Former High Prophet of Restraint

I had been removed from my position because of a Sex scandal.

Even though my impregnation of a much younger woman was not illegal I was still removed from office. She decided to have my child, who is now being raised by someone else. The decision to go to war was thus not my own and while I am disgraced I do have some influence. Enough to know that the nearly 5 cycles long war has not gone well.

"Another fleet was slaughtered by the Nobles."

I wince as I look at the numbers, while clicking out of the Pagida site.

"This is not good."

My aid nods.

"No, it is not."

"Solutions?"

"We believe the Heretical texts to be hidden on the human homeworld, we can not allow those texts to get into our empire. The texts are obviously in Noble space but the fighting there is beyond brutal and we have already lost our best ships."

"What are we doing to fix this?"

"We have entered into a full war economy and we don't send our best ships into Noble space anymore, instead we send cheaper mass-produced ones. We are adapting to their form of warfare but we have already lost over a billion people."

"This matters little to an empire of trillions."

"Currently, yes. But fleets are more expensive than ground troops, they take longer to train and more resources to build. We can afford to keep this up for a while but eventually people will start asking questions."

"What's the council's solution?"

"They're currently building up the fleet with the idea of using overwhelming numbers to overwhelm the Heretics."

"And if that fails?"

"Send more. It's been a long time since the empire has fought a peer, a lot of lessons of war have to be relearned or learned. I am still confident we can win, it will just be harder than expected."

"We're going to have to change the propaganda."

"Already working on it. Also, a request?"

I looked up.

"Yes?"

"There is a consort site called Pagida, it offers a 50% discount for our fighting men."

"And?"

"And they have given a lot of our men solace during trying times, I wish for them to get a commendation for their patriotism and piety."

"It's rare to award consorts for Piety."

"But it has happened. With your history, no one would mind too much if it came from you."

I smiled.

"True, there is some benefit in my disgrace. Very well, I will make sure they get a commendation. Any other consort sites doing that?"

"No, the others have all raised their prices."

I sighed.

"Of course, piety is always rare in that world."

I made a note to give the site a medal, something shinny and expensive. I knew how important morale was and I was certain the war would not be going nearly as well as it was without their aid.

Joli 'Mdama - Cam girl

I took a breath.

"Beats the rows."

I felt tired. I thought this was going to be easy money: take off the robes, flash some naughty bits, let some soldier boy touch himself and then have the awkwardness pass. No, it's not like that... or not as simple. Most of them are young and scared, they just want to have someone to talk to before they go into the Death Lands.

I look outside at the spindly towers and see the rain. There aren't a lot of jobs here, it's a poorer world. Pagida is a strange business, most consort businesses are... well, a lot more underhanded. They don't pay the talent well, they stay small to avoid paying taxes and they keep a small clientele. Same is true with most of the industry because the empire values piety and while pleasures of the flesh are not banned... they are not celebrated either.

Pagida is different: it's a consort site run by annoying patriots. They are upfront in a way that other people in the industry are not, they pay their talent better, take care of their talent better. They actually pay their taxes and tithes, which is pretty much unheard of, but there is a downside and as I exit the office, I see it.

Propaganda, prowar slogans. The owners are fanatics, pro-empire and pro-war and pro-military, and it's not an act. Most consort companies would at this point be living lives of excess but I've read through the earnings reports and most of the money goes into growing the business.

It is now the largest consort site in the empire and, for a poor girl from the slums, this should be a good job. Only six cycles of work, a decent paycheck, I don't have to touch anyone. But it isn't. Because... I think the war is wrong. I think that what the business is supporting is wrong. Most of the people being sent out... they're young, they're unblooded. They should be off living their youths, not dying in some forsaken section of space!

I walk to the back and collect my paycheck, better than anything I have ever had in my life and I walk around. I see a growing dearth of males as they have been drafted to fight a holy war that is going nowhere. I can't say anything about it, the company will fire me and denounce me as they have done to other people. Gods above, I don't think that even the Prophets drink so much from the empire's well water.

I ignore it and go to my home in the middling part of the city, better than the slums. I pass the empty housing of a male who died in the war and feel guilt because I helped this happen. Tomorrow I will get up and do it again, console more males being sent to die, told to tell them how brave they are and send more to the slaughter.

It's hard to appreciate money when it's covered in blood.