Into the Lion's Den

[Kit]

There had been very few occasions when the Battlemaster of the New Jedi Order had been impressed. The first was watching his predecessor duel seven of his best pupils at once. Since then, the occasions were fewer and fewer between.

However, this was one of them. It was begrudging, but it was there. Arriving into Coruscant space, and seeing the military might of the Galactic Alliance assembled around it's capital. Which was why he was here.

Having been escorted at some speed through the building, he had separated from the other two Councillors he had traveled with almost instantly. They had been led to the Senate, he had been brought here, to meet the man in charge of the entire military machine of the Galactic Alliance.

All that remained, as he waited outside the man's office was to be ushered in.

 

[Gambler]

Kesh's office held a note of mystery. Piles of unsorted paperwork, innumerable datapads, and the occasional holorecorder put his desk in a state of disarray. He personally knew where everything was, of course. It might take him a few minutes to remember, but he eventually knew where it was. There was no need to organize when one had such a perfect memory. Some had the gall to call it laziness. Well, they obviously didn't know him.

One might incorrectly assume that he would be at his desk, sorting through the various documents strewn about. Instead, he was on the couch, head propped on a decorative pillow. His feet hung askew off the side, suspended a few centimeters from the ground. He had a datarecorder in hand, flipping through the meaningless drivel it contained.

While the recorder played out, Kesh's attention fell to his opening door. It took him a moment to remember that the Jedi were sending a representative to speak with him. He didn't exactly know what to expect given the short notice, but he had a few hunches. As he waited, he narrowed the possibilities down to a few, regulated to speculation and rumor. Considering the rank held by the representative, the list was further pruned.

Eventually he came to the conclusion that the Jedi wanted to discuss integration with the Alliance. It was only natural given the rumors about a new Emperor that had been circulated. With that in mind, Kesh tossed the datarecorder aside, letting it fall haphazardly onto the table next to him.

He looked over his shoulder to the representative and said, "Welcome, Battlemaster Lionel. Please, make yourself comfortable. I assume we have quite a bit to discuss. Unless my presumption about your intent is incorrect, in which case we might not have so much talking to do. Hmm, now that I think about it, I rather like the second choice." He smiled.

"Refreshments? Food? I can get you whatever you'd like, though it might take some time depending on what it is exactly you'd like." It might have been the light, but Kesh's eyes sparkled.

 

[Kit]

Having entered Augustus was somewhat taken aback. The man was practically a child, and clearly lacked discipline. He was almost the polar opposite of the Battlemaster, a man of duty and discipline above all else.

His eyes narrowed when the High Commander got his name wrong. Perhaps he was simple badly briefed, or was deliberately failing to show even a hint of respect. Either way, it did not bother Augustus beyond his concern for the men under this man's command.

"My name is Leonus, but you may simply address me as Battlemaster, or Augustus, if it is easier for you, High Commander."

He paused, looking around the cluttered office, before finally settling on one of the few empty chairs in the office. Part of him desperately hoping that this whole situation was simply a front for the man to hide behind.

"I am fine, thank you. I would rather we got straight to business, unless you have any reservations on that front."

Augustus sat stiffly, his grey and red robes pooling beneath him, and his concern growing ever more potent. Was this man really responsible for the entire Galactic Alliance?

 

[Gambler]

"Of course," Kesh said with an easy smile. "My apologies. It has been a long morning with bureaucratic nonsense like you wouldn't believe. They believe themselves above keeping track of their own records which, if I might add, generally consist of what they want to complain to me about next. What I wouldn't give for some intelligent conversation without the veiled threats and condescending niceties I'm usually met with." He sighed.

"Anyway, apologies again for butchering your name, Leonus," he said. "Too much stress on the wrong syllable and I accidentally misconstrued your name. The sad part is, I can relate... Kesh and Helios just don't seem to flow off the tongue. I've heard Kess Helios, Kesh Elios... I've even heard variants that disregard almost all of the consonants altogether." He gave an apologetic shrug.

"Now that we have that matter cleared away, it would be an appropriate time to get down to business." His smiling eyes took on an impossibly serious cast. "From what I've heard, we're at war with the Sith again. Considering the rumors circulating, they seem to be a bit more powerful than they have been in the past. This leaves the Alliance in a curious position." There were times when entertainment didn't mix with life. This, unfortunately, was one of them.

"It would be wise for the Jedi to consider integration with the Alliance Defense Force. Jedi are known to be inspirational figures, symbols for justice and peace. I personally can't attest to the validity of that statement, but it does seem to be generally accepted." He paused.

"So, what do you think?"

 

[Kit]

((OOC: sorry sorry sorry! I had totally forgotten about this! A thousand apologies!))

"I would struggle to disagree, Commander."

The Battlemaster replied, after letting the man have his piece. Whilst his first impression had been a little rough, Augustus was having trouble ignoring what was a poorly disguised warriors nature. The man had seen his share of fighting, he would wager, and clearly disliked being cooped up in an office.

"I fear that the new leadership of the Sith is both stronger than we are prepared for, as well as deeply unpredictable. This is what will make him dangerous. Also, it certainly won't help that the Sith are often about as far removed from sane as it is possible to be, particularly their leaders."

He paused, gently stroking his chin, a hint of stubble making it slightly rough.

"Your assumption is correct, the Grandmaster himself has sent me to speak with you regarding integration. Master Kanasur is keen to see the Order working in concert with your military. I can't argue that we are symbols for peace, but I can guarantee you the Jedi under my personal command are as fierce a collection of warriors as you could wish for."

It was in no way an exaggeration, every Jedi that served under him, aboard The Will of the Force, was trained with emphasis on the warrior part of warrior-monk. Augustus' Jedi were ready for war.

"I feel it would be unwise to replace your existing officers with Jedi wholesale, nor would I wish to do so. However, I would recommend that Jedi are embedded into units. Some are more than capable of command, others are better suited for support. I suggest that we approach this integration on a case by case basis, would you agree, Commander?"