Report:In Depth with Mahon

Date: 16 ABY (09/26/07)

Thomas Mahon is known to detest long speeches. He's certainly avoided them for the duration of his term as interim Presav, and it's worked well enough for him so far. Short and to the point. So when he agrees to do a 90 minute interview for the Union News Service, it has all sorts of people wondering what to expect. The timing of it is also significant, with anticipation building about the possibility of the first elections since Mahon overthrew Presav Elana Tracer in 14 ABY.

See, in the most technical sense of the word, Mahon is a dictator (his opponents abroad are fond of pointing this out). He wasn't elected (technically, neither was Tracer, and neither was Salonika Batrad). He siezed power (albeit with the majority of the Senate and the Assembly approving his powers). Fortunately, it all turned out fairly well. He's governed more like a statesman than many of his predecessors. Free speech doesn't seem to have dried up (though the general level of discourse has elevated). He's turned the Union upside down, for sure.

Take the advent of the National Medical Service, for example. Health care in the Union had always been a kind of a piecemeal sort of thing, with a mix of private and public schemes from world to world. Others have proposed similar measures to provide Union-wide universal-access health care have been shot down from all sides. Now, by the time Mahon broached the subject, he'd scored a few victories already, and was getting a bit of a rep for consensus-building. But a lot of the professionals in the field still figured him for a bit of a lightweight. The technical term for the resulting outcry is a 'poodoo storm'.

But lo and behold, when a lot of people decided they didn't want what he wanted, he didn't send in the troops, or break out the dirty troops. But neither did he retreat. He waded right in and travelled to every world in the Union to talk to people about it. And a funny thing happened - he made a lot of good points, succinctly, and undeniably, and got a lot of the fence-sitters thinking. Months went by, and a lot of these undecideds became decided. And a lot of his opponents on the issue came around too. Those that remained found their support slipping through their fingers, until finally they grudgingly capitulated. When the vote came in People's Hall, many of the representatives who'd been the most indignant at the onset were saying that if they'd only known, they'd have been for it from the start. When the bill passed, Mahon praised them all as good citizens.

The tricky thing to all of this talk about elections is that technically there's no set term on this interim state. No one really knew how long it was going to take to fix things after the Tracer was removed, particularly with playful nudge that the Empire had just given the Union (and some of the subsequent nudges for good measure). To complicate matters out there, some citizens out there are starting to think that he can walk on water, and that "King Mahon" (or would it be King Thomas) has a rather nice ring to it.

So the Union News Service is all but guaranteed to have the attention of the its core market (ie the Caspian Democratic Union). But stoicism and dignity would seem to be a big part of their ethos - there's an evident determination in every mention of the interview to avoid any sort of circus-like atmosphere. Even the 'special report' graphics that precede the interview have a certain minimalist quality to them.

The setting for the interview is the Presav's Office in People's Hall. It opens with one of the holocams sweeping the scene. The office has that worked-in look... very natural. The sweep catches rain on the windows, and oil paintings of past Presavs. Hanging amid them is a picture of Dergan Roj in his Old Republic uniform, war-worn, but challenging in his gaze.

The interviewer is one of the UNS's rising stars. Her name is Aeryn Toland, and she is one of those Sarians whose grace and elegance tends towards the mesmerizing end of the spectrum. It's all the more intimidating that she manages to combine that with UNS's iconic dignity, and that she has become infamous for her in-depth reporting (her weekly in-depth segments are widely considered to be some of the best journalism in the Union).

Mahon is seated across from her. He's dressed down a touch, and a faint smile lingers across his lips. His eyes show a certain weariness, those of a man who doesn't get enough good nights of sleep. But not for a moment do they lose that inherent sharpness that pervades him.

Aeryn speaks first, doing the usual introduction. A flash of that disarming smile, and she launches into it like she's not the least bit intimidated by her subject, "Thank you for joining us for our 90 minute special interview with Presav Thomas Mahon. Before we went live, the Presav advised me that as far as he's concerned, this interview is no holds barred. I am invited to, and I quote," one elegant brow arches subtly as she looks over at the Presav, "To give him hell. Are we ready, Mr. Interim Presav?"

For his part, Mahon looks amused. He actually chuckles, with an expression bordering on delight.

"This from a man once widely quoted as saying that he hates speeches. Very well. I'll take that as a yes," observes Aeryn matter-of factly. She draws a breath, and looks up at Mahon, "Well. Why dance around it. There's one question out there that I know is on everyone's mind. You, no doubt have been party to the recent talk about elections. Are the days of your administration numbered?"

Mahon draws a breath, as if about to say something significant, and lengthy. His eyes look to the camera for an instant, before he gives a faint nod and replies, "Absolutely."

Aeryn watches him intently, as if expecting more than that. When that turns out to be it, she blinks a few times, looking momentarily perplexed. It's a rarity for her, but it's happened minutes into the interview. "So, we're going to have elections then? Including the post of Presav?"

Mahon chuckles again, and arches an eyebrow in turn, "Seems like it's about time, doesn't it? I figure we have the most pressingly important stuff taken of. What better time for all of us to stop and figure out where we're going to go next? I figure it'll all be ready to go in a couple of months."

"That fast?"

"Well," says Mahon, thoughtfully biting his lower lip, "The parties will need a little time to round up candidates, I imagine. And a little campaign time for all of them to get their messages out. But we don't want that part dragging out for a year either. Too much campaigning will drive folks up the wall."

There's a challenging sort of pause from Aeryn, foreshadowing the bluntness of the question to follow, "Will you be running?"

"Not sure, really," answers Mahon, with perfect sincerity.

"Do you want to," probes Aeryn.

"I don't think in those terms. It's about if I should. If it was a matter of wanting, I'd have never taken the job," mutters Mahon, drably. He hesitates, then adds, "If I need to, I will. If it seems like other folks can take it from here, maybe the best thing for the Union is for me to get out of the way, gracefully."

"I see," answers Aeryn, in that sort of tone that makes it clear that things are only getting started. "Have you been asked to run?"

Mahon nods in reply, wincing slightly, "A few folks have suggested it. But that's not the be all and end all of it."

"Alright," says Aeryn, tilting her head slightly with just a bare implication of spontanaity, "So if this turns out to be the end of your political career, where do you go from here? Back to the military?"

"Retirement, most likely," answers Mahon, with enough of a frown to suggest that he's not entirely thrilled with the notion. "I... loved the military life, and particularly being a Marine. But that little plot that got me here was my last mission. I led a coup, which means putting me back in that particular saddle would be... inappropriate."

Time passes. Aeryn gets no closer to an answer as to wether or not Mahon will run. By the time the subject is dropped, it all seems rather unlikely that he will. Ultimately, the interview turns into a point by point dissection of Mahon's administration, starting from the moment that he first emerged from that APC to accept Tracer's capitulation. Ultimately, it all leads to the subject of the Empire.

"Earlier, you said that all of the key objectives had been met," asks Aeryn, her tone forshadowing that Mahon has left himself open with that claim, "But in your first speech on the steps of People's Hall, you promised to normalize relations with the Galactic Empire." She says the term so casually, though by now most Caspians have come to resent the arrogant insistence of the term. "But it seems that relations are as bad now as they were in the beginning. How would you justify this?"

Mahon seems unperturbed, despite the more aggressive line of questioning. If anything, there's a devilish smirk, and an impish sort of gleam to his eyes that suggests that he just might be enjoying it. "Well," he starts, a little slowly, before launching into his answer with deadpan seriousness, "Technically, I DID normalize relations with them. We gave them a deal that was more than fair. They screwed up by the numbers in short order, and every explanation seemed to amount, 'We're big and angry, so all you hicks had better do what we say.'"

"So, would it be safe to say that you don't see fit to take another crack at re-opening relations," asks Aeryn.

"Honestly, no," answers Mahon, "I don't think they're capable of living up to the spirit of such an agreement. You see, the institutional mindset over there basically divides the galaxy into two groups - subjects, and traitors. We've sort of wobbled back and forth between the two. And unless we're going to be good subjects, we'd best get used to the notion that they're always going to be a threat."

"But you didn't think this when you took office," suggests Aeryn.

Mahon hesitates, and thinks about it for a moment, then answers, "No, I'd say I didn't buy their pretensions of benevolence from the get-go. But I figured there was nothing to lose. We weren't going to let ourselves be sucker-punched like Valak did to us back in 8 ABY. But I figured that if they were still hell-bent on subjugating us that it would be an interesting object lesson." He shrugs his shoulders, "Besides, there was a chance, however slim, that they were serious. Either way, we didn't really have much to lose."

"I see," says Aeryn, stoically, before adding, "Do you see any value in revisiting the issue?"

"I've met with their latest ambassador. Umm..." Mahon squints for a moment in vague confusion before muttering gruffly, "Halwinder. That's the fellow. He's been making noises about revisiting the subject. But honestly, I don't see the point. They're welcome to have a mouthpiece here, so long as it's a well-behaved one. And since on the ground level, I don't think we have any particular conflict with the Imperial people save that they're on the unfortunate side of a border. So I don't see any reason to bar them from visiting or doing business here. If anything, the more folks over there can SEE what we're really like, the more they'll know their government is feeding them shovelfulls of poodoo.

"But it seems foolish to send an ambassador to them, given that past behaviour shows that I'd probably just be throwing our diplomats to the kath hounds. The travel advisories should remain in place, because quite frankly, Imperial space is dangerous and we don't really have much recourse for rescuing someone who falls victim to a paranoid impulse. And they can't exactly count on 'innocent until proven guilty' either. And for our own security, we shouldn't permit their warships in our space. We shouldn't issue weapons permits for their people in our settlements. And we should have decent checks on the folks who do visit from there. Further thawing should be on a cautious basis."

Aeryn smiles graciously as Mahon stops to draw a breath and take a drink of water. So much for taciturn, but then it'd be awfully challenging to fill 90 minutes with terse Mahon-isms. And then she proceeds to pick Mahon's brain about foreign affairs in general. And he has a wealth of thoughts on that. He's generally kinder in his opinions of the New Republic, though he's able to muster criticism of them on many angles. The key difference is that the New Republic isn't really a threat to the Union at present.

"That's a bit of divergence from traditional CDU neutrality, isn't it," inquires Aeryn after a while.

"Suppose it is," concedes Mahon, matter-of-factly, "But it's hard to pinpoint a moment in our history when our supposed traditional neutrality actually exists. The period most folks refer to when they talk about that was marred by frequent violations of our sovereignty by the Empire, followed by an invasion. Then Salonika Batrad and Ernie Pallando came along, and we swung towards the other end of the spectrum. The Imps figured we were a good little client state... but relations with the New Republic were rather hostile. In fairness, the Rebs were having leadership issues back then and the Imps went through one of their quasi-benign phases while they mired in their own internal messes.

"Real, perfect neutrality in a case like this would amount to an awful lot of isolation. Isolation wouldn't be good for us either. We need trading partners. And we need folks out there who will give a damn if someone else decides to annex us. There is... no security to be had in that kind of navel-gazing."

There's a thoughtful pause, before Aeryn asks him, "So if neutrality is... inappropriate, what is this new phase?"

"Mirror diplomacy," answers Mahon, with entirely too little hesitation. "It's simple, really. We treat bullies like bullies and friends like friends, where we can find them. Anyone who wants to know which they are need only look in the mirror. And we ought not to confine our vision to the great powers. I've been taking a good long look at all of our neighbors. Some have complimentary views to us - enough even in some cases that they might one day decide to join this little adventure of ours if we don't screw it up. Others are tin-pots, warlords, pirates, slavers, and yahoos with delusions of being the reincarnation of Xim the Despot, and it's in our interests to get together with our friends for the sake of regional security."

"Some would call that expansionism," assesses Aeryn, with all of the precision of a sniper picking off an unwary officer on the battlefield.

"Some can," answers Mahon eagerly. "And I say that's not strictly a bad term. We aren't talking about beating folks over their heads and taking their homes. We're talking about an expansion of our spirit, which will bring an expansion of security, and an expansion of economies. We won't always agree with everyone on everything, but that's alright. We can still work together. And then the day comes along when all of these little guys can stand together with the big guys."

Foreign affairs leads into military matters, with a few dry subjects about disaster relief, counter-piracy, peace-keeping, and the slave trade. In discussing the expansion of the Navy, Aeryn interjects, "Yes. Umm. Two months ago you attended a commissioning ceremony for a new carrier, CMS Zephyr. In my research, I can't help but notice that this was Elana Tracer's callsign, back when she was in the fleet. Is this an intended tribute? And all things considered, is that wise?"

Mahon chuckles, and arches an eyebrow. Then he shakes his head, venturing a rakish sort of grin, "As far as the Fleet's Bureau of Ships is concerned, she's named after the weather phenomenon. Fits the theme for the class and all. Can't say I registered any objection when I saw the name, even knowing the inadvertent connection to Elana Tracer."

Mahon hesitates, squinting just a little, his expression turning rather more serious, "I don't want history to be too harsh on her. She had the makings of a great statesman." His gaze is distant now, and he swallows hard at one point, "She was governing well. But this annexation business... The Imps had her family hostage, you know. I don't envy a mother having to choose between their loved ones and their duty."

"Indeed," answers Aeryn. She pauses respectfully, and hesitates on the verge of her next words. A little indecision. A little internal debate. And then she finds her tie-in, "On that subject... you've been observed with some interesting companionship as of late."

Mahon blinks in surprise. Aeryn proceeds undeterred, "To some she's... the Butcher of Cochran. The Empire meanwhile considers her a traitor."

"You're talking about Lynae Cassius," says Mahon, breathing out a sigh. His gaze turns upwards and he adds, "Suppose I did say no holds barred. Though, uh... should bear in mind that I can't really speak for her."

"Most notably, you attended her tribunal on Ord Mantell, and were observed offering support when the sentence was to be carried out. Does she affect your ability to govern?"

"You know," Mahon starts to reply. Then he hesitates, and squints. We're into walking on eggshells territory here. "Maybe she could have a negative impact at some point if I'm not careful. She's wary of that possibility herself. Thus far, she's had a lot of positives. I make no excuse for her past. She doesn't either, but I have a lot of respect for her. Have since we first met on Corellia. She was actually instrumental in hammering out the details of the non-aggression pact. When the Imps arrested ambassador Quinn, she's the one who sprung her. And after delivering Ms. Quinn into our protection, she went back to face the Empire's wrath. She was tortured, forced to sign a confession, and fitted with an implant that would electrically shock her heart if her pulse got too high."

Mahon is stone-faced now, his voice low, even, and deadly serious. He draws a breath, which gives time for his words to sink in, "She has weathered that all stoically. And not content to have done all of this for us, she has committed herself to our service and asked no favours of me."

He allows himself to smile distantly, "Having someone around like that makes it damned hard to get all woe is me about one's own burdens. And you know, she reminds me on one never to get complacent about them, but on the other, how much potential they have."

And the subject of Lyn Cassius just doesn't go much further than her impact on his professional life. Publicly, he's just not the touchy-feely type, it seems.

When the ninety minutes finally comes to a close, Aeryn's final question to Mahon is, "When the histories are written on this chapter of the Union, what do you want your legacy to be?"

It's a question deserving of some thought. And Mahon does. Before that tell-tale, subversive sort of grin emerges, "I should be a cautionary example. An ugly necessity spawned by a decay of our nation. But I hope that it will set a course for brighter days, and that the Union shall be so blessed with good leadership and vigilant citizenship that my part in all of this can be written as a footnote."