Building a Common Foundation

[Kay-Larr]

Kay had been working at writing both the Charter and Constitution for the Commenor Systems Alliance nearly entirely on her own. However she had some help from Senator [member="Viktor Alexander"] of Yutan. Although they hardly saw eye to eye, she valued his point of view and was determined to try to make this work.

A message was sent out for the Senators to meet with her in the Senate Chambers for a meeting to discuss them and hopefully to have both ratified. Though given their first meeting, she wasn't entirely certain that there wouldn't be anymore speedbumps along the way.

Included in the message was a copy of what the two of them had worked on so far.

Sitting at the head of the table, Kay waited for the others to join her. She sipped her tea with her datapad booted up and ready to go. Now it was just the waiting game.

[member="Corey Brave"] [member="Yusana Fenni"] [member="Darth Interitus"] [member="Virak Ip"] [member="Natalie LaForte"] [member="Effie Duanna"]

 

[Corey Brave]

While he was enjoying his vacation on Gyndine, Corey was happy to be back to work. Sure it was hard getting the point where they could vote on a charter and it wouldn't be easy to get everyone to agree, but he was sure that this meeting would go better. Now that there was a charter vote it would be easier to get people to see where they were going. He was happy that some of his ideas head made it on to the charter and he intended to keep them there. He wasn't a big fan of neutrality when it came to the Sith, they were coming back and expanding their territory at an alarming rate. He was concerned that they were just waiting around for an invasion that would cost them a great deal in terms of damage and people.

He walked through the senate chamber doors she was greeted by the sight of [member="Lady Kay"], who was sitting at the head of the table.

"[member="Lady Kay"], good to see you. I trust that you have been well"

 

[Natalie LaForte]

Back again.

Natalie had stopped counting the days since she had met the... pleasant senators and Chancellor of the Commenor Systems Alliance, but it seemed like too few for her to reconcile her thoughts and more importantly -- pretend that she could be on pleasant terms with all of them. At least the layout of the thing was nice. The colour coding was especially good, although she would certainly have more to say about that. But she wasn't here to critique poor use of software and applications.

Opening the door to the all too familiar chamber she swiftly rolled her eyes at the presence of [member="Corey Brave"], whom she had remembered had been quite rude to her on their earlier meetings and then walked to [member="Lady Kay"], offering her a handshake before doing the same to the gentleman.

"Not late this time but fashionable as always!" Smiling then walking to take her seat. "Hopefully this will be more productive than the last."

 

[Kenrath]

Viktor had gotten the message about the Senate going back into session. Unfortunately or fortunately depending on your outlook he was on Yutan when he got the message. So rather than being the first person present he arrived after a few of the others. Part of the reason being the fact his office on Commenor was a pile of rubble and part of the reason was he had been in meetings practically non-stop since the Wann Tsir mission.

Arriving a few minutes after Natalie Viktor made his way inside. He glanced at [member="Lady Kay"] first.

"Chancellor apologies the trip from Yutan took longer than expected."

He then glanced at [member="Corey Brave"] giving the man a nod.

"Senator... I trust you are well."

He then offered a polite smile to [member="Natalie LaForte"] giving her a nod as well.

"A pleasure to see you again. I like the new look."

The last time he had saw her he was sure she had been a brunette with much longer hair. After greeting everyone Viktor took a seat leaving a single chairs gap between him and the group. He was not looking forward to the meeting. Sure he had practically co-written the Charter being presented to the group but it was not something he really considered an accomplishment at this point.

 

[Kay-Larr]

[member="Corey Brave"] was the first to arrive. Kay wasn't entirely surprised. The man liked to be punctual, she had to give him that. But was he really after her position as [member="Viktor Alexander"] suggested? She knew that he wanted the Vice-Chancellor role, yet it wouldn't be hard to assume that he wanted the Chancellor role as well in time. Was she really not to trust anyone? The last thing that she wanted was to start to become paranoid. "Hello Senator Brave. I have been as well as can be expected, given certain circumstances. I hope that you've been doing well."

[member="Natalie LaForte"] came in next. She changed her look, but was still very easy on the eyes. Not a bad thing in the world of politics, where the spotlight can shine on you at any given moment. Kay nodded to her, though only gave a half smile as she was reminded of the mess that was their first meeting. "I hope so as well, Senator LaForte." She promptly shook her offered hand.

And then there he was. Senator Alexander walked through the doors. Despite their differences, he was the only Senator out of all of the dozen or so to give any sort of feedback in regards to writing up the Charter. The only other things that Kay and Senator Alexander had to go on were the notes that they had made during the last meeting. It was disappinting, but not entirely unexpected. Perhaps it was an unwritten rule of the role of Chancellor, despite the fact that everyone had the power to put forth amendments and suggestions.

But it is what it is. Kay just hoped that it was enough of a start, yet she knew better than to expect zero complaints about what was written.

"No apologies necessary, Senator Alexander. You're still on time. I suggest that we wait a little longer to see if any other Senators will be joining us before we begin." Kay had asip of her tea, looking to the door, almost in anticipation.

[member="Virak Ip"] [member="Effie Duanna"] [member="Darth Interitus"] [member="Yusana Fenni"]

 

[Kenrath]

Viktor waited for a bit as Kay had requested but in the end there were pressing issues that needed to be covered. He stood smoothing out any wrinkles in his suit before he spoke.

"Apologies. I know there is a great deal to cover but I am afraid the stragglers will just have to be filled in later. I know you are all not very found of these little speeches of mine so I will be as brief as possible."

Viktor pulled out several copies of a document. He handed each person present a copy. It would be a document that Kay would be intimately familar with. It was the three phase Annexation agreement drafted between the Yutani and Commenor governments. He paused giving every a moment to look over it before he resumed speaking.

"This is a copy of the agreement drafted between the Yutani government and Queen Arenais in regards to the annexation of Yutan into the at the time not yet named and formed Alliance. I provide this now to the rest of you as a point of reference."

Viktor would then extend a second document to Kay specifically signed by every member of the Yutani government Viktor included before resuming speaking to Kay directly as acting Chancellor.

"On behalf of the Prime Minister of Yutan is my duty to inform you in accordance with section 2 of the Annexation agreement between Yutan and Commenor proceedings have been initiated to withdraw from the Alliance and reassert sovereignty as an independent world based on the following grievances."

Viktor paused to let his opening statement sink in.

"First the inability of the Commenori government to form a stable and lasting alliance under it's leadership and direction. Specifically citing the lack of order and pre-planning of an Alliance Charter prior to calling the first provisional Senate to order. Exposing a lack of clear vision leading to and going as far as to encourage unrest and infighting to a level that required the session extended over multiple days without any tangible progress.

Second willfully and intentionally withholding knowledge of a clear and present danger to the safety and security of the people of Yutan and other pending member worlds of said Alliance. Specifically the failure to inform the member worlds during and immediately after an Attack by a hostile force of unknown size and allegiance against the Senate Tower resulting in loss of life and destruction of property. An offense compounded by an intentional and clearly stated refusal to review and modify as needed security and investigative measures to prevent further threats to the safety and security of member worlds either from the same or future hostile threats once the attack had been made known to the Yutani government.

Third the events surrounding a pending investigation into the willful and intentional breach of protocol and Operational Security of Task Force Recon in support of the people of Wann Tsir. Specifically the presence of one Captain August Housecarl and personal guard of one Duchess Elaine Thul of Thul Estates on the bridge of the Task Force command ship without the prior knowledge or clearance of the Captain of said Command ship and the Operation Commander of Task Force Recon."

Viktor paused taking a measured breath.

"As a result of the Secession proceedings I hereby resign my position as Representative of Yutan to the Commenor Systems Alliance initiative. Additionally a no fly zone is being instituted over Yutani space during this period. Any questions or concerns may be forwarded to the Yutani Government through my office on Yutan."

He paused again before making a final statement made to the entire group.

"Before I retire to Yutan are there any immediate questions?

[member="Lady Kay"] [member="Natalie LaForte"] [member="Corey Brave"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay furrowed her brows as [member="Viktor Alexander"] started things off. Instead of being handed copies of the Charter that they both worked on, he was instead bringing forth a different document. It gave her a very bad feeling. And as he continued his speech, she had understood exactly what that pit in her stomach was warning her of. In this sly effort, he was undermining everything that they were doing.

She clenched her jaw as Viktor continued, biting her tongue until it was time for her to speak. She sipped her tea and then cleared her throat a little before she addressed those present.

"With all due respect, Senator Alexander and to the Prime Minister, I cannot accept Yutan backing out of the alliance. And here is why...

First off, I know that you don't like my approach of listening to the representatives of other sovereign worlds and hearing of what works for them. Instead it seems that you'd rather that I dictate everything. And even now when you and I both worked on the Charter together, without even allowing us to start the meeting to discuss it and finalize it as we should, you have already gone behind our backs and declared it a failure. That only shows that you didn't want it to work in the first place which makes me wonder, if you didn't approve of the Charter after your edits were submitted, then maybe you were trying to sabatage it all along.

Secondly, your false statements on the circumstances surrounding the attack on this building and those in it at the time seem to suggest as though I was somehow behind it, which couldn't be further from the truth. And with all investigations of such sensative nature, all of the known and discovered facts cannot be made public for security reasons. I am sorry that the investigation isn't going as quickly as you'd of wanted, but it is ongoing and two suspects will be aprehended soon. As far as letting those that were absent to know of the attack while it was happening? I was trying to stop the attack and get people out. I am sorry that I didn't head straight to my office to send out holocalls to the lot of you. This Hall has been closed to the public ever since, security in and around the planet had increased, though I apologize again that your credentials as a Senator has gained you easier access to Commenor than if you weren't a government official at all.

Thirdly, in regards to Wann Tsir, my lack of knowledge for military protocol when it came to testing out a pending purchase of training should in no way affect Yutan. That is a personal grievance that you have towards me, just as all of your other accusations are and you are using that to justify this vendetta of yours.

You planned on this alliance to fail from the start and have looked for every excuse to make it not work. As I have told you before, as clearly shown by your help co-writing the Charter; that even when I do what you say, you still find fault in it.

So I will speak with the Prime Minister of Yutan myself, without going through you. As one Head of State to another, I needn't go through someone that has formally resigned his position to be the middle person.

"That is my decision. All others present can have their say as well, but I am quite certain that they don't feel as negative about this alliance as you have from the start."

[member="Corey Brave"] [member="Natalie LaForte"]

 

[Corey Brave]

"I find this argument to be an outrage and a total misrepresentation of the facts as we all know them to be. What [member="Viktor Alexander"] and the government Yutan have a grievance with are the fundamental tenants of democracy. The government of Yutan and it's senator are not getting their way, so they have decided to tuck their tails behind there legs and runaway, instead of debating and defending what they believe in they chose to give up. I am Categorically Opposed to this request it is not in the best interest of this alliance, nor is it in the best interest of the people of Yutan. I has a very strong belief that if the people of Yutan were given a vote in this matter, they would chose to stay in an alliance with other like minded worlds that support and aid each other. I agree with [member="Lady Kay"], there should be a meeting of the heads of state, but I believe that Gyndine government should be involved as well.

The people of Gyndine will support a peaceful resolution to this situation, but as with any matter we will support keeping military options open and ready for use. Given the chancellors personal relationship with the former Senator of Yutan, it only makes sense that a third party should be put in charge of the negotiations. A new face could bring a fresh perspective to this situation and perhaps ease the tensions on both sides.

Whatever ultimately happens I think it should be made clear that no one in the Alliance has any ill will towards the people of the Yutan. It is the government of Yutan and its former Senator that have shown such contempt for their people and the opinion that they have on the matter. I find it hard to believe that a government would make this kind of decision in a rushed fashion without consulting with the general population. If anyone on Yutan wishes to stay a member of the Alliance, the planet of Gyndine would welcome them with open arms.

​I would also point out that the real enemy is out in space, slowly but surely taking over planet after planet, the Sith. The Sith are who we should all be cornered with, and there expansion and dreams of conquest should frighten all freedom loving people in the Alliance. If you are unlucky enough to find yourself under their rule, you will have no option to simply leave and go alone, you will be wrapped in the chains of oppression and injustice.


Corey wasn't surprised by this action by [member="Viktor Alexander"], he had never believed in the Alliance or what it stood for. From the very beginning he had found the man to be in conflict with not just his agenda but that of all the other worlds. Corey had no intention to allow Yutan to leave the Alliance, if necessary he would even propose a military blockade of the planet until they agreed to negotiate terms. He wouldn't leave negotiations to the Prime Minster of Gyndine, the man was just a place holder and a puppet. The man had no experience or any sense of imagination when it came to people and working with them.

 

[Natalie LaForte]

"My my what an introduction Sen-.. Former Sentor Alexander. With all due respect, Chancellor [member="Lady Kay"], I don't believe visiting the Prime Minister would alter his decision in the slightest. In my humble opinion, a trade blockade would be in order against Yutan, along with a second referendum to ensure this isn't the act of a mad dictator. Furthermore I agree with Senator Brave, the only enemy out there is the external forces of the Sith and the dark side. Leaving the Commenor Systems alliance would only hurt your position on an intergalactic scale."

While staring at her nails and with a smile she continued.

"Also thanks for keeping me in the loop, and that's to everyone. Was this place attacked? If it was I would've assumed that we should pick a different meeting place. This is just... why? A terrorist attack happens and nobody informs me? Perhaps it was my obligation to stay an extra few hours and ensure that my office wasn't vandalized and my personal belongings set to the black market for some thugs to get their filthy hands on them"

Natalie sighed and awaited a response.

[member="Viktor Alexander"]

 

[Kenrath]

Viktor listened quietly to the responses around the room. Most of which were exactly the same responses he expected to receive. Especially from [member="Lady Kay"] and [member="Corey Brave"] respectively. It was almost tragic how predictable they both were. The response [member="Natalie LaForte"] gave however did surprise him slightly. He took a small breath before addressing Kay first.

"You have no control in this matter. As everyone has received in writing, you for the second time, the people of Yutan were never part of the Alliance. You are in effect attempting to prevent Yutan from leaving something it was not part of to begin with. If you will refer back to the first document provided to you originally after your visit to Yutan and a few minutes ago to the other members present Yutan only pledged to support the effort to establish the Alliance. The signing on as a member world of the Alliance is clearly stipulated in the third Phase of the three phase transition. A transition with very clear benchmarks that have not been sufficiently met. Clearly a diplomat of your experience and ability is well aware that infringing on the rights of a Sovereign world by attempting to circumvent it's laws for personal gain would be career suicide for you personally not to mention irrecoverably damage the reputation of the Alliance you are trying to build."

Viktor paused.

"The people of Yutan are in effect simply moving to withdraw support for an initiative we no longer believe to be in the best interest of our people. Your emotional yet entirely expected response as it highlights a pattern of behavior deemed by the Prime Minister and his advisers to be counter-productive to the goals of our people. We experienced such instability when Yutan was the Capital of the Republic before it's collapse and is not something we wish to experience again."

Viktor then turned to address Senator Brave.

"I find your position contradictory. On the one hand you accuse my people of acting counter to Democracy yet you threaten Military action against a peaceful world simply asserting there Democratic right to forge their own destiny on their own terms. On that note threatening military response to diplomatic actions you disagree with is the very definition of ill will."

He paused.

"Speaking of supporting democracy. When the Chancellor forwarded to me a finished draft of the Charter prior to scheduling this session I must have overlooked your contributions to it's writing? How curious I find that. Could there be pages missing or is it simply you want the benefits of Democracy without actually putting in the work to achieve it?"

Viktor then directed his attention to Natalie.

"It was my understand based on what the Chancellor told me that all Senators who's offices had been damaged during the attack would be informed. I took her at her word. So either your office was not damaged or the Chancellor lied. As far as word of the attack itself I encouraged the Chancellor to call an emergency session to not only make notification but to organize a combined response to the attack. Ultimate that insistence only resulted in being kicked out of her office......................."

He paused.

"..................much like I imagine I am about to be kicked out of these chambers in yet another irrational and emotionally charged response to events either out of the Chancellor's control or as a result of a desire to suppress the freedom of information. Yet another tenant of Democracy Senator Brave seems to believe I don't respect.............the intentional suppression of freedom."

Viktor turned to address the entire chamber.

"In light of the intentions made known today let me say this. It is not the intention of the people of Yutan to hinder in any way the progress of establishing an Alliance of planets in this region of the Galaxy. We simply have no wish to be a member world. Due to our geographical proximity to the member worlds of the Alliance we will in times of great need be glad to provide assistance to any member world of the Alliance should you need it. You simply have to submit a request like every other planet in the galaxy and it will be reviewed."

He paused.

"However the presence of Military vessels representing the Alliance or any of it''s member worlds without permission in Yutani space will be treated as a hostile act.This includes but not limited to Military Blockades, Economic blockades, and Diplomatic sanctions. Failure to remove said vessels from Yutani space will be considered an act of war. It was our intention for this to be a peaceful process but we will not hesitate to defend ourselves against hostile acts threatening the safety and security of our people."

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay looked to [member="Corey Brave"] as he spoke. At first she was in somewhat of an agreement with him. Yet when he spoke of military action, her jaw dropped. Was this really what she was hearing? Threatening a peaceful world with military might? Maybe [member="Carlyle Rausgeber"] had spoken to Senator Brave. Their ideologies on how to deal with people seem very similar.

She turned her attention to [member="Natalie LaForte"] next as she spoke. To Kay's surprise, much to her dismay that she too proposed punishing Yutan. The little jab on her mistake on not mentioning to everyone about the attack didn't go unnoticed either.

And then [member="Viktor Alexander"] spoke up again. And just as he did many times over, he bypassed what she had said and continued on, again pointing out reasons that both he and now the Yutani government don't approve of her. She was emotional.

Kay closed her eyes for a moment, settling herself before speaking up. "Senator Brave, we are not the Empire. Threatening to go to war over this is wrong. We are not bullies, nor are we oppressors.

And the same goes for trade blockades, Senator LaForte. Collective punishment on innocent people is not going to win them over. Instead it'll only create enemies and hate."

She looked to each of them, her voice a little lower volume and softer in tone. "I considered this Charter to be important. I had thought that everyone thought it was vital. When I created the first draft, I asked for help and opinions. Only Viktor gave them. So it seemed as though no one else thought it to be important. And still, the Charter wasn't up to Viktor's standards. And given that so few have turned up today, it seems that still the Charter isn't important. If I can't get everyone to help or to come here for what is the backbone of our alliance, what makes you think that I'd get everyone here for an emergency session?

The attack happened and we are still working hard to determine who was behind it. It could've been a lot worse. This entire building could've been destroyed if not for the efforts of the security personnel and others nearby. Many more would have died. I want to see those responsible to pay for what they did and two of them will soon be in our custody. Nothing was stolen out of anyone's offices. Lives had been lost as as Viktor loves to point out, their blood is on my hands, instead of the culprits behind it. So this again is nother situation that he can take advantage of.

Yes, I am emotional and there are many reasons for that. Yet I am stubborn too. And I will not give up so easily because of the twisted views of one individual that didn't want to be a part of the alliance in the first place. So again I will go to Yutan and speak with the Prime Minister and if you try to block me Viktor, then you really show your true colours and intentions to undermine this whole thing from the start. For it isn't really about what's best for the people of Yutan. Instead it's really been about what's best for you."

She sipped her tea, finishing it off and then put her cup down on the table. "Perhaps after this business with Yutan is sorted, we can get back to the Charter. Or will that only lead me to be accused of not proceeding with anything in a reasonable time? As you can imagine it's quite difficult when hurdles such as these get thrown into our laps."

 

[Corey Brave]

Corey was happy that he was at least on the same page as [member="Natalie LaForte"], as far as he was concerned their position was fairly reasonable. He wanted to see a peaceful outcome but he also knew that leaving the door open for military options was a key part of negotiations. He wasn't speaking about an invasion or anything of that nature, he was more inclined to support a blockade of the planet until they agreed to drop this nonsense.

"I think that me and [member="Natalie LaForte"] are being rational, I can't speak for people, but I know won't just being willing to let this go. Gyndine is a peaceful planet, but we are not in the business of letting people hurt us, especially over a petty personal matter. Yutani has to understand that this a hard position that it has placed us in here, every single senator is going to have to consult with their people over this action. [member="Viktor Alexander"] and his government cannot expect us to just allow them to leave at the expense of our own people."

He turns to the chancellor

"What we are talking about here is a blockade, not an invasion, or the overthrow of the government. A blockade is the most rational route for us to go in the event that an agreement or understanding cannot be reached. My hope is that we can have peace and the negotiations are successful and that all parties see reason, if that does not happen then we will be prepared. As far as the [member="Lady Kay"] is concerned, this is a democratic institution and i think that if you poll most of the members of the senate they will share my opinion on the matter. We cannot just allow planets to leave this Alliance when they don't get their way, leaving us to sit here with our hands in our pockets. We need to use this as an example to all member planets who are potentially thinking of doing the same, it's the only way to ensure that the Alliance is built to last and withstand the challenges that are to come."

he looked towards the former senator

"Let's not lose sight of the real cause of this motion, Former senator [member="Viktor Alexander"]. I wonder what lies and spins you told your Prime Minster to get him to agree to something so idiotic. We all know that from the beginning you have been against this Alliance and it's creation. Is this all because of your personal problem with the chancellor, or is this about something else, only you know the answer to that but it's very disappointing that you have chosen this path. We all have had to make scarifies in order for this Alliance to work, some more than others, but we all have tried out best, except for you. I can't help but think that all this could have been avoided had you been more willing to compromise with the rest of us."

 

[Jorhan Stahl]

Jorhan Stahl listened from outside the senate chamber doors as the senators inside did nothing but bicker. To him it seemed very simple they should invade Yutan, take out the government and install one that was friendly to the CSA. He couldn't understand why [member="Lady Kay"] was taking a position that would essentially give away a planet for nothing in return, it was a move that would hurt the CSA and any attempt to give a sense of unity. He liked what [member="Corey Brave"] and [member="Natalie LaForte"] had to say on the matter but to him they were still timid the only way to deal with something like this would be to throw the hammer down. He wanted the CSA to expand, and in order for that to happen it had to keep all of the planets together. After hearing the Senator from Gyndine, he felt that it was the right time to enter.

He pushed the doors open to the chambers and stood in the front of the room so that he could address all his fellow senators.

"Fellow senators, my name is Jorhan Stahl and represent the planet Attanox. I have some ideas about what should be added to the charter, but I feel that I must speak out on the current topic of discussion."

He turned to the former senator [member="Viktor Alexander"]

"If the people of Yutan want to leave the CSA, then they should be allowed to go that. However if the this is simply an act of the government of Yutan then we must take a different course of action. Yutan should immediately call a referendum on the issue of leaving the CSA, if it passes then we should allow the planet and have them pay some sort of price over a period of years for all the services that they have used. If the people vote to stay in the CSA and the government does not listen to them, then we are going to have to make a regime change. A new government might be necessary in order to see this process play out."

 

[Natalie LaForte]

"As much as I agree with sanctions against Yutan, I don't believe a hostile takeover is in order, [member="Jorhan Stahl"] although I do agree that this process should be up to the Senate of the CSA to decide, not the sovereign of Commenor. I believe the real reason for this attempted separation is because of a lack of trust in the senate to go ahead and produce what was laid out in the Yutan's terms of joining due to miss-managing on behalf of the Chancellor."

"I do agree with [member="Corey Brave"]. We are well within our right to act as with wish to disobedience, after all, we are an alliance. If independent states within the alliance want to act against such frivolous attempts to undermine our efforts at instituting peace in an organised fashion, then they should only be met with what they are trying to perpetuate -- hostilities."

"I won't put forward a motion until we have settled the issue of the charter and some more individuals arrive. After all, I am patient and don't drop bombshells which could seriously impact the planet that I am representing, unlike some" winking at [member="Viktor Alexander"]

"It's quite humorous. You were the most dedicated person to this alliance yet you are the first one to give up on it when things don't go your way."

 

[Kenrath]

Viktor listened to [member="Lady Kay"] as she chastised them for essentially following her lead. It would have been amusing to watch if it were not so sad. Just as amusing as accusing literally the only person who should her support not just in word but actual action of wanting to see her fail from the beginning. The words of [member="Corey Brave"] he completely ignored. A Tyrant would always be a Tyrant. Even still he wanted to ask the man exactly what his people had sacrificed for the good of the Alliance.............other than the Senator's own personal goals of the Vice-Chancellorship and physical control of the Alliance Military. He did take a moment to quietly shake his head.

More than anything he turned to the knew face in the room of [member="Jorhan Stahl"] a man who had yet to be any part of the Alliance coming in to not only claim to be an expert of the Yutani people he had most likely never met but on events he had not been part of. Then of course to ignorantly echo the threats of death and violence given voice and intent by the Corey and Natalie.

Speaking of [member="Natalie LaForte"] he turned to her as she spoke. He looked at her for a moment trying to decide whether she was a complete moron or perhaps the most manipulative person he had ever met. While it was true he was the most dedicated to the Alliance he had yet to ask anything of the Alliance, it's member worlds, or any single person. In that regard accusing him of not getting his way driving his action made no sense what so ever as in order to get your way you have to have actually wanted something.


Finally having heard enough for the day and having given the Chancellor and the Senators more time and voice than he had originally been empowered to give them Viktor made his final statement.

"I have fulfilled my orders as passed to me by the Prime Minister of Yutan. I have even against those orders even gone as far as to permit you to voice your concerns and opinions. In response to that generosity the Senate as taken a firm stance and displayed a hostile intention against the people of Yutan not shown to them. In true tyrannical fashion and in a slap of the face at the Democratic ideals you claim to strive for have pushed for war against the people of Yutan."

He paused.

"Against the wishes of the Prime Minister and against better judgement I will submit your request for a meeting with the Prime Minister not on behalf of the Commenor Systems Alliance you claim to be but the Commenor Systems Empire you have here today shown yourself to be."

Viktor paused again.

"Let the record again reflect that while we will grant your request for a meeting any military vessels found in Yutani space will be treated as an act of the war this body is so desperately pushing for. While we have no desire for war nor do we have any desire to hinder the efforts of those who wish to remain in this Empire we will defend ourselves and the lives of our people."

Viktor calmly gathered his things and gave Kay a polite nod.

"Good day Empress."

Viktor made his way out the door. He knew referring to them as an Empire and calling Kay an Empress would strike a nerve. However if it walked like an Empire, talked like an Empire, and acted like an Empire then the logical conclusion was that it was an Empire. Viktor would return to Yutan unless the Empress was so bold as to have him detained preventing him from returning home. Part of him wished she actually did go so far.

 

[Corey Brave]

This was getting better by the second for Corey, he was gaining a close ally in [member="Natalie LaForte"] and appeared to have an ally in [member="Jorhan Stahl"]. It would take time to tell whether or not this was the just the three of them or the will of the entire senate, either way [member="Lady Kay"] wasn't looking good, and that was all the opening that he would need. It was clear that [member="Viktor Alexander"] and the Yutan government were very serious about leaving the Alliance, which was good because if they did he would be the first to call a vote of no confidence in the chancellor, this was all her fault. He wasn't against her personally, but the idea that she thought that she could stop Yutan from leaving with just words didn't inspired his confidence. The only way that the Yutan government would come to the table would be if they believed that their would be consequences for their actions in terms of military force.

"[member="Lady Kay"], I think I speak for the majority of the senators, when i say we trust you and your negotiating skills. We know that you would most likely come back to the senate with some sort of deal, however given the fact that we will all have to vote on any agreement reached, it would make sense to bring 1 or 2 senators along with you, so that the senate as a whole can be represented. As I have said before i want a peaceful resolution to this request from the Yutan government, but not at the expense of our people. It would be good to have someone along who would be able to remind the Yutan government that there are senators in the Alliance who are willing to blockade their planet if they won't work with us in good faith."

"[member="Viktor Alexander"], I find your words to be against the facts as we all know them. If we were the empire, we wouldn't be talking about military action as a last resort, we would just bomb your planet into submission and enslave your people, that's just a fact. You and your government are playing a very dangerous game that you do not understand, and you are about to learn an important lesson. Play the game for more than you can afford to lose only then will you learn the game."

he looked towards [member="Jorhan Stahl"]

"While I appreciate the energy that you bring to this debate, I do not believe that a regime change is necessary or right. The people of Yutan should be allowed to choose the course of action they wish to take, and it's unfortunate that there government seems to disagree. We must work with the government so that we can show them the errors of their ways, the politics isolation will lead them down a very deep and dark path, that I am unsure they will ever get out of."

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay frowned as the minutes wore on, cradling her cup of tea in her hands and tracing her left thumb along it's brim. This was not going well. It looked just like the Senate meetings of the Republic, full of backstabbers and people thirsty for action, even if it means a bloody conflict. Who could she trust? Apparently no one. She was on her own here and it made her question why she allowed herself to be talked into creating a Senate to begin with. As always, her good intentions were ill met.

She clenched her jaw as each of them spoke, [member="Corey Brave"] , [member="Natalie LaForte"] and the latecomer [member="Jorhan Stahl"] all wanting to use collective punishment with military force waiting in the wings. It was, as [member="Viktor Alexander"] pointed out, like the Empire. And when they fell, they fell hard.

The sting of being called an Empress was felt. Though Kay knew that that was on purpose. She wasn't a Palpatine. The rest of them were much closer to it than she could ever be. And she was out numbered. Her hands were tied. Even though the Charter wasn't ratified, trying to veto what they wanted would only show her as being the type to abuse power.

There had to be some kind of middle ground.

Kay got to her feet, looking to each of them individually. Viktor was already out of sight. Maybe that was a good thing. Yet with what he had to tell the government of Yutan of what had transpired here, it wasn't going to help their cause. Instead the hostility was only going to hinder it. "Listen to yourselves. Take a step back and listen. Do you know what you sound like? Viktor pointed it out before he walked out. Instead of being a people for peace, you are jumping on the bandwagon of oppression. It's not our way or the highway. This is a slippery slope that you want to direct us into and once there, there is no going back. We will lose our position and strong standing. We become no better than the other failed governments out there that 'claimed' to be on the side of the right.

This is not the way. This should not be the way of our Alliance. We shouldn't threaten people who haven't threatened us. Their only harm comes in the form of a little less going into your pockets. That's no reason to go as far as to threaten war."

Kay let out a forced breath before she continued. "Diplomacy can still work if it's given the chance, without the weight of threats following behind it. Would there be consequences for Yutan if they indeed chose to remain out of the Alliance? Of course. But it should be no different than what any other non-member world goes through. They would have less access to what we share, would have to pay more in tariffs and taxes.

I may not have been able to persuade Viktor into siding with me as he doesn't trust me, but I have met with the Yutani officials before. Without him, they would have joined us all the easier. I want to go to set this right and if you really deem it necessary, then I will take one more with me to keep the talks more balanced.

The last thing that this Galaxy needs is for us to become chaotic like all the others." Instead of sitting, Kay remained standing. She was losing them and she knew it. Yet that wasn't going to stop her from trying. She wasn't going to give up. In her opinion, the Alliance would be lost if she was kicked out so soon. Even her husband would have to agree to that.

 

[Jorhan Stahl]

Jorhan felt where [member="Lady Kay"], was coming from he really did, but at the same time it appeared she wasn't understanding the magnitude of the situation. There wasn't much of a diplomatic solution when one side says there leaving and that's the end of the discussion. She seemed to be having a hard time with the whole leadership thing, perhaps it was time for a new course of action that would represent the majority of the senate.

"I feel very strongly that the CSA would suffer a hit to our public image of we allowed this to happen. Forgive me if I don't have much faith in your ability to convince a government that is clearly dead set on leaving the Alliance. I feel that unless someone that the full senate trust to represent all opinions goes with you on this meeting with the Prime Minster of Yutan, we will have little choice then to vote on measure that will punish Yutan."

He faced [member="Viktor Alexander"]

"It's important to remember that we are not the ones who wanted to be put in this position, we didn't ask for this, and from what I understand this senate has bent over backwards for the government of Yutan and it's former senator."

[member="Corey Brave"] [member="Natalie LaForte"]

 

[Corey Brave]

Corey knew that Kay would be someone of reason, she was showing true leadership by agreeing to take one of the senators with her. She couldn't see it know but she was actually making peace possible, he and the other senators knew that they had the votes to take action that they deemed necessary, but now a senator would go with her and express the view point of the entire sen ate. He knew that she wouldn't like it at first but eventually she would come around to his way of thinking.

"[member="Lady Kay"] thank you for listening to our suggestion. If no one has a problem with it, i would like to be the one to go with the chancellor on this diplomatic mission. I have experience with high stakes negotiations and i believe that we could do very well as a team. I know that this wasn't what you had in mind when you first decided to meet the Yutan Prime Minster, but i was a Prime Minster myself not to long ago and i think that could be a potential connection between the two of us. I think that it would be good for the Yutan to see a united front from the Alliance, no doubt [member="Viktor Alexander"] has filled there heads with stories of disunity and chaos, we will show them that nothing could be further from the truth."

He knew that this was the right thing to do for himself and Kay, this would be a test of sorts to see how well the pair could work together. If he was going to be the second in vice chancellor then he was going to have to be able to have a working relationship with the chancellor. It was clear from listening to other senators that the chancellor was in a very weak political position, and he wanted to be someone she felt was a supporter and even a friend. If he played his cards right he could walk away from this with the support of the entire senate and the chancellor.

[member="Natalie LaForte"] [member="Jorhan Stahl"]

 

[Jorhan Stahl]

"I seond that, I believe Senator[member="Corey Brave"] is someone that we can all trust to deliver the message for the senate, especially those who want to be very tough on the Yutan government. I don't think there is anyone up for the task at hand better than the Senator from Gyndine, I think that my fellow senators would agree with me on that point."

Jorhan had his reservations about [member="Lady Kay"], but for some reason he felt that he could trust [member="Corey Brave"]. He knew that he would bring a new course of action that would represent the majority of the senate.