A Tense Unity

Posted on Sun Mar 10th, 2024 @ 3:06am by Princess Royal Giana Orsini & Empress Cosima Orsini & Richard Ramsay Ph.D

Mission: Historiae Terrae Et Imperii
Location: ISS Imperator
Timeline: Date 2371-09-05 at 1730
2942 words - 5.9 OF Standard Post Measure

ON


The hour between the regents getting off the call and appearing on screen together again was silent on Giana’s end, but there was much more activity on Terra. Dr. Ramsay had gone to see the Empress at her request and had not only been calmed down by her, but also engaged about the issue Giana had brought up. By the time they appeared together on her screen in a small teleconferencing room in the Palace, they were still together.

“Giana.” the Empress started, seeming to have a bit more energy than before. “I have asked Richard to return for the good of the Empire, and he has agreed.”

Richard, for his part, was much less lively and buoyant than he was at the beginning of the last meeting, and though his face was just a few degrees south of neutral, his eyes told the story that he would really rather be talking to anyone else.

“I can’t apologize for what I said, because I never tell a lie. But I have to acknowledge speaking to you that way was probably the least effective thing I could have done to guide our conversation into reasoned common ground. I’m an old politician, and I should have known better.” he said, looking at her with sad eyes, thinking perhaps that he was closer to retirement than he suspected. “For that, I’m sorry. I’m sure you were very stressed about your situation, and I can’t have made it any easier.”

For all the conflict in the apology, it seemed as genuine as possible. The man had the same inability to flatter as the Emperor and Crown Prince, but often his honesty and humility were seen as an acceptable substitute. He hoped that Giana could at least pretend to be one of those people for a few minutes.

Giana looked much the same as she had when they had ended the last call but potentially even more tired than before. She sat in silence, listening first to her mother and then to Richard. She wasn’t surprised at the non-apology; she was used to the non-apologies men gave. She wasn’t happy about it of course, and it showed in the way her jaw briefly set, but then she took a deep breath.

“Yes, this has been a very stressful time for me between my father and what has happened out here. I’m not at my best and I admit that.” She looked more directly toward Richard on her screen. “I apologize for repeatedly interrupting you and calling you an ass, Richard. I also know better, but I let what happened get the better of me.”

RIchard gave a sorrowful smile. He knew her enough to understand how much that apology hat taken, and he decided to be happy with what he had been given.

“Good. Well, I forgive you.” he said gently, then turned to look at the Empress. “While we were apart, your mother and I were able to discuss your situation concerning the rebel soldiers.”

Giana’s annoyance visibly grew, but it was also obvious she was doing everything she could to muster every last dreg of patience that she could. Of course they spoke about this without her.

“Alright…” She prompted in a way for one of them to continue.

“There is precedence for dealing with the supporters of claimants to the throne. The Empire’s history is riddled with coups and murders causing the throne to change hands, meaning there were many people in similar situations to ours who had to come up with a solution.” Ramsay said, informing Giana as he had informed her mother before her. “What comes to mind first is the wars of the 2140s and 50s when the notoriously evil Antonius III was usurped by his brother Gabrielus, who was, in turn usurped by his own son, Antonius IV. The war was ongoing, and Gabrielus succeeded in regaining the throne before both of them were executed by Hoshi I. A bloody period in history to be sure, but there are several things I think we should note.”

The fact that Richard was a former professor wasn’t lost on anyone, as he made his point as if he were teaching graduate students.

“First, Gabrielus accepted the surrender of his brother’s troops after the later’s death at their hands. This was relatively successful in the eyes of some historians, but others link this act of mercy with the success of his son’s challenge a few years later. This is the Gabrielus, of course, who notoriously allowed an Orion mistress to control him. When his son took over, he showed mercy to his father’s Terran officers, but killed any aliens among his troops, trying to make a political point. He was, of course, deposed again by his father and the same men he forgave.”

“So, forgiving rebel soldiers lead to more war?” Cosima asked since it was her first time hearing him explain things as he was.

“Yes, Your Majesty. That could be argued.” he answered before continuing. “But Hoshi appeared with the Mirror Universe ship USS Defiant and killed them both along with their senior commanders and civil servants. She cut the head off the snake, but didn’t lay her hands on the rank and file. With the execution of the two claimants to the throne and an oath of loyalty, her rule was secure for herself, her clone, and the son of her clone for the next 95 years.”

Giana sat quietly and actually seemed to be attentive to what Richard was saying. She actually had never hated learning, but she didn’t have the same love for it that Paolo and to a lesser extent Elana had. She nodded simply, indicating she understood and followed what he was saying so far.

Seeing that Giana had no response and seemed to be interested, Ramsay continued.

“The second point of precedence is the war of the 2250s. Haruto, the son of Hoshi II was 18 years into his reign when Captain Phillipa Georgiou started a coup that split the Imperial Military right down the middle. Haruto might have been able to defeat her without too much trouble if someone hadn’t released a Hoshi clone from some lab and she hadn't split his troops’ loyalty as well. Philipa sat on the throne for the first time just a few weeks after her rebellion following Haruto’s troops killing the poor old man themselves. She had the support of almost the entire military apparatus and decided, quite foolishly, to kill every soldier who had remained loyal to Emperor Haruto until the bloody end. It amounted to the execution of about twenty percent of the military.”

Ramsay sighed, shaking his head.

“Phillipa had to maintain her rule by fear; Nothing would make the military love her after that. And, after six years of war, she disappeared without a trace. Her cousin, Alexander, tried to claim the throne and was killed by Michael Burnham. She was dead in six months, killed in battle by Hoshi III. As her clone had before her, she kept her execution limited to flag officers and senior administrators and found enough money to reward the soldiers who supported her through years of war with lavish riches. She reigned until she was murdered by Spock 21 years later. The moral of the story is clear: killing common soldiers has only been done once, and it signaled a reign of terror. And, if you ask me, not killing flag officers has worked out pretty poorly as well.”

Giana waited to make sure that Richard was at a point where he was at least taking a pause before she spoke. “At the moment, I have separated the senior operators of Giuseppe’s fleet from the rest of his men in anticipation of at least them being punished for their crimes.”

She folded her hands in front of her then and cleared her throat. “A widow, a crown prince, and two military officers all believe that all of these men should die because they would be enemies to the crown and family. Perhaps they are right, or perhaps they are blinded by circumstances here. I do see the wisdom behind the thought but…”

She gestured slightly with a hand. “I don’t think it’s the best course of action either. I did some reading from a lesson I remembered from my childhood and it was a struggle to find it because it hasn’t been used in such a long time, but Richard, do you recall Lex Sanguinis?”

Another man might have easily forgotten, but Richard had a habit of studying those topics most found irrelevant. He nodded immediately.

“I do, yes. It was a decree of..umm”

“Hoshi II.” Giana supplied, seemingly simply helpful and not judging the man for forgetting. It was so obscure after all. “There had been another smaller coup attempt that had basically been forgotten to history because it was such a blip.”

She paused then to see if it had shaken Richard’s memory or if he wanted her to continue.

Richard nodded, but had a sense when he had explained enough. He looked at her, offering an erudite thin smile.

“Well, what about it?”

Giana started to speak but paused and looked at her mother’s expression. She of course had a very strained relationship with her parents, but she could tell by Cosima’s expression that she was unsure and simply not giving voice.

She turned more toward Cosima. She wasn’t a teacher, but she would try to explain it as well as she could. “Lex Sanguinis, the Law of Blood, is a law of hereditary punishment that was born of the Terran ideas of kinship and collective responsibility. It can be enacted against anyone guilty of treason, rebellion, sedition, or acts detrimental to Terran security and may also be enacted against five generations of their descendants. Severity of it can vary depending on what we will it, but it can entail confiscation of wealth, property, titles and the like and can be barred from public offices or from rising past certain ranks in the military. In the most serious of cases, it can result in the extinguishing of a traitorous bloodline.”

Cosima nodded, showing that she understood. She was no historian, but she had a sharpened political mind. One didn’t run the Imperial Court without knowing the stuff of politics, at least. She looked between the two of them.

“Then it sounds to me like it’s in our best interest to require a lowly oath from all rebels under the rank of Commodore.”

“Under the rank of Lieutenant Commander, I’d say.” Ramsay said, polite but to the point. “With all respect, I worked closely with Giuseppe, and any senior officers in command who would follow him over Antonius, I don’t want them around.”

Cosima frowned at that. She clearly didn’t like the facts of the matter, but she knew it was possible she was right. She turned her eyes to the Princess.

“What do you think, Giana?”

For some reason, it surprised Giana to hear them disagree on anything. It also immediately diminished any annoyance she had been feeling previously having heard they had talked. She had been expecting they had decided everything without her and were just waiting to inform her of what she would be doing in a bit of a tit-for-tat maneuver, but it seemed to not be like that at all.

“I agree with Richard. I also think we should consider imposing the Lex Sanguinis against the rest.”

Richard nodded. A majority wasn’t good enough, however. The way the Council had been set up, each of them exercised a veto. The decision had to be unanimous or just one of them could cause a stalemate.

“I think that would be fair and in line with historical precedence. They should have to forsake all titles and, shall we say, surrender half of their net worth to the Crown?”

“And what of the flag officers and his close advisors?” Cosima asked, “It would be executions, but how?”

“It was suggested to me that they could be sacrificed at the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus.” Giana offered then smiled a clearly amused smile. “Though the person that said that also mentioned a Triumph, so I’m not sure if it’s a particularly good suggestion?”

“Sounds like someone has really been reading their history books.” Ramsay said, smiling along with the idea and chuckling softly. “A triumph is a little heavy handed, but the sacrifice smacks of the old Empire at least, before we were nearly destroyed by Spock. It seems like something Hoshi would do.”

“It sounds like something your father would do.” Cosima said, but didn’t seem excited or happy about the occasion.

“I thought so too.” Giana nodded. “And yes, the Triumph does seem like a bit much, besides, like I told Paolo I think the last thing anyone would like to see is Princess Gigi rolling around in a chariot with military honors.”

She giggled softly and shook her head.

The idea seemed to stress both Ramsay and the Empress whose laughter was little more than polite. It seemed Giana’s assessment of the political situation had been correct.

“Yes, that would be something.” Richard said with a strong nod. “It doesn’t quite match your previous work, and I’m not sure you want your image to take that turn.”

“For that matter, Giana, I wonder how much involvement you want with this war in the press.” Cosima said, her brown eyes lifting toward her daughter. “The public Have a very clear view of you, and seeing you at the head of a fleet could complicate it. There are certain economic costs associated with political actions.”

“Truthfully I’m not sure. I want to talk to CJ about that and get her thoughts.” Giana admitted, looking back at her mother with her father’s steady blue eyes.

“For now, we’ll keep it out of the news, but we can’t hold it much longer. Maybe a few more hours.” Ramsay said. “CJ has been working the press manually, and they’re getting very weary of it.”

“Alright. Do we think sacrificing the higher ranking officers is the right decision?” Giana asked.

“I do.” Ramsay said. “It sends a very clear message, but won’t negatively affect the stability and readiness of the military.”

“The execution in front of the Temple seems a bit..extreme to me” Cosima answered next,” but, then again, so is treason. I will give the plan my support.”

“Is it something we wish to broadcast to the public?” Giana followed up, looking between the two.

“When one sacrifices political enemies in front of the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus, one should normally televise it.” Ramsay said, running a hand through his dark graying hair and looking tired. “What else would be the point of such a stunt unless it’s seen?”

“To placate the gods, obviously.” Cosima answered, her eyes on Richard. The man, for his part, nodded as if he hadn’t thought of that.

“Yes, ma’am, but better to placate them in public, no?”

“I think this needs to be publicized in some way. I don’t think it needs the joy and glory of the Triumph by any means, but this does need to be… an occasion of some sort.” Giana said, pensive. “Our internal struggle is ended and we stand united once more.”

“The military puts on celebratory parades on special occasions. Could we not just have a single day of parades which ends in a sacrifice before the Temple?” Cosima asked, venturing into an area that more reflected her expertise.

“It would be much less than a Triumph, but would certainly do the job, in my view.” Ramsay said, considering the suggestion.

For her part, Giana nodded. “I think it would be a good idea to keep as much focus on the military as possible; make it look purposeful. It will help distract from the…” she hesitated, frowning deeply, “absence of the Emperor.”

“And give him the ability to take credit when he returns.” Cosima said, her tone forcefully optimistic.

Ramsay but his lip, chewing anxiously at what she had said, his eyes growing sad and somewhat distant before he nodded.

“Right..” he said, looking back at the camera then. “Your Highness, I think you should return to Terra immediately with the Crown Prince.”

“I will come as soon as Colonel Akamu and Admiral Leyton have secured the situation here.” Giana nodded. “And I would like to meet with you both when I arrive.”

“I’m not the most well-versed in military affairs beyond funding, but I hear Admiral Leyton is very capable.” Ramsay said with a nod. “So, I expect you’ll be free to leave soon.”

“I will ask the Imperial Senate for the parade.” Cosima said, as if such a request would ever not be granted without someone seriously powerful working against them. “Be well, Giana.”

“You too, mother. Please give father my love.” She managed a smile to Cosima and it remained, slightly diminished, as her head turned toward Richard.

“Richard.” She offered a farewell nod.

“Long Live the Emperor.” He said, giving her a polite nod.

“Long Live the Emperor.” Giana repeated and then ended the communication. Immediately, she closed her eyes, tilted her head back, and let out a sigh.

At least it had gone well.

END