Post by EmperorMyric on Mar 22, 2021 17:14:36 GMT
Unknown System: Dirge Space
Following the Conference hosted by Veshtal, with regards to the Andreckan, and the Davian genocide, it was decided that a meeting proper between the pact, and Aura. The dirge asked for permission to host, pinging the various channels of the Pact, and after some deliberation, was chosen to host this meeting.
Following the reports of Veshtal’s comprehensive security measures taken during previous conference’s the Dirge opted to follow a similar suite.
The delegates were given coordinates in uninhabited systems that existed just outside of the Dirge’s borders, in neutral space. Once there, they were to be taken aboard specialized diplomatic envoy craft. Each craft had its interior tailored to each specific delegate, based on reports of the race in question. During their journey they were provided with any amenities they required, or requested. Each envoy was escort by a cruiser, and four escort types. Again, in a similar vein to similar situations, it was made clear that no weapons were permitted to remain with the delegation. Following this surrender of arms, the Delegates were given full access of the ship, and the many Amenities they provided, The Journey to Charon began
The journey was just under two hours in length. The system itself was heavily defended, numerous defensive stations lay on the outskirts, even more orbited the world. Overgrown, and oversized platforms, built on top of abandoned, derelict stations over the years following the Ye’Tules hasty withdrawal from Ancerious, this was the second most heavily fortified system within the Dirge’ territory.
The world itself was mostly barren. The few cities the colony once had, twisted and evolved into immense structures that reacted well beyond the worlds atmosphere. The skyscrapers were built on top of, forming multi kilometer bases for what could be described as gigantic towers or ornamented, crystalline growth, created with a deliberate, twisted purpose. At the top, the tower extended outwards into a flowering structure, with large landing pads to receive the parties. Banners and receiving parties were prepared for the arrival. From the landing pads, the parties were led into the bowels of the mega structure. The halls winded and twisted almost of their own will, and the floors seemed to shift beneath the delegates feet as they moved. The result of this manipulation of the environment was the delegates each covered kilometers of ground within minutes, to find themselves in a large circular room, with a large table, with plentiful seats. Name placards identified each members designated spot. The walls were covered in a myriad of alien fauna, causing the room to be full of a myriad of colors, and pleasant scents.
A diplomatic form was situated within the Dirge’s spot, hovering gently wrapped in a thick, spine covered crimson cloak, It waited for each delegate to be seated before speaking,
“this one is identified as Beryl… This one is elated to have the opportunity to receive you all.. on such a fine day….”
It fell silent, allowing any introductions to be made
Hargun found the world and the enviroment very interesting. He had spoken and met several Dirge forms over the past few months, mostly for diplomacy and also concerning the various joint projects the two nations had underway but never had he been to a Dirge world before. He came unarmed with several Union marines as guards and his usual defenders out of sight. Taking in every detail since he had been dropped off by one of the Nighthawk class stealth vessels Hargun enjoyed being out and about around the galaxy, he hadnt done this since he had personally helped in rescuing USM regent Akari Reiko.
He had come straight from the negotiations from AURA and expected to see several friendly faces. Hopefully this could go smoothly, although he had partciular interest in meeting the members of the Askandar pact. He entered the room and took his seat introducing himself.
"I am Admiral James Hargun of the Union of Worlds, It is an honour" He smiled.
Elwars entrance was a strange one. Orchestrating with the Dirge a device already sat on the table where one of the seats was laid, sent across the galaxy by a vessel of the Custodian. At the various entrances the device beamed into life revealling the projection of Elwars Core. The blue glowing crystalline orb seemed to almost be present, the holographics being incredibly advanced and realistic.
When it spoke the orb seemed to glow slightly the whispy yet clear voice of the AI easy to understand.
"I am Elwar, Custodian of Askandar. It is truly a good day to see so many coming together to discuss ideals of peace, I endeavour to ensure much is acomplished here"
Another important meeting on the Andraken so soon after the meeting on Askandar was... decidedly unexpected. What was even more unexpected was that now AURA seemed ready to ensure their former ally would be... properly reprimanded for their actions during the Davian War.
The meeting was of the highest importance to the Vestahl Commonwealth. The Andraken still represented one of the biggest external threats to the Commonwealth and the Secretary General had made abundantly clear the wishes of the General Assembly: by the end of the meeting, one way or another, a plan would need to be in place that ensured the Andraken would never again threaten the Commonwealth. Crisis were popping up all over the Frontier, and the Commonwealth (and the Pact if it's existence continued) could not remained occupied with the Andraken threat forever.
It was time the issue be put to bed.
Sent to ensure that outcome was once again Anastasia Malashenko, the first foreign relations officer and the top diplomat in the Commowealth. She had overseen all diplomacy relating to the Andraken thus far and it was decided that for continuity's sake she should see it to its conclusion. She was accompanied by Alistair Stephens, who had been present during the negotiations that had ended the Davian War.
Malashenko had slept little in the days leading up to the conference, going over documents from the SIS and transcripts of past meetings as well as what the Generals, Admiral, Intelligence officers, and of course the politicians believed were 'acceptable conclusions'.
She barely noticed the strangeness of the venue, focusing on reviewing notes and last minute demands from various parties on her way to the meeting room.
The woman hid her lack of sleep well with a severe tone and some liberal applications of makeup. Even so, she was exhausted and when she rose to introduce herself she did so slowly.
"I am Anastasia Malashenko," She introduced herself. "First Foreign Relations Officer of the Vestahl Commonwealth, and also a representative for the Askandar Pact. It is a pleasure to have you all gathered here and to see that the wider galactic community is involved in seeing an end to the... situation in the Avarian Frontier,"
The suddenness of another Pact-related meeting was not unexpected as the last meetings negotiated the end of a state of warfare and dealt with the Andracken issue. A follow-up seemed logical enough though this time given where the meeting was occurring, the Dominion opted not to send Representative Solarin simply because of the location, The Dominion knew very little of the Dirge other than what was obvious. It made more sense to send Consul Jahn Soong instead of Solarin since there was virtually no chance of it bringing back something unwanted from the location. The trip in was fairly boring though Jahn did note the security and chalked it up to a lack of trust between the species involved. This seemed to be a constant theme for species in this galaxy, the lack of diplomatic traditions that were inviolate and that no one dared challenge. Once it was planet side, Jahn proceeded to the room in which the meeting was held taking no particular notice of the landscape, the floors or anything that wasn’t mission-specific. The arrival of Consul Jahn was probably at odds with what any of the Pact members would have expected since Solarin had been the go-to diplomat in all prior encounters. Instead Jahn, who wore, or more accurately inhabited EVA suit for this meeting was a blank slate in terms of anticipation as to what to expect. The only indicator of life in any definition of the term was the pair of glowing eyes seen through the darkened visor which swirled and glowed like a slow burning plasma fire. There was no indication of breathing, so whatever species Consul Jahn was clearly something that bent the common standards of xenobiology heavily. Once it was within the room, Consul Jahn moved to the assigned seat for the Risallas Dominion and introduced itself.
“I am Consul Jahn Soong, I will be representing the Risallas Dominion in the absence of Representative Solarin….” As Jahn spoke, it’s voice had an other-worldly quality, punctuations and pauses sounded like carefully placed and toned crackles of energy at a pitch as not to cause alarm whereas the over al speaking voice often left gaps between words that sounded like the fracturing of crystal. “…It is our hope that today we can finalize the settlement of the efforts that began with the prior two peace summits.”
Like a few of the other delegates, Count Arkus had come straight from the negotiations with the AGA and Davia’s defenders and was pleasantly surprised with the positive outcome. Following the good faith from that meeting he had hopes that these talks would follow the same trend.
The Vaanitas had little knowledge of this ‘Dirge’ or some of the other members of the Pact, so Arkus was intrigued to meet some of the locals in his area of the galaxy. He was quiet for the most part, busy sending data back to his aides to begin the work to come with Davia. Nonetheless, he took a brief moment to relax before another round of talks began.
He had no qualms about sacrificing the Adracken during the upcoming talks. They had served their use, and the weight of their own failures dragged them down. He had no intent to be dragged with them. Once landed the Count took time to examine and admire the unique architecture. Travelling such distance in such short time was a little disorienting, though he was impressed by the way it was accomplished.
After reaching the meeting room, he stood in front of his assigned seat. “Greetings, I see some familiar faces. To those I have not yet had the pleasure of meeting, I am Count Arkus Falvayn of the Vaanitas Supremacy. I thank our hosts and look forward to these talks.” He spoke cordially, looking at each of the delegates as he introduced himself, before taking his seat and sitting back in a semi casual pose.
The Autaya, in all honesty, had not been expecting so many meetings as a member of an alliance. They expected some, sure, and a lot of communications, but one after another like this wasn't something they were looking forward to.
Nonetheless, the Imperium had its duties to keep, and so a representative was sent, in the usual flashily adorned but otherwise practical attire of the Imperial Navy, cape and all. He paid the architecture little mind; he was here to get these talks over and done with, whatever happened to the Andracken he personally did not care.
He arrived with little fanfare to the meeting room, positioning himself behind his seat, arms crossed behind his back.
"A warm greeting to all, I am High Naval Commandant Lo'Balai, to those uninformed I am here on behalf of the Autayan Imperium. I look forward to a quick resolution to this affair, and one that benefits the galactic west as a whole." he stated with a simple, respectful nod, before taking his seat.
Admiral Chase took a bit longer to arrive to the meeting with PACT seeing as he had to return the Princess home. Seeing as the meeting with the AGA had gone well, he hope that this meeting would follow a similar pattern and have a positive outcome.
His 2ic had given him the information that they could gather about the Dirge seeing as they were hosting this meeting and the information they had on other members of PACT. He pondered what would happen to the Andracken, something similar to what was discussed for the Davians, but he himself personally had no issues of seeing them gone, they were a wild card and having them on a leash had kept them somewhat under control, but evidently not under enough control.
He reached the meeting room and looked at the gathered delegates, “Greetings some of you I recognise and it is a pleasure to meet you again, but for those that do not know me I am Admiral Christian Chase of the Cricaen Kingdom” He spoke before taking his place at the table.
Sector Minister Nelyrien had actually enjoyed his trip to the conference aboard the Dirge vessel that he had transferred to from his diplomatic cruiser. While in the home continuum he had been an ambassador to the Abaddon Autarky, and had even travelled to the terrifyingly odd system of Akhenphire. Though he did not exactly look forward to another visit to that surreal world of nightmares, he did have a sense of appreciation for the Ermerian bio-organic aesthetic, which served him well on the Dirge's living ship/entity.
Upon arrival, he aid his farewell to the ship, and made his way to the designated conference room. Once there he looked around, nodding to those dignitaries he had met at the recent summit at the Vestahl world, and then took his seat.
"Greetings to you all on behalf of the Anais Unity. As I stated at the summit on the Davian Situation, the Singers of the Void are committed to the stability and security of the Avarian Frontier and I am here to represent Blessed Laenas in these negotiations. For those whom I have not met, I am Sector Minister Nelyrien, Senior official of the Ministry of State in the Ancerious galaxy. I look forward to working with you all."
Tek came in last. He was unescorted, and he wore a comfortable smile on his face. He still had the same clothes he seemed to always wear. His eyes trailed across the delegates gathered, the voids of his eyes staying on those who he had not seen before. He bowed politely before sitting in his chair and bringing his hands up then bringing them together.
“I am Tek, right hand to Fel, and second of the Alpha Constructs.” He began politely, he then turned to Count Arkus and his smile increased slightly, “Ah, Count Arkus, I don’t believe we have met before. I do hope Amber is doing well in your care.” He said cheerfully. The smile fell however, and his voice turned sorrowful, “But I have a feeling that that won’t be a topic of this meeting.”
"Delegates," Malashenko said, standing and drawing attention to herself once all of the delegations had arrived and seated themselves. "As many of you know the Askandar Pact was formed on the principle of mutual defense and economic ties and the promotion of peace, stability and security in the Avarian Frontier and its immediate surroundings. Though we played virtually no role in it, the capitulation of the Divine Davian Empire represented a major step toward continuing stability in the frontier. For that, both AURA and the AGA have the sincerest thanks of the Vestahl Commonwealth and her citizens."
She paused to let the thanks sink in for a moment before continuing.
"However with the Davians pacified we must now look to another imminent threat to regional stability," She turned, fixing her gaze on Tek. "Representative Tek, despite your personal cooperation the people you represent continue to present a major destabilizing element in the Avarian Frontier. The purpose of this meeting is an agreement that will mitigate the threat your people continue to represent,"
She paused and sat down at that, letting any other representative who had an opening remark to speak.
"I hope the agreeements made here today are functional for all involved and help bring peace and stability to the region just like the Davian Accords have done. Do we have any initial proposals or would Tek like to at least try to defend his people" Hargun spoke aloud as he sat. He hoped this would end like the Davian conflict with the unstable side well disarmed and the region secure. Although with this new rising power of interdimensional shadows Hargun had the dark thought of perhaps using the Andrackan as a bulwark, perhaps as penance for what they had done...
"As to your question Tek, you would be correct in assuming that Amber was well...if not a little unhinged. But as stated that isn't the reason we are here." Arkus spoke, looking towards him. "Routinely, your people have acted with unnecessary violence across conflicts. They have acted in ways that have not only put themselves, but others in danger. Whilst I thank you for your aid in the Davian conflict, even then the Andracken acted rashly, destroying a planet for what can only be assumed as a demonstration of power." he continued, his expression grim.
"I was under the impression that AURA wanted the war over with as quickly as possible." Tek said, his face morphed in slight confusion. "We chose to destroy the planet as a means of showing our power so that the Davians would see resistance would be futile and that they should surrender." He explained. Power and fear was what Basics seemed to understand so they had acted on that weakness.
Nelyrien looked to the Andracken. "My question for you Tek is with regards to the events on Zaingraf. Intel briefings I have read indicated that the situation was under a level of control until it escalated rapidly. That escalation can be traced directly to Andracken forces attacking a survival bunker of the native species of Zaingraf."
"In the aftermath of this, Shadow activity increased geometrically-perhaps exponentially. An Andracken soldier was absorbed by these shadow entities, enabling the assimilation and emulation of technology by the hostile forces. Now Zaingraf is a full-on dimensional incursion."
Nelyrien turned, looking at each delegate as he continued speaking. "We now face an enemy force of unknown numbers, capable of adaptive reconfiguration, all due to the actions of the Andracken." Turning back to Tek he said "Can the Andracken go against the orders of their creators and make their own destiny? Are you a species or are you just drone units?"
To describe the Autayan representative's face as unimpressed was...a simple way to put it.
"I assume, then, the Andracken are unfamiliar with the old adage of 'like a cornered rat'? Yes, you might have intimidated them into backing down, but you failed to acknowledge the thought that such force might incite them to fight all the harder. It takes more than blunt, poorly planned brute force to get any response other than that same brute force. Or is such a thought lost to crystalline brains?"
Consul Jahn Soong would have openly frowned at the Andracken representative’s words if the face plate of his EVA suit allowed for such emotional displays. Instead its glowing eyes seemed to turn to the Andracken representative after the Autayan had commented. “Tek, you realize that in the countless millennia that the Malik have been observing corporeal beings like you; that strategy rarely works and tends to demonstrate a certain lack of intelligence and achievement for the given species. Your plan failed immediately because the fact is we had no plan to surrender at any point and your show of strength as naïve as it was only galvanized the defender’s resolve. Perhaps the next time you fight a battle you would consider putting time into knowing your foe?”
Hargun raised an eyebrow at Teks statement both in surprise and puzzlement "Yes I would have to agree with the Autayan Representative here, such a display would only solidify resistance to AURAs attack and make it even more of a bloodbath. Destruction of planets should be made only with the most solidified reasons and not for some trivial statement of power. As for the situation in Zaingraf..." He paused.
"I dont have the full situational data only whats been on the Anc net along with some data packets from the Rissalas and some others. However I am fully aware that any dimensional incursion is a serious threat and with one that can rapidly change capabilities perhaps the outlook of showing overwhelming force is one that should not be applied to this situation"
Aamren, polite as she was, had to exert some self control to not simply state the obvious concerning how idiotic the Andraken's plan had been. And this news of them being responsible for an extradimensional incursion was making them seem more incompetent by the minute. "Tek, based on our first contact with your nation, your civilization has been around for a respectable amount of time. So why then, do you seem to lack common sense planning and risk management skills? Because it's concerning, to say the least, that you would play off the planetary destruction as a show of force, as well as think it a good idea to fire on a survival bunker. That is leaving out the fact that both actions made the issue worse with your opponents."
Tek chuckled lightly to himself before stopping unnaturally quick. He first looked to Nelyrin. "Yes, our actions at Zaingraf caused the dimensional incursion, how ever with night approaching every group would have been attacked." He paused for a second as if in thought. "I believe the correct phrase is that we were lucky they didn't copy any weapons from the Singers." He then shifted slightly forward, his eyes seeming to grow darker if it was even possible. "As for your last question, why do you wish to know."
Tek then looked to Jahn, Lo'Balai, Hargun, and last Aamren. "You four ask the question of our tactics. The Commander of the fleet was working on algorithms and scenarios that would lead to the greatest possible outcome with as little casualties as possible." Tek explained to them. His face remained neutral as he spoke.
Hargun almost laughed at Teks statement to Nelyrin "Whataboutism, well I never thought I would engage in such at this meeting but here we are. The matter of the fact is the Andrackan have proven themselves a establishing agent in this area of the galaxy that has led to some extremely dangerous and maybe even galaxy threatening events. While you may look for algorithms and more that does not tell you the bigger picture, pure untampered use of logic breeds arrogance and defeat."
He paused before continuing "The real question is here, is how the international community decides to handle this situation. How they decide to handle the Andrackan, I am interested to hear what your logic has to offer in order to guess the intent of this board?"
"I think you answers only confirm what many here have already suspected," Malashenko said, taking the floor once more. "Ladies and gentlemen, the Vestahl Commonwealth has prepared terms we think are more than fair in order to de-escalate the threat posed by the Andraken and return a sense of peace and stability to the Avarian Frontier. They are as follows:
"Article one states that the Andraken will reduce it's combat capable forces to a force suitable only for the defence of its territory. This number is negotiable but I've been advised that five hundred ships should be sufficient for their needs.
"Article one, subsection one states the Andraken will not expand their military beyond agreed upon numbers. Vessels may only be constructed to replace those lost.
"Article two states that the Andraken will immediately decommission all weapons and vessels classed as 'Weapons of Mass Destruction'. The Commonwealth defines a weapon of mass destruction as any weapon capable of destroying a planet, or scouring all life from a planet, with relative ease. This definition can be amended as needed as well.
"Article two, subsection one states the Andraken will not build a weapon of mass destruction under any circumstances in future.
"Article three, states that the purpose of the Andraken military is for self defence only. Operating beyond the Andraken's agreed upon sphere of influence is strictly prohibited.
"Article four states that Queen Fel will abdicate the throne and a provisional government will be established until a suitable replacement is chosen.
"Article five states that a joint oversight committee, including members from the Askandar Pact, AURA, and the AGA will be established to ensure that the terms of this treaty are adhered to and to shape the future administration of the Andraken into one more capable of interacting with the wider galactic community.
"Article six establishes a non-aggression pact between AURA, the Askandar Pact, and the AGA in order to ensure that the administration of this region is smooth and without conflict.
"This is only a first draft of terms of course," Malashenko added once she had finished. "We are of course open to negotiation on all of the aforementioned articles."
Following the Conference hosted by Veshtal, with regards to the Andreckan, and the Davian genocide, it was decided that a meeting proper between the pact, and Aura. The dirge asked for permission to host, pinging the various channels of the Pact, and after some deliberation, was chosen to host this meeting.
Following the reports of Veshtal’s comprehensive security measures taken during previous conference’s the Dirge opted to follow a similar suite.
The delegates were given coordinates in uninhabited systems that existed just outside of the Dirge’s borders, in neutral space. Once there, they were to be taken aboard specialized diplomatic envoy craft. Each craft had its interior tailored to each specific delegate, based on reports of the race in question. During their journey they were provided with any amenities they required, or requested. Each envoy was escort by a cruiser, and four escort types. Again, in a similar vein to similar situations, it was made clear that no weapons were permitted to remain with the delegation. Following this surrender of arms, the Delegates were given full access of the ship, and the many Amenities they provided, The Journey to Charon began
The journey was just under two hours in length. The system itself was heavily defended, numerous defensive stations lay on the outskirts, even more orbited the world. Overgrown, and oversized platforms, built on top of abandoned, derelict stations over the years following the Ye’Tules hasty withdrawal from Ancerious, this was the second most heavily fortified system within the Dirge’ territory.
The world itself was mostly barren. The few cities the colony once had, twisted and evolved into immense structures that reacted well beyond the worlds atmosphere. The skyscrapers were built on top of, forming multi kilometer bases for what could be described as gigantic towers or ornamented, crystalline growth, created with a deliberate, twisted purpose. At the top, the tower extended outwards into a flowering structure, with large landing pads to receive the parties. Banners and receiving parties were prepared for the arrival. From the landing pads, the parties were led into the bowels of the mega structure. The halls winded and twisted almost of their own will, and the floors seemed to shift beneath the delegates feet as they moved. The result of this manipulation of the environment was the delegates each covered kilometers of ground within minutes, to find themselves in a large circular room, with a large table, with plentiful seats. Name placards identified each members designated spot. The walls were covered in a myriad of alien fauna, causing the room to be full of a myriad of colors, and pleasant scents.
A diplomatic form was situated within the Dirge’s spot, hovering gently wrapped in a thick, spine covered crimson cloak, It waited for each delegate to be seated before speaking,
“this one is identified as Beryl… This one is elated to have the opportunity to receive you all.. on such a fine day….”
It fell silent, allowing any introductions to be made
Hargun found the world and the enviroment very interesting. He had spoken and met several Dirge forms over the past few months, mostly for diplomacy and also concerning the various joint projects the two nations had underway but never had he been to a Dirge world before. He came unarmed with several Union marines as guards and his usual defenders out of sight. Taking in every detail since he had been dropped off by one of the Nighthawk class stealth vessels Hargun enjoyed being out and about around the galaxy, he hadnt done this since he had personally helped in rescuing USM regent Akari Reiko.
He had come straight from the negotiations from AURA and expected to see several friendly faces. Hopefully this could go smoothly, although he had partciular interest in meeting the members of the Askandar pact. He entered the room and took his seat introducing himself.
"I am Admiral James Hargun of the Union of Worlds, It is an honour" He smiled.
Elwars entrance was a strange one. Orchestrating with the Dirge a device already sat on the table where one of the seats was laid, sent across the galaxy by a vessel of the Custodian. At the various entrances the device beamed into life revealling the projection of Elwars Core. The blue glowing crystalline orb seemed to almost be present, the holographics being incredibly advanced and realistic.
When it spoke the orb seemed to glow slightly the whispy yet clear voice of the AI easy to understand.
"I am Elwar, Custodian of Askandar. It is truly a good day to see so many coming together to discuss ideals of peace, I endeavour to ensure much is acomplished here"
Another important meeting on the Andraken so soon after the meeting on Askandar was... decidedly unexpected. What was even more unexpected was that now AURA seemed ready to ensure their former ally would be... properly reprimanded for their actions during the Davian War.
The meeting was of the highest importance to the Vestahl Commonwealth. The Andraken still represented one of the biggest external threats to the Commonwealth and the Secretary General had made abundantly clear the wishes of the General Assembly: by the end of the meeting, one way or another, a plan would need to be in place that ensured the Andraken would never again threaten the Commonwealth. Crisis were popping up all over the Frontier, and the Commonwealth (and the Pact if it's existence continued) could not remained occupied with the Andraken threat forever.
It was time the issue be put to bed.
Sent to ensure that outcome was once again Anastasia Malashenko, the first foreign relations officer and the top diplomat in the Commowealth. She had overseen all diplomacy relating to the Andraken thus far and it was decided that for continuity's sake she should see it to its conclusion. She was accompanied by Alistair Stephens, who had been present during the negotiations that had ended the Davian War.
Malashenko had slept little in the days leading up to the conference, going over documents from the SIS and transcripts of past meetings as well as what the Generals, Admiral, Intelligence officers, and of course the politicians believed were 'acceptable conclusions'.
She barely noticed the strangeness of the venue, focusing on reviewing notes and last minute demands from various parties on her way to the meeting room.
The woman hid her lack of sleep well with a severe tone and some liberal applications of makeup. Even so, she was exhausted and when she rose to introduce herself she did so slowly.
"I am Anastasia Malashenko," She introduced herself. "First Foreign Relations Officer of the Vestahl Commonwealth, and also a representative for the Askandar Pact. It is a pleasure to have you all gathered here and to see that the wider galactic community is involved in seeing an end to the... situation in the Avarian Frontier,"
The suddenness of another Pact-related meeting was not unexpected as the last meetings negotiated the end of a state of warfare and dealt with the Andracken issue. A follow-up seemed logical enough though this time given where the meeting was occurring, the Dominion opted not to send Representative Solarin simply because of the location, The Dominion knew very little of the Dirge other than what was obvious. It made more sense to send Consul Jahn Soong instead of Solarin since there was virtually no chance of it bringing back something unwanted from the location. The trip in was fairly boring though Jahn did note the security and chalked it up to a lack of trust between the species involved. This seemed to be a constant theme for species in this galaxy, the lack of diplomatic traditions that were inviolate and that no one dared challenge. Once it was planet side, Jahn proceeded to the room in which the meeting was held taking no particular notice of the landscape, the floors or anything that wasn’t mission-specific. The arrival of Consul Jahn was probably at odds with what any of the Pact members would have expected since Solarin had been the go-to diplomat in all prior encounters. Instead Jahn, who wore, or more accurately inhabited EVA suit for this meeting was a blank slate in terms of anticipation as to what to expect. The only indicator of life in any definition of the term was the pair of glowing eyes seen through the darkened visor which swirled and glowed like a slow burning plasma fire. There was no indication of breathing, so whatever species Consul Jahn was clearly something that bent the common standards of xenobiology heavily. Once it was within the room, Consul Jahn moved to the assigned seat for the Risallas Dominion and introduced itself.
“I am Consul Jahn Soong, I will be representing the Risallas Dominion in the absence of Representative Solarin….” As Jahn spoke, it’s voice had an other-worldly quality, punctuations and pauses sounded like carefully placed and toned crackles of energy at a pitch as not to cause alarm whereas the over al speaking voice often left gaps between words that sounded like the fracturing of crystal. “…It is our hope that today we can finalize the settlement of the efforts that began with the prior two peace summits.”
Like a few of the other delegates, Count Arkus had come straight from the negotiations with the AGA and Davia’s defenders and was pleasantly surprised with the positive outcome. Following the good faith from that meeting he had hopes that these talks would follow the same trend.
The Vaanitas had little knowledge of this ‘Dirge’ or some of the other members of the Pact, so Arkus was intrigued to meet some of the locals in his area of the galaxy. He was quiet for the most part, busy sending data back to his aides to begin the work to come with Davia. Nonetheless, he took a brief moment to relax before another round of talks began.
He had no qualms about sacrificing the Adracken during the upcoming talks. They had served their use, and the weight of their own failures dragged them down. He had no intent to be dragged with them. Once landed the Count took time to examine and admire the unique architecture. Travelling such distance in such short time was a little disorienting, though he was impressed by the way it was accomplished.
After reaching the meeting room, he stood in front of his assigned seat. “Greetings, I see some familiar faces. To those I have not yet had the pleasure of meeting, I am Count Arkus Falvayn of the Vaanitas Supremacy. I thank our hosts and look forward to these talks.” He spoke cordially, looking at each of the delegates as he introduced himself, before taking his seat and sitting back in a semi casual pose.
The Autaya, in all honesty, had not been expecting so many meetings as a member of an alliance. They expected some, sure, and a lot of communications, but one after another like this wasn't something they were looking forward to.
Nonetheless, the Imperium had its duties to keep, and so a representative was sent, in the usual flashily adorned but otherwise practical attire of the Imperial Navy, cape and all. He paid the architecture little mind; he was here to get these talks over and done with, whatever happened to the Andracken he personally did not care.
He arrived with little fanfare to the meeting room, positioning himself behind his seat, arms crossed behind his back.
"A warm greeting to all, I am High Naval Commandant Lo'Balai, to those uninformed I am here on behalf of the Autayan Imperium. I look forward to a quick resolution to this affair, and one that benefits the galactic west as a whole." he stated with a simple, respectful nod, before taking his seat.
Admiral Chase took a bit longer to arrive to the meeting with PACT seeing as he had to return the Princess home. Seeing as the meeting with the AGA had gone well, he hope that this meeting would follow a similar pattern and have a positive outcome.
His 2ic had given him the information that they could gather about the Dirge seeing as they were hosting this meeting and the information they had on other members of PACT. He pondered what would happen to the Andracken, something similar to what was discussed for the Davians, but he himself personally had no issues of seeing them gone, they were a wild card and having them on a leash had kept them somewhat under control, but evidently not under enough control.
He reached the meeting room and looked at the gathered delegates, “Greetings some of you I recognise and it is a pleasure to meet you again, but for those that do not know me I am Admiral Christian Chase of the Cricaen Kingdom” He spoke before taking his place at the table.
Sector Minister Nelyrien had actually enjoyed his trip to the conference aboard the Dirge vessel that he had transferred to from his diplomatic cruiser. While in the home continuum he had been an ambassador to the Abaddon Autarky, and had even travelled to the terrifyingly odd system of Akhenphire. Though he did not exactly look forward to another visit to that surreal world of nightmares, he did have a sense of appreciation for the Ermerian bio-organic aesthetic, which served him well on the Dirge's living ship/entity.
Upon arrival, he aid his farewell to the ship, and made his way to the designated conference room. Once there he looked around, nodding to those dignitaries he had met at the recent summit at the Vestahl world, and then took his seat.
"Greetings to you all on behalf of the Anais Unity. As I stated at the summit on the Davian Situation, the Singers of the Void are committed to the stability and security of the Avarian Frontier and I am here to represent Blessed Laenas in these negotiations. For those whom I have not met, I am Sector Minister Nelyrien, Senior official of the Ministry of State in the Ancerious galaxy. I look forward to working with you all."
Tek came in last. He was unescorted, and he wore a comfortable smile on his face. He still had the same clothes he seemed to always wear. His eyes trailed across the delegates gathered, the voids of his eyes staying on those who he had not seen before. He bowed politely before sitting in his chair and bringing his hands up then bringing them together.
“I am Tek, right hand to Fel, and second of the Alpha Constructs.” He began politely, he then turned to Count Arkus and his smile increased slightly, “Ah, Count Arkus, I don’t believe we have met before. I do hope Amber is doing well in your care.” He said cheerfully. The smile fell however, and his voice turned sorrowful, “But I have a feeling that that won’t be a topic of this meeting.”
"Delegates," Malashenko said, standing and drawing attention to herself once all of the delegations had arrived and seated themselves. "As many of you know the Askandar Pact was formed on the principle of mutual defense and economic ties and the promotion of peace, stability and security in the Avarian Frontier and its immediate surroundings. Though we played virtually no role in it, the capitulation of the Divine Davian Empire represented a major step toward continuing stability in the frontier. For that, both AURA and the AGA have the sincerest thanks of the Vestahl Commonwealth and her citizens."
She paused to let the thanks sink in for a moment before continuing.
"However with the Davians pacified we must now look to another imminent threat to regional stability," She turned, fixing her gaze on Tek. "Representative Tek, despite your personal cooperation the people you represent continue to present a major destabilizing element in the Avarian Frontier. The purpose of this meeting is an agreement that will mitigate the threat your people continue to represent,"
She paused and sat down at that, letting any other representative who had an opening remark to speak.
"I hope the agreeements made here today are functional for all involved and help bring peace and stability to the region just like the Davian Accords have done. Do we have any initial proposals or would Tek like to at least try to defend his people" Hargun spoke aloud as he sat. He hoped this would end like the Davian conflict with the unstable side well disarmed and the region secure. Although with this new rising power of interdimensional shadows Hargun had the dark thought of perhaps using the Andrackan as a bulwark, perhaps as penance for what they had done...
"As to your question Tek, you would be correct in assuming that Amber was well...if not a little unhinged. But as stated that isn't the reason we are here." Arkus spoke, looking towards him. "Routinely, your people have acted with unnecessary violence across conflicts. They have acted in ways that have not only put themselves, but others in danger. Whilst I thank you for your aid in the Davian conflict, even then the Andracken acted rashly, destroying a planet for what can only be assumed as a demonstration of power." he continued, his expression grim.
"I was under the impression that AURA wanted the war over with as quickly as possible." Tek said, his face morphed in slight confusion. "We chose to destroy the planet as a means of showing our power so that the Davians would see resistance would be futile and that they should surrender." He explained. Power and fear was what Basics seemed to understand so they had acted on that weakness.
Nelyrien looked to the Andracken. "My question for you Tek is with regards to the events on Zaingraf. Intel briefings I have read indicated that the situation was under a level of control until it escalated rapidly. That escalation can be traced directly to Andracken forces attacking a survival bunker of the native species of Zaingraf."
"In the aftermath of this, Shadow activity increased geometrically-perhaps exponentially. An Andracken soldier was absorbed by these shadow entities, enabling the assimilation and emulation of technology by the hostile forces. Now Zaingraf is a full-on dimensional incursion."
Nelyrien turned, looking at each delegate as he continued speaking. "We now face an enemy force of unknown numbers, capable of adaptive reconfiguration, all due to the actions of the Andracken." Turning back to Tek he said "Can the Andracken go against the orders of their creators and make their own destiny? Are you a species or are you just drone units?"
To describe the Autayan representative's face as unimpressed was...a simple way to put it.
"I assume, then, the Andracken are unfamiliar with the old adage of 'like a cornered rat'? Yes, you might have intimidated them into backing down, but you failed to acknowledge the thought that such force might incite them to fight all the harder. It takes more than blunt, poorly planned brute force to get any response other than that same brute force. Or is such a thought lost to crystalline brains?"
Consul Jahn Soong would have openly frowned at the Andracken representative’s words if the face plate of his EVA suit allowed for such emotional displays. Instead its glowing eyes seemed to turn to the Andracken representative after the Autayan had commented. “Tek, you realize that in the countless millennia that the Malik have been observing corporeal beings like you; that strategy rarely works and tends to demonstrate a certain lack of intelligence and achievement for the given species. Your plan failed immediately because the fact is we had no plan to surrender at any point and your show of strength as naïve as it was only galvanized the defender’s resolve. Perhaps the next time you fight a battle you would consider putting time into knowing your foe?”
Hargun raised an eyebrow at Teks statement both in surprise and puzzlement "Yes I would have to agree with the Autayan Representative here, such a display would only solidify resistance to AURAs attack and make it even more of a bloodbath. Destruction of planets should be made only with the most solidified reasons and not for some trivial statement of power. As for the situation in Zaingraf..." He paused.
"I dont have the full situational data only whats been on the Anc net along with some data packets from the Rissalas and some others. However I am fully aware that any dimensional incursion is a serious threat and with one that can rapidly change capabilities perhaps the outlook of showing overwhelming force is one that should not be applied to this situation"
Aamren, polite as she was, had to exert some self control to not simply state the obvious concerning how idiotic the Andraken's plan had been. And this news of them being responsible for an extradimensional incursion was making them seem more incompetent by the minute. "Tek, based on our first contact with your nation, your civilization has been around for a respectable amount of time. So why then, do you seem to lack common sense planning and risk management skills? Because it's concerning, to say the least, that you would play off the planetary destruction as a show of force, as well as think it a good idea to fire on a survival bunker. That is leaving out the fact that both actions made the issue worse with your opponents."
Tek chuckled lightly to himself before stopping unnaturally quick. He first looked to Nelyrin. "Yes, our actions at Zaingraf caused the dimensional incursion, how ever with night approaching every group would have been attacked." He paused for a second as if in thought. "I believe the correct phrase is that we were lucky they didn't copy any weapons from the Singers." He then shifted slightly forward, his eyes seeming to grow darker if it was even possible. "As for your last question, why do you wish to know."
Tek then looked to Jahn, Lo'Balai, Hargun, and last Aamren. "You four ask the question of our tactics. The Commander of the fleet was working on algorithms and scenarios that would lead to the greatest possible outcome with as little casualties as possible." Tek explained to them. His face remained neutral as he spoke.
Hargun almost laughed at Teks statement to Nelyrin "Whataboutism, well I never thought I would engage in such at this meeting but here we are. The matter of the fact is the Andrackan have proven themselves a establishing agent in this area of the galaxy that has led to some extremely dangerous and maybe even galaxy threatening events. While you may look for algorithms and more that does not tell you the bigger picture, pure untampered use of logic breeds arrogance and defeat."
He paused before continuing "The real question is here, is how the international community decides to handle this situation. How they decide to handle the Andrackan, I am interested to hear what your logic has to offer in order to guess the intent of this board?"
"I think you answers only confirm what many here have already suspected," Malashenko said, taking the floor once more. "Ladies and gentlemen, the Vestahl Commonwealth has prepared terms we think are more than fair in order to de-escalate the threat posed by the Andraken and return a sense of peace and stability to the Avarian Frontier. They are as follows:
"Article one states that the Andraken will reduce it's combat capable forces to a force suitable only for the defence of its territory. This number is negotiable but I've been advised that five hundred ships should be sufficient for their needs.
"Article one, subsection one states the Andraken will not expand their military beyond agreed upon numbers. Vessels may only be constructed to replace those lost.
"Article two states that the Andraken will immediately decommission all weapons and vessels classed as 'Weapons of Mass Destruction'. The Commonwealth defines a weapon of mass destruction as any weapon capable of destroying a planet, or scouring all life from a planet, with relative ease. This definition can be amended as needed as well.
"Article two, subsection one states the Andraken will not build a weapon of mass destruction under any circumstances in future.
"Article three, states that the purpose of the Andraken military is for self defence only. Operating beyond the Andraken's agreed upon sphere of influence is strictly prohibited.
"Article four states that Queen Fel will abdicate the throne and a provisional government will be established until a suitable replacement is chosen.
"Article five states that a joint oversight committee, including members from the Askandar Pact, AURA, and the AGA will be established to ensure that the terms of this treaty are adhered to and to shape the future administration of the Andraken into one more capable of interacting with the wider galactic community.
"Article six establishes a non-aggression pact between AURA, the Askandar Pact, and the AGA in order to ensure that the administration of this region is smooth and without conflict.
"This is only a first draft of terms of course," Malashenko added once she had finished. "We are of course open to negotiation on all of the aforementioned articles."