Senate Schism

The "Senate Schism" is an event that occurred and resulted in a third of the Senate Hunters either defecting, dying or abandoning their posts to form the Gray Syndicate. It is one of two incidents which eventually led to the Tenth Galactic War with the other being the Burning of Sernomir.

### The Schism

#### Edge Unmasked

After years of service in the Senate, Edge (055-Edge) was unmasked and revealed to be a human. This threw the Senate into disarray as they were furious about a member of a non-spacefaring species in their ranks and were especially leery of humans given their observations. While several Hunters advocated for Edge, pointing out how much good he had done for the Galaxy and how loyal he had been to the Senate, it wasn't enough for the Senate to allow him to remain. He was given a choice - abandon his rank and renounce his membership as a Senate Hunter or be exiled and hunted. Edge chose the former, electing to leave on what he believed to be good graces with the Senate and resume his independent work.

Unfortunately, this was a trick. After he renounced his title, he was now no longer protected by any of the laws that applied to Senate Hunters and was promptly arrested. Due to being both human *and* a member of a non-spacefaring species, he was viewed as an immense threat and jailed while his fate was decided. His partner, 056-Pearl, tried to appeal his arrest but was given an ultimatum: she could renounce her title, be exiled, or choose to testify against him and receive substantial compensation as a result. Pearl renounced her title and fled the Senate Ring, resolving to find a way to return and free Edge. 259-Meggothia, a close friend of Edge's, opted to continue stalling his trial until she could find a way to help him.

#### Klaara's Gamble

Desperate not to allow Edge to fall prey to the Senate's machinations, Pearl--now operating under her original name of Klaara--fled back to Earth and returned to the ruins of Nubason's cavern. There, she took a risk and reactivated the Sanctuary Divide and gained access to N-Space. Once inside, the sought out and located Nubason and his LifeMate, Aldanai. She explained what had happened and that the Senate had betrayed Edge and were debating his fate. Edge had spared Nubason and, in a strange twist of fate, had actually saved Aldanai - she argued that Nubason at least owed Edge a good death and not one at the hands of the Senate. Nubason agreed and gave Klaara a series of Echo Stones that could access N-Space from anywhere. He told her that if he was needed, he would come - just activate the Echo Stones.

Departing Earth, Klaara returned to her homeworld of Sovereign and appealed the Guilds as well as several of the Clans. While some Heil were leery of defying the Senate, most were enraged at what had happened to Edge. Klaara convinced several Hierarchs to call an emergency summit and determine whether or not the Heil were involved. After a day's deliberation in which Klaara kept in contact with 256-Morceti, the Heil voted 76-24 to support Edge.

Finally, Klaara journeyed to the Scain homeworld of Chindrus and spoke with Mindbank Turukaishal. Turu, having heard of what happened, was already prepared to defy the Senate if it meant saving Edge. Unfortunately, his willingness was predicted by the Senate and they began to send ships into the Mordakrelai system to keep the Scain or Scions from intervening. At this point, Klaara learned that the Senate had decided to execute Edge as an example and that despite letting her go, they were now aiming at her for having brought him into space in the first place.

#### The Schism Begins

Realizing that she had all the help she was going to get, Klaara made for the Senate Ring under the pretense of testifying against Edge in exchange for clemency. As she was led through the Senate Ring, she surreptitiously placed the Echo Stones from Nubason along the way to cover her retreat. Upon making it to the Senate Chamber, she instead confronted the Senate about betraying Edge and for invalidating everything he had done. When the Senate moved to have her arrested, Meggothia and Morceti both stood at her defense. 001-Bleak, eager for a fight, approached them and told them to stand aside. He'd been selected as Edge's executioner and it would give him great pleasure to take their heads as well.

In response, Meggothia impaled Bleak through the skull with his Arc Knife, killing him instantly. The unexpected brutality of the killing shocked the Senate long enough for Morceti to grab Klaara and make a run for the holding cells to get Edge. Meggothia, having fully expected to find himself surrounded, instead found himself supported by three other Senate Hunters: 065-Blink, 200-Torrent and 300-Avogar. The four of them were more than a match for the Senate's High Guard, eliminating most of them before the Senate representatives recovered enough to order the remaining Senate Hunters into the fray.

Klaara and Morceti reached the holding cells and freed Edge, explaining what had happened and that a full-scale civil war was taking place in the Senate Chamber. Edge prepped his armor and followed them back to the Chamber, joining the fray in time to save Meggothia from being killed by 260-Ateriel. Klaara activated the Echo Stones, tearing open ten different gateways and allowing Nubason, Aldanai and an entire swarm of N-Space entities into the Senate Ring.

At this point, Edge and Klaara decided to cut their losses and made for the *Ghost* in order to escape. Several other Senate Hunters joined them, covering their escape and aiding them as they fought their way through the Senate Ring only to discover the *Ghost* had been locked down. With the help of 041-Echo and 168-Falin, he was able to seize control of the harbormaster's controls and override the locks. When he returned to the ship, he was almost assassinated by 250-Pain who had managed to break into the hangar. He was saved by 018-Veronkitterat, who managed to seal off one end of the hangar with his Psionics.

#### Escape from the Senate Ring

As the *Ghost* was spinning up its engines, the remaining Senate Hunters and most of the High Guard reached the hangar in an attempt to stop Edge's departure. Considering the chaos still ongoing throughout the Senate Ring, some were willing to attempt a peaceful resolution. Edge, incensed that they would attempt to resolve this peacefully after everything they had done, ordered Veronkitterat to lower the Psionic barriers. This was not to parlay, however, and instead was so that he could charge into the fray and begin attacking the remaining Senate Hunters while pushing his Kelthos Core to the brink.

Realizing what he had done, Klaara joined the fray after donning her Pearl armor again. Several other Senate Hunters on Edge's side leapt into action as well, pushing back the Senate's forces long enough for the ship to reach full power. Klaara managed to snap Edge out of his rage long enough to convince him to get back to the *Ghost*, but he couldn't break away. The sheer power of his Kelthos Core was keeping their team in the fight and if he broke away, the remaining Hunters on their side would be wiped out.

Torrent chose this moment to sacrifice herself, unleashing her true form as an Arsu and flooding the hangar bay. Edge attempted to rescue her one final time, unwilling to leave an ally behind, but she refused his help and chose to die fighting the Senate so that he could escape. Edge, Klaara and about fifty of the former Senate Hunters escaped on the *Ghost* but were engaged by the Senate's armada in orbit. Klaara's negotiations with the Heil proved fruitful, as a massive fleet of Heil warships came to their aid, decimating a large portion of the Senate's ships in a surprise three-pronged assault and opening a window for the *Ghost* to escape.

### Aftermath

Following the escape of the *Ghost*, the Senate was severely weakened. Only 160 of their original 300 Senate Hunters were left with the others having either been killed, defecting or escaping with Edge. Furthermore, they would lose an additional 40 Senate Hunters containing the breaches and pushing Nubason and Aldanai back into N-Space. The Senate's once-mighty First Fleet had lost 500 of its 1,700 ships and several hundred more were damaged, inoperable or disabled. Worse, the Heil had openly declared war on the Senate and they were one of the largest and most combative races. This would result in a protracted war between the Senate and the Heil that began with the Schism and would only end with the conclusion of the Tenth Galactic War.

This was considered a major blow for the Senate, as they had never experienced such heavy losses or violence at the heart of their government. As they began to rebuild, hiring new Senate Hunters and repairing ships, they used the attack as justification for why they had imprisoned Edge, although publicly they never mentioned their betrayals or their plans to execute him. They instead attempted to push a narrative of Edge having been taken in for questioning and having attacked the Senate when they learned of his species.

The Scain Empire, although it hadn't taken part in the bloodbath, was put under Senate control. Turukaishal was relieved of his duties as Mindbank and placed on house arrest under constant guard. This would last for three decades until Edge returned with the newly-formed Gray Syndicate and the Tenth Galactic War began in earnest.