Lady Starkiller

[Taataani Meorrrei]

LADY STARKiLLER

it is a time of uncertainty in the galaxy. The ALLiANCE oF FREE PLANETS is a young and fledgling state, surrounded by their nemesis, the GALACTiC EMPiRE, as well as other hostile nations.

Seeking a peaceful resolution on the outer rim, the Alliance senate has dispatched TAATAANi MEoRRREi and her entourage to negotiate a treaty with the TioN CLuSTER, an enigmatic kingdom on the fringes of the known galaxy.

Aided and protected by a JEDi KNiGHT,
Senator Meorrrei's starship approaches the city world of LiANNA, custodian of the final treaty that will guarantee peace between the two galactic neighbors.




The orange and gunmetal liveries of the Cizerack galleon Haifa'Iro'Iro cut a contrast across the high orbit of Lianna. Below, the sprawling ecumenopolis caught sunlight from the nearby star, bathing uncountable numbers of skyscrapers in light and catching each building's snowy white hue, set against the few remaining oceans on the city planet. Ensconced within the galleon's VIP suite, Senator Taataani Meorrrei watched the sprawl emerge from her oversized window with muted appreciation. The only thing besmirching her unfettered view were the jagged lines of the Nebulon B frigate escorting them on the final leg of their journey.

"jIt'ss rratherr beautjiful, jI ssupposse, jin that unjimagjinatjive unjiforrm wajy. All whjite."

The Senator's ears bobbed slightly as she examined the vista, noting by the chrono on the wall that they were still rather early. No sense in rushing. And by the state of Taataani's undress, she cherished the ability to pad her schedule whenever possible.

"jI ssupposse that aessthetjic jissn't the onljy thjing thejy hold jin common wjith the Empjirre, ne?"

She glanced back to the bed and it's occupant, removed from the ample covers which had found themselves thrown to the floor somehow or another.

"Oh Kallum, won't jyou make jyourrsself usseful and prreparre ssomethjing to drrjink?"

[Kallum Romanoch]

“I thought I ‘ad made meself useful.”

Where Taataani surveyed an entire planet, Kallum watched only her. As a practice, it was good for both job security and self-preservation. He peeled himself from the bed, and pulled on his trousers; the belt remained conspicuously unbuckled, ready, should the matron find her carnal appetites rekindled. Above the bureau hovered a hologram, it was of an aging woman with eyes like daggers and cheekbones like spearheads, crowned with an obsidian helm of hair, sculpted to solid perfection. In passing, he turned it off, banishing its icy blue glare. From the drinks cabinet, there came the soft clinking of glass. He poured a generous measure of smoky Socorran whiskey, and allowed for a finger-prick drop of Pai Leeha, for a hint of the sanguine. The whiskey was in the senator’s hand in short order. Below, the city world shimmered like a bowl of diamonds.

“It looks so clean,” he sounded disappointed, “One day, mam, I’ll show yeh a real city world.”

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"jI thought jyou werre frrom a moon."

Taataani diminished Kallum's home pride by a degree as she received her drink, side-eyeing her assistant as she pursed her lips slightly. She sampled the concoction of Kallum's own creation, and found it fit her mood exact. He'd become rather adept at understanding her intentions without her having to say a word, and that was an intangible skill worth keeping.

"Jusst becausse jI tolerrate that fjilthjy brrogue of jyourrss behjind clossed doorrss, that doessn't mean jI have anjy dessjirre to get closserr to Narr Sshaddaa than jI am alrreadjy."

Senator Meorrrei turned to move to her desk, pausing only to pinch one of Kallum's nipples in passing.

"Todajy jiss gojing to be magnjifjicent, darrljing. We sstand at the thrresshold of ssecurrjing peace, and all of the economjic prrossperrjitjy that comess wjith jit. Ladjy Ssanthe can cerrtajinljy ssee whjich djirrectjion the wjindss arre blowjing, and thejy'rre all jin ourr djirrectjion."

A thought, and Taataani turned back to Kallum with impish delight.

"When all jiss ssajid and done todajy, jI could nearrljy bujy Narr Sshaddaa, werre jI everr sso jincljined. And jyou own a ssharre of that ssuccesss. Ssoon, we'll both be rrjicherr than Gunrrajy."

[Kallum Romanoch]

A false smile surfaced like a stranger between friends. It was a reflex, like gagging, though not half as natural. And, in the presence of someone who played people like sabacc cards, it was about as transparent as plexiglass. Kallum dropped the charade.

“Mam, don’ say things like da’,” he said, with discomfort, “Yeh pay me well f’me work. More dan I ever dreamed. Dat’s enough.”

The idea of somehow sharing in her success, in her exorbitant wealth, by proxy did not sit well with him at all. Sure, he enjoyed the prestige of his position, and all of the luxury that entailed, but she was Baroness Executor, she was the Rrou’fai, she was the senator, not him. It was something he felt he shouldn’t have to point out.

“How’s deh whiskey?” he started to dress, donning his shirt like battle armour, “I figured yeh’d ‘ave a taste f’blood.”

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Taataani watched her majordomo with a glance made half-inscrutable by concealment behind her glass. Had she so tarnished his avarice by her good graces? Contentment wasn't a quality she'd desired to cultivate in him.

"A ssangujine touch jiss rrarreljy jinapprroprrjiate, Kallum. Literralljy orr fjigurratjiveljy."

The Cizerack Senator tapped a panel on the wall that released a large sliding door, revealing a wide array of wardrobes. She'd only packed a few dozen to consider, and now she had to determine what message she wished to convey without speaking. A sliding mechanism trundled out, as a horseshoe-shaped ring above arrayed her garments along a carousel.

"jI doubt the Ljiannanss wjill wjissh to ssee me asss garrjissh orr bold, though jI am harrdljy sstarrk orr aussterre. jI want ssomethjing wjith colorr, but not too much. Perrhapss onljy to jimpljy colorr and wearr ljittle?"

[Kallum Romanoch]

“Wear little?” Kallum repeated, he huffed in mock contemplation, “Well, da’ would make a strikin’ impression. Dere’s a gold bikini around ‘ere somewhere…”

Strategically, Kallum shuffled clear of Taataani’s reach as he rounded the horseshoe parade of senatorial fashions. In what had become a regular routine, he juggled the task of turning himself into a presentable lackey, while helping his fussy employer to get dressed - in every sense of the word. It was the foreplay before the farce: a contortionist’s double-act of extreme upholstery, that saw Kallum, the self-sacrificing hero, attempt to contain a proud and portly senator within the confines of her own uncompromising clothes. He plucked a rather formidable-looking number from the rotating rack, and held it up to himself for inspection; it was discarded with a frown.

“Better t’overdress dan deh alternative. Lest deh locals think yeh don’ hold ‘em in deh same high regard as yer senator buddies,” he made another selection and considered it at arm’s length, his voice became as smooth as velvet, “Then again, Lianna is so white, my dear, it looks like it has been made from wedding cakes. Wear beige - it will be a scandal!”

Decision made, he presented Taataani with her outfit, which was decidedly not beige, and said, “Now be a good senator and put your tits away.”

[Taataani Meorrrei]

The mention of a gold bikini was exchanged with a rather cross expression from the rrou'fai, who crossed her arms over her exposed chest testily.

"jYou jinssjisst on gjivjing me jideass, mjy cheekjy sajoi. Werre jI a Tatooine sspjice barronnesss, jI'd make the gaudjiesst of orrnamentss out of jyou."

Even still, he'd moved on beyond her riposte to arrange her wardrobe, pulling aside the likeliest candidates. Some, she discarded with a look. Others he thought better of himself. He'd become a self-taught fashionista by residing in her orbit, and likely now possessed more nuance than half the minions at OKwear. After a moment of sorting through the wardrobe, Kallum's bloodhounding paid off with an attractive selection which gave Taataani pause.

It was white. Mostly. Sharp lines with padding at the shoulders and a stark contrast of navy blue to accent. Simple and clean. And yet, there at the edge of the broad navy accent was just enough gold to hold one's attention, yet little enough to pass by casual observation. How clever. Taataani appraised Kallum's work with a statuesque aloof expression that was betrayed by her buoying ears.

"jYess, that wjill do." she huffed, turning to the adjacent chest of drawers to retrieve a suitable brassiere, which she began to shoulder as she manipulated her ample badges of office into supported position. Next, panties were attended to, until the last of the hated undergarments lay at her attention. Taataani held the girdle aloft with a disdainful finger and thumb as one might handle overly sun-ripened womp rat carrion.

"Not too tjight, orr jI'll have jyourr tesstjicless forr earrjingss. jI want to sspeak, not wheeze."

[Kallum Romanoch]

The girdle was accepted with a stiff nod of assent. Kallum contained his amusement, lips pressed thin, until he was behind Taataani, and safely out of sight. There were elements of his employer’s life, in all of its grandeur and expense, that he found amusing; when he chose to tease, the old bird was generous in her tolerance. And yet, though he found himself trussing up a podgy septuagenarian like a hunk of succulent Gamorrean pork, he had the good sense to hold his tongue. His testicles depended on it.

With the deftness of experience, he worked the laces first from the top, and then from the bottom. While Taataani oomphed, he moulded her flabby midsection into a full-bodied hourglass: the hips popped, the waist was generous, and the bust, barely containable. Granting his employer a moment’s respite to breath and test her capacity for speech with a sequence of Cizeri tongue-twisters, Kallum went about disassembling her chosen outfit. And, as he took stock of the number of straps and clasps and layers that awaited him, he silently thanked the Liannan’s for their austere fashion sensibilities. Some of Taataani’s dresses were about as complicated as Ithorian flatpack furniture.

“How d’yeh intend tah approach Lady Santhe?” he said, applying the outfit with all the caution of a Nexu-handler, “Imply much an’ say little?”

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"That won't get uss verrjy farr."

Kallum worked in Taataani's orbit, and the Senator remained still and pliant as he applied the finishing touches to her wardrobe.

"No doubt sshe'd ssee thrrough that tactjic werre jI to abusse jit. We musst deal frrom a possjitjion of fact that jiss accentuated bjy fjictjion. Sshe knowss the Tjion Clussterr jiss powerrful, but thejy arre alsso jissolated. Asss long asss sshe beljievess ourr motjivess arren't colonjial oness, we majy fjind common grround to djisscusss jisssuess."

With her dress attended to, Taataani glimpsed herself in the mirror. It was impeccable, and her ears lifted at the sight. Still, the warmth of her red wig she presently wore might seem garish when presented against her present outfit. Instead, the rrou'fai moved to her wig carousel, finding a rarely used platinum wig with black accents in the ringlets.

"What jI am jinterressted jin jiss jidentjifjyjing the elementss jin herr powerr sstrructurre wjith lojyaltjy to the Empjirre, and jissolatjing herr frrom them. We sshould be mjindful of anjy djissunjitjy, and explojit jit jin herr people."

[Kallum Romanoch]

“I’ll pur-ou’ feelers deh momen’ we land.”

In his line of work, it was no longer enough for Kallum to work alone, not since his employer had ascended into the lofty ranks of the senate. Information was a tool, a currency, and a weapon, and the faster it was in Taataani Meorrrei’s hands, the better she could do her job. And if Kallum was to do his own job effectively, it had been essential for him to assemble his own team of little birds to ferret out truths and unearth secrets on his behalf. It wouldn’t do for him to be too long away from his employer’s side anymore. And while she busied herself with a new wig, he finished off his own appearance with a tie and cufflinks.

“Family ties, military ‘istory, business links, da’ sorta thing. I reckon Lady Santhe will be inclined teh keep ‘er own counsel, bu’ if anyone can wheedle our-‘er doubts, you can. Someone like da’ doesn’t rise teh power wirrou’ ‘arbourin’ some suspicions.”

Presentable at last, he turned away from the mirror and caught sight of his re-wigged employer, “Da’ colour looks good on yeh, mam. Ready?”

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Suitably attired, Senator Meorrrei gave her majordomo a nod.

"jI am. Now jI ssupposse jit'ss tjime to meet ourr Jedji prrotectorr."

It had been a request she'd submitted to the Order on Ossus, and one which her elevated status and past relationship to the Jedi had permitted. Though she was fond of Abarai Loki, the council had seen it fitting for another Jedi Knight to be assigned to the duty - one that the Senator had not yet met. Her name was Adia, and she was supposedly capable. The fact that she was a she certainly put her Cizerack colleagues into a relatively amenable position.

Leaving her VIP quarters, Taataani headed to the observation deck with Kallum in tow to meet both Adia and the Huntress Captain. From there they would take stock on the situation at hand, and prepare to journey to the planet.

[Kallum Romanoch]

Deprived of the privacy of Taataani’s personal quarters, Kallum became a different man. He inflated inside his suit until every seam aligned in perfect symmetry, and, he walked as if his back and shoulders were propped up by a durasteel scaffold. The playful smile that so frequently threatened to betray his thoughts had been nailed down, and the glimmer in his eyes cooled enough so that he at least appeared to think himself superior to others. The trick was to retain enough warmth to suggest kindness, without forfeiting superiority - he was getting the hang of it.

“You are aware they have bodyguards for that sort of thing, ma'am,” he said, in an undertone, “Unless it is spiritual protection you seek. And I had just the Ithorian healing stones for the occasion.”

[Adia Issoris]

Adia sat in a lounge chair, with a view that currently overlooked Lianna. Adia looked up as part of a cursory glance of her surroundings, and noted that they were early by several hours.

The Galleon was, in some ways, an ostentatious pre-war Calamari cruiser. Well armed, but primarily aimed at trade. Where soft-off whites were common on a Mon Cal vessel, Cizerack crimson and gold reigned. It was too forward for her tastes. Adia resumed examination of the dossiers of the relevant parties. The Alliance had managed to make solid inroads for this mission, especially on the intelligence front. Tion was suspicious of the Alliance, although slightly less than they were of the Empire. Santhe/Sienar Technologies would be a boon to the Alliance, and freer flowing trade would be a boon to Lianna. Realistically, Lianna (and logically part of Tion) could stay independent, which left limited leverage for either the Alliance or the Empire.

Adia heard the footsteps of the Senator and her attache before she saw them. She stood and set aside the data pad.

"Senator Meorrrei, Mister Romanoch." She gave slight bow.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"Keep the sstoness handjy Kallum, jI've harrdljy kept a Jedji on rretajinerr forr the well-bejing of mjy ssoul...ah."

Placing a hand on Kallum's forearm, Taataani bade her lieutenant to pause as the object of their discussion greeted them in a rather formal manner. Spending a moment to regard the Jedi's attire, Taataani nearly forgot to reciprocate, though in a manner some degree less deeply than Adia performed. To the Senator's relief, Kallum required no prodding for the necessary social grace.

"jYou musst be Adjia jIsssorrjiss, orr do jI call jyou Knjight jIsssorrjiss?"

The Senator's expression was polite, if somewhat cooler than usual. She'd been expecting robes. Did they not wear robes on these sorts of things? Hmm, no matter. The robes may well have been ostentatious. Whatever the Jedi wore now was reasonably smart and not vulgar enough to appear common. And her badge of office, as it were, hung conspicuously from her belt. Lady Santhe would certainly get the message Taataani intended to convey.

"The Captajin jinforrmed me that jyou arrjived overrnjight. jI hope jyourr sshorrt sstajy hass been pleassant. Ourr navjy rrarreljy plajyss hosst to Jedji Knjightss."

[Kallum Romanoch]

Everyone bowed in this galaxy, from the measured nod of the lofty politician, to the grubby kotow of a hand-wringing shopkeeper. In civilised society, it was a custom keenly observed in lieu of the humble handshake. No-one much liked to touch anymore, it seemed. Of course, nothing less could be expected from the likes of a Jedi Knight, and Adia Issoris did not disappoint. Kallum, in turn, returned the bow, mirroring Taataani’s restraint. And, because, on top of shunning the practice of hand-shaking, the great and the good also had a peculiar aversion to words like ‘Hello,” Kallum said:

“Master Jedi.”

[Adia Issoris]

Adia acknowledged Kallum again with a nod. Many of the newer Jedi did not conform to the traditional robes, and Adia was one of them. Instead, she donned a tailored, hip length dark green jacket over a well made tan blouse and dark brown pants. Polished brown boots appropriate for a military officer rounded out the affair. If her jacket had insignia aside from the Jedi Order's on the shoulder, and she not carrying a lightsaber, Adia could have been mistaken for a planetary defense officer.

"Whichever you prefer, Senator. Informally, Adia would be fine." She added in Cizerack with a soft smile. "I apologize if my grasp of your tongue is lacking."

"This is the first time I've been a guest on a Cizerack vessel, and Captain has been most accommodating." She'd been on a Cizerack ship, but it was during the Clone Wars, and the crew wasn't exactly happy to see her then.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"Forrmaljitjy jiss mjy leverrage, Adjia."

The Senator's smile was more of a smirk, small and lopsided.

"Afterr all, jI am the rrankjing delegate of the Alljiance of Frree Planetss, jin a possjitjion of negotjiatjing powerr wjith a Jedji Knjight to sstand at mjy ssjide. jYou'rre farr morre than a merre bodjyguarrd. jYou arre a ssjymbol, and ssjymbolss wearr tjitless well."

The trio began to gather a small entourage of helpers, minders, and court denizens. A visit by the Senate to a non-aligned world was a matter of state, and not nearly a casual act. Taataani wore the crowd as gracefully as she wore her attire.

"jI am pleassed to hearr jyourr sstajy hass been pleassant. jIt wassn't sso long ago that the Prrjide and the Jedji werre sset agajinsst each otherr jin a warr."

Taataani glanced at the woman, who had a youthful appearance to her that hinted of her age. Of course that was never a completely safe bet in a galaxy full of so many near-humans.

"jI hope the tjie that bjindss jiss one of common caussess, rratherr than ssjimpljy common enemjiess."

[Adia Issoris]

"I remember Keppaa Brens, although I was only a soldier then."

"I hope Lady Santhe agrees with you, Senator." On paper, it made sense. The Alliance was the most logical economic partner for Lianna, and had the most direct trade routes and compatible supply lines. They shored up some gaps in What was the business term? Synergy? That.

"What are the goals? Are we going to be trade partners, or are we trying to invite Lianna into the Alliance? My understanding is that Lady Valles Santhe is fiercely independent."

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"Ah, sso then jyou arre a veterran."

Near human, then, the Senator mused as the entourage gazed through the viewport to the planet below. There was still an ember of youth to this Jedi Knight. Perhaps they'd both experienced the war at the same formative time.

"Keppaa Brens jiss mjy Ssenatorrjial sseat. To thjiss dajy, therre rremajin sscarrss of warr. Warrnjingss of jintrranssjigence vjissjible frrom sspace. jI've neverr once held a grrudge overr jit, becausse Keppaa Brens contajinss a potent lessson. jIt'ss a lessson to whjich Ladjy Ssanthe sshould alsso pajy heed. Therre jiss no ssuch thjing asss a zerro ssum game. Anjyone who jinssjisstss upon jit jiss ejitherr a ssjimpleton orr worrsse, a demagogue."

She was baiting her Jedi friend, and Taataani cut the suspense with a smile.

"To ansswerr jyourr quesstjion, jI want everrjythjing, but what jI get wjill no doubt be lesss. Annex the Tjion Clussterr, orr leave jit an jissolated parrjiah sstate? jI expect we wjill arrjive ssomewherre between. Ladjy Ssanthe jiss no fool, sso sshe hass no doubt arrrjived at that expectatjion asss well."

[Adia Issoris]

"I hope Lady Santhe sees trade and economics the same way you do." Adia stated and returned the smile. Factually, Lianna didn't need to trade with anyone. They were almost entirely self sufficient.

She did not mention the Senator might be the single largest beneficiary from this trade deal. Since the largest stakeholder in Koensayr-Meorrei was the lead negotiator, would Lady Santhe see Taaataaani's presence as forward honesty or a manifestation of self interest? The fact that the discussion was happening at all was hope for the former.

"Are there any particular faux pass that I should avoid that were not covered in the briefing documents?" Preparedness was one of many things life had drilled into Adia.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"Sshe'ss an elderr matrrjiarrch jin one of the mosst powerrful sstarr clussterrss jin the galaxjy. jI'm cerrtajin sshe underrsstandss we'll be djisscusssjing morre than trrade between the ljiness."

Adia asked of the fine details, which would have been sorted out one way or another. Kallum handled the minutiae, and he had an eye for giving even the smallest detail his discerning attention.

"Mjy asssjisstant can brrjief jyou wjith a Tjionesse prrjimerr. Mjy ssuggesstjion would be to rremajin asss jyou arre and wjith jyourr ljightssaberr vjissjible. Not out of anjy need to usse jit, but asss a rremjinderr of the powerr of coaljition the Alljiance carrrjiess. Ourr abjiljitjy to unjite peopless and caussess jiss an assset we sshould not hjide."

The Senator placed her hand atop Adia's forearm, and leaned in close to her ear to speak in relative privacy.

"Sshould the forrce sspeak to jyou jin rregarrdss to ourr hosstss jin wajyss jI can't fathom, jI would apprrecjiate knowjing, of courrsse."

[Kallum Romanoch]

"Lady Santhe is a very proud woman," Kallum offered, allowing for the slightest pause that marked the moment his words and their real meanings deviated. In truth, she was not just proud, she was an arrogant old harpy who believed she needed no-one, and applied her own spinster's code to the planet and its people, too. "She will not welcome any implication that Lianna is in need of the Alliance."

When Taataani remained silent, he took it as leave to elaborate, and fell into step beside the strangely youthful-looking woman.

"This is someone who has openly supported the Empire since its inception, and when the last Death Star was destroyed, Lianna immediately declared itself independent once again. This ambiguous neutrality places Lady Santhe and her people in a precarious position between the two largest powers in the galaxy. Where I her place, right now, I'd be feeling rather like a cornered gully rat. Your presence alone, Master Jedi, will serve as a reminder that the balance of power has changed. I advise we accommodate the good Lady Santhe, and allow her to feel like she is in control at all times. I have been informed that she may prove... challenging in her ways."

[Adia Issoris]

"Of course." Adia nodded to Taataani.

This wasn't Adia's foremost area of expertise, but she'd played enough in the Imperial Court to read between the lines. Santhe was entrenched, and she was used to the steady hand the Empire provided. She had enough leverage to keep "Imperial" boots off of Lianna.

Be flexible and accommodating without compromising our position too much. Let Santhe feel like she runs the show.

"Thank you, Mister Romanoch." Adia said with a genuine soft smile. She was still trying to place his accent.

"When are we due planet-side?"

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Kallum played his part, usefully dispensing the insider information with all the careful need-to-know filters. He'd taken to the material quickly, understanding the realpolitik far better than even some provincial Alliance planetary representatives did. Taataani had to wonder how much of a shift he'd had to make in order to acclimate himself to the life of a power gatekeeper. Was this simply an elevated hustle for him? Either way, it took a modicum of temperance to keep from patting herself on the back for finding him. He'd evolved even beyond what her usual keen nose for talent suggested.

At Adia's question, Taataani's eyes panned to an approaching officer. A Preita'rrou.

"Rrou'ani...and arr'u," the officer paused, remembering the unnatural deference to Kallum Romanoch as something more than a manservant, "The sshuttle and esscorrt arre rreadjy to carrrjy jyou to Ljiana."

"jImpeccable tjimjing. Thank jyou." Taataani nodded, allowing the junior officer to do her part as she escorted the group toward the hangar bay. A few minutes later, they had cleared the tram lift that delivered them to the galleon's enormous middle hull bay. The large atmospheric shields on the port side afforded an impressive vista of Lianna below.

[Adia Issoris]

Gold light flooded against the cockpit as they transitioned to the day side of the planet. Adia could sense the four fighter escort as it maintained formation with the shuttle. Concentration, duty, and touch of boredom. No fighter pilot worth their salt wanted to do escort duty.

She looked through the cockpit, watching the massive grey factory patterns that rose up from the brown and green of the native plains. Lianna City and Lola Curich came into gradually finer detail. It looked clean, from a distance. It lacked the grandeur of the Senate District, the presence of Corellia, or the intensity of Nar Shadda. A few of the newer buildings were trying to say "we're a modern metropolis and can service your business needs!" The buzz of life grew more intense, and Adia muted it into the background.

The rounded cylinder of the capital building came into view. A lip at the lower third mark of the building was a landing area, and it could have easily accommodated a much larger craft. Adia could hear the craft's repulsors gently whine to fight against the planet's gravity as they slowed on their approach. The shuttle's landing gear cycled with a series of mechanical whirrs and soft clunks, and then they touched down in easily the softest landing Adia had ever experienced. She was the first to her feet, with the Senate guards a split second behind her.

She let the Guards proceed out of the shuttle first, where they stood patiently at attention, alert and ready. Taa rose to her feet with a silenced protest. Kallum and Thada, the Mon Cal junior Senator from Dac joined Taataani as she walked passed Adia, who slotted next to Thada and created a shallow diamond with Senator Meorrei and the front and Kallum behind them. The rest of the administrative entourage filed out behind them. Taataani stopped short of the front two guards. Adia stood at ease with her hands gently clasped behind her.

Three of Santhe's guards moved smoothly to meet them, with an aide in tow. He was a middle aged man of slightly above average height and slender build. He was grey around the temples, and his formerly black hair had a dash of salt now. He had a good Pazaak face.

"Senator Meorrrei, Senator Adel, I am Minister Praxton Melford. Welcome to Lianna. Lady Santhe apologizes that she could not be here to meet you in person, but she is waiting inside."

[Taataani Meorrrei]

It was a relief to be out of the shuttle. Not so much due to any discomfort with space travel, but more to the truth of the matter that Taataani had to share that close space with Senator Thada. The Quarren, like their sometimes-adversarial Mon Cala neighbors, were odiferous creatures to the point of distraction. In a perverse way, the experience always seemed to leave her peckish. Not that Thada had any particular cause to fear that her Cizerack colleague might make supper of her innards; a laughable notion. Still, it was a distraction.

Fortunately, the briney aroma diluted once they were in the open and beneath the clouds of Lianna. Senator Meorrrei stood at the head of the entourage, making keen note of the manner in which she was received. Any simpleton might have taken Minister Melford's salutation at it's face value. Welcome and apologies in nearly the same breath. Taataani's expression of polite gratitude never wavered. Only her tail betrayed the inner workings of her observation as it's lazy sway grew a bit lazier.

"jI underrsstand. Ladjy Ssanthe jiss a bussjy woman."

The understanding was in the subtext. Santhe could not be seen openly welcoming the Alliance delegation here. Her hospitality must be delivered at arm's length. The invitation was as open as it had always been, but this way Santhe didn't appear in plain view of her subjects as welcoming the wolves into the flock - as some no-doubt viewed this encounter.

A glance was given to her Quarren counterpart, then quickly returned.

"We arre pleassed to be herr guesstss."

Still the picture of grace, Taataani took in the visage of the Minister. He surrendered little in the way of a tell. With a title, he was a public figure, so a pinch of time and a dash of scrutiny might offer her something useful. She didn't have to look back to know that Kallum was already thinking ahead. For Adia's sake, the Cizerack Senator hoped she was likewise in the moment.

[Thada Adel]

As she exited the shuttle her dress did not so much as drag but flow. The material was bright like sunshine and light as air. The pattern left much material hanging from her form arms and back, which in water would float like seaweed. Tailored holes allowed for her naturally pink-orange skin to act as an accent throughout the dress. Rings adorned her clawed fingertips as well as bangles upon her wrists. A bright ocean blue gem was stuck to the center of her forehead, and her lithe facial tentacles were adorned with rings of their own. It was a fine balance struck between being overly plain or too luxurious.

She followed behind Senator Meorrrei, whom she viewed as her superior in this situation. She would be foolish to not count on the mature Cizerack's experience. The two of them represented the greatest houses of the Alliance; The Cluster and the Mon Calamari Sector, but that hardly mad them equals. Many years separated them, and no doubt vastly different life experiences. Tukphen would have muttered something about keeping an eye on even your allies, but sadly the old fish was not with her on this trip. It was a scandalous event no doubt already being reported in the tabloids back home with a title screaming the Quarren have taken control when the real answer is that Tukphen was merely under the weather and too sick to travel.

The last members of the entourage were Sneator's Meorrei's clever boytoy, as Tukphen would say, and a Jedi Knight. Despite her many travels through Alliance space before and since becoming a Senator, Thada had not encountered many Jedi. It still left a strange feeling in her stomach, the result of systematic hate among her own people who view not just the Jedi but any force users as scum not to be trusted. For when the Sith Lord Tyrannus deceived them with an offer of freedom from underneath the flippers of the Mon Calamari it had been the Jedi and their clone troopers who had come and killed many Quarren. Thada harbored no such hate, but nonetheless there was always a klaxon in her head that told her to keep on her toes and watch out for deception.

Her father's words echoed in her mind as they were not greeted by the Lady Santhe, but instead an official. "Always keep them waiting, and wanting more." He had said. It created an illusion that one had little time to spend and that it was a rare treat to gain an audience at all. Whether or not that was the Lady Santhe's tactic it was nonetheless rude to not greet your traveled guests at your gates. Perhaps it was presumptuous of her to apply her own standards to a potentially completely different culture. The city looked clean and white, a pinnacle of civility. Perhaps it was all an illusion to hide a less than welcoming undertone.

Looking to her fellow Senator they exchanged a rare glance before simultaneously turning back to the Minister.

"It is a pleasure to visit your beautiful city." She gurbled as her small, fanged mouth worked out the words, her face tentacles moving in tandem.

[Kallum Romanoch]

The news that Lady Santhe was unable to greet them in person rolled over Kallum with all of the banal force of a maglev full of librarians. The dance was so crushingly familiar to him that, even as he felt himself step and turn in time to the beat, he could think of nothing but reaching out and squeezing the life from the minister's powdered neck. How he loathed the small games, and the tedious foreplay that the great and the powerful indulged so much; there was some small consolation to the fact that, in the time he had spent amongst Taataani and her ilk, he'd perfected the subtle art of the loquacious lubrication that came before a good fucking. In business, it was called The Kill, but Kallum liked to think of it as beating them at their own game - it was a reminder of his position, of an outsider, always looking in, and it kept him sharp.

His lips curled into a smile that would be deemed proper, and even as the minister's gaze swept over him like a yard brush, he afforded him the most conservative of bows. There was a scar behind his ear that the make-up failed to conceal, and he also noticed a dip in his left shoulder when he walked, meaning he had a weak knee, or perhaps even a prosthetic. He didn't carry himself like a soldier, however, and he lacked that clipped efficiency of words one would associate with any kind of military veteran. And yet, he did not appear intimidated by his guests at all. Kallum expected he came from business, but further digging would unearth the facts of who he was, and how he'd come into the service of Lady Santhe, along with the truth about that curious limp. If there was a pressure point, he'd find it, and give it a feel.

[Adia Issoris]

"Thank you, Senator Adel." Minister Melford replied, as he lead them into a nearby conference room with roughly 30 seats. The table was polished stone, and ovoid in shape. Lady Santhe stood defiant at the head of the table with a dour look on her face: defiant at age, defiant at the situation, defiant towards those in her way.

Two women flanked her, presumably aides. One was younger with only the first hints of age bore a strong Santhe family resemblance. She seemed relieved when the Alliance entourage walked through the door. The other was obviously middle aged, and looked roughly as thrilled as Santhe at the prospect of negotiations. Praxton took his position next to the younger Santhe

Adia could feel no direct malice from Lady Santhe just a more general frustration that this was taking place at all. Santhe did not like the recent shifts in the galactic balance.

“Senator Adel, Senator Meorrei,, I trust the journey was pleasant from Dac and Carshoulis.” Her tone was controlled, but it felt like a dig at the Cizerack Senator to Adia.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"Peaceful, mjy Ladjy."

Taataani's reply rolled off lips set in a serene smile, as if she hadn't made the journey by series of starships to the Tion cluster, but rather emerged from an egg filled with down. Of course, even in this, the Baroness Executor was signaling. She hadn't said uneventful or even comfortable. With peaceful, Taataani's wordplay reflected the Peace of the Alliance, an end to nearly four decades vacillating from tyranny to war. A peace enforced through rule of law, but underwritten by the unimaginable destructive power the fledgling state concealed like an iron gauntlet under lace gloves.

It also had not been ignored that Lady Santhe chose to call out the Senators' respective worlds, rather than the seat of governance. No doubt an attempt to juxtapose any provincial differences between the influential sector seats.

"Chancellorr Ave extendss hjiss besst wjisshess to jyou. He hopess to hearr good newss of ourr djisscusssjionss, and hopess that jyou wjill ssoon be ourr guesstss at Bothawuji asss well. We arre all eagerr to become parrtnerrss jin a ssafe and ssecurre outerr rrjim."

Bringing Lady Santhe to the table of words, as it were. Extending the olive branch of agency to the aging monarch. Taataani glanced briefly at Senator Adel, who no doubt had further well wishes to deliver. Her eyes didn't remain there long. Taataani made purposeful eye contact with each of the women at the wings, gatekeepers of the inner sanctum. One, she noted, bore a resemblance to the elder Santhe that would be foolish to ignore.

[Achilles Sienar-Santhe]

Elsewhere in the building, Achilles Sienar-Santhe languished, pouring over a rare example of news delivered in print form. Such a thing was painfully archaic in a galaxy as sophisticated as this: but despite the relentless campaign for advancement and progress that he himself was a leading advocate for, certain things felt as if they needed to be done a certain way. News was something to be savoured and contemplated, something where the words could be languished over and the context properly considered. A quote in spoken form on video media became little more than a soundbyte, exploited relentlessly for a few days until it faded into obscurity. A quote in written print became a statement, a physical and tangible record of a truth - or untruth - that you had uttered. Being forced to contemplate news media that way, being forced to comprehend just how lasting and impactful ones words were supposed to be, was a vital reminder to a man like Achilles. Misspeak out there in the galaxy, and it would be nothing but a few days of embarrassment; but here on Lianna, among his peers and those in whose hands his fate and fortune rested, a mistaken statement might as well be etched into his tombstone.

"Sir."

The voice was a vexing mix of timid and insistent.

"Sir, the Alliance delegation has already arrived, quite some time ago."

Achilles carefully flipped the broadsheet fully open, turning the page before allowing it to settle back into a more manageable half-folded size.

"And?"

He almost smiled at the pause, imagining the frantic confusion sweeping across his secretary's face.

"Their meeting with Lady Santhe has already begun. Without you, sir."

Achilles let out a protracted sigh that emanated deep from his core. This entire fiasco was preposterous. Even if you conceded the idea that commandeering the galaxy at gunpoint was a valid political strategy - and in fairness this was hardly the first time - the sheer gall of this Alliance of Free Planets and the segments of the galaxy they had laid claim to would have been hysterical were it not so tragic. They spoke in florid language about how the new territories freed the oppressed and elevated non-humans to a position of authority; but who exactly was suffering or downtrodden on a world like Lantillies or Naboo? What societal progress was advanced by tearing Ubrikkia or Rothana away from their industrial investors on Kuat? What purpose, save for undermining Imperial military industry, could there be for surrounding the heart and home of Santhe/Sienar Technologies from the rest of the Empire? Achilles longed to demand the Alliance's string of excuses and justifications in print form, so that he could roll them into a club and use it to beat a little sense into the Senatorial delegation.

Even now, minutes late, Achilles was still conflicted over whether to attend. For Lady Santhe, it would certainly be better that way: not only in the interests of cultivating a cordial atmosphere, but also in sparing herself from mandatory interaction with a relative she had so little fondness for. Achilles was the chronically successful embarrassment; the cousin, descended from an arranged marriage that existed largely to remind the Sienar family of their political and financial misfortunes who, when repeatedly given enough rope to hang himself by the Santhe family, took that rope and used it to scale the side of the building. Perhaps this situation was the perfect opportunity to break the cycle of credit where credit was due: to let business ties with the Empire collapse under his watch, making him culpable for the fallout of his cousin's machinations.

Whatever Lady Santhe's plans, and whatever manner in which they undoubtedly eroded his position, it would make little difference if he was present or not. Or rather: Lady Santhe would act the same regardless of his presence. The Alliance delegation on the other hand? That was another matter entirely. He considered the information he had been given on the Senators the Alliance had seen fit to send. Not the Minister of Commerce, or Supply. Not an important leader from the top shelf of Alliance politics. Not even a Mon Calamari; they'd sent the lesser brand. No, instead they had sent Lady Starkiller: the trigger finger on the hand that held the gun to the Empire's head.

A small smile tugged at Achilles' lips. Distasteful as this entire situation was to him, the opportunity to sit across a table and search the eyes of the Alliance's answer to Tarkin for guilt was far too tempting to ignore.

"Very well," Achilles said at last, folding the broadsheet closed and extracting himself from his chair. "I am on my way."

[Adia Issoris]

Adia had never been directly involved in negotiations before. It seemed like most court intrigue she had taken place in. There we feints, flourishes, and position with appearance meant almost everything. The illusion was often more powerful than the fact.

Adia felt naked. She was here as... herself. She did not have the elements of disguise, nor a false purpose to wear as armor, so Adia would be the Jedi Knight today.

The Jedi felt something, no, someone was coming. Someone dangerous. Not the physical sort of danger, but in the conniving, undermining sort of danger. A danger to the process of negotiation.

"Someone is coming." She leaned into Taataani and whispered.

~bump~

[Thada Adel]

"Our journey was pleasant." Thada's own reply was a hollow lie hidden behind her ever blossoming sunny disposition. In truth she hated being away from Dac and her people. While she admitted there were plenty of opportunities to enrich the lives of all those within Alliance space, there were still plenty of obstacles to overcome on Dac alone. Years of racial hate and prejudice had wilted her people into shunted coral, barely surviving at the bottom of the ocean. Relations had improved by leaps and bounds over the last several years, and she had personally lead much of the crusade for equal rights and respect for all Quarren. Traveling also meant being contained within her quarters, forced to moisturize herself constantly in the dry, recycled air of a starship. The entire ordeal was draining, especially when coupled with the added stress of being on her own.

"A fair partnership." She quipped after Senator Meorrrei finished. "Senator Tukphen sends his regards, and apologizes for not being able to attend. He was very much looking forward to this meeting and the future prospects of our cooperation."

Thada was known for playing the peacekeeper between the Senators who was always looking for common ground for them to perch upon together rather than fight between themselves as they have been want to do. It was understandable. The Alliance was still so young and many galactic leaders still had their eyes firmly planet on their own territories. A defensive habit born from conflict with the Empire. Her intentions for this trip were beyond simply keeping the peace. She had a feeling that a Senator like Meorrrei would push this treaty with Lady Santhe into an uncomfortable position that benefits themselves, perhaps even the Alliance at large, but at the cost and disadvantage of Santhe. Thada would see a truly fair brokerage is made.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Taataani's ear quavered slightly upon receipt of whispered news. It was scarcely enough to alter her expression, still one of graciousness. Still, Knight Adia likely wouldn't make such news known to her if it wasn't without portent. She was already rifling through the possibilities. Members of state she knew of in the Tionese apparatus, possible heads of industry, or even the not-so-secret allies they maintained in the Galactic Empire.

It was speculation best left unsaid. The unannounced guest would arrive soon at any rate, and Senator Meorrrei could withstand a bombshell or two.

"Mjy colleague and jI arre jin agrreement, Ladjy Ssanthe. We arre jinterressted jin the besst optjionss of mutual benefjit between the Alljiance and the Tjion Clussterr. We underrsstand that jyourr passt affjinjitjy forr the Galactjic Empjirre hass ssteerred jyou jinto cerrtajin pathss. We have no dessjirre to djimjinjissh whateverr peaceful and humanjitarrjian trrade jyou majintajin wjith the Corre. We merreljy assk that jyou conssjiderr otherr optjionss to jyourr benefjit wjith jyourr closserr nejighborrss."

Taataani glanced to her majordomo, then back to Santhe.

"Forr jinsstance, jit jiss no ssecrret wherre the vasst majorrjitjy of jyourr grrosss domesstjic prroduct orrjigjinatess. Ssjienarr Fleet Ssjysstemss makess forr qujite a crrown jewel."

Right to the heart of the matter. It was time to probe Lady Santhe's influence with Sienar and her willingness to play ball.

[Achilles Sienar-Santhe]

"Really? That is why you're here?"

Achilles lingered in the doorway, struggling to stifle his amusement as he continued to watch the Cizerack Senator. He knew who she was, of course: their political affiliations meant that Achilles could never realistically have been expected to meet who the business holos had stared calling the Starfighter Baroness - one of the few tabloid pseudonyms for Taataani Meorrrei that wasn't outright insulting - but he had his finger on the pulse of galactic economics well enough to recognise an up and coming counterpart when he saw one. The corporate fusion of Incom-Koensayr-Meorrrei reminded Achilles of his own company's history. In much the same way as IKM sought to consolidate itself as the primary starfighter provider for the Alliance military, carving out a niche that deprived the Mon Calamari of a total shipbuilding monopoly, Santhe/Sienar had fought the same struggle against Kuat Drive Yards back at the dawn of the the Empire.

All of that had transpired decades before Achilles had become chief executive of the Santhe Corporation of course, but no child of Santhe or Sienar - let alone one of both - could grow up without an accute understanding of the myriad achievements of their ancestors.

A few more short moments were allowed to pass before Achilles offered a token gesture of respect towards Lady Santhe, and entered the room fully. He didn't sit: much as he enjoyed exploiting subtle opportunities to rebel against Tionese tradition and covertly irk the matriarch of House Santhe, to do so now might be misperceived as a vulnerability that the Alliance delegation might try to exploit, and the rebels had revealed too little to begin playing those sorts of games just yet.

Instead, Achilles stood as if speaking before a board meeting, using his vantage to study the rest of the delegation. The human woman could have been anyone, but a little deductive reasoning ruled her out as a Senator: the Alliance had no noteworthy munufacturing industries that were owned by humans, and he would have recognised her if she held some other position of importance within the rebel government. An aide seemed like a reasonable guess, but there was something about her that Achilles found mildly offputting, the same kind of knows-too-much look in her eyes that reminded him of Inquisitors and intelligence officers within the Imperial service. The Quarren was far less of an enigma: while it was nigh impossible to distinguish one of the creatures from another, Achilles knew that Mon Calamari had both varieties of aquatic senators, which likely made this Thada Adel. He knew little about her specifically, but he did understand the relationship that existed between the Quarren and Mon Calamari, both politically and in terms of industry: the Quarren ownership of Hoersch-Kessel Drive made them the Rendili StarDrive to the Kuat Drive Yards analogue the Mon Calamari represented, a once mighty corporation now reduced to picking up the scraps that fell from the table of the shipbuilders that had supplanted them.

His attention returned to Senator Meorrrei, all smiles and congeniality; more out of respect for the process of doing business, rather than individual respect for anyone in the room.

"Don't sell to them, sell to us!" Achilles fought down a chuckle. "Of all the ways to sabotage the Empire's military and economy, this one is a little too rudimentary, don't you think?"

[Adia Issoris]

Adia closed her eyes for a moment. The removal of a stimulus allowed one to focus on other stimulus. Achilles Sienar-Santhe was not a mystery to Adia, and his univited presence was not surprising. While Achilles had been mostly set up to fail, he'd succeeded well enough in the semi-cerimonial CEO role through a combination of acceptable choices and subterfuge. He was also obnoxiously pro-Imperial. There was bits and pieces of intelligence regarding some of the more ethically questionable activities the less known subsidiaries were undertaking, but nothing cogent enough to use as leverage.

Trouble indeed, although his lack of popularity within his own family might be exploitable. Adia found this manuevering distasteful, but that was how the game was played.

Lady Santhe, for her part, fumed with barely an outward indication. Only an annoyed blink and a subtle tightening of the lips were the only tells. She had always considered Achilles a nusiance. He was the result of political expedience, mostly, and now Santhe wanted him to go back into whatever hole he had crawled out of.

"No." Was Santhe's only response to Achilles' dismissive dialogue.