Ask ISC Agenda: Forming The Military

[Lucas Rinn]

Lucas Rinn was a quiet man, slow to speak in most cases. He sat quietly as the Governor of Bestine and Queen of Naboo went back and forth. So far, he had only nodded when Emryc had asked if Gyndine was ready to accept the responsibility of housing the ISC Navy. It was and had already switched a good portion of its production to the manufacture of warships.

He listened as York, a man he often found himself disagreeing with, making good points from an economic standpoint. If they were going to survive they would certainly need his economic knowledge.

Lucas finally stood when there was a moment to speak. "I am proud to count myself a part of this body today," he said, taking a moment to look around, making eye contact with each of the participants. "Each of our worlds has felt the burden of not being within the Republic's borders, excluded from Galactic prosperity because your people were born in the wrong solar system and have chosen to become something greater," he spoke sincerely.

"I understand that the only way that changes is for us to be strongly united, under one military, one economy. I would like to put forth my name to become Secretary of Defense. Gyndine is already preparing to bolster its shipyards to accommodate the creation of the ISC Navy. I am well versed in the logistics that will be required in the creation of such a military as we a proposing here today. A lifetime in manufacturing has given me a firm grasp on the strategic deployment of resources and seeing how all of the pieces, both big and small that make up this government can come together to make us all strong. No, this position doesn't need to be filled by a General, we need someone with vision. Beyond that, we employ take every soldier from the front line to the highest-ranking General, and then we empower them to carry out that vision.

As Secretary of Defense, I will have that vision. I ensure that we are in a position to never have to back down to the New Republic again. We will be taken seriously in this Galaxy, and we will prosper as a result." he finished, taking his seat again.

@Sreeya @Nommie @Nor'baal @Isen

 

[Julia Hipori]

Her eyes fell on the Queen of Naboo as she went over, in some more detail about the formation of a Naboo guard, and was interested to hear the operational parameters being outlined by the Queen. “The Royal Naboo Guard will remain under my direct control but the ISC Guard would be handed over to the legitimate ISC authorities as soon as they are decided upon.”

Julia was impressed by the composure of the Queen, and her foresight in establishing such a unit ahead of the formation of a wider ISC military. Parnelli was a woman Julia could work with, for certain.

She was, however, getting somewhat tired with the discussion about the appointment of a Secretary of Defence being had, at the expense of the discussion around the army. Several times now, the meeting had been moved back to the appointment of a Secretary of Defence, interrupting the discussions being had on the formation of the army.

"Governor Rinn," she looked over at the man "Whilst there is no doubting the naval proficiency of Gyndine, we must, until the appropriate time, put the discussions about the appointment of a Secretary of Defence to one side, until after the parameters for the formation of this combined defence force are decided. At present, we seem to be in some sort of 'contributory' system, whereby systems offer certain resources for the army and then make an overture to become the Defence Secretary? This is not a good system of management or one that will make for a harmonious and joined-up army. We need to decide the formation of the army first, then decide on who can be Secretary of Defence second."

Julia paused, wondering how to proceed "Mr. President, I would ask that we keep the meeting on topic, specifically around the formation of the ISC Defence Force, how members will contribute, and then move onto the selection process for a Secretary of Defence, so that the former, does not blur the decision on the latter."

[/abox]

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc looked over the chart sent forth by York. It was clear the man, like the others in the room, had done their homework. No one had shown up simply to pontificate without purpose. The half Sephi sharply analyzed the data while York spoke, though his body language made it clear he was listening.

“This is a similar approach to what we have accomplished at Tatooine, so I endorse it,” He explained. Tatooine was one of the first planets Emryc had campaigned at, and he had since established several factories that sprung the need for housing and the creation of more jobs. Already the planet was beginning to thrive and the moisture farmers were able to start taking on jobs with higher returns.

“I’m going to bring up a challenge that is very unique to us,” Emryc looked at the others in the room, face as serious as always, “We are not the Republic. We are not the Free World Alliance. Worlds within our borders have rules and laws that would be deemed exceptionally questionable and immoral to the other bodies of government. When I began to establish ISC, I strove to find a balance between assisting the worlds and preserving their cultures.”

The half Sephi knew this was an uncomfortable topic, but he wasn’t one to shy away from difficult subjects, “While the economical approach works wonderfully for planets with pre-established structures, others rely on slavery or dictatorships to operate their economy in exchange for free labor. As we make our laws and lay down roots, we have to remember that we will not be able to completely uproot traditions and cultures long withstanding. We may need to think of different approaches to….encourage compliance.”

No one here was naive. This wasn’t the misty-eyed, idealistic meeting room of the FWA or New Republic where they were far removed from planets with real plights. ISC was an entirely different ball game and required blurring lines to get things done.

Emryc considered Lucas Rinn’s point and the self nomination for Secretary of Defense. Though Hipori chided him somewhat for it, the President was so far in favor of the appointment. With naval operations landing his way regardless, Emryc found it to be a sound choice, though no decision was final or just up to him.

He turned to Hipori, “So far within the ISC we have been imposing excise taxes. I would like to formalize income taxing based on financial ranges and planetary GDP. This will be met with some resistance from many planets, but I’m going to be relying on you all,” He looked across the room at them all, “To socialize and establish it within your sectors to make it clear this is ultimately to protect their homes and borders as a collective. We need this consistent stream of income to fund the military forces as we can’t rely on contributions from the Galactic Senate for this. Outside of the a few instances for the questionable instances I mentioned before, we should largely be avoiding ad hoc solutions.”

It was his turn to once again project something new, a chart he had developed, “These are the proposed brackets and ranges for taxes. The planets that have negligible GDP will, as proposed by Governor York, have their contributions be in the form of supplying terrain for training. The goal will ultimately be to have them thriving enough to join the tax brackets and establish them as high functioning economic powerhouses.”


@Isen @Raydo @Nommie @Nor'baal

 

[Queen Parnelli]

Everyone seemed to be engaging with the subject matter of the discussion to a degree that she had honestly not expected. Though, admittedly, that was likely because she was comparing the ISC to how the Galactic Senate often turned out. Those meetings were often an exercise in restraint for the young Queen to avoid rolling her eyes too often and too strongly.

The addition of another potential candidate for the Secretary of Defence position was thrown out into the ring and Hipori seemed to find the idea objectionable. Rinn wasn't someone she knew a lot about personally but he was known to be a moderate, though fairly strong and vocal about his dedication and loyalty to the ISC. Seemed like a decent choice even if Hipori seemed determined to focus on the creation of the armed forces first.

When the subject of slavery came up, Emilia stiffened ever so slightly before forcing herself to relax. It was a blight on Galactic society and the reminder that some parts of the ISC actively engaged in it was a major sticking point for her personally and with the population of Naboo. Wasn't to say that there were demonstrations in the streets about it but it was a common go-to for political figures who opposed their entry to the ISC, one that was often won by them in debates on the subject.

What defense could they really offer after all? That slavery was... a traditional right?

"Slavery is not a tradition, it is a crutch." she countered, frowning before reigning her emotions in to present an argument, "Naboo will extend further economic aid to planets that begin the process of migrating away from the practice of slavery. I encourage any others to join us in the efforts should they care to. We will, of course, ensure that compliance is voluntary."

Slavery existed because it had always existed not, contrary to popular belief, because it was more cost effective. Between the costs of keeping the slave class suppressed while simultaneously cared for enough to work hard? The output of industry outweighed the output of slave factories working to produce the same goods time and time again. Even the greedy need only see greater profits for them to forsake the ancient and barbaric practice.

The tax bracket that Naboo found itself in was... the highest and it was a very lonely bracket. It was going to be a hard 'sell' to the people of Naboo but she had faith that they would be able to pay the taxes easily enough. Indeed she was already formulating a way to spin it - her people, herself included, had a tendency to take on the 'burden' of 'uplifting' others. She was self-aware enough to know she had it as well but practical enough to know she could use it to manipulate her public's opinion as well.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc stared blankly at the Queen as she cut in with her sentiments that were idealistic and borderline naive. He let her finish before he responded back calmly.

“I know it is a crutch. You know it is a crutch. Everyone in this room knows it is a crutch and no one will refute that,” He stated flatly, “However, the planets that have held to those practices for thousands of years or more do see it as tradition and culture. It will take a great deal of finesse to change that mentality and a tremendous amount of credits and even then you're looking at a minuscule chance of success. The only feasible way to replace an entire workforce that is the bedrock of a planet’s economy is through droids. Droids cost a lot of money. You can either do that, or you can systematically execute the upper tiers of dictators that have taken root for many, many years,” Emryc paused there for a moment, letting the realities of the nature of their worlds sink in, “It boils down to what we consider a priority for how we spend credits and efforts - start by replacing slavery or help build the overall infrastructure of the ISC? Pumping a ton of money into an anti-slavery effort will absolutely delay our other efforts.”

The half Sephi stared at the Queen for a while, “As this is a passionate topic for you, I will be expecting you to then drive the initiatives on the best way to start eradicating the practice without putting us in a deficit. Please coordinate with Governor York who will be leading much of our collective finances.”

Emryc had begun to see and hear enough to get a clear idea of where each of them operated and excelled the best.

He looked across them all, “Are there any other concerns to raise? If not, can we agree to the decision on income taxing? With the financial box checked, I believe that gets us over the main hurdle for this topic.”

@Nor'baal @Nefieslab @Raydo @Isen @Nommie

 

[Julia Hipori]

Julia listened as the President drew the discussion regarding tax brackets and funding to a close, and, when it was appropriate to do so, turned on her microphone, and began to speak.

"Mr. President, I am in agreement regarding the tax brackets, and the structure of the armed forces as recommended by this session. As you have addressed, now is the time to approach the main hurdle of the topic before us today, namely the decision as to who will occupy the position of Secretary of State for Defence. There can be little denying that this will be a challenging political position, one that will require experience of leadership, logistical nouse and of course, the deft hand of diplomacy to keep the ISC, and any worlds that come to join this movement for positive change in the galaxy, on track, and our military defences keeping pace with our ambitious growth. To do this, the prospective candidate needs to understand when to apply diplomacy, charm, and flattery, and when to approach with a hard shoulder and a solid play of pragmatic problem-solving. That is why, Mr. President, Governors, I wish to place my name into the pool for consideration."

Julia paused, before pressing on "I have experience delivering change, and first-hand knowledge of building a winning team to deliver a decisive strategy for growth, something matched by resources, political acumen and by-in from a broad range of supporters and stakeholders. If you place your trust in me, the ISC Military will be not just well-managed, but effectively led, and the galaxy will be a better, safer place for it."

 

[Lucas Rinn]

He had no issues with the proposed Tax initiative, signaling his approval when appropriate. He found the Queen's solution to throw credits at worlds in an attempt to get them to abandon slavery laughable. No amount of credits could outweigh the economic boost of free labor. No, slavery would have to be stamped out if that is what they desired to do. The mere notion of it all was naive at best. Regardless, he still remained silent.

He cut off Governor Hipori mid-speech, not allowing her to finish. "With one breath you chastise and say to wait on the topic of Secretary until we iron out details of a defense force and with the next, you propose yourself for the Office. Which is it, Governor Hipori?" he asked, remaining seated. The woman had got her start in Blackwell Technologies, and while the ISC and Blackwell worked closely together, the Corporation did business throughout the Galaxy but he was skeptical of her. "If you can't even navigate this meeting without contradicting yourself, why should we choose you to represent us as Secretary of Defense?" he said, lifting a coffee mug to his mouth and drinking.

"This position is not one of diplomacy but of ensuring the competency and readiness of our armed forces. This position requires strength and a direct approach, not political double talk." he finished.

@Sreeya @Nor'baal

 

[Soygun York]

Truth of the matter was, York hated the slavery model. Not because he was particularly caring or felt sorry for the slaves, but because slaves had no spending power. The economics looked good on paper, but they failed miserably in the long run. Slaves were as useful to the economy as bantha bulls. But clearly, this wasn't the time to discuss it. Tempers were getting raised about a significantly different topic, and besides, if a transition from slaves with no buying power to employees with spending credits was going to be attempted, it had be done without the slavers knowing it was happening. Besides, if he was going to be working with the Queen of Naboo, he might be able to gain some good will by offering some solutions that might help move the needle against the institution. Perhaps she would be a useful ally sometime in the future.

He would nod to the President when he mentioned that they might work together on some issues, and his attention was fully granted to the debate over who would be Secretary of Defense. He might prefer Hipopi over Rinn, especially since Rinn and York had butted heads a few times in the past. However, it was quite possible that Thorne would toss his support behind the Gyndine governor. If that was the case, it wasn't a big enough issue for York to spend that capital. In the meantime, he would sit back relax, and watch the fireworks with a barely visible smirk on side of his face.

@Sreeya @Nor'baal @Raydo @Nefieslab @Nommie

 

[Julia Hipori]

If there was one thing Julia could not stand, it was being spoken down to, and she bristled as Governor Rinn addressed her. As he wrapped his intervention up, she cleared her throat and spoke to him directly "Governor Rinn, I was keen to get the financial and organisational matters out of the way before we carried on with the discussion of nominees, and, actually," she stood up, and walked over to the clerking droid recording the meetings minutes "...those lines please," she asked the droid, before picking opening the in-progress transcript on a datapad, and getting out a stylus, marked one line on the transcript.

"Here we go. President: With the financial box checked, I believe that gets us over the main hurdle for this topic." she placed the datapad down in front of Governor Rinn, with that exact line highlighted. "Hardly 'political double talk' or 'contradiction' to say one wants to get the financial side of the army agreed, before moving onto the Secretary of Defence question; and then doing just that, is it, Governor Rinn?" she smiled at the man "This position requires strength and a direct approach, but it also requires people to pay attention to the details, skills that evidently, you lack." she said as she returned to her seat.

 

[Lucas Rinn]

Oh yes, the good Governor was quite concerned with how much taxes her world would not be paying. He would have likely brought it up, enjoying the petty squabble as much as anyone but he had matured as a politician in the last years. He had grown from those first several meetings where he doggedly argued to the end. He sat, his expression even as she hovered over him, again speaking in a chastising tone. For now, he let the Governor retreat back to her seat, not finishing her case for becoming Secretary.

He leaned forward, clasping his hands together. He knew Emryc, and now he was not a man known for having patience while others bickered, so he refrained. He had made his case, while she had abandoned hers to argue with him, he would count it as a victory. He handed the datapad back to the droid as it moved to reclaim it.

Ultimately, the decisions resided with President Throne.

 

[Tyris Thanewulf]

While his and the Queen of Naboo's banter, at least he considered it, to be healthy banter. Tge rest of the discussions, which Tyris will take the blame for, became an absolute Rollercoaster towards the end with Julia and Lucas bickering. While it was entertaining while it lasted he wasn't sure if the way the two spoke to eachother was healthy. Though he can say that if Julia speaking to Lucas the way she did due to him speaking down at her that the woman's response is warranted.

While he couldn't, at the moment, think of anything to bring forward that should be discussed while they are all gathered. Tyris does think that what has been brought up is a good starting point. He doesn't like slavery he knows that for now it must remain in place for now then dealt with some point down the road. How to handle that issue they will have to get creative. It's not impossible though.

Looking back over where his planet is placed in the tax brackets, to him, did seem reasonable as well as something he can and will agree with, it may take some talk to get others back at home on board with it. Hopefully not too much talking to get the others of Bestine's government to come to terms. Switching off his datapad Tyris leaned back in his seat.

 

[Queen Parnelli]

Emilia smiled.

They thought that she was naïve enough to believe that throwing credits at the problem would make it go away and she was glad of it. It was a common mistake that some idealists had made in the past and if they thought that she would walk blindly into the exact same mistake then they were welcome to believe that. But Emilia was a realist as well and she knew that merely rolling in with credits would get them nowhere.

Breaking chains didn’t do anything when there was nowhere else to go.

No, her plan was not to simply throw credits at the issue but to assist businesses that were willing to adopt difference practices and they, in turn, would grow at a faster rate than their competitors. Competitors who would adopt the same practices to avoid being left behind. It would take longer, yes, but it was far more sustainable to have them change because they wanted to change rather than because some outside force had pushed them to change. Because Emryc was correct, it was a culture and cultures could only be changed by the people who belonged within them. So she would help them move past slavery as an option by leveraging their greed.

Sentient were all motivated by selfish desires and businesses the same – show them the credits and they would know which way the wind was blowing.

“President Thorne, I would be delighted to lead the efforts with Governor York and I shall do so in a way that does not destabilize our efforts.” She assured him with a slightly wider smile, “I have the time and I have the patience and those, along with the proper application of pressures? Can erode mountains.”

She agreed with the taxation model as it had been raised and he was right – funding was always going to be the main hurdle and between Emryc and York they had a good handle on it. A good plan to go forward with by her estimation and she noted her agreement to it without revision and made to move on.

Of course they moved back to the topic of Secretary of Defense vs ironing out the specific details for the armed forces as a whole. Emilia had no interest in the position itself and there was some bare-bones ideas for the make-up for the military already that would need a head to finish up anyway. Chicken and egg it may be but she could see that some people were determined to have the discussion.

Did… did Hipori literally just have the minutes of the meeting read back to make a point? By the Gods the woman was trying to antagonize Rinn wasn’t she? Such pointless political bickering from a Secretary of Defense could be awkward in the future, especially if it translated to brinkmanship.

“I would support Governor Rinn.” The Queen announced in the silence as the man seemed to take the mature route and kept silent rather than continue to bicker, “He has a measured approach that I believe could serve our interests well.”

@Nor'baal @Raydo @Sreeya @Isen @Nommie

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc remained largely silent as the back and forth continued, silver gaze frosty and calculating as he noted every subtle change in expression or tone of voice. His hands were on the table with his chin resting against his fingers so only his sharp gaze was visible as he observed the back and forth volley. While he liked the passion in the group, it was clear they all needed to work on collaborating better.

There was a moment of pause as Emryc quietly typed a few things into a datapad. With the tax motion agreed upon, that was a huge milestone to build the economic foundation upon which the forces would be created. The half Sephi typed a few more things, knowing fully well he had eyes on him.

“Governor Rinn will be serving as Secretary of Defense,” Emryc stated flatly without looking up from where he was typing things, “And Governor Hipori,” His gaze flicked up then to rest on her, “I would like you to serve as Secretary of Intergalactic Affairs,” Her business acumen and diplomatic skills would be exceptionally valuable when dealing with other bodies of government. Turning other planets over to ISC required finesse and tact, and she had a strong command of both. While Rinn may have been a bit rough around the edges, he had a sharp and strategic mind that would be invaluable in guiding their policies and defense structure.

The half Sephi looked around at the others, “While those are the critical roles that need filling, I will be appointing the rest of you to cabinet positions best suited to your skillset. With a plan for financing our military and an initial approach, I believe we have what we need to get started.”

They had been here for hours, but it was thankfully still less than three days. Emryc would open the floor up for any closing comments, but otherwise the meeting was effectively adjourned.

@Nor'baal @Nefieslab @Nommie @Raydo @Isen

 

[Julia Hipori]

Keeping her thoughts to herself, Julia smiled inwardly as she was rewarded for her hard work with the position of Secretary of Intergalactic Affairs. A very senior position, and far more suited to her skills than the role of Secretary of Defence, Julia was already working through a series of schemes to get the wheels of politics underway.

She smiled, nodding her thanks to the ISC President as he drew the meeting to a close.

Rising from her seat when the time was right, she was quickly approached by her assistant. "Arrange a conference call with the department heads, and then schedule in calls with each ambassadorial delegation from the following worlds," she handed a list to the assistant "Yes, Madam Secretary." came the response, as they headed for her ship.

OOC: Baller.

 

[Emilia Parnelli]

Positions were being handed out now and nothing that she would object too strongly to. Emilia might not be a fan of the two people being awarded positions so far but she was willing to work with the both of them. One was eminently practical to an almost ruthless degree and the other was able to filibuster with the best of them.

That Emryc seemed to imply that the others around the table would receive cabinet positions? Well she personally thought that would go a long way in making sure that no one got their feathers too ruffled over being ‘slighted’. Emilia herself would appreciate one of those same positions but if he decided to overlook her then that would be fine too.

In her experience being the head of something, be it a planet or a department of Government, came with ties as well as power. Of course she would much prefer the power since it could be used to cut said ties when used properly.

A thought for tomorrow.

She nodded respectfully to the two new heads of departments and it seemed that the meeting was coming to an end so she picked up her com unit to eye the messages she had received since the beginning of the meeting. Firing off responses, she took the time to harvest her crops on the Little Naboo Farm app she played with her little cousins as well.

She was set to be a little bit busy in the future and that meant it was a good idea to take the small pleasures where she could.