Various workers and servants rushed about, carrying decorations, tables, and equipment about the diplomatic area, making last minute adjustments to the set up for the conference. All the major leaders had been invited, and Yamatai did not want to disappoint. The refrigerators were filled with the finest foods and the wine racks fully stocked. Security was heightened and every last bit of dust had been removed from the VIP cabins...

Empress Himiko was of course the first to arrive, although for now she was staying aboard her space yacht, Honor.

Waiting for the beginning of the conference Karael Malach, the Senatorial Legate of the Elysian Celestial Empire waited upon the ECS Abire, the Thantros Class Destroyer which had been given over to her command for the duration of the conference.

More precisely she waited within the luxurious captain's quarters, an area filled with ambient light which seemed to emanate from the air itself, and even more precisely than that she lay on the magnificently ornate four poster bed with volumetric projections of all the most recent reports from Elysia's intelligence network hovering above her head. At the same time she commanded the computer, with only a thought, to stimulate her brain with its two way SQUID device. Knowledge was power, and Elysia had not intention of being relegated to a secondary position.

Robert Davis was next to enter the area, having arrived on the NSS Alliance, which stayed docked in space.

The Sky Marshall was, as always, garbed in formal military clothing, and walked with a polished wooden cane. He was well-groomed and rested, and he displayed a sense of professional aloofness demanding of his position.

He sent a signal asking for permission to enter.

With Elysia and Nepleslia present, Himiko headed into the conference area to get set up. After sitting down, she looked over her agenda for Nepleslia:

A Yamataian diplomatic assistant guided Davis to his seat, where a little Nepleslian flag waved proudly on the desk.

Andariel Vokos arrived some time after Karael, transported in frugal style aboard a Concordia scout. The idea of bringing another of Elysia's higher-powered warships to a peace conference seemed a little counterproductive. By shuttle, she transported to the ECS Abire, where she (presently joined by Karael) made her way to the bridge.

Andariel was a patient woman, but the tension in waiting for the conference to begin was thick enough to cut with a knife. Into little cubes of tension. She could sell them at the market for seven Aurea each...

A lone Wayfarer-Class shuttle would soon make its approach on the station. Just as the shuttle came into sensor range of the station a signal would be transmitted from the vessel.



As the shuttle made its approach, the station's sensors would detect a sum of scorching upon the little shuttle's hull, along with a hefty sum of residual signs of plasma weapon discharge. Apparently the little craft had seen some action as it traversed the distance between the Nyli system and the Albini system. A patch of OLED paint near the cockpit window of the shuttle shined with several glowing symbols of skulls and crossbones which were posted alongside images of several power armor and a handful of old fighter designs commonly used by pirates. Apparently, the ambassador aboard the shuttle was quite intent on making her way to the meeting, regardless of the cost.

Within the shuttle, Aegis went about the final process of making the approach on the station. At the same time she adjusted her attire which she wore. She uttered a soft curse as she noticed a small rip caused by shrapnel from a ruptured component. With one hand she piloted the shuttle, with the other she went about retrieving a small mending kit from a travel satchel so she could repair the rip. "Leave it to me to show up to a conference looking like some sort of grunt... Without any blood to show for it even..." she muttered as she placed a self-sealing patch over the ripped portion of her attire. The small crisis was solved, and soon she was landed upon the station, where she made her way through the docking port and into the station, with hopes that she would not encounter much resistance to her presence... After all, she was there not only for the Lorath Matriarchy, but as a representative of the Lorath Matriarchy as a protectorate of the UOC.

As the former-senator made her way, she could not help but to recall some of the military philosophy lectures which were drilled into her many decades ago. Unfortunately, every bit of those words came down to a mere few options which stood out in Aegis' mind: Fight, flight, bargain, stall. Every one of those options each had their own consequence which stood firmly apparent in the mind of Aegis, who had to suppress a shudder at the potential outcomes. The truly troubling part... was that the suppressed shudder was not entirely out of fear. That very feeling was what made her a Fyunnen. Such an oddity... a Fyunnen diplomat... on par with oddities such as Mishhu lounge singers, virgin Nekovalkryja, sober Nepleslians, faithless Elysians, and planet-bound Freespacers.

Goddess help me do what is right. Aegis thought as the weight of her situation made itself apparent in an abrupt realization.

"Thank you," Davis said as he handed his overcoat to the assistant.

With his coat removed, the presence of a datapad and communicator attached to his belt became apparent, but the Sky Marshall paid no attention to them as he sat down and calmly clasped his hands on the table.

There had been much power shifting in Yamatai over the last year. The new empress sitting there said that much. There was an air of change in the room, Davis noted, but the change was an unknown. Was it the kind of change that brought forth a hope for the future, that mended old wounds? Or was it the splintering kind, a sudden instance that shattered the leg of a table, spilling food all over the floor?

Memories of the first conference were fresh on his mind. He had been diplomatic and courteous, and continued to be so even when he pressed on issues that he knew would not be passed. But that had fallen to the wayside when the princess Hanako made an impetuous stab at politics, twice, doing more damage than could have been imagined.

Had it been any other Nepleslian in charge of that meeting...

...the Sky Marshall erased those thoughts immediately.

He would remain diplomatic, as was necessary of the proceedings, but there would be no bending over backwards this time. Nepleslia was on equal footing with Yamatai, and he would act so.

"Greetings, Empress," Davis said warmly to the woman.

The Empress was dressed in an embroidered and bejeweled white kimono. Her hair was very long, very straight, and very black, while her eyes looked like big balls of polished ruby or perhaps glasses of cranberry juice.

"Good morning, Admiral," Himiko nodded. "How is Nepleslia faring internally and on the international front?"

- - -

Elsewhere on the station, the uninvited Lorath ex-senator was detained after she boarded the station, and brought to a holding area to wait until Himiko decided to accept her into the conference.

"We are doing fine, thank you," Davis replied. "How fares Yamatai? Might I add, it is a pleasure to meet you."

In an empty section beyond the Albini gravity well a small fleet of ships blinked into existence against the star lane. The largest ship, the YSS Nadare identified the command escort group as there to help defense of the station during proceedings, and as honour guard. A Takumi was also present, with several Ayame, Yuuko, and a squadron of six Nozomi.

A smaller ship, signaling as a private Ketsurui yacht came from the Chiharu. About half of the smaller craft formed up around it as she approached the berthing she was assigned by coincidence next to another Ketsurui yacht. It docked, and the vanguard returned to find rotations and stand sentry away from Pisces in case of altercations or need of support.

A message to the conference room announced Princess Taisho Shimizu was coming.

Akina went straight for the ongoing greeting ceremony in formal clan wear, a robe she had only worn on a few occasions since the formation. Her red hair had been hastily put up with decorative chopsticks by Honoka, her Fleet Aide and her makeup to white-lined lipstick had been conservative to enhance her beauty and not oversell a traditional look. She wanted to be welcoming, but never seem archaic. In fact one of the Clan Chujo in the Fourth had to convince her not to show up in a military uniform. The one benefit of the robes was her pregnancy was not highlighted as much as it could have been wearing just about anything else. It was still quite obvious, but she didn't feel like some bloated creature hefting herself around. Taking a deep breath while security got the doors for her, she stepped through to the conference area.

Bowing with her hands crossed over her lap deeply to Himiko, the Taisho smiled at the small gathering and waited to see if she would be drawn in any direction before she would take it on herself to go be nosy. A warm metallic green shone through in her eyes with the smile, years had softened her a little away from battles.