Governor: The Republic of New Saharia
WA Delegate (non-executive): The United Cruolian Systems of Ex-Machina 374 (elected )
Founder: The neo glactic empire
Last WA Update:
Embassies: The Bar on the corner of every region, United Christian Empires of the West, The Slide Countries, Fredonia, Regionless, Oneid, The Great Universe, Official European Union, The Region Of Gargery, The Embassy, An Island In Space, Bootana Hutta, Free Market Federation, Gypsy Lands, Distant Worlds, Nubyss, and 5 others.The United Federation of Planets, Kommuland, True Waskaria, Coven of Witches, and The Mainland of Tamriel.
Tags: Casual, Cyberpunk, FT: FTL, FT: FTLi, FT: STL, Fandom, Fantasy Tech, Future Tech, Independent, Industrial, Isolationist, LGBT, and 16 others.Large, Magical, Map, Mercenary, Multi-Species, Neutral, Offsite Chat, Outer Space, Post Apocalyptic, Regional Government, Role Player, Social, Surreal, Trading Cards, Video Game, and World Assembly.
The Galactics Union contains 82 nations, the 354th most in the world.
Today's World Census Report
The Most Extensive Civil Rights in The Galactics Union
The citizens of nations ranked highly enjoy a great amount of civil rights, or freedoms to go about their personal business without interference or regulation from government.
As a region, The Galactics Union is ranked 18,108th in the world for Most Extensive Civil Rights.
Nation | WA Category | Motto | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | The Unified Planet of Selios | Left-wing Utopia | “Her garden, her children” | |
2. | The Nomadic Peoples of Land without Darkness | Civil Rights Lovefest | “We did it for you” | |
3. | The Feisen Republic Housing of Fox Millworks | Benevolent Dictatorship | “Make guns, make money” | |
4. | The Queendom of Galactics Union | Benevolent Dictatorship | “It’s got electrolytes” | |
5. | The Arcs' Syndicate of Trauma Sovereign | Left-wing Utopia | “Yet in Misery, Yet in Nature” | |
6. | The Community of The Engi Hive | Left-wing Utopia | “System diagnostic complete. All systems nominal.” | |
7. | The Volksrepublik of Der Demokratische Deutscher Rest | Left-wing Utopia | “Vom Himmel bis zu den Sternen.” | |
8. | The Grand Duchy of Caladanos | Libertarian Police State | “A fearless people, A fearless nation.” | |
9. | The Most Terrestrial Council of Newfont | Left-Leaning College State | “For Earth and Justice” | |
10. | The Tri-Confederacy of New Cathen | Iron Fist Socialists | “A march unending.” |
1234. . .89»
Regional Happenings
- : The Federal Republic of Hungaroworld arrived from Zickton.
- : Kalsia ceased to exist.
- : Coconuti ceased to exist.
- : Honalulu ceased to exist.
- : Regional Founder The neo glactic empire ceased to exist.
- : Gorra prime ceased to exist.
- : Elstrea ceased to exist.
- : The Republic of Khuyen arrived from The Communist Bloc.
- : The Serene Void of Sinergy arrived from The Rejected Realms.
- : The ULoku Star Realm of Namibu arrived from Osiris.
The Galactics Union Regional Message Board
Algarius was pissed that they had missed the fact an alien species had settled the system and no one noticed until now.The radio operator would shortly pick up the signals send by the Xenos and quickly say to Algarius “sir the Xenos are sending us this exact message,Greetings, Travelers. Be you Friend or Foe? What is our response?” Algarius stood for a moment thinking about what to do and his experience,they have ships on interception course which most likely point out they know we have military ships and are approaching with such,they most likely based on how advanced they are have other colonies and yet they appear to be friendly . After what felt like tense hours but was minutes,Algarius decided on calling for assembling the rest of the Battle-fleet outside of the system Incase it goes bad. He would also decide to transmit back to the Xenos “Whoever you xenos are,we know you are on intercept course with us in military ships. I suggest you keep your distance from us and then we can talk about rather being friends or foe.” Algarius was hostile and demanding since he never had experienced anything good from being a peace seeking open naive fool. He would turn around ordering all of the ship's gunnery crews for combat,raise all military ships' shields and put them in a defensive position in front of the colony ships. They would also stop their advance with every ship being put on high alert in case the xenos would attack.
tensions run high as it appears the Ucharrian are preparing for a possible fight
A Wrench in The Plan?
It was foolish to transport the Velrok unhindered, only binded by large steel handcuffs. Nyaxua opened his eyes, wrists twisting and cracking, his hands slowly slipping free from the cuffs which restricted him. Two guards were conversing to one another, oblivious to what was happening behind them. Another audible crack sounded, and the two turned around, Nyaxua swiftly dispatched the two usanine guards like a blur, freeing the rifle from one of their hands and bludgeoning the other with it.
Quickly inspecting the gun, Nyaxua would aim it before withdrawing it down to hip fire position. Ot was rifle of feral make, primitive in design and using kinetics. Sliding open a door with the... removed eye of one of the guards and leaving the room, Nyaxua was ready to start his escape. Cameras watched carefully and silently, but the eyes behind them screamed.
"Prisoner escaped while undergoing transfer." The grey-skinned usanine spoke calmly but his eyes told a different story. He reached for the keyboard in front of him, eyes flickering rapidly as he typed in a series of codes, and the vessel would undergo lockdown. Doors locked swiftly, but they weren't quick enough, the Velrok guided himself with ease as if he was liquid, seeping through every crack and weak point in the ship's interior.
Soldiers stood ready, guns primed and ready, but they all turned their weapons onto themselves as he appeared. The security watchman observed this, and Nyaxua appeared as if he was convincing them to do this to themselves, or as if he was moving at such speed where the cameras couldn't register what was happening.
The Velrok squeezed past the bodies which laid before him, a single shot not fired from his rifle. He brought it level, quickly dispatching a series of alarms and cameras in his area of the ship before discarding the gun. Slipping past more of the doors as he quickly disengaged the locks, the Velrok was closer and closer to the landing bay of the vessel.
Engaging more and more of the alarms and security measures, the usanine at command was slapped on the side of his head. "Let him go, if we jettison every pod or disable our ships he'll just find a way to kill us all!" The other spoke, pushing him aside and disabling the security systems. Cameras blinked out one-by-one as the Velrok walked past, as if they were adverse to his presence. "They'll have us executed for this, we can't..." the watchman was cut off again. "The worst they'll do is mindwipe us, besides..." he began to whisper, "I keep copies of everyone here."
A lone pod was primed and jettison, but many more began to eject themselves, serving as decoys for the Velrok's escape. But it wasn't just the pods, weapons would discharge, and missiles would empty themselves at targets unknown. Several autonomous ships shot into FTL and out of the landing bay, and it was assumed that the Velrok escaped upon of these small fighters, disappearing into deep space.
|| An Avasar fable - [expansion]
| On a thick blanket of violet moss on the sturdy branch of a tree in the middle of a pink orchard in the great wardens of Hrair, prince Alistrir sat sprawled in leisure and presided over the morning's arrival. The sun had risen like many times before, lumbering atop the horizon with an almost lazy speed, its light once again melting the nightly frosts into dew and transforming the endless rolling pastures into a glistening sea of grass. It was moments like these in which the young prince, vain as he was, could be proudly humbled in the breadth and richness of his homeland's majesty. It was a profound reminder of his people's history and origin, how the cunning hares of old king Hatchet-tooth's kind lived among the wild thistles and grass in the shallow kingdoms, everyday testing their wits against the hunters in the everglades. The old world is a far cry from today's wardens, where they grow bulbous and beneath the surface, and the only wilds the average El-ahrah encounters are the occasional wild sprout invading from the great sun-roof, welcome for their decorative leaves and plump fruits. Alistrir didn't quite understand why they did that until now, why they reached into the dim chasms instead of into the sunlight, it was the call of the old and now unfamiliar wilderness welcoming them back to the surface, back to their kingdom.
~
| In the times of Rattle-ear the El-ahrah were forced into the cover of the underground after the plains and forests thinned and could no longer give cover against the Feather-knives and Knoll-rumblers, and there they have kept themselves, stubborn and lazy like the morning. The Avasars, with their mastery of nature, had long ago restored the primal forests, the thick carpets of plains, the flowers and thistles, and even the orchard which he lay upon, yet his kin have not even thought to return to the midst of their ancestral home; the surface.
| He for one, the prince of all hares, the El-ahrah in name, proud of the kings and princes which came before, venerating their feats and courage, swears here to himself before the slow sun and the enchanted shimmering meadows:
| "One day we, the witful descendants of Fleet-foot, will once again be masters in our own land!"
~
| Later on the same day Alistrir would find himself rudely awoken from his high-noon nap when a small husk of juveniles playing chase made too much of a racket. The prince rose with frustration, revealing himself from the moss drapes as he met the ground and dusted himself off, he dropped his irritated brows and whiskers when he saw them playing about. They weaved through the woods like the winds themselves, sharp in their step and cunning in their trickery. In them he saw the soul of the El-ahrah, who traditionally lived not just for the thrill of the chase, but for the pride of never being caught, and they enjoyed it with all their heart. It was only a mere moment later when the youngsters stopped dead in their tracks after one of them called out to the prince and caused them all to keenly flock to him, awed and wide-eyed that a bunch of kittens of their make met the prince of the world in this remote orchard of all places.
| They were sure it was him. It was in his look, his sharp ears, pointed nose, elegant whiskers, his well conditioned fur of pale gray, and that crown of oaky timber which the prince seldom left his den without. It was the spitting image of the prince whose face was painted on banners in every warden, because it was him.
~
| "Old prince! Old prince!" came the youngest of the group, hopping with joy as he went; "Is it really you?"
| The prince was in awe of the youngster's audacity, how could anyone think he was old? He clearly had far too many seasons ahead of him to be old. "Old?" the prince snarked in return, "I am not old, I am royal gray. There is a difference and you ought to know it".
| The husk of young hares simply stared back, too enamored to even be offended or embarrassed by the prince's telling off, and they continued poking for him to reveal details about his exploits on the frontiers in the Avasars' campaigns and expansions. Though on the surface he showed a shallow frustration befitting that of an adult dealing with bothersome children, he secretly enjoyed their curious minds and hunger for adventure and continued telling them about the wonders he saw on the front.
|| The terrifying magnificence of the flower Felsommer, the Avasar with thorns for teeth and a peering eye for a tongue, and who spoke with roaring volume commanding him to lead his explorers through the deep depths of the unknown galaxy.
|| The webs of the oracle spiders which went hither to and hither from and in the blackness of the void were invisible until too late. How they saw through tricks and cut through wit with all-seeing eyes that never failed.
|| The mad star, which drove the Sprye insane and fought tooth and claw in the fogs of a bushel of worlds against the fearless sentries of the Avasars. In orbit they fought back-to-back with aliens from the far away Saharia and Aurelia.
| He could spit stories until the sun went up again, but the prince has his duties. "One more." he said, "I will tell you one more story before I must be on my way."
| The small group looked to the last member, who until then hadn't asked. He plucked his whiskers for a brief moment before giving a smile; "Tell us about King Chrysanthemum's people, how they came to be."
| And the prince scratched his chin, for he knew nothing of how the Avasars were made. He knew only that they were old, very old, and from very far away, but then again he is the prince of El-ahrah and the fable-smith of Harar, and he could just make something up. He turned back to the youngsters. "Very well..." he said and gave a wry grin.
~
| Long ago, the great fern star made the world. He made all the kinds of creatures and all the animals, and he scattered them across the land.
| When the animals were scattered they formed dynasties, and from these dynasties rose the likes of King Fleet-foot, and Silver-wing, and many others.
| Now among them was Lilac, and his kingdom spanned the grass in the pastures, and the trees in the forests, and all the flowers in the meadows and ponds.
| All the kings lived among each other, and they were all friends, however; king Lilac believed he was first among them.
| The forests grew rampant and vast and they grew thick with foliage and trees, and when they had no more space they stole land from the other kings.
| First was the Rabbits, then the sheep, then the cows, and the deer, and horses, and all their other ilk - who humble in their strength could not resist the greed of King Lilac.
| 'Oh King Lilac of the Green Kingdom!' the beasts pleaded, 'Mark our words, if you do not control yourself we will do so for you.'
| And king Lilac frothed with anger, he was the favored kind beneath the fern star, and he alone was blessed with the wealth of its light.
| Then the beasts and the animals knew they could not reason with the king of flowers, and they determined to get the better of him.
| They marched through the forests and plains and ate from the grass and leaves, multiplying as they did, and with time growing ever stronger.
| 'So then, favored King beneath the star, all your kin have become ours to feed upon, and the more greedy you grow, the more greedy we will.'
| In despair, the king of flowers began to sow discord amidst the beasts, turning them against each other with plagues and meddling of the flesh, and a number of kings were driven mad and attacked their friends and ate from them instead.
| However, when Lilac did this he had angered the fern star, and in return for his audacity the great star punished the greedy king by splitting the world into endless planets, and left all of Lilac and his kin behind.
| And he littered the sky with planets and worlds, and for every world he made a star.
| 'See now above you lies your kingdom Lilac, king of greed, conqueror of the stars, for all you see is yours to have, and whenever you conquer them you may have them, but first you must conquer them.'
| From then on, the cruel star would flee in the night so that the marooned king could see all the stars in the sky and be reminded of what he lost because of his greed.
| Additional Systems: 650
| Planets: 400
| Moons: 500
| Watership down's prologue and the Prince with a thousand enemies.
SECOND CONTACT - THE WESTERN VOID
"I have nothing to discuss on behalf of the Intersystems Collective."
That was true. If the deal went through, this would be a win-win for both the Utakan Union and Collective. One in the short run, and the other in the long run. The Intersystems Collective could at long last clean up the great derelict-fields of the Compact-Coalition civil war, and the Utakan Union could accelerate their technology to become a proper galactic power.
If the High Diplomat had been so inclined, perhaps they might have conversed about etherborn biology. Maybe Seve would be more open and willing to talk about the Neighborhood and the Orellian Coalition, as well as the sins of the past. Everything that Haiken wanted could be found within Intersystems Collective databases; those could explain what the citizenry and the populace were like to a much greater extent than just words or images on a datapad ever could.
"I do hope the deal goes through, though. That would be a boon to both of our nations - and although my government will see reason, I am aware of the time limit on your planet. I'll see what strings I can pull."
If that was that, then everything was wrapped up and complete. The meeting was over; now the only thing left to do was to convince. Haiken had to convince his Council. Riegel had to convince Parliament. So be it.
|| A Torrin a day | Development stage
| Sarrat watched as the tall, unanimated, winged-creature returned a single affirming nod and reached again into that seemingly endless compartment of miscellaneous items to produce a small stack of resinous panes. The glasses jangled with nostalgic tunes as he sorted through them with great care, meticulously eyeing their distinct details out from pure focus.
| 'Yes, this one' the insectoid remarked to himself as he plucked a lamp from the desk and fixed one of the resinous glasses to it and shone it against the wall.
| Very old-school as the Saharians might say, or even retro to some degree, using a makeshift projector instead of a hologram or even paper parchment as could've been expected.
| Pterivar unfurled a wing at his side with a swift ruffle which sent a chilling breeze throughout the room and parted a section from its ceiling light, rolling a shadow before him and Sarrat and fully illuminating the jittering illustrations.
~
| The weapon itself was a lengthy, almost spear shaped marksman rifle of some sort which used packets of light as projectiles, hard light as they called it. A replaceable solar cell would be placed at the rear, almost like a battery, and would discharge a quanta of light through the guiding barrel made of graphene tubing and overlaid with a weak electromagnetic funnel which would act like the grooves on a kinetic rifle, straightening the shot.
| A weapon of this sort is designed to shoot accurately and at long distances, and the nature of its ammunition meant that the power could be charged to the shooter's liking, but still remained the question of stopping power. Classic long-range kinetic and anti-material rifles could produce enormous stopping power up until their functional range, but this weapon though admittedly in theory far more long ranged than any projectile based weapon lacked the necessary power to effectively take advantage of that.
| Of course, gleaming the true purpose of the weapon wasn't easy given the humorless notations written in both universal and three other illegible scripts as well as the accompanying measurements which used half a dozen different metrics all at once; the very odd line drawn above it showing the entire length to be 3.699515e-16 Light years across. Certainly there would be no confusion as to what was what, but as to how or why, she could only guess for now. Surely the Engineers could make better sense of it.
~
| Pterivar shuffled through the resinous slides, restacking them into a neat deck before handing them to Sarrat and ending the light show with a dramatic curtain drop of the wings. 'Now we can begin the time of trials and tests.'
“Trust me Norsam,my second in command got the bridge while we spend some time together,I just needed to get the internal environment to safe levels for you. Now let me walk you along the halls of this great ship while we get to talk and enjoy the view of the void.” he would then step out into the hallway waiting until Norsam would step out into the halfway. he would then say “let's walk to the dining area so i can show you some of my cultures food. "As he starts to walk he would ask a question “how is…… one's childhood where you come from?. I was born on the homeworld of my species and grew up in one of the dome cities,spending a lot of time on playing games in school and later at 20,my species' adulthood, I got drafted into the naval officer corp. Initially I didn't like it but grew to like it as I enjoyed a more disciplined and ordered life,yet I still enjoy the pleasures I left at home.” He would go quiet for a short while,as if remembering something he regretted not doing. “Sadly I didn't get to see much nature,due to my city being placed in a red zone,but enough with me,how was your Childhood Norsam?.”
A Slice of Life ep 1: Kudo
No one expected it to happen, one day he was talking about how he wanted to expand his garden, animatedly explaining how next year's fruit were going to be the best yet. The next day he was being carried away by medical response personnel saying it was already too late.
Everyone had said the same thing when Kudo notified them of what happened. "What?" every time. He probably would have said the same thing, if it weren't for the fact that he was the one that had to find his father.
"And what about his favorite things? Favorite biome, things to do. What made him stand out and what should I highlight?"
The weaver sat on a mat before him in the small room in the memorial center. A number of example tapestries hung on the far wall, each carrying a variety of intricate designs and colors meant to memorialize an Eckan.
Kudo let his mind fly through various memories of him and his father, struggling to push the past few days out of his head. His father had loved the small tropical band around the equator, how the water seemed to be a brighter blue there and the tiny little crustaceans that scurried about. It was such a vibrant place, the animals not having a care in the world. He remembered his dad swimming in the water, laughing and smiling as a little pack of Watergliders swam in all directions away from the disturbances he made.
No more, Kudo thought sadly. That ecosystem was dead now, Watergliders extinct, lost thanks to the violent tides.
"He... loved exploring the bays and coves around the Vuree Islands, especially during the midday when the watergliders were out. He loved his little garden, especially the maser plants, and made the BEST maser stew with them. He made sure to always drag along at least one person on his little adventures across the world, usually me." Kudo said, feeling a blanket of happiness as he remembered all the fun they had had.
"If he wasn't adventuring or tending to his garden, he'd be playing his vid games. He'd always invite me to play with him, and I have him to thank for being such a vid gamer myself."
The feeling disappeared as he stopped talking and Kudo felt himself sag as the weight of it all hit him yet again. No more dad, no more hiking with a cheerful friend, no more gaming with the greatest pro he knew, no more homemade maser stew. No crying. Not now, not here. He thought.
"For the highlight... please highlight how happy he was. He was always the happiest, friendliest person I knew. All he ever had was friends."
The weaver nodded and wrote down some notes, she'd do her best to make a fitting tapestry to memorialize this soul taken too soon. The tapestry would contain a mix of patterns and designs meant to represent the lost Eckan's life, personality, experiences and achievements. It would be placed among all the other lost Eckans of the city in the Hall of Memories. There it would be able to be viewed and make up another part of the grand story all Eckans contributed after to death.
-
five hours later
"Where did he want to be buried?" Asked the representative at the eco-processing facility.
Kudo thought about what his father had always said. "Atop one of the Vuree Island mountains."
"So that he'd always be able to see the Watergliders playing below." His grandmother spoke softly next to him, an elder Eckan approaching the end of her own natural life.
The representative nodded and began tapping away at a data pad, quickly pulling up images of the Vuree mountains. "How does... this peak look?"
It was a tall and proud mountain rising above the sea. A thick layer of green forest covered the majority of the mountain, contrasted by the base and rest of the island, which were barren and devoid of life. The places Kudo and his father had swam and played long drowned by the tides, creating an eerily straight line between dead and living vegetation. The ecosystem struggled, but was fighting and surviving despite the change. It was perfect.
"He'll love it, thank you." Said Kudo, wishing his father could have been here, or even that the roles had been switched instead.
"Of course, we'll keep you updated on his status. Just keep in mind that our ships have many stops on the way so it may take a few weeks before it gets to the Vuree Islands." The representative continued tapping away at their tablet, setting arrangements.
It was the traditional way, and the way most Eckans wanted to go. Buried in nature in order to give back to the world and the life that gave to them. In order to accommodate the population, the dead were transformed into a nutrient rich substance to be transported to a location of their choice. Each Eckan was spread along the vegetation with care to feed the plants and a generous amount of images were taken to show the family the fallen's last view.
"Of course." Kudo nodded, not really there mentally. Things just kept replaying in his head. what could I have done differently? I could have saved him if I wasn't sleeping, called emergency and they would have known what to do. He thought back to that night, his father passed in the middle of the night, so of course it couldn't be his fault, but... I could've sworn I heard something last night, heard him moving, or something. I should've checked on him, I could have saved him. If I had just done something he'd still be here!
"Kudo?" His grandmother was speaking to him, he realized he had been drowning everything out.
"Oh, uh yes?"
"Let's get you home, alright? I'll get us dinner on the way."
-
eight hours later, midnight
Kudo kneeled on the pad in front of his desk, a small lantern made out of fabric, with a small little bowl at the bottom to hold a flame. A floating lantern. He looked out the window, out to the horizon. Nibenyo floated in the sky, suspended over the planet and illuminating the city and world around it. He thought about everything his father had meant to him, of all the things they had done, and all the things they would never get to do, or never do again.
He picked up an ink brush and carefully started writing on the surface of the lantern.
"Dear Father. My dad, my best friend. I have never been good at writing, and even if I was, no words would ever come close to doing you justice. I miss you. You taught me how to play vid games. You taught me the beauty of the world and how to enjoy its nature. You were there for me every step of the way. And I feel like I wasn't there for you when you needed it most.
I know deep down it's not my fault, and that if you were here you'd tell me the same. But I can't help but blame myself, saying that I could have done something differently or that if I had been more aware I could have noticed something or been there to save you. I feel so many things. I'm so sad, and I feel empty. But I'm also angry at the world for taking you. I feel bittersweet thinking about the fun we had. I feel this pit inside of me that nothing will fill.
I know writing this sounds really bad, but I think I'll be okay dad. Eventually anyway. I miss you, and I will always miss you. I hope that wherever you are, so are the Watergliders. I hope that I'll get to be with you again some day.
Just. Have fun wherever you are okay? You deserve that more than anyone else ever did."
Kudo slowly put down the ink brush and sagged a bit, hoping what he wrote would suffice. He stood up and gently took the lantern, along with a small fire lighter out to the room's outside door. Opening the door and walking out onto the balcony, Kudo looked around, wondering if any other lanterns were out today. In the distance floated one, and another even farther away. Little specks of light representing souls leaving to join the stars.
Kudo let out a deep breath and, taking the lantern out in four of his hands, lit the flame. He held onto the lantern, feeling reluctant to let it go. Eventually, he knew he had to and even though he hated it, and wanted to grasp it as soon as it was out of reach, he let it slowly drift out of his hands. It gently floated away and up, a breeze pushing it towards Nibenyo and the stars.
The lantern was meant to honor his father and represented his soul entering the heavens. It carried with it one last message to the lost Eckan before he departed for the sea of stars. Eventually the lantern would land back down, it's biodegradable material returning to the soil. But the soul and message would have already made their journey.
Kudo felt a bittersweetness as he watched the lantern float away. It was an important part of the process and offered a form of closure, but even so he couldn't help but feel something else. He let it bubble up after being drowned so long by so many other emotions.
He clenched his fists and shouted at the sky in a mix or anger and anguish. "WHY! Why did you take him from me!" He shook his fists and held his head with a few spare hands. It was just so unfair, he was too young, his father too young.
"He didn't deserve this! I didn't deserve this!" Kudo sat and slumped against the balcony railing, looking up at the stars. "You had no right to take him!" He shouted at the universe. He took a few moments to breath and looked up at the lantern, slowly drifting away.
"Why?" He asked again quietly.
-
The next day
Kudo gazed out the window of the monorail as it made its way through the city. Dozens other made their own paths, ferrying the city's Eckans to their destinations. Every Eckan on the train had their own destination, but Kudo's was the relief corps recruitment center. Technically the relief corps was actually the standing army, but the only thing the army ever did nowadays was help with disasters, evacuation, and relief.
Kudo didn't have a purpose, and he knew if he just sat around he'd rot away. At least this way he'd be preventing others from suffering the loss of a loved one like he had. Deep down he still felt a swirl of emotions. Half the time he was numb, the other time it was either despair, bittersweetness, or anger. Doing this felt like a way he could get back at the universe by preventing it from taking away others.
The monorail reached his stop, and after disembarking and looking at a map, made the short walk over to the recruitment center. It was a relatively small building, wedged between a museum and the mail office, unimposing. As he entered he felt surprise at the number of other Eckans here to apply as well.
Kudo moved to the back of the line and read the posters on the wall as a distraction.
"Defend your home from the cosmos!" Stated one, with the moon and a stylized human face looming above Nibenya.
"Rise above the deceivers!" proclaimed another, this one with an artists drawing of the Diplomatic Councilor Haiken shaking hands with a human, almost as if trying to portray both as the villain.
"Be the hero your people need!" Shouted another poster, displaying an Eckan soldier standing defiantly against a burning Creler-class Intersystems Collective ship.
Kudo felt a small amount of shame reading the posters, surely there was no need to fight? They all had more important things to do anyway, namely saving the entire Eckan race from annihilation. If anything the humans looked... kind of cute, in a weird way. He hoped they'd all learn to be friends in the end. Either way, soon it came to be his turn with one of the recruiters.
"Hey! Interested in joining the Relief Corps?"
Hallo
SEEDS OF DISCORD
One day after the events of SECOND CONTACT - THE WESTERN VOID
After the Etherborn left, life continued on Nibenya. On the small, pale dot of a planet stood tens of thousands of cities, many abandoned and falling to ruin. Watching over the busy bustling of one of those surviving cities stood a towering white spire, its design flowing and twirling upwards. A relic from a more peaceful time unburdened by the panic of 23 billion beings. At the top of this tower sat a round meeting room surrounded by windows on all sides, so that the occupants could be reminded of what they were to protect and nurture no matter what direction they faced. At the center of the room stood a large black table with nine Eckans sat evenly around it. Each Eckan wore a unique poncho, white with a specific colored trim.
The room stood silent save for the quiet rustle of councilors shifting in their seats. All eyes rested on one Eckan, standing tall and wearing the white and orange of the diplomatic councilor, Haiken Bataar. His voice, though calm, reverberated through the room with the weight of his and the Intersystems Collective's proposition.
"So here we are standing at a precipice. Perhaps the most important one since the founding of our nation." Haiken's eyes swept across his fellow councilors.
"These aliens, the Intersystems Collective, have extended an incredibly beneficial offer in the name of friendship and mutual trust. This deal has the potential to not only save our race, but propel us forward technologically. Imagine what our people could accomplish together! What fantastical technologies and worlds we will be able to learn and reach with these interstellar friends! This is a lifeline, a chance to-"
"A lifeline?"
The gravely voice of the Defense Councilor Tyrax cut through the room like a blade. "Or a noose?" The Councilor stood up, his skin dark black with a light yellow-tan chest and underbelly. He wore a white and blue poncho, the colors of the military.
"You propose we offer our system and people up to these invaders and allow them military access right into the heart of our home?" Tyrax's eyes narrowed, fiery with disdain. Tyrax had always disagreed with Haiken, and sometimes clashed with the other councilors, but this was too far. "That gateway will be the loss of our sovereignty."
Haiken met Tyrax's gaze without flinching, having been prepared for the defense councilor's wrath before even calling the meeting. "And what do you propose Tyrax? Refuse this offer and leave countless Eckans to an avoidable death? We can either rise as a people or cling to pride as we fall. You know full well we are not defenseless and are more than capable of making Nibenya a less desirable target than it already is. This deal saves more of our people than we can alone."
"Consider the risks." Another voice spoke, Sarek, the Councilor of Law and Justice.
"The gateway could be an incredible boon, but what if they deceived us and only pretended to give us control? Or what if we develop a dependency on this Collective and use that to manipulate us? And keep in mind even without their help, we will likely be able to evacuate the majority of the population in time."
"We'll be able to evacuate a majority?" Said the Health and Welfare Councilor, Dahn.
"How can you be so callous? Would you rather sacrifice a portion of our people than risk the possibility of an invasion? I'd rather see the Union dissolved and our people subjugated and alive than slaughtered by natural forces based on your consideration of a "risk". I'm with Haiken on this."
A surprised silence followed, the other councilors caught off-guard by the usually soft spoken Dahn's outburst. It made sense though, she had lost most of her family when growing tides from the approaching moon drowned the city of Yuka. If anyone knew the harm the moon Nibenyo had already done and would continue to do, it was her. She continued. "I understand the risks, but the first civilization from the stars that we have met is offering us a mutually beneficial deal, one that benefits us far more than them. They've displayed good will and a desire to help, and only someone who's mad would deny millions their chance at survival based on unfounded xenophobia and distrust." She glared at Tyrax and Sarek.
"I have to agree with Dahn." Said Haiken. He scanned the room, eyes hovering over each of the councilors for a second. He saw hope in each of them. "Even if the Etherborn were hostile -which they are not- at least this option guarantees the largest amount of our people saved. Nibenyo will not wait for us to be ready. We need to take action, and incidentally that action makes us new friends. Even if some of us here don't know how to make those."
Tyrax scowled, glaring daggers at the other councilors and especially Haiken before composing himself with an eery calm. "Of course... I understand. We need to take action." He said in a low voice. "To protect our people."
After a few more minutes of discussion, the council put the matter to a vote, resulting in 6 for, 3 against. Tyrax, Sekar, and the Councilor of Culture all deemed the gateway too dangerous or risky, each for their own reasons. Tyrax feared invasion, or really anything to do with aliens. The Councilor of Culture, Tolaka, despised the loss of cultural and Eckan identy that could come with mingling with aliens. Sekar claimed he needed more information before he could agree to such a project. Despite the three losing, Tyrax was the only one that seemed angry throughout the whole process.
"This is clearly just a ploy that you are all blindly stumbling into! And why? Because our resident idealist here says that we can trust them!?" He asked with a raised voice while pointing at Haiken with multiple hands. "We'll see who was right when the Collective comes to collect their dues using a doorway right into our home."
"Then let them collect their dues!" Haiken snapped, his antennae bristling frustration and a hint of anger. "At least this route saves our people's lives. I will happily suffer any and all consequences if it saves even a single life, let alone untold millions!"
The defense councilor fell silent, eyes coldly regarding Haiken. After a moment he spoke up again. "I'll keep that in mind Haiken."
Despite Tyrax's fortelling of doom, he was eventually forced to acknowledge he'd have to work with the council to at least limit the damage they'd cause in the deal. Thus the next few hours were spent as the council meticulously considered every aspect of the future treaty, calling in multiple legal experts to remove loopholes, and with frequent disagreements over fine print and legalese. The Union would provide the ISC rights to build a gateway and an outpost in the Leyode system, under the condition that the outpost contained exclusively defensive emplacements. Cartographic data would be freely shared with the Collective whenever they requested it, and the Union would consider an alliance with the Intersystems Collective in the future. Tyrax adamantly refused to allow any military vessels into the system, making a point to argue with the others for over an hour before finally budging to allow the ISC navy access in the vicinity around the gateway as a jump point.
In return for these boons offered, the Collective was to provide their own cartographic data at Utakan request, salvage rights to old battle sites in the core, the gateway itself, magic and foreign technological experts, access to public data networks, and finally ark ships for evacuation once an alliance was officially struck.
For some councilors, this was seen as the start of a beautiful friendship, proving that the galaxy was a place of hope. A place where not only could peace be imagined, but achieved. For other councilors, it was a reason to fear the future, a threat from a barely known newcomer to the stage that if not watched closely, could snatch away everything they had fought so much for. For one in particular, it was a sign that things needed to change, that radical measures needed to be taken to preserve Eckan life.
A call to action.
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