A Soldier's Word (Alexis, Sheng and Riconus)

[Arkahn Th'alashar]

Ponutis 39, Era XIII
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The Ministry of Defense was quite an imposing building that held many rooms. Besides many offices it also held several conference rooms. Upon arrival in the company of the mages that had fetched them the officers would quickly be led through the Ministry and into one of the conference on the second floor of the building. It was a large, spacious room with tall windows on the far side of the door that looked out on the forum. In the center of the room stood a long, oval table with sixteen chairs, six on each side and one at the end of each table. On the table lay three neat stacks of papers and three nameplates. The one at the end of the table said 'Imperial Admiral Sapienta'. On the left side of the table sat another namesign that said 'Provost Imperatis Kaldres'. On the opposite of the table stood the final nameplate which said 'Provost Imperatis Xin'dell'. Arkahn was unaware wether or not the men had ever met before, although there was no doubt in his mind that Riconus and Sheng had. Truth was, he didn't know what any of the men looked liked and to avoid emberassing moment he had assigned places to them with nameplates as to prevent mix-ups.

At every assigned place stood two cup and in the center of the table stood a few trays with a coffee pot and a teakettle. In the corners of the room stood servants who would pour the coffee or tea at the request of any officer. Arkahn had strictly forbidden any alcoholic beverages at the table. He didn't mind a drink now and then, but not on duty. Besides, he doubted anyone would want a drink this time of brightening. He had instructed the mages to teleport their charges to Alleria Prime at the 11th candlemark, a time he thought was good for a meeting as it still left a large part of the brightening open. He also held into consideration any delays, expecting them to arrive at the 12th candlemark at the latest. Because of that fact he was the only man missing from the room should all three arrive. The Tigron sat in his personal office, still writing letters, looking through budgets and trying to familiarise with the names of Ministers and Senators. He had ordered the guards at the door to fetch him once the three officers would be present in the conference room and seated.

Should any of the officers get curious about the stack of papers he'd find they were budgets.

Budget of the Imperial Marshall: Legions
Salary
Imperial Marshall: 5000 crowns per cycle.
Provost Imperatis (Both Naval and Legion): 440 crowns per cycle.
Kestor Imperatis: 360 crowns per cycle.
Imperatis: 200 crowns per cycle.
Provost: 160 crowns per cycle.
Kestor: 120 crowns per cycle.
Cencoris: 100 crowns per cycle.
Daekin: 80 crowns per cycle.
Sword-Daekin: 60 crowns per cycle.
Shield-Daekin: 40 crowns per cycle.
Private: 20 crowns per cycle.

Administrative Upkeep
For the Imperial Marshall:
3000 crowns per cycle for administrative staff & costs.
4000 crowns per cycle living stipend

For Daekin upwards: 28.05 crowns per cycle.
For Sword-Daekin and below: 18.04 crowns per cycle.

Soldiers per Legion:
Imperatis: 1
Provost: 2
Kestor: 10
Cencoris: 20
Daekin: 100
Sword-Daekin: 500
Shield-Daekin: 1000
Private: 10,000

Total: 11,633

Total Personnel:
Provost Imperatis: 6 (3 Legion, 3 Classis)
Kestor Imperatis: 9
Imperatis: 30
Provost: 60
Kestor: 300
Cencoris: 600
Daekin: 3000
Sword-Daekin: 15,000
Shield-Daekin: 30,000
Private: 300000

Total: 348,990

Total Salary (Legion): 8,451,600 crowns per cycle (422,580,000 crowns per era)
Total Upkeep (Legion): 6,335,719.5 crowns per cycle (316,785,975 crowns per era)

Administrative Upkeep and Outfitting: 1,000,00 crowns per cycle (5,000,000 crowns per era)
Building Upkeep: 600,000 crowns per cycle (3,000,000 crowns per era)

Total Budget (Legions): 16,420,949.5 crowns per cycle (821,047,475 crowns per era)

Budget of the Imperial Marshall: Classis
Salary
Provost Imperatis (Both Naval and Legion): 440 crowns per cycle.
Ducor Navarch: 360 crowns per cycle.
Navarch: 280 crowns per cycle.
Ducor: 200 crowns per cycle.
Zeton: 160 crowns per cycle.
Trierius: 120 crowns per cycle.
Navit: 100 crowns per cycle.
Helm-Navit: 80 crowns per cycle.
Sail-Navig: 80 crowns per cycle.
Oar-Navit: 60 crowns per cycle.
Senior Seaman: 40 crowns per cycle.
Seaman: 20 crowns per cycle.

Administrative Upkeep
For Helm-Navit upwards: 28.05 crowns per cycle.
For Sail-Navit and below: 18.04 crowns per cycle.

Sailors per Classis:
Ducor Navarch: 1
Navarch: 2
Ducor: 4
Zeton: 20
Trierius: 100
Navit: 400
Helm-Navit: 400
Sail-Navit: 1276
Oar-Navit: 2552
Senior Seaman: 2552
Seaman: 20,416

Total: 27,723 sailors per classis. (This varies slightly depending on the composition of the first three units of the fleet.)

Ships per Classis:
First: 1
Second: 6
Third: 13
Fourth: 16
Fifth: 18
Sixth: 15
Sloop: 30

Based on preliminary research, this is a reasonably normal distribution of vessels. Depending on composition of each classis’ specialist units, the number of ships in a given category varies slightly.

Total Personnel:
Provost Imperatis: (Included in Legion numbers)
Ducor Navarch: 10
Navarch: 20
Ducor: 40
Zeton: 200
Trierius: 1,000
Navit: 4,000
Helm-Navit: 4,000
Sail-Navit: 12,760
Oar-Navit: 25,520
Senior Seaman: 25,520
Seaman: 204,160

Total: 277,230 (Again, varying slightly based upon the composition of a fleet.)

Total Salary (Classis): 8,545,200 crowns per cycle (427,260,000 crowns per era)
Total Upkeep (Classis): 5,094,021.9 crowns per cycle (254,701,095 crowns per era)

Administrative Upkeep and Outfitting: 1,000,00 crowns per cycle (5,000,000 crowns per era)
Harbor Upkeep: 300,000 crowns per cycle (1,500,000 crowns per era)
Ship Upkeep: 600,000 crowns per cycle (3,000,000 crowns per era)
Mothballing: 400,000 crowns per cycle (2,000,000 crowns per era)

Total Budget (Classis): 15,939,221.9 crowns per cycle (796,961,095 crowns per era)

Total: 32,360,171.4 crowns per cycle (1,618,008,570 crowns per era)

Once all officers had entered Arkahn would wait in his office just a little more longer, waiting for them to introduce themselves to eachother so that would be out of the way and allow them to get a cup of tea or coffee.

[Alexis Sapientia]

Well that had the marvelous effect of making him feel like he'd conned the ship into a group of shoals while on wyrmquest, without him being all the worse for wear, having lived to tell the tale.

Sure, he'd had some experience with magic, as of late having been initiated into the secrets of the same when he was a student at the Reg, long ago and far away, and for the life of him, while he did have familiarity about how a Sphere of Light was conjured, he hadn't had much practice as of late.

Imperial Admiral, indeed. For the meantime, he looked like the Imperial Admiral's aide, dressed as he was in his uniform still displaying the collar insignia of a mere Trieririrus, with the aiguillete by his shoulder that displayed his status as an assistant to the Imperial Marshal. Not caring a whit about what others thought, however, once he'd gained his bearings, he'd been ushered into the conference room, taking his seat at the proferred location, and arranging his varied papers as need be, while the mage went off to summon someone, leaving him, alone.

No doubt the Big Fellow wanted to find out how things were, and while the picture was a bit fuzzy, he'd be well and willing to give them the truth on how the Navy was.

Sitting quietly, he continued to scribble, study, summarize, and sigh.

[Riconus Xind'ell]

It was the first time that he was able to meet all members of the Imperial Army at one time, although all but the Minister of War had been met on previous occaisions. Being a long-serving kinsmen underneath the Kaldres House, his familiarity with Sheng was something to be assumed, even though they had yet met with each other in so long a time. He would at least be able to congratulate him on his recommendation to become Imperial Marshall, or so Lord Gil'dae would have Riconus believe.

The man whom he noticed within the conference before him was also someone he knew fairly well. Sharing in the joy of eachother's weddings definately gave Riconus a high opinion of young Alexis, whom had risen in the ranks of the Imperial Navy so quickly. He was yet unaware of the Vagaran's promotion until he read the rank on the table's plaque reading his name, and was quick to recognize his much deserved climb to the top.

"Lord Alexis - or should I say, Admiral Sapentia - it is good to see you again. I had no idea of your promotion, for I would have written to congratulate you long ago. Though I do admit, you might want to consider changing the markings on your uniform, good man." a small laugh sprung from Riconus, as he encouraged the idea of Alexis to spray his uniform in gold trim, as the tall Syl'rosyan had done the second he had taken his rank. "I trust Liselle is well, and is still as beautiful as when I saw her last?"

He began to take his seat, ignoring the outlandish budget that the political hierchy had conjured up for themselves. He hardly imagined it proper for the people's taxes to go towards an Imperial Marshall's salary of 5,000 crowns per cycle, and even the income of the Imperatis ranks were severly inflated considering all the perks that came with the job. Nevertheless, sharing in a possible conversation with Alexis, he waited to meet this new Minister of War. Unlike the other participants in the meeting, he had only heard of Th'alashar through articles in the Herald, ones that hardly painted a good portrait of him from his actions in Daltina and Malice. Regardless of that, however, he attempted to make an objective opinion of the Minister, and prayed that the man he was soon to meet was indeed the right person for the job.

[Sheng Kaldres]

Instead of the mage that Arkahn sent brought Sheng to the room, it was only Sheng himself, walking briskly to the room. Sheng had refused the Arkahn's mage spell and instead asked for Provost Renau to cast a teleportation spell. In terms of Arcana, Sheng would be more assured if the spell was casted by someone he trusted. Thus, with some details given by Arkahn's mage, Sheng arrived just outside the Ministry in his battle stained uniform and the smell of someone who had not bathed for a cycle.

Given the time that Arkahn's mage arrived, Sheng doubted that he could make himself presentable. And do Sheng wanted to waste his time on cleaning when he was fighting a war? In fact, Sheng felt slightly irritated that someone actually ask him to come for a meeting in the middle of his war campaign. Though Sheng had left instructions to his trusted inner circle and Sheng had faith in their abilities, but Sheng feared that if anything happened, his officers might not have the authority and faith in themselves to carry out the battle plan. Sheng might be worrying too much but in war, anything could happen in an instance and the war might turn to the Orcs' favor.

With a quick twist and turn, Sheng found himself inside the room. Looking around, Sheng saw Alexis and Riconus. It might have been some time, too long a time perhaps, but Sheng recognized Riconus. Recognizing Riconus, Sheng gave him a nod in recognition. From the tab, Sheng could see that Riconus had risen up the ranks. The last that Sheng knew of Riconus was in the Herald and he was facing some problems. It seemed that Riconus had solved them or he would not be here. Sheng also remembered that he had recieved a letter just a while before from Riconus. However, the limited time that Sheng had, Sheng had not read the letter. Perhaps, Sheng should have done so. The letter might have contained the fact that Motito had resigned and there was a new Minister of War.

Alexis was an unfamiliar face, though somehow, Sheng felt a certain kinship with Alexis. Perhaps, it was because Alexis rise through the ranks somehow reflected that of Sheng. So how did Sheng learnt of Alexis? People did talked and when someone became the aide of the Minister of War, people would know and sometimes, Sheng would overheard them. People had also talked about Sheng and sometimes, Sheng would overheard some of them, not all were favorable...

With yet another nod at Alexis, Sheng greeted the two with, "Serale." And went to sat at where he assigned. When he seated down, Sheng could not help feeling irritated once more. Sheng had expected or at least hoped that this would be a meeting that would not waste time. And yet, the person who was chairing this meeting was not here yet and Sheng had to waste more time waiting....

[Arkahn Th'alashar]

Sheng wasn't the only one who was a little on the edgy side over things. As Arkahn paced down from his office he was quickly informed of the fact that one of his mages had been discarded and the officer in question had chosen to show up at the meeting unclean. Now Arkahn wasn't someone who valued being clean above all, but to him it just showed how serious this particular officer took the meeting. The man had had a full darkening to prepare, probably a part of the brightening before it and the early morning. Arkahn had campaigned too, he was no stranger to filth, but that wasn't an excuse for not showing up at a pre-announced meeting with your superior officer. And that was exactly what Arkahn was, their superior, wether they liked it or not.

As Arkahn approached the conference room the guards posted outside opened the door for him, saluting him as he passed. The Tigron answered their salute as he continued to walk. Saluting was ever so important. As he entered the room he glanced quickly at the assembled men, waiting for a brief moment before walking towards his end of the table, directly opposite from Alexis, his back towards the high windows. Calmly he laid his papers before him on the table before looking up at the small assembly. "Officers..." Arkahn began. His voice was loud, raw even. He sounded like the good-natured brawler you'd find in any generic bar in Alleria. He quite looked like it too. To most people Arkahn looked like a brick wall stuck in an Imperial uniform. Partially due to the nature of his race and partially due to his training he'd become the bulky sort of man. He wasn't chisled like a bodybuilder, he was just large. Everything about him seemed large, from his head which stuck out from his bulky chest from a short but broad neck down to his puffed out pants that were tucked into his knee high boots. The fact that his left eye was absent and covered by a make-shift eyepatch that barely covered all the scar tissue only projected the image of brawler even further.

"My name is Arkahn Th'alashar, as per the 35th of Ponutis I am the Minister of Defense as decided by His Imperial Exellency Regent L'Evienne. I am charged with the restructuring of the Ministry of Defense. I don't believe I have met any of you before, and before you send out some men to gather information on me, I'll tell you where I came from. I started my military carreer with the Alyssan Imperial Guard where I recieved my strategic training as well as training in the use of weaponry and was promoted to Lance-Corporal. I later transferred to the Daltina Armed Forces to serve as a Commander, fighting with the Enamorian Coalition against Malice. When all other commanding officers were captured or killed by the Malician forces I retreated the coalition from that war and returned to Daltina to consolidate our losses and took upon me the role of Lord Protector of the city. When rule was restored and the Daltina Armed Forces disbanded I was brought into contact with our Imperial Regent, who saw in me the right man for the right job." It was a basic rundown of Arkahn's carreer which involved several skirmishes with Vysstichi, Orcs, Dorin and undead, but they didn't matter. All they needed to know was his formal training and ranks. No doubt the more hot headed amongst the three officers were already bored out of their skulls.
"Now I suspect that you are all thrilled to hear about my plans for the Ministry of War." Arkahn continued. The sarcasm hung thick in the air. It was obvious Arkahn thought as little of those gathered before him as they thought of him. "One of the major issues I discussed with His Imperial Excellency was the seperation of the Legions and the Classis, and how that would affect the Imperial Marshal or the Minister of War. My first act as Minister of Defense shall be the creation of two posts beneath the Minister of War, being the Imperial Admiral and the Imperial Marshall. The rank of Imperial Admiral is already filled by Admiral Sapientia, the rank of Imperial Marshall still needs to be filled, but I am looking for suitable candidates. In effect, the Imperial Marshall shall take the command over the Imperial Legions while the Imperial Admiral shall have the command over the Classis. Neither of them will be able to command units from eachother's chains of commands. Both however, will report directly to me. This brings me to another issue I wished to raise, the very reason I invited you for."

Arkahn was still standing behind his chair, looking around the table for a moment. Calmly he turned around, motioned for a servant to come to him and whispered something in his ear. At the same moment the other servants moved, adressing Alexis, Rinconus and Sheng in whispering voices. "Coffee or tea, sir?"
As the other servants moved Arkahn's designated servant put a pitcher of water and a small cup in front of him, pouring the cup full of water slowly. Arkahn approved highly. He hadn't even given instructions to pour slowly, but he was mostly looking to annoy the officers at the table. Frustration, anger even, showed true character. The ability to surpress frustration and anger showed professionalism. Arkahn mainly wanted to know what type of officers he had. He grinned mentally as he took a sip of his water.

"The Imperial Forces suffer from a lack of popularity these days gentlemen. And while I am not one to care much for popularity, I do care for the reasons behind it. I have been both a militia commander and a Lord Protector in a province torn apart by civil war, and Enamoria isn't the only province that suffers from these problems. The biggest question on our minds during our campaign against Malice was this. Why doesn't the Legion do anything about this? They were with the Empress, agreed, but even now we still suffer from the name we were given back then. The people rely more on their militias and town mages than they rely on our forces. A point demonstrated clearly by Provost Imperatis Sheng Kaldres who waved away one of the Mage Corps' own in favour of his own mage." Arkahn turned his head towards Sheng. "A bold action I would not take again Provost Imperatis Kaldres. I sent you a summons marked by the Imperial Ministry of Defense and gave the mage in question a direct order not to leave without you. That means you went directly against my orders for no other reason than your shameless distrust in the Imperial Legions." Arkahn released Sheng from his one-eyed gaze and looked at the other officers. "And this gentlemen, is what I want to change. Your forces do not exist in a vaccuum. You aren't warlords who lead a retinue of warriors. You are officers in the service of the Empire who lead soldiers. But most importantly, you are soldiers of the Empire yourself. With that title comes the need to act in a professional way. We don't have a chain of command so that you can ignore it at your very whim. Minister Gil'dae might have put up with that, but I won't. From now on every action you take, except defending yourself from a direct attack will be relayed through all the proper channels. This is not because I like to hear from you so much. This is because it is my job to know what you're doing, who you're fighting and where your troops are. It is my job to carry the responsibility for your action as much as it is your job to carry the responsibility for your own troops. I don't expect you to like it, I don't expect you to like me. If you have any concerns with me, I expect you to keep them to yourself and act professionally regardless of your feelings towards me just like you did every time your sergeant screamed at you when you were still wet behind the ears." Arkahn paused a moment to take another sip of water. He wasn't that thirsty but it gave him something to do as he allowed his words to sink in before continuing at a lower tone of voice.

"From now on I expect you to inform the Ministry of your expenses as well. As you see right before you, we're on a tight budget. Every battle you fight, every piece of equipment you buy outside that accountet for in the budget is something I will need to justify to Minister Zhou. That said, I want to know right now if any have made any such expenses lately." Arkahn refrained from adding that he'd find out about any such expenses anyway. Now it was time to take the filth these officers were probably ready to spew at him, and cut it off quickly.

[Riconus Xind'ell]

OOC: Absolutely nothing personal, Arkahn. Strictly business
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... What an idiot.

It was amazing, to think that this cycloptic fool could waltz into a room, and scorn a room of veteran commanders, who were seasoned in the art of warfare beyond the minister's own comprehension. What did he hope to accomplish by making him appear like a tyrant to the very people he would need to rely on to operate the Imperial Forces properly? It was simply something that Riconus could not quite get his head around. His legions fell under his command because he made himself one of their own, and made all of his officers aware that their opinions were vital. But instead, he had to endure the rant of someone who's last Imperial position was as a Lance Corporal in the 17th Legion.

If Arkahn believed that Riconus, or anyone else within the room, would put up with his powertrip, the poor katta was due for an intense and rude awakening. However, instead of exuding rage or disappointment, the only expression he could carry was amusement, as a wide grin opened at the thought of a newbie ruling over him with an iron fist. Eventually, a small burst of laughter escaped the Syl'rosyan's lips, and a shake of his head followed. Without allowing a moment for anyone to question what he found so entertaining about the situation, he decided to put this discussion to rest.

"Minister, you are indeed comical. However, it might surprise you to know that we are not a group of recruits or cadets that can be bullied. You see, I don't believe you understand who you're talking to: Sheng and I each command around 90,000 Imperial Legionnaires ready to march on a brightening's notice, and Alexis here holds tactical command of every body of water larger than a pond within the entire Empire. So, if you believe that I am going to follow the orders of someone who sent thousands of men to their death after he and his band of idiots failed so miserably in Malice, then you might want to readjust your take on reality." Riconus attempted to keep his mouth shut, but one last point needed to be made.

"And then, just to ensure that my opinion of you could not drop any lower, you condemn Provost Imperatis Kaldres, in front of all his peers, because of his choice in mages? That man was battling on the front lines of a full-scale war in Narim when you were just some ex-general of a failed campaign eras ago- how dare you attempt to demean him!?"

Riconus rose from his chair, ignoring the servants asking what his preference was in coffee and tea. The conference was only a few minutes old, and already, he had grown utterly annoyed by it. Like Alexis and Sheng, Riconus had already earned his stripes, and if he would not receive the respect that he had fought in battle for, then it was a garauntee that he would return that attitude in full turn. He looked at the budget one last time, and as the blue in his eyes began to chill, he pushed the budget aside.

"We're on a tight budget, you say? Yes, that would explain why the Imperial Marshall makes more money than the combined salaries of all officers within an entire legion. Well, if Minister Zhou has a concern regarding my expenses, I will gladly offer it upon his own personal request, not yours.

Unfortunately, Your Excellency, I should make haste, for managing the Western Front provides me with a list of concerns... and enduring your misdirected power trips is nowhere on that list. So, if you have anything meaningful to discuss, such as the problems that have been relayed to us from the legions and classii we repersent, I shall take my seat. Otherwise, I'll return to Imperia and Eth'angor, where my attention should be focused on in the first place."

Riconus remained standing, waiting to see if Arkahn would understand the concept of his position, or return to his ways of manipulation and tyranny. Make no question, that the Syl'rosyan general sincerely wanted to have a peaceful relationship between the Western Host and the Ministry of Defense- so long as those in the Ministry recognized that respect had to be earned, and that Xind'ell was anything but afraid.

[Alexis Sapientia]

What an asinus stuck in a hole, Alexis managed to think to himself then, his mind flitting through the obscenity as easily as the image came to his head. What else would describe it, but wild, thoughtless braying, annoying in itself, so much so that it would drive any armed fellow into a fight?

But of course, he'd paused in his writing on seeing the elven general enter, engaging in mutual banter about friends and family, and exchanging a similar respectful nod on the entry of Master Kaldres, fresh from the front in Narim, and looking very much like it. Haste, obviously, was the essence.

Just like the Minister's entry, which made a hurricane seem pitiful in comparison. Getting to his feet--and clicking his heels automatically as was taught in The Sentinel--Alexis stood at attention, waiting. The preamble made sense, and while cool water seemed perfect for the time of day (tea could have it's disconcerting moments, as the Regent knew) the need for it never seemed more pressing until Minister Th'alashar ended his spiel.

He'd barely begun to raise his hand to seek permission to sit and speak, eyes level with the fellow...and needless to say, the outburst from the commander of the forces in the west, caught Alexis by surprise, like a broadside from a ship-of-the-line hidden well-deep in fog and tar.

Adrenaline made him stand almost a few mere seconds after Riconus, hands instinctively clutching the hilt of his cutlass, eyes wide, searching for danger.

Kinsman by marriage or not, he'd swing for this. It wasn't just being absurdly rude...this was a challenge to a duel, be it high treason or just heightened emotional conversation.

At that, Alexis watched, and waited. A sailor in the midst of three hard-as-rock legionaries, he knew when best to wait for the tempestuous wind to stop blowing.

He could sense shoals ahead, and the brimming clouds on the horizon meant that action was imminent.

Biting his lip and standing straighter, he waited for a reaction. Clap him in irons with a thousand lashes for insubordination? The young sailor knew not.

[Sheng Kaldres]

When Arkahn entered through, Sheng was surprised to see a katta entering. A katta as a Minister of War? Well, there was a katta Imperial Judicator. Though Arkahn was a katta, he was build like a soldier and Sheng approved of that. But Arkahn did not salute those in the room and Sheng wondered if Arkahn was doing it on purpose. Was Arkahn trying to show that he did not respect those in the room even though he was the senior officer?

After the introductions were made, Arkahn offered a short history of his career. It was obvious that Arkahn was an outsider. Yes, Arkahn did start his career in the Alyssan Elites but he only served up to the rank of Lance Corporal. Arkahn did not have any experience of leading men in the Imperial Guards, though it must be said that Arkahn did have experience leading men. Another fact that was not in favor of Arkahn was the fact that he did nothing about Malice and stayed on as Lord Protector. The fact that Arkahn retreated was understandable but the fact that he did nothing about Malice after that event said something of his planning and priorities. Was he more concerned about his political career than the captured men? Perhaps, there was something else that Milo saw in him.

The meeting proceeded and Sheng wondered about was Arkahn was the correct choice as he slipped the warm water that he requested rather than coffee or tea. Arkahn proceeded to attack Sheng and the way that he put was blunt, too blunt. The political acumen showed by Arkahn was lacking and the points that Arkahn raised made Sheng wondered if Arkahn had been to a war before. Sheng was being challenged and Sheng would reply to that challenge. But before Sheng could do anything, Riconous busted out with his tirade. Though Sheng had the same sentiments as Riconous, Sheng was not so sure that he would be so…explosive.

While Riconous was delivering his tirade, Sheng noted that Alexis was not idling. Sheng saw that Alexis grasped his cutlass and the way that he looked at Riconous and Arkahn made it hard for Sheng to see what his feeling towards this situation was. Threatened perhaps but by whom? Given the situation, perhaps Alexis was feeling at swords’ points…

Speaking quietly and calmly as he stood up and put his hand on Riconous’ shoulder, “Sit down, Riconous. We are officers and as officers, we try to respect other people’s views even if they are not to our liking.” And there was a pointed look at Arkahn even though the speech seemed to be admonishing Riconous.

“To reply your questions,” Sheng said with a pause for dramatic effect before he sat down and to let what had passed before settled down. “Provost Moham Renau is a respected member of the Mage Corps. In fact, he is a senior commander in the Mages Corps. He is not my personal mage. If I have one, I will let you know.” Tightly controlled sarcasm was present in Sheng’s speech.

“And I did follow your orders. Your orders were to present myself in this room and at this time. Your orders or orders that I hear did not explicitly state that I must use the mage that you sent. And beside, when there is a need for a teleportation spell, I would rather have a Master Sorcerer cast the spell.”

Smiling with a smile that did not reached his eyes, Sheng went on with, “We, as part of the Imperial Army…..Imperial Navy, need to consider what we have and to use them to the best of our abilities. This is what it meant to be professionals. Yes, we need to follow orders but we do not follow them blindly. This is especially true for senior officers for senior officers make decisions that affect many in the Imperial Army and Navy. If what we want are mindless creatures, then we might as well have the Sentinels of Julos’ reign.” Yes, Sheng still remembered the Sentinels of Julos’ reign and how effective they were.

“For my expenses, all of them have to do with the war being fought in Sheria right now. The Imperial Regent had himself promised personally to me that he would do all that he could to support this war given that I would do all I could to win the war, and I have done so accordingly. If you have any questions, I will answer them gladly.”

In truth, Arkahn was being tested here and Arkahn did not start well with two of his senior officers. Being command of the Imperial Army and Navy was more than just a command. It was a post that needed the commander to be able to get the respect and loyalty of his men. For without those two qualities, any command would face great difficulties.

Did Motito get those two qualities? There was respect, but not total loyalty, but Motito solved that with his sharp political acumen. Arkahn was proving to the opposite of Motito….

[Arkahn Th'alashar]

Arkahn seemed to be quite unimpressed with Riconus' explosion as he stood calmly, his one eye fixed on the man as he waited for him to finish. That finish came when Sheng abruptly sat Riconus down, something which Arkahn couldn't help but respect in the Provost Imperatis. However, not much good seemed to be coming from the human's mouth either. It made Arkahn wonder how these two had ever gotten through basic training. It was the most basic idea of military etiquette to ask for permission to speak when you weren't granted that permission directly. Arkahn had posed a general question and apperantly all but Alexis understood that none of them had been given permission to speak. The Tigron was in fact pleasantly surprised with the young Admiral. Here was a man who understood the need to stand at attention when a superior officer entered, even if he did not answer the sign of respect. It seemed to Arkahn that Sheng and Riconus had been in their position for too long unchecked, or that they'd risen through the ranks too quickly to understand the basic need for etiquette. They struck Arkahn like the Academy type. He'd met some of them before in his life. They were the kind of soldiers who'd never been shouted at by their sergeant, forced to do countless push-ups because they forgot to close the top button of their uniform or were 'sloppy' in making their bunks.

After Sheng finished speaking Arkahn again took a sip of water and looked at the faces of the officers before him. His voice was now calm, cold almost as he adressed Riconus. "I am every so sorry for delaying you Provost Imperatis, but it seems you delay will be prolonged for a few more candlemarks. Candlemarks you will be spending outside this room awaiting the end of this meeting. Maybe Provost Imperatis Kaldres and Imperial Admiral can persuade me to let you retain your current rank, but at his particular moment I am much more inclined to demote you to the rank of Kestor Imperatis under the command of Provost Imperatis Kaldres. I suggest you remove yourself from this meeting as per this instant to save yourself the emberassment of being removed by any of my men. Also, be aware of the fact that leaving the Ministry of War will earn you a demotion to Imperatis per direct. You are excused." Arkahn didn't like this one bit. There had to be a reason why Riconus had been promoted to Provost Imperatis, but the man had gone too far. The Tigron wasn't one to quickly demote people, believing firmly in the skill of any officer appointed by the Empire. Demoting Riconus was a confirmation of the fact that Arkahn doubted Motito's judgement, a thought Arkahn wasn't quite fond of.

As soon as Riconus had left the room Arkahn turned towards Sheng and Alexis. "These words will fall onto deaf ears should you already have your opinion of me ready, but that was something I wasn't eager on doing." Arkahn spoke softly. "However, I trust that you will both understand that I could not let Provost Imperatis Xind'ell's behaviour go without consequences." Arkahn turned back to Sheng. "As for you, Provost Imperatis Kaldres. I never said I wanted those officers I command to be mindless drones. However, what I did say is that the chain of command and military etiquette should be enforced at all times. We have a chain of command not because it gives us fancy titles, but because it allows for easy coordination and a clear view on who is responsible for what. As it is, I am responsible for you, any of your subordinates and all of their actions, down to the very last Legionnaire. While it is your duty to report to me, and yes, follow my orders, it is my duty towards you to make sure the orders I give you are sound. When I said that I wanted to be notified of any actions you make besides a reaction to a direct attack, that was exactly what I meant. Everytime you are forced to attack a city such as Ire or Malice, I will need to be informed of your intentions. Not only because I need to know the impact on our budget of any of your actions, but also to coordinate your attack with other Imperial forces, to justify your actions to the Regent and to help where possible. I will not call you to my office to tell you how to fight your war once I have given permission, you yourself should be quite capable of doing so yourself. What I do is not different from your duty Provost Imperatis. The Kestor Imperatis of each province reports to you, just like you report to me. Now what happens if one of your Kestor Imperatis decides to attack a city without notifying you? Would you let that pass without word? I doubt that, not in the least because I will be asking you for an explaination as to why your Kestor Imperatis is fighting a war. Like your subordinates have a duty to you, you have a duty to me. I in turn have a duty to the Regent."

"As for your response to my question, it was a response indeed, but it wasn't an answer. I asked you if you made any expenses outside of your budget. I didn't need to know wether or not the Regent knows about them, I asked you if you made them. A war is indeed an expense not covered in the budget, and I instruct you not to stop your campaign once the situation in Narim is stable again. Any other actions you have planned will be put on hold until you have reported them to me. I will also want a much more defined description of your expenses in your current campaign." As Arkahn saw it he had two opponents and one man undecided. His fiercest opponent was Riconus, the man he had just dismissed, the other was Sheng, who was much more civilised about his opposition, and therefore even more dangerous. Alexis was difficult. He could be opposed to Arkahn but not letting him know, or he was in fact the kind of officer Arkahn actually liked. He'd soon find out.

Not allowing Sheng a chance to retort right away the Tigron turned to Alexis. "Imperial Admiral, you have been silent up until now. Should you wish to speak you are now permitted." It was the first time that Arkahn actually used his normal, regular voice. It was deep, raw and somehow quite warm. It was slightly out of place with his appearance and the way he had acted before.

[Sheng Kaldres]

Perhaps Arkahn had more restrain than he showed or it was Sheng’s show of calmness, Arkahn responded more calmly than Sheng thought. However, the way that Arkahn responded was still more a brute force method. Arkahn had actually threatened to demote Riconous and if Riconous still had more to speak, he would be further demoted. And to add on to this, Arkahn asked Riconous to leave the room. This was too harsh a decision in Sheng’s opinion. Sheng guessed that to Arkahn, that if he could not have your respect, he would get his orders done in one way or the other, even if it was by threatening rather than logic.

Of course, discipline was important in the Imperial Army but among the senior officers when they were discussing plans, each and every view should be taken into consideration. Yes, even if they insult you and derail your plans. Officers must work well together and united as one. Sheng had experienced this in the war and he learned to get your men’s respect and the insults would stop as he needed these men to fight the war for him. Perhaps if Sheng had not fought the war in Sheria, he would react in the same way as Arkahn.

“Apologies to the Imperial Admiral and pardon me, if I have the permission to speak.” Sheng sliding in swiftly before Alexis spoke and with a look at Riconous to wait. Then, without waiting for the permission to be granted, “I disagree with your decision to ask Provost Imperatis Xind'ell out of the room. Yes, I agree that Provost Imperatis Xind'ell acted inappropriately for a man of his rank. But we must remember that people with rank sometimes do forget their manners.” A hint of sarcasm laced with an effort for logical reason set the tone for Sheng’s reasoning.

“I myself had been insulted by my officers but I don’t ask them out of my office or threatened them with demoting them. Instead, I asked them to stand to one side and consider their words. They will still stay in the room and listen to the plans. If they still feel strongly, I will challenge them. This is the way to gain the respect of men for we must work as one and without this sense of understanding, it will be hard to act as one for the Imperial Army and Imperial Navy.”

“Furthermore, if I am not wrong, the purpose of this meeting is to gather information of what we know and to discuss what the plans are for the Imperial Army and Imperial Navy. If Provost Imperatis Xind'ell is not here, we will have to spend more time and effort in devising our plans, would you not agree? So for the moment, I suggest that Provost Imperatis Xind'ell stays here. Of course, you can still enforce your orders, but please, consider what I have said.” But Sheng was not finished at this point yet.

With yet another maddening smile, “Of your points, I hear them but let me state what I think because I think that it may be a case of miscommunication or that you misinterpret my points.”

“I agree that there must be command and military etiquette but in certain circumstances, they must be ignored if a campaign is to be successful. Would I let a Kestor Imperatis under my command to attack a city senselessly? No, of course not. However, I will accept the fact that sometimes, in the span of time that he or she had, the Kestor Imperatis needed to act swiftly in order for the campaign to be successful. The senior officers of the Imperial Army and Imperial Navy need to the freedom to act and to take responsibilities for their actions. They will need to report their actions to me as I will to you, but I will not expect to stop their actions abruptly. If there is a need, I will request to have a clear view of the campaign before I give any orders as I expect you will too.”

Pausing slightly and with a sincere apologetic look at Alexis, Sheng continued with, “And as I have said before, all of my expenses is concerned with the war in Sheria. I have my orders from the Imperial Regent to do so. Of my expenses, I believe that I have submitted a detailed report before as I have done with all of my reports, but if you cannot find them or that you needed a more detailed one, I will do so.”

Looking at Alexis, and with a smile that invites talk, Sheng invited, “Now, if we can move to the Imperial Admiral’s report? If there any questions about the 300 ships anchored at Archadoon at the beginning of this era, I can help to answer some of them.”