Fictitious had never quite grown accustomed to speaking in the Senate. His speeches on the debate over the Tribunes had indeed made him feel more cinfident but never quite at ease, as so many of the distinguished Senators looked. Nevertheless, he organised his toga to the best of his ability and stood silently waiting to be heard.

"Senators. Roma has almost met her fate with ships in the Mare Nostrum before. The punic wars which almost brought us to our knees were only achieved by a victory set in motion by our victories at sea. Will be desert our fine heritage and history by forsaking our Mare Nostrum today?"

he gulped and licked the sweat forming over his top lip

"We owe it to our brothers whose skeletens lie beneath the sea to defend our Mare Nostrum. It is Roma's back garden, and we cannot allow rebellious youths of the neighbourhood to run amock through it. Therefore I feel none of us can honourably disagree with the fact that the threat of pirates is to great and that something must be done. But I can see on the faces of some of you that this SC is not a paletable option. Well what would you rather do? Would you rather we simply turf the scurillous youths out of Roma's garden? or would you rather give them a proper punishment that makes sure they do not return? I think the answer is clear to all of us that this menace must be swept from our waves to never return"

Fictitious walked to Gallus, which although relatively easy due to the ever decreasing distance as to where they sat in the Senate, Fictitious still seemed a little at ease as he moved passed other members of the house.

"Gallus here has previously proposed a lex that ensures our ships are equipped with the finest and greatest sea weapons of the known world. For those of you lucky enough to have dined with the Tribune...and indeed new Master Collegia, you will know that he has expensive tastes!"
this caused some chuckles from the crowd, and one or two even mentioned a certain pricy sows udder dish that he was rumoured to have served once.
"This extends through to his motions in the Senate house, and the weapons our ships are being equipped with were indeed pricy. But they are the best. But would we let these Sows udders sit idly on the plates? Or would we eat them and enjoy them for the purpose they are intended. I can tell by looking at some of you ...*and he pointed at some of the more rotund Senators*.. that you would surely eat!"

*some more laughter erupted, and the Consul with his ever growing size brought some of this humour himself*

"The same extends once again to the Gallus motion today. If we have such expensive and glorious new sea weapons, why should we not put them to good use? We should use them for the purpose they are intended and to protect our waters, to free us of the pirate curse that spreads across it, and to show all other would be ticks, that this Romulus is far from palliative, and has more than enough strength to protect itself!"

Applause, for the first time in Fictitious career began to (at first reluctantly) ripple through the house, and Gallus himself even stood up and gripped him in a handshake.