While Avantia had been meeting with the representative from the TNG, Sato had been working her own business back home in Narita. The City lights were glimmering in the evening sun while it slowly began to set. In the Shogunate Palace, a single dark red Sudden Transport sit parked in the landing pad, bearing the crest of the Taiyou Empire.
Sato quietly sat in her office going through the paperwork, then she got up to pace back and fourth. "This is it, joining the Taiyou Empire." She said to herself, clasping her hands behind her back and looking out the window. "Joining the ranks of the rest of the Taiyou Shogunate..."
Meanwhile Avantia remained in her seat, watching Sato curiously. Despite her station, Avantia had insisted on her escort awaiting her outside. She had no reason to distrust Sato.
"You appear restless," Avantia noted from where she sat. "Are you certain this is what you wish?" she asked.
Sato paused and turned to Avantia, shaking her head. "It is not what I wish, it is what is good for the Shogunate. I have to sacrifice some power, to ensure that my nation prospers in the face of the Invictus, the Cybrans, and other Challenges she may face." Sato explained, moving back to the chair.
"That Terran will be one of many, no doubt they will try and bring our nation into their fold, and the Invictus want to exile us despite not doing anything to them. I think the Taiyou Empire is in the Shogunate's best interests."
"I understand that sentiment well," Avantia replied. "Our numbers are few in Volaria and the matter of our security is a growing concern with these rising threats. I am unwilling to relinquish the independence of my people though. There are those among us who fear for our identity, our culture and our way of life. What meaning would Volarian hold if we were to bow to these greater powers." She shook her head. "I imagine it is different among your people. The cultural identity is not as strong between you and these Imperial Taiyou."
Sato nodded. "Well, no matter how you look at it, We're racially, culturally, and ethnically Taiyou. Each individual in the Shogunate can trace their ancestry back to the Imperial systems." Sato explained, moving to go over the paperwork on her desk.
"What I ask of the Shogunate, I will not ask of Volaria. However I will advise you that the Imperial Taiyou are not as... acclimated to the diversity here. I fear tensions may arise from that."
"It was not so different between Volaria and the Shogunate when your people first arrived," Avantia reminded Sato. "Trust cannot be built overnight."
Avantia glanced to the window. They would be here soon. No doubt her years as an ambassador between her mother and Sato's father would serve her well today.
A Taiyou adjutant slowly approached the two through the chambers. "Seii taishōgun, Tenno Heika has arrived." He said, bowing to Sato, then the Shogun nodded. "Show him in." She said, and then she turned to Avantia. "The Taiyou Emperor can be a bit overbearing and imposing... There's a few things.. Don't make eye contact, address him as Tennoheika, and if he bows to you, bow lower to him. It is as when you first dealt with my father." She warned. "Under penalty of Death, for both of us." She added, before she moved to face the door, Sato swallowed hard.
"I have not forgotten," Avantia assured Sato as she too rose from her chair to greet the Taiyou Emperor.
"Let the games begin." Sato added in Volarian.
A voice rang through the air as the Greeter spoke in Taiyou. "Dai Niihama no Taiyō Teikoku no kangei shite kudasai, Ōji Takayama!"
This caused Sato to tilt her head slightly. "Hmm?"
The doors opened and a young, rather tall, slender male stepped in under escort, flanked on either side by Taiyou Imperial warriors. He also seemed to stand out, at a good six feet, and lacking the strong asian features that the Shogunate, and the other Taiyou at his side had. Sato however still bowed. "Shinnoheika, It is a suprise." She said in Taiyou.
"This is Matriarch Avantia, representing Volaria, our esteemed allies to the west."
The Taller male moved to the Matriarch, as if inspecting her.
"There is no need for formalities, I find them outdated and barbaric. However I apologize that my Father could not make it, he has fallen ill once more."
He extended his hand and nodded to Avantia. "I am Crown Prince Shimizu Gabriel Takayama, from the Taiyou Empire of Greater Niihama." He said, introducing himself.
Avantia glanced curiously to Sato at this abrupt change of events. However it would be more offensive at this point to refuse the Taiyou Prince's request at dropping formalities than to push them. She inclined her head only briefly in greeting as she took his hand in her own.
"It is a pleasure, Prince Takayama," she replied pleasantly.
It was then that a third figure entered the room, thin-framed and pale. He was proceeded by no herald nor did he enter flanked by warriors or bodyguards. He was dressed in a plain gray suit that was fitted well to his lean and unimpressive frame, a plain leather briefcase hanging at his side. His face, though handsome, was remarkably white, almost alarmingly so. His eyes, sunken behind a pair of thick-rimmed glasses, were a dark grey, nearly brown, encircled by black arcs around the lids.
He waited until Sato and Avantia had exchanged greetings with Shimizu before stepping forward himself, smiling with a strange warmth that seemed seriously contradictory with his cold and almost sickly appearance.
Shimizu turned to the third individual and he regarded him. "And you are?" He said, this time in plain Terran English, narrowing his eyes at the man before him. He looked unhealthy and almost like he was dying, a sharp contrast to the tall, rather healthy Taiyou male.
Sato on the other hand, remained quiet, remembering to speak to the Prince, only when spoken too.
"Casper Lessard," he bowed, not low, before offering Shimizu his hand, "representative of the Terran National Government. I am honored to meet you, Prince Takayama." His accent was distinctly Aslundish. His words were crisp and clear, his tone disarming and inviting. He turned next to face Sato, again bowed, not low. He was too far away to shake her hand, but he offered her the same warm smile he entered with. "And you as well, Shogun Takara. I am very pleased that I've been allowed to have a voice in this matter. I have been well received in your wonderful city."
Finally, he turned to Avantia, bowing for a third time and smiling. "And to you, Matriarch. I bring Aslund's humblest greetings. I thank you as well for allowing my voice to be heard here. I am pleased to see that Mr. Marshall did not completely soil your opinion of Terran diplomats."
"As I understand it, Mr. Marshal did more to soil the opinions of my palace servants," Avantia remarked. The Taiyou translator speaking to Casper in Terran English, translating Avantia.
Sato nodded slightly. "You haven't been as openly hostile as the Invictus, though I haven't the same thing to say of your other representative. I hope that amongst the Taiyou Empire I can find security." She said, nodding to the Prince, whom turned to the TNG representative. "While I respect Sato's wishes to have you here and have a say in the Matter, the Taiyou's position is clear." Shimizu explained. "Now then, Shall we begin?"
"By all means," Casper nodded, situating himself on the room and setting his briefcase down on the table. Once everyone was properly seated and comfortable, he would turn to look at Sato.
"Perhaps, Shogun," he began, "you could start by telling me why the Shogunate, a nation who has long declared themsleves a sovereign and free Terran power, is only now intending to join the Taiyou Empire. What has driven you to such sudden political change?"
Sato turned to Casper, and her expression visibly darkened. "When I ventured to Aslund, I saw the hatred in people's eyes. I saw the distrust and the dislike in the eyes of those that we plead to align with. The Invictus, and many others. And when I approached the Empire, they welcomed us with open arms." Sato explained, and Shimizu nodded, moving to sit at a large round table that had been prepared for all of them.
Sato cleared her throat and continued. "The only nation on Terra that's grown to accept us, have been the Volarians."
"So it is distrust that drives you to this," Casper nodded gravely, "you feel that you are alone on Terra, that your nation is beset on all sides by enemies. You feel threatened." His brows furrowed together. "I am sorry if your experience in Aslund was not pleasant, Shogun. You should know that the Terran National Government has never held any feelings of animosity towards you or your people. It is my government's most earnest wish to see all Terran nations at peace with one another. If there HAS been any prejudice directed towards you, please understand that it has nothing to do with you or the Shogunate. Most of it likely stems from our past dealings with the Taiyou Empire." He looked to Shimizu. "While our experiences with the Empire in the past have never been as bad as they were with the Aschen, there have still been some..." he paused, looking for the right word, "...bumps... in the road. There's been incidents on both sides. The Empire has made it abundantly clear what they think of the Terran National Government, and they never fail to remind us of their opinions."
He laughed. "With that in mind, you can understand why we're not thrilled with your impending decision to join with them."
Shimizu sat quietly as he listened to Casper make his point, then he turned to Sato and then back to Casper, before he spoke up. "Let's talk about the Cybrans." Shimizu said, putting his silver-tongued prowess to work. Nodding to his Translator, whom was speaking Taiyou to the Matriarch.
"I understand, Sato, that the Terran National Government expressed that it did not want you to defend yourselves from the Cybrans?" Sato then nodded. "Yes, Marshall told us not to resort to war so quickly." Shimizu nodded. "And yet the Cybrans have made their intentions clear, promising to return with more soldiers, more starships, to inevitably crush your two nations?" Shimizu said, turning to Casper. "I don't mean to go out on a limb here, but not only is the formalization of the Shogunate a matter of prinicial, but a matter of the continued survival of the Shintenchi Shogunate as a whole." Shimizu explained.
"The Terran Government is hardly in a position to fend for itself, let alone protect the other nations on this planet."
The Taiyou prince slowly cleared his throat. "Your Nation has squandered it's foreign help, surrenders at the first sign of trouble, talks a big game about 'independance' and 'sovereignty' but when it comes to it, you scramble about and hide in your holes. That is not a nation I want protecting me. The Terrans hardly govern themselves, why should they be in a position to advise anyone?"
"The TNG urged patience, and their advisement brought more Cybran's to Volaria's doorstep," Avantia added as she folded her hands in her lap, leaving the Taiyou translator to translate her words for the Terran representative.
