"Senator Torval will hate to hear this report. No one knew Aisling Duval was a political genius."
"Our models have confirmed it."
"Are you sure? You've run the simulations with all the variables we discussed?"
"Yes, there's a 98.36% chance that barring an early death, Aisling Duval will be the most powerful person in the Empire."
"Even if the Emperor miraculously awakes and bestows his blessing on the line of the Chancellor?"
"It made only a slight difference. Barring some extraordinary circumstances, Aisling will hold the strongest economy in the Empire in a matter of 30 years."
Chief shadow knight of her esteemed Senator Torval, Arwin Machinel slumped back into his chair, processing this unsettling information. 30 years? How could anyone have forseen this when she started her asinine campaign, Stop Slavery Stupid?
"What have the models concluded were the primary causes?" Arwin asked Senator Torval's chief statistician.
"The perfect storm of Imperial honor, a tax system which will never fail her, and the most loyal followers in the Empire. Her Angels."
"Explain. We understood that she could milk our taxes like a tenuous lifeline, but she only collects 1% of the Imperial coffers."
"Ah yes, but that 1% in an Empire as vast as our own? She can finance several systems with that, as she's done for years. Minor playthings in the hand of someone daft, but her plans are far more than we've come to expect from her public persona. Sources close to her indicate that she understands her Angels can be an economic force unlike any other in the Empire."
"I don't buy that for a second." Arwin scoffed, shaking his head.
"Yes, but you're not understanding just what she has created for herself. Honor binds Imperial society, our great and noble aspiration. Those freed by Aisling are overwhelmingly becoming personal servants of her. We're seeing an 87.2% retention rate. And here's what takes the cake. Around half of those are pledging a lifetime of service to her. They've given her their nobility rights, and the rights to their children as well."
Suddenly, the reality hit Arwin, like an Imperial Cruiser ramming an Adder with D class shields. Aisling had the most loyal, and economically profitable workforce in the entire Empire. Every slave freed becoming a fast-working, ultra-dedicated worker towards her holdings.
"I see what you mean now. Aisling's Angels will work till the grave for her. The half who have pledged under her have ascended to a high honor, and will never even think of leaving it. The rest will likely stay close anyways, economic reports coming out of Cemiess show that Aisling's slave release program has caused an economic surge unlike anything we could have anticipated. Perhaps what they say is right, clearly people work harder when they feel it's their work to do."
"Exactly. The longest serving, most loyal, highest pledging population in Imperial space. Fanatical in support of her. They're even bowing in honor at sites that her feet have stepped. Several groups catalog her steps, and her faithful rush to pay homage to the flowers she's stepped on, rushing off hours later to the next place she's stepped. It's unlike anything we've ever seen. No one has elicited this kind of reaction in the Empire since the first Emperors. People even abandoning their shame just to pay the lady more honor."
"It all makes perfect sense. No wonder the models are so certain."
"Aisling has been aware of what she's been doing this whole time. This was no accident. While sources do show she truly believes what she speaks, she stands to gain more than anyone else from her slave liberation plans."
"And this bodes even worse with her romance with Petraeus!" exclaimed Arwin, with his hands gripping his face in frustration.
"Not the biggest part of her strengths, but if she were to wed Petraeus, we're looking at a 15 year ascension. That's the conservative projection."
"Terrible! His military crispness, that killer instinct that has him so loved, the Empire love Petraeus. He's a hero! The two of them together could destroy everything!"
"Everything our esteemed Senator Torval has created. Yes. When you've got both fanatically loyal citizens, and fanatically loyal soldiers, count military victory after military victory, and then her glorious Princess liberating more of our workforce, and increasing her holdings. Projections show that within five years time, the two of them together could purchase the claims to some 20 systems, and we're talking worlds of millions and billions, not the frontier colonies."
"Do you think she would ban slavery in the Empire altogether, were she to somehow ascend to Empress?"
"That we're not sure of. Many of us don't think so, because she's effectively got labor contracts for life, unlike any Imperial Slave. She basically nets the highest profits per slave of any trader in the whole galaxy."
A long moment of silence. The rest of the air felt like it leaked out of the room, and the dark cloud of foreboding sunk over both men. Both knew Senator Torval to have a bad temper. And she'd been feeling particularly good about her recent bet against Aisling. She hadn't stopped partying for a week, with top secret medicines being used to replace her need for sleep. Neither of them could expect anything less than her full rage. And an angry Senator Torval was an extremely dangerous person. Which one would lose their head?
Arwin believed his chances better. The Senator had demanded that report, it couldn't be concealed from her. He said to the chief statistician, "It's clear though that you have miscalculated something. Everybody knows that charity doesn't pay. While I can see the logic here, it's certainly not possible for it to be correct. Our holdings and systems are too well protected, and clearly the Senator still has her own hand to play. Deliver the report to her docket, I'll expect a full data crystal on my desk as well."
Jebediah Hapsburg, graduated magna laude from the top research college in all the Empire, realized in that very moment that he had been condemned to death. He thought of the theories still brewing in his mind, the papers he had yet to write. He was damned if he gave Senator Torval the model, and he was even more damned if he concluded his model was wrong, as the shame from being fact-checked by a mere spy would ruin his illustrious career. What would he choose? Death or dishonor?
He looked straight at Arwin, whose palatable guilt and shame were leaking through his pores. Jebediah's eyes communicating all the betrayal and disappointment to Arwin. Arwin cracked in little pieces, his eyes lyingly found a computer screen to stare at, as if he suddenly had some deadline he had been putting off.
Leaning over the computer, by invading Arwin's personal space, he forced Arwin's gaze, which he held sternly. "The Senator needs to see that report. She won't like it, but she has to know. Without the truth she cannot change our Empire's fate. I'm going to see the Senator, right on time, just like she requested."
And with that, the brilliant scientist, mathematician, and statistician, Dr. Jebediah Hapsburg walked out the door leading towards the ballroom. The orchestra, once a source of great pleasure, took on a new meaning. His fear rose with the volume of the music as he walked closer, closer, closer.
"Our models have confirmed it."
"Are you sure? You've run the simulations with all the variables we discussed?"
"Yes, there's a 98.36% chance that barring an early death, Aisling Duval will be the most powerful person in the Empire."
"Even if the Emperor miraculously awakes and bestows his blessing on the line of the Chancellor?"
"It made only a slight difference. Barring some extraordinary circumstances, Aisling will hold the strongest economy in the Empire in a matter of 30 years."
Chief shadow knight of her esteemed Senator Torval, Arwin Machinel slumped back into his chair, processing this unsettling information. 30 years? How could anyone have forseen this when she started her asinine campaign, Stop Slavery Stupid?
"What have the models concluded were the primary causes?" Arwin asked Senator Torval's chief statistician.
"The perfect storm of Imperial honor, a tax system which will never fail her, and the most loyal followers in the Empire. Her Angels."
"Explain. We understood that she could milk our taxes like a tenuous lifeline, but she only collects 1% of the Imperial coffers."
"Ah yes, but that 1% in an Empire as vast as our own? She can finance several systems with that, as she's done for years. Minor playthings in the hand of someone daft, but her plans are far more than we've come to expect from her public persona. Sources close to her indicate that she understands her Angels can be an economic force unlike any other in the Empire."
"I don't buy that for a second." Arwin scoffed, shaking his head.
"Yes, but you're not understanding just what she has created for herself. Honor binds Imperial society, our great and noble aspiration. Those freed by Aisling are overwhelmingly becoming personal servants of her. We're seeing an 87.2% retention rate. And here's what takes the cake. Around half of those are pledging a lifetime of service to her. They've given her their nobility rights, and the rights to their children as well."
Suddenly, the reality hit Arwin, like an Imperial Cruiser ramming an Adder with D class shields. Aisling had the most loyal, and economically profitable workforce in the entire Empire. Every slave freed becoming a fast-working, ultra-dedicated worker towards her holdings.
"I see what you mean now. Aisling's Angels will work till the grave for her. The half who have pledged under her have ascended to a high honor, and will never even think of leaving it. The rest will likely stay close anyways, economic reports coming out of Cemiess show that Aisling's slave release program has caused an economic surge unlike anything we could have anticipated. Perhaps what they say is right, clearly people work harder when they feel it's their work to do."
"Exactly. The longest serving, most loyal, highest pledging population in Imperial space. Fanatical in support of her. They're even bowing in honor at sites that her feet have stepped. Several groups catalog her steps, and her faithful rush to pay homage to the flowers she's stepped on, rushing off hours later to the next place she's stepped. It's unlike anything we've ever seen. No one has elicited this kind of reaction in the Empire since the first Emperors. People even abandoning their shame just to pay the lady more honor."
"It all makes perfect sense. No wonder the models are so certain."
"Aisling has been aware of what she's been doing this whole time. This was no accident. While sources do show she truly believes what she speaks, she stands to gain more than anyone else from her slave liberation plans."
"And this bodes even worse with her romance with Petraeus!" exclaimed Arwin, with his hands gripping his face in frustration.
"Not the biggest part of her strengths, but if she were to wed Petraeus, we're looking at a 15 year ascension. That's the conservative projection."
"Terrible! His military crispness, that killer instinct that has him so loved, the Empire love Petraeus. He's a hero! The two of them together could destroy everything!"
"Everything our esteemed Senator Torval has created. Yes. When you've got both fanatically loyal citizens, and fanatically loyal soldiers, count military victory after military victory, and then her glorious Princess liberating more of our workforce, and increasing her holdings. Projections show that within five years time, the two of them together could purchase the claims to some 20 systems, and we're talking worlds of millions and billions, not the frontier colonies."
"Do you think she would ban slavery in the Empire altogether, were she to somehow ascend to Empress?"
"That we're not sure of. Many of us don't think so, because she's effectively got labor contracts for life, unlike any Imperial Slave. She basically nets the highest profits per slave of any trader in the whole galaxy."
A long moment of silence. The rest of the air felt like it leaked out of the room, and the dark cloud of foreboding sunk over both men. Both knew Senator Torval to have a bad temper. And she'd been feeling particularly good about her recent bet against Aisling. She hadn't stopped partying for a week, with top secret medicines being used to replace her need for sleep. Neither of them could expect anything less than her full rage. And an angry Senator Torval was an extremely dangerous person. Which one would lose their head?
Arwin believed his chances better. The Senator had demanded that report, it couldn't be concealed from her. He said to the chief statistician, "It's clear though that you have miscalculated something. Everybody knows that charity doesn't pay. While I can see the logic here, it's certainly not possible for it to be correct. Our holdings and systems are too well protected, and clearly the Senator still has her own hand to play. Deliver the report to her docket, I'll expect a full data crystal on my desk as well."
Jebediah Hapsburg, graduated magna laude from the top research college in all the Empire, realized in that very moment that he had been condemned to death. He thought of the theories still brewing in his mind, the papers he had yet to write. He was damned if he gave Senator Torval the model, and he was even more damned if he concluded his model was wrong, as the shame from being fact-checked by a mere spy would ruin his illustrious career. What would he choose? Death or dishonor?
He looked straight at Arwin, whose palatable guilt and shame were leaking through his pores. Jebediah's eyes communicating all the betrayal and disappointment to Arwin. Arwin cracked in little pieces, his eyes lyingly found a computer screen to stare at, as if he suddenly had some deadline he had been putting off.
Leaning over the computer, by invading Arwin's personal space, he forced Arwin's gaze, which he held sternly. "The Senator needs to see that report. She won't like it, but she has to know. Without the truth she cannot change our Empire's fate. I'm going to see the Senator, right on time, just like she requested."
And with that, the brilliant scientist, mathematician, and statistician, Dr. Jebediah Hapsburg walked out the door leading towards the ballroom. The orchestra, once a source of great pleasure, took on a new meaning. His fear rose with the volume of the music as he walked closer, closer, closer.
