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The Foundation of Serenity


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Inside a bustling metro hub a young boy can be seen running along with a small letter in his hand. With agile movements and an unnoticed grace he glides and twirls about the throng of people as he makes his way towards his unseen goal. His close-cropped hair is wet with perspiration and his brow is furrowed as he concentrates on his task at hand, knowing that if he is even one second late his punishment will be the shame of having accepted an important delivery like this and not having done his all to have seen it through.

Reaching a small junction in the hub the boy moves swiftly to the left and heads down a narrow corridor off the main avenue, feet splashing in the puddles collecting in the less traveled pathway. His breathing hard, the boy continues to repeat his message over and over as he continues on his way towards his final destination.

"You there! HALT!"

The boy slows down to look over his shoulder and sees six men enter the corridor from an inset doorway. They are covered in the standard issued patrolman armour and carrying rifles. Alliance foot soliders. Not exactly what he thought he'd find himself encountering today.

"Just trying to make an appointment sirs, nothing more! Ain't causin' no troubles..."

The boy resumes his speed as he makes a quick turn to the right and heads down a connecting pathway in hopes of gaining some distance between himself, his goal, and the soldiers behind him.

"I said halt you ruttin' hwoon dahn! Halt or we'll be forced to take you down by force for making us have to chase you,!! Gorram kids..."

Understanding that his options are running out, the boy decides to take it to the buildings to reach his destination. As he continues along his path, he begins checking doorways in hopes of finding one unlocked and giving him more of a chance against those now pursuing him. He can hear the footsteps and the clatter of armour as he continues fervently to find a way out of the corridor.

Louder and louder the sounds get until he sees them rounding the corner.

"Alright, you worthless piece of go-se. Stop now and put your hands up or else we'll permanently stop you."

Frantically the boy begins checking every door near him in the hope that luck is with him today. Directly across from him a door bursts open and four men spill out in the corridor, guns brandished as screams and yells emit from the room behind them. One of the men seems spooked while the other three laugh and carry boxes under one of their arms.

"I tell you Cap'n, every time we make one of these booze runs, you always seem to find the most....interesting of clientele for us to work with."

"It's like I always say, Ven. The best booze comes from the highest ranking officials of the city. Sometimes you have to step on toes, and maybe even break a few, to find what you need. Besides, ain't like I shot the man or nothin'."

"But Cap'n, you did shoot the man. You shot him right in the knee. Can't say I blame ye but you did definitely shot the man."

The boy quickly jumps behind the men and asks for help from the soldiers that are so eager to turn him into their next target practice explaining that he did nothing wrong and was merely on his way to make a simple delivery when they decided they wanted to have a word with him. The taller gentleman, the one called Cap'n, smiles and looks towards the group of men waiting down the corridor.

"So, you fellas seem to want this here boy, 's that it? Might I poke my nose into yer business and ask why you fine, upstanding soldiers of Alliance law might want this child here?"

"That...child....is guilty of resisting the orders of an officer of the Alliance. I told him to stop and state the nature of his business and he ignored us and continued on."

"Now, my mind is a bit fuzzy 'n all what with having apparently shot a member of government office here and making way with his boxes of rather....expensive bottles of booze, so please forgive me n' my ignorance. But ain't you got better things to do than annoy a boy just making his way, say like...lookin' at arresting some of us horrible lowlifes that steal from the rich and give to...well, ourselves? Seems like a better thing to do with yer time."

"Cap'n, what the gorram hell you doin? You tryin' to get us humped? I mean, it's sweet n' all you tryin' to save this kid, but we got these here bottles of booze that needs to find their way back to the boat and you ain't doin' them much favour by stirrin' trouble with the Feds."

"Ven, sometimes ye gotta be bad guys and sometimes ye gotta be heroes. Right now, I'm lookin' at a bunch of Feds wantin' to have their way with a boy minding his own and you know what that makes us?"

"Big damn heroes sir?"

"Ain't we just."

With a smile and a wink the tall man turns and tells the boy to stay close and let him handle things. Turning back around to the group of armoured men, the tall man laughs and nods his head. In what seems like a blink of an eye, the four men open fire and surprise the armoured group causing them to retreat around the corner. Quickly the tall man turns around and pushes the boy down the corridor and takes up running behind him, looking over his shoulder long enough to make sure the rest of his group is right behind him. As they make their way down the narrow corridor, they turn left and right, making their way through a series of short tunnels and pathways until they find themselves breaking out into the midst of a busy square.

Street vendors line the walkways and people ebb and flow in every direction, indicating that they have found the market district. Laughing and smiling, the tall man checks to make sure his men are still in one piece and have their crates with them still. Once he is satisfied with his check, he turns and looks at the young boy standing next to him.

"So, what's that business back there between you and them purple-bellies? Don't seem normal that a boy finds himself in an alleyway with a group of Feds wantin' to put holes in 'em. Mind helping me understand what we just took part in?"

"Thank you for yer help sir. Ain't like I was out to find trouble to begin with. I was just on my way to hand deliver this here letter. A group called the Grand Lodge of Freemasons paid me good cashymoney to make sure that this was delivered and on time."

"Mind telling me the destination of that letter, seein' that we helped you escape with yer life 'n all."

"Yessir, supposed to find my way to the alliance housing of the 57th Overlanders. Was supposed to give a message to a man there too...they called him Mechanus. Supposed to let him know that everything has been formalised and agreed upon and that this here letter is the official signing of something...don't remember that last bit 'n I'm sure I'll lose my pay for it."

"Ain't it yer lucky day then, boy. Someone must like you because I just happen to be on my way to the 57th right now 'n I might just be able to help you. See, I know that Mechanus fella. Matter of fact, I am that Mechanus fella. And I've been waiting for what you have there in your hand. So tell you what...you hand that letter over to me and I'll give you a bottle of this here rum and a good word to yer employer and make sure you get yer fair cut of that cashymoney and then some."

"Deal!"

With a smile on his face and a bottle in his hand, the young boy walks off into the crowd knowing he did good by his word.

The Foundation of Serenity Pact

57thFlagbkp4-acopy-1.png

GLOFDiplomat.png

The Grand Lodge of Freemasons and 57th Overlanders Mutual Defense and Optional Aggression Pact

Preamble: The Grand Lodge of Freemasons and the 57th Overlanders are both good people,

whose alliances and member nations will remain sovereign and good-looking.

First Article - Non-Aggression: The 57th Overlanders and The Grand Lodge of Freemasons

promise to be excellent to each other.

Second Article - Intelligence: Each signatory of this pact agrees to immediately share any

intelligence, rumors, things an anonymous source said, or anything a friend of a friend said

about each other. Especially if it's dirty and/or profitable. Further, both signatories

pledge to reveal such information to each other first, and to concerned parties second, only where

it would not interfere with the security of either signatory.

Third Article - Mutual Defense: Each signatory understands that sometimes trouble comes

looking for us, not the other way around. The next time that happens, we've got each other's

backs without question or hesitation. Even if the game is on. Without articles like this

one, we'd be in a lot fewer brawls, but we'd be having a lot less fun.

Fourth Article - (Optional) Mutual Aggression: Both signatories agree that sometimes, an

alliance has to stand up for themselves. Other times, friends may agree that they share a

common cause. In either instance, each signatory pledges to fully disclose to the other

all relevant (and irrelevant) information as far in advance as possible of an aggressive

action. Upon internal discussions, each signatory reserves the right to decline

participation in a war of aggression, as well as the right to go it alone and leave their

friends out of it, should they choose.

Fifth Article - Economics: Each signatory pledges all available assistance in the event

of economic disaster. This includes post-conflict rebuilding and possible reparations not

disallowed by surrender documents. It's only money - we get more everyday just for

showing up.

Sixth Article - Cancellation: Someday, one or the other signatories may look over at the

alliance next to them at the bar and wonder to themselves how they put up with that alliance

any more. If this should happen, each signatory promises to try everything they can,

including but not limited to interventions, de-programming, trying on a new pair of beer

goggles, weekend road trips, and if all that fails, actually talking to each other before

asking to have this treaty cancelled. Each signatory agrees to allow 48 hours advance

notice to the other before publicly revealing the cancellation, to give each other time to

get their stuff back. Damage deposits will be forfeited if the carpets need to be replaced

afterwards.

Signed for the 57th Overlanders:

Captain - Mechanus

Lieutenant - Veneke

Quartermaster - TheHIV

Signed for the Grand Lodge of Freemasons:

treatyseal9.png

Edited by Mechanus
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A short man covered under a long brown coat and a wide-brimmed leather hat raises a bottle of far more expensive rum than he had right to own, saluting the assembled folk, before turning to his Cap'n...

Now see here Mech, you ever put such fine quality rum in harm's way again, and I'm liable to shoot ye myself...

Oh, and aye, here's to them fine folk over at that Lodge we frequent every time we happen to be dirtside.

Cheers lads!

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Great to see us back in brotherly love with the Firefly fans. It's been a while since our shortlived treaty back in Feb-Apr '08 with the artist formally known as the Browncoats.

Nice work to both governments.

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Great to see us back in brotherly love with the Firefly fans. It's been a while since our shortlived treaty back in Feb-Apr '08 with the artist formally known as the Browncoats.

Nice work to both governments.

I remember working with Phil on that treaty, it was sad it lasted for such a brief period. With this new and vastly improved treaty in place I now feel that all is right in the world. GLOF and the 57th are two of the most respectable alliances around today and I am very proud to call them my friends.

Ven, Mech, Phil, cheers to you three and congratulations.

Edited by The Flying Scotsman
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ey since we're now officially buddies with the Masons you think we can talk one of them to fixing the foundation in our pub? I hate having to keep my beer from sliding away every time I set it down.

There's nothing wrong with the gorram foundation. I poured it myself, and I can give ye a 78% guarantee that it is perfectly level.

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