World War Negotiation (aka Treason): S3

[12:30] * Oxford changes topic to 'Caution: Bridge Damaged - No Admittance'
[12:37] <@Oxford> The northern span of the bridge juts out over the rushing river like a severed limb, a jumble of crushed stone and bent steel that protrudes halfway to the other bank, terminating in midair. The word 'damaged', from the signs hung across its entrance, understate the situation greatly.
[12:40] <@Oxford> From their hiding place nearby, the girls can see the bridge as a dark outline against the deep blue of the evening sky. So far, the Novgoraadi pendant users haven't arrived, but with twilight descending they must be on their way. The first stars begin to appear through the branches of trees and the twisted steel superstructure of the ruined bridge.
[12:43] <Henriette> "I shouldn't have waited," Henriette mutters as she picks leaves from a bush. "We were outnumbered et I didn't join soon enough... Damn them."
[12:44] <Naida> Naida traces her fingers over one of the Nov pendants, hidden away in a pocket. "Hey, we still got the ending we were hoping for. Or at the very least things didn't end as poorly as possible."
[12:44] <@Oxford> The question of how to greet the other flight lingers in the back of her mind. While their last meeting ended peacefully enough, it didn't start that way, and the other girls may well be just as suspicious of the rogues as they are of the Novgoraadis.
[12:45] * Lily_Blevins nods. "We might even have an advantage here, considering that they don't know we have spare pendants."
[12:46] <Henriette> It's easier to talk to someone under your bootheel than from under theirs, Henriette decides, but her lips purse shut. She imagines being in the Novgoraadi shoes. Pushing back the enemy forces when suddenly the three of them show up and begin attacking? It hardly seems like a diplomatic mission, but then again, what should they have done? Henri wonders if staying put would have given
[12:46] <Henriette> them an edge, even at the cost of their own soldiers.
[12:47] <Naida> "...granted we have no idea if there are any real differences between the pendants."
[12:50] * TemporalMech (~TemporalM@A700ADCF:A3D852FF:338906C9:IP) Quit (Ping timeout: 240 seconds)
[12:55] <@Oxford> Holding the Novgoraadi pendant in her hand, Naida can't see any major differences. They are more oblong, compared to the round Albaean pendants, and the triggering mechanism is slightly different, but both are composed of the same dull silver metal. When she 'focuses' on it in her hand, she can feel a tingling sensation, like licking the terminals of a battery.
[13:01] <Naida> She carefully pulls her hand away from the pendant. "...should we be more...out in the open? Doesn't seem very diplomatic to look like we're waiting to ambush them."
[13:04] <Henriette> "We were not actually given promise that any soldiers coming through would leave us alone. They could be setting up to ambush us," Henriette responds. Her brow is furrowed in anxiety and obvious mistrust.
[13:05] * Aori_Radidjiu is now known as KatsuoOfTsukinoshi
[13:05] <Naida> "...they were kicking our asses, why the hell would they have us relocate to do so here? And for this to be a good meeting place, it shooooould be empty."
[13:06] <Lily_Blevins> "Shoooould."
[13:09] <Henriette> "They could be setting us up for something. Perhaps it is something they do not wish to do in front of typical soldiers. Maybe they wished to capture us covertly so they could ship us away before any of their own soldiers saw us." The soldiers probably wouldn't show any empathy towards girls who had been their enemies, but who knows what tired men will do between battles to helpless
[13:09] <Henriette> teenage girls.
[13:10] <Naida> "Oh, like eat our souls?"
[13:11] <Lily_Blevins> "I doubt it, you seem the most likely to eat souls out of all the pendant users I've seen!"
[13:11] <Lily_Blevins> "...there was that skeleton thing."
[13:11] <Naida> "Please, I understand the value of a soul, I would barter for i- skeleton thing?"
[13:11] <@Oxford> It certainly has been empty so far. All day long, this area of the river has been quiet and still. Around noon a Cimbrian military car passed on the road running parallel to the bank, but it travelled quickly, probably just scouting for other crossings.
[13:13] <Lily_Blevins> "It was a monster, presumably made by an overuse of magic, like what happened at the beast, and Henriette and I had to fight it before our Prom."
[13:22] <Naida> A weightless gremlin sits on Lily's shoulder, nodding along like it had any clue what she was talking about. "...Henri can you do any kind of magic to see where they are?"
[13:28] <Henriette> "I can try, ma belle," she says, her eyes shimmering white. The rest of them see her and the area near her distort into a shimmering rainbow of colors like a lens abberation in a color photograph. She appears flat for that instant, projected on a screen.
[13:33] <@Oxford> When she goes back to normal, she has her answer. She can sense two small points of magic approaching from the south, half seeing and half feeling them as they advance toward Cimbrian territory. Two other points hang back a ways.
[13:38] <Henriette> The flattened appearance fades as her space expands back out, but the weird chromatic effect doesn't go away completely. It hangs on the darker edges of her clothes and eyelashes, a slight rainbow effect like a prism. "They are coming in from the south. Two lead the way. The others are staying for backup, I presume. Perhaps their formation from the battle is a standard mode of operation."
[13:42] <Naida> Naida blinks a few times to figure out if the odd effects were caused by Henri or if her own eyes are suffering backlash. The gremlin has apparently swapped to Henriette, but it disappears after trying to eat some of the chromatic effect on her clothing.
[13:46] <@Oxford> The first two Novgoraadi girls are suddenly visible, floating above the treeline on the southern bank of the river. One is in dark formal clothes, and the other in faintly glowing green robes.
[13:46] <Henriette> "Something wrong, ma cherie?" Henriette asks Naida. She tilts her head quizzically before looking over her shoulder. "They're near."
[13:51] <@Oxford> The two small figures pause and survey the scene for a moment. Satisfied, they dip low and fly across the river, landing on the bank on the other side of the destroyed bridge from where the three girls wait.
[13:51] <Naida> With a muffled grunt, Naida pulls herself to her feet. "Shall we?"
[13:51] <Lily_Blevins> Lily nods.  "Let's go~"
[13:54] <Henriette> Henriette nods, and a small orange circle appears above and to the right of her regardless of perspective. She brushes twigs and leaves from her dress, today one from her personal wardrobe. It's important to look her best when facing down an enemy.
[13:55] <Naida> Naida shakes her head again before walking towards the bridge.
[13:59] <@Oxford> The air is cool and moist, and the river burbles quietly to their right as they approach. They can see the transformed figures of the Novgoraadi girls approach and stop under the shelter of the bridge. The one in green, Sylvi, clicks her staff against the ground, and the end emits a soft light. The other one, Aamu, points toward Lily and whispers something to Sylvi.
[14:01] * Lily_Blevins gives a wave.
[14:02] <@Oxford> Sylvi waves back, but doesn't call out. Instead, she gestures for them to come forward under the bridge.
[14:03] <Naida> After a quick yawn and shrug, Naida acquiesces.
[14:09] <@Oxford> Once they pass beneath the edge of the bridge, Sylvi steps toward them, smiling. Aamu hangs back, her expression covered in shadow. "As expected, you have kept your word," she says through the translation gem. "Did you have any trouble finding this place?"
[14:10] <Lily_Blevins> "Not at all!"
[14:11] <Naida> "Save the swarm of grizzly bears roaming the countryside." Naida keeps a pokerface as she attempts to discern whether the gem is capable of translating sarcasm.
[14:14] <@Oxford> "Ah. Yes," Sylvi says, frowning slightly. "Our forces have been concentrating in this area to secure the crossing. My apologies if they troubled you." It doesn't pick up on sarcasm, but it's aware enough to take a guess at metaphors. Sylvi looks concerned.
[14:15] <Naida> Naida snorts. "Nah, it was fine, that was a...joke."
[14:18] <@Oxford> "Oh. Ha ha?" she offers, hesitently. "Perhaps we should move on to the matters you wished to discuss?"
[14:22] <Naida> "Ah, yes. To get straight to the point, we wish to end the war to end the stream of casualties. As I'm sure you all understand, those of us with our...unique powers are many orders of magnitude more powerful than the common soldier. There's no reason for a protracted ground war and we're...well...dangerous. Neither side should have access to our kind. We wish to unite our equivalents on all fronts to work together to end hosti
[14:22] <Naida> lities, regardless of nationality."
[14:26] <@Oxford> Sylvi's face breaks into a broad smile. "Oh, I hoped you'd say that!" she says, rocking forward on the balls of her feet. "This aggression has been tragic for all sides. Ending the war is the best way to avoid any more unnecessary loss of life."
[14:27] <Lily_Blevins> Lily gives a bit of a sigh of relief.  "That's good, we weren't sure if the other girls would be open to that."
[14:28] <Naida> A look of surprise overtakes Naida. She didn't actually expect them to just agree outright, even given the circumstances of this meeting.
[14:33] <@Oxford> "My comrades support this goal. They simply didn't believe you would support it." She clasps her hands together in front of her robes. "So, how do you think we can best go about convincing Albaea to give up their occupation of Cimbria?"
[14:33] <Henriette> Henriette's stoic expression barely changes. Instead, the chromatic effect expands and her eyes shimmer like mirrors. Another orange dot appears over her shoulder as she watches Sylvi, reading her through her magic lens.
[14:34] <Lily_Blevins> "I'll leave that to the Cimbrian."
[14:36] <Naida> "My original plan was to gather up as many like minded valkyries, or whatever we call them, as possible, then focus on disabling major supply lines and using distractions to lead both sides away. If neither Novgoraad or Albaea can actually get armaments or troops to Cimbria, the resistance should be able to take over from there. Once the main front is confused and lost, we can focus more directly to dismantle the two main engi
[14:36] <Naida> nes of war."
[14:42] <Henriette> Her expression softens into one of confusion like Naida's when she gets her answer. She looks to Aamu to see how she's treating the discussion. "Is the talkative one their leader or just their spokesman?" Henriette whispers to Lily.
[14:43] <@Oxford> Sylvi frowns, her brow wrinkling. "But if the men on either side cannot get armaments, won't the fighting just become a long and costly stalemate? There's no way to stop 100% of arms shipments. And you can't expect to disable supply lines without hurting anyone in the process."
[14:43] <Lily_Blevins> "Hard to say, but I imagine with that translation power, she's got to be around for all talks."
[14:44] <Lily_Blevins> Lily loudens her voice.  "We have a friend in the supply industry, actually."
[14:45] <@Oxford> "And also," she continues, "if you're just going to turn things over to the resistance, won't they have to fight the Albaeans anyway?"
[14:47] <Naida> "I have not been able to conceive of any manner in which we can perfectly halt things and avoid bloodshed. I had focused primarily on targetting the most destructive thing at any one time. While men may fight with fists, it's much less destructive than with tanks. Admittedly, I do not understand the politics involved well enough to end war by any means other than the removal of weapons."
[14:47] <Naida> "If you had thoughts on the matter, I would be glad to hear them."
[14:51] <@Oxford> Sylvi nods. "The political situation is definitely complicated. However, if Albaean aggression can be curtailed, there will be no need for armed conflict between our nations. If the Albaean occupation force is cut off and forced to surrender, then I'm sure our diplomats can ensure the rightful rulers of Cimbria are restored to them."
[14:52] <Henriette> "It doesn't have to be perfect. Just good enough," Henriette adds, eyes still intensely focused on the pair of Novgoraadi. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she imagines having tea and talking about dress patterns with them, but those times either are yet far away or were never there to begin with.
[14:54] <Naida> "I...must say I am loathe to leave my country's fate in the hands of either Albaea or Novgoraad."
[14:58] <@Oxford> Sylvi's eyes widen. "Oh, are you Cimbrian? That's surprising. So you've seen first-hand how the Albaeans dictate your country's affairs from their island across the sea."
[15:00] <Naida> "Quite. So it is with personal experience that I see litteral difference between promised protection from Albaea and Novgoraad."
[15:06] <@Oxford> The priestess in green nods in agreement. "No sovereign nation should be required to quarter foreign troops on its own soil, nor feel threatened by powerful neighbors. The most peaceful world will be one where everyone can set aside their nationalist ambitions and treat each other as equals."
[15:10] <Naida> "...that said, I do understand the logic in breaking Albaea's hold on the nation to reduce Novgoraad's need to intervene. But I do understand the value of our ports as well. If we could break Albaea's hold on us while reclaiming those few areas of military interest for Cimbria, I would be...marginally more comfortable with leaving us vulnerable to Novgoraad." Naida shoots a glance towards Aamu.
[15:10] <Henriette> Henri's expression tightens. She resists the urge to say that patriotism is what binds men together, and the small the subdivision, the stronger the bond. She wants to tell them nationalism is necessary, but the diplomacy is still early yet.
[15:16] <@Oxford> Sylvi's eyes flick cautiously to Henriette, and then to Aamu. "The port at Wadden is vital to Novgoraadi security, it's true. Our only interest in Cimbria is that the port not remain in Albaean hands, and that your government be free to lease the rights to the port to us on your own terms. I know there is much disagreement, though, even within our own ranks."
[15:18] <Henriette> "To you? To Novgoraad? Shouldn't Cimbria manage her own ports?" Henriette interrupts.
[15:22] <@Oxford> "Well, of course. That's why they must be free to lease them to whoever they see fit. I'm certain that given the opportunity, Novgoraad would gladly outbid any and all challengers. It would be of great economic benefit to Cimbria."
[15:24] <Naida> Naida chews on a fingernail. "...systematic sabotage of Albaean equipment would lead them to retreat, likely towards Wadden as a last stand. Presumably more valkyries would be called to defend it...but if we could find them beforehand and convince them to join us, they could aid in forcing Albaea's abandonment of the port, and any fleeing ships would be defended and permitted to return to Albaea. Ideally, we would then assume
[15:24] <Naida> command of the port as a non-military entity, repelling the Novgoraadi forces through various non-fatal magical means at our command. Assuming the Novgoraadi force backed off, the Albaean occupation would effectively be over and Cimbria could reclaim its lands. If neither side has access to the port, it would just take basic policing from our kind to ensure neither superpower continues an advance on Cimbria. Once Cimbria regai
[15:24] <Naida> ns its independence...well I can't promise cooperation with Novgoraad, but as you say, it would be economically logical to lease out the port. With what restrictions and whether the people would be accepting of Novgoraadi involvement I can't say."
[15:27] <Henriette> Sabotage Albaean equipment? Henriette glances to the groups nervously. She doesn't want to harm soldiers, particularly her own nation's. "How do you plan to enforce protection from Albaea and Novgoraad? What if they send troops or others like us? Loyalty can be strong. It can build nations from nothing."
[15:27] <Henriette> Does Cimbria really have enough loyal citizens to make it on their own, Henri wonders.
[15:29] <Naida> "I expect we'll be considered hostile from both sides. But a small group like us could move quickly, and if we're able to sabotage most of the airplanes early, pursuit is basically impossible. We wouldn't even really need to harm a single person with intelligent use of our powers. However, I would like to try to sniff out more Valkyries before doing anything. Especially an Albaean flight."
[15:34] <@Oxford> "As long as freedom to compete fairly for access to the port can be guaranteed, Novgoraad has no reason to want to occupy Cimbria. I suppose a small non-governmental entity administering the port would work just as well, though."
[15:36] <@Oxford> "For now, though, the most important thing to do is to make sure our breakthrough here is successful. The faster the advance, the more Albaean forces will be forced to surrender to us without fighting, and the fewer Novgoraadis will be killed in the pursuit."
[15:37] <Henriette> "Have they already surrendered?" Henriette asks. "It didn't look that way yesterday."
[15:40] <@Oxford> "No, sadly not. They need to be cut off first, and then they'll surrender quickly. Novgoraad's tanks need to make it into the rear-area supply zones before they can be moved further north, beyond the next natural barrier." Sylvi sighs and looks down at her feet. "It's the first stages of a breakthrough that cause the largest loss of life for both sides."
[15:41] <Naida> "Hm...we can't quite expect you to make a stand just yet, both because your current role seems to work toward our hopefully common goal and because I fear interference if your superiors saw you fraternizing with us. So long as you aim to minimize fatalities and shift our countries' relationship from one of war to one of business...I would hope to consider you all comrades."
[15:43] <Henriette> "It will get worse before it gets better. I recognize that." Henriette nods sadly to Sylvi. The girl seems genuine, though maybe reading Aamu would have been the better choice retrospectively. The goals are good, but the execution still has her worried. Many men would rather die with honor than face those they swore to protect with cowardice and retreat in their eyes.
[15:46] <Henriette> She makes sure THAT is clear to Sylvi through their link. Images of her home, of propaganda and brave heroics and the boys talking at the school about their hopes and dreams, flit into Sylvi's mind. They're warm memories, as are the ones of the shopkeepers and dressmakers in Cimbria.
[15:47] <Naida> A small group of what would appear to be tiny, inside-out bears perched on Naida's shoulder nod along with Henri, seemingly in mock sadness.
[15:49] <Lily_Blevins> "Nothing comes without sacrifice, after all."  She muses.
[15:53] <@Oxford> The images flood into Sylvi's mind, and Henriette feels a faint backwash: A village of round huts with smoke coming from little holes in the roofs, snow lying in muddy heaps along the tracks of the cart that took Papa away... "I agree," Sylvi says quickly. "The most helpful thing my unit can do now is hasten the advance."
[15:55] <Naida> "So long as you help us lay claim to the port once Albaea flees and prevent Novgoraad from beginning its own occupation."
[15:56] <@Oxford> She nods. "Anything you can do to prevent them from reestablishing a defensive line would help as well. The capital is further north, but after this river Wadden is open to us. If we can get there within a week, we stand a good chance of preventing further resistance and negotiating a seperate peace with Cimbria."
[15:56] <@Oxford> "For now, though, I think we know what we need to do. How will we contact you again?"
[15:58] <Naida> "I...would imagine either Lily or Henriette can create a means to do so? A link with a mirror or some sort of flower perhaps?"
[15:59] <Naida> The inverted bears hiss silently at the mention of mirrors and dissolve.
[16:00] <Lily_Blevins> "A flower...hm."
[16:00] <Henriette> "Allow me."
[16:03] <Henriette> Henriette tugs her scarf away, revealing her mirrored wings and halo, the scars of many battles fought. Her hands swirl and pull away glass feathers, and a long, flat, smooth shard, something like a hand mirror with ornate gilding appears. "Take this, and look into it. It will work for you," she says to Sylvi, handing the mirror over. Strange symbols line the back, intertwining runes that spell out the other person's name to whichever of them is looking at it.
[16:05] <Naida> Naida gives Sylvi a rather informal salute and a modest smile. "I look forward to ending the war with you all."
[16:06] <Lily_Blevins> Lily gives a beaming smile as well.  "I do too!"
[16:09] <@Oxford> Sylvi accepts the mirror daintily, holding it close. "Thank you. I, too, wish for peace. Until we next meet, then, please do all you can for a rapid end to this senseless conflict."
[16:18] <@Oxford> With that, Sylvi bows to Naida, smiles, and floats up into the night, the light from her staff detaching and following behind her like a swarm of fireflys. Aamu stands in the darkness for a few more seconds, her eyes following every movement of the three girls, before she too rises up like a puff of smoke and vanishes against the starry sky.
[16:18] <@Oxford> /session