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[Valhalla, Trondheim, Foreign Ministry]

"Ambassador Toorth, I understand that your government has recently broken with the Alliance. In this harsh galaxy, perhaps it would be wise to have some friends?"

The reference had been planted, it was a bit subtle but that was because few knew where the KSE now stood. The Krytos withdrawl had suprised many, but the Asgard were willing to make the best of the uppurtunity that had been given to them.

Nexus
Faran Tor was beside himself. Krell just wouldn't listen anymore! "Another contract? Now? Adar, I told you about this as a matter of courtesy. I didn't think you would accept it. For Christ's sake, we barely avoided open revolt when we sent all our fleets after the Overseer. You want to send the ships out again? No. Hell no. We can't make it work."

"We can and we will. It's not like we are losing too many of our ships. A few escorts to help the Monacorans in their patrols won't lead to open revolt."

"Forget it, Adar. I got a desk full of papers, complaints from clients. I am trying to represent us the right way here, and you're fucking me over! I have given my assurances that the fleets will stay. When they leave...."

"Are we looking at a revolt scenario, Faran?"

"Well, no. But that's not the point. The point is-"

"The point is, Faran, that we are undertaking a massive fleet buildup and we need more money. As much as possible. Upkeep for the ships, pay for the construction workers. We are getting as many as we can, I need these ships done quickly."

Faran tried to put a mask of calm on. He had to reason this out. "Adar, I know we are building. And that's good for business. But souring relations with the CLIENT WORLDS? It's crazy. You are forgetting the basics."

"And you are forgetting who pays you. You are forgetting whose organization this is. It's mine, Faran. Mine! Krell's Combine! You don't represent our clients, you represent me. Me!" Adar's face had contorted as a rampage of emotions crossed it. His last words were shouted with an intensity that made Faran take a step back. Adar was standing now, leaning forward, his hands balled into fists. Slowly, he regained his composure and sat back down. He was back to the old Adar, the one Faran had always admired.

"You trust me, don't you? You always have. Now should not be any different. The people will complain, but then again, they always complain. We will redouble our patrols in their space, and soon it will pass. No one cares too much for politics these days. We will have our contract. And our money. And our ships."

Faran took a long time to study Krell, trying to figure out exactly what was going on in his boss's mind. The man did have a point, but he was still concerned. Concerned about the contract and oncerned about Krell himself. Trilla's warnings about Adar came back to him, but he still could see nothing to be done, at least not right now. He had a job to do, clients to placate.

"Fine."
_________________________________________________________
Assigned to Monacoran patrol
60 Blue collars
40 Harleys

Stormbringer wrote:[Valhalla, Trondheim, Foreign Ministry]

"Ambassador Toorth, I understand that your government has recently broken with the Alliance. In this harsh galaxy, perhaps it would be wise to have some friends?"

The reference had been planted, it was a bit subtle but that was because few knew where the KSE now stood. The Krytos withdrawl had suprised many, but the Asgard were willing to make the best of the uppurtunity that had been given to them.

"Perhaps a mutual defence alliance would be prudent?"

Monacoran Space
Sol Sector
Earth

This time the Director’s entourage was a bit more than what he had brought with him to the ball. His four personal guards were subtle, simply wearing suits with very light armor weave underneath, virtually unnoticeable unless one were to inspect it closely, and none carrying more than a small sidearm. They would work with the Monacorans, sharing a communications frequency with their security to make sure all was well. No trouble was expected on this trip, but considering some of the events that had transpired since the Director’s last visit, it was a sign of sensible caution, without being a direct slap in the face to the Monacorans. The last time he had been here, it had been incognito. No one had known his true identity, so the need for security was slender. This time, well, there were potential dangers inherent in being the effective head of state of any nation. Besides, Radim had been here, talked with these people. Some of them might actually want to “thank” him for the chance to meet the Fleet Admiral of the Consortium.

The shuttle landed on schedule, and as the door opened, the Director inwardly smiled at the honor guard the Monacorans had assembled. It was quite an impressive display, and if nothing else showed that the Monacorans were committed to his safety during his stay.

Known Space
Ark Sector - Ravenlock Controlled Region
Trade Fair

A second unauthorized ansible signature was detected coming from a ship in the fair. Already having been put on alert for such signals after the capture of the Asgard civilian freighter, Delta fleet responded quickly to the situation. The ship was isolated from the others and boarded by Voidform under the pretext of unauthorized long-range transmissions. At this rate, the fair would have to be moved to the secondary location to prevent raiders from even trying to ambush the fair.

This time, the boarding action was slightly different from before. This time, behind the Voidform came the Veithan Prime. If the crew were clean of the Darkness, they would merely be held for questioning, otherwise, they had a date with Gabriel and company. The darkness was clearly present in numerous members of the crew, and as such, they were removed from their ship and another search team combed the ship for further clues to explain just what was going on.

The newly captured agents were clearly higher ranking than those who had attempted the mission, but apparently they did not seem to know that using long-range communications under the nose of a fleet would be detected. While the content of the messages and their recipients was entirely unknown to SIGINT, the scans performed by the Veithan Prime were more than enough to fill in the gaps. More of this mystery was beginning to unravel, and soon enough would be known to utterly cripple the spy network of the Darkness.

Meanwhile, in deep space, the Veithans had prepared a nasty little surprise for the fleeing Ghost Fleet. By the time they would know what was happening, they would be trapped between three fleets, outnumbered, outgunned, and out of options.

A message was composed for transmission through the second ship’s ansible system.

{{Hi there. I bet you’re wondering what’s happening, and why your people just keep going offline. This is a result of what we like to call total fucking incompetence. That would be attributed to you, by the by. Now, we’ll not give you a lecture in how one should run intelligence operations, on the off chance you might grow a couple of brain cells and become a legitimate threat. You have just pissed off the wrong fucking people, and now we’re going to come for you. We will burn you fuckers to a cinder, and then we’re going to piss on your ashes. I will personally take whoever is behind your little dipshit brigade and beat the fucking douchebag until he screams for mercy.

Fuck you all with a megascraper,
Fleet Admiral A.J. Radim

P.S. Lying Darkness? That’s what you call yourselves? What the fuck were you jizz monkeys on when you came up with that? Who were you trying to intimidate, retarded babies?}}

frigidmagi wrote:

Admiral_Danielsben wrote:One more thing: what other suprises are out there? I mean, besides berserk computers and interstellar vampires? The Union presently has only diplomatic relations with the Alliance and a handful of others."

"Well, if I knew what else was out there it wouldn't be a surprise. I can tell you we made first contact with a number of specis. One about 20 or so inches tall. I'll be introducing their ambassador, a very... Civilizied person, even if he is from a rather strange form of government. First time I've ever heard of Communism working. There are the Veithans who are human but amazingly powerful psis. Ravenlock has apprently discovered a form of limited immortality or something." The Lord Protector broke off with a shrug.

"If you prefer Mr. President, I'll send over a full breifing packet of data."

"That would be reasonable, thank you."

Murazor wrote:We are not in war with any foreign nation. We have neither enemies nor friends, although we fear that the Ousters will soon become the former. The Confederation was created as a way to defend our homes and protect ourselves against those that would seek to enslave us again. And while I am glad that you won't demand a price from us and I also hope that we will reach that understanding there is something you must know: some factions inside the Confederation, chief among them most of the Sixtra race, won't believe that you will help us out of good will or... for free? A hundred years ago, their homeworld was terraformed by humans killing countless millions of their species. All our past dealings with humans have left a most bitter aftertaste and if you can't demand a price from an ally, I request you to accept what we offer as a gift in spirit of friendship. It is the only way that they won't believe that you are double crossing us and we cannot afford internal strife in the moment when the Confederation needs to stand united."

"Could a trade be made perhaps? Do you have Hyperspace techonogly? Or is there something else we can offer in exchange. While will do everything we can to help you maintain your unity and rightful government, the Sixtra will have to overcome their bigitry. I can understand how it feels to lose a homeworld. The Overseer burned Terra a few months ago. The homeworld of humanity was rendered next to lifeless... As I said we'll do all we can to aide you."

frigidmagi wrote:"Could a trade be made perhaps? Do you have Hyperspace techonogly? Or is there something else we can offer in exchange. While will do everything we can to help you maintain your unity and rightful government, the Sixtra will have to overcome their bigitry. I can understand how it feels to lose a homeworld. The Overseer burned Terra a few months ago. The homeworld of humanity was rendered next to lifeless... As I said we'll do all we can to aide you."

"We are aware. The Rape of Terra was something... beyond awful. I am glad that the Machines are no longer a threat. We believe that the terraforming of the Sixtra homeworld was, at least initially, a mistake. A horrible mistake, but without the evil that is the voluntary destruction of a world. The deeds of the Overseer were as evil as those commited by the Masters so long ago. And the Sixtra, having suffered that kind of evil have lost most of their... hate towards your species after the destruction of Earth. They will not like you, but they will not turn against you unless they turn against them before AND they will not hamper the efforts of those allied with the Confederation. Such are the advantages of dealing with a culture that values obedience and loyalty over anything else" said the Councilor that after thinking briefly continued. "Probably, an exchange producing mutual benefit will be enough to satisfy them. While there are military secrets that I am not allowed to disclose until an agreement with your nation is signed, there are two fields that our researchers have been unable to master in spite of their best efforts: energy shielding and an experimental power source. We believe that if we can learn from your own technicians, we will be able to improve... at least in the shielding area."

At this point Ambassador Natrix was waling on the ceiling. This would disturb most people but by now the receptionist was used to it.

Several seconds later he shifted into a handstand... hanging from the ceiling.

Murazor wrote:"We are aware. The Rape of Terra was something... beyond awful. I am glad that the Machines are no longer a threat. We believe that the terraforming of the Sixtra homeworld was, at least initially, a mistake. A horrible mistake, but without the evil that is the voluntary destruction of a world. The deeds of the Overseer were as evil as those commited by the Masters so long ago. And the Sixtra, having suffered that kind of evil have lost most of their... hate towards your species after the destruction of Earth. They will not like you, but they will not turn against you unless they turn against them before AND they will not hamper the efforts of those allied with the Confederation. Such are the advantages of dealing with a culture that values obedience and loyalty over anything else" said the Councilor that after thinking briefly continued. "Probably, an exchange producing mutual benefit will be enough to satisfy them. While there are military secrets that I am not allowed to disclose until an agreement with your nation is signed, there are two fields that our researchers have been unable to master in spite of their best efforts: energy shielding and an experimental power source. We believe that if we can learn from your own technicians, we will be able to improve... at least in the shielding area."

"Oh I'm sure that we'd be willing to teach you all about our current energy shield tech. I'm sure we can teach each other alot. There are some things however you will need to agree to. The Alliance has made a point of ensuring free trade between all members, we will be installing a Joint Command staff and choosing a Commander. Could you live with that? The Joint Command could not take control over your whole fleet, or even half of it likey but may require use of some of your units from time to time. You can refuse if requests puts your homes in undue danger. I willing to imagine that you won't be using that has a shield to avoid involment however."

Alyrium wrote:At this point Ambassador Natrix was waling on the ceiling. This would disturb most people but by now the receptionist was used to it.

Sir Brain Mattews looked up.

"I use to do that has a kid, got climbing mania and was all over the place. Use to drive my partents nuts."

frigidmagi wrote:

Alyrium wrote:At this point Ambassador Natrix was waling on the ceiling. This would disturb most people but by now the receptionist was used to it.

Sir Brain Mattews looked up.

"I use to do that has a kid, got climbing mania and was all over the place. Use to drive my partents nuts."

"Yeah, but can you walk on a horizontal peice of glass, upside down?"

"Not with the equipment the Good Lord gave me no. I'm sure I could get the tools around here somewhere, but why?" Sir Brain Mattews said with a friendly shrug.

"You really should try it sometime. Though I think the blood would rush to your brain, I dont have that problem"

"It might for a normal, but my family is a bit... Special you might say. Now get down from there and talk to me face to face like a well mannered sapient."

frigidmagi wrote:"It might for a normal, but my family is a bit... Special you might say. Now get down from there and talk to me face to face like a well mannered sapient."

"Oh all right"

He simply let go of the ceiling and used the "wings" between his arms and legs to parachute to the ground

"So, how are you doing?"

Alyrium wrote:"So, how are you doing?"

"Quite well. Now listen the Union President is in with the Lord Protector currently. As soon has they're finished you get in, short, short, short meeting. Seems Lastport is really popular right now, we have another meeting to get to, an another group popped up and asked for alliance membership and I think we're going to give it to them. Now the Altantians have been pushing for membership to be given to you has well. The Lord Protector will hand you a formal invite. Now the Republic will have to give you the nod to but we don't see a problem with that. Will there be problems on your end?"

"Not at all. Thank you, I will be sure to extend formal thanks to the Atlantians and the Republic as well"

"Excellant. In that case, would you like a drink or a snack the wait shouldn't be that much longer."

frigidmagi wrote:"Excellant. In that case, would you like a drink or a snack the wait shouldn't be that much longer."

"I am fine, I ate before I left"(He wolfed down a side of beef)

Darksider wrote:

Stormbringer wrote:[Valhalla, Trondheim, Foreign Ministry]

"Ambassador Toorth, I understand that your government has recently broken with the Alliance. In this harsh galaxy, perhaps it would be wise to have some friends?"

The reference had been planted, it was a bit subtle but that was because few knew where the KSE now stood. The Krytos withdrawl had suprised many, but the Asgard were willing to make the best of the uppurtunity that had been given to them.

"Perhaps a mutual defence alliance would be prudent?"

"Such a pact would not be unwelcome. Do you have any particular terms in mind?"

To: Shi Combine
From: United Protectrates State Office

We would like to arrange a meeting with your representive to discuss a pirate and sentive matter. We hope you can find the time to speak. We must request that your representive be of the noblity.
Thank you.

United Protectrates State Office, in the name of Lord Protector Sir Joshua Mattews.

Veithan Space
Veitha System
Veitha III

It would not have been surprising to discover that the Veithan Empire worked closely with her allies; they would not be allies if an increase level of communication and collaboration did not exist. The Ravenlock trade fair was important to the accord due to a variety of reasons, chief among them being that what benefited a member of the accord trickled down both directly and indirectly to the other members. The Ravenlock Consortium was making its presence felt in a galactic scale, an impressive achievement for one that had started so humbly. It had been the Veithans alone that had greeted the Ravenlock’s arrival to known space. And now, the Ravenlock were placing their roots in the galactic stage firmly. The realization did not wound any egos in the Empire, and the great wealth and prestige that the Ravenlock would reap from the trade fair was seen as a positive sign for the future of both the nation and the accord itself. The Empire had chosen wisely with its allies.

As such, after the Ravenlock had requested the presence of one of their primes and the situation had been explained, the Ravenlock and Veithan representatives kept in touch in order to convey situation updates in real time. The links were not instantaneous, the Ravenlock did not possess ansible technology. Nonetheless, the distances between the Ravenlock and Veithan holdings in Ark sector were short in stellar terms. Secure communications from the Ravenlock were sent to the Veithan holdings in Al-Quadim and then these were forwarded via ansible to Veitha III. At first, only the Veithan fast reaction task force which at the moment was placed in the Yvela system was sent to assist the ample Ravenlock forces present. The fifth fleet was asked to remain behind, guarding Al-Quadim and the other Veithan systems much to the chagrin of Admiral Stone.

When the situation changed however, the Empire responded. The unknown fleet had been tagged by Ravenlock efforts and it was heading towards the borders of the Empire. The situation would not be allowed to proceed, the unknown force could have gotten away but by choosing to head towards the Empire, it had forced its hand. Orders were given and carried out, the proper forces chosen as an ambush was devised.

Veithan Sphere
Deep Space

The sixth fleet was the latest addition to the Veithan Naval forces, a powerful collection of one hundred and twenty vessels led by the Dreadnought VNS Crucible of Fire, alongside the Battleships VNS Cataclysm and VNS Black Gate. Its autonomous attack drones were bolstered by the presence of twin Drone Carriers, the VNS Valkyries and her sister ship the VNS Abaddon. This impressive array of capital ships was backed by fifteen cruisers and one hundred escorts. The fleet had been finished quite some time ago and had spent the time since sharpening her crews through a series of drills and combat exercises with the first and second fleets. The sixth fleet was now as sharp as it could be without being blooded in actual combat. When its orders arrived, a thrill of excitement danced through every mind within the fleet, a sensation that was quickly dulled by the professionalism of every member of the crew. The Sixth fleet was an instrument of war, and her crew was now being called to carry out the very thing they had trained for. There was very little wasted time.

The Sixth fleet turned as one and accelerated towards a rally point, two massive vessels joined them at the location. The Veithan Empire like any civilized power employed a series of special purpose ships, the two large vessels that awaited the sixth fleet were such ships. Each sleek mega-freighter contained within all the necessary equipment to interdict faster than light movement in a significant area of space. The vessels were large, clumsy and unarmed. Their armor was mediocre at best, and their shields no more powerful than those found in a naval frigate while their hyperspace range was abysmal. Nonetheless, they excelled in the one task that they were designed for.

The Sixth fleet vanished into hyperspace in the stealthiest approach possible along with the twin ships they were escorting. They would arrive in an already chosen spot and lay in wait, activating the powerful interdictor fields of their escorts at the last possible moment. If all went well, they would yank the hostile ships into real space and into the awaiting guns of the fleet as well as the chasing accord vessels. The interdictors positioned themselves in a manner to cover the most space, gaining some protection from escorting ships. The interdictors were not designed to absorb a great deal of punishment and were far too precious to be thrown away needlessly. Their orders were to seek shelter in Hyperspace if they faced destruction. The trap was set, the sixth fleet and the twin interdictors now laying in the path of the enemy fleet like an invisible mine. The information of their position was sent via ansible to elements of the Veithan fast reaction force, which would update the path of the enemy forces allowing for some adjustments to be made. Inside the bridge of the Crucible of Fire thoughts were quietly exchanged. If all went well, it was about to be a bad time for the enemies of the accord. All that was left, was to wait.

frigidmagi wrote:"Oh I'm sure that we'd be willing to teach you all about our current energy shield tech. I'm sure we can teach each other alot. There are some things however you will need to agree to. The Alliance has made a point of ensuring free trade between all members, we will be installing a Joint Command staff and choosing a Commander. Could you live with that? The Joint Command could not take control over your whole fleet, or even half of it likey but may require use of some of your units from time to time. You can refuse if requests puts your homes in undue danger. I willing to imagine that you won't be using that has a shield to avoid involment however."

"I can live with such a thing and while over three fourths of our warships are commanded by Sixtra, most high ranking officers belong to my own species and I am fairly sure that we will be able to solve any problems that may arise. As I have said the Sixtra value obedience over most things. And we will honour our part in any agreement unless we are in the most dire situation: our Confederation started as an alliance against our enslavers. Four species united in spite of our suspicions against a common enemy and over time we learned to... Well. That is ancient history and it has no relation with the matter at hand. My own existence will be a guarantee for you as I now vow to become the ambassador of my nation before your own and if my nation fails to honour any agreement we might reach, you will be able to take care of me as you see fit. And we always do what we promise"

**So, it's a love scene. Sue me **
Veithan Space
Veitha System
Veitha III

He was in the mood for partying. Over his pleasant weeks on Veitha, Crown Prince Jorm really learned to love them. These people were...different, and refreshingly so.
And he discovered something else, too. The press were worse than vultures. Whereever he went these days, he was sure to find at least one press team there and could read all about his recent trip the next morning. Popularity, he came to understand, wasn't what the people thought it was, and his chats with local celebrities seemed to prove it.
He even had a local fan club, as his Chief of Staff found out the other week. He was stunned.

Back home, things were really different in that respect. Everyone new everything about each other. Sure, he was royalty, but that didn't really matter all that much.

Tonight, though, should be different...

<<Your Highness,>> Colonel Trylings implored, <<I would rather have you not do it.>>
<<It's my choice. It's not as if I'm going to get killed. I just want some time for myself.>>
<<There's no way I'm going to sway your opinion, is there?>>
<<No, not really.>>
<<If you say so, your Highness. Not that I would like it, mind you...>>
Jorm grinned at him and with a neural command activated his stealth suit. Climbing out of the window, and moved over the roofs like in this ancient flat-vid "To Catch a Thief" with catlike grace. His training with the Imperial Black Guard wasn't wasted.
He looked back, and saw the throng of press waiting in front of the house for his appearance for tonight. He snickered as he sped along through the Veithan night.

***

Stepping out of the dark alley, now dressed in a more suited for his evening endeavors, he walked towards the club. It wasn't one of these high-profile, celeb clubs, but a small one, with 'normal' people in it.
He did his best to appear like a normal citizen and tried to blend with the locals. The bouncer scanned him from top to toe, and waved him through.

Some people eyed him curiously, and he wondered if they sensed some of his thoughts. This telepathic thing still bugged him. He's been assured no Veithan would intrude in his mind, and his own specialists assured him his Gladsheim tech built into him would prevent anything if he didn't want it, but sometimes he did wonder...

The club was dark, filled with loud, booming music and packed to the roof with people wildly partying. He smiled and moved into the crowd, eager to dance the night away.

***

It was now early in the morning, and he was still partying wild, not slowing down. Gladsheim genetic engineers surely knew their stuff. The club wasn’t as full as when he first entered. Suddenly, he smelled something. Someone. His head whipped around and his eyes locked with a boyish looking guy at the other side of the club. He was standing there, mesmerized. Blond, a head or two smaller than him, and couldn’t be older than 20 years, if he read them right. The boy was surrounded by a small flock of people, possible friends, or admirers? From the look of some, it seemed so.
He moved across the floor, and the boy looked at him. He felt a surge going through his body. Suddenly, he stood before him.
“Hi there,” he said, his eyes twinkling. “Want to dance?”
The boy seemed a bit taken aback but then smiled, and he noticed some of the other girls and guys shooting deadly glances at him.
“Sure,” he smiled. “But I normally don’t dance with strangers…”
Jorm looked him in the eyes, extended a hand. “I’m Cr…Roald.”
“Unusual name, Roald. I’m Dachlan. But you’re not from here, are you?”
“No,” he smiled and pulled him off to the dance floor.

For what seemed like hours, they danced. He felt so warm, so good around him. Been a while since he last felt that…giddy.
“It’s quite late…” Dachlan said. “Wanna go somewhere else? Like my place?”
With his enhanced vision, he could see him blush slightly.
“Yes,” Jorm purred. “I would like that very much…”

***

The next morning, he looked at the sleeping body besides him, and he smiled. This was special. He had observed Dachlan sleep the whole night, as he really didn't need sleep.
<<When will you grace us with your presence again, your Highness,>> slightly irritated Colonel ‘vised him.
<<When I want to,>> he answered irritably.
<<I know you had some fun tonight, but it would be nice if you showed a bit more professionalism today.>>
<<It’s not that my work here would suffer… Or did the positive opinions towards Gladsheim? I think I’m doing great. Now I just want a day for myself. Understood?>>
Knowing the tone of voice, Trylings faltered. <<Yes, your Highness. I will inform the staff.>>
He turned to the waking Dachlan.
"Morning sunshine," he goofily grinned. "Want breakfast?"