59Dominion Summons
Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Starcraft, Gate: Thus the JSDF Fought There, or Summon Japan as they are the properties of Blizzard, Takumi Yanai, and Minoro in relation to their intellectual property.
"Talking"
Thoughts
Ch. 7
News of Louria's defeat echoed across the world.
Elysia could be divided into three zones indicating the relative advancement, technological ability, and power they projected to those around them. For those who lived in the first and second zones, it was just some minor side news just to know. But for those who lived in the third zone, it was something worth noting as Louria was arguably one of the strongest powers there.
It was no secret what they were doing as they had waged war on their neighbors in an attempt to conquer the Rodenius continent. Based on intelligence groups, the forecast had predicted the fall of the Qua-Toyne principality and eventually the Quila kingdom. This would have resulted in either the genocide or enslavement of the demi-human population who lived there.
But then out of the blue, the summoning phenomenon took place as a new civilization had appeared in the third zone. In just one day in declaring war against the newcomers, the Dominion as they called themselves defeated Louria in an unbelievable upset.
From there, the news of how they were defeated got out of hand as there were wild stories floating around probably exaggerating how powerful the Dominion was.
Such stories talked about magic weapons that were straight out of legends.
Metals dragons and flying fortresses that were able to teleport anywhere they wanted.
Invincible magi-soldiers who wiped out entire armies on their own.
For the first two zones, most of the natives believed that they were more then likely just propaganda stories for the new comers to make themselves seem stronger then they actually were. They hear about these kinds of things all the time as those primitive and barbaric people either saw something they didn't understand or made a discovery that they blew out of proportion that the rest of the world already knew about well before. Hence to them it was nothing to place too close attention too.
But those in the third zone who had direct contact with the events that had transpired, they were still trying to process what had happened.
~ Sios kingdom ~
One such case . . . .
"The Louria kingdom has been defeated!" reported the messenger.
"How could they have lost?!" the king demanded. "I may not understand much about war. However that much is clear to me".
"I agree with your point of view your majesty. But according to our reports, Qua-Toyne had made diplomatic ties to an emerging country as they called themselves 'the Dominion'. They had attempted to barter a negotiation of peace only for war to be declared against them. In only a single day, Louria fell".
"Preposterous!" as this was beyond the king's understanding. Such a thing should have been impossible. Yet it happened. If anything common sense would try to rationalize that some underhanded tricks were used or perhaps a coincidental internal conflict that caused all this.
However since Louria was one of their biggest trade partners, some of his own people were present and thus they had first hand eye witness account of the events that transpired. For all the stories that were floating around as rumors, if anything they might have been watered down with how his messengers reported the matter.
But taking into account everything he knew, the king now had to make a decision that would affect not only his kingdom but perhaps the entire world.
All this crystallizing with the conclusion that they should create diplomatic ties to the Dominion. Of course Parpaldia was going to be angry. But it's not like the situation could get any worse. They were aware of Parpaldia's ambitions and thus were postponing the inevitable before the third zone giant comes knocking on their door. Seeing the Dominion's actions in defending Qua-Toyne while trying to be diplomatic, they were more then likely the better choice in being friends with.
Finalizing his decision, "prepare a messenger and relay this through Qua-Toyne to establish talks with the Dominion. But keep this as quiet as possible. We don't want to reveal our hand till we know where everything stands".
A sentiment that echoed across multiple kingdoms whether it was out of fear, safety, or opportunity as multiple diplomats were now being dispatched.
~ Parpaldia ~
The super power of the third zone had three foreign affairs departments each specifically tailored for different countries and zones around the world.
The first foreign affairs department exclusively dealt with other super powers that lived in the first and second zones that require the utmost of precision and delicacy as not to upset them.
The second foreign affairs department generally dealt with countries that had ties with the other super powers. Thus they had more room to leverage and barter against them but knew not to push too hard as not to create unnecessary trouble.
Then there was the third foreign affairs department as their purpose was to squeeze the weaker smaller countries around them who had no ties to the other super powers. The end result was to drain them of their resources, claim their lands, and force them to serve their national interests. Their recent project was delegating the task to Louria in a way of claiming the Rodenius continent by proxy. However an unexpected event happened resulting in their loss.
This was a failure of immense proportion as the department heads were trying to figure out what to do. If news of this got back to the capital the punishment would be quite severe as they would send an auditor to look over their actions. If found incompetent, it wouldn't just end with them being removed as the punishment could even extend to their families.
Hell, they couldn't even make sense of what actually happened in the battle against the Dominion. Their onsite assets stopped communicating to them most likely meaning that they were killed in action. Some of the things they were saying sounded like fantasies out of a story book. But whatever the case was they chose to bury it destroying any proof of involvement for the sake of self-preservation.
~ Rodenius continent ~
The effects of Louria's loss was was still reverberating.
With it's king gone it left behind a power vacuum with any opportunistic noble wanting to quickly grab as much power for themselves as they could. Thus such affairs inevitably led to civil conflict whether it was outright aggression or a slow burn powder keg situation. But whatever the case maybe, Louria as a whole would be too busy fighting themselves to pose a threat to their neighbors.
But depending on the Dominion's perspective of the situation, that may change as well.
However the main event was about to unfold as Hark Louria the XXXIV would stand trial for his crimes. Within Qua-Toyne, his hearing was taking place.
For the former king himself, he was now but a husk of what he used to be. Looking absolutely defeated as he wore rags and chains as he was forced to stand there among the very angry civilians of the country he had tried to conquer. Within the background were loud cries of anger, sadness, and blood lust.
"Give me back my daughter!"
"Suffer for your crimes!"
"Death to that Lourian scum!"
A good deal of the audience had family and friends at Gim who were not lucky enough to have survived before the Dominion intervened. If not for the soldiers and guards present, Hark would have met a gruesome end right then and there.
With despair clearly displayed on his face, Hark had spent this entire time questioning how everything went wrong. Constantly echoing in his own thoughts about everything his did and managed to accomplish only for it to be all gone in a single day. He was guilty as that was without question as he was now dependent on the mercy of Qua-Toyne's higher ups.
Running over his situation, there was only three paths ahead of him now.
First would be the most optimistic if not near complete impossibility. They would ransom him back. This was strictly assuming his loyalist were still around as the other nobles had not cannibalized his kingdom beyond recognition. In turn, Qua-Toyne would demand an outrageous sum taking as much wealth from Louria as it could leaving them near destitute. The negotiations would more then likely take months. But so long as he could return safely they would then sign a non-aggression pact allowing him to rebuild and eventually restore his kingdom's strength.
Second was a public execution. It was not ideal but it was better then the third option.
In that case it was a really slow and gruesome torture as they would drag out his death for as long as they could breaking his mind, body, and spirit till he was begging for death each and every day till they gave him that gift.
But he had one last plan left as he had to bet everything on it.
With the elders reconvening, the hall was silent. Standing now was prime minister Kanata as he would be delivering the final verdict. "Hark Louria the XXXIV, you have been found guilty on all accounts of what you've been accused of. However we will allow you one final statement before we make our judgment. Perhaps a show of remorse for your actions that will lighten the punishment against you".
Seeing this as his only shot, "I demand to speak with the Dominion this instant!"
With his outburst, it caused a stir among the crowd.
"I am Hark Louria the XXXIV! The greatest king among kings! I am far too valuable to be imprisoned or killed! Allow me to return to my kingdom as I promise that Louria will become a vassal state to the Dominion! There is no greater offer then that!" This was the gamble Hark made. Though he would be a puppet head, he would at least hold some semblance of his power as he would still be able to continue ruling what was originally his. Upon that proclamation, it was received with intense backlash and death threats from the crowd with how reprehensible he acted as his words clearly reflected his apathy for his transgressions against Qua-Toyne.
But none of their complaints meant anything to him. The offer he made would be too tempting to pass up. The amount of time and work needed to reorganize Louria would be more work then it was worth. However by putting him back in charge he could practically serve up his kingdom to them on a silver platter as the resources he was offering would be difficult to say no too. It would cause much displeasure on both sides. But so long as he could maintain his standing then he could make it work. If he was able to bide his time and capture the right opportunities that came along then perhaps he might be able to take some of the Dominion's power for himself putting his original goals back on track.
"Bring a representative of the Dominion. I . . . . "
"That won't be necessary" said a female elf as she had been watching idly from the side. By human standards, her appearance looked like that of either a late teen or a young adult. However she was now just a little over two hundred years old. Making her presence known to all, she stood before the war criminal as she introduced herself. "I am Tuka Luna Marceau and I have been granted authority in acting on the behest of the Dominion".
"Then quickly relay my offer!" Hark rudely interrupted. "There is no way that . . . ." However he was quickly silenced as Tuka stared at him using her powers to stop his vocal cords from vibrating effectively silencing him. Surprised, Hark grabbed his throat trying to force out words but only managing to give out choked breaths.
Tuka had matured quite a bit in the last forty years. Elves had a naturally long life span. With the Dominion opening new doors for her and her abundant wealth, she tried her hand at many different professions. Ranging from an army ranger to a restaurant chef. The moment she got bored or found another thing interesting she would immerse herself in a new experience. Now before the transfer, she discovered how much of a slob her daughter had become and thus dragged her to Idunn to get her back in shape as she would be watching over her rehabilitation. But with the current state of affairs, they were short of staff as all hands were needed on deck. Thus why Tuka was leaning back on one of her many job experiences as acting liaison to the Dominion. "As generous as your offer sounds, we shall decline it. The Dominion does not look kindly upon war crimes. The fact you have not shown any form of remorse for your actions speaks volumes of the kind of person you are".
Hark continued to give out choked breaths trying to defend himself.
Though Tuka was restraining him from talking, she already knew what he was going to say. Nothing but excuses, bartering, and leveraging as he didn't care who got hurt so long as he could remain on top. Though it was true that the Dominion would make morally gray decisions depending on the situation. However they could not afford it as their standing was far too sensitive right now. They did not have the strength or the trust and good will of others if Hark decided to do something foolish. Thus looking to Kanata, she gave a nod as she returned to her spot.
Nodding back, "your actions have been made clear before this court" as Hark was giving out cold sweat as he had nowhere left to run. "Thus we shall now give out your sentencing. Though your actions were monstrous as many have demanded a harsher punishment, it is important that we as a people treat the perpetrator better then how they treated their victims. It's what makes us part of a civilized society as much as it pains us so. Thus you shall be sentenced to life imprisonment as today will be the last day you will see daylight again". Though Kanata had a lot to balance against his judgment, in the end this was the right call. He could easily settle the people's anger with his execution. But in the long run it was better that Hark will slowly rot in prison as he will live to regret his actions right up to dying of old age feeble and alone in the darkest hole they had.
As the guards took him away, the prime minister now had to turn his attention to other matters. Aside from negotiating for the return of the Lourian prisoners, they needed to focus on post war clean up. It was going to be a lot of work. But all things considered, this was the best outcome overall as their was going to be a lot of rebuilding in the future.
~ Idunn ~
Bozes could only deeply sigh as multiple holographic windows were opened on her desk. "I can't believe I was talked into doing this job . . . ." as she deeply sighed again. The paper work was practically endless just to keep things running smoothly. She had no idea how Pina was able to keep up with this kind of workload. Yet she did not have any regrets as she lived true to her ideals.
Some of the things she received were the logistic reports concerning the battle with Louria.
Requests for supplies and materials for certain projects.
New intel about what was going on in the surrounding countries.
Also a concern that cropped up. They were aware of Louria's technological state. As their ravens scouted the area, they picked up E.M. frequencies indicating some form of radio technology. Thus it could only mean there was a civilization out there on Elysia that was much more advanced then what they've seen so far.
A lot of things Bozes needed to consider carefully moving forward based on what they had and what they needed to build.
First thing on the list was the development of the Rodenius continent. It was quite a heavy investment, but it also meant major returns. Qua-Toyne and Quila were still in the agrarian age roughly between the 8th and 16th century. But in relation to Earth's history, they were a tad bit more sophisticated with the resources they had access too. However they were still incredibly inefficient in comparison to later centuries. But with some Terran know how, they had the potential to become incredible economic power houses. In terms of diplomatic relationships and deals, they were in a good place as they were most welcomed by the natives. Not only for defending them against Louria but also for sharing their knowledge and technology and building up their kingdom. Of course they weren't going to leave it to good faith and contracts to maintain the status quo and hoping things don't sour over time. Thus ghost agents were discreetly sent to telepathically probe all parties of interest to know where everyone stood. There was still caution against them. But true trust took time to build up. So long as they knew where the wind was blowing then they would do their best to make sure their relationship stayed strong.
Due to adjustments, Quila was a bit more developed with the rush order for ores, minerals, and crude oil. But with things calming down, Idunn's workforce could go back to a regular work flow as a good deal of them returned to Qua-Toyne to continue developing.
Concerning them, they were an interesting mystery. The soil there allowed for a very prosperous and healthy farming as the land itself didn't seem to require any maintenance to upkeep its productivity. Dominion scientists were quite interested in how that was possible. It was so interesting in fact that the Zerg wanted to know how they were able to defy the basics of diminishing returns as a few of the alien bugs ate some of the dirt to see if they can dissect it to better understand how it was possible. More experimentation was going to be implemented on a later date.
But for now Qua-Toyne was able to supply them with the food they needed. It was rather interesting that even in another universe they still shared similar staples like wheat, potatoes, and other vegetation. However they were still limited on other options. Though luckily, some of Idunn's residents had a hobby for gardening and thus were able to share some of their seeds to be grown there.
Under the deal with Quila, a certain ratio of what's mined and refined there was split between the three of them for what they were needed for.
Now a certain quota was called for as it would be used for urbanization projects. Though for what was left, Bozes needed to consider carefully what technology she should pursue in the long term.
A question that could be boiled down to quality versus quantity. Also proposals on alternative solutions.
Reflecting on the battle reports, the starport burned out it's warp engine in the attack. To say the least, the dwarfs were not happy as such tech was not so easy to repair let alone replace now. If they tried they would need to start from scratch which was an absolute pain in the butt.
Thus the next best option was a request made to launch multiple bases into space to serve as orbital support for forces on the ground. Generally battlecruisers filled this role. But working with what they got, they would need to cannibalize, modify, and re-purpose some of their mobile military outposts. They would essentially fuse a barrack, factory, and starport together as they would be moved into space.
It was a huge undertaking. But trying to plan ahead, it was probably for the best.
This world was filled with hostile and generally unfriendly civilizations. They were still collecting data as there was still a lot they did not know. Thus their next step right now was exploration and hopefully making amiable relationships with those who lived in the first and second zones.
As much as Bozes didn't like the idea, peace with Parpaldia was probably not on the table based on what they knew of them so far. Although they were technologically inferior, they did not have the numbers to protect their borders and that of their new allies without stretching themselves dangerously thin. Furthermore with her sense of justice, she could not turn a blind eye to power mad despots one-sidedly waging war against weaker nations in a cruel attempt to expand their power and wealth.
At such a thought, a proposal sat on her desk as she eyed the title, "the Dominion Protectorate . . . ."
~ Augustgrad ~
The loss of Idunn still weighed heavily on a lot of folks.
It was still being talked about on several news channels.
Protoss had also deployed their ships to what was left of the planet trying to understand what had happened.
But for Valerian, he had been given endless grief from multiple parties with how many souls were lost in the accident. A project in which it was assured that nothing would go wrong and every safety precaution was put into place to insure it. The Terran emperor still felt the strain on his heart. But he had no time to rest as he needed to focus on work to fix what was broken. It also helped distract him as it was better then wallowing in self-pity.
Making his way to his office, Valerian smeared his face needing to focus on what he needed to do.
"Not having much of a good day are you".
Instantly alerted, Valerian reached for his sword as he turned to the direction of the voice. But seeing who it was, he didn't know how to react as the residents of this universe had an uneasy truce with her. Although he released his hold on his sword, it didn't stop him from feeling tense as he was only able to mutter out her name. " . . . . Kerrigan".
Valerian knew this wasn't some elaborate trick. The palace was equipped with state of the art security and sensors that not even the best ghost agent could sneak in. Not to mention the neural implants he had to prevent telepathic attacks. Electronically connected to the sensor reads, there was no else in this room besides him. Though that was the fact, he can clearly see a red headed woman sitting there.
Having acknowledged this, "so what brings a Xel'naga to my office?" Valerian asked in the most polite tone he could muster. Quite frankly if she were to bring the full weight of her existence before him, his brain would be melting in his skull either resulting in death or becoming a vegetable. Hell, all she would need to do was think it just to smite him. But seeing he's not dead, clearly she came to talk.
"To give you some news".
Valerian gave a strained look. "I really don't need anymore news right now".
"It's good news or at least good news for the most part".
"And what would that be?"
"The people on Idunn, they're not dead".
" . . . . What?"
"They were pulled into another universe by a void entity".
"Hold on!" as Valerian came out of his stupor as his mind was firing on all cylinders now. "I need to know more! Where are they?! Are they OK?! Who are these void entities?! Why did they take the people on Idunn?!"
"I can't tell you as I do not know. Though I maybe Xel'naga, my authority ends at the borders of this universe as it may surprise you but there are things I don't know or cannot see".
"There has to be something more you can do. Can you not pull them back or tell me which universe they are in so that we can use Falmart's gate to connect there".
Kerrigan then tilted her head while giving him a slightly amused look. "Valerian . . . . There is so much you don't know when it comes to the grand cosmic order of things. But to explain this as simply as possible, even beings like me have to obey certain rules as not to upset the delicate clockwork balance of the universe. Hence it would not be ideal for me to interfere more then I should. For something like me to recklessly mess with the very fabric of reality . . . ." as she shook her head. "Such an act is already quite dangerous as it would come at a very high price". Kerrigan then sighed as she got up. "I better be off then as you have much to do".
"Wait! There has to be more that you can help us with".
"I'm already doing plenty for you" as her voice then turned dead serious. "There are things out there that you are better off not seeing let alone knowing about. Terrors that are as old as the universe as it's quite busy work keeping them at bay. But if you need a hint, they've already sent out a smoke signal. Just look for it" as Kerrigan then disappeared.
Stunned at how sudden this all was, Valerian took a moment to collect himself. Taking a calming breath, he went to his desk as he carefully thought about what he was told. It was a lot to take in after all. If it was true then there was much that needed to be done as they were going to bring them home. But they needed to find them first.
There was no point in making an official statement yet till he actually had hard evidence. Nonetheless, this bit of information lessened the burden on his heart. Knowing how resourceful some of the people on Idunn were, they were already doing everything in their power to communicate back to them.
With renewed vigor, Valerian would use all available resources the Dominion had to find them. But there was one nagging feeling that he couldn't get over.
With what Kerrigan told him, what did the void entities of the other universe want with his people?
To be continued . . . .
Author's notes: Here's the chapter as it should be pretty straight forward as it leads into the next arc. Now for some commentary.
As noted above, Elysia is broken into three zones roughly speaking which reflects the power they possess on an international scale. I say power as technology is not necessarily the defining factor when we learn who exactly inhabits the zones and why they are considered a super power. This example would be the case of the Emor kingdom as they have completely stagnated as they have been surpassed technologically by a few of the other super powers. However they do have ownership of dragons which can make them a challenge but not necessarily winning any significant battles depending on numbers and strategy.
Louria's loss was the first ripple that got the attention of the surrounding kingdoms which in canon to why they allied with Japan. Finding the benefits of being allies with them, it increased the standard of living with a few technological uplift. Now in the case of the Dominion, this prospect is going to be something else entirely with how much more they have to offer. Being discussed with other folks, the Dominion is going to transform the entire third zone in a way that it can't be ignored or pushed around anymore.
As for Parpaldia, it's as noted above with how their foreign affairs department is divided up and how they deal with the international community. Thus for the third department, they are pretty much just well dressed bullies. But as quite a few people have pointed out to which I have noted as well, the Dominion will not make the same mistakes that Japan made. Furthermore, a very different situation will unfold for it.
I felt it appropriate that a trial should be held for Hark. Regardless of how guilty he was, he was still owed due process even though everyone knew how guilty he was. As pointed out in some discussions, Hark would have definitely tried to pull off such a hail Mary to weasel out of his actions but also to retain his power after clearly losing.
It seemed pretty obvious Tuka would be on Idunn. It just took a while to reintroduce her with everything that had happened.
As pointed out with Bozes, still power scaling the Dominion against the rest of the world so that as powerful as they are the opposing nations could still pose a threat to them if they acted carelessly or they were outnumbered. So they are going to have a few base satellites floating around in orbit to support their troops wherever they are in the world. This also opens up more to the mystery of Elysia as they are going to end up discovering Ravernal's satellites up there with them in which they are going to capture and study.
Figured that Kerrigan is still watching everything that is happening in the universe. She will pop in once in a while to help when she can. But with the infinite size of all existence I can imagine some not so friendly cosmic entities floating around the borders of their universe waiting to cause trouble. Thus it would be what occupies Kerrigan's time. But for the most part I decided to do what Stargate does when it concerns ascended beings by keeping things vague since our primitive minds could not hope to understand the machinations of the higher universe. So best to just hand wave it altogether with Kerrigan being a minor deus ex machina just to move things along. But as noted by Kerrigan, it's actually what happened to the 'gods' on Elysia. For their meddling on the planet they had to pay a price for everything they've done. Some prices heavier then others.
If there are any questions or concerns feel free to ask as I'll try to answer them.
So thank you for reading as I further extend my gratitude if you can review as well.