| The Legate's Tower |
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"Of course. These hostile peoples believe the only way to lead armies for your country is to be as bellicose as the troops are"
"Leading large forces into battle requires intelligence. It is our view that it does not matter where that talent comes from, whether it is from a bright spark from the rank-and-file or from someone who has proven themselves academically adept for leadership"
Deputy Regional Minister of the Planning and Development Agency(March 8-May 19, 2014)
Local Council Member(April 24-August 11) Court Justice of TSP(August 15-December 7)
Sinclair's NCO side started to boil again, but he was quick to cool it down. He remembered that he was a Legate and something better was expected of him.
"I see we are at a disagreement. Perhaps the old NCO in me is clouding my judgement over your style. While we ourselves have Officer Academies, it is strongly encouraged to have a bond with your troops. When you will be sending men to die, they need to know they can trust you and only then will they truly fight until their last breath. Mere academic strategy doesn't grant success in itself, only a trial by fire is the real proof." He loosened up a bit. He needed to change the subject, it was starting to feel like an interrogation rather than a vacation. Clearly they don't quite get what makes a good interrogation. "Forgive me, but may I sit down? I believe the main goal of my vacation was to relax after all. The running does start to wear you down after a certain age." Pacifica: Myria, Sallodesia, Stoinia • A1-0: Stoinian Star Kingdom • Aurora: Kingdom of Threnebor
"Oh, but of course! Please, take a seat, Legate Sinclair, enjoy the tea and scones arrayed on the main table"
The other commanders fraternized amongst themselves. Grand Admiral Goxo Natoxa approached. He was a Vurbentan who had risen from the NCOs, and thus had sympathies for Sinclair's situation. Even if they demonstrated their mettle by their leadership, these academic officers could be quite stiff at times. "Hello! Mind if I sit? Grand Admiral Goxo Natoxa's the name, nice to meet you!" The Vurbentans were known to be a friendly race, greeting everyone they met cheerfully. Thus, for Goxo, this amity was normal. "I must say, I find your way of thinking agreeable. When one has risen from the lower ranks, you gain an appreciation for the beings under your command. After all, you were one of 'em, why would you stab your mates in the back?" Goxo was suspicious like the rest of the high command, but, as he found Sinclair to be similar to him in perspective, his view of this Stoinian was more favourable than the others. Time will tell all soon.
Deputy Regional Minister of the Planning and Development Agency(March 8-May 19, 2014)
Local Council Member(April 24-August 11) Court Justice of TSP(August 15-December 7)
This xeno certainly seems friendlier than most Ryccian Terrans. Then again that might not be the hardest achievement in these parts.
"Well Ryccia can certainly surprise Stoinians. So you started as an enlisted crewmen on a ship then? Did you see any combat action at all?" Sinclair was curious if the grunts of the army had in fact any real fighting blood. He hoped so, but still naval personnel have a different view than the actual army or marine grunts. Nonetheless an insight in the Ryccian Navy could prove useful nonetheless Pacifica: Myria, Sallodesia, Stoinia • A1-0: Stoinian Star Kingdom • Aurora: Kingdom of Threnebor
"Yes, I've been on several ships fighting pirates, criminals and the like. Heck, there was this time when I was stationed in a light cruiser and a large pirate gang took over our ship and took the crew hostage. Those who resisted, including me, secretly organized and blasted them dead, they had it coming!"
"The Empire doesn't see much large-scale conflict, though, so that hostage situation is real odd for someone in the force. A war on a wide scale has not happened in over a thousand years! This country's real peaceful like that" Goxo was no fool. He was hinting to the Legate that he should respect those who were not forged from battle because, in the Empire, there were no large-scale battles to be fought, and thus the Empire did not need to instill a martial culture into its officer corps. Sure, he was friendly, but he was not naïve.
Deputy Regional Minister of the Planning and Development Agency(March 8-May 19, 2014)
Local Council Member(April 24-August 11) Court Justice of TSP(August 15-December 7)
Sinclair listened carefully and was quite cheerful.
"Well it's a good sign that some of you still have real combat experience. Though I really shouldn't indulge on my war stories. Certainly not something to discuss on a live interview." Sinclair chuckled on that thought. "Though take it from a veteran. Don't go eagerly into a war after a long time of peace, it isn't something lightly. To see your comrades being cut to pieces... It isn't pretty and not something to seek out. The lives of your friends are more precious than any glory or medal you earn in these wars." Sinclair knew something fishy was going on here. The Ryccians already knew the side of the Stoinians who will fanatically defend their land, but he wanted to make it clear that fighting any war came at a cost. Something perhaps those stuck up with only strategy as an important aspect should take into consideration. For without that bond, military command would crumble in the Ryccian situation either by own mutinies or civilian pressure. Something the Stoinian military wasn't quite so bound to. Pacifica: Myria, Sallodesia, Stoinia • A1-0: Stoinian Star Kingdom • Aurora: Kingdom of Threnebor
"I'm sorry for your loss. I'm sure your soldiers were brave and fought with honour until the very end. The life of every being is precious, this we very much know. Heck, it's one of the first lessons they teach us at the academy! People normally won't kill or let others die for no reason, I'm sure of that. Whether we're in a command center or in the trenches, we're all looking to defend our country, no matter our background, no?"
In another table next to the Legate, the remaining Grand Admirals sat and displayed a hologram of the new Star Annihilator. Its design was not optimal, but, as the years pass, this new type of weapon could be refined and improved. The Star Annihilator's axial cannon had the capibility of destroying a world, bombarding it with energy and cracking it to a trillion pieces. In order to avoid the Legate Sinclair from understanding the true nature of this new weapon, they spoke in Velpan. Moreover, all the text in the hologram was also in Velpan. "Fellow officers", said Rae Sloane, "here we have the guaranteur of the Empire's survival. Should a foreign power have a world-destroying device, we are now ready to respond" "An impressive weapon", said Grand Admiral Wilhuff Tarkin, "Project Stardust shall prove a mighty weapon in our arsenal" "Director Krennic's report was enlightening: Entity X-4 destroyed a Star Destroyer with only one percent of its power. The weapon should be fully operational and ready to deploy in a few weeks. The problem is where we shall send it to. A weapon of this magnitude must be kept somewhere safe" "I suggest sending it to Atolon, a frontier system in the region of Chile where we have a naval base", said Sloane, "The Draconians are an enigmatic nation to us, but from what we know of them, they have been around for longer than we have. We must guard ourselves against a nation of the stature as the Draconians by posessing the ability of a quick strike" "I deem it unwise, Mrs. Sloane", said Grand Admiral Nin Wei, "Should the Draconians figure out the location of our weapon, they shall attack in full force in case of a war. It is more optimal to deploy the Star Annihilator in the interior of the Empire, most preferably in a sparsely-populated system. Moreover, I disagree with your assessment: the Elans, a civilization of which we have only have a few records, are said to be dystopian and bellicose in nature. It is them whom we should protect our Empire against, for they are a likely candidate to be an aggressor" "We cannot be on the defense from the outset, we must be able to strike as soon as possible against the enemy and strike brutally if necessary. The Star Annihilator must be combat-ready!" The discussion continued over the Star Annihilator. Its military importance was strategically crucial, and thus the best option must be found.
Deputy Regional Minister of the Planning and Development Agency(March 8-May 19, 2014)
Local Council Member(April 24-August 11) Court Justice of TSP(August 15-December 7)
"Well I can agree on that. Defending one's own country is a worthy cause nearly all the time. It seems that both our academies have at least one lesson in common then."
Sinclair chuckled as he saw the other officials talk about the structure in the holoprojectors. Sinclair was getting used to them, but he was still somewhat amazed by the whole technology behind it. He really couldn't figure out what they were talking about, only that it was something important for the military. He wasn't here to spy on them, but he couldn't help but notice the focus they had in their conversation. "I take it you have taken some homework with you on vacation?" Pacifica: Myria, Sallodesia, Stoinia • A1-0: Stoinian Star Kingdom • Aurora: Kingdom of Threnebor
"Of course! Us higher-ups are always busy busy busy! As you can see, they're talking in Velpan as that is a top-secret project, so I can't tell you much about it. What I can say is that it's a new type of ship, but your eyes can already see that, ha ha!"
"Ah, it's now time for the flight simulation of a classified starfighter. I'm sorry, but you'll have to leave. Maybe you can enjoy some skiing or go to a café? We'll call you when it's over. Don't worry, this is just procedure. It's not just you, the hospitality staff will need to leave too"
Deputy Regional Minister of the Planning and Development Agency(March 8-May 19, 2014)
Local Council Member(April 24-August 11) Court Justice of TSP(August 15-December 7)
Sinclair glared at the holograms for a moment. Just what the hell could that be? Stoinians surely wouldn't show such things to guest in the slightest chance. He made a note to himself, perhaps Foixon could help him with a few lessons in Velpan.
"Well then, I'll leave you to it. Any recommendations for a café to visit?" Pacifica: Myria, Sallodesia, Stoinia • A1-0: Stoinian Star Kingdom • Aurora: Kingdom of Threnebor
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