Ask It's The Little Things

[Nakoa Singh]

Empress Teta, 0331​

Originally called 'Koros', one the oldest sovereign world in the known galaxy and economic rival to Coruscant itself, Empress Teta was so named for the warrior queen who'd conquered it in ages past. The world-spanning city of Cinnabar covered the entire surface, much like Coruscant. Its Core District housed nobles and the unbelievably affluent in luxury that, since Coruscant's fall to abominations, was entirely unrivaled. And, also like Coruscant, everyone else lived as part of working class- or worse.

Despite a politically active monarchy, it was Mining Guild who held the real power. Cinnabar was their greatest source of income and the guild had been an integrated part of local politics and economy since the Reconstruction millennia ago. No longer tempered by Republic's already far-too-tame restrictions, life for anyone not born into wealth and power had only gotten worse in the last decade.

Naturally, the Cinnabar police forces were dispatched to quickly and violently suppress any dissent regarding damn near anything. Countless civilians suffered from unchecked working hours, lack of health care, expensive cost of living and basic needs, and mandatory labor as punishment. Countless more simply died on the streets in abject poverty. No one in power cared so long as the credits kept coming, even as protests popped up daily across the city.

But apparently, the Jedi cared. And they were bringing in some help.

Nakoa had arrived first and got to work gathering information from the media and legging it around the city. The job ahead was going to be long and difficult without a doubt. But that'd never stopped Apex before.

The Wrean sipped bitter, black diner coffee, perched in the corner of a run-down greasy spoon diner at half past three in the morning. Run-ragged workpeople bent over their tables and ate in silence. Some were leaving work and others were eating breakfast. Nakoa's clothing blended in with the multi-species crowds. They didn't get a second look. Or a first one, in many cases. No one here cared. For them, there was only the grind of another long day's work and the grumblings of beat-down anger.

Nakoa waited for the Order's contact with some local newspaper brand in hand. They were due any minute.

 

[Sevrin Valtiere]

Sevrin didn’t exactly hide that he was a Jedi, but he opted to wear formal Thustran attire, his sabers stashed away. His hair was tied back in a low ponytail save for two strands that framed his face. He was out of place in the diner, but he had long since stopped caring about such trivialities. Sevrin didn’t need to blend in or hide here. It didn’t matter what time of day or the setting, the Sephi always looked put together.

He spotted his contact upon approach, sitting across him, “Good..morning, I suppose,” Sevrin said with a nod, “I am Sevrin Valtiere,” He introduced himself, “Thank you for coming out this way,” He added. He had never worked with Apex and even his own unpleasant encounter with one of their members didn’t sway his opinion from the fact that they were efficient.

“You must be particularly skilled to have dabbled with… your past so often and come out on the other side,” Sevrin said, a knowing look in his piercing silver gaze. With his entire job around keeping intelligence on Sith, he was well aware of Nakoa’s past as a Sith and a recent debacle on Mustafar. Tempest going missing likely had something to do with why the man was alive and well here now.

“The Mining Guild will not be simple to crack,” Sevrin said. Normally this was an unnecessary comment for flavor, but when the Sephi said it, it meant he had evaluated every possible angle and approach. In this case, he was coming up short, “Ramesh Kuvan would need to step down along with his executive council for the strict hold to loosen on the public,” Sevrin explained. Ramesh Kuvan did a corporate coup and took over the Mining Guild, running it like a dictatorship. It would take some finesse to remove him from that role.

@Mr. Teatime

 

[Nakoa Singh]

"Nakoa Singh," the Wrean greeted as he lowered their newspaper. An easy, charming grin spread across their face, almost disguising that split moment's sharpness when amber-gold eyes took in the Sephi's appearance. Nakoa's gaze lingered briefly on Sevrin's silvery eyes. "No trouble at all."

That grin barely budged when Sevrin made his comment. "Naturally," they smoothly replied, expression utterly unbothered while being stared down from on high by the frosty daggers Sevrin called eyes, "I always plan for trouble." The inconvenience of Tempest's disappearance aside, she'd gone back on her own deal. How that story would end had yet to be decided.

"Although, you have me at a disadvantage." Nakoa took a sip from his coffee, the bitter scent wafting over the table on clouds of steam. "I hadn't expected a star to fall here from Corellia." The mug softly thunked down on the table, quickly joined by a flimsiplast notebook and pen with notes written in some Tethysian dialect. A few lines were added before Nakoa said anything further.

The Strategist had his plans. What mattered in this situation, however, was which methods the Jedi would condone. Subtly, only noticeable given Sevrin's sharp hearing and attunement to the Force, the sounds from the surrounding diner began to fade out as if they'd been covered in a thick, woollen blanket. A charm for private conversations.

"Ramesh's position is leveraged on the power of others. Disrupt loyalty, obedience, fear, and profit. If he can be vilified in the eyes of his peers and investors he'll have no other choice." A pause, both in speech and note-taking. "Should start with his council." Nakoa's gaze rose back to Sevrin's.

"How much blood are you willing to be spilled to change this world?"

@Sreeya

 

[Sevrin Valtiere]

Sevrin was used to people staring intently into his eyes. After all, they were the most striking parts of him and anyone else from his royal bloodline. Generations passed and the eyes carried down from one Valtiere to the next, unwavering in their resilience. When Nakoa took it a step further with what was an obvious line of flattery, he was met with a rather blank expression from Sevrin.

The Sephi remained silent until Nakoa finished speaking, pondering on the situation, “Men like that often keep loyalty by sitting on the dirt of others,” He said, “We can perhaps gather intelligence on what he has on each individual that they would not wish to be exposed. If we start leaking such things, Ramesh will lose the confidence of his executive council and the inner turmoil and fighting will loosen the grip the Guild has on the population.”

He didn’t answer the last question immediately, calmly taking a sip of his water, “I never set out to spill blood,” Sevrin answered dryly. The words left unsaid would be enough to communicate his point: when the situation arose, he would adapt accordingly.

@Mr. Teatime

 

[Nakoa Singh]

Nakoa seemed unphased by the Sephi's blank expression and lack of response. If anything the Wrean's smirk took on a somewhat amused curl toward the end while they carried on with business.

"'Course we could," he replied, sliding over a compact datapad. It contained the relevant rumors and information on such things Nakoa had spent his time gathering, complete with sub-notes on where to continue following a trail. Some rumors and news stories were more concrete than others. "But that's no guarantee. Often enough, people like them are just in it for themselves, no 'dirt' needed. One may apply further pressure by embellishing a little." They shrugged.

"Whether or not something is true rarely matters as much as the belief in its veracity. Prime principle of propaganda." A pause. "Either way... Rhoda Patel has numerous settled litigations handled by the same firm. We should start there." Court cases on Empress Teta were neither publically resolved nor were their details available to the citizenry when they involved the 'upper classes'. "Patel is the second daughter of the Patel family, made landed nobility several hundred years ago by order of a previous Emperor. If she's like any other noble she'll have something on her 'rivals' on the council."

Nakoa finished his coffee. He was pleased the Jedi Order hadn't sent some bleeding-heart or ultra-traditionalist type. They never got anything done even at the height of their power unless it involved a direct attack on their governmental sponsors. Revolution wasn't exactly 'peaceful' work, but it could be done with a subtle touch.

They placed credits on the table's edge, although the waitresses didn't seem to notice their table existed just yet owing to the active privacy charm.

"Any questions, requests, or need for coffee before we go? Suggest avoiding tea."

@Sreeya