verham has confirmed for her that Egelion has no intention of being a regional partner, because that would require Egelion to see Kalistan as an equal, and they clearly never will. Whether she moves forward on sanctions or not, she is convinced now that they do not, and they never will, even acknowledge our existence. So there is really no point in her continuing to try any longer."

The Chancellor then ended the press conference but took a final question as she left. Asked how Kalistan and Egelian relations will look going forward from here, she simply said "Like Trigunia..." which does not bode well at all for the future of the Northern Anantonese. The 1st Fleet remains on alert and deployed both north of Ananto and south of Luncasi in case Egelion decides to also launch an unprovoked attack against Kalistan.

@TheRepublic

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Chancellor Sacked by Empress ahead of Retirement
1st Fleet and North Army Alert stepped up should Kalistan need to defend Luncasi
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
July 1, 5699


Empress addresses National Assembly to name new Chancellor

Lady Ericka Donahue has been allowed to retire to her home in Eshar two years early. There are few details around the Chancellor's removal but it is guessed that the Chancellor's responses to the Press two weeks ago was the last straw for the Empress. The sudden removal of the Chancellor forced Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Carolina II Ananto to announce her new Head of Government.

"We begin by thanking Lady Ericka Donahue for her long years of service," said Her Imperial Majesty before the National Assembly. "She leaves office without blemish on her career or her character. But we mutually agreed that she should be given the opportunity to begin her retirement with full pension early, to give the Institutional Party the opportunity to reset. To replace her, we have named our vassal Count Reginald Hanson, Count of Jah in Vrassa Lord Hanson is a member of the moderate caucus within the Institutional Party and the leader for the last four years of the Government Affairs committee. Lord Hanson possesses excellent Government organizational skills and fits our vision for the Empire going forward. Lord Hanson will begin serving as Chancellor of the Empire this week."

Very little is known about the Count of the northern County other than the few details that were provided to the Press by Her Imperial Majesty's personal Secretary. The Office of the Empress says that Count Hanson is 34 years old, possesses a Masters Degree of Public Administration received from the University of Vrassa, and is a well known and competent bureaucrat. It is also suspected that he was on a short list left by the outgoing Chancellor for the Empress to choose from, suggesting that he has at least received her endorsement. If this is true, it will put to bed any rumors that Lady Donahue was forced out due to disagreements over the Egelion policy. Neither Count Hanson nor the now Countess Donahue have addressed the method or criteria Her Imperial Majesty used to select the new Chancellor.

Chancellor of the Empire, Lord Reginald Hansen, Count of Jah takes office

The Empress did not address the Egelian situation in her speech before the National Assembly, and the new Chancellor, in his first meeting with the press pulled his punches. "Her Imperial Majesty thanks the Egelian Emperor for kindly returning our diplomats. We have similarly assisted Egelian personnel and all nationals who wish to leave Kalistan to return home safely. Kalistan bears no ill will toward Egelion: It is the aggressive imperialism of her Sovereign that the Empress objects to. However, Her Imperial Majesty has closed the door on any additional sanctions, because there is nothing to sanction. Egelion has assiduously avoided almost all intercourse with Kalistan: They did welcome the Empress for a short period of time after her coronation, but have made no attempt to work with Kalistan on regional security, economics, or diplomacy outside of a short conversation on the topic where both sides reaffirmed their desire to remain at peace with one another.

But the Emperor's reference to Her Imperial Majesty as nothing more than puerile and paranoid speaks volumes about the Egelian's attitude, and makes all his claims about trying to work with Kalistan as equals into falsehoods, and Her Imperial Majesty would prefer to not associate herself with dissemblers and warmongers like this. In their condescending attitude toward Her Imperial Majesty, which was present from the first day of her formal reign, they have demonstrated their long held attitude of misplaced and unearned superiority, and the Emperor's comments simply put a punctuation mark on the relationship. Kalistan had long tried to be a friend to Egelion and would have been if Egelion had only found a way to talk to us as their equal. But they never once did. Egelion now only has thralls and targets when they could have had a friend. If His Majesty wishes to reopen the door to Kalistan, he knows how to get to Kaliburg."

While the Chancellor did not wish to address the Egelian monarch any further, he did note that Kalistan did not get resources from Egelion on any level, nor did we invest anything in that nation. "But they didn't invest anything here either, because they could not control it. So its a wash." As for the threat of military action in New Endralon, the Chancellor said "We do not have personnel in New Endralon." He was asked if he thought Egelion meant Luncasi, and he said "No, they said New Endralon. Luncasi is a free city in Kizenia. And we have not heard anything about Luncasi from the Government of NEKK, which is, according to Egelion itself, an independent nation in personal union with Egelion. So I don't know what they are talking about."

In case, however, he said Her Imperial Majesty has moved elements of the Second Fleet into the Straits to act in reserve, and has ordered the First Imperial Fleet to begin doing active patrols between Kizenia and Ananto. "Her Imperial Majesty has also put Regular Army Group North on alert and has activated the Militia. We are prepared to reinforce the 2 Battalions of Marines who are permanent personnel in Luncasi if need be in a few hours notice."

@TheRepublic

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Lady Allison Ananto-Westmoreland Announces Investment in Lodamese Maritime Bond
Aim is to "indemnify against possible loss" in Luncasi, says head of House Ananto
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
August 5, 5699


Lady Allison Ananto-Westmoreland discusses Maritime Security Bond Investment at House Ananto

Lady Allison Ananto-Westmoreland, head of House Ananto and CEO of Miramar Holdings, has announced that ₭100 Million from the Miramar fund will be invested into the new Maritime Security Bond proposed by the Lodamese firm Harrington Company. "Given heightened tensions in the Anantonese Ocean and specifically concerns in and around the Free City of Luncasi, and considering both House Ananto and Kalistan's considerable investment in infrastructure in this town, insuring our investments there just makes sense," said Lady Ananto. "This will indemnify our nation against possible loss or seizure, and if the investment remains safe, so much the better."

Lady Ananto explained that the bond would pay regular dividends on continued peace in the region. "As long as we stay at peace and things continue as normal, we will make money back on our investment, so House Ananto will have a material incentive to promote peaceful solutions to troubles in the Anantonese Ocean. Given that our Empress possesses the capability to actually negotiate peace, this will create a stronger disincentive for going to war, especially over minor slights or issues that are of no concern to Kalistan with our neighbors. And if we are attacked anyway, and have to go to war, we will be paid for destruction to our shipping and infrastructure region wide. Obviously we would prefer to continue receiving the dividend: the bond is expected to pay out only for real damage, if it is correctly understood."

She also said that this would help curb Kalistan's historic impulse to turn to piracy and privateering within the Anantonese Region. "We have to admit it that we are not perfect in this area," said Lady Ananto. "Kalistan has historically viewed the authorization of privateers and the disruption of maritime trade as a perfectly acceptable tactic for a war. But that would amount to a disruption and would suggest that our money, as part of the bond's capitalization, would be going to compensate the victims of our own policies, and that sort of seems counterproductive. As for me, I would rather receive the dividends of peace, and think, that since we as a nation refuse to participate in liberal Laws of the Sea agreements, this is an alternative that makes peace on the high seas and interest not only of Her Imperial Majesty, but also of the entire Nation."

Nationalists, still fuming over the early retirement of Lady Donahue and her replacement by the more moderate, Lord Reg Hanson as Chancellor of the Empire, refused to vote for a corresponding contribution from the National Government. The Proposal itself did not have the full backing of Her Imperial Majesty, and Nationalists therefore felt free to deliver Chancellor Hanson an early defeat. The failure of the bill in the National Assembly led Lady Ananto-Westmoreland to step up and offer to contribute directly from House Ananto. "The Nationalists did not think it was appropriate to spend public money supporting a foreign corporation in this fashion, and very strongly opposed the measure, and since they still retain the majority in the national Assembly, without direct fiat from the Empress, that bill was essentially dead on arrival," explained Lady Ananto.

Lady Ananto-Westmoreland said it was her hope that House Ananto's investment and confidence in the bond effort by Harrington Company would provide incentive for other nations in both the Anantonese Ocean region and in the Migrants Pass region to invest. "I suppose that a country doesn't necessarily need to be in those regions to invest," she said. "Some people could invest as a speculation on peace, and others would invest to indemnify their own shipping through the region. But we believe there is adequate protections in the system against gaming the system: The loss of the dividend will be much harder than any claims against the bond, so there is always a financial incentive to maintain peace, especially since we are in an area that is directly covered by the bond. If war is inevitable, it is inevitable, but Her Imperial Majesty believes we should always attempt to give peace a chance, and all war represents failure, so this bond is definitely a way to materially incentivize peace, as well as supporting it from an intrinsic standpoint."

House Ananto has contacted representatives from Harrington Company to begin buying into the bond. The purchases come as the Empress has ordered the 1st Regular Fleet into a more relaxed posture in the Northern Anantonese following lack of engagement to date with Egelion in Luncasi. "She is taking her first few tentative steps back from the brink of conflict to give both sides some breathing space. Now is the perfect time for us to further signal that our commitments to peaceful resolution of our nations' disagreements are credible. We are putting our own money into peace, and we welcome the opportunity to do that through this Maritime Security Bond."

@TheRepublic