06-18-2020, 02:20 AM
(A Joint Post With Xiomera)
The Senate Chambers, 459 Liberty Square, Geminus
8:13 AM, June 16th
The massive Senate Chamber may look huge and intimidating to a new Senator or Aide, but to a more experienced politician, one who has likely examined every detail on the ceiling out of boredom while debate ran on, The Chamber is no more intimidating than the square it's situated on. To Justin Olmansèn, the Centrist Party Leader, the Chamber was an opportunity, one that he couldn't pass up. His position on the Senate Floor let him see the chamber in all its glory. Or, less than glory He thought, glancing at a few of his fellow politicians filing in, late for the second round of debate.
Chief Justice Lira Nērala watched from the Overseer's Chair, shaking her head disapprovingly. "May the record show a few Senators must have had automotive problems or a similar malady that caused them to arrive late". A few chuckles went through the ranks as the properly scolded Senators took a seat. Justin took out his debate sheet from yesterday, rifling through it until he heard shouting from the Veranda above.
Gathered on the viewing platform were a bunch of protesters shouting about Emperor Xochiuhue's policies, especially his supression of dissent and protests, and his threat to use defoliants over Manauia Island. Olmansèn smiled. It was a protest he himself would likely join, even being as afraid of conflict as he was. He had earned the nickname "Mediator" among the other Senators for his intervention in heated debate and crafty compromises, and the Chancellor once joked it would be hard to get anything done without him. His mediation had kept him on the better side of Eirian politics for three terms now, and some believes he has a shot at the Chancellor's position if Lancaster didn't run.
The Chief Justice was less than impressed by the shouting interrupting the bureaucratic processes, and after being interrupting twice, she stood and picked up her microphone she only uses when the Senate is getting to loud. "Attention! Could the protesters assembled on the Viewing Veranda please refrain from interrupting? This whole point of this session is to discuss the bill allowing volunteers to go to Xiomera, so it's counterproductive to hinder debate". As the crowd settled down, she sat back down and addressed the Senators assembled. "Apologies. Now, I open debate on the first section of amendments, regarding training and limitation on volunteers. Majority Speaker Legrand, You have the floor".
Legrand stood and addressed the floor. "Thank you, Chief Justice. And yes, I proposed a few edits on what we agreed upon yesterday". It took every ounce of will Justin had not to facepalm or groan. This likely won't be over soon. So much for date night. Kate's gonna kill me. "The Edits are mainly to protect Eirian Citizens from the Tyranny of Xochiuhue's reign. We can't have unprepared Eirians going into an active warzone".
Minority Leader Alexander Dukov stood and activated his mic. "Well, none of us want that. But the Protesters on the Veranda above us want action. And we need quick action. Some training is needed, definitely, but we had an agreement yesterday. This section doesn't need amending to the extent you propose".
"On Some of the proposed amendments, I may be open to revision, but some of them are non-negotiable. If you cared about the populace, you may be more strict on your training proposal as well!".
The chamber devolved into chaos as Dukov and Legrand argued, with Senators coming to aid both sides and the Chief Justice frantically trying to calm everyone down. Justin couldn't help but facepalm this time, and took a huge swig of his coffee. Nērala was furious. "The Session is Adjourned for ten minutes to regain order in the chamber" She said, bringing down her gavel.
Olmansèn slipped into a nearby meeting room and refilled his coffee, rubbing his forehead. "This is going to be a long morning" he muttered, adding cream and a bit of sugar to the coffee.
"Tell me about it". Justin turned and saw Amara Chin, leader of the Socialist Party, sitting down at the table behind him. "Oh, sorry, I didn't notice you were here. And yeah, it's definitely going to be a long day".
Amara smiled, amused. "You know they likely will ask you to write up a compromise, right? You're one of the best mediators we have".
He sighed. "Yeah, I know. I just wish Dukov and Legrand could be civil for once in their damn lives".
"You and me both. This is why third party options are where it's at". She extended a clenched fist. Chuckling, he returned the fist bump. "Yeah. Well, shall we face the battlefield?".
She opened the door. "After you".
The Chancellor's Study, Geminus
Chancellor William Lancaster sat in his study in the Chancellor's Manor, contemplating the situation of the world. It had been a few days since General Bouclier lifted the lockdown order on him, and a few days since he had told Alice about her fianceè. He desperately wanted to reach out, but she said she needed time, and he had to respect her wishes. This whole situation is insane, he thought, running his fingers through his hair. What the hell has the world come to?!
A knock on the door distracted him from his thoughts. "Come in!". He said, sitting down at his desk. His husband came in, clutching a folder. "An aide dropped this off. Seems like they finally stopped adding and removing amendments, and this seems to be what they agreed on.". Will took the folder from his husband. "Thanks!". The Proviri smiled. "Have fun reading". He grinned as he left, shutting the door behind him.
After he was finished reading the additional amendments added(and there were a lot of them), The Chancellor got out his favourite calligraphy pen to sign, but hesitated. After all, this bill was about to open a place for volunteers to head to Xiomera, so maybe I should get some input on the subject. He picked up the phone and typed in a number he had on a sticky note on the disaster area he called his desk. He pressed call and waited while it dialed.
As Texōccoatl was finishing up some notes on the final plans to deliver the WOE volunteers to Milintica, his phone rang. He noted the number on the caller ID and picked up. “Hello, this is Crown Prince Texōccoatl,” he said.
"Hello, Your Majesty. This is Chancellor Lancaster. I have something here that I think you may be interested in, and I wanted to see if you could put in some input".
"Thank you". He scrolled through the pages of amendments. "The Senate had been debating all day yesterday and most of today about sending Volunteers to Xiomera. They finally put a bill forward to me, and before I sign it, I want to pass the provisions by you before I sign it".
Texōccoatl’s interest sharpened. “That’s very good news. I would definitely be happy to review them.”
"Okay. Most of them involve training that any possible volunteer will have to go through beforehand, or what happens when the volunteers come back, so we can deal with those. However, we do have to know what kind of training will be necessary? What can we train the volunteers so they can be the most effective for you?".
”They should be prepared for several different scenarios. They should ideally be able to avoid capture, because if they’re caught, they probably won’t survive.” Texōccoatl pauses for a moment. “As for tasks....disseminating propaganda for us, weakening people’s faith in the coup leaders...actions that destabilize their hold on power such as hit and run attacks on their bases of power...those are the sort of things that would be helpful.”
The Chancellor took notes as the Crown Prince spoke. "Okay. One of the amendments does require the volunteering option to be extended to the Military first before requesting volunteers from any other source. What would be primary targets for Military Volunteers?".
”Imperial Police stations, ASI installations, government controlled media would all be good places to start. The coup government will probably try some confidence-building gestures and PR gimmicks, such as holding rallies or staging counter-protests. Disrupting those would help too. Your people should be careful though - it appears that the coup leaders have activated civilian pressure groups to help them also.”
"Okay. And since you mentioned PR, our agents in the field believe they are able to add some news websites and other things into the Propoganda filter so that the XIN isn't the sole source of information. The websites may be a bit buried, but they still will be there. Is there any particular website or source of Information you would like to secure on the Xiomeran Internet, besides the videos and posts already being broadcasted?".
”The XIN website. And that of the Imperial Household and the Secretariats of Defense and Security. I could do a lot with control of those,” Texōccoatl said with clear amusement in his voice.
"Okay. Since the breaches are easier to maintain now, I'm sure we can spare agents to secure those. The XIN website would probably be easier than the other two, however". Will made another note in his notebook. "I trust Ambassador Rouchard delivered you the intelligence on Midgard?".
”She did. It’s disturbing that they might be planning to involve themselves in our conflict,” Texōccoatl said. “Are there any countermeasures that you have in mind for them?”
The Chancellor frowned. "Regrettably, I'm not sure. They are slippery bastards, and we're not sure what they are capable of. However... We were recently contacted by an anonymous source claiming to be a high-ranking official in Midgard. They claim Midgard is moving within the next week into an ASI base outside the capital. We have not verified it, and we don't know if it's a distraction, but it's something, at least."
Texōccoatl sighed. “It gives us a place to start, at least. If there is any way to maintain that anonymous contact, they could prove very useful. But either way, we’ll figure out how to deal with them.”
"We'll work on getting more information from the contact. Is there anything else you need from us, resources, information, or otherwise?".
”Not at this time, but I am very grateful for the help you’re providing. This is a huge challenge and the true friends of Xiomera will have to keep working to get through this.”
"Thank you, Your Majesty. It's an honor to aid the true rulers of Xiomera.".
The Senate Chambers, 459 Liberty Square, Geminus
8:13 AM, June 16th
The massive Senate Chamber may look huge and intimidating to a new Senator or Aide, but to a more experienced politician, one who has likely examined every detail on the ceiling out of boredom while debate ran on, The Chamber is no more intimidating than the square it's situated on. To Justin Olmansèn, the Centrist Party Leader, the Chamber was an opportunity, one that he couldn't pass up. His position on the Senate Floor let him see the chamber in all its glory. Or, less than glory He thought, glancing at a few of his fellow politicians filing in, late for the second round of debate.
Chief Justice Lira Nērala watched from the Overseer's Chair, shaking her head disapprovingly. "May the record show a few Senators must have had automotive problems or a similar malady that caused them to arrive late". A few chuckles went through the ranks as the properly scolded Senators took a seat. Justin took out his debate sheet from yesterday, rifling through it until he heard shouting from the Veranda above.
Gathered on the viewing platform were a bunch of protesters shouting about Emperor Xochiuhue's policies, especially his supression of dissent and protests, and his threat to use defoliants over Manauia Island. Olmansèn smiled. It was a protest he himself would likely join, even being as afraid of conflict as he was. He had earned the nickname "Mediator" among the other Senators for his intervention in heated debate and crafty compromises, and the Chancellor once joked it would be hard to get anything done without him. His mediation had kept him on the better side of Eirian politics for three terms now, and some believes he has a shot at the Chancellor's position if Lancaster didn't run.
The Chief Justice was less than impressed by the shouting interrupting the bureaucratic processes, and after being interrupting twice, she stood and picked up her microphone she only uses when the Senate is getting to loud. "Attention! Could the protesters assembled on the Viewing Veranda please refrain from interrupting? This whole point of this session is to discuss the bill allowing volunteers to go to Xiomera, so it's counterproductive to hinder debate". As the crowd settled down, she sat back down and addressed the Senators assembled. "Apologies. Now, I open debate on the first section of amendments, regarding training and limitation on volunteers. Majority Speaker Legrand, You have the floor".
Legrand stood and addressed the floor. "Thank you, Chief Justice. And yes, I proposed a few edits on what we agreed upon yesterday". It took every ounce of will Justin had not to facepalm or groan. This likely won't be over soon. So much for date night. Kate's gonna kill me. "The Edits are mainly to protect Eirian Citizens from the Tyranny of Xochiuhue's reign. We can't have unprepared Eirians going into an active warzone".
Minority Leader Alexander Dukov stood and activated his mic. "Well, none of us want that. But the Protesters on the Veranda above us want action. And we need quick action. Some training is needed, definitely, but we had an agreement yesterday. This section doesn't need amending to the extent you propose".
"On Some of the proposed amendments, I may be open to revision, but some of them are non-negotiable. If you cared about the populace, you may be more strict on your training proposal as well!".
The chamber devolved into chaos as Dukov and Legrand argued, with Senators coming to aid both sides and the Chief Justice frantically trying to calm everyone down. Justin couldn't help but facepalm this time, and took a huge swig of his coffee. Nērala was furious. "The Session is Adjourned for ten minutes to regain order in the chamber" She said, bringing down her gavel.
Olmansèn slipped into a nearby meeting room and refilled his coffee, rubbing his forehead. "This is going to be a long morning" he muttered, adding cream and a bit of sugar to the coffee.
"Tell me about it". Justin turned and saw Amara Chin, leader of the Socialist Party, sitting down at the table behind him. "Oh, sorry, I didn't notice you were here. And yeah, it's definitely going to be a long day".
Amara smiled, amused. "You know they likely will ask you to write up a compromise, right? You're one of the best mediators we have".
He sighed. "Yeah, I know. I just wish Dukov and Legrand could be civil for once in their damn lives".
"You and me both. This is why third party options are where it's at". She extended a clenched fist. Chuckling, he returned the fist bump. "Yeah. Well, shall we face the battlefield?".
She opened the door. "After you".
The Chancellor's Study, Geminus
Chancellor William Lancaster sat in his study in the Chancellor's Manor, contemplating the situation of the world. It had been a few days since General Bouclier lifted the lockdown order on him, and a few days since he had told Alice about her fianceè. He desperately wanted to reach out, but she said she needed time, and he had to respect her wishes. This whole situation is insane, he thought, running his fingers through his hair. What the hell has the world come to?!
A knock on the door distracted him from his thoughts. "Come in!". He said, sitting down at his desk. His husband came in, clutching a folder. "An aide dropped this off. Seems like they finally stopped adding and removing amendments, and this seems to be what they agreed on.". Will took the folder from his husband. "Thanks!". The Proviri smiled. "Have fun reading". He grinned as he left, shutting the door behind him.
After he was finished reading the additional amendments added(and there were a lot of them), The Chancellor got out his favourite calligraphy pen to sign, but hesitated. After all, this bill was about to open a place for volunteers to head to Xiomera, so maybe I should get some input on the subject. He picked up the phone and typed in a number he had on a sticky note on the disaster area he called his desk. He pressed call and waited while it dialed.
As Texōccoatl was finishing up some notes on the final plans to deliver the WOE volunteers to Milintica, his phone rang. He noted the number on the caller ID and picked up. “Hello, this is Crown Prince Texōccoatl,” he said.
"Hello, Your Majesty. This is Chancellor Lancaster. I have something here that I think you may be interested in, and I wanted to see if you could put in some input".
"Thank you". He scrolled through the pages of amendments. "The Senate had been debating all day yesterday and most of today about sending Volunteers to Xiomera. They finally put a bill forward to me, and before I sign it, I want to pass the provisions by you before I sign it".
Texōccoatl’s interest sharpened. “That’s very good news. I would definitely be happy to review them.”
"Okay. Most of them involve training that any possible volunteer will have to go through beforehand, or what happens when the volunteers come back, so we can deal with those. However, we do have to know what kind of training will be necessary? What can we train the volunteers so they can be the most effective for you?".
”They should be prepared for several different scenarios. They should ideally be able to avoid capture, because if they’re caught, they probably won’t survive.” Texōccoatl pauses for a moment. “As for tasks....disseminating propaganda for us, weakening people’s faith in the coup leaders...actions that destabilize their hold on power such as hit and run attacks on their bases of power...those are the sort of things that would be helpful.”
The Chancellor took notes as the Crown Prince spoke. "Okay. One of the amendments does require the volunteering option to be extended to the Military first before requesting volunteers from any other source. What would be primary targets for Military Volunteers?".
”Imperial Police stations, ASI installations, government controlled media would all be good places to start. The coup government will probably try some confidence-building gestures and PR gimmicks, such as holding rallies or staging counter-protests. Disrupting those would help too. Your people should be careful though - it appears that the coup leaders have activated civilian pressure groups to help them also.”
"Okay. And since you mentioned PR, our agents in the field believe they are able to add some news websites and other things into the Propoganda filter so that the XIN isn't the sole source of information. The websites may be a bit buried, but they still will be there. Is there any particular website or source of Information you would like to secure on the Xiomeran Internet, besides the videos and posts already being broadcasted?".
”The XIN website. And that of the Imperial Household and the Secretariats of Defense and Security. I could do a lot with control of those,” Texōccoatl said with clear amusement in his voice.
"Okay. Since the breaches are easier to maintain now, I'm sure we can spare agents to secure those. The XIN website would probably be easier than the other two, however". Will made another note in his notebook. "I trust Ambassador Rouchard delivered you the intelligence on Midgard?".
”She did. It’s disturbing that they might be planning to involve themselves in our conflict,” Texōccoatl said. “Are there any countermeasures that you have in mind for them?”
The Chancellor frowned. "Regrettably, I'm not sure. They are slippery bastards, and we're not sure what they are capable of. However... We were recently contacted by an anonymous source claiming to be a high-ranking official in Midgard. They claim Midgard is moving within the next week into an ASI base outside the capital. We have not verified it, and we don't know if it's a distraction, but it's something, at least."
Texōccoatl sighed. “It gives us a place to start, at least. If there is any way to maintain that anonymous contact, they could prove very useful. But either way, we’ll figure out how to deal with them.”
"We'll work on getting more information from the contact. Is there anything else you need from us, resources, information, or otherwise?".
”Not at this time, but I am very grateful for the help you’re providing. This is a huge challenge and the true friends of Xiomera will have to keep working to get through this.”
"Thank you, Your Majesty. It's an honor to aid the true rulers of Xiomera.".
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