The BrikWars Forums

Intended to be a "saga" of infrequent soaps regarding meetings, treaties, etc

Previously...
http://brikwars.com/forums/viewtopic.ph ... 26#p352826

Sometime Later...

The Igor Basiltsky left the system after the skirmish with PAC ships, and flew back to the Galacian homeworld of Elkoss. an encrypted message to the Basiltsky from military channels had acknowledged it's return and requested that it come at once.

Starport 12, Antares City, Elkoss
20180916_001911 by Dic Jacobus, on Flickr

Novikov: Things have gone to hell! Remind me never to fly with Kazakov again!
Kazakov: It's not my fault!
Shulga: It is your fault!.. the only reason you still have a job is because apparently we're in some kind of war now... and there's currently no one to replace you.

20180916_002142 by Dic Jacobus, on Flickr

A man in a suit runs up to them, Speaking rather nervously

Sirtash: Lord Shulga! It's really you!... It's great to see you alive!... but we really must go at once! your presence is required at the Rada!
Shulga: Uh.. Who's this? and the hell is the Rada?
Sirtash: You don't know who I am? I'm Viktor Sirtash, I'm the deputy minister of the Galacian Rada.. the Council.. the interim government that's kept things together in your absense, but now that you're back, we have to hold an emergency meeting! Get you up to speed
Shulga: I don't recall leaving any such plans in place..

Later..

20180916_002707 by Dic Jacobus, on Flickr

Shulga enters the Rada building, the new Civilian government's headquarters, he is about to enter the central chamber when he is stopped by one of his Military commanders

Thunderova: Lord Shulga!... Long time no see
Shulga: Kat!.. You look.. different... What's this all about anyway? There were clear emergency protocols to follow in my absense..
Thunderova: Well. There was supposed to be a line of succesion.. except it turned out that the next two in line, were Zakharchuck and Kazakov... who were with you too.. so things got a little hairy. A few of the Kommissariat ended up trying to seize the position by force, and there was some brief fighting. In the meantime, Civilians started protesting and rioting, there had been a resurgence in rebel activity that followed it.. And the Kommisars who weren't fighting, agreed to form a Civilian led government to stop the bleeding..
Shulga: Interesting... Who started the fighting?
Thunderova: It was primarily between Voronin and Tachenko... a few took sides and a few tried to stop it..
Shulga: I'm assuming you're telling me this on the side because you tried to stop it?... and that's what everyone else will say?
Thunderova: ... I...I.... Yes.. I Was apart of the peace group, but I briefly assisted Tachenko's side.. but he was supportive of you! Voronin betrayed you! he wanted to take the throne for himself, and Tachenko held out that you were still alive!
Shulga: For fuck sake..... As long as it's over... I don't want to hear anymore..What a day we've come to where the leaders of an entire empire must be treated like kindergartners in lecture

20180916_003317 by Dic Jacobus, on Flickr
He opens the door and she follows him in..

20180916_003352 by Dic Jacobus, on Flickr

Inside the Rada chamber, there's lots of folk from all walks of the Imperiya, businessmen, politicians, military elite. They all seem to be huddled in groups talking to one another.

20180916_003553 by Dic Jacobus, on Flickr

Then a group of politicians notice Shulga and panic

Bureaucrat: Oh blyat it's him!

20180916_003752 by Dic Jacobus, on Flickr

Several Kommisariat officers assemble and nod to him as he enters the room, a few are noticably absent , including Voronin and Tachenko, the two who were feuding.

20180916_004910 by Dic Jacobus, on Flickr

Vornin appears from the crowd.. and approaches Shulga.. then a bunch of others all approach him too, everyone is yelling and asking a hundred questions. The room starts to heat up and voices get louder and louder...

20180916_005213 by Dic Jacobus, on Flickr

All of a sudden as if on cue, fists start flying and a massive brawl breaks out in the Rada

20180916_005411 by Dic Jacobus, on Flickr

From the corner of the room, the towering Tachenko appears and charges into a crowd, raging.

Tachenko: RRRAAAAHH!

20180916_005524 by Dic Jacobus, on Flickr
A bunch of people are toppled like bowling pins

20180916_005706 by Dic Jacobus, on Flickr

Another Commander, Topolva, stands atop the table and screams

Topolva: ENOUGH!!!!!!

20180916_010258 by Dic Jacobus, on Flickr
Shulga laughs to himself and walks to the center of the room

Shulga: Quite the well oiled machine you've been maintaining here, I must say.. When I learned of Voronin trying to stab me in the back.. and Tachenko risking a civil war to deal with one man.. I though it couldn't get any worse. But I see now that the lot of you now, is this how you've been running the Imperiya in my absence? Is this why there's Peachenegs and god knows what else raiding in our territory while you fight here?

And furthermore... Kommisars... why are you here? I can understand that some of you started getting too big for your breeches and started fighting over who gets to be king shit of turd mountain... but why here? Why aren't you on Bakhacha station?

Rinne: Sir.... Bakhacha's been compromised, others know it's location now, it's not a safe place to hold meetings.

Shulga: *Laughs*

20180916_010507 by Dic Jacobus, on Flickr

Kazakov and Novikov enter the room...

20180916_010514 by Dic Jacobus, on Flickr

A moustached man confronts Shulga angrily

Smirnoff: Do you think you can just waltz back in here after dissapearing for a year on some crusade against the PAC? we have a sustainable balanced government that elected representatives built with no help from you! and you would just come back in here and expect to sit your ass back in a seat and tell everyone to do your bidding again?

20180916_010549 by Dic Jacobus, on Flickr

Shulga walks over to the chair

Shulga: Well, clearly you were expecting me, you made me a chair afterall...

Smirnoff: That is not a throne! That's the Prime Minister's seat! That's MY seat!

20180916_010701 by Dic Jacobus, on Flickr

He plomps his ass in the chair

Shulga: Here's what's going to happen... I'm tired. both figuratively, and literally. What's been a year for you was a few days for me... and I've had a stressful couple of days.. I'm tired.... and I'm also tired of holding everyone's hand and having everyone running to me for my blessing on everything... here's the thing. I am your Emperor... your leader... but I don't rule alone, I don't want to rule alone... all of you do that for me, and for your people..

I didn't sanction this new Council, this new Rada.. But with a few tweaks.. I want to give it my Blessing.. The details will be sorted out later.. but I'm going to assign power of leadership of our Empire.. to this council, not to any one individual.. I'll simply maintain... veto power.. The civil councillors, you may elect your own members however you choose fit, Kommissariat, will be appointed by their rank.. and you'll both hold authority to screen your own members as well as the other side

DuGA will schedule meetings on a regular basis.. some for the Civil, some for the Military.. and some for both.. I may or may not be here.. Like I said, I'm taking a hands off approach. There will be no power grabs or plots to overthrow the system, the Bogatyr Guard will provide security as well as enforce the rules...

I want this council divided equally between the civil and the military... take your seats.

20180916_012208 by Dic Jacobus, on Flickr

The members scurry around the room, the Military Kommisariat takes seats on one side of the room and the Civilian government grab the other side.. except the civil side has filled up, and a few have found themselves out of a chair, they move to the seats on the military side

20180916_012252 by Dic Jacobus, on Flickr

Smirnoff attempts to walk into the Military isle, but is confronted by the huge Tachenko, he stands in front of him and stares him down, making a savage growling noise

Tachenko: Grrrr....
Topolva: Wrong side, asshead!

20180916_012424 by Dic Jacobus, on Flickr

The three move to the other side and a councillor takes the last seat, leaning back in the chair stretching out, as if to brag about his triumph

20180916_012503 by Dic Jacobus, on Flickr
Smirnoff leans over the table and scolds one of the bureaucrats

Smirnoff: You backstabbing bastard! ! I gave you a job and this is how you repay me!
Zakharchuk: Oooooh no....Lose at musical chairs did you?

20180916_012837 by Dic Jacobus, on Flickr
By now, the rest of the Guard has entered the room

Smirnoff: This isn't fair! you said we'd all get a place, divided equally!

Shulga: *Laughs* Where did you learn to count... there's more of you, than the Kommisariat!.. There's no more seats, I don't even know you, and you pissed me off.... I don't need you, or your "deputy" in this council... the Doctor here... I don't need either... but he still serves a purpose at ZIT.. seems to me the only thing you're capable of doing is passing the buck and brown nosing. So.. byeee!!

20180916_012953 by Dic Jacobus, on Flickr
The guard escorts Sirtash and Dr Radchenko out.. and drag Smirnoff out by the feet.. people on both sides laugh at him

20180916_013053 by Dic Jacobus, on Flickr

Shulga: Ok.. I know I said I'm going to be taking hands off.. but there's one thing that has to be addressed first.. it's this war we find ourselves in.. DuGA tells me that the PAC has attacked us in response to ... what turned out to be Kazakov's ship, breached their territory and we blew it up... Seems like what could have been avoided in an actual negotiation with them was taken to the wind in the chaos that's been going on here..

Rinne: The entire Sector's been preparing for another massive war with us.. Anti-Imperiya propaganda and sentiment has been flying around everywhere. Several of our neighbors including the Chernarusyns and Peachenegs have applied to join the RC alliance and bring them back to war with us... and the USA also has been building bases in Zagorian space after their war with Varyag

Shulga: Chernarusyns? Varyag?... who are they? what'd I miss

Thunderova: Cherhovna Bryhada? remember them?... they decided to found their own "State" Called Varyag in those shithole systems in the Mozorov region...

Shulga: Okay... and Chernarus?

Topolva: They're.... new...

Rinne: The Chernarusyns have a sizable star empire in the Zapad cluster.. they've been there for a long time and we never encountered them because of stellar nebulae blocking our scanners and ships...

Topolva: There's something else..

Shulga: Ok... what else?

Rinne: We think they're.. us. Not rebels but.. it's highly probable that the Chernarusyn Star Federation was founded by one of the early Elkossian seeder ships, Much like how Zagoria, Sturgia and the other pre-unification cultures started.. it wasn't known how many were launched.. but this power.. They speak Slavonik.. They're our people.

Thunderova: Clearly not our people when they're wanting to fight us!

Shulga: Ok... So you're saying that we're heading for a big war.. again... and everyone's allying-up... I don't care who they are, if they're not fighting with us and they'll actually entertain us.. send out envoys to all of the neutrals, We'll see if we can get some buffers out of this... Oh, leave Varyag out of it, I don't need those Fascist nutjobs sullying our reputation any more than it already has been by the AN.

great drama
great photos
great set
overall,

plus good story, good laughs.

A few hours later that day

20180916_014832 by Dic Jacobus, on Flickr

DuGA Drones bring a table and chair into the room, without a proper meeting room for a small amount of foreign dignitaries

20180916_022533 by Dic Jacobus, on Flickr

Some foreign military commanders enter the room

DuGA: The Imperiya Rada welcomes the dignitaries from it's friends and neighbors

Hatazo Takagi, Sakhalin Republik
Willhem Kruger, Ulvarattan Republik
Franco Mendez, Emeria Este
Bruno, Kingdom of Spartak

20180916_022606 by Dic Jacobus, on Flickr

Shulga: Welcome... So, some of us haven't seen each other in a while, and others, this is the first time we'll be meeting.

20180916_022921 by Dic Jacobus, on Flickr

We have the Issue of a western alliance backed by foreign interests, That will try to overthrow our independence of the sector.. And if our own reports are right, the same is happening in the south with a second group rallying against us on behalf of the USA..

I've called you here today, To ask your assistance against the foreign powers scheming to overpower us in our own home sector.. This isn't the Iron Symphony in name. But essentially a regrouping, of the same alliance

20180916_023436 by Dic Jacobus, on Flickr

Another figure enters the room, making clanking noises on the floor

DuGA: Welcome.. Karl Magadan II, Volhinyan Kynazdom...

... Warning.. Vital scans indicate subject is deceased... records state Karl Magadan II died over a year ago..

Shulga: What the fuck?

Overlord: Greetings, exalted ones... Your AI system is correct, The Volhinyan monarch, did indeed pass away in battle on Outer Haven.. However, our people , after winning their war against the old Kynazdom.. elected to install my personality into their ruler's body, a fusion of old and new... I am Overlord, and I speak for the Volhinyan Sovereignty

Bruno: THIS IS AN OUTRAGE, YOU WOULD ALLOW THIS ABOMINATION THAT SLAUGHTERS MINIFIGS A PLACE AT THIS TABLE!?

DuGA: Sir... the Volhinyan Overlord AI is a system not unlike myself.. and this cyborg body is not unlike my drones.. The Volhinyans have simply appointed Overlord to be an overall advisor to their leaders

20180916_024116 by Dic Jacobus, on Flickr

Bruno: I WILL NOT STAND FOR THIS! THE KINGDOM OF SPARTAK REFUSES TO FORGIVE VOLHINYA!

20180916_024134 by Dic Jacobus, on Flickr

Shulga: Then get the fuck out of my sight!... I'd rather deal with someone who actually matters!

20180916_024217 by Dic Jacobus, on Flickr

Bruno stomps out of the meeting

20180916_024319 by Dic Jacobus, on Flickr

Overlord: We understand that our people have been viewed as adversaries in the past.. We have always been distant from one another.. but Our nations have not fought a war.. ever. We feel we have a mutual enemy in the North.. During the Volhinyan Succesionist Crisis.. Our state broke into four factions.. The intellectuals achieved the support of our elite military, and the Kynazdom in which we rebelled resorted to conscription. We eventually defeated the Monarchist power.. But the other two factions.. You have met one already, Bruno's Spartak...

The other faction, which until recentley was known as the Red Line, was a communist rebellion of the Volhinyan Mining stations... The Red Line has accepted integration into the USSSR.. and they are threatening our northern border.

The age of contention is over, The Monarchs who saw themselves as the rightful heirs, and sought to claim your throne for themselves are dead. We the Volhinyan Sovereignty. would offer our hand in friendship, with the Galacian Imperiya and the others here today

Shulga: This was unexpected... I.. Don't see a problem with this.. Thoughts.. Objections?

(Silence)

Shulga: I guess that's a yes.. then. We have an agreement.. uh.. Overlord..?

Different. I like it. Love your sets, btw! You have an excellent knack for diorama design for these Soap Opera vingettes.