Open Invasion Malastare Force of Nature II

Darth Malicia

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The second part of the takeover of Malastare—another seed Demolly needed planted—required more help. She assumed it was better to set things into motion simultaneously rather than back to back and alone, less issues that way. That was why she'd reached out to her new... "acquaintance", Ender, who'd she'd met on Eldrood. He was highly skilled and she trusted that if anyone could get it done, he could.

Asminys had suggested a man named Emryc help Ender. He'd even vouched for the man's skill. Although... when Asminys did, Demolly swore she saw him blush but didn't bother to inquire about it.

She'd sent a message out to both. Their mission was to find a way to get to Malastare's Doge and manipulate him into supporting the Sith takeover of the planet. If they needed any help, they could call on the Children of Alkis, Demolly's cult. They had war droids at their disposal too, if need be. Though, she assumed, if they used her cult members they'd be more for fodder during this mission.

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Emryc Thorne

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Emryc read up on Dug enough to know that the key to working with them was to elevate them into positions of power. The Sith would have to approach this like a game of chess, with the final goal being a few steps away from where they began. A move in the first direction, while not ideal, would ultimately pay off in the long run. They needed to step back and allow the illusion of power and autonomy while actually holding the cards.

He had a silver tongue to match his eyes, and he wasn’t entirely too worried about negotiations. His appearance of being someone younger worked against him more often than his talents. Emryc arrived on the planet with easy fitting clothing and two sabers. He had bracers on his forearms and shins, and nothing else in terms of armor.

Emryc had opted to have their heavy artillery on standby. He hopped on a speederbike and took it over to the ‘manor’ that belonged to the Doge. It looked like a giant pile of turds to him, but he wasn’t here to judge aesthetics. He swung a leg over and off his speeder, walking over to meet up with the other Sith.

A cigarra hung from the corner of his lips, and he took in sight of the manor for a moment. He looked away only when his accomplice arrived. The man cut an impressive figure, and he was certainly easier on the eyes than most Sith he came across. And he also happened to be a Sith Lord, something he never came across normally. Emryc simply jutted his chin up in greeting before making his way towards the front gate.

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Darth Invictus

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Ender had been appointed to Sith Lord, or as he was recently called, Darth Invictus. With his newly acquired position came new responsibilities and powers and he was on a wretched planet to fulfill one of them. Malastare, a potential launching pad for future operations, was a target for the Order and one that had two Lords who had been assigned to see it through. While Darth Mailica handled other aspects of the operation, he was supposed to convince the Doge into supporting their take over with the help of an up and coming Marauder he had heard much about. It would be the first time the two would meet and he suspected it wouldn't be the last.

Invictus had arrived on the planet in time and gotten on his own speeder bike as he cut through the terrain and to the manor. He arrived only a couple of minutes after Emryc did as he pulled his vehicle next to his. He was donned in practically the same clothing as the other Sith, tightly fitted robes with bracers on his forearms and shins as well. The only difference was that he had a double-bladed lightsaber strapped vertically on his right shoulder instead of his hip. Invictus got off of his bike as he made his way to Emryc, the man only giving a jutt of the chin to acknowledge him. There were people who would have punished him harshly for such a greeting but luckily, he wasn't one of them.

The one thing that caught Invictus' attention was Emryc's eyes. They were silver, just like his, and matched in intensity. There weren't many people that shared the same color. But they had a mission to do and when Emryc turned, Invictus followed as he approached the front gate with him.

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Hannibal Grayza

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All things considered, most politicians weren't Hannibal's favourite people on principle if nothing else, and the general hot garbage fire that was Malastare certainly wasn't doing the illustrious Doge any favours in the young Jedi's eyes. This particular Dug was certainly a politician, the kind that liked money, industry, control, and connections. Which in a sense worked in Hannibal's favour today, since a significant part of the political game involved who one happens to knows. Hannibal had references high and low through his family and had used them along with his own decent reputation to meet with the Doge while Kori and Izel attended some kind of negotiation meeting to discuss Guardian stuff.

The Jedi Master had opted for his brightly coloured robes for the day, his utility belt featuring both his original and crossguard shoto lightsabers on magnetic clips. No blaster today since he was trying to play up the "Jedi" vibe a little bit, though the clothing and the way he spoke did separate him from the image of the brown-robed hermits some thought of when the Jedi Order was brought up.

It wasn't an official sort of meeting so much as a courtesy visit. While Kori was trying to pile governments into an alliance, Hannibal was mostly there to smooth over the Jedi presence on Malastare and offer security consultation regarding the strange happenings on the planet and the existence of the Sith. They weren't known for their gentle handling of things so far, what with the various massacres and assaults, including the recent invasion of Ryloth. The Doge didn't precisely understand what Sith actually were, and explaining it beyond the basic idea was kind of a waste as he'd be missing a ton of context, but he did understand the concept of mass murderers and terrorists just fine.

Hannibal quickly determined the Doge was also something of a coward. Under serious pressure and without backup he'd fold faster than a lawn chair in a standard issue Kaminoan hurricane to save his skin and maintain the status quo. But he had a pretty good sense of humour, so at least that was something, right?

In the middle of a joke involving a swoop-racing Hutt, womp-rats of unusual size, and a particularly comfortable pair of extra-fluffy socks, a house servant of some variety made their way into the lounge room to inform the Doge that two darkly-clad guests had parked speeders near the manor and were approaching the gate. The gate guards figured they were "suspicious looking" and worth mentioning, and possibly armed. They guards couldn't much tell a flashlight from a lightsaber unless it was on most days, but they looked rather weapon-y in this case.

Hannibal cut his joke short and turned to look at Max, eyebrow raised and a grin slowly forming over his face.


"Haha, there's no way, right? What're the odds of that timing, eh?"


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Maxims Tionson

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Max wasn't really along on Malastare for Kori's mission so much as he was hanging out with Hannibal and securing some deals with locals of the planet at the same time. That two Jedi Masters in one place meant some of the locals felt like they were being honored was their problem and not an impression Max had intentionally started. But he needed fuel supply lines for his own plans so it was fine with him if they thought the Order thought highly of them.

The Order kind of thought highly of life in general but oh well.

Dressed in his usual armored robes, Max sighed a little bit as he finished yet another brief meeting in the same room as the throne. Hannibal was busy telling a story he'd heard before so he didn't pay much attention to the other man. That the doge was present was a good bargaining chip because, again, it gave the impression that the people he was talking to were important. They were important to him because they held off-planet and on-planet fuel refineries but he doubted the Order would be happy with him if he admitted that he had only really been nice to them because of what they could provide for them.

Kori wouldn't complain either, even if most of the fuel secured would be heading in his direction. Well, it would be if the buzz around the place hadn't suddenly turned to icy fear. With a small sigh, Max nodded.

"Of course there's a way, Hans."
he smirked ever so slightly, "The Force finds a way when it wants to - and it really likes pitting it's kids against each other."

Handing his over-robes to a fleeing retainer, he rolled his neck slightly and reached out with the Force. Already he could feel it coiling around the area as though expecting... something. Splitting his saber, he held one in each hand and glanced over at the doge.

"Got a panic room?"


Of course he had a panic room but he doubted it would make much difference if they really were Sith heading their way.


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The Storyteller

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Great Doge Sidduso Ssobres, leader of the Dug Council, loathed off-world interlopers. So much so that when he was told by a steward that an envoy of Jedi had set foot on his planet to negotiate with him, he laughed the poor messenger out of the room until his eyes watered. His mirth was fleeting, however, and quickly found itself replaced by an overwhelming desire to be rid of these magical ambassadors. The Dug had no need for more interference by the Jedi because wherever Jedi went, their destructive rivals quickly followed.

Still, Sith on the planet were just as big of an issue, and, though he had little desire to entertain the empty promises of the Jedi, his fellow councilors convinced him to at least hear out what they might offer their people. Malastare was in a unique position to the Jedi, it seemed, and having an ancient order of mystical sorcerers indebted to him might come in handy eventually. The off-worlders were invited into his estate for discussion, thus beginning what might have been the worst period of time in Sidduso Ssobres’ glorious life.

One Jedi, after attempting to explain in elementary terms to the Doge what a ‘Sith’ was, fancied himself a storytelling jokester. It was bad enough he insulted the intelligence of the Great Doge by assuming he had not heard about the band of Jedi-but-in-black that went around breaking things; now he thought that it was a good use of his time to talk about Hutts, fat rats, and fluffy socks. Of course, Sidduso Ssobres entertained the man’s humor for as long as he was willing to stand it; he was, after all, still a particularly conniving politician.

The other Jedi did not seem as interested in being in the welcoming presence of the Doge, which, in Sidduso Ssobres’ opinion, mirrored his own feelings of being in the presence of the Jedi. Oh well, it wasn’t like the Doge was here to win the Jedi’s approval. It was the other way around, and only half of the party here seemed interested in advancing their goals.

The Jedi’s trite attempt at humor was mercifully cut short as an attendant entered the room and warned of suspicious individuals. Sidduso Ssobres furrowed his brows and frowned deeply, rising from his seated position to address the two Jedi.

”Of course I have a bloody panic room,” he spat at Old One-Eye, ”But I’ll be damned if I let you human degenerates tear up my home.” He trotted over towards the entrance of the estate, muttering a quiet stream of curses. ”Start a fight in my beautiful estate and you’ll find Malastare an enemy of your little group of magicians,” he added as he was joined by a contingent of four armed house guards. Like he’d let these off-worlders dictate what was going to happen next. Bah!

He cast the suspicious individuals an inquisitive glance as they pulled up on their speeders outside. They looked like the Jedi he was meeting with, and he found the prospect of speaking with two more pontificating alien sorcerers nauseating. He waved a hand in their direction dismissively, shouting out, ”No more Jedi! I’m already talking to two of your people! Your Order that scared I’ll refuse their offer? More mages won’t scare me into agreeing!”

He probably should have paid more attention to Hannibal’s description of Sith, but every human looked the same to him, so it’s not like it would’ve mattered. His guards remained ready, but didn’t raise their weapons. Instead they just watched, ready for their Doge to give the order to engage and be done with it.

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Drow Venn

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Drow Venn stood silently at attention, in a pose reminiscent of his old soldiering days. Politics and negotiations were hardly in his skillset but, he'd been circling around Knighthood for so long that he felt it wise to at least gain some practical experience in it. He'd come a long way - from amoral mercenary to a slavehunting Padawan to finally a man who was beginning to become at peace with himself. But his journey to becoming a real Jedi was far from complete so here he was. The Jedi had agreed to let him shadow Jedi Master Hannibal Grayza to gain some consular experience.

Drow was doing his best to pay attention and appear placated but at the news that Sith may be at the door caused him to stiffen uncomfortably. He hoped the other Jedi, and particularly the Doge wouldn't notice. He was not afraid of a fight but the Sith tended to ruin things whenever they showed up and it seemed that the political situation of Malastare was fragile as it was. And if the Sith did what the Sith did, who knows how many innocents could be hurt in the crossfire? Plus, Drow had never actually met a Sith before either.

"Master?" Drow asked Hannibal, not wanting to put his hands on his lightsaber and draw his stun blaster just yet. Not without approval from those more experienced at politics.
 

Emryc Thorne

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To the disappointment of all parties, Emryc was dressed in casual civilian clothing. He simply quirked an eyebrow at the overabundance of caution provided for both him and Ender, but they were ultimately allowed through. At the end of the day, this was a meeting with the Doge, and Emryc wasn’t foolish enough to fall into the same traps of others of his kind.

A polite smile and a glint in his eye greeted anyone that came across him, regardless of their opinion of him. He made his way through the entrance, and he could sense the Jedi there already. Their Force signature was a sick stench in the Force. He glanced over to the two Jedi, offering a disarming smile and nod. His refined civilian clothing and rather expensive cologne with an earthy musk would be noticed right away, probably more present than his Force signature.

“Esteemed Doge Ssobres,” He began smoothly, “We are honored to be in your presence,” He gestured to Ender, “You must forgive my partner and I. We were delayed because we decided to ambush several Gran transports we spotted around your borders.”

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Darth Invictus

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Invictus was dressed in robes but nothing that would outwardly scream that he was a threat at all. He had been appointed to Lord and with that position came the politics that always swirled around positions of power. It was an annoying tug of war no matter the side but it was a necessity that had to be completed. He straightened his posture and clasped his hands behind his back as he made himself presentable for the Doge and stepped through the entrance with Emryc.

Emryc spoke first to the Doge but Invictus didn't mind as his eyes were brought to the Jedi that followed Sidduso out from his estate. One of them was extremely familiar to him and Hannibal would feel his burning gaze directed towards him for a few moments. There was a smile on his face as he remembered every detail of their encounter in the prison. It was a long time ago and Invictus couldn't wait for the opportunity once more for their blades to clash but it wouldn't be this time.

When Emryc introduced him and mentioned the transports, Invictus gave a slow nod to the Doge before speaking, "Greetings, Doge Ssobres. A pleasure to finally make your acquaintance. Fortunately for both of us, we are not with the Jedi but are Sith and have come to make a proposition for you." Just as the other Sith, he spoke with practiced grace, "But first, a small token, hopefully, a worthy apology for our tardiness." Invictus slowly raised a hand for the guards beside the Doge to fully witness before he slipped it into his robe and pulled out a datapad for them. "The Gran has been a nuisance to us as well and we were happy to voice it to them. " If the Doge opened it there, he would find the location of the transports and the routes they used. The Order always had an interest in Malastare and the Gran's stranglehold on trade made it difficult for them to smuggle and penetrate the planet.

"The transports and their cargo still inside and under a watchful eye until they are retrieved. After our encounter, the trade routes they utilized have been... quite open for expansion for someone like yourself if you saw fit." They were worth more to the Doge and to the Sith and what helped the esteemed noble would help the Order in the long run, if they worked together to build a prosperous relationship. With the datapad, hopefully, would take note of what he could achieve with them. There may have been small clusters of opposition for him if he did but Invictus suspected the Doge wouldn't want all the fun taken away from him.

Invictus glanced to the two Jedi and then back to the Doge, "Would the comfort of your estate suffice instead of out here to continue our discussion?" After all, it was a fabulous manor and much better than the bleakness that Malastare could offer.


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Maxims Tionson

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The Doge wasn't exactly excited about meeting the Sith anymore than he was about meeting the Jedi and that was... well it said something about the PR team that the Jedi had that they were held in the same esteem as literal terrorists. Though, he supposed, these Sith hadn't terrorized the Doge and his people yet so they might as well have been anyone. Nodding to the Doge, he placed both of his sabers on the back of his belt within reach but out of immediate sight.

"Of course Doge - we shall abstain from causing any such quarrel."


He didn't expect to be the one to start thing anyway but it seemed that the Sith were taking a different approach. They weren't dressed in their usual garb for one - made a good impression on non-Force Sensitives even if they still managed to stink up the place in the Force. They'd put their best foot forward in terms of power and looks it seemed as well. Barely any signs of visible Dark Side taint on either of them, the lucky little beggers.

Delayed due to an ambush on Gran transports? He raised an eyebrow at this and listened carefully.

Max would listen as the elder of the two Sith presented his gift to the Doge and would hum in thought as he smiled back. Interesting tactic actually - he would applaud the Sith before him for thinking in terms of larger scope than just the conversation here. It was a lovely change of pace to be able to have a battle of wits with a Sith rather than clash blades or barbs.

Not that barbs wouldn't be exchanged soon he was certain.

"A positive change for Sith to bring gifts - I must applaud your approach, Lord. Perhaps not your choice in gifts though. Doge Ssobres - if I may be so bold."
he turned his attention back to the Doge as he added, "It seems in poor taste to potentially start a war on the esteemed Doge's behalf without a care for his own wishes on the matter and call it a gift."

Gran had impressively strong familial links - their entire society had evolved around it and their cities were a cramped and inter-linked affair because of it. Their "empire" or "colonies" were equally as tightly linked and they saw attacks on their family as grave insults. If the Sith had killed the crew (which they carefully had not admitted to at this point he noted) then even a few dozen would have hundreds, if not thousands, of other Gran baying for blood.

Preying on the bad blood between the Gran and the Dugs was clever though - both species were prone to strong emotions. But Dugs were also famous for getting offended when people made decisions for them or otherwise implied they were not as great as they thought they were. A thin line they all had to tread now for sure... one Max was actually beginning to look forward to truth be told.


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Hannibal Grayza

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Hannibal waved down the Knight who was with them. No use drawing weapons at the moment, it would solve little. If the Sith weren't going full force here then starting a duel in the middle of the Doge's mansion would be several levels of disadvantageous. Also he wanted the chance to have a come to space-moose talk with his favourite prisoner, an additional detail the young Jedi decided on when the two Sith entered the room. Hannibal grinned as they spoke, mischief glinting in the green of his eyes in reply to Ender's passionate, burning gaze.

"Oh dear. Still solving problems with murder, I see." Hannibal tutted like a father disappointed at the methods of his wayward son. "Not only a poor gift, but an unfaithful one. Clever of you to leverage Mr. Halcyon's status as a terrorist, mass murderer, and escaped prisoner wanted across half the known galaxy in an attempt to ruin the Doge's good name. Not terribly subtle, though."

In truth the Jedi Master had no idea if that was the actual plan, but pointing out who the Sith was, his record, and potential schemes and ramifications was the name of the game here. Turn their gift into an insult or an attack and it was worse than worthless.

"And I see you have an escort today. Boss keeping you on a short leash these days?"
He added, throwing a cheeky wink in Emryc's direction. Max was the diplomatic one here, Hannibal was trying to throw the Sith off their game of acting civilized. There was nothing civilized about them, and it may well come out eventually if he poked the right sore spots.


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The Storyteller

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Doge Sidduso Ssobres stared at the new arrivals. They weren’t Jedi, but that didn’t make it any better. Wherever these glowstick-waving psychopaths went, destruction and mayhem followed, and he’d have none of that on his land. His eyes narrowed as the older of the two Sith emissaries reached into his robe, following his hand with intense curiosity. It’d be foolish, even for a Sith, to try and harm him in his estate, especially with the Jedi here alongside him. Rather than a weapon as expected, the man produced a datapad. He listened intently, shifting his gaze between the two Sith, contemplating what they had said about the Gran.

”Hrmph,” he grunted in response to Invictus’ question. He cast the Jedi a cursory glance and plodded back inside his estate, waving all parties inside. They could have their little quips and verbal prods wherever they wanted, but he was going to go somewhere comfortable. He made his way back into the lounge and gestured for everyone to either sit or stand before folding his arms across his chest and huffing.

”The Dug are no friends of the Gran,” he said, casting his gaze over towards the helpful Sith, ”What you two have brought me is sure to be put to good use, but this does not fix our problem of the trade dominance they have.” He turned his gaze towards the Jedi, gesturing towards them. ”The Sith have made attempts to help the Dug position on Malastare. What have your people done for us so far, besides offer honeyed words, stupid jokes, and empty promises?”

He was a man of action and purpose; words meant nothing if there was nothing to back them up. The Sith, through their actions, have given the Dug people a leg up on the Gran. Their hated foes would believe the convoys to have been raided by outsiders, not the Dug, he hoped. This, plus the datapad of convoy routes, gave them considerable advantage. He remained quiet for a moment before looking between the two groups.

”What can you offer me and my people that the other can’t?”

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Drow Venn

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Drow stiffened, not daring to speak up. He was an old soldier at heart and politics made his blood boil. He would have liked to have pointed out that if they were talking trade, the negotiations of the Jedi were far more appealing to traders than the murders of the Sith. But he didn't want to make a delicate situation any worse than it already was. He'd leave the talking to the far more experienced Masters at hand.

As it was, he stood near the Doge, ready to make a move if the Sith were to attack, although given the tenuous political climate here, he rather doubted if that would happen.
 

Emryc Thorne

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ooc: I think we both mistakenly thought it was the other side's turn.. Let's try to pick this up.

Emryc silently observed as the Jedi spoke for him and Ender, not impulsively reacting or cutting in. His face was impassive, a cool exterior as always with observant eyes. His gaze shifted next to the more attractive Jedi that brought up Ender’s criminal record. Even this jab didn’t draw any reactions from Emryc, though he did respond to the wink with a disarming grin.

He followed behind the Doge as he walked back into the estate. Emryc fell into step beside Ender, eyes occasionally drifting to the black-haired Jedi. The Sith was silent during the walk, his mind in check and his demeanor calm and collected enough to make most Jedi envious.

Emryc sat down across the Dug, having to mindfully sit down gracefully because the gravity was much higher on this planet. He fixed his gaze on the Doge before he spoke.

“Our interests in working with you are decoupled from the beliefs of our two orders and the gains we may wish to have over one another. I will certainly not waste our time by jabbing paltry insults at the Jedi,” Emryc explained, “We have the means to bolster the Dug trading market by building an import/export infrastructure to offworld planets in other systems and routes to which you do not have access today. Boosting the economy here would supplant the Gran trade. This will be an organic and natural progression so it will mean slowly bleeding them out without open war. We can help Dug expand to take over the resource pools here and box Gran out from being able to access it.”

Emryc grinned, “And should the Gran deal the first blow out of rage from what they see, we will aid in that effort to ensure the Dug win that battle.”

He met the Dug’s gaze firmly, “All we ask in return is that you ally with us and allow us to have a presence on this planet. We will also look to you for your battle prowess should the need arise,” He added the last line, knowing exactly just how much Dug loved a good fight.



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Darth Invictus

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Both of the Sith took their seat across from the Doge as he asked them how they could help his people. Invictus was about to open his mouth to speak but Emryc then began talking first. Anger uncontrollably shot through the Darth like a bullet as the Marauder spoke out of place but the more he listened, the more sound and logical his words became and to the point that he covered every single angle that he would have brought up himself. The anger that had been there slowly subsided as he glanced over to Emryc and could sense it. He was destined on a path greater than met the eye.

Invictus let him finish speaking and there really wasn't much to add afterward but there was the addition of Blackwell Tech. "If the Gran does strike, you'll be ready as we can supply you with high-end vehicles and weaponry from Blackwell Tech. The addition of such assets would make the idea of crossing paths with your people even more dangerous and leave them stuck watching you expand your interests." He spread his hands out like he had nothing to hide, "This agreement is to the benefit of both us. No empty promises, no hindrances, no excuses, no lies. Just results and efficiency."

The Darth gave the Doge a respectful nod as a sign he had finished his piece. It would be up to the Jedi now and he wondered what their reaction will be that wasn't a half petty insult at either one of the two. Invictus simply sat in his chair patiently and waited for them to speak.

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Maxims Tionson

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The Doge was neither receptive nor dismissive of the words of either the Sith or the Jedi. Not ideal but not off to the worst start imaginable - thankfully everyone had kept it to words rather than sabers. He doubted the Doge would favour either side but those who started a fight would be worse off so he made sure to keep his hands visible so he couldn't be accused of going for his weapons.

He followed the Doge back inside with the others without further comment. Max sat to the left of the Doge, keeping everyone within sight and accepting the offered seat. The Sith spoke first after the Doge had accepted their offering and Max waited and listened as they did so, picking up some vague emotions from the two but otherwise simply listening.

Max shifted slightly to look only at the Doge when he addressed the Jedi, his lone eye focusing on him to give him the respect of speaking directly and exclusively to him.

"The Sith have made attempts to entwine themselves with the Dug peoples, true. Their way is not without risk or proposed reward. However..." he shook his head slightly, "What we can offer you is this; the Gran of Malastare are a former colony of the True Gran, Gran who hold the Gran of Malastare in contempt. Why have the Sith fight your battles to push the Gran from Malastare when Gran can fight Gran, leaving Dug alone to profit while they squabble like old relatives? Not Jedi and Dug or Sith and Dug to profit; only the Dug. We can start this 'dialogue' between the two sets of Gran so you may profit and the Gran's crimes against your people can be addressed."

The advantage of his suggestion was that it gave the Dug time to build up their fortunes, their resources and their powerbase to the point that the Gran of Malastare wouldn't be able to do anything without the Dug being able to block them. And if violence between the Gran broke out during their disagreements? It was unlikely due to how Gran viewed their own society but even if it did, it would play into the hands of the Dug. Their enemies would fight and kill themselves, weakening them until the Dug were uncontested on the planet.

"Doge Ssobres, the Jedi can offer you a way to be seen as the greater species of Malastare as you always were. As the Gran squabble amongst themselves, the Dug are free to grow and trade and expand. We would be honored to assist in arranging meetings with trade delegates of the Free World Alliance and the Republic." He smiled ever so slightly, "We offer to you rewards of becoming the true ruling species of your planet, outclassing the Gran in fortune and power. The Doge who brought the Dug people to true strength."


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Hannibal Grayza

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Ah. Aha. He knew a mask when he saw one, oh yes. Hannibal was familiar with what they looked like, the subtle difference in how the muscles of the face moved. 'Course he couldn't be entirely sure of anything until he saw it repeated, but the younger Sith seemed very controlled. How interesting.

Hannibal mirrored the grin, just a flash before they turned around to follow the Doge back into his home. He listened and watched, the typical little smirk at the corner of his lips ever present. Blackwell Tech, eh? Now that was going to be worth looking into. The young Jedi quietly wondered if Ender had intended to say that part out loud or not, but he supposed it didn't really matter.

The Jedi Master turned to look at the Doge, smirk gone and replaced with the casual, polite mask of your bog-standard Naboo politician. He bowed his head slightly before speaking, demeanor having shifted off the casualness of earlier. No need for it now.


"My partner speaks truthfully. The Jedi can help you expand, maintain, and empower Dug self-sovereignty. You and your people should run your own planet, this is fact. The Sith would be happy to help you, all they ask in return are your lives, resources, and subservience. The Free Worlds will happily buy and trade for your fuel and other exports. The Sith will take it when they tire of pretending to care about your people, just as Palpatine's Empire did before them."

His head tilted slightly to consider the Doge, then his face slipped smoothly into a smile.

"Honorable Doge Ssobres, we offer to help you achieve long-standing peace, prosperity, and profit for Dug sovereignty with your name on it."


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Drow Venn

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Drow decided he rather didn't like politics. Instead of healing the sick, righting wrongs and doing battle when necessary, it was a lot of pampering and puffing up. Worse still, it was a lot of pampering and puffing up of the Dogs, who Drow found rather detestable if he was going to be honest.

Still that didn't mean his personal feelings had to get in the way of the Jedi's goal on Malastare. However he didn't have to be dishonest about it and say he thought the Dugs should be the rightful rulers of Malastare. He certainly didn't.

"The Sith see you as nothing more than pawns in their little games. Just like how they see everyone else." Drow added, hoping he wasn't speaking out of turn.
 

The Storyteller

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Sidduso Ssobres stared up at the Sith as they offered their argument for why he ought to align with them. What they promised resonated with the Doge, and he found himself slowly nodding along. They would help destroy the Gran, should the hated enemies of the Dug lash out. At the same time, they would assist in boosting the Malastare economy by aggressively boxing out the Gran from the market, thereby winning their fight through attrition. It was a reasonable enough promise, and Sidduso Ssobres was intrigued to hear how the Jedi would retort.

Of course, the Jedi’s response was nearly identical as far as ensuring the strength of Dug trade on their world, with the exception of pitting the Gran against each other. Again, he found himself nodding along to their proposition, and, once both parties had finished their piece, he took a moment of silence to consider both sides. They did well at fluffing his ego and pandering to the aggressive, spiteful spirit of the Dug, but which side would lead to the more immediate gain?

Doge Sidduso Ssobres turned to look between Emryc and Invictus, furrowing his brow and grumbling something quietly before speaking up. ”They say your people are bloodthirsty terrorists,” he said, ”What’s to stop you from coming to my world and destroying that which my people have fought for centuries to keep?” He folded his smaller arms across his chest, looking Emryc up-and-down. ”What, exactly, does a presence on Malastare entail? Occupying force? Armies pushing the Dug around when you don’t get your way? I will not have my people become slaves to either of your Orders.” He was extremely skeptical of what the Sith, who were known for being less than reasonable at times, would do once given access to his planet. They were strong, and their goals aligned with the Dugs’ quite well, but there was always that ever-present volatility.

”If my understanding is right,” he said, turning to look up at Hans, ”Palpatine’s Empire was born from the Republic, to whom the Dug were allied with for some time. What’s the difference between that Republic and your little Free Worlds Alliance, hrmh? We’d just be one of thousands of worlds you get to ignore, while the Sith would pay more attention to my people.” He shifted his gaze over to Max, harrumphing. ”And why would the Gran fight themselves when we Dug yet pose a threat to them?” he challenged, ”We can fight our own enemies like the generations before me.” He thought it was a sound enough plan, but he wanted to probe the Jedi to see if they could offer more than the Sith offered but with a Light Side twist.

So far, he seemed to be leaning towards the Sith’s offer, but he was still doubtful. He had many questions, and one round of offers that sounded exactly the same didn’t exactly make his job any easier. The Jedi were more reasonable people, but the problem of being but one world among untold hundreds in the Alliance was not something he particularly enjoyed the thought of. On the flip side, slavery to those lightning-shooting freaks wasn’t entirely appealing, either.

Sidduso Ssobres turned his head to regard Drow for the first time that day, his face stern. ”And we wouldn’t be pawns to the Jedi?” he challenged, canting his head sidelong as he studied the alien.

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Emryc Thorne

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Emryc’s eyebrows rose noticeably when the older Jedi spoke. ‘True Gran’? There was no real such thing as far as he knew. He remained quiet during the exchanges, even as the Ishi Tib threw in another jab at the Sith. The Doge was intelligent, there was no denying that. After the Doge spoke, there was a moment of silence.

“It is true,” Emryc said after a moment, “The Sith would not set to pit the Gran of Malastare against the Kinyen farmers or other Gran that have no interest in such a quarrel,” He kept his gaze on the Doge, “And it is true that you can very well be aided by the Jedi and have full control of this planet. If that is where your ambitions lie, then the Jedi very well may be your path to success. They are truthful in that.”

There was nothing in his voice that implied he wasn’t genuine with his words. He fully agreed with them, “The FWA speak for themselves, and unless there is a governor from the specific planet sitting here concurring, I would question their involvement in anything at all.”

Emryc leaned back slightly in his seat and looked over at Ender before looking back to the Doge, “It was our mistake in assuming the Dug had interests outside of simply Malastare and had visions of becoming a force over other planets as well. For that, we would need to have Sith here as a staging point to springboard a strategy for expansion and asserting a Dug dominance. Give the Dug a taste of what it truly means to conquer. It would be a partnership as simply destroying things here serves to aid no one,” It would be a fundamental shift from only focusing on the planet, but it could be the Doge’s chance to pave a historical path no one before him had done before. Taking the fight to Kinyen would go down in history if it happened and generations of knowing only oppression would be upended.

“As for becoming our slaves,” Emryc simply shrugged, “That’s a formula that has failed to work several times over, so there’s little reason to shoot ourselves in the foot again. Regardless, it appears as if we overestimated the Dug ambitions towards the greater galaxy and accumulation of power, so apologies for the wasted time. We will take our leave.”

Emryc offered a polite smile to the Doge and the two Jedi, moving to get up.

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