Post by Sophie on Nov 9, 2020 21:34:42 GMT -5
Minister Ryōshi Sentoko listened intently and followed closely to everything Vaiseln Api had to say. After her speech, Ryōshi stood and nodded. She felt some modicum of relief. It seemed the chief had no intent to use this failure against her. "We currently have mass storage of outdated weaponry that I can begin diverting to your forces immediately. This should at least help get arms in the claws of every one of your soldiers. They're not the best weapons but at their oldest, they're 1930's tech. I can authorize the construction of five new arsenals without question and immediately, as well I can campaign the empress for construction for five more. As far as technical schools I can help assure you a blank check to begin their construction and operation. I will have to meet with Imai Tsukiko-Kan. She's a close friend of mine and won't take much convincing that the schools are a necessity for Elenria."
She paused and looked at the map and pointed at the areas she had proposed coastal expansions. "These will be a much harder sell. There would be a lot within the government who would fear these installments would eventually be used against the Royal Battle Fleet. What I can authorize immediately is the modernization of naval bases here, here, and here." She punctuated each 'here' by pointing to different pre-existing naval bases on the Elenrian coast. As well as I can divert at least one battlegroup to patrol the coasts of Elenria. If the naval installations are a sticking point for you just know that they'll have to be primarily operated by Kumo."
"On the topic of bases." She looked over the documentation of the current Elenrian military bases. "I don't think these are salvageable. Not only are they ancient, but they're also incompatible with Kumosenkan technologies. I will authorize new bases totaling in the amount of bases you have now. I'm sure you can tell this is already a massive investment on our part."
The minister's heart twisted at the mention of the tax. She knew it was high. Everyone did. She had no idea it affected them this much. To the point where they couldn't even fight. "There's nothing I can do about the tax. Not directly. I can grant certain exemptions to institutions immediately, that should help get your fighting forces off the ground. If the tax is really as crippling as you say, then I will start campaigning to have it changed. Ideally, I can get you changed over to the standard rates for Kumosenkan citizens. The tax we've enforced on you is absurdly outdated. You've been loyal to us for decades. It's time to treat you like it."
All the mistruths Ryōshi had been told of Elenria were crumbling around her. She was told the tax allowed them stability and independence when they can barely operate the forces they have. She was told their military was fully capable of standing up to anyone on Touli when their newest equipment is nearly four decades old. She was told the Elenrian people were happy under Kumosenkan rule and almost no one would meet her gaze. Ryōshi could barely stand being lied to, but a lie on this grand of a scale was disgusting, and the fact that she didn't notice any of it until now. Ryōshi believed now that it's time for a change. "Elenria is Kumosenkan. You will be treated like it. Obviously, this is going to be a massive investment on our part. I will need some things in return. Nothing material. Clearly, we've taken more than our fair share of that. I will need evidence of loyalty and a lot of it. The more I have the more likely I can convince those that have the power to institute real change. I need you to oust revolutionaries. I need you to institute media promotion of the Empress and Kumosenkan proper. If you can do that for me, I can promise you real change."
Ryōshi was speaking from the heart. For the first time in maybe two decades. She hadn't felt passion like this since she had become the minister of the hunt. She finally had something she believed in to work towards again, and she was going to see it through to the end.
She paused and looked at the map and pointed at the areas she had proposed coastal expansions. "These will be a much harder sell. There would be a lot within the government who would fear these installments would eventually be used against the Royal Battle Fleet. What I can authorize immediately is the modernization of naval bases here, here, and here." She punctuated each 'here' by pointing to different pre-existing naval bases on the Elenrian coast. As well as I can divert at least one battlegroup to patrol the coasts of Elenria. If the naval installations are a sticking point for you just know that they'll have to be primarily operated by Kumo."
"On the topic of bases." She looked over the documentation of the current Elenrian military bases. "I don't think these are salvageable. Not only are they ancient, but they're also incompatible with Kumosenkan technologies. I will authorize new bases totaling in the amount of bases you have now. I'm sure you can tell this is already a massive investment on our part."
The minister's heart twisted at the mention of the tax. She knew it was high. Everyone did. She had no idea it affected them this much. To the point where they couldn't even fight. "There's nothing I can do about the tax. Not directly. I can grant certain exemptions to institutions immediately, that should help get your fighting forces off the ground. If the tax is really as crippling as you say, then I will start campaigning to have it changed. Ideally, I can get you changed over to the standard rates for Kumosenkan citizens. The tax we've enforced on you is absurdly outdated. You've been loyal to us for decades. It's time to treat you like it."
All the mistruths Ryōshi had been told of Elenria were crumbling around her. She was told the tax allowed them stability and independence when they can barely operate the forces they have. She was told their military was fully capable of standing up to anyone on Touli when their newest equipment is nearly four decades old. She was told the Elenrian people were happy under Kumosenkan rule and almost no one would meet her gaze. Ryōshi could barely stand being lied to, but a lie on this grand of a scale was disgusting, and the fact that she didn't notice any of it until now. Ryōshi believed now that it's time for a change. "Elenria is Kumosenkan. You will be treated like it. Obviously, this is going to be a massive investment on our part. I will need some things in return. Nothing material. Clearly, we've taken more than our fair share of that. I will need evidence of loyalty and a lot of it. The more I have the more likely I can convince those that have the power to institute real change. I need you to oust revolutionaries. I need you to institute media promotion of the Empress and Kumosenkan proper. If you can do that for me, I can promise you real change."
Ryōshi was speaking from the heart. For the first time in maybe two decades. She hadn't felt passion like this since she had become the minister of the hunt. She finally had something she believed in to work towards again, and she was going to see it through to the end.
