In an open letter to the independent news company that ran the interview:
Dear NSN, your recent media coverage has seemed biased against my house. Our lab, now decommissioned for fraud, only ran DNA tests after Saladin had accused us of being a merchant guild. Is such an accusation unfit for a noble? Surely the honorable Ibn Palazzo mentioned this in his interview, so why did you leave it out? I know when reporting news you seek sensationalism, but we hope for more balance in the future.
As for any false accusations about my house having an imperial attitude, perhaps you should interview Lord Kejardon or any Hawkwood official to see how the Li Halan are completely fair and considerate in valid, mutual, sensible negotiations. If one-hundred years had passed, and Saladin expressed interest in Artemis, what then? Must we negotiate? One thousand years perhaps? Why must we completely go out of our way to appease an interest that cannot be reasonably appeased?
After I had spent time, effort and resources on Artemis, what was there to negotiate? No noble or official has suggested any compromise or any possible negotiations to be had. Why have they not? Because simply put, they know there are none. Saladin did not offer any negotiations, he only offered harsh and rude words against my house. He is bitter that the planet's fate is a democratic and just one. Some are playing politics, perhaps to stir up support at home. This is understandable. However, it is unacceptable for the al-Malik to have any presence on the planet for obvious reasons.
As the planet was linked between three houses, two houses made a democratic decision that Saladin simply did not show up for, as surely it did not take him ten years to figure out its importance to the Li Halan and Hawkwood and that our negotiations for it began many years ago. Perhaps your reporters should speak with Saladin and ask why he lashed out against our house, unreasonably, and never showed any interest in Artemis to the Hawkwood or Li Halan over ten years, despite the fact the Hawkwood and Li Halan immediately began negotiations over several planets simultaneously. Surely a noble house of stature has the resources and diplomats to inform us of their interest at least once, in passing. Why did they wait until we had publicly made claim to it? What if he had never expressed interest? Why is it our responsibility to contact him over it when the will of two has always overruled the will of one?
Artemis, as should be well known by now, was originally to be under Hawkwood control. If it was still Hawkwood's, I would back them on their claim, as they back me on my claim. And is democracy not the way of our regency? Is it not the way of the pancreator? We elect our regent, so the Hawkwood and Li Halan elected to claim Artemis, and make this claim known. If negotiations were to begin, the Hawkwood and Li Halan could simply democratically overrule the al-Malik. Or is democracy not allowed in our galaxy? Most do not understand this situation because it is a unique one. This is not strictly a negotiation between the Li Halan and al-Malik. The control of Artemis affects the entire empires of the Hawkwood and Li Halan, and thus the way we split our empire is entirely dependent on it being in the hands of one of our houses. It would completely destabilize the situation between the Hawkwood and Li Halan, all for what, so that Saladin can make illegitimate claims to a world he expressed interest in last?
The losers of the regency cannot make a reasoned argument over not being negotiated with, especially if they sat in silence for ten years over the issue. Is this not the logical, ethical, reasonable, and noble stance to take? So often losers of elections and democratic decisions attempt to frustrate and antagonize, but we must look past this issue and to a more peaceful and stable future for all. Please, reconsider your coverage so that it is not edited in a slant against the Li Halan.
Sincerely, Gabrielle Li Halan