Long Live the Patriarch!
The young man saluted to the corpulent robed form sitting on the throne in front of him. At closer inspection it was more like a highly decorated office chair.
"At ease..." Rhodes drawled in a monotone voice.
The soldier, who had recently been promoted Military Attache of the Army as his predecessor had been sent to accompany the Expedition Force, was to deliver his first report to the new Patriarch in front of him, because the young woman who had ruled for two short years was now gone as well.
"Sir, yes Sir!" he replied out of habit. The squidgy form in front of him squeezed its face a bit together, something like a frown. He'd have to drop that habit.
"Your... report... Colonel Luke Papadopoulos." the man seemed disinterested, yet his gaze was squarely on Luke.
"Yes Sir, I eh... The Army has taken severe casualties, but the Immune militias have swelled our ranks considerably and the Infantry III regiments are ready to take over security duties while the biomod forces continue expanding the Special Economic Zone. All non Bioforce officers have received the vaccine, and we have reserves to continue down a few divisions of general infantry."
"However..." he continued "There have been some concerns. My political attache informed me one of the other noble houses has raised concerns over our receiving the vaccine first along with Query and the Holy Church. Rest assured we have followed Cathrinn Naprous' instructions that initial air freights would be taken from part of our supplies and be delivered to the Church and then charity organizations and friendly houses, but this has not deterred criticism from the house, nor has our general success endeared us to others."
Rhodes Bertrand sighed. "It will be all right Officer. Some houses will always resent efficiency or be suspicious of charity, especially when it flows from the barrel of a gun and enriches the giver. But we cannot be cut loose. We are the paperclip that staple the 17 million souls we've saved together with their bodies. "Combined..." the man drew his breath tiredly. "... combined with our 2.1 million serfs we now have 19.1 million loyal servants thankful for our protection, our shelter, our food and water. And they expect... comforts... from our promises." He drew his breath again. "But I do not mean to lecture you Colonel... merely to allay your fears... hahh... We have the best distribution system on the central continent which makes up half the population. We have biohazard convoys as you so well know, we ... will deliver to all. On this continent."
"Sir, you needn't speak so much..."
"I-... AM FINE! The house you speak of need not worry. *koff* my medical expert (the Pancreator) just told me all we need to ship is little airtight syringes to the medical centres."
"*HARK*" the Patriarch spit into a small silver bowl next to him decorated with the enameling of a white cat wearing a ribbon. "*kaakh*... *koff*... that is better... It will be difficult but you will take care of shipments of relief centers and vaccines to the north, center and south of this continent. The Authority North and West must sadly ready their own relief centers for air freight, not that Kelter deserves better though his people do."
"But Sir! We will most definitely take severe casualties. All operations will be tied up. I estimate three more divisions will be destroyed, it will set back our-"
"But it must be done."
"Very well Patriarch, does this mean we are ordered to deliver to the Authority North? They will wage war on Duscha."
"Yes Colonel Sergeant Papadopoulos, as soon as you have arranged free passage..."
"But Sir, he told Cathrinn Naprous to bugger herself at first contact and could only agree indirectly with her that he would only speak with the Regent."
"Keep hailing them. They will respond sometime."
"It might take a few days Sir." ... At that moment a telephone rang a beautiful little tidbit Luke recalled vaguely from his childhood.
"It's the Regent Sir~" a lovely young woman handed him the cellphone, she was obviously his- secretary...? Her clothing indicated that she might be more of a consort.
Rhodes listened and for a moment the young lass smiled at him until her attention was fully back to the Naprous as he handed her the phone... a sort of weird consort, wearing what looked like a little... sailor outfit?
"Nevermind Colonel, inform the General Staff to continue planning Operation Starlight and discard our distribution plans. As you know Bossheim is in control of the eye... *cough* The Regent informs me to speak with them on distribution operations. But they wish rely on the Authority North..."
"I... thought they were our friends Sir, they wish to immunize those greedy, rude bastards first?"
"Colonel... did you not just complain of the difficulty of our charity?"
"..."
"The Pancreator cares for those who do good. Just like he cares... for me." the old man waved weakly in the direction of the Seifukuu wearing female striding away.
Luke had never seen pink hair before.
The young man saluted to the corpulent robed form sitting on the throne in front of him. At closer inspection it was more like a highly decorated office chair.
"At ease..." Rhodes drawled in a monotone voice.
The soldier, who had recently been promoted Military Attache of the Army as his predecessor had been sent to accompany the Expedition Force, was to deliver his first report to the new Patriarch in front of him, because the young woman who had ruled for two short years was now gone as well.
"Sir, yes Sir!" he replied out of habit. The squidgy form in front of him squeezed its face a bit together, something like a frown. He'd have to drop that habit.
"Your... report... Colonel Luke Papadopoulos." the man seemed disinterested, yet his gaze was squarely on Luke.
"Yes Sir, I eh... The Army has taken severe casualties, but the Immune militias have swelled our ranks considerably and the Infantry III regiments are ready to take over security duties while the biomod forces continue expanding the Special Economic Zone. All non Bioforce officers have received the vaccine, and we have reserves to continue down a few divisions of general infantry."
"However..." he continued "There have been some concerns. My political attache informed me one of the other noble houses has raised concerns over our receiving the vaccine first along with Query and the Holy Church. Rest assured we have followed Cathrinn Naprous' instructions that initial air freights would be taken from part of our supplies and be delivered to the Church and then charity organizations and friendly houses, but this has not deterred criticism from the house, nor has our general success endeared us to others."
Rhodes Bertrand sighed. "It will be all right Officer. Some houses will always resent efficiency or be suspicious of charity, especially when it flows from the barrel of a gun and enriches the giver. But we cannot be cut loose. We are the paperclip that staple the 17 million souls we've saved together with their bodies. "Combined..." the man drew his breath tiredly. "... combined with our 2.1 million serfs we now have 19.1 million loyal servants thankful for our protection, our shelter, our food and water. And they expect... comforts... from our promises." He drew his breath again. "But I do not mean to lecture you Colonel... merely to allay your fears... hahh... We have the best distribution system on the central continent which makes up half the population. We have biohazard convoys as you so well know, we ... will deliver to all. On this continent."
"Sir, you needn't speak so much..."
"I-... AM FINE! The house you speak of need not worry. *koff* my medical expert (the Pancreator) just told me all we need to ship is little airtight syringes to the medical centres."
"*HARK*" the Patriarch spit into a small silver bowl next to him decorated with the enameling of a white cat wearing a ribbon. "*kaakh*... *koff*... that is better... It will be difficult but you will take care of shipments of relief centers and vaccines to the north, center and south of this continent. The Authority North and West must sadly ready their own relief centers for air freight, not that Kelter deserves better though his people do."
"But Sir! We will most definitely take severe casualties. All operations will be tied up. I estimate three more divisions will be destroyed, it will set back our-"
"But it must be done."
"Very well Patriarch, does this mean we are ordered to deliver to the Authority North? They will wage war on Duscha."
"Yes Colonel Sergeant Papadopoulos, as soon as you have arranged free passage..."
"But Sir, he told Cathrinn Naprous to bugger herself at first contact and could only agree indirectly with her that he would only speak with the Regent."
"Keep hailing them. They will respond sometime."
"It might take a few days Sir." ... At that moment a telephone rang a beautiful little tidbit Luke recalled vaguely from his childhood.
"It's the Regent Sir~" a lovely young woman handed him the cellphone, she was obviously his- secretary...? Her clothing indicated that she might be more of a consort.
Rhodes listened and for a moment the young lass smiled at him until her attention was fully back to the Naprous as he handed her the phone... a sort of weird consort, wearing what looked like a little... sailor outfit?
"Nevermind Colonel, inform the General Staff to continue planning Operation Starlight and discard our distribution plans. As you know Bossheim is in control of the eye... *cough* The Regent informs me to speak with them on distribution operations. But they wish rely on the Authority North..."
"I... thought they were our friends Sir, they wish to immunize those greedy, rude bastards first?"
"Colonel... did you not just complain of the difficulty of our charity?"
"..."
"The Pancreator cares for those who do good. Just like he cares... for me." the old man waved weakly in the direction of the Seifukuu wearing female striding away.
Luke had never seen pink hair before.
