Pilgrimage (Moross)

[Ashin Varanin]

She'd called ahead. Even if Moross and the Fringe had a longstanding alliance, one didn't show up in one's friend's backyard with a starship capable of-

Well, there'd already been enough application of measuring tapes to phalloi. Suffice it to say, the Grave Wind was fairly specialized and state-of-the-art, and not something one brought over to play without asking first. So she'd definitely called ahead, because word had trickled down that Moross had recently been the victim of that ubiquitous phallus/measuring tape junta, and at the unwashed hands of a leather-clad Fringe affiliate no less.

Privately, she found it both concerning and hilarious. Apparently he'd even been shirtless, a man of his age.

The Grave Wind exited hyperspace at the Wild Space trade nexus of Terminus, on the edge of the Crusade closest to the Fringe. When she'd commed in prior to embarkation, she'd asked to meet with an unspecified representative of the Crusade; who, what, or how many they chose to send, if any, was entirely up to them.

[member="Amorella Mae"] [member="Soliael Devin Talith"] [member="Cameron Centurion"] [member="Crystal"] [member="Loxa Visl"]

 

[Blackthorne]

Stewardess, Priestess, Ambassador. Hand picked by the Aesir Inari for all these things, Loxa Visl was not one to skirt responsibility. She would soon be taking leave of Moross space to attend an upcoming Life Day and Birthday party of a Fringe High Councilor as the chosen companion of [member="Lucianus Adair"], a great honor she felt, but to meet with she who originally planted the seeds of the Fringe? Let it be known that Visl was ... anxious.

So it was with a silent mantra and prayer to Inari in her head for the clarity and calmness of mind to see this through, Loxa looked up as a Comm Officer announced the arrival of the Grave Wind in Terminus space.

There was a good chance [member="Cameron Centurion"] would be present for this meeting, but the Aesir had yet to arrive. Terminus, his most recent vested interest, had become a watering hole of sorts for him. Be that she was in no place to question the desires of her leaders, Loxa was content to act on her own for the time being until orders changed. She quietly ordered a holo-call to the Grave Wind and waited for the transmission to patch through.

Greetings, her image would appear, robed figure standing straight, hands folded within her sleeves at her front, I am Stewardess Loxa Visl, Morossian Ambassador to the Fringe Confederacy. I am pleased to receive you on Terminus at these transmitted coordinates, Master Varanin.

Incoming data to the Grave Wind would detail the specified meeting location at the Morossian HQ within the Capital city.

[member="Ashin Varanin"]

 

[Cameron Centurion]

Cameron, in fact, was on world already. Terminus had steadily become his favored location for a variety of experiments and extra-curriculars. Naturally - the vast majority of facilities were subterranean, but a few innocuous warehouses above ground did exist. These edifices, of course, were placed so as not to draw attention or curiosity.

Standing in front of a holographic projection in what passed for a temporary control center below ground, the Sith Lord monitored the communications arrays that effectively services Terminus, to include the Holonet that made communications off-world possible. For the time being, he was content to allow [member="Loxa Visl"] to discharge her duties.

Interesting enough...Cameron trusted the Zabrak woman. To a degree. The fact that Amorella trusted her certainly played no small part in the matter. "Deploy a team to the location. Overt."

"Overt?"

Cameron shot the man a glance but did not reply. The rise of questioning amongst his senior officials was going to bring about a purge in about half a heartbeat.

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

Soliael sat in a small comfortable chair in the Moross HQ, which as it turned out was a massive cathedral. That was to be expected really, Moross was after all first and foremost a religion, its bases and homesteads where churches, cathedrals, and basilicas. They were all religious in some way, they were all ornate in another. Each of them was a place of pilgrimage, even here on Terminus.

When the Fringe arrived they would be greeted by a small party that would eventually lead them to this room, where he and Loxa were waiting.

It wasn't that Soliael had suddenly barged in here and taken charge away from Loxa. He hadn't completely ignored her wants and demands and simply told her to sit down. Quite the opposite, he intended for her to still lead this little round of negotiations, or information exchanging, or whatever this would turn out to be. He had simply been present on Terminus buying some gummy bears for Amorella when he had been made aware of this meeting, and he decided to attend.

Simple really.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Loxa Visl"] [member="Cameron Centurion"] [member="Soliael Devin Talith"]

Ashin touched down in the Peregrine, her home more than any planet could claim to be -- an unprepossessing little ship that had flown through stars and born witness to events as grand and terrible as mortals had ever managed to create. As its hatch closed behind her, though, she could privately admit that the Peregrine had witnessed something new for once. Even to one who'd spent the better part of her life in the Unknown Regions, the skies of Terminus held a broad assortment of bizarre craft. She'd been here once, but feth, it had been ages.

Steward Visl's coordinates had put Ashin at the Crusade's local headquarters, with administrative purview over the planet and possibly the sector. Her welcoming party and then escort was a team of men and women who exuded competence; someone had dispatched them specially.

She'd opted for the black uniform of a Fringe Confederation Grand Admiral, with a chest full of ribbons that blared a disclaimer about the relative position of Van-Dervelds in the state of things. It was either that, spacer clothes, or full armor, and the latter two sent mixed and awkward messages.

The room, their destination, held not only the Steward but the Moross God of Knowledge. The Keeper's presence struck her as appropriate; she rather imagined that the Crusade had a few questions to pose. She couldn't blame them; once she was done in Moross territory, she rather intended to pose some herself. "Steward Visl, Eminence Neth," she said with a bow as between equals, "thank you for seeing me. I've been told unusual things about a certain meeting your government held recently. I'm here to get a more...direct account than the one I was given, and to give you the Fringe's assurances and perspective on a problematic mutual acquaintance of ours. Is this acceptable to you?"

She took a seat.

 

[Blackthorne]

Loxa returned the bow, prompt and respectful, ever aware that she also spoke and acted for the Aesirs who currently attended and those who did not. Yellow eyes settled on the woman, momentarily lingering on the assortment of badges and honors presented, she nodded.

"It is," the Steward replied in a low voice heavily accented by the years spent raised amongst the witch colonies on Aaris III, "I can give you the most direct and unbiased account there is - the recorded kind."

She waited a moment to give her leaders any chance to interject should they wish before indicating to a nearby assisting Archivist of Neth. The man engaged a holoprojector off to the side of the room, presenting to [member="Ashin Varanin"] security surveillance taken first by the attending transports, cut off at the point of which they were crushed by the aforementioned acquaintance and then cut to feed taken from the ships in orbit. Technology was remarkable. It showed only the most pertinent moments, leaving out the short conversation prior to the ... incident.

"Any insight you have to offer, Master Varanin?"

[member="Cameron Centurion"]
[member="Soliael Devin Talith"]

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

Soliael remained silent. Only listening.

(This post is literary genius.)

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Loxa Visl"] [member="Soliael Devin Talith"] [member="Cameron Centurion"]

"...For I am your new God. I am Ket Van-Derveld, and I shall be the one to lead ALL to the utopia you seek. Fight me if you feel the need, but consign yourselves to the fate you choose if you do so, for none shall stand against me and live to tell the tale."

The holographic projection ground to a halt. After a beat, Ashin raised her hand and gestured precisely. The recording restarted. She watched it again, in silence, then started it a third time and paused it near the beginning. With the room lit by the stilled image of Ket burning off his own clothes, she leaned back in the chair to gather her thoughts.

"I'm sorry to have made you wait; the plain fact is, I'm attempting to decide whether this-" She gestured at the holo. "-constitutes high treason -- whether he's talking about a coup. Suffice it to say, I take a very dim view of this regardless. He's eight hundred years too old to be walking around without a shirt like some apotheosis of id, and as apotheoses go, I've seen...far better.

"Ket Van-Derveld is not a leader, de facto or de jure, of the Fringe Confederation, the Empire of the Hand, or any group associated with them. Nor, so far as I'm aware, is he in any position to become one. So far as I'm aware, he's done virtually nothing for the Confederation, and has no rank with us other than recognizance of his status as a Master. He's more closely affiliated with the Empire of the Hand, but speaking as its Empress, I can assure you that he has no formal title, no followers, no capital ship or planetary assets. He considers himself a superpower, but all he has to his name is what he carries on his back. Well, that's not true. Now he also has my attention.

"Lord Adair and the High Council would like me to reaffirm our commitment to good relations with the Crusade. You've been our most reliable ally for a very long time -- our only reliable ally, in fact. Our hope is that you'll accept our assurances that Van-Derveld speaks for himself and only himself." She felt her eyes narrow. "And that it's entirely possible he'll no longer be speaking at all. In Fringe, we muzzle our wolves when they don't stop howling." And put them down when they foam at the mouth, she very pointedly didn't say, but she trusted the message got across regardless.

 

[Blackthorne]

The message came through quite clearly to the Steward.

The woman gave a slow but short nod before taking several moments to digest and ponder her response. The intentions of the Aesirs had been made well before this meeting - Loxa being the first contacted about it by Inari herself. They were, under no certain circumstances, willing to break off the alliance with the Fringe for one single mishap by an entity they largely believe to be acting on his own. Yet when names like the Fringe Confederacy were dropped within none-too-thinly-veiled-threats, it was pertinent to investigate their galactic ally interests.

Loxa Visl was for all intents and purposes, assured by Varanin's words.

"This is good to know," she responded finally, "the Aesirs wish to continue our good relations with the Fringe Confederacy unimpeded by this incident. However, if this man is your wolf, as you say, it is my duty to inform you we do not welcome him within our boarders and will not tolerate his presence here. Any intrusion on his part will be met with consequences that we will not be held accountable for where our alliance is concerned."

[member="Ashin Varanin"]

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

Soliael gave a slight nod in response to what Loxa said, but remained silent. The priestess was well versed in this.

(Guys i'm on fire)

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Loxa Visl"] [member="Soliael Devin Talith"]

"I'm glad to hear it. And, of course, whatever he brings upon himself will have no bearing on how the Fringe feels about the Crusade."

She weighed her next words carefully.

"He's fought for Abrion several times, including engagements where the Fringe fought on the other side. Now, Fringe has often allowed its people to fight for both sides in foreign wars, but Van-Derveld, we believe, still identifies with Abrion. I mention this so that you'll know we've examined several sides of a potential strike against the ACA. It's our feeling, and perhaps it's mistaken, that you'd rather go through them than through the Protectorate."

 

[Blackthorne]

"The Crusade has held no aggressive stance against either the Protectorate or Abrion historically," Loxa returned, simply to clarify a truth that the Fringe was likely well aware of, "our boarders have spanned far enough apart that it has not been deemed necessary. However, as we continue to expand we cannot rule out the high possibility that our ...differences of governing and idealogies will be realized."

A short glance to Neth who remained silent and vigilant as ever told the Steward all she needed to know. Full disclosure of Morossian wartime and expasion plans was not something to be discussed via an Ambassador, but between leading figureheads in a setting far more prepared to do so.

"We are ... eager to continue our expansion, Master Varanin, and we will maintain open communication with the Fringe Confederacy as plans come to fruition. These things are better left to discuss at another time, I think, when they are more clearly defined by the Aesirs."

[member="Ashin Varanin"]
[member="Cameron Centurion"]
[member="Soliael Devin Talith"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Loxa Visl"]

"Certainly," said Ashin drily. "I'm not one to rush revelation. All things in their own due time."

 

[Blackthorne]

Loxa nodded, "I think we have all the answers we need for now. Our gratitude goes out to the Fringe Confederacy, and to you, Master Varanin, for bringing them to us willingly and forthright. It speaks well of things to come. If the you or the Aesirs have nothing to add..." the Steward gave another glance back to Neth, still silent, who dismissed the notion with a curt shake of his head, "then I believe this meeting can adjourn. Good luck to you with this wolf of yours."

[member="Ashin Varanin"]
[member="Cameron Centurion"]
[member="Soliael Devin Talith"]