Agent047
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922 - Delegation
🕑 Added 2025-06-06 21:15:08 +0000 UTCAs expected, the top fifty civilizations, except for Grand Xor’Vak, who didn’t even bother to vote, nearly all voted against the motion, as they are the ones who have been benefiting from the Empire and had also directly experienced the devastating power of the blackhole bombs voted no. The footage of the bomb’s effects had not been shared with others, and only anecdotal accounts were provided to avoid exposing the full extent of the Empire’s capabilities, which would have embarrassed the higher-ranked civilizations and damaged their prestige, something they were not willing to allow as it had already received enough damage on the individual fights livestreams.
On the other hand, those who hadn’t experienced the blackhole bomb firsthand and were at the lower end of the Conclave all voted in favor of the motion. They wanted to pressure the Empire into making concessions and sought assurance in case the Empire was indeed behind the attacks on their territories. They believed that the earlier a potential enemy is dealt with or proven otherwise, the sooner appropriate actions could be taken. As a result, the motion passed, and a delegation was immediately formed to deliver the accusation and demand an explanation from the Empire. The delegation was fully authorized to inform the Empire that if their explanation was found unsatisfactory and they refused to meet the demands, the Empire would have to face the entire Conclave.
With sustained communication now possible thanks to mana stones, the council quickly moved on to organizing the delegation. Kumakar volunteered to be part of the group, insisting on going himself rather than sending a representative. Despite several members advising against this, he remained firm in his decision and was included in the list.
With the wormhole network operational in the areas these members were, the delegation met and gathered at the Nexus at the agreed time and began their journey toward the Empire, only five hours after the attack on the wormholes had taken place.
……………
“Why are they coming?” Aron asked after he received the news that the Conclave had sent a delegation to speak with the Empire regarding an important matter.
{I would assume it’s about the wormhole attacks, but the attacks are still ongoing, and the individuals in the delegation don’t match the profile expected for this situation,} Nyx replied, displaying the list of delegates. The list included nine representatives who were unknown to the Empire from different civilizations, and one leader from the Kumakar civilization. This indicated that the current situation alone wasn’t enough to justify Kumakar’s personal attendance, suggesting that the matter had escalated or concerned something broader involving the Conclave.
“Mh... I should go and hear them out,” Aron said, initiating the logout process, planning to attend the meeting in person.
{Wouldn’t it be better to have Youssef speak with them instead?} Nyx asked, surprised by his decision. Aron usually delegated tasks to competent and trusted individuals when he didn’t need to handle matters personally.
“A head of one of their civilizations is coming in person, which is a first. It’s appropriate to meet them directly. They’re our allies, and some level of respect is warranted,” he replied just before the logout completed and he exited the VR pod, heading toward the elevator to reach the basement floor.
{I’ll inform Youssef of your attendance so he can make the necessary arrangements to welcome you,} Nova said through the device in his body. The elevator had already been called automatically by her when Aron said he was going.
He entered the elevator, which immediately descended to the basement floor, bypassing all other calls. Everyone who saw this happen understood it meant the Emperor or Empress was using it, and waited patiently, knowing the protocol.
Upon reaching the basement, Aron proceeded to the section housing the stargates that connected to all parts of the Empire. Without delay, he walked toward the gate linked to the Trade Hub's imperial government section, which was restricted to imperial government personnel.
At the same time, an imperial military ship near the Trade Hub changed its transponder code to golden and updated its name to #0000, signaling the Emperor was aboard. This served as a plausible explanation for how he arrived at the Trade Hub just minutes before the delegation.
After arriving, he made his way to the meeting room, which was always kept ready for impromptu sessions. He sat on the Empire’s side of the table, directly opposite where the delegation would sit, and waited for both Youssef and the delegates to arrive.
To outsiders, it might have appeared that Aron was simply bored and decided to attend the meeting himself. But in reality, he had a strong feeling that he needed to be there in person, rather than relying on a report or observing the meeting through Youssef’s brain data.
When the delegation arrived via the express route and entered the meeting room, they were surprised to find the actual Emperor waiting for them. They had expected to have the meeting with the Minister of the Exterior, Youssef, who had welcomed them in the hangar. This unexpected presence caused all the delegates to tense momentarily, as they were now in front of a man currently considered second only to the Grand Xor’Vak in personal strength, ranked second only because they had witnessed the Grand Xor’Vak's capabilities firsthand.
However, Kumakar's reaction differed from the other nine. He was pleased to have the opportunity to directly address the person he believed was responsible for the attacks on his star system. The state of his son still weighed heavily on his mind, despite the meeting officially being about a different matter. To him, the two issues were one and the same. He walked directly to the head position on their side of the table without acknowledging or returning the Emperor’s greeting, unlike the other delegates.
Without any attempt at small talk or introductory remarks, despite this being their first direct meeting with the Emperor, he began speaking immediately. This caused Aron and others on his side of the table to raise their eyebrows, unsure if this was due to a cultural custom or an intentional show of disrespect. That uncertainty disappeared with Kumakar’s opening statement.
“We came here with the promise of war should the explanation you provide to us be considered underwhelming, and you deny our compensation demands should we deem you to be the culprit behind the situation,” Kumakar said, maintaining direct eye contact with the Emperor, seemingly to gauge his reaction.
Comments
Jade
FIRST!! TYFTC!
