Suj Kossi

Suj Kossi (b.2900) is a Senator for Jalan (Elysium III), United Empire of Earth (UEE). Kossi began his political career after his honorable discharge from the UEE Navy, where he received a Medal of Valor for his service during a dangerous repair mission under fire from the Vanduul. After a race against Gabrielle Gracián and Sakae Marigold, he became the first Tevarin to be elected to the office of Senator in 2946. He was re-elected in 2951. He is a member of the Universalist party.

History
EARLY LIFE

Kossi was the second youngest child of six children, born in 2900 to Sei Kossi and Qy Rusfa in the hills outside Gemma, Jalan. His parents and extended family, who shared Kossi's home, were career criminals who primarily targeted and robbed homes, outposts, or other potentially profitable locations. From the time he was ten, he joined his family on low-risk raids, eventually taking on more dangerous tasks after he turned fifteen. In 2919, a raid on a water farm outside Nedila erupted in violence, and Kossi's eldest sister Fef Rusfa was killed in the firefight, alongside all three of the farmers who had tried to defend their home. In the aftermath, Kossi and his surviving family members learned that all of the farm's equipment was broken, and there was nothing worth stealing. Overcome with a feeling that his sister had died for nothing and he'd wasted his life, Kossi ran away from his family and enlisted in the UEE Army.

MILITARY CAREER

For six years, Kossi served with distinction, reaching the rank of Sergeant in 2925. He was selected soon after for a transfer to the Navy for flight training. As a pilot, he ran sensor repair missions until 2928, when a surprise Vanduul raid interrupted what should have been a routine mission in the Oberon system. Kossi used his ship to shield three technicians under his command from ongoing enemy fire, saving their lives at the cost of sustaining grievous injuries. He spent the next sixteen months in an intensive care unit. Though he recovered, long-term effects from his injuries ended his military career. Kossi was awarded Citizenship, the Medal of Valor, and an honorable discharge for his service. Since his discharge in 2928, he remains an active Naval Reservist.

POLITICAL CAREER

Kossi moved to an apartment owned by Ustiel Housing Development, a small corporation that owned and managed a handful of low to middle-income habitations around Gemma. After his neighbors suffered a series of unjust evictions after weeks of intimidation tactics from their building manager, he conducted some research and noticed that this pattern occurred across all properties owned by Ustiel stretching back 15 years. Kossi responded by organizing a class-action lawsuit that eventually resulted in a criminal inquiry.

In 2933, Kossi ran for a position on the Gemma city council, which he lost. Undeterred, he ran again in 2937 and was elected based on a platform of ensuring housing equality. He began to appear on local news programs as an advocate for renters and a de facto spokesperson for Tevarin, a role which earned him some criticism from the Tevarin community. In 2944 he decided to participate in elections to the UEE Senate and began his campaign. After successfully enacting a rent-control ordinance in 2944 during his second term, Kossi announced his intention to run as Senator on the Universalist ticket.

In 2946, he temporarily suspended his campaign for a week following the Battle for Vega II to report for duty with the Naval Reserves. He won the 2946 elections. Analysts believe that this action pushed his poll numbers high enough to ensure his successful election at the end of the year.

Since taking office, Kossi co-authored several important pieces of legislation, sat on the Subcommittee on the Interior, led outreach programs to raise the Tevarin vote, and became a regular guest on popular spectrum news programs. He is a strong supporter of loosening current Citizenship requirements and expanding enfranchisement across the UEE.

After Laylani Addison became Imperator in 2950, he worked with her to draft legislation that would create programs to incentivize Tevarin involvement in the public sector. He was re-elected in 2951. Koto Dodson of the Terra Gazette has speculated that Kossi will run for Imperator in 2960, a rumor that the Universalist party has neither confirmed nor denied.