When Ivan heard Doc Holliday's daughter's words, he knew it won't be long before things escalate to an ugly, maybe even bloody scene. He turned to Major Grachov.
Major, we've said our part and what we expect from each possible outcome of this summit.
As soon as the summit is concluded and everyone's out the door, people will want to vent on themselves and considering the rivalries in this room, for your own security, perhaps you should consider our departure.
An overwhelming wave of emotions went through Alessa's body. Listening to Doc's words created a feeling that seemed to feel very new to her. War and anything about it never had been a solution and it didn't change in her personal opinion. Nontheless she had so much trust into Doc that she would share this path in case this would appear as the last option. While everyone was speaking, yelling and else she did her notes and evaluations. "He is right. It is the only possible way." She only thought. After closing the notepad Alessa's eyes followed Doc's steps and she noticed the tears from his daughter. Alessa couldn't see her crying. She felt the suffer this girl was in. At this time there was only one thing Alessa could and wanted to do. She moved towards Emiko, touched her slightly on her shoulder and whispered. "I am a very close friend of your father. I feel you and I am with you. Your father has alot friends, my dear. There will be always a sun rising." There wasn't anything that would make Emiko feel better but Alessa could see that Emiko perceived her words. They emotionally embraced each other, forgetting about the current situation both were in for a moment.
Ladies and gentlemen, please allow me to clarify a few points. In the anger, that I perfectly understand, you seem to have misunderstood me.
Firstly, Her Majestys Ship Stirling. Whilst I and the home office have, for want of a better term, put a stay of execution on that order, that does not mean anyone has the authority to order it out of the system. Allow me to make this clear, should diplomacy fail, as so many of you are ready to throw away, then the original vote of parliament will go ahead. I agree that this would be the incorrect course of action, but this would be the will of democracy. Let's not allow it to come to that, hmm?
Ms O'Driscoll, representative of the Mollies. I understand your concerns, and the worries you have on behalf of your people. We are not looking to control the system, in fact we propose a biannual meeting between the representatives of Bretonia, the Coalition, and the elected Zoner Governor of Gran Canaria to discuss the state of affairs and to amend the treaty. As for law, we do not want to impose Bretonian Law, in fact Queen Carina has issued a statement to the Home Office stating that should negotiations be successful, we arrange a custom law-set with the aforementioned parties to ensure the smoothest arrangement for the system. Whilst we would offer the services of the BPA, and I hope the coalition would be interested in assisting in those efforts, we would not be looking to impose ourselves in terms of law.
Now, for the matter of the Corsairs. Mr Steiner is correct that a lot of bad blood has been created between our respective parties, and that they have consistently attacked Bretonian civilians. Mothers, Fathers, Husbands, Wives, Sons, Daughters, all have been treated the same under the gaze of the Corsair, however I'd like to state again that we are only looking for the removal of the militaristic, barbaric elements. If a level of civility is shown, then we are more than happy for the civilian population to remain, though we may request at the very least that during the transition they be restricted to the Zoner population centres.
Mention of alternative locations has been given, and I agree with the sentiment, however the Leeds population has been evacuated to Liberty and Planet Sprague, and Planet New London. Planet New London had a large population before the relocation, and now we must look to relocate them again. I'm afraid our landmasses are in short supply. We are talking billions here, ladies and gentlemen. If there was another alternative we would have turned to it instead.
Doctor Holiday, whilst your offer of mediation is appreciated, I also find it insulting. Bretonia looked for diplomacy early on in the war, but the bloodthirsty Gauls have slapped the hand away numerous times, or demanded Queen Carina's head, as well as our vassalage. We have all seen the public broadcasts, I remember years ago seeing a broadcast sent across the sector of the Gallic crown prince publicly executing their own civilians. You really ask me to resign my people to that? No, we fight not just for our freedom but all those who fall under it's yoke. But I did not come here to talk of Gallia itself.
Davis stops momentarily as he turns to face the representative of the ABZO
Sir, I ask you consider your threats carefully. So far, your only interaction with Bretonia has been to threaten our civilians and military, to call for our taking hostage, and to generally work against the progress of diplomacy. Should you wish to take myself and my colleague hostage, then I advise you think of the consequences. You are already being considered for listing in accordance with the Terrorism act, and such a move would result in a warrant being issued for your arrest. But rest assured, you will not be facing the Police Authority, but rather the full authority of the Intelligence Service, alongside a hefty bounty issued directly to the Bounty Hunters Guild for your immediate arrest. If you wish to make threats then by all means, but ensure you have the authority to back them.
He let it hang in the air momentarily before turning back to Doc
Doctor Holiday, forgive me but there are many here who would have us disregard diplomacy all together, or set us at one another's throats. I came here hoping for a peaceful resolution but I begin to wonder if too many voices speak. We are willing to make concessions, but I cannot withdraw Battlegroup Stirling, nor will I allow threats to be made against myself or my colleague.
On the subject of Kusari, I would be lying if I said there wasn't still those who have a distrust of the people of Kusari, the war was long and affected many families. I expect there are still those of Kusari who are not willing to place their trust in Bretonia, but we looked for diplomacy with their house too. We looked to open trade, and now our peoples are able to trade freely with one another once more. Let us find an amicable solution. Diplomacy has long been the chosen tool of Bretonia, lets not allow today to be the day that tool breaks.
The few Order officers that donned the uniform today did little more than to observe so far. There was little reason to interfere, at least by official channels and summit was still too important to just let it slip. Anything the Bretonians said failed to impress or even attempt to deconstruct any of the tensions that arose both with Stirling and in the very room. Zoners disunited, arguing, attempting to appease or outright go into war. That brought devilish smile to some of The Order veterans who remembered how it ended the last time. Coalition lacked an agenda, trying to approach from multitude of different diplomatic venues but refusing to exploit anything. Lack of the primary fleet must had had an effect here. The Core representative behaved in more drunk demeanour in self induced binge of perceived grandiose, propaganda of not even worth dismantling by any from present. The Corsair woman stayed quiet. The Inquisitor knew she was not afraid or intimidated, far from it.
Coming from the backdoor where she reported every word and decision back to The Order Command back home, she signed the paper waiver with her codename quite late from every single faction attending. Lack of name and surname may had confused the Alessa as everyone else came in plain and openly with their identity and intentions. None from the sparse Order crowd protested the nomination and the title of “Colonel Valkyrie” bore some dose of respect from the rank. Waiting for the right moment to speak, the opportunity had now occured itself.
“Cease your measurement competitions. This is childish even for the level this summit had already sunken towards. We heard the propositions to divide and conquer the planet and entire system with a ruler on a map. Would it be so simple.”
“The House of Bretonia seeks nothing else than full annexation of the entire system. They are opportunists and have time as their ally. They even almost convinced Coalition - The Communists! - to take a seat alongside decadent *monarchy* to write up the new world order for this planet. Demands towards the Zoners to expell entire Corsair population from Gran Canaria are generous naivety at best, carefully planted casus beli at worst. You there, who the hell even heard about you before Stirling had made an appearance in system?”
She pointed towards the most aggressive Zoner out of the bunch who had suggested to take the Bretonian delegation prisoner.
“Hostages prove that you are no better savage than the raiders coming to grab and loot your world. Should I remind you that Bretonian public at large will demand its security services to ensure that its citizens… notable no less, as they are the Government of Great House of Bretonia itself, will return home safely not minding a so called anti-terror campaign against Zoner ‘terrorists’? Would you give them that satisfaction?”
“Do not appease the Houses. You will sell them part of your soil and sovereignity. Few years from now on when dust of Gallic war settles, we will find ourselves again at another summit where new Bretonian paper-pusher envoy dissolves a Second Treaty of Port Jackson way before of its expiration date at a momenth’s notice and forces more concessions as they are doing it right in front of us. That is assuming they would not just outright annex Omega 49. New Australia? Sydney? Something like that. Think about the possibilities. United Coalition and Bretonian armada sweeping a *Corsair menace* from the border worlds. In preparation for their manifest destiny, destroying Sirius Coalition Revolutionary Army will be merely a formality.”
“That is if any of you succeed in rooting out deeply entrenched Corsairs already present. Truth is, majority of their raiders hail from a base some of you may know as Cadiz - implying they had not already moved their base of operations deeper into heart of Bretonia already. Here present are people who toil to support their families so they would not have to come hungry. What is left to a Corsair once you take their only ability to make an honest living? An honest, sanctified by centuries of Cretan tradition venerable life of a raider plundering all they need to live from Bowex, civilian casualties be damned. I dare to say we are looking for greatest wave of piracy to roll though Omegas if any of your mystically crafted war plans ever achieve at least some of their milestones.”
“Have you noticed the Cretan is not talking? This is not fear. No matter what you decide with or without her, your strategy will work as intended only as far to a point of making a contact with your enemy.”
“That tea sipping scribbler is holding you by a throat. They have capability to cancel the threaty you signed with them years ago at a whim but do not appear to have power - or willingness - to withdraw their battleship. Laws of the Houses matter here as much as what Admiral of The Order had for his breakfast. If you will not force the aggressor to mediate with you on equal terms - such as pre-Stirling status quo held - The Crown will look into that as a weakness. Simultaneously remember that Port Jackson is no longer a legal civilian settlement and by all rights all denizens of Gran Canaria could lay a siege to this now illegal enclave. I do not doubt Corsairs will try. If it wasn’t for Bretonian intelligence service already stabbing us in the back, we would gladly declare war on your pitiful nation. Your directors robbed us of this privilege.”
“Furthermore, I have news from the outside. A Zoner rebel group is already underway to carry out a nuclear assault on HMS Stirling. Likely way too late to stop them. In addition, word from the Order homeworld itself. The Admiralty thinks this charade has gone on for enough. The comms say as much…”
At this rate, Grachov was already ignoring Nathan's bargaining, as it seemed completely unrelated to the topic for him. He, instead, let his assistant to sort out the nuisance which the "supreme" guildkeeper of the Core was, and heeded to Doc's and Bretonian Delegate's speeches. In the meantime, he also noticed the interferance of Colonel Valkyrie. He slowly turned towards her with a raised eyebrow.
"What do you mean?"
He then remembers that he had a small holopad with him and pulls it out of his coat. He briefly opened the neural net broadcasting channel and when he noticed the comm, his vicious smirk got back on his face.
"Looks like there are people who are ready to act. Well, as I love to say: rush decisions - rush consequences."
He leaned back and awaited for everyone else to realise that this whole summit has escalated sooner than anticipated.
(10-13-2023, 12:51 AM)Haste Wrote: This is a feature as most Discovery players would not receive a response from women.
Brother Junius rose up from his seat with a loud voice, almost a screech.
"Doctor Holliday insulted every Zoner in Sirius when he allowed this terrorist organization to participate, the ones responsible for multiple genocide attempts against his own people."
His eyes had lost their serenity and cold demeanor, instead they were looking directly at the Inquisitor like burning spears.
"Now they are holding this summit hostage through blackmail and threats to use Weapons of Mass Destruction. I, Brother Junius, of the Most Holy Church of Sirius nominate the EXPULSION OF THE ORDER REPRESENTATIVES from this summit for their THREATS OF VIOLENCE! They want this summit to fail and the peace also! The want war and chaos, I beseech you to not let them have what they want!"
Junius said and demanded a vote for the expulsion of The Order.
Megaera walked over to father Julius while trembling in anger.
"What heresy is this? the most holy church of Sirius? Your are nothing to the beauty of chaos. You should be purged in the seas of oblivion. Chaos can not be controlled, it can not be contained and it can not be destroyed. Your faith is nothing to us. You wish to vote for the expulsion of Order? It is the reason you still breath at this moment since Chaos wants to drown you in its infinite ocean. The most sacred entity in Sirius, is myself!"
To Miss Hale, it felt like this was going on for days already. The summit started and now there were not only people about to jump at each other's necks during the summit but also in space. It was obvious. This summit was a failure, and Ezrael was absolutely right about it. Without adding any words, she took her leave. The Hot Gear Headquarters and outlet stores on Canaria needed to be evacuated. Rather sooner than later.
War was inevitable. Omega-49 would turn into a battlefield very soon.
Valkyrie was about to step down, not looking towards any particular response or reaction. Her task was accomplished already no matter what would had happened. She briefly looked at the Corsairs and Coalition until someone draw her attention. It was elderly person hissing with acid in her general direction clad in nothing but black robes.
“Take a seat clown or you will bust a vein and I am afraid not even Doc himself would save you then. That reminds me, I came prepared.”
Valkyrie approached a multimedia device owned by the Doc Holliday’s estate and with their consent submitted a small chip to display on a large screen purposely for cases of conferences like this. A guncam appeared from an Order ship, displaying rather familiar organization that also invited themselves into the summit.
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