Lyran Commonwealth IC Roleplaying Thread

[Deathrider6]

Tharkad.

  "This is system control, stand by for escort. Follow all instructions given by escort lead and Tharkad Ground control. Avoid airspace over the Bremen Continent. Welcome to Tharkad. Stand buy for escort."

[Deathrider6]

Tharkad System.


  "Clan Shuttle this is Hauptmann Renyard Piett Commanding the 541st ASF Patrol Squadron we are coming in on your port side match speed and bearing we will bring you in."

[Daemonknight]

A single unarmed craft disengages from the Merchant-class. It follows the Lyran escort course and speed.

[august]

Tharkad

Private Message to Robert Kelswa-Steiner

Archon Kelswa-Steiner,

Forgive my impertinence in writing you directly, but I must request a private audience with you as soon as possible. I dare not say much in this communication, but there is an issue relating to the fate of Donegal that you need to be made aware of.

Yours humbly,
Delegate Numens

[august]

Preamble to the Constitution of the Collective of Lyran Peoples,

Poor is the pheonix who rises from the ashes only to again become himself; with this document the assembled nations of the Lyran people come together to give rise to a new nation, that all might be provided with safety, prosperity, and freedom from tyrrany. For too long have the Lyran men and women labored under the iron fist of a avaricious nobility that sought only to extract the work of our blood from the people. Though beaten down by those who falsely considered themselves their betters, the dignity and honor of the people yet survived. With a new birth of the Lyran State, these traits may yet come to the fore, that all might work to their full flowering. No longer masquerading as a Commonwealth, where that which was for all was directed to the benefit of a few, the Lyran nations announce themselves a Collective where all might be equal before the law. The wealth of our great people is now and henceforth, in keeping with the highest principles of justice, to be directed towards the betterment and happiness of each man, woman, and child who claims to themself the great monicker of Lyran.

This renaissance is not merely a turn - we return to the oldest principles of the Lyran State; no longer shall we labor under the crushing grasp of the tyrant. We return to the ideal of the Lyre, in which each string, carefully tended, contributes to the harmony that is greater that each of its parts. The internal divisions of the past, the cause of so much strife, shall be turned to a mutually complementary relation, each part in sacred tandem with the rest that transforms the individual parts so that they might accomplish more than any might alone. And as with the lyre, should a single string be out of tune, so the instrument as a whole is the worse, so our people. The ill-fortune of one is that of the whole and so we endeavor to provide for the needs of all to the greatest extent. This writing marks the asset of all the nations to labor towards the well-being of all.

As the expression of the spirit of our people and the spirit of history, we tender this Constitution not as a finality, but as the opening of a new age of peace, prosperity and justice for all Lyrans.

[august]

Tharkad

A trembling of the hands, a weakness of the stomach. Colonel Taks surveyed Tharkad city from on high; it occured to him that scar tissue shouldn't grow upon the same, but nonetheless such was the fact. The last time he had been to the capital, sullen hope and defiance against tragedy had been the watchwords. He had overseen the feeding of the hungry, the clearing of rubble piles, and the reconstruction of what had been crassly been destroyed by a force unknown. He had cursed the fates with every breath scarcely two months ago - now those same fates had chosen them as agent for an uninspired repeat performance. His humanitarianism had been the purchase price of the foundation for this - whatever the event had been, he dared not name it.

Push back the nausea, unclamp the throat. You have to speak, not because you want to, but because this will be interminable unless you do. Give voice, lie dissemble, push back this horrible nothing. The ruins attest quietly, speak them into silence.

Taks turned slowly to the young soldier who stood behind him on the rooftop. His eyes bore his suffering outward; he was distraught to see the same lacking in the other. This, for him, in his youth, in his naivité, contravened nothing for lack of an established path - Taks wanted to shake him to cast him from the rooftop, let the blighted generation fall upon the stones that they had shaken up. Better that this honorless youth, too young to know his lack of honor and now entrenched in a position whereby he would never attain it, not bear this stain beyond the temporal reach of those who new better. He sighed.

A simple sentence: "Put up the flag." Compliance. The Iron Fist drawn down and cast into the flames. The Lyre goes up - promise of a better era, put forward in a corrupt birth. Lord, let it not be ever stillborn.

[august]

Tharkad

Two martyrs conversing. The dialogue opens in the wake of the hissing sound of energy dischange. Moaning in the distance. The landscape is that of an emptied farmhouse, far from Tharkad's beaten paths.

"How many today?"

"That's, I reckon, the twenty-first today. Ten apiece. You can do the math.

"The usual lot?"

"Yep. Nobles, whatever members of Robbie's Estates whom we didn't get at Heidelberg, counterrevolutionaries, those idiots who blew up the cafe where Gamm and his boys were drinking."

"No hitches so far?"

"None. We ran all the locals out of here without difficulty. Enforced paid vacation, we call it."

"And the disposal?"

"All of it's being shipped off-world. World ain't secure enough that we can count on there not being any prying eyes."

"The farmer got anything good here? I could use a drink."

"There's some brandy in the kitchen. Pour me a glass."

Another hiss.

"Twenty-two, twenty-two..."

[august]

Tharkad, Archives of the Lyran Commonwealth

The building above is a ruin, its life carried off by the flame that bore with it the Commonwealth itself and its luminaries. Hundreds of meters below the earth, however, the most valued documents of the state have remained secure. It is in their sanctuary that we now find ourselves; hollowed out from the earth, hidden from the light so that the light of the past may continue to shine, an elevator opens upon this latter-day mithraeum. The man at the fore hestitates. He is thrown forward, his body sprawling across the stone floor, limp. He moans softly as two red figures, bearing demonic visages that are barely distinct emerge behind him. A command is barked. The archivist cringes, and once more as a boot slams into the left side of his ribcage. The click of a gun yielding its safety.

He scurries to his feet, tremors bearing his body away from itself. It is a decided effort to fit the key into the case. A password on a hidden terminal is given correctly on the third attempt; its terrified buttons flee the approach of his fingers. His face melts. Would that he could melt into the earth and not have to bear witness. They come to the opened case. The Articles of Acceptance stand exposed, nude. One of the figures advances, a witness to the foreclosure of witnessing. He lifts the document, lights a match. The hope of the Lyran Commonwealth gives light in its extinguishing; the martyr lights a cigar with the burning of history.

Accomplishment, but of what?

[Dave Baughman]

Provisional Government HQ, Tharkad

"Peace of Blake be Upon You, Colonel Taks," said Precentor Tharkad with a thin smile, "and... congratulations on your conquest."

The Blakist's eyes glanced briefly towards the nearby window and the smoke-obscured vista of the planetary capital, "Today I am afraid I am not here as Blake's representative on this world, but as the Ambassador of the Terran Hegemony. Your seizure of Tharkad may well have shifted the balance of power in this sector, and I must ask of your government two questions.

"First: do you stand with the Inner Sphere, or with the Clans? I do not imagine that your leader... Archon? Generalissimo? Führer? Indeed I am not even certain of the proper form of address for Mister Tanuyama. In any event, I do not believe that your leader is naive enough to believe that neutrality can be maintained at the center of the storm as the Collective is.

"Second: what are your intentions towards the Robert Kelswa-Steiner's authorities on Donegal and Skye? Is this battle the first step in a civil war?

"If Arc Royal is to be a friend to the Sphere, then Terra can be a friend to Arc Royal. On the other hand... well, regardless, I imagine that both our states would benefit from knowing where we stand with regard to one another."

[august]

"Ah, Precentor Tharkad, Peace of Blake be upon you." After his reaming by the Arc-Royal diplomatic corps, Taks could at best stutter and stumble through the statement. Dim suspicion that the Terran Ambassador had heard of this and had approached him for precisely that reason became apparent. "Er, you must know that I've been understandably ushered from my position as a diplomatic officer... but still, for the sake of the Lyran people, I'll answer as I can. Delegate Tanuyama, is well, only a delegate as far as I'm concerned, not head of state. He might head those bloodthirsty fanatics who have been running rampant. Goddamn savages, the lot of them... I'm an LCAF man, you understand - I take my orders from the Estates General, and them alone. Whatever carnival sideshows make me operating... well, it's best not to know. Speaking of not knowing, have you heard anything about Mulcahy? After the SLDF came, not a word... well, maybe that's a bad question. I should answer yours before throwing out any of my own."

"Who do we stand with? We stand with our people, and whatever's best for them. Which, as far as I am concerned, and as far as I think that the Estates is concerned, is not making them the victims of other people's wars. Not that some interested others don't specifically have that in mind. We want our people to be free of the Clans, the Terrans, and whomever else might have an eye on our planets. Our friends are our friends and then there are our friends, you know?"

Taks looked out over the twice-ruined city, and paused for more than a moment. Inscrutable sentiment imposed.

"As for Robbie, well, the fact that the Falcons made off with him here screwed us but good. We don't want civil war - there's no Lyran Commonwealth left to go to one. Skye-Donegal was making noise about just that, so they had to be dealt with, or so the leadership tells me. I served in 3039, you know? Invading the capital is well... let's just say it's hard to justify to myself, but I'm of the old guard. Robbie was a war criminal - that's at least assured. We don't need a man like that pretending to be Archon. I don't want to have to invade any more Lyran worlds, and I don't think our leadership does either, but Robbie had to go. Hopefully the Falcons shoot him, though thanks be to god if we're so lucky."

"I hardly believe it. Tough to believe anything these days, no? Tell me, how does that saying of Blake go? The one I always liked, about the spirit of man?"

[august]

From the Desk of Kommodore Alrans, acting Governor, Tharkad
For Public Distribution.

The authorities of the Collective of Lyran Peoples on Tharkad are seeking any information on the whereabouts of the following individuals. In compliance with the patriotic duty of all Lyran citizens, those who may have knowledge are expected to give a report to local officials posthaste. Rewards will be granted relative to the utility of any leads proffered.

Daniel Russel, Former General, LCAF
Rebecca Morgan, Native of Freedom, Speaker of the Illegal Estates General of Donegal
Tutuola, Loremaster, Clan Wolf

[Dave Baughman]

"Ah, Precentor Tharkad, Peace of Blake be upon you." After his reaming by the Arc-Royal diplomatic corps, Taks could at best stutter and stumble through the statement. Dim suspicion that the Terran Ambassador had heard of this and had approached him for precisely that reason became apparent. "Er, you must know that I've been understandably ushered from my position as a diplomatic officer... but still, for the sake of the Lyran people, I'll answer as I can. Delegate Tanuyama, is well, only a delegate as far as I'm concerned, not head of state. He might head those bloodthirsty fanatics who have been running rampant. Goddamn savages, the lot of them... I'm an LCAF man, you understand - I take my orders from the Estates General, and them alone. Whatever carnival sideshows make me operating... well, it's best not to know. Speaking of not knowing, have you heard anything about Mulcahy? After the SLDF came, not a word... well, maybe that's a bad question. I should answer yours before throwing out any of my own."

"Who do we stand with? We stand with our people, and whatever's best for them. Which, as far as I am concerned, and as far as I think that the Estates is concerned, is not making them the victims of other people's wars. Not that some interested others don't specifically have that in mind. We want our people to be free of the Clans, the Terrans, and whomever else might have an eye on our planets. Our friends are our friends and then there are our friends, you know?"

Taks looked out over the twice-ruined city, and paused for more than a moment. Inscrutable sentiment imposed.

"As for Robbie, well, the fact that the Falcons made off with him here screwed us but good. We don't want civil war - there's no Lyran Commonwealth left to go to one. Skye-Donegal was making noise about just that, so they had to be dealt with, or so the leadership tells me. I served in 3039, you know? Invading the capital is well... let's just say it's hard to justify to myself, but I'm of the old guard. Robbie was a war criminal - that's at least assured. We don't need a man like that pretending to be Archon. I don't want to have to invade any more Lyran worlds, and I don't think our leadership does either, but Robbie had to go. Hopefully the Falcons shoot him, though thanks be to god if we're so lucky."

"I hardly believe it. Tough to believe anything these days, no? Tell me, how does that saying of Blake go? The one I always liked, about the spirit of man?"

"The spirit of man is more important than mere physical strength, and the spiritual fiber of a nation than its wealth," said the Precentor quietly, adding a moment later with a sad smile, "though I suspect you might have been thinking of the one about needing a miracle."

"As to friends and friends though... I fear that your nation's location may make it difficult to simply ask the Clans - and the Hegemony for that matter - to take their little war and have it somewhere else. Our latest intelligence reports suggest that the Ghost Bears are massing troops in the old FRR worlds and the territory Kelswa ceded to them, so it is probably only a matter of time until war breaks out in the Arcturus region."

"Speaking for the Terran Hegemony, we are not asking you to enter the conflict as a belligerent on the Terran side; we understand what the consequences of such a move would be for Arc Royal. We would, however, like to secure a pledge that the Delegates will not aid the Clans either. If the Estates General remain neutral, Terra has many resources at its disposal that could assist with repairing the damage the last few months have wrought," he said this as he gestured out towards the fractured skyline.

"Do you think your government would be amenable to such an arrangement?"

[august]

Taks nodded solemly as the Precentor recited the verse. His shoulders sagged a bit as he spoke - too much, too much for him.

"Well, Precentor, as you rightly said, Arc-Royal continues at the clans' whim. Our treaty with them marks our position as neutral - I'm not at liberties to reveal all the terms to you, or anyone, really. You'd have to ask someone cleared for that, though I suspect that they'd be tight-lipped. And I'm sure you know that this assault went as well as it did because we led some of Bobby's boys into a trap that the vatborns, er, sorry, an old soldier who remembers the fifties speaking, helped lay. They got paid though, so it's not like we're in for it long term."

"Regarding the Hegemony, the Estates is aware that, if you so chose, you'd be as much a threat as the clans. So I imagine that they'd be open to talking. Can't promise anything, that you'd get anything from them with the clans one jump from the capital, but I can put you in touch. That being said, we have our own commitments as well - the SLDF ain't about to treat us well after that stunt a couple months back, and the Wolves are pretty clearly enemies at the moment. Who knows how things stand with the League, for that matter?"

Taks paused a moment, and sighed deeply. "I'm sorry that I can't be more useful to you - putting you in touch with those who do matter is all I can offer. The government will be open to listening, I'm sure, but an ear might be all you get. Let's hope for more, however."

[Dave Baughman]

"All right, Colonel, I understand the limitations you are under," said the Precentor with a touch of sympathy in his voice, "We'll reach out directly to the Estates General on the matters were discussed in the days ahead."

"Until our mission reaches Arc Royal, though, could you advise your government that - should the region choose to align with them - we would appreciate it if they did not interfere in any of our troop movements in the Freedom region. As much as we harbor no hostile intent towards the Collective, if local forces were to impede Star League operations, we would have no choice but to deploy garrisons to stabilize the region - a step we would like to avoid."

[august]

"Precentor, I can tell you that there's a standing order for all... er, what are we today, the CLPAF... terrible acronym... yes, well, Arc-Royal's military forces not to antagonize any SLDF or Inner Sphere forces attempting to move through our territory. We have enough enemies, and probably made a slew more this week. So at least as our orders stand, you've nothing to fear. Landings, I believe, are off-limits without prior permission, however."