Eta Eric Rycon, Duke of Tranquillity (born 12 September 2669), is a Lunar and Terran politician, nobleman, and civil servant. As an infant, his family was struck by tragedy as his beloved grandfather died of a sudden heart attack. His father was the first Vice Chancellor of the Central Galactic Union, and Eta was fostered on Earth while his father tended to numerous political and dynastic responsibilities, until he came of age in 2687. He has since served in numerous political and high state offices, and presently is the Vice Chancellor of the Republic and Principal Secretary to the Chancellor. As such, he holds a position of considerable power and prestige in the domestic and administrative affairs of the Republic. He is the Crown Prince of Luna and heir to the Lunar imperial titles and estates.
He is seen by the media as Maximilian's "heir apparent" or "successor", in particular due to the strong dynastic and political relationship between the House of Rycon and the House of Compton. Rycon has, however, denied such appellations and presents himself simply as a high servant of the state.
Early life and education[]
Eta Rycon was born on September 12th, 2669 at the Royal Hospital in the Granada Palace on Luna, to Crown Prince Philip Rycon and Princess Caroline of New Zealand. In his first year, he visited Earth with his parents. When he was not even a year old, his grandfather Frederick Rycon died, and his father ascended to the Lunar throne. He was then declared Crown Prince of Luna and Duke of Tranquillity.
He was educated with private tutors, and was sent to Earth at age six to be fostered in the house of the King of Bavaria. The Bavarian royalty were maternal relations to Emperor Maximilian Charles, and through them Eta came to be educated by Maximilian's aunt, Eleonora. Early in this period, Maximilian abdicated the throne and abolished the monarchy. Xander Vox, a distant relative and head of the Imperial Guard served as his part-time tutor and personal trainer for nine years, teaching him all he knew of self-defense, literature, history, and science. In between his government duties, Maximilian took time to instruct the young Duke on the finer points of politics and statecraft. From 2685 to 2687, the Duke attended courses at Cambridge University, graduating with a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science at the age of eighteen.
Clearly of prodigious intellect and drive, he was fast-tracked for a career in government. During his career, he took online courses and graduated from Oxford University as a Doctor of Law.
Political career[]
The Duke of Tranquillity was appointed Special Adviser to the Chancellor in September 2688, acting as a political advisor to Maximilian. Most importantly, the position made him a political intern of sorts, a testing ground for his knowledge and skill, and a point of practical experience. He served in this role for a year, being appointed in December 2689 as Deputy Prefect of the Netherlands; formally, he was the chief deputy and adviser to the governor of the Netherlands prefecture on Earth, though in practice the Deputy Prefect handled much of the day-to-day functions of local government. This appointment was criticized by some, as the Duke was barely 20 and had no managerial experience, and it was felt that young Duke was not up to the task. He proved his critics wrong by securely managing the interests of the Dutch cities and rural farmers. Under the guidance of Maximilian, his political patron, the Duke learned much in the way of governing wider areas of responsibility and keeping peace between competing politicians and interests. Even so, his strongest critics still alleged that this was no suitable "training ground" for a young, inexperienced politician. His ties to the Compton dynasty were also criticized for nepotism, a charge which has plagued his father's political career. On 2 January 2692, he was appointed Principal Secretary to the Chancellor, a high position in the Chancellery staff and a leading advisory role. In this capacity, he chaired the Granada Conference in late January, guiding the creation of General Plan Outer Rim.
On 12 March 2696, he replaced Liu Calvin as Vice Chancellor, the senior deputy in the Chancellery. In combining this role with his position as Principal Secretary, he has quickly become one of the most senior advisors to Maximilian. He has represented the Chancellor in situations where he could not be present, and has been seen most often at the Chancellor's side in meetings of the Congress. By his critics, he is considered alternately to be "Maximilian's bulldog" or "gatekeeper", mocking his role of deciding access to the Chancellor. His supporters, however, have lauded his role as a chief advisor to the government, noting that many key policy decisions during the Rim War have been due the Vice Chancellor and his special commissions.
Personal life[]
The Duke of Tranquillity is a member of the illustrious House of Rycon, a noble Lunarian family descent which has had a strong role in the governance and development of Earth's moon since the early 22nd century. The House of Rycon is one of a group of Terran noble houses that has been affiliated with the Church of England, and most of its dynasts have been Anglican. Eta is a practicing High Church Anglican, part of a religious and spiritual tradition sometimes thought of as Anglo-Catholic due to its usage of liturgical and ritual elements rooted in Roman Catholicism. He makes biannual pilgrimages on 23 April and 29 December to the Canterbury Cathedral shrine to St. Thomas Becket, a noted and commented-on personal idiosyncrasy which has drawn attention to the role of religion and religiosity in modern politics. His critics tend to view his pilgrimages as empty theatrics, while his supporters suggest that his public faith doesn't have an impact on his popularity or renown as a politician due to the fragmented demographics of religion in the Republic. Rycon has yet to comment publicly on the subject, consistently refusing to discuss his personal life with the press.
His grandfather was Prince Regent of the Terran Empire and served as Prime Minister of the Terran Empire for over twenty years, and was noted as a cross-bencher politician that headed the Tory Party and led the aristocratic wing of the National Humanists. His father is a renowned nationalist politician, previously of the now-defunct NHILP, who has served in various posts in the Republic government, primarily as Vice Chancellor from 2675 to 2688. His mother is a daughter of James VI, King of New Zealand, a collateral dynast of the House of Windsor. Coincidentally, his father's dynasty has their origins primarily in New Zealand, Ireland, and England.
Prince Eta is known to be an accomplished equestrian and marksman, as well as an "avid but amateur" golfer, bowler, and fencer.