Andromeda Approaches(Diplomatic Empire Claim)

@hadrian_knightfall: @leonardo_liafador: @doctor_wheatley: @mercy_: @damien_bonaparte: @tyrus_: @admirallogic: @orion_savage: @highborne: @senator__steel: @redwhiteblue:

"Then Shoot Me"

The Empress rose to her feet and stood about a foot away from the president. Her face held full conviction to her statement, she was serious.

"Kill me now and then fire on of your Human weapons at my people. Kill us all now so we don;t have to starve to death. We can't live farther then mars from a Sun. We would all die, you speak of sympathy yet you bully the people who challenge your opinions. You have no sympathy, you preach of power yet I see nothing but an upset man trying to kill an entire race. So why don't you do it yourself, give the order to kill us all."

The empress stood firm in her convictions.

"Or you can sit back and let others voice their opinions and maybe they can convince you of a different opinion."

@lords_of_light: "Ma'am, please remember, insulting people who you depend on for your species' survival is a bad idea. As for your claims, I don't hate you or your people, but I don't trust you either. It's a necessity when playing politics. I do want to help, but your solution is not safe. I would agree, to mars, so long as you agreed to take one side of the planet, and leave the rest untouched for human explorers. Agreeable?"

@senator__steel: "You have my word as member of an ancient clan, older than your nation, and the sanctity of my blood. If my words ring false, let my title and name be stripped from me forever."

@redwhiteblue: He paused, at the accusation from the Empress, waving the Knightfall off and looking to those Earthlings that had went unspoken.

@lords_of_light: @hadrian_knightfall: @leonardo_liafador: @doctor_wheatley: @mercy_: @damien_bonaparte: @tyrus_: @admirallogic: @orion_savage: @highborne: @senator__steel: @redwhiteblue:

'Erin' Seemed to grow increasingly agitated as the discussion wore on and her eyes practically bored holes into the back of Sam's head while he spoke. Her right hand tightened temporarily into a fist. Tyrus was silent for a long while, letting everyone argue. Her eyes shifted from individual to individual but they eventually lingered on the Empress. "If you shoot her, you will start a war you cannot win. As Director of STRIKE, I am now declaring the Empress and her people currently on the planet under the protection of STRIKE, to be enforced by Erin specifically." She said with a nod to her teenage guard. "This discussion will be civil, contentious fine, but civil. "

She shifted her gaze to the Senator. "Senator, no one on this world will ever need to ask for our help, it will be given freely. I have already demonstrated that when just months after nearly going to war with Ivana we came to the aide of both her and her people against the Orc incursion, without so much as one request from the Shogunate. We did it because people needed our help, not for political favor or even because Ivana and I see eye to eye because very frequently, we don't."

Tyrus considered the existing options. "STRIKE would be happy to share a base on the Moon or Mars with our guests."

This was not just a simple Mexican border crossing. As he was bored he was barely listening through the volume of the cellphone that laid on the side of the table. Fumbling his fingers he would hear the her voice. "Then shoot me" It made him smile. Through his reaction the infected woman started to hysterically smile too and banged her head against the table out of excitement. "Haaaaaa~"He squealed out happily.

"I know these typical minded beings are rather hard to....debate with.. They try to defend the moon, something that hasn't even been colonized with a mammal or plant. Meaning that..THE MOON. Truly doesn't belong to anyone..at this very moment." The audio of the phone clangs out the background of the doctor as he shuffles papers and types on a keyboard. "HAH! There people in the world that even buy a rock on the moon for a mere twenty dollars, so they can claim that they own a part of it"

"AS I SEE IT. This is not a choice of yes...or no. These.. people..andromians? right?..They won't simply leave because we tell them too. They simply just can't leave..With that in hand, this is a choice of, YES. OR. WAR."

"AND I LIKE WAR"

He whispers. "It's beautiful"

@lords_of_light: @hadrian_knightfall: @leonardo_liafador: @doctor_wheatley: @mercy_: @tyrus_: @admirallogic: @orion_savage: @highborne: @senator__steel: @redwhiteblue:

"In all honesty."

He began quite loudly, as to immediately devise a lure frome Dr. Wheatley's speech. "Pardon me butting into your conversation but so far the Vice-President has not presented anything remotely similar to diplomacy, he takes your supposed malevolent intent as an axiom.", in the meanwhile as he talked he rummaged through the contents of his messanger bag.

"You are asking the wrong questions. How many of the Andromedans are there again? What technology transported them here and are they possibly willing to share it? Why even here? We now know there is atleast a dozen planets with conditions identical to Earth in relatively close distance. Are they even compatible with Earth? And what if we aren't compatible with them? Can you imagine what disaster it would be if an alien virus suddenly found it's way into the population? No, you clearly don't as your time in the military crippled your ability to see a situation from a pragmatic perspective. You are a military man, Mr. Washington, I respect your work but you cannot be so uncompromising, not at this occasion. Just because your Labor Day associate allegedly can take out to the last remnants of an alien species with access to FTL technology, it doesn't mean he should. Not only would we wage war with a species that is more advanced than us, but even if there is a possibility that your attack would succeed you'd still be labeled a mass murderer by the media no matter how you try to spin it. Bad press would not help your presidential campaign.", he paused and turned his attention towards the whole table.

"I also understand that the US have right to remain critical about the activities of extraterrestrials within the premises of the Solar System, but ultimately: The United States are not galactic nor global police. All control we extert is essentially made up. Just ask the last remains of the Native American tribes that now find themselves in a similar position to the Andromedan people because our European ancestors just saw fit to own land and liberately tax people for existing in it. We took because we could and truth is we can't reach further than into the orbit without ruining our economy. The Moon is not ours, there is just a flag and some left over footprints from when we visited it.", after that he pulled out a stack of documents from his bag.

"Now, as you may or may not know 'Prescient Times', the news magazine I work for, is owned by Joseph Stark who had me convey a possible resolution to this situation, being the 'intellectual' he is.", he flipped open the pages. "Hawaii. And before Mr Vice-President shuts this idea down I'd appreciate if he atleast heard me out about the facts. It's off mainland, easily accessible by boat or aircraft and thus easily monitored, it's desolate as no one is willing to live in the aftermath and thus there are no benefits from the area being in the US. The last people to set foot on the island were humanitarian agencies that helped relocate refugees after the 'Warsman Invasion' where many heroes defended US soil."

"The proposition is such: Allow the Andromedan ship to descend into Hawaii airspace and remain there under watch from US armed forces and the superior air-support S.T.R.I.K.E. could provide until a more thought out decision is made. There the Andromedans will be quarantined and individually examined by your medical staff for possible problems and patterns. This way you remain completely in control of the situation. Instead of establishing orbital embargo, Mr Washington, you should first consider the contributions a lasting relationship with evidently advanced species could add to our own development.", he concluded and readjusted his glasses.

"Thank you for hearing me out on the behalf of our scientific community."

@damien_bonaparte:

"With all due respect, let's let the Queen speak. My solution is most likely agreeable, and does not risk any virus breaking out or anything of the like. As for your other claims, you are simply parroting Mister Savage, and confusing insults with legitimate arguments."

"However, if you must be refuted, I do not wish to leave the moon untouched for territoriality, but for future human colonization. And I refuse to rely on STRIKE, they are not a US government arm. Should the Queen choose to relocate to Hawii, my Legion would police them."

@redwhiteblue:

What a stubborn imbecile.

"Fair enough. The proposition is for the wellbeing and thought of all parties. Should you accept, accept. Should you refuse, refuse. It's just a historical moment for two civilizations.", the sarcastic reporter said with a stng before nonchalantly lifting himself off his seat. "Now if you'll excuse me for a moment. I won't take long.", Lionel said and slowly yet nonchalantly departed, adjusting his tie on the way out of the room.

A cacophonous chorus echoed around her as belligerent figures of powers attempted to out-maneuver one another. There were few true voices of reason in the room, although each believed themselves to be in the right. And therein lay the danger. If all believed themselves to be absolutely correct, what room for compromise was there?

Mercy was remembering swiftly why she had learned to eschew politics over the years despite her mother's previous status as an ambassador. Nothing could drive her to drink more quickly, and even now, she was yearning for a tumbler of whiskey.

Her ears were finely attuned to the conversations being screeched across the room at one another, even as she began compiling her own notes. Strands of mahogany hair fell over her face as her brow furrowed with concentration.

Her attention focused on Tyrus, the leader of STRIKE. Mercy may have edged away from the popular world, living on Agiad'coda among what she had lovingly termed the Island of Misfit Assassins, but she still kept well afloat of everything that was going on. Politics, as much as she hated them, had always played an integral part to her life.

She took a deep breath, letting the arguments and the speeches and the grandstanding subside for a moment before raising two fingers in the air, indicating a cessation of the floor by current speaker to her favor. The room stilled momentarily and she gathered her thoughts.

"I'm in support of refuge on the moon," she said softly, her voice steely and firm even beneath the lilting cadence of her hybrid accent. "The moon is a central point of the Earth's ecosystem, as has already been mentioned. But beyond that we have not made use of it. We have spacefaring capabilities and our moon is of no economical nor physical use to us besides its natural functions. What stands before us is the empress of a dead world asking for refuge. We're her last bastion of hope, and it's unconscionable of us to turn her away. There are numerous galactic councils and confederations, and there is an intergalactic threat. Earth has been lucky to be essentially left alone in the current wars of the cosmos. The Andromedans are not as lucky to be able to say that."

She stopped for a minute, considering her next approach as she tapped out several notes into the tablet resting on the mahogany table before her. "STRIKE exists for a reason, and that reason is that no country as a whole is capable or willing to handle the security of the entire planet against potential external threats. If there is no technology on this planet capable of properly monitoring refugees on the moon, then I'm not sure what that says about any technological progress that we've made. However, I know for a fact that such technology exists. So we have a location that can house them without displacing any natives of Earth, and we have the ability to monitor them and insure genuine intent. In addition to that, they provide knowledge and resources and skills that can further us. This seems to be a simple solution, and one that Andres and I are both in favor of. I trust Tyrus and STRIKE."

@mercy_:

The intensity and obvious anger simmering in Tyrus' eyes from all of Sam's commentary evaporated and were replaced with obvious surprise when the woman currently speaking said the words "I trust Tyrus and STRIKE." Tyrus leaned back in her seat in surprise. No one had said those words to her in months and often had quite different words to say about her and her organization. For a few moments she was legitimately speechless.

"I am in complete agreement. The tidal argument is nonsensical anyway if they actually live on the moon because anything they do there would kill them as well, to say nothing of how inescapably expensive and time consuming such an operation would be. There is an old orbital facility once used by a Hero team near the moon, STRIKE could move it, renovate it and use it as a listening and intervention post. I have people I could station there capable of preventing any sort of lunar attack while also protecting these aliens."

Tyrus looked at the alien empress for a moment. "There is a saying on Earth, Trust but Verify so I hope you do not take my talk of both defending you and monitoring your actions as an insult. I promise you that if you are what you say you are, you will be just as protected by STRIKE as the citizens of Earth are."

The empress had calmed down and returned to her seat. She took the moments to listen to the options and statements from each participant. They were divided; some were for their people living on the moon others were against.

@damien_bonaparte"I agree with what you have said Mr.Bonaparte however, it does apply both ways. If a human virus happened to tear it's way through our people it would be disastrous. So for the safety of both our species I would like to rule out establishing a Colony on earth...for now. "

She watched him step out of the room, hoping that it was not her fault he had left. As the chaos began to slow she could see the real seeds of diplomacy beginning to sprout, offers came to the table and people began to talk rather than shout. It was here that she truly saw the human way, they were primitive in technology yet they made up for it in their ability to communicate and make deals. She now had many offers to consider, a compromise sat on the table at the moment. The U.N. had offered half of mars which made for a very tempting offer, they could do more then just start a colony they could rebuild with that much land. The difference in temperature would force them to adapt to new temperatures but, they would survive. However, there were people still pushing for the moon and the moon was also a very tempting location. It was why they were here after all, it was in the near perfect position for their survival as a species. They would not have to adapt in order to survive there, the only difficulty would be sustaining crop growth without the use of external technology.

@tyrus_"Not at all, I can understand why your people would be suspicious and I thank you for your promise. I have heard quite a few offers and I would like to take a moment with my advisors to decide our next move. Before that though I would like to say something and help shed light upon why we specifically chose your galaxy."

Her advisors looked slightly surprised at her statement, like they knew what was going on and didn't like what they assumed was about to happen.

"You have been somewhat hospitable and are trying to take us in so I think it's time I am 100% honest with all of you. We are not the first Andromedeans to come to earth, in fact years ago in the time of my ancestors there was a war. This was our people's first encounter with the Dark Spawn and fearing the destruction of our planet my ancestors attempted to preserve our civilization. One of the four major families of the time, the Cross family, was chosen to find a planet and preserve our traditions. They landed on this planet in a place you call Germany, this was 300 earth years ago."

The empress locked her hands and sat back, crossing her legs.

"We came here because our auto pilot was tasked with sending us to the same location as the Cross families ship in hopes this would already be a second Andromeda. However, as you all know, it is not. So once we discovered this we instead tried to find any survivors of that voyage, we've been in orbit of Earth for about 1 month looking for them. We have only found one, his name is Alexander Cross but, he calls himself Mr. Mask."

She stopped talking at this moment to ensure her statement had time to sink in.

"Alexander Cross is Andromedean royalty and through our traditions is destined to be the Emperor. It has come to my attention through the monitoring of your current events that he has been taken. Well I would like to apologize for whatever he has done and request he is returned to our people."

She then turned her attention to the United states representative.

"As for the offer your proposed we are willing to accept one side of Mars. We are also willing to accept observations by the Organization known as Strike. In exchange we are willing to share our knowledge of the Universe and our technology with humanity. If this is acceptable then I believe this meeting is, how you say, adjourned. "

@lords_of_light: "I am glad we were able to come to an agreement in the colonization from, I do not believe we can release Mister Cross. I have been briefed on the situation, and an apology isn't going to get a criminal released."

@redwhiteblue: The empress simply shook her head in sorrow, this was one of the last surviving members of the ancient families.

''That is most unfortunate, then i will request he is handed over to our authorities as we are more equipped to deal with Andromedean criminals."

@lords_of_light: "You'd have to tale it up with his jailers, I cannot release him, regardless of my feelings on it."

@redwhiteblue: "This is most saddening to hear. Well if that is all I shall take my leave, we shall establish our Mars City within the coming months."

The Empress left taking her advisors with her, they were satisfied with the deal they had achieved.