JEDI HoloNet

In a landmark decision the Assembly of Duneeden has voted in favor of allowing the Oronti City starport to operate 24 hours a day, passing the motion by 4 votes to 2.

The decision to extend the starport’s operational hours at Oronti City, nestled high in the Cascard Glens, is a strategic one. The move is expected to bolster Oronti’s reputation as a critical hub for commerce and transport, enhancing Duneedens role in the broader galactic economy and increasing trade capacity by 35%, marking a new era of potential economic growth for the planet.

The Assembly’s vote passed by simple majority, drawing support from Ward 1 (Ro’dyn), Ward 2 (Pelori Mountain Range), Ward 4 (Cascard Glens), and Ward 7 (Elenith Citadel). This coalition of yes votes underlines a shared vision of economic expansion and prosperity.

However, the decision was not without its detractors. Ward 5 (Zersiumfields) and Ward 6 (Hydroplanes) voted against citing concerns about the potential strain and pressure the increased capacity could place on their existing manufacturing infrastructure. Both wards generate a majority of the planets exports, Durasteel and Hydro respectively.

Ward 3 (Linal Forest) abstained. This abstention is consistent with the Dunedei stance of non-interference in matters outside the forest’s perimeter.

As the starport lights stay on all night, the planet takes a step closer to realizing its full potential as a key player in the galaxy, but can production keep up with demand.

After a failed attempt from the election season last cycle, The Diplomat party re-introduced their proposed legislation to implement tariffs on imported electronics, starship components, and other manufactured imports in order to shore up core world industry in light of the upset hyperlane routes that caused a sizeable negative impact on manufacturing in high-population core world planets. Signed into law across party lines by War Hawk Chancellor Rei, they go into effect today.

With the new Senate, and a new political party, senators from the Diplomat, Centrist, and Free Soil parties were able to get a majority vote in the Senate to pass these tariffs despite objections from the War Hawk party that it would further distance Corporate Sector worlds that were already cut off from the Republic directly with the expansion of the Third Estate into the Esstran sector. With that expansion the Third Estate has blocked all trade flow through the Hydian Way via Pho Ph’eah, requiring all trade from the Corporate Sector worlds flowing to the Republic to take longer, less maintained, hyperlanes that wind through Imperial space to arrive to their markets.

War Hawk Senator from the Herglic Space sector, Boonka Illeeb, shared his thoughts with the Associated Presses on the legislation,

“The Third Estate is an expansionist force. The Corporate Sector has only one value: making money. In order to do so, all corporations will take the path of least resistance in order to find profits. Between the blockade along the Hydian Way and our own tariffs that further sabotage open and easy trade with this partner it only leaves them two viable trade partners: The Empire and the Third Estate. Between the two, the Empire has been showing firm isolationist tendencies from before the ascension of Emperor Jarek Fel. This move on the part of my colleagues across the isle will only serve to solidify ties between the Corporate Sector worlds and the Third Estate.”

Free Solier Senator Narmor Maroon from the Pacor Sector agreed to speak with me about his thoughts as well from the other side of the argument,

“The Republic hasn’t put its credits where its mouth is for decades. The Senate has been claiming to be the galactic police for years while doing nothing to intervene outside our borders. With this decision we’re dropping that facade. The Republic is the Galaxy’s largest state. By turning our focus inward to our own systems, our own sectors, and our own needs we’re -by definition- addressing the needs of the majority of the Galaxy. Let the Corporate Sector do what it needs to do, our GDP outstrips them by a large factor with only the core worlds. This move returns our attention to where it needs to be, at home in our own sectors promoting industry, our economy, innovation, and commerce.”

Finally, in response to the passage of the bill, a spokesperson for the Guild of Corporate Sector Industries (GCSI) based out of Bonadan gave us this official statement:

“The Empire has long ignored the outside galaxy in favor of looking inward. The Republic has decided to follow suit. As we move forward and look to our bottom line, in the red due to these policy decisions that backwards thinking Senators on Coruscant have made, we have to look forward and evolve with the market. Our corporations are not faceless entities. We employ, house, and provide for hundreds of millions of employees over a dozen star systems. Our obligation is to not only our investors, but those who make their livelihoods on our worlds. New markets are opening up and it’s our fiscal and moral obligation and duty to pursue what opportunities are presented to us no matter what they are.”

Already it’s been announced that the GCSI Board of Directors has made a meeting with the Third Estate’s Minister of the Interior to discuss future partnerships.

Reporting from Coruscant, this is Quan Regal of the Associated Presses.

The final votes have been cast and the newest Republic Senate has been sworn in. Chancellor Naka Rei maintained his position with an overwhelming vote, the only system in his sector that did not vote for him, ironically, was that of Tibrin.

As forecast at the end of last cycle, the nascent Free Soiler party has taken seats from the well-established War Hawk and Diplomat parties, bringing themselves as a third majority party in the Senate. Their message of stronger local government in the face of border tensions in the outer rim resonated with voters in the mid and outer rim where concerns over increased pirate, cartel, and criminal activity have caused people to call for more control over their own sector security forces while Coruscant continues to struggle with maintaining security across the breadth of their territory.

The Senate also welcomes their youngest member in over two centuries as sixteen-year-old Primsta Natsha Estillo defeated her incumbent opponent. An independent, she’s become a political celebrity overnight. After she was sworn in she held a town hall meeting at the University of Coruscant campus where secondary students from all over the planet came to meet her, ask questions about the future of Republic politics, and ask for autographs. She had this to say about her idea for the future of the Republic,

The Republic is an ancient institution. While we claim to be the third Galactic Republic, borrowing from the great system of state that existed for millennia centuries ago, and while we have adopted the charters from the Republic that was established after the reign of Emperor Palpatine, we are our own government that upholds all of those same values as those who came before while also learning from their mistakes and missteps.

Democracies are strong and healthy when the citizenry participates and feels they have a voice. When the people feel that they are ignored by the powers who influence change over their lives they become disillusioned, discouraged, and participation slows to a crawl… When that happens, opportunists gain the opportunity to leverage the powers of Democracy not for the benefit of all, but for the sole benefit of a few.

I hope that with my election a new generation of the electorate will see that there’s room for hope and optimism in politics. It’s not just committee meetings, backroom deals, and corruption. Those are the issues I’m going to tackle and dismantle. I aim to reinvigorate the faith of the people in our democracy, and I thank everyone who has supported me and who continue to support me, in that mission. Thank you.”

The Galaxy’s second largest democracy, the League of Sovereign Systems, also has gone through some reforms. In light of growing Cartel activity that’s disrupted trade outside of their territory and negatively harmed their international trade and GDP, the League Congress has drafted changes to their constitution that have been voted for and approved by the member worlds.

The amended constitution adds a second chamber to the legislature. In addition to the Hall of Representatives there will be a Senior Council that is made up of the founding worlds of the League as well as two seats that will rotate amongst new members. Moving forward, all bills must pass both chambers in the legislature and then be signed by the President in order to make it into law. As promised, President Zeublon Pyke did not run for a fourth term at the end of this election cycle. After a fierce presidential campaign, former Svivren President Skesteece-Hikataram Milaficat has been voted into the office, becoming the second president of the League of Sovereign Systems. They signed bills that welcomed a number of new worlds into the League including Cotellier, Wrea, and Shimia. Wrea and Shimia cited concerns over planets that have historically been hubs for criminality such as Socorro, Orvax, and Karazak being used as bases of operation for the Triellus League, a new organized Hutt Cartel that’s been jockeying for influence in the region.

Reporting from Coruscant, this is Quan Regal from the Associated Presses

Chancellor Rei has declared an executive order that will open the Senate building on Coruscant for a multi denominational celebration of diversity, faith, and expression from across the Republic. Opening on Life Day and running until the start of the next cycle, the ‘Festival of Cultures’ is a celebration of the wide diversity of beings, cultures, beliefs, and expressions of the pluralistic society that makes up the Galactic Republic. In his announcement, Chancellor Rei wore traditional garb of his home world while introducing the festival.

“It’s our intention to take advantage of the spirit of Life Day, a Kashyyykian holiday that has spread to a galactic significance, to celebrate all the beautiful diversity that is the soul and strength of our society, culture, and government. In the face of rising totalitarianism, intolerance, and political violence across the rim it’s our responsibility to celebrate others, to give voice to those who feel as if they’ve been silenced. We encourage everyone who can come to the Senate building to participate in the festival. My administration will also be setting up local festivals in our federal government buildings across hundreds of sectors for those who wish to express local cultures and for those who cannot make the long trek all the way to Coruscant. Happy Holidays to every being, you’re celebrated here in the Republic.”

Translated as she spoke, Wookie Senator Uma from the Mytaranor sector said this about holding these ceremonies during Life Day.

“It has been the greatest honor to our culture, planet, and our people. Our species has long known that when the limbs of two Wroshyr trees meet and meld together they form both a physical and spiritual bond with one another, turning two into one. So too is the spirit of this holiday being embraced and celebrated by all beings in the galaxy! Every time the galaxy celebrates with us, we bind ourselves closer together as one people. A celebration of our differences is a celebration of us all. Kashyyyk is happy to endorse this festival and we look forward to celebrating with the galaxy.”

Cynics argue that this is a political maneuver given the current election cycle and uncertainty in the Rei administration’s re-election campaign. Supporters argue, however, that regardless of the political season this move is important to the values of the Republic and to vocally answer the stifling of the free expression of religion and spirituality being seen in the Third Estate in the last cycle. Several local religious organizations in Third Estate territory have been arrested or driven underground. Most recently, the Temple of Light, a religious organization based out of Elamposnia, Chenowei, Atorra, and Troos has been subject to mass arrests for “felony thought crimes” and “seditious activity.” Their Great Abbot and other leaders have not been seen nor heard from since they were arrested and imprisoned in a secretive, undisclosed location.

While the purpose of the Republic’s festival is clear, the impact and significance are multifaceted and already organizations from all across the galaxy are setting up areas inside the Senate Building’s many chambers to share with one another the things we all hold dear.

Reporting from Coruscant, I’m Quan Regal of the Associated Presses

Across the Republic polls are tracking hundreds of races for Senate seats this cycle. Amongst the usual parties we’ve come to know over the last two legislative sessions a new group of contenders is surprising many in the mid-rim with their strong early statistics. Calling themselves the “Free Soilers,” the young party’s platform is built on antiestablishmentarianism, populism, and sector rights. On the mid-rim planets where the candidates have gained popularity they are competing with, and on some planets outstripping, both Diplomat and War Hawk incumbents, threatening to fragment the two majority parties even farther.

In the Dustig Sector Haruun Kal native Nawanh Poshma has pulled ahead of War Hawk incumbent Zalneem Brooch by over twenty points in the last quarter. In his last debate he had this to say over the current border discussions in the Senate,

“The War Hawks have made it clear: they do not actually care about security in the Republic. One of the foundational pillars of their platform is a categorical lie. They vote against protective tariffs that would increase security along our hyperspace lanes. In the face of pirate battles inside the borders of our Republic, a scene that has not been seen for the better part of a century, they want to write it off as a non-issue. My friends and fellow citizens, it is an issue! If you elect me to the Senate, I will make sure that every sector is given back the rights they are entitled to. I will introduce legislation that will allow sector security forces to have meaningful power, redirecting funds from the over bloated Republic military budget so that sectors can handle their own security problems in the ways they best see fit!”

Candidate Poshma’s platform, like the Free Soiler platform at large, is built on concepts of sector rights over federal power on Coruscant. This has been very popular with populist movements on other planets in the mid-rim such as Naboo, Bespin, and Bakura as well. The Hadar sector, home to the Tibrin system, has also seen a rise in a Free Soiler candidate threatening the future of Chancellor Naka Rei and his continued leadership as Chancellor of the Republic. Naka Rei shared these thoughts in a recent debate with Tinn native Ral Makneel,

“To the people of my home sector I say this: I understand your frustrations. Having grown up in the Hadar sector for my entire youth I remember feeling as if we’re considered a pass-through sector by the core worlds. However, my resume speaks for itself. With the leadership of our sector, we’ve seen historic foreign policy successes. We’ve seen our sector bring together the fragmented political landscape of the Republic into a coherent direction. My opponent, the honorable Ral Makneel from Tinn, believes that all of the work we’ve put in should be undone. Should be cast aside in order to fragment our Republic even more. He advocates for the disillusionment of the common cultural ties that bind us to beings across the Galaxy. Your vote in this cycle is a referendum not only on me, but on our values as a people: Do we wish to bind ourselves in our common vision of free expression, civil rights and liberties, and to better the common good? Or do we wish to abandon our bonds with our fellow Republicans and draw inward to look out at the galaxy with suspicion and mistrust? This is what you must decide at the end of this cycle.”

This cycle has also seen the rise of the youngest generation of politicians the Republic has seen since before the Galactic Alliance. Exemplifying this is sixteen year old candidate Primsta Natsha Estillo. Endorsed by the Queen of her homeworld Eiattu 6, this young woman is leading her opponent, 87 year old Diplomat incumbent Opeek Bluul, by nearly fifteen points in recent polls. An independent candidate, Estillo’s message advocating for compromise and sensible governance has been wildly popular when coupled with her youthful optimism and interest in the spirit of democratic politics.

Reporting from Coruscant, this is Quan Regal of the Associated Presses