"Hmph!"
"Honorable senators!"
"Our Trade Federation reiterates that we will never accept any of the baseless charges imposed upon us! Our governor was illegally arrested by the Hero Federation's forces while passing by Naboo. We refuse to acknowledge that so-called evidence!"
"Therefore, the Supreme Court of the Galactic Republic should immediately and unconditionally release him, order the Hero Federation to compensate us for all our losses, and severely punish the murderer who gave the order to open fire—instead of scheduling a trial for our innocent governor without any justification!"
"We strongly protest the Hero Federation's wrongdoing and these slanderous accusations!!"
"Therefore..."
"We hereby urge the Senate and the Supreme Chancellor to issue a special pardon immediately and unconditionally release Governor Newt Gunray, who has been wrongfully detained for more than ten days. Our respected Governor Newt Gunray is truly innocent and has been framed!!"
At today's Senate session, the Trade Federation's representatives and senators once again went through the motions, shouting at the Supreme Chancellor on the dais and at their rival on the neighboring platform, Senator Nova.
They had repeated these words in the domed Senate hall many times already, putting forward and appealing the same arguments countless times. Their protests had practically made Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum, the members of the Speaker's panel, and the other senators' ears grow calluses. And yet today, they trotted out the same old complaints and continued to protest.
They had no choice...
The Senate's measures against the Trade Federation—or rather, those of the Supreme Chancellor and his cronies—were becoming increasingly blatant. On top of that, the Trade Federation's governor had been captured, and the critical investigation and trial were nearing their final stages. So they were growing more anxious by the day, and increasingly hysterical, hoping to muddy the waters or further