Greetings, Ministers of the Republic. I am Sentinel Gestalt, speaking here on behalf of the Directorate and Inner Phalanx of the Technocracy of Auxo, and by extension for all of our people.
Our states have had conflicts with each other for some time, largely based on border friction and needless tit-for-tat escalation. In truth, there is no substance to this quarrel, and our core policy directives are far from incompatible. Speaking personally, I was quite young when your nation arrived in Bretonia from the Crayter sector. I recall hearing the news of your flight to the Tau sector, and, having never been especially political, not knowing what to make of it, only knowing that the stories I heard the BBC presenters telling on the holofeeds must have been one-sided.
Now, as a grown woman, I look back on your history with sadness. The Bretonians branded your entire nation terrorists, and for years waged a low-scale war against you in the Taus which was always intended to be an imperialist war of domination and eventual genocide in the name of fueling their extraction-based economy, so that BMM might have turned your home of Tau-44 into another smog-ridden hellhole as they had Leeds. This diplomatic stance changed only once the then-Kingdom of Gallia appeared on the scene, who were far louder and more aggressive about their intent to do the same to all of Sirius than New London ever was.
With a noble spirit of forgiveness, and from the tenacious urge to survive, you buried the hatchet with one Crown so that together you could topple another, and no one in Sirius will ever forget it. The consequences of that terrible war have changed the galaxy forever, with over six billion lives lost, and billions more having fled to all corners of inhabited space, myself among them. Your Republic lost hundreds upon hundreds of skilled fighters and thousands of civilian lives in the evacuation of Tau-44 alone, to say nothing of the rest of the Gallic War. To this day, your national motto—“for those we left behind”—now has a dual meaning.
Regardless, your people continue to fight against the Outcast menace, untrustworthy and conniving schemers who attempt to subvert the independence of all humanity by reducing us to the status of biological dependents with their cardamine. You know them better than anyone else—you know that the only reason they never did to you what King Charles' forces did to Bretonia is solely due to lack of sufficient firepower. We in the Technocracy also understand the threat posed by Malta.
Yet not everyone is so wise. Our intelligence operatives have informed us that, while now deprecated, the Bretonian Crown signed a treaty with Malta's oligarchs. This treaty would have obliged them to stab Crayter in the back if Malta demanded it, and gave the Outcasts a free hand to spread their poison throughout Bretonia. The same treaty handed over all the hard work of your allies, the Independent Miners' Guild, in the Taus to the Outcasts. All this despite the fact that Crayter and Bretonia were mutually engaged in struggle against the Royalists at the time, and that most of those Guild members were—still are—Bretonian citizens.
To make up for their inability to maintain consistent friendship with the treacherous Bretonians, the Outcasts have expanded their influence in Liberty. It's becoming an open secret that the Xenos are falling within Malta's grasp too, finally edging their way in on the cardamine trade. Now, the entire Libertonian underworld is within the vicegrip of the orange poison that to this day seeks to eradicate your entire nation and ours alike. With the chaos in the Pennsylvania System, it's only a matter of time before the Outcasts take advantage of the situation to further cement their power there, too. Refugee crises, as you're well aware, create desperate people. Desperate people without the means to run or fight take what they can get, and pushing cardi is easy money.
In the face of this threat, it's beyond childish that we continue fighting each other when we have no reason. The Technocracy seeks a reconciliation with Crayter's parliament and people, even if it ends up being temporary or conditional. We have to stand together to face this threat. Speaking on behalf of the Directorate, I'm not going to say “please talk with us”, or ask “are you interested”. I'm going to say “let's talk terms”.
My name is Lily Ward, Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Crayter Republic. I'll admit, this transmission caught us off guard, and I hope you'll forgive me if I take every word you've said here with a copious amount of salt. This isn't the first time Crayter has been presented with diplomacy from your people offering 'understanding' and 'reconciliation', and though I usually welcome talks with foreigners, your Technocracy has constantly shifted its position to the detriment of Crayter and her people, making any attempt at diplomacy look like a waste of time.
Quite frankly, the interest in maintaining relations with Auxesia has always been there. Unlike with the Outcasts, there is no underlying moral dilemma, and unlike Bretonia, there is no territorial dispute. Your peoples' seemingly constant need to poke and prod at Crayter's defining core values, violating laws that Crayter has upheld since frankly even before your people even emerged from the Omicrons, let alone made home in Inverness, and a callous disregard for human life, and a predictable track record of violating the treaties put in place to promote cooperation and understanding, have all played a part in eroding what little trust still remains. History is a constantly written book, and Crayter has maintained a record of every interaction with your people, good and bad, and will continue to do so.
We are well aware of the forces around us that seek to destabilize, and even subjugate, the regions around them, though perhaps more so now than before. For the Great Houses, it's to be expected, and for the Outcasts, it's part of the threat they pose, and it's why both can be managed. The same cannot be applied to your people, as constant misinformation and oversimplification, combined with the offenses I stated earlier, have repeatedly glorified acts which would otherwise be reasonably considered terrorism, not to mention even (borderline?) war crimes.
If Crayter is to discuss terms with Auxesia, then we must take the context of the matter into consideration. Anything less would render the point moot.
Crayter's terms are these:
Forces of Auxesia and the Crayter Republic will cease all hostile actions henceforth.
Auxesia will abide by Crayter law within all areas of jurisdiction.
Crayter will abide by Technocracy Spacial Regulations within all areas of jurisdiction.
Auxesia will acknowledge Crayter as the defensive party.
Auxesia will submit a one-time payment of three-hundred million Sirius credits (300.000.000sc) as compensation for cumulative law violations, payable to =CR=Treasury
Auxesia will transfer all captive Crayter personnel back to Planet Yuma. Crayter will transfer all captive Technocracy personnel back to Valravn Citadel.
Auxesia will return any Crayter-made equipment and technology back to Crayter; Crayter will return any Auxesia-made equipment back to Auxesia.
Auxesian vessels not conducting trade, or providing escort for vessels conducting such, with installations within Crayter space will request entry from Crayter officials before entering.
Crayterian vessels not conducting trade, or providing escort for vessels conducting such, with installations within Auxesian space will request entry from Auxesian officials before entering.
If you feel some of these terms should be adjusted, then Crayter is open to discussion of certain aspects. The first four terms, however, are completely non-negotiable.
I hope we can reach an understanding, Sentinel.
In service to the Republic.
Lily Ward
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Crayter Republic
I'm very sorry for the delay. The Technocracy takes this matter very seriously, and wants to make absolute sure that every word we say is said correctly. It's of paramount importance to make sure that we understand you and your side, and that you understand us and ours; I'm sure you understand.
Your first three conditions are absolutely acceptable. We have already ordered our pilots not to initiate hostilities against any of yours, and until these negotiations are concluded, have issued directives to treat all Crayterians outside of Inverness as a neutral party. Regarding the acknowledgment of Crayter as the defensive party, there has been much internal disagreement within the Directorate. Everyone's interpretation of events is framed by their allegiances—yet, we make peace not with friends, but with enemies. The Technocracy wants to put grade-school matters of "she started it, no he did" behind us as logic entirely unfit to govern the decisions of sovereign peoples. We will acknowledge Crayter as the defensive party, not as an admission of guilt, but in the spirit of actions speaking louder than words.
Before we move on to your further points, we have to come to a mutual agreement as to what our respective areas of jurisdiction are. Our initial proposal is as follows:
The entirety of the system of Inverness, excluding Freeport 14 and its ten-klick No Fire Zone, is to be considered Technocratic territory for the purposes of this treaty.
The Inverness wormhole in Cortez and the surrounding spherical five-klicks of space are to be considered Technocratic territory for the purposes of this treaty.
The entirety of the Tau-44 system is to be considered Crayterian territory for the purposes of this treaty.
Any wormholes leading into Tau-44, as well as the spherical five-klicks of space around them, are to be considered Crayterian territory for the purposes of this treaty.
The Inverness wormhole in Coronado and the surround spherical five-klicks of space, as well as Barrier Gate Station and its surrounding spherical five-clicks of space, are to be considered neutral territory for the purposes of this treaty.
Any Crayterian or Technocratic forces are free to enforce the respective parties' regulations in this neutral territory. In case of conflict, Technocrat forces will defer to Crayter forces.
Crayterian and Technocratic forces will cooperate in ensuring mutual security around the Inverness wormhole in Coronado.
The entirety of the system of Coronado is to be considered Crayterian territory, excluding neutral space as previously defined.
Any Technocrat outposts elsewhere in Sirius, including the spherical ten-klick radius around them, are to be considered Technocratic territory.
We are willing to be flexible regarding the delimitation of territory, but consider this to be a modest proposal that respects the implicit status quo and the explicit claims of both parties. On to other points.
The Technocracy unconditionally agrees to the mutual release of prisoners and technology. We would suggest a simultaneous exchange in Cortez, as a trust-building exercise, but if this is difficult to arrange or undesirable for some other reason, we are willing to send a transport to the Barrier Gate in Coronado with all captive Crayter personnel, with the technology release coming afterwards once the Republic follows suit, releasing all Technocrat personnel and equipment onboard Barrier.
Concerning your proposed lump sum fine, we wish to remind you that Crayter's fleet participated in the destruction of Boreas Frozen Storage alongside Bretonia's military forces; an asset worth billions of credits, owned by the Technocracy, and staffed largely by independent contractors and civilians. Even discounting the far-from-negligible cost of the installation itself, the lives of dozens of civilian contractors carry both a heavy moral cost as well as large insurance payouts. This eye-for-an-eye method of diplomacy is only destructive, and leads to bad blood on both sides even when nominally "successful", meaning it can only ever create pyrrhic victories at best.
With this in mind, the Directorate would like to propose a mutually constructive solution: Crayter's military and government forces receive a twenty-percent discount on the purchase of Auxo-designed and -built augmentations and implants, until such time as the total profit loss to Auxo reaches four hundred million credits. In essence, the most cutting-edge technological and biological enhancements in Sirius for both military and civilian purposes would be available to you at cost. As well, we will provide service and replacement parts at either Freeport 14 or Barrier Gate totally free of charge for two years to all Crayter citizens, regardless of whether or not the discount pool has run out.
I believe that questions of access to each other's space, for both trade purposes and otherwise, can be discussed once an understanding is reached regarding the above—there is already much to discuss, and we need not address every single point at once. Please let me know of any objections to these proposals so that we may move forward in harmony.
I'm very pleased to finally see a response from the Technocracy on this matter. Considering that the specifics of language used were largely the reasons why the last two treaties found such difficulty, ensuring that the details of this third one are precise and thorough is entirely understandable.
While I'm glad to see that the first four terms are accepted, I feel I need to clarify that point four was agreed upon solely due to the Auxo's repeated false claims of no wrongdoing with regards to Crayter law and the enforcement of such. This will allow us to agree on the role of each of the belligerents for historical propriety, as well as provide proper closure for this lower chapter between our two people. Humility can be a powerful tool, for both good and ill, and I'll remind you that many states in Human history that were once bitter enemies became eventually the closest of allies. I see this as no different, and barring perhaps some time for both our people to adjust, I expect we can move past this sore point.
Regarding the proposal for respective areas of jurisdiction, Crayter can work with it as is, but would like to push for a clause to allow for amendment to the details of the proposal at a later date should it be needed to preserve the treaty. Territorial claims can change, and diplomacy can further shift these wildly. We prefer to have all avenues covered.
For release of personnel and property, within Cortez Crayter would need assurances from Auxo that their negative relations with Bretonia and Liberty would not effect the transfer in any way. If Auxo can provide this, then I would propose the future site of the Coronado Jump Gate, but will also hear other suggestions.
If Auxo cannot provide this assurance, then we would prefer conducting the transfer at Barrier Gate Station, to prevent any undue complications with the Liberty Navy or the Bretonian Armed Forces.
Your counter-offer in regards to the fine is acceptable, although I suspect much of our populace will be skeptical about the capabilities and potential trade-offs of Auxo-based implants and augments. In light of this, we would propose a two month 'trial period' of sorts, under the assumption that these synthetic devices are permanent and cannot be removed without significant harm, to better allow our people to understand the decision of receiving them. In exchange for this 'trial period', we can reduce the total profit loss to three hundred and fifty million credits, to account for extra time spent providing said discount.
However, if Auxo-based augments and implants are removable, or perhaps at the least 'modular' in a sense, then we suspect there would be no need for a trial period.
We will refrain from discussion regarding access to space for trade and escort purposes until after you have made a response to the inquiries above. I look forward to seeing where this leads us, Sentinel.
In service to the Republic.
Lily Ward
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Crayter Republic
Concerning the removability and modularity of Technocracy-designed augmentations, I don't think your population would have too much to worry about. Almost all of the implants that are in a stable and reliable state such that we sell them to outsiders are fully removable by trained surgeons, or serve as replacements for already-missing body components. As an example, our civilian catalogue includes cybernetic eyes which can "link" with compatible devices (e.g. PDAs, neural-net-mail systems, and armamentaria such as heart-rate monitors, infusion pumps, et cetera) to provide a real-time heads-up display; fully-removable spinal implants which provide regularly-timed doses of medication; and synthetic internal organs such as livers and gallbladders which are, unlike previously-available models from companies like Cryer, resistant to electrical shocks and minor EMP effects. Most of these are relatively straightforward to remove, and all come with manuals providing instructions for novice surgeons.
As a side note, the Directorate is familiar with installation and excision of most foreign-made implants; while such procedures would not be covered by the cost-reduction terms of this treaty, our clinics would of course provide their services to any Crayterian pilots or citizens just as they do others once a final agreement is reached. Any aug-clinic in Sirius which is licensed to sell or maintain Technocracy-produced augments would grant your citizens the agreed discounts.
As to the modification of clauses regarding territory, the Directorate sees no issue so long as mutual agreement is reached. We have little trust in Bretonia and Liberty's willingness to refrain from interference of a simultaneous transfer, and as such will release your personnel and equipment to Barrier Gate as soon as practical once these talks are finalized. On that note, we have only the matter of access to each others' sovereign space to discuss remaining before us. Here is our proposal:
Technocrat vessels not conducting trade, or providing escort for vessels conducting such, with installations within Crayter space will request entry from Crayter officials before entering.
Crayterian vessels not conducting trade, or providing escort for vessels conducting such, with installations within Technocrat space will request entry from Technocrat officials before entering.
If no representatives of Auxo are available to grant access to Crayterian non-trade flights, the Crayter flight may proceed through Technocrat space so long as it is done without any sort of delay. The same applies to Technocrats and Crayter space. Being waylaid by hostile forces in the other's space is not an impingement of this article.
Crayter forces are not to dock at Valravn Citadel nor enter the twenty-klick radius around it. Entry into this zone by Crayter may be granted by A/)-tagged vessels or sought in case of lethal danger, but docking will not be permitted.
Unfortunately, the last article is, for now, a necessity of security, though if positive relations prove stable this state of affairs may be up for discussion in the future.
I hope that all the above is acceptable to you, and we are willing to hear any counterproposals.
I want to apologize for the unexpected absence of a response. Mild government restructuring following President Stone's inauguration interfered with several facets of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, and as a result there appeared to be no one assigned to continuing these talks. I hope you can forgive the monumental delay, and that Auxo is still interested and invested in seeking diplomatic solutions.
It's good to hear that our concerns regarding Auxo's augments and implants are unfounded, although I suspect that many of our people will still remain skeptical despite this. Still, once these talks are finalized, I'll be sure to let Minister Snow know about the details, so he can adequately organize the necessary funding for any official or officers that decide to undergo the process.
To the rest of the details, I've notified the Judiciary to be prepared for prisoner transfer, as well as the Ministry of Defense's quartermaster. Barrier Gate is perfectly suitable, and I'm sure Intersun will have no issue providing a vessel to conduct the transfer of both people and equipment.
As for your proposal concerning sovereign space, we find no issue with it. Valravn, nor the zone in question, do not sit along any expected trade routes, so barring unlawful intervention, we don't foresee any trouble.
To reiterate, I want to once again express my apologies for the delay in this response. With the restructuring if not over then reaching its end, I don't anticipate any further interruption in communications.
I look forward to hearing from you, Sentinel.
In service to the Republic.
Lily Ward
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Crayter Republic
Minister Ward, we understand the situation. Internal matters must always take precedence, for the sake of stability and necessary authorizations in place to ensure that the final treaty, as negotiated, may even be honored. I'm glad to hear that things are settled, and that the recent election of President Stone has proceeded smoothly.
With that said, I believe that we are in a position to agree on a final document. Attached is our proposal—let us know what you think.
Treaty of Cooperation and Diplomatic Normalization
In the name of peace and prosperity in the sector, for the sake of sparing innocent lives, and so as to better combat the existential threat posed by the Outcasts of Malta, the representatives of the Crayter Republic and the Technocracy of Auxo mutually agree, on behalf of their respective sovereign peoples, to the following provisions:
1. All hostilities between the Crayter Republic and the Technocracy of Auxo, and their respective forces, will immediately cease.
2. The Technocracy of Auxo recognizes the Crayter Republic as the defensive party with respect to all previous hostilities.
3. The Crayter Republic and the Technocracy of Auxo recognize each other as sovereign and independent states.
4. Crayter's sovereign ownership of its own space, as defined in this treaty, will be thoroughly respected by the Technocracy. XXXx4.1 Crayterian space is defined as: XXXxxx4.1A The star system of Tau-44, in its entirety. XXXxxx4.1B Any wormholes leading directly into Tau-44. XXXxxx4.1C The five-klick spherical radius of any wormholes leading directly into Tau-44. XXXxxx4.1D The star system of Coronado, in its entirety, excepting areas defined as neutral space. XXXxxxxx4.1D-a The wormhole in Coronado which leads directly to the Inverness star system is neutral space. XXXxxxxx4.1D-b The five-klick spherical radius around the Inverness wormhole in Coronado is neutral space. XXXxxxxx4.1D-c The entirety of Barrier Gate Station in Coronado is neutral space. XXXxxxxx4.1D-d The five-klick spherical radius around Barrier Gate Station in Coronado is neutral space. XXXxxx4.1E Any Crayterian outposts elsewhere in Sirius, as well as the spherical ten-klick radius around them.
5. The Technocracy's sovereign ownership of its space, as defined in this treaty, will be thoroughly respected by Crayter. XXXx5.1 Technocratic space is defined as: XXXxxx5.1A The star system of Inverness, in its entirety, excluding Freeport 14 and its ten-klick No Fire Zone. XXXxxxxx5.1A-a Freeport 14, and its ten-klick NFZ, is the sovereign territory of the Zoner community of Freeport 14. XXXxxx5.1B The wormhole in Cortez which leads directly to the Inverness star system. XXXxxx5.1C The five-klick spherical radius around the wormhole in Cortez which leads directly to the Inverness star system. XXXxxx5.1D Any Technocrat outposts elsewhere in Sirius, as well as the spherical ten-klick radius around them.
6. Crayterian forces are free to enforce Crayterian laws and regulations in their sovereign space.
7. Technocratic forces are free to enforce Technocratic laws and regulations in their sovereign space.
8. Crayterian forces are free to enforce Crayterian laws within defined neutral zones.
9. Technocratic forces are free to enforce Technocratic laws and regulations within defined neutral zones. XXXx9.1 In case of conflict between Auxo and Crayter laws, Auxo forces will defer to Crayter.
10. Crayterian and Technocratic forces will cooperate in ensuring mutual security around the Inverness wormhole in Coronado.
11. Crayter vessels not conducting trade, or providing escort for vessels conducting such, with installations within Technocrat space will request entry from Technocrat officials before entering. XXXx11.1 If no Technocrat officials are available to request access from, the Crayter flight may proceed through Technocrat space so long as it is done without any sort of delay. XXXxxx11.1A Being waylaid by hostile forces is not a violation of article 11.1. XXXx11.2 Crayter vessels are not permitted to dock at Valravn Citadel, nor enter the twenty-klick radius around it. XXXxxx11.2A Entry into this zone by Crayter may be granted by A/)-tagged vessels, but docking at Valravn Citadel will not be permitted. XXXxxxxx11.2A-a In case of mortal danger, Crayter forces may enter this zone without permission, if and only if there are no A/)-tagged vessels on-site to request permission from. XXXxxxxx11.2A-b In case of Crayter forces exercising their rights under article 11.2A-a, docking at Valravn Citadel is still prohibited.
12. Technocrat vessels not conducting trade, or providing escort for vessels conducting such, with installations within Crayter space will request entry from Crayter officials before entering. XXXx12.1 If no Crayter officials are available to request access from, the Technocrat flight may proceed through Crayter space so long as it is done without any sort of delay. XXXxxx12.1A Being waylaid by hostile forces is not a violation of article 12.1.
13. The Crayter Republic will return all captive Technocrat personnel and Technocrat-manufactured equipment to Barrier Gate Station without delay.
14. The Technocracy of Auxo will return all captive Crayter personnel and Crayter-manufactured equipment to Barrier Gate Station without delay.
15. The Technocracy of Auxo will provide a discount to the military and government forces of the Crayter Republic on all Auxo-designed and Auxo-built augmentations and implants. XXXx15.1 This discount will amount to twenty percent (20%) on all augmentations and implants. XXXx15.2 This discount will be available until such time as the total loss of profit to Auxo amounts to three hundred fifty million credits (₡350,00,000).
16. Pursuant to article 15, service and replacement parts for Auxo-designed and Auxo-built augmentations and implants will be available free of charge to all Crayter citizens, for a period of two (2) years. XXXx16.1 This free service and maintenance will be available regardless of whether the discount pool specified in article 15.2 has run out. XXXx16.2 This free service and maintenance will only apply to Auxo-designed models. XXXx16.3 This free service and maintenance will apply regardless of whether the augments in question were purchased under the terms of article 15. XXXx16.4 This service will only be available at Freeport 14 and Barrier Gate Station.
17. The Technocracy of Auxo and the Crayter Republic shall waive all legal, moral, and financial claims and indemnities against each other for any actions conducted prior to the signing of this treaty.
18. This treaty may be modified at any time, solely via mutual agreement.
We find no issue with the final documentation, and are prepared to ratify the terms immediately.
I look forward to seeing where this newfound cooperation takes us, Sentinel.
In service to the Republic.
Lily Ward
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Crayter Republic
![[Image: ABJQ5lb.png]](https://i.imgur.com/ABJQ5lb.png)
![[Image: 3uwPJKj.png]](https://i.imgur.com/3uwPJKj.png)
![[+]](/forums/images/collapse_collapsed.png "[+]")
Crayter-Auxo Treaty of Cooperation and Diplomatic Normalization