The following news article appeared in the 20 December YC123 edition of the Beseth Dunijia TImes newspaper
20 December YC123
by Kaylin WestUNF Opens Embassy in Dam Vishen!
Khaios Merkez was abuzz this afternoon, as Duke Shasta and his fellow nobles held a grand ceremony to celebrate the grand opening of the first foreign embassy on Beseth Dunijia. The ceremony commenced at 14:00 and lasted until 18:00. The ceremony began when Duke Shasta, accompanied by top nobles and diplomatic officials and escorted by a squad of eight Legionnaires from the Dark Wolf Legion and a half squad of 4 men and women from the newly raised Diplomatic Security Corps, informally known as the Embassorial Guards, walked down Khaios Merkez from the sprawling complex of government buildings, formally known as the Jekhti Merkez, that lay at the center of the city and contained the heart of the government and handed over the keys to the embassy to a delegation from the United Neopian Federation. For the next few hours, representatives from the UNF and the Sovereign Duchy gave speeches, celebrating the grand opening and expressing their hopes for a prosperous partnership between the Neopians and the Sovereign Duchy.
Public opinion was resoundingly positive. As one citizen stated, “The Sovereign Duchy is small. We have one planet, and no navy. The Legion is our sole military force, and much of it is deployed elsewhere. We have to depend on pirates for additional military support! Pirates! The Neopians are … not as well known as the Guristas, but hey, they should at least be more reliable, no?” Another citizen concurred, simply stating, “Pirates change their loyalties on the flip of a coin. Empires do not.” However, a few naysayers steadfastly refused to interact with the Neopians, fearing betrayal. One voiced his concerns to the Times, arguing that “the Neopians are led by a capsuleer, one that owns supercarriers. And what do we own? A capsuleer’s personal fleet, of which only a handful of frigates and destroyers are stationed in Venal. And the UNF even has warclones! Warclones! Have y’all heard what warclones are capable of? There’s a reason SARO has Red Troop, ya know?”
From the Neopian delegation, there was much excitement at the opening of the embassy, with assorted ambassadors from a number of the nationstates that make up the non-capsuleer component of the United Neopian Federation, though some consternation was noted over the presence of the noted diplomat and capsuleer director Lauralite Anne Brezia being in attendance, both from select members of the Neopian delegation itself, and amongst some members of the general populace. One delegate from a particularly conservative UNF nationstate asserted that “The manner in which that one conducts herself is perhaps the greatest travesty in all this.” The delegate was quickly rebuked by another member of the Neopian group, downplaying the negativity of their compatriot by stating that, "what he means to say, is that if it weren’t for the Lady Brezia’s impeccable eye for business and diplomatic connection, perhaps her extracurricular activities may be more worrisome”.
In other news:
UNF - Sovereign Duchy Economic Conference Rumored to Involve Discussions on a Possible Arms for Minerals Deal
Duke Shasta Ardeind Proclaims the First Ever Prosperous Venal Fair Will be Held from 2nd January YC124 to 8th January YC124
Prosperous Venal Fair to be Held in Newly Built Open Market Complex
Guristas Pirates Will be Allowed to Dock at Dam Vishen Spaceport for Lowered Customs and Spaceport Fees and Sell Their Goods to Citizens During the Duration of the Fair