Politics, and Politics by Other Means

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Paltinnian - Carshoulis Cluster


She'd chosen the venue carefully.

Like all proper Rrou'fai's of quality, Taataani Meorrrei maintained a summer home on Paltinnian. Well, summer was relative, as the temperature on the island resort world was warm and pleasant nearly 90% of the time. Plus, one could change seasons with the push of a button on a hyperdrive. Still, keeping an island villa on Paltinnian was a Thing To Do. Who didn't enjoy warm sand between your bare feet, pleasant trade winds, salt air, and fresh seafood?

Well, hopefully a Mon Calamari enjoyed those things, at least. From her visits to Admiral Reshmar's rainy homeworld, she could at least confirm it was waterlogged and that there were at least a few scattered beaches. Hopefully, Reshmar would find the weather here more agreeable still.

There were other steps to be taken before the admiral arrived. For one thing, she had missives to send to Senator Cho and to Kallum. And of course there was lunch. For one, it was never sensible to skip a meal, and two, it was twice inadvisable to do so when you were about to meet with a sentient fish. Mmm...fish...

Taataani wolfishly peeled another bite from a still-twitching reef diver, pausing momentarily to scoop a handful of orange roe from its belly, which was expediently licked from her fingers. She continued her expert demolition of the live meal, depositing its bare skeleton on a side dish along with three others. Her face a smear of blood and fish oil, the Rrou'fai thundered a belch, downed the remnants of her wine, and sucked the last few fish eggs off her sticky fingers as Fasshieerro entered the dining room.

"Rrou'fai, jyourr guesst hass jusst touched down. Sshall jI esscorrt hjim to the rrecjievjing rroom?"

The disappointment was plain on her face. She'd hoped the Admiral was less than precisely punctual, but then again, perhaps it was for the best. Already, one of her human valets was busy discarding of the meal remnants, and expertly went about cleaning the Senator up to make her presentable.

"No, no. jI wjill meet hjim jin the courrtyarrd. We'll go forr a walk."

She needed time to gain an understanding of Admiral Reshmar, and to know exactly what kind of man he was.

[Reshmar]

Reshmar looked out into the bright sunlit sky of Paltinnian. A warm breeze sweep across his face washing his senses with the familiar smell of the ocean. The shuttle had landed nearly two kilometers inland from the ocean but the warm damp air even this far inland reminded him of home. He looked up for clouds, but unlike his home which generally was cloudy all the time, the sky was clear and blue as the water he had seen on the flight in. A short feline humanoid walked up to him and saluted.

“Supreme Commander, I am to escort you to your speeder.”

Reshmar nodded and the Cizerack motioned for him to fallow. As they walked to the park speeder at the edge of the landing pad Reshmar looked over the Cizerack female and studied her. The absence of fur always confused Reshmar. In the past his interactions with the Cizerack had been very limited. He had seen pages of Intel summaries and threat reports on them as a race but never dealt with them in person. The woman opened the hatch and smiled at Reshmar. Reshmar took a seat and thanked the female officer.

“Thank you for your assistance.”

The Cizerack female saluted once again and closed the hatch. Reshmar took out his pocket data pad and looked over the information one more time. This woman he was to meet, this Taataani Meorrrei, he had heard the name and read many reports on her. She was on the wheel for a time which must mean she was used to Calamari and other races her kind might generally think of as prey. He was not worried about being lunch thought the thought had crossed his mind more than once in the trip to Paltinnian from Dac.

The ride lasted a good while and Reshmar found himself leaving the small metropolitan area of the star port and heading into the resort areas near the oceans. The trees were like non he had seen before. So few were the trees on Dac, much rarer were they in space. Trees were not something Reshmar was a custom to. He absorbed them in. Their shape, the way the moved. The stead chaotic dance with and against the wind. It was entrancing.
The Speeder slowed and a gate opened allowing entrance into a large estate like residence. The speeder pulled up to the lavious home and stopped. It was time to meet the Cizerack.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Now dressed for the part, Taataani stepped from under the veranda of her beachside villa with her entourage at a respectable distance, but still close enough to be at her beck and call. Her dress reflected the inviting colors of the island, colorful pastels, but also simple in design and neither elaborate nor overdone. A wide-brimmed hat to match kept her shaded from the sun, and she looked more like a moderately-affluent weekender than one of the most powerful women in the galaxy. At least the string of pearls around her neck helped to lend credence to the latter.

The manner of the Supreme Commander's entry caused Taataani's mouth to turn upwards into a smile. No honor guard. No processions. He visited Paltinnian not as a conqueror, but as a business colleague. It was either honest, or it was calculatingly shrewd. Either way, she liked it.

Her valet stepped forward, and it was time to move. On queue with the Rrou'fai, the dozen others filed behind her as she walked alongside the male Cizerack servant, who attended to the gull wing door of the speeder.

The smell of fish was there. Not nearly as obvious as Taataani expected it, but there nonetheless. Her decision to have an early lunch paid off, as a full stomach gave her clarity and focus. A mental image tickled her humor bone, as a notion of felinoids and pescanoids paw in...fin...what an Alliance this truly was!

She offered her guest her outstretched hand, with that pleasant absurdity still on her mind and radiating in her smile.

"Admjirral Rressshmarr. Welcome to Paltinnian."

[Reshmar]

Reshmar took Taataani Meorrrei’s out reached hand as he exited the speeder. His senses were overwhelmed by the damp salty ocean air and the upper band ultraviolet hues to the light emitted by Paltinnian sun. His eyes adapted and he took in the spectacle which was Taataani’s Retinue.

“Madame Baroness, It is a pleasure to finally meet you. Thank you for inviting me to visit you here at your retreat.”

Reshmar released her hand and straightened his uniform. The White jacket and Slacks were uncomfortable but a meeting with such an important individual as Taataani warranted Dress whites. Certain his uniform was back to perfect dress and adjustment Reshmar returned his attention to his host.

“May I say Paltinnian is a beautiful world. I commend you on your choice of Venue for our meeting.”

[Taataani Meorrrei]

The Senator leaned in, as per custom, kissing the air to each side of whatever passed for Reshmar's cheeks, her second pass causing her nose to be tickled by an errant barbel. She disengaged carefully, a smile on her face at the convoluted entanglement.

"jYou flatterr me too much, Admjirral. Ssenatorr wjill do."

Before Reshmar could acknowledge his imaginary faux pas, she dismissed the notion of injury with the wave of a hand.

"jI musst become accusstomed to thjiss new ljife of publjic sserrvjice, afterr all. And jI jimagjine jyou arre eagerr to overrssee thjiss new erra of peace...howeverr rrelatjive that majy be. Come. jI'll sshow jyou a few local deljightss. The Prrjide Motherr wjill be pleassed to know that the grreat herro of the Alljiance fjindss Paltinnian to hjiss tasstess."

She placed a friendly arm around his shoulder, bidding him to walk with her - not back to the villa, but along a well-manicured nature path that would wind among the palms, topiaries, fish pools, and other outdoor delights. There would be enough time to sit later.

[Reshmar]

"Very well senator, Lead on."

The walk took Reshmar and his guide through A tropical world with pools feed by small brooks and several large tree species. Grass and sand mixed on layers near the pools leading up to the trees and all around small flowers were arranged to accentuate the terrain. Sporadic Topiary arrangements littered the edges of the trail. Mixed floral arrangements around small shrubs were placed like markers along the walk.

"The scenery here is pleasing. The vivid colors of your suns light in the upper UV range is extraordinary. The arrangements are designed to flatter even the most acute of senses."

Reshmar took in the spectacle of color and scents as the two walked further along the path.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

He certainly had a way with flattery, and Taataani's ears bobbed upward with the Admiral's appraisal of her landscaper's handiwork.

"jI keep a sstaff of landsscaperrss on rretajinerr frrom Naboo. Between herre and mjy otherr vjillass, thejy fjind enough worrk to sstajy bussjy. Of courrsse jI'm alsso told the vjiew jin the lagoon jiss alsso pleassjing, though jI'll deferr to jyourr aessthetjic. jI trread waterr, and badljy at that."

Taataani paused on the trail, dipping her nose into the inviting chartreuse trumpet of an arboreal flower. She withdrew, spotted the sajoi preening itself on the branch above, and smirked knowingly as it chirped and ran back up the branch, realizing it probably didn't want to remain where it was.

"Have jyou found the trranssjitjion of the goverrnment to be jarrrjing, Admjirral?"

Still admiring the nature on the walkway, Taataani casually began folding in talk of business, her tail swaying in a meandering arc behind her as she led Reshmar onto a half moon wooden bridge that surveyed a small brook that meandered toward the lagoon some distance away.

"We'rre sstjill at warr. jI fjind mjysself rremjindjing mjy jubjilant colleaguess at tjimess. A few majy have forrgotten that."

[Reshmar]

As the two neared the bridge he thought of his true reason for being here. Getting lost in the natural beauty of this place was not on his agenda. As alluring as the water was he had to curtail his desire to swim among the wild aquatic animals of this world and set his attention to why he was truly here.
Taataani's question helped to concentrate him on business at hand.

"I must be honest senator, My title seems to have taken more from my control of the Alliance Defense Force than it has given. Before the fleet operated independently of the council for the most part. Now we are task with not only defending an area of space one hundred times larger than what we are equipped to do and do it with nearly the same funding we had while operating under the Alliance pre peace. We are required to provide full fiscal reporting of all operations and losses. Do not get me wrong madam Senator, I am glad we have peace, but I am an old fish. I see war in any and every situation. This peace as they are calling it is a dream many share unknowing of its true nature. we have traded one fight for another."

Reshmar returned his gaze out at the water rushing under the bridge and down to the pool hoping he had not said too much.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

They continued their walk, and their conversation was periodically interrupted by the occasional twitter of a songbird overhead, which fortunately never threatened to diminish their trains of thought.

"jYou prreferr to fjight the warr tassked to jyou, and jI agrree. The poljitjicss concerrnjing ourr warr fundjing sshouldn't be a barrgajinjing chjip ssomewherre elsse. jIn that, jyou'll fjind an alljy jin me and otherrss."

A slight gesture to a handler walking several paces behind bid them to approach, delivering a datapad to Taataani's expecting hand. The Senator, in turn, presented it to Reshmar.

"jI want jyou to look at ssomethjing. jYourr fleetss have a larrge numberr of sshjipss jin need of rrepajirr, rretrrofjit, orr upgrrade. How much sspace doess thjiss worrk occupjy at exjisstjing mjiljitarrjy sshjipjyarrdss?"

[Reshmar]

Reshmar looked over the pad and thought about the question for a moment. The alliance had more ships damaged and in need of repair than it had active at the moment. Every shipyard accept Hast was working on repairing and recommissioning ships.

"Our yards are filled to capacity at the moment with repairs madam senator. The new shipyard over Sullust is still over a month away from being operational and it will be busy for at least a year repairing the six Dauntless Crusers damaged there and at Duro. Our yards at Sluis Van and Bothawui are also back logged with ships. As it is now only Hast and two of the yards above Dac are working on new construction."

Reshmar considered what he was saying. The bulk of the fleet was in no condition to fight. He considered what he had said and thought bad of it. He felt he had shown his hand in a way to Taataani. Giver her the impression that the alliance was now weaker than it ever had been. Of course this was not true. It was just spread out thin. He needed to emphasize the need for new vessels.

"The repair and recommission of the older vessels is a important indeed. These vessels older support our fleet. They are invaluable in that task of patrol and defense and as they are slowly recommissioned they will form the backbone of our local defense force fleets. how ever they were out classed in every engagement. Our new line will bring use iup to par and give us competitive technology and power as Empire or any other government."