Emerald Repatriation Society: Message in a Bottle (Pt13)
29 Nov 2023Vasil Vasilescu
(<--Part 12)The Long Road had just started being unloaded at Yolen Station when Jefferson informed me of an arriving message. I almost missed the announcement with all of the radio chatter on the damaged station and the heavy Ta-THUNK, Ta-THUNK of the Type 9's opening cargo doors reverberating through the ship.
“Sender?” I asked Jefferson.
“Katarzyna Lova.”
Of all the messages I could have received while delivering supplies to a damaged station, I’d not expected anything from one my nieces. Kat was the daughter of my sister Luna, who had died fighting the Thargoids alongside my brother, Cezar. I’d not seen or heard from Kat since I’d arrived from Colonia nearly nine months ago.
“Jefferson, display message.”
Uncle Vasil,
Aunt Octavia has instructed me to take Aunt Elena’s place in the ERS. I told her there were probably more qualified people for the position already within the organization but you know how she is. Once she tells you to do something, you better damn well do it and not make any excuses.
Things are a mess without Elena. I can’t ask Elena for help because of the abdicare. Most of her staff has resigned because of it, so they will not help. I think the remaining staff are mostly opportunists looking to move up in the organization and I am not certain I can trust their advice. As for Uncle Sefan, well, he is who he is and I’ll leave it at that. I certainly can’t ask Octavia for help.
I believe we could help so many more people start new lives on Emerald if I had a competent, dedicated staff who is passionate about our work. I do not want to fail or to disappoint Aunt Octavia but am at a loss what to do and could use your help.
Yours,
Katarzyna
It made no sense why Octavia would appoint a 23-year-old fresh out of university to be head of ERS Housing and Relocation. Octavia and Luna, Kat’s mother, had always been as close as sisters could be, so maybe this was some form of family favor because Luna had been killed fighting the Thargoids. However, Octavia never did anything--even nepotism--without it benefiting her in some way. She had a reason for giving Kat the position, but I could not determine why. I doubted Octavia wanted Kat to fail, so I replied to her, offering my advice.
Kat,
I suggest you replace your missing staff with executive-level slaves from an elite Imperial slave broker. Use ERS funds to buy the contracts. If anyone asks why you are using ERS funds to buy staff slaves, tell them it is because of costs and loyalty. A 5-10 year slave debt contract costs less than the salary for an executive staff member. Since ERS owns the contracts, the slaves cannot leave if you leave, which will avoid future problems like the one you are now having with Elena’s staff resigning.
Additionally, staff slaves that perform exceptionally well can be given elevated responsibility without increasing their compensation. You can even use this to prune the opportunists. If all they want is to move up in the organization and a slave is given the position they want, odds are the opportunist will leave. In the end, your goal is to have the best person in a position regardless of whether they are a slave or not.
I am busy coordinating material and labor deliveries to damaged stations in the systems around Taranis, so I will not be back on Emerald for another week or two. We can talk more then. In the meantime, speak with Ioana and Andrei. As former executive-skilled slaves they might have some insight on which agencies to use.
R/
Vasil
An hour after sending the message I finally understood why Octavia chose Kat. The realization came to me when I heard something on the open flight channel. An ERS contract ship, the Glide Path was requesting departure clearance from flight control. The mark II krait was carrying one hundred people to the Imperial Sanctum in Hixkaramu, and within a day or two they’d all be safe on Emerald.
Kat said we could help more people if she had a dedicated staff. She did not see the ERS as a means by which Octavia could build power and influence through charity. She truly believed in the ERS mission of helping people.
Octavia always had an amazing ability to understand a person’s motivations and how best to manipulate them for her own purposes. Kat’s youthful--and perhaps naive--compassion would serve Octavia well by bringing more people to Emerald. I am sure Octavia found in Kat a means by which to accelerate the path from client to patron and maybe even all the way to senator.
(Part 13-->)