Samchorage Returns
Masses Cheer as Ethnarch and President Shake Hands

As of midnight December 21, 2000, the Republican Empire of Samchorage returned into existence following a breakthrough agreement by the Ethnarch of Rattanjeetland and the newly restored President of Samchorage. When the President had ceded all land to the Ethnarch in the Anticlimax, both men had made a secret verbal agreement that should the President want his land back, the Ethnarch would be obliged to accommodate that request.

The Ethnarch was a man of his word. Although Samchorage is not restored to its zenith directly before the Anticlimax, it is a major power on the Mapp. All Samchoragean territory not gained at the expense of Rattanjeetland (through the Norterr Crisis or the Pyrrhic War) is returned to the President. The President accepts one half of the Rattanjeetland treasury and both nations sign a primarily defensive alliance, known as the Omega Directive.

Samchoragean multinationals still in Rattanjeetland have extraterritoriality in that the buildings themselves belong to Samchorage but the land, airspace, and surroundings around the building belong to Rattanjeetland. The multinationals cannot be modified in any way.

However, the most contentious issue in the negotiations between the Ethnarch and the President proved to be the fate of the Samchorage superbase in Lipasia. The addition of this powerful military installation increased Rattanjeetland power at least fivefold. Relinquishing this possession proved difficult. A Marcusburg proposal cleared the way as both powers agreed to compromise.

The superbase comes under dual Rattanjeetland-Samchorage ownership as the base is split exactly in half. Without saying, the base cannot be used by Samchorage against Rattanjeetland and vice versa; but what is surprising is that if a Confederate member attacks Samchorage, the President can use the superbase to attack the offensive Confederate member and if a Samchorage protectorate attacks Rattanjeetland, the Ethnarch can use the superbase to attack the offensive protectorate.

When news of the deal leaked to the press, the people of Samchorage could hardly contain their joy. Masses poured out onto the streets, re-paving the roads with party hats. Echoes of screams of adoration for the Ethnarch rebounded far into the night. In Rattanjeetland, reaction was more subdued as the people grieved the loss of a powerful addition to the Empire but were happy for their new Samchorage ally.

Long before the celebrations though, the President and the Ethnarch began a long and tense journey to the Samchorage Restoration. Upon seeing the Samchorage people fight for their independence in the War of the Samchorage Succession, the President realized that his people needed him and vowed to return to his beloved populace. A month of lukewarm negotiations passed before any real progress was achieved. At this point, the Prime Chancellor of Marcusburg personally intervened to force the two sides together. The Marcusburg people had never been entirely comfortable with the absorption of Samchorage into Rattanjeetland and still regarded Samchorage as an entity within Rattanjeetland. When both sides finally began talking, the Samchorage Restoration was complete within an hour.

The President of Samchorage is to enter the reopened Samokritzg to take his oath as leader of the Republican Empire on the 24th and elections are scheduled later that same day. Samchorage continues its path of democracy and the President intends to renew all past treaties which collapsed during the Anticlimax. As a final note, Samchorage retains its Great Power status, which it had directly before the Anticlimax.