In the Presence of Mine Enemies (Open, Senate)

[Ashin Varanin]

In person, or by holocomm. Ultimately, the decision required only one question: Which would make her look weak?

Never in five thousand years had the Dark Lord of the Sith set foot in the Galactic Senate as an avowed enemy of the Republic. She was literally the first since Exar Kun. That precedent -- a Senate defied and paralyzed by mind control, a First Apprentice rescued, a Jedi Master struck down in open combat before a helpless assembly -- had to be ringing in the ears of every Senator and Jedi involved.

Even more unsettling to some, the circumstances of her appearance had more than a few parallels with Kun's visit. Just as he had come to set Ulic Qel-Droma free, Ashin's arrival came not long after Senator Sammael's diatribe against a woman with whom she had been publicly associated, in the capacity of a mentor. Privately, of course, the parallel was even stronger; Spencer Jacobs was the same person as the Sith Empire's First Apprentice, the masked woman called Sanctuary. It was a flimsy ruse, albeit one backed by powerful Sith magic, designed to keep Spencer safe while her power waxed.

And in Kun's day, the Senate had found itself paralyzed...much as Spencer, as herself and not as Sanctuary, had helped Ashin mind-control the parliament of Gand.

The third potential parallel -- the death of Vodo-Siosk Baas in the chamber of the Senate itself -- would be setting her escort's mind alight, if she knew Darron Wraith at all. That had been his condition for allowing her to speak to the Senate: That she come unarmed, and that he be her escort. And so, as she entered the Senate box assigned to visiting dignitaries, Darron Wraith stood with her. The Vaapad master could cut her down in a heartbeat.

Theoretically.

There was no trickery about her presence, no hidden aura nor false Light Side allegiance. Her Force signature was unveiled, cold and hard enough to make Jedi flinch.

She hesitated before she touched the controls that would send her Senate box floating out to seek recognition from the chair.

"Any last-moment advice, Grandmaster?" said the Dark Lord of the Sith.

 

[Hanna Ike]

Hana was shocked to say the least.. but she was willing to see what the woman had to say. She was the last to be over zealous. She would hear the Empress out. She sat in her floating box, beside the Chancellor, wondering what her angle was, What was the reason for this, Did she have some ulterior motive. Did she have some crazy idea. She waited for the Empress to speak.

 

[Darron Wraith]

The GrandMaster of the Jedi Order was quite familiar with the pod he was standing on, it wasn't the first time, nor the last time he would ever see the senate chamber. Though if this were like the stories, or legends of old. I suppose I might need to be worried. It was a fleeting thought, nothing more, nothing less. Yes the legend of Exar Kun, well to be more correct history for those in the know. It was very well documented, and he wouldn't allow the same thing to happen again. He had just been promoted to GrandMaster only month's ago, and he didn't intend for his replacement to have to be selected so soon. In fact, he had felt as if he had grown while learning on the job. If nothing else, he was definitely showing fortitude for making the request that he had. Or standing where he was.

Right next to the Sith Empress.

Through the Force he could feel the anxiety in the room, tensions where at an all time high. Anger was present, but fear was most prevalent. It was why Darron stood behind the Empress, and why he was dressed as traditionally a Jedi as he could possibly muster. The cream tunic and pants with the brown robe over them was a stark contrast to her dark armor. His visage was best suited for posters while Ashin was wrought with darkside corruption, yet here they stood only feet apart. Where as most would have wanted to see them dueling for the souls of the galaxy, or the Empress in chains. Darron simply wanted to allow her the chance to freely speak, with only her words, not the Force.

A part of him regretted her being unarmed, if only for her safety. Yes, she was evil, but she was a sentient being. Her life had meaning just as much as anyone else in the room, were it not her showing up under the guise of a political talk. Darron would have arrested her on sight, and the way both of his hands rested on his lightsaber hilts let his feelings on the matter be known. She wasn't pulling any trickery though, but his field of responsibility was squarely on her so as to keep her from using the Force to manipulate others. Again, something that didn't need to be said.

The GrandMaster of the Jedi Order looked to the Dark Lord of The Sith, and a frown crossed his face as he walked forth and pressed the button for her before stepping away.

"Yes, don't say anything foolish to get yourself hurt. I am here to protect the Senate, as well as allow you the chance to speak. So should someone try to end you, my life is up grabs on this day as well."

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

Sammael sat in his pod along with a few other representatives from Byss. There was a smile plastered on his face below the mask. Something very entertaining was happening today, something that not in a million years he would have seen coming. The Senator was laughing uproariously on the inside, though on the outside he remained cold as steel. Sammael sat and just watched as the Empress began to raise from the floor within the Senate.

He was excited for this, he wanted to see what the Empress would do, he wanted to see the Jedi would do. Their grandmaster was in control of the situation apparently, it was he that had allowed The Empress here, and it was he that would pay the blood price if anything went wrong.

Sammael rapped his fingers against the side of his chair, just waiting and watching. For perhaps the first time ever he was genuinely curious as to what was going on, he saw no reason as to why the Empress was here. The Senator was eager to hear her speak.

 

[Ben Watts]

Ben did not like this, not at all, but Darron had reassured him time and time again. Despite Ben trying to convince him otherwise, he had the final say, and Ben could do nothing more but put his faith in the man he trusted. Darron was a noble Jedi, men looked up to him like he was more than a man, like he was created for the sole purpose of being a Jedi. Ben did not endorse bringing the Empress of the Sith into the heart of the Republic, but he followed Darron's leadership for a reason, so he attended the meeting as a safety precaution.

Wearing his normal Jedi garb, Ben made it obvious that he was there as a safety measure, he was not one to intrude on Senator's meetings. He did not like the politics of the Republic, he did enjoy the Jedi side of things, but some of their policies and ideas were a bit radical for him so he mostly stayed out of it. Making his way into the room as things were beginning, he stepped into the pod that harbored the Senator from Byss, a protection detail that Ben had specifically asked for.

He was trying to pass a bill that required the Jedi to register themselves. He had become quite the celebrity among Jedi lately, and Ben was the only one willing to take the protection duty, no one else cared about his safety. Ben, believing his bill would ultimately fall, decided to take the detail even though he was not required to do it. Someone had to protect him even if he was anti Jedi, that did not make him any less part of the Republic, and they were the sworn protectors of said Republic.

"Senator Sammael," Ben whispered, keeping a respectful distance from the Senator, not wanting to impede his personal space. "Jedi Master Ben Watts, I have been assigned to your pod as protection in case anything is to go awry during this mission." He was sure he was not going to like it, he seemed perfectly fine without Ben being there, but oh well. Standing up straight, he gazed down at the Sith Empress, wondering what she was doing here in the first place. If she was coming to the heart of the Galactic Republic it was either a trap, or something was going wrong with the Sith. Either way, he wasn't excited about it.

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

Sammael turned about as the Jedi walked into his pod, he scowled slightly as the man gave him his name and rank. He seemed to remember the name from somewhere, though his memory was a bit fuzzy. When he had been Moridin he had slaughtered one Grandmaster, Teferi Efreet. He closed his eyes for a second and attempted to remember the name Ben Watts, suddenly something in his mind snapped and the frown on his face turned into a smirk.

This was the man who could have been grandmaster. This was the man that had helped the little green alien re-create the Jedi Order. Sammael's smirk turned into a grin beneath his mask, he was going to have to relish this entire encounter. Moridin had nothing against Jedi of course, in fact he had had a Jedi friend or two during his four hundred years of living, slaughtering them had always been more something for his own enjoyment, something to entertain himself with.

The persona of Sammael was entirely different however, he was supposed to hate Jedi. He was supposed to hate all force users in fact. He would have to be slightly abrasive towards the Jedi, as not to be found out. Still the smirk beneath his mask didn't go away, and instead of speaking he simply waved the Jedi master over to the seat next to him. There was no force presence for the Master to detect, nothing for the man to find out about the Senator from Byss.

“Tell me Jedi. Would you rather have me upon that podium, passing my law against your kind....or her?” Sammael said it with a smirk on his face, one hidden by his mask. He sat and stared as the Empress rose from the ground, watching her every move.

 

[Ben Watts]

The Senator waved him over, and for a moment, Ben did not want to take the seat. He was there for protection, and protection only, and if he wanted to speak to him he was sure it was not going to be good. Especially considering the man obviously did not care to much for the Jedi in the first place. Not wanting to be rude, though, he complied and he took a seat next to the Senator.

As soon as he spoke, Ben chuckled under his breath, and a smile formed on his face. He knew he was just trying to bait him with his words. Maybe cause an outburst here at the meeting, but Ben was not so easily swayed, he was used to hearing people try and bait him with their words. "Honestly, I don't care for either of you being up there, but then again I don't much care for the politics game." It was true, he did not like the fact that the Republic had their hand so deep in the Jedi's doings, he had been firmly against it but there was nothing to be done about it now. "Also, you can just call me Ben." He kept his eyes on the proceedings as he talked, not wanting to be rude, but also not wanting to miss anything.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

Ashin nodded. Darron's reply needed no acknowledgement. She touched the controls of the Senate seat and it moved forward through the air.

Her voice went on broadcast.

"Will the chair recognize Empress Desmius the First of the Sith Empire, here under the personal protection and guard of the Jedi Grandmaster?"

 

[Jaxton Ravos]

Regrettably Jaxton was late. Between his physical, mental, and spiritual training he could usually still manage to do what he needed, but with the added duty of Knight Representative he had been swamped with duty lately. Jaxton didn't normally do protection duty, somewhat due to guilt and somewhat because of a lack of trust for himself after the events at Junction, but with todays "special guest" every Jedi with an inkling of combat training was on guard duty today. After seeing many pick to defend their homeplanets, Jaxton was filled with a little regret as Corellia was not Republic world. He also noted that while almost all of the Senators had at least two or three Jedi with them, only one man had signed up to protect the Senator of Byss, a very controversial and polarizing point of a discussion amongst the Jedi nowadays. So, Jaxton decided to sign up to protect that man, partially so the numbers would be better, partially to show an example because eyes were watching him now, and partially because the only man who signed up was his friend Master Watts.

He had intended it to be a pleasant surprise, so he didn't tell Ben what he was doing, but now he was late. Running around hurridly like a mad-man, most cleared the way merely due to Jaxton's size, but those who didn't moved once they saw the lightsaber on his back. He entered the Pod and was immediately greeted by the Senator's own protection, but the Byss militarymen let him through once he showed his clearance and lightsaber.

"I apologize for my impromptu timing Senator Sammael." Jaxton said to the Senator @[member="Darth Moridin"] as he got to the pod's interior and had a grand view of the whole Galactic Senate. He then walked over to his friend @[member="Ben Watts"] and put his hand on his shoulder "Couldn't let you out on guard duty alone." He joked in a happy tone. His focus quickly was turned away from the Senator and the Jedi Master, as while being a Jedi and fulfilling the duties that came with his position meant a lot to Jaxton, it was all secondary today. He had come here for one purpose.

Did you kill him? Jaxton focused and spoke telepathically to the Sith Empress @[member="Ashin Varanin"]. He needed to know what happened to the man who killed the great Teferi Efreet, he needed to know that he had been dealt with.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

Another mind touched hers, an unfamiliar one. Ashin's unnaturally pale eyes tracked around the hall and settled, by instinct, on Jaxtos Ravos. She met his gaze and shook her head once, then refocused on the Chancellor.

 

[Aurelia Saelari]

Aurelia was not pleased. In fact she was very, very annoyed. The Grandmaster had promised her that the Empress would not be allowed to cause trouble, and she sincerely hoped that was the case. The Empress was not just a political leader, but had great power over the Force. The Chancellor was not so naive as to think she could stand up to such power, so it was with trepidation and annoyance that she greeted her arrival.

"The Chair does recognise Empress Desmius on this very unusual occasion. I would say for those colleagues of mine who were not expecting this, nor was I until today. However, the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order does indeed have her under his guard, so I trust everything will go peacefully."
"So what brings you here, Lady Desmius? You have taken a great risk coming here alone and unarmed, you trust in our laws and honour to protect you...and they shall unless provoked."

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

Sammael looked up as another Jedi joined them in the box, the Senator couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. A Jedi Master and a...he assumed a Knight from the way he carried himself was a queen much to guard one Senator. Obviously there was something else to this rather than his own...protection. Unless all the Senators were receiving Jedi guards because well then there were a hell of a lot more Jedi than he had assumed. Of course he highly doubted that was the case, the Jedi despised him.

His bill to attempt to register the Jedi was already well known throughout The Republic, and the more he thought about it the more he assumed that these Jedi were here to more put the fear of god in to him than anything else. Of course such a thing was nonsense and would never actually work since Sammael was...well The former Emperor. Ben Watts the Jedi Master sitting next to him was no threat to him, and the Jedi that had just joined them was even less so. He could kill them both in a matter of seconds...in theory.

“Well, then it is only fair that you address me by my name.” He didn't actually say it, but it was an invitation for the Jedi master to just call him Sammael, and odd thing from someone who supposedly hated Jedi. Then he looked to the other Jedi, the Zeltron.

Once Sammael got a good look at his face he couldn't help but smirk. This one he remembered well, not from a memory plucked from the mind of Teferi Efreet, but from his own. He had been there that day, when Moridin had slain the Grandmaster. The thought made him smirk wide behind his mask, that had been a good day. With an air of self confidence Moridin motioned to the Jedi “Please young Jedi, take a seat. I believe the Empress will be addressing us soon.”

 

[Ashin Varanin]

The box containing Darron and Ashin rose further, to take prime position in the hall.

"I came here to defy my own expectations," said Ashin to the entirety of the Senate. "I came here to prove myself wrong. You see, I have a certain set of assumptions about how the Senate as a whole will react to anything I say.

"I could say that, in my time as a Jedi Knight, I would have supported Senator Moridin's proposed legislation. I could explain my rationale, but the majority of you would fall into two camps. Some of you would say that I support his legislation in a naive attempt to assume that you are naive enough to go through with it. Others would say that I'm attempting to sabotage his legislation by endorsing it. And a few of you might assuming I'm playing a triple-blind game, attempting to outwit the second part and ensure the legislation's success. You find yourself in the position of the man faced with two goblets of poisoned wine. Am I the sort of person to put the poison in my own goblet, or in yours?

"Unlike the man with the poisoned wine, of course, you can simply choose not to partake. You can, potentially, ignore me. I'm not sure you're capable of it, to be frank, but it's hypothetically possible. Perhaps, by talking about it, I'm ensuring that you'll choose that very outcome.

"So in the end, it doesn't really matter what I say. None of you will listen, unless what I say is dictated by you. And so, ladies and gentlemen of the Senate -- ask me anything. Any question you ask, I will answer truthfully. Don't succumb to your prejudices: I am not the sort of Sith who lies for the sake of lying.

"Before we begin, of course, there's a small matter of record. A matter of truth, if you will.

"Senator Sammael's test case for his legislation was Jedi Padawan Spencer Jacobs. However, the Senator is as uninformed about certain aspects of the case as he is suspiciously over-informed about other aspects of the case. There are aspects of the situation which you should consider.

"The circumstances of her exit from the Jedi Order were, of course, regrettable, but ultimately she was given to understand that she was free and clear. And yet the first act of the Council -- or some Council member other than the Grandmaster who oversaw her exit -- was to send Jedi Master Phylis Alince after her in order to quietly ensure she was not a threat, by violent means if necessary. Master Alince confronted and fought Jacobs. Apparently, when a Jedi Padawan leaves the Order, a Jedi Master is sent after them, with violence as an option. I'm reminded of certain Sith cults, the degenerate sort with which the Empire does not associate. If a member leaves those cults peaceably, that member is often neutralized, defamed or assassinated. I'd submit to you that the Jedi Order operated in the same manner against the Padawan Spencer Jacobs.”

She glanced down at her datapad.

"I would also contest the Senator's depiction of Jacobs. He has claimed that she was present during our pacifications of Mon Calamari, Gand, Ossus and Gravlex Med. As the strategist and field commander for the first two operations, and as party to every mission report in the second pair, I can speak to each situation. First, of course, is Mon Calamari. This was soon after Spencer Jacobs was taken from a starliner by a Sith boarding party composed of, well, me. On Mon Calamari, a civil war was just beginning to erupt, a conflict between the Mon Cala, the Quarren and the Amphi-Hydrus. Our operation used minimal force to intervene and prevent this wasteful civil war. The most militant population was an Amphi-Hydrus colony and staging point on an island near the Mon Cala capital. While the island's forces were neutralized, Spencer Jacobs and I avoided violence and travelled to the core village of Amphi-Hydrus. Using her gifts of battle meditation and empathy, she was able to help me pacify the entire village without violence or loss of life. In an invasion that would have taken place anyway, she was able to prevent significant death and destruction. Without her intervention, Lord Tirdarius would simply have levelled the island from orbit.

“In terms of our intervention on Gand – another operation which would have taken place regardless of her involvement – we occupied the Parliament of Gand while others removed the Dictator and his elite forces from battle. It was Spencer Jacobs' empathy that convinced the Parliament to accept an orderly and peaceful transition. She sacrificed much of her own health to achieve this result, but saved, by the most conservative estimates, millions of lives. These are hardly acts to be vilified. As with Mon Calamari, any half-decent intelligence service will substantiate what I say, in every detail. I'm hardly foolish enough to misrepresent something that can be independently verified.

“Ossus, of course, cannot be independently verified. The campaign to unite the warring Ysanna tribes was brutal, in the manner of all war, and there is no way for anyone not directly associated with the Sith forces to have any testimony of those forces' composition. Those Ysanna who witnessed my forces in action do not have access to modern communications technology, and the entire system is under watch and interdiction during transition.

“Similarly, on Gravlex Med, the majority of the campaign took place aboard capital ships. Again, there is no way for anyone not directly associated with the Sith forces to know who was or was not part of those forces.

“Spencer Jacobs was not officially or detectably present at either battle. However, my First Apprentice, a woman known as Sanctuary, made a token appearance at both operations. Sanctuary is Spencer Jacobs, a ruse designed to secure her safety over the course of her growth. Having learned from Masters of Light and Dark, she is now fully competent and capable of her own defense against any but the most powerful Masters. First Apprentice is a title with long merit among my people. Darth Vader held that title within the Empire, as did Count Dooku, both Masters in their own right. The ruse has served its purpose.

“It was accomplished through the use of powerful Sith magic and alchemy. While certain conditions are met and her face is hidden, it is literally impossible to recognize Spencer Jacobs, and we have both been extremely careful. Only a handful of our associates know, and only a handful of others have guessed; that much is as certain as I can make it.

“I would submit to you that only someone who knew that Spencer Jacobs was Sanctuary, and had access to the Sith Order's forces on Ossus and Gravlex Med, could have made those accusations. Thus, it is my belief that Senator Sammael is on the payroll of one of my Dark Lords, making a backroom play against me by exposing my First Apprentice to bounty and ignominy. Perhaps even attempting to draw me out so I can be arrested or neutralized." Ashin snorted.

”But as I said, you'll think whatever you want. When I decry Sammael, do I intend to discredit him or do I intend to help him? In the end, what I say simply falls on deaf ears.

“And now, I say again, ladies and gentlemen of the Senate – ask me anything.”

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

Sammael's lips turned into an upwards curve as Ashin continued on and on about the flaws in his plan and how what he had said was different. The Senator let out a dry chuckle at some of the words, and then looked to the Jedi. Neither of them seemed very pleased with this news and he suspected that both of them wanted very much to arrest them. However the Empress had presented nothing but allegations, there was no proof to any of what she said, and the word of a Sith was not to be trusted...even the words of the Empress.

Still however Sammael felt the need to defend himself and as soon as She stopped speaking the Senator from Byss stood from his seat and walked over to the podium on his pod. The rest of the Senator's allowed him, half of them were seething with hate for him, and the other half just wanted answers.

“Before my Jedi...protectors decide to arrest me on the suspicion of treason, I would like to say a few words.” A series of chuckles ran through the entire Senate chamber...that was something at the very least. The Senator stood for a few seconds, then reached up to grab his mask. A slight hissing noise could be heard as the mask detached itself from something. Sammael pulled the mask away from his face, revealing who he was.

Sammael Tamlen looked to be a completely new man. There was no trace of the Sith Lord Moridin, no Sith like eyes, no silver long hair, none of his trademark Evil. Sammael seemed to be a completely different man. He had once been handsome, that much was clear. However across his face was a massive red gash, a scar that had clearly been left by a lightsaber. It ran from the beginning of his forehead directly across his face and down to his lips were it had split open his face.

He did not show his face to garner sympathy from the Senate, nor did he do it to scare them. It was simple, they needed to see his face to connect with him. The Mask would no longer do.

“I am honored, even flattered that the Empress herself, supposedly the most powerful being currently alive in the galaxy would come here today to 'expose' me.” He said the word expose with a heavy doze of sarcasm. “The truth is however, she is correct”

A massive gasp ran throughout the entire Senate, though Sammael silenced it with a simple wave of his hand. “Technically, she is correct though apparently much like my details about Miss Spencer Jacobs were mixed, hers as well are mixed.”

“I am not on anyone's pay roll, I serve no man or woman aside from the citizens of Byss. I am beholden to no Sith and no Jedi. The very thought sickens me to my very core. They took everything from me! And I will not allow them to take my soul!” He yelled the last to lines with genuine anger and passion, it was directed at everyone, everyone who believed such a farce. “The Sith who I am in contact with was and is not paying me. I simply used the tactics of the Sith against their own. Betrayal is the name of their game, it is an aspect of their culture that seeps deeper than anything else. This Sith lord, the one that gave me the information was no different. He sought to dethrone the Empress, and apparently the best way to do that was to go through Spencer Jacobs.”

“If what the Empress says is true then it is clear to me now of course that I was manipulated. Though it was in such a fashion that it benefited both I and the Sith.” Sammael looked behind him, he doubted that would save him from accusations of treason or anything of the like. He had lost quite a bit of footing in the Senate due to this, though he doubted he would be arrested. There was no proof that any transaction actually happened, there was only words from the Empress and Sammael himself. “I have never given this Sith any information on the Republic. No troop movements, no status of the Senate Meetings, no names, nothing. And as we see now, and as our Jedi Grandmaster has proven today, simply associating with a Sith is no crime worthy of treason.”

Sammael did not smile at the words, but they were true. There was no evidence of Sammael handing over information to a Sith, since he...well hadn't so the Republic could find none. He had committed no crime, there was perhaps shame, but he would not be leaving the Senate because of this...or so he thought.

 

[Jaxton Ravos]

@[member="Ben Watts"] @[member="Darth Moridin"]
After sending his telepathic message, the Empress looked around for a moment, then locked eyes with him and nodded. So she killed him. Killed the Sith Emperor that had ended Teferi's life. Jaxton's emotions were flooded with a mixture of guilt, anger, and happiness. Though he had hidden it well, Jaxton did have a nagging desire to see the Emperor dead, but that nagging desire also wanted him to be the one. The one to avenge, the one to deal the final blow. But that opportunity had passed. Jaxton knew it was for the best, such a rage would have corrupted him. Still, the desire had been there. As Jaxton took a seat near the Senator of Byss, he began meditating, still cognizant of the world around him, but attempting to dispel the demons within.

It was a short lived effort however, as the Empress began to speak, and defame the Sammael, speaking of turned Jedi and how Sammael couldn't have known about the fallen Jedi unless he was an insider with one of the Sith. The accusations were dangerous, and if they were true Jaxton's life could be in danger. Jaxton however, elected to stay seated. If the Senator tried to run Jaxton knew he could catch him, even if the Byss Military Reps tried to stop him. If the Senator tried something to Council Jaxton would sense it. And even if he failed in either pursuit he was not alone, as he was with Ben Watts, a man much more skilled than he was.

Sammael soon took off his mask, revealing a mishapen face bearing obvious scars from a lightsaber wound. It was a wonder the man was alive, and now his hatred for the Jedi, and the Sith, became more and more apparent as he continued addressing the Senate. Then he finally did it, admitted he had associated with the Sith. Jaxton hid his emotions better than most of the politicians in the room, but the shock on his face was still easily seen. He was not expecting this. He could feel the outcry from the Jedi guarding the other Senators, and hoped they would stay put. Any rash action by the Jedi would be horrible for the ensuing media frenzy destined to happen after this strange day. Jaxton stood up out of chair and turned to the Senator. How he moved from now on would be critical.

"Senator, I'm going to need to search you, your men, and your pod." Jaxton said in a tone that was not angry, but disappointed. Exhausted. Annoyed. This was about to be a long day.

 

[Ben Watts]

Ben was calm through the entire proceeding, and when Sammael gave his spiel, Ben let him without getting up from his seat. Though most everyone in the room wanted him arrested, they had no grounds, after all the Sith Empress was the one who was accusing him. For all Ben knew, it was a trick, some ploy to begin infighting within the Republic and Sammael was the perfect target. Everyone already wanted his head on a platter, they all wanted him gone, and this was just the chance they had been looking for to jump on him.

"No, Jaxton, we will not be illegally searching the Senator." Ben stood up, putting his hand up to Jaxton, his intentions were pure but they were unwarranted. They could not search his pod, his men, or his person based on the words of the Sith Empress. "The Senator has admitted to talking with a Sith Lord, as weird as it seems, we cannot arrest or search him when our own Jedi Grandmaster walked in here with the Empress of the Sith. A few words from a woman who leads the faction that we fight every day will not be grounds for me to break the regulations of the Republic. You and I will escort Senator Sammael safely from the Senate and nothing more will be done until we receive direct orders from the Jedi Grandmaster. Am I clear on that?" Ben was stern, but Jaxton knew him, this was a delicate situation that could turn ugly at any moment.

"Any problems with that, Senator?"

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

“Unfortunately Master Jedi, I do very much have a problem with that.” Sammael actually managed to maintain all hint of amusement from his voice, thought truthfully it was incredibly difficult not to laugh at this entire situation. The Senator looked around, several of the faces he could see were unhappy, others downright disgusted. This was to be expected of course, but the minds of politicians were easy to manipulate, simple and quite easy to shape in the manner he wanted them to fold, within a month he would have them all back on his side, and thats what really mattered. “As you yourself have said, I have done nothing illegal. There is no lawful reason for me to leave the Senate building, and personally I would like to hear what the other Senators and perhaps the Chancellor have to say about this.”

“I fear no retribution just yet, especially here and with two Jedi protecting me I fear it even less so.” Sammael said it quietly and not into the mic, slowly he turned around and sat back down in his seat. What he spoke was actually the truth, he very much doubted anyone would try to assassinate him here in the Senate when his guards surrounded him and two Jedi sat at his side. Not only would that be a foolish tactical move, but an idiotic political one.

He genuinely wanted to know the opinions of everyone, and more than anything else he wanted to hear what the Chancellor had to comment on all this. Legally she could not punish Sammael in anyway, at least not without punishing the Grandmaster himself. The two of them had effectively committed the same act...except one of them hadn't committed the act at all, that person being Sammael.

The Senator from Byss kept his face entirely neutral, leaving his mask off and sitting to the side on the armrest of his chair. He knew the Jedi would be displeased by his denying of the escort, but he wasn't about to leave his own party.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

Ashin squinted across the room.

"And as the Senator's thankfully honest and straightforward speech concludes, we see some confusion among the Jedi. One of his escort -- one of his guards? -- has stood to face him, to stand in front of him. And now they're all talking furiously. Now, I can't read lips, but I think we can all fill in the blanks. Do the Jedi have authority to arrest or detain a Senator, or -- perhaps -- simply eject him from the premises as a potential threat? Does the Jedi mandate really stretch that far? I wasn't aware that Jedi could pull rank on Senators within the Senate itself. Fascinating."

 

[Hanna Ike]

Hanna, didn't see Aurellia speak which meant she had to before this got out of hand, she stood up as her and Aruellia's box was the center of attention now. " Thank you Empress, and Senator samuel. I speak first to remind you all that the Senator's bounty on Spencer Jacob's is not the stance of the Republic but of an individual man, and therefore all we can do is urge the Senator to take it down and leave it to the proper authorities to deal with this issue as they do whenever a member of the Republic military leaves, be them Jedi or not. . " She was mad, though she didn't show it... That was her step daughter they were talking about. Hanna didn't care if she wasn't close she was family. " The issues brought forth, regard an already hotly debated bill, and for them to have any sway over our democratic process, I urge that we form a committee to investigate the steps taken when Spencer Jacobs left the Jedi, Though I should remind everyone, that the Jedi just became part of our military, the time period in question, was before this, when the Jedi handled their own problems. We are just seeing yet another bump in the road regarding the process of the Jedi joining the republic officially. I think that for future cases, we draft legislature that sets clear precident of cases when jedi desert the order, by setting up procedures that detail exactly which part of the Republic deals with it and how to best handle the situations, and of course the Jedi are welcome to provide a member for the committee. I again thank the Empress for speaking about this important issue, and Senator Samuel for bring up the issue of Jedi desertion Both are important, but we need to remember here that we have to make clear and educated decisions based on fact and until there are more facts on the matter I feel that the best bet is to discuss on how to deal with future cases. "

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

Sammael stood up from his seat again and walked towards the podium directly after the vice-chancellor spoke. What she proposed was EXACTLY what his bill was about. The registration of the Jedi was a preemptive measure to when they did desert, it was a set up to let the Republic Military take care of these things instead of having the Jedi do it themselves.

“Vice Chancellor, what you have just described is exactly what my bill was laid out to do. Albeit more comprehensively than just a committee.” Sammael said it with no hint of smugness or pleasure in his voice, it was just a matter of fact. He wanted exactly what she was describing, and avenue for what would occur when the Jedi deserted. His bill provided exactly that, and it also provided information on Jedi that MIGHT desert in the future. It wasn't flawless of course, but it was the best course of action when dealing with something like the Jedi.