Kaartinen Becomes Prefect

DATELINE SITH STAR

The Royal government announced today that Eskol Kaartinen, a Centurion famous for his role in the death of Red Eclipse leader Zhin-Vel in 29 YGE and his governance of Ekshi as Consul from 41-47 YGE, has replaced Prince Tariun Sakaros as Prefect of the Order of Keltrayu.

A fifty-seven-year-old Vuul from Yin in the Romasi sector, Kaartinen assumes the office of Prefect as part of the Empire's focus on defeating the Vagaari Empire, which is responsible for the invasion of Tenupe earlier this month. The government statement noted the change in leadership enables Prince Tariun, who is also Prime Legate of the Armada, to focus all his efforts on the Vagaari campaign while putting the Order in what the statement called "immensely capable hands."

"Queen Rin reposes full confidence in Lord Kaartinen, who has demonstrated through a lifetime of service that he is worthy of both her confidence and the Order's," the statement added.

Knowledgeable sources do not question Kaartinen's fitness for the job; indeed, reports over the past decades have suggested he is the "First Centurion", a role model for the Order informally chosen by the Centurions themselves as the best of their number. However, some wonder at the timing of the transition, coming as it does after a rare defeat for the Royal Navy at Lebyool in an engagement commanded by Lord Sakaros himself. Some sources speculate the Queen's installation of Kaartinen at the head of the Order represents diminishing confidence in her brother's ability to adequately attend to all his responsibilities.

Nonsense, say others.

"If Queen Rin had any question about Lord Sakaros's fitness after Lebyool, he'd have been removed from the Prime Legate office, not the Prefecture," argued retired Division General Quelani Korzhus from her home on Vall`to. "In my opinion, this transition has nothing to do with Lord Sakaros's capabilities. Instead, it's a reflection of how seriously the Queen is taking the Vagaari threat, and how utterly she intends to demolish them."

The intolerance for slavery held by the government in general and the Queen in particular are certainly legendary. The Society for Humane Standards has already weighed in on the current campaign.

While the circumstances giving rise to Kaartinen's promotion to the Prefecture may be open to question, those who know the Vuul best insist that his qualifications are not.

"Eskol Kaartinen is the finest man I know," said Niximot Grundo, who served as Tribune of Ekshi during Kaartinen's consulship and was instrumental in helping Queen Rin bring down the tyrannical government which had usurped Ekshi before. "I have had the pleasure of knowing many Centurions, and not one of them has had anything but good to say about Eskol. There is no worthier man to follow Lord Sakaros as Prefect."

Lord Sakaros has served as Prefect since the formal foundation of the Order in 8 YGE. Kaartinen joined the Order the following year.