Chapter 8: Heart of the Ascendancy
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11 Elona, 25 ABY - Csaplar, Csilla, Unknown Regions
((It's a trivial task to get out of the water undetected, there are plenty of shady areas to emerge.))
Kirkland 03:12, 3 July 2010 (EDT)
Akea emerged from the water, almost a little disappointed to be on land. The water slid off his fine scales, leaving him dry almost instantly. He looked left, right, and then up, noting the lower-class nature of the neighborhood they emerged in. This was slightly different than the environment he anticipated an entrance into, but in an advantageous way. Sliding forward quietly along the rock and sparse, mossy grass that grew by the river bank, he beckoned for Allanar and Renora to follow. Both of them had at least marginal stealth training in their history for different reasons, and emerged quietly, keeping low. The trio had gathered behind a rocky outcropping near the bank, peering at the residential area before them.
Akea spoke to them softly, getting right to business.
"We have virtually free reign to move about at the moment. You two should find a spot suitable for sneaking deeper into the city, but don't proceed yet. I'm going to enter that area - I expect that it won't be long before someone notices me. I plan to introduce myself and ask for help. We shall see how this bodes. If it seems like this may be leading somewhere productive, I'll give the two of you the go ahead via comlink. I'm assuming that Renora should have some idea of where to start looking. Renora, if you have any contacts within the CEDF who you are certain you can trust, this might not be a bad time to call them up. If the situation doesn't appear to productive or favorable, I'll signal as such - if it's not already apparent - and we'll plan to meet up at the base of that waterfall if the situation permits."
The two humanoids were a bit blindsided by the forwardness of the Dur Sabon's plan, but nodded as the serpent slithered out from behind the rock. Akea knew that they had little information about the political situation in Csaplar, which somewhat limited their ability to execute a plan hinging on any of the subtleties present thereof. Akea made his way to a pier, which led into a street. He nonchalantly passed a few surprised citizens, moving quickly enough to avoid interaction but not so fast as to appear aggressive, on his way to firmer ground. Comfortably on a city street, he scanned the scenario for a citizen who did not appear to be taken aback by his presence. Unfortunately, there weren't a terribly large number of them out, and none of them seemed unsurprised, although none had attacked him either. Although some started to back away, Akea called to one in as friendly a manner as a Dur Sabon could manage.
"<Salutations>. I am a foreign diplomat on business to the city, and I am in need of some assistance."
The Chiss male stopped his retreat, though he did not seem entirely comfortable before Akea. Nevertheless, he maintained his composure. Akea continued, assuming intuitively from the man's fixed gaze that he understood Basic.
"I understand this is not a conventional route of entry. I'm afraid my vessel was fired upon on the way in. As you might imagine, aquatic environments are somewhat amenable to my species - I am a Dur Sabon. Fortunately, although my ship was too damaged to proceed safely, I was able to swim the rest of the way."
The Chiss, skeptical as he was, could not help but notice the hulking serpent standing before him seemed sincere enough. He looked up to Akea, keeping his wits about him and making due with Basic.
"I understand. Are you harmed?"
Akea shook his head negatively, saying, "Not seriously. I am largely unscathed, but the attack on my ship leaves me somewhat concerned. If you would oblige me, sir, my requests are twofold. Firstly, is the governmental district of Csaplar safe to enter? I do not mean to imply that strife is expected, but I am not aware the immediate political nuances at present, especially given the attack on my vessel. Secondly, if said district is safe, might you escort me there or inform me of a safe means of doing so?"
Akea met the Chiss's gaze. His tone was submissive and certainly not hostile, although his gaze was as steeled as ever - the Dur Sabon's visage made it clear that treachery was unacceptable.
Dan 03:02, 4 July 2010 (EDT)
The facial expression of the Chiss indicated that he was struggling to understand some of the more complex words that Akea was losing, and during the silence that followed Akea was afraid the man failed to understand. He responded, "Government district?" Akea nodded to confirm his understanding. He pointed to the street corner a few blocks down. "You know transport?" A further pause, as Akea expected more information. The man did continue. "How do you say... shuttle?"
"I can get a shuttle to the governmental district? Is it safe?"
The Chiss smiled, satisfied that Akea could understand him speak. "Yes yes, do you have <money>... how do you say... credit?"
Akea came to a quick realization that the galactic standard credit was probably not accepted here. "Are Republic Credits accepted here?" Akea asked, already knowing the answer.
The man laughed, "No no, not here, not on transport."
Akea replied, "Then that leaves me in a bit of a predicament."
Kirkland 02:55, 5 July 2010 (EDT)
Akea was faced with the difficult decision of whether or not to ask for money. At the very least, it did sound like he could get to the government district without causing too much of a fuss. Still, the man hadn't answered one of his key questions, so Akea tried again, using a more blunt approach.
"Do you know if Imperials are here?"
The man thought for a moment, placing a hand to his chin before replying, processing the question. He shook his head negatively.
"No, they are not."
Akea nodded. He'd partly asked the question to buy himself some time to make his decision, deciding that he had to proceed - even at the cost of some dignity. Ideally, somewhere in Csaplar housed a currency exchange center, and credits wouldn't be totally worthless to this man.
"I have only credits, and no money to ride the shuttle. Could we trade?" To assist the man in understanding, Akea gestured to his right bracer, which clearly housed one of his credit sticks.
Dan 03:22, 5 July 2010 (EDT)
The Chiss initially shook his head, but changed his tune when Akea began to pull out an a large amount of credits, perhaps a larger amount than he intended to reveal. The man replied, "OK OK." He pulled out a coin purse and produced two small coins. "Twenty," he said. Akea hesitated for a moment, clearly realizing the man was attempting to rip him off, and debating for a moment if he wanted to bother negotiating. "Do you have more?" he asked, figuring he could use a little more than one fare. The man turned the coin purse upside down, showing that it was empty. "Two for two," he said, holding out two credits and pretending he was well aware of the black market exchange rate. The man quickly accepted, leaving Akea to wonder if he was still getting ripped off, yet satisfied that he was able to reduce the price by a factor of 10. The main was polite throughout the transaction and even walked Akea to the transport's pick up location, where two older Chiss women were also waiting. He bowed slightly and bid the Dur Sabon good will as he departed.
He spoke quietly into his comlink to Allanar, "I'm taking a transport to the city center. I asked a citizen if there was an Imperial presence in the city and he was unaware of any. Proceed with our plan."
A thirty foot repulsorlift shuttle approached the stop and opened its doors. It was jam packed with Chiss commoners, much to Akea's dismay. After the two women boarded the shuttle, he did as well. Many passengers stared as he entered, and many shifted away so they would not have to touch him, even if it meant squeezing other passengers uncomfortably. The ride to the city center took about thirty minutes, with several stops, and remained equally uncomfortable for all aboard throughout the journey.
The correct stop was obvious to Akea when many other disembarked the shuttle. He did as well, arriving at a large transport terminal in the city center. Several beautiful skyscrapers surrounded the terminal and the colorful uniforms the Chiss wore confirmed to Akea that he was at the right place. Only a few blocks in the distance was the House Palace, the building that housed the Chiss Parliament. Its architecture stood out among the rest as a place of importance, and Akea figured that would be a good starting point for his inquiry. As he moved toward the palace, he noticed he was receiving less stares than he did in the outskirts of the city. Although he still stuck out in the homogeneous crowd, it was clear that the people of this area were more accustomed to seeing life-forms outside their own. It was a more sophisticated, affluent crowd to be sure.
Kirkland 04:56, 5 July 2010 (EDT)
Allanar waited somewhat impatiently for the signal from Akea, not so much anxious to get going but about the potential state of the society Akea was walking into. In the mean time he removed the water suit that had allowed their sub-zero swim, though it still left him a bit chilled. He did his best to pack the suit into the bag that he had brought with him, changing into the most common clothes he could manage so he appeared a typical human rather than a Jedi. Once complete, Allanar surveyed their surroundings, discussing with Renora where they would head first until Akea gave them the go ahead.
Their first order of business would be to find a safe house they could operate out of for the duration of the mission, luckily this district seemed a fairly good choice to begin that. They would need money, but Renora was familiar enough with the culture here to know how to obtain it. Allanar let Renora lead the way through the city, attempting to go mostly unnoticed but also not to appear too out of place when he was inevitably seen by the citizens of Csaplar. Once they got the money they needed and furthermore a place to stay they could begin to formulate the first steps of their plan.
--FyreFly 12:35, 5 July 2010 (EDT)
(luck roll)
Renora changed out of the wetsuit and stood beside Allanar on the sidewalk, taking a moment to take in the sights and sounds of Csaplar. She informed Allanar that, as luck would have it, they were on the opposite side of the city as the home of her family. They both agreed it was best to settle in this part of town for the time being. Renora made a quick stop at a nearby bank, emerging with two small sacks of coins. It had been a while since Allanar had been on a planet that doesn't take the galactic credit, let alone a planet operating with money purely in coin denominations. She handed one of the pouches to him, and they proceeded to secure lodging.
While they were walking, Renora mentioned to Allanar that both of her parents were bureaucrats in House Chaf, and that she was debating whether or not it was a good idea to contact them. Due to the top secret nature of her undercover assignment, she was hesitant to let anyone know she had returned, even her parents. Though she deemed them trustworthy, if word got out within House Chaf that she was on Csilla, they would be after her for sure. By now, she assumed she would be listed as missing in action by Chiss intelligence.
They spent the next hour getting situated and taking a moment to rest after such an exhausting swim. Renora used some of this time to browse the local newsnets, trying to find any information regarding the star destroyer in orbit overhead.
(computer use roll)
Sitting on one of the beds with the datapad on her lap, she shifted it in Allanar's direction, showing him the screen. A futile action, as the characters on the screen made no sense to him. "Says here the Empire is in town for a three day summit on 'regional economic and security issues'. Sounds harmless," she said sarcastically.
"Where did you find that?" Allanar asked, visibly concerned that she might have go onto intelligence networks.
"This is a public newsnet. Don't worry. Though I could probably get the real scoop from the intelligence networks, I'm not sure it's worth it yet to try..." he voice trailed off, as she weighed that option.
((We're now out-of-sync time-wise between Akea and Allanar, so if there is any communication between the two via comlink, I'll let you know when it syncs up.))
Kirkland 02:03, 6 July 2010 (EDT)
Akea entered the governmental building nearest to him, approaching the security desk after taking stock of the lobby's inhabitants. Though he got a few awkward eyes from security officers, he was not visibly armed and moved slowly. Upon reaching the desk, Akea looked down to the security officer sitting behind it. Although the security officer was initially a bit suspicious of the bizarre serpent's motives, he was pleasantly surprised to find Akea had taken the time to memorize a bit of Cheunh.
"<Salutations. Do you speak Basic?>"
The officer replied, listening a bit more intently, "I do."
Akea nodded, continuing, "I am a foreign diplomat on business to Csaplar. The Imperial ships orbiting the planet caused some confusion upon my entry, and I hope to straighten things out with a government official. Would it be possible to speak with someone in foreign relations?"
Dan 23:21, 6 July 2010 (EDT)
The security officer behind the counter thought for a moment. This wasn't the type of request he got on a day-to-day basis, to be sure. "I see. Have you contacted anyone within the houses regarding this? Is someone expecting you?" His tone was polite and cordial.
Akea explained, "No, after arriving I had no available method of contact."
"I see," the guard repeated. "Which House does your business pertain to? I can have a representative of that house get you in touch with the right people." He produced a datapad from a shelf under his desk. "Also, I will need you to fill out this visitor permit form..." his voice trailed for a moment, before asking, "I am sorry, I did not catch your name?"
((With intelligence 4 Akea is aware of the structure of this Chiss government on a broad level. He understands the basic structure of the Ruling Families (of which there are currently 6: Csapla, Nuruodo, Inrokini, Sabosen, Chaf, and Mitth). He knows the bureaucracy is incredibly complex, and that multiple houses could very well engage in foreign relations activities. He knows that House Nuruodo has traditionally been the house that handles military and foreign policy (and that this was the house of Thrawn's origin). He knows that Renora and the sith warrior they captured are members of House Chaf.))
Kirkland 02:21, 7 July 2010 (EDT)
Allanar settled into their hotel room, taking a moment to relax and rest up while preparing for where they would head next on their mission. After Renora gave her sarcastic remark about the public reason for the presence of the Star Destroyer, an obvious farce as far as Allanar was concerned but it gave some insight into what the people were thinking. It also meant there was a public reason for the Star Destroyer's presence, so the average citizen probably wouldn't be very helpful.
"Does the article mention how long the Imperials have been here? Even if that isn't the purpose of their visit, it might give us some insight into how long they will be staying. Also check the news networks for any news of the Imperial attack on our ship."
Allanar paused for a moment before he continued with the beginnings of their plan, "If possible I'd like to keep from having to access the Intelligence network as well as from contacting your parents. Though both may become necessary. I believe you mentioned that Vayra was also a member of House Chaff? It may become beneficial to track down her family here if she has any, but again that carries some significant risk."
Allanar thought for a moment, their options seemed to grow increasingly risky as they grew in likelihood for giving useful information, for now it seemed wise to play it safe.
"We should start with some more conservative options most likely, you know the city much better than I, but someone on the streets must be talking about the Imperial presence. The average citizens might buy that excuse, but anyone familiar with the Imperial's foreign policies knows that it is at least abnormal for a Star Destroyer to represent them for a economic and foreign relations summit."
Allanar grabbed a few last supplies from the bag that he'd carried with him from the ship, making ready to depart if Renora had any suggestions on where to start.
--FyreFly 16:44, 7 July 2010 (EDT)
Akea paused only for a moment before speaking, obliging the man's request. He accepted the comparably small datapad carefully in his hands, speaking as he did so.
"My name is Akea Oahu. My business is with House Nuruodo; I'm afraid they are not expecting me. I was deployed on somewhat short notice. I'm hoping to speak with the House about a political situation developing in nearby sectors of the Unknown Region that may pertinent to the House's interests. I'd prefer not to divulge anything more without one of their representatives present."
He began to fill out the form, being honest in all aspects but two - he did not divulge his membership in the Jedi Order (he instead claimed simply to be affiliated with the New Republic if the form requested such a thing, citing his home world as Dur Sabon) and did not enter anything that might suggest the CEDF's involvement with the ambush during the Bastion Accords negotiation.
After entering all of the data requested on the data pad, Akea returned it to the security officer, who reviewed it quickly before placing it on the desk to be processed. As the officer read, Akea spoke up.
"If I may trouble you, do you have a multi-lingual holonews access point that I might read while I wait?"
Dan 19:11, 7 July 2010 (EDT)
The officer spoke a few phrases into the communications console in front of him. He gave Akea a keycard with the word "Visitor" in Basic on it, along with much Cheunh. "You are required to have an escort in the building." One of the other security officers nearby stepped up and nodded. "There is a lounge on the east wing of the lobby with holonet news available, please make yourself comfortable. A representative from House Nuruodo will be with you shortly."
Akea and his security escort made their way to the lounge, which was empty except for the two of them. There were four displays mounted on the back wall, and Akea began watching the one broadcasting in Basic. Unfortunately, while he was waiting, there was no mention of the Imperial Star Destroyer orbiting Csaplar. The news coverage was dominated by another, larger event unfolding, all of which was news to Akea. The network was reporting that the Imperial Remnant appeared to have withdrawn and completely abandoned most of the major worlds they controlled. This included their capital, Bastion, as well as Muunilist, the Remnant's economic powerhouse. This event, if it turned out to be a true withdrawal, would significantly alter the political landscape of the galaxy. Akea wondered what was truly going on behind the scenes in the Remnant, if one could even call it that any more.
Akea saw a large contingent of finely dressed Chiss heading toward the lobby, and walked out to greet them. They were all dressed in red and white robes, and Akea recalled that the color of the robe indicates house affiliation. The bureaucrat at the head of the group emerged to meet Akea. Of the 7 Chiss in the group, this man was the tallest. Though still shorter than Akea, he stood an impressive 2.1 meters high. He face made him look younger than he was, but his voice carried much gravitas. He bowed before speaking. "Akea Oahu, I am Bin'kata'nuruodo, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Chiss Ascendancy." The first thing Akea noticed was that the man's basic was perfect. The second, was that he caught the ear of someone very, very powerful. He was sure that the Minister of Foreign Affairs didn't usually take walk-in appointments. The minister continued, "I must say, I was not expecting to meet with a representative of the Republic today, but we welcome you to Csilla and hope you have enjoyed our hospitality so far." His tone was welcoming and his charisma was notable. "If you would, please follow me, we can discuss matters in a more formal and private atmosphere."
((If you agree, they will take you to a meeting room, where you can present what you wish. Allanar's post coming tomorrow.))
Kirkland 04:02, 8 July 2010 (EDT)
Akea, Binkata, and his entourage made their way to the repulsorlift columns near the center of the building, taking them to the 32nd floor. The doors opened to reveal a long, decorated corridor with large wooden doors spaced a considerable distance apart lining the hallway. Upon reaching the first set of double doors, the minister turned to his followers and spoke something short in Cheunh. They nodded and disbanded, going about their business, while the minister led Akea inside the room. Akea's guard remained outside the door. It was a large conference room with a dark oak table at the center; Akea figured wood was probably an expensive import on a planet as barren as Csilla. Above the table was a beautiful chandelier. The walls boasted portraits and artworks of what Akea figured to be prominent past leaders.
The minister walked around to the far end of the table and took a seat across from Akea. The seats were large enough to be comfortable for even Akea, if he chose to sit. The minister spoke first, "If I may ask, ambassador, what brings you to Csilla? How may I be of service?"
Kirkland 17:32, 8 July 2010 (EDT)
Akea could not prevent a small amount of suspicion from creeping up into his mind. Akea knew going into it that being ambushed at a negotiation or diplomatic sit-down was so overwhelmingly common it was practically a right of passage for Jedi. Even that aside, he found it odd that he should so easily attract the attention of the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Akea suspected it might be a move to placate him and keep him from digging into the softer underbelly of the government personnel with his investigation, but remained optimistic, instead operating under the assumption that the Chiss Ascendancy must be very interested in the New Republic's take on the events unfolding here and throughout the galaxy. On top of all this, he hadn't even decided what to think of the Remnant's latest move.
Akea took a seat, somewhat awkwardly - the truth of the matter was that Dur Sabon simply weren't used to the action - and spoke to the Minister.
"Minister, firstly, I want to thank you for taking time out of your schedule to speak with me on such short notice. I'll keep no more of your time than is necessary. As you have likely heard, the leadership of the Imperial Remnant has gone missing. Their disappearance occurred in the midst of an ambush carried out by forces not openly affiliated with either side of the agreement. New Republic intelligence reports state that a Chiss female was involved in staging the ambush. To my knowledge, she had no overt connection to the Ascendancy - I do not mean to impugn the honor of the CEDF in this matter. However, certainly you understand why the the Republic felt it necessary to send a diplomat to this sector. I am hoping to speak with you about the events that have been taken place and hope to attain the aid - passive or active - of the Ascendancy in finding the Imperial leadership."
Akea leaned back in the chair, giving a moment's pause before continuing. He had intentionally mentioned only one Chiss female without specifying explicitly who he was talking about.
"I became considerably more concerned when I arrived to find an Imperial Star Destroyer orbiting Csilla. At first, I was concerned you might be under attack, but my priorities changed when my ship was fired upon by TIE fighters launched from the vessel. This seems especially odd given the widespread withdrawal of Imperial forces across the galaxy, and as our first order of business, I am hoping to get the story behind this Star Destroyer's presence."
Akea's tone was not hostile, rather, he held his voice in a cooperative fashion, as though this was a mystery to be solved for the good of both parties present in the office.
Dan 18:46, 8 July 2010 (EDT)
Renora browsed the newsnet for a few more moments before responding. "Doing a quick search, it seems this conference was not planned in advance. I don't see any articles discussing it until yesterday. It's my guess that the Imperials could not have been here before then, at least publicly. The Remnant has been spotted operating in the Unknown Regions before, that is not new. They have typically left the Ascendancy alone. This type of direct diplomacy and cooperation is definitely out of the ordinary."
She thought further, and continued. "One thing to understand in Chiss politics is that the ruling families may appear to be unified but let me assure you there is bitter in-fighting between the houses and a constant struggle for power and influence. And I can tell you the houses certainly aren't unified on the decision to meet with Imperials, let alone cooperate with them. There are two things I know for sure: that House Chaf is involved, because I am involved, and House Nuruodo is involved, because they are always involved."
"You'll find no shortage of Chiss on the street who oppose any encroachment by the Remnant -- the Chiss are a very independent by nature. I'm fairly sure this 'conference' will be mostly closed door meetings, and I can't think of an easy way to infiltrate it. We could still head down to that area, perhaps the Imperial or Chiss bureaucrats will filter in to the cantinas afterwards. It's still a bit early, though." Despite being underground, the Chiss still generally followed a normal sleep cycle, and it was morning.
"Tracking down Vayra's family is easy. Assuming they haven't moved, I already know where they live. They'll recognize me, but maybe you can talk to them. How Vayra got involved in Sith affairs is definitely a question worth answering."
Renora readied to depart, leaving it to Allanar to decide what approach to take with the investigation.
((You can take your next post up to initiating a conversation, Renora would guide you to whichever location to choose.))
Kirkland 17:51, 11 July 2010 (EDT)
Allanar nodded as Renora relayed the news about the Imperials, deciding that was about as good as they could hope from publicly scanning the newsnets. "That is at least a good place to start, in theory we only have today and tomorrow of the Imperials being here. No time to waste I guess... Lets start with Vaya's family."
Renora led the way out of the hotel room and out into the city, they took public transportation for a small amount of their currency to the district Vayra's parents lived in. Renora and Allanar spent the trip talking quietly about how to approach the situation, figuring that coming out and asking about the Sith was a bad approach. It made the most sense to Allanar to pretend to be an officer aboard the ship who knew Vayra while she was in the CEDF and came looking to get back in touch with her while on leave from the ship. It wasn't perfect, but it wasn't easy to think of reasons for a random human stranger to come asking about their daughter.
"After I speak with Vayra's family we can see if any of the Imperial crew has been given leave on the planet, its not too likely but if the ship is following Imperial protocol it wouldn't be unheard of either. While I do that you might have some luck talking with members of House Chaf and House Nuruodo, assuming you don't think it will endanger you or the mission to do so? After that hopefully we'll have some leads or word from Akea. If not we'll have to turn to more risky methods."
The transport arrived in the district they were searching for, they both departed the bus together and Renora gave Allanar the final directions to Vayra's house. They split ways shortly after, Allanar headed calmly to the house while Renora stayed out of view but in the area if needed. Allanar paused at the front door, he took a long deep breath as he gathered his thoughts and sharpened his wits for whatever he might find inside, after a short moment he rang the bell on the intercom.
--FyreFly 14:18, 12 July 2010 (EDT)
The minister remained composed as Akea laid out his view of the situation. He took a moment to carefully craft his response before replying. "You bring up several points, allow to address them. Firstly, the attack on your vessel seems... odd. The Chiss Ascendancy is a sovereign nation and no Star Destroyer has a right to interfere with our airspace. Please have your staff provide evidence of the attack, and I will see to it that it is discussed while the Empire is here."
The diplomat's use of the word Empire was subtle. For years, they were commonly referred to, at least in Republic circles, as the Imperial Remnant. Akea figured the Chiss was referencing the Remnant, but was still uneasy about the man's choice of words.
He continued, moving onto the next topic. "The presence of a Star Destroyer is nothing to be alarmed about; in fact they are here as a consequence of the events set in motion by the unfortunate capture of their leadership. Even the Imperials have interests in this region of space. They have come seeking stability in this tumultuous time. I wish not to breach any confidentiality of our relationship with them, but there are many threats in this corner of the galaxy that they seek protection from in this weakened state." Akea, an avid anthropologist, was well aware there were many hostile races lurking in the Unknown Regions, including the Killiks among others. Binkata's reasons were sound, and he carried a very convincing demeanor. Akea knew the story was bogus, because he knew where that Star Destroyer had been only days earlier. But Akea was not yet sure if perhaps this man was a victim of deception or if he was in on the plot. It was a dangerous road either way.
"While I admit that your claim of a Chiss female's involvement in the attack reflects poorly on our race, I can assure you we have nothing to do with it. Many Chiss live outside our borders, it is unreasonable to suspect our government's involvement based on race alone. I'm afraid I can offer nothing more than passive assistance to both parties regarding the search for the missing Imperial leaders. It concerns me that Csilla has become the center of the diplomatic galaxy today. The Chiss Ascendancy does not wish to get involved in the politics of the Republic or the Imperial Remnant. I would ask that if you engage in talks with them that you do so off-world."
"All that being said, I do invite the Republic to more formal, permanent relations if you wish to re-establish a diplomatic entity in Csaplar. Times have changed since our relations last soured, and I think both parties would benefit from more constant communication." Akea was unaware of the reasons why the Republic embassy shut its doors on Csaplar, but by the tone of the invitation, it couldn't have been much more than a petty squabble.
((This is social combat, let me know if you do anything to boost mental stats in your next post, you may be able to discern more information. Also, I am implementing the 48-hour rule on myself. 48-hours after your reply, I will reply, unless I have an excused absence, a vacation or something.))
Kirkland 02:56, 27 July 2010 (EDT)
Allanar waited patiently for the answer that never came. He casually peered into the window beside the front door, but the darkness inside prevented him from seeing anything. ((roll)) He looked at the handle of the door as he debated forcing entry. He was surprised to find that someone had already beat him to it. It was an old-fashioned door with a manual locking mechanism that had clearly been damaged. There was a crack along the wooden paneling around the door, and the lock was broken. It wasn't obvious to someone passing by, but on close inspection it was clear someone or something forced their way in.
Allanar briefly reached out with the force to detect life within the living unit. Satisfied that there was none, he opened the door slowly and slipped in. It was a single-story unit, about 1,000 square feet in size. A dim light from one of the windows was enough illumination for Allanar to take a look around. The place had been ransacked. Papers, decorations, and other miscellaneous things were scattered about the floor. Drawers were pulled and cabinets were opened. Allanar walked over to a table, where a picture had fallen to the floor. He picked it up to examine it. Though the glass was cracked, it confirmed that he had the right home -- it was a picture of a younger Vayra, with what he assumed to be her parents at either side of her. She was dressed in a ceremonial robe of some kind. It was hard to believe it was the same person he fought just a few days ago aboard the Amity. But it was her, there was no doubt.
((Forgive me if you would have chosen not to go in, I wanted to put a little meat on this post and figured there was reasonable cause to enter. Provide a Wits+Investigation roll in your next post.))
Kirkland 02:06, 28 July 2010 (EDT)
Akea turned his head slightly, trying to decide what to do about the inconsistency in the Minister's reply. He considered reaching into the Force to glean some measure of insight into Binkata's thoughts, but he already knew the Minister knew more than he was letting on, in some sense or another. He decided to take the high road, trying to remain an ally to the Chiss. Nevertheless, this was disappointing - it meant the Imperials had already fooled him, at best, or at worst, he was already willing to cover for them. Or perhaps it was something else entirely... Binkata's use of the term "Empire" got the idea gears churning in the back of Akea's mind... Still, he wasn't sure enough to change his course of action dramatically.
"Minister Binkata, based on the congeniality of your invitations to re-open diplomatic relations with the New Republic, I must think you would not so readily conceal information critical to our mutual continuing safety and investigation. Thus, I present the following as what I assume is news to you."
Akea, a negotiator with nearly a century of experience, kept his calm. It was as likely as not that this was legitimate news to the Minister, and with that in mind, Akea had no reason to be overly aggressive in his demands just yet. Still, the Minister's resolution not to disclose any details of their relationship with the Imperials
"The Star Destroyer orbiting Csilla was the same vessel that led the ambush on New Republic and Imperial Remnant forces at the recent Bastion Accord negotations. The New Republic would be happy to furnish reports containing the technical data to prove this. I should tell you that Admiral Gillad Pallaeon denied any involvement on the Remnant's behalf shortly before his disappearance. Based on your description of the scenario, the Star Destroyer has claimed to belong to Remnant forces seeking refuge in this region. This means that either you or we were deceived."
Akea had intentionally used the word "Remnant" where Binkata had used "Empire", hoping to provoke a correction or response that would (intentionally or not) clue the Jedi in on the political reality of the situation. Akea closed his eyes, thinking for a few seconds before continuing.
"Furthermore, we were able to obtain the full name of the Chiss woman involved in the ambush. Her name is Chaf'vay'rakkani. If I'm not mistaken, that would make her a member - or perhaps former member - of House Chaf. If possible, I would appreciate if you could point me in the direction of a member of House Chaf who might be familiar with this woman. Regarding evidence of the attack, you may find a downed TIE fighter on the Csillian surface outside of Csaplar, but I am not so concerned with retribution at this point, as I fear you and I may both have a larger problem on our hands."
Akea again finished with an emphasis on the pair as a team - it was an old negotiation trick he'd learned. Even an outwardly hostile party would be forced to consider the notion of teamwork, if only to refute it. It helped to get the subconscious seed planted.
((From what I can tell, as it stands, there's nothing I can do to enhance social or mental attribute - enhance attribute appears only to work on physical attributes. If I've missed something, let me know - that's certainly something I'd be interested in doing. If you want me to make any negotiation rolls or anything, let me know first - there's a good chance I will want to spend willpower such a roll.))
Dan 20:50, 29 July 2010 (EDT)
((I am treating your speech as a social attack and made the following roll. Akea Negotiation + Wits + 1 Willpower: 9, 4, 8, 8, 9, 7, 8 = 7 successes. Binkata's response to come.))
Kirkland 00:08, 1 August 2010 (EDT)
A silence lingered longer than Akea expected. Akea laid out a large amount of information that was, presumably, new to Minister Binkata. The tension in the room grew with each passing second, and Akea was sure that the Minister wasn't taking the extra time to process the new information; he was taking the extra time to decide what direction to take this conversation. An indication that Binkata knew more than he was leading on.
"Regardless of how you look at it, if all of what you say is true, it all looks very bad for the Chiss Ascendancy. The New Republic has evidence of a Chiss involved in the attack, and they find the alleged attackers orbiting Csilla only days later. Among all this damning evidence placing the Chiss at the center of perhaps the Republic's biggest crisis in 6 years, a lone New Republic diplomat shows up at the steps of the House Palace to open a dialogue, even after being attacked by Imperial forces during arrival. Let me admit that I have not been candid to this point, but neither have you." He revealed a slight smirk with the last comment.
"With all this in consideration, I shouldn't be surprised that Minister Tal engaged the Jedi Order so soon. After all, they are the 'guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy,'" his voice had the faintest hint of mockery as he quoted (incorrectly) the Jedi Code. "I will re-iterate that the Chiss Ascendancy has had no role in this apparent terrorist attack, and we too are investigating. As I'm sure you have the ear of the Prime Minister, please, extend our invitation of renewed diplomatic relations to her, if you get the chance. I must say, I am slightly disappointed that she felt the need to send a Jedi to represent her."
His tone indicated little desire to pursue further investigation with Akea. He did not respond with anything further; he had nothing to say about Vayra and did not attempt to defend the presence of the rogue Star Destroyer. He waited for Akea to respond.
Kirkland 23:45, 2 August 2010 (EDT)
Akea did not let the silence linger for long. So, the Minister wasn't playing dumb. It still wasn't clear how much he knew, but Akea had a feeling the Minister wasn't planning to say. This presented a problem and was counter to the strategy he intended to follow - He was hoping to find an honest ally on Csilla to work through. He continued to speak calmly, meeting the Minister's gaze. Although unintimidated by Binkata's mockery of the Order, Akea was keen to illustrate the alternatives. He made no denial of his membership in the Jedi Order - now, or ever. Binkata's insight wasn't surprising to Akea; any sufficiently determined individual could readily learn of it; there wasn't exactly a surplus of Dur Sabon Jedi Masters. That said, he also did not explicitly acknowledge the matter.
"I fail to understand your disappointment, Minister Binkata. The Jedi Order are obliged to uphold peace, and in the overwhelming majority of cases, their involvement with a dispute or tense situation invariably results in a minimization of casualties on both sides of the table. With a few admittedly notable exceptions, I'd turn you to the Order's track record in Galactic history to support my statement. This is all, of course, assuming that peace is what the Chiss Ascendancy wants."
His tone during the later part of his statement wasn't so much threatening, but may have contained a small degree of veiled accusation to a listener who wanted to find it - after all, those attacks had cost lives, and risked sparking a war; those in bed with the enemy were surely aware of that fact. Akea increased his degree of disclosure in a last-ditch effort to prompt an informative response from the Minister.
"The New Republic has strong evidence that the Chiss Expansionary Defense Force was directly involved in the attack. I do not know, at this point, what you are aware of and what you are not. I leave you with this information under the assumption that you are not aware of this, as even after admitting your lack of candor, you claim the Ascendancy is not involved. You may wish to investigate this matter internally if you believe your statements to be true. The New Republic is willing to cooperate fully with any investigation into the attack, although your tone suggests that, as of now, you wish to pursue no such thing."
Akea stood from his seat, making one last offer to the Minister.
"Regardless of your - or the Ascendancy's - intentions, it is clear to us that something more hidden than the Imperial Remnant was intimately involved in this attack. I cannot say for certain whether I believe this hidden puppetmaster to be nestled with the ranks of the Chiss Ascendancy, but if you are not allied with this shadow force, I am certain it is as much a danger to the Chiss as it is the New Republic. I arrived on short notice with little explanation, and I am not offended by your lack of disclosure. But, please, Minister, consider the ramifications of your actions on your people and the galaxy with which you have been tasked to maintain relations."
While Akea waited for the Minister's response to what might be the end of their conversation, he fixed his gaze on Binkata, probing the Force and attempting to ascertain a connection to Vayra, or, as had crossed the more imaginative parts of Akea's mind, something darker...
Sense + Awareness for Sense Force: 9,8,9,5,7,6,2, 4 successes.
Sense + Telepathy for Mind Probe (Spent 1wp): 10,1,5,1,10,2,8, wild die was a 10, rolled again, got a 5. So, in total, 6 successes.
((It is Akea's intention to use the powers on consecutive actions while awaiting, and subsequently listening to the Minister's response. He uses them in the order they were rolled. If this isn't feasible, Akea is more interested in the Sense Force roll - he's already pretty sure the minister knows Vayra on some level - so keep the Sense Force and ignore the mind probe. I understand that I'm sort of cherry picking my results here, but to be fair, the former was a poorer roll. If you feel that isn't fair - which I can understand - just let me know and we can re-roll or something.))
Dan 22:26, 4 August 2010 (EDT)
Allanar was quite concerned as he entered the home that had been broken into, whoever had done this had been here recently for him to be the first to stumble across the scene. But his initial searches found no signs of anyone still being there so he entered slowly, shutting the door back to its original position as he entered and walked around the small home. Allanar took great care no to disturb the scene any more than he had to, taking in as many details as possible as he investigated for any signs of what had happened here. He focused the force in an attempt to help him piece together what had happened, or if a familiar or dark presence had been here recently.
Allanar contemplated if he should call Renora to come into the home, but for now he decided he should wait to reveal the scene to her. He would perform his initial investigation first, and if after that he thought she should see it he would contact her on the commlink to join him. It had only been a few days since the attack on the Remnant leadership, what were the chances these two events were unrelated? Furthermore, what were the chances that the Star Destroyer hovering above wasn't somehow responsible? What were they looking for? Allanar hoped that Akea was finding things more favorable than he was.
Wits + Investigation: 3 + 2 + 1 wp. = 7, 7, 5, 3, 2. 3 successes including the willpower point. If there is anything that can be done with the force to aid or enhance this roll Allanar would have done it but right now we don't have anything in the system for it. If there is a separate force roll or way to enhance this with the force let me know or feel free to add it in.
--FyreFly 17:24, 5 August 2010 (EDT)
Allanar's perusing of the home led him to the bedroom at the end of the main hallway of the apartment. As he walked down the hallway, he attempted to feel with the force if there had been a dark presence here. He knew if it was a recent break in, there was a chance he could detect something. His suspicions were confirmed, there was indeed a dark aura lingering within the Force a this particular location. He estimated that the break-in likely occurred within the hour.
He reached the end of the hallway and entered the bedroom. A gruesome sight awaited him, and further confirmed what he had already felt in the Force. The body of an old Chiss woman, Vayra's mother, lay lifeless on the floor. Her torso was severed and the wound cauterized, the clear result of a lightsaber blade. Allanar didn't have any more time to ponder new questions or old, as his Force Danger instincts kicked in. It was faint a first, his senses telling him that in the city center, Akea's life was in immediate danger. That feeling intensified, and moments later he felt his own life to be in great danger. His comlink buzzed softly, but there was no need to answer. He knew who it was from, and what it said. It was Renora, and the message was clear. "Run."
Allanar could feel two dark forces closing down on him quickly, and he only had seconds to prepare for their arrival.
((Allanar has approximately 5 ticks/seconds to act before join battle.))
Allanar Sense Danger: 9, 0, 0, 2, 4 = 5 successes
As Akea moved toward the door and spoke, Binkata remained seated. He replied, "We Chiss prefer to handle our own affairs internally. Like I said, I am willing to entertain an official New Republic delegation. I am confident an investigation will exonerate our government of any wrong-doing." Akea began to open the door, but stopped as Binkata spoke once more. "Master Oahu," he said, his tone of voice shifting to more sincerity, "Take my advice and leave Csaplar." This was odd statement and moment of sincerity from the statesmen. Akea, while listening, probed the Chiss's mind with the force, searching for a link to Vayra or another dark entity. He found no link, though he was now sure that the Minister at least knew of Vayra. What he did find striking is the amount of fear in the Minister. This fear, Akea mused, could be the reason he refused to divulge further details, and it made Akea think a little more about the Minister's suggestion to leave Csaplar.
Akea simply nodded to the Minister as he left the room and was re-united with his two security escorts. They walked back down the ornate hallway. They were near the top floors of the House Palace. One side of the hallway was made of transparisteel, giving a magnificent view of Csaplar below. Though there was no sunlight, the city center was vibrant with lights and activity.
Such moments of beauty, however, could not last long. As Akea and his guards made their way toward the turbolifts, Akea felt a sharp surge in the Force, something very unexpected given his current location and security escort. He looked out the transparisteel window and saw a small airspeeder heading straight for the building, more specifically, straight for him.
((Akea has approximately 3 ticks/seconds to act before he expects the airspeeder to impact the building at his current location.))
Akea Sense Danger: 8, 3, 1, 3, 5, 7, 1, 4 = 2 successes
Kirkland 03:15, 13 August 2010 (EDT)
Chapter 8 Concluded. Experience Awarded: 5.
Your next responses will begin Chapter 9: A Familiar Foe and Chapter 10: Csaplarian Streets
I am going to split the next scenes into 2 chapters, one for Akea and one for Allanar. Since we're entering combat I thought it would be easier to read this way. I haven't decided on the names for the chapters yet so just post in this thread if you beat me to creating new chapters. Also since we're entering combat I am going to go for a more rapid-fire posting method, since there won't be a lot of dialogue, I think it will work for this next scene.