How Deep How Wide

[Flo]

The Presidential Estate
Just outside Ka Drubang
The Drubang Confederacy
Septum 18, 1587
---

"President for Life." Heda thought. "Must it be for life?"

He had just finished having dinner with his daughter Rua and her family. Unlike him, she had a large brood of children, eight already, five boys and three girls. The eldest children were already grown adults, and one was already expecting a child.

"A great grandparent. Am I truly that old?" He thought.

He had first been elected as a young man, only 25 at the time. His fathers death had floored him, but he had been groomed for the role and fit in nicely. His daughter had been given the same chance, only she had many more years to prepare. She was now beyond child-bearing age.

Early on, he had expected to have more, but it soon became clear he would not. He was unsure of the specific medical reasons, but it was clear his seed was... not germinating. He had moved past that, and instead invested fully in his daughter and her husband. He was a strong, wise leader, and a general, and she did well to make him her husband. Should he die, he knew she would make an excellent ruler.

But would she get the chance? There were rumblings in the council that a woman as President for Life would not be tolerated, for whatever reason, regardless of who her father was.

This troubled Heda greatly, and he thought of it often.

He had several options to ensure she was his successor, but the most obvious one was not easy. He would have to relinquish the title and give it to her literally. The primary challengers would not likely accept this, and there was a good chance they would contest this. They were all military leaders, and the contest would likely come to armed conflict. This was not something to be taken lightly, especially given the fragile nature of the Confederacy.

General Manahashet Dua was a Kalimantran, same as Heda and Rua, and was widely seen as a potential favorite for the title. He was a respected military official and highly decorated for his age, a mere 35.

Admiral Hokkai Fitsu was an easterner, but older than Dua and more decorated. He had just as much a chance at taking the position, by force if necessary. It would be odd for a non-Kalimantran to be leader, but there had only been two so far so there wasn't much of a precedent.

Rua, meanwhile had the pedigree of being a direct relation, a grandchild, of the revolutionary father himself. She was trained for the role and had plenty of political experience and an international education featuring degrees from Nyland, Florinthus, and Lanlania. But her gender would remain a question. She was undoubtedly strong willed enough to rule, but Drubang was an old-fashioned sort of country, particularly with regards to gender relations.

Heda continued to ponder this problems and considered, again, resigning and handing the role to his daughter, Rua.

[Flo]

17 Tolven, 1587
The Great House
Ka Drubang, Drubang
-----

"Mr. President, the House has reached its verdict."

Heda had decided, after much deliberation, to resign from his office and retire. He had petitioned the Great House, Drubang's judicial body, to determine whether or not he could pass the title to his daughter, Rua, or whether or not there would need to be a new election.

"They have settled that there are no other options than to have an election. The people will decide on their next President for Life."

His heart fell. So it would be. His daughter would have to earn her rightful position, as he had before her. Perhaps this was for the best.

Though, perhaps not.

[Flo]

10 Vintyr 1587
---

The election to determine the next President for Life was underway, and there was little indication over what would happen at the polls. This was the first real election for the office in many years, and as such there was rampant corruption and other messy situations associated with the voting process.

The candidates were mostly as expected. Rua Mokorno, General Manahashet Dua, and Admiral Hokkai Fitsu.

Mokorno was expected to pick up where her father left off, ruling the nation from relative isolation and making sure the government remained efficient but strong. Many saw her as a fit ruler, but were unsure if Drubang could tolerate a female ruler. She was also something of a firebrand, and was known to have a short temper with the capacity to hold long grudges. She was ruthless in negotiating, and many saw in her the sort of violence her father and grandfather used in suppressing dissent.

General Manahashet Dua was an establishment candidate. A career military man, he would likely lead to a more firm military control of the government, as he was not prepared to relinquish his past for the sake of politics. A proud man, he was expected to maintain tradition and keep up the pace. Patient and calculating, he would likely not do anything too wild as president. Dua, however, was old. Only a few years younger than Heda Mokorno, and many were unsure if he would have the longevity to maintain the position.

Admiral Hokkai Fitsu was a wild card, being an easterner. Many counted him out for that alone, but he brought with him a keen intellect and the uncanny ability his opponents actions before they carried them out. He was also something of a logistical mastermind and many expected trade and commerce to be one of his emphasis. If he were elected, many would anticipate this would be a boon for his home region in the east. He had already made clear his ambition to expand the Confederacy's interests in that theater, with the intention of becoming more of a regional player.

Those three candidates were the front-runners, but there was another challenger who threw his hat in the race much later. Tomat Mogu was a Letang politician from Mutanna who had big plans for Drubang. He was an odd candidate, as he had neither military experience nor was the grandaughter of the revolutionary leader . He wanted to bring Drubang into the future, update the military, promote commerce, and invest in technology. He saw Huakarta, with its bustling trade hub and large technology and manufacturing firms, as a blueprint for the new Drubang. He also saw Drubang as a natural leader for the region, and intended to make it so.

It was expected to be an exciting, if nerve wracking election. Such is the case when some of the candidates are warlords!

[Flo]

15 Vintyr 1587
-----

The election of Tomat Mogu was a shock to the old guard leadership in Ka Drubang. He was an upstart, a minor politician, a Letang. For several hours, it appeared Rua Mokorno would be the next President for Life, as she took a heavy lead over her rivals, but as the hours progressed, Mogu crept higher and higher before finally taking the lead late in the evening. His victory was established officially at 11 pm and the country reeled in shock.

There were protests in the streets of Muala Lampung. A Letang was now leader of the Confederacy -- an ethnic minority now had effective control of the country. For many traditionalist Kalimantran this was unbelievable and unacceptable.

Within a week, the protests had died down, and early in the coming year, Mogu would be inaugurated as the third President for Life of the Drubang Confederacy. Rua Mokorno was the first rival to accept Mogu as the next President, as she agreed to join him as his Vice President. Hokkai Fitsu did the same, though without the granting of a title.

General Dua, however, did no such thing. He declared Mogu a false president and believed the elections had been rigged by enemies of the state. A warlord himself, he withdrew with his forces into the forests of Kalimantra, to wage a geurilla war to "free Drubang."

[Flo]

10 Dosa, 1588
----

"My friends" President Mogu said before the large crowd in front of him. "This is a time for change in Drubang. This is a time of action!"

Flanking him on either side were lines of armed soldiers and tanks, clearly a show of force to those who may have been seeking to oust Mogu so early in his tenure.

"I promise you that I, though a Letang, will serve all of you for your best interest. Ours is a great country, and a rich land. We have an obligation of responsibility to use what we have in front of us to build a better world not only for us, but for the future. A firm foundation is necessary for such a future."

"No more will Drubang be reserved to the waste bin of history. It is time now to act and seize a place at the table. We only need to reach out."

The crowd was excited. Much of the animosity towards a Letang president had dispersed over the few months since.

"It is our duty to be a shining example of what this region is capable of. Brothers and sisters of Drubang, we will achieve this. Our neighbors toil and slave away for hypocritical and decadent governments that have long subjugated them. Drubang, at one time, was under a similar regime. We must find in our hearts the will to help our neighbors see the bright future before them."

"Lastly, I promise you all that I will not rest until Drubang is a shining beacon the world over. Those who would see us fail will find no success. I swear it. Long live Drubang! Long live the people!"

The crowd cheered. In the street outside the presidential palace in Ka Drubang, a long parade of soldiers and other military technology marched past.

It was a new era in Drubang.