Sol: Deep Space

John Rosenthal shook his head. "The Varden and the Aschen have not been in a state peace since the week following the council meeting with Raphael McGregor and Austin Marshal of the Terran Intelligence Bureau. The Aschen were made well aware of the conditional declaration of war. They saw fit to declare war in return. I was there at that council meeting.” He said nothing of the arrogance and disrespect of Raphael, the former Divine Shadow.


“Do the Taiyou give quarter?” He folded his hands. “In reference to the genocide of the Aschen people by the Taiyou: We were not aware of it until recently and if the situation was different we may have considered stepping on behalf of the Aschen people in an attempt to stabilize the region. It is our experience based on passed interaction that the Aschen leaders are dishonest and manipulative.”

"A declaration of war that was not declared by the rightful Emperor, nor an Aschen at all," Kianna corrected. "Raphael was not the man you think him to be. He was none other than Count Iblis in disguise, an enemy of the Aschen people. He deceived the Aschen people as surely as he deceived you, and many others. The real Raphael I believe is enjoying his days in a psychiatric institution, and has been for many years."

Kianna narrowed her eyes. "The Aschen have not seen nor heard from the Varden since the reign of Raphae- Count Iblis. You hold an Empire to the actions of a man who no longer runs it, and you engage it without word while attempting to deny us sending reinforcements to aid in the battle over Terra, where the Taiyou have been systematically slaughtering all things Aschen."

"You ask if they give quarter?" she asked. "Why don't you ask that of the Aschen men and women they dragged out into the streets of Wing City to be gutted like animals. Or you could ask the Terrans, who the Taiyou declared war against for protecting their citizens from the Taiyou slaughtering anyone they even suspected of harboring someone of Aschen nationality."

"A declaration of war that was not declared by the rightful Emperor, nor an Aschen at all," Kianna corrected. "Raphael was not the man you think him to be. He was none other than Count Iblis in disguise, an enemy of the Aschen people. He deceived the Aschen people as surely as he deceived you, and many others. The real Raphael I believe is enjoying his days in a psychiatric institution, and has been for many years."

Kianna narrowed her eyes. "The Aschen have not seen nor heard from the Varden since the reign of Raphae- Count Iblis. You hold an Empire to the actions of a man who no longer runs it, and you engage it without word while attempting to deny us sending reinforcements to aid in the battle over Terra, where the Taiyou have been systematically slaughtering all things Aschen."

"You ask if they give quarter?" she asked. "Why don't you ask that of the Aschen men and women they dragged out into the streets of Wing City to be gutted like animals. Or you could ask the Terrans, who the Taiyou declared war against for protecting their citizens from the Taiyou slaughtering anyone they even suspected of harboring someone of Aschen nationality."

raised a brow. “I am not inclined to believe the story because of the misinformation and half-truths I have already heard.” He shifted in his seat and rubbed his eyes again. “If you request parlay and the council the Varden are obliged to consider it. We will review the claim of misrepresentation of the Aschen government made by this, Count Iblis, Raphael. That consideration would be weighed to the Aschen favor if they would considered the terms stated in the conditional declaration of war. That is: They leave SOL and the immediate region.”


He leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees. “This would also allow the Aschen to more easily defend more important systems, closer to Langara. There appears to be no shortage of organizations that declare the Aschen an enemy. If the Aschen leave system the Varden will not pursue them. Terra has no shortage of people to defend her and her people. Staying in SOL only increased the number of enemies the Aschen have. That number will continue to grow until it is insurmountable.”


He leaned back again. “We are aware of the Taiyou’s declaration of war. We are aware of their methods. Vast distances do not do well for intergalactic government.”

John Rosenthal ** did that. ^

ACoP

Kianna stood and placed her hands atop the desk so that she could lean forward, her eyes remaining narrowed upon John.

"You misunderstand my intentions," Kianna replied. "I'm not here to request a truce."

"I'm here to challenge the actions of the Varden as a failure to uphold your own vows. You question my integrity, and you sweep back in after over two years to enforce demands that undermine those that were lain down between the Aschen and the TNG. Terra and the Aschen have made peace, and the TNG permitted a small Aschen garrison within Terran space to protect our interests. The Varden have no place in declaring who the TNG do and do not permit within their region. Furthermore the Aschen have upheld their end of the truce, provided funding to the Terran reconstruction efforts after the war, and extended resources to help stem local conflicts, and yet here the Varden resurface with no understanding of recent events while making threats."

"Tell me where is the honor in this, where is this reverence for peace. There are indeed Terrans that still harbor ill will from former conflicts, and Aschen as well. But if it is these warmongerers that you support, people that are displeased with the decision of their government to maintain peace with us, people who cling to events committed years prior to the current Aschen regime, then perhaps you should declare war on the TNG as well. Sweep in and tell them how they can and can't run their government."

Kianna grit her jaw before at last shaking her head and walking past the desk to the window. Her anger seemed to ease as she looked out into the vast space of nothingness beyond. As she continued, her words seemed calmer, weary even.

"The Aschen have no intention of withdrawing their fleets from Sol to leave our doors open to the Coalition and the Taiyou. Once they reach Aschen space, this war is over and you will have consigned the Aschen people to annihilation. If you should decide to attack a nation for fighting for the continued existence of its people in a war of which they were not the aggressors, then you truly have no honor. I have been told as much, but I came here because I thought differently, as I thought differently of the Terrans when I began the uphill battle of repairing relations with them. If the Varden have any honor they will withdraw hostile actions against the Aschen and act as the peace keepers they claim to be and help mitigate the number of lives being lost in this bloodbath."

John Rosenthal [color=maroon]narrowed his eyes and clenched his jaw as he listened to Kianna spout what he viewed to be lie after lie. When she had finally finished her rant he spoke but his words were more carefully chosen than hers and despite the anger rising in his belly he did not lash out with insults. “It has been little less than one year since the Aschen declared war on the Varden, not two. Despite what you may think a year cannot burry the hate garnered from oppressing a people, trampling their rights, and crushing their dreams. That is not mentioning the glassing of seventy percent of the planet’s surface and wholesale slaughter of the resident population.”


His lip turned up in a sneer. “Before you go telling me that Raphael was this Count Iblis fellow and that he was wrongfully representing the Aschen, that all these terrible acts were caused by him and it was him committing evil atrocities in their name let me ask you a question. Do you know what is right and what is wrong? I know you think you do otherwise you would not be in this office claiming that I, we, the Varden don’t. When a mad tyrant comes to power you put him down or you try. From what I have read and the information I have gathered there was very little of that within the Aschen government. You don’t follow a bad leader blindly like sheep being led by a mad man. The Aschen government is responsible for allowing that man’s actions even if they don’t want to admit to it.”


He watched her at the window. “The Terran National Government doesn’t have the power to permit or deny any entity into their region of space. The Aschen and other organizations have stripped that power from them. They can’t even keep foreign powers off their soil at this point. Terran National Government?”, he shook his head. Did you bother listening to Luis Galdámez’s speech? The words where there but there was no passion left. The Terran National Government is on its death throes. Without a reformation the pla

John Rosenthal watched her at the window. “The Terran National Government doesn’t have the power to permit or deny any entity into their region of space. The Aschen and other organizations have stripped that power from them. They can’t even keep foreign powers off their soil at this point. Terran National Government?”, he shook his head. Did you bother listening to Luis Galdámez’s speech? The words where there but there was no passion left. The Terran National Government is on its death throes. Without a reformation the planet will descend into anarchy and dictators will spring to power to size the pieces that can be salvaged from the wreck. I am glad that some among them still have the passion to step up and try to sort through the chaos.”


He cracked his neck to the left. “The Varden do not pretend to speak for the TNG but we are here to act in their best interests and that means defending them from an enemy that they cannot defend themselves from. That does not mean slaughtering civilians or commit genocide. That does not mean taking the fight to Langara, a world lush and green despite its apparent orbital deterioration. Part of our mandate it to assist them, to facilitate the reformation of the Terran National Government.”

John Rosenthal stood and crossed his arms. “Despite this, all of this. I do not see the harm in granting you your request for the time and I can do this, offering a temporary reprieve so that both sides can re-evaluate the situation.”
“Let me set the record straight. We are not directly allied with UCON and certainly not the Taiyou. While UCON shares similar goals with the Varden in reference to pushing the Aschen from the SOL we never had plans to pursue the Aschen, follow UCON into Aschen controlled space, or commit genocide. Our code of ethics directly opposes what the Taiyou are doing on Terra, dragging Aschen civilians and Terran sympathizers into the streets and killing them.”


‘Despite that we do not have the resources to fight both you and the Taiyou.’, he thought. “Despite this opposition of morals we don’t trust the Aschen. Raphael and your military leaders have come damned close to burning that bridge to ash. So now it is time to ask something I should have asked before I considered going on this rant and ramble. Do you possess the power of office to represent the Aschen government and its people?”

"I represent the Aschen government in the capacity of Empress of the Aschen, and Black Hand of the Divine Shadow," Kianna replied.

There was little point to maintaining the secrecy of her dual identity any longer given recent events.

"But I will make no negotiations on this matter at this time. If you will agree to abstain from further hostilities until this crisis is resolved, we will do the same. I have already begun efforts to ensure the withdraw of the Aschen fleets from Terran space once this threat to our national security is removed."

John Rosenthal raised a brow and sat on the edge of his desk. “The mandate issued extends protection to the Terran people as a whole. Any hostile action taken against them or the Varden without due cause will cause the fighting to begin anew.”



He stood, crossing his arms, and taking on a sour look. “To change anything over the long run you or someone else that can represent the Aschen will need to stand before the council. Do not burn what is left of this bridge by underestimating us. There will not be another chance in this.”

"You will have your council meeting," Kianna replied. With that she simply ceased to be as abruptly as she had arrived in the first place.

John Rosenthal moved around his desk and took a seat. "EGO. Play music, Groove Addicts - To Be Free." As the music started he removed the file he had previously been looking at and glanced though the pages. One by one he let them fall into a bin. 'Mind what people do, not only what they say for deeds will betray a lie.', he thought. "EGO take a message." --Scene End.

The Broken Astromech was a dive bar on a back water space station by the name of the Gregorian. This bar was the preferred hang out of scum from all over the galaxy. This is the reason A'denla hung out there. She could have a few drinks and occasionally get a contract. Sometimes she was lucky enough to get a contract and her target just happened to be in the bar.

Currently, A'denla was sitting in the corner with her feet up on a table. She was reading a magazine and sipping on some kind of alcoholic beverage. Her helmet sat on the table and her rifle was leaned against the wall next to her. Not a soul in the bar dared get closer than four tables away.

She was hoping to here some news on a good friend of hers, but she wasn't confident. If A'denla got any news on her friend it would probably that the found his body in space somewhere. A'denla had come to terms with the death of her friend, but she was still hopeful.

The station was not so unaccustomed to newcomers that a hooded figure stepped into the bar just to smile like the devil himself just to then lay his eyes upon the lone figure of a woman with skills and abilities. Those who feared this woman would note that the hooded figure did not as he approached her just to take a seat before the woman just to then chuckle.

"You know a little bird had once told me to look in all the right places. Truly the force does work in mysterious ways." The hooded figure would lean in a bit just to pull away the magazine from the woman before him just to chuckle a bit as he wanted to get a good look upon his treasure. "Do you know who I am?"

As A'denla's magazine was pulled away her expression went from bored to interested. She studied the figure before her. Jedi. No, that wasn't right. Ashan had once told her that not everyone who used the force was a jedi. What were the ones with the red lightsabers called?

It came to her. Sith. A'denla knew exactly who this was now. The man before her was Ashan's employer: Darth Mor. The man could probably see the realization on A'denla's face as she came to this. She thought for a moment before replying. She had to choose her words carefully if she wanted to survive this encounter.

"You are Darth Mor," said A'denla, "You're a Sith Lord, and an employer of a good friend of mine." A'denla took a sip of her alcoholic beverage, "So what brings you to the Broken Astromech?"

Mor leaned back in his seat just to then smirk a bit while pulling back his hood. The scars upon the mans face were a clear sign of battle and self mutilation but before A'denla was not a cold blooded killer but a man seeking to expand what is rightfully his. "I am Mor yes. I also employ many people." Mor began to chuckle a bit only to then offer his hand to the woman. "You see I came here today to find you in particular. You see I wish for your services in order to keep things in order."

Mor's scars didn't shock A'denla in the least. She had seen far worse things on Nal Hutta. Hutts were sick bastards. However his attitude commanded respect, A'denla liked that.

"I haven't had a contract for a few weeks," said A'denla, "I'd be more than willing to work for you, but I charge a flat rate, no negotiations. I need room and board, perhaps fifty thousand credit, and some information." When it came to business A'denla would change her policies for no one, not even a Sith Lord. Hopefully this didn't get A'denla killed, she liked living on the edge and maybe that was about to catch up to her.

Mor was listening all to intently to what was being said to him and smiled only to lean in and instead of offering a quick response to her demands or trying to offer a counter deal. No instead Mor simply chuckled a bit and glanced down at the table just to raise his left hand towards A'denla and with his will conjured the force to constrict her throat and raise her up a bit from her seat. "Let me tell you something of my past history before I became the man I am now." the patrons of the bar suddenly jumped to their feet and even some drew weapons out towards the sith lord who apparently was testing the boundaries of his fellow compatriots at the Broken Astromech.

"Before I even realized the full extent of my abilities I knew I was special. The days before I began my training I was a rather well beloved noble whose medical background allowed me to save many lives." Mor began to step around the table and moved his hand over sending the woman up against a wall with little effort just to then turn to the crowd and grin sending some running for their lives. Turning his attention back to the woman he had been searching for Mor just began to laugh like a madman.

"You know I could break every bone in your body and then use your genetic material to make an exact replica of you. The skills that make you unique can be required through other means which I have so do not fret." Mor loosened his grip upon the woman's neck just to then take a step closer to her. "I will offer you the information that you seek and you should be considered lucky to even survive after how you talked to me. If you knew who I was then you should not have mistaken this meeting as something I am pleased about."

A'denla kept as calm as she could through the whole floating thing. She had seen Ashan do similar things to thugs that wanted his credits. She went into her happy place as Mor spoke to her. In her head she was standing above a crowd of thousands of Mandolorians. She heard them chant 'Mandolore'. This was one of her desires.

As she came back to real life she was up against a wall. When Mor offered the information A'denla thought 'Now we're getting somewhere'. A'denla composed herself, "All I want to know is if you have heard anything about a dead Sethion by the name of Ashan Starek. If you give me this I'll do whatever you want!"

"Ashan Starek is not dead girl. Ashan Starek works for me and is very much healthy I assure you." Mor offered his hand just to then pull her up if she took it. "You like him shall fall under my banner now with no questions asked."

A'denla took the Sith Lord's hand. She was suddenly satisfied with herself. The man before her had just given her the best news she had received since she learned that she was of mandolorian blood. A'denla suddenly had a new reason to live and she was going to be the best soldier Mor had. The galaxy would know the name of A'denla.

A ship is drifting through the emptiness of the deep space region of Sol. It is inactive and seems that no one is piloting it, however, a faint sign of life could be detected. The ship had a distress signal turned on. The ship seemed to be a case an innocent pilot being stranded in space.

However, this isn't the case, inside the ship, the only life form had sealed himself within the ship on some sort of containment protocol. The life form is a human... Or what could be left of one. Normally, this human is the brave knight, Teddy Ursa, but an evil persona had taken over, fueled by his negativity-fueled darkness magic. These powers are a curse he could never rid of, and now seemed to conquer him. His skin had paled, he grew fangs, his eyes were a bloody red, and he had gained a very violent personality. He wanted to be free, to bring destruction upon the living that his, 'weaker,' self had protected before he made a move to regain control. Evil Teddy waits, patiently...

Wearing her suit Ardelynna checked her helmet was on tight, she switched on her rocket boots and flew towards the ship. If the ship was empty she could steal parts and trade them for food and money. She opens the hatch on the ship and climbs the ladder, descending onto the ship. She quickly smashed the alarm because it was giving her a headache and she couldn't see anyone on board anyway. She then grabbed a few bags off of the sides and then climbed out through the hatchet to sit on top of the ship and look through what she had got.