Kyoto, Reikan Park, A Cafe in the Park
Winsbury was eating lunch at a cafe, watching the proceedings of the YE 38 International Relations Conference. It'd been a few months since his whirlwind encounter with the ISC Phoenix - and he wasn't sure what to make of them. For selling out Yotsuyuki and all of her plans, he got to move ahead. She was always seen as an extremist anyway, and he'd grown tired of being the senator who rallied so hard against organisations like the ISC Phoenix - and having to explain his thoughts since his bacon publicly saved by them.
The antipode had him in a funk for the following months, and he'd been open about it to some of the other senators, even those across the bench of his views. He was re-evaluating his life choices in the Yamataian senate. All the deals he had to make, the things he was passed over. Winsbury didn't feel his vote was counted on the wider issues concerning Yamatai. All the while, inconsequential things for Albini were rubber stamped in an attempt to keep him quiet.
He could only be thankful that someone as spineless as him (so he felt) was put here, to be a pigeon. Trusting Yotsuyuki was a mistake, but he'd gotten the drop on her without having to think for himself. He felt ... guilty of not taking more control of the situation on Albini those months back. Something on the TV caught his attention as he was sipping his coffee.
"Did you just hear that correctly?" He asked the other senator, getting up and dragging their briefcase with them and leaving his sandwich behind. "I'm going to the senate - got some policy on the run to enact-!"
The red-headed, newly christened Senator of Jiyuu was still staring at the TV with a look of disbelief on her face at the words that had come out of Taisho Yui's mouth, letting them replay in her mind a few times to verify that they did indeed occur. Mochizuki Shiori then nearly dropped her teacup onto the table as well, only barely recovering in time without spilling it everywhere. "She did really say it. DATASS is null and void, just like that?" The Peacekeeper jacket top she wore loosely over her bodysuit followed the motion as she pointed angrily at the video display in the distance. "And laying the blame at our feet, of all things?"
"No! We need to do something! Whether we get rolled over by Yui or her patsies in the Senate is irrelevant," Winsbury seemed determined to see this through, all to the bitter end. With no credibility to lose, he had everything to gain and no reason not to venture out. "I need to spearhead this!"
Shiori also arose from the chair with her portfolio in hand, as she watched the Nepleslian head off in the direction of the Palace chambers with an unusual vigor (at least as long as the junior Senator had know him). She frowned and grumbled, "I sure didn't come all this way to be written off, just like that..." There was the odd sense of deja vu, however, as she paid the bill for the both of them and walked in that direction with a darker look about her features. She recalled a moment much like this one when events leading up to the UOC rebellion started with a similar slap in the face of democracy... but would others in the chamber share their outrage enough to act?
-
Everybody was out to lunch and they were starting to come back while others had never left. They were watching their datapads incredulously and discussing with colleagues what'd gone down at the Relations conference. The speaker of the house was calling for order, quick to chide Winsbury for not taking his seat quietly despite the chaos already. "Mochi, head to your seat, back me up on this-" Winsbury's parting words with the Jiyuuian during the rush.
"Ladies, gentlemen, the member for Albini wishes to bring an item before the senate for ratification, signed in YE36 by Premier Yuumi between Nepleslia and the Lorath." Senator Winsbury introduced the treaty that was being dragged across the coals by the Royal Family. "The Defence Arrangement Treaty of the Alliance of Signatory States. Also known as DATASS, or DATA. This treaty was intended to unify the three major powers in the Kikyo Sector. Yamatai, Nepleslia, and Lor."
Senator Mochizuki shouldered her way past the security, giving a nod to Winsbury as she found her seat in the chamber. "You know I never stay silent on anything, especially something like this," Indeed, the newly created (or rather reclaimed) seat for the representative of Jiyuu system was particularly far away from the center of the chamber, and carried with it a certain stigma with the older politicians who knew the days back before the Motoyoshi-led rebellion. But the former Peacekeeper officer was no slouch, plopping down in it with an air of command like it was one of her logistics starships.
Her datapad was quickly in her hand, as Shiori swiped away all the legislation that she had been intending to introduce concerning PAINT system overhauls and expansions, and port of entry regulations for the Yamatai-Lor border at Siren... But none of these things could happen without the treaty that filled her screen in seconds first being salvaged from the Star Army mistress' brutal, bureaucratic attack.
"The senate needs to make a decision on this treaty. When it was first introduced, ratification was promised after sixty days of reading time." Winsbury reminded his peers, looking about and dabbing his bald brow with a handkerchief. Something about the limelight burnt today. "The item was simply never tabled, thus after initial novelty and buzz, no ratification - or rejection ever occurred on the legislation, though many groups in the three states, and beyond, have been assuming that the treaty was in effect for the past two years. Some of our own plans on matters such as international relations, galactic infrastructure, or trade may be severely disrupted by this winding back."
No sooner had he mentioned the words 'infrastructure' and 'international relations', the fiery-haired woman representing Jiyuu spoke up to join her voice with his. "I concur with the Senator from Albini. This delay on a matter of such wide-ranging galactic import is simply unacceptable. And perhaps even suspiciously convenient..." Shiori paused and glanced around the chamber to let the veiled accusation sink in. "Nevertheless, we cannot sit idly by and be made to look like incompetent fools. MY home system's security hinges on such treaties being honoured."
When an appropriate length of silence had passed, Winsbury followed up with what to do: "I move to Ratify DATASS and its terms within, with the member for Jiyuu. We shall put this to vote, the usual way." He spelled out how this was going to go down, in that fatherly tone he was known for. "Vote Yea, Nay, or Abstain on the treaty." So far, two Yeas had spoken up, but more Senators needed to voice their opinions. Silence was not going to do the treaty's chances any favours. Winsbury hoped they'd come together instead of rolling over like they were always suspected of doing.
Winsbury was eating lunch at a cafe, watching the proceedings of the YE 38 International Relations Conference. It'd been a few months since his whirlwind encounter with the ISC Phoenix - and he wasn't sure what to make of them. For selling out Yotsuyuki and all of her plans, he got to move ahead. She was always seen as an extremist anyway, and he'd grown tired of being the senator who rallied so hard against organisations like the ISC Phoenix - and having to explain his thoughts since his bacon publicly saved by them.
The antipode had him in a funk for the following months, and he'd been open about it to some of the other senators, even those across the bench of his views. He was re-evaluating his life choices in the Yamataian senate. All the deals he had to make, the things he was passed over. Winsbury didn't feel his vote was counted on the wider issues concerning Yamatai. All the while, inconsequential things for Albini were rubber stamped in an attempt to keep him quiet.
He could only be thankful that someone as spineless as him (so he felt) was put here, to be a pigeon. Trusting Yotsuyuki was a mistake, but he'd gotten the drop on her without having to think for himself. He felt ... guilty of not taking more control of the situation on Albini those months back. Something on the TV caught his attention as he was sipping his coffee.
Winsbury stopped sipping his coffee, raising an eyebrow."...However the senate has never reformed since the attack and the nation of Nepleslia has been run by its military since YE 32, in full violation of their own constitution.
Therefore, since the treaty was never ratified, Nepleslia cannot be considered a member of the defence alliance and the treaty has not become legally binding to any and all members of the treaty.
Furthermore, Yamatai signed the treaty under the impression that Nepleslia was a fully-qualified member and, as demonstrated above, this was not the case. Because the treaty was signed under false pretences, we question whether Yamatai's signature can be considered valid.
Winsbury nearly spat his coffee out in incoherent rage, restraining himself only because he had a guest. He swallowed it and put his cup down with a slam.Additionally, the senate of Yamatai has failed to ratify the treaty as required by section 6, and and therefore cannot be considered a signatory.
In conclusion, neither Nepleslia nor Yamatai should be considered signatories as they have not fulfilled the terms of joining, and the treaty should be considered null and void."
"Did you just hear that correctly?" He asked the other senator, getting up and dragging their briefcase with them and leaving his sandwich behind. "I'm going to the senate - got some policy on the run to enact-!"
The red-headed, newly christened Senator of Jiyuu was still staring at the TV with a look of disbelief on her face at the words that had come out of Taisho Yui's mouth, letting them replay in her mind a few times to verify that they did indeed occur. Mochizuki Shiori then nearly dropped her teacup onto the table as well, only barely recovering in time without spilling it everywhere. "She did really say it. DATASS is null and void, just like that?" The Peacekeeper jacket top she wore loosely over her bodysuit followed the motion as she pointed angrily at the video display in the distance. "And laying the blame at our feet, of all things?"
"No! We need to do something! Whether we get rolled over by Yui or her patsies in the Senate is irrelevant," Winsbury seemed determined to see this through, all to the bitter end. With no credibility to lose, he had everything to gain and no reason not to venture out. "I need to spearhead this!"
Shiori also arose from the chair with her portfolio in hand, as she watched the Nepleslian head off in the direction of the Palace chambers with an unusual vigor (at least as long as the junior Senator had know him). She frowned and grumbled, "I sure didn't come all this way to be written off, just like that..." There was the odd sense of deja vu, however, as she paid the bill for the both of them and walked in that direction with a darker look about her features. She recalled a moment much like this one when events leading up to the UOC rebellion started with a similar slap in the face of democracy... but would others in the chamber share their outrage enough to act?
-
Everybody was out to lunch and they were starting to come back while others had never left. They were watching their datapads incredulously and discussing with colleagues what'd gone down at the Relations conference. The speaker of the house was calling for order, quick to chide Winsbury for not taking his seat quietly despite the chaos already. "Mochi, head to your seat, back me up on this-" Winsbury's parting words with the Jiyuuian during the rush.
"Ladies, gentlemen, the member for Albini wishes to bring an item before the senate for ratification, signed in YE36 by Premier Yuumi between Nepleslia and the Lorath." Senator Winsbury introduced the treaty that was being dragged across the coals by the Royal Family. "The Defence Arrangement Treaty of the Alliance of Signatory States. Also known as DATASS, or DATA. This treaty was intended to unify the three major powers in the Kikyo Sector. Yamatai, Nepleslia, and Lor."
Senator Mochizuki shouldered her way past the security, giving a nod to Winsbury as she found her seat in the chamber. "You know I never stay silent on anything, especially something like this," Indeed, the newly created (or rather reclaimed) seat for the representative of Jiyuu system was particularly far away from the center of the chamber, and carried with it a certain stigma with the older politicians who knew the days back before the Motoyoshi-led rebellion. But the former Peacekeeper officer was no slouch, plopping down in it with an air of command like it was one of her logistics starships.
Her datapad was quickly in her hand, as Shiori swiped away all the legislation that she had been intending to introduce concerning PAINT system overhauls and expansions, and port of entry regulations for the Yamatai-Lor border at Siren... But none of these things could happen without the treaty that filled her screen in seconds first being salvaged from the Star Army mistress' brutal, bureaucratic attack.
"The senate needs to make a decision on this treaty. When it was first introduced, ratification was promised after sixty days of reading time." Winsbury reminded his peers, looking about and dabbing his bald brow with a handkerchief. Something about the limelight burnt today. "The item was simply never tabled, thus after initial novelty and buzz, no ratification - or rejection ever occurred on the legislation, though many groups in the three states, and beyond, have been assuming that the treaty was in effect for the past two years. Some of our own plans on matters such as international relations, galactic infrastructure, or trade may be severely disrupted by this winding back."
No sooner had he mentioned the words 'infrastructure' and 'international relations', the fiery-haired woman representing Jiyuu spoke up to join her voice with his. "I concur with the Senator from Albini. This delay on a matter of such wide-ranging galactic import is simply unacceptable. And perhaps even suspiciously convenient..." Shiori paused and glanced around the chamber to let the veiled accusation sink in. "Nevertheless, we cannot sit idly by and be made to look like incompetent fools. MY home system's security hinges on such treaties being honoured."
When an appropriate length of silence had passed, Winsbury followed up with what to do: "I move to Ratify DATASS and its terms within, with the member for Jiyuu. We shall put this to vote, the usual way." He spelled out how this was going to go down, in that fatherly tone he was known for. "Vote Yea, Nay, or Abstain on the treaty." So far, two Yeas had spoken up, but more Senators needed to voice their opinions. Silence was not going to do the treaty's chances any favours. Winsbury hoped they'd come together instead of rolling over like they were always suspected of doing.