Emerald Repatriation Society: The Damage is Done (Pt 7)
05 Oct 2023Vasil Vasilescu
(<--Pt 6)Octavia was upset over the lost war, but I was more upset over the money we wasted on it. The two-hundred-million credits spent in aid to the Tribebs in Hixkamaru could have brought to Emerald (and housed for a year) twenty-thousand Imperial refugees, each a potential supporter for their benefactor. All Octavia saw was the lost opportunity to gain prestige by backing a winning faction.
Though the Tribeb Empire Party had superior ground forces, the quality of the Federation-backed space forces was superior. The Tribebs focused on planetary fighting despite the fact that starports and other orbital stations are more integral to system defense and control. In the end, the Tribebs ceded the system’s main starport, Faris Terminal, to the Independents in order to end the conflict.
The transport of citizens from the Imperial Sanctum now stationed in Hixkaramu had returned to normal, and other than increased fuel costs throughout the system, everything operated the same with the Independents in control. That, however, was about to change for the ERS.
I had brought the Onoarea to the Imperial Sanctum to retrieve three VIP families, and while allowing the autodock to guide the clipper to its assigned platform I contacted the ERS representative, Mpilo Siweni, on the Sanctum to let him know I had arrived.
“Mr. Vasilecu!” Mpilo sounded relieved, like a man rescued. “I am so glad you are here. I’ve sent word to ERS public relations on Emerald asking for guidance, but I have not heard back. They are asking all of these outlandish questions, but I told them I don’t know the answer.”
“Who is asking questions. What are you talking about?”
“Reporters. From within the system and from GalNet. They are asking why ERS is secretly backing wars and they…”
Mpilo kept explaining, but I had stopped listening. Elena and her damn crusader ideals. She had to know the damage it would cause leaking to the press that ERS helped fund a regional conflict. The damage would not be contained to Hixkaramu.
The ERS would be suspected of sedition in any system with both a rescue ship and an Imperial presence, no matter how small that presence was. Especially if that Imperial faction had recently managed to gain influence in the system. Conspiracy nuts would see attempts by an Imperial-aligned charity to gain control of systems with rescue ships. Probably because the charity is really a slaving company and wants to enslave all of the refugees. Or maybe they would see it as part of some insane, gordian knot of a plan that only makes sense to people with aluminum foil hats and who have pseudonyms like truth_shaman, FreeTheSheeple, and m1LF84n93rjo3.
“…so I don’t know how I should answer all these questions, Mr Vasilescu.”
“Don’t tell them anything other than an official statement will be made soon.” The landing platform descended into the Sanctum and the bay doors began closing overheard. “I’m in the landing bay now. Bring the VIPs to the Onoarea immediately. Hopefully we can get them aboard before any reporters show up at the landing bay.”
“We’ll be there in thirty minutes,” said Mpilo and ended the call.
“Incoming urgent message,” announced Jefferson. “From Director Alexis Prifti, Imperial Rescue Service, Imperial Sanctum.”
The Director was, to put it mildly, upset. Not because ERS had provided funds to the Tribebs, but because she had not been informed of ERS plans so that she could prepare for the backlash from the Federation-backed Independents. She did not outright threaten to do so, but she hinted at ending the favored status ERS had with the Imperial Rescue Service that granted ERS contractors priority landing clearance, reduced fuel and repair costs, and better prices when selling commodities. More importantly, it gave us elevated access to refugee information, allowing us to vet refugees faster and find influential VIPs.
I immediately went to work on an official statement to limit the damage done and try to control the narrative before things got out of hand.
(Pt 8-->)