[SIZE=3]Election Day
[/SIZE]
Noble House - Capricia
"The Docket is going to close today. We need to make a public appearance or we will simply be an 'unknown' if we make the Docket at all."
Stettin smiled at the younger man and noted his nervousness. "Afraid you won't carry your region?" he teased slightly.
"Once the Docket closes, there will be more candidates than seats." the young man explained.
The minor regions had already voted and their World Council seats taken. In most cases, the smaller regions had candidates with no one running against them and by law, all regions had representation within the World Council. But those regions who's populations ranged into the hundreds of thousands or even millions had multiple World Council representatives and in that case, held more candidates than seats available.
"Tyscio Korban is a popular fellow.." Stettin murmured and then turned towards the younger man. "When you go public, there will be those who are...were intimate with you. Were friends with you and there will be questions. Fortunately, those that would disturb your momentum are off world."
The younger man turned to Stettin, "What about Vinda's daughter? Is she alright?"
Stettin motioned the young man's question away, "Yes, yes. She survived. Just goes to show you how vulnerable people in power can be."
"So those in power should not have families? Loved ones?"
"Remember your family?" Stettin softly reminded. "Just know that should you have another family, it is a vulnerability. And it is one that can be exploited if you are careless."
The young man fell silent as he tried to remember his dead wife and children. In was an effort that left his mind tired.
Tyscio Korban - Capricia
He was already at the convention site knowing that the Docket was soon to be filled. Once done, then it would be in the hands of the people.
He turned to Leia and smiled, "Win or lose, I still win."
"I don't see how you can lose. The mystery candidate will either show up or not. But you're so popular right now..." her voice trailed off as she watched the other candidates nervously move about.
All candidates were ready for Docket selection and if the mystery candidate did not show up soon, the Docket would close and the voting begin.
"We need to write a note to Mr. Vinda asking after his daughter." she started and Tyscio nodded, "Did they catch the man?"
"I don't know... reports from Bonadan are hazy right now... with all this election business, it's hard to know what's going on out there."
"Look.. there's an aircar approaching!"
Tyscio Zier - Undisclosed Fleet Base, Brosi
"So what do you call this contraption?" he asked, tearing his eyes away from the datapad that was giving him the latest changes to the Caprician World Council.
"Life Jak" the technical representative mentioned as he pulled out the covering from the rather small square piece.
"You see, the gel packs acts as a sort of conductor of energy.."
"Like military grade armour?" Zier interrupted.
"Oh no, sir. Many factions use superconductivity in their armour process but when applied to armoured suits, there is a physical danger to the body itself. We are still working on it but we find that the more energy absorbed, even when it's trying to channel to other systems, it interferes with the body's own bio-electrical process. Heart murmurs..even heart attacks can happen."
"So, what does this do?"
"Well, with this," he pointed to the protective clothing, "it does not necessarily deflect weapons fire or shrapnel but once the projectile or weapons fire penetrates and strikes, it goes through the gel packs releasing bacta or even Panacea clones to repair the damage."
Tyscio raised his eyebrows, "Interesting concept. But the body needs to survive the initial shock of impact.."
"Oh yes, Sir. It's not perfected yet. But several of these babies throughout the ship may give a crew under fire that much more of a chance given that blocked corridors or hull breaches can prevent a ship's medical corp from getting to injured crewmen."
"A distinct point." Zier nodded, "Carry on and let me know how it goes." he dismissed the other, his mind on the elections and as the latest information scrolled across his pad, he nearly dropped it in shock.
"Sweet Clannus Prime!"
And when that wasn't enough...
"Son of a whore!"
Scipio Arien - Bonadan - House Scipio..
Her eyes were riveted to the newscast as they attempted to follow the action. She breathed a sigh of relief upon finding out Natalya Vinda had survived. That Achinta had caught her and was actively persuing his quarry.
She put up the latest on the Caprician World Council elections wondering what Tyscio Korban would say by way of an acceptance speech. The two newscasts were superimposed on her monitor and she saw that the mystery candidate that Korban had called her about earlier was stepping out of an arrived aircar.
The elections would start promptly after and the voting would not be a long process. Most were connected on the new holonetwork of the Commonwealth.
Wait! Something was happening with Achinta's pursuit!
What was he...??
Suddenly the VNN broadcast flickered. Something had happened!
"... The bloody corpse of the kidnapper ...... Achinta seems to be falling... his arm in pieces... It's doubtful he..."
Scipio was already moving towards her door when the a voice came over the monitor speakers.
"People of Capricia... People of the Capital Province..."
And Scipio stopped, the voice recognizable. She turned an eye to the monitor in shock.
"Oh my God.." she whispered before shaking her head.
Achinta!
Then she shot out the door towards her speeder. Throwing her bag into the passenger seat, she began to step in when something struck her from behind.
A sharp pain erupted and spread before her mind could react.
And as she lost consciousness...
Tears flowed and she mouthed, "Achinta.."
The figure floating on the Dubonari lowered their high powered rifle watching a father burst out from the house shouting the woman's name. He continued to float downstream and he lost sight of the house under construction.
"Abomination.." the person murmured.
Leantre Vio - Bonadan
Seth Vinda had lost consciousness it was reported and as Leantre exhaled in relief at the safe landing of his daughter he turned an eye towards the transmission from Capricia.
The speech was beginning...
"People of Capricia... People of the Capital Province..."
Leantre sank into his chair in a mixture of shock and not a little joy watching the event unfold.
"How about that.." he murmured.
The old man could not contain the laughter welling up from within.
Capricia
In those seconds, Tyscio Korban knew he had lost. Turning to Leia, she had seen the same, the familiar figure having emerged from the aircar. They had met him once in Antioch, in their Worldboard Room (the war room of the pre-Conquest Capricia). Antioch.. Before Tallien Yzan had destroyed the city in his opening attack.
As the speech of the man built to a crescendo, he began to walk over to other candidates, naming them.... listing their accomplishments before, during and after the Conquest.
The people were at first shocked into silence and as he spoke, were propelled along by the memories, the pain, the comradeship, their victorious finale...
"I didn't expect a dead man to get more support than I.." Tyscio remarked rather good naturedly as he and Leia began to leave the crowded area. There was not much else to do but wait for the results but even they knew, if the crowd was any indication, how the voting would go.
And as he walked away from the crowds, he still heard the cheers and chants. He saw people come out of restaurants or buildings as if to see with their own eyes what was diplayed on their holosets.
The dead had come back to life.
"Gomorran! Gomorran Kay!"
The former Regent of Capricia, the First among the Clans... the leader who had given his life to save that of a lowly soldier's.
And on the platform, Gomorran Kay narrowed his eyes as he watched the retreat of Tyscio Korban. Knowing he had won the principle seat on the World Council for the Capital Disctrict of New Antioch, he cast a regretful thought to the man who had campaigned against the massive supporters behind him.
Forgive me, Korban.
But,
your day will come...
And he turned his mind back to the shouting masses, seeing their Regent returned...
Seeing a hero come back..
Seeing the Ghosts of the Past return once more to stake their claim upon the living...
