First Reply Aggressive Negotiations | Corellia

[Saria Rae]

Aggressive Negotiations
Corellia
Tags: Open (DM for later entry)

"This is Padawan Saria Rae, requesting support."

This day was simply going terribly. The young Mirialan was huddled within some cover, a trench with some scrap walls on either side. Overhead projectiles were flying, the Ion rounds of Jawa blasters. This was a turf war. A locally established tribe of Jawas on Corellia was fending off a new group, one which had hitchhiked to the planet from a shuttle arriving from Dantooine. In other words: A complete diplomatic disaster.

"Negotiations between the Corellian Jawa tribe and the migrant Dantooine Jawa tribe have completely devolved," the padawan spoke into her comm link, transmitting a message to an open Galactic Alliance network. "Proactive third-party intervention is now a necessity to insure the reduction of injury and collateral damage. Any available assistance would be greatly appreciated."

Saria let out a squeak as the scrap above her rattled from the impact of an Ion blaster round. This was getting bad. Ion rounds were generally non-lethal, but they still held the potential for serious injury. If these Jawas didn't stop now they'd all be out of commission by sundown, no doubt with innocent scrappers caught in the cross-fire. She had a duty to regain control of the situation and see that both parties could come to a peaceful alternative, but right now all of that was falling apart. How was she supposed to communicate a better solution to two parties that were already in pitch combat? That was just one of many things it seemed she was going to have to figure out as she learned to be a more effective diplomat.

All she could really do was hope that the assistance that came had the answer she needed.

 

[Shan Pavond]

"This is Padawan Shan Pavond, answering the request for support. I'm on my way. Will require potential translation once I land."

It didn't sound like there was going to be time for Shan to make a proper and dignified landing. If the sounds over the comms were accurate, it sounded like there was practically a war going on. It was a good thing he had been flying through this section of space. The Padawan had been looking for any rumours to help in his search for his mother, but this was more important to him. Helping out a fellow Padawan was of the upmost important, especially in a situation like this.

He was hoping that he could make an impressive entry, to try and at least stun the Jawa into holding fire a little bit. The Mirialan swooped in closer towards the location, pushing his interceptor to as fast as he could get it. There was a chance a stray ion bolt could hit him, but he was hoping that the shields of his interceptor would be able to last long enough...Potentially if it went down, they'd be able to use it as scrap to try and get the Jawa to leave. The Dantooine tribe was obviously looking for some kind of scrap for their people at the end of the day.

As soon as he started to get close to the location, Shan slowly started to bring the interceptor to a stop, forcing the cockpit open and feeling a rush of wind through his hair. Hopefully this would go well, he hadn't done anything like this before, but drastic measures called for drastic actions as the Mirialan waited for the opportunity, trying to keep himself close to the ground...before leaping out of his cockpit to try and land in the trench with Saria! Though he misjudged the timing ever so slightly, so instead of landing directly in the trench, the Padawan fell on the opposite side of one of the scrap walls with a thud and a roll to disperse some of the impact. Chit, that hurt more than he expected but he could still move. Hopefully his interceptor would be fine, but for now the Mirialan just grabbed onto the scrap wall to hop on over towards the trench.

"Well...Hello there. Can I have a quick brief on the situation? Why did the negotiations fail? Are you or anyone else hurt?"

Saria Rae

 

[Saria Rae]

Corellia
Tags: Shan Pavond

"Well...Hello there. Can I have a quick brief on the situation? Why did the negotiations fail? Are you or anyone else hurt?"

"Jeepers," Saria reacted with a jump, clutching her chest.

She hadn't expected an arrival so soon. The Mirialan had heard a response over the open channel, but she figured it would have been a bit longer at least. She stared down this Shan Pavond fellow. He was... familiar looking. That was strange. Saria was certain they had never met. The padawan lingered on it for a moment but ultimately shook the thought out of her head.

"Uh, no injuries currently," the girl informed. "The source of conflict is... unusual."

How was she even supposed to explain this?

"One tribe is migrating here from Dantooine," she explained. "They believe that they have a right to the scrap in this territory. The local Jawa tribe doesn't wish to allow them on their turf because... they dislike the scent of the other group. Contact with the local nerfs on Dantooine seems to have given them a unique odor that the Corellian group is apprehensive towards."

The girl gave a faint pout. It was probably the most ridiculous situation she had ever been in. None of her courses on diplomacy and negotiation had prepared her for anything like this. It was always based around conflicts of resource competition or social conflict between species, but never before had she encountered a disagreement fully dependent on the smell of another group. Saria had absolutely no idea how to tackle this situation.

"So... any suggestions?" Saria asked.

Maybe this Shan guy had an idea. He was older than her, at least by a few years. A little more experience could be the key to figuring this out.

 

[Shan Pavond]

You have got to be kidding him. This was all over smells? The Padawan sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he tried to come up with a possible idea for this. For now, the strange familiarity with Saria was in the back of his mind. He had to figure out how to deal with this situation. If they weren't looking for a diplomatic solution, Shan could have just used his lightsaber to deflect the Ion blasters until the Jawa got sick and tired of this feud but that was unlikely to happen. He kept his head down, trying to go over the different thoughts in his mind.

The Dantooine tribe believed they had a right here, yet they stunk which the Corellian tribe had disliked. The odour was something they disliked...Odour...Wait a second. The Mirialan's eyes lit up for a moment as he glanced over towards Saria for a moment. He had just came up with a plan. It may have been a ridiculous plan but it was still one that could potentially deal with their problem as he got ready to try and pop his head out to see the state of things before bringing his head back down.

"The smell is the problem, right? Specifically the Corellian Tribe, not liking the Dantooine one? Might have a relatively simple solution there then. I'd assume the Corellian tribe has bedding or cloths that use the local flora or fauna correct? If we can negotiate a deal between the two tribes to have the Corellian tribe give some of the bedding or cloth to the Dantooine tribe, so that they can start to get rid of the nerf scent. In exchange, the Dantooine tribe either pays with scrap or temporarily move to a different part of the planet, to let the odour fade. Do you think that's likely to work? You'll need to be the one who mentions the plan though. Whilst I'm sure they can understand basic, I don't think I'll be able to understand the Jawa. Don't worry, I'll have your back."

At that, Saria may notice a potentially familiar feeling as Shan focused on the Force, pulling at the ripples and waves to gently shore them up against Saria. Making a Force Barrier to help try and protect her from the Ion blasts. He could have always used his lightsaber for this situation, but he felt like if they wanted to settle this diplomatically, it was best not to start waving a weapon around.

Saria Rae

 

[Saria Rae]

Corellia
Tags: Shan Pavond

"Oh... Perhaps," Saria frowned, tapping on her temple as she though. "It could very well be possible that the scent is clinging to their clothing. I can parley with the tribes to see if they bite."

As Shan made a barrier to protect her while she made her way across the gap between the two groups, a look of confusion came to her face. It wasn't just some momentary familiarity that she had seen in the boy's face. He felt familiar too. Was she losing her mind? Everything in her memory told her that she had never met this other padawan before, but there was something there that drew out a memory in her.

Bizarre.

Regardless, they had work to do. She'd set off towards the Corellian tribe, making sure to glance back and check on her fellow Mirialan companion periodically, just to make sure that the boy wasn't straining himself. Maintaining a barrier, even a small one, took a great deal of focus after all.

Before long they had arrived at the side of the local Corellian Jawas, who were held out in the shell of an old LAAT gunship. Saria would give it's side a knock, drawing the attention of the hooded scavengers within.

"We believe we have a non violent solution to your problem," the girl relayed. "The scent may very well be on their clothing. Perhaps if you could provide spare robes, the odor may cease to be a factor. If the other tribe is willing to exchange goods for new clothing and some territory to scavenge it may very well resolve your conflict."

The hooded scavengers would turn and chitter amongst themselves before turning back to Saria, spouting out what Shan would perceive as gibberish. The girl would turn back with a smile on her face.

"They're open to the solution," Saria informed him. "That's one side taken care of."

 

[Shan Pavond]

There were already a few beads of sweat falling down the Mirialan's brow as he tried to keep the barrier up around his fellow Mirialan and Padawan. Protecting others was what he did. It was why he wanted to become a Jedi. And it's what he was going to push himself to do no matter what. Every day, the Padawan had been pushing himself more and more, and he didn't have any plans on stopping.

It was even harder for him, since they were on the move as well. So whilst Saria didn't have to worry about getting hit by the ion blasts too much, Shan still had to focus on dodging and ducking under the blasts as they got closer towards the Jawa. The Corellian tribe was more than likely going to be the easier ones to persuade but that didn't mean it was going to be easy. He would just need to focus on protecting Saria as much as he could...but there was something that felt strange. Protecting Saria felt more natural to him than he would have expected but he couldn't put his finger on it. It was different to just protecting another person. Maybe it was just because she was a fellow Mirialan like himself...

There was a huge sigh of relief that escaped the Padawan's lips once he heard the Corellian Jawa tribe agreed to the plan. Who knows, maybe this plan could also cause the two tribes to interconnect more and form a much larger tribe. A United Tribe of Jawa perhaps. The UTJ. No. No. That thought was ridiculous. He shook his head afterwards, just giving a small chuckle as he prepared to try and help Saria get to the other side now. There was going to be a lot more distance for the pair of them to move, but at the least it would be easier for him to dodge now, since the Jawa behind them won't be firing away.

"I'm ready to go when you are. Just...be careful, alright? I'm starting to get a bit tired. I should be fine but if I start to fall behind, keep moving. We're close to being able to solve this issue. And then you'll be able to get congratulated for a job well done."

Shan gave his fellow Mirialan a small pat on the back, even as he had more beads of sweat falling down his face. He was starting to look more and more pale the longer he was holding the barrier. He was used to doing the Barrier quite a bit, but for short periods of times. This was much longer than he had ever done it before but it was worth it. He felt satisfied. Though he would refuse to actually say it to Saria, Shan knew he was probably going to collapse before they managed to get the other side, but he'd keep going for as long as he could.

Saria Rae

 

[Saria Rae]

Corellia
Tags: Shan Pavond

"Are... you okay?" she asked very suddenly upon seeing the boy grow pale. "You seem to be growing a little... pale."

That wouldn't do at all. Saria knew all to well the stress that came with maintaining force abilities over long stretches of time. The other Mirialan was over exerting themselves. She tried to give a reassuring smile before picking up a large sheet of scrap metal to use as a shield, holding it up to protect the both of them from incoming Ion bolts.

"Take it easy," the girl ordered, compassionately but rather firmly. "I can't have you passing out on me. I'm certainly not an effective healer at all."

Hopefully Shan would relent. Whenever he did, Saria would continue across the middle to the other side in order to negotiate with the Dantooine Jawas.

 

[Shan Pavond]

"I'll be fine...I've been through worse. Just don't worry about me. I promise you. You don't really think I'll let a little bit of exhaustion get the better of me, do you?"

Shan gave a half hearted smile afterwards, watching as Saria went to pick up the scrap metal for the pair of them to use as a shield. It wasn't exactly what he wanted, since Shan wanted to just keep protecting his fellow Mirialan with his barrier. But from the looks of it, she wasn't going to start moving unless he let the barrier drop, so with a small sigh, the Padawan let the strain and stress of holding the barrier fall apart, taking in a deep breath afterwards, though he kept the poor excuse of a smile on his face.

"Come on. You might not be an effective healer, but I am. I know my limits."

Which is why he knew he'd have collapsed eventually. It just wasn't something he'd admit. It was just another sign to him that he needed to get better. He needed to do more practice and throw himself into his training more effectively. He needed to be able to hold his barriers for longer, but for now, he just had to focus on moving behind Saria and not falling over.

Saria Rae

 

[Saria Rae]

Corellia
Tags: Shan Pavond

"Come on. You might not be an effective healer, but I am. I know my limits."

"Than don't be so eager to sacrifice yourself," Saria pouted, putting her free hand on her hip. "There's always a road to take with minimal injury."

After a moment of intensity she did at least give a slight giggle. You'd think a healer would understand as much. Medics were more valuable in the field fully in-tact than passed out, but he seemed fully ready to pass out protecting her from non-lethal rounds. She could at least respect his drive and compassion. That was the makings of a truly great Jedi. All he needed was to be imparted with a little strategy.

"Come on then," she continued, pushing forward. "We've got work to do."

With some strategic words and a bit of luck they could very well see this conflict put to rest.

 

[Shan Pavond]

Don't be so eager to sacrifice himself...Heh. That was a piece of advice that Shan would always struggle to listen to. He was always looking at how he could protect others, as opposed to protecting himself. It was hard for the Mirialan to put himself first before someone else's safety.

"Come on then. Let's get going. I'll be right behind you."

The Padawan broke into a wide grin as he still refused to take his saber off its belt. Whilst it would make him feel a lot more safer and make it so that he could protect them both easier. But even if he wasn't a diplomat, Shan knew that having a weapon out wouldn't exactly make you look friendly to the people you were trying to convince. So for now, he just stayed behind Saria, focusing on his breathing whilst letting his mind wander ever so slightly. He could afford to do that right now, in his opinion.

He couldn't quite figure out why Saria seemed so familiar to him. Shan was sure that he hadn't seen her around the temple that much, maybe once or twice but this familiarity felt like something more than that...but what was it? He couldn't put his finger on it. Maybe he'd ask about her when they got back to the temple on Coruscant.

Saria Rae

 

[Saria Rae]

Corellia
Tags: Shan Pavond

"Come on then. Let's get going. I'll be right behind you."

Come on then? Hadn't she just said that? Weird. They spoke in such a familiar manner too, but not like in a manner she had ever heard before. It was almost instinctual, like nature rather than nurture.

She brushed this off and kept moving, pressing through to the Dantooine Jawas, whom had taken shelter behind a downed. AT-TE. Very quickly she relayed what the other tribe had said, and slowly but surely the firing stopped. The Jawas began conversating, and eventually a sigh of relief escaped from the young Mirialan.

"They've agreed," she told Shan. "I think they're gonna stop fighting now."

 

[Shan Pavond]

Shan hurried off after his fellow Mirialan, panting carefully as he wiped his forehead with his sleeve. Trying to make sure that he wasn't too out of breath as they managed to reach the fallen AT-TE, and the Padawan just fell down to his knees to try and recover his breath whilst Saria talked to the Jawa. He just rested his back down on the ground to stare up the sky.

Though he raised his eyebrows as Saria gave a sigh of relief and sat up a little bit, breaking out into a grin at the news that the Jawa was willing to agree to stop fighting and he gave a thumbs up at that before laying himself back down to stare back up at the sky.

"That's good. I can lay back and take a small nap now then..."

Saria Rae

 

[Saria Rae]

Corellia
Tags: Shan Pavond

"Oh jeepers," Saria sighed, rushing to the fallen Padawan's side.

He still had a pulse. That was good. The young diplomat would call her vessel, carefully hoisting the unconscious Shan into the secondary navigator seat of the Epo. His own interceptor followed, piloted by an astromech. She gave it instructions to return to the temple before climbing into her own.

They'd have a conversation about proper decision-making whenever they returned to the Jedi Temple.

And hopefully she could figure out what was so familiar about him.

Exit​