Campaign Testimony

[Aerarii Tithe]

The Inquest Continues

The Senate inquiry into the New Jedi Order and their alleged war crimes during the Stygian Campaign is seeking the advice of experts. Having reviewed the investigation into the killing of Senator Ido Bastra by the Jedi Zaavik Perl , the Senators are drawn to a recent report which raises questions about the influence wielded by the NJO within the Galactic Alliance. The author of the report is called to the stand to explain the findings and field questions from the panel.

The Brotherhood of the Maw, seeing the opportunity presented to them, have deployed their operatives and influencers to ensure that the Senate is further divided in their support of the NJO.

Speak to Jedi Knight Kirie about the recent ’Democracy in the Age of Chaos’ report and ascertain if NJO have acted appropriately or if their powers should be curtailed.

The hiss of a blastdoor rising to the open position signal the arrival of the Senators. One by one the legislators moved forward to take their high-backed seats at the raised bench which looked down over the Senate hearing room. The Senate Guards and committee staff rose to their feet, returning to their seats only when the last Senator had taken theirs. A protocol droid moved forward to record the names of the witnesses who had been called to testify.

“Yes, and I remind you that you are under oath,” Vice Chancellor Tithe added.

The Senate inquiry was starting to gather steam. The initial public outcry concerning the Senate digging up the dark past of the NJO had been expected. Fortunately, the crimes of Zaavik Perl which had come to light had provided a level of justification. While the NJO enjoyed strong public backing, uncomfortable questions were starting to be asked at the highest levels.

“Now, Knight Ito, I must say that your report was fortuitious given recent event,” Aerarii explained. “If my learned colleagues would indulge me for one moment...” He cleared his throat dramatically as a performer would before delivering a soliloquy.

“The New Jedi Order, despite their incredibly small size, wield huge amounts of power within the Alliance, including membership in the state legislature and ministerial councils. Worse still, the New Jedi appear hold special status in the judicial system and a relative immunity from the law.”​

The Aargauun paused for theatrics as the words settled over the hearing room.

“Knight Ito, could you, ah, elaborate on this finding, and what you uncovered during your analysis into the power afforded to the NJO,” he asked. “I must say, I find the assertions most, yes, most alarming.”

 

[Kirie]

Do The Right Thing

Aerarii Tithe​

Sitting on a lone chair in the centre of the Senate hearing room, the high seats filled with the Alliance's ruling figures staring down at her, Kirie felt awfully small. As the Vice Chancellor introduced her, Kirie nodded and tried to look up at Tithe and the other assembled senators. Instantly, her stomach dropped and she felt ill, so she forced her gaze back down, her hand trembling slightly.

Tithe read out a quote from her report, and as though she knew in advance what she would have to talk about all the thoughts suddenly seemed to drain from her brain. What if she was wrong, or made a fool of herself? What was she even supposed to say?

She sucked in a breath and skimmed the top lines of her papers, where her opening remarks were neatly printed in aurabesh. Tithe finished reading, and when he asked his questions Kirie felt the attention of the room focus in on her. Her ears grew hot. Kirie swallowed, and opened her mouth to speak.

"Ahem, uh." Her cheeks burned, and her voice started quavering, unsteady. "Let me start by thanking the senate inquiry for their time and for the invitation to speak today, and by thanking the honourable Senator for Aargau for his question."

Kirie's voice trailed off, and she flipped through her notes.

"First, regarding the comments on New Jedi power in the Senate and Ministerial committees, it is not unusual, or, at least not unprecedented, for Jedi to control significant positions within the legislature of a major Galactic faction. In the Silver Jedi Concord, for example, the Jedi have a position embedded within the constitution of the Silver Assembly itself, and the Silver Jedi hold permanent, unelected positions in that council."

Kirie flipped over a page.

"The Silver Jedi Order is the largest Jedi institution in the Galaxy, several orders of magnitude larger than the New Jedi Order in terms of membership. The Silver Jedi were also the principal actors in the establishment of the Concord, so, to a certain degree, their involvement in the state's politics would be assumed.

"The Alliance Senate is not set up this way, and nor should we expect it to be. The Galactic Alliance was not built upon the principal of protection and defence by the Jedi, and it does not have embedded mechanisms to ensure Jedi are represented in the legislature. Despite this, and despite the fact the New Jedi number only a few hundred individual members, there are several serving Jedi Senators, and the affairs of the Senate and of the Alliance itself continually revolve around the issues and interests of what is ostensibly a small group of elites."

She was gaining some traction now. This stuff, what she was breaking down. This was what she knew, this was work. Now that she was into her report, she could almost forget that she wasn't in a room amongst some of the Alliance's top politicians. Kirie did her best not to get too heated with her speech. She didn't particularly like the idea of offending the assembled senators, nor antagonising herself too much.

"I don't mean to cast aspersions towards any Senator. There is no reason to believe that the Honourable Senator for Atrisia is any less reliable than the Honourable Senator for Hosnian Prime simply because one is a Jedi and the other is not. What we have tried to highlight in our report is that for such a small organisation, the level of representation and attention towards the Jedi in the Alliance is deeply unusual, and that it needs to be looked at critically, or else it risks a threat to democratic norms. The level of power the Jedi wield in the Alliance military is another issue, but is beyond the scope of our research."

Kirie trailed off and sucked in a breath, giving herself a few moments to gather her thoughts and for the assembled Senators to digest her words.

"Okay, moving on." she said, after a moment. "Perhaps the most alarming way this issue has manifested is in the relative immunity of the New Jedi from the Alliance rule of law. Over the course of the war against The Sith Empire, members of the Jedi Order were accused of several war crimes. Based on accounts by Jedi Masters Jend-Ro Quill and historian and Jedi Master Jacen Nimdok , we could ascertain that at least there were serious grounds that Jedi Knights Creuat , Bernard , and Maynard Treicolt attacked young acolytes and Sith non-combatants on Ziost. And of course, there is the matter of Zaavik Perl ."

She cleared her throat. "None of these Jedi received punishment by the Alliance, nobody was tried in a court of law. There were no senate hearings, nobody was hauled off to jail by the State. Within the Order itself, only a single perpetrator would face any semblance of punishment, in the form of being encouraged to take the Barash, a sort of Jedi voluntary exile. For the others, since they did not choose to exile themselves, the consequences have been minimal."

Going on, Kirie wrung her hands. "The response to the war crimes scandal is even more illuminating. While the heads of the New Jedi attempted to perform damage control, a Jedi Padawan attacked Jend-Ro Quill , who spoke out against the crimes at an unaffiliated Jedi enclave, and later, members of the Council stormed into the same enclave on their own authority, not on the behalf of the Alliance, as part of a war crimes investigation. If anything shows the power the Jedi wield in the Alliance, it's that."

"In short, our research found that the New Jedi enjoy considerable power within the Alliance, power independent from the system of the Senate, independent of the rank and file of the military, and independent of the rule of law. They decide how and where they use lethal force, decide when the rules apply to them and when they don't, and wield disproportionate influence over the affairs of the Alliance, despite numbering only a few hundred people."

Kirie had more remarks, there was always more to say. But, she quietened for the moment. She suspected, knew that the Senators would have questions, would challenge her, would require more details. Hopefully, they would listen to what she had to say.

 

[Aerarii Tithe]

Tithe listened as Kirie spoke to the report, stepping through the major findings as they related to the relationship between the Galactic Alliance and the New Jedi Order. The Vice Chancellor’s staff had studied the report from the Galactic Policy Research Centre in excruciating depth. Comparisons had been drawn to similar studies on the topic, and anyone associated with the report who could be bribed or threatened had been spoken to. Tithe himself had spent hours being briefed on every conclusion which had been drawn, to the point where he could have finished some of Kirie’s sentences.

While the damning findings of the report were important to the Senate inquiry, he was more interested in peeling back the pages of flimsiplast to understand what the experts hadn’t committed to writing down.

“If it, ah, pleases the panel,” Tithe said, looking left and right at his colleagues. “I’d like to linger on the questions of governance before pontificating on the reports of war crimes. Through, we will certain shine a light on these terrible, terrible accusations.” The actions of the NJO on the battlefields against the Sith were well documented and studied. While the Jedi would answer for their crimes in good time, the Aagrauun was interested in understanding whether the NJO was negatively impacting the structure and integrity of the Alliance.

“In my experience Knight Ito, matters which are ‘deeply unusual’, as you so eloquently put it I may add, are often cause for concern.” Irregularities were not something Tithe would have ever suffered in the business world.

“Would you care to provide, in your, err, expect opinion, a critical assessment of the impact the New Jedi Order’s involvement in Alliance affairs has on the democratic, yes, democratcic, values and processes which we all hold so dear?”

 

[Kirie]

Do The Right Thing

Aerarii Tithe
​

The questioning continued, and Kirie sat back in her chair, letting out a deep breath in the short reprieve from having to present. She listened attentively to Tithe’s next questions. So far

"Thank you Senator."

"First, it is accurate to say that the current power wielded by the Jedi is a cause for concern. There is a strong argument that it poses a threat to the norms and institutions of the Alliance, especially considering that due to already existing factors of poor core-periphery relations, competing foreign and domestic interests, and widespread corruption have made existing institutions far more fragile than they'd first appear." Kirie understood that those were heavy accusations to levy against the core foundations of the Alliance, but her claims were true, and if she knew that, the Senate had to as well.

"As an example, take the war against The Sith Empire. Elements of the New Jedi Order, including myself, served in combat roles against a foreign power. Jedi killed people and led soldiers in battle. I can attest that I do not hold military rank in the Alliance, and that is true for the majority, if not quite the totality, of Jedi in the war against the Sith. This relationship, one in which the Jedi fight in wars and battles independent of the rank and file of the Alliance, means that the NJO is essentially a non-state actor that uses coercive force as it chooses, independent of the Alliance"

She shuffled her pages. There was nothing on there she hadn’t already said. By this point, they had exhausted the content of the report itself.

"My example might first present itself as a non-issue. After all, who wouldn't want the Jedi's help in a war against the Sith?" But what is important about the example of the Sith war is that the interests of the Jedi were aligned with the interests of the Alliance, and, of course, the Jedi were fighting a historic enemy in the form of the Sith Order. What is a problem, however, is the precedent this sets for what kind of actions are permissible for the Jedi without Senate or GADF approval.”

Kirie paused for a few moments, to see if the Senators were still following along. So far, nobody had stepped in to challenge her, nor to grill her on details of her report or presentation. Tithe, for his part, seemed content to steer her, clarifying at points, but mostly allowing Kirie to present her case. She appreciated that, but at the same time she wondered what the committee would do with her testimony once she had left the room.

“When the interests of the Jedi match with those of the Alliance - as they did for most facets of the war against the Sith Empire - the Alliance has been happy to allow the Jedi almost boundless operational freedom on the battlefield, and tremendous influence on politics at home.” Kirie shifted in her seat. “What I would ask you to think about, Senators, is what might happen if the NJO is held to these same lax rules now that the Stygian Campaign is over? We cannot predict how the interests of the New Jedi and the Alliance might differ in the future. Already we are seeing the cracks in a system that allows the Jedi freedom without bounds, abuses of power and authority by Jedi elements have occurred not within the Senate itself, but outside it.

“Taking this into consideration, the main way the NJO’s actions might undermine the Alliance’s democratic norms is by continuing to act independently of the structures of the government and armed forces. The Galactic Alliance cannot call itself a functioning democracy if there is a non-state actor within it that defies the rules of the state, and refuses to be reigned in.”

Kirie trailed off and looked around the room. The mood was difficult to judge, but most of the Senators appeared attentive. She wondered what they thought of her words? Did they believe her, think her a fool? Again she thought of how they might use her argument, twist her words to support their own agendas. She blinked and went on.

“Finally, something worse considering is the broader influence of the New Jedi Order on the political direction and decision-making of the Alliance. Three of the last nine senate motions have concerned an Order of a few hundred individuals. In the case of the war against the Sith, why did the Alliance commit itself to fighting a huge foreign power for little strategic gain? I would argue that at least part of the reason is because the NJO wanted to defeat the Sith, and Jedi support of the New Imperial insurgency is what eventually positioned the Alliance against the Sith. Now, that’s only one factor of many that drew the Alliance into war, but it's something to account for.”

Kirie glanced at Senator Tithe. Hopefully that explanation would suffice. She was beginning to grow a little tired sitting in front of the panel and talking for so long. “Does that answer your question Senator?”

 

[Jak Ross]

SGHW Story
Contest The Statements
Aerarii Tithe | Kirie​

The Senator could not even begin to comprehend what he was hearing.

Somehow, the Jedi were starting to be seen as an issue and liability within the Alliance, all because of this women’s report. For as long as he could remember, the Galactic Alliance and the New Jedi Order have worked side by side, bringing peace to the galaxy. He was not going to stand by and let someone say otherwise.

”Senator Tithe, if I may, I would like to ask Knight Ito a few questions of my own.”

Standing up out of his seat, the Senator looked over towards the women. Hopefully he could set some things straight.

“Knight Ito, may I ask if your report talks about the free reign of some members within the Galactic Alliance Defense Force as well? What about our Security Bureau? As we have seen in the past, it is not solely the Jedi operating on our their own while at war. While yes, I do agree that during times of war, a good portion of the New Jedi Order seems to go unaccounted for. But this is not a sole act, and their is not a sole victim.”

The Senator pause for a quick second, letting his words echo throughout the hearing room. All his fellow Senators would want to here what he has to say.

“So if we were to truly look at who had free reign within the Alliance, then we need to be looking at all organizations. From the New Jedi Order, GADF, the Senate, and the SIA. If people are working on their own, then this serious issue within the Alliance. We cannot just look upon the Jedi.”

Turning back to Knight Ito, he looked down at her, making sure she heard what he was going to say.

“Or have the New Jedi Order really been given this much free reign? The Galactic Alliance has overseen the New Jedi Order as they worked together with the GADF to help liberate worlds from the Sith’s grasp. So now that The Sith Empire has been defeated, do we truly see the New Jedi Order as a liability within the Alliance? Because if so, I ask my fellow Senators to look what we have accomplished across these many years working with them.”

With a simple nod of his head towards Senator Tithe, the Jedi stood and waited for a reply from Knight Ito. Hopefully his questions would he answered.

 

[Aerarii Tithe]

Kirie | Jak Ross​

The attention of the assembled Senators fell to Kirie as she spoke to her report. Now they were starting to get somewhere, moving beyond the carefully curated words which had formed the final report and venturing into what the authors truly believed. Tithe sat up straighter in his chair as the Jedi Knight detailed a number of structural issues arising from the current arrangements in place between the Galactic Alliance and the New Jedi Order.

Senator Ross, an independent Senator, sought recognition to put questions to Kirie. Tithe nodded his head in agreement. There was emerging a sizeable bloc within the inquiry panel who expressed great concern about the actions of the NJO. Sidelining those who supported the Jedi could only open the final report up to increased public scrutiny.

“The Member for Had Abbadon raises an interesting point related to governance,” Tithe added. “The military and intelligence apparatuses, uhh, apararti...?” The Aargauun paused for a moment, unsure which the correct plural was before changing tack. “Structures - the military and intelligence structures answer to the Senate via their Ministers and Committees. The Jedi, now the Jedi, have a seat on the Senate floor - albeit, non-voting - and answer to a small hand selected special committee, of which Jedi occupy two of the three seats.”

In essence, the Special Committee on Force Affairs - the Jedi’s only oversight mechanism - was structured so the Jedi oversaw themselves.

“I'd be interested to hear your thoughts the importance of, ah, appropriate oversight.”

 

[Miona Anden]

SGHW Story
Contest The Statements
Aerarii Tithe | Jak Ross | Kirie | Annasari​

What was the Alliance coming to?

The failure of the Plantery Regulation Act had left Miona Anden unfathomably quiet, silenced by pride more so than prejudice. But still, her interest in the activities of the Senate remained, today more than ever.

The Jedi Order was a point of contention for modern day politics, an inflection point that DARKCOM had tried and surprisingly thus far, succeeded in confronting. His attempted assassination had only inflamed the situation, and brought to attention an issue that could no longer be ignored. The accusations against the New Jedi Order were astonishing and ranged from war crimes, to murder, and the witness before the Senate was in theory, an expert in the field of why.

"May I remind the Senator from Had Abbadon that the Jedi, in the end do not answer to us"

"The perks of being both a military organization, and a religious one exempt from the rigid hierarchy of our intelligence and military apparatus" Sharp tongued as ever, the Senator rose to speak. "You are yourself a Jedi, no?"

"The question before the Senate is not, and should not be the matter of whether we support the Jedi, who were vital in our mission to topple the Sith Empire, but why just because of that we can't ask questions about how they operate"

"They committed war crimes, murder. Individual yes, but who do they answer to? None of them have been brought to trial, none of them have faced justice. Where is the accountability. It is easy to punish the military because there is precedent, here there is not. I am no fearmonger, I am a Senator representing the hundreds of billions asking why"

"The Alliance Senate is not set up this way, and nor should we expect it to be. The Galactic Alliance was not built upon the principal of protection and defence by the Jedi, and it does not have embedded mechanisms to ensure Jedi are represented in the legislature"

"Knight Ito, first let me begin by saying thank you for coming here to answer our questions. Do not worry I have but two" She turned to face the young Jedi Knight.

"First, can the Jedi Order, in accurate view of their reverence of the force be considered a religious organization?" She paused, allowing the Knight to collect her thoughts. "And if so, does the separation of Church and State apply to the New Jedi Order?"

 

[Maou]

Aerarii Tithe | Kirie | Jak Ross | Sssar Taszzn
Miona Anden | DARKCOM | Annasari
​

"I would caution the young Jedi Knight from making too many assumptions about the beginnings of the war. Not every war is done for material gain and it was indeed a strategic decision. When the war began we were already looking at the Sith's borders. To say the Jedi were the straw that broke the bantha's back is a great exaggeration of their pull in those early days. It was the assurance that we would be fighting alongside the New Imperial Order that pushed that decision. Then the Order was smaller than it is now."

He shrugged.

"To me, the main issue isn't that we don't have systems to keep Jedi in check in our own military operations. We have plenty of Jedi heroes who fought valiantly side by side with our GADF who were themselves beholden to very stringent regulations and when they broke those rules they were punished accordingly." He didn't have to name names, if they wanted to look at Maynard Treicolt and Loske Treicolt 's records they could go find the dismissals themselves.

"My issue," he said pointedly, his glare falling on Kirie, "Are of Jedi like yourself, who has just admitted to skirting the laws we had put in place for Jedi participation in the war and the Senate's blind eye towards you. The Jedi's interference alone should be cause enough to round up the lot of you and-" He paused, calming himself. Any time the Jedi moving on their own was brought up in the Senate it seemed caused the Corellian Senator's blood to boil. It seemed his grudge against the Jedi for nearly taking his life would never go away, even if he had physically healed enough to at least show his face again. His mostly cybernetic body though was a constant reminder to those who were already against the Jedi at what they could do when unhinged.

"But I digress. This isn't about personal grudges," he said seemingly to remind himself. His shoulders visibly relaxed. "As the Senator Anden and Vice-Chancellor Tithe have asked, let us hear your thoughts Jedi Knight Kirie."

 

[Sssar Taszzn]

Tags: Aerarii Tithe Kirie Jak Ross Maou Miona Anden DARKCOM Annasari

---

Sssar watched the hearing from his modified seating position near the edge of the hearing so that his stature would not obscure his colleagues, appearances of equal standing were important for the confidence of the public. Though it was also important to prevent tabloids from seizing on 'posture politics'.

The report being read in part by the Vice Chancellor and then clarified in meaning by Knight Kirie drew a glowering expression from the Filithar. He had long been of the mind that the New Jedi Order was not being watched with sufficient effort by the Special Committee on Force Affairs, the founding document being the very one he authored. As the questions and explanations from the panel began to grow the Senator of Eclipse looked to his assistant, a member of the Senator's Abiding Precept Constabulary a Pantoran woman, who put a hand on a panel that lit up a small light in front of the Senator noting that Sssar wished to speak.

When there was a proper pause in the conversation Sssar's voice was firm "Fellow Ssssenatorssss, honored guesssst." he looked to Kirie with a nod "Assss the architect of the legisssslation that establisssshed the Sssspecial Committee on Force Affairssss I think it prudent for me to elaborate on the intent of founding document." Sssar's assistant had a pile of datapads in her arms which then she began to go around to the Senators first then to Kirie. They were loaded with a singular document, FAR-SCOFA-1-A0. As she did so Sssar continued "Firssst the intent. The Alliance wassss attempting to integrate the New Jedi Order, a previoussssly entirely ssssovereign entity, into a sssemi-autonomoussss function of the Galactic Alliance. We recognized then assss we sssshould now the nessssscity of a Force bassssed organization for the ssssafety and sssecurity of our people from external organizationssss that may wisssh to do ussss harm. When drafting thissss legissslation I wassss inssstructed by my peerssss to keep the language concissse but alssso leave room for the New Jedi Order to have the guiding hand in itssss own oversssight and recruitment. Asss a compromissse a council format consssissting of several posssitions were created. Thesssse permanent posssitionsss are not." Sssar said the final word with emphasis then repeated himself "Not free from overssssight themssselvesss. A permanent ssseat to the Judiciary, New Jedi Order, and one appointed by the Chancellor. Thisss tribunal would be capable of appointing temporary memberssss to the Sssspecial Committee. The primary orderssss of the Ssspecial Committee include on the ssssecond provissssion quote: That permanent memberssss may be recalled by way of a vote of the Ssssenate of the Galactic Alliance, vacating their sssseatssss immediately."

Sssar paused as he let his words sink in then continued "Sssshould this panel believe that the permanent memberssss of the Sssspecial Committee on Force Affairssss be lacking in the integrity to preform their dutiessss then it issss the duty of the Ssssenate to vote in ssssuch a manner. At thissss point in time it issss my belief that the founding document providessss all nessecary oversight. The powerssss that be ssssimply need to enforce it." the large serpentine alien turned to look at all of his Senate colleagues "The Sssspecial Committee issss without guidance, fervor for jusssstice, and integrity by the reportssss given here today. It issss my intention to requesssst that I be endorssssed for a sssseat within the Committee to be brought forward to the Chancellor'ssss office." Sssar looked to the Vice Chancellor "Excusssse my abruptnessssss Vice Chancellor. I have sssserved long with the Assssembly and have conssssisssstently made my concernssss known. Today I do not proposssse a new concern but a ssssolution." Sssar continued "Thissss hearing issss to ssshine a light on the failingssss of the Galactic Alliance. Though I would alsssso ssssussspect the dessssired ressssult are ssssolutionssss." the Senator had a long history within the assembly and had never been complimentary of the New Jedi Order. His views since the sessions to formally recognize and incorporate the NJO had tread the line between distrust and desire to work with them. Eclipse itself was the smallest, in terms of population and size, entity that had full representation in the Federal Assembly. Its history was mired in legend but one thing remained constant, it was built by long since passed ancestors of the New Jedi Order of modern times and it had a complicated relationship with the current order. Having pledged their support to the NJO but also warning against taking advantage of not only them but the Alliance.

 

[Kirie]

Do The Right Thing

Aerarii Tithe | Jak Ross | Miona Anden | Maou | Sssar Taszzn
​

Whatever spell that had held the Senate committee in near silence for the beginning of Kirie’s testimony had since broken, and now the questions were flying thick and fast.

She opened her mouth to answer Jak Ross only for Aerarii Tithe to speak first, and once he finished Miona Anden spoke up to contest Ross’ comments. Once Anden spoke up Kirie sat back in her seat, her hands clasped on the table in front of her, attentively listening. After a while it became clear the Senators were taking the opportunity to weigh in, so Kirie slid her datapad in front of her and wrote down their points and questions in shorthand. Maou spoke next, unable to hide his anger and contempt for the Jedi followed by Sssar Taszzn , the Fillithar Senator for Eclipse, who provided the founding document on the Special Committee on Force Affairs, which Kirie read intently.

Once Taszzn had finished, the Senator’s eyes drifted her way once again, and it seemed it was now her turn to address the barrage of questions and comments that had come in the last few minutes. A bead of sweat rolled down her neck, and she swiped through her notes nervously. After a few moments she’d composed herself as best she could, and began speaking again.

“Thank you again Senators for your questions. I will start by addressing the questions from the Honourable Senators for Had Abaddon, Aargau, and Euphonis Major. Concerning the issue of whether or not the SIA, Alliance Defence Force, and the Senate have been operating with the same free reign I have argued the Jedi have, I know of no evidence that is the case. What differentiates the New Jedi from the Senate, military, and intelligence services is that the Jedi do not have strong, clear accountability measures in the same way the military has the rules of war, the Senate has the democratic process and checks and balances, and the SIA is an organ of, and answers to, the Alliance government. What I argue is that it is this lack of regulation and lack of political authority over the Jedi that has allowed for the gross abuses of power I mentioned earlier.

“Which takes me on to the issue of who the Jedi actually answer to. For most New Jedi the sole authority they answer to is to the Jedi council, known in the NJO as the Circle, which is made up of five Jedi Masters with one empty seat. While it is functionally true that the council has complete control over the affairs of the Jedi, the Special Council on Force Affairs has at least nominal authority over the NJO. However, as the honourable Senators for Aargau and Eclipse have pointed out, the Special Council has not used its powers of oversight on the Jedi, and is at this point, it is functionally useless, with its only members already prominent members of the New Jedi.”

Kirie paused to collect her thoughts. There was so much to cover, and she could feel the senators readying themselves to argue again. She went on hurriedly.

“Next, whether or not the separation of the church and the state applies to the Jedi. I would argue that a good faith analysis of the New Jedi Order would show them as a primarily political actor within the Alliance. The Jedi are religious, yes, but their involvement in the affairs of state does not constitute the forcing of religious practice nor of any requirements to serve in a position in the state.”

Kirie glanced up at Kiyoshi. She could almost feel his derision burning into her. It made her uncomfortable, but she had to press on, had to stay professional.

“Finally, addressing the comments of the honourable Senator for Corellia. All I can say is that I agree with you, and I agree that personal grudges should not get in the way of sensible legislation. I believe that most Jedi aren’t aware of the degree to which their Order violates the rules and norms of the Alliance. When I was sent into battle, I certainly didn’t know. What can be achieved moving forward, perhaps, is a system in which Jedi and the Alliance alike can take comfort in a system with strong accountability and clear rules. For now, everything is vague, and that leads to instability.”

Kirie fell silent. She almost winced, waiting for the next wave of comments and questions. This issue was contentious, and the tensions in the room were growing. Hopefully, the inquiry would do their best to keep things civil, but Kirie didn’t have the greatest confidence.

 

[Sora Mohc]

“Senator?”

His voice warmly blanketed the testimony ongoing within ear shot as he perked his head around the corner. “I apologize for the intrusion.” The Prakith native entered with a professional smile, “Caleb Moore, SIA. I was hoping you had a moment to speak in private?”

The SIA agent stood tall with perfect stature, he easily could of been mistaken for military if it wasn’t for the long hair and freedom of attire. His loose jacket and civilian clothes easily separated him from the hardened veterans of the GADF, yet there was something in the way he carried himself. It was as if he’d seen a lifetime of training, or discipline. He took pride in the way he looked and the words he spoke, there was only one other organization that could produce such a candidate, the SIA and the Queen Bee herself IVI .

“I promise I won’t take up too much of your time.”

He extended his hand with a bright smile.

Annasari



​

 

[Annasari]

Sora Mohc

The man startled her, and with a jump, she tore her eyes away from the Jedi. Icy eyes swept over him, and the slightest of twitches took to the corner of her mouth at the mention of the Strategic Intelligence Agency. A snake in sheep's clothing, to be sure. She allowed his hand to hang for only a moment before she met it with her own, a warm smile illuminating her face.

"A pleasure to meet you, Agent Moore." She replied softly. "I shall be glad to assist you in whatever way I can."

She rose from the table, collecting the black skirt that flowed to the ground below. The two-piece ensemble, speckled and lined with gold, was a far cry from her usual garments of white. You look as though you're dressed for mourning, Myra had told her that morning, and she had smiled with approval, eager to let her colleagues draw their own conclusions. She looked to her fellow senators, nodding an apology, before turning away from the hearing and moving towards the door. When she reached it, she beckoned the young man to follow, and led him to an office only a few doors down. Her chamber was only minimally decorated, though all she had brought it bore some mark of Jakku. A deep blue rug, a stuffed ripper-raptor forever perched beside the door, a pole snake slithering in its brass cage. Annasari settled into the leather seat behind her desk, gesturing for him to sit opposite.

"What is it I can do for you today?" She inquired with the raise of an eyebrow.​

 

[Sora Mohc]

​

He knew they called him a spook, a derogatory term for those in his line of business and a term shared by nearly all his associates in the SIA. With that in mind he was still caught off guard when he realized he had startled the Jakku senator, a small chuckle escaped him. She allowed his hand to dangle in the air for a moment before professionally meeting it with her own, he gave her an affirmative nod graciously accepting the assistance from her.

"I appreciate that, I'm sure you could be of most help to our investigation."

As she rose from her seat he studied her, attempting to pick on social ques to her associates or mannerisms, Alliance tax credits at work with all that training instantly going to work on a near-subconscious level. He played it cool, waiting near in place for her lead as she said her goodbyes and apologies to the nearby senators honed in on the testimony. It didn't take long for the good senator to approach the doorway, with a subtle wave of her hand she beckoned him to follow. They entered her office, a minimalist design with strange decor brought from the backwater world of Jakku.

As Caleb entered he took a good look at their surroundings with seasoned eyes. He sat down after a moment of brief exploration, gestured over across from her own seat at her desk. The SIA agent graciously accepted the seat and sat down.

"Thank you for your time. Like I said a moment ago, I only have a few questions for you. I'm apart of the inquest investigation and several other high profile cases."

He folded his hands together in his lap, calm, cool, and collected.

"I want to make it clear that I'm just trying to get the facts, not play one side against another." He paused, the agent let the words hang for a brief time before going in once more, "We've been getting reports for sometime of a massing presence of Jedi on the planet of Jakku, in fact, our earliest reports on the Brotherhood of the Maw collected by one Dagon Kaze show that Niima Outpost was the target of an intense raid that was rebuked by the efforts of the New Jedi Order and unaffiliated Jedi connected with one Romi Jade ."

He leaned forward a bit, eyes staring intently with warmth behind his smile, but displaying ever still the eyes of a snake. "If I recall you recently made a clear statement of your support for the New Jedi Order and their efforts. Would it be crass to say you provide aid to any Jedi who call Jakku home? Jedi such as Ryv Karis or Dagon Kaze ?"

Annasari



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[Jak Ross]

SGHW Story
Contest The Statements
Aerarii Tithe | Kirie | Miona Anden | Maou | Sssar Taszzn​

Listening to all of the questions being asked, the Senator made sure to keep close watch of this discussion.

He could not imagine what the outcome would be if the Senate order full control over the New Jedi Order. While his allegiance aligned with the Senate and the planet of Had Abbadon, the man was very much still a Jedi Knight. It was one of the many challenges he faced in sessions like this. Setting aside beliefs of the Senate and beliefs of the Jedi was becoming a difficult task, and not just for himself.

Once Knight Ito had finished with the first round of questions, the Senator decided to ask a few more of his own.

"Thank you for answering my question regarding the Senate's oversight on other Alliance operations, Knight Ito. I must bring up a possible outcome though of your mention of the Senate's oversight of the New Jedi Order. Is the Alliance prepared for the possibility of backlash within the New Jedi Order?"

The Senator almost winced at his own comment. While he hoped to the force that this would not happen. The Alliance had to prepare for all possible outcomes if this action were to be put into place.

"As much as I wish for it not to happen, there is a chance that the New Jedi Order may not take this new...'management' well. Are we, the Senate, and the Galactic Alliance, ready to deal with this outcome? I'm not saying we should abandon this idea entirely, but we are at a tough spot right now with the Maw forces closing in from the Unknown Regions. Would we be able to defend the Alliance and its people if we were to lose the support of the New Jedi Order?"

It was an outcome that was highly possible. The Jedi have been "managed" by the Jedi Code and the Council for so long that change may be the last thing needed right now. Then again, who knows how it would turn out.

 

[Annasari]

Sora Mohc

The senator's expression remained still and callous as he spoke, as though she may not have even heard him. Years in the public eye had tempered her knee-jerk reaction, and though her hands began to sweat, her face remained the picture of calm. When he finished, she brushed her palms against her skirt as she lifted them, positioning them under her chin in a thoughtful manner.

"You recall correctly." She stated carefully as she attempted to navigate the minefield the agent laid before her. "Unfortunately, I fall on the opposite side of many of my peers regarding the inquest. Senators serve their world first, and the Jedi have forged a stronger friendship with Jakku than our own nation. Yes, the Jedi protected our world when the Defense Force failed us-- we were only a protectorate world at that time, the Guild little more than a spoken thought, and it was clear the Alliance saw little value in defending the planet when the raiders came. For that reason, my people respect and wish the Jedi well, hence my position on the matter."

Anna rose as she finished, her skirt sweeping while she turned, walking over to the cage. The black beast writhed at her approach, but came willingly when she opened the door, slithering up her arm and settling around her neck. She allowed herself a fond smile as she returned her gaze to the agent, mindlessly stroking the snake's flat head.

"With this in mind, the Jakkuvian people are not inclined to offer charity, nor are the guild. The Jedi enjoy only a few amenities- board upon our station, freedom to travel to and fro our planet as they please- but that is no more than any soldier or senator receives, should they find themselves in the area. I would daresay the only thing that breaks the norm when they find themselves on Jakku is a sense of welcoming, despite their status as outsiders."

Annasari chuckled, a twinkle taking to her eye, mischief dancing in the blue. It was the truth- through a twisted version of it. The Jedi were not given anything on Jakku, that much was true-- it was what was not taken away nor spoken of that was key.