I serve at the pleasure of the Prime Minister...

[Cecily Demici]

Cecily had just left her conference with her caucus of Senators, escorted at a brisk step by her body guards. Ruby, who was always at her right, was a tall, thin, stern looking blonde with bright blue eyes that could pierce the soul. Felicity was just a beautiful as her counterpart, but she was shorter and more round than any of Cecily's other attendants. Both struggled to keep up with Cecily's brisk steps as she hurried to the office of the Prime Minister.

It was not long before they came to the impressive foyer that guarded the hallowed office of their chief executive. She straightened out her skirts as she waited for Ruby and Felicity to gain the ground she had left between them before gesturing sharply that they should wait for her here, which they did dutifully.

"Is the Prime Minister available?" Cecily said to Gen's secretary, who would no doubt scurry off to check before allowing her to enter.

[member="Geneviève Lasedri"]

 

[Geneviève Lasedri]

"That depends on how you'd like to define 'available'," the secretary responded. "Ever spoken with her before?"

Smirking like she knew exactly what the routine was going to be, the woman opened the comm line to request permitted visit of Senator [member="Cecily de Demici"]. "Right. Sure," was the enthusiastically lackluster reply. The secretary said nothing to follow, but pursed her lips and simply gestured for the hometown senator to proceed into the PM's office.

The Republic's leader sat up in her chair, hands folded on the desktop before her. That hat that seemed to perpetually crown her head in public appearances rested on a hatstand nearby and within arm's reach of the raven-haired woman. She lifted her left arm to check an imaginary timepiece. "You're a little late, I think."

Keep them on their toes. That was always her philosophy.

 

[Cecily Demici]

Cecily swept into the room with nothing more than a curt nod to the secretary. She lingered near the entrance of the office until the Prime Minister acknowledged her in her ever-so-sunny way. The two political power-houses had not always seen eye to eye, despite their relatively similar political alignment. Regardless, Cecily continued to openly support Genevieve's Government and held a measure of respect for the young woman.

Still, with a cocked brow and a click of her tongue in a rather disapproving manner, she proceeded farther into the office stopping just behind one of the chairs that flanked Gen's desk.

"Am I?" She feigned searching for a flock around the room.

"Hm," she tisked dismissively and swept around the chair to take her seat, "we have something of relative importance to discuss, though I'm sure you've heard, I was approached recently regarding a potential alliance from a rather unlikely organization." Cecily checked the hem of her skirts absently before returning her piercing blue gaze to the Prime Minister.

"Sempra, Supreme Mogul of the Hutt Cartel has proposed a treaty of mutual defense against the One Sith," Cecily had learned that being blunt was the only way to address Gen, no use beating around the bush with such a straight shooting woman.

[member="Geneviève Lasedri"]

 

[Geneviève Lasedri]

Geneviève raised an eyebrow at Cecily's charade, sarcasm broadcasting quite loudly and clearly. "I'm just surprised our hometown senator hasn't sought me out earlier, is all." Special interests, special interests...

"Anyway..." Lasedri rolled her shoulders in emphasis of her pause as she digested all that was being presented before her. A treaty with the Hutts? Was the Republic in such a state of cowering now, that it must acknowledge the sovereignty of slaver states? "No, I can't say I was all too aware of these plans. I'd heard rumors, but this is the first direct report I've been given.

"Though, now it begs the question: why are we even giving the Hutts the time of day? Or do you perceive something beyond my radar?" The Prime Minister folded her arms underneath her chest and gazed upon the blonde with her artificially symmetrical brown eyes. She did not expect today's guest to know, but, back in her time, Gen had been a member of the zealous Galactic Liberation Collective--an organization abolitionist to the core. Slavers and the native Chandrilan did not mix well.

[member="Cecily de Demici"]

 

[Cecily Demici]

"You're losing your touch, Prime Minister," she teased with a smirk, as Gen admitted she had yet to hear of the Hutt proposal, "didn't you have one of your pets appointed to GRIM?"

Cecily was not particularly fond of Senator Balor-Organa, they had very different mandates in the Senate and their relationship, at least professionally, was a strained one. Similarly to the relationship Gen and Cecily shared, though in their case Cecily rather vehemently supported the Prime Minister's government. She could be a holy terror, but she was loyal.

"Well," she began and heaved a sigh as she recalled her encounter with Sempra, "it was Sempra who approached me about lending us their support in the effort against the One Sith, a... mutual defense treaty between the two of us. It gave me the idea to begin expanding our rather diminutive list of allies and the Hutt may be small now, but they have a substantial fleet." This was no lie, the Hutt Cartel was incredibly wealthy and protected their trove jealously with a massive defense force.

"and yes, we are that desperate," she could see the question behind the Prime Minister's eyes, though Cecily knew she would be loathe to admit it, "or have you already forgotten Telti?" Her tone was not harsh now, but gentle, a heartfelt appeal. The one thing upon which these two agreed was that the defeat of the Sith was imperative.

"I've already drawn up some preliminary terms for your approval," she said, sliding a data pad across to the Prime Minister, being careful to point out the line that gave her the power to nullify the treaty, "I figured you'd want that."

[member="Geneviève Lasedri"]

 

[Geneviève Lasedri]

Losing her touch? Perhaps she simply chose to not kiss and tell. "Or I could be lying to you, Senator." An honestly arrogant sort of simper visited her face for a moment. The Hutt proposal did not help the smirk to last long, however.

"If they approached us first, that should say something. In this case, we have every gram of leverage to eliminate trafficking in as many territories as possible." Or I can ask the Alliance to take care of the dirty laundry. It did pay to be the founder of a little Rebellion--especially when that little Rebellion had grown into a rather sizable one. Proxy wars. She had been thinking on those for quite some time now. Maybe there was a way to make this Hutt treaty turn Hutt space into a Republic playground.

But those thoughts were not to be given away to her guest. Not at this time, anyway. Never show your full hand until you play. "I'm not sure we're desperate enough yet. I'm not desperate enough." She sniffed as she read the provision for her to terminate the treaty--essentially on whim, provided no one initiated any of these mutually defensive processes. "So what makes you think I won't scrap this as soon as it reaches my desk? And--trust me--I might."

Losing her touch? Right.

[member="Cecily de Demici"]

 

[Cecily Demici]

Cecily smirked at the Prime Minister's response. She admittedly admired the woman's tenacity and for that reason Gen was afforded her respect. "Because you would already have prepared a counter proposal, " she said knowingly, though she was only making an educated guess.

Cecily too had access to intelligence forces in the form of the Onderon Secret Police. The profile maintained on Gen detailed her almost insatiable need to be in control and her socialist tendencies. Neither were traits Cecily found entirely disagreeable.

"Because you know we stand to gain too much to turn down the opportunity to gain a measure of political influence on the Cartel," she strummed her fingers casually on the corner of the Prime Ministers desk and smiled, "Sempra wants to maintain independence and he knows aligning with the Sith will all but ensure that wont be a reality, but they could not stand against the One Sith on their own. We are the key to ensuring they are protected and in turn they will supplement our efforts." The Sith were not known for their tolerance of independence and they were slowly making gains on the Republic. Once they had finished with the Republic, theeye of war would turn to the Mandalorians and of course the Cartel for further gain. They all had a vested interest in this alliance.

"and like you said, this provides us with the opportunity we have sought for years, to curb criminal trafficking and inspire the Cartel toward a more free and equal society," Cecily clearly had already identified the advantages of this alliance, "are we not the guardians of liberty? And does that not mean we are bound by the obligation to further its cause?"

 

[Geneviève Lasedri]

"The frak should we 'supplement' ourselves on gang assets. You give them a little respect and they'll take you for a frakking ride." Her sailor's mouth was apparently well-tuned this afternoon. To be completely honest with herself, Geneviève was not certain of any stance on this treaty being presented. But she was going to grind Cecily over every last jot of ink to see if this paper held any more weight to it than simple pulp print. It was pretty easy to judge someone's intent this way. Conversely, it was very difficult to earn allies this way. But Lasedri had never been one to care much about social popularity.

She continued on her impassioned monologue, trying to dig underneath de Demici's skin and provoke a verbal misstep. "Why don't we just invite the Sith to the damn party? Hand over the frakking Jedi and be done with this. They deal in slavery too, you know? We're going to sell our souls? Well, I say go big or go home." The Prime Minister's brown eyes gazed into the senator's for a moment to read her expectantly undignified expression.

But, in contrast to her admonishment and exaggerated political comparisons, Gen's next question was one she really meant when she said it. "I've got to draw a line somewhere, Senator. Where am I supposed to draw the line?" It was the question of the century.

[member="Cecily de Demici"]

 

[Cecily Demici]

"Prime Minister, as we speak, your opponents in the Senate are attempting to organize," Cecily had kept this card in her back pocket for fear it would seem like a threat, but she felt now was the time to play it. She had supported Gen's government for quite some time and would continue to do so no matter how this treaty turned out, but she hoped it would go in her favor.

"There are those who look for a scape goat for the turn of the tide in the war, and you are the eligible candidate upon whom they wish to unleash their fury," she strummed her fingers again a few times to let the point sink in, "you know very well that I would join with the Primeval is it meant destroying the Sith. That is not an option, however, the Hutt are. The line needs to be drawn at the Sith until they are defeated, we can sort out the rabble afterwards."

[member="Geneviève Lasedri"]

 

[Geneviève Lasedri]

She was aware, and while a bit bothered by the apparent coup attempt, she was not in the least surprised. Her detractors were many, mostly due to her shrew-like personality or 'warmongering'--ironically, considering that the Republic was at war whether its people wished it to be or not. "And your stance? Am I in your way as well?" she inquired, hardly beating around the bush. She was willing to call it.

"You weave a tangled web of alliances when you start crossing alignments. What if the Mandalorian clans or our Silver friends to the southeast disapprove of this partnership and withdraw their own cooperative agreements with us? This is a multifaceted and a very delicate toy you're playing with." Gen wanted answers. And she wanted action.

The fact that Cecily had come to her spoke volumes as it was. The blonde seemed like a woman of action. Whether the Prime Minister agreed with her on all accounts mattered little when all she could ask for was some initiative. But answers--she required those before anything passed her desk. "What do you expect from me, Demici?"

[member="Cecily de Demici"]

 

[Cecily Demici]

"You know better than that, Genevieve," Cecily admonished when asked if she too were standing against the Prime Minister in this hopeless coup attempt being roused up among the lesser known Senators. She agreed with some of what they had to say, but she would hardly favor an administration shake-up in the middle of the war. This wasn't the One Sith where emperors came and went with the change of the tides.

"We are all endangered by the Sith, Prime Minister," she leaned forward now and slammed her hand on the desk to emphasize her point, "do you think the Sith sit around in committee and argue about whom to assault next? Do you think they discriminate in their ever growing lust for domination? Hutt, Mandalorian, the Republic, they could care less, they will destroy as all if we let such petty, insignificant squabbles stand in our way."

"Either this Galaxy stands together...as it once did...or we will fall like dominoes to the oncoming storm that is the Sith," she drew close and her voice was dangerously soft, almost a whisper, before leaning back in her chair again.

"Let me worry about this alliance and that," Cecily was in deep thought now, the chess pieces were moving in her head as she planned her next move, "let us form a Grand Alliance... the Cartel, the Mandalorian Clans, the Silver Jedi, the Vitae Alliance... let us unite them all, if only for a time, to ensure the eradication of the Sith plague. Surely, that is a noble enough cause to set aside our differences. Let us worry about political opinions when they have been dealt with."

"Hear what the Hutts have to say, it is all I ask," she implored at last.

[member="Geneviève Lasedri"]

 

[Geneviève Lasedri]

I know better than that? Please. This is politics. And Gen essentially trusted no one absolutely, politics or not.

"Yes, we're all in danger. And I don't think our allies will appreciate having to watch their backs if we let the Hutts walk right on in. There are limitations to everything, and pulling one string here might unravel another on the other side." The brunette sighed, sitting back a little and shooting a condescending glance at the blonde's suddenly violent hand. That was a lot more passion than she expected from most senators. Cecily appeared to be someone who could exert some leadership--yet also struck the Prime Minister as a potentially loose cannon. 'The Hammer', one had called her.

"So, what's your plan to keep everything in line? Grand Alliance sounds great in theory, but we're dealing with some cultures who--shall we say?--left the Republic to burn?" The Silver Jedi and Vitae faction had a core group that had once been part of the Republic's own structure. It was difficult to duly trust them so, but it had been about eight years since much of that commotion. But Cecily did not appear to be one who let sleeping dogs lie. Maybe she could be a spark to ignite the Senate and eliminate its tepidity.

"I'm going to maintain our infiltration operations within Hutt territory--though you are, of course, expected to keep that information to yourself. I give you no promises, and you can't change my mind about trusting them. But the rest of this... I'm leaving in your hands for now, Senator Demici," Lasedri declared resignedly, then changed her demeanor. "Correction: Minister Demici.

"Don't frak up."

[member="Cecily de Demici"]

 

[Cecily Demici]

"The Mandalorians are a shrewd people, but they are governed by tradition, a tradition of autonomy, any threat to that and they will rise up in arms against it, we must reaffirm their collect loyalty before extending our reach to a united front," she was playing chess again, any deal made to Mandalore would need to be one that mutually and independently benefits each individual clan while also uniting them under the common cause, "my intelligence tells me that the Silver Jedi Order is currently fighting their own front against a collect of Sith.. perhaps that will sway them to a stronger alliance. The Vitae's highest calling is to stop the slaughter of innocents, they shall not be hard to sway, but they abhor slavery."

"I think perhaps Sempra can be persuaded to suspend his slave activities, if only in the public eye, though of course we will encourage permanent suspension of such endeavors," she was being hopefuly, but Sempra had come to heed her advice rather readily in his pursuit of an alliance, "hmm I shall travel first to the Mandalorians and propose a greater economic cooperative, that will test the waters on their commitment to our alliance. I shall leave at once and report back upon my returned"

Cecily stood and nodded solemnly to the Prime Minister in acceptance of her new task. "I serve at the pleasure of the Prime Minister," she said with a smile before turning and sweeping from the room.

[member="Geneviève Lasedri"]