View source for Chapter 8: Heart of the Ascendancy

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[[Image:Csaplar.jpg|center|600px|thumb|Csaplar]]

''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.))

[[User:Kirkland|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.

[[User:Olaf|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."

[[User:Kirkland|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.

[[User:Olaf|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.

[[User:Kirkland|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.

--[[User:FyreFly|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.))

[[User:Kirkland|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?"

[[User:Olaf|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 [http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Ruling_Families 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.))

[[User:Kirkland|Kirkland]] 02:21, 7 July 2010 (EDT)

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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.

--[[User:FyreFly|FyreFly]] 16:44, 7 July 2010 (EDT)

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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?"

[[User:Olaf|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.))

[[User:Kirkland|Kirkland]] 04:02, 8 July 2010 (EDT)

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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?"

[[User:Kirkland|Kirkland]] 17:32, 8 July 2010 (EDT)

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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.

[[User:Olaf|Dan]] 18:46, 8 July 2010 (EDT)

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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.))

[[User:Kirkland|Kirkland]] 17:51, 11 July 2010 (EDT)

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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.

--[[User:FyreFly|FyreFly]] 14:18, 12 July 2010 (EDT)