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«12. . .2,9662,9672,9682,9692,9702,9712,972. . .3,0103,011»

Ariilyth

Vordanian warriors wrote:“I...pull out one of my guns and blast them to hell...”

Olrynion raised the glass high, uneasily. "Yeah, nice and simple, isn't it?" He took a heavy drink, and placed the glass firm upon the table, with enough force to unbalance him. "You miss, or he dodges, or his armour simply takes the blast. He closes the distance on you, what then?"

Technocracy of Vermell wrote:"So hes going home? Well, Let's he finds what he's looking for. So, Terros, would you like to take me on a tour?"

"Why it would be my pleasure, Elana." He stands up with a smile. He adjusts his eyepatch and walks over to the door.

The united republic of luke wrote:The size of the Adamant itself was microscopic compared to the size of the solar system, and the simple fact that any gases are surrounded by the Adamants metallic hull. This scans turns up next to no useful information.

The Adamant still awaited a reply from the world below, even an acknowledgement that they have the ability to comprehend it.

“Our scans return nothing,” the scientist says into a radio clipped to his jacket.

“Well then, assuming you’ve managed to knock all those broadcasting devices together like I told you to do earlier. Broadcast a reply,” the Leader answered from his office. “Tell them we said hello.”

Yoko sat on a chaise lounge near Flora, capturing the same message and authorizing a synchronized broadcast from the automation on the moons of the planet.

Vordanian warriors

Ariilyth wrote:Olrynion raised the glass high, uneasily. "Yeah, nice and simple, isn't it?" He took a heavy drink, and placed the glass firm upon the table, with enough force to unbalance him. "You miss, or he dodges, or his armour simply takes the blast. He closes the distance on you, what then?"

Vokkir chuckles.

“The gun’s useful for more than just shooting...I can beat his ass senseless with the rifle butt...and then shoot him while he’s knocked out.”

Ariilyth

Vordanian warriors wrote:Vokkir chuckles.

“The gun’s useful for more than just shooting...I can beat his ass senseless with the rifle butt...and then shoot him while he’s knocked out.”

"Thatsh clever. Blunt trauma... I mean, ask Lore Vaughan, swingin' that mace of hims, though chancesh are he ent gettin' knocked out by a rifle butt if he's wearin' a good helmet. Disorientated, shoor. A concussion if yer lucky, and shoor you want that, but probability of success is hap-hazzidis at best, and now he knowsh yer a crafty lil f*cker. What ya do is draw that sword ya got, growl at 'im, wave it about like a cornered animal, letim buy into what he tinks you are, while you study his armour for chinks an' weakissis 'n sh*t and then when he's nice and confident, and thinks he gots you done..."

With breakneck speed and unprecedented precision, Olrynion grabbed Vokkir and lunged forward. The Kauv'ok sensed something sharp bleed the air, but it was too late. He would look down to see, knocking at his gut: Olrynion's obsidian black knife.

"Drop that sword, put a knife through that chink. No chances. No probability factor. That's a tide turner, every time, if not a finisher."

Vordanian warriors

Ariilyth wrote:"Thatsh clever. Blunt trauma... I mean, ask Lore Vaughan, swingin' that mace of hims, though chancesh are he ent gettin' knocked out by a rifle butt if he's wearin' a good helmet. Disorientated, shoor. A concussion if yer lucky, and shoor you want that, but probability of success is hap-hazzidis at best, and now he knowsh yer a crafty lil f*cker. What ya do is draw that sword ya got, growl at 'im, wave it about like a cornered animal, letim buy into what he tinks you are, while you study his armour for chinks an' weakissis 'n sh*t and then when he's nice and confident, and thinks he gots you done..."

With breakneck speed and unprecedented precision, Olrynion grabbed Vokkir and lunged forward. The Kauv'ok sensed something sharp bleed the air, but it was too late. He would look down to see, knocking at his gut: Olrynion's obsidian black knife.

"Drop that sword, put a knife through that chink. No chances. No probability factor. That's a tide turner, every time, if not a finisher."

As if by instinct, Vokkir grabs the knife- by the blade- and attempts to push it away from his body, but struggles to do so. He’s shocked by the incredible speed that Olrynion possessed, even without the armor he wore the other day. It wouldn’t be much of a stretch to assume that the others are of equal strength, possibly even stronger. Even with his own gunskill, Vokkir lacked the strength and speed that these men possessed. If he would have any chance of standing alongside MACE, he would have to get stronger. And fast.

“I...see your point...”

Vordanian warriors wrote:As if by instinct, Vokkir grabs the knife- by the blade- and attempts to push it away from his body, but struggles to do so. He’s shocked by the incredible speed that Olrynion possessed, even without the armor he wore the other day. It wouldn’t be much of a stretch to assume that the others are of equal strength, possibly even stronger. Even with his own gunskill, Vokkir lacked the strength and speed that these men possessed. If he would have any chance of standing alongside MACE, he would have to get stronger. And fast.

“I...see your point...”

"If that was a f*cking pun, I'm going to push this knife in."

Vordanian warriors

Ariilyth wrote:"If that was a f*cking pun, I'm going to push this knife in."

Vokkir continues to struggle against the knife.

“A...pun? What’s...a pun?”

Vordanian warriors wrote:Vokkir continues to struggle against the knife.

“A...pun? What’s...a pun?”

Olrynion withdrew the blade and placed it in its sheathe.

"A bad joke. Don't worry about it."

Vordanian warriors

Ariilyth wrote:Olrynion withdrew the blade and placed it in its sheathe.

"A bad joke. Don't worry about it."

Vokkir catches his breath as he watches the blood seep from the palm of his hand that grasped that blade.

“So what is next?”

Ariilyth

Vordanian warriors wrote:Vokkir catches his breath as he watches the blood seep from the palm of his hand that grasped that blade.

“So what is next?”

"I suppose you go see the medic about that cut." Olrynion said as he sat back down. "Second platform, two lefts and a right."

Vordanian warriors

Ariilyth wrote:"I suppose you go see the medic about that cut." Olrynion said as he sat back down. "Second platform, two lefts and a right."

Vokkir nods and leaves the room quietly, aside from the sound of his boots stepping across the floor.

The united republic of luke

Epson 15 wrote:“Our scans return nothing,” the scientist says into a radio clipped to his jacket.

“Well then, assuming you’ve managed to knock all those broadcasting devices together like I told you to do earlier. Broadcast a reply,” the Leader answered from his office. “Tell them we said hello.”

Yoko sat on a chaise lounge near Flora, capturing the same message and authorizing a synchronized broadcast from the automation on the moons of the planet.

The binary reply scrolled across the Adamants viewscreen, with it the captain smiled.

"Captain, from what we've gathered, they've not yet achieved faster than light capabilities. First Contact Package 2 is unnecessary, as it may prove unsuccessful. I recommend a move to establish contact, perhaps in an uninhabited area of their world to ensure our visit is kept at as low a profile as necessary." Boyer leans back in his seat, finishing his coffee as the binary message is relayed back to the surface.

Establish contact. Meet?

The Rending of the Conchordate I: The Emperor and the Diktator

Malov Ru waited, casually lying on his throne aboard the Tyrant-Slayer. Before him was projected a camera feed of empty space. Soon however, the space appeared to distort, and a medium-sized cargo vessel appeared. “My Emperor,” a voice was broadcast to the room, “I have arrived.” Aboard the cargo ship were smuggled Antillean rebels. This group of a couple hundred revolutionary comrades would be transported by the Tyrant-Slayer to a training camp in the Conchordate interior: an abandoned mining station.

“Excellent work, Captain Nemu.” Ru said. “I am honored by your loyalty to our cause, and to the Ru Dynasty”

As the Revolutionaries deboarded the cargo vessel, they cracked jokes, laughed, and roughhoused with each other. These rag-tag young people were highly diverse, among them were violent communists, revolutionary jacobian liberals,militaristic ultra-nationalists, and loyalist monarchists. And yet, the monolithic and exclusivist Diktorist government managed to unite them all under a single cause: the murder of Nablus Diktor, the Great Tyrant, and the destruction of her Diktorist government. Nevertheless, this forced union of radicalists was far from truly cohesive, and far from truly stable. Fighting and violence were common, yet a sense of camaraderie, a shared enemy and shared experience of oppression kept them from going too far with each other. The Revolutionaries shouted slogans of “Death to Diktor!” And “Slay the Tyrant!” with great ideological vigor.

Back on Antillea Diktor tightly clamped down on any competing ideology besides staunch Diktorism, or any unapproved criticism of her regime. Protesters on Antillea would quietly “disappear” only to reappear months later as military “volunteers” or miners on the Conchordate frontier. Concentration camps were operated across Antillea filled with political dissidents undergoing ‘reeducation’ with dubious sentients’ rights compliance, and which the regime kept tight censorship of.

But out here in space, one was far more free from the tyranny of Diktor. One could criticize the government with some degree of safety as long as one lay beyond her immediate reach. Kubu even enjoyed a degree of democracy and freedom, much to Diktor’s annoyance and worry, supported by the pro-democracy Governor Saru.

Only from the safety of space could the revolution have a chance of inflicting real change on the Conchordate. Diktor had conquered the Ru Empire, and toppled the Ru Dynasty, but she could never conquer Ru loyalists. By employing secret loyalists like Captain Nemu the Revolution could obtain a ready-made fleet of ships to smuggle their comrades off-world.

—————————-

The Revolution was still small, but with it spreading beyond Antillea, it was time to make themselves known and to begin establishing bases of support throughout the Conchordate. Ru prepared the following message:

Ru sat with monarchical power upon his throne in the Tyrant Slayer. Armed revolutionaries floated besides him. “Aqmore throughout Haban, and people of Ervidius, I am Emperor Malov Ru, rightful sovereign of the Ru Dynasty. Let it be known that the tyrant Diktor’s coup against me and my fellow monarchs has failed to stop me. Below the oceans of Antillea my comrades, innocent Aqmore merely expressing dissatisfaction with her regime, are being held in concentration camps and suffer regular torture. Diktorists thugs silence any who attempt to bring light to these crimes.”

“My heart goes out to those who have suffered torture and death at the hands of Diktor’s violent thugs. Do not listen to Diktor’s censured news channels, do not trust censured social media. Her minions control all that is said.”

He gestures to the revolutionaries to his sides, “Comrades, we fight for justice and freedom! We fight to end this dictatorship! Free democracy! Socialism! Strength and power! We shall slay the Tyrant and kill her minions. Throw aside the chains of Dictatorial oppression and march with us into a free future. Death to Diktor! Death to Diktor!”

Ru began to chant “Death to Diktor!” With the revolutionaries. Then, he swam up to the camera and finished, “I’m coming, Nablus. I shall have my revenge.”

———————-

Naturally, the Conchordate denied this. They explained the Revolutionaries as a small coalition of radical highly-violent reactionaries, including pro-monarchists and those with radical ideologies. “This is a band of radical monarchists, violent communists, and murderous Jacobians. Remember well, Aqmore, the blood spilled in Oga a century ago as a mad mob rose up and launched a systematic campaign of murder. These ‘revolutionaries’ intend the same.”

The Conchordate dismissed the ‘concentration camps’ as ‘reintegration camps’ for “promoting the pacification and rehabilitation of terrorists convicted of and confirmed to have actively planned violent crimes. These are not kind-hearted neighbors, these are sick, hardened criminals bent on committing acts of violence against the Government and the innocent.”

Ru’s claim of Diktor committing a coup was dismissed as “A far-fetched conspiracy theory popular among reactionary monarchists with romantic idyllic views of the old Antillean nobility. Instead of supporting our Composer when she was attacked by an unknown alien, they attempted a violent coup to oust her, violating our most sacred laws.”

However, the Conchordate was now forced to acknowledge the existence of the revolution ...

Aboard an escorted government transport near Larvon, Diktor shivered and drifted close to her bodyguards for comfort. She was overcome with a mixture of terror and rage. The snake survived! And threw out his ideals in a fit of madness! She called for a session of the Iridium council, her voice shaking from emotion. She would crush this ‘revolution’, and she would see the hated Ru dead. As long as Ru lived, she would be terrified of the truth becoming known. Everything she worked towards, it could fall apart in an instant. Against this threat, the powerful Aqmore dictator felt afraid.

The united republic of luke, Achaian Peloponnese, Kedor, United states of the universe, and 2 othersTwo-Oh-Two, and Epson 15

The united republic of luke wrote:The binary reply scrolled across the Adamants viewscreen, with it the captain smiled.

"Captain, from what we've gathered, they've not yet achieved faster than light capabilities. First Contact Package 2 is unnecessary, as it may prove unsuccessful. I recommend a move to establish contact, perhaps in an uninhabited area of their world to ensure our visit is kept at as low a profile as necessary." Boyer leans back in his seat, finishing his coffee as the binary message is relayed back to the surface.

Establish contact. Meet?

From over his scientist's shoulder, the Leader quietly scanned the words, then laughed in disbelief. It really was happening again.

"Find some way to tell them we heard it. I know a place we can meet them without attracting attention."

"Right away, sir."

"Yoko, tell Johnathan to take over the rebel issue. He's to be allowed to utilize all advanced negotiation. Please, do not provoke them further. For anything else, defer to me or make your executive decision. You'll be escorting me to the meeting place."

The Leader pulled his cape back over his shoulders and left with Yoko in tow. Behind them, on the computer, the scientist was beginning the painstaking task of uploading and transmitting a map of a quiet, isolated plateau, far away from any major population areas. A small circle indicated the area which they would prepare for the visitors.

The united republic of luke

Epson 15 wrote:From over his scientist's shoulder, the Leader quietly scanned the words, then laughed in disbelief. It really was happening again.

"Find some way to tell them we heard it. I know a place we can meet them without attracting attention."

"Right away, sir."

"Yoko, tell Johnathan to take over the rebel issue. He's to be allowed to utilize all advanced negotiation. Please, do not provoke them further. For anything else, defer to me or make your executive decision. You'll be escorting me to the meeting place."

The Leader pulled his cape back over his shoulders and left with Yoko in tow. Behind them, on the computer, the scientist was beginning the painstaking task of uploading and transmitting a map of a quiet, isolated plateau, far away from any major population areas. A small circle indicated the area which they would prepare for the visitors.

The message ran across the viewscreen on the bridge, Boyer held his empty bug as he the map was too displayed on screen.

"Helm move us over those coordinates. Lucas, assemble an away team. Senior staff preferably, no security either, have tactical prepare to teleport us up should things go awry. I've no intention of ruining a first contact." The captain rose from his seat and soon exited the bridge as the Adamant moved over the coordinates and waited for signs of activity at the meeting site below.

Burgjano wrote:The Rending of the Conchordate I: The Emperor and the Diktator

(snip)

“Majesty, there has come word from the Haban Conchordate. It is concerning.”

From her seat upon the Jeweled Throne, Anassa Omonoia II turned away from the latest report from Despotis Lamilaos Pentenis of Propylon Station and fixed the newly-arrived analyst with a glare. “Explain this concern,” she demanded.

The analyst, on his knees before the Anassa, bowed his head as he delivered the unfortunate news. “An individual in opposition to Composer Diktor’s government has named himself Emperor Ru, and has accused the Composer of multiple actions that the rest of the galaxy is likely to consider crimes against sentient life, specifically the arrest, torture, and murder of political opponents on Antillea. The Composer’s government has refuted these accusations in a broadcast of its own, and has called on the Aqmore to reject Ru’s claim to authority over them. We are unsure of the consequences of these broadcasts, but we feel it prudent to warn you of the danger, Majesty.”

Omonoia frowned, at first in slight concern for the struggles of a government in close proximity to the League, and then more thunderously as the wider implications of trouble in the Conchordate specifically made themselves known to her. “So she refuses to deal with the Aartisians in the final manner that they so justly deserve, but she will put her own people through torture,” the Anassa growled. “If only I could be surprised at this short-sighted, self-centered idiocy.” The notion that this so-called Emperor Ru might have been lying was considered and dismissed; Omonoia had come to appreciate the strong and unassailable authority that then-Hegemon Diktor had wielded over the Aqmore Hegemony during its time in the Center Pact, authority that had only increased with the state’s transformation into the Haban Conchordate, and the Anassa knew from experience that the investment of such powerful authority in a single individual would require that individual to withstand or silence a bevy of would-be rivals. If Omonoia could have spared the manpower—or trusted the men under her command to carry out hard actions against their compatriots—no one on Evvia or Peloponnese would have dared to challenge her determination to remake her people into the foremost military scientists in the galaxy. Whether Diktor’s likely actions were confined to Antillea or not, Omonoia almost envied the Composer for the control she wielded over her people, and the trust she could place in her servants to make that control possible.

However, such revelations made Diktor’s reluctance to deal harshly with Aartis even more infuriating. Just as importantly, public accusations of widespread crimes against sentient civilians hung awkwardly over the very state that had spearheaded the assault on the Coalition of the Aartis System on the grounds of alleged crimes against sentient civilians. On Diktor’s hasty word, an unlikely collection of fleets and nations had crushed a state that protested its innocence to the very end; an Aqmore investigation into those allegations had begun only after the conclusion of the war, and was still ongoing. Could the results of that investigation be trusted when the authority responsible for it was now accused of equally-damning crimes?

Indeed, with the precedent of preemptive intervention so fresh in the galaxy’s collective mind—set by Diktor herself, of course—who could assume that the Conchordate’s neighbors would settle for political speeches and demands for transparency when they had earlier simply brought their fleets to bear at the first accusation of impropriety?

(Oh, how Omonoia trembled to contemplate the day that the Erviadi learned of Biotia or the kyrioi!)

And if these troubles, either confined to the Conchordate’s domestic sphere or expanded to include the invasion fleets of the whole galaxy, caused the Aqmore any lapse of attention or control over the Aartis System… Stars knew just what the Aartisians could accomplish against the civilized Erviadi with the leash as loose as it already was, but this event could make it possible for them to slip the leash entirely. The very notion made Omonoia’s blood boil.

The Anassa turned her attention to the nearest holoprojector. “Connect me with Admiral Panagopoulos,” she ordered. Turning back to the analyst kneeling before her throne, Omonoia said, “Maintain a watch on the situation. I want to know who reacts to these accusations and how, as soon as it happens.”

“Yes, Majesty.”

“Majesty,” Admiral Panagopoulos’s voice broke in as the Megaron’s QEC connection with the Void Fleets’ main headquarters established his presence. The admiral’s image bowed to the Anassa on her Jeweled Throne before straightening. “What do you require?”

“Ready all of the expeditionary fleets for a possible emergency,” Omonoia ordered. “There is trouble among the Aqmore, Admiral, and I do not know how the rest of the galaxy will take it.”

Panagopoulos’s expression clouded. “Majesty, our participation in the war against Aartis highlighted several deficiencies in our fleet structure that will not be rectified for some time.”

“I am aware, Admiral,” the Anassa growled, unhappy to be reminded of her fleets’ paltry size compared with the armadas of both her short-term and long-term allies during the conflict. “I am ordering you to prepare for a worst-case scenario. Unfortunately, there is a reasonable likelihood of that scenario occurring. Be ready to deploy at any time—and to any place.”

The admiral nodded grimly. “Yes, Majesty.”

“That will be all.”

Omonoia turned back to the kneeling analyst before her. “The Megaron will remain silent on the matter of the Haban Conchordate,” she declared. “Should our opinion be solicited, you will inform me. You are dismissed.”

“Yes, Majesty,” the man said, rising to his feet and backing out of the blue pavilion over the Jeweled Throne, bowing once again as he came out of its shadow, and only then turning away to depart.

The Anassa leaned back in her throne, still frowning as she contemplated the issue. She was extremely concerned about the international reaction to the would-be Emperor’s accusations, to be sure. But as the initial shock faded in the wake of her preparations, Omonoia realized that no small part of her was… pleased? Yes, she realized, there was a part of her that was pleased to hear of this new challenge for the Composer of the Aqmore. ‘This may well be the price for your mercy, Nablus,’ the Anassa thought. ‘May you rectify your idiocy in Aartis before the irony drags you to your destruction.’

The united republic of luke wrote:The message ran across the viewscreen on the bridge, Boyer held his empty bug as he the map was too displayed on screen.

"Helm move us over those coordinates. Lucas, assemble an away team. Senior staff preferably, no security either, have tactical prepare to teleport us up should things go awry. I've no intention of ruining a first contact." The captain rose from his seat and soon exited the bridge as the Adamant moved over the coordinates and waited for signs of activity at the meeting site below.

The nation's recently developed but relatively haphazard magnetic levitation rails brought the Leader and his escort to the edge of the city, and an armored personnel vehicle cloaked with the finest light-reflecting skin developed on the planet took them the rest of the way.

As they approached, a scanner verified the vehicle's approach and enveloped the area in a static jamming field, blocking out the conversation between Yoko and the base's robot intelligence as she specified their identities and gave the password. The base of the plateau opened outward, like a door, on well-hidden steel rollers. Without hesitation, the driver headed straight in. The static jamming field was shut down and the door shut, leaving no trace it had ever existed.

Seconds later, several gates in the top of the plateau opened, revealing 4 military-grade spotlights, which now pointed straight upwards and flicked on, outlining a landing platform for their visitors.

Burgjano wrote:Well Holy Sh*t

Even with the rapidly expanding Aqmore censorship machine clamping down on this announcement by the revolutionaries in the Aartris System. The news spread like wildfire among the Aartrisans. Anger reverberated across the civilization at the apparent hypocrisy of the Aqmore.

The first large scale protests to the Aqmore occupation sprung up in the following days after the announcement. Whether these would evolve to guerrilla armies had yet to be determined

Sakoor wrote:"Why it would be my pleasure, Elana." He stands up with a smile. He adjusts his eyepatch and walks over to the door.

Elana walked with Terros through the hotel, showing her large aquariums of exotic fish, interesting sculptures, and even a large spinning 3d diagram of the Verma cluster.

"Terros, do you have a family? We Vermelly don't really have a concept of marriage."

Technocracy of Vermell wrote:Elana walked with Terros through the hotel, showing her large aquariums of exotic fish, interesting sculptures, and even a large spinning 3d diagram of the Verma cluster.

"Terros, do you have a family? We Vermelly don't really have a concept of marriage."

Terros nods. "Indeed, I do. My parents were killed a few years ago, but I have about 5 siblings across the fleet, three older sisters, a twin brother, and a younger sister. I also have a wife, son, and two daughters."

Burgjano

Two-Oh-Two wrote:Even with the rapidly expanding Aqmore censorship machine clamping down on this announcement by the revolutionaries in the Aartris System. The news spread like wildfire among the Aartrisans. Anger reverberated across the civilization at the apparent hypocrisy of the Aqmore.

The first large scale protests to the Aqmore occupation sprung up in the following days after the announcement. Whether these would evolve to guerrilla armies had yet to be determined

Due to the sensitivity of the situation, Diktor had to react carefully. She used the Conchordate’s power over Aartrisian corporations to ‘shadow censure’ social media, to ‘downweigh’ communications they disliked. Meanwhile, the occupation’s Department of Ideology attempted to use the event as an opportunity to imprint a greater desire for government transparency in the Aartrisian population. Diktor continued to portray Ru as a violent revolutionary Warlord making up lies and exaggerations to demonize the Conchordate. She did not attempt to disrupt peaceful protests, but did order Director Yundil to attempt to infiltrate protesters with AI intelligence operators to monitor organizational level and radicality.

They also released footage of the Revolutionaries’ violence, including the recent armed assault on a Conchordate political prison by radical insurgents, chanting the very same death chants.

With the existence of the political prisons revealed, the Conchordate released the locations of the prisons. They once again claimed that all those in the prisons were violating Conchordate law and threatened Antillean society. They are treated “reasonably according to their crimes, without any danger to their being”, the government claimed. They did not release a comprehensive list of those in the prisons, claiming that doing so would “put both the inmates’ and civilians’ safety at significant risk”. The international humiliation of the Conchordate by Ru would significantly weaken Diktor’s ability to use suppression to maintain a lid over Antillean unrest. Simultaneously, the recognition of the Aqmore revolutionaries would allow them to grow much easier. Protests began to take place in the cities of Antillea, beyond the control of Diktor for the first time and growing quickly.

Unbeknownst to the Conchordate, however, government suppression was the primary factor maintaining control over underground Aqmore malcontents, gradually radicalizing over the last century of authoritarian control. Releasing this containment was rapidly pulling the deepest levels of Aqmore society beyond the point of no return.

Burgjano wrote:The Rending of the Conchordate I: The Emperor and the Diktator

Malov Ru waited, casually lying on his throne aboard the Tyrant-Slayer. Before him was projected a camera feed of empty space. Soon however, the space appeared to distort, and a medium-sized cargo vessel appeared. “My Emperor,” a voice was broadcast to the room, “I have arrived.” Aboard the cargo ship were smuggled Antillean rebels. This group of a couple hundred revolutionary comrades would be transported by the Tyrant-Slayer to a training camp in the Conchordate interior: an abandoned mining station.

“Excellent work, Captain Nemu.” Ru said. “I am honored by your loyalty to our cause, and to the Ru Dynasty”

As the Revolutionaries deboarded the cargo vessel, they cracked jokes, laughed, and roughhoused with each other. These rag-tag young people were highly diverse, among them were violent communists, revolutionary jacobian liberals,militaristic ultra-nationalists, and loyalist monarchists. And yet, the monolithic and exclusivist Diktorist government managed to unite them all under a single cause: the murder of Nablus Diktor, the Great Tyrant, and the destruction of her Diktorist government. Nevertheless, this forced union of radicalists was far from truly cohesive, and far from truly stable. Fighting and violence were common, yet a sense of camaraderie, a shared enemy and shared experience of oppression kept them from going too far with each other. The Revolutionaries shouted slogans of “Death to Diktor!” And “Slay the Tyrant!” with great ideological vigor.

Back on Antillea Diktor tightly clamped down on any competing ideology besides staunch Diktorism, or any unapproved criticism of her regime. Protesters on Antillea would quietly “disappear” only to reappear months later as military “volunteers” or miners on the Conchordate frontier. Concentration camps were operated across Antillea filled with political dissidents undergoing ‘reeducation’ with dubious sentients’ rights compliance, and which the regime kept tight censorship of.

But out here in space, one was far more free from the tyranny of Diktor. One could criticize the government with some degree of safety as long as one lay beyond her immediate reach. Kubu even enjoyed a degree of democracy and freedom, much to Diktor’s annoyance and worry, supported by the pro-democracy Governor Saru.

Only from the safety of space could the revolution have a chance of inflicting real change on the Conchordate. Diktor had conquered the Ru Empire, and toppled the Ru Dynasty, but she could never conquer Ru loyalists. By employing secret loyalists like Captain Nemu the Revolution could obtain a ready-made fleet of ships to smuggle their comrades off-world.

—————————-

The Revolution was still small, but with it spreading beyond Antillea, it was time to make themselves known and to begin establishing bases of support throughout the Conchordate. Ru prepared the following message:

Ru sat with monarchical power upon his throne in the Tyrant Slayer. Armed revolutionaries floated besides him. “Aqmore throughout Haban, and people of Ervidius, I am Emperor Malov Ru, rightful sovereign of the Ru Dynasty. Let it be known that the tyrant Diktor’s coup against me and my fellow monarchs has failed to stop me. Below the oceans of Antillea my comrades, innocent Aqmore merely expressing dissatisfaction with her regime, are being held in concentration camps and suffer regular torture. Diktorists thugs silence any who attempt to bring light to these crimes.”

“My heart goes out to those who have suffered torture and death at the hands of Diktor’s violent thugs. Do not listen to Diktor’s censured news channels, do not trust censured social media. Her minions control all that is said.”

He gestures to the revolutionaries to his sides, “Comrades, we fight for justice and freedom! We fight to end this dictatorship! Free democracy! Socialism! Strength and power! We shall slay the Tyrant and kill her minions. Throw aside the chains of Dictatorial oppression and march with us into a free future. Death to Diktor! Death to Diktor!”

Ru began to chant “Death to Diktor!” With the revolutionaries. Then, he swam up to the camera and finished, “I’m coming, Nablus. I shall have my revenge.”

———————-

Naturally, the Conchordate denied this. They explained the Revolutionaries as a small coalition of radical highly-violent reactionaries, including pro-monarchists and those with radical ideologies. “This is a band of radical monarchists, violent communists, and murderous Jacobians. Remember well, Aqmore, the blood spilled in Oga a century ago as a mad mob rose up and launched a systematic campaign of murder. These ‘revolutionaries’ intend the same.”

The Conchordate dismissed the ‘concentration camps’ as ‘reintegration camps’ for “promoting the pacification and rehabilitation of terrorists convicted of and confirmed to have actively planned violent crimes. These are not kind-hearted neighbors, these are sick, hardened criminals bent on committing acts of violence against the Government and the innocent.”

Ru’s claim of Diktor committing a coup was dismissed as “A far-fetched conspiracy theory popular among reactionary monarchists with romantic idyllic views of the old Antillean nobility. Instead of supporting our Composer when she was attacked by an unknown alien, they attempted a violent coup to oust her, violating our most sacred laws.”

However, the Conchordate was now forced to acknowledge the existence of the revolution ...

Aboard an escorted government transport near Larvon, Diktor shivered and drifted close to her bodyguards for comfort. She was overcome with a mixture of terror and rage. The snake survived! And threw out his ideals in a fit of madness! She called for a session of the Iridium council, her voice shaking from emotion. She would crush this ‘revolution’, and she would see the hated Ru dead. As long as Ru lived, she would be terrified of the truth becoming known. Everything she worked towards, it could fall apart in an instant. Against this threat, the powerful Aqmore dictator felt afraid.

With the broadcasts sent out from the Conchordate, both from the revolutionaries and the Conchordate itself, certain Parliamentary members were quick to put their own statements on the extranet. Several positions were taken, though there was a clear majority. The majority of Parliament as well as the citizens of Celtanis adopted the stance most well expressed in the message by MP Dylan Setehra stating, "'Emperor Ru' is a criminal in the Conchordate. He is wanted for treason, and has been wanted since before the Conchordate. Though his claims are serious, this is no more credible than a toddler talking about financial strains. We should observe with caution, keeping the source in mind."

Several however have also made positions against the Conchordate, one from MP Dawhey Berute stating, "Any claims of oppression must be taken seriously. If we did not, we would subject ourselves to constant need for investigating which allows the oppressors to win. Action must be taken now!" The Parliamentary Committee for International Relations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Queen have all stated that the Celtanisian government will tread with caution around the Conchordate, but will do what is possible to investigate the credibility of the source.

The united republic of luke wrote:"That's correct." He smiled, pouring himself a cup of Udairi Tea as well as Clanaka a cup.

"I am a member of an organization dedicate to seeking out new life and civilizations across the stars. Our government has keen interest in ensuring peaceful cooperation with those we come into contact with, in an attempts to further understands what it means to truly live. For instance, on my vessel alone, there are over twenty distinct species that make up my crew. All of whom dedicated to meeting this shared vision."

Clanaka wrinkled his face, yet still none could see through his mask. "I see," he said plainly. In his head Clanaka couldn't help but feel disgusted. So many races together, despite every last one of them being xenos. You might as well vomit on the Emperor himself, he thought. He leaned back in his seat, uncrossing his arms and moving his hands together in the space between his legs, parallel to his knees. He leans forward, keeping his eyes on Havyard's. "What is it you seek from Arcanstotska?" He asked plainly, no hesitation nor stutter anywhere.

Burgjano wrote:
The Rending of the Conchordate I: The Emperor and the Diktator

Malov Ru waited, casually lying on his throne aboard the Tyrant-Slayer. Before him was projected a camera feed of empty space. Soon however, the space appeared to distort, and a medium-sized cargo vessel appeared. “My Emperor,” a voice was broadcast to the room, “I have arrived.” Aboard the cargo ship were smuggled Antillean rebels. This group of a couple hundred revolutionary comrades would be transported by the Tyrant-Slayer to a training camp in the Conchordate interior: an abandoned mining station.

“Excellent work, Captain Nemu.” Ru said. “I am honored by your loyalty to our cause, and to the Ru Dynasty”

As the Revolutionaries deboarded the cargo vessel, they cracked jokes, laughed, and roughhoused with each other. These rag-tag young people were highly diverse, among them were violent communists, revolutionary jacobian liberals,militaristic ultra-nationalists, and loyalist monarchists. And yet, the monolithic and exclusivist Diktorist government managed to unite them all under a single cause: the murder of Nablus Diktor, the Great Tyrant, and the destruction of her Diktorist government. Nevertheless, this forced union of radicalists was far from truly cohesive, and far from truly stable. Fighting and violence were common, yet a sense of camaraderie, a shared enemy and shared experience of oppression kept them from going too far with each other. The Revolutionaries shouted slogans of “Death to Diktor!” And “Slay the Tyrant!” with great ideological vigor.

Back on Antillea Diktor tightly clamped down on any competing ideology besides staunch Diktorism, or any unapproved criticism of her regime. Protesters on Antillea would quietly “disappear” only to reappear months later as military “volunteers” or miners on the Conchordate frontier. Concentration camps were operated across Antillea filled with political dissidents undergoing ‘reeducation’ with dubious sentients’ rights compliance, and which the regime kept tight censorship of.

But out here in space, one was far more free from the tyranny of Diktor. One could criticize the government with some degree of safety as long as one lay beyond her immediate reach. Kubu even enjoyed a degree of democracy and freedom, much to Diktor’s annoyance and worry, supported by the pro-democracy Governor Saru.

Only from the safety of space could the revolution have a chance of inflicting real change on the Conchordate. Diktor had conquered the Ru Empire, and toppled the Ru Dynasty, but she could never conquer Ru loyalists. By employing secret loyalists like Captain Nemu the Revolution could obtain a ready-made fleet of ships to smuggle their comrades off-world.

—————————-

The Revolution was still small, but with it spreading beyond Antillea, it was time to make themselves known and to begin establishing bases of support throughout the Conchordate. Ru prepared the following message:

Ru sat with monarchical power upon his throne in the Tyrant Slayer. Armed revolutionaries floated besides him. “Aqmore throughout Haban, and people of Ervidius, I am Emperor Malov Ru, rightful sovereign of the Ru Dynasty. Let it be known that the tyrant Diktor’s coup against me and my fellow monarchs has failed to stop me. Below the oceans of Antillea my comrades, innocent Aqmore merely expressing dissatisfaction with her regime, are being held in concentration camps and suffer regular torture. Diktorists thugs silence any who attempt to bring light to these crimes.”

“My heart goes out to those who have suffered torture and death at the hands of Diktor’s violent thugs. Do not listen to Diktor’s censured news channels, do not trust censured social media. Her minions control all that is said.”

He gestures to the revolutionaries to his sides, “Comrades, we fight for justice and freedom! We fight to end this dictatorship! Free democracy! Socialism! Strength and power! We shall slay the Tyrant and kill her minions. Throw aside the chains of Dictatorial oppression and march with us into a free future. Death to Diktor! Death to Diktor!”

Ru began to chant “Death to Diktor!” With the revolutionaries. Then, he swam up to the camera and finished, “I’m coming, Nablus. I shall have my revenge.”

———————-

Naturally, the Conchordate denied this. They explained the Revolutionaries as a small coalition of radical highly-violent reactionaries, including pro-monarchists and those with radical ideologies. “This is a band of radical monarchists, violent communists, and murderous Jacobians. Remember well, Aqmore, the blood spilled in Oga a century ago as a mad mob rose up and launched a systematic campaign of murder. These ‘revolutionaries’ intend the same.”

The Conchordate dismissed the ‘concentration camps’ as ‘reintegration camps’ for “promoting the pacification and rehabilitation of terrorists convicted of and confirmed to have actively planned violent crimes. These are not kind-hearted neighbors, these are sick, hardened criminals bent on committing acts of violence against the Government and the innocent.”

Ru’s claim of Diktor committing a coup was dismissed as “A far-fetched conspiracy theory popular among reactionary monarchists with romantic idyllic views of the old Antillean nobility. Instead of supporting our Composer when she was attacked by an unknown alien, they attempted a violent coup to oust her, violating our most sacred laws.”

However, the Conchordate was now forced to acknowledge the existence of the revolution ...

Aboard an escorted government transport near Larvon, Diktor shivered and drifted close to her bodyguards for comfort. She was overcome with a mixture of terror and rage. The snake survived! And threw out his ideals in a fit of madness! She called for a session of the Iridium council, her voice shaking from emotion. She would crush this ‘revolution’, and she would see the hated Ru dead. As long as Ru lived, she would be terrified of the truth becoming known. Everything she worked towards, it could fall apart in an instant. Against this threat, the powerful Aqmore dictator felt afraid.

Upon receiving the news, President Tarkin of the Federal Republic of Saevia called upon a special session within the National Assembly to decide on how to react. The session lasted well into the night; one man even drifted off to sleep during another’s speech. Some voiced support for Diktor, others for Ru, and whomever was left for a neutral stance. In the end, the National Assembly and the President made the decision.

In a public address the next day, President Tarkin announced that Saevia would provide “passive support” for Diktor’s administration and that Saevia would not recognize Ru as “fit for any government role, especially that of Emperor on the account of high treason to the Haban nation.”

«12. . .2,9662,9672,9682,9692,9702,9712,972. . .3,0103,011»

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