Garyius2003
SOC-13
I was writing in the SEH thread about my views of the lower and middle nobility in the 3I, with some observations on getting into the nobility, and whether the 3I is a system of laws or men. I got so carried away that I wrote a lot about how things happen at the lower level. Please read and comment as to both what you think, and how things are different in your 3I.
The 3I has been around for 1100 years and has had computers for all that time. There are laws and regulations on every single thing in great and exact detail. Many of them are updated and exactly on point--jump procedures, ship building specs, combat procedures, medical screening, drive specs, airlock sealing. Some are not so followed--like many things on the knight and noble level.
So long as things are working well, no one is going to wonder how Count Hackosin managed to grow the starport on his assigned world from B to A and increased trade volume 250% and grew so very wealthy. Heck, the Sector Director of the Starport Authority shared a suite with his brother at university, and the current Subsector Director for Justice spent a very enjoyable season on Glisten with the Count making the social rounds, back when he was just the son of a Baron. 'Isn't it remarkable how the Count has lifted his branch of his family so well?'
"So 1/10 of one percent of the increased trade volume happened to attach itself to the Count's business interests. Those self dealing regulations are so complex that the Count simply can't take time out of the good work he is doing to follow them all, Smithson. I also see that most of the rest of one percent has divided itself between the hard working non-noble managers on world, and several subsector and sector families. It must just be the spread of a normal business cycle. Let's just let these accounting review reports ride sans action."
As opposed to maybe the volume went way down while he is playing those games, or the tri-dee show Marches Review! does a story linking the Count's shell company to the passing through the port of several ships of fast drugged and chained guest workers being exported to the Extents.
"Smithson, it is the Duke's pleasure that we compile a list of all possible charges that can be brought against the Count's different managers, regardless if they are knighted or not. I don't know if you have heard, but it turns out the Count was so upset when he learned what they were doing in his name, and that they were actually hiding some of the ill gotten profits in his accounts, that he slipped up while cleaning his sporting rifle and died. Less said there the better, and I understand the Duke is using his warrant to hold the title to avoid extra stress on the family..."
The SEH is one ticket to a knighthood and being admitted to that social circle. The other is clawing your way to a navy captain/colonel or above, or 3I deputy directorship, or Megacorp subsector board, all based on merit, and from there perhaps being standing out in the correct circles and promoted into real power with a small noble title for your children to build on with hard work and ability.
"Sir Henri, could we have a moment of your time out on the patio...this unofficial, you know, of course you know. We have noticed that your base is shipping some very heavy supplies out to that forward base... we are lobbying right now for an increase in the fueling depot size and skimmers at Beta Sigma Highport, and your chartered ship and some escorts would drain the system coming on top of the normal trade there. Would it be much of a bother to route the ship that way and have it stuck in orbit for an extra week or two? That fueling failure would look very good in the Domain budget request...Of course, James here is able to loan you some of those new streamlined Gazelles--the Fire class is it?--to help escort over that route. We can have the additional escorts jump here from Adm Baron Sir James's base by the end of the month..."
And of course a few credits will happen to stick once you make Baronet, and be there to help your family out with expenses, but that just makes sense. The fief income is just barely enough to support a small noble family, and hosting a few real parties or sending the children for a good education with the right sort of fellow students followed by a tour to properly ground them takes real money.
The SEH winner's introduction to that world would be a little more guided. An officer training class or two, then Aide training, at every step making sure he knows liquor shots and cursing are only done in the BOQ, and he learns all 5 of the most important dances, then brought into the social whirl with a dress uniform and the SEH front and center. A new officer of such poise and ability surely must be given his own CE or courier to prove himself before we give him a destroyer or shore department head tour.
That works out, and he is given a cruiser and married into one of the correct families, and now there is an admiral or battleship commander to send out on fleet actions that you know will overcome his fear and press the attack. He may not totally understand how things really work, but that is what his new family is for. No matter how aggressive the sports are at university they are not battle, and knowing that your Tigress commander or marine regimental commander fights through the fear of death in combat with a clear head is priceless.
The 3I has been around for 1100 years and has had computers for all that time. There are laws and regulations on every single thing in great and exact detail. Many of them are updated and exactly on point--jump procedures, ship building specs, combat procedures, medical screening, drive specs, airlock sealing. Some are not so followed--like many things on the knight and noble level.
So long as things are working well, no one is going to wonder how Count Hackosin managed to grow the starport on his assigned world from B to A and increased trade volume 250% and grew so very wealthy. Heck, the Sector Director of the Starport Authority shared a suite with his brother at university, and the current Subsector Director for Justice spent a very enjoyable season on Glisten with the Count making the social rounds, back when he was just the son of a Baron. 'Isn't it remarkable how the Count has lifted his branch of his family so well?'
"So 1/10 of one percent of the increased trade volume happened to attach itself to the Count's business interests. Those self dealing regulations are so complex that the Count simply can't take time out of the good work he is doing to follow them all, Smithson. I also see that most of the rest of one percent has divided itself between the hard working non-noble managers on world, and several subsector and sector families. It must just be the spread of a normal business cycle. Let's just let these accounting review reports ride sans action."
As opposed to maybe the volume went way down while he is playing those games, or the tri-dee show Marches Review! does a story linking the Count's shell company to the passing through the port of several ships of fast drugged and chained guest workers being exported to the Extents.
"Smithson, it is the Duke's pleasure that we compile a list of all possible charges that can be brought against the Count's different managers, regardless if they are knighted or not. I don't know if you have heard, but it turns out the Count was so upset when he learned what they were doing in his name, and that they were actually hiding some of the ill gotten profits in his accounts, that he slipped up while cleaning his sporting rifle and died. Less said there the better, and I understand the Duke is using his warrant to hold the title to avoid extra stress on the family..."
The SEH is one ticket to a knighthood and being admitted to that social circle. The other is clawing your way to a navy captain/colonel or above, or 3I deputy directorship, or Megacorp subsector board, all based on merit, and from there perhaps being standing out in the correct circles and promoted into real power with a small noble title for your children to build on with hard work and ability.
"Sir Henri, could we have a moment of your time out on the patio...this unofficial, you know, of course you know. We have noticed that your base is shipping some very heavy supplies out to that forward base... we are lobbying right now for an increase in the fueling depot size and skimmers at Beta Sigma Highport, and your chartered ship and some escorts would drain the system coming on top of the normal trade there. Would it be much of a bother to route the ship that way and have it stuck in orbit for an extra week or two? That fueling failure would look very good in the Domain budget request...Of course, James here is able to loan you some of those new streamlined Gazelles--the Fire class is it?--to help escort over that route. We can have the additional escorts jump here from Adm Baron Sir James's base by the end of the month..."
And of course a few credits will happen to stick once you make Baronet, and be there to help your family out with expenses, but that just makes sense. The fief income is just barely enough to support a small noble family, and hosting a few real parties or sending the children for a good education with the right sort of fellow students followed by a tour to properly ground them takes real money.
The SEH winner's introduction to that world would be a little more guided. An officer training class or two, then Aide training, at every step making sure he knows liquor shots and cursing are only done in the BOQ, and he learns all 5 of the most important dances, then brought into the social whirl with a dress uniform and the SEH front and center. A new officer of such poise and ability surely must be given his own CE or courier to prove himself before we give him a destroyer or shore department head tour.
That works out, and he is given a cruiser and married into one of the correct families, and now there is an admiral or battleship commander to send out on fleet actions that you know will overcome his fear and press the attack. He may not totally understand how things really work, but that is what his new family is for. No matter how aggressive the sports are at university they are not battle, and knowing that your Tigress commander or marine regimental commander fights through the fear of death in combat with a clear head is priceless.
