The Drums of War

[Vincent Deryck]

Chancellor Deryck had, at his very core, hoped to never have to bring this subject before the Senate in an emergency hearing. However, recent events had finally forced his hand. The bombing on Alderaan, the fight on Chandrila, the results of the Alderaan Investigation, these and so many more events had proven that they were already under attack, just not overtly from the Hutt Cartel. Their warfare was done in the shadows, yet regardless of the battlefield they were still the aggressor. This needed to be addressed, it needed to be voted. The drums of war were beating and it would be up to this legislative body to determine the Republic's current course. The former Admiral honestly couldn't predict how this all would go.

"Senators, I'm certain that many of you have foreseen this day's arrival. The attacks against our sovereign worlds, our people, our soldiers, has only increased in frequency. There has been proven corruption of a sovereign planet's government by the Hutt Cartel. You all know of these problems and more, so I'll spare you a recitation. However, a truth I have been just as loathe as you to accept is becoming more and more clear: we are at war with the Cartel. The people we are sworn to represent and protect are being harmed and killed by these foreign agents. Our Grand Army is being rebuilt even as we speak, yet I fear that will not be enough to address this situation. This will be the point of this Hearing and eventual vote: to declare War on the Cartel. I will open the floor up to a short debate on the matter then start the vote. I implore each and every one of you to give this matter the thought that the gravity of this situation demands." With that he stepped back, waiting for the heated debate to begin. He knew this would be quite the discussion, but he wouldn't let it go on indefinitely. Time was of the essence.

((OOC: I will give 48 hours for Senators to debate before I put this up for a vote. Death/PVP/PVE/Shenanigans disabled. Have fun!))

 

[Numenius Pax]

Numenius hated war.

The very thought of war was abhorrent to him.

And yet here they were - called to vote for their Republic, their people, to march to War.

It was a heavy atmosphere where not even the heaviest of War Hawks wanted to be the first to speak up on the matter. The air was thick with worry, with the threat, the promise, of what death and destruction would come from this.

Numenius hated this.

Moving his pod forward to be heard, Numenius swallowed thickly as he stared at his microphone for a second before steeling his resolve and looking at his fellow senators.

"I do not wish for War. My entire life... I have wanted nothing but peace for my people and the peoples of every Republic world." he spoke firmly before sighing, "And now we find our peoples threatened. Our interests menaced. And even ourselves under attack. All under the whims of crime lords."

Shaking his head, Numenius closed his eyes.

"True peace... is the freedom to live in peace. To be free from attacks to life, liberty, justice and freedoms." he opened his eyes and slowly pressed the button to register his vote, "We cannot know true peace with the Cartel menacing us, actively attacking us, at every turn. It is for that reason that I, Numenius Pax, Senator for Corulag, hereby register my vote."

He swallowed thickly, eyes open and ablaze,

"To the Cartel there is but one response we can follow through! War!" He called out strongly, "To War with those who would take from us what is our! To those who would steal, murder and coerce us! To those who would deny us True Peace!"

 

[Darwin Mortenson Antilles]

As always Senator Antilles had arrived early, and taken up is usual occupancy of his pod, reading through the briefing notes and circling various entries with a small pencil. After all, given the relative impotency of the body in which he sat as a member, he saw that there was little else to do - the Senate in his eyes becoming naught more than a revising chamber for decisions made outside of their control. Darwin kept his silence as the new de-facto President spoke, waiting for his time to speak - and then, when called, rose to do so.

"Mr. Speaker," the Senator began in the custom manner, addressing his statement to the Speaker rather than the Chancellor "...the motion before us today is one that is greatly severe in manner, and I must voice to that effect, my strong objections at the limits placed on this Chamber to discuss it." he began, cutting directly to the point of the matter "Indeed, I find it alarming that any power other than this Chamber, is even so much as attempting to place restrictions on our debate - and in turn, restrictions upon this Chamber to exercise, to its fullest and best ability, its sovereign duty and right."

For the first time since entering the Senate, Darwin Mortenson Antilles was visibly angry as he spoke again "Since I have come into this Chamber, appointed by the people of my Home-world to represent the sovereign and absolute interests of that World, I have seen little more than a roughshod sidelining of the prestige of my office, and that of my peers, with more and more powers being wrestled from the hands of us," Darwin gestured, as if to the room and all its occupants "...the members of this Chamber, such powers being drawn inward," he jabbed his finger toward the Speakers podium and those who resided upon it "...to that pillar before us. Chancellor you are correct, this situation has great gravity indeed, and I will not allow this house to be muzzled any further."

With that, Darwin bashed his fist upon the pods side, as if punctuating his anger and, not yielding the floor as he continued "Chancellor, you may implore us to give the matter thought, and in return I implore you to give the matter time for this is not some decision to be made lightly, and more importantly Sir, it is a decision that effects each, and every planet here represented, and many more besides. Today you ask us to come to a decision that could effect, and cost, the lives of billions - irreparably bringing damage to this Republic, and all who reside within its in borders. You ask us to decide on war, and that is not some issue to be chuntered through like the evenings gossip!"

Turning to face the Speaker directly, Darwin addressed the Chair "I know the Chair to have such power, and so I ask it to be used. Mr. Speaker, I ask for the debating limit to be repealed from this motion, so as to reflect the gravity of this vote, as stated by the Chancellor. Give this Chamber the time is requires to debate this motion correctly, or, Sir, I shall not yield this floor until the duties of this Chamber might be executed fully." Darwin made his point, and - refusing to yield the floor until his demand was met, he waited to be silenced, or appeased.

OOC - Sorry chaps, but in keeping with character and all that.

 

[Primula Peyvand]

Primula was not going to speak yet, instead waiting to hear what others would have to say on the issue first. However, when the old senator tried to bog this debate and subsequent vote down, she knew she would have to interject.

We have been given the chance to discuss the specifics here and now senator Antilles, please do not attempt to hold up the vote with some school yard effort of talking yourself blue in the face.

As senator Pax has noted, despite being a very well respected pacifist, that the encroachment of the cartel can not be ignored any longer! You and I both know a certain cipher agent who came to us from the hutts senator Antilles, I assume he told you about their interference with elections and such? Things like this are what make the hutts so dangerous to the republic. For that reason, I fully support a war with them, as should all other members of this chamber.

She finished speaking and then returned to her seat, hoping that she had done something to drown out the senator from Bestine. She had been tempted to say something about him being chosen by his people and not by the newly elected president but she held her tongue. No need to get personal with things, it was simply not polite.

 

[Vincent Deryck]

Chancellor Deryck shook his head, frowning slightly. He had expected this kind of reaction from certain Senators, yet he could not acquiesce to their demands in this case. "I will not remove the time limit to this debate, as the Cartel is not waiting while we talk about this matter either. Discussion is one of the cores of our Republic, yes, but to sit here endlessly in debate while we are under attack is sheer folly. I've been watching and listening to the arguments between Senators for years, so I know that some of this body can drag out an issue to seemingly impossible lengths. A matter of this level of importance needs to be acted upon in an efficient manner in all regards. The request to remove the time limit for debate is denied."

((OOC: Sorry, Filibustering is going to be a hard no on discussions like this, especially for story-related threads and hearings like this))

 

[Darwin Mortenson Antilles]

Senator Antilles was about to respond to the Senator for Tanaab when the Chancellor spoke again, and Darwins temper flared. Rounding on the Chancellor, his voice raised the Senator for Bestine lambasted the newly elected Chancellor, anger rising in his voice as he did so. "How dare you Sir!" Darwin slammed the butt of his cane on the floor of his pod "This is not the Navy, and we are not troops to be commanded at your whim! I answer to the people of my world, and I will not be silenced." he practically spat the next words "Chancellor, you are a shiver, waiting for a spine down which to run - and as you rampage over the supremacy of this chamber, you run the risk of causing irreparable damage to the reputation of this office you hold, drowning the beacon of democracy you aspire to champion, in a tide,"

Darwin shook his fit in the air to add tumult to his words "....a tide of innocent blood! War is not the answer to a pack of rabid dogs. One does not drive out a cockroach with an army, one deals with pests in the correct, and proper way. The Cartel must be dealt with like Criminals, deflected from our borders by a robust border force, criminals apprehended, and the punishments severe. War, is not the answer to crime!" he added, desperately trying not to shout his words "Many in this chamber have known the horrors of war, and in all my years I wish never to inflict such horrors on the people I represent. Your attempts to silence this house have set my decision firm, and my decision is thus," he spoke, as if with finality.

"Senators, Chancellor, I shall not set the lance of this joust, and I shall not go down in the annals of history as voting alongside a warmonger," he jabbed his finger at the Chancellor "...so desiring of a war to fight, that he seeks to muzzle those who represent the men and women who shall fight it for him. This bill, shall not pass!" Darwin slammed his cane on the floor "I vote NAY to this bill, and I beg all of you to do the same." he pressed his voting button "Chancellor, your argument of war to preserve peace, is as thin as a prison gruel, you make an argument for life, whilst digging a grave, a grave Chancellor - that shall, if this bill is allowed to pass, be filled with the bodies of millions."

OOC - Totally understand :-)

 

[Pyotr]

Senator Sokolov stood up before the senate. He had something to say, and he was going to damn well take his time saying it. His voice, powerful but raspy from decades of shouting battlefield orders, would resonate throughout he senate. He hoped though, that perhaps someone would see through to the meaning of his words, and vote against this war.

“What debate can there be, my fellow senators, when we have been riding the war train for so long already? We have rode the train to the supply lines and armed ourselves, we have rode the train to our neighbors and gathered their support, we have rode the train to the very doorstep of our enemies and open fired upon them. Now, you seek to debate whether or not we shall ride the train into enemy lines?

“You cannot stop this train, chancellor, no one in this room can. If anyone in this room had reservations or disagreements with the war train, your chance to to get off has long ago passed by. You should have voted against the navy, voted against the grand army, voted against organizing the train for war.

“It’s too late now. Forgive my cynicism, but this debate is nothing more than a formality. The young blooded senators in this room seem to have either forgotten the pain and suffering of war, or their bloodlust has not yet been satiated! I will stand against this vote, as I have stood against every war vote. But even I can see that my efforts have been for nought.

“Senator Antilles, I appreciate your sentiment that this should be thought over, but as our Chancellor knows, the time for patience, reason, and thought out debate has long passed in votes that have already swept this senate. There are ways we could have handled this, there still exist different avenues to take. But the passion of youth and the bloodlust of the bloodthirsty outnumber the wisdom of the aged. So let us drop the formality and start the vote.”

 

[Primula Peyvand]

Primula could tell that there were going to be repercussions from this vote long into the foreseeable future. As the senator from coruscant spoke, she felt a twinge of anger. That the senator would have the gaul to call her of all people bloodthirsty and himself wise, she couldn't believe it. Couldn't they see that the republic had to take a stand for itself, before it was overshadowed by its ever growing enemies?

Even as a humanitarian, she had come to learn that the best preventive medicine was superior firepower. If they wanted to avoid billions of deaths, perhaps millions had to die. That was the whole point of war in her opinion. Sacrifice a few to save the many. The ends justify the means. Why should they wait for the hutts to further their plans, push the lines of the republic, and have war on their doorstep before they are ready? If nothing else this whole vote would only further her goal of a defense fleet that would put the Sith to shame even. Not too mention her personal defenses she needed to finish back on Taanab.

Standing to address the senator quickly, she did her best to still sound polite, despite being rather passionate on the issue. She wasnt trying to make any enemies here today, but she had a feeling this vote might very well cause a bit of a split in the senate.

So we should sit on our hands until the cartel is attempting a takeover of coruscant then senator? We youth are passionate, about protecting those we care about. If we don't take the fight to them, they will take it to us!

There's an old story in the navy I remember, about a ship commander who spotted a potential enemy vessels near their supply lines. He immediately opened fire and scared them off. After that he was criticized as he may have brought war upon the republic, but he responded with "when you see nexu, you don't wait for it to bite your leg before you shoot it". I think that this would perfectly sum up our options here. We wait for the cartel to bite us, or we shoot them first. It really is quite simple senator.

She said before again returning to her seat. She couldn't believe they couldn't see why they couldn't just wait, like the chancellor had said, they didn't have the time anymore.

 

[Pyotr]

Shaking his head, Pyotr stood once more to respond to the senator of Taanab. There was little he needed to say, and he would not respond past this point. "Your own manner of speech betrays your utter foolishness, Junior Senator of Taanab. There are a thousand different avenues the Republic could be taking, but you choose to see only the one that results in millions dead, and you call 'really quite simple.' I cannot have any recourse with someone as vile as you."

 

[Octadar Kithar]

He was amazed at Pax’s cry for war. He was supposed to be completely against the kind of thing! Wow. He also almost laughed out loud at the Chancellor’s put down of Senator Antilles. He went “Hear Hear!” At the second time the Chancellor spoke, when he directed his words to telling the Senator of Bestine to practically, shut up.
He stood up
“The ignoble and undignified tactics of the Senator for Bestine to talk and talk to the end of the session is a disgrace, and I would like it to be put on record to thank the Chancellor for not allowing this disgrace to occur.” He would then pause for a second before continuing
“Now. There is only one thing which we can call the actions of the Hutts for the past few months against the Republic. War. War against its sovereignty, war against its democracy, war against its worlds. The Hutts are willing to get at us, so we must make sure this Republic does not falter, to defend democracy against the Hutt brutality. If war is to come, there must be a complete and utter guarantee of Sith neutrality, meaning it does not take ANY action.” Before reiterating his point “ANY action, undercover or blatant, against the Republic during this time of crisis. We must rally the Republic together, and we must give the Hutts what for, a thrashing so they cower on their homeworld, never to threaten the Republic again! WAR!” He would say, before sitting down, voting “Aye”

 

[Darwin Mortenson Antilles]

Senator Antilles was flabbergasted with the sheer dismissive nature shown by the Senator for Tanaab, however, before he could rise to speak, Senator Pyotr beat him to it. A robust defense as ever, he thought, warming to the Senator over this albeit heated motion as the Coruscanti representative broadsided the younger Senator of Tanaab for her words.

"Hear Hear!" Darwin shouted from his podium, seeking to rile those Senators who against the declaration of war into a greater fervor. "Hear Hear!" he shouted again, making to his feet and activating his microphone "My Honorable Friend," he nodded to Pyotr, Darwin, the traditionalist as ever "...I stand with you on this matter entirely. The Republic has countless other avenues we can pursue, ones that would not end in the deaths of millions of people, innocent people. My friends," he gesticulated to punctuate his argument "...think of what it is you do. You would in one day, send millions to their deaths - when other avenues for solving this crisis are open to you. "

And then, with a withering gaze, he turned his attention to Senator Kithar and venomously spoke "And what a shock, the arms dealer speaketh of conflict," Darwin laughed "...with as much ease as a snake, speaking of poisons. Have you been in war, Sir?" he allowed no time for the man to interject "No. You have not. You have not seen bodies choking in the mud, you have merely seen the profits rolling in each with each round fired on the front line. There is but one disgrace in this chamber Senator," he pointed at the man "...and I find it hissing at me now. I hope, for your sake, that should this motion pass, the smell of the carnage does not rise high enough, to reach the top of your ivory tower."

 

[Primula Peyvand]

Primula smiled casually at the senator before responding. She wasn't going to speak any further either, but she would be damned if she was going to let the old fart get the last word, she did know that. Waiting as patiently as she could for an actual war monger to speak, she then went to address the senator from coruscant again.

Perhaps then, it is that inaction of yours, that has permitted us to push the bills that needed to be passed. If you were more vocal in these proceedings, perhaps you could sway some minds. Instead you stand there and call me vile, how droll. As far as I can tell, you're offering no counterargument to the debate, but thank you for confirming your feelings about the matter, they are appreciated I'm sure.

With that she sat and patiently awaited the vote to begin in earnest. She already had a pretty good idea of how she was going to vote, unless someone could offer a bit of a better argument for the case than the senator she had just addressed.

Then the senator from Bestine spoke again, and she could certainly agree where he was coming from. She would like not to be agreeing with the man, but indeed, the senator from Fondor hardly shared the same sentiments as she did more than likely. She didn't want people to die needlessly, but she was from a border planet, she knew how often pirates and the cartel liked to stick their noses in border planets affairs. It was only a matter of time until they did so to her planet, and more. The greed of the cartel knew no bounds, of that she was sure.

Still, she awaited others to speak, as she felt as though she had done enough for the time being. Let someone else speak she thought to herself.

 

[Octadar Kithar]

Oh now he was getting it. That Antilles was really gonna get it. He braced himself silently, before standing up.
“Ah! Now the dog lies once again with his master. So easy to do nothing, and lie back happy, so easy to wave around his cane, so easy to say no to action, and to decisiveness. He calls me a snake and yet the only snake towards the Republic, is he. The scum of society, and most certainly the Senate, in my years in this chamber I have never seen anyone like it! Whilst the worlds in the exterior of the Republic begin to fall in line with the Hutts on a planet regions away, and it’s inhabitants forced into slavery, he dares cry for more action, when Republic worlds are openly attacked by the puppets of the Hutts. Chandrilla! Of all places, was viciously attacked, Gammoreans rampaged through the streets, slaughtering all in sight! Alderaan, where the corruption of the Queen now seeks to infest all of Alderaan! Brentaal, where the Republic has been thrown right out by the corruption of the Hutts, and it’s inhabitants undergo their cruel lives under the Hutt regime! And what do we find other Senators proposing. For us not to do anything about it? For another Investigation which will take months and accomplish nothing but give the smokescreen that the Republic is doing something, in the defence of its ideals and the defence of its people, where the only smoke coming up is the smoke from buildings burning from Hutt involvement. I say this sir! Rather a snake then an old cow overburdened with its duties!” Pointing at the Senator for Bestine, with a stony face, for a few seconds, before sitting down.

 

[Darwin Mortenson Antilles]

"Sir, you have clearly taken leave of your senses." Darwin retorted "So thirsty are you for war, that beyond mere rhetoric, you have not made a single point to support its execution, you have ignored - utterly - any suggestion that other options are open to us. Senator Kithar, you are quite literally baying for blood," Darwin sounded somewhat sad as he continued "And yet I find myself repeating, as if I converse with a wall, it is not your blood that will be shed!" he added "But, fellow Senators," he addressed the rotunda as a whole as he continued.

"It is Senator Kithars pockets that shall be lined. Something he has completely refused to answer." Darwin ventured now to attend to the more personal attacks made my the slightly demented Kithar "And I do dare to cry for more action - for war occurs when all else has failed, and simply Senator, we have not tried all else we have not even tried to speak to the Hutts directly, to increase policing on our borders at all - instead we are running into a war as our opening offer. Senator, can you not see what it is you are condoning?" he practically pleaded "We have not got the resources for war, we have not got the capacity for it, and most of all Sir, we do not have the need for it. I do not ask, as you have suggested I did, for us to do nothing - I ask for us to something, anything, other than sending our children, and grandchildren to die in a war that we do not have need of."

He faced Kithar as he said finally "Whilst trading blows with you here may wear at me, the forthcoming deaths of millions of my people wears on me more Sir, and no matter the base caliber of your insults - indicative of your lack of political arguments, compassion or thought for others than your own bank balance - I will not yield here, for when I do Senator, I would place this Republic in the hands of Warmongers, such as yourself."

Darwin addressed the rotunda "The choice before us is clear," he raised one hand "War, the deaths of millions at the profit of men like Senator Kithar," he raised his other hand "...or any number of the countless other diplomatic, strategic and economic paths open to us - without the underwriting needed for war, signed in blood."

 

[Primula Peyvand]

While Primula remained silent for now, she could feel her opinion being ever so slightly swayed as the senator from Bestine spoke. He was quite the gifted orator she had to give him that.

For the time though, she could honestly go one way or the other. While she felt as though she was possibly helping prevent something from happening to Taanab by encouraging a war with the cartel, she did feel slightly guilty at the nation of millions dying. While before she had been somewhat dismissive of it, billions of lives weren't really at stake, not yet anyways. And for her to push the proverbial button on a war that would result in massive loss of life, well she knew she was going to need a much better reason than her original one of a future war with the cartel. At the same time though, she would still rather not be the one being attacked, so for the time being she still felt like when the vote was declared and the debate over she would most likely still vote yes for war with the cartel.

 

[Darwin Mortenson Antilles]

Tension was high in the rotunda, of that there could be no doubt, and Senator Antilles allowed his gaze to wander to Senator Peyvand, who appeared to remain silent as if in thought. He turned his pod, and spoke directly to her "Senator, please - peace is not forged in the fires of conflict. This Chamber has seen, and heard many times, that the scars of war may never fade, and the fire we could start today, may leave embers that burn for centuries,"

He referred of course to the occasions in which Senators had called for war with the Exiles & Sith, and spoke again "...if in our hearts we want peace, then we must build it with our actions, leaving a legacy of compassion and not of conflict, so that one day a generation can prosper in that peace we build. We must not fear that which we do not understand, instead - we must strive to build a bridge, not a moat. Extend a hand, not a fist. Be robust, not foolish." finally, he spoke - emotion clear in his voice as he did so "Today we have a choice, maybe - one of the most important we shall make in our lives. We cannot send people to die, when we have not explored other options. Senator, I beg you, do not vote for this motion."

 

[Octadar Kithar]

“And the last time we sent a delegation to a government even closely influenced by the Hutts, on Alderaan, would you care to remind us what happened Senator?” He asked
“Because I seem to recall the Senators being chased by soldiers of the Hutt aligned Government of Alderaan right off the planet!” He said with conviction
“If a Queen of a planet in the Core Worlds, right in the centre of the Republic, knowing all too well the consequences of her actions, had the stomach to try and kill several Senators of the Republic, what do you expect to happen when we send a delegation to Nar Shaddaa, in the most lawless sectors of the galaxy, where the most evil bounty hunters and criminals lurk. They have attacked, times too many to count and yet we want to talk with them!? They have given their response Senator, and they have sent it with fire and blood.”
The unrealism of Darwin’s proposals were... Astonishing... He would answer this next
“Does the Senator not think that smugglers have not discovered ways into the Republic which frigates and Corvettes can not go through? There’s a reason why policing the Republic’s outer systems won’t work. 1, we barely have a Navy to police with, due to the actions of the former Chancellor, and all those who supported her, 2, does the Senator honestly think that sending some ships will help? Smugglers and small vessels will simply waltz past, they have done so for generations, and they will consistently do so. Because unlike the military, the Hutts can conceal themselves anywhere. They can disguise. They can smuggle. They use unorthodox ways of travelling into and out of the Republix, which can hardly be countered by sending an armada. Would we rather sacrifice the ideals of the Republic to slavery, destruction and death to the Hutts, where criminals run rampant without punishment, where there would be nothing to protect the common people, or are we willing to sacrifice a few people gaining money for the freedoms that I guarantee everyone here takes for granted!” He would look around, knowing full well every Senator took for granted something from the Republic
“We take for granted the law and order which the courts, unbiased and mostly not corrupt, which occurs day in, day out. We take for granted, the liberties and freedoms we all have, as a liberal society, where we all can do what we want, to a point. We take for granted the protection our soldiers and local law enforcement gives time and again. We take for granted the democratic system, which lets every man have a vote, no matter how wealthy you are! These things, do you think the Hutts will care?! Do you think they care about democracy, the liberties of the people?! No! So yes, people will gain money from the war. But if you ask me whether I would take slavery and death, for some people gaining money, and yet the key foundations and principles for the Republic to stay the same, for our liberties and our rights as people, to be protected from the fires of tyrants? I know what I want. Freedom, not slavery. Liberty, not death, and action over inaction. For if we wake up tomorrow with Coruscant in flames from another Hutt attack, we can only blame ourselves. I will ask the question to you Senator” looking at Darwin
“What do you prefer. Slavery or Freedom? Liberty or Death?” Before sitting down

 

[Darwin Mortenson Antilles]

Darwin stood up, and asked one question only "Senator Kithar, if you do not feel that our Navy is strong enough to 'police with'," he quoted the man directly "...why do you think it is strong enough for a war?"

 

[Octadar Kithar]

“Because smuggling and conflict with the Hutts are 2 different matters. It is easy to sail past a larger ship, or hide inside a civilian transport. The Hutts, they barely have a fleet! What do you think they can defend themselves with, pleasure barges?” He asked
“The Republic Navy, even in its current state, is easily far more powerful than the Hutts. War and smuggling are 2 different things. The Republic Navy excells in War. The Hutts excel in smuggling. We are talking about going to war. The Republic will not lose to the Hutts in a space battle, because the Hutts don’t have a professional Navy. They will be outclassed, outnumbered and outgunned. Policing means waiting for something to happen, responding to things. In a war, we can attack, put the pressure on. Smuggling is perfect against policing forces, nothing can deter from a fleet attacking at war.”

 

[Darwin Mortenson Antilles]

He was speechless.

Darwin Mortenson Antilles was actually speechless.

The Senator for Fondor was genuinely attempting to say that the Hutts did not have a Navy.

"You can..." Darwin practically stammered "...you cannot be serious?" shock was apparent on his face "I mean, really?" he labored the last word with painful ease. "Senator, you have actually taken leave of your senses. You are playing with peoples lives, and you do not actually bother to read up or even attempt to understand the scale of the Hutts operations. On one hand you say we cannot police, and that the Hutts can strike anywhere, and then on the other you..." he paused again, as if attempting to wake himself up from some terrible dream "...listen to yourself! You have no idea what you are talking about. Senators, please -" he pointed to Kithar "this is madness!" Darwin shouted, sitting back down, a horrified look at the mans ignorance plastered on his face.