NationStates Jolt Archive

Central Command, Anatoba City
The Absolutionist State of Austar Union

Sitting back into his soften chair, Indigo read of that which was from the Command Fleets of Idisious, the MercuryFleet. So far, all that had been gained was an Embassy in Brahms from the Caloris Basin. They were the only ones who seemed to be friendly toward Austarian interests in and around Mercury; opposition being provided by the former Seraphim Order forces now gone rogue. Perhaps in future some kind of deal could have been struck, however development near the tiny planet was slow. Even from the reports from the distant, Lord Idisious seemed to be rather disgusted at the rate things were moving. For over six months now the Fleet had been stationed there, and all which had been achieved was just a small plot of land, inside an environment housed by that of The Most Glorious Hack, and their colonial representatives of the Basin. Anyhow, it was growing to be more than obvious that things were beginning to slow even more, and so perhaps trying to be diplomats with the rogues was a lost cause. It would be a matter of war and battle, one which would indeniably end in the destruction of the Austarian MercuryFleet. They were by far the smaller and less powerful, and up against such a foe as them would stand little chance. Damage would be done to the opposition, there was no doubt, but still the end result would be less than promising. If only there was another solution.

National leaders usually took care of the paperwork they were handed, but this time Indigo was growing tired of the situation. Resolution was desired more than anything now, and comprimise was on the horizon. Maybe it was indeed an impossible achievement to obtain, land on the Mercury Surface. The closest and better achievement they had managed would have been the fleet itself which remained offworld. But a station wasnt that which was desired, it was land, it was something solid, formadible. Indigo sighed and rested his face heavy into his hands, running his fingers through his hair. Troublesome, troublesome. Yet something inside him sparked, an idea presented some time ago which had been dismissed by his more closed point of view. Yes, maybe this was a solution which would indeed provide him with a way to achieve what he invariabally wanted. Just as good as land on the Planet Surface. In the meantime, it began as an idea - so long as he was willing to investigate just a little further, it could be developed into reality. As they said, one of the ways to determine success, is how one has the ability to turn a thought into something to define the world around them. It was action, not inaction which made the rich from the poor, the powerful from the weak, the successful from the unsuccessful. And this time it would begin with a simple call. First though, the number would have to be sought, and an amazingly intelligent man would have to be met. He would provide the answers nessasary for the solution to the Mercury Standoff.

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TO: Doctor William Bone, the University of Anatoba City
FROM: The Desk of Lord Indigo Blue
SUBJECT: An Invitation...
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You are hearby summoned to a meeting with the Honorable Lord Indigo Blue, Chief-in-Command of the Austarian Forces and their respective divisions, and Chief-Executive-Officer of the Absolutionist State of Austar Union. The meeting will be specifically on the subject of a proposition you had delivered to the governing powers of this nation, concerning aspirations of the Planet Mercury and its current occupants.

Yours In Excellence,

Lord Indigo Blue
The Absolutionist State of Austar Union

Sometime Later
Positions Throughout Sol

It was a simple series of missions really. Having the calculations completed fully on behalf of the most trusted scientists at home, those undertaking such endeavors had little or no fear of mistake. It had been designed for the most part for the safety of the homeworld - to avert the course of spacejunk away from great cities such as Anatoba City, the eventual capital of the Austar Union. This time however, its methods would be used in a creative fashion, one which would actually change some former status of Sol itself. It was a minor change, but enough to be recognised in history books for an eternity at least. The hardest part would come later, when the superheating devices would be needed to literally change the formation of these asteroids into one greater mass. Energy would be used heavily, and it was an expensively designed operation if anything. Worth the money, however.

Throughout perhaps the history of time itself, it had been recorded in an expanse of media alike; whether it be through a multitude of movieplots or even the older style of written novel. Books if anything were obselete yet still existed in smaller libraries. It was rare to find a copy of anything not available to upload to one's personal microchip carefully constructed, and implanted into their skulls. Developed much more advanced than the human brain, it was more of an igniting tool than anything, something to boost the natural thought process including the expansion of memory and the like. Another being tested only recently, had the option to boost natural ability to reach new physical heights. To lift more, to run faster, to jump higher. These were all things the civillian and military populations shared side by side. Sports, Fighting, Battle, and War would be enhanced to be almost unhuman, and day to day lives would be pushed increasingly to new heights. It wouldnt be long now, before people didnt require sleep for an active and fulfilled lifestyle. Things such as these took time where one could be enjoying either some activity of fun, or perhaps even grant them the opportunity to make more money, something widely enjoyed by the general Austarian.

Still, these developments would be left to the global corporation. It was more effective, and took burden off the minds of people and leaders like Lord Indigo Blue. He had better things to consider. Things such as the expanse of holdings within Sol. He had done no more than negotiating, and whilst one project was looking to be more successful, Mercury for one was still at a stand. Those bloody rogues were more useless than anything, they didnt deserve seperation from the rest of the Order. Even if they did have the ability to hold what they had claimed, who was to say that another couldnt come along and challenge these words. Even when their protocol took so long to complete, it was a headache dealing with the Rogues if anything. Twice now a meeting had been tried and failed. Naturally, it would be another move towards negotiation and even thats' own success was doubtful. Like Amanda the Negotiator had tried once before and realised, they were an arrogent group of sentient beings. With the belief that they had the right of supreme, perhaps they would grow to be surprised that one as little as the Union had the ability to challenge them, without causing and beginning the fighting. If fighting would occur, it would be at their own bloody hands, and it wouldnt be without some destruction on their own half. Heck, they didnt even have a providing source. Anyhow, it wasnt long before the adjustments had been made and all they had to do was wait. Word had been given to the fleet stationed at Mercury of the impending arrival. It wouldnt be any extra ships or the associated, but rather three relatively sized meteors. Changing the course of their direction, and accelerated just enough, it would be a matter of two weeks until they had reached their destination - Mercury Orbit. Together, they would serve a higher purpose, and whilst not large in volume, they were of a reasonable scale. The planet itself was smaller and didnt exactly attract much attention from passing objects. But with a little artificial adjustment, they would plunge and circle Mercury until one was to come along, and finally design them into what they would become. Mercury's Moon.

Two and a Half Weeks Later
The Planet Mercury, and its Respective Space

Having been stationed in orbit around the space of Mercury, the Austarian Fleet remained silent after contact with the Rogue Fleets had failed. It seemed that a second attempt at diplomacy had failed, and now there was nothing more. Every time something would begin to move, they would simply stop. No communications, no real change in movement to indicate something, nothing. Anyhow it had been deemed rather pointless, since afterall relations had been strained. There most probably wasnt even a chance in hell of gaining land on the Planet itself - this was in the meantime as close to hell as one could get in Sol, except the Sun itself of course. It was hot here, so hot crew inside the Austarian built starships could feel the temperature rise a few degrees even despite insulation when they had first arrived. They had of course since adjusted to this new climate if you like, for it was looking that their stay was to be more than paying a light visit.

'Off to War!' some may cry after having been attempting for more than five years now. But not the Austarians. Under the leadership of Lord Indigo Blue, there was little intent to draw blood from the enemy. It would by default lead to the eventual destruction of fleets by far, the Rogue fleets outnumbered them more than ten to one. Still, they hadnt gained a supplier to take care of their ships, it was assumed that their income had been provided by what resource existed already, and by what little bounty they might have been able to capture. Resource would be everything to these rogues, and even despite this, they seemed fairly unwilling to meet with Lord Idisious; commander of the MercuryFleet. Too bad, since afterall one of the topic on agenda would have been trying to negotiate a supply contract in exchange for a small, small piece of land. That, and he would have proposed a game of chess should that not be too appealing. Like the ancients, they would have battled on the board of bloodless fighters, and the fate of the Austarian attempt at land would fall on the desisiveness of this game. It would have been interesting too.

But now it had finally come to this. Defeat, perhaps to some; or an alternative idea to others, including his Lordship himself. Indigo had gained the idea a long time ago from a gentleman by the name of Doctor William Bone, but had dismissed it having thought his luck may have been favorable at the negotiation table. He was wrong, but still the option this man presented still remained in the back of his mind. Being reminded helped of course, since it was nearly impossible to remember everything, but it was still an idea nonetheless. And with the relevant calculations, fate it seemed would be more than on his side. Unless the Rogues were to contest even this, it seemed that whilst the Austarians may not gain a base on the planet's surface itself as first planned, there was some chance in existance that such an establishment could be constructed, offworld. This afterall, was the reason why three medium sized objects came into view.

"Lord Idisious, I have three projectiles coming in on my close-range sensor arrays. Suggest closer inspection?" reported a voice from the active bridge.

Standing upon the deck, the Commander's heart filled with excitement. "If they are meteors, I want them to be on the Display, pronto."

Action, finally. It seemed that afterall, they were the three meteors he had been expecting. Home, perhaps if all went well. There could still be trouble yet, but so far any endangement to either him or his fleet seemed minimal. He watched onwards as the objects smoothly made their transition into Mercury Orbit. Perfect, the calculations had been and the final project would soon be underway. Construction of the eternal being would begin fairly soon, and if able to be pushed to completion, it would be a feat to remember.

"Intelligence, remain active on all channels. I want to hear anything those rogue bastards have to say about this." he commanded sharply before leaving his post. There would be little to worry about, hopefully.

Soon Afterward
The Planet Mercury, and its Respective Space

By god, luck as it seemed remained on the side of the Austarians. Little activity had been recorded on behalf of the Rogue Legions and they had taken little notice of the meteors entering MercurySpace. There sounded some signatory natures regarding the recognisation of these objects of course, but either they didnt seem to care, or they had little in mind to react with. Or as another possibility, they didnt have the ability to react. It had been recorded this idea over the short time the Rogue fleets had seperated from the Order of the Seraphim. Their fleets had degraded, their commanders were being bribed and betraying the High Imperator... not all was going well for them afterall. Still, should they provide resistance to Lord Idisious' latest efforts, they would remain a formidable foe and would surely lose in battle and bath. The idea and fear could not hold him still, his determination would not prevent this operation from continuing. He would open to negotiations of course, should he be hailed and requested for meeting. It was afterall, the Austarian way.

After perhaps half a year of inactivity, slowly the engines of the great fleet began to churn. Weapons systems had been raised to almost the highest - a more defensive measure than anything. Shields were raised to capacity, and all around them targets had been selected and simply remained on the array as possible options. It was important to keep aware of whom and what is around you, afterall. In the meantime, everything they required for the next step was here on board these fleets. It was mighty, and should it be attacked from anyone surely it could fend for itself greatly. Battle was not the objective however, it was to simply defend itself from the aggressors. And it would take only one to be a little more trigger-happy than nessasary. Hey, at least they were aware of who was out there. And so to warn everyone in the vecinity of Mercury, Idisious sent an open message of broadcast. Forward, would the legions churn!

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TO: Open Channels, Broadcasted and Repeated by the Minute
FROM: Lord Idisious, Supreme Commander of the MercuryFleet
SUBJECT: N/A
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To all those whom remained concerned, here this announcement. As you read this message, or hear it depending on your communucational capabilities, you will note that the glorious fleets under my command have become active and are beginning their advance into the area defined as MercurySpace. Please note that you may have noticed several objects being targeted through the minor system, but I will convey to you all that I have no intention in battle with anyone, particularly Sketch, the Rouge Fleets of the Former Order, the Caloris Basin, and the Dominion of Dread Lady Nathicana. We have intentions on our own, personal project in the Mercury area. Should one want to hail us and bring us to negotiation, please do so, since I am very open to the option.

Do not fire on my fleets however, because aggression will not be tolerated.

Yours In Arms,

Lord Idisious
Supreme Commander of the MercuryFleet

Joshua sighed softly as he heard the message. The automated systems on Nod sent telemetry on the incoming ships. He shook his head slowly, "Brash, Indigo. Very brash." He didn't send a reply at this point -- why bother? There was an embassy up the proverbial road -- he'd let the Order play their hand first. Patience was a virtue, after all.

Just into MercurySpace...

"Let them burn!" cried the great commander, at the helm of his battleship.

Nodding in respect and order, the small officer agreed and went about his duty, "Yes sir, I will turn the engines to full strength. I must say however, that this operation will be risky."

Without simple audiable response, Idisious slapped the officer across the face with a harsh snap. Did he ever dare to challenge his superior, and even his most superior commander? Whether he did or not was irrelivant, since the tiny man was left a crumpled heap on the floor in the wrath of the mighty blow, a visible and obvious mark left upon his cheek. Perhaps that would teach him for his insolence. And so turning back, his simple and perhaps reasonable punishment had been delivered. Idisious now faced the screen before him, which monitered all objects great or small. On it, was also displayed the plotted course which the Artificial Pilot had been told to follow. It was much more a direct route, to the first and nearest asteroid. Not too far really, but far enough to allow an enemy fleet to fire upon them and cause some amount of damage.

Accelerating toward the plotted destination, it wouldnt be long before the beacons could be activated, and thus bringing the asteroid under control of the fleet. From there they would move along to the second, and then eventually the third. The course had already been plotted, and anyone on the outside with half a brain would realise that with the current speed and heading, it was near impossible that their target was the planet, or the Rogue Fleets themselves. Much would be learned perhaps this day - would they attempt to battle against them or would they perhaps remain as reasonable as they had so far. (Although even that was up to speculation!). Anyhow, should the Military Rogues attempt anything, Idisious and most of the fleet hoped that it would be diplomacy and an attempt to strike a deal with the Austarians. With the current state of the Rogue Organisation, the High Imperator would have little choice, really. Even including the fact that they had the ability to cause significant damage to the Austarians, it was hardly beneficial. Because surely, Sketchian forces would soon follow afterward, and clean up where Idisious had failed. Future as it was, was simply hanging by a thread of desision. This unfortunately, not remained within the realm of any commanders control, exempt of the ability.

With absolute success so far, Lord Idisious had been simply amazed at the lack of response from vessels and fleets in the area. One would have imagined they would have at least been hailed by now, although yet such a conclusion would be wrong. Maybe the rogue fleets had collapsed afterall, maybe what the Rogues had believed to be was only but a mirage in the greater context of existance. Such an amazing revelation it was, what if they didnt even exist as they had said they did. Conspiricy theories and the like were more amusing than fact if anything. It was more likely that the Rogues had calculated the speed, heading, and chances regarding the destination of the Austarian MercuryFleet. Maybe they had deemed the mission somewhat low in risk to them, a mission for their own far too expensive and risky to intervene. No matter, whatever their reason this was great for the Austarians. By the hour the fleet was reporting to the homeland and Indigo was also very pleased. It seemed to be going well, perhaps too well.

Anyhow, it wasnt a time to drop their guard - but rather a better time to stay alert for incoming objects. Whether it be an unarmed vessel, or a missile sent neatly from the Planetary Surface, it was important to know one's surroundings. This had been afterall almost a staging ground for the largest slaughter in Austarian history. Not that long ago still, and yet they had come so far within the space borders. Not that anyone really owned anything, really. In the meantime, the engines churned faster and faster until they were at the maximum speed possible. Now slowed just a little by the first meteor, they were onto the second. The first was behind them, being towed by a team of four craft. Their beacons it seemed was their main weapon, and surprisingly for such an underestimated tool, it provided very useful on a mission like this. Now if only their success would continue, it would be but a dream. Perhaps unreal, one could not be certain.

With an ethereal flash, a Sketchian battlegroup (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v232/Worldeaters/DoGA%20renders/battlefleet.jpg) popped into existence at the edge of MercurySpace. It's appearance foreshadowed only moments ago by a flurry of boson particle emissions. Atypically compacted, it was readily apparent that although the battlegroup (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v232/Worldeaters/DoGA%20renders/battlefleet1.jpg) came armed for bear, it was not seeking a fight, just yet. Barreling down upon both the AU and rogue fleet alike, the ships brazenly broadcasted an open message to all those ih their way -

All ships within this vicinity are advised to clear a path along our flight path. Failure to do so will result in a routine navigational sweep. *message repeats*

Meanwhile, a more discreet message was beamed down to the rogue base on the surface. Short, tearse, and most importantly, to the point, it said in more or less diplomatic terms - lets talk

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Aboard the great warships, Lord Ernst quietly paced his stateroom. If he guaged the players in this game correctly, none of them wanted to start shooting quite yet. And would unlikely do so even with a sudden shift like this. If he was wrong.....well, he would find out shortly.

Meanwhile, the group commander did his damnest to keep his facial twitch under control. The bridge crew saw this and recognized it as a sign of barely controled anger, usually as a result of having military command being taken over by a civilian. Although they did their best to betray no outward appearance of emotion, it was clear that they too had similar emotions. TO be sandwiched between two numerically superior foes is the last place anyone would want to be in the off chance of a potential fire fight. And that was exactly where the Sketchian battlegroup was currently heading.

ooc: I'll be at a wedding in Maryland over the weekend (read - not posting during this time). I'll be back in action Monday.

Aboard the Command Bridge
MercuryFleet of the Austar Union

Details. Details. Yes, this is what would bring Idisious exactly what he wanted. It seemed that with the sudden arrival of Sketchian Battlegroups, the situation was boiling, but not overboiling. Proverbially the pot had not exactly become overwhelmed, yet something large was cooking. He had recieved the arrogent broadcast from the Battlegroups and it had been calculated that the Austarian fleets were not in the vicinity as defined by the Sketchian plotted course. Still, it was a troubling move at most and require absolute attention. Ears were everywhere and eyes were watching every movement, everything within range of Mercury. They had been expecting something of the military forces from Sketch, and although this seemed a likely outcome they appeared not here for a fight. Otherwise of course, they would have come with all guns blazing. Afterall, they were numerically smaller than both the Rogue and Austarian Forces here, and to emplace themselves directly in between would have been a strategic nightmare.

There was only a few possibilities considered at the moment. Firstly, one possibility was that the forces of Sketch, and the Rogues had made some sort of emergency pact. This would be most dangerous to the Austarians, for most definately it would spell an end to the mission from this nation. Secondly, another option might have been that the commanders of Sketch were planning to fight both at once, an unlikely option. And thirdly, and finally, that for once the commanders of Sketch were looking to bargain with either, or both at that. So far there had not been any message recieved from them which indicated that they had favoured the Austarians. In fact, it had been rumoured and suspected that perhaps the commanders of Sketch and the Rogue Military respectively would be somewhat associated. Though, Idisious was still so unsure of that. Surely the High Imperator would hold bitter grudges against Sketch and their dogs - it was them whom held command in the very beginning. Still, anything was possible really. It would have been suicide to rule out anything as of yet.

"Select new targets among the Sketchian Battlegroups. But do not activate your firing solutions just yet. This will be the waiting game, and besides - I want to send an open message to everyone in this bloody vicinity. It could be a bloody battle today," ordered Lord Idisious as he turned to leave the Bridge.

He was always open to contact in the meantime, and had other things to do. Things like making an open broadcast to both the Rogue and Sketchian Forces. Now it was time to kill time itself, before time was to kill them. Maybe even something could have been established between the three opposing factions. It was afterall, nessasary to preserve the life of all fleets, on all sides. For the firing of a single missile could very well be the spark to ignite such an enormous war.

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TO: Sketchian Commanders, Rogue Military Commanders - Within the Mercury Reach
FROM: Lord Idisious, Commander of the MercuryFleet
SUBJECT: It is time.
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Developing quickly in this zone I can only say could very well become quite a large scale incident if appropriate measures are not taken. I am not fearful of the concequences of either one's actions, however I am fearful that such a bloody rage could become over something as small as one minor interpretation. How bad would it be recorded in history, if thousands of lives were lost today over some kind of misunderstanding, when if one of us would have settled and waited before reacting in a bad fashion, each could co-exist accordingly. Its time to consider each other - we are all powers in the Mercury Reach here. And I trust that we are at least all gentlemen capable of dialogue.

So therefore, I ask of the Sketchian Commanders of the Battlegroup here - 'What are your intentions, and what do you plan to do here?'

I also ask of the Rogue Military Commanders on the Planet Surface - 'How do you plan to react to the Sketchian Presence, and do you remain open to negotiations with us. I am still very interested in the Planet Surface itself, and I am sure we have something substantial to offer in return'.

I only ask this of you all, to preserve the difficult balance between us. I hope you share a similar desire.

Yours In Arms,

Lord Idisious
Commander of the MercuryFleet

Imperator Venakis growled with uncharacteristic impatience. The tall, rather attractive Vrakian had been charged with nearly all the diplomatic activity of the newborn Seraphim Military. And she'd been quick to appoint Kril Buy, who although had been less than enthusiastic about the cause, was perfectly willing once his alternatives - or lack thereof - were explained. Unfortunately, he'd proved less than desirable as an ambassador, and the High Imperator, of course, had no interest in diplomatic niceties and couldn't be bothered.

It was a frustrating experience. She wondered, not for the first time, whether she'd picked the right side. As one of thousands of Imperators within the impressive brass of the CSF, she had access to high level information the rank and file wouldn't. As the CSFCA administrative head of affairs, she knew even more.

Austar Union's maneuvers hadn't gone unnoticed. She'd been worried that they would cut a deal with Sketch before they could arrange anything with the belligerent Caloris Basin. (Which had so far proven totally fruitless.) They'd also been in contact with Yut, however, making the former possibility less real. Somewhat. Not that it gave her a sense of ease. Venakis had access to sensor data of the whole solar system, but she only needed the visi-port on her space-dock quarters bedroom to know that much of the CSF's armed might was headed away from Mercury. Things were falling apart. And the High Imperator's office was silent.

It was time to take initiative. Commanding no ships, she nevertheless had the key to this ugly mess within her grasp. The AU weren't bloody-minded idealogists - bloody-minded, well yes, perhaps, but they had their reasons. They wanted land. And on Mercury, the majority landowner was, as it had been for years, the CSF. The stark necessities of realpolitik were in clear evidence.

Lord Idisious, Commander of the MercuryFleet,

The Sketchians are here to "talk," but I think we know what they might wish to say. Despite appearances, the nondiplomatic acts of the CSF when under the control of the false Order, and our obvious past difficulties in transforming from a military to a functional state, we are not idealogically opposed to discussing the possibility of mutually beneficial relations. We should discuss this, in a less formal venue, at your leisure.

Imperator Venakis
CSFCA


She quite deliberately left out the question regarding the Sketchian forces. That was not in her hands, but instead the nervous hands of gunnery network officers on board each of the orbiting warships, in each of the surface defense bases, of command protocols for defense satellites. Accidents, after all, could happen, and their chance of doing so only increased with the numbers of opposing forces crowding around the hottest planet in Sol.

Aboard the Command Bridge
MercuryFleet of the Austar Union

Idisious smile broadened as he read the transcript from the Rogue Bases, from Imperator Venakis. It seemed as if they too were sweating under the heat of the newly established Sketchian presense. Yes, so far all was going better for the Austarians at least - no deals had been formed as of yet. At least for now. Action would have to be fairly quick however, because if something was organised with another formidable force, it could spell an end for activity here in the inner system of Sol. Inaction would be suicide, and surely death would be cast from his own commanders at home. He had a duty, a responsibility to his nation. For if even death stood against him he must step forward, within reason of course. This fortunately, a meeting between the two commanders didnt require any loss of life, but rather a sort of caution with word.

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TO: Imperator Venakis, the Rogue CSFCA Fleets
FROM: Lord Idisious, Commander of the MercuryFleet
SUBJECT: Re:
ENCRYPTION: Extreme Security
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Imperator Venakis, I am glad you are finally coming to terms of the true situation which grows around us, here in the inner system of Mercury. I trust your correspondance that a suitable meeting can be organised with absolute secrecy. I would actually rather not that anyone knew of its existance in fact, just to prevent others from interfereing, if you understand my position. Most certainly I am interested in organising and striking perhaps some kind of deal between us - it would surely be a certain possibility. Anyhow, as you must understand a physical presense can become more of a bother than anything. I know you are aware of our last attempts - course I dont blame the either of us. It was simply a matter of... misunderstanding.

Anyhow, I am transmitting along with this message details regarding a Computer Uplink, which ought to provide us both with a virtual environment we can meet in. I wonder if you have ever dined along the beaches of Earth? Please, respond once you have input the details and are ready for the opening of the link. I look forward to meeting with you, and I believe much will come from such a designated time. Who knows, perhaps the successful transition of the Rogue Millitary to an official state can be achieved as a final result of our association.

Yours In Arms,

Lord Idisious
Commander of the MercuryFleet

Sometime Later...
The Planet Mercury, and its Respective Space

Second down, one to go. With no real danger being presented to the mission, and no direct opposition to his efforts, the MercuryFleet pushed onward to the third meteor. It seemed that with some delay, Imperator Venekas of the Rogue Fleets was considering a deal. Although one could always remember the success of Austarian - Seraphim meetings in the past. Whether or not this would be any different was subject to opinion, and besides - the Rogues had grown to be independant of the Order of the Seraphim anyhow. It was up to speculation what Sketch was doing here in the meantime. Still, time didnt stop for anyone, and Idisious led his fleets with a fury. With some good success so far, he was now deep within MercurySpace, towing two meteors behind him. He had only just left the position of the second, and with its mass now firmly in the grip of several ships of the fleet, they were being taken to the position of the third and final. Once that had been brought under the grasp of the Austarian fleets, the second phase of the eventual project to begin. Everything in the meantime, remained on course, and steadily moving forward.

The Sketchian battlegroup commander noted with some satisfaction that despite his force's apparent disadvantages, its path flight path was still given wide berth by the other fleets.The bridge crew, on the other hand, were simply happy that push hadn't come to shove just quite yet. Although all were convinced that it was only a matter of time before that would hapen. Only the battlegroup commander, and perhaps the captains of the individual ships, could appreciate their true purpose. It took a certain type of leader to see beyond one or two ships, and realize the "bigger picture" of strategy and tactics. And not all leaders were capable of such things when it came to the real deal. In fact, more than one captain had privately contacted the commander about the wisdom in plopping such a small force down in the middle such a minefield of danger. Of course, it was asked in such a way, using fancy jargon to sound as innocuous and non-critical as possible, lest they be charged with cowardice and - or failure to obey orders. Everytime, the commander would take his time and coddle the captain and gentle explain how it was that he knew better and all the captain would have to do was continue following orders and everything would be fine, and to just accept that that was how things were going to be. There was no point in getting the captains riled up at this point - it was vitally that they accomplish the tasks set before them, the success of all else depending heavily upon it.

As it were, the commander did indeed know better anyways. Constantly updating through his datalink was his operations timetable. And in it showed the estimated positions of the rest of the Sketchian fleet. Although officially declared as "estimated positions", due to the absence of actual communicated verification, they were as accurate as if there were. The fleet, spread out over thousands of kilometers, drifted though space silently, no propulsion, no emissions; completely inert. Outfitted with gravity maskers, the ships would register as much mass as a stray cloud of hydrogen atoms floating around in the dead of space. It was a silent ballat of deadly space faring vessels, each moving with grace, but also with boldness. The fleet was little more than a lightsecond away, the chances of detection being slim to none. Even in the unlikely case that a ship was detected, there was nothing indicate the presence of dozens more such vessels. Within hours, they would be in position. And there they would wait until the time came.

Meanwhile, the battlegroup endlessly logged and updated ships positions. Collecting valuable information on the exact positions, courses, and relative motions of all the ships within and around Mercury space. It was then, as the sensors fleshed out the overall system map, that the anomalies were detected. Having been on full burn, and moving such large masses, it was only a matter time time that Idisious' actions would be noticed. In this case, it was latter than sooner, given the priorities of detection. The information, after being tagged as urgent and sent along to intelligence for review, was filed away and set in que as yet another sensor reading to keep track of.

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Lord Ernst, true to his diplomatic nature, actually hoped to acheive a peaceful resolution. Or at least, initiate conatct, open dialogue and get the hell out of there before things got really messy. Having worked the Sketchian diplomatic system for decades now, Ernst understood the varius intricacies of the Sketchian relations. While many outsiders don't understand or may otherwise view the Sketchians as overly beligerent and uncompromising, he knew it for what it really was - military posturing to acheive a better bargining stance. While soldiers may be the ones to bring new conquests into the grasp of nations, it was the treaty writers who made sure that those conquests stayed solidly within the nation's ownership.

Here, although not strictly a matter of conquest, was the same principle. It was an issue of control which was lost and now must be re-established. It was inevitable that the Order would retake the Mercury base, it was only a matter of how much collateral damage that it was willing to risk in the process. Now, with a steady stream of formerly rogue ships trickling outsystem, the odds were getting better for the Order all the time. The rogue elements were fast approaching that time when a decision would have to be made, one way or another. Lord Ernst's job as he saw it, would be to somehow convince the rogue element, or at least a greater portion of it, that it was within their best interest to relinquish their hold now - before things got ugly.

With purpose firmly set in mind, Lord Ernst set out for the CSF Mercury base. Flying down in a lone shuttle, he broadcasted a simple message to the base, heralding his arrival and intentions.

I have come with the full authority of Sketch to initiate negotiations for the release Order personnel from imprisonment within your compounds. It is my hope that we may open a meaningful dialogue and and help de-escalate this unfortunate situation.

=========================================================

With Lord Ernst gone, that left the resident battlegroup diplomatic liason officer in charge of communications with foreign contacts. And in such cases as this, it is ultimately the commander who decides how to communicate; the liason simply passes the message along.

Having been alearted to the latest in Idisious' communiques, the commander was nearly at a loss as to be amused or indignant of the absurdity of the message. Presumptuous to the extreme, it only went to show how little Idisious really understood about Mercury and its importance to Sketch; and the Order. For him to believe that a mere few handfuls of ships that comprised the AU fleet would be enough to force acceptance of his presence was almost laughable; if it wasn't for the damnable rogue elements. Instead, it was a nuisance that everyone would be much better off without. Firing off a message that he could only hope was sufficient enough to convey his contempt, the commander sat back in his chair and awaited the indignant reply that was sure to come.

Sketch, along with the rest of the Order have extensive claims staked within Mecury space, as does the Caloris Basin. You on the other hand, have nothing here. So, what are your intentions, and what do you plan to do here?

Idisious' face began to darken as he was left alone in the chamber, to ponder. How unusual and how bold a move it was for the Sketchian battlegroup to manoever itself between two foes as large as the Rogue Elementry, and the Austarian Fleet in all its glory. With all the nessasary updates, it would have been suicide if more than anything. It was completely unreasonable to take the situation as it was, there was more to it, more to it. Around his naked form, shadows and elements began to form from the darkness, and a distant light provided for what highlight was nessasary. As if it was a distant star itself, yet enought to give what was needed to understand the forming shapes around his taken soul. Meditation in the midst of destruction was everything, and everything was required in order to maintain a calm, cool head. With the calm and cool head, thought and ponderance was within clarity, and the knoweldge which was achievable would be within his grasp. Within the introduction of emotion, such shadows of fear, anger, anxiousness, and greed, anything could be hidden. What was the hidden element just beyond himself? His eyes closing to full extension, a sliver of light presented itself to him, so unmistakenable. He couldnt make out its form, since light had no mass in the equational theories, but it was enough to help him understand. Something more was at hand. Darkness as a shroud from sight had been finally moved, and the process was complete. His process, was final. And so he stood and clothed himself again. The room was adjusted and pressurised according to the rest of the cabin itself. There were guards resting outside his door, yet not stupid enough to interupt him. From what had seemed like minutes or even seconds themselves, were actually hours of clarity. Darkness had risen and fallen over the Homeland, and Lord Idisious as a commander of this fleet was ready. He knew not everything regarding what the Sketch Battlegroups had to offer, he didnt even know what was beyond his own sight. Yet it was enough for him to recognise that there was a form in the darkness of knowledge, whatever it was. There were more, indeed.

And so left to draw perhaps his own conclusions, he could rest in the full understanding from what the chamber had given him. Time was an essense, giving either the scent of death or the scent of life. It could be his best friend, or his enemy. All he required was information. Information, and clarity, the latter having already being achieved just a few moment prior to now. He stood, dressed in full battleform in the meantime. Barking his orders sharply, the crew of whom was fully rested responded accordingly and with precision. Weapon Automation would be a thing of the past, there was never a time when the Artificial Intelligence would better the humans or its sentient crew. Whilst alive in union with the networks of home, it remained simply what it was. Artificial, and never better than the original. Least, not in weapons command. Main gun emplacements would be manned by a team of three, one in control and two for spotting. And minor gun emplacements would remain under control of the computers still functioning plant. The course of the fleet had changed. Now operating not as a singular function any further, the Battlegroups would spread amongst the relative space (within reasonable limits). They were in position for a possible defense, in place so that it enabled them to completely encase the Sketchian forces, with some minor changes to the associated. Whilst some looked inward, many looked outward. The true dangers would not come from what presense existed, any danger would come from another source... someone else, or not. The air inside Mercury was growing to be cordial - Sketch would have not positioned themselves so, for it would be suicide in case talks and discussions went sour. No, Idisious didnt trust the initial picture. If fifty years in the military didnt teach him anything but one thing, it was to distrust yourself. Rest in confidence of your own ability, but never allow your fate to be dictated by anyone, especially not your physical eye. It was the hidden worlds beyond which gives the fate of battle, not what you could see. Fear the ghost, because the ghost can see you. You on the otherhand, cannot.

Sensors on board each ship listened, and watched. Listened and watched. There was little more they could do, yet it was for this purpose they had been designed for. Not much to detect really, yet they continued dilligently, never growing tired of the job assigned. They never took a break, they were not even sentient - yet probably did a much better job. Some random static, a few transcipted words, probably from a random conversation. But there was something recognisable, just something. Its location was unknown, and the ships computer hadnt yet deciphered and understood exactly what was being detected. Whether it be a solar wind, a distant craft, or even normal computer static had not been identified. Slowly slowly it searched for the missing objects. What were they? Who were they? And where did they come from? Yes, it was an object - their location somewhere nearby. No, several of them. Incoming, from the outside of the system. Or were they? Unknown. These were the logs recorded in the computer's database as its intelligence made the desision whether or not to report it. Systems hadnt been this high for so long, maybe it was wise enough to just let someone investigate further for themselves. A file was created, a log, a report for viewing - 'Possible incoming objects in transit'. It would be read at least, and Lord Idisious would be alerted as usual standard code. That was unless the computer had ruled out the possibility itself. But no, he would hear the consideration.

"Have most of the fleet train its active targets on the ships of the Sketchian Battlegroup. Seek an active firing solution on these targets. Train minor gun emplacements toward Rogue Elements, they do not give us bother, nor do I believe they have the capability to intervene with us at the moment. The Sketchian forces are acting as a sort of blockaid between us and the Rogues at present, so I doubt there be security concerns from the Rogues. Still remain aware however. And have all ships on the outer rim continuously search for newer targets, toward away from Mercury. If the computers consideration is right, we could be in for some company, and I dont want any surprises. I dont know who or what is out there, and any dangers to this mission is not likely to come from Mercury Surface or the Sketchian Battlegroup itself. In fact, any dangers come from the shadows, and most probably outside of the minor system. And if we find anything, seek an instant firing solution but do not fire. These are my orders. Out."

His commands were quick and simple to understand - least to the Austarian commanders. And they would be executed almost to perfection, as usual. In the meantime, a quick response was sent to the Sketchian commander who had the gall to question his own intent in the system.

"My concerns have nothing in relitivity to the surface of Mercury. We are on a similar, yet different project in concern of these three meteors. Do not try to interfere with us - our mission has no concern to you, nor your interests in the system."

[OOC: Sorry for the crappy written post. If its even understandable im surprised since I barely understand it myself! Anyhow, dont worry that Idisious is having visions or what not of your incoming fleets. The first part of the posts was him merely meditating for clarification in his mind, so he can consider the real truths regarding the situation. And I know I havent been clear at all in whats happening, unfortunatley I couldnt find a way to describe properly what was happening in my mind's eye. This was the best I could manage with my lost sense of writer's ability. Heck, maybe im just overtired or something. Apologies again!]

Austarian Embassy
Brahms Environment, Mercury

"Jennifer," called Amanda from her office, "I might ask you a favor darling. Can you watch over the embassy operations while im gone? I need to head down the office of Ezekiel, let him know whats happening."

"Sure!" was the response being called from another room.

Jennifer was a nice woman, very suitable for the job description also. She remained second in command of the Embassy structure, and being possibly one of the first Austarian to make a permanant residence off Earth itself, it was important that she kept up what was needed. And so decorated with a private gym, spa and pool equipment et cetera, the Embassy to the Caloris Basin had been designed to match their physical, mental, and spiritual needs as much as they required. (Although none of them were particularly religious anyway). Amanda, as the one in command, and the nation's representation to the colony of Brahms; she was held in high regard and most important. Whilst Jennifer may be the official liazon to the homeland, Amanda was the one who met with greats such as Elijah, Joshua, Ezekiel, and anyone who really needed to be met. Though, she could hardly claim a large stake to her profile really. Meeting with some perhaps, but not nearly as many as she would have on Earth.

In the meantime, Amanda would soon find herself walking down the street towards the office of Ezekiel. With her, she had brought a small gift - a potplant which required watering once a week or two at most. It would make a nice icebreaker anyhow, since she had only been full aware of the situation above them for a short time now. Naturally, she would have a lot to explain - it was getting to be messy somewhat in the Mercury system, and there was a general war alert among any Austarian in the area. This was a time for turbulance here - yet at home everything was as peaceful at ever. In fact, Amanda wasnt even aware if the populous knew what was happening out here. If they would, surely they would cry for an explanation from the man in command himself - Lord Indigo Blue. He had most obviously developed a brash face for the politics of this region, maybe unwise yet perhaps not. Main risks came from Sketch, of whom seemed most unwilling to explain themselves in the area. They did afterall sort of just, turn up. Surely in the meantime, Elijah and his minions would be requiring some kind of explanation of what the heck was occuring up there. Tension was rising, and the situation was much less like a pot of water, its tide threatening to overboil and burn all those around. Surely, surely they would be aware.

Anyhow, it wasnt long before she had entered the building where she would find Ezekiel himself, and would stand before him - head lowered just slightly in respect.

"Ezekiel, I apoligies for such short notice, but I figuired that you would be more than happy for me to arrive at least. I am sure you would be wondering what the hell is happening above us as we speak - I sure as heck want to make sure any clarifications are heard." she greeted, offering the potplant as a gift in the meantime.

Ezekiel was relaxing at his desk, feet proped up on it, a book in his hands. He glanced up as Amanda walked in, quickly dropping his feet the the floor and tossing the book on the desk, "Oh, hi! No worries at all, I'm the only one who isn't busy. Please, have a seat." He accepted the plant while Amanda made herself comfortable, placing it near a window so that it could receive sufficient faux-sunlight.

He walked back to his desk, looking perfectly calm, "Funny you should mention current events... oh, would you like a drink?" When Amanda nodded, he fixed her one featuring his local whiskey blend, "Hope it isn't too strong. I've been fiddling with it, but I'm a little short when it comes to judging if its too strong or not."

He handed her the drink before taking his seat, "As we were saying, yes, I'm a little concerned about what's going on up there. I do hope that I'm not looking at the beginnings of a war. Elijah would be... most displeased."

Amanda took a mouthful of the drink and winced just slightly - yet remained silent as she considered Ezekiel's concern.

"I am afraid that I must be frank, she responded with a half smile, half frown combination. "From the details I have recieved, it looks rather grave if anything. As you must know, the current positions of the Sketchian Battlegroup is nearly suicidal, and I have reason to believe that they wouldnt do so unless they were hiding something. If we know their character well, the Sketch would never pull a stunt like that unless they were confident in the hidden cards they hold."

Ezekiel nodded in dismay, he agreed somewhat it seemed, but didnt say anything. Amanda continued.

"At present there is actually very little danger being presented by the Rogue Elements. To put their situation at best, their ships are creaky, they are old, and the High Imperator cannot afford to fight against anyone. Intelligence informs me that in fact that Rogue State is virtually on the brink of collapse. It seems that their commanders can be bought out basically, and their loyalties lie with whomever is willing to put food on their table. There is some degree of risk that some CSF loyalties may remain with the Sketch however, and if there were to be a founded Sketchian - Rogue alliance it would most certainly present some difficulties. I believe however that Imperator Venekis is one whom remains loyal to the High Imperator's cause, we have recieved some independant transmissions from himself. He seems passionate, and disappointed in his collegues. Whether he can help us or not is something else."

Amanda took a breath and sip before continuing, "Anyhow, I am sure that the newly founded Sketchian presense has alarmed you as it has myself. If it were not for a variety of factors I would imagine there to be bloodshed between Sketch and Rogue factors already. But nothing has happened as of yet, so either the Rogues are keeping a cool head or they have something in common with the Battlegroup Element. Even if they are here in the meantime to talk, I doubt they would be so stupid as to position themselves so - there may be more than meets the eye. Even I wouldnt order a manoever like that in case a deal or talks went sour, and so that can only really rely on themselves for security. There may be more ships out there, and given our reliable mapping of anything within MercurySpace itself, it must be an additional element from the outside we must be weary of, perhaps even something stronger than our own fleet."

Amanda's face began to darken, "In all honesty Ezekiel, I do not trust either the Sketch or the Rogue Elements. One cannot begin to imagine what is possible afterall, and here I have presented is a worst case scenario. We have taken meausures to focus most of our gun emplacements toward the outside of the planetary system and raise shield defenses to an almost maximum. And we have capability with what we have left to focus on a mix between Sketchian and Rogue targets. I believe its more unlikely that the Rogues will fire first, so most of these secondary targets are of the Sketch. Alas, it remains a grim situation, and we have to be reminded consistantly that this is a three dimensional battlefield."

Her eyes met first with the floor, then Ezekiel himself, "However I do assure you, that your interests of Nod will be taken care of. I understand that it would not be good to have such a situation on your doorstep, and I ensure to pursue all other possible means for ourselves as well as for your benefit also. If we need to fight our way out though, its going to take some bloody effort."

-------------------------------------------------------------------
TO: Lord Indigo Blue, the Absolutionist State of Austar Union
FROM: Idisious, Commander of the MercuryFleet
SUBJECT: Request, if I May
ENCRYPTION: Extremely High - Secure Channels Used
-------------------------------------------------------------------

My Lord, I thank you graciously for your kindness in the matters regarding the Mercury subsystem. I trust that you have been recieving my latter datacommand entrees, and logs respectively. Unfortunately, the situation we have left ourselves in is rather unpleasant at best - I am growing to be paranoid of the Sketchian involvement in this theatre of politics, it just seems so unlikely that they are here for talks. Nevertheless, I also do not trust that they dont have a final ace up their sleeve - it is strategic suicide to position their Battlegroup in the position they are in now, and I am in no way willing to compromise this mission by simply writing them off as poor commanders. I am certain that there is more to meet the eye, and I fear that since they have positioned them so that the likely show is the idea and consideration that there could simply be more of them beyond the subsystem. I trust that there could even be a fleet or two, and that they have left themselves well guarded - even despite the computer systems which have given me no trace of such a fleet. With regards to that I have no evidence except from reasonable conclusions themselves, I have to lodge a request, at least for piece of mind.

Therefore, I officially ask of you Lord Indigo Blue, Supreme Ruler and Commander of the Absolutionist State of Austar Union, that you send a smaller second fleet to act as a reinforcement against possible defense - for piece of mind and for utmost security of the operations in this system's space, and surrounding area. I fear that left alone, should my fears be confirmed, this mission and fleet could be compromised. Even if nothing of disturbance occurs, I would prefer that a second fleet at least remains a shadow if anything, not anyone knowing the wiser of its existance on the outskirts of this space. For it is indeed entirely possible that the Sketch could be here for what the Rogues claim - to chatter - and their positioning as a means to show that they mean no harm. Yet even if this is the case, there is no explaining why they are so resistant to providing information regarding the reason of their presense here, my question and request for information was met with one of their own. In fears, I do not trust the Sketch, nor their companions from the Rogue Fleets. If they are to pull a stunt anytime soon, it could be now rather than later, and if my requests are left unfurfilled I obviously, fear the worst.

Yours In Excellence,

Idisious
Commander of the MercuryFleet

-------------------------------------------------------------------
TO: Idisious, Commander of the MercuryFleet
FROM: Lord Indigo Blue, the Absolutionist State of Austar Union
SUBJECT: Re: Request, if I May
ENCRYPTION: Extremely High - Secure Channels Used
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Do not fool yourself, brother. Your fears are not met without merit, since the latest reports from the Sketch abroad have not been... encouraging at best - and I do not trust them. They have shown themselves to be dangerous foes and willing to commit attacks of devestation upon others, and they are unafraid of conflict itself. They always seem to have a means, they always seem to have a purpose, and in your message you have presented to me your clear concerns which cover more than this basis. Your request has been granted, and you can expect to be contacted within the next day or two. I have an expeditionary stationed near Venus, and have already commanded an emergency procedure which will relocate them as nessasary. I too share in your concerns, and do not doubt your own gut. You are in command, as been given.

Yours In Excellence,

Lord Indigo Blue
The Absolutionist State of Austar Union

O.//X - Somewhere Near Venus, Inner Sol

Firing their engines, the fleet began to move just slowly. Acceleration would build, and the speedometer reading would continue to rise. And with that, heat would be produced at an even greater rate therefore adding to the power of Acceleration and Speed to the gathering of multiple ships. Being a smaller fleet in itself than most, this gathering had been in the area on an expeditionary to examine the planet Venus. Friends and counterparts such as Menelmacar had obviously existed below them, yet the planet had been ravaged by some kind of infestation of ants from S-14. They were of course however, intelligent beings - some of the strange occurances and facts of the known world. Still, now with the information required on board, and the security moniter being completed, commanders of the Fleet had been assigned a newer mission. To act as a possible reinforcement party to the fleet of Idisious. So famous, yet even the great required assistance at times. Such a fleet as they were however, they accelerated with great speed toward the planet not too far away. Time would never be met with opposition however, everything was subject to 'its' requirements.

Ezekiel cocked an eyebrow at her responce to his brew, making a quick mental note that the recipe needed to be adjusted. Aparently it was still a little too strong.

He largely stayed silent as Amanda spoke, simply taking in what she had to say, she seemed willing to talk without his prodding. Her assessment of the situation seemed to be accurate enough, and he found himself nodding with her. He took only a few seconds to formulate his responce once she finished.

"I can understand your concerns, and I think your analysis of the situation is quite similar to our own. I don't believe any of the principles involved -- yourself, Sketch and the Imperium -- are really in any condition for a major space battle. No offence to your military intended, mind; however I feel that as the 'newest' space entity -- as evidenced by your need to remind yourselves that space combat is 3D -- you would be at a severe disadvantage. Especially should you find yourselves outnumbered.

"That aside, the concerns of the Mercurial Demesne are that we would find ourselves in the crossfire. None of those involved seem to have any problems with us, or at least not enough of a problem to start a war with us, or the Federation.

"I am still a little curious as to the Union's interest in Mercury, it was never really explained to me, but I feel the need to point out the obvious: this is a volitile situation, you and yours should tread carefully."

He smiled a little, "And thank you for your concern over Nod. I'm sure Ruth will appretiate it, especially since she currently has her hands full with the maintanance of the Dominion fleets." His smile turned slightly more shark-like, "But don't worry too much about her. Just as the Basin has defences, so too does Nod. We simply haven't tipped our hand yet."

Amanda smiled sharply, yet with a hint of softness.

"I agree with you to the fullest extent. From what I have been told actually, Lord Indigo Blue has entitled Idisious to take command of the fleet as he see fit - within possible reason of course. Afterall, whilst he is at the helm of a fleet such as this, he represents the Austar Union in all matters. Perhaps the more violent tendancies more than anything, yet still the nation. Coupled with my general knowledge of the man, I tend to find him a bit aggressive - although at the same time he is a thinker. It is even rumoured, that before and during a battle he finds a sort of peace in meditation. Clarification of the mind, I assume. Anyhow, I hope the man can hold himself to the example he has been taught to be - Lord Blue has an order afterall specifically against him. 'Curb your aggression, or I will Curb your fortune'. Perhaps harsh, but nessasary as this situation has been shown."

"As for our plans here in the Mercury subsystem? We have actually had many different ideas for what we may achieve my gaining a small to medium facility here. These have ranged from simple research stations to military outposts, and further more to a sort of scientific testing ground for military related endeavours. Beyond that, we have considered basing an intricate computer systems network on behalf of a treaty which we are a member of, which could enable almost instantanous travel between allied states. And the latest idea we have now, is to design and build a sort of gate for accelerated travel to points on the outer portions of Sol, and beyond Sol itself. Our actual landbases in the meantime where intended to be using the three large meteors which are orbiting as I speak - there had been a suggestion once that it was possible to superheat the meteors and form them into one mass, then cool them again to make a medium-sized moon for Mercury."

"Unfortunately, many of these ideas have been state-secrets, in particulance the idea of a computer systems network. See, our treaty in question may have found semi-formidable opposition at a time earlier in existance, and to prevent such information from falling into incorrect hands I could not reveal the exact useage of the base I had intended to build. The data that system was going to use, would have been a major security breach in the highest, and could have led to such turmoil perhaps worse than the instantanous apparition of enemy fleets within your controlled space. Hardly information I wanted to give. And even if they didnt gain a holding on the data, the location of such servers would have to be kept secret anyway, since their destruction would shut down the entire link. I can tell you these now in the meantime because these things have since been ruled out."

Like many other national influences within the Sol system, Sketch devoted a great deal of resources towards maintaining tabs on as many activities as possible. Obviously, given the shere numbers of different and widespread entities to keep track of, it is doubtless that many items of potential interest would go undetected. In order to counter this unavoidable shortcoming, certain items are earmarked for "special" attention; and since Sketch is quite the paranoid nation, there are a fair number nations and individuals which have the dubious distinction of being on this "special" list. Not all entities on this list are permanant residents however, many are merely temporary assignees; placed there for the ned of more intelligence. The Austur Union was one such entity. Specifically, the military actions and political aspirations of the AU. Being a more recent addition in light of the tensions at Mercury, hard, first hand intelligence was sparse; forcing analyst to base projections on less information than desirable. With such incomplete analysis available, the decision makers who depended on said analysis were inturn forced to recommend the traditional, conservative Sketchian approach to all problems - belligerent hostility.

Unfortunately, this attitude was proving to be rather unhelpful, given that neither the AU nor Sketch were willing to deviate one iota from their stance; or so it seemed. The Sketchians, with their hold on the Mercury system as uncertain as the day the CSF went rogue, were naturally quite wary of any intrusion into the system, much less those of militaristic inclinations. The AU on the other hand, found in unreasonable that they be denied access to what was essentially just another rock orbiting a star of a very crowded system. To further complicate matters, the AU had decided to bring a fleet of military firepower along to assist in "negotiations"; something that the Sketchians would naturally respond to with even more of the same. And thus, the two were at an impasse; neither willing to budge from their stand, but yet, neither truly wanting to start an incident.

The latest moves by AU however, proved to be disturbing for Sketchian intelligence. First, the movement of certain large bodies; under the influence of AU ships, towards Mercury. While there was no indication as to what purpose, it was all too clear that the offensive potential was there. As such, the action was labeled as an aggressive move; although, as it was noted, not yet hostile. That, coupled with reports of AU fleet movement leaving from Venus, indicated a strong potential for AU military action. While not immediately clear the destination, the coincidence was too great for the AU fleet to be headed anywhere but Mercury.

All this information was packaged and delivered to the Sketchian ships presently at Mercury. There, intelligence analysts assimilated it and provided the commander with their opinions on the matter. Once again, the entirety of the Mercury mess fell on his broad shoulders. Responsibility of command as it was called, or passing the buck as the commander liked to call it. It never ceased to amaze him that with all the pre-analysis that his intelligence always came prepackaged with, he would never once get a useful suggestion to a problem that would have far reaching ramifacations for his sovereign. Officially, it was deemed that as the man on scene, he would know best; but it was general knowledge that it is far easier to stick someone else's neck out than your own.

Constrained as he was, the commander was left with little choice in the matter. Technically speaking, unless he was ready to be responsible for a really serious shitstorm at Mercury, the commander had no authorization to fire upon anyone; even potentially hostile invasive fleets. Not that lack of authorization has ever really stoped the commander in the past, but usually when a Sketchian military commander decides to throw his weight around, the other guy doesn't decide to stick around. In this case, there would be an all out fight, which meant losses, which meant that someone would be held accountable by the bean counters back home. That left the commander in the unenviable position of being tasked with making blustering threats but waiting to be pushed first. Still, he made sure that he was ready; infact, one could say he was itching for a fight, eager to make good use of the impressive array of firepower at his command.

The reports regarding the Venus fleets bothered him though. While not overly large, should it arrive at Mercury, it would once again tip the scales back in the opposing fleet's favor. That was unacceptable. It was time to call upon the other Order nations to join the action. Strictly speaking, while a Sketchian commader alone did not have the authority to command the assistance of other Order member militaries, he did have the ability to request it; and such requests do not often go unanswered.

A lone ship broke off from the main force orbiting Mercury. Angling sharply it accelerated quickly away from the planet's gravity well. Once sufficiently distanced, the hyperdrives activated, tearing a hole the fabric of space and time. With a sparkle the ship winked out of existence. Within hours it would arrive where it needed to be.

It seemed excessive to send a ship as a courier when a simple transmission would do. But, for now, operational security was deemed more important than efficiency. Not to mention, the less the Sketchian battlegroup transmitted, the less opportunity the opposing fleet would have to crack their system.

"Commander Idisious, I have word from the Direct Transmission that the Venus fleet has finally arrived here. They are on order to remain completely silent, and to dampen any recognizable sigantures from which can be detected. They sit silently on the very outskirts of the subsystem, sir." reported a lone officer.

Indigo smiled, bearing his slightly yellow-stained teeth. "Thankyou officer, do you have any more intelligence to consider?"

"Not too much," replied the officer, his name unimportant. "There has been detected a small ship from the Sketchian Battlegroup leaving the subsystem - a sign that they are relitively unscathed with the events here?"

"Never assume the better," assured Idisious, pondering to himself. "Anyhow, you are dismissed. Thankyou."

As the officer left the room, Idisious was once again left to his own to ponder what exactly the Sketch was up to. Certainly, they had a sense of order and plan with accordance to the current scenario, but the ship leaving the subsystem was another matter entirely. Unless it was a sign that perhaps their technology wasnt as reliable as they had once thought, and the ship returning for repairs, it had shown a signature which did present the possibility that they had perhaps the same mentality as himself - not completely, yet relitively unsure of the other. Anyhow, perhaps some peace resolution could be brought to this madness - he could at least invite the commander of the Sketchian Fleet on board, or send his avatar for a more cordial meeting than anything.

Time to enter the chamber once again...

And so he did, his form being enveloped by the darkness which shrouded him and his soul. If it were not for the fact that he was concerned about the weakness of time itself, he would have been able to concentrate for long. Anyhow the situation called for brisk desision making, and at least Idisious could say that he was relitively calmed from the last entry to this clarificational room. It had been a time of just an hour spent - enough for him to relax, yet not provided with total vision as it would have been liked. For now, he could only rely on the situation presented. For now, his fleet sat fairly scattered across this portion of the subsystem - not so much that defense had been compromised but enough to multiply the amount of targets the enemy would have to search for, should it come to the destruction of sanity as we know it. One single Sketchian Battlegroup had existed between himself and the Rogue Elements, and it had been calculated that there was perhaps a formidable presense from Sketch not too far away, just as silent as the Venus Fleet positioned accordingly.

In the meantime he had just recieved his own form of support - the Venus Fleet itself. It had been positioned and ordered to maintain absolute silence. Slowly, it drifted at the rate of a dime, their own sensors considering a passive search if anything. Signatures which could have been detected were almost non-existant now, and heat forms had been cooled to the lowest possible level. It seemed now, a more waiting game if anything. And with the news of the small ship leaving the subsystem revealing vitally nothing in the sense of Sketch plans and plots. If anything, the situation would prove nothing more, than some kind of direction was nessasary, to push them into at least some form of trust - even if it would be cordial at most. And so Idisious took the time to send a quick message to the Sketchian Elements at hand - Time for careful consideration, Mr. Diplomatic.

---------------------------------------------------------------
TO: Commanders of Sketch, Within the Mercury Subsystem
FROM: Idisious, Commander of the Austarian Fleet [Mercury]
SUBJECT: Quite a Scenario, Mind You...
---------------------------------------------------------------

It perhaps amuses me to see the novel facts which surround this entire situation which has essentially built around us. Based on the understanding that there is none, I had found myself in a stable place chuckling softly that thousands of lives were in a state of risk while we sip wine and other forms of relaxing beverage. By all means, I can see that you evidently lack the desire to actually fight - otherwise you would have done so already. Although, some could say that one would thirst for a virtual sort of realm, wherby actions could be met with lack of concequence. If it had been at that already, I am sure that already we would not exist anymore than the dust particles being destoyed in the warmth of engines. Still I am glad that reality has taken course, and whilst we find ourselves in an unfortunate sort of truce.

Thus I propose that it is at least time to bring some closure to a few merits of the conflict, if anything. If it is also your desire, I would love to meet with you, my bitter rival in a world of conquest and destruction. Name a time and place, and perhaps through the Datalink between our respective computer systems, I can create an environment from which we can meet through the use of Avatar. Afterall, to meet in person is perhaps a distant memory now. Please, I desire your response as soon as you can, and if it be, I look forward to meeting with you.

By the Sword,

Idisous
Commander of the MercuryFleet

Lord Insidious,

It is heartening to hear of your own enthusiasm for stability. Your uplink data has been accepted, however, at this time neither I nor qualified members of my staff can afford to be occupied with prolonged meetings at a c-beach, as much as I might enjoy the opportunity. There are also some security concerns on our end about such a venue, and you have expressed a desire for absolute security. I trust that for now, you will accept any agreements we may come to terms on via text transmission?

Imperator Venakis
CSFCA

Lord Ernst's shuttle had not gone unnoticed. From the time it left the protection of the Sketchian fleet, it was monitored, tracked, analyzed, monitored and analyzed again. Finally the commander of the sector which the shuttle now approached was asking for permission to open fire. It was, after all, violating CSF air by now.

"I have come with the full authority of Sketch to initiate negotiations for the release Order personnel from imprisonment within your compounds. It is my hope that we may open a meaningful dialogue and and help de-escalate this unfortunate situation."

Not a very ... welcoming message, to be sure.

Imperator Venakis was almost amused by the gesture. Sure, the CSF had taken to... well, leaning on servicemen and women to keep them from defecting... but that was hardly imprisonment, was it?

Still, key phrases had been used. Negotiations. Meaningful dialogue. De-escalating an unfortunate situation. The right key phrases, to be sure, and of course the token comment on Sketch's "authority," a comment which may or may not have implied policy, but which lent the shuttle's occupant an air of some power and legitimacy.

After a few minutes of deliberation, she decided to give the commander of 45-D-SW Sector his reply.

"No, commander. Allow the shuttle to land, and welcome and keep occupied anyone who steps off it. I will arrive shortly."

She looked forward to meeting with the Sketchians.

It would be a good clarification session for them.

----------------------------------------------------------
TO: Imperator Venakis, the Rogue CSFCA Fleets
FROM: Ididious, Commander of the Austarian Fleet [Mercury]
SUBJECT: Re:[/b]
----------------------------------------------------------

Any dialogue between our elements is appreciated, Imperator Venakis. I appreciate that you have been so helpful as to be willing to do so. Anyhow, given such unfortunate circumstances - with regards for our lack of communications, I think it would be more efficient if I were to get right to the point rather than dordal and achieve nothing. With regards to a negotiation, I am firstly sending a less-detailed copy of what we plan with regards to the Mercury subsystem. We would actually like to achieve something in the order of a type of gate, which could launch craft at greater speeds than what could be normally possible. It would be our own means of which to use for more distant travel to the outskirts to Sol and beyond. In the meantime, you could say that a large military dock would also come with the perks of such a gate facility.

Please note, I am also sending you a copy of a pre-written agreement between our two 'states'. With regards to both our needs and your own, it has been noted that your lack of funding has crippled the abilities of your more Rogue forces, and it has also been noted that we require some land on the Mercury surface. You seem to be the greater shareholder of this chunk of rock, so this is why I have approached you more than the Caloris Basin for example. Anyhow, I would rather not negotiate a partnership with your state in the means of foriegn relations, since Indigo has provided specific orders to myself not to get involved with your cold-war with the Order of the Seraphim, nor their related states. So therefore, please read the details as provided below carefully.

Yours In Excellence,

Idisious
Commander of the MercuryFleet

Agreement at Planet Mercury

As defined by the Government of the Absolutionist State of Austar Union, notably such powers as Lord Indigo Blue himself, it has been agreed upon that there never will be a military pact between the Austar Union, nor the Rogue Seraphim Forces stationed at the Planet of Mercury. This has been done so with regards to their strained relations with the powers of Sketch, and other related nations from the Order of the Seraphim. 'Guilty by Association', as they say. However, as undefined by the powers of the State, it has been decided upon to open up a non-aggression pact with those of the High Imperator, and his related subjects. Should any Rogue forces attack Austarian assets, with particulance to those within the Mercury subsystem, it ought to be considered as a full declaration of war, and a breakage of the treaty as defined by the texts within. Naturally, the terms would be returned.

Also defined by the Government of the Absolutionist State of Austar Union, it has also been decided upon that an exchange of land, for resources ought to be formulated between the two powers of the Austar Union and that of the High Imperator of Rogue Elements. It has been decided to be negotiated upon, that in exchange for a large amount of unsettled land (of size in relation to the Caloris Basin for example), somewhat near the Caloris Basin itself ought to be bought by the powers of the Austar Union. In return, a tax will be imposed on all mining produce which will be a product from the Austarian land settlements of that nation - of no more than ten percent of the total value of produce. As a forecast, the land at Mercury will be opened up to Mining Corporations of the Austar Union (and perhaps outside of those borders, as decided upon Lord Indigo Blue of the Austar Union), and ought to short-term provide a total produce of one hundred billion dollars per financial year. Under the terms of the Produce Tax imposed by this treaty, the Rogue Elements will be provided with ten billion dollars within their own currency for easy exchange purposes. In regards to this corporate development, the Corporations themselves will not pay the Produce Tax, but rather powers of the Austar Union. Any tax collected by the Austarian Government will be rewarded to the Austarian State itself, defined by right of nationalism and sovereignty.

No.

That was Venakis's initial response. The terms were completely unacceptable. Ten billion? Not enough to cover even a fraction of a single month's costs. Less than the sum cost of even the smallest of warships in the CSF. In return, the Union proposed to gain vast amounts of land, and a NAP which would forever bind the CSF's hands. No, no, it would hardly do, and it showed her that the Austarians thought themselves in a position to dictate rather than negotiate -

- well, maybe. Perhaps they were just being greedy. One could hardly blame them. She realized that, for some inexplicable reason, the Austarians had fixated on Mercury in the same way the High Imperator had, treating it with prime importance in policy. But the Austarians had their own lands, their own planets - the CSF had nothing but Mercury. It's land was life blood itself.

She began looking over the terms she'd planned to propose herself, and thinking of the best way to make the counter-proposal...

Then there was a knock on her door - the thin but sturdy metal nonetheless reverberating from three firm knocks.

I thought I'd ordered NO disturbances...! she thought, as she irritably called out, "Who is it?" after punching the comm button.

"General Officer Ulvanno, A Company, 14th MP Group," came the reply in a tone which, though calm, chillingly asserted that some orders superceded her own. "Open up, Madam Imperator," the knocker added, confirming her fears.

She glanced at the security monitor. Four soldiers, armed and armoured, all MPs. She cursed herself for not being more observant... or careful. But there was no choice. She moved her hand to release the lock.

Ididious stood to his feet, "Any word on Imperator Venakis?"

"Nothing yet," reported one of the many officers. "Will keep you posted however. As soon as we hear something."

Nodding, Idisious could only ponder to himself, "Very well. Thankyou."

With his right hand, he stroked his chin thoughtfully. Still no word from Imperator Venakis was hardly any positive news. Yet it was probably the most normal news he had recieved in the past few hours and days, given the appropriate events. With the arrival of Sketchian defense forces, it was hardly a time of stability for the region of Mercury, if a time of peace at all. Time was a given, and none of it had been wasted it seemed. He was interupted.

"Lord Idisious," approached a more younger crewmember. "I have orders to report to you directly. It has been confirmed my Lord, we have reached the third and final asteroid."

"Great. Praise your Commander on my Behalf. In the meantime, pass the order to halt the engines immediatly and cast anchor. For now, they must remain on alert," Faces had looked over, yet remained a shadow of all things. Idisious smiled.

The boy began to leave, but Idisious interupted his departure. "In fact boy, given your credentials, you are hereby being promoted to the rank of correspondance. Well done Son."

The boy grinned and left at the signal of the great commander's wave. Now left alone, Idisious was left to contemplate. Now for the first phase of stage two, it was time to move a few things around. And this fortunately, he had the ability to do from his chair. Manual Overide was just one of his lucky toys, as commander of the great MercuryFleet. From this chair, he looked over the universe, or so he felt.

O.//X - On the Bridge of the Command Ship, Mercury

With counters exclusively designed for accuracy, the officers watched intently so that the next phase could be completed as quickly as possible. Idisious, of whom had the right to oversee everything had decided to take more of a passive role in this particular, and sat on his chair of command comfortably. Rest was important afterall, for a healthy man's mind to function appropriatly. Such a man he was, he was the commander of this entire damn fleet - with addition to the extra allied forces being secretly kept nearby. Measures had been taken accordingly, and with just a piece of string - the man so strong, so feared, was entertained. Simple things, for the Greatest of Minds. In the meantime the command ship was a hive of activity, and although most of the physical work was being undertaken by the lesser ships, it was still important that the command ship of which Idisious was at the helm of - kept close watch on all areas. This one was important, and key to the mission itself.

Outside the great viewing window, the three asteroids had now been captured by the powerful grasp of the tractor beams - activated and controlled by several seperate craft. Since the objects were so large and 'heavy', it was important that they were all brought together in a leading mass. They slowly tumbled in the meantime, in the void that was space - close under the guiding hand of Idisious. He watched on as slowly but surely, the counters were being reduced to zero. Of course, they would never completely reach the mark, but once they came within a range of closeness, it was time to activate step two. But for now, watching, just watching. Patience was a virtue, and time was something that could only be passed by time itself.

Time. Extended Time. Yes, time had certainly passed them by during this second phase of the project - undertaken by the fleets of Idisious himself. Alas still, the time which was needed to sacrifice in order to bring these three meteors together was worth every single moment. He smiled at the report that they were now safely in position, still held in form by the fleet's greater tractor beams. Now it was time for phase three, and it called for things to get a little hotter than it was already. Fortunately, the Sketchians hadnt made any moves in the matter, and so it was assumed that they were taking a defensive stance more than the offensive one he had feared.

His order was simple, in the meantime. "Focus passive energy onto the Meteors. Activate Phase Three of the Project."

Slowly, but surely, the meteors began to heat up. Continuing to rise at a steady rate, their core temperature began to reach the heat of magma. Their objects expanded, distorted, began to melt and become ready for molding. Yes, this step alone would be painstakingly slow, but like the previous, it would be worth it.

Ezekiel frowned slightly, a little surprized at some the Union's plans. He took his time formulating a responce, "Gating? Hrr... I'm not quite sure how to respond to that, in all honesty. Perhaps it's just because we're a research station, primarily, we rather like the quiet. It's bad enough that we have near-warring factions in orbit, but the thought of Mercury turning into... well... into a galactic turnpike is mildly stunning. If such a thing is to be done, we would certainly want more information. Little things mostly, like who would have access, where these ships would pop in, that sort of thing. The last thing we need is for a billion dollar satellite to be demolished by a jumping ship.

"The moon is even more shocking. Our proximity to Sol is problematic, you see. A moon in immediate orbit would likely annihilate Nod, something we wouldn't much care for, as I'm sure you understand. Putting it into a more 'normal' orbit, would be hazardous to the moon itself. Even if Sol didn't steal it, the heat and radiation would even more dramatic, making being on the surface... difficult. I also have concerns about the affects such a moon might have on Mercury's magnetosphere and the affects of such a thing's gravitational pull on Mercury. Granted, such a moon would be small, but Mercury isn't exactly large either."

He folded his hands in his lap, "Now, I realise that there isn't much that we can actually do anything about your plans, but we would hope that you'd at least keep our concerns in mind." He smiled, "I do hope, however, that this... doomsaying, if you will, doesn't sour our working relations."

Amanda smiled and nodded, in a more understanding notion that anything.

"I understand your concerns," she replied to Ezekiel. "Actually, I will forward your given information to our research department so that they can look into the situation further. Once we have the report, I will forward it to you. As you must see at least, we have had a detailed look into the idea of building a moon, and as far as I have been advised - there appears to be a lack of serious concern to the inhabitants here. Perhaps there will be some slight changes to the subsystem, but I am sure they are hardly worth worrying about. Anyhow, you'll certainly recieve that report on your desk as soon as I recieve it myself. Dont worry, we have our good friends in mind."

Winking, Amanda stood to her feet, considering the short meeting over.

"Thankyou for your hospitality, but alas I have more work ahead of me," she added, just before leaving. "I wish you the best, and until I see you next at least. Thankyou."