Fwurg

[Senator Ardios Eldrilith]

"Dear Senators,

The recession that has hit the Union at least a dozen weeks ago is still continuing. The IO Protocol has not ended the recession on their side.
We believe that it is time for the Astrian Colonial Authority to pay back the financial aid that they received from the IO Protocol. The IO protocol needs this tax now to end the recession.

With the booming stock market and the financial aid from the ministry of commerce the IO protocol will only require 2400 .

I would like to hear from the Astrian Colonial Authority why they have not payed back the financial support and when they will. The accusations of war profiteering can not be true right?

Furthermore I would like to know why the IO Protocol has not ended the recession yet and when they plan to end it!"

[0x71A7E17A (mask of 0x71A7E17A)]

0x71A7E17A202 - Accepted

The IO Protocol has successfully received your request to end the recession and hereby grants its permission to do so until further notice.

[Maria Latharion]

"Interesting, very interesting." Maria said holding her chin and nodding.

"Tell me, Senator Eldrilith, are there any other terms you wish to dictate on agreements made between Union members that aren't the Praetorian Empire? Would you perhaps like to tell other Union members who they can and cannot trade with or what the terms of those trades are."

Her tone was mocking and sarcastic. Before it changed to hard and unyielding.

"Then I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you. The Praetorian Empire has no right whatsoever to demand these things. Not from the ACA, not from the IO Protocol or from anyone else for that matter.

The ACA asked the senate for help at the start of this war. The Unified Republic of Darya and the IO Protocol generously offered their aid and we accepted. Are you seriously asking us to disrespect their generosity?"

[Senator Gregory Konev]

"While I do believe that it is not very comrade like of the IO protocol to damage the open market right now. But I'm glad that they are going to fix the problem. And if they need some help with the problem Darya is willing to help."

"But I must agree with Senator Maria Latharion that it is not up to the ACA to pay the money to the IO that is an issue between those two."

"The war profiteering is a separate issue and we should not mix these issues. Although I am still of the opinion that the ACA was profiteering of the war situation."

[Senator Ardios Eldrilith]

"We have noticed that the IO Protocol has started paying their Stimulus package. If they continue to pay of their stimulus package this should remove my concerns about the recession on the part of the IO Protocol.

Unfortunately the ACA has still not explained their war profiteering. You have tried to talk around this issue before Senator Maria Latharion. This is the second time it is mentioned by Senator Gregory Konev. The senate demands answers!"

[Maria Latharion]

"You are not the senate, Senator Eldrilith. Nor can you speak for them."

Maria's tone was cold, but otherwise calm.

"Would you care to explain to me when accepting help became war profiteering? Was it, perhaps, around the time the Astrian Colonial Authority supported the Motion of No Confidence against you during the previous chancellor term?

And lets not forget it was you, senator, who pointed out the ACA would lose 250 per when the Mandalorians started to block our trade. The IO Protocol merely offered to compensate us for those losses and we accepted. Personally I am very grateful to both the IO and the Daryans, especially since it seems you would have left the Astrians to the mercy of the Mandalorians."

[Senator Ardios Eldrilith]

"The war profiteering has nothing to do with my term as Chancellor or the accusations made against me at the end of my term. The war profiteering started months before this matter even before I was elected. The war profiteering was already pointed out by Senator Gregory Konev in 124.

The fact is that instead of using the to help the Union fleets defend the ACA, your faction deliberately chose to use it to defend their holonet relay station.
This holonet relay station received that was used to build holonet relay nodes to increase your infrastructure even further.

It is interesting how you blame our faction for leaving the Astrians to the mercy of the Mandalorians when your own military was protecting your trade instead of fighting off the Mandalorian Fleets.

While you were protecting trade we actively fought against the Mandalorians. The Praetorian Primary Fleet was sent to the Azaryan homeworld to protect the Azaryan population that was getting slaughtered by the Mandalorians.

Only after the Daryans called your faction on the war profiteering you decided that it was time to start fighting the Mandalorians. At this moment the Daryan military fleet had already sacrificed themselves multiple to protect your sector.

We still expect your faction to publicly apologize to the Union for the war profiteering and to the Daryans for risking their military fleet while your fleet was protecting your trade."

[Maria Latharion]

"Tell me, senator, how much has the Praetorian Empire gained since the start of this war from Union subsidies? How much of a drain has your world been on the War fund and how much did you get from the subsidies for the stimulus package for your world?

I can tell you the exact number the Astrian Colonial Authority gained from Union subsidies since the start of the war: Absolutely nothing. And that while it was our home sector that was under attack. In fact we even sent a fleet to aid the Hiocan Society while there was active conflict in our sector."

Maria paused a moment to let her words sink in. She was, however, far from done.

"Wasn't one of the ideas on which the Union was founded for member worlds to help each other in times of need? Not through tax laws or subsidies if help is offered, but simply to help a friend in need? Isn't helping a friend it's own reward?

Personally, I believe it is and I have done so for a long time. Despite this belief I haven't asked anyone to pay back subsidies their world received for helping other Union members. Yet the ACA, just because we received aid from the IO Protocol instead of the Union, is accused of war profiteering.

We have expressed our gratitude to both the IO and the Daryans for the aid they provided. It is up to them to decide whether or not to be contempt with that or not. Hardly that of the Praetorian Empire, or anyone else for that matter.

[Senator Danar Tassar]

"Senator Maria Latharion,

The stimulus package was available for every Union member, so were the subsidies from the minister of defence to the Union members who activated their fleets in order to bring the war to an end. Not requesting any of these subsidies is a choice the ACA made, but you cannot blame Senator Ardios Eldrilith for not getting Union subsidies.

I also would like to add that ACA only started to help the Union in turn 125. About 5 turns after the start of the fight in your home sector, and seemingly only because the were questions in the senate. The time before there were no indications that the ACA was going to make a move."

[Maria Latharion]

"I'm not blaming the Praetorian Empire for not receiving any subsidies, Senator. But if the ACA was war profiteering would we not have requested those subsidies?

I would like to point out the IO Protocol has yet to voice their opinion on this matter.

The ACA has not received any request from the IO Protocol to return what they so generously gave us. Senator Eldrilith claims we have deliberately damaged the IO Protocol, but if this is indeed the case would they not have at least requested compensation or filed a complaint?

Currently they have yet to say anything on the matter."