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Laz Public Network A brief Free State broadcast

There was a noticeable gap existed between Yamatai's reply and the Envoy's next message. The time was spent gathering opinions and suggestions from the Polysentience, as well as taking some polls.

The Envoy said:
A curious allowance.

Very well...a minor addition, then. We acknowledge that Yamataium production is a highly-held secret, so your reluctance has precedence. However, if both Yamataium and the stealth material production information are beyond bargaining, then a compromise?

The lower-grade of stealth materials, "Zanarium", is not a state secret to Yamatai. Include (with the Soul Transfer and related technologies and the aether tap and related technologies as described in Draft 1.1) a donation of Zanarium, enough to protect fifty motherships and prevent further loss of innocents due to aggressors like pirates, and we could ignore the production details of such material, bringing this matter to a close and allow us to move on to discussing the locations of the Good Faith resupply depots.
 
Taisho Yui said:
We need information on how to find and eliminate the Wired Rovers and their infrastructure. If the Free State aids the IWL, it will mean war, therefore your utmost cooperation in this matter is vital. Additionally, we will generously reward the Free State in proportion to its assistance rendered in defeating the IWL and Prince Hassan's forces.
 
The pause before the reply is sent is longer than the previous one.

The Envoy said:
A question: Is it possible for the Free State to declare a stance of neutrality, aiding or hindering neither side?
 
Yui said:
To: Envoy
From: Taisho Ketsurui Yui

You may remain neutral only if you completely disassociate yourself with the Wired Rovers, Hacker Cult, Opportunists Social Club, and other Freespacer enemies of Yamatai. These groups would need to be expelled from the Free State and all relations severed. Then Yamatai would be satisfied to let the Free State live in peace and would view you as a neutral and respectable neighbor.
Yui said:
To: Sky Marshall Pyros Thrull Westwood
From: Taisho Ketsurui Yui

Like a Nepleslian stereotype you're vulgar and violent, all testosterone and no wisdom. You are in no position to back up your words. Resign before you embarrass yourself any further. You're no Robert Davis.
 
The Prince said:
To my beloved Yui,

Oh my dear, I do find myself delighted by your ever more satirical prose. Calling Nepleslia violent while threatening a(nother) genocide against, of all things, pacifists! Let us not forget demanding the exile of your own criminals, while those of the Free State are kept in golden palaces and seats of leadership. Your delightful hypocrisy never ceases to entertain the chaps and I.

Let us not forget that your own words are more effective at turning people against Yamatai than our propaganda could ever be. How accommodating of you! We may not even have to mobilize for war at the rate you at the rate you are antagonizing others.

On a more serious note, I can't help but find disappointment in the fact that you really are determined just to see the galaxy burn around you if it won't submit to your will.

Cordially yours,

The Prince.
 
From: Premier Ketsurui Yuumi
To: The Free State's honored Envoy

Let us clear the air for a moment. Put the treaties aside.

The Yamatai Star Empire accepts the Free State's public declaration of neutrality without conditions. We will immediately provide enough Zanarium for three of your motherships, followed by several trade shipments during the course of one of our years that will give you enough to outfit 10 of your vessels.

Shipping lanes will be opened to your world in order to facilitate this.

In addition, we can provide you with technical guidance to allow you to process your own Zanarium. Similarly, Ketsurui Zaibatsu will provide specialists to help you in designing your own aether power generator.

We ask, in return, that you do not engage in trade with the Independent Worlds League, the OSC, the Hacker Cults and the NMX. Our trust in your government is not in question, but we do not wish to see our enemies attaining aether technology or stealth capability beyond what they might already possess.

Finally, we request a trading of ambassadors.

We understand your people's desire not only for peace, but solitude, especially from our military. I hope this proposal will allow for that.

SIGNED
Ketsurui Yuumi
Premier to the Empress Himiko
 
The Envoy waited until all parties appeared to have finished their interjections and replies to one another before replying to those who had made comments directly to it.

The Envoy said:
To the Admiral Ketsurui Yui:

Clearly, you have not encountered enemies such as these. You cannot defeat them from orbit, much less by direct force.

We are not a hive mind. This means that anything we know about one another is either uploaded or given out freely, and is as prone to misinformation as any other communication between sentient beings. This also means that we know as much about the thoughts and sympathies of individuals among us as any other race and government knows about its own constituents; you may have members or sympathizers of these enemies of yours among your own people and never know it until they show themselves.

Additionally, we cannot sever them from the Polysentience. Their alliance with the Hacker Cult aside, which would invariably find ways back in, ours has always been an unsecured network. If they can hide their communications, then they will use our network, When they find a way to, they will use your own network.

(By this reasoning, you might, theoretically, access our network, but I do strongly caution against doing so. Our network is a free network. Everything uploaded is open domain, everything connected is open to access, and our hackers are a curious bunch. Barriers and encryptions only make them eager. Do not connect or upload anything you wish to keep private and unaltered. Information gathered from the Polysentience is likewise...what's the term? Ah..."Use at your own risk".)

With the above in mind, we hereby declare our stance of neutrality to all concerned parties. We officially request both sides of this conflict respect our position. Remain outside of our boundaries and refrain from interfering with our activities or utilizing our resources, which are limited to begin with.

For this kindness, we thank you in advance.

---

To the respected Premier Ketsurui Yuumi:

You are offering these things outside of the treaty? Your generosity increases beyond expectations!

We request the delivery location be the Great Lighthouse, for practical reasons. We will receive the shipments there and deliver them to each mothership, as they are currently scattered beyond simple recall. There is a single mothership in immediate range, however, and this one has volunteered to meet the first shipment.

The technical guidance is appreciated, despite technical schematics and documentation of the theory and construction being sufficient for this matter. We will meet with your specialists, however, in the interest of interfaction cooperation. Maybe putting faces to these communiques is just what this negotiation needs, yes?

Provide us an ETA for the first shipment and we will meet you at the Lighthouse.

May the Maker guide these steps to peace.
 
To: The Free State's honored Envoy
From: Premier Ketsurui Yuumi

The first shipment of Zanarium shall leave Yamatai within five of our days. We planned for the quantity of 3,045 of our tons. That tonnage will be enough to use on the three motherships spoken of earlier. However, my aides tell me your ships do not always have room for spare cargo, especially of a quantity that size. If it is preferred by the State, we transport just enough for the one mothership.

I am sending a personal representative along with the shipment, which also will bring with it technicians from Ketsurui Zaibatsu and Kessaku Electronics. Note that the technicians do not serve the Yamataian government beyond being subcontractors for this project, so they will not carry weapons. We request protection details for them; my representative will have her own detail.

Be advised that the flotilla will include some of our military vessels, necessary to protect the shipment from attack while en route from Yamatai. The ratio of civilian to military vessels will approximate 4:1.

My representative shall act in my stead to further our pursuit for a lasting peace between our two governments. Chiharu-sama bless us all.
 
The Envoy said:
We can arrange transportation to be ready for the cargo in five days time.

Concerning the technicians: You say they will not carry weapons, but will they be weapons? Forgive our caution, but your country's ability to create weapons of even one's own body is well-known. However, we trust that your representative will follow in your lead, regardless of form or function, and look forward to meeting them.

At your request, security will be provided to the best of our ability. We do request that your military ships restrict their approach to a 1 AU distance from the Lighthouse. You may send three ships in to scan and secure the area, but then to return to that distance. The Great Lighthouse itself is abandoned, but we will arrange for an orbital meeting place, to avoid any issues involved with planetary settings.

In the meantime, would you prefer to continue the negotiation of the agreement in this manner, or is there another you would prefer? As an Envoy, I am available for changes of location or manner of communication that would expedite or ease these talks.
 
Premier Ketsurui Yuumi said:
Some of the technicians will be Nekovalkyrja, but they will be of a type that cannot produce weapons.

Our military vessels can remain outside the radius you request after they complete any scanning they feel is needed. My representative's vessel is civilian and unarmed.

On that note, I ask my representative continue these negotiations for me when our shipment meets your vessels at the Lighthouse. She is capable of acting in my stead.
 
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