Pts! Warbaron: 7, Bessie Lark: 3, Elspeth: 1
Part LXXXIV: Warning Shots
Date: Kornun 30th, 114 A.U.
"Ah, former Governor Astrid.” The man whirled around lazily on the chair where he slouched against it, flicking his fingers against the armrest. “How good it is to see you again.”
“Same to you,” Astrid said coldly, sitting down at a chair opposite him as she flipped open her briefcase, filing through the various papers neatly organized inside. “Good to know someone is having a relaxing time.”
Iraina laughed, taking off his sunglasses as he looked at Astrid, letting his sunglasses balance on his fingertips. “And I see that someone still has not given up the feud of the election. Isn’t that supposed to be over now? Bi-partisanship and working together to get the job done?”
“Well, when you define bi-partisanship as making sure that your way is the only possible way, I guess so,” Astrid said, pursing her lips, pulling out a stack of papers. “Here’s my report.”
Iraina took the stapled stack of papers and began to look through them. “Unless I’m mistaken, we’re really not that different in that area, me and you,” he drawled. “I mean, from what I heard, you had to do a whole lot of wrangling to get yourself as the official spokesman of the Xavier Team before I took office. Suureee, that was a really bi-partisan, nice thing to do for the new governor.”
“Yes—well—it was my duty,” Astrid snapped, trying to keep herself from blowing up again at Governor Iraina.
“Yes, and silencing any real attempts of bi-partisanship before it could begin by forcing our competing principles to continue to clash with each other.” Iraina lowered the stack of papers to gaze directly into Astrid’s eyes. “I believe I got as much of a referendum as we could get that last election. The voters wanted a change of leadership—new blood to start flowing in the government—a change that you’re not accepting.”
Astrid bristled at Iraina’s attack, wondering why the debate between them had switched between matters of policy to matters of fairness. “I had started a task with the Xavier Team,” she repeated, almost as if she was still reiterating her talking points of the election. “And I mean to see it finished.”
“The voters didn’t want you to finish it,” Iraina whispered. “They wanted me to take control of it, an effort that you are confounding with your refusal to share your duties with anyone else.”
“Yes, well, I think my experience in war is much better than yours,” Astrid said, reassuring herself of her extensive experience working against the elves.
“Oh, we’re not going to go there again,” Iraina said. Holding up the stack of stapled papers, he moved his arm to the side and dropped them on the floor, listening to the papers flutter and crash against the carpet. “If you’re not willing to come to a compromise about this issue, this will mean extreme measures. And I don’t want to go there.”
“Then don’t,” Astrid said. “You can begin by reading my report on the current progress of the Xavier Team and trying to work with me about how we can guide them to their goal of destroying the Emperor.”
“Oh, so I get to work with you now!” Iraina said. “So perhaps that means you can give me the means to contact and receive messages from the Xavier Team. Maybe I can actually put some of my own foreign policy into play!”
“The Senate gave me that job,” Astrid said. “I can’t just give it to anyone else.”
“Oh yes, the Senate,” Iraina said smoothly. “The Senate you forced to follow you. Now I’m looking at the facts, Astrid. And I’m seeing a different set-up in Senate than when you were governor. And any act that Senate passes can be revoked.”
A flash of heat went through Astrid. “What do you mean?”
“I think you know what I mean,” Iraina said, his voice hardening as he lowered his voice again into a whisper. “Either work—truly work—with me, Astrid. Let me actually have the ability to get what I want passed, as the voters put me in office to accomplish, or I’ll go public with this.”
“You can’t go public with military affairs!” Astrid snapped. “There’s a reason these meetings have been behind closed doors. The next thing you’ll be suggesting is to make all of our espionage efforts public information!”
“I’m not going to share the nitty-gritty details,” Iraina retorted. “But I will tell them how you refuse to work with me in any meaningful way or to accept my advice. I’ll bring a proposal to Senate to revoke your status as the Spokesman of the Xavier Team. And I’ll get the public behind me to make the senators all vote to put me back in control of foreign policy, like you were as Governor. Isn’t that the Golden Rule? Do unto others as you would have them do to you? Something tells me that if you won, you wouldn’t want me butting in your way by being the Spokesman for the Xavier Team and forcing my foreign policy beliefs down your throat.”
“It isn’t like that!” Astrid protested.
“Then work with me and give me access to the Xavier Team!” Iraina demanded. “Look at my proposal to give more direct orders and suggestions to the Xavier Team and to be in a more constant flow of communication with them. At least be willing to compromise. Or else we’re going to have to take this to a further authority to get this settled once and for all. You already received your referendum on your policies. Now give up your power.”
“I can’t let you ruin the Xavier Team,” Astrid whispered, her eyes flashing.
“I see.” Iraina’s eyes narrowed. “Then you have drawn the battle lines, Astrid. I have no other solution. It’s time to take this to the higher authorities.”
Question of the Week: How will Astrid stop Iraina's plan?
Part LXXXIV: Warning Shots
Date: Kornun 30th, 114 A.U.
"Ah, former Governor Astrid.” The man whirled around lazily on the chair where he slouched against it, flicking his fingers against the armrest. “How good it is to see you again.”
“Same to you,” Astrid said coldly, sitting down at a chair opposite him as she flipped open her briefcase, filing through the various papers neatly organized inside. “Good to know someone is having a relaxing time.”
Iraina laughed, taking off his sunglasses as he looked at Astrid, letting his sunglasses balance on his fingertips. “And I see that someone still has not given up the feud of the election. Isn’t that supposed to be over now? Bi-partisanship and working together to get the job done?”
“Well, when you define bi-partisanship as making sure that your way is the only possible way, I guess so,” Astrid said, pursing her lips, pulling out a stack of papers. “Here’s my report.”
Iraina took the stapled stack of papers and began to look through them. “Unless I’m mistaken, we’re really not that different in that area, me and you,” he drawled. “I mean, from what I heard, you had to do a whole lot of wrangling to get yourself as the official spokesman of the Xavier Team before I took office. Suureee, that was a really bi-partisan, nice thing to do for the new governor.”
“Yes—well—it was my duty,” Astrid snapped, trying to keep herself from blowing up again at Governor Iraina.
“Yes, and silencing any real attempts of bi-partisanship before it could begin by forcing our competing principles to continue to clash with each other.” Iraina lowered the stack of papers to gaze directly into Astrid’s eyes. “I believe I got as much of a referendum as we could get that last election. The voters wanted a change of leadership—new blood to start flowing in the government—a change that you’re not accepting.”
Astrid bristled at Iraina’s attack, wondering why the debate between them had switched between matters of policy to matters of fairness. “I had started a task with the Xavier Team,” she repeated, almost as if she was still reiterating her talking points of the election. “And I mean to see it finished.”
“The voters didn’t want you to finish it,” Iraina whispered. “They wanted me to take control of it, an effort that you are confounding with your refusal to share your duties with anyone else.”
“Yes, well, I think my experience in war is much better than yours,” Astrid said, reassuring herself of her extensive experience working against the elves.
“Oh, we’re not going to go there again,” Iraina said. Holding up the stack of stapled papers, he moved his arm to the side and dropped them on the floor, listening to the papers flutter and crash against the carpet. “If you’re not willing to come to a compromise about this issue, this will mean extreme measures. And I don’t want to go there.”
“Then don’t,” Astrid said. “You can begin by reading my report on the current progress of the Xavier Team and trying to work with me about how we can guide them to their goal of destroying the Emperor.”
“Oh, so I get to work with you now!” Iraina said. “So perhaps that means you can give me the means to contact and receive messages from the Xavier Team. Maybe I can actually put some of my own foreign policy into play!”
“The Senate gave me that job,” Astrid said. “I can’t just give it to anyone else.”
“Oh yes, the Senate,” Iraina said smoothly. “The Senate you forced to follow you. Now I’m looking at the facts, Astrid. And I’m seeing a different set-up in Senate than when you were governor. And any act that Senate passes can be revoked.”
A flash of heat went through Astrid. “What do you mean?”
“I think you know what I mean,” Iraina said, his voice hardening as he lowered his voice again into a whisper. “Either work—truly work—with me, Astrid. Let me actually have the ability to get what I want passed, as the voters put me in office to accomplish, or I’ll go public with this.”
“You can’t go public with military affairs!” Astrid snapped. “There’s a reason these meetings have been behind closed doors. The next thing you’ll be suggesting is to make all of our espionage efforts public information!”
“I’m not going to share the nitty-gritty details,” Iraina retorted. “But I will tell them how you refuse to work with me in any meaningful way or to accept my advice. I’ll bring a proposal to Senate to revoke your status as the Spokesman of the Xavier Team. And I’ll get the public behind me to make the senators all vote to put me back in control of foreign policy, like you were as Governor. Isn’t that the Golden Rule? Do unto others as you would have them do to you? Something tells me that if you won, you wouldn’t want me butting in your way by being the Spokesman for the Xavier Team and forcing my foreign policy beliefs down your throat.”
“It isn’t like that!” Astrid protested.
“Then work with me and give me access to the Xavier Team!” Iraina demanded. “Look at my proposal to give more direct orders and suggestions to the Xavier Team and to be in a more constant flow of communication with them. At least be willing to compromise. Or else we’re going to have to take this to a further authority to get this settled once and for all. You already received your referendum on your policies. Now give up your power.”
“I can’t let you ruin the Xavier Team,” Astrid whispered, her eyes flashing.
“I see.” Iraina’s eyes narrowed. “Then you have drawn the battle lines, Astrid. I have no other solution. It’s time to take this to the higher authorities.”
Question of the Week: How will Astrid stop Iraina's plan?
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