The Inflection Point - The Breaching of the Territories

[Flaming]

July 1st, 0 ABT (the Inflection Point)
Zahamana Commonwealth
King Zolahon

King Zolahon sighed as he read the report. For the last few days, they had been working out an incident with a wormhole. At first, it seemed like a standard First Contact- but they eventually learned something that could change Zahamana- the sector- forever.

The placed they breached was the rumored Tiyanki Territories, full of exotic materials and resources and nations to trade for and with. Some Tiyanki factions could move out of what they called the “Great Border,” the immense badlands that protected the Tiyanki Territories from excursions- but the technology to move in and out was incredibly restricted, to only the most powerful of their factions. Anomalies occurred when trying to enter the TT, in nearly all forms of hyperspace transit. And within that anomalous region, was potential for massive gains in trade of rare, exotic resources and research that could be done to the spacefaring megafauna.

He knew that the entire Sector would be interested in access to this wormhole, and- therefore, that if Zahamana tried to keep that knowledge to itself, it would almost certainly be under threat. He also knew that this was a chance- to put the Commonwealth in the center of the Sector, as its diplomatic linchpin. It would be a risky maneuver, but if he was successful, he would secure not only his place in history, but the Commonwealth’s place in the sector. It would be hard for any state to invade if it had guarantees from every other state in the region.

He sent out word to the Prime Minister, a human man. The two rarely disagreed on matters of state these days, and the Prime minister gave his assent. Soon, the Zahamanana government was fully dedicated to setting up this meeting. It would be their role to unite all of the Sector diplomatically. He wondered how many new nations he would learn of..

In a matter of days, the signal was sent out to all the star nations Zahamana knew of and suspected of, and all of them were encouraged to inform those nations they didn’t know of He had designed a meeting room on large station that was overseeing the newly-discovered wormhole, providing the necessary backdrop for the meeting. As he sat, awaiting them alongside the Prime Minister, he couldn’t help but be nervous. This was going to be a turning point in both Zahamanan history and the history of the Sector. He knew that he couldn’t let it get too disrupted or mess it up diplomatically. He also knew that the coming parties would likely be grandstanding and they would not all get along, but he hoped that the presence of both Zahamanan forces and the inevitable small convoy forces all the other nations would be bringing would keep such things to a minimum. Still, he knew for certain that this was a high stakes event, and he awaited cautiously as the representatives of these star nations arrived…

[Maverick]

 High Admiral Rhakarrax’s flagship docked at the Zahamana station with the full pride of the Timarchy on display. Its massive size meant to instill the martial prowess of the Osprians, which remained secluded within its own domain. If the Crimson Talon of Oraka didn’t convince other star nations of that fact, the other 35,000 ships in orbit under Rhakarrax’s command would certainly assert that fact.
 Rhakarrax had extended security assistance to the Commonwealth, given that his fleet was far larger than what the Zahamanans had intended for his entourage. It was also an ancient Osprian military tradition to offer mutual defence during one’s stay. An honour only granted to hosts of military forces. The King needed only say the word, and the Osprian Fleet of Stolid Resurgence would coordinate with His forces.
 When the Osprian delegation arrived, it was with what some could describe as pompousness. The vibrant silken banners of the Timarchy shone with the reflection of the lights. Solemnly they marched in unison in their cladden armour. Ceremonial armour that was indeed functional, but that didn’t take away from the elegance of their inscribed patterns of Osprian honour idioms.
 In a whitish armour – that unlike their banners, didn’t seem to reflect light, but rather absorb it – Rhakarrax bowed forward, just depp enough as what he’d consider as sufficient for a foreign monarch, but likely far exceeding the Zahamanan conventions. When upright, he stood tall above their Human Prime Minister whose head barely was the height of his chest.
 With a booming voice, he began his formal greeting.
 - “May you shine as bright as the stars, Your Majesty,” he began with an impromptu variant of the traditional formal osprian greeting. I come to on behalf of His Honourable Majesty, Rokhorro’thar XXI Skavir, Timarch of Osprianhood."
 His translator had been instrumental to transform his complex chirping into a language the others could understand. In no small part due to a few trade languages they had in common.
 He stepped forward and drew a small curved sword inscribed with elegant Osprian scriptures. While kneeling, he held it towards King Zolahon.
 - “An extension of our good will, Your Majesty. As long as you hold this sword, we are bound to defend you for the duration of this diplomatic convention. Please accept it, for it is an ancient custom of ours. A sign of friendship and trust, regardless of the many differences we hold.”
 Upon King Zolahon’s acceptance of the ceremonial sword, he provided its scabbard in a graceful manner, hidden with ostentatious Osprian flair.
 After the small ceremonial greeting, the High Admiral stood next to Zahaman entourage with two honour guards and two bannermen. With puffed up chests and upright beaks, they emitted the pride of the Timarchy with a slight hint of pompousness. Contrary to what some might expect was that they held no visible guns. Osprian technology had advanced in such a way that melee combat and ranged combat had converged and their ceremonial swords and spears were more than functional as both. Although that might not have been clearly translated to the Zahamanans.
 When meeting the other officials, he would simply bow politely, assessing their character from Zahamanans’ left side. Unlike as with King Zolahon, he would not bow as deeply as he had for the other representatives.

[Detroix]

The Zahaman message caused quite a stir in the Republic. First contacts were sporadic up to this point and brought quite the anxiety to the young nation. Despite the attempts at open and friendly diplomatic strategy, many couldn’t help but be weary and distrustful of these foreign behemoths. But despite this, the Republic still decided to give it a try.

Now, the Liberator was en route to the given coordinates. It was one of the two Dreadnoughts the Republic posessed. These 80 km long ships, captured during the Rebellion, are the only two ships of its class in existance. They were capable of overwhelming entire fleets, staging planetary invasions and carried planet-ending armaments. A proper show of force and a guarantee of security. Especially given who they carried.

As the representative of the Republic was sent Vice President Galen. This was far too important of an occasion for regular diplomats. Obviously, the member states wanted their representatives too. Representing the USPR was Nikita Beria, a KGB agent who made first contact with the Syndicate, which officially did not happen, two years prior. She has reached quite far since then. The League had chosen the Kaiserreich as their representative, which sent Princess Victoria, Kaiser Wilchelm’s own daughter and second on line to the throne. Zoltan wanted a representative too, but they were promptly shut down. The remaining worlds, many of which used to be part of the Democratic Alliance, chosen Malevelon Creek as their representative. Their diplomat was Zeno, one of the first Envari “converts“, who abandoned their old ideology and joined the Republic. On the ship were also the honor guards of the diplomats and over half a million of Commandos, in case things got violent.

As the ship was nearing its destination, the representatives sat down together for a final brief. The three diplomats from the member states took care to sit as far from each other as possible, firing each other hostile looks.

“I understand that things are tense right now between you three. The League Wars just ended after all. But we must look past our differences and present a united front.“ Galen spoke, while shooting meaningful glances at each of them. The Commando Major towering behind him only added to the message. “This not only a diplomatic meeting, but a first impression and a show of force. We must show the Republic as strong and united, ready to defend itself, but also open to cooperation. Got it everyone?“

“Of course, the Worker’s State is open to peaceful cooperation. Ideally, the Revolution would be carried peacefully, but the upper class will do what it can to keep on to its power.“ Nikita answered blankly, as if reciting a memorised formula. It probably was.

“You know, that’s why nobody fucking likes you people.“ Victoria replied, clearly seeking to agitate the other diplomat.

“Could you please be more civil? Remember the united front…“

“No, no, the fascist has got a point here.“ Zeno interrupted Galen.

“First of all, I’m not a fascist…“

Galen sighed and turned away, not bothering to listen to their usual bickering. But that’s how the people of the Republic were. Jumping at each others throats over the most petty things, but ready to bleed and die for each other the moment somebody from the outside tried to intervene. Thankfully Andarna wasn’t here, or it would be even worse.

After half an hour more, the Liberator arrived in the system, a fair distance from the station, keeping distance from other fleets. The oval ship was repainted from black to green, like the Commando armor for the occasion. A shuttle departed from the ship and landed on the station.

The delegation went out of the shuttle, the four representatives and ten soldiers forming each of theirs honor guards. Forty four people in total. At the front was Galen, surrounded by the Commandos. He was covered with beige fur and his face had certain animal-like qualites. Occasionally small sparks jumped from hair to hair. He was dressed in white clothes, similar to those of the Republic diplomats. The soldiers surrounding him wore green armor with red capes and had a wide variety of weapons, each of them carrying a sword alongside their more normal firearms. They were generally taller than most in the delegation and exhibited other curious traits, like six arms or tails.

Zeno, the two-and-a-half meter tall alien, was dressed similarly to Galen. His skin was beige and hairless and his face had only two fully black eyes, a lipless mouth and two tubes on his cheeks. They were used for breathing, as indicated by the respirator connected to them. His guards were similarly diverse but smaller, with white armor and blue capes.

Nikita, a blond haired human woman, was wearing a long grey coat over a blue-green uniform decorated with many medals. Her guards wore dark beige uniforms with metal armor plates over it and were similarly diverse as the other two retinues. A large red star stood out on their helmets.

Victoria was also a human woman, younger than Nikita and dark haired. She wore an elegant dark dress that was design to allow for high freedom of movement. Her escorts were all the elite Stormtroopers, all human. They wore black uniforms with black armor plates and capes. Like all the other retinues, it was clear the armor was ceremonial, but not impractical and perfectly combat ready.

When the group reached the King, all the soldiers stood at attention and hit their fist over their chest.

“Mr. Zolahon, its an honor to meet you. I am Galen, the Vice President of the Republic of United Worlds. I hope our meeting will be very productive and relations between our nations cordial and peaceful.“ The other representatives also introduced themselves, maintaining a similar air of formality. Afterwards they dispersed, giving more casual introductions and greetings to the other relresentatives.

[killermantiss]

A large presence of gravitational waves, a bright flash, and a 17 kilometer ship that appeared out of nowhere. That’s how the arrival of a starbreaker usually looked. This time though, it wasn’t just “a” starbreaker, it was the INS Predator, first created in it’s class, and once the flagship of the legendary admiral, now duke of Celebar, Tagandon Dagmor (epithet, meaning slayer of darkness) after the INS Arnaul got destroyed in battle against the demon Sercilix. But today it was the first time that it headed a diplomatic mission.

Inside of it, in the captain’s chambers, sat two high ranking noblewoman, by fate Calerost’s representatives to the sector.

The first of them was princess Lîrien Saelelorth (epithet, meaning wise flower) of Celebar, daughter of duke Tangandon and heiress to the duchy. Her cascading silvery hair, Shining brightly under the lights in the room, was more than just a beautiful sight, it was a physical sign of the great importance of her family, for it was a trait commonly associated with the imperial family itself. House Harthor was the second most powerful family in the Gil-Atarnië by the grace of being the right hand men of the imperial family. Lîrien’s mother was a imperial, hence the origin of her hair.

But the emperor didn’t hand pick her only for her family’s notability. As proudly displayed by the epithet by her name, she had a reputation as a genius. Exceptionally bright since childhood, she was a polymath. She was a great diplomat, notably being one of the most important calerostan emissaries in Trianar, held the rank of admiral in the navy, beating her father’s old record as the youngest ever admiral by a year, and aided greatly in compiling new tactics and technology in the great demon hunt, as well as being one of the few people to directly talk to the godess Nesse during said war. And now she was the voice of the emperor in this meeting.

The second noblewoman was the 4th Oicano, Fuineth Panthael, supreme leader of the Terthari Hetmanate. The Therthari’s branch of Aeda, Ravada, believed that certain souls ware ment by the gods for missions greater than a lifetime, and thus after their body’s death are sent back untill their goal is finished. The Oicano, ruler of the Terthari, is one of those souls. Fuineth was identified as the 4th Oicano at the age of 6. Because of that, despite being only 22, her presence demanded great respect from anyone who believed in reincarnation. After personally requesting from the emperor to represent her people, autonomous compared to the duchies of the empire, she was granted permission. This was her first time leaving Calerostan territory.

As the massive ship entered realspace over all frequencies was broadcasted a trumpet and a well known phrase: “The Gil-Atarnië aserts it’s presence!”

A few minutes later the speaker in the captain’s quarter rings

“Captain Mithon to her noble highness princess Lîrien, the shuttle is ready. The imperial guard is waiting for you and her grace the Oicano.”

“princess Lîrien to captain Mithon, noted, we will arrive shortly, Lîrien out.
Let’s go, Fui, we don’t want to keep our reception waiting for us for too long.”

“Alright then. Still would have preferred to bring my own personal guard, though.”

“I know, you’ve basically grown up being guarded by the same group of men, but think of it this way: when was the last time that the emperor commanded the imperial guard to protect someone who’s not a imperial? This is a massive honor for both you and your people.”

“True. Let us go.”

As the door of the shuttle opens, two rows of guard exit and take formation. They’re unnaturally tall and clad in dark blue armor decorated with white interlace. The imperial guard ware chosen from the hataloqueltar and represented the best of the best in calerost.

After they take formation the two representatives leave the shuttle.

“May the light of the gods shine on the place of our meeting. I am princess Lîrien Saelelorth Harthor of Celebar, speaking as the voice of his excellence, by devine right the emperor of Calerost. I am accompanied by her eternaly wise grace, the 4th of her soul, holy Oicano of the Therthari, Fuineth Panthael.”

“Endless grace upon you and your people.”

After the formal greeting a guard hands Lîrien a ornamental box

“The emperor presents your people this dagger as a symbol of his friendship and in the hope for mutual good being brought on this day.”

With the ceremonial formalities sorted, the delegates move to greet the representatives, giving king Zolahon a deep bow.

“Now let’s try to find imperö Penma.”

“I think we’ve met enough officials for now. I’d rather rest a bit untill the conference.”

“Come on, you’ll like her. She’s a great person.”

“What, you know her personality, outside of your normal duties as diplomat?”

“If you only knew…”

[Flaming]

After the Calerostan delegation arrived, the Trianarö fleet arrived in force as well. Many of the Izaren Azzum had insisted on going, and as such the fleet was primarily composed of their forces. All in all, Imperö Penma had allowed 20,000, about half of the Izaren Azzum’s fleet, to go with her. Most of the Trianarö ships, save for the corvettes, dwarfed the ships of the other star nations in size- in particular, the 25 KM Flagship that Penma herself sat on. despite this, the ships kept their weapons unarmed in an attempt to lessen the paranoia the other star nations might have been feeling. The Trianarö ships stuck close to their Edhel allies as the Imperö departed.

The Izarattikai tried to insist on going with them, but Penma didn’t allow for any but one to come on board with her- as was Trianarö tradition, one of every Middle Race came with them on First Contacts to showcase what species came from their nation, and so with her came a Sycriûn, a Kanareö, a Mekanakûl, and a human alongside the Izarattik. In addition, she took two advisors- her military advisor- her brother, and the one who had led the forces in the stand-off with the forces of the mad Imperö some 5 years ago, and a young Södin- the Ikaranarean-Edhel hybrid- who Penma had taken as a learning experience. She had ambitions in government, and Penma respected her drive. She would not let that ambition go to waste.

Penma knew that, in all reality, she would likely be the only other head of state present. Her many advisors advised her to not go personally, but she was no coward. She did not feel the need to delegate this task to an advisor, and she wanted to show that, as a new Imperö, she was not one to shy away from doing work personally, especially among the times of increased alien contact.

When she entered the chamber of the station, she went straight to King Zolahon. She did not bow or even shake the Zehan’s… tentacle. She could not- this king was not her equal, for he was not one of the Sundrasai, the Higher Races, and he did not command his nation to fight against demonkind. Still, she gave him a curt nod of respect, and from her white robes, she presented him a gift- it was an ornate weapon- a spear that was also a gun- which had an inscription in Indavral, stating “From the Imperö, Holder of the Gods’ Command, Penma Alkatrition.” It was, perhaps, the most secular gift the Trianarö would bother bringing, and it signified their respect to the Zahamana Commonwealth, even if they did not see them nearly as equals. She also noticed the Osprian sword, and smiled. She could tell that it was also a ranged weapon, and she nodded in approval at the craftsmanship- it was remarkably similar to the Trianarö weapon in principle.

After the introduction, she went to where she was to be seated, and sent the Södin to see the rest of the delegations. The Södin carried herself in a respectable way and gave small curtsies to each delegation. Penma, while this was going on, was having a conversation with her brother and Lîren of Celebar, who she knew personally.

[KingTEM]

July 23rd, 2555
Imperial Diplomatic Fleet
Emperor Edward V of Denvaria

While the message from this “Zahamana Commonwealth” was surprising, it wasn’t unexpected, the Vulkan’s were known to nearby nations before the Imperial Conquest after all, and thus any state that knew of the Vulkan’s would likely know of Denvaria, even if the Empire didn’t know of them. The only reason the Empire even decided to send diplomats was cross-checking the message with the same one the Vandalence Compact had also received.

And thus, what was termed the Imperial Diplomatic Fleet, consisting of well over 35,000 Warships, including two Dreadnoughts and the Imperial Flagship, the HIMS Denvaria SD-08, the only ship of its class and the largest ship in the Imperial Denvarian Navy at 10km in length and armed with both Super-MAC’s and Two Super-Phalanx Plasma Lasers, which, while never tested, is theoretically capable of destroying a Planet, even if at the cost of likely overloading the ships reactor, thus why Shielding, Life Support, and RCS Thrusters were connected to a separate power system, and of course, the ship was covered in thick layers of Armor designed to, in theory at least, stop MAC rounds. It was this ship and her countless escorts that jumped into the system, the vessels quickly appearing from what seemed to be nowhere, the escorting ships quickly forming a defensive line around the HIMS Denvaria.

Aboard the Denvaria, Emperor Edward V consulted with his Advisors and other Imperial Representatives, including Governor-General of Vulkan, Selas T’Kul, Grand Admiral Viktoria Redreva, Field Marshall Isak Idrev, Air Marshall Orla Yelov, and Minister of State, Joshua Irdiv of Nova Boulder.

“So, I believe we all can understand just how Important this event will likely be going forward, not just for our Empire, but for the sector at large. As such, I expect all of your to be on your best behavior, Am I understood?” Edward commanded to the nods of both the Military Council and the two Civilian representatives.

“Yes your Majesty” was the common response.

It was then that Governor-General T’Kul spoke up, the Vulkan clearing his throat before speaking. “I believe I must also bring up that it is likely that…” He paused as he thought how to best phrase his next words before continuing. “Lesser Species will be attending this event, I presume the best course of action is to keep actions against them strictly verbal in nature.”

Edward nodded in affirmation and agreement, a small smile gracing the Emperor’s lips. “Correct, it is the unfortunate reality that our galaxy is home to Lesser Species of a wide variety, but that alone should not dictate our actions here.”

The Military Council and Minister of State both nodded, with Field Marshall Idrev in subdued agreement. Noticing that the topic was finished, Grand Admiral Redreva spoke up. “I understand that our defense on the ground is to be provided by the 3rd Royal Guards?”

Field Marshall Idrev nodded. “Correct, if need be, they’ll protect us from any barbarian species. If they prove too few, I believe the combined number of Marines deployed aboard the Fleet should be able to bolster their numbers.”

“Keep all ships at Combat Alert Yellow, deploy early warning probes, and have Picket Squadrons launch. Terms of Engagement are to Fire back if Fired Upon.” Emperor Edward stated, quickly taking a peak at his Holowatch for the time.

Grand Admiral Redreva nodded as she input the Emperor’s command into her Holotablet.

Noticing that it was near time for them to leave, the Emperor stood, quickly followed by the rest of the Delegates. “It is time, come.” The Emperor quickly left the Meeting room, followed by both of his Personal Guards and the other Delegates. They made their way to the Ship’s tram system, boarding one, and eventually arriving at one of the massive ship’s many hanger’s, where the ESG-12 “Vulture” Large Gunship, designated “Marine One” awaited with it’s 4 ESG-10 “Albatross” Gunship escorts sat as they were boarded by the 3rd Royal Guard.

Quickly taking note of the Emperor’s arrival, everyone gathered quickly saluted out of respect before going back to what they were doing. With no words, the Emperor and the other delegates boarded the Vulture.

After a few minutes of waiting as the pilot did their pre-flight checks, the Vulture and the escort Albatross’ lifted off the metal ground of the hanger, their Anti-Grav engines giving off a small electronic hum in the pressurized hanger.

“Marine One, ready for departure.”

“Escort Lead, ready for departure.” “Escort Two, ready for departure.” Escort Three, ready for departure." Escort Four, ready for departure."

“Marine One, Escort Flight, you are cleared for departure, Gloria Denvari.”

“Roger, Gloria Denvari.” And with that, Marine One and it’s escort quickly flew out of the hanger, clearing the shields that kept the hanger pressurized. After a short while, they were joined by yet another escort force of ESF-52 “Starhawk III” Space-Superiority Fighters, in this case, the 4th Naval Aviation Squadron (Tomahawks).

“Marine One, this is Tomahawk Lead, Tomahawk Flight shall engage in Defensive Bubble formation for most of your flight, break, we will break off when you approach the station, Over.”

“Tomahawk Lead, Over and Out.”

Within Marine One, the Emperor straightened out his ceremonial parade dress uniform, as was Denvari tradition where all citizens, whether they military or not, would wear a form of Military Dress uniform. Thus why all the delegates were wearing some form of Military Dress uniforms, they primary difference being the lack of Familial Coat of Arms on the three Military Council Members, even the Vulkan T’Kul was wearing one.

As the Vulture and the Albatross’ landed, the 3rd Royal Guards quickly spread out, the distinction between those in Combat Armor and those for the Ceremonial purpose’s clear, as those in Parade Dress quickly formed a parallel column at the rear landing bay door of the Vulture, the two leading Guards carrying both the Flag of the 3rd Royal Guards, with the top pole covered in War Honor and Unit Award streamers, and the other carrying the Flag of Denvaria. One Officer, a Lieutenant, quickly placed himself near the read landing bay door, a Holotablet in his hands.

“Presenting his Imperial Majesty, King of Emerald, Emral, Commander-in-Chief of His Majesty’s Military Forces, and Protector of All-Denvari, Emperor Edward V of Denvaria.”

The rear landing bay doors opened at that moment, the Emperor walking down the ramp as the assembled Royal Guards saluted. The Lieutenant continued.

“Presenting Governor-General Selas T’kul of Vulkan.”

Next came the Vulkan, following closely behind the Emperor’s personal guard. In his hands was an ornate box.

“Presenting Grand Admiral Viktoria Redreva of the Imperial Denvarian Navy and Chief of the Military Council.”

The Grand Admiral followed the Governor-General, an Ornate Box of her own in her hands.

“Presenting Field Marshall Isak Idrev of the Imperial Denvarian Army and Imperial Military Council.”

The Field Marshall followed the primary difference between the two ahead of him being him saluting the 3rd Royal Guard, with a Royal Guardsmen behind him carrying an Ornate Box.

“Presenting Air Marshall Orla Yelov of the Imperial Denvarian Air Force and Star Corps, alongside the Imperial Military Council.”

The Air Marshall, like a broken record, followed behind the rest of the Delegation, also carrying an Ornate Box.

“And Finally, Minister of State, Joshua Idriv of Nova Boulder.”

As the last man, he was the last delegate to leave Marine One, even if his Military-like uniform made it hard to distinct him from the others. And, unlike the other delegates, he carryed no ornate box.

Following this ceremony, the Parade Troops dispersed, while the Combat Armored troops followed behind the delegation, ready to defend the Delegates with their lives.

As they approached King Zolahon, an air of apprehension from the Denvarian delegates became obvious, with the Emperor merely giving King Zolahan a nod of respect before speaking. “Your Majesty, it is… nice to meet you.” It was extremely obvious that the Emperor was uncomfortable, his smile forced and posture rigid, and his words carrying little actual warmth.

“On behalf of Denvaria, we present these gifts as a sign of both peace and respect.” The first box, carried by one of the Emperor’s Personal Guards, contained three objects, the largest being a small clear box containing a piece of metal, the golden label beneath it denoting it as having belonged to HEMS Jason I CV-10, the 2nd object being a chrome plated CE-1921 with an engraved depiction of the Battle of Denvari (1685), and the final being a commorative coin bearing the image of King Jason II of Emerald.

The second box, presented by Governor-General T’Kul, contained two small engraved silver daggers, each engraved with traditional Vulkan Phrases.

The third box, the one representing the Navy based on the Anchor engraved into it’s top, contained a Ceremonial Sword with two Emerald gems shaped into a Star near the hilt and the year “2552” engraved below it.

The fourth box, the one representing the Army based on the crossed swords engraved into it’s top, contained two axes, one with the Symbol of the Silva, the Apostle of Strength and Loyalty, while the other had the Symbol of Risa, the Apostle of War and Love.

The fifth and final box, representing the Air Force based on the Winged Star engraved into it’s top, contained three model aircraft, the ESF-12 “Starfox”, the ESF-26 “Starhawk”, and the ESF-52 “Starhawk III”.

With that concluded, the Emperor took note of the other gifts and the current attendee’s, raising an eyebrow at some and outright glaring at others. Regardless, he took his seat and dismissed the other delegates to mingle, keeping only his two personal guards behind him.

Of course, Governor-General T’Kul gave small introductions to the other delegations, before stopping himself as he approached the Calerost delegation, unsure of how to proceed.

The other delegates, primarily the Military Council members remained quiet, giving small introductions to other delegates, but remaining on guard. As for the Minister of State, he decided to stay close to the Emperor.

[Stormfire10]

Pulling on the realspace anchor provided by the Calerostan Fleet, four fleets entered the system individually; the joint Compact-Union Fleet, a Syndicate Freighter Fleet, a flotilla of Confederate ships, and a squadron from the Orion Star Navy. Each came with their own different ships and angles, totaling about 12,500 ships.

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Five people sat in the Regional Command Center, floating spheres representing planetary bodies and stations, IFF pings identifying ships slowly identifying each ship as it appeared on radar.

Fleet Admiral Everett Kris of the Compact, a harshly worded Vocate with over 200 years of experience serving 33 administrations. A so-called ‘hawk’ for his brutal tactics in the Voidsea and one his goals being the creation of a ‘one million ship navy.’ While not a diplomat, he is one of five Fleet Admirals.

Admiral Callisto Layne of the Compact, a timid Merilin with a hundred fifty years in the Compact Navy. Her strategies created battle doctrines that Compact still uses. While not a diplomat, she is known for her calming, almost therapeutic voice and her strategy focused mind.

Rear Admiral Asana Mardona of the Union, a Serniani with over five hundred years in the Union Naval Defense Force. She served as a diplomat during the Confluence Incident.

Senior Prefect Sana Fukai of the Union, a Serniani serving the people of the Linden Prefecture for over sixty years as a Senior Prefect to the Seraphim Senate. She is part of the Diplomatic Services Overwatch Committee and is the Diplomat.

First Minister Ellie Loavao of the Compact, a Vocate and current First Minister of the Compact. During the election cycle last September, she won the popular vote by a shocking 63% despite being the underdog pick. Upon hearing Zahamana’s message, she chose to come herself instead of appointing a diplomat, having just met with the Compact Congress and several diplomats.

With docking permissions granted, the ship transferred the diplomats and their marine security guards aboard the station. They walked into the station, seeing national representatives they knew, and a few they didn’t. Approaching the King, the First Minister spoke

“Your highness, First Minister Ellie Loavao of the Vandalence Compact. It’s an honor to meet you in person…”

Her gift was a rather plain one, at least compared to the other gifts. A ceremonial revolver, the words ‘Fiat Victoria, Fiat Lux’ engraved onto the barrel.

“Please accept this as a token of our friendship and commitment to peace while we are meeting.”

After speaking, she and her group left his presence, walking to the Calerostan Representatives, hoping to speak on a very delicate topic.

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Orion Star Navy Chief Specialist Officer Kalle Nilsson and his squadron VFH-3199 ‘Kingmakers’ jumped into the system and made docking. A diplomat and a skilled pilot, he was chosen to lead a minor group, only because seraphim and compact were coming. The election cycle, it was thought, was worth more. Being briefed and being sent off, he entered the station and changed into his formal attire, before briefly meeting the king, and walking to his assigned meeting area.

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Confederate Diplomats boarded next, their flotilla of twenty dwarfed by the other nations there, but would represent the most diverse nations, many who were too small to name. Around ten diplomats were chosen, five from the Confederacy, three from the Serene Swords Republic, and two from the Voidsea Independent Forum. They also greeted the king, gave several gifts from the various nations, a silver coin, an eight pointed star, a golden disc, and several other artifacts.

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---

Finally, fourteen freighters and their escorts (six flametip corvettes) took the opportunity for a safe exit provided by the Calerostan Fleet and broke realspace. The twenty ships didn’t stick around; they dispatched a gunship and bolted when they were close enough to detect the Compact’s signature LPI Fire Control Radars providing accurate targeting information on them.

Khan Melissa von Cordia stepped off the gunship followed by her security guards. Despite the sneer of the Seraphim and Compact delegates, she felt relatively comfortable knowing that they would not risk a diplomatic incident to capture or kill one of many known Khans. Nursing a bottle of fine wine in her hands, she approached the king, bowed, shook his hand warmly, and handed it over to him. After speaking to him and engaging in small talk, she walked over to the Serene Swords Republic representatives, where they made business conversation, import deals to allow the spice to flow.

[Legend]

For ease of understanding:
“[Text]” Will denote the use of Civil Twillum, understood only by the Twila
“|Text|” Will denote the use of Wormtongue, the full extent of which has been provided to Zahamana for ease of communication

.

 With a hiss, the Silent Auditorium was sealed, and the esteemed members of the Lexia Corthos fell into shadow. For a moment, all was still, a sense of uncertainty hanging in the air, until a flash of light shone in the center stage. Unmasked, Jun Lucio was a beacon in a sea of darkness, the only who dared shed light unfettered in this sacred room, the only shred of individuality in a crowd stripped down to its most anonymous. In his hands he held the throat of the Ascendancy, and in his heart he held its glory.
 [Not often have I been forced to stand here, not among you as an equal but apart as your better. Some may say I’ve done it too often, and I will not deny them that, but neither shall I deny the ones who have called my name and begged for our guidance. We all know why we are here.]
 [We have been faced with a question of existential import. For millennia we have remained practically an island in this galaxy. Now, we have everything to lose and everything to gain]
 [None of us deny the importance of revealing ourselves eventually, but at so chaotic an event? Noble intentions as they may be, Zolahon has invited forces from beyond his awareness together in one place. It is a dangerous spot to make an introduction]
 [And yet, is it not our only chance to make one? We are not alone in the galaxy, whether we act now or later our presence will be made known at this event. My colleagues, foreign lips do not stay sealed for long. It is our duty to present ourselves on our own terms, not the terms of friends]
 [But so many contacts at once? The nation is secure, we needn’t rush into a diplomatic situation we are ill-prepared for]
 [The nation is secured, but against who? How can we expect to declare our safety when we don’t know who would seek to threaten it. We are a nation built on discovery, how could we explain to our people that we had a chance to expand the horizon of our knowledge and did not take it? This is not a choice, this is a rhetorical question asked out of respect. Let us not waste precious time]
 With that remark the Silent Auditorium once again fell into darkness, save for the man who stood in its center.
 [We move then to a vote]
 [All in favor?]

 [All against?]

 [Good. Now if the Good Baron could make his way to the star port, I believe the diplomatic team is wating on him]

---

 In the small cabin of their diplomatic vessel, Caden Mathis sat in darkness, keeping his eyes upon the Alchemic Shapers before him. Baron Mathis had spent most of his 64 years of life in service to the State, and had not risen to the Luxia Corthos without running into his fair share of their ilk. They were wise, dedicated, and damnably protective of their secrets. Without a doubt he respected them. He just despised the fact that he did.
 They wore full light suits, one black and the other white, and their suits were sparingly decorated with hanging beads of lighten and darken respectively. They were of course an Alchemist pair, surely more like one Twila than two after serving for so long. In their hands they each held a three-sided pyramid, smooth and metallic, the Ascendancy’s gifts to their host across the stars. He guessed at their contents, and thought it somewhat reckless to offer them so freely.
 He was covered in an almost complete light suit, missing only the right arm and gauntlet, and over it he wore the robes and finery of a Aristocratic Scientist, although it had been long since he had held that beloved job. In his hand he held a sturdy wooden cane; on his leg there was a brace, a reminder of the injury he was too stubborn to erase. Perhaps it all would come off as vanity to those unknown others, but it was honest. A series of lights flashed around them as the pilot announced their imminent arrival, and the trio arose.
 [Let us make ready]
 [As you wish, Grand Ambassador]
 [Curious, there seems to be an extraordinarily high number of ships present at this meeting. I find it hard to believe they all are here on behalf of different peoples]
 [This is the grandest stage we’ve ever seen in this slice of the galaxy. Perhaps this is a show of force, or perhaps our cousins across the stars do not feel as secure in their borders as we do. Only time will reveal their intentions to us]
 The lone vessel docked within the station and the diplomatic body began its trek to the King, running final diagnostics on their equipment. It had not been often that Mathis, Kryptos, and Xeris had cause to employ their use, but they were practiced enough to handle them without a dedicated technician.
 [Ah, ahead, surely we have arrived]
 The Baron nodded and walked ahead of the Alchemists, cane clicking against the floor as he did.
 |King Zolahon, it is my honor to represent the Twilight Ascendancy in this diplomatic conference. I am Baron Mathis, senior member of the Lexia Corthos, Director of the department of Alien Contact. I am joined in these proceedings by representatives of the Order of Alchemists| At that he gestured behind him, beckoning the Alchemists forth, and attention was drawn to his exposed hand. It was blacker than the night, so dark one would be unable to discern its details if not for the evident scaring that ran along the length. The Alchemists approached and opened their containers, exposing a crystal sphere of pure light and pure darkness.
 |We bring you gifts from beyond the stars|
 |Upon these two substances our society was born. They have given us life, and in the wrong hands they may take it away|
 |Take these as a sign of our trust, and a hope for cooperation beyond this day|
 With that the Twila looked around the room, nodding to representatives familiar to them, and took their seats.

[Qwert]

Perhaps unbefitting of her station but true to her reputation as a humble public servant and a genuinely nice person, Special Emissary Teemas had spent most of her time on the voyage toward the Zahamana Commonwealth on the bridge among people that some members of the Committee for the Expansion of the Empire would call “grunts”. On her many voyages, she had found the bridge crews resourceful and immensely competent at their jobs. She enjoyed chatting with them and discussing various aspects of space travel, politics and technology was always a rewarding and useful experience.

She had also found it to be a great start to first contact missions to be on the bridge while the different stations reported on what the ship could detect in its surroundings, such as ships, nature of the planets and signals. The Treecuu had dispatched a single ship, the Remote Fleets Ship Tircane. It was meant as a sign of self-confidence and perhaps a daring move. But also trust in their hosts. It was the Treecuu way. The ship was a roughly 720 m long Lootuu-class cruiser modified for long range exploration. Normally a fierce but silent killing machine, it’s weapons, sensor and masking suites were toned down as not to reveal real military capabilities in case the aliens possessed superior sensor technology or somehow took control over the ship.

As the Tircane dropped out of warp at the coordinates designated by their hosts, Teemas was finally able to see a clear image of the station and the amassed alien ships. It was a truly magnificent sight. None of the Treecuu had ever seen so many ships in the same system before. Their numbers, classes, grouping patterns and general design provided Teemas with valuable insights for the meeting, and the ship’s crew with lots of new tactical data to process. The trip was already worth it.

---

Once docked, Teemas left the ship without a guard or staff. It was her usual way to do it alone, and it was highly recommended by Treecuu diplomatic code. Just like the lone ship, it was meant to project confidence. Without making contact with anyone on her way, she approached King Zolahon. Silently and solemnly, she performed the traditional Treecuu greeting. Moving her arms in the least menacing way, she let her intricate black robes drop to the floor, revealing equally intricate black suite-like clothes underneath. The gesture was meant to show that there were no hidden weapons, but there was still something slightly grave or menacing about her. The dramatic effect of the garment landing on the floor would also draw the attention from others around.

Stepping forward, she greeted the King and his nation in a formal matter on behalf of the Treecuu nation and its government. Then she introduced herself, her face turning friendlier. Before letting the next guest in line forward, she handed over the typical Treecuu first contact gift: a Candact Piece. It was fist-sized luxurious-looking orb with some Treecuu engraving on it. It had a single artificial atomic dislocation in it, that seemingly magically traveled about at an even pace. Essentially it was a watch.

Teemas then picked up her robes and headed for her seat, sitting down in silence.

[Weisserstein]

SMS Königgrätz
Zahamanan Space, Zahamana Commonwealth
0 BBT

---

Ever since the annexation the Kharali Kharzunate of Ghorm in 154 BBT, the Aquilan Empire shared a border with the Zahamana Commonwealth. Relations up until that point have been warm between the Aquilans and Zahamanans, as the two nations engaged in talks regarding diplomacy and trade. So it came to no surprise when the invitation from Zahamana reached the Imperial Capital, as well as all across the sector, regarding something almost no one could have predicted: the breaching of the Great Border.

Since the existence of the old Ruven and Kharali empires, the lands of modern Aquila had bordered the Tiyanki Territories and have interacted frequently with its inhabitants. But with the breach of the Great Border, Aquila might soon be able to interact more with the neighbors it has had since before the Empire’s founding in 252 BBT. Aquila has also forwarded the invitation to many other star nations that it knew of.

---

The SMS Königgrätz is a heavy cruiser of the Imperial Aquilan Navy, the lead ship of the Königgrätz-class. Alongside it were two other Königgrätz-class ships, the SMS Libau and SMS Irbenshaven, three light cruisers, as well as a dozen destroyers.

Aboard the Königgrätz was the Aquilan delegation to the Zahamana Commonwealth. The delegation consisted of four representatives representing different facets of the Aquilan Empire. These are William-Alexander von Maximilian-Couronia, Prince Royal, Ritter Friedrich Wilhelm von Praunitz, Freiherr Georg Rüdiger von Hannscharen, and Jonkheer Cornelis Hendrik van Speelman.

Profile of the delegation

William-Alexander von Maximilian-Couronia, Prince Royal is the second son of Grand Duke Adolf Friedrich II of Couronia, the largest polity within the Couronian circle. The Grand Duchy of Couronia has, since its creation in 208 BBT, been a monarchy ruled by the Maximilian dynasty, the same dynasty that rules over the Aquilan Empire and many of the smaller realms and polities within the Empire. William-Alexander himself is cousins (albeit distantly) with the current heir to the Aquilan throne, who also shares the same name as him. Prince William-Alexander represents the interest of the Aquilan Imperial Family. He serves as the leader of the Aquilan delegation.

Ritter Friedrich Wilhelm von Praunitz is an Aquilan diplomat descended from a family of well-established diplomats, with his grandfather was the Aquilan ambassador to the Zahamana Commonwealth. Von Praunitz is also an avid pan-Terranist, as is his father, who is among the most vocal supporter of the Pan-Terran League within the Aquilan Empire. Von Praunitz is also one of the Aquilan Emperor’s son-in-law, married to Anna von Maximilian, Princess Imperial. A big hope of von Praunitz is to extend the invitation of the Pan-Terran League to the various different delegations, some of whom may herald from a Terran-majority nation Aquila has yet to establish ties with.

Freiherr Georg Rüdiger von Hannscharen represented the nobility of the Caerulian Circle, the imperial circle bordering the Zahamana Commonwealth. The Hannscharen family, today a major landowning family controlling estates such as the Duchy of Rennbar and the Duchy of Drenz, traced their lineage to a pre-Aquilan family of slaves within the old Kharzunate of Ghorm, making the Hannscharen family of partial Ghormann* blood, something he despises personally. This sometimes translates to von Hannscharen coming off as a bit jingoistic and slightly xenophobic. Nevertheless, he is also very much respected within the Caerulian Circle, enough so that his track record would be brushed under the rug for this visit.

Jonkheer Cornelis Hendrik van Speelman, incumbent Steward of Foreign Affairs, represents the civilian government of the Aquilan Empire. A political maverick in his youth, van Speelman came from the monarchist political alliance Zentrum within the Imperial Diet, and is a close ally of Imperial Chancellor Alexander von Falkenhayn as well as Friedrich Wilhelm von Praunitz. Van Speelman also has issues with von Hannscharen’s inclusion in the delegation, believing that his rhetoric may cause scandals during the visit and determining to keep a close eye on him to prevent von Hannscharen from causing trouble.

Note: Ghormann (plural Ghormenner or Ghormänner is a term used to describe Terrans who lived in the old Kharali kharzunates, especially Ghorm, as slaves. These humans developed a unique identity based around their shared use of a unique dialect of the Kharali language and culture. Ghormann identity politics has been a part of the politics the Caerulian and Neulander circles, and Ghormann identity remains a hotly contested topic in those two circles and the wider Aquilan Empire.

Alongside the delegation were the military personnel aboard the small task fleet, assigned with the protection of the delegation to Zahamana.

---

As the small task fleet arrives at the station, the delegations and a squadron of Imperial Marines disembarked from the Königgrätz to greet their generous host. Many nations which have friendly relations with the Aquilan Empire had also sent their own delegations.

“May peace and prosperity follow your reign, Your Majesty,” the Prince Royal says as he and his entourage bows slightly to honor their host.

As prince Wilhelm-Alexander and his entourage greets King Zolahon and Prime Minister, an Imperial Marine brings forth an elegant wooden box, with the symbols of both Aquila and Zahamana carved onto it. The marine hands it to prince Wilhem-Alexander, who hands it to King Zolahon. Gifting, especially during events such as this one, is a tradition within the Aquilan Empire, practiced by the aristocracy, clergy, and the general population as a whole.

Inside the box was a short hunting sword, laced with gold and metallic silvers with a lion’s accent being seen on the hilt of the blade. A handwritten note from the Aquilan Emperor to his Zahamanan counterpart is also included inside the box.

With the ceremonial gifting completed, the Aquilan delegation takes their seat among the crowd.

[Galaxiel]

---

---

• 26th of July, 0 ABT
• Zahamana Commonwealth
• Tiyanki Wormhole System
• Wormhole Research Station - Diplomatic Meeting Point

---

---

The Beginning of Breaths, departing from the Bidaraxas Star System.

---

---

⋆✴︎˚｡⋆

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---

The Beginning of Breaths, a large-scale civilian habship some 400 kilometers in length, was chosen as the leading vessel for the Coempireal delegation to the diplomatic event in the Zahamana Commonwealth. Both a Battlemoon and a warship fleet were initially considered as possibilities, but ultimately a large, unarmed vessel was considered the best option: the lack of any real military capabilities would reassure the peaceful and showcase the delegation’s confidence, while the sheer scale of the habship would make the Confluence’s might and power eminently clear to all, despite their diplomatic and xenophilic ways.

Due to its size the Beginning of Breaths remained farther out from the station compared to the others vessels there present: from its southern point emerged a small warp bubble, acting as a shuttlecraft and carrying on board the sixteen members of the coempireal delegation, one for each clade family in the Confluence.

Auqnemois Ghorebun Viznaeele was the representative of the Terragen. He was an Anarcalin, a nearbaseline species of the Human clade more colloquially known as the “Sunshine Elves” for their ability to photosynthesize.

Raeman Bithrix Vu’Zothien Shirumvindi was the representative of the Galactyakin. They were an Uilmeert, a genetweak species of the Sheulsarr clade, large cephalopod-like organisms uplifted by the Kesheia.

H’draghan Phirthea was the representative of the Silvalians. She was a nanotech-augmented baseline Fathrae, a clade of polymorphic monocellular aggregate colonies uplifted by the Colestians to retain permanent, though fluid, sapience.

Oche Of The Ivirs, Third Descendant Of Cadess was the baseline representative of the Xelmonerenes, a species of giant, exotic sapients that evolved in the metallic hydrogen core of the gas giant Zehrmnocha.

Uuvill III.IV was the monomatter-rebuilt representative of the Neunevunn, exotic microscopic sapients living inside the superfluid outer core of neutron stars.

Esklyu Caooplul was the baseline-cyborg representative of the Trrarrusians, octapodal yet bipedal sapients and the last civilization to have (so far) joined the Confluence.

Irdug Alivrin D’On’Sheibass was the genetweak representative of the Imbrians, hexapodal sapients with characteristics that resembled those of both terrestrial birds and insects.

Chalzevac Virs Yunividi was the nanocyborg representative of the Usca, ocean-dwelling sapients that to human eyes resembled very large spanish dancer sea slugs.

Aariiveeshooaaa was the nearbaseline representative of the Jhar’ord, symbiotic sapients consisting of a mobile plant-like hive and flying bug-like drones used to perceive and interact with their surroundings.

Veiq’ne Ighrude of Virsche was the genetweak representative of the Eurekt, large and radially simmetrical bioluminescent sapients living in the geothermally heated underwater oceans of icy moons and habitats.

Kchack Tarcitar Uiilmaasoe was the nanotech-augmented baseline representative of the Zyloxin, colorful sapient crystals that communicated through complex music-like sounds and color patterns on their surfaces.

Swift Celloiden of the Thundering Cloudweave was the biocyborg representative of the Pheevee, aerostatic and roughly bird-like sapients that used gas pouches and air flows to fly in the skies of their homeworld.

Sikhwan Molcedulc Fhleget was the baseline representative of the Yehani’mul, large and furry hexapodal sapients originating from a cold and quite small paludial planet.

Running With The Whailecrowns was the genetweak representative of the Xe’qarin, twenty-eight-limbed very large sapients with radar-like biological radioreceptors.

Ifhzi Selmnett was the cyborg-genetweak representative of the Tihumuuh, human-sized crab-like sapients inhabiting the cold surfaces of Titan-like worlds.

Xitki Nami Voichi Dhrubi Qanayi was the representative of the Peehhpep, low-temperature gelatinous sapients resembling opaque clusters of bubbles, uplifted by the Tihumuuh.

After the shuttle-bubble docked in the station, the representatives weren’t accompanied by any visible guard: all of them were outfitted with defensive forcefields, and cashes of utility fog embedded in their garments, accessories and bodies could quickly emerge and reconfigure themselves to form shields, walls and even offensive installments - if the situation escalated enough for it to be considered necessary. Keeping their gazes forwards the group approached King Zolahon and, each in their own alien and physiologically unique way, bowed with reverence in front of the monarch. The greeting was rather simple, but there was no need to make any active impression: just their appearance was more than enough for such purposes. The three representatives of the Founderkin, taking the lead as head ambassadors, greeted the king and introduced the delegation.

”Greetings, your majesty. We come here to represent the Confluence of Empires as envoys of our great Lord, the SEQUENCE.”

”We hope that this meeting will contribute to the greatness of our empires, so that the light we shed upon the stars may never fade. Please, accept this gift we humbly present you.”

Just as Raeman finished to speak, H’dragan extracted a small sphere from a ledoge pocket within their avatar. It was roughly the size of an orange, and essentially looked like a very large marble: swirls and flows of color wove around and intersected each other, moving around in the sphere’s glass-like material. At the center of the odd object were two small points of fluttering light, dancing around one another in complex and unpredictable patterns.

”This Marble is a nanoforge, capable of transmutating matter and printing any object you desire from the many templates it already possesses, or from new ones you can add to it.”

”In it are reunited in symphony all our fundamental technologies: nanotech, forcefields, artificial intelligence and monomatter, all working in unison to reshape the material world to your whims.”

”As we delegates represent the many peoples of the Confluence of Empires, this Marble represents the technologies and knowledge that makes our interstellar civilization possible and prosperous.”

With the initial proceedings completed, the delegation took their seats among the crowd. Looks of quiet wonder, curiosity and suspicion surrounded them: so far, so good.

[Castemura]

A small diplomatic shuttle enters orbit. On its hull are the symbols of the Zaretanian Holdings Corporation as well as Cordelia Intergalactic Heavy Industries. Suprisingly, no ads were plastered onto the ship

The delegate was a man by the name of Alistair Ignatius Tusk, CEO of Cordelia Intergalactic Heavy Industries and one of the six heads of the ZHC. He is a member of the Tusk family, a wealthy and ntoeable business family

He arrives and takes his place among the delegates, speaking only when it is necessary. Though he hopes that the ZHC, and especially Cordelia Intergalactic, could secure some sort of lucrative deal

“All in due time”

[Flaming]

King Zohalon and his advisors looked across the gifts and pondered the amount of ships in the system.

There were an estimated 102,525 foreign ships in this small part of Zahamanan space. Of this total included 4 military ships over 10 kilometers long. Only 3 of the delegations arrived without military ships. Out of the 7 delegations that had presented the king with gifts, 6 had brought gifts that emphasized, in some part, a military tradition. Indeed, it seemed that their calculation of an extremely militarized Sector was correct. Even better, many of the attendants were openly glaring at each other already, even those that were clearly meeting for the first time. Conflict seemed almost inevitable. If the Commonwealth could use this opportunity to create even a modicum of an international system, it would pave the way for its prosperity, and the people would feel much more safe.

The king looked over the delegations before he continued, signalling to everyone to wrap up their conversations. “Greetings and good tidings to all those who come from this sector of our expansive galaxy. Thank you to responding to our call and in good faith coming here for the hope of diplomacy. To cut to the chase: we have discovered a wormhole into the ever-elusive Tiyanki Territories. Most of you will already know of them- those that haven’t have surely been affected. They are a realm full of unique technology, resources, fauna and scientific anomalies. They are also a haven for piracy and crime across the Sector. I think you can understand why us finding this wormhole was cause for such alarm.”

He pulled up a hologram brought to him by one of his advisors. “We have plans to build a large structure around the wormhole in order to facilitate docking and trading here, as well as communications with states inside the Territories. We will also be allowing people to build their own stations around this wormhole. Essentially, we plan on making this area international property, to all the signatories of this program.”

He also pulled up a hologram that showed the ships in the system. “We also had suspected that something like this would be the case, but this has confirmed our suspicions as well, of a highly militarized Sector. We would hope that, in forming this international system for continued access to the Territories, we could create a sort of international diplomatic system to help mediate international issues, which I am unfortunately almost certain will arise.”

He looked across the attendants. “Are there any questions or concerns about the nature of our plans?”

[Stormfire10]

“Your majesty, have you made contact with any polities within the territory?”

A diplomat from the Voidsea delegation speaks up

“The peoples of the Voidsea already have a diplomatic forum. What powers would this diplomatic system have?”

“Who are we letting into this program? Surely we aren’t just letting anybody into it.”

Nilsson’s eyes narrow on the Khan

“After all, she and her syndicate are actively killing millions of my countrymen through the continued distribution of spice. Not to mention the fact that a certain nation actively allows them to operate nigh freely in their space.”

Nilsson points to the Confluence’s delegation. He sighs and takes a deep breath

“My point, in this matter is that there should be some form of selection and we can’t just let anyone into the system. Would we just let the Grand Amassment walk the same halls as us? I would think not.”

[Legend]

Baron Mathis turned his head to the Diplomatic envoys of the Voidsea as they spoke, keeping his unknowable gaze steady. He was old enough to realize that politics in the Twilight Ascendency were not so rosy as everyone was led to believe, but it never ceased to amaze him that other cultures were so bold and uncompromising in their beliefs. The kindred parties of the stars had brought fleets and daggers to accentuate their points; failing to seize the iniative soon could render the more level-headed voices irrelevant and ruin the opportunity the Commonwealth had provided them all.
|I appreciate the severity of certain interstellar relations within the voidsea, but now cannot be the time to talk about divisions. It is by all means your right to look around this room and pick out the faces of those who have done your people harm, but as I turn my gaze I understand how little I truly know about this slice of the Galaxy we inhabit. There will come a time to air any grievances that may disqualify states from membership, should any exist, but it is irresponsible speak of denying membership to a forum before its potential members have become properly acquainted|

[Galaxiel]

H’dragan took the initiative, and was first to speak among the representatives. While she too had her own… uncertainties regarding the Syndicate’s dealings within the Confluence, it wasn’t her place nor was it the time to doubt the decisions of the HyperAIs. After all, her purpose there was to represent the empire of empires: she trusted the judgment of those above her and, like her peers, would not question it during an event of such international importance.

”While we do agree that certain parameters should be met before a civilization can become part of this future system, we wholly concur with His Lordship that it would be rather unwise to jump to such exclusionary methods before proper relations have been established between all of our polities. After all, while some empires here are indeed already quite knowledgeable and well-acquainted with one another” - extending a limb towards Nilsson, as no look could be exchanged - ”most of the nations we represent will be meeting here for the first time.”

”And while we are on the topic of international relations” - intervened Veiq’ne - ”we think it would be rather important to establish a proper interstellar communication network as soon as possible. It would allow for a much greater ease of communications between our civilizations, and it would also make it possible for our citizens to interact with one another freely.”

[Stormfire10]

“It is not my fault your citizens consume more than the recommended limit, and as you know-”

“That study was tainted by blood money and you know it! I should like to put a dagger through your skull-”

Realizing that he may actually act on that threat, Sana interjects rather forcefully

“-As our Twila friend said, there will be time to air your grievances later.”

The prefect leans to Kalle and whispers

“Let it go, she’s making a mockery of you. We’ll get our penance later.”

Layne, Mardona, and Loavao having been speaking in hushed tones throughout the outburst, and speak as the hall goes quiet again

“The compact delegation would like to know who will keep the peace in this new ‘international property’ you are suggesting? Who will make laws? Who will enforce them? Who will adjudicate them? While we are interested, we would like to know those before we sign anything, and I agree with the Voidsea diplomat about the powers of any system you may create.”

[Detroix]

“Even though these specifics will need to be discussed later, I am glad to see support for this idea. The Republic is ready to peacefully to collaborate with any like minded nation.“ Despite his military background, Galen quickly learned that diplomacy and politics were based around such phrases. You always had to appear like you were on the “good“ side. The Republic may have peaceful intentions, but it won’t accept hostility from other nations. “I’m especially glad that our host wants to pursue a similar path.“

“But this body should not interfere too much with the internal politics of member nations. As long as they meet the to-be-decided stabdards.“ Nikta interjected.

“Naturally, if the Republic were to join, its member states should still maintain their constitutionally guaranteed autonomy.“ Victoria quickly added, seemingly trying to one up Nikita. The two women shot each other a brief, hostile glance.

It was painfully clear that the League and the USPR were going to be at each other’s throtes again in a few years. As representatives of these entities, neither Nikita nor Victoria could allow the possibility of foreign actors intervening. Especially if there was a risk of the other side receiving support.

Gallen just sighed as he fell back against his seat. And for a moment he thought they wouldn’t cause trouble.

[Flaming]

King Zohalon nodded and looked at the Voidsea delegations, addressing them in turn.

“We have made contact with a couple of the small nations within the Territories- partly out of necessity, as we have done extensive study on both sides of the wormhole in the short time we have had it discovered. The data on these matters will be shared with everyone when it is finalized, which should be before everyone leaves- I believe the Prime Minister is leading the movement on those matters.”

“…As for the matter of exclusionary measures, I am not so hasty to exclude people based on state-per-state grievances. I understand that you may have fraught relations with some other states, but that is likely true of many states here, and could be true in the future. The Amassment is a different matter, but even they must be considered- lest they force us to consider them.”

“As for who would hold power in this international property, it would be a coalition. As the primary signatory of any theoretical treaty, half the forces there would be ours, ideally, and the other half would be a rotating force from various member states of the treaty. The laws there would mostly just relate to military and research purposes. We don’t plan to host any civilians there or to do any international legislation.”

[KingTEM]

The Denvarian Delegation had yet to speak, but already the Emperor knew the people and political coalitions back home wouldn’t agree to any form of International Diplomatic System, either due to nationalistic zeal or pointing out the failures a similar system on Pacifica had.

Granted, the failed World Forum and this proposal had many differences to one another, but the fact remained that the Denvarian’s past history with broad International Systems had left a bad taste in their mouths.

However, he knew that this would be a major economical opportunity for the Empire, but he would first voice the grievances he knew his people would speak about.

“I believe not planning to do international legislation will be good thing in the long run, whilst my nation may not be the oldest compared to others sat here, and we truly have no idea as to where our ancient homeworld may be located, we do know that a system similar to the one proposed, failed on many levels because of legislative bureaucracy, and while unconfirmed, my nation’s historians believe that it was ultimately the fault of the World Forum that lead to my ancestors fleeing Pacifica.” The Emeperor stated, sitting back down.

“Your Majesty, what about the lesser races?” Idrev whispered.

“Our policy of not recognizing lesser nations will still continue regardless of what comes from this proposal.” The Emperor whispered back.

While he hadn’t voiced it yet, if it did come to pass, the Emperor would object to any international force being able to dictate internal matters, because he knew many nations would object to their rightful treatment of those Chr’Kahr Barbarians.

Until then, the Emperor and his delegation went back to glaring at the Non-Humanoid delegations, especially the delegation from the “Confluence”, the rumors of an AI-led state being common after relations were established with the Voidsea Nations. That already put the Empire on guard, After all, Media from before leaving Pacifica and after the foundation of the Empire had all pointed to the same things; Sapient AI were inherently a threat to all life.