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Faction roleplaying thread

Area 51
Bermuda Islands
Taurus
Taurian Concordat

The scientists all stood around in a circle. No one spoke. The result spoke for itself.

After the "concerns" raised a few months ago it had been decided that there would be a move for the project. The dry islands were deemed a good choice. Made the scientists, technicians, support crew and such almost able to look at every off day like a vacation, and also was isolated other than the morning runs of supplies that the lance of hovercraft brought in every day.

Which meant that the project teams could run their experiments all the rest of the day. So it was, that as the sun went down, they got their first "positive" result. Veins turned to ice with the eery bleeps sounding out over the island and over the waters, and the scientists (who didn't really have a job to do during a run of experiments other than to rubberneck) had then moved forward to surround the shinning silver disk with the flashing lights.

Yes, they had made contact.

Taurian Concordat Space

Mindy Schmitz was proud as she stood on the hill of the world she'd assisted finding. Not bad for a recent graduate to have found multiple habitable worlds - and the Far Lookers had gone beyond that into actually colonizing those worlds. Even better, there had been more and more discovered.

However in spite of that, the word was things were being frozen now. War, the fear that a few had predicted for so long had come. However she wasn't exactly sure who exactly was attacking – too many rumors, not enough information. Curiously, she was now remarkably near the capitol, but due to the world not being on any trade route nor high on the priority list of the nearest HPG systems, they didn't know exactly who was attacking, nor how things were going on those worlds.

But it seemed that no matter what, the TC was at war, with someone that had what it took to win. Even more to the point, the Far Lookers, having lost so many worlds that they saw as their own, had decided for at least the moment to hold off the colonizing new worlds for the near future.

The first break from such efforts for something like 6 years.

Instead they were once again making new Far Looker units also the first for a few years. It was hoped that these forces would after some time (once a victory had been earned one assumed) then be split up and used to guard new worlds that were colonized.

However for now she was on this world and assisting in the colonization efforts. Which should be good for a theoretical future where she used this experience to determine just what it takes to improve the chances for a world to survive the colonization process. However until then, she was learning just how hard it was to assist in raising 41 thousand chickens... Man they smelled...

Undisclosed location
Taurian Space

Post-Inspector Cousteau Jacque, Senior Post-Inspector Sven Mohammad Xu-Smith, Post-Inspector Hazard Smith, Post-Inspector Samuel Johnson all stood on the credenza looking over the new recruits as they filed themselves into order to enter and find seating in the auditorium. Each of the men had an odd addition to their usual outfits. Cousteau had a Beermug, Sven had a briefcase, Hazard had a Snuggly-Toro (the light blue one with the strawberry on the sides) and Samuel had a nice red cowboy hat on his head.

Perhaps humorous, but the gentlemen were slightly dissapointed that their soon-to-be charges weren't noticing their efforts. Their eyes were flicking from student to student. There were recorders doing the same for their review later, but part of their efforts were to make sure that they got a feel for these people.

Which was so far only suggesting that they had a LOT of work to do...

After the students had entered (but before they had truely settled), the three men not part of the next "scene" turned to Samuel as he pulled the explosives from his red hat. Picking his target locations and a grim smile on his face he let fly, and then jumped over the banaster before the explosives had landed.

Hopefully the students at least would bother remember THIS...

Cambridge Medical Facility
Cambridgeshire City
Brisbane
Taurian Concordat

The child had passed the 18 month health examination with flying colors. The CMF's Board of Directors were all in the same room, a new large wooden table made from a single piece in between them. In spite of it's simple surface, it was had flat monitors carved flat into the surface such that each Board member could see the results for themselves. Being as only one member still didn't have medical experience, the rest all understood what they saw. The "cellular operation" had successfully optimally truncated a "fragile-x" situation on a post-blast human organism. The little boy was totally healthy from the tests, and no evidence of any non-modified cells remained in the body (which in part made sense as the increase in genetic junk DNA in any of the non-modified cells would have almost certainly died out half a year earlier). The one board member without a medical background could at least read the other member's general expressions and could act a good game.

Looking up from what seemed like gibberish he said: "At first brush, as good as promised or even better, wouldn't you agree?" The nods around the table proved his gamble paid off, but then one member gushed: "Yes, totally healthy. The child won't be a superman, or even one of those tweeked Clanners, but that isn't what we wanted. We have a child who would have been flat out dead by now showing absolutely no signs of even being "edited" as it were to survive. Frankly, this is great news for our Hospital, and everyone that was part of the effort. Even if things go sour later, there was no way the child could have lasted this long with that level of codon errors, and the evaluation of the child's proto-emotional state indicated a high level of contentment and security, so quality of life is also excellent as well. I think if the other's pass their 2 year test, we will begin tutorials on the new wider medical applications and guidelines immediately. I know a single positive result doesn't a process prove, but we had a certain miserable death turn into... this is exactly why we went INTO the medical profession."

The one non-expert saw the happy faces around the table and figured this meant this was the PERFECT time to suggest the new parking garage expansion his family would sub-contract on...

For my own notes:
Marian Hegemony - Post-Inspector Cousteau Jacque
Capellan Confederation – Special Inspector Phan Mabu
Brotherhood of Randis – Ambassador Jerald Aaron MacKenzie
Clan Wolf in Exile - Post-Inspector Amberly Fran Kossible
Free Worlds League - Senior Post-Inspector Sven Mohammad Xu-Smith
Federated Suns - Analysis Ivers Hjort
Outworlds Alliance – Ambassador Miranda Canderson
Magistracy of Canopus – Post-Inspector Isabella Marcus
Draconis Combine – Post-Inspector Kiki Yana
Core Alliance – Post-Inspector Pan Kaos - not forgotten
Free Rasalhague Republic – Post-Inspector Amber Flahive
Lyran Alliance - Post-Inspector Hazard Smith
Kell Hounds – Post-Inspector Bud Benning
Wolf Dragoons - Post-Inspector Samuel Johnson
CoPS - Inspector Mash Franklin-Xen (Adaptor with all the goods, Brown Moa and Gender Z)

Area 51
Bermuda Islands
Taurus
Taurian Concordat

One normally wouldn't say that Josephina Calderon was an expressive individual. While not near the main branch of the Calderon family, she had still learned to keep a degree of control as a needed attribute in the Taurian Concordat. However, that said, one wouldn't be remiss in calling the expression on her face as being... reverent.

Which wasn't too odd, as her section heads were to a degree also showing the same thing. To her left was Mouse, Levi, Malik and Nora, and to her right was Pannoli, Wing, Spencer and Kikkisma. Below on the floor was Aliphonisaia the only one controlling the gear as it ran through the cycles.

Josephina whispered: "It's repeatable. It is actually repeatable. It runs. This will, just blow them out of... space." She leaned forward and touched Aliphonisaia's shoulder and said: "Run it again". Almost, or perhaps actually forgetting that they'd done this over a dozen times before...

The Pool Arena
Taurian Zone
Solaris City
Solaris VII
Free World League

Saturnina MacLeod had survived the disaster of the Free Worlds League attack on the planet. Same with Mark Pinard and David Sorenzen, partially as they'd all been working on The Pool Arena. Unfortunately, in spite of the instructions to stay out of local politics other than to aid in local security and order, many of the Taurian's stable had been recruited from the locals and had gone out to meet the invasion – and been destroyed. Even worse, some of the Taurians (one drunk to the point of apparently being able to walk forward and fire weapons at perhaps the enemy in spite of taking mortal shots - repeated mortal shots – in the fighting) had also gotten involved.

She was sorry that they had died, however she was working to make their loss mean something anyway. Which wasn't in some ways as hard as one would think. For one thing, the Taurians were now looked at a lot more as acceptable to those native-born on the planet, as well as those in the Lyran sector. Being willing to stand with a few Davion and Cappies had also done the same with those areas. True they were outsiders to the clanners on world (but they were to a point themselves outsiders), neutral to the Dracs and in the doghouse of course with those from the Free Worlds League, but the League understood profit, and so had let bygones be bygones with the Taurian survivors, going so far as to tentatively add The Pool Arena to the upper tier of locals for matches (with planetary and network approval of course), and not interfering with the reconstituted stable from being in matches.

Even better, the city had been reorganized slightly and the Taurian zone, extending from the star-port to outside the Grayland, had been given junior status in the overall administration of the city (effectively only being able to handle law enforcement in their sector and in the unlikely event of a tie that the Free Worlds League doesn't involve itself in, they could cast the tie-breaking vote).

Part of that had been due to the Constabulary keeping order so well during the assault (and in turn, the other reason Saturnina, Mark and David had survived), and had also aided in making repairs and bringing order to the other sectors afterwords as well.

However to keep their status, Saturnina and the others were working like dogs, hoping that things would stabilize, or even get better, with the new order on the Planet. Hopefully soon they could set up a few matches that hit the bigger off-planet networks...

Sparta Orbital Facility
Argos Planetary System
Taurian Concordat Space

Gullis Klass stuck to the wall as he watched the shipping efforts going on. Items were still being shipped in from the copy efforts of the secondary storage annex M of the Taurus University in Samantha City, as well as the latest devices and organization methods (and in some cases teachers) from the new University on Mirfak. In addition, the Far Lookers were still pulling in resources and their best administrators, using the newly opened space (literally) in the Sparta Facility. To what end however was unknown, at least to low cogs like Gullis.

Hopefully whatever was being planned was expected to be executed in 4 months presently. As such, things were becoming a bit hectic around the place (and a bit scattered as not interfering with the production capabilities of the station was also a high priority). Which, in turn, was why Gullis was sticking to a wall watching the mess evolve during his 12 minute break.

Snapping the helmet shut, Gullis pushed off the wall in his civilian modified BA and headed back out to the drifting dropship "outside", along the side of the station. Only 4 more hours to go...

Deep Space

Erin Alillis stared out at the streaming stars, her forehead resting on her crossed palms as she looked "down" out a view-port that was on the grav deck's "outer wall". She was oriented such that the lights seemed to be continuously streaming over her head, an orientation which also meant that in spite of being only a meter and a half tall her knees were touching the side wall of the chamber. Even so, the view was... mesmerizing. She'd already been watching long enough that she had no idea whatsoever how long she'd been watching.

This wasn't a bad thing necessarily, as she was off duty and not supposed to be on duty at any point until sometime next week (unless they came under attack). Plus she wasn't hungry or tired or having to relieve herself. Nope, she was just here looking outside, separated from hard vacuum by mere centimeters. She knew, even in her relaxed mental state, that she was going around and around, but her mind couldn't memorize these alien constellations, so it seemed that they were rushing through space at incredible speeds. Yet they were in deep space, recharging, unnoticed by all of humanity.

Well, all the rest of humanity. It was sort of amazing, but many of those "stars" may very well be other human vessels. Normally the scenes that were in movies with one vessel seeing another and seeming to crowd space were meaningless, but at least here it was possible that they could see one another. Made one wonder if there was anyone else looking out at her "star" right now...

Mercenary Command (Field)
Bast Village
Lowell
Taurian Concordat

Captain Kailynn O'Reilly and CWO Michael Board were looking over the artillery emplacements and making sure that they not only going to work with the planned defenses laid out by the Clean Kill's officers, but also the the inputs for requirements from other units stationed on Lowell. It really looked like command expected an attack.

Unfortunately, unlike every other such thought that had come down from above, Kailynn and Michael both agreed that it was likely to happen. However in spite of that, they didn't have what it would take to stop these attackers, at least from what they'd seen before. Michael's artillery was long reached, however it didn't reach orbit.

Even so, Kailynn and Micheal stood together as they reviewed the location of the artillery emplacements. If one looked askance that perhaps they were a little less field mobile than normal, and it almost looked like effort was being made to hide them from orbit while at the same time allow access to dropships... well, they could inhale radium, because that was EXACTLY what they were doing.

Planetary Orbit
Erod's Escape
Taurian Concordat

The huge recievers had done their job. Unfortunately, what they'd recieved no one wanted really to see. Lots and lots of "unfriendly" blips, and less than half that Taurian. Which meant that Force Sergeant Pat Amberest was scared ........, well, that was what the fancy flightsuit was supposed to take care of anyway.

Presently, the Air Lance Pat was part of was still in their launchbays, however they were slowly moving TOWARDS the enemy. Which in theory wasn't automatically a bad thing. The blips COULD be filled with whip cream and germanium, but for some reason, Pat just didn't think so...

Taurian Embassy (Ivers Hjort's room)
New Avalon
Crucis March
Federated Suns


Analyst Ivers Hjort was in his room. He now had months of supplies stored (and tested), and purifiers (both air and water) and a power supply too. Not that he expected to use them all. The Fed Suns had a self image of civilization, however their history already included replacing those that had been "unlucky" and died in their space. Plus other "civilized" nations had killed Taurians in the last few years while they were on peaceful missions in those nations. Which was why he'd set up pretty much everything to self destruct if it was Taurian-centric information. Not the supplies however, it just seemed a waste. Also he was alone, and there were only so many hours a day...

However even then, he really didn't expect to be killed. Expelled or ignored, or invited to probing meetings that tried to get him to reveal some little tidbit of information was more FedSun style. Lately the Feddies were passively ignoring him while they attacked his parent nation. Well, he'd see how things played out.

Putting on his environmental suit he opened up the bag containing the local daily newspapers and began reading them while a nearby system checked for attack vectors (CBN and E). He wondered if his messages he kept sending to the Concordat were being received or if they were being intercepted. It wasn't like he left to the HPG himself these last few months.

Cambridge Recruitment Offices
Cambridgeshire City
Brisbane
Taurian Concordat

The line literally ran out the door and down the block, wrapping around the sub and pizza shop at the end. While it was good that it was a warm and sunny day in spite of it being locally late winter, Recruitment Officer Subaltern Etna Ilicilia wasn't sure if it wouldn't have been nearly the same had it been a roaring storm outside, the exceptions being more weather gear and a little less nervous laughter.

The office was so busy that Etna had all screening personnel out, and she was mainly grabbing a group of five or more at a time that had made it past that minor hurdle, bringing them back to her office, asking them one at a time a handful of questions, watching them sign in (and cosigning after) their documents and then taking their oaths. In fact she was out in the outer office to grab another batch, but there were only 4 ready at the moment and taking a few seconds to check the status of things was only reasonable. Looked pretty likely that they'd have to put out the cones at the end of the line tonight as well and work some overtime (officially frowned upon as being a recruiter the whole office was paid a bit less, but were paid by the hour as well).

Recruitment targets had gone up by over 50% lately, however ever since the war had started and the initial shock had worn off, well, this month would have covered the numbers for a normal YEAR even 5 years ago.

Zenith Jump Point (Non-minimum distance used: 3,141,592,653 Km)
Marknick
Taurian Concordat

Space Master Paulo Verlag was being VERY cautious out here was all Force Sergeant Springer (Wind-up) Ribenboim could say about their careful approach of the planet Marknick. It had been days and there had been no response from the planet.

If as the Space Master was guessing was right, prior experience suggested things like the HPG and most local industries stripped or destroyed, but they'd sent a powerful signal down to the planet and hadn't received any reply... yet. It only took one home generator and a few meters of cable to at least send an old fashioned Morse code signal (Springer actually didn't know how it went other than the letters E, I, S, H, the number 5 (dots increasing) and T, M, O, Š and the number 0 (dashes increasing), but hearing something would have still felt good).

Which along with the CoPS allies (for now at least) being pounded by those folks, he could see the caution, however there was caution and then there was caution. Even worse, that was just the Space Master's theory.

If it was Feddies like most people thought however, there may be some trick, but a few minor course changes and they'd be effectively free from unpowered interception. Which meant that things would be decided "in the open" as it were. Meaning the only danger was near the standard Jump points (and bigger pirate points), plus the planet itself. It was true that they didn't have the forces to fight a big engagement (and one expected other forces to be with them per the rumors), but they DID have the speed to kick it out of here as needed, and waiting actually increased the risk from certain types of attack the Feddies could try, being as there were warships per the reports.

So, all in all Springer could only say, just like he'd concluded earlier, the Space Master was being VERY cautious.

Undisclosed Location
Taurian Concordat

The being had watched as they'd prepared the new home he'd be living in for all of the future. For lack of another example, it looked like a huge fishtank that a computer and a plumbing convention had both thrown up in. Someone had called it a bacta-tank. Curiously the being hoped that they'd put in some more blue wires. Wasn't sure why, but curiously that was preferable. Blue wires. Pipes being blue would be cool too.

Identity was pretty much gone for the being, but it was pretty much sure it was male. Maybe it was wanting blue wires. And pipes. However the being also just simply thought it was male. It hadn't seen itself for a while however.

The being wasn't exactly sure what was being done to it. This wasn't torture as he was still able to imagine such: it hadn't experienced pain but for a rare pinching feeling when needles were inserted since being here, it had plenty of food and sleep, even after a while company - but they weren't allowed to answer anything other than questions related to its personal existence. He even had access (controlled via detectors that would sense the movement of his eyes. However it wasn't sure exactly was being done to it. He wasn't even mad, in spite of trying to drive himself there as something to do...

Maybe the tank would be more exciting...

Pinard-Dicolais Electronics Underground Facility Alpha
Williston City
Pinard
Taurian Concordat

The integrated toolset was running full blast when Josephina Calderon and her inspectors were brought into the clean-room. Of the half dozen that were being ushered into the room, which according to plan would eventually house 21 of these toolsets for the near term future, Mouse and Aliphonisaia were the only other ones from the development teams. On the other hand, they were the experts for the component they were concerned about today.

With them as well was the CEO of Pinard-Dicolais Electronics: Kelson Escobar, which made sense as this new facility was made in part due to vast streams of money from the Taurian Concordat itself and putting the best foot forward was just good business. It wasn't just a long net of tunnels either, but the facility had to be magnetically, electrically, environmentally and vibrationally isolated.

Making a good impression was very important as this supposedly non-military industrial complex was now extending itself into a new product line that could be considered a new level of warfare. One that could have ramifications far beyond what anyone could expect.

However be that as it may, the toolset itself was already churning away. Roughly every 12 hours a "batch" would pop out, generating thousands of components. Unfortunately it was (presently) estimated only 8% of the parts would be of sufficient quality for overall integration into the planned device, and the "bathtub curve" stressing that were being required for now would mean that extra parts would have to built as even more parts were destroyed. Even worse, the device they were all trying to build presently needed MILLIONS of these components. This was believed to be reducible (by orders of magnitudes) in the future, but for now, months of production would be required for even one device.

Which meant that they better make sure all those components were made per spec from the start...

Headwaters of the Mindy River
Mount Schmitz   
Woogi
Taurian Concordat

The colonists had accepted her suggestion of using the same name for the world as it had once had centuries ago. In fact, they'd accepted almost every suggestion she'd made over her time here. Plus nearly everyone's as well unless there was multiple names suggested for the same feature. Pretty much all naming was done by the Naming Committee.

The Naming Committee was pretty much in "The Bar" and held from a little before 2nd A shift started until 1st A shift ended. 1st B and 1st C could only show up half the week each as they worked while it was held (shifts were daylight centered for now, the main exception being about a score who maintained the Dropship and some things still loaded on it). So, it had come to a surprise that one of the larger "silver" mountains per the survey, and one of the rivers that had its headwaters on that mountain had been named after her – it had been chosen by the 1st A shift people (her being 1st B).

So, on official business to investigate the likelihood of further resource development in that mountain range, she'd taken a few minutes to take a look at the river (the physical survey team had taken a while). Frankly, it wasn't like this mountain was a huge thing to be named after someone – a few had continents and mountain ranges, seas and oceans named after them – but it was named after HER, and it seemed that was going to be very high on the list of outpost settlements in the area.

Made one think about the future, instead of just the past that she normally focused on.

Taurian Embassy
New Avalon
Crucis March
Federated Suns

"Okay, who had the brilliant idea of giving the Taurians a bunker for embassy?" asked Sergeant Walter T. Jenkins of the NA CrMM Infantry. His platoon had been asked to come over to the Taurian embassy to see if the Ambassador would come meet with the Regent about the lack of communication between the Taurian Concordat and Federated Suns lately. With the Dark around the same area as the Taurian boarder, there was worry that the Dark had already taken Taurus considering the lack of communication.

"You'd think the Taurians would be worried about the Dark hitting them with as much information that the press has been sending out about them," said a private standing behind the Sergeant. "I just wish command would let us carry our handguns at the least," said the Sergeant as he knocked on the door.

Then the private mentioned something. "Sir, there appears to be an intercom." Jenkins nodded. "Thank you, private." Jenkins pressed the button for the intercom. "Hopefully someone answers."

Taurian Embassy (Ivers Hjort's room)
New Avalon
Crucis March
Federated Suns


A little sensor mounted to the underside of the door gave Analyst Ivers Hjort a bit of warning. It was actually a modified child's toy, so the beam being broken wasn't a lot of information, but it was enough to get him to put today's newspaper into the sealed box, close it and spray a curious mixture into the air. It wasn't so much a purifier as to push other particles out of the air - sort of a haphazard approach to dealing with C and B (and some examples of E). Then, as the door was knocked, he hit a switch that SHOULD get rid of the rest of the E, but it would mess up his ability to detect N unless he remembered to reset that detector (which he did). He'd barely risen from the chair when the Buzzer sounded.

Leaving the inner room, he walked over to the modified intercom. Below it was a screen. It had warmed up from standby automatically and on it an image. Normally optics were the limiting factor for observation, but in this case, it was the bandwidth. The front grill of the intercom's outside face had plenty of room behind it for the optics without any digging around on his part - it even looked like IT was the speaker-form. No, the limiter was his using the pre-existing wiring. Normally that would have been a no-no, but it did reduce his messing around, and his checks on the wiring had shown no parasitic devices along it's length, nor detectors either nearby. But since that was the case, instead of a continuous steam of images, he got a high detail snapshot of what was outside. It was updated every 5 seconds or so – with use as an actual speaker actually slowing things down a bit.

Looting over the image Ivers noted no tier 1 (social) weapons, which at least SUGGESTED he wasn't to be killed. Too many people to be ignored so either he was to be expelled or was going to be invited to a probing meeting that had wonderful social niceties.  Yanking off the headpiece of his protective gear, he hit the intercom button and said "Hello there. How may I help you?". He then tore off the rest of the gear, tossed it into the inner room, hit a key switch in there, closed the door and hurried back to the intercom in order to respond...

Taurian Embassy
New Avalon
Crucis March
Federated Suns

"Ah, finally someone answers," said Sergeant Walter T. Jenkins. He then cleared his throadt. "I'm Sergeant Walter T. Jenkins of the New Avalon Crucis March Militia, and I've been asked to see if you'd come meet with Regent Conrad Davion. Plus, you are aware that we've started evacuating the planet because of the Dark, right?"

Taurian Embassy
New Avalon
Crucis March
Federated Suns

Hitting the key to respond, Ivers Ivers couldn't help but let a little sigh escape (he knew his fate he thought) and started to respond. However a little hiccup came up when his mind caught up with what was said: "Of course I would be happy to meet with the Regent, plus..." having not expected that the ploy would be extended to this meeting, the cost would be huge - quick math showed 10 trillion c-bills per billion moved minimum, and there were a couple billion here - he then stumbled and his instinctive reaction to fight anything trying to make him do anything he didn't want to made him say: "I'll fight the Dark if they make it this far. However that isn't now, so I guess I'll be asking for when is a good time to meet with the Regent. I'm ready now, but I'm doubting that he'd be up for it."

"Actually, Regent Conrad is at the AFFS Watchtower, and he gave orders if you are ready to come to meet him there." And then Jenkins added, we have a new limo just arrived from Kathil ready for your transport, or you could ride in I guess in my troop transport. But if you aren't going to take the nice limo." Jenkins had thoughts of enjoying the limo. "I'll certainly won't let it go to waste."

Taurian Embassy
New Avalon
Crucis March
Federated Suns

Ivers was kicking himself for what he'd said by reflex, but then decided to go with the flow. Turning off the screen, he grabbed the thinest of his PBA's (the raincoat one), keys and his pocket computer too. Opening the door and stepping out, he nodded and said: "The Limo would be fine".

He closed the door (it autolocked... a few different ways), and with the coat over his left arm (mentally like a shield) and his other items in their prospective pockets continued: "Please, lead on. I wouldn't like to put this off, or keep the regent waiting". It would give him an idea just how far the Feddies were going to take this ploy to actually be out and see it anyway...

Jenkins was a bit shocked about the raincoat. It was honestly a fine day, but he cursed about the fact he said too much about the limo. He could have been riding it instead of the Apocalypse jeep. "Well Ambassador, I'm just glad that we aren't taking you to the spaceport. All the roads there are backed up."

After escorting Ambassador Ivers to the Limo, Jenkins gave the signal and the jeep and limo moved out. The streets seemed to be eerily calm like Christmas morning. Except for military vehicles no one seemed to be in Avalon City.

Traveling
New Avalon
Crucis March
Federated Suns

Ivers was a bit surprised at the distance the Fed Suns would go to convince him of their claims. It must be that there were individuals of other nations also going along this path that needed convincing. He was surprised that the so-called Sergeant Jenkins hadn't ridden with him, as then they would have had a direct impression of how the scene was impacting him, but he surmised that either the limo was filled with recorders (almost a certainty) or that the assumption was that the one he was to meet was SO skilled a talker that ham-handed underlings would just make things harder (which had him worried as it was ALSO almost a certainty).

He kept his eyes open, but went through and tried to harden his mind to every attack he could think of: compliments, efficiency, insults, sparkly things, displays of power....

Continued in the FedSuns Thread

Shadow Bay
Sparta Orbital Facility
Argos Planetary System
Taurian Concordat Space

Gullis Klass had signed all the non-disclosure agreements and such in order to get this job - not only did it pay a bit more, but he liked the idea of helping the Concordat in his own minor patriotic way. Not that he understood just what it was he was doing. Well, he knew that he was moving objects that were considered important enough that he was being paid extra not to notice them too closely while in the vacuum of space on the one hand, but WHY the objects he moved were considered important did manage to escape his comprehension.

This bay was sort of different however than any other he'd seen so far however. It almost seemed to extend outside the dimensions of the Sparta Facility, which was impossible of course. Even more to the point, he didn't understand why he took the items from the outside, carried them through the entire base along a path that had been vacated of air and then bring it into this special bay – the "shadow bay". Not exactly the best name for something that was supposed to be secret, as it SOUNDS secret. It should be called the... maze bay, or error bay or extra bay. Something that sounds less like it is supposed to be secret.

On the other hand, there was an enemy called the "Dark" that perhaps was working for or with the Federated Suns, and there had once been a "Smoke Jaguars" one magazine claimed was the origin of the "Dark". It didn't seem likely, but perhaps this bay was to deal with the war effort.

Or maybe not. He just couldn't see the use of stacks and stacks of coils and coolers could have in fighting a war, especially one being fought so many parsecs away.

The Pool Arena
Taurian Zone
Solaris City
Solaris VII
Free World League

Well, it was probably treasonous, but she couldn't really say she was a fan of the main games of Solaris. Which, because so much of her company locally needed these things to survive, meant that Saturnina MacLeod didn't ever say such. Even so, she really cringed when someone died in these games - and especially so when someone died in what she thought of as HER arena. Which meant she cringed a lot, the Pool arena was one of the 2 most deadly on the highest circuit almost every week (the number 1 spot varied between same 2 for some odd reason), and since it was newer, it was novel, and growing in popularity. If mass transit line could be extended out this way, it would probably hit number one status in popularity in a few weeks.

The "Taurian" stable was another matter. While they had local support and respect, there wasn't the huge draw between their matches as for example any of the "house" stables when matched up against the "house" stable of their realm's 2 historical enemies. Which made sense, and had prompted her to suggest (she couldn't give direct orders), that partnerships be done - 2 mechs each from 4 different stables. It wasn't exactly unique, but normally a stable didn't PUSH these to be handled by their highest quality pilots, so they were getting a reputation that they could be counted on. Plus even when all of their matches had been watched, they were seen as an unknown quality, so betting was more wild normally (the partnership with the "clan" stable hadn't seen much betting, as everyone assumed that the clanners would carry their team to victory – which when those 2 mechs summed to 190 tons, while the 4 opponents showed up with a combined total of 250, well, it was hard to argue.).

However even so, they were heading up to a minor "positional" set of matches, which would in part determine the next financial quarter's worth of intended match-ups (intended as this WAS a violent event, where people were killed, maimed and set down with a long healing period). As such, she in order to show support for the stable, she was going to be seeing a LOT more matches... She just hoped not so many deaths...

[OOC] This is sort of a call to have a MM game. No pressure, just something that we can then write up the results of and post it. [/OOC]

Region -18, 8
Deep Periphery

Inspector Mash Franklin-Xen was moderately impressed with the space station. Shiny and new, with a few crews making sure bit by bit the thing was build to last (hopefully). Even with modified eyesight, it was hard to really see things, but while it wasn't the frenzied work Mash had seen other places, but it didn't seem anywhere near puttering out.

Walking around a bit more, a few changes to Mash's normal clothing didn't do much to mask the newcomers appearance those that knew the Inspector. Bigger than normal boots, a curious set of what seemed like earphones, and a curious mask that seemed bolted into the mouth of the Inspector which also covered the nose. Plus the common brown cloak was bunched up at the thighs due to static electricity.

Which was both understandable and alarming to the others. Understandable as there was no gravity out here, the armor the Inspector was standing on was effectively stationary (which was good, the magnets in the boots weren't that strong). Alarming as the Inspector was standing on the OUTER surface of the station's armor, with no suit of any kind between the Inspector and the near vacuum of space - for over 3 minutes now. If not for the careful and controlled movements, which called to mind thoughts of a robot (an image that would be either over or under half wrong, depending if one was thinking in terms of volume or mass), one would assume the crazy person was dead or dying. Even so, when the cursory (if slow) general outer surface inspection was done, those with the Taurian were happy when they were all waved back inside.

The Inspector waited for them all to enter before using a smooth side shuffle on the doors edge to result in rotating into the airlock, which was reasonable, as the others were all in multi-hundred kilogram spacesuits, and by being the odd one out was at risk of being accidentally crushed. The air rushed in once the airlock cycled shut and gave the all clear, the result being that Mash's robe and hair whipped around wildly, only the belt around the robe stopping it from becoming a problem (the suits, being hardened, sturdy constructs, gave no evidence of the wind rushing into the small room). However the air must have been pretty humid, as it only took only seconds for the static induced wrinkles to more or less go away. When the winds died down, but before the green light showing it being safe, the Inspector pulled off the mask, it seeming to unlock from teeth (from the sound ones could here with the air now present) from what the others could fit together, and inserted it into a small sac inside the robe. Working the jaw, the Inspector nodded to the other 2 and said: "Well, things seem to be going smoothly from a first impression standpoint, both from the bay to here and what I could see outside. How would you characterize things so far?"

The other 2, still in their spacesuits, looked at one another. One nodded to the other, and that one, the Captain of the station (which only sort of existed) spoke up: "I would also say things have gone smoothly. We are still concerned about MoC interference, but since one could say that they are part of why we are building this station, that would almost be stating the obvious. We'd like to speed up the construction, as we are still effectively sitting ducks for now, but if I'd have to pick either keeping things secret or having construction move faster, I'd pick the first one – our best defense is that we're not exactly where one would expect to find a space based staging point." Nodding to the person in the other suit, just as the light changed to green and the door opened, the speaker continued: "Doremi Noir and her team have done an excellent job, and while we've tried to stay out of their way, they've made doing so easy, plus they've been willing to give my troops and I small easy jobs so we don't go stir crazy, an important part out here in the middle of nowhere".

Doremi Noir popped the helmet and with a quick look at her effective co-commander, at least while construction was ongoing, then jumped in: "I would agree with that, however point out that those so-called "simple jobs" really free up my people to do a lot of other things, and so far I haven't heard a word of complaint. Well, other than even my crew would like a bit more supplies in order to get things done. They are all security cleared and bonded and contracted carefully for this mission, but even so, they are looking at being away from their families for another half year before everything is put in – however that last part doesn't really impact the military aspect of the structure I believe". With a wave of her hand (now ungloved) she pointed to the first speaker: "Lee Mastaff's people will then have the structure to themselves, but at least with the rotation schedule starting up once the station goes online means that they will then soon afterward be able to go home as well – as it is, shared misery seems to have resulted in few knocked heads, at least intentional ones. However even accidents are low for this type of construction I'd say, and that is probably one of the good things with the slow rate of the build". The other 2 put away their suits (Mash stepped forward to help, and once again the other 2 were of a mind of a robot – there was no gravity, but there was inertia, and once Mash braced, the suits were secured in short order), and began their float up to the bridge, Lee leading the way: "So inspector, as you can see, the halls are fully done all within all the main pathways...."

Just Outside Bast Village
Lowell
Taurian Concordat

Captain Kailynn O'Reilly and CWO Michael Board were once again together. This time they were not exactly looking over field emplacements. No, they had an old fashioned red, white and pink semi-checkerboard cloth was spread out under them, an honest to goodness woven basket filled with foods between them with a bottle of wine and 2 glasses out. It wasn't... exactly a date, but they were comfortable. Or more accurately, distinctly uncomfortable, but a discomfort that was very pleasant.

That didn't mean that they weren't thinking about their duties, in fact they were in part celebrating getting orders about some changes to deployment soon. That didn't mean they didn't still have a viewpoint which included having a good chance of getting killed soon, but they had hope now, and were trying to push off what they viewed as defeatist view of their situation. So, the good old fashioned picnic

Plus they'd heard some radical additional changes were in the works soon that supposedly would improve things even more. The odds of that being true weren't being considered, instead they pulled out the wine and laughingly struggled with the "cork" that was holding in the wine...

Marty's General Store (and Bar) Satellite
Flannagan's Nebulae
Taurian Concordat

There were a dozen off duty people in the "bar" area of the satellite. Most military, and some were civilian workers. Unlike a normal restaurant, this one was mostly a loose grid of very padded foam "girders" with "carpets" that could be spanned between them for privacy. Some had their carpets already pulled across. However near the "bar", there were 4 friends all Velcro'd to the same carpet. They each had a pressure bulb (only way to make a beer simulate a head in zero-g). Three were workers bringing in supplies to the general area, and one was from the same school as the others but an off duty military ensign. They were of course debating something they couldn't impact in any way, the future plans of what in school had been the 5th member of their crew.

Beth Capp (the ensign of the group) was saying: "Okay, let me get this clear, so the University of Taurus was focused on Liberal arts, Pinard is Journalism and supposedly Spies per the rumor mill, Samantha is Business and Euschelus is Fine arts, MacLeod's Land is math and New Vandy is engineering right? I'm only sure about New Vandenburg due to my time at the Naval Institute which is fairly nearby." Seeing the nods of the others, she continued: "Then what was that long planned university that was planned on Argos supposed to be for? Or that one on... Mirfak was it?"

Gwen Ozinin-Rosary then picked up the conversation: "Well, I am sure that Argos was supposed to focus on Biology: Xeno and otherwise, at all scales from basic chemistry to Gaea scale ecology. I remember that I actually studied hard all my bio and ecology classes due to a half formed hope it would be awaiting me on graduating. Not saying I could have gotten in, I wasn't a genius like Nonoko, but it was exciting back then to me. That other one I think was supposed to be focused on Astronomy, Cosmology and Geophysics. Somewhat limited in scope I think whatever it was, which makes sense as it was sort of a political ploy by Grover instead of a long thought out move with a bunch of systems working together to form it. But Grover didn't want any new universities other than his, so no others would start up on Taurian soil without his brainchild's going first, and that was stopped up, possibly forever."

Cone Equis (more accurately Cone Oahu Thomas Gerald Equis) was the only male on the carpet then chipped in: "So, since we only have the 6 to consider, which do you think Nonoko was talking about in the note? I wouldn't think either Euschelus or Taurus flat out, and I would also say that Pinard is out unless the rumors about spies is true, as I could see Nonoko wanting the thrill. Samantha is a smart pick for personal wealth, but Mac's and Vandy's specialties were right up the path for Nonoko. Of course, just because there are general specialties, doesn't mean that the less famous programs at one of those universities wasn't taken, I mean that is why they are CALLED universities right?"

Beth then said: "Yeah, my guess is also one of those three for our first pass, as Nonoko wouldn't go to a University without trying to shine in what they were famous for. Flip side is, none of those 3 really were favorites right"? Gwen then nodded and said: "Yeah, she was also big into biology. That is how we got together before we meet you guys in middle school. She was of course great at everything, but it was the various xeno-bio fields that held her attention. So with that out, I would say either money so she could go and someday do something herself – she was always pretty confident and I could see her financing a colony someday after becoming a gazillionaire, or New Vandy as she always said that with enough complexity a machine became like life."

The final member of their group on the carpet then spoke up: "Heh, you guys have too little faith in her. If she wanted to go to a University for Bio-science, then she will". They all laughed and Cone nudged Mira, who'd just spoken and said: "Yeah, but I think she will be the one that will have to build if first. Hey, that means she'd have more reasons to go to the Business school! Okay, who's going to take bets – my bet now is Samantha".

The others said it wasn't fair he get that one, and after a lot of jokes and some more bulbs of beer, Mira took the bets for "somewhere else" while the others took the bet for Samantha. Of course, they wouldn't know for another year who won...

Vincente Orloff strolled purposefully towards Protector Sharplen intent on maintaining the proper stoicism so in vogue on Taurus.


"Protector, I bring word from the Captain General in this obvious time of...mobilization here on Taurus.:

Text of Verigraph Transmission.
-------------
To our good friend Lord Sharplen.

We send you greetings to you and your people in this trying time and wish you to know there is no need for you to deal with this time of troubles alone.

While the "Coalition" has failed to offer any substantive  support to your "internal" emergency.

We here in the Free Worlds knows well how fair weather friends can way upon the conscience of a true statesmen.

Sir, as one leader of a realm who's primary concern is the well-being and service of the will of it's citizens to another I have the following proposal.

I propose. The following Detroit Accords

Article I
Being so disposed to establishment of the increased diplomatic, economic and military cooperation between the government of Free Worlds League and the government of the Taurian Concordat, do hereby in furtherance of the will of their citizens do hereby declare.

Article II
The Free Worlds League dispatch a Naval and Expeditionary Task Force to assist the Taurian Concordat against the Dark. This force will remain under Free Worlds League command.

Article III
The Taurian Concordat turn over the worlds taken from the Magistracy of Canopus to Free Worlds League Stewardship.  (hex's  2542, 2543, 2544).

Article IV
The world of Detroit to be under joint FWL/Taurian Concordat jurisdiction until a plebiscite is conducted to determine final status. Should the Taurian Concordat win the plebiscite the FWL will withdraw, should the FWL win the plebiscite the Taurian Concordat will withdraw.

Article V
The Free Worlds League will provide additional mercenary forces to  the Taurian Concordat State Command to garrison the remaining New Colony Region. While paid for by the Free Worlds League these forces will remain under Taurian Command but cannot be moved from the New Colony Region garrison posting. These mercenaries will remain under Taurian command for the duration of the crisis.

Article VI
The Taurian Concordat and the Free Worlds League will sign a Miltary Mutual Defense Pact which shall encompass all new acts aggression against either state effective of June 3069.


-------End Detroit Accords--


It is time that the truly civilized states of known space banded together to turn back the threats posed by the truly barbarous.

Sincerely,

Captain-General Thomas Marik Defender of the Free Worlds, Duke of Atrues, Duke of Marik First Lord of the Star League.

Official Public Meeting Room
Samantha City
Taurus
Taurian Concordat Space

Grover was careful about meeting the representative of the Free Worlds League. In fact, the reason this room was so public was that there was the fear that these technologically advanced people would leave spy equipment too slick for the Concordat's security forces to pick up.

Even so, he was worried. How to make sure that these people didn't notice the rapid transport of supplies that was now going on. Then the supposed "Vincente Orloff" walked forward with the official message...

Drat, they'd noticed the mess.
-------
Hmmm... Well, they seemed to know about the Dark and Federated Suns, or maybe not the Federated Suns. If they REALLY turned over those few worlds, it was possible they were innocent. Or playing an even deeper game. In any case, the League had noticed...

Or had they? Internal emergency. He supposed that this attack could be considered an internal affair. He knew HE thought of it as Taurian business that no one else had anything to deal with it. Even better, this issue had the Far Lookers stepping the line. So in net, if they have a sense of humor, it made sense. With that, the pointing out of the CoPS not being involved could be a tongue in cheek threat to spin this to the Far Lookers and make them wonder why he'd not contacted the allies sooner...

Grover didn't notice how when reading how they called him a true statesman made him straighten up and smile. As such he didn't notice that his sense of... suspicion was lowered a bit when reading further.

Article one was a sort of declaration of the import of the rest of the document. Article two was scary. Article three made Grover sweat – what threat could they make to make that a wanted statement? Article four was less scary, but not exactly made him warm up (he didn't realize it, but normally he wouldn't have read further if he'd not been softened up earlier in the communication). Article 5 was both clear, and unclear – the FWL had declared a state of emergency for centuries – but what was the thrust of that element? Ah, the last part. The new attacks was smart – it didn't mean that they'd deal with the Dark, or Fed Suns (depending on that state of affairs) or MoC for that matter. On the other hand, a clan had GIVEN information about their plans for the FWL. That would be messy.

He did like how the FWL included the Concordat as civilized.

------

In net, it was curious, but he didn't really like most of the ideas presented. It suggested a few things however – the MoC was likely going to push another attack for one, probably a Clan's assistance, and it was assumed that it was going to be too large for the TC to handle. Or we were to believe we couldn't handle it. It also likely meant that the FWL would woo the MoC, but on the other hand feared the Clan ally of the MoC... Hmmm... OR it meant that the Dark was sending a larger force than what the Concordat had faced so far, and the FWL assumed the Concordat would either stop increasing the size guarding the MoC's boarders, or worse pull it back.

He was pretty sure that the FWL must have known about the plans for the vote, which was public. However it showed they knew more than he'd thought...

All in all, he'd have to pass as written. However perhaps they could negotiate something...


---
So he said: "Thank you for bringing it. While I couldn't accept this as written, maybe we could work out something related. Please, give me a few days to think about a counter-proposal."

The Forgotten Subways
New York
Terra
Core Alliance

Chaos Pan was alive, but not exactly doing "well". She was here in the Forgotten Subways to pick up another alternate ID set. She wanted 7 sets before setting up general avenues of escape. Having them in hand before setting up the final egress methods, but not verified as to their quality. The reason was that once she had the actual avenues more or less set up, she'd check out the quality of ID documents that she'd received then. The reason for the delay was in part once she checked their quality, some would fail, which would likely send up flags of warning. In spite of the planned methods she would employ, it was always possible that someone could somehow connect the bad results with the ones that were good, which meant that her "good" ID's had a "shelf life".

Of course, she also had multiple escape routes set up already. That went without saying, but it was hoped for that she wouldn't be using these routes, as these routes had been generated without the added resources and security of an ID, and were likely suspect. Then there was the different resources she'd set up for disguises and general appearance. Nothing was foolproof, but she was serious about making this highly likely to work. Which made sense – it was likely success or die.

She'd already noticed a few times that this focused her attention fairly well. Which was why she knew the contact was coming along the rail-line due to the minor breeze that was set up by their movement, even before they got to the area strewn with debris a hundred meters down the line. Even more to the point, she could tell that the person was not super large due to the wind's intensity when compared to speed. Not very useful, but at least there was a chance that it was the correct contact and not some brute Ogre sent to collect her. Stretching her neck and body, she got ready to receive the person.

She pulled out the bazooka shotgun and settled down to wait...

Taurian Main Shipyard
Taurus System
Taurian Concordat

The roll-out team was looking at the intended new production line. They'd seen the design before, however they didn't expect anyone to front up the funds to build it, especially now that there was a war going on. Even better it was the slightly more expensive model. However since right now there weren't any near term construction for their yard, it was a welcome sight to look forward to.

Even better, it was going to be fully decked out. It was going to require a surprising amount of resources to set up, but they liked being part of such a project. Operation Snowshower.

Emergency Field Office
Marknick
Taurian Concordat


Subaltern Mercy Poioli watched as Cornet Takeshi Yellowstone left her office. She sympathized with the man, but she couldn't even really offer it outwardly. There was nearly a half million dead here. She really couldn't process it. It really didn't make sense as far as she could tell. Just, total evil. It wasn't as even the locals had put up that solid a defense - the sudden attack had made them assume that the Concordat would come back for them anyway.

These people had to be found. They had to be reformed, eliminated or contained. Their thinking was just monstrous. It was like all the evil of the Star League, with the Cappies and Dracs special flavors tossed in. However they weren't that powerful of a force, how would the you able to turn back this monster-type?

She needed to get this information back to headquarters - these... things couldn't be surrendered too, they had to toss everything possible at to stop them, nothing to hold them off should be withheld. However the HPG was destroyed, and the forces didn't have any form of FTL communication with them. A ship would have to jump back - but the force that hit here was gone - so they'd have to go back in force or risk being cut apart piecemeal.

She'd have to think about what to recommend to the naval forces with them, but she now had to go and check on her people over at the killing fields – they weren't leaving on schedule, staying over to try and find evidence of individuals - so many were now likely ash, and then bury the dead. So many dead.

 The New Plain Room
Samantha City
Taurus
Taurian Concordat Space

Grover Shraplen had summoned Josephina Calderon to Taurus while she had been on her way back to the research facility. Due to the increased Jumpship traffic in the area, there wasn't a huge loss of time which such an action would normally have entailed, yet it was a bit disturbing to have politics (or at least political figures) interfere in her life. She'd even had to go through a complete "cleaning" for this meeting - even her hair was still wet. Making sure her clothes were in order by looking in a mirror in the super sterile bathroom she walked out and was surprised to see Grover exiting another bathroom, also wet as if fresh from a shower. No way. This was secret enough the PROTECTOR was going through a security screening?

Grover welcomed her with some minor nothings and waved here into the meeting room. It had a thick door and thick walls, all consisting of thick insulation. A second and third insulated door (all offset slightly to prohibit any form of line of sight or reflected bit of information from exiting the room). Inside was a plain table with 4 very plain chairs, every part and every wall made of a super polished titanium alloy, so chosen as it allowed certain very primitive methods of eliminating all surveillance devices that had a nice recommendation to them: they worked. Both of them seated themselves and Grover then started up to the business of the day.

"Josephina, I called you here today for what could be called a pep talk. But that isn't exactly what I would call it. I would call it an explanation of the situation we find ourselves in. Yes, I hope it encourages you to great lengths in order to attain success, but I think you need to understand the why more than anything else. You are a brilliant scientist, you need the data to reach a conclusion for yourself, otherwise it is just a sales pitch." Leaning forward Grover then continued: "We need the military capabilities your efforts could lead to. Yes, you and your team has had some success, and I will want a synopsis before you go, but I am reasonably sure that you aren't yet anywhere near what we need. Here's why: we are facing an enemy that uses things like warships and general naval superiority to wipe out populations. I was going to call you here anyway, but once I found this out, only due to someone remembering that we had a second path already planned for TRANSPORTATION of supplies. It wasn't made for a pony express, but I concur that they did the right thing using it for such. We now know that at least on Marknick they killed an estimated half million people, just shooting them down from orbit. That world didn't have any local defenses to face off naval bombardment. In addition, while I don't know if it is true, the Federated Suns has claimed - and it may even be confirmed from our people - that they are evacuating their capitol since they don't have enough defenses to stop this enemy. I'm not saying it is true, but things are looking sufficiently curious that it MAY be true. Which means that what we've faced may be just the tip of the iceberg."

Grover was normally reserved if a bit given to overacting such a role, but Josephina believed what he was saying (the shock and horror still echoing through her) when he went on: "We can't out build everyone, even if we build only defensive units and the enemy is building offensive ability, we can't win. The Concordat has gone through this once before and fell. Shoot, if the Suns is scared, that suggests we can't outproduce our enemy, this "Dark". We need your system. We need it mass produced. We need it cheep. We need it in numbers that if one doesn't work as we'd wish, we have backup systems to make sure the enemy is taken care of. Frankly, we need it now. We already know of a half million dead, and we don't yet have data from 4 other worlds. Even worse, and like everything else I say in here this isn't to be repeated, we believe that we are going to lose Erod's Escape." He have her a moment to recuperate from her shocked gasp, but then marched on to make his point: "They have a population of millions. While it may take the enemy a bit longer to exterminate them, it won't take all that much longer. It doesn't even matter if they surrender – we've evidence that it has made no difference before. We have 3 large fleets, but none are in position to hit these monsters, and if our guess is correct, while we may be able to get this group with them, they may have forces so large that they can take our big fleets as well, we've seen battles in the Inner Sphere, IF you believe the data we've received, that were even larger than what we now have in those fleets, and they are now gone. We need the ability to get them every time: gone. We don't need to worry about honor in battle here – at all. They are mass murderers, and your system can't be used as an offensive weapon, so there is no question that it would be used defensively just in case any on your team holds reservations for working on a weapon. Such a system would instead SAVE LIVES. We need that system. The Concordat NEEDS that system..."

The rest of the meeting was less stressful, even her report was suddenly easy to give in the aftermath of the shock she'd been given. The mind is an odd thing. She realized that she now realized why the Protector himself had made sure he was clean of bugs for this meeting.

[OOC] These guys are working on information a bit out of date, but it is unlikely that they will meet anyone soon. [/OOC]

Unclaimed Space -16, -14
Pleaides Lancers Lead Dropship

"So, what are we supposed to do with these orders? I mean the good news is that we now have an update about what has happened 2 months ago, and that's about it. The bad news is that for all we know, Taurus has been taken by now. Even worse we seem to be facing three enemies: the Feddies, the MoC and the Dark. Even worse than that, we have general orders that could be turned any way we wish, but we are positioned such that we can't commit action against any of them." So spoke the new leader of the 6th Periphery Defense, a very frustrated Air Master Aldora Sze. Which was understandable really. The force had finally received updates on the status of their home nation, but that nation was in danger. No, more than that, it was at war.

However, as summarized by Aldora, the forces assembled here weren't in the right place to do anything. Or at least at first blush that was the case. Yet while they others had debated around and around, Brigadier Jordan Fisher looked at the undersized map of the Inner Sphere. He stroked the general location of his missing eye with the hand that was itself missing three fingers. He'd always liked recycling plans that worked, even if they hadn't worked the way intended...

[OOC] This is assuming that no one has taken Inarcs after turn 34 - you know, actually landed a force there. The local force, per Taurian instructions would be a combined force of Aerospace, vehicle, mech and BA (plus standard infantry would be there as well). The force is by now an impressive 4 FP as of this turn, 1 FP of each type, probably more than anyone would want, but what're you going to do... [/OOC]

Inarcs Defensive Campus and Camp
Inarcs
Taurian Concordat?

The strange ratio that had been given to the local producers had been continued even after the main Taurian forces had been forced to leave for political reasons. The local production however hadn't quite met that objective. Yet for all that, the local defensive force was growing. Nothing that could be taken seriously compared to the massive forces around them, but if they could just be ignored for a few years...

Undisclosed location
Taurian Space


The students had been broken into different classes to test their specific aptitudes in different skills. They were to be evaluated under different instructors and then rotated after a bit of time and begin again. Of course, not every class was looked at with the same amount of vim and vigor.

Students generally looked at class with Post-Inspector Cousteau Jacque with a degree of horror - half his class had to retake it class due to time spent in medical (plus unofficially it was felt that those that passed his class the first time, which was in public intelligence gathering, were also skilled in combat survival). On the other hand, class with Senior Post-Inspector Sven Mohammad Xu-Smith was a oddity, with a wide array of hobbies gone over – fishing, sculpture, singing and rules of thumb for stamp collecting as just a few examples. Then there were classes that were more in keeping with what people expected of what was commonly called "spies": disguise, martial arts (which was orders of magnitude safer than  Cousteau Jacque's class), code breaking, interrogation and such...

Things were a bit slower than one saw in the movies the students learned...

2nd Taurian Pride
Colchis Military Fortress
Colchis
Taurian Concordat

The Planetary Governor Sooth Munoe, Countess Candy-Ann Willis and planetary militia leader Colonel Patrick Poundstone were in the room with Colonel Earnest Julian and Brigadier Marra Westin, Brigadier Francis Blake and newcomer Brigadier Miti Mehra. They were collectively making a decision that easily could be called fatal, foolish or even traitorous.

Curiously, in spite of this being a military situation, they were almost going by vote: the governor had already given the go-ahead. The Countess had nodded approval. Colonel Julian had then asked for volunteers from his Brigadiers. Within seconds all three had done so – even the brilliant Marra Westin, and Colonel Poundstone had then asked to join in the adventure as well...

Almost totally traitorous.

Planetary Orbit
Erod's Escape
Taurian Concordat

They had fired, fired and fired some more. The 21st Periphery Defense Aerospace that Force Sergeant Pat Amberest was a part of had backed up the 13th Periphery Defense Aerospace. The poor 13th had played the darters and the 21st had been the hunters - and the 13th had paid for it, losing a score of fighters - the 14th took similar punishment over on their side of the battle. However for their sacrifice, the Dark had paid a much larger price, and eventually the Taurians had driven off warships.

Which then meant another horror started up, the Dark forces had made a rush for the planet. Ship after ship streaked for the planet, like a tide moving into the shore...

And no one could stop the tide.

But they'd turned around and followed the invaders. Again they swooped and streaked into the enemy formations, and they'd managed to take out a bit more of the enemy forces...

And the tide had... turned. The Dark had fled back into the night, and the Taurians hadn't been able to follow.

Overall, even as Force Sergeant Pat Amberest and his people aided in the SAR efforts, Pat knew that they'd have been lucky to have destroyed even a sixth of the enemy forces. This enemy had to be stopped, but wherever they were building their forces had to be found and stopped as well...

Protector's Office
Samantha City
Taurus
Taurian Concordat Space

Grover Shraplen knew the old directives were written more to indicate the seriousness of the situation than as something to actually do as a matter of course, however since he wasn't a Calderon he wasn't taking any chances. He'd practiced with a paint brush for the last 2 days so that there would be nothing untoward for this moment.

He looked down at the still unsigned directive before him, the oversized area for his signature waiting for him. The nurse that had been checked out and allowed into this solemn occasion came forward and took a sample from the protector, and then carefully used the syringe to fill the small tray to the Protector's right.

The smell made the Protector a little nauseous, which was funny as it was nothing compared to what he was potentially releasing, Nodding to the nurse as he backed away, Grover took the brush and dipped it into the tray. Lifting it and pausing for a second, he brought it over and then began signing his name, getting past the first 4 letters before having to stop and dip the pen again. His last name took 4 fills – he'd never really noticed just how much length his h and p took in his signature. 

Having finished, Grover pushed the paper and had the other 3 prime witnesses sign – they were careful not to touch his with either their body, clothes or the normal pens they used.

Grover nodded and said in his august-occasion-voice: "The periphery by its nature stands on the edge of civilization. It can be civilization, it can be the apex of civilization, but it is always at that edge. It is always important to remember this. We now have set the stage to remind others about this fact".

With a nod he signaled the others to leave, one taking the now somewhat dried document with them. A part of him was wondering if he should have gone with the joke he'd thought of for the occasion on just which was stronger, the Dark, or the Light they were about to take in the...
End Scene

Official Public Meeting Room
Samantha City
Taurus
Taurian Concordat Space

The very worried Protector of the Taurian Concordat had requested the one who called himself "Vincente Orloff" to come back to meet to look over the counter-proposal. The Protector admitted that the new plan had little in detail the same as the one sent to the Concordat, however he also now had data that suggested that this was going to have to be the case, at least for now. On the other hand, the official intent of the initial proposal was being preserved, if at a reduced level of involvement. Yet either way, Grover was a bit uncomfortable due to his having forgotten to get back to them sooner.

Grover was seated already when the invited man entered. Grover may have directed efforts at fighting one war (and also hurriedly prevented starting another), but he figured that he at least owed this individual and the Captain General he represented (in theory at least) his own personal time. Giving the man time to choose if to seat himself or remain standing (the second chair was clearly set aside for him should he wish to use it). That taken care of with a polite nod, Grover then started off: "Thank you for meeting with me, and for sending the reminder. With the war heating up against the so-called "Dark", I must admit that I forgot to get back with you sooner." Grover picked up the folder that he'd brought with him and gave it to the other man. "First off, I must admit that this proposal has little in common with what you had given me in details. Let me say that this isn't because we didn't appreciate your offer, but because we've come across information that has suggested that some of those elements wouldn't perform as what was indicated as desired within the proposal."

Leaning back, Grover continued: "The elements that included the Taurian Concordat turning over worlds to the Free Worlds League, which I think we can both agree were to the Free Worlds League the most important part, are out for now. Not only has our exploratory elections suggested this is not the right time for this activity, but also potentially the wrong direction as well. We expected a high independence movement there, with a high pro-Taurian element as well, an element I fully admit that both I and my Far Looker allies have tried to make come about, but we also expected a pro-Canopus element in spite of our efforts in helping people out there move to places they would find more comfortable, an element that has been lacking well beyond our expectations. What HASN'T been lacking was the stunning revelation of a large Pro-Clan feeling on those worlds. In addition we've seen nearly non-existent support for the League. All in all, it suggests that efforts need to be stepped up to make the local powers look better to the people there. Treating them as poker chips doesn't seem the way to do that."

"Due to that lack in the proposal, I don't think that asking the League for a Naval and Expeditionary Task Force to deal with the Dark is reasonable, no matter who is in charge of them. Nor would the League paying for Mercenaries do something similar but under Taurian Concordat control. However I believe that this effort was in part offered to aid the Taurian Concordat against the Dark. It may have been also offered to indirectly aid the Magistracy of Canopus, however I am reasonably sure that they have been somehow making huge quantities of military supplies on Kossandra's Memory, so much that they are probably better protected than any other nation in the region – if the Dark hit that nation, they will die. In any case, proceeding on the idea that the offer was intended to aid the Concordat, I had my people craft a plan closer to meeting our needs. It is much more passive, but it does help the Concordat, but it ALSO will help the League, if only to the most minor degree."

[OOC] In essence, it is almost same as offered to other nations. The TC isn't rich, but we like what we like.

1)Any MF or SY that isn't needed by the FWL be administered by Concordat as a Guest Facility.
2)The FWL yanks all their secret info (I don't want the TC have to protect the FWL's secrets – should be a free action).
3)The TC can't move any Guest Facility (protection for the FWL).
4)The TC will not only pay a rent equal to the RP production of those facilities, but an additional 5% rounded to what seems reasonable (so the FWL still gets something out of the deal).
5)The FWL can use half the space in those facilities so long as they give the TC 5 days notice before the orders are to be sent in so long as over 15 "slots" are being administered by the TC (makes sure the FWL doesn't get messed over in this way either).
6)The FWL can cancel the agreement if they give half a month's notice – the Taurian administrators get sent back home comfortably (protects the FWL, and the Taurian citizens). Penalty for later cancellation is the same amount as the extra that the TC is paying beyond straight rent.
7)Don't ask where the TC is getting the money to pay for this, nor ask what exactly the TC is using that production for (I don't want the TC to lose their secrets either).
[/OOC]

Area 51
Bermuda Islands
Taurus
Taurian Concordat


Sometimes it takes a person some consider mad to make an intuitive leap and bring brilliant ideas into the light of day. Of more common origin, sometimes necessity really IS the mother of invention, the need propelling the birth of an idea into the universe. More common still, sometimes just meticulous, detailed and iterative effort can burn away the dross and reveal a gem of an idea. Almost hilariously, the most common method for an idea to come about is effectively random chance - one is trying to put something together, can't get the "right" parts and just slaps a bunch of junk that happens to be around and hopes for the best.

In many ways, the Concordat's efforts so far had gone through a few of these ways for an idea to germinate. They'd had a few strikes of mad brilliance - absolute brilliance, but it wasn't exactly a steady source of advancement. They'd a grave need, and in desperation had begun a program with little to lead their way - in a sense the heavy handed meeting with the Protector had been trying to stimulate more advancements via re-exposing the teams to this reality. They'd also systematically gone and built huge numbers of parts and tested them - initially the method had been a bit destructive, but even so it had lead them forward.

However this WAS a major program for the Taurian Concordat, so in many ways there was no way other than a silly accident to happen for the most common method for discovery occur. In fact their very meticulousness had worked against that. True there had been important and powerful people in the lab, but those events too were heavily controlled for accidents to reasonably happen...

-------

Since the "class" and their "professors" had been all called for a VERY important mission, Post-Inspector Cousteau Jacque had expected to be with them. However due to some odd mix-up with the orders, he'd instead been sent to check out the status of what was probably one of the 3 most important projects in the Concordat right now. Prestigious of course, but he couldn't help but wish he was out in the field. Josephina Calderon had met him and introduced him to her team: Wing, Mouse and Levi had all stared at him throughout the introduction and whispered quickly to Josephina afterward (suspicious to the Post-Inspector's mind) and had been keeping an eye on him even after Josephina went over the rules for the place again, and how he wasn't supposed to get within 3 meters of any tools, even if he WAS in an certified environmental-clean suit.

Which was why the Post-Inspector was in one of those suits, rubber-necking and trying to make heads or tails of what the scientists, engineers and technicians were doing. The folks had to ramp up, however due to the war with the Dark, they'd actually had some of their supplies accidentally shipped out and were having to make due with what they had for this experiment. Something to do with intentional parallelism or something like that – very dangerous stuff he gathered – was about to be tested and the "locals" were nervous. Paying close attention to the floor, and trying to pay attention to anything no one else was watching, the very-out-of-place man saw a shiny speck of something on a worktable. He walked over and attempted to pick it up, but he failed since he was in the suit, which was more made to keep the room safe from the dirt of a human, aid the human all that much. Pressing down harder in order to force the tiny crystal into a crease and thus pick it up, the Post-Inspector accidentally sent the crystal instead flying towards the off-limits zone where the experiment was just about to go off......

Quote from: Jeyar on June 02, 2010, 03:42:07 AM
Official Public Meeting Room
Samantha City
Taurus
Taurian Concordat Space

The very worried Protector of the Taurian Concordat had requested the one who called himself "Vincente Orloff" to come back to meet to look over the counter-proposal. The Protector admitted that the new plan had little in detail the same as the one sent to the Concordat, however he also now had data that suggested that this was going to have to be the case, at least for now. On the other hand, the official intent of the initial proposal was being preserved, if at a reduced level of involvement. Yet either way, Grover was a bit uncomfortable due to his having forgotten to get back to them sooner.

Grover was seated already when the invited man entered. Grover may have directed efforts at fighting one war (and also hurriedly prevented starting another), but he figured that he at least owed this individual and the Captain General he represented (in theory at least) his own personal time. Giving the man time to choose if to seat himself or remain standing (the second chair was clearly set aside for him should he wish to use it). That taken care of with a polite nod, Grover then started off: "Thank you for meeting with me, and for sending the reminder. With the war heating up against the so-called "Dark", I must admit that I forgot to get back with you sooner." Grover picked up the folder that he'd brought with him and gave it to the other man. "First off, I must admit that this proposal has little in common with what you had given me in details. Let me say that this isn't because we didn't appreciate your offer, but because we've come across information that has suggested that some of those elements wouldn't perform as what was indicated as desired within the proposal."

Leaning back, Grover continued: "The elements that included the Taurian Concordat turning over worlds to the Free Worlds League, which I think we can both agree were to the Free Worlds League the most important part, are out for now. Not only has our exploratory elections suggested this is not the right time for this activity, but also potentially the wrong direction as well. We expected a high independence movement there, with a high pro-Taurian element as well, an element I fully admit that both I and my Far Looker allies have tried to make come about, but we also expected a pro-Canopus element in spite of our efforts in helping people out there move to places they would find more comfortable, an element that has been lacking well beyond our expectations. What HASN'T been lacking was the stunning revelation of a large Pro-Clan feeling on those worlds. In addition we've seen nearly non-existent support for the League. All in all, it suggests that efforts need to be stepped up to make the local powers look better to the people there. Treating them as poker chips doesn't seem the way to do that."

"Due to that lack in the proposal, I don't think that asking the League for a Naval and Expeditionary Task Force to deal with the Dark is reasonable, no matter who is in charge of them. Nor would the League paying for Mercenaries do something similar but under Taurian Concordat control. However I believe that this effort was in part offered to aid the Taurian Concordat against the Dark. It may have been also offered to indirectly aid the Magistracy of Canopus, however I am reasonably sure that they have been somehow making huge quantities of military supplies on Kossandra's Memory, so much that they are probably better protected than any other nation in the region – if the Dark hit that nation, they will die. In any case, proceeding on the idea that the offer was intended to aid the Concordat, I had my people craft a plan closer to meeting our needs. It is much more passive, but it does help the Concordat, but it ALSO will help the League, if only to the most minor degree."

[OOC] In essence, it is almost same as offered to other nations. The TC isn't rich, but we like what we like.

1)Any MF or SY that isn't needed by the FWL be administered by Concordat as a Guest Facility.
2)The FWL yanks all their secret info (I don't want the TC have to protect the FWL's secrets – should be a free action).
3)The TC can't move any Guest Facility (protection for the FWL).
4)The TC will not only pay a rent equal to the RP production of those facilities, but an additional 5% rounded to what seems reasonable (so the FWL still gets something out of the deal).
5)The FWL can use half the space in those facilities so long as they give the TC 5 days notice before the orders are to be sent in so long as over 15 "slots" are being administered by the TC (makes sure the FWL doesn't get messed over in this way either).
6)The FWL can cancel the agreement if they give half a month's notice – the Taurian administrators get sent back home comfortably (protects the FWL, and the Taurian citizens). Penalty for later cancellation is the same amount as the extra that the TC is paying beyond straight rent.
7)Don't ask where the TC is getting the money to pay for this, nor ask what exactly the TC is using that production for (I don't want the TC to lose their secrets either).
[/OOC]

"Well Protector as it was ever the Captain Generals intent to render these worlds a strong independent state after they came under our purview we are glad to hear of the results of the recent election. Especially the strong minority that found favor in joining the Free Worlds League perhaps one day upon their becoming independent they might petition for membership, but ... that is a matter for another time."

pausing for a second.

"But should you render these worlds a viable nation I hope you won't bar them from trade with their neighbors or prevent any nation building efforts that private or state sponsored entities might undertake. Provided the people are interested in such help of course. Neither of us are Davions or Marians to dictate to the people their fates and clap them in irons for utilizing their civil liberties."

"The Captain-General will be delighted that you feel our task force will be unnecessary to facilitate the deliverance of the Taurian State in this time if great peril. Truly this bastion of civilization is safe against the predations of the barbarians if you are that sure in your defenses."

"As to your proposal? Could...this not be better executed by establishing a trade agreement where by a certain number of our factories are set aside for Taurian use. In addition such production would have the benefit of the technology which stopped the initial Clan invasion. No offense to your own scientists but I'm sure licensing deals can be arranged for any technologies you wish to see included."

"We are glad that your finances are in such a state that you need no financing plan for your increased defense spending and Free Worlds Industry is prepared to play the role of arsenal of civilization to the Taurian Concordat."

"So....Protector how many Awesome's can we put you down for?"
OOC:
1) I make the maps so I would never voluntarily put myself through your proposal. All those little G's everywhere. Just...no.
2) FWL will set aside a to be agreed number of MF's a turn (depends how many you want to rent). No on the shipyards.
3) 5% above what it is possible to construct a turn at the MF's in RP to be given to the FWL each turn.
4) All non-standard technologies you want to construct there are to be provided to the FWL ( Which in my mind is like what Rocket Launchers and...well nothing else I can think of that I don't have unless the Taurians are running around with iC3 networks.
5) We not only won't ask where the money comes from as long as your paying up front we also don't care.

[OOC] Since I don't want this being at the same time as the meeting on Fronc, this started first, so it should end first... [/OOC]

Grover looked at the details of the proposed agreement and then had to say: "No, this isn't along the path we are looking for at this time. I am hopeful in the future, and perhaps in that future I will even beg for a deal like this. But at this time, that doesn't seem to be the direction the Concordat wants to go. I do thank you for your time however, and hope we can come up with ideas in the future where our nations can aid one another."

How come the Captain-General never gives me any easy assignments like leading an assault on Tharkad with a Jump Infantry Regiment.

"I have a message for the Protector from the Captain-General. It is for his ears only, I assure he will no thank you for having this conveyed before the ears of others."

[OOC] Please note that this has to be before Grover leaves to the CoPS meeting. [/OOC]

Grover wasn't so far gone as to imagine he could take the man before him, but he did figure that the guards could make sure he was fine before the man was allowed to leave. As such, he waved the 2 in the room with him out and looked back to the man from the League once the door closed.

Golden Outer Park
Stanford Toroid Prime
1143 Odysseus
Spartan Asteroid Cluster
Terra System
Core Alliance

Chaos Pan had managed to get off Terra itself, however she had ended up even further "back" from her objective of returning to the Taurian Concordat. The plus side, she was proving just how valuable having a wide range of skills was in just the wrong place. She had an actual job right now, working as a professional Topiary maintenance gardener. Since she was living below the Toroid, she was making sure to keep up with the osteophilic corrector medication, but it was just a temporary job.

Curiously the local administrators were actually aiding her effort in leaving the system entirely. It probably was a case of them having some dark secret, so she spent extra care not to accidentally find out what it was: she didn't care about some local corruption, her mission in a way was just to go home. If some future date someone wanted to look harder into this, they were welcome to.

Presently her days were a full shift at the Park (12.25 hours), sleeping (average of 8.5 hours lately), an average of 1 hours of getting supplies or food in as open and public a manor as possible, one hour on average getting ready for the day and the remaining 1 and a quarter hours she made sure to do nothing that could get her in trouble – which she used to work out. It wasn't necessary for health reasons, the medicine did that well enough, but it was better than going stir crazy. Or getting in trouble.

As a bonus of the locals trying to help her on her way, plus her working what amounted to over 85 hours a week, she was likely to earn enough to pay her way out of this place in just 4 more weeks. She was targeting a 3 jump trip into the Federated Suns. Then using a pre-existing cover there, make her way super quickly to New Syrtis. After that using a second cover, make her way home.

Dropship Elilieh Hoillli
Jump Point
Woogi system
Taurian Concordat

Mindy Schmitz had received a request from the government to return to Taurus. Since she was a independent person, she had thought about saying no, but if the government thought somehow she may be of some use, well, with those monstrous Dark running around, she couldn't see how she could refuse. At least it would be a quick trip...

Shadow Bay
Sparta Orbital Facility
Argos Planetary System
Taurian Concordat Space

Gullis Klass had been disappointed when one of the rumors hadn't worked out, however he did notice that many people were pretty nervous around here. The Dark seemed amazingly skilled at getting naval and aerospace forces. It was almost like they had more naval assets than the Outworlds Alliance and the Snow Ravens combined, pretty impressive for a people that were supposedly without a home-world, without a training facility, without any known rational method to gain the supplies they had been consistently gathering.

All Gullis did know was that with the massive destruction lately that had been visited on the Concordat that whatever was being planned had been pushed back. On the other hand, files still seemed to be flowing into the area, as well as strange, mysterious gear that had to be floated in with lots of grunts. Wonder what it is for.

[OOC] Yeah, I could have been munchkin. I even was leading up to certain events, but I have a reflex against certain actions like that. This is to explain why I zigged when I know it would have been better to zag. ;D [/OOC]

"To Mr. Grover Sharplen to be read by our ambassador to Taurus, preferably in private to spare Mr. Sharplen further public embarrassment, but should he insist oblige him. "

"Mr. Sharplen Sir Paul Masters, is a friend to me, a long time friend with a deep history of loyalty, integrity, honor and courage. It is not the fact that you voted against him that has caused this rift between our two states. It is that you voted against him without so much as a reason and without even the diplomatic justification of a trumped up objectionable excuse to pass him over for selection."

"In short I am offended both as Captain-General, as his liege lord and as his friend. While he is a good enough man to over look such offense I find myself as his Lord I can not and will not. As such as of this moment until such time as you make a sufficient private or public apology to the honor of Sir Paul you may consider yourself and your realm to be no friend to the Free Worlds League."

"Being specific sir I say no friend not an enemy but also not a friend or ally, we shall not move in any particular to your aid you. No FWLM force bearing SLDF colors or otherwise shall assist in the defense of Concordat Space. No force shall transit FWL space to assist the Concordat in anyway save humanitarian assistance. No non-profit or for profit agency shall do buisness with the concordat save in humantarian and nation building aid."

"And should you have need to purchase military equipment such will be at a premium up front payable in m-bills, or gold not that laughable toilet paper you insist on calling funds. + a 30% markup above market price."

" Further the Honorable Ambassador Orloff will be on the next Jumpship off of Taurus and his staff has already done so. I suggest you make expeditious travel arrangements for your own emissary to Atreus as if he is not off Atreus within one week he shall be declared persona non grata. I understand your finances are rather stretched at this time but for his own personal dignity if not that of your state I implore you pay the premium and get him off my world."

" If I seem to be insulting you sir, I assure you it is completely intentional. Much as I must assume your calculated offense towards the Free Worlds League in regards to your actions towards the honorable Sir Paul were a intentional insult directed towards myself. Rest assured should you take any action against the Free Worlds League or the person of Ambassador Orloff do to your own impotence and anger...we are prepared to retaliate a thousand fold.

Know.
Your.
Place.

Sincerely,

Captain-General Thomas Marik, Duke of Atreus, Duke of Marik Defender of the Free Worlds and Warder of the Periphery Defenses."


Yes...only the easy tasks does he give me, thought Orloff.

"Well it seems that's self-explanatory enough. I would ask if you have any reply to the Captain-General but I dare say its quite clear he simply does not care what you have to say. As such I take my leave of you Mr. Sharplen and I honestly do wish you well...I have lived on Taurus a long time...and quite frankly it is rare for a man who has angered as many Council Lords as you have to come to a good end. Or their people for that matter."

"However I assure you while I doubt there is much I can do for the sake of the friends I have made here.  I will speak to the Captain-General and try and turn his rage away from you. Your people need to much help and hold to much in common with our own to be cut off just because you made a political mis-step."

Grover was a bit surprised, but curiously calculating when he said: "Well, I wish you a safe journey. I even wish your state well. I even wish your leadership well. I even thank him for his willingness to spare me" he glances down quick and continues: "public embarrassment. Hopefully, when the next election runs around we won't have such a controversy surrounding Sir Paul Masters, or at least a situation that a controversial figure can be easier to adopt, and then the Free Worlds League will turn around and call us friend".

"Fortuitously, there aren't any Taurian officials in the Free Worlds League right now, they were called back... hmmm... I think 2 months ago. I can flat out that I didn't mean any disrespect to Sir Paul Masters, however I wanted a candidate elected as fast as possible who would have fewer powerful groups objecting to him, as I am right now very interested in... having my nation survive, so taking time with an explanation saying such in the middle of the voting, seemed more like whining to me than anything else, especially as I'm not there to give it. You may even quote me to Sir Paul Masters that I meant no offense - I don't want to bother your Captain-General until he's had a time to... reflect. I like however that he is so passionate in supporting a friend, and do expect to do something public in the future to try and smooth ruffled feathers. But not right now."

"Now to the other elements, if he really must think me insulted, please let him think so, at least until he's had a chance to calm a bit and just before he has the least bit of chagrin, inform him that I am otherwise. Yet for now, so as to make sure his ire is assuaged, consider which of these comments will make him feel best, if none, then just leave this part out: the Concordat's money is quite fine but it being named the bull DOES make for many jokes even children can't help but come up with, my place is right here, and I do think that banning not-for profit interactions between our nations is harsh. That all said, I wish to say to YOU: please take your time and leave in good order, I can't imagine any reason that there is any reason for concern. Have a good... life I suppose if I never see you again."