15th September 2265
Yi Family Residence
Hwaseong District, Marinopolis
Mars, Martian Confederacy
Formed after the peaceful independence of Mars and its satellites from the United Nations of Earth, the Martian Confederacy was often regarded as Earth's rather indignant daughter who always loved a good argument. The Confederacy regarded their independence as a 'great victory for freedom and democracy', and celebrated it accordingly. In reality, the Confederacy was not the beacon of democracy that they loved to hail themselves to be. Officially a confederation of fifteen self-governing territories, each territory elected its administration and sent an Executive Representative to the Confederate Council; the Confederate Council then acted as the 'cabinet of ministers' for the entire Confederacy. In addition, each territory also sent four senators to the Confederate Senate, the unicameral central legislature. In practice, however, the Martian Confederacy was more of an authoritarian democracy, with the incumbent administrations winning every election through various means. They were aided in this effort by the omnipresent Hwaseong Industries, the Confederacy's single megacorporation that dominated every sector of the Martian economy. Adding to the authoritarian nature of Martian democracy was that each of the territories had its own 'political dynasty', usually descendants of the original territorial founder, and these dynasties always maintained their grip on the territorial administrations. Their grip was either maintained publicly with family members serving in official positions, or privately with the dynasty pulling the administration's strings. These fifteen political dynasties were both allies and clients of the Yi family, the clan that controlled Hwaseong Industries. The descendants of the long-deposed royal family of Korea, the Yi family had parleyed their corporate dominance and political influence into becoming a de facto royal family on Mars, able to flex their influence in all manner of advantageous ways. Hwaseong Industries was effectively a sixteenth territory of the Confederacy in terms of representation, as the megacorporation sent four senators to the Senate and had an Executive Representative on the Confederate Council, who always held the portfolio of Minister for Commerce and Finance.
The capital of the Martian Confederacy was the city of Marinopolis, built into the sides of the Eos Chasma of the Valles Marineris with underground levels and transportation links connecting the capital's various districts. One of the two most prominent districts was the Hwaseong District, home to the megacorporation's headquarters as well as different important corporate facilities and the residence of the Yi family. An extensive residential complex of nine floors near the top of the District, the Yi family residence was an excellent example of 'palatial'. Featuring primarily red, black, and white decor, the residence's architecture was inspired by Korean styles, more specifically the interiors of the old Korean royal palaces. The residence housed not only the Yi family members themselves, but also their servants; the residence's amenities included a heated pool, a sauna, a gym, a private theatre, and the Yi family museum. To say that the family museum was self-serving was a tad of an understatement, providing an extremely one-sided account of their royal past and their current corporate dominance. Undoubtedly one of the grandest rooms of the residence was the Family Hall, which featured a view of the Eos Chasma through its reinforced windows. The Hall's black-tiled floor featured a large depiction of Hwaseong's red plum blossom logo, which harkened back to the former Imperial Seal of Korea as well as the original Yi family seal; the logo was also worn as a pin by every member of the family. Rows of comfortable black and red chairs faced the windows at the far end of the Hall. On this occasion, every single seat was filled by either members of the family, trusted subordinates, or favoured dignitaries; this did, of course, mean that the entire Confederate Council was in attendance, including First Chancellor Amelia Zhang. Now in her ninth year of office, the sixty-one-year-old was the capital's representative on the Council; due to the importance of Marinopolis, the city's Executive Representative always held the position of First Chancellor. The occasion in question was the transfer of power from one generation of the Yi family to the next, as it was time to appoint a new Executrix of Hwaseong Industries.
The highest-ranked executive within Hwaseong Industries, the Executrix was always a member of the Yi family, with the role's occupant recognised as the preeminent scion of the dynasty. The Executrix reigned over Hwaseong with the support of the Board of Directors, which was comprised of other Yi family members as well as individuals considered loyal enough to the family to be rewarded with such a prestigious position. Facing the rows of chairs with the view of the Eos Chasma as a fitting backdrop, an impressive black desk sat with a throne-like chair positioned behind it. Surveying the assembled audience was Haeng-ni Yi, the current patriarch of the family. Aged ninety-eight, Haeng-ni had ruled the family with an iron fist, but his time for retirement had arrived due to his failing health. He had originally intended to hand over the reins to his oldest son Bang-won, but his death in an unfortunate accident five years earlier had put an end to such ideas; indeed, it was believed that Haeng-ni had never really recovered from the loss of his firstborn. Therefore, the reins of power were to be handed over to Haeng-ni's second son, the fifty-nine-year-old Jin-sun. However, his position as second son did not mean that Jin-sun was any less qualified for leadership than his deceased brother. He had served Hwaseong as Chief Financial Officer and possessed a keen business mind, as well as being immensely proud of the Yi family's declared history. Jin-sun's imminent ascension had caused some friction between his son Seong-hun and Bang-won's daughter Soo-yun, as it meant that Seong-hun was catapulted into the position of heir apparent ahead of Soo-yun, but there was little that Soo-yun could do about that due to the family's traditions of succession (even though those traditions were actually relatively new in age). In yet another nod to their heritage, all Yi family members present were dressed in the traditional Korean hanbok, providing a multitude of colours as each member was dressed in a colour befitting their particular station within the family. As patriarch and 'monarch', Haeng-ni's hanbok was a vibrant yellow with a purple sash.
Positioned on the desk before Haeng-ni was the Yi family Book of Succession, a formal record of the various transitions of power that had taken place within the family since before their arrival on Mars. The bald and wizened patriarch coughed gently as he lifted an intricately decorated black and red pen from the desk and signed his name in the relevant space, then beckoned with his free hand for Jin-sun to approach. The patriarch-to-be rose from his seat in the front row, his short brown hair neatly styled and a pair of stylish spectacles adorning his handsome features. Not that he actually required spectacles, but he felt that they projected a certain image of intelligence and respectability. He briefly smoothed down the front of his hanbok, which matched the design and colours of his father's attire, and then strode over to the desk. He took a moment to bow respectfully to his father as the older Yi slowly rose from his seat. Haeng-ni stepped to the left and gestured to the now-vacant chair, at which point Jin-sun made his way around the desk and settled into his new spot. Signing his name with a flourish, Jin-sun completed the handover ceremony and officially became the new Executrix and patriarch of the Yi family. Haeng-ni then began to applaud, quickly being joined by those in attendance.
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As the majority of the attendees moved into the nearby Reception Hall in order to socialise while being served a variety of food items and beverages, Jin-sun and Seong-hun headed to the Executrix's Office, accompanied by First Chancellor Zhang. Jin-sun's wife, Hei-ryung, escorted the attendees as part of her duties as the new 'Lady of the Family'. The Office was a comfortable and functional space, with a similar decor to the rest of the residence. A family functionary pulled the office's double doors shut after the trio had entered, standing on guard outside to ensure no interruptions to their meeting. Jin-sun took his new place behind the stylish black desk, settling into a chair that was not unlike the one that he had just occupied in the Family Hall; in truth, the desk and chair were pretty much identical to those in the Hall, except for more useful technology integrated into the office desk. The First Chancellor took the comfortable chair across the desk from Jin-sun, while Seong-hun perched on the left arm of the office's stylish black couch. The twenty-four-year-old 'crown prince' ran a hand through his shoulder-length blond hair, his hazel eyes sparkling as he fought the urge to smirk with satisfaction at the sight of his father at the desk. Seong-hun's somewhat androgynous appearance had earned him the nickname of 'Family Elf' from his cousin Soo-yun. As it had been meant in a derogatory manner, Seong-hun had taken the nickname and reworked it into the far more appealing 'Elf Prince of Mars', an appellation that was often used to describe him in the Hwaseong-owned media. Seong-hun's hanbok was also yellow, although it featured purple trim and a red-and-gold sash.
First Chancellor Zhang looked every part a political leader, her five-foot-four frame clad in a sensible black trouser suit with a white blouse while her shoulder-length dark brown hair was worn in a sensible centre parting with a ponytail. She rested her arms on the arms of her chair and settled back, waiting for Jin-sun to begin the conversation. While she was technically the highest-ranking individual in the room, she had learned long ago how to best curry favour with the Yi family, and showing them a degree of deference was guaranteed to have excellent results. While the Zhang family were the current 'political dynasty' of Marinopolis, they were not the original family that dominated the capital's politics. Instead, they had displaced the Townsend family some forty-five years ago with the support of the Yi family and the other territorial dynasties after the Townsends became a little too assertive for the tastes of the Yi. Jin-sun finally let out a soft sigh after looking around the office, then leaned forward slightly.
"Thank you for your attendance this evening, First Chancellor. It means a great deal to both myself and my family."
"Not at all, the pleasure is all mine. I've always had great respect for the traditions of your family. I consider it an honour to be involved in your ceremony, even if it was simply as an attendee."
Jin-sun smiled, pleased to be getting along with Zhang so easily already. They had dealt with each other on several occasions in the past, but his new position meant that their interactions were about to become far more frequent. "Your words are most kind, First Chancellor. So, it goes without saying that Hwaseong Industries shall continue our unwavering support for the Confederate administrations. The close alliance between Hwaseong and the administrations is one of the cornerstones of the Confederacy's continued prosperity, after all. In the spirit of that close alliance, I wonder if I could impose upon you for a favour."
No surprises there, thought Zhang. She had been wondering how long it would take. "Of course, Executrix. If I can help the preeminent family of the Confederacy, then I shall do what I can."
"Thank you, that is greatly appreciated." Jin-sun gestured towards Seong-hun, who straightened up his thin five-foot-seven frame in response as his father continued. "Now that Seong-hun has become the future head of our family, it strikes me that he could benefit from some additional security. While we could certainly afford such security ourselves, it is my belief that security of a more professional and official nature would be appropriate. It would be a symbol of the affinity between Hwaseong and the Confederate Council."
Zhang knew precisely what Jin-sun was asking. Due to Hwaseong's position as the primary arms manufacturer in the Martian Confederacy, the megacorporation enjoyed close ties with the Confederate military as a result of Hwaseong's exclusive government contracts, and the Yi family never had any qualms about calling in favours. At least in this instance, the First Chancellor was being approached first. In the past, the family had just gone directly to the Chief of the Defence Staff. Still, she decided not to make it too obvious. "What sort of security did you have in mind, Executrix?"
"I was thinking that perhaps Seong-hun could receive a bodyguard from the CMC if that would be possible."
The First Chancellor nodded with a warm smile. The Confederate Marine Corps were the elite force of the Confederate military, and it was not unheard of for members of the Yi family to have a Marine seconded to act as a bodyguard...completely unofficially, of course. "That can definitely be arranged, Executrix. We shall arrange for Seong-hun to receive access to the CMC personnel database so that he can make a selection, and then we'll arrange an introduction."
Both Jin-sun and Zhang turned to view Seong-hun, who was visibly beaming at the prospect. He clapped his hands together softly and nodded towards the First Chancellor. "Thank you, First Chancellor. I feel safer already."
"I'm thrilled to hear that, Seong-hun." Zhang offered an almost maternal smile towards the Yi heir, thereby avoiding the display of a smile of amusement. From what she had heard from various rumour mills, Seong-hun Yi was not always the cheerful and softly-spoken individual currently perched on the arm of the couch. The 'Elf Prince of Mars' could apparently be quite harsh and dictatorial, which was unsurprising given the environment in which he was raised. Although, of course, Zhang had no first-hand evidence of this. It could be interesting to see how a Marine handles him, and vice versa, the First Chancellor thought. "The CMC are the very best of the best, so you'll be in the most capable of hands."
Seong-hun nodded happily. "I don't doubt it, First Chancellor. Is there anything that we can do in return?"
"Well, now that you mention it...my son Michael has his eyes on one of those new Firestar IX gaming consoles that Hwaseong is releasing in two months. The 'Pro' version." Zhang turned back to Jin-sun with a smirk, which received a nod in response from the Executrix.
"I hope Michael will enjoy his customised black and gold Firestar IX Pro when it arrives during the exclusive early access period normally reserved for Hwaseong employees."
The First Chancellor chuckled and nodded. "Oh, I'm certain that he will."
