Palace of Dirt

[Eugen Aker]

UCP Headquarters, Coruscant​

A sleek silvery shuttle drifted slowly between the neat lines of traffic the dominated the Coruscant night skies, then touched down on one of the UCP designated landing pads without a hitch. Jyoti wasted no time disembarking from the shuttle, tossing over a simple brown hooded cloak to mask her white robes and distinctive Echani features. The ramp lowered with a soft hiss, and then she was out a few steps later.

Cleared of the shuttle, she took some time to stand at the edge of the ramp, enjoying the sight of the cityscape under the twilight sun. As she thought about it, she realized this was the first time she had been to Coruscant without some calamity underway. No Sith armies or bestial raiders to see, everything looked fine and well.

At least on the surface. Ever since she had come planetside, she could feel a tension permeating through the endless ferrocrete jungle. The planet was at a crossroads, dancing along a fine line between tyranny and liberty.

It was time to finally right the course.

After a while of idle gazing, the Echani stepped back from the edge of the landing pad and snapped forward to continue. It wouldn't do well to be late.

 

[Mattia Borgias]

The Unified Coruscant Party Headquarters provided a fine view of the sprawling city, which had already begun to sparkle as the fading daylight gave way to night. The city planet truly never slept - continuing on in it's eternal drive toward progress, expansion. Though many of the UCP's employees had gone home for the night to join their families, there still remained a skeleton crew whom had no-place else to be... for The Party was their family. Members of the group worked tirelessly in a number of projects, directing various operations - some of them, humanitarian efforts which provided support to Coruscant's countless poor & downtrodden, while others worked hand-in-hand with Media Organizations, Coprorate groups, or the Public providing relations & outreach. Though many of the offices would be dark within the building, some would still be quite lively.

On one level, sharing space with only a few larger rooms, the President of the UCP stood staring through the floor-to-ceiling windows which offered a one-of-a-kind view. The room was well-decorated and softly lit by ambient lighting, but not so well decorated that it's sole occupant would seem overly infatuated with wealth or material possession; it was the office of a man who worked tirelessly, and the papers strewn about his desk were a testament to the struggles he endured. A small seating area, lovely leather chairs & a matching couch, provided an intimate and relaxed place to entertain guests, and one large bookcase dominated an entire wall - Devlyn preferred the smell of paperbound volumes, and only used datapads when he was forced to. A three-dimensional holographic map of the planet gently rotated in one corner, casting a soft blue ethereal glow, and the floors were polished hardwood covered by a number of rugs. If one paid enough attention, they might piece together that this wasn't only his office... but living quarters as well, though certainly not full-time. Devlyn was as dedicated as they came.

A soft chirp drew him from his thoughts as the intercom on his desk buzzed.

"Yes?" He asked

"Hello, sir... The Grandmaster has arrived. Shall I send her up?" The woman on the other end was female, and carried an accent - his Twi'lek Secretary, Riconia, was one of the politician's most trusted companions.

"Yes, Riconia. And please send Council Woman Skye up, when she arrives. She's expected."

"Yes, sir." Riconia replied sweetly, and signed off.

[member="Jyoti Nooran"]

 

[Eugen Aker]

Jyoti entered the skyscraper to find a smiling Twi'lek behind the desk. Safely inside from prying eyes, she lowered her hood to reveal a long silver maid tied up in a thick braid. The Twi'lek perked up immediately, recognizing the tall Echani from holovids.

"Good evening! General Nooran, I presume?" the secretary asked, glancing past her shoulder for a few moments.

"Good evening. Yes, that's correct," she replied with a nod. "Is Mr. Kane still available?"

"Yes, he is! He's been expecting you. Is it just you tonight?"

"That's correct." Typically, Generals were usually accompanied by no less than a dozen in their entourage, but the Jedi Master was never one for such needless pomp that only slowed her down. "I preferred to keep this meeting low key, something which I trust Mr. Kane will appreciate."

The Twi'lek nodded, then looked away as she made a call to her boss. A few moments later, she was cleared to proceed. One short turbolift ride later and she was at his office. On the floor, she came face to face with a stone-faced security guard with shocking blonde hair and bulging biceps that looked ready to bust out of his suit when he flexed in motion. The Echani just smiled in the face of such an intimidating sight, the guard barely registering as a threat.

He gave her a quick once-over, then led her through the door of Kane's office.

Inside, she found a quaint affair, the room full of books and paper. That instantly won the Coruscanti some points with her, an avid book collector herself. His desk was a mess of paper piles, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. In fact, a chaotic workspace could be taken as a sign of brilliance and productivity.

Already he was proving to be an interesting character.

Hands clasped over her cloak, she took several paces forward until she was just behind one of the chairs before his desk.

"Mr. Kane, it's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance. Thank you for agreeing to take time to meet with me tonight. I'm sure the campaign keeps you quite occupied."

[member="Devlyn Kane"]

 

[Mattia Borgias]

When the door opened behind him, Devlyn turned... albiet slowly. He was in no hurry. His evening had only just begun.

The approach of the tall, elegant Echani woman brought a charming smile to his face - genuine and pleasant. He'd always possessed a fascination for the Echani people, finding their culture of honor & competition mysterious and romantic in it's devotion to combat as an expression of the self. While he may not have been sensitive to the force, he possessed a certain... insight... into others' character, and found himself quite relaxed in the presence of the beautiful Jedi Master. As she approached his desk, he stepped around the cluttered workspace and met her half-way, offering his hand to her in an expression of greeting. If she took it, she'd find his grip remarkably firm; indicating a fierce & confident strength of character.

"General Nooran, the pleasure is all mine. I must admit, it's not every day one hears of a Jedi visiting Coruscant... much less such an esteemed member of the Order of the Silvers. When your request found it's way to my desk, I certainly could not say no."

"May I get you a drink? A glass of wine, or a measure of bourbon?"

However she answered, he'd offer her a seat, and would take a relaxed posture leaning upon the edge of his desk. In such a private & intimate setting, he was less concerned with formality. Besides, he was curious if the Jedi would be as stuffy as others he'd met in the past...

After all, what good was a little power, if one couldn't also relax?

[member="Jyoti Nooran"]

 

[Eugen Aker]

They shook hands as greetings were exchanged, Kane's grip quite strong. She met strength with strength, but still held back - the cyborg wouldn't want to crush his hand! Not the best way to start out events.

"I'd take some sparkling water if you have it," she replied, taking a seat. "You're right, it isn't every day that a Jedi comes through Coruscant."

Coruscant had once been the home of the Jedi Order, but within the last decade, they had been run off the planet by the Sith and their flunkies. All that remained were ruins at the ancient Temple District and the Manarai Mountains.

The doors slid open again as a third person entered the room. Jyoti turned back to find a sharp looking middle-aged woman strutting toward Kane's desk like she owned the place, her black jacket billowing around her with each step.

"Devlyn," she greeted with a crisp Coruscanti accent, reaching out to shake hands, then turned to face Jyoti. The Echani stood up to shake hands next.

"And you must be General Nooran. I'm Valara Skye. Our offices have been in contact all week."

While Kane looked to be a shoe-in for the post of Mayor, officially he had no power. That's where Valara Skye came in. As a member of the Galactic City's Council, the Coruscanti equivalent of a parliament, she did, and could open some doors for both the candidate and Jedi.

"Yes they have, good evening to you, Councilor."

Councilor Skye nodded and smiled before plopping into the other empty chair, and then Jyoti slid back into her own seat waiting for that drink.

"So, Mr. Kane noted how rare a sight Jedi have become on Coruscant, at least since the dissolution of the Galactic Alliance and the New Jedi Order. I'd like to change that. I believe we could come to some kind of mutually beneficial arrangement. The Silver Order is looking to reconnect with our roots here, while Coruscant is currently lacking adequate security against external threats."

[member="Devlyn Kane"]

 

[Mattia Borgias]

Devlyn's practiced eye recognized, in the space of time it took for the Jedi Master & he to shake hands, that the woman was holding more back than he'd guessed...

Full of secrets, this one.

"Right you are." He replied to her request, crossing from his desk to a small cooler against the wall; a standing case with a modern, see-through front and a hinged door. He retrieved a nicely chilled bottle of sparkling water; a high-end beverage commonly only seen at specialty grocers. Alongside it, he also extracted a smaller travel-sized bottle of "Ol' Mark's #70", a middle-shelf bourbon known for its' smoothness & palatability. "I hope you-" he had begun, when the sound of the door to his office having opened a second time made him turn. "Val!" He laughed, returning her greeting, reacting to her appearance like an old friend.

He elbowed the door shut, cutting off the slow, coiling fingers of steam reaching like ghostly claws from the cooler.

Listening to [member="Jyoti Nooran"], he returned to his desk, saying nothing as he opened her bottle of sparkling water & pouring it into a chilled glass, handing it over toward her before pouring his own; two fingers-worth, with a single cube of ice. Raised eyebrows in Valara's direction indicated a question; whether she'd like a drink of her own.

The two politicians shared a look as Devlyn leaned once more against his desk, facing the two women. "That is... quite an intriguing offer, Master Jedi." The two politicians shared a look, and finding Valara seemed to be on board, he smiled toward the Echani woman. "I assume you mean the old Jedi Ruins? As far as I'm aware, they've been untouched for... well, ages, really. And yes, that's correct.. outside of ships operated by the CSF, it's my understanding that Coruscant has very little in the way of independant resources such as ships, fighters, and defensive capabilities. What do you have in mind?"

 

[Eugen Aker]

Jyoti wasn't all that thirsty, but as a matter of politeness, she sat back in her chair enjoying a few sips of the sparkling water before continuing.

"That's correct," she said with a nod. "The old Temple District, to be precise. I believe at one point the New Jedi Order may have tried to restore things there, but all progress was lost when the Sith Empire invaded. From some casual surveys, it appears that Sith monuments (x,x,x) still remain intact. This is actually a serious risk for the public, as the dark energies they generate can affect the behavior and health of those exposed. It's no coincidence that crime and health hazards on the surface seem to be the most pronounced in and around the area."

Understanding how esoteric the mystical aspects of the Force may have been to the pair of politicians, in the end, she mentioned real-world consequences so they could better relate. They may not understand the abstract struggles between light and dark, but they surely would get the implications of a visible hazard causing urban blight.

"No, the CSF doesn't seem to have much in the way of defenses from what I can tell. When Trandoshan pirates attempted to sack Coruscant a while ago, Coruscant First essentially delegated defense of the planet to the Silver Order and other entities. Then they apparently ran to the Sith Empire for support. It's fortunate that nothing came of that deal."

The Sith Emperor's very public appearance on Coruscant had been the catalyst for Jyoti to finally get involved in Coruscanti affairs. For too long, she had seen it slipping back into the Sith sphere of influence under the questionable reign a former One Sith officer.

"I don't ever want to see you that desperate as to dance with the devil. In exchange for the original grant to the Temple District, I would be willing to station a dedicated battlegroup in system and lease some ships and vehicles to the CSF. Furthermore, we would be willing to open a new SEC manufacturing plant here, which would translate into millions of high paying jobs for the local populace."

Cheap security, and jobs for a tiny strip of land, as she presented it. What politician could resist such a deal?

[member="Devlyn Kane"]

 

[Mattia Borgias]

Devlyn listened in silence, sipping his small glass of bourbon.. staring at the floor, then turning his eyes to Councilwoman Skye. The two looked at each-other, and the powerful Councilwoman gave him an encouraging nod but said nothing.

It was true; Coruscant had little in the way of its' own Defense Forces, and too much was at stake. He was aware, as well, of Mant's dance with the devil - The Sith Empire would have given little concern for the people of Coruscant. It was also true that it was not in Coruscant's best interest to allow other groups to wholly control their airspace; a planet was only as strong as its' safeguards, and a fleet which could easily be taken away at the behest of faceless men from far away was no fleet at all. he agreed with the Grandmaster's opinion that the failure of The Sith to secure Coruscant for their own was a good thing... He would have fought it, of course.

Devlyn considered [member="Jyoti Nooran"]'s words carefully, slowly turning to gaze at her - making eye contact and holding it. His eyebrows raised; surprise registering on his face. "That's... quite an offer, General Nooran." He said before taking another sip from his glass, then setting it down on the desk. He put his hands together, chafing them slightly, before crossing his arms over his chest.

"Millions of jobs, as well as a system of ships of our own... plus a fleet to watch over us, until we become better equipped to take over the skies ourselves." He said, repeating the offer back... testing it out in his head & evaluating it from all angles.

"And in return for this... you would require access to the old Temple, as well as ownership of the grounds, to develop as you see fit, I assume? Would you require resources, or be providing your own?" He asked; never one to agree to anything until he had as much information as possible. The man might not have been a soldier, but he was a tactician.