03-29-2022, 08:11 PM
(Joint post with Eiria)
Security Minister Tochuitli had promptly begun working as the Empress had requested, reaching out to various contacts within Auria. The subject of one of those contacts would soon find himself conversing with the Empress herself. Jonathan Gerand had been identified as a possible willing replacement for the recalcitrant King Andrew. Calhualyana calmly waited at the appointed time for the call to be patched through.
Jonathan Gerand sat at his desk, examining the news reports for the day. Although he no longer officially owned his news network, his status as Minister of Information gave him authority over Aurian news networks. He took a pen out from a metal drawer and made a little note next to one of the stories for tomorrow. This is what my job has been reduced to. Glorified storyboard editor.
The phone on his desk vibrated, making an awful clanging noise against the metal desk. He snatched it up quickly, wincing at the noise it made. A long foreign number was displayed, with no caller identification name. Huh. That's.... Odd. How'd it get through our filters? He pressed the answer button and brought it to his ear. "Minister Gerand's office. Who is this?"
"Good morning, Minister Gerand. This is Empress Calhualyana of Xiomera. I do hope that I am not reaching you at a bad time.” Calhualyana checked to make sure that her line was both secured and recording as she waited for a response.
Gerand shot up in his chair. "No, it's not a bad time at all, Your Majesty." He cleared his throat, attempting to appear composed and refined. "I must admit, I am surprised to hear from you directly. To what do I owe this tremendous pleasure?"
"It is actually my pleasure to contact you,” Calhualyana replied. “I have not had the opportunity to speak to the other leaders of Auria’s new government very often, and I also admire your efforts to put a good public face on the situation.”
"Why, thank you Your Majesty. I rarely get complements from someone so influential as yourself, so I truly appreciate it." Gerand turned his charismatic tone up to the maximum, careful to not sound like a used car salesman. "Is there anything in particular I can help you with today? Xiomera has been a steadfast, loyal ally to our government, and I would love to return the favor, if I could."
"That is, in fact, exactly why I have called you today," Calhualyana replied warmly. "Are we able to have a....truly private conversation on this line?" It was her way of asking Gerand if his line was also secure.
Gerand paused, considering the security of the phone line and why it would be relevant. "Well, at the moment, I'm not sure any connection in Auria is truly safe. However, I'm alone in my office right now, and this call is on the more advanced government line, so it is likely more private than any other call with one party in Auria. Is that satisfactory?"
”I believe it should be. The connection is also secured on our end.” Calhualyana paused. “The reason for my call, other than to introduce myself, is to discuss the current direction things in Auria are heading. I recently had a rather disturbing conversation with King Andrew.”
"Oh?" Jonathan's eyebrows raised, and he tilted his head in curiosity. "Forgive me, Your Majesty, I was not informed of this call. It seems, even as the Minister of Information, I was kept out of the loop." Despite his joking tone, little was done to mask the subtle venom in Gerand's voice. "May I ask what occured, and what exactly of it you'd like to discuss?"
”I am surprised that you were not informed, as the person responsible for promoting the government’s mission.” The Empress paused before continuing. “The King was displeased with the recent actions of CSSC in Côte-Verte. I will admit that they should have consulted ahead of time before acting, but the situation was critical. The conversation gave me reason to be concerned that the King may no longer want our assistance.”
The Minister pursed his lips. "Well, Your Majesty, I can assure you that Auria still needs your gracious support. We would quickly collapse without Xiomera as a faithful ally. Besides, if my colleague Minister Berenstein knew that His Majesty implied such a thing, she would probably tear down the Palace herself." He smiled, the mental image of Sophie taking a sledgehammer to an ornate stone column amusing him. "But forgive my curiosity, why come to me with this issue? This seems like an issue better suited for Minister Berenstein, or His Majesty himself. I'd be glad to help, I was just wondering how I could assist you in this situation."
”After my conversation with him, I am gravely concerned that the King may decide to do something that is harmful to Auria or to your cause, such as severing ties with us. The recent speech by the Lauchenoirian leader, Alvarez, seemed directly aimed at him at the end. Encouraging him to surrender. Given his current state of mind, I am afraid that he could well take her up on such a suggestion and hand you all over to Lauchenoiria. Especially since Alvarez has just essentially declared war on you.” The Empress placed her most convincing tones of empathy and concern into her voice, doing her best to create a mental picture for Gerand. “Therefore, for your sake and that of our partnership, I am looking for….alternatives. Options, should King Andrew waver in his commitment.” Calhualyana paused there, waiting for Gerand to grasp her point and fill in the sentence.
Gerand was silent for a few seconds, Calhualyana's statement catching him off guard. "...Ah. Well, I can't say I expected this. I'm very appreciative of your offer." He paused again, deep in thought. "I would love to assist you in this regard. However, I have a few concerns. Mainly, how exactly this...transition would occur."
”The details are important,” Calhualyana agreed. “I envision a scenario where the other important leaders of your government - namely Berenstein and Lautrec - agree to support a transition due to the concerns that the King’s leadership is causing a crisis. This could perhaps be positioned as a move away from monarchy altogether, to a theoretically more democratic system. We would also need to gain the support of high-ranking military officers if possible, in order to bypass General Michelin. My intelligence indicates he is highly unlikely to cooperate. But do tell me, what are your thoughts about this?”
Gerand's mind was racing, his heart beating quickly in his chest. "I agree, General Michelin won't cooperate with us, if we go through with this. He's too loyal, and he has too much at stake with Andrew. However, Michelin's inner circle is extremely loyal to him, having been carefully selected for just that purpose. We will have to tread carefully on the military front." His rushing heart and adrenaline rush caused him to rapidly drum his fingers on his desk, tapping in a syncopated, yet random pattern. "I definitely need Sophie- I mean, Minister Berenstein, on my side. Lautrec is a bit less valuable, but he could definitely help us, if we make the right offer. Moving away from the monarchy could gain us some support and legitimacy, and give us more opportunities in the future. Plus, it removes us from the sociopathic grasp of Andrew Laurent-Cordonnier." His tone was more than spiteful at this point, and the bile in his voice was plain to hear.
`
”We will need to tread carefully then. First we should approach Berenstein and Lautrec, and gauge their support for a new direction. From there, we can begin determining who within the military can be counted on and who can not.” The Empress smiled at the hate in Gerand’s voice. “Imperial Intelligence is at your disposal, of course.”
"I'm glad to hear that. I will approach Berenstein myself, likely right after I finish this call. She is my closest confidant within the administration, and a close friend. It won't take much to get her onboard. Lautrec will go wherever the money or opportunity is, so we should focus on convincing him that those perks are with us. I will review the reputations and résumés of many prominent Garda leaders, to see if there are weaknesses that we can exploit. There are bound to be some openings, it's more a matter of finding them. I will be happy to receive any intelligence assistance you can provide. After all, we are facing a growing coalition against us, and we need all the help we can get." Gerand's tone evened out as he calmed down from his adrenaline rush.
”Very good. Once you have a chance to speak with Minister Berenstein, we can all approach Lautrec together to convince him that his best bet is with us. And I will also instruct our intelligence liaison in Auria to begin providing you with any information that we can. The enemy coalition is growing, true. But Imperial Intelligence and our surveillance assets can see them coming from a mile away, and we have had ample time to prepare. As long as we remain united under competent leadership, we can prevail.”
"And with Your Majesty, Myself, and Madame Berenstein, competency of leadership shall no longer be a problem." Gerand attempted to turn his charming tone back on, cautious not to overdue it and insult the Empress. "This is a most unexpected, yet welcome, development. Thank you for your perpetual wisdom and generosity, with your help, Auria is guaranteed to shine again."
”I believe that it will,” Calhualyana agreed pleasantly. “Thank you for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you and the other ministers.”
"Thank you so much, Your Majesty. I look forward to working with you more in the future." Gerand waited for the call to disconnect before letting out a large sigh, sitting back in his chair. Oh my God, the Angels above have shown their faces. He grinned at the work he had been previously doing, thinking of a potential future when he would no longer be stuck with such menial tasks.
Security Minister Tochuitli had promptly begun working as the Empress had requested, reaching out to various contacts within Auria. The subject of one of those contacts would soon find himself conversing with the Empress herself. Jonathan Gerand had been identified as a possible willing replacement for the recalcitrant King Andrew. Calhualyana calmly waited at the appointed time for the call to be patched through.
Jonathan Gerand sat at his desk, examining the news reports for the day. Although he no longer officially owned his news network, his status as Minister of Information gave him authority over Aurian news networks. He took a pen out from a metal drawer and made a little note next to one of the stories for tomorrow. This is what my job has been reduced to. Glorified storyboard editor.
The phone on his desk vibrated, making an awful clanging noise against the metal desk. He snatched it up quickly, wincing at the noise it made. A long foreign number was displayed, with no caller identification name. Huh. That's.... Odd. How'd it get through our filters? He pressed the answer button and brought it to his ear. "Minister Gerand's office. Who is this?"
"Good morning, Minister Gerand. This is Empress Calhualyana of Xiomera. I do hope that I am not reaching you at a bad time.” Calhualyana checked to make sure that her line was both secured and recording as she waited for a response.
Gerand shot up in his chair. "No, it's not a bad time at all, Your Majesty." He cleared his throat, attempting to appear composed and refined. "I must admit, I am surprised to hear from you directly. To what do I owe this tremendous pleasure?"
"It is actually my pleasure to contact you,” Calhualyana replied. “I have not had the opportunity to speak to the other leaders of Auria’s new government very often, and I also admire your efforts to put a good public face on the situation.”
"Why, thank you Your Majesty. I rarely get complements from someone so influential as yourself, so I truly appreciate it." Gerand turned his charismatic tone up to the maximum, careful to not sound like a used car salesman. "Is there anything in particular I can help you with today? Xiomera has been a steadfast, loyal ally to our government, and I would love to return the favor, if I could."
"That is, in fact, exactly why I have called you today," Calhualyana replied warmly. "Are we able to have a....truly private conversation on this line?" It was her way of asking Gerand if his line was also secure.
Gerand paused, considering the security of the phone line and why it would be relevant. "Well, at the moment, I'm not sure any connection in Auria is truly safe. However, I'm alone in my office right now, and this call is on the more advanced government line, so it is likely more private than any other call with one party in Auria. Is that satisfactory?"
”I believe it should be. The connection is also secured on our end.” Calhualyana paused. “The reason for my call, other than to introduce myself, is to discuss the current direction things in Auria are heading. I recently had a rather disturbing conversation with King Andrew.”
"Oh?" Jonathan's eyebrows raised, and he tilted his head in curiosity. "Forgive me, Your Majesty, I was not informed of this call. It seems, even as the Minister of Information, I was kept out of the loop." Despite his joking tone, little was done to mask the subtle venom in Gerand's voice. "May I ask what occured, and what exactly of it you'd like to discuss?"
”I am surprised that you were not informed, as the person responsible for promoting the government’s mission.” The Empress paused before continuing. “The King was displeased with the recent actions of CSSC in Côte-Verte. I will admit that they should have consulted ahead of time before acting, but the situation was critical. The conversation gave me reason to be concerned that the King may no longer want our assistance.”
The Minister pursed his lips. "Well, Your Majesty, I can assure you that Auria still needs your gracious support. We would quickly collapse without Xiomera as a faithful ally. Besides, if my colleague Minister Berenstein knew that His Majesty implied such a thing, she would probably tear down the Palace herself." He smiled, the mental image of Sophie taking a sledgehammer to an ornate stone column amusing him. "But forgive my curiosity, why come to me with this issue? This seems like an issue better suited for Minister Berenstein, or His Majesty himself. I'd be glad to help, I was just wondering how I could assist you in this situation."
”After my conversation with him, I am gravely concerned that the King may decide to do something that is harmful to Auria or to your cause, such as severing ties with us. The recent speech by the Lauchenoirian leader, Alvarez, seemed directly aimed at him at the end. Encouraging him to surrender. Given his current state of mind, I am afraid that he could well take her up on such a suggestion and hand you all over to Lauchenoiria. Especially since Alvarez has just essentially declared war on you.” The Empress placed her most convincing tones of empathy and concern into her voice, doing her best to create a mental picture for Gerand. “Therefore, for your sake and that of our partnership, I am looking for….alternatives. Options, should King Andrew waver in his commitment.” Calhualyana paused there, waiting for Gerand to grasp her point and fill in the sentence.
Gerand was silent for a few seconds, Calhualyana's statement catching him off guard. "...Ah. Well, I can't say I expected this. I'm very appreciative of your offer." He paused again, deep in thought. "I would love to assist you in this regard. However, I have a few concerns. Mainly, how exactly this...transition would occur."
”The details are important,” Calhualyana agreed. “I envision a scenario where the other important leaders of your government - namely Berenstein and Lautrec - agree to support a transition due to the concerns that the King’s leadership is causing a crisis. This could perhaps be positioned as a move away from monarchy altogether, to a theoretically more democratic system. We would also need to gain the support of high-ranking military officers if possible, in order to bypass General Michelin. My intelligence indicates he is highly unlikely to cooperate. But do tell me, what are your thoughts about this?”
Gerand's mind was racing, his heart beating quickly in his chest. "I agree, General Michelin won't cooperate with us, if we go through with this. He's too loyal, and he has too much at stake with Andrew. However, Michelin's inner circle is extremely loyal to him, having been carefully selected for just that purpose. We will have to tread carefully on the military front." His rushing heart and adrenaline rush caused him to rapidly drum his fingers on his desk, tapping in a syncopated, yet random pattern. "I definitely need Sophie- I mean, Minister Berenstein, on my side. Lautrec is a bit less valuable, but he could definitely help us, if we make the right offer. Moving away from the monarchy could gain us some support and legitimacy, and give us more opportunities in the future. Plus, it removes us from the sociopathic grasp of Andrew Laurent-Cordonnier." His tone was more than spiteful at this point, and the bile in his voice was plain to hear.
`
”We will need to tread carefully then. First we should approach Berenstein and Lautrec, and gauge their support for a new direction. From there, we can begin determining who within the military can be counted on and who can not.” The Empress smiled at the hate in Gerand’s voice. “Imperial Intelligence is at your disposal, of course.”
"I'm glad to hear that. I will approach Berenstein myself, likely right after I finish this call. She is my closest confidant within the administration, and a close friend. It won't take much to get her onboard. Lautrec will go wherever the money or opportunity is, so we should focus on convincing him that those perks are with us. I will review the reputations and résumés of many prominent Garda leaders, to see if there are weaknesses that we can exploit. There are bound to be some openings, it's more a matter of finding them. I will be happy to receive any intelligence assistance you can provide. After all, we are facing a growing coalition against us, and we need all the help we can get." Gerand's tone evened out as he calmed down from his adrenaline rush.
”Very good. Once you have a chance to speak with Minister Berenstein, we can all approach Lautrec together to convince him that his best bet is with us. And I will also instruct our intelligence liaison in Auria to begin providing you with any information that we can. The enemy coalition is growing, true. But Imperial Intelligence and our surveillance assets can see them coming from a mile away, and we have had ample time to prepare. As long as we remain united under competent leadership, we can prevail.”
"And with Your Majesty, Myself, and Madame Berenstein, competency of leadership shall no longer be a problem." Gerand attempted to turn his charming tone back on, cautious not to overdue it and insult the Empress. "This is a most unexpected, yet welcome, development. Thank you for your perpetual wisdom and generosity, with your help, Auria is guaranteed to shine again."
”I believe that it will,” Calhualyana agreed pleasantly. “Thank you for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you and the other ministers.”
"Thank you so much, Your Majesty. I look forward to working with you more in the future." Gerand waited for the call to disconnect before letting out a large sigh, sitting back in his chair. Oh my God, the Angels above have shown their faces. He grinned at the work he had been previously doing, thinking of a potential future when he would no longer be stuck with such menial tasks.
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