Re: THE SONS OF LIBERTY

Tue Dec 10, 2013 3:08 pm

IMPORTANT OOC: Due to the long-time absence of J-red, I am adding the following amendment to the SoL Plot:

Captain Johnnyred, hearing of a disturbing crisis more perilous to the PCG itself, withdraws from the Taskforce and leaves Commander Turson in charge of operations.

If Johnnyred comes back at any point, I will be happy to alter the plot again, but for the time being it makes it seem awkward if a lowly Commander is in charge while one of the main founders of the PCG is present with the fleet. Razz

END OOC

*After listening to Tyson's message, Commander Turson leans on his desk. Lieutenant Smythe is in front of him.*

"Would you like me to send word to all trustworthy vessels in the fleet to blast Jace's forces into oblivion?" Smythe pipes.

"No," Turson replies. "I do not believe Jace is a traitor."

*Smythe laughs, borderline disrespectfully.*

"Why?" he asks. "You heard Tyson's message, and Jace is under the authority of the MSI, so why wouldn't he be a traitor?"

"Think for a moment, Smythe," says Turson. "Jace knew that Tyson was going down to the planet. If he knew ahead of time that MSI units would be flooding Rator III, wouldn't he also expect Tyson to observe the MSI landing and report to the Fleet? That would mean that Jace's forces would be pitted against ours, and there would be little he could gain from that."

"The Grefulcans are grim warriors," replies Smythe. "Perhaps he expected to win against us."

"Perhaps," says Turson. "But I have a record of the Lord Commandant from PCG Intelligence. He is a man of character, determination, and loyalty."

"So many traitors have seemed throughout history," Smythe scoffs.

"I want to speak with him," the Commander says, rising from his seat. "Send word to his flagship that I would like to discuss some...disturbing news with him."

"If you do, sir, he could immediately retaliate against our ships," says Smythe.

"But that would only be if he is a traitor," replies Turson. "Do as I say, Smythe."

*The Lieutenant salutes and exits the room.*

[OOC to the Admirial and Jace: You guys have a great subplot going! Wink

End OOC]

Tue Dec 10, 2013 7:22 pm

Supreme Admiral Damirius stood from his seat at the long oaken table laden with foods from a dozen worlds. A gigantic chandelier inlaid with gold and numerous precious stones hung directly above the table, casting a dim light about the room. On the floor under the table was a huge mosaic presenting the Imperium's seal. Around the table were seated five of the most important men in the Imperium; Lord-Generals from Batashir, Virella, and Axiatus, as well as the Grand General, supreme leader of the Grand Army of the Imperium. The final man was Damirius himself, the ultimate ruler of the Imperium.

"Good evening, gentlemen," Damirius began. “As I am sure you have guessed, I have not called you here on this fine night only for the meal, however delicious it may be. The primary reason for this meeting is, in all factuality, a matter of great importance to this illustrious Imperium and, indeed, to the galaxy at large. As you know, there is currently an ongoing conflict along the Federation-Romulan border. A group of commanders from a number of nations great and small have banded together, calling themselves the “Sons of Liberty.” This coalition claims to have uncovered a Romulan plot to seize control over the Federation, and intends to storm Romulus and depose the Romulan Empress in an attempt to topple her government and then remove the Federation’s president from office by force. Our own Lord Commandant Jace of the Imperial Marines is himself involved in this force. I bid you all remember this fact, as it will become important in a moment.

“You are all also aware of the recently approved mutual-defense pact that the Imperium has signed with the Romulans. This is a great victory for our cause, putting us ever closer to the center of the galactic stage. Our economy will benefit hugely from this deal, as well as our military and our strategic positioning against several of our potential enemies.

“Unfortunately, there is, as there always is, a problem. The previously mentioned Lord Commandant, upon explicit instruction to direct Imperial Marines to defend Romulus, has refused to do so. Even after an official order from the Supreme Admiral, he remains adamant about his position and will not break contact with the so-called Sons of Liberty or send Marines to the defense of our besieged ally.

“It is for this reason, my friends, that I, with a reluctant hand, will be penning a Proposal to the Assembly to replace Supreme Commandant Jace and occupy his office with an Imperial citizen loyal to our own cause and one who will conform to the orders of his superiors.”

The room remained silent for some time as the people present contemplated Damirius’ announcement. Indeed, the political repercussions of this would be great. This would be the first time in the history of the Imperium that a military officer with a seat in the Assembly—that is, a Grand General, Lord Admiral, Lord Commandant, or Supreme Admiral—was impeached. The removal of Jace would completely upset the balance of power in the Assembly, as well as in the Grelfucan Triumvirate. Finally, the Grand General, Jonithus Caerrius, spoke.

“This is a bold move on your part, Supreme Admiral, and a pivotal one in the Imperium. But why, pray, do you tell us now?”

Damirius’ visage remained stoic. “A just question, Grand General, and one that will be answered. Gentlemen of the Assembly, I must ask for your support in this gambit of mine. The replacement of Jace is crucial to the advancement of the Imperium, as he alone stands in the way of one of the most profitable deals ever to be brokered at the negotiating tables of Velonna. He has friends, however, and many a Lord-General owes him favors. I have a network of my own; however I yet require the assistance of you and your allies within the Assembly to approve this motion. In you, sirs, lie the keys to the majority.”

The Lord-Generals and Grand General glanced about the table, each trying to gauge the reactions of his fellow rulers. This time, Krefa Mylanta, Lord-General of Virella, spoke out.

“Supreme Admiral, this is all very informative, but removing the Lord Commandant by Proposal will not be favored by all. If we support this movement, we will need something to show for it besides an abstract defense of a long-term trade agreement. Many of our supporters will abandon us if we support such a radical act out of simple obedience to the Supreme Admiral.” The others at the table nodded their agreement.

Damirius nodded. “Naturally, you will be given something with which to appease your supporters. If you support me on this matter, I will table and back a Proposal to the Assembly which will permit the annexation of neutral worlds and certain small nations by local militaries within the Imperium.”

That was the deal breaker. The kickback was well calculated by the Supreme Admiral; free annexation would be a boon to the worlds and alliances that these men represented. One by one, the members of the Assembly nodded their heads in approval. Now Damirius allowed himself a small smile. When the Proposal was tabled, it would be passed.

Wed Dec 11, 2013 5:20 pm

[OoC: I'll be handling both the Grelfucan issue and the Sons issue in this, so WARNING: WALL OF TEXT APPROACHING. /OoC]

The GTNS Manticore dropped from Rift space inside Grelfucan's defense network, and quickly made its way towards the planet. Although he was a Marine General, even the Grelfucan Navy's top Admirals would never doubt Jace's tactical prowess in all forms of battlefields. His private shuttle-his one and only luxury of his rank-flew from the hangar and set down on the Triumvirate's private landing, the Three Rulers already in the conference room, along with the rest of the Grelfucan cabinet. The Secretaries of the Army and Navy both stood and saluted Jace as he walked in returning their salutes, and shaking their hands. He went down the aisle between the tables, shaking the hands of the other Secretaries [OoC: I'll make a post later explaining the Grelfucan Triumvirate government...sometime... /OoC] and saluting the Three Rulers.

He stood in the middle of the room and noticed the Grelfucan military's Intelligence chairwoman lurking in the darkest corner of the chamber. He knew it as the joke it was-his wife never let him forget the joke he had made about Intelligence operatives practically living in the shadows.

Clearing his throat, he began the tirade previously planned on the trip to his home. "Rulers, Secretaries, Admirals and General, I'm here for several reasons at this meeting. The first and foremost to be informing you that the Assembly has summoned me to a meeting, likely to vote on deposing me as the Lord Commandant of the Imperial Marines. It is my belief that Damirius will do his best to soothe the obvious anger of our people with military contracts," Jace gave the Secretaries of the Interior and Treasury a meaningful look, "and I know that he is a fool if he truly believes that will prevent Grelfucan and my allies in the Assembly from crying against this controversy.
"On your desks you will all see what my latest operations have been: I've been working with the Sons of Liberty, a coalition force made to foil the schemes generated by the Romulans to topple the Federation. While I am certainly no fan of either faction, it is my belief and the tradition of my people that if you are going to destroy a group of people, be it species, political, what have you, darn it all you're going to do it with a gun in your hands and a knife in their chests."
Jace began pacing as he continued, "Earlier this week I received orders from Damirius telling me that the MSI has made a mutual-defense pact with the Romulans, and that I was to send Marines-my Marines-to help defend their planet, their ships, and their Empress. I summarily refused, citing that my integrity would not be compromised, nor would I allow the honor of my Marines to be compromised by obeying those orders."

Usually disobeying an order was something that got you court-martialled, imprisoned, or even put to death. It was something that you never told the Three Rulers or their Cabinet about, but Jace had done just that, and they were entirely unfazed.

"We're well aware of this, General. My fellow Rulers and I have composed a response to Damirius' actions thus far and what our response to a variety of his potential future actions might be. Needless to say we have your back, General. We've contacted several other Lord-Generals not already in your camp, and we've gained their support as well; however, I do not believe it will be enough to save your position in the Imperial Marines, yet I do believe that it will be enough people to let Damirius know that removing you from your position will be a mistake, one for which he will pay dearly." Jace stood before his First Ruler (First only because he was the longest-reigning Ruler) caught entirely off-guard. Though they were also Grelfucans, Jace thought of them as politicians, and that he would have to beat his case through their skulls, rather than graciously accept such assistance.

"Thank you, First Ruler, Second Ruler, Third Ruler," he said slowly. The Second Ruler raised his hand, and the Intelligence Chair stepped out of her corner, softly and discreetly smiling at her husband.

"We've taken a general poll, and outside the 25% of the Grelfucan Marines in the Imperium, we've determined that you can rely on anywhere from 10%-20% of other Marine forces, and the entirety of the Garuda Vanguard's forces in addition to the Triumvirate's." In a gross breech of decorum, Labelli cupped her husband's cheek, "Damirius may be able to remove your from your position in the Imperial Marines, but he's not going to be able to remove you from his side, big thorn in it that you are," she said with a smile and chuckle, either oblivious of the affectionate looks from their governors or simply ignoring them.

"Thank you," Jace whispered to his wife. Stepping back he looked at each Ruler and Secretary. "Thank you all, ladies and gentlemen. I will take my leave to Velonna now, and we'll see what will happen in the Assembly.

MEANWHILE, AT THE SONS OF LIBERTY'S STAGING AREA

General Slisko walked into his brother's quarters. "What the shab is this about the MSI sending forces to the Romulans? I know for a fact that we weren't informed that we were working on a double-cross!"

"Calm, Jad'ika, calm. We aren't working on a double cross, we're being double-crossed by the MSI's leadership. You know they're nothing but politicians and businessmen," Admiral Slisko, ever the calmer, more cautious one after his son's birth replied. "I've even received a message asking if Jace knew anything about this. Judging by the fact that he's going to Grelfucan and then Velonna, I'm going to bet that he's as angry as you seem to be."

"We sent Blacktalons down there, Jai-ke, of course I'm angry!" Jadii liked the Grelfucans because they seemed to be like the Mandalorians [OoC: Sorry to RMM but I'm too lazy to make up non-Star Wars names... /OoC] and that made them like brethren to him. "So you're clearly going to inform Turson that Jace is taking care of things and that regardless of the MSI's interests, we're with Jace, and Jace is with the SoL, and therefore we're with the SoL," Jadii stated flatly, clearly not a question.

"That's exactly what I plan on doing, ner vod," Jai-ke replied before recording his response.

Wed Dec 11, 2013 10:08 pm

As Jace races to Velonna to attend the Assembly of Lord-Generals, the First Ruler of Grelfucan is contacted by Lord-General Starning, Damirius' right-hand man in the Assembly, in a live transmission. Philip Starning has long been a member of the Imperium, and served in the Grand Navy as a front-line commander before retiring to become the Lord-General of his home planet, Sacrasium.

"Greetings, First Ruler of Grelfucan. I am afraid that I come with grievous news. As you already know, Lord Commandant Jace has directly disobeyed orders from the highest possible source on a matter of great importance. I am certain that you have heard of the Velonna-Romulus Pact, which promises military support to the Romulan Empire in response to the so-called Sons of Liberty coalition's advances on the Empire's territory. It was on this matter than Jace refused to obey the Supreme Admiral.

"What Jace likely did not tell you, however, is the importance of this treaty to our own Imperium. The agreement grants the Imperium highly beneficial concessions in trade and defense strategy. In turn for our support, the Romulans have agreed reposition a large amount of their forces on our border to elsewhere, allowing us to do the same, giving us more resources to defend our borders and conduct expeditions beyond them. Even our forces being dedicated to their defense benefit us, as it gives us a strong presence throughout the Romulan Empire and makes the Romulans ever more reliant on us for protection: leverage which we can use to gain further concessions and agreements. The economic opportunities a great, as well. The Romulans have agreed to open their border for trade, which will be a grand boon to our economy. In addition, they have agreed to purchase much of their war materiel from Imperium industries, which will naturally include those based on Grelfucan.

"So, you see, honoring this deal will prove to be a great victory for our Imperium. Through it we gain a strong ally and an economic boost. The only thing that stands in the way of us gaining the upper hand over our enemies is Jace, who, may I remind you, directly disobeyed orders; an offence that, were he a common officer, would have him court-martialed and imprisoned at best. As it is, mere impeachment is set to be his punishment, as we simply cannot have disloyal officers so high in the Grand Military's ranks.

"So, why do I contact you with this information? Quite simply, the Supreme Admiral does not need dissent at this moment, and certainly not dissent from Grelfucan. Great opportunities are arising, First Ruler, things that we never thought possible in the early days of this nation. Intelligence reports that the Federation is on the brink of civil war. The Klingons are gearing up for war, and they are looking for allies and for hulls. Many of our neighbors lie weak and unready. If we do not distract ourselves with pointless disputes such as this, the Imperium can become the greatest nation in the galaxy. If we squabble, however, these opportunities will be lost and we may find ourselves facing enemies that we cannot overcome."

Philip sighs wearily. "And so, do prevent such squabbling, the Supreme Admiral is willing to grant companies within the Grelfucan Triumvirate a number of profitable contracts from the Grand Navy and Imperial Marines. It is also my understanding that you are currently competing with several other corporations, including those of your rivals Yettreu and Narkova, for a especially large contract for the new jetfighters for the Grand Army. This also I will grant to you if you do not raise significant trouble and give us much unneeded distractions from the matters at hand.

"I hope that you will prove to be loyal to your country, and that you will be able to see the logic of the situation and not support the force of disruption that is Jace. Thank you for your consideration."

Thu Dec 12, 2013 6:55 pm

OOC: You should have killed Johnnyred off temporarily. Razz

Thu Dec 12, 2013 10:55 pm

[OOC: I would have been shot for insubordination, mutiny, and a host of other charges. Razz

End OOC]

Thu Dec 12, 2013 11:32 pm

*Commander Turson, after receiving Admiral Slisko's message, leans back in his chair, thinking to himself.*

"The loss of Daragon's fleet. The suspicioning of alliances. The empowerment of the adversary. This is just getting more and more complicated," he sighs to himself, rubbing his eyes and yawning.

*Turson leaves his cabin and arrives at the bridge of the Liberty. There Smythe, as his aide, is seated in the Captain's chair in his absence.*

"Ten-HUT!"

*The crew snaps to attention as Turson looks about.*

"As you were."

"Sir!" says Smythe, rising from the chair. "Any word from the Lord Commandant?"

"Admiral Slisko has informed me that Jace and all his forces are on our side," replies Turson, sitting down.

"The Manticore left the fleet, sir," replies Smythe. "If they are on our side, why did the Lord Commandant himself leave?"

"I'm not sure," says Turson. "But I doubt it is due to treachery. Most likely Jace is seeking to gain support from his homeworld before the political shakeup takes effect."

"Sir," says an ensign at communications. "We're receiving a message for you, sir. It's in your personal code."

"Who is it from?" asks the Commander.

"I don't know," replies the ensign. "but from what I can tell from our instruments, the transmission is coming from Earth."

"Patch it through to my cabin," orders Turson, rising and leaving the bridge.

*As he walks down the hall, Turson is obviously astonished. Though born on Earth, he had no contacts there who knew his personal code. How could anyone have acquired it? Was he being betrayed, or had one of his trusted friends been forced to reveal his code for the sake of the security of the Phoenix Command Group? Was the message from a hostile force, or from a friend? Was it just a scheme to try to find the Sons of Liberty taskforce's location?

He arrives at his cabin and seals the door behind him, proceeding to walk over to his desk and tap a button.*

"Alright, Comm, patch it through," he says.

"Aye, aye, sir," is the reply.

*A rapid, almost unintelligible form of speech ensues as Turson pulls out his personal code book and decodes the message. His astonishment only increases as he jots the translated information down on a sheet of paper. When the message is through, Turson reads aloud:*

" 'Greetings, Commander. We suggest an alliance with you. Don't bother sending a reply (not that you know to whom or to where exactly it would go): we know all about you, and if you agree to our offer, one of our agents will contact you with the necessary instructions and situations. While you engage in combat with the Empire, there are those of us who could do much damage on this end, saving you the trouble of coming here, if you would agree to our proposal. We will do as much damage as we can here, but only if you pay one very high price: promise us the head of the Empress. Signed, a possible Ally.' "

Thu Dec 12, 2013 11:49 pm

OOC: A mysterious possible-ally. Hmmmm. Very mysterious. Shocked

Sat Dec 14, 2013 12:05 am

OOC: Tyson could bring you the head right now, provided you provided an extraction. Razz

Sun Dec 15, 2013 1:22 pm

The human First Ruler, after having shown the message to his fellow Rulers, stands back as the Second and Third compose their replies, only making the opening remarks.

"From the First Ruler of the Grelfucan Triumvirate," adding emphasis to the fact that they are, indeed, three equal Rulers, "to Supreme Admiral Damirius. We are well aware of the implications that this defense pact has, and as I am sure that General Jace has informed you, we were not made a part of the making of this agreement. That is your first offense. Your second offense is to order General Jace to turn on good, honorable men to protect a corrupt and vile Empress. Your third and final offense is only addressing the First Ruler of the Triumvirate, therefore snubbing the Second and Third. For this last reason I will let them respond to your message's statements."

The Second Ruler steps up, his Murictel frame the usual large, imposing variety. "We are well aware of my Murictel brother Jace's disobedience. As mentioned by the First Ruler, you have asked him to turn his back on honorable men-betray them even. While you may not believe in their cause, and regardless of whether or not they're correct and just, asking a man, a Murictel, a Marine to turn his back on warriors to whom they have given their word is nothing but intolerable." He pauses, taking a datapad from his desk. "You say that we will benefit militarily by being able to re-position our border forces elsewhere, likely inside the Romulan Empire, correct? I can tell you at this very moment that you cannot trust the Romulans to leave the border alone, or to honor that boundary. If anything they will somehow find a way to take the presence of MSI forces and twist it into an act of aggression, sending their cloaked vessels flooding into MSI space and crippling us. As for economic benefits, you plan on allowing Romulan vessels in MSI space? Yes, that's like asking a known murderer to come into your house while you're standing in nothing but basic clothing-a very good way to get yourself killed.
"In all honesty, Damirius, I believe you purposefully left the Grelfucans out of the making of this treaty because you knew we would staunchly oppose it regardless of General Jace's position in the Sons of Liberty."

He sits back down, and the Streflicon Third Ruler rises, "You wish to inform us that your intent is to impeach your top military leader, the man who reformed the Imperial Marines into what they are today, for doing the honorable thing and standing with those to whom he swore his sword until their objective was accomplished? What image do you wish to set for the Imperium, Damirius? That of dishonor, opportunism, brutal regimes, mercantilism, and indifference to corruption? The reason the Federation is on the brink of civil war is the same reason the Sons of Liberty are operating on their crusade. I would rather destroy the Romulan Empire, secure that border, and deal with an enemy we know to be honest in the Federation than show my back to a supposed ally known to be deceitful and untrustworthy. We can hold our own against any single enemy or even a coalition of enemies and you know it, Damirius. Unlike you, the people of Grelfucan are proud, honorable warriors focused first on the safety of their homes rather than their wallets. On that note, you can take your nishiklo contracts and shove them up your-"

"Kilezo! Calm yourself, please."

The Third Ruler clears his throat. "You may keep your contracts, because I can promise you that our competitor's designs will prove inferior, and you will have wasted your money." All three Rulers rise, and at once they firmly state, "We stay loyal to our country, and our planet Grelfucan, to uphold its safety and further its prosperity, by formally lodging a Vote of No Confidence in the pact made with the Romulans, a Vote of No Confidence in the impeachment of General Jace, and finally a Vote of No Confidence in Supreme Admiral Damirius, who clearly seems to be more concerned with the strength of his wallet than that of the defenses of the Minotaur Space Imperium."

*Transitions to Jace's part of the plot.*

Shortly after the Triumvirate's message arrives to Damirius' desk, the GTNS Manticore arrive in Velonna space. "This is the GTNS Manticore, flagship of Lord Commandant Jace of the Imperial Marines requesting an orbital docking location."

Sun Dec 15, 2013 4:05 pm

R.R.W. Alth'Indor Bridge 09:34 Hours, Day 2

The turbolift doors closed with a whoosh of air as Nala Telth'Alore stepped onto the bridge. She slowly, timidly even, walked up to the Commander's chair. D'Avek caught her movement out of the corner of his eye, turned in his seat to face her, and then, seeing her face, repeatedly cleared his throat until he got S'ren's attention.
     "What D'Avek?" Vardok said as he slowly spun in his chair towards his first officer.
     "Ah, Nala, you're awake." She stood there silent, rather awkwardly. Her uniform was wrinkled, there was a sploth of Romulan Ale on her pant leg, and she had dark circles under her bloodshot eyes. A SubLieutenant turned to see what was going on.
     "Sir..." Nala finally got up the nerve to speak. "May I speak with you... alone?" Commander S'ren, seeing that the situation was growing increasingly uncomfortable, spoke to his bridge crew.
     "As you were." Looking back to Nala he answered her request "Of course. My ready room." He stood, and motioning her to follow, walked across the bridge.

Sun Dec 15, 2013 8:12 pm

A reply soon comes to Grelfucan from Lord-General Starning, who looks even more weary than the last time.

"Greetings, members of the Triumvirate.

"First of all, I would like to apologize for any breach of protocol I may have imposed by addressing my message to only the First Ruler. I meant no offense.

"Now, it seems as though you are misunderstanding the nature of the pact we have made with the Romulans. You seem to think that the Supreme Admiral personally benefits from this agreement. In factuality, the deals will benefit the Imperium as a whole, not those in power. In concordance with our law, the Supreme Admiral, as with all those who have seats in the Assembly, holds no stocks, deals, or any other fiscal representation in any firm or corporation, and, in addition, has an income fixed by law, so that he will not personally benefit monetarily from the economic surge that this deal will introduce to the Imperium.

"In addition, you seem to be quite mistaken as to the legality of this treaty. The motion passed through all of the proper processes, including both the Military Council and the Assembly of Lord-Generals. Unfortunately, Jace had quite suddenly taken leave of his duties and rushed off to join this coalition force without properly notifying the Supreme Admiral or appointing a substitute. As is law, by doing this and failing to attend to his duties within the Imperium he forfeited his vote on all matters that might be examined in his absence.

"Now, I would like to take a moment to assure you that the Imperium's national security remains quite intact with this treaty. Our forces on the Romulan capitol will ensure that no action or threat of action can be taken against us, lest the Empress be assassinated and control of their homeworld seized. In addition, the local defense fleets will be plenty enough to stem any Romulan invasion until national military forces can be summoned. The Imperium will be quite safe.

I will finish with the fact that dealing with the Federation and its allies is quite impossible and unwanted for the Imperium. Our past conflicts with the Federation has left us quite unable and unwilling to deal with their kind. They are a broken system from a past time, and the military might of the PCG is the only thing that keeps them as a power.

So, members of the Triumvirate, the Supreme Admiral is not the greedy tyrant that you make him out to be. He is a loyal man who has served his nation with honor in the Navy for many a year, and now serves the Imperium again with capability as the Supreme Admiral. He wants nothing more than to see the Imperium furthered in the galaxy and to rule with honor."

Mon Dec 23, 2013 5:04 pm

The First Ruler holds a signed document written by Jace before his departure for the Sons of Liberty. "I have here a signed document from the Lord Commandant that his duties are to be entrusted to the Triumvirate's Rulers, or whomsoever they deem appropriate to fill in his role in his absence. I was informed by our couriers that Damirius had received his own copy of this document." He begins pacing, "Now, as I trust our couriers, this leads me to believe that someone on Velonna has done away with said document-which is illegal, mind you-and therefore makes the arguments made by General Jace, myself, and my fellow Rulers entirely plausible."

The Second speaks up, "Now, while it may be true that Damirius doesn't own any corporate holdings, and that his pay might be regulated, do you honestly expect any of us to believe that he doesn't receive dividends from the profits MSI companies make off of the contracts he scores for them? That he doesn't do things in his own self-interest disguised as benefiting his nation? He reminds me of Cavour back on Old Earth in 1860 A.D. "

Having made his point, the Third now makes his, "You mean to say that you have placed MSI forces in the Romulan Capitol as a duplicity? Both a guardian and assassin? Is that the image you wish to have for the Imperium: a people who will protect you, unless you do something untoward us, in which case we'll threaten the elimination of your ruler and destruction of your capitol?" He pauses, "You also seem to mistake my statements: I have no doubt that the Federation is an entity with which we have no friendship, but at least we can rely on them to act in a certain manner. Better to let a known quantity run free in the galaxy than to allow a lying, deceitful variable run around in our backyard, in my opinion."

The First Ruler now steps forward. "It is with these statements that we once again inform you that any attempt to impeach the Lord Commandant will be met with political, military, and very possibly economic reprisals." The First Ruler smiles in a manner that could really only be described as an anticipatory snarl. "It is my understanding that the Army has made an outstanding order for our CG-8 shotguns-it would be a shame to see those soldiers without an effective longarm, wouldn't it? Certainly it would be painful to witness as the bill that would allow the Navy to develop a host of new classifications be filibustered into nonexistence. I shudder to imagine what the Marines would look like when their Grelfucan volunteers vanish, and the commando units almost drained to nothing.
"If you want to play hardball with the Grelfucans, because General Jace has done what is honorable, and you have made this dishonorable, money-minded pact with orders to directly betray honest leaders; then we will play hardball, with rules the likes of which you have never seen..."

Sun Jan 05, 2014 4:14 pm

Lord-General Starning waits through the statements of the various Rulers, and then, with a furrowed brow, holds up a hand.

"Gentlemen, you seem to be quite taken with the notion that the leader of our nation is a corrupt and untrustworthy individual. I can assure you with utter and complete sureness that the Supreme Admiral is adhering to all of the laws and decrees of the Imperium by not accepting any monetary compensation from private firms.

"Now, on another note, your interpretation of Supreme Admiral Damirius' foreign policy is really quite accurate. We are willing and able to be a powerful, loyal ally to many powers in the galaxy. At the same time, we will take precautions to ensure that if any power, including one with which we are allied, makes hostile or aggressive moves against the Imperium, we are able to respond decisively if need be to remove the threat.

"However, this is not the place to bicker about politics. I only contacted you to inform you of the administration's decisions and to offer you a deal that would jumpstart your developing economy. You may raise any objections at the Assembly of Lord-Generals, which will convene shortly. I trust that, this time, your Lord-General will be in attendance."

With that last statement, Starning ends the transmission and sits down heavily, looking tiredly up at the young Navy officer manning the communication equipment.

"Son, when you retire, don't become a Lord-General."

Wed Mar 26, 2014 8:53 pm

*yawns*

My, my, not much going on in the RPG section. IT'S THAT DASTARDLY SKUEL!!!!!! Razz

Anybody got anything to post? Maybe something invigorating from Dino?

If not, I guess I can go back and see if I can accelerate the plot a little to the beginning of the assault on Rator III.

Thu Mar 27, 2014 6:15 pm

I know I have a post I need to do for MAD's and my subplot, but Skuel...

Fri Mar 28, 2014 11:24 pm

ALAS, O CRUEL SKUEL! Thou hast laid us low. Razz

Sat Mar 29, 2014 7:40 pm

Maybe we should all become friends and with our combined forces launch an assault on Skuel. Razz

OOC: I'm trying to catch up a bit. So we have the Imperium assisting the Romulan Star Empire. Seeing as (I think) the Federation and the Imperium have a non-aggression pact or something like that it would probably be wise for the USS Burlington, a Star Fleet starship, to drop out of the Sons of Liberty.

Sat Mar 29, 2014 7:51 pm

Do we have a non-aggression pact? I think we did during the Jandar Wars, but I'm not sure whether they decided to keep that in this version of the universe or not... where's Johnnyred with that timeline? Razz

Sat Mar 29, 2014 11:27 pm

*cough*notdeadyetimbaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack*cough*

Razz

Sun Mar 30, 2014 9:37 am

OOC: Well I thought we at least weren't shooting at each other anymore - non-aggression pact! Razz

Fri Apr 04, 2014 2:20 pm

OOC the only problem with me posting something invigorating, is that I first have to become invigorated... I'll try to get back to my plot tomorrow (Saturday) today, I'm busy with Captain America... well... this should help with all the Romulan espionage anyway. Razz

END OOC

Sun Apr 06, 2014 11:21 pm

OOC catching up those who (~~like~~ unlike me don't remember things so well.

Spoiler:

End OOC

R.R.W. Alth'Indor Ready Room 09:35, Day 2

The Commander's ready room door slid shut as Vardok followed Nala in.
"Please sit, Nala." He said as he walked to his desk chair.
She straightened her shoulders and replied,
"I will stand. Sir, I owe you an explanation, an apology, and... and my resignation from serving as your acting first officer as soon as you see fit to relieve me of said duty."
Neither of their Imperial uniforms was crisp or clean, both of them looked disheveled after a late night of drinking, but Nala was by far the worse in appearance this morning. Her uniform, with one snap fastened in the wrong place, was stained with Kali-fal, her hair was a tangled mess, and what little of her eyes that could be seen behind her dark, swollen lids were red from lack of sleep, and likely from tears as well.
Vardok rubbed his forehead, the pain meds helped with the effects of the evening's "information gathering," but it still hurt.
What can I say to her? She likely saved my life last night, and she has proven to be a good friend. She is in so much pain... Possible answers raced through his mind for long seconds before he finally spoke, softly, and deliberately.
"Nala, I don't need you to explain anything to me. Only tell me if doing so will help you. And frankly, I not only need you to continue with this mission, I want to have you as my second here." Nala did not need time to calculate an answer, she responded immediately.
"But I do owe you an explanation Vardok! And even if you want me as your first officer, I am not qualified for this! I was too intoxicated to do my job. I nearly got you killed! Although Vardok was no stranger to pain and doubt, something about this particular situation made it especially heart-crushing to deal with. It was likely due to a lack of sleep.
"You are going through a very hard time, Nala. And who in the navy hasn't had a little too much Romulan Ale once in a while? You did very well! I believe you saved everyone in that room from being disruptored down by those guards."
"Vardok, there is a big difference between enjoying a drink, and being completely drunk. I was drunk. Not, 'having a good time,' 100% drunk. On duty. When lives were at stake. I failed. That is more than enough to have you shot in the Imperial Navy. Drunk at my post! And 'going through a hard time' is no excuse for that.... What did I even say last night anyway?"
S'ren handed her a pill and a glass of water.
"Here, this will help with your head. Doctor's orders." He continued as she swallowed the medication.
"You convinced an unable-to-walk-drunk Commander Nora'dex to rehang the Imperial flag over the Republic emblem. For someone 'drunk at their post,' you certainly came up with an excellent plan." For one instant, Nala looked as if she was thinking about smiling, but it was gone in a moment.
"No, not at dinner. I watched the security footage of the officers' mess. I mean after that. I checked the other security feeds. I know I made my way to the bridge after dinner, and then into your ready room, but there's nothing more of me after that. Not until I woke up and left my guest quarters. And there's nothing in the ship's transporter log about my having left, but it was noted that you made a site to site transport with an unspecified individual. And the security footage showed you leaving my quarters several minutes later. That, And I found the broken mug* on the floor of my room. I know I wouldn't have ordered it; when I drink Kali-fal, I drink Kali-fal, not tea. And I noticed that it was the same flavor of tea as the cup you were drinking when I came on the bridge this morning. Therefor, with several sources corroborating my theory, I concluded that you made a site to site transportation with me to my guest quarters" Vardok raised his eyebrows with amazement.
"Brilliant deduction Sherlock!" Now she looked puzzled.
"'Sherlock?' Who is Sherlock?" Vardok smiled at this.
"Sherlock is a hevam** saying for someone who is very smart and good at solving things." Commander Telth'Alore gave a half grin at this.
"Well, I'm glad I can still put re*** and re*** together." Her countenance darkened, "But how much did I tell you last night? You deserve to know everything." She said, finally sitting in the chair Vardok had been motioning for her to take for the better half of the conversation.
"You told me that you were married to T'vok Telth'Alore, and that he died forty-four years ago." Vardok stated. Nala took a deep breath before replying .
"Yes. Commander T'vok Telth'Alore. Only son of famed Admiral Vexon Telth'Alore. I was a Sub Lieutenant in the Imperial navy. I am not proud of the things I saw my superiors do. The things I helped them do." Vardok interrupted at this point,
"There is no need for you to tell me about that. I was loyal to the Empire once too... before..." he shook his head. "Please, go on, Nala." She did so
"I deserted from the Imperial military and spent several months drifting from place to place, far outside of Imperial space of course. I had heard about the Republic. Everything I had heard was a lie, but I had heard about it.
I was curious, so I hitched a ride to New Romulus. I wanted to see the truth about the enemy of our own blood I had heard about for years. So I went to a recruitment rally. T'vok was speaking there, encouraging young Romulans of the Republic to join the military. He spoke so boldly about 'rights' and 'liberty' and 'freedom.' I wanted to serve him. He wasn't like the Imperial recruiters. Why the Empire even HAS recruiters when service is mandatory is beyond me; I suppose each branch wants to get more men than the next.
At any rate, I could tell this Romulan was genuinely brave, honest, free, real. I had served under too many back-stabbing cowardly liars to be unable to know one when I saw him. I talked with him after the rally. I even told him that I had served the Empire. He wasn't angry about that, in fact, his grandfather served in the Imperial navy, and his family was proud of it. He convinced me to join the Republic, and the navy, if I could serve under him. When your mother is an Admiral, you have some say in things, and a couple months later, I was serving on his ship.
I worked my way up to his first officer in six months, but we become more than Commander and Subcommander. He proposed, and we were married while on duty. Admiral Vexon wasn't very happy about missing the wedding. T'vok and I spent a year together. It was the best year of my life...." Vardok was enthralled by this narrative, but afraid to ask what happened after this; because he already knew the answer.
"Wh- what happened? After that year? You said he... was..." Vardok steeled himself for the answer, but he could already feel his eyes moistening.
"T'vok was killed in action." Nala said with a cold ache in her voice. "I should have died with him." She sobbed quietly. There were no tears, perhaps it was resolve, perhaps she had cried herself out of tears the night before. But S'ren was not so strong willed. She and the room blurred in front of him. So many lost. So many lost. Why? For what? What has it gained! What have we accomplished? What have I accomplished? How many women have I had to tell, via holo-call no less, that their husbands, their sons, their fathers, their brothers were dead. All the pain of all the losses of all the wars tore at Vardok's soul in this one woman who he had come to admire so much in the past days. there is something else I must know. He thought.
"You said. You said it got worse recently. You mentioned a... resemblance." Nala, who had been lost in thought and her own pain, noticed that she was not the only one distraught.
"What's wrong, Vardok?" She asked as she set her hand on his shoulder. He calmed himself and answered.
"Everyone is dead. Every old friend is dead. There are so many faces... in my nightmares. Faces of men and woman who died following my orders, or worse, because I couldn't save them. And now you are in great pain, because I look like the man you loved. Is that not true?" Nala replied forcefully, she knew that she needed to cut through the fog. She knew a hangover when she saw one, and Vardok was feeling twice as bad for it and his lack of sleep. He has his own burdens too. I'm not doctor, but I think he may be suffering from depression, and possibly PTSD. I can help him.
"No, Vardok. You have not caused my pain. Yes, you look a lot like him. You remind me of him. You made me realize that I can't just make it all go away. But you are not to blame for my pain. In fact, I am the least alone now that I have been for forty-four years. And as to those who died fighting for what's right, we have to ensure that their deaths were not in vain."

OOC
* I just love it when my unplanned plot pieces come together into something useful later. Razz

(the dropped mug)
** hevam = humans
*** re = 2
END (2nd) OOC

Tue Aug 19, 2014 8:19 pm

R.R.W. Alth'Indor Mess Hall 14:30, Day 2

The tables had been cleared of dishes and decorations to make room for the tournament. Commander Nora'dex was finally awake. Thirty-two officers sat across from each other, hunched over Latrunculo* boards. Each player was chosen for their interest in the game, or position on the ship. Commander Nora'dex, Commander Vardok "S'ryn" (S'ren,) Subcommander (Commander) Nala Telth'aven (Telth'Alore) Centurion (Subcommander) D'Avek Fvara, and Centurion (Subcommander) Veri Deletham were all participating. The room was filled with every off-duty Romulan crew member of the Alth'Indor that the combined efforts of the fleet could outfit with an Imperial uniform. Seeing one's commanding officer, in an enemy uniform, playing Latrunculo with a captured officer, was quite exciting.
Although the tournament was very intense, it was a quiet game of strategy. The only sounds were the hushed voices of the onlookers, the clicking of the game-pieces on the boards, and Nora'dex's continued bragging about his achievements.

This tournament's system of advancement was quite simple. Pair up random players for a game. The winner advances to the next match, while the loser is out of the competition. This process is repeated five times until only one victor is left; the champion.

It had been arranged that Commander Nora'dex would be allowed to win every match to keep his spirits up; and hopefully keep him feeling talkative. Vardok had been correct, he did fancy himself an excellent Latrunculo player. But braggart that he was, he was actually a decent player.

The first match went well, Vardok, Nala, and Veri all managed to win their games, although D'Avek lost his. Commander Nora'dex talked about how high in is class he graduated.

The second round was fairly uneventful. Nora'dex told about how quickly he worked his way up in rank when dealing with a Reman uprising. Vardok cringed as he heard the Imperial commander talk about how many Remans he had killed in the fighting. S'ren had fought beside Remans for years. He didn't buy into the Imperial belief that Romulans were superior to every other species. He knew that it was a vain and foolish way of thinking. And he felt pain as the Commander described the cowering faces of every Reman he slaughtered. Vardok tried his best not to swipe the pieces off the board and stomp out of the room. Did you ever consider, that those people just wanted to be left alone? That their lives meant something? I've got to focus. And he managed to focus. He won again, as did Veri and Nala.

The third match saw Vardok facing off against Nala. The late night had taken a toll on both of them, but Nala was used to it. The tan squares and gold lines blurred in front of S'ren's tired eyes. He tried to work out a good strategy, but he kept thinking about his dreams from the night before. I've got to stay awake. I've got to entertain our 'guests'. We need every snippet of intel we can get. What difference does all this make? This is insane. Why am I doing this? What good have I ever done? How many people have died because of me? No Vardok! Don't do this to yourself! Focus! Come on. I've got to get the Empress. Oh the game! What move do I make now? My Centurion here. That's it.
S'ren was a pretty good Latrunculo player, but Nala was better. She had him. And she knew it. Five more moves, and I've won. I just have to maneuver my Praetor over there. Why do I want to win anyway? Isn't winning everything? What is there to gain? Man does he look like T'vok. No. Don't go there. He sounds a little like him too. Stop it! You'll only make it worse. But he does look like him. Maybe... maybe I'll just move my Uhlan instead. She smiled. Vardok won the match, and he never caught on that she could have won easily.

Commander S'ren played Subcommander Veri in round four. There were only two games happening now. They had been playing for hours. Commander Nora'dex had talked most of that time. He had covered his investments, his victories, and his commendations, but nothing of any real value. Vardok was close to falling asleep mid-game, but managed to keep from slumping onto the game board. Veri was quite the tactician, and it showed; she beat Vardok in only twelve minutes. Nora'dex's game lasted considerably longer.

Vardok was heading over to talk to his crew, when he noticed that aside from Nora'dex, not one of the other "prisoners" was present in the mess hall. He quietly walked out of the room, and commed security.
"Where are the rest of our 'guests?' Why didn't you inform me that they left the tournament?" Vardok was worried. If they had wondered into the wrong section of the ship, they could be dealing with multiple armed attackers, and possible hostages.
"Sorry, sir. The nurse is down in sickbay, she asked to see the Centurion. We saw no reason to bother you with it, and besides, it would have been unusual for security to contact the Commander asking for permission for a nurse to enter sick-bay." Vardok wasn't worried about the Romulan nurse as much as he was the Reman guards."
"Well bother me next time! And where are those Remans, Lieutenant?" The security officer paused, and then replied in a confused voice.
"Sir, they're right in the mess hall, by the door." Vardok commed D'Avek.
"D'Avek, please tell me those Reman guards are standing next to the door in there." Things were just getting worse and worse.
"No... Should they be?" D'Avek replied. Vardok commed back to Security.
"Security! Are you still seeing those guards by that door?" Vardok said, now fully awake.
"Yes sir, I'm watching them over the feed right now. Would you like me to send a detail down there to confirm, sir?" Vardok burst into a run for the bridge.
"Lock the ship down! Lock it down now, blast it! Go to silent red alert! Lock down every room! Engineering, armories, the bridge, everything!" The started lieutenant replied in a confused voice.
"Sir? What's going on? I can see those guards just standing there." Sometimes Vardok envied the efficiency of the Empire.
"That's not a live security feed you're watching. It's a recording. Find those Remans! Now!" Just then Commander S'ren's wrist comm blinked. He tapped it, D'Avek's voice came over the line.
"Veri played Nora'dex for the championship." But Vardok cut him off.
"I've got bigger problems right now! Those gua...." D'Avek wasn't finished.
"She just defeated him, in five minutes. Your orders were to let Nora'd..." But Vardok interrupted.
"D'Avek. Those Reman guards are AWOL, and we have a fake security feed to..." just then S'ren's comm blinked again. He tapped it to the next channel. It was Doctor T'nai.
"Vardok. It's the Centurion. He's been murdered!"

OOC
*Latrunculo is the Romulan version of chess.
End OOC

Tue Aug 19, 2014 10:20 pm

The PCG Arondite warped into friendly space. There were a few scars across her hull and a thin trail of smoke streamed from one of the impulse engines, but aside from that, the magnificent ship was untouched.

"Sorry, gentlemen. I was dealing with a Bord threat. Please inform me of the current information while the Arondite's Worker Bees fix my ship.