(A Merciless War participants only.)
Hesperides, Coalition Middle System
Site of the Negotiations
The space above Hesperides was, frankly, crowded. Much of the Grand Fleet had been packed around the planet in a show of force and as a bargaining chip against the Itzgari.
The Itzgari who, as a result of their late Emperor's actions, had been nearly destroyed in the brutal war. The war had cost the lives of trillions of intelligences, mostly Coalition citizens caught in the brief Itzgari blitz through the Coalition.
Now, all that was over. The Itzgari had called for a ceasefire upon the arrival of a fleet over Perku, the Itzgari capital world. It was, for all intents and purposes, a surrender. Of course, the Itzgari didn't refer to it that way.
Secretary Theos Ridenour walked through RIng 70, the site for the negotiations. Secretary Theos, as expected, had been chosen as the one to chair the negotiations, being the experienced diplomat he was. He was also the one who advocated for the end to the war ever since Emperor Onug perished in the destruction of his superweapon. Indeed, the Induction Party had arisen under his leadership, calling not only for the end of the war but the formal Induction of the Itzgari Empire as a part of the Coalition. Hopefully, he had reasoned, it would bring peace, stability, and freedom to the Itzgari citizens who had suffered under the Emperor.
Yet, he also knew that the Itzgari would face harsh prejudice from the Coalition's citizens. Many of them knew someone who had perished during the invasion, and so there was much hatred in the nation.
But Secretary Theos believed in the future, that the galaxy could put the war behind them and turn to the much more dangerous threat that lurked in the shadows.
The square where the negotiations would take place was situated within a ring of buildings in the Ring 70 Capitol. It was chosen for its view of the other half of the RIng and Hesperides, sitting neatly within sight. Hesperides itself had changed during the War. The initial Itzgari push had decimated the planet and its large biodiversity. Little survived the orbital bombardment. However, the efforts of the Coalition Genetic Archive were beginning to restore the planet to its former beauty. Already, a few seas were visible, as well as green spaces around them. But the total restoration would take decades, despite the Coalition's advanced technology.
But Hesperides would serve as another bargaining chip, a view of the damage done in the war.
The square had already been set up. A long, 20-person table stretched across the open area, with seats surrounding it. On the edge, food and drink lay for the delegates to consume after the negotiations had culminated. It looked as if Secretary Ridenour was the first one to arrive. The other Councilors, travelling together, would come next from their as-of-yet undisclosed location. Among them was Grand Councilor Teren, the prime advocate for the war.
Theos chose a seat in the centre of the table and sat down, nibbling on a piece of meat and reviewing the draft of the Treaty of Hesperides. Upon his arrival, the aides began setting out glasses of water, notepads, digital screens, and other supplies needed for the negotiations.
Secretary Theos, on the other hand, watched for the arriving representatives to enter the square.
This would be a long and difficult process, but decisions would be made, concessions given up, and an agreement would be come to. In the end, the Treaty of Hesperides, whatever it looked like, would be ratified, changing the course of history forever.
