NationStates Jolt Archive

*December 01 3391*

The Sphere was growing and moving on. A year and a month after the beginning of the Counterattack War, the Gaian's Guardianship Alliance was beginning to move on with life again. The Sphere had moved to Phase Four of the War, as the isolation campaign had created millions of Fleet Legions of Kushan droid fleets, in supplement of the Angelic and Ascendant Fleet Commands. Containment had reached 70% overall now, the noose was effectively complete, even if the DE were not destroyed.

The Fourth Great Expansion was finished, operations wise, and all assets available for the Corseria and Columbia SCs (Superclusters) were in place. The Council, for better or war worn worse, were back together, ready to progress with consolidating recent history into effective goverment.

It was also finally time for other aspects.

---

"Another trade conference?" Lady Misaki commented. "I know it's been a long time since the last one. But what could we trade to other nations that can't reach us easily?"

Arashi added.. "Is it wise to trade aspects of our abilities that lie outside normal accepted sciences and technologies? Might not be wise to expose other nations to a realm as large as ours now. They might be intimidated."

"Or just disbelieving." Lord Keiichi added.

Aleaic sighed. "Well don't all go happy on me at once here. We do have certain needs that need addressing, as well as economic development oppritunities in the new Confederacy territories. We also need access to a seperate type of technology to give an identity to the Confederacy Alliance as well.

There's also the long waited reestablishment of diplomatic contacts with our old friends. We don't need to worry about cross dimensional existence for a good time to come. We need to entrench the anchors and prove ourselves to the other realms we can be counted on for any assistance now.

Once the DE are thouroughly defeated, and the Kushan Fleets exceed five times the size of our standard fleet, we can extend our protective influence where needed."

Seto argues. "They won't like that idea. You know how centric most of the nations are. Even the alliances haven't changed much in the past century."

Aleaic smiles. "At least we can offer such. Besides, we've been alone long enough. And we have other objectives to process, to make sure we're stable for the long haul."

It seemed for once, the entire Council was questioning Aleaic's motives, even Tsunami pegged in.. "By the way, I presume this would be accompanied by another Startica? We're a year overdue from the two hundredteh anniversarry celebration and all."

Aleaic leans forward. "Exactly. And it's time to share that again with the rest of the cosmos. And the sooner the better."

----

It didn't take much for the word to spread through the developed galaxies in the Archonis SC, a bit longer for the same into the new SCs. Once it did, the standard fare of work was more joined by a festive atmosphere, over the hundreds of millions of light-years.

The signal sent out to the Virgo Supercluster, where most of the other star farring nations and empires resided, gave new intentions of the Sphere.

:: ~ To all of the rest of civilized space, of old history and new chapters alike, the Gaian Ascendancy has announced the formal beginning of the Fifth Gaian Trade Conference, at the same time as the 201st Startica Celebration takes place, a chance to extend friendships and old cooperations to our original realm.

We will be holding it at the Sphere Republic Capital World, White Diamond/Sapphire, familiar to many of you already. Access can be attained through our old United Mankind, Confederacy Alliance territories, where a quartet of access Gates, will allow non-Fold capable nations to reach our realm. Others that can, can access through the Core Republic Gate boundry at Sapphire Galaxy, inside Sphere Core space, to reach the Home galaxy, and Core realm itself.

We are seeking mostly, the hand of friendship, as our other Trade Conferences have demonstrated, as well as seeking certain technologies to intigrate into our current ability structure. We also seek economic assistance for our vast new holdings, to enhance improvement of life quality where needed.

All realms that wish too, please just send messages, where our venerable communications networks will process as fast as feasible. Please allow a week at most for replies depending.

We truly wish for renewed ties, and a new start with many nations. We await your inquiries.

Regards,

Lady Seto Kamiki
Gaian Prime Foreign Advisor

Lady Belldandy Morisato
Gaian Cultural Advisor ~ ::

---

The Council and Sphere then waited to see if their leader was either wise or foolish this time.

Comm-Orbs all around the Virgo Supercluster began to send out navigational data, as well as playing a sorta primative 'connect-the-dots' with the advanced Orbs to direct where to go to reach the Confederacy territories in MWCG space.

The message was repeated everywhere it got the chance for a few days, to see who was listening.

The Sphere was determined when it agreed to do something, no doubts there.

Meanwhile Sphere military annalysts were discussing (aka arguing like dogs) what format the new Confederacy Starfleet would comprise of. One of many ideas shuffling through Republic-Empire think tanks across the myriad worlds.

To the Honorable,
Lady Seto Kamiki
Gaian Prime Foreign Advisor

and

Lady Belldandy Morisato
Gaian Cultural Advisor


We wish to send two trade representatives from the Commonalitarianism to your trade show. They have attended previous delegations, they are Sargent Smithers-- a neodog, and Marcus Ohyes his assistant. We look forward to a fruitful exchange of technology, goods, and services between our two sovereign communities.

Regards,

Amanda Cruonis, Minister of Trade

To the Honorable,
Lady Seto Kamiki
Gaian Prime Foreign Advisor

and

Lady Belldandy Morisato
Gaian Cultural Advisor


We wish to send two trade representatives from the Commonalitarianism to your trade show. They have attended previous delegations, they are Sargent Smithers-- a neodog, and Marcus Ohyes his assistant. We look forward to a fruitful exchange of technology, goods, and services between our two sovereign communities.

Regards,

Amanda Cruonis, Minister of Trade

A few days later, the signal was processed, and returned easily enough through the Network.

:: ~ Most excellent, we actually need as many partners we can get, for reasons that will be explained once the Conference commences. It's good to see old acquaintances once more, even if anew.

Please follow the navigation beacons on Light-frequency 23,535.54 on subspace to reach the Confederacy terminal port, and the Gate that will lead you to our Homeworld. Just transmit IFF codes for us to process on arrival.

Regards Continued,

Lady Peorth Morisato
Gaian Secondary Foreign Advisor ~ ::

To. Concerned Gaian Parties.
From. Aerith, Chairman of Communications.

Zethathrin Industries would consider this an axcellent opportunity to forge possible trade contacts with the Gaian Ascendency and other interested parties.

With an extensive range of civilian and military technologies and services available and under development we would be excited to discuss the needs of your nation and other attendees.

Though we would wish to bring a range of our products for display, an area of focus for the conference would be appreciated to allow us to better show our expertise, and better prepare for any research co-operation brokered between interested parties.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v453/lordfenix/Zethathrin/Comunications.jpg

To. Concerned Gaian Parties.
From. Aerith, Chairman of Communications.

Zethathrin Industries would consider this an axcellent opportunity to forge possible trade contacts with the Gaian Ascendency and other interested parties.

With an extensive range of civilian and military technologies and services available and under development we would be excited to discuss the needs of your nation and other attendees.

Though we would wish to bring a range of our products for display, an area of focus for the conference would be appreciated to allow us to better show our expertise, and better prepare for any research co-operation brokered between interested parties.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v453/lordfenix/Zethathrin/Comunications.jpg

Essentially the same message with vector and freqency directions were sent to Zethathrin Industries, along with agreement to the product displays to be brought.

Meanwhile, the Sphere began inital celebrations with the usual space-orbital fireworks displays, and displays of joy and peace, as the month long Startica begins leading up to Christmas, another long held holiday in the Sphere.

Marcus and Sarge sat in their cabin on the "Ironhorse". Captain Cruonis flew the ship towards the gate. They videotaped, scanned, and took readings on the gate as they passed through. Long distance jump gates were a technology they were currently researching. It was thrilling to actually experience the passage through a wormhole to a new system. They made the jump and looked for a docking bay to bring the ship into.

The trade station loomed before them. Sarge checked the sample boxes in the anti-grav sled of various trade goods. He tapped the data wands quickly on the holokeys, making sure everything was in order. Then he switched on the presentation holograms for several different Commonalitarianism corporations making sure they worked-- Cruon Commercial House-- Serving Your Energy Needs, RFS, The Interspace and Undersea Salvage and Recycling Cooperative, Marianis Waste Management, and Long Haul Biodomes.

The Meeting Hall of The Executive

Location: Unknown.

19:34:02 – Recording Begins

---akthrough in burrowing efficiency, I can’t tell you how excited I am by this, there simply isn’t anything like this on the market from any of the competition, its revolutionary.” Gushed the Chairman of Research & Development Karl Orsovf, spreading out a seemingly endless supply of thin sheets of paper all over the table.
The Chairman of Special Operations looked unimpressed, that is to say he gave off the general aura of being unimpressed his face was hard to read. “What exactly makes this so great, we’ve got burrowing mines already and I’m sure the Choshan Arms Potentate has too.” Undeterred Karl searched through the swamp of papers and brought up a particularly large one covered in tables of figures and threw it ineffectively at Special Operations. “You don’t understand, this does so almost silently, and so efficiently, it’ll be nearly impossible for the target to detect coming, and if you’ll look here you’ll see that the amount of fuel energy required here and here and massively reduced, and I think that will really help us relieve the strain on the portions of delivery system we were having trouble with.”

“Not that this isn’t fascinating” said Aerith head of Communications, clearly indicating that she wasn’t in the least bit fascinated, but I’ve signed us up for a trade conference with a nation called the Gaian Ascendancy, so I’m going to need you all to put together a package of things that really show of you’re departments finesse.”

“Who exactly are the Gaian Ascendancy?” Asked the Chairman of The Accountancy his voice as always putting Aerith on edge. “I’m not wholly certain, we haven’t had dealings with them before that’s why I thought this would be a perfect opportunity.” “But how can we go into an area we know nothing about? Do you at least know what the focus of the conference is?” “No I don’t, I don’t suppose it really matter, just bring everything you don’t think would be too offensive, look, just do it OK, I’m a busy woman I don’t have time for your shit.”

Having stormed out Aerith, once again made a promise to herself to stop doing that, it was just The Accountancy always annoyed her so much, she was starting to look hot headed in there. Perhaps he was trying to get her fired.


Later, fully stowed, packed, and prepared, the Conference ships left dock from the Zethathrin Central Administrative Complex and, following the directions given to them, headed out to the hyperspace gate. Knowing that they were going to go through one the Under-Head of Gate Development himself had decided to come along, ‘To size up the competition’ he said.

As they neared the gate facility tiny pores all over the ships exuded a fine white powdered, which reflected the light of the stars brilliantly and declared their prescence to all in the area.

Back in the hold a small troupe of assistants and marketers were putting final touches to displays and speeches, each hoping that they would get the chance to seal a lucrative deal and with it secure their careers. And looking on sardonically at the opportunistic throng the small gaggle of researchers and scientists pitied their feverish capitalism, whilst each themselves secretly hoping that they would be able to take part in the exchange of some wondrous technology that would give their department a leg up over the competition, and more importantly the other departments.

Neither nation knew what they were getting into. The rather bland original messages the Sphere sent couldn't give detail to the scenery of simply reaching the Republic Core, where eyes would fill in in replete effect.

The Confederacy territory the messages gave MWCG nations original directions to approach, was simply the beacons that were effectively 'come this way' signals. Arrival at the first intended point, the Shield Wall Gate, a massive six part gate that floated together with tendrils of Holia energy filaments, the Gate surrounded by the Hikari Power Shield that covered the few hundred Systems the Gaians captured during the alliance war with the Ahb, against the United Mankind fleets that actually attacked the Gaians after flimsy territorial excuse the paranoid UM used.

A few dozen Gaian and Angelic Warships, gleaming white from Whitesteel and crystalsteel covering armor surfaces, they shone bright all on their own, as they held quiet watch, with small partols of Angel Exo-suits and Sphere Starfighters flitting about.

The guests are then vectored to a Gate, a half parsec past the Shield Gate, near the Confederacy Capital System, the inital might of the Sphere commerce and military power seen as scores of vessels of many alien archetypes pop in and out of view, after passing through a gigantic Dimensional Gate. Many heading for territory Systems fo deliver goods, others on patrols, more bearing scars from the Counterattack War, as small fleet units even came here to repair and refit. Here two of the A-SSD supercapital starships are seen emerging from behind the capital planet as they orbit around.

The surface of the planet is teeming with life, as millions of souls continued life here, the sight of space fireworks going off in places all around the planet, and even a few near the two moons, amid large starbases and orbital docks and platforms, gives precedent that Startica is in full swing here.

After a few short welcome greetings over subspace, such as...

:: ~ Welcome honored representatives of <insert nation name>, welcome to Ascendancy and Allied Sphere Republic space. ~ ::

...and then a few security scan checks and visitor IFF codes assigned, the guests are directed through the Dimensional Gate.

---

Passing through a Gate is unlike anything experienced, even by those that know the Gaians well. The Gate is essentially Fold Jumping taken to a more extreme step. Instead of using actual drive engines, ships are sent through a triad-doorway, where it's like passing through a dimensional prisim, passing first into Hikari powered subspace, seeing the 'actual' Hikari Power in essence, then into the Intracel ascended Dimension, for a moment, as the Gate's brilliance from entry is now a dark blue shadow compared to the utter brilliance here, the realm of the Angelics, and then through a connecting Gate, through a second Hikari subspace connecting layer, and then from there, through the adjacent Dimensional Gate at the destination end.

Passing through the seven hundred million light-years from the Virgo Supercluster to the Archonis Supercluster, the dominion of the Guardianship. The very stars shine brigther, and everything seen at the MWCG Confederacy 'hub' is magnified here in spades.

The Gate takes the arrivals to a security checkpoint, inside Sapphire Galaxy, at the Inner Intergalactic Boundry, at the edge of Republic Core space. The twenty seven core galaxies of the Ascendancy, each one actually noticable in decent size, due to the closeness of them all, even if millions of light-years apart still.

The Security System, Talsana System, a major Gate hub System, where the original six planets in the System had two more added from the Planet Foundy in 3376 and 3379, have sixty Gates spread through the System. vast, vast numbers of the Commerce Fleet flit in and out, and also through the Gates, to deliver the vast stores of goods needed to maintain the huge realm, in both need and prosperity. The guest vessels are rounded past a huge Gate Control station, in charge of the six local Gates, and five lesser Boson-Jump Gate Networks that also comprise the 'underlay' transport system for lesser jump equpped craft, where their IFF codes are scanned, more greetings sent, and then in short order redirected to a second Gate, where a similar trip as before takes them from the Checkpoint System, to the Core Realm.

---

It's needless to mention how much power the Sphere has, noticable alone in the streams of regulated starship traffic that bend around whole worlds like those seen on major cities on Terra-Sol. A vast majority of it all is commerce, pure commerce. Whether souls in small craft heading to other planets for daily work, or supply vessels heading out to the new territories in Columbia and Corseria, everything in the Core Realm, through it's twenty seven core galaxies, ever last moon in them all is regulated like this with extreme efficiency. Yet all of it isn't the note of a stress induced civilization at all. the traffic, routed through a traffic network of rings in a tube, give smaller and faster craft access priority the closer in a traffic control tube one goes.

The startraffic tubes round entire Systems, into and from Gates, in tens of millions of Systems, from small one planetoid rocks around white dwarfs, to nebula clusters with multiple, fully populated and terraformed Star Systems, like artifical ethereal streams of sparkling light that wrap and web in several vectors.

The military meanwhile makes formal assertion with large Fleet Groups in defensive formations, and small fleet patrols based on the Ahb model, with (literally,) clouds of starfighters, Omni-LAMs, Angelic Holia powered Exo-suits zing almost everywhere on individual unit maneuvers and orders. The immense fleet dock and starbase networks, all laiden in support of each other for full military efficiency, even for numbers of A-SSDs seen about occasionally, in full concert with the notoriously difficult to notice System defense grids, entire racks and nodes of missle and laser defenses of all kinds, make for a tremendous secure feeling for any visitor.

--

The Core jewel therefore, the White Diamond/Sapphire Star System, the final Gate destination visitors arrive at, brings the apex of the Sphere majesty to the penultimate eye here.

Visitors arrive at the Emerald Gate, near Planet Emerald, the huge near Jupiter sized world of soft green, with an equally massive ring system of 'deliberately' constructed matter, to reflect the color of the planet to give effect of 'emerald' to the eye. Here all the commerce and military traffic continues on just as efficienty, almost as if it was all run by droids alone. Looking upwards from the low planet orbit, the vast Treeship construction Yards, churning out the living starfleet component of the Hikari Grand Fleet. Visitors are then joined by two Angel-Exos, the shimmering gray-white crystal hulls, with numbers of jut protrutions about them, become final escort to the capital, routing the guests past the traffic tubes, and directly to the Capital World.

The pure earth like world with large gleaming rings and two moons, the heart of an empire of light, also the home of the A-SSD yards, several gantry interlinked spacedocks that span hundreds of kilometers, and far too much more detail to describe here, sufficit to say starbases, fleets, traffic and so much more about the majestic scene.

As if the Startica celebration wasnt evident already, as Emerald's population was celebrating just as hardily, the Capital has the most advanced space fireworks going off, in very calculated patterns, like trees, objects that are both cute and affectionate, as well as in multitiudes of colors that marry perfectly.

The guests are, as Marcus and Sarge discover already, directed to the orbital guest spacedock, a large ganrty orbital compex where guest vessels are maintained expertly by knowledgable crews and droid units. Anything a guest crew requires is provided, from hovertrays for products and luggage, to droids and (yes) Gaian maiden guest workers with portable replicators that offer small treats of any kind for the initially hungry.

---

An Ascendant greeter becomes the Ironhorse representative, the eleven meter tall griffon like being bowing as they arrive. "~ Welcome to Ascendancy Homeworld space. Your items of intest can be delivered with your escort, to the Trade Conference Center at Minas Jurai`alheim, while you relax until you are ready to discuss at length. The Council instructs to make use of the offer of relaxing for a short while so you are refreshed for the negotiations at hand.

My understanding is of that the negotiations are of great import to the his Excellency. Therein, I can take you to wherever you wish, even to the conference if you are in a hurry, even as such. ~"

--

The head of the Zethathrin contingent is met by an actual Angelic, the archetypical sight of an angel met in the fore here. The form of Lady Guous bowing after arrival on foot.

"~ Welcome to the Sphere Core, I'll be your guide, Lady Guous, and am at service for your needs whie you are here. ~" ..she then gives the same suggestions the Commonalitarianism contigent recieved.

---

Both parties have their eyes suddenly filled with random space fireworks that blare forth in clusters of thirty blooms at a time for a full minute, to underscore everything.

==========

Meanwhile, the more the Sphere engages in celebration, the more messages are sent out for more guests. Chances for peace are readily jumped upon in this realm, and they share such readily.

"With the TAP business, can we even afford to send any ships there?"

"Of course we can. Send three Planeswalker Corvettes and a few Dreadnoughts. See if we can send the delegation first."

A message was soon sent via Warpspace.

Hello. I wish to send a delegation of ships to your trade conference. We have some very interesting technology for you to look at, and are interested in purchusing some technology or materials for you. Please send us coordinates, and, if allowed, we will have our delegation there as soon as possible.

The Comm-Orbs were used to listening for frequencies, not only in subspace or plane space, but different formats due to the myriad of communication mediums many nations used. All new ones were cataloged and studied by the GSCC (Gaian Sphere Communications Commission) and added to the standard list of listened mediums.

In this way, it was easy to pick up communiquaes when one sent one for the Gaians, in a medium not normally listened to by the said same. Warpspace, a less than efficient medium all around for Sphere transport and communication needs, was one of these.

:: ~ Originally Posted by Johnathan Planeswalker, Grand Councilor, GAE Imperial Council
Hello. I wish to send a delegation of ships to your trade conference. We have some very interesting technology for you to look at, and are interested in purchusing some technology or materials for you. Please send us coordinates, and, if allowed, we will have our delegation there as soon as possible. ~ ::

As such, translation and communication matrixes were reoriented for a response message a few days later.

:: ~ Originally Posted by Your friendly neighboorhood Gaian Idealists
We welcome such, and all you can offer. Please follow the beacon route set on Light-frequency 23,535.54 on subspace to reach the Confederacy terminal port. Further directions will lead you to the Conference site. Please enjoy the sights along the way, courtesy of two hundred years of long hard work and toil.

We await your arrival, and inform other nations we seek a large gathering as well please.

Regards,

Lady Seto Kamiki
Gaian Prime foreign Advisor ~ ::

Sarge took off his hat and made a bow to the Griffon towering over him, "It is very kind of you to meet us gentle being. I look forward to hospitality and friendship. Greetings from the Commonalitarianism"

Sarge continues, "Would you be kind enough to take a light refreshment with us while my associate makes a few decisions before we set up."

We would like some time to just chat.

Marcus is silent. He is taking in the layout of the conference on a data pad. He copies a map of the conference floor into the data pad breaking it into quadrants. Two dozen humans will be dispatched from the ship to each quadrant to check each booth in the conference and collect business cards, presentations, data disks and any kind of material they will find. They will fill the hold partially with descriptions of every kind of trade items, toilets, sinks, solar batteries, weapons, comestibles and anything that might be of value as a trade item. The teams will collect sort and analyze as much information as they can getting names, corporations, businesses, and recording idle chatter looking for useful items of trade. They will not talk much, just observe.

Marcus quickly identifies a good untaken spot for their booth near both refreshments, freshers (bathrooms), with plenty of foot traffic passing it, and four huge holodisplays for the corporate presentations. He enters an order to reserve the space for the Commonalitarianism. He types in a series of commands for the waiting droids to set up several tables, some grav chairs and displays for their presentation.

The griffonade nods his very large head. "~ But of course, a light spot of freshingness will most do. I am Lord Cas`zrack at your liquid call. ~"

Meanwhile the Techs about begin working to setup the format the Commonalitarianism contigent wished for. They would find they couldn't fill the Trade Center with their stuff anyway if they tried.

With each dimensional shift the passengers of the Zethathrin Industries Communications Vessel: Loophole, were buffeted in a random direction. The navigational computers were not programmed for such a gate journey and the breif time spent in each dimension meant that the internal microwave engines would breifly be sent out of balance. Aerith made a mental note to have a word with the head of ship technology obviously he had neglected to put Zethathrin ships through gate trials yet.

After much fanfare and travel they arrived at what seemed like their final destination, the door, of course, took too long to open. The head of Stleath and marginal operations was famous for ranting about any disturbance on the out hull potentially ruining the stealth capabilities, if he had his way ships wouldn't have doors at all. And he'd got his way on a number of models already.

Finally stepping out of their ship she was faced with a luminescant animal, 'great' she thought 'they're taller than human standard' with a couple of clicks her back lenghtened a foot, her arms and legs stretching proportionatly. She realised halfway through the transformation that this might unsettle her hosts but by then it was too late to turn back without looking totally wierd so she just gritted her teeth and chalked up mistake number one.

The humanoid greeted her, revealing itself to be their guide, she was releaved tofind out that their hosts were humanoid, assuming this wasn't some kind of construct or robot. She sent a mental signal back to her crew to make similar adjustments before leaving the ship.

Mulling over the situation she decided "If you could direct us at your convieniance to the metting area we are ready to discuss anything your council wishes."

She partly did it because shse was impatient to see what her hosts were like and what they're feilds of interests were, but mostly because she knew the sub-head of gate research and knew that he would just love to have stuffed himself at Gaian Expense all day.

Lady Guous only watched calmly, being as old as she was, and seeing enough from the past century alone, not much was worth reacting to these days.

The Angelic bowed at the request. "If you'll follow me please. You'll more likely just have a cursory meeting before formal negotiations."

The Angelic escorted the Zethathrin party to a nearby teleporter chamber, the glowing blue and white technological marvel not unlike a Federation transporter room, though using it entailed full form teleportation, and not utilizing particle dismemberment and recombination phasing parameters.

It prevented discomfort if nothing else. The destination would be the Holy Palace Tree itself, as Guous described.

Sargent Smithers, "Lord Cas`zrack, it is very nice to meet you, I am Citizen Sargent Smithers, Special Executive for the Interspace and Undersea Salvage and Recycling Cooperative and this is my Assistant Marcus Ohyes. Right now I am acting in behalf of a multitude of companies. Come let us have a nice refreshment."

Sargent chooses a table where he can sit down with Griffonade and orders a nice tall glass of milk for himself and a coffee for Marcus, "What would you like?"

The booth is now set up with a diversity of companies. Several men and women from the ship have taken the gravity pallets to the booth while Sargent and Lord Cas 'zrack are chatting.

There are holodisplays for the following companies:

Interspace and Undersea Salvage and Recycling Cooperative-- Rescue spaceships, salvage spaceships, escape pods with cold sleep chambers, space garbage cleanup ships, nanite recycling breakdown vats, carbon 60 grinders and crushers, salvage, rescue, and recycling operations. Special Services available upon request.

Cruon Commercial House-- Heavy Construction Mecha, Robotic Construction Equipment, Construction Yards, Nanite construction molds for ship hulls, prefabricated buildings, deep underground tunneling machines and construction, deep sea construction, and space and asteroid construction. Energy-- Clear Glassteel Solar panels, Deuterium Deuterium Tabletop Acoustic Inertial Confinement Fusion (sonofusion), Deuterium Deuterium Fusion Generators, multi gigawatt Solar power satellites, Molecular twist batteries, nanobattery ultracapacitors, nanobatteries, wind, wave, and advanced biorefineries.

Marianis Waste Management-- Environmental cleanup, nuclear bioremediation, chemical weapons bioremediation, biological weapons remediation, waste management, hazardous materials recycling, landfill recycling. Specialty chemicals and biologicals for cleanup of weapons of mass destruction. Document, computer, and file shredding and destruction.

Longhaul Biodomes-- Recycling Regenerative Life Support Systems, Closed Ecologies for space habitats, Closed cycle space farms-- a complete farming ecology, Multiple environment habitat domes, neutron scanners, industrial cloning vats-- for producing bacteria and other biological based environmental ly safe chemicals, spider silk, bioplastics, paints, etc.

A imple table rose from the flat surface of the dry dock sector deck, as did three chairs, the needs meeting all three bioforms. The Avian Lord just calls out for his choice. "~ Shoalberry juice. ~ ..and three chosen drink cups in plain shatterproof glass.

Shoalberry, A juice from a lakepool treefarm on Hushu III, where the plants grow a fruit on the trunks, bitter at first, but with plain apple juice added, makes a drink that spans at least eight different fruits, and not always the same flavors depending on the tasebuds.

Lord Cas`zrack wraps his huge, feathered hand around the good sized glass, and picks it up easily, drinking it off the side of his beak off the left.

After, Lord Cas`zrack comments.. "~ A mercantile civilization if I hear you correctly. You should know it will not be us only that seeks such commerce. Bringing many realms here will give other customers you can discuss with, and not just us. Many things can come to pass with an open mind. ~" ..and another sip.

Sargent Smithers, "We like to think of ourselves as free beings of commerce, of course to be free one must have responsible capable citizens who have served their conscription. This drink is quite nice." He takes a long sip.

"We look forward to meeting a wide variety of beings from many different places to exchange ideas, culture and goods. With nanite construction and free space energy it is the ideas and technology which matter."

"Your civilization seems to have more than one kind of being, I would like to know of the beings in your culture."

Marcus sits quietly, he gulps his coffee. His left eye twitches and he smiles showing diamond and ruby chips in his teeth. He seems constantly alert.

Lord Cas`zrack leans back and gives a sigh that sounds like a light chirp twil coming out through his beak.

"~ Where to begin with that. ~" ..and it sounded like a long tale, and it ended up being so.

Gaians, the human progenetors from Terra, the base ten thousand that was deliberatly expanded through controlled cloning genetics for the first twenty years, upon the Homeworld playing across the viewports off their mutual starboard. Humans taking evolution as the Lord Excellency encouraged.

Ascendants, the Avian Lord masters that built the White Diamond System down to the last atom, sculpting the worlds the left behind in ascendance over a billion years plus now prior, returned after The Lord Excellency proved the right of the Gaians to exist on their ancient worlds. Having also given eventual control of the Archonis Supercluster, and even the ancient civilization as an ally, the griffons have proved the cornerstone of technological advances for the past two hundred years.

Angelics, at first a small quotient of an agreement only five years after the arrival of the Gaians on given soil, given the soul infused technologies that bred the Angel God and Steel Angel programs, eventually a major power that called on the Ascendancy into quasi-ascendace to fight in the Eternal War against the Infernals. Since then, fully empowered angels of every type known to imagination walk as freely among the mortals they ally with, as does their technologies that science has trouble logically classifying.

Krysallians, a race of (literally) glass beings, taken humanoid form after a chance meeting with the Gaians during one of the earliest exploration missions after the Revealing. A light hearted race with a good sense of humor. While not as prominent among Sphere races of many things, their literally 'clear' outlook on life never gives an old feeling even to this day.

This was only the tip, and all of the races (and all of Sphere society treated them all equally,) mingled with each other without more than a thought otherwise in daily life. Cloned, free birth, droid, alien, foreign nationals of descent, and the uncountable races of the Confederacy, the autonomous realms allied to the Ascendancy, in the Sphere Guardianship, that allowed such a huge realm to exist as near seemlessly as realistically possible, some looked like alien races right out of old Terran novels and movie vids, others were of Ancient Races that came at the beck and suggestion of the Ascendants. It all made a melting pot that none was denied within.

Not a single being was subjugated, as long as respected law and order was followed, and not one civilization represented was brought in under the force of arms, save from liberation and alliance afterwards, and those were mainly in the Milky Way Core Galaxy after the end of the war against the United Mankind over a hundred and fifty years prior.

It was very difficult to impress all of this on those that didn't live the life in the Sphere. Realms in three Superclusters, and MWCG, with posts in Sol-Terra, and ones in a seperate Dimension of the Angelic, Intracel by name, the Sphere power was unmatched by most realms, but not surpassing many all the same. The current Counterattack War, the second and final intended war against the Dark Eternals was more of a war of extreme numbers, rather than overpowering technologies. Gaians and their allies died all the same as any other being, in war.

And celebrated peace with great zeal and passion.

This Lord Cas`zrack explained with great length, summoning additional drinks for all three of them as needed.

"~ Worry not if one wonders why we would need technologies from other realms, or if we are stingy with our own. Almost all of out technologies is borrowed, and explored thoroughly, so there are many versions of all our technologies to share with other realms, that are not of our apex of expertiese.

Nothing is perfect, just... advanced. We see any technology, even if inferior, as something to be improved upon. We then share that back freely with those that shared first off.

You'll find alliances with us lucrative. ~"

Sargent Smithers, "Yes, yes we understand. Currently there are three groups in our small sphere of influence."

"I am what one might call a neodog, a special kind of soldier designed for a war against a viral zombie plague, we have an innate ability to sense the presence of these kind of entities. Originally, we weren't like this, we had to prove our rights through legal and social action."

"There are also sentient AIs part of an information network called the Final Encyclopedia/Greater Synopticon of Entirty, this grouping was originally created as an information network to serve the public. It was not originally sentient, but over a period of time it eventually developed sentience forming an ever expanding information collection entity. It lives to learn and teach."

"Of course there is also a wide variety of humans both transhuman and human."

"We are more than willing to form an alliance of trade to exchange technology and goods. With such a wide base to choose from, your society seems intriguing."

A soft chiming sounds come from his data pad.

Sargent Smithers, "I believe our booth has been set up displaying some of our goods. We have a variety of demonstrations available, as well as some samples for interested parties. If you would follow me, our booth is this way."

Lord Cas`zrack nodded. "~ After you then. ~" ..apparently being the prime contact person for this function.

---

Meanwhile Sphere Orbs kept sending out more messages, trying to find more trade partners to discuss with, as well as give forum for the guests to talk to each other as well.

The Council need for commerce influx was wanton.

Sargent Smithers leads Lord Cas' Zrack to the booth. There are currently four large holodisplays running presentations by the Interspace and Undersea Salvage and Recycling Cooperative, the Longhaul Biodomes Partnership, The Cruon Commercial House, Registered Family Syndicate, and the Marianis Waste Management-- PPC-- Public Private Consortium.

In a separate area there are various boxes of sample trade goods laid out. Each contains a different kind of trade good. Many are biologicals, plants, flora, insects, and biosculptured plants. They come from two different worlds, Sol and the planet Paradise. There are also boxes with small metal blocks of titanium, gold, iron, nickel, ceramite, carbon 60, and other materials. Sargent Smithers goes to one of the boxes and taps several keys, it opens, there is a puff of mist as the Bose Einstein Condensate drains away. Sargent then takes a bottle of counter agent to hiberzine and the small bonzai rose tree blooms with many different colored flowers.

He hands Lord Cas' Zrack, the small 2 foot tree, "A gift of friendship from the Commonalitarianism to you. Please take the time to look around."

Message from the United Terran alliance department of foreign relations:

To Whom It May Concern, it is with great pleasure that the United Terran alliance of the Federal union requests a seat at your conference, to improve understanding and to being normal relations with your nation, we await your response with hopes.

Signed secretary brain pierce, room 190 fed dome

The Avian Lord smiles as he recieves the interesting tree. "~ A kind gift, since we value Trees almost too reverantly. ~" ..meanwhile several other Sphere citizens come and go, looking at the foreign items on display.

Lord Cas' Zrack remarks. "~ Fine displays. We'll need good quantities of such materials for the new galaxies we acquired from the continuing war, or recent note. Many of our new citizens will need many things to enchance their quality and stability of life over the new few immediate years.

What of, if I may ask, can there be of quantity, if we proceed past formal negotiations. Just to infer on whim of calculatory logistics on our eventual part. ~"

---

It was Seto that got wind of the TFU Comm query, a suprise to be sure (depending on such things as 'suprise'..) after it was leveled from Command Central.

:: ~ Message from the United Terran alliance department of foreign relations:

To Whom It May Concern, it is with great pleasure that the United Terran alliance of the Federal union requests a seat at your conference, to improve understanding and to being normal relations with your nation, we await your response with hopes.

Signed secretary brain pierce, room 190 fed dome ~ ::

"Finally got a nibbler, at least it'll make king-boy happy."

She sat and typed out her own personal response for this one.

--

*Over TFU freqs from the Comm-Orb network*

:: ~ To need to await is needless, arrive at your own dispense, and at the vectored coordinates. His majesty is concerned too much for the old contacts, so this will please him of good import.

We'll have him calmed down before your arrival.

Holy Regards,

Lady Seto Kamiki
Gaian Prime Foreign Advisor ~ ::

The Gaians kept 'bumping' messages out into the cosmos at large, never giving up! =^^=

This is what we would be able to produce in quantity:

Asteroid Mined Resources: Iron, nickel, hydrogen, oxygen, carbon

Recycled Metals: Steel, titanium, aluminum, copper, ceramics, bioplastics

Biologicals: Seed stock for flowers from three different worlds, standard crops-- rice, white, maize, vegetables, fruits, trees from multiple worlds, a variety of seed stock for ornamental biosculpture-- mostly trees, flowers, and bushes.

Energy: Solar Power Satellites, Fusion power stations, Biorefineries-- ethanol, bioplastics, grain alcohols, and environmentally safe chemicals, clear solar glassteel, wind generators, wave generators, deep core geothermal taps for planets.

Ships: Salvage ships, Rescue Ships, Garbage cleanup ships, Cold Sleep Escape Pods.

Construction: Construction mecha, construction robots, recycling and salvage yards capable of dismantling, analyzing, and recycling up to capital ships.

Ecotechnic Technology: Biodomes for long stay habitats, Advanced recycling technology, Regenerative Recycling Life Support systems for space ships, Nanite breakdown vats for biological, chemical, and hard waste, bioremediation technology for chemical, nuclear, and biological accidents and warfare. Industrial cloning vats for producing safe biochemicals, bioplastics, spider silk, ceramite, and other biobased products.

The Commonalitarianism is very interested in acquiring, wormhole gate technology.

The Federated Combine of Far Traders is attending.
Representatives to follow.

****
OOC: More words in a bit....

Lord Cas' Zrack offered... "~ We don't use wormhole gates, per say. The gates we use are more of subspace interdimensional doorways that take advantage of Fold physics. They're on a different format of technology you may be used too. However we do use a Boson-JumpGate Network that is not as fast as the Dimensional Gates.

We do know of sources that use the technology you seek, or we can offer a different format. We can offer classes opf our Fold drive technology, from our older version series, from the last fifteen version upgrades, as well as a way to adapt Zero Point Cores to work in conjunction with existing fast-light drives. These can avoid wholesale refits of existing vessels, until you can build newer vessels with the same. ~"

The Federated Combine of Far Traders is attending.
Representatives to follow.

The same vector coordinates were sent as for all the other guests to follow.

We already have long distance drives for spaceships. If you can give us the design for a fold gate between two entry points at the edge of a system that would be more than satisfactory. Something which will allow us to speed up trips between fixed points in existing systems. We have a variant of the Burkhard Heim drive for fast travel between points and are working on building a stable wormhole with Intracircumcordei. We have a grasp on some of the physics, but are still experiencing some trouble with stabilizing the wormhole and keeping it internally clean and safe.

Old friends that had long been asleep now awoke once more in the galactic realm and it most likely could not have come at a better time. A voice from the darkness would soon echoe out in rememberance.

One of the few Paryunu's that had not been recalled for remodification quite just yet. Emperor Debruesec sat in a command chair on board the massive destroyer as he travelled enroute through Hyperspace to the destination where new testings were being taken care of for a new method of travel when the transmission was rerouted to him. "Your highness, Star Forces command has just sent us a transmission that deep range probes have intercepted."

The Abriel sat in the chair confidently and comfortably. His once pointed ear length blue hair was now slicked back and the golden tiara of the Jade Throne sat on his head with the cat's eye in the middle. "Go ahead and read it to me."

The message was read aloud and a slight smile played out on his face. It had been how many years since they had restored his wife to existance along with the rest of the crew of the Gosroth. "Communications, inform the Imperial Admiral that we will be late attending the tests. Some matters have arisen that must be attended to."

"Yes your highness. And this transmission?"

"Give me the controls and I will send the message myself."

"Yes your majesty."

Greetings once again lords and ladies of the Ascendancy. It has been far too long since we last held council with one another. How many years? How many wars has it been? Now you are back once again and it has not been the same since our old friends have been gone. Why does it always seem that only you come to greet us during dark times? Indeed we will meet with you once more to talk of old times and reminisce while we discuss our future. We shall be there shortly.

The Avian rubs his lower beak 'chin', then offers.. "~ Best then for a basic Boson-Jump Network grid, only a need for gravitational and distortion modifications to a shield grid would allow the appropriate solution you seek.

Most of our Gate systems utilize a two dimensional subspace format to transverse space in the manner you seek. The catch is the power requirements to sustain a powerful enough event horizon, and then a stable enough field to maintain internal balance between the vessel original integrity, and the external stresses inflicted, long enough for the traverse to commence. Usually only that is needed is a few seconds, and a proper and correct destination coordinate in a nav-comp unit of some form.

Trying to conduct normal faster than light travel, as you probably have noticed, is impossible to circumvent in a normal faster than light fashion. The laws of physics even rule over us. Only by circumventing around a fashion that bypasses the laws of faster than light physics, is maintaining a realm of any size effectively possible. Communication mediums are dealt with in the same manner, once all coordinate vectors and communication variables are worked out.

Will this do. We can bring you to a working system if you wish. ~"

---------

*Council Chambers*

"These will be the chosen worlds then?"

Lady Diana nodded. "They're the best canidates for formal Capital Worlds. We'll have Palace Trees grown there for the next few years each. We're already installing appropriate command and control for the other sector capitals that were chosen, based on the original spiral pattern used in Operation Harvest."

Aleaic nods. "Impressive. Using in place frameworks is a good idea to use."

Diana gave a beaming smile, her years of experience as the Confederacy Prime Advisor to the Sphere Council working in her favor. As for the Excellency, the matter at hand also brought to attention two chosen to act as defacto SCs-Govenors until the various new territory Systems gained more self command of goverment footing. That would take a good long while.

Lady Seto stood next to two chosen such. Lady Achika, Lord Tenchi's mother, and Lord Veles`pra, a powerful Avian Lord Fleet Commander, and once a signatory to the first charter of the Confederacy of Free Worlds.

Aleaic stepped towards them both and nodded as he spoke.

"Achika, Confederesa Prime to you. Veles, Corseria Marasii is yours. It's time to make what we promised a reality. Let's not dissapoint."

"Agreed.." ..Aleaic glanced a look at Seto upon the inject. He then heard of Achika.. "How fast are we to expect aid influxes?"

"We're already maxed out, even with the returning forces from Mirina and Enterprise SCs it's still tought. We've moved some populations from worlds we can't effectively aid, to others with ample room, though things are still tough for many of them even in Archonis SC space."

Seto adds.. "Still hoping we'll recieve aid from other nations through the conference here? We may have to face facts of not being able to do everything at once after all."

"Didn't know we could." Diana bluntly offers. Seto just shrugs. "Just going with loose hope for once."

Aleaic turns to another figure in the chamber. "While we're doing that much, we also should focus on the Confederacy identity and scope, starting with a proper home grown fleet."

He looks at Advisor Yurika, and a war worn looking Admiral Ruri. He still felt the pangs, but held them at bay for the course. Yurika offered. "We're still working with two models, working from two models of two seperate fleet architypes seen by dissimilar starfleets, the TFU and Ahb being our primary focuses."

Aleaic sighs and leans on a Council seat, vacant by Lady Ayeka's absence at present. "What may keep the new territories from anarchy, is a base sense of their own pride and format. With time we can solve their problems, and they can grown from that base. The base however has to come from 'some' seed to give them a mental diversion for the short term."

"~ It'll be at least twenty years before the new territories can support themselves to enhance the Sphere properly. Another fifteen at least before surpluses of home base economies can fully trade normally with the rest of the Sphere. Only twenty seven Systems out of literally billions can do basic self sufficency at the present. Hence the problem. ~"

Achika looked over at Lord Veles`pra after his dissemination. "Hence expediency before we make fools out of our own words."

Aleaic tapped the head of the council chair. "Hence why trying to be the good guys is a royal pain, with the long term as the fashioned goal.

And I wanted to be an astronaut once." ..he remarked in dry humor, it took a bit of hilt off the tension with a few smiles.

Seto looked over at Yurika. "We did get a message of interest from the TFU, the only major power we've heard from so far."

"Might have to with them then." Yurika puts in a 'is that all' kind of tone. Aleaic just input cheerfully... "There'll be more. Too many others know of us to completely ignore a simple extended hand."

"One that can still be slapped.." Seto retorted as a reminder. Aleaic just looked and turned away. Hearing from Commonalitarianism, Trinity Prime, Zethathrin Industries, among others was a start. The Advisors hoped more would be forthcoming.

---

A few hours later, Lady Seto recieved another major suprise.

:: ~ Greetings once again lords and ladies of the Ascendancy. It has been far too long since we last held council with one another. How many years? How many wars has it been? Now you are back once again and it has not been the same since our old friends have been gone. Why does it always seem that only you come to greet us during dark times? Indeed we will meet with you once more to talk of old times and reminisce while we discuss our future. We shall be there shortly. ~ ::

She decided on expediency first hand.

:: ~ To our count, one hundred plus years and one final war against an old enemy of the cosmos. Besides, it's always darkest before the dawn, and we do not dissapoint in this regard.

Arrive at your own discourse, or through the Network we established for orderly arrival of other guests. His Excellency will be remiss if not informed, such as I will do after this signal is sent.

Welcome back to the Sphere. We have much to update each other of. ~ ::

After the send holo button is pressed, Seto left to suprise the strung king with new news.

The response was reported to the Emperor and he was quite pleased by it all not to mention looking forward to being among old friends once again. It had been too long since he had last enjoyed their hospitality. The only thing that would possibly make this greater for the Abh and Gaians would be if Lord Dusanyu were here as he was the pinnacle correspondant between the Ascendancy and the Empire.

But such regrets are left for other times. Now, was a time for all speed and the Paryunu's engines were pushed to maximum in Hyperspace. War loomed in every corner, but at least some peace could be enjoyed for a brief time. Arrival was estimated a mere few minutes and the crew was looking forward to some time away from their stations.

Still caution was exercised and this was one of the best destroyers the Empire had to offer and it kept the Emperor well protected in a thick cocoon of armor and weapons.

Page One, Post #8 gave the Ahb view of what to expect upon arrival. The Sphere was not just plain Gaians anymore. The orderly look of great variety ruled here, the Angelic were so prominent, it was all almost a dimensional extension of the Heavenly Dimension here. It was obvious the Gaians and their Sphere allies had by far not weakened in anyway.

The new expansions and the countinance of the Counterattack War was beyond normal sight, 200th Startica leading to the 220th Christmas in the Ascendancy was in total full bloom.

The arriving Ahb wouldn't find lack of attention for long.

---

Seto finally after some searching found Aleaic in Family Chambers, about bursting through the large doorway of whitewood and crystalsteel... "guess what king-boy, we got contact from... *stop* ...oh light shield the eyes."

Seto found Aleaic, bended backwards in a suprise kiss by Tsunami, under one big GOB of fresh hung mistletoe, weaved with silkglass ribbon in a tight bulb arrangement. Aleaic had 'just' started to give into the 'moment' when Seto burst in.

Al looked over but trying to break the kiss now would probably get him a headlock from Ahb Hell. seto just continued. "When you are finished... get a another room... ...the Ahb are coming, they probably will be here soon."

Al just thumbs up quick before he loses balance and the two almost ancient lovers SMACK to a hard landing, never breaking contact. Seto just rolls her eyes and about faces, leaving Al to his fate for the moment.

"Just be ready when they get here. Jeeze, two hundred and twenty-two years of this." ...and left in short order to make preparations.

Several hundred kilometers away from the conference The TAS excalbat swooped in from a heavenly bluish white jump point, its gleaming grayish metal being highlights, it’s glorious and ominous body floated out in to the dark vacuum of space, its engines pushing it away from the well lit cornucopia of colors that was third space in a stream of white and blue, as the ship floated ominously and gently away the point whooshed to a close in a crackling collapse. On the bridge of this titan of ships thins went smoothly…

“Why do I have to go? They always send me to deal with these types of folks any way but why is it always me” asked a tall middle aged man, with white pale skin, brown eyes and black hair, in a British accent “bloody hell” he mumbled to him self… he stood in front of the ship commander who was an older individual, salt pepper hair, blue and brown uniform and a clean shaven face. The commander responded in a semi frustrated tone a voice his lips curling up and opening in a some what of an odd gesture..

“Max… listens to me... You’re the best we got… at least in dealing with these sorts… so do your best…”

The diplomat sighed and adjusted his black suit and tie rather quickly he said in a relived voice “well at least I don’t have to deal with those annoyingly arrogant bladderdashry filled Scandavians, ill tell you that’s a bloody relief.” He chuckled to him self and turned away starting to walk towards the end of the hall with his briefcase in one hand and his other to his Side; he walked towards the teleportation chamber in quick long steps...

Message from the TAS Excalbat to GA station:
Our ship has arrived to deposit our diplomat, we shall be remaining in the area for security purposes, and we will also request information on your restrictions of security personnel we might be sending a heavily armed personal guard for our diplomat. Excalbat out… the comm. single cut it was professional and oriented.

Maxwell cubbage stood in the chamber looking out of it waiting for confirmation, he sighed and looked at his watch, it should be no more than a few seconds he thought to him self in a rather quick immersed thought, his mind wandered in to his past and his future looking forward to returning to Terran prime for a vacation with his family, and possibly more time with his sweetheart. The thoughts were ever vague by the reality of his situation, hard work and, smiley faces, he wasn’t much thrilled about either dealing with diplomats often posed an irritation for him because of arrogance and other discontinuity’s, it made him wonder why he chose his line of work in the first place… but his mind went over it again and again. Moseying through many different things he thought the entire of these ascended godlike races were nothing more than rubbish and at the mere mention of there name he could chuckle and think up lists of demeaning insults. While indeed he was the best man for the job his personal attitude was not the best for it, though he controlled it well some of his reports disturbed Fed gov officials. He even so much as thought chronosia should unleash his chaos marines upon the whole lot of them but His mind trailed off…. Again … like always… in a mist of thoughts..

:: ~ Message from the TAS Excalbat to GA station:
Our ship has arrived to deposit our diplomat, we shall be remaining in the area for security purposes, and we will also request information on your restrictions of security personnel we might be sending a heavily armed personal guard for our diplomat. Excalbat out… ~ ::

A simple message back...

:: ~ No restrictions, as long as good order is maintained. If any other nations cause to your personel, we'll take responsibility. With little problems, there will be 'very' little.

Please depart at the Dry Docks, then take a teleporter down to the Palace Tree at Minas Jurai`alheim. A proper greeter from the Council has been anticipating you. Very much so from grapevine..

Welcome to the Ascendancy and Sphere Alliance. ~ ::

By the time the TFU diplomats were ready to arrive, a small delegation was 'already' waiting for their arrival. One Arch-Angel, an Ascendanct High Lord and Lady Yurika taking the helm for this fortay.

The slight flash of light before dimensions were pulled apart allowing the Abh destroyer to enter into Ascendancy space, paled in comparison to what surrounded them. Indeed they had prosperred well since the last encounter and it was always good to see friends doing well no matter what the circumstances were. Much had changed over time and it was doubtful anyone here would recognize a new fleet from the Abh. Still it was time to stop floating in space and rekindle old flames.

A small shuttle departed from the lower reaches of the destroyer. It was amusing to see such a small vessel compared the monster behind it. The small shuttle glided silently towards the docks where the Emperor hoped someone would at least show him the way. If not, Debreusec was fairly confident in his exploring capabilities and he was soon to find out as the dock loomed before him.

Flames reached high into the sky cracking and popping above the bowed heads of thousands. All peoples of Mythrandir had turned out for this day, in mourning of the dead that had died at the Ulsar Fords or the innocent villagers that were hewn still in their beds or reaching for a weapon when the largest horde of orcs since many hundreds of years ago, came down out of the mountains. No one still knew why they had amassed after so many years of scattering but it was obvious that something dark had organized them into a frenzy that was only satisfied with the blood of Myths. Now the citizens from all over stood around funeral pyres whispering prayers, crying, or just staring in disbelief.

No one knew what happened to Alurial after the battle but rumors had informed Thrandur that she was meeting with other races and establishing ties with their people. It made no matter to him and it might be good for Mythrandir to have more friends in the world. What concerned him was the suspicious disappearance of Sebastian and the dark elf Shizra. Some said he was out on deep patrol but others were saying that he was out on some grand crusade fighting a darkness that threatened to engulf them all. Worried that fool had gone on some crusade, Thrandur checked the location of all ships and ground forces. Not to his surprise but to his own agitation, half of the Forge's navy was gone and ten thousand ground units had left on transports as well. That was not to say Mythrandir was left unprotected, but the dwarven Elder knew how rash humans were and worried for his sake. There was no telling what the fool had gotten himself into and he felt sorry for Sebastian's wife Sarah. No one had seen her in days.

A mighty hand eased down to the dwarf's shoulders and gently squeezed to arouse him from his thoughts. Looking up, Thrandur saw one of the barbarian warriors that patrolled Mythrandir. He wore only fur breaches and boots while the rest of his muscled glistened in the firelight. "What's it Hrothgar?"

"Our communication's station just received a message and they bade me to deliver it to you."

Thrandur sighed and took the scroll from Hrothgar's hands. Unrolling it, beady dwarven eyes read over the invitation to a conference. The dwarf had a suspicion that invents here might be related. If it would have been anything else, the message might have gone unnoticed but this seemed different. "I want a cruiser and two of mes finest kin. Bruenor and Pikel."

The barbarian nodded and his long legs carried him off through the crowds to find the two dwarves. Thrandur crumbled up the parchment and threw it in the nearby fire, watching it as the flames consumed it hungrily.

Sargent Smithers, "Lord Cas' Zrack we are more than happy to receive your hyperspace gateway. It may help us with other researches. We may have reached a critical stage in wormhole research. We have a strange device called a Quantum Tunneling Bell Ansible which operates on the physics of simultaneity and quantum tunneling to create practically instantaneous communications."

Commonal ~

The Avian Lord nodded to Smithers. "~ Sounds like hyperspace subspace signal medium. ~" ..he didn't bother correcting him on the proper name for the gate network. He did mention... "~ Understand that trying to use the network to reach the Confederacy territory you entered to reach here in MWCG would require too much power and stress from time lag.

We can offer to build a Dimensional Gate, but one we would have to administrate, or you can still reach our Confederacy territory to access our commerce-trade network, where nominal Gates exist.

The problem is exposure of, plainly put, mundane mortals to the Intracel realm at the very least could turn mercantiles into priests over the long term. Heaven 'is' Heaven after all. Sphere citizens already live chreished lives already, moral aspects of greed and such have a hard time finding place within our hearts. That's should give enough meaning of what using our Gates would be like, unless you 'wish' to follow such a life.

For us, technology 'and' spiritual concerns are nearly mutual in the vein of enhancement of Sphere citizens. However if you can get past that, then you'll not find many problems. That's all however why we offer Fold drives, instantaneous travel between any chosen points in the Alpha Universe, as a more 'conventional' format of travel. ~"

Just then, Lord Cas' Zrack gets a comm in his unseen right hearing lobe.

"~ Ah, Council wishes to meet the dignataries in person now. If you'll please follow me. We can save the gate tour for after. ~"

The large griffonade turns and begins leading his guests to a teleporter chamber, leading to the Conference Center below the gargantuan Holy Palace Tree.

--------------

Mythrandir ~

Comm-Orbs still standing by.........

--------------

Empire Ahb ~

Essentially the same message the TFU contingent got was sent to the Ahb, and it didn't take long for the Ahb Emperor to find a host waiting at the dock.

Almost as soon as he departs, Lady Ifurita and Lord Tenchi greet him with a reverent bow.

"It's been too long." Ifurita opened. The Gaians expected changes, so didn't fuss over details.

Debruesec bowed in return. "Indeed it has been far too long. I must say that it feels good being among your people again though I only wish we would meet at least once under better circumstances."

The old Abriel sighed and let his hands fall back to his sides. "But I've babbled on enough. Please, show me the way."

Lord Tenchi nodded to Lord Debruesec, Lady Ifurita taking up right of Tenchi, off mutual same from the Ahb Emperor. "The present are being gathered at the Conference Center, Lady Seto is expecting us and the TFU contingent there.

Our own war against the Dark Eternals have left us with growing pains and new problems we need honest assistance with. However to know of your problems is no added burden to us, if you wish to speak of them."

The group enter and take a teleporter unit down to the Capital, the gleaming crystal city as large as any major type on Motherworld Terra, with layers of canopies of forests and life within at the edge of the crystal blue Hikari Gulf, leading to the vast Crystal Ocean along the north. The cool air of the Climatized air gives a cool chill to breath for guest arrivals, as the atmsophere is slowly cooled over the entire planet for the next stage of Startica, First Snow, literally, the day the entire planet is dumped with six inches of snow, and the time of Christmas celebration begun once more.

At the moment, the sight of green hill sides, the gray-green of the mountains running dead off the southeast from Minas Jurai`alheim, and the vast, almost singular forest canopy of the cityscape dominate as if still late spring, at the moment, a rather cool one.

All the guests with host accompanyment get the same cool greeting on this bright day, lit by the two blue-white suns of Angellus I and II. All were also led through the Palace, to either teleporters of scenic touring hovercars, to the Conference Center where the Commonal had their displays properly setup and displayed for a far larger audiance, and where the Royals themselves would gather.

Sargent Smithers after a short barking laugh, "We do not wish direct access to your spheres, we wish to use these gates to make it easier to travel within our own realm. We understand your needs and wishes, we will gladly let you control access to your realms. Trade is our goal. We are more earthly types enjoying our gardens, and zero gravity sports. Maybe you will come and visit us one day, Lord Cas' zrack."

Thrandur left the dark sorrowy atmosphere behind as an Angellic Cruiser pulled away from the shipyard around the moon of Mythrandir. His thoughts were with every man, woman, and child that had lost someone dear to them in the four day long skirmish where elf, man, and dwarf fought alongside each other as brothers. A rare site a few hundred years ago.

Now he looked ahead and tried to forget about all the death that was behind him. Ahead, the white light was bright and beckoning the dwarf onward. Oddly this soothing beckoning light would throw him into a chaotic realm of the warp where the ride was bumpy but speedy.

"Elder, we are preparing to enter warp. Would you like to send a message to the Gaian Ascendancy?"

The dwarf scratched at his long beard and nodded. "Aye. Get me a signal up?"

"I'll send the message personally Elder. Just tell me what you want to say." The suggestion mostly came from the idea that not everyone might understand the heavy slang of the dwarven tongue.

To the Ascendancy, we send warm greetings and tidings that we wish to speak with you. We are always seeking friends in a universe that is still large and vast to us and we are also searching for someone that you may help us locate. The dwarven Elder, Thrandur, will be arriving shortly in a small Angellic Cruiser. We look forward to meeting you for the first time.

:: ~ To the Ascendancy, we send warm greetings and tidings that we wish to speak with you. We are always seeking friends in a universe that is still large and vast to us and we are also searching for someone that you may help us locate. The dwarven Elder, Thrandur, will be arriving shortly in a small Angellic Cruiser. We look forward to meeting you for the first time. ~ ::

The Comm-Orbs didn't dissapoint, unlike the Tir fiasco. The recieved signal was essentially gobbled up upon and sent via the Hikari Net, finding it's way a few hours later.

A simple return, whether it made it to ears in time, another while later.

:: ~ We hope we can indeed help, we await your arrival. Advance welcome to Sphere Alliance and Guardianship space upon arrival. ~ ::

Additional data on vector coordinates and IFF recognition codes for Republic StarFleet Command to acquire were sent, as well as where to dock was sent. After that was the wait for arrival.

Meanwhile the Sphere was well busy with Conference matters...

---

Lord Cas' Zrack smiled simply as they soon arrived... "~ I'll make a note in my travel plans in the near future then. ~"

Being in the one hundred and seventy-four year old Center was to be in a place where literally millions of trade agreements had been sired, as well as the previous events of the last four Trade Conferences. The first time many of the old nations stepped through here saw floors, wall and columns that hadn't changed very much.

Large holoscreens floated over parts of the multi-tiered display active trading exchanges on several official worlds that were high centers of the financial and commercial, a few almost like the whole of a planet was nothing but. It still all showed only a fraction of the potential economy wise, as many other worlds were in 'downtime', resources not as hotly debated over in thier quiet hours.

Presenters, Techs, Aides and more of the Sphere were quite busy here, the Conference also a chance for many Confederacy Alliance members to renew and find new sources of tradable sources.

Somewhere the Gaian leaders were gathering as well, some with arriving dignataries, others either waiting patiently, or meeting for quick information about internal Sphere economic activity.

It was a very busy place.

Another Deep Void message 'bump'......

The message from the bridge was short and sweet, “Mr cubbage get ready for teleportation”

Max thought to him self ~oh how delightful …~ in a sarcastic way he braced him self sighing as his black suited body stood on the platform lit by lights, suddenly a bright flash of light engulfed him, his black suit and white under shirt and body all disappearing suddenly in to the emptiness of another dimension. The spot was left empty suddenly like the tall British chap suddenly vanished and shimmered in to nothingness.

Suddenly he appeared in a flash and a crackle of inter-dimensional energy in front of his hosts, he looked around his hair some what ruffled as he shimmered in to existence, he had never gone on a teleportation device before, it was some thing new to him.

“Bloody hell!” he yelped before realizing he was were he was supposed to be, he laughed a little bit and smiled at his hosts as realized what he said, he stared to adjust his hair and suit once more trying to look professional.

“Uhemns” he cleared his mouth he started to speak in a rather professional tone his voice coming through loud and clear.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you my name is Maxwell cubbage from The Terran alliance” he said in this tone slightly looking around at his surroundings his blue eyes focusing and panning slightly as his pale skin absorbed what ever light was in there, his suit was well adjusted now having looked wrinkled and nearly tattered by the teleportation. Maxwell noted in his head never to ware a Servannan custom tailored suit in to a transporter, he also noted to use shuttles when ever possible or safe. He stood stall and put on his trade mark smile, while rather professional looking he chuckled in his head at the notion of such beings, and again ran through his odd thoughts while waiting for a reply.

(ooc: this is the ship i have in the area: http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d110/USFU/Tornadoclassdestoryer.jpg)

The format of teleportation Maxwell used even makes Yurika's hair frazzle a little. Her accompanyment just chuckles a bit at this.

"Pleasure to meet you as well, welcome." Yurika says, trying to shake her hair out of it's frazzled state. "Does that teleporter cause this effect every time?" ...he says, fussing with her har.

Sargent Smithers took some time with his assistant Marcus Ohyes to wander through the tradehalls of the Gaian Ascendancy. Everyone seemed to be fit and healthy.

They wandered past various booths with different woods being sold. There were fine redwood panels being sold. A very nice commodity.

Also they found an incredible variety of crystals, in clears, yellows, blues, and reds. These would make very nice jewelry for the people at home. Among the crystals they found something called spider glass, a truly strange substance, they didn't know what to make of it.

One industry struck them particularly, the Beta- Tau Mapping Company, maybe they could improve their exploration capabilities with superior planetary and solar system mapping capability. It would certainly improve their probes to have better mapping equipment. Something called an AS- GPS VI was particularly interesting.

The electronics of the Nergal Heavy Industries were also interesting. They had a spherical communicator, something which Sargent hadn't seen before.

This would prove to be a very profitable venture indeed. He made various notes in his datapad taking in what would be good for trade.

IC: This comes from reading your web page on the Gaian Ascendancy
http://www.freewebs.com/gaianknight/index.htm

((OC- Suprise suprise... =oo= I need to do serious work on that Economic Sector page. Some of the stuff is out of date a bit in places on the site, since I'm lazy. =^^= ))

---

One aspect that was noted over and over by the trading partners, was the VAST new supercluster territories, two-thirds of the new Sphere Guardianship was bliterhing ripe for oppritunities and challenges.

It was also a serious humanitarian concern, the guests got wind of the true nature of the Fourth Great Expansion, as the Sphere was now responsible for trillions of destitute souls on uncountable worlds. Already the Sphere might was taxed in delivering supplies to give the new citizens a proper foothold. The vast conventional Touman was anchored in many worlds, the Kushan droid fleets that returned from the other SC theaters after the Eternal defeat of the DE, were redeployed to the new territories as well, beginning the long process of defending the new acquisitions.

It was however not all a matter of the Sphere draining itself dry, what with both the Angelics homebase, and the resources barely untapped in the new SCs themselves helping give options to deliver to the growing Replication Facilities on literaly each world.

What was needed, was outside help in form of available surplus aid to specific areas of the SCs that were not getting as much immediate Sphere aid as desired by the Council. The word that many millions were actually rationing at the bottom of the barrel made several of the Council rife. Even Belldandy was in peoples faces about this.

Despite the reservation about this, Aleaic's call for the new TC was essentially about finding willing allies to help in the short term, avert a serious concern by the Council. The king was prepared to allow trade of 'very' powerful technologies, to get the short term aid needed. That was the scuttle butt being overheard mostly around the Center.

The message very nearly went unnoticed, as it came only days after the Battle of Konoha...the battle to repel an invasion of CoreWorlds' secondary capital, only weeks after their primary capital had been taken.

It could be said that Evil Woody Thoughts had had its own problems...seven months ago, a coup by the Sith Lord Darth Ebolus had resulted in the death of roughly a third of the population...of which many, about a hundred million, lay under twenty or more meters of volcanic ash on the very same spot where the Gaians had first arrived in Evil Woody Thoughts a little more than thirty years ago. Worse, that little disaster was a direct result of said civil war...geology as a weapon is serious business.

During this time, the Gaians had been busy with dealing with wars in other dimensions, leaving the resistance in Evil Woody Thoughts to find new allies...allies that had since resulted in mutual defense pacts with CoreWorlds and Godular, and establishment of friendly relations with New Dornalia.

A familiar face to the Gaians had been left to restore democratic government in the aftermath of the war...literally, in the complete absence of anything resembling a census for voter registration, the new Prime Minister-by-default taught, in a matter of weeks, one hundred people who had just walked off the street in shock, numbed by the war, how to run a legislature.

Jedi Master Jacob Whitfield looked up at the Konoha sky, thinking of the battle that had raged overhead just a few days ago. It was a battle in which the nation's highest military honor had been awarded for the first time in national history--leaving him to strike the medal himself as no one had done so before and no procedure for it ever existed. For whatever reason, he started thinking of Bloodnames.

Kerensky...

He looked down again at the piece of paper in his hand...the resolution passed, by consensus vote without a single recorded abstention (that never happened!), awarding Admiral Riordan the nation's first Legion of Honor.

The Woodians' first Bloodname? Riordan? I know there's a DNA sample of him...

Such thoughts caused him to think of the Gaians...

...In four days, Admiral Riordan's next of kin would be formally presented with the Legion of Honor...which Whitfield had struck personally. In four days, his lifetime codex would be read publicly to the entire nation on live Holonet...and any further nation that carried so much as a Woodian news channel.

He would talk to his adjutant about Bloodnames. In the meantime, he had an invitation to send. He would find the message that the Gaian Ascendancy had sent him in due time.

OOC: You're back:D

I might not be able to post for a few more days. Consider this a tag. (And also a hint of background as to what I've been up to.)

((OC- Been back for awhile now. Just updated some more stuff on the home site, the history page of note. =^^= ))

---

..In four days, Admiral Riordan's next of kin would be formally presented with the Legion of Honor...which Whitfield had struck personally. In four days, his lifetime codex would be read publicly to the entire nation on live Holonet...and any further nation that carried so much as a Woodian news channel.

And as usual, the vaunted Comm-Orb network picked up and fed signals for even Sphere wide consumption. To say the number of channels of vidscreen signals was replete in the Sphere Alliance, sufficit to say meant to need an actually droid controller for a vidscreen entertainment node. If you couldn't find anything on in this kind of entertainment network, it just meant you went to another planet or city for other entertainment instead.

The guests that visited the Conference even got hints of this, as the SA-GANN (Sphere Alliance-Gaian Ascendancy News Network) made display setups available, though it also attracted Confederacy types that were still looking for certain aspects to show to new viewers. With the new SCs, that would only expand even further.

EWTs signals were well entrenched within, if they ever wondered.

The unfortunate truth of it all however, was that the Sphere was forced to look upon larger matters first. The entire Conference was trying to reestablish all old ties with such old allies, or just known nations. Help had to start at some level.

The Comm-Orbs didn't dissapoint, unlike the Tir fiasco. The recieved signal was essentially gobbled up upon and sent via the Hikari Net, finding it's way a few hours later.

A simple return, whether it made it to ears in time, another while later.



Additional data on vector coordinates and IFF recognition codes for Republic StarFleet Command to acquire were sent, as well as where to dock was sent. After that was the wait for arrival.

Meanwhile the Sphere was well busy with Conference matters...

"Elder, our message has been received and they have replied back with coordinants and an offer of help."

Thrandur had been mulling in his chair while they awaited their transmission to be acknoweldged. Now the sudden reception shook him from his slumber. "It's 'bout durn time. How long until we can get dere?"

The young officer began working over his glass counsel. Runes were flying across the screens and a few looked like key menu items that allowed him to access the ship's computer for assistance in computing. Only a few brief moments passed until the projected time elapse was brought up. "Well with the coordinants we have, it should only take a few minutes of travel in the warp until we reach our exit point."

A heavy fist slammed down on an armrest. "Well den wat are yous waitin' far? Light de fires at max."

"Right away Elder."

Travel through the warp was effecient allowing to follow the proper energy tunnels that arced throughout space. Minutes passed until a small distortion appeared. A small light turning into a funnel of white energy where a large tentacle threw out a small Myth cruiser. The showiness of it all ended as soon as it began bringing the small vessel to a screeching hault.

"Well if they didn't know we were coming, they do now."

"Aye. Make sure we got permission before docking somewhere."

Myth Angellic Cruiser requesting to dock in Guardianship space with the Sphere Alliance.

Travel through the warp while efficient, gave a unique signature to Sphere sensors, and such gave time to warn, to divert a small amount of traffic away from the approaching Myth cruiser. It's arrival made for a good fit for the environment it arrived upon.

Off the starboard, a single, gigantic Angelic Deadnought passed by before Folding off to a patrol route. Soon after the Myth message was recieved...

:: ~ Welcome to Core Republic Space. Please dock at the guest spacedocks the other guests are using. The Conference is about to begin, so depart and your escort will meet you planet side after taking a teleporter nearby your landing zone.

Again welcome. ~ ::

From their position, near the gleaming rings of the Capital World, flared by Angelius II lain at their ring edge, the ship would rise to higher orbit angle, where the night terminator was slowly engulfing the Diamond Continent, in their approach to the specified docks.

A sight truly wonderous for the crew aboard the cruiser. Such things were beyond them and their limited experiences with other nations of the universe. Being only limited to their one system at the time being, everything here seemed far grander and more magnificant. The crew could spend hours just soaking in the scene from the holographic displays overhead and the windows on the sides but they were here to do a job and Thrandur wasn't about to let them forget it.

"A'ight ye lazy scoundrals. 'nough gawkin. Now take me ta port."

Shaken from their awe inspired view, the crew snapped back into action and brough the cruiser into a proper approach vector where it would be able to dock. Thrusters threw out air to ease their approach and landing until it came to a hault with a metalic clang. A pressurized door released the air it was holding back and slid open equalizing the pressure within. The door was a little over six feet high and in the doorway stood a figure that was barely half that height. Thrandur stood there with a massive warhammer resting across his shoulders. His hard boots looked old and weathered from constant use and exposure. Simple earthen clothing adorned the rest of his body with a beige button down shirt and brown breaches to cover thick legs. The only item on him that really stood out was a huge golden belt buckle that kept his round stomach in check while his long brown beard was tucked behind the belt. Once he stepped out from the ship, he noticed his escort and bowed curteously. "I am Thrandur, one of de three Elders of Mythrandir. Thank ye fer yer hospitality."

"Our own war against the Dark Eternals have left us with growing pains and new problems we need honest assistance with. However to know of your problems is no added burden to us, if you wish to speak of them."

The Emperor waved his hand dismissively. "There is no need to concern yourselves with our problems. We know your policy about interfering with other matters of the universe. We'll survive. We always have. I suppose the question will be the state of that survival."

He looked around as they entered one of the main chambers. Not much had changed since he been with the Gaians. Some of the Hikari Trees had the same features of these rolling green hills. Or was it the Hikari Trees? A slight shrug, it didn't matter much. It was the same principal behind all the art paintings aboard an Abh war vessel. The only difference was that those ships were dominantly used for war purposes and could spare the addition of such things. "It's nice to see some things haven't changed around here though I believe this is the first time I've set foot on one of your worlds."

After reviewing the situation, Marcus Ohyes came up with an interesting proposal.

Message sent via datapad to Lord Cas' zrack to be reviewed at his leisure:

In the Paradise System we have a forward scout base. It is not huge by any standards. It has the standard complement of scout ships and exploratory probes.

It also has a complement of planetary assay and science vessels with advanced scanning technology-- neutron, motion, gammaray, gravimetric, xray, graviphotonic, radiographic, video, etc. designed to identify resources within a system both biological and material. The ships also have planetary atmospheric probes, as well as drop droids designed for collecting biological and physical specimens.

We are willing to loan a number of these ships to help assay your resources in the new systems. We ask that we be allowed to collect specimens of seeds, biologicals, and undertake scientific exploration in your systems as part of the assay work. 1260 worlds represents a potential biological treasure trove for our scientists.

Regards,

Marcus Ohyes
Assistant Special Services
Commonalitarianism Trade Delegation

((OC- Back from Xmas shopping... ))

=====

The proposal from Marcus gave the Avian Lord pause. "~ You should understand the Sphere is quite larger than just those Core Republic worlds you mentioned. The Confederacy worlds comprise millions upon billions more, with untapped potentials made of the very stars. Vast areas of the new regions we acquired in the Fourth Expansion is beyond untapped, so your proposal would be most welcome, even to create additional resource oppritunities.

The problem would be getting to them. We don't have JumpGates there yet. ~"

-----

Lord Tenchi just replied to Lord Debruesec.. "If I know anything after two hundred years of listening to Lady Seto banter on, it's to note when one has a tone wanting help, despite saying other wise.

His Majesty wanted these festivities, to offer just that, despite initial worries." Ifurita laughs at this last bit. "You'll have to forgive us, we've been a touch worried about his majesty." Ifurita fingers his chin. "Seems like he's lost a bit of the original alure we all followed originally. We've been trying to figure what it is."

Tenchi shrugs. "Don't worry, we don't fully understand it either. Hope being on our world won't cause you discomfort."

Not long after, the group arrives at the Trade Center.

----

A Steel Angel type bioroid met Lord Thrandur, the light-blue haired maiden, with arms glowing of blue 'tattoos' that were sensory emitters, sorta like a thin schematic of circles was etched onto her. "Greetings, Hanusu tis my name, if you'll follow me to the Conference. If you need any special needs, we'll try to accomidate within a proper timeframe."

----

Finally arriving, the Excellency party observed the proceedings from a seperate overlook.

"Looks pretty healthy." Lady Jennifer commented. Aleaic nodded. "A good sign."

An aide came up, as Aleaic noted. "Most of the participants will be arriving shortly." ..and was thanked by the emperor-king, Lady Arashi commented. "I hope our proposal won't send them all away in a huff."

Tsunami giggles.. "Only if Beloved doesn't lay it on thick."

Al just leans over on Tsui and pecks her on the cheek. "I can for you if you want."

He just gets a bonk on the head. "Don't be cheeky."

"Lord Cas' Zrack, the tree which you saw stored in the box was stored in something called a Bose Einstein Condensate. This stores living materials at absolute zero. Before the living tissue is placed in the condensate, the body of the animal or plant is treated with a drug called hiberzine which slows down the physical body to a state of suspended animation. Further for long trips the bodies can be suspended in an acceleration padded tube that can be designed for very high g force acceleration. This technology is used in our scout ships for long duration space flight measuring in years. This allowed us to open the several systems in our sphere without the use of gate technology. An advanced AI runs the ship while in transit and awakes the passenger at the destination." He demonstrates drawing out another plant spraying a small cactus with wakeup juice.

"When we first expanded into the asteroid fields and oort clouds in the Sol system, we used ecotechnic systems, almost completely closed ecologies designed to allow long term sustained living in space, this has freed us from the bonds of gravity, and further allowed us to expand more freely in space. Systems without living planets, which still have resources are fully available to us."

"Our early ships could go at approximately 20c using the Burkhard Heim Drive Fields, with the newer technology, the ability to use a combined fusion and subspace energy absorption generator, and advances improvements in protective energy fields-- graviphotonic repulsor shielding, the ships have increased their speed to 30c, creating a sphere of influence 60 light years across."

"We have just built our first wormhole device, it is a wormhole train linking the Sol and Paradise System. The cost of building a wormhole train is prohibitive except for primary systems. We have approximately three systems in our sphere, Sol, Paradise, Muse, and several smaller outposts."

Secret, IC: There are also two systems which are not mentioned being secret, Negev 2, and Preservation Station.

Lord Tenchi just replied to Lord Debruesec.. "If I know anything after two hundred years of listening to Lady Seto banter on, it's to note when one has a tone wanting help, despite saying other wise.

His Majesty wanted these festivities, to offer just that, despite initial worries." Ifurita laughs at this last bit. "You'll have to forgive us, we've been a touch worried about his majesty." Ifurita fingers his chin. "Seems like he's lost a bit of the original alure we all followed originally. We've been trying to figure what it is."

Tenchi shrugs. "Don't worry, we don't fully understand it either. Hope being on our world won't cause you discomfort."

Not long after, the group arrives at the Trade Center.

"Perhaps there are ways to help as we are always looking for some new edge whenever heading into an engagement even though our research and development teams are working overtime on a twinky little thing. At the moment, it is just nice to have a small reprieve from life in the palace."

A Steel Angel type bioroid met Lord Thrandur, the light-blue haired maiden, with arms glowing of blue 'tattoos' that were sensory emitters, sorta like a thin schematic of circles was etched onto her. "Greetings, Hanusu tis my name, if you'll follow me to the Conference. If you need any special needs, we'll try to accomidate within a proper timeframe."

The thick dwarf looked up at the droid with dark beady eyes. He scratched the edges of his beard while looking it up and down. An odd looking contraption if he ever saw anything. Shouldering his warhammer, he nodded his accord. "Aye girl. I need no special care, only to meet de head o' dis 'ere operation. Lead on."

Lord Cas' Zrack continues to be interested. "~ The condensate could give us a new option for recovering bodies after death in battle. If I may infer, with a touch of adjustment, a dead mind can be held in frozen state, to reach a proper Gen-Refab HospitalShip that can recover mindwave regeneration.

Our largest problem in ressurection is retaining as much original memory as possible. retraining or simple 'reformatting' of the mind takes weeks at worst. To cut that down would overall reduce downtime of citizens and warriors in our battles. Again if you allow me to infer. ~"

The Avian Lord finally brings the Commonal to the same place.....

-----

...that Thrandur is brought to in expected short order. "As you requested. They will arrive in a few moments. Is there a refreshment I can bring or any kind you desire?" ...Lady Hanusu offered.

It was in this same area that Lord Debruesec arrives, Lord Tenchi and Lady Ifurita recieving greetings from various Sphere citizens, more than a few towards the Ahb Emperor.

Just then Lady Peorth, off Thrandur's left some fifteen meters away, approaches and bows before Debruesec. "Greetings..." ..and looks to Tenchi... "Ten minutes. The next report from the Theaters is here so there's a slight delay."

Ifurita nods. "The war comes first..."

Tenchi injects.. "What only two years can do..."

Debreusec curtly bows to the others and smiles politely in his greetings. "Oh don't worry that you might be keeping us waiting. I completely understand the matters of war and how important they are. Just a seat to recline in would all that I need until they arrive."

Thrandur let out a whistle as he entered the room. "Nah lass, I had me a mug o' ale on de way in. Thank ye kindly though."

Lady Hanasu however made a order for a large mead of Oporian Ale, a rather dark thick brew noted for it's spicyness, ready to be brought if wanted for the burly Lord of Myth.

Lord Tenchi led Lord Debreusec to an area, where a large comfy seat is actually replicated out from the floor from a mass of focused energy. Ladies Peorth and Ifurita meanwhile discuss the latest word from the front.

"The 5,829th Host led by the 5071st Republic Hussars Army is pushing into galaxies GNCL-632 to 8911, Ascendant Command Base 89,337th Fleet in the fore."

"So Phase Three is got the quick nod." Lord Tenchi commented. "Aye, Azusa suggested that we should go back on the offensive after the recovery passed thr 87% mark." Ifurita offered back.

Lord Tenchi noted, then offered explanation to the Ahb lord, and anyone else listening nearby. "That means over thirty million troops and ten million warships are pushing on the bulk of the Capricornus Wall at some large DE concentrations there. The next year and a half going to be busy there."

Just then the Excellency himself arrives, more than a few passersby stopping in their tracks as the Family arrives, as Lord Aleaic nods to several, but makes a beeline to Lord Debreusec, a rather broad smile on his face.

A jagged ear perked up at the mention of the expanding war. The numbers Thrandur heard put their measly Forge navy to shame with only its one thousand capital ships and ten thousand goblin fighters.

Normally a story like this would have him reaching for a mug of ale and something to eat but these matters concerned a hopeless fool that always seemed to get into trouble. He only hoped that perhaps some mention would come up so as to give clues if whether or not he was still alive. If nothing else, at least the dark elf was with him.

Debreusec found the energy cushion surprisingly comfortable and eased down into it. He only had a minute to sit down Aleaic finally arrived in the room. The Abriel saw the smile sooner than his face. Smiling himself and rising out of the couch, Debreusec extends his hand for a shake.

"It's been far too long old friend. You don't ever write or call or anything. How are we supposed to know what you are up to if you never keep in contact?" He finishes his accusations with a small laugh and smile.

Aleaic joked.. "Well the mail is rather slow ya know. All those silly light years and all." ..Aleaic turned and gave the 'exact' same smile to Lord Thrandur, as if he was just as old a friend. "Welcome milord to the Sphere." ..he extended his hand to the dwarven lord. "I read the reports from my friend Lord Akito's reports of your fleet helping our old ally the Eternals.

This I am grateful for."

Debreusec smiled with the joke. "So much for the postal services slogan. 'Neither meteor shower, sunsport, or galactic war will stop the mail.' I suppose I'll have to execute the postmaster general."

What little expanding his narrow eyes could, Thrandur's dark hazle eyes went wide with the report. It was the first anyone had heard of the missing Elder. He returned the handshake dazed but still with a grip as strong as the mountains from where the dwarves come from.

"Ye... ye've heard of our fleet? How are dey? Is e'eryone safe? Where dey be?" It was a rare showing of worry from the old dwarf but Sebastian had been missing for over a week now and the only person that would likely know where he went was his wife, Sarah who had taken to locking her self in a private room.

Lady Tsunami quipped to Lord Debreusec in kind. "Eh, or just repair the droids in our case."

Aleaic gave Thrandur a few blinks, and honestly informed. "Um, actually we dont. We were informed of your fleet's presence just before the Eternals... how to say, counterattacked with that flash of light. Lord Akito departed soon after to redeploy with the massive reduction in Dark Eternal forces that occured after the Eternals... again to say.. counterattacked."

Aleaic quickly put in however.. "We can send a force to ascertain where they ended up, if you have any idea of their last known whereabouts, if they had left the Eternal Home System."

Lady Jennifer meanwhile asked Lord Tenchi. "What's the last word from the Senatoria about the Confederacy Fleet proposal?"

"Funds are slated, they're more impatient with finding Senatoria BloodHouse names to add to the Senatoria, as well as structuring arguments for the Representia representitives. The usual fracus."

Ifurtia jokes.. "Isn't expansionisim just glorious?"

"So are the headaches." Lady Arashi quips.

Thrandur shook his head and sighed. "De durn fool slipped away during the chaos that took o'er our planet fer a time. A slight orc infestation problem dat caught us unawares. Whilst wes drove them back over mountains, he slipped out with de dark elf and departed with about a dird of our fleet and half of de ground forces. No one saw him leave or heard anything about it 'cept his wife who refuses te talk te anyone. Best I can figure is he'd be lookin' for who ever drew him out dere. Possibly lookin' fer dem allies of yers."

Aleaic folded his arms as he listened to Lord Thrandur. As mentioned, the last report we had was they one of two allies that helped the Eternals before our arrival.

If you wish, we can send a small fleet to the Eternal System to ascertain where they went. It would be no problem to help a potential ally."

Before Thrandur could answer, Lady Tsunami anticipating her husband's offer (and anticipating really means such between them..) for a fleet commander's presence within a few moments.

Lady Arashi meanwhile asks of Lord Debreusec... "Sounds like you are having some problems of your own. Can we know of what detail such may be? We really don't mind." ..she put in that last, knowing you needed to prod an Ahb to get them to talk of problems more openly.

The Abriel sat back down on the energy sofa and bade the Lady to sit as well. "In a nutshell, we are vastly outnumbered. Somehow, the Extra-Solar Union blames the Galactic Federation for a terrorist attack and has declared war. We have tried diplomacy but unfortunatly there are members within their alliance controlled by genocidal AI's as well as dictatorships that are not willing to work problems out preferring any excuse to march to war. Thus far we have managed to remove several nations from the war effort which comes as no small feat. A successful invasion of Azaha as well as destroying Manifest within the Maker-Mind. However with such good news comes the bad. We have lost several ships to these endeavours but they have already been replaced. What cannot be replaced are the lives lost in every battle we have fought. The Socialist Republic of Xanthal was taken out of the war by an invasion. Our allies managed to drive the invaders away but not before incurring massive losses. The Zetans have fallen to the Imperial Chronosians."

Debreusec takes a moment to relax and gather his breath before going on. "Perhaps our greates loss is the disappointing out turn of allies. Many that claimed allegiance to the Federation have not appeared in a single battle-field. Not to mention we were betrayed from within by Godular as they sent any valuable information they had collected to the ESUS. Yet hope remains as we our territory has not experienced any attacks thus far which keeps moral extremely high. Many people back home are viewing the Star Forces as nigh invincible to be doing so well against the vast numbers. However, we all know that this is not the case. So we are taking measures to give our military any edge it possibly can in battle and we have practically closed off the Empire to all forms of travel except through our plane space gates and the traffic lanes we have setup. That at the moment will buy us time to plan our attacks more carefully. Soon we'll be ready for another strike. We have many targets to choose from and no lack of will to fight." He finishes the last statement with a slight smile. Ever the pride of the Abh present.

While waiting for Lord Thrandur to respond, he heard the tale the Ahb Emperor regailed, he exchanged a look with Lady Arashi. Lady Ifurita offered at the very least. "This may be forward of us, but we, if I remember correctly, still hold our own alliance of mutual protection."

Aleaic stepped in. "Which means we are just as much a blame for not being there to help."

"That can be rectified in one way at least, 'if' you are willing to take our counsel, depending on how loyal to your current allies you wish to remain." Lady Arashi gave a double edged suggestion.

"If you can locate your dead, we are willing to devote Gen-refab equipped vessels to recover them. We can also provide a few of our dock-yards for additional vessel refurbishment. I doubt you will wish for our droid fabrication Motherships and such assets, and we offer so in as long as defensive measures are taken with them. We cannot abide of offensive uses of them, though we cannot of obvious create counsel for your governance for you.

Tis a shame you cannot live in the way we do, since so much of the rest of the universe so openly available, what with the aftereffects of the Counterattack War."

Aleaic make a hard enough cough to indicate that was saying too much. Arashi just looked dead glum at her husband. "Well?"

"That is too far. The Milky Way is their home, far more of their part than even our own anymore. And we are not to pursue to the effect of entering another war in the MWCG for any reason, save defensive aid.

It would be improper to bring our forces into affairs not of our making. Counsel to peace can only come when we are formally asked. Both sides need to hear before even our word is listened to."

"We are not that much of phantom and fantasy however." Jennifer quickly points out.

Debreusec waved a dismissive hand. "I understand that your concept of time is different from our own and that much has changed in the universe abroad. But it is also true that this galaxy is our home now. At one time many centuries ago, half of this galaxy lay claim to the original Abh Empire. Now we work to restore the peace and prosperity that once reigned here.

In the meantime I will not ask you to go on the offensive for us. I remember well your rules but any defensive measures you can help us with would be greatly appreciated. Not to mention it would give us more resources to use abroad. There still remain retired droid factories on some of our worlds that perhaps some of your technicians could breathe new life into them. Plus I imagine they could use some massive updates. As far as our dead, the only casualties we have taken thus far are all in the Mirfak system. Reviving our fallen comrades will greatly dishearten our enemies." He finished the last line with a smile. It was not too long ago when the Gaians had also revived his long dead wife. Captain Lexshue of the Gosroth.

Aleaic then offered. "I'll have a small medical fleet and several Tech-Units with protection sent to these worlds for your needs. We'll also open a Gate at the Confederacy border with your empire to allow for additional support needs.

If you wish, several mobile dock-yards can be emplaced in orbit around your important strategic areas." ...he kept offering like some deep space santa clause or something. =^^=

There was not much the dwarf could debate with. He could only go on a leap of faith and place his trust and hopes within the foreigners. "Please, senda fleet te find me friend. Ye'll have the gratitude of me and me people of Mythrandir. We've been without werd fer so long."

Aleaic turned back, ever the mutlitasker, and replied to Lord Thrandur. "At once. We would ask that you send a representative to positively identify said fleet, or at least help identify a trail they may have left behind."

Lady Ifurita offered... "If you can give us coordinates to have our fleet meet your representative/fleet/ect.., then we can proceed."

"Aye, I'd be more than happy te give any assistance I can. I'll contact me ship and have Lady Murasaki identify the durn fool and his followers. As fer coordinants, I'm not sure how ye measure the galaxy w'ere yer from..."

Thrandur pulls out a black orb from a pouch at his side. Mineral viens course throughout its surface while light pulses from within. With a wave of his hand, a layout of a spiraling galaxy forms in the air. One particular spiral was sectioned off from the rest until it was brought down to one star isolated from the rest. It looked relatively far from any other systems and largely unimportant. "Dis be the home of all Myths. Dird planet from de sun is Mythrandir. Dat is w'ere ye can meet our diplomatic ambassador."

Aleaic then offered. "I'll have a small medical fleet and several Tech-Units with protection sent to these worlds for your needs. We'll also open a Gate at the Confederacy border with your empire to allow for additional support needs.

If you wish, several mobile dock-yards can be emplaced in orbit around your important strategic areas." ...he kept offering like some deep space santa clause or something. =^^=

The Abriel's face brightened up slightly. "This would be most helpful and greatly appreciated by everyone within the Empire. Free that up for us and we will take on the Dark Eternals in any dimension you so desire."

Of Lord Thrandur's part, a moment after he offers the strange orb with the apparent coordinates to the Mythrandir Homeworld, a teleport pad in a chamber nearby brings the appointed Fleet Admiral, as an 11.3 meter tall griffon Avian Lord arrives, looming over the gathered Gaians and guests.

"~ You called Milords? ~"

Aleaic guestured to Lord Thrandur. "Lord Thrandur, my close friend and high commander of the A-SSD Excellency Fleet Command, Lord Ackronus. My friend will take charge of the operation for however long it lasts.

Since he has knowledge of the Eternal's Home System in replete detail, he'll take charge in case the Eternals themselves make presence of themselves."

The Avian Lord bows his large head towards the dwarven lord. "~ Then by your command. ~" ..he then notes the black orb. "~ Interesting, a holo-orb. ~" ...and then is told by the others the purpose.

Aleaic gives precedent to Lord Debreusec a bit after.. "Mind holding that off until Phase Four next year? Our major concern at the moment is to stabilize the population situation in our new acquisitions."

Tenchi comments.. "Are we still going ahead also with the reterraforming of certain worlds still with resources, or wholesale reconstruction in Foundries?"

Lady Tsunami.. "Both, plus the plan to create several brand new Star Systems around certain vacant stars by emplacing fresh worlds, and giving other places for relocations to take place, at least temporarily."

Aleaic puts his hands in side pockets in his robes. "The fun part will be the ethical reenvironmentalling and refurbishment of many worlds where populations wish for 'the old ways' their worlds used to look, to reestablish home morale along side the refurbish of resources.

Sorta like remaking the Sistine Chapel, while the entire building is rebuilt, but not really touching the artwork, other than restoration. The excedirin capsule factory will be working overtime with all that."

Aleaic returns the focus of the discussion at hand. "The worry at the moment isn't actually us. We're winning the war, if very slowly. Our universe is much larger to deal with than yours to be honest now my friend." ..he gives a smile to the Abriel Lord and Master.

The format of teleportation Maxwell used even makes Yurika's hair frazzle a little. Her accompanyment just chuckles a bit at this.

"Pleasure to meet you as well, welcome." Yurika says, trying to shake her hair out of it's frazzled state. "Does that teleporter cause this effect every time?" ...he says, fussing with her har.

Max looked at her with a rather diplomatic but relaxed look, his hair was smooth and slightly grey and his suit was now well fixed. he responded in a friendly quite tone his lips curling up and opening quickly.
"Well, I wouldn't know from now on I'm staying away from those bloody contraptions, this is a rather nice area you have hear if I might add"

max smiled ready to move on already his mind pondered and tried to figure out the person in front of him, he chuckled in his head as he though of weird events that lead him here. his body shimmered slightly in the light, he held a briefcase in his hand , it looked heavy duty and was metal, the chrome steel like construction of it gleamed in the light of the area, it had a TA flag on the side of it.

His shoes were polished and rather shinney in the light as well, max looked presentable, despite the issue with the transporter.

Thrandur looked up at the tall griffon. "Aye Lady Murasaki will be de one te identify de lost fleet from Mythrandir."

A slight pressure of his hand changes the images from stars to strange tunnels of white light as they snake all over the universe. "Dese be de tunnels within de warp dat our ships travel thru te get te other stars. We believe he used one of dese three."

All other tunnels are eliminated, leaving only the three tunnels that Thrandur was speaking of. He looks up questioningly. "Do ye think ye can find him?"

Dubreusec smiles. "Well I imagine I can keep the Empire busy for a year. There's always someone to invade, worlds to pillage, petty armies to squash. You know where to find the Abh should you need help or desire to speed up the war."

Ackronus leveled his feathered melon at the change in display. "~ So many civilizations using the energy intensive war tunnel method. I can imagine the amounts of energy needed to form such things, worse over the distance indicated.

However, with only three to survey. it will not take long, as long as we also have the particle engine emissons your vessels emit. A tailpipe trail as a colleage mentioned to me once. ~"

"Skuld I bet." Lady Jennifer commented next to the Avian Lord.

The Ascendant chuckle-chrip/whistles through his silvery beak, then offers.. "~ I would suggest the elements of the 16th High-Mobile Fleet, with 3,572nd Kushan Droid-Mothership Fleet in support. Both are finishing refit after the ONL-9275 Galaxy filaments campaign, so are nearly ready for redeployment. ~"

Lady Jennifer just gives a 'V' sign as an okay.

----

Lady Yurika managed a somewhat less chaotic hairdoo of her long blue mane and replied... "Well the natural look always appealed to the Treemasters and attendants, so a coat of paint would just make things fake looking.

Like those old 1970s schemes that people then did with antique homes before people grew a clue. Old Terrans... huh..."

She then simply escorted Lord Maxwell to the TC, a short teleporter hop and through crowds of citizens as they went about their daily lives. Wityhout much more fuss, Lady Yurika brings the TFU ambassador in the midst of the center gathering as Aleaic was talking to Lord Dubreusec of the year wait for Phase Four, and the comment Ackronus just gave to Lady Jennifer and her 'V' reply.

Before Aleaic noted Maxwell's arrival, he commented back to Lord Dubreusec.. "And we should help in that part, to ensure you'll become strong enough for when the time comes." ...and then saw/heard Lady Yurika arrive and speak with Lord Maxwell in tow. "Excellency, Ambassador Maxwell of The Fedral Union." ..and then saw Lord Dubreusec and Lord Thrandur. "My, a gathering indeed."

Lady Tsunami asked. "What happened to the Commonal ambassadors?" ..Yurika only shrugged of honest note.

Lord Ackronus however interrupted to voice.. "~ If you will excuse me, I must depart for Lord Thrandur's errand and meet Lady Murasaki post haste. ~" ...and a nod to the Myth Lord.. "~ Please enjoy your stay. ~" ....and turned strikingly and strode off to the same teleporter chamber he arrived via.

With his hopes resting on the Avian Lord, Thrandur made his way over to the gathering. His mood had lightened slightly with the effort to locate a lost leader. Finally stopping amidst the host that gathered, the butt of his warhammer thudded against the ground as he rested both hands on the very tip. Runes spiralled up the shaft with two larger runes centered on each flat part of the head. Without reply Thrandur stood there and grunted letting them know he was there.

((OC- Go ahead and start a seperate thread Myth for the search. ))

"War makes us all stronger in one way or another. After this war with the Extra-Solar Union finally comes to an end, then the Empire will be far stronger than it has ever been. We will turn our attention to the Eternals and cleanse their influence by those that do not believe in silly superstitions. Have no fear, they will all be burned away."

After his somewhat superior tone subsided, the Abriel turned to Ambassador Maxwell. "It has been a long time since the Abh have been in the same pressence as the Fedral Union. Interesting company indeed we have here today. Those we have not seen for a good long time and those we have never seen."

"A bunch of nations of Gokus I guess." ..Aleaic at first joked. He then turned to Ambassador Maxwell. "Indeed it is well of your part of being here Lord Maxwell. We have an actual need of serious trade of need for our part."

Tsunami took turn of introducing... "Lord Thrandur of Mythrandir, Lord Dubreusec of the Ahb Empire. Lord Thrandur of Mythrandir, Ambassador Maxwell of The Fedral Union."

"Yurika, Arashi, Arashi, Tenchi, Tenchi, Minister from Ablanstair."

Aleaic rolled his eyes at Ifurita's 'welcome' josh. "My loyal advisors.."

((OC- Nother Intergalactic scale bump... =^^= ))

The dwarf looked up at the elven figure towering overhead. "Aye, and from what ye've said; yer thems dat's been fighting dese long wars and makin' my people anxious. I's seen yer ships on de news e'ery so of'en. Quite impressive te field so many. Makes me glad dat me's people are lookin' te stay outta such things if possible."

Debreusec smirked. "It appears we have an audience then. I was wondering if anyone else but us paid any attention to these things. Fielding that many ships is a necessity to stay alive these days with so many against. Most likely you've seen the enemy fleets and not ours as we seem to always be outnumbered. Wars like these I would not wish on anyone really even though the flames of the war have all but died out completely. Perhaps they are losing their stomach for it."

"One would hope. It's disturbing enough too many other civilizations see war as the only option. We wouldn't have built our own assets as much as we have if that's all we worried about.

The real challenge lies in growing a long lasting realm that stands the test of time. I imagine that's why we admire the Ahb so, since you've been around longer than we, without the aids we garnered in our time. Your empire is truly an achievement Emperor." Aleaic told Lord Debreusec.

He looked over at Lord Thrandur. "Not to say yours is any less impressive, we sinply don't know as much about your realm as we should, Lord Thrandur. We hope we can change that. No war is more tatamount than, learning of another civilizations more proper achievements. The kinds that war can never create."

Thrandur shook a hand with five stubby fingers. "Dere is not much to da Myths. We's lived behind a dark mist dat encircled our entire system. Dem smart ones been calling it a null field but it matters naught te me. If yer really interested ins da people, we do have a diplomatic palace built fer such reasons."

His great belly bobbed up and down as he laughed with the thought. "But dere be only one ambassador so far. We's gots plenty of room fer y'all. A fine buildin' dat the young ones of me clan built if I do say so meself."

Aleaic imparted of the diplomatic consideration with healthy joy. "Then once your fleet is located, we shall send a proper representative for such an endeavor. A visitation to your world would also be in order.

Always good to see a new world."

"I never knew you were the flatterer, Aleaic. You've probably just jinxed the entire Abh Empire and now we'll be ready to fall apart at the seams. I guess it's up to us to continue to be such a good role modle for everyone else." He bowes jokingly.

"A null field. Interesting. I imagine that will be a good defense for your people. The less that know about you, most likely the better at the moment. Always could use a vacation though."

Aleaic just joked back.. "Oh good, more planets for us." ..before he gets an elbow in the head from his loving First wife. "Ow that hurt."

"Now you 'are' jinxing them." Tsunami dryly quips, as she serenely retracts her arm.

Tenchi asks just then.. "Anyone wanting snacks or refreshments?"

The old Abriel laughed. "Just watch out for the Dutchy of Latopanyu. That is Admiral Spoor's realm and she is not always a pleasant woman. Then there is Froth, a complete iced over world. Not exactly the best realestate there but I suppose it makes a nice winter wonderland. Good for snow angels, snowmen, and snowball fights with your wives."

He turned his attention briefly to Tenchi. "Surgu please if you have any."

As Tenchi ordered the Surgu for the Abriel, Lady Jennifer commented. "Maybe we should dump ol kingy on Frith and cool him off for a few weeks then."

"Jeeze..." Aleiac turns around at the silver haired Third Lady Excellency. "..am I that disposable?" Tsunami just pips in... "Well there's never been a Coup de`Tat in our history, maybe we need one."

Aleaic just slumps and moans... "Now I need a drink."

"Tenchi, a cocca for our bedroom mate."

Tenchi just laughs as Aleaic frazzles again at Arashi's added antic. Looks obvious who has the scepters in this family. =<>=

Lady Ifurita asks Lord Debreusec next. How is everyone. And whom should we know about after all this time. We don't know if how many of those we once met are still alive or such. Time does much after all." ..this as Aleaic is tugged by all three wives near Lord Thrandur.

The shaggy dwarf scratched his head. "I suppose if ye still got de ale ye were offerin' earlier, den I'll take some."

Looking over at Aleaic, the old wily dwarf gave him a wink. "If ye ever have trouble with dem women, I'll find ye a nice dwarven gal. Do ye like yer women with long beards, short beards, or no beards at t'all?"

Debreusec laughed. "See this is why the Abh traditionally do not get married. It leads to so many inner turmoils and coups within the family. Much safer not to marry. Don't worry Aleaic, I'll be here with a full fleet if anything should ever happen to you."

Ifurita's question draws on a long history since their last encounters. "Ah where should I begin? Well you really don't have to worry about the Abh you once knew dying out anytime soon. We do live for a few hundred years afterall. Let's see...Lord Dusanyu, who you may remember, now has a baby son. A son of love they say between he and his Chief of Staff Kenesh. My own daughter is married to that boy from the Hyde System, the Count Jinto Lynn. Boy what a trip that has been. Wars and everything seem to have been thrown at them but they stayed true to each other and now have two children to show for. Their youngest is a beautiful sixteen year old Abriel, Katsumi, who will make a great Empress one day. I believe she enters the academy soon. Then there is Doron, their oldest son. He has been trained in what the Coredians have called the Jedi arts and is one of extremely few Force users within the Abh Empire. My youngest son, Dashnue, has distinguished himself in Star Forces and is rising within the ranks. It looks like the Clyuve royal family will dominate the throne for a time.

Perhaps you remember Richard Rahl and Kahlan? They now have their own son, Cypher, who is eight years old now. An intelligent one that boy is. This may please you, I know it has to some of our allies. During Lord Dusanyu's last day of reigning on the Jade Throne, he made the Rahl family a founding family for all humans which will allow any Rahl to assume the Jade Throne should they make the rank of Imperial Admiral. This has never been done in Empire history and from Richard's achievements in Star Forces, he may some day sit on the throne of the Abh Empire as the first lander to ever do so."

Ifurita nodded.. "Impressive. Lord Doron would be welcome among our Jedi and Arkarth Lords, exchanging ideas with our own Force sensitives."

Tenchi takes the Surgu and hands ot to the Abh Lord, then the ale for Thrandur, and an apple slushie like beverage for himself and Ifurita. He holds the cocca until Aleaic isn't being prodded as so. Aleaic comments out to both guests.. "It was actually more.. hey quit it.. more stable to my health 'to' get married. *brushing a Second's hand off, before a Third's pokes.. * ..after two hundred years of it all, it's been adventure every day." ...then comments over to Thrandur.. "..and I'm not a beard kind of guy."

Ifurita meanwhile comments after a sip.. "Our own history since our last encounters, has been less about family growth, but the grown of the Guardianship. It seems to gain a new Confederacy Alliance member every day, even the old Archonis Supercluster still yields suprises, and decent areas of it are still unexplored, despite our near total control over all of it.

Columbia and Corseria meanwhile only have two ad-hoc capitals, and a large mess to begin structuring and bettering. Less about our own benefits, but the benefits of beings we'll never see, even if we live to tens of thousands of years.

I still don't fully understand how we do it."

"Because we can. If beings want better lives, we 'can' do that."

The playgames stop as soon as Aleaic speaks those words. Never failing to bring a sense of hope in any conversation.

Debreusec blows gently on his coffee before taking a sip. "Now that I can drink to. Over the years, many civilizations have thought of the Abh as prideful and arrogant for our beliefs in a better universe. Though our methods may not be the same as yours, we do strive for the same outcome. It just so happens we fight the same amount of wars as you. Perhaps both of our spheres will one day find what they are looking for. Then there will be far less grief and sadness in the galaxy. Unfortunatly that will never happen in my life time or my children's. No, I foresee that it will take many generations and many more emperor's on the Jade Throne before that ever happens."

"Dat's a shame. I prefer little hairy women meself."

Thrandur took the ale from Tenchi and threw back one long gulp, draining half the mug. Sighing and rubbing his belly, he turned back to the conversation. "Fer us, me people only want peace in deir own realm. As long as dey can stay safe, den deir happy."

Aleaic is finally handed the cocca, as he considers the conversation in a different direction. "It's become clear to me that the Milky Way Core Galaxy 'can't' be so pacified, nearly as so truly unifed, what with so many major powers and minor realms that exist, and are clawing for their place in the greater cosmos.

After the Neo Zetan War with the GE included, that forced me to move my entire realm to save it, entering this stage of growth for the Sphere, it became clear to me that the Milky Way Core Galaxy, is one of the 'womb' galaxies. Ones that seem to be a birthing ground for the majority of known civilizations.

Moving away from that mark gave notice that that one galaxy is 'not' the remainder of the universe. Thanks to the Dark Eternal Wars and the Eternal War against the Infernals, we were forced to deal with the larger universe, as well as the fact that one galaxy is not the entire universe. Thanks to the Dark Eternals, immense swaths of the Universe lain greatly chaotic, far more than we or the Eternals hope to ever control.

There is a good deal of room for eventual help out here, where the Milky Way Core Galaxy can never be so unifed."

Tsunami quips in.. "You're not going to mention the Red Galaxies bit again are you?"

Aleaic swiftly remarks back.. "Over a hundred trillion times as much resource material than the Inner Universe Zone ever could have? Even the Eternals and Dark Eternals combined, with the added maximum of the Eternal War couldn't cover 'all' of it.

It could all turn any other empire into an intergalactic superpower."

Debreusec's pointed ears perk up at the remark. "Oh? Something that can boost an empire that much is definantly an interest. Now you really have my full attention. What is this that you speak of?"

Aleaic took another sip and offered.. "We were looking at sending the first exploration forays into the Red Galaxy boundry next year to test where to safely send follow on resource collectors, possibly colonize a couple of the ancient galaxies to create a permanent feed to the Inner Realm Universe over the next decade.

We'd see this is a way to take over major needs of upgrading our two new Superclusters, off the help we're requesting for the short term from other Virgo SC nations, and eventually see if we can bring other nation's assets out 'here' to the larger Universe.

If possible, we'd like to see other nations follow at least a basic model of ours, and begin colonzing other galaxies, away from the Virgo Supercluster. The womb can't stay as it is forever, more we need to give the younger civilizations breathing room, while the elder ones take their proper place along side our own empire.

It's a large step, but it can't be just us and the Eternals, the other empires deserve an actual chance in evolving into the greater Universe."

A slight smirk spread on his face. "Ah but there is so much to do still in the universe where younglings are always birthing and dead races are resurrecting. It can be exciting times out here. There must be those to mantain some semblance of order and peace in the galaxy. If there is no one to be an example to all, then who will guide them?

But alas, we too have already begun colonizing the outter rim of known space and setting up our own floating cities in the dark void of the universe. There are still Sords that stretch far and wide in the univers and we mean to explore them all before all is said and done."

Aleaic offered, hoping this might present itself... "Well then, will you at least consider our continuing offer to help colonize the space admist our worlds? Even the Archonis had vast amounts of space still unexplored, and we haven't scratched the surface of Columbia and Corseria.

Might we consider joint colonization as before, where you access our space, in exchange for exploration and whatever humanitarian help you can offer? Build, explore, ect.. we can't do much with the amount of empty space under our governance, and while we don't run afoul of pirates and such out here, we do still worry enough of security between our worlds.

And yes mutual defense would be a part, at least enough to give us early warning capability for our forces. Also enough for our genetics programs to begin filling the new worlds with stable populations in the meantime. By the time everything catches up, we could be profitting in the vast riches of hard work mutually."

Debreusec feigned contemplation before presenting a smile. "As a matter of fact, I have grown tired of colonizing and exploring this current galaxy. I have intended to do no more in this area unless new territory comes to the Empire through conquering of others. So we have already begun looking elsewhere for exploration. I suppose we have an agreemenent then. Trading partner and exploration partners once again it seems.

The rim of space is only as far as the limits of our imaginations."

"All fourteen billion light-years of it. Lots of imagination to reach for." Aleaic gulped down his cocca with..

The Abriel lifted his coffee in a mock toast. "To wide imaginations, deep coffeurs, and adventure that lays just beyond the rim."

It had taken quite some time, but the vessel the Empress had assigned to visit this trade conference, in part to discuss trade and in part to initiate first contact with any unkown nations at the conference, had arrived at the closest Gaian gate to Trinity Blood space. The ISC Enterprise NX-01, second of the new Novus Exemplar, or NX for short, class of warp five capable explorers had utilized various wormholes, her own limited warp drive engines, hitching rides inside the holds of larger and faster craft, and other methods to reach this far. The hope was that the Gaians would be able to return them to their own space much faster than it had taken them to reach Gaian controlled space in the Milky Way Galaxy.

"Finally," sighed Ensign Hoshi Sato at communications, "We've arrived."

"Its about damn time," agreed Lieutenant Malcolm Reed, the armory officer and security chief.

"Enough already," interrupted Captain Jonathan Archer, commanding officer, "I know everyone's nerves are frayed from the long journey we had to undergo to get here, but I'm sure none of you want to dissapoint the Princess on this important matter."

"Understood, sir," replied the bridge crew.

"We are holding station just outside Gaian controlled space," reported the helmsman, Ensign Travis Mayweather.

"Good. Hoshi, send the message," ordered Archer.

=/\=This is the ISC Enterprise NX-01 representing the nation of Trinity Blood. We would like to request approach vector to your gate facility for use to transfer to the trade conference.=/\=

Short, sweet, and to the point. When the message had first been dictated, Archer had been about to go off duty so he could get some sleep and he didn't feel like making some big, long speech just for requesting clearance for approach.

OOC: I'm using the concept of Fluid Time (which I discovered while reading some early 2005 threads I found) to transfer some characters from the CSP thread, including one your characters are partly involved with talking to there.

The Gaian controllers at the MWCG territory directed the new vessel through the same proceedure as they did for the other guests: Control Vector (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=12023489&postcount=9)

After that, it was a matter of simply allowing the guests to arrive. The Conference was still in full swing. The Conference also would have on additional theme in a good day or so, as the Conference Royal Ball would take place just prior to the beginning of the Christmas celebration of 3392

It wasn't all over yet by far.

The passage through the Gaian's gates caused their fare share of shivers amoungst the crew. The parts where they had to cross Hikari powered subspace garnered pretty much the same response as when they traveled at warp speeds. It was the parts when the ship had to cross the Intracel ascended Dimension that physiological reactions became apparent. The beings of this plane weren't made to be able to survive on the angelic home plane.

Those of the crew able to looked out at the splendor of the Gaian nation knowing full well that pretty much any of their smaller ships would be much more than a match for the Enterprise.

Upon arrival at the White Diamond/Sapphire Star System's Emerald Gate near Planet Emerald, Ayra blinked as she looked at the image of the planet below on the main viewscreen.

"Impressive," said Travis, "a planet the size of a J-class but is fully M-class."

"That's impossible," responded Reed, "unless these people have some technology we can only dream about or that planet has an ultra-light core, then that planet should have implouded from the gravity long ago."

Archer strolled back onto the bridge in time to hear the conversation.

"Yes," he broke in, "the physics of it is mind-boggling. Now, can we get on with our mission?"

With some laughter, the bridge crew went about locking the ship into orbit around the Gaian planet. A few minutes later, Ayra and Archer get the report one of the ship's Type 0 (http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o293/True_Human_Empire/Ships/shuttlepod_type1-1.jpg) shuttlepods is ready for launch and that the samples were loaded aboard.

A few minutes later, said shuttlepod emerges from the hanger with Ayra, Archer, Major J. Hayes, and two Imperial Guard (http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o293/True_Human_Empire/Character%20Pics/tall2.jpg) on loan from the Empress aboard amidst several containers full of samples of non-proprietary Trinity Blood technology, minerals, and other things.

Archer deftly lands the shuttlepod in the hanger space the Gaian space traffic controllers had assigned them.

OOC: Gaian, I know what SSD probably stands for, but what is an A-SSD?

((OC- My super command ship, super star destroyer series, all classes from 7.6km to the 500km Ascendnacy classes. Gaians don't count normal SSDs, SSD Eclipses or SSD Sovereigns as A-SSDs since they weren't originally made by the Ascendants.

Web Portal: Yada (http://www.freewebs.com/gaianknight/index.htm)

..check the Core Republic TOE and Special Assets pages for more.. ))

---

Aleaic was nodding to the Abriel Emperor, when he noted Yurika near the TFU representative, holding her ear, a standard commlink node that connected to her Keypiece, an earing Akito gave her once, as she recieved...

"We got a new participant. Just entered docks."

Aleaic beamed.. "Kewl.."

---

The Trinity arrival was a good suprise, they got an interesting arrival in turn, as another of the eleven meter tall griffonade beings awaits them a short distance outside the landing zone of the docking bay. The black and yellow-white oversized bird with a brown and green tunic robe waited patiently.

((OC- My super command ship, super star destroyer series, all classes from 7.6km to the 500km Ascendnacy classes. Gaians don't count normal SSDs, SSD Eclipses or SSD Sovereigns as A-SSDs since they weren't originally made by the Ascendants.

Web Portal: Yada (http://www.freewebs.com/gaianknight/index.htm)

..check the Core Republic TOE and Special Assets pages for more.. ))

OOC: Found the pic. All I can say is, beautiful designs, dude. Ever do images of the ships from other angles?

The Trinity arrival was a good suprise, they got an interesting arrival in turn, as another of the eleven meter tall griffonade beings awaits them a short distance outside the landing zone of the docking bay. The black and yellow-white oversized bird with a brown and green tunic robe waited patiently.

"Uhm," said Ayra with a note of surprise as she leaned back to look up at the avian being's head.

"Dang!" one of the guards exclaimed at the sight of the griffonade.

The guards had been brought, not because Trinity Blood didn't trust the Gaians, but because, mainly, they didn't know who would also be at this trade conference and how friendly they would be. Thus, it had been decided it was better to be safe than sorry, as the old saying went.

Archer chuckled at their antics and bowed in greeting.

"Captain Jonathan Archer (http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o293/True_Human_Empire/Character%20Pics/JonathanArcher2155.jpg) at your service," he said, "My compatriate is Princess Arya Nightroad (http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o293/True_Human_Empire/Character%20Pics/Aryacurrent.jpg). You'll have to excuse her, she's not been in contact with members of nations other than our own except for a few instances at the Constantine Space Port."

OOC: Oh, and, lol, I just noticed I was mispelling the name of the Princess (had the 'r' and the 'y' switched by mistake).

((OC- Little matter, since I was busy watching SW: Ep.III again... =^^= ))

----

The avian nodded and replied in a female tone, more of a rougher one that seemed fit a 'tough' female, though the benevolent underlay of the entire Ascendant race still hung easily of apparent.

"~ Of little consequence. I am Lady Iottii of the represented Ascendant Avian Lords. Welcome to the Capital World of the Sphere Alliance. The conference has already begun, however you are most welcome, if you will please follow me to the teleport chamber for a expidite arrival. ~"

With that, the large being turned amd strode steadily and gracefuly towards a nearby teleport center chamber, the blue-white glow from the numerous teleport pads readily apparent from outside the entry portal of the chamber. Lady Iottii remarked as she escorted... "~ Be sure to ask whatever you desire, even enroute. His Excellency and Council have been in formed of your impending arrival. ~"

Archer and Arya hesitated at the edge of the transporter pads.

"Honestly," said Arya, "but we've only just been introduced to organic rated transporter technology by Ri-an."

"First I've heard of that," said Archer, "but all transporters I've encountered were only rated for non-organic materials. So, you can understand why we're a little hesitant about using these things."

Even the two Imperial Guards, supposedly amoung the bravest around, showed a little fear at the transporters. The cargo pods on hover trolleys remote following the control pads strapped to the wrist of the guards, though, being non-living mechanisms, were immune to such fear.

The avian being meanwhile stepped on the pads without even a second thought, turning back to respond... "~ We've develpoed over sixty technology generations of our teleportation system, using the subspace folding method instead of molecular compression or decomposition. We've used such technology for over two hundred of this empire-republic's solar cycles, and many eons before hand of my own civilization's existence before ascendance and our return nearly two hundred years prior.

I give blood word that there will be no problems. ~" ..Lady Iottii impressed, as she looked over at the Teleport-Techs with a knowing nod.

"If you say so," gulped Arya being the first to tentively step onto a pad.

A few moments later, Archer joined her. Then the guards, after making sure the hover carts were secured on individual pads, took positions on free pads.

OOC: Short, simple, and to the point (not much I could say here, plus my brain is nine-tenth asleep so I don't have an imagination right now).

Before the guests could second consider, the great avian flings a feathered hand to the controllers, and a set of standard commands with coordinates begins the subspace charging coils flinging the fold envelope around the group, sending their intact forms through a mini-Fold tunnel to the destination portal on the other end, at the Conference Center.

The sight of water like energy flowing about for the short moment of the transport is it's own auspicious moment for the uninitiated. For Lady Iottii, she just whistles a birp chirp through her large opal beal.

On arrival, they are met by a duo of Gaians, readily waiting.

Lady Airi and Lady Ryoko take the fore this time, giving a silken steel effect to the affair.

The two guards were obviously shaken by the experience. Archer, though, managed to maintain an external facade of calm. As for Arya, she shivered a few times as she didn't exactly like being underwater, or anything that reminded her of it, without the right gear and equipment. Still, her technical mind suppressed the fear of the unknown as her curiosity about how the technology worked took its place.

Upon noting the two Gaians, Archer bowed in greeting before going around with introductions. Arya, still a little shaken, as who doesn't, at some level, fear the unknown, was able to manage a nod in greeting.

OOC: Once again, not very good. Seems each time I get on to post, its so late I'm almost asleep. Sorry about that, Gaian. I'll really try harder to get on earlier next time so I can make a better post using my full faculties.

Aleaic was nodding to the Abriel Emperor, when he noted Yurika near the TFU representative, holding her ear, a standard commlink node that connected to her Keypiece, an earing Akito gave her once, as she recieved...

"We got a new participant. Just entered docks."

Aleaic beamed.. "Kewl.."

Thrandur grunted after finishing off his last drop of ale. "Wonder wat dis one will look like. I've seen space elfs and lizards so far. Does it get stranger?"

Jennifer next to Aleaic quips on Thrandur's comment. "Well, might be either vampires or wookies.

Or even vampire wookies."

"Could be Vulcan wookies." Arashi slipped in, Aleaic rolling his eyes.

"Vulcan wookie vampires."

Aleaic 'looked' at Tsunami. "Oh for the light of sanity." Tsui just stares back with a free left hand on her left hip. "Oh, and what kind of wookie do 'you' think it is?" This just makes Aleaic turn away slowly, but Tsui keeps pestering Al on the wacked out subject material in the immediate short term.

Tenchi just looks away, just before.

"Maybe it's Klingon vampires."

Tenchi just eyes Yurika manically. "That's flat out nuts you know lady."

Yurika looks anime thoughtful. "But it makes you think."

---

On a more serious note, Lady Airi bows to Archer. "Welcome to White Diamond/Sapphire. Lady Ryoko to my side here, Airi Masaki myself. If you'll come this way to the Conference, the event is on a roll."

Ryoko comments.. "Pretty happening stuff too. Just completed a new treaty between us and Ahb if I heard right."

On a more serious note, Lady Airi bows to Archer. "Welcome to White Diamond/Sapphire. Lady Ryoko to my side here, Airi Masaki myself. If you'll come this way to the Conference, the event is on a roll."

Ryoko comments.. "Pretty happening stuff too. Just completed a new treaty between us and Ahb if I heard right."

"Interesting name choice," commented Arya with a curious tone, "though why the apparent indecision between 'Diamond' and 'Sapphire'?"

Archer raised an interested eyebrow at Arya's question, but commented on a different topic.

"On a different matter," he said, "we came from the Constantine Space Port where, I don't know if you were aware of it, two of your representatives arranged for copies of data from computer cores we had recovered from salvaged ships that had crossed into our territory. We took the most intact core we could find, it had been whiped by an energy pulse, and uploaded copies of as much as we could find that wasn't corrupted from other cores while doing our best to weed out any duplicate information."

He gestured at one of the larger cargo pods on one of the hover carts and added, "Its in there."

Airi blinked and actually thought.. "Never thought of it as an indecisive name choice, it just became part of the normal lexicon a long time ago. Probably something we all thought up on our first days of coming to this world as volunteers on the call of our King."

Ryoko commented.. "More on the call of his family, but more later." ..ryoko noted the mention of the computer core, asking for a data Padd from a nearby aide and for a moment bringing up any relevant reports from MWCG and the CSP. She cocked an eye. "Ah, a report through the Net from Alusair and that lavender mop."

Airi shot a glare at Ryoko. "Please keep the 'normalcy' from the earshot of guests. This is a formal affair."

Ryoko just groaned. "Yeah yeah, 'Lady' Ayeka. Got it. No prob." This just made Airi feel a migrane crop up, as she looked back at the guests. "Um.. sorry, ancient family history. The core will be brought to appropriate Techs with your assistance. His Excellency would be more interested in seeing the item up close in fact.

The data is rather vital to us for current reasons."

Airi blinked and actually thought.. "Never thought of it as an indecisive name choice, it just became part of the normal lexicon a long time ago. Probably something we all thought up on our first days of coming to this world as volunteers on the call of our King."

Ryoko commented.. "More on the call of his family, but more later." ..ryoko noted the mention of the computer core, asking for a data Padd from a nearby aide and for a moment bringing up any relevant reports from MWCG and the CSP. She cocked an eye. "Ah, a report through the Net from Alusair and that lavender mop."

Airi shot a glare at Ryoko. "Please keep the 'normalcy' from the earshot of guests. This is a formal affair."

Ryoko just groaned. "Yeah yeah, 'Lady' Ayeka. Got it. No prob." This just made Airi feel a migrane crop up, as she looked back at the guests. "Um.. sorry, ancient family history. The core will be brought to appropriate Techs with your assistance. His Excellency would be more interested in seeing the item up close in fact.

The data is rather vital to us for current reasons."

OOC: This is probably my last post for the night.

IC: Archer nodded at the one of the Imperial Guards. The soldier joined his fellow trooper in rotating the massive cylindrical container on its hover cart so the front was facing to the side.

"Open it," ordered Archer.

The first guard released the magnetic locks keeping the core inside secured. Entering a second code, the front of the container split in twain as each half slid to the side revaling the deactivated computer core.

"Trust me," said Arya with a wry smile, "it looks a lot better lit up when its plugged in."

"Due to size constraints," Archer added, "we were forced to utilize compression techniques to fit everything onto this core which originates from a craft around the size of the shuttlepod we transferred over in. Though we did have to replace the chips, including a few damaged ones, with ones with many more times higher capicity. The cores on larger ships would be to big to fit in our shuttlepod."

"What is a wookie or vulcan?" Thrandur looks thoroughly confused being not accustomed to different races in the galaxy.

Aleaic heard Thrandur's question, and then just grabbed Tsui's shoulders as he turned, and swiveled her around him, in front of Thrandur. Tsui of course is caught off guard by this as Al bemoands.. "Here, you started it, you explain."

Tsui just looks back and slits eyes at her two hundred year plus love muffin. "Lazy bum." ...Al just flusters hands at her and backs off. Tsui just shakes her head in unison with her other two mutual Sisters by marriage.

Tsui then just explains the obvious stuff for Thrandur, saving such from the readers that know too far well by now. In fact, Tsui has fun explaining a whole 'lot' of both theme universes that the two races even belong to. It takes awhile.

Aleaic meanwhile takes another drink with Lord Debreusec, when word comes of a gift just unlided by the Trinity Blood guests. Al blinks. "Really? I'm there." ...he says, having the aide lead him over to where Airi and Ryoko are looking at the core.

The short distance away, Airi rubs her chin at the sight of the core. "Very interesting. Even learning the method of compression and the basic chip material may prove just as useful. Believe it or not, this is new technology for us overall, though we suspect much of it is already in widespread use in the empire-republic."

Ryoko just nods, before noting Aleaic approaching. The cyan, spiky maned warrior lady smirks. "Oh boy, now look at what we just did."

Airi looks up from kneeling in front of the core, at the approaching Excellency. "Like this wasn't coming." ..she says as she rises back up.

"That's why we also brought this," replied Archer as he picked up a PADD, "this contains all we know about isolinear circuitry and related technology technology. Basically, isolinear circuitry format employs holographic technology to store data three-dimensionally throughout the medium. The enhanced isolinear optical chips are just thicker to provide more storage medium. A standard chip has a 2.15 kiloquad capcity*."

OOC: *According to my research, one quad could refer to one pentabyte.

Airi comments back.. "We use essentially the same system, though all fiber and chip optic systems can operate on hundreds of seperately tunneled frequencies, where each holooptic tunnel can operate hundred of frequencies, while another does the same, with each tunnel a few micron meters wide.

Every major system, and all subsystems that act in quadruple capacity and redundancy with each other creates the basic computer systems we use. We haven't mentioned how it links with the Comm Networks yet, another hybrid layer that adds even more to just the tip of the iceburg mentioned.

So we appreciate where your technical information lies. Signal reliability, stability and error checking to maintain a 98% Empire-Republic wide manditory raiting for communication mediums, has been absolute in maintaining the integrity of every aspect of what maintains this entire Realm."

Aleaic arrives on hearing much of this, and gets nods from both Ladies. He offers in welcome comment for the new guests. "Indeed. I made such things not only manditory, it's actually punishable for communication mediums outside of war scenarios, for the networks to operate below the 98% mark.

I refuse to allow the realm to ever have lag time outside of standard expectations over the large areas of space we control, to prevent 'any' part of the Intergalactic realms of the Guardianship to feel the uncomfort of ignorance at any level.

Such strict standard are why we maintain a realm this huge. I 'expect' the same within the next five years for at least forty percent of the new Superclusters we acquired two years ago.

I imagine this is a lot to take in for someone new to our realm. I am Lord Aleaic Kerensky. My two Advisors, the Lady CAG Dimension Military Commander, and Airi my Advisor of Communications Sphere Alliance Wide you already met."

Aleaic looks down at the core. "Well, so this is part of the Confederacy Starfleet construction project." ..he says rubbing his hands.

Ryoko smirks. "Down king-boy, down." ..Aleaic just eyes over. "So sue me."

"We can't, no lawyers." Airi jokes back. Aleaic remarks. "And a good thing that is."

"You ain't kidding," muttered one of the guards.

Archer, continuing to maintain his professional demeanor, replied, "Well it is interesting that you, ones with tech advanced to such an obviously high level would bother with those of us much lower than you on the tech tree.

"I also find it interesting that you claim to not have any lawyers. Then how, if I may ask, do your courts work?"

Arya, though, was a bit less professional in her response:

"King-boy?"

Aleaic actually answered the last two questions in about the same vein and breath before addressing the first.

"After two hundred years of what we do, a great deal of trust and respect has abounded over much of this realm, something that usually is attributed to more darker aspects of mortal nature. It's also such an evironment that allows my friends to make such cracks without retribution, since underlying all of it, 'is' all that respect and trust that was engendered.

Our very culture is deeply rooted in such things. It also remembers history in the same vein." ..Aleaic answers Archer's question with.. "We were lucky once, when fifty thousand volunteers left the Motherworld, and found this star system waiting, long story for it. We learned great technologies and advances in such short periods of time, but I reminded that all of it wasn't our true own without earning such through understanding and learning." ..he taps the side of the core lightly. "..and also that we 'don't' know all technologies, many aspects of our realm lie in veins other realms do not, and vise versa.

With this core, it will help bring our Confederacy Allied States to a new degree of self-autonomy within the Guardianship. Technology in the end is only a means of tools to stand one on one's feet. It did it for us once, and it will again for our allies.

And in the end, the technology here is one of a series of complete databanks were compiling from many different sources to form a spectrum to build and evolve from."

Aleaic looks simply at Archer. "Trust me, none of this is inferior to us."

Aleaic then looked over at Lady Arya. "And diplomats are far more effective than lawyers anyway. Shall we begin discussions on proper trade for this said device. We have much to offer in return, if you'll follow me to the Conference main meeting chamber."

Airi walks on ahead of the group as Ryoko walks along nearby as they all head for the indicated area.

"I still don't get the 'king-boy' comment," muttered Arya as she began walking.

"Interesting," replied Archer, "but what of internal courts? Are you saying you have no crime in your nation or are able to determine guilt or innocence beyond a reasonable doubt without such proceedings?

"As for what we have to offer you being mere baubles compared to not only what you have, based on what I've seen thus far, but of what you more than likely have access to via other nations, that severly outstrips what Trinity Blood can currently put up on the table. Which is mostly natural resources anyways. We didn't even get access to a transporter rated for organic material until recently, a little bit before your people arrived at the CSP, when we were given data on said technology by the nation of Ri-an

"From amoung those natural resources I mentioned, as we couldn't bring live specimens, we've brought genetic samples of more of the unique and unusual flora and fauna we have in our databanks. Though, personally, I'll stick with my dog."

Ryoko comments for Lady Arya first... "When the Council was first formed, many of the Council were older than others, including Aleaic and his wives that formed the leadership.

Despite our now long lived lives, it's good to keep a sense of informality at times. A mix of keeping things serious, and other things not so serious in even the same vein of things gives us a free feeling to voice many things. But if it worries, we also 'know' when to be completely austeric, and when to not say such things."

Aleaic commented for Archer along side. "The civilization we live in, has nearly completely unlimited resources at it's disposal, though at current, much of our capacity is taxed with the upgrading of the Columbia and Corseria Superclusters, in wellness of living standard with the Archonis Supercluster, where we are situated in.

Eventually, all citizens in all Superclusters and outside controlled territories will have free access to anything they want, and the freedom to do as they wish, a standard the Core Republic lives with daily. In such an atmosphere, with decent understanding and teaching of good manners in a civilized civilization, crime is kept very minimal with little oversight, other than the ocassional Steel Angel security unit or local constables taking focal note.

Yes there are crimes conducted even still, but, and it may seem rather brutish in other nation's eyes, but we do employ permancy measures to refit a citizen back into society if they go astray enough. No death penalty or such for us, but we do mindwipe in the same method as we mind recover after a ressurection in a Gen-Refab unit, in a situation where a soul is too far outside of normal methods of reinstitution for respectful methods to apply.

Many worlds however, I should remark, do have representation and even a civil law system in place. This is mostly in Confederacy Alliance worlds, and not the Core Republic. However we barred the proliferation of outlandish trials and other such nonsense from the Motherworld, in favor for more expedient methods, along side many of our technological capabilities to ensure fairness in trails that do occur.

Nothing is ever going to be perfect, but we placed the society that the civilization runs with, in a method to prevent the needs of a civil system in the first place. That frees up resources that otherwise would require incarceration activities that tie up resources.

For a realm of our size, such is unacceptable at 'all' levels. Communication, technology, and the willing hand that is free is more powerful than any limb tied down, restricting any pillar of a good empire."

Aleaic stops, chuckling as they reach the formal activity center, where the heart of Sphere Alliance commerce takes place. "Sorry, seem to be preaching where I mean not to. I'm just proud of everything the mutual citizenry here have accomplished. Maybe it blinds some to what reality could be out there, but I trust my civilization to handle it's own problems with wisdom."

They arrive, the numbers of various races of the Guardianship milling about without any other care than looking for good coffers to bring to their homeworlds. A sign of a healthy economy.