01-30-2023, 08:29 PM
Chancellor's Manor, Geminus
December 2nd, 2022, 8:06 AM
"And I thought that bitch couldn't get more audacious."
Chancellor Leah Stendē sat behind her desk, surrounded by a number of aides. Her Chief of Staff, Julius Riekstins, seemed to be the only one unfazed by the Chancellor's blunt comments. "It makes sense, from a propaganda perspective. May as well exploit a potentially tragic event for political gain, right? It's page one of the dictatorial propaganda playbook. She'll try to isolate us from both our allies and our electorate with these terrible accusations. It's a disgustingly smart move."
Stendē gave a dry chuckle. "Disgustingly smart, that's a good way to put it. What else would we expect from the Empress by now?" The word Empress sounded more like an insult than a title in her tone. "We need to respond, that much is clear. But, before we do…" She turned her focus to Zoe Provost, her National Security Advisor. "How sure are we that this attack didn't come from one of our allies?"
Provost straightened her posture. "There are a few competing theories as to where these attackers came from. Several teams from EICA and the Lunar Guard have been monitoring regional intelligence activity. Unfortunately, those teams are also having to sort through boatloads of rumors and speculation, so… To put it concisely, we aren't sure at this time where the attackers came from."
The Chancellor sighed. "Brilliant. We need to defend ourselves and our allies publicly, and we don't even know if our allies are actually innocent in this regard. I swear, if it comes out that one of our allies had a hand in this…" She shook her head. "I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get there. Pascal, how big of an effect has this attack had on our public support?"
Stendē's press secretary, Pascal Lefebvre, started to scratch the stubble on his chin. "Well, some more superstitious Eirians were already unnerved when Calhualyana had twins, given the ancient beliefs around twins. For us, this means that older and more religious Greens in particular will be a bit more apprehensive of the situation. Luckily, Calhualyana isn't exactly viewed as a beacon of honesty, so the accusation against us doesn't hold much weight with the voters. However, we should be much more careful with any future UCS policy announcements, as the accusations against our allies will make voters a bit more hesitant."
Stendē nodded. "That was a given. I'll let Minister Lancaster know." Realizing the ambiguity of that statement, she clarified with a smile. "Actually, I'll let both Lancasters know. UCS policy on Xiomera sits in an interesting place between both of their ministries. Hopefully sibling rivalry doesn't cause a jurisdictional nightmare…" With a glance between her Chief of Staff and Press Secretary, the Chancellor appeared to make a decision. "Pascal, I'll do the briefing on this, at least, the initial statement. You're going to get questions on our allies for the next few days, if not weeks, so I'm sorry in advance. Try to tuck and roll as best you can. Thank you all for the briefing, you can head back to work. I have a meeting with Senator Castillo in a moment, but as soon as it's done, please assemble the press in the briefing room. I'll have a few words prepared by then."
—
The assembled members of the press corps gradually took their seats, talking with their camera crews and fellow reporters in hushed tones. The discussion died down as Stendē took the podium, flanked by Lefebvre, who stood off to the side as Stendē spoke. "Good morning, everyone. Before your morning briefing, I would like to say a few words regarding recent events, in order to clear the air."
"Last night, Empress Calhualyana of Xiomera revealed to the world that there had been an assassination attempt on her two young children. This is, obviously, a horrifying and appalling act. However, the Empress crossed a line during her briefing by accusing Eiria and her allies of trying to kill her children. I would like to make one thing completely clear: This accusation is complete and utter nonsense. I am, frankly, disgusted by the willingness of Calhualyana to exploit an attack on her children for propaganda purposes."
"I understand the anger and hatred that Calhualyana must be feeling right now. I have a feeling that all parents would be in a similar boat if their children were attacked. However, using a tragic event to isolate Eiria from her allies is repulsive and completely inappropriate. I would like to send my condolences to the Empress and her husband, and to assure them that Eirian had no hand in this heinous act. The sins of the parents are not the sins of the children, and we are more than aware of that fact. If Calhualyana wishes to divide us further in the future, I suggest she find some other accusation to throw our way."
As soon as Stendē finished, the reporters shot out of their chair, eager to get her attention. Stendē called on a particularly vocal one in the second row. "Jacques Marin, from the Atlantis Courrier. Do we know definitively that the attack was not perpetrated by one of the nations that Calhualyana listed?"
"I can guarantee that Calhualyana's accusations were motivated by politics alone, not by real suspicion. We fully intend to stand by our allies against these charges. I will not let vindictive and dictatorial propaganda come between us and our closest friends abroad." Stendē scanned the rows of journalists, selecting another one. "Next?"
"Analēse Abolina, from Popjulī. Are there any clear suspects as to who may have orchestrated the assassination attempt?"
"At this point, it is too early in the investigation for me to speculate. We have some of our best and brightest intelligence officers monitoring the situation for any leads, however that is pretty much the limit of what I can say. If they make any major breakthroughs, we will announce them. Sorry for the vagueness, but trust in the knowledge that we will know more as time goes on." Stendē checked her watch. "I believe we have time for one more question. You, in the back."
"James dei Merei, National Spyglass. Calhualyana alluded to another assassination attempt made on her own life by one of the nations she listed. Do you know what she was referring to?"
Stendē put on her best diplomatic smile. "Calhualyana's wording was intentionally vague when referencing her supposed 'poisoning.' In my personal opinion, that accusation is another propaganda stunt. So, if you'd like to know more, I suggest that you go ask Calhualyana. Although, James, given how critical your network has been of her, I wouldn't trust those press credentials to protect you…" As the room erupted in polite laughter, Stendē maintained her smiling façade. "Well, thank you all for your time. Have a pleasant and productive day."
December 2nd, 2022, 8:06 AM
"And I thought that bitch couldn't get more audacious."
Chancellor Leah Stendē sat behind her desk, surrounded by a number of aides. Her Chief of Staff, Julius Riekstins, seemed to be the only one unfazed by the Chancellor's blunt comments. "It makes sense, from a propaganda perspective. May as well exploit a potentially tragic event for political gain, right? It's page one of the dictatorial propaganda playbook. She'll try to isolate us from both our allies and our electorate with these terrible accusations. It's a disgustingly smart move."
Stendē gave a dry chuckle. "Disgustingly smart, that's a good way to put it. What else would we expect from the Empress by now?" The word Empress sounded more like an insult than a title in her tone. "We need to respond, that much is clear. But, before we do…" She turned her focus to Zoe Provost, her National Security Advisor. "How sure are we that this attack didn't come from one of our allies?"
Provost straightened her posture. "There are a few competing theories as to where these attackers came from. Several teams from EICA and the Lunar Guard have been monitoring regional intelligence activity. Unfortunately, those teams are also having to sort through boatloads of rumors and speculation, so… To put it concisely, we aren't sure at this time where the attackers came from."
The Chancellor sighed. "Brilliant. We need to defend ourselves and our allies publicly, and we don't even know if our allies are actually innocent in this regard. I swear, if it comes out that one of our allies had a hand in this…" She shook her head. "I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get there. Pascal, how big of an effect has this attack had on our public support?"
Stendē's press secretary, Pascal Lefebvre, started to scratch the stubble on his chin. "Well, some more superstitious Eirians were already unnerved when Calhualyana had twins, given the ancient beliefs around twins. For us, this means that older and more religious Greens in particular will be a bit more apprehensive of the situation. Luckily, Calhualyana isn't exactly viewed as a beacon of honesty, so the accusation against us doesn't hold much weight with the voters. However, we should be much more careful with any future UCS policy announcements, as the accusations against our allies will make voters a bit more hesitant."
Stendē nodded. "That was a given. I'll let Minister Lancaster know." Realizing the ambiguity of that statement, she clarified with a smile. "Actually, I'll let both Lancasters know. UCS policy on Xiomera sits in an interesting place between both of their ministries. Hopefully sibling rivalry doesn't cause a jurisdictional nightmare…" With a glance between her Chief of Staff and Press Secretary, the Chancellor appeared to make a decision. "Pascal, I'll do the briefing on this, at least, the initial statement. You're going to get questions on our allies for the next few days, if not weeks, so I'm sorry in advance. Try to tuck and roll as best you can. Thank you all for the briefing, you can head back to work. I have a meeting with Senator Castillo in a moment, but as soon as it's done, please assemble the press in the briefing room. I'll have a few words prepared by then."
—
The assembled members of the press corps gradually took their seats, talking with their camera crews and fellow reporters in hushed tones. The discussion died down as Stendē took the podium, flanked by Lefebvre, who stood off to the side as Stendē spoke. "Good morning, everyone. Before your morning briefing, I would like to say a few words regarding recent events, in order to clear the air."
"Last night, Empress Calhualyana of Xiomera revealed to the world that there had been an assassination attempt on her two young children. This is, obviously, a horrifying and appalling act. However, the Empress crossed a line during her briefing by accusing Eiria and her allies of trying to kill her children. I would like to make one thing completely clear: This accusation is complete and utter nonsense. I am, frankly, disgusted by the willingness of Calhualyana to exploit an attack on her children for propaganda purposes."
"I understand the anger and hatred that Calhualyana must be feeling right now. I have a feeling that all parents would be in a similar boat if their children were attacked. However, using a tragic event to isolate Eiria from her allies is repulsive and completely inappropriate. I would like to send my condolences to the Empress and her husband, and to assure them that Eirian had no hand in this heinous act. The sins of the parents are not the sins of the children, and we are more than aware of that fact. If Calhualyana wishes to divide us further in the future, I suggest she find some other accusation to throw our way."
As soon as Stendē finished, the reporters shot out of their chair, eager to get her attention. Stendē called on a particularly vocal one in the second row. "Jacques Marin, from the Atlantis Courrier. Do we know definitively that the attack was not perpetrated by one of the nations that Calhualyana listed?"
"I can guarantee that Calhualyana's accusations were motivated by politics alone, not by real suspicion. We fully intend to stand by our allies against these charges. I will not let vindictive and dictatorial propaganda come between us and our closest friends abroad." Stendē scanned the rows of journalists, selecting another one. "Next?"
"Analēse Abolina, from Popjulī. Are there any clear suspects as to who may have orchestrated the assassination attempt?"
"At this point, it is too early in the investigation for me to speculate. We have some of our best and brightest intelligence officers monitoring the situation for any leads, however that is pretty much the limit of what I can say. If they make any major breakthroughs, we will announce them. Sorry for the vagueness, but trust in the knowledge that we will know more as time goes on." Stendē checked her watch. "I believe we have time for one more question. You, in the back."
"James dei Merei, National Spyglass. Calhualyana alluded to another assassination attempt made on her own life by one of the nations she listed. Do you know what she was referring to?"
Stendē put on her best diplomatic smile. "Calhualyana's wording was intentionally vague when referencing her supposed 'poisoning.' In my personal opinion, that accusation is another propaganda stunt. So, if you'd like to know more, I suggest that you go ask Calhualyana. Although, James, given how critical your network has been of her, I wouldn't trust those press credentials to protect you…" As the room erupted in polite laughter, Stendē maintained her smiling façade. "Well, thank you all for your time. Have a pleasant and productive day."
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