Fenrir Council

This page is divided into three sections. The first, Basic Truths, represents an agreed upon chronology and narrative of events that occurred in diplomatic negotiations between House Crux and House Triangulum around ICF Gleipnir. The second two major sections represent each House's individual narratives, opinions, and actions at and away from the negotiating table during the negotiating periods.

## Fenrir Council

The official seal of ICF Gleipnir

The Council of Fenrir, or the Fenrir Council, was a series of negotiations pertaining to ICF Gleipnir and its management in the wake of the STO War between House Crux and House Triangulum. Negotiations spanned several months, from the end of 3200 into the beginning of 3201, and resulted in the shift of control of the prison planet from The Chain Agency to House Triangulum, and finally House Crux.

## Basic Truths

### **Buildup/Cold War**

As the conflict with the STO seemed poised to come to an abrupt conclusion, numerous diplomatic conversations were initiated between the Empire and former STO factions. While most eyes focused on the merger of House Eridanus and the ACRE Corporation, the outcome of which was the most critical to the Empire, House Crux approached the Chain Agency to discuss the transference of ICF Gleipnir into the House of Law’s control. The Chain Agency themselves was in the midst of an audit by House Triangulum, as an arm of the complex network of the 14 Red Dogs Charity, and was quick to stonewall House Crux in an attempt to buy time. A significant sum, overvaluing ICF Gleipnir by several factors and intended to indicate that Gleipnir was not “for sale,” was put forward, and House Crux balked at the mere suggestion. With war reparations and other diplomacy looming larger, negotiations eventually halted and fell silent, expected to continue at a later date.

It would not be until election talks began between House Crux and House Triangulum that the subject of ICF Gleipnir would again resurface. With the Chain Agency firmly under Triangulum’s control, word of prior negotiations and House Crux’s intentions had been passed up the chain, and conversations quickly turned to the prison planet. Crux provided diplomatic answers at first, making claim that ICF Gleipnir rightly belonged to them as part of their God-given mandate, and alleging that they had controlled Gleipnir before, even though the world ultimately belonged to the Emperox. Statements were also given that the Prince’s Council was still deliberating on the matter, but that they were considering all possible options, including seizure of the planet.

After many days of conversation and long recesses, conversations weaving from Gleipnir to other topics and back again, House Crux stated that they did not believe they and Triangulum held the same valuation of ICF Gleipnir, and that as such no diplomatic solution was likely. The Crucian delegation departed shortly afterwards, and both sides expected and prepared for conflict. Word was quick to spread that House Crux had put a new carrier-class vessel into service, and that JES and House Guard personnel and heavy equipment were being mobilized on Hiera. Triangulum instructed the Chain Agency’s CEO on ICF Gleipnir to reinforce their position in expectation of an assault on the prison planet.

### **Holy Intervention**

Word of rising tensions over Gleipnir spread quickly, and both House Crux and House Triangulum soon found electoral delegations bringing forward offers to woo them for their votes. Neither House desired to see their disagreement turned into a bargaining chip, but suspicion and distrust between the two was mounting rapidly.

Eventually, tired of the prison planet being used as a potential election “reward,” House Triangulum reached out to House Crux again in an attempt to reopen negotiations. But with such a lack of trust between the two Houses and House Crux’s brazen aggression, Triangulum insisted a third, mediating party be present to witness the talks. While ulterior motives may have been at play for both Houses, an agreement was eventually made to have representatives of the High Church present, and negotiations restarted. The Chain Agency’s obscene initial offer was rescinded officially by House Triangulum, but tensions remained high, ready for the worst.

### **First Agreement**

Days, weeks even, of heated deliberation would follow. House Crux remained adamant that it had a lawful claim to ICF Gleipnir and that the full weight of its JES and House Guard forces were at the ready to “reclaim,” the planet. House Triangulum maintained that House Crux’s claims were unfounded or poorly founded, and that Crux’s threats were unwarranted aggression. Still, starting from a fresh slate, it progressively became clearer that Triangulum was willing to part with the prison planet under certain terms, and that House Crux would be willing to accept them, so long as both Houses found those terms agreeable.

Discussions also turned to the Chain Agency’s, and afterwards Triangulum’s, investigations into an unknown something discovered within Gleipnir. House Crux had learned vague details of the discovery through their spies and investigators, but the High Church was quick to recommend that talks of the discovery be tabled until a later time. The High Church felt it could not in good conscience be party to negotiations about something they did not know the nature of, and both Houses agreed to return to discussions of “the discovery,” in separate negotiations.

At last, House Triangulum and House Crux were able to reach an agreement that both partially reimbursed Triangulum for their stewardship of Gleipnir and expenditures there and transferred control of ICF Gleipnir over to House Crux. JES and House Guard forces on Hiera were ordered to stand down, and a task force of Cathars and Kommandos was dispatched to liaise with the Triangulum personnel on Gleipnir and begin the process of transferring control of the prison.

As part of negotiations, the High Church was empowered to enforce the deal should either House break it, levying hefty fines or repossessing assets as necessary. Fortunately, their intercession would never be required.

All parties also agreed to a fabricated incident, the “nanite plague,” which was to serve as reason to quarantine the system until control of the planet was transferred and the secrets of Gleipnir were uncovered. All vessels not bearing approved documentation of House Crux or House Triangulum were to be captured or destroyed after fair warning was given, and notices went out across the Empire that the two Houses were collaborating to contain the sudden outbreak of the “nanite plague.”

### **Prison Control**

Upon arriving on ICF Gleipnir, the Crucian task force was quick to make themselves known, moving to transfer control of all prison systems to House Crux. Regular updates were prepared and sent back to Hiera on secure channels, and the Cathars began questioning Triangulum personnel on the nature of their discovery. Some amongst the Triangulum scientists began to wonder if House Crux’s arrival might not prove fortuitous and beneficial.

### **Second Agreement**

As the complex process of transferring prison control continued on ICF Gleipnir, House Triangulum approached House Crux with a proposition. Though House Crux lacked the raw technical prowess of Triangulum, they still possessed numerous resources of their own and access to certain tools that were necessary to unseal the vault discovered deep within the prison. If House Crux would be willing to employ its own resources alongside Triangulum, Triangulum was willing to allow Crux access to whatever lay inside.

The discussion was passed back to Crucian diplomats, and negotiations between Crux and Triangulum began again, once more veering by the hour from calm to tense and heated. Eventually, though, the two Houses agreed to terms that would bring Crucian resources to the aid of Triangulum’s scientists on Gleipnir and provide top level access to whatever lay within the vault to both Houses.

### **Opening The Vault**

When the first deployment of resources, tools, and Crucian personnel arrived on Gleipnir, they found themselves about as successful as Triangulum and the Chain Agency before them had been in opening the vault. The Warden, ICF Gleipnir’s mysterious machine master, perceived the vault as a great store of treasures and credits for its bizarre casino logic, and had actively worked against Triangulum’s attempts to access it. The greatest challenge had proven to be the strange, advanced chemicals and radiations the Warden employed, purposefully leaking and venting its own fuel supply and prison riot countermeasures into rooms along the way to the vault. Triangulum’s technology was advanced, but even their best hazmat materials proved only temporarily protective, allowing very little time for their scientists to work on the vault before they had to be recalled.

It was in this that Crux had one advantage, despite their lesser technology. Crucians are almost zealously devoted to their duty, the law, and their House, and were ready to put their lives on the line to get the job done. A NULL Division team, numbering less than a handful, was dispatched from Hiera under the codename “The Golden Claw.” Misinformation was leaked out of back channels that the title referred to a pretech relic. Upon arrival, the NULL Division team studied Triangulum’s findings, donned their advanced protective gear, and proceeded to the vault.

Hours passed, the NULL Division team clearly becoming more confused and disoriented as their gear began to fail. Some members of the Triangulum and Crux personnel wanted to recall them, but the Cathar leadership insisted the team remain in place. At long last, the team out for nearly three times the standard excursion limit, the vault door opened and the Warden ceased its countermeasures. The NULL Division team was retrieved and swiftly taken for medical examination. All but one died within a week, the last driven to insanity.

### **Discovery**

Within the Vault, Houses Crux and Triangulum discovered Cygnus vats containing Synthetic Humans. When they had been transferred to ICF Gleipnir, and when or if the vault had been built for them, was unknown even to the Warden’s records. House Crux’s instinct was, of course, to immediately destroy them, but Triangulum tests revealed a number of unexpected factors.

First, the Synthetics were able to be commanded by those with the appropriate codes, making them, seemingly, beholden to whoever controlled them. Secondly, and more concerningly, the Synthetics exhibited psychic signatures and abilities similar to those of humans with Metadimensional Extroversion Syndrome.

 In the brief time House Crux and House Triangulum had, it was impossible to accurately determine if the Synthetics were, in fact, Psychic, or simply drawing on advanced technology that neither House understood. Furthermore, while it was entirely possible the group in the vault were the only psychic-capable Synthetics in existence, it was equally possible that Cygnus had managed to create more, possibly many more, dispersed amongst an unchecked portion of the Imperial population. Because it had long been believed that Synths could not be Psychic, House Crux had done minimal testing or arrests on Psychics, believing allegations brought against them to be baseless.

Debates were had, both on ICF Gleipnir and back in the Imperial Core, as information was communicated through secure channels about what to do with the Synthetics. Many in House Crux still desired to immediately terminate them, believing any research could just as easily be accomplished with the Synths’ corpses. House Triangulum was quick to point out, however, that retiring the Synthetics could just as easily lose the only lead either House had on the possibility of Psychic Synthetics. Advanced laboratories were required, which ICF Gleipnir decidedly lacked. Lovelace, Triangulum proposed, was the best place to study the Synthetics, as taking them to or through the Imperial Core was far too dangerous, lest latent programming send the Synthetics on an uncontrolled rampage.

Negotiations were held once again, House Crux adamant that the Synthetics ultimately needed to be destroyed, even if temporarily kept active for study. House Triangulum agreed, though both sides were heated at times, and ultimately a small Crucian team was dispatched alongside Triangulum scientists and the Synthetics to travel to Lovelace. There, Triangulum scientists have begun their examinations of the Synthetics, House Crux keeping a close and wary eye.

## House Crux Perspective

### **Buildup/Cold War**

Since the day the Chain Agency had assumed control of ICF Gleipnir, House Crux had intended to “reclaim” control for themselves and the Empire. Two wars had left Crux’s resources depleted, and though few liked the Chain Agency, they tolerated its presence in a time where Crux simply lacked the resources to fight back against the STO and manage Gleipnir effectively. When news came of Eridanus’ acquisition of the ACRE Corporation, House Crux was quick to inform the Chain Agency that their services were no longer needed. However, previous miscommunication and the Triangulum audit occurring unbeknownst to Crux led the Chain Agency to refuse House Crux’s desires. They had not been under the impression their control of the prison planet was temporary, or at least they expressed it as such.

When the proposed value of ICF Gleipnir was handed over to Crux by the Chain Agency, Crucian diplomats were quick to believe that the Chain Agency was simply inept at negotiating, either feigning a strong position poorly or ignorant of how obscene their suggestion was. Several diplomats openly laughed at the negotiating table, almost certain it must be some kind of poorly executed joke. Negotiations stalled after that, and with other, more pressing matters afoot, the conversation halted until election negotiations began.

As both House Crux and House Triangulum, who had acquired the Chain Agency, approached each other in attempts to win each others’ vote, the topic of Gleipnir was quick to resurface. Opinions were divided within Crux and the Prince’s Council, stalling straightforward answers, but it soon became eminently clear that Triangulum’s nobility was of little concern to Crux in terms of its options. Believing Triangulum would uphold the Chain Agency’s previous, exorbitant offer, House Crux informed Triangulum that negotiations had clearly shown the two Houses’ value of Gleipnir was severely different. There was no chance of compromise, in Crux’s eyes. In the same breath, JES and House Guard forces were already being mobilized on Hiera, a new, carrier-class transport en route, fresh out of dry-dock.

Only months before, the Prince’s Council had narrowly voted against a move to strike ACRE in the moments before its merger on Orpheus. The taste for war was still strong in House Crux, perhaps too strong, and this time it had won out. Crucian personnel had always patrolled the halls of ICF Gleipnir, and to see the prison planet first sullied by freepeople and then Triangulum, a House who Crux still distrusted from the War Against the Artificials, was too much even for the more peaceful-minded Crux to stomach.

### **Holy Intervention**

Few other Houses approached Crux for election negotiations, save Aquila, who hoped to win Crux’s ever-more-valuable vote by supporting them in their push to control Gleipnir. Rumors also reached Crucian ears that other candidates were using Gleipnir as an election promise as well, some favoring Triangulum in hopes of netting their vote. Crux disliked what they believed to be their God-given right being thrown around like another line in a contract, but ultimately they intended to move on Gleipnir regardless of what the next Emperox might say about it.

More surprising, however, was the arrival of a delegation from the High Church. House Triangulum had been reaching out to many others in search of help against Crux’s aggression, and one of those they had reached out to was the High Church. The High Church was quick to denounce Crux’s aggression, opposed to conflict on the eve of the Imperial Election between two of the Empire’s mighty Noble Houses. The High Church also cared a great deal more about the threat of the Formal Agreement of Noble Grievance collapsing than Crux did. While the document had been glanced at, it did not represent a serious consideration to many amongst the Prince’s Council. Their Noble rights had already been betrayed and trodden upon by Triangulum, in their eyes. A response was warranted.

Not long after the High Church’s arrival, House Triangulum reached out once more, desiring to reopen negotiations. House Crux was skeptical at first, and even more unsure when Triangulum requested the High Church be present as a mediator, but ultimately believed the negotiations could be used to show the High Church that Triangulum was unreasonable, and thus a Crucian response was necessary. Delegations were assembled, and new negotiations began.

### **First Agreement**

Unexpectedly, the Triangulum delegation was quick to rescind the Chain Agency’s untenable proposal and offered to start negotiations anew. While Crux was quick to expect a marginally smaller offer, they were again surprised, after many days of negotiations and veiled threats from both sides, to find Triangulum amenable to a much more modest suggestion. Economically, the Chain Agency’s offer had been greater than the cost of starting a small war over the prison planet. Triangulum’s new offer was much more reasonable, and Crux found themselves seriously considering it, which they had not thought they would.

While those who hungered to strike against Triangulum remained vocal, the moderates and the pacifists won out, the Prince’s Council accepting the simple fact that war would be more costly than what Triangulum proposed. The CCB and STRAFE were contacted and a team assembled, prepared for the worst but hoping never to see it. They were deployed to Gleipnir, and a fabricated story of a “nanite plague,” on the prison planet was disseminated to keep prying eyes away.

Crux had also hoped to learn more of what their spies and informants had communicated, that the Chain Agency had discovered something on Gleipnir. But with the High Church wishing to remain neutral in negotiations and the discovery’s nature unknown, House Crux was pushed to leave the topic be until a later time. Many were concerned the discovery could prove harmful to the Empire, but they acquiesced to the Church’s requests.

### **Prison Control**

Once they arrived on ICF Gleipnir, the Crucian task force was quick to get paperwork and administrative requirements moving to transfer the prison planet to House Crux’s control. Always they watched their Triangulum counterparts, hidden blades and psychic powers at the ready, but the betrayal they feared did not come.

As the transfer progressed, the Cathars began to ask about the discovery, learning vague and basic details of its nature, that there was a vault, highly secure, deep within the prison complex. The Warden protected it fiercely, out of some misguided interpretation of its value and purpose, or so it seemed, and Crux watched closely as Triangulum continued its attempts to open it, with little success.

### **Second Agreement**

Though conflict had been averted by the first agreement, Crux JES and House Guard personnel remained at the ready on Hiera. While ICF Gleipnir was their focus publically, many amongst the Crucian leadership and the Prince’s Council desired to learn what Gleipnir held, and were willing to push for conflict once more should Triangulum attempt to withhold anything. There was concern that whatever it was could be a threat to the Empire, and that Triangulum likely knew more than they were saying.

It was thus a surprise when Triangulum revealed that Crux could be of aid to them. Crux had the funds and personnel necessary to acquire the tools and assets required to attempt unlocking the vault, and the extra hours spent gathering more data in the dangerous environments close the vault could prove invaluable. Most importantly, Triangulum was willing to share in the discovery with Crux if Crux would be willing to help.

Opinions were divided. There were those who thought it better to strike against Triangulum, upending their efforts and taking Gleipnir’s secrets for Crux and Crux alone. Others insisted more be given, that Crux needed greater incentive to contribute. Ultimately, through another lengthy round of tense negotiations, House Crux agreed to assist Triangulum.

### **Opening The Vault**

Crux’s initial efforts were as unsuccessful as Triangulum’s had been, the advanced technology proving difficult for Crux personnel to comprehend. The excursion clock was also frustratingly short, only allowing personnel to be close to the vault for a couple hours at a time before their hazmat gear would begin to fail against the Warden’s countermeasures. Crux began to understand why Triangulum had had to spend so long on the prison planet, attempting again and again to open the vault door.

As reports were transferred back to the Prince’s Council and the higher-ups of Crucian leadership, frustrations emerged that the excursion window Triangulum had chosen was too short. The vault simply couldn’t be opened with so little time to collect data and work on the door’s locking mechanisms. That said, personnel spending any longer by the vault door were very likely to suffer adverse and potentially irreparable side effects from the Warden’s countermeasures.

But the mission had to be completed, for the good and the safety of the Empire. NULL Division was contacted, and a small team under the callsign “The Golden Claw,” was dispatched with the express purpose of exposing themselves to longer excursions to the vault door.

The Golden Claw was granted access to the area around the vault door, and the Cathar leadership on site told the Triangulum scientists and personnel not to interfere under any circumstances. Hours passed, the excursion window eclipsed, before suddenly there was a breakthrough. The NULL Division techs had discovered a potential workaround in the Triangulum data, but it would be a slow process. They pressed onward, two, three times longer under the effects of the Warden’s countermeasures, before at last the vault door opened.

The countermeasures ceased, but the NULL Division team was too far gone to recover. Most died within a week, but one survived, driven to insanity. A secure transport was summoned, and the survivor was taken back to Hiera. When asked what happened to them, or who they even were, the Triangulum staff on Gleipnir were met only with shrugs and quick changes to the topic.

### **Discovery**

Because of the losses to the Golden Claw, House Triangulum was first to have their personnel enter the vault while House Crux sought medical care for what remained of their brave technicians. Upon arrival, House Crux was livid to discover vats of Cygnus Synthetics, locked away unbeknownst to anyone within Gleipnir’s depths.

House Triangulum had already managed to trigger some kind of control sequence, giving them command over the Synths, which naturally led the commanding Crux officer to order a secure message be sent to Terminus and Hiera, lest the Synths be used to wipe out the small Crux team present. To his surprise, House Triangulum made no attempts to use the Synthetics against House Crux, instead disclosing the results of their scans and tests as they examined the Synths and the vats.

Still, the commanding officer and several members of the Prince’s Council back on Hiera were quick to insist the Synths be immediately retired. But by the time the message back from Hiera was received, Triangulum had already disclosed that the Synthetics were potentially psychic.

This new information changed things. While several higher-ups still believed retirement was the only course of action, several others were quick to realize the potential implications of the situation. Destroying all of Cygnus’ creations was House Crux’s deepest desire, but destroying the Synths on Gleipnir risked many more going free, unknown amongst the greater Imperial population.

Time was short, however, and many in Crux worried House Triangulum would attempt to build more Synthetics from the batch on Gleipnir, or rush them away to use in whatever machinations they had for the people of Hong Lu. Strike missions and war plans were drawn up, many hopeful to never see them used, but necessary nonetheless.

Negotiations followed, the Synthetics closely watched on Gleipnir. House Crux insisted the Synthetics must be destroyed, but was willing to allow time to research them first. While a number of tangential demands were made by both sides, and tensions flared once again, it was ultimately decided to ferry the Synthetics to Lovelace for study, circumventing the Core to prevent crises or panic.

A Crucian NULL Division team was sent with the Synthetics for observation, drawn from Hiera, and the remnants of Tyr’s Rain and the Golden Claw were ordered back to Hiera for evaluation and medical care. Voices still rumbled in the halls of Crux’s leadership against Triangulum, distrustful of the scientists and their ways, but for the time being they could only grumble as House Crux waited to see what would happen next.

## House Triangulum Perspective

### **Buildup/Cold War**

As the STO War came to a conclusion after the Eridanii acquisition of ACRE, House Triangulum made their own obfuscated moves to capitalize on the end of the war.  One of these moves was “bailing” out the 14 Red Dog Society, which had apparently bankrupted itself during the war. While the veracity of the bankruptcy claim is nebulous at best, House Triangulum obtained an extensive portfolio of corporations and businesses that were managed by senior personnel of the 14 Red Dogs Society.  One of these acquisitions was The Chain Agency, which immediately prompted an audit from House Triangulum. The sector, in general, was unaware that Gleipnir Inc. was actually being held in STO hands.

This audit was codenamed Operation Dark Judgement in order to further hide its purpose.  While the audit was being performed, House Crux decided they needed to reacquire Gleipnir Inc. from The Chain Agency, believing that with the war concluding they could sufficiently staff and manage the facility.  The Chain Agency held its cover perfectly over the course of the war, and so needed to buy time both to eliminate and cover up evidence of their activities, as well as to permit the audit to be completed. When House Crux approached The Chain Agency in an effort to negotiate for the facility, the aggressive negotiating tactics they encountered were successful in stonewalling House Crux. However, these negotiations quickly dried up any goodwill House Crux maintained towards The Chain Agency with their massive over-valuation of the prison, causing a lasting bitterness in House Crux that would leak into future negotiations for the planet.

As the audit finally came to a conclusion, The Chain Agency passed along to senior House Triangulum leadership that House Crux was adamantly claiming ownership of the planet. House Triangulum opted to take several moves to back House Crux into a diplomatic corner.  Information from the newly formed Order of Divergence indicated the buildup of military assets on Heira, as well as the potential invasion of Gleipnir Inc. by House Crux. As a result, House Triangulum decided to come forward with the results of the audit and declare legal guardianship of Gleipnir Inc. until such time that an Emperox was elected to decide on the matter.  This presented a potentially difficult path forward for House Crux as invading the planet could have breached FANG. The unprecedented situation resulted in opinions on both sides as to whether an invasion of Gleipnir Inc. would, in fact, breach FANG. Both sides secretly sought support from Imperial allies in the event that things escalated to open conflict.

Meanwhile, as the cold war began to brew, the Imperial Election was rapidly approaching, and Houses were in the middle of a whirlwind of negotiations, trying to secure support for their campaigns.  House Triangulum utilized the CEO of The Chain Agency in order to organize a potential resistance should House Crux decide to land troops on the planet. The existing staff of The Chain Agency all remained loyal to House Triangulum, and they also maintained control over the prison VI infrastructure.

Brief diplomatic discussions were held between House Crux and House Triangulum during this period, with both sides reiterating their desires to control the planet.  Vague threats and typical posturing were thrown about in an attempt to get the other side to budge, without any luck. As these ambassadors and diplomats continued to associate with each other, the downtime topic often shifted to the topic of the election.  Both Houses were still in the running at this time, but rumors emerged that other Houses in the running were using Gleipnir Inc. as a bargaining chip to take advantage of the situation between the two Houses and secure an apparently easy vote. This gross breach of courtesy was appalling to both sides and glimpsed one of the first periods of agreement between the respective House’s staffers.

As the intelligence apparatus of House Triangulum continued to balloon with the influx of the 14 Red Dog Society resources, it became increasingly clear that both House Triangulum and House Crux were not being well-received in the campaign for Emperoxship.  As a result, a series of discussions were prompted within Triangulum leadership to determine whether or not to continue their run. Following meetings with former 14 Red Dog leaders, the House decided the best path forward was to bow out of the election. At the same time, a decision needed to be made on which House to back in the election… for House Triangulum, that was House Pyxis.

### **Holy Intervention**

Extensive modeling made clear the field of play, and before deciding on a House to vote for, it was decided that the Gleipnir debacle needed to be resolved.  Houses Aquila, Fornax, Reticulum, and Serpens all formed their own political bloc, backing House Fornax. Houses Eridanus, Lyra, Pyxis, and Triangulum all backed House Pyxis. House Crux, it was widely presumed, would vote for themselves, despite these blocs.  House Crux was typically obstinate in their ways but one final hail mary play was spun up. Given the state of the Empire, House Triangulum determined that House Crux would play a pivotal role in the election of the new Emperox after the first-round tie. Assuming their political rivals would continue to court House Crux with promises of Gleipnir Inc., it was decided that House Triangulum would gut this presumed advantage and score a decisive informational victory for their bloc.

Courting the High Church of Messiah-as-Emperox as a neutral figure, House Triangulum laid their offer bare to House Crux, a proposition to discuss the situation, with the understanding that House Triangulum was willing to part with Gleipnir Inc. in return for more appropriate compensation.  The offer worked, and the two sides soon found themselves seated at a large table with the upper echelon of the esteemed High Church.

### **First Agreement**

Typical blustering occurred, and tensions did occasionally arise, but the mutual disrespect felt because of those Houses who were using both of them and thinking them fools provided a spark that saw the negotiations through. Eventually, terms were agreed to, and in order to obfuscate the deal, a fictional Maltech incident was surmised in order to quarantine the system, backed by the High Church and the considerable resources of both Houses as well.

In reality, during negotiations, House Triangulum revealed they were after some sort of discovery they made within the depths of Gleipnir Inc. and the agreement allowed House Triangulum to maintain the secret and pursue its completion.

Armed with a signed agreement, House Triangulum was able to deliver to House Pyxis a piece of information that would prove infinitely useful to courting House Crux’s vote, while the other side was none the wiser.  It was widely viewed throughout the Empire that the hatred between House Crux and House Triangulum would prevent any sort of compromise, but both Houses were accustomed to being underestimated.

The agreement proved to be a catalyst that started a very unlikely working relationship between two Houses whose dichotomies could not be more apparent.  Despite this, the Houses would continue to operate and communicate, and even start working together to pursue goals. In the end, House Pyxis managed to secure the throne and House Triangulum was able to continue chasing the discovery they made.

### **Prison Control**

For House Triangulum, the transfer of Prison Control was a simple affair. The Chain Agency was meticulous in its management of the facility, and was able to make the transition of power seamless and easy.   Mistrust permeated the air between the two Houses, but nothing came of it. House Triangulum knew the value was no longer in control of the facility, but rather, in unlocking the discovery they made.

With utmost hospitality, the Crucian personnel were welcomed back, and House Triangulum was quick to point out the failures of the prison and the improvements they made in order to help its operation.  The facility was operated by a dysfunctional intelligence that perplexed even House Triangulum specialists, though some mediocre progress was made in attempting to fix it.

While House Crux took on ownership and operation of Gleipnir, House Triangulum continued in earnest to best the puzzle presented to them, with no success.  Eventually, a radical idea was proposed that would have seemed preposterous months ago… involve the House of Crux in unlocking Gleipnir’s secret.

### **Second Agreement**

House Triangulum, especially through the bailout of the 14 Red Dogs Society, had always had a somewhat shady reputation, and this was not something they shied away from.  While they have always dealt in secrets, the bailout only pushed them further into the stock market of secrets.

The Chain Agency, and by extension, the 14 Red Dogs, discovered something in the depths of Gleipnir that had continually rebuffed their attempts to recover it.  This information came out during the first round of negotiations, but House Triangulum insisted on keeping the information from House Crux, and the High Church agreed. It was ultimately agreed that following whatever work they were doing, the parties would meet again to decide what to do with it.

Unfortunately, suspicion of House Triangulum was a rampant thing in House Crux, especially after the Cygnus affair, and many did not trust House Triangulum to hold true to their words and indeed wanted to breach the agreement to kick House Triangulum permanently off of Gleipnir.  These firebrands were always known to House Triangulum, and given the recently thawing relationship between the two Houses, a diplomatic push began to include House Crux in the operation to unlock the secret, both for their resources and a renewed perspective.

A diplomatic proposal came from House Triangulum soon after, offering House Crux the opportunity to be a part of unlocking the secret in return for their assistance in unlocking it, which would require resources and likely lives.  In return for assistance, House Crux would be brought in on the secret.

Negotiations were a lot less tense during this round, and a proposal was quickly worked out so that work could begin.  Thanks to the dogged persistence of House Crux and their expenditure of lives, the hidden vault of the Betrayer was eventually breached.

### **Opening The Vault**

The mandates that were given to House Crux and House Triangulum were necessarily different, and so while House Triangulum tried to understand the vault and fix the Warden, House Crux opted to just use pure manpower and attrition.

This approach actually worked, though it came at a heavy cost.  Despite House Triangulum using what technology it could to protect the Crucian team, the Warden was a devious foe that would not be deterred in its defense.

Once the vault was breached, an override was able to shut the Warden’s countermeasures down and permit the Triangulum specialists access to the vault.  Inside was a truly astounding discovery.

### **Discovery**

Within the vault were vats of synthetics, all of them designed to operate as a single team. As House Crux cleared the vault, House Triangulum ran some preliminary tests on the vat-grown synths before getting ready to purge the vault.

However, there was something in the data of massive concern to the specialists. After sharing the data with the remaining Crucian team, they concurred.  The Triangulum specialists had an option to slave the synthetics to their command, and reluctantly the Crucian team agreed until further discussions could be had. The ramifications could be astronomical, and the situation warranted a change in protocol.

The revelation that the synthetics exhibited symptoms of MES and capabilities consistent with trained Psions was a shock to both House Crux and House Triangulum.  This revelation proved to be a telling display of the progress the two Houses had made in their partnership. House Crux, understandably, had a desire to destroy these synthetics.  House Triangulum had a similar desire. However, House Triangulum argued that this discovery could be catastrophic to the Empire if other synthetics existed and were able to contract or be given MES.  Up until this point, it was widely considered impossible for a synthetic to be susceptible to the disease.

House Triangulum wanted the opportunity to determine whether this was an isolated incident or the last, twisted gift from Cygnus.  The discussions got heated, and some in House Crux wanted to seek allies to strike against House Triangulum should they not destroy the synths, however, cooler heads prevailed. An agreement was reached that permitted House Triangulum to perform their research under the watch of a Crucian team, with both sides agreeing to destroy the synths once the research had concluded.

Now, both Houses enjoy a closer relationship, be it still tinged with a fraction of mistrust between some of the hardliners of each House.  Research continues on the psychic synthetics, and only time will ultimately tell what holds for these two Imperial Houses...