A Gala on Mars

[overbringer]

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The year is 2299. As the 23rd century reaches its end, the war between the Jovian Empire and the Solar Alliance draws to an uneasy ceasefire. The Jovians, Saturnians, and Uranians have finally agreed to come to the bargaining table with the Mercurians, Venusians, Earthlings and Martians at a huge event in the Shadow of Olympus Mons on Mars. After decades of senseless war, there is finally a real hope of PEACE in the solar system!

That is, if the peace talks are allowed to proceed. There are a lot of very powerful people who have been profiting from this war. Arms dealers who sell to whoever has the most money. Warlords who have risen in power since the war's start. Rabble rousers who have grown a cult following decrying the atrocities of the other side. Out loud, all of them would like nothing better than peace, of course. But in quiet backrooms, many of them have been doing their best to assure that the peace talks don't end up going anywhere at all.

Who are you? A politician, perhaps. Or a guard at the event, or a spy trying to get intel while so many important people are all in one place, or a performer, or part of the event staff, or just some rando who got their hands on an invitation. There are lots of options. The one thing all of you have in common, among all the unnamed NPCs filling out this event, is that you don't feel like you belong here.

Not "here" as in at this gala for politicians from across the solar system, but "here" as in...you're not really sure. Your whole life, as long as you can remember, you've just had a vague feeling that you aren't supposed to be in this life. You're supposed to be...someone else. It's ignorable, most of the time, but it's been this omnipresent vague background radiation for your entire life.

Well, don't worry about it right now. It's an important night. Phobos and Deimos are both out tonight, adding a little extra light to the busy Martian night, people from all different moons and planets are together in pursuit of peace rather than killing each other for the first time in years, and nothing is going to go wrong.

Wait.

There are some people here who aren't on the guest list.

Who are they?

Comments

Iroh | Avatar: The Last Airbender | Exile

[tea_bending]

Many members of the Solar Alliance will know of the feared Jovian warlord Iroh. His unconventional and unpredictable tactics kept Alliance armies on the back foot all the way through the third battle of the Asteroid Belt, and it wasn't until the siege of Phobos that his fleet was finally pushed back.

So naturally, many were nervous to hear he would be at the peace summit. They certainly didn't expect him to be a short, friendly, balding man who had the general energy of someone's eccentric uncle.

At the moment he had a tiny sandwich in one hand and a drink in the other, and was talking to a group of slightly nervous looking Venusian diplomats. "I always thought that when I finally landed on Olympos Mons, I would do so as a conqueror. Now I'm here as a diplomat!"

He laughed. "I think I like this way better. Less screaming and dying all around. Plus I get to have all the complimentary sandwiches I want!"