Post by EmperorMyric on Mar 22, 2021 16:53:32 GMT
While the establishment of the Free Defense Council was a bright future for the Dectrose Empire, they still had work that needed to be done to prevent their polluted past from infringing on their newfound peace. Therefore, without much ceremony, Bohler had departed Lupus onboard the 'Regent' with Rear Admiral Volynski towards Carnaith, in an effort to respond to the AGA's demand to remove the Z1 from their care. Truth be told, Bohler had wished that the Z1's repair would allow him to create relations with the more advanced race, and promote rapid improvements to the Empire's technology, though this was but a pipe dream now.
As much as he personally disliked the AGA's constant need to interfere in Dectrothian relations, professionally he needed to display the needs of the Empire, and right now, those needs called out for peace and a time to focus on their new alliance. He would see to it by any means necessary that they would have that. His musings where interrupted by a soft tapping on the door, as he mentally ordered the door open after checking the ID Chip of the person knocking, the Alhayan walking through the door and giving a salute "Sir, Rear Admiral Volynski, with a status update. We are due to arrive at the system momentarily, shall I prepare the opening communications?" His question was met with a silent nod, and a reply of "Yes, make it clear we only wish to speak to Carnaithian representatives of the AGA." the Alhayan stiffened as he gave another salute "Yes, Sir."
The edges of the Carnaithian system shimmered as a wormhole opened up with the Regent and her supporting fleet of twenty ships, Volynski immediately opening up a communication channel "This is Rear Admiral Volynski of the Imperial Dectrothian Space Force, I am here with the Leader of the Dectrose Empire Johannes Bohler to open terms of diplomacy with the greater AGA, though we wish to speak only to a Carnaithian representative. We shall stand by for your reply and for any clearances or procedures we must follow."
Groggy, blurry, and without her brew, Tawrid sat across the room from her bed with her idiot for a military contact on the other end of the commlink, combing a trimmer through her fur as she listened to the overeager officer report the situation to her. He was talking, but she didn't quite care.
"So you're wanting to call in reinforcements over a diplomat with twenty escorts?"
"Yes, ma'am. Several fellow states in the AGA express conce-"
"You damnable idiot, if I wanted to express the will of the AGA I would apply for an Alliance position. I'm an Imperial representative, L-Lieutenant, and I will be expressing Imperial interests with a splash of Alliance influence. You tell your commanders to put a muzzle on it or I'll go over to the naval command station and tear your tail out myself, got it?"
"Of course, ma'am, but I would still like to express the fact that these are the people with an assault plan under their name because of the potential strategic weapon in their territory."
"I know that, you fool. Tell them to go to the same dock and meeting room as last time. I need an hour to get ready and half of one to get there." She looked at the clock: two A.M. Erdae-Terione median time.
With a soft sigh of relief, Volynski set in a course towards the dock he had been at prior, he was almost pleased that he was going to go through familiar territory, moreso that he'd be allowed to sit in the room with Bohler, but at the same time he was slightly nervous. As much as one can be while escorting the de facto leader of your nation to an excessively important meeting. He almost wished that Terri was along for the ride, but with the previous encounter not having fulfilled it's mission, and the lessons learnt from Gavin's trip into politics, it was best that Bohler would be representing the Dectrose.
Still, as his ship guided though the usual maneuvers, he thought privately to himself what all entailed, the meeting with Carnaith, and even though the Inquisition just joined the FDC, why it was not being held there in more friendly territory. Not to say that the Carnathians where not but still.. still.. his train of thought derailed as he tried to come up with something feasible, and then regained traction. Still, there must be a reason more than "Union is very forceful in their pursuits of their version of peace" to be here, and not include the other AGA nations. It gave him more concerns, his anxiety over the situation climbing before he settled himself down, fiddling with a loose plate on his command chair that he was not inclined to inform the engineers of.
Moreso, everyone else around him seemed to be rising in rank, and while his promotion to Rear Admiral was born from the ashes of Kaikoma, he still would like to do something other than ferrying around diplomats..still. These thoughts rushed from his head like a flash flood as Bohler stepped to the bridge, the crew rising to salute, before settling down to their seats again. "So, any more updates?" He spoke with a hard voice, as if he was made of stone, though the concern seemed genuine. "Not any new updates, but we're going to be in familiar territory. Shall I set up the honor guard or would you like to go in with the usual IM Fireteam?"
Bohler shook his head "No, we have no need to be flashy. It's not the time nor the place, ready up the Marine Fireteam and await further instructions" With a sharp turn, Bohler exited the bridge, Volynski let out a long sigh from his muzzle, the tension would kill him before the day was out. Slowly pulling into dock, the 'Regent' settled in and powered down it's engines, the shuttlecraft escaping it's hold as it veered into the correct landing zone, Bohler stepping out in a simplistic purple and black suit, not as much as an admiral of rank would wear, but something more akin to a businessman. Surrounding him in a loose C-shaped pattern where the Fireteam, and Volynski in a tight-looking Admiralty uniform, displaying the bars on his upper arm of the Rear Admiral's rank. They then proceeded to the meeting room with haste, with Volynski once again enjoying the sights of the Carnaithains around him.
With the political time of the planet being quite early in the morning, there was generally not many people about in the station. This stated, however, the odd janitor toiled about and several security pairs could be seen patrolling before the meeting room was reached, with two guards at the door and four inside, at each corner. What was most notable were that these were marines in full kit rather than the naval security seen during their first visit. It was quiet with the exception of one stating "Please take a seat, miss Tawrid will arrive shortly."
A bit more than seven minutes later, and Tawrid casually strolled in with an accompanying aide - different than the one from last time. The guards didn't budge as she made her seat, the aide standing attentively at the side of the chair.
"Now, I heard the transmission," Ana began, "But I want to start from the top for the purpose of clarity. What is the topic of tonight's' visit?" she asked, none of the warm friendliness to her voice that was present the first time around.
As Volynski and Bohler took their seats, Volynski planting the usual RAVD node to serve as a computer, Bohler didn't wait for the pleasantries. To Bohler, this was about getting things done, and fixing things as soon as possible. Volynski, on the other hand, was a little stiffer than usual, his last visit was pleseant, this visit, was anything but. Even with Tawrid there, a familiar and welcome sight, the air was thick and retained none of the warmth it once had. As if the warmth was sucked out by the tense business at hand, he retained his silence. Bohler leaned forward "I'm not going to beat you around the bush. You've been one of the few AGA member nations that we have our full trust in. We do have the Z1 Superweapon, I had ordered Terri to meet with the EPA and to acquire any technology and agree to their requests, and the subsequent classification of that data that then led to the abandonment of Uproth."
He straightened his back, some mechanical whirring was audible, as he continued "Now, I understand that the AGA wishes to see this threat expunged, and have threatened action if we do not comply to their demands. While I have no intent on keeping my grasp of the Z1, I do wish to ask you for some.. assurances." He tapped his fingers, leaving a pause to hang in the air, and slowly continued "As much as the AGA seeks it's own version of galactic peace, they have, on more than one occasion, threatened ours. While we have had a checkered past, and our own culture is.. divided, at best, we have already set in motion a chain of events that will secure our version of peace. In that end, we wish to seek some groundwork between the Dectrose Empire and the AGA to prevent any further escalation of hostilities, once we have an agreeance, we will allow an AGA fleet to come and retrieve the Z1."
"Well..." Tawrid began, "I can really only speak as far as Carnaithian standpoints, but I would be willing to serve as a mediator in a meeting with the AGA at large. The very fact you've come here speaks in your favor and neuters any moral reasoning for an invasion of your space; that said, run the groundwork proposals by me, because strategic weapons aren't the most... stable of topics at the moment, and asking for too many conditions with its handover is not likely to go over well."
Ana waved a hand, and one of the aides made their way to the beverage dispenser. She waited for Bohler's response.
Giving a slow, but firm nod towards Tawrid, Bohler brought his fingers close to each other, near the node and then spread them apart, a holographic display opening as his orange, glowing eyes moved over the words in front of him, as if proofing his proposals, and then moved his hand to one side, the display moving in the direction that his hand took. "Firstly, I have heard several instances of nations being concerned with the presence and use of the Oracle. Several have called for it's control to be given to third parties, and still others ask for it's deconstruction or destruction. I wish to make it clear that the Dectrose will not relinquish command, nor break it down under any circumstances. Saber has already made the mistake of utilizing it's powers to threaten the Artificia, and Landow had not had the foresight to simply send exploration ships to Voi Con, regardless of the loss of Admiral Ryn."
He moved his hands with his speech, as if visually explaining each part, his hands moving from one side him to the other when mentioning the Artificia and the Davians, as if suggesting the distance. "To both of these events, I personally apologize, and I will do so again in front of the AGA if needed. Though my position on the Oracle itself remains firm. We have no need to utilize it against other nations, without that nation's strict permission, or in times of war."
He inhaled a slight bit, a genuine gesture, as his lungs automatically pulled in air. "Secondly, the AGA's influence is not required for the Dectrose Empire, and relations with the bloc have soured due to actions on both sides. I had spoken of putting time away from each other to allow things to mellow, but this is likely not possible with the current state of affairs in the galaxy." He exhaled visibly, as if getting that sentence off of his chest. "We do not wish to become another Divine Davian Empire, we seek no hostility with the blocs of the galaxy. In this sense, we simply wish to ask for some space, room to work, so-to-speak. We now have the FDC, and while the Dectrose are a very focused people, I believe that the FDC will shift that focus into one of unity, rather than competition."
He looked at Tawrid in full, seeking eye contact, if it was possible "This will allow for minimal intervention or influence in the Dectrose Empire, and allow for contact to still be possible. If needed, the AGA can contact me personally at any time, though I believe that the RSC and Union will require some.. open minds, when seeking communication with us. We have already seen that our views are radically different, making demands and pressuring us will only allow hostility to take it's roots among my people. Instead, I would rather seek to foster economic relationships, though I believe our relationship with your nation will remain unchanged."
A sigh escaped his lips now "Though from what I have seen in this galaxy and in prior communications with other nations, the galaxy is often too quick to go to extremes, While I can do nothing to change that fact, I will remain clear concerning any and all questions that may arise from this predicament. But do understand that I take the blame for my nation's actions, and that we will not paint ourselves as the victim, we have done enough to this galaxy to warrant suspicion and distrust, but our nation is going to move into a new direction with the FDC, and we shall remain focused on our portion of the galaxy."
Volynski watched as this played out, the Dectrose and the Carnaith, and in extension, the AGA. It was.. not what he had expected from Bohler, but none-the-less, it had been something to witness. Bohler pushed his hand on the table, the hologram now receding to the RAVD node. "That's all I will ask, is for the Oracle debate to be cleared, and for space to be given by the AGA. In return, they will be able to enter our territory, retrieve the Z1 from us and remove a weapon of mass destruction from this conflict of yours. I will fully comply with the AGA in it's removal, as long as it means that we can finally set this aside and move forward."
As opposed to Bohler, Ana was stoic. Only her ears and eyes moved any significant amount, ignoring the point when her aide returned with a mug of what was probably stim-reinforced tea. Her eyes met his throughout his entire speech, but they seemed somewhat slightly off-focus; scanning his overall actions rather than perusing his soul.
"I cannot, as a representative of the Empire, suggest movements in your relations with other states. As a parallel, I refuse to speak on topics that have not effected my own state, and cannot support statements of apology through experiences of the nation. Voi Con and the Oracle are your own problems to deal with in that manner, but as far as others wishing for the latter's destruction, I can suggest you propose an observer program. Invite foreign nationals to help staff or support it. Get them involved. Improve foreign opinion of it."
A small pause, a silent sip of tea.
"But provided your further statements, I don't think you're quite interested in foreign interaction. You can't improve relations with another nation or bloc if you do not strive to become part of the solution. Do you have embassies with the nations you feel have the most room for improvement with? If not, propose the idea. Hearts and minds may not work in war, but it works with politicians," she continued, an offhanded glance to nothing in particular as she spoke the last sentence, then pausing for a bit of silence before covering the next topic Bohler had.
Except for mention of the FDC. Carnaith's historical dossier displayed enough how they diverged from galactic norms in various political situations, and that was enough in Ana's mind. "The Z1 deal will probably serve as a great point of compromise and improve your standing in your other situations. Strategic weapons make nice, shiny bargaining chips, don't you think? Ignore that." She said, the room once again becoming silent. Ana looked to the other side, blinking to herself for a moment.
"Why, exactly, did your nation believe that harboring a strategic weapon was a good idea in the first place? Especially outside of a position that was directly in-line with the APP? I don't ask this for a malicious reason, simply for curiosity's sake."
For the most part, Bohler simply nodded and listened intently, already, he was formulating what should be done with various nations and factions, while the majority of his own people supported the APP, the Dectrose themselves did not wish to get involved with such a major war. They had enough problems to keep them busy for the moment, on the other side of the wormhole, conflict had re-ignited between the Meralis and Dectrose, and that would unfortunately mean that resources would be shifted in that direction. He internally agreed to an observer program of some sort for the Oracle, likely only with the Empire's closest allies first, in order to get the whole concept in and shown to work. Once set, the Oracle may be cleared of it's previous misuse and replaced with some sort of acceptance.
Though, with the RSC and Union being the most outspoken, and the Artificia already very suspicious of the Dectrose, an embassy would be difficult, but not quite impossible to set up, though from what updates he's received from the TDA, he was hoping to hold onto that embassy at least, lest communication break down further. Though once asked directly, he interlinked his fingers, a soft whirring accompanying it, as he leaned his head to the left a little. "Well, to be honest, we wanted to make some sort of exchange for advanced technology for quite some time with one of the more advanced nations in this galaxy, the Dectrothian people strive for scientific progress, and breakthroughs are hailed as miracles."
He looked down, focusing on his fingers "The EPA fleet and the Z1 quite literally fell into our lap, and with such an advantageous bargaining position with them, we agreed to help them for blueprints of their weapons, Heimdall Heavy Manufacturing also greatly sought a boost in sales and a chance to work on xeno technology. They wish to branch out and try to get into exportation, so at the time it came to our border, everything seemed like a solid win for the Dectrose Empire. We knew full well of the importance of such an encounter, so the Dectrose Admiralty decided to keep it quiet, because we knew the AGA would be looking, but we had not known of the pursuers following a trail we hadn't picked up until we tuned our sensors to the craft. By then, Uproth was gone, and the ultimatum was presented."
Quietly, he placed his open hands on the table, looking back up to meet the other's eyes "Once the gravity of the situation sunk in, I ordered work to be suspended, pulled out the engineers and replaced Landow for an admiral that was a Defense Coordinator for Decarth, Landow's been getting rowdy as of late, and I don't need another Saber, I think the galaxy can only take one of him. I then came here, and here we sit." Leaning back, he kept his hands on the table.
"Fairly clean-cut then, it seems," Ana responded while handing a tablet to her aide. "Word's on the way to some more powerful diplomates to start prepping for the hand-over. Some analysis will be done and we'll get around to that fairly soon, but in the meantime get the word out to double-H-M to favor lower-risk activities, yes?" She said with a slight curl to her lip, the first sign of a smile so far.
"I do hope the Oracle situation blows over with as few problems as possible. A lot of your current visit has to do more with officework than discussion, so is there anything else to discuss?"
With a nod, he said "Of course, while they are an independent megacorporation, they'll see the benefit of cooling their heels and sticking to smaller contracts. I must thank you for your concerns, and I thank you for allowing this meeting to happen. As far as I know, my end of the discussion is done, so if you need to be off, I'll return to my nation." Bohler picked up his node, and Volynski shook his head quickly, like a gesture of waking himself up, the Alhayan's eyes a little brighter than usual as he stood up next to his leader, ready to depart. "It was nice to see Carnaith again ma'am, hopefully under better circumstances next time?" Volynski added.
Ana's smirk returned. "The worry's nothing. Carnaithian courtesy isn't exactly something you find elsewhere, but I'll leave it at that," she first said to Bohler. Upon Volynski speaking, she closed her eyes and shrugged. "With the whole Saudra situation? Can't get much worse, so once the war's over feel free to schedule a diplomatic trip to Imperial space for a vacation. Safe voyages to you," she responded, the door opening for their exit and the aide moving to guide them out.
"Safe travels to you as well" Bohler returned, as the Alhayan shared the reply. The trip back was busy, not externally, but in Bohler's mind, quite a lot of events have taken place, and he was working on deciding what to do with them. From his processor, he gave out orders, and what diplomats to send out, in all, Bohler would likely have a few sleepless nights before this was over. The Dectrothians soon left the system, en route to Decoroso as another situation needed his direct attention.
As much as he personally disliked the AGA's constant need to interfere in Dectrothian relations, professionally he needed to display the needs of the Empire, and right now, those needs called out for peace and a time to focus on their new alliance. He would see to it by any means necessary that they would have that. His musings where interrupted by a soft tapping on the door, as he mentally ordered the door open after checking the ID Chip of the person knocking, the Alhayan walking through the door and giving a salute "Sir, Rear Admiral Volynski, with a status update. We are due to arrive at the system momentarily, shall I prepare the opening communications?" His question was met with a silent nod, and a reply of "Yes, make it clear we only wish to speak to Carnaithian representatives of the AGA." the Alhayan stiffened as he gave another salute "Yes, Sir."
The edges of the Carnaithian system shimmered as a wormhole opened up with the Regent and her supporting fleet of twenty ships, Volynski immediately opening up a communication channel "This is Rear Admiral Volynski of the Imperial Dectrothian Space Force, I am here with the Leader of the Dectrose Empire Johannes Bohler to open terms of diplomacy with the greater AGA, though we wish to speak only to a Carnaithian representative. We shall stand by for your reply and for any clearances or procedures we must follow."
Groggy, blurry, and without her brew, Tawrid sat across the room from her bed with her idiot for a military contact on the other end of the commlink, combing a trimmer through her fur as she listened to the overeager officer report the situation to her. He was talking, but she didn't quite care.
"So you're wanting to call in reinforcements over a diplomat with twenty escorts?"
"Yes, ma'am. Several fellow states in the AGA express conce-"
"You damnable idiot, if I wanted to express the will of the AGA I would apply for an Alliance position. I'm an Imperial representative, L-Lieutenant, and I will be expressing Imperial interests with a splash of Alliance influence. You tell your commanders to put a muzzle on it or I'll go over to the naval command station and tear your tail out myself, got it?"
"Of course, ma'am, but I would still like to express the fact that these are the people with an assault plan under their name because of the potential strategic weapon in their territory."
"I know that, you fool. Tell them to go to the same dock and meeting room as last time. I need an hour to get ready and half of one to get there." She looked at the clock: two A.M. Erdae-Terione median time.
With a soft sigh of relief, Volynski set in a course towards the dock he had been at prior, he was almost pleased that he was going to go through familiar territory, moreso that he'd be allowed to sit in the room with Bohler, but at the same time he was slightly nervous. As much as one can be while escorting the de facto leader of your nation to an excessively important meeting. He almost wished that Terri was along for the ride, but with the previous encounter not having fulfilled it's mission, and the lessons learnt from Gavin's trip into politics, it was best that Bohler would be representing the Dectrose.
Still, as his ship guided though the usual maneuvers, he thought privately to himself what all entailed, the meeting with Carnaith, and even though the Inquisition just joined the FDC, why it was not being held there in more friendly territory. Not to say that the Carnathians where not but still.. still.. his train of thought derailed as he tried to come up with something feasible, and then regained traction. Still, there must be a reason more than "Union is very forceful in their pursuits of their version of peace" to be here, and not include the other AGA nations. It gave him more concerns, his anxiety over the situation climbing before he settled himself down, fiddling with a loose plate on his command chair that he was not inclined to inform the engineers of.
Moreso, everyone else around him seemed to be rising in rank, and while his promotion to Rear Admiral was born from the ashes of Kaikoma, he still would like to do something other than ferrying around diplomats..still. These thoughts rushed from his head like a flash flood as Bohler stepped to the bridge, the crew rising to salute, before settling down to their seats again. "So, any more updates?" He spoke with a hard voice, as if he was made of stone, though the concern seemed genuine. "Not any new updates, but we're going to be in familiar territory. Shall I set up the honor guard or would you like to go in with the usual IM Fireteam?"
Bohler shook his head "No, we have no need to be flashy. It's not the time nor the place, ready up the Marine Fireteam and await further instructions" With a sharp turn, Bohler exited the bridge, Volynski let out a long sigh from his muzzle, the tension would kill him before the day was out. Slowly pulling into dock, the 'Regent' settled in and powered down it's engines, the shuttlecraft escaping it's hold as it veered into the correct landing zone, Bohler stepping out in a simplistic purple and black suit, not as much as an admiral of rank would wear, but something more akin to a businessman. Surrounding him in a loose C-shaped pattern where the Fireteam, and Volynski in a tight-looking Admiralty uniform, displaying the bars on his upper arm of the Rear Admiral's rank. They then proceeded to the meeting room with haste, with Volynski once again enjoying the sights of the Carnaithains around him.
With the political time of the planet being quite early in the morning, there was generally not many people about in the station. This stated, however, the odd janitor toiled about and several security pairs could be seen patrolling before the meeting room was reached, with two guards at the door and four inside, at each corner. What was most notable were that these were marines in full kit rather than the naval security seen during their first visit. It was quiet with the exception of one stating "Please take a seat, miss Tawrid will arrive shortly."
A bit more than seven minutes later, and Tawrid casually strolled in with an accompanying aide - different than the one from last time. The guards didn't budge as she made her seat, the aide standing attentively at the side of the chair.
"Now, I heard the transmission," Ana began, "But I want to start from the top for the purpose of clarity. What is the topic of tonight's' visit?" she asked, none of the warm friendliness to her voice that was present the first time around.
As Volynski and Bohler took their seats, Volynski planting the usual RAVD node to serve as a computer, Bohler didn't wait for the pleasantries. To Bohler, this was about getting things done, and fixing things as soon as possible. Volynski, on the other hand, was a little stiffer than usual, his last visit was pleseant, this visit, was anything but. Even with Tawrid there, a familiar and welcome sight, the air was thick and retained none of the warmth it once had. As if the warmth was sucked out by the tense business at hand, he retained his silence. Bohler leaned forward "I'm not going to beat you around the bush. You've been one of the few AGA member nations that we have our full trust in. We do have the Z1 Superweapon, I had ordered Terri to meet with the EPA and to acquire any technology and agree to their requests, and the subsequent classification of that data that then led to the abandonment of Uproth."
He straightened his back, some mechanical whirring was audible, as he continued "Now, I understand that the AGA wishes to see this threat expunged, and have threatened action if we do not comply to their demands. While I have no intent on keeping my grasp of the Z1, I do wish to ask you for some.. assurances." He tapped his fingers, leaving a pause to hang in the air, and slowly continued "As much as the AGA seeks it's own version of galactic peace, they have, on more than one occasion, threatened ours. While we have had a checkered past, and our own culture is.. divided, at best, we have already set in motion a chain of events that will secure our version of peace. In that end, we wish to seek some groundwork between the Dectrose Empire and the AGA to prevent any further escalation of hostilities, once we have an agreeance, we will allow an AGA fleet to come and retrieve the Z1."
"Well..." Tawrid began, "I can really only speak as far as Carnaithian standpoints, but I would be willing to serve as a mediator in a meeting with the AGA at large. The very fact you've come here speaks in your favor and neuters any moral reasoning for an invasion of your space; that said, run the groundwork proposals by me, because strategic weapons aren't the most... stable of topics at the moment, and asking for too many conditions with its handover is not likely to go over well."
Ana waved a hand, and one of the aides made their way to the beverage dispenser. She waited for Bohler's response.
Giving a slow, but firm nod towards Tawrid, Bohler brought his fingers close to each other, near the node and then spread them apart, a holographic display opening as his orange, glowing eyes moved over the words in front of him, as if proofing his proposals, and then moved his hand to one side, the display moving in the direction that his hand took. "Firstly, I have heard several instances of nations being concerned with the presence and use of the Oracle. Several have called for it's control to be given to third parties, and still others ask for it's deconstruction or destruction. I wish to make it clear that the Dectrose will not relinquish command, nor break it down under any circumstances. Saber has already made the mistake of utilizing it's powers to threaten the Artificia, and Landow had not had the foresight to simply send exploration ships to Voi Con, regardless of the loss of Admiral Ryn."
He moved his hands with his speech, as if visually explaining each part, his hands moving from one side him to the other when mentioning the Artificia and the Davians, as if suggesting the distance. "To both of these events, I personally apologize, and I will do so again in front of the AGA if needed. Though my position on the Oracle itself remains firm. We have no need to utilize it against other nations, without that nation's strict permission, or in times of war."
He inhaled a slight bit, a genuine gesture, as his lungs automatically pulled in air. "Secondly, the AGA's influence is not required for the Dectrose Empire, and relations with the bloc have soured due to actions on both sides. I had spoken of putting time away from each other to allow things to mellow, but this is likely not possible with the current state of affairs in the galaxy." He exhaled visibly, as if getting that sentence off of his chest. "We do not wish to become another Divine Davian Empire, we seek no hostility with the blocs of the galaxy. In this sense, we simply wish to ask for some space, room to work, so-to-speak. We now have the FDC, and while the Dectrose are a very focused people, I believe that the FDC will shift that focus into one of unity, rather than competition."
He looked at Tawrid in full, seeking eye contact, if it was possible "This will allow for minimal intervention or influence in the Dectrose Empire, and allow for contact to still be possible. If needed, the AGA can contact me personally at any time, though I believe that the RSC and Union will require some.. open minds, when seeking communication with us. We have already seen that our views are radically different, making demands and pressuring us will only allow hostility to take it's roots among my people. Instead, I would rather seek to foster economic relationships, though I believe our relationship with your nation will remain unchanged."
A sigh escaped his lips now "Though from what I have seen in this galaxy and in prior communications with other nations, the galaxy is often too quick to go to extremes, While I can do nothing to change that fact, I will remain clear concerning any and all questions that may arise from this predicament. But do understand that I take the blame for my nation's actions, and that we will not paint ourselves as the victim, we have done enough to this galaxy to warrant suspicion and distrust, but our nation is going to move into a new direction with the FDC, and we shall remain focused on our portion of the galaxy."
Volynski watched as this played out, the Dectrose and the Carnaith, and in extension, the AGA. It was.. not what he had expected from Bohler, but none-the-less, it had been something to witness. Bohler pushed his hand on the table, the hologram now receding to the RAVD node. "That's all I will ask, is for the Oracle debate to be cleared, and for space to be given by the AGA. In return, they will be able to enter our territory, retrieve the Z1 from us and remove a weapon of mass destruction from this conflict of yours. I will fully comply with the AGA in it's removal, as long as it means that we can finally set this aside and move forward."
As opposed to Bohler, Ana was stoic. Only her ears and eyes moved any significant amount, ignoring the point when her aide returned with a mug of what was probably stim-reinforced tea. Her eyes met his throughout his entire speech, but they seemed somewhat slightly off-focus; scanning his overall actions rather than perusing his soul.
"I cannot, as a representative of the Empire, suggest movements in your relations with other states. As a parallel, I refuse to speak on topics that have not effected my own state, and cannot support statements of apology through experiences of the nation. Voi Con and the Oracle are your own problems to deal with in that manner, but as far as others wishing for the latter's destruction, I can suggest you propose an observer program. Invite foreign nationals to help staff or support it. Get them involved. Improve foreign opinion of it."
A small pause, a silent sip of tea.
"But provided your further statements, I don't think you're quite interested in foreign interaction. You can't improve relations with another nation or bloc if you do not strive to become part of the solution. Do you have embassies with the nations you feel have the most room for improvement with? If not, propose the idea. Hearts and minds may not work in war, but it works with politicians," she continued, an offhanded glance to nothing in particular as she spoke the last sentence, then pausing for a bit of silence before covering the next topic Bohler had.
Except for mention of the FDC. Carnaith's historical dossier displayed enough how they diverged from galactic norms in various political situations, and that was enough in Ana's mind. "The Z1 deal will probably serve as a great point of compromise and improve your standing in your other situations. Strategic weapons make nice, shiny bargaining chips, don't you think? Ignore that." She said, the room once again becoming silent. Ana looked to the other side, blinking to herself for a moment.
"Why, exactly, did your nation believe that harboring a strategic weapon was a good idea in the first place? Especially outside of a position that was directly in-line with the APP? I don't ask this for a malicious reason, simply for curiosity's sake."
For the most part, Bohler simply nodded and listened intently, already, he was formulating what should be done with various nations and factions, while the majority of his own people supported the APP, the Dectrose themselves did not wish to get involved with such a major war. They had enough problems to keep them busy for the moment, on the other side of the wormhole, conflict had re-ignited between the Meralis and Dectrose, and that would unfortunately mean that resources would be shifted in that direction. He internally agreed to an observer program of some sort for the Oracle, likely only with the Empire's closest allies first, in order to get the whole concept in and shown to work. Once set, the Oracle may be cleared of it's previous misuse and replaced with some sort of acceptance.
Though, with the RSC and Union being the most outspoken, and the Artificia already very suspicious of the Dectrose, an embassy would be difficult, but not quite impossible to set up, though from what updates he's received from the TDA, he was hoping to hold onto that embassy at least, lest communication break down further. Though once asked directly, he interlinked his fingers, a soft whirring accompanying it, as he leaned his head to the left a little. "Well, to be honest, we wanted to make some sort of exchange for advanced technology for quite some time with one of the more advanced nations in this galaxy, the Dectrothian people strive for scientific progress, and breakthroughs are hailed as miracles."
He looked down, focusing on his fingers "The EPA fleet and the Z1 quite literally fell into our lap, and with such an advantageous bargaining position with them, we agreed to help them for blueprints of their weapons, Heimdall Heavy Manufacturing also greatly sought a boost in sales and a chance to work on xeno technology. They wish to branch out and try to get into exportation, so at the time it came to our border, everything seemed like a solid win for the Dectrose Empire. We knew full well of the importance of such an encounter, so the Dectrose Admiralty decided to keep it quiet, because we knew the AGA would be looking, but we had not known of the pursuers following a trail we hadn't picked up until we tuned our sensors to the craft. By then, Uproth was gone, and the ultimatum was presented."
Quietly, he placed his open hands on the table, looking back up to meet the other's eyes "Once the gravity of the situation sunk in, I ordered work to be suspended, pulled out the engineers and replaced Landow for an admiral that was a Defense Coordinator for Decarth, Landow's been getting rowdy as of late, and I don't need another Saber, I think the galaxy can only take one of him. I then came here, and here we sit." Leaning back, he kept his hands on the table.
"Fairly clean-cut then, it seems," Ana responded while handing a tablet to her aide. "Word's on the way to some more powerful diplomates to start prepping for the hand-over. Some analysis will be done and we'll get around to that fairly soon, but in the meantime get the word out to double-H-M to favor lower-risk activities, yes?" She said with a slight curl to her lip, the first sign of a smile so far.
"I do hope the Oracle situation blows over with as few problems as possible. A lot of your current visit has to do more with officework than discussion, so is there anything else to discuss?"
With a nod, he said "Of course, while they are an independent megacorporation, they'll see the benefit of cooling their heels and sticking to smaller contracts. I must thank you for your concerns, and I thank you for allowing this meeting to happen. As far as I know, my end of the discussion is done, so if you need to be off, I'll return to my nation." Bohler picked up his node, and Volynski shook his head quickly, like a gesture of waking himself up, the Alhayan's eyes a little brighter than usual as he stood up next to his leader, ready to depart. "It was nice to see Carnaith again ma'am, hopefully under better circumstances next time?" Volynski added.
Ana's smirk returned. "The worry's nothing. Carnaithian courtesy isn't exactly something you find elsewhere, but I'll leave it at that," she first said to Bohler. Upon Volynski speaking, she closed her eyes and shrugged. "With the whole Saudra situation? Can't get much worse, so once the war's over feel free to schedule a diplomatic trip to Imperial space for a vacation. Safe voyages to you," she responded, the door opening for their exit and the aide moving to guide them out.
"Safe travels to you as well" Bohler returned, as the Alhayan shared the reply. The trip back was busy, not externally, but in Bohler's mind, quite a lot of events have taken place, and he was working on deciding what to do with them. From his processor, he gave out orders, and what diplomats to send out, in all, Bohler would likely have a few sleepless nights before this was over. The Dectrothians soon left the system, en route to Decoroso as another situation needed his direct attention.