Oh How the Mighty Fall
07 Jun 2020Maggie Oz
Senator Gias Thronholt's progress through Imperial politics was meteoric.Starting from a lowly and obscure scattering of rocks and outposts a few random bumps and pushes moved him onto a trajectory that would take him into the orbit of the seats of power in the Empire.
Leaving a stream of debris in his wake he moved from post to post, gathering momentum all the time.
The trail of debris grew larger, almost to comet size. Unlike a comet, though it was invisible but no less deadly for any that blundered into it.
Fitting then, that at the very zenith of his power he would be caught by a gravity well of public opinion and all that debris would come crashing into him from behind and end it all in a spectacular firestorm of media frenzy.
There was no trial, no intervention by the Emperor, the Senator was quite literally hounded hence by an angry mob. Billions throughout the Empire raged their abhorrence at his actions, even his own wife came forward with her heartbreaking story of sexual entrapment and mental, physical and sexual abuse. The Senator's depravity knew no bounds.
The ground swell on Baal was almost unanimous and Thornholt was lucky to make it to a ship moments before the mob swept down upon his residence and tore it to shreds searching for their quarry.
It was later reported that Thornholt in his haste had rammed and destroyed a small ship that had the misfortune to enter Stromgren Orbital at the very moment he was making his hasty exit. No trace of another ship was found but for some ambiguous wreckage.
Collision or no, the station defence batteries opened fire the moment his Cutter cleared the slot and it was blown to atoms in short order.
Station batteries do no target escape pods, but none was found.
"My God Jamie, what have I done? " I said as we cuddled on the couch and watched the newsvid on the Senator's demise.
"You did the right thing, my love, all you did was reveal a small section of a hidden canker. Thornholt's past did the rest"
"Bloody scary though. I'm not sure I'm comfortable with that sort of mob behaviour. "
"True enough." he replied, "It will certainly keep the other Senators on their toes."
The Senator's removal left a significant leadership vacuum. For all his faults, Gias Thronholt was an adept administrator and his rapid exit was on the brink of causing a series of significant collapses in various important projects and essential services.
By special Imperial decree, Roy was appointed as a form of regent to manage his affairs, in a technical contravention of the laws covering Genrational Clones. GC Rules
It was a momentous task to take on at short notice, but I had the feeling that Roy had been pretty close to what was going on anyway so he picked up the reins fairly quickly.
"Welcome back to ENN, we're talking with His Royal Highness Prince Roy of Baal.
Your Highness, how are things going for you in your new post"
<<GalChat>> Hiram@Eta Horologi: Who's this guy? Looks like just another polly
"Please Majid, called me Roy, all that highness stuff is a bit over the top!" Roy laughed, "As to your question things are going pretty well. The Senator, for all his faults, did run a pretty tight ship in this region so my job is really just a matter of keeping a hand on the stick. I may be looking at introducing a few programs of my own in the short term but really I'm just keeping things going until a successor is decided"
<<GalChat>> Steve@Zeta Horologi: good riddance to bad rubbish
<<GalChat>> Sandrakan@Baal: no way do we want another thornholt
"Any contenders on the radar as yet?"
"It would be inappropriate for me to comment, but we all know there are a number of Consoles who could step up. It's even possible we could look for someone ... completely new. From outside the whole process, clean slate and all that." replied Roy .... as I looked at the vid I saw "that" look on Roy's face, the one he always gets before he says "come on be a love"
"Oh shit," I said sitting upright, "Don't you bloody dare" I shouted at the vid
"Sorry what? " said Jamie
<<GalChat>> Steve@Zeta Horologi: yeh new blood that wot we need
<<GalChat>> Rennee@Sibil: OMG maggie, put maggie in!!!
<<GalChat>> Taliah@Ngun: #MAGGIE IN
"Now that is interesting, it would be a very unusual precedent if someone were to come completely out of the ranks. "
"We live in interesting times, Majid"
<<GalChat>> Rennee@Sibil: #MAGGIE IN
<<GalChat>> Ezziah@Samen: #MAGGIE IN
<<GalChat>> Tim@Aztlan: #MAGGIE IN
<<GalChat>> Fiona@Rhibo: #MAGGIE IN
<<GalChat>> Carol@Aztlan: #MAGGIE IN
"Oh no" I wailed and lay back down on Jamie's lap, "DAC, change the channel to something interesting that isn't news"
"Yes Madam," said DAC and the vidscreen changed to a documentary on automated computer hardware manufacturing
Jamie and I both burst out laughing
"Is this computer porn, DAC? " laughed Jamie
"Certainly look to be making babies! " I laughed as well.
We watched for a while, alone with our thoughts.
"Shall we have a family?" Jamie asked
"You know we can't love," I said, caressing his leg that my head was resting on. "Just because Roy is rewriting the "no politics for GC's" doesn't mean they'll change the "no offspring rule". Even if they do neither of us is fertile anyway."
"No offspring doesn't mean no kids though."
"How?"
"The Thargoids."
"What?"
"When the Thargoids attack a station or outpost they have a habit of killing or abducting everyone... except babies. For some reason, it looks like they leave the babies. Some think it's because of their brood type social structure, others say they have a level of compassion that stops them from killing them. Many die anyway, but there are certainly large numbers who are still alive when the rescue teams arrive. It's kept pretty quiet, but I know it happens."
"So we could adopt? Is that what you're saying?"
"Yes," he replied "You could feed them, to make that bond." he said laying a hand on my breast.
"You've really looked into this haven't you?" I said reaching up and stroking his face
"I have. You see Mags ... well, I've never spoken about it, never quite came up but ... I've never had kids. I'm generational because, in my teens, I was diagnosed with a previously unknown virus that took about 6 months to kill me. When it was clear it was terminal, my parents sold everything they owned and took on Slave contracts to pay for me to have an EBU installed. They wanted me to have a chance at a full life. I'd kind of like to make up for that ..... with you"
I pulled his face to mine, we kissed
"I could think of nothing I would rather do than have a family with you, you'd make an amazing father."