"You're what?"
"Retiring, Your Grace."
The Duke of Caladyn leaned across his desk and stared at the man sitting
across from him. "You can't be serious, Raden. We need your expertise.
Her Majesty needs your expertise," he said.
"Her Majesty has already given her permission for me to retire,
Chancellor," said Raden Ghere waspishly. "I've already begun grooming my
successor as Imperial Chamberlain, and he'll take over the Ministry of
Special Projects after next year's elections."
"Why now, though, Raden?" asked the Duke. "The timing of this is . . .
less than perfect."
"If I waited for a perfect time to retire, I'd die in office like my
father did," snapped Ghere. He sighed, then continued, "I'm 72 years
old, and I've been in Imperial or Government service of one sort or
another since I was 18. 54 years, Your Grace, 55 by the time I finally
retire next year. I intend to spend the years left to me relaxing,
playing with my grandchildren, and *not* having the weight of the damned
Empire on my shoulders every damned day."
"I can see your mind is made up on this," said the Duke. "I won't try to
change your mind if you feel that strongly about it. Who have you chosen
as your successor? Your elder son?"
Ghere shook his head. "Roger's content in the Legions, he's got no
desire to enter politics or espionage. No, I've chosen to promote the
chap who's been running the analysis section at the Ministry, Ion
Ronir-Varros. He's quite the polymath: University-educated, high honors
in mathematics and a natural linguist."
The Duke did a double-take. "Not one of *those* Ronir-Varroses? You must
be joking!"
"Firstly," replied Raden, "He's 'born-to' the Ronir-Varros family, not
'married-in'. Secondly, you know as well as I do that the Ronir-Varros
family has been of great assistance to the Empire's intelligence
services in the past, particularly in matters where we could not be seen
to have had a direct hand. Thirdly, the Empress *and* the Crown Prince
have approved him, and that's all that really matters."
"I'm not convinced, but as you say, if the Empress approves of him, I
can't do anything. Will he also be taking your seat in the Commons?"
"No, as Imperial Chamberlain, he'll have ex-officio membership in the
Lords. My younger son, Tomas, will stand for my seat in the next
election. Unlike his brother, Tomas doesn't object to politics--but he
does object to spies, for some reason."
"Hmph," snorted the Duke. "If only he knew. Now, I believe I originally
asked for you to come here for an intelligence briefing?"
"Yes, Chancellor," said Ghere as he handed a folder across the Duke's
desk, "If you will just open that to page two, I'll begin with a
run-down on the situation in Pran . . ."
* * * * *
Action 1: Pacification and Integration
Weight: Single
Description: Following the swift surrender of Pran to the Legions,
Sedonia moves quickly to integrate the newly acquired territories. II
Legion bases itself in Pran and begins securing the countryside, while
III Legion marches west to Kajir, rejoining its cavalry component and
beginning the process of securing that region. Hundreds of bureaucrats,
census-takers, assessors, surveyors, and tax collectors are sent from
Thalsedon to Kajir and Sedonian Taltheran to begin setting up the
machinery of government. The major Sedonian political parties also send
people into the regions, scouting for candidates for the Commons.
Difficulty: Normal
Subparts:
* Establishing Military control in Pran
* Establishing Military control in Kajir
* Establishing Government Bureaucracy
* Recruiting political candidates
Action 2: The Zelkori War
Weight: Single
Description: Legions VI and VII are ordered to march south and reinforce
Legions I and IV in the invasion of Zelkor, bringing the total number of
troops committed to about 25,000 (counting cavalry), outnumbering
Zelkor's current forces by roughly 2 to 1 [Zelkor, with a population of
~317,000, can have a standing armed forces of 3,000 men, a nominal armed
forces of 10,000 men, and a maximum armed forces of 30,000 men]. The
Sedonian Navy is ordered to start intercepting Zelkori shipping at sea,
while the Legions are ordered to advance on the City of Zelkor itself in
an attempt to bring it under siege. The Legions are also ordered to
conduct raids to disrupt Zelkori agriculture, destroying anything that
can't be carried off.
Difficulty: Normal
Subparts:
* Move VI & VII Legions from Northern Sedonia to Zelkor
* Advance on Zelkor City and besiege it
* Attack Zelkori Shipping
* Raids on Zelkori Farms
Action 3: Through a glass, clearly
Weight: Single, Strategic
Description: Ion of Thalsedon continues working with Guildmaster Varrozh
of the Roth Mythysa Glasswrights' Guild to develop and perfect lenses
for correcting near-sightedness. They begin trying build up a stock of
different strengths of the new style spectacles for trading purposes.
Meanwhile, a few apprentices start experimenting with what happens when
you look through two different lenses at the same time . . .
Difficulty: Normal
Subparts:
* Obtaining materials
* Making lenses
* Assembling spectacles
* Experimentation
Action IV: Trade Negotiations
Weight: Single
Description: Sedonia and Kaeir finalize the trade talks begun last year.
In return for opening Rimrivertown to certain Sedonian trading houses
licensed by Kaeir, Sedonia will allow Kaeiran vessels & trading fleets
to use the port, drydock, & resupply facility on the island of Tolmersa
in the mouth of the Straits of Anorurr. Sedonia will also allow the
Millati to freely practice their faith in Tirmar.
The agreement also establishes a scholarship program allowing selected
students from Kaeir to attend the University of Thalsedon or the
Imperial Military Academy on scholarship, while reciprocally allowing
Sedonian students scholarships to the Green College.
(Quiet overtures are also made concerning the possibility of future
exchanges of knowledge between Coronite Undead Hunters and Demerhazean
Demonbinders on the one hand, and the Brotherhood of Night on the other.)
Difficulty: Easy (+1), although if Ibrahim's got email access again, the
resolution should be up to him.
Subparts:
* Kaeiran Consular approval of trade agreement
* Kaeiran Senate approval of trade agreement
* Green College approval of scholarships
* Contacting the Night Brothers
Andrew
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