[Thessia] Protests Shut Down Serrican Streets

[Thessia] Protests Shut Down Serrican Streets
Ayashi T’Heras, Serrice Weekly

SERRICE-Protests have erupted in the Republic of Serrice in response to the appointment of Matriarch Galalina Niaso to an administrative position within the Republic’s Ministry of Justice. Matriarch Niaso previously served as an admiral with High Command and was commended for her actions during the Battle of London while serving as commander of the 114th Dreadnought Strike Group.

Consisting mainly of politically active Maidens belonging to the Alliance for Change, a reformist group formed after the Reaper War, the protesters blocked off access to several inner city plazas, disrupting businesses and facing off with the ceremonial guard of the Forum for a period of three hours. A spokesperson for the group stated that Matriarch Niaso, as a part of High Command, was at least in part responsible for ‘the systematic failure of the Matriarchy to protect the asari people and to fulfil our responsibilities to the rest of Citadel Space during the Reaper War. Her appointment is a slap to the face to those who died due to that failure.’

The protesters repeatedly refused to speak with Serrice Police Department negotiators but eventually dispersed peacefully after police arrived and an appeal from their leadership to keep the event peaceful.

Founder Sikara Mendaras, who served as a Huntress during the War, stated that protests will continue until ‘necessary reforms take place’ before she interrupted the interview to speak with the SPD negotiator. When visited for elaboration by Serrice Weekly journalists, the Alliance for Change’s website called for the immediate reform of the Republican military and government, a larger defence budget, a full investigation into the Beacon scandal and decried the social and legislative power of the Matriarchy.

Police Department Commissioner Ceria T’Julan condemned the protests as unlawful, “While protest permits were issued for this demonstration, they far exceeded lawful restraints. It was both illegal and irresponsible.”

Matriarch Niaso was unable to be reached for comment.

Good to see everyone stayed civilized. Singling out a war heroine for this motion is not so great. I had no idea the Admiral was pursuing a new career though. I am partially happy to see her return to the homeworld, having a well qualified and fairly popular person taking on a permanent planet side posting is good and encouraging. Justice is an important department and a person whose integrity is proven is just the right choice.

Daia, your words are well chosen (again).
One more thing that's often ignored is the vast majority of Matriarchs that got betrayed like Maiden average by the inner circle of the temple. What about this "Matriarchy" that never had a say in the matter? Outsiders act as if they all would think alike or debate endlessly, whatever fits the line of argument at a given situation. It's kind of cosmic background noise.

And yet the top inventions of recent decades that come to mind belong to salarians or humans.


Good heavens, you make it sound like the matriarchs could have revealed possession of the beacon during the war and not, oh I don't know, during the couple of thousand years after making it illegal to not share Prothean technology.

I can see why they're angry; the asari couldn't hold Thessia because of the way their military's structured, plus its small size. Good ships and good people, but not nearly as many as the rest of the Citadel races.

Fuck me, with professional insight like that it's no wonder you're Number fucking One in the T-space extranet crusaders!

"Thessia got the smack laid down on it because the asari had a shitty military"

Shit bro, where were you before the Reapers showed up? If only you'd been there after the geth rolled up the Cit fleet to tell the blues your words of wisdom, maybe there'd have been a few less strippers and a few more Destiny Ascensions hanging round Planet Eezo, and maybe our fine, plated, Hierarchy asses wouldn't have had to save the galaxy again.

By this logic I can condemn you - not just some member of the Systems Alliance, but you - for failing to stop the Reapers until they were on your front lawn. Your logic is Guilt By Association, and even if she were the asari version of Commander Shepard, striding from planet to planet and committing miracles along the way, she'd still be


just because she was AN asari in the Matriarchy.


This, however is laughable. Word to the wise, AProm, this screams "Oh no! We're not the perfect immortals we thought ourselves to be! Woe be us, no more punishment!"

At least try to learn something here.

Not my intention, perhaps I didn't express myself well. What I'm trying to say is that we did think ourselves, as a civilisation, to be... let's not get caught up in details (or hyperbole, though I take your point), how about we just simplify it by saying we thought we were pretty damn good neighbours, and it turned out we weren't. I think the Beacon is a distracting point, since it ultimately was the work of a handful - what I feel condemned us the most was that when our help was needed, we didn't give it as freely as we should have, or had promised in better days that we would.

I'm not saying that any of us, whether we spoke in the debates, whether we were on planet or not, can just wash our hands of that - we the asari did that. I just feel that a lot (not all) of this "somebody must be held to account" sentiment that's going around is misguided, it's trying to pin the blame on 'those responsible', then exact some kind of punishment from them to make us feel we've cleaned our slate. Well we were all responsible. It's not going to make us feel better - it shouldn't - to pick on those we think 'should' have protected us, or pushed us to fulfill our promises, and it's certainly not going to do much to make the galaxy a better place, which we could all sorely use.

So when I say "no more accounting need be done," it's not because I think we've paid our dues already, or however you want to put it, or that we should be able to just go back to the way things were. We need scrutiny and criticism, because we obviously didn't have enough last time round. But I feel very strongly that the yakshi hunting going on in some quarters, the cries for 'calling to account' and such, is a problem, not a solution. Honestly I feel that interpretation of what happened, and what needs to be done to 'fix' the Republics, is going to be one of the greatest stumbling blocks we have to overcome in realising the civilisation that we used to believe we were, and should still be working to achieve.

That's kind of what I had in mind when I said


These action are desperate pinpointing and looking for [translate: scapegoats] in individual persons, looking for the face. But this won't work out, the key to the future is common optimism and trust. Mistrust and secrecy was what misguided those in ancient times who installed the beacon cult in the first place.
Our system provides the most open debates, the most freedom of speech and the most weight of an individual voice. It depends on participation of everyone, speaking and listening. Those in the executive positions (aka the 'Matriarchs') answer to the questions asked, so the fact that more people raise a voice and ask questions is good; a lesson is, we must ask more questions, we need to be more curious about ourselves and our own matters in the end.

Oh dear me you've found me out. But sadly Mr. Spiza you were only partially correct. Not only am I personally responsible for my failure to prevent the advent of the Reaper Armada.



I led it.

(Frankly I'm rather surprised that nobody figured out that the mysterious business executive with the classy suits was, in actuality, a two kilometer long superdread with even classier suits earlier. I mean, it's not like it's a hard thing to miss.)

In all seriousness my argument, if unclear, was not ever of that particular breed of fallacy. Firstly, this entire thing reeks of damage control: she's too popular, too powerful, and too prominent to drag through anything approximating an actual trial without starkly highlighting present schisms in asari society. In the eyes of her fellows such an action would cause more harm that whatever wounds it would mitigate and so she's stripped of her position and politically exiled to an office where she will be of minimal relevance. It's comfortable so she can't complain and befits her station as Matriarch but it's scope is limited. Out of sight out of mind as it were.

The quote I plucked out was more to identify that, going by the vitriol being slung at such a specific target in conjunction with the aforementioned circumstances, there's something worthy of attention there. Oh I'm not saying that this is immutable truth by any means, merely identifying a reason that their protest should not be quite so casually discarded as it has been by many in this thread.

There's a rather significant number of people demonstrating if the article is anything to go by, it would be rather uncouth to not at least make a pretense of lending them your ears.

Just in case anyone forgot that this forum has a page back function.

Humor me this Ms. Driana; other members feel free to chime in as well.

What, traditionally speaking, has been your reaction when confronted with a piece of evidence or an argument that contravenes your worldview?

I have to be honest. It seems like Matriarch Niaso is being used as a scapegoat here. Yes, she was a member of High Command, but that doesn't mean she specifically is responsible for the failures of the unit as a whole. She led the 114th Dreadnought Strike Group. She did her duties during the Reaper War. Hell, she may have even argued for Republics involvement sooner. Just because High Command failed to execute their responsibilities to C-Space does not mean that everyone there failed in their duty.

However, she's being flanderized by her former position and the failures associated with that group. In this particular case, I'm not so sure the protests are warranted.

The failures of the so-called matriarchy are numerous, true, but it would be foolish to blame someone for the actions of a group they belonged to if there is no proof that they are at fault.

Yes. "Exile." To a position within the Justice Department, where she might finally hold those accountable for the Beacon...well...accountable.

Sandman, your argument is entirely that. You are accusing a commander of implicit involvement with the Beacon scandal without a shred of proof to your position, aside from statements of "she could have, right? Riiiiiight? Wink Wink nudge nudge?"

There is an English phrase that I looked up which is entirely applicable here; I believe it is called a "witch hunt."

By the way, Sandman? I quoted that comment from Aprom. To laugh at it.

Maybe you should bother reading my whole post next time before sweeping into your grand "blue-bashing" phase.

The winks are substantially saucier than you are implying but fair is fair, what I am arguing is largely extrapolation based of a general familiarity with the tactic and interpretation of the evidence in that context. Most critically the fact that this was an appointment and portrayed as such versus a voluntary step down in favor of pursuing legal justice. Which, frankly if was the case, there would be substantially more "look at me, look how progressive and effective I'm being, you can start admiring me again" as per the general Republics custom.

But really Mr. Spiza you should be giving me some credit: the core of this is me being optimistic. I'm sincerely hoping that a movement composed largely of the disenfranchised and overlooked of the Republics that's also putting forth a number of reasonable demands is intelligent and genuinely effective as well.

Neither of which pointing at a random war hero and screaming "Wiiiiiiitch" would indicate.

Oh I did, I just have a deep and abiding need to be included and that spot next to you on the bandwagon looked oh so comfortable.

Besides we're pretty much the only ones on the metaphorical carriage anyway, it's not like the room can't be spared.

I KNEW THAT SPACE SQUID LOOKED FAMILIAR!

Well since you opened the floor to everyone - is calling reputable news sources "bullshit propaganda" without citing a single piece of supporting evidence still valid, or were you playing some kind of Hegemony Masters style 'Get Out Of Cryo Free' card nobody else gets to use?

Ms. T'Nara! I see we are on speaking terms again, I must confess that I am positively giddy at this recognition of my existence. Perhaps with time we shall work our way up to acknowledging that I am capable of writing. Perhaps with time we shall work our way up to acknowledging the fact that many of the people who disagree with you are capable of writing.

You know, the issue with ignoring the totality of a person when you disagree with them is that sometimes you miss their evidence and reasoning; occasionally even their pointed and explicit outlines of the general method and rational behind their arguments.

Fancy that.

I'm sure I'll regret making the effort soon enough, but for the record I've been reading what you've had to say - just not finding it worth a reply, in light of your past (and unchanged) behaviour.

And while we're clarifying things, I know those linked words look very convincing at a glance, but when the links just lead to your own posts where you're making the same baseless points - because I'm sorry, you saying "It's impossible!" doesn't really stack up to the economy board reporting that it's been done, given the colossal number of people who'd have to be in on this propaganda conspiracy you're imagining to be taking place - that's really no more convincing that repeating "But I am right!" in a louder voice than last time.

Oh good then, might as well say this while I have your attention.

You are an idiot.

You are, in fact, the very worst kind of idiot; the idiot with the potential to not be an idiot but who instead chooses idiotdom because it's comforting, familiar, and there are just enough supportive voices saying "no really darling, shhhh everything's alright".

I respect you less than I do Taleeze because God knows that poor girl can't help the things that come out of her mouth.

Would you like me to pull out statistics proving conclusively that this article is fabricated out of so much air and fairy dust? Because I guarantee you I can. I also guarantee you that you can find different interpretations of the same data that proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Thessia is positively swimming in grains and dietary staples.

And oh wow would you look at this very lovely pie chart that demonstrates, beyond all intimations otherwise that the Republics actually fell some five centuries ago and the entity styling itself as the asari race is actually a species of cleverly disguised beetles who subsist on the cheese beneath the crust Thessia itself.

My. My my my. It's almost as if statistics can be deliberately twisted to suit almost any agenda! But...then whatever shall we rely upon?

Perhaps...

basic logic and experience?

My basic logic and experience tells me the Thessia economy board and Plow between them are a lot more reliable on the subject of Thessia's agricultural output than the shoddy reasoning of a man who's demonstrated time and again an irrational disdain for asari civilisation.

My dear you are a porn star on Illium with a pathological inability to admit enduring wrongdoing or errors of the Republics in any way shape or form on any matter.

Your expert credentials are somewhat in question here.

That's a goddamn lie.

Almost the entire N7 roster were huntresses, volunteers to a goddamn one. The Gang of Five knew the Reapers were already in-systems before anyone else thanks to Brokers and Breakers. You think Banshees just popped out of thin air? The Reapers just pooped em into existence? There were Banshees on the ground at Dagger, Korverak, and even Garvug 6 WEEKS before the Reaper main fleet hit Earth.

Those Banshees were made from huntresses who got in way out their league, and had no back up.

The reason they didn't have back up is the gang of five had it circled around your goddamn homeworld and Ilium.

You guys didn't do shit until the Geth rolled over, until it was actually safe to commit.

The reason the Citadel still exists is because everybody else except the frogs actually got off their asses and did something before it was too late. The asari didn't commit until Thessia was steamrolled.

Alright, I was going to leave this thread alone (cause jealous mayflies are, well, jealous mayflies), but that last post, Wrazer, just...

Wow.


See, this is a pet peeve of mine - people who assume all matriarchs (tides, all asari) are unified and act as one. Fun fact: We aren't and we don't.

('Sides, isn't that a lesson for, y'know, not betraying your species? They signed up for N7 Alliance duty, so you should really be fucked off at the Systems Alliance for not backing them up or whatever. Tides)


...you do know that Illium isn't one of the Republics, right? And that no Republics assets were deployed to protect said Terminus colony? (Trust me, I ought to know - I was there for the duration)


Aaaand wrong again, rock lizard. The Republics rolled out in force after the Cerbies attacked the Citadel. Probs why we lost Thessia, point of fact - once we moved our heavy assets it was like rolling out the red carpet for the squid.