Kothra Posted April 22, 2012 Share Posted April 22, 2012 OOC: Can you please just PM the stuff to me? I'll get to it once I finish this brief summary on the recent history of Iran. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara White Posted April 22, 2012 Share Posted April 22, 2012 IC: "I understand that." The officer said, politely aggravated. "I wanted to know what you would consider equal in trade." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wyrd Bid Ful Araed Posted April 22, 2012 Share Posted April 22, 2012 OOC: How much would it cost to start the laying of intercontinental data cables, and how long would it take?OOC: Since the in-game meeting on that seems to have stalled, I'll announce OOC that I'd be willing to split the IP with you on that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xomeron Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 IC:"Something of equal advantage, something which gives us as much development as the Shadow gives." Quote That being said, thag thag thaggity thag thagness.-Rover "A memo was sent to Astaria asking if it would at all be possible to make a flying goat.""The Astarians responded that making a goat fly would be trivial; making it land safely would be another matter entirely." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara White Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 IC: "You're being horribly vague." The Varangian pointed out. "I was hoping you'd give me some examples." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeavyMetalSunshineSister Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 OOC: I would still love to know how the Astarians knew to ask about magnetic weapons. Quote We will remember - Skies may fade and stars may wane; we won't forget And your light shines bright - yes so much brighter shine on We will remember - Until the skies will fall we won't forget We will remember We all shall follow doom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xomeron Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 OOC: Rumors. They bought electromagnets from you, they figure you might weaponize it. It was a lucky guess. IC:"To be frank, I don't see what you can offer us aside from your magnetic weapons. Perhaps industrial support in building up our Navy, or research on the same, you have a much longer history of plying the seas than we do." Quote That being said, thag thag thaggity thag thagness.-Rover "A memo was sent to Astaria asking if it would at all be possible to make a flying goat.""The Astarians responded that making a goat fly would be trivial; making it land safely would be another matter entirely." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara White Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 IC: "I never said that magnetic research was off the table. However, naval research seems to be the most likely option." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xomeron Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 IC:"And how do you believe you could improve our ships?" Quote That being said, thag thag thaggity thag thagness.-Rover "A memo was sent to Astaria asking if it would at all be possible to make a flying goat.""The Astarians responded that making a goat fly would be trivial; making it land safely would be another matter entirely." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara White Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 IC: "Again, I'm not a research expert. However, how does the technique of 'degaussing' sound?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xomeron Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 IC:"Deguass..." Caliak contemplated the Varangian root words. "remove magnetics', how's that supposed to work?" Quote That being said, thag thag thaggity thag thagness.-Rover "A memo was sent to Astaria asking if it would at all be possible to make a flying goat.""The Astarians responded that making a goat fly would be trivial; making it land safely would be another matter entirely." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara White Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 IC: "It removes vulnerability to magnetic mines by lessening the magnetic fields given off by a vessel." The Varangian explained. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xomeron Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 IC: "Possibly. It could certainly be a component of a trade. But I still want something more. What have you to offer?" Quote That being said, thag thag thaggity thag thagness.-Rover "A memo was sent to Astaria asking if it would at all be possible to make a flying goat.""The Astarians responded that making a goat fly would be trivial; making it land safely would be another matter entirely." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara White Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 IC: The Varangian thought for a moment. "We have been experimenting with radar jamming, if that interests you. One of our most effective systems involves blasting a target radar emitter with radio signals to block out any real signals they get, and is small enough to be fit on an aircraft. How does that sound?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xomeron Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 IC:Lady Caliak's eyes narrowed sharply."That's not really interesting to us," She sighed, then took a gulp of the blue wine she'd been neglecting. "I recommend communicating with your gov-wait, no, Mercasi!" A young Astarian woman, looking to be in her twenties and quite pretty, scurried forward from a nearby table and dropped the berry tart she'd been eating. "Have this transmitted to the Court of the Varangian Queen 'We are intrigued by your offer, but require certain details. Again, I would like to discuss this, and other matters, in person.' Go on, girl!" Quote That being said, thag thag thaggity thag thagness.-Rover "A memo was sent to Astaria asking if it would at all be possible to make a flying goat.""The Astarians responded that making a goat fly would be trivial; making it land safely would be another matter entirely." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara White Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 IC: The Varangian officer looked insulted. "You don't think I'm a competent representative?" He asked. "Does the discrimination against men run as high here as it does at home?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xomeron Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 IC:"It's not that I think you're incompetent, but this is a matter that must be discussed one head of state to another." Had the representative known Lady Caliak, he would have thought she was holding something back, and he had offered the exact technology Astaria was developing, which Lady Caliak thought suspicious. Nor was it characteristic of a Varangian man to complain about his lot in life, Caliak thought. Quote That being said, thag thag thaggity thag thagness.-Rover "A memo was sent to Astaria asking if it would at all be possible to make a flying goat.""The Astarians responded that making a goat fly would be trivial; making it land safely would be another matter entirely." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara White Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 IC: The Varangian raised an eyebrow. "With all due respect, ma'am, you sound like you're hiding something." He said. He wasn't recruiting by the Aquileonese for being dumb. He lowered his voice. "I suspect it has something to do with radar jamming technology, because you seemed worried once I explained how it worked. If you're developing it, we can provide some technology to speed up your development." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeavyMetalSunshineSister Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 OOC: Fun fact: Most Varangian emigrants are male. Quote We will remember - Skies may fade and stars may wane; we won't forget And your light shines bright - yes so much brighter shine on We will remember - Until the skies will fall we won't forget We will remember We all shall follow doom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xomeron Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 IC:Lady Caliak sighed. "I don't doubt you're eager to prove your worth to your Queen, but I do doubt your radar technology is noticeably superior to ours. You truly haven't offered me anything I would consider being worth a Shadow." Quote That being said, thag thag thaggity thag thagness.-Rover "A memo was sent to Astaria asking if it would at all be possible to make a flying goat.""The Astarians responded that making a goat fly would be trivial; making it land safely would be another matter entirely." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara White Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 IC: The Varangian officer grumbled to himself for a moment. "What, specifically, would you consider sufficient for a Shadow?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xomeron Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 IC:"The problem is that I'm not sure Varangia has anything worth trading. Perhaps if you built a few naval warships on contract, or perhaps these magnetic weapons, though that's not certain until I see it and judge for myself."OOC: Rover, you will be getting that message. Quote That being said, thag thag thaggity thag thagness.-Rover "A memo was sent to Astaria asking if it would at all be possible to make a flying goat.""The Astarians responded that making a goat fly would be trivial; making it land safely would be another matter entirely." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara White Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 OOC: Wouldn't be that hard to intercept it, but...IC: A request arrived from parts unknown, requesting that the Queen of Varangia invest in an air force. Certain elements within society were looking outward and were concerned that Varangia simply could not compete. It was suggested that she look into purchasing the blueprints to the Astarian B-9 Shadow. By the time negotiations had been opened, it was already on her desk.~+~"Viable, but honestly that's not really fair. You cannot demand to see a demonstration of technology we haven't even developed yet." the officer said. To himself, "I'm going to get demoted for this..." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xomeron Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 (edited) IC:"And how can you expect to offer an undeveloped technology for a developed and advanced military craft?"OOC: Okay, Lloyd, I'm guessing from OOC knowledge you've intercepted Varangian communications rather than Astarian, since the messages I received originated from Varangia. If not, I'd like to know how exactly you've infiltrated the Diplomatic Corps., considering they wouldn't give up those secrets in exchange for anything, and that's some really important things to gloss over. Edited April 23, 2012 by cardworkMagician Quote That being said, thag thag thaggity thag thagness.-Rover "A memo was sent to Astaria asking if it would at all be possible to make a flying goat.""The Astarians responded that making a goat fly would be trivial; making it land safely would be another matter entirely." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara White Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 OOC: Er no. The Aquileonese covered their behinds by putting that request on the Queen's desk (or whatever she uses) before this whole scene began. Ah, the wonders of retconning. However, I did impersonate Varangian comms.IC: "Because, Mrs. Minister, the project is more advanced and complex than previously-developed technologies." The officer said. "If your Project Reverene wasn't complete, would that mean it wasn't as advanced as your bombers?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xomeron Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 OOC: Is Rover okay with this?IC:"Project Reverene was, to be blunt, an exceedingly large missile, six obscenely brave people, and a whole lot of ballistics experts. It wasn't particularly advanced, nowhere near as advanced as most military craft. However, I think we could work out an arrangement, perhaps some sort of joint development project, in exchange for a license to produce Shadows. Quote That being said, thag thag thaggity thag thagness.-Rover "A memo was sent to Astaria asking if it would at all be possible to make a flying goat.""The Astarians responded that making a goat fly would be trivial; making it land safely would be another matter entirely." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara White Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 OOC: I'll let Rover speak for himself but I wouldn't have brought in the Queen if I didn't think Rover would be okay with it.IC: "Ah, modest as well as intelligent." The officer said, allowing himself a short, casual laugh. "That seems like an acceptable deal. Do you have something in mind?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xomeron Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 IC:"I want an arrangement that will keep our plans safe from spies." Mrs. Caliak leaned closer to the Varangian, and spoke in a low tone. "I am quite certain Astaria is being spied upon from offshore. After the last monsoon, we recovered half-a-dozen spy balloons and were able to determine they were a joint project between the Aquilonians and the Stans. I would advise you to be equally paranoid, and I want to see if Varangia can keep our plans safe from them. If you can't, I really won't feel comfortable in giving away military secrets to a nation that, no offense, we do not yet know well enough to trust. The Stans and Aquilonians have rejected our requests for friendship. I fear something far more sinister is on the horizon." Quote That being said, thag thag thaggity thag thagness.-Rover "A memo was sent to Astaria asking if it would at all be possible to make a flying goat.""The Astarians responded that making a goat fly would be trivial; making it land safely would be another matter entirely." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara White Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 IC: The Varangian looked surprised. "I...I understand. I'll do everything in my power to keep these talks confidential. I will advise my superiors likewise. I do admit that the spy apparatus you mention cannot be all that formidable if they don't have access to your records already, but I will do everything I can to ensure that these discussions are kept under wraps." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xomeron Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 IC:"You would think so, but that's what it is. Take my proposal to your Queen, personally if possible. Trust no one; we play a game of shadows, and now you are another pawn. I know not why the Stans and Aquilonians turned against us, but they seem set on bringing my nation down."OOC: Are there still any spy balloons over Astaria? Quote That being said, thag thag thaggity thag thagness.-Rover "A memo was sent to Astaria asking if it would at all be possible to make a flying goat.""The Astarians responded that making a goat fly would be trivial; making it land safely would be another matter entirely." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara White Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 OOC: That'd be up for Humva to decide.IC: The officer nodded, looking serious."I understand." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xomeron Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 IC:"I'm glad we talked. Do please remind the Queen I would see her soon." With that, Lady Caliak stood, smiled at the Varangian, grabbed her coat, and left the restaurant, tossing a two ounce coin to the woman at the register. "Consider the change a tax break." Two men and one woman followed out the door. Quote That being said, thag thag thaggity thag thagness.-Rover "A memo was sent to Astaria asking if it would at all be possible to make a flying goat.""The Astarians responded that making a goat fly would be trivial; making it land safely would be another matter entirely." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeavyMetalSunshineSister Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 OOC: I'm kind of curious about how this is going to unfold. On the one hand, the Queen knows enough about the government she's in charge of that, if she were inclined to do so, it wouldn't take her long to find out this request didn't originate within her government.On the other hand, even if she goes through with it, I don't see how Aquileon is going to get the planes, unless they sabotage something along the line.So, uh... congratulations on playing ten steps ahead of me, I guess.IC: While the Queen was concerned about the dubious origin of the request, she could see no clear disadvantage to acquiring the schematics for a new piece of technology.Within two days of the initial contact with the Varangian "military officer", an official message was sent from the Queen regarding negotiations to purchase the schematics for the B-9 Shadow.---Meanwhile, the Queen was well aware that no Varangian agency could have discovered the existence of the Astarian aircraft in question. Suspecting the involvement of foreign spies, the order was given (secretly, of course) to form an agency dedicated to protecting and preserving the internal security of Varangia.Officially, the agency formed by this order would be known as the Fryst Augun af Eldi, but no paperwork ever mentioned their name.---All embassies in Varangia closed, with those resident in the embassies told that the closure was temporary, and done for the purpose of weather-proofing the embassies for the coming winter. Ambassadors and their staff given the option of either taking rooms in a hotel chosen for them by the Varangian government or returning to their homelands until the embassies were ready for them.---Begin Vigenère encryption of all official Varangian government communications.OOC: Given what they're actually doing, and how new they are at it, it's up to you whether they find the listening post you put in the Aquilonian embassy or not. Quote We will remember - Skies may fade and stars may wane; we won't forget And your light shines bright - yes so much brighter shine on We will remember - Until the skies will fall we won't forget We will remember We all shall follow doom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara White Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 (edited) IC: The Aquileonese were long-time experts at the spy game, so it was simple to remove the listening post equipment and leave no trace of it. Aquileon intelligence operations would continue to operate out of the hotel suites that had been provided for them. Any listening equipment that may have been installed was rather easy to detect and remove, and indeed they thoroughly swept the area for bugs--always look a gift horse in the mouth was an Aquileonese proverb.The listening post was moved to a safe house in the area and continued operation. The encryption of communications was something that Aquileon had been doing for some time, so it only took a week or so to figure out their encryption systems and crack them. The Vignere cipher had been used some time ago but the more complex protocols used today had rendered it obsolete. Of course, all that meant was that the cryptographers had to reach for their history books to find the solution: a Kasiski examination. Once they'd refreshed the technique in their minds, they set to work. Edited April 24, 2012 by Lloyd: the White Wolf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeavyMetalSunshineSister Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 OOC: I am curious as to how exactly the Aquilonian spies cracked the cipher. Considering that I did mention the specific cipher being used, saying "they cracked it" in the very next post and leaving it at that seems a tad... lacking. Quote We will remember - Skies may fade and stars may wane; we won't forget And your light shines bright - yes so much brighter shine on We will remember - Until the skies will fall we won't forget We will remember We all shall follow doom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara White Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 OOC: Ah, I missed that word. I hate that. I shall edit that in when I have the time, which could be five minutes or five hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeavyMetalSunshineSister Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 OOC: Okay, thank you. I have no problem with it being cracked - using the same encryption method for all communication is a pretty amateurish thing to do - but I do want details on how it was cracked. (Which probably comes down to a Kasiski test, really.) Quote We will remember - Skies may fade and stars may wane; we won't forget And your light shines bright - yes so much brighter shine on We will remember - Until the skies will fall we won't forget We will remember We all shall follow doom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Humva Posted April 23, 2012 Author Share Posted April 23, 2012 OOCAt the moment the spy zeppelins have not been replaced; the intelligence they gathered was deemed enough, and satellite imagery from Aquileon is good enough, as well as the spec ops positioned. There's one or two floating high up, trying to stick within clouds, to keep in contact with the spec ops teams. They come on a schedule that is pretty random (cracking it would require you having an understanding of Stan seasonal cycles and their pretty complex holiday system), so on radar, assuming it's sensitive, a small blip comes on for a moment, stays for a little while, and vanishes. Quote 1 1 2 3 5 8 13 21 34 55 89 "In short, my English Lit friend, living in a mental world of absolute rights and wrongs, may be imagining that because all theories are wrong, the earth may be thought spherical now, but cubical next century, and a hollow icosahedron the next, and a doughnut shape the one after." -Isaac Asimov, responding to a letter he had received saying that scientific certainty was false, The Relativity of Wrong Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeavyMetalSunshineSister Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 IC: The embassy staff sweeping the hotel rooms for bugs might be surprised to not find any - indeed, they might become paranoid enough to think they were just extremely well-hidden.This was not the FAE's concern, though. Their goal was not to spy on other nations, but to keep other nations from successfully spying on Varangia. To that end, in addition to thermal insulation added to the embassy building walls, an inch-thick layer of lead was added inside the walls of all embassy buildings in Varangia.OOC: Effectively, this means that radio calls would have to be taken outside of the building. It's taking a lot of effort for me to be this stupid about spywork. Quote We will remember - Skies may fade and stars may wane; we won't forget And your light shines bright - yes so much brighter shine on We will remember - Until the skies will fall we won't forget We will remember We all shall follow doom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xomeron Posted April 24, 2012 Share Posted April 24, 2012 (edited) IC: International CommunicationLady Calaki responded to the Queen, offering that she would be happy to pay a visit to Varangia to discuss the trade in person, along with several other things that needed personal discussion.IC: EmbassyThe Varangians who were sent to place lead in the walls of the Astarian embassy would easily find that lead was already there, in place for quite a while. A bottle of wine had also been left for the remodeling crew. Edited April 24, 2012 by cardworkMagician Quote That being said, thag thag thaggity thag thagness.-Rover "A memo was sent to Astaria asking if it would at all be possible to make a flying goat.""The Astarians responded that making a goat fly would be trivial; making it land safely would be another matter entirely." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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