THE DARK TIDE - GRAND FINALE
AN EVO INTERACTIVE STORY
CREATED BY SAMURAI, MODERATED BY CAPTAIN CARNOTAUR
FINALE WRITTEN BY THUNDER
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Note: This finale is meant to be the final post of the story. Comments are welcome (and encouraged), but please do not post any continuation posts, the story is over. Also, I apologize in advance if I misinterpreted anyone's character. Thanks to everyone who participated! 
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When Entropy announced his plan to have the races of the known galaxy explore the universe and live together in peace, it seemed as if the peace conference would be over within mere minutes. But instead, as arguing continued, it dragged on. Minutes gave way to hours, but still a final agreement could not be reached.
"We can't give up our territory and our military." Carnotaur calmly tried to explain to Entropy. "Our people fought and died to bring us the strength and territory we have now! And without a powerful military we will be vunerable to attack."
"By who?" Entropy retorted. "Everyone else at this conference but you is committed to reducing their military to a police force to keep law and order within their own territory. But still you insist on keeping a powerful military. Why?"
"I've explained that over and over," Carnotaur said, a little bit frustrated. We need our powerful military to keep us safe from attack, and to retaliate if we are attacked. We will not give it up."
Several delegations glared at the Corocians for what they percieved as stubborn demands. Entropy replied, "I've unveiled technology that will allow us to go beyond our own corner of space and explore the galaxy beyond! There are untold riches and mysteries to be uncovered, and yet you insist on squabbling over a couple systems, a few hundred military vessels, and a few credits. The future that lies ahead of us is so much more than that! Don't you want to be a part of that?"
"Of course I do," Carnotaur responded, "but I won't risk the safety of our people by leaving us without a military to protect our current territory."
"We'll be so busy exploring the galaxy that we'll have no time or intrest in fighting one another! There is no need to keep a massive standing military force! All we ask is that you cut it down by 60%."
"Unacceptable."
Suddenly the young Kayan delegate stood, and quickly caught the attention of the entire room with his harsh words. "You Corocians ought to be ashamed of yourselves! You created your 'rebellion' to repay the Igadzra for the injustice they dealt you. And you retreated to the depths of the Ji nebula to build a civilization. What happened then? Did you lose your way? Or did you just forget what cause you were fighting for? When you expanded beyond the nebula, you proceeded to attack the UE and help the Voinians exterminate the Emalgha. Only a few hundred thousands Emalghans are left, most of which reside right here on Station Unity. But then you got right to attacking the Igadzra, right? No! You expand to fill the void between UE and Miranu space, and proceed to blockade them! Then you continue your assults on the UE, killing over a billion of their citizens in nuclear and firebomb attacks. When the UE finally decides to surrender to avoid the extermination of their entire race, you occupy their territory. And in all this time you only ever captured a single Igadzra system.
Now it comes time to make peace. Now, I must commend you, over the past four years you have built an empire to be proud of. You have the strongest military in the galaxy. Nobody will make the mistake to question Corocian power. Your people live in prosperity and comfort, while other entire races are uprooted and left homeless. But when you come to the bargaining table, you make the harshest demands of all! You demand reparations from those far poorer than you! And then you refuse to reduce your military, though it is the already the largest in the galaxy by far. Your demands are the only thing that is keeping us from peace. For once, consider the needs of the races around you and drop them."
The Kayan sat down, and Carnotaur responded. "What's your name?"
"Akyna" The Kayan replied.
"Well, Akyna, you and your people have no right to insult us like that. The UE attacked us first. They assulted our allies, the Renegades. We simply came to their aid. When the UE continued attacking us, we declared war on them and responded in kind. Yes, we started out to overthrow the Igadzra, but times and missions change. When the UE made themselves our enemy, they became our target. I suppose you wanted us to not defend ourselves? We're not crazy. We took the war to them and we won. The systems we captured from them were won fairly in battle. The deaths we caused were regrettable, but there will always be casualties in war.
Now we come to this conference, comitted to negotiating a peace agreement, but instead we find a list of demands that we must meet, forged by the other races. Slash our military. Give up fairly owned Corocian systems. Make peace with our enemies, without recieving any reparations for our losses. We want to make peace, but it seems like the negotiations are all slanted one way: yours."
Not satisfied with Carnotaur's response, Akyna shot back another harsh response. "I myself said that the Corocians are the most powerful force in the galaxy. They could easily wipe out any race that attacked them. But even your military is not powerful enough to hold back all of us-"
"That's enough!" Thunder interrupted, trying to restore order. "This is a peace conference, not a forum for lobbing military threats at one another!"
"No," Pikera said, "let him speak, Thunder." In deferance to Pikera, Thunder sat back down and turned to Akyna, "Go ahead, continue."
"As I was saying," Akyna continued, undaunted, "there is no way that even the Corocians could hold back all the forces of the galaxy. Everyone here is comitted to peace except you, Carnotaur. We are willing to make peace without you if need be; even if it means we'll have to force you into submission. I think I speak for all the delegations here when I say, 'drop your demands, or else'. If anyone here isn't behind me, then stand now."
Everyone looked around the room, but nobody stood. Encouraged by the unified response, Akyna glared at Carnotaur. The Corocians were shocked by the response. They whispered amongst themselves, before Carnotaur rose and addressed the conference. "Very well. Though your show of unity reeks of discrimination, we have no choice but to agree. We will cut our military forces by 35%, but we get to keep all our territory, and the UE must pay us 1 million credits in reparations. Agreed?"
"Those are hardly better than your previous demands." Akyna responded. "Cut your military by 60%, and return Sol to the humans, and Emalghion and Kelmaon to the
Emalgha. And drop your demand for reparations from the UE, if anything you should be paying them."
"Fine..." Carnotaur said, "we will cut our military by 45%, and allow the Emalgha to return to Emalghia, but the two moons remain under Corocian occupation. But no more."
Looking around the table, there was no protest to Carnotaur's latest suggestion. Progress had finally been made.
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Half an hour had passed since Akyna and Carnotaur had argued so fiercly, but it had been worth it. In Thunder's hand was the final draft of the Unity Galactic Peace Accords. Every issue had been worked out; every argument resolved, and every delegation satisfied.
"Now," Thunder said, "all that's left is for us all to sign this. Ready to make history?"
The reporters on the far side of the room carefully recorded the scene and broadcast it across the galaxy as each delegation in turn signed the peace accord and passed it on. Ten minutes later, the last delegation had signed it and it was handed back to Thunder, who put his signature on last.
"It's official," Thunder said, "a new era of peace and exploration has begun. I'm sure that in the weeks, months, and years to come we will see many changes from the galaxy we knew. With the help of Entropy and his scanning device, we will be able to explore and colonize hundreds, even thousands of new worlds. We'll meet new races. We'll discover new mysteries and perhaps solve some old ones. Where did the Council really come from? What is the origin of the Strands? What lies beyond the Crescent? Maybe soon we'll know.
Last of all, I'd like to thank you all for coming. This hasn't been easy, but we made it. Congratulations are in order, and you all deserve a round of applause. I'm sure the people watching all across known space are applauding you right now, because it's through your efforts that this conference and these peace accords became a success. I wish you all a safe journey home and a bright future. This peace conference is adjouned."
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The next few years didn't fail to live up the bright expectations of the conference delegates ; instead they passed with flying colors. In the weeks following the peace conference, the first scans came back from Entropy's ship. New systems were discovered and new hyperlinks were opened. Within three months the Renegades had established the first colony beyond the North Tip Asteroid belt. It wasn't long before the Azdgari became the first to explore beyond the crescent. The Corocians used their powerful military force and know-how to explore to the north of the Ji Nebula, finding new worlds, starting new colonies, and continuing to expand into the space beyond. And things only accelerated from there. Indeed there was no time for fighting or war; all eyes had turned from known space to the new frontiers that laid in the expanse beyond.
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Two traders sat quietly in a spaceport on Kayia. Their table in the bar overlooked the the capitol city. It shone brightly in the light of the midday sun, skyscrapers and skywalks reflecting the sunlight in an almost prismatic effect. You could hardly tell that the whole planet had been ravaged by the Renegades in the Great Wars six years ago. Across the way in the landing area they could see merchants and ships from many races arriving at the spaceport, returning from new Strandless and Human colonies to the galactic south of the Proxima nebula.
War and poverty existed only in history lessons these days. Even the Emalgha, who had been utterly decimated in the Great Wars, were now back on their feet, even succeeding in colonizing a new world just outside the Ji Nebula. Every race had something to be proud of, new colonies, newfound peace and prosperity.
The dark tide of war had receded, and now the future looked brighter than ever.
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A hatch opened up and the aliens said,
"We're sorry to learn that you soon will be dead,
But though you may find this slightly macabre,
We prefer your extinction to the loss of our job."
(This message has been edited by Thunder (edited 04-07-2001).)
