Political Agendas - CIS Members

[DarthHERA]

Hera paced impatiently.

The rendevous with the "Arrou' Aurrou'" had gone as planned and she had spent the last twenty minutes pacing the ornate boardroom of the Cizerack Battle Galleon, awaiting for her counterparts to arrive.


The Hutts would be late - they always were, the disgusting slugs. The Nemoidians would have dispatched their representative almost the instant they recieved the definite time for this meeting. They were the opposite of the Hutts. Ever anticipating, expecting, planning, worrying. It was enough to drive a person nuts.

And then of course, there were the Cizeracks who kept a person waiting simply because they could. Arogant sob's.

She helped herself to the rather good rum from the crystal decanter and ran a hand through her blone mane.

She was a little nervous - if that was the right word.

This meeting was a bold move. What she had to say, even bolder.

Clear, determined, blue eyes looked up to the chrono mounted on the wall.

Where the blazes were they all

[Keerrourri Feessaarro]

The door to the board room slid open with a sigh, allowing Emissary Sarrtarroa to enter. His blue eyes met Hera's, and he allowed a courteous bow, before seating himself across from her. The meeting she had called was unprecedented...especially from her perspective. The Cizerack position had been to consider Shadowfaene a mere commonwealth at best. After all, the scum seemed to dance on a knife of illegality. In the end, it was all a bed of vipers.

"Madam Drrrenkassst, jI apologjize forrr the delajy. jI have been detajined bjy otherrr affajirrrsss."

Which was a lie, but Sarrtarroa was not foolish enough to have Hera speak her mind with full momentum. Waiting would center the advantage toward the more recognized members of the Confederacy. Having the flute play the piper was a disgrace the Pride Mother would not stand for.

Nevertheless, Keerrourri smiled warmly, almost amorously. He was cultivated to be charming, disarming, and as pleasant as any gentleman could be. His appeal was a weapon that he had used before, notably on Estelle Russard. It never hurt to exercise the option when convenient. The line between friend and enemy blurred to nothing beyond the doors of a bedchamber...and the rewards to be reaped were always great.

"Pleassse, how majy jI help jyou, whjile we wajit forrr the otherrr delegatesss?"

[DarthHERA]

Hera wasn't quite sure what to make of the Emissary's arrival as he entered the room.

She had been expecting one of the ranking females, which would only be right. To send her a male - automatically lower station by gender, could be construed as a sleight. But this male was a different story. She knew who Sarrtarroa was - the Pride's Emissary, right hand of the Pride Mother herself. A man intelligent, shrewd and educated far superior to herself.

It was a conflicting message the Cizerack were sending her, and the Faene Mistress did not like the ambiguity of it.

Greeting him with a patient smile, she hid her reservations. In the end, she decided, she would rather deal with him than some of the females she has previously met.

"It is good of you to see me, Emissary." she began humbly. "And, an honor."

A knowing smile tugged at the Cizerack's mouth at her effort of polite flattery. Hera saw it, and she, too, smiled. Yes, she would definitely rather deal with him.

"Perhaps my reputation has preceeded me, Emissary." Hera was fully aware that she was not known for her social graces. "But I hope this meeting may change some preconceived ideas the Pride may have concerning myself and my operation."

[Keerrourri Feessaarro]

"jI thjink jyou wjill fjind me morrre...agrrreeable than the local trrrade vjicerrrojysss."

Sarrtarroa smiled reassuringly.

"Hjyuu-mann culturrre jisss...djiffjicult forrr sssome to accomodate. Perrrhapsss jI can betterrr ssserrrve asss an audjience forrr sssuch an jimporrrtant cljient."

Reaching across the table, Sarrtarroa found the dark bottle of rum, and proceeded to pour a scant amount into a small glass for himself.

"Now pleassse, what do jyou have on jyourrr mjind."

Talking now would serve his purpose. Better to have Hera discharge herself before the other Confederacy members arrive than to deal with the loose cannon on even footing. That, and it would at least offer the Emissary some amount of preparation time.

[DarthHERA]

She eyed Sarrtarroa keenly, and again, the polite smile.

"It is true, some of the Viceroy's are not as graciously disposed toward me Emissary, as you yourself are. I am afraid I have fallen a little from grace with some of them - Geeda the Hutt for one."

Hera thought she caught a dismissive sniff from the felinoid, but continued without pause.

"Though sometimes when such diversive cultures come into play, it is only natural that each will look to their own interests over anothers from time to time."

She sipped her rum thoughtfully.

"It is because of this very issue, that I have come, Mr. Sarrtarroa"

[Keerrourri Feessaarro]

"Madam Drrrenkassst, jI can apprrrecjiate jyourrr concerrrnsss, jyet jyou arrre no longerrr content to let the Prrrjide act jin good fajith on jyourrr behalf?"

It was quite a loaded question. No one needed to mention who was the cat at the table and who was the mouse. Holding this meeting was at best, precarious.

The Emissarry put his drink aside, interlacing his fingers together as he leaned forward slightly.

"We arrre jin a unjique posssjitjion. jYourrr Ssshadowfaene ssstatjion jisss...ssshall we sssajy...on quessstjionable legal ssstandjing. The Prrrjide Motherrr hasss ssseen fjit to jinvessst herrr wealth and attentjion jin makjing jyourrr holdjingsss both prrrofjitable and legjitjimate. Thrrrough the Prrrjide, jyou have trrrade powerrr jyou djid not have beforrre. Forrr both of ourrr jinterrressstsss, we mussst sssee ejye-to-ejye on thessse matterrrsss."

Arching an eyebrow, Sarrtarroa leaned away from Hera.

"Orrr would jyou prrreferrr to ssseek jyourrr charrrterrr thrrrough the Nejimojidjiansss? The Huttsss? We both know who hasss the currrrrrent marrrket sssharrre. All jI asssk, jisss jyourrr cooperrratjion."

[DarthHERA]

"Forgive me Emissay, but I have been co-operating with the Pride ever since you sent your goodwill Battle Galleons to my door."

She remained cool, not allowing any irritation to come into her voice.

Sarrtarroa - in fact the whole dang Cizerack nation - felt it their right to flaunt their 9 billion strong trade power every opportunity they got. Hera knew of other power besides trade. He would be smart to remember that. Perhaps one day, she will demonstrate it for him.

"You dont give me enough credit. I am fully aware of the benefits of good relations with the Pride.


But you are not the only ones in the Confederacy.


Are you."

[Keerrourri Feessaarro]

"Of courrrssse not." Sarrtarroa relented, his voice even and pleasing, though his ears seemed to fold back slightly. He paused, taking a strategic sip of his drink before continuing.

"Howeverrr, jI do feel we arrre morrre, sssjympathetjic ssshall we sssajy, to jyourrr sssjituatjion. Asssjide frrrom the occasssjional prrrudent advjisssjing, we have gjiven jyou frrree autonomjy to rrrun jyourrr operrratjion asss jyou pleassse. We both know that jif the Prrrjide wasss not ssso kjind, thjisss would not be ssso.

jI came herrre to honorrr ourrr rrrelatjionssshjip, Madam Drrrenkassst. jI jintend to ljisssten to what jyou have to sssajy, but jyou mussst beljieve me when jI sssajy that jit jisss jin ourrr mutual bessst jinterrressstsss to act asss one arrround the Trrrade Federrratjion and the Huttsss. Thjisss wjill be benefjicjial to both of usss, and jyou wjill be rrrewarrrded."

[DarthHERA]

"You can forget mutual benefit Emissary" (Hera lost the battle with non-irritated replies) "if you insist on such veiled threats. SFF allows your presence on my Base - tolerates it. But don't think for one moment that wont ever change, should I see fit."

[Keerrourri Feessaarro]

"Of courrrssse."

Sarrtarroa relented, the smile fading somewhat.

"Ssso, let usss be plajin. Whjy have jyou rrrequesssted thjisss meetjing?"

[DarthHERA]

Hera stared at him, his shift in tone throwing her off balance.
She inhaled deeply and made no pretense of hiding her anger.

For a moment, she had quite forgotten why she had come.

She met his eyes, and they had cooled towards her somewhat.

Oh, he was good. She could learn alot from Keerrourri Sarrtarroa, if she didn't throttle him first.

It was Hera's turn to change tack, and a look of cunning lit her blue eyes.

"I beleive it is time we - and I mean the CIS - had some voice in the Senate. Some form of representation."

[Keerrourri Feessaarro]

"Apprrrecjiated, but Madam, jyou know asss well asss jI that we arrre not a parrrt of the Rrrepubljic. jIndeed, we have ssspent much enerrrgjy jin hedgjing ourrr rrrjisssk and ssstajyjing neutrrral."

He paused.

"jYet, jI am ssstjill currrjiousss asss to jyourrr jintent. Explajin."

[DarthHERA]

Her intent...well, that was the crux of the matter, wasn't it.

"The CIS indeed is not a part of the Republic, but that doesn't mean we cant have someone speak, as though we were a part of it."

Keerrourri's ears flicked at opposite angles. Clearly, she needed to elaborate.

"It's all just a matter of things not being...all that they seem.

We place someone in the Senate, from say.. a neutral system, one in the Republic. They...are our eyes and ears, keeping a two way street of information, influencing other eyes and ears in our favour.."

She leaned forward just slightly.

"You understand what Im suggesting?"

[Keerrourri Feessaarro]

"jYou wjisssh to gajin jinfluence overrr a Rrrepubljic worrrld, ssso the Confederrracjy majy have an edge agajinssst them?"

Keerrourri leaned forward slightly.

"Thjisss jidea jisss mossst jinterrressstjing. Tell me morrre."

[DarthHERA]

Keerrourri was going the long way around.

"I wish to gain influence over the Senate" Hera clarified. "What need to rule a planet - when we can dictate our wishes to someone who technically speaks for that planet to the very ears the Republic Senators.

What I am proposing is that we have our own puppet Senator - our own 'yes man' if you please. Under the guise of serving his world, he will, instead, secretly be serving the interests of the Confederacy. Sometimes subtley, sometimes more aggressively. It is for us to decided what he does."

[Keerrourri Feessaarro]

"And how do we gajin thjisss...jinfluence?"

Keerrourri's ears swiveled fully in her direction, and his blue eyes sparkled; his interest piqued.

"Doesss jyourrr Ssshadowfaene hold sssuch needed ssswajy sssomewhere?"

The last words of the sentence melted into a purr. Keerrourri leaned forward, smiling warmly at Hera as he studied her. She was up to something, and he was now obsessed with it. Like a splinter of his mind's eye, it would nag at him until he pried her full intentions out of her, like an otter smashing an abalone apart for the sweet insides.

He was fully prepared to 'query', at any odds. Even sexually, if it was the Faene mistresses wont. The Cizerack Emissary weilded sex like a dagger. A powerful and discrete weapon, should she demand it. It mattered not, so long as he knew her mind.

[DarthHERA]

The look that suddenly came into the Emissary's blue eyes was immistakeable. It was universal and brooked the gulf of both species and culture in any setting, in any time.

A coy smile tugged at Hera's lips and made her at once look both pretty and playful.

"Oh...dont worry about such details, Emissary. I assure you, I am quite capable of bringing the necessary pressure to bear on parties involved."

It was her turn to lean forward and match play for play with Keerrourri.

"I can be very persuasive.."

[Vargo the Hutt]

"Hera, Keerrourri, H'chu Apenkee!"

The carnal jousting came to an abrupt halt as His Eminence, the Great Vargo the Hutt slithered into the conference chamber. A pair of female Cizerack guards gave the girthy Hutt more distance than usual, a look of reserved disgust on their faces at the opulent creature's sight and smell. Vargo, however, paid them no mind. They were nothing to him. The only difference between them and his underlings it that it might be impolite to kill those that did not belong to him.

At any rate, Vargo was here for pleasantries with people that actually mattered. And those people were Hera DrenKast, mistress of the Shadowfaene syndicate, and Keerrourri Sarrtarroa, the servant Emissary of the Cizerack Pride Mother. As the massive hutt undulated towards the table, he expounded a series of well-wishes and salutations to his peers...or at least the closest hutt equivalent to such things.

[DarthHERA]

Hera's downturned lips at the unfortunate timing of the Hutt's arrival swung upward even as she herself swivelled around to greet Vargo. A pleasant smile now graced her face as the Faene Mistress went through the charade of happiness to see him.

"Vargo - at last. I was beginning to worry"

The lie rolled off smoothly.

Hera let her hand brush Kerrourri's arm slightly as she reached for the rum decanter. There was no doubt as to who's favor she was courting at this juncture.

"We were just having a drink, would you join us?"