Open Naboo The Senate Convenes

[Caliban Drast]

Caliban had been following the proceedings in silence, observing and taking note. That was till the Vendaxan Governor's outburst. Like everyone else his attention was drawn to the man, and his aide leaned in as the man sat down with a genuinely bemused look on her face. "Is he drunk?" Caliban pulled his gaze from the Governor's box, and pulled up the feed on his datapad to get a better look at the man. "Is he getting drunk while the Senate is in session?"

Caliban had hoped that with one session out of the way the Senate would be able to operate in a more smooth manner, but looks like some things never changed. So with a resigned sigh he got to his feet as he requested the floor after Senator Starros.

"Might I begin with a reminder to our colleague from Vendaxa that what we do here is important, and drunken outbursts reflect badly on him, the Free Worlds, and everyone present here. Maybe he would better serve us all by stepping out and sobering up." The blunt statement resulted in hushed conversation, but frankly speaking Caliban just didn't give a damn anymore. He had played their games, and politeness had got him nowhere. Now he only cared about getting the job done. "Senator Starros," he continued without much of a pause, his attention on the matter at hand, "while I understand your concerns, I must bring up my own. What are the Free Worlds willing to do about the Sith presence on Denon if the Republic fleet is withdrawn? Whether or not the Chancellor's actions were legal is something we can discuss at length at a later time, but the fate of the citizens of Denon is a more pressing matter." He was speaking from the heart, and the simple matter was that the safety of the citizens of Denon was a matter that now needed to be discussed as part of any resolution for this issue. "It was inaction on the part of the Free Worlds that forced the Chancellor's hand, and regardless of my views on the way he handled the matter my concern right now is the protection of the citizens of Denon. The Sith are not known for their kindness, some would even call them vindictive, so what happens to Denon if the Republic withdraws? Diplomacy might have been the answer at another time, but our hand has been forced. Right now the Republic presence around Denon might be the only thing standing between them and Sith retribution. So maybe our immediate concern should be handling the Sith presence on the planet and delay resolving the legality of this so called invasion till after the Sith are pushed out of Denon?" He paused for a moment, letting his words sink in, before firing one last question for his colleague from the Free Worlds. "So I ask you Senator Starros, what actions is the Free Worlds prepared to take to handle the Sith in case of a Republic withdrawal?"

@Nor'baal

 

[Korre Belasi]

This was all a lot to take in.

Obviously, Korre was on the side of the Free Worlds. That was a given, and it was expected. There were a lot of points being thrown around though, so she found herself in thought as the New Republic senators and Free Worlds representatives went back and forth. She ignored Flauki's outburst though. Was he drinking?

Denon was a Free Worlds planet and was being illegally occupied by the Sith. That was a fact, and yet, it was being debated. Emil himself had stated that it "...was not before the New Republic Navy arrived to punish its Sith occupants, and it won't be even if the Seventh Fleet retreats." These words were incredibly disturbing to here, especially coming from someone who had called her to find compromise not months before now. 'What does he mean by that?' Korre's eyes narrowed as she listened to the New Republic Chancellor speak, and soon after he began, her fingers began to type away on her datapad in a flurry of motion. Every few moments her blue eyes would flick up to the man, then back down again, her face set with furrowed brows and tense lips. "The simple fact of the matter is this. Denon sits on the edge of Republic space and is a key entry point to our worlds." These words too caused Korre to pause. 'Is he admitting that this is essentially a conquest? No... surely not.' Perhaps he intended it as a measure of safety for the New Republic? Regardless, it didn't sit right with Korre. It left a sinking feeling in her chest; the kind you feel when you suspect you're being misled.

It seemed she could no longer hold the man in good regard after this.

Others continued to speak after him, including Eumi, Flauki (though she would admit that after noticing the orange mimosas being quietly brought to him, she couldn't pay him much attention), Emyrc, and others as well. They all said various things. Eumi criticized her leader and promised he would face consequences for his actions, but Korre could not find herself satisfied with that. Emil had bombed a Free Worlds planet, and though their target had been the Sith, citizens of the Free Worlds were harmed or killed in the attacks, and that was unacceptable. Under nearly any under circumstances, this would be an act of war. Even now, after hearing Emil's reasoning behind it, Korre could not shake the feeling that they cared more to annex Denon than they cared to remove the Sith. 'Why would the New Republic care for the citizens of another government if they did not stand to gain something from their interference?' Korre would be the first to admit she wasn't the best judge of character, not the most experienced politician by any means, but even she knew this was wrong. Did no one else see it?

Cal spoke again. He addressed some of Korre's concerns, though his way of speaking was debatably appreciated. Caliban then countered with questions of his own, and this was when Korre decided to speak up.

"Senators, Governors, and Representatives of the Senate:-" The Belascan woman rose and activated her mic, addressing the greater Senate with a steady voice. Her gaze shifted to Emil specifically before she continued, then returned to the chamber as a whole. "Chancellor Ro ordered an assault against military complexes located on Denon, which resulted in countless civilian deaths, and this was not in any way communicated with members of the Free Worlds.

"In response to Senator Starros he has claimed that a planet which is a member of the Free Worlds Alliance is no longer so, as if a planet occupied by invaders is no longer a land belonging to its people, but a land now belonging to its invaders.

"In any way in which we may look at this situation, there is none in which this is acceptable. Senator Redish-" Korre looked at the pink-haired Senator from Kuat. "-it is reassuring to hear that us in the Free Worlds are not alone in our anger, but your Chancellor has not simply miss-stepped. His actions are the direct cause of hundreds of dead Free Worlds citizens, from unauthorized military actions against a Free Worlds planet. Might you see why some of us may be hesitant to simply allow the people of his government to decide his fate?"

Her gaze turned to Caliban.

"And Senator Drast, you may claim that, but this could have happened with approval from the Free Worlds. Communication could have happened. The Chancellor's hand was not forced. Instead, the New Republic has created an entirely new problem for the people of Denon. Because of your leader's actions, they are now in more danger.

"His actions will not be excused by the Free Worlds, nor myself."

For a moment, Korre's eyes would attempt to meet Emil's. Though her expression was guarded, she felt some sense of disappointment. This was the man who had seemed so willing to communicate--to compromise--just a month ago. What had changed?

'So this is a politician's world?

They sing flowery words with blood on their hands, claiming nothing but innocence!

But that is human-nature, no?

How does he justify this in his mind?

Why does he consider the death of innocents nothing but a side effect of what he claims is necessary?'

tags: @LouJoVi @Feng Mian @Mockingjay @Sreeya @Scoobert @Nefieslab @Altaris @Eccles @Nor'baal @Wit

 

[Carrick]

A call for the Galactic Senate to vote on holding the Chancellor of the New Republic in contempt? Well, he wouldn't have voted for the man personally when he was a member of the New Republic but he wasn't about to hold him in contempt. Especially since the Galactic Senate actually had no right to discipline the Chancellor - it was not some authority higher than the governments that made it so much as it was a way to create a dialogue between all of those governments.

Any kind of discipline had to be handled between the New Republic and the FWA themselves as two separate governments having diplomatic issues with each other. Carrick himself was a politician who, through training and now position, had to see things from a military perspective. Did he understand why the Chancellor had ordered the attack without confirming with the FWA? Absolutely. The FWA was a much looser arrangement of planets where the New Republic was not - warning the FWA would have been an exercise in alerting several dozen different people and having the information cascade out. Information security for such a release of information would have been a nightmare and the Sith would have been alerted.

But that was a discussion and a diplomatic argument that the two governments needed to have, not something to complain to the Galactic Senate about. To his mind they were either three sovereign governments and so would need to seek a diplomatic solution between themselves or they weren't and were merely all serving at the mercy of the Galactic Senate.

Carrick stood from his seat, having set his datapad down for the meantime.

"Senators, holding a discussion about the approval, or lack thereof, for the Chancellor's military actions is not something that should be done during a meeting of the full Galactic Senate." he argued bluntly, "The Galactic Senate is not some higher form of government to be used as a tool to punish governments for making decisions you disagree with; it is meant to facilitate agreements and dialogue between sovereign governments. Not rule over them or pass sentence on them."

He gestured to Senator Starros and Chancellor Ro.

"This is a diplomatic incident between the New Republic and Free Worlds Alliance; it must be dealt with by those two parties alone. Or are we all of us here, and those watching it at home, to take this as evidence that the FWA believes it prudent to skip diplomacy and instead push for the Galactic Senate to hand out punishment like some kind of dictatorship? Has an attempt at diplomacy actually been attempted or is this the first response to this whole debacle?" he shook his head, "The only thing this discussion showcases is the lack of trust the FWA holds for the New Republic. Why else would diplomacy need to be abandoned, unless there is no belief that it could be conducted in good faith?"

Carrick looked to the Speaker for the Galactic Senate.

"I would like to motion for this discussion to be thrown out as nothing presented to the Galactic Senate it has any right, or power, to vote on and I cannot stand by and have this give the Senate the right to do so in the future based on this as precedence."

@Mockingjay @Nor'baal @lizziie

 

[Flauki Ubbeson]

Flauki was not okay with what had just been said to him. Of course he would care about his world but that was not the current situation. Let it be known that Flauki is in fact sober and has only enjoyed one mimosa. The mimosas are also small and weak, mostly for flavor. Caliban Drast is a fool with an ego and can go suck a Chavin's toe. Do all politicians try to play the "be empathetic for me because things aren't going my way and I am an entitled jack wagon that needs to be reassured that I am doing my job right." kinda games? Cause if so then it's time for Flauki to tell this man to shut his trap.

"Drast, I would appreciate it if you keep your mind on the matters of discussion, and Senator Starros.. to answer your question, Yes. I would be upset that my planet was invaded and that it wasn't myself liberating it. Though I do hope you know you are playing a 'what if' game that quite simply just doesn't matter cause the facts as of now are that you have failed to save your planet before the New Republic's Chancellor felt the need to step in. I've made my peace with that situation so I will not speak further on it. The matter doesn't involve ISC representation in any way, shape, or form. If the ISC representatives are forced to sit through more of this atrocity of a topic then I must take my leave and go. As far the status of the situation I second the motion to move the agenda to next on the list. This has been a rather long and unnecessary waste of time thank you."

Flauki took a sip of his mimosa before turning and whispering to his assistant to go fetch another one for 'just in case purposes' and those purposes only.. maybe. Flauki would look around the room as he sat in the back and would smile his signature smile he carried with him at all times. It was what the press loved to see so he would give it to them. Nothing a good stage persona am I right?

It was preferred that the rest of the room agreed and decided to move to the next item on the agenda list, because my word it was a dreadful experience to listen to the amateur remarks over 'boohoo this and boohoo that' all day. Definitely sounded like a one on one conversation between FWA and New Republic leaders to discuss. He could be watching PAR right now. Professional Acklay Riding. A very famous event on Vendaxa. There was only one showing a week and he loved it when it came on for the holo.

 

[The Storyteller]

"Well, it seems there is nothing to vote on," began the Speaker after three solid taps of her staff.

"Next item: the FWA moves to install sanctions on the Sith Empire."

 

[Cal Starros]

Cal could not help but roll his eyes as the Senate moved the debate on to the next item, once again proving the historians correct regarding the long perceived toothlessness of their function. Not one to allow such things to get him down however, the Senator for Lothal stood when invited by the Speaker, and introduced the next item.

"Speaker."

"There can be no escaping the fact that this Galaxy is now one wherein there exists a state of war between Governments. The Sith 'Empire' and their agents have engaged in frequent, unrelenting and dangerous assaults on the Free Worlds, on the New Republic and others, striking at us all when they saw an opportunity."

"Whilst we saw a disaster, and a time to unite in the face of the AMS virus, the Empire saw little more than a chance, an opportunity to expand their territory, to bring in more and more resources and people into their war engines."

"History has shown time and time again that the Sith and their agents bring only death and destruction in their wake. They rescind the freedoms of the people, they raise and elevate their cruel practices, and they strike down those who oppose their beliefs with force and brutality."

"Simply put, they are a threat to everything the Free World's Alliance, the Independent Systems Consortium and the New Republic stand for."

"They are a threat to freedom, to life, and to the long term recovery of the people of this galaxy in the wake of the AMS virus."

"That is why today I am pleased to put to the Senate a resolution which would make it unlawful to sell war material to the Sith Empire, their agents or agencies, or other bodies known or suspected to supply them."

"Honourable Members of the Senate."

"The engine of war is roaring, and where we can we must starve the enemy of fuel."

"Halting the sale and transportation of war materials, limiting the recourse to funds, and other such measures as laid out in this bill, is not just the pragmatic thing to do in the face of war, but it is the right thing to do.

"Ever blaster sold."

"Every ship deal brokered."

"Every credit spent on conflict."

"All mean another citizen dead. Another member of the free galaxy struck down in the face of this enemy."

"I ask you all to come together, explore this bill in full as a chamber, and then, with the power trusted to you by the people of this galaxy, vote to protect them, and vote this resolution through."

 

[Jana Kang]

As a member of the New Republic delegation, Jana had decided not to add another voice and more chaos to the previous topic. Whatever her feelings were on the action the chancellor was being condemned there was a time and place and this sesson on Naboo was neither. This was different for the topic brought forth by the senator of Lothal now and thus she pressed the button that showed she desired to speak and was promptly given the opportunity to do so.

"My dear speaker, the senator of Lothal speaks only the truth. It is a well-known fact that the armies of the Sith were first formed with the help of Blackwell battle droids-" who could deny the resemblance between that line of droids and the makeup of the Sith armies when they first conquered worlds in the Outer Rim. While it would be impossible to trace back to the actual deal that must've been made.. it wasn't so difficult to recognize a specific line of exclusive droid designs when it makes up a great portion of an army. "-a megacorporation whose board members are senators and presidents in our own assembly." She was ofcourse referring to the president of the Intergalactic Systems Consortium.

The tricky part for Jana was the fact that before Blackwell's impressive rise, Byblos' own BlasTech Industries was one of the traditional top three weapon manufacturers. Her own government wouldn't be happy to see the weapons industry further decline due to excessive regulations and third party checks to ensure that whoever they were selling to wasn't in any shape or form affilited with the Sith Empire or the worlds they occupied. Would curbing a rival -a bigstack bully- be worth it?

What was most important was preventing another invasion attempt on Byblos. "Byblos faced a Sith invasion and only barely managed to repel it due to outside aid. Afterwards the Sith still managed to get on the planet and massacre the rangers that were guarding prisoners of war. We were powerless against the might of the Sith and the impressive droids under its command."

"I watched the coverage of the devastating attack on Coruscant and the many acts that followed. Orbital bombardments of worlds, invasions and utter utter cruelty. They said-" she appeared to be checking her notes on her datapad, ""Stand down and join us, or Stand against us, and so pay the price." she quoted it directly from a Sith broadcast. "We allowed Blackwell and other corporations to sell weapons of war to the Sith and now they are used to either threaten us into submission, or annihilate us."

All of this was public record, yet for some reason no one had bothered to report on the connection. What were they afraid of? "During the previous Sith Empire my planet saw most of its population enslaved. If voting in favor of this resolution by the senator of Lothal will prevent this from happening again, then as the representative of the government and the people of Byblos, I will do so."

The next part wouldn't make her own government happy, but she figured she needed it to give her words the strength they needed to convince the other senators. "To put strength to words, Byblos will henceforth strictly audit its own BlasTech Industries to ensure that no deals to the Sith have been made in the past, nor will happen in the future. I highly encourage those representatives that have similar sway on the weapon manufacturers-" another reference to the president of the Intergalactic Systems Consortium, without actually saying his name, "-to follow on my footsteps."

 

[Raycom Hedarial]

Senator Hedarial listened to the lamentation of the free world with genuine disinterest and a smile plastered on his face to keep him from yawning. The mere attempt of the Free World Alliance to set a motion against the chancellor of his Republic in the Galactic Senate was probably just an attempt to show their discontent, but there was little chance that they would manage to unseat the man in the Republic Senate at this time.

Not that Raycom believed Ro would be able to hold on to his seat forever, with challenging times ahead, his whoring and other past times would certainly catch up with the Chancellor in some time, and one of these scandals would force him to step down, but there was no benefit to be had from standing against the chancellor, just like there was as little benefit from defending him here and now. He would have to face the chancellor when the internal debate in the Republic Senate occurred, not in front of the galaxy.

Yet, now as the agenda shifted towards less menial points, Hedrial knew it was his moment to speak up too. based on his juniority in the senate, it would do him no good to jump to the microphone, and so he listened to one of his peers spreading out her opinion. Satisfied, that Senator Kang had laid him excellent groundwork, he rose from his seat with a determined expression. Motioning for the microphone, his eyes ran over the assembled senators, and he once more noted how much networking he would have to do in the next months to further solidify his stance in the chamber. Before he could begin with that though, there was a need to appease his voters and make them feel they had the right man in office.

Rising for the podium of the viewing platform, he cleared his throat and activated his microphone. With a thoughtful appearance, he now addressed the room.

"Madam Speaker, fellow delegates of the Republic, Free Worlds and Independent Systems. Before I commence with my formal remarks, I would like to exert a moment to reprobate the violence and hatred that cost too many lives in the conflict with the Sith already. Their sacrifice that we dare not overlook, and the first sign of urgency in this question. The Sith have proven as vicious and serious as our fellow representatives of the Jedi order have been warning us since their newfound ascension"

He took a moment to let his gaze wander over the other senators, giving his statement more emphasis. He let his view rest on the delegation of the Jedi on the very left for a moment before he broke the tension with his following argument.

"This unspeakable savagery ministered largely upon the constituents of the Free Worlds causes us all to recommit ourselves to the values and ideals that bind us together in this Galactic union of systems. The ideal where through a galaxy of cooperation and integration, no citizen must fear the wrath of war, and trade and economy can flow mostly unhindered to benefit all."

"Yet it is crucial, that we do not treat these offenders to our way of life as possible partakers in this vision! We can not view them as just another state, that can be coerced into cooperation through economic reprisals! They have made abundantly clear in the past, that conquest is at the very core of their deepest beliefs. We can not stand by and watch as they enslave and plunder their planets, much less can we wait for them to do the same to our own."

He shook his head as he paused once more. Gripping the edge of the podium with his right hand, he then continued, leading into his final points.

"My fellow delegates, slight Sanctions will not end the wrath of the Sith, we can not compel them into sense with a small slap on the wrist. If we are to try and stop this spark from turning into an all-out, galactic spanning war, then we need to make an embargo so devastating and comprehensive that it distinguishes the fire of the Sith Orders war industry. I propose an end to all trade with the Sith as an entity, their organisations and institutions, and finally with any Sith friendly entities within the Galactic community. We have to show strength and determination in the face of this challenge."

Now he glanced to the delegates seated between the Free World Alliance and the Republic, the Independent System Consortium. He would definitely lobby for an investigation against some powerful corporations in their area in the weeks to come, but he could not make any accusations now that would leave him open to attack and in need of proofing what everyone already knew. Blackwell droids were part of the Sith army, and if that point could only be proven, some men in very high positions, if not legally forced to would be damned to step down at the public outcry...

"I know I speak not only for the people of Byss, or the Republic when I say that our decisions today will be used to judge us in the decades to come. If we let ourselves be caught weak in the face of the storm, the blood of the victims to come will be on our hands. "

Having come to the conclusion of his little speech, he looked towards the speaker, and with a curt nod uttered the final sentence.

"With that, Madam Speaker, I yield the floor."

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc had to fight hard to keep from rolling his eyes. While Starros’ ideas didn’t appeal to him, it wasn’t till Kang began to speak from her high horse that he knew this session would end in shambles. He didn’t miss the not so subtle jabs at him, and it was clear the Core and Free Worlds Senators had no means of getting points across without attacking someone else in the room. It was precisely what made them so unsavory as potential allies even if Emryc were to ever consider the notion. This was all topped with the Senator of Byss’ dramatic ideas for full embargos.

“Senators,” He began quietly as he turned to the man, “Sanctions like these ultimately hurt only the civilians of these worlds. Look to Denon for example,” A world Emryc himself had invaded and taken, ironically enough, “Currently the citizens are the ones suffering the most from the conflict between New Republic and the Sith. Buildings are being bombed which had local technicians in them. Sith providing oversight does not mean that the entire planet and its people with families and children are filed under the same category,” Emryc glanced down at the list of resolutions, “War materials is not defined. That could be bacta, it could be tibanna, it could be durasteel, it could be astromech droids,” He glanced over at Kang, “Are you going to be auditing every single company that has ever produced or supplied such materials that may have ended up in Sith hands? Are you going to boycott Thyferra? Are you going to boycott Bespin? Are you going to stop the shipping of the AMS vaccine to worlds full of innocent civilians just because the Sith loom above them?”

Emryc fixed his gaze solely on Kang, “You don’t need to do an audit to know that BlasTech has indeed sold to the Sith. Why? Because they don’t overtly present themselves as such. Anyone can just look at the armament they have and point it back to any intergalactic megacorportation, whether it be Blackwell, Czerka or BlasTech. I cannot, and will never, support the notion of punishing corporations based on past dealings like you appear to be implying. An audit of BlasTech’s past dealings suggests exactly that.”

The half Sephi glanced back at Starros, “Two things I’d like from you: Define explicitly what is considered war material and define how you suggest a direct sale is identified. I can assure you, no one is going up to a Blackwell merchant presenting themselves as Darth Evil in a black costume to buy some ships. The buyer and purpose of the materials are realized much after the fact. Blackwell and other megacorporations have prided themselves in selling indiscriminately. While it may be feasible for Blackwell to refrain from setting up shop deep within Sith space, which by the way they don’t today, it’s virtually impossible to keep independent buyers acting on behalf of the Sith from pooling materials going back to them. I refuse to punish the corporations for that.”

Emryc looked around the room then at the other Senators, especially the Senator of Byss, “While I appreciate an impassioned and dramatic speech just as much as the next person,” His tone was almost as icy as Sibyl Lassiter’s heart, “I’d prefer if we present some logistics and data to support our motions.”

The real focus should have been on heavily bolstering the planetary forces of the border planets. This worked in two ways, first to push back against invasions, second to provide a block when Sith tried to escape after an invasion even if they used hypergates. Another tactic would be to open up lines of communications with the Sith on shipping aid down to the civilians of occupied worlds. The Sith wouldn’t want a terrible PR and would allow it. It would then be easy to plant spies and means of collapsing their infrastructure from the inside. All of that could be done without doing more to anger them and get them on the defense. However, he wasn’t going to bring any of this up of course.

@Nor'baal @Eccles @ThisIsHowLibetyDies

 

[Cal Starros]

Starros once again rose to speak.

"Speaker."

"I thank the President of the ISC for their considered response and would like to take the time to address their points in full."

"On the specific point of the definition of 'War Materials', a comprehensive list can be added under schedule one, one that hones in our sanction efforts to specifically focus on weapons, ammunition, combat-ready ships, non-medicinal combat stims, and non-industrial armour wear."

"I am aware that sanctions if improperly defined, have a lasting and noticeable impact on civilians, and I, therefore, thank the President for raising this issue, and am pleased to be able to offer what assurances I can that we can manage such a danger."

"We are not calling for the cessation of all trade, just the ending of trade in specific war materials, as I mentioned earlier, weapons, ammunition, combat-ready ships, non-medicinal combat stims, and non-industrial armour wear. A direct sale and in-direct sale is something that we can control, we can identify, using our law-enforcement and intelligence services, identify large scale shipments of the above-specified items heading into Imperial Space. With a specific list of items, as so provided, we can end such a trade."

"On your second point, namely 'punishing' corporations that 'sell indiscriminately, on that we must disagree. It is quite simply wrong that we sit aside and do nothing, whilst companies, such as Blackwell, BlasTech and others, sell to our enemies."

"Senators, we can provide specifics as to what items should be sanctioned, we can back this up with the logistical means to fine companies that break these sanctions, and if needed, repeat offenders can be brought before the courts."

"We can do this whilst mitigating the impact on civilians, after all the sale of fighters, battle armour and machine guns, high explosive grenades and tanks, in no way would damage the homeowner, the shopkeeper, the school teacher."

"It will, however, rightly damage the bottom line of companies that profit from the destruction being meted out onto our people."

"We have a moral duty to bring an end to these sales, to implement these sanctions, and put the lives of our people, before the profits of those who seek to make credits off of their ruin."

OOC - I cba to draw up an actual full list of items, but have used as broad as possible terms as I can.

 

[Jana Kang]

Jana calmly pressed the button to signify she wanted to interrupt the President Thorne's speech. He was passionate, she'd give him that, but his assumptions a bit out of place.


"Madam Speaker, if I may address the words that were directed at my person." She said once she had again been given the floor. "President Thorne is right, ofcourse, for sanctions and embargoes cannot be placed on general terms like 'material that can be used directly or indirectly for the purpose of starting or prolonging conflict'." She smiled, confident that with this short statement she had waved off a great portion of his passionate speech. "I attempted to show that Byblos is not afraid to stand up for what the believe in. To put the lives of its people before that of what is most definitely the biggest corporation on its soil. I regret that the Intergalactic Systems Consortium does not share my belief that people are more important than the corporations that fund their campaigns or their personal coffers. In fact," she never did focus on Emryc directly, for she was speaking towards the senate and the speaker as decorum dictated, "I wonder if there is a conflict of interest in President Thorne voting on this bill, seeing as him sitting on the board makes him personally affected by the potential loss of profit for these corporations."

She let that linger for a moment. One must do as much as one can to ensure weapons don't get into the hands of those that would use them for harm. Dripfeed will always be possible. Black markets are rampant across known space. There is a distinct difference between getting them in bulk from the factory, quality ensured, or getting them a few dozen at a time from a shady middleman.

"Furthermore, I'd like it on the record that I object to calling the illegal occupation of Denon merely a case of 'Sith oversight' instead of what it was: An illegal occupation under the threat of force after the very broadcasts I mentioned earlier." It was a comment so low and offhanded that made it seem like the president would prefer the Empire as its partners over the New Republic and the Free Worlds Alliance. Sith Oversight. Jana felt her blood boil, but she kept composed to the others in the session.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc didn’t address Starros for now, he knew there would be other Senate members hammering him on his severe oversight of logistics. He instead focused on Kang, who appeared to have nothing better to do than to repeatedly go on the offense against him. Emryc rested his chin on his palm as she vomited out pointless commentary that served very little purpose or made any valid point. Especially as Emryc’s previous comments had been specifically about how embargoes and restrictions harmed the civilians. Kang also appeared to clearly gloss right past where Emryc never voted down the idea, but simply asked for concrete clarifications and logistics with the hope of an amended motion.

“Evidently Senator Kang is adversely against being asked to provide clarity on a motion and would rather push to silence any voice that poses any questions on any agenda she pushes," Emryc said dryly before addressing a topic he hadn't pointed out before," There is perhaps less conflict of interest here than there is with Senator Kang loudly announcing the intent of auditing BlasTech in a session that is being broadcasted live to every channel across the galaxy and henceforth allowing the corporation originating from her very own planet to have a significant edge in passing said audit ,” Emryc spoke with a tone that betrayed he found her outright tedious. Bringing up the specifics of an audit like this and the target companies on a galactically broadcasted floor defeated the entire purpose of it, “I implore Senators here to set aside their personal vendettas against other individuals in the room and allow for civil and productive discourse to proceed for the remainder of this session.”

He didn’t even bother debating Kang getting her panties in a twist over semantics. He could only hope she had something actually useful to say later on in the session.

@Eccles

 

[Raycom Hedarial]

Senator Hedarial listened with an open ear, his eyes fixed on the speakers, and merely observing the reaction of Senators that he yet had to gauge in their stance occasionally. Patiently he sat through the entirety of Thorne's speech, his expression unchanged by any of the Presidents remarks. Not unsurprisingly given the contents of Thorne's little lecture, the Senator responsible for the bill and Senator Kang both wanted to say a word themselves.

Having logged himself as the next in line he then preceded to listen cautiously, beginning to make some mental notes about the points being said. He knew what he had to say and he knew he had to be careful to convey it, his arguments brought him dangerously close to a line he couldn't dare cross after all.

After nodding in approval to Senator Kang's words, and then shaking his head through Thorne's biting remarks, he rose once more and went to the microphone on his podium. He took a deep breath as he straightened his face and answered in a grimmer tone.

"Madam Speaker, Senators, Mr President." He was now looking directly towards Thorne, acknowledging the man with a curt nod. "I am sorry to so hastily returning to the podium with my next address. And it will come as no surprise as to why I now stand here. President Thorne has in his detailed remarks edged on many of my points, which may require elaboration on my part"

He gave a pained smile, as he continued in his statements. "Now, President, I stand under the impression that you, just like any member of this senate worth his seat, do not need to be told numbers you have already read in your daily brief or any credible newspaper. I doubt that you truly require a list of casualties, damaged infrastructure and crimes against humanity committed by the Sith occupants in the invaded systems. If I presume wrong, and you truly have not managed to stay up to date in these crucial aspects, then my staff will be overjoyed to send you all you desire subsequent to this session. Much as I want to I can not begin to read out loud the numerous reports which I have been receiving from my team, as I do not intend to fillibuster this session. I too am a fan of productive discourse after all." Having delivered this slight provocation with the most humble and friendly of expressions, Hedarial went on to answer the other point Thorne has raised in his little statement, equally collected and friendly.

"You are valid in raising a point of civilian suffering on the Sith worlds, especially on the contested worlds. Yet you severely understate what an effect the complete embargo would have on the Sith government." Now, as he said his next sentence, his view once again went through the room, as he began to once more address the collective openly. "My fellow delegates, I think we need to step beyond treating these acts of occupancy and the bloodshed as simply a problem. Using genteelisms like "Sith Oversight" and pretending that this matter can be treated as an economic problem is not going to defuse the situation. The Sith have in their illegal occupations committed what can only be described as an act of war."

He went back to Thorne with his gaze, a sombre expression plastered on his face. "No doubt, the civilians of the Sith worlds are not at fault for their ruler's crimes, and though it pains me to say, that does not change the fact that we are senators of the New Republic, the Free Worlds and the Independent Systems and not of the Sith worlds and that we have a responsibly first to our own region of space. The plight of the enemies unlucky civilians can and shall not be tolerated or aided, yet we can not be a pillar in the regime of the Sith, perpetuating their actions. That means we need to stop sending any material aiding their rule, be it instruments of oppression like machine guns and tear gas, or instruments of appeasement as the by President Thorne mentioned commodities."

He sighed before he continued, giving a break so his words would sink in. "If there is to be medical aid, let me be the last to hinder it. But let us do it properly. If the Sith see reason enough to allow our professional aid in their occupied systems, then let us launch a medical campaign that is executed by us. This would mean no possibility for Sith propaganda to exploit the care and rebrand it as their own effort, no selective favouritism in the Sith worlds for Sith appeasers. No exclusion of groups the Sith deem unloyal, and no chance for them to corrupt the effort. It would leave control in our hands, in the hands of elected representatives. We can not risk Sith perversion of our care, and we can not have them turn their portion of the galaxy into hostages. We can not show weakness and act on their whim!"

"Remember, fellow Senators, that this will be but the first step, and that the Sith will not be dormant. The longer this takes, the more sessions we waste before we stop the drain, the more they will purchase. Every day wasted means a stronger enemy. Let us stop seeing them as a nuisance, and treat them like the threat they have become!"

he took a step down from the podium, as he once again ended his remarks, his eyes still looking towards the President. "With that Madam Speaker, I once again yield the floor."

 

[Sibyl Lassiter]

Boredom was what summed up the state in which Sibyl found herself. First the proposals of the idiot Starros, who she was starting to hate, and now this back and forth dispute between Kang and Thorne. While she yawned, the Senator wondered if she should say something or let them continue this endless loop.

Her musings were interrupted by the sound of a message arriving at her Datapad. She picked it and saw that the message came from Claudias. She was surprised, the man never called her before. It probably was something important. Then she smiled behind the veil, after finally understanding what this meant. Tristodd's death was probably going to confirmed! She quickly opened.

While reading it, the smile soon disappeared from Sibyl's face, being replaced by shock. Then she gave a hysterical scream, a mixture of disappointment and hate. It was loud enough for at least part of the Senate to hear. And in one of the few times of her life, the Senator of Brentaal started to cry truly. Her sobs xould be hear by the delegates that were near her.

"My Lady, are you fine?" Dongwa asked. The droid never saw the Senator this way before.

"He is alive, Dongwa! Tristodd is alive! Claudias is going to rescue him." Sibyl whispered to her droid, between sobs. She was furious. "These fat slugs are really incompetent! Can't even kill a boy! They deserve to be exterminated" she continued to rant, but keeping her voice down. What have started as a perfect day now became terrible.

The Senator of Brentaal continued crying due to a mix of rage and sadness, her eyes were red due to the tears. By this point, she was ignoring the discussions in the Senate, only thinking that Tristodd was alive and that the next time that she sees a Hutt, she is going to hang them and throw the carcass to a Rancor.

 

[Galek Ordalos]

Up until this point, Galek seemed to be in no rush to add his voice to battle currently unfolding on senate floor. He sat back in his seat, his hands knitted neatly in front of him as he listened to the various Senators and representatives bicker back and forth – resisting the urge to roll his eyes at one point or another. It was only after listening to the statements being made by the Senator’s from Byblos and Byss that the representative from Indupar finally rose from his seat.

He took a step forward, straightening his jacket before activating his mic. “Madam Speaker,” He began, his voice calm and measured. “If I may address some of the statements being made by my distinguished colleagues from the New Republic.”

The prince first turned his attention to the Senator of Byss, his expression placid and dispassionate as ever. “Firstly, Senator Hedarial. While I appreciate that you are passionate about this particular issue, I cannot, in good conscience, support this drastic proposal for a complete cession of all trade with Sith-aligned worlds.” He leaned forward slightly, reaching down to grip the sides of his podium. While his expression remained neutral, the subtle alterations in body language spoke to just how much the current topic irritated the Induparan.

“Despite what you claim, Senator, I can assure you that no one is understating the effect that a complete embargo would have. In one breath, you claim to be keenly aware of the plight of those who live under Sith occupation, and yet are callously willing to subject the people of these worlds to additional suffering. In your proposal, you claim that we must not limit these sanctions to simply war-materials, but instead include ‘instruments of appeasement’. I can only reasonably interpret this to mean basic commodities – such as water, foodstuffs and medicine. In an effort to apply pressure to the Sith Empire and appear ‘strong’, you would wittingly be subjecting billions of citizens to starvation and disease.”

“In your own words, you claim that we much first look to our own regions of space before the plight of these ‘unlucky citizens’. Perhaps you have forgotten, Senator, that the ‘unlucky citizens’ in which you refer to are also citizens of the FWA - such as those on Denon and Taris. The men, women and children that you would be depriving of basic necessities are not the loyal patriots of the Sith autocracy, but instead are the very same individuals that this body is meant to represent.” Galek's eyes narrowed slightly, his voice raising just a bit in volume. “While you may be willing to overlook the suffering of billions, simply because they do not fall within the borders of the New Republic, I will not. While you may be willing to look the families of Denon or Taris in eyes, and claim that their suffering isn't important, I cannot." With that, Galek straightened his back and released the sides of his podium once more, knitting his hands together in front of him. "I encourage you, Senator Hedarial, to truly consider the impact that your proposals would have, and what it is that we as members of this body are attempting to accomplish."

Only then did Galek turns his attention to the Senator of Byblos, hazel eyes fixating in her direction. Despite the back-and-forth between her and the President, that was not the issue that he was interested in. Instead, there was one claim in particular that the Induparan wasn't going to allow go unquestioned. “Secondly, I would like to address some of the claims being made by my distinguished colleague from Byblos." He began. "Senator Kang, you claim that the armies of the Sith utilizing Blackwell battle droids is a ‘well known fact’. Perhaps your definition of ‘facts’ are slightly different from mine, as there is quite literally zero evidence of any Blackwell droids being used by the Sith in any recent conflict. Not on Taris. Nor Denon. Nor Felucia.”

"While I understand the sentiment behind wishing to hold weapons-manufacturer's accountable, that does not justify attempting to bend reality to your agenda." He tilted his head slightly, hazel eyes narrowing harshly upon the Byblosian. “Unless of course, Senator, you know something we don’t? In which case, I would love for you to enlighten us further on how you are privy to such exclusive Sith Intel.”

Spoiler: OOC note

Just for clarification, I fact-checked with Sith faction leadership OOCly. Blackwell droids were never executed by the Sith in any recent conflict, and that fact would be known ICly.

 

[Raycom Hedarial]

As the representative from Indupar spoke, Hedarial could hardly suppress a smirk. Yet he managed, and his face remained ever sombre. He even made the conscious choice to nod twice during the Governor's rantings, and made a few mental footnotes, as he knew he had to address these very targeted indictments. So he found himself striding once more to the podium of his viewing platform, he gave a slightly audible sigh, as he looked towards the Governor of Indapar.

"Madam Speaker, I truly apologise for taking so much of the time this evening, yet I fear I must answer these questions and statements of my colleague from Indapar."

Leaning onto the podium, he looked towards the seats of the Consortium, especially the platform of the governor in question. "Governor, I would like to keep this brief, and as to your president will offer you a chance to talk to me in private later to clear up anything you need elaboration on, yet I have a feeling you may have misunderstood."

He gestured towards the Free Worlds as he continued in his little monologue. "I doubt that the Free World Alliance will allow Denon or Taris to be in the hands of the Sith for long. I also doubt they are keen on anyone bolstering the Sith's hold on the planet for the short time that they will remain there." he looked over to the representatives of the mentioned Alliance and added: "If I am wrong in that belief, please, my fellow colleagues correct me here."

He then turned towards the Governor once more. "I also explicitly stated that I wish for our collective to administer aid on Sith worlds, but I want our collective to administer this care, not for the Sith to do our work for us. No doubt they would be perverting the truths and our intentions otherwise, using our medicine and relief packages to push their own agenda, fasten their own hold and frame themselves as the deliverer, whilst disadvantaging those that are not in favour of their regime. If you wish for them to do so, then please interrupt me. I just judged you as having the best of the people in mind."

He shook his head as he looked down onto the podium. "It pains me greatly that billions are in plight. But one can not budge at the heed of the Sith, just as one can not budge to all demands of terrorists. They have taken billions hostage. Yet if we sell them the vaccine, and medicine and food, whom do you think will they administer them to? I believe it will be their utmost priority to keep collaborators and their army fed, and certainly, that would compel many men and women to join them out of fear of being left without aid. We can not let the Sith control the flow of medicine, just as we can not allow them to control the narrative of the origins. If we keep the trade running, soon we will face hundreds of collaborators, forced into submission by our own hands, people who joined the enemy to gain food and essentials. This is war, and in war sometimes extreme measures must be taken. Let us force the Sith into allowing for neutral entities to administer these goods, Byss will then be one of the systems most enthusiastic in the funding of relief packages. But we will not aid the Sith and their regime of terror."

Nudging his head to his side, mustering the governor he then added. "If you do not agree with me, and believe it is best to keep supplying the Sith with the goods to force people to their side and keep their nations stable, then go on doing so. Yet it will not be me who will then have himself to blame for each young boy that joins their forces. The support the Sith will get from their control over such goods, will not be on my hands' senator. I have thought hard about the implications of my embargo. And I stand by it." He now once more glanced through the whole room. "And I invite everyone here to speak up and demand that we supply the Sith with the food and supply for their armies, their enforcers and the tools to turn public opinion towards them. Yet I will not be surprised to find these names in the history books alongside the name of Ambassador Binks when he gave Palpatine emergency powers. Sometimes what seems right has consequences far beyond what one first imagines."

Stepping down from the podium, he spoke his last sentence almost as an afterthought: "Madam Speaker, I yield the floor."

@Galek Ordalos

 

[Carrick]

Sanctions on the Sith Empire felt a bit like shutting the barn door after the herd of nerfs had already gotten out. It kind of just made sense to him but he supposed that this was to become just a more formalized version of "Don't support the enemy". He was sure that the ISC would be able to follow such a simply directive so long as the FWA and NR picked up the slack when it came to lapsed trade with certain planets. Starros original position was... flawed in some ways but he could understand where he was coming from - direct trade with the Sith would be a bad look for the ISC so, he supposed, having an agreement not to actively supply them with supplies to blow up their other trade partners was fine so long as it wasn't ridiculously restrictive.

Of course then it escalated and mutated, taking on a life of it's own as these things so often did in the Galactic Senate.

Thankfully Carrick had time to gather his patience before he spoke as President Thorne was kind enough to further explain why none of these ideas were, well, good ideas. All of them either half hearted over overly enthusiastic in the worst ways possible. Worse, it seemed that many of the political opponents of the ISC seemed to be under the impression that because they were neutral in a war that did not involve them, they had to be treated with thinly veiled hostility. Galek stepped up to speak as well and Carrick nodded along with the man's remarks as he came back to his seat.

Naturally it continued as these things were want to do - until a comment made him rise.

"Senator Hedarial - have you been present during a rampage of those Infected with the AMS virus? I have. Let me assure you that I see making the vaccine available to those within Sith space is not just a good idea but an absolutely necessary one." he announced firmly, "If we do not, we run terrible risks. Infected running rampant throughout a large portion of the Galaxy and let me assure you, Senator, that an Infected is far harder to reason with than even a Sith Lord. At least they can speak - even if they do usually speak from their backsides."

He didn't like the Sith and he didn't need to.

"Worse, you speak of history - how would you like to be one of the names behind why all sentient life was ended on hundreds of worlds by a treatable virus? I certainly do not and I don't think you do either. Instead I believe this may be an earnest attempt to strike an enemy but not like this. Not with the vaccine, not with Hope, as a weapon."

Not sitting down at all, he turned to Senators Kang, Starros and, yes, even President Thorne.

"My fellow representatives, discussion on the 'what' of the sanctions and audits is contentious, to say the least, but it may also be redundant if we don't have an answer to another question - the 'how'." he argued, "How can the governments of the Galaxy be expected to so closely monitor the trade of every aspect of the Galactic arms and medical trade as to avoid any potential slip ups? Is the New Republic to assume control of shipping for Kuat Driveyards to ensure no armed ships enter the service of any company they deem to have ties too close to the Sith Empire? The FWA the same for the shipyards of Mon Cala or the Ordinence factories of Ord Mantell?"

He took a step back.

"Must we nationalize entire sectors of our economies? Place already exhausted Rangers in every shipping warehouse or terminal? The How must be answered, Senators - all the duty and hope in the Galaxy can't do a thing without it."

@Nor'baal @Sreeya @Eccles @ThisIsHowLibetyDies @Altaris

 

[Jade Archer]

Sharp nails rhythmically rapped, tap-tip-tap, atop Governor Archer's senate table. Icy eyes observed the discussion for this newest proposal. Quietly, as it continued, she wondered if there was some secret meeting or society where influential politicians gathered solely to dare one another to suggest the most logistically unsound items possible. Jade felt if she allowed her eyes to roll at full strength they may just fall from her head.

The Governor of Llanic leaned slightly forward in chair, fingers lacing before her and eyes leaving the Senator of Lothal who she'd been watching. Senator Kang had quickly been ignored after her finger-pointing outrage over semantics and bold announcements of audits on live holonet. She seemed a little too focused on President Thorne for it to be anything less than Freudian envy.

But then again, Llanic didn't deal in impassioned speeches. The Outer Rim trade world dealt in material things, and plenty of those had been mentioned by Senator Starros.

"Speaker, gathered delegates," she began in cool tones, eyes returning to the Lothal Senator. "I must concur with Secretary Carrick. What resources, time, and personnel are you going to expend for this? The heavy-handed bureaucratic might of the Galactic Empire couldn't force BlasTech to cease sales to the Rebel Alliance. The reasons why are, literally, written in the history books."

A slender finger swiped across her datapad and she looked briefly at the screen, a slim pair of glasses slipped onto the bridge of her nose. "Unless I'm missing a detail, the Sith aren't bulk ordering invasion fleets direct from Kuat these days. Someone might have noticed that, I trust?" Her eyebrows rose, just a hair and she replaced her glasses on the table. "So, the idea is such shipments must be found, identified as such, their destination of the Sith Empire proven, and so forth. A fathomless net slung across the Free Worlds, or at least their wide borders, that will slow trade to a grinding halt in the hope of finding smugglers moving crates of blasters." She turned to look at the Senator from Lothal.

"Is that correct, Senator Starros? You intend the Galactic Senate to incense the Commerce Guilds by slowing trade? Will the Free Worlds be investing in border-wide interdictor craft to stop outbound ships in hyperspace, or instead implore anyone transporting then-illegal "war materiel" will politely stop for inspection? You mentioned logistics. It sounds to me your proposal intends to, functionally, sanction half the galaxy."

She didn't need add onto Carrick's comment of nationalization, a favourite tool of Palpatine's regime when they could get away with it. As for the very impassioned argument from the Senator of Byss that the armies, and thus people, of the Sith Empire should simply be starved out, well. Palpatine would approve of that as well, no doubt.

@Nor'baal @Sreeya @Eccles @ThisIsHowLibetyDies @Altaris @Nefieslab

 

[Caliban Drast]

Caliban was tired, not just today, in that instance, he felt mentally exhausted. It was always the same, always the same arguments, always the same finger pointing, and always the bare minimum getting done. He could understand the sentiment behind the proposal, in an ideal world he would have behind it, and on a personal level he did support it. But he could not, in good conscience, support such a proposal. If nothing else, simply because in doing so he risked bankrupting Coruscant's economy.

"The logistics of such a proposal might very well be beyond the reach of this body." He didn't bother to request the floor, they were well past that point. "I can assure you Coruscant most definitely cannot bear such the cost of enforcing sanctions, and in the middle of a Galactic Pandemic, the likes of which we haven't seen in generations. Forget the direct cost of enforcing such a trade embargo, but I fear many corporations might not survive having to change their means of operation. What is a materials supplier to do if they are already preparing a shipment to a world that might now be indirectly supporting the Sith? Do they repay their clients, what if they can't? What if everything they had was tied to that shipment? Do we let them go under or provide them subsidies to keep them afloat and ensure that thousands upon thousands don't find themselves without a job?" He had to agree with Representatives Carrick and Archer, everyone was so caught up in whether they should do this that they hadn't even considered if they could do this.

"No, unless a sound financial proposal to support this endeavor is put forward I believe this isn't even worth discussing. As things stand Coruscant will vote against such a proposal."

 

[Eumi Redrish]

The Senator from Kuat sat back and sighed while she listened to the FWA, ISC, and her own senators squabble over sanctioning the Sith. How fast they wanted to sanction, why they wanted to sanction, and to what extent they wanted to sanction. Their individual reasonings overlapped and filled the air with what eventually became a cacophony of pretty nonsense. Noise. Eumi certainly wasn't a fan of any of the ISC representatives, but she had to admit they were the most practical of those speaking tonight. They knew there was no way to give a sanction 'teeth'.

Still, the FWA and NR senators seemed to want to beat around the bush of 'how' such sanctions could be sustained. How they could make corporations culpable for sales that might possibly somehow lead to products ending up in Sith hands. How they could patrol the borders between FWA and Sith space to catch sympathizers in the act. Eumi already knew the FWA would never allow the Republic to do such a thing – not because they didn't want to sanction the Sith, but more because the trust with the Republic had already been broken thanks to the actions of one dear sweet Chancellor Ro, a man who hasn't even taken full responsibility for his wrongs. Nor had he even shown a shred of remorse for his abuse of power.

But he would.

In the Republic Senate.

She would make sure of it.

After her speech earlier, the pink-haired Senator needed time to recuperate. She couldn't be the centerpiece of every discussion, after all. She had neither the experience nor the ambition to take on the responsibility that such positioning would bring, so she held her tongue and discussed the proceedings with her pages and the Principal Director of the Kuat Drive Yards. He wasn't pleased with the Drive Yards being brought up as becoming a possible pawn of the New Republic, but he agreed with the rest of them that giving in to the prod would likely do more damage than letting it pass without mention.

After all, it'd only been mentioned as a negative possibility, not a positive one. Which was correct.

Leaning to her right, she would speak quietly with her Telbun about the course of the discussion and his thoughts on the matter, waiting for the others in the chamber to conclude their arguments and bring the motion to a vote.