[center][h2]Collab between [@Raylah] and [@jorvhik][/h2][/center]
[center][h3]Two months ago[/h3][/center]
Emily and Moirmir waited together at the entrance to the Kudrioni part of the Meeting Place. A few hours before, Emily had sent an invitation to the Undefeated embassy on the station, inviting them to a meeting at the Kudrioni embassy. If the Kingdom was to survive and thrive in a galaxy filled with cyborgs, apes, robots and aliens, it would need friends, maybe even allies. From their earlier contacts, the Undefeated seemed like a strong, proud people, and would make worthy allies if an agreement could be reached.

Of course, both of them could only hope for such an agreement. Emily had spent months trying to gather every scrap of information on the other nations on the Meeting Place, and she frequently had contact with the Undefeated embassy to prepare for this day. Moimir was really just there to make sure Emily didn’t have to do this big meeting alone, and to make sure everything went smoothly. Both of them hadn’t forgotten The Incident, which had affected Emily more than she might want to admit.

The former researcher nervously adjusted her clothing. She wasn’t a big fan of the uniform she had to wear during these official meetings. The skirt seemed ill-suited to any combat that might break out, and uniforms weren’t exactly a thing in Kudrioni culture. At least she got to wear a long coat over it, though. This was also Emily’s first diplomatic meeting of real importance compared to the previous contact Kudrion had with other nations, which didn’t help to soothe her nerves. Moimir motioned her to stop, expecting the Undefeated delegation to be there any minute now.

Guardian Jim Harlowe looked into a large mirror on the wall once more, just to make sure there was not a speck of dust on his formal uniform. This meeting was too important. If everything went well with the Kudrioni then the Undefeated could actually gain an ally that was worth it, not like those heinous Oligarchs from the ECU. Despite the horrible first contact between the Undefeated and the Kingdom of Kudrion, the diplomatic relationships between the countries have been more than good, up to the point where Jim hoped to seal the deal with them at this meeting.

After Kelsie and her people disappeared in the wormhole, Jim remained alone on the Meeting Place, waiting, in a vain, desperate hope that maybe someday they would return. But that day didn’t come, and with all the new arrivals to the station, Jim was swamped by work so much he just had to take someone in. But it was hard to find a replacement for Kelsie’s people, especially for that young scientist, Julianna Petrova. It seemed that any scientist Jim interviewed was either completely stupid, absolutely useless in normal life, or had an insufferable personality. Sometimes all of those combined.

Commander Peter Ross was certainly no scientist, but Jim requested him to be present to this meeting and hoped the man would accept a more permanent position on his team. Peter Ross was the man who led the boarding party that entered the Kudrion vessel and he was also the man who handled the whole incident with diplomacy rather than with force. A rare treat for a lifelong soldier. But, thanks to him, the relationships between the nations didn’t start with bloodshed and hostility. Which would be a shame, because the Kudrioni seemed like very reasonable people and their warrior culture was quite similar to the Undefeated militaristic style of life.

Jim and Peter headed to the Kudrioni part of the station together, both nervous. Jim was better at hiding it, after all, he had been doing this job for months already. The delegation had been waiting for them, and Jim was once again taken aback by how freakishly tall those people were. He bowed his head in respect. “Miss Kaldaz, it is a pleasure to meet you again. This is Commander Peter Ross, he will join us for today’s meeting. Commander, this is Miss Emily Kaldaz, the main representative of the Kingdom of Kudrion here on the Meeting Place.”

“Yes, we have met before,” Peter said with a nervous smile. Was he actually blushing? “It is good to meet you under more… peaceful circumstances, Miss Kaldaz.”

Both Kudrioni watched the Undefeated delegates approach. This was gonna be it. Months of preparation lead to this, so they had to make the best of it. In reality, Emily didn’t even want to be here, having become disillusioned with Kudrion’s warlike way of life, but she steeled her nerves and did her duty. This meeting was more important than her personal feelings on the matter. “Greetings, Guardian Harlowe,” Emily said, returning Jim’s gesture, “I am glad you could join us today. The Kingdom has an interesting proposition for you. My colleague here,” as she gestures to Moimir, “is Chieftain Moimir Collins. He’s a friend of the King and here to make sure everything goes smoothly.”

Emily turned to Commander Ross, acknowledging him with a nod. Although it had been four months since they last met, she recognized him immediately. It was hard to forget someone that you met under a situation like that. “So, shall we go to the meeting room?” The Kudrioni started to walk into the hallway, expecting the Undefeated delegation to follow.

Jim did his best to hide his excitement over Emily’s words. An interesting proposition could only mean they were interested in an alliance. Unless something terrible has happened that Jim didn’t know about. The Kingdom of Kudrion had one big weakness in the eyes of the Undefeated - the king could be challenged by other warriors at any time, making the government structure unstable to say the least. And while the situation had been stable for many years, it could change literally at any moment.

“It is an honor to meet you, Chieftain. I can’t wait to hear your proposition,” he said with a smile. “Lead the way, Miss Kaldaz.” They both followed the Kudrioni into their section of the Meeting Place.

The Kingdom’s section of the meeting place had undergone a level of preparation that was uncharacteristic for Kudrion. After passing the front desk at the entrance, the Undefeated delegation was led to a wide, long hallway, with many doors lining the walls. Emily’s boots clacked on the hallway’s granite floor as she walked in front of the group, leading them to the actual meeting room. An honor guard of Royal Guard soldiers lined the hallway, dressed in their white, polished power armour, holding their energy-bladed spears, which produced a blue glow that reflected off their armour.

After minutes of walking, the delegates finally reached the Kudrioni embassy. It was a medium-sized room, perfect for occasions like this. Like the hallway, it had a granite floor. The room’s walls were made of a kind of black stone, one native to Kudrion itself, with carvings depicting scenes from Kudrioni legend. One wall, the one opposite to the doorway, was transparent, except for the middle, where a red, energy-bladed broadsword was attached to the wall. Four lamps in the corners of the ceiling lit the room. In the middle of the meeting room stood a large table, made of a dark wood native to Kudrion, and around the desk there were four wooden chairs. A number of foodstuffs and drinks were arranged on the table.

“Gentlemen,” Emily said as she turned around, “would you like something to drink?”

Jim quietly admired the beauty of the meeting room, taking a mental note to expedite current works on a more representative room in the Undefeated section as well. The Kudrioni were showing off their best - the best room, the best guards, weapons, and armour, but in this case he didn’t take it as a power move to scare off potential enemies. No, he felt this was aimed more at impressing or even honoring potential allies. Unless he terribly misunderstood what was happening in which case the best guards in the shining armor with the incredibly cool-looking weapons would have no problem overpowering the two unarmed Undefeated representatives.

Everything was going well, maybe that was why he was so nervous. In his experience, combat operations rarely went as planned. And diplomacy was just another form of combat, one where you threw ambiguous statements at each other instead of spears or bullets. But their hosts seemed friendly enough for him to calm down.

“We would be honored to share a drink with you,” he replied and bowed his head in respect. It would seem weird if only him and Commander Ross were drinking, but if the Kudrioni joined in as well, it might actually serve as a good start to this negotiation. “I have to say I admire the improvements you have made to this place, it looks impressive.”

Emily walked over to the wall. She pressed on one of the carvings, and a part of the wall opened up, revealing a number of beer mugs and a keg. She carefully filled the mugs with Kudrioni mead, and walked back to the table. “Then let us drink,” she said, placing the mugs on the table.
“Don’t mind her too much,” Moimir said, “I think she is still a bit upset about The Incident,” letting out a hearty laugh.

“Well, I cannot say that I blame her.” Jim tried to keep a lighthearted smile on his face. Yes, ‘the Incident’, as the Kudrioni called their unfortunate first encounter, was quite a big reason to be upset. “And I’m incredibly glad that we have both heroes of that event here with us today. So, I propose a toast.” He grabbed one of the mugs and raised it up. “To Emily Kaldaz and Peter Ross. Without your bravery, we certainly wouldn’t be standing here together as friends.” Jim noticed that Peter was blushing, his head lowered, eyes carefully examining the granite floor. The Commander clearly didn’t like to be in the center of such attention.

Emily shot Moimir a death glare. If she wasn’t in a diplomatic meeting, she probably would’ve hit him. It had been her ass on the line in that ship, not his, and he better know it. Without saying a word, she grabbed one of the three remaining mugs, and downed about half the mead in one go. Moimir nervously raised his mug for the toast before he too started drinking. “Now that that is taken care of,” Emily said in a deadpan tone of voice, “let’s get down to business. As you may be aware, my nation, the Kingdom of Kudrion, is relatively new to the galactic scene. We therefore have to work together with others in order to survive in this galaxy. We believe you are strong and honorable warriors, much like us.”

She paused for a bit. This was the deciding moment.

“The Kingdom of Kudrion therefore proposes a military alliance with the Undefeated nation, so that we may work together to protect ourselves.”

Jim wondered whether proposing the toast wasn’t a bad idea. It seemed like a smart way to honor their Ambassador and lighten up the mood after the inevitable mention of ‘the Incident’, but Emily certainly wasn’t amused. Fortunately, it seemed that the Kudrioni were set to offer them the alliance anyway, despite this slightly awkward moment.

“We are incredibly honored by your offer.” He bowed his head towards both Emily and Moimir. “We too have come to know your people as brave, strong, and exceptionally honorable warriors. While our nations have their differences, I believe we have much in common to build on and turn the relationship between our countries into a long lasting and mutually beneficial friendship. I’m pleased to say that I’ve been authorized by the Grand General to accept your proposal, provided we agree on the exact terms of the treaty, of course.” 

“Of course. I have prepared a document beforehand,” Emily said, taking out a piece of paper from somewhere under the table and sliding it over to the Undefeated. “Take as much time as you need to read it.”

[hider=Alliance document]
[h2]Kudrion - Undefeated Alliance Proposal[/h2]

The Kingdom of Kudrion and the Undefeated, hereafter referred to as ‘The Parties’, are determined to safeguard the freedom, culture and civilisation of their peoples. They are resolved to unite their efforts for collective defence and the preservation of peace and security between the two nations. They therefore agree to the following treaty of alliance:

Article 1:
The Parties undertake to settle any international dispute in which they may be involved by peaceful means.

Article 2:
In order to more effectively achieve the objectives of this Treaty, the Parties, separately and jointly, by means of continuous and effective self-help and mutual aid, will maintain and develop their individual and collective capacity to resist armed attack.

Article 3: 
The Parties will consult together whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the Parties is threatened. 

Article 4:
The Parties agree that an armed attack against one is an armed attack against all, and consequently they agree that, if such an armed attack occurs, each of them, will assist the Party or Parties so attacked by taking forthwith  and in concert with the other Parties, such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of both nations. 

Article 5:
For the purpose of Article 4, an armed attack on one or more of the Parties is deemed to include an armed attack:
-On the territory, home system or spaceborne installations belonging to either one of the Parties
-On the forces, vessels or spacecraft of any of the Parties

Article 6: The Parties hereby establish a Council, on which each of them shall be represented, to consider matters concerning the implementation of this Treaty. The Council shall be so organised as to be able to meet promptly at any time. The Council shall set up such subsidiary bodies as may be necessary.
[/hider]

Both Kudrioni delegates patiently waited for their colleagues from the Undefeated to read the document.

Jim took his time to carefully read through the document the Kudrioni presented. He could see they really put a big effort into preparing for this meeting, they must have really wanted this alliance to happen. Which was good, because so did the Undefeated. “I have to say you and your legal advisors have done an amazing job putting this together.” 

He rubbed his chin, eyes sweeping the paper once more. “I do have a question about Article 1 though. Isn’t it a bit too strict to completely rule out the possibility of an armed conflict? What if a problem arises that simply cannot be resolved by peaceful means? Not that we would of course wish for something like that to happen, but I think we all agree that there are some situations where use of force is inevitable.” Jim didn’t want to sound like a warmonger, but he knew the Grand General would never approve of this particular clause with this wording.

“I think,” he continued, “we could edit that sentence, adding ‘if possible’ at the end? That would give us more maneuvering ground in case the peaceful options fail to accomplish the goal. And of course we will need to add a statement claiming that in case of such an armed conflict is incited by one of the Parties, the other Party is by no means obligated to enter the conflict as well.”

[i]Damnit[/i]. That was what Emily had hoped to avoid. By intentionally leaving that out, she thought she could coerce her own nation into avoiding wars. Well, it was a good try, and at least the Undefeated didn’t want to drag Kudrion into a war. “Thank you. I based it off an old treaty document for something called ‘nay-to’ I found in the former ECU’s archives. Of course we can change Article 1. It’s a dangerous galaxy, after all, and I’m sure there’ll be circumstances where we have to strike first.”

She got a pen from the same place where she got the document, and made the necessary changes, writing on the document itself. “We’ll have an official treaty document later, this is just the alliance proposal. I think we might have to get the leaders of our respective countries to sign it, and then ratify it somehow, but I’m not too familiar with how these things work yet.”

“I assure you that we will do everything in our power to keep our nation out of war.” Jim noticed a hint of discontent on Emily’s face and tried to calm her down. “It is a wish of our leadership that we want to be seen as a strong but neutral force. This is merely a precaution in case some unexpected circumstances should arise. I think other than that the document is acceptable, we will of course have to consult it with our legal advisors, but there shouldn’t be any major issue anymore. The Grand General expects to meet King Dishuz to formally sign the treaty once we agree on details of such a meeting.”

The Undefeated representatives gave their Kudrioni counterparts bright smiles. Jim stood up and collected the mugs. “I think this wondrous occasion calls for another toast, so if you will allow me,” he raised an eyebrow, waiting for Emily’s approving nod before he filled the mugs from the same keg as she did before and brought them back to the table. “To the friendship between our countries.” He raised the mug and sipped the strong sweet liquid once more.

[center][h3]One week later[/h3][/center]
It had been a week since the negotiations, and now it was time for the actual signing of the treaty. The necessary changes to Article 1 had been made, and further developments, like the planning of joint training exercises, as well as preparations for a joint development program had happened. Both nations had agreed to hold the signing ceremony in a neutral room aboard the Meeting Place. The Kudrioni had brought plenty of alcohol in celebration, and all that was left to do was to sign the actual treaty. 

From the Kudrioni side, Emily, King Dishuz and Moimir were there, along with a number of minor diplomats and clan chieftains brought along for the occasion. 

“Friends, Kudrioni and Undefeated alike, we have gathered here today to sign the treaty of alliance between our two nations. May the friendship between our countries last forever, and may our combined strength deter any who wish to destroy us.” Dishuz then stepped aside, seeing if the Grand General wanted to say anything before the signing.

It has been a while since the Grand General last visited the Meeting Place. Come to think of it, he hadn’t been there since the Undefeated embassy was established many months ago. It has certainly grown in size since then, many new additions have been made by new nations arriving through the Gateway. Of course he had read the reports and seen the images, but seeing the strangely mishmashed thing floating above the dead home of their ancestors with his own eyes was something different.

He was truly grateful his people managed to befriend the Kudrioni enough to be offered this alliance, hopefully a sign of a better and more peaceful future for the whole Undefeated nation. Oscar carefully watched King Dishuz during the speech, sizing him up, assessing his potential skills. The King looked like a skilled and experienced warrior, he must have been if there was a constant threat of being challenged to a duel by any of his people. 

The Grand General wondered how strange it must be to live under such pressure. While Oscar considered himself a good fighter, he certainly had no illusions about his own strength. Many of the Undefeated could easily defeat him in combat. But it would serve them no good, nobody could take over his post simply by killing him. This potential for instability had him weary about getting closer to the Kudrioni at start - why build a diplomatic relationship with one ruler when he could be killed and replaced at any moment? But King Dishuz has proven to be able to maintain stability and the opportunity to gain a worthy ally was too tempting to pass on.

Dishuz, seeing that the Grand General didn’t seem to want to say anything, quickly moved on to the reason everyone actually was here. “We will now sign the alliance treaty.” He took a pen from the pen stand on the table, and put his signature on both papers. He then stepped aside and pointed his hand towards the table, inviting Oscar to do the same.

Oscar took a deep breath and grabbed the pen. Yes, this was a good thing for the Undefeated, there was no doubt about that. He added his full name on both papers, feeling strangely excited. A smile for the camera and the important part was done. One of the Kudrioni diplomats approached him with a mug and Oscar carefully took it off the tray.

“To the friendship of our people.” He raised the mug and looked at the people gathered in the room. “May it grow in strength and benefit us all.” He was never really one for long speeches.