Whales Confrontation
The Whales Confrontation refers to a series and sequence of events taking place in Whales as a result of the Treaty of Sankt Rosa being signed on 13.XV.1743.
Origins
In the fifth month of 1719 AN, Daniyal ibn Daniyal made over Whales to Daniel Lors Simrani-Kalirion, enjoining him to rule directly and to remake the constitutional order. To this end Daniel appointed Augustin Engels-Kammersdorf, hitherto the obscure lord of Abnendinsel, to serve as his "Grand Pensionary", and oversee the remaking of the Constitution of Whales, which was withdrawn for revision. During this period of constitutional reordering, Daniel was to exercise direct rule. The lords were however assured that their titles and domains would be respected and the safir received a further guarantee that they would not be subjected to expulsion or any other form of punitive actions, contingent upon all subjects adopting a constructive attitude towards the process of reordering.
In 1743, Daniyal ibn Daniyal died.
Initial Actions
Tensions immediately arose both within and without the Principality of Whales once the news broke in The Natopian Bulletin. This took practically all Whales residents by surprise,
The intelligentsia within Whales immediately noted the territorial "trade" inherent in the treaty, immediately castigating Natopian officials at sellouts and having duped Empress Vadoma I. There were spontaneous rallies of loyalty to Empress Vadoma, and polite rejections of swearing fealty to the Confoederatio Aemilia and Princess Emilia Antoinette. One of the more potent statements that soon became a rallying watchword, was "The Empress is ours, the Princess is yours!" Flags of the Principality of Whales and of Natopia remained flying defiantly, and every attempt to fly the Flag of Aemilia within Whales resulted in the rope and cords holding it up with the flagpole cut, in seconds.
Prince Daniel Lors Simrani-Kalirion, broadcasting over radio and television promised his people that "no quarter shall be given, and no surrender to foreign invaders", and that "the Principality of Whales remains solemnly faithful to Empress Vadoma, while denouncing the actions of her ministers." All military forces were ordered mobilized, and borders to be secured from "agents, infiltrators and agitators".
Forces at the disposal of the Prince consisted primarily of the Whales Auxiliary Force and various contingents of the Honourable Company garrisoned in the region, particularly of the significant garrison at Chur.
Whilst many in Walstadt had expected Natopian divestment from the remote corner of the empire to occur eventually, the abruptness with which they had been ceded to their detested northern neighbour had stirred a measure of indignation amongst the hitherto apathetic and resigned populace.
Evacuations
By order of the Prince of Whales, and with clearance from the Group Chairman via remote communication, all ESB Group commercial operations were scaled down to the bare minimum, effective immediately, and all non-essentials (such as the Princess of Whales, Marie Beatrice and her immediate household) evacuated via the nearest and earliest flights out of Walstadt International Airport, Delfinenstrand International Airport and other Aerodromes in Whales, or via the sea, through their own respective watercraft.
The regular ferry service of the West Natopian Shipping Corporation was likewise fully utilized, with evacuees heading eastward, temporarily resident in Mar Sara, while mobilized troops from the Mar Sara Brigade of the Arboreal Guard and volunteers from the Mar Sara elements of the 77th Vanguard Brigade fully occupied all berths westward, to be deployed at Delfinenstrand. One Piriya-class coastal patrol ship of the Whales Auxiliary Force was likewise pressed for ferry duty for more significant individuals.
Others chose to creatively utilize the guarantees of the Treaty of Sankt Rosa and use their 90 days in the Aemilian Federation to transit to the Principality of Baudrix, Natopia.
Given a few more hours elapsed, diverted wide-body planes of the Imperial Constancian Airways Corporation began transporting evacuees from Walstadt International Airport and Delfinenstrand International Airport to the nearest international hub where they could be refueled, and henceforth flown to the Imperial State of Constancia.
With a few more weeks, with lessons learned from the East Keltian Collapse, particularly Operation Northern Light, Task Force Southern Redemption was mobilized and deployed, with orders to anchor off Delfinenstrand, secure evacuees, and deploy elements of the 2 embarked syntagma (regiments) of the Imperial Constancian Marines and 5 moira (companies) of the Martyr Jamshid-e Osman Combined Brigade, 1st Vanguard Corps, 506th (Molivadia) Army, Imperial Constancian Army.
Days after her departure from Whales and after her arrival at the Imperial State, Princess Marie Beatrice was tasked to superintend the welfare and good order of her exiled people in New Delfinenstrand, Constancian Vipia.
Epilogue
Under the new dispensation, lords were permitted only their manors with one hectare of land.
Symbolically and significantly, Prince of Whales Daniel Lors Simrani-Kalirion was one of the last to leave. Given a choice of boarding an Imperial Constancian Navy Javelin H-5 Sovereign headed for Task Force Southern Redemption or the Natopian fleet, or a direct flight to the Imperial State of Constancia, he chose the latter, resulting in that iconic photograph of him waving goodbye just before boarding the Imperial Constancian Air Force J-1050V Javelin Sojourner.
The deployed Imperial Constancian Armed Forces only had minor casualties to report. What was curiouser were members of the Martyr Jamshid-e Osman Combined Brigade who voluntarily resigned their enlistments and commissions to form a boyband.
The stay-behind forces in that tip of southern Cibola would behave nicely and after cleaning up behind themselves they boarded the first flight out of Whales, back to Constancia and the Whales Confrontation ended nicely. In a radio broadcast, Princess Emilia Antoinette thanked the Constancians for their visit and wished them a pleasant rest of their lives.
