Setting
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"The Taiyou Empire will not tolerate TNG meddling in your affairs, give the word and we will put a stop to it." He said quietly, watching while Austin was being shoved out the door.
As Avantia moved to sign off on the Contracts, Shimizu took a step back and frowned.
"I'll send someone to the TNG and hopefully this will blow over without incident."
With the contracts signed she closed the folder and offered it out to Shimizu.
She couldn't help but wonder if expending so much money into military resources was the right decision, and her doubts lingered upon her face. The matter was finalized now, and she could only hope she wasn't making a mistake in all of this.
"I pray that all of this will be unnecessary. Volaria hasn't seen a war in generations."
"With these contracts secure, your nation will have the tools and the resources to defend itself if war ever comes to Volaria." Shimizu said, tucking the folder under his arm.
"I must return to Niihama so that these contracts can be delivered to the appropriate individuals, you should expect the first shipment sometime by the end of the month."
She lingered within the great hall for a time even after Shimizu had departed and just let her thoughts wander. She had been rash in ordering Joshua's execution, and she knew full well that all of her excuses and reasoning were just that. Joshua had died for the simple reason that Mile's was beyond her reach. He had died as a means to placate the masses, and to seek satisfaction for the crimes of another man.
Patience, tolerance, non-violence, forgiveness, absence of anger... were these not the teachings of the Sui'tara? And here she sat signing military contracts and preparing her people for war.
She rubbed at her eyes to ward away her weariness with a sigh.
"I hope I'm not disturbing you, Matriarch Avantia. I just couldn't help but notice not one but two other, eh, dignitaries leaving." The Agent smiled sheepishly, sobering quickly enough as she gauged the mood. "Is everything alright?"
"Everything is fine," she reassured Rebekah. "The TNG it would seem are upset about Joshua, and Prince Shimizu was simply following up on some matters we had discussed during his last trip to Volaria," she explained.
"Is there something I can do for you?" she asked.
Pausing for a moment to study the Matriarch, she cocked her head. "I feel it might be more prudent to ask of you that question, if I may, Avantia. To return the favor to my most gracious host."
"Tell me," Avantia replied. "How do you feel about the Joshua situation."
It would seem that perhaps the Matriarch was finally willing to discuss the topic she had previously dodged when they had last spoken.
She wasn't sure why she asked. Perhaps she was seeking affirmation to what she already knew, or perhaps she hoped for a sign that her actions had not been a mistake after all. Whatever her reason, she was giving Rebekah her attention for the time being.
"Right reasons, wrong person." Plainly spoken, as the woman turned back to Avantia, crossing her arms before her. "And before you state the obvious, I know you couldn't simply do the same to Miles Hagan without provoking a war." Her next words, however, in such a place, where shocking.
"Which is bullshit." Only the human word, in her mind, filled the place so well. "Hagan is an animal, and that the Aschen are content to let him run freely, no matter how much money or mercenaries he has, is plain bullshit. The problem with the execution is a puppet, and not the puppetmaster, was the subject. And, in the mob's eye, a convenient scapegoat."
The woman's eyes blazed with inner intensity.
She smiled then.
"I think perhaps it is time we revisited the matter of why it is you are here," Avantia continued. "You have proven a good friend, and your time here in our city has been well spent."
Avantia had abstained from discussing matters regarding future relations between Volaria and the UDW for long enough. Rebekah had done as she had been asked, and she had taken the time to integrate herself into Volarian culture as was requested by the Matriarch.
"I would be very pleased to broach the matter of trade with the UDW. Our jewelry crafting is one of our largest exports," she continued. "Along with our arts and textiles. Trade with Aslund has been on a decline with tensions what they are, and to open up trade routes with the UDW would prove beneficial for both of our people."
"With renovations complete on Port Astria, Volaria is now in possession of its first - but soon to be one of many - space ports within our borders. The days of the Volarian people striving for the stars will soon be behind us, and with it, a great many opportunities lie ahead."
Consulting her ComGlasses for a moment, she nodded again absently at the figures. "The UDW's primary exports are those of war materials, medical supplies, and semi-produced materials. Of the latter, primarily nanoforged metals and polymers, built to specifications if requested. Given the demands on more comfort oriented items, and the stances of UDW's trading which is of matching the value of goods with that of the customer, I can't imagine it wouldn't be particularly difficult to establish an immediate prosperous state of trade between Volary and the UDW."
"In particular, however, I can think of at least one more minor mining company, specializing in gem and crystal extraction, who would jump at the chance to arrange a standing contract with your jewel artisans, exchanging raw materials and converted currency to act as agents to commission their works."
And now it was time to sort things out. That was final. It didn't matter if she was dodging the bullet on the Joshua subject before, now it was time to speak up.
And with that, Soneanna knew where her aunt was but not who she was with or the nature of the meeting. She hadn't listened to the person who had continued trying to talk to her after she'd requested her aunt's location, she'd just moved on. Things had built up so much with Soneanna that now she had the courage to face things. And with lack of sleep it wasn't helping how she was about to go with this.
She just pushed open the doors to where her aunt was, eyes landing straight on the Matriarch before marching over, completely ignoring or not even acknowledging that Rebekah was in the room with Avantia.
"We need to talk. I'm sick of trying to arrange a time. I don't care what business you have to talk about. We need to talk. Me and you about that man you killed and about the girl that was arrested. None of it is right. We need to sort out this mess. People are talking and what they're saying isn't nice, either side. We have to get this sorted, Avantia." Soneanna told her.
It was all ridiculous. The man shouldn't have been killed like that in the first place and now it was all going badly. Really badly. There were whispers that she'd heard from both sides and still, despite Miley getting arrested, people were getting into fights and starting arguments about who was right and wrong. In Soneanna's eyes, it needed to stop and peace needed to be found again.
Soneanna's interruption was somewhat unexpected. Busy as Avantia was, she hadn't time enough to scarcely sleep let alone see to her niece's personal matters, but she hadn't expected her to barge in, in such a manner.
"Soneanna... now isn't -"
Another avorian swept in behind Soneanna, a member of Avantia's royal guard. The man bowed.
"Forgive me, Matriarch. There's an urgent matter regarding the Xupra refugees in Jincai," he explained.
"Go on," Avantia replied.
"They have brought a sickness with them," the guard replied. "Our men there have all been exposed, as have the villagers. Captain Iyengar is maintaining order, but panic spreads. Several of the Xupra have escaped into the countryside. The Captain is requesting more men to help locate them, and he advises that we quarantine Jincai as a precaution until we know more about this sickness that drove the Xupra from their homes."
Avantia took the news stoically enough as she rose from the cushions she rested upon.
"See that he gets the men he needs," she replied. "I'll be leaving him in charge of managing the affairs in Jincai as I will be departing for the Chemias system tomorrow."
It was a poor time for her to be traveling so far from Volaria, but it couldn't be helped. Her presence was all but expected in the Chemias system, and it would be poor form to slight those who had been the ones to take up arms against the Cybrans when Volaria lacked the means to take the fight to the Cybran homeworlds.
"Soneanna, we will discuss this later, I need to go prepare to meet with the TNG representatives," she explained.
"Rebekah, it was a pleasure as always. We can continue this discussion during our trip to the Chemias system," she added. "For now I must take my leave," she explained.
The guard moved to follow Avantia as she strode from the room leaving Rebekah and Soneanna alone.
It was expected such interruptions would occur with heads of state, and so the woman was not put off by the sudden parting. Turning an inquisitive eye to Soneanna, she quietly cleared her throat, using her grasp of the Volarian tongue to address her.
"Soneanna, is it?" Reaching a hand back through her hair, she offered a soft smile. "What was..."
She gestured towards her, "That all about?"
She heard Rebekah speak and frowned. "It doesn't matter, obviously. If my aunt is happy to abandon the issues right now that matter most here, I'm sure that what I think on a certain situation doesn't matter." She spoke, snapping a little at the person she'd never known, but seemed to know her.
"I'm sick of all this trouble. Ever since that man was wrongly executed, things have been getting really bad. And now there is talks of a sickness and she's just leaving. Like it doesn't even matter!" Soneanna was fuming at it. It was rare that she was like this. She was known to be a calm and quiet girl, not one to be outspoken ever. So to those that knew the royal family or knew of them, they'd know that this was not a typical outburst.
Pausing as she concluded for a moment, the woman thought about her own response to the sudden mention of a sickness, triggering the messaging function of her glasses and with practiced, lightning flicks and blinks, composed and pinged the text to the captain of the Purgatory. Assured in the confidence the message would be relayed through the TD network back to the Umbral Sector, requesting a medical aid ship, she turned her attention back to Soneanna.
"I'm not saying your opinion on the matter is irrelevant, for whatever your relation is to Avantia, she seems willing to explore it. However, there are concerns that have to be addressed by those of high political station, and promptly."
- 93 posts here • Page 4 of 4 • 1, 2, 3, 4