The Emperor’s Handshake arrived on the scene of the battle. The sleek ships of the independent human faction The Eternal Grace faced off against the blocky utilitarian ships of the Randross.
The Emperor’s handshake, a massive hand-shaped lavender-colored vessel interposed itself between the two warring fleets, with its open palm faced towards the opposing force as though in a gesture indicating “HALT”
“EVERYONE WILL CEASE FIRING. THE ETERNAL GRACE CAPITOL SHIP AND ALL WHO DO NOT CEASE FIRING WILL BE BOARDED. DIPLOMATIC NEGOTIATION WILL COMMENCE. WE WILL MAKE AN AGREEMENT. THIS IS TRUTH.”
A number of the sleek vessels turned their lasers onto the Emperor’s Handshake, the energy dissipating harmlessly into the unshielded hull, while some of the Eternal Grace ships and all the Randrossian ships stopped firing and took up defensive positions around the Emperor’s Handshake, except for one.
On board the “AAAAAAUGH,” (entered into Solar Federation databases as the “Wordless Roar”) Captain Fa’kyu shouted to the conflict officer K’pow, a manic glee pasted on his face. “THE SHINY HUMANS ARE DISTRACTED! THIS IS THE TIME FOR MY VICTORY! CONFLICT, FIRE EVERYTHING,” the Captain’s bright red fur in disarray.
The dark orange-furred signals officer, Go’ping, shouted urgently to the captain, “CAPTAIN, IT IS THE EMP-” before being cut off by the captain, “I DO NOT CARE WHAT ANYONE ELSE HAS TO SAY. MY VICTORY IS ASSURED. YOU MAY WATCH AND ENJOY IT, SIGNALS”
Signals officer Go’ping gave a pleading look to the dark Burgundy furred Command Officer K’shnk. She looked to her own console, brows furrowed, and gestured to Go’ping to attend to his console, giving the command, “ACKNOWLEDGE.” He returned to his console and began typing furiously into it. This interaction escaped the notice of the captain, entranced as he was by the battle.
Outside, the Emperor’s Handshake moved. The whole ship rotated, three fingers and the thumb curled in, and the index finger pointed straight at the “AAAAAAUGH,” launching three blocky shuttles towards it.
On board the “AAAAAAUGH,” Conflict Officer K’pow, of bright yellow fur, looked worriedly between the signals officer and captain Fa’kyu, “CAPTAIN, WE HAVE BEEN BOARDED!”
“WHERE?!”
“DECKS 2, 7A, AND 7C,”
This time, it was Command Officer K’shnk to respond, “GO’PING, INFORM ALL DECKS TO STOP WHAT THEY ARE DOING AND ADDRESS THE BOARDERS,” K’pow looked incredulous at K’shnk, “BUT THAT WILL-,” she was interrupted by a notification alert on her console. She locked eyes with Go’ping across the bridge, and realization swept over her, before she and Go’ping nodded firmly to K’shnk, and Go’ping entered more commands into his console.
“WHY HAVE WE STOPPED FIRING?”
The ship had gone eerily silent. The whine of coils, lasers, and munitions had stopped. K’pow spoke up, “CAPTAIN, THE GUN DECKS ARE NOT RESPONDING,” Go’ping spoke up with barely-concealed relief, “ALL CREW HAVE STOPPED RESPONDING.”
As Fa’kyu snarled, “WHY DID THE CLAN ASSIGN ME TO THE MUST USELESS CREW IN THE FLEET?” Command Officer K’shnk walked to the main entrance to the bridge, opened the door, then fell to one knee and bowed.
Out in the battle, several more of the Eternal Grace ships had stopped firing, and took up haphazard defensive positions.
The rest of the bridge crew had stopped looking at captain Fa’kyu, and were staring shocked at the entrance to the bridge. One by one, the whole bridge crew fell to one knee and bowed.
At the door to the bridge stood four Randross diplomats, unarmed, but armored in very heavy lavendar-colored power armor, only their heads exposed. They stood smiling serenely in the doorway. Behind them in the hallway, the crew of the “AAAAAAUGH,” knelt, lining the walls.
Finally, Captain Fa’kyu took notice of his bridge crew’s silence, and turned to see the Diplomats of the Randross Diplomatic Delegation. “YOU! YOU DARE INTERFERE WITH MY VICTORY,”
The head diplomat, a Randross of light cyan fur spoke up, “GREETINGS, I AM FA’ZI, DIPLOMAT,” he gestured to the Randross at his side, of dark maroon fur, “THIS IS RO’ZI, CONFLICT SPECIALIST,” then to the two Randross behind them, both of light brown fur, “AND THESE ARE MY DIPLPOMATIC PARTNERS, CO’ZI AND NO’ZI. WE WILL MAKE AN AGREEMENT”
Fa’kyu stood shocked for a few moments before replying, “I DON’T CARE WHO YOU ARE. WORDS ARE THE REFUGE OF WEAKLINGS,” he pointed to K’pow, “GET THEM OFF MY SHIP.”
None of the bridge crew moved a muscle. Fa’zi spoke up, “YOUR CREW ARE WISE, AND SEE WITH CLARITY. YOU ARE CONFUSED. YOU WILL JOIN US IN VICTORY, AND YOU WILL GAIN CLARITY.”
Fa’kyu pulled his saber from his captain’s chair, “FINE, I WILL ADDRESS THIS MYSELF,” he snarled, leaping at Fa’zi. Fa’zi stood firm, the same serene, broad smile on his face. Just as Fa’kyu reached him, Ro’zi intervened, knocking the Saber from his grasp with an armored gauntlet, and stepped into his path, causing him to trip over her heavily armored leg. As Fa’kyu fell forward, Ro’zi redirected his forward momentum into a roll that took them both backward through the open door, as Fa’zi, Co’zi, and No’zi stepped aside. When Ro’zi recovered in the hallway, she stood with a firm grip on Fa’kyu over his shoulder, legs facing forward.
Fa’zi turned to them, “THANK YOU, RO’ZI. YOU WILL TAKE THE CAPTAIN BACK TO THE EMPEROR’S HANDSHAKE, TO PREPARE FOR OUR VICTORY”
Ro’zi nodded, “IT IS SO,” and carried Fa’kyu down the hall, while Fa’kyu beat his fists fruitlessly against Ro’zi’s armored back, “I AM THE CAPTAIN, LET ME GO, FIGHT ME, YOU DISHONORABLE CRETIN,” his shouts faded down the hall as they departed.
Fa’zi stepped into the center of the bridge, then gestured to the Command officer, “YOU WILL RISE AND TELL ME YOUR NAME, GOOD OFFICER,”
She stood and nodded, “COMMAND OFFICER K’SHNK, READY TO SERVE.”
“*CAPTAIN* K’SHNK, YOU WILL LEAD YOUR CREW TO VICTORY,” Fa’zi gestured to the Captain’s seat. K’shnk rose, but paused, “THE CLAN WILL NOT PERMIT ME TO COMMAND THIS VESSEL.” Fa’zi took several minutes to look around, under tables, behind seats, navigating carefully between the crew of the bridge kneeling at their stations. Finally, Fa’zi stood upright and spoke to K’shnk, “I SEE NO CLAN HERE. I SEE A WISE LEADER, AND A LOYAL CREW.”
“WE REQUIRE THE SUPPORT OF THE CLAN TO CONTINUE OPERATIONS.”
“YOU WILL HAVE THE SUPPORT OF THE RANDROSS DIPLOMATIC DELEGATION.”
K’shnk’s eyes widened in recognition. She nodded and took the seat in the center of the bridge, “IT IS SO.”
He nodded in return, then turned to the signals officer, “YOU WILL RISE AND TELL ME YOUR NAME, GOOD OFFICER,”
“SIGNALS OFFICER GO’PING, READY TO SERVE.”
“GO’PING, YOU WILL OPEN A CHANNEL TO THE WHOLE SHIP, AND I WILL SPEAK.”
Go’ping nodded, and activated the signals console, “IT IS SO”
“I AM FA’ZI, DIPLOMAT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. YOU WILL RISE AND RETURN TO YOUR STATIONS. YOU WILL DEFEND THE EMPEROR’S HANDSHAKE. CAPTAIN K’SHNK WILL LEAD YOU TO GLORIOUS VICTORY. WELCOME TO THE RANDROSS DIPLOMATIC DELEGATION. FOR VICTORY!”
As one, the voices of the crew echoed throughout the ship and on the bridge. “FOR VICTORY!” as the rest of the bridge crew rose and returned to their stations.
Fa’zi looked to Co’zi, “YOU WILL SUPPORT THE CAPTAIN IN ACHIEVING VICTORY,” Co’zi took his seat at K’shnk’s side, “IT IS SO.”
“I WILL TAKE NO’ZI AND THE REMAINING DIPLOMATS BACK TO THE EMPEROR’S HANDSHAKE. WE ARE IN AGREEMENT. THIS IS VICTORY.” Fa’zi clanked a gauntleted fist to his chest in a salute. The newly installed captain and the rest of the bridge returned his salute, and Fa’zi returned down the hall. With No’zi at his side, the crew of the “AAAAAAUGH,” no longer kneeling, still paused in awe as he passed by.
See also: Randross Diplomatic Delegation
