1515

[Arizona Nova]

1442 of the Long Count, Standard Time, was the year that Anikar was Restored to the throne of Arizona Nova, and by extension all Ilë Sornë. What followed were anxious celebrations for the new Empress, both by the Anikari compelled to rally for their former, enigmatic leader in spite of their fears at the loss of the vote, and by the elves whom the Váer-Caiër encouraged, oddly enough, to also support her. As with her first Ascension, now many centuries in the past, there was a feeling that a great trick had been pulled, but nobody (except the raving Kennedy) felt the need to protest. Ilë Sornë was vast and nigh-unmanageable, more akin to a glacier in politics than to an avalanche, and indeed the drab succession of Chancellory over the rock-steady four centuries of the Republic's existence merited little comment. In the people's eye she seemed little more than a permanent, familiar Chancellor. If any protests came from the international community, they also were lost.

Little less than a century has since passed. The vain attempt by Nobuseri's Grand Admiral to consolidate his control over the country failed tremendously, and within a space of a years the weakened nation imploded. It did not take long for peacekeepers from Ilë Sornë to try and restore order within the shattered empire, yet they never tried for more than that. For a couple decades a large part of the former nation of Nobuseri has been a protectorate under the Sornei flag, but it remains unassimilated culturally and biologically. To give an idea of the yawning gulf between the two nations, the protectorate's Sornei-supported, "progressive" leader holds that slavery is a bad idea because it damages the service economy. Little else has changed in this particularly feisty neck of the woods.

Anikar had the Assembly chambers converted into a well-guarded seat of state, and had a modest palace attached to one side in the elven style. From there she has seemingly brooded, ruling as strongly yet as supplely as possible, contending with increasingly rambunctious elven factions. Yet reform is in the wings. For the past decade she has been dropping hints about radical new methods of organization that will streamline the nation as a whole, and for reform and expansion of the military - with the ultimate aim being a stab at the void.

Ilë Sornë stirs.

[Arizona Nova]

Anikar stood before the Assembly. It was a bit smaller, now - composed of a single representative from each world, within a small room adjacent to the old chambers. Its power was also similarly atrophied; its purpose was mainly to advise her in tempering her directives so that they would be easier to bear in the territories, and be her representatives to their worlds. Her plans today, though, would bear no modification. It was to be a jolt to the sluggish nation, a streamlining measure that was desperately needed.

"My fellow Sornei," she solemnly began, "I assemble you here today to give you the details of a new scheme of mine, a plan that while mundane in description will be sweeping in execution."

A projection sprouted from the table in the middle of the chamber. Anikar began to outline the plan: systems had ever had one name for the whole affair, and each planet their own name, and all the capitals within their own names, so on and so forth. Her proposal was for a new "vertical chain" system - the system being named for the primary world within it, and the capital of that planet being a new, airborne city (like was prototyped on Baramua). Other planets in the system would be renamed to the new over-name, differentiated by a letter or number, and the other populated worlds would also have a new capital built bearing the planet's name.
The system would drastically simplify addresses, which formerly had to include the system name, planet name, and city name. Civil dispatches to regional capitals would only have to bear one name, and if it was to go to another planet or capital in the system, it would only require the appending of a letter or number.

The Assembly sat in silence. This was the most sweeping proposal she had set before them to date, yet not terribly exciting.

"So when you get down to it," said the represenative from New Constantinople, "it's an excuse to build more of those... flying mountains."

"An astute observation," said Anikar with a smile. "I think the Nobuseri-Tzoy Conflict's results do show their obvious utility, however."

"That may be," said the representative from Rhuckh, "If the Nobuseri were still around. They're imploded, historical curiosities now. The cities would do little good against chronomancers, or Facehuggerians."

"They'll be a more effective first response to an attack than ground emplacements," said Anikar. "The PBSL system is designed hoping that the enemy vessels are still far out, and firing them at hostiles near to the atmosphere could cause the debris to impact into the victim planet. At the least, these cities could hopefully distract invaders long enough for a counterattack to be mounted."

"You realize," said the representative from Kelwynd, "That these measures may stomp all over certain elven practices in naming?"

"The measure stomps all over everyone's practices," she said, annoyed. "It is to be put into effect for the benefit of government and private corporations. They can continue to call their planets whatever they want, but they'll need to know its designation. They need not even know that if they really don't want to."

Someone coughed uncomfortably at that. Anikar sighed, and continued,

"For the past five-hundred years, this nation has lumbered on by the force of its own inertia. It has suffered inefficiency, complacency, and indolence, and has only gotten away with it because the size of the whole greatly exceeded the scope of the corruption. It cannot go on. You understand this, now execute it. Bring the news back to your people, and know this: the chain names can be picked by election if you feel that the change will not go over well locally. Present it as something which mainly affects the government. I have to insist on this, though; make it happen."

With much scraping and murmuring, the Assembly dispersed. Anikar surveyed them as they left. She hoped she wasn't getting too predictable with the political feints.

[Arizona Nova]

After the meeting, Anikar went to the balcony attached to the conference room, which overlooked the green valleys and graceful spires of the cities of Kelwynd arrayed below. She leaned on the balcony, surveying it all. It was beautiful, but it was built chaotically and was run inefficiently . Its beauty would be meaningless in the face of an enemy assault. In the face of her enemy, it would be nothing more than a bounty of resources to harvest.

Anikar had visited Arizona Prime again, alone, some time after the coronation. It was a hellish, broken waste. The ground was ash and the sky was ashen; it was an unbroken continuum of desolation. The proud cities of yesteryear, her former seat of power, were ruinous. Over all skittered the robotic detritus Fate had brought to the world, still dug into the planet after all these centuries, breaking down and rebuilding endlessly, a soulless steel mockery of the biological process. All that was on that side of the world remained whole, while the other side, with the monstrous chunk blasted out of its crust and mantle, was literally a living hell. Near the point of fracture, lava jetted into the air, and pieces of land the size of states routinely broke off and plunged into the yawning gulf, only to be vomited back forth endlessly by the volcanoes stirred up farther inland.

This is the doom that awaited this world and all others in her demense, if Fate returned. The short-lived humans and even the elves, having had generations of space between the Calamities and now, of course naysayed her, but she knew better. Fate was as surely ageless as she, and the patience of immortals is infinite. Centuries only gave them all the more time for grudges to rankle.

"This will not stand," said that voice.

Anikar groaned, burying her head in her arms. "Kertai."

"Don't be so elated," he said, hurt, his voice resounding in her brain.

"There are times that I do wish you were, in fact, a symptom of a disordered mind," she said, annoyed, "as that would give me hope that I could one day be cured. Alas that this is not the case."

"As long as there are Váer-Caiër, I will be here, and elves are not as short-lived or narrow in the scope of their considerations as you think. It's a pity you didn't incarnate as one."

"What would you know of that matter?" replied Anikar. "You're a computer embedded in my skull."

"Made by elves, so I daresay I inherit their sensibilities. That is besides the point, though. You know there will be a riot about this nonsense you're planning."

"What is it to them?" said Anikar. "It only means that on maps, the entire system will have but one name. If anything, it will damnably confuse the human tourists the elves constantly complain about, what with one place being called one name and being called by the locals something completely different."

"I live in your brain," said Kertai exasperatedly. "I know your mind. That is hardly the point of this."

"Of course not. Yet all you choose to see is me grasping at power - and not why. It seems you took an extended vacation when I visited the old homeworld."

"The elves suffered even more than that!" he exclaimed. "Most of the population annihalated..."

"Then reconstitued via cloning and wholesale brain backups..." growled Anikar.

"If I may finish!" said Kertai, "...and all but a handful of our worlds corrupted into hellish wastelands..."

"Which you now won't venture to reclaim," finished Anikar.

"I won't argue about this again..."

"Instead, you'd continue spinning along in this indolent state until the stars burn out and everything collapses back in on itself. What use is this throne if you insist on checking every last one of my projects?"

Kertai sighed. "I see this is futile at the moment. Just know that the forbearance of the Váer-Caiër is not infinite. Goodbye, for now."

Silence again, but Anikar knew he continued on in the background, like some sort of psychic voyeur. She went back into the capitol.

[Arizona Nova]

Within the year the project was underway. Old signage and waybeacons were dismantled or reprogrammed throughout the Empire, and councils met everywhere to decide what the over-names of the system would be. Protests were of course raised, but as usual Anikar coaxed the implacable bureacratic machine over them when possible.

Except for the Heaven's Belt sector. Since the Restoration, it had been the rallying point for dissent in Ilë Sornë, drawing all manner of dissidents, though it was a majority elven. Resolutions were not reached before the appointed deadlines, and the system was given a "placeholder" name until such a time as a decision could be reached - which did little to placate the inhabitants.

The next year, Anikar dropped the next bomb. The massive, fifteen-kilometer coreship codenamed "The Kraken" would be finally constructed. Began late in her last period of her rule, its construction was not begun by the time of the Calamities, and bureacratic squabbles during the Republic era further stalled the project. It only added fuel to the flames crackling in the Heaven's Belt.

-=The Capitol, Kelwynd

"Knock knock."

The familiar voice sounded in her head. Anikar rolled over, and groaned.

"I thought I asked you not to wake me up," she growled.

"You don't need the sleep. Anyway, it's going to be a long day for you. Your favorite sector is getting up in arms."

"They're always getting up in arms." She rolled out of the bed, and stretched. "Besides, sleep is peaceful, and fascinating. Humans should appreciate it more."

"Now about this Kraken," asked Kertai. "I don't have all the details yet. I decided I'd let you dispense with them instead of simply harvesting them."

Anikar yawned. "You're all business. You've been all business ever since you were implanted. Would it hurt to take a break once in a while?"

"I do. When you sleep," chuckled Kertai. "Besides, I'm more than just a voice in your oh-so-wonderful mind."

"Are you now?" asked Anikar matter-of-factly.

"Now who is all business?" asked Kertai slyly.

"Oh, stop playing about with me. What are you, really, then?"

[Arenumberg]

"Now isnt that an overdue and most interesting question?" Responded Kertai.

"Well, as you may already know - I am a most ingeniously designed implant, currently situated in your lovable mind. I say ingenious, afterall, I do accompany you when you decide to .. change your outward appearance? Nonetheless I digress." Kertai paused, evaluating a more curt response.

"To... actually answer your question, I am Kertai, my current occupations are advisor, to you, Spy for the Váer-Caiër - and more formally Avatar of the Váer-Caiër central computer system."

"An Avatar? That would imply a physical form, would it not?" Asked Anikar, her curiousity piqued.

"Normally, though not of matter of course, I am more precisely - by your terms, a digisent, though I am not of Váer-Caiër construction" Responded Kertai.

Anikar turned it all over in her head. He was being unusually forthright about all this.

"So not made by the Váer-Caiër, but a digisent, yet not lacking physical form. Pray tell then, just what are you supposed to be?"

Unbidden memories of Julius rushed forth, and she banished that mocking, hateful face. That was impossible.

"I'm afraid I am not fully aware myself, thus my service to the aforementioned. It would however appear my original core programming is many millenia old, Yet I only retain memories of operation dating from my activation by the one you now know as Elohim" Answered Kertai.

"Is that so?" probed Anikar further. "You can't look further into the original core? I find that hard to believe. I could have done so, when I was... like you."

"I have attempted to do so, It would appear there are several mechanisms preventing my access, none of which I have been able to breach." Kertai answered, before continuing. "The Váer-Caiër are not having any such luck either - for now, I am content to assist them, Elves are such a fascinating race, dont you think so?"

Anikar mentally set every bit of information the digisent brought to light carefully aside to linger over later. She answered quickly, "They are. I am bound to the Anikari in a deep fashion, but of all peoples I have ever held the elves in the highest esteem. A pity they do not offer me the same courtesy."

"Ah yes, your.. bond, it is a most curious thing, We should discuss it when times are more forgiving. Yet, your beloved attachment to the minority may be the cause of much more contention yet, If I am allowed to.. return to business, as you put it." Kertai said, activating a console on the far side of the room.

"Perhaps, Perhaps not. Your dealings with the Váer-Caiër have proved fortuitous, have they not?" Retorted Kertai.

Anikar strode over to the console, glancing over the readouts. "And what am I meant to be looking at?" she asked.

"This." The largest readout magnified and changed to display reports on the Heaven's Belt crisis. It showed damage reports, diplomatic dispatches, and everything inbetween.

"I dont expect you to make immediate sense of this, However - we have a serious problem. Several Transport ships and One mining vessel, operated mainly by Anikari business interests, have been destroyed." Kertai informed Anikar. Suddenly, the screen changed the display to show a symbol.

"As of twelve point four seconds ago, Three fringe worlds have declared themselves independent and united under the "Heaven's Belt" Alliance. Several military vessels are also missing, presumed defectors. The list goes on, I know I do not need to remind you of the importance of this sector to our colonization programme and the stability of the empire. But, as of now, you have a full blown rebellion on your hands."

Anikar leaned on the console, all the levity sundered from her by the blow. "Thank you for waking me up," she said, heavily. She began to weigh her options; she almost missed her old station, as the very core of the Empire's military mainframe, it would have made things much simpler.

"Then the hemorrhaging must be stopped at the source. Connect me to Fleet Command, if you would, Kertai."

"Very Well, I will have them on display momentarily.. Switching Display"

A window appeared, bearing Admiral Absalom's face. "My Empress," he began, "We have a serio..." Anikar cut him off.

"I know, Admiral. Listen carefully. I need you to scramble nine destroyer squadrons as soon as possible - as soon as possible - to the worlds in question. Make sure they are fully loaded with hyperspace gravity mines. Run three to each system, and deploy the mines, then step back and establish FTLi."

"You mean to besiege them?" asked Admiral Absalom, almost disappointedly.

"Only for the first part. Keep this link hot, as I will have new orders as I receive updates."

She set aside the window, and "turned" to Kertai. "I trust I'm out of the Váer-Caiër's graces, then, that this should happen?"

Kertai took a moment to respond "They regret to inform you that they were unable to prevent this .. crisis. They also .. regret .. to inform you that all their resources are currently engaged elsewhere. Therefore they will not be able to provide aid to the Military at this time. I beleive in your terms, The Red Helm are leaving you high and dry" Kertai paused "Would you like an impact analysis report prepared regarding your prefered choice of action against the Alliance?"

Anikar fumed for a moment, then growled, "Proceed."

"You will find an indepth report prepared in your console databanks shortly, To summarise - The Media are already all over this story and preparing for dispatch - Despite my efforts, and yours in closing down the systems as soon as possible, the overall impact has already been made. Continuing, your immediate use of military assets is not likely to be favoured well by the pro-seperatist movement that has been gaining momentum for some time now, nor the media, which - unfortunately, tends to pander to the majority." Kertai responded.

"Your overall plan also involves time, something you do not currently have - Concluding, I can confirm 2 of the 6 missing military ships are covert, on loan from the Váer-Caiër but crewed by the military, they have extensive stealth and weapons systems and will hinder your efforts. I recommend adapting your plan where necessary. Make diplomatic overtures, fake or otherwise, or this dissention will spread."

[Arizona Nova]

"I will not recall the mines," said Anikar firmly, "but I will talk with them."

She opened the channel back up to Admiral Absalom.

"Admiral, set condition Yellow 2, Alpha readiness."

The Admiral was taken aback. "Yellow, Madam? Why, th..."

"I know the codes, Admiral. Set them. Do not ask questions."

The Admiral turned a furious shade of red. "We're sitting ducks like this."

"Thats the plan. I'll be back later, keep this channel open," and she minimized the window.

She opened yet another window and began penning a missive to the worlds in question:

It has come to my attention that currently an insurgency is in progress within the Heaven's Belt sector. Several civilian ships have been destroyed with all crews lost, and several military ships have been hijacked. This is a distressing circumstance.

I will, however, be sending envoys to the systems in question post-haste, though I have every right to send battleships. I have enacted a blockade, but it is only for the purpose of containing the hijacked vessels. Even so, I have it on authority that at least two of the vessels are of Red Helm make and can slip the blockade. Again, I implore the crews of these vessels to retain a level head, and not act rashly.

Blood need not be spilt, but if it is, we will not be the first to spill it - though we may be the last.

[Telros]

OOC: If I may say, you are a master story-writer and this makes me weep at the lack of my own skill and makes me want to read more. As well as wish the ESUS did more so I could rp with you.

[Arenumberg]

OOC: If I may say, you are a master story-writer and this makes me weep at the lack of my own skill and makes me want to read more. As well as wish the ESUS did more so I could rp with you.

OOC: Indeed, tis a pleasure to have a dual-nation with him ;P.

[Arizona Nova]

-=ISRV Hazzerach, Inner orbit of Morakan, Heaven's Belt Sector

"Sir, we have a vessel approaching - ISRV Ellaenas."

"Bring it up on screen," said Captain Tythenas. He watched as the shining Thandrori class loomed closer.

"It was one of the Red Zone vessels, was it not?" asked the Captain.

"Yes sir," replied the ensign. "It isn't responding to hails, but it's radioing Sornei colors. Wait, here - it's sending a distress signal."

"They're still on the fleet network," said the Captain. "Their communications can't be all out."

Suddenly the vessel jerked forward, a brilliant flare illuminating the back end of the ship. The bridge crew of the Hazzerach drew in a collective breath as the vessel seemed to careen toward them, only to see it veer off at the last moment, though still filling their field of view.

"What the Hell are they doing?" growled the Captain. "Pan to follow them."

"Sir," said the ensign. "They're charging their weapons."

"Raise shields, full alert," yelled the Captain, turning about and seating himself. "Bring us about, set local conditions to red. Don't... fire until fired upon."

"They're opening fire!" said the ensign.

Captain Tythenas braced in his seat, waiting. The explosions never came.

The ship continued to turn about, the Ellaenas almost in view.

"What are they firing at?!" yelled the captain.

The Hazzerach finished its turn about. He had his answer. The Ellaenas was firing at the planet below.

"What... what do they think they're doing! Open fire!"

The damage was, however, done.

-=The Capitol, Kelwynd

Anikar sat in the half-light of the great arched Keremval Chamber, cradling her forehead.

"I guess you've heard?" said Kertai.

"Yes. Two more worlds have joined the insurgents. Damn them all, what purpose would I have bombarding worlds that hadn't even rebelled? They're using it as an excuse."

"Six hundred and twenty-seven were killed, thousands more were wounded. It's a... grievous mistake."

Anikar sighed in disgust. "If it wasn't for the loyal ships in-system it would have been more. I also find it unlikely any of them will stay dead. They'll just come back as clones and swell the ranks of the insurgents in the urban centers. I have half a mind to shut those memory banks down now."

"You know full well the effect that would have," warned Kertai. "Blow up a planet, it would be better for you."

[Arizona Nova]

"There is something else, too, Anikar," said Kertai uneasily. "I fear that my... usefulness to the Váer-Caiër is just about expended. I've been monitoring their chatter for the past week and it's cooled toward me considerably, and they may attempt to overrun my core in an effort to get at you through a back door."

Anikar sighed. "I had a feeling something like this would happen."

"I daresay you thought I would attack you on my own volition, yes? There is no need - not yet - and I doubt there will be, but it would be mutually beneficial if my core was removed somewhere more secure. I would keep my free will and the Váer-Caiër would be denied a powerful weapon against you."

"Your core is in Raayven though, yes? That place, and your core, is the beating heart of the Váer-Caiër. How do you plan on getting it out?" Anikar replied.

"My main core is there, yes, but I have other nodes of VC make in parallel operation, connected to my main core. Their systems will continue working as per normal, and in fact I can cover up the movement of my main core using the same systems. The problem is moving it physically. Getting in that system with anything but one of their ships would be statistically impossible."

Anikar thought for a moment, then said, "How good are their boarding defences?"

"Váer-Caiër ships are meant not to be found. That is what all their energy is put into..."

"...and it just so happens that two of their ships have been 'hijacked,' yes? So they wouldn't even have Váer-Caiër crews?"

"I don't believe so. Again, the trick is finding them..."

"There is little that the Fist, if her crew has a mind to, cannot find, and littler still that can detect her. Contact her captain, and arrange for transit to rendesvous point D. He'll know what I mean."

"Will do," said Kertai. "And Anikar, there is one other thing..."

"Yes Kertai?"

"I haven't told you until now, but I fear my core may have been tampered with by the Váer-Caiër. There are spots within my directory which should have things in them but appear empty, that may even have been physically cut off, or destroyed. Again, it would be mutually beneficial, I think, if you helped me restore my core - I would gain back important information about myself, and I imagine you could very well be given something to strike back at the Váer-Caiër with. I see no other reason why they would go to such lengths to do such a thing."

"We will see," Anikar said suspiciously. "I know digisents well - having been one - and such operations, either to deny or restore information, are never done lightly. For now, I must get to a transport."

She focused back on the world around her, quickly getting up and looking around the Keremval chamber. Seeing no one, she made for the exit. She would inform her advisors after she had boarded the Fist.