The Safeword is Shawl

Posted by: Sofia Lizeth - Faction: Crepan
Date: Year 15 Day 317 Onboard the C-3 Passenger Liner Harbinger in system Si`Klaata Cluster (360, 120).

The verdict is in and it has been decided that the Pirate Queen Syn has been removed as a citizen of the Trade Federation with these simple words, "Given the lack of evidence substantiating the more inflammatory of your claims, we have concluded your public statements were intentionally defamatory and warrant your denaturalization. Thank you for participating in our community, we enjoyed having you." This may be a surprise to some, but less of a surprise to others. What is more of a surprise is that the punishment is only one sided. When Crepan looked over the initial article again, all we saw was someone defending themselves as well as it being a misunderstanding and were more than a little confused by the judgement made.

Many wonder what the Director may have been thinking. We at Crepan decided to take a closer look from various angles how this lovers' quarrel seemed to become public knowledge. From what we know, this all started when Director Delcroix accused Syn of arresting her. Syn states that it was some sort of bondage and that it was, infact, agreed on by both parties. Crepan news was given a transcript late last night to shine more light on the situation. Please consider the following:

   Lilith: Last stock of corellian is on its way, but only 18 crates of full suits.

   Syn: The other weapons and armours are useless.

   Lilith: True. Well, I can give you heads up about impending stock on stuff you want. Dating the Director of Trade will have some perks.

   Syn: I'm never in any rush; I just looked many times over the past weeks and even months and nothing useful was ever in stock. I didn't care enough to go out of my way to start contacting the producers directly. I was just going to buy some stock that I can give to Eidola newbies that show up needing help since that's come up a fair amount lately.
   - a Source

It does seem as if there was some sort of romantic intent, at least on the part of the director. Whether or not Syn reciprocated those feelings is unclear. Sometime after this, it is can be assumed that the Director went to go and see Syn herself instead of getting someone else to deliver the items that Syn had bought.

Here is the part where things become slightly blurry. It is a well known fact to most of the galaxy that if you go and visit Syn, friend or foe, you will be cuffed swiftly and without exception, as a similarly well known representative of the Galactic Empire found out just a year and a half ago. Even if there was no romantic interaction between both parties, it was clear that cuffs would be used. So why would the Director put herself in such a bad situation, especially being a representative of a very large corporation? A passerby, when asked what he thought of the matter, stated this, "You don't need the Director of Trade to go on a delivery, or have a pirate on your citizen list. Who's stupid enough to exit onto Ylesia and not expect to be arrested by Syn?"

Even if there was no bondage and the Director was, in fact, arrested by Syn for some malicious reason, did she perhaps think it would go differently as she was trying to woo Syn? Or perhaps, that because of her new position and helpfulness to the Pirate Queen, there wouldn't need to be any cuffs at all?

Tanez Kalrade, member of the Avance Coalition and original Director of Trade in the Trade Federation, had this to say about the new Director: "Personally, I believe that the idea of a new Director, in a transitional period from a previous leadership, should not be spending time with lovers or anything besides their work in the department. Such placing of personal wants or desires is a pretty obvious sign of ineffective leadership, and in my opinion such leadership should be asked to resign or resign without being asked."

Quite a few in the galaxy seem to agree with this statement. Nohv Schiller, Duceroy of the Trade Federation wishes they had never gotten involved at all. He is quoted as saying, "I think I'm mainly unwilling to come down hard on anyone because I don't really think any of this is our business. Lilith forced that issue a bit by requesting the investigation."

It is unclear why the Trade Federation would look into something so trivial as a the Director's love life, especially when all of the actions made on her part were voluntary. Though it could be said that perhaps some in the Trade Federation were looking for a reason to break ties with Syn from the the start. Nohv also stated, "Syn, the only exception [to denying citizenship to criminals] was accepted only because of her massive contribution [to trade]. We knew pretty much from the start that it wasn't forever. But one can always hope. And she doesn't scam. Supporting non-scammers is a big thing for us. Knowing that she would likely one day commit a crime, any crime, was one of the primary hard points in the debate over her application. It was decided that having her as a citizen for any time at all was an honor, and likely a positive influence, even though it would probably end in our embarrassment. Is that black and white? Not really, no, but we believe it helped trade." Clearly it did not help their trade enough to be willing to let go of one of the most trusted traders in the industry.

If anything, we learn that as long as you're not doing anything glaringly illegal in the eyes of the Trade Federation, you will not be punished, but if you defend yourself to the organization itself, you will no longer be a citizen. If anything, it seems as if the laws of the Trade Federation are meant as a suggestion only and not to be followed closely. If they were, Syn would not have been invited in, no matter her place in the trade community, and the Director would not have been willing to put herself in such a questionable position, as it would have been illegal.

This has been a Crepan news article. Our next article will cover the topic, "Crime and corruption in our galaxy."