NationStates Jolt Archive

Xiscapian Imperial Warship Spiral of Silence...

Imperial Ambassador Tiri strode purposefully towards her white shuttlecraft, a dimly shadowed reflection of herself showing up in the chrome sloping wings as she made her way around the back to the cabin ramp. The starship she was aboard, the Annihilator class Light Cruiser Spiral of Silence had fallen into high orbit over the planet of Macronia, locked into place to avoid colliding with any of the Alversian warships left over from the ill-fated Havalia assault task force which were still holding there for repairs. It was cold here in the hanger bay, as if the frozen vacuum of space permeated more completely here closer to the outer darkness, and Tiri pulled her distinguished black and purple robes which marked her as a member of the Xiscapian Diplomatic Corps around her tightly. The dignitary's vulpine fur, the color of the milk chocolate, was relatively thin and silky, not as bulky and coarse as a kitsune with winter fur would be, thus affording her less protection against the chill temperatures. However, Tiri had recently come from her regular post on the steamy jungle world of Estus in the far-flung Chalybs System: With a total population of only five million and most of the twin planets of Estus and Glacies wild and undeveloped, the humidity of her surroundings would not be the only thing changing. No, Tiri found herself brought from obscurity, spirited away from a half-forgotten star system on the edge of the Kitsune Empire straight into the thick of things, to make a diplomatic mission down to the still strife-ridden and not altogether modern world, and now state, of Macronia.

Tiri was vaguely aware as she entered the shuttle of one of her Black Guard escorts following behind her, and she saw the other of the pair waiting in the cabin. Elite and secretive, the Black Guard cadre was a unit of kitsune bodyguards who protected the Imperial Family, foreign dignitaries enjoying Xiscapian hospitality, and occasionally Imperial Ambassadors like herself. She had no doubt that they were needed: The last Ambassador sent here had had both his Marine escorts and the Alversian units protecting him completely wiped out by raiders within a day of setting foot on the surface, and from there he had been kidnapped twice, attacked several more times by bandits and been wrongfully imprisoned by the very people he had been sent to conduct talks with. Tiri knew of him, the kitsune was practically a legend among the XDC; Ambassador Si, who, after marrying the Queen of the Kingdom of Mysan, became the King of Mysan and then, once having proved instrumental in talks with other Kingdoms in unifying them into a single state, Foreign Minister of Macronia.
There was a possibility she would meet him.

However, Tiri's assignment was not to relax in the beautiful city of Mysan among friends, or at least that was not what she would be doing officially. The unification process, which had experienced huge success initially, was slowing down: Not all the Kingdoms were so anxious to give up their sovereignty, even if it meant increased protection from the fractured, isolated marauders who still roamed the slowly terraforming wastelands, Xiscapian and Alversian technology and trade and brotherhood with their planetary neighbors. Tiri's job was to convince as many rulers and leaders as she could to join the state of Macronia and to further unify the world until ever nation had been brought into the fold. While those peoples who had been unified were experiencing increased prosperity and security, the Xiscapian Diplomatic Corps, and by proxy the Kitsune Empire, did not have purely unselfish motives: A unified Macronia was a strong Macronia, and a strong Macronia equipped with Xiscapian and Alversian technology could prove a stable ally to combat the Danaversian and Boolean menace. The task was daunting, but unlike Ambassador Si before her, Tiri could take comfort in the fact that she had reliable allies, both on the surface and abroad, to assist her.

With barely a lurch the shuttle lifted itself up from the hanger floor and shot out into space, the pilot skillfully weaving his way though the elegant forms of the Alversian starships and dodging their small craft on the way to the surface. A Black Guard sat on either sit of her, but Tiri said nothing to them: The two day trip from Estus to Macronia had impressed upon her that the personal bodyguards of the Emperor himself weren't great conversationalists, and with their plated black armor and faceless helmets they intimidated her anyway. Instead she wondered as to Mysan, Si, his consort, and indeed the whole of Macronia. She had seen pictures and read reports, of course, but it was one thing to know something second hand and another thing entirely to experience it with all six senses. She had to admit she felt rather nervous, even a little afraid, the reports Ambassador Si had sent back when he was still an Ambassador indicated that, though the first two sapients one might happen to meet would be intelligent, kind-hearted, good people, the next two would be stupid, greedy and, if not out-and-out evil, arrogant and diplomatically frustrating to the core.
Tiri would have her work cut out for her.

The Black Guard who Tiri glanced at may not have lived up to her intimidating reputation or appearance of the Kitsune Ambassador had been able to see through her helmet to get a real a look at the Kitsune underneath. The appearance of her guard may have surprised her and, if she did not have the strength of history behind her, she may have felt a little less safe. The Kitsune was about mid height for a Kitsune, looking their fat nor thin in the suit, merely perfectly proportioned. Behind the armour, her long black hair was tied up into a bun so as to fit in her helmet, her yellow, vulpine eyes were alert and concentrating on every little thing, never once letting her guard down, body tense, should the unexpected occur when she was meant to be in the safety of a Xiscapian cruiser. She also kept her mind focused to avoid a rather personal situation. The Kitsune Black Guard did not enjoy space travel. In fact, she downright hated it! She despised the way that only a thin crust of alloyed materials separated her from the warmth and security of her bunk and the massive dead void of space, where life was as welcome as a Kash Wilson clone in the centre of Rio Casa. If that flimsy shield was broken, then she was dead. There was no other way of saying it, choking to dead on the lack of oxygen, floating away into the far off reaches of space, like some organic asteroid. She hated it. But, when the Master called, the Servant did not hide.

The Kitsune, in truth, preferred to be sailing. She preferred to be placed in a nice light comfortable boat, when the emerald waters were as flat as any road, the wind scarce a whisper, able only to shave the heat from the day and keep the crew of the good ship Qonn cool as they toiled. The Black Guard smiled behind her helmet at the memory of the giggles, the taunts and the teases of those wonderful sunny days, the chuckles of their Father from the shore as he tried to teach them how to properly steer a sailing boat. None of them were properly interested in that though. The four Sisters just wanted to have fun. She, being the strongest was able to haul on the sails and the ropes to stretch the power of the wind as war as it would go, the youngest acted as lookout, should they run into a coral bottom and damage their precious vessel. The second eldest worked on the other ropes, helping her younger sister with the more difficult ropes or sails. The eldest, standing proudly at the stern, would steer and…

…No…Focus.

She jerked slightly as the shuttle lifted off and easily passed down through the shield that separate the hangar from the cold reaches of space. At least the moment proved her point. If the boat had run against coral it would have been easy to jump overboard and swim ashore. Where she unlucky enough to be onboard a vessel that was stuck by an asteroid of some kind well…she dared not think about it. Almost to prove her point, the sunlight in the windows across from her was blocked by a great, black looming figure. It was one hull of many that were in orbit over the capital following the disastrous Coalition defeat at Havalia. She peered, fascinated at the great warship, easily dwarfing her shuttle, painted in the striking silver and deep red of the Alversian Navy. She could see its elegant lines, it’s missile ports, it’s huge turrets, each mounting three large turbolaser cannon capable not only of destroying her shuttle but obliterating it from total existence and the smaller turrets that housed lesser, but no less lethal weapons. She marvelled at how Mortal beings could have designed and built such an incredible masterpiece, a work of art, a perfect blend of city, factory, barracks and machine of war. As she watched more and more of the warship’s bulk glide by, she was finally able to see the beautifully engraved black, French script lettering that proudly denoted both her name and her registration number,
‘Alversian People’s Naval Starship Intelligence. ANB-2389. Beautiful’ She thought to herself.

However, to contrast with her vision of beauty, she saw what the vessel was in orbit for in the first place as they moved on and the elegant silvery paintwork vanished to leave a stark and harrowing hole, ripped clean into the side of the Battlecruiser, torn over several decks, as if something had taken a bite from the side of the ship itself. The wounds from Havalia. The Kitsune dreaded to think how many had perished in that one moment of fire, and steel, and screams. Occasional blue sparks shot from the damaged section, highlighting were worker teams were making basic repairs to her hull, in preparation for the jump back to the more secure and better equipped Alversian dry docks or, more likely, another battle against the Danaversian Empire and their Boolean allies.

Finally, the shuttle made it past the enormous engines, cleared the warship’s shadow, and they were back in the glaring sunlight again, on their way down to the surface. The shuttle quickly and quietly broke lower orbit and headed over lush forests and clean, cool lakes towards Mysan, the seat of power for the Macronian government. They passed over the newly rebuilt city, with walls and buildings no longer a stark and unwelcoming desert colour but a more inviting and relaxing pale yellow, the anger of the scheme faded like the desert sands which had sent it. Beyond the vast walls were large and fulsome fields of a dark green crop, filled with attending farmers, relations and children as they worked hard at the soil underneath, safe in the knowledge that their families would not starve this year due to lack of editable vegetation. The newly built spaceport resembled nothing more than a courtyard surrounded by smaller buildings and it was here in which the shuttle settled down.

The Kitsune readied her weapons and armour, always prepared for the worst should it occur as the ramp was lowered. The first thing that hit them was the wonderful cooling breeze, the result of a newly born sea just over the mountains. The air itself was cold and damp but in no way unpleasant. The sun was weak, for it was morning in the city and it’s Inhabitants only now woke to a new day of hard work and toil preparing the city for it’s new role as the seat of government for a whole planet. Flocks of birds swooped and twirled overhead, their movements more natural and graceful than anything an artificial craft could hope to achieve. The air was filled with laughter, childish cries of delight and the call of Sellers peddling their wares to the thousands of visitors who now made habitual stops beyond the walls. Most of the inhabitants remained Kitsune, but now it was clear to make out humanoids of all kinds, not to mention the multicoloured uniforms of the Crewmen who occupied the vast floating warships in orbit.

The Black Guard did not let her guard down for a moment, especially not when a Kitsune with grey fur and kind eyes approached their ship, flanked by two members of the local garrison. Their armour was virtually the same as the Alversian Army’s, save for the general modifications made for Kitsune ease of use. However, there were no katanas and the Mysan Royal seal had been engraved into the left shoulder of the silvery armour. The central Kitsune bowed deeply to the Ambassador who had also disembarked from the shuttle,
“Ambassador Tiri, it is an honour to have you with us on this beautiful day,” He said in a quiet and respectful voice, “the Foreign Minister sends his regards and wonders if you will join he and his wife for a spot of morning tea?” he smiled. The Black Guard just waited for the opening move, muscles tense, breath steady, eyes fixed on the Soldier closest to her, ready for anything.

But, by Qonn, she wished she had been given leave to relax in such wonderful surroundings.

Mysan...

Tiri bowed back to the kitsune who had greeted her. "I am honored; I accept the Foreign Minister's kind offer, sir." A small smile. From what she could see Mysan and the surrounding countryside looked like a lovely place to visit or live, and the people seemed content and at ease: It was hard to imagine that not so long ago the whole planet had been a vast desert in which the hardy residents scratched out a living from the nearly barren soil, one eye always on the wilds to watch for bandit attack. Now the bandits were vanquished, food was good and plentiful, the air was wet and soothing and the kitsune and others who lived and worked in this area knew peace.

Bree's communicator sounded in her ears as the other guard spoke to her over their secure channel. "Easy, Bree," Litek's lazy voice echoed over the ansible, "you look like you're expecting a fight." To an untrained observer looking at the exterior armor of a Guard it would seem that the soldier was completely at ease, but other Guards could recognize the moods of their comrades as instinctively as if they could see their face or tail. Litek was a little older and a level higher up in rank than Bree, an old hand at the job of protecting people. He radiated casual indifference...until a threat presented itself, then he was all business. While the XDC had considered this assignment dangerous enough to request two Guards to escort their diplomat, Litek was supremely relaxed, he had been in worse situations facing more dangerous enemies than the Macronians.
Which wasn't to say he wasn't ready; he just hid it better than Bree.

"Very well, Ma'am, if you can follow me, then I shall bring you to his Quarters." The Kitsune Diplomat bowed again and beckoned for the Xiscapian Ambassador to follow him. The two Soldiers waited until Tiri had moved up to beside the Diplomat, still flanked by her two guards, before taking up positions on the flanks of the Guards themselves. Bree was still alert, still anxious and the words from her Superior did not calm her down much,
“I’ll relax a little more once I calm down from the Space journey.” She replied equally as calmly, yet, never once letting her guard down, “and once we’re in safer territory. You know the Foreign Minister and the Queen were snatched from their own bedrooms in this city.” She sounded disapproving.

The small procession passed through one of the dark and cold sandstone buildings that made up the perimeter of the Space Port. The small room they passed through was virtually empty, save for a couple of benches along one side and a check-in desk in the opposite corner. The rest of the room was empty, in a shade that was wonderfully shaded after the bright sun of the main courtyard that was employed as a landing area. The only people in the small waiting room were Soldiers, for it had been temporarily taken over for the use of the Xiscapian Diplomat and the other crews of the other ships as they came and went from their Charges high in orbit.

After they had exited through the Terminal’s doors, arranged into a tall arch, they were out into the main street, an avenue whose pavements were packed and bustling with people both arriving to the city and departing from it, Well Wishers seeing off Family and friends or waiting for dearly-missed Relatives to return to their welcoming arms, shrieks of joy sounding up and down the street as Lovers embraced Lovers, Parents embraced Children and Relatives embraced Relatives. The narrow streets, which branched off from the main avenue in almost all directions were flanked on both sides by three-storied apartment blocks, and thronged with people, only the occasional pair of Infantry or off duty naval crew added any sense of uniformity to the air. In front of the Diplomat was a Hover car, a fairly common Alversian make, which looked new and clean, painted in black and bearing the royal ensign of the Queen of Mysan. It was protected fore and aft by more Hover cars, also Alversian make, which were painted in the yellow and white livery recently chosen by the Mysan Army for internal security purposes. Their red beacons were flashing and more Soldiers waiting inside as the Diplomat, the Ambassador and her two Black Guards settled inside the main car, fitted out for such journeys before moving off and joining the main traffic.

The roads were not busy and what few cars there were on the road were happy to move aside for the Procession. The Diplomat remained in silence until they had driven through the gates of the Royal Palace, still home to Mysan’s head of State, the Queen Krystic I of Mysan and her husband, King Si. The grand entrance was protected by a dozen Royal Guards in splendidly clean armour, painted a deep red, ceremonial pikes at their sides, rifles slung over their shoulders. It was a short trip from the entrance up the grand staircase in the main hall, through a few more hallways until they reached the door flanked by two more Guards. The Diplomat stood forward and gently knocked on the Royal’s bedroom door,
“Majesties? The Ambassador from Xiscapia is here.” He said in a respectful voice.

Now, in the cooler air, Bree felt more able to relax, now surrounded by Legions of Guards, passing through layer after layer of security. She supposed that the Mysan Kitsune had learnt their lesson and tightened the ring of protection around the Royal Family.
“Now I can be easy.” She said to her Opposite number.