Ask Event A Joining of Minds

[The Gatekeeper]

There was much conversation as the Humble Representative of Boz Pity, the Most Humble and Most Gracious Hickey Robthama, presented a proposal that brought together the arguments of both sides. He presented to the room, and the Galaxy at large, what peace could look like for the Galaxy and almost immediately there was arguing about it. The price of peace was high, everyone knew it, but it seemed that some of the politicians here were unwilling to put their hand in their pocket to help pay for it.

Some, such as the senators of the FWA, didn't even seem to want to acknowledge reality as it was seen by those outside of their borders. A point that Hickey was quick to jump on alongside the Sith representatives - he was on Galactic holonet and he had to maximize his minutes after all.

"Senators of the FWA - surely you can stop trying to hide behind politically savvy word play, hmm? The Jedi and the FWA may be politically separate but barely a day goes by without a joint military measure between you two. Defensive? Ah now that may, perhaps, be explained by the nomadic and 'charitable' nature of the Jedi. But on your offenses?" he clicked his tongue, "No, sir and madam, I believe that is rather beyond merely charitable monks. The good Grandmaster of the Jedi is even more accepting of your special relationship - and we thank her for being accommodating in decreasing her arms."

Not that Hickey believed a Jedi was ever "not armed". They had Force magic and they had lightsabers - they were never going to be anything but an armed, militant, religious order at best. But it was a step down from the pseudo-crusading forces they seemed to be attempting to foster within space aligned with them.

Across the room, people quietened as they listened to the words of the Professor. Some only gained one thing from her words; dread. The unshakeable feeling that, if history rhymed as she seemed to think it did, then this peace was just another doomed peace before it even began. Of course, some were able to take away different points - about how to make sure that this peace lasted it had to be done in such a way as had not been truly attempted before.

This last comment seemed to make the host of the event, Governor Omah, very pleased indeed. He was not alone in clapping slightly for the Professor's speech but his was, by far, the most enthusiastic of those reacting to the professor's words. Recovering from her earlier embarrassment at being caught on a hot mic, the red-skinned Twi'lek stepped back up to the microphone.

"I am Governor Zir’Sola, of Nixor. While the Grandmaster of the Jedi may question if the Champion and the Representative of New Alderaan have the authority to broker a peace without their Empress present, can we assume that you are authorized to at least bring to her a workable beginning to a peace?" she asked of the Sith, seeking clarification, "If we can agree to the basics of a lasting Peace here, would anyone object to a ceasefire until such a time as the leaders of the sides can come together to ratify the peace?"

To some it may seem like a stop-gap but a ceasefire, in this example, would give all sides time to discuss it amongst themselves and get the agreement and authority to actually finalize a peace; if they didn't already have it. For all she, and the rest of the room knew, the Sith Representatives had the authority of the Empress already behind them.

At the threats of the Hutt, Nor'baal, tensions around the room began to skyrocket and members of the audience seemed to shuffle further away from the Hutt. The translators had enough of a delay that people didn't seem to understand that the Hutt seemed angered by comments made by the Jedi that barely even touched upon the Hutts. Governor Omah's regal features twisted in a snarl.

"Jedi. Hutt. Both of you just... shush. Shush." Governor Omah demanded, holding up a hand for a second as the doors opened once more to admit the returned protocol droids, accompanied by half a dozen guards, "I think We have heard enough to make an informed decision. And... We are disappointed but We are not surprised. We've known for awhile that bickering is in the nature of all of you - New Republic, Sith, Jedi, FWA, Hutt or ISC? It doesn't matter. You lack the ability to fully, completely, understand each other and because of that? You war. What is war if not the bickering of children incapable of blending in together... unable to Join together."

The Governor had seemed incensed before, but now? Now he was eerily calm as he seemed to stand up straighter and move to the front of the podium. Protocol droids began to filter into the room, presenting drinks to all of the assembled Representatives - drinks that bubbled and hissed and seemed alive in a way that people this side of the Galaxy had never known. Placing his hands near the microphone, he leaned in closer.

"Perhaps the Professor is correct... perhaps what you need is a solution that is out of the tiny little boxes that you call your individual minds." he sighed a little bit and waved a hand to the assembled representatives, pressing a hand against his eyes as though attempting to manage a sudden headache, "Governor Omah believed, once, that a dialogue between two or more people could cause some of them to come to an understanding. A true understanding. But now you have shown him that We were right all along - you need a firm, guiding, hand. You need Us to tell you what to do? We say drink. The time of arguments is over, it is time for you to Join with Us."

His hand fell and he smiled back at the Representatives, his gaze somehow both glazed and somewhat manic.

"This war is over because We do not war with ourselves and you will be Us - one way or another."

@Phoenix @SlagathorTheUnknown @LadyRen @llamallove @lizziie @Xorism
@Altaris @Sicadorito @The Good Doctor
@Braden @Valen Pelora @Nor'baal @Fantasy Liver @AutoFox

 

[Nor'baal Desilijic]

Well, at least now Nor'baal knew who here was trying to murder him! This self-entitled Governor, from a planet the Hutt had never even heard of, wasn't even trying to hide his cruel intentions at the Hutt's serene and handsome frame. Having told the Hutt Mogul to be silent, the creature then insisted he imbibed a beverage that was quite obviously laced with toxins.

He cursed himself for agreeing to not bring his attack dogs with him. What delights they would have given the Hutt as they tore this worthless scug-rat to pieces for the enjoyment of all those here gathered! Perhaps, Nor'baal pondered, he could just do it himself - yes! He could reach forward, latch his undulating tongue about the man's neck and lurch forward, consuming the good for nothing Governor in a single vulgar motion.

No - he shook his head, such a move was far beneath his lofty station.

Govenor Omahs treachery would not go unpunished, however, already Nor'baal had worked out the most adequate price to place on the man's head, so as to ensure he would not see another summer. He would need to see if the man had a family as well - they to would suffer for this outrage.

Nor'baal nearly threw himself into an even more tectonic fury when the man ordered guards into the room, a half-dozen in total. His tale lashed against the floor again, and Nor'baal could contain his fury no longer <Assassin!> he yowled in anger and clenched his fist. <This is an outrage, how dare you bring armed men to this gathering, whilst ordering us to arrive defenceless! You curr!>

He rolled his eyes as his tongue lolled around his lips in unbridled fury <SIEZE HIM> he hollered in Huttese, forgetting once again that he was alone, without his usual flunkies. Awkwardly, he looked around the room, before stabbing his pudgy hand toward the Governor and demanding <Explain yourself Governor, what is the meaning of this treachery?>

 

[Alexander Xerxes]

Alexander had kept quiet since the questioning moved past The Republic’s actions in this Galaxy at War. It was up to the Empire and the Alliance to resolve their differences, though he could quickly see how all previous peace talks had descended into nothingness. The Supreme Chancellor was about to take to the stand to try and help resolve some of the divide when the Representatives of the ‘Free People’ jumped once more back into the fray.

Luckily between the pair it seemed they were trying to move the process forward. Then Omah flipped the table. Was he indeed mad or was this his plan all along, push them all into a false sense of security before pulling whatever this was on them all.

Alexander jumped to his feet, his face full of anger and rage. The Supreme had to take a moment to bottle The Force energy within him less it rise to the surface. “Governor Omah, what is this.” He shouted, pointing at the guards that had entered the room. “You preach to your own people that we cannot force others to conform to your standard of ethics. Yet bring armed guards into a discussion of ‘Peace’. Because we are not behaving as you want us to.

This is the same Tyranny that I spoke off, you cannot force others to agree to peace, with knives at their throat. It is destined to fail and collapse into greater violence. If anything Governour Omah you have potentially pulled the Galaxy further away with your threatening actions today. Now remove your guards from this room and allow us to once again continue with the discussions of peace.”

As Alexander spoke, one of his detail tasted the drink to make sure it was ok for the Supreme Chancellor to consume.

 

[Celeste Stythani]

Celeste had listened to the Amaran professor that went next attentively and she was definitely making good and convincing points. History tended to repeat itself and the blonde senator couldn't help but to roll her eyes as Amira just made the same mistake again. Like a pouting child she continued pointing fingers and recapitulating the past as if this would change anything. Bygones needed to be Bygones. Stubbornness and determination were helpful for politicians and diplomats, but they had repeatedly agreed on moving on already, so why was it even necessary for her to bring it up again? She didn't comment on it again. It would be to easy to invalidate her arguments and it wouldn't lead anywhere, so she focused her attention onto the next speakers.

She didn't pay much attention to the bickering of the Hutt since she was continously asking herself what he was doing here anyway. She never considered him part of the diplomatic corps of the galaxy and from what she had heard from him today, there was no reason to change her opinion. When he started attacking the Jedi she waited for herself to chime in, but after their argument the other representatives chimed in. As Governor Omah began to speak she immediately noticed that something was off. She felt it deep inside her guts, even before the guards and droids began marching in. She instinctively took a step back, eyeing the scene cautiously while she literally held her breath for a couple of seconds. Every word Govenor Omah lost sank deep in and as he suddenly starting speaking about himself in the third person and then even mentioning 'us', a cold shiver ran down her spine. She glanced around, trying to catch eye contact with one of her fellow FWA senators and if someone would meet her gaze he or she would notice that Celeste was definitely alarmed.

The Hutt was the first to chime in again, but this time she could follow his accusations. As Supreme Chancellor Xerxes went on, she contemplated whether she should hold herself back, but as both expressed themselves in a rather outraged manner, she decided on trying to try easing this tensions by staying reasonable. "Govenor Omah, there is no need to jump to conclusions. The debate has already started and I'm sure we will all manage to resume peacefully and diplomatically" she replied calmly, but even though she managed to be quite convincing about it, her mind was racing and her heartbeat had already accelerated. She wouldn't drink. Not only because she was pregnant but only because she couldn't have been any more wary. The way he spoke about 'joining minds' now didn't sound as he was referring to sharing and aligning their visions anymore and Celeste would take no part in this drinking, especially because she had never seen enything like this before.

@everyone

 

[Ryssa Kalayli]

Ryssa had opted to sit back and listen as the others continued the discussion, though it didn’t seem to be getting anywhere. The professor had made an enlightening point, but even so, more fingers were being pointed, more accusations were thrown, to the point that the representatives from the audience had jumped in to refocus the conversation. However, from all she’d seen and heard today, Ryssa had not expected Governor Omah of all people to pull the rug out from under them all with his brazen remarks, looking as if he’d been possessed by some demon.

What was more, it wasn’t only words that the man offered, but strange sizzling drinks that she’d never seen before and half a dozen guards who’d suddenly entered the room.

Does this happen at every peace gathering? Ryssa glanced over at Galek and Lon, amber eyes growing more concerned as the room erupted into chaos. Nor’baal furiously insulting the governor, the Chancellor accusing Omah of tyranny, and Stythani trying to calm the situation.

“You’re playing a dangerous game, Omah. Don’t try it.” Though she wouldn’t be able to do anything about it herself, the others could. He’d struck a negative chord with all of the major factions of the galaxy today, and he would have made some major enemies along the way. If he valued his life, he would stop this nonsense immediately.

Spoiler: Edit

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[Lon Tendree]

Neimoidians were known by many for being survivors. Some people called it cowardice, but that was just disingenuous as far as Lon was concerned. Dying for nothing was a waste when there was so much to live for. He was no exception in this point of view, and he had survival instincts that were in overdrive.

This was absolutely not what it appeared, and the words of Omah were both cryptic and incredibly clear. Clear that something here was being planned and it was most horrible, but cryptic in that the intent was still not entirely clear.

He didn't want to join "Us." Whoever Us was was bad news as far as he was concerned. His eyes swept over the room as others began to object as well. His voice would only be one more of many in the mix.

Instead, he pulled out his comlink and began rapidly tapping out a message to the pilot and security team that had brought him in.

Something strange is going on. Peace talks may be a trap. Relay concerns to security, he typed and sent. No doubt every diplomat here had warships on standby. This was too serious a meeting with enemies for anything else, and many had even brought a warship of their own as allowed. And if they were all allowed one warship here, then how many ships do The Us have? he wondered to himself.

He started eyeing around as well to see if there was a potential for him to simply slip out of the room. Cutting and running to raise the alarm might be the most valuable thing he could do. Or perhaps he was simply reading into things too much... but he doubted it.

 

[Dusty Daytonus]

"Oh hey, free drinks." Dusty noted absentmindedly as he roused himself from his online poker game he'd been playing on his datapad. Truthfully, all this talk since he'd suggested the ceasefire had begun to bore him and he'd zoned out. The Jedi ranted on and on about how miserable life was and how they were the good guys and how the FWA and them weren't allied. Honestly, were they allied? Dusty's planet of Ploo II was technically a part of the FWA but they really took the "independent governance" thing seriously, as Dusty was disdainful of political alliances where he wasn't calling the shots. So honestly, he wasn't entirely sure if he had a legal alliance with the Jedi or not. He had flown for them on Felucia a few years ago (they hadn't paid well from what he recalled) but surely that didn't mean he was locked in with the religious nuts? God, he was beginning to forget which factions he'd made deals with and which he hadn't.

"Um...probably don't want to do that boss." Kyle, Dusty's yacht pilot, told him as the mayor was about to take a sip of the drink. Kyle had flown him to the meeting (and had been convinced by Dusty to make the detour to Canto Bight) and, ever a man of the common people, Dusty had invited him to the proceedings to have someone to hang out with him. That and to also have someone to let him know if he'd missed something important.

"Hmm?" Dusty asked Kyle - his hangover, distractedness, and the chaos around him were quite confusing him. Still, he had developed quick enough instincts to be able to get enough of an idea of what was happening. Nor'baal was angry, guards had been brought in from the Force knew where, everyone seemed upset and there appeared to be some kind of cult called The Us that were trying to recruit everyone? Well, Dusty had joined enough cults for one liftime so instead of drinking the proffered goblet, he hurled it at the head of the nearest guard, using it as a makeshift projectile.

 

[Nor'baal Desilijic]

Peace talks be damned, if this good-for-nothing gubernatorial gutter-trash intended to threaten his excellent personage, Nor'baal would be damned if he was just going to sit here and take it! "Shall I call for backup master?" the Hutt rolled his eyes at the incompetent minion that served as his Majordomo, who chimed up over his commonly <Obviously.> Nor'baal drawled as his Majordomo swiftly hung up, no doubt to tell the Hutts guards in the hanger of their danger.

Of course, the incompetent underlings he had deigned to allow to accompany him didn't immediately burst into the room, gloriously rending their way through the meagre defence offered by the half-dozen guards employed by Governor Omah! Clearly, they lacked the vim, the vigour even, to carry out such a simple task. Nor'baal would see them whipped once he was out of his current predicament.

He was unable to decide what he should feel in this situation: fear, disgust, or maybe even more anger.

As far as the Hutt was concerned, the peace talks were at an end. Instead, all that mattered was extracting himself from this death trap as fast as his athletic and well-proportioned form would permit. He grabbed the communicator for his malignant majordomo, somewhat convinced that his underling's blithering idiocy meant that his guard detachment had not already hastened to his rescue.

Inform my ship we are readying to leave and get these doors open now. Our wretched host has called guards into the venue and seeks to murder us.​

He sent the message and stowed the device once an acknowledgement was received. Within seconds, a loud 'bang' was heard on one of the entrance doors, followed by a guttural demand, clearly bellowed by a Gamorrean, commanding the door be opened 'at once'. This was followed by another 'bang' and a few others in rapid succession as the Hutt guards attempted to force the door open.

 

[Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl]

Amazing, Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl thought; that we finally all agree on something. Governor Omah had managed the impossible, and the chamber erupted as the representatives were soundly united in their desire not to drink whatever was in the cups.

That such an event had come at the expense of peace talks was enraging, however. Fury boiled inside the Wookiee as he pointedly ignored the proffered drink; the most meaningful summit in decades had been nothing but a setup. Gripping his Wroshyr staff tightly, Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl cursed himself for not taking a more direct role in selecting his ship; rather than take a military ship to the surface and be accused of posturing, he'd opted to arrange for a Ruusani transport to bring him in from his ship in orbit, which wouldn't have access codes to enter the atmosphere anyways.

"Shall I request assistance?" offered T-8R, the Wookiee's miniature protocol droid's tinny voice cutting through his thoughts. Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl knew from experience that this simply meant that the droid was going to screech as loud as its vocabulator could; not exactly what the situation called for. A simple shake of his head answered the droid, which wisely chose silence.

I'm getting too old for this Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl thought to himself, realizing that if he wanted to outlive more rivals, he had to get away from whatever "Us" was and commandeer a ship of his own... or catch a ride with someone else also leaving the planet. The former was preferable, of course; not only did the prospect of adventure make him feel 50 years younger, it grated on his pride to even think about boarding someone else's ship.

Taking advantage of the distraction caused by the Hutt's histrionics, Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl surveyed the room for any potential exits... or allies. If any of the guards or droids tried to make him drink they would find that, despite his age, Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl was still quite capable of disarming them; Wookiee style.

@Nefieslab @everyone

 

[Trini Halrixien]

The crowd of speakers and observers started muttering nervously at the Governor's unsettling pronouncement, picking up as armed security guards entered the room, accompanied by large numbers of protocol droids bearing goblets. The guards were bad enough, but when Trini saw the contents of one of the cups, she felt a wave of deep apprehension; no amount of carbonation or healthy fermentation would make a normal beverage do that.

Trini's attention was briefly attracted by the Hutt representatives sudden outburst. Her attention was brought back, however, when a group of droids all bearing drinks approached her and the other guest speakers through the crowd. The Amaran shifted nervously on the shoulders of her mount.

"Please, Professor, drink. The Governor wishes the representatives and guests to commemorate this historic occasion."

Trini squirmed away as a protocol droid held up a seething goblet in front of her. Unlike the normal amber color of the house droid pool's H7Ds, this one's had changed to red; something was wrong here, very very wrong.

"Er, tempted, but no thank you! I-I never partake this early in the day, you know??"

Trini tried to lean away from the goblet, but abruptly felt a pressure on her legs. Looking down, she cursed; Forteear's silver manipulators had reached up to close around her ankles. Her mount spoke, his voice more monotone than usual.

"I am afraid we must insist..."

Trini bared her teeth, eyes wide and fixed on the goblet as it was pushed toward her. She struggled, but Forteear's grip was firm.

Suddenly, she noticed something pressing into her midriff, and her plan - such as it was - snapped into focus.

"Oh to kark with this!"

Trini reached down behind her mount's head. Under her palm, she felt the raised knob of a restraining bolt affixed to Forteear's casing; she seized it, and twisted with a grunt. The small device resisted for a moment, but snapped free just as the goblet was approaching the Amaran's lips. Below her, H7D-4TR shuddered.

"What the-... I say! What do you think you're doing with that?!"

Abruptly, the goblet was batted out of the other droid's hands. It clanged against the H7D's casing, spilling its contents over the machine; within moments, liquid penetrated the seams and exposed machinery, and it sagged to the ground, twitching and sparking. Trini, meanwhile, yelped and held on as Forteear looked around rapidly.

"I'm sorry, miss, I believe someone tried to override my service functions by remote! It seems to be over now... by the Maker what is happening?!"

Trini, clutching the droid's head for support, gritted her teeth as she looked around.

"I was hoping you could tell me! Regardless, we should get out of here!"

 

[Alexandria Voran]

Alex’s eyes found the durasteel floor. Her head shaking sadly. Slowly, her hands unfolded to extend to her sides. A shoulder shrug sent her robes falling to the floor. Her feet shifting to balance her weight. The Morellian Jedi stood in her tan tunic, lightsaber humming on her belt. The kyber anticipating what came next. The flood gates opened.

The Force roared through Alex. The careful barriers she erected to prevent her past galactic error burst at the seams. Strength from the Light cascaded through her soul. She left no potential untapped. Her body shivered with unused power…potential. Alex had rarely brought forth the full brunt of her connection to the Light. It was a gift not to be abused…but something was wrong…very wrong. Her mind flashed to send warning to the Aurora. The various Representatives shouted and screamed at Governor Omah. They could not feel what warped her mind. Omah was not as he seemed. They only wasted time. There would be no stopping what was coming.

His presence was grating in the Force. A power hammering against her own. A power that could not exist and was unlike anything she had ever felt. His mind was heavy in a way that no mind she touched had ever been. It was wrong. As she basked in the Force, her senses flipped to the drinks. A whiff of Darkness rode on them. A small insidious current beneath…what…something that felt alive…biologic. Alex briefly considered the Sith. But no, they seemed just as surprised, and the Governor’s proffered drinks sought them all out.

Her face grew into a familiar determined mask. She counted the guards. A half dozen and the protocol droids. Nothing beyond her skill. She scanned the room again. The Governor knew who was coming…he knew this was his path…he must have prepared for each of them. Including her. She shook her head again. All she had wanted was peace. A real true chance at peace. For a small moment, Alex had felt hope as the talks progressed. Hope that this might work. Those dreams...that hope now lay shattered on the floor. Weary, she raised her voice, the steel unmistakable. The Force boomed her words in the chamber. “Governor….” She cast her eyes around the room again. Allies, enemies, and everything in between. Could she save them all? She did not know. Was she going to try? There was no other choice. The Governor had taken something from her, and she would take it back. “Let them go.” Her presence flashed in the Force. “Let them go and you may have me.” Alex’s voice grew louder. “What good are they to you? Governors, senators, and crime lords. What influence can they wield next to the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order? Nothing.” She dangled the bait before him.

Her left hand twitched and the air in the room began to move. An unmistakable wind beginning to circle in the chamber. “Let them go and take me… but I will not let you have them.” Her eyes hardened. She was tired. She was tired and she done playing games. The Governor, whatever he was, had stolen the last vestiges of her hope. He would come to find what a mistake that had been.

OOC: Force feelings per Nef.

@Nefieslab @everyone

 

[Amira Din]

The Hutt was the first to cry foul, but that shouldn't have come as a surprise to anyone in the room—not anyone who had experience with Hutts, anyway. A fox smells its own trail first. The Great Nor'baal already had a reputation for being paranoid, never traveling anywhere without his entourage, but today he was alone. He looked like an out of control toddler that had never been told 'no' a day in his life, flopping around on his dais. There was even drool dripping from the corners of his mouth.

Not that the Tiefling could blame him. It was obvious now that each of them had been brought here under false pretenses, to be lectured to by a group of sanctimonious pretenders and to be set upon by the same. Amira accepted the glass the protocol droids handed her, bringing it close to her face and taking a whiff. The swirling, bubbling substance possessed its own presence in the force, biotic in composition but tainted with the Dark Side. Nope. That was a hard pass. She'd learned her lesson on Almas.

The Dome had spiraled into utter chaos. Glass shattered. Accusations were thrown. Chairs raked against the floor as attendees scrambled to their feet to escape or demand an explanation from Governor Omah. Some of them even pleaded to return to the peace proceedings—bless their naïve, shortsighted hearts. Governor Omah, however, appeared to be out of his mind. He stared at the assembly in a frenzy, smiling, and talking in the third person. Amira was almost afraid to reach out through that energy field that bound them all together, but curiosity, particularly when her own life was concerned, always got the better of her. His mind was loud—as if every word spoken and every emotion felt was amplified and stuck on repeat.

Before Amira could dwell on that, the Grandmaster stood up and started talking about how important she was. The Tiefling couldn't help but roll her eyes in response, and if she hadn't been there to represent the Empire and put on a good face, she would have splashed the contents of her glass onto the Jedi's halo swathed face. Did she really believe she was of more value than the rest of the politicians gathered here? Just because she was the Grandmaster, that somehow made her more important? The Jedi Order truly was out of touch with reality. Even a few strands of the Wookiee's musky hair would probably sell for more on the black market.

Turning to the Governor of New Alderaan beside her, Amira muttered under her breath, "The Grandmaster can't even give it away." The loss of Emil Ro must have left her truly desperate. "I don't suppose you have a ship, do you?" @The Good Doctor

 

[Arcturus Alkaios]

The Sith Governor had managed to stop himself from eye-rolling whenever the walking carpet senator, the ex-Sith, and the Jedi Grandmaster spoke. Annoying. They really wanted to have worlds to have 'democratic' voice. Do they understand that they have been conquered due to the superior might of the Empire, improved upon them, and will not give them back to the Free Worlds? Secondly, the Sith Empire isn't a democracy. What is even more odd is that instead of settling for peace against a superior foe, to at least delay their annihilation for a time, they will purposefully move the goal-posts to where peace won't be achieved. The Hutt and the Neimoidian made sense. The Free Worlds and the Jedi Order will be destroyed for their arrogance.

But what is this that's happening? Omah made his move, he spoke really oddly. Not only that, guards appeared ready to impose their wills, and they are being 'suggested' to drink bubbling drinks. Not happening. When it was apparent that talks are over, Arcturus scanned his environment quickly and began coiling the Force to him. The Governor of New Alderaan was no paper-pusher, after all, he had the power of the Dark Side of the Force. Arcturus also gripped the lightsaber in his pocket. He would look towards Champion Din, who has been a good partner in these talks. "I have a shuttle." Arcturus would glance at the Grandmaster, who has appears to have quite a guilt/superiority complex. Arcturus was ready to make his move, he would use his comms to contact the crew on his shuttle. "The convention was a set-up. Get the shuttle ready for take off, get. Gunner and marines protect the ship." he said.

Arcturus would look for an opportunity next, he would not cast the first attack though.

@llamallove

 

[Galek Ordalos]

As expected, Galek had little to verbally contribute - knitting his hands together and opting to listen as representatives of both the Sith Empire and Free Worlds Alliance began to hash out the possibility of coming to a peaceful resolution. The Consortium was committed to the peace process, and to helping the Galaxy to rebuild after decades of war - but the details of how to get there were, ultimately, incumbent upon the actual participates of the conflict to figure out.

Which promptly went nowhere.

The Induparan wasn’t at all surprised to see the discussions very quickly derail - noble intentions forgotten as both sides promptly began to throw accusations and begin pointing fingers yet again. Truthfully, it didn’t quite matter to Galek. Even if peace couldn’t be achieved, the Consortium only benefited from their rivals locked in a prolonged conflict - and that suited him just fine. It wasn’t anything that he hadn’t anticipated as a possibility.

What Galek hadn’t anticipated was for Governor Omah to step back up to the podium - silencing both sides in order to spring whatever it was that he’d clearly been planning from the beginning. The Induparan’s eyes narrowed into harsh, hazel slits - snapping towards the guards that entered the room and then back to the Governor himself - the man still rambling on about ‘Us.’ Galek didn’t know what ‘Us’ was and frankly didn’t want to know.

The Induparan briefly allowed his gaze to flick down to the goblet of sizzling liquid placed down in front of him - and that was all it took for Galek to know he wasn’t going to have anything to do with it. He was a man of royal birth - and he had seen enough assassination attempts on members of his own family to know better than all that. His gaze promptly flicked over to Lon and Ryssa, the same warning etched into his features in the event that either of them were feeling thirsty.

“Choose your next moves carefully, Governor.” His gaze narrowed further. “Or whoever it is you now claim to be.” The fact that the man had switched to speaking in the third person wasn’t lost on Galek.

A few messages were typed away and sent alerting his security detail and aides - both of whom were still waiting on the Governor’s yacht - of the situation. He wasn’t entirely convinced, however, that the unarmed vessel would be sufficient in the event they had to force their way off the planet. Slowly rising up from his seat, Galek began to scan the chamber - first towards the exits, but more importantly to the other representatives that had come for the summit. Was Governor Omah alone in his madness? Or did they too consider themselves part of ‘The Us”?

 

[Victoria]

Victoria stood somewhat stunned by the revelations that unfolded in front of the assembly. Numerous attendees rose one after another, some trying to swing the conversation back to peace while others bellowed threats, less gallantly.

There was an ominous atmosphere enthralling Governor Omah that even the novice senator could see, the air seemed to poison as the being spoke in the third person and the crowd ruffled.

Quietly she moved in the direction of a familiar face @Celeste Stythani and offered her hand. "We have got to get out of here, I don't want to wait and see what happens. I've got a shuttle parked outside, you're welcome to join me."

 

[The Gatekeeper]

Governor Omah seemed to pause for a long moment before turning his attention back to those in the room. It seemed that he had trouble truly, actually, seeing them for a moment before he blinked once and his focus was once again on them. The guards and the droids remained unmoved in the face of the Hutt's demands, the guards standing perfectly still. If someone watched them closely, they would notice that they were still breathing but it seemed... off. With all the tempers fraying in the room, adrenaline and nerves should have been showing in these armed sentients brought in to establish martial order.

But instead they breathed slowly, calmly, and completely in sync with Governor Omah himself.

"This? This is the last hope for the Galaxy. Submission and indoctrination into something greater than your pathetic attempts at unity or cohesion."

One of the aides of Chancellor Xerxes took a deep breath and accepted the goblet that had been offered to the Chancellor. Taking a swig, the man swallowed quickly and paused as he waited for whatever poison it was to take effect. After a few seconds he seemed to find nothing objectionable about it before tapping Xerxes on the shoulder.

"Nothing out of the ordinary Chancellor." he reported before grabbing the Chancellor by the back of the head with one hand and attempting to force him to drink with the other, frantically trying to pour it into the Chancellor's mouth even as the other aides tried, and failed, to fully hold him back, "It makes everything clearer Chancellor - Drink it... DRINK IT!"

Governor Omah watched the scene unfolding with a detached kind of half-smile that didn't go anywhere even as the other Representatives pleaded with him to see reason. A dangerous game? No, this was not a game. This was not the result of some human going mad with perceived power or even being led astray by a cult of some kind. He watched them all as they tried to make sense of their situation, as they called out to their local guards and found they were incapable of making calls out of the system - They couldn't have that now could They?

The banging against the doors was quickly replaced by the sounds of war cries from the Gamorrean guards - which were quickly replaced by squeals and squeaks of pain and horror before silence beyond the doors was once again achieved. Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl, and anyone else, checking for exits would find themselves slightly disappointed as there were a multitude of doors but all were sealed with guards standing beside them. There were windows lining the dome to let natural light stream inside but the dome itself was several stories above ground level - a jump from that kind of height would be inadvisable to even those with the Force, even if they likely could survive it under ideal conditions.

Trini and her droid ally would find themselves being pursued, rather slowly, by a trio of protocol droids ladened down with drinks. The trio would begin to approach the pair, pressuring them to back up against one of the windows of the dome as the droids approached step-by-step.

"Please, Professor, you seem agitated. A refreshing drink to calm your nerves?"

Omah and the guards all turned their heads as one to regard the Force Users, paying attention to Alexandria and Amira. The guards brought their rifles up to aim at both of the Force Users, with most of the guns trained on Alexandria. As she flexed her power with the Force, the collective took notice - parts of it preening and parts of it seething.

"Why?"

The doors opened throughout the Dome and the remains of the Gamorrean guards were dragged into the room by creatures that the Galaxy had not seen in centuries at least. Bipedal insectoid creatures with six limbs stepped into the Dome, at least three dozen of them clutching vibro-pikes. Between their legs as they marched in, hundreds of smaller insects the size of small dogs, with dozens upon dozens of legs, skittered into the room. Across the floors, along the walls, the insects chittering constantly as they seemed to try and engulf the room.

"Why take just you, Grandmaster, when soon all of you will Join with us?"

At this point the voice was not just Omah's - every insectoid creature and every guard spoke as one in a voice that vibrated the glass in the windows.

"You won't mind. Not when you're part of the Colony."

Spoiler: Insectoid

--__--__--__--​

Elsewhere on the planet, locals began to give each other odd looks as many of their friends and family began to behave rather oddly, urging them that they needed to go somewhere quiet, somewhere out of the way. Panic began to set in the first time someone tried to say no - and a collection of strangers in lock-step grabbed the non-compliant civilian and began to drag them, kicking and screaming, away.

A rookie police officer cursed as he pulled out his blaster pistol with one hand and reached with his other hand for his com unit. Finding it missing, he turned to his partner.

"Hey sarge, we gotta call this in!"

The more experienced officer smiled.

"Don't worry about it Rook - it'll all make sense soon."

The rookie blinked once before screaming in pain as his partner blasted him in the leg, sending him sprawling to the ground before the officer knelt down on the Rookie's chest - and reached down. Forcing the rookie's mouth open, the officer smiled as he began to pour a bubbling, fizzy, liquid directly into his mouth.

"... it'll all make sense soon..."

--__--__--__--​

Upon the landing pad that the Representatives had arrived, the security forces were in a pitched battle with the details that the Representatives had brought with them. Rangers, ISC and otherwise, fought alongside hired Hutt mercs and assorted military personnel, holding out in a barricade they had erected at the entrance to the port.

The lead ISC soldier cursed loudly as his com unit malfunctioned again - it had been doing so for awhile after the initial attack. One of the Sith soldiers shook her head.

"Signal's not getting through - they must be blocking us."

A Gamorrean shriek from the barricade was the warning that the motley crew received before the large green pigman threw itself in front of the New Republic pilot who was frantically working on something that might help. A grenade exploded against the barricade and said Gamorrean grunted as it took the shrapnel that might have otherwise shredded the lightly armoured pilot from the Core.

"Thanks buddy!" the Corescanti native called out before throwing the improvised explosive he had been working on over to a Wookiee, "Throw it fuzzball!"

Said fuzzball took a break from firing his bowcaster to catch the explosive, shout an untranslated expletive at the pilot, before throwing it over and past the barricade. The device exploded amidst a collection of humans, droids and bugs the likes of which seemed both oddly familiar and hard to place. With the explosion, the jammer being used was destroyed and the ISC soldier managed to get a signal back to the ISC Representatives in the Dome.

"Spaceport is under attack but we have it secure for now - repeat, we have it secure! Jedi and Sith elements are en route to the Dome to commence rescue but status unknown!"

--__--__--__--​

A blue lightsaber and a red lightsaber clashed amidst the claustrophobic confines of the tram that connected the Dome to the space port.

Perhaps for the first time in recent memory, they did not clash with each other.

Instead the blue blade covered the black-clad body of the Sith warrior as said warrior sliced down to send a bolt meant for the Jedi guardian back to its sender. Working in tandem, the Sith and Jedi stormed down the length of the tram, lightsabers furious blurs as they cut down their foes. Insectoid creatures with too many limbs, humans with minds too Loud to be truly human, all fell to the blades as the Force Sensitives carved their way toward their goal.

Finally putting down the last of the insects, both blades extinguished as they reached the control booth for the tram. Immediately the problem became apparent.

"Oh lovely... they destroyed the controls." the Jedi muttered as she tried to see if there was a way she could cut the power to slow the tram as it sped toward the Dome's station, "Even if we make it there and avoid the welcoming party, this tram won't make it back."

The Sith grunted in annoyed even as he looked out the window up at the sky.

"Don't worry Jedi - the situation is much worse than that."

Above them the skies of Ruusan were no longer calm - because they were no longer empty. The Defence Fleet that had previously been protecting the planet had turned and were in low orbit now. As the two warriors watched, green and red flashes of light began to appear in the sky. Turbolaser fire began to rain down on the city, blasting apart buildings and craters roads, people beginning to die in their hundreds as things began to escalate out of control.

Ahead, a turbolaser burst into a bright explosion as the tramway ahead of them was mostly destroyed. People might be able to walk it but a tram was going to be derailed by such damage.

This tram specifically.

Eyeing the tramline ahead, Jedi and Sith turned to each other before both turned to look at the Dome and the foundation that they could see underneath it. Even from a distance the foundation seemed to be rather thing - a design feature to draw more attention to how impressive the Dome itself was.

"... can you help me lift the tram?"

The Sith looked at the Jedi as if she was mad.

"We're going to crash anyway - we might as well try and get them out of that dome."

The Sith eyed the tram and the approaching destroyed section of it.

"Don't know what you're talking about Jedi. I'll survive this."

Jedi and Sith laughed in the face of the gallows humour even as they Pulled with all of their might in the Force - even as the tram flew off the tracks and rammed into the foundation of the dome at high speed.

--__--__--__--​

Back in the Dome, Governor Omah turned to the windows of the Dome as the Defence Fleet of the planet began to open fire on the areas devoid of those who had joined. Aboard those vessels, parts of the Colony, Joiners who had seen the light, had taken command and those who refused the gifts of the Colony, of the Kind, were put down like rabid animals. The glassing of the planet would begin with weapons fired by natives of that same planet, now owing their allegiance to the Colony.

Omah smiled and turned back to the Representatives.

"The future is bright now that we are here - rejoice and accept your place as part of us!"

The entire room shuddered and shook violently, lights flickering as the glass in the windows suddenly shattered and sprayed inward. For the first time, Governor Omah seemed as surprised as everyone else, the insects and the guards mirroring him as the fire suppression system activated. The insects screamed in frustration and confusion as fire-suppressant foam began to gush out of sprinklers and other systems through the room.

And every, single, door in the building opened wide and jammed open - to prevent people from becoming trapped in event of an emergency. What had appeared to be blank stretches of wall opened up to be revealed as unobtrusive fire doors with accompanying stairwells down to the lower levels. One opened to the left, closer to the main group of Representatives and another opened so close to Trini and her droid ally that she might actually fall down the stairs if she wasn't careful.

"The foam has blinded the Kind - Joiners, we must stop them from escaping!"

Indeed, the insects appeared to be effectively blinded by the foam while the guards and Omah were not. As one, the guards began to grab at Representatives of some of the local planets, one even grabbing Rishan and beginning to drag the Chalactan out of his seat in the confusion.

Spoiler: OOC Note

The windows are broken open, there are two emergency exits that lead directly down to the ground floor and the main doors you entered through are now open, past the Killiks, toward the remains of the tram station. How you choose to make good on your escape will vary in difficulty based on the decisions you make right now.

@Phoenix @Altaris @Sicadorito
@The Good Doctor @Xorism @LadyRen
@SlagathorTheUnknown @lizziie @llamallove
@Braden @Valen Pelora @Nor'baal
@Fantasy Liver @AutoFox

 

[Dusty Daytonus]

Beautiful.

That was the word that you could describe Dusty's throw of the goblet as it arced through the air and collided perfectly with the closest guard to him. Down went the guard, surely nursing a headache, if not a concussion. What humanoid wouldn't be after such a wonderful throw? True, it could be argued that certain deities that were controlling today's galactic events might have missed the goblet throw, given how much was going on right now but that didn't take away from the fact that it was sincerely, among the best thrown goblets that the galaxy had seen that day. The hard hit, plus the fizzing liquid that spilled from the goblet did its job at sending the guard to his feet but his problem was only exacerbated by the foam that was suddenly starting to spray every which way.

"Come on Kyle!" Dusty shouted as he and his beleaguered yacht captain dashed towards the prone guard. True, they were smaller than the guard but they were also two in number and were standing up. With the other guards, preoccupied as they were with rounding up the other galactic leaders, distracted and the Killiks temporarily blinded, this poor guard wasn't likely to receive much help. Plus, Dusty tended to fight pretty dirty. As many crotch kicks, throat punches and bites as it took, Dusty was going for the guard's pistol. Assuming he snagged it, he'd make his way towards the closest fire exits, shooting at any Killiks or guards that happened to be in his path or line of sight.

 

[Nor'baal Desilijic]

Like a great many sentients had found out to their misfortune, Hutts are not as useless as they first appear. Perhaps, Nor'baal thought, he could use this misconception of his species to his advantage? Watching in horror as the Chancellors' own aide swiftly turned on Xerxes, and attempted to force him to drink, Nor'baal was secretly delighted that he had come alone into the room - sure, guards would have been reassuring, but not if they turned on him!

Unable to make calls out of the system, as his earlier attempts had shown, Nor'baals keen mind was far from out of possible options. He had already hailed his guards and, by extension, his attachment of lackeys waiting on the landing pads, who appeared preoccupied from the panicked screams and yelps down the comlink. However, he was distracted from his scheming by the sound of gunfire at the Jedi and the arrival of a set of insects that seemed hell-bent on eating him.

He signed. Of course, his useless half-witted guards could solo Mandalorians but seemed unable to hold their own against a large flea. Curse these Gamorreans and their pig-headedness! However, what they lacked it appeared, in skill on this occasion, they made up for in numbers, with the Glorious Jewel able to carry up to seventy-five of the porcine protectors, who Nor'baal now instructed <Captain, stop yelping deploy the remaining guards. Secure the landing bay, and then push on to my location.> he threw his hands into the air in frustration; why did he have to do everything himself!

Come what may, Nor'baal hoped that, once the Gamorreans got their act together and got their head in the game, they'd be able to put up the fight he had hired them for.

With the onslaught clearly about to commence, Nor'baal swiftly tapped the arm of his sled and activated the built-in shield; after all, the last thing he wanted was to be taken out by stray blaster fire. Next, he reached for his hookah pipe, affixed to the sue of his throne, and flicked the side switch turning it from 'spice mode' to 'oh good god it burns' mode, and rapidly spraying anything even remotely insect-like that came near him.

As the rooms fire suppression system kicked in, and the doors opened, Nor'baal turned his sled to face the door on his groups left, and, with an uncharacteristic flash of concern for his erstwhile compatriots, shouted out in basic "Hop on." to any of his temporary allies in 'yeeting' distance. Next, he grabbed his comlink <Captain, release my baby.>

He snickered audibly and, quickly gestured for the others, if they were coming, to hop on. If they could get on in time, lucky them, for a few moments after he had made his offer, Nor'baal gently tapped the controls, and rapidly accelerated toward the exit, barging a sled, carrying a 1.5 tonnes Hutt, at 60 km/h into anyone that got in his way.
OOC - It's Nor'bin time.

 

[Chahsonh]

Darkness.

Chahsonh seemed to spend most of his life in the dark. He heard the screams of the pig creatures the master used as guards when Chahsonh was in the pits, and he drooled. Chahsonh was hungry. He heard the thumping of feet, the feeder, that small looking alien the master kept to keep him healthy, was running up to him.

Light!

Chahsonh felt the leather straps that covered his head move. He could see as the blindfold was removed, smell as the nose plug was torn out. He crawled forward from the base of the cage he was held in, and looked down at the feeder, his masters minion.

<Chahsonh!> a whip lashed across his snout, signifying he should listen to the barked command <Danger Master!> the first command was bellowed in Huttese, Chahsonh tiny bestial brain understanding that the Master was in danger <KILL BEASTS!> Chahsonh understood, his favourite word! Kill.

He felt the chains drop and saw the little man leap out from his path as he let out an undulating, booming roar as he loped from the Masters yacht, just before it took off, and threw himself through the barricade erected by the motley gathering of assorted galactic guards, casting his claws down in a deep arc through the assailants of the landing pad.

He screamed a devastating roar and sniffed the air, picking up the master's scent, as well as the smell - the smell of blood. Picking up the nearest hostile security guard, he picked the creature up and bit it clean in half, sniffing around to try and detect the master's location.

OOC - Posted with Nefs permission. I am very sorry.

 

[Celeste Stythani]

Wide-eyed, Celeste stared at Govenor Omah but her initial surpise soon turn into rage. Where there had been calmness, there now was a fire that was waiting to be unleashed, but she knew she couldn't act unwisely. Fear was also the wrong emotion and to be fair, she wasn't afraid. She had questions, so many questions, but this governor's actions were clearly audacious and he would be dealt with later, but unfortunately things started to go down quickly. The other representatives chimed in, either accusing the Omah, trying to reason with him like she did or even trying to escape. Celeste was sure about one thing: She wouldn't even touch the fizzling liquid and if the sent droids would start to approach her, she'd stop them within seconds. This inner feeling of dread still grew somehow, but once she watched Aezz try to escape and fail, her composure was indeed slighlty fading. She quickly scanned for a way to reach him as fast as possible, but right before Victoria reached her. Her heart was wildly pounding in her chest, but she still nodded as calmly as possible as panic wouldn't help them either. "I thank you kindly. Let us grab Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl and move" she replied, her voice grateful but lowered, so that only she could hear (@Xorism) before, however, her attention was caught elsewhere.

As a guard suddenly tried to force the drink down the Supreme Chancellor throat, she couldn't watch this any longer. The Supreme Chancellor of the New Republic wasn't too far away and he was the first one in need of help, and thanks to Amira's kind and admittedly still rather unnecessary revelation, even Omah and his followers should have known that she had been with the Sith. Surprisingly, they only aimed their guns for Amira and the Jedi Grandmaster yet, so she still tried to be rather subtle to avoid miving into their focus. Still without thinking twice, she coiled the Force around her to reach out and attempt to violently Force Pull the guard that was assaulting the Supreme Chancellor off him (@Braden), before she grabbed Victoria and started running into the direction of the senator of Kashyyyk. She didn't do it because they were on good terms, because she literally wanted to ensure that each and every one of them would make it out of here alive and unscathed. Little that she know that the Amaran professor was also in desperate need of help on the other side of the room.

Celeste quickly dragged Victoria with her until she had reached Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl, her eyes attentively scanning the room for exits until they locked onto their target: The nearest emergency exit. The air was already filled with screams and as those insectoids came marching in she only had eyes for her target, which was the fellow senator (@SlagathorTheUnknown) for now. "Let's head for her shuttle!" she yelled over the noises, her gaze directed at Aezz but even if it wasn't her ship, she would allow others to follow them. The Hutt was already on its escape with his sled and surprisingly, even he offered a ride, but unfortunately he wouldn't be able to save more than a handful of representatives. Still, she was positively surprised by this kind gesture, even though this wasn't the right time to appreciate it. She nodded towards the exit, thereby gesturing for the FWA senators to start running, before she turned around again. Her gaze quickly scanned the crowd to make out others that would probably have to flee through the same exit as well, and she found Govenor Ordalos (@Altaris) closest, so she immediately adressed him through the chaos. "Govenor come! We don't have much time!" she yelled over to him, hoping that her message would reach him. She didn't care whom she could safe, but before she would make her own run for it, she'd see whether she could still get someone else out of this chaotic hell hole filled with maniacs.

@Nefieslab @alltheotherpeople