This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/hfy by /u/KyleKKent on 2025-05-16 21:29:01+00:00.

First

Elsewhere, With Others / The Dauntless

“Sir!” The eager voice of Private Stream exclaims and Admiral Cistern looks up. “Do you have the time?”

“I do.”

“Do we have the privacy?” The young looking towards the desk with an impish grin.

“We do.” He says simply.

“I’m being serious here, we got something kinda touchy. Can I do a sweep?” Private Stream asks as he carries over a tray with a pot of coffee he uses to refill his mug and sets it down as well as a customized private communicator.

“You may, I presume I am to activate this when you’re finished with the sweep?”

“When I’m finished explaining things after the sweep.” Private Stream says before rushing around the room, collecting four different little bugs and then dropping them into a trytite box. He then checks the room again and finds nothing, then a third time and finds a final bug. Then sweeps AGAIN to make sure.

Positive that he’s got all of it he puts the bugs outside and then stands at ease in front of his desk after locking the door. Hist stance shifts ever so and he can make out all his face. This isn’t just A Private Stream, this is the original model. The cute act that one of his best assassins and spies puts on social stealth.

The face he wears to get away with blatant murder.

“Alright then, what are we dealing with? Does it have anything to do with the surge in ultraviolet laser based assassinations and similar weapons being seen in the hands of criminal gangs?”

“Actually no, we found one of the major distributors and are moving out. It’s a bit of a mess still, but we’re still grinding at it. This is political, but private. It involves the guests that my brother’s been entertaining.” Herbert explains.

“The Vishanyan, bipedal serpentine species. Similar to tailless Miak but with considerably longer necks and larger hoods with a powerful stealth field.”

“And prickly nature. Yes. They’re reaching out sir.” Herbert says.

“Ah, hence the need for privacy.”

“Nothing like respecting the other side’s culture to grease the wheels of diplomacy.” Herbert remarks before snapping a salute. “One of their Admirals, one Admiral Fallows, is on the other side of that communicator sir, I will stand guard at the entrance and ensure that your conversation is uninterrupted and private.”

“Good man.” Admiral Cistern states with a nod as Herbert moves to his guard position and puts his head against the back of the door. Clearly listening for anyone approaching. Cistern activates the communicator. The image of the long necked, serpent headed woman is somewhat odd. But he powers through. “Admiral Fallows I presume?”

“I am.” She answers.

“I am Grand Admiral Garfield Cistern of The Undaunted. For the sake of conversational ease, Admiral, Cistern or Admiral Cistern will do.”

“Understood. Admiral Fallows will suffice for myself.” She responds.

“Very good Admiral Fallows, I understand you wish to speak with me. I have not been informed as to why and this is the first truly official contact between the Vishanyan and The Undaunted.” Admiral Cistern states and Admiral Fallows nods.

“Very good. I am Admiral Fallows. I have been placed in charge of an initiative to see whether or not we can actually step out into the galaxy.” She states.

“I see, and to what end are The Undaunted part of your plan?”

“A significant portion. You have control of an Arcology on the world of Zalwore do you not?”

“We do.”

“Would you be amenable to allowing us to use part of it? Restrict access to some components and allow us to build within it?”

“For what purpose? I understand that your society seeks to remain in secret and therefore opening a public embassy on one of the most trafficked worlds in the galaxy would be counter to those patterns.”

“Which would why it would be a hidden and private embassy. A first sample to see if opening up a semi-permanent, or even permanent presence beyond our own territory is wise.”

“A test. I see. And there is indeed room. However, the question of what you will be doing becomes even more relevant. Zalwore is a training facility and a rapid response hub. There is a large enough population in even a less populated arcology that it’s nearly guaranteed that your base will be discovered, and that’s IF I agree to this. You and your people are… not on the best terms. You have attacked an ally of ours and have made no official communications until now, where you are now asking for us to take a large risk onto ourselves.”

“And what do you want?”

“I want proper communication. In full. You want us to trust you? Then you must make a show of trust to begin with.”

“You wish for a direct communication with the Admiralty.” She says.

“I need to speak frankly with your people, unless of course you speak for all of them?” Admiral Cistern asks and Admiral Fallows looks away from the communicator and clearly to someone else in her vicinity.

“My superiors are listening in on this conversation.” Admiral Fallows says.

“Then you should all understand that allowing an unknown to construct a base within a base of my own is tactically insane. Now I do understand that you are reaching out and that this is an important step for your species as well as a potential great advantage to The Undaunted. As such, we need to discuss terms and limitations, on both sides, before any agreement can be reached. We need to know each other, and as much as your forces have been introduced to several of mine, you have been withholding information from us.”

“And what do you need to know?”

“What will your forces be doing with this base? I have no issue with an outreach program on Undaunted property, but a terrorist cell is another thing entirely. So what is it that you want to do with this base? Are you asking me to put a bomb near my people? Is this a hospital or sanctuary? A research outpost perhaps?”

“Research outpost would be the closest to what we’re attempting. Coupled with a safe house. I am not authorized to release the details as of yet, but suffice to say, my people are cautious and seek to keep ourselves safe through obscurity. Something that your organization has compromised.”

“Only because you have made attacks upon our allies.”

“One. One attack that has been disavowed within our own organizations.”

“That’s wonderful, but it still had a negative impact upon multiple individuals and involved multiple steps that risked many, many lives, ranging from the usurpation of authority to facilitate a massacre, to hijacking of government assets and also leading to the production and attempted use of weapons of mass destruction. To say nothing of a flurry of lesser crimes in the process. I now owe The Empress of Serbow a favour to keep things calm and protect your people. And considering that she is a master politician, well… do I need to elaborate further just how much you and your people already are in debt.”

“We did not ask you to do that.”

“Would you like me to retract it then? Your aggression and paranoia have placed you into a situation where NOT being your enemy is a difficult and expensive thing to do. So please, don’t make this any harder, and for your own sake, do not make this so hard that writing you off as a bad investment is the wiser course.”

“Step aside Admiral Fallows.” A new voice says and she shifts quickly before another Vishanyan steps into view. She is more decorated, holds herself higher, and there is a shift in the scales along her neck suggesting a healed wound. She simply regards Admiral Cistern for a time. “I am willing to make a deal with you human.”

“And that is?”

“The claims you have made. About this… favour. If it can be verified, then I will release our information to you. If you have already personally invested into and supported us, then I will see you rewarded. But if you are lying then we will vanish until a time of OUR choosing. And we will not be requesting things, but taking.” Grand Admiral Longitude states.

“Private Stream. Gather the records and bring them here.” Admiral Cistern says lenaing to the side to address Herbert who salutes. “And you are madam?”

“Grand Admiral Longitude.”

“A pleasure.”

“Got the records sir!” Private Stream says bouncing up with a data-chip.

“Thank you Private Stream.” Admiral Cistern says before plugging in the data-chip. He then begins uploading the data. Grand Admiral Longitude taps the side of her head and several scales flicker with electronic lights before fading.

“I see… very well Admiral Cistern, it appears that we have more friends than we assumed. Let us speak more frankly.”

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“Not sure why you’re all following me around. The tour has finished and I’m technically off duty at the moment.” Harold notes as he does his normal push ups and then switches into one handed ones.

“We’re trying to… to… can you please stand up and speak, you’re distracting while acting in such a way.” Torment states.

“Can’t, I have a system.”

“It’s just basic push ups.”

“There are spare bands to the side. See the ones on my upper and lower arms? Also thighs and ankles? Headband and belt? They’re weighted and have a totem to up the weight exponentially.” Harold says before suddenly pushing up hard and clapping, then dropping to push up and clap, drop, push, clap.

Torment moves to the side and then her eyes widen as she picks up one of the bands. It’s enormously heavy…

Content cut off. Read original on https://old.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/1koce5u/oocs_into_a_wider_galaxy_part_336/