Star Wars: From the Clone Wars to Starfaring Heroes

Chapters 115 and 116 - The Second Independent Confederation Parliament (Combined)

Laxus system, Laxus 2 satellite.

Kalulla Sector.

Time passed quietly after Renn informed them of the Minakolumex battle, and the Second Separatist Parliament convened again.

The separatist parliament hall.

The council chamber has a towering dome, with a cold alloy frame supporting a transparent protective shield. Outside is the gray sky, characteristic of Laxus 2 satellites, filled with metallic particles.

A holographic projector projected a huge Confederate emblem above the central round table, its blue light illuminating the senators' seats arranged in a ring below.

The air was filled with a complex scent that blended artificial air fresheners, the low hum of precision instruments, and the aromas of hundreds of different life forms.

"The core agenda of today's meeting," Baker Lois's voice was low but exceptionally clear, instantly drowning out the hushed conversations in the seats, "is to debate and make a final decision on the candidate for the Supreme Military Commander of the Separatist Army nominated by the Japreel Sovereign System."

His voice was like a stone thrown into a noisy pond, creating ripples before quickly settling into a restrained calm.

Since the founding of the Independent Galaxy Confederation, Lauis has been like the core regulator of this massive machine, maintaining its operation with precision and stability.

Just as Count Doocu's government rarely encountered any real opposition, Lauis's leadership in Parliament was equally unshakeable.

He stood tall and straight in the speaker's seat, his typically composed face bearing the distinctive features of a Sinet.

In a Senate where factional divisions were deepening, he won praise for being "rational" and "mature" by adopting an almost deliberate neutral stance.

He was a political realist, sharp-minded, constantly weighing the intentions and wording of each proposal and striving to maintain the fragile facade of civility within the council chamber.

His deliberate mention of the "Japreel Sovereign Galaxy" was by no means arbitrary.

First, from its inception, the Confederation declared to the universe that it was a non-partisan democracy.

While political parties are not completely banned, their role in elections is strictly limited by law.

This admiration for "non-partisan" individuals naturally extends to expectations regarding the behavior of heads of state and parliamentary leaders.

Therefore, labels such as "pacifist," "war faction," and even "alliance," which circulate privately and in the media, have no formal legal effect. They are more of terms created by political observers to facilitate understanding of the complex divisions of positions within the Senate.

However, these labels are not fabricated out of thin air.

Despite the seemingly antagonistic names "peace faction" and "war faction," private deals and compromises between the two are not uncommon.

Their real points of disagreement often lie in foreign policy, since most galaxies that join the secession movement share similar economic philosophies.

This is also the root cause of their initial separation from the republic and joining the confederation.

Fortunately, this made the Confederation's domestic policies appear more consistent and coherent than those of the Republic, at least before the war.

Secondly, and more importantly, Ondron was positioned as an "ally" within the Confederate system.

When the Izzi Treaty was signed, both Ondron and Laxus were well aware that the Japrere system, isolated within the Republic's territory, was an easy target for attack.

Therefore, great care was taken in the wording of the treaty to define the status of Ondron and the similarly positioned Fondo as "alliance" rather than full "affiliation".

In a sense, they are given a "neutral" character.

The laws of the Republic do not prohibit star systems from separating from the Republic itself, but joining a separatist confederation is clearly an act of treason.

Weng Delun exploited this legal loophole to claim to the outside world that he was merely exercising his right to secede from the Republic, attempting to deprive the Republic of its "moral high ground" for launching military action and to deter its invasion.

This logic, in the eyes of many, especially in the eyes of the military's Rein, is simply sophistry.

It's even less tenable than sophistry.

Both Ondron and Fondo held seats in the Separatist Parliament and provided substantial military resources to the Confederation.

However, Weng Delun and Feng Duo are fundamentally different.

The Fondor is the galaxy’s premier mega-shipyard, located right under the nose of the Republic’s core world.

Weng Delun, on the other hand, is just a desolate, sparsely populated, and resource-poor remote area on the edge of the inner ring road.

Recent intelligence received by Raine indicates that Fondos is under heavy siege by the Republic's fleet.

Ironically, the one who commanded the siege was a Jedi Knight from Ondron.

What about Ong Delun?

The reason its diplomatic strategy was effective was that, for the Republic, the cost and difficulty of invading Ondron were simply too high.

No.

That might still be an understatement.

Invading Ondron would be a nightmare for any army.

Similar to Fondos, the people of Ondron do not have much enthusiasm for the separatist cause itself.

But what if their home planet is attacked?

The entire planet Ondron will erupt with an astonishing will to resist.

The planet's natural environment is extremely harsh for humans and most other races in the galaxy, not to mention the "Devil's Month" that arrives every year and brings devastating disasters.

The so-called "Devil's Moon" is a massive, periodic cosmic storm phenomenon that tears apart a planet's magnetic field.

The Ondron people are proud and xenophobic. Their cities are hidden like labyrinths deep within mountains, valleys, and vast, poisonous jungles. Outsiders have almost no idea of ​​their exact locations or names except for the locals.

This planet has a long and bloody history of war, with countless strongholds and outposts built on treacherous terrain, making them extremely easy to defend and difficult to attack.

The first dilemma any intruder faces upon entering is not how to seize it, but rather, what is the target?

Izzi, the nominal capital city?

You could simply label the Japrell Galaxy as Izzi on a star map, since it's the only large settlement in the entire Milky Way that's known to outsiders.

Renn even suspected that outside of Izzi's pitiful sphere of influence, even the people of Izzi themselves couldn't name all the other cities.

The so-called "capital" status is actually quite awkward.

Rather than investing millions of troops and spending decades painstakingly exploring through toxic jungles and treacherous mountains, only to potentially end in a dismal failure, it would be better to let this stubborn galaxy fend for itself in its so-called "neutral" state.

After all, in terms of both geographical location and resource endowment, Ongdlun is indeed strategically insignificant.

"Now, let's begin the debate."

Speaker Lauis's voice pulled Ryan back to the council chamber.

Lois paused for a few seconds, his gaze slowly sweeping across the entire arena.

An eerie silence fell over the council chamber, broken only by the faint hum of the holographic projector and the distant whirring of the ventilation system.

No one stood up to speak.

Perhaps it was the silent figures of the high-ranking military officers surrounding the upper tiers of the council chamber that cast an invisible pressure on the members of parliament below.

These officers were all indebted to Severn Tann in some way. Any act of open opposition at this moment would be interpreted as a challenge to the will of the army.

Holographic camera robots silently patrolled the air, transmitting every detail of this place to every corner of the Confederacy.

All eyes were on this.

Or perhaps it's the aura emanating from the main character of this meeting.

General Severn Tann stood upright before the debate table below, his eyes slightly closed, as if preparing himself mentally.

She stood tall and straight, her dark general's uniform impeccably tailored, the insignia on her epaulets reflecting a cold, hard luster under the chamber lights.

An almost tangible calmness and confidence emanated from her, and even Senator Mina Bontry, who was standing a few seats away and was known for her toughness, seemed to have her taut facial lines slightly relaxed by this aura.

Perhaps the most direct reason is that no one was willing to publicly question her qualifications in front of this decorated general, the representative of the Confederate armed forces.

The answer is likely the combined effect of all factors.

A rare consensus has been reached within Parliament that they have never been so close to confirming a supreme commander.

The pacifists took a rare step forward, reaching a fragile compromise with the war faction in the middle.

At this moment, if even one person within the war faction were to stand up and oppose it, it would undoubtedly be a fatal blow to their entire political agenda and legitimacy.

Even those senators who secretly pledged allegiance to Count Dooku could only lower their heads, remain silent, and let the situation unfold.

Severn Tann is the undisputed hero of the Confederacy, having fought on the front lines since the very first day of the Separatist movement.

She is the only separatist commander who has ever led a fleet into the heart of the Republic's world.

She was once a leading candidate for executive nomination.

The media's extensive praise further propelled her reputation to its peak.

Raine was certain that, at least in the vast area near the Peremian Sector, her name was already a household name.

The only person capable of preventing this confirmation from going smoothly was Count Dooku himself.

But he was nowhere to be found.

In his mind, Renn could even picture Count Dooku rushing all the way from Serenno.

The idea seemed absurd to him, but a voice deep inside kept reminding him.

Never underestimate Dooku.

However, the cold, hard reality is before us.

Regardless of which hyperspace route Dooku chooses—whether it's the Salin Corridor blocked by the Republic, the relatively unobstructed but longer Gordian Passage, or the Lister Hall route that requires a detour—it doesn't matter.

Even using the most advanced hyperspace thrusters, it would take him several days to reach Laxus.

Count Dooku will definitely not make it in time.

It's that simple.

Renn secretly observed the venue.

The Senate was deadlocked, with an invisible force suppressing all dissent.

“If no one in this agency raises any objection,” Senator Mina Bontri’s voice rang out loudly and clearly, breaking the silence, “then the Ondron System proposes that this agency immediately hold a vote on the nomination.”

Speaker Lois waited a moment longer, his sharp gaze sweeping across the room.

The council chamber remained deathly silent, save for the faint sounds of breathing and the rustling of clothes.

Finally, he nodded.

"The chairman's panel approves Senator Weng Delun's proposal. According to the charter of the Independent Galaxy Confederation, appointments at this level require a verbal vote."

"Agree!"

"Agree!"

"Agree!"

……

A chorus of approving voices erupted from the surrounding council seats, their combined sounds forming a powerful sonic wave that even caused some officers observing from the balcony to instinctively lean back slightly, as if pushed by this invisible wave.

Ryan stood among the officers, impassive, his gaze sharp.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the towering figure of Admiral Trench of the Hachi tribe.

The alien general stood quietly in the crowd, like a huge shadow. His one bony hand was slowly and thoughtfully stroking a beard, and his multifaceted eyes were fixed on General Tann below, with an unfathomable light gleaming in the depths of his gaze.

"Passed by votes of approval," Speaker Lois announced, his voice still steady, but Renn seemed to catch a very subtle, almost imperceptible sigh.

However, Lauis gave no time for anyone to speculate and immediately pushed forward with the process.

"The candidate nominated by the Japrehr sovereign system is... General Severn Tann." The Speaker's voice echoed in the hall. "Her full resume and background check information have now been transmitted to the control consoles of each senator's seat."

A few suppressed chuckles came from the crowd of officers watching.

material?

They exchanged knowing glances.

What other materials do we need to look at?
What is worth discussing and considering?
Did she successfully seize the planet Sarapin?

That vital land that supplies 80% of the energy to the core world of the Republic?
It was she who dealt the Republic a second heavy strategic blow during the Battle of Krant, not only killing a Jedi general but also completely crushing the entire Republic Sector Fleet.
Or was it the illustrious military exploits she forged in a series of battles, including those against Christopher Sis, Bosavoy, and Kolumex?

These are already legendary chapters in the military history of the Milky Way.

According to standard procedure, the next step should be the hearing session where senators ask questions.

But this is usually just a formality, used to record her achievements, confirm her competence, and verify her loyalty.

However, the silence that enveloped the senators' seats at this moment was so heavy, as if it had frozen.

The pressure among colleagues was so immense that even Ryan, who was observing from the sidelines, felt an invisible sense of suffocation.

General Tann's impeccable composure further amplified this atmosphere.

Ryan even felt that the scene was more like a high-level military briefing than a Senate hearing.

Only one person is needed.

Ryan's sharp gaze swept across the seats of the congressmen opposite him, searching for those he recognized who were backed by corporate alliances or business guilds, or those staunch followers of Count Dooku.

Those lawmakers driven by ideals, whether advocating for peace negotiations or insisting on military victory, may remain silent at this moment out of genuine agreement, but what about those driven by self-interest?

They also seemed to be bound by this invisible force, unable to be swayed even by the lure of profit.

(P.S.: That's all for today. I've been too busy lately, but I'll update more next week!)
(End of this chapter)