[hider=Alexander Kherol]

[center][h1][color=9e0b0f]Alexander Kherol[/color][/h1]

[img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/0af9e29f-0798-4dc9-a78b-fdba21f0ec11.jpg[/img][hr]

[b][color=9e0b0f]Full name:[/color][/b] 
Alexander Kherol

[b][color=9e0b0f]Age:[/color][/b] 
34

[b][color=9e0b0f]Race:[/color][/b] 
Human

[b][color=9e0b0f]Affiliation:[/color] [/b]

The Ascendancy of Man - Grand Admiral[hr]

[b][color=9e0b0f]Important Item:[/color][/b]
A small picture (See sidestory chapter 3)

A pair of glasses. 

Plasma pistol (self-defense purposes)

[b][color=9e0b0f]Biography[/color][/b]
Alexander was born on Earth, one of the metropolitan planet in the Core World of the Ascendancy of Man, and poetically the origin of humanity itself. Rumors, whether true or false, persisted in his city that the young boy was able to compete in local chess competitions for high school students by the age of two. Nine years later, that boy beat a chess grandmaster for the first time. By the time he was seven, he attended high school and as he reached the age of thirteen, he was able to think critically and conduct certain analysis at university and post-graduate level.

His reputation spread far, but through a miraculous yet brilliant twist of fate, Alexander did not perish under the Ascendancy's early policies of using young children. Before the Ascendancy could forcibly kidnap this standout young genius, one certain nobleman, governor and politician of his planet, someone whom Alexander would look upon with respect and gratitude later in his career, offered him the opportunity to enroll in the Grand Military Academy when he reached the age of twelve. Yes, voluntarily. There, young Alexander would be given special protection from all the overly-ambitious Ascendancy's leaderships who were looking to use prodigious children as tools of their own.

There, he received over-the-top quality education that only served to further his inhuman ability. By the time he was eighteen, the normal eligible age, he went into officer training. He became a ship's midshipman aboard a Cruiser by the age of twenty, and then a captain of a dreadnought by the age of twenty-one. Things go uphill very quickly for Alexander. From the command of one individual ship, he rose to the rank of Commodore, commanding a dreadnought and two cruisers, then to Admiral, taking charge of a fleet of seven ships, consisting of cruisers, battleships and fleet carriers, with his personal capital ship. His finest hour was during the first years of the Rau've War. Alexander was the mastermind behind Operation Conundra, in which was a successful lightning military campaign against the Rau've important military targets. It is considered by most, if not all analyst, to be a spectacular tactical victory, as it disabled over half of the Rau've's space fleet in a course of a few weeks. However, some analyst considers it a strategic defeat, but most Ascendancy's military commanders see otherwise, as subsequent military actions were the prime reason for their defeats later on. Nevertheless, Alexander was promoted to the rank of Grand Admiral by the age of thirty for the successful strike.

That was the peak of his career, however. As the war progressed on, Alexander could see the Ascendancy's armies slowly stagnating in its track and entrenched. Foreseeing a long-term war, the newly promoted Grand Admiral proposes a more defensive plans, intending to play the game with them, the game that he excels at. However, the high command rejected this proposal, as they found it too passive. As a result, the scale of war gradually tipped to the Rau've, as things began to go downhill for the Ascendancy. With Alexander's effort, however, he manages to lure the Rau've forces into a decisive battle at Proxima. There, he was determined to crush the Rau've's forces with his superior ships. His initial plans for the battle was to entrench the Rau've in the defense line while destroying the backbone of the Rau've heavy ships and guns with field artilleries and carriers before steamrolling the smaller pawns with the dreadnoughts. This, however, was countered by the Ascendancy's high command, through lack of understanding of rules of warfare. This was the last straw for the Grand Admiral. He knew the Ascendancy was doomed, but didn't want his men to die in vain, so he counter-proposed to let his ships remain in reserve, ready to back up the troops at the front once the defense line was breached. His proposal was granted, but he did not keep his promise.

Before he knew it, the war was over. A peace treaty was signed, with the Ascendancy's army from an intergalactic force to almost complete destruction, with only the 1st Fleet completely intact and ready for combat. This was the wake-up call for Alexander, as he redoubled his effort to expand his military forces. He spent his post-war year maintaining order around the Ascendancy as well as speeding up several of his pet-peeve project for his army.[hr]
[b][color=9e0b0f]Exceptional Skills[/color][/b]
Exceptional Intelligence x5
Exceptional Willpower 
Exceptional Diplomacy x2
Exceptional Speech
Exceptional Politics x2
[/center]
[/hider]

[hider=Alexander's side stories]
A collection of side stories about one of the Ascendancy's greatest generals. From his earliest day, through to his finest and his lowest moments, his most extraordinary and his most human. All separate stories.
[hider=Chapter 1: The Mind of a Genius]
"Alright, Alex. How about you, can you solve this equation?"

The teacher said, as he gently handed his child the pen to the holographic board. A child of merely eight years of age. Among a crowd of thirty kids, all one head taller than him. The kid was reluctant to be called so suddenly, but at the gentleness and politeness of his professor, he found himself unable to deny his offer.

The child slid out of his chair, walked to the board and slowly, his hand holding the pen to which he would write with. As he neared, he simply stood still, silent. He inhaled, and exhaled. Again, and again.

And he wrote.

[color=9e0b0f]"This is an equation that if you follow the conventional way of solving, it will resolve in a massive power number, which is technically very difficult to solve. But if you prove and apply this inequation to our main problem, it is possible to see that the left hand side of the verse can be reduced to this, which is always larger or equal to the right side of the verse, which is zero. So the equation only occurs when a specific condition is met in the left side of the verse. This greatly reduced the complexity of our problem, and it's quite straightforward from there."[/color]

The boy put down his pen, as he finished the last of his solution, as he slowly returned to the seat. But what he did not notice, perhaps too young to notice, were the eyes towards him. His teacher. His peers. Even the parents of some other kids who happened to be there at the time.
They were shocked beyond belief.[hr]
"...In my years of teaching, I've never seen a mind like your son’s."
[color=9e0b0f][i]"The reason that Kobald failed on his conquest I believe was more to his own logistic than his enemy's tactical ability like you said teacher. The guerrilla soldiers did little in terms of combat, but it was the scorched earth policy done by the citizens that actually dealt the damage. Kobald's region was too far away for a reliable source of provisions, so he brought little and mostly lived off his conquered land, which was vulnerable to this policy"[/i][/color]

"He possesses the mind of a genius. One that many centuries we have yet to see again."

[color=9e0b0f][i]"Castling on the king side is the most common move here, as it would grant the king additional protection against the enemy's knights and bishops, but if we play Queen to A4, it will block that Knight from going anywhere, while threatening the D4 pawn, so it's a more reasonable move."[/i][/color]

"He’s the only underaged student we have admitted, and yet he has already learnt everything we could ever hope to teach a child ten years older than him. There’s nothing more here for him to learn. Please, you have to let him go with us."

The teacher begged, again, as his parents began to feel more and more reluctant.

"He is too young..." His mother said, her voice full of indecisions.

"I am aware ma'am." The teacher responded. "But his reputation has already spread across the school. No, the district now. It is only a matter of time until the Ascendancy took notice of his unusual mind."

His mother's eyelids dropped, as if the dam was about to break. His father looked at his son, who was innocently reading the book inside his room, completely unaware of what was being discussed outside. There were inside rumors of the Ascendancy intending to kidnap prodigious kids for a special military program. And they all knew the system at play here, it wasn't that hard to believe. It was perhaps the only situation when a parent would be in painful tears upon the discovery that their child was a genius.

It would be hard. For him to face reality this early. For his parents, to not worry about him. And for both of them, to say their goodbyes.

"I understand your concern. It's better to be voluntary early, than being forced out later. I know a person that can help him avoid that fate. But please..."

[color=9e0b0f][i]"Teacher, am I right?"[/i][/color]

"...you have to let him go."
[/hider]
[hider=Chapter 2: Finest Hours]
August 2374

Planet Wasa, Rau’ve’s Space Dock #3

The war had begun more than two weeks ago, but the Rau’ve had already been decimated. Their poorly prepared defense line would be a source of ridicule among historians for generations to come. The Ascendancy’s space fleet sliced through their lines like a knife through butter. Their once mighty two carrier space fleets now two asteroid belts of metal. The third one, having managed to escape the carnage of Alexander’s lightning campaign, retreated to the orbit of Planet Wasa, one of their Space Dock deep in their home territory, initially for refit of armaments and space planes in order to counter the superior Ascendancy’s armor and firepower. Too bad for them that they would never be able to accomplish their original objective. For by the time the Rau’ve finally got together the tools to upgrade their fleet, the Ascendancy would have been at their very door steps, with bombs all over their vegetable heads. And six months later, the Ascendancy’s flag would be flying high at their capital.

Upon the news of the Rau’ve’s second line of defense being breached, the Rau’ve’s third carrier group had instead dug into their docks and made it their fortress. With the remnants of the broken second defense line rendezvousing at the once prosperous industrial planet, they were determined to halt the rapid advances of the Ascendancy’s Navy. But if only if they knew who they were up against…

[color=9e0b0f]“4 Dreadnoughts, 6 Cruisers, 15 Frigates, 12 Corvettes and most importantly 3 Carriers.”[/color] Said the grey-haired admiral, wearing the standard dark grey Ascendancy’s officer’s uniform, sitting at the far end of the table. His eyes hidden behind the thickness of the glasses, adding another layer to the already present aura of mystery and chilliness. [color=9e0b0f]“That’s our price for the taking.”[/color]

“But they are dug into their asteroid belt, with multiple stationary guns on the asteroids. And even though we have the same number of carriers, their number of ships in total are nearly twice our numbers” Replied one other commanding officer at the table, this one sitting right next to Alexander, his embellishment missing a star comparing to Alexander’s. His voice lowered. His eyes twitched as he kept his gaze on the battlefield being replicated in the hologram right in front of him on the table.

[color=9e0b0f]“They fight as one we’ll kill them as one.” [/color]

“They’ve chained up now, it’d be hard to break.”

[color=9e0b0f]“Not with the right way.”[/color] Said Alexander, eyeing over the battle overview. [color=9e0b0f]“The Rau’ve's position implies they are trying to counter our lightning strike strategy. We'll present them something else at the last minute, and we shall watch them fall apart...” [/color]

And that was exactly what he did. And it all began with his explanation.

[color=9e0b0f][i]“The Rau’ve have chosen the battlefield in a way that can maximize the strength of their numbers. Our forces will approach them just like we usually do. Like a nailboard…”
“Nawar and Rar, you brothers will be commanding this front.”[/i][/color][hr]
The next day, what was materialized on that holographic table was right there, on the space just a few thousand kilometers wide area of space, with the asteroid belt flooded with those heavy hitting anti-armor railguns. And that would be the thing the Ascendancy’s Navy would have to break in order to win this battle. Along with the lines of guns are capital ships, frigates and corvettes taking their cover behind these meteorites, ready to meet their adversary. And right behind those things would be the reserve fleet. And behind that the carriers. Those juicy target that Alexander was longing for.

The Rau’ve was certainly surprised by the speed of the Ascendancy’s Navy, but they were not daunted. Morales were high, and they were determined. But their pride had blinded them. For the Ascendancy approached the battle line just like how Alexander had told them, but with a single twist.[hr]
[color=9e0b0f][i]“But this time, our dreadnoughts will not be at the front anymore. Instead, the breakthrough will be made by the heavy cruisers.”[/i][/color][hr]
And indeed, they were. Right at the front, ready to charge into the thick. And they went under the blind’s eyes.[hr]
[color=9e0b0f][i]”Before the charge, however, I want you, Lan, to destroy their air group.”[/i][/color][hr]
And so the battle began. The Ascendancy’s carriers immediately sent out hundreds of their star fighters, accompanied by other ships in the fleet, though with lesser numbers. And in response, the Rau’ve also dispatched their entire fighter groups to the ensuing battle. The air fight opened the curtain for one of the most biggest space dogfight the universe has ever seen. In a narrow area of empty space, nearly five hundred fighters had slammed themselves against each other, greeting each other with bullets and metals, clashing with the others on a personal level. And those to come out victorious, could change the course of the entire battle.[hr]
[color=9e0b0f][i]”If we win this air fight, we win the entire battle. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is. Even if you suffer massive casualties you must gain air supremacy.”[/i][/color][hr]
All of Alexander’s hope for this battle came in the form of a few hundred fighters. He normally despised relying on one single thing in battle, but this was the only time he had to put faith in it. On the grittiness, the well-trained pilot of the Ascendancy’s Air Force.
It was chaos. A birthplace of aces, but a cemetery for hundreds of young men and women. A clash of steel, of skills, of wits, but not without blood from either sides. But the ensuing 15 minutes battle had emerged the Ascendancy as the victorious side. Air supremacy had been achieved.[hr]
[color=9e0b0f][i]”While the air battle concludes itself, our breakthrough forces will surge forward. The Rau’ve will definitely respond with a hail of fire from their asteroid guns.”[/i][/color][hr]
As the cruisers moved, the guns lit themselves up. Hell ensued for the heavy cruisers. Of course because the cruisers were not as heavily armored as the dreadnoughts, they were not as well protected as them. They would reach the belt faster than the dreadnoughts would, but in doing so, some began to burn...[hr]
[color=9e0b0f][i]”Do not relent. Once your cruisers reach the asteroid belt, you will have time to repair, in which you must, because the Rau’ve will throw ahead their reserve, to push us back.”[/i][/color][hr]
And exactly that, they surged forward, frigates, corvettes and dreadnoughts descended upon them, taking the Ascendancy’s cruisers right on their faces. The Ascendancy’s advances had been halted.[hr]
[color=9e0b0f][i]”At this point, the Rau’ve will think their plan worked.”[/i][/color][hr]
The cruisers slowly backed, as the Rau’ve poured down fire upon their invaders. Some unfortunate were left burning…[hr]
[color=9e0b0f][i]”Give ground, and let them believe.”[/i][/color][hr]
Soon, the grounds the Ascendancy had gained were handed back to the Rau’ve, as fightings intensified. Guns blazed, star fighters answered.  The entire asteroid belt was lit up by a spectacular lightshow of fire and bullet. No ships were willing to relent, as they continuously hailed down fire upon anything that moves, until they could no longer

At this point, the Rau’ve had the reason to be proud. They held their ground, they pushed the Ascendancy’s back. They thought they may have ended the myth of Ascendancy’s invincibility. And they were led to believe, as their lines between the reserve and the front began to merge[hr]
[color=9e0b0f][i]”It is then that we will mobilize our two dreadnoughts in reserves, and our remaining bombers, destroy the entire belt.”[/i][/color][hr]
It was too late for them.

When they had realized their mistake, they had nowhere to go. Any form of retreat would mean giving the Ascendancy the means to break their line completely. But staying would mean no different. The Ascendancy do not intend to play a fair game here. They only have one objective, and that is to obliterate the Rau’ve’s naval fleet completely.

From above and below, Ascendancy’s dreadnoughts approached, like the hammer and anvil. Their huge battle cannons turned, strangling the Rau’ve with every angle. Bombers from the carriers accompanied them in the violent purge with their shield-deactivation bombs. Once they had locked on their targets, it was when chaos descended. It was the same for the killed and the survivors. When they opened their eyes, it was a scene right from the depths of hell.

The Ascendancy blew up the entire asteroid belts. They buried the Rau’ve alive.[hr]
[color=9e0b0f][i]”The rest of the fleet will charge forward, surround the belt, and cut down any stragglers.
There will be no mercy.”[/i][/color][hr]
The winner had been decided in the first fifteen minutes of the fight. And the tide turned in just less than 5 minutes.

In those 5 minutes, the Rau’ve’s forces went from solid confidence and discipline into a complete riot. Those who were courageous enough to remain in the fight were cut down without mercy, their corpse dissolved in the flames of burning ships. If one still valued their very lives, then he must strip away their weapons, armor and gave themselves in voluntarily, for they may find the Ascendancy’s prison having a higher chance of survival. Those foolish enough to run away from battle, the Ascendancy spared no moments of hesitation. The lighter ships charged forward, unleashing barrages of rocket and main battery fire, disintegrating the Rau’ve’s armors in seconds.  Screams echoed, as panic settled into the ranks of the Rau’ve, until there were no more organization, no more resemblance of a military forces, just a massive hulk of crowd running fearfully for their lives. And then, there were no more…[hr]
[color=9e0b0f]“It was the greatest battlefield victory of the age. Their entire fleet was destroyed or captured. Not one single ship made it back to their home for any form of resistance. And above all, over fifty thousand Rau’ves, including five high-ranking generals and many officers had been declared killed in action. Our road to the capital had been opened.

Today is a victory greater than any victories the Ascendancy could have achieved throughout its one hundred years of rules. A victory that would solidify me as the greatest Ascendancy’s military commander of all time.

And yet I felt no sense of triumph…”[/color]
[/hider]
[hider=Chapter 3: Proxima]
What happened to our victorious march during the early days? After the battle of Wasa, there was nothing. 

In the mind of the Ascendancy’s youngest and most feared general was full of melancholy. He did not work so hard for his entire life for this moment. He did not leave the comfort of his home, the warmth embrace of his mother and father for this. Nor did he work his entire way up to the rank of grand admiral, ignoring the brutality and hostility of where he was raised. Nor his effort to bring the Ascendancy to the doorstep of the Rau’ve capital. For this. For the Rau’ve to reorganise, counterattack and inflict deaths upon the army. For them to push the army the entire way back, reversing all of the effort Alexander had grinded through. All thrown into the bin in the most ungrateful manner by the colleagues he worked with.

He saw this coming. With those eyes behind the thick glasses yet saw far better than those perfect visioned so-called generals. He saw the slow decline, and he tried to stop it. But once glory had been achieved, these men and women decided to toss him aside, gradually throwing him into the sidewalk because they didn’t want to miss out on the glory that they craved. [color=9e0b0f][i]’Glory my ass.’[/i][/color] Was always his thoughts. If they were his direct subordinate, he’d have their head taken, or in his procedure, stripped of their ranks and booted back to being a common soldier. Anything glory driven was always a waste of time, manpower and resources. But like his old teacher once said, his mind was far few in between. Only he could see it. No other could. And when stupidity plus ego, here he was.

Sitting in the tall-backed chair in the private quarter of his huge battlestation, the capital dreadnought Aegis, he, for once, took off his glasses, revealing his true colored eyes for the very first time, though unfortunately no one was there to witness it. He took out a small handkerchief from his pocket as he wiped the layers gently. A long sigh escaped his lips, his breath held weight, and it was pulling him down, also the rare moment of human emotion he displayed ever since he was stripped away from his parent. From his normal life.

His only work for the moment was to wait. In the hours that seemed like an eternity to the grand admiral. It had been a few hours since the last strategical meeting had concluded. The high command had decided against his military advice. Not far-fetched from what he expected, but this time it was the only decision that he very much feared. He had called for a reconsideration, and they were discussing it. If they did reconsider, then he’d be informed of another meeting. That was the message that he was expecting to receive for hours.

For he knew if they went forth with their decision, it would be a massacre.

The silence was just unsettling. The silence that he once enjoyed, from the stillness of the bookshelf to the solemnity of the chandelier. He couldn’t sleep. Nor could he do anything either. He normally hate idleness but today he couldn’t help but be so. Doing anything would be useless right now.

And then, for some mysterious reasons, his hand suddenly reached for his drawer. He opened them, and inside was a small picture. A paper-back picture. Not very commonly seen nowadays. And in it, it was a picture of a young boy, gray-haired but without glasses, smiling prettily. The boy was barely even six when this picture was taken. And next to him, crouching and holding onto his shoulder was another person with the gorgeous silky platinum hair, tied into a side bun whilst the rest left hanging down to her waist. Her smile perfectly matched her beauty. And standing right next to the two mother and son was the final puzzle to make a happy family. The man did not have any resemblance in terms of hair-color, but he was well-tuned, well-dressed, smart-looking. And that passed on well.

A picture of a happy family. Of a loving mother and father, one that would pull them into their warmth everytime they fell into a dead juncture, one that would cheer them on from the back as they march on the long road that is called life. Alexander spent a few minutes without lifting his eyes. And then he turned around to the back, to see a beautiful feminine handwriting on it.

October 23rd, 2349.

An outing with my darling and my sweet child…

…

…

But before anything, a notification suddenly appeared in front of Alexander in a form of a hologram. Incoming call. From Admiral Damon. It must have been it.

Alexander had no hesitation in pressing the receive call button. As the image of the admiral appeared in front of Alexander, he quickly re-adjusted himself, put away the picture and put on his glasses again.

[color=9e0b0f]“Yes, Admiral Damon?” [/color]

“Grand Admiral, I’m here to inform you about the high command’s decision of your request for a strategy reconsideration. The President has refused your request. You will proceed to execute the plan according to what had been given in the last meeting.” Damon quickly informed.

Alexander’s expression was unreadable.

That’s it then…

“Is there anything that must be clarified, Grand Admiral?”

[color=9e0b0f]“No, thank you.” [/color]

Alexander briefly replied, as he looked at Damon one last time before his image disappeared. He knew that this would very likely be his last time speaking to him. Damon was the commander of the ambush task force. And he was certain that the ambush would turn out a spectacular disaster. And Damon was definitely not a righteous man. He had committed numerous atrocities against Rau’ve’s prisoners and civilians. There is no way the Rau’ve would let this go unpunished. If he did not die with honor on the battlefield, he’d rot in the Rau’ve’s prison, or had his neck broken in a noose, or his chest made into cheese in front of a firing squad. He definitely felt he deserved it, but nevertheless, Alexander could not help but feel bad for him. He had yet to realize his fate.

Nevertheless, Alexander stood up from his chair. His eyes now completely clouded behind his thick glasses, unseen from the outside. He immediately called one of his admirals under his direct command over to the bridge.[hr]
The days after the final order had been given, the atmosphere surrounding the Aegis was the polar opposite of Alexander’s private quarter. Ship crews were hurrily running around in the ship, trying to reach their battle station. Sounds of boots clattered with the hard floor on the ship, echoing into deep space.  In the midst of it all, standing in the middle of the room was Alexander and Admiral Faro of the 1st Fleet. Facing each other, their brows furrowed.

[color=9e0b0f]“I’d say it, we’re done for.”[/color] Alexander said. [color=9e0b0f]“Despite everything I've said, they still found a reason to disagree.”[/color]

“No disrespect sir, but what do you expect from a band of circus clown, kidnappers and sadists?” Faro replied, making an unimpressed face.

[color=9e0b0f]“Be serious, Faro.”[/color] Alexander adjusted him. [color=9e0b0f]“I’d have to take matters into my own hands. Proxima will be lost by tomorrow. When they do, who will defend the Ascendancy’s homeland from the Rau've?”[/color]

“Are you sure you can hold, with just a single carrier fleet?” Faro asked skeptically.

[color=9e0b0f]“Once they knew who they were against, they’d be having second thoughts. They can win, but heavy casualties will ensue. Thousands more lives would be lost.”[/color] Alexander replied [color=9e0b0f]"The Rau've are compassionate folks, they will see the better options here."[/color]

“Be careful, that can be interpreted as treason.”

[color=9e0b0f]“Ha, Faro. Don’t worry. If it saves the Ascendancy, they would have to accept it. Killing me would just be sawing off the tree while sitting on the branch.”[/color] Alexander said. [color=9e0b0f]“Now is all ships in position?”[/color]

“Yes sir. We’re all set.” Faro replied.

[color=9e0b0f]“Very well.”[/color] Alexander gave a short sigh. [color=9e0b0f]“Tell the other grand admirals that we’re ready.” [/color]

“Yes sir.” He nodded as he turned on his heel to leave.

[color=9e0b0f]“Oh.”[/color] Alexander suddenly called him just as the bridge’s door opened. Faro turned around, curious. [color=9e0b0f]“Tell those admirals to visit by Nevivsky sometimes.” [/color]
[/hider]
[hider=Chapter 4: Between two suns]
Nevivsky Kremlin, OGLE-2005-BGL-390Lb, Headquarter of Ascendancy’s 1st Fleet

For any newcomers, this was frozen hell. To the soldiers of the Ascendancy’s 1st Fleet, this was their normal daily lives. The howling wind, the half-ice pellets raining on their snow goggles, the frozen engine that constantly hopped in and out of consciousness. They’re used to it. By the weekends, it would be a wonderland, stores would be open again in the nearby city and the soldiers back out on the training field before they could go wild with their boozes. 

A cup of hot coffee next to the fireplace, the various designs of space warships laid out on the table before him, while his tablet was on his lap. For today however, it’s just about getting comfortable in his office. He hadn’t felt this much serenity ever since he joined the army. Constant fighting against the Rau’ve and within each other had allowed none of such luxuries, but power dynamics of the war was changing. His political rivals were beginning to rise up, trying to cash in on the glory that he himself created. Also fueled by the high command’s fear of losing him on the battlefield, his involvement in the campaign gradually began to be a lot more passive. Now, all he heard about were from his private office instead of on the bridge of his starship. It was getting frustrating, but he at least had some free time to enjoy himself a little.

“Grand Admiral, someone’s requesting entry to the planet.” A sudden voice message popped up on the room’s intercom. 

Alexander’s eyebrows piqued. 

[color=9e0b0f]“Who is that?”[/color] He immediately called the sender.

“It identifies itself as a private vessel from the Windsor’s family.”

Windsor? He’s here for them?

[color=9e0b0f]“Let them through.”[/color]
----------------
You'd know this is one of their places immediately from the first step onto the monstrosity and masterpiece of architecture.

A fortified complex, stretching a small town’s worth of area, surrounded by gigantic red walls dwarfing most mortal beings passing through. The soaring towers radiated in a strange violet aura that helped form a massive transparent dome covering the entire base from snow. Buildings in the inner layers were no less extravagant. The rather more traditional Earthly palace architecture did not hide the fact that this was a military base. Gun placements could still be seen from the ground up, covered by what seemed to be moveable rooftops that could easily go undetected by radars. 

It continued with his office as well: the long walk from the door, across rows of tall pillars and a thick textured purplish marbled floor. The multiple holographic projection of a soldier carrying a classic projectile rifle, wearing solemn dark grey uniform, typical of Alexander’s approach to his army design. Yet it proved to be brutally effective, as seen along with the walls marking the mementos of the Guard's past triumphs on the battlefield.

If the grand display at the interior of the entrance wasn’t enough to put guests in their places, then the look at the man himself probably did. His eyes were hidden behind the thick glasses, yet it still gave off the image of a thousand needles jousting into a man’s throat. The slim build, gray-white hair, thin lips were still, expressionless, watching his every movements with interest. The symmetric insignia was engraved right on his collar, blended in with his black red uniform, yet few could miss it entirely.

[color=9e0b0f]“William Windsor. It’s unexpected that you’d come here today.”[/color] The Grand Admiral welcomed, his tone unreadable. 

--------

William knew that despite his own genius and knack for political theory, as well as learned skills through various interactions, that it would not be good to underestimate Kherol. More to the point, it would be better to anticipate a loss beforehand and begin preparations for damage control even before the talk had properly begun. After all, Kherol was more experienced than he was, and sharper too.

Accompanied by only two bodyguards and two aides, William had chosen not to be extravagant, and chose the simplest of his steelweave silk clothes, a black-and-white business suit which absorbed and retained warmth even in the cold of the military base. Said warmth will have to reassure him in the upcoming confrontation with Alexander Kherol.

As the dark-skinned blond gave a short bow to the Grand Admiral, he knew that said confrontation would not be easy, but he owed it to his folk to try. The Windsor Family insignia was on his own collar, a reminder of the power his family had, and it was a reassurance that if he was cautious and perceptive enough, he might gain something from this.

He then spoke and said, “Grand Admiral Alexander Kherol, your men have charged several innocent traders, some with connections to the Windsor Autonomous Trading Fleet, with various crimes ranging from the petty to the outright harmless. I have also received word that your subordinates, in their zeal, have escalated the situation such that both sides ended up exercising their right to self-defense.”

William sighed, “The Autonomous Fleet stands for the promotion of free commerce in Ascendancy space, and have paid large sums to the Military’s war effort in order to strengthen their ability to protect trade and entrepreneurship. I do not believe that such a relationship should be interrupted over a few harmless exchanges.”

An obvious legal fig leaf, but flimsier arguments had won before in this regime, as long as those in power profited from it. A reason for humanity’s stagnation before, during, and after the war.

[color=9e0b0f]“And I know that’s the case. That’s why I simply offered them to release a public apology to those involved, promising not to promote alien cultures among my troops and the people of Nevivsky.”[/color] Alexander simply shrugged his shoulders. [color=9e0b0f]“By then, I’d let them go basically scot free. Plain. Simple.”[/color]

William Windsor blinked at that and said, “Thank you. I will secure such a public apology from them immediately. Does this mean that this situation is defused even before it starts?”

[color=9e0b0f]“Well, they’re not obliging. That’s why it has dragged on for so long.”[/color] Alexander replied. [color=9e0b0f]“I want the ones involved to say it themselves.”[/color]

The dark-skinned blond twitched, and his speech was genuinely snide - Though the snideness was not directed at Kherol - when he said, “And I thought the age of martyrs was [i]over[/i]. Very well, I’ll talk to them immediately and secure a public apology. I presume there’s no additional business to talk about?”

As he prepared to depart, William whispered a brief, “Thank you,” one that could be picked up by Alexander’s ears, but swiftly denied by William if called out.

[color=9e0b0f]“And how will I know if that’s genuine?”[/color]

His words echoed just as William was about to be out of the door. 

[color=9e0b0f]“I want a genuine apology, not explicit coercion. That’s why I am surprised you are here. Unless you have that sort of charisma in you.”[/color]

William turned back and said, “I came here to prevent innocent merchants from becoming martyrs, no more, no less. No merchant should die for their beliefs, it’s bad for business.”

A half-truth - William did not believe that martyr and merchant should be synonymous, but he did believe in fighting for one’s beliefs… Eventually.

Then he sighed, “I have no plans for ‘explicit coercion’ either - As I said, merchant-hood and martyrdom are incompatible and a true trader can be convinced of that.”

[color=9e0b0f]“Then make sure it is so. Send me the speech so I can see if it is. But keep in mind, it’s not going to be towards me that they will be addressing. I'm not concerned. It’s to the people of Nevivsky.”[/color]

William paused for a moment, knowing full well that Alexander Kherol was fully able to cut through the evasive language, useless qualifications, word padding, and blame deflection that a ‘normal’ apology speech would have. So with some reluctance, he ventured a question.

“Is the amount of feel-good, flattering, pacifying wording that nevertheless doesn’t take true blame for the perceived crimes you are willing to take the same as the people of Nevivsky are willing to accept? This is a pure hypothetical, of course. Either way, the people will be at peace, I can promise that.”

The promise was real, the hypothetical was not, but challenging it when peace was already offered was for someone who can afford a political crisis over something with an excuse. Hopefully.

And of course, William can always bring up his final emergency card, the small minority of ‘non-human auxiliaries’ in Alexander’s forces...

Alexander’s eyes rolled beneath his thick glasses. His lips perched up for a brief second. 

[color=9e0b0f]“Just to pull you aside a little, what do you think about...the city’s architecture?”[/color]

William replied right away, “Brutal. Regal. Meant to close people’s minds while at the same time making them more receptive to what they’re being fed by the authorities. Conveys distrust of the people while seeking to overawe them.”

A pause and a thin smile, “I know my history. The people here take after promises of peace, land, and bread like moths to a flame, and live with disappointment for decades after such promises.”

An interesting chuckle echoed throughout the room. [color=9e0b0f]“You are one cynical man, Mr Windsor. But I do not deny such interpretation. But, there is more to it than just a fortress. You don’t see it from here because of the blizzard, but from that angle, there is a big clock tower, a reminiscence of the old days of humanity. And it’s mechanical as well, made purely by turning gears. There is something truly beautiful in that that is lost on today’s society.”[/color]

He paused a little, to turn his seat around.

[color=9e0b0f]“And that is the human roots. We grind our way up from the ground, with no magic, no Kaisoken dusts. And people here are proud of such heritage. And I don’t blame them. I am proud of what I have achieved.”[/color] Alexander looked at Windsor directly. [color=9e0b0f]“But with the combination of what you just said, you can understand why I want a [b]genuine[/b] apology.”[/color]

William nodded at that and said, “There will be one for treating the populace like sheep to be influenced, and one for the violence which has occured. But there is a fine line to not wanting my affiliates to martyr themselves and asking them to sincerely renounce their convictions, which are their own and need not cause further disorder.”

A pause, “I offer peace and the end of involvement in your garrison’s affairs. Any other officer would have accepted this without question, without trying to make windows into my soul or the souls of my affiliates.”

Alexander sighed loudly. Seriously? He came here unexpectedly without any invitation, and now he’s telling him off?

[color=9e0b0f]“I don’t remember inviting you today, do I? Hmm.”[/color] Alexander threw a quick jab, but stopped soon to halt any escalations. [color=9e0b0f]“But anyway, I have a reason to proceed now. Glad we could have this discussion.”[/color]

His tone was unreadable, just like always.
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