Passing the Mantle

[Salem Ave]

Drev'starn, Bothawui

Having parted ways with Ashar Nerofi (https://www.theholo.net/forum/showthread.php?57738-In-Safe-Hands), Salem Ave found himself standing alone in the gardens of the Alliance Senate Complex. It was late in the afternoon; he had spent longer than he had anticipated with Ashar, discussing the future role that Onderon might play within the Senate and the wider Alliance. While she had much to ponder as she began the next step in her political career and all the doors that would open along with it, Salem knew there was another door that he had yet to close. His resignation from the Senate brought with it an implicit loss of his ministerial position. That resignation would reach the attention of the Chief of State and the various committees and councils in due course, but before word of his departure became public, there was one other representative of the Alliance legislature that Ave intended to speak with. He'd sent a private message, an invitation to dinner at a restaurant in the city itself. It was a short walk into the city and to the broad square, ringed on all sides by cafes whose patios were beginning to become crowded with patrons.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"What could jit mean? What could jit mean?"

Taataani paced along the colonnaded balcony of her Senatorial suite, marking time with her cigar. The sun over Drev'starn was setting, casting the city in a patina of copper as the sky slipped from pink to red.

What appeared to be a simple dinner invitation was certainly anything but. Taataani's working experience with the First Minister was that he was charming and sociable, but with boundaries. He typically did not hold court over dinner. Her well-paid network of Bothan spies had dredged up very little in the way of pretense. The First Minister was also a fairly tidy politician. He kept his house in order and didn't often suffer any leaks. It made it particularly frustrating for Taataani to enact preparations and contingencies.

"A djinnerr jinvjitatjion to a publjic sspace. Ljikeljy nothjing djisscussed jin purresst confjidence."

The Senator paused mid-thought, ashing her cigar into an ash tray held by one of her attending aides. She then shooed him away with a gesture. A moment later, she arched a brow.

"Orr ssomethjing jin confjidence that he'ss rreadjy to rreleasse jinto the wjild."

The question was, what could that be? Was he preparing to release his military restructuring plan, and intended to make her his first audience? That seemed prudent, seeing that Taataani steered a sizeable portion of the Alliance's military infrastructure through IKM contracts.

Could he be signaling an acceleration of plans for Austerity 228? She'd certainly pushed for an expansion of the program, to the howling of old-guard rebel strongholds like Dac and Sullust. Ensuring the rebuilt former-rebel enclaves paid what they owed for reconstruction from their allies would go a long way towards maintaining economic security. It might be unpopular with the proles, but it made perfect sense. She needed a better spokesperson for it than herself.

Still, the guessing game bothered Taataani. There should have been some amount of signaling. If there wasn't, was the First Minister coming to her as a friend, or should she be wary?

"Prreparre the fjiless. The oness we djisscusssed. Jusst jin casse."

"jYess, rrou'a."

A Cizeri page gave a curt nod, and she vanished inside to do Taataani's bidding. Another minder stepped forward.

"Sshall jI have jyourr drrjiverr rreadjy?"

Taataani was familiar with the restaurant's location, and how convenient it was to the Senatorial Square. She scoffed.

"jI'll ssufferr the walk. jYou, jyou," Taataani gestured to a pair of her assigned Senatorial Guard posted at the door and clad in azure helmets and robes, "wjith me."

[Salem Ave]

The maitre d’ had insisted that Salem have his best table. It was off to a corner of the restaurant, facing out onto the square. The table behind had been purposefully marked ‘reserved’ to provide Salem with some privacy and afford ample space for his security detail to move about freely. Absent was the complement of Senatorial Guards that typically followed Senate representatives about the city. In their place was a pair of women wearing the blue and gold of the Hapan Royal Guard, the evening light catching the Consortium’s sunburst emblazoned across their chests.

With a view of the square, Salem would see his guest as she approached. Until then, he had a bottle of wine to enjoy.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

While the immediate area near the dining table had been marked off as reserved, it didn't stop diners elsewhere or passers-by on the street from having a look. While it wasn't uncommon to see a Senator dining in the capital, catching a sight of the charismatic First Minister was another matter. The tinkling of small conversations weren't lost on Taataani and her exceptional hearing. She knew that attention was fixed on the First Minister. And that attention was also starting to turn her way as well.

"Wajit wjith the Fjirrsst Mjinjissterr'ss guarrd." Taataani quietly directed her Senatorial Guard, who wordlessly moved off her flank. The maitre d attended her discretely, taking her coat from her shoulders to dispatch to the cloakroom.

The Senator passed a few other tables, feeling every conversation catch and interrupt in her wake. No matter what happened here, it was going to be out in the public quickly.

Taataani passed through the threshold of the dining room Salem had selected. He was waiting for her, enjoying a glass of wine.

"jI'm honorred bjy jyourr jinvjitatjion, Fjirrsst Mjinjissterr."

And in a display the Cizerack Senator reserved for only two beings in the entire galaxy, Taataani bowed her head in supplication.

[Salem Ave]

“Thank you for coming,” Salem said, rising to his feet to greet the Senator with a warm smile.

“Please,” he gestured towards the only other seat at the table and waited for Taataani to sit before joining her. Behind them, the Chume’doro eyed the helmeted Senatorial Guards and then the Cizeri Senator herself with open and unguarded interest. It was rare for the personal guard of the Hapan Queen Mother to travel beyond the borders of the Consortium, so there was still some novelty for them in the otherness of Bothawui and its inhabitants.

Salem reached for the bottle of wine. There was a second, empty glass already waiting for his guest.

“Would you care for a drink? This is an Alderaani red.”

[Taataani Meorrrei]

There wasn't anything to mark the import of the First Minister's offered drink beyond a slight raise of an eyebrow, but Taataani didn't sleep on the details. The smallest things usually spoke the loudest. It wasn't enough that the First Minister of the Alliance and the Senator of Keppaa Brens were sharing a meal together. Salem Ave wanted to toast the encounter over Alderaani wine. It was a vintage at least fifteen years out of circulation - a thing never to be seen again. Taataani herself hoarded a small collection in her private cellars, but small wasn't a facetious or modest word. A mere few dozen bottles, including the elusive Toniray varietal. They were astonishingly expensive, and weren't going to get any cheaper while they still existed. But she doubted that the First Minister was attempting to turn her head with a pricetag. It was the impermanence of the thing. This wasn't a chance encounter. Together, they were going to destroy something beautiful, shared between themselves and never to be seen again.

"jI would be a fool to rrefusse."

He also poured the wine himself - also not lost on the Cizeri Senator. Here, in this private setting in name only, they had each arrived with their collection of exotic bodyguards and no sommelier. No, Minister Ave insisted on playing the host personally - a part that was meant to be seen.

This was interesting. Very interesting. Taataani smiled, surrendering her glass.

[Salem Ave]

“This was given to me by Speaker Starborn, as a gift to welcome me into the Alliance Council,” Salem said, as he poured with a steady hand.

“I understand her family kept a vineyard on the Sanctuary Coast. I don’t often drink, but… I’m lead to believe it's very good.”

When they both had an equal measure, Salem set the bottle aside and offered Taataani her glass before taking his by the stem.

“Is it customary in the Carshoulis Cluster to toast before you drink?”

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"We would ssajy, ai'shaafai - to ssuccesss. Brrjief, to the pojint, and morre a ssocjial conventjion than anjythjing elsse."

She reclined slightly in her seat, glancing at the blood-red liquid that left slight residual shading on the glass when she tilted the bulb. Though even this was theater. Taataani's attention never wavered from the man just beyond the rim of the glass.

"But jI've become fond of the aljien cusstom. Prroverrbjial and ssometjimess even poetjic."

The Arkanian surrendered no tells under her scrutiny, and Taataani's tail tapped against her lap as she took the balance of her host.

"Djid jyou have one jin mjind?"

[Salem Ave]

“On my homeworld, we would say ad sigra, to triumph.. and in the Consortium, it would be en tur et saniel - to brightness and beauty.”

As he spoke the Hapan toast, Salem smiled in faint amusement. It was the most conciThere was something to be said for the simplicity of the Cizeri salutation. It seemed the most fitting choice, given the circumstances.

“Ai'shaafai,” he said, raising his glass just a fraction before taking a sip. Somewhere behind them, the Chume’doro shifted slightly, as if they - much too accustomed to poisonings forming a part of Hapan political maneuvering - expected their charge to turn blue in the face at any moment.

The quality of the Alderaani red was somewhat lost on Salem’s unrefined palate, but he smiled in appreciation all the same.

“Why do you imagine I invited you here today, Taataani?”

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"Ai'shaafai."

The wine was everything she expected it to be. Dry, slightly astringent, deep with leather, blackcurrant, and pepper. And it was almost instantly forgotten in that moment.

"jI would thjink jyou jinvjited me becausse we arre good frrjiendss." Answered easily and pleasantly, and maudlin enough that both understood it was a set piece. This was politics. They were all good friends, even the enemies. However, there was a kernel or two more truth in the bauble than a pure cynic would expect. Taataani's smile ebbed a little, replaced by a thoughtful expression.

"We'rre poljitjical alljiess morre than sset aparrt, though we both have no sshorrtage of alljiess. Sso then, whjy me? jYou rreprressent both Onderron and the Conssorrtjium when jyou arren't sspeakjing on behalf of the entjire Alljiance. And aparrt frrom Herr Grrace the Prrjide Motherr..."

Taataani paused for what could almost be a self-satisfied smile.

"...jI am the mosst powerrful Cizerack jin the galaxjy. jYou could have chossen addjitjional guesstss, forr we both have common alljiess, but what jyou and jI both ssharre jiss equjitjy jin the thrree powerrss jin the Alljiance wjith the fasstesst grrowjing powerr."

Now, she took a second sip of wine, and paused to appreciate it.

"Arre jyou offerrjing me a possjitjion jin jyour mjinjisstrrjy?"

[Salem Ave]

Salem reclined a fraction and found himself almost smiling at the way Taataani had summarised their respective positions of influence.

“I have always appreciated your... candour.”

The role of Senator was a challenging balancing act at the best of times. The Senate could not satisfy the needs and wants of each of its constituents, no matter how noble it’s intentions. Most gave more than they would ever take, toiling away in the hopes that one day they would have influence enough to effect true change on behalf of their people. Too timid and they would not be heard, or too loud and they risked alienating potential allies. For the likes of Salem and Taataani, they could afford to be more plain-spoken. They did not need to play the game quite so carefully, though that did not mean they would not play at all.

“If I was to offer you a position, would you accept it?”

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Some time ago, a fighter pilot hired to do test pilot work at IKM had mentioned something in passing in a corporate meeting that Taataani had found to be artfully on-the-nose. He'd been talking about how fighter pilots handled dogfighting, and mentioned that the momentum of the fight was indicative based on which pilot committed first on a plan of attack. Often, that commitment exposed the first pilot to the dangers of a more effective response. Therefore, good pilots were always careful never to commit to their attack until it absolutely suited them.

It was a parable that the Cizeri Baroness-turned-Senator found exceptionally useful in many situations, such as this one.

"jI wjill do what the Alljiance asskss of me." Taataani deferentially inclined her head slightly, never breaking eye contact as she touched her glass to her lips again. It was noncommittal and they both knew it, but there was a process here.

"Wherre do jyou ssee me jin thjiss goverrnment?" She probed Salem's intentions, leaning back in her seat slightly as she took his measure again. She had her own preconceptions, but she wanted to hear the First Minister's expectations. A posting in Defense, given her tacit control of Alliance starfighter production? A posting over the Treasury? Her experience as a Baroness Executor over one of the largest companies in the Pride made her an ideal choice. Still, Taataani wondered whether this was Salem's intention at all.

[Salem Ave]

“Where indeed.”

It seemed as though Salem’s white eyes had not left Taataani’s, while she kept her gaze locked to his. He had set down his wine glass, although kept the clawed tips of two fingers resting against the stem.

“I have informed Mon Razien of my intention to stand down as the Senator for Onderon. I will remain Minister of State only as long as it takes for my successor to be named.”

[Taataani Meorrrei]

The words were spoken softly and simply, but with proverbial concussive force. Taataani prided herself for being able to control a conversation, but the First Minister's revelation wasn't on her scopes at all. She broke eye contact slightly, resting two fingers thoughtfully at her chin as she pivoted. It hasn't escaped her notice the subtle way Salem's guard shifted weight on their feet. They weren't privy to this either.

Now, that secret was out. Even now, Taataani was certain that the Bothan espionage market was getting the first news. Salem was taking a risk here. This kind of conversation usually didn't happen until extensive vetting had occurred behind closed doors - on the possible risk of a public refusal. No politician wanted to lose face. No person of power could afford to do so. Salem had placed himself before her, open and vulnerable. If Taataani had an agenda that ran counter to the Arkanian First Minister's, she could do him grievous harm with a rebuke.

And yet, that morsel of power paled to the prospect of what Salem seemed to be placing on the table.

For moments, she didn't speak. Taataani's eyes flicked left to right rapidly in empty space. She had to face this, now. Her eyes returned to her host.

"jYou want me...to become jyourr ssuccessorr forr Fjirrsst Mjinjissterr?"

The Cizeri Baroness's voice was husky with seriousness. There were questions and possibilities multiplying by the moment in her mind. Taataani could easily become drunk off of them and lose her way if she lost her focus. So she held fast to the heart of the matter.

[Salem Ave]

“If the position appeals to you. If not… that would be disappointing for both of us, wouldn’t it.”

Not quite a question, Salem’s words were framed with a tight smile. There was nothing in his demeanour to suggest he felt at all uncertain or anxious about the Cizeri’s inclination towards the offer. Quite the contrary, there was something of a slouch to one of Ave’s shoulders as he lifted his glass, the vaguest hint of a Sabacc player who believed he had a solid measure of the game as it was about to unfold.

For an instant, Salem opened himself up to the Force. While outwardly he appeared unchanged, the chill of the Dark Side rippled through him as he stretched his senses towards Taataani, sensing the ebb and flow of energy around her for just a moment. He breathed in, feeling the exhilerating crackle of emotion beneath her controlled exterior, and when he exhaled, the sensation slipped away like smoke.

The Arkanian smiled, taking a sip of his wine and allowing himself time to savour not it's flavour but what he had just felt.

"Your appointment would be conditional on the approval of the rest of the council, of course.”

[Taataani Meorrrei]

The Baroness inclined her head slightly with a suitably-modest downturn of her ears.

"But of courrsse."

Her wine sat aside in momentary disinterest, Taataani considered that proposed obstacle. At any given time, Taataani kept score of political allies, exploitations, and enemies. The latter rested chiefly with the Sullustans. A detestable, grubby-jowled race of backbiting forrda. The Sullustans were a foundational core of the Old Rebellion, and they brought with them their like-minds and sycophants. The Mon Calamari and the Quarren - who were always busy cutting at each other's throats until they saw a larger threat. The Naboo - self-satisfied doves with only platitudes and no solutions. There was little to be done to court these, and Taataani knew that they had to be outmaneuvered or destroyed.

On the other hand, Taataani could likely rely on powerful support from Lantillies, Sluis Van, Ando, Metalorn, Torque, and Malastare. Unlike the Sullustans and Mon Cala, these worlds were largely untouched by the Galactic Civil War and their prominence and affluence were growing.

That left loose ends. The Bothans couldn't be trusted except to act in their self interest, and Taataani felt reasonably confident they'd see her point of view, when properly coerced. And while the Intergalactic Banking Clan wasn't an Alliance government, they wielded influence on both sides of the galactic border, and stood to financially gain with an alliance.

And what did an endorsement from former First Minister Salem Ave portend? An immediate power bloc including Onderon and the Hapes Cluster. Rich, powerful, and united in a common view of realpolitik.

This calculus was done quickly in the Senator's mind, and put aside. There were only small adjustments to be made to the perceived balance of power, but they were important. It would serve to color the decision she'd have to make, and soon. But first...

"jIf jI werre to become jyourr nomjinee, we would be peerrss, ne? Perrmjit me the jindulgence, majy jI call jyou Ssalem?"

Her eyes were warm, matched by a small smile as she spoke.

"jYourr terrm jiss not up. jYou arren't jin a lame duck ssesssjion. Therre arre no fault ljiness jin jyourr poljitjical coaljitjion. Whjy leave offjice?"

[Salem Ave]

“You wonder whether I am handing you a poisoned chalice.”

Salem met Taataani’s smile with one of his own as he shook his head. It was a fair concern of course, and no doubt the Baroness would be only the first of many to question why the former Senator of Onderon would so willingly stand down when he was under no pressure to do so.

“Not so. I have... aspirations that require a more energetic pace of change than the Senate enables.”

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Her concerns were logical, therefore Taataani wasn't surprised that the First Minister filled in what she'd left unsaid. Invoking the thought led to discovery, and Salem explained his rationale.

Still, the Arkanian didn't quite spell out his intentions once his office was vacated, leaving the Baroness to her own hypotheses. Salem's position of importance in the relationship between Onderon and the Hapan Cluster likely lay at the heart of things. She was curious if this was a move to put his house in order, or if there was yet another task at hand.

"jI'm alwajyss fasscjinated at what motjivatess people."

Taa's posture relaxed slightly as she leaned back in her seat. She reached for her wine, passing the bulb beneath her nose, but declining to sip for the moment. Eyes distracted for the moment, she plied her host with a question.

"Tell me, have jyou everr rread the Rruussan Verrssess?

[Salem Ave]

Salem considered the question, a slight wrinkle forming between his brows, perhaps at the effort of trying to place the name.

“I read a little on the history of Ruusan in my youth, but I don’t recall ever encountering the Ruusan Verses.”

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Dimples formed in the Senator's grin. She sipped at her wine.

"jI wouldn't expect jyou too. Ssorrdjid rreadjing. jI have a weaknesss forr jit."

Taa arched an eyebrow.

"The worrk jiss anonjymouss, but ssuppossedljy wass wrrjitten a mjillennjium ago bjy a Ssjith Lorrd."

She left that little detail to hang before scoffing slightly.

"jIf jyou beljieve that ssorrt of thjing, that jiss."

[Salem Ave]

Salem arched an eyebrow. It was no secret that he had been a Jedi once, before the fall of the Republic. With a clarity greater than many other members of the Alliance, he understood the threat posed by the Sith Lord’s and the seductive power they commanded.

“What brought this particular... sordid text to the forefront of your mind?”

[Taataani Meorrrei]

The Baroness's body language broadcast intrigue as she leaned forward to prop an elbow at the table.

"The verrssess deal wjith motjivatjion. What drrjivess people to do what thejy do, whjy thejy make thejirr chojicess. The deeperr rreassonss, not what thejy majy tell otherrss orr themsselvess.

Thejirr darrk hearrtss." She added with an exaggerated sepulchral note to her voice, quirking her eyebrows for effect.

"jI ljike to thjink jI have enough experrjience to be an experrt on the ssubject of the decjissjionss people make. That jinsstjinct sserrved me well jin bussjinesss, and poljitjicss jiss nothjing jiff not bussjinesss done bjy otherr meanss. But what sstrruck me asss jinterresstjing jiss that the verrssess make the casse that therre jiss no ssuch thjing asss a sselflesss act. We arre all of uss crreaturress drrjiven purreljy on sselfjissh motjivatjion alone, no matterr ourr morral crreed orr jintegrrjity."

Taa at last paused to sip her wine, putting the ball in Salem's court.

"What do jyou thjink?"

[Salem Ave]

“It is a difficult hypothesis to dispute,” Salem conceded, lips pursed in a brief smile. “The Alliance is bound together under a banner of achieving a… common good, but each Senator must ultimately advocate for the needs of their constituents. Their needs may align with the needs of others, for a time. Perhaps years, perhaps decades. Perhaps longer, if they lack the conviction or courage to state their true desires.”

As he spoke, Salem reached for the Alderaani red and poured more into his almost empty glass. His eyes met Taataani’s in an expectant glance, the bottle still in hand.

“I would not be sitting here with you tonight if I hadn’t chosen my allegiances with my own interests in mind. I have always worked for the benefit of the government’s I have counselled or represented, but that benefit has… never been to my own personal detriment.”

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Taataani's cerulean eyes didn't waver from Salem's seemingly-sightless ones, even as she surrendered her glass. She'd need it refreshed upon coming to a decision.

"We underrsstand each otherr."

The sound of more wine gently cascading down the tulip glass pricked her Cizeri ears, but she scarcely paid it any other heed.

"The Alljiance jiss newborrn. jIt doessn't underrsstand jit'ss sstrrength. jIt hassn't jyet comprrehended jitss full jidentjitjy. And forrmatjive asss jit jiss, we've sstaked ourr forrtuness jinto jit. jI'm not talkjing about monejy, though a decent amount of that alsso. Ourr harrd worrk and ambjitjion make the hearrt of thjiss crreaturre beat. jIf not uss, then who?"

She gave Salem a moment to consider the unsavory alternatives. They shared enough enemies that it wouldn't take much delving.

"jI rrefusse to be meek or deferrentjial, and allow ssomeone lesserr who lackss vjissjion orr rressolve ssquanderr what jI've jinvessted and rrujin what thjiss Alljiance can be. jIf that meanss a fjight frrom ssome essteemed Ssenatorr...farr betterr women have trrjied and fajiled agajinst me."

There was something hard and focused in Taataani's expression. She was done playing.

"jIf anjyone doubtss jI wjill be the next Fjirrsst Mjinjissterr, tell thosse who doubt me to go look what became of them."

[Salem Ave]

There was something different in Salem’s expression now, too. The shift was subtle but unmistakable. The sharp lines of his features becoming more pronounced somehow, as if a veil had fallen away, taking with it the softening touches of the easy smiles he wore before the Senate.

“I know that you won’t need my help to win this fight, but... rest assured, I will do everything in my power to ensure that you are my successor.”

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Taataani recognized the pivot in this moment. How much gravity this one decision could have not only for her, but for the Alliance - and so too the galaxy. Few people truly managed to slip the bonds that held them back from their potential. This was an opportunity she had to pursue now, or it may never come to pass again.

She tapped her wine glass against his. The thin crystal sank lightly in the quiet of the moment, but it may well have been a thunderbolt.