Charles Kesslee's Story

The white haired woman’s tone then began to change as she continued, those sharp eyes then fixing onto Marlene in the moment. “That being said, I’ve hardly the time to corroborate policy with every Federate guideline considering our … precarious communications with the Garden. I’m not often one for the courts and procedures, I’m sure those that have threatened the peace and stability of your countries will be in proper care once turned over to the host-nations.” She said with an almost playful smile hinting at the corner of her lips. “I’m sure the Regional Bureau, however, will be excited of the opportunity to study the Imperial government in statecraft - they’ve a fascination with bringing Edenites into the civilized age.”

“If crackdowns and militarization were the answer, Mister Prince, we’d be having this conversation on Langara rather than here.” She remarked promptly, images splashing into the air behind her of the expeditionary carrier in the Aurora, posed next to a picket line protest somewhere in Metro City.

“There is a very fine line between protector and occupier, that I would suggest you and your subordinates learn to appreciate in the coming months. Every one of your soldiers and sailors that you place in harm's way and is killed will be a blow to the peacekeeping efforts of the wider Exogarden - and particularly, the networks of clandestine operators and informants I’ve worked rather hard on cultivating the past few years.”

“Our governments may be different, but when we are in a room with information like this we can all agree on one thing,” Rada said, speaking as she rose from her seat beside Prince with a calming nod. “Protecting every Aschen or Gardenite protects every Terran from this organization, or whoever they are working for, and the same can be said in your positions.” She directed to Johnne and Prince, raising a small hand to point at the image of a burning building somewhere on Hadriatica.

“If we can prevent these men as they’re taking up arms, we might be saving our people a siege in a decade, or even five years from now.” Rada implored, turning her gaze to Marlene before giving a sweeping gesture to the table. “The Exogarden will burn them to ash but it will need to be rebuilt in the interest of the governments of the Local Region, but we will need our people there on the planet taking over from them.”

Marlene stood there, and quietly raised her eyebrow, wondering silently what the white haired woman wanted with her, she simply shrugged, and opted not to say anything further. She shifted her footing, placing one foot in front of the other, crossing her legs slightly while hardening her gaze. She had nothing further to say to her Cobalt counterpart, though her eyes shimmered slightly while her mind peered into the ether.

Prince merely offered a frown at the response, and Kesslee saw it fit to speak up. "Langara is the most secure world in the Empire, disorganized militias would be foolish to attempt anything so close to the core, the logistics of such an undertaking would be almost impossible." The Grand Confessor said, challenging the white haired woman's assessment of Imperial national security.

Quietly, Marlene cast her gaze to Prince, and then back to the woman. "I'm not in the business of building nations, I'm in the business of the status quo." Marlene remarked. "Hearts and Minds is Minitru's department."

"Public affairs, and social harmony." Prince remarked. "But the burden of bringing errant worlds back into the fold will be everyone's responsibility, and we will need to address the shortcomings that led to these people to take up arms in the first place." Prince said heaving a sigh. "The tenets of the party will not serve those disenfranchised outer colonists, who see themselves as outsiders, looking in. If we tighten our grip, it will only serve to drive them further away from us."

"We should purge them, all of them." Kesslee remarked. "Dead people do not take up arms."

"You'd turn them into martyrs, and we're going to need the Exogarden's expertise quelling rebellion at Sky's edge, where General Nabaal, and Admiral Hanley are currently tied up." Marlene replied.

"Hanley should have glassed the planet." Kesslee rebuked, and Marlene simply shook her head. "The more we tighten our grip, Grand Confessor, the more systems slip through our fingers."

"I should have you re-educat-"

"Enough." Prince interrupted, bringing his attention back to Helianthus.

"We can debate the minutia of Aschen statecraft later, You have our support, and our compliance, we will quell this rebellion on Hadriatica, and come back to the table to debate the future, preferably on Langara, as peers." Prince said finally.

“I think for the sake of my interests in the Local Region and the Aschen Home State in the future, you and your government familiarize yourselves with the business of nation-building - despite your propaganda, there’s actually far more important beyond your corner of the galaxy that more of you are learning of. Considering the past and current terroristic nature of your government even, the Exogarden took a moment considering just who their true enemies were before moving forward against the OPA.”

The intelligence chief spoke dryly as Johnne and Maric studied the information before them. “There was an OPA splinter cell that had infiltrated Eden Prime’s nuclear reactor sectors a few years ago - the ESPF had cleaned them up but their network had been left behind. They planned to steal spent fuel rods for use in dirty ordnance, though just because we stopped them in the Shore Planets doesn’t mean we stopped them elsewhere.”

“On Bathe the spacer propaganda and civil arm has been at work across the stations, and a peculiar ship has been dispatched for some months now. I believe this ship to be of particular interest in the goings on - as it was last docked in Hadriatica if I recall.” Rada began, then looking to Prince with a nod toward a picture of the planet hanging over the table. “If the Aschen and Terrans are alongside the Exogarden on Hadriatica, our governments will benefit from a multilateral situation handled by the expertise of the Apparatus.”