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RP: 188604 [Gartagens] I said I'd be back.

Zack

Inactive Member
ON> Gartaga

The Imperial palace. Bronzi eyed it from under his helmet and scowled as he looked down at the bed rock under his feet. The building was massive. Its domed towers shout into the sky nearly a mile. The building went even deeper into the ground. It was cavernous maze like. Most Gartagens could have recited the history of the Imperial palace. Most. Bronzi wasnt most Gartagens. He only knew the building had never been successfully attacked, and that it had more weaponry and shields than a fully decked out Yamataian battleship.

"Why are you hiding?" Bronzi snarled over what he assumed was his hyperwhat---" Howd ya say ya was talkin to meh?" He snorted.

"It is called casing the joint... you are not supposed to be out in the open," Wazu replied, staying back away from just about everything, observing the building from a hidey-hole, "And we are using direct bone stimulation to transfer sound... I... You should know all this already... and since we have two people and maybe have that number in usable weapons we are going to need another way in."

Bronzi smirked, and saluted the hiding Wazu. "I got ya." He said with a flick of his tail. Bronzi then unfastined the ridiculous device from his pack and assembled it. It took roughly ten seconds but Wazu would recognize it as a hand held disrupter cannon. "Ya..bone simulationation. What eva. Ya know yer smarts always got yers in trouble eh? That or thinkin with ya weiner."

"Well. I got news for ya wazzy. I aint the covert type." Bronzi then aimed the cannon at the entrance they were observing. and pulled the trigger.

The weapon sparked. Sputtered, and belched out what would appear to be a sharp bolt of lightening. The disrupter bolt snaped out and struck the entrance door. Disintegrating it, as well as much of the building behind it. The ramshackled disrupter then promptly shorted out, and its capicitors oveheating and the circutry frying. Bronzi discarded the weapon on the ground, and drew a (Yamataian standard issue energy rifle). He then advanced, rifle butt to shoulder, and eyes down the sights.

"D...damnit Bronzi... I sware you used to be smarter..." Wazu would take off after Bronzi, stumbling along behind him as he drew his own rifle. He had ST-swaped into a Gargaten body for 'subutly' and had not quite gotten used to the new body-type. However stealth no longer seemed to be an issue. Instead he kept in close behind Bronzi, one hand on Bronzi's shoulder, the other aiming his own rifle, careful to watch the sides and other non-standard directions.

The entered the palace and Bronzi wasted no time advancing rapidly into the building. He sweapt every room, checked corners, and was utterly professional in his movements. It was then he and wazu approached two massive double doors. Only they were opened already.

"Look, they were expectin some kinda covert op. Not a direct stormin of the keep. See how no guards and soldiers came runnin? Probably think it was some kinda power converter exploadin!"

Bronzi then advanced to the door. He did breach cover. But rather checked his weapon, then beckoned Wazu to take the left side. "Got movement. You ready? You uh....ever shot a gun bruh?"

"This is dumb, you are dumb for trying it."

"Hey, you called me up ta do dis shit!"

"To do it smart-like. She's your princess!" Wazu said, a sharp edge of annoyance in his voice, but Bronzi's plans had worked before...

"Empress." Bronzi corrected. "Stop getting nervous, yer makin meh nervous...."

Bronzis stomach growled audibly. "I blame you. Ay, uh. I don't much know where ta go from hea. Damn palace has hundreds of floors. thousands of rooms. Damned near an army patrollin its halls. You got some kinda tracker? She at least sent you nudes right?"

It was then Wazu would hear an acoustically magnified voice erupt from beyond the door. "Heram J. Wazu. You and your servant lay down your arms and submit to arrest and immediate prosecution for crimes against the Empress of Shara!"

"That was what the casing the joint phase of the plan was for. We got a location from the telecom company that briefly relayed her personal signal. I mean... that means she has connectivity, maybe the upper floors.... Fuck how do they already know who we are?" Wazu shook his head, pulling out a grenade from his sachel and priming it, "Fucking Bronzi... How did you survive this long pulling shit like this?" He asked, tossing the smoke grenade in, and then pulling down his thermal-goggles.

"I neva got dead." Bronzi responded. "Why in the fuck do they think im your servant?!" Bronzi screeched suddenly realizing what was said.

The smoke grenade exploaded with a pop and began filling the room with a this misama, that brought visability to a stand stilll. "See yere smawt. Now they are gonna switch tah their light and tracking vision modes." Bronzi then removed a bright cannister that had a female Gartagen crudly drawn on it with her tongue sticking out. A gartagen that looked vaguly like Sura...

Bronzi popped the pin, and dropped it into the room. The device was silent, then began emitting oppressivly brough pulses of light.

It was then an elevator 5 meters away from Wazu opened its doors.

He saw her. It was Vishta.

It was then Wazu would look up, he was already moving to the opposite side of the door from where Bronzi was. He had given his man-servant's shoulder a hard thap before the movement to get his attention, and was careful to 'slice up his side of the pie' as he approached the door, checking the lift for not-vishtas.

Vishta jumped fearfully., the only one in the elevator. She tried to say "I knew you'd come" But could hardly get the words out, because soone enough a red streak hit the wall in the elevator behind her. The shrill hiss of the gartagen XRAY weapon was contrasted by the screaching of the Yamataian GP-12 pulse rifle as Bronzi returned fire.

"Ight. Is that her?" Bronzi said as he covered the door with blind fire shots into the room. "I aint never seen tha empress."

"Well we do not have time to make sure now do we?" Wazu asked. Once he had cleared the lift, he put his hand on Vishta's shoulder and pulled her towards him, guiding her back towards the hole they had just blown in the palace. He quickly pulled out another grenade, primed it, and tossed it down the hallway "Lets get out,"

Bronzi looked around. Leveled his rifle into the door and cut loose a few bursts. "Back tha way we came? Errrr. where are we goin anyway? Tch. Sura kept sayin I was a non national. What tha fuck does dat mean?"

Visha one the other hand had nothing more to say. The explosions saw her curl into a ball and hide behind the elevator door. "Uh...I know I asked for help but...."

"Ya. Well beggas cant be choosas queenie!" Bronzi grunted as he switched magazines out.

"We can talk later, right now really is not a great time," Wazu said, grabbing Vishta's shoulder forcefully and pulling her towards the exit, a deep thud from the grenade shaking the hallway as he started to build up speed, awkwardly hobbling back toward their hidey-hole using his newly gartagen'd body.

Wazu could feel Vishta trembling in his grip. She attempted to match his movement, but his jerky legs caused her to stumble. They pushed forward towards the exit Bronzi had created. She wrinkled her nose as ozone filled it. 'Are you going to wait for your companion? Or is he just one of your employees?" She said, semi shouting from under the sounds of weapons fire.

"He'll figure it out!" Wazu shouted,

Wazu would see their path was still clear, they had been casing the building from some nearby tenament buildings- public housin that was filled with derelicts who had been cautiously observing the duo. Now wazu could see faces looking out of windows, but the streets had clear---it was almost as if the people of this world were used to this by now.

Bronzi was coming up from the six, his back to Wazu and vishta as he covered them. "Damn Garts, dats tha problem nobody gets with us. Breed like roaches!" He shouted joyfully. "Gonna have to stamp em."

"Stamp e...."

Wazu would hear the GP-12 squeeled loudly as Bronzi prepaired to let lose its underslung grenade launcher. There was a sharp snap and then a crack of thunder. Dust and smoke soon over took the trio as they made their escape.

"Fuckin! I shoulda grabed a yam gun years ago! Har har har!"

"How are you a Gart Commando?" Wazu asked, ducking into the house they had been observing the area from and leading Vishta down towards the hidely-hole that they had made in the floor.

"I was in the RRF, Commandos are some crazy shit in tha union army. Use cloking fields..." Bronzi said as he began recharging the launcher for another shot.

It was a tight fit, but it led right to the main water drainage area of the city, where Wazu had stashed a pair of motorcycles along with some heavy-duty clothing. He'd leave on his body armor, and strap on a civillian looking jacket, handing a spare over to Vishta.

"So you have actually got no training in this kind of small unit stuff?" Wazu asked loudly.

"Well. You said tha RRF was the best open field outfit in known space?" Bronzi suddenly jumped. Then fell ass over head tumbling past Wazu and Vishta as they went into the building. He lay slouching with his helmeted head on the ground. Smoke sizzled up from his chest plate and Wazu could see the mark where he had been hit.

"Do not be a baby!" Wazu shouted

Vishta took the jacket and slipped it on over her robe, and jumped when the large gartagen slammed into the wall infront of them. She froze for a second, then rushed to his aid. Bronzi shuddered, then anchored his feet to the ground. "Thanks queenie.." He weezed. He then struck his chest plate. "Armor held. Not sure how it holds next to yammie and nep gear..."

"Chest-plate," Wazu said, already getting on the bike. "Lets get out of here and dissapear into the crowd..."

Bronzi looked at the rifle he had tied to his wrist by a strap and took it back in his hand. "I've had worse Wazu. Also. Next time...dont be a Sermac Gart."

Bronzi aimed his rifle at the door. "Uh. We got a problem." Bronzi said as he pointed at an open door to an apartment that the tennants fled.

Wazu, Vishta and Bronzi saw a Galactic news broad cast. Headline flashing.

"Terroists have Abducted the Gartagen Empress!" The Neko news caster said in a cheery voice. She smile. "The unknown cell have assaulted the Gartagen Union Palace, and we were first on the Scene! Oh, this just in! Footage of the Attack!"

Wazu would see camera footage of the battle they just went through, and then the trio being consumed by dust.

"The more distance we put between this place and us the better. Get on a fucking bike Bronzi!" Wazu shouted, still waiting for the two of them. "Once we get out of the immidiate area we can change clothing and blend in. We can be off planet before they get their act together."

Bronzi smiled under his helmet. He then undead his mask, moved over to the door and calmly opened it.

The door revealed a flight of stairs that went into the ground. It would be a massive subterranian town that sprawled down for miles. Wazu could see an endless swarm of civilians as they moved about un disturbed by the combat occuring above their heads.

"This is Gartaga. Over popalation...massive urban sprawls. Trick isnt loosing em." Bronzi said thrusting a thumb at the door. "Trick is not gettin lost."

Vishta's jaw dropped at the sight of the people living only meters away from her. The smells. The squalor. She had never seen this side of her world before. She nearly fell to her knees. "So this is whats been happening to my people?" She exclaimed. "How can I"

Bronzi scoffed. "Clam it queenie. This ain't tha worst. These folks are livin good."

"Shoulda seen where I grew up. Thats why I took my poiuchling to Yamatai. Better school district."

"Arite. Where to now? Do we got a pick up point?"

"It does not take a brilliant strategist to figure out that we will be heading for a port next. We are going to put some distance between ourselves and Gart-land. Then I can get us smuggled off-world." Wazu explained, "The longer we stay near here the more time they have to block off the area and start sweeping it. So lets get going," Wazu said, reving the engine on his bike, wanting to get the three of them out of the area already.

Vishta hopped on the back of Wazu's bike and wrapped her hands around his waist. Bronzi like wise stepped on over to his own. "Ya. I still don't trust them smugglers. Kinda smuggerlery."

Bronzy revved the bike and took off allowing Wazu to take point. Wazu's PDA would ping with a notification. VIshta had just sent off an email to none other than Himiko. The crew they had hired to pick them up was relaying their coordinates for pick up at a near by launch station. As the trio moved away smoke rose from the imperial palace.

"So uh." Bronzi started hesitating over the bone vibrator.. "Whats tha plan fer her?"

"Dog food..." Wazu explained, the trio coming out at the exit of the pipes where a ship was waiting. Airtight suits and rebreathers avalible, "Basically... we're going to hide in a big pile of dehydrated meat. Scans will tell them there is a bunch of fleshy-bits in there which is exactly what they are expecting to see if we get caught on the way out and investigated. About an hour later we'll be in deep space and we can go wherever we want."

"Heh. Sorry it ain't first class." Bronzi said over the radio having looked over and seen an obviously uncomfortable Vishta. Wazu could feel it though. Her breathing was sudden. She seemed jumpy, of course she did just run through a fire fight. But Wazu's sharp mind would have seen the blemishes on her face. She had been roughly handled by her captors.

"An, if we are detected before them space doods come an grab us?" Bronzi snorted wanting his instructions.

Wazu would hear it, a small voice. Shaky. "Heram. Thank you..."

"You kinda pre-empted that part of the plan when you blew up that part of the palace. Escape first. Debriefing second." Wazu said, getting the trio inside of the ship and closing the external hatches as it started takeoff, the three of them preparing their smuggled escape, getting equiped with rebreathers and hiding inside the rather large containers of meat...

Bronzi fastined his head gear and hid as Wazu said. "Yah. Well, I didn't expect a buncha Ghals to be at ever door. When you don't like tha set up flip the table."

Vishta put on her gear but remained relitivly silent as she entered her container.

"Can we talk while we wait?" Bronzi chimed in over the radio?


The time passed slowly. Discomfort was rife but eventually they would feel the containers lifted and loaded onto a vehicle and then moved. It was a less than delicated process.

"All right Wazu. We have you, we heading to space. Come on out and lets talk payment for this." A very smooth confident voice called out. from beyond the containers.

"Thanks," Wazu replied, the top of his dog-food container being peel'd open, his meat-slick gart body pulling itself out of the pile as fast as possible, ripping the rebreather off his face, "Shower?" He asked, letting Sura point him towards in the right direction as the arm on the ceiling moved over to the next container, opening it up for Bronzi and then Vishta...

Sura would approach the Gartagen Wazu. She naturally had hundreds of questions, but did her best to remain silent as she awaited the opening of the containers. Bronzi's popped open and he stepped out with his rifle slung over his shoulder. He unfastined his rebreather, and quickly produced a cigar. "Yes." Sura began pointing to the loading bay emergency decon shower. "It isnt much, but it will flash clean you..." She said hesitantly. Wazu would see the eyes of questionable and unsavory men were following Sura as she walked towards him.

Vishta stepped a bare foot onto the deck and eyed up Alex. Before looking to Wazu. She then looked at Sura. "So. That explains quite a bit. You had an understanding of the city." Vishta said walking over to Wazu, mostly for security.



"And some help breaching the system defenses" A Yamataian man said walking up. It was Ira Ramirez.

"My patron had a connection in the Union. So I got a few defense codes to help get you down."

Ira smirked. "I don't think we have ever met. But I have heard of the legend of Wazu. I am Ira Ramirez. Privateer Captian of the Chimera. I decided to come down to actually meet a famous man. Possibly get an autograph."


Wazu was busy peeling off the skin tight wetsuit that was responsible for keeping the worst of the meat-juice off of him while hoping in the direction of the shower.

"Bronzi, want to check out the ship real quick while I have a talk with Vishta and wash some of this stuff off?"

Bronzi nodded. "Yah. Neva/.mnjk been on an NMX birdy before." He said exhailing a plume of thick cigar smoke.

Ira was some what put back. "I see."

"Alright I guess i'll cut to it."

4 Pirates rose up and hopped out with NMX rifles and pistol's drawn aimed at Wazu, Sura and Bronzi. "The Empress is ours." Ira said with a smile. "I'm sorry for the betrayal. But, the ransom and cost we could get selling her to those rebels is too much to pass up. Plus...it would do good on the old reputation...Wait." Ira paused looking at Bronzi. "You can put that rifle on the ground Blue Berry, wouldnt want that pretty young daughter of yours to get shot now would we..."

Sura stood frozen, but soon vanished seeking cover."

Vishta looked at Wazu. Bronzi took his gun from his shoulder. "Piss. Fuckin' pirates...." He grumbled dropping his weapon on the deck."

"Look, I may not have pants on right now, but I promise you that my pockets are bigger than whomever wants Vishta ok? Drop us off someone nice, I will cover whatever they are paying you plus a little extra and you get to get out of here without me respawning then coming after you." Wazu said, sounding annoyed as he tossed his dirty wetsuit onto the floor.

Ira was almost offended at how Wazu was brushing him off. For all he had been and done, been a Yamataian officer. Made the promise to Yamatai to sail the stars in her name and take what he wanted. It of course was still a commission, just not an official one.

It was a mixed crew aiming those NMX pulse rifles at the trio. Mixed crew, two nepleslians and a Jiyuuan stood there with their weapons leveled at Bronzi and Wazu. Ira pulled his hands out of his jacket pockets. "Heh. I know. But somethings are more important than money. The prestige of lifting an Empress off the great Wazu? That would make me the hero of what Nepleslia? I may even get a few chuckles from my old buddies in Yamatai."

Ira's hand went up to his handsome face and he made a show of acting like her was thinking. "Yea, ill just take the---"

The deck light up with a thunderous report. Vishta's jaw dropped. Bronzi's pistol came out its holster and pointed at the crew. Ira lifted off of his feed and landed on his right side. A paper thin trail of hemosynth was streached out accross the deck and ended at the starboard bulk head.

Wazu immidiately rushed the closest goon, grabing ahold of the end of the NMX pulse rifle and pushing it towards the other goon while lining up a punch.

The gangers had their guns up but were confoused. Vishta was sitting behind some cargo with a revolver in both hands. Bronzi piped up "Daym kid! Ay boss, ya want meh to waste dis lot?"

Ira twitched, his eyes rolling into the back of his head, and his blood begenning to clot. Sura stayed behind the loading crate with the pistol she had taken off her dad trembling in her hand. "HOW ABOUT THAT FOR PAYMENT HUH? YOU WANT S-S-SMORE!?" Sura shouted frantically.

"KINDA LATE TO BE TALKING ABOUT IT NOW!" Wazu shouted!

The priviteers looked at each other as if wondering what to do. Bronzi being Bronzi had no intention of it becoming a discussion. He aimed his pistol at the nearest one--a Jiyuuan woman, who was some what homely and athletic looking. He fired his pistol, causing her knee to expload into a red mist. She toppled over wailing. She moaned and passed out.

The others dropped their weapons. Bronzi snorted. "Look at em." He said gesturing to Wazu with a swift nod. "He's tha captian now."

"Uhhh... ay captian..." They said reluctantly in unison...

Wazu's struggling slowly came to a stop... Both him and the Nepleslian he was trying to wrestle the gun away from coming to an agreement fairly quickly once the balance of power on the ship had shifted.

"So..." Wazu said, "... I guess you work for us now? That guy have any ST backups?"

"Uh... not a recent one...We have been in space for some time.." The ganger said trying not to stammer. "I mean... I dont care who I work for as long as we get paid." He said recomposing him self. "Captian."

Bronzi had moved over to Vishta and taken the gun from her. He mumbled some reassuring words to her and the pair was back in the game. "Ay boss. I know I aint much for the thinkin thing. But what are we gonna do about the Empress."

Vishta was standing over Ira looking at his synthblood as it pooled under him. "He is still breathing..." She said softly

"We should take him to.."

*BLAM*

".... Well, He.."

*BLAM BLAM BLAM*

Sura finished unloading her weapon into Ira, additional shots being placed in the chest and head, cutting off Wazu's own speech about trying to save their attempted captor's life.

".... Ok.... The guns are ours now." Wazu said, going around and collecting the remaining weapons from Ira's crew. "As for the rest, I did not have time to plan this far. We should discuss our next move. I have a quiet place we can stash ourselves for the time being but what comes next? We can get Vishta to Yamatai, she could at least live safely there."


Ira lay their twitching as Sura loomed over his broken body. Her facial expression was wide eyed and terror stricken. Bronzi made his eyes small, to the point of being slits. "Girl." He snarled snatching the gun from her hand. "What tha fuck?!"

Sura jumped and looked up at Bronzi. "What he asked for it!" She shrieked in response.

"YA! HE DID, BUT YA DONT SHOOT EM UNLESS I TELL YA!" Bronzi then made a motion to strike her but held his hand just from doing it causing her to leap back away from him. "Arite. Ya did good." He said holstering his own pistol and handing Sura's pistol back.

"Okay Gartzu, what do ya wanna do----saved tha empress. Shot this pirate loser. "

"Lets stop shooting things for a little bit..." He replied... "Take turns showering, get something to eat, decompress a bit... lock these guys in a room for a bit...."

.... A few hours later.

Gartzu had redressed in some spare clothing that he found in Ira's room... he wouldn't be needing it anymore. The shirt did fit a bit tight, but it was better than nothing, or at least Wazu haddn't gone straight to shirtless right away.

"Alright," Wazu said, placing his datapad down on the table infront of him. The projector in the pad started to display an image of surrounding space, "We can hide out in deep space as long as we like but we need to come up with a next move. Assuming we are not trying to go back and cause more problems... well... Vishta will need a place to live."

Vishta had reappeared. But had remained silent as wazu spoke. "Some time away from the home world would be....nice."

Bronzi snorted. "Runnin and hiding is da plan eh?" He said tilting his head at the empress. "Luh. I know we've all been through it. But cutting and runnin ina gonna do much. Tha Yam's pushed for this. Tha Union navy needed her gone to retake the citeh."

"I aint much fer politics, but runnin is jus gonna empower those tryn to take you down. "

Sura spoke up. "Uh...well..." She said putting on the news.

It was on mute, but Wazu would see the interstellar news new works had come to life. The Union was landing troops all over the Imperial city. Battles in the Ghal system were initiated.

"Empress check your communique's" Sura said tossing her a data pad.

Vishta jumped right on it. A few moments later she looked up at Wazu. "The union navy is requesting a rendecous coordinates. They wish to escort us to a safe haven while they resolve the conflict."

"Do we trust the navy?" Gartzu asked, "You got taken before, and I really do not know what the situation is on the ground. If you go all in on this war a lot of people are going to die."

Vishta held her hand up to Bronzi. "Silence, brute." Bronzi had indeed sucked in air to speak. But his brow furroughed in a mixture of shock, and suprise. She had used the calm tone of a soverign.

"Yes. I wasnt captured by the Union Navy. The civil war...was brewing below the surface since before my corination." Vishta said speaking to Wazu and Wazu alone.

"The Ghal system...was a splinter colony. My people had technology some three thousand years ago. We send out primative space fairing craft to settle new worlds, and Ghal was one of them. We lost that technology. But Ghal survived, and my...predicessor allowed for the world to be reunited with us. It was less than tactful...and a black mark on our diplomatic record."

Vishta adjusted her robes indicating the ship was cold. "Then the Kingdom of Neshtan threatened us with annexation. So the navy reacted to this, by moving the fleets to confront any incursion or attempt at annexation. No incursion came. Except for the Ghal syste,. They bode their time, built a fleet and launched a suprise attack. I ordered the palace evacuated, but I remained behind. When the Ghal National alliance found me, I demanded they swear fealty. They of course refused, but I bought time with my life to allow the Union Navy to reposition them selves. I was not privy to the attack, but I know my admirals."

"And my friends." She said approaching the Gartagen Wazu. "I much prefer your pink skin." She said placing a kiss of gratitude on his cheek.

"Who are these two? I had assumed I was your only Gartagen friend?"

!

There was a sudden realization from Gartzu that the hightened Gartagen sense of smell was basically a super power.

"I am... still getting used to it." He replied, considering what Vishta had to say as he introduced,

"Bronzi. He was assigned to my security detail when I first joined the Union. He's saved the Union more than once. The little one is his daughter Sura. They have been invaluble in finding and recovering you."

He would pause for a bit, back to buisness,

"Then, what is it that you need right now? If Ghal and your loyalists are fighting it out now then..." Wazu sighed, "... more ships? Weapons? Soldiers?"

Vishta nodded. "Thank you." She said bowing to the both of them. Vishta advanced, Gartzu's nose would be filled with her scent indicating she was highly interested in him.

Bronzi bowed. "Empress." With Sura following up with her own curtsie.

Vishta shook her head. "We have ships and plenty of soldiers. What we need to do is diplomacy. Establish relations so that this sort of external to internal conflict is not allowed to perpetuate again."

"Then we are talking about," Wazu paused for a bit, looked over at Bronzi, then back over at Vishta. "... uh... talking about blocking out the Nesh... the Yamatains... the Nepleslians... anyone who might try to take advantage of the situation?"

Vishta's eye shifted to Bronzi as Wazu spoke. She noticed a small patch on his armor. A simple red circle, one she had seen Yamataian citizens from the Embassy wear. "You have lived with the Yamatians?"

Bronzi nodded. "Ya. Got a flat on tha home world. Kid goes ta school with em."

"How do they treat you?" Vishta said turning to Sura. "uhhhh....well. Lots of respect."

Vishta looked back to Gartzu. "Thats how Yamatai has treated the Union. Nepleslia. They have been less then polite, but no signs of aggression. However, this new threat Yamatai faces has allowed nations like the Neshatan to become aggressive. It is time for us to stop being isolationist. To get involved again."

She stabbed a clawed finger at Bronzi "You there. I take Wazu seriously. If you have saved the Union with him, then you are valuable. As a reward for saving me, I name you as one of my Hands. As hand of the Empress you will carry imperial authority. My word, and my eyes as it were."

Sura's mouth dropped.

Bronzi blinked indicating he didnt not really understand or care. "uh....thanks?"

"And pay."

"How much?"

"Ill transfer 10,000 trade units to your account to get started."

Bronzi "For the Empress! Aright my Empress. Whats yer word and will?"

"Protect Wazu at any , and I need you to go to the front lines of the war and observe these...Kuvexians. As well as send the Yamataian Empress my reguards personally."

"Now that that is out of the way and official....I need people I can trust. I trust you, and your friends."

"So, where do we take you now?" Wazu asked, "Or do you have a field marshal or admiral that we should be contacting? Politics and... clout... is hard to quantify. It is certainly something that we can work on.

I can see what can be done regarding getting you an audiance with the Nepleslian Sky Marshal. The other societies near the Union... well... I am sure I can find a way to contact them as well."


Vishta nodded. "Have the crew send out my transponder code. Perhaps we can go visit a back water. Start negotiations small. I intend to tour space while the navy wraps up the war. "

"Alright, I will put together a list of options. I do have a backup plan of sorts in the works... the people involved are... well they are worth keeping track of." Wazu said, "Bronzi, how about you take Sura and send out that code? Be ready to move as soon as you do. I do not want to get surprised by someone showing up."

Bronzi nodded. "C'mon kid." And he and Sura were off.

Vishta and Wazu were now alone. Her blue eyes followed her new hand as he lumbered through the port hole. "Do you always attract the outcasts? Or do they attract you?"

Wazu smiled.

"I can be an aquired taste. The people who stick around are those who share an understanding. Bronzi is someone I can count on. I think he also understands what I can do for him."

He would place his hands on her hips, and gently lift her up, "So this is what a Gartagen feels like all the time?" He asked, his body was somewhat based on Bronzi's... he was certainly taller than he used to be, "Certainly have not had this much strength since most of me was cybernetic... and the sense of smell is not something humans really have."

Vishta was actually suprised. Bronzi in truth had been the biggest Gartagen she had ever seen. With Gartzu now being the second largest.

He clawed hand rested on the thick skin of his shoulders. "I rather preferred your humanoid form." She said softly. She then reached down and wrapped her arms around Wazu, placing his face in her busom.

But it was not happy...it soon turned to sad. He would hear her weeping. "I didnt think anybody was coming. Every day they told me they were going to kill me. The navy wouldnt make a move as long as they held me due to that fear. If I died, the union would fall into chaos and collapse into successionary wars..."

"Next time, reach out to us for help first." He said, resting his head against her, "The hard part is just starting. The union still needs you and another war will complicate things."

"I did." She said chocking back a sob.

"... sorry..." Wazu replied, not able to get out much more than that.

"It wasnt your fault. Stop blaming your self for everything." She said blinking her tears away and ushering her self down.

"War is going to happen."

"But. Before the annexation announcement by the Neshatan was made...I had been drawing up plans for negotiation of a multi-species and national alliance."

"I got the idea a few years ago during an international relations conference. I suggested the attending nations unite into one fleet, and bring the battle to the NMX. It went about as well as you would guess."

Then I saw you and that....is a seriously Big Gartagen...and what you two did. Imagine what we could accomplish if we did this with whole species? How many lives could be saved and protected?"

"You need to unite your people first. Then we can start putting together allies. Yamatai is already looking to see how this plays out... Who else did you have in mind for this alliance? The nepleslians might not be so receptive with me around."

Vishta nodded at that. "Unity is happening, for better or for worse. That is up to my military commanders.

Vishta presented her personal data pad. As she manupilated it with her free hand it projected a holographgic image of Gartagen space and the space around it. Below was a small cluster of stars. "Another species resides near us. They have thus far proven cautious and careful. We have not initiated contact. But they are a potential."

She then zoomed out and focused into deep space. "A mobile refinery reported it obtained rights to mine in a distant fledgling star system that is just forming it self...."

"As well as a new contact with a species called Iromakuanhe."

Vishta then looked up. "Yamatai likely will not, but I intend to not destroy our relationship with them. Now Nepleslia. Emotional, outspoken, ever shifting, but consistant. They may not. But diplomacy is about compromise. Nepleslia needs allies. We all need each other. Isolating our selves only makes us weak so that another alien invasion can slaughter us all."

Vishta put the pad down. "I know it is lofty and reaching high. But doing nothing would be far worse than an attempt."

Wazu would end up setting Vishta down, "A grand tour then? Cant he navy spare any ships for your escort?

For that matter, just... leaving them to conduct this war on their own. It seems like you could use military allies now rather than later."

"Yes they likely can...the Union navy is still very present. The Ghal forces as far as i can see are in full retreat."

"Alright then. Lets get started."
 
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