Reika set down her utensils before nodding softly and then speaking. "As you wish, Taisa." She had already read the Star Army Intelligence brief about the Gartagens which she had received upon her assignment to the Eucharis. Reika had studied it thoroughly whilst awaiting the arrival of the shuttle that had brought her aboard.
"The Gartagens are indigenous to Gartaga within the Shara System. The planet is located within the previously unexplored territories galactic north-east of Yamatai, just a short step beyond the Abwehran Star Empire. That's about 65 light-years from the core of the Empire, or just under 2 hours away from Veronica if I remember the Eucharis' hyperspace specifications correctly.
According to the communique sent by Commodore Yuki Toshiro, the Gartagen's appear to be a militaristic warrior-centric civilization; however it should be noted that beyond that single fact, the full nature of their governmental organization, cultural views and societal structure remains unknown to us. We also only have partial data concerning one starship class and shuttle type, with a small amount of data on their biology with images of their general appearance obtained through the use of non-invasive scans. You will be able to access this information at your leisure whilst we are en route.
Thus far there has been no hostilities initiated, and though their delegation aboard the SS Yggdrasil were somewhat guarded in their behavior and gave away only limited information about themselves and their goals, Commodore Toshiro's perception of them was that of a species desiring colonial expansion into nearby systems, but also wishing for peaceful relations with neighbors. Their delegation has apparently agreed to the conditions stated within the 'Rights of Early Contact,' and complete linguistic data as well as civilian-level access to the PANTHEON network has been exchanged.
However, because things are never easy, there are a few additional issues complicating the establishment of further relations with the Gartegan:
First, their space lies within the Abwehran Empires claimed region of expansion. The Abwehran have been informed of the Gartagen contact and have made plans for their own delegation to be sent. The Abweran have also graciously allowed the Yamatai Empire to continue to pursue diplomatic relations unhindered despite their own prior claim to the region in which the Gartagen inhabit.
Due to the present war, the Abwehran intend that their envoy be conveyed by battlecruiser with a three ship destroyer escort. Before they are dispatched it has been requested that our own delegation determine whether the Gartagen will consent to such a large military presence in proximity to their space and if not, what changes to their security will need to be implemented.
Secondly, if we are assuming that they have been honest in their statements, their only contact with any star-faring species has been with the Yamatai Empire so far and they have no knowledge of the Mishhuvurthyar, their forces, or the danger that they pose. Our delegation will need to properly convey the seriousness of the threats they will likely face in the future. Despite the high levels of security and encryption that have been utilized when conveying information about the Gartagen, it is nonetheless possible that the Mishhuvurthyar will learn of them soon if they haven't already, and that NMX and SMX craft will be in the mission arena.
Finally, whilst Commodore Toshiro has conveyed his recommendation to the Gartagen that they not seek to expand towards territories already occupied by the Yamatai Empire, the Abwehran and our other neighbors, he did not have the authority to do more than make recommendations. It will be up to our delegation and that of the Abwehran to properly negotiate which areas of space are available for settlement for each nation, and if at all possible to do so without a break-down of relations or an escalation to hostilities."
Reika smiled softly, "That's the essentials. We certainly have our work cut out for us." She leaned back in her chair slightly, watching the reactions of her crew mates to see how they would each respond to the information she had presented.
