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Aboard OCV Fedayeen’s primary bridge.
17th August, 829 AS

“Cruise engines offline.”
“2 klicks.”
“All crew, secure stations.”
“Sensors clear. Alpha flight reports all clear.”
“Alpha, See you on the other side.”
“1 klicks.”
“Jump initiated.”
“Jump complete. Reading Blood Dragon ships in vicinity, as well as weapon platforms.”
“Junshi Daimyojin, Kagutsuchi-class on approach.”

Foreign accent in most likelihood did not report name of the warship correctly. Nonetheless chatter continued as a group of officers observed everything silently. There was no need for their intervention. The Captain, pleased to complete full and uneventful transit from Epsilon to Chugoku without attracting attention of the Navy, found no need to issue any instructions. Previously established plan was carried out to perfection and each of the bridge crew knew what to do next so far. Behind them, a tall man with pins denoting Admiralty also remained voiceless. It may have been his vessel, but he directed full responsibility for the mission to its designated commanding officer. Besides, he would be busy and needed someone coldblooded on the bridge to take care of things if the situation would not go smoothly in the void.

“Do as the situation demands, Captain. I am heading to the recovery deck.”

Comms officers calmly spoke commands to fighters that were now emerging behind the Fedayeen. Eventually noises subsided to the motors of the elevator, bringing an Admiral and one more person below to what would be the busiest and most constricted section of the entire ship.

Externally, the battlecruiser bore a lot of resemblance to the Osiris, all thought it would be dwarfed by the original if put one next to another. Its bow was the most unrecognisable section of the ship, sporting a mess of sensors, tubes, guns, armor and flight decks each big enough to fit a single fighter though. The actual landing zone was located above, between dual circular bridges typical to Order’s design philosophy. It was a tight fit, but with enough practice the more agile and smaller craft of the Blood Dragons would have no issue recovering fighters from the sorties. The internals were cramped in not too dissimilar fashion to Togo, renowned as the smallest battleship in Sirius.

Inbound Blood Dragons would bear witness to elevator stowing away a Bastet fighter, last of the escort squad that guided Fedayeen’s entry into Chugoku. As it disappeared under deck, it revealed what appears to be two Order officers waiting unceremoniously for the visitors. From both outside and inside, the ship wasn’t pretty and to the trained eye it looked like it was optimised to do its job with absolutely minimal space to spare.

“Admiral Golanski, The Order Overwatch.” Said the Admiral, skipping on the usual ‘Grand’ suffix that accompanied his rank. Blood Dragons and The Order present all knew the score as this officer was the face of The Order for more than a decade.

“Inquisitor Valkyrie, The Order Intelligence.” The quiet woman besides the Admiral. She for once had no rank insignias anywhere on her uniform, much like how commanding officers in the warzones took off identifying marks to avoid being reconnoitred and singled out by the enemy on the frontline. Although in her case it was because she worked outside the normal rank structure of The Order.

The Feyadeen, Chugoku Space | 12:00 - 12:10

She'd been in the underbelly of the Dragons long enough to know that if the Order comes knocking on your door like this, it's either one of two scenarios; business, or Nomads. Praying for it to be the former of two outcomes, Tsuya agreed without hesitation to meet the officials who had traveled into the Dragons' Den. The sight which greeted her upon coming into contact with the Order's battlecruiser gave her the feeling that this was a somewhat experimental vessel, though just as deadly as anything the Order has to offer their tentacled monstrosities.

Her escort squadron followed her into the hangar of the Feyadeen. Four Tachi fighters in total, herself included. It wasn't a necessary contingency in her eyes, but Dragon protocol demands the Shogun to be guarded by no less than three veteran warriors at all times. With a strange sense of anticipation and nervousness mounting in her mind, Tsuya and her cohorts disembark from their ships after the proper procedures had been followed. Her face expressed a mild surprise at the fact that the Admiral himself awaited her in the bay with another person she was as of yet unfamiliar with.

She was wearing her usual reinforced formal clothing to this meeting. The themes of black and red truly emphasize the lifestyle of the Dragons as lethal spirits who stalk in the shadows, showcasing the beauty of old Kusarian fashion married to the practicality of modern protection. Her guards donned similar attire, though less flashy and more designed for maximum effectiveness. As they introduced themselves upon her approach, she felt compelled to do the same.

"Provisional Shogun Ubukata Tsuya. I humbly thank you for taking the time to travel to our home. I would ask what brings you here, but I suppose that this place is not the best location to discuss whatever matters are on your mind at present, friends."

“Thank you for agreeing to this meeting, as well as welcome to the Fedayeen.” The Admiral bided them to go deeper into depths of this spacefaring machine. The inclusion of an extensive hangar bay for a ship this size without sacrificing stealth and combat capability meant that living compartments had to be planned meticulously with minimum wasted space, not too dissimilar with some of the smaller of Kusari designs. “We can talk on the way. Nothing that I say there is meant to be classified, especially if you will agree with what I am about to propose.” Seems he trusted his crew, of which they passed several by now. There would be less noise and people as they went on. “Shogun, Blood Dragons have been on our side since the start. Even if it plainly started as an alliance of convenience rather than some common high ideals. Some secretive foreigners that knew little of your struggle at first. It has nonetheless lasted the test of time. Therefore I want to suggest a natural evolution of our agreement.” It was about this time they reached an elevator and could climb inside, taking them up towards a security checkpoint. Seemingly, it was impossible to go any further unless there was another elevator or access shaft unknown to the Blood Dragons. Marine had allowed them to enter, unlocking blast doors leading to the rearward - and largest - bridge on the light carrier. “What would you say to share technology on the scale of capital vessels? It is not something I offer lightly.”

So this is what the man meant when he suggested slightly cryptic over the neural net that The Order and Blood Dragons should tighten the alliance. Administration of Admiral Golanski over the course of the last decade notably had not entertained any possibility of parting with a warship of their own make. Predecessors of both Shogun and Grand Admiral present discussed such an option once in the past, however the former leader of The Order laid out such an obscene amount of red tape that it could had collapsed the very Osiris hull into singularity, altogether with tanking Blood Dragon’s interest in ever attempting to acquire such prestigious ship. Or so the story went. Grand Admiral’s offer sounded genuine.

The Feyadeen, Chugoku Space | 12:10 - 12:15

With each twist and turn they took that drew them deeper into the Feyadeen's hull, the Shogun felt an undeniable familiarity with the ship's layout. The maze of compact hallways, quarters, and facilities was a place she knew all too well. On this side of the law, one cannot trade effectiveness for luxury. Witnessing the Admiral's trust in his subordinates didn't surprise her, however. To her knowledge, the Order is as tight knit as an organization can get, each person carefully and cautiously screened, tested, even handpicked for the roles they've been assigned. It wouldn't be far fetched to assume the man knows everything about everyone on this ship in her mind.

"I can't speak for my predecessors when it comes to how they viewed our companionship. For me, I can only view the past through the lens of a history article most of the time. It's nothing more than a means for me to reflect and progress based upon it. It started as a defensive pact against the Nomads, but now..."

She had stopped mid sentence upon realizing where they stood. An apparent dead end. Yet a set of camouflaged blast doors opens to reveal the stern bridge. A subtle smirk creeps up her face. The Order have more than a few tricks up their sleeves if the situation came to a hostile boarding, it would seem. The next words that were uttered by the Admiral put her mind into a frenzy of logistical thought. She folds her arms below her bust and lifts a hand to rub her chin idly before letting it rest on top of her other arm.

"Not offered lightly, indeed... A trade in warship technology is an interesting experiment. This is what you had in mind, then? I am not opposed to it, but each one of our Togo-class warships is in active service, be it for direct combat, forward operating bases for our snubcraft, or Dragon Claw Network recon platforms. Not to mention that they are incredibly time consuming to construct, given our position, lack of proper facilities, and the methods of which we must use to obtain resources. Our cruisers are in a similar predicament, which is why we do not present them to our enemies until every other option has been ruled out or exhausted."

Bridge was circular, with many battlestations, controls and electronics segregated by purpose. Each currently required manned by a specialist soldier or an officer. As opposed to the controlled chaos of the hangar bay, everything up here was so orderly and disciplined. The huge reinforced panels showed the familiar blue of Okamura nebula that veiled the entirety of Chugoku. Something each Blood Dragon stationed in the home fleet would learn to call home.

““I am aware of each and every limitation you face. The Order can not exactly print out new ships as it wishes either, being limited by shortcomings same as you, or specific to the Omicron region. I would be extremely unwise to approach you with a demand without offering anything in return.”

They reached a place that could be considered the throne: seat of the commanding officer elevated upon all else. Big holographic display was mounted straight ahead, giving the already imposing position the ability to absorb as much information as possible to command the ship effectively. It was occupied by an officer - executive commander most likely - that ran the ship in absence of higher authority… that just happens to be handling the guests. The XO would not interrupt them whatsoever, having been granted authority to run ongoing operations. Discipline and clear separation of responsibilities - permanent or temporary - was evident on this bridge. Admiral nodded to Valkyrie, an agent that has been accompanying them from the start but remains quiet yet vigilant so far. Seems they had rehearsed what they were meant to do beforehand.

“Blood Dragons have a gap in their arsenal that can be easily exploited. Your cruisers were clearly designed and built with intent to hunt larger foes, and Togo-class old and new have all constraints that come with the doctrine of battleships even if it should accurately be called a super heavy cruiser. Takeda-class has no match in Kusari right now.”

As they spoke, before their eyes they saw a Geb. Visual representation of Order assault carrier staged next to ships of similar role and size that Blood Dragons know well. The Kusari Naval battlecruiser, The infamous Komainu. Valkyrie scrolled the list higher, going past Osiris and Togo hulls. The Nomad ultimate warforms: named by Order scientists Marduk followed by an entity labelled as Ishtar - an abomination with immense artillery potential, its alpha strike capability is undeniable. Final entry on the list dwarfed these both. So rare it never received official designation by The Order. Each of these could be considered sovereign towns and cities in their own right, going by size alone.

“We cannot even be sure that this final entry is intended as a combat ship, its size is far from practical. Nonetheless, I would not want it to come close to any inhabited planet. Remember Toledo.” Remember Toledo. Toledo was glassed more than a decade ago, the man in front of Shogun was one of those who fought there. “Osiris-class was envisioned as a stealthy pocket battleship, not to face these monsters frontally. The Resheph-class has an impressive array of weapons but its primary role is electronic warfare and reconnaissance. All of these adversaries of ours have same weakness as Togukawa. It's difficult to miss.”

The Feyadeen, Chugoku Space | 12:15 - 12:20

She opted to listen silently as the Admiral went on about his proposition. She though to herself that it would make for excellent background noise to take in as she examines the unfamiliar place she stands in at this moment. Yes, she must be among a handful of outsiders given the opportunity to be in such a vital section of the vessel, likely less than what you can count on ten fingers, assuming you aren't missing any. And a crew so neatly organized that you'd be concerned for the level of OCD their commanding officer might have. No doubt a well oiled machine inspired by the many traits of the Liberty Navy, she pondered, for that is their progenitor of sorts. Despite feeling a little wide-eyed, she continued to listen as the Admiral used the holographic terminal to showcase the varied capital ships of the Dragons, the Order, and even the Navy. That is, until he brought out snapshots of seemingly hypermassive Nomad ships.

"By the kami... Just what are those? I'd only heard stories of large Nomads like that, never having witnessed them for myself. Yet, that last image sends chills up my spine, the likes of which I haven't felt since before I came to the Dragons..."

For a brief moment, her typical mask of nonchalance faded to reveal a hint of dread in her eyes as she focused on the oversized monstrosity. More than enough to strike fear into even the most emotionless of hearts, she was certain. The unnamed body gave a uncanny feeling of jamais vu, but she brushed it under the rug as the Admiral's voice broke the silence once again.

"Yes, Toledo... Another piece of history which I can only experience through tales and annals. I cannot even pretend to relate to the feelings that must be within you regarding that unfortunate tragedy. Yet, your people escaped and paved the way to rebuild. Perhaps it is not too unlike our origins, after all..." But now was not the time for reminiscence and sympathy. She folds her arms behind her back and looks to the Admiral, her composed nature returned in full as she slowly paces. "I believe you've laid it out for me quite plainly, Admiral. It seems to be your implication that our warships, most notably our Kagutsuchi-class may be better suited for direct combat against the Nomads, and that your warships could exploit the flaws in the pretenders' fleet. I have a couple of questions regarding this, then."

Having returned to his side, she now faces him directly, wondering just how much this man might have in the way of proving that.

"Question one. Have you run any, or can you run simulations that could lend believability to that hypothesis which we could view? Question two. Well, less of a question and more of a confirmation, but... You have considered the extra political kickback of the pretenders witnessing Dragon-controlled Order capital vessels, yes? I cannot lie to you and say that this would not further inflame the government's dedication to stamping you out of the country. They may be more zealous than ever in their quest to hunt your people down, futile as it may be."

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