Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars. It belongs to Disney. I make no money from this story.
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Interlude: The galaxy reacts 1
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After the first day of debates over the infamous Hutt ultimatum, the Corellian government reaffirms its neutral stance in the civil war between the Republic government and Confederacy of Independent Systems.
Corellian News Corporation
Count Dooku issues revised orders to several of his agents, Asajj Ventress in particular.
CIS internal network
Not to be an ass, but why should I care about some places in the middle of nowhere I can't find on a map even if someone had a blaster pointed at my head? Our Republic is here in the Core and safer than ever.
Alsakan local network
The esteemed Senator from Ryloth is right. Ryloth has been a part of the Republic for ten thousand years now. Yet, despite all that time being on the border with lawless Hutt space, his people did nothing to properly industrialize, and then build a credible system and planetary defense forces. For thousands of years, they have been reliant on Republic protection, while being a net drain to the Republic. What we see today is a return to older times, when everyone had to pull their weight if they wanted the Republic to do everything possible to protect them. For too long, we've squandered our resources! For too long, the Republic offered unconditional aid to members who gave it nothing back, yet expect everything for their membership. Those times are over now!
Interview with Representative Hrud, Alaskan Heritage Party
What we saw today, was nothing less but a failure of the current galactic order. This ultimatum, its very existence, is a threat to the Republic as we know it! Thus, I'm both proud and saddened to declare the establishment of the Commission for the Protection of the Republic! COMPOR, for short. Our goal is to preserve all that is worthy in the long and stellar history of the Republic. We want to remind the citizens of the galaxy of all the good the Republic did for us all and all we stand to lose if the Separatists win!
Interview with Lieutenant Commander Orson Callan Krennic, first Director of COMPOR
Artist Hamma Elad, reveals an uplifting series of posters, united behind the theme "Stand behind our Boys in White", and proudly announces joining COMPOR. In an interview with GNN, she proclaimed her support to the war effort and characterized all calls for accepting the Hutt ultimatum as nothing less than treason!
GNN Art Program
Brigadier Gideon Tarkin, former Minister of Security for Eriadu and now, commander of all GAR forces defending Eriadu in the embattled Seswenna and Sluis sectors, calls for unity! He requests that the Senate rejects the Hutt ultimatum. In his own words, accepting the ultimatum would only embolden the Separatists, Hutts, and local warlords in the Rim. It would send the message that the Republic was not only temporarily weak, but it was also unwilling to fight for its very existence.
Eriadu Broadcast Corporation
After deliberations, my government reached an agreement with overwhelming approval. First, we reject the Hutt ultimatum and direct our Senator, the esteemed Padme Amidala, to vote against it. Second, as one of the Heroes who saved our world and people a decade ago, former Jedi, now General of the Republic, Anakin Skywalker, will forever find shelter and sanctuary in our house
Declaration by Queen Jamilla from Naboo, which took place mere hours before the Senate began its deliberations over the Hutt ultimatum
All I did today, all I'm being accused of now, is stating aloud the hard truths this Senate of ours was afraid of facing for too damn long! The Republic is a pale shadow of what it once was, and we did it ourselves! The sad truth is that I don't see things changing for the better unless a Separatist offensive in the Core awakes a number of my compatriots and makes them see the truths as we at Alsakan see it! We have the industry, economy, and population to make this a short war, yet we're in no position to leverage our advantages. There is too much squabbling in the Senate. We've allowed too many petty grievances, and personal interests to threaten a galaxy order build with blood, sweat, and tears by our ancestors. It was a galaxy order we all benefited from! That is why now I call for the establishment of a New Order. I call for the Republic to reinvent itself while it still can!
Senator Fird from Alsakan speaks in front of reporters after a divisive Senate session over Hutt's ultimatum.
My government stands behind the Republic in this moment of crisis. Kuat is ready to fight to preserve the Republic that gave us an unprecedented golden age. Further, Kuat sees this state of affairs not only as a failure of the Republic as a whole. It is also a failure of many of its members. The Republic is an alliance for mutual protection and economic development. If our member states want priority on defense, they should vote so. If they want to feel secure, the first step is not to cry in front of the Senate for help. It is to build their system defense military forces. That was true ten years ago for Naboo, and it is as true for places like Ryloth today. Think about it – if Ryloth, which has been a part of the Republic for thousands of years wanted, it could have built itself militarily to deter the Hutts. There were many programs in existence to facilitate such outcomes, until relatively recently. And the reasons those programs are no longer around? The people who took advantage of them, instead of letting their militaries decay into nonexistence were a few and far between. When I say that the current state of affairs is the Republic's fault, I mean it literally. It's the fault of the Senate, it's the fault of the Senators, and more importantly, it is the fault of the local governments and the people who didn't vote to keep themselves reasonably protected when they should have…
Pacifism, like the one Naboo, enjoys, is not a right. It is a luxury allowed by the Republic, and we can no longer afford to be so charitable.
Interview with Senator Danu, the morning before the second day of Senate deliberations over the Hutt ultimatum
Ryloth? That's where the Twi'lek girls come from? Then we have to keep the Hutts, whatever those are, from taking it! Twi'lek dancers forever!
Ven221 on the Holonet
Military, and security force veterans from all over the galaxy proclaim support for the GAR and condemn any thoughts about betraying soldiers for following lawful orders.
GNN Galaxy News
Volunteers surge to recruitment posts all over the Mid-Rim. Most of them are seeking to join their local SDF forces, citing qualms about becoming a part of the GAR, at a time when the Senate is willing to disavow its soldiers at the first political difficulty…
Alsakan Military Journal
Ryloth will never be taken by the Hutts!
Proclamation by Twi'lek radical Cham Syndulla
The Bothan people intently watch the unfolding situation. Our view on this ultimatum is simple. Accepting it, no matter how harmful in the short term, will mean a betrayal of all the Republic stands for! More importantly, it will be a clear statement from the Core, that it is once again ready to abandon the Mid and Outer Rim when the going goes tough. We hope that the Republic we all know is better than what came before. We hope, that the Republic had learned its lesson from ages past.
Statement from the Speaker of the Bothan Council
Between today's disgraceful events in the Senate, and the Republic's over-reach aimed at seizing numerous factories on Balmora, it is with a heavy heart that we must make the following announcement. As of twenty hundred hours, Galactic Standard Time, Balmora secedes from the Republic and officially petitions to join the Confederacy of Independent Systems.
Proclamation from Balmora's Corporate Court
Because of today's events, Aargau restates its commitment to neutrality in the Republic Civil war. Further, the Chief Magistrate condemns the rumors of the Republic planning to station a large GAR garrison on the Core world, citing that doing so would violate the Three Principles of Aargau. Such an unwise act by the Senate would have severe consequences, the Chief Magistrate vowed…
Galactic Economic News
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Interlude: The galaxy reacts 2
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That's a big steaming pile of CENSORED! For all the truths we keep hearing these past two days, no one dares say it all! Of course, Ryloth is a backwater in the middle of nowhere! Our only choice was to either trudge along doing our best, while the Core drained our economic juices, like they do with most of the Rim, or sell out our people, and become a front office of a large Core corporation! There was never a real interest in properly building up the economies of the systems on the Rim and thus creating both competition, and lowering our dependence on the Core!
Twi'lek radical Cham Syndulla
There is a common mistake I see repeated again and again, these past few days. It is the unshakable belief by many that the Republic we live in is a nation, a country. Several Senators are on the record saying outright that this isn't the case, yet their words fall on deaf ears. Our Republic is a military and economic alliance, and little more. Should I say it again, louder?
That has implications. Concerning our Outer Rim members, they're in a bad position. Like it or not, what most of them have to offer, that we can't easily get elsewhere, is cheap raw materials. In some cases, it has been prudent to build refineries on the Rim, easing up logistics. That usually is it. Most Republic members over there simply aren't populous enough or developed enough to sustain a meaningful heavy industry needed to build and maintain a credible military. If the Republic was a nation, it would be different. Then, it would be natural that in exchange for their cheap resources, those worlds would get both protection and development subsidies, reducing internal strife, and making the lives of the citizenry better.
However, the Republic isn't a nation. Thus, its wealthier members have no responsibility to permanently guarantee the security of worlds unable or unwilling to do so themselves. That is especially true when there is no political or economic gain in doing so. Nevertheless, we do have examples of worlds and systems that enjoyed explosive development thanks to deals cut with Core corporations and governments. Eriadu is a prime example of that fact. It was a trade-off, of course. Its prosperity was to a large extent bought with extremely lucrative trade deals and wise marriages tying up the local elites with those of the Core.
Others, did it as well, if not in such a spectacular fashion. The downside of that course of action is that nationalists keep proclaiming that the Tarkin family and their allies sold them off to the Core. The same is true for most of the success stories on the Rim...
Galactic Economic News, Interview with Professor Gred Tyros
What we're seeing as of late, is an unprecedented realignment in Republic politics. The trends had been there since the war began, however, Hutt's ultimatum, and the two days of debates that followed, acted as a catalyst for change.
First, we now see the formation of two large neutral blocks, centered around Corellia and Mandalore respectively. Yes, you heard this right, dear viewers, for the first time in history, the Mandalorians decided not to get involved in a galaxy-wide war. Is this a testament to the success of Duchess Kryze and her New Mandalorian movement? Only time can tell…
Second, we have the Loyalist faction standing behind the Chancellor and the war effort. The past two days showed the whole galaxy that this faction is fundamentally divided in their views about the future of the Republic, with victory against the Separatists uniting them.
Here, we have those led by Alsakan, with Senator Fird being their loudest voice. They made it painfully obvious that the current galactic order no longer works for them, and want to see a massive realignment within the Republic. For these loyalists, the war is an opportunity to bring forth a new order.
Second, we have the loyalists centered around Kuat. By all accounts, they want a return to the status quo after the war, and it is no surprise. For the past few centuries, Kuat and their allies not only profited mightily from their place within the Republic, but their voices were also among the loudest and most influential.
Finally, we have a smaller faction emerging, led by Senator Padme Amidala from Naboo. They want to see a reformed Republic, though, right now, we lack details about what said reforms would entail. The most interesting part about this faction, for the time being, is Senator Amidala's change of heart. She appears to no longer oppose the war effort, and instead put her voice and support behind Chancellor Palpatine.
The last notable faction to emerge from the recent troubles is the colloquially called "Peace Alignment" led by Senators Mothma and Organa. Until recently, Senator Amidala was one of their loudest supporters. They see the war as a grave mistake, and still oppose further militarization of the Republic, claiming that it would only provoke an escalation of hostilities.
The Separatists are, of course, a faction in this civil war. Even though, they no longer have representation on Coruscant. By all accounts, the existence of the GAR and the battle of Geonosis caught them off guard, yet they're coming from that setback strong and counter-attacking all over the Outer Rim. Nominally, the Confederacy seeks freedom from the exploitation of the Core, and the opportunity to decide their future…
The Galaxy Today, GNN Political Talk Show
In spite, or should I say, because of our violent history, we, Mandalorians, are peaceful people today. While we would love to mediate a peaceful resolution to the conflict between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems, that will be the scope of our involvement. I'm speaking both for Mandalore, and the thousand neutral systems aligned with us. This conflict is not our war. While some of us do have grievances with the Republic, the place to resolve them is through negotiations, and on the Senate floor. I must stress this again, this is not our war. We will not send our families to fight and die in a conflict we have no stake in. We won't intervene in an internal Republic matter in such a brazen manner.
Statement by Duchess Satine Kryze, leader of the Mandalorian Government, and the New Mandalorian Movement
Both the Republic and the Confederacy made their cases crystal clear. In all honesty, the two sides do make good points. However, the brazen way in which the Republic began this war – through provocations and direct military action on Geonosis, makes one thing clear. There are elements within the Senate who continue to believe that anyone not bowing to the powers of the Core must be crushed, and subjugated. At the same time, the past actions of various Confederacy members put their organization's intentions under question. The Corellian people could not in good conscience, take a side in this civil war. Thus, we reaffirm our neutral stance.
We do find the naked power grab under the guise of an ultimatum by the Hutt Council morally despicable. However, it is not our place to command our citizens to fight and die in distant lands, for people who choose not to accept the reality of their situation. The truth of the situation had been clear for a long time now. Many systems on the Outer Rim were unable to rise to prosperity by their merit. They needed conditional aid from Republic governments and corporations. While a principled stand is something to be commended under most circumstances, it must be recognized that such choices often come with consequences.
Like it or not, many worlds on the Rim had a singular simple choice – cut a deal, deepen relations with entities in the Core, and prosper, or remain weak and isolated. However, that must be a path of mutual gain. Realistically, even Corellia itself could achieve little but waste resources, resources better spent bettering the lives of our people, if our friends on the Rim are not prepared to meet us halfway…
statement by Corellian Diktat Shyla Merricope
Did you hear this, my friends? This is the Core with the masks finally stripped off! This is the truth! I've been telling you for months now! Back up the Confederacy! It offers the only way to salvation from the corrupt Core chaining us all to the corpse of a corrupt and dying system!
Aran39, Holonet private forum
An hour before the countdown to the Hutt ultimatum expires, the Senate failed to reach a conclusive vote! It did technically vote to accept the ultimatum. However, the tallied ayes were seventy-nine votes short of the needed Qualified Majority to accept or dismiss such vital legislation. Chancellor Palpatine made a short stirring speech against bowing down to the Hutt's demands, and is about to call another vote, with the doomsday clock ticking down…
Sylvia Halcyon, GNN live from the Senate Chamber, Coruscant
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