NationStates Jolt Archive


The 200th Minagith Naval Battle (FT)

The Jade Star
04-07-2007, 19:21
Caliph Ibrahim XII of Atlast and Tsar Alexander VI of Nova Rossiya,
It is with the usual pleasantries that I invite the two of you to commence the 200th Minagith Naval Battle, as is traditional, four standard Nova Rossiyan years having passed since the last battle. I am sure you two will be pleased to make the preparations and agree on the correct force to send.
As contact with the rest of the galaxy has been re-established we advise that you attempt to maintain some control over your armaments, last years release of eight live Atlastian Firedrakes into the system being unacceptable in the presence of civilians not involved in the battle. You should, however, be pleased to note that several news organizations have taken it upon themselves to issue large-scale broadcasts of your engagement, and no doubt your mutual triumphs will be well recorded and viewed by billions or trillions or some other silly number of people.
I await your reply and confirmation of acceptance of the battle. I will be present myself to view and moderate as is required.

Archmagus Faust

The Minagith Naval Battle, originally an actual naval battle on water, is a tradition stretching back longer than the Jade Star Federations existance, back in the days when Nova Rossiya held colonial outposts on Atlast, which, of course, the Atlast Caliphate (and its predecessors) did not approve of. The first Minagith Naval Battle recorded took place between wooden ships, and was somewhat small, as the Nova Rossiyan mages had some issues moving a large amount of building material between the planets, and the Atlast Caliphate had only a few ships anyway.
Typical of such engagements, both sides claim that the engagement was a dispicable ambush by the other and a triumphant victory for themselves.
The battle is schedualed for the period when the planets orbital cycles bring them into near-perfect alignment, creating a short-lived area of gravitational calm and 'smooth sailing' between the planets, originally this was used by mages of both sides to send ships to the other planet, later on it became the battleground itself.
Eventually, with the signing of the Federation Treaty, both sides were forced to agree upon a more formalized system to work out their aggression, since it was generally agreed that without the opportunity to beat the hell out of each other every now and then resentment would only build up to the point where all out war erupted between the rival planets again.
In modern times the battle is viewed as something of a local football match. The battle has precipitated more than one governmental shift on both planets, most notably on the occasion when the flagships of both fleets, the Samarquand and Chorniy Oryol dealt each other a deathblow and crash landed on the opposite sides planet, precipitating an intenrational crises resolved only when the Archmagus of the time threatened to summon demons to set fire to the atmospheres of both planets. The riots afterwards ensured that Caliph Osman XXVI and Tsar Ivan IX not only never engaged in a war again, but had no part in the consumption of planetary atmosphere ever again. The next leaders of both planets promptly signed into a prisoner exchange and a similar problem never arose.
The 200th battle was somewhat special, aside from being the 200th battle, it was also the first battle which was being widely broadcast, and a large crowd was predicted to attend, several ships from various JSF planets, especially the Greenskin worlds, were already gathered around the area, jockying for position and, occasionally, exchanging gunfire as one clan of Orks recognized another clan of Orks they didnt like.
Everybody who wasnt a suicidal Orcoid with a grudge against another suicidal Orcoid was advised to keep outside of the ~700 mile wide battlefield. Quite small by most standards, the Minagith Fleets typically fought each other in the 'traditional' fashion, since neither side was particularly eager to suffer large casualties. Typically only a few ships were damaged beyond repair at the battle, since the technology which made JSF ships capable of engaging in combat with other ships, namely the repulsor field, would not be present.

Archmagus Faust himself was happily relaxing in the small space station reserved for his own presence as well as selected friends and dignitaries. Typical of Tolarian construction, it was shaped with regard to asthetics and not physics, being, essentially, a mages tower secured to an island held together with a combination of magic and metal mesh netting. It was also upside down in relation to the battle, but the Archmage prefered to think that the battle was taking place upside down in relation to him.
In actuality the battle was taking place sideways in relation to the plane that the systems planets orbited the sun, but nobody really cared about that anyway.
Both the Caliph and the Tsar were present with the Archmage, and, as was tradition, both were politly insulting each other whenever possible while engaging in conversations along the lines of:
"Good evening. I note that you are standing upright."
"Indeed. Standing upright appears to be a popular position tonight."
"This is not to say that the reclined position does not have its benifits. Sleeping, for example."
"Quite. I note that you are drinking gin. A fine choice."
The Archmage wouldnt have anything to do with 'sissy drinks' like wine. If it didnt burn he wouldnt drink it.

Meanwhile, the arranged thirty ships were serenly lining up, each and every one in full parade dress, brightly painted and flying an innumerable number of flags displaying various noble sponsors, captains, admirals and other important persons livery, religious symbols, and banners. As per the ancient order of battle, the ships would line up as they had a thousand years ago and make passes at each other firing volleys of guns into each others flanks.
A number of cameras, crystal balls and other recording devices were flitting between the ships getting the really dramatic pre-battle shots, it looked as though the 200th Minagith Naval Battle was going to be a popular one.