The Land of the Rising Sun (Fringe Dominion of Asahi)

[Velok the Younger]

[member="Juro Tanaka"]

[member="Juro Tanaka"]

<Trade, training, technology, security. First, trade. Our worlds include productive mines and mining corporations, interested in, for example, your songsteel deposits. Our worlds have elements that your system lacks -- phrik, for example, a very light, very strong material. Desh-terenthium, agrinium, agrocite, others. I myself own a small phrik mining corporation with great interest in your songsteel, but I speak for my people, not for myself. The Fringe is very favorable toward business. Internal tariffs are very low, regulations almost nonexistent."

 

[Juro Tanaka]

"<Our, you call it 'songsteel'? Our mines of that metal are very rare, guarded, and all are ancient. We mine very infrequently as we only take the metal for special needs. Swords, mainly, of those who have proven worthy>," he stated with a slight shrug. "<The metals and ores you speak of, however, interest me. If you could give me an idea of what those materials are and are capable of, I can help determine trade and the like with your company. I'm sure there are other things here that your companies might have interest in. Our ships, perhaps. Or our warriors and sailors. I can attest that while our technology is, in general and at a glance, sub-par to yours from what I have seen, we do well for ourselves in other areas. For example, we have recently finalized and completed an Artificial Intelligence project.>"

[member="Rave Merrill"]

 

[Velok the Younger]

<Artificial Intelligence is an interest of mine,> said Rave. <I would love to see your project data. As for the metals, phrik is equivalent to songsteel in many ways. There are differences in forging requirements, tensile strength, and density. Desh-terenthium is very strong, very light, very flexible. Agrocite can be used to make turbolasers far more powerful. Agrinium is somewhat tough, but highly resistant to radiation. I'll make metallurgical data available to you -- I'm certain some of these materials exist in your system under other names.>
[member="Juro Tanaka"]

 

[Sheff Zee]

The yacht that carried him everywhere dropped out of hyperspace and he turned on the communications array and tried to contact the Fringe military and other members upon the planet. He took a moment to clear his throat before saying, "I'm Aeon, where do you need me?"

Then he waited for orders.

[member="Jorus Merrill"] - [member="Juro Tanaka"] - [member="Rave Merrill"] - [member="Dak Canton"] - [member="Gavin Ovmar"] -

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Aeon Caedus"]
Caedus-
Proceed to the following coordinates in the comets at the edge of the Asahi system. A cloaked starship will meet you there. Please proceed there before the Asahi authorities detect you. The negotiations are at a delicate stage.
-Varanin

 

[Sheff Zee]

Once he got the message he had gone to the coordinates that had been transmitted to him. The comets had been a bit of a challenge to get past, but once he had gotten to the edge of Asahi system he waited for the cloaked ship to appear.

He would have replied to 'Varanin,' but if negotiations were fragile, it would have been better if they didn't trace messages back and forth. Easier to be known of his presence and such.

[member="Ashin Varanin"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Aeon Caedus"]'s discretion was appreciated. A Seroth-class frigate decloaked nearby, a jagged little vessel built around six immense guns. It moved to dock with Caedus' little yacht in the shadow of a large comet.

"Caedus, this is Varanin," said the woman who'd basically built the Fringe Confederation. "Come aboard. We have things to discuss."

 

[Sheff Zee]

His sensors told him of the Seroth-frigate uncloaking close by and he just let his own yacht glide through space so that it could come to him and dock.

He moved through the docking tubes and once he was upon the other side, he entered the Seroth and wondered if there was to be someone to meet him as he passed the threshold.

[member="Ashin Varanin"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Aeon Caedus"]

There was.

Ashin Varanin wasn't, by all accounts, that imposing of a sight. She wore spacer's clothes -- a vest, simple trousers -- with a lightsabre at one hip and a blaster at the other. Simple loadout for the conqueror of ten thousand worlds. Reformed conqueror. Also, she leaned on a gimer stick cane, like the one Yoda had carried and occasionally chewed; her limp was bad these days.

"Caedus? Welcome aboard the Ferocity. Come with me to the map room -- I want to show you this system's strategic importance, and then I have a job for you. Why do you think this system might be important to our regional security?"

 

[Sheff Zee]

He noted the being that was there, the being that was [member="Ashin Varanin"] a conqueror of thousands upon thousands of worlds. He didn't even know her name until she had sent that message. Her name meant nothing to him, but he still smiled at her in greeting. It was always best to be polite.

At first anyway.

"It is close to Republic space?" He truly didn't know, but he figured she would tell him all in good time.

[member="Ashin Varanin"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Aeon Caedus"]

"That's part of it," she admitted, "but we have other worlds that are far closer."

An immense holographic map appeared, a galaxy rotating above their heads.

"Take a look. Tell me what you see, or don't see."

 

[Sheff Zee]

He nodded in his head at the confirmation that she gave. There was more to it obviously. There always was.

He looked upwards to look at the galaxy before him. There were several colours upon it, it was distracting to say the least.

"The Republic is in a weak spot. Asahi is on the edge of known space, and it'll strengthen our borders." He said, glancing over to her. He felt like a fool for not really knowing what the significance of the planet was.

[member="Ashin Varanin"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Aeon Caedus"]

"Don't be afraid to admit you don't see the answer," she said. "In this case, that's because there isn't one. On a map, in terms of locatikn, this world offers little but a slightly improved vantage point on the Republic. So this world must offer something else. Use your intuition - trust your instincts. What does this place offer us?"

 

[Sheff Zee]

"It can be used to mine Songsteel." He said with a frown, unsure if he was right or not. "I truly do not know the answer." He said, and he rotated his head upon his collar to look over at her.

His gaze came back around and looked at the galaxy map again. Trying to see if he missed something.

[member="Ashin Varanin"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Aeon Caedus"]

"That is certainly part of it. But take it from me - I've fought in many, many wars - metals, technology, position, and money do not win wars. People win wars, and the people of Asahi are strong in integrity, initiative, warrior heritage, introspection. Quality people at your back will stand you in good stead better than any of the rest."

 

[Sheff Zee]

"I'm certain that all of the things you listed are used by people, to win the war." He said with an obvious confused look on his face. In his mind it was the money, weapons and technology that won you wars. Of course the people played a part, but that was a given since they were the ones using them.

[member="Ashin Varanin"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Aeon Caedus"]

"Perhaps you'll see in time. Tell me about yourself, Caedus. How much have you lived? What have you seen, done , sacrificed?"

 

[Sheff Zee]

"My name is Aeon Caedus, I am the Prince of Eiattu 6, and I have only lived for twenty years. I've seen Sith, zombies, a rakghoul inhabited by a human's mind, and killed it. I've done things that would have had most people in a jail. I am most probably not the ideal ruler for my people."

[member="Ashin Varanin"]

 

[Juro Tanaka]

<Artificial Intelligence is an interest of mine,> said Rave. <I would love to see your project data. As for the metals, phrik is equivalent to songsteel in many ways. There are differences in forging requirements, tensile strength, and density. Desh-terenthium is very strong, very light, very flexible. Agrocite can be used to make turbolasers far more powerful. Agrinium is somewhat tough, but highly resistant to radiation. I'll make metallurgical data available to you -- I'm certain some of these materials exist in your system under other names.>
[member="Juro Tanaka"]

"<I shall make it a point for you to meet them, then>," he said with a nod. "<As for those metals, they seem useful in their own ways. This Desh-tear-enth-ee-um? This metal sounds very useful. As does the more powerful turbolasers. Your radiation resistant metal, though, sounds similar to one we mine from our moon. I wonder if they are the same.>"

[member="Rave Merrill"]

 

[Allyson Locke]

Spencer listened in the background. The young woman never making a move forward until now. Her presence known to those around her - calm, quiet and serene. Finally stepping forward she waited behind Ashin.

You trust him?

She spoke through their force bond and waited for her former Master's response. [member="Ashin Varanin"]