Scenes from the Intragalactic Conference

There is a bustle of chatter in the conference hall, many spoken languages and flashing lights, all overlapping each other.

The noise carries through the grand room, repurposed from a wing of the Retreat Station. A podium stands near to one end, microphone angled up for speakers. A short distance away, a curved table arcs around it, seats occupied by the primary delegates, planetary leaders and officials, talking.

Further out from the main table, rows of seats rise backwards in sectors, enough space to fit hundreds, although only half occupied at the moment. Balra, Sailors, Rissi, Xhuva, Androids, and some Selethyan all seated or standing around them. Delegation teams from the various planetary authorities. Heads of industry and research. Legal teams and other assistants to the representatives. Some chatter is happening within groups, but a lot of heads and Sailor suits are bent down, focused on digital displays in front of them.

At all the walls of the semi-circular room, windows rise up, people standing behind them. Floors and floors of people behind translucent openings, watching, able to witness the proceedings below. The walls tower up high, tens of metres above the ground, various habitats beyond them: some of oxygen, some of pressurised ammonia.

Though there is considerable space for spectators, the entirety of the events are being recorded by an excess of cameras. Reporters and news teams from across the known galaxy, documenting, editing, and broadcasting talk and debate to inhabited planets and space stations everywhere. “The sort of thing that has never happened before, and may never happen again,” one reporter comments.

Several more people walk into the room, arrivals from the most recent shuttle, the final batch of delegates. Those standing in the room take seats, the noise and flashing of lights starting to lower in intensity.

And thus, session commences.

Between the podium before her and the supersized display behind her, the Sky-Marshal seems downright small. She glances around the room, taking in her audience both here – in the auditorium – and across the galaxy – through the lens of the camera set in the middle of the chamber.

She is relaxed, and confident, but hardly polished. That is what the people of Kallimar expect from their Sky-Marshal, after all. If she were too polished, she would look like a politician. She is not supposed to be a politician.

“Citizens of the galaxy. I have long held that the second greatest honour of my life was becoming the seventh Sky-Marshal of the People's Army of Kallimar. The first, of course, was that I myself was given leave to behold the galaxy. The beauty of these stars is all but immeasurable, and there are few in this lonesome patch of space more lucky than those who are able to behold it with their own eyes.

Today, I have been given a third great honour: To address the galaxy. For many, the broadcast of this conference will be the first time you have seen me. For some, it will be the first time you have seen a Rissi at all. I shall spend some time in self-indulgence speaking today, but for those amongst you who simply wish to know where Kallimar stands, I shall give a brief summary. To the people of Corico and the Thousand Colours Moon, we are your allies.

Our bodies may differ, but our minds – our personhoods – surely do not. Each of our worlds bears its history as a rich tapestry, and no two are alike, but make no mistake that they are woven from the same threads. Liberty. Equality. Peace. Have these not been the rallying cries of history on each of our homes? Has the fight for these not been the struggles that have most defined our consciousness? When Aldra drove out Dorgur and when Dadak lit the spark that would ignite a flame the world across, were they not innervated by the same vital spirit?

If we hold that to be true, then a second truth closely follows: We must stand together. I am, ultimately, a military woman, so I shan't lie to you and promise a galaxy that falls divided or stands united. I do not – I can not – know whether fate would preserve us despite our differences, or commend us unto eternity even when we stand together. What I do know, however, is that this galaxy can be every bit as cold as it is beautiful. It is not a place that is like to give second chances. And if we are only to have one chance, must we not do all that we can to hold open the narrow strait?

I put it to you, then, that we cannot wait until we hang over the precipice to work together. It is with the blessing of the Executive Council of Kallimar that I offer to you all the hilt of my sword. It is our intent to meet with representatives of the nations of the Thousand Colours Moon and Corico, and to establish protocols for the common defence of our worlds. By offering each what we can – soldiers of Kallimar, engineers of Corico, technology of the Curved Leaf – with the industrial prowess of all three worlds and the novel FTL technology of the Cartographers' Guild – we can assemble a force responsible to each of our governments that surpasses what we might have sought to deploy individually.

Make no mistake – the deliberation on this matter was no small task for the Executive Council of Kallimar, and I do not expect that it shall be any easier for our new colleagues. The formation of a common fleet entails a great degree of trust from each of its participants, and there is no shame in admitting that trust shall not come easily between peoples so far apart, whose governance and way of life can be downright alien to one another. Indeed, even as I stand before you asking for your trust, I bring with me proof that trust is not so easily won. At this time, the People's Army is unwilling to involve the Nation of the Eternal Sky in any formal arrangements, due to the ongoing instability in its government and sovereign territory.

Still, it is my utmost hope that we will all find the trust we need. For when we are so alike, despite the space between us, what choice do we have but to stand united against that cold expanse?”

A loud 'ahem' overtakes the conference, at once Thermal Tempest as a part of the Nation of the Curved Leaf delegation takes the stand. In the seats in front of him, about a dozen or so sailors look on. Despite the prominence of research as a part of the nation, none of them appearing to be scientists. They drill their delegate with their gazes at once, Thermal Tempest constantly glancing at them as if looking for approval. Soon, the sailor speaks up.

“Time is short, so I shall not dress this speech up in pretty metaphors and allegories, that won’t help us much here.

I do not think I need to elaborate much when explaining that the Nation of the Curved Leaf is built upon the premise of fully understanding the world around us. Every new technological breakthrough, every new system surveyed, every new piece of knowledge gained. It allows us to understand this universe just a little better. Doing so allows us to understand ourselves just a little better.

What we must not allow, is for a single polity here to claim a complete monopoly on understanding. The DELEM situation has shown us this. As much as I appreciate the initiative being taken by the People’s Army of Kallimar, the Cartographer’s Guild is a non-aligned, non-political body that can rather adequately adjudicate scientific research and exploration, correct? I stress to keep it this way, the Cartographer’s Guild serves all our interests after all. It’s a body built upon a fundamental principle. Knowledge. Both its acquisition and redistribution. It does not claim to do it in the name of freeing some kind of underclass, proving anything nor following some type of will. No ideology, just facts. A perfect adjudicator.

We all put our trust in the Cartographer’s Guild, and in turn it puts its trust in us. We give it the authority to explore the universe in the name of our people. It does that and returns the knowledge to our people. The simplicity of this transaction is its beauty. Overturning the Cartographer's Guild authority is overturning all of ours in a way. Yet it appears this transaction cannot serve us any longer. Inevitably, the predicted question of who owns what has emerged. A rather plain one. Who owns all of this? The vastness of space?

A rather plain answer in turn. The homeworld governments of course. We have the authority, the political backing and obligation from millions, if not billions. I don’t believe I have to explain how vast space truly is? I am confident there is enough for us all. Especially as we refine our technologies and due processes. We can truly run circles around who is deserving of this title of 'state', the ever so elusive title. I’ve heard of a certain entities seeking statehood already. I don’t object to such a principle, though in the end the real authority lies with us. We have the mandates of our people do we not?

Nevertheless, groundwork has to be set, and with that come restrictions. Space is sacred, and so is the knowledge which it conceals from us. Some areas simply have to be protected, off limits even to us. As much for the protection of undiscovered sapient species as it is for ours. My analysts told me some recklessness in exploring the unknown has already caused us some grief has it not?

This is a time for action sure, however a fine line exists between recklessness and caution. My words are not simply mine but represent the technological interests and endeavours of the nation I stand for. If we are to overcome the challenges beset upon us, our actions must be objective. I, nor the Thermo-Barons, as ill-suited as that term is, have little time to grapple with petty ideologies. They cloud our judgements, more often than not.

Consequently, The Nation of the Curved Leaf invites the other polities to walk this road of understanding together. Not as adversaries seeking to prove one way of life superior to the other. But as colleagues, ones working towards a similar goal.”

Amidst the constant murmurs, chatter and inquiries of the conference, a single sailor takes the stand. Director Onyx Guise of the Prismari Industrial Association, posture straight and as always manifesting confidence, conviction and perhaps a little arrogance. Behind him lies a metaphorical small army of lawyers, associates and partners as part of the P.I.A delegation.

Tension fills the conference, until the booming voice of the Director finally speaks up.

“My fellow delegates, it is truly a pleasure to speak at such an enormously fundamental event. It demonstrates how in these vital times, we cannot select and choose whose voices we hear. Our galaxy is a place for unity and co-operation, something I shall prove to you this day even as the doubters seek to silence me.

This session, I have heard many speeches about the importance of unity, of friendship, of collectivity, of the need to work together as one, of the need to stand together to answer the threats bestowed upon our galaxy and way of life. Truly, an enlightening display of wisdom, and a demonstration that we all seek the same, even if we choose to word our desires differently.

I cannot deny that I am seeker to my friends. Since the day I founded the P.I.A, I have realised what I was truly seeking. Harmony. A concept that will prove impossible to achieve without what I have mentioned above. I have realised that without harmony, my goals are futile. Without harmony, the P.I.A would fail. Without harmony, our efforts here this day will fail as well. Harnessing this power, our collective dream will never be destroyed by the doubters.

In the P.I.A, a key tenant of our life is the acknowledgment that what an individual can create in a day, a collective working harmoniously can create in an hour. As individuals, we can be corrupted, bullied and destroyed. As a harmonious collective we can be everlasting. We can be incorruptible. We can be a beacon of hope shining brightly to illuminate even the darkest parts of our galaxy. It is a view me and my fellow associates at the P.I.A hold truly to ourselves. It is also a view I believe many of you would not deny as well.

After all, without the efforts of harmonious collectives, no state could truly exist. Corico, The Thousand Colours Moon, Kallimar, the P.I.A, the first among many entities which would simply devolve into petty squabbling without collective harmony. Truly, I could speak forever about the importance of harmony.

However tonight is a time for action, not words. We must make a decision which will affect the galaxy for centuries if not millennia to come. The unification of all enterprises under the banner of the ‘Conglomerate’ as my fellow associate will soon elaborate on is just that. Actions, not words. To establish a harmonious collective to assist us in combating the challenges we face, despite what the doubters try to dress it up as. The P.I.A will happily take the banner as one of its leaders, guiding our combined efforts to a brighter tomorrow.

Yet the doubters still remain. They continue to doubt our attempts at harmony, seeking to stall us at a time when decisions need to be delivered swiftly and decisively. As we prepare to act in facing the galaxy’s crises, the doubters attempt to silence our voices and our wills with indecision, using fabrications of falsified evidence to spread lies about our enterprises. However, I remain confident my friends. What the doubters will never understand is, as long as we remain harmonious, we will not falter. A lesson I believe we can apply here. Working as a harmonious collective, we as a galaxy can overcome all. Constantly doubting and blaming who is the ‘architect of our troubles’ will mean we will not succeed in what should be our brightest hour. Therefore, we stand at the crossroads of two choices my friends. Of action and harmony. Or indecision and dissonance.

Which choice you make my friends, I will leave up to you.”

Armed with posters, models, papers, and leaflets, an elderly Sailor in a yellow suit elbows their way into the chamber, their voicebox turned up to max. Intriguingly, the tank on the head of their suit has been blacked out, obscuring the Sailor inside.

“THIS IS THE PRIME MOMENT FOR THE GUILD TO MAKE THE OPTIMAL SHAPE ITS PRIORITY, WE MUST NOT WASTE A SINGLE KILOSECOND ON INCONSEQUENTIAL DIPLOMATIC MATTERS WHEN THE DARKNESS IN THE UNIVERSE PREVENTS ALL FROM SEEING ITS TRUE NATURE! THE OPTIMAL SHAPE REVEALS ALL, THE OPTIMAL SHAPE IS THE ANSWER, THE O-”

At this point, the Sailor is promptly dragged away. They scrabble to throw leaflets and models of this 'Optimal Shape' at various congregation members, but are largely unsuccessful as the doors are shut in their face. All you hear is a lingering shout:

“REMEMBER THE OPTIMAL SHAAAAAAPPEE!!”

At this moment, following a prior speech from an astronomer specialising in the presentation of star maps, outlining the usefulness of their work, there is a chatter in the room. Sapphire-upon-Sea stands up, making her way towards the stand.

“Yes – er – hello, everyone. It’s a pleasure to see you all here. I have so much to say, and, even now, so little time in which to say it, but I will do my best to fit it all in, and hopefully not overrun by too much – anyway.

Yes. Back home in Grieving Sea, we have a saying. It goes like this: “the strongest weapon is an empty arm” – perhaps better translated as an “empty hand”, for those of you who have them. People have interpreted this in many ways, all of which have some truth in them, but I like the following one best – that what this saying is trying to teach us is that the most powerful tool in the universe is not a gun, or a spaceship, or a bomb - but an open arm. An arm extended in friendship. Not to offer threats, or bribery, only yourself. Only through trust and cooperation has anything ever been achieved, and only through trust and cooperation can anything be achieved now.

This – well – this is what the People’s Will has sent me here to do. To extend to you the open arm – to offer you all our friendship and our service. We ask nothing in return. All we hope for is the common welfare of the galaxy – that all the people can live together in harmony – that, at least, we can put the weapons down. We in the Grieving Sea are not rich. We have few technologies or resources. We have few guns or ships. We have little to threaten you with, and little to bribe you with. All we can offer is ourselves, and our friendship.

These are dark times facing the galaxy. But darkness is not always a bad thing. After all, it is only in the darkness that you can see the light. Darkness and light thrive together, in harmony. We can learn something from this. In the face of greed, aggression and violence, there is only one way to respond: with peace, forgiveness, and friendship. 

You may call us naive and idealistic, we followers of the People’s Will. But this method – this path of the empty arm – has served us well over the centuries. We look across the galaxy and we see societies with far more splendour and riches than our own. But we see these riches accompanied by violence and oppression as well. We see little to envy. We have learnt much from the peoples of the galaxy in recent times. But I still firmly believe there are things you can learn from us as well.

It would be foolish to extend our arms in friendship to the architects of our troubles. We will not reach out, for example, to the greed-driven CEOs of the Conglomerate, which the Nation of Grieving Sea will resolutely refuse to recognise, but instead to their workers, offering all the help and support we can provide in these trying times. We reach our arms out in friendship to the people of the Nation of Eternal Sky and their Assembly, who recently have been such victims of out-of-proportion abuses of power. We reach our arms out in friendship to both SNTNL and the Selethyan – we can offer you nothing and threaten you with nothing – we can only beg of you both to think of all the suffering a war will cause, beg of you both to try and find another way.

Violence only begets more violence. We reject it. We reach our arms out to all of you here who will take them. We have faith in you. We only hope you have faith in us.”