Calling the Empress

[Achkaerin]

After a long meeting with his advisors, the cabinet and representatives from the intelligence community and military leadership Peter was back in the Round Table room though not with a full compliment, this time it was him and a handful of people. Many in the room would have liked to have made this call sooner but they all knew that it was a chance they couldn't have taken. He waited for a few moments looking at the others in the room and then dialled the number.

"Hello?" a man's voice on the other end of the call said
"Emerson it's Peter." Peter said "Get her please and if you'd be so kind as to use the bridge I'd appreciate it."

[Beatrice]

Without skipping a beat Beatrice made herself available, setting aside the baking she had planned for another time.

"Hello Peter," she said, "I understand you're calling upon me? What is it you have before us today? I know we've a good many issues before us at present, the familiar instability and tensions creeping in from all corners; I admit I had hoped things would be quiet for a good while longer. Not so much our fortune though, is it?"

[Achkaerin]

"I'll be the first to cheer the day Mundus enjoys a sustained calm period" Peter said well aware they hadn't had one of those in a long time "I'd have liked to have clued you in on this sooner but I've got a room of advisors who told me we needed a genuine reaction from you. Anyway you know the situation in Slava Lavosk we've got 10,000 people in camps and a young girl facing the death penalty. It seems to be the perfect storm - human rights issues, the slavery concerns and now this Midaranye dispute. It's a powder keg and there are that many potential sparks that might set it off that one way or another we're going to see trouble. As a result steps are being taken to lay contingency plan groundwork.

Now then before we go any further into I need you to answer something fairly quickly - I've got an official release in front of me that charges Patricus Bateson with violating the MCUR and demands his arrest, when this goes public there's going to be a lot of expectation so you need to tell me now whether Rokkenjiman authorities will arrest him or whether he's going to turn himself over to someone else to arrest him. However whichever way it goes I recommend you call your cousin and suggest to her that she put the IDS legal team on Bateson's defence."

[Beatrice]

"I do hope I didn't disappoint," Beatrice said with a chuckle, "Midarayne is on the precipice of disaster and everyone can't help but rush toward it. I'm quite sure you know that Excelsior isn't there purely for piracy, either. The remainder of the Task Force isn't too far out itself, well positioned to give Slava Lavosk something to think about each night. Thankfully we're seeing things play out as they should in that aspect, Royal Seleucid naturally not pleased. I do pray that we'll be able to return those ships to routine patrols sooner rather than later, however."

"Knowing Mr. Bateson, I don't believe we should expect trouble from him in that regard. Certainly he must have known the risks his actions entailed and, even basing this on the best of intentions, there's the legality and ethics which must be considered. The Imperial Treasury has also ensured that our banking system is hardened so that transactions such as that can't even be attempted in the future, via legitimate channels at least. Whether or not Mr. Bateson presents himself to a foreign authority or to Rokkenjiman authorities is the only question I can't answer for you, just that I know he'll do what he knows is right; he's a straight arrow."

[Achkaerin]

"And of course you've contacted Ui Cenneslaig and told them you've got an anti piracy exercise going on in the neighbourhood of the Celtic Protectorate?" Peter asked rhetorically as he signed the piece of paper about Bateson, simple reality was that when it came to Midaranye there was of course Ui Cenneslaig to think about as well, he gave his defence advisor a sideways glance and got the predictable wry smile in response.

"Now then." Peter continued "Let's say this execution happens what are you going to do?"

[Beatrice]

"It would look rather funny for a Rokkenjiman destroyer to be in the region without so much as a whimper, would it not?" Beatrice asked rhetorically herself. "Thus having genuine responses from regional players, such as Ui Cennselaig and Royal Seleucid was recommended and pursued. I'll apologize if I've offended their sensibilities later, of course, however allowing the Slavans even a shard of doubt wasn't a play I desired to make," she continued with a chuckle. "As it stands I have a, how shall we say, 'safety valve', in place to ensure nothing spirals out of control in that aspect."

"Now as for what happens should the execution go forward, you can expect maximum pressure to be exerted on Slava Lavosk. Sanctions, arms embargoes, tracking down any foreign assets they may hold and freezing them, you get the idea. This execution, combined with the thousands held in Slavan camps, cannot be excused and, if they're smart, they'll reassess the path they are on and close them down and step back from the brink as far as Dilara is concerned. They have been informed that the price of their persistence shall be high, and they should also be aware that the Excelsior, while operating further afield from the rest of her Task Force, represents a good deal of tonnage not far from the Slavan coast."

"If I may ask, what is it you intend to do should this execution move forward?"

[Achkaerin]

"We're already doing it." Peter said "I have Sakura in Slava Lavosk talking to them, my hope is that she can talk them into taking the step back or at least gain some idea of what might create such circumstances. If that doesn't happen I've got contingencies underway. Now if worst comes to the worst and they execute Dilara, then I will do what I must to prevent another massacre in Midaranye including military intervention in the Medak Pocket along the lines of what happened in Royal Seleucid if need be. I don't want to have to order that but if I have to I will."

[Beatrice]

"Then it seems we'll need to be ready for further coordination should that hour arrive," Beatrice said with a sigh. "Do send my regards to Sakura and convey my highest hopes for her mission. Of course, it's understood that nothing personal shall be held from this scenario."

[Beatrice]

Upon news of the crucifixion it was of little surprise who the Empress would be ringing at this hour. "It has happened," Beatrice said with solemn tone, "and now we find ourselves with decisions of great gravity before us. I have dispatched additional assets to the region while drawing upon plans for a good many contingencies, however many of those depend very much on Achkaerinese steps as well. I was sincerely hoping this would be a call I wouldn't have to make, however, that moment is now upon us. We must ensure never again means truly never again."

[Achkaerin]

"Beatrice I have had for weeks a very clear course of action in regards to this." Peter said "We sent Sakura in to try and talk them down, to try and avoid it happening. Obviously that hasn't worked, with that having failed my concern now falls on the remaining people held in those camps. I have no guarantee that they are safe, I have no proof that any crime has been committed my recourse action was a military intervention in the Medak Pocket area to secure a route to safety for those 10,000 people. The Slavan escalation prevents this because Kravec has now put that area under martial law and an intervention from the sea is pretty much out of the question as well so I've now got my military commanders and senior intelligence personnel scrambling for an alternative option, which of course isn't helped with the situation in Royal Seleucid occurring at the same time. And from what I'm told even if they find a way to get people on the ground we're going to have problems trying to extract everyone and that's even supposing the camps are liberated.

Now my position remains that the safety of these people must be guaranteed but I have very little in the way of means right now to do anything, frankly I need more time than what we may have."