Message broadcast to all political entities

*** A MESSAGE FROM THE IMPERIAL HEGEMON ***

    There has been much banter of late from other interplanetary empires, claiming that their war is one of existential protection for others. Do your claims even convince your own proxies? We have no qualms with those who seek to expand their reach, and we have no delusions that confrontations will not occur, but do not make such grandiose claims as to be protecting others – as if the war you fight is some Holy War for the greater good.

    And to those who use their Diplomatic Corps as a servant of War, your lack of respect for the ambassadorial process is abysmal. If what the Master System suggests is true, and while the Hegemon has no need to believe or not believe, using a Cooperative Treaty as a guise to allow militant forces past defences only to declare war upon the footstep, is one that does not bode well with us. It displays what the worth of your word truly is.

    The Imperial Hegemon will keep these transactions in mind when it comes to future diplomacy.

*** MESSAGE TERMINATES ***

The entity known as the Master System spreads great falsehoods, and I cannot abide it.

Pack-ships of the Solvani space forces have indeed moved into orbit over the Central Core. The decision to do so was made only after my considered opinion was that there was no other choice to avoiding the eventual subjugation of the galactic region shared by Solvani, D'Kali, and Goetian, under the cold domination of the Master System. These ships were grown and constructed especially for the task and at great cost, as we keep no standing fleet, only minimal border patrols.

The Solvani believed we enjoyed good relations with this automaton. However, soon reports came in from Goetian and D'Kali space that automated colonizers were encroaching deep into what was clearly their sovereign territory, in some cases to the very roots of their homeworlds.

Founding our own colonies in unclaimed space, the Master System without explanation claimed these systems for itself. Our requests for a diplomatic solution to settle our borders were met only with delay, then silence.

When the massive ships of the automaton attacked a convoy of D'Kali pilgrims enroute to a settlement, it crystalized our fears for our own colonists and laid bare the Lifeless nature of the Master System.

We have joined with the Goetians and set aside our differences with the D'Kali to confront what I now believe is an existential threat to the entire quadrant.

What peace-loving entity possesses thirty space yards, more than all its neighbors combined? The claim of "only twenty ships" belies the fact that the forces attacking Boratis alone in the last month number no less than 22 heavy cruisers of 600kT. Many more are clustered elsewhere in the entity's space.

The Solvani have no desire for conquest of the Central Core. The Core lies far from our home, through D'Kali space. From our actions, we gain only safety for ourselves and our neighbors. In this, the extraordinary unity of purpose with which our three disparate peoples have been forced together and the fair dealing the Solvani have conducted ourselves must be your guides.

- Indendant So'Weia, of the Solvani

Not in isolation. But when combined with a multitude of other factors and being used to produce a fleet of massive warships, one might think that, but I could not possibly comment.

Savildar Rahza Teia

Imperium Strategic Branch - ISB

I would bid you all listen to the Solvani. They speak with a strength that has earned the respect and comrade-ship of the D'Kali. Indeed, the Master System spouts its unfeeling truth. When our people embarked on pilgrimage, protected from raid by four small escorts, the Master System dared to attack with massive ships more then twice the size of any Hegemony ship! These ships were built for war, though the automaton could not match the fury of our warriors. Once beaten back, the machine withdrew and began to build massive new engines of war.

It was 'only' twenty-some ships, but all enormous monstrosities. Ship for ship D'Kali faced the Master System, outweighed two to one and bought time for the Solvani to strike the machine's shipyards. Shipyards that, with a computer's cold efficiency, could churn out foul war-spheres far faster then the warships needed by Goetian, D'Kali or Solvani warriors. Only now that its fleet is broken and the 'perfection' it spouted to my Archon has failed does it come crawling to these outside powers.

Although we regard the entity as a whole unit, without distinction of combatant and non-combatant segments, our forces have been instructed to make every effort at focusing their fire on weaponized and combat-producing components. At last report, we have been greatly successful in this. Colony vessels, transports, and the Central Core processing network have been entirely spared.

- Intendant So'Weia

At the core if this is the nature of evidence provided -  all evidence regarding this outbreak of conflict would be highly useful in analysing the situation.

The same Entity that would be inclined for immense civilian activities; military investment miniscule when compared to the needs to support even a single cluster of Appended Worlds, with in-depth settlement and efficient transit/supply networks. Similar claims were made against the state when our own industrial network, originally developed to build the necessary civilian equipment, was attacked. Even now the transition to peace-time operations in the Hierarchy would also involve strong industrial development for civilian purposes.

Yet further this would not be an excuse for direct assault for actions unless proof of clear aggression is provided, showing an attempt by the other group to directly attack foreign interests, instead of defending against hostile attacks.




Of course the key point in this would be supporting evidence to be provided, showing the initial act of hostility was with the other party. Otherwise much of the public statements, by all parties, is subjective hearsay.

-Lenkt, Repeater of the South, Keshek Hierarchy.