Celestine Palace, Relephon Moons

"Fellow Hapans, we stand today on the verge of a new chapter in Hapan history, one which we share with our friends, our new family, the Commonwealth..."

Click!...

He carefully selected a new color and gently dabbed his paintbrush clean before carefully stroking it across the blank canvas. The holonet was a hustle and bustle of activity recently; this so-called 'Commonwealth' of systems that the Crown Prince Dakkon Darksword had sold them into and it's so-called triumphant Hapes Accord. All political nonsence. He didn't need to see or hear the news to know what was going to happen. He could imagine the vast crowds of nobles, lords and ladies from throughout the Consortium cheering at the symbolic signing of the Hapes Accord. He could imagine Dakkon and Seth Vinda relishing the public display that they had created, for all intended purposes as a ceremonial symbolisation of what they had already formed. For a moment, he pondered as he carefully guided the paintbrush over the canvas, what she would have done had she still been alive. Would she have made the reforms that her husband Dakkon had made in her absence? Or would she have left the Consortium to it's own affairs and ideals of isolationism and traditionality. He himself was one of her most loyal followers, and one of her most outspoken advocates during her reign as Queen Mother. Indeed, he thought to himself as he continued to stroke the canvas with a variety of colors, Vessana Dionysus' leadership rivaled that of any of her predecessors, even the great Ta'Chume in his own humble opinion. And what of the great Lady AlGray and her Duch'da Aleson Gray, his very own aunt and cousin. Would they too have supported the vastly flaunted Hapes Accord, or would they have opposed the sell-out of Hapan tradition and culture?

Lucian's thoughts continued to sporaticly shift from topic to topic as he carefully detailed his work-of-art. Outside of the window that he sat next to, the pristine crystalline waters of Celestia stretched for miles, accented by the soft textures of the vast wilderness that adorned the small moon. Celestia was only one of the many Relephon Moons, and in the atmosphere in early morning hours such as these, the soft outlines of the other moons could be seen against the immense figure of the gas giant Relephon that dominated the skies. Lucian had made Celestia his 'Capital Moon,' for the Relephon Moons shortly after his ascendancy to power. He had taken command of the thrown following the death of his aunt, the Lady AlGray who left no heir to her royal claim to the Relephon Moons. Her beloved Duch'da Aleson Gray had been killed defending the Qoribu Colonies against the Chiss fleets leaving Lucian to take the thrown of the Relephon Moons at an early age. During his reign, the Relephon Moons had remained isolated; a forgotten jewel in the Hapan cluster.

The soft clicking of heels against the smooth marble floors of the palace interrupted his thoughts yet he showed no signs of it as he continued painting.

Click!...

The Holonet screen vibrantly returned to life just as Prince Dakkon and Seth Vinda shook hands generating an eruption of applause.

"So it's finished." Lucian muttered blandly. His distaste for the entire event couldn't be hidden even if he tried.

"You do know what this means, don't you?" his sister Akasha demanded as she tossed aside the remote and folded her arms. "Dakkon signed over the entire cluster. Not just Hapes. That means us."

Lucian shrugged, dabbed some paint onto the tip of his brush and continued painting.

"You don't care that this means Celestia and all of the Relephon Moons?" she snorted.

"No." His reply was cold and blunt. "The Relephon Moons haven't even been a blip on radar screens for years. The population of the entire system is only a few hundred thousand, mostly wealthy families and bureaucrats. The moons are a retirement village, not a planetary populace Akasha."

She shook her head in frusteration as her facial expressions continued to tell stories of her disgust for the whole situation. "So what are you going to do? The Hapes Accord makes us a part of the Commonwealth."

"No it doesn't."

"Yes, it does."

"No. It doesn't."

Lucian's tone hadn't changed through the entire conversation. He stood, blew lightly on his wet painting for a moment and turned to face his sister. She was a woman of stunning beauty like all Hapan women, and more attractively, just as wealthy if not more-so than he himself was. And she enjoyed flaunting it. 'Beauty has a price' she always explained to him as if to account for the immense amount of narccicism she had inherited.

"Think about this realisticly Akasha. We have been independent throughout this entire time. Not once has Dakkon expressed any interest in the moons. Not once have the moons been involved in anything the Consortium has been involved in. We're too small and low key to be noticed, which is the way I like it. Hell," he had made his way to a small bar in the drawing room and began pouring himself a glass of wine as he spoke "I've met merchants offworld that don't even know the Relephon Moons exist. We've been forgotten by all but a select few traders and merchants from within the cluster. We are nothing."

"Nothing. Nothing!" Her voice echoed against the immaculate beauty of the palace. Traditional of that in Hapes culture, he and his predecessors had taken great pains to ensure that every inch of the capital city was flawlessly beautiful, just like the rest of the cluster.

"Lucian, you are the Lord of the Relephon Moons. The Crown Prince of the Relephon Moons for lack of a better word. You swore loyalty to the monarchy the same as I did. If you're preaching about independence, your words are high treason against the crown."

He took a sip of his wine, sighed in relaxation and selected a seat out of the wide collection found in the room, each huddled around an immense fire place with a simulated holographic fire constantly roaring. "I never swore fealty to the Crown Prince Dakkon Darksword. I swore loyalty to the Queen Mother. Akasha," he paused for a moment, grinned, and continued "When was the last time we had a Queen Mother?"

Akasha sighed, whether it was out of frusteration of concern he didn't know or care. He had everything under control in his own mind, and that was all the security he needed.

"Look at it this way: In battle, unarmed men and women can simply walk around unphased... unless, they pick up a weapon. Once they hold that weapon, they are a target." Akasha raised a confused eyebrow. Rarely did her brother make sence to her, yet he commanded the loyalty of the entirety of the Relephon Moons. His brilliance had brought with it a golden age of Hapan ideology and traditionalism. She never questioned his administrative abilities.

"Whatever Lucian..."

The room fell silent for a moment.

"What do you plan to do when a Commonwealth patrol stumbles across Relephon?"

Before she could answer, she heard an unfimiliar voice behind her...

"Greet them, just as he would a Hapan vessel."

Akasha turned at the sound of the unfamiliar voice. In the doorway stood a man dressed entirely in red, a long black cane dangling loosely from his left hand. His face was somewhat pale which contrasted dramatically against the jet black hair that hung nearly to his shoulders. Tinted glasses obscured his eyes from view, which reinforced his passionless visage and matched perfectly his matter-of-fact tone.

"How dare you interrupt our private conversation?"

Akasha was a Hapan female. That simple fact alone elevated her far above the station of the interloper. Furthermore she was nobility- and not just any nobility, but the sibling of a Crown Prince- which meant that unless she chose to acknowledge a man he might as well not existed. The fact she had responded to his statement could have been considered a minor miracle.

"If you don't want a question answered, don't ask it."

Akasha turned back to Lucian, who had not moved from his seat. She stared daggers at him, but he merely took another draught of his wine. She peered back toward the intruder.

"I will not tolerate this insolence! Apologize for your offense or I will summon the palace guard!"

Tir did not respond immediately. He tapped his cane down lightly on the polished marble, producing an audible rap. A moment later a truly massive alien stepped through the doorway and stood looming over the pale man. The size of the creature was astounding, he had to duck his head to clear the doorframe, and his shoulders brushed both sides of entrance.

The silence continued, and the tension in the room became palpable.

"Mr. Esias, there is no need for a show of force.”

Akasha stared back at the Crown Prince, her mouth slightly agape. Lucian drained the remained of his glass, then continued.

"Akasha, do you think I would allow anyone to hear this conversation without my knowledge? Would Sevaedus allow any threat to our well-being into our presence unless I approved of it?"

Akasha's face contorted with a combination of irritation and realization.

"You knew... and you are going to allow this outsider(she said the word like a curse) insult me in my own palace?"

"In any other situation, I would not tolerate such behavior. However, there are circumstances in which necessity take precedent to etiquette."

Akasha made a small noise of disgust but otherwise seemed to concede the point. Lucian turned his gaze to the outsiders, who had remained motionless throughout the exchange.

"Perhaps you would like to introduce yourself to my sister, so that she might understand why I am so willing to disregard the time-honored traditions of my people?"

Lucian's voice contained just the slightest hint of annoyance. The man didn't seem to notice- his face remained devoid of all emotion.

"My name is Tir Esias, and I am an envoy from an organization that shares a common interest with Prince D'alaetos in regards to the Hapes Accord."

Tir turned his head toward the hulking alien behind him.

"My associate's name is Qive. He is my caretaker, of a sort."

"What do you mean, 'share a common interest?'" Akasha asked, trying to gauge the intentions of the mysterious man.

"We share the belief that the Hapes Accord is not necessarily in the interests of the Consortium and the Cluster."

"And?" She probed, not satisfied with the vague platitude.

"I am here to discuss various pro-active solutions for dealing with the current situation."

"Pro-active solutions?"

Akasha may have let her brother run the Relephon Moons, but she was around politicians enough to understand that such phrases often meant something entirely different than the literal translation might seem to indicate.

"By that you mean what, exactly? Because, I have the sneaking suspicion that doesn't mean crafting a pithy letter transmitting it over the holonet. Lucian, brother, you are plotting treason!!! And with an outsider! What madness is this?"

Lucian did not respond immediately. He returned to the bar and casually poured himself another glass, averting the deadly gaze of his sister. After a minute that seemed to stretch into an eternity, he replied.

"Akasha, your views are my most valued advice. I think, however, that you have not had time to fully analyze and digest this situation. We can discuss your concerns at dinner."

It was a dismissal, polite but firm. Akasha turned, and virtually stormed from the room. Lucian frowned slightly, but knew that in time his sister would see reason. She simply didn't know what was at stake. He pushed the thoughts of her from his mind- there was business to conduct.

"Well Mr. Esias... let us get down to business...."

Celestial Gardens, Relephon Capital Moon of Celestia, Hours Later

A perfect bullseye, as usual.

Akasha lowered her smoking BlasTech DL-44 blaster and smiled. Anxiously two servants moved the destroyed targets out of their place and replaced them with two fresh targets. Alia raised a much larger E-11 Blaster Rifle and took aim.

"Too high..." Akasha warned with a grin. Alia pulled the trigger.

As the pockmark of the blaster rifle smoked, Akasha raised her more compact weapon and without effort or direction fired.

A perfect bullseye.

"You truely are gifted, your grace." Alia said with a smile as she carefully handed her weapon to one of the many servants hovering around. Akasha followed suit and two more servants appeared moments later, one carrying a small white bowl of steaming water, and the other a fresh towel.

"Please," Akasha started as she dipped her hands into the refreshingly warm water, gently caressed them and then let the servant dry them "Drop the formalities, Alia. We've been friends since we were children."

Alia nodded her head as she too washed her hands, but did not reply. She had always held Akasha in a much higher reguard than simply a 'friend.' Alia was fiercely loyal to the woman that she had come to love and respect as her own sister.

"Have you heard the gossip?" Alia grinned excitedly as the two women made there way to a small white table. The table itself was filled with lush fruits and crisp salads from almost all of the inhabited Relephon moons. Some more exotic tastes were from worlds as far away as Coruscant, and Corellia. As a centerpiece, lush Relephon Roses glimmered with dew in the serene daylight that the ancient sun provided and surrounding the table was the breathtaking beauty of the Celestial Gardens, one of the many proud works of art that the D'alaetos house had worked on over the years.

"Which gossip? I hear Aren Neros is seeing Selene Raetha these days...."

"Not that!" Alia exclaimed in a loud whisper as she leaned forward. "About the Commonwealth."

"What about it?" Akasha's words were mumbled through her full mouth.

"They've taken over the Hapes Consortium. Dakkon signed the Hapes Accord."

"Old news, Alia. You should really get out more." Akasha gestured for her servant to refill her wine glass and continued to shovel food into her mouth.

"Rumor has it that the Triumverate of Houses is supposed to meet to discuss the position of the Relephon Moons."

Akasha nodded. "Again, old news Alia. You really need to get out more..."

Alia sat back and folded her arms, squinting her eyes ever so slightly at the Relephon Princess. Playfully, she stuck out her tongue and laughed. Akasha tossed a small berry at her which bounced off of her forehead and back onto the table.

"What's Lucian going to do?" Alia regained her composure and fingered a few of the berries into her mouth.

Akasha shrugged her sholders and shoveled a fork full of salad into her mouth.

The crisp taste of the wine left his mouth watering, thursting for more as he took a few steps around the room, giving his sister a few moments to compose herself in her frusteration. She stared at him for a few moments, clenched her jaw in frusteration and strode briskly out of the drawing room. The two guests stood unphased as she brushed furiously past them. Lucian raised his hand gesturing for the guards to close the double doors of the room.

"Forgive my sister Akasha, Mr. Esias. Noble Hapan women are reguarded as somewhat superior to men in the cluster."

Esias nodded his head in confirmation but waited at the door. He stood staunchly with his back straight and his head held high. His pale skin stood out against the thick jet black hair and matching dark spectacles that he wore over his eyes. Compared to any Hapan, the two were plain and boring to look at; nothing like the unrivaled beauty of men and women that graced the Hapan worlds.

Taking another swig of his wine, Lucian gestured for the men to come forward and take a seat. As they selected a position out of one of the many chairs and sofa's of the room, Lucian took a position directly across from them. Qive stood loyally behind Tir.

"I could go into a theatrical display of kind gestures and attempt to bribe you with the awestruck beauty of Hapan women and the immense wealth my family has to offer, but something tells me that you are not the type for a formal state visit. You seem to be a man of principal and moral reguard. I like that."

Again, Tir noded his head. Lucian gestured to a servant who stood in the corner and the server quickly picked up a tray and offered the guests an assortment of refreshments.

"Crown Prince Dakkon Darksword has signed the Hapes Accord, and defied every Hapan ideology that has sustained this culture for countless centuries. As far as I am concerned, he has sold Hapes to the highest bidder and that bidder happens to be Seth Vinda."

Reaching into his pocket, Lucian withdrew a small datapad encrypted in a language pre-agreed upon by himself and the Union. "These are the schematics for the order you asked for, Mr. Esias." Lucian paused for a moment, continuing to sip his wine as Tir delicately fingered the keypad. "Let's talk about price...."

Tir's fingers ran delicately over the datapad. Lucian paused, taking a sip of his wine. He didn't seem to notice that Tir had yet to even glance at the datapad, despite the movement of his digits.

Price.

The destabilization of the Hapan Government (and by association, the Commonwealth) wasn't likely to create any new enemies for the Union- especially if Seth Vinda maintained a high profile in the newly formed government. Union sources reported that the usually steady businessman had taken the GLF strike on Aargau personally, and he had dedicated serious resources to combating the Union's most public face. He might not know that the Union was responsible for backing Brutus Nogoth's organization, at least not at the moment, but Tir had a feeling that if he ever discovered it, he would hold them equally responsible.

Weakening Seth Vinda was in the interests of the Union. Still, the action Lucian was proposing was not an easy one. The Crown Prince of the Relephon would not have brought in an outside power if he felt he could achieve his goals without help. The Union had the expertise he needed. Expertise, however, does not come cheap.

"The price is negotiable, depending upon what resources you have access to, Prince."

Tir took a few steps to his left, and turned away from Lucian, as if admiring the ornate decoration of the room. He twirled his cane leisurely, moving his head from side to side.

"Fifteen Million Credits. Half up front, the rest upon completion of the task. And..."

Tir turned.

"A Jewel of Hapes Attack Carrier, with full droid fighter compliment."

Tir could sense a sudden burst of distress from Lucian.

"You need not provide a crew, my organization will handle that."

The price was significant, but that had to have been expected. Assassinating the Crown Prince of the Hapan Consortium was not something you tried to do on the cheap. If Lucian D’alaetos was serious in his intentions, then the price would be of little concern. If he was not… then other actions would have to be taken. Tir Esias was nothing if not calculating.

The Relephon moons were known for two things: isolation and wealth. It would be interesting to see if they would be willing to give up one, to maintain the other.

Gallinore, Three Days Prior...

Adrian took a heavy drag off of his cigarra and let his seductive smile do the talking. His boyish good looks and his Hapan charm had made quick work of several women in th epast, but this one refused to buckle. He was a Hapan male, after all... and Hapan men and women were considered to be one of the most beautiful races in the galaxy. Decades of selective breeding had seen to that. For a few waivering moments, his true mission had escaped his mind. The woman was, after all a Hapan beauty, and an exceptional beauty at that. Her blowing blonde hair and her dark blue eyes seemed to accent her luscious lips. He would have to step up his game a bit. Pulling his shirt up to wipe away a bead of sweat that had collected in the hot afternoon sun of Gallinore, he looked took a few steps back, not letting his seductive smile waiver for a moment. His body, one of his most prized posessions, looked as though it was chizzled from marble and was something he had become very proud of, if not overly vain.

"So how about that drink?" he whispered in her ear. He let his soft lips touch her earlobe as he slowly retracted and let the piercing gaze of his eyes penitrate hers.

She smiled and bit her lower lip in thought. Swaying back and fourth for a moment, as if deliberating in her own mind, she nodded her head. "I suppose that wouldn't be so bad. Meet me at the Ritz downtown. Seven o'clock."

Adrian nodded his head and smiled. "Can I get a kiss first?" His soft voice made her heart flutter, but she shook her head and declined. "I'm on the job... you know I cant do that."

He nodded his head and took another hit off of his cigarra never letting the seductive gaze leave hers. She wanted him, as almost all women did.

"Seven it is..."

The Ritz, 7:06

"You're late," she said with a smile as he carefully slipped into the booth. Adrian smiled his seductive smile right back at her. "What kinda guy would I be if I wasn't?"

She laughed and took a sip of her Hapan martini. "I suppose you're right." He leaned across the table and gently kissed her cheek.

"Can you ever forgive me?"

"We'll see about that..."

"Then I am indebted to you until you do."

As the night went on, her continued fascination with him and her excessive drinking proved to be her downfall. She'd given him several of the code keys and passwords he would need to infiltrate the space port's transit authority. She even went as far as to mention a locker room where extra uniforms were kept for baggage handlers. All of this information he took in with cunning and skill, carefully probing for more information without seeming to pry. She was, after all, a senior supervisor for the transit authority, and oversaw much of the commercial traffic that Gallinore saw from day to day. Gallinore itself was one of the busiest space ports in the cluster, and in more recent months during the negotiations leading up to what would become the Hapes Accord, Gallinore had become a main hub for Commonwealth trade traffic entering the cluster. Once he had sufficient information, he excused himself politely.

"Serena, if you'll excuse me for a moment, I need to use the little boys room...."

"Of course!" she said with a laugh. "Hurry back, I want to tell you about my aunt Priscilla's Firedrake."

Adrian sat back "Maybe I should wait! Sounds like a fantastic story!" he was a master at hiding his disdain for her stories. He was a scoundrel, a player, and a damn good one.

"No!" she insisted and pushed his shoulder. "Just hurry back..."

After three hours, when he did not return, Serena wiped away a tear, paid for the meal, and left. The next day, the bomb was planted...

Fifteen Million credits. Hardly a dent in the enormous wealth of the Triumverate of Houses, `but none-the-less, a dent. If Lucian was nervous about the next request, a Jewel of Hapes attack cruiser, he quickly composed himself and took a casual sip of his wine. The room hung in silence for a moment as Lucian considered the the request. "I'll give you thirty million credits, Mr. Esias." Lucian stood as he began to speak, quietly making his way back to the bar to refill his drink. A servant rushed over to help but was quickly excused with the dismissive wave of Lucian's bejeweled hand. Tir Esias seemed a bit caught off guard by the doubling of his own price, as if he was expecting the negotiations to be talked down rather than up. Lucian sturred his drink with a small straw and returned to his seat.

"The Triumverate of Houses has already agreed to put most of the money up front, however there is the matter of this request you have...."

Tir's expression remained blank. "The cruiser is a part of our price, Prince D'alaetos. You can either..."

"I have no doubts that you will get everything you ask for and more," Lucian interrupted downing the fresh glass of wine in one gulp. "Patience, Mr. Esias."

Reaching onto a small end table, the Crown Prince pushed a few buttons on a small holographic controller. After a bit of blue static, the three dimensional display of a Commonwealth trade freighter appeared. Lucian looked down at his watch and nodded his head. "Just a few more minutes..." he said absent mindedly. Tir's expression again remained blank and emotionless. "Where was I?"

"The ship." Tir reminded firmly.

"Aah yes," he looked down at his empty wine glass and gestured for a refill. The servant carefully refilled his glass as he spoke. "A Jewel of Hapes attack cruiser is not a ship design that we posess, so I cannot have one built for you. The Crown Prince of Hapes is very protective of his schematics and his engineers are fiercely loyal. The design cannot be stolen or purchased, but I do have a proposal." Lucian took an eager sip of his wine and dismissed the servant once more. "I will help one of your teams capture a Jewel of Hapes, on one condition..."

Tir' expression remained staunchly blank and emotionless as the Crown Prince continued.

"When the combined fleet od the cluster comes together at the Relephon Moons on our day of triumph, the Union and it's allies will support our conventional attack on Hapes. You will offer further training to our police and military forces at no additional charge, and you will outfit our ground forces with all of the necessary equipment and technology needed to bring it to the galactic stage as a force to be reconed with. Once we have seized control of the Hapes Consortium I will gladly forefeit any further designs you desire to aquire. Your continued support for the Monarchy after our triumph will be most appreciated. I assume the secure and Sovereign borders of the Hapes Cluster would serve as a wonderful sanctuary for agents' endeaveurs into the core regions?"

Lucian looked up from his ramble, twirling one of the many rings on his fingers. "Do we have a deal, Mr. Esias?"

Before he could answer, the image of a small Commonwealth trade freighter erupted into a flash of white light. When the light cleared, the static trickled for a moment before revealing that the ship was ablaze. In it's hull, a gaping hole spewed a fountain of flames into the black vaccuum of space. After a few more smaller internal explosions, the ship listed to the left and crumbled. Lucian looked down at his small Relephon watch and smiled.

"The war has begun, Mr. Esias. I guess the true question is, who's side are you on?"

A wave of satisfaction emanated from Lucian as he uttered his final line, though the source was not readily apparent to Tir. It did, however, reinforce the notion that the Prince's demagoguery was not just for show. He meant every word he said.

A Hapan with a backbone.

Tir had been under the impression that the Relephon moons had wished to engage in relatively risk-free maneuvers in order to maintain a low profile. Paying a Union assassin to kill the Hapan Head of State was certainly a treasonous act... but one that would be very difficult to trace back to Celestia. Hapan politics were notoriously complex and short of evidence that blatantly implicated Lucian paying the assassin personally, it would be unlikely that any repercussions would accompany a failed venture. Coupled with the prospect of significant gains if the plot succeeded, the assassination attempt had been the route Tir had expected the Moons to take. What Lucian was suggesting, however, was an escalation of proportions heretofore thought highly unlikely by the Union's experts and leadership.

Open conflict with the current leadership of the Consortium!

The thought would have been preposterous had anyone but the Prince uttered it. Tir had never expected such a bold (and it was important to note risky) suggestion from Lucian. Unexpected or not, the proposal was very, very enticing. Monetary concerns aside, access to Hapan Military technology would be very valuable- but it was the mention of sanctuary inside the borders of the Cluster that gave the offer an incalculable worth. Union personnel, free to move and operate without the oppressive, self-imposed restrictions that were designed to keep the Union's protective veil of secrecy intact- in the Core no less!. The thought was dream-like, a fanciful, twisted version of reality.

Of course, simply agreeing to the Prince's proposal would not make it come true. The reasons that made the Prince's suggestion seem outlandish quickly reared their ugly heads in Tir's mind. The Relephon moons may be wealthy, but no one had ever cowered in fear of the Moon's military juggernaut. If Lucian believed he was going to defeat Darksword with half a dozen Battledragons and a handful of Nova Cruisers he needed to schedule an appointment with his psychologist right away. That wasn't even factoring in whatever assistance the "Commonwealth" would be willing to lend to the Monarchy.

Still...

The Union had significant military forces of its own, should they be brought to bear. But more importantly, its ties to companies like Fegal, Belgardi and Tagge could prove to be immensely more valuable. If the Relephon Moons were in the market for military hardware, they were talking to the right people. If they put their money where the Prince's mouth was...

"Prince D'alaetos, your offer is very intriguing. However, it is one I cannot off-hand, accept."

The jolt of confusion that lanced out from the Prince quickly replaced the satisfaction, and Tir was certain Lucian was about to interject, so he raised his hand.

"Please, your highness, let me finish."

The Hapan bit his tongue. Tir continued.

"The Fifteen Million Credit price tag, along with the associated vessel, was merely to deal with the Crown Prince. The fact that you have doubled our offer confirms that you have this understanding... however, the magnitude of what you are asking for is not reflected in your offer.

That is not to say it cannot by done, no, I am not suggesting that at all. Can it be accomplished for thirty million credits? Perhaps, but then again, perhaps not."

Tir paused, to let that sink in.

"War is expensive and I would not intend to insult your intelligence by presuming that you do not understand this fact. But, by its very nature, War is an open-ended endeavor. If the assassination attempt succeeds it could be possible that no conventional attack is even necessary! It is far more likely, however, that even if the attack succeeds there will be conflict. But for how long? How many battles, how much equipment?

Few plans survive contact with the enemy. You could win the war in days, or be mired in stalemate for years. Obviously, if the later occurred, a mere thirty million credits will not cover my organization's expenses."

Tir forced his face into a rare facial expression. His lips curled slowly into something vaguely resembling a grin.

"Still, I admire your audacity. The Committee, and most certainly the Chairman will be pleased."

Tir's face quickly slipped back to the expressionless pallet.

"The Union has contacts that will be able to supply you with as much hardware as you need, at prices that will be extremely reasonable. Our bargaining position is unmatched. There is no need to work out the details now, just provide me a list of what you would like and it can be done. I do have a few suggestions, but once again, there are more pressing matters at hand."

Tir paced back and forth for a moment, collecting his thoughts.

"I will need to inquire with the Committee about what forces the Union itself will be willing to commit to this endeavor."

Lucian spoke for the first time in a great while.

"What of the training?"

Tir kept pacing slowly, but answered.

"Your original down payment will easily cover any costs. Director Griff has been looking for a new project for sometime, and that is a perfect role for him to play."

Tir stopped walking.

"I must return to my organization to make any further progress. You needn't answer me now, however, a sign of good faith would be appreciated. "

And so the ball was returned to Lucian's court.

Celestine Palace, Two Weeks Later

Lucian signed. The painting was nothing like he had imagined. Nothing at all. For starters, the colors were all wrong, and the offset layers made it look that much more tacky. It looked nothing like Relephon, and it lacked the space and debth to incorporate the correct number of moons. Dipping his brish into a thick black, he ungracefully scribbled black lines thick with paint over the painting. The smudges of black paint trickled down over the array of brilliant colors, turning the bright oranges and pinks into shades of deep crimson, grey and light brown. He was a very patient man, but even patience had it's limits.

"Claudia, get me another canvas!" the Crown Prince demanded as he sturred his brushes in clean water. As the brushes came clean, the water turned a stale brown.

He felt distracted, and distraction was a sign of weakness. As he closed his eyes and took a deep breath to clear his mind, Claudia, a lovely Hapan beauty with flowing blonde hair that was tied back in a neat yet loose pony tail replaced the smudged canvas with a clean white one. She didn't speak. Years of service had taught her when she could and when she could not speak. While Hapan women considered themselves to be on a higher tier than Hapan men, Lucian had reaffirmed that in his houshold, all were inferior to him. That included his sister, Akasha.

Opening his eyes, Lucian dipped the brush into a soft reddish color and gently ran it across the canvas. His thoughts still dwelled on his meeting with Tir Esias two weeks earlier, and the astounding gifts and 'signs of good faith' he had lavished upon the representative of the Union. He had, as he promised, put fifteen million credits upfront abd had ordered several shipments of arms, and warships from the corporations supported by the Union. Probably the most lavish order consisted of a massive space defense platform to be assembled amongst the moons by the Union in the next week or two. In addition to the mass shipments of weapons and equipment that were flooding the moons, Lucian had agreed to fund the war machine personally, rebuffing Union fears that a mere thirty million credits would not support the war efforts for a conventional or unconventional war between Crown Loyalists, and the growing collection of opposition leaders that had established contact with one another.

Cleaning off his brush once again, Lucian changed colors. It was only a matter of time now before the first prefabricated pieces of the Space Station were towed into the Relephon System.

He thought back to his meeting only a few days earlier...

Synthium, The Past...

(Taken from Ascendancy)

The reception was not the best but as the crowded room observed the footage of the meeting of the Mr. Vinda's followers with the Crown Prince, a murmuring began to stir.

Gallenios knew what that meant and it saddened him.

Is this what we've come too? Sneaking into meetings halfway across the world?

Old "King" Gneut, of one of the outer Consortium Provinces in the far spaces between the Royal Cluster and the Killing Fields, snorted at the holographic transmission.

"So our Crown Prince has finally made a mistake worth his life." he whispered almost amused. It was no secret that the old man hated the Darksword family with a passion. Dakkon's brother had butchered the old man's family and the lack of reprisal his Crown Prince hesitantly followed through on soured the old man's taste for the current leadership.

The entire Cluster knew of the troubles surrounding the two brothers and how one ascended the throne to the envy of the other and how the one brother nursed that envy until it bubbled over into action.

Failed action but action nonetheless.

The Royal Family and the Hapes Military stopped the usurping of power by Lupercus Darksword but the old man Gneut felt it due to the prowess of the Hapan Military and less due to whatever passed as leadership these days.

"The Helixians will bleed our coffers dry!" spat Livia, clearly having no love for the galactic beggers who seemed to spill out into the Cluster from Queen-knew-where.

And these Capricians? Do they expect to whore their woman out to Dakkon for favors?"

"Mr. Vinda is a smooth character and shrewd. He'll spin Dakkon around until the boy's flittered away our rights!"

The room at large growled out their agreement and Gallenios knew that the spark that would light the flame was coming.

A move on the homeworld while the government was preoccupied...

"I have six squadrons of Battledragons.." Gneut smiled through crooked teeth.

Livia's eyes lit up. Her family had fallen into disfavor with the Darksword family because of her support of Lupercus. When the brother fled to the Empire, he left her with the pieces of their broken rebellion.

She had scores to settle with the Darkswords.

"The government is in these diplomatic talks. The fleet will not be on alert... these are friends of the Crown. A strong, brute attack will shatter the defenses.."

"Control the Queen Mother and obtain an endorsement.." Gallenios added while Livia interrupted, "..to save her neck!."

Gallenios concluded, "The military would have no choice but to accept the endorsement and swear fealty."

"Then we kick these Helixians, these Vinda people, these Capricians.. off our world!"

"Hapes for Hapans!" some shouted and old Gneut's grin widened.

Control the Queen and you control the military. Control the military and you control Hapes. Control Hapes..

..and the Cluster falls into line.

Gallenios smiled to himself.

The outsiders would prove weak, he knew. Once the Cluster was back in the hands of Hapans.. true Hapans, then Mr. Vinda would get a visit from him.

Gallenios smile mirroed Gneut's.

It was time!

(End Taken From Ascendancy)

Synthium, A Few Days Earlier

It had been one year. One year since the first contact between the Hapan Monarchy and the Commonwealth. One year since the lavish dinners and political negotiations. One year since they had gathered to discuss the future of the Hapes Consortium; their future. Original plans to attack Hapes outright had been brought to a screaching hault by the bickering bureaucracy that the collection of Lords, Ladies, Princes and Kings had inadvertantly created. Old "King" Gneut had withdrawn the support of his six squadrons of Battledragons after a disagreement over who would become the Crown Prince of Hapes after the planet was under there control. Livia and Gallenios had also argued over whether or not it was wise to kill Dakkon and salvage the life of his wife in order to gain the support of the Royal Military. Politics.... Politics seemed to be the driving force that lead to the downfall of every major uprising throughout history. Politics had destroyed the Old Republic. Politics had destroyed the original Empire, and twice Politics had destroyed the rise of the New Republic.

Gneut sat in the came chair, at the same position he had one year prior. Livia took up a position across from him, escorted by a small entourage of honor guards. Her waivering trust in Hapan men had forced her to take extra precautions these days. After all, she thought, she had a better chance at seizing power once the Crown Prince was dead. Men were inferior, and she was the perfect figure head for a new Hapan Monarchy. Arriving late, just as he did a year earlier, Gallenios flicked on an eerily simular holographic projection of the planet Hapes in the middle of the table. While the atmosphere in the room was thick with discord, the presence of each of them had been almost identical to the secret meeting just over a year ago. The only difference, Livia noted curiously as she flicked a glance in Gneuts direction, was a new presence in the room. Gneut returned uneasy glance but didn't speak. He merely shrugged and folded his hands.

"The accord has been signed. It's official." Gallenios' words seemed to spit forth in disgust.

"Don't remind me," Gneut grimaced, exposing his crooked teeth.

Livia rolled her eyes in disgust, but said nothing.

"We should have acted when we had the chance! The Commonwealth has beefed up their military presence over the past few months, and the Royal Navy certainly isn't getting any smaller."

"Dakkon has sold our souls to the Corporate Machine. All that Vinda character wants to do is line his pockets with Hapan wealth.... wealth that should belong to Hapans!" Gneuts words seemed to almost mock his last speech as the meeting kicked off.

"My sources inside the Palace tell me that Dakkon has dispatched some sort of special envoy that is criss-crossing the Cluster, urging worlds to reapply for membership in the Consortium. He's offering to allow the worlds to independently govern themselves so-long as they remain loyal to the Crown."

Livia rolled her eyes. Her family was far from favored by the Darkswords. No special envoy or diplomacy could heal the wounds she had endured. The only satisfaction she could have would be to see Dakkon's head fascened to a pike. For a moment, her thoughts dwelled on Lupercus...

"Who is he?" she interrupted, disreguarding the ranting men. Gneut paused and raised a questioning eyebrow, as if reaffirming his support for her question.

"Lucian D'alaetos." Gallenios replied dryly.

Livia's expression shifted. She'd heard of him, vaguely. The foul taste of disgust once again filled her mouth. His wealth was renouned. Probably why he's here, she assured herself. Gneut grunted, again exposing his crooked teeth, but said nothing.

"The Relephon Moons have been building up a small military force over the past year, and Prince D'alaetos holds simular interests to our own. I've invited him as an observer." Gallenios reassured them.

"And what if he takes all of this information straight to the Crown Prince?" Gneut spat dryly.

"What if you do?" Gellenios spat back, equally as dry.

Again, the bickering that had destroyed their plans last time ensued for several minutes before Lucian interrupted.

"If you don't want my help, I'll take my fleet, my wealth, and my allies and go about my business."

The room grew silent for a moment, and Gneut snorted. "I have already dedicated six squadrons of..."

"Battledragons?" Lucian interrupted. "Six squadrons? You really think that's going to stop a triumverate of forces, Ole' King Gneut? The Commonwealth has vast intergalactic resources, and countless warships. You really think an attack on Hapes itself will reunify the Cluster?"

"Yes!" Gneut retorted. "Control Hapes, and you control the Cluster."

Lucian laughed. "You're right. But let's say you take Hapes. Hell, let's even be so bold as to say that you kill Dakkon in the process. What next?"

Gneut paused, but before he could retort, Lucian continued. "I'll tell you what will happen. Your six squadrons, and Lady Lavia's warships would be destroyed after the Commonwealth sends a force to reclaim Hapes. Gallenios' men on the ground, while well trained and highly schooled, would be annihilated and you would be hunted down like dogs and killed."

Lavia's eyes narrowed and her jaw clenched. Gallenios sat quietly for a moment, obviously having spoken to Lucian about his plans long before Gneut and Lavia had been called to the second summit.

"What do you suggest, smart ass?" Gneut's face had grown red with frusteration, and his fingers tapped impatiently on his knee.

"I suggest an alliance between the four of us. This is my plan...."