Visiting a Mentor (complete)

[Senator Thareena]

Thareena practically bustled up the corridor from her office, heading towards the suite of the Gall delegation. Senator Hesith had agreed to see her, although she had refused to tell him what this was about.

She was clutching two datapads, and was missing her entourage. That, along with the speed with which she was tackling the hallways, combined to create a truly different picture of the Chandrilan senator. She was usually a picture of calm serenity, having taken her cues from Mon Mothma, the charismatic leader of the Rebellion against the Empire, so many years ago.

Her white robes swished noisily until she came to a halt in the anteroom of Hesith's private office. Thareena smiled almost grimly at the graceful aide who greeted her. "I'm here to see Senator Hesith. He's expecting me."

[Alexi Hesith]

Hesith's secretary, Lanas, looked down at the appointment's log.

"Of course, Senator," she said smoothly. Her long fingered hand moved to the comn switch. "Excuse me, sir, Senator Thareena of Chandrilla has arrived."

The speaker of the comn unit was aligned so that only Lanas would hear the response. After a moment she clicked off. But she did not move to escort the guest to the door, as was the usual custom, instead she sat there in silence.

The doors behind her opened. Grey-haired and wrinkle faced Alexi Hesith appeared in the doorway.

"Fa'un, do come in," he said in slightly Gall-accented Basic.

[Senator Thareena]

Her smile only tightened as she waited for the doors to open, but when Alexi appeared in the doorway Thareena visibly relaxed. "Alexi, it is too kind of you to agree to meet with me on such short notice. I know the war in Bestine is keeping you up late at nights." She walked towards him, and greeted him with a warm handshake.

He ushered her inside, and the doors closed behind them, sealing them into privacy.

[Alexi Hesith]

Hesith led the way to the conversation circle.

"It is not proving an easy week for either of us," he said with a grim smile, "You have troubles of your own. Much closer to home than my own."

He lowered himself into an armchair, gesturing to the younger politician that she should also take a seat.

[Senator Thareena]

Thareena took the proffered seat, taking time to arrange her robes to minimize wrinkles in the soft white fabric. "And those 'close to home' troubles are precisely what I wished to speak with you about."

She looked at the datapads in her hands, chose one, and set it on the coffee table in front of her chair. "I had a visitor yesterday, the Mayor of Corellia. I'm sure you remember our little talk with her, on the first occasion she had to visit Coruscant. She told me... well, maybe you better hear it for yourself." Fa'un leaned forward, and pressed a button on the datapad, the same one that had been on her desk when Rasha Vill had interrupted her meeting with the Jedi Rognan Dar. It had been a small matter to activate the 'pad's recording device with a tap of her finger while Miss Vill told her intriguing story. After a moment, the recording started.

"Greetings Senator, greetings Jedi Dar, I'm sorry for arriving unannounced again, and I wish to express my condolences for the lives that were lost. I was in the area when I heard what happend to your home. I then called back and checked with some of my soruces within the Sith Order, and I was able to gather more information.

"I am assuming that you are the Jedi that was pressent. You then likely know that one of the sith there was a Sith known as Rivin. A member of the Sith Order, but often acts on his own agenda. He is also the owner of a criminal organisation, known as the Molochean Hand. It is rather large but keeps a low profile rather well. Some other actions that my people have put to the actions of the Molochean Hand would include the ransom of a Jedi child, and The poisoning of the water supply on this world, where Rivin was caught by a Jedi but escaped durring the trasportation to the prison.

"The Sith Order does not condone his actions, and his actions are not represented as actions of the Sith Order.

"The other Sith that was present was also a member of TSO, Named Je'gan Olra'en. He and Rivin do not get along well, and Rivin was heard barging into Je'gan's room accusing him of interfering in his plans on Chandrila."

Thareena's voice cut in "This Rivin seems to have quite the rap sheet.

"Please, Mayor, have a seat and make yourself comfortable. What does the government of Corellia have to say about terrorism? I am curious as to what you would do in my place, if offered the same information and circumstances."

In the pause while Rasha took her seat, Thareena looked at Hesith and explained, "The man you will hear next is Jedi Rognan Dar, who was on Chandrila at the time of the attacks."

"What about the other Sith, Olra'en, is his actions also not condoned by this sith order?"

Rasha: "Je'gan's action were much more appropreate. He was protecting another member of the order, He was only harming the people that were attacking, and none other, He saved the life of an infant that was left by Rivin for dead after he killed it's mother. Je'gan's actions were far more noble than Rivin's, And thus the order has less of a problem with his actions.

"As for what I would do if this happened to my world, If it was TSO that attacked, then there would be little I could do, since the sith still are in charge of protecting the planet. If they attacked there would be nothing I could do. But if it was some rouge sith that attacked or a Jedi that did something of that effect I would first look for the reason, since everything is always done for a reason. I would then do what ever I could with my political office, to ensure that the attacker didn't get what they want, and Whatever I could to ensure that it never happened again in the same manner as it did the last time. For me, If they fool me once then I count it as a learning experance, If the fool me twice with the same trick, then I am the fool. As of yet in my life I have not been the fool."

Thareena paused the recording. "Before I say anything, tell me your initial reaction to this, please."

[Alexi Hesith]

The older Senator leaned back in his seat, regarding the ceiling. After a moment's silent contemplation he spoke.

"The incident itself is disturbing. That a Sith, that two Sith, could move with such ease into our territory and act with such impunity is worrying to say the least. Ms. Vill's testimony is equally disturbing, if for different reasons.

"She is the creature the Sith, no matter whether she was elected she remains their's. I would take what she says with a pinch of panar, if only because of that. The convenience of her timing as well..." he tailed off allowing the thought to hover in ther air between them.

[Senator Thareena]

Thareena shifted a little uncomfortably at his words, and then added, "I asked the Jedi who was present if she was telling the truth, and he said that to the best of his knowledge and skills, she was. He said that he knew the parts about Rivin from personal experience to be true.

"To have a meeting with the Jedi present at the incident interrupted by the figurehead leader of Corellia... it is too much of a coincidence for me. I can only assume that she was sent by the Sith we hear so little of." Thareena shook her head suddenly. "And yet, her words lead me to believe she came on her own, without their knowledge! She gives me out of her own mouth the tools to bring the New Republic to their door."

Fa'un held the second datapad out to Hesith. "A copy of the proposed resolution to bring before the Security Council, and then the Senate floor. The summary is that we need to root out and destroy the elements that would fund and harbor terrorists. A peek behind the iron curtain into Corellia is in order."

She let him take the 'pad, and added, "Have you heard the latest rumors out of that system? There was an unconfirmed report on GNN that the New Republic had launched an attack on Drall, accompanied by hordes of Jedi."

[Alexi Hesith]

"Really? I have heard nothing about that."

Hesith rose and crossed the room to his desk. He keyed the comn, after a moment there was a click and he spoke in the direction of the microphone, "Lanas, see what you can dig up about Drall. Militarty action of some sort." He clicked off.

He looked at the data pad in his hand. Then at his young colleague. He set it down on the desk's green surface.

"What are you proposing we do. I want to hear it in your own words, Fa'un, not those your Legal Counsel."

[Senator Thareena]

She folded her hands in her lap. "I propose that the New Republic investigates into the rumors of a rogue attack on the planet of Drall and its circumstances. I also propose that the Order on Corellia is crushed. We have the might, we merely need to use it."

[Alexi Hesith]

Hesith cocked his head on one side, like some avian creature considering a particularly strange landbound animal.


"Why?" he said simply.

He suspected he knew the reason. Thareena had been hit where it hurt a politician the most- the constituency. She was trying to do something about it, to rectify the situation, to please the people of Chandrilla and so ensure her own political survival. It might also be to aleviate guilt for not having prevented the attack.

But he wanted to hear her say it. It never hurt to be sure.

[Senator Thareena]

She chuckled, although her heart wasn't in it. "Why? Because if I don't try to do something, I won't be a senator much longer. To have the New Republic turn a blind eye to this dangerous system is one thing, but for Chandrila's own senator - it is political suicide. And so I must do what I can to ensure that I do all I can."

[Alexi Hesith]

Hesith smiled inwardly. I am good aren't I! He walked back over to his seat.

"You have been hit hard by this haven't you. Mind you I would have been by something like this." He smiled sympathetically.

"This proposal," he waved his hand in the direction of the datapad,"will die before it reaches the floor. No-one will supoort it. None of them will be willing to commit the New Republic to this course of action for Chandrilla. Especially on the say-so of such a young senator. How will that look to the voters?"

[Senator Thareena]

Thareena smiled a genuine smile. "You asked me why I wanted this, or, at least, that is what my answer was. You haven't read the proposal.

"It states that the entire New Republic has lived for far too many years with the lion in our midst. Corellia is a Core system! This Senate has deluded itself with imagining that this lion is either sleeping, or toothless - but this latest attack on Chandrila is only one indication that Corellia is far more dangerous than we have guessed."

Thareena leaned forward, warming to her subject. "This terrorist attack wiped one small town nearly off the map, and severely damaged another nearby town. By the testimony of Rasha Vill, this was nearly all the work of only one Sith. By her own words she testifies that the Sith Order is in charge of the security of Corellia itself, and she can do nothing against them. She is a figurehead placed in her position to placate the New Republic into giving the Corellian system more leniency than is prudent.

"One Sith! - and the destruction of two towns, hundreds of deaths, and mass hysteria on Chandrila. And in this mysterious Sith Order, how many more are waiting to be unleashed on the galaxy? At the very least, we are obligated to investigate this system thoroughly - not simply take the word of a self-proclaimed figurehead leader."

Fa'un sat back, slightly flushed.

[Alexi Hesith]

“If it is an investigation you want, go to the Chief of State. She can order one on he own authority; without consultation with the Security Council or the Defence Committee. And without you having to expend valuable political capital. If you waste what clout you have now, what use are you going to be when your people need you in the future?”

[Senator Thareena]

She thought about Vide's unspoken threats, and that hair the awful woman had taken. "At the least an investigation. Can you not see that if we send an inadequate fleet into unknown territory, they could be cut to ribbons with little warning?

"You know as well as I that the Corellians, or the Sith are very good at keeping secrets. For all we know there could be an entire fleet in there waiting for our little investigation."

[Alexi Hesith]

"All the more reason to distance yourself," said Hesith cooly.

He had a reputation in public and amongst the Senators for being an honest broker and plain speaker. Such an image hid the keen political mind that had kept him in the Senate for longer than anyone else. He was pleased to notice a look of surprise from the young woman that these words prompted.

"Putting your name on a motion that could well be the death warrant for beings under arms is hardly the best way to save your seat. That is the objective here, I take it?"

[Senator Thareena]

There was only a slight hesitation. "Yes... but how could I get what I want and distance myself from the situation at the same time? Convince someone else to put in the motion?"

[Alexi Hesith]

"Easiest thing in the Galaxy!" Hesith smiled at the younger Senator. It was the smile of the teacher to a gifted student.

"First step: go to the Executive. The Chief of State, as a former Senator, is more than willing to meet with Legislators personally. Talk to her, tell her your fears about the Sith and Corellia. Express concern about it. The dear sweet lady always follows up on such concerns, and this one will probably get her personal attention.

"After you've done that you can sit back for a while. Then you'll get a memo from the Chief of State's office telling you what she intends to do about it. It will undoubtedly share your concerns. That is when you can start taking action."

Hesith had sat forward in his seat as he warmed to his topic. His hands moved animatedly as he spoke and his eyes remained locked on Thareena, making sure that she was following.

"You meet with a few of our colleagues- in committees, at dinners and balls- and slip into the conversation the Chief of State's concerns about the Sith and Correlia. It'll get around in a few days and everyone will talking about it. They'll be saying how desperately action is needed, how important it is to do something. And eventually someone put up a motion, which you can shape during the course of the debate."

[Senator Thareena]

Thareena nodded thoughtfully. "It is brilliant, as always, Alexi. You must enjoy reminding me how much more I still have to learn."

She gathered up the datapad that held her drafted proposal, and tapped it against her hand. "As I think about it more, I know exactly who will put up the motion. The Duros system is closest to Corellia..."

[Alexi Hesith]

"Indeed. I would look to her, or to one of the five who are going to be out of office at the end of the year. Varras Parc in particular. He's term limited and has already been angling for a place at the Cabinet table..."

[Senator Thareena]

The tapping ceased as she got to her feet. "I thank you for your time, Alexi. I'm sure you have other appointments."

Fa'un paused, and added, "Although I am curious. What is your opinion on the Corellian system? Would you support a motion such as this one?"

[Alexi Hesith]

"I am without an opinion on Corellia, save that it bears watching," said Hesith as he rose to his feet, "It is a great unknown in the Galaxy and for that reason alone I think it bears watching."

He moved towards the door; Thareena in tow.

[Senator Thareena]

She nodded, not really expecting anything more from Alexi. And certainly not expecting anything less.

"It will be interesting to see how this pans out," she replied, using an old mining phrase as she took her leave. The doors closed behind her, and she started on her way back to her offices.