Proclamation of the First Human-Onian Peace
This is a transcript pulled from the memories of Valeria Chersviç, our beloved Grey Empress. Those are highly precious and personal memories our Empress in Her grace shared with us because She deemed it in Her wisdom important. Please be prepared to share a moment of personal life with Her and keep in mind, being our undying Grey Empress, She is only human.
"You alright, love?" Valeria looked up from the document she was reading. One of the last reports what was a battle report. One of the last ones before John had entered the field. Alira was looking at her with these worried eyes of hers. A datapad in one hand - though she didn't need one because of her bio-processing unit - and her glasses cleaned in this tailor-made one-piece suit. Val was the only one wearing a dress; black, red and grey with sparkling glass stones to resemble the stars.
"No," sighed Valeria, shook her head. "I'm not. Still not used to this kind of thing."
"You mean public speeches?"
"For example." She flashed a shy smile in the direction of the other woman, looked to her other partner. John looked a bit annoyed because the PR people forbade him to heal the wounds in his face and his broken arm. Some clever PR had found him right after the battle on New Upsala and screamed his loungs out to stop the slightly irritated Undying One. It would show the public that the battle was hard and took a toll on everyone. As if the thousands of Norwegian bodies weren't enough.
"When this is over, we go to your rooms." Alira laid a hand on Valerias bare shoulder, besides her hands the only free skin she allowed herself to show.
"And then?"
"A massage. A drink. John can finally heal. Maybe a story which is not about war?"
"We have those?"
"My lovely Val, we have thousands of books and smaller stories stored in our databases, there will be some story we can share to ease the mind, no?"
"You may be right." Valeria sighed and lifted herself up as Milicent strolled up, a datapad in her hand, a small microphone dangling before her mouth, looking so stressed out as Valeria felt. "Is it time?"
"Yes, Your Highness. Please wait for our signal, we have sixty seconds left." She looked at Alira, who gave a small nod and then to John, who was getting away from the wall he had been leaning against.
Valeria heard them behind the red curtain. Reporters chatting with each other, speaking in their small pads to get some audios recorded before the conference started. The silent humming of camera drones to get a good view from all angles. The lights pointing at the microphone stand illuminated it with their harsh and unforgiving light.
Valeria was nervous. But the news was not that bad. Not so bad as they were announcing to be at war with the Onians. Quite the opposite. But why was she so nervous? Stage fright maybe? After all those years? Possible, yes.
She looked at her John, her Alira, both seemed confident enough and nodded. John looking annoyed as hell, that arm must hurt a lot and since he infused the bio-processing unit in his body, painkillers didn't work anymore.
Ten seconds.
Valeria straightened her back, corrected the position of the small diadem on her head which was the sign that she was the Empress and waited. The seconds were as long - or short - as ever, but they felt like an eternity.
"Dear Reporters and Public Relations", spoke someone through the speaker of the hall. "Please stand up for our Grey Empress."
The curtains rolled to the sides and Valeria heard the rustling of clothes as people lifted themselves from their seats. She took one hesitant step, the next one was more firm and couragous. The lights blinded her for a second, but she crossed the gap between her and the microphone stand. Which was not for microphones, but the people loved some old-fashioned tech, so the digital stuff was covered in old tech.
"Be seated." she said to the persons in front of her on a bit lower level so they had to look up to her and everyone, even the people in the back, could see her. Clothes rustled as the reporters, public relations and other people with legitimate interests (Cookies anyone?) sat back onto their seats. There were quite a few, eightytwo to be precise. Twelve drones hovered in the air, moving in slow patterns to catch everything.
"Thank you all for coming today." Valeria looked around, could see the faces a bit down from her point of view. Saw the drones, smelled the odour of sweat, anticipation, used up air and heard the ventilation system running, felt the cold shiver going down her spine as the cold air from above caressed her skin.
She took a look at the datapad nestled between the microphone dummies, but it wasn't necessary. She could recall every word of it. Because she wrote it, approved it by her PR department and memorised it. It was just an act for the cameras.
"Thank you all." She cleared her throat. "As you are all well aware we are at war with the Onians. We lost three worlds, millions of lives. Friends, family, lovers, parents, children and grandchildren. Entire generations just gone. Because of the Onians. Because they thought the planets we have called home belonged to them."
She looked back at John. He stepped forward into the light and the reporters gasped, the drones wirred and aimed their lenses directly at the injured Undying One. He looked stubborn into the distance as he was looking at everyone at once. The scratches and burns were relatively fresh, not two days old, his arm in bandages.
"John, his wife Alira, his island and the Third Valkyrie Fleet put the entire sector under tactical arrest. Interrupted the communications between the Lyranians and the Onians. Nothing would get outside. As the sector went dark, the Third Fleet sent out the Marines. They took back world after world, star system after star system. Their Drengr", she hoped that she spoke it the right way."Fought desperately."
A hologram was displayed. It was official press material, so nothing what would compromise anything or anyone. It was footage from a helm camera from one of the norwegian Marines. The dry staccato of ballistic guns answered roaring Onians and glistering plasma fire. Somewhere tanks shot and brought down some walking weapon platforms in a hellfire.
"At Zero ninehundred hours the advancement of the Third Valkyrie Fleet halted. New Upsala was hard to crack, they... we lost hundreds of Drengr to the overwhelming forces of the Onians." She stopped for a dramatic pause in where the hologram switched view. Out of experience she recognised the Heads-Up Display with the lean structure in white and green between all the normal things a human saw, displaying dozens of information every second. That was how John saw the world.
They witnessed how the Undying One took a jump from something far above the ground, breaking through clouds and something what appeared to be an Onian transporter. In a cloud of debris, dust and fire he landed in front of the Marines. All tough people, through and through. Valeria had never seen braver humans. Their name was well-earned.
"Drengr av Norge!" bellowed John to the Marines and encouraged them, spoke to their will to fight, to their bloodlust. One by one the bleeding, broken men and women pulled themselves together and as John ordered a shieldwall, goosebumps ran over Valerias entire body. It was a sight to behold, a story for the ages. She loved him and Ali because of their beings and that was one reason she loved them even more.
The reporters and viewers behind the screens at home witnessed how Norwegian soldiers advanced under the protection of layered energy shields, emitted by John. One Onian unit after one fall and as the island Alira fired as well and burned a path right through the ships in orbit, the view changed, the Onians retreated, a lot of them laid down their weapons. Victorious warcries filled the air, static crackled and then the hologram vanished.
The next thing they saw was again from the eyes of John, this time in a suit, his arm in bandages, warnings indicated that his body has suffered injuries in the top right corner. But he stood in a large hall made out of black stone and steel, illuminated by indirect light. Two very distinct looking Onians signed a paper in analog and digital form and handed both over to Alira, their slightly glowing eyes looking defeated and proud.
Valeria respected them. They tried to fight for whatever reason and they lost. They lost with grace and still stood proud before the winner. John bowed, Alira made the same move and the Onians, surprised and honoured, bowed as well.
The hologram vanished, this time for good.
"On this date, One Sevenhundred hours Terra time, I am proud to declare that Humanity and the Onian Refuge have signed a peace treaty and opened trade relations. The war has officially ended. Thank you."
She muted the microphones with a gesture, nodded to John and stepped away from the podium. Reporters were throwing question in her direction, but Valeria was on her way out. She wanted to take a shower, wanted to have John healed - if he hasn't done it already -, have a drink and a few hours in bed, with or without Ali and John.
She and the entire human race deserved a small, well-earned break.
The is how the Human-Onian War came to an end. If you have further questions or the need for more, please follow the orange line back to this section after the tour. Now lets head out to the Nemeains, our beloved friends.
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