Duty, Honor, Planet

by Corina Armstrong

Members of Regina's Armed Forces, you are heroes of the revolution. When I was forcibly parted from the people of Regina, you took up their cause. You assumed the mantle of leadership and sustained their revolutionary fires. For that decision, the people of Regina and I, are deeply grateful. Your planning and discipline were indispensable in ridding Regina of the corrupt and indecisive deadwood of the Regina Senate. Most of these so called "public servants" had long since ceased to serve the people. General Ramirez understood that the people needed your help in accomplishing that change with a minimum of innocent blood being spilt. Unfortunately for us all, Ramirez's death was also apparently the death of common sense and restraint.

Your leaders, possibly swayed by outside interests with hidden agendas, have set you against one another. Ask yourselves, what do they hope to accomplish for the good of the army and the people of Regina? I believe that they care only for their own personal gain of power, as they direct brother officers and citizen soldiers against one another. Look round you at your mercenary advisors. Who is paying them? At the end of this conflict as we are left to walk the smoking fields of battle among our dead friends and brothers, they will be collecting their repatriation bonds and bonus checks to leave planet. You and they have both sworn to fight. But you had chosen a higher road before this. You have chosen to serve the people of this planet, as have I. As your Duchess, learning of this conflict I sent members of my staff to learn the truth and walk among you. Having done that, I've also ordered the private mercenary units out of the conflict.

Now I must appeal to each of you and your wisdom. I appreciate your bravery and professional skills enough to never waste them. Leaders who spill the blood of their troops carelessly do not deserve to lead. I am asking you to exercise the same restraint and discipline that you did during the revolution. Cease this conflict and return to your barracks. Once you are safe there I will personally review with your officers the sources of their discontent. I can assure you that a non-partisan leader, with the best interests of Regina at heart, will assume a unified command of your forces; because a house divided against itself can not stand.

The people of Regina need you as our defense and our hope. The people need heros for the future as well as the past. Heros that are men of action, such as yourselves. Heros who temper their actions with the vision of how things should be, not how they are. I fully realize thast sometimes the most difficult course of action is inaction. But for the sakes of your lives, your futures and the good of your people you must return to the barracks now. Once you have all gathered there, I will speak to you more about what duties our future together holds for each of us.