Devils Got You Beat

[Arage Bao]

​

HUMBARINE​

INSTALLATION 09​

Change happens fast in the grand scheme of things.

The lead-up itself? It can take years upon years of planning, but the actual change? Over within a single breath. Relatively speaking anyway. There had always been grumbling on Humbarine about this or that. Almighty corporate interests controlling the lives of their citizenship. Politicians running with minimum support, but winning because of core constituencies. The middle class slowly dying out while nobody was watching. Tension always rose during those times. It only took a single spark to set it all on fire. The revelation that Ella Nova was a Lord of the Sith, bend on subverting the New Republic and manipulating Humbarine itself?

That was that spark.

After her disappearance from civilized space chaos reigned on Humbarine.

Who was there to trust? Which individuals on the government were plants of Nova? Which leader should be followed? The military received dozens of orders from a dozen different directions all at once. There should have been protocol to dictate these sort of things. But protocol had not considered forcer interference. Foolish maybe. The Jedi and the Sith had been known quantities since before the rise of the old Republic.

But here they were.

Leaderless, rudderless and every step they took would lead to the death of thousands. After all, every leader's orders were the same (if not in target, than at least in terminology). Arrest these, execute those, imprison and subvert and destroy and you shall be rewarded beyond your wildest dreams.

A cadre of upper-echelon officers came together in that moment. Always a dangerous prospect. The politicians should have been afraid, then. They deliberated. Argued. Heated words exchanged in moments of emotion. In the end -- emotions aside -- it was clear to them. This was not a situation that could be salvaged. Not by picking one of those leaders. Who was Nova's, who was corrupt? Always the same concerns at the back of their head. Instead... they picked the third option. Once those deliberations ran their course, the actual change was affected quickly.

Suddenly.

The change rippled through the ranks of the military. Sides were picked, people fell to infighting, blood ran through the streets. Until the next morning a new order was established.

The Government of Humbarine had fallen. There was still battle in the streets, still insurrection, pockets of resistance and loyalists. But the military was in nominal control now. For true change to take hold, they needed to act fast.

Lord Admiral Bao (she was still getting used to the title) stood on the landing platform of Installation 09. In the recent past it had been a fortress, partially build into a mountain side, for covert military purposes. Equal part of it was a hide-away for leaders of the world, if Humbarine was ever put under siege. It was one of the few locations that the military junta could completely lock-down in a moment's notice.

This is where Bao had invited the representatives of the New Republic.

To explain to them what had happened on Humbarine, potentially soothe any concerns they might have and to reaffirm the commitment of the world to Republic.

They would have to be arriving relatively soon... it should be interesting.

 

[Alexandra Feanor]

Alexandra had been unable to be on the planet when everything had gone wrong and the world around these people had gone to hell. It was a disappointing fact that she acknowledged and wondered about as to if things would be better or worse in the future for the world.

While she was no politician, she gravitated and joined those who were during times like this both as a body guard and as an advisor. Recently even shying away from so much as mentioning her affliation with the Jedi and instead labeling herself as nothing more than an advisor for situations like this where things had become quite unsafe and they were uncertain the stability of this planet.

Alexandra sighed as she stepped off the ship, looking down the side of the mountain that the landing platform rested on and seeing how far of a drop it was. She wasn't one to be afraid of heights but she did keep an eye on what problems could arise with how dangerous of a planet Humbarine had become the last few weeks prior to their re-invitation to the planet and a thought made her glance back to where there were those waiting for the Republic officials to disembark. She was unsure about those soldiers that had greeted them and searched for something more to tell her about them, her eyes turning on the Lord Admiral now and thinking.

It was only then that Alexandra's body started moving towards the woman who had invited the republic here and with simple soft steps she came to stand infront of the woman. Alexandra was not dressed like a Jedi, instead wearing a leather jacket, wide brimmed hat and simple trousers. The shift she wore under the jacket was an equally simple buttonup, showing small signs of grease and oil from the droids, ships, and vehicles she found herself working on.

As for anything resembling a weapon, there was but a rod she wore at her side next to a far more recognizable sidearm, obscured by the holster and making it hard to see if it was a blaster of slugthrower. She had no sabers, nor the spear she favored, atleast not that were out in the open and if they were there, they were likely in the messenger bag she carried on her shoulder.

"Hello, my name is Alexandra Feanor. I am a Historian and an advisor to Republic Officials... they should be exiting promptly, I took a bit less time leaving the ship." She stood and extended a hand to the woman, keeping her back straight and eyes forward, giving the woman respect and focus, showing no signs of an opinion quite yet.

[member="Arage Bao"]

 

[Raona Cadera]

Humbraine. It was an industrial world much like her own, though she guessed it would have been more appropriate to say it was more similar to Coruscant than the beaten and battered world of Corellia. She'd been watching the situation unfold on the world carefully, interested in what would become of the planet. It was a core world with core mentalities, core world wealth, and core world influence. While the VC would no doubt prove to be less passive than the previous holder anyone that would sympathize with Corellia's reasoning for increased autonomy in the New Republic was someone worth looking into.

And look into Admiral Bao she did. Wel, Lord Admiral Bao now she supposed.

She adjusted the black coat on her shoulders, making sure that her Quarth House symbol was displayed prominently on her right breast. She stepped down the boarding ramp to join Alexandra and the newly appointed Lord Admiral. She always found it strange that the woman continued to follow the senators around. She fancied herself some sort of "Adviser". She on the other hand thought the woman simply liked to feel important. A Jedi's place was in a temple nose deep in some ancient text or on some far flung backwater helping the "less fortunate". Especially the Grand Master. Not hosting political events and running around campaigning for office. She had thought the New Republic had laws to stop such things, but she guessed it, like most laws, seemed to not apply to Jedi.

She plastered her best "happy to see you face" on and gave a brief smile to Alexandra before waiting to introduce herself to the Admiral.

[member="Alexandra Feanor"] [member="Arage Bao"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Alexandra Feanor"] | [member="Lisza Starseeker"]

Arage Bao looked impassively as the New Republic representatives disembarked from the shuttle.

Quietly information flooded into her ear-feed.

A Jedi came out first. That was a bold statement from the New Republic. They had heard of the anti-forcer sentiment slowly running through the Humbarine society. It couldn't have gone any other way. Not when it was suddenly revealed that a Sith had secretly been their Senator. Gaining her position through manipulation. Duplicity. The fact that there was a difference between Sith and Jedi... mattered. But only up to a point. What was the real difference for the regular Han walking down the street? It was all magic, after all. All impossible. Unnatural even. The statement from the New Republic could mean a manner of things. Perhaps it suggested they were still supportive of the Jedi Order and would not attempt to soften that.

Maybe it was a threat- or a provocation.

Or perhaps it was simply the best they could spare at such short notice. "Miss Feanor, welcome to Humbarine." Arage did not address her with Master. After all, Faenor had not introduced herself as a Jedi and as such that information remained in the shadowy parts of their interaction. The handshake was brief, but firm and strict. No blustering or trying to crush her hand. Professional. It told Faenor all she needed to know for that short amount of time.

The Lord Admiral Bao did not bluster.

A glance to the side, noting the alien. The feed murmured further- Lisza Starseeker, a politician of the Corellian Confederate. By all accounts a woman of expert diplomacy. "And welcome to the Corellian Confederation as well, miss Starseeker."

There Bao revealed a smidgen of knowledge.

She had done her homework, signaling that she had no interest in playing games of intrigue here.

"Installation Zero-Nine is secure and fortified, your safety is guaranteed. Inside are refreshments, if required, before we can get to the matter at hand." She'd indicate for them to follow her.

 

[Harley Fenstermacher]

Fallout, it came in many forms and had many different outcomes, it could be small it could be large but one thing was for sure it was never good and in the case of Humbarine is was down right deadly. It seemed that once again just as history had shown having some secret Sith Lords as member of some republic that housed Jedi lead to disaster. He wondered what else could have happened had Solomon not outed the senators real idetnly during that meeting on Alderan.

Regardless what happened had happened, the only things the Republic could do now was retain order and set up a proper government on the war ridden world. Even if the military had done a decent job of maintaining law and order they were not politicians, such an organization could only keep things going for so long which was why such a meetings needed to take place ASAP. Not just for the people but for production, much like the planet he presided over this place was an industrial planet, having it stop for too long would harm the economy of the republic.

As such made sense for him to be here as one of the republics more well known senators and a business man, himself stepping off the transport along with the 'dressed up', [member="Alexandra Feanor"] and [member="Lisza Starseeker"]. Dressed in the usual white suit and grey pants he always wore, smart practical and comfortable, attire for any occasion as he would say if asked.

He followed behind the other two as they introduced themselves, the women [member="Arage Bao"] as he had learn greeting the them first before activating some sort of security protocol. They were certainly not taking any chances this time around, but that was the military for you, strict and protective, maybe a bit to much at times, not that it bothered him. As the first two women walked away he approached the admiral, giving a small bow, "Greetings I am Harley Fenstermacher, senator of Balmorra, it is a pleasure to be here, even in such circumstances".