Interlude

Posted on Sun Nov 22nd, 2020 @ 2:55pm by

Mission: By Odin!
Location: Odinskus Ship
Timeline: Current

The council of Jarls had been arguing the merits of the Federation’s offer of alliance. Storhatten Karrel Larasson has definite opinions on the matter but decisions in front of the council were decided by concensus. Every Jarl, overlords of their people, had an equal vote on the council.
As a Jarl, Karrel was entitled to a vote but as Storhatten, he had to remain impartial. His vote was delegated to his daughter and fleet captain, Astra. She has argued in support of joining the Federates but there were other voices that Jotenheimers, some the Dokkalfar, and even a few for remaining isolated from all aliens.

“Neither de Federattez nor de Dokkalfar hare varriorz,” declared one elderly female Jarl, “Honly de Jotenheimer hembrace de teachingz ov Tyr!”

“Honly de more blood-thirzty azpectz of doze teachingz,” counter another Jarl, “Dey zpeak of honor and hoathz but honly vhen eet iz konvenient to dair hazpirationz! Dey hare more de khildren of De Trickzter den ov Tyr.”

“Eet iz de Dokkalfar det hare de khildren of de Trickzter,” shouted a blue-robbed man, the odd combination of priest and Jarl, “Dey hare heven more deceitful den de Njordlings who honly kheat yoo of yoos money.”

“De Federattez hare most like oos,” Astra declared with passion, “hand dezpite happarently not having dizcovered zpoonz, dey hare technologikally hadvanced. Dey hare vell-equipped.

“Oh ja,” Kera agreed enthusiastically from her place behind Astra, “He vas wery vell-equipped.”

“Zo vere hevery halien race det has kontacted oos,” slurred one male Jarl, very evidently into his cups, “Teknology iz honly a tool. Eet iz how yoo huze eet det iz himportant.” He hefted a large axe above his head, which prompt toppled him off the back of his stool. None of the other Jarls took notice of his predicament but there was much shouting and pounding of the table in response to his comment.

“Eet iz klear det ve muzt kast hour lot vid one ov de three racez,” Karrel observed once the commotion settled down, “Heach ov de raczez haz zent oos dare hemizzaries hand heach has demanded hour hallegiance, though the Federattez vere less hinziztent. Odin has recently been generouz in revealing zecretz to oos hover de pazt decadez though de ‘kontributionz’ of our Jotenheimer and Dokkalfar henemiez. Hand vat iz to zay det Odin doze not hintend to reveal more zecretz to oos through his huse ov det Federates.” There was a general murmur amongst the Jarls. Karrel looks around the council then announce, “Hy put eet to a vote. To whom do ve deklare hour hallegiance?”

A scale with three buckets was brought into the council room. As the Storhatten’s fleet captain, Astra was to cast the first vote. “De Federates look like oos, dey tink like oos, dey have de zex like oos...”

“Vell, not qvite like oos,” Kera observed wryly.

Astra looked annoyed but continued, “De Jarl of Hafnarfjall votez for the Federattez.” She dropped a large, ornate stone into one of the buckets.
In a procession, the other Jarls stood, gave a short speech, and dropped their own stone into one to the three buckets.

The Storhatten was good a keeping count in his head so he was certain of the outcome as he approached the scales after the last Jarl deposited her stone. He placed his hands upon the lever and entoned, “Odin, let oos be led by yoos guidance.” He then pulled on the lever, removing the supports under the buckets. There was some rocking of the buckets at the end of their support arms but finally the scales settled with one bucket lower than the rest.

“Odin has decided,” the Storhatten announced, “Prepare de Fleet! We zail for de Federation!”

The council room descended into a cacophony of shouts and table pounding.