Senate Hall

Summary

Description of the Senate Hall, the meeting place of the Imperial Senate. Written by Senator Nicholas of Rendili.

Description of the Senate Hall

The Imperial Senate of the Emperor's Hammer has its headquarters in the Imperial capital planet of Aurora Prime. The Imperial Senate building itself is based in the heart of New Imperial City. A visitor coming from another world will see a view not unlike the surface of Coruscant. When they take their first look on New Imperial City, they will see a buzzing, sprawling Metropolis, thriving with life and activity. As they land at Palpatine Memorial Spaceport they will see the city at ground level, with its imposing skyscrapers rising up to the edge of the Stratosphere. As you walk past the High Court of Inquisitors and the shimmering spires of Fleet Command, you will find yourself looking at the gleaming Senate building, workplace of some of the finest and most capable politicians in the galaxy.

The building itself is a huge marvel of Imperial engineering. The high Gothic towers and spires of the various wings of the building rise up towards the central core of the Senate. The building is in the shape of four symmetrically placed towers, where the majority of the Senatorial and staff offices are, that all lead to a large, cylindrically shaped central core. This is where committee rooms, high council offices, meeting halls and other commodities such as landing pads and living quarters are. All these together surround the massive Senate Chamber, in the center of the building, by far the largest room here.

As you walk up to the entrance of the Senate, you will notice the throng of people milling around outside. These are a mixture of senators, staff officers and citizens who wish to petition the senators or view the proceedings in the public gallery. As you enter the main building you will find yourself in the main foyer area of the building. Here you will find senate guards and senate staff officers on hand to discover any business for senators from the public or to be around to assist the senators in their duties, as well as managing the security arrangements of people coming in and out, as no weapons are allowed in the Senate building. Various turbolifts are dotted around the lofty foyer. There are always senators going in and out of the building to attend their business.

As you ride the turbolifts you will eventually discover the four outlying wings of the building. In these hold the offices and chambers of the ordinary senators. These rooms are spacious, comfortable and provide the perfect set-up for a working environment. The wide windows provide panning views of the City. These offices are designed to help the senators go about the daily activities easily and in comfort. These offices have space enough for beds and rest facilities, should the senator wish to rest or be too busy to travel home.

More space is taken up by staff offices, where the staff officers assist the senators in their workload and help them with any requests or problems they have. There are also small meeting chambers within these wings, where business inappropriate for the main chamber is discussed. There are also social rooms and recreation facilities found here, where senators can gather in an informal atmosphere to discuss issues of the day. A few bars and cantinas are to be found in the building, as well recreation arcades and a small holo-theatre.

The main activity, however, goes on within the central core of the building. A senator will walk from his offices to the main chambers by walking along the observation walkways, made of solid transparisteel toward the core complex. Surrounding the main chamber are rings of offices, used by high- ranking staff and senate officials. Here the everyday running of the senate takes place. The highest level is dominated by the chambers and offices of the Chancellor of the Senate. The Chancellor is the leader and main speaker of the Senate. S/he will go about managing and overseeing the administrative and diplomatic side of affairs, often assisted by the Deputy Chancellor when the Senate is not sitting in session. It will be the Deputy Chancellor who takes the chair when the Chancellor is unavailable.

Around the rest of the 'Central Ring' as it is called are the officers and quarters of other High Council members who help organize and run the Senate, as well as advising the Supreme Chancellor and other senators on political matters. The committee rooms where the Senatorial Committees meet are also to be found in the Central Ring. As you approach the center of the wing you will notice the Grand Corridor which leads to the heart of the Senate - The senate Chamber itself.

The Grand Corridor is a profound work of art. The gilded panels if the infinitely high walls are enough to dumbfound new senators as they enter the chamber complex for the first time. The walls are lined with statues of heroes of the Empire and the Emperor's Hammer, men and women who have earned their place in history are honored here. No one who isn't a member of the Imperial Senate is allowed through the entrance of the Grand Corridor without special permission. Citizens may observe the Senate in session from the various public galleries that are in the main chamber.

The Grand Corridor comes to an end and you reach the Main Hall of the Senate chamber. Here senators will mingle with each other before and after Senate sessions. There are seating areas and tables for discussion or the chance to catch up on some last minute paperwork. The Senate sits regularly, once a week for main meetings, which all senators are encouraged to attend, and various times throughout the week to allow various debates, petitions and votes to take place.

As time for sitting comes the senators all file into their various turbolifts to reach their podiums, where they sit in the session. The Senate Chamber is the largest room in the building and this is where the Senate conducts its business as a whole. Surmounted on the roof of the Chamber is a huge, multi- faceted glass crystalline dome, which shimmers in the light of the Auroran Sun on a clear day. The chamber is a huge round room, dimly lit with dark walls. Each senator has his/her own podium, all placed against the wall and all equipped with small repulsorlift motors so that they move into the center of this vast room to address the Supreme Chancellor or to address the Senate as a whole on what is ironically called 'The Senate Floor'. The Chancellor acts as speaker of the Senate and he sits on a plinth in the center of the room, sometimes with the Deputy Chancellor and the Security Councillor to maintain order during heated Senate discussions. There are public viewing galleries around the walls as well as VIP boxes around the edge for any high ranking EH officials that wish to be there. Any senator can petition the Chancellor or his staff with matters facing the Senate by placing a data notice in the petition box next to the Chancellors podium before proceedings start. Depending on the matters that address them, the Senate usually sits for a couple of hours. It can be less or much more than that.

Atop the dome of the Senate Chamber is the High Council tower. This is the place where the High Council discusses matters facing the Senate before they may be put to the senators. This is where a number of out of the way meetings are held about secret matters to do with the Government. This is probably the most high security place in the building.

On top of each of the four towers is a small landing pad to service the needs of the senators. This is where many of the skyspeeders drop of senators ready for their meetings. There are hangers beneath these to house any senatorial luxury yachts that the senators travel in.

Being a diplomatic building, the Senate doesn't have any outside defenses as such. The ever-present Senate guards are on hand to protect senators from sabotage or terrorist attack. The Senate also relies on the elite troopers of the Hammer's Fist to deal with such events. With Aurora Prime being virtually impregnable to outside attack due to the sterling efforts of the Imperial Navy and the Dark Brotherhood, the Senate considers itself in good hands when its comes to the security of its members.

The Senate building was designed to help the Senate in every way possible to assist the Emperor's Hammer to its full capacity. It excels at this and will continue to do so far into the future, in service of the Empire.