Post by paracelsus on Jan 22, 2022 14:23:07 GMT
Khan's Palace, Xanadu
For the first time in many years, Eleison finds himself sitting at the conference room of the Crimson Palace. Long ago, this was the meeting place of kings and queens, of warlords and visionaries, of a god and his subjects. This is where the Khanate was born from the ashes of a intersystem war. This is where he formed the ruling body called the Diadochi, and where they once used to meet before the empire grew too large for the six of them to be in constant personal communication.
They rarely meet here now, and only in the most dire of circumstances. And even when meeting, it is usually through digital communication. But it is the latest events of the galaxy warrant such personal attention now. After all.
This could be the dawn of a new age for the Khanate as a whole.
The doors open and all five of his Diadochi steam into the room as a singular unit, their outward performance hiding any form of interpersonal rivalry they have.
His lips quirk slightly in a smile. As the doors close and they all take their seats, Eleison leans forward slightly. A scent fills the room, sweet but with a hint of bitterness. Like ash on a fire. And just for a moment, the fires on the torches lining the walls turns a bright bloody red.
Even though they are all familiar with him by now, not a single one of them are not discomforted by the flare of his aura. But it is his most favoured of them all who recovers from this the fastest.
Salome, Diadochi of the Faun, looks at him first. A blue-haired woman wearing clothing of red and gold, she is said to be the businesswoman of the Khanate, her focus being trade and economy. It is she who deals with slaves the most, it is her who funds her own shadow companies and conglomerates. She is the first of the Diadochi, but far from the most loyal.
“My lord,” she says, giving a slight inclination of her head, followed by a small smile, “I suppose you always prefer being more straightforward,” she looks around the room, taking note of how the scent of ash dies down slowly. Encouraged (all though she never lost her confidence once) by this, she speaks on.
“Well. Let us begin then. Firstly, with a brief summary of our nations actions ever since the Founding,” there are murmurs of assent from the group. She clears her throat, more out of habit, before speaking.
“For a short while since the Founding, we maintained a relatively neutral relations with the rest of our neighbours. Mostly, we were content to trade for our resources. During this time we met with the Neyimosuchi Dynasty and began a tradiging relationship with them. After discovering that they were possibly all we needed, we began to take up raid offers for them, in exchange for supplies and materials.”
Before she could continue, another Diadochi speaks up. An Urak, grey skinned and huge, and wearing metal armour covered in runic scripture that glows with mystical energy. Jaghatai, the Diadochi of the Uraks, and the most ambitious of them all, “we did not raid simply because we were dependent on them,” he growls, “but because it is our nature as kings to do so. Their assistance is merely a boon of such a thing.”
Salome simply gives him a look, before simply giving him a thin smile, “right, right. Whatever you say, my dear Jaghatai.”
With that altercation out of the way, she continues, “this state of affairs continued for a long while…and then, word reached our ears of the being known as Yog Narr and its actions.”
At this, the temperature in the meeting room seems to drop. The scent of ash returns, this time in full force. The amicable look on Eleison’s face fades away, replaced by a frown. His fingers twitch slightly.
Despite this, the next Diadochi, a thin and lanky pale being almost uncannily human. Kali Lainar, the Diadochi of the Umbasans. A scientific and rationally minded individual, he is naturally the one most interested in the being called Yog Narr, “I must say, it is an incredibly troubling thing to know about the existence of such a powerful being. I doubt even the full might of the navy can match it. We really need to upgrade,”
At this, Barabas, the Diadochi of the Aquatus, is the next to comment. He wears a full suit of power armour that conceals nearly his entire form, and only his clear faceplate shows his true nature; a large, jellyfish-like being, “we will begin outfitting even our corvettes with ETC batteries to compensate for our lack of advancement. A new batch of ships should be finished soon as well, meaning our navy will not be as weak as it once was.”
At those words, Jaghatai seems to rise, but with a raised hand, Eleison silences the entire room.
“Enough. Do what you must to ensure our survival and prosperity. But we must finish this report. Salome, continue.”
She seems to smirk slightly at her fellows, before relaxing into her chair, “well. With the destruction of the largest Ancerium mining fleet by Yog Narr, a chain reaction was created. From the formation of two galaxy-wide organisations to..the situation we find ourselves in now. A third galactic war. The likes of which we have never seen before.”
She starts to chuckle deeply as she turns to look at Eleison, “well dear, that’s all I have to say really. With the shortage of fuel, we were forced into launching smaller and cheaper raids against our enemies to resupply ourselves. And with the rest of the galaxy in the same state, it seems that a war is inevitable. The question remains now…what do we do…”
For a moment there is silence. Then, the Jaghatai speaks up, his words striking surprising sense, “with everyone sending their fleets way, we have been presented a prime opportunity to strikeout. Staying neutral and attacking both sides would net us the largest profit in the short term. But if one side comes out on top and catches wind of what we do…either they leave us alone or they retaliate.”
Lainar nods his head, “indeed. Perhaps choosing a side is vital. It would allow us to be supported while at the same time, still having a viable list of targets. But if we were to lose this war…”
Salome offers an alternative, “perhaps we don’t have to fight in this war, not directly at least. Could offer up our marauders as mercenaries and weapons as sellable products. We could make a profit, but I don’t expect any of us to make away with too much,” she shrugs at this.
“Either way,” the final member of the meeting, Adamas, the Diadochi of the Golemi, speaks. A massive being made from black rock, iron, and sorcery, he truly cut an imposing figure, “we cannot stay out of this war. Our involvement, whether one likes it or not, is essential to making our way to the galactic stage. I say regardless of what we do, we must take action.”
Barabas makes no noise, and simply gives him a look, followed by the gaze of the rest. In the end, it seems that the decision, as always, fell to him.
How he loved ruling over them all.
“We shall rule out allying with CONA,” Eleison says, “They have no love for us. SAGA might not like us either due to our raids on the Empire of Hethlan. Naturally, this makes me keener on attacking them both. But…I think we shall not make any announcements on who we side with. Instead, we shall observe and wait for the right time to strike. Let the nations of the galaxy weaken themselves…and perhaps, when the time is right, we pick a side…or attack them all.”
At his words, the five all exchange glances. Salome is once again the first to recover, “Very well. I shall prepare for a way to disseminate such information,” she shakes off whatever surprise she has, and sighs, “you always seem to prefer things rough, don’t you?” She says with a teasing tone. Normally, such a thing would be a slight had it been from anyone else. But to her, his most favoured? Well, he could accept that.
“Trust me,” he says, grinning slightly despite himself, “all shall be well, and all manner of thing, shall be well.”
They rarely meet here now, and only in the most dire of circumstances. And even when meeting, it is usually through digital communication. But it is the latest events of the galaxy warrant such personal attention now. After all.
This could be the dawn of a new age for the Khanate as a whole.
The doors open and all five of his Diadochi steam into the room as a singular unit, their outward performance hiding any form of interpersonal rivalry they have.
His lips quirk slightly in a smile. As the doors close and they all take their seats, Eleison leans forward slightly. A scent fills the room, sweet but with a hint of bitterness. Like ash on a fire. And just for a moment, the fires on the torches lining the walls turns a bright bloody red.
Even though they are all familiar with him by now, not a single one of them are not discomforted by the flare of his aura. But it is his most favoured of them all who recovers from this the fastest.
Salome, Diadochi of the Faun, looks at him first. A blue-haired woman wearing clothing of red and gold, she is said to be the businesswoman of the Khanate, her focus being trade and economy. It is she who deals with slaves the most, it is her who funds her own shadow companies and conglomerates. She is the first of the Diadochi, but far from the most loyal.
“My lord,” she says, giving a slight inclination of her head, followed by a small smile, “I suppose you always prefer being more straightforward,” she looks around the room, taking note of how the scent of ash dies down slowly. Encouraged (all though she never lost her confidence once) by this, she speaks on.
“Well. Let us begin then. Firstly, with a brief summary of our nations actions ever since the Founding,” there are murmurs of assent from the group. She clears her throat, more out of habit, before speaking.
“For a short while since the Founding, we maintained a relatively neutral relations with the rest of our neighbours. Mostly, we were content to trade for our resources. During this time we met with the Neyimosuchi Dynasty and began a tradiging relationship with them. After discovering that they were possibly all we needed, we began to take up raid offers for them, in exchange for supplies and materials.”
Before she could continue, another Diadochi speaks up. An Urak, grey skinned and huge, and wearing metal armour covered in runic scripture that glows with mystical energy. Jaghatai, the Diadochi of the Uraks, and the most ambitious of them all, “we did not raid simply because we were dependent on them,” he growls, “but because it is our nature as kings to do so. Their assistance is merely a boon of such a thing.”
Salome simply gives him a look, before simply giving him a thin smile, “right, right. Whatever you say, my dear Jaghatai.”
With that altercation out of the way, she continues, “this state of affairs continued for a long while…and then, word reached our ears of the being known as Yog Narr and its actions.”
At this, the temperature in the meeting room seems to drop. The scent of ash returns, this time in full force. The amicable look on Eleison’s face fades away, replaced by a frown. His fingers twitch slightly.
Despite this, the next Diadochi, a thin and lanky pale being almost uncannily human. Kali Lainar, the Diadochi of the Umbasans. A scientific and rationally minded individual, he is naturally the one most interested in the being called Yog Narr, “I must say, it is an incredibly troubling thing to know about the existence of such a powerful being. I doubt even the full might of the navy can match it. We really need to upgrade,”
At this, Barabas, the Diadochi of the Aquatus, is the next to comment. He wears a full suit of power armour that conceals nearly his entire form, and only his clear faceplate shows his true nature; a large, jellyfish-like being, “we will begin outfitting even our corvettes with ETC batteries to compensate for our lack of advancement. A new batch of ships should be finished soon as well, meaning our navy will not be as weak as it once was.”
At those words, Jaghatai seems to rise, but with a raised hand, Eleison silences the entire room.
“Enough. Do what you must to ensure our survival and prosperity. But we must finish this report. Salome, continue.”
She seems to smirk slightly at her fellows, before relaxing into her chair, “well. With the destruction of the largest Ancerium mining fleet by Yog Narr, a chain reaction was created. From the formation of two galaxy-wide organisations to..the situation we find ourselves in now. A third galactic war. The likes of which we have never seen before.”
She starts to chuckle deeply as she turns to look at Eleison, “well dear, that’s all I have to say really. With the shortage of fuel, we were forced into launching smaller and cheaper raids against our enemies to resupply ourselves. And with the rest of the galaxy in the same state, it seems that a war is inevitable. The question remains now…what do we do…”
For a moment there is silence. Then, the Jaghatai speaks up, his words striking surprising sense, “with everyone sending their fleets way, we have been presented a prime opportunity to strikeout. Staying neutral and attacking both sides would net us the largest profit in the short term. But if one side comes out on top and catches wind of what we do…either they leave us alone or they retaliate.”
Lainar nods his head, “indeed. Perhaps choosing a side is vital. It would allow us to be supported while at the same time, still having a viable list of targets. But if we were to lose this war…”
Salome offers an alternative, “perhaps we don’t have to fight in this war, not directly at least. Could offer up our marauders as mercenaries and weapons as sellable products. We could make a profit, but I don’t expect any of us to make away with too much,” she shrugs at this.
“Either way,” the final member of the meeting, Adamas, the Diadochi of the Golemi, speaks. A massive being made from black rock, iron, and sorcery, he truly cut an imposing figure, “we cannot stay out of this war. Our involvement, whether one likes it or not, is essential to making our way to the galactic stage. I say regardless of what we do, we must take action.”
Barabas makes no noise, and simply gives him a look, followed by the gaze of the rest. In the end, it seems that the decision, as always, fell to him.
How he loved ruling over them all.
“We shall rule out allying with CONA,” Eleison says, “They have no love for us. SAGA might not like us either due to our raids on the Empire of Hethlan. Naturally, this makes me keener on attacking them both. But…I think we shall not make any announcements on who we side with. Instead, we shall observe and wait for the right time to strike. Let the nations of the galaxy weaken themselves…and perhaps, when the time is right, we pick a side…or attack them all.”
At his words, the five all exchange glances. Salome is once again the first to recover, “Very well. I shall prepare for a way to disseminate such information,” she shakes off whatever surprise she has, and sighs, “you always seem to prefer things rough, don’t you?” She says with a teasing tone. Normally, such a thing would be a slight had it been from anyone else. But to her, his most favoured? Well, he could accept that.
“Trust me,” he says, grinning slightly despite himself, “all shall be well, and all manner of thing, shall be well.”