Private The Arrival

[Aerys Yvarro]

High Commissioner.

Belsolla Verqes, chosen to be Aerys' personal assistant called out to her, "High Commissioner, there you are."

Aerys perked up a brow, slightly puzzled by the idea of 'there you are.' It wasn't as if she had been eluding Verqes. The commissioner couldn't shake the woman even if she wanted to, Verqes' was dedicated to her work, loyal to a fault but damn if Aerys didn't try to get rid of her a few times. "Here I am, walking around the administrative complex, what do you have for me Verqes?" Her tone of voice was a little more curt than she meant it. Not that it seemed to bother Verqes all that much as her assistant kept pace with her. The Dosuunian was sure her assistant hadn't missed the irritation that had displayed itself across her features before Aerys exhaled and motioned for Verqes to speak.

"You have confirmation hearings with the Secretary-General of Domestic Affairs at 1400 hours, then a late luncheon with the Royal Family of Seoul at 1600 hours. I've already sent off your request for funding for the Exploratory Corps to Secretary-General Ostidus. The Archons are requesting to meet with you tomorrow," rattled off Verqes as she walked beside Aerys. Aerys for her part had been listening she was doing her best to make her way to a meeting with the Secretariat to discuss the Board of Governor's nominations for the Secretary-General of Judiciary Affairs. "Can you tell me the names of the candidates they've put forward for the Judiciary Affairs' chair?"

"Of course, we have Serran Tarkaya from Seoul they've been seated with their Supreme Court for the last few years. I have their records at your desk waiting for further review, then there's the Needaine, Jod Kelaarin who has been seated with the Elder Courts which is considered a high honor by the Ursidaans. Then Kelaarin before that worked with the Tribunal system of the First Order, and currently presides as a Justice for Needan's High Court." Verqes paused only to scroll down, "And then we have Siroaza, a Chiss from Baralou who has been an Attorney General for them until recently as they are now hoping to be confirmed as a Justice on their Supreme Court."

Aerys didn't think the options sounded so bad, but she had to get a look at their records, again and what issues they stood for, and what their general policies were. "Right, all in all not so bad, a-"

"The Secretariat should have their information already, all that's left is for you to discuss them and then you are to brief the Crown on the final two candidates."

Of course, right, it was part of her job description to communicate with the Crown. Lovely. The thought was kept to herself as the pair rounded a corner and proceeded down the hall toward the Secretariat's chambers. "Notes, are my notes with me and did they include my revision for the position of Security Affairs? I'd like to propose it to the Secretariat while I have them all in one place."

"They are, they'll be at your tablet once you enter the chambers. Yes, your notes are included, I did edit them for grammar and pacing. I'll have a light snack and refreshments arrive shortly, good luck, High Commissioner."

"Oh, before you go, can you send..." Aerys wondered, then snapped her fingers, doing her best to try and remember the name of one of her other assistants. "The little one..."

"Tessha Khaid, yes, she should be there already." Verqes moved around Aerys and opened the chamber doors, a simple look verified that indeed Tessha had been waiting for the High Commissioner. "She'll take notes for you for the meeting, while Gelt over here will record for the Secretariat as a whole."

"Thanks, see you later," Aerys acknowledged and moved to close the chambers' doors behind her.

Thale Ostidus ​

 

[Thale Ostidus]

The Secretariat was an organization of the most powerful men and women in the Dosuunian Commonwealth of Nations. Their word was, for all intense and purposes law, and their decisions were set in the stone of galactic policy. They answered to no one, except one another, and the new High Commissioner. A balance of sorts had existed before Aerys had made her grand arrival into the political scene, an event stewarded by the Secretariat itself, that balance had been shattered. Whether this would be a benefit to the Commonwealth in the long term, Thale was still, as of yet, uncertain. It certainly made meetings more interesting though.

"You cannot expect the constituent worlds to agree to military subservience!" Garn Breck, Secretary-General of Political Affairs was shouting at the others seated around the table. This rather aggressive line of discussion was one that had been brought up several times in the recent weeks since Thale had begun the reorganization of the Commonwealth military. He felt it an invasion of his sphere of influence when Thale began talks with the individual planetary governments of Commonwealth worlds. Perhaps it was, but Thale thought the true problem lay somewhere else. As Secretary-General of political games, Garn had long seen himself as the first among equals, and leader of the Secretariat. With the arrival of Aerys, that balance of power, false as it was, had also been shattered. Garn bridled now at the smallest of things, and the other Secretary-Generals had grown used to his temper.

"Military subservience," Thale began, leaning forward in his chair and resting one hand on the smooth table, "is not my goal. The Commonwealth worlds are entitled to their individual security, but it is my duty to ensure the joint security of each world. Military cooperation with a higher chain of command has proven time and time again to be a far better..."

"It breaks the very principles of the Commonwealth to even suggest it. Each world joined the Commonwealth with the expectation of independence of choice over all aspects, including their military." The argument always led to this point, an endless spiral that ended only when Thale grew too tired of the debate, and left it. Garn considered it a victory when Thale did so, but the Secretary-General of Military Affairs did not have the time, or the breath, to waste on a pointless struggle.

Just as Thale was about to begin the next worn out line of discussion with his colleague, the doors to the chamber opened. All eyes turned, and upon seeing Aerys Fortan entering, the remaining Secretariat members not already standing rose to their feet. Thale was among the first to do so, though a touch of annoyance lingered in his eyes at the sight of the High Commissioner. This meeting would be his time to air his own concerns about certain developments, and the risks he felt they posed to the greater Commonwealth.

"High Commissioner," Thale said, "we are pleased to have your presence with us in this simple gathering."

 

[Aerys Yvarro]

"Do try to contain yourselves," remarked Aerys rather dryly, "please be seated, and let's get this meeting on, shall we?" It hadn't been so long since she had taken office and in the short time, everyone had quickly come to realize that Aerys was as no-nonsense as one could be. Straight to the point and with little time for the ceremony, she scarcely did anything other than review all the policies and laws that had been either written or suggested. Khaid had been a good little assistant, as Aerys took her seat the young half-Mirialan from Mephout handed over a small data tablet with the most previous record. "Our agenda is as such, it shall begin with our work on narrowing down candidates for Judiciary Affairs, we will then go over progress with each cabinet team. This will be your opportunity to speak plainly about what it is you need or want, if you wish to have a private discussion that will be the time to voice such a need." A small pause as she skimmed through the data presented to her. "Afterward, I have a proposition I'd like to discuss, once I've completed my pitch you may all go about your day, except..."

The High Commissioner looked over toward the Political Affairs Chair. Surely he should have known that with the two assistants in the room, anything he said would have well been recorded for her and/or the Crown's review. "Secretary-General Breck, you will remain after this meeting has adjourned," and nothing else was said on the matter. Aerys could see the back of Breck's neck flush several shades of red. "Now then," proceeding onward, "I understand that we've all come down to three candidates for the chair of Judiciary Affairs, I'd like to hear opinions on our remaining three. We'll select two from the list, I shall present the two remaining candidates to the Crown. Once their selection is made we will work to streamline the Judiciary system within the Commonwealth."

From there Aerys opened the floor and gestured toward Breck to begin the proceedings with regard to a potential candidate. Breck lobbied for Tarkaya, doing his best to move on. The High Commissioner listened then as the other Secretaries-General vouched for their chosen candidate. It was coming down to 2-1-1 split, with Tarkaya as the lead, both Kelaarin and Siroaza were tied for one. It went without saying the vote was confidential, and that vote now rested with Secretary-General Ostidus. His word would determine which of the remaining two candidates' profiles would be brought before the Crown.

Thale Ostidus ​

 

[Thale Ostidus]

The obvious choice, for Thale at least, was Serran Tarkaya. While Thale had not been born on Seoul V himself, his mother had been from Seoul, and he had moved back to the world at an early age after his father passed away. Serran was already an accomplished judicial official, serving within the Seoul Supreme Court for years. Accomplished, intelligent, and with a proven willingness to serve the people rather than themselves. He raised a finger, indicating he would speak first.

"Serran Tarkaya," Thale said, "is a well established Judiciary on Seoul. They have served for years, and have a long track record of success. Their record speaks for itself, and their seniority among the other candidates is only rivaled by that of Jod Kelaarin, my second nomination. A member of the Elder Council of Needan, it is a high cultural honor for the people of that world."

Garn raised his finger, indicating he wished to speak. Before Thale could properly turn the floor over to him, Garn began to speak. "The Secretary-General from Seoul supports a candidate from Seoul. Does that not strike anyone else as suspicious?" The man's meaty hand rested on the table as he leaned forward, his eyes traveling to each of the other individuals at the table. "Seoul already has a strong representation within the Commonwealth government. To put forward a second name for the Secretariat from that world would alienate the other worlds. The treaty that I painstakingly worked out to keep the balance cannot be thrown away for nepotism."

Thale's hand closed slowly into a fist as Garn continued to speak, though he showed no other outward reaction. "What my colleague does have right, however, is their support of Jod Kelaarin. He is a great man, seasoned in the theater of judicial affairs. It is indeed an honor among his people to serve in the Elder Council, and it would be an even greater honor, and a point of patriotic pride, if he were to assume the position within the Commonwealth government. My second candidate would obviously then be Siroaza."

None of the other Secretary-Generals spoke for a moment, their eyes turning towards Thale, clearly waiting for his reply to the pointed remarks against him. All the same, Thale made a show of requesting the floor from Garn, and the other man grudgingly agreed. "Merit, ability, and duty. These are the things that the Commonwealth are built upon. To deny a qualified candidate, and no one here can deny that Serran is not qualified, simply by the world of their birth risks returning to Imperialistic and Elitist roots. I have nothing against Siroaza, but in comparison to the other two candidates they are simply not as...well rounded." The last words were spoken with a noticable glance down at Garn's bulging waistline. The Secretary-General of Political Affairs reddened deeply, but before he could reply, the Secretary-General of Economic Affairs indicated their desire to speak, and Thale turned the floor over to him.

Thale and Garn leaned back in their respective chairs, glaring at one another across the round table, while their colleagues spoke their peace.

Aerys Fortan

 

[Aerys Yvarro]

"Then the matter is settled, Tarkaya and Kelaarin shall be presented to the Crown later today. Should for any reason the Crown reject either of these two candidates then Siroaza shall be put forth. I will personally select a fourth candidate as an emergency selection, should the Crown reject both. The emergency candidate's information will be sent to your inboxes once they've been selected." It wasn't up for discussion, as High Commissioner Aerys needed to ensure that the Crown had options even if those options weren't the ones nominated by the Secretariat. However, it was unlikely that the Crown would go against the Secretariat. After all, it was the job of the Secretariat to do what was best for the Commonwealth as a whole.

She subsequently moved their meeting right along, "Now then I would like each of you to brief me on the affairs of your cabinet. My assistant has outlined for me a simple rundown of each cabinet, however, I should like to hear from each of you what it is you need or wish to air out as it were. Before we begin, I will remind all of you that there is to be an Imperial Conference a week from tomorrow. I will present an outline for the Commonwealth to effectively govern as a centralized government and not to continually be... held up by the bureaucracies that currently plague us."

"Now then, let us begin with Domestic Affairs," Aerys turned her head toward the Secretary-General of Domestic Affairs and looked over to her own second assistant, Khaid who gave a small nod of acknowledgment that they would be getting everything down for the High Commissioner. Domestic Affairs' had included but were not limited to offices such as Education, Infrastructure, Transportation, Health, Environmental Concerns, etc. So their cabinet affairs or rather the addressing or briefing of such to the High Commissioner would be lengthy. Aerys gave her full attention no matter how wordy the person was. When they were done it was Corporate Affairs they more or less kept various corporations and businesses in line with the government, regulatory practices and such they also worked closely with Economic Affairs on internal trade policies, but of course, they were not limited to just those aforementioned categories. Economic Affairs went next and gave a run down of their cabinet, in charge of the treasury, central bank, reserves, and often the overseeing body of monetary policies, and financial laws. Their Secretary-General was to the point with no more words than were required. Finally, it would come down to Political and then Military Affairs.

Thale Ostidus ​

 

[Thale Ostidus]

Thale listened to his fellow Secretary-Generals as they listed the current affairs, goals, and limitations that each of their departments and divisions faced. Thale listened, and while he made a few mental notes about things that might connect to his own departments, there was little of real note for him. The nature of the Secretariat ensured that, in most cases, the various Secretary-Generals had little direct overlap or interaction with one another beside the most basic cooperation measures. It helped streamline the process by allowing each of the Commonwealth’s most powerful men and women to just focus on their aspect of governance.

Finally, it was Garn’s turn. The pompous man was quick to layout his current grievances with various happenings in the Commonwealth, though little, if anything, of what he said was of importance. Two worlds were contesting the mining rights to an asteroid, a new bill was being brought to the Commonwealth assembly, and there were talks once again on some of the outer worlds of having a greater say in core politics. Nothing new, and since the last meeting of the Secretariat a month ago, no big changes.

It therefore finally came to Thale to speak. Eyes turned towards him, though Thale’s own gaze held steady on the High Commissioner. “The Commonwealth Military,” he said, “continues to grow with the support of our member worlds. Ships, crews and ground personnel continue to join the cause, and border security is beginning to approach the minimum requirements for joint protection I laid out three months ago.” A few heads nodded around the table, border security affected every department in one form or another, and to have it developing would ensure the better operation of the Commonwealth as a whole.

“However, I must raise concerns about the new proposed Exploration Corp.” A quiet muttering spread around the room, with a few eyes turning towards Aerys Fortan in particular, as the Exploration Corp was her creation. “While the Commonwealth Military is still in its infancy, funding is limited. I have used what we have so far to expand the border patrols and counter the lingering threats of pirates and smugglers. As it stands, there is barely enough left in my budget at the end of the month to purchase a single vessel, on top of the expenses needed to maintain the current fleet. To create an entirely new division, fund it, man it, and provide it with the needed resources and ships to become functional would put the Commonwealth Military in a critical funding shortage.”

He tapped one finger on the table to emphasize the next words he spoke. “If we move forward with the Exploration Corp as it is proposed now, the Commonwealth will be at risk.”

 

[Aerys Yvarro]

Infancy. What a term, Aerys thought, she didn't hesitate to use the table's projector to display the analysis. "Secretary-General Ostidus, I do caution you on being so dramatic, as you have thus far demonstrated." She gave him a knowing look, his theatrics were on display in her home not so long ago and she would not forget how he acted as it was going to be how she measured his work. "In fact, I have run your numbers and I have had a third party run the numbers and for transparency's sake, yes it was Primo Victorian."

As High Commissioner she knew to be prepared, and preparedness was knowing every aspect of the Commonwealth's budget. She also knew they were bleeding at a rate that didn't fit with what had been projected. The numbers had been off and didn't align at all, Aerys consulted the Central Banks personally. All she needed now was the truth of the matter.

She peered over toward him and looked over at the projected numbers. "Each of you has complained of a shortfall in the budget. Each of you should have what you need, more than what you need, as you might recall. Primo Victorian Enterprises yet still beats as the economic heart of this very nation." Aerys stood up and with her trust clicker in hand had the projection move so that each of the Secretariat understood their numbers and could see the patterns. "What I have trouble understanding is how most of you are short the same exact amount."

"Now, I understand some of the changes I have proposed are not to your liking, but they are not for you to like, and most of them, are not unreasonable changes, however... " continued Aerys as she clicked again and showed exactly her plans to fund her projects. Still leaving the bulk of the budget intact, as she had increased the funding from Primo Victorian. "It seems the only branch not nearly as short as the rest of you, Economics."

Aerys looked between them as she came to rest behind the Secretary-General of Economic Affairs. "I can assure you the troubles we are having right now, with regard to planets not pulling their weight, will be over as of a week from tomorrow when the proposals I lay out are approved. In the interim, I will leave it to the lot of you to figure out just who and what has happened."

"I'm going to step out for a moment, and ensure that our refreshments are taken care of."

Her gaze swept the room, and each member seemed to know exactly what was implied. Aerys would step out for she knew the guilty party, what she needed was a confession and motivation. "My assistant Khaid will remain here to record anything that comes up and shall brief me once I return."

The guilty party was already sweating under the sun, so to speak.

Thale Ostidus ​