A Farewell To Kings

[Keter]

It was a cold day, but he welcomed it. The chill hardened them, as it hardened his heart. He knew the cost of what he was about to do. Not just for him, but for everyone. But it had to be done. It was inevitable. His Majesty Otetian Solonian III stood at the podium, his hands resting on it's polished wooden surface. A microphone sprouted from the plinth like some weed, eager to hear his nourishing words. He wanted to look back, to have one last moment of reassurance. He couldn't. There would be no looking back. He had been very specific about that. Look forward, into the future. No regrets, no doubts. Otetian lowered his head as if in grief, composing his thoughts before straightening and beginning to speak.

"People of Vara, sons and daughters of Olvar. For years we have suffered under the predetation of Arr'ean Clans. For years we have suffered the warring of Carinthia and Sybosynthia. And during all those years, you have stood proud and worked for the betterment of our planet. You have bled and wept for the fuels that power their cities, for the metals that they forge into weapons to turn on others. For all those years, we have been a nation oppressed and beaten by those who saw themselves our betters. Even now, the Republic and the Empire wage their war. And for what? For years we dreamed of wandering the void, for years we toiled towards that goal. And the day that we achieved that dream, we were betrayed. Look up, my brothers and sisters. Gaze unto the stars, and what awaits us there. The galaxy is a far greater place than any of us imagined, and is ready and waiting for our first steps. But instead our so called leaders wage war amongst themselves, content to sit in our own star system. There is a bright future waiting to be seized, and with each year, that bright light grows ever distant, ever fainter."

Otetian paused, letting the words sink in. He felt himself shivering in the cold. The blank faces of the troops stared back at him, all silent, all respectful. Some would be dead within the month.

"So I ask you, brothers and sisters, should we not grab that dream before it slips away entirely? Should we not march into the stars as our fathers wished? We are Olvarians, and it is down to us to find our rightful place in the universe. A place free from oppression. Free from judgement. Free from doubt! On this day, we march! Not for honor! Not for the kingdom! We march of Olvar!" he declared, saluting the troops before him, his right fist clenched and held against his left breast.

The gathered soldiers stamped and cheered, discipline momentarily forgotten as the banners of the Varan Kingdom fluttered in the frigid breeze. Otetian bowed his head as he retreated from the pdoium, entering the darkened halls of the senate building. It had once been a place of peace, for representatives of Carinthia and Sybosynthia to meet and discuss their differences without resorting to bloodshed. That had been cneturies ago. Now...it had been a museum before Otetian had been advised to reclaim it. There was strength in history, the advisors had said. Symbolism is key. He doubted that himself, but the troops had seemed to regard their duty with far more severity than he had expected. At least, those made up of Varas regulars. The auxiliaries he had obtained had stood apart, silent, almost uninterested. But then again, what could one expect of mercenaries.

"A wonderful speech, sire," said one of the figures waiting in the shadows of the senate doorway, smiling warmly at him. Severian, one of the offworlders. "You have embarked upon a great journey today, your Highness," he added with a nod of his head as Otetian swept past him.

"Will it be worth it?" the King asked without looking at the towering figure.

"Of course. No blood shed in the name of a worthy cause is wasted, after all."

Outside, they could hear the muffled roar of engines as the vehicles started up, the troops embarking even as they spoke. They walked on in silence into the main chamber, a room resembling a theatre, surrounded by seats. The Senate chamber. A pity it had seen so little use. The artistry in its design was quite breathtaking.

"Of course...you do realize that we will need quite the garrison to stay behind?" Severian asked, lookind down at the King.

The man nodded. "War is a costly business. A bid for independence even more so," he stated, as if that was all an explanation needed. Severian stayed silent as one of the King's aids noted down all that they said. For future's prosperity, it had been claimed. Accurate historical records and all that. Severian suppressed a snort. Otetian hadn't even won yet and was already writing history. What confidence. Then again, his forces were now a full technological generation ahead of anyone else on the planet. The giant supposed that was worth some confidence.

@Alliera Nakamura

 

[Ori'Alor Tal'Verda]

@[member="Keter"]

Alliera landed in the Outskirts of the Capital, waving the pilot of the YT-1300 away as she got off, she didn't want to risk the King of this country getting it and MSS was going to be coming in on her word to Start part B of her plan. Alliera then exited the area as quick as she could, before the locals started investigating the 'UFO'. Before Long, Alliera was in a rather seedy bar, her weapons, armor, and cold weather gear concealed in a rather dank apartment upstairs. Except for one gun anyway, a Czerka Arms Machine Pistol that was cleverly concieled under her clothing, easy to access. Alliera put a few pieces of the countries basic currency on the bar, and ordered a drink, deciding to scope her temporary base out before doing much else.

 

[Keter]

The Order of the Talon​

​

Elsinor smiled as she handed out the drinks throughout the bustling tavern. It was a small and rustic place, just on the outskirts of the township of Cerric in the Kingdom of Vara. For all the good cheer she displayed, Elsinor felt somewhat empty. There were far more empty tables than usual. Her father had said that with the latest crackdowns, more poeple would have come in to drink away their woes, and that had been the case for a while. Before the soldiers turned up. They weren't bad sorts, but everyone felt as if they were being watched and judged. The sight of their uniforms just reminded them of the taxes they had had to pay, having less and less with which to feed and clothe themselves. Elsinor herself had put on a simple dress that once belonged to her mother. Her sisters were also waiting on the tables, and their father keeping an eye out to make sure things didn't get out of hand. But the soldiers were all well behaved.

She shook her head. She couldn't empathise with them. Even if nice, they were guilty by association. She was part of the Order. She should not be having such thoughts. She made her way back to the counter before turning to one of the newest curiosities in Ceric - the strnage mercenary woman. Some whispered that she had come from the Arr'ean clans. Others whispered that she was an alien. Or most terrifyingly of all, that she was an agent of either Carinthia or Sybosynthia. Definetively someone for the Order to keep an eye on. "What can I get you?" she asked politely, smiling as her father had instructed her.

@[member="Alliera Nakamura"]

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Carinthia​

"Sensors picked up a ship. Confederate," reported the orderly, staring fixedly forward.

In front of him, seated behind a comfortable wooden desk, sat High Marshal Ollanius. The marshal was a man of no mean reputation, and had held his post for fifteen years. He sighed as he read the report in front of him. "So they believe we cannot police ourselves," he said in disgust, looking up at the orderly who failed to react. "Any idea where it went?"

"No sir."

"Great. We could have coordinated at least but with this..." the Marshal said, looking down at the report again. "We continue on as planned."

"Yessir."

 

[Ori'Alor Tal'Verda]

@[member="Keter"]

"Oh, just something cheap and simple." Alliera said, with a pleasant tone "I still have some travel lag, and I'm renting one of the rooms."" Alliera was, in reality, keeping a close eye on the soldier, no telling what they could do with enough drink in them. "Have they caused any trouble in the past?" Alliera asked, in part from actual concern and in part due to her interest in gaining hard intell on Vara's Military."

 

[Keter]

The Order of the Talon​

Elsinor nodded at the woman, glancing below the counter to figure out what would be good. Her father would have taken advantage of a non-regular to somewhat overcharge, but she wasn't in the mood for such trickery. There was a time and a place for such things after all. She pulled out a bottle of local whiskey, and poured it into a polished glass. "Here. It's simple, but at least it's tasty, unlike the stuff they like to drink," she offered, tilting her head in the direction of the soldiers.

The question was one she had expected. With the crackdowns recently, a lot of people tended to get nervous around any sign of authority. Especially non-locals. Elsinor smiled. "Oh very rarely, and they tend to police themselves quite rigorously. One of them may try to get a little touchy now and again, but their buddies tend to put them in their place if you point out their behavior." They were disciplined like that. Civilians were encouraged to report any misbehaving done by the soldiers in their off-duty hours, and entire units were punished for one man's misdeed. That tended to reassure the civilians somewhat, leading to an interesting situation of polite but somewhat distant interaction between the military and those it served.

Considering the alternatives, Elsinor was thankful. But it was also insidious. That sense of power made it easier to manipulate people. They were strictly under martial law, and though the soldiers were just people, they still served the King. And he was the problem. She had watched his declaration on the vidscreen in the inn with her family. Any attempt to take on both superpowers would meet with annexation and failure. And in order to prepare for this war, King Otetian had raised taxes, and limited civil aid spending. But instigating martial law because the law enforcement agencies were stretched thin due to their poor funding had been the last straw.

The Order of the Talon was not a particularly powerful group, made up mostly of students and workers like her, but they knew that someone had to oppose Otetian's scheming. They limited themselves strictly to information brokering, passing on any intel they got from eavesdropping and other means onto either Carinthia or Sybosynthia. Both nations had promised to install Otetian's heir if they were willing to disarm. Vara had suffered enough from being between the two superpowers, but that would be nothing ocmpared to what would happen if both focused on the Kingdom due to it's ill-advised bid for independence.

She looked at the woman sitting in front of her. "You're not from around here, are you?"

@[member="Alliera Nakamura"]