To Clone Or Not To Clone {CIS}

[Adron Malvern]

Within the halls of The Citadel the lords of The Confederacy, The Viceroyalty, have assembled to debate the future of their nation's mighty war machine. For years the Confederate military has primarily relied on battle droids to fill the mass of their legions. With the fall of the Imperial capitol, Kamino, a new option has arisen and presents itself to the Viceroyalty. A clone army, created by the ingenious cloners of Kamino, is being brought to the halls of The Citadel to be debated.​

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The main hall of The Citadel had been appropriately arranged for the forum that was poised to take place. High Speaker, Orin To Kom, an elder Twi'lek with pale blue skin stood at the podium, watching as the various members of the Viceroyalty found their way into the chambers. It was late in the evening and all of the windows had been secured with blast seals, making the room rather dark, save for a single violet light that left a decent bit of illumination without becoming a distraction.

The chambers had the echo of conversation which seemed to rise as more delegates found their way to their designated seat. Each Viceroy was given a comfortable booth with a datapad and a microphone for when it was their time to speak or present their evidence for the Forum. At the podium, Orin To Kom produced a small datapad that told him how many of the Viceroy's had arrived. He gave a sour scowl before clearing his throat, leaning over the microphone attached to the podium.

"Excuse me. The Forum will be open in ten minutes. Please take your seat and sign onto your datapad so you will be accounted for." The gravel-like voice called over the chambers, surprisingly with a good deal of power behind it. Orin had been a speaker for a good portion of his life, and it showed itself the more the years went on.

The Twi'lek turned to the figure who stood behind him. A man of raven hair with dark purple robes that flowed down towards the floor. "We will start soon, sir. Is there anything else?"

Adron Malvern glanced around the chambers before shaking his head silently, there was nothing to be said until the rest of the Viceroyalty had arrived and the event was underway,

Spoiler

[member="Darth Metus"]
[member="Srina Talon"]
[member="Kip Ridel"]
[member="Alessandra Creed"]
[member="Xenro"]
[member="Adron Malvern"]
[member="Rapax"]
[member="Lyla Quinn"]
[member="Derek Dib"]
[member="Jasmine Zittoun"]
[member="Tmoxin Temi"]
[member="Amethyst Atreides"]
[member="Chikako Liona"]
[member="Galven Hansol"]
[member="Dalton Kenway"]
[member="Tamar M'Raki"]
[member="Jorco Czeku"]
[member="Petra Cavataio"]
[member="Cora deWinter"]
[member="Marcus Lund"]
[member="Vyra Silara"]
[member="Archim Calixis"]
[member="Tarssin Destat"]
[member="Antoine Rhys"]
[member="Artemys Hunter"]
[member="Cato Marek"]
[member="Caid Centurion"]
[member="Anesia Jy'Vun"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Notable gear: ring

Antoine sighed. Once again, he was early. That was the fourth secretary in two months that he was going to have to get rid of. He’d even listened to others this time and had finally hired one that he did not find attractive, thinking that perhaps she’d have some proper work habits to show, but alas, she did not. And now he was going to have to fire her, and this time he wouldn’t even have the perks of getting her onto his yacht for a few nights as compensation. Really, this was horrible. He was going to have to look through the files of whoever the CIS had to offer on his own now, and that was work. Of the kind he didn’t want to do.

True, he had not met all the other viceroys. But those that he had met, he had no particular desire to hang with. So far, of all the people he had come across within the Confederacy, only one had sparked his attention, and that was progressing so slow that his interest was threatening to be lost. Truthfully, he had expected more when he signed up for this.

And now here they were.

Quietly, Antoine slipped into his booth and began to review the data, eyes rolling every few lines.

 

[Malok]

G E O N O S I S​

The Discussion was more than budgeting a new asset.

Over the course of its history, the Confederacy had been a bastion against a particularly heinous sin: Slavery. By the consensus of her member planets, the forceful oppression of others had been elevated to a Capital Offense - punishable by being devoured within the Geonosian arenas. Therefore, the nation had relied upon automated tools to fulfill their needs on the battlefield. When it came to the Vicelord’s personal opinion, this was the best way forward. Volunteer militias were a wonderful thing. Native citizens taking up arms for their homes was a wonderful thing. But Droids were infinitely better. They required no sleep. They required no benefits. They required nothing but programming and a weapon.

And so, when the discussion made its way to his desk, Darth Metus was the furthest thing from thrilled. In fact, one might call his current mood downright agitated. With the acquisition of Kamino back into the Confederate fold, the question of contribution was raised. The Sith was perfectly fine with the planet paying taxes like everyone else - but there was a personal vendetta against the prospect of a Clone Army. When he was but a wet-behind-the-ears Sithling, he dabbled with the creation of his own subordinate unit. The aptly-named Dreadguard. Ten thousand clones were born by Kaminoan hands and shaped by the machinations of a Yuuzhan Vong. The result was a unit dead to the Force...and apparently dead to orders as well.

They defected, for no other reason than Metus’ refusal to dive headfirst into a frivolous conflict they desired.

Thus, between the inefficiency of organic soldiers and the glorious track record of his own Dreadguard, the Vicelord found himself less than enthused. He was seated behind the Speaker of the day’s event - only a pace or two away from his raven-haired apprentice [member="Adron Malvern"]. His sulfuric gaze swept across the Citadel, watching as the eager bodies of their compatriots began to fill the booths. A mirthless chuckle escaped his lips - oh how they had become more Republic than the Republic in some regards. No matter. For the most part, the Sith kept his innermost thoughts on the matter to himself. He did not dare divulge his frustrations to the hopeful masses just yet. But there were two who had a literal front row seat to the inferno burning within his skull. Yet, while he could feel that [member="Alora Fae"] and [member="Srina Talon"] were near, he did not yet see them.

”Adron.” the baritone of his voice rumbled across the space. ”Have you seen Srina recently? I seem to have lost track of her…”

[member="Adron Malvern"] | [member="Antoine Rhys"] | [member="Srina Talon"] | [member="Alora Fae"]​

 

[Caid Centurion]

The dull roar of idle chatter throughout the cavernous space faded from Caid's ears as daylight from the sky. This was precisely the type of gathering and bureaucratic affair that the Sith did not have any patience for. The democratic process was ultimately a fallacy. Silver-green eyes remained focused on his intended destination with little real thought to the one prevalent topic on the day's docket. Dressed in something relatively akin to a featureless black uniform with a high collar, Caid was definitively more formal than normal beneath the flowing fabric of his black and crimson cloak.

As he arrived at his own private booth, the speaker made an announcement to call those assembled to order. Stepping to the side slightly, he allowed the woman that had accompanied him to settle herself into the seat directly next to the one reserved for himself. Privately, he intoned into her mind. I apologize in advance for how this no doubt about to proceed. Naturally, Caid had given [member="Cersei Moirae"] enough of a background that she would not be completely lost during the event.

Settling into his own seat, Caid tapped a series of commands on the datapad to report his presence. Allowing his bright gaze to survey the room, Caid remained sitting completely upright. He would play the part of the polished diplomat as it was...an aspect of life to which he currently maintained a loose devotion. That is to say, he was fully devoted to the concept and position so long as it continued to serve a purpose. For a moment, his mind drifted to thoughts of the state of disrepair his home on Druckenwell had been in upon his return. The individuals he'd charged with maintaining the estate in his absence had clearly failed. The only description of the perpetrator that they could offer?

Eyes of bright silver and green like his own.

Caid had meditated on the information several times, but the ancestors were silent as usual. While Caid had certainly met at least one of his siblings that shared the particular feature, she was female. In fact, as far as Caid was aware...all of his close male relatives...were dead. The timing could not have been a coincidence, and the younger Centurion stewed over the prospect of having yet one more outlier to reign in before his return to Endelaan proper.

"A debate over the use of cloned humans..." Caid chanced a glance in Cersei's direction. A woman whom was experiencing the greater galaxy for the first time. "The pursuits of civilized society." The Sith Lord made the statement with no small amount of sarcasm.

 

[Derek Dib]

Another call of the Viceroyalty, another vote, another matter of state. Perhaps another waste of time. The powers that be would ultimately have their way and so the facade of diplomacy would continue. He allowed a twitch at the corner of his lips to reveal his amusement at his own frustrated feelings. Yet personal opinion and irritation had no place here. If he didn't believe in the Confederacy and it's mission he wouldn't be about to attend another meeting let alone be representing the Siskeen System.

Smoothing his face from all emotion he slipped into the room and made his way toward the designated booth he was assigned to. The obsidian suit had but one deterrent from the midnight color, and that was the crimson tie that matched the hue of his eyes. As he eased into his seat he scanned the group looking to see which Viceroyalty were attending that he recognized, and ones he was unfamiliar with. At least in person. Dossiers on fellow Viceroyalty we're readily available. And amusingly it wasn't what was in the files that were the most interesting, but what wasn't in the files.

Settling into his seat he took the datapad before him and began reading the motions that would be brought before them. It was not surprising that as he read the motion the vote to be cast today would be on the creation of a clone army. Carefully he scoured through what was currently offered to the attending Viceroyalty with a slight frown slipping onto his face.

Slavery ...

While he had no personal experience with clones, Derek had begun reading up on the subject with their march into former Empire territory. The logistical nightmare of malfunctioning clones were well documented. Then the ever present debate of clones having sentience and rights that closely mirrored the debate of artificial intelligence in droids making them eligible for citizenship and rights as independent beings.

He sighed as he leaned back into the seat. What kind of clones were being proposed? Insta clones with training being flashed into them? Five year clones which would see an accelerated lifespan and a less cost effective product? Ten year clones that doubled their aging, yet meant that the likelihood of that spark of a soul existing within them actually came to be? And in the end, it made them no better then the hypocritical Republic and Jedi Order of nearly a millennia ago, and no better then the Galactic Empire of yesterday.

Crossing a leg over the other his fingers lightly tapped on the armrest. His thoughts didn't even take into account on who would be the genetic template. Relaxing the hard line of his lips into a neutral expression he waited for it to begin, knowing that things like morality disappeared in times of hardship and war. Yet they were not at war. And they had the perfectly functional droid army at their disposal already.

So he waited to see the argument that would come that would either validate his hope in the Confederacy, or damn his faith in Balance.

[member="Caid Centurion"] I [member="Antoine Rhys"] I [member="Darth Metus"]

 

[Caesar Kenway]

A man, wearing a shade of blue, walked in, a black metal cane with a golden eagle's head on the top, and a golden tip on the bottom making a tapping sound as he walked through, to the podium. While he was not known by many here, as he had only been promoted to Viceroy of Ord Pardron very recently, he seemed to have an air of importance about him, as he took off his hat, and put it in his lap as he sat down on the chair behind him, putting the cane between his legs, he then took the Datapad and signed on, accounting for his presence. As he skim read through the datapad, his face remained rather annoyed, or expressionless, depending on what he read, his blue eyes darting from side to side, as he re-read what was on the datapad. When he was done with the datapad, he put it on a table next to him, along with his holocom, hat and cane, staring out into the people, other thoughts on his mind. He clicked a button on his holocom, putting it on silent. He then pulled out his own datapad, and logged on, pressing on it rapidly, scrolling through things, and tapping, then typing, he was obviously busy, and not interested in waiting with nothing to do. He then reached into his thick trench coat, and felt around for his pistol, recognising it's holster. He then pulled his hand out and rubbed his beardless chin, thinking about something on the datapad. He then swiped upwards, and started typing, and tapped a few times. He then pulled out a bottle of... something, and took a quick sip, then pulled out a bar of chocolate, and took two bites, then put it back. Finally, he continued doing his business on the datapad.

 

[Chikako Liona]

Chikako had to calm herself a little before the whole event, this summit of the planetary rulers and other head of states being quite the new experience and the first time she'd be voicing her opinion on a stat matter that would effect many people. Though in all honesty she was not sure how to really view the clone thing, the prospect of an army that all looked the same, carried the same skills and ready on such short noticed was not a terribly bad idea. Did she believe that such should be their main fighting force? no not at all, but having some sort of easily accessible reserve force was not something one could just pass up... right? Would not be the most inhuman thing the CIS had done, those ratghoul dogs the the science administration made were quite the unsightly beings.

Still in the end her prime idea of a superior fighting force would be honest to force regular humans with good equipment and training, droids while plentiful were not always able to do that organics could do. Those that could being rather expensive to make and having some sort of clear weakness to exploit, not adding in the whole 'need some specialized factory to make them' which can always be bombed in times of war. Guess one would have to wait and see how the other viceroys acted, who knew, maybe they'd have some sort of argument to sway the young Echani's views on the whole matter. It seem though that many of said viceroys had yet to attend, only a few and the all powerful Viclord being currently present, all being somewhat familiar, [member="Derek Dib"] being the most noteworthy.

Walking through the hallways, accompanied by a Royal Fusilier guardswoman like always the young princess quickly made her way to the designated booth, signing in like the rest of those present, sitting in a regal and poised potion while awaiting the start of the discussion. Perhaps have some friendly talk with one of her fellow rulers, if they were free, unlike herself most present were in charge or thriving city planets with many problems to deal with, not so much her meager wasteland slowly growing farming colony world.

[member="Caid Centurion"] [member="Darth Metus"] [member="Antoine Rhys"]

 

[Caesar Kenway]

He looked up at the female who had just entered the chamber, his face contorting into a half smile, at the entrance of the Princess, then when he saw the Royal Guardswoman, his face went back to it's normal, sad, tired, stressed, and possibly even bored appearance. Yet he managed to force another smile, as he raised his hand in greetings, combing his hair back with the same hand, feeling the small pony tail he'd decided to grow out, he'd tied it up with a small, rather bland and unshiny red ribbon. He realised how much he'd changed himself when he became a Viceroy, he 'd shaved, started bathing twice a day, if time allowed, he'd clipped his his brownish black hair down to just at jaw line, and swept it all back, now he'd started wearing some of it in a small ponytail. Giving his face a quick rub, followed by a sigh, He knew he didn't look old, not at all, infact, he was told by some he looked as if he was in his 20's, but that was beside the point, he felt old, not old-old, but like he spent all of his days sitting around in an office, tapping away at a datapad, or filling out documents and paperwork, it was boring, and bland, he didn't hate it, there was a decent pay, and that compensated for most things, plus his days usually had a few meetings, that helped break it up, but he knew one day that'd get boring.

Another thing was how he had nothing to go home to, he had no fiance, no wife, not even a family, it was just boring and bland to be Caesar Kenway, Viceroy of Ord Pardron. He had nothing to look forward to, nothing to go home to, that's why he spent most of his nights working away until he passed out in his chair. He took no days off, he figured there was probably a term for this, no, he knew there was a name for what he was... A single, middle-aged workaholic? that sounded about right.
While he appeared cold and unloving on the outside when people talked to him, it was merely down to the fact he had nothing to do, working was his life, it kept him busy, he barely even ate, he only ate a late lunch, possible a breakfast maybe even brunch if he was going for a meeting with somebody in the early morning, never a date, always a meeting. He typically never even ate dinner either, but the fact that some of the female representatives of organisations or companies, even tribes that'd he'd met and had a meal with about business tried to make it out as a date to bend his will easier, those people usually got the opposite of what they wanted, if he was in a bad mood that was, otherwise he usually just ignored it. He knew he'd likely never find love, it was a painful and sad truth, but he knew it, but alas, here he was, in his booth, in a chamber, staring down at his lap like a teenager in school texting with their holopad, the only difference being the pained and saddened look on his face that usually came about when he was thinking, and remembering, he had a hat and a cane on the chair next to him, he didn't need the cane, it was more for show, his holocom was likely going to get called, hence why he put it on silent. He caught himself falling asleep in the chair, and quickly snapped out of his trance, looking at the data pad, and pressed a few buttons, putting it back on the table, under his hat, away from the one that was already in the booth when he got there.

 

[Adron Malvern]

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Through the chambers of The Citadel three resounding bangs occurred, erupting from the podium where Orin stood with a stoic anticipation. He waited until the idle chatter had died down into a low mumble and then silence before he placed the metallic gavel back on it's host. Even as he set the tool down lightly, it would still give off a noticeable bang due to it's proximity to Orin's microphone.

"With the blessings of our most esteemed Vicelord," The paled Twi'lek turned from the podium, gesturing to Darth Metus with a respected bow of his torso. He awaited any sign of rebuttal from Darth Metus, however once that time had passed he would turn his attention back to the assembly. "We shall begin." Though there was the signs of effort, Orin could move only as fast as his aged bones would allow, and as such there was a noticeable drag in the event as he pulled his datapad from the head of the podium and gave it a not so brief glance.

"To begin, thank you all for joining us this evening. I assure you all this forum is of the upmost importance to the future of The Confederacy of Independent Systems." A bony hand was raised in a brief, but seemingly authentic sense of respect as Orin eyed the room.

"Now." There was another pause as the Twi'lek cleared his throat and finally moved to the topics of interest. "We are gathered today to discuss the commissioning, utilization, and militarization of a synthetic biological life form military force, a clone army."

A hushed murmur fell over the chambers, causing Orin's eyes to rise from his datapad and scan the room. It was apparent by the scowl on his face that he would tolerate only the most formal of proceedings. As the chatter died down once again, the old Twi'lek's eyes slowly fell back to the datapad before him. "As this forum was requested and activated on the behest of Exarch Adron Malvern, he will now take the stand to present his request."

The Twi'lek stepped back from the podium, taking his datapad in his hands as he made room for the Exarch.

[member="Caesar Kenway"] [member="Chikako Liona"] [member="Derek Dib"] [member="Caid Centurion"] [member="Darth Metus"] [member="Antoine Rhys"]

 

[Adron Malvern]

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There had been no words to fall from Adron's lips until Darth Metus called out to him. Even as the speaker called on him his mind had been too occupied with the thoughts of the upcoming forum. Adron stood at the Vicelord's side, his eyes glancing down towards his master when talk of his counterpart had come up. Though Adron had expected to see Srina at this event, out of duty if nothing else, he had oddly not seen her. In fact, the raven haired man had not seen the Echani since his promotion to the station of Exarch. Of course that had only been a handfull of days, yet it was something of notice to him.

Blue eyes crossed over the chambers in a last effort to place the pale-skinned woman, who could have easily been attending to other matters of equal importance. When he did not see the woman, he finally spoke. His voice had become rich and entitled, more as it had been on his homeworld of Serenno. It was apparent that he was at home in positions of power and influence, still there was the natural agitation that never seemed to abandon him. The agitation of greed.

"No. I have not seen her since our last meeting. I assumed you had tasked her out to other duties while we were occupied here." He said, knowing that forums such as these could often take days onto weeks. Though the debate was generally a fast portion of it, the legal writing could be hellish at best. Especially when tasked with the difficulty of the many languages The Confederacy prominently uses. The speaker seemed intent on beginning soon, however as the room fell silent, Adron did not silence himself, yet bring his words lower so only he and the Vicelord could hear.

"I do not understand your fear of a clone army." He muttered, the slightest hint of disappointment dripping from his words. "You are a genius in the realm of war, only a fool would dispute that, yet you cannot see how flesh and blood warriors would uplift our military at least ten fold?" He challenged. There had been little friction from Adron's decision to bring about this forum, yet that was not to say that all was well. It merely meant the Dark Lord had not unleashed his agitation on the man, which would have been an oddity. Still, Adron had expected to see something rise from this exchange. Whether it be a question of his loyalty to the dark lord or perhaps his integrity as a military commander.

"Perhaps, yet again, you know something I do not. Regardless I believe it will make our military that much more efficient." The speaker seemed to be concluding his introduction which finally brought Adron to silence. He had been told ahead of time that he would be granted the first opportunity to speak and had prepared diligently for it. This would be the first time he would address the Viceroyalty as an Exarch, so there could be no mistakes.

"As this forum was requested and activated on the behest of Exarch Adron Malvern, he will now take the stand to present his request." Moving from Darth Metus' side Adron approached the podium, nodding at the speaker silently as he stood before the Viceroyalty.

Unlike the speaker, Adron was direct and slightly more exuberant, making each word seem faster and less of a drag than Orin's. "Viceroy's and Minister's of The Confederacy. Several months ago we gained complete and total control of Kamino, ripped from the shattered hands of the fallen Empire. Kamino is a world covered in oceans and storms and holds nothing of value save one resource, it's scientists. The Kaminoan scientists are some of the most experienced and proficient genetic cloners in the galaxy, I do not believe anyone here would dispute that." As his voice called out over the chambers, most could feel the shift of the room, the thick fog of politics setting in.

"We now have an opportunity that few nations can take advantage of, we have the opportunity to create, breed, and train soldiers to defend our homes and destroy our enemies. For years we have relied on droids to fight our battles and in that time we have amassed the greatest droid army in the galaxy, but it could be better." Adron spoke with conviction and heart, that poured into his words, yet still he remained stoic and regal.

"I am not suggesting we amass a clone army akin to that of the Old Republic." He held a hand up, as if taking the thoughts from many of the viceroy's mind. "No, we all have seen the result of such excessive use of clones. I am, however, calling for an augmentation of our standing army, bulking our mighty wardroids with organic leaders, specialists, and shock troopers. These troopers will have the creativity a droid will not, the ability to survive what a droid never can. An organic army is susceptible to disease, famine, yet most importantly is it strips our people of their lives. A droid army is stern and powerful, yet they lack the individuality to impact a battle on their own and are susceptible to EMP and ION weaponry. With both organics and droids, we will create a mighty bulwark to defend our planets and preserve our way of life."

[member="Caesar Kenway"] [member="Chikako Liona"] [member="Derek Dib"] [member="Caid Centurion"] [member="Darth Metus"] [member="Antoine Rhys"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Antoine sighed. He was trying to pay attention, he truly was. The Confederacy had added Kamino to their space not too long ago, and now the discussion served towards the point of… A clone army? The blonde man rolled his eyes. How small they were thinking. The Confederacy had millions of droids and the only thing that could challenge them in terms of military power were the sentiments that that commanded the droids. A clone army would be… Such a painful waste of funds. No. What the Confederacy needed was to make clones of hot individuals. Increase the percentage of attractive people throughout the galaxy. Maybe even sell them, if they wanted a good return on their investment. Yes… That would be a much better use of the cloning technology that they now had within their grasps.

Leaning back, he let others speak though. Now was not the time to mention Operation Hot Babes.

[member="Adron Malvern"] [member="Caesar Kenway"] [member="Chikako Liona"] [member="Derek Dib"] [member="Caid Centurion"] [member="Darth Metus"]

 

[Caesar Kenway]

By now he was leaning back in his chair, barely paying attention to the speech, he had other things on his mind, things that would affect him much more than this. For example, the, what was it? ten meetings? yes, that sounded about right, the ten meetings he would have to attend almost directly after this forum. A few parts of the speech drew his attention though, like the part about a normal military stripping the lives of people, easy counter to that, make it optional, most of his militia were people who had no family or outside life, like Grand General Carmile. They mostly all came from poor areas trying to earn money and food, he didn't mind, the more in the militia the better after all, but it was the few who had no families, no reason to do this apart from it interesting them, it was those people who often intrigued him the most, the strange part is, he knew little to nothing of the Grand General's background, he knew the basics, age, height, weight, experience, skills, etc, etc. But he had no idea of his past, he merely shrugged the idea off. The next part to grab his attention was the fact that the Exarch seemed to see a problem in the Old Republic's use of clones, the only part that had gone wrong was the way they were commanded to attack the Jedi, yes, the clones were the enemies of a long time ago, but that is not to put any fact aside and give reason to say that the use was excessive, or generated a bad result, they cloned the DNA of the best bounty hunter in the galaxy at the time, sure, a few of the later clones were... defective, to put it bluntly, but that only shows the problem of over-using a single DNA sample.

While he found it true that Droids were susceptible to EMPs and Ion weapons, the Exarch seemed to forget that EMPs also disabled blasters, and Ion Weapons were just as bad for humans as droids. And while clones could feel pain, and be slowed down by exhaustion, need for food and water, common necessities, droids could not, all they needed was electricity and power to go on, it was quicker and easier to charge a battalion of droids, than a group of clones. While he was not against the clone army, he was certainly finding a few points against it. He then let his mind drift again, to the sadness and loneliness of his life, meetings and work all day, no time to play, as a few of his former friends would have said, no life outside of his office, a thought crossed his mind of the Princess and her Royal Guardswoman, which he quickly dismissed, he was in no position to do any of that nonsense with a princess, appearing to be a few years younger than him. He quickly muttered a curse under his breath at the thought, then put it to the lack of love, sleep and attractive women in his life that had seemingly happened for the past year or more. He then glanced around at the empty booths, thinking of how many the Confederacy expected to show up, he shot a quick glance at the younger male of the lot, he had to admit, the young man didn't look too bad, but that was that.

He quickly glanced around at the people attending, when his eyes found the princess, in a booth somewhat near him, he turned his head back, rolling it around a bit, then laid it back, popping slightly. Eventually his hands wandered to the datapad of his, and started tapping away at it, barely even looking, but apparently knowing what he was doing.

 

[Caid Centurion]

[member="Derek Dib"] | [member="Antoine Rhys"] | [member="Darth Metus"] | [member="Adron Malvern"] | [member="Chikako Liona"] | [member="Alora Fae"]

Caid's attention shifted around the room as the speaker ceded the floor to a man that he, honestly, had never even met before. There was no doubt a large degree of bureaucracy in the Confederacy, but he'd found that to be a simple reality of any large organization. For his part, the Sith Lord was attentive to the words spoken. However, even as the Exarch's speech came to a close, the dark-skinned Sith found himself curious as to the purpose for this congregation. Did he wish to obtain the Viceroyalty's approval to create clones? Was there really some sort of concern about military service of clones being considered slavery?

It seemed to Caid that things bred for war were simply that, tools of war. Would a clone have some awkward desire to suddenly up and become a farmer? He supposed that could happen, but then the beauty of cloning technology was the Confederacy could simply make more. There were considerations to make, certainly. A drastic increase in the size of the Confederacy's standing military would require additional funding for suitable lodging, training facilities, transportation, weapons, etc. The Confederacy seemed to swell with each passing month, but resources were a finite commodity among the galaxy.

Depressing a button on his datapad to indicate his desire to speak, the Viceroy of Druckenwell waited until he was acknowledged. Once he had been both acknowledged and introduced, Caid leaned forward slightly to speak into the microphone. The deep tamber of his voice quickly filled the chamber with a curt air that simply was his preferred method of communication. "I doubt there will be much resistance to the idea of increased security for this ever-expanding conglomeration of systems. My question is do you have any actual projections on what it would cost to implement any aspect of this plan?"

Sure. They would have to pay for the clones, but that was merely the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

 

[Derek Dib]

Derek sat back in the booth and listened to the new Exarch as he shared his idea and proposition. Keeping a neutral expression, he also kept his feelings reigned in through the Force. The CIS was founded by Force users, and it wasn't just your face that could expose your tells, but your very aura. And he preferred to keep his own council and opinions to himself until such time as it was to reveal them.

Once [member="Adron Malvern"] finished, Derek turned his attention to a relatively new viceroy, one he had yet to meet. His mind flashed to the dossier of [member="Caid Centurion"] as he listened to the other Viceroy's words. The man spoke of the logistical aspect of the clone army. Within his question revealed a small aspect of the man from Druckenwell, that he was not opposed to the idea of a clone army, or clone contingent within the military branches.

Sighing he pressed his own button, watching the light indicating he wished to speak flash on. As the Viceroy of Druckenwell finished it was his turn to speak. Clearing his throat before leaning in to the microphone he began as his eyes took in those gathered.

"On the surface it makes sense. Augment the military forces. Strengthen the flexibility and originality of our troops. Reinforce the backbone of our military without relying and risking our own citizens. It's certainly appearing as a win win situation. Yet as Viceroy Centurion pointed out, there are questions that need be answered. And even more, there's moral question we must address as well as the inherent dangers proven from clones on the past."

As he spoke he nodded at Viceroy Centurion as he agreed with the man's logistical concerns before looking around the amphitheatre. [member="Darth Metus"] , the ViceLord. [member="Chikako Liona"] , [member="Antoine Rhys"] , and [member="Caesar Kenway"] also Viceroys as well as others. This discussion and vote had long lasting repercussions that would echo throughout all of the Independent Systems inder the Confederacy.

"First we must ask who is to be the template? Are we looking at a force sensitive? Are we looking for the epitome of a military soldier? What are the qualifications? Are you planning on a different template per generation of clones?"

"Next begets the question, how many are you suggesting we create? How wide spread will the clones be used? What are the numbers you are speaking of? Are you looking to make insta soldiers, rapid cellular growth? What will accelerating their growth mean for their longevity? Are we looking to stagger clone types?"

Pausing he rubbed his temples slightly and glanced down for a mere moment before raising his eyes and continuing.

"Then how does this affect the taxation of the systems? Where will they be stationed and can we individually vote not to participate in the expansion of our Independent System's own forces?"

"Finally be come to my final question. Does a clone have a soul? Does a clone have rights? Will they receive pay, leave, retirement? Are they property or sentient beings with freedom? If they are property then have we not become slavers, the very thing we are founded against? If they are indentured servants needing to fulfill some contractual time period of service before gaining their freedom, are they not still slaves? If they are free citizens of the Confederacy upon exiting the birthing matrix, then do they not deserve a choice of what they want to be as free men or women? But then how would they have the cognitive intelligence or the understanding of such a choice?"

Leaning back he realized he was tired. But this was not the last point he wanted to make, just the last question.

"And what is to stop them from defecting, or turning, or quitting? Because I have seen the methods of slavers first hand, and the methods used are inhumane. On the surface this proposition makes sense, but beneath the veneer are pitfalls that we cannot afford to blindly enter into."

"As we marched on Kamino I've felt this day coming. What I propose is using the facilities for cloning. But not of individuals. How many have lost limbs, organs, their very way of life? We can make new replacements using their very DNA. What about research and development for cures of ailments, perhaps utilizing some of the tech to clone livestock for the planets that are starving. I'm open to suggestions, and I'm willing to listen to your ideas, Exarch Adron. But I won't see Siskeen become a subject to another Galactic Empire, or even akin to the old Republic. We have scant lines drawn in the sand. Slavery is the main one. Assuage my trepidation and concerns and you will win my vote. Fail to do so and I will oppose this proposition, as even the ViceLord can attest. I have a stubborn streak when it comes to ideals of morality. Thank you."

He deactivated his microphone and leaned back for a final time to wait for further discussion or an answering of the questions.

 

[Chikako Liona]

Chikako tilted her head to the side again, earning the a strange look from her guard, "something the matter princess"? "... That man, the one with the pointy hat, he is a strange one". "How so"? "His emotions, they are flaring up quite a lot, more over I catch feelings of him thinking about me, though your presence seems to quickly suppress them, when we first entered he gave a small smile towards me before seeing Elizabeth". The guardsman gave a small bow, "well I am pleased that people find me intimidating or at least know not to show disrespect, though how does that make him a strange one"? Chikako cocked her head to the side,giving the argument spoken by [member="Adron Malvern"] being somewhat a half hearted attention. ""Well first of all he seems quite new, unfamiliar, but at the same time distruct, like a person who has been stuck in politics for a while.... what do you know about him".

Giving a glace towards [member="Caesar Kenway"] booth Elizabeth started to recite what was known about the man, "well first of he is not related to Dalton as many initially think that, also that hat is called a tri-corn", "duely noted". "From what records we have gathered apparently they were a noble from Alderan, owned some company, though not known records or products or any factory have been found". "We suspect that he came here after the Sith attack on the planet a few months ago that broke Free World Coalitions apart". "Most likely he has a similar past to your own, both being nobles from fallen houses, coming to the CIS and being given power to help fill in the lack of official Viorys, difference being you got an empty waste land that mold into your model kingdom, he got an already functional planet". The young princess gave a small nod, an strange backstory indeed but for the moment she'd best turn back to the argument be presented by Adron least she be looked at in an unprofessional way.

Catching the last of the argument her view was still not much different, yes organics did lack a few things but over all performed much better then the main droids used by the CIS. A simply armed solider could easily take out several B1 with a heavy oil drum with the way the military deployed their forces on worlds, it was like 1 organic almost equaled 10 droids. To that end the cost was almost the same in the long run, though a human being a little easier to clean up that a dozen dashed metal parts and their various weapons. As the talks continued though both the still unfamiliar [member="Caid Centurion"] and the infamous [member="Derek Dib"] both raised good points about the cloning process. With their current army size and no immediate hostile factions nearby would starting this whole possess be even necessary? As it stood there was already a great deal of organics in the military and with each planet having their own militia/defense force in the event of a huge galaxy wide conflict it would make sense Vicorys would send some of their own forces to support the main military.

Even still such was quite minor when considering the ethical views on the process, slavery being something Chikkako despised, any caught doing such an act on her world was often sentenced to death mainly due to how poorly most slavered cared for their 'property'. That was unless someone willingly submitted to slavery in order to work off a dept or favor, but in this sense of a clone army, being created for the sole purpose of being soldiers and nothing more was a little hard to comprehend. In the end if the CIS did use it to make people with their own free will it would not overly help them, just give the planet a large population influx which could prove problematic to some worlds, more so with the refugee crisis from the core worlds. Still her eyes did light up at the prospect posed by Derek as the end of his own speech, something that she probably would have never considered herself.

With the Vicory of Siskeen done Chikako herself stood up to make her own case, even if it was only going to be a small one. "I myself find the proposition of a buffer to the military a good asset, but at this current time the confederacy does not seem to be in need of such a force". "In addition our own organic special forces seem to being quite well in the field backing up our droid army, a fact that has seen very minimal casualties due to that fact". "Personally I would agree with Mister Dibs take on what the cloning facilitates should be turned to dealing with the many medical problems that face the CIS at this current time and less on military projects". Giving a small bow she deactivated her microphone, sitting back down to see who would speak up next.

 

[Cameron Centurion]

Though the doors into the main hall of the Citadel were large and ornate, they did not make an abundance of noise when opened. His new assistant had made it expressly clear how late he was to the meeting. However, Aiden had been busy with pursuits that, honestly, he thought to be much more compelling than his observation of a conversation about a potential clone army.

In truth, Aiden knew where he stood on the matter, and his mind likely was not going to be swayed by listening to any number of politicians debate the finer points. His was not a mind that leaned towards much of anything other than that which added to continued stability and security. As the doors opened, Aiden entered casually, fabric of his navy blue overcoat dragging lightly over the carpeted floor.

In the darkness of the dimly lit space, Aiden's bright gaze seemed to illuminate the dark contours of his face, peering out behind strands of long, dark hair. Making his way to an area behind the podium upon which those conducting the meeting stood, the Minister folded his arms over his chest and allowed his gaze to roam the assembled crowd of Viceroyalty. His attention paused for a moment on a particular pair as a thin smile danced onto his lips, disappearing the moment his eyes moved on.

Oh good. Baby brother and his girlfriend were present.

[member="Derek Dib"] | [member="Antoine Rhys"] | [member="Darth Metus"] | [member="Adron Malvern"] | [member="Chikako Liona"] | [member="Alora Fae"] | [member="Cersei Moirae"]

 

[Kyber]

Kyber had recently been able to become a Viceroy for the planet of Kalinda and thus had been permitted to attend the most recent Viceroy meeting which was on whether or not the Confederacy should use a clone army. Kyber knew they couldn't just leave the cloning facilities on Kamino unused as it is a very powerful asset. The shard listened to the other speakers first before deciding on what to say to the other Viceroys
"Clones are like droids as they are both manufactured in factorys with the only difference being is that clones are made with organic parts while droids are made with mechanical parts thus That One can put the clones under the definition of organic droids and thus not protected by the anti slavery decree." Kyber stated and he was sure there would be a few people here who would definitely disagree with him. "If That One does not agree with the previous statement then just grow a batch of clones, teach them the military and provide them with alot of pro Confederate propaganda and then once they have matured offer them the chance to serve the CIS or be a simple civilian, This One promises That One that most would choose the former and it technically wouldn't be slavery. However That One can also just clone non sentient organic creatures for war or maybe one of those hive mind species might be good to clone and That One can alwaye put a chip in their brain. Then again That One known as Viceroy Dib made a very good suggestion with the cloning facilities for medical use" Kyber would say before once again going quiet again.

 

[Cersei Moirae]

Oh, she wasn't lost. But...Cersei was drowning- albeit in the halo of the violet lights- in the surroundings once she slid into her seat and in the tandem of voices that seemed to chime one after another. Like bells. While listening, her molten gaze held each speaker. They were all foreign, even though [member="Caid Centurion"] gave a brief description and still of each prior to arrival. Clones.

Tucked a stray curl behind her ear when the Endelaanian mentioned civilized, she intoned softly Pursuits? Politics are never civilized, Prince. It was then she realized he may have been joking. Dark brows drew together a moment and then rose as another begat his argument, then hers.

Either way, Cersei did not have enough information to decided whether or not the idea of making cattle of men sat well on her palate. Not that hers mattered here though, so the Malagarrian stayed silent. Were they more like droids with a flesh exterior...with no pain, no feeling? Could that be implemented... Or were they simply just people like those standing here today? Surely there were differences in ability and discipline? A near reticent hmm came then upon her pursed, blush pout.

Everything alive and everything dead was connected to the Force, she sighed softly, but refrained from shaking her head of near-raven waves. They would have souls.

Did that matter to a War Lord? The Princess thought not and decor-less lips tilted into a fleeting smile. She was drawn in though, swimming in the details and perhaps getting quite the feel from the cavernous main hall of The Citadel. Light pools flicked to Caid once more, Slavery...really?

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Antoine sighed. This ‘debate’ was getting ridiculous. With a swift motion of his finger, he put in the request to speak, and took a nice long sip from the glass of whiskey in his hand before standing up as soon as the permission was granted.

“There is something very simple that is being overlooked here,” Antoine spoke, flashing his charming smile to the gathered crowd, “does the Confederacy have an actual need for a clone army? With the number of droids we have, out fire power is hard to match. Our greatest weakness lays not in the weapons we have, but in the people that make the decision.”

He raised his arms before any resistance could be met, “I do not mean to insult any of our highly esteemed leaders,” he explained himself, “what I mean to say is that we already have the perfect armies. We already have the perfect troops. Any mistakes that we make at this point in history and in the future will not rely on fire power, but rather on decisions made by the people that send them.

I have little doubt that the Confederacy can easily pay for the creation of many great Clone armies. But why think so small, when we can use the cloning technology within our grasp, to do something bigger? Something better? Create clones to refill the planets that were devastated by wars and strategies. Offer parents who have lost their children a chance to get their offspring back. Create hot men and women that can join the faces that represent the Confederacy. All this would garner us much better PR around the galaxy, and when the time comes when reputation and opinion rather than guns are what matters, we will be in a much better place.”

Switching the light off, Antoine took his seat again.



[member="Derek Dib"] | [member="Aiden"] | [member="Darth Metus"] | [member="Adron Malvern"] | [member="Chikako Liona"] | [member="Alora Fae"] | [member="Cersei Moirae"] | [member="Kyber"]

 

[Kip Ridel]

[background=transparent]begin packet prep...[/background]​

[background=transparent]private key gen...success[/background]​

[background=transparent]generating timestamp...OK[/background]​

[background=transparent]compiling certificate...[/background]​

[background=transparent]query local user authorization[/background]​

[background=transparent]************[/background]​

[background=transparent]...success[/background]​

[background=transparent]select cipher method...OK[/background]​

[background=transparent]packet generated[/background]​

[background=transparent]SIG transmit...[/background]​

[background=transparent]received: SYN/ACK[/background]​

[background=transparent]ACK[/background]​

[background=transparent]verifying party certificate...[/background]​

[background=transparent]...[/background]​

[background=transparent]...[/background]​

[background=transparent]network error: host connection lost[/background]​

[background=transparent]INTEGRITY ERROR [PEBKAC0x4]: STRIKING CONSOLE WILL NOT PRODUCE FAVORABLE RESULTS[/background]​

[background=transparent]begin packet prep...[/background]​

​

An empty chair and empty table sat in place of Kip Ridel, Minister of Influence. Since an empty chair was not the most optimal state for the Minister's attendance, where Kip would have commented in support of motions such as Mr. Dib's suggestion for using cloning facilities for medical purposes rather than outright individual cloning, there was, instead, the still silence that one could expect from a chair. Instead of the eloquent, albeit wordy, delivery of a number of pragmatic points punctuated with practical and objective data weighing the costs of such a proposal, not in terms of dollars but in political influence, instead there was the unsubstantial silence befitting a piece of furniture whose sole design and purpose was for supporting items and objects.

These colorful points were uttered repeatedly in various forms and tones, ranging from delightful humor to snarky agitation, while the actual Kip Ridel paced in front of an outdated terminal. He bore the appearance of a man who had been counting his days and months on a prison wall in some backwater desert planet not more than five hours prior, with all the trademark signs of dehydration still plaguing his much more recently washed face. He took occasional drinks from a large cup of soup bearing noodles cut in the shape of BB-series droids while he contemplated another assault attempt upon the communications device.

[background=transparent]SIG transmit...[/background]​

[background=transparent]received: SYN/ACK[/background]​

[background=transparent]ACK[/background]​

[background=transparent]verifying party certificate...[/background]​

[background=transparent]...[/background]​

[background=transparent]SUCCESS.[/background]​

[background=transparent]handshake OK. pairing established.[/background]​

[background=transparent]checking integrity of network: 3%.......3%..........3%.......4%[/background]​

​

Kip's frustrated glare shifted over to another screen, where he was able to at least watch the broadcast over a separate secure channel. He paced again as he slurped up some broth and a single BB-8 shaped noodle. For a moment, he considered contacting his droid for assistance. But a quick glance toward the corner where the damaged and powered-down machine sat made him realize that despite his various bruises, the scab at the corner of his bottom lip, and various phalangeal implant complications, between him and the droid, he was not the worst for wear.

[background=transparent]network integrity check: 85%[/background]​

The saving grace for Kip was [member="Lyla Quinn"], Captain of the YZ-775 Medium Transport known as 'The Areta' and Viceroy of Ryloth. Not only did she perform a timely, albeit risky, rescue operation, but she managed to scrounge up some apparel for Kip to wear, notably an elegant blue-gray pinstripe suit and long coat. Where most people would pressure Kip to rest and recover after months of imprisonment, Quinn understood Kip's need to get back to work immediately. She also likely shared his frustration at the technical difficulties before them.

network integrity check: complete
connection established and secure
beginning transmission​

"...we will be in a much better place." Echoed the words of Antoine Rhys as the translucent image of Kip flickered into view at his appropriate spot in his booth. Kip cleared his throat and adjusted his coat. In that moment, surrounded by fellow politicians of the Confederacy, Kip felt more alive than he had in months. The rigor of political tension. The competition of philosophy. The intricacies of policy. It lit a fire within him. His characteristic smile crept across his wounded lip as he prepared himself. He pressed a button to signal his intention to speak, parting his lips only to have his transmission cut off before a single word was uttered. As his ghostly projection disappeared from Congress, the flabbergasted politician was left staring at a few lines of text across the terminal screen.

[background=transparent]network connection terminated unexpectedly. retrying...[/background]​

[background=transparent]begin packet prep...[/background]​