Alexander knew coming here that there would probably be some give and take that needed to happen to come to an agreement. He just hoped whatever she asked for was something he was willing to offer.
“And what is it you want?” Alexander asked.
“I want a lot of things, Kane, but from you, I want technology.”
Before he could reply, she held up her hand. “I know what you said before. After Harlow is dead. That’s not going to cut it. I agree that an alliance would make defeating him easier, but we could do it without you, although it would cost us and you far more if that happened. All you have given me so far are empty promises. Neither of us knows each other well enough for that to work. If you want me to agree to join you against Harlow and help defend Unokane, we need a more mutually beneficial arrangement. That means outfitting as many of my ships as you can, starting with the Valkyrie. I’ll even happily pay for these upgrades.”
“I can’t do that,” Alexander stated.
“And why would that be?” she asked. “Are you afraid we might use that technology against you?”
Alexander had to admit that the thought had crossed his mind.
She must have seen his hesitation. “I see. Even after everything you’ve learned you still think of us as some barbaric pirates don’t you?”
“Can you blame me?” Alexander asked.
“For your ignorance perhaps,” she mused. “Do you even know what it means to be an Asgardian?”
He shrugged. “I honestly know very little about your people.”
“I’m not surprised. We don’t often allow outsiders in. Consider yourself lucky there. As for what an Asgardian is, that is harder to explain. We are not one people. We are a union of multiple systems, with sections controlled by Jarls. The only thing binding us together is our desire to be safe from outside threats such as the Shican, the STO/corporations’ influence, and the pirates.”
“That seems like a very shaky foundation,” Alexander stated.
“At times it can be, but despite that, we have endured for over two hundred years. That shared experience and desire have ingrained a certain mindset into the peoples of our union, bringing them into closer alignment.”
“While that is all very fascinating, why are you telling me all this?”
“What happens if I agree to ally my fleet with yours?” she asked instead.
“We join forces and fight off Harlow?” Alexander took note of the wording she used in her last response. “And by your fleet, do you mean just the ships here?”
She nodded. “I cannot speak for the other Jarls in a matter such as an alliance with an outside force. If you want the rest of the Jarls to agree, you would need to speak with each of them independently.”
That would not be possible in the time he had.
“I assume you are mentioning this now because you have an alternative solution?”
“I do,” she said simply. “Whether or not you think it worth it will be up to you to decide. And before I get into it, let’s be clear. Your choice will not affect my decision to hit Harlow’s fleet and harass his forces as much as I can. You need to decide if that will be enough to win the day or not in that case. Even if you agreed to my terms with respect to upgrading my ships and I agreed to ally with you for the sake of taking Harlow down, I would still be forced to prioritize defending Asgardian assets and my forces while assisting you as the secondary goal. I’m sure you can understand why.”
He nodded his avatar. He would probably do the same given their positions were reversed. That didn’t mean he had to like the implications of her words. The alliance he had proposed was sounding less and less encouraging as they spoke.
“What do you suggest then?” he asked, having a suspicion that she had an alternative solution.
“I’ll be honest with you, Kane, a situation like this hasn’t occurred in the entire history of the Asgardian Union. I had to spend a few days digging through old records to find some justifications or laws to see if my proposal might even be legal. I did eventually find such a law and they just so happen to date back to the founding of the union. It appears my forefathers had hoped to expand the union, but no members have ever joined since the original founders signed the agreement. That’s what I’m offering you, Kane. Join us. Become a Jarl. With that, I can bypass the silly restrictions on the alliance you proposed and bring the full power of the Asgardian people to bear in your defense.”
“Just like that?” he asked, not quite believing the simple statement.
“There are certain procedures to make it official, but I believe you will have little issue overcoming them.”
“I don’t see how becoming a vassal to a political entity that the STO sees as pirates would benefit me. In fact, I believe the STO probably wouldn’t like that at all.”
“First off, you will not be a vassal. The Jarls are all independent nations within the overall Asgardian Union. As for your concerns with the STO, yes, they very much wouldn’t like that, but as soon as word gets out that you allied yourselves with us to fight off Harlow, you’ll be in the same situation regardless, so it makes little difference. You shouldn’t concern yourselves with what the STO thinks anyway since you are already an independent political entity. The fact is, they can do little to stop you because of the law you took advantage of to become a recognized sovereign nation. I must admit, that was a brilliant move.”
Alexander already knew as much about the STO’s laws. They only allowed the entity to place embargos on other nations that they recognized unless there was open conflict between the two and he had no plans to attack the STO. That meant the most they could do was give him a slap on the wrist which would have little actual impact and be impossible to enforce with space being as large as it was and the existence of smugglers and others like them who cared little for STO decrees when money could be made.
The punishments for breaking these laws were as outdated and forgotten as the laws he took advantage of to earn that sovereign nation status. That was one of the reasons why he had taken this approach to reach out to Char, even when he still thought the Asgardians were pirates. He still needed to confirm that last point but everything seemed to point to the fact that they weren’t.
“Why not just do what I did to rid the Asgardians of the stigma of being pirates?” he asked in return while he pondered her offer.
She shrugged. “Because we place little regard on what the people of the STO think of us and the label is a convenient shield that keeps most people from entering our territory. Now that we are strong enough to hold our own, it may be time to reconsider our standing with the STO, but that won’t happen until the war with Xin is over. That isn’t a concern you need to worry about unless you actually agree to join us though.”
“I see how this helps you,” Alexander admitted, “but how much does it help me?”
“Other than having more ships to call on in defense of Unokane, think about it for a moment. What happens when the fighting is done and your proposed alliance ends?”
“Who says it needs to end?” Alexander asked.
She scoffed at that. “There are some unresolved issues that would force us to end the alliance shortly after Harlow’s defeat, that being your illegal claim on Unokane. We would be forced to retake the system at some point and arrest every single person there for violating Asgardian law. If I didn’t, I would be seen as being derelict in my duties as Lagertha and my position within Asgardian society would crumble. Once my successor took over, they would correct that problem or share the same fate. I don’t want to have to do that, and I’m sure you don’t want it either. Your joining solves both those issues without resorting to bloodshed.”
Alexander was about sixty percent certain Unokane could repulse a force of Asgardian warships given time, but that depended a lot on how much survived after the battle with Harlow. If bloodshed could be avoided though, wasn’t he obligated to at least consider that option?
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“That is a lot to consider,” he finally stated. “Are you sure there isn’t some other option?”
“Well, you could always purchase the system from us,” she added.
“And how much would that cost?”
She slid a tablet across the table toward him. “The cost to purchase the system is after the Rules of the Asgardian Union and the responsibilities that come with the title of Jarl. Take your time to read through it.”
Alexander picked up the tablet and flipped through the document. It was surprisingly brief for a legal document outlining the requirements of joining the Asgardian Union. He would be required to defend his domain from all outside threats, which was probably the reason Char had stated she would be forced to act against Unokane at some point. He could not enter into contracts with the STO or any STO corporations–that might be a sticking point he would have to bring up.
The document also laid out civilian rights and even criminal rights, which was surprising, but maybe not as much as it would have been before she brought him to the agricultural cavern. He hadn’t asked how long people were held for certain crimes, but it was listed in the document and the actual sentences were far less severe than he would have thought. Even less so than what he had given the insurrectionists. He already planned to adjust his laws so this wasn’t that much more of a change.
Mutual defense in times of conflict with outside forces was one of the larger sections, detailing the requirements behind those responsibilities. There was even a section on taxes, which simply stated ‘No member of the union will ever be taxed by another political entity within the union.’ This really did seem like a better option now that he knew Char’s views on the matter. He really wished Theo was here, but the man had vanished once again with Loki, off to God knows where. He would just have to do his best without the man’s assistance.
“What if I already have contracts with the STO?” he asked the first question that might derail this entire process.
The woman frowned slightly but had a ready response to the question. “Are they with Blue Star Enterprises the company or BSE the nation?”
Considering he didn’t have a nation when he made that deal with Fletcher, this was easy to answer. “Blue Star Enterprises.”
“That’s fine then. It won’t win you any friends among Asgardians, but corporations aren’t restricted from making deals outside of our territory. Most just choose not to for obvious reasons. Jarl Isbjorn is one of the few exceptions to people who have created corporations and decided to work with STO-based entities. It's why he has grown in power so quickly since he took over in his region and just another reason why he cannot be trusted.”
“Who’s territory did I take when I moved into Unokane?”
“It was one of my father’s holdings, so technically mine. That would have brought my holdings up to three populated systems, I suppose.”
“…Sorry.”
“It was not exactly a prime piece of real estate where people wanted to live, but it was rich in minerals, which is why it was gifted to my father’s father so long ago.”
“What about the systems between it and Varlen?” Alexander asked.
“That is the buffer zone between us and the STO. It’s technically claimed by both sides, but neither side is willing to fight over those worthless systems, which is why they usually become a breeding ground for pirates and other criminal elements. If you plan on making a safe corridor between Unokane and STO space, you will need to patrol that yourself as it is not part of the mutual defense pact. A few other Jarls have similar systems that are near the STO, but they are far enough apart that nobody really risks a multijump to cross the distance.”
Alexander suspected that didn’t stop the Asgardians if they were accessing the black market within STO space. He would need to ask Krieger about that to see if he knew anything.
“One more question. What about technology sharing?”
“While sharing any breakthroughs will certainly strengthen the rest of the Asgardian people, it isn’t a requirement,” she added grudgingly. “Although I would hope that agreeing to my proposal would get you to remove your earlier restrictions. With this agreement, you can also purchase anything made inside Asgardian space for your own.”
A new trade partner would be welcome, but it remained to be seen how much that might help him in the long run.
Then he got to the price tag for the system. “Is this a joke?”
The Lagertha shook her head. “That is the estimated value of the minerals in Unokane. It’s an old estimate based on the original survey done during the Great Expansion and it probably falls well short of the true value of the minerals within the system, but let's just say for the sake of this meeting that’s the actual cost.”
Alexander glanced at the number once again. He was pretty sure that if he had the funding from every single corporation within STO space, he might still fall short of the number on the screen. There were so many zeros. Was it a quadrillion or quintillion? Not that it mattered. Even if he worked for a thousand years, he doubted he would ever come up with that sum. It was a completely absurd number and probably accurate. Unokane had three separate asteroid belts not including all the minerals on the planet itself and Alexander knew the planet was rich in ores and rare earth metals. If there had been a more habitable planet in the system, the Asgardians probably would have colonized the place long ago.
He set the tablet down and looked at the woman. “I don’t suppose you offer a payment plan?”
She smiled tightly. “I’m afraid not.”
“That does make your other offer seem–” he was going to say more genuine but realized how that might sound considering how she reacted the last time he questioned her sincerity, “–better for both sides, but I need time to confirm some things first.”
“You’re referring to my earlier statement where I said we were not pirates and we don’t attack people outside of our space? I figured you might, which is why I sent your man with Loki to look for any records of our people attacking STO vessels. They will go through both our logs and the ones on the STO network, which I have agreed to pay for.”
“Thank you… That should save time.”
Theo showed up a half hour later with Loki. Alexander was glad to see the man after the awkward silence that followed his conversation with Katalynn. She was not one for small talk, so she only ever answered those sorts of questions with one or two-word answers until Alexander got the memo and shut up.
“If you’ll excuse me,” he said, standing from the crate and dragging Theo away far enough not to be overheard.
“Tell me you learned something of note?”
Pembrooke adjusted his vac-suit from Alexander’s rough handling before speaking. “The Asgardian's records seem to be immaculate. They go all the way back to the start of the Shican War in 2190 and cover the STO’s pullout in 2192. I kinda feel sorry for them if those records are accurate.”
The man shook his head and continued. “Anyway. There were a few records of Asgardian and STO ships coming into conflict, but those happened shortly after the STO and the new Asgardian Alliance, as they called themselves back then, met. Since then, there hasn’t been a single recorded attack within STO space by an Asgardian member. Considering it’s seen as cowardice amongst Asgardians not to report battles, ships are always quick to do so. It's almost better than having it as a law. Anyway, the STO’s network corroborates most of that, except for a few instances recently that seemed fishy to me.”
“Fishy how? Are the Asgardians trying to hide something?”
Theo shook his head. “No, I don’t think this is the Asgardians. I think someone was posing as Asgardians to attack inside of STO space. The locations of the attacks don’t make sense though. They aren’t anywhere near the Asgardian transit lanes into STO space. These attacks are closer to the Xin area of space. Considering the two sides are currently at war, it doesn’t take a great stretch of the imagination to think that Xin is trying to foment hate against Asgardians. Maybe Xin hopes to pull the STO into the conflict to weaken both sides. It’s hard to say, I’m not a tactician.”
Alexander groaned softly. “I was kind of hoping you would give me a reason to say no to her offer.”
“Why? What did she offer? Was it something really ridiculous?”
“No, that’s just it, it's completely reasonable and even a good deal for both sides. She wants Unokane to join the Asgardian Union.”
“Ahh. I assume that means you would need to take up this war with Xin.”
“Yes, after we deal with Harlow, assuming we can. While it puts our fleet at more risk, I have a plan to minimize that. I’m more concerned with the politics that come after. We already know Char is having internal issues with one of her Jarls. Considering that the Asgardian Union is composed of separate nations, I’m not surprised. If I agree to this, my concern is that we are going to get dragged into the deep end of some political dogfight without any idea as to what's going on.”
“Can’t you just have an alliance without that?” Theo asked.
“Technically, yes,” Alexander stated, “But it would be a tentative and short-lived alliance at best. There are issues afterward that I would rather avoid such as the disputed ownership of Unokane and the Asgardian laws we are technically in violation of.”
“I see,” Pembrooke stated. “I’m not sure what you want me to say, I’ve never been involved in a situation as complicated as this.”
“That makes two of us,” Alexander grumbled. “For now, just keep doing what you’re doing and tell me anything you think I need to know. I’m going to speak to the fleet and get the captains’ opinions on the matter before I proceed.”
He turned back to the Asgardian leader. “I need to discuss this with my people.”
Katalynn nodded. “A wise decision. As an extra incentive, I should tell you that this is not a lifelong binding agreement. While most of the Jarls in the union have signed long-term deals, we have the option for a five-year commitment. If you don’t find being part of the Asgardians to be to your advantage within that time, you will be free to part ways and I will consider Unokane yours after that point. How’s that sound?”
Alexander paused. “Why are you telling me this now and how many have ever taken you up on this offer?”
“You seemed on the fence about joining, I thought this would tip the balance. As for anyone leaving the union, it hasn't happened since its founding, but the option is always there.”
“Why me, why Unokane?” Alexander asked.
“Access to tech we don’t currently have, a new Jarl, a fleet where there normally isn’t one, and just new blood in the union. I can think of a few other reasons as well, but those are the main ones. This isn’t something I would normally discuss with anyone outside of the Asgardian leadership, but I think you should know as well. Our people have grown complacent without the Shican threat looming over us. They may have forgotten, but I have not. I believe the Shican will return at some point and we need to be ready for that day. To make sure all Asgardians are ready, we need to ensure our technology is on par with the STOs or even the corporations. We have a long way to go to make that happen, but I think your inclusion would help significantly.”
Alexander was inclined to believe her. He also thought the Shican would return at some point.