MNS - Unrest on the Homefront

[Maltese News Service]

Republica de Malta

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Maltese News Service

'An informed society is a strong society'

UNREST ON THE HOMEFRONT
Public interest in the Republic's intentions grows!
Rise in enlistment as conflict grows nearer.
By: Alejandro Nicovera

News of the Republic's rise to stand against the tyranny of the nationalists on the homeworld continues to circulate among the Maltese population. Only a few hours ago the whole of the sector was shown the response, and we here at the Maltese News Service have striven to cover it in detail. This special edition of MNS will go over the declaration of intent, the response by the mass, the internal process, and finally the solution to this wave of intrigue, chaos, and fear.

Not even a week ago, our own Jacqueline Messier released to the public the Republic's unified declaration of resistance against the tyrannical regime of the Maltese 'National Council'. While met with a staggering applause in the halls of Barcelona's Central Wing, the response from the homeworld was less than optimal, though not completely unexpected as pressure from the homeworld stacks considerably more firmly than the Republic's. Many within the halls of the Republic's de-facto capital were disappointed, though knowing this it appears their spirits are still up, and the surge to bridge the gap has begun.

"I used to work on a small farm on Malta," said Evelyn Noboa, a former farm hand from Malta who became a Republic citizen earlier this year. "It was a long and hard job, picking and ensuring that the fields were kept well. The owner was well to me, me being born there and all. Malta is part of me, and he knew it well enough."

Our own Katie Sumner sat down with her a few hours ago, asking her of life back then. 'A much simpler time of her life', she said.

"It was.. clearer. It wasn't easy, and it surely didn't pay well, but he ensured that I was treated fairly."

"How many others were there with you? I imagine working a field alone would've been out of the question."

"Oh, it was. There were quite a few people working there, most of them slaves brought in from off-world. It was only myself and two others who were free, though still employed."
"I felt for them. Having my freedom, but knowing they were condemned to working on this field until they had theirs. The time for incorporation is different for everyone."

"And this is what brought you're here."

"Yes. I still feel for them, but knowing how the Republic values personal freedoms over profit, knowing that one day this kind of thing will end.. It gives me hope."

The Republic's anti-slavery laws, as is standard with each of the other Sirian houses, is largely seen as one of its defining factors. While understandable, as it aims to serve a dual-role as labor and population support, the incorporation of archaic tactics is seen as an afront to the progression and evolution of the Maltese way of life. Many see it as unjust, noting the treatment of slaves over free denizens of the Maltese homeworld, as with Evelyn's story, and call for a change in the tides that push Malta, and the modernization of the Maltese as a whole.

Unsurprisingly, most outcry from the homeworld is focused on the unburdened populace, as well as those that reserve positions of power. However, most within Maltese society are unprivileged and condemned to servitude, and while over time each earns their freedom it can be a lengthy process and to some may never happen. This has forced the government to take steps, minimizing class division while maximizing corporate appeal, and in the eyes of the Secretary of Commerce, it all seems to be going well. We sat down with Gabriella La Huerta herself not long ago, and in the face of criticism she appeared content.

"Do you have any regrets about limiting the market? It's a radical change going from a free trafficking market to a regulated one, and not one I'm sure many within the Nation will be too approving of."

"It is a radical change, yes, but a necessary one if we're to move forward." Ms. La Huerta is a former plantation owner and businesswoman from the homeworld, and is generally regarded as the mind behind the economic success of the Republic so far. "I have no regrets about having owned plantations on Malta. It helped me see how economics works in our society, but working with the Fleet before and for the Republic now has let me see how economics works on the outside as well. There are plenty of things to be gained that Malta just will not accept."

"Such as?"

"Reliance on manual labor for one. Other societies have automated their processes, mostly for manufacturing, but it can and has worked with agriculture in the past, and certainly does today. Look at the Kyushu Rice Dynasties. They live off fueling their empire on the rice grown there, and they have learned to automate it, and reserve the workforce for more profitable and less intensive jobs. Sure they make less, but they employ far less people as well, and it boosts their profits. Malta? The Dons and their slave labor are all that fuels the Maltese economy. Without them, the Navy wouldn't function, and Malta would have no allies. Admittedly Liberty and Kusari would be safe places, but these pale in comparison to simply making a more economically sensible Malta."

"You really seem to believe that."

"I do. Running a nation's economy is like running a very large business. I have experience in that field, and I know that this pattern of logic that the nationalists support is horrifically inefficient. Malta's methods are archaic, and while they certainly worked for Malta before the boom of not-so-long-ago it doesn't extend efficiently to the society that Malta needs to be today."

This focus on the development and export of commonly required goods appears to be a goal for the Republic at large. Many within the government feel that Malta's reliance on their Cardamine trafficking, while profitable, will spell an end for Malta should some catastrophe rise to wipe the crop out, as has happened to other agricultural hotspots across recorded history. These fears, combined with the lack of interest of Maltese society to accept the solutions of other societies, add to a strong fear of the homeworld's burdens stacking against them. 'Something will collapse, and it may well be the society that lives on it rather than the crust of the planet below.'

M.N.S. Basilica, the first of many actions some within the Republic attribute to the influence of the Nomads.

Others have feared the ever present truth of contamination within the ranks, and have had such fears since before the Reformation. The Interregnum, during the era of the infamous 72nd Fleet, was a time of scare. The infectious beast that has plagued Maltese society for generations, and has undoubtedly continued its spree into the modern day. Maria Cortez of the Department of Homeward Defense helped to clarify the situation for us.

"We know of the mundane issues that stand in the Republic's way to transform Malta, but are there any others? Economics and ideologies are one thing, but we've known about one force that has been a 'boogeyman' to our society since the Separation."

"Oh. You mean the Nomads."

"Yes, them. Many have questioned the Republic's intentions past simple 'government and ethics', but there's always been the overarching goal of 'cleaning the wound'."

"'Cleaning the wound' is more generous than it's been in the past, but that is the docile term for it, yes. The infestation has been ever present since the National Council absorbed the deviant Crimson Cross into their ranks."

"The Cross were the cause of the Interregnum, and the reason why the Fleet broke from the ranks."

"Yes. Their ideology of following the Nomads as a 'religion' condemned many good people to death, and oversaw the single greatest mass infection in Maltese history. Thousands, tens, maybe hundreds of thousands of people became puppets. We're still not sure. What we are sure is that with the integration of the Cross into the Council, the nationalists allowed for the free spreading of infection across Malta, even before they declared Nomad worship 'illegal'."

"And this is part of the reason why the Republic has no open plans to seek peace with the homeworld?"

"As long as the infection spreads and the leaders of Malta refuse to do anything about it, then we'll continue to see them as a threat to the Nation, alongside the Nomads themselves. It's tragic, and can be easily prevented, but so far the nationalist leadership has refused to do anything about. We have no choice but to respond in kind."

"And what of the Republic's sacred view of life? Won't there be dissident voices calling the Republic out for genocide?"

"Genocide is a strong term, Mr. Nicovera, though admittedly not untrue. However, Malta's view on life does not extend to those who so willingly take it away. Infestation is theft of life, and the Nomads are at the apex of this tree of knowledge. They have no respect for the value of human life, and by extension those who work with them, willingly or not, are in the same boat. Again, it is regrettable, but Malta cannot afford to allow these contagions free roam of our home."

Strong words, but in the interest of preserving Malta's integrity they must be said. Many within the Republic see this as the primary concern for the Republic overall in regards to the Maltese leadership. Several men and women of the Maltese Navy are known to have been or are still infested, most notable being Enma Loyola, a confirmed infectee that left Malta a little over a year ago. While she hasn't been seen since, her impact on the Nation as a whole is still felt, and is suspected to have even influenced the homeworld's politics in some form.

However, most of the unrest seemed focused on the Republic's choice of allies, which historically have always been enemies of the Maltese people. The Republic of Crayter and the Commonwealth of Liberty, often regarded by Maltese nationalists as 'the barrier to progress' or the 'annoyances of the orange dream', have been seen as instrumental to the Republic's recognition by other groups so far in the local Tau region. Part necessity and part desire, the alignment with these factions are most known to the Republic's Foreign Affairs Department, which handles relations with outside parties. Ms. Iltzmann, the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, met with us not long ago to answer a few questions concerning Malta's relations with the outside. Our own Jacqueline Messier spoke with her on the following:

"You've seen the article?"

"Yes. I have."

"So you're aware of what it entails, including a lot of criticism towards your department especially."

"That I am. I don't hold it against them. Malta has had these fears of the outside that are undeniably warranted for some time now, so criticizing the Republic for coordinating with nations that have fought the homeworld for quite some time is absolutely understandable. It's sad, but it's not unexpected."

"Why is it sad?"

"Because the people of Malta have been afraid of all these outside groups for so long. It's anger and fear that drive the Maltese isolationism and fuel their desire to make the outside fear them. Cardamine is crucial here for them, as it's the only way they can extend their power. Malta doesn't have diplomatic ties to anyone except their 'pawns', those pirates who distribute Cardamine across the sector for them. They don't have any beneficial relationships. Everything is conjured out of fear. It's been this way for centuries."

"And you think it can be changed?"

"Absolutely. I've been working for years since the Interregnum to give the outside a reason to trust Malta instead of dismissing us as another upstart micro-state with Maltese ideals. Crayter and the Commonwealth accept the Republic's intentions, and Crayter even supports us militarily to a degree. The Order, while cautious, has in the past accepted the Republic's interests in changing Malta for the better. We have a better economy per capita than the homeworld, more powerful allies and a more open and adaptive political sphere. All of this is because of who we work with. Despite what that article says, there are absolutely people on the homeworld who would rather see the Republic govern them than what they have now. I've heard it. I've seen it with my own eyes and I believe that we can transition Malta into a prosperous society. It'll take a few years, but it's absolutely doable."

"And what if the majority refuse the support of the outside?"

"I'm almost certain there will be people who do. We can't force people to change their minds, but we can provide solid, irrefutable evidence as to why building trust and working from the ground up to do more than traffic drugs across the sector are positive improvements for Malta. Fear is a viable tactic, but it never works in the long run. The Cross ran on fear to fuel their motives, which led to the problem we have now with the contamination. Now they're gone, which shows just how viable it was for them in the long run. The best we can do is try and persuade the people why this is the best course of action."

Many within the Republic and indeed some on the homeworld have seen the promise of working with the outside. While focus is expected to lean inwards towards locally owned businesses, import seems to be a major factor in the Republic's mindset, and certainly fuels these aspirations and capabilities. Time will tell where these aspirations go, but for now they appear to be doing well for the Republic so far. Estimates show that exponentially as the Maltese population is brought in, this economic and political growth for Malta will work well, and show no loss of pace.

This of course assumes that the Republic continues on the steady path laid out before it. While resistance by the dissident forces of the Maltese nationalists is expected to be considerable, and the fight for Malta to be anything but easy, there remains the hope that the Republic will persevere and spell the dawn of a new age for Malta. Until then, we here at the Maltese News Service will continue to strive to keep you, the people, up to date on the Republic's efforts. Our thanks go out to Ms. Cortez, Ms. Iltzmann, Ms. Noboa, and Ms. La Huerta for giving their thoughts and words on these matters. Finally, a special thanks go to Mr. Marco Allegri and the crews of Canal 3 Malta for providing the basis for tonight's special.

This has been the Maltese News Service, and we wish to all a safe night and a calm flight.

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