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The programme begins with a quick panoramic view of the main hall of the Abbayor Senate, with hundreds of costumed aliens in their seats and blue-clad soldiers among them maintaining order within the building. It's hard to tell the reactions the people seated have from such a distance, and there isn't much time to wonder anyway, as the camera soon focuses and zooms in on one familiar Frost Demon in particular.

Lieutenant Polaris is standing on the wide red podium with his hands behind his back, waiting for things to settle. He looks fairly battered and wounded, but despite that, he was the happiest he had ever been in his life. Not that anyone could tell. The Frost Demon was good at hiding his emotions from others.

"I speak to you today with grave news," Polaris begins his speech. "An hour ago, me and the Galactic King were attacked by a mutant Frost Demon in the Palace - the attacker's identity is unknown, but all knowledge points to it have merely been a puppet of an unknown conspirator. While investigations are still going on, all signs point to this being the work of the Saiyan Dominion - this can be extrapolated from a parallel Saiyan strike on the Abbayor Telecommunications Center, as well as the Dominion's belligerence and opposition to peace in the galaxy, upheld by the Galactic Patrol. I fought against the attacker to the best of my ability, but, unfortunately, the creature self-destructed, destroying itself and the Galactic King in the process. The galaxy's condolences travel to the King's family and the entirety of the Patrol - the King was an exemplary defender of peace in the galaxy for over a thousand years, having successfully warded off Frieza's Planet Trade Organization and, more recently, prevented an escalation of the Saiyan War. Those were the grave news."

Polaris paused here for a second, taking a quick breath - not that he really needed to breathe anyway, being a Frost Demon and all - and continued:

"Onto more pressing matters. Knowing the state of emergency the Galactic Patrol has been put into quite literally overnight, the Galactic King expressed his dying will to see me, Lieutenant Polaris, as the temporary supreme commander of the Galactic Patrol until this crisis can be resolved. With a heavy heart, I accept the responsibility, and shall wield the power of the position of Galactic King there forth. Now, building on that..."

Polaris pulls out a tome of Galactic Law, quite a hefty book on its own, and opens a page he had bookmarked earlier.

“Following the amendment 315e of Basic Galactic Law, page 225, the Galactic King is able to request emergency powers from the Senate in times of crisis, allowing him or her to exercise greater executive and legislative power for the duration of the crisis, including an unlimited power of veto and release of executive orders to bypass the need for the legislature, with a ⅔ vote of approval of the Senate. The power of this amendment was put into effect only once, during the reign of Frieza, and the direness of the current situation requires this amendment to be put into place again. I request the casting of votes to begin now.”

The programme shows a few second of the senators pressing buttons on their tables to vote, before it cuts and points to the screen above Polaris and the podium, detailing the result - 1397 for, 0 against, 0 abstain. Odd, there used to be 1500 senators when the voting started...

Polaris gives a faint smile after the voting is finished, then closes the tome of Galactic Law, pushes it to the side and takes out a few already signed papers, each one detailing an executive order of the new administration.

“To ensure the stability and loyalty of the Galactic Patrol to its leadership, I have prepared a number of important documents to set the changes I wish to see in the organization. Today, the main issues that strangle us are: the undisciplined, paramilitary, volunteer corps nature of the Patrol; and the myriads upon myriads of traitors and spies present within our ranks. The Galactic King’s vision of the Galactic Patrol as a volunteer paramilitary, patrolling the galaxy like comic book heroes, is admirable, but we have reached a point in galactic history where our enemies are no longer loose pirates or brigands, but organized, powerful ki-wielding empires seeking galactic domination. Long needed reforms are in order.”

Polaris pulls out the first of the papers, then lines up the others on the table for easy reading.

“Executive Order 51 declares the beginning of Galactic Patrol oversight over the communications and public speech of its constituent planets. A newly organized Information Warfare Division shall combat enemy propaganda, defeatism and traitorous misinformation which plagues our current society. Censorship shall be placed on the Galactic Hypernet and a blacklist of sites and networks will soon be released for all Hypernet companies to follow and adopt.”

“Executive Order 56 declares that from now on, the Galactic Patrol shall be commanded from the planet of Mitra, rather than Abbayor, to ensure the safety of the government.”

“Executive Order 66 declares that from now on, the Ultramarine Organization, a Patrol-aligned private military force led by Polaris, is adopted as an official and central part of the Galactic Patrol. Its primary objectives shall be: secure the stability and borders of the Galactic Patrol; oversee the execution of Order 51; protect the government of the Galactic Patrol and execute its will; and begin the eradication of traitorous and infiltrative elements within the Patrol. This order shall also declare all individuals and organizations labelled as traitorous or infiltrative to be automatically beyond Galactic Law, and thus targeted with authorization of lethal force. A list of such traitors and spies shall be released and updated every day.”

“Executive Order 71 shall reorganize the political system of the Galactic Patrol. The position of Galactic King shall be, from now on, reorganized into that of the Galactic Emperor - a person holding this position shall serve as the supreme ruler of the organization, holding all legislative, executive and judiciary power. To ensure stability and justice, their executive orders and actions are not required to follow Galactic Law, nor the will of the Senate, which, while it still shall be able to propose and vote for laws, will have to face the possibility of a free and unlimited Imperial veto. All planets under the jurisdiction of the former Galactic Patrol are now, de jure, integrated into the nation henceforth known as the First Galactic Empire, and the Ultramarines shall be sent down to ensure that this transition of power is as smooth as possible. All members of the former Galactic Patrol who do not fall into the category of traitors are welcomed to join the First Galactic Empire, for it stands in favor of the same values - peace, prosperity and stability. For this peace, prosperity and stability, the Patrol has been reorganized into the First Galactic Empire!”

The programme cuts to wild applause from the Senate, congratulating the executive orders set to ensure the stability and unity of the Galaxy in the face of this crisis.

On this day, Polaris loved democracy.

<< End newscast. >>