Volume 1 – Year 24
Politics can be a fickle mistress, and it seems that one of the prominent leaders of the Confederacy of Independent Systems again finds himself on the wrong end of it.
While Chairman Siejo Kutol was off on Holiday with his Wife Allana, the festivities abruptly came to a halt when groups of local Hassarians came out in protest in what was described by onlookers as righteous indignation. While their angry shouts and excited stances paired with the lilac color of their furs and trembling snouts might have created an amusingly caricatural sight at first, the situation swiftly devolved into a potential danger when the peaceful but vocal rally turned into an angry mob.
Luckily, Regent Taldar Logas, who is Jouish, was not attending the holiday event and was able to intervene quickly. After meeting the Hassarian leadership, the error was easily identified, and the misunderstanding rectified. The Hassarian culture revolves around the harvest and they annually hold a festival thanking their gods for the bounty. As the CIS recently increases their presence in the region, and made preparations for Aran Day, many locals thought this was for their holiday and were deeply offended when the day of their harvest celebration arrived with little to no fan fair.
The reasons behind Chairman Kutol’s ignorance of this important cultural holiday of the Hassarians remain disturbingly unclear. A thorough analysis of his planner, and the statements pertaining to Hassaria given prior to the unfortunate Holiday tour seem to indicate Kutol wasn’t merely unaware of the traditions and customs of the Hassarian people, but more shockingly also of their existence as a whole. Regent Logas quickly offered sincere apologies on behalf of the CIS, vowing that both Chairman Kutol and Head of State Sehrin would attend a cultural sensitivity training as well as a hundred hours of community service within local Hassarian communities. Logas also pledged to designate the Hassarian celebrations as state sponsored holidays, and to draft legislation that would make it manditory to celebrate the Hassarian Harvest Festival through CIS space.
This is the first official conflict between the local Hassarians and the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Hassarians have a long history with the CIS. During the Clone Wars, the region had been a vital port for ships traveling through the Koda Spur. The Republic viciously attacked Hassaria during what became known as the Outer Rim Siege and destroyed much of the precious farmlands in Hassaria and Hassaria II. After this tragedy, the Hassarians had little taste in galactic politics, leaving most of them to abandon it all together and instead focus on local redevelopment. The Virgillian Council, from the neighboring Koradin Sector, was later appointed to manage their galactic affairs. Control of the region shifted several times, landing on the CIS just last year.
Will the promises of the Regent appease the locals? What drama will await Chairman Kutol when he returns to Hassaria? Only time will tell.