Post by EmperorMyric on Mar 22, 2021 15:06:31 GMT
As the Dectrose's embarrassing oversight of the 'Anc Net' had slowly been investigated, Arrington had his work cut out for him, assisting in searching this wealth of information for something, anything that may help the Dectrose get an edge over potential enemies. Prevalent in many of the 'sites' where referances to a strong, economic power known as "Carnaith". It was quite far from the Dectrose's position, and with the tender relations with the AGA, it was a mission that would need to be delicate.
He'd offer Rochelle to make the contact, but Decoroso had told him that she was unavailable and to go himself, and that they would send to him Fleet Commander Volynski to transport him to the location. It was an upgrade from Commander Daniel, but he knew that the spotlight would fall on him more, though if the recent First Contact with TDA was any note, an Admiral would steal the show. If he wanted to get his pay raise, and a bump up in his position, he'd have to make the contact himself.
Soon enough, the 'Regent' burst into Trudchen's system, and Arrington had packed his things, readied himself and boarded the ship. Much to Volynski's displeasure, his ship was once again a ferry, his ears flicked in annoyance, but until he proved himself in battle, he was stuck at his position. Once all things where settled, Arrington studied what he could learn from the Anc Net, and the 'Regent' bolted out of the system, their destination was near where they thought the nation of Carnaith would be. A long while laterm they arrived, the 'Regent' stood still with it's four Destroyer guard, and sent out signals, tendrils to try and gather the attention of anyone listening.
Erdae-Terione was often seen as the "second capital" of Carnaith in Ancerious, and this was reflected in the vast economic importance of the system. While it was seen as the primary relocation option for many things in the case of Saudra's destruction, it was currently comparatively unpopulated, much like most other major systems. This wasn't to say it was empty by a long shot, however; it still held a flowing hustle through the numerous civilian traffic routes and space stations. Being the core shipyards of Carnaith, corporate control from Synchek Heavy Drive Yards and other such firms was strong. That said, it was a top-tier system meaning a higher quality of life than most systems.
The corporate influence was exemplified with a split-second reception of welcome-advertisement before being intercepted, interrupted, and blocked by the imperial presence.
"Unidentified vessels, we welcome you to Erdae-Terione. Identify yourselves and your business here while entering the diplomatic travel lane," it said, transmitting a series of co-ordinates to Arrington's ship.
Turning on his comms, Volynski spoke in a gruff voice "This is the Dectrothian Imperial Space Force Ship 'Regent', I am ISF Fleet Commander Malokov Volynski, in command of the Omega Lima Battle Fleet, I carry with me Diplomat David Arrington in order to establish diplomatic relations and to investigate possible purchases from Carnaith." Then he, and his escort moved into the diplomatic travel lane, making sure to keep weapons cold and active sensors off, trying to approach this as safely as possible. Both Malokov and David looked about their dress, tidying up and making sure they looked presentable in order to make a good first impression.
"Dectrothian... Confirmed, logged. If available, please send a diplomatic package including contact information and affiliates. Sending our own now," responded the traffic controller, her transmission accompanied by a packet as described, with yet another item included which listed the numerous Carnaithian corporations in Ancerious.
The lane was leading towards a sizable station orbiting the incredibly lush world that gave the system its name, but it nonetheless gave a clear view of the system along the trip. Merchant fleets of hundred-kilometer armed freighters, escorted by miniscule corporate defense ships of less than a kilometer, swarmed about another terrestrial world in system as non-FTL-capable military monitors and screener corvettes paced the system. The latter made several passes on the visiting envoy, taking detailed pre-emptive scans of its hull and interior due to the conflict wracking the galaxy. A token naval force patrolled about the core world, passing between the station above and the Dectrose before the arrival at the station, which itself was swarmed by numerous civilian ships and commodity freighters.
The arrival point was a nook between two jutting portions of the station, close to the core, where magnetic clamps and umbilicals waited to embrace the ship.
Volynski looked over to Arrington and waited expectedly, as the diplomat forwarded the compiled contact information of several stations around the Dectrose Empire, the diplomatic contacts and systems that where publically available, and those that had strictly enforced no-fly zones, as the colonies ont hem where only just getting started up. And though the bustle of the system was extensive, it reminded Arrigton of Kaikoma and Trudchen, both of which where open to the galaxy as points where traders and visitors can go to and do business or pleasure.
Though such things had to be put away for now, the Destroyers protecting the Regent had expressed concern on the detailed scans but Volynski quieted them "It's no different then going through DCI's scans, I'd expect with a war raging on their doorstep, caution is the best introduction to a race they have never met." Though the furred Fleet Commander felt a slight bit out of place as well, he was far from home, though the newly developed Wormhole Generators helped to cut down on that time, it was still unnerving.
The Regent came up to the docks, the Destroyers taking other available spaces and the Cruiser easily and softly gliding into place to dock, Arrigton and Volynski both making their way to the docking bay to introduce themselves to any awaiting representatives.
"Ringing a lot of bells here, Dectrose," Called out the loud, but welcoming, voice of a woman. In front of the two, in the middle of a large atrium-hangar, a female Carnaithian flanked by two guards and a corporate official welcomed the new guests with the already-started list of offenses against Carnaithian affiliates.
"Security breach at Ural and abstinence of action against priority targets alongside CORE... The RSC are good friends of ours, and the members of CORE are certainly of interest to us as far as future relations go. I'm certain you were justified, of course, but discussion of that sort isn't the kind of warm welcome you probably expected. Ana Tawrid, one of several Imperial liaisons on this station in the interest of meeting new contacts along the context of business. The lovely lady here," Ana said, gesturing to her right and behind her, "Is Lota Ardect, sales representative for Synchek Heavy Drive Yards, the major orbital property owner in this system. I do hope that you're finding it enjoyable." Tawrid finished with a friendly... seductive? Not quite jeering sneer, leaving the response open-ended for the guests.
First off the ramp was Volynski, who was.. mildly suprised at the appearance of the Carnaithians, who looked almost similar to himself, though not quite. Arrington took the heat as best he could, the guards assigned to the two of them following closely behind as Arrington moved fluidly to better respond to Ana "Of course, we had joined CORE for the economic and defense benefits, though as we looked further into what CORE was becoming, we did not wish to remain, as the promises they had made to strengthen Inter-Alliance economies where cast aside to better wage war, and though we had sent our own force after much thought, the scout frigate was welcomed with Blue-on-Blue fire from the CORE fleet."
He inhaled for the next long-winded bit "As far as the security breach, we did not intend for it to happen the way it did, and we have since remedied it with talks to both Union of Worlds and the RSC. But I digress, it is an honor to meet you both, Miss Tawrid and Miss Ardect, and I assure you we will most definately enjoy our stay, provided we can discuss Diplomatic and Business ventures in detail somewhere more.. appropriate?"
Ducking - bowing, perhaps - slightly, Ana turned slowly and gestured for the guests to follow. "Then so we shall," She commented as she did so. Walking a bit slowly until the Dectrose caught up, her height became apparent as the two groups began to meld into one, the guards of both at the rear. The six-and-a-half foot woman visibly sauntered... this, of course, was offset by her long strides, which matched up with the rather normal pace of the rest of the crowd.
"What kind of nation is yours, if I may ask? Intelligence offices haven't exactly looked into your presence here despite the increasing chances of approach. I'm sure you're aware Carnaith is a corporate-based nation... the colony here wasn't so until the First Ancerious War started, which brought attention from the Imperial government and the larger corporations to the galaxy. I almost feel sorry for those pacifistic pilgrims that lead our first steps here," she asked and told. Her voice echoed throughout the large, cubic hangar; it wasn't the most welcoming diplomatic reception, but it was certainly private.
It was a short walk from the entering side of the hangar to the rear, during which Ana continued to speak about Carnaith's history in the galaxy, which eventually turned into questions about the supplies needed by the Dectrose vessels and statements about how wide the available stockpile options were. This wasn't a sort of chatty rambling, it seemed more to serve as a commentary on the efficiency and openness of the nation, strategically paced to disallow interruption. Before long, they were approaching a large blast door, which opened into a scanner-sterilizer room.
"Apologies on the short detour. New contacts that make their way onto stations are required to go through a scan; it's only surface-deep in the interest of eliminating pathogens," One of the guards explained. "Erdae-Terione is next in line to become the capital of the colony, provided Saudra is compromised and no more suitable candidate comes up. We try to use most of the same processes from there here, though the general atmosphere is a fair bit different from Saudra considering we're not as directly tied to the home state. A bit more lax," He continued on as the scanner finished and the far door opened. Again, timed to disallow interruptions. They now crossed a wide, sterile-white hallway with holoscreens unobserved by a nonexistent crowd directly into a diplomatic meeting room.
The interior of the room was a professional dark-toned one; dark brown hardwoods coated by thin protective substances served as the hard non-floor surfaces, supported by matte black metals for the lower walls, which bled into yet more hardwood that housed orange holoscreens at roughly shoulder level, topped off by light strips just below the sound-absorbing ceiling. The primary light source was a hologlobe in the center of the ovular table. Ana and Lota made their seats at the far end.
"Is this more suitable?"
While the Alhayan had no issues keeping up, as his legs where built for this kind of walk, Arrington was clearly not expecting to walk with such a tall person, his augments having to make corrections until he fell on pace with the rest. The four marine guards looked about, and felt the tempature of the room, it was almost mildly brisk for them, and they would enjoy higher tempatures sometime soon, but the thermal suit inside their armor cranked up the heat, and so did Arrington's dermal coating, only Volynski didn't take any changes, he was pretty comfortable, moreso when he had a view.
Arrington answered Ana's questions without missing a beat "The Dectrose Empire is firstly a nation dedicated to scientific research, and secondly a militaristic nation, though with a new galaxy, means that the military has taken a step back to allow diplomacy to reign in the galaxy thus far. But as we have a single leader, an 'Emperor' if you will, we maintain an Empire in both the Ancerious and Horizon Galaxies, though we don't boast to have total control over the Horizon galaxy, there is much we still need to discover there."
"As well, I imagined the corporate influence in Carnaith via the Ancnet, and I must say the information does not lie, you surely do have a strong economic foundation in which to become a prime exporter of goods. We ourselves are looking into Exporting some of our least-used or experimental designs soon, though we would be new to the concept, as the only other nation we exported to was the Terran State before it went dark. And while we recovered empty ships and their cargos of military gear, they don't fit at all into the Dectrose Doctrine. So we may base Export models off of them."
As Ana explained the Carnaith's history, Arrington had to say that this was likely the best Diplomatic mission he's been assigned to, and was actually glad he went on this mission. All the while Volynski kept quiet, his gaze around and in front of him. Arrington spoke of the constant need for materials, for drydocks, for stations, and while the Dectrose enjoyed having Decarth on the other side of the Wormhole, the demand was everywhere. Civilians started to become a major need for even more materials for ships and mining operations, there was always a business for construction it would seem.
As they entered the scanning room, Arrington waved his hand "It's fine, we don't wish to infect you or spread anything that your people may not have a resistance to." As the scanning concluded, Arrington moved along, it seemed to him like assembly-line Diplomacy, and he enjoyed it. It was organized, neat and polite. they soon moved into the meeting room, the hardwood reminded Arrington and Volynski of the Dectrose's own Tungsten/Hardwood inlet diplomacy tables, and they both enjoyed the decor "Yes" Arrington finally said "This is much more suitable." He slipped a RAVD Node from his pocket "You mind if I turn this on and set it on the table? It's the Dectrose's version of a computer, as well as a projector to create documents and the like to immediately send them to Command."
"Of course, go ahead," Ana responded as she crossed her legs under the table and sat back into a corner of her seat. A guard made his way to the thermostat and dialed it up a bit, tacking away at a couple of buttons before closing it again. Another guard reached under the lip of the table and pulled a keyboard out from underneath before retreating back to his position behind her.
"Now, I've done enough talking for the moment," She commented into the room. "What are the specifics of your visit today?"
(Short one but heyo we're not transitioning now lol
Volynski slowly shifted his gaze from Tawrid, to Arrington, as if trying to suggest Arrington to begin rather than himself. With a clearing of his throat, he began "Yes, right to business. Now, our first concern right now is for exports you may be able to provide, as well as any pointers you are authorized to give us on Anti-Orbital Weaponry. We are, quite lacking in our Gunships as well, with most modernization going into space vessels and ground vehicles, our Air Force is beginning to fall slowly beyond ineffectiveness." He paused, tapping the RAVD node.
He looked up, his eyes glowing slightly "Diplomatic ties to Carnaith would also be important to the Dectrose Empire. As we can likely strengthen our bonds though future diplomatic missions and maybe someday we can establish more permenant ties."
Lota giggled in response. "While normally Synchek Heavy Drive Yards specializes in starships, you seem to have that handled. Now, we're the lead developer for anti-orbital defense systems in the empire, and since you're looking for advisory rather than purchase in that department, I can hook you up with a cadre to help your engineering branches along. They'll probably suggest a three-stage railgun-launched missile system for accurate, long-range interceptions... standard launchers and smaller magnetic accelerators will do for short range orbitals," She piped up quite loudly, displaying knowledge that her rosy face and almost country-like twang would suggest against. She turned to Ana, still smiling.
"Indeed," Said Tawrid, smiling, in response to the comment on diplomatic matters, emphasizing the two syllables and holding her chin with three pinched fingers. She changed her stance and returned to the subject of arms deals.
"There's a number of corporations under the banner, all with their own specializations. Here's a list," Tawrid said as she tapped the holoscreen in front of her, a file appearing on all attached screens and devices. "It's up to you to decide which ones you'll contact. Small arms, vehicles, aircraft, and the like all have their own industry-focused companies to nurture them. Carnaith itself is... wildly varied, and Tunor has a distinct polarity between its two major manufacturers. Zanith is xenophobic and Radith is incredibly lucrative, so those will be hard to obtain any materials from. I'm sure you'll make some fine decisions nonetheless," She seemed to finish as she looked down and tapped a couple of times on her holoscreen.
"As to diplomatic ties... the Unions' reports published to their allies make it out that your nation is... not incredibly reliable, as my welcoming statement to you lot pointed out. It would be in the best interests of both of us, I believe, if you rapidly assembled an embassy here in Erdae-Terione while simultaneously attempting to improve your standing with those that you have offended. I don't know who that would be, but they seem to like mouthing off to the Union."
His arms crossed, eyeing over the Carnaithians, Volynski thought that a vacation here might be a good idea, if he ever got the time to do so, Arrington simply listened, with all the excitement of a shuttle salesman, Volynski internally wondered if that's exactly what he did before becoming a diplomat, the movements, the mannerisms, the voice, all matched up. His ears flicked, it annoyed him on a personal level, but until he went up in rank, he had to act like a shuttle taxi for these diplomats. For now, he chose to distract himself with the local sights.
While Volynski was dissecting Arrington's personality, Arrington himself spoke up "I agree, we don't need much in the way of Space Vessels, and I would greatly appreciate sending someone our way to assist our engineering teams in developing the Anti-Orbital Systems on Kaikoma, Kasai, Opus or Baoyu. Though Baoyu the planet owned by the corporation named 'Heimdall Heavy Manufacturing'. They manufacture most of our newer armored vehicles, aircraft and naval ships."
As Arrington moved onto the list of corporations, and the various pros, cons and varieties of products, his focus was caught on two in particular, Imperial Armories and WarDrive. He expanded any information available to him on those two in particular, and thought they would be a good start to an export agreement. "I think.. Imperial Armories and WarDrive are the ones the Dectrose would associate better with, their designs mirror our own in a way, but is still new and fresh."
Even though his mind buzzed with the possibilities of an export agreement, his and Volynski's gaze looked.. glossed over, their pupils glowing a dull orange, their expressions shifting slowly into a frown. Their eyes returned to normal, and they both looked at each other in concern, Volynski splaying his ears and Arrington having a haunted expression. Several long, silent moments after Tawrid finished talking about the Embassy, it wasn't Arrington that spoke, but Volynski.
"Yes, the Union and AGA. As far as I'm aware, Grand Assault Fleet Admiral Terri had soothed things out with Union and RSC, but I'm afraid matters have happened that may change our diplomatic ventures entirely." Arrington didn't speak, his teeth clanched as he inhaled slowly, trying to cool off, as Volynski continued "I'll use my authority as a Rear Admiral to have the Dectrose Empire establish an Embassy with you."
Ana sighed, almost in gratefulness. She reached into a pouch on her left hip with her right arm, retrieving two small data nodes. Plugging them into the table, holograms of WarDrive and Imperial Armories' wares appearing and cycling in the form of carousels, drawing the guests' attention a second direction as she opened up a third on her way to leaning back into her seat.
"Believe me, it's in both of our best interests that an embassy is established in Erdae-Terione. Nations in this galaxy ae quick to act on things that aren't very charming, and slow to catch on to things that would be more beneficial to everyone..." she dragged on, Ardect piping up in her youthful voice.
"I'm sure corporate presence on Baoyu will be non-consequential, unless your nation is structured similarly to ours. It would be a state contract; it's effectively counted as Carnaithian state assistance to a foreign power, with the majority profit going to the contracted companies but assisting our government by extension. It's why I work for Synchek Heavy Drive Yards but I'm here advertising rival companies; we've optimized our processes for state support, not for profit. All that really matters is that the agreed return payment is well-received," Lota rattled on rapidly in her ringing voice.
Tawrid had stood and made her way over to the beverage dispenser, facing directly away from the guests. "Now, that embassy thing is more of a diplomatic office matter. I'm here to clear new contacts and sales, and while you're relatively new here, you lot are a much, much bigger package than the innumerable non-concerns that come around making small orders for a couple hundred starfighters or a dozen corvettes at a time, barely able to afford it," She cut along Lota's lines like a dark chocolate layer in a bar as her more focused, slower tone echoed through the room. She turned to face the Dectrose personnel. "That brings up the next real issue. What are you really willing to offer in return for this? Money isn't the tender of these kinds of deals," She continued, leaning against the wall next to the dispenser, "but agreements. Deals. Mutually-assisting kind of works, I rub you and you rub me back, all of that. You're new, and bound to be a bigger name soon. I'm sure we can come to some sort of agreement."
She trailed off, staring into Volynski's eyes in particular for what seemed like an extended moment before switching to Arrington as she sipped at whatever hot beverage was in the thermos she gripped, holograms still spinning above the table.
The holograms of both WarDrive's and Imperial Armories' wares was a thankful distraction to the upsetting news of Kaikoma's destruction, Volynski took a moment to swipe through both inventories, marking down the Imperial Armories' assault rifles for DRI to dissect and test. If Volynski remembered anything from the basics of his early academy days, it was that the Marines on his ship where only as good as the equipment they had to repel boarders, any advancements in that field would undoubtably give the Dectrose Marines an edge.
For WarDrive, the optics and armor systems piqued his interest. He had heard of the Dectrose's Exosuit program, but it wasn't yet viable for a combat scenario as of yet, and these WarDrive suits may advance research enough to get some mainline units into production, so he marked some WarDrive suits, as well as optical systems that could be looked over and integrated into the upgrade program for the RAVDs.
Though as Volynski tabbed and swiped through the inventory, Arrington cooled down enough to continue "You can count on the Dectrose to always pay in full, Miss Lota. I can contact Baoyu to inform them of your advisors' arrival, though we would like to recommend a supervisor of your own to be present in case of any emergencies, or if there are any incidents. This is simply to cover both our own and your bases so if anything goes south, we can rapidly fix it, not that I expect any issues with Heimdall."
As he listened to Tawrid, he took it in stride, one again back in the groove, though more than once Volynski's ears perked and he looked up from the displays to meet Tawrid's gaze. Arrington tapped his RAVD node again, and smiled at the two Carnaithians "Of course, I wouldn't pass the oppurtunity to make a mutually beneficial deal with your nation. I would recommend a Joint Research Project, as I'm sure the Daedalus Research Institute would appreciate the chance to work with your own researchers."
Arrington paused, swiping through the RAVD node "Though what we would set out to research would be on your plate, as long as the research and data is shared freely between both parties, but what would you like to jointly research? If you don't feel as if research is valuable enough, however, we can move onto a Joint Ship Construction, to create a ship using Carnaithian and Dectrothian design and technology."
Giving a slight sigh, Volynski looked up "We'd like some specialized Frigates or Destroyers, one more suited for the Imperial Border Guard's duties. That would mean the design had to be Wormhole Generator compatible, be as fast as possible in it's sub-light propulsion, have significant amounts of sensors and defensive abilities to withstand attacks from larger ships. Such a design of warship will bring back military destroyers under the command of the ISF."
Though Arrington tapped his hand on the table "I think then, it might be best to sign for two agreements, as we would like to have DRI, our premier research and development group, stationed here or with your own researchers to assist and share information on matters you deem necessary. That way, we both benefit from such an arrangement. You would gain a ship tailored to a Quick Responce Force, slimming the chances of a successful raid on you or any pirate attacks, and we would assist your own R&D in differing ways that your views and understandings may not see."
"I'll leave the specific design choices to the engineering teams tasked with designing the ship," Lota responded. "Anything tied only to the joint research teams will progress as they wish," She finished with her chirpy tone. Tawrich piped up shortly after.
"I expect the joint teams will bring anything we didn't immediately see upon this meeting. With all that discussed and locked into place, what will the ETA on that embassy be? We have some vacant positions here in Erdae-Terione that are prime locations for any degree of diplomatic campus. We'd provide the materials and work crews as a gesture of goodwill if you'd welcome it," She continued on, sitting back down at the table and resting her head in her hand.
"I look forward to Dectrose traffic."
Gathering his things, Volynski nodded to Lota, as Arrington spoke "We would begin preperations immediately, and you can expect personnel to arrive within the day, Of course, we would pay for all services and hotel stays as we await the embassy's completion." Shifting his body a little, he continued "I agree, Dectrose traffic will be interesting."
"Then we should be concluded here," Lota again said with her twang, collecting the diplomatic pair's things before walking out. Tawrich loitered a bit, sipping at her drink once again before walking towards the door, looking over her shoulder for a quick moment.
"See you lot around," she commented, walking away. The two diplomatic guards remained, ready to show the guests on a tour, to a hotel, or escort them back to their ship, whatever it was they wished to do.
--//--
RP between me, :iconkrag7:, and :iconhorsesergal34:
He'd offer Rochelle to make the contact, but Decoroso had told him that she was unavailable and to go himself, and that they would send to him Fleet Commander Volynski to transport him to the location. It was an upgrade from Commander Daniel, but he knew that the spotlight would fall on him more, though if the recent First Contact with TDA was any note, an Admiral would steal the show. If he wanted to get his pay raise, and a bump up in his position, he'd have to make the contact himself.
Soon enough, the 'Regent' burst into Trudchen's system, and Arrington had packed his things, readied himself and boarded the ship. Much to Volynski's displeasure, his ship was once again a ferry, his ears flicked in annoyance, but until he proved himself in battle, he was stuck at his position. Once all things where settled, Arrington studied what he could learn from the Anc Net, and the 'Regent' bolted out of the system, their destination was near where they thought the nation of Carnaith would be. A long while laterm they arrived, the 'Regent' stood still with it's four Destroyer guard, and sent out signals, tendrils to try and gather the attention of anyone listening.
Erdae-Terione was often seen as the "second capital" of Carnaith in Ancerious, and this was reflected in the vast economic importance of the system. While it was seen as the primary relocation option for many things in the case of Saudra's destruction, it was currently comparatively unpopulated, much like most other major systems. This wasn't to say it was empty by a long shot, however; it still held a flowing hustle through the numerous civilian traffic routes and space stations. Being the core shipyards of Carnaith, corporate control from Synchek Heavy Drive Yards and other such firms was strong. That said, it was a top-tier system meaning a higher quality of life than most systems.
The corporate influence was exemplified with a split-second reception of welcome-advertisement before being intercepted, interrupted, and blocked by the imperial presence.
"Unidentified vessels, we welcome you to Erdae-Terione. Identify yourselves and your business here while entering the diplomatic travel lane," it said, transmitting a series of co-ordinates to Arrington's ship.
Turning on his comms, Volynski spoke in a gruff voice "This is the Dectrothian Imperial Space Force Ship 'Regent', I am ISF Fleet Commander Malokov Volynski, in command of the Omega Lima Battle Fleet, I carry with me Diplomat David Arrington in order to establish diplomatic relations and to investigate possible purchases from Carnaith." Then he, and his escort moved into the diplomatic travel lane, making sure to keep weapons cold and active sensors off, trying to approach this as safely as possible. Both Malokov and David looked about their dress, tidying up and making sure they looked presentable in order to make a good first impression.
"Dectrothian... Confirmed, logged. If available, please send a diplomatic package including contact information and affiliates. Sending our own now," responded the traffic controller, her transmission accompanied by a packet as described, with yet another item included which listed the numerous Carnaithian corporations in Ancerious.
The lane was leading towards a sizable station orbiting the incredibly lush world that gave the system its name, but it nonetheless gave a clear view of the system along the trip. Merchant fleets of hundred-kilometer armed freighters, escorted by miniscule corporate defense ships of less than a kilometer, swarmed about another terrestrial world in system as non-FTL-capable military monitors and screener corvettes paced the system. The latter made several passes on the visiting envoy, taking detailed pre-emptive scans of its hull and interior due to the conflict wracking the galaxy. A token naval force patrolled about the core world, passing between the station above and the Dectrose before the arrival at the station, which itself was swarmed by numerous civilian ships and commodity freighters.
The arrival point was a nook between two jutting portions of the station, close to the core, where magnetic clamps and umbilicals waited to embrace the ship.
Volynski looked over to Arrington and waited expectedly, as the diplomat forwarded the compiled contact information of several stations around the Dectrose Empire, the diplomatic contacts and systems that where publically available, and those that had strictly enforced no-fly zones, as the colonies ont hem where only just getting started up. And though the bustle of the system was extensive, it reminded Arrigton of Kaikoma and Trudchen, both of which where open to the galaxy as points where traders and visitors can go to and do business or pleasure.
Though such things had to be put away for now, the Destroyers protecting the Regent had expressed concern on the detailed scans but Volynski quieted them "It's no different then going through DCI's scans, I'd expect with a war raging on their doorstep, caution is the best introduction to a race they have never met." Though the furred Fleet Commander felt a slight bit out of place as well, he was far from home, though the newly developed Wormhole Generators helped to cut down on that time, it was still unnerving.
The Regent came up to the docks, the Destroyers taking other available spaces and the Cruiser easily and softly gliding into place to dock, Arrigton and Volynski both making their way to the docking bay to introduce themselves to any awaiting representatives.
"Ringing a lot of bells here, Dectrose," Called out the loud, but welcoming, voice of a woman. In front of the two, in the middle of a large atrium-hangar, a female Carnaithian flanked by two guards and a corporate official welcomed the new guests with the already-started list of offenses against Carnaithian affiliates.
"Security breach at Ural and abstinence of action against priority targets alongside CORE... The RSC are good friends of ours, and the members of CORE are certainly of interest to us as far as future relations go. I'm certain you were justified, of course, but discussion of that sort isn't the kind of warm welcome you probably expected. Ana Tawrid, one of several Imperial liaisons on this station in the interest of meeting new contacts along the context of business. The lovely lady here," Ana said, gesturing to her right and behind her, "Is Lota Ardect, sales representative for Synchek Heavy Drive Yards, the major orbital property owner in this system. I do hope that you're finding it enjoyable." Tawrid finished with a friendly... seductive? Not quite jeering sneer, leaving the response open-ended for the guests.
First off the ramp was Volynski, who was.. mildly suprised at the appearance of the Carnaithians, who looked almost similar to himself, though not quite. Arrington took the heat as best he could, the guards assigned to the two of them following closely behind as Arrington moved fluidly to better respond to Ana "Of course, we had joined CORE for the economic and defense benefits, though as we looked further into what CORE was becoming, we did not wish to remain, as the promises they had made to strengthen Inter-Alliance economies where cast aside to better wage war, and though we had sent our own force after much thought, the scout frigate was welcomed with Blue-on-Blue fire from the CORE fleet."
He inhaled for the next long-winded bit "As far as the security breach, we did not intend for it to happen the way it did, and we have since remedied it with talks to both Union of Worlds and the RSC. But I digress, it is an honor to meet you both, Miss Tawrid and Miss Ardect, and I assure you we will most definately enjoy our stay, provided we can discuss Diplomatic and Business ventures in detail somewhere more.. appropriate?"
Ducking - bowing, perhaps - slightly, Ana turned slowly and gestured for the guests to follow. "Then so we shall," She commented as she did so. Walking a bit slowly until the Dectrose caught up, her height became apparent as the two groups began to meld into one, the guards of both at the rear. The six-and-a-half foot woman visibly sauntered... this, of course, was offset by her long strides, which matched up with the rather normal pace of the rest of the crowd.
"What kind of nation is yours, if I may ask? Intelligence offices haven't exactly looked into your presence here despite the increasing chances of approach. I'm sure you're aware Carnaith is a corporate-based nation... the colony here wasn't so until the First Ancerious War started, which brought attention from the Imperial government and the larger corporations to the galaxy. I almost feel sorry for those pacifistic pilgrims that lead our first steps here," she asked and told. Her voice echoed throughout the large, cubic hangar; it wasn't the most welcoming diplomatic reception, but it was certainly private.
It was a short walk from the entering side of the hangar to the rear, during which Ana continued to speak about Carnaith's history in the galaxy, which eventually turned into questions about the supplies needed by the Dectrose vessels and statements about how wide the available stockpile options were. This wasn't a sort of chatty rambling, it seemed more to serve as a commentary on the efficiency and openness of the nation, strategically paced to disallow interruption. Before long, they were approaching a large blast door, which opened into a scanner-sterilizer room.
"Apologies on the short detour. New contacts that make their way onto stations are required to go through a scan; it's only surface-deep in the interest of eliminating pathogens," One of the guards explained. "Erdae-Terione is next in line to become the capital of the colony, provided Saudra is compromised and no more suitable candidate comes up. We try to use most of the same processes from there here, though the general atmosphere is a fair bit different from Saudra considering we're not as directly tied to the home state. A bit more lax," He continued on as the scanner finished and the far door opened. Again, timed to disallow interruptions. They now crossed a wide, sterile-white hallway with holoscreens unobserved by a nonexistent crowd directly into a diplomatic meeting room.
The interior of the room was a professional dark-toned one; dark brown hardwoods coated by thin protective substances served as the hard non-floor surfaces, supported by matte black metals for the lower walls, which bled into yet more hardwood that housed orange holoscreens at roughly shoulder level, topped off by light strips just below the sound-absorbing ceiling. The primary light source was a hologlobe in the center of the ovular table. Ana and Lota made their seats at the far end.
"Is this more suitable?"
While the Alhayan had no issues keeping up, as his legs where built for this kind of walk, Arrington was clearly not expecting to walk with such a tall person, his augments having to make corrections until he fell on pace with the rest. The four marine guards looked about, and felt the tempature of the room, it was almost mildly brisk for them, and they would enjoy higher tempatures sometime soon, but the thermal suit inside their armor cranked up the heat, and so did Arrington's dermal coating, only Volynski didn't take any changes, he was pretty comfortable, moreso when he had a view.
Arrington answered Ana's questions without missing a beat "The Dectrose Empire is firstly a nation dedicated to scientific research, and secondly a militaristic nation, though with a new galaxy, means that the military has taken a step back to allow diplomacy to reign in the galaxy thus far. But as we have a single leader, an 'Emperor' if you will, we maintain an Empire in both the Ancerious and Horizon Galaxies, though we don't boast to have total control over the Horizon galaxy, there is much we still need to discover there."
"As well, I imagined the corporate influence in Carnaith via the Ancnet, and I must say the information does not lie, you surely do have a strong economic foundation in which to become a prime exporter of goods. We ourselves are looking into Exporting some of our least-used or experimental designs soon, though we would be new to the concept, as the only other nation we exported to was the Terran State before it went dark. And while we recovered empty ships and their cargos of military gear, they don't fit at all into the Dectrose Doctrine. So we may base Export models off of them."
As Ana explained the Carnaith's history, Arrington had to say that this was likely the best Diplomatic mission he's been assigned to, and was actually glad he went on this mission. All the while Volynski kept quiet, his gaze around and in front of him. Arrington spoke of the constant need for materials, for drydocks, for stations, and while the Dectrose enjoyed having Decarth on the other side of the Wormhole, the demand was everywhere. Civilians started to become a major need for even more materials for ships and mining operations, there was always a business for construction it would seem.
As they entered the scanning room, Arrington waved his hand "It's fine, we don't wish to infect you or spread anything that your people may not have a resistance to." As the scanning concluded, Arrington moved along, it seemed to him like assembly-line Diplomacy, and he enjoyed it. It was organized, neat and polite. they soon moved into the meeting room, the hardwood reminded Arrington and Volynski of the Dectrose's own Tungsten/Hardwood inlet diplomacy tables, and they both enjoyed the decor "Yes" Arrington finally said "This is much more suitable." He slipped a RAVD Node from his pocket "You mind if I turn this on and set it on the table? It's the Dectrose's version of a computer, as well as a projector to create documents and the like to immediately send them to Command."
"Of course, go ahead," Ana responded as she crossed her legs under the table and sat back into a corner of her seat. A guard made his way to the thermostat and dialed it up a bit, tacking away at a couple of buttons before closing it again. Another guard reached under the lip of the table and pulled a keyboard out from underneath before retreating back to his position behind her.
"Now, I've done enough talking for the moment," She commented into the room. "What are the specifics of your visit today?"
(Short one but heyo we're not transitioning now lol
Volynski slowly shifted his gaze from Tawrid, to Arrington, as if trying to suggest Arrington to begin rather than himself. With a clearing of his throat, he began "Yes, right to business. Now, our first concern right now is for exports you may be able to provide, as well as any pointers you are authorized to give us on Anti-Orbital Weaponry. We are, quite lacking in our Gunships as well, with most modernization going into space vessels and ground vehicles, our Air Force is beginning to fall slowly beyond ineffectiveness." He paused, tapping the RAVD node.
He looked up, his eyes glowing slightly "Diplomatic ties to Carnaith would also be important to the Dectrose Empire. As we can likely strengthen our bonds though future diplomatic missions and maybe someday we can establish more permenant ties."
Lota giggled in response. "While normally Synchek Heavy Drive Yards specializes in starships, you seem to have that handled. Now, we're the lead developer for anti-orbital defense systems in the empire, and since you're looking for advisory rather than purchase in that department, I can hook you up with a cadre to help your engineering branches along. They'll probably suggest a three-stage railgun-launched missile system for accurate, long-range interceptions... standard launchers and smaller magnetic accelerators will do for short range orbitals," She piped up quite loudly, displaying knowledge that her rosy face and almost country-like twang would suggest against. She turned to Ana, still smiling.
"Indeed," Said Tawrid, smiling, in response to the comment on diplomatic matters, emphasizing the two syllables and holding her chin with three pinched fingers. She changed her stance and returned to the subject of arms deals.
"There's a number of corporations under the banner, all with their own specializations. Here's a list," Tawrid said as she tapped the holoscreen in front of her, a file appearing on all attached screens and devices. "It's up to you to decide which ones you'll contact. Small arms, vehicles, aircraft, and the like all have their own industry-focused companies to nurture them. Carnaith itself is... wildly varied, and Tunor has a distinct polarity between its two major manufacturers. Zanith is xenophobic and Radith is incredibly lucrative, so those will be hard to obtain any materials from. I'm sure you'll make some fine decisions nonetheless," She seemed to finish as she looked down and tapped a couple of times on her holoscreen.
"As to diplomatic ties... the Unions' reports published to their allies make it out that your nation is... not incredibly reliable, as my welcoming statement to you lot pointed out. It would be in the best interests of both of us, I believe, if you rapidly assembled an embassy here in Erdae-Terione while simultaneously attempting to improve your standing with those that you have offended. I don't know who that would be, but they seem to like mouthing off to the Union."
His arms crossed, eyeing over the Carnaithians, Volynski thought that a vacation here might be a good idea, if he ever got the time to do so, Arrington simply listened, with all the excitement of a shuttle salesman, Volynski internally wondered if that's exactly what he did before becoming a diplomat, the movements, the mannerisms, the voice, all matched up. His ears flicked, it annoyed him on a personal level, but until he went up in rank, he had to act like a shuttle taxi for these diplomats. For now, he chose to distract himself with the local sights.
While Volynski was dissecting Arrington's personality, Arrington himself spoke up "I agree, we don't need much in the way of Space Vessels, and I would greatly appreciate sending someone our way to assist our engineering teams in developing the Anti-Orbital Systems on Kaikoma, Kasai, Opus or Baoyu. Though Baoyu the planet owned by the corporation named 'Heimdall Heavy Manufacturing'. They manufacture most of our newer armored vehicles, aircraft and naval ships."
As Arrington moved onto the list of corporations, and the various pros, cons and varieties of products, his focus was caught on two in particular, Imperial Armories and WarDrive. He expanded any information available to him on those two in particular, and thought they would be a good start to an export agreement. "I think.. Imperial Armories and WarDrive are the ones the Dectrose would associate better with, their designs mirror our own in a way, but is still new and fresh."
Even though his mind buzzed with the possibilities of an export agreement, his and Volynski's gaze looked.. glossed over, their pupils glowing a dull orange, their expressions shifting slowly into a frown. Their eyes returned to normal, and they both looked at each other in concern, Volynski splaying his ears and Arrington having a haunted expression. Several long, silent moments after Tawrid finished talking about the Embassy, it wasn't Arrington that spoke, but Volynski.
"Yes, the Union and AGA. As far as I'm aware, Grand Assault Fleet Admiral Terri had soothed things out with Union and RSC, but I'm afraid matters have happened that may change our diplomatic ventures entirely." Arrington didn't speak, his teeth clanched as he inhaled slowly, trying to cool off, as Volynski continued "I'll use my authority as a Rear Admiral to have the Dectrose Empire establish an Embassy with you."
Ana sighed, almost in gratefulness. She reached into a pouch on her left hip with her right arm, retrieving two small data nodes. Plugging them into the table, holograms of WarDrive and Imperial Armories' wares appearing and cycling in the form of carousels, drawing the guests' attention a second direction as she opened up a third on her way to leaning back into her seat.
"Believe me, it's in both of our best interests that an embassy is established in Erdae-Terione. Nations in this galaxy ae quick to act on things that aren't very charming, and slow to catch on to things that would be more beneficial to everyone..." she dragged on, Ardect piping up in her youthful voice.
"I'm sure corporate presence on Baoyu will be non-consequential, unless your nation is structured similarly to ours. It would be a state contract; it's effectively counted as Carnaithian state assistance to a foreign power, with the majority profit going to the contracted companies but assisting our government by extension. It's why I work for Synchek Heavy Drive Yards but I'm here advertising rival companies; we've optimized our processes for state support, not for profit. All that really matters is that the agreed return payment is well-received," Lota rattled on rapidly in her ringing voice.
Tawrid had stood and made her way over to the beverage dispenser, facing directly away from the guests. "Now, that embassy thing is more of a diplomatic office matter. I'm here to clear new contacts and sales, and while you're relatively new here, you lot are a much, much bigger package than the innumerable non-concerns that come around making small orders for a couple hundred starfighters or a dozen corvettes at a time, barely able to afford it," She cut along Lota's lines like a dark chocolate layer in a bar as her more focused, slower tone echoed through the room. She turned to face the Dectrose personnel. "That brings up the next real issue. What are you really willing to offer in return for this? Money isn't the tender of these kinds of deals," She continued, leaning against the wall next to the dispenser, "but agreements. Deals. Mutually-assisting kind of works, I rub you and you rub me back, all of that. You're new, and bound to be a bigger name soon. I'm sure we can come to some sort of agreement."
She trailed off, staring into Volynski's eyes in particular for what seemed like an extended moment before switching to Arrington as she sipped at whatever hot beverage was in the thermos she gripped, holograms still spinning above the table.
The holograms of both WarDrive's and Imperial Armories' wares was a thankful distraction to the upsetting news of Kaikoma's destruction, Volynski took a moment to swipe through both inventories, marking down the Imperial Armories' assault rifles for DRI to dissect and test. If Volynski remembered anything from the basics of his early academy days, it was that the Marines on his ship where only as good as the equipment they had to repel boarders, any advancements in that field would undoubtably give the Dectrose Marines an edge.
For WarDrive, the optics and armor systems piqued his interest. He had heard of the Dectrose's Exosuit program, but it wasn't yet viable for a combat scenario as of yet, and these WarDrive suits may advance research enough to get some mainline units into production, so he marked some WarDrive suits, as well as optical systems that could be looked over and integrated into the upgrade program for the RAVDs.
Though as Volynski tabbed and swiped through the inventory, Arrington cooled down enough to continue "You can count on the Dectrose to always pay in full, Miss Lota. I can contact Baoyu to inform them of your advisors' arrival, though we would like to recommend a supervisor of your own to be present in case of any emergencies, or if there are any incidents. This is simply to cover both our own and your bases so if anything goes south, we can rapidly fix it, not that I expect any issues with Heimdall."
As he listened to Tawrid, he took it in stride, one again back in the groove, though more than once Volynski's ears perked and he looked up from the displays to meet Tawrid's gaze. Arrington tapped his RAVD node again, and smiled at the two Carnaithians "Of course, I wouldn't pass the oppurtunity to make a mutually beneficial deal with your nation. I would recommend a Joint Research Project, as I'm sure the Daedalus Research Institute would appreciate the chance to work with your own researchers."
Arrington paused, swiping through the RAVD node "Though what we would set out to research would be on your plate, as long as the research and data is shared freely between both parties, but what would you like to jointly research? If you don't feel as if research is valuable enough, however, we can move onto a Joint Ship Construction, to create a ship using Carnaithian and Dectrothian design and technology."
Giving a slight sigh, Volynski looked up "We'd like some specialized Frigates or Destroyers, one more suited for the Imperial Border Guard's duties. That would mean the design had to be Wormhole Generator compatible, be as fast as possible in it's sub-light propulsion, have significant amounts of sensors and defensive abilities to withstand attacks from larger ships. Such a design of warship will bring back military destroyers under the command of the ISF."
Though Arrington tapped his hand on the table "I think then, it might be best to sign for two agreements, as we would like to have DRI, our premier research and development group, stationed here or with your own researchers to assist and share information on matters you deem necessary. That way, we both benefit from such an arrangement. You would gain a ship tailored to a Quick Responce Force, slimming the chances of a successful raid on you or any pirate attacks, and we would assist your own R&D in differing ways that your views and understandings may not see."
"I'll leave the specific design choices to the engineering teams tasked with designing the ship," Lota responded. "Anything tied only to the joint research teams will progress as they wish," She finished with her chirpy tone. Tawrich piped up shortly after.
"I expect the joint teams will bring anything we didn't immediately see upon this meeting. With all that discussed and locked into place, what will the ETA on that embassy be? We have some vacant positions here in Erdae-Terione that are prime locations for any degree of diplomatic campus. We'd provide the materials and work crews as a gesture of goodwill if you'd welcome it," She continued on, sitting back down at the table and resting her head in her hand.
"I look forward to Dectrose traffic."
Gathering his things, Volynski nodded to Lota, as Arrington spoke "We would begin preperations immediately, and you can expect personnel to arrive within the day, Of course, we would pay for all services and hotel stays as we await the embassy's completion." Shifting his body a little, he continued "I agree, Dectrose traffic will be interesting."
"Then we should be concluded here," Lota again said with her twang, collecting the diplomatic pair's things before walking out. Tawrich loitered a bit, sipping at her drink once again before walking towards the door, looking over her shoulder for a quick moment.
"See you lot around," she commented, walking away. The two diplomatic guards remained, ready to show the guests on a tour, to a hotel, or escort them back to their ship, whatever it was they wished to do.
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RP between me, :iconkrag7:, and :iconhorsesergal34: