Graetius, having fully recovered from the previous night, stands and walks down the isle, towards the speaker’s podium. The Senate immediately falls silent… will they be subjected to another “celebration” by their own Imperator? The mad fire that had burned in Graetius’s eyes is now replaced by a much calmer countenance. After tapping the podium once for complete silence, Graetius begins answering the many questions and statements that have been made in his brief absence…
And what of the Western Provinces!...
How does the Imperator intend to end this war? What is our end goal?
Rest assured Senator, the Urollans that murdered your kin, along with those thousands of other Azlanti citizens, shall be hunted down like wild curs and slaughtered. Any who stand in the way of our mighty army shall be put to death, be them men, women, or children. After we have occupied Ollan lands routed the Ollan “army”, which is composed of around 5,000 poorly trained cattle thieves, I, accompanied by General Aureolis, will march further west to subdue another coalition of warlike Urollan nomads. This second Urollan faction is composed of only 4,000 men and will easily be routed. To ensure that order is finally brought to the West, we, the people of Aztlanxo, will govern these newly occupied lands. Any Urollans willing to accept their new positions as
full citizens of Aztlanxo will enjoy the same rights as the most renowned Azlanti patriarch. This benevolent treatment, coupled with colonization efforts in the west, will bring tame the Urollans and acculturate them into our society.
Atlantis must be unified!
I am glad to hear this from you General Aureolis. Atlantis will indeed be unified, but this task shall not be accomplished exclusively with the sword. True, I could impose harsh penalties on the Urollans. I could clap every strong Urollan man in irons and cart him off to our capital city. I shall do none of these things however, for I am a staunch Populare. I shall not have slavery or indentured servitude imposed on any Urollan and that is
final. It seems as if I cannot leave this Curia for a day without you aristocrats bringing up the “many merits” of slavery. I will have no more talk of this abhorrent institution that has infected our culture!
The most troubling aspect is the assumption of victory. While I am confident in our capabilities I fear we underestimate the fighting power of the Urollans.
Bah! They are a fractured people who together can maintain a standing force of only 9,000 while our army shall soon boast 16,000 troops. Furthermore, the Azlanti Army is led by the most capable general of our time: your very own imperator.
The second issue is that of slavery. As you may know, small-scale enslavement of captives is a common practice on both sides of the western border. It is an accepted part of the status quo. Do the anti-slavery advocates intend to end that practice? Or do you merely object to large-scale campaigns designed primarily to capture slaves?
If I could change one aspect of Azlanti society while keeping the economy intact, I would immediately abolish all forms of slavery and indentured servitude. A society can never be considered egalitarian as long as it clings to the outdated institution of slavery. This practice not only creates an enormous hierarchical divide between the various echelons of society, as it also discourages the growth of a free working class.
Graetius looks down at his notes. It seems as if every quandary has been answered… except for Pontia Krupts peace proposal. Graetius scans this proposal… lifts his head, stares directly at Senator Krupt, and declares,
In case you were wondering,
full annexation will be demanded from the Urollans. Also a professional standing army will (muttering) obviously (/muttering) maintain our Southern border. Thank you for your thoughts.
Graetius leaves the podium and returns to his seat, not deigning to react to the scowling aristocrats.
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Graetius---
((Honestly, we can easily take down the Urollans and grab their 3-4 provinces without overextension. I've had diplomats sent to the East seeking alliances and, rest assured, we will have some powerful allies by the next Vox Pops))