Open Inaction Breeds Doubt and Fear

[Korre Belasi]

// OPEN TO ALL FREE WORLDS SENATORS AND/OR PLANETRY GENERALS

"Make yourselves avaliable. We meet in a standard hour." Beep. " Mark as an emergency message. Send." Voice message sent.

When she'd accepted her position as Prime Minister, Korre had been hopeful. She had bright eyes and a plan for the future. The Belascan remembered the reason Naeva Rue had been voted out—in times of war and disease and famine, she sat and did nothing. Back then Korre had wondered, Why doesn't she do anything? When AMS tore up the galaxy and the threat of the Sith appeared, why didn't she try? I was going to be that change!

Maybe it wasn't for a lack of trying. There was so much talk in the Senate rooms of the Free Worlds, but there was so little action. They'd lost Wayland to the Sith, then Mon Cala to the Free World's inability to protect the water world. Ord Mantell was under siege by the Five Syndicates. They did get Denon back, again, but then the Sith went and made a visit to Mandalore. Now Lothal was under attack by the Mandalorians. Reports were flooding in, and her email beeped every five seconds. Things were not looking good and Korre was stressed. She'd tried, but there was too much to do and too few willing to do it. We're a trade alliance. We're a defense alliance but no one wants to defend one another.

Her office was empty of everyone but herself, so when the woman crashed down into her chair and let her head fall into her hands, there was no one there to witness it. She could feel her heart beginning to race, her breath growing shallow, and the muscles in her legs causing her legs to bounce up and down and up and down. They all want help when they need help, but none of them are willing to help one another! Where were the people of Thrusta, Ploo, Myrkr, or even Aquaris when Wayland was attacked and taken by the Sith? When Ossus faced the wrath of the Sith, where were her neighbors? Would Mon Cala bother to assist Lothal? Would New Alderaan? Korre's head fell further until her hands rested upon the desk and her head upon them. Her body slowed, shocked out of its panic from the ice of her glass furniture.

"What can I do but keep asking them?" she whispered to herself. There was so little she could do on her own. There was no formal military, so she couldn't take things into her own hands. There was really no formal anything outside of the G.H.O., and that was a tool of the Senate. Well, seeing as the ISC has their own little thing... Man, they really have everything all together huh? Deep down, Korre was sure that centralizing would solve half their problems, but she didn't think it was possible nor did she want to head such a large government by herself. With so many staunch individualist worlds under the green banner, it would never happen.

Quietly, Korre raised her head, smoothed down her clothing and hair, then took in a deep breath. She would be okay. She would project herself into this meeting and push hard for the most logical solution in her mind. We need a military.

45 minutes later, the Prime Minister opened the meeting and scanned herself into the holoroom. Those who joined would see a woman standing there, data pad held firmly in her grasp, and nothing short of a determined look on her face.

 

[Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl]

To Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl, an emergency message could only mean one thing; there was no actual emergency, and someone was about to waste his time. Still, when he saw that it came from Prime Minister Belasi, his stance softened a bit. The woman held the unenvious position of being the public leader of the most diverse alliance in the galaxy, and had earned the Wookiee's respect (if not his trust) because of the burdens she carried.

Thus, the Senator from Kashyyyk was prompt and courteous as he answered the Prime Minister's call via holo. "Madame Prime Minister" he rumbled, by way of greeting.

@lizziie

 

[Narpoo]

This was a noisy planet, and Narpoo didn't like that one bit. Walking off the interstellar transportation ship, his bag slung over his back and his two furry paws clamped over his ears, he hurried down the ramp looking for somewhere to hide. Everything was metal, duraplast and noisy. He had never felt further from home than he did now.

As such, he nearly jumped out of his fur when a heavyset man with the sigil of the Free World's Alliance stopped him. "Senator. It's an honour to receive you in person. My name is Mak Vandeem, I am on the staff to the Prime Minister. We had not expected Endor to send a representative." the man assumed. Clearly, the only Ewok to have visited this world in years simply must be the representative for Endor!

"Endor!" he chirped excitedly, recognising the name of his home. Maybe this man would take him back home? He grabbed the man's outstretched hand and shook it violently, Mak smiled - a job well done.

---

About an hour later, Narpoo was escorted through the confines of the Prime Ministers Office, and after an animated discussion with the security desk, had managed to haggle to keep his spear and knife about his person. A protocol unit, provided to ease the linguistic barriers that would no doubt arise, conveying his wish to keep the 'cultural icons' about his person.

Entering the room, which Narpoo very much hoped would be where he could collect his documentation that would return him to his beloved Forest Moon, he smiled as a large Wookiee, and a smaller female human - based on their smell at least - turned to meet him.

"Narpoo! Endor!" he pointed at his chest as he said the first word, and then at a circular sculpture on the nearby desk as he said the second. The protocol droid looked somewhat concerned but remained silent, as Narpoo repeated the words the Wookiee had said, and proudly declared "Prime Minister.", before tapping his spear on the ground, in what would not doubt be misinterpreted not as him repeating the statement he had heard, but in fact, referring to himself.

 

[Braprag]

Braprag was not a leader of the Free Worlds Alliance. But as a member of the Untamed, a mercenary army sworn to crown of Onderon, his missions had taken him across many worlds throughout Alliance space. One could argue that, for that reason, they constituted a shadow army for the less scrupulous members of the FWA. Worlds like Onderon, Taanab, and others.

Still, it came as a surprise that Senator Hergalor and General Barika Shan deputized the Untamed to speak on Taanab's behalf for their security needs. Was it a play by Hergalor to show his disinterest in war? Did they really trust the Untamed that much?

Such political questions went above Braprag's pay grade. But he was here, representing the security needs of Taanab. He hoped to see the Senator of Onderon, the policy director for the Untamed. Hopefully, Senator Graves could give direction.

@Nor'baal @lizziie @SlagathorTheUnknown @llamallove

 

[Cassian Graves]

It was evening on the Inner Rim planet of Onderon. and its senator had secluded himself away, high above the rest of the city in his skyrise apartment.

Cassian was seated comfortably on the couch in his silk pajamas, a bowl of fresh popcorn in his lap, the lights dimmed low, and the television set tuned in to Gamorrean Girls, a popular series about a single Gamorrean mother and her daughter trying to make their way through a complicated, drama-filled galaxy. He never missed a rerun, if he could help it.

The senator's datapad, absentmindedly tossed to one side of him had been put on silence and promptly ignored. Tonight was his night to relax, not just another night of the week to be bombarded with messages from his tireless aide, Kiacro. So when the device vibrated over the course of the evening, he paid it no mind.

Kiacro as usual, no doubt. The young Bivall was far too eager and conscientious for his own good. Not to mention he didn't have a life outside of work. Cassian had introduced him to a number of intelligent, attractive girls to occupy his mind for a time, but to not avail. The Bivall had a one track mind— work, work work.

Eventually, during a commercial break, Cassian scooped up the datapad to see what Kiacro was carrying on about this time. What awaited him instead was a message from the Primce Minister herself.

"Make yourselves available. We meet in a standard hour."​

An hour? That was... Cassian glanced at the emergency message's time stamp and then his chrono. Two minutes from now. There was no time to change now. The Zeltron discarded the bowl of popcorn and ran a perfunctory hand through unkempt hair, straightening the collar of his silk pajamas before activating his holoprojector.

As his hologram projection appeared alongside the others, he would smile at his colleagues. Right on time. "Good evening, Prime Minister."

@lizziie @SlagathorTheUnknown @Nor'baal @Fine Dining Set @Charles

 

[Phineas Hawthorne]

Phineas wondered what the said, 'Emergency', was. It could be the fact that a Hutt crimelord had kicked out Black Sun and decided she was in charge instead. Zaa Fenn was really staying under the radar after Gareth Gin's little announcement about Mon Cala. Senator Hawthorne was not upset- simply amused at what possibly could be considered urgent when literally the whole galaxy was up in flames.

Scanning himself into the holo-meeting, Phineas wore shades to hide his unimpressed and tired eyes. "I hope for your sakes, this is actually important. I have a Hutt to meet with and I'm not going in quietly."

 

[Korre Belasi]

There was an Ewok in her office.

Korre looked down at the furry creature with a surprised expression as he entered, took a deep breath, and activated her comm. "Florin, could you bring in a translator droid and another holoprojector, please?" Within a minute, the boy arrived with the projector and the translator droid trailing behind him. "Thank you for joining me, Senator Narpoo," Korre continued as she gestured for him to step in front of the holoprojector so that his image would join the rest of the holograms. Once that was all situated, she would turn back to acknowledge the waiting senators. Not everyone was here, but that was to be expected. Her call to meet was on short notice. Here goes nothing.

"Senators—" Korre began as her eyes drifted from hologram to hologram. They stopped on @Braprag for a moment, as she didn't quite recognize him. "And representatives—thank you for meeting with me on such short notice." Those same eyes, bold, blue, and filled with artificial confidence passed over to @Phineas Hawthorne where their gaze did little to hide her irritation with such a comment. The Belascan said nothing to it and instead returned to look out across the whole room. There were at least fifty senators or representatives present, which was far from the entirety of the Free Worlds, but it was enough. Hopefully.

"The Sith are growing ever closer to our major hyperspace lanes. Mandalore has been spurred into action by some ill will of the Empire and, if their invasion of Lothal means anything, they won't stop there. Zaa Fenn is wreaking havoc across the galaxy and the Hutt Cartels—" Korre made eye contact with Phineas, then briefly with Cassian before continuing. "—are making a barely concealed effort to worm their way into power. We are now fighting a two-front war. If the Syndicates continue to cause more trouble for us, it could very well turn into something we cannot handle. unless we act now.

"We are not the New Republic, and we are not the Consortium. We are a trade organization. We are also a defense pact, but we seem to be that in name only. How often have our planets asked for aid only to refuse to send aid to others? Certainly not all of you, but many. If we cannot come together and sacrifice for the sake of all our peoples, we will be doomed to indecision, inaction, and further instability as the Sith pick off our planets one by one."

This was not the first time she'd spoken in front of a large audience to propose something, but it was the first time any of them would have heard such hard determination in her voice. Despite the mountain of nerves bubbling under the surface, her voice was collected and direct.

"We cannot rely on our Rangers to bear the brunt of a war machine. We need to band together. We need to formalize a machine of our own." Korre looked to @Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl before she began her next statement. The Wookie was one of the most passionately anti-Sith senators she knew of. She could only hope he would see the vision she was about to lay out before them. "I propose we form a military. Let me be clear, it would be temporary and disbanded with the Sith surrender. It would be made up of hired mercenaries and soldiers from our planets. If a planet cannot supply soldiers or droids, supplies. We are a defense pact. It is time that we stand up and own our responsibilities.

"A council of generals will be formed, each responsible for a region of space. They will heed to the wishes of the sectors they operate in, but will otherwise have full command over their troops. Their first and only goal is to defend against the threat of the Sith and push back when the opportunity arises.

"Acknowledge your worries and voice your concerns, but if we do not leave here today with any less than a plan in action we might not get another chance."

// still open to additional FWA posts
// this occurs pre-Ro death and pre-Yavin IV invasion[/color]

 

[Hergalor]

Wait wait wait wait, Prime Minister Belasco is suggesting that the Free Worlds Alliance form a singular military? Uphold their defensive treaties? It was a radical change in policy, quite the opposite of what the Alliance was known for. Hergalor couldn't keep silently listening in with his surrogate Braprag, he had to actually weigh in on a meaningful policy decision. It seemed this really was an emergency.

"My sincerest apologies for my rudeness, Prime Minister Belasci." His translator rendered a soft, docile tone. It began to change into a terser, deeper one. It still had that robotic...unnaturalness to it, but perhaps that was just Hergalor as a person. "It is high time we show the galaxy that we are not just a target for plundering!"

"We must begin preparations to defend ourselves and our shipping lanes collectively." He paused, playing contemplative rather than seem overeager. "There are still those of us in this 'Alliance' who are allies in name only. I say, we make it exclusive. If you do not support the formation of a Free Worlds Alliance military, you do not deserve." Policy flip-flop. Now everyone gets a chance at war!

He hoped the threat implied with the bill would be just enough to scare parties into voting. It would be more contested, surely, but...there were so many leeches within the Free Worlds Alliance, who relied on goodwill and treaties to protect them from the consequences of their own inaction. Hergalor and Taanab were, until very recently, one of these leeches, growing fat off of the ineffectiveness of centralized galactic governance.

He would pivot now, and move to a different kind of strength. Perhaps his investments into Onderon's mercenary company would pay off, after all.

 

[Cassian Graves]

Wait. Was that Senator Narpoo standing beside the Prime Minister? Were... were the two of them dating? The idea was, quite frankly, ridiculous—utterly laughable, and yet Cassian allowed himself to entertain the idea briefly. Wasn't Narpoo married—or whatever the equivalent of marriage was in the Ewok community? Or did he just have a daughter? The Zeltron smirked. Why, that little devil...

The Prime Minister of the Free Worlds Alliance stood in the midst of the group with datapad firmly in hand, her posture straight and rigid. Clearly, current affairs weighed heavily on the Prime Minister's mind. That much was obvious to Cassian, and not just because he was a Zeltron. Concern clung to her features, her smile strained. More than concern—worry. Korre Belasi was spooked, for lack of a better term, and yet resolute. Perhaps more resolute and determined than ever.

It must have been obvious to everyone in the room, though they were thousands of miles apart with nothing more than a hologram presence. Well, almost everyone. Senator Hawthorne's comment was oblivious and disrespectful, but it sounded like he had problems of his own to deal with. The Zeltron silently wished him luck.

Cassian fixed his gaze on the Prime Minister and listened intently, confident now that she had not called them here on any pretenses. This was the real deal. An actual emergency. The proposal— the choice she put before them was not a difficult dilemma, at least not in Cassian's mind. It was an easy decision to make, the answer itself in their very name. They were an Alliance, and it was high time they acted like one.

"I must agree with you, Prime Minister. We are all a part of the same defense pack, after all. The Free Worlds Alliance and every planet within its borders can rest assured that Onderon will answer their call for help, should they be invaded by Sith or Mandalorian or Syndicate forces. Onderon will supply forces to this military you propose, namely Untamed mercenaries. I would trust the Untamed with my life, and have on a number of occasions."

The Senator of Onderon chewed on the side of his mouth, considering his words before raking sharp blue eyes over the rest of his colleagues. "But let me make one thing very clear. Onderon does not support the escalation of this war with the Sith. Should members of the Free Worlds seek out confrontation with the Sith Empire or invade their worlds, Onderon will not play ally.

"Our desire is to defend our borders, not expand them. Naturally, Free World planets may hire out members of the Untamed—they are, after all, a private military organization—but the expense will come out of that planet's pocket, not Onderon's. Onderon will not endanger the lives of its citizens by war mongering."

Cassian smiled at the Prime Minister with undisguised admiration. "An excellent proposal, Prime Minister. I see no need to disband this military organization should war with the Sith Empire come to a close. A voluntary military poses no threat to our planet's autonomy. If it threatened that freedom, I would not support the plan. The Sith are not the only threat that lingers within and on the edges of our borders. I propose that this military remain intact, until such a time that policy makers no longer find it beneficial. I doubt that will be in any of our life times."

He glanced at the Senator of Kashyyyk. Well, maybe in his lifetime. The old cook would probably outlive them all.

"I have only one question. What of worlds that form an alliance with the Jedi Order?"

@lizziie @SlagathorTheUnknown @Nor'baal @Fine Dining Set @Charles

 

[Narpoo]

"- Senator Narpoo,"

He puffed his chest out with pride, Senator Narpoo. Ever since he was a boy, Narpoo had always known he was destined for something greater. Maybe one day he would be Elder Narpoo, then Chief Narpoo! The canopy really was the limit, as Chuk-Chuk, his late mother had always reminded him.

Enthusiastically shaking the new protocol droids armature, the newly-appointed Senator, possibly the first Endorian to grace the rotunda in decades, listened as his droid conversed with him in Ewokese, conveying the Prime Ministers words in a language he understood. From what he had heard, the Free World Alliance was looking to bring people together in a unified army, to head off the encroaching threat of the Sith Empire.

Narpoo had heard the storytellers of his village speak at length about how the Rebel Alliance and the Ewoks had come together, at the behest of the Golden One, to strike down the Sith many generations ago. As far as the Ewok was concerned, this proposal made perfect sense - the larger the hunting party, the bigger the prey it could takedown.

As many of the gathered Senators were now doubt desperate to hear what he has to say, Narpoo obliged as Senator Graves wrapped up his remarks. His droid translated into perfect basic, as Narpoo thought back to his lessons. He had always been taught the correct way to make a speech was with added drama, and so he raised his arms, and spread them wide as he spoke "Many ages ago, a glider from Bright Tree," he made a flying motion with his arms "- came to see the Elders, and told them of the Golden One." he placed his right paw over his heart in reverence.

"The glider said that the battle we learned of in our legends had come. With the death moon in the skies, and the fire-breathing warriors walking the jungle floor, we were asked to come together, and defend our home." Narpoo stamped his foot "A spear alone, weak." he held his spear in both hands and shook it "Many spears together, strong." he stamped the spear on the ground to punctuate his point.

"If the firemen are back, Endor shall send many spears to the battle." he added, puffing out his chest once more, as Senator Narpoo pledged Endors warriors to the fight. "We must be as brave as the warriors of our legends. Our small size, is not a disadvantage, for our strength of spirit will win the day."

 

[Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl]

Finally. Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl felt a growing satisfaction in his chest as the Prime Minister suggested raising an army to defend the interests of the Free Worlds Alliance. No longer would they be easy pickings for an increasingly-aggressive Sith Empire. No longer would the Jedi shoulder the burden of defense alone. The time had come for the FWA to cast off their shackles of inaction, and take the fight to the Sith.

It seemed, however, that not everyone in the Free World's Alliance thought the same, however. The Wookiee fought to control his growing frustration as Senator Graves signaled opposition to anything other than a defensive war. Then, as the Senator from Kashyyyk was about to speak, Prime Minister Belasi's pet- no, it was an Ewok- told a confusing tale about spears and élan. Just as Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl found himself mentally urging the Senator?!? to get to the point, the story concluded and the Wookiee was able to speak.

"How exactly do you foresee this war ending, Senator?" he asked Cassian. "A defensive war is exactly what we're fighting right now, and still the Sith continue to invade. Our fleets should have the freedom to, at the very least, liberate the FWA worlds that have fallen to the Sith. If it is true that the Sith respect strength and power, we must show ourselves capable of using it."

At least they appeared to be in agreement of the formation of the fighting force. "Kashyyyk supports this measure, as long as the fighting force is disbanded once the war is over. As the ISC is finding out, armies are useless against the plague that are the Five Syndicates; there are better tools, such as the Sector Rangers, to deal with them."

"I also wish to clarify how these armies will be paid for" he said, looking around at the assembly. The Wookiee had his own suggestion, but he wanted to see what suggestions his contemporaries had.

@lizziie @llamallove @Nor'baal @Charles @Fine Dining Set

 

[Rubeus Bangalore]

Due to a transmission error with his holo device that was supposed to be new and refurbished, Rubeus spent the first tad bit of the meeting unable to see anything or speak on anything that stuck out to him but quite able to hear everything. Rubeus had to smile at Hergalor's interesting comment. What made some politicians more dangerous than others was when you couldn't tell what they were fighting for and the Senator of Tanaab was the least dangerous of them all.

Maybe it was the way the Ithorian said. Or maybe it was just the fact that Rubeus believed that Senator Hergalor did what was best for himself and his planet- which was rational and understandable. That's what made the FWA such a potentially powerful government; it's insane diversity among the stars! However, Rubeus got the idea that Hergalor was more of a goat than a sheep. Sticking with the flock until the mountain got too rocky. The Sith Empire was indeed quite the rocky mountain for this strange batch of goats to be treading upon.

Which brought Rubeus's attention to Cassian Graves. The Zeltron as young, and Rubeus could not blame his statement of defense. But...with adolescence came natural stupidity. Did Cassian seem to have forgotten that the Free World's have been on the defensive, losing planets by the week, it seemed? Maybe Senator Graves would be more willing to fight when his own planet was suffering from the plague of the Sith.

Luckily, Senator Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl brought up that very point. This war would end in travesty if everyone decided to hide in their caves until dawn like cave men taking shelter from bloodthirsty beasts. The Wookiee was a man of action- a man General Bangalore could respect. Nonetheless, Rubeus let a sigh escape from him after Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl mentioned money.

Everything was about money. Every cling and clang you managed to make in your pockets somehow determined your value. For a long time, Rubeus was stricken by this sentiment, believing himself to be a nobody until he got himself rich. It wasn't until the Battle of Exegol that Rubeus found what it meant to be someone. You didn't need money- you needed heart.

Finally, after tinkering with the tech for a few seconds, the holo-scan flickered on.

[OOC: Music]

"Present at last." Rubeus spoke in a smooth and deep baritone. "Senator Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl, you probably know better than I that it wasn't money that got the galaxy to give Palpatine two good ol' fashioned ass woopin's. It was hope. It was heart. It was the drive to build something greater for your children, and your children's children. Before we talk about currency- which I would be more than happy to fund personally myself -we need to discuss the state of moral across the galaxy."

"Everyone is in despair. In fear. The Mandalorians are conquering alongside the Sith, and the Five Syndicates have been bigger than ever. Though I was not alive during the Clone Wars, I believe history is going to repeat itself. We lose the war when we lose hope. And so far...well, we've lost that half of the battle, and the other half can't even be discussed if no one is willing to fight." Rubeus became more serious in his tone, and his eyes looked over to Cassian Graves before glancing to Senator Hergalor.

"I for one, am more than willing to die for the multi-trillion good people of this wonderful galaxy. I hate to see it in such a gloomy state. Someone needs to send a message to the people instead of the Sith, this time. We need be more like Alexandria Voren and preach of hope when he make public announcements from now on. The galaxy must know that no matter what happens outside, our flaming bonfires will never be put out. We must look into the abyss without flinching and when the abyss looks back at us..." Rubeus looked back at the Prime Minister with the warmest and happiest smile a man could have.

"It sure as hell better flinch."

@lizziie @llamallove @Fine Dining Set @Nor'baal @SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Cassian Graves]

If Korre Belasi and Senator Narpoo were dating, what could she possibly see in the middle-aged fellow? The Prime Minister was young, successful, intelligent, and charming. Senator Narpoo, on the other hand, well—he was successful, too.

Endor had chosen him to be their senator, after all—their ambassador to the rest of the galaxy. That was a lot of responsibility, and Narpoo bore it well. Perhaps it was the Ewok's masculinity that appealed to the Prime Minister. After all, Narpoo was a hunter. It followed that he would be masculine, in a cuddly, teddy bear sort of way. He was cute, Cassian had to give him that.

The little Ewok's speech regarding bravery and strength in spirit did help to refocus the Zeltron's thoughts, particularly when the Senator of Kashyyyk addressed him by name. He directed his attention toward the Wookie Senator, considering his words at some length before answering.

"I'd hardly call our strategy up to this point a defensive strategy," Cassian would reply, apparently not rattled by the Wookie's words. The 7'0 Wookie was a lot less intimidating over hologram.

"We've hardly defended the planets that have fallen. The Jedi have done most of the fighting up to this point, not that we've asked them. I'm sure I don't need to remind you of Felucia? That could hardly be considered a victory. The Free Worlds Alliance was villainized in the eyes of the public over that little stunt, painted out to be monsters that invade peaceful worlds and kill innocent civilians just to get back at the Sith Empire.

"You and I know that that is not what happened, but the public will believe anything the Holonet feeds them. We must tread carefully. This war amounts to more than battlefields and scrimmages."

@SlagathorTheUnknown @lizziie @Nor'baal @Fine Dining Set @Charles

 

[Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl]

Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl sighed; he should've expected there to be dissent in the ranks of the Free World's Alliance, and while he vehemently disagreed with Cassian on how the war should be conducted he also understood the complexity that went into such decisions. His own planet had a vocal minority calling for secession to the ISC.

"Felucia was a victory- at least militarily" he said, in response to Cassian. "And it shows that we are capable of fighting back against the Sith. You and I both know that the real failure with Felucia didn't come from the fighters, but from the diplomats. The failure was ours, and we will continue to fail if we don't step up and take responsibility for the defense of the Free World's Alliance."

The Wookiee surprised himself with his honesty; normally, he'd have toed the line and thrown Senator Starros under the bus, but the man's absence loomed large despite the Ewok doing their level best to fill the void.

"While we may currently disagree about the specific uses of these forces, I do believe we are at least in agreement that they are necessary. We can work out details as we go along, but the time of inaction is past. I will make a motion to accept Prime Minister Belasi's proposal."


@lizziie @Nor'baal @Fine Dining Set @Charles @llamallove

 

[Narpoo]

Narpoo had to admit that this was not quite to reception he had hoped for. After his rousing speech regarding the importance of unity, the Ewok had expected at least a small cheer? By no. These sour-faced administrators had no appreciation of the art of Endorian rhetoric, clearly. "Not all wars can be fought in the forest, sometimes we must gross to the grasslands and meet our enemies on their own lands, no?" Narpoo added, expressing support in his own unique way, for a readiness to fight an offensive war.

"Narpoo agrees." the droid translated as Narpoo stamped his foot defiantly "If the Alliance has seen planets taken by the enemy, then we must take them back. We must -" the droid stopped, unable to find the adequate translation in basic. Narpoo helped, stepping forward and flexing his muscles in an exaggerated war, prompting the droid to continue "- show strength."

 

[Hergalor]

The bickering had begun. Goodie! Graves was ever eager to limit his own commitment to the war. Hergalor saw his perspective - Onderon was a location of cultural significance, and, if they did join the war, their own planetary defenses combined with the Untamed would give them a massive planetary army compared to most any other party here. That could be as much a drawback as a benefit - it could put a target on Onderon's back.

And Senator Aezz could always be expected to advocate for invasion. He hated the Sith with the passion of a man who was personally persecuted by them. He held centuries of sorrow, willpower, and an endless hate towards the Sith Empire. No doubt, he wouldn't feel safe until every Sith citizen was put to the sword.

"Our primary focus will naturally be defense, at any rate, so it's a moot point. Let's stop ourselves from getting killed first." They were actively being invaded by two parties. Thinking about 'counterattacks' and 'invading the Sith' felt preemptive in the face of that. "Taanab's assets require a greater security presence than we currently have. To our end, we have issued letters of marque to merchant vessels with valor, giving enterprising entrepreneurs a way to participate in the defense of our planets." They could hire whatever scumbag or degenerate goon they felt like to fight for them.

"And organizations like the Untamed are ready-built to fill the gaps in our defenses. This won't be free, of course. But, if we are willing to approach galactic banks and trade organizations with free trade guarantees and deregulation agreements, we may be able to secure a loan large enough to finance a new army." Such a trade agreement would benefit the banks, of course, and Onderon, one of the recipient planets of the funding. With enough money, they could buy enough mercenaries, pirates, droids, or others to just fill the gaps between their combined planetary defense forces. This army of thieves and brigands could intervene and support the Free Worlds Alliance planetary forces.

And, a Free World Alliance mandate could give Taanab greater freedom in its unscrupulous hiring decisions. Pirates and cartel thugs could become legally recognized security forces.

 

[Cassian Graves]

"Well," Cassian began with a tone of finality, slapping his knee. In the Middle Rim, this was generally accepted as the universal signal for 'suppose I should head out.'

"We are in agreement." Possibly a first for the Free Worlds Alliance. "A military should be formed to protect the remaining Free Worlds. Although we do not currently agree on the logistics and boundaries of this formalized military," he continued in a low voice, a pointed look thrown in the direction of the Senator of Kashyyyk, "I am confident that we can finalize specifics along the way. On that note, I believe that concludes this meeting."

The Zeltron turned toward the Prime Minister, nodding respectfully. "Prime Minister. Thank you for leading us through these dark and truly troubling times. Now if you'll all excuse me," he smiled, glancing at each of them in turn, "I have pressing business to attend to."

With that, Cassian turned his holoprojector off and settled once more into the comfort of his couch. Gamorrean Girls wasn't going to watch itself.

@lizziie @SlagathorTheUnknown @Nor'baal @Charles @Fine Dining Set

 

[Korre Belasi]

They would need to iron out some kinks, but it seemed most of everyone present agreed that a military was no longer a want and now an absolute necessity. Good. That took an immense weight off her shoulders, even if there was a lot more waiting ahead for her. Senator Graves seemed concerned about the intentions of the military, but both Senator Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl and Hergalor made the point before she could address it. All that was left was to determine the "logistics and boundaries," as Graves said himself.

"Thank you all for coming on such a short notice. I will be in touch with you all about this going forward." With that, the meeting was adjourned. Korre sighed, rolled back her shoulders, then remembered that there was still an Ewok in her office. Right.

"Senator Narpoo, thank you as well. Florin will escort you back to your ship."

tags @llamallove @SlagathorTheUnknown @Nor'baal @Charles @Fine Dining Set