Sterbelicht - One Sacrifice At A Time Against The Galaxy (40K)

With a continuation of the Conference, so too comes an apology and explanation to the Mashan Temple Authority regarding the unintentional insult given to them. The idea that any non-human species would interact with humanity on any level beyond utter genocidal hatred has long since been instilled into nearly every human culture and polity for well over ten millennia. The uncountable number of xenocides that the Imperium's xenophobic stance in both politics and faith created, urged on by cycles of violence and despair, has not helped matters for those humans who interacted in a non-hostile matter with Xenos. Even those who tried to deal fairly were eventually crushed or forced to act in hatred and betrayal against those they once treated fairly. The history of the Kil'drabi is rife with such interactions. As far as the Glimmering Federation is aware, ex-Imperial worlds and populations cling tightly to the stances of the Imperium and Ecclesiarchy even now.

In return, the Authority apologizes for its overreaction to a miscommunication and agrees to leave the matter to the side so that both of our people can walk into the future unburdened by undeserved feelings. A general agreement to trade, in a more limited form that disallows Federation Traders to leave the stations they would dock at to sell their wares, is also proposed and shortly enters negotiations between the two delegations.

As for the underlying belief that the Glimmering Federation was not involved in the war to a major degree, the diplomats of the delegation turn to long, grueling, and soul-crushing sessions of meetings with fine food and drink between all involved parties or one-on-one talks, minds and opinions swayed one kilo gained at a time, laying a groundwork for goodwill and far more hospitable treatings between the three present nations in the future.

That being said, the Shipwright's Alliance did not drop their demand for Yivv. The Glimmering Federation didn't budge on that matter either.

Not when the Alliance offers to relinquish all claims on Zetraneum. Negotiations continue, and moods sour as quickly as it becomes clear that the Alliance knows something that they should not. It is suspected when they offer to give up half their claims in the system. And then it is all but confirmed when they offer to relinquish all claims, for all planets, except for Tom, which they seek to purify and turn into a cemetery world for their people, the bones of three billion martyrs and dead heroes a fertilizer that had long ago been made into a rallying cry for their people.

Weeks go by, and it all ends when the Shipwright's Alliance outright declares that they know about the Auramite within Tom. They know that this is why the Federation does not wish to relinquish a system over a Sub-Sector away from their nation's Core Systems, and they make no attempt to hide the fact that they do not wish for it. They demand that planet. The Federation can have the rest of the system, but that metal is theirs by right of spilled blood and the weight of sacrifice. It is vital for the construction of Irrita Compass Needles, something they offer no explanation beyond saying that 'It aids our ships in the traversal of the Warp.'

It is when the delegations excuse themselves for a remission after that statement that, in an ugly twist of diplomacy, both the Shipwright's Alliance and the Mashan Temple Authority approach the Glimmering Federation with offers of compromise.

The Authority does not speak in honeyed words but plainly. Auramite is a powerfully meaningful metal for their people and is all but required to create several essential religious items. Their terms are simple: 50% of all mined Auramite, and they will, if needed, force the Alliance to back down from their claim over the system.

It is unspoken that they are willing to offer the same to the Alliance, though targeted against the Federation.

And yet, the Shipwright's Alliance approaches with two other solutions on their own. In a meeting both tense and filled with a thread of cold anger, the Alliance's head delegate offers to...relinquish their claims upon Yivv. Provided that they gain something equally important in return. "If we leave this Conference without that system," they explained slowly, with a stony facade, "with news that you will soon begin to mine atop the graves of three billion martyrs and fallen heroes....well. People are unreasonable at the best of times. And we may be unable to stop all who decide to let action follow outrage."

This is, of course, with the assumption that they are left without something to soothe and show their people of equal value to the Auramite soon to be mined there and the desecration of a planet blessed by the sacrifice of heroes.

Like, say, this oddly comprehensive list of technologies that could be transferred over to them, or a delegation of twenty Choirs sent for one-and-a-half-centuries to teach the psykers of the Alliance the safe(-ish) use of their powers...and how to navigate the Warp.


What Now?
(6-Hour Moratorium)
[] (Write-In)

AN: Man, ya really didn't think finding Auramite would be such a headache, did ya?
Also, the Alliance ain't lying about Yivv being home to three billion graves from their war against Chaos.