RP: YSS Eucharis [Mission 12.1] Encounter At Shara

With the refreshments delivered, Helen grasped one of the goblets and cradled it in her hand as she looked upon the slush, and could not help but to let a smirk tease at the corner of her lips at the appearance of the substance, but that smirk was quickly removed from her expression as the next question came, and made her guts churn.

"Nekovalkryja, Yamataians, and Geshrins seem to feel that the genocide was justified to strengthen the position of our species. That especially goes for the former ruler of our civilization; Emperor Uesu." Helen explained as she looked into the goblet in her hand once more, and took a deep and heavy drink from it before continuing. "I... I personally can agree with that stance, though I do so bitterly, since the genocide resulted in a distinctive loss in my life." Helen's expression at that point was one of utter neutrality, it was all she could do to keep from looking disgusted.

"I have learned that our Empire, in its most prosperous and glorious times, has built such prosperity upon great and profound military action, and decisive removal of obstacles to the Empire's agenda. Decisive action, with no hesitation, and no regrets, that was our Empire's core policy. As of late, reforms have driven us to be more thoughtful, more considerate... and that is what has placed me here, in your company." Helen explained as she let out a small chuckle. "Tell me, what is your opinion on my Empire's methodology in our history, hm?"

On tasting the beverage, Helen would find it had a creamy cinnamon flavor, it was a non-narcotic beverage. “Jarmo…a recreational drink consumed by my people.” Gian said as she sipped it again. “We also have harder beverages for your to try.” She said as she motioned a three fingered clawed hand to a collection of goblets on the platter surrounding the various sample sized foods. Gian once again sat and carefully watched Helen answer her questions. Her first though was that the woman was acting. But she seemed genuine in her assertions. Gian was surprised when Helen asked her about her opinions on the subject.

Gian paused, and went to speak, but paused as if wishing to be tactful. “I will not press you on what it was you lost...even though I do admit to being curious about what you mentioned, and I can not speak for my people on this. You have to understand I am not typical of my kind. I have been trained to suppress my emotions in order to not make impulsive conclusions.” Gian sipped her drink ones more. “You empire is very alien to us. But we committed genocide in our past…and but our leaders stopped it, opting to deport the defeated clones that survived the war of light. I was not present at the time of this event…but the need to better your society must have been important. Because I can not begin to fathom what the price was for such an event. I know if my government would have tried such a thing…it may not have survived. In my opinion it was harsh…probably terrifying. But if what you say is true, then your empire benefited from it.”

Gian moved forward. “As far as swift military action, your empire trying to show more morality, may be a better stance then you think. My people fancy them selves warriors, and are willing to fight and die for each other. My government recognizes this militaristic view in our society is the foundation of our existence. But when their comes a day when we all must account for the things we have done. When that day comes it is probably good to have a friend or two one your side. I think your government understands this more. What do you think about their newer methods? This peaceful meeting? Should your empire have come in and destroyed us?”

A small chuckle left Helen's lips at that last question. How well she knew of Yamatai's track record, and it left her to give a simple response; "It is not at my pay-grade to make such a decision." She spoke before taking another drink from her goblet. "Mm... though, I must ask, what would your people think of the things I have told you? What is your professional assessment? Would your fellow countrymen be repulsed by us, or perhaps even impressed? Just what would your fellows consider to be the limit of what could be tolerated? What would they consider to be a justified action? How much could your people stand to see from a group of outsiders? I ask this, since to see someone else carrying out an act, is something entirely different than partaking in such a thing personally." Helen did pause a moment before deciding to make it easier on the guiding operative; "Mind you, I won't take this as an official stance. You will not be speaking for your people, for now, we'll merely indulge in speculation."

Takeyu mentally searched his memory for the answer to that question; it wasn't one normally asked, and because it was his job to often keep track of those things, it had become common routine that he often times didn't even 'think' of it.

"Helium 3 is our primary source of fuel for these reactors," was his response, he was really showing himself as being a secretive and cautious person, not something he was proud of, but perhaps it was because these people were new and he just wanted to make certain he didn't ruin this mission and give the Taisa a bad name. "Though now I am curious," he was glancing out of a window and at the sky. "Do your people use any atmosperic reclamation technology?"

Sune smiled at Jiban, "While I am confident that my digestion could probably handle the food without incident, we do have several crew members with different physiologies, so it would be prudent to ensure their safety."

He took out his Science scanner and performed a chemical analysis of the food for safety reasons, while waiting for the results....

"How is your food prepared, are there any special processes that the food much go through before it can be prepared?" he asked Jiban

"Were there any other causes for the War or Light? Any other consequences which are less obvious to the populace but just as important? I'm also wondering how the governments were structured before the war occurred..." Yaichiro asked, still searching for information on the Gartagen's history.


Toshiro, meanwhile, pondered carefully before speaking. "...Please forgive my interjection, but given that this is in Abwehran expansion space, perhaps the parties here should consider a short spacelane from here to Yamataian expansion space as a discussion topic with the Abwehrans? Free travel in each others' space means little without the permission of the Abwehrans who have a sliver of space between you...perhaps it can come up in the Gartagen expansion discussions to be conducted with the Abwehrans."

Reika nodded thoughtfully as the councilman explained to Yaichiro and herself the Gartagen government further. Mentally, she began to compose further questions regarding the major clans, whilst Yaichiro directed another question of his own towards the Gartagen regarding the War of Light.

Rather than interrupt, Reika waited for the Councilman to reply before she made any additional inquiries.

“I am very pleased that we have been able to come to an agreement of friendship so quickly,” Hanako told Tam. “I think it shows that both of our peoples are very sensible and unafraid of outsiders. From this point, Yamatai will visit your systems regularly, and we are willing to provide military assistance against the NMX or other threats you might face. Your people are welcome to visit the Yamatai empire as well.”

The Golden-eyed captain took Tam’s hand in her own small, warm palm. “We should celebrate! Tell me, what other ways do you have fun? And are you familiar with wine?

Hanako momentarily looked over to Toshiro. "Ah, perhaps. Are the Abwehrans available?"

"They've yet to appear as far as I know, though they will be coming. They have the coordinates and plan to send an envoy of a battlecruiser and three destroyers. Of course, I didn't know the Nepleslians had come until after a treaty had already been signed. Either they've yet to arrive or negotiations with them are being conducted separately from us." Toshiro informed the Star Army soldier.

"I do not detect anything with my sensors just yet, Father. However, my installed sensors are likely less advanced than those of the Eucharis." Yggdrasill responded, sure to scan the food before her father ate.

Helen

“Well.” Gian said as she took a breath. “You have to remember that your people are not Gartagen. So my people will probably keep that in mind when viewing yours. Our ways are not yours, and honor dictates that we respect your ways, no matter how draconian or alien they are to our own.” Gian then decided since Helen was very frank with her, she would return the favor. “I will not lie, many of my people who are on the lower tier of my society will probably be horrified at this knowledge. Irrationally so, but the more educated members of my society may endeavor to study your school of though on this. I recommend the latter my self, but I would have to be against performing such an action on my own people. The common belief is that we are the result of millions of years of carefully guided evolution. While your people saw fit to have super strong engineered bodies to survive, my people feel they do not need such enhancements, unless medically necessary, and even then such enhancements will be limited to a grafted organ or a new limb.

Takeyu

The council woman shook her head “Would you be interested in continuing this discussion over food?” She said as she motioned Takeyu to walk with her to the Banquet hall table. She had been guiding Takeyu through the palace through out their discussion, but they had both gotten lost in conversation, so she decided to take him to the primary meeting hall. “Our world is actually healing, but it is a slow process. Cleaning pollution is a scientific endeavor that does not get very much funding. Lately however, the Leader is taking a stronger stance on our environment. But the short answer is, no we do not. Such a technology is bogged down in theory at the moment.

Sune

Jiban smirked. “Well there are many ways to prepare our cuisine. I am no cook, but usually a Mupio…it is like a mixture of spices that is whipped down into a sauce is used as a foundation. Our food tends to be high in protein and carbohydrates, but low in fiber. The importance of the cuisine is place on the scent.” She said gesturing to the plates that rest in front of them. If Sune pause to smell the air, he would find that Banquet hall was saturated in the powerful scents of Gartagen cuisines of varying types. “Our metabolic rate is stimulated by the scent of the food, so when we eat it, our body can rapidly break it down. This is an evolutionary trait that helped my people survive in the arid lands they evolved from…a hostile place where food was scarce.

Yaichiro and Reika

The councilman looked at both Reika and Yaichiro as they entered the banquet hall. “Would you like me to get you both a drink as we speak?” The Councilman would summon a servant over and await their response.

“Before the war of light their were over eighty separate nations. The Pygrins had roughly thirty of these, as they operated in the form of city states with unique variations of dictator ships and democracies. The Ithcalushi sported a vast plethora of government types ranging from communes, to empires. As for causes, There were many…the Cloning cause was a mere excuse I am afraid. The Pygrins at the time were culturally advanced, as well as technologically, and made their Ithcalushi brethren look like primatives in many respects. Pygrin lands were fertile..and their military was made up of some of the mightiest warriors in our world’s history. During the war the Pygrins made the Ithcalushi pay dearly. Even out numbered their warriors managed to sack Ithcalushi cities on all fronts….until the Ithcalushi utilized their nuclear technology…then the war came to an abrupt end…and the Union began to take control of the social structure of our world.

Hanako

Tam gently took Hanak’s hand and mimicked her gesture, taking care not to cut her flesh with his claws. “Wine? I am afraid now my dear…”

“We will offer what little help we can to you and the Nepleslians in this war against the NMX….you keep them busy..and we will launch attacks to keep them busy, If you fall in this war…no one will be able to stop the NMX from slaughtering my people.”

“The Abwehrans? That is the high gravity race…our closest neighbor. Tell me Hanako, with the Abwehran’s residing so close to us…would it be important for my people to pursue peaceful relations with them?”

Tam would then look at Toshiro and pause, before bowing .”Master Toshiro…it is an honor to meet you, our leader is quite taken with you..I heard rumor he is planning to honor you and the Yamatians with a statue in the Imperial City.”

Sune switched off the science scanner having found nothing that was recognizable as a toxin in the food.

"That is interesting, so stimulating your olfactory senses is vital for proper digestion. Most people in our culture consider the fragrance of the food as a reflection of the food, in anticipation for what is to come." he replied, making a mental note of the dietary norm for the Gartagens.

"So Jiban, is there a significance to the menu for this gathering? Or is this just typical fare for meals." he inquired.

"Mmm... Nepleslians have an ancient saying, 'survival of the fittest', it is a reference to early research on evolution, largely based upon the notion that only species which can adapt to their environment are able to evolve and thrive during the process of natural selection." Helen explained as she listened to the Gartagen speak of 'carefully controlled evolution'. "It is one thing to push along evolution in a petri dish, it is another thing to push along evolution in the wild. When a species enters into space, and begins to encounter other species around them; that is when the product of millions or even billions of years of evolution is put to the test." Helen stated as she reached to the tray of foods, and picked up an item which she examined for but a moment, before devouring.

"I wonder about something. I've met a species prior to your own which had a similar practice of carefully guided evolution through eugenics. Their general population had a sense of superiority upon entering into the interstellar political arena. How do you suspect your people's ruling class and common-class would feel about encounters with outsiders which are advanced in both body and technology, to a point in which your physiological advances would seem unable to compete?" Helen asked, it did seem kind of rude, yet at the same time it was as honest as could be. Gartagens were not as physically advanced as a good number of species which Helen had encountered, this left her curious if they'd be insecure with their place in the universe.

"Having something to eat might be grand to be honest," Takeyu smiled sheepishly as they walked. "But yea, hmm...." Tech that is bogged down... I'll write up a report for the SSS and see if possibly they can help out.

Then he nodded. "But yea, let's continue this over food. Being hungry tends to make it difficult to talk yes?" his sheepish smile remained.

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. A device that can reduce the population in air, those do exist naturally but I wonder if it's possible to build one on a smaller scale just to show them using generic everyday parts. That way there we aren't exposing any sensitive technology, I'll talk to the Chui about that later...

Sune

“Actually yes. As I understand it the food was prepared with the specific intent on having a lot of variety for you, that away if food is bad for you, or you simply do not like it you would have other options.” Jiban reached forward and moved a plate in front of her. She then began taking bits of meat and various plants from the different platters and scattering it on to her plate. “Food is a great way to experience a culture, and our cooks have really gone out of their way to try and give you that opportunity.”


Helen

“Eugenics is not what I meant. We simply are how we are as a result of the environment we came from, and we embrace this as a society.” Gian took no offense, she did not even seem to have shown a glimmer of emotion, she simply responded, taking note of Helen’s question. “Your engineered body for example, It raises into question what actually is alive?” Gian sipped her drink “Many of my people would view your race’s manufactured body to be sort of like…cheating the natural order. How much have you limited your selves by removing your natural forms in terms of evolution? What gifts have you denied your descendants? I suppose those questions are unimportant, because we can not tell the future.”

“As far as meeting other races with advanced technology and biology…I am learning that for your people biology and technology are one in the same. I suspect my people will try to find their own way, with out being envious of the ways of others.”

Sune looked at the platters, and began taking a variety of items from each and placed them carefully on his plat. "Then in the interest of gaining insight into the Gatargen culture, I will sample a number of your dishes."

Hanako told Tam, "We have found the Abwehran to be a mostly good and honorable people. The only issue we have had with them is some disdain for their takeover of a free world after it was devastated by a disease outbreak. While they may have entered with the intent to help, they became engaged in a long and pointless ground war there against an insurgency in the local populace. They seem to be militarily focused and I think they would make good allies. Yamatai's relationship with them is amicable but neutral."

A pair of sprites from Hanako's ship delivered some wine from her vineyard many light-years away, and the Taisa offered soem to Tam. She also looked around for Armundo.

Armundo turned to the Gartagen that had, thankfully, offered to take him to the palace dining room " If you would please. I really appreciate it." he said, giving a polite bow.

--

Armunda paused right outside the large palace door, thanking his guide and fixing his hat on his head, making sure that he was presentable before pushing the cart as discreetly into the room as he could. Still, six foot plus muscular, red eyed Nepleslian pushing a cart laden with food was hardly subtle. He paused a respectable distance from the Taisa's table, waiting for a break in the conversation before he made his way up to the table, bowing low at the waist " Good afternoon, Taisa." he said in a pleasent tone, then turned to the Gartagens and bowed again at the waist, though not as low as low as he had for the Taisa, only enough to be considered polite " Good Afternoon, everyone." he said " I have prepared a modest sampling of some traditional Yamataian foods and some more causal comfort food" he said. He wanted to keep things brief so they could continue their important discussions that were more then likely way over his head anyway.

The Taisa's cheesecake was the centerpeice of the assorted food. Pale as fresh snow with a brown crumble crust and a single stemmed strawberry in the middle " Taisa, would you like me to present the food now ?" he asked. His Yamataian was not as cultured as he would like, but that would come with time. For now, he was trying to remember his culinary training, which had included presenting dishes. He never imagined that he would be serving diginitaries who had never sampled Yamataian cuisine before now.

"Mmm... these artificial bodies still hold the capacity to reproduce, to give rise to combinations of mind and body which were not foreseen in the original creation process, and through the advancement of mind we advance our technology, and through that we advance ourselves and the universe around us." Helen explained, it really was something kin to the sort of talk which would be spoken by the Ketsurui, and it kind of made Helen feel nauseated at the almost propaganda like words, but, they were true to the Yamataian people none the less, and since she was here representing the Yamatai Empire, she knew that the Yamataian viewpoint was the one to portray, not the view of an over-the-hill operative that has seen far too many things in her life which would inspire doubts in regard to just how cozy things were... of course, this led Helen to speak her mind.

"You may be right about a loss though, a loss of that glimmering spark of what only existed in the genetic memory of those who took on the synthetic flesh which we inhabit now. Though, personally, I hold the notion that there is something intangible which works beyond the pulses of quantum-phased data that surge through the operating systems embedded in our sub-atomically congealed flesh. Others from my Empire however, do not invest in such notions, and would be quick to deny the existence of anything which can not be quantified by sensor data, or by careful examination in a lab. My Empire, follows the notion that we are our own gods, our own deities, the sculptors of our own fate." Helen spoke, touching upon matters which she herself could not really quantify.

Helen did mull over the next thing to come from her, sure, it could lead to a long explanation, or even a funny look and a shake of a head, but it was part of a cultural psyche... and it was her job to ask; "This does bring me to a question however, faith, what kind of belief system do your people have? Is there a notion of spirits, souls, deities, or other such concepts?"

Banquet Hall

Reika took one of the glasses of Jarmo offered by the servant the Councilman had called over. After the young Nekovalkyrja had a small sip of the beverage, she continued to listen to Kasta's answer of Yaichiro's query where he explained in more detail the War of Light and the structure of the various nations and governments before the onset of the nuclear holocaust that had ravaged this world.

When he was finished, Reika posed Kasta another question of her own. "About the D’jashii, Councilman... did any of the more powerful and wealthy clans tried to oppose the formation of the Union? Also, which of the D'jashii do you believe hold the most influence over your nations government?"

"Yes, please," Hanako told Armundo. "It looks delicious."

"I hope you do not mind if, after the meal, we go on our way. We have a lot to attend to," Hanako told Tam.