Intergalactic Summit

I, Avlænkaa Tarkja, Sebiestor, of Ko'mak, Mikramurka, Matar, make this request of the greater Council. I am approaching the council as a whole with this, because my chief, who would normally be the highest authority I could hope to gain any audience with, is of course, dead. I do not make any of the following request or statement as a representative of Electus Matari, or of the Gradient corporation.

No. I do not believe any one has any "reason" to listen to me. I am no one special, not now. I am one Matari woman, in a nation of billions. I present this humbly, respectfully, reverently.

FIve years ago, our government was purged, redesigned, and our nation was thrust in a new direction. We rescued the Starkmanir - a good, noble thing. In the process, however, we were thrust into a war, we violated the Treaty of Yulai and openly attacked CONCORD itself, and, as a result of our actions, the Federation was also attacked, and the current Militia wars began.

This attack was funded with donations from the Federation, built in secret, without the knowledge of virtually anyone. Money that was to be used to build infrastructure, food, schools, roads, was used to build a fleet, to break the treaty, to start the war.

We followed Shakor. We trusted. We believed. We were proud to strike back at those we have so long hated, to free our kin. We endured the loss, the heartache, the death of kin, the tightening of belts. We continued to live in villages and camps with no paved roads or running water, a situation made infinitely worse by the return of all the freed slaves, AND those freed in the empress' decree.

We then, after five years, formed a government. A tribal council, the culmination of years of hardship and loss and turmoil. All seven tribes, represented, in a council, a government of our Chiefs, a government that is truly OURS.

This new government followed in the footsteps of its founder very quickly, by breaking the treaty again, by attacking our closest ally, the people, without whom, as galling to my pride as it is to admit, we would all still be in chains. The Council had its reasons, of course; the attack on our people, on my chief. The refusal to allow us to help, the attitude, once again, that we were children.

Coleile came. More death, more loss, more war. And again, we trusted. We followed. We did our part.

And all these months on, my Tribe has no chief. Many of us are still hungry, still cold, still hoping. Still waiting.

Damn it. I have done my duty, as have my brothers and sisters and cousins and aunts and uncles. We have fought and sacrificed and bled and died and waited and listened, and obeyed, for five years. Five years of aggression, of lashing out at seemingly everyone. We're punching, and kicking, and we cant catch our breath.

I ask you now, our elders, our chiefs, because I dont know who else to ask.

When will we realize our actions have consequences? The Empire threatens our home again, and on the heels of attacking our closest ally? We still have no answers, we still have no idea why we even did it? Who ordered that attack? Will sanctions be leveied against us? This constant agression threatens our friends in the Federation - and their problems be damned, theyre the friends we've got, and they've done ok by us. Our attacks threaten our defensive shield under CONCORD, and anyone who believes we can afford to casually ignore that is living in a realm of fantasy. And we're still waiting. Some of us are still cold, some are hungry. We believe in you. We're still here. We stuck it out. We will keep doing so.

Can we have answers now? Can we stop, and take a minute to catch our breath and look around? Can you decide, as our council, what our direction is to be, and then can we find a way to work toward it, and to cast aside all this silence and secrecy?

Can you speak to us, please?

She knows what she is doing, that much is plainly clear. The problem lies in whether or not anyone important enough to give her an answer bothers to listen.

Pilot Starfire, my words mean nothing to you except a source of annoyance at best and anger at worst. But for whatever they are worth, your questioning is true and honest and deserves an answer. Though I believe any response you would get would be a poor one, I hope you hear something.

I hope you don't mind me offering my postulations on the subject. As it stands, it appears my horse is running a race I've no stake in. Still, I suppose it is worthy of discussion.

The Amarr Empire has always been the second most grievous threat to the Republic. Truth be told, the greatest threat to the Republic has always been the Republic itself. Its government so starkly contrasts the average Matari individual that I can only interpret God's sense of irony in its making. Your average Matari is something of a rugged individualist that can make do with next to nothing and fears even less. Ironic then, that the... I suppose I should point out current government... has begun needlessly casting aside all of its tools and resources while responding almost exclusively to fear and aggression.

Nearly every individual Matari capsuleer has realized that the threat of a Reclamation is more dangerous to the Republic than an actual Reclamation and that their alliance with the Galente is too valuable to waste without the most serious of negotiations. Yet the Republic's government blindly stumbles into the trap, hurtling towards their impending self-immolation. Truly, if I'd had much faith in the highest of our divine orders, I would have congratulated the enemies of the Republic for their genius. As it stands, though, I think it is those Matari Elders who remember only what matters of importance were their concern when they were young that are truly to blame.

I suppose, as a man who thinks God's will must have been the formation of the Republic, I do hope your government comes to its senses. The Amarr Empire requires the Minmatar Republic to exist in order to grow intellectually and spiritually. It requires sustained opposition. However, your Republic is likely to disintegrate if it does not learn to take its cues from its laudable citizenry. Without some manner of wise, centralized control, the Republic will be torn apart from the inside, then consumed by the remaining powers that be.

Pray, then, that God will give your government the ability to hear wisdom above the gurgle of the vitriol they spit.

I, Vinh Trahn, Sebiestor of Abudban, Heimatar add my voice to this call.

Now is the time for answers.

As an outsider with an opinion that may not even be welcome, I support this.

Allow me to play devil's advocate for a moment. If PIE were ordered to support an incursion upon the State, which led to armed conflict, what would you have done as part of the PIE fleet?

Any Praetorian is welcome to answer, actually. I'd be interested to hear.

Thank you, Ava. You have my support, for what little it's worth in this case.



I think we both know the answer is going to be one of two things: the predictable answer, or the predictably BS answer.

The idea that PIE wouldn't follow the orders of a ranking official in the Navy, MIO or other similarly-important institution within the Empire without question is, frankly, ludicrous.

It is not too late to try learning from your mistakes.

In the Empire, the rule of law trumps the commands of an individual.

You may recall Lords Kor-Azor and Kador both being chastised for overstepping their authority.

Indeed, in the case of the former his subordinates were directed by Brother Joshua of the Speakers of Truth to disobey their orders to bombard Liparer II.

This statement is full of Irony