Work Text:
Long Range Planning
Ivan Vorpatril wanted a quiet life, something made nearly impossible by factors over which he had no control: consanguinity to the highest of high Vor, the needs of the Empire, the whims of his cousin, the ambitions of some, the envy and resentment of others.
The Miles and the mercenaries thing had had wide ranging impacts. Gregor had been devastated by his own naivete. Miles had been incandescent about getting into the academy. Ivan had realized that laying low was not likely to be enough. Oh, he was able to establish certain patterns that generally diffused efforts to draw him in directions he didn’t want to go but he did not react well to crises. And there would be crises. He didn’t have Miles’ scrambling brilliance. He needed his questions answered ahead of time.
He needed a plan.
***
Sit-Rep: Flowchart
The first process was to keep his ears open about potentially being dragged into various cousinly schemes, dastardly plots, marriages, and strenuous activities that didn’t involve sex. Byerly Vorrutyer had been of help on occasion but after learning By was actually working for ImpSec, Ivan had been avoiding him. Which was probably why he hadn’t sensed being in someone’s eye sooner. Sometimes it went away. Sometimes it didn’t.
The man came after him with a stunner, not realizing that a lifetime on the VB social scene made the damage to the line of his clothes instantly obvious to Ivan. He followed Ivan around a corner and was down before he could fumble the weapon out of his pocket, stunned by Ivan’s not previously visible stunner.
He frisked the unconscious man and discovered in addition to being a moron, he was a thug with a variety of non-powered implements such as knuckleduster, black jack, and a couple of knives. He found a wallet and what the hell? A moron, a thug and an armsman?! And then color recognition hit and memory cascaded in from fifteen years ago, two years ago, and just lately. Shit!
He hit ‘that’ button on his comm and barely waited for the voice he wanted. “Gregor, I can’t stop this! I’ll have to do it later. Take ImpSec and get everyone you can off-planet and hold the fleets. Leave me your armsmen.”
“My armsmen are loyal.”
“I’m depending on it. Go now!”
Ivan sprinted for his ground car. Ivan Vorpatril was considered the worst driver in VB. His ticket count was legendary. No one apparently noticed that not one of them involved an accident. He figured he could gain a quarter of an hour at least on his followers. He wished he had time to review some of his choicer swearwords. Unfortunately, he needed to review the Plan, the documents he’d long since memorized.(1) He hadn’t thought about those particular documents in some time. They’d need updating. Then he was going to need to send several highly treasonous messages. And engage in some strenuous activity that didn’t involve sex.
He was out of the ground car before it fully stopped spinning and didn’t hesitate to run up the steps towards the men and women facing him with weapons drawn. He waved for them to make a path, praying they’d wait before firing.
“Seal the Residence. We’ll talk inside.”
Ivan halted in the vestibule, letting them surround him, his hands empty at his sides. He took a slow breath and said, “You know me well enough to know that I am not behind this. It’s gotten this far and if we can’t do something to pull it off track right now, we won’t get another chance. I’ll last exactly long enough for them to consolidate their position and then their man will be in. The key to this is armsmen. That’s potentially 20 special forces people per count. The man I took down was more thug than commando but we don’t know yet how many counts are in this. At this point, only just the one.”
There was a waiting silence but no one killed him.
Another breath. “We’ve only got minutes, so you need to decide. I’ve contacted DesPlains, Allegre, and Vorbohn.(2) They’ll do what they do. The emperor has gone off-world. I asked him to leave you with me. If we’re going to do our part to keep the Empire together and not in the hands of this band of thugs, I need you, along with everyone in the residence, whatever service they’re in, armsmen, staff, ImpMil, ImpSec to back me. I don’t want to know who’s who, better I don’t. We need armsman or staff uniforms for everyone with us. No one ever sees armsmen assembled in a group. They won’t be counting.
Another waiting silence. Ivan almost fainted when a voice on a speaker said,. “What are your orders?”
“I am giving no orders here. I am asking you to do what you’re here for within your own chain of command. Specifically:
• Secure the Residence so we have a safe-ish base. Secure anyone involved according to your standing orders, non-lethally by my preference.
• Let them in by the rules, 2 men to a count, nothing for anyone else, no weapons beyond here.
• Keep them from killing me until we have as many as we can get.
• Use the armsman network to prevent counter-counter-insurrection. We need those you trust not to try to help until you can be sure they can. Some of them, Vorvolk, Vorrutyer, Vorbretton, Vorhalas, will have trouble of their own. “
“What are you going to do?”
“They’re coming to declare me emperor. I’m going to let them. If fact, the announcement is going to go out before they can.” There was movement but he held up his hands. “No, don’t shoot me, listen. The announcement goes out. ImpSec, ImpMil and Guard declare martial law and shut down any fighting. Between that and us they’ll never have more than partial control. That will give us enough time to ferret out all the conspirators and their supporters. This might drag every other rat out of the woodwork too. After that, we take them down, all of them.”
“And then?”
“We see what happens.”
Heads tilted while they listened to the orders being issued over their comms. Some moved off instantly, others nodded and moved off with purpose in all directions. Finally four remained, two Vorbarra armsmen and two of the Empress’ Own armswomen.
“If you’ll come with us?”
Ivan stood in the private office and took a couple of deep breaths while he transmitted the documents of the Plan to the comm console, along with his suggested announcements. The speaker came on fairly quickly.
“Lord Ivan, this is-”
Probably the last time anyone would call him that. He waved a hand impatiently. “Yes, yes, you’ll kill me yourself if I mess this up. They’ll be here any minute. We need your people in position and someone to follow up with Allegre, Des Plains, and Vorbohn.”
Ivan displayed a node on the decision tree. “This is the critical point. You secure every single one of us and then you revive me first. Then clean up this mess.”
“If some of them are old - - “
“They’re going to die anyway,” he said, cutting off that argument. Treason had really simplified his decision tree. “Are we going to be able to pull this off?”
There was what could only be described as a fiendish chuckle.(3)
He nodded. “Be ready to send those announcements. The Public Office?”
“Being prepared. They’ll escort you.”
***
PERT Chart: Paths to Resolution
The armed presence outside the residence was formidable. Any plans of a frontal assault had to be re-thought. It took a few more minutes but then some of the occupants of the cars and vans exited. Six men in livery, three men House uniform, three men in Dress Greens, three in civilian cloths.
“We’re here to speak to the Emperor on an urgent matter.”
“There is a security alert in progress. Lord Ivan Vorpatril arrived some minutes ago. He had been attacked. The armsmen may stay with their masters but all weapons will be surrendered at the security checkpoint.
“It will do,” the leader said with some confidence. His armsman hadn’t reported but that might be the alert. Vorpatril was here.
The doors closed behind them and they saw that the security checkpoint was right there and there were eight armed men forming a funnel down to the equipment. This was getting further off-script but the man moved forward with determination.
Ivan settled into the Chair in the Public Office and thought about the charts in his head. After that first time, he’d updated them with every new twist: Cetaganda, Earth, the Hegen Hub, Haroche. It was mostly added detail, a new path, a new response but the final outcomes never really changed. The process was started, the path chosen, now he needed input. He nodded to the armsmen at the door.
“The Emperor will see you now,” the man announced, swinging it open
Ivan had always had a good line in ‘amiably amused’ expressions. He used the slightly vacuous one, this time. The manner of the group of men changed as they came into the room, saw the circle of black-fatigued and armed Vorbarra armsmen around him, and then saw who was sitting in the Chair. Ivan thought the fatigues were a nice touch.
The others weren’t much of a surprise but then, the man in front wasn’t either. He watched Eugin, Count Vordrozda strut in. His father had never kept more than half a dozen armsmen, not after the needler incident had elevated him to count. Within a year of inheriting, the latest count had a full compliment of men. And Ivan was reasonably certain the old man had had a lot to do with this one’s upbringing.
“Where’s Vorbarra?” [Not slow then.]
“Off-world, with wife and family.”
“At least Vorkosigan kept his Betan frill in line. That Toscane bitch hasn’t hesitated to meddle - -” He cut himself off. “Where’s Gerard?”
“Gerard is Gregor’s man.”
“And these?”
Ivan rose slowly to his full handsome height and put on his most regal smile. “I am Ivan XAV Vorpatril, the only remaining bloodline. You just declared me Emperor. These are clearly armsmen.”
Several comms buzzed. Several weapons buzzed to live. The group drew in on itself, arguing about the incoming news, a new emperor, martial law, curfew, checkpoints. There was shouting. And finally wary silence as they examined their new emperor.
“You chose me. What do you want?”
Vordrozda stepped the fore again. “We had intended to make a joint announcement of the beginning of your reign and present you with our petition but we’ll clearly have to make a few adjustments.” His face hardened. “Essentially we’re here to tell you how things are going to work under the new order.”
Ivan sat down again, allowing himself to slouch back in chair and look a little bored despite a panicky internal monologue in his head trying to get started. He realized there was a servant standing next to him with a glass of wine. He managed to not quite grab it but swallowed a lot of it. It was half water, so he finished it and held the glass out for more.
She poured more, deftly turning her wrist to show him the small tattoo marking one of the Empress’ Own armswomen. Ivan hated initiative but he could have kissed her for this little byplay. The condescending smirk on Vordrozda’s face said it all. Ivan waved a hand for him to continue.
“Petition? New order?”
“Barrayar must return to the core values on which our society was founded. Our committee has laid out a petition, defining those principles. Tomorrow morning we [We? (The stream of consciousness monologue had won.)] and our adherents will present you the Emperor with the petition, establishing the basics of the new order. After it is signed, martial law will be declared to keep public order during the transition period. [Been there, done that.]
You will accept the resignations of the Prime Minister and most of the other ministers [Not all, eh?] They will all be replaced by those who support the petition. [Not a surprise.]
Generals Allegre and DesPlains and certain of their senior officers will be allowed to retire to Sergyar. [Doesn’t have ImpSec or the military yet, lost the element of surprise, and thinks the Empire doesn’t matter.] Lord Vorbohn will retire to his estates. They will all be replaced by those who support the petition.
All of your armsman will be dismissed [Shouldn’t have warned them.] and be replaced by those who support the petition. [Likes to hear himself talk.]
You will have them all here for the signing tomorrow. [That’ll be a party to remember.]
You will present the petition at an emergency meeting of the Council of Counts to be held tomorrow afternoon. [Don’t see that happening.] The Counts will fall in line when they recognize that our values are theirs and when they see the strength of the new order. [That was croggling. The COC falling in line? Was this Barrayar?] Our people will record and broadcast this event- -
Time for some pushback. He interrupted the laundry list., “The finest facilities on the planet are next door. No equipment will be allowed in before the signing.” [Which was happening never.]
Vordrozda bowed slightly and said smoothly, “Our people will oversee the broadcast.” [The unimportant concession.]
“And none of your people will armed.”
It was more the important concession but the count bowed slightly again. Once the petition was signed, it would be a moot point. Control of the military and ministry would be theirs. “The transition may take some time but we expect those named to be here. We expect your full cooperation.”
Ivan drank some more wine and considered the glass for a moment or two while nothing happened. Apparently, someone collecting the data thought they had a chance to round up the rest of the conspirators and were going for it. Eventually he nodded. “Send us your list of ‘retirees’. We will expect you and your petitioners in the morning and will examine your petition... Oh, and you will be swearing your oaths after the signing.”
“Oaths?
“Fealty to the Emperor. It’s expected, you know.”
Vordrozda’s smile was not a pretty thing. “Of course.”
Ivan waved the wineglass at the waiting armsmen. “If you would, see these gentlemen out.”
When the room was empty except for him and 4 armsmen, the voice on the speaker said, “I thought your cousin was the genius.”
“My cousin likes explosions.” He sighed. “I like wine, women, and song. Is there any real wine available? And a sleep timer? You don’t really need me until the next node.”
“You’re probably the only person here who’ll get any sleep tonight.”
***
Action Items
This time, they brought their men with them, although they left at least half outside to take up positions around the Residence when it was surrendered. They submitted to the security check although certain of them seemed to have more than an ordinary amount of metal on them.
The armsmen merely pointed the way to the Public Office, and only four followed the group. There was clear satisfaction that there were fewer armsmen around Ivan, though still a healthy compliment. Certain of the visitors with a higher metal count shifted to watch them rather than Ivan, although he got his share. They didn’t pay any attention to the female servants, setting up refreshments and a signing table near the dais.
“Where are they?”
“Secured next door, near the broadcast room. There were custody issues, on both sides.”
The count spoke into his comm and appeared satisfied by the answer, no doubt a confirmation from the broadcast overseer. The large screen lit and displayed an ornamented document, lots of seals and ribbons. Apparently this was the famous petition for them all to finally see.
It looked wordy. Before there was time to read much of it the display of the petition morphed into a set of somewhat fuzzy charts.
“What is this?!”
Ivan looked a little surprised, maybe even a little amused. Using a laser pointer he singled out the displayed documents, saying amicably, “This is the Plan. That is a decision tree, that is a PERT diagram, that is a flow chart, and that is a spreadsheet.”
“You intend to run the Empire with these?” Contempt was thick in Vordrozda’s voice.
“No,” he said crisply, “This is the Plan to arrest, try, and execute you and the rest of the cabal.” He paused while the armswomen took out the heavy metal players. “The spreadsheet is a schedule of reparations your families will be paying for the trouble you’ve caused.”
Some of the rest of them were starting to move before he finished, towards him, towards the armsmen, but there was a buzzing flash and everyone in the room collapsed. This recurred in several locations.
***
Ivan woke in a comfortable chair in what looked like a sitting room. There was a medic waiting. He was scanned, given meds and a dose of synergine. The medic left him with someone in an armsman’s uniform. It wasn’t anybody he knew so jurisdiction was as foggy as his brain.
“Shouldn’t I be in custody?”
“You are in custody.”
He looked around groggily. It wasn’t the same room he’d slept in before but this was clearly still the Residence, also without windows and that door was probably a bedroom. It was a cell, but not a plain one. “Umm?”
“We’re seeing what happens. The fallout has begun. It’s quite impressive and until it settles a bit, our orders are to keep you secured.” He pointed to what looked like a garage door clicker. “If you want food or anything, that will bring someone.”
“You don’t need me?”
“The advantage of creating those charts is that you got to assign the tasks. You don’t have any.”
“Maybe a debriefing?”
“I’ll pass the request. I recommend the water and a nap for the migraine.”
With that, Ivan was left alone. Apparently he was once again the only one in the place who was going to get a night’s sleep.
***
Ivan looked at the list of questions and considered the tedium of explaining, although it was something he had plenty of time for. It was different from the tedium of his confinement, annoying in a different way, but still, tedious and annoying. If they were going to stake him up in the Great Square, why couldn’t they just get on with it? OK, fine. He pulled up his charts, discarded the paths not followed and appended the questions to the various relevant points in them, saved them with an amended, scurrilous name and sent the whole bundle back. Things reverted to the single tedious and annoying routine but there were no more questions.
It was two full incommunicado weeks before they came for him. He’d taken the hint of finding his dress greens hanging on the clothes tree and dressed accordingly. To add to his joy, the length of time probably meant his other cousin was back as well. It was Gerard himself and two more armsmen, two he recognized, who came. Straight to the block apparently. Or at least to the private office.
Three paces in, he dropped to a knee, bent his head and spread his arms. “At your command, Sire.”
“Rise.”
He braced to attention after that very neutral command. Gregor was standing behind his desk, examining him as if puzzled. He looked tired and drawn whereas Ivan had had two weeks of last meals and good wine. Gregor gestured and the door closed behind the armsmen.
“I’m not even sure where to begin.”
“Did you get them all?”
“Yes, the clean-up is taking longer than expected. It’s not complete but some issues, at least, have been settled. The next one up is the issue of you.” Ivan said nothing, there wasn’t really anything to say.
“Everyone on both sides has been questioned.”
“Except me.”
“The testimony of the armsmen and the others who were here was extraordinary. I’ve watched the recordings. I still can’t -”
Gregor waved at the documents lying on his desk, very familiar documents, including the scurrilous one. He didn’t hide the disbelief in his voice as he touched them, “You restored the empire with these?”
Ivan winced and shrugged offhandedly, “I thought about using a GANTT chart but the PERT chart seemed more in tune with the project.”
There was a brief moment of silence before the emperor’s knees buckled. He dropped into his chair, put his head in his hands, and started laughing helplessly. Ivan relaxed a little and managed a deep breath.
When the laughter faded, Gregor looked up at his cousin and said, quite seriously, “Miles could never have done this.”
“He likes explosions. I think about innocent bystanders.”
“Ivan - -”
Still standing half at attention, Ivan leaned forward a little and said, also quite seriously, “He brought a petition. I brought a PERT chart.”
“Even so.”
“They sent an armsman after me, an armsman with ID. They were morons.”
“And now?”
“The one decision tree I never wanted to follow, in so many ways.” He pointed to the last box on the chart and sighed, just slightly.(4) “It’s up to you.”
“Ivan.” Gregor rose and came around the desk. They shared a long look and, at last, a long hug. “Gerard will bring you in a few minutes.”
It was somewhat more than a few minutes and he could hear the arguing down the hall as they approached, he even recognized most of the voices. He imagined that Gregor was probably tired of them metaphorically pounding on his desk, demanding the presence of the ’soi disant’ emperor. It was particularly annoying that the loudest thump was from ‘his cousin the Imperial Auditor’.
The voices stilled when Gerard escorted him into the room. As before, three paces in, he dropped to a knee, bent his head and spread his arms. “At your command, Sire.”
“Isn’t it a bit late for that?”
“Shut up, Miles.”
The words came from two voices and it wasn’t Ivan’s that silenced his cousin, as usual.
“Ivan, join us.” There was welcome in Gregor’s voice. It got him back to his feet, braced at attention, ready to face the twelve angry men. Well, four of them didn’t look angry precisely but the rest did. He faced the Emperor instead. Surprisingly, it was much easier. “While I have none, there still seem to be some questions.”
Nearly all of them started to speak, but the Emperor held up a hand, stopping them.
“I will do the asking.” Another hand wave put Ivan at parade rest. There were grumbles.
“How do you intend to avoid all the treason charges?” It was the question they were there for and wanted answered.
“Well, really, the whole point was to not commit treason,” he said earnestly, “even if it seemed like I had. I didn’t declare myself emperor. I never claimed to be emperor. I never lied. I never issued any orders, accessed any system, signed anything. I only asked various people to support the Plan.”
Gerard stepped forward to his side, to universal attention. “That is precisely true. He gave us the Plan and asked us to act within our own chains of command to restore order. It was truly unexpected, a profound idea.”
“The idiot let them use him!” Vormoncrief just barely didn’t shout.
“They never got the chance,” Gerard answered levelly. “The Lord Ivan you’re talking about would have headed straight for the shuttle port after he warned the Emperor. This Lord Ivan contacted ImpSec, ImpMil, and the Guard after that warning and then came here as the stalking goat. You’ve seen the messages. The conspirators thought they were dealing with that other Lord Ivan, that it was fait accompli. The reason we didn’t take them down immediately was to gather in the rest of the them and finish it. That was also in the Plan. It was not only brilliant, it worked.”
That grumble was definitely Miles.
“We keep hearing about this ‘plan’ of Vorpatril’s,” Allegre said neutrally. “What plan?”
Ivan looked at the Emperor in surprise. Apparently in all the fallout, none of them had seen, or even heard about the full Plan. Gregor touched a button on his wrist comm and the wall display lit. It showed the scurrilous amended plan. There was a very deep silence as they followed it through and then looked at Ivan with clear disbelief.
“If I’d noticed something sooner, other paths would have been possible.” He waved a hand. “This is what went down.”
“You didn’t send this to ImpSec with your first message,” Allegre pointed out.
“In its base form? Your people would have laughed themselves silly, then argued and by then it would have been too late. I gave it to the people on the spot. They made it happen.”
“What happens now?”
Ivan shook his head just slightly and looked at his Emperor. “That isn’t for me to say.”
Gregor shook his head just slightly in return. The Emperor said, “We will be deciding that next. Are your questions answered?”
None of them looked even partially satisfied but none of them missed the Imperial hint. The armsmen, except for Gerard and Ivan’s two escorts, showed them out including a reluctantly trailing Lord Auditor, who turned at door. The Emperor shook his head.
“You can wait while we talk.”
When they were back in the private office, the Emperor led him to the conversation area. “So what do We do with you? You must have a plan.”
Ivan really smiled for the first time in a long time and told him. For the second time that morning, Gregor collapsed into laughter. When he had enough control to be the Emperor again, there was really no choice but let their cousin, the manipulative little git, in and tell him how things were going to be. Of course, he objected.
“But Ivan - -”
Ivan pointed to the new plan, cutting him off. “In the public eye, I was the emperor, dammit! Where could I fit? I can’t go anywhere near the military, I certainly can’t do anything political.”
“Imperial Auditor.”
“Shut up, Miles,”
“The Dendarii.”
“I said shut up, runt. You’re jealous you weren’t here to take over.” At a look from the Emperor, his irrepressible cousin shut his mouth and was repressed. Ivan smiled a little smile and continued more calmly, “No, one of the base premises of the project was that I was always going to be a sacrifice in some way or other. I’m surprised I got out of it alive. So the reward for a job well done is a better job. Gregor is the Emperor and I am out of this forever. I can’t remain in the Empire at all.”
“You were in custody. How did you arrange this?” Miles was finally reading the new plan.
“Funny thing that. Just for jokes, I tried the comm console. It worked.”
“And you’ve already got a job?”
“Barring being put in the Square? I’m logistics. I can find a job anywhere but, yes, in fact. I’ve contacted Mark. I’m going to Escobar and work for MPVK.”
“You asked MARK for a job?!”
Ivan started to answer when Miles noticed the other papers on the desk and jerked back to them. He read every word of them while they watched him and waited, going back and forth, cross checking various points before finally reading the new plan again.
He turned around slowly to face them. There was agony in his little cousin’s eyes and a hint of something else. Ivan put a hand on Miles' shoulder and squeezed gently. That wasn’t enough and it became a full blown hug. When the wheezing started, Ivan thought first that he was crying until he realized that Miles was laughing so hard he had to be held up.
“Ivan, you incredible idiot! Only you.”
No way was the runt getting the last word. “Emperor for a day.”
And then the cousins were all laughing.
Aftermath: Debriefing aboard the next ship out of the Empire
“Lord Ivan –“
“Mr. Patril,” he corrected, mildly but firmly. “You’re one of the Empress’ Own. You were at the Residence. I suppose I should have expected a minder.”
“Liaison,” she corrected. “Although no doubt ImpSec has someone aboard as well.”
“And what are you liaising?
“Whatever may have been said publicly, the Empress and Emperor Gregor know what you did and why and what you aren’t being credited for. I’m here to make sure you get what you asked for. If it’s what you want, I’m done. If it turns out you want something else, I’ll be on hand to help until you’re settled.”
“Why?”
“Because we owe you.”
“We?”
“All of us who were there. The armswomen were even your idea.”
He ignored that because he could actually deny it. It hadn’t been intentional. “I had years to plan - -”
“So did they. We didn’t understand at first why Armsman Commander Girard was going along with you, too much to be done. As things started fitting together and people started talking to each other about what they were doing, it got clearer. The bastards started failing the minute their man didn’t take you down. By the time you were declared ‘emperor’, they had no chance of recovery. The petition thing was simply mopping them up. You cleaned the floor with them.”
She stopped herself, recognizing his obvious discomfort with her vehemence. She drew herself up, resuming her professionalism and held out a data case. “Please examine the contents. They may affect your choices. Let me know what changes you would like made, my contact information is included.”
That sounded ominous. He took it reluctantly, then rose as she did.
“We’ll be stopping at Komarr and Sergyar. ImpSec has requested that you stay on the ship at Komarr.”
“ImpSec. Not the emperor?”
“The Emperor has no requests or orders for you. At Sergyar, will you want to see your aunt and uncle?”
“I would like to see them but I don’t think an appearance at Chaos Colony is a good idea. Maybe after I’m settled somewhere.
She nodded, then suggested, “They could come aboard while we’re docked.”
“That’s just wrong. The Viceroy and Vicereine shouldn’t come to me!”
“Lord Ivan -”
“Mr. Patril,” he interrupted, more firmly this time.
“Sir, I don’t think they’ll begrudge the effort,” she told him, her enthusiasm warming again. “You saved the Emperor, the Empress, the children, and the Empire, you saved us all. Aside from some well-deserved heart failures, no one died for anything other than treason. I’ve seen the Documents, sir, I’ve seen the Collateral Damage Path.”
His sense of humor, which had been pretty absent and/or black throughout the whole counter-insurrection project, resurfaced as she started speaking in capitals. The Plan and its various documents, he realized, were morphing in revered Imperial History. Emperor for a day, indeed.
Footnotes
1. Decision diamond: Is Miles on planet? Yes => hide No (Miles is on Sergyar) => Clean this up before he can get back.
2. Action item: Message to Allegre, Desplains and Vorbohn: “I have warned Gregor to get off-world due to a conspiracy to put me on the camp stool. There is no one in the military or ImpSec or the Guard who would support ‘that idiot Ivan’ as commander in chief. You don’t want to help me but you really don’t want to follow a me controlled by a ‘them’ giving the orders. I don’t need to command you, I need the military, ImpSec and the guard to do their jobs: declare martial law, keep order and protect the empire from chaos. Protect the Residence while we ferret out the rest of the conspirators.”
3. Path: This only works if I’m not a puppet. Can I seem to go along and outflank => if yes, proceed => if no, conflagration.
4. End: Never be Emperor (again).