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Ryccia · 01-20-2019, 10:56 AM

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.

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Local Council Member(April 24-August 11)

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(This post was last modified: 01-21-2019, 06:11 PM by Ryccia.)

Qwert · 01-20-2019, 06:07 PM

For everyone in the Treecuu delegation it was their first time abroad. Actually practically everyone with a say in the affairs of the government, real or for show, had agreed that it was a good idea, nay imperative, to accept the invitation to the Imperial Ball. First contact had been a real success, and the Treecuu now had official recognition as the sovereign of its claimed borders. The Imperial Ball was a great chance to further improve relations between the to Empires, and of course for the Treecuu to assert itself as a major player abroad, essential for the secret plan drawn by the Committee for the Expansion of the Empire.

The voyage to Ryccia had been utter hell for President Caal. The once proud presidency of the Star Empire had been reduced to but a figurehead function, a "positive front" for the Committee to maintain the well-kept illusion that the Star Empire still was a democracy. Back on Ecteen, the capital planet, Caal at least had his figurehead friends, but now he was basically alone among Committee members and loyalists. He had had no retreat to so to hide from their passive-aggressiveness and mocking politeness. Still he would do his job well, as instructed by the Committee, but he try to make real friends. Maybe, in the future, he could need them.

The large Treecuu delegation, headed by President Caal, flanked by two Committee members on each side, made its way down the enormous hall and approached the Ryccian emperor. Caal stretched his arms to his sides in a formal greeting. He then smiled warmly.

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Ryccia · 01-21-2019, 03:21 PM

As the Treecuu delegates arrived, murmours and whispers began to rise. "I have never seen this before", "So they were serious...", "What do you believe the Treecuu are?"...were some of these hushed sentences. Everyone was, indeed, curious. Some of the more isolationist guests were more bigoted, but not because of their race, but due to the fact that they may be "uncivilized (i.e. non-democratic) barbarians". Isolationists believe that the Ryccian Empire is a democratic, shining light in a nebula of darkness (OOC: Think of it as American Exceptionalism on steroids), a thing hard to replicate by their standards. "Do these foreigners even breathe freedom?", "Are you certain Su's reports are accurate? Are these not barbarians?", "The concept of liberty is alien to them..." were some of these hushed insults. Internationalists in attendance were annoyed by this, but hoped that the Treecuu did not know of Austral.

The Emperor was delighted. As a voice for internationalism, he was happy that his beliefs had paid off. He had no concrete political power, that was certain, but by being the Sovereign of All the Races, he had a platform to speak from birth. But this very use of his fame made him incredibly controversial and, in the case of the isolationists, despised.

He cared not for such things. He knew he was the Emperor, but, in the end, he was still a being. And according to the Ryccian creed, all beings deserve freedom and a voice to air out their beliefs. It was saddening to him that his voice was repressed and shamed since birth...

No matter. The Empire requires an uniting figure, a symbol that everyone shares. He knew he was that symbol. In the pursuit of duty, wishes must die.

There he stood, in the Imperial Throne. His attendants flanked him, as well as the Chancellor and Minister of Foreign Affairs. As the true powers of authority, they must have a front seat to everything related to this delegation.

"My most sincere greetings to President Caal and to the Treecuu delegation. I am Emperor Alexander of Ryccia, Sovereign of All the Races of the Realm. Please, proceed"

Deputy Regional Minister of the Planning and Development Agency(March 8-May 19, 2014)

Local Council Member(April 24-August 11)

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Qwert · 01-21-2019, 03:50 PM

Cuul bowed slightly, then he spoke up.

"Your Imperial Majesty, I, President Cuul of the Treecuu Star Empire and Premier Representative of all its peoples, greet you, Sovereign of All Races of the Ryccian Realm, on behalf of Treecuu delegation and thank you for the invitation. It is a great honour."

Cuul again streched out his arms and was immediately copied by the other two flanking Treecuu. He turned to his left.

"May I introduce Minister Ivict of Foreign Affairs?"

The short minister, clearly an insectoid, bowed slightly. Cuul turned to his right.

"May I introduce Imperial Advisor Veen?

Veen also bowed slightly.

And may you curse them for ever, Cuul added in his thoughts.

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(This post was last modified: 01-21-2019, 05:30 PM by Qwert.)

Ryccia · 01-21-2019, 06:06 PM

These creatures were unknown to him. The reports were, indeed, certain: there are insectoid beings among the Treecuu. Their appearance may seem foul to his eyes, but the Emperor would not let that cloud his judgement.

"I give thanks to you, President Cuul. Now, please, I shall introduce you to the Executive of the Empire. First with His Imperial Excellency and the Head of the Government, the Chancellor..."

The Chancellor, Ferul Blesforn, was a Velpan, a fox-like creature. He was from the Pacifist Coalition, the reigning party of the time. Born on the Velpan Core world of Valetta, Blesforn was an internationalist, just like the Emperor, but he came to power through two decades of political work and intrigue. Like most top politicians, he had no respect for the Emperor other than being an important decoration for the country. Such a pity...

"I shall introduce you to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Her Imperial Excellency..."

Kaminoans are sometimes stereotyped as diplomatic beings. Taun Liat was a Kaminoan from the Chile world of Arshun, and she had risen from the nation's diplomatic service and became a Senator for her world afterwards. Described as calm and logical by her peers, she was known to be extremely analytic, and although she did not wish to be so, she could be a ruthless politician if she requires to advance. Rarely for her culture, however, she had a big ego, but protocol dictated that she must show restraint, and that she did.

The Emperor kept introducing the rest of the Cabinet. It was a mix of species from all around his realm. But Blesforn and Liat were the crucial players in this visit. And they would be, most assuredly.

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Qwert · 01-26-2019, 08:38 AM

These Ryccians were a diverse bunch. If the Ryccian Empire was stable too, it would disprove the Committee's argument that only a monocultural state, like the Treecuu, would be able to survive and maintain interstellar peace. Perhaps the attendance of the Committee members Minister Ivict and Imperial Advisor Veen wasn't such a bad thing after all?

"Greetings to you all. It is an honour", President Cuul responded after the introductions.

"The attendance of such many different peoples and races is a testimony of peace and stability under your rule Emperor." Cull smiled. "May I ask how many different races there are?"

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Ryccia · 01-26-2019, 10:58 AM

"Despite my role as the uniting Sovereign of All the Races, my rule is not the only factor, far from it" responded Alexander "The people of my realm are, by kilometres, the most significant factor. Ever since the Democratic Revolution a thousand years ago, all the 51 types of beings, no matter their race, language or origin, are free and equal. The citizens of the Empire are the masters of the stars, embodied by their democratic choice of government at all levels. Thankfully, racism is now a thing of the past for the most part, and we hold this motto: 'Actions speak louder than words or biology'. This saying is universal across the Empire, and all know these words. It is a fundamental part of the Ryccian Creed, the belief that every single being is equal under the law, has the unalienable right to hold all freedoms known to life itself, and that we should judge beings not by their race, but by their actions and character"

"However, in terms of numbers, not all races are equal. Historically, only ten types of beings have achieved interstellar travel in our Empire, and five of these have had ancient Empires of their own, thus being the dominant races in certain regions of Ryccia. These are the Five Constituent Races of the Empire: the Humans, the Kaminoans, the Velpans, the Vonmisians and the Vurbentans, but, apart from this historical title, they are no more or less equal than to one of the numerically inferior species, many of whom have tragically suffered oppression and even genocide in the distant past before the Empire became enlightened as we are to this day"

"I hope you found my answer sufficient, President Cuul"

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Qwert · 02-09-2019, 04:41 PM

Cuul nodded.

"Indeed. These dark times of oppression and genocide, what brought an end to them?"

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Ryccia · 02-10-2019, 01:23 PM

"I must tell you of the Democratic Revolution, then" said the Emperor.

"It was around a millenia ago. Initially, it was just another Vonmisian revolt in the Vonmisian Rim. However, as the then-Crown Princess Alice led an army to quell the uprising, her ship had an accident and crash-landed in the hostile planet. She had thought that the 'savages', or so humans called their now-equals at the time, would kill her mercilessly, but a Vonmisian village took her in warmly. The rebels did not kill her upon finding her, but instead treated her fairly despite being a hostage. She was horrified to see her troops mercilessly burn down and massacre the rebel-held village".

"When she returned to Daonlathas, she began to question everything she had ever known. Her mindset changed, and she prepared an anonymous essay sharply condemning the autocratic, ultra-xenophobic and humanist Ryccian Empire of the era. The authorities dismissed this essay as a fluke, and the Emperor personally vowed that, if the identity of the author was found, they would be executed without pardon".

"When it was revealed that it was the Emperor's beloved Crown Princess, however, this sent shockwaves across the entire realm. The narrative had always been that the aristocrats knew better than the common folk. That those ideas the people had about 'democracy' and 'freedom' were misguided, and that the commoners did not know better. The nobles knew how and were forged to rule. This public act of rebellion by the Crown Princess, one of the highest-ranked persons in the entire country, rallied around her. When she was sent to trial, the alien, migrant population of Daonlathas burned the courthouse to protect her, and she fled. Escaping to the worlds in revolt in the Vonmisian Rim, she proclaimed the 'Democratic League', rallying non-human revolts under one banner".

"The revolution, for the first few years, was mostly a non-human uprising challenging their Human oppressors. But a now legendary essay from the Crown Princess would change everything. In this essay, she argued that we must judge all beings not by their race, but by their character. That everyone, no matter what class, rank, species, beliefs, or anything similar had the right to be free and elect their own leaders, instead of an autocratic Empire that kept raising taxes and wasting vast sums of money on the aristocracy, rather than spending tax revenue on the people. The Humans were highly xenophobic, but saw the promise of meritocratic advancement, no matter what your class and status, as well as the opportunity to be free, criticize the government and have a say where the high taxes would go to as appealling, more so when the Crown Princess, a highly-ranked aristocrat, believed in such a thing"

"Despite retaining their xenophobia, Human worlds began to revolt. This was unprecedented for the time, although these worlds were mostly poor or on the frontiers, away from the wealthier worlds. They wished to have economic prosperity instead of serving the Core-centric aristocracy".

"What would truly come to make even the Core revolt was the leak by rebel agents on the horrific war crimes the Empire was committing. The ultra-xenophobic Core was no stranger to war crimes against aliens, but doing so in a more brutal fashion with Human worlds was a step too far. But when one Core world, Juno, declared for the Democratic League, that is when the autocrats truly broke. The Imperial authorities put down the rebellion in Juno, but they did so with unprecedented brutality for a Core world. The narrative had always said that the Empire was there to establish order and rule fairly. Those war crimes out in non-Human worlds were seen as justified to keep an inferior race at peace. But with Juno, the Empire even disrupted its weather patterns with superweapons designed to incite fierce hurricanes and massive tornados".

"The Imperials had hoped that this show of force would keep everyone in line. That if more worlds revolted, there would be punishment for high treason. This did the exact opposite: the official governments of the worlds in the Core were now taking the initiative, instead of independent rebel partisans. The war was ending. Many nobles, out of disgust over Juno's fate or out of a fear that they would be killed when the League won, defected. The banks recognized the Democratic League as the legitimate government of the Ryccian Empire. In order to bolster royalist support for the rebellion, Alice crowned herself Empress when she captured the historically-significant world of Constantinople, the first world to be colonized in the earliest days of Ryccia".

"Back at Daonlathas, the Emperor, despite seeing his government pushed back to a few planets scattered across Core, Rim, Farlands and Imperial Rim worlds, most of whom were under siege, still planned for a counterattack. This was extremely delusional, but out of honour, they had to strike. Before they were done planning, the rebel fleet arrived at the capital, and a carefully coordinated planetary uprising instantly rose up. After winning the capital, the Empress Alice arrested her own father and sentenced him to life in prision, and in addition, she set up a transitional government, preparing the Empire towards democracy. She drafted the first constitution that, although not in use today, was revolutionary and progressive for its time, giving everyone the right to vote and outlawing racism. She spearheaded a new education policy, forcing all schools to rightly teach their pupils to disavow racism and to learn the Ryccian Creed. After two hundred years, all that xenophobia was mostly gone, and the Empire is enlightened by such peace and brotherhood, more stable and prosperous than ever before".

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Qwert · 03-02-2019, 03:27 PM

Cuul nodded as the emperor spoke.

"Did all planets under the old xenophobic rule remain part of Ryccia after this democratic revolution? Did more worlds decide to join?"

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