With Oz;
[centre] [img]http://flag-designer.appspot.com/gwtflags/SvgFileService?d=4&c1=2&c2=0&c3=2&o=6&c4=0&s=16&c5=2[/img] 
[h3][i][color=92278f] The Meridiana System; along the Commonwealths Alorian border. [/color][/i] [/h3] [/centre]

In the last few days the Alorian Queen and her advisers has been talking with each other internally about the problems that were beginning to arise for the Empire, and potential solutions. Many of the meetings had been rife with disagreements, the Alorian high government not being able to come too a decision regarding outside pressures and threats. That was, until the Commonwealth responded too the Alorian calls for talking too be held between the two nations. The Queen wasted no time in setting up for a meeting, sending three of her best advisers to a Commonwealth system as a sign of goodwill. The three advisers, Lila of the Alorians, Raina of the Alorians, and Takeer of the Krolm, left on a Royal transport ship, safeguarded by a small naval vessel and around a dozen F35X fighters, all as precaution, with no violence or threat intended. 

The ship came across a Commonwealth border force as they crossed from Alorian space too Commonwealth space. As soon as they did they had entered the Meridiana system, a system full of verge worlds on the Commonwealths Alorian border, holding the world that the talks would be held on today, Terizand. The Royal transport ship docked slowly onto one of the ships belonging too the border force, the doors between them opening as for the first time ever Alorian government spoke with another nations people in their own space for democratic reasons.

Lord Sir Castlereagh had made the journey from Praetoria specifically for this occassion, yet doubts still lurked in the back of his mind. He was still reeling from how quickly the negotiations had crept up on him. He, Telemachus and Bismarck had duly presented their recommendation to cabinet, and their fellow ministers had jumped on the idea. Evidently the threat of the Dominion weighed heavily on everyone's minds. Castlereagh had heard that even the Imperial Queen had leant her support to the proposal. The opposition parties were raising a fuss about it in Parliament, naturally, but not with half the vigour they usually did.

So here he was, sudddenly face to face with the Alorian delegation. With a slight start, he placed a translator in his ear; general contact with the Alorians was frequent enough that the Commonwealth had solid translation software for their language.

"Welcome aboard the RCNS Anna Karenina," he said grandly, "and welcome to Terizand. I am Lord Sir Robert Castlereagh, Minister of Foreign Affairs for her Imperial Majesty's government."
He gestured to the stern looking man to his left. "This is Captain Arthur Wellesley, commanding officer of the ship," then to the man on his right "and this is Anderson Ribbentrop, with the Imperial Diplomatic Corps."

The Alorian advisors bowed as they entered the Commonwealth ship RCNS Anna Karenina. They took a few steps fowards before reaching down, taking translation devices from their pockets and fixing them onto their ears. Raina stepped fowards, watching and listening as the Lord introduced the men too his right and left. She nodded too all three of them in the order that they were introduced, as did Lila. "Thank you, Lord Castlereagh, for allowing us into your space. And thank you, Captain Arthur Wellesley, for allowing us onto your ship". She said, smiling gently at the two men. She reached out too her right, gesturing too the other Alorian woman, and spoke again. "This is Lila of Aloria, one of the Queen's most trusted advisers". She stopped, gesturing too her left, "This is Takeer, of the Krolm".

Lila and Takeer stepped foward so that they were now standing next too Raina and not behind her. Lila spoke next, looking too Castlereagh. "Minister, shall we move onto the important topics at hand? I believe we need to speak about how we can work together too help us stay strong, despite outside threats. The Queen want's us too propose two things". She said, stopping. Takeer opened his mouth next, speaking for the fist time. His voice was much more rough, low and gritty than the two Alorians too his side. "We would like too sign a defensive pact with the Commonwealth, so that we are stonger. And we would like to enact free trade between our nations". He said, looking down at the three men infront of him. None of the three here wanted too take any more time getting this done than needed.

Castlereagh put up a hand. "Please, let's adjourn to the conference room before we get down to business."
"If you would come this way?" Ribbentrop asked.

The various military personnel detached from the group and went about their own business, leaving, Castlereagh, Ribbentrop, and three staffers with the two Alorians and the lone Krolm. They boarded a lift that took them directly to the [i]Anna Karenina[/i]'s diplomatic suite and the conference room, which had been prepared in advance with appropriately sized seating for everyone involved. Once everyone was settled, Castlereagh spoke up.

"As you said, we have two main items to discuss today. I believe a mutual defence pact is fairly straightforward. I will be frank, I think the Dominion is our primary concern; they are blatantly militaristic and violently xenophobic, and we are certainly better off standing together against them. There are other enemies out there, however, so my government has asked me to suggest that the defence pact be a broad one; in the event either nation is attacked by any third party, the other is obligated to commit forces to assist in bringing hostilities to a close.

The Alorians sat and listened quietly as Castlereagh spoke, fortunately he spoke just the words that they wanted too hear. "We agree. The Queen thinks that a defensive pact should be signed as soon as possible as too deter any of our violent neighbours from launching an attack against either of us". She said, looking between Castlereagh and Ribbentrop. Takeer spoke up when she finished, his gruff voice a little louder than everyone elses. "We are willing too give our full and strongest support too you in any kind of attack, as long as you can promise too provide the same if we enter a time of need". Lila spoke next, looking at the two representatives,  "And if we agree, this pact can be signed here? The Queen is very concerned with getting this done soon." Lila asked the two Commonwealth representatives. 

"Well," said Castlereagh, "anything signed here shall have to be ratified by Her Majesty's government, but given current subspace comm traffic, it should require no more than a day. We are of course equally anxious to establish a mutually beneficial defence pact, and shall commit our full military capability to any conflict encompassed by the pact."

Ribbentrop spoke next, somewhat tentatively. "On the subject of free trade between our nations," he began, "we require....certain guarantees with regards to our...human citizens."

Castlereagh too shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Ah, yes. Eliminating tarriffs between our nations would certainly see an increase in trade activity, but we would require....assurances...that any human Commonwealth citizen would not be harassed, harrangued, or...detained...within Alorian space."

Lila and Raina did not speak for a few moments after the needs of the Human's was brought up. Raina sucked in a deep breath before she spoke, looking at the two men. "These needs can be met, of course. We wouldn't be looking too harass and detain our allies, would we". She spoke quietly, as she could tell that the commonwealth delegates weren't very comfortable speaking about the issue, and truthfully neither was she. "Of course, they would need too be wearing some kind of identification which would render them exempt from the Queens law's regarding  Terrans, which I am sure you are quite familiar with". Takeer kept quiet, he had no opinion on the matter as his people did not look upon Humanity with malice, but certainly in no favour either. When it came too issues with Humanity they Krolm usually let the Alorians take lead. "Is that acceptable?" Raina asked.

"Yes, perfectly acceptable" Castlereagh replied, He was obviously relieved to move away from the sensitive topic. Privately he believed that this treaty never would have gone through if the Dominion wasn't looming over the horizon. The Commonwealth could stomach a lot of things, but outright slavery was not usually one of them.

Next came the business of hammerring out the details of the treaty. This process usually took quite a long time as each party tried to squeeze in tiny concessions to give themselves an advantage, but in this instance, both the Alorians and the Commonwealth were more interested in getting the treaty signed as soon as possible. The finished document was remarkably short and straightforward: free trade and a mutual defence pact in one neat little package. The delegates parted ways for a few hours as Castlereagh sent the treaty off to Corinthene and Praetoria; it returned a few hours later with the Lord Chancellor and the Queen's electronic signatures. He met back with the Alorians shortly thereafter, a wide smile on his face. "Lila, Raina, Takeer; I am pleased to inform you that my government has ratified the treaty."

Lila, Raina and Takeer had been speaking and keeping mostly too themselves during the hours in which both parties were seperated. The only productive thing they had done was contact the Queen, have her look over the treaty and wait for her acceptance. This did not take long as the Alorian Queen had nobody else too consult but the three who had already accepted the treaty. After this the two Alorian delegates fed, away from any Commonwealth staff so that it didnt cause any alarm. And then Castlreagh returned with a ratified treaty. "Wonderful! As has our Queen". Raina spoke with a smile on her face. "We look foward too a very secure and peaceful future with you and your people".

Not long after this did the advisors and the small convoy that came with them leave. They returned too Alorian space and made their way straight to the capital planet, where they would soon meet with the Queen and speak about how best it would be too announce the new treaty too her people, and too others who needed too hear it.