<![CDATA[Region of Selene - The Bosporus]]> http://selene.online/forum/ Tue, 28 Apr 2026 10:19:07 +0000 MyBB <![CDATA[In the Shimmering Twilight]]> http://selene.online/forum/showthread.php?tid=581 Thu, 03 Dec 2020 21:44:53 +0000 Parthenopias]]> http://selene.online/forum/showthread.php?tid=581 Aboard the Alpheos in orbit around Janus,
Valessian Controlled Zone on Janus

The sun was low on the horizon as it usually was. On the band straddling the Everbright and Evernight as the Valessians referred to the, stood the Umbra Facility. An Imperial Research station devoted to discerning and aiding in inhabiting Janus. As a marginally habitable world in the system it stood as the focal point between Sorana and Vesta. The facility had been in operation for some ten years and was a source of tension between the Empire and the other dominant powers in the system as it was often a place for military drills despite its civilian stated goals. It was also well known that a detachment of Imperial Sentinels were stationed at the facility, though the Empire maintained that was for the civilian's security as it was considered on the fringe. Bandits and Marauders flocked to Janus in droves due to its position as lawless outside of a few maintained settlements. None of the dominant powers were able to bring their forces to root out such problem makers as it would undoubtedly lead to tension with one another.

In orbit was the Cassios Class Cruiser, Alpheos, the flagship of the Valessian Expeditionary Fleet that would periodically orbit Janus or make rounds along the demarcated zones of control. The vessel was resupplying the facility and changing out its Sentinel detachment for a fresh deployment. Several Hoplon Heavy Tanks and some Gorgon Fast Attack Vehicles were also being sent down to the station to further assist in defense against marauders and pirates.

A hologram shimmered into being on the command console of Captain Lukos, the image was of Director Hylas who oversaw the facility. "Captain I assure you that our facility remains intact against the external threats and has not been compromised. We appreciate your supplying us but we are not in additional need than we were eight months ago." Director Hylas said with a rather aggravated tone.

"Director it is the opinion of the Central Committee that the facility should be bolstered and so here I am doing just that. The new Sentinels being sent down are exemplary and were critical in rooting out a similar issue on Thesan. They will certainly be able to achieve similar results here on Janus. Your work is of great interest to the Committee and to the Admiralty and as such we will guard it the best we can."

"Captain..." there was a hesitation as another figure came into the room with Director Hylas though because the person was mostly out of the holograms reach they were not fully rendered.

"Director is there an issue?" Captain Lukos said rather agitated that the Director was putting up so much resistance to the reinforcement of the installation.

"Captain my personnel tell me that they have spotted some marauders on the far reaches of the plains not far from here. Perhaps your Sentinels would be of better use dealing with them then." The Director then severed the link.

Captain Lukos sighed and walked out of his personal room and onto the bridge of the ship. Officers and other personnel snapped to attention before he waived his hand. Several people were standing around a holographic map of Janus that was updating in relative real time thanks to a series of satellites and the capabilities of the Alpheos itself.

"Sir there appear to be eight light attack vehicles en route to the Umbra facility. Presently they are 50 klicks away and should be at the very edge of the canyon checkpoint in about fifteen minutes. We are predicting a breakthrough to the main facility should they be allowed to reach the checkpoint. Sentinel forces are unable to react at this time."

Captain Lukos looked at the map and then at the facility. As much as he would like to let the Director get a taste of the need for the Sentinels he also knew he would lose his job and his head should the facility be breached.

"Dispatch them." He said, his voice cold and unmoving. With his command several personnel began talking through the communication system and locking coordinates on the marauders. Within two minutes one of the main guns of the vessel began to swivel and was actively targeting. Without another word three shots were fired in quick succession. The rounds were plenty large enough to put sizeable craters into the ground below and should have been more than enough to be considered overkill but were also the quickest and cleanest way to end this before it started.

Below on the surface aboard one of the marauders vehicles there was a sound of a distant boom before everything seemed to flash and then silence. Where there was once grass and shrubs there were now cinders and craters.

A light began to blink aboard the vessel which caused a klaxon to sound almost a second later. Scrambling to get their words out the personnel began shouting.

"Incoming objects at extreme speeds. Estimated time to contact is two minutes." Came one voice from a console close to Captain Lukos. His eyes turned back to the planetary hologram where a mass of red dots appeared from the surface. Their projected trajectory put them on a direct collision course with the Alpehos.

"Bring pds online immediately and calibrate for close quarters bursts. Target long range weapons to begin thinning down the objects. Activate the Thesos." His orders cut through the cacophony of voices and actions were immediately taken. An electrical charging sound could be heard and what almost could be mistaken for lightning crackling.

Time passed slowly as the objects came closer. Still there was no word as to what they were and they seemed to multiple on the screen as more made contact with the tracking system. The longer range weapons began to fire taking a few of the objects at a time but not quickly enough.

"Unidentified objects crossing the red line. PDS firing." Another voice from the fire and control section of the bridge stated. Many of the Alpheos' various point defense systems snapped to life and opened fired. Some with rapid fire kinetic bursts akin to miniguns and others with cloud particles that would be shot out and then harden acting as a barrier of sorts.

It didn't matter how much the PDS and long range weapons did though as the objects kept coming and seemingly didn't end. The first few to hit the Thesos were incinerated on contact without much damage to the ship but as more and more strained the system it began to falter and areas of impact grew in number.

"Multiple decks breached, hull integrity failing. Thesos collapse imminent." The voice was tinged with worry.

"Transmit data to Command." Captain Lukos was aware of the situation and knew the Alpheos was not going to survive contact. Whatever weapon had been used had overwhelmed the cruisers capability to defend itself which would be of great interest to the Admiralty of the Empire. Just after the comms officer said it was completed another klaxon blared and the lights shifted to blue as confirmation of a reactor breach came in.

In a rather brilliant explosion that filled the sky above the Umbra facility the Alpheos ceased to exist. All hands lost. The faces of the civilians and the Sentinels on the surface of Janus went pale. The thought that something could so easily take out an Imperial Cruiser was daunting and intimidating to say the least. It was all at once that the radio signals of the facility and the various visual screens went black before a golden circle with a line down its middle appeared.

"The day the Empire has an official presence on Janus is coming to an end. Liberation of mind, body and soul is coming. Will you join or will you resist. The choice is yours." With that the screens and radios cleared. Debris could be seen raining down in the mountains to the north and west. No escape pods were observed. Silence once again fell over the facility.]]> Aboard the Alpheos in orbit around Janus,
Valessian Controlled Zone on Janus

The sun was low on the horizon as it usually was. On the band straddling the Everbright and Evernight as the Valessians referred to the, stood the Umbra Facility. An Imperial Research station devoted to discerning and aiding in inhabiting Janus. As a marginally habitable world in the system it stood as the focal point between Sorana and Vesta. The facility had been in operation for some ten years and was a source of tension between the Empire and the other dominant powers in the system as it was often a place for military drills despite its civilian stated goals. It was also well known that a detachment of Imperial Sentinels were stationed at the facility, though the Empire maintained that was for the civilian's security as it was considered on the fringe. Bandits and Marauders flocked to Janus in droves due to its position as lawless outside of a few maintained settlements. None of the dominant powers were able to bring their forces to root out such problem makers as it would undoubtedly lead to tension with one another.

In orbit was the Cassios Class Cruiser, Alpheos, the flagship of the Valessian Expeditionary Fleet that would periodically orbit Janus or make rounds along the demarcated zones of control. The vessel was resupplying the facility and changing out its Sentinel detachment for a fresh deployment. Several Hoplon Heavy Tanks and some Gorgon Fast Attack Vehicles were also being sent down to the station to further assist in defense against marauders and pirates.

A hologram shimmered into being on the command console of Captain Lukos, the image was of Director Hylas who oversaw the facility. "Captain I assure you that our facility remains intact against the external threats and has not been compromised. We appreciate your supplying us but we are not in additional need than we were eight months ago." Director Hylas said with a rather aggravated tone.

"Director it is the opinion of the Central Committee that the facility should be bolstered and so here I am doing just that. The new Sentinels being sent down are exemplary and were critical in rooting out a similar issue on Thesan. They will certainly be able to achieve similar results here on Janus. Your work is of great interest to the Committee and to the Admiralty and as such we will guard it the best we can."

"Captain..." there was a hesitation as another figure came into the room with Director Hylas though because the person was mostly out of the holograms reach they were not fully rendered.

"Director is there an issue?" Captain Lukos said rather agitated that the Director was putting up so much resistance to the reinforcement of the installation.

"Captain my personnel tell me that they have spotted some marauders on the far reaches of the plains not far from here. Perhaps your Sentinels would be of better use dealing with them then." The Director then severed the link.

Captain Lukos sighed and walked out of his personal room and onto the bridge of the ship. Officers and other personnel snapped to attention before he waived his hand. Several people were standing around a holographic map of Janus that was updating in relative real time thanks to a series of satellites and the capabilities of the Alpheos itself.

"Sir there appear to be eight light attack vehicles en route to the Umbra facility. Presently they are 50 klicks away and should be at the very edge of the canyon checkpoint in about fifteen minutes. We are predicting a breakthrough to the main facility should they be allowed to reach the checkpoint. Sentinel forces are unable to react at this time."

Captain Lukos looked at the map and then at the facility. As much as he would like to let the Director get a taste of the need for the Sentinels he also knew he would lose his job and his head should the facility be breached.

"Dispatch them." He said, his voice cold and unmoving. With his command several personnel began talking through the communication system and locking coordinates on the marauders. Within two minutes one of the main guns of the vessel began to swivel and was actively targeting. Without another word three shots were fired in quick succession. The rounds were plenty large enough to put sizeable craters into the ground below and should have been more than enough to be considered overkill but were also the quickest and cleanest way to end this before it started.

Below on the surface aboard one of the marauders vehicles there was a sound of a distant boom before everything seemed to flash and then silence. Where there was once grass and shrubs there were now cinders and craters.

A light began to blink aboard the vessel which caused a klaxon to sound almost a second later. Scrambling to get their words out the personnel began shouting.

"Incoming objects at extreme speeds. Estimated time to contact is two minutes." Came one voice from a console close to Captain Lukos. His eyes turned back to the planetary hologram where a mass of red dots appeared from the surface. Their projected trajectory put them on a direct collision course with the Alpehos.

"Bring pds online immediately and calibrate for close quarters bursts. Target long range weapons to begin thinning down the objects. Activate the Thesos." His orders cut through the cacophony of voices and actions were immediately taken. An electrical charging sound could be heard and what almost could be mistaken for lightning crackling.

Time passed slowly as the objects came closer. Still there was no word as to what they were and they seemed to multiple on the screen as more made contact with the tracking system. The longer range weapons began to fire taking a few of the objects at a time but not quickly enough.

"Unidentified objects crossing the red line. PDS firing." Another voice from the fire and control section of the bridge stated. Many of the Alpheos' various point defense systems snapped to life and opened fired. Some with rapid fire kinetic bursts akin to miniguns and others with cloud particles that would be shot out and then harden acting as a barrier of sorts.

It didn't matter how much the PDS and long range weapons did though as the objects kept coming and seemingly didn't end. The first few to hit the Thesos were incinerated on contact without much damage to the ship but as more and more strained the system it began to falter and areas of impact grew in number.

"Multiple decks breached, hull integrity failing. Thesos collapse imminent." The voice was tinged with worry.

"Transmit data to Command." Captain Lukos was aware of the situation and knew the Alpheos was not going to survive contact. Whatever weapon had been used had overwhelmed the cruisers capability to defend itself which would be of great interest to the Admiralty of the Empire. Just after the comms officer said it was completed another klaxon blared and the lights shifted to blue as confirmation of a reactor breach came in.

In a rather brilliant explosion that filled the sky above the Umbra facility the Alpheos ceased to exist. All hands lost. The faces of the civilians and the Sentinels on the surface of Janus went pale. The thought that something could so easily take out an Imperial Cruiser was daunting and intimidating to say the least. It was all at once that the radio signals of the facility and the various visual screens went black before a golden circle with a line down its middle appeared.

"The day the Empire has an official presence on Janus is coming to an end. Liberation of mind, body and soul is coming. Will you join or will you resist. The choice is yours." With that the screens and radios cleared. Debris could be seen raining down in the mountains to the north and west. No escape pods were observed. Silence once again fell over the facility.]]> <![CDATA[Merovienne Official Visit to Sartoria]]> http://selene.online/forum/showthread.php?tid=573 Fri, 07 Aug 2020 23:11:39 +0000 Justinian Kalominos]]> http://selene.online/forum/showthread.php?tid=573 GAUDIANO AIR FORCE BASE
MESSELIA, SARTORIA

Mario Candiotti briefly checked the time on the table before continuing to read the report. He was sitting comfortably in one of the executive lounges in Gaudiano Air Force Base, reading a classified report on offworld developments. It was rather dull, but it had to be read and he had little else to do at the moment, waiting as he was for the Merovienne Chancellor's flight to land. He sighed, closed the report for a minute and walked towards the food station, considering whether to grab a sandwich or a pastry. He wasn't one to eat too much, but he always enjoyed the food at Gaudiano.

Named after Silvana Gaudiano, a hero of the Fourth Sacuri War, Gaudiano Air Force Base was a large military installation near Messelia and the primary gateway for the arrival and departure of federal and foreign senior government officials. It was located right next to Gaudiano Space Force Base, a similar installation used for military space operations. Together they formed one of the largest and most important aerospace installations in Sartoria. Of course, Gaudiano was also known by senior officials for the excellent food that it provided in its executive lounges, which led officials to constantly come up with reasons to visit the base or, as was the case today, be assigned to greet foreign officials.

"Councillor, we are ready for the Chancellor's arrival."

Mario nodded and put quickly chose a pastry, deciding to indulge himself this one time before following the sergeant towards the runway, there the reception party was already set up. There he waited, conversing with the Merovienne Ambassador, as he heard the familiar sound of an aircraft approaching and soon enough he saw the distinctive blue underside and gold stripe, the traditional colours of Merovia. Once the aircraft land and had approached, Mario saw as the door opened and the visitors walked down the stairs and onto the carpet. He allowed himself to smile and bowed at the Chancellor, the traditional greeting of Sartoria.]]> GAUDIANO AIR FORCE BASE
MESSELIA, SARTORIA

Mario Candiotti briefly checked the time on the table before continuing to read the report. He was sitting comfortably in one of the executive lounges in Gaudiano Air Force Base, reading a classified report on offworld developments. It was rather dull, but it had to be read and he had little else to do at the moment, waiting as he was for the Merovienne Chancellor's flight to land. He sighed, closed the report for a minute and walked towards the food station, considering whether to grab a sandwich or a pastry. He wasn't one to eat too much, but he always enjoyed the food at Gaudiano.

Named after Silvana Gaudiano, a hero of the Fourth Sacuri War, Gaudiano Air Force Base was a large military installation near Messelia and the primary gateway for the arrival and departure of federal and foreign senior government officials. It was located right next to Gaudiano Space Force Base, a similar installation used for military space operations. Together they formed one of the largest and most important aerospace installations in Sartoria. Of course, Gaudiano was also known by senior officials for the excellent food that it provided in its executive lounges, which led officials to constantly come up with reasons to visit the base or, as was the case today, be assigned to greet foreign officials.

"Councillor, we are ready for the Chancellor's arrival."

Mario nodded and put quickly chose a pastry, deciding to indulge himself this one time before following the sergeant towards the runway, there the reception party was already set up. There he waited, conversing with the Merovienne Ambassador, as he heard the familiar sound of an aircraft approaching and soon enough he saw the distinctive blue underside and gold stripe, the traditional colours of Merovia. Once the aircraft land and had approached, Mario saw as the door opened and the visitors walked down the stairs and onto the carpet. He allowed himself to smile and bowed at the Chancellor, the traditional greeting of Sartoria.]]> <![CDATA[[National Spotlight #1] Executive Branches]]> http://selene.online/forum/showthread.php?tid=572 Tue, 04 Aug 2020 22:43:38 +0000 Justinian Kalominos]]> http://selene.online/forum/showthread.php?tid=572
National Spotlight #1
Executive Branches
How is the executive branch of your nation structured? What executive agencies does your nation have? Who are its top officials? How are those officials elected or appointed? How did the executive branch attain its current structure?

ShowThread Rules
  • Posts must answer the questions in the light purple row.
  • Posts must not be shorter than a paragraph, nor may the paragraph be excessively short in an attempt to skirt this rule.
  • Posts may not be used as interactive roleplay. If your post leads to a back and forth with other players, start a thread on it.
  • Posts must abide by Corpus Juris and all other subsidiary rules.
]]>
National Spotlight #1
Executive Branches
How is the executive branch of your nation structured? What executive agencies does your nation have? Who are its top officials? How are those officials elected or appointed? How did the executive branch attain its current structure?

ShowThread Rules
  • Posts must answer the questions in the light purple row.
  • Posts must not be shorter than a paragraph, nor may the paragraph be excessively short in an attempt to skirt this rule.
  • Posts may not be used as interactive roleplay. If your post leads to a back and forth with other players, start a thread on it.
  • Posts must abide by Corpus Juris and all other subsidiary rules.
]]> <![CDATA[Voice of the Lyseans]]> http://selene.online/forum/showthread.php?tid=570 Mon, 13 Jul 2020 03:16:26 +0000 Tek]]> http://selene.online/forum/showthread.php?tid=570 Reactionary Conspiracy Leaders Executed
Four Sovereigns were executed in Tacaris today for conspiracy against the Revolution. The Sovereigns were found guilty on multiple charges by the Justiciars following their arrest last month. Those executed were the leaders of an attempted reactionary conspiracy. Others continue to be arrested in connection to this conspiracy, and are awaiting justice from the Justiciars for their crimes against the people. Multiple conspirators were found to have been operating under false identities, including a Sovereign who was already wanted for previous crimes against the people of the Commonwealth. Some of those arrested are also believed to have connections to foreign states.

The conspiracy included a series of planned attacks against the Commonwealth and its people. The plots included a planned assassination of several Arbiters. Most shockingly was a planned attempt to assassinate Arbiter Bektamun-Miane, which was intended to take place late last month.

The conspiracy was exposed by Tebu-Mesi, a Degg who has been illegally held in servitude by those executed since the Revolution. Tebu turned in his former enslavers for their conspiracy after escaping captivity. He was congratulated by Arbiter Bektamun-Miane earlier this month for his service to the Revolution.

Following the executions, Arbiter Tasukhen Shai-Halima issued a stern warning in a public statement today, warning of the imminent threat posed by reactionary traitors and their foreign collaborators.]]> Reactionary Conspiracy Leaders Executed
Four Sovereigns were executed in Tacaris today for conspiracy against the Revolution. The Sovereigns were found guilty on multiple charges by the Justiciars following their arrest last month. Those executed were the leaders of an attempted reactionary conspiracy. Others continue to be arrested in connection to this conspiracy, and are awaiting justice from the Justiciars for their crimes against the people. Multiple conspirators were found to have been operating under false identities, including a Sovereign who was already wanted for previous crimes against the people of the Commonwealth. Some of those arrested are also believed to have connections to foreign states.

The conspiracy included a series of planned attacks against the Commonwealth and its people. The plots included a planned assassination of several Arbiters. Most shockingly was a planned attempt to assassinate Arbiter Bektamun-Miane, which was intended to take place late last month.

The conspiracy was exposed by Tebu-Mesi, a Degg who has been illegally held in servitude by those executed since the Revolution. Tebu turned in his former enslavers for their conspiracy after escaping captivity. He was congratulated by Arbiter Bektamun-Miane earlier this month for his service to the Revolution.

Following the executions, Arbiter Tasukhen Shai-Halima issued a stern warning in a public statement today, warning of the imminent threat posed by reactionary traitors and their foreign collaborators.]]> <![CDATA[Flash News]]> http://selene.online/forum/showthread.php?tid=569 Mon, 13 Jul 2020 00:43:33 +0000 Justinian Kalominos]]> http://selene.online/forum/showthread.php?tid=569
Flash News
short news from around the planetary system
Nations from all around the planetary system use this platform to share short news about their happenings, to be distributed to all subscribers. This platform is part of the Unity Project.

ShowThread Rules
  • Posts must be news or recent happenings in your nation worthy of distribution throughout the planetary system.
  • Posts may not be longer than a paragraph, nor may the paragraph be excessively long in an attempt to skirt this rule.
  • Posts may not be used as flash roleplay. If your post leads to a continued back and forth with other players, start a thread on it.
  • Posts must abide by Corpus Juris and all other subsidiary rules.
]]>
Flash News
short news from around the planetary system
Nations from all around the planetary system use this platform to share short news about their happenings, to be distributed to all subscribers. This platform is part of the Unity Project.

ShowThread Rules
  • Posts must be news or recent happenings in your nation worthy of distribution throughout the planetary system.
  • Posts may not be longer than a paragraph, nor may the paragraph be excessively long in an attempt to skirt this rule.
  • Posts may not be used as flash roleplay. If your post leads to a continued back and forth with other players, start a thread on it.
  • Posts must abide by Corpus Juris and all other subsidiary rules.
]]> <![CDATA[Life in the Fornirian Empire]]> http://selene.online/forum/showthread.php?tid=568 Thu, 02 Jul 2020 14:22:28 +0000 Fornoire]]> http://selene.online/forum/showthread.php?tid=568 Catherine, Empire of Fornoire

It was time for the parade. The April 18th Victory Day parade commemorated the foundation of the Azurian Union after a brutal war which the integrationists won. When the Fornirian Empire succeeded the Union, it was decided that these parades would still continue, albeit it was now the Emperor who addressed the audience.

Thousands of soldiers of all nationalities were due to march onward. Flag poles displayed colossal flags of the various countries and ethnicities of the Empire. The military high command saluted from a balcony high up in the Imperial Palace along with the Emperor, his family, senior members of the Cabinet, First Ministers from the constituent nations and the leaders of all major parties. The Empire had to be united in remembering the fallen. Unitarians and federalists, rightists and leftists from all over the Empire, all standing in solidarity and brotherhood.

"Imperial citizens, proud subjects of the Empire, today we honour the fallen from that devastating conflict that tore brothers, families, communities and countries apart. It is the duty of the Imperial state that this does not occur ever again, for so much blood shed is a travesty for all humanity. We must be aware that the differences engendered over these past few millenia have never truly broken our common identity as one union of brotherly solidarity. The glorious sacrifice of so many to forge the state we reside in today must never be held in vain. The tragedy of our recent history must never repeat itself. It is up to us all to see this national priority to its ultimate and conclusive fruitition. May the Empire and its people last forevermore! Ura!"

[Image: buckingham-palace-royal-balcony.jpg]



The soldiers presented cheered, as was custom. The Imperial anthem was played, and the artillery began to fire. The military officials of the parade saluted, as did everyone in the Imperial balcony. The crowd, composed of the lawmakers of the Empire, their guests and those who bought a ticket, stood up for the anthem. The only legislators who were not there were those from the nationalist parties, who wished independence for their respective countries and so refused to attend in protest. They were few in number today, and thus their absence was not noteworthy.

Soldiers marched, tanks rolled in, artillery moved forward, rocket platforms drove by. The Fornirian air and space forces roared from the skies, providing colourful entertainment or displays of force.

There was something special about this parade. For the first time in history, a non-human was amongst the troop. A Caedri marched with the regular infantry, and when the Fornirian media noticed this, their cameras turned to this specimen in curiosity. The crowd was also amazed, as were some in the Imperial balcony.

Out of the 910,000 Caedri residing in the Empire (many of which are merely immigrants and not Fornirian-born), only 100 joined the Imperial military. Most of these recruits were debt-ridden and wished to find an escape from prosecution by the authorities. Service in the military shielded them from facing charges, but most of their pay went to paying these debts as a result. The Caedri marching was one of these cases, but no one knew. Many Fornirians were already assuming that this was some "patriotic individual" that had joined the army out of national pride. They were mistaken, but it was a nice thought.

The top leadership of the Empire conversed in the balcony they were in as the troops marched onward. The military command was making small talk out of strategies and socialization. The political higher-ups were discussing issues political in nature, albeit some did mutter a bit here and there about personal matters.

The Emperor continued to observe attentively. He had nothing better to do, so he smiled and acted for the cameras.

The sun was shining beautifully today. What a nice day. The generals can have their worries, and the politicians can have their headaches. But the Emperor? None. He can just observe the sky without any worry. He can appreciate nature's beauty despite all these cannonades and the skyscrapers.

How delightful.]]> Catherine, Empire of Fornoire

It was time for the parade. The April 18th Victory Day parade commemorated the foundation of the Azurian Union after a brutal war which the integrationists won. When the Fornirian Empire succeeded the Union, it was decided that these parades would still continue, albeit it was now the Emperor who addressed the audience.

Thousands of soldiers of all nationalities were due to march onward. Flag poles displayed colossal flags of the various countries and ethnicities of the Empire. The military high command saluted from a balcony high up in the Imperial Palace along with the Emperor, his family, senior members of the Cabinet, First Ministers from the constituent nations and the leaders of all major parties. The Empire had to be united in remembering the fallen. Unitarians and federalists, rightists and leftists from all over the Empire, all standing in solidarity and brotherhood.

"Imperial citizens, proud subjects of the Empire, today we honour the fallen from that devastating conflict that tore brothers, families, communities and countries apart. It is the duty of the Imperial state that this does not occur ever again, for so much blood shed is a travesty for all humanity. We must be aware that the differences engendered over these past few millenia have never truly broken our common identity as one union of brotherly solidarity. The glorious sacrifice of so many to forge the state we reside in today must never be held in vain. The tragedy of our recent history must never repeat itself. It is up to us all to see this national priority to its ultimate and conclusive fruitition. May the Empire and its people last forevermore! Ura!"

[Image: buckingham-palace-royal-balcony.jpg]



The soldiers presented cheered, as was custom. The Imperial anthem was played, and the artillery began to fire. The military officials of the parade saluted, as did everyone in the Imperial balcony. The crowd, composed of the lawmakers of the Empire, their guests and those who bought a ticket, stood up for the anthem. The only legislators who were not there were those from the nationalist parties, who wished independence for their respective countries and so refused to attend in protest. They were few in number today, and thus their absence was not noteworthy.

Soldiers marched, tanks rolled in, artillery moved forward, rocket platforms drove by. The Fornirian air and space forces roared from the skies, providing colourful entertainment or displays of force.

There was something special about this parade. For the first time in history, a non-human was amongst the troop. A Caedri marched with the regular infantry, and when the Fornirian media noticed this, their cameras turned to this specimen in curiosity. The crowd was also amazed, as were some in the Imperial balcony.

Out of the 910,000 Caedri residing in the Empire (many of which are merely immigrants and not Fornirian-born), only 100 joined the Imperial military. Most of these recruits were debt-ridden and wished to find an escape from prosecution by the authorities. Service in the military shielded them from facing charges, but most of their pay went to paying these debts as a result. The Caedri marching was one of these cases, but no one knew. Many Fornirians were already assuming that this was some "patriotic individual" that had joined the army out of national pride. They were mistaken, but it was a nice thought.

The top leadership of the Empire conversed in the balcony they were in as the troops marched onward. The military command was making small talk out of strategies and socialization. The political higher-ups were discussing issues political in nature, albeit some did mutter a bit here and there about personal matters.

The Emperor continued to observe attentively. He had nothing better to do, so he smiled and acted for the cameras.

The sun was shining beautifully today. What a nice day. The generals can have their worries, and the politicians can have their headaches. But the Emperor? None. He can just observe the sky without any worry. He can appreciate nature's beauty despite all these cannonades and the skyscrapers.

How delightful.]]> <![CDATA[World Society Conference on the Early Warning System of Artemis]]> http://selene.online/forum/showthread.php?tid=552 Sun, 31 May 2020 00:32:57 +0000 Evangelous Dimitriou]]> http://selene.online/forum/showthread.php?tid=552 World Society Headquarters, Messelia, Sartoria, 2132

A normal day for work, in the diplomatic center of Artemis. Diplomats, bureaucrats, public figures and more, scurrying about the many hallways and hundreds of conference room and offices. Perhaps an occasional shouting match as the passions of the few reach a high. Nothing was terribly out of place, and so a Septiman diplomat wandering around, looking for her correct room was nothing much to worry about.

What gives more food for thought is the content of the briefcase she held, and her mission here in Messelia on behalf of an entire world power. That of decades of space-related research and data, alongside several personally penned letters by Septiman leadership, with a goal of unifying dozens of early warning and detection satellites into a single harmonious system.
At last, the room revealed itself to her, and she unceremoniously entered. Offering an apology, she traveled to her seat, and began her set-up for the presentation.  Dozens of blurry images, predicted orbital trajectories, rows and rows of statistics concerning computers and their processing power. Intermittent handouts for a potential organization under the World Society. She came prepared, at least on paper, if not for the upcoming presentation as well.

“Again, I offer my apologies to the conference. My name is Szófia Fekete, Minister-Counselor within the Seven Republics' Mission to the World Society, and I am here today to present the case for consolidating all space-related early warning, search and track, and long-range detection satellites and radars into a single entity, under the overall supervision of the World Society. In addition, a case will be made for bringing all related computing systems under the same organization, to assist in the processing of all acquired data and produce a more efficient early warning system.”

A projector, set up in advance and now displaying a bland title screen, clicked, and revealed a map of Artemis, her moon Apollo, and the myriad collection of satellites operated by individual nations within the World Society. “This, as clearly labeled, is a collection of all non-military satellites currently operated by the member nations sitting in this room. Some of the information present on the table is a much more comprehensive look at all of them, if you are interested.”

“What the Seven Republics desires for an early warning system, more specifically, is to remove some of the administrative red tape and data delay between member nations, so that we are better equipped to detect and engage any potential threats to Artemis. It is no secret that our off-world counterparts are as space-capable as we are, if not moreso, and thus, it is becoming more and more necessary to be able to search for threats and know of them sooner.”

“The primary consideration for unifying the satellites is the different protocols in place for collecting data. This can be solved with a team sent to all satellites to perform reprogramming at their source, with member nation consent and assistance of course, and would be of great use to the secondary, and perhaps far more important component to the entire system: the computers that process all gathered data and generate orbital path predictions off of it.”

“A similar consideration exists in the form of protocol and operating systems, but just as well, there is simply not enough processing power currently used for early warning to match the data we are receiving. The pages on that topic are of course available in far greater detail on the table. The World Society, or at a minimum all nations not matching their data input, should without a shadow of a doubt be pouring far more resources into expanding their processing capabilities so that we can more accurately form a comprehensive defense picture for space threats.”

“That is the position of the Seven Republics. Are there any questions concerning the presentation?”]]> World Society Headquarters, Messelia, Sartoria, 2132

A normal day for work, in the diplomatic center of Artemis. Diplomats, bureaucrats, public figures and more, scurrying about the many hallways and hundreds of conference room and offices. Perhaps an occasional shouting match as the passions of the few reach a high. Nothing was terribly out of place, and so a Septiman diplomat wandering around, looking for her correct room was nothing much to worry about.

What gives more food for thought is the content of the briefcase she held, and her mission here in Messelia on behalf of an entire world power. That of decades of space-related research and data, alongside several personally penned letters by Septiman leadership, with a goal of unifying dozens of early warning and detection satellites into a single harmonious system.
At last, the room revealed itself to her, and she unceremoniously entered. Offering an apology, she traveled to her seat, and began her set-up for the presentation.  Dozens of blurry images, predicted orbital trajectories, rows and rows of statistics concerning computers and their processing power. Intermittent handouts for a potential organization under the World Society. She came prepared, at least on paper, if not for the upcoming presentation as well.

“Again, I offer my apologies to the conference. My name is Szófia Fekete, Minister-Counselor within the Seven Republics' Mission to the World Society, and I am here today to present the case for consolidating all space-related early warning, search and track, and long-range detection satellites and radars into a single entity, under the overall supervision of the World Society. In addition, a case will be made for bringing all related computing systems under the same organization, to assist in the processing of all acquired data and produce a more efficient early warning system.”

A projector, set up in advance and now displaying a bland title screen, clicked, and revealed a map of Artemis, her moon Apollo, and the myriad collection of satellites operated by individual nations within the World Society. “This, as clearly labeled, is a collection of all non-military satellites currently operated by the member nations sitting in this room. Some of the information present on the table is a much more comprehensive look at all of them, if you are interested.”

“What the Seven Republics desires for an early warning system, more specifically, is to remove some of the administrative red tape and data delay between member nations, so that we are better equipped to detect and engage any potential threats to Artemis. It is no secret that our off-world counterparts are as space-capable as we are, if not moreso, and thus, it is becoming more and more necessary to be able to search for threats and know of them sooner.”

“The primary consideration for unifying the satellites is the different protocols in place for collecting data. This can be solved with a team sent to all satellites to perform reprogramming at their source, with member nation consent and assistance of course, and would be of great use to the secondary, and perhaps far more important component to the entire system: the computers that process all gathered data and generate orbital path predictions off of it.”

“A similar consideration exists in the form of protocol and operating systems, but just as well, there is simply not enough processing power currently used for early warning to match the data we are receiving. The pages on that topic are of course available in far greater detail on the table. The World Society, or at a minimum all nations not matching their data input, should without a shadow of a doubt be pouring far more resources into expanding their processing capabilities so that we can more accurately form a comprehensive defense picture for space threats.”

“That is the position of the Seven Republics. Are there any questions concerning the presentation?”]]>