Daonlathas, The Core
Ryccian Empire

The Imperial Ball. A massive event done every five years where all of the political and military elite would assist. The lawmakers, the Cabinet, the Generals and Admirals, both Grand and regular; the Governors of all the planets, and others. It has been a tradition held by the Ryccian Empire since its antiquity, and it was no different now.

"Greetings to Your Imperial Majesty"

As was custom, the Chancellor was the first to arrive. The Chancellor had genuflected, as was custom. He must say his greetings.

"It is an honour to be in the Imperial Ball, Your Imperial Majesty. Your loyal subject wishes nothing but eternal blessings and eternal life to Your Imperial Majesty"

"He does not mean it...I can see it all over his face. The Imperial Throne is irrelevant now..."

"You may proceed"

The Chancellor ceased genuflecting, and then bowed.

"Farewell to Your Imperial Majesty"

"Here comes the Cabinet...the Minister of Foreign Affairs"

"Greetings to Your Imperial Majesty. It is an honour to be in the Imperial Ball, Your Imperial Majesty. Your loyal subject wishes nothing but eternal blessings and eternal life to Your Imperial Majesty"

"Her ego means that she really does not care..."

"You may proceed"

"Farewell to Your Imperial Majesty"

The Emperor sighed. This was an ages-old ritual, where he would greet the political elite. In the past, these exchanges would actually mean something. After all, the Emperor hired and fired them all. But this is not the ancient era. The Emperor supported democracy and liberty with an ardent passion, yes, but he wished these salutations were truly sincere.

His desire for politics made him a controversial figure in his own realm. If only he had not been born of the Imperial blood...maybe he could really serve his nation faithfully instead of being a decoration. He understood his uniting duty as the Sovereign of All the Races, but the Emperor sometimes wished he was a commoner.

...Hours passed. He greeted countless public officials and military officers. Not individually, as that would occupy a lifetime, but in groups. For example, a Senatorial astrographic group from a sector of The Rim would greet him all together. 100 or so Senators at once paying lip service.

The Congressmen would greet him in their thousands. 1,000 all at once. The Imperial Hall was truly enormous to hold so many persons. The most important politicians and military officers would be at that room of the Imperial Palace, calling back to a time when the Emperor was a true political force. Now, it is just tradition for the Cabinet, top Senators, Congressmen, Grand Generals, Grand Admirals, the Imperial Family and some miscellaneous invitations to mingle there, plotting a political deal, planning out a campaign against pirates and the like, or just socializing. But nobody spoke to the Emperor, only his immediate family.

The only ones who vaguely respected him for what he was were the Senators and Congressmen of the Imperial Party, and they were staunch autocrats, wishing to restore him to absolutism, essentially, against his will. Only they saw the Imperial blood as important, but it was an irony that the Emperor, a devout democrat, would be respected only by despotic heathens.

The Republicans were the only ones who refused to greet him. They despised monarchism, and desired a republic. Senators and Congressmen who followed the fringe idea of "sovereigntism", where the Empire would be dismantled and all planets would be independent, also refused to greet him. And some of the Communists who desired a non-monarchical style of governance also did not greet him. But at least they were honest.

"Your Imperial Majesty" said one of his attendants "The Chancellor has indicated that a foreign delegation shall arrive"

"Foreign delegation? Lak Su's mission was more successful than I thought...Very well, once they arrive, they are to greet me"

A foreign delegation? Never in the Imperial Ball's history has the Imperial Palace hosted such a thing...well, they have, thousands of years ago, but the Empire had been isolationist until now. It had focused on colonizing the North and the frontiers of the realm...

The news had spread. Everyone at the Imperial Hall was eager to meet these outsiders...such child-like curiosity was palpable...Lak Su's reports had indicated that one of the ruling species of these people looked like insects...they had seen a picture of the Governor of a planet somewhere in the Treecuu Star Empire, and whilst many top officials were disgusted for the appearance of such a creature, none dared show it, as they knew it was wrong to assume something of another species only by their looks.

Despite the centuries of political games and clashes since democracy came to the Empire, the revolutionaries from one thousand years ago accomplished their goal: to deeply carve unto the vast majority of Ryccians that racism was evil. It was in their culture now, and they felt automatic shame if they even thought of defining a being by their species. This value was honestly and earnestly held by most, if not all of the politicians and military officers here, one way or another.

Those in attendance were waiting. The Ryccian Empire was waiting.