The Crisis at Jeddesh

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"A Rreprressentatjive Amlaka to ssee you, Rrou Ssenatorr."

Taataani looked up from her desk with a frown, pulling the reading glasses off her nose as she regarded Inataali Taanarraiya with a look of neutral disappointment. The junior staffer from Carshoulis was certainly capable enough, but the Senator found that she was a poor visual substitute for Kallum Romanoch, whom she'd sent on assignment days ago.

It wasn't simply that Kallum was appreciated eyecandy. He had evolved beyond a simple servant, and was more than a procedural busybody. He understood subtlety, preference, and context. He'd grown accustomed to his place at Taataani's side so well that he often provided her key information before she had to ask. Not so for Rrou Taanarraiya.

"Rreprressentatjive Amlaka?"

She wasn't familiar with the name at all. The title at least gave her some insight, as a representative was a junior member of the government assigned to one of the smaller worlds. In other words, a provincial. While there was nothing wrong in representing the little people, it did this Amlaka no favors that her name didn't precede her.

Inataali smiled in that pinched, too-polite way that annoyed Taataani so. "Frrom the planet Jeddessh, Rrou'a."

Taataani leaned back in her chair slightly, pushing aside her briefings for the day.

"jI know asss much of the worrld asss jI know of the name - nothjing."

It couldn't be helped, really. Even in ruling a mere third of the galaxy, tens of thousands of inhabited worlds fell under the aegis of the Alliance of Free Planets. So of course a few fell between the cushions of the couch of body politic. Considering the pinched expression on the face of her staffer, Taataani could tell she was equally clueless. With an annoyed sigh, the Senator moved her briefings from the desk and into a drawer.

"Fjine. Ssee herr jin. Do jI need to rremjind jyou what elsse jI need?"

Taanarraiya knew that tone and shook her head. "No, rrou'a. jI'll brrjing two mjinerral waterrss and a censsuss brrjief of planet Jeddessh, at once."

Taataani waved her off. "Ssee too jit."

Foolish girl. If you don't start to swim in this ocean you'll soon sink. Taataani watched her depart from her sight, then set about taking a moment to ensure she looked the part of a benevolent host, rather than a put-upon Senator setting aside matters of consequence.

[Amlaka]

Pointy furry ears skylined the hall, so the furless three were remarkable. Chit-chat peppered with whispers, cutting glances or disregard lined the furless foreigners walkway path to the Cizeri Senator's office.

Two of the trio were women. Light armored and fitted black breastplates with hooded gear clarified their escort service was also lethal. The hoods could not hide the long curled longs locks decorated in golden ornaments atop their young heart shaped faces. Both were tall, slender, and like Sephi models sauntering about the Uscru Entertainment District on Coruscant but dipped in caramel with an urge to trot. Each heeled sneaker thud grabbed a new set of peering eyes. Sandwiched between was a wee-size diamond face version of the two, light like bronze, draped in traditional garbs wrapped to the shoulder only exposing her midriff, as the silk swept over her own hanging dreadlocks. Her gaze courted the onlookers.

"Admiration?" One of the guards spoke.

"No, disturbance, disorientation and dismissal," grumbled the other.

"Why these people, Leni?"

Leni was a title amongst their people; Emerë's dialect for ruler. The young faced, small woman trailed half a step behind, her hands tucked in formal respect behind her as she gathered the looks. "They are more like us than you think."

"Will she understand?

"I trust she will."

The two guards exchanged looks of doubt, then turned their eyes back down the path trailing to the Senator's chambers. One decided to speak up, only to grab a reaffirming nod before the words even dropped from her mouth by her partner.

"Well, I trust in you Leni Amlaka."

The doors opened.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"Rreprressentatjive Amlaka!"

Senator Meorrrei rose from her desk, instantly dispelling her bothered demeanor to become someone completely at ease in all personable matters. It was as effortless as choosing the appropriate wig, and Taataani never gave her guest cause to doubt the earnestness of her hospitality. Rounding her desk, Taataani greeted Amlaka with clasped hands, and an air kiss to each side of her face.

"jI underrsstand jyou've been ssearchjing me out. What can jI do forr jyou?"

[Amlaka]

Purrs pronounced each Galactic Basic word in the quintessential Cizerack accent. It was lighter than those whom clustered in the halls, yet harsh. Each syllable a broken song married with the diplomat's soften touches, genuine grin and greeting. Amlaka followed suite, mimicking her customs with measured discipline - hand-shaking, kissing at each side, easiness - finished with a small bow, both hands clasped behind her back. Hospitality was key, and amidst her flight Amlaka familarized herself in the Cizeri customs. In her space voyages, she'd brush shoulders with their breed. Resilent, business-minded, quick individuals (the lot of them) and she had come to respect their kind. Encounters with the Senate, investigations in interplanetary affairs, as well as development programs, led Amlaka's advisors to recommend Cizerak as an ally.

The commonalities were key: the matriarchy, the industrious inventions, the dissonance from intergalactic sovereignty, the ears, were all evidence for fertile union. Yet, their differences were also significant. None of the Cizerak were sensitive to the Force. The spirituality was not rooted in their separation over the centuries, therefore their purpose for isolated governing was purely self-preservation and custom. Ultimately, a testament to the Cizerak's common value of logic and cultural pride; commendable qualities the Emerë exhibited, and Amlaka personally admired. Even, the Cizerak's caste views of other humanoids could attribute to a political bond to repel the Emerë's enemies.

Thus, Amlaka was welcomed with a bredth of knowledge on her greeters; she knew when in Carshoulis Cluster...:

"Rrou'a," she purred back, her soft voice nearly mewling. "I am happy you are allowing me the time to meet with you today. This is naatarri." She grinned, her hand casting a gesture. Her two guards stepped out the doors shut behind them as they turned, trotted, swiveled, and stood guard outside.

"This is about the Diversity Confederation. Are you familiar with them, Senator Meorrrei?" Her eyebrows rose, eyes widen just enough to look pleasantly innocent, as she gazed up at the 1.65 meter tall pointy-eared baron. Behind her shy lie and 20 year old college party body looks, sat a pecuilar observer, wonderous of exactly what this woman could offer her people.

Her hands clasped behind her back, remaining as conservative as usual - learned from her days amongst the elder councilmen and advisors, their shrewd dealings upholding small businesses within villages, cities, and constructions; the blueprint for her own monkish tact when not planetside.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Taataani disengaged herself casually to return to her desk, taking the slow circuit as a good opportunity to browse the dossier - Ah, useless! That foolish Taanarraiya had delivered a report on Jedha - well - what was left of it. Long-dead craters of holy cities were certainly not a topical course of discussion here. No matter. The Senator locked the screen, setting it aside on her desk as her middling subordinate at least got the mineral water correct.

Fortunately, Representative Amlaka had begun with a more interstellar topic of conversation. The Diversity Confederation had certainly appeared on Taataani's radar before.

"jI am."

Easing to her seat, Taataani sipped at the astringent and bubbling tonic set before her, not wasting any real consideration on the bland offering.

"A jyouth movement that'ss been popularr jin the Outerr Rrjim wjith cerrtajin nearr-human and djissonant aljien grroupss. Focussed on, how sshall we ssajy, corrrectjing the humanocentrrjic poljicjiess of the Empjirre."

Whether Amlaka and her retinue were human or not wasn't obvious to the Rrou'fai. They appeared close enough to pass, which gave Taataani a fair idea of what she might expect to hear next.

[Amlaka]

"Yes," she started, low. Her voice was hushed as if she stood in a temple. Her head bowed, not in reverence, but humbled by the clear conflict brought into fruition by the Senator's description.

Although her features were near match to a human from Corellia, or Anaxes, or anywhere else the Diversity Confederation deemed sick with the disease of Imperial reign, her ears said otherwise. Jeddesh hid her people in the forest like spirits, the grandfathers of the Sephi, yet their return to the galactic stage from the forestry was met with ignorance by the oppressed. It was a political landmine. Words weren't the best course of action, as she saw fit; she'd rather review the consequences with diplomatic suave after her own were protected and cared for, instead of wrought with war or siege.

"They've began uncovering my people, prying our treasured land, moving in, and there is even evidence to indicate they'd like our downfall." She paused, and inhaled, keeping her tone tempered & calm.

"My people, my planet, needs a blockade."

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"A blockade."

Taataani repeated the request with an even tone, steepling her meeting fingers as they rested on the desktop.

"That jiss an unussual rrequesst, Amlaka. jI'm no experrt, but one often levjied agajinsst a larrge, orrganjized enemjy orr jin a tjime of warr."

Had she been sleeping? The Diversity Confederation had been, at best, a gang of unruly thugs with a coarse political message. If they were now causing trouble greater than the occasional violent protests or similar local harassment, it was news to her.

"Doess Jeddessh not have a local Judjicjial forrce ssujited to handle domesstjic crrjissess?"

[Amlaka]

The young faced representative shook her head. "It is not the Emerë way to judge others."

She looked around the room. She observed the decoration, the desk, and lowered her tone to continue. "We are not like your people. We are a small group with a large planet to defend. These pro-alien's do not see us as one of them, in spite our lineage, and did not move like brutish thugs through our forest.

Our last capture was identified as a former Imperial agent."