Ask Coruscant Back to the Core

[Celeste Stythani]

Coruscant.

It felt like ages for Celeste since she had last flown through Core territory. After everything that had happened on Rattatak, she had slighlty lost track of time. Things had started to run out of hand way to quickly. When she left Kalist IV a few months ago, she had left the company in her uncle's able hands while she was trying to stay touch in with him whenever she could. However now, when her Yacht was just approaching the assigned landing site, the woman inside the ship was not just the company heiress from Kalist anymore. She was the freshly elected senator and delegated ambassador of Rattatak, the remote planet in the Western Outer Rim territory that just recently underwent huge changes due to their eversion of the political systems. Well, to be fair, Rattatak's established system of tribes, slavery and tyrranic warlords could not have been entitled as a political system before, but over the last months, Celeste had tried everything to establish modern structures and a system of law and order. Of course progress was not achieved overnight, but the first pillars were already built and Celeste felt confident to go on.

She maneuvered her ship to the assigned landing platform while still trying to grasp that during her absence, a new Supreme Chancellor had been elected. Alexander Xerxes, former senator of Hynestia and in regard to his stellar career clearly an interesting man, was the new head of the Galactic Senate. She had followed his Holonet broadcasts, even watched the meeting with Empress Andruil and she was more than curious to meet the admittedly attractive, powerful man in person. Celeste had asked for this meeting due to matters, which she would rather discuss face to face and she was quite delighted when she had received the invitation to Coruscant. Ratattak was still belonging to the FWA and that was a matter which needed to be discussed rather soon. The FWA had never payed much attention to Rattatak and the Supreme Chancellor's proposals concerning the New Republic seemed therefore rather promising. After all, the recent discoveries on Rattatak had surely raised an interest on the desolate planet and even if it was rather far away from the Core, Celeste was eager to discuss terms as she herself was starting to become more and more interested in the NR and the man, who led it.

She descended the ramp gracefully, wearing her new black, made-to-measure Rattataki leather dress which she had ordered the tailors to make. Her attire just walked the line between an elegant piece of light armour and dignified robes of a senator, just fitting for the representation of a planet like Rattatak. A charming smile was playing on her lips while she had just entered the building, positively excited for the interesting meeting ahead.

@Braden @Alexander Xerxes

 

[Alexander Xerxes]

“Congratulations brother, hopefully a girl this time. We both know mother is desperate for a little princess to spoil.” Alexander said to the holo of his brother on Hynestia. “Anyway, I must go. I have a meeting shortly, give the family my love.” With a swipe the holo closed and Alexander was left alone in his office, he let out a long sigh, there really was no rest for the wicked. He thought to himself as he opened up his planner, the new Senator for Rattatak was his next meeting, followed by Grand Admiral Brum, a dinner with the Anaxes senator.

Once Celeste arrived into the building she would be greeted by a combination of Senatorial guard and high class aides, the latter would lead the newly elected Senator through the corridors towards the Chancellor’s offices. She would pass a number of newly collected pieces of art that Alexander had brought to Coruscant from his own collection on Hynesita. The aide would knock on the office door before allowing Celeste to enter the room alone.

“Senator Stythani, it is a pleasure to meet you.” Alexander would say as he rounded his desk and headed to meet the women his hand outstretched.

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

Celeste was welcomed by a whole group of people. Half of them introduced themselves shortly, while she could guess the other half's positions by their uniforms, badges or general appearances. She was led further inside, while some seemed to try making some formal smalltalk, just like most customs requested it. She normally hated those sometimes truly unnecessary platitudes and empty questions, like 'i hope the journey was pleasant' or 'the long flight must have been tiredsome', 'is there anything we could to do make your stay more pleasant, please let us know', 'it is a pleasure to meet you, senator' and so on, but as always, she remained extremely polite and addressed them all charmingly. The one thing that was new, however, was that she was being addressed as a senator and that was something she had to get used to at first, in order not so loose her professional fassade.

While on the way, the whole entourage was thinning out and suddenly, they've reached a door which was being opened for her, and seemingly her alone. They had passed some interesting sculptures and paintings, which Celeste would have loved to admire further, but she assumed that the Supreme Chancellor's schedule must be packed and so she wouldn't let him wait. So she would me meeting him alone, that was clearly a good thing. Her plan was to be completely open and honest from the very start, and she appreciated the privacy because of that. She entered the room gracefully, the doors being closed behind her, her gaze immediately landing on the newly elected Supreme Chancellor as he was already approaching her with an outstretched hand. "It is truly an honor to meet you, Supreme Chancellor. Thank you for your kind invitation" she replied politely, the charming smile still gracing her lips while her hand was outstretched to meet his. However, her smile was honest and warmer now, since she was truly delighted to meet him here. Even though she had already seen him on several occasions via the Holonet, there was something on him, that could not be conveyed via camera. The man had something on him, a powerful, dignified, somehow persuasive presence that was truly unmatched.

@Braden

 

[Alexander Xerxes]

Celeste took his hand and replied with her own greeting. If he was honest he personally had not set up the meeting, like much of his time it was arranged by his staff and council, thousands of request came into the Supreme Chancellor's office every day and as much as Alexander was a busy body he couldn't fulfill every one. So the staff and council picked what was the most important or gave off the correct signals for his Chancellorship and politely declined the others. Celeste’s case as a Senator of an Alliance world easily pushed her through piles of daily request to near the top of the que.

“It is no worry, our friends within the Alliance are always welcome at our door.” He replied before offering her a seat near the middle of the room, a small silver tray was set on a table before them with a warm pot of tea and two cups. He personally wasn’t a fan but had found that many of his compatriots either drank tea or alcohol and well it was a little too early for the latter.

“I must commend you for your conduct on Rattatak. It was not an easy political situation to resolve and you did it in great time.”

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

Celeste immediately started wondering if that thing he said about the Free World Alliance was true. Was he so fond of FWA planets? Celeste clearly wasn't. The FWA had basically neglected Rattatak for years, or to be honest for decades. Otherwise things wouldn't have been so out of hand there. But she wasn't here to be feisty, but to be diplomatic. She was here to negotiate anyway, so she shouldn't challenge him with that, she concluded. With a thankful nod, she followed him to her assigned seat, sat down with gracefully crossed legs and let her gaze wander over the silver tray for a moment, before she directed her smile back to him.

When he complimented her on Rattatak, she couldn't help but to grin in a more amused fashion. "I thank you kindly, Supreme Chancellor. As there was no time for diligent, thorough planing, improvisation and persuasiveness was the key" she explained still grinningly, before slightly tilting her head to the side. "As you can imagine, Rattatak is exactly the reason why I came here. The political structures are currently being modernized, but our resources are restricted, just like our possibilities. The FWA had never cared much about the Western Reaches and after listening to your inspiring, convincing speech, I thought to myself: Why not paying the Supreme Chancellor a direct visit? I understand your vision with the New Republic. I support it even. I believe in it. Even if Rattatak is such a remote planet, I was starting to consider our options and the NR sounds promising" she went on confidently and quite direct, but she knew she shouldn't dwell on banalities as the Supreme Chancellor was surely a busy man.

@Braden

 

[Alexander Xerxes]

It appeared that the hunch of his aides was correct and Celeste wasn't just another Alliance senator looking for favourable trade deals, but one who had seen his speech and was looking to swap their allegiance from the failing alliance to the rising power of the Republic. Crossing one leg over the other he lent back into the chair. “The decentralisation of the Alliance has its benefits but one of its many costs is that many outlying systems become lost and uncared for. I would not be surprised if you have company with your thoughts Senator Stythani.”

He pointed to the drinks on the table and mentioned her to help herself if she wished before continuing. “As I said to all your member worlds, the New Republic is open to any who wish to escape the war with the Sith. Rattatak is no exception, however I am intrigued to hear what you think my vision is? Many internally seem to get it confused so an outsider's view would be appreciated.”

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

Even though she tried to do it inconspicuously, she was watching him carefully. The Supreme Chancellor was still rather young himself, especially for a man in his position and yet he had won the majority of senators over. Having his stellar career in mind, Celeste could easily say that he was not only serious but also confident about his visions. She nodded affirmatively when he mentioned the decentralisation, before adding some word words of consent herself. "That is exactly the point. Being left out is not what I had in mind when I started to control Rattatak and steer it in different directions". Her tone was rather assertive, of not even a little bitter. It was clearly about time that Rattatak's alliances were reconsidered.

When he went on, even asking for her opinion on his visions, the charming smile returned to her lips. "It would be a pleasure to let you in on that. So for me, it does not only sound promising that by joining the New Republic, Rattatak would find itself in a more secured position in terms of war, but I was also thinking that a possible alliance could have mutual benefits. I've been doing a lot of talking with the inhabitants on Rattatak and we had both agreed on one thing: It is possible, not so say even probable, that somewhere hidden deep under the surface, there might be valuable resources hidden on Rattatak. You may wonder why I started to assume such things, as Rattatak is commonly known as resource poor, but a few weeks ago, my associate and I have started to follow a rumor and thereby stumbled upon a cave full of Kyber Crystals. Not that the New Republic would be extremely interested in Kyber Crystals, but this example has proven to us that there are still some valuable treasures hidden on Rattatak". She stopped a moment, giving him not only time to think about what she was saying, but she actually used the moment to follow his gesture and pour herself a cup of tea. She wasn't a huge fan of tea, but after her exhausting journey she could surely use a little beverage. "To finally come back to your vision: I am convinced that the New Republic is something to believe in. I have to admit that you have made some very convincing points. I support the opinion that such a strong, stable, centralized system is needed in these times. We need a strong institution which does not just hold back and watch the different factions commit terrible things. I think that your executive order concering the Jedi was the right thing to do. I believe that we are approaching a time in which averting one's gaze is no longer the right thing to" she stopped again, holding this intense eye contact while she was speaking. Everything she said was true. She wanted to know that Rattatak was safe. Maybe even supported. They had already achieved so much, but she wouldn't stop here. She was striving for more.

@Braden

 

[Alexander Xerxes]

Celeste’s comment about Kyber Crystals was an interesting turn that was for sure. Even though he currently had no desire to control the material, keeping it out of the reach of both the Jedi and the Sith was more of a benefit than anything. So without really knowing it Celeste had more than convinced the Supreme Chancellor to allow Rattatak to join the New Republic. “Normally Kyber Crystals come hand in hand with other valuable resources. So let us hope that you can continue to find more valuable treasures in the years to come.”

Interlacing his fingers he continued. “The Alliance was an impressive and admirable idea, however it was unfortunately placed between three powerful central governments, it was always going to become the weakest of the four. People like to be led, told what to do, civilisation thrives on order and hierarchy, case in point is the Consortium, worlds have flocked to them because of their strength. I hope to quickly equal this and subsequently exceed both its strength and that of the Sith Empire, so all know that the true place for peace and prosperity is our Republic.”

“And before you or any reporter bugging my room miss quote me, I do not specifically mean strength of arms and fleets. I also mean strength of finance, character, cooperation, pride and many more. This is the strength that truly holds up a successful government, not just warships and blasters Senator Stythani.”

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

Celeste elegantly leaned back while taking a sip of the steaming hot tea when the Supreme Chancellor began to reply. A small smile of satisfaction was starting to grace her lips as it surely seemed as though he was intrigued. Of course Kyber Crystals were more than interesting to anyone in a powerful position, but she was also aware of the fact that it was even more interesting to him as he would be interested in keeping them well contained in a safe space. "I do hope so too" she quickly answered, before the topic of the conversation changed.

She listened to him attentively, once again realizing that his vision were surely more than just determined. He was really eager to strengthen the New Republic and she had to admit that she really thought he was on the right track. It was however interesting for her to let him directly explain his visions again, this time face to face, as this was just a completely different setting than hearing a politician adress the masses through media. This was more intimate. More honest. "I totally agree with you, Supreme Chancellor. People don't just like to be led, I have learned that they need to be led. As you have just mentioned it: They need order and order is not achieved by war and asserting dominance. There's so much more to it. In order to establish a system that is not only strong but also fully reliable and stable, certain pillars need to be build up. I am sure that the Republic will prosper under your rule and I'm not saying this to flatter you with empty, meaningless words. I'm saying this because you have convinced me". She was still completely honest. Ratattak would be better off with the New Republic. It would be better of with him.

@Braden

 

[Alexander Xerxes]

Celeste was doing a good job of trying to inflate Alexander’s ego without being too obvious or blatant with it. Charm and flattery got you a long way in politics, sometimes even further than threats and violence. “I am glad that I have convinced you. However there are some minimum requirements that a planet sign up to become a member of the New Republic. This includes a planetary tax to help support interplanetary services and the Defence Force. A legal system that falls in with Republic Law and is answerable to the Republic Supreme Court. As well as minimum, wage, living and working standards that must be met. A full list of these requirements will be sent to your office.”

“If these are agreeable, representatives from the New Republic will attend the Rattatak to confirm that everything is met. We can then proceed down the correct pathways for Rattatak to join the Republic. We will of course need to let the Alliance know also.”

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

When the Supreme Chancellor went on, she casually placed her hands on top of the table, interlacing her fingers while the back was still straight and the legs crossed elegantly. While she listened to him attentively, she sometimes nodded, thereby signaling her understanding while the charming smile was still on her lips.

She was well aware of the fact that joining the New Republic would not just be an act of signing some sort of contract, but it would definitely mean that Rattatak would have to adjust to certain rules and Celeste knew too well that the established order and the new found peace on Rattatak was still frail and extremely fresh. Also, the unfortunate status quo was that some territories were still contested and that was exactly where the negotiations had to begin. "Thank you for precise explanation, Supreme Chancellor. I will tend to those requirements as soon as I can, but I can assure you that those requirements correspond fully to my own visions. We are still working very hard to establish peace, order and justice, but we have still some work ahead of us. I will inform you as soon as the status on Rattatak is completely stable. I would, however, already have a favor to ask: It would surely be beneficial for both of us if we could already start to look for more valuable resources hidden deep under the surface. Would it be already possible for you to spare some droid which could help us investigate? We might stumble upon more yet unfound, valuable resources if we could dig deep enough or have some droids scan the ground" she answered quite directly, tilting her head slightly to the side, hoping that her request would seem as irresistible as most of her pleas usually did. She didn't plan on manipulating him. This would not only be foolish, but also unfair. She hoped that her charming smile and her well chosen words were convincing enough.

@Braden

 

[Alexander Xerxes]

Celeste appeared to be a pragmatic and active leader it seemed, she knew that there would be some demands and was happy to agree to them. He did not doubt that reaching the levels required to become a member of the New Republic would better the livelihoods of Rattatak’s people. However in the same breath came her own request, she wanted help in accessing the Kyber Crystals and all other materials on the planet.

“I can do you one better Miss Stythani, the New Republic Mining Corp, specialises in the organisation of finding, identifying and extracting minerals and resources from Republic worlds. Although they traditionally only operate in Republic Space, I am sure we can make an exception to a planet looking to join us. Thoughts?”

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

When he went on, she was watching him carefully, trying to analyze his mimic before he would actually give her the answer she was expecting. Fortunately he did agree, and not only that, he also graciously granted her even more than that. With a warm, delightful smile, she addressed the Supreme Chancellor again.

"I thank you very much for that kind offer, Supreme Chancellor. That will surely be more than helpful. I appreciate your trust and I can promise you that I will do everything I can to have Rattatak transformed as fast as possible. . She was still being completely honest. Joining the New Republic fast was a high priority as it would help with the progress on Rattatak. But before that, she surely had a bunch of work ahead of her.

@Braden

 

[Alexander Xerxes]

“Good.” He replied with a smile. “Once our meeting is finished here today, I will put you in contact with the relevant committees who will detail everything for you. I will also contact the head of the New Republic Mining Corp, who will contact you directly back on Rattatak. I look forward to seeing you in the Senate Chamber Miss Stythani.”

Leaning back he glanced over to the clock to check the time before turning back to the young woman. “Is there anything else I can help you with?”

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

It really seemed as though the matter was wrapping up quickly. Celeste didn't need to put lots of efforts in being extremely convincing. Surprisingly, the Supreme Chancellor agreed to all terms and he had even offered more. She was more than satisfied with this meeting but after all, they were both profiting from those negotiations anyway.

She took another sip of her tea before nodding with a charming smile on her lips. "That sounds perfect. Again, I thank you very much for your kind effort and I cannot wait to attend the first session within the senate" she replied politely, before setting down the empty cup. His gaze towards the clock did not go unnoticed by the blonde and she answered his gesture with another smile. "That should be all for now. I will not steal any more of your precious time". She moved back her chair to rise elegantly to her feet, her eyes still lingering on his. "If you wouldn't be in such a busy position as Supreme Chancellor, I would have asked whether you would fancy a drink or maybe even lunch, but I assume that your tight schedule wouldn't allow that" she concluded with a little wink, pretty sure that she already knew his answer. Her intention wasn't to come across flirty, but rather polite. Even a Supreme Chancellor could use a few hours off duty.

@Braden

 

[Alexander Xerxes]

It was a pleasant conversation which had come to a great conclusion for Celsete, Rattatak, Alexander and the Republic as a whole. He gave the women a smile and stood and extended his hand for the women. “Unfortunately not today Miss Stythani. However I am sure we can arrange something in the future once our calendars are more aligned.”

With that the meeting was at an end. The Republic had secured a new world and Alexander a dinner date in the future.

____
End Thread.

@LadyRen