August 25, 11,958

In orbit around Geonosis, Geonosis System, Midgard Sector, Arcturus Stream...

The Union Research and Development Consortium (URDC) Behemoth-class Battlecruiser, the Huey Long IX, emerged from FTL speed and immediately launched the shuttle Pallatinos Five from its hangar.

The shuttle made straight for Wydnna Station, cruising in at high speed, despite the numerous hails for them to slow down and present identification.

As soon as the shuttle landed, it was immediately surrounded by a swarm of Union Marines aiming their rifles at it, while a group of Small and Medium Machine Flyers and Combat Pods hovered at the ready behind them, weapons trained at the Pallatinos.

"Damn bastards!" Jackass cursed as she opened the shuttle door, carrying a rocket launcher. "I'll blow them all to hell!"

"H- Hold on- ma'am!" 9S tried to calm her down, restrain her from hasty destructive action.

2B and 21B also stood cautiously, observing the situation, weapons at the ready.

"Wait, wait, everyone calm down! Stand down, stand down! Let Director Jackass pass."

A Wheeled Small Stubby Machine forced itself its way past the Marines.

Jackass squinted at the Machine's name tag. "Moltava-137. You're one of the Suprevisors for one of the station subsystems, right? Where is Administrator Beecher-Stowe? Governor Sihamoni-5? Deputy Director Goddard? Why is everyone ignoring my communications?!"

"I'm afraid I'm Acting-Administrator of Wydnna Station now. Administrator Beecher-Stowe and Governor Sihamoni-5 have been… temporarily suspended from duty- "

"WHAT?" Director Jackass exclaimed. "Who authorized this? I appointed them myself, you motherfucker-"

She began to raise her rocket launcher again, but 2B grabbed her arm.

"Wait."

"Perhaps, it'll be best if you talked to Deputy Director Goddard directly? He is currently talking to Minister Kavar of the Union Diplomatic Corps and Commodore Yanukovych of the Midgard Sector Flotilla."

Jackass looked as if she wanted to start swearing again, but thought better of it. Finally, she begrudgingly stated, "Fine."

As the Machine led them through the station, Union Marines followed close behind, Jackass asked, holding a rifle and lugging the rocket launcher on her back. "Have any of you seen or heard from my assistant, Fibonacci-3? I've been trying to reach her for days- her last transmission seemed to indicate she was in significant trouble. You better not have done anything to her!"

"Fibonacci-3 is unharmed, but I'm afraid she was arrested by URDC Security and handed over to the custody of Union Marines. She is currently imprisoned by the UEA- AUGHH!"

The Machine fell over, as Jackass, frothing with rage, opened fire, shooting the Machine multiple times.

However, seconds later, bullets struck Jackass in the leg, and she fell to the ground.

"What the-?!"

2B, 21B, and 9S wheeled around, while their pods prepared Gun Pod programs, forming a buffer between Jackass and the Union Marine who had shot her.

"Enough! Stop! Stand down!" One of the Marines, a Sergeant, shouted to the others. "Don't shoot!"

"What the hell's going on here?" 9S demanded.

"Yeah, why are there fucking Union Marines on MY station?! This is URDC jurisdiction!" Jackass yelled furiously, struggling to get up despite her damaged leg, but slipping on her own oil and falling over in a heap.

"The Union Space Navy's Midgard Sector Flotilla- including the Marine contingent- was invited to act as peacekeepers by URDC Deputy Director Goddard and the Union Diplomatic Corps," the Sergeant, Restrepo-17, explained.

"What?! I never authorized this! I need to talk to Goddard- someone help me up!"

21B rushed to help Jackass to her feet, though Jackass' leg was still profusely oozing a mixture of oil and lubricant.

"That was what we were about to do before you shot that poor Machine," Sergeant Restrepo-17 raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, well, his back-up will be up and running soon anyway," Jackass dismissed. "Now, let's go!"

Once in the meeting room, Jackass saw Deputy Director Goddard sitting opposite Minister Kavar talking casually across a coffee table. In the back floated the holographic image of UEASN Midgard Flotilla Commodore Yanukovych, who was listening to the discussion attentively.

Jackass immediately leveled her rocket launcher at the center of the room. "Cough it up! What the hell have you done with my world?! With poor little Fibonacci?! Or I'll blow you all to hell!"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Minister Kavar warned, as the room's armed guards- consisting of Union Marines, the Diplomatic Corps' Diplomatic Security Service, the URDC's own Security Force, and the planet's Geonosian Defense Force militia- moved to surround Jackass, weapons drawn.

"I don't care if you kill me," Jackass snorted. "In cause you haven't noticed, I have a fucking Battlecruiser just outside the station that I can just back-up to and then blow you all to hell! This system is mine, and I won't allow anyone to undermine my authority!"

"With all due respect, Director Jackass," Deputy Director Goddard-20 began, "Your last discussion regarding the alien lifeforms we encountered on the southern continent was… less than ideal. After appealing to the Union Council, it was decided the southern continent will be temporarily placed under the jurisdiction of the Union Diplomatic Council, with the local sector flotilla to enforce the ruling."

"Traitor, I'll kill-!"

"Director Jackass, see those?" Minister Kavar pointed bluntly to a holoscreen he pulled out. "Those couriers- armed couriers- are ready to enforce the Union Council's ruling and UDC interests- by force if necessary."

Jackass snorted scoffingly. "Oh please, those couriers only have about the firepower of a corvette or frigate. What are those punies going to do about my fucking Battlecruiser?"

"Director, the Diplomatic Corps is not looking for a fight. But if you act aggressively toward my forces, the peacekeepers now stationed in this system will act," Minister Kavar stated solemnly.

"Uh? Peacekeepers?"

"Would you mind bringing them about, Commodore?" Goddard spoke into his communicator.

"Bring them about…?" Jackass quickly messaged the Captain of the Huey Long IX, Captain Caligula. "Captain! What are you getting on sensors?"

"There's a sizable fleet moving out from behind the moon Ge-A-37- about fifty, no, a hundred capital ships. Two hundred now!"

Jackass felt silent for a moment. Sure, the URDC could've probably amassed such a fleet itself, but Jackass hadn't come here expecting to fight a fleet. Most capital ships the URDC produced were sold to branches of the Union anyway, and regardless, Jackass couldn't even be sure how much of the URDC was under her control anyway.

"Where'd they get that many ships?! What types are there?"

"Uh… FFIs registering… about eighty from the UEASN Midgard Sector Flotilla, forty from the Artemisian Navy… Good heavens, they've got an Artemisian Battleship! Another thirty are URDC vessels, twenty from the Machine Council fleet, twenty from the Union Intelligence Service, and ten from the Independist Space Force."

Jackass fell silent for a moment. An Artemisian Battleship was just slightly smaller than a Behemoth-class Battlecruiser. While its armaments were no match for a Behemoth, with that big a fleet behind it to back it up…

"Director!" Captain Caligula addressed Jackass again. "Moncton-class orbital space platforms are targeting us! They have control of the mass accelerator cannons!"

"You bastards!" Jackass growled, clenching her rocket launcher tightly. "What- what have you done with Fibonacci?! At least let her go!"

"Fibonacci is being temporarily detained by the UEA Navy on suspicion of her involvement in the terrorist attack on Mor. I assure you we merely want to get to the bottom of thi-" Goddard tried to explain placatingly.

"Damn it, you're lying! How could she possibly be involved in terrorism?" Jackass shouted. "If anything happens to her-"

"If she is really innocent, or was manipulated somehow, nothing will happen to her," Commodore Yanukovych assured. "But we must be cautious. So why don't you put that weapon down and go back to your ship? Go back to Pallatinos- everything here is under control."

"Bullshit! I don't- I don't answer to you!" Jackass jabbed a finger angrily. "This isn't the end of this, you hear!" She turned to the YoRHa Androids accompanying her. "9S, 2B, 21B! We're going!"

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August 30, 11,958

In orbit around Benning, Euler System (administered by the Union Diplomatic Corps), Arcturus Sector, Arcturus Stream…

A fleet of about a hundred capital ships emerged from FTL speed and entered the orbit around Benning. Led by the Behemoth-class Battlecruiser Huey Long IX, most of them were emblazoned with the insignia of the Union Development and Research Consortium, though a few bore the markings of the Deneb Federal Navy.

On board the Huey Long IX, Director Jackass smirked smugly as she issued a broad-spectrum, open transmission to the planet below.

"This is Director Jackass, the legitimate head of the Union Development and Research Consortium. In retaliation for the Union Diplomatic Corps' insults and aggression against the URDC, and the Corps' violation of the Union Protocol, I declare, under my authority, that this world is now under blockade! No vessels are allowed to land or leave without my express permission! Glory to the Union!"

Jackass shut off the communicator and smirked. "Now... Minister Kavar... what move will you make?"