State Visit

[Dalahn Stormrage]

"But did you accept the false Empress?" Dahlan demanded. "Or was it because you despised me so much you were hoping that my cousin wasn't dead?"

[Jonathan Price]

"Accepted her because she WAS the legal heir at least until you took over." Jon replied. "Just as my wife was the legal presidential successor under the designated survivor protocol when Nick Ryder and I were abducted. By rights even though we returned, she was still president until she abdicated and we did some legal wrangling to get things back to status quo. Technically... Malcolm Foster should be President right now, but he had a lawsuit prepared to ensure he didn't ascend and would remain Veep." he gave Stormrage a look. "I respected Emperor Stormtalon, he was a good man. I don't know anything about you other than you violently deposing someone a number of us considered a friend. But... I've learned not to meddle in the affairs of our allied governments, you ARE sovereign after all. It's an Alliance not a union."

[Dalahn Stormrage]

"The Empire is greatful for that," The Narlin said his tone softening. "As far a Starbreeze. Magus had no right naming her. She had no noble blood, and to put her in his lineage was false. She should have not accepted the position. She was a traitor, and suffered a traitor's fate, but perhaps I acted with a too heavy of a hand."

[Jonathan Price]

"Yes. Perhaps." Jon said simply and glanced at Angel and Becca and Cece. "Like the old saying goes, command is thrust upon those. Rightly or wrongly." he cleared his throat. "So... shall we discuss business while I have a free moment. Without my wife being able to run interference I've been fielding quite a lot more matters of state lately. Usually they really wanted to talk to her, so it left me more time to handle other matters. Now everyone wishes to speak with me while she's been recovering from our attack. But I will say this... now is certainly not the time for either of our governments to show any signs of weakness. Dominus and his ilk will pounce. And neither of want our home worlds to end up smouldering pits."

[Dalahn Stormrage]

"I admit I have been distracted by the civil unrest," Stormrage said. "And it was Dominus' ilk that sent us down that path. I have my issues with being part of the Alliance, but my cousin made it so we cannot leave. I got the Prime Minister to push it through once, now it requires support from too many parties to accomplish. And, a good many of them support the Alliance because of Sandoval." He gave Rebecca an accusatory look.

Rebecca smiled, "So, you do know who I am."

"Of course I know who you are. Most of my people see you as a holy prophet or some nonsense simply because some vague text in our holy book is being shoehorned into first contact with your people."

"For once we both agree Emperor," Rebecca said.

"So, now I have a problem. I cannot separate my people from yours and we are starting down at an enemy that we aren't certain the Alliance can defeat. You must surrender to Dominus or destruction is our future."

[Jonathan Price]

Jon chuckled lightly and shook his head. "And that... is where you have already lost." he glanced at Cece. "Surrender is not an option, nor is it necessary, since either him attacking us will result in massive loss of life and possibly the planet and surrender would mean... pretty much the same thing, except far more masochistic, since we're essentially giving ourselves to him willingly, so he can do whatever he wants. You haven't been around him and those he's captured." he gave Stormrage a padd. "This was my former assistant after only a couple days with Dominus." he glanced to his wife and Mistress. "That could be them and he'd do it just for the hell of it. See how long they'd last. What kind of screams they'd make when he'd brand them in different parts of their body. Not trying to get information. Not trying to turn them. Just pain for his own pleasure. For the hell of it. So no Emperor Stormarage, we and no ally or friend or even enemy of the Alliance will surrender to Dominus. We ARE working on plans... but given how... different his thought process is, we have to adapt as well. Of course, that is why my predecessor, instead of enjoying retirement and lazing about with his beautiful wife and child. He's developing a civilian troubleshooting agency. At the behest of my Veep."

"And assisted by his beautiful and equally insane sister." An attractively dressed brunette said as she walked in.

"Emperor Stormrage, Tanya Foster, our new propaganda director."

"M'brother did spin all his professional career, I made the spin look good and packaged it neatly in a bow." Tanya said with a smirk and bowed politely. "Nepotism does work bloody wonders, although y'certainly know all about that don't ye?" she took a sip of her ever present mug of coffee. "In any case, we're spreading some false rumors to Dominus camp in the hopes of leading him into a few traps so we can start whittlin' down his resources."

[Tanya Foster]

"You see, Dominus is just a man... he can bleed. Even if there are an infinite number of him." Tanya said and curled a long strand of her hair around her finger. "Doesn't mean that there can't be uprisings, even he still requires manpower to maintain his hold. It won't be bloodless, I am sure of that... but if you just roll over, then others will as well and all of us in this room will be either dead or in one of his slave pens. And from the Intel we got from Colonel Talon, he's got a taste for Narlin lassies now. Even if he's beddin' a certain redheaded Ajem'dasis wench."

[Dalahn Stormrage]

Stormrage stood stock straight, and with a defiant expression, "Then if we are to die then I shall do so fighting. What can the Empire do for you?"

[Angel Ryder]

"Now he's getting it." Angel whispered to Becca. "Well Emperor... the 'what' is simple, the how is entirely up to you." she cocked her head slightly. "Destroy Dominus' force's wherever you find them."

[Dalahn Stormrage]

Stormrage smirked, "That we can do."