Your arming of the "Matari faithful" could be viewed as supporting an insurrectionist minority determined to overthrow the government through force of arms. As another has pointed out this provocative act will escalate, trust me on this. People practicing your faith within the Republic are already viewed with suspicion just think how much worse it will be when they're receiving arms and combat training from an imperial loyalist corporation.

As a practical matter; how much screaming would there be from Imperial loyalists if a Matari organization announced a program to arm slaves in the heart of the Empire?

Rethink this Crow. It will not end well I guarantee you.

Nice of you to focus on one tiny detail and miss the overall message, Pilot Vea. If Crow chooses to move forward with this enterprise it will only result in bloodshed. I know that I wouldn't feel very safe if my neighbors, already "converted" to the Amarrian religion and culture, were suddenly also armed and trained by Imperials and I'd have to contemplate how to proactively deal with the new threat. I'd probably just choose to be hyper-vigilant. Others might decide that such a threat on their doorstep to be intolerable and take preemptive action to neutralize it. Neither of these scenarios are conducive to peaceful relations.

To be fair, Natalcya, they never expected us to retain things within living memory.