Open A United Front

Korre Belasi

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// Thread is open to all FWA senators or military officers

The last week had been almost surreal. After a vote of no confidence was held to remove Naeva Rue from the seat of the Prime Minister, attention had immediately shifted to who would rise to accept the emptied chair. Korre had not even considered running for Prime Minister until someone had nominated her to run. Regarding the results of said election, the rest was history.

Though her experience in politics was limited to her knowledge of how things were run on Belasco and the previous seven or so months, Korre knew that, at the very least, a session of the Free Worlds Senate needed to be called. It would not take a genius to see that they were struggling with a lack of communication. If they were to effectively combat the advances of the Sith, they needed to be on the same page.

The many senators representing Free Worlds planets (in addition to any major military officers who wished to attend) were invited to Onderon to gather for the first Senate under Korre’s name. ‘Prime Minister Belasi.’ It was foreign to her tongue. Senator Belasi had, once upon a time, tasted the same. ‘From college student, to senator, to Prime Minister… all within two years.’

It was a lot, but she would do her best.

-----​

Korre arrived on Onderon the day before to give her time to gather herself and prepare for the following day. Her newly employed aide, who was the grandson of Belasco’s own Prime Minister, had spent the last several hours helping Korre to finalize some paperwork. While she had never really needed (or wanted) an aide, she quickly realized the help would be priceless. Seeing as she already knew the man, it wasn’t all that awkward either.

“The meeting starts in forty five minutes,” Korre stated suddenly to Florin, standing up from her seat in front of a desk covered in holographic objects. “I’m going to go get ready. Try not to stress too much, alright?” She said the last bit with a humorous smirk, the expression of which only diminished after she turned away to make her way to chambers to freshen up. The Belascan woman had opted to wear a classy, dark green jumpsuit to the assembly. No matter her mood, Korre always felt more confident in green. She looked good in it, and the Prime Minister firmly believed in “look good, feel good, do good.” It hadn’t failed her yet.

-----​

Forty five minutes later, Korre and Florin were seated in the Onderon Senate chambers along with the rest of those who had made it. Holoprojectors were set up in the pods to allow those unable to make it to call in, but so far, most had come in person.
 

Cal Starros

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// Lothal

Ever since the snap-election for a new Prime Minister, Senator Starros had been confined to Lothal working on the defenses being established across the world. Convinced he had basically spent the past week in back to back meetings with various military officials and suppliers, a meeting of the FWA Senate was actually a refereshing change of pace for one.

The new Prime Minister, Korre, was one he had supported from the off - a passionate woman with a drive to protect the FWA, and the knowledge and insight to ensure that it happened.

Unable to make it to Onderon in person for the meeting, he would instead be calling in remotely. He had made a mental note to ensure he was nothing but supportive to the new Prime Minister, aware as he was that his actions and words where under heavy scrutiny these days, as the man who had all but caused the election in the first pace.

Watching from Lothal, as the FWA Prime Minister entered, Starros took his cue and appluaded, standing - and this appearing to do so as a hologram in the Senate chamber itself - and cheering her arrival. As he did so, he would hear others doing likewise, clapping in the new duly elected Prime Minister of their Government, seen by many as the new hope the Alliance needed.[/size]
 

Jal Widase

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// Onderon

It had been a grueling number of months for Commander Widase. He was frequently rotating between worlds, now; brief stops at home on Dac punctuated long tours amongst the stars, from Lothal, Christophsis, New Mandalore, and back again. They lived in chaotic times, and stress was at an all time high. After the FWA senatorial address, though, he would thankfully be on his way back home. He stood in the senatorial box beside a hologram of Mon Cala's senator, an elderly Quarren who was a close cousin to the King. Widase stood in person as a signal of respect to the new Prime Minister.

But privately, he had some serious reservations about her appointment. She had a great deal of passion for the state of affairs of the galaxy, certainly, but had little experience negotiating on controversial issues. And, sure, her position within the Galactic Health Organization at her age was praiseworthy; but it also raised the question of her loyalties, to him. Could she, in such quick succession, truly be an arbiter of the FWA's collective interests, when hers mere moments ago were to Belasi and the Galactic Health Organization. In these times of crisis, of great and grueling wars, had they chosen a idealist to rally them together? Had they expelled a veteran politician from office to put in a rookie?

For now, Widase owed it to his world to have faith. Indeed, Senator Starros spoke highly of the woman, and her standing among the noble aristocracy of Belasco had convinced some of Mon Cala's own knights. And, the Galactic Health Organization's conduct had been nothing but admirable. Perhaps it was the tension of the current day, the galactic situation as a whole, getting to him At the very least, he would try not to let his objections show outwardly.
 

Nicolas Clément

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// Onderon

The Senator of New Alderaan was on Onderon for the meeting, was able to attend personally. FWA meetings were pretty rare because most FWA worlds were content to be aloof day by day and pretty passive. During the one-hundred years of peace it worked more or less, but it doesn't seem to be working out for the interesting times they are in, and it may better more 'interesting' soon. Prime Minister is a good fit for the former Senator of Belasco. Korre deserves it and the praise she gets. Her taking the initiative with this session is a good start. Nicolas would speak highly of her too.

Anyways, Nicolas was in his place. looking around he can see quite a bit of people 'calling-in', Senator Starros is one of those, but he's been really busy working on projects on Lothal it's understandable. Well, then, Nicolas had his protocal droid asssistant with him in his pod and he would check his chrono. It's almost time.
 

Cassian Graves

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It was rare for representatives of the Free Worlds Alliance to gather under one roof outside of meetings of the Galactic Senate, and even then you were never guaranteed that they would all show their faces.

Free Worlds Alliance members were an independent bunch, and unlike their neighbors in the core worlds did not hold to the idea of centralized government. They were bound together in name and with a set of loose trade and defense pacts. Each planet operated on its own without the interference of the others, and that was the way they liked it.

Independence, plain and simple. Something, in Cassian Grave's mind, that the New Republic had lost sight of when they had pulled away from the Free Worlds Alliance and returned to their old ways.

Cassian had no excuse to avoid attendance today, particularly since the meeting was being held on his own planet, Onderon. He couldn't very well get out of it, and if he was being honest with himself had no desire to. The New Prime Minister piqued his interest, and he was intrigued to see her at work and to listen to her proposals or plans for their future.

Like everyone else in attendance, physically or virtually, he stood when their new Prime Minister entered the senate chambers and applauded her. It was the least he could do to offer his congratulations and to show his support, but he was not without reservations.

Naeva Rue had served as their Prime Minister for a decade and had done little to interfere with the day to day business of each planet. Of course, she hadn't done much to protect them from invasion either. Korre Belasi would need to prove herself, but perhaps she would do exactly that before the day was done.
 

Korre Belasi

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// Thread is still open to any FWA politicians or military personnel wishing to join! Jump in whenever.

"Members of the Senate--" Korre stood as the clock hit noon and the Senate chambers hushed themselves alongside it. "--first and foremost, thank you all for attending today. I know that it can be difficult to fit such a meeting in on a relatively short notice.

"Secondly, I would like to thank you all for your support. It is incredibly humbling to have witnessed the massive amount of support for me during the election.”


Now that the pleasantries were out of the way, it was time to get down to business. If they were hoping for eloquent speeches, there was a possibility of one or two from the Belasco native, but it was not her style. As a senator she had disliked fluff, and as a scientist, she liked to get straight to the point.

“Moving on.” Each senator would receive a ping, and those attending in person would also receive the document on their pod’s holoscreen. It was fairly short at only about a page and a half long, with the emphasis placed on the night’s agenda. First on the list was an open discussion for major opinions on what should be done about the Sith. It would be followed by a similar discussion, though the topic was whether or not the FWA would align themselves with the Jedi or not. The rest were fairly standard political topics, such as trade agreements, etc. which would be gotten to last.

“I want to hear opinions on how we should address the threat of the Sith. We have been too slow to act and it has cost us; if we are going to, now is the perfect time to get on the same page.”

Korre then sat down, opening the floor for others to speak. Hopefully those most affected by the conflict would speak first and lead the discussion in the direction Korre hoped it would go.

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Cassian Graves

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Cassian sunk into his chair, leaning back and resting his head against his hand. The Prime Minister stood tall as she welcomed them all, thanking them for their support and their attendance today. The future of the Free Worlds Alliance rested, at least to some degree, on their willingness to cooperate with one another. Under the loose leadership of Naeva Rue, communication and coordination had been limited and meetings like this unheard of.

Cassian hoped that communication and cooperation would increase but that autonomy would remain the same. It would be unwise for the Free Worlds Alliance to follow in the steps of the New Republic, and he would happily make his thoughts known on this matter should the need arise.

The Galactic Senate's decision to embargo the Sith Empire did not sit well with him, and he hoped it was not a shadow of things to come. Although the decision was not likely to impact the Free Worlds to the same degree it had the New Republic, it was the principle of the matter that irked him. While issuing an embargo was completely within the Galactic Senate's power, it did not necessarily follow that because it was within their power that it was right.

Regardless of their decision, the Sith would continue to be provided with weaponry and ships of destruction. Between unsupervised planets on the outskirts of society and the formation of Canto Hypserspace Distributers, this likelihood was settled in his mind. Why should each planet be instructed to give up their right to free commerce? It was for show. Nothing more.

But perhaps that was a battle for another day. He had not cast his vote that day in the Galactic Senate hearings, so to voice disagreement now would be to lose face publicly. He certainly didn't want to do that.

Like her predecessor, Korre Belasi was evidently not one for long speeches. That was a relief. When no one else spoke up, Cassian decided to throw his two credits in.

The Zeltron stood, a smile plastered across his face as he nodded first to the Prime Minister and then to the others gathered. "Prime Minister and honorable representatives of the Free Worlds, I welcome you to Onderon, and might I officially congratulate our new Prime Minister. Onderon stands behind you."

Glancing at the agenda below, the Senator of Onderon got down to business. "I do not claim to have a solution for our problem to the north. I do, however, wonder if we have truly exhausted our diplomatic options? The Sith Empress known as Darth Andruil publicly extended an olive branch to us several months ago, and to my knowledge nothing was done about it.

"Following the battle of Felucia, she has since withdrawn that offer, but perhaps it is not too late for us to do something about it. If we do not act now, I fear our only option will involve further bloodshed. Perhaps there is no way forward but war, but I believe we would all sleep easier in our beds at night if we at least attempted to find an alternate route. So I must ask, is anything being done to initiate talks with the Sith Empire?"

 

Jal Widase

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Widase listened as the Prime Minister spoke. Short, to the point; perhaps some appreciated that. He knew he did, although he admitted he did quite enjoy the artistic, historical, and philosophical value of a good speech. It can help to illuminate the finer points of one's politics, connect them to a broader phenomenon; he supposed, though, she was a scientist. And her words rang true.

He nudged the senator of Mon Cala, who had fallen asleep at the podium. He shook his head. At least, without the strictest regulations of the old Galactic Senate binding him, he could still present the world's opinion without holding the rank or title of Senator.

"Our thanks to you for this meeting, Prime Minister Belasi. I echo Senator Graves' congratulations for your election And I must echo the comments of the gentleman from Onderon on the Sith Empire. The Empress has extended an olive branch to each world in the Free Worlds Alliance, it is worth your peoples' consideration at the very least." He spoke this part to the collection of assembled senators.

"And why were Free Worlds forces as such at Felucia, helping the Jedi to lead an invasion? Who among us appointed the Senators of Lothal and New Alderaan to undertake their disastrous diplomatic mission?" He shook his head.

"In a meeting with the Empress of the Sith, she asked Mon Cala to deliver a message to the Free Worlds Senate. She states that diplomacy is possible, and that her war is exclusively with the Jedi. The failed invasion of Kabal disproves that notion, to an extent, but it remains clear the vast focus of their military expeditions remain on targets with"

"As we have greater contact with the Sith, we learn more about the workings of their Empire. Empress Andruil harkens to an Empress Andraste, a more peaceful Sith ruler who held normal relations with the Old Republic."


"We have further learned that the Sith Empire is composed of smaller Kingdoms, led by individual Sith. By all accounts, these Kingdoms are allowed great autonomy and freedom in decision-making, capable of fighting wars, invading planets, and negotiated across the galaxy as long as they swear fealty to a greater body, the Empress. It is not entirely unlike our own government, were Free Planets are encouraged to live and die by their own political philosophies."

"It is Mon Cala's belief that the unending string of invasions are not the pure will of the Empress. It runs contrary to her true goal of a safe, unified empire. Rather, we are of the belief that there is a civil war, a cold war, that brews constantly within the Empire. Sabotage, violence, cruelty, and bloodshed are brought to our worlds to curry political favor on their own, which they leverage for a greater share of autonomy or political power at home. Every Sith wants a fiefdom of their own."

"It is thus my recommendation as a military advisor that Free Worlds pursue a two-pronged approach to diplomacy. Our body is, and must remain, unable to compel its members to specific foreign policy decisions, but the unprofessional actions of Senator Starros at Felucia must teach us that eclectic foreign policy responses from individual Free worlds are untenable, and pose a great threat to the whole of the body."

"So, I recommend that Free Worlds in pursuit of peace re-open negotiations with the Empress. Recognize that she holds legitimate rule over a number of territories in the galaxy. But, do not be defenseless. Arm yourselves, and be prepared to defend against extremists from the Sith territories who assault neutral worlds without rhyme or reason. By acknowledging the Empire, by negotiating, we can allow the Empress to tighten the leash, as it were, on such extremists."


He turned towards the Lothal delegation. "And I strongly recommend we officially censure Senator Starros of Lothal, lest his rhetoric doom the whole of the Free Worlds Alliance to endless war."


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Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl

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// Kashyyyk

Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl was not on Onderon, and technical difficulties had prevented him from joining via holo right at the beginning of the meeting. Already upset over the failings of technology, the freshman Senator also found himself disagreeing with Senator Graves and Commander Widase over the topic of the Sith. The Wookiee weighed in with a series of growls and barks, which were translated into tinny Basic by a small protocol unit attached to his belt.

"Senator Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl congratulates Chancellor Belasi on her appointment to the Office of Chancellor of the Free World Alliance, and wishes prosperity under her leadership" the protocol unit stated. "However, the Senator from Kashyyyk disagrees with Senator Graves and Commander Widase on the topic of the Sith." The droid paused for effect, it's programming drawing on a careful analysis of humanoid speech patterns. A barely audible growl from Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl encouraged the droid to translate before the optimum length pause was achieved.

"What good is it negotiating with the Empress if she cannot control her own subjects? What good is peace with the Sith if the Empress is unable to enforce it? If Commander Widase is correct about the politics of the Sith, then we are staring at a multi-headed beast; closing one mouth will not stop us from being devoured. We should be preparing for their next invasion."

Leaning heavily on his wroshyr staff, the Wookiee glanced around at the assembled dignitaries. No wise chieftain courted war, but the people of Kashyyyk had suffered under Palpatine's empire and he feared that history would soon repeat itself.

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Korre Belasi

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Immediately, there was disagreement, but Korre wasn't surprised by that. The Free Worlds Alliance was full of many planets with many peoples of different ideologies. It would be way too easy if everyone agreed on everything. Not that it wouldn't be nice, just unrealistic.

Cassian Graves, Senator of Onderon, was of the opinion that things should be solved diplomatically. Korre gave a nod to his voice of support, and then listened as he spoke. The idea of meeting to speak with Empress Andruil, or even establishing communication, was not something that Korre particularly favored. The Sith woman was an incredibly intimidating figure, and even the cool-headed Korre wasn't sure if she would be able to keep her nerves about her if she were to head to the talks. If that was desired by the senators though, she would try. Preparation would certainly be a must.

Next to speak was Jal Widase, the Commander of Mon Cala's armed forces. The Mon Cala senator appeared to be asleep, so Korre assumed Widase spoke for him. The commander brought up some interesting information, including the willingness of the Empress to negotiate, and her claim that the Sith only wanted war with the Jedi. That bit of information in particular, the Prime Minister found suspicious. Had the Sith not targeted worlds which had nothing to do with the Jedi? Nevertheless, she continued to listen.

'Open negotiations...' Korre began to drum her fingers against the arm of her chair and her eyes unfocused as she considered such a move. It would make sense, to a degree. If they could establish diplomatic relations with the Empress, her lords would be force to either directly disregard any peace talks made and cause strife within the Sith, or they would abide by them and the planets closest to the Sith could rest under some degree of assurance. Building strong defense networks around planets near Sith space was a good idea as well, so she thought.

The problem would be unifying the Senate under such an idea. Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl, Senator of Kashyyyk, was immediately vocal about his utter lack of faith in the Sith. Yet again, someone made good points, but Korre had already been swayed by Widase's commentary.

"I think Commander Widase makes some good points, especially with the information he's presented to us." Korre activated her microphone once again as she stood. "If what he says is true, then the Sith are essentially a feudal system, though they call themselves an Empire. If we attempt to negotiate with Empress Andruil, and it is successful, then the fiefdoms under her will be forced to chose to obey her or pursue their own interests. If they do, that is good. If they don't, and they continue to attack our worlds, it would presumably create strife within the Sith Empire.

"Commander Widase, I, and I'm sure many other members of the Senate, would be curious to hear more about your ideas here. But, first, I would like to quick touch on the topic of Jedi.

"Grandmaster Voran of the Jedi Order has contacted and requested to meet with me. The Sith claim their only war is with the Jedi; if this is so, and if we hope to at least try to deter their wrath through diplomatic means, it is my judgment that we should not declare our friendship with the Jedi as a whole. If we plan on fighting against the Sith full force, then it would be critical for us to do so.

"Before this Senate ends tonight, and before I meet with her, I wish to hear the voices of the Senate."


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Cal Starros

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There could be no doubt in Senator Starros’ mind that the new Prime Minister was a popular choice indeed, and her popularity was holding true after her election has come to its end. He sat in silence as he listened to the discussions shaping up across the chamber, growing more concerned at the direction of the discussion as he did so. Eventually, when it was his turn to speak, the Senator rose to his feet and suppressed a smile as an audible hush descended across the meeting.

”Speaker -”

“It will continue to be the position of the Government of Lothal that the Sith Empire, in whatever form it chooses to take, is the enemy of the Free people of this Galaxy. Whilst good points have been made here today that the Empire itself operates under a feudal system, the Government of Lothal is not swayed by the honeyed words of the Empress, who seems to preach peace whilst practising the artifice of war.”

“Furthermore, the Government of Lothal distances itself from the suggestions that the Jedi are the sole reason behind this Sith aggression. We have yet to see evidence to substantiate this reasoning, regarding the attacks of Felucia, Denon and Ferrari, we remain unconvinced that it was a ‘Jedi Presence’ that motivated this attack. Why? Because no evidence of such a presence has been noted by external, independent sources.”

“Finally, I have been tasked by my Government to reaffirm that the Planet and People of Lothal remain utterly committed to the Jedi Order, who have, throughout the history of our world, region and galaxy, stood on the correct side of history against Imperial, Sith backed, tyranny and destruction.”

“The Jedi are allied to Lothal, and we to them.”

“We will not step back from supporting them, and I urge each and every member of this chamber to consider the lessons of history, and look at the facts of the current situation as they are presented. The Sith cannot be trusted, their way is one of war, of domination and of conquest - and we must stand together against this threat, or face ruin.”

 

Korre Belasi

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Korre listened as the senator from Lothal spoke and declared he and his people's unrelenting loyalty to the Jedi. She lacked such confidence in the Jedi, but she shared his suspicion of the Sith. It was not her belief that anyone in the chambers wished to befriend the Sith. Befriending was a far cry from establishing some degree of diplomatic relations.

"Senator Starros, that is all good and well--and I commend you and your people's dedication to the Jedi--but you didn't mention how you and your people will defend against the threat of the Sith. Do you intend to rely solely on the good will of the Jedi? The fleets of the nearby Mon Cala? Your own navies, no matter how big or how small?"

The man had not really given her much to go off of, thus came the questions. Aligning his people staunchly with the Jedi would make him a target in the eyes of the Sith, if the Empress's threats were to be trusted.

"One more thing Senator: was it not your negligence that resulted in the people of Felucia returning themselves to the Sith? We can all claim our alliances and make speeches to the Senate, but if our actions do not follow up our promises then we've wasted our breath."

Korre turned to address the greater Senate.

"The Free Worlds has gone too long without action. That's why I called you all here today. We can spend all day spouting fancy words, or we can actually do something. We need to ensure the Sith can't just take our planets, like Denon. We need to make sure Firrerre never happens again, but we can't do that if we talk and then fail to follow up with action."

"Commnder Widase," Korre turned back to the Mon Cala commander. "Please expand on this two-pronged approach you suggest."

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Jal Widase

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The Mon Cala Commander smiled as the Senate considered his words. Widase was prepared to respond to the Prime Minister's points when Senator Starros spoke.

"Senator Starros seems content to dwell on his flights of fantasy, of a beautiful, just crusade against a tyrannical Sith Empire. I will remind the honorable Senators here today it is this flawed philosophy that doomed his negotiations at Felucia."

"No, while Starros may speak of myth and history, I feel that our choices must be governed by facts. The truth of the matter is, no matter how many nightmarish bedtime stories we hear about the Sith, sovereign worlds have joined them peacefully. The longer we ignore this fact, the less equipped we are to actually deal with reality. That is what the failed delegation of Felucia failed to realize. Felucia joined the Sith out of their people's own choice, swearing fealty in exchange for protection from bandits and brigands. Further markings of the Sith Empire being a feudal territory. Not a single, red lightsaber or blast of lightning was needed to sway the Felucians, only level-headed diplomacy spurred on by clear and present needs."
He sighed, shaking his head.

"And then some of us, and the Jedi, chose to invade the Felucians. In clear violation of their sovereign choices, and without any clear strategy on why we were at Felucia or how we were to hold the world. Now, we have lost lives, soldiers, countless dollars, and galactic goodwill because the world returned to the Sith by referendum. We were outvoted against an Empire!" He paused for maximum effect - perhaps the miniature protocol droid would appreciate the effort.

"This returns to my original point. As long as our opinions on the Sith are trapped in the past, we ignore that there is an evolving political situation happening along their borders that involves both the use of force and the use of reason to improve their political situation. We must be well prepared to meet both, lest we be caught flat footed yet again in future negotiations."

"To return to you, Prime Minister, I offer this counsel. In today's Mon Cala, the Jedi have been fair, reasonable, and just in their conduct. Grandmaster Voran most of all. It is an honor to call them friends. But, foreign relations with other entities must remain the sovereign choices of individual governments within the Free Worlds Alliance. If even one world objects to their presence, Prime Minister, you would risk their freedom by formally affiliating our whole Alliance with them." They were not, and could not be, the New Republic or ISC. Worlds in the FWA remained a such because they desired total freedom over their worlds' affairs, above all else. "We will never be able to field our own army without total, voluntary support, as you yourself have noted, Prime Minister."

"But we can contribute to our common defense. Already, Mon Cala has joined its neighbors Lothal and New Alderaan in a strictly defensive alliance. Such voluntary alliances, along with the joint buildup of defenses alongside our border worlds, can act as force multipliers. If we can contribute to stronger defensive structures, such as defensive satellites or planetary shields, along our hyperlanes through an equitable pool of some sort, where worlds contribute what they can in money, manpower, or resources, this effort combined with voluntary defensive agreements across our worlds make individual planets a much more difficult target for conquest."
Fortress worlds along the borders of FWA space would be able to hold off in the event of a siege or invasion, long enough for the rest of any individual worlds' allies to muster their own forces and drive off an attack. Hopefully.

"That's one prong, a threatening enough defensive array that invasion is impossible. The other is, of course, diplomacy. While we should not hand the Jedi over for extermination, we should consider our own interests as a collective above theirs. If we continue to maintain our independence from the Jedi, I believe that we can negotiate with the Empress. The Sith cannot fight an endless war on a million fronts, despite what members of our Senate may believe. If we can engage them in legitimate diplomatic dialogue, as individual worlds, as the Free Worlds Alliance, and perhaps, in the Galactic Senate, we can bring a hastier return to civilian leadership on Denon and Taris."

"I am open for further questions from the assembled body."


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Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl

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Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl listened as various points were raised, his face a mask of calm to those ignorant of Wookiee microexpressions. A barely-noticeable curl of his lip, however, signaled disagreement as Commander Widase spoke of his second prong- the diplomatic approach he envisioned. Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl did not trust the Sith, but now was not the time for such discussions; better to focus on what he could achieve as opposed to dragging the session into debate about the morals of the Sith. The Wookiee considered Commander Widase's proposal; it needed some tweaking, but there were certainly worse ideas out there. Once again, T-8R translated as the Senator from Kashyyyk spoke.

"As Chancellor Belasi said, our words must be backed up with action. The idea to form defensive pacts in order to deter Sith attacks is a wise one; Kashyyyk is in favor of this proposal to deter the unchecked aggression of the Sith." Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl would've preferred to make the defensive pact mandatory, but that was not a battle he could win. The move might also have the unintended side-effect of creating factions within the FWA, but then again, unity had never been the FWA's strong suit.

"On the topic of a diplomatic approach, however, a stronger stance is needed. Esteemed Senators" -the protocol droid busting out its most flattering language- "as Chancellor Belasi rightly says, we must present a unified front to the Sith. We are the largest governing body in the galaxy, with hundreds of planets claiming membership through a shared value of freedom. When that freedom is threatened, we must stand together to ensure that the sovereignty of all of our members is respected."

T-8R paused, mimicking Commander Widase's impressive delay down to the hundredth of a second as Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl gazed over the assembly.

"The Sith are counting on us to be divided; a scattered pack makes for easy prey. Therefore, instead of negotiating on an individual basis, I move that we speak with one voice to the Sith; the next conquest of a Free Worlds Alliance world will be treated as an act of war- as it should be."

Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl was not a fan of negotiations with the Sith, but he conceded that words often solved more problems than fighting. However, words tended to be more persuasive if backed up with a bowcaster, and he did not want the FWA undone by a disorganized, complicated approach. Still, he wished to give the Mon Calamari a chance to explain his idea.

"Commander Widase" he began, turning to the holo of the Commander. "What benefit will negotiations from individual worlds have? Surely you must realize that no single world can negotiate on even terms with the power of the Sith Empire."

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Cassian Graves

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Consul, Onderon

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The Senator of Onderon couldn't help but grin, his eyes twinkling of amusement. He exchanged a knowing look with his assistant, a young but sharp and eager Bivall named Kiacro.

As usual, representatives of the Free Worlds Alliance were in disagreement. That was nothing new, and it was unlikely that it would ever change. Differences in opinion were bound to arise when you threw representatives of a hundred different worlds, all with different backgrounds and ideas, into one room and asked them to see eye to eye on important, life altering issues.

Self-governance and a desire for utmost independence kept them divided but also, strangely enough, bound them together. The Free Worlds Alliance existed because of its independence, not in spite of it. This was, in Cassian Grave's opinion, the biggest reason more worlds had not abandoned the Free Worlds Alliance in favor of the New Republic or the ISC.

As soon as there was a lull in the discussion, Cassian leaned forward in his chair to speak into the pod's mic. The lunch hour had long since passed them by, and he couldn't be bothered to stand up. "I understand the concerns of Senator Starros and Senator..."

Cassian stared at the monitor for Senator Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl, his blue eyes narrowing to concentrate on each letter. Yeah, there's no way I'm saying that...

"...the Senator of Kashyyyk, but I could not disagree more strongly. To ignore the olive branch once extended to us by Darth Andruil is to invite war upon ourselves. If we do not pursue diplomatic relations with the Sith Empire, we have no one to blame for the war that will inevitably follow but ourselves.

"This war is not going to go away simply because we choose to ignore it. We cannot escape its far reaching effects, positive or negative. We can only choose how we shall respond and how we shall meet it head on. Personally, and I speak for the Monarchy of Onderon when I say that the Free Worlds Alliance should and must pursue diplomatic negotiations with the Sith Empire.

"We cannot simply sit around on our hands, waiting for the Sith Empire to attack or for them to offer us another olive branch. No such overture will come our way again. Either we act now, or we have invited this war upon ourselves.


The Zeltron tilted his head toward the Mon Calamari before continuing. "Commander Widase is a man with more military experience than, dare I say, anyone in this room. I trust his judgment and his opinion on this matter. The suggestion of a defensive alliance is brilliant and, frankly, something we should have considered more seriously long ago."

True, the Free Worlds Alliance was already bound together in loose defense pacts, but these lacked real backing, forethought, and planning. They were more emblematic than anything else. "There is no guarantee that diplomatic discussion with the Sith Empire will end well, and we must be prepared for the worst. Rest assured, Commander, that Onderon is extremely interested and will be contacting you shortly regarding your proposition."

Cassian turned toward the new Prime Minister. "As for the Jedi Order, I strongly implore the Prime Minister to make no alliance with the Jedi at this time. Such an alliance would destroy any hope for peaceful negotiations with the Sith and would invite hostility upon every Free Worlds planet and citizen.

"It is no secret that the Jedi and Sith hate one another. Their war is constant and unending, and they plunge the entire galaxy into chaos with their war mongering. Why should Free Worlds citizens be drug further into a battle that is not theirs? A day might come when an alliance with the Jedi Order will be beneficial to our citizens and their safety, but today is not that day.

"Onderon will not support open war with the Sith Empire, except as a last result."


The Zeltron nodded toward the Prime Minister, thanking her for her time before leaning back in his seat.


 

Jal Widase

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Widase nodded at the praise. He was not exactly a humble man - he allowed his grin to grow. He could tell he was gaining buy-in, respect, from those senators here. As this wave was growing, he took a moment to assess his Wookiee detractor.

"Senator...." Widase exhaled, internally grimacing before he butchered the name. "Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl?" It was easier to pronounce than he had expected. Perhaps it was aided by the years spent learning the complex Quarren tongue. A small victory. "I would agree, were our differences not so profound. Who would speak for the many worlds of the FWA? I am equipped only to speak for Mon Cala. Who could speak for Kashyyyk's interests, if not you? Me? Senator Starros? Senator Graves? We have vastly different interests, lives, species. It is not so simple for us to rally behind a single leader." The Senator did raise an interesting point, though. As far as the galaxy was concerned, the Sith Empire was at war with the "Free Worlds Alliance," even though such an event was impossible unless the Sith were invading literally every planet in the Alliance's territory. If they were to collectively pursue peace, some degree of coordination would be needed, lest rogue worlds constantly interrupt their process.

He thought back to his first diplomatic assignment - a meeting with Secretary Carrick of the ISC. A meeting he had blundered in, but not totally without merit. He had learned much about the ISC from therein. "I believe we may find a worthy precedent from our friends in the Independent Systems Consortium."

He took a moment to pull up an Atlas of the Galaxy, with conveniently color-coded circles along each government's bloc. "Each of the ISC's spheres of planets is defended by what is known as a Core Defense Fleet. These fleets patrol each of their respective cores, protecting them in times of invasion." He gestured to the small circle surrounding Bestine and Thyferra. "For instance, here; a small standing fleet protects these worlds from piracy, invasion, and crime at all times."

He zoomed out of the ISC territory, and zoomed into Mon Cala. "Perhaps we are capable of something...similar. We can create our own, decentralized spheres; members of those voluntary alliances can decide amongst themselves what the proper diplomatic course is, who should represent them, how to best defend their worlds..." He traced a finger around Mon Cala and Lothal. "Despite Mon Cala and Lothal's recent differences, we are sworn together, defensively. We can think of that as one sphere."

He jumped from his map to Kashyyyk. "Senator Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl. Perhaps your world could reach out to Togoria, Balamak, Sneeve, Randon...your neighboring worlds. This way, you would not be alone, but your well-founded concerns for safety would not trump the sovereignty of individual worlds."

He shut off the bright, holographic map. "Does that make sense to the parties gathered? It provides a clear roadmap for our next tasks - meet our respective neighbors, see if you are interested in some kind of defensive agreement, and use that agreement to pursue peaceful diplomacy with the Sith Empire?" He hoped it would be an acceptable compromise for those who desired centralization and those who desired freedom. Smaller swathes of territory could be more easily defended, built up, and sustainably supported by their home planets - there would be no need for a Free Worlds standing fleet, just a coalition of the willing protecting their own backyards.


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Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl

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Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl stroked his chin thoughtfully as Commander Widase offered a compromise; as expected, it had been too much of an ask to get the diverse and divided FWA to agree on anything. He was irked at the plan's inspiration coming from the ISC's own model, but it did make logistics easier and would likely decrease he chances of a Sith attack.

"That solves the question of defense" rumbled the Wookiee, begrudgingly accepting the idea. "What of our diplomatic stance towards the Sith Empire? Our words should match our actions."

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