The 2429 Conclave

The 2429 Imperial Conclave was the first "election" for a new Emperor.

Circumstance
With the abdication Emperor Isaac and Empress Ivy, the Empire called a conclave to elect the new Emperor, as per the Prosperity Mount Agreement.

The Lord-Governors were summoned back to the Palace at Dhaka and senior civil servants oversaw the conclave. Each Governor was not permitted to leave the Palace and they were only allowed one staff aide in the Council chambers

The slates to vote on were laser-cut by the civil service and their specific carbon signature made them impossible to counterfeit

Preferatti
On December 1st, the Council was invited to nominate its preferatti. There was only one named prefatti before the election with Princess Regina Valane-Solarin the nominee of Houses Valane and Solarin.

Lord Joachim Brahms, the former Lord-Chancellor was the other nominee put forward as the voice of experience and a loyal servant to Emperor Isaac Solarin

Platform Speeches
Both prefatti were given the opportunity to outline why they wished to be the next Emperor

-Lord Brahms

T''o the Esteemed Lords Governor, In recent days, we have been witness to the abdication of The Second Terran Emperor, Isaac Solarin. It is with some sadness that we bid him farewell as he departs the throne and hangs up the robes of office. I hope you will join me in wishing him a peaceful retirement, well deserved after long years of service to the Empire. And now, to put an end to a rumour, I have decided to announce my candidacy for the Emperorship. It has been my privilege to serve the Empire in many capacities; as its Lord Chancellor, as it’s Colonisation Minister, as it’s Lord Governor. I have seen the Empire’s lows: raids, terrorism, war - but moreso its highs! Our victories, new hope in the South, incredible technological progress. I’ve seen wonders! As Emperor, I will have the Terran Empire reclaim its home in this quadrant and warm those previously cold shoulders. Our northern colonies shall no longer be seen as impoverished - I will rebalance the scales. I will ensure that our newfound AI minds have a place amongst us and are not estranged through fear. We shall not fear. Regretfully, we have enemies near and far and they strike at us with heinous acts. My own father, a victim. But if our enemies think we will simply sit here and grovel then they must not be in their right minds. We do not cower - we will strike back at their roots. So, even as I am warned that the Emperorship is fraught with peril and difficulty, I will gladly step up to the challenge, for I shall not fear. Yours Sincerely, Lord Governor Joachim Brahms''

-Princess Regina

''To the honourable Lords and Ladies of the Council, I am writing this letter to provide an honest, open and transparent view into my views regarding the Imperial Election. My Grandfather August Solarin was the first great leader of the Terran Empire, and he is still spoken of in high regard.''

My beloved Father, and my cherished Mother, took up the mantle of leadership from him when he abdicated his role and they took the Empire to new heights and helped pave the way for a new way of life for Terrans.

''These three great people have taught me many lessons about what it means to be a leader. I have seen the “other side” of leadership – the private moments away from meetings and celebration and cameras, where being “just you” are never a possibility.''

''The job of Imperial Leader is not a normal job, it is a job that is constant, and it does not matter if you are tired, or sick, or in mourning. I have seen these moments behind closed doors, and I know of the personal sacrifices that need to be made to keep this great Empire stable and prosperous. I know that the role of Imperial Leader does not sleep, does not wait, and is crucial to perform well for the good of all, not just the self. It is not a job to seek for personal glory, it is not a job to seek to have others think more highly of you, it is not a job to seek because you do not like this form of government or others who hold offices.''

Due to my unique, personal, understanding of these issues I believe that I am the Imperial Leader that we need at this time.

Please take this as my formal announcement that I am seeking the title of Imperial Leader, Empress of The Terran Empire.

''Should I be successfully elected, my aims for the Empire are as followsTo ensure that the transition is stable, and there are no poor effects due to leadership changes, To have our military fully modernised, expand our fleet and marine personnel, and increase our Intelligence capabilities, To begin the process of uplifting Prospero''

''To colonise the remaining uninhabited planets in within Terran Space, To bring the Infinity Ship project to life again, To improve our standing and our relationships with other Races in The Quadrant, To ensure that the Terrans are strong, and are seen as equal to the other great powers in The Quadrant. Long Live The Empire! Princess Regina Valane-Solarin''

Questions from the Lord-Governors
Lord Maquessa asked:

1) What is your position with respect to the balance of power between the Corporations and the Empire?

Princess Regina's response-

''House Valane is a 50% shareholder in Proteus KP (a biomedical corporation that was started to give Northern Frontier citizens access to cheaper, more affordable healthcare), although many of you are already aware of this I am bringing it up for those who don’t know to aid with my promise of transparency. This does not mean that I believe that corporations should be given a free reign to do whatever they want! I believe that the “big merger” issue only came about because there was not a rule in place that said that the corporations could not do that. If there had been, I fully believe it would never have happened. The Hansa want to work with us to keep things in a good place for all. Open communication is key! As for the balance of power, the power should always sit with The Empire. The corporations do not “run the show” as it were.''

Lord Brahm's response-

''The Empire must retain executive power or it will cease to function as an empire. If other entities are capable of forcing the Empire’s hand then we’re back to the days of democracy with endless internal bickering. One of the Empire’s best aspects is its ability to get things done. The Empire aims to provide all a corporation needs to do business freely; they benefit from its systems, its peoples, its policing and navy (to name a few), all in exchange for their contribution to the treasury. The corporations should be taking comfort in the Empire’s services for which they pay and conduct business as they see fit, abiding Imperial law.''

2) What is your position on the separation between church (religion) and state?

Princess Regina's response

''Religion is not a dirty word, nor is it a bad thing to have in society. The recent census called by the Minister of Religion shows that around 50% of Imperial citizens identify as Valtanist, a further 25% identify as following another religion (Neo-Paganism, Neo-Christianity, or others), and the remaining 25% said they weren’t a religious follower at all. These figures show that it was a good idea to have created the Minister of Religion post, because despite some fears it was not created to give special treatment to Valtanists. It was created to give all citizens of The Empire a voice and protection when it came down to their religious freedoms. My feelings are that religious views do not make up a whole person, it merely is a facet of who they are. You can achieve brilliance in any field whether you believe in a deity, in the universe, in science, or in nothing at all. However, I do not believe that an Imperial Leader should share their religious ideals publicly, as they need to represent all and treat all with fairness. No one should feel alienated because they feel that the Imperial Leadership doesn’t listen to them based on religious reasons. The Empire itself has no state religion, but the citizens who live within her borders may follow their own.''

Lord Brahms response

''The two should not mix. History is quite clear on this one - states of old that chose to be part government, part religion were very often subject to turmoil as different faiths quarrelled endlessly. It’s not a mistake we need to repeat. The recently created role of Minister for Religion is a step in the right direction to keep in touch with the large number of believers in the Empire.''

3) How do you plan to ensure Terran Rights are not abused, domestically or otherwise?

Princess Regina's response:

''At the current time it is my understanding that the current system that we have works effectively, both at home and away. I see no reason to change the system that is in effect, though I am of course open to other thoughts and viewpoints in the future should I become Imperial Leader.''

Lord Brahms response:

''Domestically, as Terran Rights are enshrined in law. By ensuring all can seek its protections, we can prevent the abuse of rights. Some abuses are more subtle but by ensuring every individual has the freedom to choose their path we can effectively prevent these too. Internationally, we can ensure our citizens receive fair treatment through rapport with the other states. We can demand our citizens not be mistreated and we will show reciprocity.''

Lord Grumman asked:

1) What is your stance on inter-galactic relations, so you want to see the Empire take a more active role in international relations?

Princess Regina's response''It is my aim to change the other great races’ perception of us. Recently we have fallen down the totem pole in their estimations and unfortunately, I would go as far as to say that some consider us a laughing stock. That is not The Empire I know and love. That is not who we are. I believe that one way to help this happen is take a more active role in the galactic community, yes. I am not saying that we let go of our ideals and just roll over to the other races’ whims in a bid to make friends though! Even if we do not understand, or approve, of some actions that the others take, we still respect them. That is all I am looking for, for ourselves.

Lord Brahms response:

''The Empire should resume it’s activities in the Galactic Council and continue to make its voice heard but we should not engage in wonton frustration of the politics of our neighbors. Our relationships with the other nations have been so strained in recent years but so too have relationships between each of them. We would benefit from extending an olive branch.''

2) What is your stance on 11th Gen A

Princess Regina's response:

I am pro-technology, I am pro-robot, and I am pro-AI.

Lord Brahms response:

''Simply, 11th Gen AI are a new form of sentient life - hither before unseen. The boons we can obtain by working together will be truly great. Some perceive them as a threat to humanity but that’s exactly the mindset that breeds mistrust between different peoples. Eventually that mindset will fulfil its own prophecy and create the threat it so unnecessarily railed against.''

I 3) What response do you feel is needed to ensure Black Star do not grow into a larger threat than they already are?

Princess Regina's response:

''As I mentioned, improving the military is one of my primary goals, and within that umbrella is our intelligence community. I believe that by investing more resources into our intelligence we will be able to spend more time and commit more man-power to crushing this dangerous faction out of existence for good. I am keen for us to take out each cell that we can, capturing high-ups within their system to see if we can connect them together. At the moment they seem to be flying the same flag but operating independently – obvious this is not ideal when it comes to cracking down on them! They have no credibility, and we will not bow down to them. This is a fight they are going to lose.''

Lord Brahms response:

''A two pronged approach. First, their actions must receive firm rebuttal. Our continued military action against their forces will restrict their ability to commit atrocities. The second is that their philosophy must also receive rebuttal. They espouse that no form of centralized government is best but by demonstrating what it can achieve for them when they’re not conducting terrorism, we can take the wind from their sails and their followers will disperse.''

''Both candidates refused to be drawn into criticism of the other by Lord's Collingwood or Hawthorne. Lord Hawthorne also attempted to expand on some of Princess Regina's answers but there was no response to these. He was mildly rebuked by some Governors' for waiting until the "last minute" to bring up detailed and "biased" questions''

The Results
The Civil Service certified the result on December 10th 2429, confirming the votes tallied as: Therefore having achieved a majority of the possible votes, Princess Regina was confirmed to her title as Empress.
 * 1) Princess Regina Valane-Solarin -13 Votes
 * 2) Lord Joachim Brahms -7 Votes
 * 3) Abstain -3 Votes

next conclave -the 2459 Conclave