A/N: While the Alliance helped reinstate the New Republic, they're a separate entity from the actual senate.
Hold onto your hats for a whirlwind of nonsensical space politics!
When Niobe emerged from the refresher she was fully dressed and her damp hair was plaited the same as before. It was quite a contrast between this and her rough state from earlier. The woman herself was a strange dichotomy. On one hand you had a shrewd yet unassuming senator. On the other you had a blood-spitting, bomb-slinging scrapper. She seemed to phase between one and the other depending on the situation.
Most of the First Order entourage had convened in the main office. Niobe, the shrewd senator, approached Vand Breiner's desk. Before she spoke she shot Kylo Ren a disdainful glance. It was clear she was still salty from what had happened in the refresher. Or it could have it been from force probing her mind? Or abducting her? Ren could feel her justified resentment, but he was unfazed. It was more trouble than it should have been to bring her here and he's been more than merciful. She should be grateful she still has all her limbs and appendages.
Senator Breiner looked up from his datapad and gave Niobe his undivided attention.
"The documents," she stated.
No sooner said than done the flunky, who happened to be Breiner's young assistant and nephew, approached her to relinquish the information she requested. The remaining hours leading up to the galactic summit were spent mostly in silence. Breiner allowed her to take over a long couch and low table for her studying, but she remained under the close surveillance. Despite an imminent migraine from the completely worn off gylocal, Niobe poured through the documents with unwavering focus.
In the moment of quiet Kylo Ren watched the girl and reflected on how the mission was going so far. Niobe was uncomfortably aware of the attention, but couldn't afford to waste any time in a staring contest. News of the nine senators' assassinations were already beginning to spread. As far as the public was concerned, they were murdered by an organized crime syndicate. It also helps that the crown jewel of the Alliance, Republic City, had an uncharacteristically corrupt peacekeeping force. The First Order had been taking advantage of their nefarious ways for several years. According to the record, Senator Niobe is only alive because a dark knight of the First Order rescued fair damsel in distress. Even though the stage was set for their success Kylo Ren couldn't help but wonder what else the senator may have up her sleeve. Vand Breiner gave her clear instructions and consequences for noncompliance, but they still couldn't manually control her actions out on the senate floor. This woman had little regard for her own health and safety. Without proper leverage she could be unpredictable.
Before long morning light began to creep into the office. It was time to go.
The main Galactic Senate Building on Hosnian Prime was a cosmopolitan masterpiece. While not as impressively sized as the Senate Rotunda on Coruscant it made up for this with architectural efficiency and artful detail. The overall atmosphere was refined yet warmer than the cold Rotunda. Its design was a thoughtful mesh of all the distinguished cultures of the Core Planets. At the entrance of these great halls stood a magnificent yet eerily impactful memorial to Alderaan, looming over all who entered. The First Order entourage passed it without a second glance.
Hundreds upon hundreds of senators from all over the galaxy began pouring into the hall. Kylo Ren, Vand Breiner, his assistant, and a few Stormtroopers escorted Chell Niobe through the crowd. There were a few senators who wished to stop and speak with her, but she had to politely decline. One female Ithorian however was able to get a word in edge wise.
"Senator Niobe, I'm pleased to see you're well." The persistent Ithorian kept pace with the First Order, who did not stop to chat.
"Likewise, Senator Moolis," Chell replied trying to talk to her through the Stormtroopers. "I can't shake the feeling it'll rain later."
"Yes, but it will be a good night for stargazing."
They weren't talking about the weather; they were speaking in code. Breiner laughed uneasily and pushed his hand against the small of Niobe's back urging her to walk faster. "Senator Moolis," he cordially acknowledged as they departed.
"Senator Breiner," Moolis nodded as she vanished into the crowd.
The Senate Chamber was an impressive spherical room and, in theory, not unlike the Coruscant Rotunda. However, Hosnian Prime's Senate Chamber was styled like an overblown opera house. In fact, the facility also doubled as a high end performance hall. Each of the senators' booths came equipped with an interactive screen. It informed the occupant of any delegate's identity, provided necessary translations, facilitated voting, and more.
After a short while of walking through the endless circular halls they reached Niobe's designated booth. Once she was inside and out of earshot Breiner turned to Ren. "Stay here and make sure she doesn't leave prematurely. Collect her when it's done; Supreme Leader wants her with us when we return to the Finalizer." He observed her preparing through the glass. "Shame she'll probably have to die. I was growing rather fond of her."
"She spit blood on your face, sir," Breiner's assistant curiously pointed out.
Breiner sighed, "So it goes."
The summit was in full swing. Kylo Ren kept a close eye on Senator Niobe and discretely observed the congregation from the hall. Currently all eyes were on Chancellor Villecham who was opening the floor to discuss districting in the Mid Rim. "…For our opening statement the honorable delegate from Parnassus, Senator Chell Niobe, has the floor."
This was the moment they had been waiting for. Vand Breiner looked intently at the booth that began to separate slightly from the wall. Most of the hundreds of senators present had preconceptions that this neutral section of the Mid Rim would vote in favor of becoming an Alliance territory. This part of the summit was never supposed to be eventful. Then the senator from Parnassus began to speak.
"Thank you, Chancellor Villecham, for the opportunity to speak on behalf of my sector." Senator Niobe was on her feet. If she was physically exhausted or hungover from questionable battle stimulants she hid it well. Her presence filled the room as she gripped the undivided attention of her audience.
"Nine years ago today a piece of legislation was presented to this very congregation. Its primary purpose was to regulate the commerce of military grade weapons to private parties in the Mid Rim. Hidden and irrelevant was a mandate to distribute a vaccine for the Bandonian Plague to Parnassus and our neighboring planets. During revisions of this legislation, any mention of this vaccine was eliminated from the final cut and never brought up again; ever. Since then millions of Parnassans, my friends, my family, have perished. It still hasn't been completely eradicated…"
The chamber became disquieted with confused whispers.
"Many of you are wondering why I'm even discussing this. Those of you smart enough to know better are asking how such an atrociously negligent thing could be allowed to happen in the first place. I'm not standing before you merely to say that the Alliance and the Republic has failed Parnassus on all accounts; that since the inception of the Republic a thousand years ago it has conveniently ignored slavery on our planet." Niobe's voice was rising and her tone intensifying. "That since the recent Parnassus Revolution to abolish said slavery the New Republic ignored our desperate cries for aid. Or when we suffered from plague all they had to do was leave a paragraph in a government document to help us… they still wouldn't lift a finger. The Alliance-based New Republic has not only failed Parnassus, but has also failed every planet that-"
Alarmed, Villecham tried to interject, "Senator Niobe-"
Senator Niobe's eyes flared as she pointed defiantly at their leader. She was livid, "I'm not finished yet, Chancellor. The floor is legally mine and I will be heard. Every planet this congregation has failed will be heard." Chell briefly surveyed the chamber. Senators were falling over themselves getting riled up and trying to get a better look at this girl with her outrageous statements.
"Neutral Planets, how many times have we been fed flowery lies of freedom and progress? How many of your citizens have you senselessly lost to preventable epidemics? To slavery? To famine? The answer is in the trillions. This congregation still weeps for precious Alderaan, but in the last several decades this galaxy has lost over thirty Alderaans to slavery and preventable disease alone. Where's our thoughtful ceremony? Where are our gilded statues of remembrance? The bottom line is that if you're not a Core Planet, you don't matter to them. Our whole existence is a careless afterthought in this chamber.
"If you want to continue this cycle of criminal negligence, by all means, vote to become part of Alliance Space. Let them legally confiscate your planet's resources, tax free, while they offer absolutely nothing in return. Do you want that? Or do you want justice?"
The chamber erupted into a cacophony of enraged senators yelling at one another. Emotions were running high as normally civilized diplomats were behaving like madmen; faces were red, some were yelling 'Justice!' while others violently hurled datapads into other booths. It was a madhouse.
Heart pounding with adrenaline Niobe looked at the screen down in front of her. Numbers and polls were flashing and frantically changing. It wasn't just her sector, but an overwhelming number of senators from neutral planets chose to forsake the Alliance to instead stand with their only other option; the First Order. At the moment no one seemed to be paying much attention to her. Chell decided that her best and only chance to escape would be in the midst of all this mass confusion. Grabbing her bag she quickly moved to make her exit. Opening the door she was startled by familiar hooded figure in black.
"Leaving so soon?" Kylo Ren was standing only feet away.
Chell retreated back to the booth; closing the door as quickly as she opened it. Breathlessly she stared out at the chaos she created.