04-10-2023, 03:38 AM
Julius Riekstins, Chief of Staff to Chancellor Stendē, waited patiently outside the Pečs Meeting Room in the working wing of the Chancellor’s Manor, occasionally checking his watch. The Chancellor was supposed to have left this (fairly mundane) meeting ten minutes earlier, but the meeting was apparently running long, which made Riekstins a touch nervous, given the recent activity in international politics.
After a few more minutes, Chancellor Stendē opened the door, giving one last polite smile and comment to the assembled officials before releasing a sigh once the door was closed. “Sorry, I was trying to get out sooner, but they just kept talking! Apparently, the education union leaders decided that a meeting with the Chancellor was a good time to sort out all of their ideological disputes. How’s the situation between Kerlile and Acadia?”
Riekstins handed her a briefing folder. “Simmering, for now. Acadian forces have dug in, and we haven’t seen any further escalation. From what we can tell from satellite images, Kerlian forces have stood down. It seems to have been some bizarre exercise, maybe to show Kerlile’s strength after the missile malfunction? I’m not sure why the exercise would’ve been so short, though. Regardless, the situation is holding steady right now.”
Stendē nodded. “Good. If there is any indication of escalation, contact the Acadians and Kerlians through diplomatic channels and offer to mediate. It may have little effect, but it will at least buy time to potentially defuse the situation.” She noticed her Chief of Staff’s expression and paused. “Something else is troubling you, what is it?”
“Well…” Riekstins handed her another folder. “WOE has staged a demonstration in Kōlenceda, outside the headquarters of Alansari Mining Co. Traffic has been blocked on a few major intersections, and counter-protesters are beginning to assemble on nearby streets. The local police have been dispatched to ensure that all involved remain peaceful and safe.”
“By WOE, you mean Watchdogs, right, not Warriors?” As Riekstins nodded, Stendē breathed a sigh of relief. “You should probably use the Eirian name for them next time, and not the English abbreviation. You’re gonna give me heart palpitations.” The pair started walking in the direction of their offices. “Out of all the nations in the world, they decide to protest here, in one of the most environmentally-conscious nations. I just met with the leaders of the environmental lobby last week, they couldn’t have brought up their concerns then?”
“Because they feel better screaming about evil politicians than actually meeting to discuss policy? Perhaps that’s cynical, but given that their sibling organization recently committed an act of terror in Lauchenoiria… There may be some truth to it. Although, I don’t know how much I can talk, given my stint of activism in university.”
“Fair, but give me one member of our staff who wasn’t a university activist or resistance member. It’s how we all got our start, after all. Even the original Eirian Green Coalition was founded in a coffeehouse on the campus of Vanaka University. I guess it’s in our nature to rebel a bit.” Stendē’s nostalgic smile slowly faded. “I’ll have our speechwriters work up a statement on the protest. We may not be able to invite them here, due to certain implications, however we can prompt them to give a manifesto. Let’s see what issues they want to bring up, and maybe we can find some sort of solution to take their attention off of Eiria for a while.”
After a few more minutes, Chancellor Stendē opened the door, giving one last polite smile and comment to the assembled officials before releasing a sigh once the door was closed. “Sorry, I was trying to get out sooner, but they just kept talking! Apparently, the education union leaders decided that a meeting with the Chancellor was a good time to sort out all of their ideological disputes. How’s the situation between Kerlile and Acadia?”
Riekstins handed her a briefing folder. “Simmering, for now. Acadian forces have dug in, and we haven’t seen any further escalation. From what we can tell from satellite images, Kerlian forces have stood down. It seems to have been some bizarre exercise, maybe to show Kerlile’s strength after the missile malfunction? I’m not sure why the exercise would’ve been so short, though. Regardless, the situation is holding steady right now.”
Stendē nodded. “Good. If there is any indication of escalation, contact the Acadians and Kerlians through diplomatic channels and offer to mediate. It may have little effect, but it will at least buy time to potentially defuse the situation.” She noticed her Chief of Staff’s expression and paused. “Something else is troubling you, what is it?”
“Well…” Riekstins handed her another folder. “WOE has staged a demonstration in Kōlenceda, outside the headquarters of Alansari Mining Co. Traffic has been blocked on a few major intersections, and counter-protesters are beginning to assemble on nearby streets. The local police have been dispatched to ensure that all involved remain peaceful and safe.”
“By WOE, you mean Watchdogs, right, not Warriors?” As Riekstins nodded, Stendē breathed a sigh of relief. “You should probably use the Eirian name for them next time, and not the English abbreviation. You’re gonna give me heart palpitations.” The pair started walking in the direction of their offices. “Out of all the nations in the world, they decide to protest here, in one of the most environmentally-conscious nations. I just met with the leaders of the environmental lobby last week, they couldn’t have brought up their concerns then?”
“Because they feel better screaming about evil politicians than actually meeting to discuss policy? Perhaps that’s cynical, but given that their sibling organization recently committed an act of terror in Lauchenoiria… There may be some truth to it. Although, I don’t know how much I can talk, given my stint of activism in university.”
“Fair, but give me one member of our staff who wasn’t a university activist or resistance member. It’s how we all got our start, after all. Even the original Eirian Green Coalition was founded in a coffeehouse on the campus of Vanaka University. I guess it’s in our nature to rebel a bit.” Stendē’s nostalgic smile slowly faded. “I’ll have our speechwriters work up a statement on the protest. We may not be able to invite them here, due to certain implications, however we can prompt them to give a manifesto. Let’s see what issues they want to bring up, and maybe we can find some sort of solution to take their attention off of Eiria for a while.”
<t></t>