446.22 // Third Estate Claims “Protective Measures” in Sertar Sector
Claiming pre-emptive measures to contain the Stenax expansionary movements, the Third Estate has deployed its fleets into the fragmented Sertar Sector. Of the just under two dozen major star systems in the sector, only four systems have the population and planetary defense forces to object to the move in any meaningful way. Using the threat of violence, the Third Estate has strong-armed every planet they’ve come into the orbit of to sign annexation treaties while their warships hover in the horizon with their cannons pointed downward.
EckCzar Vahn Goreing made this announcement upon the deployment of his naval forces,
The Third Estate recognizes the existential threat that the Stenax pose to our sovereignty, as well as the security of every sector around the Spadja Sector. Because of this, we are deploying our fleets as a deterrent into the Sertar Sector to deter the young Emperor Xenphalan from permitting his people unrestricted wanton destruction to all of their neighbors in the pursuit of violent expansion. Worry not beings of the Sertar Sector, the Third Estate will protect you.
Republic military analysts predict that it will only be a few weeks before 80% of the sector is fully annexed by the Third Estate, with only the Qalydon, Tervissis, Uziel, and Sembla systems having the ability to mobilize their local security forces to at least stall the process of annexation. Even so, even these planets have publicly declared to the galaxy at large their inability to remain independent for the long term,
High Priest Salnem Heleef of the Fellowship of Kooroo, the theocratic government of Qalydon, made this plea to the great powers of the galaxy,
The Fellowship of Kooroo does not have the military, political, or economic means to maintain its independence versus a multi-sector galactic state on the scale of the Third Estate. It’s clear that, within rotations, our system will be an island within the blasteel curtain that will be drawn around our solitary star. Our continued independence can only be secured by the direct intervention of other galactic powers on our behalf. If the galactic community remains silent, our government, culture, society, and way of life will vanish under that veil that has covered, and will continue to cover, the galactic northwest until all is submerged in darkness.
Nonetheless, the hearts and minds of the majority of the Republic Senate are unmoved. Diplomat Senator Yalook P’oolel of the Noonian Sector,
Our hearts go out to the people living in the shadow of violence created by the unprovoked Stenax assault in Thanium and Sertar. For myself, and my party, I know that we would consider sending indirect intervention on their behalf in the form of weapons and supplies upon the condition we see these worlds organize any meaningful resistance to this incursion into their sovereignty. The Republic cannot make a policy of supporting those people who cannot, or will not, support themselves. Were we to commit economically or militarily to every lost cause in the outer-rim the Republic would be endlessly embroiled in conflicts that will drain our resources and cost the lives of our people. If either Thanium or Sertar can prove it will stand on its own, my party will consider supporting them.
Free Soiler Senator Nawanh Poshma from the Dustig Sector,
Time and again the Republic continues to hear from planets out along the rim of the Galaxy, ‘we will not survive without your intervention!’ Yet, never before an international crisis like this do we hear from these sovereign worlds. Never do we hear, ‘we have interest in joining your union!’, never do we hear, ‘we value the freedoms of your constitution, and we will sign!’. No! We do not hear these things. My party is not going to support fair weather systems who only want the Republic when it’s convenient for them! Let them show their loyalty to us before we give even a single credit to this situation they’ve put themselves into!
Meanwhile, the War Hawks are staunchly advocating for a blank check to Thanium and Sertar. Senator Boonka Illeeb from the Herglic Space sector,
Have my colleagues in the honorable camps of the Free Soilers and Diplomats not learned from our history? If we allow these wanton warlords to get away with any and all acts of aggression we abide a festering wound outside our borders that will continue to grow, metastasize, and eventually consume so much that they have nowhere left to turn but towards us! Then who will we have to support us in war? We need to not only espouse our values, but act on them! Rally behind those who face oppression, war, and death! Don’t encourage our great Republic to stand idly on the sidelines and watch while devastation unfolds!
Admiral Haseem Abdul of the 1st fleet commented before the Senate Armed Services Committee his skepticism about the effectiveness of armed intervention in the first place,
The Republic Military has first strike capability anywhere in the Galaxy within twenty-four hours of receiving orders. With that said, should the Senate want to intervene in the Sertar Sector there is every reasonable possibility that doing so will instigate direct conflict with the Third Estate. Should the Senate authorize this, it must do so knowing that it’s my professional opinion it will lead to war and escalate violence in the region, possibly drawing other interested parties into the conflict. Additionally, because we will be deploying without direct provocation to our own interests, the argument that the war would be considered ‘defensive’ could be considered dubious by other members of the “Triple Entente” and we may not be able to count on the support of the Empire, Jedi, or League of Sovereign Systems in this matter.
This is Andee Nevaro reporting from Thanium