Post by EmperorMyric on Dec 16, 2017 20:11:59 GMT
Union Expedition fleet 227, System P2X 292 unusual readings detected. Investigating
In her dimly lit chambers, nestled deep within the depths of the Malachar V underground, the Great Mother woke from her slumber.
The frantic thoughts and emotions of her subjects washed over her like waves. Fear, uncertainty, panic; the Vitasi High Queen felt all of this. She emitted a low growling, chittering noise and searched the collective consciousness for the source of the disturbance. Within an instant she knew: alien vessels, ships of unknown origin surrounding the planet. Her warriors had detected them first on their instruments, and because of them the information flowed through the entire Hive. Even now, the High Queen's praetorian guard emerged from the shadows surrounding her perch and moved to stand before her, awaiting orders, growling and chattering among themselves.
Immediately, the High Queen realized order had to be restored. This was the first alien species the Vitasi had encountered in Ancerious, and she was determined not to let the situation, which could potentially be solved diplomatically, devolve into a violent prelude to war.
Calm yourselves, she commanding, inserting the thoughts directly into the Hive Mind. Warriors, attend to your posts. Arm weapons, but do not fire. Ready ground-to-space weaponry. Activate Hive shields. Await hail.
So the Great Mother spoke, and so it was done. The Vitasi prepared themselves for a potentially violent confrontation, armed their weapons, evacuated their civilians to the underground caverns, and waited.
The High Queen hoped that the aliens came in peace.
Captain Rarheim surveyed the situation. It was most clearly a first contact and so operated on first contact protocols. His fleet had arrived over the planet in response to interesting sensor readings discovered in the past few days. A small Union fleet had been assembled and altogether around 50 ships had been sent. Rarheim commanded from his battleship the Cloud Solas and his fleet was in a passive defensive formation. Their weapons were retracted to look non threatening but he knew any fleet appearing in ones skies can give the opposite impression...
Scans had shown some sort of hive race, though any sort of details could no be garnered he had also seen them starting to deploy shields and weapons on the surface in response. However they had not fired, perhaps they could be reasoned with. Another ally or friend for the Union would be a momentous event.
Rarheim nodded to communications and activated a broadcast in all known languages and frequencies.
"Greetings, I am Captain Geary Rarheim of the Union Of Worlds. I come in peace and wish peaceful relations between our peoples. Please respond" All he could do was wait and hope.
Through her drones, the High Queen received and understood the message. With a hiss, she activated her personal communications array, a crystalline device suspended from the ceiling in the centre of the chamber. It glowed with soft blue light as she attempted her response.
The device, almost cocoon-like in shape, was a new-age solution to an ancient Vitasi problem: direct communication with other species. The Vitasi lacked a clear vocal language, and attempting a psionic link with entities orbiting the planet was tiresome, so the device interpreted psionic messages sent by the Queen and translated them into a format that other entities could easily detect and understand.
After a few moments, the Vitasi's response appeared on the comm screen of Captain Rarheim's vessel:
I am High Queen Khasara. We are the Vitasi. We respect your wish for peace and share it.
Rarheim sighed a sigh of relief. Though he still kept his guard up, previous first encounters had wanted peace only to then turn in open war however he was content on letting this flow. He was interested too, these 'Vitasi' as they were called seemed new and unlike anything else the Union had encountered. hopefully with a bit of luck both would benefit from a potential alliance.
"Greetings High Queen Khasara, it is an honour to meet you. This is most wonderful news that you share our wishes for peace. Is there a possibility we could meet in person and discuss further terms and more about each other? The Union is always eager to learn about and meet new races" He was genuinely exited, he always loved seeing and meeting new races.
We are very interested in meeting with you personally, Captain. However, the answer to that question is dependent on where the meeting is to take place. My people are my children, Captain, and I am loathe to leave them alone. At the same time, the environment of this world is, I hasten to assume, not suitable for your kind.
The High Queen paused before continuing.I will be willing to come aboard your flagship on two conditions. One, I must be allowed to bring my entire praetorian guard. Two, I will arrange my own transport to your vessel and back. Is that acceptable?
As much as she wanted to trust this new, strange empire, High Queen Khasara did not yet trust this Captain Rarheim. If a predator shows up to your doorstep armed to the teeth and begins asking for piece, it was always wise to exercise a healthy amount of caution.
Rarheim paused thinking before nodding "Both of those terms seem acceptable to me Queen Khasara. You will come to your ship in your own transport, you have permission to dock and your guard may accompany you. I will meet you personally in the dock and then we shall make out way to the conference room to begin negotiations, Rarheim out" He looked around at the men and women on the bridge, their expressions were hard to read, some had happiness, some had a small bit of unease, all about the first contact. because everyone knew they could go either way at any time. Rarheim had both emotions too, however his job was to make sure things didn't go to hell in a hand basket.
With no small amount of satisfaction that things had gone her way, the High Queen gently stepped down from her perch and slowly made her way across the royal chamber. Her praetorians had prepared her transport the moment she had considered using it, and were now standing at attention in the docking bay of the Hive Complex. Khasara boarded, took one last look at the home she seldom left, and they were away.
***
The journey to the Union flagship took less time than expected. The Queen's ship, which was roughly wasp-shaped and was plated with a exoskeleton-like material, soared through the atmosphere without any issue, and began docking procedures once they had pulled up the proper coordinates. The dark-colored vessel slowly glided into the docking bay, deployed a set of crab-like landing 'legs', and settled down onto the floor. A portal opened in the 'abdomen' of the ship with a hiss, and from it issued the Vitasi visitors.
The first to come were the praetorian guard. Larger than most Vitasi, they stood about eight feet in height, not including the bony crest. They were intimidating in appearance, with large chests and powerful arms that held some sort of bladed staff weapon. Their carapace, onyx in colour, had a peculiar metallic sheen to it, and in certain places blue light could be seen from beneath. Their multiple legs clacked against the metal floor as they arranged themselves in two parallel lines, glowing eyes regarding their hosts with suspicion.
After them, High Queen Khasara herself emerged, and she was larger still than any of her guards. Her crest extended almost half her body length back from her head and came to several points almost like a crown. While no wings were visible on her comrades, the High Queen's were folded behind her like opalescent sails, and her torso was far more--in a strange way--feminine. The most notable difference, however, was that the High Queen's abdomen was much larger, a biological necessity for her role as brood mother.
When she had exited, Khasara folded her hands in a strangely human fashion and awaited Captain Rarheim.
Rarheim entered the hangar bay with around 20 Union marines, all were dressed in their full combat gear though held their weapons at ease. Each carried a plasma auto rifle and their light blue power armour hummed in unison as they marched behind Rarheim. The captain himself was dressed in his blue captains uniform with his cap on and holding a data slate. He was was somewhat taken a back at the site of the Vitasi as he entered the room, as most people where. However he realised they somewhat resembled the Violar, a race that had joined the Union. He smiled and stopped in front of the queen. He bowed respectfully and his guards saluted by thumping their right hand on their chest plate.
"Welcome High Queen Khasara of the Vitasi to my flagship the Cloud Solas I am Captain Rarheim of the Union of Worlds, it is a true honour to be here in the name of peace, this day shall hopefully be a great day for both our peoples" He said respectfully.
Khasara dipped her head, for it was entirely improper for a queen of her status to bow. Her guards, on the other hand, mimicked the greeting of Rarheim's in a show of respect and greeting.
Greetings, Captain,said the High Queen, her thought-speech circulating through the minds of all those in the immediate area.We thank you for your hospitality, and hope that our appearance is not toounnerving. Many a war has been waged against us when others take us for monsters.
Rarheim shook his head "Dear queen your appearance will not influence the decisions here today, we are a bit surprised for we have never encountered your race before. however we too have a race slightly like yourself, they are called the Violar and are indeed too insectile, however they are not a hive race, I think it would be interesting for you both to meet. Now I think you will prefer we should go somewhere more... comfortable?" Rarheim said happily.
Khasara chittered and made a motion with one of her main arms. Four praetorians detached themselves from the ranks and took formation by their High Queen; two in front, two behind.
Lead the wayshe said to the captain.
Rarheim nodded and led the way, they travelled a small amount to the conference room, thankfully the corridors of the Union ship were fully able to fit the queen and her guards due to the Union having a mix match of race sizes. the insides of the ship was pristine clean and men and women of all types wearing Union blue uniforms walked by and nodded allowing the queen through. Occasionally a more exotic creature would come down the corridor, the reptilian Jorgal and the feline Elysians. When they got to the conference chamber Rarheim opened the door and beckoned the queen inside. it was a large space with a long rectangular table and many chairs, some big enough for a truly huge creature to sit. Rarheim sat down and turned on the holo table and activated a few things he pointed to a seat opposite him at the head of the table.
"Please have a seat High Queen"
Khasara was taken aback by the splendour and massive scale of the Union flagship. While part of her admired the strength of the empire with which she was now dealing, another, more primal part of her was put on edge. Khasara had no doubt that the Union of Worlds could obliterate her people's new home if they wished if this vessel and its attendant fleet were anything to judge by. She had ships, yes, but far too few to take on this empire in force.
Her mind buzzing with misgivings, the High Queen awkwardly attempted to situate herself in the chair Rarheim had indicated. After a few moments she situated herself comfortably, though her guard remained standing around her at attention.
Rarheim watched the queen sit and smiled. he brought up some virtual screen around him and punched in some numbers and words. then then dispersed them and began
"I captain Rarheim will begin these proceedings with an offer for peace between our two peoples. This peace may be amended and the exact terms between us shall be agreed upon in detail once the peace is accepted. if another term is what you seek or you seek no such dealings with us then we shall accede your wishes however I seem it a good idea to first give you a copy of my empires history out of goodwill" Rarheim programmed a data crystal and it slid out of the table in front of the Vitasi queen to pick up "In that you will find our entire history of our accumulated peoples, I hope it will help your view of us" He smiled.
Khasara, hesitating slightly, reached out and took the data crystal with one of her smaller arms and briefly examined it. Afterwards, she handed it to one of her guards for safe-keeping.
You have my thanks commander. With any luck, our instruments will be able to read it. I am afraid that my people do not have something to give to you in return, however; we...were not expecting visitors.
Rarheim laughed slightly "That is good to hear i hope it serves you well! And that is no problem that you have nothing for us, i expect we would learn much about you by merely being around you. Now what terms would you find fitting for our two empires? The Union would like to offer you an alliance with negotiable terms however what would you rather have?" Rarheim said respectively.
The High Queen replied without a moment's thought.
My people desire an alliance with your Union. True, our people will benefit far more from it than yours, but in time I hope we could offer something in return.
She paused, then continued speaking. I will not lie to you, Captain. I ask for an alliance for the sake of the protection your civilization could provide us. We were powerful in our galaxy of origin, but here we are little more than defenceless larva in this ocean of stars. If you give us your friendship and your protection, we will give you our knowledge and labour. I say that because, in all honesty, your empire will not benefit much from our comparatively paltry fleet.
Rarheim nodded in understanding but smiled "My dear queen the Unions philosophy is to attain peace and understanding between and for all. If that means the Union will help you grow and defend you then so be it. We would gladly help you, we prize knowledge and understanding as high rewards, merely understanding and learning about your race would be a great event for us. We would be extremely happy to accept an alliance" Rarheim grinned and brought up some more holographic files and one in particular a piece of paper was then printed and Rarheim brought out a very ornate pen from a small pocket in his uniform "This is an official alliance document it shows the terms of an alliance with us though we would happily amend and that you wish. If you are pleased with them then we can both sign or stamp our names and the alliance will then be sent back to my high command to be made official. from then on we shall be allies and it will be a great day indeed" A holo copy appeared before the screen in what Rarheim hoped was a translated version.
Khasara looked over the document, when one thing caught her eyes.
I must consult with your people before making decisions? she asked the captain. Her antennae twitched.
Rarheim nodded and smiled "Of course, consult and take as much time as you need These terms can be negotiated over and I’m sure we can to some sort of arrangement if your people and yourself are not content with certain terms" Rarheim said calmly.
But does that mean all of our internal affairs are subject to the scrutiny of your Union? Captain Rarheim, my people wish for peace, but we still hope to maintain our autonomy in the process.
Rarheim cocked his head to one side and looked at the form "Yes... i don’t know why high command put that on there, nearly all of our allies sue for that one to be removed and I don’t blame them or you for that. I don’t know why they don’t remove it... of course we can remove that one for you. I hope that will help" He said a bit embarrassed.
It helps considerably, Khasara replied. , I see quite a few 'musts' in this document, however. Understand that my people, if this alliance goes as planned, will be happy to help your people in times of need, but we will not rush headlong into wars or ventures if doing so threatens the survival of our race.,
She paused, then continued again. , That is to say, we will not go forth into annihilation because of this agreement, but rest assured we will be loyal allies in other circumstances.,
"That is understandable, some of that document is quite... demanding however a lot of it can be adjusted, the Union will understand if you do not join our efforts in war straight away. We will protect your people as best we can and will be grateful for any assistance you can provide, when you finally get to the level in which you can help us fully we will be more hoping in your ability to offer us help. Though don’t feel pressured of course!" Rarheim laughed slightly.
The High Queen dipped her head in acknowledgement. , As you say, Captain. Until then, we hope we can provide other services, such as medical support. My people are gifted biotechs, and may be of some use as physicians. ,
Rarheim nodded "That would be excellent, biotech is an area in which the Union knows little about, our experiments into that area have yielded poor results, perhaps future exploits between our peoples could help that, the Union does have knowledge into a wide range of different technologies and this shall hopefully help you in return"
Let us hope Khasara agreed. I suppose we should sign the document now, and discuss less pressing matters later? I am curious about your...diverse empire.
Rarheim laughed "Of course that would probably be best" He smiled and clicked the end of his pen, in fluent writing he signed his name and the began to speak "I Captain Henry Rarheim of the Union of Worlds Herby declare the Vitasi to be an ally of the Union by the powers invested in me. Be the alliance before us be eternal and prosperous" He then bowed to Kharasa walked over and handed her the document saluting as he did so by banging his fist to his chest.
Khasara took the pen and signed not in words, for the Vitasi had no need of a written language, but with a pictogram that was ceremonially used to represent the High Queen of her people, reminiscent in shape to her own skull. When it was done, her guards snapped to attention and, once more, copied Rarheim's salute.
And I, High Queen Khasara, with the consent of all my people, accept these terms and recognize the Union as our allies.
Rarheim smiled and scanned the paper on the holo table, a second copy was printed out and he encased it with a very ornate sleeve, he then bowed as he handed it to the high Queen as her copy. he then took the other and did the same for safe keeping for the Union. He smiled "So... What do you wish to know about the Union then my queen?"
To start, your title does not convey that you are the supreme administrative official of your nation. Thus, I assume that the true power of the government lies elsewhere, and am in turn curious about the man or woman who governs your empire.
Rarheim nodded and began to speak "Well its a complex one... I am a captain but under Union law Captains are emissaries and representatives of the Union of Worlds we are free to accept and make alliances, these then get filed back to high command. any alliance they do not approve of they resign however this is an extremely rare event and will not happen with this one. Our main commander in this galaxy is a Admiral called Hargun and his secondary commander is Captain Volkus. We in this galaxy in fact hail from another universe. in that universe we are large and control a few galaxies. we are headed by the Grand council made up of representatives from our many races. however our true ruler is Emperor Myric. He is a being of unfathomable power who has created the Union from nothing. he is that of an angel and his 10 other angels have helped him carve peace for us all. he is a grand person and one of untold wisdom and kindness. More about him can be found on that data crystal I gave you"
The words 'being of unfathomable power' but Khasara on edge, and consequently her guards chittered to themselves nervously. A gentle mental command pulled them back into strained silence. It seems as though your nation is stronger than we had first anticipated. I hope that your Emperor finds no cause to declare war on us. We are not in a state to defend ourselves from a full-fledged galactic empire.
Rarheim shook his head "He is incredibly kind, he didn’t just fight for peace for our human race, he fought for the peace and hope for all races he has come across, it is his wish that we seek those that would also join for peace. Besides he is currently... indisposed... A civil war wrack’s the Union at this current time in our home universe with a race which... were our ancients they have turned on us and with technology which makes ours look primitive they seek to turn us into their slaves and once again become the dominant race among the stars... Do not worry their presence in this galaxy is one ship only... but we shall see. I promise you we will not drag you into it" He said sadly.
It seems as though we truly are insects caught between the wars of giants... Khasara remarked quietly.
Rarheim overheard and shook his head "We will protect you. And for the record if you have a ship arrive in one of your sectors which is pure while and gold with runes, and is kept in many pieces with golden energy... Run and contact us as soon as possible. Do not try to engage or it will go badly... hopefully they will just ignore you however its best not to take that risk. They are called the Nakai. However the chances of them appearing round here are VERY slim, current word has them over the other side of the galaxy right now, but its best to know rather than not"
I appreciate you informing us, Captain. We will take your advice when it comes to these...Nakai...
Rarheim nodded "Yes though I shouldn’t worry about them, is there anything else you wish to ask about us?"
I suppose that will suffice for the time being; the data crystal will most likely provide the answers we seek. Is there anything you would ask of us?
Rarheim nodded "Yes that it will, and hmmm..." He pondered for a second "How was it your race came to evolve? we have never met a hive race before, we believe in equality but equality cannot take hold in a race with difference bred castes we understand that and respect it, but it is interesting non the less perhaps you can enlighten us?"
The High Queen tilted her head, a bit confused by the Captain's question. We evolved on a planet similar to the one we are now orbiting--that is why we chose to establish our Hive here-- from the native insectile creatures. As we understand it, the Hive-Mind developed as a defence mechanism for the colonies: if one individual encounters danger, the rest are notified immediately, and can come to their brethren's aid. Since then, it has become far more complex, allowing the instantaneous transfer of emotions and information throughout the entire race. She could have continued to say how she, the High Queen, was the hub of that network, but kept that information to herself. Such sensitive information would betray one of her race's greatest vulnerabilities: her.
Rarheim smiled “Astounding, it really is quite remarkable evolution... Anyway anything you need to know will be on the crystal, I need to report back to my superiors about this fantastic event, I am sure my people will be ecstatic to hear of another alliance, and one in particular with an incredibly interesting race. If you need to contact the Union directly also do not hesitate to do so” Rarheim said happily.
The High Queen nodded slightly Thank you captain, I too must attend to my children. I shall also look at the data you have provided in great detail. Goodbye Captain She turned and exited the diplomacy room flanked by her Praetorian Guards, Rarheim bowed as she left. And he turned to the coms table, he had a report to make to high command, for another great ally had been made this day.
In her dimly lit chambers, nestled deep within the depths of the Malachar V underground, the Great Mother woke from her slumber.
The frantic thoughts and emotions of her subjects washed over her like waves. Fear, uncertainty, panic; the Vitasi High Queen felt all of this. She emitted a low growling, chittering noise and searched the collective consciousness for the source of the disturbance. Within an instant she knew: alien vessels, ships of unknown origin surrounding the planet. Her warriors had detected them first on their instruments, and because of them the information flowed through the entire Hive. Even now, the High Queen's praetorian guard emerged from the shadows surrounding her perch and moved to stand before her, awaiting orders, growling and chattering among themselves.
Immediately, the High Queen realized order had to be restored. This was the first alien species the Vitasi had encountered in Ancerious, and she was determined not to let the situation, which could potentially be solved diplomatically, devolve into a violent prelude to war.
Calm yourselves, she commanding, inserting the thoughts directly into the Hive Mind. Warriors, attend to your posts. Arm weapons, but do not fire. Ready ground-to-space weaponry. Activate Hive shields. Await hail.
So the Great Mother spoke, and so it was done. The Vitasi prepared themselves for a potentially violent confrontation, armed their weapons, evacuated their civilians to the underground caverns, and waited.
The High Queen hoped that the aliens came in peace.
Captain Rarheim surveyed the situation. It was most clearly a first contact and so operated on first contact protocols. His fleet had arrived over the planet in response to interesting sensor readings discovered in the past few days. A small Union fleet had been assembled and altogether around 50 ships had been sent. Rarheim commanded from his battleship the Cloud Solas and his fleet was in a passive defensive formation. Their weapons were retracted to look non threatening but he knew any fleet appearing in ones skies can give the opposite impression...
Scans had shown some sort of hive race, though any sort of details could no be garnered he had also seen them starting to deploy shields and weapons on the surface in response. However they had not fired, perhaps they could be reasoned with. Another ally or friend for the Union would be a momentous event.
Rarheim nodded to communications and activated a broadcast in all known languages and frequencies.
"Greetings, I am Captain Geary Rarheim of the Union Of Worlds. I come in peace and wish peaceful relations between our peoples. Please respond" All he could do was wait and hope.
Through her drones, the High Queen received and understood the message. With a hiss, she activated her personal communications array, a crystalline device suspended from the ceiling in the centre of the chamber. It glowed with soft blue light as she attempted her response.
The device, almost cocoon-like in shape, was a new-age solution to an ancient Vitasi problem: direct communication with other species. The Vitasi lacked a clear vocal language, and attempting a psionic link with entities orbiting the planet was tiresome, so the device interpreted psionic messages sent by the Queen and translated them into a format that other entities could easily detect and understand.
After a few moments, the Vitasi's response appeared on the comm screen of Captain Rarheim's vessel:
I am High Queen Khasara. We are the Vitasi. We respect your wish for peace and share it.
Rarheim sighed a sigh of relief. Though he still kept his guard up, previous first encounters had wanted peace only to then turn in open war however he was content on letting this flow. He was interested too, these 'Vitasi' as they were called seemed new and unlike anything else the Union had encountered. hopefully with a bit of luck both would benefit from a potential alliance.
"Greetings High Queen Khasara, it is an honour to meet you. This is most wonderful news that you share our wishes for peace. Is there a possibility we could meet in person and discuss further terms and more about each other? The Union is always eager to learn about and meet new races" He was genuinely exited, he always loved seeing and meeting new races.
We are very interested in meeting with you personally, Captain. However, the answer to that question is dependent on where the meeting is to take place. My people are my children, Captain, and I am loathe to leave them alone. At the same time, the environment of this world is, I hasten to assume, not suitable for your kind.
The High Queen paused before continuing.I will be willing to come aboard your flagship on two conditions. One, I must be allowed to bring my entire praetorian guard. Two, I will arrange my own transport to your vessel and back. Is that acceptable?
As much as she wanted to trust this new, strange empire, High Queen Khasara did not yet trust this Captain Rarheim. If a predator shows up to your doorstep armed to the teeth and begins asking for piece, it was always wise to exercise a healthy amount of caution.
Rarheim paused thinking before nodding "Both of those terms seem acceptable to me Queen Khasara. You will come to your ship in your own transport, you have permission to dock and your guard may accompany you. I will meet you personally in the dock and then we shall make out way to the conference room to begin negotiations, Rarheim out" He looked around at the men and women on the bridge, their expressions were hard to read, some had happiness, some had a small bit of unease, all about the first contact. because everyone knew they could go either way at any time. Rarheim had both emotions too, however his job was to make sure things didn't go to hell in a hand basket.
With no small amount of satisfaction that things had gone her way, the High Queen gently stepped down from her perch and slowly made her way across the royal chamber. Her praetorians had prepared her transport the moment she had considered using it, and were now standing at attention in the docking bay of the Hive Complex. Khasara boarded, took one last look at the home she seldom left, and they were away.
***
The journey to the Union flagship took less time than expected. The Queen's ship, which was roughly wasp-shaped and was plated with a exoskeleton-like material, soared through the atmosphere without any issue, and began docking procedures once they had pulled up the proper coordinates. The dark-colored vessel slowly glided into the docking bay, deployed a set of crab-like landing 'legs', and settled down onto the floor. A portal opened in the 'abdomen' of the ship with a hiss, and from it issued the Vitasi visitors.
The first to come were the praetorian guard. Larger than most Vitasi, they stood about eight feet in height, not including the bony crest. They were intimidating in appearance, with large chests and powerful arms that held some sort of bladed staff weapon. Their carapace, onyx in colour, had a peculiar metallic sheen to it, and in certain places blue light could be seen from beneath. Their multiple legs clacked against the metal floor as they arranged themselves in two parallel lines, glowing eyes regarding their hosts with suspicion.
After them, High Queen Khasara herself emerged, and she was larger still than any of her guards. Her crest extended almost half her body length back from her head and came to several points almost like a crown. While no wings were visible on her comrades, the High Queen's were folded behind her like opalescent sails, and her torso was far more--in a strange way--feminine. The most notable difference, however, was that the High Queen's abdomen was much larger, a biological necessity for her role as brood mother.
When she had exited, Khasara folded her hands in a strangely human fashion and awaited Captain Rarheim.
Rarheim entered the hangar bay with around 20 Union marines, all were dressed in their full combat gear though held their weapons at ease. Each carried a plasma auto rifle and their light blue power armour hummed in unison as they marched behind Rarheim. The captain himself was dressed in his blue captains uniform with his cap on and holding a data slate. He was was somewhat taken a back at the site of the Vitasi as he entered the room, as most people where. However he realised they somewhat resembled the Violar, a race that had joined the Union. He smiled and stopped in front of the queen. He bowed respectfully and his guards saluted by thumping their right hand on their chest plate.
"Welcome High Queen Khasara of the Vitasi to my flagship the Cloud Solas I am Captain Rarheim of the Union of Worlds, it is a true honour to be here in the name of peace, this day shall hopefully be a great day for both our peoples" He said respectfully.
Khasara dipped her head, for it was entirely improper for a queen of her status to bow. Her guards, on the other hand, mimicked the greeting of Rarheim's in a show of respect and greeting.
Greetings, Captain,said the High Queen, her thought-speech circulating through the minds of all those in the immediate area.We thank you for your hospitality, and hope that our appearance is not toounnerving. Many a war has been waged against us when others take us for monsters.
Rarheim shook his head "Dear queen your appearance will not influence the decisions here today, we are a bit surprised for we have never encountered your race before. however we too have a race slightly like yourself, they are called the Violar and are indeed too insectile, however they are not a hive race, I think it would be interesting for you both to meet. Now I think you will prefer we should go somewhere more... comfortable?" Rarheim said happily.
Khasara chittered and made a motion with one of her main arms. Four praetorians detached themselves from the ranks and took formation by their High Queen; two in front, two behind.
Lead the wayshe said to the captain.
Rarheim nodded and led the way, they travelled a small amount to the conference room, thankfully the corridors of the Union ship were fully able to fit the queen and her guards due to the Union having a mix match of race sizes. the insides of the ship was pristine clean and men and women of all types wearing Union blue uniforms walked by and nodded allowing the queen through. Occasionally a more exotic creature would come down the corridor, the reptilian Jorgal and the feline Elysians. When they got to the conference chamber Rarheim opened the door and beckoned the queen inside. it was a large space with a long rectangular table and many chairs, some big enough for a truly huge creature to sit. Rarheim sat down and turned on the holo table and activated a few things he pointed to a seat opposite him at the head of the table.
"Please have a seat High Queen"
Khasara was taken aback by the splendour and massive scale of the Union flagship. While part of her admired the strength of the empire with which she was now dealing, another, more primal part of her was put on edge. Khasara had no doubt that the Union of Worlds could obliterate her people's new home if they wished if this vessel and its attendant fleet were anything to judge by. She had ships, yes, but far too few to take on this empire in force.
Her mind buzzing with misgivings, the High Queen awkwardly attempted to situate herself in the chair Rarheim had indicated. After a few moments she situated herself comfortably, though her guard remained standing around her at attention.
Rarheim watched the queen sit and smiled. he brought up some virtual screen around him and punched in some numbers and words. then then dispersed them and began
"I captain Rarheim will begin these proceedings with an offer for peace between our two peoples. This peace may be amended and the exact terms between us shall be agreed upon in detail once the peace is accepted. if another term is what you seek or you seek no such dealings with us then we shall accede your wishes however I seem it a good idea to first give you a copy of my empires history out of goodwill" Rarheim programmed a data crystal and it slid out of the table in front of the Vitasi queen to pick up "In that you will find our entire history of our accumulated peoples, I hope it will help your view of us" He smiled.
Khasara, hesitating slightly, reached out and took the data crystal with one of her smaller arms and briefly examined it. Afterwards, she handed it to one of her guards for safe-keeping.
You have my thanks commander. With any luck, our instruments will be able to read it. I am afraid that my people do not have something to give to you in return, however; we...were not expecting visitors.
Rarheim laughed slightly "That is good to hear i hope it serves you well! And that is no problem that you have nothing for us, i expect we would learn much about you by merely being around you. Now what terms would you find fitting for our two empires? The Union would like to offer you an alliance with negotiable terms however what would you rather have?" Rarheim said respectively.
The High Queen replied without a moment's thought.
My people desire an alliance with your Union. True, our people will benefit far more from it than yours, but in time I hope we could offer something in return.
She paused, then continued speaking. I will not lie to you, Captain. I ask for an alliance for the sake of the protection your civilization could provide us. We were powerful in our galaxy of origin, but here we are little more than defenceless larva in this ocean of stars. If you give us your friendship and your protection, we will give you our knowledge and labour. I say that because, in all honesty, your empire will not benefit much from our comparatively paltry fleet.
Rarheim nodded in understanding but smiled "My dear queen the Unions philosophy is to attain peace and understanding between and for all. If that means the Union will help you grow and defend you then so be it. We would gladly help you, we prize knowledge and understanding as high rewards, merely understanding and learning about your race would be a great event for us. We would be extremely happy to accept an alliance" Rarheim grinned and brought up some more holographic files and one in particular a piece of paper was then printed and Rarheim brought out a very ornate pen from a small pocket in his uniform "This is an official alliance document it shows the terms of an alliance with us though we would happily amend and that you wish. If you are pleased with them then we can both sign or stamp our names and the alliance will then be sent back to my high command to be made official. from then on we shall be allies and it will be a great day indeed" A holo copy appeared before the screen in what Rarheim hoped was a translated version.
Khasara looked over the document, when one thing caught her eyes.
I must consult with your people before making decisions? she asked the captain. Her antennae twitched.
Rarheim nodded and smiled "Of course, consult and take as much time as you need These terms can be negotiated over and I’m sure we can to some sort of arrangement if your people and yourself are not content with certain terms" Rarheim said calmly.
But does that mean all of our internal affairs are subject to the scrutiny of your Union? Captain Rarheim, my people wish for peace, but we still hope to maintain our autonomy in the process.
Rarheim cocked his head to one side and looked at the form "Yes... i don’t know why high command put that on there, nearly all of our allies sue for that one to be removed and I don’t blame them or you for that. I don’t know why they don’t remove it... of course we can remove that one for you. I hope that will help" He said a bit embarrassed.
It helps considerably, Khasara replied. , I see quite a few 'musts' in this document, however. Understand that my people, if this alliance goes as planned, will be happy to help your people in times of need, but we will not rush headlong into wars or ventures if doing so threatens the survival of our race.,
She paused, then continued again. , That is to say, we will not go forth into annihilation because of this agreement, but rest assured we will be loyal allies in other circumstances.,
"That is understandable, some of that document is quite... demanding however a lot of it can be adjusted, the Union will understand if you do not join our efforts in war straight away. We will protect your people as best we can and will be grateful for any assistance you can provide, when you finally get to the level in which you can help us fully we will be more hoping in your ability to offer us help. Though don’t feel pressured of course!" Rarheim laughed slightly.
The High Queen dipped her head in acknowledgement. , As you say, Captain. Until then, we hope we can provide other services, such as medical support. My people are gifted biotechs, and may be of some use as physicians. ,
Rarheim nodded "That would be excellent, biotech is an area in which the Union knows little about, our experiments into that area have yielded poor results, perhaps future exploits between our peoples could help that, the Union does have knowledge into a wide range of different technologies and this shall hopefully help you in return"
Let us hope Khasara agreed. I suppose we should sign the document now, and discuss less pressing matters later? I am curious about your...diverse empire.
Rarheim laughed "Of course that would probably be best" He smiled and clicked the end of his pen, in fluent writing he signed his name and the began to speak "I Captain Henry Rarheim of the Union of Worlds Herby declare the Vitasi to be an ally of the Union by the powers invested in me. Be the alliance before us be eternal and prosperous" He then bowed to Kharasa walked over and handed her the document saluting as he did so by banging his fist to his chest.
Khasara took the pen and signed not in words, for the Vitasi had no need of a written language, but with a pictogram that was ceremonially used to represent the High Queen of her people, reminiscent in shape to her own skull. When it was done, her guards snapped to attention and, once more, copied Rarheim's salute.
And I, High Queen Khasara, with the consent of all my people, accept these terms and recognize the Union as our allies.
Rarheim smiled and scanned the paper on the holo table, a second copy was printed out and he encased it with a very ornate sleeve, he then bowed as he handed it to the high Queen as her copy. he then took the other and did the same for safe keeping for the Union. He smiled "So... What do you wish to know about the Union then my queen?"
To start, your title does not convey that you are the supreme administrative official of your nation. Thus, I assume that the true power of the government lies elsewhere, and am in turn curious about the man or woman who governs your empire.
Rarheim nodded and began to speak "Well its a complex one... I am a captain but under Union law Captains are emissaries and representatives of the Union of Worlds we are free to accept and make alliances, these then get filed back to high command. any alliance they do not approve of they resign however this is an extremely rare event and will not happen with this one. Our main commander in this galaxy is a Admiral called Hargun and his secondary commander is Captain Volkus. We in this galaxy in fact hail from another universe. in that universe we are large and control a few galaxies. we are headed by the Grand council made up of representatives from our many races. however our true ruler is Emperor Myric. He is a being of unfathomable power who has created the Union from nothing. he is that of an angel and his 10 other angels have helped him carve peace for us all. he is a grand person and one of untold wisdom and kindness. More about him can be found on that data crystal I gave you"
The words 'being of unfathomable power' but Khasara on edge, and consequently her guards chittered to themselves nervously. A gentle mental command pulled them back into strained silence. It seems as though your nation is stronger than we had first anticipated. I hope that your Emperor finds no cause to declare war on us. We are not in a state to defend ourselves from a full-fledged galactic empire.
Rarheim shook his head "He is incredibly kind, he didn’t just fight for peace for our human race, he fought for the peace and hope for all races he has come across, it is his wish that we seek those that would also join for peace. Besides he is currently... indisposed... A civil war wrack’s the Union at this current time in our home universe with a race which... were our ancients they have turned on us and with technology which makes ours look primitive they seek to turn us into their slaves and once again become the dominant race among the stars... Do not worry their presence in this galaxy is one ship only... but we shall see. I promise you we will not drag you into it" He said sadly.
It seems as though we truly are insects caught between the wars of giants... Khasara remarked quietly.
Rarheim overheard and shook his head "We will protect you. And for the record if you have a ship arrive in one of your sectors which is pure while and gold with runes, and is kept in many pieces with golden energy... Run and contact us as soon as possible. Do not try to engage or it will go badly... hopefully they will just ignore you however its best not to take that risk. They are called the Nakai. However the chances of them appearing round here are VERY slim, current word has them over the other side of the galaxy right now, but its best to know rather than not"
I appreciate you informing us, Captain. We will take your advice when it comes to these...Nakai...
Rarheim nodded "Yes though I shouldn’t worry about them, is there anything else you wish to ask about us?"
I suppose that will suffice for the time being; the data crystal will most likely provide the answers we seek. Is there anything you would ask of us?
Rarheim nodded "Yes that it will, and hmmm..." He pondered for a second "How was it your race came to evolve? we have never met a hive race before, we believe in equality but equality cannot take hold in a race with difference bred castes we understand that and respect it, but it is interesting non the less perhaps you can enlighten us?"
The High Queen tilted her head, a bit confused by the Captain's question. We evolved on a planet similar to the one we are now orbiting--that is why we chose to establish our Hive here-- from the native insectile creatures. As we understand it, the Hive-Mind developed as a defence mechanism for the colonies: if one individual encounters danger, the rest are notified immediately, and can come to their brethren's aid. Since then, it has become far more complex, allowing the instantaneous transfer of emotions and information throughout the entire race. She could have continued to say how she, the High Queen, was the hub of that network, but kept that information to herself. Such sensitive information would betray one of her race's greatest vulnerabilities: her.
Rarheim smiled “Astounding, it really is quite remarkable evolution... Anyway anything you need to know will be on the crystal, I need to report back to my superiors about this fantastic event, I am sure my people will be ecstatic to hear of another alliance, and one in particular with an incredibly interesting race. If you need to contact the Union directly also do not hesitate to do so” Rarheim said happily.
The High Queen nodded slightly Thank you captain, I too must attend to my children. I shall also look at the data you have provided in great detail. Goodbye Captain She turned and exited the diplomacy room flanked by her Praetorian Guards, Rarheim bowed as she left. And he turned to the coms table, he had a report to make to high command, for another great ally had been made this day.