A Matter of Location
It was with some measure of caution that the plot was approved, though there was little doubt in the mind of certain higher-ups that it would succeed.
On paper, it was simple enough. The Kajali government had transmitted to those parties that would be concerned a formal letter of intent, that read as such:
DECLARATION OF INTENT
Ilosse Derin Kavar
Prime Minister of the Federated Imperium of Kajal
Kajurmani, District of Kajurmani, Kajal
As the Prime Minister of the Federal Imperium of Kajal, it is with pleasure that I do announce that it is the intention of the Combined Federal Services and Kajali Merchant Marine to establish a colonial territory upon the surface of II-Laedan, known internationally as the planet Venus.
Initial colonization efforts will consist of the deployment of two Industrial haulers, which will carry the necessary equipment to construct facilities on the surface. They will be escorted by the Federated Kajali Starship Titan, which will provide limited manufacturing capability in the early stages of landfall.
Documentation concerning the arcologies planned for construction, the personell initially deployed, and the duration of time within which Titan will be present in orbit of Venus are attached in the project timetable.
Also attached is a contract between the Federated Imperium of Kajal and the Sentient Beings of Venus, pledging that the Federated Imperium will contribute a sum of ten trillion Kajali Galacs to further terraforming efforts, payable over the next three years. Kajali colonization will be limited to the area designated as Phoebe Regio, and further assistance in regards to terraforming Venus will be provided at the end of the first three years..
Above all, I wish to establish a state that will allow closer interaction between the sentients of Sol and Kajur, in an environment that is far more politically stable than that currently encountered upon Mars.
The Combined Federal Services, Atla/Ljosa, Kajur Design Bureau, and the Kajali Merchant Marine will gladly answer directed questions, while more general inquiries should be directed to the Offices of Laedan, Shalbatana, Kajal Mars.
Titan, and the industrial ships she escorted (each of which was roughly twice her mass, though craft that carry deployable arcologies are expected to be large) arrived roughly a day and a half after the declaration of intent. The three vessels held in formation at the edge of effective local communication range, which put them somewhere between Venus and Earth.
TRANSMIT: Widebeam
SRC: FKT TITAN
This is the Federated Kajali Starship Titan, escorting the Kajali Merchant Marine Starships Kamina and Celara, requesting permission to enter orbit over Venus. We have aboard the facilities and documentation necessary to initiate negotiations concerning the letter of intent recently published by the government of Kajal.
And so, it was, that Titan and her charges would remain at rest (in comparison to the local planetary bodies) in what was essentially interplanetary space.
Calling ahead of time does wonders to ease the panNorm's collective nerves, but it doesn't prevent Alpha on the far side of the planet from preparing wavefront torpedo-tipped Interceptors onto maximum delta-V burn fail-safe orbits and keeping a massive reserve force on standby. It's simply what the WarCoordinator does, even for allies of allies. It's a good drill to keep the coordination of the Hives' military forces sufficiently tested. That it's only a single warship, even if it's a large warship, is also a calming factor. The overfleet-plus constantly buzzing around S-14 will be sufficient deterrent, and no overt action (aside from a 'previously scheduled' Interceptor drill) needs be taken.
Nevertheless, a response limited to solely an Interceptor scramble simply asks to be taken the wrong way. This is why in a far more blatant show of trust inbound Bloated One cargo haulers under escort by a single squadron of Vanguard heavy cruisers and Two Stings destroyers--their three-digit-meter lengths probably ridiculously small to the Kajali--pass right along by and take the opportunity to relay a rather friendly hail from Alpha Hive.
#ComRelay : PanNorm Command > CO, FKT Titan OPEN#
Welcome to Eärendil, allies of our allies. We of the Coordinated panNorm Hives offer our hospitality and hope that your stay will be a pleasant one. We have recieved the missive from Prime Minister Ilosse Derin Kavar of the Federated Imperium of Kajal and are willing to negotiate the terms of any permanent settlement. Given our mutual ally in the Eternal Noldorin Empire of Menelmacar, perhaps it would be best for all parties to meet aboard their equatorial habitats. As I understand it, space is not entirely a premium there and so they should have a conference room or two available for us, even without a reservation.
http://www.weirdozone.com/projects/nationstates/s14/blue1.jpg
AdminCoordinator 67521 of the Blue Mother of Us All
Speaking on behalf of the Mothers of Us All
Coordinated panNorm Hives
There was a brief flurry of activity between the three ships in the moment before Titan made a response to the PanNorm transmission. Even as she did respond, shuttles from the two Industrials had settled in her large launch bay - mostly empty these days, but currently housing one of the Preybird variant frigates - and a mixed team of Combined Federal Services Diplomatic Personnel and their civilian counterparts.
TRANSMIT: Tightbeam
SRC: FKT Titan
DST: PanNorm Command
We have assembled a delegation representing both the Combined Federal Services and civilian interests, and would be happy to meet upon the equatorial habitat. We will send our delegation as soon as their transport is ready to depart Titan.
Admiral Leryn Shevon
Commanding Officer of FKT Titan
Federated Imperium of Kajal
Within Titan's hangar bay, a small corvette (http://palara.sularan.net/gallery/view_photo.php?set_albumName=ships&id=celar2) had been moved from storage to one of the high docking ports along the wall of the bay. The delegation included Ambassadors Sera Merala and Derin Lume, while the civilian portion of the delegation was composed primarily of business persons and a few members of the crews of the industrial ships.
The corvette, once loaded, launched from Titan and headed towards the equatorial habitats, sending a new hail to the panNorm.
TRANSMIT: Widebeam
SRC: T-CRV 5 Celar
This is the diplomatic delegation from Titan, requesting docking permission aboard the equatorial habitats.
Fortunately, the panNorm do rate enough to have their own little section of the ring for orbital traffic and docking authorization over several ports for orbital traffic. Space traffic control directs Celar to the port nearest the Menelmacari section and, given how smoothly the spacedy ants can run a bureaucracy, all requisite customs matters speed along to the point of practical uneventfulness.
The conference room they've borrowed is the typically elven affair; long, nearly organically flowing conference table of an dense ruddy wood expensive in its own right before it was dragged through gravity wells; expensive chairs that manage to look airy while having thick, very thick and very comfortable upholstery, and holoprojector domes spread about to tasteful ubiquitousness. Not a square meter goes without some sort of tasteful ornamentation; if it isn't a finely crafted wainscotting then it's intricate paneling with floral and hortocultural designs etched and routed into it, and if it isn't intricate paneling with floral and hortocultural designs etched and routed into it, then it's painted in some nature scene. Blues, reds, greens, and golds play important roles in highlights. It all goes together quite well to the connoisseur, the mild art hedonist, and the interior design student. One wall, part of the ring's hull, is dominated by a series of curved-corner windows that provide a falling-out view of green-and-blue Venus below.
The three ants waiting in the room on nearly jarringly utilitarian ovoid footstools inflated into couches, carried over from the Hives' section, absolutely hate it. No one could reasonably tell from their immoble 'faces' how much the furniture grates on them in its inefficiency, but anyone with reasonable knowledge of the insectoid tendency that form strictly follows function may be able to guess and emphathize. The room itself is generally rectilinear, and even that conflicts with the more efficient hexagonal tesselation the ants prefer.
As the Kajali delegation, the sitting Blue, her carapace sporting a small insignia brushed on in yellow enamel, rises to her four feet; the two Soldier Reds in full battle-rattle behind her were standing and remain to stand at attention. "Greetings. I am Coordinator 4457896 of the Blue Mother of Us All."
The Kajali delegation glanced at the furnishing and decor of the room for a moment, and unlike the faces of the ants, they did show some slight disdain for it. The 'typical elven affair' it is is somewhat more extravagant than most Kajali are used to, and the intricacy of the details simply screams of unnecessary opulence.
Of course, were they to redecorate a section, it would be in subdued blues and silvers, and more in the "modern" vein - That is, for the Kajali. Sleek, polished equipment with large interactive panels, holography, and minimal but elegant furniture would be their order of the day.
When they had offices on the ring, perhaps they'd throw the equivalent of a housewarming party.
Of the delegation, they were dressed either drably or far more... brightly than their Menelmacari counterparts. Ambassador Lume wore a simple suit, with what was probably a mandarin collar and very little evidence of any seams or buttons whatsoever - a simple, but effective way of pretending that he had some sense of style, whether it was good or bad.
Ambassadors Lume and Merala stepped forward, performing a perfunctory bow, before introducing themselves, as the light played upon Merala's shimmering... garment.
"I am Ambassador Derin Lume of the Combined Federal Services, and this is my colleague, Ambassador Sera Merala. Also represented in our group are Captain Seran Maalan, of the Starship Kamina, and his first officer, and Director Lyran Shovaal, who will be in charge of regulating civilian operations."
The two officers from the Celar - both clad in simple white uniforms that each bore a single burgandy shoulder - stood at attention at the entry way, rank insignia denoting Lieutenant-Junior Grade and Ensign respectively.
Director Shovaal moved to utilize the available computer systems while the rest of the delegation took their seats. Imagery shimmered into existence above the conference table, depicting a great deal of information, but first, and foremost in the projection was a projected area of land.
"As you can see, we have revised this imagery somewhat in the day and a half since the initial announcement, due to new data concerning surface territories becoming available." Shovaal said. "If we may, shall we begin with the most important aspect of the project, that being the area within which we shall 'set up shop', so to speak. We have tentatively identified Phoebe Regio as the area within which initial operations will begin, shown here (http://palara.sularan.net/risa.gif) in orange."
The Blue Coordinator folds her thick-boned manipulator hands and nods in an almost human fashion, looking over the projected display. "I see no conflict with current claims or interests and so there are no technicalities to require the modification of your claim. Your interest in supporting the habitability modification effort is also a clear indicator in how you intend to better the international community as a whole."
The Blue pauses for a second, an eerie still-frame without the slightest twitch or movement, before continuing, antennae back to waving as normal. "The Mothers of Us All register no complaint with your claim. As far as we are concerned, you may use the Phoebe Regio as you see fit... with reasonable restrictions, of course. Weapons testing over a certain grade, pollution limits... the usual, as you may say."
"Of course. Our involvement is slated to be limited to primarily civilian applications. There is, in the outline, a section detailing the military aspects of this venture.
To be specific, such a presence will be appropriate in size to defend the Risan colony, and, of course, the whole of Venus in cooperation with other elements present. Due to the relatively low probability of external aggression against Venus, it will, of course, be substantially smaller than the presence that the Kajali government maintains over Mars.
It is projected, as such, that a task force of at most fifty vessels will be more than sufficient, and while they will answer to the Kajali government, the Risan First Taskgroup will effectively be placed under joint command of the Kajali, Menelmacari, and the Coordinated Pan-Norm of S-14."
Shovaal moved on to another point of her somewhat verbose presentation.
"Research of a military nature by the Kajali in Sol will remain largely centered upon Mars, where appropriate facilities exist for such purposes.
If it is permissible, then, I shall contact Titan and her charges to inform them that they may enter orbit." Shovaal shuffled some papers around that had been recently produced from an undefined printer within the room.
"Here, I have copies of the project outline, and the contract between the Kajali people and those of Venus concerning the transfer of resources, both monetary and technological, to support the furthered terraforming of Venus."
If there were no objections, Titan and the industrial haulers would enter an orbit that would facilitate 'dropping' the prefabbed arcologies from the haulers to the Risan colony, where they, as pseudo-starships themselves, would orient themselves correctly, land, and form the cores of what would be, in time, six Kajali cities.
The Blue accepts the bundle of papers with one bony manipulator hand, greenish joints working with a careful conservation of movement as she flips through each page. Her eyes don't scan the words as a human's would. She just turns a page, sits still for a few moments, then turns the next page. To the unaccustomed observer it wouldn't look like she was even reading, just manually turning pages as she stares off into space somewhere.
That she can stare off into space in a two-hundred-seventy degree arc is something else altogether. When she's done, she quietly shuffles the papers back into near-perfect order and regularity with the obsessive-compulsiveness of her kind. "There are no objections to this plan or to your deployment. You have the... blessing"--this word comes out of the voice synthesizer with a slight bemusedly ironic tone to it--"of the panNorm in this venture."
Outside, Titan and the haulers would get the escort of a two-hundred-plus strong full fleet of panNorm capital ships, each one under four hundred meters in length. They keep a respectful distance, of course, and are present mostly out of respect. Mostly. Still, friends of the Racial Saviors are arguably friends of the panNorm if not quite proven friends. The paranoiac bent to their actions would dissolve in time.
While not entirely aggressive in their approach, Titan and her charges did make landfall slightly quicker than, perhaps, the Kajali had done so on Mars centuries ago. After they had settled into orbit, Titan had moved to dock with the Ring, within which the orbital side of the colony effort would be set up, in space that was likely to be leased for an indefinite period of time.
It would, of course, soon match the interiors of most modern Kajali ships and starbases, as far as one could, without rebuilding the viewports.
The haulers, unlike Titan, were not built with atmospheric operation in mind, and had been retrofitted with extensive repulsorlift systems and given reentry shielding beforehand. The decidedly boxy shapes would likely create two rather impressive fireballs in the sky for moments, but afterwards, if all went well, the three colony modules carried by each, possibly best described as "Deployable Arcologies" would be released, and operating on their own power, would descend to their designated landing targets.
Each module carried within it specialized manufacturing plants, geared towards producing the necessities of transport between the six locations - maglev rail and car manufacture, as well as suborbital and skimmer type craft would be produced as soon as resources were fed to the plants.
Initially, the repulsorlift systems, and main propulsion units of each 'Arcology' would be dissassembled after deployment, and fed through the manufacturing plants for reclaimation. The long, slim shape of the modules quickly fanned out as they reached the ground, exposing landing struts even as the higher portions of the modules slid downwards.
Once locked in place, the arcologies appeared not as a single rectangular ship, but as a tower, monolithic in proportions but not size, with a self-contained industrial sector adjacent to port and residential and recreational facilities surrounding the extent of the base. The outer shell had detached in the process, and had essentially pancaked out around the arcology itself, and some sections of ferroceramic hull would serve as foundation, while the majority would be reclaimed later.
OOC: I'm envisioning these as looking something like this:
http://palara.sularan.net/gallery/albums/kajal/hyperBuildingPreview.jpg
Though, it would be different in that it wouldn't have a circular base at all. It'd be quite elliptical.