Noblesse Summit Invitation

[arkatahten]

The chocolate from Southwitter of the Recliners still sat on the bedstand. The priest's face was no longer comported in pain. He sat on the edge of the bed waiting, wondering at his own stupidity. His own mother had always said he talked too much, had called him a blatherer, but still, his facial structure had been all it had taken to garner him a quick trip up the religious ladder. He had never had to serve in the brigade, something required even of nobles who wished to become priests of the first order.

No, it had been granted him, this rank, he, a commoner, and his family had rejoiced as they were rewarded with riches and titles, all on account of his facial structure, features that were close enough to be easily surgically molded into a second identity. He was a High Priest with none of the martial training of that station and he was a look-a-like with none of the ability of the original. But he would be Arkatahten no more. And he knew, could feel, already, that he was not even any longer a High Priest.

His family had probably already paid their price. He would be next. His bodyguards had become his captors and he awaited his fate. He looked to the chocolate, thinking he would eat it soon, saving it to savor as his last taste before they took his tongue. They would do this soon, as soon as they were ready to transport him.

He was watchful now, waiting still, watching for something that would indicate their preparation to perform surgery. It would be soon. He could feel it. And suddenly he knew, realized exactly the worm he was, how small and insignificant and how far from heaven he had always been. He began the rites to prepare himself.

And the Noblesse cut through the water while a helicopter waited to land.

[arkatahten]

While, unbeknownst to the rest of the passengers, a man in a stateroom waited to die, a woman at a breakfast table laughed to herself. This senator took her ironic statement seriously. What a wonder.

"Yes, Senator," she said. "Weapons are far more effective than understanding. But understanding is important as well and sometimes weapons are slow. When countries can come to agreements that are mutually beneficial then understanding has achieved a goal that might have taken weapons much longer. Then again, sometimes weapons are quick, and we are talking about weapons, aren't we? We must all defend ourselves, musn't we? And while I prefer unarmed techniques to stop a threat the size of, say, a man, arms are often necessary for...bigger targets."

"Yes," Michaelson answered, "they are."

"We have a saying in my country, too. 'The Holy Emperor provides.'"

[Verto]

The Consul, after giving the Arkatahten helicopter clearance to deliver it's cargo( a delicate procedure as the Noblesse was not designed to handle a helicopter) joined the guests as they ate. Using his cane once again, the Consul cleared his throat.

"My dear friends, I have been informed that the Planetarium has been prepared for us."

----

After the delegates and their families, aides and escorts had been assembled in the Planetarium, the lights had been dimmed and the Consul had taken the stage.

"My dear friends, today we stand amongst the heavens."



Stars, constellations, nebulae, all appeared before them, the Consul identifying each of them in turn.

Finally, two familiar images appeared.



"Luna, our moon, home to an ever-growing Eredron colony. We currently have two hundred men, women and yes, children, on the lunar surface; the fruits of nearly three decades' labor.




"Mars, the Red Planet. The stuff of dreams and legends."

The lights slowly filled the room again.

"Many years has Man looked up at her, dreaming of what future she held for us, fearing what demons she might send against us. Ladies and gentlemen, if space is the last frontier, then surely Mars must be the first step onto it.

This is a step I believe we should, we must, make together."

[arkatahten]

The chocolate was gone. It had been delicious. And now the tongue was gone, too, no more wagging.

A small contingent of Dark Brigadiers led what appeared to be the Holy Emperor to the helicopter. He stepped in one side and, almost immediately, stepped out the other, carrying a little box. Did the Holy Emperor seem a little taller? It could have been a trick of the sun. Arkatahten strode away from the helicopter with his entourage.

With as little disturbance as possible, the Holy Emperor joined the other guests in the Planetarium. Ka-Babel and Meritatahsherit bowed low to him when he arrived and then they all focused on the Consul's presentation.

[Scorpi40000]

One of the bodyguards whispers something to the "Prime Minister". The "Prime Minister" speaks loudly throughout the hall: "I'm sorry to inform that I'm unable to stay the entire summit! I have matters of state to attend to!". And with no further adou (Or however it is spelled) he walks out to the helicopter followed closely by the two bodyguards.

Oddly enough he didn't seem sorry at all. Actually it looked like he completely lacked emotions.

[Addled Platypus]

I forgot to mention there are two kinds of choclate

1. spring suprise
2. crunchy frog

both are made with freshest platypus milk (by hand)

[arkatahten]

The Holy Emperor had called Ka-Babel into his presence and performed rites related to the vessel of soil from the holy land. A portion of the dirt was removed from the box and poured into a small bag. The Holy Emperor said a few words in a language ancient as the word "arkatahten." The bag was passed on to Ka-Babel and blessed while in his hands.

In the hallway, Ka-Babel opened the bag and stirred the soil with his index finger. He pinched a pinch and sprinkled it in a line so thin. The suite of the Holy Emperor had been requested so as to sit at a point of confluence of mystical energies within the mathematical structure of the ship. Ka-Babel walked the ship as if he were simply strolling about, but at certain places of mathematical importance he left a line of dust and let symbols and words of energy enter his head.

It was a ritual, almost mechanical in its nonchalant execution, but as Ka-Babel reached a centerpoint in the ship, his mind was suddenly filled with light and he fell to his knees; images and meaning overwhelmed him and then it was over. He rose and looked around, saw no one. Then he moved on towards his room, wondering at meaning.

[arkatahten]

Meritatahsherit listened to the message on the secure line. Kalikos, the Priest of the First Order who had recently impersonated the Holy Emperor onboard the Noblesse, was dead. This, in and of itself, was no surprise. What was surprising was that he had died aboard the helicopter and without any ceremony. At this early stage, with the corpse still in the air and without any real forensic work, the cause seemed to be some sort of poisoning, perhaps related to food.

Meritatahsherit shook her head. The cause could be misdiagnosed. But she had to explore all options. Slowly, she began enumerating in her head a list of things the priest could have eaten.

[arkatahten]

OOC
Is this thread stalled? Since nothing seems to be going on, I'll post again. Anyone? Anyone?

IC
Mars. The Holy Emperor played an introspective composition on the piano in his stateroom and considered Eredron's proposal about the planet.

Arkatahten was already pumping a lot of money into its space program. If money were diverted from certain areas of the program, if taxes were raised, then military defense need not suffer. It could be done.

His Eminence made a decision. He dispatched a messenger rather than pick up the phone. Then he called for Ka-Babel and Meritatahsherit.

"My priests," he said, "Kalikos was a mistake. I am not. I value your input on all matters of the empire, so know that I have sent word to Consul Hill that we are...interested...in his Mars proposal. The universe is of Arkatahten as Arkatahten is of the universe. There is holy land on Mars."

"This is good, my Lord," Meritatahsherit said. "My heart longs for the stars."

"And you shall return there," Arkatahten promised, "as shall Ka-Babel."

[Squeblish Nef?]

OOC: arky, if the poison you are referring to is the haemhorraging agent Kharavos used, then I suggest you re-read my post.

[arkatahten]

OOC: I'm not suggesting where the poison came from or saying whether the diagnosis was wrong and he might have died from something else. I leave the question of actual poison up to whoever might or might not have poisoned him. For the record, I didn't mean the hemorrhaging agent.

[arkatahten]

Something was going on, Ka-Babel thought as he closed the door behind him and left the Holy Emperor to his own mind. The guards in the hall bowed and he saluted.

"Mars," Meritatah mused.

"Yes," he said, "Mars."

Meritatahsherit moved to a stairwell. "I'll see you later," she said, heading down to the deck below.

Ka-Babel smiled and continued in the direction of the pool to join Romaroy and Tetien for one thousand quick laps. Swimming calmed the soul and gave the mind more room to explore. Something was going on, he thought again, and he needed to start sorting it out.

Kalikos had been woefully inadequate for his station of impersonation. This was the first troubling fact. Kalikos death also was troubling. Ka-Babel knew that the Holy Emperor saw the omens as well. All were alert to changes in the patterns, in the equations of the present moment. Mars, the red planet, so calmly discussed with such grand visions of the future, also spoke of disquiet and conflict. The Holy Emperor knew all of these things. He'd called for the centering ritual, a ritual of purification, for these reasons and more. The Holy Emperor could see farther than he.

But what the Holy Emperor couldn't see was how far these omens were pointed internally. The centering ritual shouldn't have ended as it did. The light that had entered his mind was a mystical experience that influenced the equation. He needed to explore it.

By all rights, he should have informed the Holy Emperor of the variable, but something had stopped him. He regretted to think it might be fear, that he might be in danger because of his influence on, when it came right down to it, what was nothing more than a math equation.

Ka-Babel heard bootsteps around the corner and turned to find one of the Al Mastifs approaching flanked by two guards. It was Kasatra. Ka-Babel bowed.

During the Mars presentation, Ka-Babel had found himself standing by Kasatra and they had talked briefly about strengthening trade ties between them.

"Ah," he said as he raised up from his bow, "Kasatra Al Mastif, it's good to see you."

[Squeblish Nef?]

OOC: Eep! Now I'm going to have to change tenses!

IC: Kasatra nodded to Ka-Babel, biting the neck off a whisky bottle.
"How's the Holy Imposter holding up? Had him replaced yet? If you have, you've done it quite well. Damn glass! Ah, that's just what the apothecary ordered! Come to mention it, how are you holding up? Babysitting getting a bit tiring?"

[arkatahten]

Ka-Babel gestured to the strange man's mouth where some blood trickled out.

He imagined some might understimate Kasatra due to his swagger and roughness, but Ka-Babel would make no such mistake. "A little blood right there...and a little glass in your beard."

(OOC: He is bearded if I recall...yes?)

Kasatra spat blood on the carpet and swigged another shot of whiskey. Ka-Babel grinned.

"The Holy Emperor was not well earlier, but I can assure you that he is doing much better now. I can also assure you that I am vested with the power to speak for him in many matters. I am more than just a babysitter, as you know, and the Holy Emperor, while not himself earlier, could certainly defend himself even without my protection. He is formidable.

"So," Ka-Babel continued, "what do you think of this little joyride around Apolyton?"

[arkatahten]

Humble edits and adds in ( ). Original text left intact besides this.

Suddenly small explosions rocked the ship. Something had gone wrong with the explosives wired into the heads of each member of the Arkatahten delegate (delegation rather). These explosives were usually used to keep them loyal or to cause damage to enemies when Arkatahten spies, soldiers, or citizens were captured. But this time something had simply gone wrong. (Or perhaps there was some devious mind behind it.)

All over the ship and, indeed (as the reports from Arkatahten said), all over the nation of Arkatahten the explosions rang out until every (almost...perhaps some were spared) member of that nation was dead. The nation of Arkatahten was in flames and nothing of their culture survived (at least that's what the reports from Arkatahten said).

(Many are skeptical that the official statement from the government of Arkatahten is not completely true. First off, the fact that there's an official statement seems to suggest people still alive in Arkatahten. There is, however, verification of several cities on fire in that nation. The border has been classified a no-fly zone and Arkatahten jets enforce this. That means there are at least some pilots alive. There is speculation that this might have been a coup.)