Davis Robb
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Davis Robb joined the youth wing of the Excalbia Liberal Party (LP) while a student at the University of Landing. Graduating in 1976 with a Masters of Public Administration, Robb went to work for the city administration of Valmiera. He quickly moved on positions of greater responsibility in the cities of New Boston, Southport and, finally, Landing.
In 1981, Robb went to work for the Imperial Senate Governmental Affairs committee as senior minority staff assistant. He quickly gained a reputation as an effective networker and negotiator. He left the Senate in 1983 to take a senior position on the LP’s National Committee.
After several years on the LPNC, Robb entered electoral politics and was elected to the Senate. He quickly rose within the ranks of the Senate’s Liberal Party faction and became a confident of LP leader Lady Jessica Tagaarth. Eventually, Robb was named the party’s Senate whip.
In the prelude to the 2005 elections Robb came to believe that Lady Jessica lacked the political will to use any issue – including the scandal surrounding Princess Christiana – as a platform to make the party’s case to the public. He successfully challenged Lady Jessica for leadership of the party and led the LP to its best showing in more than two decades.
After Lady Jessica was named Imperial Chancellor, Robb was named Minister of Defence. It was widely believed that Lady Jessica would retire in a year or two and that Robb would be named to replace her. Those expectations were dashed in early 2006 when Robb was murdered in the Imperial Senate building by the Captain of the Imperial Guards, MAJGEN Maris Jansons.
Robb's murder capped a crisis that began in late 2005 when Emperor David IV suffered a severe heart attack. This led to conflict between the Imperial Senate, the Imperial Household and the barons over the regency and succession to the Sword. When that conflict led to a failed attempt by members of the Imperial Household to close the Senate and an equally disastrous attempt by the barons to replace the Emperor with his cousin, the government of Lady Jessica Tagaarth collapsed. This, in turn, led to the confrontation between Jansons and Robb. During the confrontation, as Imperial Marines were moving to arrest Jansons on orders from Prince Joseph, Jansons drew his weapon and Robb attempted to disarm him. Jansons shot and killed Robb, then turned the gun on himself.
Robb was posthumously bestowed a knighthood and a lordship and awarded the Excalbia Cross for Bravery. He is survived by wife of 23 years, the former Ashley Gordon, and his three children, who are between the ages of 17 and 7.
