Private Afterwork Drinks

[Rens Ahim]

Fondor City, Fondor, Colonies
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Rens sat in his new office behind the desk. Placing his head down he resisted the urge to groan. It had been a trying day to the least. Next to him on the right was his human assistant, Zin Doye holding a datapad in his right hand looking it over. The young man grimaced before saying.

"Should I reschedule tomorrow Mister Ahim?"

Finally groaning, Rens lifted his head before he replied with a shake of the head.

"No Zin, we can't do that. I already gave my word to Malastare's ambassador. Yes he is a pain to deal with but we need a new trade deal for Bestine."

The freckled faced assistant nodded resignedly.

"Understood. It will be tomorrow at 8:30 in the morning so we can get that out of the way."

Looking up to the ceiling Rens thought to himself. Thank the tides. The sooner that's done the better.

Turning to Doye he actually gave a tired smile.

"Anything else?"

The assistant shook his head immediately. "No sir, I'm just still figuring out the rally two rotations from now."

"Zin, that can wait." Still smiling, he added. "Now go you got a date to keep after all. Tell Relia I said hello."

Chuckling Zin Doye nodded before turning off the datapad and making his way with a respectful bow with the head. Rens watched him go, thinking.

He needs to relax. Relia is a nice young lady. They‘re great for each other.

Then Rens, grimacing, was reminded that his family is back on Bestine IV. After what happened with Coruscant it was decided between him and Shu the best thing for their family is to keep them back at the homeworld. Easier to readjust there than they would be able here on Fondor. Logically he believed it necessary but his heart ached for Shu and their kids. Another reminder why he hated this war that the Sith and their Imperial minions pursue.

That trail of thought ended instantly his commlink beeped. Turning it on and recognizing the frequency he said.

"Yes Briggs?"

"Pardon me sir but the Senator of Abregado-rae is here. He requests to meet with you."

That got Rens' attention. Kel Se'Taav, they haven't talked with one another before though he had seen him a few times around both in and out of the senate sessions. Not knowing why Abregado-rae's Bothan representative wanted to see him but curious Rens answered back.

"Allow him in. I can spare a few more minutes."

Just as he put up on his commlink the office door slid open with a hiss, revealing the new arrival. Getting to his feet Rens politely gave a nod as he walked to shake hands with his colleague.

"Greetings Senator Se'Taav. I must admit this is unexpected but welcomed all the same."

Kel Se'Taav

 

[Kel Se'Taav]

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Tags: Rens Ahim
Location: Alliance General Ministry Canton, FONDOR

"Please, Kel is fine," the old Bothan said with a smile. He extended his hand for a shake, firm but friendly. "It's a pleasure to finally sit and speak with you, Senator. For a system built on the fundaments of unity and brotherhood, it seems fewer and fewer members of the Senate find time to interact with each other outside the Convocation Hall. Or, the Canton, as it happens to be," Kel added. The official dissolution of the political blocs saw to that, he thought personally. Perhaps it was meant to bring them closer together, what with the lack of labels and focus on policy... but as far as Kel could tell, it only muddied already cloudy waters. It made meetings like this seem suspect when, in reality, Kel simply wanted to branch out and rub shoulders with a senator of a certain like-mindedness.

Kel cleared his throat a bit, noticing the infancy of the evening. "Forgive my forwardness, but I passed an aide of yours on the way in. Seems he's off for the evening, and you look like you could use a stout drink. Care to join me?" He nodded to the glass portal behind Rens that overlooked the setting sun that neared the rooftops of Fondor City. A night away from the office would do them both good, but a night away from the Ministry Canton building would do them even better. Kel understood the need for tightened security and respected the Alliance's wishes when it came to preserving their safety, but he also knew that the senators needed to breathe a little to keep from going stir crazy.

"I'm sure we can find a nice cantina someplace close, hm?" Kel went on to say, smiling kindly. He would accept a 'no' just fine, he was an adult- but it was a 'yes' he was looking for. Drinking alone on nights like these are liable to be more trouble than they're worth.

 

[Rens Ahim]

Rens allowed himself to stare at the glass portal. Fondor wasn't Coruscant but this world had its own majesty. The sunset made that all the more clear. As he viewed the aerial traffic above the spires and buildings Rens considered his colleague's offer. In truth it was a relief to him.

I had my fill of official meetings today anyway.

Chuckling, the Mon Calamari senator nodded before folding his arms behind the back. Clearing his throat he replied.

"That actually sounds good to me Kel. Briggs has told me about this joint called the Silver Line a few blocks to the east. I'll let my staff know.”

Getting his commlink he called his chief of security.

"Briggs get my speeder ready, we're heading for the Sliver Line."

"Yes sir, I'll let Deri know. It should be done in a few minutes."

Finished with the call, Rens smiled, gesturing for Kel to follow him out. Briggs, a large muscled blond haired man in an black and white suit suit. He followed beside the two senators. As they walked down the hall Rens commented.

"I have to confess I had nothing else planned for the evening other than calling my family back on Bestine. But that will be later so don't worry. Now what you said earlier you're right it does seem like we senators barely have time to interact outside these sessions."

Kel Se'Taav

 

[Kel Se'Taav]

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Tags: Rens Ahim
Location: Alliance General Ministry Canton, FONDOR

Kel nodded at Ahim's agreeance. "And a damn shame that is, isn't it? So many in the Senate have forgotten that we're on the same team. We represent unique worlds each with their own interests and needs, of course. But at the end of the day, we're all a part of the Alliance." He remembered a time when senators worked together to push good policy. Many long nights spent in meeting rooms, conference chambers, even personal offices, just to ensure that everything was right with the bill at hand. And afterwards, drinks to celebrate. From the committees to the Free Alliance Coalition and everything in between, Kel had found comrades, brothers, and sisters among the beings of the Senate. Now...? It felt they were all out for themselves. Luckily, Ahim felt like a good one.

"The Silver Line sounds splendid," Kel said with a haughty chuckle. He sure hoped they had a nice local brew. The old Bothan enjoyed to drink for the taste, finding it quite fun to isolate the subtle notes in every drink.

 

[Rens Ahim]

It wasn't long before both them and Briggs exited the canton and got in the blue speeder awaiting them. The driver, Deri drove the craft on the platform and flew into a steady line of other speeders. Just as told the bar was not too far away. Deri then pulled them out of traffic and swifty and expertly landed them in an empty party spot to the left side of the lot. Once out of the speeder Rens turned to his driver saying.

"Thank you Deri. Hope your mother is getting better."

The near-human with Nagai features answered with a polite nod. "Thank you sir. Doctors say she just needs to rest for another two weeks. Let me know when it's time to go."

Subsequently Rens then looked to the entrance of the bar. It wasn't the largest structure to be sure but sizable all the same. There was a long velvet carpet at the center of the entrance with a number of bouncers on each flank, letting people through that checked from a small floating droid drone with one silver optic. On top of the entrance was the Silver Line logo that digitally translated from Basic to other languages every few seconds or so. Rens smiled and gestured for Kel to keep following.

While entering the guest line, the Mon Calamari asked his Bothan counterpart.

"So Kel how is your world Abregado-rae holding up with the war?"

Kel Se'Taav

 

[Kel Se'Taav]

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Tags: Rens Ahim
Location: Alliance General Ministry Canton, FONDOR

“As well as we can. My people are scared,” he admitted. Abregado-rae was closer to Fondor than it was to Coruscant, but the Dark Empire’s stolen holdings lay between them. If it weren’t for Kel’s recent military contract between the GADF and Shield of Rae, Abregado’s new defense contractor, he probably wouldn’t be as worried. But shipyards and factories make excellent targets for bombardment and occupation.

“I remain optimistic that the Alliance will route the Empire from our worlds before they have the chance to strike any deeper, but should we fail to throw the next punch, I fear more for Anaxes or Constancia than Abregado-rae.” It largely depended on whether the Imperials wanted to cripple the GADF’s shipyards or strike fear into the people with an invasion effort. He shuddered at the thought of either. Hopefully Rens’ patron world fared better. “What of Bestine IV?” Kel asked. The Bothan was familiar with his colleague’s politics. They stood on the same ground for a lot of issues in the Alliance, but Kel knew embarrassingly little about Bestine.