The Morsian Senate was the main legislative body of the Morsian Empire and had been the ruling government body over various incarnations of the existence of the Morsian state. The Senate was comprised of senators who represented all interests of the Morsian state, typically representing provinces, cities, or planets within the Morsian Empire.
The Senate came into formation early within the existence of the Morsian Kingdom, where it took on a minor role in government affairs while the King took most of the power. However, the Senate became the full ruling party during the First Morsian Republic, after the conclusion of the Third Morsian Civil War. The First Republic fell after roughly a hundred years and following the conclusion of the Fourth Morsian Civil War, the Second Morsian Republic had a short, troubled life before it collapsed into the far more successful Third Morsian Republic.
The Senate dwindled in power following the Sixth Morsian Civil War when the New Morsian Kingdom overthrew the Republic and enacted a dictatorship, severely limiting the power of the Senate. However, the Senate prevailed and following the Seventh Morsian Civil War, the Fourth Morsian Republic was formed. The Fourth Republic was highly successful for over a hundred years before it collapsed into various warring states, and the Senate was in danger of being overrun and potentially dissolved.
However, the fascist Morsian State unified the realm and kept the Senate around in a highly limited state, not completely dissolved but bearing little power. This lasted only twenty years before an uprising occurred in the form of the Ninth Morsian Civil War, when the Fifth Morsian Republic was birthed.
The Fifth Republic was the most successful one, conquering much land in the name of the Morsian people and keeping a firm grip on the stability of the state, lasting far longer than any of the previous republics. This changed, however, with the Tenth Morsian Civil War, when the Fifth Republic was overthrown by the communist Morsian People's Union, and the Senate was once again highly limited in their power. The following Twelfth Morsian Civil War established the Sixth Morsian Republic, but it was eventually overthrown by the Morsian Empire, which kept the Senate around with moderate power, though overseen by the emperor.
Under the Morsian Empire, the Senate enjoyed moderate power, capable of debating and making decisions on their own, however needing to be signed off by the emperor before they could be properly enacted. Nevertheless, the Senate was still quite powerful and gave a semblance of democracy to the people and senators, keeping them in line.
History[]
Formation[]
The Morsian Senate originally formed in the Morsian Kingdom, where the then-king Pompinius Seq'arr II decided that delegating some of the administrative roles to some of the more powerful families in the realm would free him up for more royal duties. Under his reign, the Senate was first formed, with a small pool of knowledgeable and powerful members of society who came together to discuss issues that the king identified for them. The Senate would debate the topics, come to a decision, then pass it on to the king to ultimately decide if the vote would pass. The Senate was small and crude by later standards, however it served its purpose in freeing up time for the king to do other duties.
First Morsian Civil War[]
When the Morsian Kingdom fell with no heir to the crown due to assassinations of the royal family, the Senate took temporary control while a regent party formed to find a new king for the state. However, this allowed some of the more ambitious senators to break away, attempting to take over for themselves. Three different senators raised militias and began fighting across the land, starting the First Morsian Civil War. These three senators, Caesar Jular'ius, Marius Prat'orus and Veparius Lar'us, fought each other with mercenaries and militias, until the Morsian 1st Legion eventually fought to the capital. Marius had previously taken control of the capital and held the Senate at sword point to swear him in as the new king. However, when the legion arrived, the Senate willingly let them in and surrendered to its commander, Gaius Rutil'iar.
Life under the Morsian Military Dictatorship[]
The Senate enjoyed life under the Morsian Military Dictatorship much as it did under the Kingdom, where they undertook a largely administrative role to allow the dictator to focus on other things. Instead of reporting to the king, they reported to the dictator, and due to their willingness to side with the legion in the civil war, the Senate was not punished, allowing it to continue its job and slowly expand with more senators, as the number of settlements under the dictatorship grew. Senators, however, could still get very powerful within the Senate and attract a large number of followers. This power would only grow if the Senator served in a military role and especially if they fought in a war or conflict to win fame and reputation. It was partly this power and also partly foul play that led to the Senate fighting to break free of the dictatorship in the Third Morsian Civil War, eventually winning and taking control of the nation for themselves.
Political factions[]
Following the formation of the Morsian Empire, the Morsian Senate was initially formed of senators who supported the rise of the emperor and the formation of a new monarchy to lead the nation. However, as time went on and the nation settled down, the senate began to split into different political parties and factions. These factions all had political aims they wanted to achieve, be it changing a specific policy, getting borders redrawn or even changing the political party entirely into something different, away from the monarchy.
Respublica Morsiana partium[]
Respublica Morsiana, or the "Morsian Republic party", was a political party intent of dissolving the empire and monarchy and instead forming a new Morsian republic, which would be called the Seventh Morsian Republic. During the early existence of the monarchy, any such parties were banned, as it was feared that these parties may gain traction and result in a new civil war which would not have been easily won by the fledgling empire and emperor.
However, after the state settled down and the authority of the emperor was cemented, the political sphere was opened up and parties such as this were allowed to be formed. The party dedicated to the restoration of a republic had consistent membership at a low level, and there were always mutterings of doing away with the monarchy within the Senate, however these never gained much traction. Members of the party were usually referred to as "Republicans".
Mors Primis partium[]
Mors Primis, or the "Mors First party", was a nationalistic party whose agenda was mainly focused on a Mors-centric view, especially with regards to the wider galaxy. Many of the original members of the party supported the rise of the emperor, with several fighting against the Sixth Republic in the civil war. Following the victory of the empire over the republic, several senators formed the basis of a new government, and the Mors First party was one of the only factions allowed to exist in the senate during that time.
The party lost members over the years; however, it was also one of the most fluctuating parties when it came to membership figures within the Senate. It saw large influxes mostly during the turbulent times for the empire in galactic affairs, such as when the Morsian Empire first left the Galactic Republic, or when they declared war on the Galactic Empire, prior to which membership had been steadily increasing.
Due to their nationalistic views, members were usually labelled as warmongers or ultra-nationalists, and so arguments usually broke out between members wanting war and those of other parties who favored a more diplomatic approach. Members were usually referred to as "Nationalists", "Fascists" or some other term.
Respublica Communistica partium[]
Respublica Communistica partium, or the "Communist Republic party", was a party dedicated to tearing down the monarchy and establishing a socialist communist regime in its place. Over their history, the Morsian people had been under a communist party several times with varying success. This party aimed to remove the monarchy and any capitalists and aristocrats left on Mors and instead expand the Senate to serve the people of Mors and their needs, distributing wealth and resources across the entire realm.
In addition, the party aimed to install a communist regime in every protectorate nation and create a galactic union rather than an empire. This party was one of the youngest ones in the Senate due to the harsh crackdown on opposing regimes to the emperor and monarchy. Due to the nature of the communist party, there was a strict ban on it until very late after the state was settled and firmly in control of the emperor. Membership and representation in the Senate was consistently low due to many of the senators either coming from aristocratic families or being wealthy themselves, which the party aimed to get rid of. Members were usually referred to as "Communists".
Monarchia Morsiana partium[]
Monarchia Morsiana, or the "Morsian Monarchist party", was a party dedicated to keeping Mors a monarchy. They supported the royal house, or in the case of the empire, the imperial house, and generally backed most everything the emperor did. The party was one of the original few allowed in the Senate following the civil war, formed of either die-hard senators who supported the emperor or others who fought alongside the emperor against the republic. Due to this, it was the largest political party and consistently had the highest number of members throughout the millennia.
The party dedicated itself to passing laws that the emperor made, as well as generally backing the emperor and showing support whenever they could, to ensure that the public image remained high and that the populace remained stable and content in having an emperor, to try and avoid a potential civil war. Members were usually referred to as "Monarchists".
Lorem Mors partium[]
Lorem Mors, or the "Independent Mors party", was a party that aimed to break apart the empire and focus solely on Mors. This wasn't their entire agenda; however, it was a large part of it. The party aimed to keep Mors independent of any larger group, be it something like the Galactic Republic or something like the galactic part of the Morsian Empire. As such, it constantly pushed for independence for the protectorate nations and planets as a whole, as well as keeping Mors out of wider galactic affairs as much as possible.
Since the Morsians did not know of life outside their own planet until 10,000 BBY, the party formed far later than most other political parties due to not having a need for it. It was only after the Morsians first joined the Galactic Republic in 9,000 BBY that the beginnings of the party were formed. It gained more members as the Morsians began to establish the protectorate nations and attempt to establish a larger galactic presence. Members were usually referred to as "Autonomists".
Mechanica Motus partium[]
Mechanica Motus, or the "Mechanical Movement party", aimed to industrialize Mors and the wider empire with automation, mostly based around using droids and robots. The Morsians were considered by many to be backwards in their views on industrialization, where nearly everything was still done by hand or operated machinery. This party aimed to remove the widespread perceived phobia of automation and droids and instead introduce them to Morsian society, with one of the big pushes by the party being that droids can do more precise work quicker. They also focused on worker welfare, often stating that droids and automated facilities would prevent unnecessary injuries.
The party was one of the later starts due to the Morsians not learning about droids or widespread AI industrialization until after their discovery by the rest of the galaxy. As a result, the party struggled to find traction in the Senate with regards to getting members. However, the party continued to slowly increase in number of members and supporters in the Senate, though many still opposed their views. Members were usually referred to as "Mechanists" or "Industrialists".
Ita! Nova Respublica partium[]
Ita! Nova Respublica, or the "Yes! New Republic party", was a continuation of an earlier party which had dissolved over twenty years prior to its existence. The old party focused on attempting to get the Morsian Empire to rejoin the Galactic Republic. However, said party was dissolved when the Republic fell to the Galactic Empire. When the Morsians subsequently joined the New Republic, old senators were satisfied in joining a continuation of the Republic. This changed, however, when the Morsian Empire left the New Republic in 15 ABY, so the party reformed under a similar name and with the similar goal of getting the Morsian Empire back into the larger Republic.
It came under far greater opposition, however, due to the poor view held by the Morsians about the New Republic, especially in its ability to defend itself and its many pacifist laws. As such, membership was lower than that of the previous party, which was partly due to how soon it formed after the split, which left a bitter taste in the mouth of most senators. The party did not stop, however, and saw a minor increase in members in the Senate when the First Order became known in the galaxy, with its largest membership numbers occurring during 34 ABY, when the First Order publicly attacked the New Republic. Members were usually referred to as "New Republicanites" or just "Republicanites".
Former political parties[]
Various factions came and went in the Senate during its life, usually as ideologies and events occurred, resulting in a party massively losing support to the point of being unsustainable or due to the cause the party supported no longer existing.
Ita! Respublica Galactica partium[]
Ita! Respublica Galactica, or the "Yes! Galactic Republic party", was a party which existed in the timespan between the Morsians leaving the Galactic Republic in roughly 3,500 BBY to the dissolution of it at the end of the Clone Wars in 19 BBY. The party aimed to improve the soured relations between the Morsians and Republic, with the ultimate aim of getting the Morsian Empire back into the Republic. Initially, the party had large support and membership as, despite the worsening relations, many senators still felt that the Republic was beneficial to the Morsians.
The party lost support as it was realized that the Republic had no intention of improving relations with the Morsian Empire to bring them back into the Republic. After that, the party only saw moderate representation and interest, though that was until the waning years of the Republic. With war brewing, the Republic sought to finally improve relations again with the Morsian Empire, even if only for their military. Even so, it resulted in a large rise in popularity with the party which gained members at a steady rate.
In the final few years of the Clone Wars, the party saw its largest membership numbers since it was founded, and within the Senate it nearly achieved its aim of joining back into the Republic. However, with the end of the Clone Wars and dissolution of the Galactic Republic, the party no longer had purpose as the Republic ceased to exist. Nearly overnight, the party was dissolved.
Upon the defeat of the Galactic Empire, the Morsian Empire rejoined the Republic in its new form, the New Republic. This satisfied those senators who wanted to rejoin the Republic initially, so the party remained dissolved. However, following the Morsian exit from the New Republic in 15 ABY, the party was reformed under a new name, though with the same goals.
Imperium ad Imperium partium[]
Imperium ad Imperium, or the "Empire to Empire party", was a party which existed between roughly 18 BBY and 0 ABY, which insisted that the Galactic Empire was the legitimate successor state to the Galactic Republic following its downfall at the end of the Clone Wars. The party sought to end the divide in the Senate by getting a majority of the senators to subscribe to their idea of a legitimate Galactic Empire successor to the Republic. In the roughly twenty years of the party's existence, it grew to be one of the two largest "umbrella" factions in the senate, attracting senators from many different native parties who also viewed the Empire as a legitimate successor.
The main opposition to the party was the informally named anti-imperial counter party, which was also called the pro-Republic party, which was mostly the opposite of the Empire to Empire party. Where this party sought to see the Empire as legitimate and have the Morsian Empire establish friendly relations and even an alliance with the Empire, the counter party sought to have the Morsian Empire cut ties with the Empire and the ultimate aim of gathering allies across the galaxy to wage war on the Empire and restore the Republic.
While this party became one of the largest "umbrella" parties in the Senate, it was unable to establish a majority vote and membership mostly due to the Galactic Empire itself. Over the period of time between the end of the Clone Wars and the Morsians ultimately declaring war on the Empire, the Galactic Empire was undergoing a vicious and extensive proxy war with the Morsians, which consisted mainly of spying, sabotage and occasional military stand-offs. This hostile behavior from the Empire resulted in many senators backing the side of the pro-Republic "umbrella" party, and thus keeping the Senate divided.
The ultimate end of the party came in the last few years of its existence. An increase of tensions between the Morsians and the Empire saw membership drop, and when the Empire established colonies and bases near to the borders of the Morsian Empire, this membership only dropped further. In its last year, the Rebel Alliance began making larger and larger campaigns against the Empire which resulted in more senators being swayed to declaring war on the Empire. When the Death Star was destroyed in 0 ABY, nearly all the senators in this party were convinced to declaring war on the Empire, and when the Morsians did, it rendered the party defunct.
Revertere ad Respublica partium[]
Revertere ad Respublica, or the "Back the Republic party", was a party which existed between roughly 18 BBY and 0 ABY, which insisted that the Galactic Empire was an illegitimate successor state to the Galactic Republic following its downfall at the end of the Clone Wars. The party sought to end the divide in the Senate by getting a majority of the senators to subscribe to their idea of the Empire being the illegitimate successor to the Galactic Republic. In the roughly twenty years of the party's existence, it grew to be one of the two largest "umbrella" factions in the senate, attracting senators from many different native parties who also viewed the Empire as an illegitimate successor state.
The main opposition to the party was the informally named pro-empire, or pro-imperial, party, which had opposite ideals. Where this party wished for the Morsian Empire to cut ties and ultimately declare war on the Empire with the aim of restoring the Republic, the opposing "umbrella" party wanted a far closer, friendlier, relationship with the Empire and a possible alliance.
While this party became one of the largest "umbrella" parties in the Senate, it was unable to establish a majority vote and membership due to several factors. The first was the perceived military might of the Galactic Empire, which was deemed far too large for a successful war fought by just the Morsian Empire alone. While damage would be dealt to the forces of the Empire, it was viewed as unwinnable by just the Morsians alone. This lack of galactic allies against the Empire was another reason why senators were skeptical of backing this party. However, membership numbers were kept up by, ironically, the Galactic Empire itself which was waging a heavy proxy war against the Morsian Empire in the form of spying and sabotage attempts, which swayed enough senators over to this party to keep the Senate divided.
The party ultimately succeeded in its goals in the last few years of its existence, when the Empire began increasing its efforts to win the proxy war as well as encroaching on Morsian borders with colonies and bases. Its military was also viewed as getting weaker due to an increase in successful rebel activities damaging and destroying Imperial equipment and bases. With an open rebellion brewing and eventually breaking out, large numbers of senators decided to come to this party which began swaying the Senate in its favor. The final hammer blow came with the destruction of the Death Star, at which point a vast majority of the senators decided that it was time for the Morsian Empire to go to war and restore the Republic. With a declaration of war in 0 ABY, the party achieved its goals and was disbanded, its purpose served.
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