ShipCore [Stub]

USD: After two days of aborted negotiations.
Location: Meltisar, MOR-1, Ambassadorial Station Segment, Near Meeting Room A

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Alex sank into the plush lounge sofa, her tense shoulders proof of her unease. The thick carpet and elaborate decorations surrounding her did little to alleviate her mood and while the smart fabric couch was comfortable, it did not provide any sense of relief.

“Relax,” Rachel urged gently, observing Alex’s tension.

Casting a sidelong glance at her friend, memories of the recently aborted meeting prickled at Alex’s nerves, making relaxation seem nearly impossible. “That isn’t easy.”

With a deep breath, she prodded her cake with her fork. The mere thought of Talisa’s face stirred an urge to crush the dessert in frustration. A desire to punch something bubbled up inside her.

Another gathering loomed in just a couple of hours, but thus far, negotiations had been fruitless.

Despite receiving advice and support from Admiral Westlake and Captain Mackey, most of their time had been spent arguing and flinging empty platitudes at each other. The envoys had no issue bringing random conflicts and issues that weren’t even related to Meltisar whenever possible. Whenever she interrupted or attempted to steer things, the discussions would inevitably devolve into heated exchanges between her and the Imperial Envoy—both flinging thinly veiled barbs at each other that only served to exacerbate tensions further.

Alex shook her head slightly before letting out a sigh. “I can’t believe we have to do this all over again,” she murmured to Rachel.

Rachel offered a sympathetic smile. “Just try to stay focused on finding common ground,” she advised softly. “You never know—maybe today will be different.”

“The only thing in common is that we all hate each other,” Alex muttered, frustration evident in her voice.

With a sudden move, Rachel walked over and sat in Alex’s lap. The unexpected closeness caught Alex off guard, momentarily disarming her frustration and filling her with surprise. She glanced at the door to the room, realizing they weren’t exactly in private.

“It’s a good thing I came with you, or you’d be wrecking MOR-1 worse than the AGAI did to MIL-1A,” Rachel commented lightly.

Alex huffed. “That isn’t funny.” Yet she couldn’t deny that her friend had effectively defused her urge to break something.

She slipped an arm around Rachel’s back and leaned in, pressing a kiss on her neck. Rachel giggled, but pulled away slightly. “Save that for later.”

Biting her lip, Alex retorted, “You’re the one who needs the extra attention, and you’re telling me to stop?”

“I can be professional,” Rachel shot back. “I’m just doing my duty to keep our esteemed diplomat presentable.”

The hiss of air from the door sliding open interrupted their banter. Rachel quickly slid off Alex’s lap and stood up as the Corporate Envoy entered the lounge.

“Am I interrupting something?” The woman asked, her golden eyes flickering between Alex and Rachel.

Alex shook her head while Rachel responded, “No, Freylia. Nothing going on. I’m just getting some coffee.”

Freylia gave them both a second appraisal before continuing into the room and sitting on the lounge sofa across from Alex.

Alex felt her annoyance surge as her HUD went off on a tangent, highlighting Freylia and announcing the danger and threat posed by the sigma NAI. Dismissing the indicator, Alex set her cake down on a glass end table, suddenly losing her appetite.

Rachel hummed innocently and moved to the drink bar.

Alex’s gaze remained fixed on Freylia; although she wasn’t the most aggravating of the envoys, she was far from innocent when it came to causing disturbances in the meeting room.

Tia had advised her to keep trying, even though Alex had come to view these meetings as a waste of time. Even if Rachel claimed that she was enjoying their time away from the academy, Alex was not. She had already missed a lot of instruction, and despite receiving lessons from Nameless and others, it didn’t feel quite the same.

“What do you want, Freylia?” Alex asked tersely.

“I’ve never seen someone as irritable as Talisa,” Freylia replied, her voice carrying a hint of amusement.

Alex shot her an annoyed glare, but Rachel broke their eye contact as she passed between them and sat down beside Alex. She pushed a cup into Alex’s hands, momentarily distracting her from the conversation.

Annoyance short-circuited as she looked down at the milky brown drink full of sugar. Taking a sip, Alex could taste the perfect blend of half-milk, half-coffee, and half-sugar. Rachel knew just how she liked it.

Freylia gave them a considering look before continuing. “The Imperium likes to use the tau because she’s difficult to work with, hates everyone, and enjoys being a bully. I think you’ve confused her by shouting back at her.”

Alex frowned. “Is there a point to that?”

“This tactic works for the Imperium because they hold the strongest position—the most planets, core worlds, and warships. Not enough to do whatever they want, but enough to show they have the biggest stick,” Freylia explained. “Meltisar isn’t in the same situation. You’re surrounded on all sides and even with a powerful navy you can’t stop all four factions simultaneously.”

“Thank you for stating the obvious,” Alex said sarcastically.

Frey’s cool confidence wavered as her eye twitched in annoyance. “We are aware of Celestia’s relationship with her family--“

A hiss from the sliding door drew everyone’s attention as the Ertan priestess entered confidently. Alex dismissed another HUD warning.

Freylia acknowledged her first: “Eirene.”

The priestess frowned at Freylia. “Frey, it’s rude that you started without me.”

Alex and Rachel observed as Eirene approached and sat beside Frey, copying their proximity. Alex’s eyes widened slightly, realizing that there might be more to the two envoys’ relationship than had been evident in the meetings.

“I hope you don’t mind? We are being a bit casual here, aren’t we?” Eirene asked with a coy smile.

“I don’t think they care,” Freylia responded sarcastically.

Alex shifted her posture to sit straighter, conscious of Rachel’s closeness. She moved her legs so that their thighs were no longer touching.

Eirene laughed at Alex’s reaction. “Could you please let me know where we are in the conversation?”

“I was just about to make the offer,” Frey said, turning her attention back to Alex and clearing her throat. “Meltisar wants to maintain its independence as a core world. We can make that happen. If you’ll come under the Corporate System’s umbrella, and Celestia accepts Moneta’s protection, we’ll leave you to your own devices in the same way Meltisar has always enjoyed its autonomy. The Ertan Republic will support the move, and we will form a three-part alliance.”

Alex listened intently, setting her coffee down and rubbing her temple. “But you want Tia to become Moneta’s sub-core and be locked to her directives? That’s not possible because Celestia is a Psi as well.”

Eirene clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes, leaning into Frey. “That’s a silly position. I truly don’t see how making something like that up and then trying to run with it benefits Celestia or Meltisar.”

“We’re offering you a sweetheart deal that gives you equal status with us. Celestia doesn’t have another option unless she wishes to return to her mother, but from our information, we don’t think that’s possible,” Freylia said heatedly.

“As much as my encounters with the CS have poisoned me towards liking you, I very much would like to consider your offer. But Tia going under Moneta, or the High Priestess, is a non-starter,” Alex countered firmly.

Frey huffed in anger and stood up. “Spitting on our offer with lies isn’t going to make you any friends, and you need them. Meltisar might have a strong navy now, but you won’t when commerce comes to a halt.”

Alex considered the situation thoughtfully. Frey wasn’t wrong; they had over a trillion people to take care of in the system, and while mining the gas giant would provide consumables for centuries still, the mines on the moons were already lacking rare materials due to over mining. There was no way resource extraction from the single star system could compare to the four larger star nations.

Eirene stood up and clung to Frey’s arm, whispering something so quietly that even Alex couldn’t hear it with amplification. Frey glanced at the priestess with an annoyed expression before turning back to Alex, who had risen to her feet as well. Rachel followed suit.

“We also want Thea back. We know you have taken her,” Frey demanded.

Alex frowned. “If she wants to go back, she can. But our first directive is self-determination, and we aren’t going to force her to return to you.”

Frey clicked her tongue in anger again. “This is bullshit. Let’s go.” She turned and left, with Eirene staying by her side and glancing back to wave at them.

As the door closed, Rachel rubbed Alex’s back soothingly. Alex stated flatly, “The Corpo and Ertan envoys are sleeping together.”

Rachel choked on a laugh and then confirmed, “You didn’t read the report? We already knew that.”

Alex frowned. “We need something like the deal they offered, but we can’t accept their requirements. I don’t even know if they were right about working with the Imperium. This was stupid going into it without a plan. I need to VM Tia.”

“Hey, you’re doing your best,” Rachel countered gently.

“Yeah, but I’m just a cadet,” Alex admitted with a sigh. “I don’t have the experience for this. Where is Meltisar’s stellar diplomatic corps? Even with Westlake and your father’s help, they aren’t cut out for this either.”

Rachel looked away reluctantly. “They’re down on the surface; the experienced staff are all part of the anti-NAI faction…”

Alex groaned loudly in frustration. “Big freaking surprise!”

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Next time... Chapter 170 – Punching Decisions

See you, Space core