Snippet #2360560

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."