All War is Deception

[Eleric Hejaran]

All war is deception. Politics never played a major role in Sano's life, but it determined everything in the galaxy. Who would stand on the top, how cities would be run, which military would reign supreme in any given engagement. It was a complex machine, but it was a necessary evil for the facilitation of law and order, or at least that is what imperial propaganda would lead you to believe.

Sano blended in with the Atrisian populace well. He knew the lay of the land, having served previously as the Coruscanti Embassy's security attache, and his appearance was similar, if not identical to the locals. Now though, he wasn't here in an 'official' capacity. He was here simply to live, to observe and report.

He'd only been gone from the planet no more than a couple years, but the atmosphere had changed significantly. Atrisia hadn't born witness to the brunt of the conflict, Frisal had shouldered that burden. However, the banners of Atrisia no longer fluttered in the breeze from Xiaolong Palace. The crimson banners of the First Order, reminding the Atrisian people of their vicegrip on the system. Reports were hardly credible and appeared to be little more than rumors. Some had said that stormtroopers killed the Prince, and to maintain peace they replaced him with a more compliant body double. Others had said that the Prince surrendered unconditionally, anything to spare the lives of his people. Sano didn't know what to believe, but he intended to find out.

This type of observe and report fieldwork was a different type of operation. It didn't require violence of any accord, nor did it require inciting violence or placing himself in imminent danger. Instead, it was simply to camouflage one's self and be social, find out how the streets perceived things. The local cuisine was a bonus.

 

[Sor-Jan Xantha]

To be completely frank, the noodles were really better on the Sarnoi side of the coast.

Xam'Chi had a tourist problem. That is, the city had become a total tourist trap. And the quality of the cuisine had definitely suffered as a result. That, and the prices. Seriously.

The young cyborg had a small box of porg lo mein, sitting on one end of a dock that jutted out into the Bay of Xiaolang. He was seated atop the railing, legs dangling out over the ocean as the boy looked out to the colorful junks and sail barges that were passing through the bay. A pair of thin chopsticks were held in his right hand, as the boy slurped the noodles from out of the iconic white box.

This was different from what he remembered.

...at least, he thought it was different from what he remembered. Except he couldn't remember why he'd think that. He just had an impression that Xam'Chi had been this sleepy little hamlet. The kind of place with really good good and some really cheap rents. Jar'Kai had been the tourist trap then.

Except, Jar'Kai was a hole in the ground. Literally.

...when had that happened?

He knew when it had happened. The Galactic Alliance had battled with a bunch of Sith Lords from the One Sith, during which Jar'Kai had been devastated in the attack. But why didn't he remember the experience of those events?

All of those was starting to give him a headache.

In any case, if someone was trying to soak in some of the local cuisine, they ought to take the sail barge over to Sarnoi. Much better noodles. And for half the cost.

​

[member="Sano White"]​

 

[Eleric Hejaran]

The banners of the First Order flew from Xiaolang Palace the seat of the ruling family. Part of it sickened him. Atrisia was a beautiful land with a rich culture. Part of him felt no sympathy. Those who are unable to procure their own security deserve whatever they have coming. It is one of the reasons he had come to respect the Coruscant First movement - they didn't claim to be the strongest, nor did they seek to expand their domain beyond their purview. They simply wanted to secure and protect their own interests on their own world. Perfectly understandable.

Sano continued to stroll down the beaten path, hands in his pockets. While his head generally stuck low, his gaze was on a swivel. Before long, a crowd started massing outside a shop with a television facing outside. Sano followed suit, but stayed close to the rear. He didn't want to find himself stuck between countless bodies. One started making its way out. It seemed a tedious task, and it wouldn't end for them as they reached the end. Grabbing him by the arm, Sano spoke in fluent Atrisian.

"What is happening here?"

The man gave Sano a brief glare before offering a customary bow. "First Order state media is announcing the planetary governor for the Commonwealth soon. If that's all?"

Sano released his hold on the man's arm. With Crown Prince Shoma rolling over as easy as he did, Sano thought that he might be allowed to retain his place, only under the subordination of the Moff Council. Xiaolang Palace, however majestic it remained, couldn't help but feel gloomier, as the prospective days of Atrisia's future too appeared.

The immediate neighborhood appeared quiet, aside from the television rush. Bad intel can cost lives - fortunately in this circumstance, it only wasted time. Continuing his stroll, he made observations and recorded them mentally as they came to be. To the port Sano would go, and from there he would go to his secondary scouting point - Sarnoi. He boarded the barge, seated in the typical economy seats. He would normally opt for first class, but he wanted to be with the people on this one. Chatter, grumbling, as well as the view from his window seat would be more useful than a comfy seat.

[member="Tao Liu Xian"]​

 

[Sor-Jan Xantha]

The fresh air and the salt spray were both oddly relaxing.

Familiar. Though he couldn't have said just why he thought of them as such.

The boy was on the side of the sailbarge that was cutting across the Port of Xiaolang, bound for the Port of Sarnoi on the other side of the historic bay. The banners of the Atrisian Commonwealth were still visible, now hanging side-by-side with those of the First Order. All over the news, Prince Shoma had been appearing with someone that the media kept referring to as the Grand Moff. A woman who seemed to smile and shake hands in holo-images.

Reconstruction and medical aid was being provided to Frisal, following what was described as a terrorist incident there.

It all smacked of propaganda, but it seemed the narrative that the government wanted to go forward with. Hand-in-hand with the First Order. Cooperation today for security and prosperity for tomorrow.

It didn't seem like any of those things.

Least of all security. If anything, it felt as though Atrisia was perhaps more vulnerable now than any time since the Galactic Alliance had shown up. And then declared Atrisia one of their member worlds after just 6 billion Atrisian deaths planet-wide.

[member="Sano White"]​

 

[Eleric Hejaran]

As the barge sailed to Sarnoi, his gaze floated out the viewport. Atrisia seemed no less busy after the forcible annexation of the planet. If anything, Sano noticed more passenger vessels. Perhaps some sought to escape the return of totalitarian rule? Maybe it was the opposite, with some returning to join the next best thing to the Atrisian Empire - Atrisia under the First Order.

As the vessel neared it's destination, Sano rose to utilize the lavatory. He didn't need to go, but rather to see who'd been accompanying him on this brief journey. A number of younger children, though Sano had noticed that too from his assignment to the Coruscanti Embassy on Atrisia. The crime rate on the planet was nothing compared to that which could be found on Coruscant, and the youth's independence in public proved that. There was one boy though, who appeared remarkably well-composed, if not just calm. Sano took a mental note before closing the door behind him. Inside, he did his checks - sending his reports, making sure his weapons were still there, and that his holographic projector was on stand by.

Only minutes later did he reemerge, and the vessel was already preparing to dock. It seemed a waste to return to his seat, but that is what any normal person would have been required to do, so that is what he did.

"Welcome to Sarnoi.", an attendant said over the intercom. As always, the mad dash to the door to be the first one off. Sano wasn't keen on joining the mob, so he sat contently in his seat continuing to watch out the viewport, intermittently checking the crowd as it passed him. As the crowd began to disperse, Sano joined the tail end.

Immediately after disembarking, he could sense the difference in atmosphere in Sarnoi. The air felt cleaner, and would have tasted similar had it not been for the rich smells from the nearby marketplace. He clutched his stomach, sensing the growing hunger. No, he couldn't be distracted. But any local who was hungry would simply stop - and he was playing an Atrisian right now. Plus, there could be a valuable intel opportunity which might arise as a result of his break.

So it was decided - Lam's Artisan Atrisian. Seats on the street, bar-like atmosphere, television on the inside? Certainly Lam's could be considered a strategic eat.

[member="Tao Liu Xian"]​