Duke Aaron Sandoval: Where He Leads, Others Follow 08/04/3133
INN - Interstellar News Network
TIKOGRAD, TIKONOV—Throughout these months of strife and turmoil, there are a
few notable figures who have remained steadfastly calm in the face of adversity.
Perhaps the most rock solid has been Duke Aaron Sandoval, Lord Governor of The
Republic’s Prefecture IV.
From the moment ComStar’s HPG network mysteriously went down, Lord Governor
Sandoval has remained a solid leader of his people without falling prey to the terror
and panic like other Governors and military leaders.
“My friends, this is just another test that God has placed in front of us,” he said in an
address to the people of Tikonov in early August. “But it is one that we can best, for
we are strong. But we will pull through only if we can work together, if we can put
aside our fears and prejudices to do for what is best for all. It is clear that we may
have to make sacrifices if this blackout continues for much longer. But I am confident
that you have the strength to endure this, for we have all survived far worse.”
Statements such as those are a staple of Sandoval, who throughout his political career
has been seen as a strong and competent leader. Even his political adversaries
acknowledge him as a principled man who bends to no one. Of course, little more
could be expected from this scion of the Sandoval line, a key family in interstellar
politics since the days of the original Star League.
The Lord Governor started his political life early, typical of anyone growing up within
the Sandoval family, and doubly so for anyone named after a one-time Duke of
Robinson and FedSuns March Lord. Though trained as a MechWarrior, he ultimately
followed in his father’s footsteps—and his family’s calling—and sojourned in the
political battlefields of The Republic, in rapid succession being selected as first the
Governor of Addicks and then the Lord Governor of Prefecture IV. Even more
amazing was his relative youth: He was appointed Lord Governor at the age of 29,
taking responsibility for the welfare of billions of people long before most even start
their own families.
There are those who say that he won the position of Addick’s Governor solely on the
strength of his family’s name—his father had, of course, ruled Addicks for some two
decades, during which time he had become known as one of that world’s most
popular leaders. But Duke Aaron’s continued advancement was won solely on the
merits of his own deeds. In the almost five years since he took the position, his
popularity among the people has only grown, and even now, in a time when most
individuals are losing confidence in their elected leaders, Lord Governor Sandoval’s
approval rating continues to climb, if ever so slowly.
The reasons are, of course, quite clear.
“I can’t think of another politician who’s been so dedicated to his people. Even
counting Devlin Stone,” said Zeljko Kippic, himself a retired Governor and now
Director of Information for RonStar, an interstellar marketing and public relations
firm. “The minute he stepped into office, he took the proverbial bull by the horns and
began to make changes. As Governor of Addicks, he put those centuries of family
contacts to use and brought a trade surplus to his world, without offending any of the
Governors inside his own prefecture. And when he stepped up to lead Prefecture IV?
Just in the last year, he’s made interstellar news with the deals he’s brokered.”
Kippic was, of course, referring to the trade deals that Sandoval announced earlier this
year, just before the communications blackout that nearly brought life within The
Republic to a grinding halt. But those were just the latest in a long string of political
victories that the Lord Governor has experienced. Within weeks of his appointment as
Lord Governor, he set out on a tour of the prefecture when, instead of meeting with
political kingmakers and the leaders of the prefecture’s megacorporations, he met
with the common man on the street. He held town meetings in which the citizens
could talk to him and ask him questions directly. He arranged meetings with small
business owners and local leaders so that he could find out what they needed without
having to wade through the personal politics attached to reports generated by others.
These grass-roots tactics garnered him what one analyst termed “big-time brownie
points” with the public. He never backed down from the hard questions and never
gave what another analyst called a “politician’s answer.”
“He has his own personal views and beliefs, and he wasn’t afraid to tell his people
what they were,” said Kippic. “We’ve already seen the autobiography from Rupert
Crenshaw, in which he says that the Lord Governor’s advisors thought him mad for
speaking his mind so plainly, and began to line up new jobs before they even got their
first poll back. And when they did, Crenshaw literally did have a heart attack.”
Perhaps the following excerpt from Crenshaw’s book is the most telling: “Everyone
was talking at once. The speech-writing staff was working on bites they could work
into his next appearances while the strategists were trying to figure out how we could
get on the side of the big businesses. I remember someone screaming ‘we can say
that he had a stroke’ at the top of his lungs. Then Abby [Zaffson, Sandoval’s press
secretary] walked in with the strangest look on her face, and I could feel the muscles
around my heart contracting. The last thing I remember before waking up in the
hospital was her saying ‘[deleted] 69 percent.’”
This 69 percent was the highest approval rating for any Lord Governor of any
prefecture, and rather than decrease, it continued to rise. After his first tour of the
prefecture, Sandoval held a two-week-long meeting with the very corporate leaders he
had first snubbed; this ultimately led to dozens of official agreements between the
participants. And those agreements resulted in dozens more contracts that brought
trillions into the prefecture.
Only Jacob Bannson, Founder and CEO of Bannson Universal Unlimited, and an
outspoken critic of the Lord Governor, refused to attend. The two have apparently
been political enemies ever since, especially after Sandoval backed a Senate antitrust
plan that seemingly singled out Bannson’s corporation.
But Bannson is not the Lord Governor’s only opposition. Katana Tormark, Prefect of
neighboring Prefecture III, is perhaps Sandoval’s most notable opponent, but even
she is unable to do more than question his true motivations. On more than one
occasion she’s called him a “Davion puppet,” and seems to question his lineage and
loyalties at every possible opportunity.
But Sandoval answered those charges on the day he took the office of Lord
Governor. “My family has ruled the Draconis March for more than five hundred
years. Of course I have a vested interest in the Federated Suns. But my loyalties
ultimately lie with you, those who depend upon me for their livelihood. And I will do
everything I can to give you everything you deserve and to shield you from the
dangers that lurk around the corner.”
Since the communications blackout, most political leaders seemingly went
underground—but not Sandoval. He has done everything but hide his head in the sand.
He has traveled throughout the prefecture, visiting worlds hardest hit by the panic. He
has even gone so far as to visit the war-torn world of Ankaa, bringing with him much-
needed medical supplies and personnel to assist in cleanup and reconstruction, and has
made plans to travel to New Rhodes III. He has also made a visit to Addicks, where
war also hit.
The Lord Governor is constantly looking toward the future, and the people know that.
His approval rating continues to be the highest of any political figure in The Republic
of the Sphere. And while his detractors are accusing him of everything from starting
the conflicts that have ravaged his worlds to the darkness that overtook humanity in
the wake of the Amaris coup, Sandoval remains untouchable.
Towne Log
+ Talk about a load of Davion crap! I thought the press was supposed to be equal and
fair, not shameless shills for an obvious traitor! :- Troian
+ What’s your problem? Afraid to see the truth? Aaron Sandoval has done nothing but
work to bring more money and more jobs into this prefecture. I’ve never seen any
politician work as hard for as long as he has. Where are the rest of our so-called
leaders? Kev Rosse is apparently having a hard enough time dealing with the problems
on just a handful of worlds; he can’t detail his MechWarriors to assist in the cleanup.
And in Prefecture III? Katana Tormark has gone rogue. Tara Campbell is cleaning up
Tormark’s mess, and just who is the Governor of that prefecture? Where is he? I don’
t see anyone else who is stepping up to be an actual leader. :- Goobs86
+ I agree with Goobs.We’re lucky to have a man like Aaron Sandoval working for us.
I’d hate to see where we’d be if he weren’t our Governor. :- Akeo
+ Amazing how the writer just glossed over Sandoval’s connections with House
Davion, isn’t it? The man has made half a dozen trips into the Federated Suns since he
took office, two of them to New Avalon and two more to Robinson. There’s
something to be said for visiting one’s relatives, but this is something more. I’ve seen
figures that point to tens of thousands of work visas granted to Federated Suns
citizens, and hundreds of unregistered cargo shipments have come into the prefecture,
primarily to Tikonov, Sheratan, and Achernar. And what of the Swordsworn? The
story didn’t even bring up their existence, or the fact that Sandoval is their leader. And
what they did to Ankaa and New Rhodes. Just who do you think gave the order to hit
those worlds? And where do you think all of those troops came from? The man is
fighting a war against his own people. :- FMLurder
+ We’ve known who his family is since he came onto the political scene. He never
tried to hide that, and he’s always been forthcoming about his trips into the Federated
Suns, just as he has been about those trips into the Draconis Combine and on every
other visit he’s made. The man has single-handedly brought more business and more
money to our worlds than anyone else has since The Republic was formed. Who
cares if those monies came from the Federated Suns. Hell, it was because of his
family connections that he was able to make those deals. Are you willing to give back
all those billions in trade? :-CMike
+ I don’t want it if it’s blood money. :- Fight4Lif
+ Obviously, we’re talking to someone who’s not a citizen here, so let me clue you in
to something. Freedom is neither free nor an inalienable human right. It’s obvious that
you’re not willing to fight for your freedom, or the freedom of others. It’s also
obvious that you don’t appreciate what others do for you, especially our leaders.
Governor Sandoval has done nothing but bring peace and prosperity to our worlds,
and you call his efforts “blood money?” Show some damn gratitude! :- CMike
INN - Interstellar News Network
TIKOGRAD, TIKONOV—Throughout these months of strife and turmoil, there are a
few notable figures who have remained steadfastly calm in the face of adversity.
Perhaps the most rock solid has been Duke Aaron Sandoval, Lord Governor of The
Republic’s Prefecture IV.
From the moment ComStar’s HPG network mysteriously went down, Lord Governor
Sandoval has remained a solid leader of his people without falling prey to the terror
and panic like other Governors and military leaders.
“My friends, this is just another test that God has placed in front of us,” he said in an
address to the people of Tikonov in early August. “But it is one that we can best, for
we are strong. But we will pull through only if we can work together, if we can put
aside our fears and prejudices to do for what is best for all. It is clear that we may
have to make sacrifices if this blackout continues for much longer. But I am confident
that you have the strength to endure this, for we have all survived far worse.”
Statements such as those are a staple of Sandoval, who throughout his political career
has been seen as a strong and competent leader. Even his political adversaries
acknowledge him as a principled man who bends to no one. Of course, little more
could be expected from this scion of the Sandoval line, a key family in interstellar
politics since the days of the original Star League.
The Lord Governor started his political life early, typical of anyone growing up within
the Sandoval family, and doubly so for anyone named after a one-time Duke of
Robinson and FedSuns March Lord. Though trained as a MechWarrior, he ultimately
followed in his father’s footsteps—and his family’s calling—and sojourned in the
political battlefields of The Republic, in rapid succession being selected as first the
Governor of Addicks and then the Lord Governor of Prefecture IV. Even more
amazing was his relative youth: He was appointed Lord Governor at the age of 29,
taking responsibility for the welfare of billions of people long before most even start
their own families.
There are those who say that he won the position of Addick’s Governor solely on the
strength of his family’s name—his father had, of course, ruled Addicks for some two
decades, during which time he had become known as one of that world’s most
popular leaders. But Duke Aaron’s continued advancement was won solely on the
merits of his own deeds. In the almost five years since he took the position, his
popularity among the people has only grown, and even now, in a time when most
individuals are losing confidence in their elected leaders, Lord Governor Sandoval’s
approval rating continues to climb, if ever so slowly.
The reasons are, of course, quite clear.
“I can’t think of another politician who’s been so dedicated to his people. Even
counting Devlin Stone,” said Zeljko Kippic, himself a retired Governor and now
Director of Information for RonStar, an interstellar marketing and public relations
firm. “The minute he stepped into office, he took the proverbial bull by the horns and
began to make changes. As Governor of Addicks, he put those centuries of family
contacts to use and brought a trade surplus to his world, without offending any of the
Governors inside his own prefecture. And when he stepped up to lead Prefecture IV?
Just in the last year, he’s made interstellar news with the deals he’s brokered.”
Kippic was, of course, referring to the trade deals that Sandoval announced earlier this
year, just before the communications blackout that nearly brought life within The
Republic to a grinding halt. But those were just the latest in a long string of political
victories that the Lord Governor has experienced. Within weeks of his appointment as
Lord Governor, he set out on a tour of the prefecture when, instead of meeting with
political kingmakers and the leaders of the prefecture’s megacorporations, he met
with the common man on the street. He held town meetings in which the citizens
could talk to him and ask him questions directly. He arranged meetings with small
business owners and local leaders so that he could find out what they needed without
having to wade through the personal politics attached to reports generated by others.
These grass-roots tactics garnered him what one analyst termed “big-time brownie
points” with the public. He never backed down from the hard questions and never
gave what another analyst called a “politician’s answer.”
“He has his own personal views and beliefs, and he wasn’t afraid to tell his people
what they were,” said Kippic. “We’ve already seen the autobiography from Rupert
Crenshaw, in which he says that the Lord Governor’s advisors thought him mad for
speaking his mind so plainly, and began to line up new jobs before they even got their
first poll back. And when they did, Crenshaw literally did have a heart attack.”
Perhaps the following excerpt from Crenshaw’s book is the most telling: “Everyone
was talking at once. The speech-writing staff was working on bites they could work
into his next appearances while the strategists were trying to figure out how we could
get on the side of the big businesses. I remember someone screaming ‘we can say
that he had a stroke’ at the top of his lungs. Then Abby [Zaffson, Sandoval’s press
secretary] walked in with the strangest look on her face, and I could feel the muscles
around my heart contracting. The last thing I remember before waking up in the
hospital was her saying ‘[deleted] 69 percent.’”
This 69 percent was the highest approval rating for any Lord Governor of any
prefecture, and rather than decrease, it continued to rise. After his first tour of the
prefecture, Sandoval held a two-week-long meeting with the very corporate leaders he
had first snubbed; this ultimately led to dozens of official agreements between the
participants. And those agreements resulted in dozens more contracts that brought
trillions into the prefecture.
Only Jacob Bannson, Founder and CEO of Bannson Universal Unlimited, and an
outspoken critic of the Lord Governor, refused to attend. The two have apparently
been political enemies ever since, especially after Sandoval backed a Senate antitrust
plan that seemingly singled out Bannson’s corporation.
But Bannson is not the Lord Governor’s only opposition. Katana Tormark, Prefect of
neighboring Prefecture III, is perhaps Sandoval’s most notable opponent, but even
she is unable to do more than question his true motivations. On more than one
occasion she’s called him a “Davion puppet,” and seems to question his lineage and
loyalties at every possible opportunity.
But Sandoval answered those charges on the day he took the office of Lord
Governor. “My family has ruled the Draconis March for more than five hundred
years. Of course I have a vested interest in the Federated Suns. But my loyalties
ultimately lie with you, those who depend upon me for their livelihood. And I will do
everything I can to give you everything you deserve and to shield you from the
dangers that lurk around the corner.”
Since the communications blackout, most political leaders seemingly went
underground—but not Sandoval. He has done everything but hide his head in the sand.
He has traveled throughout the prefecture, visiting worlds hardest hit by the panic. He
has even gone so far as to visit the war-torn world of Ankaa, bringing with him much-
needed medical supplies and personnel to assist in cleanup and reconstruction, and has
made plans to travel to New Rhodes III. He has also made a visit to Addicks, where
war also hit.
The Lord Governor is constantly looking toward the future, and the people know that.
His approval rating continues to be the highest of any political figure in The Republic
of the Sphere. And while his detractors are accusing him of everything from starting
the conflicts that have ravaged his worlds to the darkness that overtook humanity in
the wake of the Amaris coup, Sandoval remains untouchable.
Towne Log
+ Talk about a load of Davion crap! I thought the press was supposed to be equal and
fair, not shameless shills for an obvious traitor! :- Troian
+ What’s your problem? Afraid to see the truth? Aaron Sandoval has done nothing but
work to bring more money and more jobs into this prefecture. I’ve never seen any
politician work as hard for as long as he has. Where are the rest of our so-called
leaders? Kev Rosse is apparently having a hard enough time dealing with the problems
on just a handful of worlds; he can’t detail his MechWarriors to assist in the cleanup.
And in Prefecture III? Katana Tormark has gone rogue. Tara Campbell is cleaning up
Tormark’s mess, and just who is the Governor of that prefecture? Where is he? I don’
t see anyone else who is stepping up to be an actual leader. :- Goobs86
+ I agree with Goobs.We’re lucky to have a man like Aaron Sandoval working for us.
I’d hate to see where we’d be if he weren’t our Governor. :- Akeo
+ Amazing how the writer just glossed over Sandoval’s connections with House
Davion, isn’t it? The man has made half a dozen trips into the Federated Suns since he
took office, two of them to New Avalon and two more to Robinson. There’s
something to be said for visiting one’s relatives, but this is something more. I’ve seen
figures that point to tens of thousands of work visas granted to Federated Suns
citizens, and hundreds of unregistered cargo shipments have come into the prefecture,
primarily to Tikonov, Sheratan, and Achernar. And what of the Swordsworn? The
story didn’t even bring up their existence, or the fact that Sandoval is their leader. And
what they did to Ankaa and New Rhodes. Just who do you think gave the order to hit
those worlds? And where do you think all of those troops came from? The man is
fighting a war against his own people. :- FMLurder
+ We’ve known who his family is since he came onto the political scene. He never
tried to hide that, and he’s always been forthcoming about his trips into the Federated
Suns, just as he has been about those trips into the Draconis Combine and on every
other visit he’s made. The man has single-handedly brought more business and more
money to our worlds than anyone else has since The Republic was formed. Who
cares if those monies came from the Federated Suns. Hell, it was because of his
family connections that he was able to make those deals. Are you willing to give back
all those billions in trade? :-CMike
+ I don’t want it if it’s blood money. :- Fight4Lif
+ Obviously, we’re talking to someone who’s not a citizen here, so let me clue you in
to something. Freedom is neither free nor an inalienable human right. It’s obvious that
you’re not willing to fight for your freedom, or the freedom of others. It’s also
obvious that you don’t appreciate what others do for you, especially our leaders.
Governor Sandoval has done nothing but bring peace and prosperity to our worlds,
and you call his efforts “blood money?” Show some damn gratitude! :- CMike
| August 4, 3133 |