Most of the sub-basement of the unassuming building was filled with massive supercomputers and embedded droids all processing and managing the various assets of the Confederaten Defence Web. But every once and a while, a little alcove with a sentient supervisor and a console popped up. At one of these, a young Abhean lieutenant hunched over a console on the outer edges of the room. He clicked on several icons twice and tapped a button on his comlink.
“Sir,” reported the man, “There's a lot of signals on the Web heading up from what was Imperial space, but I don't think it's the Empire. I've double checked the drive profiles, and while some of them seem of Imperial origin, there's too many that aren't theirs to be an Imperial fleet movement.”
“You think it's Reavers.”
“Possibly sir.”
“Headed directly towards us?” questioned the distant commander.
“I can't say for sure sir, the droids and computers are saying it's roughly a fifty percent possibility. The other potential destinations that it thinks likely are Centares or Antemeridias.”
The Reavers had forced a sort of understanding between the Empire and the Confederation in what typically was a rather contentious area of space between the two powers. The Empire's stretch of influence jutted into the area predominantly between the Confederation's populous Meridian Prefecture and the core of the Confederation itself, the Capitol Prefecture. But the latest threat had forced the powers to focus more on the Reavers. While the Confederation had not taken Emperor Kraken's offer at face value yet, they were inclined to warn the Empire of the possibility of a Reaver incursion. What they would do with that warning was beyond his knowledge. The young lieutenant knew that many of his fellow Abhean officers in the building wouldn't mind if the Reavers smashed into nearby Centares, yet he doubted their luck was that good.
“All right lieutenant, keep monitoring them, and I'll bring it up to our superiors. Let me know if there are any new developments.”
“Yes sir.”
***
Mattonhelm, Antemeridias
“May I present to you Mrs. Colesi of Antemeridas Corps, a partner of your Gallidor Industries on Abhean. Mrs. Colesi, Ambassador Jackson of the Contegorian Confederation and Captain Perian of the Confederation Merchant Fleet.”
Perian offered a brief nod to the world's Chief-Governor and the corporate officer and let his almost periwinkle eyes wander around the room. For the skyscraper's size, he was surprised at how small the man's office appeared to be. It could have easily been that of a minor bureacrat, not that the governor needed more space than most bureacrats for his daily work, but that most governmental executives he had met tended to like to display the best side of the worlds, including their world's wealth. While not terribly wealthy, Antemeridias had more wealth than this plain office would have suggested. Or so Perian thought.
“I'm assuming this is something rather important that you thought it might warrant interrupt my meeting with Mrs. Colesi here. Is it all right if she stays?”
Perian glanced at the red-faced ambassador. I know he knows the Chief-Governor well, but really, that was rather unprecedented. But they are fast friends, or so he says. I think it's more likely that the man can't ignore or anger the Confederation given its proximity and dependency on so many nearby Confederate worlds...
“Well ma'am,” started the diplomat slowly, “I know your company's work here will be affected by what I'm about to say, but you must keep it quiet. If you do not, there will be a panic.”
“Reavers,” sighed Governor Kunstadt, “or is the new alien dominion?”
“How did you know?”
“Mr. Ambassador, I may head a neutral world that is friendly with your government, but my government keeps tabs on all the worlds around us. I know when there are dozens of your worlds mobilizing their fleets. There must be some threat coming towards our worlds.”
“Reavers, a large group of Reavers, we think,” stated the confederate ambassador, “isn't that what you were told, Captain?”
“It was. My orders are to stay and assist your world if they so require. I must add a little warning to the Governor's comments, we do not know for sure if the Reavers are really headed here because-”
“How far out are they?” questioned the Chief-Governor, “assuming they are heading towards us?”
“Several thousand light years, I'd estimate by now,” guessed Perian, “we have time to jointly prepare a defense, if you so desire.”
“Why?”
Ambassador Jackson's hazel eyes gleamed brightly, “Because no-one needs the Reavers. I know many of the local commanders and officials of the Meridian Prefecture worlds. They want to stop the infection before it reaches them. I have spoken to several of them already. The Budpockian fleet is already moving its fleet to deal with this task. I could convince them to stay here and defend your world. The local CMF chief has ordered Perian here because of your world's importance to our economies.”
Kunstadt snorted, “Or because his shipment isn't quite ready yet.”
“He could have ordered the CMF to get out of the way and let you get steam rollered.”
“True,” admitted the Chief-Governor, “I'll take it for what it's worth. Very well, I'd appreciate it if you would share your intelligence on this supposed invasion with our security forces. Mrs. Colesi, will you be joining us, or rather is there anything you would like to tell us, as a group?”
Perian quickly turned his face to the narrow-faced blonde and eyed her closely. She headed what had been the local branch of the Loronar Corporation before the Empire nationalized that company within their own space. Now it's own company, the company had moved from making its needle-ships to continuing to explore automated craft, but with a more civilian twists. Its new drone barges tended to be common in the areas around the world and fairly popular within the Meridian Prefecture itself. Yet Perian had always wondered if the company continued to do so some more militarized work in secret. She paused. The Chief-Governor knows something that they're doing that she's hesitant to reveal to us. But why twist her arm so obviously in front of us? Colesi broadly smiled at the ambassador.
“I'll see what we can do to aid the effort. After all, Antemeridias is our home too.”
“Good. Not much point in having a military if you're not going to use it, now, is there?” mused Kunstadt, “at least my Admiral will have a decent reason to lobby for a budget increase in three months if nothing else.”