Intergalactic Summit

Much like making assumptions without context.

I appreciate the efficiency with which we're rattling through the usual accusations and arguments, as I intend to address each in turn.

For now though I'll simply argue that in a democracy the questions are always relevant.

Veiled threats are their own context, sir.

Threats?

Who threatened whom?

Perhaps you threatened me, and I missed it.

But being a humble trader, I often miss the nuances of such.

Ask your question, in a democracy you are always welcome.

I am confident that the answer of the Intaki people will remain what it has been for centuries.

You probably won't like it.

Trusting a gallente for Caldari is same as stepping on a rake before looking where it stands, knowing that it will hit your forehead and still stepping on it regardless with hope it won't hit you, after all.

*BAM*

When the Intaki people first took to the stars, we did so eagerly. We settled the neighbouring systems throughout the Viriette constellation, and the years that followed saw Intaki colonies founded across the wider Placid region. Over time, the Gallente Federation has pushed back the Intaki Assembly's domain, restricting it's influence to the Intaki home system itself, though there are some constellation-wide responsibilities.

However, despite Federal power creep, many of those colonies still identify as Intaki, rather than Federal, or colloquially as Gallente. This was evident during the Rechard V disaster, where it was an Intaki, not Federal, colony that was all but wiped out.

We believe that these Intaki colonies should form the foundation of a defined, self-determined Intaki nation state.

It is my own opinion that we do not live in a true Federation. We should be able to clearly identify the boundaries between one member state and another, and yet we cannot. The lines are blurred to the extent that I believe what we really have is a single Gallente nation, with notional devolved territories with some administrative responsibilities.

This is not what I described earlier as an equal partnership.

The specific point of "cultural dominance" is important from a socio-political perspective.

We have repeatedly stated that our campaign is not one of ethnic nationalism. We accept the fact that many Intaki men and women are content in their lives across the Federation. However, there is an underlying ethnic Intaki influence to our cause.

With our focus on the Intaki home system, and those colonies I mentioned earlier, the fact that a very high percentage of the population is of Intaki heritage matters. It matters because of the culture and values that brings. It matters because the historic challenges of living on Intaki Prime has developed a distinct culture - that which defines us as Intaki - which continues to inform our world view to this day.

Of course there is variety, but these are generally accepted themes which evidence suggests do broadly apply, and which set us apart from say, the Mannar.

Let me give a quick, and very culturally stereotypical example.

A family of Intaki heritage lives happily in Everyshore. Their parents lived there happily, and their parents before them. Being exposed to different local current affairs to those in Placid means their priorities have changed over the generations. Local political matters have a bigger impact on their daily lives, and so their decisions are different. And while they may be more likely to identify as 'Gallente' along with those around them, their innate Intaki values suggest their political views would belong to the dove bloc. Perhaps it is likely that they would have supported diplomatic efforts for peace on Tei-Su, while their Mannar neighbours advocated sending troops in to enforce peace.

Meanwhile back in Placid, the situation, even beyond the reach of Assembly governance, will be very different.

Ida is much more prevalent. People are speaking Intaki. The architecture is Intaki as is the food. The towns and cities are steeped in traitional Intaki culture and the fact is that the Federation with a heavily dominant Gallente culture, simply does not reflect this.

We only need look at the fact that Intaki and her colonies play host to the Gallente - Caldari conflict, while Dodixie, Luminaire and Villore do not.

I can only speak for myself, but I think the best case scenario would be one where the Intaki remain within the Federation, but with a greater degree of autonomy and where the Federation provides adequate security to Intaki space (namely the Virette constellation where Intaki and her colonies lie).

Right now when I try to visit home it means dodging gate camps and the occasional loss of a ship and crew. Our worlds languish in a pirate infested war zone and our voices are drowned out in the Senate, we didn't even get to vote in the last presidential election since at the time the Intaki system was under Caldari control. I feel like my people deserve better.

I would also be interested in a scenario where the Intaki exiles in Syndicate space who wish to return home were given that option or were at least free to settle planetside in the space they've settled.

Of course tied in to all of this is the relationship between the Federation and the State. The Intaki have always been sympathetic to the Caldari (well many of us) and that has long been a point of contention between us and the Gallente. As long as there remains bad blood between the Federation and the State that will cast a shadow on relations between Intaki and Villore.

There's a large difference between not adding to the defence of a system and turning it into a war zone.