The scene, one ever so simple. An auditorium, a huge one, with tables and seats stretching all around. A middle left blank and open, rectangular in shape. To the left and right of the long sides, three rows of tables and seats, each row presiding behind another raised up as to give those in the back a clear view. Then to another side of the room, the very same though not nearly as long as it was the smaller side of the rectangle. And then to the final side, a huge platform with desks and its own systems more advanced than that of the other seats.

And high above seats, a huge gallery and balconies overlooking the entire scene below with many MANY more seats in the form of benches. Fine dark wood paneled floors and walls, brilliant stained glass letting in the outside light, a very inviting marble floor at the center of the room. A proper parliamentary chamber, and one absolutely bustling with people. The main chambers on three sides of the lower level, all stacked with people in an uproar shouting and wailing, all of whom were dressed somewhat ritzy; meanwhile up above the gallery was packed with ordinary people in ordinary outfits who were also yelling out down below.

“Repre-repre-representative, no, no what I am- NO LISTEN UP GOD DAMMIT!!”

“This new Republic is a DISGRACE to our Confederacy, we need to take action IMMEDIATELY!!”

“Who gives a shit about the damn Republic, we’ve got rivals all over like that new Coalition. We should get the Warlords active and get rid of these-”

“Get rid of what, absolutely nothing? These new alliances are of no concern to this Confederacy. A threat to your micro-nation maybe but not to this council.”

“My nation is proud and strong you gatlinger!”

“Why would we use the Warlords? The Tribe failed to stop the Hive and now we’ve got this Republic!”

“Screw the Warlords! That system is ineffective! We should invest ourselves in an actual military-”

“Screw that, we should be going to Light Tech of these others and get the actual resources to keep us on top of these matters!”

“Light Tech Industries charges way too much, my kingdom is facing famine and drought, we can’t afford to-”

“Yeah well maybe your kingdom should face facts and just absolve itself!”

BANG BANG BANG

“ORDER, ORDER!!!”

It wasn’t long after the strike of the gavel that many of those in the Parliament Chambers settled down, all turning to the end of the room where there sat the main overseers of the session. A few staff surrounded the man with the gavel, all flooded with papers flying everywhere, and some typing away at a typewriter. Just as all focused, the man who struck down stood and slammed both hands atop his table.

“We will have order!!” the older man spat out.

At once one man, dressed in a slick spiffy suit, stood up on one of the long sides of the room, middle column, “Interum, permission for the floor!”

“Granted,” the old man growled, slumping back down into his seat with a hand over his face with a groan escaping him.

“Please, members of this congress, listen. All of this bickering is pointless. This… Republic of Sovereign Nations, it is not the first council in opposition to our Great Union, nor will it likely be the last. Remember The Coalition of Independent Realms, The Federation of Nations, the Dusk Confederacy. Another democracy is the least of our concerns, when we should instead return focus to that of the Vampire Lord- Arkaza.”

“Save your concerns Representative Mars, Arkaza is not a threat to any of us-”

“And how can you be so sure? Representative Mars has a point Varex. Take a look at the Vulfax Valley Incident that plagued our allies in the Tribe. Had it not been for unexpected allies within their network, the Earth would’ve been lost entirely to the Supernatural Uprising proposed by Arkaza, AND the Hive of that time. Even now they continue to commit acts of terror upon other independent nations. Surely we can not ignore such a thing?”

“You speak of non-member states, hardly a concern to our own nations or this Confederacy as a whole. It is not our concern what happens to outsiders.”

“And are you saying that we should ignore cries for help? How long until this threat plagues our smaller member-states, and then snowballs into something we can’t handle?”

“A preposterous claim. What threatens us most is the dissolution of our collective interests. We risk being divided by these new systems, a fracturing in our power and ability to respond to crisis that concern our own.”

“It is the choice of the people that they break off from this Confederacy when we prove ourselves so incapable of action!”

An uproar of cheers and boos alike broke out immediately, followed by more yelling even from the people of the viewing gallery. There, high up at the edge of the room near an entrance, two individuals stood- both in white cloaks with sky blue stars. One of the two had a visible expression of disgust, as if revolted by a foul stench. Both turned and moved away as the yelling continued.

A man of graying brown hair and yellow eyes, his face slightly wrinkled, standing just over a meter and a half tall. The other was nearly that second meter tall, brown hair and amber eyes, a bit more bulky at the seams. Both moved through the halls of the building, away from the echoing roars and the continued strike of the gavel.

“I can see why the Chairman chose to sit these meetings out as of late, utterly ridiculous,” the second man growled.

“It is to be expected,” the first sighed, tiredness in his voice, “The Parliament has been that way ever since the Azala incident with Vulfax.”

He paused as they strode along; though continued after a few seconds, “They are afraid Wesley. They want something to blame, something to attack. The more nations that join the new alliances, the more incompetent it makes the Confederacy appear. And the more incompetent they look, the less power their voice holds. A couple members have already left the alliance… and more are sure to follow.”

“I know that Lord Bell, it’s just… I don’t like it. The Hive has aligned itself with the new Republic, something that they clearly dislike- yet they want to condemn us?”

“Our failure to stop the Hive and Arkaza on Earth is what has led to this.”

“How were we supposed to handle that? Our main prison got hit hard out of nowhere. We had no idea what Azala or Arkaza were up to!”

“It doesn’t matter my friend. We hold the blame no matter what the portrayal of that scenario is. We were there, and we could not stop them. Now they are propping up a threat, as they see it.”

“Nrrgh… so what’s our next move? Should we not go and investigate this Republic more closely?”

“No. We can not risk anything political right now. For now we wait and continue to act against the Hive. That is our only objective unless ordered otherwise. If we engage recklessly it makes us look like oppressors. That risks backlash, war, and maybe even our dismissal if the Confederate Parliament disapproves of our actions. Rest assured though my friend, the time will soon come for us to resolve this, a time to crush and end the Hive once and for all.”