Blanche Onak, reporting for the Daily Falconer:
In the past few weeks, pirates off the south coast have increased attacks against both trading vessels and privately owned craft, resulting in several million feathers of cargo lost. At this time, two crews have been taken hostage, totaling seventeen men and eight women.
Eleven of the hostages are members of Hawksblood's powerful mercantile guild, known to citizens as the Vendette. Though there are no casualties as of yet, Achalla Forner, speaking for the Vendette, warned that this seems to be a result of luck and not benevolent intent. "We intend [...] to increase pressure on the current administration, to demand [...] our people must be protected," Forner told a reporter over the phone, Tuesday. "The seas must be safe for commerce."
Adinett Haas, press secretary for Hawksblood's current administration, spoke to the press today about how the Duchess Nastira, recently elected to her first two-year term, plans to deal with this issue. "We are working towards a solution," he told the crowd confidently, "the Duchess has made a personal inspection of the fleet [...] we will be patrolling the waters. We are working closely with independent shipping companies."
Norman Eisen of Crownest, an independent thinktank in the capital, was less optimistic. "Face it," Eisen told radio host Sp!ke. "Our military is too small [...] we're too poor to deal with this threat. Yes, so the Navy is our strongest branch. So what? We're a coastal, traditionally sea-faring nation [...] and we have maybe seventeen ships built for military operations. No aircraft carriers, no naval pilots, period. Then we have eleven repurposed civilian vessels with a new coat of paint slapped on and we call them battle-ready. [...] We're going to need a real fighting force to deal with this threat. At this point, the pirates could damn near take over the country, if they wanted to."
A source close to Tren Korla, CEO of Whicket Inc. which provides 60% of Hawksblood's oil, said the company was considering contracting independent security forces-- or, if the situation was not resolved, cutting their operations in this part of the world-- a move that could cripple Hawksblood's economy. Calls to Korla's office were not returned.
Admiral Hugels has yet to comment on the situation. Rumors are flying that the Bloodguard, the covert operations sector of the Navy, may be involved.
***
The Duke's Quarters
Nastira had taken the customary vow of silence one month and two weeks ago, and already more words itched in the politician's throat than she could scarce believe. At forty-two, she was sixteen years younger than her predecessor had been, when he had taken the seat of the Republic. No young woman, certainly, but the second youngest to ever take seat and vow. (The two were forever linked in 'Blood, since the first Duke had sat in the House of Earls.) But oh oh oh! How easy it had been to sit in the House, a Countess, able to speak and argue and debate!
And how difficult to be Duchess and not be able to say a word. The Duke must speak through his actions. That was the first rule. This is the first rule. The law demanded it. Tradition demanded it.
Tradition be damned! Taking three deep breaths, the woman allowed the spark in her eyes to reduce from a maelstrom to a small tumult, picking up her small computer. It was hooked in to an interior network within the palace, so whatever she typed could be projected to who she needed to speak to. But it was slow, it lacked the passion of speech, the power. In the beginning, they wrote. The written word. Duke's Law, Duke's Law-- what are you trying to teach me?
With that thought on her mind, Nastira headed for her Receiving Chambers, a large bowed room devoted to diplomatic matters, not so much a set of Chambers as a mid-sized Hall, but the old names stuck.
It was time to deal with the consequences of her newest decisions.
[ooc/ sorry if I've inadvertently missed anything in the stickies, broken any rules, etc. I tried to leave it pretty open? first time posting here, or doing political-type roleplay. let's see how it goes.]
