1 June, Buntoku 1
Dear Yoyo,
I first want to note that the formal report is my true thinking, I'm not dressing it up for Hood. Salsu looks like it'll take some effort, but we can turn this around. We've got a good team, my people are on fire. We've done insurgency suppression before, things'll be fine. No, I no longer want to shoot everyone I see because I'm surrounded by incompetents.
At this point, my reforms of the local military are mostly complete. I've shitcanned the incompetents, shepherded the chiongsters, and the mediocre are, for the most part, where they can't do too much harm. I hope.
The civil service has seen some ruthless trimming - when their functions haven't been suborned to military authority - and I believe I've sufficiently cowed the nobles into shutting up and listening to me. Being an Imperial Prince does still count for something, afterall!
I really need more ships out here - I know, I know, everyone says that. It's true though. I swear on your mum. We're patrolling aggressively to deter pirates and maintain a presence in all systems - I don't want anywhere in Salsu feeling neglected and deciding this is a grand old time to secede, and I'm not comfortable with letting the locals crash build their forces - forces which might well be used against me.
Sorry, I'm rambling a little. Sorry, I've been a little vague on what my plans were for Salsu, because I didn't want anybody accusing you of conspiring with me. This way, we've got a little bit of plausible deniability, enough to do things. It reminds me of when we were the boys of DesRon 413, the Die Live Again Gang. Sorry, I'm stalling. Lightyears away and I can still see that disapproving look on your face, Hyung, so I'll just come out and say it:
I've effectively declared myself military governor of the Salsu Frontier. In deed, not name, but that fig leaf will last as long as a corvette under a battleship's broadside. I just didn't see a way to effectively assert control over the situation. It's actually worked out pretty well, and everyone has gotten with the program (and with surprisingly little need to have guns continually pointed at their heads!).
I suspect that someone was and still is stirring the pot here in Salsu. The pirate presence was too well armed, too well-equipped, not like some of the jokers we've crushed. We've managed to streamline the command structure and reorganise our forces, and so far, piracy remains suppressed, the problem moving forward is going to be separatist and insurgent movements springing up in the systems. There's a lot of unrest and unhappiness here, especially with Hoou's indifferent, negligent mismanagement of the frontier: this place is ripe for becoming another Pattani. Politically, moving forward, I think the only way Salsu stays in the Empire is if it becomes an Imperial Protectorate - not quite to the same level as Takama-ga-Hara, the Five Great Houses would throw a shitfit over that - but administered and overseen by the Throne. But that's going to be a decision for Her Majesty.
I know my tour will be up in half a year, but I'd really appreciate it if you could work things to extend my tour by another year. I'd love to come home - Goddess, I miss my wife and my daughter (and you, of course) - but you know how it is. We sacrifice our desires on the altar of service - you taught me that. I really think that if I can stay on another year I can keep things on the rails, or at least buffer things so that some dumbfuck social admiral can't fuck up Salsu. It'd be best if we could get all of our gang out here, but there's only so much I can impose on you.
Please give my regards to your mum, and take care of yourself, especially that thing I keep arguing with you about. If there is anything you need, you only need to ask and I'll help: all my resources are at your disposal. Don't be too proud to make use of them.
I don't tell you this enough: thank you for looking out for me and Yui. It means the world to me.
Your brother,
Masa
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