Dead Star Dockyards

The Parliament, as Monda explained, was not a strictly democratic institution. They voted on various propositions and bills, of this there was no doubt, however they were not elected to their position by a general referendum as Diana expected from their substantially more modern system of governance and bureaucratic institutions. Granted, a handful of seats formed the exception to this rule, various holdouts and diplomatic concessions to planets integrated during the time of their expansion, however they were an extreme minority - not even a percent of the whole. The overwhelming majority of these 'seats' were instead selected in a manner similar to the Catholic Pope, secret votes by the Cardinals of the diocese they represented.

The eligibility requirements to be considered for selection were incredibly strict as well, changing based upon the role of the diocese in question, though the common through-line was having achieved the status of 'Bishop'. For example, a diocese dedicated to the oversight of law and order would require their candidates to first be dedicated to one or more of any number of creeds or orders that fulfilled the requirements enumerated in their founding charter, while also necessitating a number of 'proofs' relating to their dedication to this cause and their ability to carry such dedication out properly, as well as some record of character. Given how restrictive these requirements could be, Diana was not at all surprised to learn how common it was for dioceses to select Bishops from beyond their borders, or indeed beyond their planets. 

To this end, Bishop Kayes had been selected by a number of dioceses in the recent past owing to his reputation, skill, devotion, and character, however in every case he turned down this honor with the blessing of the High Council - something Monda emphasized to be extremely rare given the importance of these dioceses functions. He was just that important as an asset beyond the Theocracy's borders.

The Bishops selected to lead each diocese would then be granted authority similar to a Pope, appointing Cardinals when seats became available and providing moral guidance over interpretation of various passages and laws whenever necessary. They did not 'govern' though, the administrative duties of the diocese being the responsibility of the appointed Cardinals. The primary duties of these Bishops was to represent their diocese in parliament, however voting wasn't their only method of representation.

"We will now begin voting on the 'Sea-facing Port Refurbishment Act Revision - Article Two, Section Fifteen'. That would be the first item on today's ledger, the only vote scheduled for today, and item number seven from last week. To refresh your memory, this pertains to the discussion on inland port structures and formulation of building codes that would facilitate the style of landing exhibited by vessels tentatively referred to as 'Terran' as information on their use and operation becomes known." Archbishop Muarikyo sat in his desk atop a plinth jutting out from the stands, a position which provided him sufficient vision to both the floor and every other Bishop in the seats forming a hemispheric depression that formed the parliamentary 'pit'. "Are there any objections or necessary clarifications before voting begins?"

"This Bishop requests permission to speak!" A younger man, perhaps in his late twenties or early thirties compared to the apparent fifties and beyond for the room, shot up from his seat. 

"Granted."

"My apologies, for this is my first session and I am still behind on current matters, but is this revision to apply to the Refurbishment Acts pertaining to Lakes, Rivers, and Special Bodies as well? Or only for Seaports?"

"If memory serves, the decision has been made to apply this revision to seaports exclusively as they are the least restrictive of the four acts. The Terran vessels do not make contact with water, so this revision is a temporary measure while a separate Refurbishment Act is drafted for them. Is there any objection to this explanation?" Silence. "This topic will be further deliberated upon in ledger items seventeen to twenty-three, so please save further questions until that time."

"I thank you for the clarification, this Bishop cedes the floor."

"With that, I would ask the Parliament to begin voting. Ballots will be collected in two minutes starting three, two, one, now." Young men arranged at the top of every other isle all kept their eyes locked on the clock in the ceiling as the room erupted in a motley of conversations, creaking of benches, and the scratching of pen on paper. 

"They've been arguing about this for weeks." Speaking quietly, Monda's tone carried with it a modicum of exhaustion. "Nobody could agree if the terms were too restrictive, or not limiting enough."

"Really? How so?" Diana took Monda's words to mean it was alright for her to talk at this time.

"This specific vote is about the maximum area a landing zone for certain classifications and sizes of settlement, but there are tons of other conflicts about the allowable areas for support facilities and proximity to certain types of structure. I don't understand most of it, if I'm being honest."

"That's a little dumb." Sighing, Donovan took another drag from his tea. "I'd be more than happy to give you a spec list for approaches and a memorandum on best practices. Hell, if you really need it Arc can write a draft of the law himself."

"I'm sure that'll be what happens when the proper act is discussed." Kayes, unfazed by the suggestion, merely scanned the room for familiar faces. "This is more of an exercise than a serious debate, practice for when these sorts of questions arise in the future. It's been a long while since there was serious change in these halls."

"In that case, feel free to consult us on such matters."

"I'm sure we will, Lady Diana. I can't imagine how many pitfalls your experiences can save us from."

Diana made to speak again but was cut off by Monda, who gestured towards the man walking down the aisle collecting ballots. 

"With that handled, I would like to open the floor for members to request assignment to different councils." A number of people stood at the conclusion of Muarikyo's statement, perhaps one in every twenty. "Please note that anybody seeking membership in either the Council of Resource Management or Labor Management will be required to submit an application to the Council of Internal Affairs for review and appointment next session. I would also like to ask anybody not in a vital role with their current council to consider joining the Council of Foreign Affairs or the Budgetary Council as I have been notified they may be needing more hands in the coming days. Minor councils are open at the discretion of their heads."

- - - - -

The second major method of representation the Bishops partook in was membership in the councils. The most prominent were the seven major councils headed by the Archbishops, which were responsible for the larger functions of government outside of the military, however the majority of Bishops were involved in the minor councils.

Most of these were temporary, dedicated to performing studies or overseeing projects on a scale large enough to warrant separation from the major council from which they originated. These councils fell under the authority of Archbishop Muarikyo, who headed the Council of Councils. Requests for support or personnel would filter through his office to be routed to the appropriate major council in the weekly report, and presentations regarding progress, completion, or submittals to vote would be organized for the next parliamentary session. These minor councils, subcouncils of the major councils, could create their own subcouncils if the situation required it.

For example, when the Holifanians first accepted the offer of custodianship over the Terrans a minor council was created by the Council of Foreign Affairs to act on their behalf in parliament. For a time this arrangement was sufficient, the personnel and material requests submitted by the council on the behalf of the Terrans may have been extensive, but remained well within the means of those assigned to handle when a few administrative assistants were brought in. This changed once the Nekh were roped in, the scope of work increasing beyond imagination overnight.

Four more subcouncils were created almost immediately in response to this, one for organizing the logistic train from Ambrosia to Nekh, one for the recruiting, training, and management of personnel stationed on Nekh, one to manage the Holifanian presence on Nectar, and one to handle matters of materiel and manpower to be transported from Holifania to Nectar. At this point in time there were a total of nine councils (of all strata) consisting of 42 Bishops dedicated to managing them and their requests, soon to be more, and Diana had yet to meet a single one of them.

"Are there any further requests for reassignment?" Muarikyo's question was met with silence. "In that case, we shall continue with the day's proceedings. The chair cedes the floor to the Terran delegation."

This was their cue to stand up, Monda taking the lead as they headed towards the pit. Once at the bottom, Diana stepped into the center whilst the rest of them took a seat in the bench box as planned. Donovan and Titanyana would speak later, after the first impression had been made.

"Ahem, good morning. I apologize for being unable to project my voice, my ability to use split in that manner is still lacking, so I hope everyone can still hear me. My name is Diana Helmsguard, soon to be Strauss. Strictly speaking my standing is that of a queen, or perhaps an empress, however I would much prefer being referred to as 'Lady' or 'Miss' until such a time as my fiancé is coronated and our constitution formalized." She curtsied to the crowd, taking that moment to calm her nerves. "As much as I would like to thank each of you for your support over this past year, I think a personalized statement of gratitude would consume a bit too much of our time, so I'll stick to something more generic - Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart I thank you for all that you've done and will continue to do in the coming years."

Another curtsy, a small reprieve to allow the Bishops to chuckle at her little joke and applaud without interrupting her.

"Now, if it wouldn't be too much to ask, I would like to make a few further requests, some which I believe will be just as much a benefit to you as a boon for us. The first is something I have had the luxury of discussing with the Archbishops briefly, and is something that has probably come up in the past, this being the offer of a line of credit to us from the Tithe Bank." She paused briefly to gauge the reaction, primarily murmurs and some permutations of a raised eyebrow and suspicious glare. "I understand the philosophy behind it's formation and function, and would like to avoid conflict with its integrity as an institution . . . however I must be honest when I say that some of the purposes for which we may seek to utilize it could extend beyond its intended function. To that end we would like to keep an itemized list of all of our expenditures attached to this credit line, one that will be open to the public for scrutiny."

The suspicion on some of their faces deepened, though some appeared satisfied with the proposition.

"To be clear, we do not intend to take advantage of the generosity this institution provides. If anything, our intention is to ensure it maintains its integrity. However, and I must emphasize this clearly, we are at a vulnerable stage where we may need to do things quickly, be that to capitalize on an opportunity or prevent a disaster. This list will allow us to refund any unjustifiable expenses - with interest if requested - once we have built ourselves a proper economy and have dealt with the majority of our teething problems."

One of the Bishops lifted his arm into the air, blue paddle in hand. Monda had instructed her that everybody had such a paddle, which they could silently raise to signify their intention to speak. The blue side signified the intent to raise a question, while the orange side indicated something contentious such as additional information or desire to refute the statement. General practice permitted the speaker to reach a point suitable for pausing to address them though, so the flow would never be interrupted too much.

"Yes, you sir?"

"Thank you." He stood up slowly, an elder amongst the elderly. "This Bishop wonders if your proposition would not instead evoke an undue sense of concern from the public. Would it not be better to keep the ledger between yourself and the government?"

"Ah, yes. This had been brought up as a possibility before, but I feel that making it open to the public would solve problems for both of us. For us it is a simple measure, building trust with your people. For you, the solution would be to the problem associated with the Tithe Bank itself, namely that the people feel it isn't being used. Having an open list so the people may see what the contributions of their ancestors have amounted to and ensure the expenditures are proper should help remedy the civil unrest I've been told you experience, if only a little."

"Hm. This Bishop is not entirely convinced, but concedes there to be merit in the idea."

Just as he sat down, another raised their paddle, blue again.

"What is your question, sir?"

"This Bishop has been assigned to the Council of Material Acquisition under the Terran Intermediary Council and wonders if the scale of your operations would not make a complete itemized list untenable for public consumption. Do you possess the means to process and store such information, or will we need to arrange another council dedicated to this purpose?"

"We are more than capable of that, thank you. I do not intend to sound arrogant, but our ability to store, process, and query information exceeds yours to such a degree that they do not justify comparison. There will be no problems with either the quantity of data or sifting through it."

"This . . . This Bishop does not quite understand how that is possible, but concedes the floor nonetheless."

"Thank you. Now onto my second request, the introduction of some English into the curriculum of certain academic institutions across your territory."

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