The only ones that could are the damaged ones, and at 1/3rd and 1/4 hull? I'm thinking fat chance.
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To Boldly Go... (a Starfleet quest)
- Thread starter OneirosTheWriter
- Start date
- Sci-Fi
-
- Tags
- star trek exploration fully automated luxury gay space communism top level canon (canon) #hashtagcontent all-encompassing space amoeba cardassian boy bands cardassian magical girls darkest bureaucracy debate makes the qm cackle like palpatine hoh is an empire quest it has to be foreign infiltrators more ships ship happens singers delenda est starfleet this is not an empire quest ur waifu is collective?
KnightDisciple
Love God. Do Right. Fear No Man.
- Location
- Midwest, USA
Oh thank you thank you for summing that up.
Sorry, just, every time I see a Battle Log my eyes glaze over, a summary like this is a Godsend.
...Which targets actually won?
And how well did we apparently succeed overall?
Wow, half their fleet out of commission... which as a reminder, makes up about half of all Ked Peddah ships total. They have a quarter of their ships out of action on just prepping to take Ixaria. An absolute disaster. For the Ked Peddah.
From Starfleet's POV, taking Ixaria still seems possible, so yay.
Our side won all three battles and destroyed our targets. The Ked Peddah got absolutely mauled doing it, while Federation ships barely got their paint scratched.
Jenny
anonymous user
- Location
- maryland
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Well, maybe they have an industry team for 4x repair speed? But even then, at best maybe the Vigilant? (And that's assuming we wait a month, rather than pressing on next fortnight).
Like, we can probably estimate from our own repair jobs.
To be fair, we had the single strongest task force, and the Ixarian fleet focused on disrupting the Ked Paddah attacks rather than the Federation's attack.
Overall though I think the Ked Paddah got stuck with the hardest targets, so it makes sense they suffered more. They had enemy ships to face and some ridiculously tanky defenses during both the Repose and Moon battles. And Repose was protected by a 'heavy' minefield, which easily accounts for two of those smaller ship losses due to insane mine damage totals from it. I suspect we'd be looking at 'only' damaged Alert and Wary if they hadn't struck those mines.
There appears to be a significant difference between heavy and light minefields, btw. Ships struck by mines assaulting Repose:
Ships struck by mines attacking the moon:
There appears to be a significant difference between heavy and light minefields, btw. Ships struck by mines assaulting Repose:
Ships struck by mines attacking the moon:
Very different values. Could be that Steady and Watchful got 'lucky' on the damage portion, but that seems unlikely.
Night
Widow Null
- Location
- Hoff
If a ship is destroyed, you can still go through its pockets looking for loose change. If it's Warp Core breached, it has suffered Total Existence Failure.
- Location
- Australia
They're not actually that miffed yet - losing frigates isn't a completely unexpected result for them. Having the Shrewd fail to arrive properly was a huge frustration for them, but at least it isn't damaged like the Protective. So three battleships, three frigates, they'll be happy to fold into the Federation task force and smash their way into orbit. Someone will need to do something about the Iron Hail platform after (if) orbit is secured, otherwise the troop carriers will have no hope of arriving at the planet.
Thuir definitely faced a lighter minefield, but he also benefited heavily from having Torbriel and Centaur-As in the skirmish line providing a good screen science score.
I was looking more at raw damage. Was the moon a light minefield as well or were those ships just lucky on damage rolls.
@TheThread Do we know the S values of Ked Paddah ships? I rather suspected they might be eating shit due to low S scores.
KnightDisciple
Love God. Do Right. Fear No Man.
- Location
- Midwest, USA
A few observations:
KPS Cautious - Combat 6.00/6, Shield 29.61/60, Hull 60.00/60 - Crew 6-6-5/6-6-5 - Enemies killed: 1 - Status:
Those are the stats for an Aggadah-class Battleship, and it's a beast. C/L/H all equal 6. It's not quite a mega-tortoise, but it makes our Excelsiors (6/5/4) look quite flimsy in comparison.
KPS Protective - Combat 1.55/5, Shield 0.28/50, Hull 15.53/50 - Crew 4-3-3/5-5-5 - Enemies killed: 1 - Status:
That's their "old generation" Egillah-class Battleship, and it's basically a slightly stepped-down version of the Aggadah. 5/5/5, meaning it's very nearly as tough as an Excelsior. Yeah, our Excelsiors really did need that A-pattern refit.
So the Arcardians appear to have a cruiser, one heavy frigate, and one light frigate in system. (I assume if they had more, we would have seen them.) Looks like I underestimated what they would have in system by the factor of a cruiser.
AHS Foresight - Combat 4.00/5, Shield 0.00/40, Hull 16.02/20 - Crew 3-4-2/3-4-2 - Enemies killed: 2 - Status: Retreated
AHS Pierce - Combat 2.00/2, Shield 17.04/20, Hull 10.00/10 - Crew 1-2-1/1-2-1 - Enemies killed: 0 - Status: Retreated
AHS Signifier - Combat 3.00/3, Shield 13.33/30, Hull 20.00/20 - Crew 1-2-2/1-2-2 - Enemies killed: 0 - Status:
On the negative side, they all successfully retreated. On the plus side, their biggest gun (the cruiser) took significant damage. They might throw it into combat anyway because the situation is desperate, but it's 1/4 of its hull down. AHS ships are much more fragile than comparable Ked Peddah ships.
Ixaria Prime is going to be a beast of a fight. Two "reinforced outposts" plus a reinforced station pus three research stations plus those three ships all benefiting from the boost applied by the research stations we didn't take down. Wow.
KPS Cautious - Combat 6.00/6, Shield 29.61/60, Hull 60.00/60 - Crew 6-6-5/6-6-5 - Enemies killed: 1 - Status:
Those are the stats for an Aggadah-class Battleship, and it's a beast. C/L/H all equal 6. It's not quite a mega-tortoise, but it makes our Excelsiors (6/5/4) look quite flimsy in comparison.
KPS Protective - Combat 1.55/5, Shield 0.28/50, Hull 15.53/50 - Crew 4-3-3/5-5-5 - Enemies killed: 1 - Status:
That's their "old generation" Egillah-class Battleship, and it's basically a slightly stepped-down version of the Aggadah. 5/5/5, meaning it's very nearly as tough as an Excelsior. Yeah, our Excelsiors really did need that A-pattern refit.
So the Arcardians appear to have a cruiser, one heavy frigate, and one light frigate in system. (I assume if they had more, we would have seen them.) Looks like I underestimated what they would have in system by the factor of a cruiser.
AHS Foresight - Combat 4.00/5, Shield 0.00/40, Hull 16.02/20 - Crew 3-4-2/3-4-2 - Enemies killed: 2 - Status: Retreated
AHS Pierce - Combat 2.00/2, Shield 17.04/20, Hull 10.00/10 - Crew 1-2-1/1-2-1 - Enemies killed: 0 - Status: Retreated
AHS Signifier - Combat 3.00/3, Shield 13.33/30, Hull 20.00/20 - Crew 1-2-2/1-2-2 - Enemies killed: 0 - Status:
On the negative side, they all successfully retreated. On the plus side, their biggest gun (the cruiser) took significant damage. They might throw it into combat anyway because the situation is desperate, but it's 1/4 of its hull down. AHS ships are much more fragile than comparable Ked Peddah ships.
Ixaria Prime is going to be a beast of a fight. Two "reinforced outposts" plus a reinforced station pus three research stations plus those three ships all benefiting from the boost applied by the research stations we didn't take down. Wow.
- Location
- Patriarchova
All targets destroyed. Ked-Padda fleet took heavy losses. Federation fleet unscathed.
Unfortunately, the Licori were able to withdraw several of their own ships before they could take damage, and we can count on those ships taking part in the battle of Ixaria Prime. However, with the Federation fleet in basically fresh condition I'm confident that we can still take them.
Excellent....which targets won, again?
The cloaking field, the Warp disruptor, and the Sun superweapon.
Some dumb versus-style calcing, where I infer hard numbers from abstract game mechanics:
If we assume the TNG torpedos (as outlined in the TNG tech manual with an effective yield of ~60MT) are roughly equivalent to 1C [which seems plausible for a single torpedo launcher by the 2360's, if I'm plotting the tech progression right], heavy mines appear to be inflicting about uh,
...~40x that on average, or 2.4 GT. That means we're looking at ~500kg of antimatter or a 400 ton fusion device, making some generous assumptions.
If we assume the TNG torpedos (as outlined in the TNG tech manual with an effective yield of ~60MT) are roughly equivalent to 1C [which seems plausible for a single torpedo launcher by the 2360's, if I'm plotting the tech progression right], heavy mines appear to be inflicting about uh,
...~40x that on average, or 2.4 GT. That means we're looking at ~500kg of antimatter or a 400 ton fusion device, making some generous assumptions.
- Location
- Patriarchova
Some dumb versus-style calcing, where I infer hard numbers from abstract game mechanics:
If we assume the TNG torpedos (as outlined in the TNG tech manual with an effective yield of ~60MT) are roughly equivalent to 1C [which seems plausible for a single torpedo launcher by the 2360's, if I'm plotting the tech progression right], heavy mines appear to be inflicting about uh,
...~40x that on average, or 2.4 GT. That means we're looking at ~500kg of antimatter or a 400 ton fusion device, making some generous assumptions.
500 kilos of antimatter sounds about right for how these mines have been described. Its basically a weaponized starship fuel tank.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Hm, perhaps we should have targeted Iron Hail over Silent Repose. Ah well, too late now.
The difference between a station and a "reinforced station" seems to be +3 to C/H/L.
Reinforced Station - Combat 0.00/5, Shield 0.00/70, Hull 0.00/90 - Crew 1-0-1/1-2-1 - Enemies killed: 3 - Status: Disabled
Silent Repose - Combat 0.00/2, Shield 0.00/40, Hull 0.00/60 - Crew 1-2-0/1-2-1 - Enemies killed: 0 - Status: Destroyed
This is the stats for Ynnead Outpost:
Ynnead Outpost - Combat 0.00/6, Shield 0.00/120, Hull 0.00/120 - Crew 1-0-1/2-4-1 - Enemies killed: 0 - Status: Disabled
No word on if it was reinforced, but let's assume it's not. So the defenses we can expect at Ixaria Prime are:
Reinforced Outpost 1 - Combat 9, Shield 15, Hull 15 - Crew 1-0-1/2-4-1
Reinforced Outpost 2 - Combat 9, Shield 15, Hull 15 - Crew 1-0-1/2-4-1
Reinforced Station - Combat 5, Shield 7, Hull 9 - Crew 1-0-1/1-2-1
Research Station 1 - Combat 2, Shield 4, Hull 6
Research Station 2 - Combat 2, Shield 4, Hull 6
Research Station 3 - Combat 2, Shield 4, Hull 6
AHS Foresight - Combat 7, Shield 8.00/80, Hull 16.02/20 - Crew 3-4-2/3-4-2
AHS Pierce - Combat 4, Shield 4.00/40, Hull 10.00/10 - Crew 1-2-1/1-2-1
AHS Signifier - Combat 5, Shield 6.00/60, Hull 20.00/20 - Crew 1-2-2/1-2-2
(Red values boosted by research stations.)
Whoo boy. That is... that is a lot of combat power.
Reinforced Station - Combat 0.00/5, Shield 0.00/70, Hull 0.00/90 - Crew 1-0-1/1-2-1 - Enemies killed: 3 - Status: Disabled
Silent Repose - Combat 0.00/2, Shield 0.00/40, Hull 0.00/60 - Crew 1-2-0/1-2-1 - Enemies killed: 0 - Status: Destroyed
This is the stats for Ynnead Outpost:
Ynnead Outpost - Combat 0.00/6, Shield 0.00/120, Hull 0.00/120 - Crew 1-0-1/2-4-1 - Enemies killed: 0 - Status: Disabled
No word on if it was reinforced, but let's assume it's not. So the defenses we can expect at Ixaria Prime are:
Reinforced Outpost 1 - Combat 9, Shield 15, Hull 15 - Crew 1-0-1/2-4-1
Reinforced Outpost 2 - Combat 9, Shield 15, Hull 15 - Crew 1-0-1/2-4-1
Reinforced Station - Combat 5, Shield 7, Hull 9 - Crew 1-0-1/1-2-1
Research Station 1 - Combat 2, Shield 4, Hull 6
Research Station 2 - Combat 2, Shield 4, Hull 6
Research Station 3 - Combat 2, Shield 4, Hull 6
AHS Foresight - Combat 7, Shield 8.00/80, Hull 16.02/20 - Crew 3-4-2/3-4-2
AHS Pierce - Combat 4, Shield 4.00/40, Hull 10.00/10 - Crew 1-2-1/1-2-1
AHS Signifier - Combat 5, Shield 6.00/60, Hull 20.00/20 - Crew 1-2-2/1-2-2
(Red values boosted by research stations.)
Whoo boy. That is... that is a lot of combat power.
- Location
- Mid-Atlantic
Well, as T. E. Lawrence put it, "War is anti-nomian," which is to say, it subverts rules. No one should really expect any war to be a precise science, even though certain specific bits of information are entirely calculable.Perhaps the greatest irony is that war with the Arcadian Empire is far, far from a precise science
It's not that I would ever expect war to be a science, it's that I hate it when people make obvious bad decisions or decisions out of character with their own personality. On some level it's a prospect I fear in games like this, because it can't be ruled out, but it's always disillusioning in a "what do you MEAN General Patton messed up by being too un-aggressive?" sort of way.
I wouldn't hold it against ANYONE if the vote outcome goes badly. I'd only be holding the characters of Thuir and the Ked Paddah high command 'responsible' if some decision they made was clearly bad, or if some information they gave us
Remember, this was my argument before the vote closed- that in-character the stated intentions of our commanders seemed to conflict with the prevailing playerbase interpretation of what they were saying.
Yeah, but they're going to hit like a really small fleet of battleships, even assuming they have much in the way of ships left. We can cope with a handful of ultra-empowered Licori superships skating around the system trying to stop our Combat 25-30 task forces (or easier still, Combat 70-80 fleet). What we can't cope with is having no information on where those ships are or what they're doing.
Plus, if it were up to me, I'd be planning on hitting the +shields, +combat, and +burnthrough stations next, before concentrating the rest of the fleet to hit Ixaria Prime.
Well, since they boost the three heaviest Arcadian ships in the system, one option could be having a trio of heftier combatants that were held in reserve over the inhabited planet.
*Adjusts tinfoil. *
Omake - Heavy Lies the Crown - Iron Wolf
Heavy Lies The Crown
2311.Q3.M3 - Celesipos
Iifirdir stared at the screen in front of him. On it was a rare sight -- Celessan, head bowed, eye contact avoided. On another part of the screen, Ambassador sh'Ynnerth looked similarly apologetic. The news they had just delivered was…
"Fuck." Iifirdir said, finally. Celessan and sh'Ynnerth both visibily started.
"My king!" Celessan said, shocked, but Iifirdir continued.
"Shit." Iifirdir rotated through a few more foreign curses, "Pus in my Cloaca. Shellburn. Frozen stones." Iifirdir said them mechanically, then blinked. "Apologies, Ambassador."
"Say nothing about it," sh'Ynnerth said, her expression wide-eyed, lifting a cup of tea to her mouth and sipping with a vacant stare, "You've just said what everyone was thinking."
"Needless to say, our strategy is in disarray." Celessan said lowly, "No doubt the Cardassians will soon have their own version of the Bajoran government in place, and it would be impossible to host the exile government, the Cardassian government, the Federation and the Cardassians around the same table."
Iifirdir clicked his talons together with frustration, "Well, surely the unity tour--"
"Sadly this is no longer sustainable," Celessan said, "The Bajoran government is obsessed with castes. They need to speak to a leader who has the blessings of Gods."
"I see." Iifirdir closed his eyes, "I will arrange for a return to Rethelia at once." The two faces on his screen nodded. "If you do not mind then, Chancellor, Ambassador, I will need to begin work."
"Of course, your Highness," Celessan said. The ambassador said his goodbye and then the screens clicked off. Iifirdir stared at the blank screen for a moment, then turned his chair to stare at the star chart of the planned Unity tour. Only one stop completed, and half-completed at that.
She sighed and commed for her secretary.
2314.Q2 - Rethelia
Wenefiir Palace
Statues of past Fiiral monarchs gazed down the hallway to the grand hall, each bearing four stone eyes that gazed down inscrutably at the passing people on the luxurious carpet below. Some were gilded with iridium and platinum, a few with running tears of liquid latinum, signifying that the achievements of those whose likenesses they bore were exalted even amongst these divine monarchs.
Passing into their view now was a Qloathi and a Seyek. The Qloathi was as richly adorned as the Seyek was simply dressed, face partially obscured by a half-mask the color of eggshell and detailed with gold, an ornate headdress of looping metal threads and perfectly coiffed hair resting on their forehead ridge, thick robes of patterned silk dragging along the floor. Her Seyek companion, by contrast, was wearing the standard dress attire of his species, simple black with subtle red detailings.
"I have to say, Chancellor," the Qloathi said, "I have to appreciate the appetite the Fiiral have for drama." A hand appeared from under the robes and gestured at the statues above, "One can feel the symbolism, the greats of the past gazing down, some weeping with the intense weight." She turned her head slightly, mouth tilted with wry amusement, "I can't say the same for your species' architecture."
"Seyek do not need reminders of the burden of leadership, Secretary Oleneb." Chancellor Anessed said stiffly, "To reach the heights where I presently sit requires enormous effort spent on slithering your way through party systems and the demands of the electorate. The struggle to replace Celessan was something worthy of song without--" He snorted, "Embellishing the process with such ostentatious statues staring downwards."
"And yet this entire structure is one of embellishment, a grand theatre of your own devising!" Oleneb replied, "That is why I took up this offer of a dinner here. I simply had to see it for myself."
"Please make sense," Anessed rumbled.
They were just outside the hallway to the dining hall. Oleneb stopped just outside of earshot of the two Fiiral standing guard at the door, "Chancellor, please. You must look around. The set is magnificent, as I have noted. But consider the theatre of everything that goes on here. A monarch, the protagonist of this whole affair, who only exists at your largess. Someone who is supposed to wield absolute power reduced to dinner parties and visits to interesting locales to meet and greet with the commoners. And somewhere very different the wheels of government turn with little regard to this place." Oneleb waved a hand at the guards, "People who would die for someone who was born into a beautiful illusion. It's a play in disguise as government. Nothing but shadows and roles and making their marks."
Anessed flexed his hood, "Your feelings are similar to mine." He shrugged, "But Iifirdir is surprisingly popular, even if we exclude the Fiiral from our analysis. The illusion becomes self-sustaining."
"Indeed. I was paying the whole affair a compliment." Oneleb said. Anessed bowed his head slightly with exasperation, before slithering towards the dining hall, the two Fiiral in ceremonial uniforms straightening and pushing the large, ornate doors open.
"The Honorable Chancellor Anessed, and his esteemed guest, Foreign Secretary of the Quoathi, Gren Oleneb!" One of the guards boomed as they crossed the threshold.
Anessed and Oneleb into a reception area, a large room with carved stone pillars elegantly curving down from the roof. It narrowed at the far end to form the actual dining area, dominated by a large dining table, its dark wood covered by a dark-green tablecloth, serving trays of rare minerals and pitchers of the finest crystal -- one even dilithium! -- set around its surface. Standing guard around the perimeter of the room were a half-dozen Fiiral ceremonial guards. Iifirdir sat at the far end from the entrance, his chair slightly raised, the Bajoran First Minister to his right. Both looked at Anessed, Iifirdir giving him a cool nod of acknowledgement, First Minister Sorje with a quick, dismissive glance before going back to his conversation. A spot at Iifirdir's left was open, a small name card holding Anessed's place. A handful of minor dignitaries sat next to that, all Fiiral. Across, Sorje had a half-dozen of his own retinue, including two burly soldiers and a woman bearing the badge of the Rectifiers.
Not even a majority of the seats were in use. The protocols of the Palace required these to be called state dinners, and the first had been richly attended. But as they happened nightly, fewer and fewer accepted the invitation, and standards slackened - Anessed's lateness a perfect example.
Anessed started towards the dining table, but Oneleb tapped him quickly on the the arm. Anessed looked at where she was pointing. He saw a smaller table, traditionally reserved for children, sitting to one side in the waiting hall. Sitting down with twelve Bajoran youths, two ornately-dressed Fiiral butlers hovering behind him, was Ambassador Duvip. His cloak was being tugged at by a Bajoran child to his right, while he was in discussion with another to his left, moving forks around the table. A third Bajoran, a teenager, looked ready to hurl a gravy-smothered load of vegetables at him, but Duvip gave her a baleful gave and the teen instead shoved the whole mess into her mouth, looking as innocent as possible. Anessed found himself drawn to the spectacle in spite of protocol telling him to slither right to his empty seat.
"Ambassador Duvip," he said. "This is an… interesting circumstance to find you in."
Oneleb politely chuckled.
The Rigellian looked up at him, one hand slowly but firmly pushing away a toddler's hand grasping for his eyes, "Chancellor! Glad to see you." He shrugged, "So it turns out that Sorje did a run on my background and found out my dad was in childcare and my mom was an educator, and her dad was an educator before her, so…" He gestured at the table, "This means I am 'not fit for supping with the higher castes, but instead should find good use educating the children.'" Duvip let out a squeak of bemusement. "Joke is on him, I find kids frequently more quick-witted than adults." Based on the angry heat Anessed could feel pushing off the Rigellian, he suspected the bemusement was feigned.
"Mister Duvip!" One of the teenagers said, "You haven't answered my question! Cite evidence your rabble-navy would stand a chance against our warriors in a fair fight!"
"I was attempting to be polite, but since you are insistent on pushing me -- stand up if your homeworld is currently under occupation."
The Bajoran youth rose to his feet, face red with anger, "You dare insult me, you gutter--" He stopped as he realized he had stood up and shook with embarrassment.
Duvip clacked his beak, "Now, now, young sir." He took a demure sip from a glass, "I have read The Book of Proper Relations by your esteemed government. By those sacred laws I have all the authority here. Sit." The youth sat, glaring at his plate.
Anessed flicked his tongue out, "I'll pass your regards onto the First Minister."
"He won't be interested!" Duvip said to Anessed as the Seyek slithered away.
"...That is why I do believe in the continuing resilience of your regime, my friend," Sorje was remarking to Iifirdir, "And your continued generosity. Like this excellent cooking. Pass my compliments to the chefs -- it is almost as good as what my retinue could make back on Bajor."
"It is always an exciting challenge for my cooks to try to replicate the tastes of your planet," Iifirdir replied, "Perhaps eventually they will be blessed with success."
The First Minister laughed politely, "I look forward to the day. Chancellor!" He said, as Anessed slithered to his seat, "My apologies, I missed your entrance."
The presence of the Chancellor at the dinner had been something of a tension at previous gatherings, but eventually Sorje's Divine Sorter had determined that, with a background in the ancient landed gentry of Rethelia and parents and grandparents who served honorably in the civil service and military, Anessed could sit at the table of rulers -- as a trusted military advisor.
"Sir--" One of the First Minister's aides began. She was looking at Oleneb down at the other end of the table, standing with her arms folded into her robe smiling bemusedly. But Sorje just held up a hand.
"You seem to be sharing insights with our King, I take no offense." Anessed said, also glancing at forgotten Oleneb, hoping Sorje would take the hint. But Sorje was laser-focused on the Chancellor now, the long table helping to keep Oleneb out of his sight.
"Mostly about the nature of this excellent spread," Sorje said, "But now that you are here I expect the King will be glad to hear your report on how you have managed His government's response to the ongoing crisis."
Iifirdir and Anessed shared a look of discomfort. Sorje had latched quite literally onto that bit of legal theater, and never failed to remind Anessed of his allegedly subordinate role.
"To be clear," Sorje said lightly, "I would like to know if I am about to be evicted by an angry mob." He tried to smile, but it was forced, and he reached for a pitcher of springwine, refilling his large goblet.
Anessed flicked out a tongue, tasting the mood of the table. He could taste the alcohol in Sorje's sweat and wafting out with every breath. He could feel Iifirdir's restrained annoyance. And a few of the guards were warmer today, their scent perfumed with tension, spiking at the word 'eviction,' the implication behind it clear: revolution.
"Well," he said to Sorje. The First Minister raised an eyebrow and Anessed sighed inwardly. He turned to Iifirdir, "My king, the arrival of Starfleet mediators appears to have increased tensions. But I suspect this will be short-lived. Like many medications, things will be worse before they stabilize."
"I have to applaud the Captain they sent, Iifirdir," Sorje said, "She must have the blood of an orator. The Enterprise lives up to its reputation."
"We are lucky Captain Mrr'shan was there today to prevent tensions from boiling over, yes." Iifirdir responded.
"Of course, my King," Chancellor Anessed interjected, "She was highly visible. But we have many diplomats, including the Federation representative, doing hard work behind the scenes."
Sorje scoffed into his goblet, "Forgive me, Iifirdir, but I find the Seyek tendency to do so much behind closed doors counterproductive."
Iifirdir raised his head, "It is sometimes a little disconcerting. But you must understand, Seyek and Fiiral don't obey authority reflexively like in your system. Sometimes secrecy is required so that the leadership can have disagreements that could inflame public tensions in private and then present the finished compromise." Iifirdir looked at Anessed, who nodded in agreement.
"That said," Iifirdir continued, to Anessed's surprise, "I do sometimes wonder the lack of public comment with the aim of restraint only allows the mob to spins their regressive fantasies. It is times like those that speakers like Mrr'shan are so welcome."
"Then why don't you speak out, King Iifirdir?"
Anessed flicked a tongue out towards Sorje. A harmless gesture to the Bajoran, but a clear warning to the normally-immobile guard behind him who had just tensed, angry heat radiating off him.
Iifirdir took a sip of water, glancing at Anessed, his feathers twitching. "I await my government's..." Anessed could tell Iifirdir was cycling through several words. Assent. Approval. Clearance. Permission. "... advice on when that would be most prudent."
"Prudence is for the Ked Paddah," Sorje said, laughing, "You should act now. Listen only to what the Divine instructs in times like these, as only the Prophets can guide you through the chaos of the mob." Sorje said, gesturing with a knife, "This is why we instituted the caste system, and why it is so effective. You would have found no such unrest among our people. Unity through the divine songs of placement."
"Despite the potential for unrest," Iifirdir said, slowly, "I have to find the current system we are under adequate. Within the Union, people can become anything they desire. Surely promoting such freedom is a ruler's ethical, spiritual, moral imperative."
"Perhaps that is the ideal," Sorje said, placidly spearing some vegetables. "But it appears to me the reality is that the Seyek have imposed a caste system on you -- how else to explain the removal of the Fiiral from the Navy?"
Anessed repressed the urge to grab the pitcher of springwine and down the remainder in one gulp. Then the urge to smash it over the First Minister's head.
"A temporary security precaution," Iifirdir said, voice even, "That is what the Chancellor assures me."
"Of course," Anessed added. He opened his hood slightly, a further warning to the guard, sour with the taste of an adrenaline spike, "Of course." Desperate to change the subject, he gestured down the table, to where Oleneb was standing, "Your King, the Qloathi Foreign Secretary--"
"Ah!" Sorje said, finally noticing Oleneb, standing at the other end of the table, who in a moment dropped the bemused grin she had held on her face since the moment she'd walked into the palace.
"That," Iifirdir said, "Is our esteemed guest, Oleneb of the Qloathi. A highly accomplished official in their government, friends of our people." He gestured with a talon, "Where are my manners, Secretary Oleneb, you have been standing for ages. Please, sit."
"I believe it is a suitable penance for my lack of manners," Oleneb said, moving towards the First Minister, past rows of gilded, empty seats, "I was the cause of the delay that has us showing up in such delayed circumstances."
Anessed chuckled, "Oleneb is too kind. I am afraid some state business restrained me - Discussing the, aftermath of Captain Mrr'shan's arrival."
"You should have had the King as part of those discussions," Sorje said, as Oleneb bowed slightly before the First Minister. Anessed and Iifirdir froze as Sorje's hand flew out, grabbing Oleneb's ear.
Oleneb smiled through any awkwardness, "A curious custom, First Minister."
"You hide behind a mask, but your pagh will reveal all." He said, "You project a sort of wry wisdom. But troubled about your place in the universe." He smiled, "But clearly not your place at the end of the table. The King has left you a seat, you must be ready for a rest after standing so long."
"Oh, think nothing of it," Oleneb said, "I've had to stand much longer on the stage. Once, in a school production, I had to be a tree--"
Sorje's hand flew back as if Oleneb's ear had turned into a rat. "An actor!" He said, wiping his hands on a napkin. "Rabble rousing in the street. Body-buriers and garbagepeople scrabbling for scraps at the expense of good-working people." He waved a hand dismissively, "Leave my presence. I am offended, your Highness, that you would allow this."
"First Minister," Anessed said. One of Sorje's warrior attendants rose and stepped towards Oleneb.
"I do not address my comments to you." Sorje snapped, as Oleneb took half a step back, her hands tucked beneath her robe, smile strained.
"Sorje," Iifirdir said, "Oleneb is a talented individual in addition to her hobbies in the theatre. Surely you can overlook this and offer a modicum of respect to the dignitary I invited to my palace."
"Your palace? My King," Sorje said, leaning forward towards Iifirdir, back practically turned to everyone else, "It is not your palace. It is the palace of these lesser castes, who keep your divine spirit locked away. It makes my soul, my pagh ache. That you have allowed the divine clockwork to slip so far from your gasp is the cause of suffering for your people..." He stopped, looking at one of the honor guards as they tightened a grip on their rifle, "You see, your people react because their souls know the truth. That you should not be so be belittled."
"Sargeant Omirid, you are dismissed," Iifirdir said, voice cool and level. The guard huffed out a breath, then turned, saluted, and walked out.
Sorje's raised voice quavered slightly as he doggedly continued, "To allow these people, untouched by the hands of the divine, moved above the provenance of their ancestors, feeding you platitudes as they botch everything you hand them -- you need to be strong, Iifirdir! Cast them down in chains--"
Iifirdir rose suddenly, "Your insights into the Bajoran viewpoint continue to interest, First Minister, and I find every iteration as illuminating as the last. But unfortunately, I need to cut it short this evening." Iifirdir glanced at Oleneb, "I believe tensions have been raised, and it would be better if I discussed these controversial government matters in peace with the Chancellor. I invite you to continue enjoying this spread, but I must depart."
Sorje's bowed his head slightly, before cutting again into the meat. "Of course. I will be ordering another course."
***
As soon as the door to the private office closed, Iifirdir turned on Anessed, "I am taking my trip to Fiiral early, Chancellor."
"You will be taking the Bajorans." Anessed said, as a door opened. Xichen, Celessan's assistant and now the Monarch's Private Secretary, emerged with an ornate shawl and tablet.
"No." Iifirdir said, picking up the tablet.
Anessed reared up in surprise, hood flaring wide. He towered over the Fiiral monarch, who stared up at him with polite defiance, "You are the only one who can reach them, your Majesty, I implore, I advise you strongly--"
"Mmm. Yes." Iifirdir said. He waved the tablet. "Here's the latest polling on a referendum for my divinely blessed self. Not yet in the 150 years of our Constitutional Monarchy has one been put forward, let alone succeeded. And yet, it looks quite bad for me." He spread his talons in a dismissive gesture, "I think you will find if I am deposed, Sorje will not accept your decision. He does not believe in accountability towards anyone but the Prophets. So it seems you may be rather doomed if I leave or not."
"Your highness--"
"I have been stuck dealing with that arrogant--" Iifirdir flicked his left talons in the general direction of the dining hall, "Man since the Federation bungled Bajor. While a despicable group of my people has risen up and made things worse for all Fiiral kind. I understand the Bajoran plight, Minister, but there is only so far I will go. Sorje is right about one thing: the cries of my people summon me. I cannot remain silent." Iifirdir growled, "What he does not understand is he is the cause of it."
"My King," Anessed said, "We have the situation well under control, and I assure you, my party is working diligently to resolve this manner and ensure you remain on the throne."
"Under control? Mr. Chancellor, a Federation Captain did more to advance our mutual cause on the steps of the capitol building than you have in a month." Iifirdir snorted, "Instead of dragging your Right Honorable self here, perhaps I should have invited Mrr'shan here instead. She is young and full of solutions, unlike yourself."
Anessed quivered with rage, "So that is how it is."
Iifirdir nodded, "Yes." Iifirdir motioned, and Xichen deftly set a chair behind him that he settled heavily into. He breathed, "I am sorry for my harsh words, Chancellor. I will return eventually, of course. I have duties here. But it is exhausting. Sargeant Omirid has been there for every dinner with the First Minister. In training, Royal Guards hold steady while their head feathers are set alight. But holding still while the Bajorans insult us finally broke him; it threatens to break me. I am needed with my people. I must prevent the homeworld from tilting towards revolt, and I cannot do that while you have me keeping watch over the First Minister." He put one claw under his chin. "Of course, you can't legally stop me, but I am sure you could simply claim all the possible transports have been diverted. But you have to ask yourself what is worse -- civil war, or the annoyance of the First Minister."
Anessed snorted, but slowly sunk down, his hood shrinking, "That is a surprisingly slippery hypothesis to contemplate, your Highness." His hood still flex, slightly, with his rage, but he lolled out his tongue in a sort of capitulative gesture. "Very well. I suppose we will have to find someone who can deal with the good Minister while you save Fiiral from itself."
"Start with one of my relatives," Iifirdir said, primly, "My brother, Vifirden, has infinitely more patience than myself. And will hopefully be more adept at channeling the First Minister's… frustrating choices of conversation.
"But if there is nothing else," Iifirdir said, rising and offering a clawed hand, "I believe our conversation here is finished, Chancellor. I have a planet to -- as you said -- save from itself."
Anessed bowed, "It has been a pleasure, your Highness." He said, only slightly grudgingly, before turning and exiting.
The door closed and there was silence. After a moment, Iifirdir sat again. "I miss Celessan," He said.
Xichen nodded as he draped the shawl over Iifirdir's shoulders, "Anessed never really believed in the unifying power of the Monarchy as she did, your Highness." He tilted his head, "Succinctly: I believe he sees you as an annoyance. Hence your sequestration here."
"That he views me an annoyance is obvious."
"He should know his history better. The deal with the Monarchy was what suffocated an uprising a century and a half earlier. At the risk of bolstering your ego to dangerous levels, sir, you and the symbol you represent may be one of the few things between us and certain disaster."
"Oh dear," Iifirdir closed his eyes, "If that's true, Spirits help us all."
Epilogue: The Last Monarch on Earth
Riko Mkhize gunned the motor on her landcar, tires kicking up sand and rock as she accelerated across the hot expanse of the Atacama Desert, bouncing slightly as the car hit a dip in the terrain before it clawed its way up the slope of a mountain. Gravel and dust spat into the cabin through the open window, bouncing off Riko's goggles as she pulled the wheel hard left. The car rumbled as it settled onto a narrow dirt path that spiraled around the mountain's girth. One bare arm hung out the window and electric motors hummed as the terrain below dropped away. Her arm snapped back into the cabin as she pulled another corner, then reached down to a small compartment. She rooted around until she found what she was looking for, thoughtfully chomping down on the recovered carrot, and then holding it between her teeth as another corner required her attention. She curved around the side of the mountain, nothing but a straight shot to the valley floor below.
Riko suddenly slammed on the breaks as she saw what was waiting below, dust swirling around her and the car. Her little cabin, a dome of off-white surrounded by green vegetation in neat rows… with an FDS shuttle sitting just outside the low rock perimeter. She groaned and started the car moving, slowly, agonizingly winding her way down the mountain.
The FDS shuttle was still there when she got to the bottom. Two tan-colored attendants stood outside it, image enhancers hanging from the very sweaty neck of one of them. As she pulled up, a cloaked Rigellian peered out from the shadowed interior of the shuttle. He straightened as Riko approached, "Miss Mkhize!" He said with a friendly wave as he stepped onto the sand.
Riko groaned. She considered stepping down on the pedal and running away. Instead, she opened the door and stepped out, gravel and sand shifting under her boots. Slowly, she undid the clasp on her helmet, pulling it off to reveal close-cut dark hair, lightened by the sand that had blown in.
"Ambassador… Duvip." She said, slowly.
The Rigellian brightened, "Ah, you remember!" Riko could see more movement in the cabin of the shuttle. Seconds later a man and a woman stepped out and Riko stopped in surprise.
"Nadia!" She said, "What?" She stepped forward, into the steely-haired woman's hug.
"Good to see you too, Riko." Nadia said, laughing, and looking down, "We've missed you at the Embassy."
"Well I am pretty -- wait." Riko pushed herself away, "Wait. This isn't a social visit. Not with the Rigelian Ambassador to the Seyek here." She jerked her head up, "And uh, whoever you are."
"Attache Levi Takala!" He pressed a hand to his chest, "Well, not just Attache now--"
"All in good time, Levi." Nadia said. "Riko--"
Riko crossed her arms, "Whatever it is, I'm not coming back to the FDS."
"Riko, please." Nadia said, "You're not going to be stuck at a dead-end job, or dealing with those assholes in Starfleet again. Well at least, probably not as much. We really, really need you. Can you please let Duvip explain?"
Riko kept her arms crossed, then looked back at the groundcar. She stared at it for what seemed like hours before turning back and giving Duvip a wave of her hand.
"Ah, excellent, thank you." Duvip said, "Our problem is this -- the Seyek are currently hosting the ever-delightful Bajorans in Wenefiir palace."
"I am aware," Riko said, "I worked that area of space."
"What you might not be aware of since you went on… permanent sabbatical is that the Bajorans have proven to be quite difficult to work with."
"They make him sit at the children's table for state dinners. Or any dinner, for that matter." Nadia said.
"Exactly." Duvip shook his head, "It has stymied everyone -- Qloathi, Seyek, Rigellian," he the last with a dramatic flourish of his robes, "and the Federation teams. Frankly put, they don't view most of us as equals. We're not born into the right caste, which they find fairly offensive. Soooooo… we've scouring the four main members of the Federation for those descended from noble lines that the Bajorans will view as meeting caste criteria."
"We've already got someone from the Andorian Imperial family!" Nadia said brightly.
Riko snorted, "That's easy. You can just walk into their palace."
"Oh no. The Bajorans have told us -- at length -- that due to the fact the current Imperial family descends from a heroic revolutionary, the line is not valid. We had to track down descendants of one of the first noble families on Andor." Nadia wrinkled her nose, "I had to look at a lot of pretty gross ice-mummies during the genetic testing, too."
"They are in quite a fussy mood," Duvip said. "I think they're being so obstinate because it's the only thing they can do, honestly."
"Alright," Riko said. "Then what--"
"You're one of the remaining direct descendants of the Pharaohs," Duvip said, without ceremony.
Riko blinked at him. "Which Dynasty?"
"The oldest we could find."
"And I'm descended from the Romanovs!" Levi piped up from behind Nadia. "For some reason the Bajorans say they count! It doesn't make any sense to me or the rest of the FDS."
"And now we're recruiting -- well, recruiting you." Duvip said, "We've already gone to the trouble of getting an astonishing three-thousand, four-hundred fifty-one abdications down the line to you, so that you can authoritatively speak with the voice of a Dynasty."
"Is that even necessary?" Riko asked, incredulously.
"Honestly, we're not sure," Nadia said, "The last time anyone on Earth or Rigel had to deal with a royal succession crisis that mattered was like…"
There was silence, dust swirling around the group.
"...Now we just need you to put your diplomatic skills back to work." Duvip said. He tilted his head down, giving Riko a hard stare, "Don't make me go down the next ten million names to find someone with your blend of skills."
Nadia nodded, "We've gone to a lot of trouble at this point. And we need you to help us out. So what do you say… long live the Queen?"
Riko looked around the shuttle at her house, at the garden she'd painstakingly wrenched from the soil over the last three years. Beyond that to the barren, haunting landscape she'd fallen in love with.
Finally, she laughed and spiked her helmet into the ground.
"Fuck it, let's do this."
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Chaos Blade
Procrastinating Writer
- Location
- Buenos Aires, Argentina
To be honest the combats aren't indexed, so I figured the vote was still ongoing :/
- Location
- Infraspace
You know, this phrase always irritated me. What would an indirect descendant even be?
Also, where would they get continuous records from, well, any Dynasty to the present, approximately between 2-5 millennia later?
Enjoyable all the same though!
Godwinson
"Well, I've got nothing."
Adopted children, step-children, children from a matrilineal branch in a patrilineal society or vice-versa, traced through a cousin, or by marriage...