Tanaab, Zeemacht Cluster
Y23, D320

In a quiet ceremony amongst the palace gardens of Camp Gunray, the Viceroy’s official residence on Taanab, Jacob Jansen announced his retirement. Attended by dignitaries, officials, and members of the Federation, the Cabinet invested Salamku Derov as the eleventh Viceroy of the Trade Federation on behalf of Viceroy Jansen.
While previous ceremonies of this sort have been marked with loud, patriotic celebrations in the capital Forsetti across the bay, the mood at Camp Gunray was light and cordial. In both their short remarks, Viceroys Jansen and Derov acknowledged the sense of de ja vu they felt. Two year’s previous Viceroy Derov had first succeeded Jansen before his health prompted him to resign, leading Viceroy Jansen to take on the role for an unprecedented third time.

At an address overlooked by the monuments to his predecessors, Jansen also reflected on the support he had received throughout his reign from his closest advisors in the Cabinet to the personal ties he had forged with leaders from across the galaxy. “Both,” he said, “have brought the success and prosperity which characterizes the Federation today.” Viceroy Jansen went on to pay special tributes to key people he had worked with across his reign, and who he credited with helping to shape the Federation and drive its success to this day: Centauri Tyridius, Bub`ba Lou, Olwin Froon and Nohv Schiller.

“I am sure that I speak for us here,” he continued, “when I also give thanks to the hundreds of sentients over the years who have worked ceaselessly in building our Federation and seeing to its success.” It is, I think, to them, that we can thank for the relative stability which we have enjoyed over the years, and for our successes to come!”
When asked about how he felt accepting the role for a second time, Viceroy Derov commented wryly that he was happy for “historians to judge whether I’m the Federation ninth or its eleventh Viceroy; I just hope that I’m not also it’s twelfth or its thirteenth.” Official celebrations of the transition are slated to begin later in the week throughout Trade Federation space.
The modest trappings of the ceremony, however, did little to downplay the significance of the occasion: for many across the galaxy, Viceroy Jansen is the Trade Federation, and for many others who the Federation has worked with, the face of stability and progress in an otherwise turbulent era.

Jacob Jansen has served as Viceroy three times over thirteen years and transformed the Trade Federation from a minor power to one of the galaxy’s superpowers. This began in Year 9, shortly after his accession, when Jansen ended war with the Galactic Empire and paved the way for joining the First Imperial Union; at the same time, he pioneered relations with the Hapes Consortium and oversaw the Nehsig Accords in Year 11, to this date both governments’ most comprehensive and long-standing alliance.
Viceroy Jansen would also lead the creation of the Galactic Concordiate in Year 14 with the Treaty of Forsett being signed at the Trade Federation capital; the largest neutral alliance ever founded, by former members of the Imperial Union who had left to prevent their citizens from being dragged into the Galactic Civil War. The Trade Federation left this alliance in Year 23 when the alliance’s direction no longer aligned with his vision for the Federation.

In Year 16 Navik Ikron, leader of The Avance Coalition, came to Viceroy Jansen proposing to join that government with the Federation. The move, based on the close diplomatic ties between the two leaders, sparked a cultural renaissance and diplomatic revolution for the Federation, the consequences of which continues to shape events. Politically, the Endor Pact was negotiated by the Viceroy in Year 19 to protect the former Avance space and promote regional stability. Joined by groups formerly aligned with Avance, and later expanded to include other major powers, its presence was felt when it intervened across the Western Reaches to stabilize the sector following its emergence onto the galactic scene.

Viceroy Derov commented on the principle of association which underpinned Viceroy Jansen’s diplomatic philosophy. “Despite the scale of these changes, the Trade Federation has never sought its aims by force alone or by force mainly. It is a testament to the principle of cooperation upheld by Viceroy Jansen that the number of allies, associates, partners, and friends the Federation has, is reflected in the personal relationships that Jansen built with their leaders over the years and has maintained even thirteen years on.”

As he resigns his position for a final time, Viceroy Jansen leaves a legacy of innovation, prosperity, and peace. When asked which of his accomplishments he wished best to be remembered for, Jansen answered that “if I have accomplished anything, I hope it was showing the galaxy what is possible when it focuses on making peace instead of waging war.” The outgoing Viceroy was asked several times about his plans for retirement. He declined to answer, only saying “Retiring to a beach somewhere is not for me,” before stepping into a Sheathipede shuttle and lifting off from the Viceregal retreat one final time.