Thirty Miles South of CVE Capitol
Colorado, Earth, Republic Sector
0737 VST, February 11, 2481
Gallegly brought his attention back to Asfug just in time to pick up his question, “Don’t you think this is a very good thing when you look at the opportunities which can be taken advantage of?”
“Going to war is never a good thing, regardless of whatever so-called opportunities you might want to act upon,” Gallegly responded, “just why are you supporting this entire thing so blindly?”
“Blindly? Have you not read the reports from some of the frontier sectors? Perhaps the news reports?,” Asfug questioned.
“Of course I know what’s going on out there. But you’re hoping to take this further than just repelling incursions and invasions. Your interest in all this doesn’t even have anything to do with the subject at hand,” Gallegly leaned back in the plush chair he was seated in, “you, you’re hoping this escalates into something that allows you to come up with an excuse to take up arms on the side of Haganah,” he said while pointing at Asfug.
Gallegly could see the fire burst to life in Asfug’s eyes as he finished his sentence and lay his arm back down on the chair’s arm rest. Asfug’s face remained the same as before, but Gallegly had worked alongside the man long enough to know when he had hit a nerve.
“Haganah? Where would they come into this? This is between the Republic and the Emirates, Haganah has nothing to do with this.”
“As far as you know,” Gallegly snickered.
“They are our ally in that area and have proven time after time their friendship with our Republic,” Asfug retorted.
“Just how much money has been illegally sent their way by Congress, time…after…time? I do recall you voting to send money their way every time the vote came up.”
Asfug laughed, “Congress has all the authority we need to do such things. We may make treaties with other nations. It’s as simple as that.”
The pine trees outside quickly disappeared, giving way to the grounds of the Republic’s capitol. Measuring only four by two and a half miles, the grounds were relatively small but well planned with many open spaces. On the large expanse of concrete about 75 feet below the magrail, two ‘Mavs which were painted in the mustard yellow, maroon, and bright turquoise of the 12th Viper Guard stood watch. Both men paused from their discussion to glance out of the window at the gigantic pyramid less than half a mile away. The building, measuring 2640 feet at the base and almost 2300 feet in height, was covered in thousands of panes of bright turquoise glass which reflected the blue sky above and some of the surrounding structures.
The Republic’s capitol was rebuilt in the State of Colorado, far from its original location which had been decimated by a nuclear strike during The War of Refusal nearly 300 years before. The war was the end result of the Second Cold War, which had risen several decades after the supposed end of what was known as The Cold War. The new capitol, approximately the same dimensions at the old one, was set at the base of the section of the Rocky Mountains known as the Front Range.
As the magrail slid into the small station within the pyramid, Gallegly and Asfug gathered their briefcases and hats, “It’s been a while since I’ve been here. Welcome to the most corrupt place in the galaxy, I feel like I need a shower every time I leave,” Gallegly said as the two shuffled through the nearest door of the magrail and onto the platform.
“You mean Colorado right,” Asfug responded
The magrail station was located in the Great Hall of the capitol building, elevated two stories above the floor of the cavernous room. The Great Hall, measuring 1000 feet on each side and ten stories in height, had walls which sloped inward at the same angle as the building’s exterior. Thousands of flags hung from the ceiling, each representing a single republic within the Empire. Holoprojectors displayed a full color map, almost as large as the hall itself, of Empire space.
With less than a half-hour to go until the start of the session, the arena-sized chamber of the Republic’s House of Representatives was filled with all but around a quarter of the total number of representatives it was built to accommodate. The Republic’s president, Stephen Decatur, recalled the congress two weeks prior with an order to address issues plaguing a number of border systems and even several further within Republic space. This gave representatives from systems furthest from Sol more than enough time to travel to Earth.
Asfug and Gallegly took their seats several minutes before the session convened and opened with a prayer by the congressional chaplain.
The president of the senate stood at his podium and began with the formalities, “Mister President, for what purpose have you called the Senate into session”, he asked.
His inquiry was echoed by another from the speaker of the house, “Mister President, what pressing issue exists that you call the House into session?”
The question was asked in one form or another three more times by the other chambers of the congress, first by the Reichstag, then the Althing, and finally by the Gewerblich. This was merely a formality to begin the session, as all present already knew why they had been called to the capitol.
The president took the central podium, “Representatives, I have called you to the capitol that you may address a number of problems plaguing our border lands and several systems further within republic space.”
He continued on for another fifteen minutes briefly describing the problems and suggesting methods of correcting them. When Decatur stepped down from the podium Kaiserreich Johanns Rupertsen took the Reichstag podium.
He began a short speech, “Representatives, you have heard what the president has to say and have also read the reports on the subject.”
“Some of you wish the president go to war,” he said as he shot a glance towards the area of the chamber where the largest group of Crusaders sat.
His comment caused a stir in the chamber and he paused to let it quiet down, “And some of you choose to ignore the problem and focus on relaxing our border policies and implementing so-called security measures here within the Republic.”
The chamber again filled with commotion as he glanced at the area where most of the Revolutionaries were seated.
Johannes continued, “The nobility, being charged with protecting the Natural Rights of our law-abiding subjects, finds both these views misguided and utterly unconstitutional.”
The chamber erupted in yells of disagreement; Johannes being able to pick out someone alleging he was a terrorist appeaser and apologetic, and another calling him an imperialist.
Having absolutely nothing to lose in his noble status or position, he decided to deviate from the speech he prepared and address the people watching the session on televisions and listening on radios.
Having absolutely nothing to lose in his noble status or position, he decided to deviate from the speech he prepared and address the people watching the session on televisions and listening on radios.
“We have a very serious problem within our borders. It affects all of us, even myself. We have other less serious problems caused by people blowing up bombs in a number of our towns and cities. People being smuggled illegally into the Republic. However, this single problem will result in the demise of the Republic as you know it, and your Liberties with it.”
Johannes paused momentarily as he glanced around the chamber, “The problem cannot be fixed by congressional meetings and statutes. The problem lies in this very chamber. The problem is congress.”
Several small groups began to clap just before he finished his statement, but were quickly drowned out by disagreement and insults directed at Johanns.
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