2009-02-00 - GNN Meena Tills Addresses the Republic

===Author: Meena Tills ===
"People of the Galaxy, people of the Republic: Greetings. I am Meena Tills."
The camera focuses to reveal Meena Tills. He is seated at a desk. Behind him are the emblems of the Republic. He is not wearing his customary blue blast armor: instead, the flowing white formal mantle of a Senator of the Republic. Visible on his face--indeed, marring the whole left side, despite bacta treatment--are the scars left by the assassination attempt that nearly killed him early in the war. He pauses, giving people time to tune in, time to absorb the sight, time to think.
"As a Republic Senator, and as the current Chairman of the Command Council of the Republic, I must come to you with grave news, and beg your attention and your patience. We stand at a crossroads of history, and how we choose to act today may decide the fate of the Galaxy."
Meena Tills sighs and leans forward, his face growing on the screen as the cameras pan in. "But there is no point sparing you the worst news first. It is true. Sho'lar Vreeth, President of the Bothan Trading Company, and Supreme Justice of the Republic, is dead."
The camera holds steady, revealing his grim face. The hollowness about the eyes, the grim set of the alien head, communicate resolve and sorrow clearly despite the differences between Mon Calamari and human form. 
He holds his words long enough for the impression to sink in, then goes on, each word a grim step up an endless stair.
"The circumstances of his death are as follows. Shortly after his public announcements, he sent a message to myself and another Command Council member, indicating that he was going to the Jedi Retreat to discuss with the Jedi his new policy. Some time later, I received a message from the Jedi that the corpse of a Bothan had been discovered on the grounds of the Retreat."
Again that pause, the timing perfectly guaranteeing the time for the audience to absorb the horrific and the unthinkable and to speculate ... precisely what his words imply. Then he goes on.
"Whoever killed Sho'lar Vreeth disabled the security cameras in the entire area from the East Tower of the Republic government building to the courtyard of the Jedi Retreat, so we do not have security camera pictures depicting the death of Sho'lar Vreeth. But as it happened, we were able to recover the following video sequence from a droid on the grounds of the Jedi Retreat."
A video begins to play, filling the whole screen, showing the courtyard of the Jedi retreat from a low angle, a droid's-eye view. A figure appears carrying a body, and lowers it to the ground. The body is obviously a Bothan, and a sharp eye will recognize the dead, light-sabered form of Sho'lar Vreeth. The figure carrying it is so enrobed in black robes, that the face remains unseen. And soon it is gone.
After that, when the figure is gone, a Jedi figure emerges from the retreat into the courtyard, and discovers the body. The scene then unfolds, Master Tuil Lindo appearing, then Republic guards.
Again the camera returns to Meena Tills' grim face. "People of the Galaxy, people of the Republic," he says finally. "Initial circumstances might seem to make the Jedi guilty of this heinous act, but it is clear that in fact, Sho'lar Vreeth was not killed at the Jedi retreat, but his body dumped there by a figure very like that which has done various terrorist acts recently. What we see here is an attempt to discredit the Jedi. Dark times are upon us."
He pauses, as if watching the eyes of the audience to gauge their response to his words, then he goes on, suddenly changing the subject. 
"But it is not the Jedi with whom we must concern ourselves most today. It is the Republic. And what the Republic is to do to secure a future for our children that will be better than our present: a future in which peace and order have been secured once again. And therefore I must speak to the issue of peace negotiations with the Imperium.
The camera pulls back slightly and he pulls a sheet of paper in front of him on the desk. "What you may not know is that a proposed treaty draft has been under discussion for months, but agreement on the treaty had been stalled by Sho'lar Vreeth's objections. Now that he is dead, as Command Council chairman, I find myself with the responsibility to pass on to the Senate the text of this treaty, for an up or down vote. I am therefore going to read the terms now, over the air. Later today I will introduce a bill in the senate to ratify the treaty."
He proceeds to read:
One. All Republic legislation which holds the Imperium or its leaders or their actions, powers, and properties to be criminal will be revoked or amended so as not to do so. Additionally, the Republic court system will not hear lawsuits against the Imperium or its members for actions taken before the peace. Nash Dragen and Ti Xibril are exceptions; they are forever condemned and execrated for their atrocities.
Two. Because of the terrible effect the late War had on the galactic economy and specifically on the wartorn battleground worlds, all Republic worlds will enjoy a five-year galactic tax holiday to recoup their losses.
Three. The Republic and Imperium jointly condemn the slave trade and those who practice it, and vow to encompass its doom. The Republic and Imperium agree that the use of droids and of clones, whatever it may be, is not slavery.
Four. We recognize the right of worlds to choose their allegiance to either the Republic or the Imperium. If the Republic invites a world to join, that world may lawfully accept. If the Imperium invites a world to join, that world may lawfully accept. No one can force the Republic or Imperium to invite worlds as members; no one can force member worlds not to accept invitations of allegiance from the Republic or the Imperium if they so choose. So-called third parties are no part of this arrangement, and will not be without mutual agreement of the Republic and Imperium.
Five. Planets have legal jurisdiction over crimes committed in their territory except insofar as those crimes are interstellar in nature or break specific Republic law (if they are Republic worlds) or Imperium law (if they are Imperium worlds). Interstellar or super-planetary crimes are to be referred to the core courts of the Republic or Imperium.
Finishing reading the treaty, Meena Tills looks into the camera. "Two of the provisions of this treaty were particularly the subject of debate: the tax holiday for Republic worlds, which Sho'lar Vreeth believed would deprive the Republic of the funds to maintain the central government, and the membership clause, which he feared would be used to pry worlds out of the Republic, leading to its dissolution under the threat of renewed war. It will be for the Senate to decide whether to heed these concerns. The Mon Calamari High Council has voted to ratify, though it was a close vote, with many dissenters. Under Republic law, once the motion to ratify enters the senate, it must be voted up or down, without amendment."
He stirs, looking out at the camera with a face that projects a kind of grim determination. Some who read in between the lines might wonder how his vote was cast in the Mon Calamari High Council, and whether it came out as he desired.
"People of the Republic, I am the last member of the Command Council who was a leader in the Senate at the start of the war. I am well-known. Well-known and loved, in much of the Republic. Well-known and hated, in many other quarters. I have always sought, to the best of my ability, to protect my world, this Republic, and the peace of the Galaxy. Yet the fact remains, that I bear much responsibility for how matters have worked out over the past year, and while the Republic has survived, it has not survived happily. The Supreme Justice, apparently kidnapped, then murdered, then reviled as an evildoer. Terrorism and crime rampant on Coruscant. The incident at the hospital. And now the death of the Supreme Justice. I have done my utmost to do my duty: all of my duties. And at the end of this time, I can say with pride that the Republic is whole, reasonably well-defended, with none of its worlds occupied by an enemy power. And yet ..."
He pauses. Again his eyes search the screen.
"There is a time when the wise sentient does not hold on to power. It is a time for fresh minds to solve the new problems of this new age. Therefore, I and my wife, Nissa Sarcat Tills, have decided that we will be resigning our positions in the Republic and on Mon Calamari. After this speech, we will begin the process of considering whom to support to replace us as leaders of our worlds, and as leaders of the Republic. The current admirals of the fleet will continue to defend the Republic, just as the Marshall of the Guard will do his duty, and the other members of the Command Council. But we will have the chance to enjoy being newlyweds, Niss and I. Without the weight of worlds between us."
He moves on quickly.
"This was not an easy decision to make. But I hope that all of you will remember what the Republic is and what it stands for: an association of free worlds, devoted or justice, peace and order in the Galaxy. It is not any one person's personal playground, to do with as it chooses, and if you are wise, you will jealously preserve the freedom you have, and work with all your powers to make it live up to its ideals. If you tolerate anything less, beware."
Again a pause, while he seems to struggle down a surge of emotion.
"I have always had a dream of leading new explorations. New discoveries. Doing more than leading a world: but rather, opening up new vistas and new horizons. I intend to make use of my time after I leave office productively in new ventures. I will reveal more of my plans in that department at a later time, when I have wound down some of my other responsibilities. Until then, people of the Republic, I must sign off. It has been a privilege serving you. May you always be well-served.
And the screen fades to black.
Category:February 09 GNN Posts