Questionable Fortune (FT, Closed: ATTN Xis)

[Xiscapia]

A solemn look came over Tiri's snout, or at least more somber than she had looked previously. Xenocide was a terrible thing, one of the three Great Atrocities according to the Xiscapian Ancient Texts, the sort of crime that deemed the perpetrators unworthy of life; even if there were still some Kiixori left alive, it was the intent of the action that mattered. Ambassador Vulpe had seen little of the insect-like race, and indeed according to what he had learned of them they were in a constant state of civil war over resources, but their suicidal bravery had allowed some remnants of Greywatch to survive, and that was enough for Tiri. It also served to illustrate the ruthlessness of the Anti-Cryptic Coalition, if they could destroy an entire civilization then truly nothing was beneath them. It was a terrible foe that the Cryptic Coalition faced.

"What of the rest of the Greywatch Empire? Was it all destroyed as well?"

[Greywatch]

“Reports suggested that there were some colonies that survived the initial events of the Shattering. Those further away from the Grey Veil Nebula, and thusly the center of Greywatch activity, fared much better. As far as I know, however, all colonies have either been abandoned, destroyed, or severed ties to Greywatch in hopes the ACC will not see them something worth destroying.” Lucien shift in his seat, a look of discomfort visible on his face, “Everything was taken from us by the ACC. The Greywatch Empire no longer exists.”

[Xiscapia]

"I understand," Tiri said softly, though even she knew she couldn't, not really. The closest the Kitsune Empire had ever come to such a disaster was during the darkest days of the Korr War, although some might argue it was certainly possible now. She couldn't truly comprehend almost everything she knew of her nation being destroyed, Xiscapia burned, the colonies abandoned and lost, the fleets smashed, all of the people dead or scattered across space. She could sympathize with the Greywatchers, but she could not truly empathize with them. Still, it did not take such an event to stir pain in her breast at the sight of Lucien's troubled face.

"We need speak of it no more," she sighed. "If there is nothing left for me to contact then there is no point in opening relations. I'm sorry for wasting your time, Mr. Glass." She stood to leave, then stopped for a moment. "The Kitsune Empire cannot offer much in the way of help, we are embroiled in our own struggle for survival in the Home Galaxy. But, after the war is over, we would gladly do whatever we could to help the Greywatch people, whatever that might entail."

[Greywatch]

“I understand and thank you for the offer. Though I feel I should be the one to apologize that the Foreman did not make it clearer that there was nothing left of Greywatch other than refugees. Still, it was nice to see one of old allies again.” Lucien looked off to the side, at his computer screen. “Ah,” his tone shift from solemn to business-like, “The Xarnii are still reviewing your trade request. They’d like me to tell you they’d be more interested in trading technology for technology than technology for resources. They request that you either send a full list of technology you would be willing to trade or accept a single Technocrat be allowed into Xiscapian territory to see what you have to offer.” The man looked back to her, giving a brief nod as a farewell before looking back to his screen.

[Xiscapia]

Stepping out of the room, Tiri considered for a moment what the Xarnii had transmitted. The Kitsune Empire could no doubt strike such a trade, technology for technology, but that was not what she'd come prepared for. The list of Xarnii technology that was of interest had been compiled by bureaucrats at the Imperial Palace, not herself or even fellow XDC members. She didn't have the knowledge or the authority to make any kind of promises with regards to a technology-for-technology trade; she'd come under the assumption they'd be taking the wreckage in the Chalybs System. Letting one of their own inside the Kitsune Empire would probably be better, she thought, looking around for her guide.

[Greywatch]

Kai could be seen sitting at her desk, working at her computer terminal. She seemed to be concentrating on something at the moment and it wasn’t until a message pinged onto her screen that she looked over to the Xiscapian. Once she realized that the Ambassadress was waiting for her she rose to her feet and approached Tiri, picking up her own datapad and taking it with her. She offered a soft smile, “Mr. Glass has instructed me to take you anywhere you wish for the duration of your stay, as long as it is within my clearance. Is… there anywhere specific you’d like to go?”

[Xiscapia]

"Actually, Mr. Glass informed me that the Xarnii have offered to send one of their Technocrats into the Kitsune Empire to review Xiscapian technology for a possible exchange," Tiri told Kai. "I'd like to inform them that such would be acceptable to my superiors. I don't have a list of Xiscapian technology that my people would be prepared to trade, see, better that they just see it work for themselves. I'm sure I could coordinate with the Imperial Palace to have a Technocrat escorted into Chalybs. Do you know of a way to pass this information along to the right people?"

[Greywatch]

Kai nodded, “The Xarnii Technology Division maintains a Detachment office onboard this habitat. If you’re going to talk to someone about arranging a technology trade, or anything regarding technology for that matter, their offices would be the place to go.” She looked down at her datapad and quickly keyed something in, “I’ve sent them a message so they’ll know to expect us.” She turned to leave, leading Tiri back to the elevator where the two would go up another 15 floors, stopping occasionally as others boarded and exited. When they exited this time, there would be no garden area with a vibrant display of colors and artificial sky, instead dimly lit hallways of purple and gray. Along the walls, display screens served as signs letting those new to area know where they were relative to everything else as well as point out the locations of major offices.

It was through these corridors that Kai led Tiri; the two would pass by several more Xarnii here, many of them dressed suits of either Orange and Gray or Green and White, many of them being followed by their own personal robotic assistants. These Xarnii would pass the two without any exchange of words, simply going about their business as if the two diplomats didn’t exist. Then after about four minutes they would stop a door with a sign in front of it designating it as the local Technology Detachment office. The door would slide open allowing the two into the entrance of what appeared to be an apartment; waiting for them was a bright orange hologram of a Xarnii. The three dimensional image hung in the air like a ghost, its faceless form giving no hint of emotion. It beckoned for them to follow it and led them around a corner into what at one point should have been a living room but was now filled with various consoles, computer equipment, and even what appeared to be cryo-chambers. Display panels lined the walls, all of them showing various charts, pictures, calendars, news networks, and other information. Yet despite all of the equipment, the room was devoid of people.

The hologram briefly flickered out of existence only to quickly reappear, albeit now in the form of a Descendant, on the other side of the room near a console; a chirping sound would be heard from one of the consoles heard before the hologram turned back to face the pair. “Ambassadress Tiri,” a voice said in a natural masculine tone, “I am the Manager of this Detachment, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I hope the day finds you and your companion well.” The voice was warm and welcoming while still remaining professional and businesslike, the hologram moving its mouth to match it perfectly, “I already have a channel reserved for you to contact your superiors regarding my Division’s offer. I can also answer any questions you have.”

[Xiscapia]

Somehow the darker corridors felt more comfortable to Tiri than the more open halls on the lower floors; she suspected this was because they seemed more familiar. The "office" was interesting, at one time a living space, now filled with computers and monitors; evidently someone had either grown out of needing couches and chairs, or had been assigned to a compartment arbitrarily and had never needed them to begin with. While it didn't truly matter she wondered about the rationale behind using orange holograms, in her experience most people preferred cooler colors such as blue or purple if not natural hues. She suspected it was due to some obscure technical reason. Bowing in response to the Manager -Do they all name themselves after their positions?- she smiled and spoke.

"Thank you. If you would show me to this link...?"

Once there and connected Tiri quickly got a conference with the Chief Ambassadress, The Vanadict. No one knew the Vanadict's real name, as keeping with the oath of the position she had discarded it after assuming the role and replaced it with only her title, showing her devotion to the job. That had never been in question, it was well known that the kitsune had traveled more lightyears across two galaxies than some starships, and she had risked her life more than once in order to preserve peace or get a point across. Tiri was sure she'd do a better job if she were here, but she knew that was impossible so she said nothing of it, not wishing to advertise her own unease over an insecure link. Bows were exchanged, and Tiri told her what transpired.

"The only place I could authorize would be Chalybs, preferably Estus, there's less fighting there," Vanadict said. "Would the Technocrat be willing to go into a potentially hostile area? The whole system is contested but Kitsune Imperial forces will do their utmost to keep him or her safe."

Tiri relayed the question to the Manager.

[Greywatch]

While Tiri spoke to her superior, the Manager’s avatar hologram disappeared and the synthetic intelligence attended to its other business. The Xarnii were a naturally busy race and the war certainly didn’t make anything calmer. Due to the threat they faced, synthetic intelligences like the Manager had become even more popular and were often used to substitute the presence of biological entities. Working tirelessly and managing everything from small offices such as this to the starships that protected the Nomad Fleets meant they were an invaluable part of the Xarnii workforce. The display screens in the room quickly went through thousands of images in a matter of seconds as the Manager conducted its work until Tiri asked her question. Potentially hostile territory… certainly nothing that would top the Foreman’s grand welcoming, the Manager assumed. Still, while the Manager had no reason to doubt the Xiscapians, it was best to be safe. The hologram reappeared, “As long as we are permitted a one-member security detail of our choosing to protect our asset, I see no reason why that would be a problem.”

[Xiscapia]

She didn't even have to consult with the Vanadict about it. "That won't be an issue," she told the Manager confidently. She did of course privately wonder what exactly a single guard could go if the Technocrat stumbled upon a Zillar company or was pursued by Zillar warships, but she herself knew better than to underestimate what a few well-trained bodyguards could do. Her own personal guards had once escorted her through territory hostile a dozen ways over for many miles during which they were nearly killed several times, and as a result her respect for soldiers in general, and those tasked with the protection of people in particular, had grown. The security threat any one soldier could pose to the integrity of the system was, of course, nonexistent.

Over the link, the Vanadict nodded, tail swishing. "If we move the Technocrat through known safe corridors and over Estus there should be very little actual danger. The system comes under attack by Zillar fleets with alarming regularity, and much of Glacies is still under Zillar control, but what little resistance there has been on Estus has been crushed and scattered. Our ships maintain a constant vigil, as the Foreman discovered. Even if there is an attack during the visit there will be ample time to get your...asset, out of harms way. We strive for hospitality in all things." She gave a little bow.

[Greywatch]

“Excellent,” came the Manager’s response, its avatar not reappearing this time. The Manager’s tone was neutral with all the information presented. It would seem that war was everywhere these days; both at home and in faraway empires. Nothing new, the Manager supposed, but hearing about it certainly put things in perspective; the Cryptic Coalition wasn’t the only group in the galaxy fighting for its very right to exist. “I have notified the rest of the Technology Division as to your answer. Though before we finish here I must ask something of you; I will require all information about the ‘Zillars’ that you are willing to give. It would be highly beneficial to know systems to wary of and what ships to be on the lookout for. Such information will also allow help the Technology Division finalize their choices for who will be send.”