Ask Growing Strong

[Nathan Braxon]

GATALENTA​

The Begamorian shuttle arced through the air, winding its way to the landing pad. Inside, Senator Nathan Braxon ran over the information on his datapad a final time. He knew this world and its Senator inside out by now, at least as far as public information could carry him. But still, you could never be overprepared.

Nathan had chosen a striking coat and attire, for intergalactic fashion offered a wide array of choices and he intended to make an impact here. His opposite number, Senator Maryenne Vennen, was by all accounts a girl out of her depth. She needed help, help he was prepared to provide if she was smart enough to accept his proposals and sign. He hoped not to waste time.

The shuttle landed and Stamper lead the way, the Senator’s longtime head of security checking every angle before he gave the nod. Nathan stepped down out of the shuttle, his aide Lucy following in his wake with her heavy data pad. The girl was quick as a viper and the only one so far he had found who could keep pace with him.

The earthy air filled Nathan’s nose immediately, green hills rolling away in every direction. An idyllic world, but still with something to offer if you knew where to look.

@LouJoVi

 

[Maryenne Vennen]

”Did he arrive already?” Joscelyn asked for the hundredth time, making Maryenne answer him with a loud no. “Awn, man! Why is he taking so long? It’s so boring to stay here at the spaceport without anything to do. You don’t even allow me to bring a bottle of liquor.” her brother, and chief aide, hated needing to wait and he was making her go crazy with his constant complaints.

The two were at the spaceport waiting for the arrival of Senator Nathan Braxon from Begamor. He was coming to talk about a treaty between their planets. It was strange for her to discuss possible alliances with someone from the Outer Rim, so far away from Gatalenta. However, these dangerous times made her desperate for anything.

“Look, my lady! His ship is arriving!” this time it was her protocol droid, Florian, who spoke. The vessel was indeed approaching and in a matter of seconds it had landed in the landpad. Maryenne adjusted her posture, prepared for the Senator to leave the ship. Meanwhile, her brother muttered ‘finally’.

When Braxon left the ship, he would see the stark contrast between his clothes and those of Maryenne. While he was wearing a colorful suit, she was wearing a gray dress. Even her inconsequential brother’s outfit was gray. It seemed that their visitor didn’t hear about Gatalentans' preference for pale colors.

“Oh, he is hot.” Maryenne faked not hearing what Joscelyn said, walking toward their visitors with a smile at her lips. Florian walked at her right, while her brother followed behind her.

“Welcome to Gatalenta, Senator Braxon and entourage. I’m Senator Maryenne Vennen.” she said, before giving a respectful bow. “This is my protocol droid and my brother and aide, Joscelyn.” the young man smiled, while winking at the Begamorian. She felt a vein pulsate on her forehead. “I hope that your trip went well.”

@Alhon

 

[Nathan Braxon]

"Thank you, Senator" Nathan replied, inclining his head and shoulders and reaching to shake Vennen's hand. His trademark smile never left his face, even when he caught the wink from her fawning brother. Women held the whip hand here from what he had read, favoured above the men. It was as foolish as the reverse, but he would not be passing comment.

"Smooth and peaceful" he replied, regarding his journey. The Gatalentans loved peace, another absolute that was not always smart to cling to. It often went hand in hand with these green farmer types. "Our pleasure" he nodded, taking in each of the three in turn and introducing his own people. "My chief of staff, Lucy, and my man Stamper here keeps us all safe". He glanced around at the tranquil landscape, chuckling. "Though perhaps he can take the afternoon off here".

He smiled and motioned for the drab crowd to lead the way. Vennen and her oddity of a brother were dressed in grey of course, as Nathan had expected.

The Gatalentans didn't even find time to be ambitious about their fashion and his striped suit contrasted starkly. Good. Nathan wanted to emphasise the difference between them and the new prospects he could offer these symied people. It was a risky strategy, but one he had calculated would suit the prevailing mood.

"You know, I remember your grandmother telling me about this valley" Nathan said as they walked "and she really did it justice. What a view". He had enjoyed no such conversation with the old crone, but Vennen was not to know that. Their time in the Senate had briefly crossed over after all. "We were so sorry to lose her, Senator Lerytel was one of a kind".

@LouJoVi

 

[Maryenne Vennen]

”I’m happy to hear that.” Maryenne said, while shaking the Senator’s hand. Around them, a small crowd of Gatalentan politicians were watching the scene. The oldest among them were whispering about how Braxon looked like a peacock with his colorful suit. Totally inappropriate.

Braxon’s comment about his bodyguard needing a time off picked Joscelyn’s interest. “Hey! I can help with it!” he said, while appearing between his sister and the Senator. “I know many places where someone can have fun in Gatalenta. It'll be a pleasure to show you everything.” he was excited with the prospect of ditching this meeting for a good time in a cantina. Perhaps with some gambling.

Maryenne looked at Florian, who immediately grabbed Joscelyn and dragged him away. “I’m sorry for that.” she said, while looking at the droid holding her brother by his coat. Sometimes she wondered how they could be siblings. “Anyway, if you follow me, there is a speeder waiting to bring us to a place where we can start the meeting.”

The Gatalentan raised an eyebrow when she heard Braxon talk about her grandmother. Did he really think that she was so gullible? “Interesting, because as far as I know, you were elected shortly before she was assassinated. I believe that there wasn’t much time for the two of you to talk.” Maryenne stopped walking, turning to look at her fellow Politician with a serious expression. “Senator, like you I also did my homework. You don’t need to invent stories to establish a connection between us. Why don't we be a bit sincere to each other?”

“Uh! Busted!” Joscelyn said, finally having freed himself from Florian.

@Alhon

 

[Nathan Braxon]

Nathan tried to keep his face impassive when Vennen mentioned a speeder. Speeder? Were they not meeting in the complex by the landing pad? He would have suspected a trap if it were not so unlikely. “Another place?“ he asked, “not here? You really are trying to show off your world aren’t you madam”.

His smile froze in place again when she called him out on his story. Clearly she was slightly more astute than the scant intel had suggested. “Not much time at all no” he acknowledged “but I am a man in hurry, Senator, I don’t need much”. He stopped, affecting a serious demeanour. “it was a stolen word in the Senate canteen, very real I assure you. Do you start by calling all your guests liars?”. She could not know for sure it was not. Not for sure.

Nathan used another tactless outburst from the brother to regain some high ground. “Your brother is a spirited guy, I must say. Reminds me of my nephew”. She could do the maths; Nathan’s nephew was 14. “But I came here to speak with you, Senator. Might we get to that, if we can?”. He fidgeted with his coat buttons, as if pondering leaving.

@LouJoVi

 

[Maryenne Vennen]

Maryenne looked at Braxon with a puzzled face, as if he had developed a third eye in the middle of his forehead. “Do you want to have political talks in the administrative center of Gatalenta’s spaceport?” as if to prove her point, a commercial vessel took the sky from behind the building, rising until it disappeared in the blue sky. “They probably have conference rooms, but I thought that you would prefer to do it in the building where the Council of Mothers usually meet.”

“Usually not, but I’m good at reading others. Perhaps it was a gift that I inherited from my grandmother.” Annelyn had the experience of detecting when someone wasn’t talking the truth, much due to her years of experience. She had taught her granddaughter how to catch the lies of other politicians.

“Or perhaps it’s because I have my own experience in dealing with lies.” Joscelyn could seem childish and spoiled, but when he wanted to lie the young man could easily fool many people. The years dealing with him had made Maryenne an expert in detecting his lies.

While she couldn’t say for sure if her grandmother had interacted with Braxon as he said, Maryenne was nearly sure that it was also bullshit. However, the agreement that they wanted to make was too important for her to question him about everything that he said. So she decided to play along. “I think that my grandmother commented something about this meeting.”

“I envy you for having nephews. I feel like I already have a son.” Maryenne said, while watching her brother pull a flask of liquor from his pocket, being sure that no one was seeing him. She gestured to Florian, who immediately snatched the bootle from Joscelyn. He immediately pouted.

“Yes, we are. Perhaps we can start here in the speeder.” she said, while entering the vehicle. “Tell me, what Begamor wants from Gatalenta?”

@Alhon

 

[Nathan Braxon]

She actually thought this counted as a space port. Bless her.

”The Council of Mothers“ Nathan nodded, his face a picture of respect. “Of course”. He held his hands wide, open to being led. He decided to let the rest lie. They had at least established neither of them would be taken for a fool.

”It is not about what we want” Nathan answered, settling into the speeder. “It is what we both want. We both want our worlds to have some say in what is to come. To not be at the mercy of forces beyond our control”. Vennen had made noises suggesting she was more activist than her people typically were. In that, they were alike, and they could achieve more in the Senator by banding together.

”We have wants of course” he added, mindful she was making a point of being astute. “Land here on Gatalenta in particular, a share of your famous tea sales, in return for dropping all tariffs in our space and territories. These must meet your wants too though, surely?”

@LouJoVi

 

[Maryenne Vennen]

”Yes, you are right.” even when the Republic still existed, Gatalenta was mostly ignored. It didn’t have the same prestige that planets like Kuat, Chandrila and Corellia had. Her homeworld could only offer her agriculture and some few ships, being considered unimportant. However, Raze’s attacks made it necessary to change it.

And Begamor could help with it. Like Gatalenta, Braxon’s homeworld was insignificant and an easy target for the great powers of the Galaxy. But the alliance between them could give them enough strength to resist. After all, two are better than one.

“This is a good start, but Gatalenta also seeks more than a trade partner.” Maryenne said, while the speeder started to move. Her brother and Florian were in another one and she was visibly relieved by it. “In the Galaxy that we are living in, we decided that being peaceful isn’t an option anymore. The Council of Mothers desires to establish military alliances, besides finding allies that could train our own forces.”

“As a planet from the Outer Rim, Begamor has much more experience with conflicts than Gatalenta, which had been sheltered in the Core for too long.” even Maryenne could recognize that her homeworld was too peaceful for their own good. Things needed to change and fast. “I propose an alliance between our planets, one that we can expand by adding more allies on it. We need to unite if we want to survive.”

@Alhon

 

[Nathan Braxon]

Nathan cracked his entwined knuckles on his lap. “Well if those suggestions are mutually agreed, then perhaps we can move on and indeed lift our sights”. The Senator had read some whisper of increased militancy on Gatalenta, but he had been sceptical it could be remotely true.

”Unite to survive” he repeated, as if weighing the slogan. “It is a popular refrain, but we both know it still comes down to practicalities in the end“. He smiled, following the movements of her face closely. She might have more vision than Nathan had given her credit for, but she had to know Gatalenta currently had little to offer a military alliance.

”We could consider a defensive pact perhaps, but Begamor is more of a traditional military power. We would bear all the risk, of having to protect Gatalenta, without your people bearing a reciprocal burden”. He inclined his head, wondering what she would suggest. This at least was not opinion, but fact. “You might make changes, but that will take take. We would need some recompense in the meantime to entwine our two worlds”.

@LouJoVi

 

[Maryenne Vennen]

”We are already working toward it.” it was common knowledge that Gatalenta had little military power to offer in an alliance. However, she was seeking ways of changing it. “We have plans to start training our military. Begamor’s assistance would be very welcome. Some of your military could come help with the training.”

Of course, the plans of Gatalentan army would not be dependant of Begamor. The Council of Mothers had already ordered Maryenne to find individuals that could help in preparing their army. However, Braxon’s visit was a good opportunity to speed up the process and she was going to use it.

The Senator expected Braxon’s question. After all, a politician would never help without expecting something in exchange. “We’ll pay for the maintenance of the armies, besides investing on it.” Maryenne said calmly, while placing her hands in the lap. “We’ll contact shipyards of the Core and droid factories, everything necessary to increase our forces.”

“We also offer part of our agricultural production to be used as ration for the sentient members of our mutual army. It’ll have no cost.” the speeder started to slow down, until it stopped totally. “We arrived.” she said, before the door was open.

@Alhon

 

[Nathan Braxon]

Nathan looked ahead as they sped on, considering her suggestions. Bringing in military tutors from Begamor had an appeal, perhaps the first step in a single army, trained with one ethos and nursed to bear only one allegiance. Credit and corn to buy and maintain their forces would also go a long way to easing the burden on his own world.

Gatalenta certainly had the corn. The credits he was less sure about, but his proposal to relax tarrifs would help. If this alliance was to be anything, their next member would need to be wealthier than either of them.

"You really plan to turn over the table here, Senator?". He looked her in the eye now. She was proposing to try and change the Gatalentans entire culture, a feat seldom possible at speed. "What if you face resistance?". Vennen undoubtedly would - her world had a history of pacifism and deference. Many might embrace a new direction, but others would cling to the old and it was surprising how militant objectors could be in their pursuit of peace.

Nathan might just have an answer for her, but he would not offer it too readily.

They arrived at the seat of the Council of Mothers. Nathan strode in and took the liberty of asking that a competent secretary join them. They were close to an accord here and it would be vital to document the terms. He let Vennen lead the way, more out of courtesy than chivalry, and waited to glimpse the grandeur he had been brought all this way to see.

@LouJoVi

 

[Maryenne Vennen]

Maryenne already expected that Nathan would ask about the conflicting opinions regarding her ideas. She wanted to make an army, but her planet had peaceful ways. “Senator Braxon, have you ever visited Coruscant?” she asked, while walking out of the speeder.

Whatever was his answer, the Gatalentan would continue talking. “I visited the planet several times, before and after I became a Senator. It was a shock when I saw the transmission of Raze’s servant about what happened here.” she still feared for the people that weren’t able to leave the world on time. “The fact that these abominations now control the very heart of the Galaxy spread a feeling of fear among my people.”

“We lived peacefully for many years, but now death can fall over us at any moment. The Gatalentans despise war, but we know how self-defense is necessary. Many of us participated in the Rebel Alliance.” among them was one of her ancestors. Great individuals that recognized the necessity of fighting against a great evil. “There’ll be some resistance, but they’ll learn that the army is for the protection of our peaceful lifestyle. We want to show it to them.”

Maryenne guided him inside the building where the Council of Mothers used as their headquarters. They would walk toward the main room, where the leaders of Gatalenta were waiting to testify the signing of the treaty.

@Alhon

 

[Nathan Braxon]

Nathan took in their grand surroundings, but did not let them them overawe him. The Gatalentans had some sense of style it seemed, but it was too understated to change his view of them just yet.

The Senator took his seat at the negotiating table. “You make a compelling case, Maryenne, may I call you Maryenne?”. She did continue to impress with her vigour and enthusiasm for militarising her world, but only time would tell if she truly understood the scale of the challenge. “There is certainly good reason for both our worlds to take the threat seriously”.

”To summarise then” he offered. “Begamor will agree to a defensive alliance and suspend all trade tariffs for Gatalentan goods. We will provide military tutors to help train a unified alliance army and navy”. He made an open gesture, genuinely believing she was doing well out of this. “In return, Gatalenta will join the same alliance, cede an area of fertile unoccupied land to our purposes, feed our developing army and cover all maintenance costs”. It certainly seemed a fair deal.

”Do we have an accord Senator?” he asked, conscious of the apparent pressure all around for them to come to a deal. There was enough in it for Nathan and the people he represented. He could only hope Vennen would be similarly pragmatic.

@LouJoVi

 

[Maryenne Vennen]

"Yes, you can." Maryenne said, while they sat at a table. Florian and Joscelyn had remained outside and she preferred this way. The droid would watch her brother, leaving her free to work without needing to control the young man. "And I hope that you will allow me to call you Nathan." she smiled at him. It would be fair that he gave permission to her, since she was doing the same.

The Gatalentan paid close attention to the terms that her fellow Senator was reciting. It was everything that they had discussed so far. The piece of land that the Begamorian wanted could be arranged too. The Council of Mothers was willing to cooperate in any way necessary if it'll protect their homeworld.

"We have." she said quickly. There was nothing for her to think twice. Her people wanted an answer immediately, not a theatrical suspense. Maryenne grabbed a datapad, which was left in the room by the workers of the Council of Mothers. "We can compose the treaty and sign it immediately."

@Alhon

 

[Nathan Braxon]

“Of course” Nathan smiled. They were to be allies, at least formally. That entitled her to speak to him as if they were friends. If she proved herself in the long term, then they could perhaps even move past the superficial to the real.

The Senator’s eyes flashed when Maryenne agreed to the terms. ”Then let’s do just that” he agreed, giving her a long look as he wondered if she might prove to be more than a one-off negotiating partner. Nathan had been a lone wolf most of his life and did not trust easily. But if she made good on this accord, perhaps they could be a true team.

Nathan motioned and the data pad was passed over to him to sign. He did so elaborately, strangely enjoying the act of his own signature as he always had. The idea his name made things happen almost made him hard, every time.

He motioned to Lucy to submit the relevant details to Begamorian customs and to file the details of their new land holdings. It would not be long before the military tutors were requisitioned and arrived on Gatalenta to begin organising the burgeoning allianice army.

@LouJoVi