Enemy of My Enemy Is My... (Closed, FT, ATTN Huerdae)

by **Feazanthia** » Thu Mar 25, 2010 4:32 pm

Ataster System, Huerdaen Star Empire
Delta Quadrant, Milky Way Galaxy
16 hours after overthrow of Bavinese Senate

Jump.

Recharge.

Jump.

Recharge.

The life of a communications buoy is largely uneventful. Possessing only a short-range slipstream drive and an even more limited intelligence, its only real goal in "life" was to get its cargo to someone who would listen. Preferably someone from the same nation who built it, but honestly anyone would do. And so, it jumped across the delta quadrant, broadcasting its electronic cargo while it recharged its drives in each star system before moving on.

The black egg, twenty meters long from end to end, arrived on the outskirts of the solar system. Metallic hydrogen, released from the Jovian pressures that caused its state change, accelerated from the egg's reaction control systems as it reverted back into a gaseous state. This not only cooled the egg from its high-energy violation of the laws of Einsteinian physics, but provided a low-cost, low-maintenance method of accelerating the buoy towards the system's star. It would orbit there for several hours, absorbing precious radiation and delivering its payload, before moving on.

But wait! Something in the tiny mind of the buoy clicked. Lines of code rushed through its logic processors. Its voice was not the only one in this system. Radio signals were a constant of the Milky Way - a byproduct of thousands of civilizations figuring out that information could be transmitted along electromagnetic frequencies. But these were not the garbled, incomprehensible signals of ancient broadcasts. These were fresh. Understandable. Local. This system was inhabited.

Like a flower blooming in Spring, the buoy's transmit/receive array deployed and began sending its signal in all known audio, video, and holographic formats. It was a sinister message. Chancellor Re'a Finley arguing with the Kiith ambassadors (these individuals were clearly labeled for the benefit of international audiences). The debate that began taking place all over Bavin Prime as Kaasreth Somtaaw made his proclamation. Major Armaude approaching the dais. His argument with Somtaaw. The slug thrower in his hand. Soldiers with automatic weaponry forcing the Bavinese senators from their seats. Armaude's declaration that Bavin was now his. The Kiith'sid diplomats looking defiant as they were placed in manacles and hauled off like common criminals. It broadcast the events in their entirety, unaltered, as the camera drone had recorded them. It included transmissions from the surface that its host ship, the Yeiar Paktu-sa, had intercepted as Bavin began to realize they had become an occupied territory. Included the demands the Kiith and Cetace warships made of the Aumanii Gorgons for the return of the Kiith diplomatic party.

The buoy set the transmission to repeat, and accompanied every data burst with a map and communication protocols for the Kiith Federation Expeditionary Force's territories. It fired its RCS again and angled for the planet radiating the most radio transmissions.

Its primitive mind was nearly orgasmic. The buoy had fulfilled its purpose.

by **Huerdae** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 7:00 am

Ataster Colony, Ataster Sector - Huerdaen Domain

The entrance of the craft into Huerdaen space had gone largely unnoticed. Despite the patrols, it was simple to slip a small, unmanned craft through the systems, so when the broadcast jammed out much of the local information net, there was a small amount of alarm. The patrol craft from the nearby battlestation were quick to respond, and the Deathwing-class cruiser 'Crusader was within the system, barely twelve minutes after the broadcast began. It's retribution was swift, but the craft allowed the message to play two full cycles, to be sure that it was fully recorded, before utterly annihilating the buoy with a single rail from Crusader's weaponry.

With the automated item destroyed, life on the colony returned to normal, forgetting much of the concerns of the outside world for their own worries. The many changes of the Star Empire since the beginning of their occupation had caused a small amount of unrest as the peaceful people were faced with a deluge of information from the super-militant Star Empire. Cultures clashed like sword against shield, even as the Ataster Defense fleet hung in orbit, undergoing refit to follow the doctrines of Huerdaen warfare.

But the Star Navy had heard the message. While life on Ataster continued, the Crusader reviewed her find, sending it after some time to Solar Command, directly to the desk of Commodore Sal'Suveen.

Barely 18 hours after the even occurred, Sal'Suveen was reviewing the even for what seemed the hundredth time, his eyes cast across the faces of his fellow admirals and commodores, and, at the far back of the room, the Emperor himself. While the admirals nearer him debated the manner in which an attack could be made to take advantage of the events that were transpired, the young Sal'Suveen watched Vlais'Nakado absorb the information. Finally, he rose, and the room fell silent.

"Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I understand the implications of what we see here, and I would like to pass that understanding on to you. What we have before us is the blatant disregard of national sovereignty and right. This was not a war, not a surrendering of people to a greater power, it was the disgusting imposing of one people's might over another people's will. This is the end of a people's right to govern themselves, not by honest law or honorable conflict, but by thievery and despicable acts of treachery. This is an insult to the galaxy as a whole."

Finally, he took a seat, his job completed. Among the Huerdaen, the Emperor did little more than decide the basic course of the Star Empire, dictating policy as a guide, instead of an absolute leader. His eyes turned to his admirals, and he nodded to them. "Let our position be known."

With that, he left the room, and the admirals turned to each other with renewed vigor. To Sal'Suveen, the men and women may as well have been nameless, as he considered his options.

"We have first-strike capability, we've shown that. We can declare our intentions and start this before they have a chance to prepare."

"You're talking about Hermes as a whole, probably the single largest and most aggressive alliance in the galaxy right now!"

"I'm talking about an alliance that is stagnant! It's sat quiet for years, and now it takes like this. It's dying, Admiral! It's falling apart."

"But we still can't just take them on our own, you imbecile. To do that would require pulling ships from each of the fleets, decimating our own forces. We couldn't continue our own work, waging a war across the galaxy there. Alpha and Beta quadrants, are you serious?"

"But you heard him - and he's right. We can't let this stand. What if this were to happen to us? Or to Telros, or Kostemetsia? What of those powers nearby? We can't let this trend continue."

Finally, the young man spoke, his voice quiet and calm. "Then we don't strike them at their home. Hermes has the ability to strike anywhere in the galaxy because of their gate network. We all know that logistics and supply are as important in war as firepower and manpower. More so. We know of several gates, and we have friends who know of more. To take our first-strike action against Hermes, we need to do so in such a way that allows us to control the course of the conflict."

The others looked at him, and one of the older admirals, Admiral Ala'Kitahn, raised her voice in support. "We contact whoever sent us this message, and pledge our support. Then we secure our own field. With the enemies facing multiple fronts, destruction of their gates may not register as a major threat, and ti would permit us to act more directly against them in future engagements."

From the remote link, Admiral Do'Lomas smirked. "I'm near the position of one of the known gates - Sectris IV, I believe. I can strike that within the week."

Sal'Suveen nodded, his eyes cast about the room at the other agreeing expressions. "Admiral, strike hard and fast. Capture it if you can. Your forces are released for wartime operations."

The figure nodded, and Sal'Suveen turned his gaze to the rest of them. "I'll take some of my forces, and make contact with our 'allies'. We need to broker a deal which profits us for our involvement in this war. I expect they'll welcome our support, so I do not foresee any trouble. But we need to be certain what we want from them."

The conversation continued, quietly, in the small, dimly-lit chamber, as the course of an empire was discussed.

23 hours after the message was sent to Solar Command, Commodore Sal'Suveen sent a return message to the Kiith Federation, attaching the message as it had been received.

"The Huerdaen Star Empire finds this of interest. A system lies between our great nations, coordinates attached - Meet with Commodore Sal'Suveen and War Fleet Massacre in 30 hours to discuss specifics.

by **Feazanthia** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 5:27 pm

((Probey nooooooooo!!! He was three days from retirement D: ))

System MW-O-6721 (Dominion Designation, No Aboriginal Designation)
Sector PH24, Delta Quadrant
84 hours after overthrow of Bavinese Senate

Hawking Radiation signified the arrival of a ship. It was small, obsidian black, and would be considered sleek if it weren't for the "raachok" transport that was attached to its hull like a lamprey. It was known simply as a "rotz", or "sailer" in Kushan-la. While nearly every manned ship in the Federation bore this designation, this one earned points for taking the term literally. From the prow of the vessel, nano-woven filaments deployed outward to catch the rays of the blue giant star.

At the same time it did this, the rotz began transmitting a signal in Galactic Standard.

<\This is the Diplomatic Carrier Meetoo-tek, representing the Kiith Federation Expeditionary Force.
<\Contacting Huerdaen Star Empire officer "Commodore Sal'Suveen" of War Fleet Massacre.
<\Commodore Sal'Suveen of War Fleet Massacre, please respond.

The message was set to repeat.

((Sorry for short post. In a hurry. Will have more exposition in next post, I swear. Mmm...exposition...))

by **Huerdae** » Mon Mar 29, 2010 1:13 pm

By the time the vessel arrived, Sal'Suveen and his war fleet had been in the system for already more than 24 hours. The very way that the Huerdaen military moved, organized, and mobilized made it terrifyingly fast, and that was illustrated perfectly in the vessels that sat, quiet, at the rendezvous point.

There were a massive number of vessels, from the small destroyers performing CAP functions to the massive War Frigates that operated in the center of each battle fleet. Bombers hung in position on the sides of their parent ships, locked to the side, loaded and ready to launch. All in all, the massive fleet was isolated into five separate groupings, each surrounding their own War Frigate. The war frigates measured just over a kilometer in length each, bristling with weapons and obvious command arrays, showing them as the obvious command vessels for each group.

So when Meetoo-tek arrived, it was faced with 545 Huerdaen warships, waiting for the vessel in the silence of space, their black hulls hanging over the area like black knights, ready for war and death. Shields registered over each of them, weapons primed and ready. It was clearly a fleet prepared for combat, mustered in the short time between responses.

Almost immediately, the response was met from one of the massive War Frigates, with the surprisingly young face of a man whose arm bore the nearly endless weaving markings of a Huerdaen Commodore. He seemed just a young man, but his expression was stern as he spoke, cutting off the incoming message.

"This is Sal'Suveen of the Star Navy. You're over 30 hours tardy in your arrival. Have there been any additional complications which we should know about and be prepared for before we begin negotiations?"

by **Feazanthia** » Mon Mar 29, 2010 8:23 pm

((By my math I'm 3 hours early >_>))

"<They're nothing if not punctual, my phia,>" said the Meetoo-tek's navigational coordinator in Kushan-la with just a hint of sarcasm.

"<We're late? I thought we were early. Check the readings. Are our jump systems malfunctioning?>"

"<Negative, Phia S'jet,>" came the flat voice of the Meetoo-tek's artificial intelligence. The rotz was small and couldn't power a more recent generation intelligence, so this one was pure logic with none of the creative thinking...or personality for that matter. "<Source of time discrepancy unknown. Gravitational distortion or incorrect timekeeping on Huerdaen Empire vessel theorized.>"

As the rotz was propelled towards the war frigate, the phia's avatar shrugged its shoulders. "<No matter, then. Re-open channel.>"

The Meetoo-tek began broadcasting the S'jetti officer's avatar towards Sul'Saveen's frigate. She was female, her avatar making her appear younger and more slender than she knew she really was. Frequent space travel often counteracted many of the beneficial properties of nano-immunal substitution. Her head was completely bald, but her brown eyes practically glowed with a hint of crimson.

"I am Phia Fliir S'jet of the Kiith Federation Expeditionary Force. Our tardiness was...unavoidable," diplomatic terms rear their ugly head again. "You must forgive us. These events have caught our military relatively off-guard, and I was delayed in mobilizing the S'jetti navy for war. We have received word that the Yeiar Paktu-sa has succeeded in retrieving the Kiith delegation from the surface. It should not be long before they are returned to friendly territory."

Her avatar paused and pursed its lips.

"I must admit. While we registered the fact that the Yeiar had launched its communications buoys, we did not expect a response. Let alone one so soon and with such..." her avatar seemed to look around, as if surveying the War Fleet. "...enthusiasm. Shall we come aboard your vessel, or would you prefer these communications lines?"

by **Huerdae** » Mon Mar 29, 2010 9:32 pm

OoC: Even better, I now see my math is wrong...but you're still late by 15 hours. 16 hours after the event, the Probe arrives. 23 hours after that, I responded to your message, requesting a meeting in 30 hours. Means we meet at 69 hours after the overthrow. HOWEVER, if you add in the 18 mentioned earlier, your math appears right, except for one thing. The 18 and the 23 were measured following the arrival of the probe into the Ataster system. So you're still LATE! :lol:

Delikovia System, Delta Quadrant (Huerdaen Designation)
84 hours after overthrow of Bavinese Senate

Something in the woman's voice seemed to have tipped off Sal'Suveen, but while Phia broadcast her avatar, there was no response along those lines. Instead, it seemed as though there was only audio and 2D video available for the Huerdaen vessel, and she got only a simple visual of the man as he responded, a little distantly.

"Apologies, it was not my intention to mislead you. By my clock, your appearance is...15 hours late. Regardless." The man lifted his eyes from the console for a moment, apparently looking over another display for an instant before his gaze returned.

"It is my preference that the meeting occur aboard my vessel. Please approach the I.M.S. Herald of Truth along the following coordinates. We will permit entry to the bay, but must ask that you land carefully. Our flight deck is quite busy at the moment. You will be directed by dock teams as to where to land your craft."

Her general surprise at the number of vessels arrayed before her was no shock to the man, but he knew that there was yet one more surprise for the woman before they would meet, and he relished it quietly behind a calm face.

"We expected the events to unfold as they have been. Hermes has grown too strong, too aggressive. It was simply a matter of time before they came too near, or struck the wrong person. Let me tell you this. If you can prove to me that we will not be acting alone - we will do our part in this fight."

As the craft approached, one of the heavily armored sides of the Herald of Truth opened, revealing without flaw the massed armor that lay there. It was surprisingly thick, and scans of the vessel showed that the forward sectors of the vessel were even more heavily armored, built into an armored ram. The landing deck was, as stated, full of bombers, prepped and ready for launch. They were lined up in wings of five, with engines running and ready. The fleet before her seemed to be expecting trouble, but even with this, her vessel was guided by a single armored soldier bearing a bright red-light torch to one side of the bay.

By the time her craft had landed, a deep, blood-red light had filled the bay, in which the crew worked diligently. Atmosphere had remained within the bay while the ship had entered, though only after the craft had landed did gravity take hold of the ship. Quickly, an escort of several soldiers in powered armor moved from a nearby door toward her vessel, the black shells broken only by a single golden symbol, the emblem of the Star Empire. The door they had exited through also appeared reinforced, obviously against decompression should the worst begin to occur aboard the mighty ship, as they waited for the woman to disembark.

by **Feazanthia** » Wed Mar 31, 2010 5:29 pm

The raachok landing craft seperated from the sailer with a puff of white gas before accelerating towards the Herald of Truth. The raachok was a flat, triangular craft seemingly modeled after the obsolete "space plane" concepts of ancient terra. However, its antiquated appearance belied the advanced technology that had come to be expected of intergalactic powers. As the raachok penetrated the field that held atmosphere within the Herald's launch bay, nanoforged ring-carbon plates flared, absorbing and dissipating energy. The craft transitioned from its interplanetary drives to ducted air fans without missing a beat as it settled in the bay; with barely a whisper to announce contact between its wheeled landing gear and the surface.

Fliir S'jet's bloodline was an oddity amongst the Kiith. Even within the comparatively pale S'jetti she stood out. Her skin tone was nearly the shade of porcelain. True to her avatar, her head was flawlessly bald and her eyes brown with definitive flecks of crimson (a mutation in many bloodlines as a result of settling on Kush). However, while her avatar had made her seem in her early twenties, she was more along the lines of mid-fifties biologically. Chronologically, she was nearly ninety, but that was neither here nor there. She wore a tight robe of S'jetti powder-blue cut along military lines. As she surveyed the landing bay, the metallic "nub" at the base of her skull was noticable. Flanking her were a pair of marines, armored head-to-toe in unornamented slate-grey "Shamshir" suits. They each carried a boxy gauss carbine at attention and remained unwavering as they faced their Imperial counterparts.

Phia Fliir S'jet bowed formally to the Imperial escort and spoke in clear, lightly accented Galactic Standard.

"Please, take me to the Commodore known as Sal'Suveen. I wish to begin these negotiations as quickly as possible."

by **Huerdae** » Fri Apr 02, 2010 7:53 am

As the woman disembarked, a Huerdaen officer strode forward to meet her, reaching only the low height of 5'3", the black-uniformed soldier approached down the small hall created by the Imperial infantry, three soldiers on each side to match the two federation marines. Even the heavily armored infantry reached only barely up to six feet in height, betraying the surprising small size of the Huerdaen people. But it did not keep them from being particularly militant, or efficient, and the woman's request was met with a quick, firm nod.

"Of course, Ma'am. He's expecting you."

Turning, the man walked past the black-armored soldiers once more, leading Phia deeper into the ship. Surprisingly, there seemed to be no manner of mass transit, and unsurprisingly, the ceilings were particularly low, saving on the precious oxygen which was needed for the humans to live. More noticeable, however, was the deep, dull red that served as lighting in the vessel, keeping it in a perpetual half-night. The halls were utilitarian in their design, and seemed to have been carefully weaved together with defense of the ship in mind. During their long walk, four guard posts were passed, each watched by a platoon of Huerdaen infantry. One, larger than the rest, even had a mounted 60mm autocannon sitting in the center of the fortified crossroads, where several halls had been slanted upward to converge upon what was clearly a designed chokepoint.

There was no beauty in the vessel, except for that of efficiency. The short peoples moved about and past the diplomat with the same sort of urgency that could be expected of any military ship that knew they were going to war, and there was a tenseness in the air that betrayed their uneasiness. Every single Huerdaen passed, however, showed signs of extreme augmentation, from a flickering of a shield barrier as they brushed past each other, to the subtle wiring that was concealed within the iris. Even passive scanning showed extensive modification of skeletal structure, armoring the ribcage and plugging the gaps in the ribs to protect the vulnerable organs against shrapnel. Muscles and key bones were also reinforced with their own cybernetic frame, making the people as much metal as they were flesh and bone.

All of this went unhidden as Phia was led for nearly fifteen minutes through the vessel at a brisk pace, the middle-aged officer's boots clicking smartly against the metal flooring until he came to a door which didn't stand out in the least from any others aboard the ship. Like every other, it was slightly armored against being broken through, and was not flanked in the least. The door thudded healthily as locks disengaged, and the heavy thing slid open, revealing the armor to be nearly a foot thick. Inside lay a room that was just short of eight feet to a side, dominated by a single, square table. There sat a much younger man, offering a reassuring smile. Unlike so many of his fellows, his jet-black hair wasn't cut to a tight military buz, and was permitted to settle over his head gently. The hard metal table before him held no adornment, with the exception of a small display that rose to be available as the woman sat in the comfortable, if simple, chair.

Surprisingly, the Huerdaen seemed to lack any manner of defenses against a planetside sun, with only a single crewman having shown any signs of a tan. The rest were as pale as ghosts, including the commodore himself. There seemed to be almost no expectation of formality, and the man across the table from her sat calmly, considering her a moment before he spoke, calmly introducing her to Huerdaen law.

"As a Commodore of the Huerdaen Star Navy, I am not permitted to lie. There may be times I cannot answer your questions, and I will let you know of this. I would appreciate if you do not push the matter, because it will simply frustrate both of us. I am Commmodore Sal'Suveen, commander of War Fleet Massacre. I've reviewed the information you sent me, about yourself and your people, as well as what you showed us from the events upon Bavin. However, one thing makes me curious. You have not engaged in diplomacy with us before, indeed, you seem almost to avoid it. So why this sudden call for aid? Have any others answered? And, should this go according to your plans, how far do you intend to take this, even if it should come to conflict?"

His eyes lifted to the two marines that guarded the diplomat, as his own infantry were not present in the room, leaving just the remarkably short officer and the foreigners to make their deals in the relative peace of the warship. The console upon the table remained shut down, allowing the two to converse without distraction. Outside, the Huerdaen officer stood guard at the door, along with his small group of infantry that had accompanied them on their journey through the vessel.

by **Feazanthia** » Fri Apr 02, 2010 3:46 pm

The Phia followed the commodore's eyes and let the hint of a smile crack her face.

"Yewon-sid kapart, razresuva."

The pair of marines saluted the phia by clapping their arms against their chest and bowed to the commodore before leaving the room.

"Commodore, I understand completely your position and accept it," she said, switching back to Galstandard. "To answer your question, I too must be honest. We are a fairly isolationist people, preferring to observe the events of this galaxy happen around us. The buoy you intercepted was not programmed to jump to any of your systems, precisely. They are simple devices, little more than hard drives and logic processors welded to faster-than-light drives. They tend to home in on star systems which are likely to have colonizable worlds, as their purpose is to deliver their message. That you were to receive this particular buoy was, largely, an act of fate rather than a premeditated cry for aid.

"As to your other queries, I am afraid the information pertaining to other offers of aid to the Kiith cause is, at this point, classified. We are still unsure as to whom we can trust in this galaxy, especially since the end of the Cold War. I can, however, inform you that you are not alone in offering support."

S'jet sighed and brought up a map of the Delta quadrant via a small device on her wrist. "There is little doubt in the minds of the Phiamid that this will come to conflict. The Aumanii have about said as much. We, of course, have no intention of abandoning Federation member worlds; and our experiences with the Aumanii during the Cold War lead us to believe that their threats are legitimate. Plans of action are being drawn up at this moment, but our responsibility is clear. Foer and Alstania must be defended, and Bavin must be liberated from Aumanii occupation. Beyond that is still under consideration...however, there are many among the Phiamid who believe that this sort of barbarism must not be allowed to flourish; that if we do not nip this behavior in the bud, so to speak, it will simply happen elsewhere outside of our sphere of influence," she let those words hang there, affixing Sal'Suveen with a cold stare. "The Expeditionary Force is committed to this conflict...wherever it may take us."

by **Huerdae** » Sun Apr 04, 2010 9:58 pm

The young commodore listened quietly, his expression dark as he heard the vague, unverifiable promises of a being he didn't know, and couldn't understand in it's native tongue. The dark brown of his eyes considered Phia during each answer as it was given, and he leaned forward slowly upon the completion of her response, clearly far from satisfied.

"You're telling me that I am expected to commit forces alongside unknown allies, in a war in which you promise the assistance of an 'expeditionary force' to assist us. You give me plenty of reasons, liberty, protection...but you give none of the promises I need to commit my forces."

His lips turned down into a scowl that seemed to make his uniform seem particularly light-hearted in comparison as he quickly followed with a list of demands.

"I can not agree to fielding my forces for anything less than an agreement that what we take, we keep, as sovereign domain of the Star Empire. We have full rights of conquest, and will not be answerable to anyone not of our own forces. I want ways to recognize allied forces and materiel before they reveal themselves, and I want to know a very specific area in which they're operating. I do not desire to be back-stabbed by a power-hungry fool looking for a little bit of dirt offered in some Aumanii pleasure hall, and I won't put my brothers and sisters in a position to have that occur."

Finally, he sat back, cracking his knuckles, slowly, one for every sentence he uttered. "I expect to see numbers at least to match our own from yourself and those you bring to the conflict. If you can convince me, then I will convince my allies. But until that time, I can't see a point in putting the lives of Imperial citizens at risk, when you've done nothing more than show up where you were told to. You have your reasons for going to war, but they don't convince me, or the Star Empire. I expect-" He cracked the remaining knuckles all at once, his gaze never leaving that of Phia "-that you're going to either tell me now what you have to offer, or you're going to go back to your ship and find out exactly what you can offer. Let me suggest you do so quickly."

by **Feazanthia** » Mon Apr 05, 2010 4:14 pm

"Commodore, the 'Expeditionary Force' I refer to is the entirety of the Kiith military in this galaxy. And, I assure you, it is sufficient to match the might of any of this galaxy's military powers. As for your demands...the Kiith are not conquerors. We desire nothing further than the safety of our people, the liberation of Bavin, and the dismantling of those who threaten us. Beyond that is none of our concern. As for allied forces, once we receive the information ourselves, it shall be given to you."

The models of Foer and Alstania became dotted with Kiith deployments.

"We currently have thirty war sailers split between the colonies, with one garrison able to reinforce the other within thirty minutes. Each war sailer operates between six and two dozen smaller pok, these unmanned vessels filling a specific role and acting as part of the war sailer itself. All in all, the Foer and Alstanian garrisons represent roughly one third of our entire navy. The remaining sixty percent are holding position around our other worlds, and stand ready to engage the enemy as needed. We are in the process of constructing slipgate nodes around the colony worlds, easing the logistics strain in operating across such large stretches of the galaxy, as well as acting as large defensive stations once they are fully operational.

"Commodore, at this moment every single military asset the Kiith Federation has in the Milky Way is being activated and mobilized. We intend to lead this charge. Does that satisfy you?"

by **Huerdae** » Tue Apr 06, 2010 6:37 am

The Kiith Federation was, as could be expected, not particularly forthcoming with information. It brought a frown to Sal'Suveen's face again, and the young man leaned back. "It satisfies me to an extent. To the extent that I'm willing to believe that you may be honest with me. But I still hold many concerns on this front. So let me tell you what I am willing to do."

Leveling the much larger woman with an even glare, the Commodore began to inform the woman of exactly what he had decided to do, even before the meeting had been called. It had been his plan to simply draw more support from the Kiith, and if they could prove themselves to him, possibly support them. But he was not entirely sure he could trust this strange creature, and his eyes told exactly that.

"In the areas surrounding the Star Empire, and, due to it's proximity, Bavin, there are a number of gates which our allies have informed us of. These gates are how our enemy most likely intends to project their will into our mutual homelands. I am willing to commit forces, without a doubt, but my first committed forces will be made against these sites. I will destroy the enemy's ability to flank us, forcing them to concentrate their forces around your objective, and allowing you to hold the strategic advantage. You will know their supply lines, and how to strike at them. In the meantime, it allows us to expand as we desire, without becoming immediately and directly involved. In time, the gate around Bavin must fall. But our main concern is going to be their ability to wage further war in our quadrant. There are nearly a dozen such gates in close proximity to the Star Empire. When those have been destroyed, then we will be able to send more than a simple, token force. Until that time, we can send no more than a single battle fleet to support your actions without the promise of a system to control for the effort."

It was a simple matter of demand and offer, haggling in a way that the Huerdaen had evolved from the simple lying of other races. Promises could be extracted by threat of force, or the threat of removing that force from their side, and in the dim red light of the Huerdaen vessel, Sal'Suveen had no illusions that he could trust the being that sat opposite him. Perhaps, in time, the lives of his brothers and sisters would be worth vague promises and idealistic hints, but he would not give them up today for anything but assured gains.

by **Feazanthia** » Tue Apr 06, 2010 10:29 am

S'jet leaned forward, equaling the glaring contest.

"You speak of the Hermes Hyperspace Gates. We know of these constructs. During the Cold War, we conducted numerous simulations on eliminating these strategic assets. We believe the bulk of the Hermes military budget is tied up in these critical logistics points."

Her head twitched.

"I have just instructed my vessel to transmit to you all the tactical data we have on these constructs, stemming from extensive scans of the Gates in orbit of Ambrosia and Bavin Prime, along with the information from every simulation the Imperial Republic of the North ran on eliminating these threats. Suffice to say, the main difficulty will be bypassing or overwhelming the target's shields. However, I believe we may be able to be of assistance in that matter. Tell me, Commodore, are you familiar with the ancient concept of the 'fire ship'?"

by **Huerdae** » Tue Apr 06, 2010 10:56 am

The Huerdaen nodded, a curt, simple nod that was little more than a politeness in how it was conveyed. "We're aware of it. But any information you have on these constructs would be helpful. We would be loathe to sacrifice a ship, even a small one, to such a task. You say you have access to in-depth scans of the artifact itself. What can you tell me of the shielding? Is it, as we expect, a radiant device? If so, we do have a working, capable counter. However, if it's a destructive or reflective device, we may need to take more drastic measures, such as those you mention."

The barely-visible wires that lay beneath Sal'Suveen's iris seemed to light for a moment, as he switched visual spectrums to take a look at the woman before him. She was surprisingly forthcoming with information, and as the information was transferred to his ship, he allowed it to scan through his own mind, taking a glance at the data only. "We aim to capture one of the constructs. Our main concern will be accessing the construct without lowering the shield. We need exact, specific instructions on how to de-activate the gate once we have captured it. Our own forces have need of a testbed for studies, and we may wish to use it against our foes."

Smirking, he finally turned his eyes away. "In the meantime, what are you willing to do, to be sure that we are not struck in the flank? My own forces are prepared to strike at the Gates within the coming week, but if I believe we may be vulnerable to the enemy coming from your direction, I have no intention of making that move. How will you keep their eye focused on you? A blockade, perhaps? Or even a strike on the gate around Bavin? Regardless, even if we cannot destroy that gate, we need to isolate it, to keep our enemies in a single area, where they cannot actively strike against us."

Enemy of My Enemy Is My... (Closed, FT, ATTN Huerdae)

Enemy of My Enemy Is My... (Closed, FT, ATTN Huerdae)

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