Skeelzania
12-08-2006, 03:51
OOC: Another attempt by me to find whether anyone shares my particular galactic Quadrant. For those who don't know, my definition of the Gamma Quadrant is the same as that used in the Star Trek franchise, which I find handy for these purposes. Here is a map, with the red dot being roughly where Sol is:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v87/Bad_Skeelz/GammaQuad.jpg
The upper-left corner with the Y-like symbol is the Gamma Quadrant. So if you think you're in there, and not a complete wanker or asshole, feel free to join in.
IC:
In a garden on Solomon
“A what?”
“A summit. I’m calling a summit for all nations in the Gamma Quadrant. Flood subspace, blast every system with radio waves, whatever it takes to get their attention. We’ve been stumbling blind for too long now.”
“It’ll take year for radio to travel.”
“I knew that, Montague. I was being rhetorical.” Diana Skeelzot sighed at the chessboard, resting her chin on her hands. “Skeelzania has always claimed to be Boss of the Quadrant, and as far as my ancestors were concerned, we were. Half a dozen known interstellar nations, all roughly equal, usually lesser, to us. Arkady annexed Honru, clobbered Tybal, and annihilated Bandalok. Then she goes and picks a fight with Sol and the rest of the Alpha Quadrant and gets herself, and most of her family, killed.”
“You’re great grandmother was a strong woman.”
“Not to mention stupid. Name one thing in Sol that we can’t get out here. Trade? We have our puppets. Technology? Your grandfather held his own at Neptune, as did my great uncle.”
“Prestige.”
“What makes getting yourself killed in Sol any more prestigious than in the Gamma Quadrant? The foes are older, more powerful, yes, but we don’t gain anything from fighting them. Except maybe disdain.” The white king made his stately way across the board, hobbling out of the way of a menacing Huskarl.
Montague de Serrat, second to hold that honored name, leaned back in his seat. “Never thought of that.”
“The move or the question?”
“Both, really. My grandfather said Karl thought similar things, that Sol, Neptune, the whole vendetta, wasn’t worth it. He dropped the vendetta, of course, but felt obligated to extend our influence southward.” The second Huskarl scooted across the board. “Check.”
Again the King moved away. “And we both know how that turned out. Grandfather was right; Sol isn’t worth it. Elves and Meatbots and mongrel Fremden, there’s hardly a proper human left. The cultures are debased, the people vapid, and the resources drained. No, Montague, there will be no Drang nach Süden. At least, not for the foreseeable future.”
“Which heavily involves the Gamma Quadrant, I take it. But why a summit?”
“Think about it. Millions of square lightyears, thousands of planets, a number of them inhabitable. Inhabited, most likely. We only know half a dozen nations in our general area, but who’s to say there aren’t many more out there, as powerful as or perhaps grander than ourselves. If we are truly to take up the mantle of lordship over all the Quadrant, we’re going to need to know who is in it. And if they’re and equal to us, better to find out now, instead of when a fleet blunders into their system and picks a fight we can’t win.” The white Huskarl smashed into the black Queen, collapsing Serrat’s defense. “Checkmate.”
“Damn.”
* * *
The Kaiser’s request was stupendous, of course, but the Ministry of Xeno Affairs took it on. Notify ever civilization in the Gamma Quadrant with both the means of receiving contact and knowing where in the Galaxy they were, and invite them to a gathering at the Skeelzanian jungle world of Feerott.
The Huis van Cleef was suspicious, of course, but their close relationship to the Imperial House, and endemic patriotism, led them to ascent. The House Grenzkraft, supported by the Imperial Sternmarine, would provide security for the conference; a half million troops, House and FS, would be planetside. Anyone brave or crazy enough to interrupt the proceedings would face the wrath of the Sternreich. The Orks, well supplied with both qualities, found themselves too involved in a massive civil war (conveniently touched off by the pro-Skeelzanian Stormhedz clan) to offer much trouble.
Utilizing nearly every form of FTL communication on hand (the reasoning being that nations that had this also had FTL ships, and were thus worthy of invitation), as well as translating it into all manner of languages, including pictogram, the MoXA blasted the Gamma Quadrant with the following message:
People and Nations of the Gamma Quadrant, the Skeelzanian Sternreich greets you. Kaiser Diana, First of Her Name, has created and sent this message so as to invite your Nation, as a fellow Gamma, to a grand meeting on the Imperial Vassal world of Feerott. Her Imperial Majesty seeks to improve relations with all Gammas, so as to facilitate trade and mutual defense against all who threaten our peoples. As Matron of this Summit, Diana Skeelzot asks that you keep your representative’s security detail to an absolute minimum, as Imperial and Vassal forces will be present in force.
If you can receive this message, it is assumed you can also trace it and reply to it. Therefore it is convenient to us, the Skeelzanian Sternreich, that you respond with your intent, as well as any special precautions which need to be taken to ensure your delegates survival and wellbeing. If you do not plan to attend, disregard this message.
The second, much longer part of the message consisted of various star charts, Galactic coordinate listings, and Warp charts explaining how to reach the Feerott system.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v87/Bad_Skeelz/GammaQuad.jpg
The upper-left corner with the Y-like symbol is the Gamma Quadrant. So if you think you're in there, and not a complete wanker or asshole, feel free to join in.
IC:
In a garden on Solomon
“A what?”
“A summit. I’m calling a summit for all nations in the Gamma Quadrant. Flood subspace, blast every system with radio waves, whatever it takes to get their attention. We’ve been stumbling blind for too long now.”
“It’ll take year for radio to travel.”
“I knew that, Montague. I was being rhetorical.” Diana Skeelzot sighed at the chessboard, resting her chin on her hands. “Skeelzania has always claimed to be Boss of the Quadrant, and as far as my ancestors were concerned, we were. Half a dozen known interstellar nations, all roughly equal, usually lesser, to us. Arkady annexed Honru, clobbered Tybal, and annihilated Bandalok. Then she goes and picks a fight with Sol and the rest of the Alpha Quadrant and gets herself, and most of her family, killed.”
“You’re great grandmother was a strong woman.”
“Not to mention stupid. Name one thing in Sol that we can’t get out here. Trade? We have our puppets. Technology? Your grandfather held his own at Neptune, as did my great uncle.”
“Prestige.”
“What makes getting yourself killed in Sol any more prestigious than in the Gamma Quadrant? The foes are older, more powerful, yes, but we don’t gain anything from fighting them. Except maybe disdain.” The white king made his stately way across the board, hobbling out of the way of a menacing Huskarl.
Montague de Serrat, second to hold that honored name, leaned back in his seat. “Never thought of that.”
“The move or the question?”
“Both, really. My grandfather said Karl thought similar things, that Sol, Neptune, the whole vendetta, wasn’t worth it. He dropped the vendetta, of course, but felt obligated to extend our influence southward.” The second Huskarl scooted across the board. “Check.”
Again the King moved away. “And we both know how that turned out. Grandfather was right; Sol isn’t worth it. Elves and Meatbots and mongrel Fremden, there’s hardly a proper human left. The cultures are debased, the people vapid, and the resources drained. No, Montague, there will be no Drang nach Süden. At least, not for the foreseeable future.”
“Which heavily involves the Gamma Quadrant, I take it. But why a summit?”
“Think about it. Millions of square lightyears, thousands of planets, a number of them inhabitable. Inhabited, most likely. We only know half a dozen nations in our general area, but who’s to say there aren’t many more out there, as powerful as or perhaps grander than ourselves. If we are truly to take up the mantle of lordship over all the Quadrant, we’re going to need to know who is in it. And if they’re and equal to us, better to find out now, instead of when a fleet blunders into their system and picks a fight we can’t win.” The white Huskarl smashed into the black Queen, collapsing Serrat’s defense. “Checkmate.”
“Damn.”
* * *
The Kaiser’s request was stupendous, of course, but the Ministry of Xeno Affairs took it on. Notify ever civilization in the Gamma Quadrant with both the means of receiving contact and knowing where in the Galaxy they were, and invite them to a gathering at the Skeelzanian jungle world of Feerott.
The Huis van Cleef was suspicious, of course, but their close relationship to the Imperial House, and endemic patriotism, led them to ascent. The House Grenzkraft, supported by the Imperial Sternmarine, would provide security for the conference; a half million troops, House and FS, would be planetside. Anyone brave or crazy enough to interrupt the proceedings would face the wrath of the Sternreich. The Orks, well supplied with both qualities, found themselves too involved in a massive civil war (conveniently touched off by the pro-Skeelzanian Stormhedz clan) to offer much trouble.
Utilizing nearly every form of FTL communication on hand (the reasoning being that nations that had this also had FTL ships, and were thus worthy of invitation), as well as translating it into all manner of languages, including pictogram, the MoXA blasted the Gamma Quadrant with the following message:
People and Nations of the Gamma Quadrant, the Skeelzanian Sternreich greets you. Kaiser Diana, First of Her Name, has created and sent this message so as to invite your Nation, as a fellow Gamma, to a grand meeting on the Imperial Vassal world of Feerott. Her Imperial Majesty seeks to improve relations with all Gammas, so as to facilitate trade and mutual defense against all who threaten our peoples. As Matron of this Summit, Diana Skeelzot asks that you keep your representative’s security detail to an absolute minimum, as Imperial and Vassal forces will be present in force.
If you can receive this message, it is assumed you can also trace it and reply to it. Therefore it is convenient to us, the Skeelzanian Sternreich, that you respond with your intent, as well as any special precautions which need to be taken to ensure your delegates survival and wellbeing. If you do not plan to attend, disregard this message.
The second, much longer part of the message consisted of various star charts, Galactic coordinate listings, and Warp charts explaining how to reach the Feerott system.