The disasters of recent events had effect even on the Kayan capital of New Kayia, one of the most well defended sectors in the Large Megellanic Cloud. The Kayans were restless, and concerned, if not outright frightened. Several thousand Kayans were already considering leaving New Kayia, to head for the relative safety of the Federation borders in the Milky Way. The economic effects had already been felt. With the Renegade Alliance scattered to the winds by the Edien invasion, trade was suffering. The refugee races of the Large Megellanic Cloud all relied on each other. The Kayans had always been a race who held much value in ornamental designs, and the Renegade Alliance had long been their supplier of such, through their organically grown silver, with itÂ’s magnified beauty and strength, that had been known among many of the Kayans as true mythril , as it so closely linked with the legends of mythril , a human legend that had inspired the KayanÂ’s imaginations. Now, without the imports from the Renegade Alliance, the economy was struggling. Of course, the Kayan government was doing all it could to keep everyone calm, but still, fear was everywhere, and the atmosphere all over the Large Megellanic Cloud was tense.
Is was thus that the First Silver came to New Kayia, a Miranu Nighthawk warship like none other. The First SilverÂ’s captain was none other than Rima of the Miranu, returned with haste from the Milky Way to see to the current threat from the Edien. The vessel glided down with great grace through the atmosphere of New Kayia. Only four other ships occupied the skies around; two Kayan gunships leaving on a patrol of the border, a Miranu freighter moving down to land at the trade docks, and a Starglider, itÂ’s captain on a business of his or her own. Otherwise, the skies were clear - eerily clear, indeed. The entire planet seemed somewhat silent, rather than in a panic. If the Kayans were in a panic, they did not show it outwardly.
The First Silver set down softly on the VIP docks just outside the large, functional building that served as the command centre for Kayan diplomatic operations. As the ship powered down, a long silver landing bridge extended outwards, touching the docking platform, and a barely noticeable door in the hull opened.
Rima stepped out gracefully, followed by two other Miranu, one of whom was Kenra. A Kayan diplomat greeted them.
“My Lady Rima, it is an honour to see you here once more. May I show you to the meeting chambers?” the diplomat asked, bowing politely, with a faint smile on his face. The lieutenant behind him showed no outward emotion.
“If you would be so kind,” Rima replied with a faint smile, and the diplomat quickly led her across the docks, and into the command centre.
------------------------------------------
The meeting chamber was a large room, but very bare, as was to be expected of the Kayans. It was also a wise move - many complaints had arisen during the last meeting of more than two governments at New Kayia over the decor. A long, slightly oval table made of a smooth white material sat in the centre of the chamber. At the head of the table sat Thunder of the Kayans, who would act as the head of this meeting. He was a powerful man, yet in wisdom more than in strength. Many respected him, even the Strands.
Emperor Tasina of the Azdgari was already present. Apparently, he had flown as fast as the stars would let him, aboard an Azdara he called his own, and with only four escort Azdaras at his wings. He was an intelligent man; loud and insistent at times, and quiet and collecting at others. He made an excellent Azdgari.
Rima of the Miranu sat opposite him, deep in thought. She had spoken barely a word since entering the chamber, except for quiet conferring with her advisors.
Redchigh of the Renegade Alliance was present, to represent his people, even though they were all but destroyed now. He was hardly a well tempered man at his best, and after the EdienÂ’s effortless defeat of his forces, he had taken a turn for the worse. It was said that he had come across some difficulty even finding two advisors to sit beside him.
The Horoth also were present, seeming strangely out of place in a meeting chamber made over the years to suit the needs of the all of the refugee races. They were, however, quite confident of themselves, and held a commanding presence, despite their recent defeats against the Edien.
The only race not yet present was the Strand League. They had yet to arrive. Thunder looked around the table impatiently, and then sighed. He was considering starting the meeting without the presence of the Strand League.
It was then that a Kayan lieutenant appeared at the doorway. “President Thunder, the Strand League have arrived. Shall I show them in?”
Thunder looked up. “With all haste!” he replied impatiently.
Two minutes later, without further ado, the Strand League representatives entered. Silverdragon, no longer Emperor of the Igadzra Union, and now instead High Councillor of the Strand League, stepped in, holding himself high. As an Igadzra, he was the physically the most powerful race there, and despite having a considerable number of years on his back, he was still strong.
The two advisors at his side gained some attention, however. At his left hand side was a figure looking only vaguely Igadzra, dressed plainly in black and white. His skin was pale, and his build was slimmer than that of an Igadzra.
One of the Azdgari advisors scowled, and many others looked disapproving. Only the race leaders and the Kayans, who were on good terms with his kind, did not seem to mind much about this figureÂ’s race.
He was a Strandless, forsaken by Gadzair or by the Strands. His name was Evaniol, and some controversy surrounded his position as supreme commander of the Igadzra Grand Naval Arm.
The figure to Silverdragon’s right also caused some mention. They had been expecting Aldaris, supreme commander of the Zidagar Space Navy and also the token leader of the Zidagar, to have attended as an advisor. The figure who stood at Silverdragon’s right was not Aldaris, however. He too was not plainly of any race; he looked somewhat Zidagar, but his skin was paler, almost cream in colour, and his body shape was considerably different to the semi-reptilian Zidagar. This man was known as Corsair, and he was the second-in-command of the Zidagar Space Navy, and Aldaris’ faithful “lieutenant”. His father had been an Igadzra, but his mother a human.
Silverdragon took a seat left of the Miranu party, facing the Horoth party. Evaniol quickly sat down with him, but Corsair stood for a few moments, weighing up the characters around him, and making several uneasy, before seating himself.
After another moment, Thunder stood. The light from the star of Galactica shone through the window behind him, and his wisened face held a commanding power.
“We are here today to address the matter of the Edien invaders, as I am sure you are all aware,” Thunder began, fixing first Tasina, then Rima, Redchigh, Silverdragon and finally RMA of the Horoth, with his eyes. “The Edien were first seen attacking the Renegade Alliance system of Cetax, but at that time we did not know of them. They then destroyed Rigel, and the surrounding systems. Only know, with the Edien assualting the Horoth border-systems, do we fully understand the situation. My friends, we are the victims of a full scale attack. As many as two thousand Edien vessels have entered the Large Megellanic Cloud.”
The scene was deathly quiet. Everyone knew how devastating two thousand Ediens could be. Only Silverdragon of the Strand League had led much of a decisive victory against them, and that was in the test battle of the IXD, under the protection of the Federation ranks. Even then, the costs needed to put such ships on the battlefield had been extensive, and would not have been possible without Federation funding.
“So, my friends,” Thunder continued, “we have no choice. No further discussion is required. We have only one option. We must band together, to fend off the Ediens. Only working together do we have any chance of victory.”
“If I may speak?” Silverdragon asked politely. Thunder nodded, and Silverdragon began. “Four months ago the Igadzra Union sent a force into the Milky Way, and with the help of the Federations, we created the IXD, an anti-Edien division of the Igadzra. Since then, the IXD have been relatively inactive, and we cannot hope for any reinforcements from them, I’m afraid. However, we have a rundown of all IXD technologies, weaponry, and ship specifications. If we were to work together, it might be possible to assemble a hunter-killer team of the IXD.”
“That’s all very well,” Tasina put in, “but we don’t have that sort of time against the Ediens, and anyway, to whose control would these vessels go? And could any but Igadzra build them? We do not have time to learn your ways of construction.”
“There is time yet, and there is hope also,” Silverdragon replied. “In addition, we have recently recovered the Nightmare by covert means from Lars Magna. We have some plans for that vessel.”
“Ahh...Lars Magna. And to whose side do you think he will show allegiance?” Thunder asked to the group. “If he was to side against us, we would indeed be in a dilemna.
“Pirates such as Lars Magna are not loyal,” Rima put in. “I believe he will aid both sides before this is done.”
Redchigh nodded slightly, in full knowledge of the pirates, after having fought them often. He, however, seemed more interested in Silverdragon’s comment about the Nightmare. “Tell me, SilverDragon, what will you do to the Nightmare?”
Evaniol grinned broadly. “We’re going to outfit it with IXD weaponry and systems, and turn it into the perfect weapon. We already know that on a good day an IXD Executor, built in the frame of an Igazra, can wipe the floor with an Edien Battlecruiser. The Nightmare , to be renamed the Executioner , will be a match for anything the Ediens can throw at us.”
“And who will captain this vessel?” Redchigh asked curiously.
“That honour will go to no man here, but instead to an Igadzra of much value to us, and myself personally,” Silverdragon replied calmly.
“This news puts some light on the Edien invasion,” one Horoth replied, “but still, the situation is dire. We must form together, at least temporarily. However, if I may ask; what of the Akrahd?”
Evaniol nearly growled, and Silverdragon seemed somewhat annoyed also. Corsair’s eyes darkened in colour, but otherwise he showed no other sign. It was Evaniol who eventually spoke. “The Akrahd are our enemies. We had to call off our attack to attend this meeting, but we fully attend to destroy them once this matter is over.”
“I’m afraid that is the truth,” Silverdragon sighed. “The Akrahd and us can never be allies. Our people would rather fall on their blades than see a day when the Akrahd and the Igadzra are friends.”
“You need not be friends, but this matter is dire, as the Horoth well speaks. There is no room for internal emnities, Silverdragon of the Igadzra. You must put those aside, and not mention them until this is over,” Thunder stated.
Silverdragon sighed. “I will do whatever I must, or can. But the effects this may have on my people... I cannot predict.”
Thunder nodded, satisfied. He then addressed the table again. “So it is decided. The Coalition must be formed. Once this meet is over, word will be sent to the Akrahd. I ask that you all stay long enough to finalise matters with the Akrahd.”
The matter was over already, but much minor talk broke out, not all positive. The Kayans present acted as peacekeepers, preventing any arguments from becoming too heated. But mostly, the situation was civil.
Half an hour later, a Kayan official entered the chambers, and handed a datapad to Thunder. Words quickly passed between the two, and then Thunder stood.
“These are the agreements that we abide to. If there are any problems, speak now, or do not speak at all,” Thunder proncounced. He then began speaking, reading from the datapad.
Quote
The Agreements of the Coalition:
**1) No military vessel belonging to the Kayans, Azdgari, Miranu, Renegade Alliance, Horoth or Strand League may fire on any vessel counted as a citizen of any of the mentioned races.
2) No military vessel commanded by the militaries of your races and governments may intentionally fire upon the military vessel of another race and government.
3) No military vessel commanded by the militaries of your races and governments may board and investigate another the government vessel of any other Coalition members without having received agreement from the leader of that race. No government ship may be detained without such conferring.
4) No legal actions may be taken against citizens of any other governments within the Coalition directly by the government victim of the crime. Each citizen shall be tried by their own government, in accordance with the laws of the land they were in at the time.
5) The movements of all military vessels of every race under the Coalition must be accounted for, and known to the leaders of every race under the Coalition. All military movements can only take place when a unanimous agreement is made by all Coalition leaders, and will be supervised by an official for each government under the Coaltion.
6) All agreements made by Coalition must be unanimous, and each race has the same voting power. The Strand League have one voting right, like all other races, and no government will be bestowed with the power of veto.
7) When any government under the Coalition comes under attack, unless otherwise decided unanimously in council, each other government has an obligation to provide military and economical support.
No government under the Coalition is required to surrender their technological secrets, unless in the greatest of needs.
9) No government under the Coalition may retreat from the CoalitionÂ’s agreement until the matter is OVER, and in unanimous agreement the Coalition leaders decide the Ediens have been defeated.
10) All agreements end upon the decision that the Ediens have been defeated, and the Coalition itself ends.
**
“That’s an awfully slow system,” complained Tasina. “If we can’t even prosecute the guilty without having to gain ‘permission’...”
“That is not so,” replied one Kayan. “You may prosecute any Azdgari or citizen of the Azdgari, which will account for almost any crimes that take place. It is only for the trade captains unaccustomed to the laws of their destination that we include this.”
“I have a question,” Corsair said suddenly.
Thunder turned his eyes to him. “Yes?”
“Once we have defeated the Ediens,” Corsair began confidently, “what would be the result of one government declaring the battle to not be over. Am I right that the Coalition would then be sustained?”
“That is the case,” Thunder replied, “although that is a very unlikely act, and whomever might attempt that would surely see reason.”
“I can but wonder, with all due respect, if it were come to pass that the Kayans decided to sustain the Coalition, that they hold such command over,” Corsair noted dryly.
“Very well,” Thunder sighed. “We shall change that requirement to state that a majority vote only will be needed to decide that the Ediens are defeated.”
“About agreement number eight...” Redchigh began. “Can we assume the situation now requires for the Kayan tachyonic generator to be supplied to all Coalition systems? It is our best defence against the Ediens, for all we know.”
“That matter is not decided,” Thunder replied plainly. “At a later date, we may make the tachyonic generator, our closest secret, more available. But we would in turn need the secrets of the other races, to show that we are all equal in this.”
“And what of the IXD technologies?” another Renegade Alliance representative asked.
Silverdragon was the one to reply. “IXD technologies will be made available to all races within the Coalition that would not need too much teaching and changing to be able to build them. This includes the Kayans and Miranu only, I’m afraid. The Azdgari and Horoth shipyards would not be equipped to build IXD vessels, nor would they know how, and the Renegade Alliance... well... does not have the resources.”
The questions rolled on, but in the end the Pact of the Coalition was mostly kept the same, other than the change to point ten. Then, each of the Coalition leaders was required to sign in a different colour upon a black tablet. Six copies would have to be made, and a seventh if the Akrahd joined the Coalition, so that each government held their own official version.
Within four days, IXD designs were sent to the Kayans and Miranu, along with a group of Igadzra to teach those respective governments how to build IXD vessels, if they saw the need. Meanwhile, the Nightmare was refitted, and became the Executioner , the flagship of the IXD, to be captained by none other than Tassar, the Igadzra who had saved Silverdragon from death against Lars Magna only a month ago.
And thus, the Coalition had begun. Where it would lead, yet no-one knew.
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Word.
(This message has been edited by SilverDragon (edited 01-06-2002).)
(This message has been edited by SilverDragon (edited 01-06-2002).)
