If the Schism is permanent, I'm going to leave this here.
Bit Two Lower Down
Third Section: Lt...
Bit Two Lower Down
Third Section: Lt...
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AKuz
Been Better
- Location
- A Rising Tide of Horrors
- Pronouns
- She/Her
If the Schism is permanent, I'm going to leave this here.
Bit Two Lower Down
Third Section: Lt Jaims Comes Home
Imperial troops stood menacingly around the perimeter of the Imperial senate, their composure and silence at odds with the sound and fury inside the building.
A Terran senator puffed up and red held forth on the floor "You can't do this! Our society has rules, at least two sections of the Imperial charter explicitly refute these actions. We demand an explanation", he paused, and a chorus of angry agreement erupted out of the assembled senators. "No one in this body was consulted for this move", another pause, another angry roar.
The senate was in a state of near revolt over the sudden dismissal of one of the Emperor's most trusted counselors. Not most trusted by the Emperor, clearly not, but most trusted by the Empire's citizens. The ex-military Councillor Enathe had been trusted by everyone from hardcore radical Rim separatists, to conservative heartworld oligarchs. Her sometime abrasive words were more than made up for with even-handed and fair attitudes towards every party in a dispute. And suddenly, she was gone, suddenly "retired".
For hours the Empire had sat in stunned amazement, one of, if not, the most trusted of all Imperial grandees had retired. No one had quite known what to do next. Then a rumour had let slip: Enathe had not retired she'd been ejected from the Imperial inner circle, the first she'd known of it was an inability to access the Imperial district, and the cancelling of all her Imperial accesses. She'd contacted the newsies and the story had spread from there, until now, a day later, the entire Imperial senate sat in their seats and shouted for justice.
Another senator stood, "I have never been on the same side as Enathe" a small chuckle ran through the assembled, "but I have never doubted her abilities to do her job, and do it well." He was about to continue when a hush came from the back of the senate and spread out over the august body. The Emperor had arrived.
He slowly stalked to the Imperial Dias, flanked by two heavily armed members of his lifeguard. He set down a set of paper notes, and handed his Imperial cloak to a trailing aide. The Emperor looked out over his Senate, and began, his Imperial attire sparkling in the focused light.
He spoke, calmly and firmly, "We had wished that we could have handled this without the current rage, we wanted to do this without causing a crisis." He looked around the chamber, his gaze firm, "We have held concerns about Enathe for a long while now; we initially dismissed them due to her long service, and a private talk that alleviated our worries"
The Emperor paused, and then resumed, "But we received more complaints, rumours of corruption, then an allegation of bias, then more followed. You see, it doesn't matter how popular you are as a Councillor, or as any Imperial servant. If you cannot be impartial in your duties, you have crossed a line and cannot continue" His gaze turned harder, more angry.
"This is all, however, a non-issue. We don't need to be here, we are Emperor. We may be a benevolent Emperor, but We rule regardless, my opinion is the only one that matters. We have no need to further justify myself to you, just as you have no need to be here. Never doubt that we have the Empire's best interests at heart. You are dismissed" He waved his immaculately gloved hand in a shooing gesture and two companies of the Emperor's most loyal emerged from the side galleries in to the senate hall, passing a row of ceremonial ficus trees.
The troops slowly pushed the mass of shouting senators out of the chamber, their anger and outrage increasing every second. The Emperor smiled to himself "There, that's taken care of"
He was wrong. As news spread of the Emperor's speech spread, another message spread along with it: "We must Dissent"
Bit Two Lower Down
Third Section: Lt Jaims Comes Home
Imperial troops stood menacingly around the perimeter of the Imperial senate, their composure and silence at odds with the sound and fury inside the building.
A Terran senator puffed up and red held forth on the floor "You can't do this! Our society has rules, at least two sections of the Imperial charter explicitly refute these actions. We demand an explanation", he paused, and a chorus of angry agreement erupted out of the assembled senators. "No one in this body was consulted for this move", another pause, another angry roar.
The senate was in a state of near revolt over the sudden dismissal of one of the Emperor's most trusted counselors. Not most trusted by the Emperor, clearly not, but most trusted by the Empire's citizens. The ex-military Councillor Enathe had been trusted by everyone from hardcore radical Rim separatists, to conservative heartworld oligarchs. Her sometime abrasive words were more than made up for with even-handed and fair attitudes towards every party in a dispute. And suddenly, she was gone, suddenly "retired".
For hours the Empire had sat in stunned amazement, one of, if not, the most trusted of all Imperial grandees had retired. No one had quite known what to do next. Then a rumour had let slip: Enathe had not retired she'd been ejected from the Imperial inner circle, the first she'd known of it was an inability to access the Imperial district, and the cancelling of all her Imperial accesses. She'd contacted the newsies and the story had spread from there, until now, a day later, the entire Imperial senate sat in their seats and shouted for justice.
Another senator stood, "I have never been on the same side as Enathe" a small chuckle ran through the assembled, "but I have never doubted her abilities to do her job, and do it well." He was about to continue when a hush came from the back of the senate and spread out over the august body. The Emperor had arrived.
He slowly stalked to the Imperial Dias, flanked by two heavily armed members of his lifeguard. He set down a set of paper notes, and handed his Imperial cloak to a trailing aide. The Emperor looked out over his Senate, and began, his Imperial attire sparkling in the focused light.
He spoke, calmly and firmly, "We had wished that we could have handled this without the current rage, we wanted to do this without causing a crisis." He looked around the chamber, his gaze firm, "We have held concerns about Enathe for a long while now; we initially dismissed them due to her long service, and a private talk that alleviated our worries"
The Emperor paused, and then resumed, "But we received more complaints, rumours of corruption, then an allegation of bias, then more followed. You see, it doesn't matter how popular you are as a Councillor, or as any Imperial servant. If you cannot be impartial in your duties, you have crossed a line and cannot continue" His gaze turned harder, more angry.
"This is all, however, a non-issue. We don't need to be here, we are Emperor. We may be a benevolent Emperor, but We rule regardless, my opinion is the only one that matters. We have no need to further justify myself to you, just as you have no need to be here. Never doubt that we have the Empire's best interests at heart. You are dismissed" He waved his immaculately gloved hand in a shooing gesture and two companies of the Emperor's most loyal emerged from the side galleries in to the senate hall, passing a row of ceremonial ficus trees.
The troops slowly pushed the mass of shouting senators out of the chamber, their anger and outrage increasing every second. The Emperor smiled to himself "There, that's taken care of"
He was wrong. As news spread of the Emperor's speech spread, another message spread along with it: "We must Dissent"
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AKuz
Been Better
- Location
- A Rising Tide of Horrors
- Pronouns
- She/Her
I thought this was going to be an Alpha Centauri fanfic.
I am disappoint.
Sorry, it's based on totally not recent events
BeRzErKeR
Perennially Perplexed Military Mind
- Location
- Virginia
But I want my Miriam Godwinson fics, dammit!
Required Disclaimer:
This text is a work of fiction. All similarities with past or present events, individuals, dead or alive, places or organizations is pure coincidence.
This text is a work of fiction. All similarities with past or present events, individuals, dead or alive, places or organizations is pure coincidence.
Royal we?
Stargrave
Wine-drinking evil
- Location
- The White City
Okay, but then why does he switch back to I in the middle of the speech?
Well, that wasn't entirely uncommon in royal speech, but it heavily depends on the circumstance. The author should probably clarify.
AKuz
Been Better
- Location
- A Rising Tide of Horrors
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Because I derped. I meant to be doing a royal we. I forgot to change all the "I"s when I decided to do the royal We
Romantic_Kaiju
Romantic Kaiju
- Location
- National Battlefield
That was interesting, and very well written, the We to I might need to be cleared up, but you already are going to fix that (I think so at least, that's what it looks like).
SemiSaneAuthor
Powered by Snark, Spite, and Tea!
- Location
- Sol-3, Memetic Quarantined World - For English
- Pronouns
- They/Them
This has inspired me, I've started writing my own story not inspired by current events at all. I mean if you squinted and fiddled with the names a bit you might be able to make parallels to certain recent internet history. But that would be a trick of the mind. So, if anyone is willing to beta my little fantasy story I would be somewhat happy.
I mean if you squinted and fiddled with the names a bit you might be able to make parallels to certain recent internet history. But that would be a trick of the mind. So, if anyone is willing to beta my little fantasy story I would be somewhat happy.
AKuz
Been Better
- Location
- A Rising Tide of Horrors
- Pronouns
- She/Her
I do too. It'll be a day or two, though. I desperately need to asleep, but cannot look away from all teh drama.
mothematics
How wide is the concept of "you"?
- Location
- the bottom of a coffee cup
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Took me a minute to figure out what this was supposed to be.
- Location
- Australia
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UrsaTempest
Don't Panic!
It's not SMAC fic, but still interesting~
spencer1519
(Verified Heretic)
- Location
- Oregon, USA
I actually find myself looking forward to the world building. I'm interested to see what you make from this.
Neo Matrix
Khorne Beserker
- Location
- Wisconsin, Eye of Terror
This is awesome, you gotta continue this.
- Location
- Australia
You could do a short piece about some micro-state that's an enclave of the empire suddenly getting 10,000-fold increase in people requesting immigration/dual citizenship.
AKuz
Been Better
- Location
- A Rising Tide of Horrors
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Next part, things are starting to get a bit more fictional. Going to be a bit more build up before things start sloping dramatically downhill. Much Pew! Pew! and Drama! once the set up is finished. Current planning has this ending up being The Crisis in the Third Century by way of the English Civil Wars. Also: full migration away from SB in the near future.
The streets were filled with people, more people than Oliver Wells had ever seen in his life in one place. Which wasn't hard, he being only eighteen and barely out of school. It was exhilarating, millions of people in the same streets all chanting and yelling together.
Oliver didn't actually really care who Enathe was, or what had happened to her, he'd come because Lissel Veils had said she was going, and Oliver had a bit of a thing for her. But now he was here and he was forgetting all about Lissel.
Something was stirring inside him, all his life he'd been told to follow the Emperor, and the Imperial authorities. He'd been told by his betters that he was going to work in a factory or serve in the Army as the Emperor saw fit, and nothing would change that. He would have to dance to his betters tune and behave or else. But now here he was outside of the Imperial Palace, yelling at the top of his lungs and no one was stopping him.
Well, there were the Imperial Protectors guarding the Palace, but they were still, forming a barrier between the crowd and the crown. If he'd been here on his own he would be arrested, but with a million of his best friends? The Protectors didn't dare make a move.
He felt... powerful. Even in the crush of a million sweating bodies, unable move or hear himself speak, He felt powerful. For the first time in his life he felt, really, truthfully powerful. Unfortunately for the Emperor he wasn't the only one in the crowd who was growing a sense of how powerful the man or woman in the street actually was.
Well away from the hot, loud, sweating and vulgar masses was a room.
It was a well appointed room. Intricate tapestries hung upon the walls, woven by masters of the art a millennia dead. The floors were tiled in a tasteful mosaic that had been lifted wholesale from the palace of a dead kingdom that had resisted the Empire a century ago. The furniture was carved of rich hardwoods harvested from planets that no longer supported life, and upholstered in the finest materials. The whole thing unapologetically declared luxury and power. The men and women that filled this room couldn't have cared less.
"What the hell does he think he's doing?" The room's centre featured a large powerfully built man pacing animatedly back and forth across the tiling. "He cannot possibly have thought that that was a good idea?"
"You know Ed, I've got no idea, why don't we go ask him?" Senator Robert Aimsborough asked his colleague, his tone flippant "I know that the Summons Act we passed gives us the right to... oh that's right, you blocked that" Senator Edward Nains glared back at his legislative opponent.
Another voice cut in before verbal battle could be joined, "So it turns out that we all don't get along. Funny that", the speaker was Valerie Villeneuve, Senator, ex-military and wealthy in her own right, and the room's owner. "We aren't here to argue about the Summons Act, again." She paused "We're here to talk about what we're going to do about yesterday."
Senator Nains stopped pacing "You know it's the Emperor's right to dismiss Imperial Councillors right?" he huffed up indignantly "But cancelling a sitting of the Senate, with soldiers no less. He hasn't the right, he can call for dismissal, and he can even demand immediate closing, but soldiers. The indignity of it" a murmur of agreement came from the other present.
"Now do you see why I wanted to clip his wings? No one wants to toss aside the central constitutional institution of this Empire, but some accountability, some old fashioned popular participation can't hurt." Aimsborough went on, "Look, we might not control the military or the judiciary, but we can affect the day to day operations of the bureaucracy, not even the Emperor can keep track of every little thing that happens across ten thousand worlds"
Nains rolled his eyes, "That's what councillors are for"
"Right, like Councillor Hamibec, he of the abuse of power, and the who is currently failing to keep the Terran Rim in line"
Senator Villeneuve cleared her throat "Listen, all of you, this is a golden opportunity. You've seen the protests in the streets" They all nodded, "If we can harness that energy, we can cut back on the Emperor's prerogatives, maybe even force through Senatorial approval of Imperial Councillors. We're not getting Enathe back, but this is an opportunity to extend our power"
Aimsborough sighed, "That's a nice plan, but only the Emperor can call a sitting of the Senate. And he is unlikely to do that, unless he finds a way to replace us all first."
Villeneuve smiled, "Au contraire my good friend, I have just the thing to remedy that" she revealed a reader with a dramatic flourish and the assembled gathered around.
Captain Elizabeth Cross, His Majesty's Imperial Navy and commander of the HIMS Thanatos sat in an officer's lounge with a dozen of her colleagues. This weekly get-together was a common one for the officers assigned to Versi Station and the highlight of many a boring week.
"So what do you guys think of this whole Enathe thing?" The thickset commander of the Zephyr asked, in a curious tone.
Cross shrugged, "You know, I liked Enathe, thought she was doing a good job. Can't really say I like what happened, but what can you do?" another shrug.
"I always thought she was a busybody, but if you're going to fire someone, do it properly, the incompetence of this whole thing is staggering", Captain Maen Ludovic rolled his eyes
Another officer spoke up, "Everything aside, the Emperor is perfectly within his rights to do everything he did. Our only concern is following our orders" Everyone nodded, the Imperial military did its best to stay apolitical, the last time it hadn't... It had taken the establishing of the current Emperor's great great grandfather and a galaxy's worth of blood to put civilization back together.
Questions? Comments? Concerns? Flattery? Insults? Don't hesitate to post. I'll read them all, and maybe even reply to some!
The streets were filled with people, more people than Oliver Wells had ever seen in his life in one place. Which wasn't hard, he being only eighteen and barely out of school. It was exhilarating, millions of people in the same streets all chanting and yelling together.
Oliver didn't actually really care who Enathe was, or what had happened to her, he'd come because Lissel Veils had said she was going, and Oliver had a bit of a thing for her. But now he was here and he was forgetting all about Lissel.
Something was stirring inside him, all his life he'd been told to follow the Emperor, and the Imperial authorities. He'd been told by his betters that he was going to work in a factory or serve in the Army as the Emperor saw fit, and nothing would change that. He would have to dance to his betters tune and behave or else. But now here he was outside of the Imperial Palace, yelling at the top of his lungs and no one was stopping him.
Well, there were the Imperial Protectors guarding the Palace, but they were still, forming a barrier between the crowd and the crown. If he'd been here on his own he would be arrested, but with a million of his best friends? The Protectors didn't dare make a move.
He felt... powerful. Even in the crush of a million sweating bodies, unable move or hear himself speak, He felt powerful. For the first time in his life he felt, really, truthfully powerful. Unfortunately for the Emperor he wasn't the only one in the crowd who was growing a sense of how powerful the man or woman in the street actually was.
Well away from the hot, loud, sweating and vulgar masses was a room.
It was a well appointed room. Intricate tapestries hung upon the walls, woven by masters of the art a millennia dead. The floors were tiled in a tasteful mosaic that had been lifted wholesale from the palace of a dead kingdom that had resisted the Empire a century ago. The furniture was carved of rich hardwoods harvested from planets that no longer supported life, and upholstered in the finest materials. The whole thing unapologetically declared luxury and power. The men and women that filled this room couldn't have cared less.
"What the hell does he think he's doing?" The room's centre featured a large powerfully built man pacing animatedly back and forth across the tiling. "He cannot possibly have thought that that was a good idea?"
"You know Ed, I've got no idea, why don't we go ask him?" Senator Robert Aimsborough asked his colleague, his tone flippant "I know that the Summons Act we passed gives us the right to... oh that's right, you blocked that" Senator Edward Nains glared back at his legislative opponent.
Another voice cut in before verbal battle could be joined, "So it turns out that we all don't get along. Funny that", the speaker was Valerie Villeneuve, Senator, ex-military and wealthy in her own right, and the room's owner. "We aren't here to argue about the Summons Act, again." She paused "We're here to talk about what we're going to do about yesterday."
Senator Nains stopped pacing "You know it's the Emperor's right to dismiss Imperial Councillors right?" he huffed up indignantly "But cancelling a sitting of the Senate, with soldiers no less. He hasn't the right, he can call for dismissal, and he can even demand immediate closing, but soldiers. The indignity of it" a murmur of agreement came from the other present.
"Now do you see why I wanted to clip his wings? No one wants to toss aside the central constitutional institution of this Empire, but some accountability, some old fashioned popular participation can't hurt." Aimsborough went on, "Look, we might not control the military or the judiciary, but we can affect the day to day operations of the bureaucracy, not even the Emperor can keep track of every little thing that happens across ten thousand worlds"
Nains rolled his eyes, "That's what councillors are for"
"Right, like Councillor Hamibec, he of the abuse of power, and the who is currently failing to keep the Terran Rim in line"
Senator Villeneuve cleared her throat "Listen, all of you, this is a golden opportunity. You've seen the protests in the streets" They all nodded, "If we can harness that energy, we can cut back on the Emperor's prerogatives, maybe even force through Senatorial approval of Imperial Councillors. We're not getting Enathe back, but this is an opportunity to extend our power"
Aimsborough sighed, "That's a nice plan, but only the Emperor can call a sitting of the Senate. And he is unlikely to do that, unless he finds a way to replace us all first."
Villeneuve smiled, "Au contraire my good friend, I have just the thing to remedy that" she revealed a reader with a dramatic flourish and the assembled gathered around.
Captain Elizabeth Cross, His Majesty's Imperial Navy and commander of the HIMS Thanatos sat in an officer's lounge with a dozen of her colleagues. This weekly get-together was a common one for the officers assigned to Versi Station and the highlight of many a boring week.
"So what do you guys think of this whole Enathe thing?" The thickset commander of the Zephyr asked, in a curious tone.
Cross shrugged, "You know, I liked Enathe, thought she was doing a good job. Can't really say I like what happened, but what can you do?" another shrug.
"I always thought she was a busybody, but if you're going to fire someone, do it properly, the incompetence of this whole thing is staggering", Captain Maen Ludovic rolled his eyes
Another officer spoke up, "Everything aside, the Emperor is perfectly within his rights to do everything he did. Our only concern is following our orders" Everyone nodded, the Imperial military did its best to stay apolitical, the last time it hadn't... It had taken the establishing of the current Emperor's great great grandfather and a galaxy's worth of blood to put civilization back together.
Questions? Comments? Concerns? Flattery? Insults? Don't hesitate to post. I'll read them all, and maybe even reply to some!
Last edited: