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[Kebooo]

I do not understand. What more is there to say? I have already explained the reasons. You only recently took those cities. Within the past few years. We did not want to bring the matter up while you could simply take the entire planet for yourself, which no doubt is your long term goal. Why would anyone trust a house that wars with the church?

We also felt the Garrison Commander should try to avoid feuding with the Fleet Commander. Is this not a wise decision for the empire? So when else was I supposed to bring it up? We gave you a few years time to see if you would open communication rather than simply joint colonize a planet with a house you had threatened before and painted as adversaries. The Imperial Eye gathered intelligence on the planet and saw both of us were colonizing it, then asked us to the senate. You ignored his summons, so I hope the other houses can see this too.

[mainiac]

I do not understand. What more is there to say? I have already explained the reasons. You only recently took those cities. Within the past few years.

You have given me your reasons for not starting a war (as if a reason should be needed!).  You have not given a single reason why, if this matter was so dear to you, that you never spoke until now.

You talk of every matter in the heavens but wont answer the most simple and central question about the matter you say is so important.  You waste our time insulting me over and over again but will not speak of that which you say is so important.

[Kebooo]

No, I am not giving a reason for my not starting a war. The reason is that we believed YOU would start a war if we had mentioned it while your fleets still sat above or next to Cadavus. What is difficult to understand? You were ready to destroy my freighter. You would certainly be ready to blast my holdings if I had suggested we cannot share the planet and that your people need to leave. Every reasonable house can see this. Any other option was suicide for my house.

[mainiac]

So now you purport to know my intentions through speculation and think that constitutes evidence on which to accuse me. 

I move that house Decados be declared outlaws from the empire.  My niece said that they were meanieheads and she knew "just because".

[Kebooo]

I believe every house rightfully saw you as an unstable aggressor on the Rite of Passage incident. You threatened us with an act of war, but the benevolent regent stepped into the situation. Why would I believe Cadavus any different? But this time you would have flowery words with this pretend "crusade" of yours, all the while you fight with the Holy Pancreator's church. Can I station a fleet over Kish, to protect your people from any would-be rebels or symbiots from afar? Surely you could not know my intentions!

Colonizing a planet with a house you made your enemy by way of threats is intention enough for any sane lord's eyes to see.

[Il Palazzo]

As an outside observer I must confess that I knew for certain that the Rights of Passage issue from the few years back would not be the end of the trouble with these two houses. There are clearly some grievances that have not been resolved despite all these years of neighbourly coexistence.
That it ended up being the question of the dominion over the planet Cadavus is even less of a surprise, as any world shared between Li Halan and Decados was bound to become a festering buboe on the otherwise healthy body of the Empire.
Why is that other nobles have more sense than bile in their blood, being able to come to good terms with regard to planetary demarcation? Just look at House Hawkwood and the Hazat, peacefuly reaping the riches of the planet Vril-Ya. And all that despite generations-long animosity!
Alas, not here. Two statesmen fighting like teenagers over whose turf it should be.

On Aragon, we have the tradition of resolving disputes through trial of arms, when all other channels fail, and would strongly advise for the Regent to allow a limited engagement between the two unruly houses to bring this issue to an end.

Let the Empire sanction combat on the surface of Cadavus, but use the ministerial forces to prevent escalation of the conflict beyond that god-forsaken world.

And so, I support the Li Halan move to dispatch the Fleet to quarantine the space over Cadavus, and remove any and all ships belonging to either of the sides trying to reinforce whatever militia is already present on the surface, until one of the side's presence is wholy removed from that fateful planet.
At that point the other side must concede their loss before the gathering of the Senate and move on to matters more important and less likely to rekindle the conflict.

I'm certain that both sides have been building up forces in situ for that explicit purpose, and if one of them failed to do so extensively enough, then they clearly hold the other in contempt, or have never really wanted to retain their presence therein. In such a case, they deserve all that might befall them.

In our judgement of the matter, allowing the two hotheads to bleed themselves a little is the best course of action for the Empire, as simply trying to retain the status quo is bound to escalate the tensions, leading no doubt to a full-scale war that might well swallow us all.

I ask the Regent to rule justly over the dispute.

-Lazarus, Master of the Eye.

[mainiac]

Just putting this out there, but I say we stick with the status quo.

[Margrave]

Fellow nobles, I am as concerned and eager to work out a solution to this dilemma as anyone, and I hope this does not devolve into war, limited or not. However it might help when describing the situation to outside parties, both Major and Minor House nobles here on Byzantium Secundus if we had a general map of Cadavus. For a world that not a year ago was simply a backwater pit stop for traders from Leagueheim or warriors to Stigmata to turn into the focal point of such a fiery conflict deserves some more information.

Now, no one wants to divulge secrets so a general terrain map for general consumption here in the main council room would be more than sufficient.

[Kebooo]

My lords, my people have constructed at least ten new cities on Cadavus, we have harvested over 4000 food, we have been here for generations. It was one of the first worlds we colonized. We were willing to allow the Li Halan peaceful evacuation, despite their treatment of my house as an enemy. My people will not respect me if I allow a hostile house free reign to do as it pleases right next to our own colonies, a house unwilling to leave even with the threat of war. We do not have ambitions for other Li Halan worlds, just our own, for their fleet is greater than ours, their industry's capacity surely can top ours, and they have unlocked many more secrets than we.

Unfortunately there is no diplomatic solution. The options were the Li Halan leave peacefully or one of us is defeated in the field of battle on Cadavus. Unfortunately senate proceedings have not offered a solution we all can agree on. The regent may speak his words, but there is nothing now that can sway the Decados decision. The status quo can only allow their house further entrenchment on a world alien to them. The inquisition itself is here to burn Li Halan labs. Lord Maniac is a heretic at war with the church. He was prepared to destroy my freighter, jointly colonized a world that threatens the security of my inner worlds, and colonizes the symbiot worlds to his own end, to fill the coffers of Kish. This is a deranged man, one I cannot trust. Who knows what schemes he hatches at this very moment?

The Decados and Li Halan are now in a state of war. We would be willing to broker peace, but not until the last remnants of their people have been put down on Cadavus. Let only the Pancreator judge who is in the right. We hope the fleet does not involve itself in a dispute that would rage until the end of time because my people would keep coming back, forever and ever. Cadavus is a Decados world as much as Vera Cruz is a Li Halan world.

With that, Lady Gorakhan retired to her chambers to hear news that the mantis sigil now fluttered above the palace on Cadavus.

(turn sent)

[mainiac]

If your investment is so great you went to lengths to hide it.  You never took the palace despite claiming to have constructed 10 cities.  The church was restored to imperial control.  The ruins of the world lie untouched and the monks in it's monasteries have never seen your people.  You care so much about this world that you never mention a breath of it to any living person?

House Decados has launched an unprovoked attack on our people.  Lord Aqizzer has committed himself to ensuring the peace.  Well it's now time to stop rampant Decados imperialism and stop all Decados shipping.

Li Halan was made to swallow the violation of our sovereignty as the price for peace.
Lin Halan gave up our aspirations to Tethys even though Decados has still not claimed the palace of that world to this day.
And now we are asked to give up territory that we fought hard for to satisfy the insatiable hunger of Decados.

[Kebooo]

A palace is symbolic, nothing more. I could have landed on Vera Cruz and built one myself, before you had ever claimed the world. All nobles would have seen this as an intrusion.

Look at Aylon and Shaprut. Are these not my worlds? I do not risk the lives of my people solely so I can tax the peasants, not every lord and lady is as greedy as you. You speak of ruins now, are these the marker of lordship? We have better things to concern ourselves with than exploring silly old ruins that could be infested with symbiots. I never mentioned any of my worlds to any living person. Why should I? Should I sing songs about the worlds that matter to us?

Li Halan "gave up" aspirations for Tethys because it was already colonized. Li Halan gave up a chance for worlds beyond Tethys because they didn't want to cross through my space, yet they expect my people to traverse through both al-Malik AND Hawkwood space to send anything to Byzantium II. Li Halan are taking the symbiot worlds for their own and do not want to have to traverse through Cadavus, a Decados world. Now they will have to.

The Decados do not have an insatiable hunger. We do not colonize worlds others have already committed significant resources to, and then refuse to remove them. And we certainly do not war with the Pancreator's blessed church in order to research heretical technologies. Why are you so fearful of commenting on your sins to the senate? If I were the regent, all of your labs would be obliterated to atone for your egregious sins against order and stability. Lord Aqizzar is benevolent and would not abuse the ministries for anything but their noble purpose: suppression of rebels and protection of humanity from the symbiots and Vau. To use it to attack Decados vessels would mark him as a tyrannical regent betraying the trust of the people. No, he is certainly better than using it against either of our houses. We find it pitiable you would attempt to use a ministry to enforce your desires. Your house is full of heretics and deceivers, but we didn't expect it was also filled with cowards.

[mainiac]

A palace is symbolic, nothing more.

No it's not, it lets me know that you have actually claimed the world.

You never spoke it's name once.  You didn't claim the palace.  How the hell was I supposed to know that you had given it a second thought?  Despite what your propoganda says I am not a witch who reads minds.

Please save us more of these boring rants.  If you have something worthwhile to say then learn brevity.

[Aqizzar]

One may feel as though the time has come for proclamations, but it is clear that a greater certainty must first be achieved.

To the Lady of Decados, let this be said first.  To be master of a world is to do more than farm its periphery.  In pacifying the rebellious worlds of Vril-Ya and Grail, I could easily have ignored the fortified capitals and dedicated my House to prospecting the lands they had not seen fit to tame themselves.  I chose otherwise, and both worlds are not only again loyal to the greater Empire of Man, but the minor House of Vril has even accepted retainership in the demesne of Hawkwood.  And mind that this was accomplished in cooperation, not competition, with my enlightened neighbors of al-Malik and the Hazat.

The failure of Li Halan and the Decados to live in peace even with the entire northern expanse of the galaxy to divide between them is not my concern.  But as Regent, the consequences of that failure are.  As the gateway to Leaguehiem, Stigmata, and the benighted worlds beyond, Cadavus will not be allowed to remain a war zone for long.  I hereby call upon the Master of the Eye to dispatch his agents to the world to ascertain the full extent of these territorial claims.  Once the Senate has been duly informed, we may at least begin to sit in judgement.

I will not issue an edict to forbade any hostility.  A great pretender to the galactic throne I would be to proclaim warfare itself unlawful.  But lest there be any question of exactly whose rights are in question, know that the Senate recognizes that you, Gorakhan, were the first to commit violence on the agents of another Noble House in more than a generation.  If you feel you have a right to a world whose capital was wrested from rebellious hands by another's force, then you will secure that claim by your efforts alone.

Let it be known that any such conflict will be monitored, and contained, and for exactly such a purpose does the might of the Imperium exist.  I had already directed the Fleet to begin returning to Byzantium, to repair the damages suffered against the symbiot menace.  While I cannot condone the reckless efforts of Li Halan in attempting to pacify and colonize the worlds beyond the blockade, the die has been cast and as of yet their efforts and those of the Fleet and the Garrison have proven largely successful.  The bulk of the Fleet's major firepower will remain in the Tertiary to continue its bombardment of the principle nests that have already been roused.  The Fleet's lance elements will be passing over Cadavus, and may remain in orbit if feel it needed.  Though only the skirmishing force, rest assured that they will be more than capable of dispatching any force flying colors found attempting to spread this conflict beyond the world in question, and to enforce any accord should one be ratified.

And with that, the Regency has spoken its peace.

(Turn sent.  And yeah, I'm Aqizzar, riding this 'apathetic monarch' schtick straight into the ground for four years and counting.)

[Margrave]

(Turn sent.)

It pains me that the Senate could not help our Noble kinsmen reach a peaceful arrangement, I will be praying that any conflict will be swift. That being said I have decided as Garrison Commander to begin scouting and bombarding Symbiot positions in the Quarantine Quadrant. At the very least this information will be useful in finally eradicating this menace.

[Il Palazzo]

As requested by the Regent, the Eye provides all the information on planet Cadavus available to us:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Of the two areas explored in detail, the northern penninsula is, or if Lady Gorakhan's boasting is to be believed - was, in the possession of House Li Halan. All the outlying settlements are said to be under Decados rule.

The Eye shall divert one of its assets to maintain vigil over the planet and serve the Regency with any further information as needed.