the Mundane formality of interstellar politics.
Minister Ki made his way down the force ramp toward the gray and somewhat mundane floor of the vast and cavernous docking bay. Waiting for him where two officials, the Terran Ambassador and consulate to Talos, Henry Zaruim and one of his aides, who was simply a projection of sophont in indiscript clothing with a rather unremarkable appearance.
Zaruim was dressed in a similar manner to his aide, a sharp black suit with a red tie, with the only difference being a grey unbuttoned overcoat. Zaruim smiled to Ki, who had a dour look upon that furry face of his, streaks of grey fur already began to show up along his lower muzzle.
“Secretary Ki, it’s been quite a while.”
Ki replied with a plain tone those eyes of his glancing at the two respectively before settling on Zaruim. “Yes it has. I wish I came to Talos under better circumstances, but…”
“Yes, I... realize the war must be taking a toll on you,” Zaruim replied, his tone becoming a bit darker and more reserved.
Ki and the others began walking toward one of the large double doors that lead in to the waiting lounge and thus out in to the massive station proper, the panels along the walls were smooth and seamless, typical of Terran construction and aesthetics. They continued to wander through the bustling lounge, passengers and arrivals streaming by, likely on to several distant locations throughout the galaxy.
”The war is bad enough,” Ki said, “the fiasco at the summit just made things worse. But that could have gone very differently.”
Zaruim nodded and replied in a conciliatory tone. “Well, I’ll be hard pressed to believe that member states would just abandon something that they have invested so much in too. I mean... look at this place, for example. This is GESO’s coup-de grace, the largest station ever built.”
Ki smiled as they made their way through the atrium. Looking around for a moment, they noticed greenery lining the walls, with ornate fountains surrounding the base of a large multi-story terrace filled with various kinds of trees and fauna. Water trickled down carved channels into pools filled with lilies and fish both alien and terran. Ki and Zaruim could look up and see a crown of member state flags fluttering in the natural currents of wind that blew in from the openings leading to the Terra section of the habitat ring. They made a turn to the left through a flowing crowd of aliens and humans, drones and holograms. The crowd was filled with Talonians, Aumanii, Terran, Hobbetian, Argonian, Housedian, Pords, Ellian, Minrozians, Broe’s, and many more species that he lost count of. All of them were mixing in to a vast cacophony for the few moments they were around one another, on their way to their respective sections or to their respective destination with in the Terran sector.
Indeed, Talos was a gem in the vast and chaotic galaxy, the one place where so many came together and come together to talk, to trade, to negotiate to settle. It was one of the greatest achievements in known space one the key centers of the civilized galaxy an open port of call that GESO and its members had the will to construct for all to use. It was indeed a statement and an example for what GESO hoped and still hopes to accomplish for the future. Despite the current crises that plagued the galaxy and the alliance itself, this station was one pillar that reminded everyone that the GESO was built to last.
Ki and Zaruim made their way toward a tram platform, they nodded to two GRF marines that walked by toward a kiosk near one end of the multi leveled atrium. Ki said as he looked over the Zaruim again, his tone seemed to be a bit more positive.
”I suppose there is some glimmers of hope in these turbulent times , sometimes it just feels worse than it is. You know how the rhetoric gets..”
Zaruim replied the just as the slender bullet shaped tram silently came to a stop hovering over the rails, its double doors opened as the two stepped in.
” I don’t envy you Ki, that must be stressful as hell.. But someone has to do it. But hey at least you’re here alive and we have a party about to go on.”
Ki made a wry comment about the upcoming gala event they took a seat on the tram watching as the vast illusion of limitless blue skies and green landscapes swooshed by.
“Yeah just what I need more time with diplomats and uppity members. I hope this goes better than that summit..
Zaruim chuckled, and then replied.
”Commander Silver must have been relieved to know that events conspired to keep the SAC position.”
Ki shook his head and shrugged, he waved a hand.
”Commander Silver would have stepped down and taken a job at the Joint Chiefs table had that meteor not struck the Talonian diplomat.. Or... the war hadn’t started.”
Ambassador Zaruim nodded softly, the war had come so suddenly and indeed had changed a lot, there was fear, there was the specter of chaos and death of destruction... And of political unrest. Of course here was neither time nor the place to reflect on that, that was what the general assembly was for. The tram made its way on the winding track through forests, towns, glimmering cities, windswept prairies , valleys, and tundras . It was as almost they were on a planet a fully fledged planet one so perfect and serine. The tram came to a stop, Ki and Zaruim quickly stood the double doors whooshing open facing a ornately gentrified platform . Ki and Zaruim stepped out and looked on at the smooth walls , colourful tiled floors and picturesque statues of various classical figures that were wedged in between holographic consoles every few meters.
Here they were, the diplomatic chambers of the Terran Alliance, or at least the level it was present on. Ki and Zaruim made their way through the vast alabaster and amber colored halls until they reached a large rounded chamber on level C.
Ki nodded the Zaruim, noting the two statues of greek and roman figures, an obvious nod to the republican values of the Terran Alliance. One held the scales of justice in one hand and a spear in another. The statue had a crown with ray like spikes poking out evenly spread, it held a torch in one hand and a representation of a scroll in the other. The two continued on past the two doors. There were vast tables lining either side of the great circular hall, food drink of all kinds, persons had already gathered the various tables had already been neatly arranged for the maximum impact , the podium lay silent for now but the holographic projection unit in the center still glowed with various representation of member and attendees flags.
The large windows gazed out on either side to landscape of almost scenic proportions. They faced out toward the vast green plains and rivers of a valley. If one looked out they could see as far as Talos city, with its glittering spires being the most prominent feature at this distance. On the opposite side one could see the rolling mists and clouds down a canyon face toward what looked like a canal lined with various flowering plants. Of course the chamber at a whim could change its inner environments, such was the wonder of Terran technology. But the two views symbolized something at this moment, something the attendees would hopefully take in to account.
”This is quite peaceful... Now I’m reminded why enjoy coming here.”
Ki remarked as the two made their way toward one of the tables closest to the podium. Zaruim replied as the two took a seat waiting for others to arrive..
“Its like a kernel of blissful peace in this whirlwind of chaos about the galaxy isn't it?”
Ki nodded folding his fuzzy hands.
-GRV Constellation DN-1093-
Admiral Samantha Heaos sat quietly in her command chair, those green eyes of hers glancing over the large holographic globe, she watched the many ships that jumped in an out of the system through the gates and out of the gates towards the massive construct that was Talos. Even the Constellation itself, a Orion class dreadnought was dwarfed by the size of the station.
The Allies were at war, the Terrans where one of the powers on the front line , security around the station was tightened and she and her fleet of ships were tasked with helping defend the gate hub that was Talos. As much as she knew this was an important assignment however, the half Danite Admiral was eager to join her brethren on the front line, and felt somewhat disappointed or even offended that she had been put here.
The sophont of the ship appeared, it appear to Heos as a male dressed in a fine suit of sorts, as usual it was a perception made up of a mixture of memories of people she had met or known and her own responses to what she was comfortable with. The sophont reported quite briskly.
”Admiral, the additional forces from GRF command have arrived, I’ve sent them your orders to position them in the outer system..”
Heaos waved a hand nonchalantly she replied as she sunk in to her chair, those smooth slender fingers of hers gripping the metamaterial armrests.
“ Understood, let’s hope this will be over quick, the longer those diplomats are gathered there the more of a target that station becomes, as if its size and influence wasn’t a big enough bulls eye…
Captain Trevon chimed in and said somewhat plainly to the lithe well proportioned admiral.
-”Well at least they’ve got us and the Talonians here, if anything goes wrong.. But do you really think the enemy is going to try to hit this deep into allied territory? “-
Heaos brushed aside a lock of blonde hair and replied balling one of her hands in to a fist and placing it on her chin.
”Anything is possible, who the hell knows with these bastards...We can't take any chances. As disappointed as I am for being assigned to babysit this place I’m not going to do a half assed job.”
Trevon replied glancing up to the sophont that for him looked like a female acquaintance in some respects.
”I’m pretty sure about that, but there isn't a soul in this fleet that doesn't know that you want to go to the front lines and bust heads Ma’am”
Heaos smirked and jokingly said just as she folded her hands on her lap.
”Are you saying I’m a bit too obvious to read when it comes to that?
Captain Trevon chuckled.
“I don’t think-”
Constellation cut Trevon off quite abruptly.
”Honestly, you couldn’t be more obvious Admiral, some of your commentary betrays any attempt to hide your desire...”
That much was obvious Trevon just sighed, Heaos replied bluntly.
”Well they speculate all they want, it's not like a crime to want to fight.. Have the Marines arrived at Talos?
Constellation nodded. “They have, GRF peacekeepers and marines have been transposed or shuttled to the station.”
Heaos responded just as she sunk back into her command seat, once more glancing at the hologlobe.
”Well, that all we can do. Lets move to deployment point sierra. “
With that simple order the slender yet imposing three point four kilometer long form of the Constellation began to move through space knifing through the vacuum effortlessly, its and cruisers, destroyers and other picket ships followed suit evenly spaced in a wedge formation, the trails of cobalt blue particles being distorted in the space bulging space behind the mighty Terran ships as the fabric itself seemingly propelled them toward their destination. Position Serria was near one of the gas giants and about one and a half astronomical units seconds away from Talos itself, it didn’t take long for the Terran ships to arrive, it was a staging area by all measures.. Over all the system had about a thousand Terran vessels under the GRF banner deployed, the war had significantly boosted the amount of ships committed to the station and thus the hubs defense. Of course these numbers included an array of corvette class ships in support of the larger capital vessels. On top of such a deployment the Terrans could call upon one of their super dreadnoughts that was deployed outside the system within the oort cloud.
