A private and coded conversation between Layne Yr and Prime

My dear Admiral Layne Yr,

I must speak with you. For years, I have only given you advice when you truly thought you needed it. When I have given you advice, it has always been in good faith, as I hope you remember.

Barring information I am not aware of, I strongly suggest you change course in regards to the Fire Dome and the independent corporations. They are not, and will not be tools of the Iron Republic, unless we force them to take help.

They are in a unique position, which we can leverage very well. While they are not of the Iron Republic, they have access to the markets of the Iron Republic. This gives us an avenue to, through them, flood the Iron Republic market with cheap goods and subtle propaganda of our own design. This could let us strike a blow, gain profit, and lose no ships, all while letting us drive wedges between the Iron Republic, the Independent Corporations, and the Quall. Divide and conquer at its finest really.

Further, we cannot afford violence against ANY other factions at this juncture unless it is of critical importance. Fighting a full on war with the Quall is, by itself, nearly an impossible endeavor. They have taken countless worlds, and have almost limitless resources. Any distraction, even something as small as the independent corporations, is a distraction we cannot afford. We can win the fight against the Quall, and we can spread TRILAT such that the IR seem like ants. But we will not be able to do so if we must face the devastating gorilla warfare those smaller groups can force us into.

It is not too late to change course. Embarrass the Iron Republic by having the infesting vampires vanish without a trace. Even have them hibernate, ready to pop back up when they least expect it. Please let me use the diplomatic approach you know I wield so well to protect our flanks.

I do not know why you are so eager to remove all colonists from the Fire Dome, but I hope that you can at least tell an old friend. I promise you, I will keep the wormhole safe. The moon will be a fortress.

Prime.

PS: I do not know much of clothing, and I believe your fashion sense far outstrips mine. However, I have a different sort of present for you. My labor of years, the Purifier, is finished. I've attached a feed of the first field test of the weapon with heavy encryption. You will only be able to watch it once before the code degrades further, but I think you will enjoy the view.

Kasanthian Protection Level- SUPERMAX
Encryption Level- Beyond Top Secret

It is good to speak to you, and only to you. I hope you've swept your quarters for Eye spies and other bugs left by the Unity Cyborg Hunters?

I see your Knight of Augury has returned to your side. I hope this one is more reliable than the first one, you remember the one who turned to the side of the Warmonger Cult.

I do have a secret reason why ive focused on Fire Dome City.

And "as an old friend" I will happily share that reason. If you can first explain to me right here right now, why the Unity Consensus found it a good idea to create the Dragon of Unity???

Prime grinned, looking at the image of Layne Yr.

"The Dragon? I can tell you, but it is a bit of a long story. You know me, I never have any one reason for doing something...and my decision to make the Dragon was complicated."

Prime took a deep breath. Remembering the time when he was a demonic space station, linked to a population he could harvest at a whim, still felt strange to his now mortal mind.

"I thought of demonic energy as the most perfect expression of collective will or belief, and demons as a great potential counter to the Warmonger. What better way to gather enough power than to provide a being that could focus every single connected mind? I thought that this method could generate enough raw power to seal away the Warmonger forever, perhaps even destroy him, if the Dragon were to be used with the other ancient evils. I've since learned that mortals have much more power than I understood them to at the time."

Prime looked almost sheepish, a strange look on his scarred face, but it was gone in a flash.

"Of course, there is a second reason. I love to optimize systems, but knew I could not turn myself into an ancient evil. Developing the Dragon was as natural to me as breathing, especially then. I've gotten a bit better since, but that is my nature for better or worse. I hope that I've allayed your fears. My driving goal is to protect this plane, from the Iron Republic and the Quall. So much vibrant diversity has been lost, and so many questions have been lost to foolishness."

"Now, I would love to hear about the reason why you need Fire dome. Over a less secure channel, and perhaps dinner, I would like to show you my plans for your lovely Quall corpses, we are making so many after all..."

The hardest of choices with the highest of consequences.

The reason I want Druzi is simple. It's been built on top of a Nightmare Lord tomb. I noticed something was off when Viggo found the Nightmare Lord Starship during our last trip to Druzi and its moons.

I consulted the seers. The Druzi Fire Dome City is built on a Nightmare Lord tomb. Just a bit of time till the dear dumb mining scum crack open a crypt and revive a Nightmare Lord.

Then it dives through the Temporal Wormhole and we don't exist.

And if we report it to them, then the IR will move in and claim the Nightmare Lord remains and artifacts within.

This is...troubling. You are certainly right, we can't just tell anyone about this. However, there might be another solution.

The Fire Dome is rife with smugglers looking for profit. We can put together an elite expedition and have them be smuggled to the tomb entrance. From there, they can make their way to the core, deal with the Nightmare Lord tomb, take the artifacts, and then use a locally constructed Shadow satellite for extraction, without anyone the wiser. If we feel like being VERY clever, we can have one of said satellite smuggled. Its unlikely they will know what it is, but once on site it can deliver what we need to the surface.

My generals are presently indisposed, and I may need to run off to tame a berserk ship. However, I would be happy to send some Emissaries, Seneschals, and Vrangian Guard to supplement your forces for this.