The Third Pillar: Self-Discipline

[Serena Laran]

“We shall strive to bring the talks to a peaceable conclusion,” said Serena. “Thank you for greeting us upon our arrival, but it was a long journey, Senator.”

[Niev Minetii]

"There is one other matter, Master Jedi."

The Senator held up a hand to stay her exit. He then glanced to the door to ensure that it was closed. He approached Serena and Draiya, and spoke with a slightly lower voice.

"My security forces have received credible information that there may be an attack during the talks. I think it is only right that you know."

He took a deep breath and let it out in frustration.

"These talks must proceed. My hands are tied. I cannot risk what the public might perceive of canceling yet another attempt to negotiate."

[Serena Laran]

She nodded thoughtfully.

”I trust that everything is being done to thwart such an attack before it happens,” she said calmly, though she wasn’t at all sure that was the case. With such a convoluted political situation, who could say who might actually be bankrolling an attack on the talks?

”We will be alert. Thank you for the warning.”

[Draiya Naaianeya]

The Senator at last dismissed them, and an aide was waiting as the door opened. He escorted the Jedi to a private suite, then dismissed himself. The doors sealed behind the two Jedi, and Draiya at last could speak.

"The Senatorr is both angrry and afrraid. It's unfocused. No, that's not it. He's being verry, verry carreful. He's cerrtainly warry of us."

[Serena Laran]

“I also sense there is more going here,” said Serena, crossing the living space toward the windows. She stood still, folding her hands in front of her, looking out at the dimly lit city.

”Logically, if the talks fail to go the corporation’s way, the senator will lose his status. He likely has a lot riding on this outcome, personally.

”The threat of violence could be coming from the workers, the corporations, or some third party with an unknown agenda.” She turned to face Draiya.

”Thoughts?”

[Draiya Naaianeya]

Draiya's stern expression didn't waver. She nodded.

"I agree. I feel that violence will come from some direction. I don't feel any sense of aggression pointing to the fact from the Senator, but that also doesn't absolve the corporation."

The Padawan considered the possibilities, breaking her eye contact as she turned her eyes to the ground.

"It might be worth seeking out the leadership of the unionists, but I don't think the Senator would approve of that before the meeting. It could raise his fear of collusion."

[Serena Laran]

Serena nodded.

”We are not here to root out conspirators. We are aware of possible danger, and if it comes to us we will take care of it.” She did not sound anything but completely secure in their abilities to stave off whatever threats might come.

***

The next morning the two Jedi made their way to where the talks were being held. Serena set to examining the conference room and sent Draiya to walk the building to check its security, with instructions to return before the unionist and corporate parties arrived.

[Draiya Naaianeya]

Though humans and other offworlders were hardly uncommon in Pinyumb, Draiya could feel her very presence meriting attention from passers-by. The emotional resonance of the inner capital was charged with the same tensions Draiya had discussed with her master the previous night. It was easy to find feelings of unease, fear, and even the sharper emotions of anger. That wasn't the problem, it was trying to tune out the noise from the intention.

She paused in her tracks, a frown on her face.

"Focus."

This wasn't what her mission was. She was inspecting security around the building. Searching for a threat that may or not be there would only serve to distract her and possibly chase a false positive. No, this was the path they were on and she had to trust it was the correct one.

[Serena Laran]

She found that the conference room was exactly what it was supposed to be - a secure room for the talks to be held inside. There were no obvious dangers present, and a sweep through with the Force did not uncover anything untoward. Still, there was an unsettling sensation about how the Force was interacting with things.

Serena closed her eyes to meditate, sitting at the large round table while she waited for Draiya to return.


a cloaked man/woman/child was walking toward them

they are small like the Sullustians but they are not from Sullust

the senator is talking, blustering about the unionists and upset at how things are going

the cloaked figure is holding out their hand, something small and round blinks in their palm and things blur around them, people are screaming


Serena's eyes opened, the vision fading as the doors opened and the delegates began to file inside. She rose smoothly to greet them, looking for Draiya who had yet to return.

[Draiya Naaianeya]

The more she looked, the more frustrating the search became. Nothing about the building or its surroundings spoke to the sense of tension and fear that walked in every direction around her. Draiya had made her rounds three times, seeing nothing incriminating with her eyes, all the while her feelings of unease grew worse. Everyone looked the same and different, and the miasma of troubled emotions masked specificity of thoughts.

Wait.

Draiya slowly turned around, looking back at a figure she was sure she'd seen on her last circuit. Whoever it was, they were concealed by a hooded cloak, but that wasn't particularly unusual in the subterranean city. Also unremarkably was their stature. But it was the way they walked that pulled the Syragori Padawan's attention. Everyone else was walking to get to a destination. This person was walking simply to keep moving. Around the government building, just like her.

"Excuse me?"

The figure stopped, half-turning towards Draiya. The angle of the cowl still obfuscated their face.

"Yes?"

"What arre you doing herre?"

"Is it that obvious? Oh, I'm sorry, I'm lost. This is such a large city, and I'm not sure where the central market is."

While Draiya was also a stranger to Pinyumb, she knew that there weren't any markets in the government quarter.

"I think you'rre farr frrom the central marrket. This is the Sorrosuub campus."

"Oh? Oh my. Well thank you, young lady."

The hooded figure shuffled off, leaving Draiya with more questions than answers. She activated her comm.

"Masterr, I'm almost finished herre."

She sighed.

"I haven't found anything."

[Serena Laran]

"The talks are starting, so hurry back." Serena closed the link.

"Please, let us begin. My padawan will join us in a few minutes." She waited for the Sullustians to sit, and then took her seat, puling a datapad toward her with the Force. "We will start with introductions."

The beginning of the talks went smoothly, everyone was very civil and Draiya slipped in before too much time had passed. When they broke for lunch the Jedi ate together in the conference room while the two competing sides took their meals elsewhere in the building.

"Any thoughts?" Serena looked at Draiya over the top of her sandwich as she took a bite.

[Draiya Naaianeya]

It hadn't occurred to Draiya how quiet she'd been until she was finally bidden to speak by her master. Her silence had lasted from the moment the meeting began until now. Even so, the Syragori Padawan was reluctant to unburden herself. What she'd sensed during the talks almost felt foregone. The Unionist leader was animated and passionate, and successfully baited Senator Minetii on more than one occasion. They'd jousted over procedure, perhaps testing each others' mettle before considering anything substantive.

But despite all that, Draiya still couldn't stop thinking about the hooded man on the streets of the Sorosuub campus. There was a preoccupation there that made her skin feel cold to the touch and squelched her appetite.

"They'rre jockeying forr position. The Unionist leader, Caeb Neng, is earrnest. He has deep feelings supporrting what he's saying. Baiting the Senatorr may still be a ploy, but he's not overrtly deceptive."

All true from her point of view, sure. But Draiya couldn't help revisit her bad feeling and discomfort. She looked to Serena.

"I keep going back to an encounterr beforre the meeting...something doesn't feel rright about it. I feel...cold."

[Serena Laran]

Serena nodded as her padawan spoke, Draiya demonstrating that she'd been paying attention, and having some keen insights as well. The second part was concerning, however.

"Tell me more about this encounter. You didn't mention it earlier, why was that?"

[Draiya Naaianeya]

Draiya blinked.

"At the time, I didn't have any rreason to think anything of it. Nothing was overrly amiss, and yet I have a feeling of unease that won't go away. When I was making my securrity sweep, I found a man in a hood, who appearred lost and looking forr the marrket distrrict. I pointed him on his way, and that should be the end of it, but..."

She shivered slightly.

[Serena Laran]

Serena looked at the chrono on her wrist. The midday break was nearly over and the delegates would soon be returning to the conference room. "Go to where you spoke to this man, and do a thorough sweep of the area. Trust your instincts, Draiya.

"I will remain here and continue the negotiations."

[Draiya Naaianeya]

"Yes Masterr." Draiya gave a curt bow, and quickly left the room, retracing her steps back outside of the building. With each step, that feeling that she'd shrugged off before grew larger and harder to shake. Draiya stopped a few strides from the front door, screwing her eyes shut as she tried to feel for any signs of dark intent. On Ossus, it had been easy to feel life energy through the connected symbiotic circle of nature. Here, the people that walked the streets of Pinyumb were little islands unto themselves, sometimes interacting with a passerby, but usually lost in their own world. The Padawan could briefly focus on one or two at a time, enough to know for certain there was nothing tied to this...feeling.

Draiya picked up her pace around the building, but slowed almost as soon as she began. There was urgency that she couldn't shake, almost standing the hairs up on her arms. She darted wide brown eyes left and right, searching for...him!

The man's demeanor changed, as did his energy in the force. She wasn't the only one to arrive at a realization. Whatever he'd been doing the moment before she saw him, he'd gone stock still. Before his fight or flight had engaged, Draiya was after him at a full sprint.

"You! Stop!"

[Serena Laran]

The cloaked figure darted away, but it was too late. The padawan was catching up. He shoved into a doorway, knocking down Sullustians who were going about their day, and threw down tables behind him as he ran to the back of the food court he'd found himself in.

[Draiya Naaianeya]

Draiya threw her focus into the moment, going kinetic through the path of least resistance to reach her quarry. Whoever the hooded man was, he wasn't making it easy for her. Deft feet skid across the pavement as her quarry changed direction, trying to throw her off his track by putting pedestrians in her way. Draiya slid underneath a speeder as it cut through an intersection, then hooked a hard turn to the right as she saw the mystery man kick through a door to what appeared to be a mall.

There were plenty of bystanders inside, many of whom bolted out of their seats and shouted at the coming commotion. The fugitive kicked over a table, which Draiya leapt upon, her soft-soled shoes balancing the knife edge to keep her balance as she used the intended obstacle as a springboard to make up lost ground. To give her another chance to gain on him, Draiya extended her thoughts to find his, projecting the image of one of the people ahead falling directly into his path.

[Serena Laran]

The fleeing figure tried to change directions to get around a Sullustian who had fallen in front of them, but tripped over a chair and sprawled to the ground. They scrambled to get to their feet, pulling down a bystander for leverage, but the Jedi quickly caught up.

[Draiya Naaianeya]

The danger appeared as intention - a darkening in the man's living force. Draiya's shoto lightsabers were in hand and sparked by the time the suspect cleared the barrel of a blaster from inside of his hooded jacket. The Padawan deflected a blast into the ground with one blade, the second passing closer to cleave the pistol down to the trigger guard. Draiya kept her kinetic energy, planting a spinning boot to the man's jaw as she again returned to guard.

"Who arre you?!"