[h3]Dyevlin Palace, Volodyna, The People's Republic of Kataylabinsk[/h3] It was a cold day in the northern capital of Kataylabinsk, and Premier Commissar Yekaterina Velikaya sat by the main fireplace in the Dyevlin in a reclined chair reading the People's Daily newspaper, the main newspaper of the land and the unofficial outlet of her Kataylan People's Party. She even occasionally offered to provide input for the occasional editorial in the paper, and today was one of those days. Across the front of the paper splashed the words "Zenovian Factories Continue to Burn Their Workers Alive." [i]It is with great regret that the People's Daily reports the second major factory fire in the Kingdom of Zenovia. So far, almost four hundred young girls, mostly Trollish, have perished in these fires due to the extreme carelessness of their owners in safety regulation and because of the abhorrent policy of leaving the doors locked from the outside to prevent them from sneaking out. These incidents have remained utterly unreported in the Zenovian press, showing the incredible disdain that the Zenovian government appears to have for its Trollish citizens. The Premier Commissar, when asked for comment about these events, replied with the following: "It is truly a sad day for workers around the world, that so many of our fellows, innocent young girls as they are who had entire lives ahead of them, have perished. I would ask all Kataylans to pray, or give a moment of silence, in memory of them. I would finally urge the Zenovian government to take action as soon as possible to address this problem and prove that they do in fact represent all of the working people of their nation." These events prompt the editorial staff to ask a question. How many people have to die, how much suffering can the Zenovian people endure before the government takes action? It appears that only the Zenovian Radical Party is willing to address this problem, which is the saddest story of all. Is it really so radical to want to prevent hundreds of deaths?[/i] Yekaterina chuckled. That would hopefully send the Zenovian government running and maybe even prompt more of their citizens to vote for the Radicals when the paper gets smuggled in, as it always does. "Elena?" The Premier's secretary rushed into the room, but then quickly adopted a dignified pose. "Yes, Premier Velikaya?" "Is Anjelika by any chance in the Dyevlin today?" "Why of course, she's upstairs signing some paperwork. Should I ask her to come down for a moment?" "Yes, please," replied the Premier. A few moments later a woman who seemed quite out of place in Kataylabinsk, short, with Fusan features and long, bright orange hair, who appeared to be in her mid-thirties came in and bowed to the Premier. The look in her piercing blue eyes suggested a painful history, but her enthusiastic face suggested her spirits had improved from that time. "I maintain you don't have to do that, Anjelika." Yekaterina's clear, beautiful laugh rang out and the Intelligence Commissar smiled. "Force of habit, I assure you, Premier. What can I do for you?" "Have a note included in the folds of the paper that usually gets to that one Radical Party MP. Offer his party any support we can provide, though of course it would have to be subtle, probably simply money. As much as I'd like to start another factory fire, albeit one with a door that's unlocked so they can actually escape, to convince Zenovia of the gravity of the problem and of the ease of fixing it..." "I understand," replied Intelligence Commissar Adraneda. "As soon as possible." "Thank you." Elena emerged back into the room carrying a letter as Anjelika bowed and departed. "A letter from Chancellor Vortzeria," the secretary announced as she handed it to her. The Premier Commissar read it with great interest, and smiled as she approached the end of the letter. Elena left and returned with a pen and paper, which she handed to Yekaterina. [i][center]A Reply to the Chancellor of the Greater Republic of Avalia, Helena Vortzeria Chancellor Helena, I greatly appreciate and welcome the letter, as it has been far too long. The apparent military buildup of the Kingdom of Verendes has also been an unnerving subject in my cabinet of late, both as you have found from border reports and from our operatives inside of the country which we have made an effort to increase in number. It is regrettable that both they and Moravia seem so deadset on war and aggression. All the information we have received so far seems to suggest great instability in Verendes, so I am glad to have confirmation from another source. We are reluctant to contact such a liberal faction, as understandably our political position would scare them off, but we hope for the best in your efforts and assuredly our intelligence agencies could collaborate on this effort if you are willing. Ensuring the creation of more democratic governments is surely one of the most important goals our countries have in common. I have no objection to aligning with Zenovia in principle, but I must note that my party and furthermore my people will not accept an alliance with a nation which allows its workers to burn alive without any thought to resolving the problem. You may have seen my comments in today's People's Daily, and I would ask you to stand beside me in at least asking for some purely humanitarian concessions for the time being. I know that Zenovia cannot become a democracy overnight, but surely we can ask for them to have some concern for the welfare of their citizens. And on a lighter note, of course you may have some more Haraschor vodka, it is also one of my favorite brands. I wish you well in your endeavors.[/center] Signed, Premier Yekaterina Velikaya[/i] The Premier finished writing, read over the letter, and nodded. She handed it to Elena. "Could you ask the Foreign Commissar to write a letter to the so-called "socialist republic" of Brusaleye? I think it's about time I find out what sort of a nation this is, and what exactly their intents are." --- [i]Dear Lord General and President Sydney LaChance of Brusaleye, Greetings and salutations from the People's Republic of Kataylabinsk. The Premier Commissar, Yekaterina Velikaya, has expressed a desire to make a state visit to your young nation to both learn more about it and to meet you. If this would be acceptable to you, please reply with an appropriate date, time and location for her to arrive. We hope for cordial relations and prosperous cooperation to be had between our two great nations. -Foreign Commissar Miroslav Yerkhov of Kataylabinsk[/i]