Fwurg

[Maria Latharion]

Maria stood up and waited for the senate to quiet down a bit.

"Senators, Ministers, Chancellor and representatives,

This great Union contains many different cultures, a fact that I consider worthy of the highest praise. However, sometimes these cultures collide with each other. The Astrian Colonial Authority, for example, condemns slavery even though some members practice it to some extent.

In order to strengthen our bond with our fellow Union members and gain insight into different cultures, the Astrian Colonial Authority is entering into a cultural exchange with the Veolian Commonwealth."

She smiled and looked to Senator Nehket Aeka expectantly.

((OOC: If people would be so kind to wait with posting until Nehket Aeka has posted here it would be very much appreciated. :)))

[Nehket Aeka]

Senator Nehket Aeka got up at the same time as the Astrian senator.

"Thank you Maria."

"Fellow senators,

As you are well aware, the Veolian Commonwealth has a very strict view of cybernetics, and actively seeks to stop the spread and use of such poluting technology. However, two members of the Union are dependant upon cybernetics, and their cultures have grown to incorporate their technology. Because we want to be able to support our fellow Union members, we need to understand their point of view.

After much negotiations, the Veolian Commonwealth and the Astrian Colonial Authority have worked out the details of our cultural exchange program. In short, it is an exchange of citizens that will experience the culture of the host faction, on a purely voluntary basis. A group of veolians has volunteered to move to the worlds of the Astrian Colonial Authority and undergo their unique cybernetic implantation process. And a group of Astrians volunteers has consented to becoming slaves in the Veolian Commonwealth.

We have agreed that all volunteers will receive annual medical reviews by officials from their original faction. Furthermore, the Veolian Commonwealth has guaranteed that the Astrian volunteers will be free to choose their path should the Astrian Colonial Authority be occupied or worse.

We understand that this might seem a drastic measure, especially since our worlds have such differing opinions on the subjects of cybernetics and slavery. But we feel that the only way forward is to create a better understanding of each other.

Thank you."