Making The Plans

Akina found herself somewhere to sit as things began to get underway for the meeting about to take place. It was about the Aenerald situation and how to proceed about it. There had been, apparently, a few people from there now here to help get a few of the things worked out before they went further. Akina didn't expect any peaceful resolutions from what she heard so far, there wasn't any doubt in her mind there would be conflict first. Dictatorships and regimes of that nature didn't tend to lend themselves well to peaceful compromise. More so, when it was part of the culture for literally centuries.

Various world leaders were present as well as military leaders and diplomats, including ones from Eldar, Patria and the like. Akina could spot a few she recognized, but others she didn't. She'd wait and see how it turned out. After finding a spot, she sat down to relax in one of the seats.

*  *

"We're here."

Sinera landed just outside the building with Gwendolyn and some of her other Valkyrie's. They weren't dressed for battle this time of course, this wasn't the meeting for that. To show proper respect and be dressed appropriately for such a important meeting, Sinera and her other Valkyrie were dressed in some rather nice dresses that worked for the meeting.

When they went inside, it was a bit busy with people gradually feeling in and chatting. Gwendolyn would see various races there, some she'd know but many she wouldn't at first glance.

The Patrian representatives arrived without the fanfare of some world leaders or representatives.  No expensive limos or helicopters, no entourage of assistants and experts.  Sitting in orbit of the Earth's moon were a task force of Patrian military vessels; treaties and legislation were already in place for such visits by other races, and from that small flotilla a Petrae shuttle with fighter escort approached the Earth.  All but one escorting craft stayed in orbit, while the shuttle and escort entered the atmosphere.  The shuttle and escort were specially designed to make the entry on a startlingly steep angle, causing no shortage of alarm for ground control operators that were tracking the Patrian representative's approach, despite briefings on their capabilities, and had a copy of their intended approach vector sitting infront of them.

The shuttle approached the conference hall in Nexus City still trailing a visible corona of heat, the nose and belly of the shuttle only just fading from fiery red as stabilizing thrusters caught and it cycled into a vertical landing.  Great billows of steam hissed away from the wet tarmac as the shuttle came to a rest.  The assault ramp dropped, and two power-armoured Patrian soldiers descended to flank it, then a RS3.R buggy rolled out for the final few kilometers to the conference hall.  Naturally, all weapons systems had been stripped from the vehicle, although both the driver and one passenger wore more suits of C1 special operations combat armor with long-arms stowed in easy reach.  Only the delegate himself was without armor, wearing a very martial dress uniform, a large-caliber pistol holstered to his hip.

The RS3.R pulled to a stop infront of the conference building.  It stood out quite markedly amidst the far more comfortable vehicles of the other delegates, and a pair of valets glanced at each other uncertainly as the Patrian delegate easily climbed down, grabbing the roll-cage and physically hoisting himself out of the vehicle.  He glanced at the valets with apparent lack of recognition; just what were these two boys standing around for?  Shaking his head, he deftly doffed his pistol belt and handed it back to the soldier riding in the back of the buggy, and gestured towards where all the other vehicles were parked, before turning on a heel and walking into the building.

The man was, perhaps, strikingly handsome, save for the shrapnel scars across the left side of his face.  He wore a glove on his right hand as well, to help hide a prosthetic limb.  He entered the main room and glanced about briefly, and it was only a strong sense of propriety, and a general refusal to make the Patrians seem a provincial and uneducated lot, that he did not gawk at the group of Valkyries, or any of the other 'exotic' races that were present in the hall.

At least most of those present were nearly identical to himself.  Humans and Patrians were cousin species by all indications, either a result of coincidence or ancient intent.  But where the Patrians were a wholy unified people, humans still struggled with hundreds of divergent religions and languages.  They had come far in recent decades, though.

The delegate briefly tugged at the tunic of his dress uniform, then spoke briefly with one of the hall's staff who directed him to his seat.

-----

Ambassador Diedrich Schuermeyer stood in one of the aisles near the entrance, making small talk with delegates and leaders of various countries as the room filled with all the invited parties.  Some asked after his health, his family, grandkids, but others were more interested in the events in Kalss.  Brokering peace between dragons had been seen as one of the higher points of his career.

The arrival of the Valkyries turned a few heads, and Diedrich nodded politely to the leader of their entourage.  "Hello Valkyre.  I'm afraid you will not find many to join the Einherjar here.  Or perhaps one."  The spirits of the heroic dead the Valkyries of mythology collected and brought to storied Valhalla.  He corrected himself when the Patrian representative arrived.  There was nothing about the man that could be interpreted as being a politician or broker of peace.

Flanking Sinera and Gwendolyn, but slightly behind, were two of her most trusted. The first, Erza, also known by her title of 'Titania' and Sinera's second-in-command, seemed somewhat uncomfortable in a dress, but this was simply because she was among people she didn't know, without her armor. Then again, as she could summon her various armors and weapons to her, it was a minor thing. The second, Sophitia, seemed far more comfortable in a dress, and was smiling warmly, in contrast to the stoic expression Erza tried to maintain. Erza's presence was more for security, but she was more than capable of diplomacy, while Sophitia was there more for her diplomatic skills and friendly demeanor, though could hold her own in a battle.

At Ambassador Diedrich's words, Erza raised an amused brow, while Sophitia smiled a bit wider, though neither spoke. They did, however, catch the eyes of the lead Patrian, and gave a small, respectful nod.

~~~~~

Meanwhile, a young woman sitting at the front of the Eldarian delegation looked a bit nervous, but determined. Peach Raslend, also known as Princess Peach, and daughter of Queen Retina Raslend of Eldar, was the Eldarian representative, though she did appreciate the presence of her few chosen advisers. Her mother was unable to leave Eldar for the long stretch needed for this campaign, but had felt that Peach was ready for this kind of responsibility; and while Peach was indeed nervous, she knew she could do this. 'Mother has faith in me, and that is all the evidence I need that I can do this... Mother, I will not let you down!' She smoothed out her dress, pink as always since she couldn't help herself despite the occasion, and took a deep breath, before looking around once more.

The arrival of the Patrian representatives made her blink a bit. The man leading them was intimidating, to be sure, but he did not increase her nerves; while she was no expert on their people, she knew enough to respect them as a people, and know that they were honorable. If anything, their presence calmed her nerves, if only a little. On the off chance that something happened, she knew that the Patrian's would give their all to protect those who could not defend themselves here; not that she could not fight, but certainly not to the level and some here.

Upon seeing the arrival of the Valkyries, Peach's eyes widened. She'd had no idea they would be arriving, and had to suppress a girlish squeal of joy. To say she admired the beautiful warriors was an understatement. She hoped that, should she get the chance to speak with them, that she would not embarrass herself. Then she noticed someone else arriving, and blinked. 'So they came...'

~~~~~

Four people made their way into the room, drawing a bit of attention if only for the fact that nobody had been sure if they would even come; it seemed that the Demon Realm would indeed be represented here. Leading the way was Iliara Tarsen, the beautiful wife of Reifer Tarsen and one of the more influential people in the Demon Realm; her husband had some business to take care of back at home, and she was more than capable of doing this.

To her left was the rather surprising addition of Akane Kyuubi, her nine tails waving softly behind her as she walked; those that knew her hoped that she had been made to promise that, at least during this meeting, she would not randomly strip naked. As welcome a sight as it would be to many, this meeting was quite serious, and the distraction would be quite unfortunate.

To the left of Iliara, a seemingly young woman with shoulder-length red hair and a haunted look in her eyes moved somewhat stiffly. She seemed on the verge of tears, yet held a determined look, refusing to lose her composure. She was dressed in fine clothes, though seemed uncomfortable in them.

At the back of the group, was a man who appeared to be in his late sixties, a stern look on his face. He kept shooting dark glances as the young red-head, clearly displeased with her presence, though he said nothing. This man was recognizable as well, and his attendance was not a pleasant thing; Himura Glaron, one of the 'old guard' on the Demon Council, and a strong proponent of the 'pureblood agenda' in the Demon Realm. The three women with him seemed equally displeased with him being there.

Landing with the rest of the Valkyrie, Gwendolyn took her place behind Sinera within formation. She kept close to her senior, ready to watch and learn everything she could from the gathering. The attire they’d found for her was surprisingly comfortable and she was relieved that the Valkyrie of another world still upheld many of her own customs; including formal dress wear. The number of eyes falling upon their entry alerted her instincts and she wondered, for a moment, if she should have insisted on bringing her spear. On her world, Valkyrie were despised by all but their own kind, never admired. It took her a moment, while trying not to gawk as well at everyone else, to realize that it was curiosity, not animosity, which filled their gazes.

  She followed the rest, standing and sitting when they did, listening on the few conversations taking place nearby; always remaining near Sinera. She promised not to speak out concerning the meeting, only responding when spoken to, but at the moment she wasn’t sure she could say anything at all. Where she came from, people took action and waged battle; there was little to no diplomacy unless someone was marrying someone else under a betrothal. It was fascinating, seeing all of these powerful leaders gathering in one place and using words instead of weapons to settle a dilemma. She was certain her father, Odin, would have laughed until tears fell from his eyes if she tried to recount this event.

  Gwendolyn found herself trying to get a good look at the other leaders. The older human man seemed to have many friends in high places and, from the little she could hear, he had a very eloquent way of speaking. She could tell he would be a very strong debater. And the young lady in the pink dress, so colorful, she felt her gaze upon the group the most. Gwendolyn tried not to fidget and could feel the heat rise to her cheeks as she averted her eyes to keep from following suit. There was another woman in a beautiful dress, one unlike the flowing garb they wore; she didn't recognize the kimono. And other leaders, a lady with fox-like tails, drew her attention. She'd never seen others with appendages besides fairies, and she wondered why she had so many tails. The people-watching began making her head spin slightly, she truly wouldn't know what to say if someone approached her. She lightly touched her head to relieve some of the pressure when her sight fell upon a quiet couple in the corner. She watched them for a moment then looked away, thinking they were part of another faction that would sit in on the meeting.

~*~

Standing in the far back corner, a young woman stood with her familiar by her side. Each time a newcomer arrived, her heart beat faster and she tensed. So much diversity here… She thought, her familiar nodded slightly in response. For the most part, she looked very childlike. Thin with thick golden curls that fell mid-back. She was dressed in a pair of shorts made of deer hide and a tube top made of leaves and vines. Her midriff revealed a scar running from her lower pelvis to just under her chest; a token from the war when she was an adolescent. Her eyes were clear and blue, but her expression was too serious for a child. Her eyes too shadowed from nights of endless visions of the past. Slowly, cautiously, while people continued to enter and converse with one another, she moved silently near the front of the room until she stood off to the side; a few steps from the stairs leading up to the elevated seats. The projection screen behind the table caught her eye and she stared at it a long while, the technology was similar to what was on her planet, but the picture was much clearer.

She kept her arms crossed as she observed them. The many races didn’t surprise her; there was a decent amount of variety on Aenrald; only the humans that arrived bothered her. It couldn’t be helped; her people had been on the forefront of the war fighting them the entire time. The thought of a human force actually helping them was strange. It wasn’t difficult for her to wrap her mind around but getting used to it unsettled her. Though the color of a certain young woman’s dress was odd yet fascinating; the color pink was rarely seen on her planet. It was the first time Muiria had ever seen it; she wasn’t sure if she loved or hated it. And the dresses, oh the dresses, how could those women move, she wondered.

Tyrzel, what am I supposed to make of this? She asked a rhetorical question in his head. He still answered, faithfully, Your plan has come to fruition. This is the best we could have dreamed of.


She didn’t move, simply casually stared from one being to the next, still crossing her arms, though she didn’t look hostile towards anyone in particular. Just stoic and waiting.

I sent the dragon here, yes. But I didn’t know that… this is what we’d find. She responded, a hint of embarrassment in her thought-speech. I only prayed that she would discover a land we could retreat to and call a new home. Who would have thought there were other worlds. And come to find out, had we sought refuge centuries ago, we would be living in peace by now. Or at least elsewhere. Not- she closed her eyes as she hesitated. There would be laughter in our eyes now, Tyrzel. Not pain. Nor sorrow. Our children… she sighed as she opened her eyes again, they clouded as her thoughts ran cold, We would have had children…


He knew that touching her now would bring attention to the pair and Muiria was not one for basking in it, but ever so gently, his thoughts gave way to feeling and she felt warmth lightly stroke the scar on her belly. She swallowed dryly, closing her arms tighter to her body and shivered when he pulled his thoughts away.

Her eyes sought out the woman she’d spoken to, Akina Rosemand, waiting until their gazes met. She nodded slightly, letting her know she was ready for this meeting to commence.

Sinera made a amused face. "While people of high caliber like the Patrian soldiers would be welcomed, I rather not see too many brave women and men fall before their time. But such is the perils of war and fighting." The man was someone she recognized. "I do believe you're the one that broke some peace between the Silver and Red dragons in Klass. That was impressive."

She saw a few Patrian marines, then princess Peach herself. Then demon council members, she respected all of them..save for Himura. She wished the man wasn't here at all. Hopefully Akane would keep him on a leash.

*  *


"Don't be so nervous."  A voice of a young man came to her side quietly. It seemed just moments ago they hadn't even been there. In truth, they had always been around closely they were just Very good at stealth and keeping a low profile. Dexus, a young Kian had been assigned to be Princess Peach's bodyguard for some time. He considered the duty a honor, not simply because they were royalty but he believed Peach and Retina were worthy of respect. Respect, besides basic civility was earned in Kian culture, not given. "The Great Wheel will see its own hand tonight, but we'll make it under own merits. We have faith in you. You'll be fine."
* *

Akina waited until she got a signal, then nodded to her guest and took the center stage before taking a microphone when she thought everyone was accounted for. "Everyone, please be seated after handling your business, then we'll begin." She gave them a few minutes to get situated then continued. "I have always been a to the point person, so I will so I will stay as such for the duration of this talk. Our guest here, Muiria hails from a planet called Aenerald, a place in dire straights. The planet itself in such a state, it requires intensive humanitarian aid and more then likely military action. We've gotten a video from a drone of the state of things to confirm the story, as well as information and a map of the place."

After a few moments, Akina tapped something. "For the military leaders and leaders in general, I just uploaded said data to your Data Pads. Please accept them and look for yourselves. It would help immensely with setting up a plan, as well as logistics. I will leave many of the questions to our guest for the various leaders and those present. For now, I'm going to show you a video of the information the drone captured. Some of the things you may see or be implied will likely disturb you."

One of Akina's assistants got the ball rolling, hitting something in the back room. Moments later, a large screen descend down for all to see and slowly began to play the feedback.

The Patrian representative hadn't taken to mingling like most of the other diplomats and leaders.  Once shown where his seat was, he had simply stood in front of his chair with hands clasped behind his back, a universal 'parade rest' stance, and would occasionally turn his head to study the others in the room with brief, assessing glances.

Anyone who got close to him would notice his eyes hadn't the depth and light to them one might expect of a person.  The eyes were the windows to the soul was a common theme in many cultures, but the Patrian representative's eyes were flat and cold.  And artificial, if one were prone to notice such a thing.  Well crafted, but incapable of displaying emotion like real eyes might.  

It would become quickly evident that much of his face was the result of advanced medical reconstruction, the result of exposure to the vacuum and radiation of space.  Even his ability to hear was the result of cybernetics, his ear drums having been destroyed in the same incident as his eyes.

The sudden appearance of various representatives was noted as warning icons on his HUD, forcing him to note each person and disable the warning system, something that had never been much of a problem before Patria's meetings with other races and cultures.  Their scientists had tried to crack the technology involved, but had eventually been successfully convinced it was actually magic.  Jokes of pixie-dust and unicorn-farts were squashed with the discovery that faeries and unicorns actually existed in some realms.

As such, the short conversation between the Earth ambassador and the Valkyries was noted, but dismissed.  With the request for the room to come to order, the Patrian claimed his seat once most of the room had settled.  He had no datapad, nor much need of one.  His cyber-eyes and implants served that function well enough, displaying the given information much like a HUD system.

-----

Ambassador Schuermeyer nodded modestly at the Valkyrie's assumption.  "It was quite a challenge, Valkyre."  He wouldn't bother getting into details of how it had all played out.  Suffice it to say, both groups had been open to the discussions, but were rather set in not agreeing with each other.  But, when dealing with nigh-immortal beings, it had proven surprisingly easy to appeal to their logic.   Unlike humans, who were so stubbornly set in their ways that they would rather their own children die then accept that they could be wrong.


As the meeting was called to order, Ambassador Schuermeyer politely excused himself and found his seat, his assistant taking the seat next to him.  The two then produced their datapads, skimming the contents.  He already had some information of the situation they were looking into, and was just one of dozens of ambassadors that had submitted reports and theories on the situation.  It was that report that saw Diedrich here today.

As everyone took their seats and the video began to play, the first thing to appear was a wide view of the landscape of Aenerald. A distorted voice narrated briefly. "This footage was all shot within a period of about a week, after the drone arrived. The data was then transmitted back to me, and I submitted it to Nobus, who have no doubt gotten it to you. If I am not mistaken, 'you' is a gathering of delegates from various planets that have learned of what is happening on Aenerald. This video should help expedite the decision process. I debated whether to edit or censor certain things, but decided it was best not to, for the most part. I have censored a small bit, however, for the sake of the dignity of certain people." There was a pause in the video, and the distorted voice cleared it's throat.

"I must assume that someone from Aenerald is there. Considering what was observed, I would assume that they are likely an Aenerald Elf, though possibly a Dragon. Either way, and especially if an Elf, or even a Fae, I wish to apologize. What will be depicted in this video will no doubt be disturbing. I have done the best I can to be considerate to the victims of what has been done on Aenerald, while still getting the message across. If for some reason this meeting does not go as you would wish, stay a few days. I will find out, and I will personally do all I can to help if need be. Now, enough of my rambling. I have included video of the living conditions of the non-humans in their settlements on a separate file, should you wish to view it, but as the Aenerald representative can describe that part for themselves, this file includes only what the drone recorded in the facilities known as 'farms'. I reiterate once more, these images are very disturbing..."

~~~~~

The first images were showing the drone moving through the halls of a dimly lit building. As it moved about, avoiding roaming guards, a faint sound could be heard in the distance. As the drone moved closer and the sound got louder, it was easily identified. Screams of pain and frustration, and sobbing. The drone slipped through some ventilation, and entered a large hall, with several chairs lined up. Elves, emaciated and seeming to be perhaps in their teens, were all lined up in the chairs. They were strapped in, with a strange device over their chests, arms, legs, and even on their heads. The distorted voice came back. "This, is where they siphon the magical energy from the elves. Based on what has been seen, they keep them separated based on age and gender, and they only ever really see the same group their entire lives. The elves in the farms do not seem to live long. The longest they seem to live, here, is between twenty and twenty-five years. Those who appear to be between the ages of sixteen and twenty, or older if they survive, are forced to breed." As he spoke, the drone had taken off, navigating it's way to another hall entirely. It seemed to be identical to the last... except young children, around the age of five it seemed, were strapped into the devices. "As you can see, this is the result..."

The video cut out, replaced by video from within what appeared to be a holding pen. Several young elven girls were on the ground, looking as if they had been running for hours, exhausted as they were. They could barely move, as what appeared to be workers were moving about, using tubes to feed the girls, guards milling about, watching. At one point, one of the workers jumped a bit, as one of the girls had reached out, weakly grasping at his pants. She seemed to be trying to communicate, but it was clear she didn't know how to talk. It hardly mattered, as a guard immediately stalked over. The girl let out a cry as the guards booted foot slammed into her side, lifting her off the ground briefly and causing her to roll a few feet. She clutched at her side, but then curled up defensively as the guard proceeded to kick and stomp on her repeatedly. It seemed he avoided anything that would cause lasting harm, but that hardly mattered. When the guard was done beating and berating the girl for putting her 'filthy hands' on the worker, she was denied food, and left alone. The camera focused on the sobbing girl, and the image froze.

"I would advise a short break, before moving on to the next part of the video. I imagine emotions are running high after that, so everyone should take a moment to try and calm themselves. The 'farm' where the Dragons are kept is next, and after that, will be Fae..."

~~~~~

As the video stopped there for now, the silence was briefly broken by a soft sob. Peach was shaking a bit, and trying to fight back tears. Seeing a child treated like that... she had known things were bad on Aenerald, but...

At the same time, Erza and Sophitia both sat in stony silence; Sophitia's eyes closed and jaw clenched, and Erza shaking with suppressed rage.

With the Demon Realm contingent, Iliara had a haunted look, while Akane and the red headed woman were staring at the screen with hard eyes. Himura seemed calm, but it appeared that even he was somewhat uncomfortable with what was seen. Perhaps he was not completely heartless after all.

Sinera watched with a unnatural silence, it was almost eerie. It was the eyes though she was more focused on things then anything else. She swore she'd do something, sooner or later. Dexus was of the same mind. Akina had to simply wait for everyone gathered. She had seen it already, but it still bothered her. Once she waitied for everyone present a brief break, she allowed it to continue.

The Patrian delegate sat in silence and didn't shy away from the images displayed by the recording.  Outwardly, there was no sign of emotion in the man, asides from a slight tightening of the shoulders, and a faint electronic sound from his cybernetic eyes as they focused and adjusted, actively recording details of what the video displayed.  The armaments of the guards, the way they moved, the design of the facility.  The screams of pain and whimpering reminded him of things he refused to forget, memories he, and many of his people, would not hide from.

The events displayed were unforgivable.  The Patrian military council were already committed to the cause, hence the small battle group orbiting Earth's moon.  For them, this meeting was a waste of time.  Had they the ability to reach Aenerald, they would already be there.

Most of the room were silent, although some of the representatives of Earth could be heard whispering or sobbing, visibly shaken by what they had seen.  Seated close to him was Princess Peach, to whom his gaze settled, artificial eyes focusing on the girl, "Pull yourself together, child.  Their people haven't the time for you to weep."  His tone was flat, cold.  He wasn't old enough to remember the age of peace that reigned in his home system before their baptism by fire.  He had only known atrocities and war, and in his perspective such emotions could not be entertained till the fighting was done.  Especially by those in positions of power.  Time lost was lives lost.  He could understand the Princess' reaction, and he could not fault her for it.  But she was her world's chosen representative, and for the people of Aenerald, she had to be stronger.

-----

Ambassador Schuermeyer had seem some terrible things in his time.  The things humans could do to each other were not pretty.  But the things committed so casually by the humans of Aenerald had not been seen in many years on Earth.  As disgusting as it was though, he had to try to understand the decisions and events and reasons that had led those people to where they were now.


Nothing could justify the lengths they had gone to, but you could not fix a problem if you did not understand how it came to be.  Seated near by was King William of the British Commonwealth and Supreme Governor of the Church of England, seated with the Heads of State of those countries that made up the Commonwealth.  The Prime Minister of Canada and India, and delegates of some fifty other countries occupied many of the seats around him.


Unlike many of the others, King William had seen combat, and so was better able to control his emotions, although he was glad his wife had not insisted on attending.  "I have seen more emotion on the butcher's floor of a meat processing plant."


Diedrich nodded in worried agreement; the workers that had been seen in the video seemed without remorse or doubt in their actions.  Worse, in the case of the guard, he had seemed to be enjoying himself.  That worried him even more then total indifference; had their use of living creatures as a source of power been a clinical decision of necessity, then they would be far more reasonable to deal with; the offering of alternatives would be well received.  But this...this would be a hard sell, so to speak.

Muiria continued to stand against the wall, Tyrzel did so as well to remain by his mistress. The lights dimmed slightly to make viewing easier and she sighed silently when she heard the voice being to speak. She had been shown the footage when she met with Akina, though she was already aware of what was going on. Elven and Fae leaders agreed that it would be everyone’s best interest to keep this a secret from their people. If the Elves, Fae, and even Orcs knew of these farms, the leaders were certain that everyone would be rushing to rescue them. It would be suicide. Still, like the voice had said, the images were horrid to behold.
~~~A few days prior…~~~
  “Despicable, isn’t it?” she murmured, gritting her teeth as she spoke. They watched all three videos and, while she knew of the farms and what went on, it wasn’t easy to watch; no matter how many times you watched it.
  “We are already aware of what goes on in there.” She explained to Akina, “We had an informant. A shape shifter, one of the best,” her words choked but she continued, “On her last infiltration she was caught and they sent us their own little video to show what became of her. Shape shifter magic is in the same classification as dragon magic in the sense that each cell is brimming with it.” She took a moment to gather her breath, her cheeks were bright red as she recounted the tale, “They hooked her up to one of those machines and intended on taking everything. She began hemorrhaging blood from her pores until there was nothing left of her. Her screams still haunt me to this day.”
  She looked at Akina and those that were there to hear her plea, “I don’t care what your ideals about peace are. What these humans do, what they come up with, it is unforgivable. If you won’t help us, I will find someone who will.” She said hotly, her nails digging so deep into the palms of her fists at her side that they left indentions. Tyrzel gently put his hands on her shoulders then put his arm around her so they both faced them. “I’m sure you understand her frustrations. We see this world brimming with hope and freedom. We’re not certain that you would help us.” He tried to explain.
~~~ ~~~
  Luckily, things went well after he’d cleaned up after her outburst and Muiria had recomposed herself to continue that meeting. Now she stood here, gauging everyone’s reactions, and dropped her arms to her sides. The response was better than she’d hoped.
~*~
  Gwendolyn sat in utter silence, though her expression was one of mourning. This was too much. Nothing on her world could compare. She was unable to find words to speak, and even if she could they wouldn’t have formed into anything intelligible. She looked quietly over at Sinera and, seeing her expression, she took a deep breath and stared ahead at the screen again to placate her emotions. Once again, her features smoothed over and she readied herself for whatever they would show next.
~*~
  Once the tension in the room had eased and people ceased conversation, the screen flickered on again. This time it was showing the dragon farm, as the voice had mentioned. Initially the screen was very dark, though slight movement could be seen lurking around in the shadows; it remained that way for ten minutes. In that time, the voice spoke up again, “What you’re seeing now is the area that they house the dragons. Currently, it is 11:52 in the morning. What they’re trying to do now is cut off the creatures from a solar energy source to keep them from absorbing sunlight and regulating body temperature. These creatures are cold-blooded animals, so cutting them off from this heat source is weakening them.” The entire time, the droid had been floating around the pen, seemingly trying to find a way out, until a bright burst of light filled the screen. The droid hovered above a cavernous area and below it were dragons. Hundreds of thousands of dragons all climbing on top of each other to get into the rays of the light. The cavern was enclosed by a flat metal, lid that opened only at the top to give them a bit of sun. When the video zoomed in closer, the reason that the dragons didn’t try to fly away was apparent; they’d all had their wings removed. They were nothing more than enlarged lizards, clawing and biting at one another. Though they all seemed to be the same size, there were many dragons that didn’t try fighting anymore; these were the ones who were beaten up too much. Some had open wounds, some had cataracts in the eyes; some could be seen feeding off of those that had died.
  The droid took video of the fighting dragons a little longer before flying out of the opening at the top of the enclosure.  “The walls are reinforced with metal and concrete. Samples taken from the cavern show that it was built specifically for housing the dragons, because the alloys embedded in the structure are so strong that not even dragon claw can scratch it. The walls are steep so that they don’t escape and as you are seeing now,” the droid had flown over at least twenty of the structures, all with a slight crack in the top to let the light in; hundreds more in sight. “They clearly have thousands of them. There doesn’t seem to be any separation by gender, only age. And they let the dragons reproduce freely with weekly visits to check for new eggs. The age group that produces the most eggs are those around the age of thirty to forty years old. Some have them earlier and later, but those eggs don’t usually survive in the conditions you’ve witnessed.”
 
   The droid now came upon one of five huge dome-like structures that resembled a greenhouse. Inside, as though on a layered cake display, were thousands of eggs sitting on machinery that rotated them so they could be incubated by the sun. Inside, workers could be seen sorting eggs that hadn’t been developed, “Those will be used to feed the dragons you saw earlier. These dragons are all unwittingly cannibalized, it seems. You’ll see why that’s an issue in two scenes.” The droid moved to another set of buildings, ones that looked more factory-like, and went straight in through the furnace at the top. It didn’t appear to take any damage and quickly found itself in the processing room. The image appeared to glitch for a moment; the cameraman had edited that part out. “Where the droid had landed was the end result of the processing plant. After the scales are skinned, they have machinery which goes in and cuts both bone and tissue out of the creatures. Some die after skinning, but most live and suffer through the process of deboning and organ removal. It appears that every part of the dragon is used; nothing is left to waste.” During his speech, the droid drifted down the halls and focused on various bits of paperwork left on tables or in the worker’s hands. “As you can see, these parts are shipped to their respective regions, some are exported to other parts of the globe; they also have data on shipments received as well. Which means that this occurs wherever there is a human population in need of these resources. Bones and scales are used for armor, building, weapon and tool manufacturing. Blood is used for fueling their magical devices, such as tanks. Organs are eaten and considered a delicacy.”
 
  The voice cut off again as the droid flew into a room with a dragon strapped to the table. It was making inaudible sounds of pain and whimpered. On the side of the room was a large window that had been thickly reinforced, a group of young humans watched and took notes as the dragon thrashed weakly but was too malnourished to break the bonds. It was large, the size of three buses lined up, but it seemed to be shrinking. Scales gave way to skin and claws turned to fingernails. During this process, the droid filtered sound through the glass so the audience in the meeting room could hear what the people on the other side of the window were saying. “As you can see, if they aren’t processed quickly enough, dragons reach an age where they develop a humanoid form. They tried to age this one to ninety-five before shipment, but apparently he was ready to change at fifty-seven. But this gives us a rare opportunity to observe these creatures in the process.” By now, the dragon, and it’s straps, had shrunk and a weak, shivering human-like man was lying face-down on the ground. There were stubs on his back where wings should’ve grown and they tried to retract but instead left a grotesque deformity. His tail lay limp and unmoving, still restrained, and he turned his head slightly to look at the people observing him. His eyes were grey and his hair dark brown, patches of brown scales were still seen on his body, mostly covering his vital areas. “Don’t let his looks deceive you. This is still a dragon we’re talking about. Their teeth are still sharp, they can crack your skull easily between both hands and, if they were fed a diet high in salts and other minerals, they can breathe fire in this form.” The instructor could be heard saying as the class finished their observation. As they left, two guards entered the dragon’s cell. One man cocked a pistol and rested it behind the man’s earlobe, the other guard stood by for backup in case the dragon struggled. He lit out a soft hiss, baring his teeth and showing that they still had sharp points despite his human appearance. The video cut off from there.
  “Dragons, when they reach a certain age, can take human form. Apparently their bodies can’t be harvested and so they’re used in demonstrations to teach humans about them in an unnatural state. Once they’re through, they ‘re quickly put to death. It’s most likely that, in their natural habitat, the process is less painful and takes a longer time to develop. However, under the intense levels of stress and malnutrition, I hypothesize that the dragons that do achieve human form in captivity do so out of desperation. Please take a short break again and resume transmission.”

Peach was clearly horrified, but she took the words of the Patrian representative, and the forced calm of the Valkyrie, as a model. Her eyes were filled with unshed tears, but she quickly wiped her eyes, trying to keep her composure. She was afraid to see what else would be shown. She was right to worry.

Again, Erza and Sophitia were clearly upset, but remaining calm. Three of the four Demon Realm representatives were fairly calm as well... Iliara, however, had rage in her eyes, fists clenched and blood leaking from her palms. Considering that her husband was a dragon, and her children....

~~~~~

"I won't show too much from the farms where the Fae are kept. Their treatment is essentially the same as what you saw in the pens for the Elves. The difference, in how the Fae are used here. The elves have their magic drained from their bodies over their entire lives, until there is just nothing left. For the Fae, this magic is more internalized. It is for this reason, that the Fae are both kept healthy, and yet brutalized."

The scene briefly cut to a pen where several female Fae, apparently in their twenties, were held. A good number of them were sporting bandages and scars around their torso's, and some had bandages covering one or both eyes. One of the doors opened, and a guard came in, looking around. He focused on one of the women who only had a single bandage around her abdomen, and stalked toward her. The screen cut away just as the woman was backing into a corner fearfully, the guard unbuckling his pants.

"Nobody needs to see that, but you all need to know it happens. I will state, that the full footage of that event has been deleted. The bandages you all saw, are because their organs are harvested for use of implanting them in humans who need them. When an organ they can't live without is taken, the bodies are taken as food for the captive dragons. The Fae are kept healthy for the sake of the organs being viable. Because of this, they are mostly left alone until they are older. This is not, however, always the case."

The screen cut to where a Fae man was strapped to a table, a device being lowered over his chest. Doctors stood around, operating the device and preparing to take and transport the harvested organ. "This is the third time this week. Don't those idiots have any consideration! If they keep screwing around and needing these organs, we'll run out of stock!" They ignored the man, who was not only awake, but panicking and trying to wriggle out of his bonds. "Alright, it's set. Begin organ harvesting." With the press of a button, the man began to let out an agonized scream. It only lasted a few minutes before he eventually went limp, staring lifelessly up at the ceiling.

The scene changed. It was a similar room, but with different doctors, and a little girl, completely unmarked, strapped to the table. A device was placed over her right eye, the girl whimpering and seemingly trying to speak. When the device was turned on, her screams echoed in the room as her right eye was slowly and carefully removed. When they device was taken away, the eye taken out of the room, the girl was trembling in pain, clearly traumatized, as the doctors worked on her enough to ensure she neither bled to death or got an infection, bandaging up the empty socket.

The voice remained silent, the video staying on the trembling child before it finally went black.

~~~~~

Peach said nothing. She reigned in her emotions as best she could, but had one hand over her eyes, hiding them as she tried to force back her tears. Erza was still trying to hold back her anger. Sophitia had tears in the corners of her eyes. Akane had her arms around Iliara, who seemed to be breaking down; for a mother who had lost two of her children, the things she'd seen today were too much. The red head on her other side placed a comforting hand on Iliara's shoulder. Himura simply sat in his seat, a grimace the only sign of his feelings on the matter.

"Cut it off." Akina said finally, her voice a bit colder then intended. The assistant did and she took a calming breath before turning to the rest. "It's very obvious why we're here. I will not sugar coat, we all know diplomacy from the start isn't going to work with a regime like this, not until they're knocked down a few pegs. No one here is that naive. However, that diplomacy still plays an importance for after the fact.."

She hit something on her data pad. "For those who have space travel, I'm going to be setting the coordinates to you right now. In addition to that, with the map so logistics, check points and the like can be mapped out for the operation. That said, I need a clear answer on where you stand and any plans are. This is a joint operation so its important everyone is on the same page. Any questions the leaders can ask our two guest here. But it doesn't need to be reminded time is of essence so I advise things be thought through, but quickly."

Sinera stood up. "Me and my people will go, don't second guess that. I would like to see about going on the east front from what this map shows. All the factions can have different areas to work on so its more manageable. It's a global campaign so its more work by itself."

Dexus said nothing, offering silent support to Peach as she pulled herself together. He knew already what her answer would be, and if anything like her mother which he firmly believed she'd rise to the challenge. He'd love to get his hands on some of those bio farm scum himself.

The Patrian representative stood next, hands clasped in a parade rest stance.  "Speaking on behalf of the Patrian Military Council, my people are ready to commit to this task.  Our military is best suited to mobile operations and urban combat.  As such, we shall provide spearhead operations on cities and fortifications."

The Patrian fleet included many light cruiser and destroyer class vessels capable of entering a planet's atmosphere, where they could easily deploy close-support aircraft and precise artillery support.  Heavier classes of warship could sit in high orbit to deploy elite teams and provide orbital bombardment, as well as serve as secure advanced medical care facilities.  The Patrian ground forces could strike fast and hard, taking ground for the more conventional ground-forces to then secure and deal with evacuations and population control.


Their forces were veterans, but with that came the scars of war.  So long as they had something to fight for, they could continue as a people, but what few  years of peace they had seen since the end of the war with the machine fleet had taken it's tole.  A new cause was needed for those veterans to find a reason to continue living.


-----


King William stood next.  The things that he had seen was more then enough for him to declare allegiance to the cause, but he could not out-right speak for the countries of the Commonwealth.  There would be debate in the days to come, and some would be slower in declaring for it then others, but he had little doubt all 54 countries of the British Commonwealth would indeed declare in favor of the war.  However, Earth had laws for such things.


"I have little doubt that the entirety of the Commonwealth will join in this, but we cannot simply declare war, as much as I might like to.  In accordance with the Fifth Geneva Convention, Section III, in regards to modern application of terminology, we are required to offer a reasoned Declaration of War, or an ultimatum with consequence of a declaration of war."  That is to say, that they would need to offer the human government of Aenerald terms and conditions of their surrender or abdication of rule, before they could legally declare war.  There was little doubt they would refuse the terms though.


Ambassador Schuermeyer stood next, in agreement with what King William had already said, "I offer my services as the Earth representative to deliver the World Council's terms to the ruling body of the humans of Aenerald."


The Patrian representative seemed displeased with the declaration; his people had never developed such laws of conflict, and there had been no place for such things in their last war.  To him, it seemed little more then time and effort wasted on a people who did not deserve it.

Muiria stepped forward when Akina referred to herself and Tyrzel. She waited for everyone to agree or not, the fact that she already had some of the leaders immediately responding positively was enough; those that wished to wait could just go home, as far as she was concerned. She didn’t even know how vast their armies were, just that any additional arms would save at least three of the twelve villages in her territory alone from being wiped off the map. It was out of habit that she assumed less of something, in this case assuming that they each had an army of a few thousand at best each; better to not count any chickens or eggs until you had a hatch to put them in.
  It was now that she stepped forward, “My name is Muiria Everae, second in command to Corsa Skuldnir, leader of the Elves. It is I who have sought out your help and, whether you can assist us immediately or not, I am grateful of your presence here.” She looked at everyone evenly in the room, her hands lifted slightly with her palms up before returning to her sides. “As everyone is aware, time is of the essence so I will keep this brief: Leaders of the Fae, Elves, and Dragons are aware of the situation on the farms. We don’t know if the Orcs are aware of this, we do not keep steady relations with them. Each leader has a second in command or those they trust that know of this information. Obviously if word of this got out, our races would have run themselves right into the spear. To put it plainly, people would have rioted and targeted these farms and we would have faced genocide. I guarantee that there will be problems for those here and those in their ranks that are human. I’m sure you know why. But efforts will be made to coexist, otherwise we would not be here in your presence.” She paused briefly to catch her breath, “With that said, I am open to questioning until it is time for departure.” She announced and looked to Akina; it was really her call on how long they stayed.
~*~
  Gwendolyn felt a shudder of excitement in her body and when she saw Sinera stand, she did the same. This was a cause worth fighting for. It was for the people, not  the land or the power. This was the battle she sought, one of true honor. “I should like to accompany you, Sinera." she murmured over her shoulder. "If I can be by your side, I believe I can do much more here than I could… where I came from.” She hesitated only because she briefly thought of her father. How long would this war be waged? Would he miss her? For the first time though, she felt that she would raise her spear for a just cause. Finally, she was doing something meaningful with her life.

Peach was the next to stand, a determined look in her eyes. "...What we've seen here today is unforgivable. My mother, the Queen of Eldar, has given me her trust in making a decision on this matter, and I know she would agree with what I've decided." She turned to look at Muiria, and nodded. "You will have the full support of Eldar's military, and our technology."

After a moment of brief discussion, Akane and Himura stood. Akane spoke first. "Personally, if it was my decision alone, you would have the support of the Demon Realm. But-"

"Fortunately, Akane, it is not your decisions." Himura cut her off stiffly, taking over without hesitation. "The Demon Council must come to a consensus on situations such as these. While I understand the situation, and what those.... people, are doing on Aenerald is atrocious, it is not the problem of the Demon Realm. And while I am aware that many of the various leaders of the Demon Realm, including the Demon King, would happily help, that is not how things work. I cannot leave this decision to these three, to be sure. One is an emotional woman who still hasn't gotten over the loss of her children, the other an illegitimate half-breed who's kingdom has recently been destroyed, and the last is the leader of a group of foxes who run around naked in the woods. I can't let them alone decide this for the Demon Realm." He sat back down, and Akane shot him a glare.

"Regardless of Himura's... opinions, we will do what we can to convince the council to lend aid, as it is the right thing to do." She sat down, clearly upset.

Dexus couldn't help but feel a bit of pride, Peach was taking the first step, and he had little doubt she'd do well in the coming operations. It was the moments like these that made or broke a person and those who couldn't keep up would take a blow that would take them longer to recover from. It would also be a harder trial for himself. He was not the only bodyguard of the princess, true, but he was among the closes.

"I cannot speak for anything certain. Since I am not a Elder or councilor." Dexus finally said. "But my people, the Kian's would definitely lend their aid with what they can. It would be a grave dishonor and act of cowardice knowing this going on and doing nothing when the power is within our hands."

"Though Maya couldn't make it, I was told to use my judgment. Alus will be there as well. I simply have to get everyone ready so we can move our supplies." Akina paused, then tapped something on her data pad. "The World Council's space program is a bit behind. As such, if needed there will also be portal access. I uploaded relevant links. The basic idea would to be have it set on the moon and have Alus generator its special atmosphere generator. If anyone undesirbale should attempt to enter, they would first have to get past there, and we could easily shut off the gravity and the like leaving them more or less defenseless even if they should get through."

She stood up from her position. "I think the meeting has done what its needed to do. For everyone joining, we'll have further briefing, for those who need discussion then I ask it be done quickly. Portals and check points are being set up as we speak for those heading to Aenerald. If you have nothing further, those ready can consider the meeting finished."


Sinera turned to Gwendolyn and smiled slightly. "You truly have the heart of a Valkyrie, Gwendolyn. You're more then welcomed to join me and my fellow Valkyrie. Welcome to the Sisterhood so to speak, for as long as you're with us."

She turned to Sophita and Erza. "We have much work to be done, its time we headed back to Asgard to let them know to prepare for war." Sinera paused, taking the data pad with some of the relevant information then turned to Erza and Sophita. "I don't need to say this, but I want you two by my side for sure on this one."

Once everyone had their say, Muiria felt relieved; something she hadn’t experienced often. For the most part, it seemed that the leaders were split but everyone in the room agreed that something should be done. The first woman who stood, human in appearance save for the wings on her back, looked formidable enough with her warrior women at her side. And the next man, also human in appearance, but had eyes that she could see from her position that shone like pebbles in the stream; unnatural eyes. He looked battle-worn with his scars, those were an honor among her kind, if Fae magic couldn’t heal the scar then the one who survived had a willful soul. She didn’t know about his case, but if he had seen battle then they were akin to the same experiences. Another human, from the looks of it, stood and declared that according to some titled lady’s gathering of the third section or other required a long document and such. Elves of Aenerald weren’t allowed to sign documents and review treaties, only the barrel of a gun pointed in the face. She wondered, for a moment, if the humans were intimidated to fight their own; human fear was something all non-human races were familiar with. Another human stood and, while he didn’t agree to fight, he offered himself as a representative.
  At least he’s being useful despite his inability to provide combat assistance. She thought as another man stood and offered aid even though he hadn’t spoken to the rest of his people. Regardless, she was pleased at the outcome. This had been much better than she expected, then again, the fae-elven girl had no idea of the vast capabilities a single one of these people behind them.
  She looked at everyone, patiently waiting for further questions. If none were apparent, she made her way over to Akina with Tyrzel at her side; ready to make preparations to promptly return home.
~*~
  “It is an honor for you to regard me as such, Sinera. Thank you. And an even greater honor to fight at your side. Even if I should perish, I will go, knowing that my soul will live on after giving itself for a just cause.” She replied, more determined than she’d ever been to join ranks with this Valkyrie. She trembled slightly when Sinera turned to the others; she had not one, but many Sisters now. Griselda, she thought, I may join you soon. But how I wish you were here, to meet these valiant women, not so different from us, who also call themselves ‘Valkyrie’. She thought and the flash of blue she’d been seeing flickered before her like vertigo. Disappearing one last time.

The Patrian delegate took up the date slate that had been intended for him to use for the meeting, and tugged his sleeve and glove apart enough to produce a cable which he could plug into the pad.  Files were downloaded, non-classified information of what the Patrian fleet and ground forces were capable of.  Atmosphere-capable warships, squadrons and shuttles, and ground forces.  All of the numbers and capabilities were of a reserved nature; what was indicated was actually less then what they had, but not by much.

He crossed the room to where the speakers had been gathered, holding the pad towards Akina.  It also contained some basic outlines of Patrian military strategy; high and low-orbital insertions, projected time-lines of how quickly they could have ships in geo-stationary orbit over operation zones, and other information that would be relevant for the other military forces.

"The Patrian fleet can be transitioned to Aerenald in six hours.  We can have boots on the ground within one hour of achieving orbit."  He looked at Muiria and Tyrzel, including them in his offer, "We will refrain from commencing the full pacification of the enemy until the other governments are ready to commence their own operations.  However, if there are high priority defensive operations, my people shall be ready."

-----

King William was swept up amidst the various Earth leaders and ambassadors; there would be hours of bickering and rules-lawyering at the World Council, but in the end, he had little doubt Earth would commit to the task.  It was just a matter of figuring out what each country would provide.  Some would refuse to offer troops, unwilling to send their own people to die on a foreign planet, but they would still provide humanitarian supplies.  Others would offer police and emergency service forces, or civilian-contracted heavy equipment and reconstruction teams.  He could only hope the majority would give over the troops that would be needed to get those supplies to where they could be best used.

They were governed by Laws of Armed Conflict.  War criminals would need to be arrested and put on trail.  They were protected by the same basic sentient race rights as any other found on Earth.  It was those laws that kept them from starting down the darker roads of war.  And it was also those laws that allowed the various countries of Earth to work together in common tasks.

King William became bogged down appeasing the various leaders and ambassadors, slugging through all the verbal diarrhea and half-lies and empty promises that some would always offer no matter how obvious the right choice could be.

Ambassador Diedrich sat down again as everyone began to mingle about and some made their way out the door.  He would have to speak to his wife, but she knew him well enough to have know what would come of this meeting.  The German government had already requested him to serve this role.  A team of twenty men were ready as his close protection escort.  They would be ready to leave the moment the World Council had come to it's decision, to deliver the Earth's terms and demands of the humans of Aenerald.  They would offer a peaceful solution, and when that failed, as he had no doubt it would, he would deliver the declaration of war.

Peach watched what was going on, and smiled, before picking up her datapad, entering some information, glancing at Dexus. "I'll inform mother of the decision reached, and to prepare our forces. I'll go along with Akina and the others, to help with the attempts at a peaceful resolution, futile as they may be... Dexus, will you need help convincing your people, or getting them prepared?"

Erza and Sophitia stood straighter, nodding, though Erza was the one who spoke. "You know we will always fight at your side." Suddenly, Erza and Sophitia both turned their attention to Gwendolyn. This time, Sophitia was first.

"If you are to be fighting alongside us in this endeavor, it is best for us to get a better idea of your strength, skill, and tactics, and you a better idea of hours, so we can work together more fluidly."

At the same time, the Demon Realm delegates were preparing to leave, and call a meeting of the Demon Council. Before they left, however, Iliara came over to Muiria and Tyrzel, bowing deeply. "I'm sorry... I wish I could simply say here that you will have the support of the Demon Realm. But I will fight for it... nobody deserves what your people have been through.... especially... especially not the children...." She kept her head bowed, fighting back tears. Memories were coming back to her. Of wars, death, pain... the loss of her children. She straightened, her lower lip trembling as her eyes swam with tears. "I will do everything I can... I promise you..."

Akina took the data pad, nodding to the Patrian representative. "Noted. We should be able to get our people around the same time frame. I'll get back to you and yours in about a hour at most about basic operations." She would take Muiria and Tyrzel back when they were ready, but it looked like people were talking to them and things were being wrapped up here.

* *
Dexus mulled it over and shook his head. "No. I have no doubt my people will commit after hearing about this. It's just a matter of getting them ready. I was told to relay anything I learned back to those who make the decisions, so I'll be sending a message, very soon."

His gaze drifted to the Valkyrie. "You should consider seeing them before we or they leave. You only live once and you may not see them for a while after."

* *


Sinera gave a brief smile before becoming serious. "One of the basic things to learn about our type of Valkyrie is besides being far stronger physically then normal, we have one unique ability that matches our personality. Most anyway. Some don't discover it until much later."

The Patrian delegated stared at Muiria for a long moment when she offered her people's appreciation, then simply nodded curtly to those gathered before taking his leave.  His people's willingness to fight, while justified in light of the atrocities being committed, were selfish in nature.  A means to keep their soldiers occupied, until they had the infrastructure and resources to spare for seeing to their mental health.  A good cause was just icing on the cake, so to speak.

He nearly bowled over some of the Earth politicians, and took his leave.  Within minutes, he was back in his RS3.R, sidearm strapped to his hip where it belonged.  Not long later, but the Petrae shuttle and it's escort fighter sparked off the landing pad and tore into orbit, linking up with the rest of it's fighter escort and setting course for the rest of the Patrian fleet.

-----

The human politicians began to take their leave, but King William spent a moment speaking with Ambassador Diedrich before excusing himself from the meeting.  The sooner he was home, the sooner the British government could draft plans of action and that the World Council could convene and come to an official agreement on the course of action.

Diedrich then made his way to Akina and the Aenerald envoys.  He produced another datapad, this one outlining the legal rigamarole the World Court had in place regarding such things, and the reasoning behind it all.  It was a step towards an age of peace amidst so many different cultures and countries.  Even unified under the World Council, those same laws were in place to prevent war crimes, to govern the treatment of prisoners of war and refugees, to set up the requirements and expectations of member nations regarding supplying military and medical aid.

He would not hold them up with conversation, merely handing off the pad and taking his leave.  He had to return to Germany, where his close protection team was waiting for the trip to Aenerald.

Peach glanced at Dexus, then nodded. "Ah... yes, you're right..."

Iliara nodded stiffly, her eyes fierce. "...I will do everything in my power to help you. Even if I have to do so without the support of the Council..." She bowed again, and then quickly turned, moving back to the rest of the Demon Realm delegates. As one, they left.

~~~~~

Erza and Sophitia shared a look, and then Sophitia spoke. "Well, there are actually rather few of our Valkyrie who primarily use spears. So in that respect, you are most certainly a boon. Perhaps you can help train our warriors that are interested, when we have the time. As for me, I fight with a sword and shield. My 'unique ability', as it were, is two-fold. Any shield that I am currently using, can block absolutely anything. Anything. Of course, I have to have the reaction time to bring it up in time, and certain shields may have a problem. For example, if it's a smaller shield trying to block a blast of energy, that energy may go around the shield. Also, it's fully possible for something that hits the shield to overpower me. Just because the shield can block it, doesn't mean I have the strength to withstand it. It's hardly perfect. The other part, is healing. I am particularly skilled with it. So as you can see, I am a more defensive fighter. Erza, however..."

"I am a 'jack of all trades' as it were, because of my unique ability. We call it 'Requip'. I'm not sure who named it that, anymore, as it was long ago. It stuck, however. I can summon armor and weapons from a special room where I have stored it all. The armor and weapons all have special properties. The large array of armors and weapons makes me able to adapt to just about any situation, and change my fighting style at will.... Sinera, we seem to have a guest." Erza turned away from Gwendolyn briefly, as Princess Peach approached Sinera, looking a bit nervous, but trying to keep calm. She did an admirable job, considering.

"Um... ahem, sorry." She bowed politely. "Lady Sinera... it is an honor to meet you. I am Princess Peach Raslend. I... must admit, I have always admired the Valkyrie, and I... and my guard, Dexus, felt I would greatly regret it if I did not come over and meet you..." She... really wasn't sure what to say.

Akina of course already knew about the laws, as did Eldar. They would respect them, since Alus and Eldar had similar laws when it came to armed conflict. Many of them common decency really such as not attacking civilian populations, torture and the like. The later wasn't a effective way of getting information anyway, and with truth serum any plea for saying they helped was nothing more then a thinly disguised agenda of revenge. Or power. It depended on the individual.

She excused herself from the other delegates as they went about their way, talking to her guest. "If you're ready, we can leave."

_____________________________________________________________________

"My ability is simply to teleport, as long as I've been there before or have it in mind. Other then that, I'm not different then any of my other fellow Valkyrie. Save for the fact I am learned with magic. Not in a particular area, mostly offensive things in nature but a few others as well. It helps with adapting to the situation at hand." Sinera explained to Gwendolyn. "Hm..though your wings are placed on your hips if they allow you to glide they should be able to allow you to fly. Perhaps with just a bit more training. As for your weapon, maybe its possible to learn to also use the inherent magic inside without the weapon. Either way, if you like I can also teach you magic."

She was going to say more when another voice interrupted her, noticing Peach and her bodyguard. "Princess Peach of Eldar, its a honor as well." She said sincerely, smiling. "I've met your mother face to face before, but meeting you is a first for the both of us. No need to apologize young one, if you have a question or two before we leave its more then welcomed."

Muiria returned the bow and watched the Demons return to do their own diplomacies back home. She turned to see Ambassador Diedrich approaching them and returned to Akina’s side. She glanced over the woman’s shoulder, trying to get a look at the information, before nodding and offering a greeting and her thanks before he left. She recognized urgency when she saw it and wouldn’t hinder anyone trying to get things done quickly.
Akina informed her that they were ready to depart when a familiar voice sent a chill down her spine. “Muiria Everae! My heartstrings soar to see you~!” a woman said cheerfully when she stood only a few feet from them. The fae-elf turned slowly, red blooming on her cheeks as her lips formed a stiff line. The tan woman came at her so fast she was a blur and lifted Muiria up in a great hug. “How I missed you, Lady Muiria! It’s so good to see someone familiar.” She said with a grin, only putting the squirming woman down when she felt like it; continuing to smile even as Muiria glared daggers at her.
“Akina, this is the woman I was telling you about. The dragon.” She said briefly, having already explained that they used Surai as a scout to find other worlds. Unfortunately, the gullible dragon had no idea it was all planned. While she was told that Muiria came for help, she didn’t know the entirety of the situation.
Surai’s dragon tail was out and waving in the air happily, “So, Muiria, are we returning home together?” she asked, tilting her head and still smiling. “By Manthor, I hope not.” Muiria muttered.
~*~
Gwendolyn nodded in understanding, “I would be honored to train those who wish to learn spear-wielding.” She replied. Sinera’s observation of her wings was accurate, though she had tried flying before. “I can fly, although not for very long distances. It’s something I will have to work on.” She said in acknowledgement. She wondered what kind of magic she could possibly possess that wasn’t attached to her Psypher when she felt another presence approach.
She stood by and took note that the young woman was a princess, like herself, but acted very much like Titania royalty; not trained for battle, and took to their studies instead.