[center][h2]SS Vēṭikana, Unknown Space[/h2][/center]

"By the Collective Consciousness!" Yelled Atnana, haphazardly pulling his headphones off of his head. "They've responded in Heda!"

"Turn off the translator, Atnana." Said Kamil in a mildly annoyed voice. "This is why Chaidiss is the comms officer."

"Well, unlike Chaidiss, I don't need to sleep twice a day. I also don't need an exoskeleton to walk. And I don't force the ship-wide gravity to be lowered while I'm aboard."

"She has a genetic condition dammit!" Said Ikuza "We're in the middle of a first contact and you're taking potshots at the disabled, get it together! Vēṭikana, what did the message actually say?"

"It was a repeat of your audio, Captain. Specifically everything past my name." Said the AI, the holographic body still present on the bridge.

"So they didn't understand." Said Ikuza, sighing. "At least they're friendly. I suppose speaking with an alien intelligence is a bit much to ask for on a warship."

"They cut off the first part." Mentioned Tomred, still staring at the radar in the hopes of determining just what the signals were coming from. "I think they understand, but just can't speak our language. You know, physically incapable. They're probably using audio samples to communicate."

"If that's so, this should be easy enough. Just send a dictionary, and Abh one. No need to confuse them by throwing a dozen different languages at them at once."

"Understood, Captain." Said the AI, completely ignoring the fact that he might have been talking to one of the crew. "I have transmitted the entirety of the most recent edition of the Eight World's Standard Dictionary."

[center][h2]Imperial Court, Shōrino'ba[/h2][/center]

"Total losses have come in at fifteen duosexagintillion Imperial Credits at current value, or fifteen untrigintilliard in the Carina system. All Socal Rings and Spheres have been lost, resulting in approximately five novemdecillion lives lost, or twelve novemdecillion if we count non-sapients. Five and twelve decillion in the Carina system."

The Royal Court was nothing like what everyone remembered, and even some of the faces were different. With the loss of the royal palace, they had to make do with the cramped situation room on Shōrino'ba, a room which hadn't been used for countless years. Since the last war, in fact. It was barely suitable to hold the Royal Court, the only things to sit on were cheap, light chairs brought in hastily for the meeting (the old ones had long since deteriorated).

"Is there anything we do have left?" Asked the Empress, resting her forehead in her hands. She never thought she would be the one to preside over the greatest disaster that had ever occurred. If she had expected to preside over any event at all, it would have been a royal ball. "The survey's been completed, so what do we have?"

"The Royal Shipyards are still operational." Said Baron Socal. His family had always been close to the royals, and he'd served as the Empress' adviser for as long as anyone could remember. It was his family that invented the giant megastructures that had housed the population of the empire, something they liked to brag about. Until now, that is. "But they're owned by the populace of their planet, as are all the other shipyards. As for industry, we don't have anything that could help. A Socal Sphere would be impossible with the matter we have under our control, and we got mostly the core worlds. There's no construction industry here, only consumer goods. And, of course, no farms aside from the ones built by hobbyists."

"What's the civil situation?"

"The Carina are having trouble with riots, while the Morii are busy gassing their own populace to get rid of dissidents. Revolts have popped up on multiple planets, it seems they are taking advantage of the situation to further their cause. The market of Kibō-hosh has crashed, and the entire planet is in chaos. Anybody who isn't practicing cannibalism or looting is starving."

"Cannibalism?! Surely they wouldnt-"

"We have official figures, Empress. Kibō-hosh is no longer a civilized world."

"Cant the Morii send troops? Can we get food there?"

"Your Highness, there isn't food to send. The Empire will be devoid of any edibles within the year, and that's if we enforce rations that may or may not keep people from starving. And this is all disregarding the looting. The only option is to respond with force, which we don't have. We've nationalized too many sports teams already, if we pull anything else under our control there will be even more unrest. We could only get a few ships if we stay under the radar, which we would have to do."

"There's a High School team with an authentic Kaguya bombardment ship." Said the Prince, who often acted as a royal adviser in order to train for when he would one day be Emperor. "It's the only one left that is still in its original planetary bombardment configuration. We all know what it can do."

The room was absolutely silent as everyone stared at the Prince. Nobody had to ask what he was talking about, they all knew.

"You know damn well that we won't do that." Said the Empress, her teeth clenched. "There's another option, surely. What if we nationalize the ground combat teams? We could send them in."

"Your Highness." Said Socal "If we nationalize them, the rest of the Empire will go into open revolt! We're not used to the government controlling, well, anything!"

"Then we'll have to make them accept it, because the only other option is genocide!"

"How? We don't have any capability for propaganda!"

"The businesses do."

"As if they would support the nationalization of teams they sponsor in tournaments that would all be cancelled! Empress, our only option is to glass Kibō-hosh. It's not pretty, but it's the only way."

"If we don't send ground forces in, billions die. If we do, we can shave off a few zeroes. We need to have the support of the people, and to get that, we need the support of the businesses. Since we can't get the support of the businesses, we have to make it so that we [i]are[/i] the businesses."

"Your solution is more nationalization? Are you mad? You've trusted me in everything else, and now, when there's the most riding on the decision, you ignore me?!"

"Baron. I am a Na'brel. The Na'brels have been fighting for as long as evolution has allowed us to. Your family was killed off by the Morii, and it was a Na'brel that saved your last survivor. When your family fought at Midway, it was that same Na'brel that saved you. The Socals have always been better at peace than at war. And as far as we're concerned, this is a war. I trust the judgement passed down by my ancestors over your own in times of war."

"Understood, your Highness." Said Socal, backing down. "How do you propose we nationalize the businesses? Their owners won't go along with it."

"We nationalize the teams first. We give the owners an ultimatum: surrender your businesses to save the Empire, or die. There are still patriots, now more than ever. Deaths will be minimized."

"But-"

"This is a war, it is my duty as the Empress to save as many lives as I can. If that means that I must take some, then so be it. We will send in the troops and nationalize the businesses. Not specific ones, all of them. We're in a galaxy that is almost certainly inhabited, and in interstellar politics, you can't be weak. Every species we encounter is likely to be hostile, and if we're weaker than them, we became slaves... or worse. All shipyards are to begin production of military vessels, all factories are to be retooled to produce only essential products. Anyone who keeps a garden or farm will be ordered to put all of their produce under government jurisdiction. I want you to find suitable land for farming as well, Socal. If we collectivize those with agricultural experience into multiple, larger farms, we can keep food output high enough to slow the starving of our people. Any food we have will be rationed strictly, give everyone just enough food to live and work on. If their job requires less labor or focus, they get less food."

"Understood. And what of the deployment of the ground combat teams?"

"Send them anywhere there is unrest, and order them to put it down. If it can be done without bullets, then make sure it is."

"Yes, your Highness!"