Interstellar Age

179  Negotiations With the Svartalfheim Federation Part I

Because Erich had taken a leave of absence off from the military for an entire year. He was given two weeks to spend with his loved ones before shipping off to undergo the rest of his WRAITH training. This was a process that was supposed to take another two to three years. But if he were extremely competent like he had been, could take as little as one year.

If Erich had not suddenly been summoned by Lunaria, he probably would have been half way done with his training by now. But becasue Erich had disappeared for a year, Emrys was growing incredibly impatient, and demanded that the man complete the rest of his training without a single break. Thus, Erich would now be spending up to three years doing nothing but completing the WRAITH pipeline.

And while Erich was undergoing the most brutal training in the galaxy, Lunaria was heavily entrenched in political matters. After the Centennial War Games where the Germanic Star-Empire proved their military might, both against the legendary Banshees, and during their assault of the fortified world. The Svarthalfheim Dominion immediately began to open up to negotiations.

Unfortunately, Lunaria had gone missing for a year, with the only knowledge of her whereabouts being that she had taken her personal yacht out on a joyride. And because of this, Celestia had stepped up in her mother's absence to lead the Alfheim Dominion.

However, if word were to get out that the Alfheim Empress was missing, then it would immediately embolden their enemies, and the intimidating factor which had been gained from the war games would have all been for nought.

Because of this, Celestia had styled her hair to look like her mother's, so that she could do everything in her power to stall the negotiations with the Svartalfheim Federation. Oddly enough, this actually worked. But Lunaria had been gone for so long that the Dark Elves were starting to become increasingly impatient.

Now that the Alfheim Empress was back, she was immediately forced into these negotiations, even though she wanted nothing more than to speak with her lover, who now resided god knows how many light years away from her arms.

Thus, Lunaria was in a rather poor mood when she met with the Svartalfheim President in a neutral world. What was this neutral world? Ghimderi, of course. Ghimderi was a world filled with smog and pollution.

Its air would be entirely toxic if not for the fact that the Ghimderi had invested heavily in domed cities whose industrial air purifiers worked day and night to ensure that the denizens of this dying world could survive.

Naturally, Lunaria was hesitant to visit the Ghimderi Homeworld. Especially after she had turned the daughter of one of the most powerful Trade Princes into a galactic super star whose specialty was the pornographic industry.

Undoubtedly, Bixle Goldentooth was going to make an attempt on her life while she was on this wretched planet. But the Svartalheim Federation refused to hold the negotiations on any other planet. Luckily, Lunaria had come well prepared. She had the most elite bodyguard in the galaxy by her side, and she had given a threat to Bixle and his cronies.

"If anything happens to me or my delegation while I am on your gods forsaken planet. I assure you the full might of the Alfheim Military will annihilate your species. There will be nowhere for you wretched goblins to run if you are foolish enough to harm me."

This comment had successfully deterred Bixle from making any overt moves, but Lunaria still would remain extremely cautious. Thus, after arriving in the conference room, where Lunaria, Bixle, and the current Svartalfheim President sat across from one another, the Alfheim Empress could not help but sneer at her Dark Elf rival, while insulting his appearance, like she was so accustomed to do.

"I'm sorry, Kadron, is that you? It's so hard to tell with you hideous dark skinned freaks, after all, you all look the same. And unlike a truly civilized society, like the Dominion, you fools select a new leader every few years."

The man named Kardon frowned when he heard Lunaria's taunts, before responding with a rather hostile tone in his voice.

"You know damn well it's me, Lunaria. I have held my position for the last three millennia. Do you really think after all that I have done for my people that they would be foolish enough to elect one of my opponents? If anything, it proves that I am superior to you. The fact that my people have chosen me to lead them for three thousand years, rather than inheriting my position, is something I take great pride in!"

Lunaria simply scoffed when she heard this, before dismissing Kadron's words as if they were complete and utter nonsense.

"Three years, three thousand years. What's the difference? When you are as old as I am, you tend to perceive time differently. Something a little boy like you could never comprehend. Why don't you go back to suckling at your mother's tits and leave this discussion to the adults?"

Lunaria was beyond ancient. Her exact age was a mystery simply because she would never admit to it. In addition to her stubbornly refusing to speak her age aloud, there were only a handful of people who had lived long enough to remember her birth, and they were wise enough not to get on her bad side.

But one thing was certain: she was older than the human race itself. Hell, she may even be older than the eldest of humanity's early ancestors. And she had reigned over the Alfheim Dominion for most of her exceptionally long life.

Normally, she would not comment about someone else's age, as she would consider such a thing the equivalent of insulting a child. But she had a particular disdain for the Dark Elves, perhaps because she may have been old enough to remember their divergence from the Light Elves eons ago.

Or perhaps it was because her mother had lived through those years and spoken to her about them in great detail as she was growing up. Few people knew the truth, as that war had taken place so long ago, that the truth was mostly buried beneath the sands of time.

However, the consequences of that war would go on to build the current galactic framework, which allowed for relative peace to exist across the Milky Way. As for Kadron himself, he did not know Lunaria's true age, but he knew that she had been in power far longer than he had. Thus, he could not make a remark about her age, as it was a simple proof of how effective she was as a leader.

Lunaria took the man's silence as an admission of defeat, and thus she spoke about her immediate demands. After all, it was beginning to appear like a war with the Alfheim Dominion, even a proxy war, would be another defeat. Knowing that she had the advantage in these negotiations, Lunaria pressed her rival against the wall.

"The four star systems which you unlawfully occupied after the Naraku invaded my borders. I want them back, and all of your settlers removed. Not a single elf on those worlds will have your tainted blood within them. Or I will purge them myself.

If you do not agree to this demand, I will take them by force, and you know just how quickly my hounds will be able to achieve that. I won't even need to deploy a single Alfheim unit."

Kadron scoffed at this remark, before deflecting the issue in an attempt to intimidate Lunaria. But unfortunately, his tone gave away his thoughts regarding the Germanic Star-Empire, and the ferocity of their warriors.

"That's ridiculous! Your hounds may be able to seize a world protected by a Tier III Sub-Galactic power. But against the soldiers of the Svartalfheim Federation, they will fall like wheat to the scythe! Do you really think they have what it takes to defeat my forces?"

Yet this remark did not have its intended effect, and in fact, it caused Lunaria to giggle, it was not the seductive giggle that she had made to Erich, no; it was a far more devious giggle. One that was haunting. After getting over her laughter, Lunaria's eyes narrowed as her juicy lips curved into a sneer. Where she then spoke the words that deflated any bluster that Kadron may have had.

"I'm afraid I don't quite understand what you mean? Did you not say it yourself just now? Your soldiers are exactly that, soldiers... Whereas my hounds are warriors, born and bred for the purpose of battle! Even if your forces do manage to repel their initial onslaught, they will come at you over and over again, until there is nothing left standing. For they do not fear blood and death like your soldiers do. They embrace it.

My hounds will seize those worlds and will defend them until the last man. And that is, if I don't send reinforcements from my other proxies. Even if the soldiers of the Svartalfheim Federation do not break, and route like cowards. They do not have the strength to oppose the Germanic race.

Have you not seen the video of what they did to my Banshees, with stun weapons? And I know for a fact that my Banshees are better suited towards war, then your special forces are. So tell me Kadron, knowing that my hounds are capable of seizing those worlds and defending it on their own. Do you really think it would still be a good idea to defy my demands? After all, I am more than willing to wage total war to get back what belongs to me. Can you say the same?"

Kadron gazed upon Lunaria as if she were a complete and utter mad woman. She was willing to set the galaxy ablaze for four minor star systems? Was she that eager to release her hounds with impunity? This could not possibly be about the disputed border. This was about Lunaria flexing her power.

The Alfheim Dominion may have lost the Rylonian Imperium to the Naraku, but the Germanic Star-Empire had come back from near extinction with a newfound resolve. And the ferocity of that resolve was displayed during the War Games. Knowing this, Kadron conceded to Lunaria's initial demands. But he would not do so without some concessions on her behalf, which he would voice next.