Nha Tranh, Kowloon...
"Margrave Ngo, you can't do this to me!" Cartier Vincennes, the Duke of Hood IV, was aghast.
"I can, I will." she said, "We can do this the easy way-or, I can ask Generalleutnant Orsini to do it for me. Your Militia budget will be audited, it will be audited by representatives appointed by me, they will find the waste, the fraud, and the abuse, and then, steps will be taken to remediate that problem, the question is not whether this will happen, the question is how much time I will have to waste before I begin removing the dead weight, dead wood, and corruption in order to facilitate the release of General Orsini's forces for other duties. The longer it takes, the more likely said audit will be forwarded for action to Lohengrin."
"There is nothing to find!"
She leaped out of her chair, "DO NOT LIE TO ME!!" and grabbed the noble by his lapels, "I know how much it costs to build and maintain a reasonable force, Duke Orsini." she hissed, "I know this, because I have built one. Your tax base generates eleven point one three trillion Kroner per annum, with a population base of one billion, six hundred million, three hundred and seventy three souls plus or minus fifteen percent at any given time. I know how much you pay in food importation. There is no excuse for your world to be unable to field an adequate defensive force up to the bare limit of the Militia Act, yet you struggle to maintain a single battalion of obsolete battlemechs and two battalions of tanks at a readiness level of less than fifty percent, your air wing is pathetic. and all of this, on a budgeted five percent of your Gross Domestic product after taxation!!"
she released him, and dusted him off, "My military budget, including the Coast Guard and ground forces runs at two percent of Kowloon's collective GDP, Vincennes. two percent, and our planetary GDP is lower than yours. so I must ask, where is that money going?"
she folded her arms, "And the follow up questions, of course, are 'who am I going to need to replace?' would you like to help me, or must I replace you as well?"
"I..."
"We will begin with the audit, after which, comes the reform package-your domestic force will be reviewed by AFFC officers from outside the Theater, in particular, units based on the Arc Royal front, with extensive experience combatting the Clans. They will make recommendations, you will implement those recommendations, or your replacement will implement them, with a focus on training. We will then re-tool your 'mech, vehicle, and conventional forces with a systematic focus on standardization and parts commonality, much of what I've seen on your official TO&E will be replaced with new equipment in better condition."
He blinked. This was new. "New equipment? how will I pay for it!"
"after we have fixed your budget problem, that problem will be solved, in the short term, I am paying for it. Making me, your single largest creditor...you are aware of my attitude toward those who seek to embezzle from me, ja?"
He looked to his feet.
"Ah, what are you looking for?" she asked.
"Sheet plastic." he said nervously.
"Wise. you understand perfectly. will that be all?"
"Yes Your Grace."
"Dismissed."
