In Hospital [The Prime Minister]

[Cecily Demici]

It had been only a few hours after Cecily had come out of surgery. They had found that while the lightsaber missed all of her vital organs, the sheet force of the stab has shatter two of her lowermost rips. She had also sustained a broken arm which accompanied a sprained wrist, a number of small cuts on her face from shrapnel cause by the grenades, and a pretty serious concussion.

Still, Cecily was currently sitting straight up in her triage, wrapped extensively in bright white bandages. The entire wing had been closed down for her treatment with Republic Military Forces standing at every possible entry point and also patrolling outside. The wing itself has been converted into a command center, swarming with bureaucrats from the Ministry of State and the General Ministry who crowded every bed and the room was full of murmuring and shifting papers.

Cecily was at the center of this commotion, surrounded by ambassadors, emissaries, secretaries, and deputies, all scrambling for her attention. She had a deputy for this sort of thing, but she felt that she was perfectly capable of handling her job. The doctors refused to let her leave for work and so she ordered work be brought to her.

'Madame Minister, a statement is expected soon from the Daily Republic, the Onderonian, the Galactic Broadcasting Association...' one voice murmured.

'Madame Minister, there has been an earthquake on New Holstice and they are requesting aid from the Republic...' said another.

'Minister, the Osarian Government sends their prayers and inquires whether we will be able to make our scheduled meeting with the government next week...'

'Lady Cecily, the Queen has placed the city Red Alert and Republic Forces have been given full permission to secure the planet. The assassin is still at large.'

To anyone else it would have been mindless chatter, all strung together and only loosely connected. To Cecily it was all perfectly clear.

"Have Ohara draft a few generic statements for my review, I dont have time to write something myself. Contact Senator Volcata and inform her of the tragedy, let New Holstice know that aid to Republic worlds is handled by a different department, but assure them we'll be there with assistance shortly. Cala, inform the Iron Chancellor and the Mayor of Redhaven that I will in fact be attending those talks myself. I want hourly updates on the hunt for the assassin. Understood, all?'

'Yes Minister' the all said at once and the crowd around her bed dispersed to the various empty hospital beds to go about their work. Cecily clutched at her aching ribs and eased back onto her pillow as her handmaidens attended to her.

"Ruby, have you been making sure--"

"All due respect, my Lady, it's time you rested.. and I'll hear no more," her chief handmaiden, Rudy, said sternly. Cecily knew when had tested her limits and this was it. When he handmaidens told her to stop for a moment, she knew it was time to stop. But she sure as hell wasn't happy about it.

[member="Geneviève Lasedri"]

 

[Geneviève Lasedri]

What a nuisance. Apparently only Republic people died these days.

Geneviève hardly cared about Senator--or Minister--Demici in any personal sense, but the Republic as a whole mattered to her, and it would not do for the people to see her abstain from visitation of a comrade. She could afford to pretend for a few strained moments. Besides, it was not like she was going anywhere.

The sounds of sirens could still be heard about the streets and skies of Iziz as local police, Republic internal security, and even a handful of military platoons blockading the capital city and sweeping the area for signs of the Sith assassin. Lasedri had reports coming in from GRIM every half-hour updating her on the progress of the manhunt and expected success rates. She had even asked for a little 'tracking' help from the Jedi. Yet nothing had turned up so far, and Gen grew frustrated at yet another blow to Republic morale. An assassination at a funeral? That was the lowest of lows.

"Damn frakking long speeches she always makes. Annoys the hell out of me," Gen grumbled to her staff and bodyguards on hand as she strode down the hallways with the most virulent footsteps. She was just mad at the situation in general, and the most toxic of language flowed from her lips as she tried to cope with her frustration. Whether she meant anything she said at this time mattered little. She was annoyed with the universe. "That's probably why she was stabbed: talking too long."

She was interrupted--perhaps inconspicuously in effort to hush her fiery tongue--with a new report from the chase. Nothing had really changed. However: "All attendees have been accounted for. Seems like the only casualties were the obvious." At least there was that. Like that made Gen's day much better. The King of Onderon was dead, and that really helped out the nation's and planet's gross domestic confidence.

There was question that was nagging at her mind ever since the event, and after having received the latest updates, she repeated her curious observation for what had to be the thirteenth time. "I was right there. But they didn't try to kill me." Should that bother her? Probably.

Admitted instantly into the bed quarters of the wounded senator of the hour--the face that was all over the holofeeds right now, no doubt--the Prime Minister tread into the room and suddenly realized she had no idea what she was supposed to do here. So hello? Provide encouraging poetry? Social formalities were not exactly her thing, as most had come to discover after only a short time in her presence. "Demici," she uttered, nodding her head.

Sorry? She just stood somberly and somewhat confused, hands clasped in front and eyes taking in everything about the room except for Cecily herself. Geneviève hoped the senator had low expectations, because she was probably going to receive low-quality condolences. "Could've just died and made it easier on me."

[member="Cecily de Demici"]

 

[Cecily Demici]

Cecily had JUST settled into her bed when the Prime Minister entered the room. Her handmaidens gave their Lady a stern look, but they knew better than to try to shoo away this visitor and departed with a wave of Cecily's hand. With effort, she brought herself back up into a sitting position as the Prime Minister approached and sat there, waiting, knowing how agonizing it must be for such a callous woman to do such a warm thing. The chatter around the room grew to quiet whisper and curtains around beds where staff were working were drawn to give them privacy.

"Prime Minister," she nodded courteously in response to the first words out of the Prime Minister's mouth. Then she just sat there smiling, with her hands politely in her lap while she waited for the Prime Minister to finally cook up something else to say. When she did, Cecily couldn't help but laugh, no matter how much pain it brought her.

"Oh, but where would be the fun in that Gen?" she replied through her pained giggles.

"I suppose you're here because you have to be and not because you actually care about the state your Minister is in? I assure you, we press on as we've always done," she gestured around to the room which, while quieter now, was still bustling. It was almost like the dull hum of a bee hive. She looked at Gen expectantly for an answer.

[member="Geneviève Lasedri"]

 

[Geneviève Lasedri]

"I'd say that's likely," Geneviève replied, sparing no undue dignity to herself. There was no reason to lie in most instances. Inquiries could often be deflected or even reflected, but a painful truth could silence many in its own right. Not that this was a political conflict to Gen by any means. Old habits just die hard. Much like sardonic personalities. Gen hardly appreciated anyone--herself included. "How do you feel, beautiful?"

The corner of her lips twitched as the Prime Minister hesitated at what she was about to imply. "You'll find yourself a heroine by the end of the week, I'm sure you're aware. Being stabbed is an... exciting experience." She had been on the wrong side of a knife before on several occasions, sometimes even receiving the blade into her body. Those times had been frightening and painful--to say the least. But Gen had never been touched by a lightsaber in her lifetime, and that hardly sounded like a pleasant ordeal. To Cecily's credit, she seemed to be taking things well. Perhaps a little too well. How many drugs were they pumping her with? Anyway... "Knowing you, you could spin this into quite a self-promotional campaign. Don't pretend it hasn't entered that whirring mind of yours..."

She was calling her out, prepared to gauge the senator's reaction to such commentary. Some would reply with denial, some would try to ignore it, and others would simply admit that such ideas may, in fact, have crossed their mind. However the blonde answered could determine the next step. Gen could be cruel, but it was never without purpose.

[member="Cecily de Demici"]

 

[Cecily Demici]

Cecily was generally perceived by the public to be a warm and compassionate leader. The public was not entirely wrong. She did care deeply for the Republic and for the well being of its people, but she was not above participating in the Game, on the contrary she was one of its best players. Still, she couldn't help but bristle at the Prime Minister's insinuation.

At first she didn't acknowledge that Gen had said anything at all, continuing to tap away on the data pad in front of her. "As pleasant as it must sound to be stabbed in the back during a eulogy for over a dozen of my people, I can't say I've spent much time thinking about how I'll politicize the event," she said coolly, never looking up from what she was doing.

"But yes," she added matter-of-factly, looking up and removing her spectacles, "it had crossed my mind, and it will be put to good use. Not for me, but for the Republic, I stopped being my own person when Onderon elected me to the Senate... as did you when you became Prime Minister." Cecily did not stay idle long. As soon as she finished speaking, she placed her spectacles back on and started tapping away into her lap.

"Odd, isn't it?" she said cryptically...

[member="Geneviève Lasedri"]