Fiction:Great Xonexian Schism/Return

Protest
August 20, 2803 ACV Xonexi's Resolve, Flagship of the Xonexi Allies

At around the time the Board of Six was supposed to meet on August 20, 2803, a curious menage began to unfold. The delegates, as usual, passed security in the main hall of Allied Command from 8:10 to 8:21, and convened with their respective staffs in the upper rooms. Each private room was assigned to a delegation, decorated according to that race's tastes and sensibilities. The private national briefings today were especially short, concise, as if there was very little to say for that day––or everyone already knew what was going on. Then, at 8:30, Lord Admiral Leonidas' aides began to pass around the day's official briefing, containig the military and political developments of the day.

Curiously, these too were very short for many delegates. By some excuse or another, they left their private rooms from around 8:39 to 8:51 and, one by one, found their way to the backdoor of the spatious hall assigned to the Tybusen delegation. Something was afoot.

When the Board of Six opened in the primary caucus hall at 9:00, there were only two delegations present: that of the Draconid Imperium and the Coalition of Segmentum Crepusculum.

There was silence in the room until 8:05, when it became clear that this was no accident. Leondias sat within his seat, drumming his fingers but looking rather irritated, eventually curling his lip when it was clear that the other delegates, aside from the one sent by the Coalition of Segmentum Crepusculum. In frustration, Leondias raised an arm and snapped his fingers to call over an aide. When one of them walked over he turned his head to express his frustration.


 * Leondias - Find out what's holding up the delegation and report back.

The aide nodded, noted down Leondias words, and hurried towards the main double-doors of the chamber. As he approached them, the sound of thunderous marching in the main atrium brought everyone in the caucus hall to their feet in alarm. A second later, the double doors swung open with a loud bang. Leondias stood up from his chair as the doors swung open, staring down at the


 * Leondias - What is all this!?

Marching in lockstep, the four missing delegations burst into the room. They were all there: Eruran Tekar of the Farengeto Trade Coalition, Lorrelas of the Tybusen Intergalactic Allied Federation, and all of the others. But there were many faces Leonidas did not recognize. To his astonishment, Leonidas belatedly realized that many of them were human. Leading the cavalcade was Alexandre I, Emperor of the French.

Leondias' right eye twitched as he looked upon Emperor Alexandre, instantly recognising him and bringing forth feelings of revulsion. He tilted his head slightly, took a composed inhalation and spoke in a calm tone. But it was not a relaxed tone with which Leondias spoke though his teeth, fiercely scowling at Alexandre as he spoke.


 * Leondias - May I please be enlightened as to what the entirity French Imperial government is doing aboard the Xonexi's Resolve and why all of them are being brought before me?

As he spoke, the delegates filed into their seats, leaving the oversized French delegation standing. In this astonishing show of force and political unity, the entire French cabinet, the marshalship, members of the Emergency Colonial Congress, and many other officials from the government had rallied behind their emperor. In all, they numbered fourteen. Standing abreast, they defied the Lord Admiral who had humiliated them months ago.

The reversal was delicious.

Without saying a word, Marshals Chartier and Isordon marched forward. Between them was a chest which they deposited in front of the Lord Admiral before regaining their place on either side of the emperor. Leondias leaned forward in a feeling of confusion, observing the chest and resting his palms on the table in front of him.


 * Alexandre - Lord Admiral Leonidas Drevex. You are a good officer. You've taken the Xonexi Allies from a disjointed patchwork of nationstates and fashioned it into a fearsome weapon of war. You've made this Board speak with one voice, you've made the armies cohere, you've made the supplies come, and most of all, you've made some tough calls. But in some cases, you've made the wrong calls.

He smirked, indicating the chest with a grandiose gesture.


 * Alexandre - I present to you the Covenant of Mirus, and your Mirusian territories which are currently under my rule.

Leondias clenched his hands into fists as he heard this news, presenting Valery with a hostile glare.


 * Alexandre - Fifteen billion Frenchmen died to bring you that peace of paper, Lord Admiral, and six hundred billion Frenchmen are willing to die to turn this war around. Despite your best efforts, we're losing this stalemate in Segumentum Crepusculum and Umbra, there are whispers of the Unified Nation of Ottzello joining the war, and rumor has it that the Nomatari Sovereignty is preparing to make peace. You need those Frenchmen, Lord Admiral. But don't decieve yourself. They won't die for you. They will die with you. We will be dealt with as equal partners, or not at all. What do you say?

Leondias scowled at Alexandre, leaning forward and rolling his shoulders back. He took a moment to respond, his eyes darting as he gathered his thoughts together for an appropriate response. After a few moments of thought, he looked up.


 * Leondias - You have schemed diligently, Alexandre. To coerce the Board against me and then present me with some proof of credit that you are useful without my leadership. But I will not bite. I was sanctioned by His Majesty of the Draconid imperium to lead his armies into battle and lead. I. Shall.

As Leondias emphasised his point, the doors to the room were pushed open, drawing everyones attention to the figure shadowed by the lights from the corridor. Stepping into the room at a graceful pace, with a gilded longsabre strapped to his side and the hilt grasped firmly within his hand was Uriel, dressed in his usual state finery. His majestic presence was offset by the dissapointed glare of his emerald eyes. Striking a gazed that perced the room and aimed straight for Leondias, who in a split moment retreated from a confident and aggressive man into a wide-eyed gulp and a gasp.


 * Uriel - Is that truly the case, Lord-admiral?
 * Leondias - --Y-your majesty
 * Uriel - Stay your tongue, Leondias, I already know all the details and quite honestly I feel disappointed at your rather underhanded behaviour.
 * Leondias - ''I led this alliance to bring the Coalition to a stalemate. Their current front line is though my accomplishments'.'
 * Uriel - 'Your accomplishments? Before I arrived, I undersand that this meeting started with only two of eight board members, you have come to treat the French Nation - who have done nothing but applaud the Imperium's valor and had practically led the war until the Imperial territories' surrender - as a puppet you could control and when you realised you couldn't you barred them from an important meeting involving the Allied territories in the Mirus Galaxy. And within that meeting you convinced the entire board to sign off all our hard-won territories, and when emperor Alexandre had an issue with that you made sure to push him further out of the picture and what did he accomplish after that?''
 * Leondias - ...the document before you, paragavatus.

Uriel lowered his head and strode forward, he looked down at the document Alexandre had placed in front of Leondias and picked it up, pointing the top edge of the document at Leondias as he looked up and returned a piercing glare.


 * Uriel - Is your pride why you turn down the French Emperor's offer? Are you turning down an offer of relief forces because the emperor managed something you didn't and now wants recognition for it?
 * Lendias - A rather shallow suggestion is it not?
 * Uriel - Oh it is perfectly valid Leondias. Six hundred billion supporters and the industrial potential of the Drakodominatus Tyranny and instead you fold your arms at the prospect of not being in complete charge of this organisation.
 * Leondias - Absolute Kranndung.
 * Uriel - Remember who sat in that chair before you. Remember we come from a society where the accomplishments of our soldiers and administrators are rewarded. This offer could turn the tide of the war and if you cannot look past working with an allied admiral as a peer instead a superior then I begin to wonder if you truly earned the pips you wear.
 * Leondias - I earned them, sir, I assure you.

Uriel lifted the document up to Leondias eye level, once again aiming the top edge at Leondias, this time directing ittoward hi snout.


 * Uriel - Treat your peers on the Board as you would have your fellows on the Admiralty before you were promoted, lord-admiral. If you continue to disagree then we can always settle further matters in honoured combat.

Leondias was silent for moments, lowering his head as he thought on Uriel's words. With a deep inhalation he looked up to Uriel and smirked.


 * Leondas - As you wish, my paragavatus. I would indeed accept discussing matters further at another time.
 * Uriel - Further act out of line and I may consult the Military Council on the wisdom of you in your current position. I hope that it does not have ot come to that.

Leondias nodded, saluting by standing straight and thumping his right pec with a closed fist. Uriel let the document drop to the desk, landing square in front of Leondias, while the draconid paragon made a motion to indicated his faith in Alexandre to continue the meeting. he then strode to one of the chairs set up for relevant observers of the board's meetings and sat down, keeping a watchful eye on Leondias.

There was stunned silence in the room for a while. Leondias fumed and quietly fiddled with one of his rings, the other delegates could say nothing. The French Emperor and his men just stared. The air was heavy with mixed emotions of relief, anger, triumph, and bewilderment.

Alexandre's voice came in a muffled whisper, buffeted by strong feelings. This time, his voice rang out loud and clear, the proper voice of an emperor. In a stunning show of chivalry, he raised his hand in a military salute. The French delegation behind did the same, and half of the board followed.
 * Alexandre - Paragon?
 * Alexandre - Paragon.
 * Alexandre - Welcome back.

Uriel stood up and nodded, clasping his hands over his stomach and standing straight.


 * Uriel - I am glad to be so. Now, with this alliance once more united, perhaps it is time ot discuss how to break this stalemate...

Meeting
When the meeting drew to a close and the usual grip-and-grin began between the delegates, Alexandre began to withdraw from the room followed by two of his marshals. He had instructed members of his cabinet to deliver his summons to the parties he needed to speak to and would wait for them in the French solar. He could not get away without shaking a few hands and exchanging a few words and assurances with this or that official, however. Even a member of Uriel's Blood Dragon guard approached him to give him his congratulations.

However, as Alexandre and his escort finally stepped into the hallway, the emperor realized that something had been slipped into his hand. Quickly, he pried it open, and his heart skipped a beat.

Marshal Isordon, ever observant, barely even looked over.
 * Cesterity - Well? What do we have?
 * Alexandre - Summons from his Imperial Highness, the Paragon.
 * Cesterity - Oh joy.
 * Marshal Chartier - Don't you think it's strange?
 * Alexandre - What?
 * Chartier - He hasn't intervened on the Council in ages. Why now?
 * Alexandre - I think we're about to find out.

Alexandre knew more than he let on, but even he had trouble answering that question. He had only bits and pieces which had reached his intelligence services from the outside, not the full picture. They had reached the entrance to the Draconid Hall inside Allied Command. Alexandre turned to his marshals.


 * Alexandre - Let Connor know of this, he'll know how to adjust my schedule to compensate. I'll take it from here.

The two Marshals left him, and with that, he knocked. The door opened and Alexandre's eyes met with the titanic figure of an armoured member of the Caltraxa Guard. The giant knelt down and revealed a scannign device within their gauntlet, passing it over Valery's face, torso, arms and legs while another took a stern look at him from underneath theri helmet.


 * Caltraxa - He's clean.

Once the emperor had been scanned and checked, the guardsman closed the door. Sitting in a lounger at the far end, reading a large leather-bound book was Uriel, who looked up and smiled upon seeing his old acquaintance, lowering the book in his hand and standing up. He trode over to Alexandre and held out a hand as a gentlemanly gesture. The French emperor took Uriel's and rung it heartily.


 * Uriel - My apologies for the security measures. Not everyone is going to appreciate my beaviour today. Especially persons of note within the Imperium.
 * Alexandre - I understand. He smiled lightly. You should know that we will not forget what you did today. But I'm afraid I also can't forget what happened before. We can make amends now, but France will not forget a breach in trust of that magnitude so quickly.
 * Uriel - That is why I called you.

Uriel took a step back and openened out his book, runing his fingers along the page.

Alexandre frowned. It was absurd, even laughable. Was that the excuse the Paragon had come up with to disguise brutal power relations? Was that the excuse he seriously wanted him to believe? Alexandre felt revulsion at the figure he had trusted before, but now did not know whether he could now.
 * Uriel - Since the fall of Paris, the man you have seen on broadcasts, delegations and public ceremonies was not me. A double, created by those who sought to control my position.

Then he looked around. They were alone, he was telling him this in confidence. If he entertained the notion for even a second, it somehow made sense.


 * Uriel - I know this sounds absurd––
 * Alexandre - If not you, then who? Alexandre cut him off, his patience wearing thin. Who has been controlling the Dragon Throne this whole time?

Uriel shuddered as he recalled the figure. With a snap of his fingers, he summoned a hologram of a mutant, red-scaled Draconis of Herculean physique and eyes that were as intense as red dwarf stars.


 * Uriel - Volkarus of House Khaxvis. He has been desiring control of the Imperium ever since the assault on Alcanti during the Great War for Andromeda. I suspect he may also have a hand in Leondias' asensino as Lord-Admiral but I cannot be certain. From what I have come to understand, where once he sought to kill me for control, he appears to have focused on controlling the senate and myself. - Uriel looked back on Valery, worry in his eyes - He knew I could not be controlled...so he replaced me. How he did so was beyond even my experience.

Alexandre nodded with a shallow sigh. It made no sense that one of the most powerful heads of state would let himself be manipulated in this way. Yet...


 * Alexandre - And if something were to happen to you––What of your heirs? Are they safe?
 * Uriel - Look behind you. Ever since the foundation of the Commonwealth I have been gathering a retinue that could fell even the greatest individual. I feel fortunate to call some of the most loyal and formidable warriors I can find to protect the Royal House Ultanos. Along with their protection I and Alensia have done the best I can to ensure that my hiers understand what is needed to strengthen the Imperium.

Uriel looked to the Caltraxa guardsmen standing at the door, then looked around the room to the Blood Dragons serving as protectors.


 * Uriel - You know a soldier's life, your excellency. We share the understanding that on the field of battle, any day may be our last, and that we must always be mindful that day will come. And the politics of the Imperium can be no different.

Alexandre looked up at the Paragon with a neutral face, seemingly unfazed. He let a moment of silence go by to allow the energy gathered by Uriel's speech to dissipate before speaking.


 * Alexandre - May I speak candidly, your highness?
 * Uriel - ...You may.
 * Alexandre - What do you actually think?
 * Uriel - Volkarus knows I am no longer a puppet of his. And replacing me while keeping my real self in custody will be a kindness compared to how he will retaliate. I believe that my return may tip the grand senate into an uprising.

Alexandre nodded, turned away, and paced towards the window, thinking. What did all of this amount to? The revalation, the motivational speech, answering his question earnestly. What did Uriel want? And how dangerous would it be to give it to him? Biting his lip, Alexandre made up his mind. With a stately demeanor, he turned back towards the Paragon.


 * Alexandre - Thank you. I am honored by the trust you have placed in France, both earlier today and in this room. Over your reign, your highness has made it perfectly clear to us what we are to gain by associating with you, and that is a loyal, dependable, and tenacious friend, not to mention a formidable ally. The First Gigaquadrant is a safer, kinder, and more prosperous place with you on the Dragon Throne, and that is why I will do everything in my power to help you keep it.

Uriel warmed up at Valery's response.


 * Uriel - Since the golden period of President Maxime's administration, I have seen the French nation as a rising star. It is why I convinced the Imperium to support you, and why no matter how dire things became, I expressed confidence in France's ability. The more established powers fear you, but I see the people of the French Nation as a force to respect. And that there was greater wisdom in supporting your nation and your people than there was in stunting you.

Alexandre bowed.

He neared his counterpart and extended a hand, as Uriel had done earlier. In a gesture of respect, Uriel extended one of his own that wrapped around Valery's extended hand and shook it once, accompanied by a nod. While it was definitely firm, Alexandre had a feeling that Uriel's grip wasn't as firm as it once had been.
 * Alexandre - And we will repay the favor in your hour of need. France will always be a place of sanctuary for you and yours. We would be honored to keep one of your heirs out of harm's way until this crisis is over, and will provide you with any assistance that you need, militarily or otherwise.
 * Uriel - I am extremely grateful, your excellency. I will remain in touch, and I will see to Leondias' behaviour. For now however I suppose your delegation is waiting.
 * Alexandre - If Leondias proves himself an obstacle, I intend to lead the Board of Seven in his stead.


 * Alexandre - Good day, your highness.

The Caltraxa Guard opened the door to allow Valery to leave the chamber, keeping a vigilant watch over him as he made his exit.