Dethwabtakebwebwakawa
Baron of Wesaswek
Duke of Lentuli
Sector Duke of the Empty Quarter
The Sector Duke was hatched on Wesaswek (Empty Quarter 0229) on 037- 942, as the first-hatched of his cluster of eggs. Naturally, he was raised according to the proper requirements of his station as a Bwap of the Bebewebboekebseb creche, as well as a possible heir to his father’s seat as subsector duke. After his satisfactorily predictable and safe childhood was complete, he dutifully laboured as an ‘Apprentice Noble’ – a Bwap social rank, not a formal Imperial rank.
He stood in for his father in public appearances, was drilled in the minutiae of Imperial Laws, Traditions and Regulations, and underwent a continuous stream of exams, tests, and presentations before a vast array of bored mid-ranking Imperial officers. (“The Solomani were the worst – always nodding off in the middle of a presentation! How unspeakably rude! And I’m not even going to mention what those nasty Vargr officers were doing, off in the corner…”)
As part of his training, Apprentice Noble Dethwabtakebwebwakawa was sent on a tour of the major Imperial houses in the Empty Quarter Sector. He spent a year as a member of the liaison and household staff in the ruling houses of the Nulinad, Yogesh, Gimushi, Hebrin, and Udusis duchies. Three additional years were spent outside the Imperium, as a low-ranking Imperial Trade Attache on Damlaer (Amdukan 3138) – capital of the Hegemony of Lorean – and Ikon (Empty Quarter 1602), respectively. (It was while on tour in the Julian Protectorate that he developed an interest in the conditions of non-Imperial Bwap, and – in the face of consistent human disinterest in the Hegemony – also gained an interest in sophont rights outside of the Imperium.)
After his return to Wesaswek in 980, he was selected as a member of the Imperial Diplomatic Corps, handling internal trade disputes and obscure controversies. His good grasp of human psychology and deep understanding of the issues behind the numbers brought him the attention of senior Diplomatic Corp officers. He was promoted to the Imperial legal bench as a trade judge, and was just making his reputation when his father died in 983. His family felt that someone with great exposure to a variety of human societies and personalities would make a good successor to his solidly provincial and locally-focused father, and so Dethwabtakebwebwa-kawa was chosen to inherit the titles of Baron Wesaswek and Duke Lentui.
As Duke, Dethwabtakebwebwakawa spent little time at home. Leaving home affairs to his creche elders, the Baron criss-crossed the Six Subsectors, using his influence to resolve trade disputes, hold hearings, make judgements, and act as a heavyweight go-between in human-Bwap conflicts. He was often seen in the Sector Court, bringing a matter to the attention of the Sector Duke and – more importantly – he had enough political pull to make things happen. Despite the generally humanist sentiment within the Court, he made no notable enemies, although several felt his detail-laden presentations exhausting. On the other hand, he made several genuine friends, not only among the Vilani nobility, but – wonders of wonders – even a few Solomani nobles of East Indian descent. Upon the death of the Sector Duke in 990, the senior nobility could not agree on who to select as a successor.
Eventually, it became obvious that none of the human Dukes or Duchesses would allow any other to rise to the Sector throne (Duke Dethwabtakebwebwakawa did not involve himself in these matters, as the opinion of Bwaps – whatever their rank – was not welcome). Several months went by without a decision, until family representatives of Archduke Koktso warned that they would relay the matter for the Archduke’s personal attention, if the local Nobility could not solve the puzzle themselves. Spurred into action, the Nobility called a meeting of the entire sector aristocracy for an emergency Moot on Nulinad (Empty Quarter 0338). Once there, a feverish bout of sustained horse-trading, bargaining, pleading, and deals was hacked out in assorted backrooms (many of them smoke-filled), until the ‘least-bad’ choice of the Duke of Lentuli rose to the top of the Not Hated lists. After again trying to find some human – any human – that could be a suitable compromise candidate, the local Nobility held their collective nose, and voted to offer the position to Dethwabtakebwebwakawa – on the condition that his choice for a successor would be a human male of Solomani origin.
After weeks of consultations with his elders and the Atapas-attawapawab, Dethwabtakebwebwakawa agreed. The recently enthroned Emperor Gavin was delighted to accept the recommendation, and permitted the secret conditions. The official rise of Sector Duke Dethwabtakebwebwakawa was proclaimed in the Holiday-991 Honours List, and the Emperor offered his congratulations to the Empty Quarter aristocracy for “the maturity and wisdom of their choice.” With deep sighs of regret, the Dukes and Duchesses bent the knee before the Bwap Sector Duke (after assurances that no photographs would be released to the public), then hurried home to wash the bad taste from their mouths.
The Mask of Command
Duke Dethwabtakebwebwakawa – unofficially known as ‘Duke Dethwab’ or ‘Duke Dethie’, but never in his presence – is of two minds regarding his new position. On one hand, he is a strong Bwap nationalist, who has always pushed for a higher profile for his people, on and off the public stage. On the other hand, there is a suppressed instinct to defer to humans (especially the Vilani) on political matters, as Bwaps have always done. The Duke is aware that any sign of weakness or dependency on humans will weaken his authority. Emperor Gavin has privately made it known that he expects the new Duke to rule as a full and trusted vassal of the Iridium Throne, and not as a figurehead or as an alien face for human power. Finally, many humans within the Six Subsectors feel that the Bwaps have enough power over their lives as nit-picking bureaucrats: to them, having one on the sector throne is the straw that breaks the camel’s back.
To deal with all these different expectations, Duke Dethwabtakebwebwakawa has decided to stick with the rulebook as written, ignoring traditional expectations and following the letter of the law. His Mask of Command is that of a demanding, assertive yet oddly charismatic leader, with all the details of every issue at his moist fingertips. All the written and explicit responsibilities and requirements of being a Sector Duke are upheld, to the letter – but no more than that. The Duke insists on full and detailed documentation for any change or shift in his government, and his swift mastery of the minutiae of Ducal authority means that he is not easily fooled.
While building up his political position, Duke Dethwabtakebwebwakawa must also serve his liege. His primary duty, as always, is the defence of the realm. What this means is finding a way to beat the pirates that are infesting the Imperial space lanes, and getting a handle on the Shadow Cartel situation that is corrupting too many of his agents on the ground. With the Sector Fleet fighting in the Old Expanses, Emperor Gavin has eased his demands on the Empty Quarter, but the resources Duke Dethwabtakebwebwakawa has been left with seem inadequate to the task. But the pattern-seeking Sector Duke knows full well that he has more firepower than any number of pirates: the question is gaining useful intelligence, proper placement of his forces, and seizing the initiative.
References & Contributors (Sources)[edit]
|
This article is incomplete meaning it lacks important features, structure, or content. More work needs to be done to make this a good article. This is step 4. in the article refinement process.
|
- Alvin Plummer. "The Lords of the Quarter, 993 Imperial." Stellar Reaches 13 (2011): 41. – (Extensive non-canon write-up)'
- Information collated by MIMIC - Minor Imp of the Ministry of Information and Communication