Birthday Proclamations

The Birthday Proclamations were two orders issued by First Lord Richard Cameron to mark the birthday of Stefan Amaris.

Origin[edit]

While Richard Cameron had been First Lord in name since the untimely death of his father Simon in 2751, all power was vested in his regent, Aleksandr Kerensky. Rather than protect him from the machinations of court and allowing him to grow up with a relatively normal childhood, though, Richard was instead isolated, his only regular contacts his teachers and the household staff. Young Richard took solace in the stories his parents had once told him, tales of brave knights and just kings. While his parents might have sought to impart upon him a more grounded worldview in time, he had no such influence in his life. With his parents dead and Kerensky, the man ostensibly responsible for teaching him to rule, occupied with the operations of the SLDF, this offered a perfect opportunity for Stefan Amaris to gain the boy's trust.

Studying Richard from afar, Amaris came as the perfect friend for him, always ready to encourage Richard's love for stories and puffing up his ego. Amaris provided the emotional support that Richard craved, and while doing so, he took what might otherwise have been typical childhood acting-out and magnified it with his whispers. Amaris told Richard that in the Rim Worlds Republic, Richard would be treated like a god, and those who did less were out to undermine the office of the First Lord or Richard personally. As Amaris whispered in his ear, Richard alienated those few people who cared for him, binding the naïve young leader ever closer.[1]

Proclamations[edit]

Though always able to sit in on the meetings of the Star League council, Richard had never opted to do so until, in October of 2755, he finally made an appearance. As the spindly 11-year-old took a seat on the ornate throne of the First Lord, clad in medieval finery and toting a sword, he made a declaration. In recognition of his great friendship, Amaris was to be inducted into the Knights of the Star League, and furthermore, SLDF troops were to withdraw from the Rim Worlds Republic. The Council Lords, perplexed by the request, ultimately granted it to him before considering the full ramifications of the order.[2]

Aftermath[edit]

Amaris' new title sent tongues wagging in the Hegemony, but had little effect outside it. The withdrawal of SLDF forces from the Rim Worlds, though, left Kerensky fuming. He refused to hand over SLDF fortifications to the Rim Worlders, fearing the access to information and technology they could glean. Though he eventually would give in to Richard's demands, he would do as much as possible to strip the bases of anything useful before departing.[3]

The Birthday Proclamations spurred Kerensky into becoming more involved with Richard's life, taking him on an inspection of the troops in a failed bid to lessen Amaris' hold on the boy as he realized how uncertain the future of the League was becoming under Richard's rule. Meanwhile, the effort to deprive the Rim Worlders of any benefits from League fortifications was a failure, and Amaris gained a great deal of information and technology that would later aid in his coup. Finally, Richard himself continued to seethe over the perceived slights and count the days until his 18th birthday, when he could avenge himself upon the Council Lords with the ill-fated Executive Order 156.[4]

References[edit]

  1. The Star League p. 70-71
  2. The Star League p. 73
  3. Historical: Liberation of Terra Volume 1 p. 23
  4. The Star League p. 74-76

Bibliography[edit]