Accords and Meetings

[Faith Organa]

[member="Suravi Teigra"] | [member="Darth Vulkan"]

Faith stood within the halls of the palace waiting for the arrival of Senator Teigra of Kiribi. A compliment of the Alderaan Royal Guard would meet her, and bring her to the meeting place.

The night before had ended differenty than perhaps either Draco or Faith had envisioned but both knew it was too soon to....

Faith stood dressed in a gown Claire had pulled this very morning. As usual Claire dressed her for meetings as was befitting her station, while Faith always wanted to wear what was comfortable.

This was not a fashion show, though one would wonder after a while.

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draco arrived a bit early, if for no other reason to spend that extra minute or so alone with Faith. It was that mostly, it was also his need to ensure it appeared to the arriving senator from Kiribi that Mandalore and Alderaan were united in this matter. He was a servant, serving the House of Organa faithfully and honorably. More so, at the moment he was smitten with the princess, the pair having shared a number of tender, vulnerable moments. Most notably was his mental stability. He didn't shift back to Vulkan when she left, he didn't struggle to keep control over himself. In fact he hardly felt the presence of the Sith Lord last night after she was gone from him, which was odd. Weeks ago, at Roche, he had been struggling to maintain control even around Abigail, but that could be explained by the stresses of combat. But, now he was relatively stable. His stomach fluttered, and his heart quickened in pace when he thought of her, but he was not stressed. He was not dealing with emotions he didn't think he could handle that brought out the darker side of him.

He walked into the room, allowed in by the guards, wearing his armor as was traditional, helmet locked in the crook of his arm, carried respectfully, allowing his face to be seen by those who looked upon him. Today he carried only a single axe in a holster at his hip and Fett-Kal Trench Knife. He wore them openly, and hopefully Faith had told the guards he was no threat to her. Draco's mind hadn't even wandered to suspect that she be capable of being harmed. And so he entered, and nodded to the guards respectfully, "Princess Balor-Orga--," he said with a devilish grin, cutting short whatever sentence he was about to say. She was breathtakingly beautiful, and apparently not paid him heed when he suggested something conservative. His eyes glanced her over, and quickly found their way to meeting hers. He was glad for the helmet, he would need it.

[member="Faith Balor-Organa"] | [member="Suravi Teigra"]

 

[Eugen Aker]

True to her word, Suravi arrived in the Alderaan system at almost the same time she had spoken with Faith the previous day. She rode on one of her yachts with her security detail, flanked by a squadron of Kiribian fighters as her escort. It was only meant as a token force, but the squadron had still been specially outfitted to deal with the capital ships of the Mandalorians if the need arose.

As her ship approached the planet, the former Jedi could feel the faint echoes of the force wounds that existed in the system. An eternal dirge to the victims of the old world and new.

The pilot of her yacht checked in with Alderaanian military flight control, then followed their waypoints to the designated landing zone. New Aldera soon came into view, a pristine gem of a city that looked like it had almost been carved out of the surrounding mountains. The aesthetics of New Aldera appealed to the Kiribian, who came from a culture that valued ecological conservation and harmonious design. The pilots of her yacht and fighter escort were having quite a difference experience at the moment, nervously tracking of the multitude of sensors being trained on them, from above and below. Beneath the pretty veneer of the city, there was an advanced network of sensor arrays and AA platforms, not even mentioning the Mandalorian hardware in orbit overhead.

The ships landed, and Suravi would disembark with Arisa and the rest her security detail. First down the ramp were the six Paladin commandos selected to accompany her to the palace, all sporting expensive suits. No Paladin openly carried their weapons, but each one was packing underneath those well-tailored jackets and slacks. Suravi and Arisa followed close behind, the latter keeping her own little arsenal hidden. The Senator herself was completely unarmed, only possessing her purse and a small wrapped gift for Faith. The procession was rounded out by squad of fully armored Paladins tasked with guarding the area around the yacht and fighters.

Suravi rendezvoused with the guards sent to retrieve her, and then took a motorcade to the palace.

------

Now at the palace, Suravi was led to the site of the meeting by the guards. She had the Paladin remain outside the doors of the room while she entered with only Arisa at her side. A smile grew on her face as she laid eyes on Minister Balor-Organa, dressed in some intricate little number. The noted the woman's flair for fashion. Near her was a Mandalorian leader that she would almost immediately recognize from the reports she had reviewed on Roche. Not just a Mandalorian soldier, but an observed Force Adept as well. She kept her own power suppressed to avoid detection, but passively, she could still sense other force sensitives and paranormal activity. His disturbed aura hung over the room like a dark cloud while her Jedi bodyguard's was a bubble of tranquility off to her side. Amid this clash of auras, she was nothing.

"Thank you for agreeing to meet with me on such short notice."

She gave the Minister a small bow of respect, in the style that one equal gave to another, tucking her purse and present under one arm as she did so. Arisa did not follow this custom of greeting, so only offered a tiny nod of her head. Her dark eyes were on Faith, but her real focus was the armored clad Mando in the room.

[member="Faith Balor-Organa"]
[member="Darth Vulkan"]

 

[Faith Organa]

[member="Suravi Teigra"] [member="Darth Vulkan"]

Faith looked at Draco as he entered wearing the armor that had made him highly visible, and she had to admit he was a striking figure in it, "Commander Vareen it is a pleasure to see you this morning. Tell me your armor, the color is that for justice?" She couldn't remember all the meanings. But she knew that when he paused that her dress had made an impression.

She had hoped for something that went up to the neck, and covered everything but Claire wouldn't have it. She sighed lightly she could see it in his face already the meeting would prove to be challenging on more than one level. She tried not to smile, she was going to be serious. She had to look away for a moment, and then back to keep control.

It was then that the page entered, "The Senator from Kiribi" The doors opened Faith looked over to take in the Senator. Faith folded her hands neatly before her, "Welcome to Alderaan Senator, I present Commander Vareen of the Clans of Mandalore. He serves currently as the Liason for House Organa to the Alor Council." Faith caught safe of Victoria as she entered the hall.

"Princess, shall we bring the refreshments?" Faith turned, "Yes" And then she stepped towards the Senator, "So Senator Teigra your journey was a safe one, no incident?"

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draco smiled when Faith spoke, but quickly tried to regain his composure. He did have his helmet if he needed it. It would not be culturally incorrect to wear it in the presence of the Senator from Kiribi, but he would prefer to keep it off for now. He didn't want Faith's memory of him to be that of cold expressionless metal, he wanted it to be of his face, with his grey eyes, free of the red rings of Dark Side corruption. "Ah, I'm afraid not your Highness. Right now I wear Vengeance and Morning, yellow and grey respectively. But I've some plans on changing back to blue and black for reliability and justice." Perhaps throwing a new symbol on it as well if he had his way.

When the Senator entered with her guard Draco was glad he had come. Draco was, after all protective, possessive, and mildly paranoid. "Senator." He said with a nod, moving to stand on the same side of the room as Faith, a symbolic united front with a couple of meanings. As much as he wanted her to be free of their scrutiny and be free to trounce around with him openly, he was also willing to concede to her will on more than a few matters. Her life and livelihood were two of those things, and the fate of her home planet, he couldn't argue there. He did know and understand loss of a home though. He'd lost his house to the First Order, but he hadn't seen it as home at the time, and it was far from home now.

[member="Faith Balor-Organa"] [member="Suravi Teigra"]

 

[Eugen Aker]

"Commander," she replied, emulating his clipped style of address before bowing to him as well. She noted that the Organas were quite well connected based off the identity of the man. Perhaps a little too connected, standing in the company of a man that had only just stepped off a battlefield against Republic soldiers. That's what had worried her about leaving the Alderaanians to their own devices.

"It was all smooth sailing on my end. Your guardsmen have been nothing but the model of professionalism since the moment I set foot in New Aldera."

As she brought up the topic of the royal guards, she realized that Commander Vareen was the first Mandalorian she had laid eyes on since making planetside. Aside from him, the only other evidence of their presence were the warships in orbit. What of soldiers on the ground, though? Were they just tucked out of view, or still holed up in their ships?

"Given the circumstances, I'm pleased to see everything came together so well."

[member="Faith Balor-Organa"]
[member="Darth Vulkan"]

 

[Faith Organa]

[SIZE=12pt]“Given the circumstances I am surprised that you wished to actually come to Alderaan.” If the Senator wanted to know anything about the situation on the ground the Senator would have to ask for Faith did not read minds like her Aunt.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]There was a bit of tension in the air between the Senator and Draco, something she hoped would pass in time but for now it was to be expected.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]“As you can see Alderaan is well protected, is that what you wish to verify by a visit?” Faith smiled, she had this feeling though that the Senator wanted something more, and something…that perhaps was more beneficial.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]The guards stood at the back of the great hall, they stood where the Alderaan Royal Guards stood, and to come further would not be allowed. Faith looked to Draco who was on his best behavior right now.[/SIZE]

[member="Suravi Teigra"] [member="Darth Vulkan"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draco smiled, a smile that was genuine pleasure at the situation that had progressed. Yesterday he had had the pleasure of finding the kindness, respect, and affections of the Princess of Alderaan that now stood in his presence. The Senator's presence wasn't unwelcomed, but it did make him need to restrict his emotions and affections for Faith.

"My warriors are well behaved. We always honor our word when given." Part of why he was behaving so well now, though he did spare a few glances over at Faith, taking in her Visage in these passing glances, his imagination guessing and spinning in his mind. If his glances did draw attention they might look most like what they were, a man casting his gaze to observe a very fine feminine specimen he otherwise had no business being in the same room as under normal circumstances. Perhaps the Senators would notice, but surely Faith drew such attentions from others and these too would be brushed off at face value.

Draco wasn't sure what the Senator really wanted out of this visit to his Princess, but he was sure he wouldn't be pleased with the result. It would be something that would inevitably drive a wedge or take her time away from him, that much was certain.

[member="Faith Balor-Organa"] [member="Suravi Teigra"]

 

[Eugen Aker]

"Yes, I can see Alderaan is very well protected under the command of Commander Vareen, but from who, exactly?"

A single Mandalorian fleet isolated from the rest of the horde wasn't much use against a Sith incursion from across the border. It could be most useful in discouraging invasive actions by the Republic, though. While in theory, the Republic respected the individual sovereignty of its member systems, in practice, no one really wanted to see Alderaan exit the alliance with all those precious mineral resources. Then it was just bad optics having such a prominent system deep within Republic space peel away while the government was in such a fragile state.

[member="Faith Balor-Organa"]
[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Faith Organa]

[member="Suravi Teigra"] [member="Draco Vereen"]

"It is only to keep our system secure until all negotiations with the Republic come to a conclusion. My mother, and her heir my sister believe that the Republic might attempt to regain their position on Alderaan. The Mandalorians are here to ensure they do not, they are not here to fight anyone. And since House Organa has family ties to the Mandalorians it felt only natural to ask them for assistance."

Faith did not smile she just stood quietly to answer the questions.

"You must understand Senator there is a long history of Alderaan and the Republic where my family feels, the association has only been a benefit to the Republic while nothing has been gained for Alderaan. We have stood on our own for sometime, this move just keeps the Republic from further benefit" Now Faith smiled.

"What would you do Senator if your home had been attacked by the Sith, vong formed, then the Republic tried to take it back and could not defeat the Sith, not until the Netherworld events was Alderaan able to return to the Republic. But they only wanted the minerals, they did nothing to help Alderaan to recover from the Sith occupation. Their solution Senator was to tell us to abandon our home. They said it was a loss. But now as you look around as you can see it was not a loss. Private funding has restored Alderaan, House Organa funding has restored Alderaan. So, why should the Republic be allowed to have access to the minerals, espiecally the phrik?"

She only wanted to explain so that she understood.

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draco stood off to Faith's side, "You, know. All those budget constraints that kept the Republic from aiding Mandalore against the Primeval even while we stood shoulder to shoulder with you against the One Sith. They also affected the standard of living within Republic Space. Go figure that when you let your government be run by an openly Selectivist Militarist regime for almost seven years all your budget goes into the war effort." Draco was still very sore about that subject, and no doubt so was Alyesa, who had also prophesized the coup years ago and been laughed out of the Senate. He had been left to die and abandoned on some battlefield for speaking out, and the vast majority of the Republic still cheered whenever Lasedri made some speech. They had supported Black Flag, still active, not yet repealed, at the time with roaring applause, knowing it extended to civilians.

He spared a glance at Faith, his tone was sharper and more agitated that he should have allowed, and so he was checking to see if he had over stepped. The Republic had made him a trillionaire, given him access to many Sith Holocrons over the years, so they weren't useless, but he had been stabbed in the back enough for one life time. He wasn't keen on sitting waiting for it to happen again. "But, perhaps you and yours are a new breed, not the kind to leave your allies to rot after they saved you from the Sith Empire." He was uneasy. House Thul was back and building a super fortress, the Republic was stepping up its war machine again, and the One Sith were killing each other in the streets. The Galactic Alliance was too far away and too concerned with their own war to worry about the Republic, or more importantly Alderaan.

[member="Faith Balor-Organa"] | [member="Suravi Teigra"]

 

[Eugen Aker]

Neither of them were unreasonable in their answers. She took Vereen's answer to mean that the Mandalorians seemed to have no grand plan of conquest, provided the Republic behave. She could work with him, then.

"Minister, I have to remind you that the events of Alderaan have not occurred in a vacuum. The Galactic Republic is in a state of total war, even as we've entered a cold phase with the Sith. Perhaps the Republic could have done more to help Alderaan, but as you know, the government's resources are strained. Every system must be considered against the needs of one. While the Republic hasn't done much for Alderaan in your view, has your system not benefitted from its membership in all its history with this alliance? You speak of private funds being used to rebuild Alderaan, but I suspect much of that private wealth that you Alderaanians have accrued is a result of the economic benefits your system has enjoyed being part the Republic. Something to consider."

"I can't undo the mistakes of my predecessors, but I can make things right in this moment. I give you my assurances that I will do my best to block any movement of armed subjugation by the Republic. If I can't work through the Senate, then I'll be happy to join our good Commander here with a fleet of my own. I'm doubtful that we'll ever get to that point, but I'll still give you my word."

"Commander Vereen, I like to think I represent a new wave. Instead of arriving into the system at the head of a fleet, I'd prefer to engage in the seemingly lost art of diplomacy, and see if we can't use our words and wits to figure out a solution."

"So, for Alderaan, and the Mandalorians to feel secure, what needs to be done? I would like to see Alderaan remain with the Republic as its soul."

[member="Faith Balor-Organa"]
[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Faith Organa]

Faith nodded she could tell that [member="Suravi Teigra"] intended good she perhaps was not like many of the others before her, but sometimes the good came too late.

"Senator Teigra I can appreciate your concern. But this all comes about two years too late." Faith sighed only slightly, "For Alderaan to stay in the Republic, the Republic needs to convince the Crown Princess [member="Alyesa Organa"] that it is in the best interest of Alderaan. While my mother the Queen still wears the crown she defers many of these dealings to Alyesa to prepare her to take her place."

Faith nodded, "Actually my sister made her fortune through her own company Incom, and much of what was earned here on Alderaan was then funneled back into Alderaan. The Organa family takes care of its citizens before it takes care of itself. You would be surprised at how my family lived Senator." they had lived rather simple, even though they had the big house to wonder around in it was more a place filled with echoes more than luxury and parties

Faith knew that it would not be long before her mother stepped down, she had grown tired and welcomed stepping into the role of Queen Mother on Alderaan. "I thank you for wanting to protect our right to rule ourselves in a way we see fit, and if Commander Vereen is in need of the additional forces he will let us know and we in turn will call upon you if necessary. But Senator tell me what would you want in exchange for your support?" Everyone usually wanted something.

Faith looked over at Draco he as a mandalorian was not always accustomed to the diplomatic circles that could be long and drawn out .

[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draco didn't pay the senator much mind. He knew she wasn't around during the Lasedri era of the Republic's decline or the Supreme Chancellor Popo era before that. The war against One Sith had stolen a lot from the Republic, its soul was among them. His soul had been among the lost for a long time as well. "I've already made arrangements to have more of my corporate assets made available on Merson, ready to offer relief if required." He didn't mention the Clan Dem'adas which had agreed to make ready and offer assistance if called upon. "Alderaan is well protected, so long as supplies last." That was the trick of it, wasn't it.

Draco didn't really enjoy diplomatic talks or meetings. He was here in case the Senator tried anything, funny, and because he enjoyed his time with Faith, even now, he enjoyed being in her presence. He had interests in Alderaan and its Princesses, and he wasn't going to risk losing them to a silver tongued senator with false promises and veiled insults. Alderaan was wealthy throughout the Gulag plague, even before being claimed by the Republic. It wasn't until the One Sith came that it suffered, and it suffered greatly, almost as much as it had in ancient history, and Draco was pained that House Organa had paid for its rebuilding alone, especially while he sat with trillions of Republic Credits spent on weapons, armor, and vehicles shortly after the Crown Princess had been denied assistance, stating budget concerns as the reason. He would have to right that wrong in the future.

[member="Faith Balor-Organa"] | [member="Suravi Teigra"]