Lord Steiner's address to the House of Lords

[Victor Steiner]

In response to the Lord of Jarrow, Lord Steiner.

Lord Speaker, as my Noble friend is no doubt aware, the bleeding lion chooses his battles carefully, perhaps less inclined to do battle with foes he would struggle to defeat when healthy. Admiral Somerville, for he is not yet a Lord I may add, maintains the position of aggressive diplomacy which is out of touch with the reality of our situation. To pretend we are strong, or at least the strength we were is equally ignorant of all presentable facts. Not only do Corsair raiders push deeper into our territory but the mollies as well threaten our hold over the Dublin system, more importantly is the loss of Leeds, the vast majority of the manufacturing might of his House is gone. Gone, Lord Speaker, not damaged, not temporarily indisposed, but gone, forever. Sprauge will take years, decades even to come close to matching Leeds and all the while Liberty and Bretonia have entered into a period of cold silence, Rheinland is more concerned with her own borders and now I hear of military expeditions into the Taus without so much as a whisper of a warning. Our list of allies grows thin.

As my Noble friend states, Bretonia must protect its borders, Orkney is not, nor ever has been, within our borders and can be barely described as a border world, now that the arrangements with Kusari have functionally placed the end of Bretonian jurisdiction at the Tau-31 gate in the Leeds system. Furthermore, spirit alone was never and has never been the sole reason for military victory, while our lads gave their all on battlefields across the Omegas, Taus, all throughout the Borderworlds and here over the skies of New London it was our allies on Manhattan that provided not only money, materials, medical aid and logistical support but men and women to fight as well. Where are they now? What support can Bretonia muster for this show of force in Orkney? What happens if Gallia does respond, in force? What aid can we send? If a battle broke out will it be spirit alone that wins the day? Or will it be better logistics and planning? Better numbers and a secure supply chain? None of these can we guarantee. Director Steiner informs me that there have been frequent reports of unusual Order activity within the region as well as Auxesian and Gallic patrols. Yet Somerville deems it not only ideal, but necessary to send in a battle group? Has no one thought of the possible consequences? Why was the SIS not contacted to provide even the smallest bit of reconnaissance? None of this makes sense and it certainly does not bear the hallmarks of a successful operation.

Lord Jarrow states that as a former Fleet Admiral he can see the reasoning behind Somervilles actions, as a former Fleet Admiral myself, I see no reasoning at all beyond a shot at personal glory?. Bretonia requires time to rebuild, deploying fleets away from Bretonia cuts short that time, it provokes and unsettles our neighbours, it does nothing to benefit those at home. Yet again, I must insist on asking why the Government was not informed prior to this operation? Was the M.O.D consulted? The Prime Minister? None of these answers are clear, which is why I must raise the issue to the House.

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