And the next crisis is?

[Alexi Hesith]

Alexi Hesith, Senator for Gall, strode towards his office on the 300th floor of the Senate Office Building. His smartly dressed form was surrounded by his staff, all of whom were veying for his attetion.

"The Senate Judicial Review wishes you to testify in the hearings next week, sir." called one aide.

"Senator I need your signature on this report," called another, thrusting a data pad under Alexi's patrichian nose.

"Your first meeting today is..."

Alexi stopped in his tracks, forcing several of his team to make rapid changes in direction to avoid hitting him. "I will deal with you all one at a time," he turned to his Chief of Staff, "What is my first meeting?"

As they began to walk again, the CoS spoke, "At nine you have a meeting about the Military Levy. The navy wants more ships, the army more soldiers. They can't get them...[pause as a door opened]...unless they get more money. The High Command's friends in the Senate are proposing a one time levy to raise the funds."

"I take it we don't want that." said Alexi.

"No, sir, we don't. It will set a precedent." replied the CoS.

"After that?"

"Lunch at the Chamber, followed by a meeting of the Industrial Tribunial."

"Oh yes, inadequate safety measures on those speeders. Terrible, simply terrible." The images from the NewsNet of the airbus imbedded in the side of a skyscraper flashed before Alexi's eyes. "Evidence?"

"I don't know, sir. I will try to find out..."

They had entered the office space allocated to Gall's Senator. Despite its small size and population, Gall had its own senator, and warranted a space in the overcrowded offices of the Senate.

Leading off from the reception area were doors to the offices of his staff, directly behind the reception desk were the doors to Alexi's larger personal office.

"Good morning, Senator," came a smooth female voice.

"Good morning Lanas," Alexi had to look up to see the towering figure of his secretary, a tall, pale skined non-human, witha tiny head balanced on a long neck, "What have you got for me?"

"Your nine o'clock is in your office. The Speaker of the Senate called, he wants to discuss the disciplinary hearings some time this week. Then there are messages from Senators F'elya and Odewu, the Chief of State, Admiral Ackbar, and your wife."

"My wife! What does she want. I only saw her an hour ago."

"She wanted me to remind you that it is your son's birthday tomorrow."

"Again, she already told me, what should I get him?"

"Never mind that now, sir," interuppeted the CoS, "the meeting."

"Oh, yes. Right." Alexi made for the door.

"Have a nice day, Senator" said Lanas cheerily.

"I'll try" muttered Alexi as he entered his office.

[General Tohmahawk]

The nine O'clock wasn't what the Senator would have been expecting. Instead of the usual political scum, there was a medium height man, mid 40'ies, brown soft leather overcoat that only partially hid the rail guns at his hips, a slouch hat that had seen better days, and boots that had seen plently of kilometers. He was sitting, but as the Senator came in, he removed his hat to reveal the chiesled face, witht he piercing and powerful eyes that seemed to look through you, not at you.

"Good morning Senator. I shall not bother you for long - Major General James Tohmahawk. I wish to have a quiet word with you"

[Alexi Hesith]

Alexi looked his guest up and down. This man was clearly something different from theregular staff oficers on Couruscant- no isignia, no medals, no braid: the exact opposite in fact. He realised that the man had spoken and that he, Alexi, was expected to reply.

"Please forgive me, General, I was expecting," he had expected to meet with fellow Senators not some rouge, "a larger group," he finished lamely.

[General Tohmahawk]

"Indeed. So I guess not having to speak doublespeak and hidden meanings is a relief for once? Certainly, I have had my fill of it in Inner Council meetings"

The General's grin was cold and not at all friendly, showing what his opinion of political speak was.

"My credentils, Senator, if your not already aware. I have served in the NR military for 32 years, I ahve been more or less attached to the office of the Chief of State for 15, plus I was the moving force behind the NRSF until a small ambush that nearly succeeded in killing me two years ago. Since then, my work has been classified"

"Being direct, since the NRSF was formed by decree and I was given a free hand, the Galaxy has changed, We are no longer threatened by warlords and Imperials - I dare say we are approaching a time when warriors like me are no longer needed. The fact this Senate exists is testimony for that. But the job isn't over yet. And that is why I am here"

[Alexi Hesith]

Alexi moved towards his large desk in front of the windows. He settled himself into his chair, gesturing the general to do the same.

"I trust you know me," he smiled thinly. Anyone like Tohmahawk would know and dislike Alexi Hesith the Liberal from Gall. He, who spoke out against the idea of conflict, of weapons programs, of the warrior mentality- everything that had been the cause of suffering on Gall, would certainly be known to Tohmahawk.

"Well shall we get down to business?"

[General Tohmahawk]

"Yes, we shall. And the business today is the elimination of the need for men like me. That would please you, would it not?"

"Senator, the NRSF was not originally created, as it might be thought, as the elite Special Forces for the NR, to come and go where the Council tells them to go and to fight their wars. That is now. My original brief was to create a force that, if the Force users of the Galaxy ever got out of hand once again, the Republic could turn around and wipe them out. You see Senator, it's not warriors that have caused the fires of war to be stoked over the last 100 years - it has been Force users like Palpatine. How much pain and suffering have been caused by so few to so many?"

[Alexi Hesith]

"What you say borders on the reactionary, General. Do you propose another purge?"

[General Tohmahawk]

"Not now, Senator - pogroms are a last resort and even if I am on record as not being exactly friendly to Jedi, they hold the key to make sure purges never happen again. Properly used, the Force is a potent weapon for peace. Now, there is a bill I believe to go before the Senate, allocating funds and manpower to a search for potential Jedi. This, I believe has it's opponents. The Senate, forgive me for saying so, has it's measures of corruption and greed, those beings would never want more Jedi. They, I think, would sleep badly knowing a fellow Senator can pick their thoughts at will if she wanted."

"Evenstar is the logical one to champion such a bill, but she is a loose cannon. That's why I've come to you, someone who might be more agreeable to the Senate floor. The bill proposes that Force potentials are found early and sent to the Jedi for proper training, so they can control their power, use it for the Republic and not against as the Sith or Dark Jedi do."

--

Little did the good Senator realise, he was sitting across one of the most powerful Force Users in the Galaxy. This Force user was the Jedi Warlord Marcus Elessar. He was, at this point, seeing how the Senator reacted, assessing the being across from him. He had heard he could possibly be a good ally. Let's see if that was true, he thought. This would be an interesting test

[Alexi Hesith]

"I do not understand." said Hesith,"I was under the impression you were here on behalf of the military to discuss the Military Reinforcment Act, also known as the Military Levy. Now you appear to be suggesting something entirely different."

Hesith steepled his fingers, viewing the general over them. "But since you are here..."

[General Tohmahawk]

"I am not interested in that bill, Senator and I never said I was. My concern and commission are based on dealing with Force users - and believe me, you can have all the ships and troops you want, they are useless compared to one Force User in the shadows where you can't get them. Remember, Palpatine never had more than one person helping him knowingly and look what he managed to do"

He stared back at Hesith, his his eyes seeming to stare right through the Senator, not at him.

"This is a dangerous time, Senator. A military will not be enough to bring order to the Galaxy. Only a strong Jedi Order can. And it will cost one hell of a lot less"

[Alexi Hesith]

"If memory serves, the Jedi Order once recruited from an early age and yet the Sith rose up and destroyed them. How can this way be different?"

[General Tohmahawk]

"Understand that the Jedi in the Old Republic made a few critical mistakes when it came to the Sith - one, they thought they were all dead. Two, the Jedi grew complacent and secure. The Jedi, Senator, can also make mistakes. Although there is some question whether they were destined to crumble and nothign would have stopped it. "

"I will point out, without the Jedi, the Sith wouldnt have taken 6000 years to finally overthrow the Republic. It would have been considerably shorter. For 25,000 year the Jedi kept the peace of the Republic - you dont stand a chance to last a 100th of that time without a strong and learned Jedi Order"

[Alexi Hesith]

"I feel you, General have you heart set on this. May I say I admire your," Alexi searched for the right word,"enthusiasm." He smiled properly for the first time since entering the room.

"So, we have the Jedi Order. They cope well enough, I understand that they search by themselves. Surely it requires some force, the word is 'sensitivity' is it not? Or is there some scientific method that can be employed. I ask only out of a need to see the practical side, you understand, not to throw up obsticles."

[General Tohmahawk]

"Do they cope well? I'm not sure. They need resources, for even with 60 odd Jedi, there's an awful lot of Galaxy to cover. Where I think a start can be made is data slicers, looking for reports of beings doing odd things. Things that are not normally possible. On the millions of planets that are within the Republic's boundaries, that's potentially a lot of data to cover."

"That I think is a start. Manpower to go onto the ground to investigate reports first hand is next. I dont think a large body is needed, just a dedicated one. The Jedi are busy enough that a full time search would draw them off missions and de-resource where they are needed"

[Alexi Hesith]

"A very logical argument, but tell me something. Do the Jedi approve?" Heisth leant forwards,eager for the answer.

[Senator Thareena]

Fa'un Thareena strode through her bevy of aides, her long cream colored robe swishing gently at her heels as she made her way towards the offices of Senator Hesith of Gall. Her own secretary hurried to keep up with the newly appointed senator, recording device in hand as Fa'un dictated a letter.

"...and so, the late Senator Maren will be sorely missed. I wish to express my deepest condolences, and will do my best, as Chandrila's representative to the Senate, to uphold the standards of our system, and those that Maren himself held dear." She paused, the entire entourage pausing with her, and added, "Type it up and I'll review it before it's sent out. There was something not quite right in the middle."

The secretary nodded, and peeled away from the group, returning to Chandrila's diplomatic offices. An aide spoke up, "I tried to get you an appointment with Senator Hesith," the thinning group started walking forward again, "but his secretary said he was in a meeting with some of the opposition to the Military Levy. Perhaps another time would be best."

"There is no time like the present. You," to the aide, "stay with me, the rest of you, I'm sure you have better things to do than following me around." Thareena stopped walking and looked around, conceding the point that a bodyguard would probably stay with her. Somewhere out of her way. "I know it's fascinating to watch a new Senator muddle her way through Chambers, but I have worked here in the past, and I probably know my way around better than the Senate security details."

She smiled, and the assorted members of her staff chuckled, and then excused themselves. The senatorial aide, a Ms. Toni Blaire, followed the Senator as she continued down the hallway, stopping in the reception area of Gall's offices.

Toni approached the Kaminoan CoS. "Senator Thareena of Chandrila is here to speak with Senator Hesith. Between his meetings."

[Alexi Hesith]

"Certainly, Senator." Lanas was an old hand at dealing with the elite of the NR. Years as Personal Secretary to Hesith had taught her much. She sized up the new arrival and decided to be polite but firm, "Senator Hesith is in a meeting at the moment. If you will just take a seat, I am sure he will be with you shortly." She gestured to a junior secretary who showed the Senator to a seat and offered her a drink.

[Senator Thareena]

Thareena and Blaire took their offered seats, the aide leaning in and whispering to the senator some details about Lanas' career. A very competent and trustworthy secretary from the looks of it.

You could tell a lot about a senator by looking at their staff members. Take Toni, for instance. She'd been trained at a young age by the Mistril, and then took a job as bodyguard for a popular musical artist from Chandrila. From there the young woman had progressed in her talents and found she also had a knack for organization. Now, years later, she was the top aide to the Senator of Chandrila, forty-five years of age, and looking about thirty.

She was highly trained in espionage and had briefly been an assassin. Toni had been around the Senators almost longer than anyone, and she seemed to know a little, or a lot, about everyone. Blaire was a competant aide, and also a valued bodyguard. Her elaborate hairdos, complete with decorative hairpins, weren't just for looks.

Thareena ran her slim fingers through her own short red hair, and went over in her mind what she wanted to say to Hesith. He was one of the oldest members of the Senate, and she one of the youngest. It would be best for them both to get off on the right foot.

[Alexi Hesith]

Lanas turned to the appointment book on her desk. The next meeting was not for sometime, but Hesith would need to speak to his fellow Senator at before then. She tapped the intercomm:

"Sorry to interrupt, Senator, but Senator Thareena of Chandrilla is here."

"Very well, tell here I shall be with her momentarily," Hesith clicked off the comm and turned to the General, "Alas other duties must cut short our talk."

Hesith rose to his feet and extended his hand, "I don't mind telling you that you've won a supporter. I shall look into the matter tommorrow. I would, however, like to discuss this matter with the Jedi leadership. Perhaps you could arrange a meeting."

"I'll do that" replied the general. And then, with a firm shake of Hesith's hand, he was gone.

As Tohmahawk left, Hesith prepared himself to meet with the Senate's newest member. Senator Thareena was a very different political creature to Alexi Hesith- a high flier she was going places and Hesith, Hesith was content with his place in the galaxy.

He keyed the comm: "Send her in, Lanas."

[Senator Thareena]

The tall Kaminoan walked towards the seated humans, her long gait giving her a graceful and elegant appearance. "The Senator will see you now."

Fa'un had watched with interest the exit of the General, and Toni had whispered a few tidbits of what she knew of the man's career. Not one to be messed with, apparently. But what had he been doing with Hesith? And he looked like krasst, not like the shined up dren that usually wore uniforms. She wasn't sure she believed Toni that he was actually one of the top brass of the NR navy.

The Senator got to her feet, smoothing her cream colored robes. Blaire remained seated, waiting for her Senator's business to be concluded so they both could leave.

Thareena followed Lanas to Hesith's office door, and entered quietly. He looked up from his desk at her entrance, and she walked forward, extending her hand. "Senator Hesith, it is a pleasure to formally meet you."

[Alexi Hesith]

Hesith toyed with the idea of staying behind his desk, of waving the woman into a seat opposite him without any small talk, but thought better of it. He rose to his feet, came round his desk, and took the proffered hand saying, “An equal pleasure to meet our newest (he was going to say youngest) senator.” The hand shake, he noted was very firm.

He led her to the less formal conversation circle that sat below the portrait of his family. Settling himself into the winged, brown leather armchair he looked across at Thareena. She was young, no denying it, but her youthfulness was marred, perhaps, by the odd line on her face. He noted the white robe so similar to those once worn by Mon Mothma- a sign of her ambition perhaps?

He had to decide how best to express the two things he needed to- first his feelings on the death of Thareena’s predecessor and second on Thareena’s appointment. where there is doubt, intoned the voice of his father, compromise.

“Might I congratulate you on your recent appointment, though your predecessor will be sorely missed, it is good to see that someone so,” young, new, vibrant, cunning? “gifted has succeeded him. I am sure Senator Maren would be pleased to see Chandrilla represented by his closest aide.”