Jovan: Diplomatic Incidentals

[Gilad Harth]

The civilians in the room did not, as Kellison clearly expected, rise and file out. Instead they turned their heads from his end of the table to the other. The object of their attention was one of their own, the most senior among them in the absence of Harth himself.

[Kyryanu Sevon]

"Well."

She was almost a wisp of a woman; not particularly fair-haired or delicately featured, but not brutish in appearance either. Slender in build, Kyryanu Sevon did not give off the air of a woman who spoke without thought. Indeed, one could many times over see the calculating gears in her head turning as she gauged her responses.

Now, leaning back in her seat, Ms. Sevon looked at Captain Tal Kellison with eyes that seemed to ask if he was very much finished. Even despite his having uttered that delightful word, 'dismissed', she silently prodded at him. Because she could. And because it amused her.

"Thank you, Captain Kellison."

Her left leg unfolded itself from over the top of her right, and she slowly rose to stand, the fingers of one hand resting slightly on the tabletop.

"I'm sure we all know well enough the importance of this posting, and if the Empire did not have full faith in each and every one of you, you'd not be here. It goes without saying of course, that our duties will be of the utmost importance. This is something of a first for more than likely all of us, in that we'll have to actively work alongside the Alliance of Free Planets."

She gave a pause to allow that last nail in the coffin to sink in. Perhaps more for Captain Kellison than any of the others.

Sevon half-turned her head to regard him, then. There was no malicious intent in her next words; rather an effort to show all present that the two were a united front. Of course, he could read into what she said whatever he wished, but she supposed that that was how things went.

"Isn't that right, Captain."

[Tal]

While a certain amount of annoyance may have been conveyed with this way his eyes lingered on the woman at the end of the table, Kellison's scarred visage showed no other reaction. It was the lack of respect that really rankled him. The way she sat. The way she stood. The way she acted like she was running this briefing. The way she clearly chose each word carefully, knowing their effect.

With careful, deliberate breathing, he kept his composure as she prattled on about working alongside the Alliance of Free Planets. Even thinking the ridiculous name was distasteful. Alliance of Free Planets, bah. It was the kind of euphemism that diplomats used to be, well, diplomatic. Nonsense. They were rebels. They were rebels before, they were rebels now. Disruptive, disobedient children that had to be punished.

In through the nose. Out through the nose. Maintain proper posture.

"Well said, Secretary Sevon." If there was any undue stress on the word "Secretary", it was only in the imagination of the suspicious.

[Kyryanu Sevon]

Her trailing fingers lifted slightly, then fell once more to give a soft rap of her knuckles on the surface of the table. She only sent a nod to the Captain.

"Very good then, we are in accord."

Her attentions turned to those assembled.

"Any questions?"

[Tal]

Silence.

Sevon and Kellison stood on opposite sides of the table. The Colosseses of Jovan.

"She's 3 inches shorter than I am," Tal thought idly to himself.

[Tal]

The painfully drawn out silence continued. In the end, it was Captain Kellison broke.

"And Ambassador Harth? I was under the impression that he would be joining us."

[Kyryanu Sevon]

Sevon slowly returned to her seat and the small folder of flimsis that rested on the table in front of her. And atop that lay a datapad. Switched off.

One hand moved over to halfway pick up the 'pad. Rather than completely ignore him, she turned her eyes upward. The fingers of her off hand once more moved to drum on the table. It was a strange sound; tinny, like a tiny battledroid miniature clanking about in circles. It was not the sound that a flesh and blood fingertip should make when coming into contact with a veneered and polished osa wood table.

Her fingers stopped, going still.

"He will be along at his discretion."

A professionaly sweet smile was sent up to Captain Kellison.

[Tal]

That was the second time she'd done that! Was she mocking him? Kellison flexed his own left hand behind his back. The stiff, scarred skin and damaged muscles fought against the effort. Worse, the sound she made was unnatural, inhuman. It set him on edge. This whole situation did. Completely and utterly unprofessional.


The captain chose to remain standing, his eyes directed in Sevon's general direction.


The smile was not returned.

[Gilad Harth]

Some hours later...

The download of the collated intelligence lay on Harth's desk. He had been over it twice, which was enough to form an initial assessment with confidence.

"This will be a most interesting exercise," he opined, "We have a former rebel in command with a Cizerack as his deputy with a mixed crew and security force under them. The civilian population is equally diverse by all accounts. The potential pitfalls are legion but so are the opportunities."

He gestured at the 'pad on his desk inviting Kyryanu Sevon to offer an opinion on the same.

"Have you ever dealt with something like this?"

[Kyryanu Sevon]

Leaning forward from her seat to take the offered 'pad, Kyry Sevon once more sat back as deft fingers switched it on. She scanned the information that the Ambassador had already summarized. It was a habit. So was the finger-tapping. One finger idly tacked against the armrest of her seat. She half-read in silence, partially mulling over his question while considering the abridged details given to her in digital format.

"I've not," she finally answered.

A surprisingly chipper glint shone in her eyes as she cast them suddenly upward to look at him.

"But, I do know that the old Rebellion had a history of success with such unions."

The 'pad was switched off with the tiniest of feigned flourishes. Again, her motions were of habit. Such things never really died off; habits, ticks, things that couldn't be helped. They made life interesting in their own way. Her professional air extended into every facet of her life, as Sevon was loathe to allow anyone the opportunity to brand her with the same iron that'd pushed into the flesh of her brother.

"I'd also have to make it known that I think calling this an 'interesting exercise' may very well be a hell of an understatement... " One corner of her mouth ticked up crookedly. "... Sir."

[Gilad Harth]

Harth smiled at his de facto deputy. It was a broad and winning smile to which most people responded positively.

"I'll admit to low-balling a touch."

He clasped his hands in his lap and swung his seat idly a little to the left the better to regard Kyry diagonally over the desk. A nod indicated the now deactivated datareader.

"But you'll agree, I'm sure, that meeting the challenge will prove intellectually stimulating."

His eyes drifted to the ceiling as he considered the challenges.

"The Cizerack presence, for example. Members of a matriarchal society operating under male leadership and in a mixed environment. How will they respond to us and us to them?"

[Kyryanu Sevon]

"Well, I wouldn't necessarily be worried about that particular aspect things."

The datapad was returned to his desk, and Kyry pursed her lips in thought before finally going on.

"The Pride sided with the Separatists during the Clone Wars. There were many battles that took place in the Cluster, and the balance of superiority did not swing to them. I have to wonder if there may still be a small bit of wounded... pride, if you will."

She quirked one corner of her lip upward at the wordplay.

"But who knows. Either way, and no matter what, I would suggest remaining cautious. We are coming from the Empire; from the government that grew from the Republic on the orders of the Emperor Palpatine. We represent, ultimately, the government that quelled them many, many years ago."

[Gilad Harth]

Like a lot of people in the Corps, Harth enjoyed a bit of wordplay especially when it was deployed to good effect. He responded to the sally with a smile and to the words of caution that followed with words of reassurance.

"I have no intention of being overly assertive though a little forcefulness might be called for."

Harth's gaze had returned from the ceiling as Sevon spoke. His steady gaze held her across the desk as he continued the discussion.

"Which brings me, in a way, to our military attache. How do you find Captain Kellison?"

[Tal]

That same Captain Kellison was currently in his quarters. The latest briefings flickered on a screen on the desk, but his attention was on the ceiling. There was nothing especially interesting about the ceiling, but it made for a decent place to focus as he listened to his opera recordings. As the song built to a particularly stirring crescendo, Tal joined in, his own (surprisingly good) voice growing in power as they reached his favorite part.

Nothing got one's mind off of diplomacy like a good opera.

[Kyryanu Sevon]

* * *

"Captain Kellison."

She spoke in a low, thoughtful tone, her head angling down as her eyes shifted from the Ambassador's face, to her own hands.

"He is a distinctly... military man."

A rather obvious observation, and she let a breath out from her nose, looking back up.

"I'm sure he is more than capable of performing his duties here, and so I have faith in him." A finger came up... a perfectly crafted finger that looked so identical to her others. It had its' own fingerprint, even. "... but. Only as much as I feel necessary."

Kyry considered the Captain a moment longer.

"I am sure he is a capable man, and I have read the dossier provided, so I know that he isn't stupid. But it also tells me that he is a survivor." She paused, mulling over her next words. "I think that he will be invaluable as time progresses."

[Gilad Harth]

Another smile.

"Oh yes, with time I have no doubt that he will make a significant contribution. Let us hope it is to the good."

He allowed that thought to hang in the air for a few moments and then said in a tone that belied the sharpness of the question, "And you, Ms Sevon, what do you think your contribution will be?"

[Kyryanu Sevon]

Kyryanu stared at him, making sure that her eyes remained level and unflinching. And behind those eyes was a mind that calmly went about determining the answer to the question posed. It truly wasn't a difficult query. In itself, it was easy to answer. But there were so many layers to consider that it took her a short while longer to formulate an answer that she would feel to be satisfactory enough.

In the end, it struck her as a rather absurd notion; to quantify one's own future contributions. It was enough to make her break the eye contact that she maintained with Harth, her brow knitting in deep thought as she leaned back slightly, her gaze now fixing upon an empty spot on the wall behind him.

"Any answer I may give would be biased," she started.

"But you've asked, so I suppose I must answer."

She once more looked to meet his eyes.

"I... don't know. I could ply you with the normal, expected words of going above and beyond if that's what you really want to hear, but respectfully speaking, Sir, that's not what I do. This thing that the Alliance has undertaken with the Pride is wholly new. The fact that they invite the Empire to reside and partake in diplomatic roles? It is a strange hand being extended, and I can't tell you with any certainty what sort of future lies with all of this."

She paused, huffed a breath out through her nose, and finally gave a ghostly, impish smile.

"But, I can assure you that I will be honest in whatever I tell you. Even if that may mean making you angry."

[Gilad Harth]

Harth nodded approvingly, "Precisely what I need.

"From your file it looks like your honesty has not always been appreciated. Is that why you've been in your present grade rather longer than would be expected of someone with your qualifications and experience?"

[Kyryanu Sevon]

Kyry paused at that. Her features became a strange look of thoughtfulness.

"It's probably the best explanation, really."

There were other factors that she was somewhat suspicious of being involved in her stalled career. Her brother chief among them. A final inhale, and she settled herself in her seat, hands gripping the armrests almost imperceptibly. It was an unconscious reaction, as if she was rooting herself in place.

"It's not exactly something I try to dwell on."

[Gilad Harth]

Harth nodded his agreement.

"Well it will be appreciated by me I assure you."

The words were accompanied by the reassuringly open and steady gaze he had perfected over many years. In this case it was genuine despite its calculated deployment.

"And it will be reciprocated." How would his deputy take the news? "We have not been invited. Indeed, we are not, as far as I know, expected."