The Galactics UnionBoard

Unitess wrote:

:B:oxed In | First Contact

It took a second for the translators to decipher the pretty vague language, and a reply was sent.

Unitessan Centcom: "Welcome, diplomatic mission. You have arrived on a border colony belonging to Unitess. We have sent a diplomatic ship to meet yours. It should arrive soon."

As the transmission finished, the Consular-class cruiser jumped out of hyperspace near the Aurelian fleet.

0.26 PLEASANTRIES

This new arrival to the scene was greeted calmly, and a docking bay extended itself - living metal and Imperial Bronze twisting itself in a vague airlock shape.

[Duly noted.]

The diplomatic frigate, all ridged edges and gleaming a silvered bronze, would wait patiently for the cruiser to dock with it - or vice versa, if instructed otherwise.

Unitess wrote:

Boxed In | First Contact

A long pause ensued as the pilot witnessed the metal bend itself into an airlock shape. The diplomatic cruiser carefully drove towards and positioned its airlock to meet their own, connecting the two diplomatic ships. The crew inside prepared to meet their counterparts at the end of the airlock.

0.26 PLEASANTRIES

When the doors went down, they’d see humans. Just like them. Pale-ish skin, black and blonde hair, brown eyes. They weren’t anything special on the surface, but their internal biology… The less said about that, the better.

Three men would usher the Unitessans into the frigate, greeting them with pleasant smiles as they were brought into a rather comfortable room.

“Alright. First contact procedures… let me see here… There.”

A middle aged man piped up, muttering to himself before speaking with whoever they’d sent.

“Greetings, Unitessans! We are Aurelians of the Aurelian Empire, here to perform formal first contact with your nation. Attatched below is a map of our borders.”

A holographic display would spin into existence, notes of ethreal light and strands of essence forming a star chart. Outlined just east of Saharia was a fairly large blob that represented the Empire.

“Now… I guess now is the time for questions. What is Unitess? From where do you hail?”

The Measure of a Man
Somewhere on Megara...

Megara's great ocean beat a steady rhythm against the shores of Iltarin, an island off the coast of the planet's supercontinent. Yet this peaceful music of nature could not be heard deep, deep underground. There, an old doctor's shoes clicked against a tiled floor. The air was biting and sterile, and his ears filled with the thrum of machinery. This was his crucible, his forge for the new breed of mankind. He had been freed of those rats in Jhal-Tek. It turned out that the government did not appreciate human genetic experimentation if it was done by a corporation. They were plenty willing to audit said corporation and seize the assets related to that experimentation, however. All those politics were irrelevant in this sanctuary. As he stopped before a vat taller than he was, he gingerly laid his palm across the warm glass surface. He already knew well enough what lied within, the blinking consoles and criss crossed wirinng were far less a spectacle in his eyes, however. The form that took shape in the liwuid... nerves and muscles, skin and bone. This mass that now barely passed for a living being would prove to be his greatest creation. There had been setbacks before now that seemed like distant memories as he looked at the marvel before him. Half formed monstrosities. Schizophrenic, nerveless wrecks. A mountain of failures had lead to this summit. For too long his practice had been cursed by nay sayers and moralizing fools.

Cloning and genetic modification in general had always had a strange place in Mirdanni society. It was generally the tool of ridiculously wealthy clans seeking to make a "perfect" heir, or warlords trying to create armies of supermen. It was considered ghoulish and unseemly, like man was overstepping his authority in the natural order of things. Playing god. The doctor had heard all of this a hundred times, over a hundred lifetimes. He recognized it for what it was: shortsighted gibbering. His talents as a geneticist had lengthened his lifespan far past what any of the insects that lectured him about 'morals' and 'ethics' could achieve. He had served as advisor to warlords and viceroys, princeps and kings. He had persisted for all this time, an immortal phantom perfecting his craft, perfecting his perfect human. Yet none of these flicker-beings wanted his perfection. They wanted meat that they could throw at their enemies. A waste of his skill, really. He had acquiesced. He gave them their 'super soldiers', their vatbred freaks. They never lasted long. He had not streamlined his cloning process. Of course, he has since mastered the rather trivial process. What was more important to him was his perfect human. But the Republic was the same as everyone who had come before; they wanted the rejects, the vatbred hordes. Very well. He just needed funding and the go ahead to work on his 'side' project, which they were happy enough to provide...

---

The vacuum chamber was suspended in place by supports that connected to both the ceiling and the floor. Within, an asteroid the size of a small shuttle floated about. It looked mundane, save for the side of it that was consumed by colors and scars that seemed completely alien to Agent Okhav, AKK Department of Special Situations. He straightened out his labcoat as a worker within the vacuum chamber scraped more 'material' off the hunk of space rock. "This is what was recovered from the first contact site, right? I'm not sure what I'm looking at." The man he was talking to, a severe looking researcher with thinning hair and a stout figure, motioned him over to a table which held a steel container that looked just like the one the worker in the chamber was holding. He stood on the other side of the table as the man opened a view port with some heavy duty gloves. The strange material glowed within. "Its a sort of weapon discharge, fired by those Aurelians at the behest of Admiral Kosar. This container is lined with this prototype alloy intended to hold the most corrosive industrial runoff or acids. Costs as much as a corvette. This stuff wears it out in half a month." The scientist shut the viewport petulantly. "It seems to act sort of like a plasma, but its remains seem to stick to the target and burn through its armor and hull." The agent shook his head out. "Any chance you guys have figured out what its made of?" The researcher shook his head. "Its like nothing we've ever seen before. Working title is Aurelian Plasma. The odd energy signals those ships were giving off have been named Kosar particles."

The agent looked about the laboratory. "I guess you've earned yourself an increase in funding, Doctor."

Valkenia wrote:

Meeting with the Otherworlders

AS the Wolfinites came in the Valkenians staged their defensive fleets around the planet. A broad message was transmitted to the Wolfinite vessels, granting them permissions to send ships to the world and land at a set section or coordinates on their world. Once they were close enough the planet, these coordinates would activate themselves, and give a large beacon for the Wolfinites to land. In the mean time, they were some time away, allowing the Wolfinites to prepare if they so needed.

The Approach

With the coordinates set and permission granted, the Wolfinite ships begin their own preparations, well final preparations anyways, they cruised into a high, polar orbit. After parking in this orbit and the coordinates obtained, 4 drop ships would be deployed from the underbelly of these motherships where they would degrade their orbit into entering the atmosphere, the more difficult part of any mission really. Precious cargo is on board afterall. After 'gently' going through the atmospheric entry process of landing, well gently in that 7 minutes of plasma would encompass the dropships because of the insane speed and friction, they would mark another successful landing as the small group would begin to touch down at the designated landing spot using thrusters to do a landing (like how space x would do it). With that, they were safely on the ground on this new alien planet.

The Viewport | \\ Scientific Breakthrough in The PRF //

Senkaar briefly clasped his hands together, standing straight and still as if he was a statue. Every movement was necessary, methodical, slow, almost like a machine, bird, or even a reptile. The chimera's craned to the viewport besides him, his eyes piercing and narrow.

Muffled energy, power. Thunderous roaring of uncountable years of existence, life, civilization being filtered through a pinhole gap. He and his Werfyr collaborators, scientists, have made an amazing breakthrough. He withdrew his gaze from the small device, which was hooked up and wired all around him, powering the rooms, buildings, and planet itself as this point.

"Good." Senkaar slid his hand over his desk, gripping up a transmitter device and speaking into it. He obviously didn't need it, but his colleagues found it... less intimidating than his psionic projections. "The device is in perfect working order." He paused, looking back towards the generator "I'd replace the viewport another ventilation panel." Senkaar simply stated, clicking the device and gently sliding back onto the desk.

There was only one other application of this device, in the form of a power generator for a warship utilized by the Werfyr. It would be wise to add these vessels to the PRF standard fleet, he thought. The singularity-inductor, power on a universal scale, or at least a miniature one. Senkaar held onto his fair share of this "baby" universes, produced abroad and locally by himself for a variety of experiments, but now they were finally being put to use for another application.

These devices will be able to power planetary grids, stations, and ships to extreme lengths. Doubling production output, and the power of weapons both planetside and upon stations or planets to smaller degrees. At which to a degree which was possible and applicable.

Basic production of these singularity-inductors would be put into mass production, in small scale batches of course. Test models would be put into use on lesser developed worlds across the Perseus-Rift Federation, and its other colonies. Meanwhile, Werfyr forces would use what devices they created alongside Senkaar for use in their new warships. The Werfyr created a small number so far, of course, and they would be put to use in any future wars or conflicts of extreme danger.

DOLOS AEC wrote:

I HATE GALACTIC CORE POLITICS

CHAINS OF GREED || DOLOS AEC, New Saharia, United star systems, New-Order2, The Aurelian Empire

~

Solaria’s War Resolution was killed on the voting room floor. Blackthorne broke the second tie with a resolute nay. Yet the war still rages on, with the League withdrawing their membership and now with news that Aurelia is on the march. The truth is, the Vulpine people are a relatively peaceful people. To them, the war is another Solarian quarrel that needs no introduction. And, to them, the Solarians already owe an impressive debt to the Board. To declare war would be, as they put it lightly, an unpopular move.

The Board knew that it was a matter of time before the dam breaks between them and their Solarian colleagues. With the looming threat of war reaching their borders, their mounting distaste for their Pristine Communities “allies”, and the Aurelian intervention, the ECFN was crumbling around Blackthorne within a blink of an eye. Drastic strategic recalculations must be made or else the Free Trade Zone and her neutrality will be a thing of the past.

Though outplayed, perhaps by his own hand, the Chairman was not going to be so easily foiled. Their official stance of neutrality meant that only a skeleton Vulpine fleet, meant to defend their assets within the Confederacy of the Core, was sent to support the Solarians. Furthermore, only a few divisions worth of ground troops were sent to oversee the humanitarian aid within the Core’s capital city. Without Navalu’s acceptance to the String of Pearls Initiative, there was little justification to help the Core’s local population without drawing the ire of Orellia.

The rest of the Board’s Security Forces were sent to reinforce their eastern border and the rest of the FTZ. A public statement of neutrality was issued, wanting no involvement in the war effort. This was also reiterated to Aurelia - no ships or soldiers were to pass through the Free Trade Zone if it meant that they would be attacking Orellia.

~

Eithan did not have to wait long before he was given a response from his new friend on the Board:

[Fetch the Saharian, dear friend.]

[We will need his help for both our sakes. Dinner at The Regal Americana, aboard the Opulence, 8pm Terra-time cycle. I will know when you are near. Do not be late. Time is of the essence.]

[Howard Lotor]

The “Saharian”, of course, was Ellecon. That or a close and trusted representative of his.

VIXXEN International wrote:

god i hate core politics

Chains of Greed || VIXXEN International || New Saharia

~

DOLOS AEC has been stuck between a rock and a hard place for a long, long time. Thousands of years - from the United Coalition's inception to Orellia's founding, they had been broken under a new tyrant, a new dictator, a new terrible ruler. At this point, they were used to such nonsense.

That was back when Vanir was the Chairman. Vanir was also dead, felled by the [Archer-Assasin] employed by the holier-than-thou Markirel. His successor, Eithan, was trained in weathering the storms that were sure to come; but any man had his breaking point. This wasn't his bottom line, but boy was Symage pushing things. With an exasperated huff, the new Chairman massaged his temples. Getting up from the rather comfortable plush chair that he'd sunk himself into, he got to work.

Jason Ellecon wasn't going to invite himself to a meeting with VIXXEN International.

~

Another telegram would have to be wired, via whatever resources and political pull that Eithan still had remaining. With all the official stamps, given the utmost priority, using whatever contacts he had in Saharia... He was running out of favours owed by businessmen and opportunistic warlords. It seemed like there was no end to the clout he had, though Saharia was a brick wall.

Eithan had contacts, sure, but not much actual influence beyond the fact that DOLOS AEC ships were being used to rebuild and ferry critical capital after the Thestral-Colonial war.

-

++[Executor of the Saharian Republic, I and How-]++

-

He began typing. He deleted the message.

-

++[Executor of the Saharian Republic, Jason Ellecon, I Eithan Novoteh formally invit-]++

-

He articulated a message to the Republic's leader. Again.

He began typing. He deleted the message.

He began typing. He deleted the message.

He began typing. He deleted the message.

Several hours of deliberation later, he settled on something a little less formal. The Feisenites were more accustomed to this, having witnessed firsthand how casual the megacorp was willing to be. The message was short, but with a little luck, it would get the message across. Maybe Ellecon deserved a little more. Perhaps he would be less inclined to accept, especially with how casual Eithan was.

But he could think of no other way to word it.

~

++[To Jason Ellecon, Executor of the Saharian Republic.]++

[You are invited to a formal dinner between Eithan Novoteh, you, and Howard Lotor at The Regal Americana aboard the Opulence, 8pm Terra-time cycle. An address will be forwarded below. This discussion will include the current events in the galactic core, Orellia, Solaria - and what, exactly, we plan to do about this. Orellia and Solaria cannot be allowed to fight any longer. This pointless war, this mounting death toll - already the first fleets head to battle. Millions have died. Millions are dying.]

[I seek an end. VIXXEN International seeks an end. And Saharia; does Saharia seek an end? I implore you - arrive, listen, and speak. For all our sakes.]

We Will Not Be Found Waiting

There comes a point in the histories of any nation that they must arise against the order or things, to push forth a new ideal or perish from the way. For long the Breen Confederacy has remained secluded behind its borders, content with the empire it has built and the many worlds it rules, but as the years have passed, more and more threats have bumped into the once nascent frontiers of the Confederacy. To the galactic west and north, Saharia and Mirpak remain the unquestioned rulers of the galaxy, but in the core, the lines of domination are not so clearly drawn, and to this end, the Breen have sought to expand their power. New ships, like the mighty Hands of Breen class dreadnaught, now patrol the Confederacy as ominous moons of death. The Ukquare Battlecubes provide massive yet mobile bases of operations for any and all wars, abandoning the typical sleek design of most craft for peak efficiency.

But even with these new crafts, there remains one power that the Breen have forever sought never to let take the upper hand in the core; the Orellian Coalition. A remnant of a remnant, the Coalition is nonetheless a formidable opponent, one that denies the Breen their full mastery over the Core and its dense resources. Now, Breen watches as its allies go to war with that very power, bidding its time to strike when most opportune. And after much deliberation in the halls of the Central Council, it has been decided that the time is now...

From this moment forward, the Breen Confederacy puts forth an offer to the Solarian Union; We will not be found waiting. You may have our guns, 150,000 ships, and entire war fleet and then some, Millions of Breen's Sons and Daughters, and the myriad of races that serve the Confederacy and the Domo. Let the Coaliion's forces lay broken in the void.

VIXXEN International, The Aurelian Empire, New-Order2, Coalition Remnants

The Algeron Treaty Organization wrote:

The Allies \\\ New Saharia

(All those interested in joining this endeavor need only DM Terran on the Discord)

The Allies || The Algeron Treaty Organization

Saharian Intelligence had diligently observed the ATO from a safe distance since news of their origin became known. Even when viewed from afar, the Algeron Treaty Organization and its constituent triumvirate of extragalactic nations spelled a threat Saharia was unprepared to face. Despite their minuscule numbers, it was not difficult for many in the Saharian ISB and Central Command to speculate that this supposedly tiny force of “explorers'' could very well be nothing more than a scouting force for a much larger deployment. This paranoid, pervasive mentality left even the vaunted Saharian Diplomatic Corps in a deadlock.

Matters were not helped when the ATO decided to align itself with the ECFN. This act effectively scattered any rising efforts in Saharia to reach out to the Algeron Treaty Organization. This, combined with the ATO’s razor-sharp technological edge in multiple fields, made it very easy to post the nations of the ATO as inevitable enemies of the Republic. Diplomatic solutions were discarded in the face of the argument of futility; if the ATO was simply a front to pave the way for an invasion, any sort of diplomatic arrangements or agreements would be utterly pointless.

As a wise man once said, uncertainty is the mind-killer. As the ISB continued to observe the ATO’s actions and presence closer, the myth of their stature began to slowly fall away. Indeed, the ATO’s technological advancement was ahead in several ways, and they had apparently discovered the ability to jump between galaxies, even if only to a limited extent. The constituent nations of the ATO seemed to be allied somewhat... begrudgingly, particularly the Romulan Star Empire. And, as more information was gathered about the “Alpha and Beta Quadrants” of their home galaxy, any looming ideas that the ATO was a scouting force for some galaxy-spanning supernation were dislodged. Each of these nations was a major power in their home galaxy at best.

Actions speak louder than words. News of ATO ships - Federation ships in particular - exploring the inner rim of the galaxy and distributing aid to any who crossed paths with them helped to polish their image towards the wider galactic community. Still, hesitancy held firm, and no efforts to contact the ATO directly were in the works. Even when the ATO learned of Saharia’s existence, they made no effort of their own to contact the Republic. No doubt their contact with Solaria and alignment with the ECFN painted Saharia in a negative light…

Imagine the Diplomatic Corps’s surprise when they received an official communication from the Organization. They did not wait for Central Command’s authorization to pursue this matter. A response was sent out within the hour…

---

Addressed to the Diplomatic Ambassadorial Office of the Algeron Treaty Organization, and its participant members:

“--The Diplomatic Corps of the Saharian Republic is willing to arrange an official diplomatic meeting. External circumstances involving the ongoing conflict will delay arrangements made outside of the ISF station; Saharia is willing to dispatch a diplomatic mission to the nearest eligible vessel operating under the flag of the Algeron Treaty Organization, should a meeting within ISF territory be unavailable to you, or otherwise not preferred.--”

New Saharia wrote:

galactic politics vs zerg swarm...

Chains of Greed || VIXXEN International || New Saharia

~

Score.

That had worked well enough. Now, Eithan just needed to get there on time. DOLOS AEC had been around for five thousand long, long years. With enough luck, it'd be selling ships when the Milky Way's last few stars went out. But why did it seem like there was never enough time?

-

(The world's moving too fast for the likes of you.)

(In no small part, this is my fault. My burden as a dead man to bear.)

(I'm sorry, Eithan.)

(But I feel so alive.)

-

Oh, he was just so tired.

So unprepared. Symage hadn't consulted him before starting the war, Vanir hadn't even left him a plan for DOLOS AEC after his death, and now he was left to sort out both of their messes. Just like the old days, I suppose. Things never change. Tired arms and legs entered a heavily modified Feedbacker-class Redirector. A weapon of the Final War between the Compact of Species and United Coalition, this one had been commissioned by Menocht and never used.

When Eithan took power, he had converted it into one of DOLOS AEC's many flagships. The 3.7km long vessel had four strange protrusions at a ninety-degree angle, painted in orange and with no apparent purpose. Installed where a planet-breaking spinal cannon would have been was now just a small docking yard for shuttle-sized ships and such, repair functions still online whilst they accommodated a small fleet of corporate vessels.

Written on the side were the words "Layman's Terms," clearly the vessel's name. A massive DOLOS AEC logo was also plastered ceremoniously on one of the four sides of the cuboidal vessel.

It set off with an unceremonious activation of its VOHLE engines, leaving a trail of purple ether and a crystalline half-formed gate where it once was. In seconds, that too would vanish - and the Layman's Terms would arrive at the system's edge; having already obtained clearance, entry was a simple matter. A small shuttle no larger than any other would leave the vessel; inconspicuous and almost unnoticed amongst the masses docking at the opulent superyacht.

~

I've seen better. I've seen larger.

But I have never seen anything more greedy.

Making his way to the intended destination, he waited for Lotor and Ellecon nearby - checking the watch. Seven-forty. They'd better get here soon. Having never actually been to the restaurant before, Eithan wasn't sure how to proceed exactly. Would he just state Howard's name and be done with it? Whatever.

As for Eithan himself, he had the appearance of a middle-aged man; unkempt brown hair, black eyes, a lanky shape and form. He wasn’t on business attire - so instead of a suit, he wore a modified grey Twilight Service hood and blue pants.

While he wasn't particularly tall, he also wasn't short enough that it would stand out. If you looked at it, he was a completely normal and nondescript man - who could blend into any crowd, if he wasn't currently the Chairman of a megacorp. Pale skin defined his features; looks like Vanir's successor didn't go outside too much.