Chapter Three: The Brush Fire Wars

[Akirapryde]

CNN News Report: New Year Fete!
Coruscant News Network
Broadcast from Coruscant
Date: 2920 AOK

Bail: “Good evening to all the citizens of the Galactic Republic. I am Bail Organa.”

Sinya: “And I am Sinya Lefe. With only weeks remaining till official beginning of New Year Fete Week, Coruscant is alive with anticipation. The entire world has truly outdone themselves this year.”
 
Bail: “I truly believe that this New Year Fete Week will be one of the best the Republic has seen in over a thousand years. Chancellor Syrdash has pulled all the stops in making this year a year to remember. She has brought in hundreds of professional entertainers from across the Republic and beyond.”
 
Sinya: “Yes, the Chancellor has gone to great lengths to forget about the crisis she faces in the Senate.”
 
Bail: (laughing) “I knew you couldn’t help yourself from bringing up the lies that has been spread by her critics.”
 
Sinya: “These aren’t lies. Just last week she faced another Vote of No Confidence. That’s three since she took the Chancellorship from the late Chancellor Tirrel.”
 
Bail: “Okay fine, I will give you your soap box. But once we are done, we are going back to speaking about the upcoming Fete Week celebration.” Pauses, “yes she has faced three Votes of No Confidence. The most recent one was raised by the senators from Mon Calamari. Unlike the past two votes where Chancellor Syrdash’s critics could squeak by a forty percent failure. The Mon Calamari’s vote failed with less than thirty percent.” Pauses once more, “Sinya, the Chancellor faced vote after vote, and won. She answered the call from her critics and held early elections even though there was no requirement for her to do so. And you know what Sinya, she won handedly. Each time her critics try to unseat her they fail more brilliantly than the time before.”
 
Sinya: “Bail, please listen to the facts. Right after she took office, over two years ago, the Vice Chair approved a measure by the Senate to investigate the Chancellor regarding the murders of the Tirrel family on their homeworld.”
 
Bail: more laughter “Ra Cuth! HA… He launched two separate independent investigations in to the Chancellor. First the death of the Tirrel family. Yes, it was a tragedy. Thirty-nine family members all poisoned over one night. But the Tirrel family had many enemies. None of whom had been Chancellor Syrdash. The independent investigators found no link between the Tirrel family massacre and the Chancellor. The case was closed. Then you had once more Ra Cuth showing his true ambitious nature call for an independent investigation in to the murder of Chancellor Syrdash. Once more the case was closed because there was no link.”
 
Sinya: “No link doesn’t mean she wasn’t involved.”
 
Bail: “Actually Sinya, that is what it means.” Paused for a moment, “Sinya, you are a bright young reporter with a promising future. But you must stop feeding these lies and dragging up all this fake news. Think of what our Chancellor has done in the past two years. She has driven down unemployment across the Mid-Rim and Inner Rim. She has fought corruption in the Senate….”
 
Sinya: “Yes, let us talk about the corruption in the Senate. As you know Bail, we were informed only this morning that….”
 
Bail: “Sinya, don’t do it….”
 
Sinya: “No Bail, the people have a right to know. For the past two days, the Ministry of Internal Security has been arresting members of the Senate. No warrant, no charges, just some weak excuse that they were part of a major coup.” Turning to Bail, “tell me Bail, isn’t there something wrong with that?”
 
Bail: sighs “Sinya, we were not supposed to release that information until the Chancellor’s announcement later tonight.”
 
Sinya: “No Bail, you can’t tell me that this is right. Over two hundred people have been arrested. My sources within the Senate placed these victims as aides and staffers of prominent Senators. Ordinary people, who are like you and me. They wake up and go to work. Some of them make copies while others run errands for their bosses. These are not some shadowy, back ally espionage agents. These people are mothers and fathers who, like the Tirrel family simply won’t be around tomorrow.”
 
Bail: Turning to her, “Sinya, that’s enough. Once more you are spreading fake news.” Turning back to the monitors and cameras. “Two hours ago, we were briefed by the Ministry of Internal Security. We were told that their agents, working side by side with the Jedi arrested many staffers whom were thought to be linked to a possible coup attempt against the Chancellor. While reports differ, the estimates place those arrested around two hundred. At that same briefing, we were told by a member of the High Council, that the Jedi condoned this operation and were overseeing the entire thing. It is still too early to tell what is going on or what the fallout will be. But the Chancellor has set up a press conference in just over two hours from now.”
 
Bail: “Yesterday, the Chancellor has formed a committee to discuss the issue of Clones and if Clones have, what many are now calling for, a Right of Sentience. She announced the committee before a cheering audience. While it is unclear what rights will be afforded Clones, the Chancellor made her position clear in a statement. ‘If the Senate will not act of the issue of Clone Rights, I will.’
 
Bail: “More on that topic and many others after a few words from our sponsors.”