Tréville-class Cruiser
Tréville, Wosley, Salvara
The angular cruiser hovered several kilometers over the newly inducted Confederate nation of Wosley. If the Pro-Consul hadn't stood in the communication's chamber along with President Urbino and Elder Terris, she might have admired the majestic peaks of the mountains rising up between Wosley and the southernmost province of Merdal. Instead, Christina found herself reclining on a blue cushioned bench between the other politicians. They all idly chatted, as they had for the last hour since the
Tréville had occupied its new space. President Urbino, a copper-skinned man with brooding dark eyes, finally cleared his throat and eyed the kashan Pro-Consul.
“They have not responded yet...”
“Patience,” lightly chided the Ithorian, “the reports are probably just going up their hierarchy, and then President Terris will have to figure what he will do. I surely hope he consults with other people, if would be for our best interest...we wouldn't want to have a potentially hotheaded man like himself jumping to conclusions...”
“CSIS tells me he does have the firepower to take on the
Tréville,” admitted the woman, “but it would rather painful for them, especially if they find themselves suddenly facing an entire Confederate war fleet knocking on their doors the next day after such an attack.”
“I do agree, an attack is unlikely,” concurred Urbino with a sigh, “but now that we have called his bluff, then what? Do not mistake this for ingratitude Pro-Consul. I realize that getting us membership into the Confederation certainly took the bite of the economic sanctions he was threatening on our nations, but the more options we take from him, the more we humiliate him in public, do either of you think we could provoke him to lash out if we continue to back him into a corner?”
“I prefer to think of it as taking the air out of his rhetoric,” sighed the woman, “but we need him to see that such domineering actions will not work. He will have to live with the confederations in peace. If not, they will crush him.”
“And what of the team you've sent to Merdal? Have they accomplished their mission yet?”
“It shouldn't have started,” replied the Ithorian, “Councilor Thorn here gave me the option to approve or disapprove it, and I don't like the idea one bit. At least not now, not while there's a chance to solve this in a more friendly manner...”
“We still might have to be a bit more aggressive,” sighed the woman, pulling out a silver comlink, “Captain?”
“Yes Councilor?”
“Have all of your sensors and gunnery systems begin targetting all high value targets of the Merdal Republic in range, including population centers. But do not fire, Captain. Understood?”
“Yes ma'am.”
Thorn neatly pocketed the comlink into her a concealed pocket in her white jump vest, “I don't really intend to fire on them. We just need to force his hand a little bit, give him or someone else an incentive to start talking...”
A muted voice poured down on them from the ceiling, “Councilor, we have a transmission from one of Merdal's provincial governors.”
Thorn nodded, “Patch it through to the projector down here.”
The holo-projector produced thousands of particles of light that transformed into the fuzzy blue image of an aging woman wearing a pastel business suit. Judging from the elevated skyline behind her, Thron guessed the woman governed Carjale, home to much of Merdal's light industry. More importantly, Carjale was the southernmost province of Merdal. The governor's green eyes met her own eyes straight on.
“Governor,” said Thorn quietly, “what a pleasant day it is today. I am Councilor Thorn of Kashan, and you probably know who Elder Moolis and President Urbino are, if you have not already met them before.”
“Councilor, Elder, President” replied the woman, glancing at each one in turn, “my police are telling me that your cruiser is currently targetting the very building I am sitting in right now. If you want peace with Merdal as you all have claimed, you will not get it by threatening death and destruction on us.”
“We don't. But now that we have your attention, perhaps it is time to talk about the Merdal traffic control zone that our ship is supposedly occupying, even as it floats over President Urbino's home town. Curiously, none of your flight controllers have sought to correct our course.”
“Did I just tell you to stop threatening our sovereignty, Councilor?”
“But it's okay to step on that of President Urbino's nation here? I understand the economic ties between his country and your province are quite close.”
The Merdalian woman sighed, “Yes, yes they are. This isn't helping them though.”
“You obviously understand that your new traffic control zone isn't helping my country then either,” suggested Urbino, leaning forward, “so perhaps it is time for us to both deescalate this a little bit...”
“I can't exactly order around a president or his administration,” quipped the governor, leaning back in her chair, “even if I wanted to. He's untouchable for the moment. His popularity is at its zenith among the northern electorates. Mr. President, you should already know that there are enough ethnic Woslians in my province that I'm not trying to lose an election by pissing your people off.”
“So why are you taking it laying down?” retored the man, “perhaps you're planning on losing the next election too?”
“I will talk to my other party members...”
“What if,” interrupted Thorn, “what if something was to cause President Trevvis to fall from public favor? Perhaps we could work something out to get him out of the way so we can all fix this mess.”
“If...if you could,” replied the governor, “and if you do, I can almost guarantee that tensions can go down, and we can get back to normal life on Salvara, the Maker willing. But it isn't just enough for him to go down in the polls or be removed from the presidency. This populist movement he started will fade away only for a moment before rising again under some other patriarch of our society. If you want lasting peace, you will have to see their own downfall too...”
“Perhaps we can arrange something then governor,” suggested Christina.
