Autonomous

Chapter 4: Council Summit

AN: I went ahead and changed the month from July to August.
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August 3rd, 1701, 10:00

"So let me repeat what you detailed in your report captain. You allowed foreign members, from a fleet of foreign vessels to land on and board your vessel, without any authorization, breaching standard protocols in the process?"

Captain Lawrence nodded, sitting across the desk of Grand Admiral Thorn who was the highest military official in command of the navy.

"I will not deny, my decisions were against protocol and were not of expectations for standard procedures. However what we encountered was beyond anything we ever bared witness to, and they were demanding to board our ship or else they would fire upon us. We were presented with little options."

"Be fired upon...by foreign vessels with unfamiliar affiliation or identity. Your fleet of seven battleships were threatened by just three airships. I fail to understand why you felt the need to bend to their demands and break protocol."

"Because they were no ordinary airships." Captain Lawrence replied as he began explaining his reasons to the admiral. "We encountered three massive airships, possibly even bigger than our battleships, that descended from the cloud layer with remarkable control. They did not seem made of canvas as one would expect, but seemed made entirely of steel or some sort of a metallic alloy. I felt it was too much of a risk to provoke such a force and believed it was the best course of action to comply with them as to not risk endangering the lives and safety of my crew and ship. Fortunately they only sent down their commander and two armed personnel as a protector unit, meanwhile I had 10 marines standing by incase the situation got heated. However upon making contact, the information they shared with me was...confusing to say the least."

"I agree. I read through the details." Admiral Thorn responded. "The Autonomous State of Autonoma, interesting name by the way. Largest tech exporting country and most powerful nation in the world of Alterra. Quite a reputation they claim themselves to hold."

"We honestly thought them to be insane at first, but they also seemed genuinely confused in our efforts to correct them. It would appear they seem to come from another world, and I believe the location of where their land is may be the source of the disturbances that we were sent to investigate. The real question right now is, why?"

"This wouldn't be a first encounter with a civilization beyond Altiss." The grand admiral responded. It was true that other people came from beyond Altiss in a similar fashion. However they were all but small islands with pockets of civilization, either primitive or tribal in nature. For these Autonomans to come from another world, and bring with them a fleet of large airships was concerning. "This will be taken up to his majesty and the council to determine our future course of action. In the meantime captain you will be placed under a month long leave before returning to duty aboard the Invincible. Be advised you may be summoned in the future given your first-contact encounter with these Autonomans. Dismissed."

Captain Lawrence stood up and saluted the admiral before departing from his office. Meanwhile Grand Admiral Thorn began gathering up all the documents of the report and prepared to present them before his majesty in the next council meeting taking place at noon.

Before the meeting that would take place, the grand admiral decided now would be the best opportunity to grab a breath of fresh air, traversing down from his office tower and exiting through a set of carved wood doors. Outside was the capital of the Great Sorcerous Empire, Kradale. The birthplace of this now great civilization.

The city itself was set up in a 10 square kilometer area, built along the western base of a wide mountain range, and divided in two by a following river trailing west towards the sea. Since it was constructed, an imposing wall reaching 20 meters in height and 7 meters wide protected it from threat of invasion, meanwhile large fields spread out across the unprotected plains with several village communities present to tend and care for the fields. The city itself was divided into four individual districts, the first being the River District which was set up on the southern side of the river that divided the city in two, occupied by the most common of folk who lived within the walls. Across from it to the north was the Slums, an area that was plagued with growing crime and filth, populated by the poorest and wickedest of individuals who took vantage of those unfortunate. The district was blocked off from the rest of the city by the constant presence of guards who were stationed to ensure the crime within could not spread and tarnish the rest of the city. The Marble District was occupied by the wealthiest of merchants and nobles, seen as the second most cleanest and purest area of the city. The roads were paved with cut and smoothened marble rather than dirt or cobblestone, filled with ornate and complex facilities with access to a grand library to those who lived within it's confines. Then came the Crown District, which was built along the side of the mountains and elevated above the rest of the city, the only way up being a 75 meters tall stairway. The district was occupied by the members of the council and governance, including the entire royal family with the palace established in the center.