Edgeworth-Kuiper Belt
The "Space Drifters Union" is an interstellar alliance consisting of twelve races, led by the planet Kyrie as its principal member. The alliance was formed after the planet Kyrie lost its mother star due to an incredibly technologically advanced civilization that polluted the land and air, leading to the destruction of nature. To escape the dying planet, they undertook an exodus project 1300 years ago. The people of Kyrie constructed a massive spacecraft with a length of 1.200 kilometers, embarking on an endless journey through space. Subsequently, other races that had similarly lost their mother stars for various reasons came together, resulting in the formation of the interstellar alliance known as the Space Drifters Union comprising a total of twelve races.
Inside the mother ship of the Union, colonies have been established, accommodating a population of an astonishing 13 billion. At its core, various government agencies govern the Union, including the "Administrative Division," where the leaders of the twelve races make decisions through a consultative system, the "Union Parliament," where representatives from each race gather, and the "Union Court," which ensures equal justice. At the pinnacle of these government institutions stands the organization that supports the Queen of the Union, known as the "Queen's Office." The position of the Queen is inherited by the Alzawall family, the royal family of the principal member, Kyrie. Despite possessing highly advanced technology far beyond Earth, Kyrie's political system has remained a unified monarchy, which has endured even after the loss of their home planet for 1300 years.
The current Queen is deified within the Union, and the other eleven races, except Kyrie, pledge their allegiance to her. The Union is a federated nation with an absolute monarchy at its apex—a unified monarchy that places the one and only absolute monarch, the Queen, at its helm.
"Her Majesty the Queen wishes for her descent to Earth as soon as possible..."
With the exception of the caretakers of the Queen and the royal family, all officials working in the Queen's Office" are natives of Kyrie. The chairman leading them, a man named Lothrie-Ramagh Kentiil walks along the long corridor of the Queen's Office, accompanied by his male subordinates.
"...But Earth also has the strength to resist."
"Yes, and if that happens, it will be a long-lasting battle. That's not what Her Majesty the Queen desires."
The Queen earnestly wishes for the colonization of Earth. If the Union and Earth were to engage in full-scale warfare, it would likely engulf the entire solar system, including Earth. Turning Earth into a battlefield would mean destroying the ideal world they had finally found.
"I heard that the delegation from Earth is heading to the Fourth Planet. Negotiations are expected to resume. However... it probably won't proceed as we hope."
The Union and Earth have engaged in negotiations for four years, but their expectations have not come to fruition. Subsequently, the Union decided to undertake the occupation of Mars as a warning to Earth. However, Mars is also one of the candidate planets for colonization by the Union. The decision to carry out destructive actions against the planet was a matter of debate within the Union, but it was planned and executed based on the demands of the Charian, the second-ranking species among the twelve.
"Her Majesty's official audience will be held soon. Those scheduled to attend, please proceed to the Observation Terrace... I repeat. Her Majesty's—"
Suddenly, an announcement echoed within the Queen's Office. Lothrie looked up at the ceiling.
"Oh, it's already that time... I must hurry."
"Take care and have a safe trip, Master Lothrie."
Lothrie headed to the Observation Terrace, with his male subordinates bowing deeply as they bid him farewell.
. . .
Queen's Office, Audience Hall
The Queen's Office is adjacent to the palace where the royal family resides, and in front of it, there is a large square. The residents of the Union have gathered there, eagerly awaiting the appearance of the Queen. Surrounding the platform where the Queen stands are high-ranking officials, including the royal family and Lothrie. As a grand fanfare resounds, the long-awaited figure finally appears.
"LONG LIVE THE QUEEN!"
"LONG LIVE THE QUEEN!"
"LONG LIVE THE SPACE DRIFTERS UNION!"
The cheers of the tens of thousands of gathered people fill the air. The Queen, standing on the podium, looks down at the crowd, waving her hand with a gentle smile.
"Presenting, Queen of the Space Drifters Union, Her Majesty Riza-Griant Alzawall..."
As the announcement is made, the crowd falls silent all at once. Giant holograms projecting Queen Riza's figure appear all over the square, broadcasting her every move and gesture in real time.
"Fellow members of the Space Drifters Union, after almost thirteen centuries of endless wandering, the time has come to put an end to our long twilight odyssey..."
Upon hearing Riza's words, the cheers of the crowd erupted once again. The ideal planet they had finally discovered, "Earth," has already become common knowledge among all the residents. 13 billion people eagerly await the moment they can set foot on their new home.
"In the Jerica Star System, there are not one, but two planets where life can thrive, Earth and Mazner. It is truly a miracle. This is the opportunity that God has bestowed upon us, who have overcome long ordeals..."
Queen Riza stirred the crowd with her words of hope for their new home. Immediately after, holographic images of Earth and Mars appeared above the heads of the people. The lush green nature, abundant seas, and pristine land captivate everyone. In this era, Mars has experienced a rapid rise in temperature, causing the frozen water underground to flow, leading to the emergence of seas in the northern hemisphere. However, they are unaware that the natural beauty of Earth does not only bestow "benefits" upon humans, and that the current environment of Mars is the result of the blood, sweat, and tears of the people of Earth.
"...But this star system is the domain of a race known as the humans or Earthlings who hailed from Earth. We have sent envoys to their planet and are continuing peaceful negotiations for the migration of all Union residents. My brethren, the dawn of a new era is just around the corner!"
Upon hearing the Queen's words, the excitement of the crowd reached its peak. After finishing her speech, Queen Riza descended from the podium, basking in the cheers. She approaches Lothrie, who was standing nearby, and whispered to him.
"Let's show the Earthlings that we mean business... We will move the Queen's Office to the Fourth Planet."
"!?"
Lothrie's eyes widened. Seeing his reaction, the Queen sent him a wry grin. That was the moment when the decision was made to move the Space Drifters Union's Queen's Office to Mars.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
March 25, 2199
Mars, Suiryu Spaceport
One space cruiser, accompanied by the International Federation Space Force lunar detachment, landed at the spaceport in the capital city, Suiryu. The spaceship Nayuta descended on the Martian sea known as the "Northern Ocean," approaching the massive spaceport pier built along the coastline, creating splashes of water. Following closely were the IFSF's space combat ships, which had come from the Moon to serve as escorts, and they too started landing on the sea surface one after another. At the pier, officials from the Mars Administrative Agency, local police, and soldiers from the Space Drifters Union 4th Fleet, who were occupying Mars, were lined up.
A gangway was lowered from the Nayuta safely docking at the pier. Junta Piwaran, the Secretary-General of the International Federation, who served as the head of the delegation, disembarked from the ship. She, a native of Thailand, shook hands with Mars' Chief Administrator, Akihiro Murei, who was waiting for her at the end of the gangway.
"Welcome to Mars. I am Akihiro Murei, the Chief Administrator of Mars."
"I am Junta Piwaran, the Secretary-General of the International Federation. Nice to meet you."
As representatives standing at the forefront of their respective worlds, both of them had a highly serious expression. Junta Piwaran, along with the delegation members sent by the IF, boarded the official vehicles prepared by the administration and headed toward the occupied city of Suiryu.
. . .
District 1, Suiryu
Main Conference Room of the Mars Administrative Agency
The convoy of official vehicles entered the premises of the Mars Administrative Agency. What was once the center of Martian governance under the IF is now the stronghold of invaders who have come from the far reaches of space. Under the watchful eyes of towering android soldiers, the convoy of official vehicles came to a stop in front of the Administrative Agency building. Amidst the presence of numerous media outlets, Junta Piwaran and the members of the IF delegation stepped out of the cars and into the Mars Administrative Agency building.
"...The representatives of the Space Drifters Union are waiting in the main conference room."
Led by Murei, the IF delegation made their way to where the invaders are waiting. As they opened the double doors, they were greeted by individuals dressed in unusual ethnic attire. Representatives from the International Federation and the Space Drifters Union met face to face. Cameras from the media captured the moment as Junta Piwaran stepped forward.
"Nice to meet you. I am Junta Piwaran, the Secretary-General of the International Federation."
"Jurdy Remaichgigier, representing the Space Drifters Union in Mazner."
Jurdy, a male, shook Junta's hand. He looked similar to an Earthling. However, the others standing behind him clearly possess physical characteristics that differ from Earthlings. The automatic translation device instantaneously converted their respective languages into each other's tongues. The conference room displays both the flags of the International Federation and the Space Drifters Union. Both parties took their seats at the long table. From this point on, the meeting is off-limits to the media, and the photographers followed the officials' guidance, exiting the conference room.
"...Now, let's get straight to the point."
Junta, representing Earth, is the first to speak. As she talked, one of the members of the delegation operates a tablet device. Instantly, a virtual display appeared before all the participants.
"We, the International Federation, present the following terms to the Space Drifters Union."
The display showed bullet points written in both languages:
- The International Federation demands that the Space Drifters Union end its occupation of Mars immediately and withdraw from the planet.
- The International Federation will accept 100 million inhabitants of the Union as immigrants to Earth.
- The International Federation will accept 700 million inhabitants of the Union as immigrants to Mars.
- The International Federation will cede several bodies in the solar system that are unoccupied by Earth's inhabitants to the Union.
- The International Federation will allow the Union's inhabitants to travel to the Earth on condition that they do not immigrate to the Earth.
Against the jaws of the overwhelming technological superiority of their opponent, the IF still demanded the prompt release of Mars from the Union's armed occupation of the planet. Furthermore, the IF decided to offer a major concession to the Union which has been demanding a migration to Earth since four years ago.
"This is our greatest concession. However... I must emphasize once again that the Solar System, including Earth, is a territory under the sovereignty of the International Federation, and we cannot accept joint management of Earth. That point needs to be made clear."
"........."
The Union delegation members were somewhat restless in response to Earth's significant concession. Until now, Earth had refused to change its stance on accepting immigrants, allowing only a privileged few, claiming that its population was already saturated. The fact that Earth has now proposed accepting one hundred million immigrants showed just how seriously the IF regarded the occupation of Mars.
"...One hundred million, as expected."
A man with blue skin sneered and made a mocking remark. The members of the IF delegation turned their gaze toward the source of the voice.
"I knew you Earthlings have been trying to extort us by fabricating convenient lies about how the Earth's population is already saturated. Truly the primitive thinking of an inferior, quite laughable."
".........!?"
The man continues to belittle and ridicule the human race, and both Junta and the members of the IF side showed signs of unease. Ignoring their reactions, the man with blue skin continued speaking.
"And you keep talking about concessions and concessions since earlier, but it seems you misunderstand something. You seem to believe that you have the upper hand over us, but the fact that we haven't annihilated you Earthlings and are treating you as equals is our 'concession.' The power imbalance is evident. Stop your whining and just hand over Earth to us. Her Majesty the Queen, in her benevolence, has not sought to expel you Earthlings but rather proposed joint management. Why would you reject her mercy like that?"
"Master Marlan!!"
Jurdy, the representative of the Union, interrupted the blue-skinned man with a firm tone. The members of the IF delegation were stunned and rendered speechless.
"Our Queen... desires a peaceful agreement. Please refrain from inappropriate remarks, Master Marlan."
"I apologize sincerely, Master Jurdy. The will of you, the Kyrie, and Her Majesty, our alliance's leader, is absolute... and we have no intention of going against it."
Marlan, the man with blue skin, accepted Jurdy's warning obediently. They are a race called the Charian, who joined the Space Drifters Union from the planet Charia. While their physical structure is similar to that of Earthlings, their distinguishing feature is their blue skin.
"...Let's get back to the subject at hand. One hundred million on Earth, seven hundred million on Mars. With this, we have a population that accounts for nearly two-thirds of the Space Drifters Union. If you continue to impose unreasonable demands, considering we share the blood of brethren, we are ready to fight, even if it means turning Earth into a battlefield...!"
Junta urged them to accept these conditions with strong words. Since this was an on-the-spot summit meeting held without prior technical discussions, it was a moment that not only revealed Earth's outspoken stance but also showed for the first time that the International Federation was prepared for the worst-case scenario of a space war.
"...Turning Earth into a battlefield, huh? Not really what we want."
Jurdy was slightly surprised by Earth's strong statement. Turning Earth into a battleground would be disastrous for both sides.
"Next... concerning compensation for the damages incurred in the attack on Mars... We naturally expect some form of compensation from the Space Drifters Union for this. Is that acceptable?"
The occupation of Mars resulted in tens of thousands of casualties, including military personnel and civilians. Furthermore, with all economic activities on Mars halted and combined with the damages from the attack, the economic losses had already amounted to trillions of dollars.
"...Compensation? You primitives dare to—"
"Master Marlan!!"
The man with blue skin snarled again, but Jurdy quickly intervened. Once Marlan closed his mouth, Jurdy explained the Union's intentions to Junta.
"...The values and structures of our economy and your monetary economy are fundamentally different. Simply talking about compensation might be difficult."
The economic structures between the Space Drifters Union and Earth were fundamentally different, making it challenging to seek monetary compensation from Earth's perspective.
"...Regarding that matter, we have an alternative proposal. The International Federation will demand unrestricted and free technology transfer from the Union as compensation."
Junta further demanded technology transfer to the Space Drifters Union. With the Union already having initiated hostilities and being prepared for a space war, the International Federation was also unrelenting in its demands.
'...Should we consult with the Queen's Office on the mothership?'
'Mm, we didn't expect the Earthlings to be this assertive...'
An aide sitting to Jurdy's left whispered to him. Both the significant concession proposed by the Earthlings and their subsequent demand for technology transfer made reaching a conclusion at this point highly politically complex.
"...For now, we will report to our flagship. Is that acceptable?"
"...Very well. We look forward to a favorable response."
Jurdy announced that they would withhold a final decision. Junta agreed, and the summit meeting between the Space Drifters Union and the International Federation came to an end. However, at that moment, a Union official rushed into the conference room in a frenzied state. He approached Jurdy hastily and whispered something to him.
"...Wait, what!?"
Upon receiving the report from his subordinate, Jurdy's expression changed. Observing this, the Earth's conference participants wore puzzled expressions.
"...What's the matter?"
"Ah... this is... well..."
Asked by Junta, Jurdy couldn't help but appear unsettled. It was the first time he showed such clear agitation throughout the day, which had been characterized by his calm demeanor.
"...We received a transmission from our flagship just now, stating that our Queen has decided to move the Queen's Court to this fourth planet, Mazner. She will be personally present as well...!"
".........!?"
The Queen of the Space Drifters Union can be considered to be the "enemy's boss" for Earth. She was coming to the still chaotic Mars under occupation. The Earth's participants couldn't hide their shock. And with the Queen's descent, the situation would undergo even greater turbulence.