The Holonet Net News has given Governor Hanna Antilles a special interview by Diana Allers after news that the Governor has decided to throw her hat into the Chancellor elections. Victor Miles personally went to the
Centennial Phoenix for an exclusive with the candidate.
"Hello, this is Diana Allers. I am here to interview with Governor Hanna Antilles, a candidate for the Chancellorship of the Republic" Allers then turns to Hanna "So what prompted you to return back to the Chancellorship?"
"I figured it's time to bring the Republic back to it's roots"
"It's imperial roots?"
"No, way back. To the roots of the Rebellion during Palpatine's reign. Many don't know that we were refugees from the Galactic Empire. Two ships, the
Mayflower II and the
Intrepid fled Imperial space with the help of the loosely organized Rebel factions. Sadly, the
Intrepid was intercepted by an Imperial patrol over Uton V."
"So the refugees did not stay and fight the Galactic Empire?"
"You would have to understand what was going on at the time. The Corellian Treaty was just being composed and the refugees were not in a position to go head to head against the Galactic Empire and the Delegation of 2000 were being persecuted."
"Why chose Earth?"
"It was the only part of the galaxy that's not on the radar of the Galactic Empire. Knowing what we know now, and especially now after the Cataclysm, we could have gone to Nova Terra. But that planet would not be discovered until years later."
"I take it the Republic's history was a rough one"
"That's correct Ms. Allers. Initially, against my advice, the colonists decided to simply hide the ship and it's contents on Republic Island and go through the epochs of human history starting with the Roman Republic. Consequently, we had to fight off barbanians. During the sacking of New London, I protected my only son" points to the two scars on her cheek "and gotten these in the process and eventually found a small starfighter inside the
Mayflower II and went off into my self-imposed exile as a smuggler under the alias 'Iella C. Starkiller'."
"What of the rest of the history"
"My son, brought me up to speed after we were reunited. The Republic recovered itself after the barbarian horde on Republic Island and made a second attempt to settle in southeastern Connecticut though we had to deal with the aggressive Barbanians to the south of us who's only policy was to subjugate the young Republic during the Barbanian War."
"What about the one's you call 'Neo-Nazis'?"
"These Nazis lead by Vicky Mellor would make Dolfy's head spin and would rant how she is making his reformed Nazis look bad. They had the same policy as the Barbanians, subjugate the Republic. The end of the War of '96' was marked by the Bully Wars, which are a series of wars by the bullies of Little Fitchburg who's manifesto consisted of making the Republic and her citizens a living hell by insulting and belittle them. The Neo Nazis tried to make there resurgence yet had no match against the more modern Republic." Hanna paused for a moment then continued on "The Republic helped found the German Republic after the War of '96', though eventually with the changing climate in a post 9/11 word applied to join into the Republic."
"Interesting history. I can see the Republic has developed to be more paranoid."
"Unfortunately so. The Republic has been abused so many times in it's early history that having an edge to protect the homeland became an importance and is reluctant to offer any advanced techs to other nations out of the risk of having that tech used against us. Sell a robber a shotgun, he'd more than likely turn around and use it against the shopkeeper. Too much blood has been split protecting our lands and people from outside aggressors. If we lost everything, it would mean that the efforts of our forefathers meant nothing."
"Hermann Fegelein stated; 'As much as they deny the imperial title, that
is their historical function'. What's your reaction to that?"
Hanna adjusts herself and crosses her legs "It seems that everyone is tossing around that name around like if it was going out of style. The 'Imperial Era' ended the moment the Republic took to the stars and reunited with the New Republic, though in bad shape after the Thrawn Crisis. The New Republic, by it's own will, annexed into the Republic. Given the rise of Mariko's Second Galactic Empire, the Imperial title has became a sticky and touchy issue to many Coruscantians. Despite the existence of the archaic Imperial Party, which is a legacy party dating back from the War of '96' who's policies basically revolves around Roosevelt's Big Stick theory. The recent casting around of 'Imperial' as an epithet caused many to change parties to ether the Hanji Mon Party or the Republic Firebird Party." Hanna takes a sip of water "I personally wrote the Kusanagi-Antilles Act to sever all 'Imperial Legacy' from the Republic at the dawn of the Second Galactic Civil War."
"What was the Kusanagi-Antilles Act?"
"It's a law that severs any ties that we had with the Galactic Empire from the Republic. From as simple as replacing the Republic Emblems with a Firebird variant emblem that closely resembles that of the Rebel Alliance and the New Republic to as complex as reorganizing our military structure and the reorganizing the Storm Commandos into the Republic Rangers. This was done to show that the Republic has stepped away from the old Imperial Age."
Inquisitive, Diana tilts her head "From the Republic's perspective, what was the Imperial Age?"
"Initially, it was an expansion into the New England states then expansion into other planets and moons before reuniting with the New Republic. Though the Republic does stresses that it does not pursue world domination."
"So the Republic wishes to go on soft power?"
"That's the direction I wish the Republic would take. The Republic has been too much reliant on hard power. Again as a result of it's abusive history. There is only so much hard power that one nation to take on before the dog bites back, and I seek to avoid that." Hanna takes another sip of water "Going from a hard power to a soft power foreign policy is going to take some work. People are still going to assume that were going to come in all smiles and entering in like we own the place and some people are still going to assume that were space colonist or space imperials. That's why I'm looking at the Justice League of America's foreign policy as a model."
"We all know about the Downfallgate, what would you have done differently than what Ayane has done?"
"I would have acknowledged their Cease-and-desist order and peruse the appropriate channels and acknowledge my mistake of not perusing it beforehand. Domestically, I would have settled the people down and tell them the situation as to not make the Downfall Gang the bad guys."
"What would you do during your first months in office?"
"I would meet with Hitler of ESACM and Grand Premier Abel Roux to repair relations between our two nations. Of course, I would request an audience with these two leaders as to avoid the perception of 'waltzing in like we own the place' and further emphasize our foreign policy transition from a hard power to a soft one."
"What about the Republic Military? Where would they fit in?"
"The use of military coercion is to be used as an absolute last resort or if we are threatened by another power seeking to bully us."
"I overheard that Ayane has plans to include you in her interview with Victor Miles. What are your thoughts on this?"
"For starters, I hope the agent provocateur from SUDS does not cause my daughter-in-law to recreate "Say What Again!" scene from
Pulp Fiction when he starts tossing that epithet around. Primarily, I'd like to clear up a bunch of misconceptions about the Republic."
Thank you Hanna and I wish you luck for your election, or should I say re-election into the Chancellorship.