Forced Evolution

[República Liparia]

---

20 February, 835 A.S.
M.C.S. Fuenlabrada, Borneo orbit, Tau Sector

Located only a mere klick from Minato's mooring terminal sat a small 'Regent'-class liner, marked with the old grey sigils of its home. Fuenlabrada, a temporary stand-in for the Republic's capitol vessel, was host to some of the less exciting debates undertaken by the nation's remaining leadership. Still, the three gathered aboard the vessel as they did in Escher's office almost two weeks before.

Deck 2, Cabin 13. The office for the Secretary of State, officially vacant, but occupied by a former refugee trusted with the day-to-day runnings on. Changes made between then and now were slowly taking root, and none of it smelled Maltesian.
The office door slid open, Cortez and Iltzmann stepping through, the latter holding a datapad and a small device. Inside waited Escher, as well as the stand-in for the late Secretary Esposita. The two arrivals were smiling, likely a conversation on the way in.

"Finally," Hannah said snapishly. She and Cleese, Esposita's stand-in, had been waiting for the better part of ten minutes, called upon at Cortez's request.

Maria took the device from Sabrina's hand, turning her attention to Escher. "We got distracted. Besides, you said you needed to speak with Ms. Cleese about some things."

Hannah rolled her eyes. "Just tell us what you're going to. The way you made it sound in your cabinet-wide message didn't feel as important as you're making it out to be," she said, sitting against Cleese's desk.

Maria clicked the device, which enabled the room's holo-projector. In the room's center appeared details concerning Outcast expansion into the Taus, complete with infographics regarding Crayter's loss of the Hades and the incursion of Bretonian elements into the deeper systems.
"The 'way I made it sound' was exactly how it sounds. As far as the facts are concerned, continuing this effort in being the 'True Malta' is beyond our capacity. The Nationalists may have faced an unprecedented slave revolt, but their capabilities far outclass anything we can field."
Maria clicked the device again, the projector transitioning to a display of each of the Republic's cabinet members, each slowly ticking off as they passed away.
"We've had a succession crisis for the last half-decade, and only recently have we had the opportunity to deal with that. Anyone native to Malta itself is dead, and only Senor Santiago remains of anyone from the original 72nd Fleet."

Escher crossed her arms, visibly unmoved by Maria's speech. "I'm not seeing your point."

"We are Maltese in name only. The only parts of our nation that remain native are the warships we field," she said, clicking the projector off. "We don't have any business calling ourselves 'Maltese'. I would sooner exile myself than step a single unfiltered foot on that planet."

Cleese, silent so far in this conversation, spoke up. Bretonian, she nonetheless held herself welll; not as confident in her demeanor as her predecessor, but capable regardless.
"Are you suggesting a.. 'rebranding'?"

Maria snapped her eyes to Reyna. "Si. That is exactly what I'm suggesting."

"And to what would you suggest, then? How would the people react?" Escher retorted. "Do we just sweep our past under the rug, forget who got us here? I won't authorize curriculums whitewashing our history."

"You won't have to," Sabrina said, stepping towards the desk, setting her datapad down on it. "This will be a matter the Congregation will need to vote on, but we have the benefit of our populace knowing who greeted them when they arrived. We needn't lose ourselves to a simple name change, but we cannot continue pretending we speak for a nation that would collectively string us up from the highest points of the tallest structures."

Hannah sat quietly, her internal debate as loud as the ship's Collective Hall.
Again, Cleese spoke up. "This will need a careful balance to be done right. Our people just left martial law; subjecting them to this too soon might be too much all at once."

"Agreed. Let the Congregation take an informal vote, but we should make sure this is something the people want."
Hannah let out a brief sigh.
"I'm so tired of living in interesting times.."

"I think we all are."

---