A command station located in a galaxy not to be found on any starmaps, Fer'delance share's a homonym in its name with the strange, living vessel that contains the only gateway to the station. Both are marvels of technology supported at their center by a living organism, a cybernetic 'heart' that produces incredibly efficient energy. The station is town-sized, housing its own military forces day to day businesses. The residents are human but, curiously, there is no food to be found anywhere on the station.

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Helantri Deru

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The platform's golden glow fades into a brightly lit corridor, brilliant and metallic in spots but overgrown with living matter in others.

"This way," the soldier informs Felina, heading to the end of the hall.

Felina follows along without comment, just taking in her surrounds. Very, very interesting, this place. She'd love to spend some time here and see the schematics of how it works. Well. Sometime when there's not a war.

Two, three, four key-coded gates later, Felina and the soldier arrive in an immense chamber dominated by a fantastically large silver-colored door frame with no door. It stands on a pedestal, surrounded by computers and keypads and dozens upon dozens of security guns.

"That," the soldier points out, "is the way to the station. If you like, I can go with you to prove that it isn't a death trap."

"I'm okay. But thank you." Felina smiles, and heads over that way. She trusts her psychic ability to point out danger. "So. Who turns it on?"

"It only turns on from the station. Hold on." The soldier holds his hand to his helmet, clicking a fitting on the glove into place with the headgear. A momentary crackle later... "Okay. Dey'ono's aboard."

Two seconds after, the doorway blips to life, showing a chamber not unlike the one they're in now, only in this chamber there are no less than twenty-five soldiers and a few Quaiesh-sized, thick shouldered, lumbering beast-men to boot.

"Lovely, then. Thank you. Anything else that I need to know before heading through?"

"Just don't be asinine. She hates that."

"Grey matter accounted for. Check." The serinian nods, mildly amused, and heads through the gate, wondering what this will bring.

The air on the other side is determinedly fresher than the air aboard the ship. Another soldier, almost identical to the one from the other side, steps up to lead Felina to the next checkpoint.

It's a short, uneventful walk to the 'bridge' of the ship. The room itself is comfortably furnished with soft sitting spots and dozens of consoles. At the back of the room, next to the only lit console, sits a woman dressed in a simple brown peasant's dress, patterned with snakes twining around the arms.

"That," the soldier points, "is Fleet Commander Lilith. She likes casual speech, by the way. Formality pisses her right off."

"Duly noted," Felina nods. She's usually a touch formal, of course, and anything else is going to come across as false, but she won't put on any extra airs. That said, she heads in the commander's direction. "I have to give your ships credit," she greets... "they do know how to make an entrance."

The woman looks up from what genuinely appears to be a computer game. "Oh," she softly speaks, "they have a habt of it. Welcome to my station, Felina Dey'ono. Sit." She points at a console nearby. "Turn that screen on. I'm Trillium, by the way."

Felina smiles a little, and nods. "A pleasure." Sits...looks over the screen. Well, that looks button-y. Pushes it.

The screen statics a moment, and comes to life. An image of Il'sha burns on the screen, a wide, bird's eye view of the palace that shows most of the countryside.

"You've been running around, gathering people from Pretender's list for the last day or so," Trillium observes, "you've collected most of them, under the assumption that Asiba has some plans for them, correct?"

Definitely gets Felina's attention. She's taken aback. A visual of Il'sha? Pretty bloody impressive. "Yes, that's correct." Substantiated, as far as she's concerned, by being beat to some of them.

Trillium reaches out with her just less than slim arm and taps a key. "That," she points, when the screen shifts to a cutaway view of the palace, clearly displaying Shal'ahn Min talking to a chained Yoru, guarded by Cali, "is your friend. Correct?"

Felina frowns just a little, and nods. "Yes. That's correct."

"Your assumption that this is Asiba's operation is incorrect," Trillium quietly tells her. "This is mine. This is the human resurgance, and I don't want it marred with innocent blood. Your friend's blood."

felina folds her arms, quiet several seconds. "If that's teh case, then why have we been threatened upwards of six times today that Yoru will be crucified?"

"Because I left Asiba in command and she felt that you needed to be held at arm's length. She was correct, your interference is a setback that is going to cost a number of lives." Trillium clicks again, zooming in on Yoru. "Because you've seen fit to interfere, I am going to leave you to your course. But I warn you now that the battle starts tomorrow. Do what you want, but if you want to keep your friends alive you'll find another way than getting in mine." Her words lack any semblance of threatening. She sounds like she's just stating a fact.

"Solid attempts on my nether double's life and Ai's as well are very strange ways to discourage my involvement," Felina observes dryly.

"I apologize for that. My daughter Cali has her ways, and Asiba apparently felt no need to restrain her while I was gathering my humans elsewhere." Trillium taps the screen again. "If it keeps you out of my way, I will have your friend released into your custody immediately. I can promise you that no harm will come to your circle if you keep them out of the conflict."

"I didn't gather the inhabitant's of Pretender's list to expose them to harm," Felina notes. "Strikes will be strictly defensive or, if pushed, counteroffensive. If my little group and none of their holdings or allies are bothered, we'll keep our hands out of it, as has always been the plan. A look at my historical record as a wartime commander will substantiate my desire to avoid largescale conflict." She crosses her legs. "If you don't bother me, I won't bother you. My first priority is the safety of those who put enough faith in me to join me. I will ensure that however possible and necessary." Yeah, it's pretty widely known by the well-read that she's a construct with a protective nature. You can only be around so many years before that kind of thing leaks out.

Trillium blows a shock of black hair out of her eyes. "You ask too much. Your little group I can agree to leave alone. Their allies and holdings, I cannot. Unless I'm mistaken, you have representatives from every faction in your circle and to leave all of their allies would be to abandon my cause." She looks at Felina, away from her console. "Don't think that I am trying to broker a deal with you because I'm afraid of you. Your sorcery and your psychics do not intimidate me. I just want to repay an injustice done to you."

Felina considers this dutifully. Several aspects of it...of all this. Her eventual answer is careful and considered, but honest. "We will not take a military stand, against you or anyone else, unless someone shoves us forcefully from our neutrality." Including attempts to 'recruit' her members away, attack, hostages of members' families, and so on. "Full fighting is very far down on the 'things we'd like to do' list."

"Understood." Trillium clicks her console again. "This is a good choice. One second." Clicks. A hiss of static, and then... "Cali."

"..mm?" The reply broadcasts over the psychic spectrum, almost certainly, though it is amplified through the receiver Trillium is holding.

"Release the Serinian. Have Shal'ahn send her back to Helantri Deru. As near as you can." Trillium looks at Felina. "Is that what you want?"

Felina nods. "On its nearest moon; a friend lives there." And she doesn't have to take down its shields. Actually, she's pleased with this, she thinks...it gives Trillium a very solid reason to discourage any faction from attacking the Maze's. She hadn't limited the neutrality break to being Il'sha's fault. Not that she wants to. But if they're forced into fighting Trillium, she doesn't want it to be based on a broken promise.

"Did you get that, Cali?" Trilium asks. A pause, and then the smoke thing on the screen gives a slow nod. "Get to it, then. I want this done in ten minutes." Clicks off the radio. Looks to Felina. "We have an accord, then. You must want to end this badly, if you haven't asked me to prove myself. I could well be a pissant starship captain."

"It occurred to me. But Yoru's presence will do it for you. It wouldn't be impossible, but very difficult to put forward a good enough fake that I wouldn't suspect a problem. And...yes. I do want this to end as quickly and quietly as possible. I can handle wars, even big ones. I have before, more times than I care to recall." Smiles a little. "But I have two kids and another on the way that I would very much love to spare from such nastiness wherever possible. Armageddon isn't something I'd like them to develop their identies around."

Trillium gives a short little nod. "I understand that well. I have many, many children myself. But they won't be so lucky as to have the option of avoiding it." 

The gate hisses open again. "You may leave now. The Fer-de-lance will see you to your moon."

Felina nods. Stands to go, and starts to...pauses, back to Trillium. "While you're at it, tell me...what is being held over Makyon's head?" He simply isn't acting right over all of this.

"Held over his head? Nothing that I know of. Which makes me think that he is planning some treachery. You had better warn him against it. I won't show mercy for it."

Felina just absorbs this a few moments, nods slightly, and just heads for the door. Definitely remains unconvinced on this bit.

Trillium just turns back to her game. Doesn't really trust Felina's word, anyway, but that's the chance she's taking here.

The same soldiers stand around the portal outside, and none really react to Felina's presence. They aren't being threatening, or posturing. Just sort of standing.

Felina just heads back towards it without a word. If they stop her, they stop her, but she isn't really in the mood.

Of course they don't. 

Back on the other side, the first soldier meets Felina.

"Going back?" He asks. "Pointless to tell me, the ship is autopilot, but I thought courtesy was good."

"Yes, thank you."

The soldier nods a bit. "Head for the portal, then. We're probably already there."

Felina nods. She's already said "thank you" and isn't really in the mood for pressing formality too much...and just does as directed. Still alert for danger. Trillium's trust in her is about mutual, of course.

But everything goes without a hitch, and in a moment, Felina is gone to Cavern Moon.