Faction All The Bells Say | THR Senate

[Jaun Smyth]

The Thyferran pod hovered.

A mere gathering of farmers.

Oh, but that was being so modest. Thyferra was a critical producer of bacta and held the medical facilities of the Republic on leashes.

Amid their number, Senator Jaun Smyth steepled his fingers from his seat and peered out at the pods of Druckenwell and Naboo.

"I do yearn for the day when a bacteria farmer from Thyferra has all the same standing as a noble heir from Naboo," mused Jaun to his colleague.

Thimple, a Vratix, nodded with a sad expression that perfectly encapsulated the present state of affairs. Thimple, who had only ever wanted to take the idea of a commune of farmers to the stars. A society free from class, where every individual owned their own labor. Wouldn't that be something?

Jaun's broad lips curled at one edge.

"But..." unsettling blue eyes slid sidelong to regard Thimple, "You do have to admit... the boy king has style."

Aurelian Veruna Verity Stuyveris

 

[Aurelian Veruna]

Tags: Verity Stuyveris cc: Dominique Vexx | Jaun Smyth

A signal to his aide brought the formal paperwork forward, officially lodging the motion to amend the bill, swapping the Senator of Naboo for the Sovereign. Calls for a second immediately began echoing across the Senate floor. Aurelian paid the procedural noise little mind, keeping his focus entirely on Verity. Listening with far more patience than most expected of him, he nodded along to her calculated confession.

"Influence. A better Republic," he repeated softly, letting the words sit between them. A amused breath escaped him as he crossed one leg over the other, folding his hands over his knee. "Well, that is all well and good, Stuyveris. I could have surmised from the peanut gallery that you want power. That tells me absolutely nothing."

Amber eyes locked onto hers, peeling away the layers of polished legislative defense. "Why?" he asked plainly. "Why do you care so deeply about any of this? Why fight to hold that power when you could easily sit back like the rest of them, lining your pockets and looking out strictly for yourself? What makes you any different from them? From me?"

A casual shrug lifted his shoulders, entirely untroubled by his own cynicism. "I will freely admit that I care nothing for this Republic beyond how it affects Naboo. My only mandate is to protect my people and lead them into a golden age. Everything else in between, like crushing your diplomatic reform bill, is just... for sport," he added, a signature arrogant smile curving his lips.

Leaning forward, Aurelian searched her eyes for any crack in the armor. "So are you truly just like the rest of us, hungry for the status of being in the room? Or do you actually possess the grand, tragic illusion that your presence in those rooms will somehow save this Republic?"

​

 

[Verity Stuyveris]

LOCATION

THE SENATE CHAMBER

DRUCKENWELL POD

MORNING

♫ BESS AND RALEIGH DANCE — CRAIG ARMSTRONG

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Verity stared at Aurelian.

For once, there was not an ounce of calculation behind it, no search for the politically useful answer. Not even irritation at yet another series of provocations. She didn't understand the question. Why did she care?

He kept going, because of course he did, and understanding came slowly enough that something in her expression changed as the enormity of what he said dawned on her. "You really do mean that," she said, her voice low.

No accusation lingered in her voice. If anything, she sounded faintly astonished -- a rare feat for Aurelian Veruna to accomplish these days. Her eyes grew hard then, and colder even than their normal glacial reserve. "You are one of the most capable people in this chamber. You know it. I know it. You have wealth and position and access and an extraordinary instinct for knowing people. You have enough political influence that you can kill a bill just by twitching your little finger."

It was odd. All these things were compliments, yet Verity poured them from her with a mixture of revulsion and cold fury that made it sound like a prosecutor rattling off a list of heinous crimes. Her eyes flicked briefly toward the Plooriod III pod, eyebrows giving an uncharacteristic twitch.

Verity stood and crossed back to her podium, reaching for the control to signal her intention to speak. Her hand stopped just short of it. She turned back instead, returned to the center of the pod. She might have looked to the cameras like she was rather looming over the King of Naboo. It was all she could do not to raise an accusatory finger.

"I could understand incompetence," Verity began. "I could understand cowardice. I could even understand greed. Greed, at least, has an objective." Her mouth tightened at the edges "But you are neither incompetent, nor cowardly, nor even greedy, really. You're better at this than you have any right to be."

She paused her head shaking almost imperceptibly. "I care because the things that happen in this room impact people whether we care about them or not. Someone is no less a father or mother, soldier or pilot, merchant or lawyer because they live here and not on Druckenwell. Wars will happen. Governments will fail. People will be displaced and impoverished and killed and that's when the decisions we make are the best we can manage. Decisions made in this room will have consequences for people who never voted for you or for me, people who have never heard our names. But -- "

Here, Verity took a steadying breath. She had not expected to care this much, yet Aurelian Veruna maintained his charming ability to surprise her. "But you and I have been given an almost ridiculous amount of influence over these decisions. I don't flatter myself that I always use mine well; I've been wrong before and I will surely be wrong again. But when you ask me why I feel compelled to try, I genuinely don't know how to answer you, Senator. I just have to wonder why you don't." She considered it a moment, then amended. "No. How you don't."

"Because you could. Easily. That is the infuriating part. You are clever enough, and persuasive enough, and ruthless enough when ruthlessness is required -- and when it isn't -- and as much as it pains me to say, you are very often right about people." She shook her head and turned back to the podium. Verity touched the indicator that she would like to speak, and before she was recognized, she glanced over her shoulder. "You could well be one of the most consequential statesmen in the Republic. And apparently, you're just bored."

Her podium light lit, and when she turned her face back to the Senate and its cameras, she was the Verity she always was: cool, collected, and ready to get on with it. "Thank you, Madam Chancellor. In the absence of any formal seconded amendments, I respectfully move that the bill be put to a vote."

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WITH

Aurelian Veruna • Dominique Vexx

 

[Dominique Vexx]

"In absence of an objection, the motion to vote has passed." Dominique declared after Verity had stepped forth once more.

The Chancellor was curious what Verity and Aurelian had been discussing at length after his sudden appearance. They were two people she could rely upon to keep things in the Republic moving. Though Aurelian was something of a rogue agent whenever it suited him; which didn't make it any easier ensuring things were progressing in a unified direction. Still, aside from that spat with the Mandalorians long ago he hadn't done anything truly upsetting.

With that, she would proceed to take a role call vote for the motion Verity had put before the Senate.

Verity Stuyveris | Aurelian Veruna​

 

[Aurelian Veruna]

Tags: Verity Stuyveris

Aurelian leaned back, cocking his head as her sharp outburst washed over him. Compliments wrapped in a venomous, prose-heavy indictment were a rare treat, and his signature smile never faltered. The sudden heat behind her usual icy demeanor was intoxicating. Where most politicians withered under his pressure, Verity stood her ground, firing back with genuine conviction. A quiet realization settled in. He could play this cat-and-mouse game with her for her entire term, tormenting her simply to settle old scores for past slights.

Rising from his seat as she delivered her final barb, he smoothed the lapels of his tunic. The banter had gone on long enough, but her impassioned rant had served its purpose. She had been weighed and measured, and he was thoroughly satisfied with what he found. Beneath the tedious legislative reform and rigid decorum lived a capable asset for the Republic, perhaps one of the few truly capable mind in the entire rotunda.

Stepping up beside her as she called for the final vote, he let the silence stretch for a heartbeat before leaning in close. "I look forward to working with you, Senator," he murmured.

With that, Aurelian turned and casually strolled out of her pod. Passing the desk outside, he dropped a second high-value credit chip next to the first for Verity's primary aide. The poor girl would likely be fired before the session ended, and she was going to need it.

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