Lorell Hall Speech

Category: HNN Broadcasted on 26.Sep.2015 - 11:56hrs Author Zayth Kadrim Comments: 0

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The introduction of the Hapan News Network begins and rolls through familiar images of the Hapes Consortium's worlds before settling on the newsanchor, Anacia Chalcedon, smiling in front of the view of a morning view over the capital city, with the seat of the government, Lorell Hall, visible on the side.

”Hello, and welcome to our live broadcast from the nation's capital where a late morning session of the Royal Council is about to begin with the King's speech to the nation! While the exact topics to be covered have not been disclosed in advance, it is widely believed His Majesty intends to take a moment to reflect upon the Consortium's present footing, the changes that have impacted on it, as well as to cast our gaze upon what is to come. Without further ado, we will proceed to the event... ”




As Anacia Chalcedon's smiling visage fades, the image shifts momentarily to a holding screen before displaying live feed from an ornate chamber within the Lorell Hall, where the key figures of the Royal Council are seen gathered. The King is standing behind a small podium and acknowledges the gathering with a nod before beginning with his speech.

”Good morning, to one and all.

It has been a while since as a nation we have addressed this matter, and thus it is my intent today to assure you - and indeed assert - that actions do carry consequences. That much is inevitable, and necessary. The more time that passes between an action and its righteous reaction, the more deeds that pass undeclared, the more likely it is for the individual to begin to believe that those actions did not matter. That they went unnoticed. That they wouldn't impact on the lives of the ordrinary citizens. That would be unjust, and unacceptable.

The census data at the last look suggested the Hapes Cluster has at present roughly 645,000,000,000 inhabitants, and that naturally poses certain challenges for our good government to equally address all the deeds of its citizens, even if the Ministry of the Interior in conjuction with relevant authorities do manage to keep up well, like a veritable eye in the sky. Of course, while most have been dealt with satisfactorily, there have been some higher profile cases in the relatively recent past that haven't quite garnered equal amounts of attention, and that is what we are here to rectify today.

But this is of course not about penitence of misdeeds, for this shared moment is about progress made, and of the gratitude it instills. With great effort and patience, time has seen us secure our boundaries, accumulate vast wealth and potent fleets, but despite those successes, as a society we cannot last without keeping our minds on the present, tirelessly attending to what that all relies upon, which is maintaining the foundations of the Consortium. All the great powers must contend with the cycles of rising and waning momentum, and we have been no exception. If anything, as we once lead the race towards industrialization in the galaxy almost a decade ago, we have had plenty of time to truly see and contemplate upon the ultimate cost of our success; To have witnessed the fires of our industry cool down, the ambition in our eyes dim and fade, sated by comfort.

And yet, while we have rested on the comfort of our past success, we have not been overcome by the ravages of time, nor bent our knees to it. All the while, others have had to face the same questions about themselves and their place in the galaxy. Just amongst our friends in the Galactic Concordiate, you might well remember Avance Coalition choosing to consider its challenges insurmountable and shuttering its doors. This year Mandalore too has had tough choices to make, but instead of accepting an unwelcome fate looming ahead, challenged themselves to seek new pathways to tap the vigour of their culture. We are proud that they are doing so, and are only happy to stand alongside them in the Galactic Concordiate during such times. And just recently, further away in the Galactic Alliance, people of the Triumvirate Coalition rose to oppose plans of merger into the New Republic, and as a result old leadership has made way for newer faces to make something of that popular re-awakening. And so it continues all around: New governments form to join the dance for relevance, to realize themselves the true scope of efforts required, while the old in turn must ever seek to renew themselves, to stay attentive of the changing needs and emergant threats in the galaxy, to sustain their will to act, without which all are destined to fade away.

Let others doubt themselves and bow out, for we will remain. We live in times of unprecedented prosperity and the deepest, most unshaken peace, but nothing that good will last forever. Still, as long as Hapes has its defenders, proud and brave, and as long as we have the will to continue onward, to persevere, surely we will endure. Our future rests in our own hands and on our labour, as it always has been, and so we now rely on the efforts of this generation, ours, to secure that future for those who have come before, those of us present today, and for those who are yet to come - to strengthen our foundations, to safeguard our space, to prepare for the next wave of conflict that inevitably will one day reach us again.”

The King holds a small pause for effect before proceeding once more.

”And so we close in on the purpose of this congregation; Over the past year I have asked for, and subsequently observed the notable efforts being invested towards renewing and progressing our main instutitions and critical infrastructure, upon which I am quite pleased to be able to touch upon further in a moment.

It has been a good year in the Ministry of Industry, with the completion ceremonies having been held for not only the Hapan Shield Project and the Project Resurgence, but now for Project Solidarity as well. My appreciation goes out to the outgoing Lord Hegemon Corbin, and Director Barefoot and her team of the Tion Hegemony, for the significant contributions of Tion on Theselon, which helped speed along its development considerably. We have now rebounded resoundingly from the galactic taxation slump, even if foreseeable needs already looming in the horizon will continue to compel us to further develop our economic stature towards greater strength.

Meanwhile as our economic projects have sped onward, so too our factories and shipyards have been kept humming, and our academy as well as military structure have seen some very positive changes happen over the course of the past year;

The Star Home Academy, a coordinated design effort between the Ministry of the Interior and Defence, operating under the latter, is our new state-of-the-art combat basics training platform that has rendered the previous entry academy iterations obsolete, and has enabled us to do away with the use of the mandatory three month military service period. Furthermore, it has assimilated the core mission of the Hapan Mentorship Program, and the feedback and results that it has generated since coming operational have been as positive as expected.

The military itself was still processing its last restructuring efforts its leadership saw an unsual amount of prominent changes made, and recognizable individuals standing up to the challenge, with a renewed mandate to do what was needed to take the restructuring efforts to an acceptable conclusion, and to ensure the continued strength of our military forces. What we have now is newfound stability, upgraded staff management systems that benefit the whole of Hapes, and I look forward to next seeing the necessary steps taken in building up further our operational capabilities.

With that, allow me to recognize a few individuals for their parts in the aforementioned ordeals.

To Director Firion Corodix of Olanji/Charubah as well as Vice President Kyle Croft of Endara Mining Corporation, you have become indispensible to your CEOs as well crucial to our industrial production chains, and so wish to present the both of you with the Phoenix Star medals. Congratulations!

Fel`da Regalix Alarendor Cyrus, for your steadfast work and key role in all of our industrial projects, as well as your support in work across the government, I wish to award you with the Silver Medal of Command, as well as the Gold Medal of Service! And as if they would not be enough to add weight to your chest, you have also earned the Medal of Excellence.

Fel`da Xesh Randell, to you, for contributions to the Star Home Academy, economic projects, and for your work at the Ministry of the Interior, the Government Service Cross!

Pëlin`a Jessica James, for your work for the betterment of our Royal Hapan Armed Forces at its helm, you too have earned the Phoenix Star, as well as the Silver Medal off Command.

Line Captain Lionola Ayun, and Commander Yorr Jarent, for holding the fort until Commodore James' arrival and the work thereon, I wish you award you with the Military Service Crosses.

Commodore Lamento Solar and Commander Tiberius Hayward, to the both of you in turn I wish to give the Draconian Star!

Colonel Heyallo Stylez for your overall support and work for the betterment of the Consortium as a whole, and Captain X Halk for your work towards the Star Home Academy, I would like to give the Medal of Thanks!

Commander Rillik Rah, in turn for your role in the establishment and running of the Star Home Academy, I wish to award you with the Medal of Service Silver as well as the Medal of Thanks.

Colonel Heyallo Stylez, there is something else for you which requires no explanation: The Digital Acknowledgement award.

Additionally, I would like to present the Diamond Digital Acknowledgement to three specific individuals who have each in time moved veritable mountains to our enduring benefit; Alex Tylger, for your grand contributions to the hapan culture, design, and the Hapan Library. Gane Lant, most notably for your countless years of administrative work in support of myself and my predecessors. And Jessica James, for the heavy past and ongoing burdens with the entirety of Hapes' digital infrastructure. Given how high the bar has been set here, I have trouble imagining anyone else ever being given the Diamond ones.

Gentlemen and ladies, thank you. And while not everyone has been presented a medal today, I must collectively give each and every one of you my kindest thanks for the efforts made in service of Hapes, upon which we continue to build upon our future.
We continue to need to improve the Cluster's defences, infrastructure, our economic might and the capabilities of our military... To further our recruitment apparatus and to expand our intelligence services, as well as to prepare for an explosive research and development arms race with foreign powers.

We continue to rely on familiar faces in key positions, but similarly we are relient on the steady work of countless others and on rising stars to appear to distribute the burdens of responsibility. I already look forward to the next time I am to address you on these matters, to see how much more we have achieved together.

For now, take care, and have a most pleasant weekend.”

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