Glowing Energy?

Commander Aaron is confused, to say the least, as is much of the Centauri crew, but considers what the Gar'zog could mean. The only small organisms that might be used to attack anything would be... microbes? However, he expected that such advanced beings would have methods to fend off such an attack, and moreover he was not aware of anyone in the galaxy who had conducted such an attack. So, he replied,

"If you are referring to a biological attack, none of the parties here, I believe, have conducted it. You will have to look elsewhere: we know nothing."

"Lying will not save you."

Quite succinctly, Commander Aaron replies, "The lack of information is not tantamount to lying. The Centauri Governate has not authorized a biological attack, nor, to our knowledge, our allies. They will need to confirm that for themselves, however."

*The Ordenreich finally gotten around to sending a frigate to the energy source but when the frigate gets there it maintains a large distance between itself and the glow. The frigate also doesn't broadcast its presence or attempt any communications*

Dominion Starbase 4...

S'ten and Rh'vaurek reluctantly assist in the clean up operations. The Dominion sent scientists to the facility to obtained the samples they required but the need to simply brute strength was also a necessity. The first samples to be taken were of the air itself in the room. This was by venting the air into a single secure duct that lead to a collection canister. Once this process was complete, the crew then isolated the hallway that led to the room and once it was sealed from the rest of the facility, the room was opened.

A few of the bodies tumbled out like lumps of clothing from a stuffed closet. They were all Hildenburen, hideous creatures really the more the Veridians looked at them. Picking the rather heavy creatures up, they placed them in containment capsules, sealing them before digging through the rest to find the body of the Ambassador. Poor bastard, he certainly could not have imagined he'd signed up for this when he joined the foreign department. Continuing through the bodies, like moving through mud, they finally found the communication device and removed it as well. Once everything was retrieved as instructed, the bodies of the hildenburen were jammed back into the room and the doors were sealed again. Back in the control room, the venting process began and the room was opened into space, the bodies of the many hildenburen now drifting off into space. The air in the corridor was also completely vented to ensure that the contaminants were all taken care of.

The Veridians themselves, in their sealed suits, also went through a screening before the hallway was finally unsealed. The bodies of the ambassador and the hildenburen were taken to a lab on the other end of the facility, along with the canister. The communications device however, was returned to the room and the room was again sealed, S'ten and Rh'vaurek left to monitor for the next call.

"No Burninite attack on the Hildenburen outside the direct and obvious space battle above the OrdenReich," Teresa's voice comes through. "And there are two countries involved that have failed to here appear."

"One was on the side of the Hildenburen, and the other not likely at all to have committed a biological attack." Jenova's voice.

"So we assumed," Teresa's.

"You are all great danger; please allow meet to discuss," the Gar'zhog vessel transmits.

"We're perfectly comfortable dealing with you from just this distance, I think," says Jenova's voice. "But we must confer with the other peoples present."

Jenova then broadcasts directly to the Centauri, and OrdenReich vessels, both encrypted. Technically they can't read each others' communications, and hopefully neither can the Gar''zhog. But whatever, she's talking to both at the same time. "We should really discuss what to do about this, and whether or not to even tell the Veridians. I recommend that your national leaders be informed about this, but no one else, and that we set up a meeting. Consider this a formal offer of hospitality; I'll transmit location and time now."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Veridians, when they search the bodies, find that most died of the disease (or a mutation thereof) that they originally sent to the Hildenburen planet that one time. They also discover hundreds of engineered viruses intended to target their own physiological makeup, and a single note on the original Hildenburen that appeared. "I am Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die."

Not really.

It really said "How dare you violate TC611-23 by the use of microbial weaponry; you have caused a massive plague, and by TC611-24, your doom is decreed. Your race is to be destroyed at a time of our choosing. By TC611-25, we are compelled to advise that your people take whatever religious rites they still cling to."

So basically, you killed my father prepare to die

*The Ordenreich frigate remains silent though passive scanners are active and focusing on the energy indicating life abroad the frigate. In the Ordenreich itself the Hochmeister repeats that the Ordenreich is spread too thin to look into the threat and won't be joining. They also state that the current galactic opinion is at an all time low due to events on Nova Silesia so they do not feel safe moving their ships or people beyond Ordenreich space.*

Commander Aaron sends a brief message of affirmation, at the same time updating Brother Lal on the situation regarding the discussion.

The Veridians could not have killed his father, Veridians are genetically engineered and a sixth finger on the right hand would be an imperfection they'd refuse to tolerate. However, in all seriousness the Veridians were greatly concerned over the warning. They thought it was illogical that the Hildenburen would have believed the Veridians, or any race for that matter, would play by the rules of a treaty that were not privileged to before hand or were there at its creation and signing. Regardless, it was logical that the Hildenburen would want revenge for the Veridians double-crossing them though they shouldn't take it so personal. After all war is war, survival of the fittest and if the Veridians had their choice, they would be the fittest.

The Triumvirate put the planet on its highest alert and the fleets were placed in position. They knew it was useless as they were facing impossible odds or were they? They'd no doubt made an impression on the Hildenburen, so much so that they were planning the wipe them out the galaxy entirely. The Veridian Dominion was not the strongest power in the galaxy, far from it yet the Hildenburen were aiming their guns at them. Shouldn't the Hildenburen wish to take out someone more powerful, the Rheans or maybe the Burnite? Again, it was revenge and the Veridians could not only understand this but in some ways respect it. There was those in the government who believed Veridia Prime should stand alone. Indeed, even the Triumvirate considered not contacting anyone about the impending attack. After all, the Veridians had already shown their hand when they sided with the Hildenburen and now that they were attacking, it would undoubtedly bring up questions.

However, self-preservation being as it is as a motivator, the need to survive trumped all other. A message was sent to the embassy on Alpha Centauri, the Veridian Ambassador instructed to take it personally and without delay to the Centauri government. It was a simple, rather vague message that stated simply : Dominion Intelligence believes Veridia Prime has been chosen as the next target of attack, assistance requested. Though some worried that questions would arise the Triumvirate believed they would have the aid of plausible deniability on their side.

(OOC: Veridia; really no contacting anyone else? That's like... going to make it difficult for everyone else to figure out :p)

OOC: I've edited the post and the Veridians have sent a rather vague distress message to the Centauri.

The Veridian message is relayed to Brother Lal, but he is slow to act. Considering the fact that was a general lack of cooperation with the galactic community with regards to the conflict, he had no clue whether or not he wanted to send them aid at all. Indeed, their message seemed too vague to be of any help, and he replied in an encrypted message, "Our forces are currently preoccupied, and more explanation is necessary. What is the nature of this attack, and how have you become aware of it? We have, to the best of our knowledge, not found any Hildenburen engine signatures in your territories."

He then relays it to Commander Aaron. On an encrypted line, he says to Jenova and Teresa, "Alright, I've just received word from Brother Lal that the Veridians have sent a distress signal. According to them, quote, Dominion Intelligence believes Veridia Prime has been chosen as the next target of attack, assistance requested, unquote. Considering the fact that they've been absent from all of this and haven't been working with us at all, I'm not sure if we want to take them up on this. What do the two of you make of this?"

(OOC: Just a note. My noncomitment that I RPed was because I was really busy in school in RL and I thought I wouldn't be able to maintain the time necessary to RP but it seems I have less to do than I originally thought. If one of you want me to RP sending military forces to help out Verida I can now do it)

OOC: No problem Sacae, consider my transmissions to the Centauri un-encrypted and feel free to have the Ordenreich make their own judgement if you want. However, I think either way the idea is that the Veridians convince the Centauri who will then spread the word to the rest of the galaxy.

IC:

The inquisitive nature of the Centauri was a calculated risk. When word returned to Veridia Prime that Brother Lal wanted more information the Veridian were not entirely discouraged. The Centauri wanted answers, fine they could have answers. Would it be the truth, would it be a moment of complete honesty from the Dominion government, you decide.

:::Encrypted Message:::
TO: Brother Lal
FROM: Dominion Triumvirate

The Dominion has been monitoring the situation in the galaxy. Your government is well-aware that those initially taken were given communication devices by the hildenburen aliens. The Dominion has found a way to tap into the communication network of those aliens and have monitored their communications. That is why the Veridians attacked the Gar''zhog in Sacaen space because we believed we had intelligence that suggested they were the aggressors. While we may have been in error, we are certain this new intelligence is accurate. The Hildenburen know we've compromised their communications and are looking to strike at us next as we represent a threat to their operations in our galaxy.

[Highly Encrypted]

To: The Triumvirate of the Veridian Dominion
From: Brother Lal, the Planetary Governate of Chiron

Interesting, but if that is the case, I still have a few questions to ask. Firstly, if you had monitored the communications of the Hildenburen, how would you have known that the Gar'zhog were the aggressors if it is currently clear that it was a Hildenburen attack? Secondly, seeing as more than a month has passed since the attack on the OrdenReich, and you allegedly were monitoring their communications early enough that you would have known who the aggressors were, why would they have only discovered this now?

I do not meant to cast doubt upon your call for distress, but I require more explanation.

Cordially,
Brother Pravin Lal

***

Once done sending it, he forwards his sent message to Teresa and Jenova, adding to the end, "I don't know what's going on with the Veridians, but something feels wrong about all of this."

To: Dominion Triumvirate
From: Hochmeister Micah, Hierarchy of the Ordenreich

Though I cannot send you our entire fleet without more concrete evidence I have just dispatched the 1st, 4th, and 8th fleets under Paladin Komtur Jager along with the ultra-dreadnoughts T.S.F El Dorado and T.S.F. Times of War to you. While under the nominal authority of the Ordenreich and Paladin Komtur Jager they will follow your lead and yield overall authority to Dominion Command.

Sincerely,
Hochmeister Micah von Guelder

{ENCRYPTED}

To: Brother Lal, Planetary Governate of Chiron
From: Hochmeister Micah, Hierarchy of the Ordenreich

I just sent a task force including the 1st, 4th, and 8th Ordenreich fleets and the ultra-dreadnoughts El Dorado Times of War to Dominion space as a show of good faith. If you wish this fleet will act on all our behalf's and confirm the threat to Dominion space. I can patch you in to the Paladin Komtur in charge of the fleet if you wish?

Sincerely,
Hochmeister Micah von Guelder

[Encrypted]

To: Hochmeister Micah von Guelder, the Hierarchy of the Ordenreich
From: Brother Pravin Lal, the Planetary Governate of Alpha Centauri

You are welcome to do so. Currently, however, we are still considering the Veridian call for assistance and it may not be for some time that we send aid, if we do.

Cordially,
Brother Pravin Lal

***

Meanwhile, Lal and Aaron wait impatiently for a reply from Teresa or Jenova.

(OOC: I don't think that we should be speeding too much ahead without Burn, here.)

{ENCRYPTED}

To: Brother Lal, Planetary Governate of Chiron
From: Hochmeister Micah, Hierarchy of the Ordenreich

Understandable. I will keep you appraised of the situation when relevent information becomes available.

Sincerely,
Hochmeister Micah von Guelder

(OOC: Thats fine I can wait)

A craftworld is at the appointed place at the appointed time.

The Burninites have taken the liberty of enclosing the Gar''zhog vessel in a stasis field, so for the Gar''zhog, maybe a few seconds pass in the interim.

The Ordenreich ships as welcomed well enough, although the sense of the cold shoulder isn't completely not existent. Its not that the Veridians aren't a grateful people, perhaps its quite the opposite and will be especially if they survive the coming war. Their problem lay in their pride and well, the apparent egotistical nature of their species. When, in your eyes, you are or are close to the pinnacle of evolutionary perfection it can be difficult to accept the fact that you need help. Nevertheless, the Veridians certainly are not openly or directly rude to the Sacaens. Many of the captains throughout the fleet are actually eager to see these great vessels of the Ordenreich.

Planetside, the Dominion government considers sending another message but also has the unnerving feeling that the Centauri are already not buying what they are trying to sell. Damn the Centauri and their pursuit of the truth, no that's not right. In reality the Veridians can respect them for their persistence towards the truth, after all in the end its all the Veridians believe can exist. Knowing that continuing to answer questions with lies could possibly lead to a slip and a reveal of the truth, the Veridians delay their message. If pressured, they'll claim to be having communication delays and difficulties, but for now the Centauri will have to wait for a response.

*Paladin Komtur Jager, recently cleared of involvement with the Nova Silesia, was glad to be back in command of a fleet though he wasn't too pleased with his assignment. He remembered when Veridian forces came uncomfortably close to Hamburg during the war with the Hildenburen and almost fired on their forces. In Jager's opinion something always seemed with the Veridians but he would follow his orders to the letter.*

Jager: This is Paladin Komtur Jager on the T.S.F. Times of War, commanding the 1st, 4th, and 8th Fleets of the Ordenreich. Combined fleets now designated as the Ordenreich Advance Task Force. We are awaiting instruction from Dominion Command. Jager out.

Brother Lal arrives to attend the meeting with the others on the Craftworld, ready to discuss the latest request for aid from the Veridians.

Actually, apparently only Brother Lal had an intention of showing up.

Jenova holds the start of the meeting for an hour to wait.

So apparently only Jenova and Lal show up.

Jenova grins. "Apparently the Burninites don't pull the galactic weight we once did," she says with a chuckle. "Now, we have this Gar''zhog vessel and no information otherwise; there were several options we were running through. We plug the Gar''zhog for info, and we dismantle his ship to reverse engineer the tech."

Lal nods, and says, "I agree. And again, as I have repeatedly asked, what of the Veridians? How do we respond to their distress signal? I have noted some logical inconsistencies in their explanations, and I cannot help but feel unsettled by the Gar'zhog claim that someone in this galaxy made a microbial attack on them. It is clearly not us, nor is it the Rheans, and I do not suspect the current OrdenReich government would carry it out. But what of the Veridians? How do they fit into all of this?"