A "Diplomatic" Visit

[Darth Imperatus]

Melkaroth Tyrin was a very highly regarded starship captain and strategist, having served as an Admiral for two Empires and fought in several major battles. He had been trained as a Sith by the monster Krag, had helped his New Order to expand its dominion and, when both Vulcanus and his Empire had been swept away, fought both the Mandalorians and the Republic under the banner of the Dark Lord.

He was not, by any measure, a diplomat.

However, the mission orders had said specifically that he was to lead a One Sith "envoy" to the planet Relovian; a rather insignificant place that had recently come onto the Galactic stage. At first, Tyrin had been quite insulted that he was being extracted from the line of duty to go drink some fancy alcoholic beverage that he couldn't taste at the table of some half-wit dignitary from a backwater world, but after he read the file that the OSI had kindly put together for him his interest had peaked considerably. The people of Relovian, it seemed, had developed some interesting ground-based weapons technology--it was by no means superior to their galactic contemporaries, but the OSI, at least, believed there might be something to be learned from it.

He had also been somewhat placated when he saw the requisition order for the fleet he was to take to Relovian--a Wyrlok class Star Destroyer was to accompany his flagship, the Matador, as well as two Torment-class Carriers and a Razer-class frigate. Clearly, he wasn't expected to be too diplomatic, though the fact that he would be operating so close to Red Raven territory probably had something to do with it as well. In any case, he had no intention of exchanging pleasantries with the aforementioned half-wits, and he didn't think, in any case, that he was expected to: you don't send a Sith with a full battlegroup of starships and twenty-thousand stormtroopers for idle chit-chat. Melkaroth knew full well that he wasn't as bloodthirsty or out of control as most of his lunatic colleagues, so he'd most likely been sent to conduct a spot of gunboat diplomacy with the natives.

That wasn't to say he'd forgiven his superiors entirely. The journey had been extremely long, as not only was Relovian on the other side of the galaxy but Melkaroth had also had to skirt the territory of the Republic, Lords of the Fringe, Omega Protectorate, and the Moross Crusade (he may have violated their space once or twice) to get there, all the while playing host to several rather tiresome diplomatic types. By the time his battlegroup dropped out of hyperspace on the edge of the system, Melkaroth was in no mood for time-wasting.

[member="Wirch Bicket"]

 

[Wirch Bicket]

The Relovian system was empty of ships, thus the space station that orbited the planet was powered down aside from the communications relay. The station was one of two 'moons' to orbit Relovian, the other was an asteroid, Ignitus. Ignitus had been hollowed out and created into a large communications relay. It would send information from one faction on the surface of the planet to another. It hardly had any communicating abilities spaceward, as the array had been built solely for ground based communication. That was why the station was kept up and running, it would link with Ignitus and messages could be sent to and from space.

However there was rarely anyone in the system, so the communications officer hardly had anything to do. He often spent time collecting scraps from the station and figuring out how to integrate them into his own form of art. When the sensor beeped he almost didn't realize it was on. He thought it was impossible, then he looked at the screen. He couldn't identify the ships, so he pulled out a codex of ship shapes and sizes. Most of the ships were new to Relovian, so he could not identify them.

He sent a signal out towards the fleet of ships. "Incoming ships. This is station Forgotten. Identify yourselves and your intent in the system. I repeat identify yourselves."

He then activated a warning signal nearby. It would alert the asteroid Ignitus to the incoming fleet. They would wait to see if he sent the all clear, the emergency signal, or nothing at all before warning the surface of the approaching fleet.



---------------------------------------------

Wirch Bicket meanwhile was commanding a battle-platform. He was having it roaming over vast oceans, it was there to hold the boundary lines owned by the Durasteel Fist. He didn't like this kind of work. Guard duty was suited more to those who didn't have a love of fighting. He did have that love and wished that the leadership would send him on an attack force rather than this slow ship.

@Melakoth Tyrin

 

[Darth Imperatus]

"Incoming transmission, my lord." said the comms officer. Melkaroth, sitting on his great durasteel chair in the center of the bridge, simply nodded. After pressing a few buttons on his console, the ensign replied, "done."

"Incoming ships. This is station Forgotten. Identify yourselves and your intent in the system. I repeat identify yourselves."

Melkaroth turned to the ship's captain. "Begin, captain." he said.

The captain signaled for the comms officer to begin transmission once more. Stopping for a moment to collect himself, he began to speak.

"This is the Star Destroyer Matador, here to represent the Empire of the One Sith. We wish to open formal diplomatic relations with your people. Please put us through to an appropriate representative."

As soon as the captain was done, Melkaroth began barking out orders. "Lieutenant, take us into high orbit. Ensign, signal the fleet to deploy minimal fighter screens once we arrive." While Melkaroth knew that the technology of Relovian was not advanced when it came to space travel, he wasn't taking chances when it came to making first contact with a largely unknown party.

[member="Wirch Bicket"]

 

[Wirch Bicket]

The communications officer practically hit himself with anger, this was the second time a ship had come wanting to speak to a person above him. He didn't understand why either had come and frankly he cared little, but the fact that they came expecting to be treated instantly did annoy him to some degree. He knew they had much more firepower than anything Relovian could offer for sky based weaponry. He sent all-clear signal to Ignitus, followed by a transmission. He said to the officer aboard Matador, "Patching through now. You may want to relax a little, it may take a little time before we get anyone on the other end." He tried to sound calm himself, but there was an uncertainty there that he could not hide. He was sure that in the blink of an eye those ships could blast both stations to pieces and then bombard the planet out of existence.

The men and women in Ignitus sent the signal directly to the Durasteel Fist communications relay on planet, fortunately they were the ones that the asteroid happened to be over that portion of the planet. The diplomatic council of the Durasteel Fist was not sure how to proceed with this, as most of them had had little contact with outside forces in the galaxy. They knew of one commander who was out on patrol, he had had much time off-world and probably would know more about how to deal with this. Before the communication was turned on, they transferred it via receiver directly to Wirch's holo-communicator aboard the battle platform, which was easy to do(quite an expensive method of communication on planet, mind you).

-----------------------------------------

Wirch received word via the captain of the ship that he had a message awaiting him in his quarters. Of course that form of communication was rarely used, and only during emergencies. He assumed that that was what was currently happening then. He activated his comm and waited to see the Durasteel Council, instead he had a strange man in a exotic suit. He was puzzled by this and started saying, "Wirch Bicket here. Who is this?"

He turned and ordered one of the men nearby to turn the platform around and have it begin a course back to the capital. He did not intend on wasting more money than was required, and he feared that this was a trap set to show that the Durasteel Fist had fallen. In the patrols it was easy to lose track of time and fall behind on up to date news.

@Melakoth Tyrin

 

[Darth Imperatus]

The captain was quite surprised to get his first look at a Relovian: his attire was quite different to anything he had seen before, but the hair especially was an enigma. Still, he allowed himself little time to think on this before replying: "My name is captain Torvar of the One Sith Star Destroyer Matador. We wish to discuss the establishment of formal diplomatic relations with your planet--I assume that you are the "appropriate representative" that I asked for. We have members of our diplomatic service here waiting to meet you face-to-face. Please provide us with appropriate landing co-ordinates for our shuttle."

[member="Wirch Bicket"]

 

[Wirch Bicket]

Wirch grumbled to himself for a moment. Of course the council would do this to him...

He looked at the holo image and then spoke to the council who obviously would be listening in. "Alright send the coordinates for the main space port."

Wirch then turned his attention to the person in front of him. "Sorry about the inconvenience I hope to give you a better welcome once we formally meet."

The helmsman directing the platform could be heard calling out that they were nearing land. Within ten minutes they would reach the Durasteel Fist's main landing port. There he would be fully dressed and prepared to meet another spacer, this one apparently a little more powerful than the ones he had met.

------------------

Wirch now stood in the station with a welcoming committee and a defense unit. They were armed with regular rifles and would appear strange to outsiders, their appearance had been altered to look more like a standard defense guard, rather than a ragtag team of men who could use a weapon.

@Melakoth Tyrin

 

[Darth Imperatus]

A large One Sith shuttle, reserved for carrying VIPs, launched from the Titan, the Star Destroyer accompanying the Matador, flanked by two starfighters. Aboard were three diplomats, who were to represent lord Tyrin for the first round of negotiations. Tyrin saw no reason why he would be needed for the preliminary talks, and he had no desire to be anywhere he wasn't needed.

The shuttle set down first, with the starfighters landing close behind in a V formation. The boarding ramp slid down, and a group of stormtroopers filed out, forming two lines in front of the ramp. Finally, out stepped the diplomats, striding out to meet the Relovian representative.

The highest ranking of the three, stretched out his hand to Bicket, smiling slightly. "My name is Galen Torol of the One Sith diplomatic service, here to represent Lord Melkaroth Tyrin. And you are?"

[member="Wirch Bicket"]

 

[Wirch Bicket]

"Wirch Bicket, acting representative of the Durasteel Fist and Relovian. Shall we go to more comfortable and secure?" He turned for a moment, signalling for the guard to turn and lead the way out. The other members of the welcoming committee seemed a little lost, as always they were practically useless in actual practice of what they had learned. That was one of the things Wirch hated about politics, beyond just them wasting time and money, the fact that they required a lot of resources to train right.

He moved to follow the guards, fairly certain that the diplomats from the One Sith would follow. He was also pretty sure that the stormtroopers would follow also, the One Sith's own guards.They would probably be capable of shooting down most of their guards before anyone could do anything. Just a simple noticed fact that Wirch assumed was correct simply by the presence of more warships above and enough force he assumed to be capable of annihilating the planet's population.

@Melakoth Tyrin

(Sorry tired at the moment)

 

[Darth Imperatus]

The diplomats moved to follow Bicket. The stormtroopers immediately joined them, keeping perfect step with the diplomats as they marched silently on. The officer leading them, Captain Haldar, eyed up his contemporaries. An old soldier who had served in the stormtrooper corps of both the One Sith and the Sith Empire before it, Haldar knew how to easily get the measure of a man, and despite the uniforms, he could immediately tell that these men were no soldiers. The way they walked rather than marched, the way they carried themselves, and the varying degrees of apprehension displayed clearly on their faces all indicated that these men lacked training and discipline. Haldar didn't doubt that his men could easily dispatch them, but he doubted that these men would dare to take them on in any case. Nevertheless, the Captain had learned the hard way never to let his guard down, and he knew that the consequences of failing to protect his charges would be harsh, if they survived at all.

[member="Wirch Bicket"]

 

[Wirch Bicket]

Within ten minutes, Wirch had led the group to a small building. Surrounding it were the real guards and soldiers, they stood at attention not moving, not even appearing to breath. One of them stood in front of the door and he moved aside when Wirch saluted him. Wirch opened the door moving aside to let everyone else in, he said, "This is one of the secure houses, we may speak freely or at least as freely as possible with those politicians in there."

He knew that this area was sealed and kept from being scanned by thicker walls and ceilings, he was hoping to lose the politicians during the conversations. He did not want to have to spin around the people, he wanted to work the way he would and the way that would be best for his people.

@Melakoth Tyrin

 

[Darth Imperatus]

The diplomats took a seat together, waiting for all the others to do the same before beginning to explain themselves. "For those of you who are unaware, we are here to represent Lord Melkaroth Tyrin and the Empire of the One Sith. It is our intention to establish formal diplomatic relations with your planet--meaning that we will place a consulate here and, if possible, open some form of trade. We believe that the One Sith has much to offer you, should you be willing to co-operate."

[member="Wirch Bicket"]

 

[Wirch Bicket]

The rest of the diplomats from Relovian took seats around a large room. "That is the hope, that we will come to a conclusion, whether we set up trading or simply not destroy one another."

Wirch continued, "If I may be so bold as to begin. What do the One Sith stand for and why are interested in Relovian at this time?"

@Melakoth Tyrin

 

[Darth Imperatus]

Both Torol and his companion, Damir, remained silent, quite taken aback by Bicket's immediate suggestion that war between them would be destructive to both parties, but the third diplomat, Vilko, replied immediately, his face remaining impassive. "Perhaps you misunderstand your position. If war were to be your choice, our Empire would be quite safe--being on the other side of the galaxy. You have no capacity to harm us--you cannot say the same. Keep that in mind"

Torol seemed if anything more taken aback by his companion's response, but he recovered quickly. "We are not here to discuss the prospect of war. As for your second question, Mr. Bickett, The One Sith Empire stands for peace and order across the entire Galaxy, free from the corruption that plagues so many empires. We are here, quite simply, because it is our policy to make contact with new civilizations and inform them of our cause. At the very least, you must be warned of the many dangers of the galaxy, some of which, I am afraid to say, are powerful beyond your comprehension or measure."

[member="Wirch Bicket"]

 

[Wirch Bicket]

"I agree, we are not here to fight and you seem to be fairly commanded. What sort of Galactic Powers are you speaking of?" Wirch would have laughed to himself because of the first person's response. Yes the One Sith would have nothing to fear across the galaxy, but that did not mean they would never have something to fear. Relovians, specifically those of the Durasteel Fist, had been known to get very vindictive and would work towards revenge swiftly. Wirch did not believe they could fight this One Sith Empire and win immediately, however he did believe that given a few years and the One Sith may find an enemy they did not wish to fight. He always believed in the ability for any society however much advanced to further advance, he believed that there was an infinite amount of technological advancements that could be made, that there would be no end to what one could discover.

With that in mind, he looked forward to this treaty, if it came to pass.

@Melakoth Tyrin

 

[Darth Imperatus]

Though Wirch was obviously well-trained at maintaining a poker face, the three diplomats--especially the more aggressive Vilko, who had started out his career as an officer in the army of the Sith Empire, could sense that their opponent was by no means intimidated--that, in actual fact, he remained quite confident. All of them had dealt with various kinds of people before--some more self-assured than others, but it was now clear to them that this was not a man who they could easily control. Nevertheless, Torol responded without pause: "For quite some time now we have been fighting the corrupt Galactic Republic and their Jedi overlords. However, several other factions--namely the Omega Protectorate and the Mandalorian clans, both powerful Empires in their own right, grew afraid of our success and attempted to launch surprise attacks on us. Both were repulsed and our Empire now stands stronger than ever, but the war has now become a Galactic one. Still, so far we have not suffered a single major defeat, and the Republic has been greatly weakened, perhaps to the verge of collapse."

[member="Wirch Bicket"]

 

[Wirch Bicket]

Wirch was surprised at this, and his face showed it. Relovian had at one time be part of the Republic, thought it had been forgotten for some time. "It sounds as if the Galactic Republic you speak of it akin to the Red Strikers, another faction within Relovian. Do you have any other allies? Or has the galaxy turned almost completely on you?" He was trying to pull his feelings back in check. He had been taught, as most children on Relovian, that the Galactic Republic was a Bastion of truth and justice, while the CIS had been an imperial-esk faction that had tried to take over the galaxy for evil purposes. The idea that the Galactic Republic was no longer a trustworthy people was not too difficult to have, but it was difficult enough that Wirch had to force himself to be willing to accept it.

He was surprised that the other diplomats had not tried to interfere, however when he looked towards them they all appeared to be disinterested in the current talks. Obviously they were not use to dealing with less combat related diplomacy, but then they always seemed to be out of their depth when in those kinds of situations....That led Wirch to the concept that the politicians were simply not the right people to make deals with other people.

@Melakoth Tyrin

 

[Darth Imperatus]

"I do not know a great deal of the factions on your planet, but I shall fill you in on the Galactic Republic, since you seem a little surprised by this revelation. The Republic is ruled by the Senate, an extremely ineffective governing body which is well known for not being able to get anything done. It is formed out of the ruling aristocrats of each planet, with seats almost always being determined by money and influence, and therefore the members have much more interest in protecting their own positions of power back home than the interest of their people. The senate is also extremely corrupt, and votes, just like seats, are bought with bribes and blackmail. However, the Republic is in reality under the control of the Jedi Order--a group of force users who preach peace and justice but serve only their own needs. They are well-practiced at claiming to do the right thing while failing to make any real effort to improve the lives of those they are supposed to protect. They are trained to be apathetic and emotionless, devoid of everything that makes them sentient beings. They are single-minded and, if any are well intentioned, they are held in sway by their ruling council, which suffers no challenge to the established order."

The diplomat sighed deeply. "Unfortunately, most of the other factions in the galaxy aren't much better, and none of them have been willing to ally with us and challenge the Republic, which has held Galactic hegemony since the old Sith Empire fell. This has not deterred us, though. As I said before, we have not lost a single major battle against our enemies, even though three separate Empires now assail us and we stand alone. We have repulsed two separate surprise attacks by two separate Galactic powers, and no planet that we have liberated has yet been reconquered."

[member="Wirch Bicket"]

 

[Wirch Bicket]

Wirch stayed silent for a moment. This was a lot to think over, he felt strange about this. It was very different now, the galaxy must have changed a lot during the years the Relovians had been out of touch.

"And you wish to have Relovian as an ally? Or one of the planets under your control?" He kept himself still as he spoke, he was trying to make himself calm and under control. He didn't like to make decisions when in emotional extremes, as that tended to lead to bad results. He was pretty certain that these men were speaking the truth, though the fact that they sent a military man as a diplomat was a little odd....though in all truth the Relovians had done the exact same...

@Melakoth Tyrin

 

[Darth Imperatus]

"I am afraid that we can offer neither at this time." said Torol, his voice somewhat regretful. "We could not protect a planet on the other side of the Galaxy, especially when it is so close to our enemies. Moreover, we do not believe the Republic or its allies will harm you for the time being so long as they believe you have no connection to the One Sith. You do, however, have technology--your small arms technology, to be precise--which we believe might help us to improve our own weapons. All we ask is that you provide us a small shipment of these weapons to study, along with the appropriate blueprints. If you agree to this, we will establish our consulate as promised, allowing for further mutual co-operation."

[member="Wirch Bicket"]

 

[Wirch Bicket]

"What can Relovian expect in return for such a gift? Do not think me greedy or foolish, it is simply that Relovian is at a somewhat weakened state compared to the galaxy that surrounds us, to trade away the only advantage that we have would be incomprehensibly thoughtless." He spoke with conviction, the Relovian blasters and their cannons were their only true defense against ground forces. Their lack of sufficient armors and starfighters made them an incredibly easy target for a faction like the One Sith or the Republic. "Truly we would be glad to give a future ally our secrets, but if the Galactic Republic is such a corrupted force then who is to say they do not have spies among you who may obtain the schematics and begin their own production of weaponry equal or greater than yours and ours?"

He hoped they understood his logic and that they would understand his reluctance at such a one-sided trade.

@Melakoth Tyrin