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(5.22) Cause and Effects (Part One)
(5.22) Cause and Effects (Part One)
The Reich Flagship Starking
In orbit over Dorin
The Dorin Alliance
25th October, 1936
In what would later become known as the highest level meetings between heads of state since the signing of the Galactic Republic Accords, the meeting between the leaders of the Reich and the Dorin occurred with very little fan fare or advertisement. The Reich fleet arrived in to Dorin space at the predetermined location and time. Each Reich ship that slipped from hyperspace had been pre-approved for this mission. Both the Dorin and Reich leadership went through painstaking steps to ensure that this historical meeting would not fall victim to some unforeseen misunderstanding. If such a historical meeting was to take place, little was known about it. The Dorin reception fleet and the Reich fleet both operated under strict communications blackout during transit. This was not a tour of Dorin Space, the reception fleet led the Reich fleet on a very carefully plotted course to Dorin so to ensure that nether fleet were detected. This meeting was one of the most protected secrets in the galaxy. At least that is what everyone had hoped for.
Upon arrival over Dorin, the Emperor of the Second Reich of Humanity was special guest and observed classical Dorin dances and expressions of culture and art. It was the first time any political head of state was received by Dorin since the fall of the Republic. Dorin rolled out the red carpet for their guest and it was clear that this was more then just a meeting of possible political friends. As the twin fleets hovered high above Dorin, the first round of talks started. Much of the first day of talks was spent talking about each other's realm and friendly exchange of ideas and concepts. The Emperor never mentioned the assassin that Dorin had sent to his private garden. Instead he played the part of guest, and he played it well. Nearing the end of the first round of talks, the Emperor addressed the fears of the Dorin government regarding the Reich. They feared that the Reich might see the Dorin as a threat and target them. The Emperor didn't lie in his answer as he explained the Reich's point of view. He could not completely rule out a war with the Dorins in the future. He did however, assure them that the Reich really had no interests in this region of the Galaxy. He outlined his views for the Galaxy and all humans under the protection of the Reich.
He spelled out that he understood that even non-humans had a place in the Galaxy and that place could be side by side with the Reich. He pointed to both states military and reflected that a war between the two would be costly and devastating to all involved. He explained that only the enemies of both would gain to win should the Reich and Dorin go to war against each other. That was something he was unwilling to give his enemies. In addressing war and enemies, the Emperor pointed out that the two most costly wars for the Dorins had been against worlds and governments backed by the Free Worlds Council. He addressed that common enemies help build strong unions and foster tight friendships. He didn't point out that during both conflicts, that while the Dorin's did technically win both wars. They lost more than they gained thanks to the involvement of the FCW. He did point out that the FWC had been using its vast influence to help systems band together against the Dorin in other conflicts. He also added that while the FWC stood little chance against the Reich or the Dorins, the Varl were building up their forces and his spies reported that the FWC had reached out to the Varl.
The second day of talks centered around the Dorins and what they wanted for the Galaxy. They were looking to rebuild the Republic in their own image and under their own laws. It was not so far fetched from what the Reich had in mind. And like the Reich, the Dorin's wanted to see their Republic Governed by only NeDor. Unlike other regions of space, the Dorins had completely outlawed slavery and enacted some of the harshest laws known in the Galaxy. The Dorins wanted to see their strict Caste system used in the model of building their Republic. The Emperor of the Reich listened carefully to the ideas and goals of the Dorins. He applauded their efforts to bring law and order to many worlds within their domain. The Dorins offered the Reich something that they never considered. A map of where the Galaxy falls under either the Reich or the Dorins. The idea was very tempting to the Emperor and he had to ask for time to consider the offer. The Dorin's surprised the Emperor with their knowledge of his coming war. They explained how they foresaw the war that the Reich was planning on waging against the Galaxy.
They correctly deduced that the Reich lacked the military to win this war. They spoke of the same alliances between the FWC and the Varl. They also spoke of whispers on the wind of outsiders coming to the Core to fight against the Reich. These outsiders had the ability to align the Galaxy against the Reich. This war, if left unchanged would bring the Reich to a burning end. These outsiders were the key to the defeat of the Reich and the Dorins as well. The only way that these outsiders could be stopped would be if the Reich and Dorin fought side by side as allies. As the second day of talks came to a close, the map was brought back and redrawn. The Emperor of the Reich agreed to the map as the Galaxy was divided up between the two most powerful militaries in the Galaxy. The Emperor did demand one change to their agreement. Any and all humans would be allowed to leave Dorin Space and enter the Reich. The Dorin's demanded the same for Nu-Dors. With this final detail settled, both leaders agreed on the way the Galaxy will look once the war is over. The Emperor smiled as he looked over his new realm and nodded. 'Now its time that we start our expansions' he thought carefully.
The Reich Fleet seemed to glimmer off the green purple haze of Dorin. It was a sight that was truly to be hold. The Reich fleet in all of its colors and glory stood as a proud and strong show of what the Reich was capable of. Looking out over the vast Reich fleet, one would think that their technology level was on track with the rest of the galaxy if maybe slightly ahead of the rest. That could not be further from the truth. Despite all objections from his advisors and military leaders, the young Emperor choose to leave behind all of his advanced warships. Also more common known as the AWS Fleet by the inner circle of the Emperor. Instead he choose the forty year old Dreadnought class Starking as his personal flagship. With all of its powerful guns displayed in honor of the coming alliance, the Starking was truly a mighty warship. During the last great Reich/Free Worlds Council war, the Starking was cutting edge in warship design and firepower. Her and her sister ships, tipped the tide of battle in the favor of the Reich and caused chaos among the commanders of the FWC. Even with older technology, the Reich Fleet was truly something to behold above Dorin.
As he stood by the large bay window which gave him a commanding view of his fleet, the Emperor had much to be pleased over. Ever Dorin warship they were able to scan, had at least ten years on his own fleet. Sure he was out matched and in some cases out gunned at the moment but that was the whole point of this trip. To allow them to see what he wanted them to see while learning more about the Dorin naval might. The fleet was chosen carefully for this very task. All ships were warships at their heart but their real purpose on this mission was far from fighting wars. Half had been converted in to some of the most advance spy ships the Reich ever had. Gunnery and troop barracks were removed and advance passive sensors were added. Each of his spy ships would transmit their data to the Starking for analysis. It would be the most comprehensive collection of data on the Dorins that had ever been done. So far, what the Emperor was finding out was that their military was sadly lacking in many of the basics that the Reich had enjoyed Mastery over years ago. Even their most feared warships, the Deathbringers, were a force to be reckoned with. However it lacked many of the advances that his own fleet had. While the Starking was forty years old, she was more than a match for other Dorin ships due to the upgrades that she had received. This mission was more successful then he had hoped for.
When the Emperor started the AWS Fleet program, he ensured that all other ships received the latest upgrades as part of the over all program. It was all part of his plans to ensure that the mask of where the Reich stood technologically would remain firmly in place. It was a program that had the highest priority and the Emperor personally oversaw the upgrades and security of the AWS Fleet. Based on what he was seeing, his AWS Fleet would have the Dorins out matched across the board. They did have numbers against his military and while the Deathbringers were inferior to his own Peacemakers, They were still very powerful warships and would be a problem should a conflict erupt between them. Their main guns could easily make short work of his Peacemakers if they were able to fight in groups. Sadly, because of the Dorins' fear of military Coup, the Deathbringers didn't operate in groups. Even their supporting task forces are not under the command of the Deathbringers' commander. These two factors nearly if not completely removed the Deathbringers as a real threat to his navy. Numbers would play key in any battle with the Dorins. However this fact didn't bother the Emperor either. Once more, the Emperor was one step ahead of all of his potential enemies. There were expansions already planned during the coming year. These expansions would allow the Reich more than enough time to play catch up to the Dorins.
More importantly, he had his Wolf Packs. Designed by his father some twenty years ago, the Wolf Packs were created to protect the Reich from invasion. However the Emperor saw them more than capable to take the war to the enemy's homeworlds. For the past ten years, new designs were tested to increase the range and firepower of the Wolf Packs. However, his father had always frowned on any change to his beloved Wolf Packs and their mission of defending the Reich homeworlds. With his father no longer in power, the Emperor was able to fund the new designs as well as speeding up production. The Wolf Packs were going to be a game changer in any upcoming conflict. He was just waiting for a time to unleash them on to the Galaxy. So far his spy network has failed to discover their design or concept anywhere else in the Galaxy. This gave the Reich a massive advantage over any enemy. That and time was the Reich's ally and he knew it. He didn't need to rush in to anything and had no wars planned for at least ten years. He needed time to expand his military to a point that no power would dare defy his authority. At the moment few had any real idea of what was coming. 'That was till today' the Reich Emperor though coldly as he glared out the window.
"All I want to know is how this is possible" the Emperor asked turning to look at his advisors and Military leaders. "How is it possible that they uncovered something that only the few in this room knew about!" he walked to the large table in the center of the room, "what? No one has an idea! Not a single idea of how! HOW?" He yield tossing the news paper on the table. The headlines were clear to read, "Secret Meeting planned for between Dorin and Vandor III. Alliance being SIGNED! War on the Horizon!" The paper was highly popular throughout the FWC and has a habit of speaking of the Reich in unfavorable tunes. The Reich leaders had always used the paper as a test of the conditions between the Reich and the FWC. They would watch where new of the Reich would fall in the paper. Only during times of war had the Reich taken up the full front page. This time, even though the two powers are at peace the entire front page was devoted to anti-Reich propaganda.
The Reich's own spy network showed that while the Dorins and the FWC had exchanged fire during their past in a few minor engagements. Generally there was little contact between them. They didn't share a common boarder and the few times the FWC went to war with the Dorins it was because the Dorins invaded or attacked a FWC ally. It was simply unlikely that the leak came from the Dorin side. Or at least that is how the Emperor believed. Already he was warned of a spy that would cost him his great Unification War. His advisors all agreed that it was just likely the leak came from the Dorins as the Reich. The Emperor didn't buy it then and he wasn't about to buy it now. The meetings had just stated two days ago and everything seemed to be going good. Now these headlines had blown the top off of their secret plans. “So someone please tell me how this is possible!”
Count Paqurn spoke up, “My Lord, we all had agreed that this would not remain a secret for long. And I have to admit, this is much sooner than even I had predicted. There still might be a way to salvage this. Maybe you can spin this to our favor. It has been clear that the Reich has had an unfavorable attitude against alien races. If we were to say embrace this report, this could turn many to look upon us with a favorable opinion.” He could still feel the presence of the dark being around them. The closer to Dorin, he could feel the being's dark powers growing. He didn't want this encounter, but it was unavoidable. He made sure to keep his defenses up while the being was around. “Rather we win the hearts and minds, we can at least not hide away from the report. If we were to address it, we will take much of the power out of it.”
The Emperor nodded, “Once more my dear friend, you have offered me with a wise course of action against misfortune. I like it. Minister Travers, set up the story and spin the headlines. Lets allow the Galaxy to see the Reich as Alien Friendly. Let them see how we can be there to help and protect all. Not just humans. For now that is!” he said with a cold calculated glare. “We must bide our time wisely. If the Unification War is to be victorious, we must bide our time. Gentlemen and Ladies, the Second Reich of Humanity will rule over all humans.” the Emperor paused and thought for a moment. Then he continued, “This doesn't change anything about who the spy is. We must know who this spy within our ranks is.” The Emperor paused as an Aide walked in respectfully and made a straight march for Field Marshal Nezick. “This spy must be found. Issue the order to all Reich installations, they are to double their efforts in patrols and searching for spies.” he turned to Colonel Kef, the head of the Physic Corps. “Colonel, I want your troops to search everyone in my staff. Find this spy at all costs. We must silence him or her before more harm is done.”
Colonel Kef nodded, “Yes My Lord, this spy will be found. This much I promise.”
Field Marshal Nezick raised his hand, “My Lord” he said softly. The Emperor turned and nodded giving the right to speak over to Nezick. Field Marshal Nezick was the head of the Reich Intelligence Networks. “My spies have just informed that while we don't know who the spy is here. We did find out about the leaked information. We were able to trace the first recorded statement made by Jocasta Harrak. She gave a statement before the Council's governing body. It would appear that she was warning the Council of our coming alliance as well as a possible war coming. The Council's governing body had attempted to keep the information secret however it was leaked to the media. What wasn't leaked was that she had received the information from her husband and that the source was considered very reliable.”
The Emperor's eyes narrowed with anger, “Harrak!” he said with venom in his voice. “Captain Harrak's wife has once more used her family ties to upset my plans. Both her and her Husband have been the champions of the Anti-Reich Movement within the Council for as long as they have been together. How could I have not seen this coming. The Petersha has been a thorn in our side for too long. Why that ship has been allowed to exist for so long is beyond me. It should have been a burning hulk in space two centuries ago. Its no matter, a mistake that I plan to correct right now.”
Paqurn saw where this was going and disapproved of the intentions of the Emperor. He spoke up once more, “My Lord. Attacking a Generation Ship comes with remarkable dangers. Both political and militarily. I must advise against this course of action. No good could come from such actions.”
The Emperor smiled coldly, “If simply attacking the Generation Ship comes with dangers, imagine what killing Jocasta Harrak will bring. Harrak and his ship will pay for this betrayal. For too long they have been a key stone to resistance along the boarders with the Council.” Jocasta Harrak was not just any Captain's wife. Her family was one of the founding families of the Free Worlds Council. One of the most powerful worlds within the Council belonged to her family. Assassinating her would be a precursor to war. It was a dangerous move for the Emperor.
Thinking quickly, Paqurn added, “Then might I suggest that we capture the captain and find out who the spy is from him directly.” Paqurn knew two important facts. One, the Galaxy was not ready for war and should the Council be pulled in to a war they would be over run by the Reich in days. Even if the Council could hold out. There would be no other allies to come to their aid. It was simply too early for war. Two, destroying the Petersha would cost hundreds of thousands of lives lost. Once more, a precursor to war. Even worse would be the absents of war. It would give the Emperor a free pass to move on other systems that before were thought too risky to take. He had to stop this plan before it started, “My Lord, allow my battalion to ambush the Petersha and we will bring Captain Harrak to you personally.”
The Emperor seemed to consider the idea for a long moment as he walked around the room. He looked at each of his officers and advisors. Shaking his head, “Its a tempting offer my friend.”
Paqurn could feel the darkness within the room using the Force. It was clear that it was guiding the Emperor on a course of action. Paqurn didn't dare reveal the knowledge he learned. He just lowered his head as the Emperor continued to speak.
“The Petersha has been actively opposing us for as long as the Reich has been protecting humans. Now is the time for the Petersha and its courageous Captain to meet their ends. But you are right. We can not do this in such a way that the Council knows we were behind it. We must act through the shadows.” he said walking over to his desk. He activated a communication channel, “Send a coded message to Admiral Loswet. Attention to Orders, Target, Petersha. Mission, Seek and Destroy it. Do not be discovered at all costs.”
As Paqurn listened to the orders he knew all too well what it meant. The Emperor had unleashed his Wolf Pack for the first time. Admiral Loswet would not give up, nor would he be talked from his mission. This was going to be a do or die mission. The Petersha was doomed. Unless he could get a warning out. He knew just the man to warn. 'Visst' he thought in the back of his mind.
After the voice on the other end confirmed the orders the Emperor turned to Field Marshal Nezick, “Have your spies assassinate Jocasta Harrak. I want it to look like an accident. This is not a time for political messages. Make it clean and done.” the Field Marshal nodded and accepted the mission. On that note the Emperor released the group from the meeting.
Paqurn didn't hang around to chat. Instead he made a path for the Communication's deck. There he set up his message and sent it. The code was something he knew the Reich would never break. So he was not worried about that. Even if they could, he would still not have been concerned. He needed to warn Visst of the coming attack.
“Master,
I regret to inform you that the Emperor has decided to attack the Petersha. It would appear that they are at the center of a leak regarding the Dorin and Reich Alliance. The Emperor has sent one of his most loyal naval commanders to destroy the Petersha. The Reich is using their terror weapon, the wolf packs to conduct this attack. Also, the noble Jocasta Harrak, wife to the Captain of the Petersha has been targeted for assassination. You must stop these actions. It is possible that they will lead the Galaxy closer to war. A war that our side is not ready for yet. Worse case scenario would be no war after these actions. It would be giving the Emperor a free pass to annex more systems along the Reich Boarder. These actions must be stopped. Make haste Master, I will attempt to uncover as much as I can about both plans and inform you as I learn more.”
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