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"Indeed. We can agree to such a deal, yes. We also do specialize in trade if you are interested in a pact on that subject as well."
"Of course, after going through Port Customs, our Trade Partners or Eleran distributors could then deliver to other worlds. We welcome foreign trade and travel."
"Very well. Then I think it is settled: A Trade, Defense, and Communications Pact between the Alak-Hul Fleet and the Republics!'' She says with enthusiasm
He gets up to clasp her arm, "Great news! The Federated Republics of Eleris welcomes your people!"
(I forgot to mention that I require the use of passports, but we'll assume we did if that's okay with you.)
(Yeah, it'll be fine)
The Baroness's thin, insectoid hand clasps that of the representatives. "And the Fleet of Alak-Hul welcomes yours."
(And scene.)
"Foreign aid?" He nearly recoils at the thought.
"No, not quite necessary. Trade would be wonderful, but the area of security worries me and will no doubt worry the Senate. If you can guarantee to me, as well as the Senate, that our worlds location will not be leaked to the rest of the galaxy. If a leak were you happen, the safety and security of the Union is at risk."
"Of course," he replied. "We have companies that are exemplary at secrecy."
(My leader is also called a Prime, but we call it the Prime Princeps.
(She's not a Prime. She's a Primus)
"That's quite a welcome thing to hear. If you can pass along a list of these companies I can introduce a Bill to the Senate Chamber floor to open up Union ports to Federation commerce."
"I'll have it sent over when I get back on the ship," he said. "With the state of your country, do you want assistance with defense?"
"Not necessary as of now but a we can set the stages for an eventual defense pact. However a more pressing matter is the simple fact of our legitimacy. While it's clear that you being here now is an excellent show of support, a more formal acknowledgement of our claims to the U.R. as well as our government would do far more for us than all the trade in the galaxy."
"We would be glad to do so," he replied. "Regardless, though it would be even better supposing you give democratic election for joining you to the people?"
Without missing a beat he replied.
"Of course. They may be staining the ideals we once espoused across the stars but they're still our brothers and sisters of the United Republic. Besides the most abhorrent of war criminals, nearly all will be given full amnesty as well as have their rights protect under Union law."
"Then we should have no problem, Speaker," he replied. "For all we care, the Union is the United Republic, but better of course."
He smiled at this, admittedly charmed by Aleks speechcraft.
"Then we have an agreement. The Union will certainly enjoy having a friendship with your people much like the United Republic once did." He rose from his desk, shaking Aleks hand once more as a symbolic gesture affirming the deal.
UR Civil War
Saevia 
Achaian Peloponnese 
United Asians Association of Asians, 
Two-Oh-Two
The Alliance have been biding their time throughout the five years of this conflict. While allowing, and even prodding the other forces to try and out-brute each-other, Y'shool's sycophants have kept mostly on the defensive, protecting their assets with varying success from raids from all sides. The AAH plunder their north, while Yamo in his hubris seeks to take their west flank. They have been able to keep their foes in tolerable distance for the time being, but with the Reborn Empire breathing down their east and the fighting in the core worlds having finally died down, the Alliance must act fast.
Over the five years, they have amassed one of the greatest secret agencies in the galaxy via the notorious Security Bureau, who set their sights on Yamo's upstart rabble of pitchfork wielders too poor to sustain themselves. Over carefully selected points of time as to not seem suspicious, the SB infiltrate Tuak, posing as bankers and entrepreneurs, disillusioned with the Alliance, to work their ways into the higher echelons of Yamo's fledgling senate.
After he shook the man's hand, this time in the style common among foreigners. "Excuse me for my haste, I must get this agreement back to the Capital as soon as possible."
After farewells were traded, he practically ran back to the skiff with the guard in tow. When back in the main exploration ship, he got out his recording pen and replayed their conversation. He replayed it several times before writing the agreement into legal dictum, and by the time he was done, the ship was already in FTL transit. He rolled his chair over to the QEC unit and sent it back to the Consulate.
______________________________________
A Few Days Later, Galactic Address on First Avenue in Front of the Consulate Building
Consul Magnus M. stood at the podium, with a row of cabinet members and Consul Helena Lightborne standing behind him.
"As one Consul of the Federated Republics of Eleris--with the other standing beside me--I Magnus M. hereby formally declare recognition of the legitimacy of the Union of Federated Worlds over the whole plethora of self declared states in the space of the former United Republic. Recently we sent a delegation to the fair Union for a diplomatic meeting with one Speaker Primus Galti--during which the Speaker expressed all of the facets and qualities of good statecraft, government, and sound mind. We leave you to decide for yourself if the Union is so good, but you will find--by our reckoning--that this state is legitimate in both claims and being. Any action they take or omit against the lesser groups--short of transgression against civil and individual rights and freedoms--will be within the rights of all states erected by the people. As the agreement between our two states was ratified by the Senate this morning, we are hopeful for the dawn of this new era--both for our two states and the people of the former United Republic."
He stepped down amid a round of applause.
Transmission Ended.
City Outskirts
"Move! Move! Move!" Alexei shouted as he approached the dropship which was now hovering only a few feet from the ground, the rear ramp having lowered while a pair of other operators stood ready with their own weapons covering the treeline behind them. "Overlord, this is Reaper 1-2! We are Oscar Mike! Package is secure, I say again, package is secure!" Alexei unslung the briefcase from his back and tossed it aboard the dropship while he and the others quickly hoisted themselves up onto the ramp. "We're all in! Let's go! Go! Go! Overlord, prep for hot extract! Midflight!"
"Sir, we've only ever done that in drills-" The Lieutenant Commander responded over the radio.
"That's what drills are for! Be ready to make a run for it as soon as we're aboard, something tells me Corporate won't be able to keep them busy for long!" Alexei looked at the briefcase as the dropship rapidly began to ascend, the rear cargo ramp closing quickly. "Emilia, we need to ditch the drone. Put it down a couple kilometers north north east of the city, far enough away from these Uni guys but big enough to get their attention. In fact, why not put it down on one of those militia camps!? Make it look good, wait for my signal!"
"Understood." The AI replied calmly, already altering the course of the drone towards a militia camp that was still in the process of marshaling its forces.
TUS Wayfaring Stranger
"This is gonna be close..." The Lieutenant Commander mumbled, briefly tapping on his command console while the pilot altered their course. They were at an altitude of around twenty thousand feet, with their Sirin Class destroyer escort approximately fifteen thousand feet above them. "Alright, Sergio, show us why we pay you the big marks." The helmsman nodded simply, cracking his knuckles before tapping away at the console like a musician would strum an instrument.
"Smooth as butter..." The man said calmly, even as sweat beaded on his brow. "Forward hangar doors clear of personnel...? Good." Sergio glanced at the viewscreen, the dropship was rapidly ascending from the planet below and lining up almost perfectly beneath the corvette. "Forward hangar doors... Open." The ship shuddered slightly as the external doors for the forward hangar compartment slid open, but the shuddering was quickly abated by the helmsman. "Osprey is matching our speed... Plus ten Kph.... Plus twenty... Plus thirty... She's pulling ahead of us." The dropship was rapidly rising towards their altitude, slowly outpacing the corvette, lining itself up along the length of the ship in the process. "ETA to midflight dropship extraction... Thirty seconds."
Corporate
The call goes through to the Corporate Office on Roturna, and the Captain is greeted by pleaseant sounding music and a somewhat friendly sounding female VI.
"Thank you for calling Vulture Gear Defense Solutions. If you are calling to inquire about a Security Consultation, please press-" The message halts quickly at the mention of the Union of Federated Worlds. The line goes completely silent for a moment, after which an image of a woman wearing a dark grey business suit appears. Her pale face is highlighted by the glow of her screen, her tinted glasses hiding her eyes as she purses her lips for a moment, as if taking in the sight of the Admiral. Her hair is long and black, tied back in a professional looking bun.
"Well... This is certainly a surprise." The woman says simply, briefly looking off to the side at something just out of view. The woman briefly frowned at whatever it was before turning back to the camera, interlocking her well manicured fingers. Behind her it was possible to see the stars, as well as a few small silhouettes of warships painted matte black just like those ships currently operating around the planet. It was likely she was situated on a space station of some kind. "Admiral... Bascor, was it? My name is Veronica Aleksandrovna, Director of Southern Operations. You're calling in regards to a matter pertaining to a planet claimed by the 'Union Federated Worlds', correct? The matter your asking for information on is protected by at least a dozen confidentiality clauses and laws. All of these can be bypassed, of course, by going through legal channels, at which point I will be more than happy to give you the information you seek. We take the privacy of our clients very seriously, Admiral."
"That said, I see that the Union of Federated Worlds is not currently recognized by the Soviet Government as a legitimate state." The woman added, she leaned a bit closer to the camera. "Perhaps my firm can be of assistance in that regard... We're aware of the ongoing situation in the south, and we have assets already in the region, as you've keenly discovered. Allow our contractors to conclude their operation, which is nearing completion, and I may be able to offer you a discounted contract... And before you flat out refuse, please take a moment to reflect on the nature of your current 'Civil Conflict', and how very precarious your position appears to be."
"Mercenaries..." The Captain muttered offscreen.
"We don't need their scum. Sir give us the order, their vessels are hopelessly outclassed and outgunned. They're still in range, one volley and this entire situation is resolved." Took several steps towards the holotable and entered view of the transmission preparing to contact the warships bearing down on the fleeing mercenary vessels. Motioning with his gloved hand the Admiral halts the captain.
"While your claims of our situation are 'position' are unfounded, the Union's stance on Private Military Corporations is certainly more lenient than the United Republics once was. I will temporarily grant your vessels safe passage and in return I request you take your offer directly to my government where I'm sure they're better suited to negotiate." The Admiral looks past Veronica for a few moments curiously inspecting the ships behind her before locking eyes with her once more.
Part Two
Olrynion entered the makeshift office where Doctor J. Mackey awaited him. "Olrynion" he said, prying his eyes from his notebook to welcome his patient. "Thank you for coming, please do take a seat." Kyron did so, amused at the prospect of being offered a seat he owned. But, when Rohan commands, he obeys, most of the time, at least.
"It's been a long time. How are you feeling today?" the Doctor asked, non intrusively as Olrynion made himself comfortable.
"Just fine, Doc. How are you?"
Mackey smiled with professional friendliness. "I am well, thank you for asking. Shall we begin? Whenever you're ready."
Olrynion responded with an exhausted nod. The good doctor could notice the bags under his eyes, he was trying to hide them with his face arched downwards.
"At our last session, we talked about these nightmares you've been having. They have not regressed?"
"No."
"Have you noticed any changes in their nature or frequency between now and then?"
Olrynion gave this some thought, trying to discern the exact length of time between his current and previous session. It had been a while, before they set voyage in any case. "They've been occurring a bit more frequently. The subject's still the same, though."
Dr. Mackey scribbled something into his notebook. "Are they still recurring?"
"Now and then, yes."
"Which ones in particular?"
"The ones linked to traumatic memories. Sometimes it's the Tower, other times the Observatory. Occasionally the Temple."
The Doctor stopped writing, and set his pen down. He lifted his head directly to face Olrynion and clasped his hands together on the table. "Temple? I don't recall a temple in there."
"You don't?" Olrynion asked, genuinely perplexed to which the Doctor shook his head. "Not surprising, I guess. It only started f*cking with me recently. It comes from my op in Belryn. The NRB and I tried to capture Gwydion Morgan in High Dún, but we f*cked it up and a fight broke out. He nearly killed Vis, so I stepped in and he cut me open."
"Yes, I've heard he can be deadly with a blade."
"You don't know the half of it."
Doc Mackey picked back up his pen, and let it twirl a bit in his fingers as he pondered for a second. "On average how often would you say you experience these nightmares?"
"Every two or so days."
Mackey wrote a note. "And you're regularly taking your pills?"
"Yes."
"How do you feel when you wake up. Same as before?"
"Worse. Sweaty... Cold. Every point in the room, every slight angle, every... Everything is puncturing me from all ends. Every sharp joint seems closer than it is and I feel like I'm being compressed by the pressure of it all."
"And how do you typically cope with these episodes?"
"If Vis is with me, she'll soothe my nerves with some ritual. Otherwise, I go out for fresh air - which I can't do during space flight. I'm sure Rohan's told you about the state of my quarters."
"He has, yes. Where is Visenna now?"
"Sarotama. Work keeps us separated."
"Mmhmm, and how is your living environment? Are you comfortable here?"
"Mostly. It gets me by."
"It's a very nice ship, I must say."
"Thank you."
"Have you made any changes to it over time?"
"Well, aside from the hacked off corners in my quarters... I suppose I've organised it to look similar to the Mahtiid. Nostalgia, you know?"
"And your eating habits, have they changed at all?"
"I strive to keep on top of my intake. But now that you mention it, yes. Aside from the occasional dinner with Vis, I prefer to keep to myself during meals."
Doctor Mackey put his pen to his mouth, tapping at his lip while staring at his notes and reading them over. "Thank you for your honesty, Olrynion, that will be enough for today." He looked up at Kyron, who stood up from his seat. "I'll have to give this some thought, but I feel you've not demonstrated any regressions severe enough to disqualify you for service."
A recoil of relief hit Olrynion. "Thank you, Doctor. Thank you!" he exclaimed, shaking the Doctor's hand with an innocently violent grip.
"We'll keep in touch. Goodbye."
Alkarzia and The United Republic of Luke
"A lot of things have changed, certainly, but our cultures both are heavily militarized. The intricacies of their culture are quite fascinating... For example, when each of them come of age, they're given a rifle of some kind, and each get's a tattoo to signify their house. The reasoning behind these traditions, it seems, were unfortunately likely lost in their nuclear war. The Onorussians, however, are a far more spiritual people than those of the Techno-Union." Boris explained, leaning a bit against the table. "They're also, from what I've seen, a highly paranoid nation. Far beyond the extent of the Techno-Union. Frankly, given the state of the galaxy, I can't really say I blame them. Still, they're our kin, and we've been working towards building a rapport with them. "
"Fascinating! We share a similar such relation with the Arohgardians, though not as divided. Our common ancestors of the Altachtic blood, except they settled in the hostile ashen badlands and adapted more to that environment. They developed a martial culture which allowed them to the withstand the Aedoln invasions and reformations - the only Altachtic group to do so - thus they hold more dearly to their old ways than the rest of us; which typically consist of shamanism, rituals and trials of the spirit. That said they were always rather unique. Of course, they fly the same flag as we do. Why, if they did not, we could not legitimately call ourselves Ariilythians as the very name implies cultural union."
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