War Council

[Fyremage]

Hanna City, Chandrila
Senate Rotunda, level U-5
0800 Hours
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Deep within the Senate Rotunda, five levels below and buried under nearly thirty meters of duracrete, durasteel, rock and mortar, lay the upper levels of Republic SiC, or Situational Command. Several rooms, both dimly lit and jam packed with holo terminals filled the level, providing live feeds of countless special operations and skirmishes along the border. There was one room in particular that carried more notice than the rest.

The Chancellor stood hunched over the holo terminal dominating the center of the main situation room, eyeballing a fleet engagement occurring along the border between Republic and Sith forces. He had called a meeting for those within the Republic in this very room, or rather, allowed a meeting between himself, members of the GAR command structure, and a senate committee that wouldn't stop pestering him for answers. He gave them an army: a potent army that was showing signs of life. And they wanted to slap on the red tape.

It was enough to get his blood boiling, indicated by his clenched fist upon the terminal. They would be here soon and the meeting would commence. He steeled his resolve. He wouldn't let the Senate ruin the steps he had taken to protect the Republic. His Republic.

@Dmitri @Andrewza @Grim @Krajin @jamessour @Sreeya @Ecclessey

(Posting order will be determined by the first round of posting. Tags are in no particular order.)

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[Dmitri]

Gregory Rhone was a tyrant.

A megalomaniac. And some other choice words that would get censored in any interview on GIZKA News. In a shocking short period of time, Rhone had managed to grab a lot of emergency powers, redecorating the structure of the Republic to his whims, including the military. The Border Alliance had fought the hard fought, stopping the Sith empire years ago. Yet it had been thrown to the wind, discarded as if useless, replaced with an overreaching military dogma called the Grand Army of the Republic, stripping planets of their ability to defend itself in order to be completely at the mercy of the Chancellor. Planets had suffered for it. Terrorism had occurred on several planets. Piracy was on a rise. Cultures were under assault, Mandalore among them.

Sieghart would not tolerate it. She grew up in a Mandalorian society that taught to respect its leaders, but Gregory Rhone was no Mand'alor. He was an aruetii only interested in insuring the continued donation from his Bulwark Street backers. The Republic was a means to protect his interests, not his people. Viesa Kryze, otherwise known as Sieghart, was not that way. She would lead her people to prosperity, whatever it took. And Gregory Rhone was not the way. The Senator of Mandalore would not tolerate the blind leading the blind, and as such, with help from others in her political bloc, pressured for senatorial representation on the War Council. She was most interested in the Supreme Leader that had recently been captured.

 

[Sreeya]

The tock of heavy, heeled boots echoed to herald the arrival of the next attendee of the meeting. The steps were quick, purposeful and grew louder as they drew close. A figure emerged from the doorway, armored in UAI-19 Combat Armor minus any weapons or extra frills. The armor was formatted to fit a tall, slender woman, pinched to specifications of her curves. Both hands reached up to click the helmet, taking it off with a quiet hiss. The removal revealed the face of Talia Al’Saif, a face that was currently being splashed across all forms of media to promote recruitment into the GAR forces.

Before this, the Chancellor had only seen her in elegant dresses and nursing a glass of wine or champagne. Today, she came dressed as she were out on the field, her face bearing no emotion or the flirty glances he sometimes had cast his way. Her blue eyes wore a steely gaze, hovering briefly on the Chancellor before roaming over to the other occupant in the room. A faint grin appeared on her face, her footsteps taking her closer to the woman. Talia placed her helmet on the table, pulling out a seat next to the woman and looking up at the Chancellor. “Chancellor,” She nodded at him, turning then to the woman, “Good to see you again, cousin.” The scent of cigarra still lingered on Talia. Though she wasn't allowed to smoke within the buildings, she always allocated time for a cig here or there in between meetings.

 

[Eccles]

A brand new uniform, its Captain's insignia still stiff out of the packaging and the man inside moved in rigid ceremonial paces. His cybernetic blue eye seemed motionless as the lense captured the presence of Chancellor Rhone, Senator Viszla and the posterwoman of the Grand Army's success against Tygo's former employer.

Captain Hulas was the opposite of Talia Al'Saif. Some would call him a defector, or turncoat, yet he is merely a professional soldier who serves according to his contract and its length. Still, whenever the Sith called an officer to a meeting there was a great amount of fear and a definate chance of bodily harm. It was thus impossible for Tygo to display an equal amount of calm and confidence as the famed Talia displayed in her entrance and interaction with the highest authority in the Republic. Instead his rigid movements had him stand at attention, "Captain Hulas, Chancellor."

One did not salute inside, but once the Chancellor acknowledged him he'd take a seat opposite to his armored counterpart and greet the others present. It had been made clear to him that the senate wanted oversight and the representatives from the armed forces, which due to his knowledge over the enemy Tygo was selected to be, were here to provide answers.

 

[Andrewza]

Hard boots could be heard through the halls as Maximus Belisarius senator and admiral from Eshan made his way inside, his uniform was prim and clean medals for the largee and minor deeds where pinned on and his head gear was held under his arm. He was here for a very different reason than many. He did not want petty politics and personal feelings weaken the republics new war machine. Eshan happily supplied willing solders to fight in it and proof the valour and it was well supported back home. As such she was here to insure that this meeting did not become a witch hunt.

handing his ceremonial but still deadly Echani foil to a guard as he took a seat "Good day laddies, gentleman."

 

[Grim]

Gavin Cain was honestly surprised to be invited to this conference. The man, a recipient of the Senatorial Cross of Valor, was usually trotted out if another senator wanted to make a statement one way or the other. However, he had pushed to be on this committee. Despite his record, he was still a junior Senator but he had to look out for his brothers and sisters in the army. He knew many senators just seen war as a way to get money to those that helped them get to where they were. In all fairness the same could be said of Gavin though he always looked out of the those that serve and had served.

As he entered into the room, wearing a nice casual suit, his medal pinned to his coat. He enters into the room, his body showing his many years in the army standing tall and straight. The only thing that showed otherwise was the occasionally tiny limp caused by his mechanical leg. He scanned the room and nodded to each one of theme in the room, taking notes on them and greeting them. "Greetings gentlebeings." He takes a seat across from the man dressed as some sort of admiral wearing probably many medals not earned in combat only got because he know people. He didn't remark or let it it show on his face as he seated waiting for the briefing to start.

 

[Micah Aldamar]

A cold wind blew through the corridors of the underground complex which was followed by the solid thumping of footsteps belonging to no one but Micah Aldamar. The Militant leader of the Republic's Armed forces, an individual whom had been there from the beginning for the military, from the Border Alliance to the Grand Army. He was in the usual combat armour that had been cleaned up but not to the extremes some officers took it. He liked the worn, used look that came with it. His large sword was neatly strapped across his back in its quick eject scabbard, walking into the meeting room he noted those present. The Mandalorian senator he had a liking for, not because she was female or a Mandalorian but because she was the type who stood up for what she believed in and was to him less corruptible than the other rather irritating politicians that were in the room. He could smell the expensive perfumes and colognes they wore.

Micah had made sure he himself was presentable, combed, groomed and generally nice. Despite the sudden chill that crawled into the room with him. Possibly the air-conditioning was malfunctioning slightly. setting the large weapon against the wall he moved to take a seat, dragging one of the heavy chairs out and setting himself down. He was still well armed, the removal of the blade being more for convenience and comfort more than anything else. "Lets get this show on the road." He comments rather flatly. His fiery eyes watching the various soldiers and politicians.

 

[jamessour]

Generally, Tarnit tried to be early, and he usually succeeded. However, he had arrived back on Chandrilla late the previous evening and had spent all night doing paper work. He was dog-tired. His recent appointment as a General overseeing operatives in High Command had kept him busy. But, the work was fulfilling, and he could use his previous skill set at a Jedi Sentinel in his every day.

He was wearing a leather jacket, with a his clearance badge hanging on the front chest pocket, his slightly long hair was slicked back, and his eyes were tired. On his hip was his saber. Curious about this meeting, but glad it was happening. He had heard the rumors about Rhone, and not just ones of an affair. But of his tyranny. Tarnit hadn't seen it, but that didn't mean much. He would come, with his new authority as a general, and hope to gain strategy and opinion on the war. Tarnit loved the senate and idealized its processes. Sure, it could be frustrating, but it was necessary to abide by order and law.

Walking through the door, Tarnit nodded politely to those in the room, observing all there. Some he knew some he didn't. Even though he had been in the Republic for a while, he still felt like a nobody, which was silly given his new post. Tarnit immediately moved to sit next to Micah, a the person who was supposed to be leading the GAR... and who Tarnit had little respect for. But, through his smile, people would be hard pressed to find that out.

"Sorry for my tardiness." He looked to Gregory to start the meeting.

 

[Fyremage]

It was everything Gregory could do to keep his mind off of recent events as everyone filed into the room. Some paid their respects and offered a simple greeting, whereas others remained silent. To be frank, such niceties were not a priority to the Chancellor at this point in time. In fact, they were probably the last thing on his mind. Ever since CNN washed the media with his alleged scandal with Talia, all of his time was spent at his Wife's side. She knew he didn't do anything reproachful, especially with the testimony of his bodyguard Shalken, but she still felt the emotions that came with even the accusation of someone you love breaking your trust.

That's not to mention the hit to his reputation. It didn't help that many within the Senate viewed him as a tyrant who strong armed his agenda into law. Why not place 'adulterer' on the list as well? He had already taken to liquid comfort last night, and now was not the time to fixate on his troubles. They were here for a specific purpose.

"Thank you all for your punctuality." Gregory said with a well practiced smile as he stood up straight. He scanned the small group that had assembled, locking eyes with Tarnit and giving him a firm nod.

"This meeting has been called for a variety of reasons, centered around the Senate's petition being granted to have a voice in matters involving the war effort. A special committee has been formed, and I'd like to introduce Senator Viesa Kryze, of Mandalore; Senator Maximus Belisarius of Eshan, and Senator Gavin Cain of Raithal."

After pausing for effect, the Chancellor continued: "And representing the GAR and Central Command, we have Supreme Commander Micah Aldemor, Captain Talia Al'Saif, Captain Tygo Hulas, and General Tarnit Taddler"

"You all are likely well aware of the current state of affairs. The Invasion of Serenno, based on early reports, has been a success, and we now have the Supreme Leader in custody as a prisoner of war. I've been assured she is now safely in custody at a secure location, and I feel it prudent that we discuss how we plan to proceed from here, and to also address whatever surface concerns there may be from the Senate Committee."

After his brief introduction, the Chancellor turned to the Senator from Mandalore, nodding slightly. "Senator Kryze, I believe you had some concerns you wished to give voice to?"

@Dmitri

 

[Sreeya]

After the Chancellor spoke, there was a long pause of silence. It was clear there was animosity in the room between some of those present. In light of the scandal advertised on Holonet, she wouldn’t be surprised if some of it was directed her way. Talia had just run out of kriffs to give, rolling her eyes and rising to stand. “Pardon me for interjecting,” She nodded to her cousin before turning to the rest of the group, “I want to make something very clear. We may be gathered here with senators, GAR and others of varying backgrounds. However, we do not have time for any idle chat or discussions right now.”

She eyed each of them in the room, including the Chancellor himself, “The fact that the Supreme Leader has been captured means two things: Either they have already deployed forces to seek her out and have sent strike teams or they have decided to go right to electing a new leader and are in the process of ensuring having Sigrun captured will yield no relevant information. In either case, they will act swiftly, and we can NOT afford to bicker amongst ourselves on what to do with the overall course of the war. With that being said, I think we need to jump right to what we can yield from Sigrun,” Talia’s tone was stern, her days of being in the Mandalorian militia sneaking in, “We need to open up dialogue with the Sith and demand that they relinquish vital territories in return for their leader alive and well. If they do not, we execute her.”

She drummed her fingers along the table, “We are dealing with an enemy that will never stop, that will never back down, that will never relent. We need to be firm with them and follow up on our promises. Though we have their leader, I do not believe they yet fear us.” She paused for a moment, “Furthermore, each of you will need to be careful. It is very likely that the Sith will be out to capture our best to use as a bartering chip.”

 

[Eccles]

"Then ready your scaffold, Captain Al'Saif" Tygo spoke with a careless tone of voice. He knew the enemy better than anyone else present and had experienced similar situations before from the other side. The High Priestess Nisara had been replaced within the week after her disappearance and since there had been too many temporary figureheads. Arkon Rall, Vereshin, Venator, Ti'm, Zanhra, Ryeesh and more had been replaced as quick as they had risen in the ranks. "The Brotherhood will never exchange territory for someone who allowed herself to be captured." he paused as he noticed that the way in which he had said it showed dedication or even loyalty to an organization he had pledged himself to fight against. "Sentence her on a live HoloNet feed. Condemn her, as Supreme Leader of the Sith Brotherhood, for the crimes committed on Saleucami, Zeltros and Onderon. Imprison her to death or execute her, but do not let this opportunity to bolster hope and confidence in the Republic, in the Chancellor's rule, pass you by."

Captain Hulas' cybernetic was looking at Captain Al'Saif in front of him, but his real eye gazed from the High Commander to the Chancellor, "It might be your only shot to show the Galaxy that as opposed to the Sith, the Republic does know a Rule of Law" the emphasis on the latter, or rather the hope that the latter existed in the Republic was the reason why his conscious had allowed him to join the Republic Fleet. His personal experiences with the Grand Army of the Republic had them ignore rules of engagement, but somehow he hoped that at the top these guidelines and laws were respected and abided. A soldier can get overwhelmed by adrenaline and stress, but an officer and policy maker cannot choose to ignore the rules that form the foundation of a civilised society. No, Tygo was convinced that the only viable option had the Supreme Leader Sigrun be put to trial.

 

[Dmitri]

"A pleasure to see you as well, cousin," Sieghart responded. Well, that was out there. The Senator of Mandalore had wanted to keep it on the down-low that she was related to Talia. Nothing against Talia, but rather Gregory. Her bloc was against the Chancellor, and knew that if word got out that his scandal was related to Sieghart, her rivals in the bloc would use that to oust her from the helm. Still, maybe it was better this way. She was no coward. She wouldn't hide. She'd face her opponents head on. She wasn't here to politick, she was here to get things done.

That didn't mean she'd start playing nice with Rhone. The adulterer deserved to be struck in his very punchable face for dragging her cousin into his scandal. He was a politician, through and through. His public address to allow Sieghart to talk first was an obvious attempt to win points with her. But Sieghart was not easily swayed. His charms meant nothing to her, just like Cauldron's charms struck empty.

A slight grin crept on Sieghart's lips, gone as quick as it came. Whether intentional or not, Talia had managed to thwart Rhone's attempt at flattery by bringing up the main issues. Sigrun's capture was an important triumph during the Battle of Serenno. Serenno was heart of the Brotherhood's territory and was at risk of being retaken but the harvest reaped was worth the effort. To a point. Sigrun was a useful negotiating tool, even if the other side choose to ignore her. Possibly the Mandalorian cousins had different ideas behind wanting to open dialogue with the Brotherhood. Talia seemed to seek return of territory. If that could be accomplished, that would be great, but pessimistically Sieghart doubted they would trade for her. Some within the Brotherhood would want their Supreme Leader back, but other would see it as an opportunity to make power plays. By publicly opening dialogue, it would force the ambitious to accelerate plans. Backstabbing and betrayals would occur, weakening the Brotherhood's leadership with in-fighting. Even if Darth Sigrun's release was negotiated, if it took long enough some seeds of betrayal could bear fruit in time. And that would make the harvest all the more bountiful.

Captain Hulas apparently was of the same idiotic ilk as Rhone, caring only about the apparent short-term benefits. "You lack the vision for better things, Captain. The purpose of publicly opening dialogue is meant to weaken the Brotherhood as much as it is to seek territory. The Brotherhood's leaders are always vying for supremacy. While Sigrun's gone and being renegotiated for, others will backstab each other in order to seek power themselves. That in-fighting will thus weaken their military command. I agree with Talia Al'Saif that we must use her as a tool to negotiate territory claimed by these warmongers." A trained politician's eye might notice the Mandalorian's glance at Rhone when she said the last word. "If that doesn't work, then we can try your methods, Captain Hulas. Killing is easy. Making it impactful is an art." Addressing the body as a whole, she continued, "Furthermore, the longer Darth Sigrun is out of commission, the longer any intelligence she may hold gets cold. Her armor and personal effects will be at Bandomeer soon, but we must interrogate the Supreme Leader as soon as possible." Making a glance towards Micah and the other Senators, she added, "Just as we much publicly declare intent to hold dialogue with the Brotherhood. As Captain Al'Saif already said, time is of the essence. If they declare a new Supreme Leader before we can start, then any leverage we have is gone. Argue all you want, but I will see the Supreme Leader juiced for every datum that can be extracted."

 

[jamessour]

A grimace quickly found its way on to Tarnit's face as Captain Hulas began. Tarnit was worried about such attitude - not that he was happy with Talia's either. As always, he was wrestling with lawfulness and darkness. It seemed that they were intersecting more and more those days and Tarnit was concerned.

He turned to listen to the senator of Mandalore, giving her his full attention. That was why he was present after all - to serve the senate and therefor all of the people of the Republic. Oh, how he wished it were that simple. As she finished, Tarnit quickly spoke up:

"If I could interject. I want to warn this council against such ideas of torture and 'just killing her' that has already seemingly been mentioned. Not that execution is out of the question, but if we start flippantly making such dark, and dare-I-say immoral, decisions, the Sith will have already won. This isn't just a war of armies, but a war of ideology. Again, I warn this council to think carefully before it fights fire with fire." Oh how Jedi-like I must sound.

"That being said, I also agree that time is of the essence when it comes to the imprisoned Supreme Leader. We need information, and if she can be traded for billions of lives in systems, it needs to happen. We are a Republic of the people, after all."

 

[Andrewza]

The thought of releasing the terrorist disgusted him but action had to be taken. "I will not support the release of a terrorist even if they promise to stop there attacks. They terrorists and we should not seek some compromising deal with them. Put the so called supreme leader on trial for terrorism and if need be execute or if you wish I can go and cut the supreme leaders head of right now. But what ever we do we must do it fast but I think a good plan in the mean time is to public declare the supreme leader dead to try and prevent a sith rescue or assisnastion attempt."

 

[Micah Aldamar]

He could smell the tension on the air, not only that it radiated from everyone in some nasty melting pot of toxicity that permeated the air of the room. He listened as each brought points forward, some were negative. Others were positive. It was fascinating as the weight of silence was lifted by Talia Al'saif a Captain in the army he was aware of. The biggest negative stigma was a scandal over her and Gregory, rumours of the two existing about some form of secret adulterous relationship based off of an image of them having been seen together once or twice. He found this whole thing rather droll, people up in arms over the chancellor charging up someone elses loading ramp aside from his wife. An insignificant piece of tabloids and sensationalism that really had no value or place outside of the hyper elite and their gossip mongering. Not that he hadn't been the target of such a thing or his folk back on the homeworld. She made some interesting points regarding their need for action over pointless bickering and strutting as so many loved to do. He could agree, this wasn't the senatorial tower where they could watch Twi'lek dancers on their personal holoscreens and debate aimlessly.

Then came the words of the oddly quickly promoted Captain Tygo Hulas, a man who he knew was a former member of the brotherhood and someone who Micah had zero trust in. Why he was here was beyond the Farghul's mind and he suspected the man to be an outright spy. There was no other recourse for him to have advanced so quick or joined sides. Pointing out the crimes committed by the Sith as a whole on the attacks on various republic worlds, Micah couldn't help but note the Irony, considering he participated in the assault on Onderon as far as the reports went. He rolled his shoulders slightly as he listened to the man, speak of the rule of law. Hah. Now there was something that he didn't hear much. His expression never wavered from that wonderful neutral expression he had. It made for interesting games of poker, as few could ever read his social cues or tells.

He leaned back in his chair, finger and thumb rubbing his feline chin lightly as an ear twitched to listen to the Mandalorian woman speak up, Seighart. Someone he'd normally consider a potential partner to persue but.. his life was now one with a sole purpose to it. Her words carried purpose, knowledge and honestly he could respect this woman as someone he could potentially trust. If such a thing were possible for him concerning politicians. Not that he ever made it apparent. As far as he could tell she shared a similar mind to Talia, yet there seemed to be more to it outside of territories being negotiated for. To him you rarely made such negotiations unless you had them actively by the power couplings with the threat of polarizing them. Laymens terms, take a planet or three of significant importance such as Ziost or Korriban/Moriband and you could squeeze out allot more from them than just with a single person. She was right about the intelligence going cold, though he had plans for that.

Then came Tarnit, the former Jedi Sentinel whom he had nudged into the rank of Captain for a few various reasons that some didn't like and others found rather good. IN this world you cannot please everyone no matter what you did. He appreciated the individual's thoughts a little more than most, though just by a hairs breadth. Everyone got the same consideration one way or another. The speach was fairly normal and predictable, a very.. light approach to the situation in dealing with the woman that Micah found somewhat.. questionable. Normally Jedi he'd seen, his brother aside had been vicious bent on waging a holy war. Having the Supreme Sith Lord fall into their lap must of firmed up the hydraulics. It was however somewhat nice to see that there was a little.. level-headedness being applied.

Then came the last one, the Echani Admiral who sat on the Senate. A military man gone in reverse. Micah found that to be an.. interesting to say the least way of going about a promotion. His words carried something far harsher and far less honourable than what he expected of an Echani. Honourable combat over a bloodthirsty, angry execution like that. He decided to speak up in a calm, collected manner that most might consider terrifying, or just against the passionate Farghul. "Well, lets not jump to the executioners block that some have developed a taste for. Many of you may want your pound of flesh but you're going to have to get in line." He starts. That lovely accent rolling off his tongue gently, his voice wasn't harsh to the ears at all. "Lets start from the top. After this meeting has been concluded I and whomever you choose to accompany, provided they are of strong mind and will. We will be heading to Black Site Theta to interrogate the Captive. There will be no, absolutely no talk of execution or murder until we are done pumping her for whatever information she has and whatever trial you wish to shove her through after we're done. After all, such things are decided by the courts are they not? Or are we turning into the Militant Empire of which we are fighting against?" His tone spoke of a finality you would not want to try and challenge, though there would be many here who may just because they felt they had the stones for it. The last words conveyed a challenge, a question to those present just to see who would settle and who wouldn't, as well as see what glances flicked to Greg or himself, perhaps others as well. Anyone with a shred of common sense would know the majority of the trial would be nothing more than a farce, her guilt judged and fate decided. None of it was by the Farghuls hand which in this case was wonderful. One less thing the media can throw a tantrum about.

"As for making this public to put the ball in their court, the Sith are most likely within a 98% chance of probability; are already out there hunting for her. Paper trails have been erased, her location is only known by myself and a few select others within this room and that is where it stays. Get them into diplomatic talks, make it public. See what they are willing to hand over or trade in exchange. One leader can be worth many hundreds or thousands of well trained soldiers or PoWs. Pick a neutral world somewhere that is not settled, that way if in the likely chance it gets violent due to the ministrations of one side or the others back stabbing within their own ranks civillians won't get caught in the massacre that would take place." He finally adds before leaning back and watching the responses. Reading each of the individuals intently for their emotions, their.. views veiled underneath the pockets of lies and half truths that might get spoken. Still, the Farghul kept that calm, cool demeanour about him.

 

[Grim]

Gavin listened as the politics started, not even minutes into the meeting and already they were squabbling over this and that. First came some captain he didn't know personally but had seen the holovids of and he felt a bit annoyed with himself that he hadn't realized the fact before hand. She was the supposed mistress of the man leading this meeting. He always found it sad how ravenous the media could be when it came to infidelity. While he was personally felt the chancellor should hold himself to the highest standard as possible. He also knew they were all mortals and prone to failure. The sad state of affairs in the senate was that many of his colleagues not only had a mistress but many of them had multiple if not multiple of both sexes and many species. Thankfully he wasn't one of that particular club his work too often made it nigh impossible to hold down any sort of relationship.

The next to chime in was a one Captain Hulas, Gavin had never met nor heard of him until know. As far as first impressions go, he left a bit of a poor on to Gavin. While the man did speak sense, the captive was indeed worthless as a chip to be traded as far as he was concerned, he buried it under anger and his own petty grudges. That would make any fine points he had to say most likely lost in his rather blood thirsty tirade. Gavin made sure to make a mental note as he leaned back into the chair letting it recline back as he continued to watch the show unfold before him.

Next in line was Senator Viesa Kryze. A very outspoken and rather famous senator if there ever was one. She was true to her heritage stubborn as they came when it came to her convictions, a good thing in all honesty. However, in a system that depends on compromise to grease its wheels it made for undue trouble at times. He made sure to add a mental note to attach that Captain Al'Saif was related to the files he had on the senator. Her stance though surprised him some, it was thought out though she still assumed that the prisoner was of worth. Chances were if Sigrund had any followers left most of them had gone to ground or hid their involvement. The Sith never looked kindly upon failure especially from their leadership. In his mind there would be no real witch hunts even if they returned her to people. Most likely they would just kill her on the spot and not honor the deal to begin with.

Senator Kryze was followed by who he had to assume was General Taddler. The man preached like a jedi, not that Cain had any real issues with the order, and he agreed that needless killing of the prisoner would at best be used as ammunition to stir up the masses of the Sith and at worst would start a dangerous journey down a dark path. Gavin was a firm believer in an old Raithal saying, 'The road to ruin is built with good intentions.' His second remark was not so enlightened, she would have intel that would help them, but the Sith wouldn't trade for her or give them anything in return.

Next came the Echani Senator dressed as a pretend Admiral. The wasn't just a fraud in Gavin's eyes, he was a moron and a madman. Neither trait good, both even worse when combined into one person. The man had only two things to say and both of them pointless in Gavin's eyes: Put her on trial and or kill her now. Fool was the man who so heartlessly sought out an eye for an eye.

Lastly came Supreme Commander Aldamar, a Farghul who at least had been paying attention to what had been said. A well placed sentence was all it took the man to call out the Echani. And he at the very least understood that they had to debrief the asset while they had the chance. If they waited it would be as worthless as her potential as a bargaining chip. The mans second thought was accurate he had to admit, the Sith probably were looking for her though to kill her more so than to rescue her. Though the man seemed to still hold that she was worth trading for a bit sad but the man was allowed to think what he would. At the very least the Farghul was well spoken and surprisingly sharp witted for a general.

Keeping him self reclined and relaxed Gavin started to speak, "I hope not to sound like a calling bird repeating what has already been said but I think I should point out that the Sith don't take kindly to failure. Even less so when it comes to their supreme leaders. So her value as a bargaining chip is next to none. Like Supreme Commander Aldamar stated they are probably already looking for her. Though I feel it is more that likely to kill her than to rescue her." He takes a sip of water from one of the provided glasses before continuing, "Most likely her supporters have either hidden in the shadows or have found a new master to serve to protect their own lives. Though it is possible they do want her back and it will go down as Senator Kryze supposes. However, I think it would be pointless, the Sith would most likely not trade for and if they did they would most certainly not hold up on their end of the bargain. Now if this were some mid-rim Aristocratic Monarchy then maybe they would be of value to us as a bargining chip, as it stands she is worthless when it comes to a trade. Even worse it could ruin the moral of the troops seeing their hard work tossed away like an old pair of boots. As such it is my humble opinion that it is best if we debrief her for any intel before putting her up for trial and letting the people and the courts decide her fate. At the least we would get some intel that could save the lives of our fighting men and women as well as show the people of the republic that we will no loose our guiding morals in the midst of fear and danger."

 

[Fyremage]

The Chancellor remained silent as he listened at the suggestions posed. He heard all manner of suggestions, from 'Trials and Executions' to 'Trade her off.' At the notion of trading the Supreme Leader for territory, Gregory spoke up after taking in a deep breath. "We do not negotiate with terrorists. While I can understand the notion of using her as a bargaining tool, if we merely hand her back to the Sith, she will either return to her work with a renewed vigor, or simply be killed for being weak based on what I know and what some of you have expressed."

His gaze met Seighart, a woman he knew was no fan of his. Not that he particularly cared. In politics, you had those who had the political clout to get things done and essentially become the 'lions' of the Rotunda,

and then you had those who roared like a lion but in all practicality were inconsequential. Gregory had the support of the majority of the Senate, and well placed allies. He didn't need her support or friendship. But he could not deny her pragmatism and general ability to outline the most direct course of action. And for once, he tended to agree with her. The priority was to dissect as much information from Sigrun as possible, then consider what to do with her. It was at this point he felt the need to continue voicing his thoughts: "We are also not going to wantonly execute her once we get what we can out of her. She is conscious, sentient being, and has certain basic rights even though she has never afforded them to anyone else. She should be put on trial, with her crimes laid bare for all to see. But our first priority is making use of as much information as we can."

At Micah's mention of having someone accompany him on the interrogation, it helped bring Gregory back to the topic at hand. "I believe the Senate committee has requested a representative for the interrogation. Is there a consensus in who will be joining Commander Aldemor?"

 

[Eccles]

"Darth Sigrún will tell you nothing." Tygo's words cut through the momentary silence after the Chancellor had adressed the senators present. His words were spoken harshly, yet he seemed unburdened by frustration over his words falling on deaf ears. "As you know I was until recently your enemy," he paused, shooting a slight smirk towards the High Commander. The council had completely misunderstood the importance of a HoloNet trial to fuel the righteousness of their war, a war in which they had broken many rules of engagement themselves and caused many a needless civilian death. Instead they were giving the Brotherhood valuable time to get their affairs in order, making any intel from Sigrún less valuable by the second. The War Machine of the Sith Brotherhood had not stopped, and most likely was already starting their next invasion. This council, therefore, wasn't about Darth Sigrún anymore, as for all intents and purposes she no longer commanded the Brotherhood. "Thus I can tell you with an absolute certainty that the Sacred Band will always fight oppression by the Sith Lords and that it is happening right now. Like Darth Venator, Sigrún understands the necessity of covert internal policing to keep both the Sith Lords and the Sacred Band at bay. Without her, however," Tygo gave himself a drumline on the table, "Revolution. Since Nisara," he said her name with vile, "the Band have been puppets of the Sith. The War Council of the Sacred Band-" he gestured to all present to show it was a similar setting, "-grew into a Council of Moffs. More power was given to those not of the Force and more still they will claim now that they control the industry and food production." Despite the gestures Tygo's expression was serious throughout. Not emotional or reckless, but that of someone who knew the inner workings of a faction he had spend more than a decade serving as an elite among the Band.

Not quite trusting the assertiveness of the High Commander, Tygo turned towards Rhone and adressed the Chancellor directly; "Darth Sigrún is no longer important. Do with her what you will. What is important is to curb the rising power of the Moff."

 

[Fyremage]

[end thread]