RP: DION Senate [Proposal] Alliance Against The Mishhuvurthyar

[Wes]

Alliance Against The Mishhuvurthyar

Purpose:

1. Currently the Democratic Imperium of Nepleslia and the Yamatai Star Empire do not have a military treaty or even a non-aggression pact with one another. This is a problem for Nepleslia.

2. Ongoing genocide of the "Reds" political dissidents is killing countless Nepleslians.

3. Free up Nepleslians' sacred rights to bear large amounts of weaponry.


Proposal:

1. Reestablish peace with the Yamatai Star Empire via treaty and create a military agreement.

2. Offer attractive/agreeable terms of surrender to Red military forces and end the fighting; Protect Red civilians. Any future Red violence from either side would be treated as a crime, not as a military matter.

3. Diplomatically encourage Yamatai to secure a peace treaty with the UOC.

4. Create a joint forces military network in which SMODIoN, the Star Army of Yamatai, and UOC Peacekeepers can work together to fight the Mishhuvurthyar.

5. Repeal forced registration of weapons for Nepleslian Citizens, to allow them to more easily arm themselves against invading Mishhuvurthyar.

- John Whitman

 

[SUBLIMEinal]

Calero took the floor once Whitman's bill had been presented.

"While my esteemed colleague certainly raises some good points, such as the need for an alliance with our battered neighbors to the East, I get the feeling that he is using these ends to further other agendas.

"The first of these, and one I can certainly see from his eyes, would be the repealing of the D.A.R.T.S. legislation, from quite before our time. While his call for the need for armed citizens to aid against the Mishhuv-... thy... damnit... The 'Tentacle-Beast Menace' certainly is a valid one, I must wonder whether it is somewhat misguided.

"Allowing any civilian access to arms generally reserved for the mightiest military unit is what got our civilization into the already terrifying crime wave in the first place, one which didn't show any indication of slowing until the twilight days of the old Empire. However, since Sky Marshall Davis began pushing against unlimited freedom of arms prior to the rise of the Imperium, and especially since the new government has put control of arms on something of a fast track since its inception, crime and corruption have been, slowly but surely, falling.

"Is it really worth it to undo the good we have done, with a return to the days of old, when a man couldn't walk to the corner store without dodging machine gun fire and shrapnel?

"Now, keep in mind, gentlemen, that I do not oppose our people holding weapons. Quite the opposite, in fact. I would not be a true Nepleslian man if I did not think that any son or daughter of Nepleslia should know how to work a firearm. I disagree with giving the average citizen a Power Armor suit, or a rocket launcher capable of knocking one out of the sky, things which they do not need.

"If we wish to protect our civilians, we can do it without creating yet another monster in our efforts. We have a military. Give it more funding. We are already somewhat spread thin, and this problem will be only exacerbated by the battles to come.

"Now then, comes the other agenda I sensed. The matter of the Red terrorist movement, and our war against them. Senator Whitman, you behoove yourself to call our engagements with them a "genocide". We still lose men every day on the Kennewes front. We fight them because they fight us.

"And as for your suggestion for an 'attractive' surrender package, I have no intention on sending the movers and shakers of those traitorous bastards on an all-expense-paid vacation to Fortuna while we get to foot the bill for the wonderful mess they made on Kennewes and abroad. The only concession the Democratic Imperium of Nepleslia should make in the surrender of the Reds is the effort expended in picking up the piece of paper to read it, and the pen to sign it. They started this war, and if they have no intention of finishing it, we most certainly will."

Calero returned to his seat.

 

[Wes]

"They started it? What are you, a fucking eight year old? The war is over...the Reds are already defeated. They have less than ten warships, no real ground units. It's questionable whether they ever had a government or a real military to begin with! But, nooo, instead of healing the rift and making Nepleslia unified, you insist on expending countless billions of DA trying to track down the last Red in a stupid witch hunt that could go on for decades. MAN UP, Calero, and end this shit responsibly so we Nepleslia can put this conflict behind us."

"The law requiring every weapon to be registered in unjust - we should change it to have only power armors and armor scale weaponry need registrations and restrictions."

"You didn't even address most of the bill, like pushing for an alliance, which is the main point."

 

[Dragonnova]

Oh what fun. Here we go again.

Regneir rubbed his eyes, despite them being mechanical as he tuned in just in time to hear the bickering start. And of course, the topic at hand was a delicate thing for him and his system, despite what the rest of the senate thought. Not that he would ever tell them of course...

"Did I come here to speak about legislation or listen to you kids fight with each other? And since we're on that topic... Whitman, cool it. I don't completely agree with Calero, but at least he has the decency not to degrade the tone of conversation to that of teenager's argument. Which brings me to the second point... Calero, whatever you think about the other senators is your business, but please stick to the topic of the legislation so long as we're here. If you suspect hidden agendas, pursue that on your own time." Drake tapped his chair again. He felt like an old man scolding his grandchildren. "Now since that's settled, let's return to our purpose of being here..."

"Let's go bit by bit here, shall we? Starting with the first... Relations between Nepleslia and Yamatai have never been well, and a treaty seems like a moot point considering the current situation. It's certainly something to look into afterwards, yes. But I can see Yamatai just giving us a stern look saying 'that's nice, but we'd prefer some help.' Either way, if we are to have anything to do with them, let it be about dealing with the mishhu and that alone. Bogging the negotiations down with other details will do nothing to help either side... But in summary, yes. I wouldn't mind a treaty assuming it doesn't involve us crooking our knee in any way."

"I'm inclined to agree with Calero about the reds to some extent. Though I'm not sure why there is a part about protecting red civillians, considering we do not make attacks nor threaten non-combatants that aren't directly part of their military."

"I would like to see the fighting end as much as the next person, but I'm not about to say 'it's alright' and let them off the hook. War crimes are war crimes, and they can't be forgotten. If we do accept a surrender, the only way I can see that is if they work day and night to repair every bit of damage they've done not only to Kennewes, but every part of green space. With no aid from us. If they want peace, they'll have to work for it."

"As for the third part... Why is that of any concern to us? Sure, the UOC may be a slightly less untrustworthy neighbor, but I don't see why their relations with one another should be encouraged any more than they already are."

"The fourth... is really the only part that I'm actually cringing at. Is there really any reason for us to be involved in this beyond taking our own systems back? Sure, coordinating our pushes to make sure their forces are divided between us is perfectly fine. But I can't see any Nepleslian willing to be ordered by anyone other than a nepleslian. Although it's not very clear on how it's supposed to work. Might I ask that you elaborate on that part before we give any serious thought to it?

"5th... I'm definitely not going to agree with you on that, sorry. Not to say that I don't believe in allowing our citizens to protect themselves, but there's far less disasterous ways to ensure our people are armed than repealing the registrations. Military equipment... needs to STAY military equipment. Mishhu aren't invincible, mind, and what civillians can legally get their hands on can kill one... but that assumes they'd even be close enough to shoot at one, and if they can't get to that point, no amount of weaponry is going to help them."

Regneir took a glass of water and drank it to soothe his dry throat before coughing once. "I get where you're coming from on this, Whitman. I do... It just needs a LOT of work if you seriously want this to happen."

On a seperate, private channel to Calero, he muttered, "You know, I almost miss Vanderhuge. Being an absolute cynic to every little thing isn't as easy as he made it seem."

 

[Wes]

"Don't call me kid. I've been fighting the reds for more years than you have been alive, and one thing I've learned is that the worse you treat them, the harder they rebel...and if we start going after 'war crimes' I assure you our side has committed a lot more than theirs. That's a can of worms we do not want to open. To make the violence stop we need to give them real amnesty. They're not going to give up if they know we're just going to put them on trial. The NMX have given us a golden opportunity to unite our nation and we need to take it. As for details, this bill is just a framework on what we're working toward - other bills with details would follow, such as what weapons are okay for civilians and how an alliance with Yamatai might work."

 

[Dragonnova]

"And yet instead of focusing on the details that are needed to even pass judgement on this, we're settling for petty arguments? Get off your high horse, Whitman, and work with us. I don't want to imagine how this is going to look when Mr Davis or any of the other senators arrive to see we haven't even started on the initial concerns."

Regneir took another drink of water and realized it was now empty. He grumbled at someone behind him who left to likely fetch another glass while his cat poked it's head in front of the screen, peering curiously into the glass before the metallic hands of her master plucked her off the console and set her down in his lap.

 

[SUBLIMEinal]

"Mr. Whitman," Calero began with a rather dismissive tone, "I did touch on the main points of the proposal, primarily because I agree with them. If you had listened, you would have known that I was only going after the pieces I disagreed with. We need a strong military alliance with the Yamataians and UOC colonists. But we don't need to simply excuse the entirety of the Red terrorist movement for their actions. Amnesty for those who surrender, sure. But I would rather die than see our government go down as those who capitulated in this conflict to the slaver-traders and murderers of the Reds."

 

[Exhack]

"Gentlemen."

Haytham Quezzil's holographic image appeared in one of the vacant seats, a thin brown cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth. In his usual manner, the senator from Fortuna maintained his impeccably groomed facade and distinctly businesslike manner, and merely gave a slight twirl of his finger to punctuate his feelings on the discussion at hand. "You'll have to forgive me. There's been a bomb scare on my person by those manchild squid sympathizers, so I'll be trapped in my offices for the duration of our discussion."

"Might I make a suggestion? We establish a system of voluntary homeland defense reserves in every big city in our home worlds and every major colony in the Expanse. Reservists are treated like they are, not soldiers, but trained like them and subject to the oath they take and military law under reasonable terms."

"During wartime, reservists receive one and a half times rations plus a break on their rather high wartime taxes, and permission to travel on SMODIoN transports bound for the world of their choice, either to help their families or to flee to whatever fortress system they want. In exchange, they are forbidden from leaving the reserves without enlisting and being discharged, and may not leave DIoN space. Fortuna and Gold Harbor are quite lovely this time of year. The moment that system is attacked by, the local governor or military commander may conscript any number of reservists that are currently there or in local transit."

"Reservists would be issued standard equipment from our last development cycle, so they'd be well equipped and ready to fight immediately, although not armed with cutting edge equipment. Onboard Savtechs ensure loyalty and proper handling of resources."

"I'm opposed to the idea of conscription and sending our young people to the killing fields, but I think this fits rather nicely in with our great and noble policies of universal freedom. The freedom to be a patriot, and the decision to be a patriot... is something that we should respect and reward. Besides, a trained and well-equipped reservist would do much better than unorganized rabble armed with rocket launchers and chainswords."

"But to reply to the original purpose of the agreement... I am in favor of opening up dialogues with the other two regional superpowers."

"And speaking as a former Red sympathizer and the senator of a nation at war with one of the most dangerous races in our history, I believe that we should cut back on any further major military action against the Red remnants in our space. I am not opposed covert operations against covert terrorist cells and police action against rackets they operate... however." Haytham butted out his cigarette and steeped his fingers. "The Reds no longer exist, as it were. I'd rather we educated our fellow citizens on the advantages of letting go of that old system, and working towards that better Nepleslia."

"My closing statement will be this. There have been fewer than five hundred civilian deaths in military action against the Reds in the previous year, and a cessation of attacks on orbital facilities. The attack which sparked the open war between the successionists and the federalist factions of the former 'Nepleslian Empire' cost tens of thousands of civilian lives. They only needed a few years to amass that fleet, and to my knowledge, have been building another for a few months now."

The dark-skinned senator cleared his throat. "When you count those 'countless' deaths, you realize that the unfortunate bitterness of prevention is inherent in preventing the illness of tragedy. I would have hoped a leader of your caliber and experience would understand the ethical calculus involved in the governance of any large number of people."

"But especially our own."

 

[Teddo]

Is it really worth it to undo the good we have done, with a return to the days of old, when a man couldn't walk to the corner store without dodging machine gun fire and shrapnel?

Octavius Braxis couldn't help but smirk mirthfully at Calero's statement. Though he was well aware general opinion was against it, Octavius relished those times. It definitely explained why he felt Kovax was such an appealing place to live. Furthermore, he had to give mental applause to Regneir for voicing many of Octavius' own sentiments. Quezzil, in contrast, nearly forced a balk as he reminded the congregation of his former political leanings, putting a knot in Braxis' gut that would make it substantially more difficult to respect anything the man had to say on the matter, regardless of however much he agreed with it.


Quezzil finished with his... Quezziling... Octavius took his turn on the floor of the congregation. Though only his face was visible on the screen, his large knife briefly came into view as he blew on the edge he'd been sharpening, then set it down.

"Gentlemen, I do believe that the last thing any of us need to argue about is the Reds. Given several hundred years of history, I believe they are far more of a known variable than these Mi......'squid monsters.' As mister Quezzil pointed out, they are in the process of constructing a new fleet as we speak. That considered, I believe they have no intentions of a surrender of any kind. Now I'm just as keen as anyone else on being through with the Red *(#@$%@s, but I'll be the first to tell you it ain't gonna be done through willy nilly d*** fondling. This Squid problem, however, has given us a golden opportunity to close the barn door on our Red worries.

"Now I don't need to tell any a' y'all what the shitstorm on Kennewes is like -- especially you, Mr. Whitman. The insurgency is not going to be put down if we don't get it at the source. Red bases, practically openly solicited, in Yamataian space house piracy operations that have been providing their riff-raff on Kennewes with military-grade weaponry. They're so comfortable out there, it probably wouldn't take more than a few Armor Wings to completely destroy all their assets. The only problem there is, Yamatai ain't gonna lift a perdy cat-bitchin finger. They're more than satisfied lettin' the Reds hop into our space to carry out raids, then squirm back on over the border like the worms they are.

"I, for one, refuse to consider any kind of cooperation with Yamatai so long as they openly harbor a terrorist organization whose sole priority is hostility towards the Imperium. Such tolerance espouses a blatantly disrespectful, if not hostile attitude toward Nepleslia. Furthermore, seeking military cooperation from us, while at the same time facilitating the pirates who are a drain on our fleets and our resources, is completely counterproductive. Therefore, I believe that our concerns involving both the Reds and the Squids can be addressed by opening negotiations for military cooperation, under the terms that they terminate all Red military elements operating within the jurisdiction of their space. With their havens in Yamatai destroyed, the Red military would be all but exterminated.

This, gentlemen, is our opportunity, once and for all, to declare our conflicts with the Reds over and done with. We must seize this opportunity, lest it pass us by."

His face considerably flushed with enthusiasm, Braxis withdrew from the floor, stepping away from his screen for a moment to catch his breath and pour some whiskey.

 

[Tom]

Robert Davis took his turn to speak from his position at the capital. His volumetric window was on display to senators not in the same room with him.

"I have opinions on the other topics presented here today, but we must organize our efforts and debate efficiently. Let us resolve what to do with the Reds before we move on"

"Senators, I'm afraid that we do not have the time to bicker. With enemy forces knocking at our door, we may be forced to swallow our pride and make some rather uncomfortable compromises. As it stands, the public has been emboldened by the threat to our homeland; it seems that the flame of war deep within our people has not been extinguished."

Our war with the Reds has to end. I believe that we have won that war long ago, and any remnant red cells act against us with a patriotic vitrol because we are afforded the label totalitarian in their eyes. We cannot forgive war crimes, but it is foolish to think that we have not committed our own crimes during the war on Kennewes.

Our relations have soured horribly, and it would take either years or a momentous occassion... such as what we have before us... to mend the wounds we have torn open through civil war."

He paused for a moment and clasped his hands.

"Total eradication of the Reds is not an option. A Nepleslian, however misguided, is still Nepleslian. We have, at this moment, an opportunity to use the hatred of the Mishhu as a means to galvanize Red forces into an alliance with us... perhaps even to accept annexation... just to join the fight for the homeland. I would think they'd take the chance in a heartbeat, especially if we consider that Yamatai is likely to divert any remaining war efforts from the Reds to sustain themselves."

 

[Dragonnova]

'Oh thank fucking god, now we can actually do something...'

Regnier grumbled bitterly at the senate's inability to focus on a single topic without Davis, which was honestly pathetic in his eyes. Then again, no one really seemed to care what he thought. Fine by him. Still, the conversation needed to continue lestwise he look suspicious.

"Well now that we actually have a direction for these talks..." Drake cleared his throat somewhat weakly. "Besides the fact that total destruction of the reds was never the intention since that would be wasteful and impractical, if they'd be willing to surrender or at the very least, stop trying to screw with our operations, I'd be happy."

He paused to look at something on a seperate screen of his before continuing, "So, just to be clear, what you're saying is that since their support is no longer providing to them, we can throw them a bit of a lifeline to persuade them to cease the fighting? If we can stop wasting resources on this, that'd be fantastic."

 

[Tom]

"Exactly," Davis replied. "The Reds know that they have lost the war, but they cannot lose face or their honor in the process. That is why they persist."

He shook his head with a wistful sigh.

"As senators, we all know this is a masquerade. It is part of our daily lives. Who are we to think the Reds are any different? Their soldiers are not fanatcis. They are tired, just as we are. They want an escape from this bloody drudgery just as much as we do. But their leaders cannot admit that they lost. The burden of those who died under their command would crush them.

Therefore, it is only natural that we disguise the obvious. It is not a surrender; it is a recruitment effort. It is not humiliation; it is empowerment. I believe the time for reconciliation is now. Let us act on it."

 

[Teddo]

Octavius growled in discontentment. Not an option? NOT AN OPTION?! His hands crackled as the tensed joints were snapped into fists. His transmission suddenly cut out as he punched the small terminal clear across the room. His blood would have to finish boiling over before he could even begin to consider anything that Davis had just said.

 

[Tom]

The Premiere noticed the lull in activity with a raised eyebrow.

"Any other opinions? I wouldn't wish to push a vote on this issue right now without resolving the red matter first."

 

[Dragonnova]

Guess the others don't like being scolded. Drake would sit back in his chair and allow his cat to wander off before clearing his throat several times. "Well if no one is going to argue the point, I suppose we should just get on with the next topic, yes?"

"Let's talk about the weapon registration. The current proposal being that we repeal it and allow the citizenry to possess whatever weaponry they wish. I've already voiced my concerns on that along with Calero about the practicality of this. I feel that it does little good while undoing progress we've made as a nation. The point being, what Nepleslian citizens can get their hands on, would be more than enough to kill a mishhu if used correctly. But theis assumes they would even get such a chance. If it were to come down to it, I highly doubt the squids would come down here in person first against an armed population."

"The only other thing would be power armor, but I'm not about to let non-military indiviuals possess and use them without training. Of course, I doubt that was the intention of this article."

 

[Wes]

"It's stupid that Nepleslia has stricter gun control laws than Yamatai. Think about it! We're Nepleslia. Our people should have to settle for low-powered guns, especially when they might have to fight a Mishhu! Besides, we all know they're going to get the guns they want, one way or another, regardless of the law," Whitman pointed out.

 

[Tom]

"True," Davis replied. "But we also cannot ignore the fact that crime is down and that people feel safer. DARTS legislation has served it's purpose, which is to reduce violent crime as much as possible because each gun can be traced to its owner. It is not like Nepleslian's cannot own the guns they want. It just protects the average citizen from being annihilated by a rogue aether or plasma beam."

Davis thought a moment longer, calculating the situation before him.

"Still, given the strategic situation, I am willing to consider loosening restrictions for the sake of protecting the nation in the event of a Mishu attack. Mr. Whitman, it is your responsibility to formulate the details of this compromise."

 

[SUBLIMEinal]

Calero shook his head. "I don't believe letting any creep off the street get his hands on an aether rifle is the correct solution to this, or any other problem. Keep in mind we are engaged in warfare with the greatest threat we've faced in years. People will panic, and when you have panicked people with big guns, bad things happen.

"I propose the establishment of a militia system within the Imperium, based around a depot system of district armories and light training. Thus, those that wish to help in the fight, but don't want to join the military proper will still be able to pick up a weapon and fight, while receiving the proper training to do so. We certainly have enough surplus weapons for this to work, alongside our many retired NAM armors."

 

[Tom]

"Mr. Calero's proposal seems sufficient. There's enough of a recruitment push that I think we have signs that the general populace wants to take matters of protection into their own hands. However, instead of establishing new centers, why don't we simply use existing police offices and our reservivst sites as training areas? We already have the manpower there to teach the necessary skills and techniques, and it's only a matter of electronic data to send instructions on how to best kill a Mishu. While this is underway, the guns can follow."

 

[Wes]

"We could bring back the traditional brown militia uniform, maybe a simplified version of the one used by the marines."