Turn 71 - You'll Fire Your Musket, But I'll Run You Through
Turn 71 - You’ll Fire Your Musket, But I’ll Run You Through
You get a report from Sukashi, a DCA Tramp has jumped in and broadcast its surrender immediately. There are no dropships docked to the vessel, just a single dropshuttle. It appears that you have a defector in your hands.
Tai-Sho Koga Tekken of the Draconis Combine Admiralty, along with his aide, wife, son and daughter are seeking political asylum. In exchange they promise to divulge intelligence about the Dracs in Okusawa. He claims that his aide was his ISB ‘watcher’ who became more loyal to the Tai-Sho than to the Dragon, and the aide backs up the claim.
The jumpship itself is in perfect shape, and from the navigation computers you discover that the likely location of this ‘primitive’ world from where the Dracs are drawing manpower is two jumps from Okusawa itself, most likely at GX-A2 but the navigation data is extremely encrypted and they don’t have the current key. SARAH is attempting to decrypt the data regardless.
Riots have broken out in Nova Roma and much to your chagrin they seem to be centered around one of the temples that had been erected to, well, you. Your face and your palm have a forbidden relationship as you read the news, as evidently there are groups in the NRI clamoring to have your status as deity taken as making you a proper Imperator for the NRI, displacing the Consuls and Senate.
You’ve sent a message to the current Consuls pledging that you had absolutely nothing to do with this, and miracle of miracles they not only believe you but assure you that they don’t blame you one bit. The violence evidently came about when some nutbars who’d been secret Pugnus Deorum sympathizers had gotten so triggered by the proposal that they tried to bomb the temple, only to get caught by the crowds and beaten half to death before security forces could make arrests.
You’re not sure you like the smirk on the consul’s face when he passes on the news, it’s like he’s enjoying this far too much and has something up his sleeve that will probably be extremely embarrassing. You’d worked with him during the suppression of the Pugnus Deorum, he has a wider troll streak than your mother, and you’d seen some of the things he’d gotten up to in the past.
So you ask your Intelligence people to see if they can find anything out. Harry assures you he’ll have his people look into it. He does, however, drop a minor bombshell of his own, his wife wants him to retire and he’s inclined to grant her her wish. He promises to serve out at least this year and have proposals for his replacement on your desk next year.
You receive a follow up report on the smuggling ring that had tried to set up in Griff’s Leap. Investigators have traced the criminals back to one of the few major companies that are based on New Capricorn. On the face of it, the company is a simple mining company operating mining and refining stations in the asteroid belts and the barely habitable moons, however there is evidence of shady behavior. It’s rather difficult, as any approach to any of the small stations that they operate out of is easily spotted hours if not days before arrival, but the Special Branch strongly suspects, based admittedly on circumstantial evidence at the moment, that there are illegal operations on those stations.
There are hints, there are traces, there are signs, but there isn’t any hard evidence. A skilled lawyer could tie up any prosecution for years, and one thing this company has is plenty of skilled lawyers on retainer. You can’t even get them on tax evasion, since an audit of their books shows that they are actually owed a little bit by the state by not taking absolutely every deduction they are entitled to. They are the second largest employer in the New Capricorn system as well, and the locals are rather upset with all of the surprise raids and suspicion placed upon them.
Parliament is in session, and as you were warned the Chamber of Delegates is wasting no time at all in showing their opposition. Mom had gotten a decade, you got a year. Great.
The Senate, of course, is extremely helpful, but with the Chamber seeking to stick a shiv in your back at every turn getting any of the benefits of helpful Senate legislation is going to require effectively paying off the Chamber of Delegates.
And you cannot even say that they are being corrupt or have no point, because they are very careful to stick to things that they can truthfully say are for the good of the Empire and that they only profit insofar as all Imperial citizens would profit from these proposals. The smirking bastards.
The Senate has proposed to establish a Catachan Colonization venture, financed by the Imperial government, overseen by the Crown, making use of commercial, military, and governmental expertise to tackle the serious issues posed by the incredibly lethal and aggressive wildlife and plantlife on Catachan itself in order to pave the way for colonization of the planet and exploitation of the incredibly rich resources present there.
The Chamber, however, has laden the legislation down with massive economic packages aimed squarely at underwriting and financing small and medium business establishment, growth, and economic security throughout the Core systems, on the grounds that far too much of the Core economy is in the hands of a handful of massive corporations. Technically, if you look at just the top line numbers, this is even true, but this is mainly because these massive corporations happen to be based in the Core worlds while primarily doing business as defense contractors or mercantile concerns, they do not compete with smaller firms that actually focus their business on the Core worlds themselves. But the rhetoric is very effective to the man on the street. ‘Look how big and wealthy Majeure Electrique is, and look at how Sam’s Grocery Store on the corner is struggling!’ even if they are in two totally different economic spheres that have absolutely zero to do with each other.
As feared, Gustavson has passed away in his sleep. The NRR has declared a week of mourning on both of their worlds. Despite the official mourning, there is already quiet bickering taking place within the Thing as to who should replace him as Head of State. Your ambassador tells you that the situation is… delicate, to say the least. In many ways it was only Gustavson’s personal prestige which has kept the Thing from erupting into extreme factional infighting that makes the current difficulties with the Chamber of Delegates seem like mild disagreements over the best firmness of a mattress when both parties have access to an adjustable mattress just for themselves.
One faction, ironically not the one in power, advocates making the Prime Minister, who is already Head of Government, Head of State as well. Another advocates electing a separate, ceremonial, Head of State but leaving all control over the government in the hands of, well, the government, like it is now. A third advocates ditching the pseudo-parliamentarian model and selecting an out and out ruler. And then there are all the more fringe groups.
This… is going to be a headache. Where’s the Fountain of Aspirin when you need it?
You get a report from Sukashi, a DCA Tramp has jumped in and broadcast its surrender immediately. There are no dropships docked to the vessel, just a single dropshuttle. It appears that you have a defector in your hands.
Tai-Sho Koga Tekken of the Draconis Combine Admiralty, along with his aide, wife, son and daughter are seeking political asylum. In exchange they promise to divulge intelligence about the Dracs in Okusawa. He claims that his aide was his ISB ‘watcher’ who became more loyal to the Tai-Sho than to the Dragon, and the aide backs up the claim.
| [] | Grant Asylum |
|
| [] | Take Them Prisoner |
|
The jumpship itself is in perfect shape, and from the navigation computers you discover that the likely location of this ‘primitive’ world from where the Dracs are drawing manpower is two jumps from Okusawa itself, most likely at GX-A2 but the navigation data is extremely encrypted and they don’t have the current key. SARAH is attempting to decrypt the data regardless.
Riots have broken out in Nova Roma and much to your chagrin they seem to be centered around one of the temples that had been erected to, well, you. Your face and your palm have a forbidden relationship as you read the news, as evidently there are groups in the NRI clamoring to have your status as deity taken as making you a proper Imperator for the NRI, displacing the Consuls and Senate.
You’ve sent a message to the current Consuls pledging that you had absolutely nothing to do with this, and miracle of miracles they not only believe you but assure you that they don’t blame you one bit. The violence evidently came about when some nutbars who’d been secret Pugnus Deorum sympathizers had gotten so triggered by the proposal that they tried to bomb the temple, only to get caught by the crowds and beaten half to death before security forces could make arrests.
You’re not sure you like the smirk on the consul’s face when he passes on the news, it’s like he’s enjoying this far too much and has something up his sleeve that will probably be extremely embarrassing. You’d worked with him during the suppression of the Pugnus Deorum, he has a wider troll streak than your mother, and you’d seen some of the things he’d gotten up to in the past.
So you ask your Intelligence people to see if they can find anything out. Harry assures you he’ll have his people look into it. He does, however, drop a minor bombshell of his own, his wife wants him to retire and he’s inclined to grant her her wish. He promises to serve out at least this year and have proposals for his replacement on your desk next year.
You receive a follow up report on the smuggling ring that had tried to set up in Griff’s Leap. Investigators have traced the criminals back to one of the few major companies that are based on New Capricorn. On the face of it, the company is a simple mining company operating mining and refining stations in the asteroid belts and the barely habitable moons, however there is evidence of shady behavior. It’s rather difficult, as any approach to any of the small stations that they operate out of is easily spotted hours if not days before arrival, but the Special Branch strongly suspects, based admittedly on circumstantial evidence at the moment, that there are illegal operations on those stations.
There are hints, there are traces, there are signs, but there isn’t any hard evidence. A skilled lawyer could tie up any prosecution for years, and one thing this company has is plenty of skilled lawyers on retainer. You can’t even get them on tax evasion, since an audit of their books shows that they are actually owed a little bit by the state by not taking absolutely every deduction they are entitled to. They are the second largest employer in the New Capricorn system as well, and the locals are rather upset with all of the surprise raids and suspicion placed upon them.
| [] | There’s too much smoke, there must be a fire, arrest the corporate leadership and seize all the platforms |
|
| [] | Commit more resources to digging for the truth, there’s something out there, and you intend to find it |
|
| [] | They’ll slip up eventually, keep an eye on them, but do nothing overt |
|
| [] | We might be overreacting here, back off and wait and see |
|
Parliament is in session, and as you were warned the Chamber of Delegates is wasting no time at all in showing their opposition. Mom had gotten a decade, you got a year. Great.
The Senate, of course, is extremely helpful, but with the Chamber seeking to stick a shiv in your back at every turn getting any of the benefits of helpful Senate legislation is going to require effectively paying off the Chamber of Delegates.
And you cannot even say that they are being corrupt or have no point, because they are very careful to stick to things that they can truthfully say are for the good of the Empire and that they only profit insofar as all Imperial citizens would profit from these proposals. The smirking bastards.
The Senate has proposed to establish a Catachan Colonization venture, financed by the Imperial government, overseen by the Crown, making use of commercial, military, and governmental expertise to tackle the serious issues posed by the incredibly lethal and aggressive wildlife and plantlife on Catachan itself in order to pave the way for colonization of the planet and exploitation of the incredibly rich resources present there.
The Chamber, however, has laden the legislation down with massive economic packages aimed squarely at underwriting and financing small and medium business establishment, growth, and economic security throughout the Core systems, on the grounds that far too much of the Core economy is in the hands of a handful of massive corporations. Technically, if you look at just the top line numbers, this is even true, but this is mainly because these massive corporations happen to be based in the Core worlds while primarily doing business as defense contractors or mercantile concerns, they do not compete with smaller firms that actually focus their business on the Core worlds themselves. But the rhetoric is very effective to the man on the street. ‘Look how big and wealthy Majeure Electrique is, and look at how Sam’s Grocery Store on the corner is struggling!’ even if they are in two totally different economic spheres that have absolutely zero to do with each other.
| [] | Support the Catachan Colonization legislation |
|
| [] | Reject the ‘compromise’ with the Chamber needed to pass it |
|
As feared, Gustavson has passed away in his sleep. The NRR has declared a week of mourning on both of their worlds. Despite the official mourning, there is already quiet bickering taking place within the Thing as to who should replace him as Head of State. Your ambassador tells you that the situation is… delicate, to say the least. In many ways it was only Gustavson’s personal prestige which has kept the Thing from erupting into extreme factional infighting that makes the current difficulties with the Chamber of Delegates seem like mild disagreements over the best firmness of a mattress when both parties have access to an adjustable mattress just for themselves.
One faction, ironically not the one in power, advocates making the Prime Minister, who is already Head of Government, Head of State as well. Another advocates electing a separate, ceremonial, Head of State but leaving all control over the government in the hands of, well, the government, like it is now. A third advocates ditching the pseudo-parliamentarian model and selecting an out and out ruler. And then there are all the more fringe groups.
This… is going to be a headache. Where’s the Fountain of Aspirin when you need it?
