Varden Expeditionary Theater's Story

Varden Expeditionary Theater twelve people in civilian clothing moved in, offering medical treatment and assistance in moving the non-ambulatory casualties to a safe location. Most present would be asked if they were injured if injury was not clear and visible.

General Allen sat in an office at the old Sanctum base. He was here while preparations were being finilized on the new Joes base. It took over a year to build since the attack by an Aschen agent crippling their previous base but it was almost done. But he was here to get work done. Over his desk he worked on two serious letters. One to the Terran Government, the other to the Invictus leader that was calling for Terran Reform.


To the Leadership of the Terran National Government,

Hello, My name is Dave Allen if you do not recognize the name from your briefings I am General of the GI Joes a counter terror organization. Your records may show that our previous base was destroyed durring the Aschen occupation of Terra. We do not fade easily. But this letter is in regards to recent events. Over the past year terrorism has seemed to be running rampent throught Terra. The people are scared but I have seen no action taken on behalf of the TNG. Therefore I suggest this, if the TNG does not step up and take appropriate action then the Joes will. I am leaving exactly Twenty-four hours in place to see something take place before I begin to send out my counter terrorism teams.

Sincerely General Dave Allen.


He finished the letter and printed copies mailing them not only to the TNG but other various organizations as well. Then he went on to write the second letter to the leader of Invictus.

[i]To the current leader of Invictus,

My name is Dave Allen General of the GI Joes, a counter intelligence group on Terra though I'm sure you already know this so I'm going to get straight to the point here. We have received word through our intelligence and your broadcast regarding your calls for Terran reform. I am in complete agreement with this and have attached a letter that I sent to the TNG. Terra is not defending it's people, something has to be done. I am more then willing to step up and help, so I am offering my support to your cause and more importantly the people of Terra. I would be happy to discuss this in person if you so wish.

-General Dave Allen, JOE CO

A group of Terran reporters from Express News had set up along the wall. A Japanese looking woman with an English accent started her report, keeping her voice low enough to not interrupt the talks. "This is Azami Kuribayashi live at the UCON peace summit in deep space...", she said and continued on.

Murmuring started, issuing from nearly every seat. Einar stood and spoke quickly after Luke in an attempt to disarm what he viewed as an attempt at sabotage. He had wanted to sit on the sidelines of this summit to observe but at the same time could not leave the outcome to chance if there were those that wished this summit to fail. "I would beg the leaders present to consider this: There need not be a leader, only a speaker to maintain order when chaos reigns. This speaker could be elected by those council members nominated, elected, and representing their own people, organization, or government. Those council members hold their seats for a term and can be re-elected or removed should their people deem them worthy or wanting by a vote of no confidence by their peers or those they represent. If at all possible the number of members in this council should be odd. It is moot until a full accounting has been done for every party that needs to be represented and folly to argue over until nominations have been made."

He continued on with but a slight pause. "All those that wish to be represented and offer assistance in this project should make themselves known. King Josiah Liwave of the Mezzadrate Empire and Artemis and Sarasha of the Pandorian Alliance have spoken wisely and in support of this project. Glaob Nuurk of the Forners seems willing to dedicate and share their love of music and forn. UCON was kind enough to host this meeting and thus we can assume they have interest in it. Darius Ko'Vash of the Democratic Coalition has spoken well in support of this summit and its goals. Even Luke Sullen of the Zar...", he said, paused and reviewed the information. "... I mean the Sullen Enterprises Confederacy has provided valuable input. My good friend, Cain of Terra represents the welfare of Terra and her people as no others have stood among those present." He motioned to all. "He is aware as much as you all are that Terra is an insignificant speck in the grand scheme of things. At the same time he is as aware as are all of you that it is the conflict currently taking place on Terra, in SOL, among a number of great powers that caused the need for this summit. It is not my intent to make Terra the primary topic."

He then turned to Crown Prince Shimizu Gabriel Takayama. "We are honored by your presence Crown Prince of the Taiyou. I am sure that the people of Terra and its government will be relieved to hear that the declaration of war upon them will soon be lifted or already has been. Does your presence here mean that you have interest in the formation of this council or in the project being proposed? You have just said that you wish for the furthering of peace in this galaxy. This would be a brilliant step in that direction." The touch pad continued to beep in a low tone, not audible but to those very close to Cain and him. If Takayama gave a negative then the only other reason for his presence had to deal with the capture of the Aschen leadership and the Aschen surrender. It would likely cause problems if they sought custody of the prisoners of war. Einar returned to his seat.

Sarasha watched Luke. Her psychic power of Empathy made her feel a sort of distrust from Luke. Though, she could not accurately place what that meant exactly. Empathy was an already shaky power, and pregnancy did not help it at all. She couldn't tell if it was distrust towards him, comming from him towards someone or everyone, or if he wanted to cause distrust in everyone here. Though, she found it hard to believe, though she knew it was certainly possible and likely, that someone would want to prevent this peace and co-operation, so she assumed it was just some faulty perception, maybe towards something he said, or him at something someone else said. Either way, she thought adding her view might help clarify things.

"I agree, there should be no leader of a council, for that defeats the point of a council. We should have an equal number of representatives from each nation, and create a council to decide things. In this project of such a large scale, one person should not have all the power. If we are to make laws and guidelines for all of those involved, then all of those involved should have fair and equal representation. We can not afford to have distrust grow among us, and allow a threat to such peace".

She looked back at Luke, hopping that the distrust he felt or someone felt towards him would dissipate. Artemis meanwhile looked at Einar. "To add onto what you have said, we can not just put one planet over all of them. There are other planets that have their problems and people too. On our Homeworld, we still must deal with the treacherous wildlife and plant life, which like us, have evolved from a planet in which faced several challenges for survival. Antongrad has recently had a visit from a Wyrm. Misrana has had its troubles as well. While we should provide support to Terra, help it become something better, we can not turn our backs of all of the other planets and troubles. Who are we to declear one planet and it's people more important then another? All of the worlds deserve help when they need it".

With that, he sat down, and let others speak their minds on this as well.

Finally Josiah raised himself once more, "I suppose I best be blunt and tell you why the forming of this alliance is necessary I am surprised to see such support for this, and I hope this shows good tidings. The goal of this alliance are two things, one we shall work on a document of Intergalactic Laws inspired by Terran document of the past it shall not be a replacement of those laws but instead a continuation of said document. The final goal is a neutral platform Christian-ed Eulogy Bastion it shall be a huge..." hold on I shall show you a model our scientists have formed.

He would place a small pod like device down and press a button as a 3D model of Eulogy Bastion would show up:


"Here it is gentleman and ladies the true goal of all this a place where all nations can gather and speak on important matters and no danger for either to take part in these talks. Each nation shall be represented by an Ambassador and have a suite assigned to them, each nation shall something to the construction of this thus it shall be the work of peace and friendship. Of course there is risks, I understand them, but it's time to bring the wars back to neutral zones, many of you I know have done questionable things. I of course am unpopular with my own council of families because of my race, rumors are all we have."

The King took a deep breath, "For the sake of non-conflict if you don't wish to be represented then leave now, if you are being represented then I am sorry to say we must know the truth. No crimes will be charged here today, think of today as a blank slate, I know this is risky but I am trying to make you all understand that we must look to new ways to handle our grievances, Mezzadrate should stop hiding for one thing. I am trying to conduct a new era. If the League of Non-Aligned Worlds is to survive we will need to be honest with one another."

Darius inclined his head as Sarasha Einar and Josiah, he knew all to well the risks. After all, he himself, sat on a council, and knew the challenges it would face, "Forming, and maintaining a Council is not an easy task, but a necessary one. The Democratic Coalition is run by a council and has been for many years, therefore we know the risks involved and the challenges it will present. In short we must not waver under pressure nor falter from this path if the League is to success." He spoke to the room despite his eyes focused more on Luke, almost as if he could sense that he was up to something. "Also, to add to representative Sarasha's statement about helping other worlds, the DC has a humanitarian force willing and able to help as many worlds as they can. Of course, aid from other nations will be needed to insure no planet is left out. In addition, we can even supply planets and nations with alternative power supplies that pose less risk to both planet and person. We would also be inclined to give the same power supplies in support of the station." With that final statement Darius sat down folding his legs again.

On board the DCSS Harbinger, Tyler and the crew received one last report from the Gauntlet. "Commander, the Gauntlet reports all good, seems the meeting is coming to a close as we speak." Said the communications technician as he turned to face Tyler, "Good, hold position here. I'm sure Prime Minister Ko'vash would like to know we're here." Tyler said as he turned to face the CIC of the bridge.

iNTERGALACTRANSLATOR
: We're just here to deliver vegetables !
: So long as trade is free, we should have no problem with all that you already said, yes ?
: There comes a time when everyone will be together. We're willing to support the future, but not by expenses or force. Accessibility will be a strength! Communication and trade will be indispensable tools!

"Whurr jerst hurr tor dulurvah vurgturbals!" Glaorb Nuurk glorbled. The gelatinous being was harried with the pace of conversation, his delegates memorizing everything for sure, imprinting the audio waves to vibe back later. Despite this backup method of communication, Glaorb wished the wavelengths would stretch.

"Salong a Trade is Free," He pronounced those last three words very carefully and clearly, "We sh'av nooooproblom wit aaaaaall dahyu alreasaisai yeas?" Glaorb aimed his dark obsidian eyes around the room. "Ther hums a time wen ebriwon illy together. Wooleye support tha future, o nobye expense o force. Assessiblibliblih illy a trenth! Communitraeun illy a inderspelsapple toos!" With that, Glaorb jellied back into his former position, considering himself to have stated enough. His delegates hummed in approval.

Luke listened to the representatives speak and then he himself stood again. "I am in agreement with the projects plans and I second the motion for a leaderless council." He said as he looked around the room, "In addition I offer to supply staff and can send construction crews to assist in the process." He said, he decided it would be a botch job to try and crush this conference and with the promise of a clean slate he could push aside any genocide charges that might have arisen against him. (Out of MV Rp... Luke Ordered the use of chemical weapons against a planetary population.) Maybe he could even gain some allies out of this conference.

"On another note the SEC has a variety of items open for purchase, I am after all a salesman, if anyone is interested I will be around after the meeting." He said with a business like smile.

Then something crossed his mind, maybe it was a bet it was after all a dangerous ploy. He turned to the UCON representative. " But back to a more important matter, If the slates are being cleaned what would that mean for the Divine Shadow?" He asked, "Would he be freed or are his charges a private matter? It also appears that the Aschen Reps have been arrested. No yes they may have done bad things in the past but if we are to be equal and really work with a clean slate I am asking that they be released and allowed to attend if they so wish." He knew he was risking angering other representatives but he wanted to make a point here, if this "clean slate policy was to be upheld there could be no loopholes no exceptions. "So we can retain this policy or we can revoke it and then we will have to begin holding trials and I know many here would be more than happy with the clean slate policy." He said there was fire in his eyes, and once it got going he could become a force to be reckoned with.

The jelly creatures listened as another representative spoke. They personally had no strife with anyone as intergalactic traders. The Aschen were great customers, unless those planets weren't Aschen planets, in which case they had a lot of records to rewrite. Just thinking about the potential accounting and records mistake was beginning to congeal Glaorb, so he simply stopped letting this vibe heat his jelly.

Gently they hummed and jiggled in agreement with Luke. Though they felt the energy practically spilling off of Luke, he was literally heated, this was not what swayed the gelatinous beings. A clean slate was a clean slate, and the Aschen were customers aside. If they were going to make rules everyone should have to follow them. Equals. Communitradion was crucial.

To: BigKahuna@various., Rosenthal.John@vef.
From: Walsh.Benjamin.Eli@trf.

When you decide on a location let us know and we will be there.

MAJ Walsh, Ben

--------------------

To: Walsh.Benjamin.Eli@trf.
From: BigKahuna@various.

Hello again, captain, officer, prime minister, ambassador, colonel, general, director, president, senator, or congressman, whomever you may be. Once again, my name is Fatin Alfarsi, you may, or may not, know me, but I am one of two heads of the organization known as The Invictus.

To those who have met with me, and those who haven't had the chance but are still interested in reforming Terra, I ask that you attend a meeting of minds. Send those who call the shots for your organization, nation, clan or army to a neutral location we all agree upon to discuss where we'll go from here.

We have to discuss the organization of our military and intelligence forces, get them used to working together, which there will be much of in the future. We need to get our mouthpieces, our would-be politicians, used to making choices together. We have to discuss how we'll handle the crime on our planet, the anarchy, the war with the Taiyou.

Until we're organized, we have no real power. Until we're working as a cohesive unit, we can't squabble as a cohesive unit. This is our chance. I suggest meeting in Solinus City, it's much safer than Wing City, and nicer to look at.

Personal Phone: 213-489-2732.
E-mail: BigKahuna@various.
Address: The Palace @ 9001 Main Street, Wing City.

Hearing all this, Josiah responded in turn, "My, my I am so happy we can unite here and speak of peace in such obvious crops of aggression. I shall address you all. Of course many are concerned with the deal of Ambassadors and I shall be forthwith, each Nation shall be represented an Ambassador, the Ambassadors shall speak for the Nation on the station and have a suite or attache. Their can be non-political entities on the station, as they would likely to pursue more agreements and further their business, but Eulogy Bastion will not have any Corporations have ambassadors, in the extreme case that a Corporation has gotten control of a planet or nation, they will be expected to enter the agreement but the person chosen as Ambassador must have zero corporate ties. This platform will accept all people, I won't lie, but the Ambassadors and the Crew will have the most power if an Ambassador requests this person or group will be removed. This is all to show the nation that no matter how small you seem in the scheme of things, your opinion matters." with that he paused and nodded before continuing, "If the Aschen wish to be here or wish to make contact with the League their past crimes are considered done, I will caution that I am an ally of the UCON so while I say a clean slate it does not mean we trust you any more. A clean slate is a chance to prove yourself a worthy member of this agreement. This is merely just the first of these meetings, there shall be many more."

Taking a firm stance he went on, "Humanitarian efforts are what I hope for, and with the League forming we can reach out to others quicker, everyone will know what's taking place and no more will people be not privy to concerns. I agree Terra should not be the center of the Galaxy, I have no qualms with the planet, I simply feel having the station in Norma Arm will be better for all and Terra will get as much representation as it desires. The whole point of this is there is no center of this idea, it a circle of Nations who are United by our cause for Peace and Protection. I know many Nations are not represented here, I will welcome all..."

"Final point is thus, I propose fully agree with Leaderless Council, each delegate shall have the power of voting, 'Yes', 'No', 'Abstain' or Veto once, the power to veto will be handed out to all the Nations. I understand you probably feel this is risky, and I of course am of agreement on this, but by doing this we also give the smaller nations more power. They can choose to use that power and act on their concerns."

Now was the point he was most dreading, "People of Mezzadrate and other nations assembled I am King Josiah Liwave of the 21st Noble House and I have been considering something for a long time, with all this I have finally decided now is time. As of today I shall be the final King of Mezzadrate and citizens if you are watching listen well... I wish to remove the power the Noble Houses and I have, we shall become an actual Democracy and my second and most impressive piece of news is to do with the Democratic Coalition... as representative of Mezzadrate I ask to become part of your alliance, the only deal here is thus our agreement with UCON is still solid and if thus is the case then I shall accept... As for you my gooey friends, I am sure we can write out some trade agreements and we can all decide how members of the League work within trading imports and exports. But for now the focus is building the foundations."

Readying to take his seat once more, he ended, "As you can see I am dedicated to this project, so much so I shall make myself the ambassador for Mezzadrate. Any questions or have we reached what could be called an understanding? If this is the case, then I believe we shall all meet again a more neutral location perhaps and meanwhile our main focus is the efforts to help the nations suffering, if you can offer any words on this, that I suppose is the most pressing issue."

Darius took note of Josiah's statements and replied, "I am in agreement as well. A unified council where no one representative has more power then another, is exactly what is needed to make this work. I am also hesitant on the Veto, but understand it's necessity." He then paused and rose form his seat, "I would also like to request the formation of a News broadcast in which every nation represented by the League can gather information related to events that have already taken place, such as Humanitarian efforts and so forth. This will allow all to be up to date on events that affect the League and it's member nations, of course this will also report on the end results of meetings taking place both here and with the council." He paused again looking about trying to get an assessment of the responses from the other representatives, "In addition, I believe a vote should be called form each nation to elect a council representative immediately following the signing of this treaty, this will allow each nation the chance to choose their representative, with the exceptions of nations like the Taiyou over there." he then gestured to Shimizu, "I'm sure his people would elect him anyway, being he is currently their acting ruler." he meant no disrespect by this statement he was simply stating what he believed to be true. He then turned his attention to Josiah, "At last I must ask you, King Josiah. When you stated 'become part of' are you referring to becoming a member race of the Coalition? This is more for my personal clarification then anything else, I'm afraid I did not fully understand what you were suggesting, and I do apologize for that."

Whitcomb was yanked and the moment she screamed that she would not be taken alive Aaric spoke, clenching his teeth and attempting to maintain clarity despite the chaos going on all around him. “Blóð sofa.” Pressure would be applied to either side of Admiral Whitcomb’s neck effectively choking the blood to her brain long enough to cause her to pass into unconsciousness. Most would last two to three seconds before passing into unconsciousness. The pressure on her neck, chin, and jaw would also prevent her from swallowing.

Meanwhile Aschen soldiers were being dragged or carried to cover behind pieces of wreckage. If Whitcomb went unconscious she would land in Aaric’s left hand and he would carry her by the waist as if she were a young babe. Briefly he would turn to look as the Reverent shield collapsed behind him and between him and the Coalition. He would then walk in Commander Bentley’s direction. If allowed to approach he would lower Whitcomb to the ground near Bentley’s location.

A mile away from the three members of Patronus…

“You see the shooter?”, the warden whispered. The spotter indicated that he did not. They both started to scan. “I see the targets and one was hit. Blood splatter indicates to our two o’clock. They look like civilians.”, the spotter whispered. They both shifted. “I have no eyes on.” ‘Give me a map EGO.’ A map was displayed in her HUD. “I would bet that the shooter is there.” The map was displayed in the spotter’s HUD and the location marked. “We are not going to get a good shot from here. Cloak up. We are moving. EGO?” ‘Audible triangulation indicates that you are correct.’ EGO replied. Their images shimmered and they were gone. Prints in the snow formed as the two moved away.

Tessa was shoving wool blankets and supplies into packs back at her and Noah's temporary campsite when she heard the shot go off. Rynhart had requested she accompany Noah, not wanting the youth to be wandering the mountains alone, but given her talent for amplifying magical energies within her vicinity she had opted to keep her distance and remain at camp while Noah was off practicing over the nearby rise. They had been out there for a week now and were preparing to head back to the temple. A week too long to have known the danger that lay within the mountains.

There had been other casualties, other shootings, but in their remote region of the already remote mountains, Noah and Tessa hadn't yet returned to the temple to learn of the state of things. They had to learn that no one was to leave the temple anymore. That Taiyou snipers had everyone holed up, and the Patronus were as much a target as the Aschen they sheltered.

Abandoning the blanket and pack in hand she turned about towards the sound of the gunshot to see the flare fire off overhead. The dragon was unmistakably Noah's trademark, and who else would be out here in the middle of nowhere?

She took to the icy rocks at a run, calling for him as she cleared the top of the small rise in a few strides.

She was met with a spray of crimson across the pristine snow.

"Noah!" she shouted.

A quick scan of the surrounding mountains for the threat turned up nothing, but with miles upon miles of wilderness, the shooter could have been anywhere. Could still be there.

A quick incantation left her visually and audibly standing atop the rise while she made her way unseen down the snowy incline at a run to reach Noah's side. Snow and ice gave under her feet and she skidded the last of the way to him. The decoy attempt was rushed at best, but perhaps it would give pause - or at least draw attention long enough for her to reach Noah. Perhaps it would draw the Taiyou snipers' next shot before they took note of the tracks trudging through the snow to reach Noah.

Upon reaching Noah what she saw shocked her. Unconscious and nestled within a bed of crimson snow lay Noah. She was certain he must be dead, but she didn't take the time to check for signs of life as she fished a small crystal out of her pocket. She needed to break it though, and they were surrounded in a sea of snow. She swept her hand through the snow clearing the way to the ice that lay beneath before raising the crystal up to smash it down against the ice. Impromptu teleportation was never a good idea.

The small sniper team of Imperial warriors continued to lay hidden underneath a reactive camouflage netting. It wasn't exactly a therm-optical camouflage net, but a specialized nano reflective colored net that mimicked the snow and ice that surrounded them, and concealed them in white 'snow' that hid the men from visual, thermal, and most other means of detection.

"Hoka no wa ari." The spotter said, while the gunner adjusted his scope, spotting Tessa crouching besides Noah, and adjusting his weapon to bear aim on the small target that was her head.

He entered a state of cold meditation, and in the brief seconds that she prepared her spell, the single sniper adjusted his scope, focusing the cross-hairs on the black and white thermal image.

"Ute."

The trigger pulled, and the weapon barked it's furious report, sending a single High-Velocity 30mm round searing towards it's target. Tessa would likely be unfortunate enough to be struck by the deadly round before the sound of the gunshot even reached her. Should the round make it's target, it would impact square in the side of the head, liquefying brain and shattering bone, and leaving a deadly display of red splattered several feet across the snow

There was a brief silence, the Spotter's words echoing in the small encampment.

"Seikō"


The gunner pulled the bolt back, ejecting another steaming hot shell, which fell into the snow and cooled rapidly with an audible hiss, steam wafted off the barrel of this massive weapon, but only for a moment as the steel barrel cooled back down.

As the crystal shattered against the ice it unleashed the spell stored within it, and purple arcs of light lashed out splitting open a rift in the air as the second gunshot rang out. The brief flash of light vanished with an audible snap as the sniper struck true, and though Noah was gone, Tessa it would seem was less fortunate.

Sprawled motionless, the blood of the nineteen year old rapidly seeped into the snow to mingle with Noah's own.

‘De er brikker i et sjakkspill. Hva legger vi verdsetter på deres liv til å ikke gripe inn. Aren’t we cheating by just being here?’, he thought and then bolted from cover with his round shield braced in his left hand and Vule running at his right side. ‘Stop complaining and let’s save the girl.’, Vule thought in return as they both skidded to a stop in front of Tessa and between her and the Taiyou sniper team.

Vule’s strong hands and arms hooked the girl’s under arms as her husband crouched and braced the metal shield with his body to provide cover for the other two. “Dvöl lágt! Dvöl lágt! Drífðu!”, Nedra shouted.

The second shot sounded. 'Recalculating target location... one hundred seventy two meters. Negative LOS to target.', EGO relayed. "Move your ass.", the warden spoke over the communication net. The Varden sniper team moved up the side of a ridge putting the crest and some pines between them and the suspected target location.

The Sniper team watched the newcomers, and the Soldier adjusted his scope while the Spotter spoke up.

"Sarani ni tsu arimasu." He said calmly, and the gunner nodded.

Considering his targets, he meditated on the outlines on his thermal scope. Shifting slightly he nodded, with a fresh round chambered into his weapon, he considered his target.

"Ute." The Spotter said, while the gunner made the adjustments to his scope. He lined up the first target, Nedra, and the giant metal shield he was covering behind.

The Gunner depressed the trigger of the massive Taiyou SR-3000AMR And the weapon barked it's fierce report, hurling a 30mm High-Velocity Armor Piercing Fin Stabilized Diamond Tipped Depleted Uranium Discard Sabot bullet. The metal projectile traveled at a staggering hypersonic velocity which meant the bullet would reach it's target a second before the sound of gunfire did.

The round was easily capable of cutting slap through most conceivable armors, from half inch thick nanosteel, to reinforced Kanvium. Indeed to defeat this round, the Shield would have to be as dense as a starship hull, and as hard as tungsten. Which meant the Specialized round would likely cut through the shield, and ultimately the figure hiding behind it, causing the same unfortunate fate as Tessa, a dead center mass shot from a summit two miles away.

There was silence, as the bolt pulled back, ejecting the casing, and sliding in yet another round. Two more bullets before the sniper had to change magazines.

----

The Taiyou Sniper team engaged without mercy, of course as the Varden made their approach, Zeroing in on Taiyou positions, they would move unaware of the Minefield that was erected in a radius around the Taiyou position, each mine containing a powerful fragmentation charge, as well as a brightly colored paint that was designed to reveal any cloaked units for engagement, as well as notify the Sniper team of approaching enemies. Each mine carefully hidden under a layer of snow and ice, armed with a grid 20 feet around the mine of small sensors that detected weight, and triggered the explosion, should the Varden team continue to approach the Taiyou sniper team, they would no doubt set off one of these mines.