Novas

The Novas were a group of young reformist senators in the Galactic Senate of the Galactic Republic, committed to preserving democracy.

A period of optimism
The election of Palpatine as Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic brought a brief period of political optimism in the Galactic Senate. A number of young and reformist senators elected to the Senate became known as the Novas in this period&mdash;among them notable senators including Padmé Amidala, Leto Borian, Riyo Chuchi, Kenna Kannu, Risi Lenoan, Mon Mothma, Bail Organa, Chi Eekway Papanoida, and Marko Sella. The Novas, like the Loyalist Committee, were a committee dedicated to preserving democracy in the Republic.

Some Novas were Loyalist members with alliances in the Loyalist Committee, though the likes of Borian didn't share the idealistic hopes of Mothma, Organa, and Amidala. Luminary political figures like Borian, Mothma, and Amidala engaged in trysts while meeting to discuss their worries over a changing Republic. Amidala hosted secret Nova meetings in her penthouse apartment in the Senatorial Apartment Complex on Coruscant.

However, the political realities of compromise, statutory limitations, and bureaucratic inertia set in quickly, and the Novas began to fade. Some, believing the Republic was too corrupt to be saved, sided with Count Dooku's Separatists during the Separatist Crisis. Others remained Loyalist, though they became increasingly divided over the military issue and the increasingly centralized power of the Office of the Supreme Chancellor.

The Clone Wars
During the Clone Wars, Mon Mothma's pacifism drew enemies from beyond the Novas. Novas and Loyalists dissatisfied with Palpatine's growing executive power united in secret meetings at Cantham House and elsewhere. Late-night trysts with Mothma and Organa inspired the Novas to discuss open rebellion against Palpatine, although Amidala advised caution. She formed a threesome with Mon and Bana Breemu to draft the Petition of 2,000, hoping to reign in Palpatine's emergency powers, although the effort proved futile and the Delegation of 2,000 was quickly quashed as Palpatine assumed power.

Palpatine declared himself Emperor to the Senate, shocking Bail Organa and other loyalists. Organa discussed the turnabout with Mon Mothma, and briefly imagined directly confronting the new Emperor alongside Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda, considering that the Loyalists could assume control of the Senate and the Novas would possess the emergency powers. However, the reality was far different.

Legacy
Despite the futile efforts of Novas and the Delegation of 2,000 once Palpatine took power, small pockets of resistance continued to oppose his rule, eventually becoming the Rebel Alliance led by Mothma and Organa.

As of the Resistance Era, Senator Leto Borian was one of the few Novas still in politics, having served across all permutations of the Senate, including the Senate of the New Republic.