(Republic Senate Mission) - Gone But Not Forgotten

[Sivaprasad]

As Andre Flux's courier shuttle touched down on the landing pad at Phaeda spaceport, he scanned over his notes one last time to make sure he had everything in order in his mind.
This Outer Rim planet, often referred to as a 'dirtball', which was a somewhat pejorative reference, had been defended for a long time by their military forces and a large planetary defense fleet. Although it had been a member of the Republic in the long distant past, political differences had led to Phaeda's withdrawal from the Republic, as well as from galactic politics in general. At the moment the Phaeda Militia, who were backed by the local authorities, decided who could enter and who could leave the spaceport. But seeing as this was an officially sanctioned meeting with the planetary government, Andre didn't expect to do much more than flash his id and they'd let him carry on to the meeting.
Turns out, things were not going to be quite that simple.

"Hey you! Against the wall, hands where we can see them!!"
This was how Andre was greeted upon stepping off the shuttle, by a large group of men wearing bandoliers and carrying some kind of blaster rifles. Andre wasn't a specialist in weaponry, so he couldn't identify what they were. Not that it mattered right now. As Andre was pushed up against a nearby wall and had his blaster pistol taken from him, he wondered how long this friendly and welcoming treatment could delay him and his fellow Senator from getting to the meeting point.
Speaking of which, where the hell was the other Senator? From what Andre had heard of his reputation, the man could be useful in this kind of situation.
@Mad Dog

 

[Mad Dog]

"Sir?" A F.R.A.N.K.I.E. knocked on the door to the senator's chamber.

"Sir?"

"SIR!?!?!" Knocking several times.

"WHAT!?" His voice yelled back, obviously just waking up. He came to the door and opened it, leaving 2 Twi'Lek women laying in his bed,"What?"

"Ah good morning sir, I hope you've slept well, we'll be landing in twelve minutes, I suggest you prepare for landing." She said.

"Oh! Yes.. yes.." he began scrambling to pull his senator's garb from around the room and throw it in quickly,"Where are we going again?"

"We'll be touching down on the planet of Phaeda, you are to negotiate them into returning to the republic, and make them commit their fleet to the Republic. Here is your dossier." She finished handing him a large folder.

Who uses print these days?
He began flipping through the pages.

"Also sir, we're approximately twenty minutes late already."

"What!? Who's the Fhtagn is in charge around here?" He said angrily.

"That would be you sir."

She may be near human but she sure acts like a dam droid sometimes.

The ship began to descend to the plant and touched down in a prearranged dock. Upon exiting the senator was met with a slight resistance.
"Show us your hands!"

Paris stood there nearly dwarfed next to his RZX-637 “EndBringer” Guardian Droid
"Have you any idea who I am? I am senator Paris P......." The men had rushed him and pushed him against the wall, quickly confiscating his blaster pistol. "Stand down! Stand down!!" Paris ordered his droid, after all they were here in a peace mission and having his droid disintegrate several guards upon arrival might throw a crimp in his negotiations. "This is an outrage!, I am a senator in the galactic republic, and you will take you hands off me!"

Near the end of his sentence the guards released him and began walking him toward the arranged meeting area. They did not however allow him to bring his Guardian droid, so a single F.R.A.N.K.I.E. which he convinced the guards to be his secretary was allowed.

 

[Andre Flux]

Whilst his fellow Senator walked away without so much as a greeting or an apology for being late, what a jerk, Andre noticed that lots of people around him were being allowed to get off their transports and walk away without even being checked or roughly handled at all. There were scanners at the exits and entrances to check for weapons or other dangerous items, so there was no need for frisking or guns being pointed at anyone. Especially when that person was expected, and was dressed in traditional Senatorial garments.
After much protesting and arguing as to why he had been treated like this, Andre was led away towards the meeting point. The government building was only about a quarter of a mile from the spaceport. They were unlikely to face any dangers, as most people would think twice before tangling with the Phaeda Militia. As they walked along the rough path out of the spaceport, with virtually nothing but mud and dirt to look at on the way, Andre decided to strike up a brief conversation with the nearest Militia member.

"So.. Nice weather we're having."
"Not really."
"Hmm. Have you been doing this for a while now? Do you like your job?.."
"Nope."
That really was a brief conversation... Okay, I'm just going to come out with it.

"Look. Do you have some kind of problem with me? I notice you were rougher with us than those other people you just let straight through. Why's that? You must have been given our descriptions, you knew we were coming and at what time. Didn't you know we are with the Republic?"
"Sure, we knew. Just wanted to put you in your place. We don't like your kind around here. As soon as this meetings over, I'm looking forward to putting your spoilt stuck-up Republic ass back on that ship and watching it leave. One more word out of you and I'll bust your nose. Mind you, by the look of your face, it looks like somebody already beat me to it."

Andre was sorely tempted to teach this guy a lesson... But causing an 'incident' right now could jeopardise the negotiations. So he kept his cool, and reluctantly let the 6" 8 muscleman with the big gun get away with taunting him.
If I wasn't on a diplomatic mission, I'd really show this guy a thing or two... Oh, who am I kidding?

As they entered a large ornate building, twelve stories high with fantastical creatures carved on the doors and walls, quite the contrast to the poorly maintained dwellings in the surrounding area, the Militia spoke a few words to the attendants in the entrance and then left and waited outside.
One of the attendants, a young Rodian male, went through a large double doorway. A minute or two later, a portly bald man came out to meet them, with a disingenuous smile plastered on his face. Andre's immediate reaction was that this guy was less trustworthy than a Toydarian.

"Greetings, gentlemen. My name is Torm Ozuar, the vice president of Phaeda. I am most happy to welcome you to our humble abode. If you would like anything to eat or drink, anything at all, just say the word and Beeko here will bring it for you."
At this point, he gestured towards the young Rodian who was standing there doing nothing, except to nod enthusiastically at this point.
Torm asks the Senators to follow him into his office, which is spacious and just as lavish as the rest of the building.

"Please, gentlemen, sit down. Now then, where shall we begin our little discussion, hmm?"
As Andre sat down in a luxuriously comfy chair and settled in, Torm seemed to reach beneath the desk for a moment, possibly to push a button? Maybe it was just Andre's imagination. Andre waited to see how Senator Paris would respond.
@Mad Dog

 

[Mad Dog]

Paris's clothes although clean, appeared to have been out on hastily, as such parts had become wrinkled and the top button of his shirt was not buttoned.

Paris has appeared not to have. noticed his fellow senator until the man addressed both of them, he'd only seen the man once before at a senatorial operation. And although he'd partially read the dossier on the man he'd been sent with, he was having trouble remembering his name,"Ah. Hello Mr..." Leaving the conversation open to receive the man's name.

Still nursing a slight headache probably cause by the night before."I'll take a brandy." He issued his order to the boy.

"Mr. Ozuar, we are here on behalf of the entire Galactic Senate, and the Republic to issue in a new era where the planet of Phaeda, and the Galactic Republic will once again form a union for the betterment of not just one, but all planets in the galaxy. No doubt you've heard of the turmoil cause by the sudden and unexpected reemergence of the evil empire, the Sith.. In times like these it is most essential that all parties involved whom are all at risk of an imminent death regardless of their distance from the currently dominated area of the Sith, pull together as a single union in arms against the enemy that has continued to return time after time to strike against all life. We as a Galactic Republic come to you seeking union, allowing all past transgressions to fade to the lost pages of history as we go on, together, to write a new chapter. One in which evil... Does.... Not.... Win!" His unkempt appearance aside, when the man spoke it was as if thunder struck with each few syllables, his words both moving and convincing, every word said with power and honesty, regardless of how he actually may have felt about the situation he appeared to have totally dedicated himself to the problem at hand.

 

[Andre Flux]

Torm Ozuar weighed up the two men as they sat before him. The man who spoke first, Paris his name was according to the profile he had received after arranging this meeting, seemed terribly ill prepared. He looked like bantha poodoo, in terms of his appearance.
Also, the bio scanner they had unwittingly walked through as they entered the building, indicated he had indulged in alcohol the night before and also had low blood sugar levels today, most likely had not even had breakfast. Torm had to stifle a laugh behind his hand when Paris couldn't even remember his fellow Senator's name. This person was either brilliant but absentminded and forgetful, or a complete fool. Either way, Torm was not impressed. Is this the best the Republic can do...

As Andre Flux reminded his fellow Senator of his name, whilst shifting uncomfortably in his seat, no doubt aware of how unprofessional this made them both look, Beeko hurried in with two glasses of brandy. The Rodian placed one in front of each Senator. Andre declined politely, he was obviously not a drinker of alcoholic beverages, and besides he had not ordered one.

"I do apologize, Mr Flux. Just a moment."

Torm looked at Beeko, and the amiable look on his face briefly flickered to a different one, a sneer of disdain.

"Try to pay more attention boy. You know what happens when people don't pay attention to their orders, don't you?"
Beeko started to tremble slightly, nodded furiously, picked up the second glass and hurried out of the room.

Torm listened to Paris's speech with a rather blank and unimpressed look on his face.
"Fine words, sir. The only trouble is.. You speak of 'betterment'. I suspect you mean other worlds complying with your countless little rules and standards. The Republic wishes to exact its control over all other worlds, perhaps with little difference to this Sith Empire you speak of. We can bandy around words like 'good' and 'evil' until the banthas come home. The facts remain that our world remains untouched by this so-called evil. We are not at risk of 'imminent death', not at all my friend. So you need not concern yourself with such things.

As he spoke, Torm seemed totally relaxed and self confident. Unusually so, even when the topic of the With Empire was raised, he didn't seem at all bothered by what had happened. He didn't look afraid or at all worried.

"And when you say, 'allowing all past transgressions to fade away..' I must assume you are not talking about Phaeda when you say this? Because we are not the ones who committed any transgressions. As for your Republic... Well, that is a different story."

Torm doubted that this ill-prepared fool would know how to respond to this. Ah well, he thought, I am only passing the time, until....
Torm ended the thought part way through, as Paris seemed ready to respond. Torm put on another obsequious smile, as though he really was just a humble man in service to his government.

@Mad Dog [/I]