A Piece of Legislation

[Soliath Devin Talith]

Sammael stood within the halls of the Senate. The yelling and clamor of the senators within seemed to shroud the massive hall in nothing but deliriousness and idle chit chat. The Senator from Byss listened to it all, taking in the grandeur of the arguments and the stupidity at the same time. He watched them all, and then finally he raised his hand and placed the other on the pod controls. The pod moved forward and launched him out into the chamber of the senate.

The others began to peer at him as his pod floated out into the center of the senate chamber. Total silence ran through the once bustling room as Sammael floated through the chamber. The Senator from Byss held a presence, even without the force the other Senators seemed to respect him even though he had only been here a short time. Finally the pod centralized itself within the chamber, and everyone quieted down waiting for Sammael to speak.

“My Fellow Senators, Chancellor, Vice Chancellor.” His voice boomed out across the Senate Chamber, projected by loud speakers everywhere “There is a problem within our Republic, it is not one born of our Enemies. It does not come from the Sith, it does not come from the Mandalorians or the rogue nation states that plague the galaxy, it comes from something within our own ranks. I speak of the Jedi of course.”

“Our Protectors. Our Guardians.” He said the words with heavy sarcasm making his dislike more than clear. Sammael was about to launch into a rant about the Jedi. “The Jedi are supposed to be our protectors, our last line of defense against the evil that is the Sith. They are supposed to be the bulwark against the Empire that now stands so tall...”

Sammael paused for a few seconds, he let the thought sink in that apparently the Jedi weren't what they appeared to be. The Senator from Byss spoke like the snake in a tree, his words etching into the minds of his fellow Senators and and Representative. He convinced them, slowly.

“...And yet they're not.” Sammael said it with despair in his voice instead of anger or hatred. “The Jedi, who are supposed to be our protectors, our shields against the Empire, instead aid them. Padawans, Knights, and even Masters fall to what they refer to as the darkside of the force. I don't pretend to understand their ways, but if the Jedi cannot even control their own....then how can they be our shield?”

Again he paused, he let it hang in the air allowing his question to drive into the minds of the Senators. “What I propose is simple, a way for us to strengthen our shield. A way for us to take the cracks out of our wall.”

“To prevent the Jedi from turning against us, to prevent their ranks from faltering I propose that the Jedi Order turn over their records to us. Every Jedi will become registered with the government, each of their kind that can touch and use the force will be required register to us. This will be a preventative measure, a way to keep them from turning away from us. A way to keep our shield in tact.”

 

[Aurelia Saelari]

Aurelia Saelari was a woman with a very clear set of beliefs in what she felt was right and wrong. Sammael's words were persuasive and struck a chord with many in the room, but the Chancellor was not one of them. She was no great cheerleader of the Jedi Order, and indeed had welcomed greater oversight. This though, was too far. It was the words of a man with a vendetta, a chip on his shoulder, honeyed words hiding a ruthless objective. She did not of course know who Sammael was really, but she knew what SORT of person he was.

She rose to her feet, ignoring a slight buzzing in her head as she addressed the Senate.
"I thank you for your words, Senator. Byss' incorporation into the Republic has indeed been a great gain for us all."

Now her words became harder, the platitudes gone. "However, I must take issue with your words. In your very first session in the Senate you propose a bill which is both divisive and dangerous, and in doing so you have shown your hand. Let us leave aside the logistics for now and consider your logic."
"The Jedi is a bulwark against the Sith, yes. However, it is not only they who defend us from threats within and without. Our brave soldiers and ship crewmen work in consort with the Jedi Order to obtain goals. And where there are mere thousands of Jedi, there are millions of soldiers willing to defend the Republic. Without them the Jedi indeed would be useless."
"However, I acknowledge your point that in the past some have deserted. They have forsaken their oaths and joined the Sith, become rogues, or many other things. This is terrible of course, but my point is that so have others 'betrayed' their oaths. Is it just the Jedi we hear about because they are a small and highly visible order? If one Jedi deserts does it reflect on all of them? I am sure the records of the armed forces are full of those who turned their coats from the Republic, Sith or Mandalorians who were not users of the Force. Besides, though I know a few recent Jedi have left the Order, has it really come to so much harm? Or at least, any more than the departure of an infantry Colonel for private enterprise?"
"Now we come to the logistics of your plan. You plan to register all the Jedi and other Force users in the Republic. How exactly will this prevent this flood of desertions occurring? I have the names of all the Senators in my office, but that does not prevent you leaving! The only way to prevent that would be to intern every Jedi in the Republic. And for what? For what crime has the Order deserved such punishment? Because some Padawans have left? Please, Senator, your plan here is much more brazen than you say. You wish, for whatever reasons, to dismantle the power of the Order. So be it, but do this body a favour and admit as much, rather than bandying half words and crooked intents."
She paused a moment before shaking her head.
"No, Senator, I see no call for such a move."

 

[Feena]

Feena was sitting calm as a pond as she listened. Her back was straight, her head was held high- proud. the accusations were, as far as Feena could tell, entirely without grounds. The Senator simply appeared to be a man with a personal vendetta. In the Galactic Senate, pressing for such a move, as the one he was recommending, simply because someone had a personal dislike for the Jedi Order would never go over well. She was ready for those gathered to burst out in laughter at this proposal.
But none did. In fact, there were a few that looked... intrigued? She narrowed her eyes, but that was the only visible sign of agitation.

Then the Chancellor arose and Feena almost could not contain a little smile. She was a wise woman. A woman of clarity. A woman of equality. She would not be so easily swayed by half formed ideas and honeyed words.
Feena listened carefully, taking in every word, every sublty in her tone. Then she was finished speaking. Feena did not rise yet.

"Wait," she whispered to @[member="Rosa Mazhar"], "I want to hear what he says first..."
They needed to be smart about this. Careful. not that she didn't trust Rosa, but if they spoke up too quickly, they would look defensive. Like they actually did have something to hide.

 

[Rosa Gunn]

Rosa listened to the Senate with her eyes closed, her empathy extended to envelop the entire room, allowing her to see how the politicians were really feeling. There a shift in emotion as the senator of Buss spoke up. A subtle change from frustration to curiosity, a mixture of agreement and repulsion. Frowning she tried to gage which way this was going to go, before opening her eyes and looking at Sammael for the first time.

His idea was foolish, insulting even but it did not cause her any concern, she had some faith in the Senate and the Chancellor and their wisdom. She leaned towards Feena as she whispered to her and smiled, nodding in agreement. "I want to know what he hopes to achieve..." she whispered back

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

Sammael listened to the Chancellor with a smile on his face. He had not expected her to make the counter arguments, but he had expected them. In the end it did not matter who made the arguments, it mattered only that they were made. The Senator listened carefully to everything the Chancellor said, a few of her points made the smile beneath his mask expand further across her face. She was making good points of course, especially the part about the Jedi being only a small part of the shield against the Sith. After she stopped speaking there was a hushed lull of Senators and representatives alike conversing with one another.

One again Sammael raised his palm, beckoning the rest of the senators to silence. In the back of his head the force called to him, it struggled and sought to get out. It wanted to grab and take control of this meeting. He was in a perfect place here, he could kill the Chancellor and dozens of Senators in the blink of an eye. Sammael's body seemed to twitch slightly, and then he began to speak, forcing the feeling away.

“You make valid points Chancellor, and were it a different issue I might even concede to you.” He paused for a few seconds as he gazed around the room. His masked eyes seemed to stare at every Senator, until they finally landed on the Jedi within the chamber “What I seek isn't imprisonment of the Jedi, nor do I seek their destruction or disillusionment. I simply seek a counter balance to their desertions. Yes it is true that members of our armed forces can and often do dessert, perhaps to the private sector, or perhaps even to the Sith.”

“It happens ever day, every week, every month. Hundreds leave and in an army of Millions It is difficult to hold them accountable. But why then do I seek to do this to the Jedi? What makes them so different?” Sammael slowly turned and looked at the Chancellor who was now directly in front of him. His mask looked her straight in the eye, though it wasn't meant in a threatening manner. “They are victims of their own success.”

Sammael's voice now seemed to gain higher standing, it went from a quiet droning to a loud booming as if he was gaining confidence. Slowly he wormed his way into peoples minds, convincing them with just his words alone. “The Jedi are a symbol, whether you like it or not. To the trillions that inhabit the Republic the Jedi stand as a shinning example of what one could be when they are at their best. They stand as more than the average soldier. They stand as defenders, keepers of the peace, and a shinning beacon of hope against the Darkness.”

“So I ask you Chancellor, what happens when your beacons fall into the darkness?” He heard murmurs again as Senators conversed with each other over his words, beneath his mask he smiled knowing he was drawing them in. “It is this, the symbol that the Jedi have become that I seek to protect.”

His voice picked up speed again, growing more and more impassioned by his own words. “A Jedi falls to the dark, and then what? His own brothers and sisters must kill him? Those who consider themselves his family, his friends have to kill him. Does that seem right to you?”

Slowly Sammael turned to those within the Senate, looking a few of them in the eyes before finally speaking again. “Could you be trusted to kill your brother? To stab your sister in the night? To slaughter your father? I know I couldn't.”

“Take the option away from the Jedi. Force them to register with us, then when one of them falls the duty of their death falls to us.” Sammaels words were now pleading, but of course what he meant was quite simple. If The Republic had records of the Jedi, then whenever a Jedi turned to the Darkside of the Force it would be much easier for The Republic to take care of the known threat than if it were just the Jedi hunting their own. The Idea was simple.

Sammael paused for a few seconds, he had made his point apparently and Senators began to speak up. Before they could get too loud however he raised his palm once again to create silence in the room, he was not quite yet done.

“You asked before Chancellor, what threat a deserting Jedi could pose. I will gladly answer that question.” Sammael spoke as he looked down onto the console before him, he keyed in a few buttons and then suddenly a holo-display of a young blonde woman appeared before anyone who wanted to see it within the Chamber. “This is @[member="Spencer Jacobs"], once a padawan within the Jedi order. Several months ago she left the Jedi order. Since then she has been seen on Mon Calamari, Gand, Ossus and my informants tell me she was in the skies above Gravlex Med. All of these planets have one thing in common, they are now held by the Sith. This one girl, this young padawan has been running rampant with the Sith. Killing and slaughtering her way through innocents and learning from those more powerful than herself. Yet what do the Jedi do? Nothing.”

“There is no bounty on Spencer Jacobs. No call to catch or Kill her, to effort to snatch her away from the grasp of the Empire....nothing. They allow this padawan to stay within the Empire, to grow more powerful and become more of a threat each and every day.” Sammael looked at the Jedi accusingly, as if it was all their fault. Several Senators joined him in that and a smirk grew below his mask. “The Jedi have allowed this girl to run rampant.”

Sammael left a pause again, though he clearly was not finished. “Now Imagine if it had been a Master, or even a member of their council. A person who had intricate knowledge of the workings of the Republic, and they simply left to go to the Empire. Would they be chased? Would they be sought after? I don't know. But I know that if the Jedi do not take action, I will.”

“As of this morning I have posted a one hundred and fifty thousand credit bounty on Spencer Jacobs for her live return to the hands of the Republic.” With that Sammael stopped speaking, and a roar erupted within the Senate Chambers. Everyone tried to speak at once, and Sammael just stood, smirking beneath his mask staring at the Jedi.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

A lone figure, an Ithorian with a sort of quiet grace, stepped forward into a guest speaker box and input certain identification codes. His request to speak was accepted, and he cleared his double throats.

"Brothers and sisters, my name is Boolon Murr. I am an Ithorian priest and a Jedi Knight, a healer and a field operative with a record of some success. I have bled for the Republic.

"On worlds across the universe, I have seen well-meaning legislation turned to despotism and injustice. I have seen registration laws for subsections of populations. I have watched those laws lead to oppression and genocide, and those societies came to consider those policies justified.

"But I believe in the Republic. I believe that civilization is capable of reclaiming the galaxy from the darkness of ignorance and prejudice. What else does this government, this civilization, stand for if not the balance of liberty and justice? I believe that the Republic will act with responsibility. I believe that the Republic will not turn to injustice or prejudice. I believe in the Republic.

"I support Senator Sammael's proposed legislation, as it currently stands. Thank you."

The Ithorian sat down without ceremony.

 

[Feena]

Feena stayed silent as he responded. In truth, it was as much as she expected him to say in response. He was good. She would give him that. There was something... convincing about the way he spoke. He was seducing the Senate with an alarmingly silly proposal. The bit about brothers and sisters killing each other especially seemed to get to them. But it wasn't a surprise-
Until he mentioned Spencer and the bounty. Her hands clenched in her lap but her face remained politely impassive, even as a fellow Jedi stood up in support of it. It wasn't that it sounded like a bad idea, but it simply sounded like an unnecessary one.
"Miss Rosa? If you would do the honors?"

 

[Aurelia Saelari]

Aurelia had been about to begin a castigation of Moridin, but then an unlikely figure stood up and spoke. A Jedi Knight it seemed, and he was agreeing with the proposed legislation. It was as though he was already fitting the shackles for his own wrists.
The Chancellor held up her hand, and silence gradually fell.

"Your support or otherwise, Jedi, is not of great relevance here. Members of the Jedi Order do not get speak without the chair recognising them, and I did not do so. However, your point is intriguing. You would voluntarily register yourself and your movements? You are indeed a brave sort. While I consider my actions to be beyond reproach, what says in ten or twenty years down the line there are not...other views?"
She cut the power to the Jedi Knight's pod and microphone so he could not respond.

Now she faced Moridin again. His dark mask seemed oddly appropriate, and looked exceptionally bizarre.
"Senator Sammael. I will give you the benefit of the doubt, having just arrived from Byss, but it is not considered legal to offer bounties on the floor of the Senate chamber. I am, as you may or may not know, on the Jedi Council, and I have oversight of all their affairs, along with the Vice Chancellor here. While I cannot provide specifics of an ongoing investigation, Spencer Jacobs is being searched for. The hunt is going on, though not in the public eye. Finding one person, who has defected as you say, is rather difficult though. We have all heard those tales about her, but that is one Jedi. Would you ask to register an entire order based on the actions of one wayward girl?"
"Furthermore, if this Jedi is such a menace as you say, then is not asking for her to be apprehended by members of the public dangerously negligent and irresponsible. Jedi are, as I am sure you are aware, skilled warriors. Your ill considered bounty request is irresponsible in the highest degree."
"Once more I do not understand how you expect registration to produce your result. You have provided no specifics on how this would work. Say hypothetically all the Jedi were 'registered', then what? If one indeed decided to desert they would be on a ship and in hyperspace before you could stop them. And how do you plan to keep track of these registered Jedi across the tens of thousands of systems this Republic includes? The Jedi perform missions, report those missions to the Council, and are assigned new missions. What would you do which is any different?"
"And now we come to you, Senator. A month ago I met you and signed over the former moribund Corporate Sector Authority into the Republic. As glad as we are to have your people included in the Republic, perhaps that month has not been enough to familiarise yourself with the laws and ordinances of the Republic! The Jedi Order has changed. Now I sit on the Council, with full voting rights there. Any Jedi who commits a crime is tried by a Republic court, not an internal one. So if the Republic is so noble as it is, why do you not know this, and why is it not enough?"

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

He smiled beneath his mask again as the Chancellor once again countermanded his points. He turned back towards her with a smile on his face. He wondered what it would take to convince, if in fact he could convince her. Of course he didn't actually need to, he needed to convince the members of the Senate to actually pass the law(I actually have no idea how they pass laws but im assuming its much the same as the US where the Senate needs to pass the bill then the Chancellor can veto but the Senate can bypass it by passing it again right?). Still a part of him wanted to convince the chancellor, so once again he position his pod directly before the Chancellor.

“Members of the public? Chancellor you underestimate me, my bounty officially went through the Bounty Hunters guild, a perfectly legal organization that has some of the greatest warriors and soldiers in the galaxy.” Sammael glossed over the issue quickly, it was not the important part and he could be reprimanded later.

Slowly he began to address her, his words ringing out across the hall. “I'm well aware of your post on the council and your abilities there within, and im more than glad you brought it up Chancellor.”

“All that I am asking for, is the information you already have access too. The Jedi Keep records of their members, their Knights, Their Masters, and even their Padawans are documented and safely stored within the archives. This is the information I am asking for. I want it so the Senate and those Military leaders who are necessary may view it and not only assess potential risks, but cut them off once they happen. If we know the name, location and how powerful a Jedi is when they turn our response will be much faster. It is a simple matter of knoweldge being power. Say that one of our esteemed Jedi here turn on us.” Sammael motioned to the Jedi present within the quest box.

“If they went rogue and this bill had been enacted the Military would not have to stop and wait for the Jedi to react. We would instantly know the Jedi's place of residence, how powerful they are, and perhaps even where they would go in such a crisis. Our forces would then act accordingly by this information. If the same thing happened and we didn't have this law we would know nothing about the Jedi that turned until the Jedi order could be contacted, This could cost not only valuable time but lives.” Sammael stopped for a few seconds in his explanations, then turned back to the Chancellor. “It is not the best measure, but it like many things we do is a Protective one.”

“All I want, is for us to receive the exact same information you do Chancellor. Let me remind you, you are not the supreme authority in the Republic, we are. You are the elective representative of the Senate and our will is your word.” (This is going off how The Republic ran before Palpatine showed his face, if its not how it works here please let me edit so my character doesn't look like an idiot) As Sammael finished speaking there was another roar of applause. What he said actually didn't make any sense. Aurelia was being more than forth coming with most of these issues. Of course she couldn't tell every Senator what was happening upon the council...at least not yet, but the Senators enjoyed the show of solidarity and it was them that he had to win over.

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

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Do Not Post to this thread, it is on hold while we figure things out
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