The Least Worst System (CLOSED)

by **New Edom** » Thu May 18, 2017 2:01 am

To: George Rowan, President of the Republic of Adiron
From: King Elijah IV of the Allied Statesof New Edom
Subject: Congratulations
Encryption: Moderate

Dear President Rowan,

My warmest congratulations on your election to your rpresidency. I have followed your pursuit of this high and noble officewith great interest, especially as this contest serves as yet another example of how people, divided greatly by ideals and plans, may nevertheless peacefully come to a resolution of their disagreements for the good of their country. There are few things better than good order and law to keep people well.

It is my hope that you will find that ability which enabled you to achieve the pinnacle office of your nation will also give you the strength, courage and resolve to lead your nation well. I look forward to the cooperation between our governments to maintain peace and prosperity in the Region. On behalf of Queen Mara and myself: our very best wishes.

I have the honour to be,
King Elijah IV of the Allied States of New Edom

A letter was also sent to acting President Colombo and former President DeGroot, expressing the pleasure of working with them and regret at their moving out of political life, and the best wishes for their future lives. The King expressed the thought to each that they would, having sacrificed their private lives to the public good, hopefully receive the reward of a peaceful and quiet life oftheir own choosing.
Elijah IV

by **Hittanryan** » Fri May 19, 2017 12:53 am

Inaugural Ball
1 Sierra

The night before the formal inauguration ceremony, there was usually a formal dinner and ball at 1 Sierra. This had started as little more than a housewarming party and evolved over time into a black tie affair. A few hundred guests were invited to the official residence where they would be treated to hors d'oeuvres, a fine dinner in the main dining room, and a dance in the main hall. Speeches would be given by Rowan, Vice President Colombo, and Lily DeGroot on behalf of her husband. Most of Rowan's senior staff and political leaders were there, including a number of hopefuls and shoe-ins for the Cabinet.

One of the shoe-ins was Rowan's pick for Secretary of War, Paul Fortner. Fortner was a handsome man, clean shaven, a square jaw, still wearing his salt and pepper hair short as he did in the Army. He once cut a striking figure in a colonel's uniform, but he was now fully retired to civilian life and accordingly was dressed in black tie tonight. Accompanying him was a young woman in her twenties named Michelle, who wore a purple ball gown that flattered a slim, youthful figure with a high neckline but a sheer top. Her dark hair was piled on top of her head and for her age seemed to carry herself with a practiced sort of poise, for the most part anyway.

Fortner and Michelle were talking to the Obers. The new Presidential Chief of Staff was also dressed in black tie, although as usual his height and build made him stand out. Judy wore a rather conservative full-sleeved frock. However, they were making pleasant conversation all around.

"You know what? You should show her one of those tricks," Michelle was saying, turning to Fortner.

"What, here?" he asked, bemused. "It's the Inaugural Ball."

"What tricks?" Judy asked, now curious.

"He does card tricks," Michelle said.

"Really? I'd love to see," Judy said.

"It's really nothing..." Fortner said.

"You have a deck of cards with you, you were playing with it in the car," Michelle said, giving him a playful little shove.

Fortner suddenly didn't seem so reluctant as he reached into his pocket, looking around. "All right, just one, before anyone notices." He shuffled the deck before fanning through them, "Okay Judy, you tell me where to stop and pick one out."

Judy pointed to a card, the ace of clubs, and Fortner handed it to her. "All right, don't show me or Michelle, but you can show Dale if you'd like. Feel it, bend it, it's just a regular card," he encouraged them, which Ober actually did. "Remember what you had, we'll just put this back in there and give it a few shuffles..." he said, taking the card back and putting it on top before quickly yet casually shuffling and cutting the deck about five times.

"Now, safe to say that your card's pretty well buried in there, let's narrow it down a bit..." he said, before abruptly tossing all but three of the cards to his other hand, keeping the whole deck face down the entire time. Of the three, he deliberately picked out the middle card and handed it to Judy without looking at it. She turned it over to reveal the ace of clubs.

"Was that it?" Fortner asked.

"It was. Very cool," Judy said as Fortner put the deck back in his pocket. "He must've had lots of practice. Probably been doing that since you were a kid, eh?" she asked Michelle.

"Oh, I don't know," Michelle said, looking at Fortner.

"Now what do you do, dear?"

"Oh, I'm in my first year of law school at PRSU," she said.

"Got her nose to the grindstone most of the time," Paul added.

"Well, you must be very proud of her," Judy said, patting Fortner on the arm.

There was a brief pause until Fortner amicably just said "Yeah."

The two pairs parted not long after that. As they were making their way over to the hors d'oeuvres Judy said "Well that was neat. But isn't it a bit odd that he brought Michelle tonight?"

Ober looked up. "Why?"

"Oh I know she's going to law school, it's a great opportunity to be here, but you would've thought he would've at least brought his wife," Judy remarked.

"Paul's not married, Judy," Ober said as they walked.

"Oh...divorced, what a shame. So Michelle's from his ex?"

"What? No, he never married. Almost did, got a Dear John while he was at war," Ober explained.

"Oh that's terrible, so he raised her himself?"

"Huh? No..." Ober finally said, realizing what was going on. "Michelle's his girlfriend."

Judy stopped dead in her tracks and exclaimed "No!" She looked mortified.

It wasn't all frivolity, naturally. The matter of the Cabinet loomed large, and any number of business discussions were going around. Alan Cruise was enjoying his latest glass of wine and a plate of shrimp cocktail near the edge of the dance floor. Although the sauce was some kind of gourmet stuff, the way he smeared it around it might as well have been made from ketchup, horseradish, and tobasco.

"Mr. Cruise?" a voice asked him. Cruise was just in the middle of biting off a shrimp when he saw a tall bespectacled man with a thick yet neat beard.

"Yeah?" Cruise asked, quickly maneuvering his plate to catch a drop of cocktail sauce.

"Colin Latham, I'm Merrill Eddings' political advisor," he introduced himself, offering a handshake.

"Oh, pleased to meet you," Cruise said, quickly shaking his hand. Latham for a brief moment seemed surprised, looking down at his hand before continuing. "Are you new? I thought Eddings had someone else for the campaign."

"Uh, not new, just...promoted," he said as he fished a napkin out of his pocket and tried to wipe his hand off as casually as he could. "Anyway, I was wondering if you would be willing to help us with something,"

"Oh yeah?" Cruise asked.

"You see, we've been trying to get a proper meeting with the President for some time now, but the Chief of Staff hasn't really been cooperative so far," Latham explained.

"Really? Well, Dale's got rank on me, it's up to him," Cruise lied. He'd recommended to Rowan that Ober do this.

"Well, word is that you're all but set to become Deputy Chief of Staff," Latham said.

"I'm in the running, sure," Cruise said casually with a smile.

"You've been with Rowan a long time, longer than the other contenders," Latham pointed out with a grin. "We haven't had a chance to discuss the new Cabinet with the President."

Cruise studied Latham a bit, then started to chuckle. "Got some nerve looking for a Cabinet post after what happened at the polls," Cruise said jocularly, nudging him like a fellow conspirator. "And they say Greens don't have a backbone."

Latham smiled. "I believe the joke was that we have a stem rather than a spine. I'd prefer a tree trunk, but you can't choose your own nickname, right?" He then looked at Cruise more urgently, "But Alan, you were one of the President's strategists in the campaign, you know that we need this coalition to work for both of us. We're still licking our wounds here. What do you say?"

Cruise chewed, looking thoughtful. "Hmm, I could perhaps talk to Dale or Dana, but as our esteemed coalition partners I think I owe it to you to be honest: there haven't been any changes so far. We don't see a place in the Cabinet for a Green at this time," Cruise said, biting off another end of a shrimp casually.

Latham frowned and tried to press Cruise a bit. "Look, I know we had differences during the election season, but we are going to have to work together. We're still part of a coalition. Our voters want us to keep our majority, it's what the people want."

Cruise actually gave a hearty laugh and then glared at Latham. "The people? Best I can tell, based on the election results, the people don't much care for your bullshit anymore."

Looking stunned a moment, Latham asked "I'm sorry?"

"You heard me," Cruise said, looking at him hard without breaking the slight smile. "The people have had enough of being told they need to scrape and sacrifice by rich snobs who drive around in sixty thousand dollar Verdes, buying organic vegetables that cost twice as much, who live in air-conditioned penthouses. They hate that, hate it. Bill Summers got that, Jason got that. Why doesn't Eddings get it?"

"I..." he stammered, looking taken aback a second before regaining his composure. "I don't know what you mean."

"Well, until you figure it out, I'm not recommending the idea to anyone," Cruise said matter-of-factly as he lifted his wine glass to his lips and tilted it rather steeply. "What the Adiran people want is security from threats abroad and relief from Gallows Street's mess. They don't want to be told to sing kumbaya with people who'd just assume kidnap and torture them, or put up with three dollar a liter gas prices because people who've never lived anywhere without public transit tell them they know better and it'll be good for them in the long run."

"But that is true," Latham started to protest. "The more expensive gas gets, the greater demand there will be for electrics and hybrids become, the lower our carbon footprint..."

Cruise cut him off, mouth full at first. "Yeah that. You gotta cut that academic shit out. You can tell people Tericio will be underwater in a hundred years, but they're gonna care more about how much it costs them to fill up their car tomorrow."

"Is this going somewhere, Cruise?" Latham asked pointedly.

Cruise shook his head and got close enough that Latham could smell the bouquet of the cocktail sauce on his breath. "How many different ways do I have to say it? We tried a thousand ways to get you to understand this in the campaign: your party's out of touch. You and your party leader were shortsighted and stupid, screwed with us during the campaign, and we're that much more vulnerable to the Liberals thanks to that. It's time you shaped up and started talking turkey for ordinary folks."

"Sustainability is a real solution for ordinary people," Latham maintained.

Cruise groaned and rolled his eyes. "Fine, I'll give you one example and then I want you to report this back to Eddings. Pay attention now. Don't say that you're willing to accept higher gas prices. Makes you look like Ivory Tower champagne socialists. You wanna promote hybrids and electrics? You gotta talk about making them more affordable out of pocket, tax credits, rebates, whatever. Talk about how they'll pay for themselves and save money over the long run, that's what Bill Summers used to do. Now we'll of course support the ESS and reasonable measures in the Assembly, but if you want any more access than this, you need to play ball."

Latham started to say something else, but Cruise cut him off, the humor in his expression having disappeared entirely. "No, I've said my final piece. You take that back to your boss and you tell him that, go on now." He gestured rather dismissively with the shrimp he was about to eat, watching and tracking Latham as he walked away.

by **Hittanryan** » Sat May 20, 2017 2:49 pm

To: King Elijah IV of the Allied Statesof New Edom
From: George Rowan, President of the Republic of Adiron
Subject: Congratulations
Encryption: Moderate

Your Majesty,

On behalf of everyone who played a part in our victory on Election Day, I thank you for the kind words and hopeful sentiments expressed in your recent letter. Great challenges may exist today, but I am confident that they will be overcome in due course. The breadth of Adiron's marketplace of ideas remains one of its greatest strengths. Despite whatever disagreements may arise, it is my firm belief that such public debates will inevitably ensure sound policymaking and greater outcomes.

It is my sincerest hope that our two nations will continue to work together towards greater peace and stability in Ceti, Acheron, and beyond. As long as New Edom continues to be guided by the fundamental principles consistently upheld by yourself and Her Majesty the Queen, I have no doubt that this will be the case.

Sincerely,
George Rowan

by **Hittanryan** » Sun May 21, 2017 1:49 pm

Confederation of North Arcologia

Although the new President was only just taking office and the election season had gone on for several weeks now, the wheels of government continued to turn. The Acting President was largely holding a steady course while the civil service responded to obvious emergencies, one of which was the Virden attack. It was the opinion of Secretaries Li and Deol, in a rare moment of harmony, to consider the raid a direct assault on Confederate soil rather than some kind of criminal activity. The force that attacked Virden was still out there somewhere, led by a dangerous Arvo chieftain intelligence had identified as Mok Ukkadis, and in the immediate term it was imperative that something be done to protect the coast.

Li proposed moving Franklin's task force northwest to challenge the Arvo directly, but Colombo believed this was too radical a measure. It also might take too long, as that kind of effort would not only require coordinating with the Edomites, but also assuaging protests from the Union and the Imperium. They couldn't afford to wait that long, as every day the Arvo's victims spent in captivity would be agony. Instead, they settled on the quickest response they could: drone flights over the Ura Sea. Although the Arvo had a variety of man-portable air defense systems, they had no means of detecting or shooting down high-flying aircraft. This had already proved a key weakness against the Edomites, who had used aerial reconnaissance and close air support to great effect. Flights of drones began flying out of Dalton AFB in southern Adiron.

Most of the drones were devoted to coastal patrols in an effort to head off the next attack. This proved to be something of a struggle, as it was about nine hundred kilometers from Dalton to the Confederate coast. The drones had the range to get there, fly a couple of hours on patrol, then had to return to base. Maintaining constant air cover required a large number of aircraft to keep up with the flight rotation. It also increased the complexity of the operation and introduced room for error; even short flight delays could potentially leave gaps. Ultimately the War Department considered this a stopgap, and civil servants began drafting plans to improve coverage.

A smaller group of drones with tasked with a new mission: hunt down Mok Ukkadis' forces and locate the captives. They were to look along the mainland for new camps, additions to villages, increased boat traffic, and other details they might have missed. They had satellite photographs of the area, but the Confederate frontier hadn't been a huge priority. Current reconnaissance would be compared with satellite intel dating back a few months or so.

As Adiron's new president took office, he would be faced with a number of decisions to make about Arcologia.

by **Hittanryan** » Sun May 21, 2017 3:53 pm

1 Sierra Avenue
New Laconia

Inauguration Day in Adiron was to take place no later than ten days after Election Day. So far only Presidents who took office during wartime had been inaugurated early. In peacetime it was customary to allow the outgoing President ample time to move out of 1 Sierra, and it often took longer for the incoming President to form a government. In George Rowan's case, there was an added reason: Tavish DeGroot had gone through his first round of surgery a couple of weeks ago and wanted to attend the proceedings in some capacity if he had recovered sufficiently.

The first event of the day was for the National Assembly to convene in a special session which was mostly ceremony. The SDP and Green Party chairs first proposed that a coalition be formed, the details of which had already been negotiated. With this agreed to, a majority of 309 votes was reached, and George Rowan--who was not present for the vote--was called upon to form a government, nominate a Cabinet, and sent to 1 Sierra for the official transfer of power.

Rowan's motorcade pulled up to the front steps at 1 Sierra, where a red carpet had been laid out and an honor guard stood by. Security details were posted all around the grounds surrounding the official residence. The ceremony would take place on the North Lawn, where visiting heads of state were welcomed. Before Rowan and his wife made it through the residence, however, they found an old, tired-looking man with grey hair, a rather long face, and a slimmer build than they remembered sitting in a wheelchair. With considerable effort he rose to his feet, and Rowan asked Leslie to hang back a moment.

"President DeGroot," Rowan said, offering a handshake.

"President Rowan," DeGroot said, returning it as firmly as he could manage. His voice wavered a bit.

"How are you holding up?"

"Like a heavily medicated Humpty Dumpty post-wall, held together with scotch tape and chewing gum. Never better," DeGroot joked ruefully.

"Six years though, Tavish. None of us have done it since Ridgeway," Rowan said encouragingly.

"Well, you better be ready. You're about to have more on your plate than a spinster at a wedding," he said. There were a few camera flashes, a few more words exchanged, until the incoming and outgoing First Ladies also came forward.

Eventually DeGroot sat back down in the wheelchair, and a nurse wheeled him out among the guests of honor, Lily at his side. Colombo as Acting President would be the one actually participating in the ceremony. Making his way outside, he joined Colombo, standing on the steps for the national anthem before conducting a review of the Presidential Honor Guard. A large audience was positioned on either side of the lawn with plenty of cameras and press. For the first time, the press used drones to capture a birds-eye view of the proceedings. Each drone had been disassembled, thoroughly inspected, and reassembled by the security detail immediately before they took flight. Concluding their review, Colombo and Rowan stood on the steps of 1 Sierra. As they shook hands, signifying the official transition of power, a 21 gun salute began.

As the salute came to a close, Rowan approached a podium set up in front of the steps. His inaugural address largely mirrored the remarks made in his acceptance speech, espousing a spirit of cooperation in politics, speaking of national unity in the face of challenges, all tempered by a sense of optimism that Adiron would ultimately prevail. After that, the ceremony was complete, and Colombo was accompanied by Rowan to a waiting motorcade out front.

With the final conclusion of the 2016 election, the Presidency of George Rowan officially began.

by **Hittanryan** » Sun May 21, 2017 5:07 pm

National Assembly
New Laconia

Next on the agenda for Rowan was for the Assembly to confirm his Cabinet appointments. The big four, Attorney General, State, Treasury, and War, were always first. Essentially the Cabinet was his to appoint unless objections were raised by the governing coalition, in which case confirmation hearings would have to be held. Paul Fortner was confirmed as Secretary of War in short order without objections.

John Pendergast was still controversial among leftists and Greens owing to his ties to the financial industry. It was feared that troublemakers such as Sara Paquin might try to stir the pot. However, the left's credibility and influence had taken a serious hit in the election. Snyder presented two options to Rowan: "We can either have Pendergast renounce his previous statements and positions and be willing to consider alternatives, or we shame these leftists using the election results and the economy."

"If we go with the former, John won't forget it," Rowan pointed out.

"No, he won't, and we lost a lot of seats in the election," Snyder agreed. "That might be all he needs to start looking for backers. He'll probably just have to remind everyone that he got more votes than you in the caucus."

"I wonder if that won't be a problem anyway though," Rowan mused.

"Honestly, having Pendergast at Treasury is win-win now," Snyder explained. "With the stock market crash, Treasury's going to be in the spotlight. If he helps fix things, the party looks good and so do we. If he doesn't, we get the excuse we need to get rid of him and remove him as a threat. I mean part of the reason we wanted him at Treasury in the first place is so he wouldn't be in the Assembly feeding us poison pills."

"So, seems clear enough to me," Rowan said. "Let's give John our full backing for Treasury. Explain to the leftists that we no longer have the luxury of being picky. The economy is on the line and we need someone experienced at Treasury to help manage the crisis.

Snyder replied "I would also add that the government needs to appear sound, or confidence in the economy will fall even further, causing millions of ordinary Adirans to suffer even more."

"Fine, let Cullen know that's our decision," Rowan said. George Cullen, who had retained both his seat in the Assembly and his position of Party Whip as a party functionary, started putting this line out for the SDP and the diminished Greens. It appeared to work, and Pendergast was confirmed, looking distinguished and confident as ever.

Amy Bailey posed another challenge. She was expected to be confirmed, but had expressed doubts to Martin about Rowan's plan for Arcologia, saying it placed too much of an onus upon indigenous peoples. Before she potentially went public with these sentiments at her confirmation, however, Ober and Martin were sent to speak with Bailey.

Ober, practical-minded as ever, was having none of it. "Indigenous peoples? You're still on about that? The Arvo attacked, have been attacking, our allies in the Confederacy. We can't be seen to ignore them, we'll look unreliable, not dependable to our other allies."

Bailey was unconvinced. "I sincerely doubt that, Mr. Ober, and I know the Arvo have a history of violence. What we have to address is why they feel the need to lash out at their neighbors and international shipping rather than simply retaliating. An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind."

"But it's not the same. We're acting defensively," Ober argued.

"Are the Edomites?" Bailey asked. "We shouldn't develop a reputation of ignoring the human rights of indigenous peoples when it is convenient."

"With all due respect, Madame Secretary," Martin started, "there's no indication that the Arvo have any real concept of human rights, war crimes, or the rights of prisoners of war."

"And what about the indigenous peoples we're already allied with?" Ober asked. "You think the Folau wanna handle the Arvo with kid gloves? They hate 'em! I bet they're thrilled the Edomites are doing something about them."

"But they're isolated tribal peoples. These are old prejudices that take time to overcome. We know better though," Bailey said.

"Secretary, that's just not true," Martin countered after scanning through something on his phone. "Did you know the Folau don't allow women, children, or elderly to live on the coast? It's not superstition, it's because of the Arvo. The Arvo have a justified reputation as raiders and slavers going back centuries. That kind of behavior has only been held back when they were effectively part of a larger state with whom they had strong agreements like the Tenmar Empire. No such agreements exist today."

Bailey started to say something, then paused. "Where did you read that?" she asked.

"It's an anthropological paper with direct interviews with multiple southern tribes and Old Cetan settlers," Martin said. "There are others that back it up as well."

Looking thoughtful a moment, Bailey said "Well, then we need to seek agreements rather than attacking them."

"Exactly the President's point," Ober interjected. "But they haven't been willing to talk yet."

Martin pointed out "The Arvo are not taking us seriously. They think that we're being held back by these activists. The activists bring up some important points, but they're not experts and in many cases are outright misinformed. Meanwhile the Arvo won't agree to human rights inspections. They won't admit to having Dr. Cresswell. And they may continue attacks on our Confederate allies."

Bailey shook her head and said "The more we attack them, though, the more threatened they feel, the more they'll lash out."

"So help stop the fighting," Ober said. "That's what the President wants. He wants the fighting to stop."

"That's what I want too," Bailey replied.

"Then we have to get them to the negotiating table. A bit of pressure right now could spare thousands more Arvo in the long run, if that's what you're worried about," Martin argued.

Bailey seemed to reluctantly agree in private, and in public, after she was confirmed, spoke of the need to protect the rights of Adiran and Confederate citizens while seeking a negotiated settlement to the conflict in the Diols to spare the area of further bloodshed.

by **Hittanryan** » Mon May 22, 2017 11:01 pm

Stimulus and Response
Government Offices
New Laconia

The Rowan government had to hit the ground running on the economy. Billions of dollars in wealth had been wiped out in a single day in Gallows Street, leaving hundreds of thousands of jobs on the line and companies struggling to stay liquid. The crash had been a subject of great political debate, with Saito arguing for austerity and Rowan advocating Keynesian relief measures. Now that the election was over and Rowan in office, the time had come for the meat and bones of the relief package to be fleshed out.

In this, Rowan turned to Feng, now the Senior Economic Advisor to the President. Still adjusting to the new position and access he enjoyed, Feng was faced with a truly daunting task. It wasn't like if they tried something and it didn't work they could just start again. Proper relief measures would cost billions not only in taxpayer dollars but also borrowed money. He had already advised Rowan that there was effectively no way to avoid deficits in this situation. That was Keynesianism for you. Avoiding debt would require something like Saito's austerity program, and Rowan had spent several weeks campaigning against that very policy. Should the relief program fail, however, Saito was a mere nine votes away from a majority in the Assembly.

On top of all that, Snyder had imposed conditions on him. First, all relief measures had to be substantive and relatively politically-neutral. His plan had to avoid all appearances of pork. She was hoping to be able to guilt Liberals into voting for it and didn't want glaring reasons for them to pick it apart. Second: no bailouts to banks. They made their bed making risky investments, and if they were bailed out now, not only would they never learn but it would be politically damaging to the SDP. Although there might be some risks to this, the financial sector as a whole was believed to be stable.

What Feng was left with involved piecing together a relief package from a myriad of relatively smaller measures. The possibilities spiraled out in front of him, and he didn't even have the excuse of not having access to records or lacking staff anymore. A small army of civil servants in various departments had been tasked with assembling reports on the economy before Rowan took office, and they had been instructed to give Feng whatever he needed. Whatever Feng proposed would potentially be scrutinized by the entire Assembly, and there had to be data justifying each measure. By the second morning of working on it, Feng's mind felt completely fogged, wrapped up in anxieties over potential waste or loopholes. His staff needed direction yet he was unable to focus. He had a rough idea of what needed to be done, but the level of detail required in this task before him seemed utterly overwhelming.

Arriving at his office early, before most of the staff and civil servants arrived, he closed the door behind him and locked it as quietly as he could. After that he gingerly set his leather briefcase down on his desk, hung up his overcoat, and pulled the blinds shut. Sitting down, he fished around in the briefcase a moment, pulled out a tablet, and checked his emails while also retrieving his wallet from his pocket.

Feng put the tablet on standby, set his wallet down on the desk, and pulled out a small vial from his briefcase. Unscrewing the cap, he hesitated a moment before neatly tapping out a rather exacting amount of white powder onto the screen of his tablet. Picking up his wallet, he retrieved a credit card which he began using to chop up the powder as fine as he could, keeping an ear out for any staff walking by. Once he was satisfied, he recapped the vial, used the card to form the small pile into a line, and took a short plastic straw out of his wallet. Glancing up at the door, Feng then inhaled the line fairly quickly and neatly, sitting back in his chair, idly rubbing what little residue was on the screen before rubbing his finger into his gums.

Sitting a moment as the effects started to come over him, Feng idly pulled out a bit of cleaning solution and a microfiber cloth to clean off the screen of his tablet. By the time the civil service started arriving about fifteen minutes later, Feng seemed to know exactly what he wanted from them.

"Listen, what I need to know is how much it's gonna cost if we waive income taxes on the first twenty-five hundred dollars worth of unemployment benefits collected...because I can think of a few people who will need to know if it'll cost two billion or five," he said to one staffer.

"What do you mean you can't find it?...No, no, that smart grid proposal was DEC, not Energy. Look there," he said to another over the phone.

In the end, Feng was able to get a series of harder policy proposals to Rowan's desk by just after lunch, although naturally civil servants would need to work out most of the details. The relief package was divided into four broad categories: tax incentives, unemployment relief, infrastructure spending, and energy policy.

Tax incentives were targeted towards middle and working class Adirans. The largest was a payroll tax credit of four hundred dollars per worker and eight hundred per couple for individuals making seventy-five thousand and households making one hundred and fifty thousand. It was estimated this would save Adiran families about $100 billion nationwide. Unemployment benefits would be made tax-exempt up to a certain limit, and child tax credits would be expanded, moreso for households with three or more dependents. For homeowners, efforts would be made to offset falling house prices, including a $10,000 refundable tax credit for homeowners who purchased a house within the past year. Tax credits for improvements to homes that improved energy efficiency, already enacted by the ESS, would be increased for at least one year.

Unemployment relief would largely match Rowan's campaign promises. Unemployment benefits would be extended, despite what was projected to be a twenty to thirty billion dollar price tag. Three billion in additional funding would be given to job training and retraining programs, state-run vocational schools, and employment services. Ten billion would go into various food assistance programs. Another eight billion would go towards a one-time $250 advance on fixed-income government pensions to the retired, those on disability, and veterans.

A major public works program would aim to provide opportunities to middle and working class Adirans who were left short of work. Infrastructure had not been a priority since before 2010; after that most of the budget was spent repairing battle damage in the east. By now maintenance and upgrades were needed in several areas including highways, bridges, rail, airports, and seaports. New public rail, including more high-speed rail, was to be explored as well. About 50 billion dollars were slated for this, and an additional 20 was earmarked specifically for Isidium. Adiron's second-largest city now more than ever needed to be at full productivity.

A wide assortment of other, smaller public works would provide local relief for the cost of an additional $30 billion. In some areas water was a priority, whether it was improvements to rural water and sewer or maintenance to flood control systems and navigation on rivers. Environmental cleanup projects were earmarked, including inspection and cleanups of former industrial or accident sites as well as invasive species control. Government buildings such as courthouses, military bases, training centers, and other facilities, would be modernized or added to as needs be. A new national broadband target was to be established: every Adiran was to have affordable access to broadband service of at least 100 Mbps down/50 Mbps up by 2025. Every community was to have access to at least one gigabit-speed Internet provider, even if only for first responders, hospitals, and schools. If this was impossible or if existing providers were uncompetitive, the government would fund efforts towards establishing municipal broadband. Finally, Adiron's electrical grid would begin the process of transitioning to a smart grid.

When it came to energy, much of it expanded existing incentives in the ESS. In an effort to prevent backsliding on the recent gains by the green energy sector, the government would offer $10 billion in loan guarantees. Aware that it was a reasonably fast-growing and increasingly important sector, Feng proposed that the government continue to subsidize it. Research grants would help those in academia and industry continue their work towards more viable technologies. Block grants and loans would help finance the construction of new wind, solar, biofuel, and other green energy power plants or production facilities. Municipalities were given grants to convert their public transit and other vehicle fleets to electric or energy-efficient vehicles. Homeowners could take advantage of tax credits for weatherizing and adopting energy-saving measures in their homes, and rebates were offered to consumers who bought energy-efficient appliances and vehicles.

The final part of the energy portion of the relief package was the most sure to invite controversy within Rowan's coalition, but Feng felt it was required to make the energy program appear at least a bit less biased in favor of the Greens. It called for a review of the moratorium on offshore drilling and the ban on hydraulic fracturing, focusing on a cost/benefit analysis for the Adiran consumer. According to Feng's recommendation, the inquiry should focus on three main questions: Would it provide significant employment beyond the construction of the rigs and equipment? Would it lower fuel prices appreciably? How could the health and environmental risks of offshore drilling and fracking be minimized?

By midday, Feng was starting to come down and was taking some nose drops when Rowan gave him a call.

"Feng, I got your rough draft here, I'm impressed," Rowan said.

"Thanks Geo--Thank you, Mr. President," Feng said, catching himself.

"You think each of these measures is solid?"

"Best I can tell, that's what'll do the most good. We have other options if you need them, but I'd rather not throw everything at the wall and see what sticks," Feng explained.

"That's probably a good idea. Are you sure about these costs?" Rowan asked.

"They're optimistic," Feng conceded. "We could see overruns if we leave things too open-ended, especially on the infrastructure."

"Right...well, good work, I imagine you lost some sleep over this one, assuming you slept at all with everything here," Rowan said. "Now it's time to pass this upfield. First I'll pass it onto Snyder to sanitize everything, make it palatable for the Assembly. Then I suppose we begin working out exactly how we afford...three hundred and ten billion."

"That's a question for Pendergast, the Finance Committee, and the Appropriations Committee," Feng half-joked.

"Right, I suppose I can't have you figure everything out, can I?" Rowan replied. "We'll speak again soon. Take care."

Feng hung up and collapsed in his chair.

by **Hittanryan** » Thu May 25, 2017 1:40 am

Government Office
New Laconia

Although the economy dominated the immediate discourse, the most politically sensitive issue in Adiron remained the peace deal with the Imperium. With Dawes' extradition off the table, Rowan and Saito had gone back and forth on the proper response. Saito was largely willing to drop the matter entirely and accept the original terms, free trade and all. Now that he was in office, Rowan was planning on following through on what he'd said during the campaign: a second counter-offer based on border force reductions.

The Edomites remained the principal mediators of the Palisades Crisis. Although some members of DeGroot's government had remained in contact with sympathetic Edomite figures such as Prince Enoch, the election preempted any official communications declaring Adiron's intent. Now the proper thing to do was to send an official notice to Fineberg through the State Department.

There was one problem, however: the new Secretary of State. A full day was essentially wasted by Bailey twice replying to Rowan's messages with recommendations for changes to the message. By the next day it was clear she in fact wasn't going to send the message to Fineberg and was holding out. Instead of border force reductions--which she believed could be concealed or otherwise manipulated--Bailey wanted to push for human rights reforms in the Imperium. Rowan sent Snyder and Martin to deal with her.

"Why push for this now?" Snyder asked in Bailey's office, surrounded by her weird abstract art. Bailey was still in the transition process and was still in her Assembly office. "The Imperium was willing to reject the Dawes thing, why won't they reject this too?"

"Oh, they probably will," Bailey said casually.

"Then it's a waste of time and we should stick to the President's solution," Snyder said bluntly. "Demobilization reduces the threat in real terms, human rights investigations don't. Even if they agree to an investigation, they'll just do the usual tricks."

Snyder realized that Bailey was glaring at her. "Human rights and refugees are never a waste of time, Ms. Snyder, and this isn't just about the Imperium."

"What? What do you mean?"

"Did you know that since Hesperinius' assassination, we've had a surge in applications for political asylum from New Edom? Hundreds of them, more coming in every day," Bailey said firmly.

"Wait, there's a refugee problem? Who's applying for asylum?" Snyder asked.

"LGBT individuals, fleeing a crackdown ordered by the king himself in an effort to snuff out Homofront," Bailey explained.

Snyder frowned and furrowed her brow. "There's a crackdown? How do we know there's a crackdown?"

"It was announced publicly, hadn't you heard?" Bailey said. "It's a full-blown reprisal, collective punishment over Homofront. In addition to what was announced, we're finding out more about it from the applications we've already received. The Edomite government abruptly shut down HIV/AIDS treatment, talked about seizing assets, and they're talking about denying travel visas to any nation tolerant of LGBT rights."

Martin had been thumbing through an article on his phone. "Count Lalery has publicly expressed opposition to seizure of assets and support for due process of the law."

"They have the Ministries of Police and Justice supporting the crackdown. Count Lalery can't protect the victims of this purge alone. It was ordered by the king," Bailey said.

"That's besides the point. It suggests their government could be divided," Martin pointed out. "Remember, the Count was in the running for President of the Council. He was the more liberal of the two, more likely to support modernization, more likely to side with us over the Imperium."

"Mr. Martin, you don't seem to be hearing me," Bailey said, shaking her head. "It was the King who ordered this purge, not Nicanor. The same King who garnered all of this praise for his reforms, for his promotion of democracy. He's ordering the persecution of his own people for their sexual orientation, just because some terrorists happened to be gay."

"This isn't about New Edom," Snyder said abruptly. "This is about peace in Ceti."

"How can we have peace in Ceti if we can't trust the mediators?" Bailey countered. "If they don't consider human rights to be a legitimate concern? Human rights are key Adiran values and are not negotiable. We can't stop believing in them just because it's convenient, and we especially can't stop believing in them just because some oppressive governments say we should."

Martin started to say "But there's a time and a place for everything..."

Bailey cut him off. "Ms. Snyder, Mr. Martin, I've said my piece. I'm not looking to get in an argument with you two, but I would like you to relay my concerns to the President."

Continued protest seemed fruitless, so Snyder and Martin reported all of this back to Rowan. He looked rather pensive at all this. "I want you two to bear in mind that Amy was the best of a series of questionable options presented to me by Al's people in the caucuses. It could be worse."

Snyder still looked about as annoyed as she did when she walked in. "Yeah, well, I think this is a good case for keeping any more leftists out of the Cabinet."

"We knew that already. But still...maybe she's right," Rowan said. Snyder and Martin stared at him until he clarified "No, not about the investigations. We're going to ask for border demobilization and that's my final word. But perhaps we should consider our relationship with New Edom a bit more carefully. DeGroot's latest line was support for the monarchy. When did that start exactly?"

Martin chewed on his lip a moment, tapped something in on his phone, then said "Only recently, only after the fighting stopped in 2015. In fact, the Inquisition is believed to have made its first contacts in New Edom through the monarchy just prior to the attempted assassination of William Touchstone. Those ties grew into the present alliance after Damoclea."

"Wait, did we know about that and just let it happen? What were we doing back then?" Snyder asked.

"We only found out after the fact, although there were suspicions," Martin replied. "As for the second question...how long do you have?"

"Long enough," Rowan said. "It's been several years in which a great deal has happened. Let's have a recap of that second phase of their civil war. That's when this all started and very little of it seemed to happen in the public eye. Before we knew it, Pahath-Moab was in total control of the country, and New Edom and the Imperium had formed not only an alliance but FODE as well."

Martin took a deep breath and asked for a minute or two while he looked up some information. Eventually he looked up, collecting his thoughts, before speaking. "Well, best I can tell, it was chaos in the aftermath of the 2013 coup attempt. The line of succession was disputed and most Edomite institutions were divided, including the military, the police, and the civil service. We didn't have any way of knowing exactly what was happening on the ground. Our interest, and maybe the Imperium's, was the possibility that we would construct an overseas base in New Edom. We made that arrangement with the Touchstone government only weeks prior, just after the Imperium seized East Klamath. Legally at the time it also seemed as though the Free Congress was the legitimate government. DeGroot was ready to back them and even sent a carrier group out there."

"Trouble was we didn't quite have all the facts. By that point the Free Congress was splintering. They controlled plenty of territory, but they fractured into what amounted to a collection of warlords, some of them hostile. The Elwe were divided over independence, and hardliners believed Touchstone betrayed them or something. They even helped carry out the assassination attempt. A lot of liberals, labor movements, and middle class people who once supported the Free Congress--thinking they'd support democracy and relax King Mark's harsh rule--they grew disillusioned with it as the End Times Church started taking it over. When fighting started, they mostly just kept their heads down. All that was left of the original Free Congress was the ETC, who wanted to establish a theocracy. Anyway, for Adiron, there was no clear objective anymore, so DeGroot recalled our forces and largely withdrew. A few months later...Perrin Pahath-Moab came along."

Snyder stared at Martin. "Did you come up with all of that just now?"

"I've got a subscription to the Journal of Foreign Affairs.

"Right. So the Imperium supported the monarchy?" Rowan asked, refocusing them.

"Yes...but bear in mind the Edomite monarchy has gone through tremendous upheaval since. By 2013 the king was largely a figurehead. The leading figures in the royal family after King Mark were Prince James Obed and Prince Philip Tubal-Cain, who were promptly killed in the Damoclean terror attacks, putting Queen Mara on the throne and largely removing the royal family as potential obstacles or rivals to Pahath-Moab."

"What prompted them to become more liberal?" Snyder asked.

"I wouldn't call it liberal per se, and you'd have to ask them," Martin said with a shrug. "Count Lalery's been the most public about his policy positions. As far as he's concerned, liberalization will promote economic growth, which will bring with it security, stability, and a full recovery from the civil war. Not a bad plan, but conservatives don't like it, and they swing heavy in New Edom."

"Again, what were we doing? Did DeGroot just not see it?" Snyder asked.

"It was 2014. Arcologia, Operation Overcast. Ceti had to come first," Martin replied. "And then it was New Othman not long after that."

"All right, I'm not seeing any reason to bring up this human rights issue right now, then," Rowan concluded. "All it'll do is antagonize the Edomites, and that might be just what Nicanor's looking for. The intelligence community refuses to rule out the possibility of foul play with Hesperinius, after all."

"But Bailey's going to want something," Snyder cautioned.

"Let's leave open the possibility of human rights investigations, but only obliquely, no names given, vague enough that they might think we're talking about the Arvo or even Homofront. That's the most I'll commit to now," Rowan said.

"So are we just going to sit back and accept the line about Homofront with Hesperinius? We might want to get the ball rolling," Martin pointed out.

"Let's be supportive," Snyder said. "Point out that Homofront has targeted Adirans as well--the Cora Nevis. Say we might be able to help. They're listed as a terrorist organization by the National Police after all. There have been arrests."

Rowan said "So, we offer to exchange intelligence, assist in the manhunt or broader investigation. I imagine they'll decline, but you never know, the loss of such a prominent figure they might not."

"Actually, I was hoping to establish a more direct line to some of our allies this way, Mr. President," Snyder pointed out. "Hesperinius, believe it or not, was a popular man. I imagine plenty of people will be digging for the truth."

"Very well, I suppose it couldn't hurt," Rowan said. "But one more thing: I don't want to fight my own Cabinet on foreign policy. We're barely in office and we already have a problem here. Dana, I want a list of names for Undersecretaries of State. I think we're going to need to make sure we have our own people at State if we can't depend on Bailey."

by **Hittanryan** » Sun May 28, 2017 8:06 pm

South of Virden
Northern Arvo Nation

They'd been walking for at least four days, prodded on by their captors. Although jungle canopy shielded them from the sun, the tropical heat and humidity was oppressive. Ten Arvo warriors, armed with machetes, daggers, and rifles, were guarding and escorting them. Many were young, not as heavily tattooed as the warriors who led the attack on Virden but still blooded nonetheless. The prisoners in this group of about thirty were all women, all of them drenched in sweat, a number of them bearing bruises and cuts. They were gagged, their hands bound behind them and they were hobbled. Dr. Helen Cresswell, the head of the Isidium Foundation clinic in Virden, was one of the unfortunate souls in this group.

Early in the trek, the group stopped at a fairly well-hidden spring to fill up skins and gourds, which they used at periodic stops to keep the prisoners going. At first Cresswell relished these moments, staving off thirst and dehydration. They soon filled her with dread, however, as she noticed one of the women being led off away from the group in protest. When they returned she was shoved to the ground, sobbing and red-faced. At each stop, a different woman was led away.

Cresswell kept trying to judge how much farther it was, but knew nothing of the Arvo language. She clung to hope that they were almost there, trying to figure out if they had enough water to keep going. The warriors needed enough for themselves, after all. At one stop, as she drunk from a gourd, she realized it was empty. They had to be close, she thought. That's when one of the guards was pulling her to her feet, pushing her away from the group.

She screamed through the gag, tried to resist, tried to protest. The warrior spun her around and rammed his rifle butt into her stomach. Gasping for breath, she was shoved along until she could see no one else through the brush. Hands were working at her shorts. She tried to thrash but was slapped in the face and shouted at in an alien tongue. She was then stripped from the waist down, hands running up her top to fondle her then sliding between her legs. She screamed and started to sob, until she felt the obscenity of one of the warriors start to work at her from behind. Flesh smacked on flesh, hands kneaded at her, her tormentor grunting while a couple of his comrades kept a lookout and occasionally commented. At one point she tried to look back at him, got a look at the relatively young face, only to be slapped and commanded something she didn't understand. Eventually he was satiated, tears of humiliation and terror streaming down Cresswell's face. Her clothing was roughly pulled back up, and she was shoved back to the group where she collapsed, much like the others had done.

Even worse was the fact that they did indeed reach a settlement only an hour later. The prisoners were quickly surrounded by Arvo women, who seemed to appraise them as they might a dog or a horse. Cresswell found herself faced by an old crone with milky eyes brandishing an obsidian knife. First she pointed the tip at her throat, pressing it ever so slightly to her skin as she issued what must have been some kind of threat. She then started cutting away at her clothes until she stood there completely bare, pale compared to the others. With her hands tied, all Cresswell could do to preserve any modesty was press her legs together.

After that she was rushed to a hut with a thatched roof and a circle of straw mats on the ground. Several men entered and started to inspect each one of them. One of them seemed to take a particular interest in her. He looked to be in his thirties, had skin like leather, scars both deliberate and incidental. A raised ritual scar crossed his brow in a shallow 'V' pattern, while she saw a puckered bullet wound in his shoulder. This man lifted her chin, brushing away strands of hair, looking her up and down blatantly, even prodding and kneading, ignoring her squeal of protest. To her outrage and further humiliation, he flipped her onto her stomach and started to work at her from behind.

Realizing what was going on, what her fate would likely be, Helen collapsed into hysterics. She remembered little of what happened after that. The man kept going for a short time, but eventually paused and looked irritated, speaking to one of the Arvo women once before withdrawing and standing up. He didn't seem to acknowledge her reaction but simply spoke to the attendants in an almost businesslike tone, pointing at Helen. A couple of pairs of hands forced Helen to her feet, led her outside roughly, then tied her to a tree outside. Searing pain went through her back as she was flogged, to the point where she nearly passed out from the shock and pain. Delirious and throbbing, she was tied to a tree in a clearing and left there until she collapsed from heat exhaustion, the sun burning her bare skin.

Adiran Response
Confederation of North Arcologia

One of the Rowan government's first press statements came from a War Department spokesman talking about the Virden attack. Wearing an Army uniform, the man put things in stark terms:

The Arvo Nation refuses to accept responsibility for the attack on Virden. They deny the thousands of eyewitness accounts, photographic evidence of Arvo killed in action at Virden. They refuse to answer for those killed in Virden. They refuse to account for the hundreds of captives taken from there or offer any guarantee of their wellbeing. They have taken at least one Adiran citizen prisoner and have deliberately targeted civilians in an allied nation. This is wholly unacceptable.

Our Confederate allies have been forced to defend themselves from the Arvo for many months now, but never before have they faced such a brazen, deliberate assault. Available intelligence suggests there is effectively no possibility that this was an attack of opportunity. This attack was deliberate and well-planned, and could not have been carried out by outlaws or pirates.

The Adiran government has been more than willing to hear the concerns of the Arvo Nation, and has been repaid with an attack on our people and our ally. It is unacceptable for the Arvo Nation to reciprocate its loss of territory in the Lesser Diols through expansion into Confederate lands. The Arvo leadership now must negotiate if they seek an end to the present hostilities. This would entail, at minimum, abiding by an established set of territorial borders, an end to the practices of piracy, coastal raiding, and slaving, and the release of all prisoners seized in those raids who were pressed into slavery.

Over the Ura Sea, the patrol flights continued, although they remained somewhat constrained. The trouble, as reported by Dalton AFB commander Colonel Liu, was range. In a report to the General Staff, he suggested that an unorthodox commander like Mok Ukkadis could conceivably still pose a threat. Stretched to their maximum range as they were, the drones lacked redundancy. At Virden Mok Ukkadis had been savvy enough to create a distraction for the local sea patrols, and with relatively few drones in the air, he could conceivably do the same thing. He based this off of a response to an Arvo scouting party which had been spotted in one sector; the drone that located it needed to tail it, and there wasn't a replacement nearby.

Liu proposed two possible solutions. The first was to scale up the air component of the operation. This would involve at least doubling the number of drones, however. Keeping up the flight rotation already took dozens of aircraft, with all of the associated supply and personnel requirements. The second was to construct forward airfields in eastern Confederate territory. Liu seemed to favor this option. They could do more with fewer aircraft or keep the same number of aircraft and range out farther and longer for more permanent anti-piracy patrols, potentially reopening a viable sea lane to Cataran at long last. The War Department had to conduct viability studies before they could agree to that.

South of the Confederate border, the second complement of drones continued to search the coast for signs of the raiders. They identified a number of coastal Arvo settlements, none of them new. Several glimpses were caught of groups of thirty to fifty moving across country using thermals, with a number of trails identified. Although these groups were believed to be the Virden captives, nowhere close to the total were accounted for. Refusing to rule out the possibility that the Arvo had camouflaged camps from aerial reconnaissance owing to their experiences with the Edomites, the General Staff recommended conducting a reconnaissance in force aimed at locating the prisoners. In this, the War Department agreed.

Specialist Leroux was once again watching the ground seemingly inch up closer to him as the wind roared past him. Keeping an eye on his altimeter and GPS, he pulled the chute and came to a jarring halt above the broken jungle canopy below, gliding down to a clearing where the rest of his platoon was setting up a loose perimeter, reeling in their chutes, and pulling off their oxygen masks depending on how recently they'd landed.

He and the rest of his company were members of the Seventh Ranger Regiment. They'd served in the Palisades for weeks prior to fighting breaking out, directing and in some cases leading Confederate attacks on what turned out to be Imperial positions. The Seventh ended the campaign fighting at Thoma Pass at the very peak of the crisis, and had been pulled out with the arrival of the Shrailleeni peacekeepers. Prior to the jump, aerial reconnaissance had identified an area on the edge of the savannah which was relatively off the beaten path. It was several klicks from an Arvo trail that wound between several inland settlements. Their goal was to investigate each settlement, determine if the prisoners had been taken there, the prisoners' condition, and the nature of their defenses. Secondary objectives included seizing intelligence and identifying VIPs, but the rest was to come first.

Other companies were spread throughout the general area as well on the same mission. All were to remain in radio contact with one another as well as an HQ which had been established in the bush of the Confederate frontier. The HQ featured a rough airfield which was just good enough to land helicopters and a rugged transport like a C-130. Leroux heard the company's CO, a homely, broad-shouldered female captain named Latson, quietly checking their signals.

As he and his teammates Reid and Gullet were squaring their packs away, Leroux felt a hand on his shoulder. It was his team leader, Sergeant Julius "Caesar" Senecio. "Change of plans. We're not moving south tonight. Setting our usual watch on the southwest of this clearing," he said, nodding in that general direction.

"Thought this was supposed to be a search," Leroux remarked.

"Drone spotted movement, armed personnel, about two klicks south, might be a side trail. We're gonna hold and see if they come any closer. If they do we're moving our extraction and resupply point...if that's okay with you, Specialist," Caesar explained rather coldly.

"Sure, fine by me," Leroux said with a grin.

Leroux's spirits were high in spite of, or perhaps because of, the risks. The Arvo were poorly-organized but also well-armed and unpredictable. If they ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time, they could kick a hornet's nest. However, Leroux believed he'd seen worse in the Palisades, and furthermore he'd seen what the Arvo did to prisoners. It would be fun to kill a few of them.

by **Hittanryan** » Sat Jun 03, 2017 3:57 pm

South of Virden
Arvo Nation

News media had aired bios of Dr. Cresswell, showing smiling pictures of her in a graduation photo, wearing a doctor's coat in a clean-looking hospital, and finally several photos from the clinic at Virden, rugged, palm trees in the background, giving a shot to an apprehensive looking child. Grim news would follow that there was still no word on her current whereabouts.

Cresswell herself heard none of this. Her back felt like it was on fire, her skin burnt. Now back in the hut, the other women nowhere in sight, her hands were tied to her ankles and the Arvo man from before was rutting into her, seemingly satisfied that all she could manage was a whimper.

Leroux's company was reconnoitering the outskirts of a village, staying low in the brush, trying to identify pickets, and looking for any sign of recent arrivals. Their three platoons were encircling the village, two platoons moving parallel to trails to the east and west, while Leroux's platoon came in from the north.

"Can't see a thing," Leroux heard his team leader Caesar say in a hushed tone, squinting into the brush. They were perched atop a hill that they thought might've been a decent vantage point. "What do you got, Leroux?"

"Trees and mud, Sergeant. Whole lotta trees and mud. Gotta get closer," he said.

Caesar clicked his tongue softly, then said something to the squad leader. Mosquitoes buzzed around them, but their repellents kept most of them from landing. The heat was sweltering; some of the men took swigs out of a canteen. Eventually Caesar said "Leadfoot's going to bound up to that thicket. Keep eyes on 'em."

Leroux saw some men coming up behind Caesar carrying a mortar, which they started to dig in and set up. Then he saw the other fireteam, led by Sergeant Charles "Leadfoot" Lee, moving forward in a wedge. The grove was about twenty meters forward; they could just barely see them still through the undergrowth.

Satisfied, Caesar said "All right, twenty meters past them, our heading is that tall tree. Stay in cover. Let's move." The four of them moved out in a wedge, Caesar front and center, Gullet trailing off to their flank about ten meters diagonal from Leroux.

Before they were even with B team, several birds flew up out of the canopy off to their right, less than a hundred yards away. Caesar called for a halt, and the team went to ground while he watched the other team intently. Leadfoot's team was on alert, but didn't call in any contacts.

Once Caesar's team moved forward and was even with the thicket, Leadfoot said "Contact, seventy yards, two o'clock...sentry, got an AKM on him...looks like he's hitting the head."

At this Caesar glanced at his team, looked over in the direction of the sentry, chewed his lip a moment, then said "Keep moving. Same course."

Moving past Leadfoot's team, Leroux heard a female voice comment wryly "Didn't even shake, they really are savages..."

They came to a small clearing not ten meters past Leadfoot's position, concealed from their original vantage point by the brush. Leroux knew the drill: move along the outskirts of it until they reached the opposite side. Once they did that, Leadfoot would come up behind them, bound past, and hopefully reach the crest of the next hill where they could get eyes on the village.

Here Leroux and the others stepped very carefully, avoiding stepping on branches, in puddles, or in clusters of leaves which could conceal any number of nasty traps. They found none. It was possible the Arvo didn't expect any trouble yet.

Suddenly out of the corner of his eye, Leroux thought he saw something moving. Looking over that way, he saw nothing for a moment, but then saw a texture that didn't belong in the growth. It was skin, sun-baked skin with black lines etching across it.

"Contact, left," he whispered somewhat harshly. The team came to a halt. Caesar looked around and realized the man had been in a blind spot behind a tree. It was an Arvo warrior, and he was staring right at them, weapon drawn but not raised as he squinted, scanning their general area quite intently as he cautiously moved forward.

Leroux saw Caesar raise his own weapon and draw a bead on the man.

Suddenly there was a flash of recognition in the warrior's eyes. His mouth opened and he howled a sort of warning cry as he raised his weapon. Caesar fired twice into his torso and once in the head, silencing the man, but it was already too late.

The village heard the start of a warning cry followed by two shots ringing out. Men immediately started going for weapons while the women rushed children and slaves alike out of the croplands and into thatched roof huts. The ranger company was also alerted. Latson ordered that the other two platoons, which were still undetected, close in on the village from either side while Leroux's platoon draw away as many of the village's fighters as they could.

Leadfoot was rushing forward to back Caesar up, while the rest of the platoon moved forward and fanned out in their wake. Caesar was already moving his team forward to try to get a headcount and a bead on targets for mortars. The rangers had a fight on their hands.

by **Hittanryan** » Tue Jun 06, 2017 4:04 pm

New Laconia

Arcologia was not the only issue Adiron was faced with. The economy was a much more tangible issue to the average Adiran as unemployment began climbing steadily with layoffs and bankruptcies. Snyder went over Feng's stimulus plan with more of a broad brush than a fine-toothed comb. She was less concerned with the minutiae and more concerned with the political impact it would have. By the time she met with Rowan and Ober to discuss implementation, she had reached one decisive conclusion:

"Don't touch energy yet."

The two other men looked at her, having made pleasantries and a few general remarks about the plan. "Energy's a big issue. What about appearances?" Ober asked.

"What about appearances? That's my point too," Snyder replied. "Mr. President, if you call for the review on drilling now, the Greens will take issue, more than nine of them, which means it doesn't have the votes. If the energy package consists entirely of Green policy, but the review's not in there after you said it would be, the Opposition will bring it up and ask where it is. Then it's a policy debate and possible deadlock in Committee."

"Any chance Howard will simply jump at the chance?" Rowan asked.

"Only if you ignore energy entirely, and even that's unlikely," Snyder insisted.

"Unlikely? I would think he needs to shore up his leadership much the same as we do. He needs results," Rowan pointed out.

"He needs a majority," Snyder corrected him. "Someone more competent than Donahue will challenge him soon, maybe not this year, but soon. No, he wants your agenda to fail, then a new election as soon as the polls swing in his favor. It's already close, he's only nine seats away."

"Then let me put it this way, what in Feng's plan will they go for?"

Snyder clicked her tongue, then said "The tax cuts."

Rowan waited for her. "What else?"

"That's about it," Snyder said.

"Surely they can see the value in infrastructure spending, investing in the economy through job training?" Rowan asked.

"I think you mean 'government handouts,' Mr. President," Snyder corrected him.

"Ugh, still with the dependency line, I should have known," Rowan said rather disgustedly. "They have no plan to combat unemployment, do they?"

"Oh they have a welfare plan all right, corporate welfare," Ober said. "Throw money and tax breaks at big business and hope the economy sorts itself out eventually."

"While cutting benefits at the same time, naturally," Snyder said.

Rowan shook his head. "I can't agree to any of that. It doesn't work, and it was big business who crashed the economy in the first place. No bailouts, let them learn their lesson. Anyway, I digress, do we give up on bipartisan support?"

"You could make it confusing for them," Snyder pointed out. "Pair the tax breaks with the least polarizing measures. Maybe the direct unemployment benefits. That way either they vote against tax cuts and for 'handouts,' or they vote for tax cuts but against relief for the unemployed. Damned if they do, damned if they don't. Do infrastructure and energy later, separately."

"So are we trying to undermine Saito's leadership then? Do we prefer that he lose power?" Rowan asked.

Snyder clicked her tongue and said "Normally I'd say 'better the devil you know,' but Saito's experienced, made gains in the election, and he'll be increasingly uncompromising to satisfy his base and hold onto his position. A big showdown's probably inevitable, just a matter of when."

"Seems like we don't necessarily need him to lose his leadership, just his grip on the party," Rowan offered.

"Sure, good enough," Snyder replied.

Rowan looked thoughtful a moment, then decided "Fine, let's leave energy off the table for now. We'll put out a bill with the tax cuts and unemployment relief measures."

Saito was strategizing himself. He and his advisors were anticipating Rowan's stimulus package, well-aware that the government would try to box them in exactly as Snyder was suggesting. The government would certainly attempt to make it look like the Liberals were callous and uncaring about unemployment in the wake of the crash. At the Bateaux Brasserie in New Laconia, Saito discussed economic strategy with his own chief strategist Bill Reeves.

"Whatever their plan, it's not likely to include any relief for the financial sector," the skinny, weedy Reeves said while fishing another bite out of a lobster claw.

"A half measure, then. Treating the symptoms but not the cause," Saito said, cutting a bite off his steak.

Reeves dug around in the claw for a second before setting his fork down and looking Saito in the eye. "And perhaps allowing the first domino to fall. We've seen it before: investor panic after one firm fails."

Saito chewed thoughtfully and then chased it with some wine. "'Things will get even worse if the government fails to act on this.' Very good. Simple, frightening, the average voter can understand something like that."

"Plus, I don't know if you've seen today's Journal, by the way," Reeves said, handing Saito a copy of the Terranova Street Journal opened to a specific page.

Saito scanned over it a moment, then looked over and asked "Meridian?"

"MFG is in trouble," Reeves said, referring to Meridian Financial Group. "1.6 billion dollar loss last quarter. Only thing keeping their stock price afloat so far has been merger negotiations. Trouble is talks with Newell-Nolan have stalled."

"Meridian was a respected institution. Not exactly a household name but everyone on the trading floor knows who they are," Saito pointed out.

"And Rowan, Bluford whispering in his ear, is just going to ignore the warning signs?" Reeves asked rhetorically. "Spend billions on ineffective stimulus in the wrong areas while the economy goes into a tailspin regardless?"

"I like it," Saito said, "pass it onto the Whip."

by **New Edom** » Tue Jun 06, 2017 11:08 pm

To: President George Rowan
From: King Elijah IV
Subject: Talks
Encryption: Most Secret, Eyes Only

Dear President Rowan,

I hope that this letter finds you well. I have no doubt that you have many duties besetting you right now. Therefore I will not waste your time with pleasantries beyond the usual.

I believe that before too much time passes we should meet directly to discuss certain issues such as FODE, the Noviteran recession, and security in Arcologia. I have the following broad recommendations:

1. Anti-piracy efforts in the Ura Sea with an eye towards intelligence and communications sharing
2. Discussion of the border situation between your coutry and the Imperium. I will also be having talks with the Curia on this subject.
3. How the Noviteran recession is affecting industry and labour in our respective countries and how to meet this challenge

Naturally you and your entourage will be offered our best hospitality at Shiloam Palace rather than at Betharan. I am sure you will agree that this will be a better setting, farther away from press and public matters so that we can concentrate. I anticipate that this will take from 2-3 days.
Please feel free to bring your wife and immediate family, as they can enjoy the company of my own.

I have the honour to be,
King Elijah IV

by **Hittanryan** » Thu Jun 08, 2017 5:29 pm

1 Sierra
New Laconia

To: King Elijah IV of the Allied Statesof New Edom
From: George Rowan, President of the Republic of Adiron
Subject: Talks
Encryption: Most Secret, Eyes Only

I do appreciate the frank manner of your last communication. My father always had a preference for clarity, brevity, and substance, which as a military officer yourself I'm sure you can appreciate.

I am in complete agreement that the three issues outlined in your previous letter comprise Adiron's foremost foreign policy concerns, and a meeting to discuss policy and reassure the region would be most appropriate. I have directed Chief of Staff Ober to begin preparations for the visit at earliest opportunity, including security and diplomatic protocol, scheduling, and our overall itinerary.

The Chief of Staff's office will be in contact with your own staff, and if you or the royal household have concerns, questions, or proposals, our offices will of course assist them in any way possible.

I look forward to meeting and working with you for the advancement of both our nations, Your Majesty.

Sincerely,
George Rowan

The letter seemed simple enough, but it was carefully worded and actually involved a bit of discussion between Rowan and his staff. Rowan was making more use of 1 Sierra than his predecessor, who could scarcely be found outside the Assembly building except to sleep, and even then not enough. DeGroot's old advisors knew that this tendency had likely contributed to his failing health, but hadn't said so publicly. Rowan, however, worked from the official residence at least a few hours every day. This was largely to meet with his own advisors, which he relied upon more heavily than DeGroot had.

Leslie was still moving in, letting her imagination run wild with her own touches with the decor, which Rowan himself was largely unconcerned with but humored her. The President's men would have briefly seen her in one of the dining rooms, an aide pointing at things in a catalogue of some sorts.

"Well, what about this one?"

"Red?" she asked, a bit surprised but not upset. "Oh no, no, that won't fit at all..."

The advisors met with Rowan in the den, which had to be refurbished and modernized but was largely the same as when 1 Sierra was built back in the 19th century. Most of the room was hardwood, including the dark floors and the wall paneling. It had a reasonably high ceiling, with hardwood beams criss-crossing sheetrock in squares, where more modern dimmable lights were fixed. A stone fireplace was flanked on either side by bookshelves and adorned with a dark wood mantelpiece. Upholstered chairs surrounded a long antique coffee table with several coasters.

Ferrain, Martin, and Snyder arrived first, making themselves comfortable. There was a pitcher with ice water on the table in front of them. The President entered the room last with Ober in tow. "Our first state visit," was how he opened the meeting.

"And it's to New Edom," Snyder remarked.

"Yes, off to speak to the mediators," Rowan said.

"We did present them with a counter-offer, after all," Martin pointed out.

"Mr. President, I'll cut to the chase," Snyder said, her reservations apparently not having come across. "We can't leave the country until we're seen to do something about the recession. It hits too close to home for ordinary people."

Martin furrowed his brow and said "War would as well, if we let the peace fall through."

"I'm not saying don't go," Snyder said, looking archly at him, "I'm saying you need to pass this first part of the stimulus first." Martin gritted his teeth and gave an inward sigh. Snyder looked at him and said "What?"

"Uh...we shouldn't put them off. These kinds of invitations need to be replied to promptly," Martin said.

"It would be the proper form," Ferrain agreed. "Best to inform them up-front of delay."

"I don't think even delay would be a good idea either," Martin said, "Not unless you want certain members of the Edomite government to say we're thumbing our noses at them."

Snyder pinched the bridge of her nose. "Wait, so you want us to say to the Adiran public 'yeah we know thousands of you are getting laid off, but we really have to go have tea with the King of New Edom'?"

"No, that won't do at all," Rowan said, "but then again we also ran on staying tough on the Imperium. If we fumble the negotiations, or worst-case, cause the Edomites to back the Imperium overtly, we'll have failed on that count as well."

"So what is this, a catch-22?" Ober asked. "Can't wait to pass the bill, can't keep the Edomites waiting?"

"Maybe..." Rowan said, turning to Snyder. "How long will it take this first part of the stimulus to clear the Assembly?"

Snyder mulled it over a moment, clearing her throat and taking a sip of water. "People have been working on it since Feng wrote up the plan. Cullen has been making summaries available to our members. Response has generally been positive, and this is supposed to address something approximating a crisis, which should move it along a bit faster than normal. We propose now, best case scenario it's out of Committee and up for vote in...a couple of weeks now, unless your heart is set on getting Liberal support, of course."

"A couple of weeks. So, how do we stall the Edomites for a couple of weeks?" Rowan asked the group.

Ferrain shifted in his seat a bit and said "Mr. President, surely proper protocols must be followed in planning a state visit. After all, this is a meeting between heads of state in a country which has just recently experienced political violence. All manner of decorum must be observed, plus the security of all in attendance."

Ober piped up and said "True, we'll need to figure out accommodations. Who's going, how many people, where will they stay, how long, are they available..."

"Yes, I understand," Rowan said with a bit of a grin, before looking at Ferrain. "And I understand a report is being written, down in the War Department, making the case in purely operational terms about the need for airfields south of the border."

"That is true," Ferrain said with a nod.

"I think that report would be immensely helpful to the discussion His Majesty wishes to have on Arcologia. It is so close to being completed, and it would make these talks more productive," Rowan added.

"What about our allies over there?" Martin started to protest. "Are we going to just leave them hanging?"

"That's a good point..." Snyder said, "so make sure someone in the embassy lets slip what's going on. Not the Ambassador, maybe an attache or something. Maybe to that Prince Enoch...what's his office? Chief of Staff? Who knows, he might even help us out."

"Speaking of, we also need to think of Redstone's replacement," Rowan said.

Ober remarked "Who would've thought ten years ago that Ambassador to New Edom would be so important?"

"A lot can happen in ten years," Martin pointed out.

Ignoring Martin's remark, Snyder said "Saito and the Liberal press kept trotting Redstone out in front of the cameras whenever a foreign policy discussion came up. We need a proper Social Democrat in there, one just as good though."

Rowan nodded, glanced around the room and found no suggestions were forthcoming. "Well, I sent you the short list, Kevin, what do you think?"

Martin chewed on a nail a bit nervously before saying "There's only one man in our party who has anywhere close to the reputation Redstone has in Fineberg, and that's Deol."

"We gotta have someone who can filter Bailey, though," Snyder said. "You sure Deol's the one to do it?"

"I think that Secretary Deol has always acted with what he felt were Adiron's best interests," Rowan said. "He wasn't half as idealistic as Bluford or Bailey. I think he's a good choice, although he did just win his seat...I will speak with him."

"Maybe we should bring him," Ober said.

"Maybe we should," Rowan said. "He did begin this process, after all. We'll have to see what he says."

"So as far as the Edomites go, we make it look like we're working as fast as we can, right?" Snyder asked.

"How utterly cynical," Rowan said, oddly impishly for him. "We're merely observing proper protocol. I want the talks to be held at earliest possible opportunity."

by **Hittanryan** » Sun Jun 11, 2017 4:18 pm

Government Office
New Laconia

The government put the finishing touches on the stimulus before sending it to the Assembly and through committee. Because the first part of the stimulus bill concerned taxation and benefits, it had to clear two Assembly committees: Finance and Appropriations. With the added pressure from foreign affairs, it was crunch time for Rowan's government.

At one point an aide popped into Ober's office, finding him rather hurriedly copying something down off a computer. "Listen, Dale, it turns out tonight's my girlfriend's birthday. I might need to take the night off," the aide said.

"No," Ober said bluntly. Without breaking stride or waiting for the man's response he continued. "So I need answers from Bauer and Jacobs. You're on that, right?"

The man had stiffened and said "Uh...yeah, yeah I'm on it."

It was sometimes said that when the Assembly was in session it was more of an exhibition to the public, while the real work all happened in Committee. It fell to committees to gather information, consider alternatives or amendments to bills, identify policy issues and propose solutions in reports, and other duties. Committee seats were assigned proportionally to each party's share in the Assembly, and MAs were nominated to committees based on seniority. Chairs were assigned to the largest party in a governing coalition.

They varied considerably in size and influence. Appropriations was one of the largest and most powerful, with sixty five members and power over the national budget. Any bill that required government expenditures to implement, which was most of them, needed to clear Appropriations. During the election both Rowan and Pendergast had touted their time on the committee as valuable experience which suggested they had what it took to be President. The Finance Committee was powerful as well, overseeing matters pertaining to taxation, tariffs, bonded debt, unemployment benefits, import quotas, and a number of other issues concerning government revenue. The decision to hold on the infrastructure and energy provisions of the stimulus would save Rowan some time. If they had tried to pass it all at once, the bill would have needed to pass not just Finance and Appropriations but also Energy, Natural Resources, and Public Works.

This first part of the stimulus would cost the government, either through new expenditures or tax cuts, about $150 billion. Almost half of this came from a payroll tax credit to all middle and working class households worth about $67 billion. This largest part of the package was relatively uncontroversial; Liberals and Libertarians could always get behind a tax break. When it was sent to the Finance Committee, the Opposition squawked a bit on some of the details but found it hard to argue about it on general principle. Liberal Cliff Engman, the ranking member of the Opposition on Finance, argued that households with income up to $250,000 should be made eligible, that there weren't enough tax incentives for business, and tried to nitpick at the unemployment benefits proposed. Ultimately the Chair, Lawrence Jacobs, managed to table the debate and send the bill on its way to Appropriations.

Things seemed to be going well until a worrying bit of news hit the headlines: Meridian Financial Group was filing for bankruptcy. Meridian was the fifth-largest investment bank in Adiron and had been hit especially hard by the stock market crash. After posting a loss of well over a billion dollars, it had desperately sought a merger to keep its head above water. Now the business community was hit with the double-whammy of Meridian announcing that the merger talks had collapsed and that it had no choice but to declare bankruptcy.

As the bill entered Appropriations, Liberals seized on the collapse of Meridian. The Opposition's ranking member on the committee, the round-faced, grey haired Richard Austin, was quick to sound the alarm. "Meridian was a respected name, worth billions. It is an indication of considerable distress in the financial sector, one of the largest industries in the country. Yet despite the tens of billions in deficit spending that this bill calls for, it fails to address this problem in the slightest. The Liberal Members of this committee are therefore in agreement that this bill must be amended or, if need be, redrafted, to account for this."

The Chairman David Bauer, a heavily-wrinkled man with a prominent nose, replied "Mr. Austin, this has no bearing on the currently proposed bill. This bill is intended to provide immediate relief to the unemployed, working Adirans, and small businesses. This is a separate issue."

A younger Liberal, Tim Kohn, with an infamously expensive haircut and suit, spoke up. "The financial sector is connected to all of that and more. If the financial sector is in disarray, credit will be harder to come by for businesses of all sizes. That means fewer startups, less growth, which in turn means higher unemployment and going deeper into recession. Besides, we can't afford to wait for a separate bill that the government may never propose. Investor panics can happen very, very quickly."

Reggie Morrison countered "So you want this committee to just authorize some kind of multi-billion dollar bank bailout without knowing where, exactly, the money needs to go? If we're going to do this, we need to look into it. Why did Meridian fail? Is the financial sector as a whole at risk? How would we establish oversight over whatever bailout package was decided upon? In the meantime, we can pass this bill seeing how it has nothing to do with all of that, unless you're content to leave the Adiran public out to dry in the meantime."

However, Daniel Ross, a young, staunch ally of John Pendergast who bore some resemblance in style to a younger version of the Treasury Secretary, spoke out. "Well, hold on a second, Reggie, I don't really want to rush into this any more than you do, but a collapse of our financial sector could really hurt ordinary folks as well. Maybe we really should be looking into this, it could be an emergency."

"What does that have to do with this bill?" Morrison asked.

"Most of these banks are more than just investment banks, they handle all manner of financial services. Retirement plans, commercial loans, insurance...that affects ordinary families. I don't think we can afford to wait now that Meridian has filed for bankruptcy," Ross explained. "All I'm saying is look into it and see if there's something relatively simple we can do on this bill."

Unfortunately for the SDP, its slim majority in the Assembly enabled Ross' misgivings to hold the bill up. Six other SDP MAs on the committee ended up agreeing with Ross, and he only needed two to hold up the bill while the committee deliberated further. No one knew how long the deliberations would last. It could be a momentary distraction or the committee might even decide the Meridian bankruptcy warranted its full attention and table the stimulus for the time being.

When Ober told Cruise, the portly advisor's first reaction was "It's that son of a bitch Pendergast, it's gotta be him."

"President wants a meeting with the Whip, get Ross and his troops back into line," Ober said, not caring to speculate. "You take care of that, I gotta call Bailey about this New Edom visit."

"Thought you already put the word out?" Cruise asked.

"I did, she hasn't gotten back to me, so now I have to get her office direct," Ober said, dialing a number and waving Cruise off.

Ober got through to Bailey's secretary, and said "Hello, put me through to Secretary Bailey please."

The woman on the other end of the line seemed a bit taken aback. "Oh, I'm not sure that the Secretary's available right now, who's calling?"

"This is the Chief of Staff, the President's Chief of Staff. I need to talk to the Secretary about state business, she in her office?" Ober said bluntly.

"I...think so,"

"Great, put me through," Ober ordered nonchalantly.

"Um, okay," the woman half-stammered.

"Secretary, Dale Ober, did you get the memo I sent out two days ago?"

"I did," Bailey said.

"So there's a state visit planned to New Edom to discuss the border, Arcologia, and the economy. Your counterpart will be there and the President will need the backing of the State Department. That means we need you to be there as well," Ober said rather mechanically.

"Yes, I'm aware. The thing is, something has come up here at the State Department. I need to talk to the President about the agenda," Bailey said.

"Fine, I'll relay your concerns to him, but I need to know that you're on board," Ober said.

Bailey clicked her tongue and said "Dale, with all due respect, this is a policy matter. I'm sorry, I need to talk to the President himself. You are Chief of Staff, though, you have his schedule? I'd like to settle this just as soon as we can."

Ober frowned, and decided to defer to Rowan. He said that he would speak to the President. Upon hearing this additional bit of bad news, Rowan sighed and said "I suppose we definitely need to bring Deol now. All right, I'll meet with Bailey, set it up."

That evening, Bailey went to 1 Sierra where she met Rowan in the main hall. Rowan had Snyder and Martin in tow and had the staff put out a cheese platter and offer drinks. After a few pleasantries, Rowan asked "So, Secretary, what is this about the agenda?"

"Mr. President, what's happening in New Edom is serious. We're up to five thousand refugees from New Edom, all fleeing this purge of theirs," she said.

"Five thousand?" Rowan asked, showing concern.

"Homofront is being used as an excuse to demonize all LGBT individuals, or suspected individuals for that matter. I had hoped with the recent protests and calls to reform the Morality Act that the Edomites might move forward, but they in fact seem to be moving backward. I think we have danced around this long enough. I want to raise the issue at the talks," Bailey said.

Rowan and the others had sat down, Rowan listening intently with his fingers steepled. "Secretary this visit is of vital importance to the country in many ways. The border, the economy, Arcologia. It must go smoothly," he said.

"I want it to go smoothly as well, Mr. President. But human rights are also of vital importance to us. Not one government in Cornellia can be said to truly stand up for essential civil liberties where they are threatened. Not even DeGroot's," she explained. "We are arguably in the best position to set an example. After all, what else is our conflict with the Imperium based on? Their way of life, which they seek to impose on us and others by force, is fundamentally incompatible with ours because it has no respect for human rights. We need to stand up for those rights on principle."

"Look, Secretary," Martin began. She looked at him with a bit of curiosity. "A major government figure was assassinated in New Edom. There had to be a response. If you'll recall, when the Founder was assassinated, we responded by declaring war, however badly it was mishandled by Vanleuven."

"That is a true, but this is different," Bailey asserted.

"You agree that they should investigate the murders though, right?" Snyder asked.

"It's not an investigation, it's a government witch hunt and indiscriminate mob justice spurred on by fanatics not so different from the Imperials," Bailey said with a hard look.

"If all of them weren't so different from the Imperials, we would not be having this discussion," Snyder said.

"All right, all right," Rowan said, raising a hand. "Secretary, the government of King Elijah offered to mediate a potentially devastating conflict in Ceti because of Secretary Deol's careful diplomacy and increasing friendship between our two nations. Would you risk alienating them by springing this on them in talks about more immediately pressing matters?"

"Mr. President, you had a chance to set this as part of the agenda earlier in your initial communication, as I advised. Instead you barely mentioned it. Now I feel I have to bring it up or it won't be addressed at all," Bailey said, holding her head high. "I don't want to sabotage the talks. I want there to be peace in Ceti and I want good relations with New Edom generally, but I also want to ask questions that both your government and DeGroot's seemed reluctant to ask."

Rowan looked thoughtful, with maybe the briefest hint of fatigue. He said "I understand, Secretary. Adiron does have its own principles to uphold. I would appreciate it, however, if you would let me know what you plan on asking."

"It will depend on how the discussion goes, of course, Mr. President. I wouldn't want to force the issue at an inappropriate time, naturally," Bailey said.

"But we should generally be in agreement on these matters, right? We would look indecisive otherwise, then I'm sure nothing would get done," Rowan explained.

"Well, I plan on bringing up the reasons stated by refugees for leaving the country, the lawless nature of the violence directed against LGBT groups, what I've already discussed tonight, Mr. President," Bailey explained.

"Of course. If you would narrow it down a bit further, I would see what I can do to back you up," Rowan explained.

Bailey generally agreed, and she parted feeling more assured herself while the President and his staff were left with greater uncertainty.

by **Hittanryan** » Wed Jun 14, 2017 5:20 pm

South of Virden
Arvo Nation

Bullets ripped through the undergrowth, clattering rifle fire all around them. Leroux's squad had bounded through cover and taken out an advance party until they ran into what they assumed to be a PKM nest. Visibility was still poor, they were mostly going off of the sound of the weapon. Leroux's back was up against a tree as he loaded a rifle grenade. Reid was firing short bursts from his LMG in response, but called to the team that he was reloading.

Caesar yelled "Leroux!"

"Yeah?" he shouted in reply over the noise.

"You got the stream? You see the bend?" Caesar shouted, referring to one of the few visible landmark that couldn't be described with the word "tree."

"Yeah!"

"I want a 203 forty meters out, ten meters past the bend, got movement there," Caesar said, a bullet cracking through the air just as he finished.

"Got it, ready?"

Caesar went prone and crawled up around the tree and fired several times. Leroux leaned out from behind cover, took aim, and let fly, an explosion tearing through the trees downrange. He quickly got back behind his tree and fell back into a crouch, loading another grenade.

Reid by this point had finished reloading and was back on his belly, when Leroux heard him shout "Shit...contact twenty meters!"

There was a sharp explosion just ahead of Leroux's tree. He ducked, flinched really, out of instinct. Caesar had propped himself up and shouted "Frag out!" as he hurled a grenade in response. Reid was pouring it on in short, frantic bursts. There was gunfire from right in front of them now, with shouts in an alien tongue.

Leroux leaned out and took a few shots only to be met with a burst of automatic fire from what felt like just in front of him. Splinters flew off the tree he'd been using for cover and he ducked back behind it.

Before he could react, Leroux was aware of footsteps. He just happened to look up in time to see the fierce form of an Arvo warrior rushing around the tree. It was a wiry man wearing some kind of threadbare roughspun sleeveless top, black markings running up and down his arms and onto his neck. His teeth were bared and his eyes wide, darting from side to side until he spotted Leroux.

Leroux didn't have time to think, didn't have time to appraise the machete or the machine pistol in the man's hand. With a split-second twisting motion he tried to smash the man's face with his rifle butt. It wasn't a clean hit, glancing off the warrior's raised arm but likely saving himself from the machete about to hack into him. The warrior reeled back stunned, blood running out of his mouth, but his jaw was intact and he was still very much in the fight.

Although Leroux quickly brought his rifle back around to bear, the warrior swung the machine pistol around and fired blindly at the same time as Leroux fired two rounds into the warrior's chest. Leroux grunted in pain and recoiled a bit as though he'd been punched, while the warrior fell. He'd been saved by his body armor and the fact that the warrior had blind-fired. At a second glance, he realized warrior was still moving, fumbling around for his weapon. He put one more round square in the warrior's head and he went limp.

With no time to marvel at just how incredibly lucky he'd been, Leroux dropped down onto his belly and crawled up around the tree, where he saw more Arvo coming across the stream. He fired into them, thinking he saw one of them stumble. The Arvo's rush had apparently failed, the remainder of the warriors now taking potshots with their AKs from behind cover.

Not much longer into the confused, close-quarters firefight, Leroux spotted movement. Several Arvo were moving between trees, occasionally turning around and firing at the hip. They were getting farther and farther away.

"They're fallin' back, you see that?" Leroux shouted up to Caesar.

"Arvo don't retreat, put a 203 in the middle of 'em and let's start moving up, stay low," the sergeant said through gritted teeth.

Leroux did so, with a sharp bang and a flash just beyond where he'd seen the Arvo before. Listening for any screams or other indications that he'd scored a hit, however, he heard an eerie noise, which he could only describe as a warbling sort of low-pitched trumpet echoing through the trees.

"Caesar, You hear that?" Leroux shouted as a stray bullet passed overhead, harmlessly aside from the branch in the canopy it severed.

"Rest of the company's hitting the village, come on, let's go, keep these guys pinned," he replied.

Moving at a crouch through the undergrowth, the first thing Leroux noticed were bodies mere meters from their old position. A couple of them had been victim to a grenade, one mutilated, the other staring lifelessly from a pool of blood. Another was lying in the stream, blood washing away. All of them seemed so young, no older than late teens. They'd crept up under cover from the PKM with the intent of charging and overwhelming them. If they hadn't been spotted at the last second it might've worked; instead by the bodies he saw Leroux guessed their four man fireteam had killed double or more of their number. This was some kind of death or glory attack, maybe youngsters looking to prove themselves. It also occurred to him, though, that one of the warriors had, in fact, reached their position. If Leroux hadn't managed to kill the warrior up close, and he nearly hadn't, the whole team could've been thrown into disarray. Maybe they would've managed to retreat in the face of superior numbers, or maybe the Arvo would have overrun them.

They pursued the group through the woods, bounding forward with Leadfoot's team, periodically opening fire on targets of opportunity, until they reached the edge of the jungle where visibility markedly improved. They were now in a papaya grove. With clearer lines of sight, the warriors ahead of them were dead men. One tried to crouch and return fire only to be promptly picked off by their DM.

Moving around the edge of the papaya grove, Leroux saw a village in chaos. He saw a warrior collapse not far ahead of them. Going a little closer, he saw a group of fellow rangers toss a flashbang into a hut and then storm it. What looked like a kid ran across Leroux's field of vision; he was sure he was carrying a rifle.

Just then Caesar called for a halt. Glancing back Leroux saw their squad leader rushing up to confer with him briefly. After that, Caesar announced "Company says possible captives, civilians moving northeast of the village. We're going to catch 'em. Traveling overwatch, five meters, we're going due east."

Leroux took another look at the village, where more of the rangers were rounding up the remaining Arvo as best as they could at gunpoint. It was mostly women and girls. There didn't seem to be a boy over ten in the whole group. Gunshots could still be heard scattered around them. Rangers were setting a perimeter and sweeping huts.

Moving through the brush at a crouch, they eventually found an animal path. Just as they were ready to cross, Gullett held up a hand and said "I hear something."

"Sorry, that was me," Reid said.

"No, not that...someone's coming, I can hear voices," Gullett said sharply.

"All right, I'll get Leadfoot up here..." Caesar said.

The squad positioned itself on both sides of the path. A miserable-looking column of humanity numbering at least two dozen was rushing up the path towards them. At a glance they were all unarmed, although closer inspection would reveal that the vast majority of them were men, hands bound and gagged, some of them with packs lashed to them like mules. These individuals looked exhausted, glistening with sweat, stripped mostly to their skin, and a number of them showing bruises, lacerations on their backs, and other injuries. They were being prodded and herded by a group of about eight women wielding mostly carved knives, with the eldest among them, who looked to be no more than forty, carrying a machete.

It seemed like the women were having a hard time keeping the captives moving. One was seen to collapse, apparently out of exhaustion. The older woman with the machete gestured fiercely at her subordinates, who tried to haul him to his feet and revive him by slapping and pressing a knife to his throat.

Luckily for the rangers, this meant they weren't noticed. From their concealment, flashbangs went off among the crowd. The captives were mostly seen to fall to the ground, while the Arvo women were stunned, screaming or flailing around. The squad surrounded them, shouting orders for everyone to get down and stay down.

At the head of the column Leroux saw the elder woman scream and take a swing at Leadfoot with a machete. He managed to catch her arm, growling "Come on, lady, drop it! Drop it!" She replied with a headbutt while letting her weapon drop to the floor. Just as he reeled back, in one quick motion she produced a carved knife, shouted something to her fellows, and cut her own throat. Leroux flinched and only had time to exclaim "What the--" before she hit the ground, blood pooling. Two others managed to do this before the rangers disarmed and bound them in turn. The survivors looked at the rangers with a mix of fear and hate as their hands were zip-tied. Leadfoot was seen with a bloody nose; apparently the woman had gotten him pretty good.

Caesar knelt beside one of the captives, nudging him. "Hey, hey, stay with me. We're here to get you guys outta here."

The man rasped, barely audibly "Water..."

"We'll get you some water. Are you from Virden?" Caesar asked, his blood still up.

The man grunted what sounded like an affirmative and nodded his head. Caesar tried to ask him more questions but he was unresponsive. The other captives seemed in much the same state.

Caesar looked over his shoulder and found his squad leader was doing much the same thing. "Maloy, we can't move these guys. We need a medic," he said.

Maloy got on the radio and called it in. Leroux saw the pitiful state of the prisoners as he stood guard from the brush. One of the women was sobbing loudly, presumably expecting the same treatment her own people gave captured women. Leroux heard gunfire not far off, mopping up mostly, but he couldn't help but shake the feeling that stragglers might hear her. He snapped at the woman "Hey!"

She looked at him but didn't stop. Leroux pointed his rifle at her and shouted again "Hey! Shut it!" She seemed to get the message; she was still crying but stopped bawling outright. To drive the point home Leroux held a finger to his mouth and hissed "Shh!"

The rangers swept the village as quickly as they could. They wanted to render the village useless to surrounding forces, but didn't want to broadcast their presence any louder than they already had. This reconnaissance in force would invite reprisals just as soon as the Arvo as a whole realized what happened. Livestock, mostly chickens and a few pigs, were released into the wild to become fodder for native Arcologian predators. An EOD team collected the village's armaments, mostly old Imperial-make useless to Adiran forces, into a dump not far on the outskirts to be destroyed.

However, they wouldn't completely level the village. There was enough land cleared for a number of helicopters to touch down. Although she hadn't necessarily intended to clear the village today, now that they had Captain Latson judged it good enough to act as their new resupply point. Command generally agreed, but they were to set a strong perimeter while they were moving captives, evacuating wounded, and resupplying the company. The men were to set patrols, plant Claymores, and dig a few defensive fighting positions until that was done. Just to drive the point home, an AC-130 would be flying overhead at night.

Although the Rangers had recovered about twenty of the Virden captives along with a few from elsewhere, this village had apparently only taken male slaves to work the fields. They found no trace of Dr. Cresswell. The bush war would continue.

by **Hittanryan** » Tue Jun 20, 2017 3:43 pm

National Assembly
New Laconia

To try to break the deadlock in Appropriations, Chief Whip Cullen called for a meeting with the six holdouts. Meeting in a back conference room during a recess, the six MAs were greeted by Chairman Bauer, Cullen, and two of the President's chief advisors. Feng was introduced as one of the senior architects of the stimulus as a whole, and Cruise claimed he was there supposedly just as a formality. No refreshments were put out, and there was less than a minute of small talk before Ross said "So, should we get started?"

"Not quite yet, Assemblyman," Cruise said with a faint grin. "Still waiting on someone."

Ross nodded politely. About a minute later amid a bit more small talk, there was a knock on the door. Cruise hefted himself up and showed the other guest in. Three of the MAs present did a double take, seeing the thinning head of white hair, thick glasses, somewhat hunched posture, and thin, quickly-fading smile with the handshake. Ross' gaze followed the man as he sat across from them.

"Secretary Bluford, I wasn't expecting you here today," Ross said diplomatically.

"Well Dan, I'm hoping this bill will bring relief to workers put in dire straits by reckless Terranova Street bankers," Bluford said, gesturing.

"The President is very concerned about unemployment," Cruise clarified.

"Of course, we are too," Ross said genially, though he glanced at Bluford warily as he sat down.

"Good," Bluford said before sitting down.

Cullen folded his hands on the desk. "Now, the President wants the tax and benefits package passed ASAP. He and his advisors are concerned that this recession could be building momentum. Government deadlock could create even more uncertainty in the markets. The wheels here in the capital have to keep turning."

"Well sure, George. Got no argument from us on that," Ross replied.

"I wish you'd said something earlier, though," Cullen said.

"George I would've but the Meridian story broke the same morning as the vote. Took us all by surprise," Ross explained. "I barely had time to consult with my own advisors."

"So wait," Cruise piped up, "your advisors just threw this idea of theirs together that morning?"

"Well no...what did you say your name was?"

"Alan," Cruise replied with a thin smile.

"Alan. No, I called a few people I know in the industry, until I got somebody who'd been following what was happening at Meridian," Ross explained.

"Who did you talk to?" Bluford piped up abruptly.

Ross furrowed his brow a bit. "A guy I went to school with. Marlon Ward. He's done some consulting for us before, always had a good mind for the big picture..."

"And what does he do?" Bluford cut him off.

"I'm sorry?"

"Is he on your staff? Is he a civil servant? Is he in the private sector?" Bluford pressed, giving a waving motion with each option.

"Marlon's a broker," Ross said.

"Where?" Bluford pressed.

"Puerto Rojas Metropolitan," Ross replied.

"He's a banker?" Bluford said incredulously. "Well of course he's gonna tell you they need bailouts. What banker wouldn't jump at the chance to get a taxpayer-funded "get out of jail free" card? They're trying to avoid responsibility. Did you guys all call bankers too?" Bluford asked the others, waving a hand in their direction.

The other five puffed themselves up, but just before they started to speak in their defense, Cruise said "All right, be fair, Secretary, they haven't specifically asked for a bailout."

"That raises a good point," Bauer, the committee chair, said. "What exactly are you proposing?"

"Relief for the financial sector," Ross said. "Nip investor panic in the bud."

"What exactly does that mean, though?" Feng stepped in. "What policy do you want?"

"Well, if it comes to it, yes, a bailout, but only if that'll help. We've also discussed a short-term relief program for loanholders in the event of a credit crunch," Ross explained.

"Don't you have any details?" Feng asked. Ross wasn't given a chance to answer. "At this point, we don't know which banks should be bailed out, how much it'll cost, who will have oversight, or if we even need an actual bailout in the first place."

"And why now?" Cullen asked. "Why not just vote for this bill and worry about the banks later?"

"I don't know how much time we have," Ross explained. "And if the whole sector goes, it'll be bad. These firms like Meridian, they do a lot more than just play roulette on the stock market. Take commercial and business loans, for example. If the banks stop lending as they start to go under, that hurts business across the board, big, small, all of them. Every business with more than a couple people has some kind of debt."

"Yes, we understand there are serious risks, Assemblyman," Cullen said, "but I think if this is a concern, the committee's priority right now should be to gather information."

"But, again, we might not have time," Ross repeated.

"A big bank bailout could cost another couple hundred billion dollars," Cruise said. "Look before you leap, I'd say."

Feng added "Plus if the public sees the Appropriations Committee panicking and desperately throwing money at Meridian or other banks without a plan, you might get that investor panic after all."

"However, I don't think this committee should do nothing," Chairman Bauer conceded. "Obviously a potential further collapse in the financial markets would be a serious problem. There should be a factfinding probe into Meridian."

"A probe?" Ross asked. "What would that consist of?"

"Well, a number of things. Meridian filed for bankruptcy. That process will be subject to oversight by the courts," Bauer explained. "The committee can ask for records of the proceedings. We can figure out what went wrong with Meridian and try to determine from there if this is a systemic problem in the financial sector."

"That is a good idea," Bluford said, pointing at Bauer. "An inquiry could also expose possible malfeasance or regulatory loopholes exploited by the big banks."

Ross chewed on his lip a moment, conceding "That is certainly a start, but that could take time we don't have."

"I don't know about that, Assemblyman," Cruise said, having slouched in his chair a bit and made himself comfortably. "It could just as easily buy you some time, clear up some uncertainty, calm down some of those spooked investors before it turns into a stampede."

Ross looked at Cruise as though he didn't exactly belong here. "Possibly. It would have to be handled right, though."

"Well maybe that should be up to you, Assemblyman. Chairman, he did bring this issue up to begin with. Maybe he should head the inquiry?" Cruise asked Bauer. Ross clearly wasn't a poker player, as his expression softened visibly before he tried to return to neutral.

"That's certainly a possibility," Bauer said.

Cullen then stepped in. "As you kept pointing out, Assemblyman, time is of the essence. The probe would need to start immediately, meaning the Meridian thing would be addressed and you'd be free to vote on the tax and benefits package."

"The President would certainly hope so, anyway," Cruise said, holding Ross' gaze.

Ross turned to look at his fellow holdouts. One of them was nodding slightly, another looked pointedly between Ross and Cullen. Sensing the mood, Ross said "I think that seems pretty fair to me, George."

It had taken several days, but the deadlock in Appropriations was broken. The tax and benefits package still did not gain any support from the Opposition, however. It would go to the floor of the Assembly for a vote in a few more days time, hastened along and moved up in the schedule by the Meridian issue.

Meanwhile, Ober and the State Department were trying to plan--and stall--the visit to New Edom after the bill passed. Ober would explain to his Edomite counterparts that in light of Hesperinius' assassination, all precautions needed to be taken. Security protocols from previous visits would need to be reviewed. The Secret Service wanted floor plans, maps of the surrounding areas, and--given the circumstances of Hesperinius' death--an extensive plan for motorcade routes and protection. There were accommodations and schedules to consider. There were conversations such as "Well, Saturdays the President usually attends church, then Sunday is your Sabbath...I don't think the weekend is going to work out..."

The Adirans' Edomite allies were given some explanation, however, in an attempt to assuage any frustration on their part. General Orozco, the embassy's military attaché, was out for drinks with Count Falk and his social circle when he let a few remarks slip.

"Well, you know, the government was already working on this stimulus thing when they got the invitation from the King. They've been talking, promising they'd get something done for folks back home with the stock market crash. I mean I don't have to tell you how bad those Noviteran bankers screwed the pooch..."

"No, no, I can tell you the President's definitely trying to get over here ASAP. They're rushing reports down at the War Department, making people rearrange their schedules, rounding up every interpreter in New Laconia..."

"I just hope the King understands--this isn't making our jobs at the embassy any easier, that's for sure."

by **Hittanryan** » Sat Jun 24, 2017 12:17 am

Freshman and Sophomores
New Laconia

Tom Alvarado had been reelected, beating scandals real and potential while having backed exactly the right horse in the caucuses. He was still young and still caused doubts here and there, but with a growing legislative record he was no longer a freshman at the very least. Now in his second term, thanks to some reshuffles and losses, Tom found his name was being passed around for the Armed Forces Committee. Rowan's legislative agenda was moving forward, and the stimulus votes would be an uncomplicated decision as far as he was concerned. Some MAs who would barely give him the time of day before were now at least saying "hello." Cole seemed satisfied that he was no longer consorting with the enemy in New Edom, while Pendergast's network, after Pendergast had declined Tom's endorsement in the caucuses, was showing him more deference than they ever might have before.

By now he wasn't seeing Sarah everywhere, but he hadn't forgotten her. Certain things served as painful reminders. A particular sway of the hips. A laugh if it was just so. A baby's cry. He wasn't about to tell anyone, either. Who was safe? Who would listen?

There was also the nagging feeling that Art's daughter was too good for him. She seemed so understanding, so willing to go along with things for his sake. Tom found that she wasn't just a devoted Social Democrat but had a good grasp on all of the major political issues of the day. She didn't just complain on social media and she wasn't just some insufferable activist, she was trying to make a career of it. Up in the capital she'd worked at a labor advocacy group, and now between jobs she was working at the Labor Alliance with her dad. More than once she'd explained something happening with the recession to him, and the couple of times he'd seen her talking to constituents she'd seemed a natural, coming across as knowledgeable on labor rights but never like a fanatical Blufordite harpy.

The one hanging chad was her father, Tom's key benefactor who hadn't exactly been pleased to find he'd been sleeping with her on the sly. He was acutely aware that Art could withdraw his endorsement for next time, and he'd noted that Art hadn't spoken to him at all since the election. Just after Rowan was sworn in, however, he had attended an inaugural celebration in his district where Art came up and offered his congratulations. Both of them were in black tie. A plate full of hors d'oeuvre in one hand, Art offered him a hearty handshake.

"Well, Tom, you pulled it off, good for you," he said with a smile.

"We did, thanks to your help. Did you get my letter?" Tom asked, referring to a hitherto-unanswered thank you note.

"Yeah, yeah, I did. I even heard there might be a committee seat with your name on it," Art said.

"Hope so, but we'll see. I'll probably have some competition," Tom replied.

"Like I said, whole thing reminds me a bit of Ramon," Art said. "He was up for Finance his second term even after all that."

Tom took a drink and gave him a puzzled look. "Sorry, who?"

Art looked puzzled in turn. "Ramon, you know, it was in that email I sent you right after the election. Got himself in a bit of trouble as a freshman, served five more terms after that?" he explained.

"Email? I don't think I got it," Tom said.

Art frowned and said "Could've sworn I had Pam send that...well, sorry about that, Tom. I thought I'd replied to your letter."

"Hey, no worries, Art," Tom said. Thinking he'd gotten a bit of the upper hand, he decided to go for broke "Listen Art, about Tamara..." he started.

At this he held up a hand and waved it dismissively. "No, no, water under the bridge. At least I know you. You should've seen some of the losers she took home in high school," Art said blithely.

Tom stood there a bit confused. "I...okay. You didn't seem too happy about it."

"Ah, it was the surprise, you know how it is, Tom, or I suppose you don't, you don't have kids," Art said. Tom felt a pit in his stomach at that. "She's my little girl, even though she's grown up. But I've had time to cool off, give it some thought. Still don't really like the way it was sprung, but you came clean and I do appreciate that. Truth is...she could use a guy like you."

"A guy like me? What do you mean?"

Art chewed for a moment. "Tammy was never exactly top of her class. Not bad grades but never had a natural knack for it. Hated studying, only did it because we were pushing her. She went to Lau."

"Yeah, she told me, Lau's a good school," Tom started to say.

"Right, but she went there and came back with a liberal arts degree," Art said, with more than a little contempt. "Bad enough in a strong economy. Now we've got a stock market crash on our hands. I hate to tell her--I mean I can't tell her, times being what they are--but I don't know if she's cut out to make it on her own. So if a dependable sort of guy comes along with his feet on the ground, who am I to complain?"

With that conversation, on paper Tammy was now risk-free unless he dumped her in an especially callous way. What had he done to deserve her? Abandoned the woman he still loved then lied about it to everyone, that's what.

Taking Tom's place as youngest MA was Holly Lemay, the former actress and journalist who just barely managed to eke out a win. If she hadn't been running in a district that heavily favored her party already, or if one of the other contenders for the party leadership had won, she would have lost. If her staff hadn't tapped her on short notice, she likely never would have run in the first place. Yet here she was on the floor of the National Assembly.

The first day it didn't seem real. The gravity of everything seemed to hit her at once. She didn't feel like she belonged, and a number of her colleagues would agree. The only thing keeping her from shaking or wavering was her mindset that she was playing a part. Other things seemed off as well; somehow she thought the room would be bigger, or at least it felt bigger when they showed it on TV. For her first day she didn't even need lines, all they did was confirm George Rowan as President. She recorded her vote without incident.

Under advice from Pauli and Hoover, who had convinced her to name them as chief of staff and political advisor respectively, she mostly kept her head down. She was not on any committees as a freshman and would not be appointed to one until at least several years down the line, likely after she was reelected. Pauli and Hoover explained that her priorities right now should be establishing herself as a reliable member of the party, getting experience under her belt, and making friends.

"Since you don't have much background in it, you're going to have to learn the legal side of things on the job. Find something you're interested in. Humanitarian stuff, welfare, whatever it is, jump into that and do it well. It's like building a resume, understand?"

"If the Whip wants you at a vote, you make damn sure you're at that vote. Don't mess with him, you're a cub in a lion's den."

"There are cliques in the party. Saw that in the caucuses clear enough. Pendergast had a big group of moderates and conservatives, Bluford had the left wing, Michaels and Cole have the defense hawks. The President was a compromise candidate, somewhere in between all of them."

Holly's first vote would be on this first relief bill. The minutiae was all beyond her, but she'd listened to Pauli, Hoover, and other MAs argue in its favor. Liberals tried to say it was a drop in the bucket, that it was missing the point, but Holly was assured that this was just a smokescreen. According to her advisors and speeches by her colleagues, the Liberals just didn't care about average Adirans and wanted austerity policies which had failed elsewhere.

The night before the vote, Holly finally got a chance to go out to dinner with Chris and some friends from the press.

Talking about the vote, Chris, who'd been quiet, was asked for his opinion. "Well, I don't know. You have to wonder if they can keep this level of spending up. Where's it going to come from?"

"Even if it costs a lot, though, it'll definitely help people out," Holly said dismissively, clearly expecting to move on.

"Eh...maybe," Chris said.

Holly paused and looked at him. "What do you mean? It's tax breaks, benefits, it's got to help people out."

"Maybe," Chris repeated. "I think what everyone really wants is work, steady work, not just getting helped out indefinitely."

At this point their friend Sofia, a mousy-looking woman, interjected. "Uh-oh Holly, you might be on the wrong team now..."

"What team?" she asked.

"Oh honey, how have you been dating this long without hearing his speech about holding politicians accountable?" Sofia asked, glancing at Chris.

"Well yeah, sure, but that's his job," Holly replied.

"Well, you wouldn't expect someone like Chris to put too much stock in what the government says, would you? You've seen him grill politicians before, right? Hell, I bet John Pendergast blames him a little for losing the SDP caucus."

"Sitting right here, Sofia," Chris said with a tight smile.

"You certainly are," she said, patting him on the arm utterly unfazed. "Go on, get on with your interview."

"This is the banks' fault, though," Holly said, "the Noviterans crashed the economy."

"I don't know, it seems like it's everyone's fault. People wanted things they couldn't afford, the banks loaned 'em money they couldn't pay back, and the government thought it would make everybody middle class, or at least feel like they're middle class," Chris said.

"Wait, Chris...are you a Liberal?" Holly asked, staring at him. Sofia was watching the exchange with interest.

"No," he replied.

"So you're a Social Democrat?"

"No, I'm not registered with any party," he explained.

"Then who do you vote for, then?" she asked, looking a bit concerned.

"Oh I go back and forth. Depends on who's running in my district, the party leader. My ballot's all over the place usually," Chris said. "This year I had Wright as my first choice. He's SDP, he's been doing all right, but Sylvain, he had some decent ideas too, so I put him down as second."

"And Sylvain was a Liberal?"

"Yeah...why, is that a problem?" he asked.

Holly looked flummoxed. "It's just I don't feel like I get it, you vote for the Liberals, the big business party? What about what happened in your hometown? The phony developer coming in and bankrupting the place? You said it got you into journalism, all that?"

"It was as much the town of Teague's fault as the developer's. Government didn't stop him, they helped him. Believed every word, didn't know any better," Chris pointed out. "Put it this way, the town hired a consulting firm to do a business analysis of the developer's plan. Consultants came back and their report said it wasn't gonna work. Developer came out and smeared the consultants. The town wanted to believe that the developer's plan would work and make them all rich, so they ignored the experts and went ahead anyway. They wouldn't be convinced otherwise."

"Well, okay, you've said how bad the government was there, but that's not everywhere, not in the Assembly," Holly protested. The others at the table by now were watching with curiosity. "You said Teague was run by hicks."

"I don't know, what's a lawyer who's never run a business or held a steady job going to know about how the economy affects people? So I don't think government knows best all or maybe even most of the time."

Holly was a bit tight-lipped on politics for the rest of the night and turned in early. Her mind was thoroughly made up for her first vote.

by **New Edom** » Tue Jun 27, 2017 10:35 am

New Edomite National News Report

Opening bars of Pictures at an Exhibition play as a globe spins with pins popping up on various points of the world. Split screen images of natural disasters, celebrations, military actions, elections, royal ceremonies, celebrity events are showing, occasionally with New Edomite news anchors talking about them, and then fades to a news desk.

A raven haired woman with olive skin, dark brown eyes with a rosebud mouth, a slim nose and a statuesque figure sat behind a news desk with the New Edomite flag imposed over a silhouette map of the Allied States of New Edom behind her. “Good evening,” she said, looking up with a smile. It was clear that above the waist at least she wore nothing but a gold cross on a chain, though her image was pixelated for those nations censoring such an appearance. “I’m Lavinia Tuller, and this is a NENN Evening News."

"In International news: following meetings with President Tolstoy of the Union of South Ceti, Ambassador Scroll's vital work in securing infrastructure and business ties with the Union have led to the opening of the King James Mining Company. Government operated mines in the Union of South Ceti, one of the nations of Arcologia were operating under dangerous conditions and had been investigated for human trafficking. However now in partnership with our own Mines and Resources Directorate there has been enormous improvement and new contracts have been agreed to.

"It has been appointed for a six-year period to provide mining services that include all drill, blast, load and haul functions for both ore and waste at the wholly owned Cabazon Beach area mine, where mobilisation is under way to ensure a timely start of mining activities from early September. As reported by Mineral Resources Online last month, Avantine Stock Exchange-listed eXtract subsidiary Union Mining Company announced that its five-year opencast mining contract at the diamond mine had been terminated on December 13 after two years.

"There have been security concerns due to piracy around Arcologia and local banditry. Our government has renewed security contracts, with newly promoted General Abishai Hagar taking over command from the late General Hesperinus. General Hagar has been commander of the elite 18th Mounted Light Infantry for the last ten years.

"Last month the Ministry also won a contract to establish and mine the Stone Harbor opencast zinc operation, which is being developed by the Nathan Daniels Mining Company. Ikon Geophysical Company's leaders have announced that they have a five year contract to continue exploring claims for mineral resources in the Union and Lesser Diols."

"Sympathies and mourning were given out to the people of Belfras following the Liberation Square bombing. The Ministry of Police neither confirms nor denies the presence of Homofront in Belfras. Officials have said that there are many possibilities and that communist insurgency should not be discounted. The Queen led members of the Royal Family and government to pray in Hillel, the home of the Prophet Under, for the souls of the dead and for those who mourn. King Elijah has made it clear that the government will do all it can to help people who may have been travelling from Belfras to get home safely if they need to be with loved ones, or receive such refuge as can be offered.

"According to Andreas Nimrod, our envoy to the CPO, New Edom remains committed to a peacekeeping mission to Deweden, but the official stance of the government is preference for a negotiateed peace. There are high hopes for this following Princess Jocasta's visit to Akai and the hope that this will help mediate a peaceful agreement between the two Dewedens and the nation of Rietumimark."

(The Foreign Minister, Hosidius Geta, is quoted saying, "We will not deny that we disapprove of, and indeed oppose, the atheistic and violent position of communist nations, but we will still seek peace, if it be an honourable peace, with Rietumimark. We also remain committed to a CPO mission as the best alternative to war at this time.")

"Finally, the Allied States government has unanimously stood behind the Roman Government in its efforts to improve its weapons manufacture and preparedness by testing thermobaric weapons. According to Ministry of Defense officials it is hardly a weapon that can casually threaten the borders of Rome's neighbors, and in the words of Minister of Defense Unwerth "People should just calm down a bit."

"And that is the evening news. Remember to enroll your children in sports activities like football and basketball this coming school session. According to the Ministry of Health, it keeps them from going gay. For NENN, I'm Lavinia Tuller."

by **Hittanryan** » Tue Jun 27, 2017 3:20 pm

National Assembly
New Laconia

By the time most bills reached a floor vote on the Assembly, negotiations were usually over. If members of the governing coalition had concerns with the bill, it was expected that they all be aired before the bill got out of committee. Furthermore, it was comme il faut to speak to the Chair ahead of time rather than springing a surprise argument while the committee was in session. For the Opposition, committee was where their conflicting research was presented, where the initial holes were poked in a bill, and where only a scant few members of the government had to be persuaded or cowed into impeding its progress.

Floor debates, by contrast, were about scoring political points and making headlines. You never knew what might make a good soundbite in a reelection campaign, after all. Kevin Urrutia, who was still out of Saito's good graces over Donahue, gave one of the most detailed counter-arguments against the bill.

"Meridian Financial Group was the fifth largest financial services corporation in Adiron," he explained as he came to the crux of his point. "As of last quarter, Meridian held over $450 billion in assets. Its stock has lost forty percent of its value and is expected to drop even further. Money market funds holding billions in Meridian stock, the seventy or so hedge funds using Meridian as their prime broker, and anyone holding their mortgage securities will all be exposed. Its bankruptcy poses serious risks potentially to the entire economy. The government, however, makes no provision for the financial sector at all in this bill despite this emergency. I can guarantee the market will not wait for another bill before it starts panic-selling across the board."

"Meanwhile, Adiran taxpayers are expected to pay nearly sixty billion dollars for a series of temporary measures which fail to address the underlying cause of the economic downturn. When these handouts expire and the recession hasn't ended, does the government intend to ask the public for another sixty billion? Instead of promoting growth and recovery, does the government simply want the Adiran people to stay on the dole forever?" A number of Opposition members looked on, nodding or smiling as they whispered to nearby colleagues. Members in government were shaking their heads.

In rebuttal, Assemblyman Reid took the floor, using the usual tricks to mask his diminutive size. "The gentleman from Luzhou would have you believe that we're doing nothing, that we're burying our heads in the sand and ignoring imminent doom. The truth is that at least two standing committees, supported by the civil service, are already gathering information on the Meridian bankruptcy."

"What this really is is a smokescreen, a distraction from the fact that the Liberal Party apparently intends to vote against tax credits and benefits for working families in this time of uncertainty," Reid concluded with an admonishing look towards their half of the chamber. "Many in the Opposition would hang the unemployed out to dry, leave the sick to their own devices, and give billions to those responsible for the economic crash in the first place. That is not good enough for the Adiran people," Reid proclaimed.

That wasn't to say it was all high-minded policy discussion. Usually it was left to the backbenchers and junior members to do the emotional appeals and sniping at the other side. Sara Paquin was one of the Greens' go-to people for this now that she wasn't marching in the streets. In rebuttal to a Liberal comment, she said "I'm not sure why Liberals are so opposed to tax cuts. I suppose they think you only deserve a tax break if you have three homes and drive a Blizzard."

The Liberal speaking was Assemblyman Mike Taylor, who just so happened to match Paquin's exact description. A newspaper expose had made his relatively lavish lifestyle known publicly. Some MAs looked a bit uncomfortable, a few others did their best to plaster a politician's smile on their faces, and a couple of women's jaws hung open, scandalized. The preppy-looking Taylor took it in stride, however, smiling easily. "Charming, as always, Assemblywoman. You Greens are always talking about leaving the world better for our children. My point is that this kind of deficit spending will, among other things, leave higher taxes and inflation for our children."

Other Liberals, such as the always conservatively-dressed Evelyn Price, tried to object to the way the SDP passed the bill rather than its content. "Why could the government manage to jam this bill through the legislative process without consensus in a mere few days while it claims it needs more time to examine an obvious growing disaster in the financial sector?"

At this point Tom Alvarado addressed the floor. "You're very keen on that bank bailout, Assemblywoman. How do you know it'll even work? You don't know how much it'll cost or where the money needs to go to be most effective, or where the money would come from. That's why committees are looking into it," he said. He got a bit of a gleam in his eye and said "I know that Newell-Nolan donated to your campaign, but right now, for this bill, the people are the government's priority."

There was some approval expressed from the government's side of the chamber. Price was unimpressed. "I will hold you to those words, Assemblyman, when you have to explain further job losses as the financial sector implodes," Price threatened in turn.

Rowan had hoped that this part of the stimulus package would be tame enough for some moderate Liberals to cross party lines. Saito, however, was determined to stifle any challenges from the right. After all, there was a whole fresh crop of freshman MAs that he wasn't entirely sure he could trust in the event of a leadership contest. Some had held office before, knew how the game was played, and knew that Saito was potentially vulnerable. Others were young and impressionable, and they could go either way if the right promises were made. Party discipline was thus the name of the game for Rowan's first stimulus bill, the Whip making the rounds to all the new MAs as well as anyone with a track record of going across the proverbial aisle.

The Adiran Recovery and Relief Act was thus passed along party lines, 308 in favor, 285 opposed, and 7 abstentions or absences.

Now Rowan's agenda shifted to foreign policy, the visit to New Edom, with all that entailed...

by **New Edom** » Tue Jun 27, 2017 4:50 pm

Puerto Rojas, Adiron

"Say what you will about the Adirans being a lot of quarrelsome, boring republicans," said Abishai Hagar, "But they sure do know how to build a golf course!"

The country club restaurant was extremely busy for a midweek summer evening, and the waiters and waitresses were run off their feet, as were the chefs and other kitchen staff. It was probably emphasized to all employees that the wealthy and influential members of the exclusive country club were to receive the highest level of customer service at all times; however, one particular family were afforded service over and above this at all times.

"They do," agreed Ambassador Ramoth, sipping his wine. If Ramoth was a textbook martinet, his moustache impeccable, uniform always impeccable, Hagar was the consummate warrior, his bronzed-olive chiseled features hard and his eyes like merry chips of flint. "I'm glad we found something to amuse you during your visit."

"My present company is sufficiently amusing," said Hagar with a polite inclination of the head. As company there were the ambassador's wife Susannah and their three adult children, son Jacob and identical twin girls Annabel and Christabel.

The son seemed to have inherited his father's pride as well as his looks, but Jacob was far less gentlemanly about it, looking down his nose at people he thought inferior to himself and considering himself above things such as waiting or manners. Jacob also seemed to think that he was exempt from driving laws, speeding and generally driving dangerously in his sports car. Once, he had nearly run into a valet while screaming into the car park in his sport's car at break-neck speed, but rather than apologize he merely exited the vehicle and walked into the country club without so much as a backwards glance. He attended an Adiran university and the freedom and ease of spending wealth in public had gone to his head. Jacob was drinking too much, feeling an envy for the men who had won the Lesser Diols. If only he wasn't studying law...but his father had insisted, he reflected bitterly.

The two daughters, Annabel and Christabel were both attractive, exotic and delightful to the eye, and along with family wealth and breeding acted like they had descended from the heavens to occasionally bestow their grace upon the briefly worthy. Currently they were delighted and charmed by Hagar and his officers, bold fierce men straight from the wars, who were cavalier with them and seemed to mostly be enjoying their surroundings. Hagar was unmarried, they were vividly aware.

"We are still working out details on The Visitl," explained Ramoth. "The Adirans have rather clumsily been delaying so that they can avoid insult as they focus more on these budgetary issues. Which I suppose is understandable. Every new president must appeal to the Assembly for the budget."

"We have to now too, Dad, every time a President of the Council is appointed," said Jacob.

Ramoth paused as though a dog had barked at him. "Indeed," he said, "But it is wise for a boy to wait and listen and learn while his elders speak."

"By Adiran standards I'm a man, Father," said the young man, flushing.

Ramoth said, "Adiran standards are not ours. You wrongly respond as though I merely criticize, when in fact I am explaining the matter to General Hagar."

"General, how is it that a man of your stature, courage and breeding is not married?' said Susannah Ramoth to change the subject. An elegant, charming woman, she had a smile that often soothed the most acidic conversation.

"Well, Ma'am, you see I had followed hte dictum 'captains may marry, majors should marry, colonels must marry' but then circumstances kept getting in the way, and the kind of duty we in the 18th have precludes many evenings such as this. Felt it wouldn't be fair," said Hagar.

"Ah, and it would require you often to be absent or to have to drag your poor wife off to places like South Ceti," sighed Susannah. "And do you anticipate that troubled place being very much on the menu for discussions at the upcoming visit?"

The two girls rolled their eyes at one another and began to discreetly play with their phones under the table.

"No doubt," said Ramoth. "No doubt. It will be prominent. But really, I think it will all go very well. We are greatly looking forward to facilitating the President's meeting with His Majesty." However he did not want to talk of this very much with Hagar present, and virtually in public. Mentioning it generally was fine, but the agenda and dates were out of the question.

by **New Edom** » Wed Jun 28, 2017 9:22 am

Betharan Palace
Fineberg, New Edom

The conference room was designated only by a brass plate with the room number "808." Inside the room two security officers from the Royal Protection Servicewere scanning for bugs, bombs, and anything else that was not supposed to be there. The two officers were Aloysius Zeno and Job Michaelmas. For this meeting they were wearing their dress uniforms. Both were uncomfortable. They preferred the comfort of a suit with loafers instead of the starched shirt and plain Oxfords. Those lace oxfords were even more rigid because they were fitted with steel toes.

Earlier, the room had been carefully swept, vacuumed, chem and rad sniffers applied, and now these two officers did a final sweep of the room. Even the cleaners had been carefully vetted by the Office of the Royal Guard.

The first to arrive was the Master of Office’s new executive assistant, Delia Labam. Loy enjoyed patting her down and scanning her marvelous physique with an ultrasound device. She has a slender neck, perfectly proportioned medium sized bosom, a finely arched spine, lean, lissome, lithesome, lanky legs, and a carved ivory derriere. This specimen of womanhood could easily cause Pygmalion to cast aside his statuesque Galatea. This is the kind of woman who makes a man hurt in his intestines at first sight. Any man who would not feel the crass, carnal craving for Delia was mentally ill at best. She was wearing a tailored business suit, high heel black shoes, and black silk underwear. Like many Edomite executives and officials serving high ranking persons, she was carrying a laptop computer. Michaelmas carefully examined the hardware. Rank hath its privileges.

Delia seated herself to the wall backed chair just to the second right side of the President’s chair, which was opposite to the seats at the other end the King and Queen would sit at, rarely occupied these days, and plugged in her laptop. She sorted through files and lowered the screen, checking the video and sound and the internet connection. She returned the screen to its hidden position just before the participants arrived. The first were the lower level bureaucrats and mid ranking military officers of the grade of captain to lieutenant-colonel. A murmuring chatter accompanied them. Delia avoided talking to the two security officers; she hated and feared Loy, who was nicknamed The Ferret among the staff. Delia had been hired by Prince Enoch in part on the advice of his mistress, Jess McKay, who had recommended that Edomites educated abroad might make some diplomatic and staff issues easier to handle. It didn’t hurt that she was easy on the eyes, but she also had been educated at Avantine University and had attended conferences for education and business in Puerto Rojas U as well. She came from a good family and had worked for four years in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Trade Office before getting this job.

Misabel took his seat and opened his briefcase, and she offered him two papers to sign, requisition orders. He nodded and she took her seat again. He greeted Elizabeth Corbulo, Basil Jerome and Count Falk as they came in as well. Falk looked tired, dark circles under his eyes, Corbulo calm, Jerome cheerful. Shortly after, General Pinguis stumped in leaning on his cane, his claw-hand clutching the end of a shoulder bag. The one eyed, one legged, one handed Ministry of Police deputy sagged into his chair. Apart from his polite head nod bows to his colleagues, Misabel said nothing.

The purpose of the meeting was to go over security planning for The Visit. Should the meeting even take place at Padan-Aran with the investigation going on? Would it be better to hold it in Fineberg? Would Fineberg be too easy to stage an attack in?

“Let’s not twitter like fishwives,” said General Unwerth curtly. “Everywhere is dangerous. We will simply do a better job.”

“Or we could consider postponing until we are sure,” suggested General Nicanor.

“The King wants the meeting to take place,” said Prince Enoch. “And I see no reason to not have it at Padan-Aran, at Shiloam Palace. Or are your purges ineffective, General?”

“The AIS and other Adiran services will want to coordinate,” said Peter Misabel, cracking bony knuckles. “Last meetings were very simple, will this be different?”

“I am reaching out to the new president’s chief of staff on this among other matters,” said Prince Enoch. "We can discuss the how, not the if."

To: Dale Ober, Presidential Chief of Staff
From: Prince Enoch Tubal-Cain, Royal Master of Offices
Subject: The Visit
Encryption: Most Secret, Eyes Only

Dear Mr. Ober,

First, let me congratulate you on the management of your President’s election campaign. I am told that you handled the matter like a general marshals his forces, and that the expertise of dealing with communications, logistics, and the press was superb.

We have not yet met, but we are similar in our positions. You as Chief of Staff, I as Master of Offices each handle the affairs of our leaders in order to remove inconveniences, enable them to make decisions free of day to day clutter and confusion and advise them as necessary. In this vein I would like to discuss the Visit with you.

First, I would like to propose that the King would prefer a meeting with some formalities but not excessive ones. This would involve this basic itinerary.

1. Arrival at Padan-Aran Airport. A quiet ceremony of greeting with myself and senior officials formally welcoming the President to New Edom.
2. There will be a small hotel nearby of excellent quality at which the President, First Lady and their staff if need be can freshen up.
3. Travel to Shiloam Palace. Unless there is a preference for one, there will be no parade but rather a pleasant drive in the country which will take approximately ten minutes.
4. Arrival at Shiloam Palace. The King and ideally the Queen will meet the President and First Lady with formal greetings and welcome.
5. The North Wing of the Palace will be provided to the President and staff. There will be access to a private garden area, exercise room, an outdoor walkway to other areas of the Palace including gardens, a swimming pool, tennis court and stables.
6. Following the President, First Lady and staff getting a bit settled in, there will be a relaxing buffet lunch, ideally held in the Prince Shobai Garden, but weather forbidding in a ball room.
7. Following this, there will be an initial meeting to briefly introduce the subjects to be discussed. This meeting will involve the following persons: King Elijah, myself, President of the Council General Adam Nicanor, Foreign Minister Hosidius Geta, Defense Minister General Jonathan Unwerth, Minister of Police General John Ashdod, and Finance Minister Count Thomas Lalery. Staff as appropriate may also be present to advise the principles. The chief issues the Allied States will be presenting will be: International anti-piracy cooperation; General regional security in Union/Confederate Arcologia and the Lesser Diols; Economic cooperation; Mediation between the Republic of Adiron and the Imperium of Arbites; the CPO mediation in Deweden
8. Following this, the King would like to show the President and First Lady his capybara farm.
9. Following this, it is proposed that everyone have an afternoon’s rest.
10. Following this, a somewhat informal dinner is proposed, which would not require full dress but simply dinner jackets for gentlemen and evening dresses for ladies.
11. Discussion of General regional security in Union/Confederate Arcologia and the Lesser Diols.
12. Following this, rest.
13. The morning after, the King and Queen will attend chapel, to which all are invited, with no offense if they prefer to sleep in.
14. Breakfast is usually another buffet, followed by a reflective walk in the gardens.
15. Following this, discussion of economic cooperation, specifically focusing on oil and energy resources.
16. Following this, a break to enjoy refreshments or a walk in the garden.
17. Following this, discussion of Mediation between the Republic of Adiron and the Imperium of Arbites.
18. Following this, a buffet lunch.
19. Following this, discussion of the CPO mediation in Deweden.
20. Following this, the King has proposed an afternoon of sports.
21. Following this, an informal dinner where the King will demonstrate the glorious fruits of his farming efforts and those of the Queen at a relaxing barbecue.
22. Breakfast
23. Review of issues unresolved or establishing a plan for further talks.
24. The President will be invited to a military review jointly with the King.
25. Photo opportunities and departure.
I hope that this itinerary meets with your satisfaction. Naturally there will be much to be ironed out. I would be glad to talk with you on the phone or meet personally to work out details.

Another matter of course is cooperation for security, transportation, and communications. I advise that there should be a meeting about this between relevant officials. What might be wise would be to have some of us fly out to Adiron to hear your people’s concerns about these issues on behalf of your present, followed by your people getting a better look at what they would be dealing with here. In this manner we can also enjoy one another’s hospitality and get to know one another a bit.

I have the honour to be
Prince Enoch Tubal-Cain
Royal Master of Offices

by **Hittanryan** » Fri Jun 30, 2017 9:12 pm

Government Office
New Laconia

With the first part of the stimulus passed, Chief of Staff Ober was eager to finish planning the state visit to New Edom. He'd been working on it as best he could since it had been proposed, but had been forced to stall a bit. The Secret Service had helpfully, unintentionally stalled for him after he expressed concerns about motorcade and site security. In the wake of Hesperinius' assassination, the Secret Service had kept the Royal Protection Service busy asking for floor plans, photographs of routes and the palace grounds, checkpoint protocols, and other details that the RPS likely had to hand but may or may not have been willing to part with.

Now Ober could give the matter his undivided attention, and he called a staff meeting with the President's other advisors. Chief Political Advisor Snyder, Foreign Policy Advisor Kevin Martin, and Press Secretary John Carvalho were all present. They all seemed to agree on the contents of the meeting, although there was some worry that Bailey would insist on shoehorning human rights in somewhere.

Instead, Ober had other questions, including "What the hell's a capybara?"

"Giant amphibious rat," Snyder said off the cuff.

Ober furrowed his brow before Martin corrected. "Rodent. Livestock native to the tropics."

"All right, not sure why we're taking an afternoon off to go see 'em," Ober said.

"I asked around, actually," Martin offered. "Deol said apparently this farm is one of the king's hobbies. Spends a lot of time there. Even gave DeGroot some kind of agricultural textbook as a gift once."

Shaking his head, Ober pointed to Press Secretary Carvalho. "A farm...listen Johnny, if one of these things takes a dump on the President's shoes, make sure he gets photographed above the knee."

"Sure, Dale," Carvalho said with a nod.

"I don't know if there's any way to make him look good among a herd of giant rats," Snyder said.

"More like beavers, really," Martin corrected.

"Oh even better, photos of the President next to giant hairy beavers. Internet's gonna have a lot of fun with that one," Snyder said.

"Wait, look right after that. What does this mean, 'afternoon of rest'?" Ober asked.

"I'm not sure..." Snyder replied after contemplating it a second.

"Well what are we supposed to do?" Ober addressed the room.

Carvalho spoke up and said "Maybe it's just an afternoon off?"

Ober and Snyder turned and stared at him, putting off the normally easygoing Press Secretary. "Why?" Ober asked, uncomprehending.

Martin piped up. "Well, some State Department buds of mine said that the CPO was basically founded during an adjournment of the conference. They got deadlocked then worked out the details in one-to-ones."

"Okay, yeah. The other meetings have got a fixed schedule. Maybe they got some other stuff they want to talk about off the record. We can do the same...." Snyder reasoned, a realization dawning on her. "...damn, I bet Bailey will try to bring up the human rights thing then."

"Yeah, but what if it's just what it says?" Carvalho pointed out. "I mean the King had a stroke, didn't he? That's the same day as a bunch of ceremonies, a lot of standing, photo ops."

"We can't go over there just to sit around while there's still a war to stop and a whole half of the stimulus and a bank bailout sitting on the docket back here," Snyder declared, pointing.

Carvalho raised his hands. "I'm just saying."

"Staff can still work, even if the King can't," Ober said. "And an afternoon of sport? What sport?"

"Does George play any sports?" Carvalho asked.

"They're gonna watch, not play," Snyder said as though it was obvious.

"What do they play in New Edom, anyway?" Carvalho added.

"Polo's big among the aristocracy," Martin said.

"So, what, we're going to a pool?" Carvalho asked innocently.

Martin stared at him, perplexed. "What...no, that's water polo. This is on horseback."

"Oh, right, the horse thing, yeah..."

Annoyed, Snyder snapped "Hello? Johnny? Kevin? You wanna rejoin us here at the meeting?"

"Sorry, Dana," Carvalho replied.

"We're pretty much done anyway. Not seeing any real objections to the important parts, and the meeting schedule is fine," Ober said. "I'll just ask them what they got in mind for this side stuff. All right, we're done here." With a brief wave, Ober started for the door to get a reply sent by his more eloquent secretary.

To: Prince Enoch Tubal-Cain, Royal Master of Offices
From: Dale Ober, Presidential Chief of Staff
Subject: The Visit
Encryption: Most Secret, Eyes Only

Your Excellency,

Thank you for your kind words of congratulations regarding the election. Although I did serve as campaign manager, I must of course give credit to the whole team. Now I find myself in the position of managing a very different kind of team, although some of the President's confidants are familiar faces.

To come to the point, it is my opinion as well as that of the President's staff in general that the itinerary you have proposed is entirely acceptable and appropriate.

As the President's first foreign visit happens to be one concerning matters of critical importance to national security, naturally we want to make sure that we start out on the right foot. We have every intention of continuing President DeGroot and Secretary Deol's policy of engagement with the Allied States.

To that end, I am also in agreement that our people should hold one or two final meetings to firm up some of the details of the visit. Given their current positions and expertise, I believe it would be appropriate to send Foreign Policy Advisor Kevin Martin along with Deputy Chief of Staff Alan Cruise to New Edom. We shall of course receive whoever you send with all appropriate hospitality as well.

Sincerely,
Dale Ober

by **New Edom** » Sat Jul 01, 2017 6:27 pm

New Laconia,
Republic of Adiron

Arrival of Prince Enoch

Prince Enoch Tubal-Cain had been met at the airport privately by Ambassador Ramoth and Mr. Camon, accompanied by his assistant Delia Labam, Colonel Steven Horvath and Horvath’s aide. They were traveling somewhat light.

“So what is Ober like?” asked Prince Enoch as the car rolled through the streets following their check in.

“He’s an oaf,” said Ramoth. “No breeding, no subtlety, no finesse, no faith. Not even Magism.”

“He’s also clever, clear headed and thinks fast on his feet,” warned Camon, “As our report informed Your Excellency.”

“How does he favour us?” asked Prince Enoch.

“Doesn’t,” said Camon, glancing at Ramoth, who seemed content to let him continue. “He favours his president. He is a man of little charisma himself, and most of the president’s current staff appear more concerned with Adiron than the rest of the world. They are clever but insular, inexperienced and as the Ambassador says, boorish. However I beg Your Excellency not to be lulled by this.”

“I’ve dealt with Adirans many times,” said Prince Enoch. “I’ve spent a bit of time here, but it has mostly, I must confess, been vacations and the like.”

Ramoth knew perfectly well that Enoch was part of the jet set back home, and found it disgusting, but the man spoke for the King; he separated the man from his office and spoke to the office. Whatever else Tubal-Cain—lesser son of a great father, to Ramoth—might be privately, ultimately he was on this errand for the King, and that was sacred. “I understand, sir. Ober is brusque with everyone, to be honest. Most of these Adirans currently in office are impatient people. But…I think in their republican, atheistic way they are also men and women of integrity, insofar as a Cetian has integrity.”

Prince Enoch took out a cigarette and both Camon and Ramoth reached to light it, but Ramoth glared at Camon who pretended to fumble with his jacket lapel instead. Enoch affected not to notice. “Well. I shall look forward to this meeting then.”

by **Hittanryan** » Sat Jul 01, 2017 8:43 pm

1 Sierra
New Laconia

Chief of Staff Ober wasn't completely clueless when dealing with his Edomite counterpart. He had the presence of mind to speak to a few people he knew had worked with Edomites before and who he thought would give him a straight answer on Edomite custom and diplomacy.

First was Secretary Deol, who had met and worked with Enoch during the previous state visit. It was in his interests to see his legacy preserved. Deol explained to Ober that the prince was relatively liberal for a monarchist, as odd as that may sound. "It's not that they strongly believe in liberal values on principle, it's that they believe it's the best chance the country has for long-term stability and indeed, survival. New Edom is where Adiron was in the late 70s, if you're old enough to remember. The Commoners were gone, we had borders, but there was no guarantee this whole thing was going to work."

Enoch was more inclined to reform and modernize Edomite society and, most likely, foster stronger ties with Adiron in order to do that. However he offered a word of caution: "Bear in mind that he's more familiar with Cetan custom than many of the Edomites you will be meeting with abroad. I would strongly recommend bringing on a cultural attache from the State Department. I have some names, although it will largely be up to the Secretary to select her own staff..." Ober didn't have time before Enoch arrived.

Second was the unlikely source of Tom Alvarado. The sophomore Assemblyman, beholden to the President, had been at the negotiating table with Enoch in a working capacity before, even if he hadn't been leading the discussion. He'd also had a different sort of working relationship with an Edomite intelligence officer as well. Of Enoch he couldn't offer a great deal, but what he did he put in terms Ober could understand.

"He's definitely a prince," Tom said over the phone. "Walks, talks, and acts like one, he's just not the most uptight sort of prince. Thing is, though, it's not like here. All that ceremony and etiquette and honor isn't just something some politician made up a couple years ago to feel good about themselves. It actually means something over there. There's history, actual history, about it. Disrespect the wrong custom, you disrespect the man. Disrespect the wrong man, you disrespect the whole country."

It's possible Ober still didn't realize how far this went. Showing him due courtesy in public, not trying to rush through ceremonies, and using proper forms of address seemed like it would be good enough. It was equally possible that those giving him advice assumed he'd have more than just them. So he may have let certain other matters slip a bit. For instance it took his middle-aged secretary Jean suggesting "Mr. Ober, I was just thinking...maybe you don't want to have the prince crammed into your office."

"He wouldn't be crammed in, we should have enough seats and there's enough room," Ober had said.

"I'm just saying, you've got the run of 1 Sierra, right? The President should be in the Assembly by that time. What about, you know, in the den or something? It would be more comfortable."

Ober seemed to pause, mull it over a moment. "Yeah, all right," he relented. He thought it was a bit too fussy for a short planning and scheduling meeting, but then again Enoch was taking a long flight just to get out here.

So Enoch arrived for the second time at 1 Sierra, this time after traversing the busy streets of New Laconia by car. They had to pass a security checkpoint as they entered the driveway, the guard squinting and looking at their identification intently. It was hard to say if the man was simply being thorough or if he was perhaps bewildered. In a short time they found themselves at the front door of 1 Sierra, and Ober was standing outside to greet them. He was a tall, broad-shouldered, largely bald man with a rather deep voice, a face that didn't lend itself to an easy smile at all, and a prominent set of eyebrows. Accompanying him was his Deputy Chief of Staff, the shorter, slightly less bald, and portly Alan Cruise, who would have seemed a bit jollier. His secretary Jean was also in tow, and was very much a typical frumpy, somewhat plump middle-aged office woman.

"Your Excellency, welcome to 1 Sierra, or I suppose welcome back to 1 Sierra," Ober said, offering a handshake to Enoch believing he'd be used to it. Motioning "This is Alan Cruise, and this is my secretary Jean. They'll be with us today." Jean might have been noticed to glance back and forth between Enoch and the lovely Delia in a sort of suspicious way.

Cruise for his part attempted a bow. "We appreciate you coming all the way out here for this in person, Excellency, and you as well, Colonel," he said to Enoch and Horvath with a smile.

At that point Ober said "We're mostly agreed on the agenda, we just have a couple of questions to sort out. Shouldn't take long at all. Follow me and we'll make our way to the den."

While they were walking, Cruise took the opportunity to look Delia up and down only somewhat discreetly. Positioning himself next to her, he asked her "This your first time in a President's house?"

The Edomites were led to what may have seemed a reasonably civilized 19th century style den on one of the building's wings. Most of the room was hardwood, including the dark floors and the wall paneling. It had a reasonably high ceiling, with hardwood beams criss-crossing sheetrock in squares, where more modern dimmable lights were fixed. A stone fireplace was flanked on either side by bookshelves and adorned with a dark wood mantelpiece. Upholstered chairs surrounded a long antique coffee table with several coasters.

Cruise seemed to be looking at the table in a bit of confusion, but Ober simply motioned to the chairs and said "Well, have a seat and we can get started. First off, you have any questions for us?"

by **New Edom** » Sat Jul 01, 2017 9:00 pm

1 Sierra
New Laconia

Prince Enoch and Colonel Horvath were like opposites to Ober and Cruise; both were tall, athletic, olive-bronzed men who wore their suits elegantly, their ties sleek and with a deceptive casualness, and had an air of charming friendliness to them.

They were ushered into a room with no refreshments, with a scowling frumpy woman like some kind of maid glaring at Delia, no doubt jealous. Delia smiled at Cruise and said yes, it was her first time in 1 Sierra. She crossed her slim legs and sat discretely apart from the main discussions on a chair if she could after smoothing her skirt over her thighs. Horvath gave Enoch a small smile and they both sat down.

“Er, well,” said Prince Enoch, finding this conversation brusquer even than he had expected, “We really thought you might have questions for us as well, you see. But to start with: do you expect the President will attend chapel with Their Majesties? Are there any additions to the itinerary you might propose? Are there any security concerns we should be briefed on from your end? Why don’t we start with that?”

Colonel Horvath nodded. “Security especially. I will be reporting to Count Falk following our conversation, you see, as well as to my counterparts in the Ministries of Police and Justice. The Homofront issue for instance appears to be under control however...would you like to hear more about it?”

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