Veganism (part 24)
Mr Zoat
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1st September 2012
16:23 GMT
"Good." I nod to Artemis as Queen Clryssa signs the paper that we'll be tearing up as soon as I've had time to re-crew the Absolute Dominion. "Convey this to the pretender's followers. If they will abide by it, the truce will begin as soon as knowledge of it can be communicated to my captains."
"Yes, Lord Grayven."
It feels so wrong to hear her say it like that. I know it's just a scheme but it shouldn't be happening!
The hush tube makes no noise as it opens, and Sinthia looks mildly curious as Artemis appears to vanish into thin air. Right. Grayven wouldn't-.
A flash of memory, the techniques he used for gathering information. Advanced scouts in ships designed to fit in with mercenary crowds more or less just asking around. Asking governments about work in what appears to have effectively been an upgraded phishing scam, telling them where there might be bribable defenders or weak points. Looking around in a mildly suspicious but in-character sort of way. Beyond that, he relied on the astonishingly good sensors on the Absolute Dominion and boom tubed commandoes.
Not a master of covert operations. In fact, I'd rate-.
For one horrible moment I can't distinguish between the two sets of memories. Like there aren't two distinct sets, and I'm forced to think about every single one before I know whether it started as mine or not. I don't let it show on my face, not with his allies present. But I'm going to need to talk to someone about that.
From what Grayven learned, the Orrery was created by angelic-looking creatures as a tool for controlling the Vega Systems. Supposedly, they hid it here when Larfleeze started fighting them, which… Might explain why he thought it was a good idea to bring the Orange Central Power Battery here when on the run from the Guardians. They might consider a thief to be beneath their notice, but an intrusion from creatures like the Guardians would be more likely to provoke a response.
Its very existence is an existential threat to everything in Vega. I'd like to move it, but I don't know if I can risk it. Leaving it here -particularly when the queen is likely to be quite angry with me- isn't something I really want to do.
But here's the problem. Grayven kept Sinthia around him most of the time. He wouldn't leave her to guard something like this. Ovula and Muliebria would be treated like that, but they lack the discipline to make good guards and neither of them were the brains of the outfit. They might play with it, or be distracted if Gavyn broke in and did something regrettable to it.
Hang on, didn't Komand'r say something about Thanagarian mercenaries..? Yes, from both sets of memories. The Blades of Alstair. Floraphiles then, but it's not like I wanted good relations with Thanagar. Ring, send them a message.
By your command.
"Ace." Again, I don't visibly wince. "Remain here until relieved. Study the artefact but take no chances. I would not have my prize destroyed."
"Yes, Lord Grayven." **You can do this, Daddy.**
**I hope you're right.**
Because I'm going to be surrounded by people with no reason to wish me well. If Grayven had had the time to turn Sinthia into a New God, or if his relations with Father were good enough-. With Darkseid were good enough to ask for an assistant, this would… Not be going well.
And that's without worrying about what he's going to make of this.
Mother Box.
Ping.
"With me, all of you."
I walk through the hush tube, appearing on the bridge of the Absolute Dominion. No one took my s-. His station… My station during my absence, but the ranking officer makes a gesture of acquiescence as he sees me. Sinthia follows as I resume my station, the ship easily accepting my return as it feeds information to my metaphysique. I don't say anything out loud, I merely will it so and the transmission systems ready themselves to relay the queen's message.
Sinthia comes through the hush tube next, followed by the queen and the zamarons. I smile as I point to the spot the queen will be using to make the broadcast, while Sinthia resumes the executive officer station and the other two take something approximating guard stations. I wait until the queen is standing exactly where I told her to before entering the area and activating the privacy screen.
Sinestro.
There are limits to what I can do where New God technology is concerned. But I believe that the screen is functioning as directed.
Thank you.
You're welcome. It is… Good to have you back.
I position myself so that the bulk of my body blocks the view of the queen's mouth from the rest of the bridge.
"Okay, it should be safe-."
"I am not happy about this."
"No one's happy about this. If you've got a better idea for resolving this with fewer casualties, then I'm all ears. I'm the one giving up worlds that would have been colonised by the tamaraneans."
"You're obliging me to let my enemies go, to let them destroy our ships and military instillations without recompense!"
Her body posture doesn't change, and her facial expression only changes as much as it needs to in order to add proper vehemence to her words.
"Without Grayven they can't use this ship at anything like full effectiveness, but I'm running on fumes myself and their fleet is more than powerful enough to destroy every city on Kranaltine. This isn't a surrender; this is manipulating an enemy into giving up an advantageous position." I give her a moment to think. "We can try fighting it out if you really want, but your people will suffer a lot more."
"He came here for you."
"Actually, no. I mean, he wanted me dead, but his plan was to marry you and use the Crown Imperium as the starting point for his galactic empire. It being far easier to usurp an existing power hierarchy than to create a new one."
Queen Clryssa is not an attractive woman, physically, mentally or spiritually. Given that her sole claim to power is being the oldest child of the previous monarch I imagine that Grayven's god powers would have reduced her to an ornamental heir factory before too long. I actually feel-. Sympathy. Not for her -if you can't make something of your life with all of the advantage she had, there's really no hope for you- but for him. I'd hate being married to someone like that, and I think at this point I'm half him.
"Also, he had a reserve fleet of cannibals ready to depopulate the region in case his plan didn't work out. I went and dealt with them first, but we're going to be settling them too."
"What will you tell them?"
"That you surrendered and that we're going to be building our population and industrial base before we do anything else. And that since everyone's swearing allegiance to me there's no point in further fighting. That'll maintain the peace until I've sounded a few people out about the truth." I pause. I'd like to shrug, but that's an un-Grayven-like gesture. "Or I use my telepathic servants and innate magics to change how they feel about it and then tell them. Once the shooting stops a plethora of options become available." I pause again. "Or we can try fighting. Mother Box, casualty projections?"
"Ping."
"Quite. Well?"
She hesitates, then nods. "I am ready."
"Go ahead." Hear Us.
"Nobles and soldiers of the Crown Imperium. We have peace."
16:23 GMT
"Good." I nod to Artemis as Queen Clryssa signs the paper that we'll be tearing up as soon as I've had time to re-crew the Absolute Dominion. "Convey this to the pretender's followers. If they will abide by it, the truce will begin as soon as knowledge of it can be communicated to my captains."
"Yes, Lord Grayven."
It feels so wrong to hear her say it like that. I know it's just a scheme but it shouldn't be happening!
The hush tube makes no noise as it opens, and Sinthia looks mildly curious as Artemis appears to vanish into thin air. Right. Grayven wouldn't-.
A flash of memory, the techniques he used for gathering information. Advanced scouts in ships designed to fit in with mercenary crowds more or less just asking around. Asking governments about work in what appears to have effectively been an upgraded phishing scam, telling them where there might be bribable defenders or weak points. Looking around in a mildly suspicious but in-character sort of way. Beyond that, he relied on the astonishingly good sensors on the Absolute Dominion and boom tubed commandoes.
Not a master of covert operations. In fact, I'd rate-.
For one horrible moment I can't distinguish between the two sets of memories. Like there aren't two distinct sets, and I'm forced to think about every single one before I know whether it started as mine or not. I don't let it show on my face, not with his allies present. But I'm going to need to talk to someone about that.
From what Grayven learned, the Orrery was created by angelic-looking creatures as a tool for controlling the Vega Systems. Supposedly, they hid it here when Larfleeze started fighting them, which… Might explain why he thought it was a good idea to bring the Orange Central Power Battery here when on the run from the Guardians. They might consider a thief to be beneath their notice, but an intrusion from creatures like the Guardians would be more likely to provoke a response.
Its very existence is an existential threat to everything in Vega. I'd like to move it, but I don't know if I can risk it. Leaving it here -particularly when the queen is likely to be quite angry with me- isn't something I really want to do.
But here's the problem. Grayven kept Sinthia around him most of the time. He wouldn't leave her to guard something like this. Ovula and Muliebria would be treated like that, but they lack the discipline to make good guards and neither of them were the brains of the outfit. They might play with it, or be distracted if Gavyn broke in and did something regrettable to it.
Hang on, didn't Komand'r say something about Thanagarian mercenaries..? Yes, from both sets of memories. The Blades of Alstair. Floraphiles then, but it's not like I wanted good relations with Thanagar. Ring, send them a message.
By your command.
"Ace." Again, I don't visibly wince. "Remain here until relieved. Study the artefact but take no chances. I would not have my prize destroyed."
"Yes, Lord Grayven." **You can do this, Daddy.**
**I hope you're right.**
Because I'm going to be surrounded by people with no reason to wish me well. If Grayven had had the time to turn Sinthia into a New God, or if his relations with Father were good enough-. With Darkseid were good enough to ask for an assistant, this would… Not be going well.
And that's without worrying about what he's going to make of this.
Mother Box.
Ping.
"With me, all of you."
I walk through the hush tube, appearing on the bridge of the Absolute Dominion. No one took my s-. His station… My station during my absence, but the ranking officer makes a gesture of acquiescence as he sees me. Sinthia follows as I resume my station, the ship easily accepting my return as it feeds information to my metaphysique. I don't say anything out loud, I merely will it so and the transmission systems ready themselves to relay the queen's message.
Sinthia comes through the hush tube next, followed by the queen and the zamarons. I smile as I point to the spot the queen will be using to make the broadcast, while Sinthia resumes the executive officer station and the other two take something approximating guard stations. I wait until the queen is standing exactly where I told her to before entering the area and activating the privacy screen.
Sinestro.
There are limits to what I can do where New God technology is concerned. But I believe that the screen is functioning as directed.
Thank you.
You're welcome. It is… Good to have you back.
I position myself so that the bulk of my body blocks the view of the queen's mouth from the rest of the bridge.
"Okay, it should be safe-."
"I am not happy about this."
"No one's happy about this. If you've got a better idea for resolving this with fewer casualties, then I'm all ears. I'm the one giving up worlds that would have been colonised by the tamaraneans."
"You're obliging me to let my enemies go, to let them destroy our ships and military instillations without recompense!"
Her body posture doesn't change, and her facial expression only changes as much as it needs to in order to add proper vehemence to her words.
"Without Grayven they can't use this ship at anything like full effectiveness, but I'm running on fumes myself and their fleet is more than powerful enough to destroy every city on Kranaltine. This isn't a surrender; this is manipulating an enemy into giving up an advantageous position." I give her a moment to think. "We can try fighting it out if you really want, but your people will suffer a lot more."
"He came here for you."
"Actually, no. I mean, he wanted me dead, but his plan was to marry you and use the Crown Imperium as the starting point for his galactic empire. It being far easier to usurp an existing power hierarchy than to create a new one."
Queen Clryssa is not an attractive woman, physically, mentally or spiritually. Given that her sole claim to power is being the oldest child of the previous monarch I imagine that Grayven's god powers would have reduced her to an ornamental heir factory before too long. I actually feel-. Sympathy. Not for her -if you can't make something of your life with all of the advantage she had, there's really no hope for you- but for him. I'd hate being married to someone like that, and I think at this point I'm half him.
"Also, he had a reserve fleet of cannibals ready to depopulate the region in case his plan didn't work out. I went and dealt with them first, but we're going to be settling them too."
"What will you tell them?"
"That you surrendered and that we're going to be building our population and industrial base before we do anything else. And that since everyone's swearing allegiance to me there's no point in further fighting. That'll maintain the peace until I've sounded a few people out about the truth." I pause. I'd like to shrug, but that's an un-Grayven-like gesture. "Or I use my telepathic servants and innate magics to change how they feel about it and then tell them. Once the shooting stops a plethora of options become available." I pause again. "Or we can try fighting. Mother Box, casualty projections?"
"Ping."
"Quite. Well?"
She hesitates, then nods. "I am ready."
"Go ahead." Hear Us.
"Nobles and soldiers of the Crown Imperium. We have peace."
Last edited:
Nope.
