Chapter 36: Rising Tensions

6 hours after chapter 35

Draconia council chamber

Xapferey stared at the Elf Lord making a presentation, while his face was calm, behind his lips his teeth were clenched.

"My Lord, the fact is we need to have a handle on these… Protoss. We need to have a tie to them, and traditionally arranged marriages were done to provide such a connection. I would recommend tying them as close to us as possible."

"Meaning through my daughter?" Xapferey asked in a polite yet flat tone.

"Yes Sire, especially since the Protoss do hold to such things from the research I have done. If you tie her to the Protoss High Executor Tassadar, then it would give us a direct line through their remaining high command."

"Well if that is the case, then my answer is no."

"But Sire," the Elf Lord protested.

"Who am I, Lord Elros?"

"Uh…" the Elf Lord was completely flummoxed for a moment before he rallied. "You are the God-Emperor of Draconia, My Lord."

"Yes, and are you a Lord sworn to me?"

"Yes My Lord."

"Is my word law?"

"Yes My Lord."

"Keep in mind Lord Elros, my patience is at a severe minimum. I have said no on this matter. By your own admission, I am your Liege-Lord, I am the Emperor, and I have the final word. Then this is my command. My word, the last word on this matter. Is that clear?!" Xapferey barked.

"Yes My Lord."

"Then return to your lands, Lord Elros." The Elf Lord gave a terrified bow before retreating as the Emperor ordered. "Clear the room," Xapferey commanded a moment later. "Not you Jason, I know you're there, come with me please. We need to have a talk." Xapferey said as he led the way to his private office.

Jason followed, his expression unreadable and sat without a word.

Xapferey went to the corner of the office and poured himself a goblet of wine.

"Drink?" He offered Jason.

"Normally, I wouldn't but after today, it sounds like a good idea to me."

Xapferey nodded and poured him a goblet as well and carried it over, passing it to Jason.

"Sadly, said Elf Lord's estate produces a finer wine than it does leaders," Xapferey commented half humorously.

Jason snorted. "I'm glad you refused him on the spot. I don't care to think about the reaction of a lot of people if you'd considered that absurd idea of his. Even the Old Families wouldn't fall to that kind of level."

"Which brings me to why I want to have this discussion, a rift is growing between us and we need to address the cause or causes. So I'm going to be blunt and ask that you not take offence, my friend. What exactly are your problems with me?"

Jason's eyes narrowed as he breathed deeply. "How long do you have, because it's quite a list."

"I can literally make the time," Xapferey assured him.

"Fine. You asked for this. Have you heard the phrase power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely?"

"Yes I have, quite frequently," Xapferey answered.

"Good. Now, I'm not entirely certain as to your past, but my understanding is that you have basically built yourself up from near nothing to essentially a god personified in a very short amount of time, no more than a few years in reality, correct?"

"Essentially," Xapferey. "But more like 31 years I've ruled my lands, I've been divine for the last… 10 or so."

"Still, a very short amount of time to go from nothing to god, if there even is a standard amount of time for such a thing. Do you think you're the same person that you were when you started?"

"No, and I know I am different. I've had to make some difficult choices for the sake of others. Do you know why I made myself a Dragon, Jason?"

"Can't say that I do."

"I didn't do it for myself, I did it for Deedlit. Jason, Archmages can live for 200 years, 300 stretching it to the utmost. Do you know how long a High Elf lives?"

"I'm going to guess for a thousand at the very least, if not immortal."

Xapferey nodded.

"They are immortal, Deedlit's parents have seen over seven millennia of life, and Deedlit before I came to Lodoss was the youngest of the High Elves at 150."

"Ok, I'll accept that. But looking at the high elves I've seen, I'm going to guess that most of those in positions of power would be centuries old, at an absolute minimum. So, how common is it for someone of your age to occupy the position of power that you hold?"

"Keep in mind Jason, before I became King, these lands were unoccupied. The army I had gathered at the time was meant to fight in the War of Heroes. A war against the Empire of Marmo, after the war I gathered various refugees and my army and made my capitol here. But as I was human at the time I formed my army and was considering making a kingdom, a human king my age wasn't much of a stretch. King Kashue of Flaim was about my age when he formed his kingdom from a mercenary band. There is only one other realm in these lands ruled by a Dragon, so there wasn't much scrutiny on me due to my age or species."

"I didn't ask about when you formed your kingdom. I asked about now. You've gone from, let's be honest, a foot soldier to emperor of a space-faring galactic power in 31 years. You've effectively proven that very few other nations can match you in open combat, so it makes you one of, if not the dominant power in the sector. That kind of progress terrifies a lot of people for a lot of reasons. It terrifies the high elves because you've essentially smashed straight through their perceptions of what's possible and trampled many of their traditions into the ground along the way. It terrifies the humans within your empire, because of your position as a dragon and god. And it terrifies the citizens of the Koprulu sector because they see you as an unstoppable juggernaut that can invade, subjectate or destroy them purely on a whim and there's nothing they can do to stop it."

"I would object to that last bit, I never trampled on the traditions of the High Elves, the humans within my empire are less terrified of me, or the changes I've made than they are Kardis. I understand that others are terrified of me, that was unavoidable, I cheated by slowing time, and that means those within those fields have had time to get used to this. When I met you, our space program had been going on for 30 years at the time. We kept it heavily classified from the rest of the empire and made sure to use MIRN to select the right officers who showed the adaptable traits we needed for it. I admit I likely have jumped the gun bringing the war to Forceria. I've been breaking moulds my entire time on Lodoss, the first war we fought with Allan. 7500 of my troops against 40,000 of theirs, and we defeated them using the equivalent of 21st century tech. So I make no apologies for that. The reason I had to move so fast was when I summoned my magical familiar, a raptor strain Zergling, it was too easy, there were no dimensional borders to struggle with. Which I quickly realized meant that I would have had to fight the Zerg sooner or later, Zerg meant Starcraft, Starcraft meant Hybrid and Amon. I literally had no idea how much time I would have to prepare, and well if I have to terrify the whole sector to be ready for the End War, then I will fight to the last and make no apologies in attempting to save the galaxy."

Jason was silent for a moment. "And that's exactly what I meant earlier. Absolute power corrupts absolutely."

"So would you rather I have sat on my ass for the thousands of years it would have taken to naturally advance and have Hybrid come crashing into my realm without the needed defences in place?" Xapferey wondered.

"Bluntly, yes. If Kardis hadn't got involved, then that war would likely have been confined to the Koprulu sector. The only reason she got involved was because you did. Progress at a natural pace, or even somewhat accelerated, is easy to adapt to. You've crashed through any blockades in your path without any consideration for what lies on the other side. You've basically become so used to doing things your way and be damned to the consequences, that you're not looking at the consequences at all. You've let the power you possess control you to an extent and seek more of it. Regardless of your motivations, that much is unquestionable. Believing that the galaxy is only safe under your control, that is going to cause problems. When you rely on such means to justify your ends, then you start falling down a slope that you cannot easily come back from. I won't question how you rule your own people, that is not my business. But every last being in the Koprulu sector is not under that banner and, in my experience, the best leaders are those that do not seek power. I don't think even you can say that of yourself any more. On top of that, the immortal should not rule the mortal, that's just common sense. As much as age can produce wisdom, it also produces a disconnection between successive generations. Us mere mortals have to live our lives at a faster pace because we only have that finite amount of time to achieve what we wish to. You're trying to have it both ways and it simply cannot be done. Not without the major risk of everything falling into a flaming pile of rubble."

"I know, I never sought power for power's sake. Jason, have you seen what level of development most kingdoms are on Lodoss?" Xapferey asked.

"I have, which is why I'm so worried. Because 30 years or so ago, that was you."

"It was, do you know why I made myself a king? Again it was for Deedlit. When I first started what we call dating her, I was a nobody, a random adventurer. Yes I had a minor noble title, but I had literally nothing else. If I were to go up to her parents and ask, I would have been laughed out of the gate, a minor nobleman and mortal adventurer with little to his name asking to marry the Crown Princess of the High Elves? I would have looked like an outright fool. I sought power for her sake, to keep her safe. Kardis would have likely risen at two separate occasions if not for me. Because I knew what was coming and could make a stronger attempt to stop it that didn't require plot armor," Xapferey sneered derisively. "Seriously a 16 year old boy trying to stop the Archmage of Marmo with the Scepter of Domination?" He laughed thinking of the original plot. "If reality had taken place Deedlit would have died and Kardis would have risen in full, no Marfa, and no Xapferey in her path. She would have raised Amon easily then you'd have to deal with them both. So I admit I've terrified and blown holes in people's whole world view, but as the Bard had said "what's done is done and cannot be undone." Secondly it was Marfa herself who passed her domain to me before she was about to die."

"As I recall, by the time you were seriously pursuing Deedlit, you'd already amassed quite a reputation of your own, not to mention saved her life. It might have taken some time to win their approval, but I doubt you'd have been laughed out of the gate, as you put it. I can accept you doing what you had to to stop Kardis here, there's no way I'd argue against saving Deedlit. But going so far ahead has not helped you or your people. You might be ready to deal with such threats, but I don't think that the majority of your people are. It doesn't say much for you when they have to choose between you and Kardis."

"True, the lesser of two evils and all that. But considering the fact that my people have enjoyed a higher standard of living, one they still had to work for, but I gave them the opportunity. They were the ones who took it. I never once forced any of my people, and yes they still as you would put it kowtow to me as their sovereign because it is what they are used to. But of all the leaders of Lodoss, I have been the one to bring them both prosperity and I can honestly say happiness. I suppose winning the peace after the war will be difficult to do, it always is much harder to win the peace than the war. But considering I am in a position to at least have a hand in it. So let them fear, actions speak louder than words. But I suppose I have been seeking power too. But consider it from my perspective Jason, on the back front I have Falaris sniffing around my borders, probing for any opportunity he can use. I've got Baylos the Dark God of Fire and Fury poking at my eastern sides, I've got the spirit of anger swirling around within my lands looking for the chance to unleash problems. The god of thieves eyeing the wealth of my lands. I cannot afford to look weak to them, as a new god of Lodoss and a powerful one, each of the dark gods are seeking to tip the balance in their favor."

"So, you're essentially trying to fight wars, either physically or politically on the local, galactic and divine fronts, all simultaneously. Doesn't that strike you as stretching yourself a bit too thin?"

"Not wars. I have non-aggression and trade treaties with all the lands around mine except Marmo, I have a mutual defensive pact with them, Emperor Beld is quite entranced with my war machine and is helping me on the chance I turn a favorable eye to him if he moves against the other nations again, so I'm not fighting on the local front right now. As for the Divine, the probing is not so much fighting as it is posturing. So I am a little stretched on the divine front, but I now have managed to get the light gods enough on my side that they are taking enough pressure off me that I can focus most of my efforts onto Kardis."

"OK, so when was the last time you considered and implemented an idea from someone that wasn't you?" Jason was starting to appear visibly frustrated at this point.

"New Folsom, I took your advice and changed my plans to include it. I also cancelled my plans for the leadership conference on your suggestion," Xapferey answered.

"And how long ago was that? Several months, if I recall correctly. Are you telling me that in that time, not one idea or suggestion has come to you from someone else that might have been potentially better than what you ultimately ended up doing?"

"Aiur, it was Deedlit's suggestion that I get rid of my avatar and face Kardis' directly. Things would have been a lot harder if I didn't have the power to kick her around like a soccer ball. Secondly I didn't go all out since that would have had terrible repercussions for the planet. I do admit that the way I lead is not one you enjoy seeing," Xapferey chuckled. "Ohh, I see part of the problem, you see too much of Mengsk in me don't you and it worries you?"

"Once bitten, twice shy." Jason confirmed. "He followed a very similar path to what you've done, admittedly without the whole god and magic boost on top of it, and look where he ended up. You're still holding and seeking far more power than I am comfortable with."

"True, keep in mind the way I rule and lead is because of the examples I have seen in other kings. I am trying to balance a modern mindset with that of a feudal king in leadership. I lead the way I do because I have seen other kings lead like that. I do have some unfair advantages offered by my divinity in that I can see possibilities. If not for my greatly accelerated timeline, Mengsk would still be in power, you'd be fighting him and in a couple years or so Nova would be caught and mindwiped then turned into one of his loyal Ghosts. I've been trying to cherry pick the best choices I can see, and Kardis can't block me much right now, so we have a major advantage."

"Leading like that might be fine for a still feudal-based society, but you're not dealing with those, are you? The Dominion is probably the closest to that right now and even that's changing with Valerian in charge. On top of that, feudal society was far less educated than modern societies, which is why that style of leadership died out on Earth. It may take time, but you may have more to worry about from within than Kardis in time. The thing about using future knowledge is that once it's used to alter the timeline, it becomes useless. You can't predict everything and you certainly can't be certain as to what path time and fate will follow."

"Perhaps not, but I'm doing the best I can with what I got. What would you have me do my friend? Rewrite time so that my society is reverted back to medieval times and keep my snout out of the galaxy for the next few centuries?"

Jason rolled his eyes. "No need to be so dramatic. While I'm sure you could do that, that would cause as many problems as it solves. The answer is simple. Discussion, explanation. Form a consensus. Work with people to achieve what has to be done rather than ride straight over the top of them. Don't pretend you have all the answers and are the top authority on everything."

"I'm not pretending, I can see things happen before they do," Xapferey quipped. "I can also experiment by pulling on threads of time to test events before they occur. I am a god after all. Kardis is the only one who can truly block me when it comes to galactic events but she has to be at full strength to do so."

Jason shook his head. "I don't know why I bothered. You're not listening and I don't think you ever will."

"Sorry, couldn't help it. I am listening," Xapferey said honestly. "I was pulling your leg a little there."

Jason stood. "No. This is the same old bullshit and all we do is go around in circles and nothing changes."

"Ok," Xapferey put his hands up in surrender. "Tell me then what should I do?"

"I've told you. Not my fault if you weren't listening. Although I will add one last piece of advice. Take a walk among your people. You can learn something from them. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have other duties to attend to." With a short bow, Jason left, face as unreadable as when he entered.

"Ugh," Xapferey pressed his hand into his face. "I should have stayed on Earth." With that Xapferey got up and headed to his bedroom to think.

"He's right, you do act as if you have all the answers," Deedlit said to him as he entered the room.

"Perhaps I do. I'll take his advice and wait until we meet at the next council meeting in three days." Xapferey then cast his mind into the ether seeking the thoughts of his peoples. Jason was right, many were terrified by him and his actions. He had broken convention time and time again as a result of his modern upbringing, but at the same time he had forgotten the power of democratic ideals. It was time for a change, time to let Jason take the front line for a while in command and show him that Xapferey had learned and was at least willing to meet him halfway.

3 days later…

Draconia council chambers.

In the meeting room Xapferey was sitting with the leadership of the coalition and spoke.

"Well, our main situation is the issue caused by the betrayal of the Conclave and Aldaris. Anyone have any suggestions for our next move?" Xapferey asked.

There was a tense air as silence filled the room. Word had clearly leaked out about the developing rift between the Emperor and one of his Lord Admirals and it had proven to be a polarizing issue. Many of the original council members that had been in place before the discovery of the Koprulu sector felt that Jason's role was to bring victory against the enemies of the Empire, and very little else. As such, he should not be questioning the Dragon god. Others, however, agreed with Jason, believing that the points he raised were valid, and had been unaired for too long. As such, the council was heavily divided at a time when it could ill-afford to be. Jason himself was uncertain about the part forward, for himself, the non-Draconians that followed his lead and for Draconia and the sector as a whole. While he wasn't second-guessing his actions and words, he did recognise that there may have been a better time and place to have that discussion. He couldn't afford to dwell on it right now, though. As Xapferey had stated, there were issues to deal with that were far more important.

"I suppose the main question I have is, why Aldaris? Why now?" Malkira asked.

"I've been wondering about that as well Malkira, but from what I can guess. I'd have to say Aldaris became enamoured by Kardis. She was powerful enough to hold against what I was throwing at her and coming back for more each time," Xapferey said.

"It's probably also fair to say that you and Aldaris didn't exactly hit it off when you met." Jason pointed out coolly. "First impressions are often lasting ones, after all."

"Also a fair assessment," Xapferey agreed.

"It's ridiculous though. Kardis was only 'durable' because you were holding back. Your strike that knocked her to the ground; the gust of wind it created was strong enough to knock a Protoss carrier for a loop and drop its shields," Malkira said.

"It's not just that. If I had destroyed her avatar and managed to control the backlash, the Swarm would have gone feral, and I don't think we could have held on long enough in that case," Xapferey added. "I admit I could have met with Aldaris in a better way. It was a difficult moment, we were running on a very tight timeframe."

"Al least you got rid of Lord Elros. No offence to you Executor Tassadar, but that's one step I'm not willing to take, not now at least," Malkria said.

"I understand completely. Such things are not merely far from common, but almost non-existent." Tassadar replied. "I am uncertain how the survivors may have taken such a suggestion."

"Badly, some more than others if I had agreed to the idea," Xapferey's eyes flicked to meet Jason's for a moment. Jason simply raised an eyebrow in reply. "But the question needs to be posed, what do we do now. Executor, first of all, allow me to formally apologize for the loss of the Spear of Adun. It was not my desire to have a hand in the destruction of such a magnificent ship."

Tassadar bowed his head. "I do not hold you responsible, Emperor. We did not anticipate such a movement gaining sufficient support for it to be an issue and I certainly agree that you must defend yourself when under attack. But I do not believe that the ship itself was destroyed during the battle. Certainly, we cannot assume that it has been destroyed so."

"The ship took 36 transphasic torpedoes before it warped out. Protoss shields such that the Spear is equipped with cannot stop them, I acknowledge it's possible it survived, but to be honest Executor. Protoss ships are aesthetically pleasing, highly so. But they don't have much in the way of armor and rely heavily on shields."

"Undoubtedly. But it would not surprise me if we saw it again against us."

"Agreed, now the question is, what should our next move be? I've begun fortifying the border and providing defense platforms to the Fringe Worlds and Outer Colonies, as well as intensifying the ground based garrisons."

Jim spoke up at this point, though Xapferey could tell there was still a trace of anger within him. "What we need to answer that is, what is Kardis likely to do next? She's just been given more power and a loyal Protoss fighting force. How is she going to use that?"

"Most likely to garrison Aiur. She'll use them as the useful tools she sees them as. Right now her newest avatar cannot be more than a relay for instructions at best. The reason is simple, Kardis is just using a transformation spell on the man she's using like a puppet. If she puts too much of herself into the body, it'll burn out. I'd save him if I can, and Cypher will pay the cost for this failure."

"And if she does burn him out?" Sarah asked. "Where would her power go? Would it join the rest of her?"

"That's a bit complicated. To properly explain that I'd have to go a bit into divine mechanics," Xapferey replied looking at Sarah to see if she wanted the full explanation.

"So, it's not a simple yes/no type answer then?"

"In a nutshell… the power would return to Kardis herself. An avatar is a relay in of itself, a shell with some of the god's knowledge and power. The power to make one has to come from the God. But there's also a backlash, overcharging this avatar would basically throw all that power back into the God's face. In Kardis' current condition, such an action would likely set her return back a couple decades."

"How about transferring that power to another individual? Someone more capable of containing it. Such as, say, a High Templar?" Nova pointed out.

"Hard to say. Reclaiming an avatar is tricky at times. If the God is alert and aware they could reclaim their power easily. Having looked at the orb that made the change in the first place. It was the equivalent of a oneshot emergency transfer. It was a contingency so that Kardis could influence the world again. Changing such a thing around is not something she could do in her current condition. She's stuck with that avatar."

"And the addition of a force of highly powerful psionic warriors capable of merging their own essences doesn't change that?" Louise asked quietly. "Certainly, it was simple enough for me to fashion a new body for myself after my….transfer here."

"Does an old power cell change the energy output of the sun? That's the kind of power levels we're talking about Louise."

"So, if we could find and kill the unlucky bastard she possessed, we could set her back decades, then?" Jason asked.

Xapferey paused in thought, running computations in his mind.

"26 years, 11 months, 18 hours and 32 seconds," Xapferey answered.

"And what are the chances of actually finding this individual?" Zeratul demanded.

"100% Kardis' main avatar is stretched to the brink in her current situation, she cannot hide this one from me. I know precisely where it is. It's halfway to Aiur right now."

"So, can we kill him?" Selendis questioned.

"Yes," Xapferey offered with a smile. "I can provide the exact coordinates for you to do it."

"Going back to Aiur so soon." Jason mused. "She'll be expecting an attack."

"This isn't an attack, it's an assassination mission. Gah!" Xapferey exclaimed in surprise as he stared up at the sky.

"It is done, My Lord… I may have escaped my cell but I do my duty to the end even if it meant my end. At least I die with some dignity now, and not a complete failure. Cypher Nine signing out."

"I should have known... Well that avatar was killed. Cypher Nine managed to escape her cell and hunted it down, dying in the process of eliminating it."

"Well, that's convenient." Jason said. "So, that should slow Kardis down for 26 years? Forgive me if that sounds too good to be true."

"Cypher was always good at anticipating my needs before I even knew I had them. When she was young her friends joked that she was so lucky she was born with rabbit feet. But in ideal conditions it will slow her down that long. However, with the hybrid out gathering energy and healing her… maybe 4-6 now that I think about them."

Jason sighed. "Well, that's still better than a poke in the eye with most kinds of sticks."

"It buys us time at least. Kardis will likely be bunkering down in the Koprulu sector and focusing on Earth space for now. Question is, what should our next move be?" Xapferey wondered.

"Right now, what can we do other than to try and consolidate our own strength and prepare for her return? We can't meaningfully wage war on Earth, even with divine powers, trying to resupply for a campaign over that distance is not feasible any time soon. If we can dig out her plans and agents here, that would be helpful, but it's doubtful we can do a full-sized campaign here either, she's not likely to leave that much of a target for us to find." Jim commented.

"Indeed not. But what I managed to extract is this: One, Kardis has moved her body to Earth while her Avatar holds court on Aiur as it were. She has her greatest Hybrid localized at Sol so she's secure there. Two, The Spear of Adun is a total wreck, her shields are non-functional, ninety percent of her weapons array is blown out. Her factory decks are literally gone, and the solarite core is on the verge of a total scram. Three, Kardis is holding a massive cordon in the Aiur system, nothing is getting in there without a massive assault, but at the same time nothing is coming out," Xapferey said.

"Then patience and preparation is the best thing we can work on right now." Jason agreed with Jim's assessment. "There is no purpose in throwing lives and resources away when we will need them later."

"True enough, now as to my own plans. Admiral Dugalle was kind enough to provide us with his approach avenue from Sol to Kropulu. We're the best hope he has for Earth's freedom even if he doesn't want to admit it yet. So these are the plans I was considering," Xapferey activated a star map to demonstrate. "Each of these five points are the best possible jump points for passing to the Kropulu sector from Sol. I was planning on providing a garrison of a Star castle, and two star fortresses backed by a Phoenix group to each jump point. This way we have both advance warning and considerable firepower in those regions. Each force will have 7 retreat vectors they can take with another 2-4 Sovereign groups in reserve for each. Your thoughts?"

The assembled commanders reviewed the positions and the suggested force concentrations for each area. What the Emperor was proposing would remove from general service a sizable portion of the available forces, there was no doubt of that. Jason was concerned about the sheer number of forces that would be tied up on essentially blockade duty for such a period of time. Strategically, there was a requirement for some sort of force, there was no doubt, in case Kardis did choose to attack through those entry points. But, having seen both her and Xapferey pull forces through portals and other such means, it was also possible that she would use such means to bypass any interdiction efforts that could be made. What troubled Jason was that there was no way of knowing what means that she would use to renew her attack on the sector, for there would be a renewal of war, that was certain.

"Kardis made a mistake when she moved her body from Kropulu, a wise security, but also a flawed strategy," Deedlit mused. "Gentlemen and ladies, Kardis is just one Goddess, powerful yes, but Kropulu no longer is subject to the majority of her influence. Bringing in forces from beyond through portals isn't something she can do without a door. She needs a door, but her Avatar cannot provide it even with her awake. It has taken on too much, it cannot take more stress. Unless she brings in her true self again, they cannot just waltz in. We're blocking her."

"And her forces on Aiur can't work out a way around that?" Jason asked.

"It's possible but unlikely, we'll prepare just in case. I admit our plan is a big undertaking, but I'll be honest, it doesn't pull from the pool of total or available forces too much. Overall we have available 20 Phoenix groups. 100 Sovereign groups, 200 Galaxy groups, and 2000 cruiser groups available. 4 ships to each group to serve as command and capital assets depending on ship size. The fact is this is it ladies and gentlemen. We cannot pull further reserves without making Midway or Pegasus vulnerable to a dedicated attack. I know the distance involved is a major impediment to such an undertaking, but would you want our enemy taking a foothold in another galaxy?" Xapferey revealed. "All told we have between 75-100,000 ships available for battle and all require roles."

Jason sighed. With that level of forces available, the task would be indeed manageable. While he still wasn't convinced it was the best use of forces and personnel, it was unlikely that he'd be able to come up with anything better just yet. Quietly, he nodded his agreement.

"Ok then, we have a plan, and they will be implemented by next week, if anyone has any alternatives or suggestions, they have seven days to present their case. If that is all? Then this meeting is adjourned."