Simple Negotiations | The Sovereignty

[Nilia Saavilin]

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diplomacy without arms is like music without instruments​

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Nar Haaskan Orbit, Sovereignty Transport, Unknown Time | Here

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Nilia's eyes watched the brief streams of traffic entering and exiting transports leaving Nar Haaska's surface, standing at the largest window of their transport. They looked like tiny insects, leaving and returning to the beast they drew blood from in their symbiotic relationship. In a way, that was true; Nar Haaska had experienced great growth, toppling its reputation as a small Wild Space trading planet into a goliath nexus of resources and contacts. Their diplomatic mission was essential to bringing Nar Haaska into the Sovereignty fold; with them, they'd have a powerful ally to export Sovereignty produce across the galaxy. It should go smoothly. They had agreed to this meeting, after all.

From her vantage point near the cockpit, she could hear their pilot arguing again with docking control. Who had once again denied their transport permission to land. The bureaucracy was, as they say, a queen.

"We've been over this, lady, I have the High Sovereign and a diplomat waiting to meet with-... Yes, I understand-- Well what do you expect me to do, just be a sitting duck while you go refile docking permits? This is a peace mission between our government and yours, nobody wants to be left waiting."

After that, the door to the cockpit slid shut. To be honest, a bit more tact could be taken with docking officials who had no control over their own process. But the frustration was easy to feel, and Nilia herself was starting to feel it; this entire process was ridiculous. It seems while their crew had, prior to departing Eadu, sent in the correct documentation for a landing request to Nar Haaska's docks, they had not realized they had to include the detail they were from a government seeking an alliance, coming with politicians aboard instead of spice or produce. That required a whole different process to be undertaken, which could take up to a day to be reviewed by both planetary and Haaskan officials.

So, for the time being, they were stuck aboard the transport, idling in orbit around Nar Haaska. They weren't in any danger because of it, and if they were, the docking officials had promised to relieve them as soon as they could. It was all a terrible inconvenience to both parties though. At least she would have time to review what they would propose to the Haaskan government concerning their alliance.

She turned around, facing Varik with an apologetic smile, "I'm, um, sure they'll give us permission soon, High Sovereign." Her voice had a certain lilt of nervousness -- She'd never been alone with him like this before, and it was clearly making her slightly uncomfortable.

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Spoiler: Interacting With

[member="Varik Ice"]

 

[Varik Ice]

Varik Ice​

Equipment: Lightsaber ​

Location: Diplomatic Transport​

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Varik stared out the large window down towards Nar Haaska, his body totally still and unmoving. He always seemed to be uninterested in things recently, but that was just the impression; Varik was silently listening through the force, feeling the life and connections between all of them that were wrapped around the planet, giving it the overwhelming voice in the force that it had. It had taken time for him, but he was beginning to properly understand now what the force meant. At least...he thought so.

"I'm sure they will." Varik didn't look away from Nar Haaska, still watching the hubbub on the surface and the comings and goings. Eventually, he turned his head to the side, at least one of his eyes looking over to Nilia as he stared with the usual flat expression across his face. "What do you see when you look at the planet, Senator?" As she'd called him by a title, he figured it appropriate to do the same for her. His eyes went back to the planet below, and he began to see places where things could be...cut off, or redirected. Critical points in the force that could have wide-reaching effects. It was a curious thing.

[member="Nilia Saavilin"]

 

[Nilia Saavilin]

Nar Haaskan Orbit, Sovereignty Transport, Unknown Time | Here

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"What I see?"

The question had put the politician on thin ice (Ha ha) emotionally. She turned her head again to look out the window. Collecting her skirts in her hands out of nervous habit she shrugged, feeling her heart quicken as she turned back to face him, "I see... Well, I suppose I see life." If this was a test, Nilia was horribly nervous about it -- but continued talking despite her apparent anxiety.

"Everyone is just trying to survive, in a galaxy torn apart by war. But life on this planet found it's niche in the universe and is thriving because they were bold enough to do something with it. I hope we're doing the same thing... Though perhaps with a bit less paperwork involved in a simple landing." A brief smile crossed her face from her attempt at levity. She took a seat on the bench across from Varik, setting her hands politely on her lap in a poised and practised manner. Hesitation was in her voice but it seemed that her inquiry couldn't be helped as she asked in return, "What is it that you see?"

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Spoiler: Interacting With

[member="Varik Ice"]

 

[Varik Ice]

Varik Ice​

Equipment: Lightsaber ​

Location: Diplomatic Transport​

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Varik didn't turn to look at her as he spoke - he didn't need to make her more nervous than she already seemed to be, after all. He found that curious in itself; the question seemed to have thrown her off and put her on the back foot, and he wondered if this was the sort of question you never really heard. He continued to simply listen, not only to her but still to the force as it quietly called from the floating ball of mud and water below.

That was a good answer she gave him, though. He couldn't dispute it, though he was curious as to whether she thought this was him being deliberately obtuse; asking a question with an obvious answer that he expected her be philosophical over. He hadn't really expected anything particular, it was just a curiosity of his. He knew the force touched her as it had him and many others in the galaxy. Though perhaps for her, it was due to family.

"I can see how connected it all is. How it relies on each other." His expression almost seemed to soften, even if it was still quite flat. "It's all so fragile. Just a couple of places cut off, some critical points manipulated, and the whole planet would come down into chaos." He let out a deep breath, memories of home crossing his mind again. He felt like he'd buried it for so long now - like that part of his life was simply in the past to be forgotten, as much as he wanted it to be. "It helps remind me. Of my responsibility." Finally, his head turned as he looked over toward her, wondering if that answer was properly cohesive more than anything.

[member="Nilia Saavilin"]

 

[Nilia Saavilin]

Nar Haaskan Orbit, Sovereignty Transport, Unknown Time | Here

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Nilia listened patiently to his reply, her head tilting ever-so-slightly, like a curious pet might when seeing something foreign in its territory that it couldn't comprehend. As Varik turned to look her after talking, she quickly dropped her gaze to her lap as if embarrassed having been caught listening so closely to his words. Indeed, by the end, she had simply gotten lost in the conversation, but now she pulled her focus back to give a verbal reaction -- Despite her body language speaking far louder than she ever could, "That's... The Force, isn't it? Seeing the connections?" Her knowledge was limited, but she did know something. It was strong in her family, even if she couldn't pretend to know as much as the former Inquisitor.

Falling silent after her potentially-nuclear question, the young Senator looked back out the windows to Nar Haaska's surface. Whilst she seemed lost once more in watching the planet, her eyes would occasionally look back over to the High Sovereign, acknowledging his presence if he chose to answer her.

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Spoiler: Interacting With

[member="Varik Ice"]

 

[Varik Ice]

Varik Ice​

Equipment: Lightsaber ​

Location: Diplomatic Transport​

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Varik's gaze stayed on Nilia until she asked her question. It gave him pause - something to think about. He supposed he could say it was the Force, but....this only seemed to happen for him once he began truly seeing the shatterpoints...he was sure it was after the Battle of Rothana. Or perhaps it had been during it, and he simply hadn't noticed it then? Or was it always part of him, something that had simply been hidden away in his unconscious, helped him through every part of his life?

He didn't think it was that. It was more than the force that brought him through life - it was him. He would never believe for a moment that the Force is the reason he was alive, the reason that The Sovereignty was able to protect its people. It was because of sacrifice, because of willingness to care for others and the responsibility others would take to keep the lives and families of others safe and secure.

"Sometimes." Ice was very still, his eyes not even darting across Nar Haaska as he seemed like he could stare through its surface. "The force shows you, but often you don't need it. You haven't. You understand the connections between people, what's behind the words they say, and behind your own. That's a much greater skill than you might think." Even with the bravery it took to be a soldier, it was nowhere near the complexity of being a diplomat; every word you spoke could decide the lives of thousands, if not more. "What I see is...critical points. Where pressure can be applied, what's important in these connections. I'm still not sure if it's a good thing."

[member="Nilia Saavilin"]

 

[Nilia Saavilin]

Nar Haaskan Orbit, Sovereignty Transport, Unknown Time | Here

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The veiled compliment made Nilia smile a little bashfully, nodding her head in thanks. But as he continued, her smile flickered a little as she considered his words, "Well, I think it's a good thing. It's insight, isn't it? And, well, wars can be... Prevented by Senators. But they're won by you and yours. I can't exactly say I understand warfare, but pressure points sound like an advantage that could be, and this is a bit on the nose, but pressed." It wasn't a platitude; it seemed she truly believed that, despite its legitimacy. Then again, the done-up mask that she often displayed to her superiors made it look as though she wasn't lying about anything and everything. Her head turned gently as she looked back over to him with a more of a relaxed expression. Clearly, her tension around engaging in casual conversation with the leader of the whole damn faction was lessening as it progressed, "I'm-- Not sure if that was comforting."

The ship lurched a bit as they began to move, Nilia's head turning to look out the window. The transport's intercom crackled briefly before the voice of the embittered pilot echoed throughout the halls and the room they had chosen to relax in, "Attention, passengers; We haven't been given docking clearance quite yet, but we've been given permission to enter the atmosphere. Hopefully this means we'll be under way soon."

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Spoiler: Interacting With

[member="Varik Ice"]

 

[Varik Ice]

Varik Ice​

Equipment: Lightsaber ​

Location: Diplomatic Transport​

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He mulled over her answer. She had some points, he supposed - but that wasn't what made him think so much about it, was it? He knew the potential it had. That was what worried him more than anything. "It takes more than insight to win wars. I know I'm not special, not in this galaxy. Hundreds if not thousands of people just like me, with the same gifts are trying to make their way just as I am. Think of how easy it would be for me. The force is telling me how to destabilize this planet. Send it into chaos, spiralling out of control and into poverty and anarchy."

He took a deep breath, his eyes never being torn off Nar Haaska. "And it would be so easy, then. We just land troops, feed people, clean it up - suddenly it's mine." He didn't sound pleased with such a possibility. More than anything, his tone had a mix of revulsion and creeping horror to it, which was the most expressive he'd been this whole trip. He saw in himself, the potential Sith Lord all those seers had been worrying about - he could easily pick out weaknesses and break people down into nothing so he could rebuild them in whatever image he wanted. No wonder there were so many Sith. It was so...simple.

His train of thought was suddenly interrupted when the ship lurched, and he glanced in the direction that the voice came from. Varik cleared his throat, staring out the window again. "Perhaps this won't take much longer, then."

[member="Nilia Saavilin"]

 

[Nilia Saavilin]

Nar Haaskan Orbit, Sovereignty Transport, Unknown Time | Here

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Nilia was silent for a while after Varik finished speaking. It was quite clear she had little clue what to say, which was a first for the verbal tactician -- She'd been surprised into temporary silence. For a few awkward beats she seemed to struggle to find the right words, eventually forcing herself to say something, anything, "That sounds like a burden. To be drawn to such thoughts." Then, adding on after a moment, "Yes, maybe we'll have this done and over with swiftly." It was obviously hard for her to relate; She was no great warrior or wise monk, just someone who had convinced enough to put their faith in her actions. One could argue that even this feat would put her on the level of any number of those wise men and fighters, but it simply didn't seem similar enough to Nilia. She had nothing compared to them.

The transport began to make a steady entrance into the atmosphere of Nar Haaska, descending at an angle that allowed for a swift entry but also plenty of time to witness the growing city skylines. Nilia turned her head fully to look out the viewport, fascinated evidently -- Of course she was, though, she scarcely left Eadu's space.

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Spoiler: Interacting With

[member="Varik Ice"]

 

[Varik Ice]

Varik Ice​

Equipment: Lightsaber ​

Location: Diplomatic Transport​

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Perhaps it was a burden, but he never saw it that way. No, a burden is something irksome, something you can get rid of as quickly as possible, or at least you would like to. His thoughts, and most importantly, the potential he had for what he could do - they were a danger, a looming threat. The dark cloud was forming over him, as he'd felt it do years ago. It wasn't alien, not something external; no outward Sith Lord's influence or dark power that was trying to turn him. Everything, all of it, came from within him. That was what he found horrifying about the whole thing.

"Yes." He'd become a bit more quiet, and began to focus on just the approaching skyline for now, hoping to draw his mind away from thinking about it for any longer than he had to. If he did, he was positive he'd drive himself mad. "Refresh me again about who we're meeting." That would at least take his mind off of things. Though it would also help, since he had somewhat forgotten already.

[member="Nilia Saavilin"]

 

[Nilia Saavilin]

Nar Haaskan Orbit, Sovereignty Transport, Unknown Time | Here

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"Hm? Oh, yes-- Nar Haaska is predominantly under the control of the Hutts, hence the name similarity to the other Hutt planets. It's governed by a council of merchants who answer to them, so I suppose that's who we're appealing to for this alliance... Hopefully, we can use Nar Haaska to push our products into the wider galactic market, start making credits to fund war efforts and social services. That's the goal of the meeting, anyway. I just hope they see the Sovereignty as a profitable investment. As far as I was briefed on, we'd be meeting with a few of these council members who are speaking for their fellows." After her rather long expository explanation, she almost seemed embarrassed to have retained so much about their visit; she had clearly come more prepared than Varik. They breached the thin layer of clouds, and the intercom crackled to life once more.

"This is as far as we were permitted to go. Nice view of the skyline, at least."

The pilot wasn't wrong. From their vantage point they could see the city in sharper detail, the large cruisers hauling precious cargo seen waiting in spaceports like sleeping giants as ant-sized workers removed crates and items then restocked for another shipment. Smaller pleasure crafts weaved between the spear-like skyscrapers, one or two occasionally passing close enough to the transport that they could make out details.

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Spoiler: Interacting With

[member="Varik Ice"]

 

[Varik Ice]

Varik Ice​

Equipment: Lightsaber ​

Location: Diplomatic Transport​

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"I see." Varik clammed up again, now just staring at the closer look they had of Nar Haaska. Something had crossed his mind that concerned him when Nilia was mentioning the merchants that they were planning to meet. The Hutts - the mention of them ahd made something cross his mind, that controlling their thoughts and influencing them was off the table. It wasn't the lack of this option that disturbed him, but the fact that he even had to think it. Even if there were no Hutts involved, it wasn't an option. More and more, he was considering the man he was - and the leader he had to be.

"That shouldn't be very difficult, then. Should it?" He looked towards her with a questioning, curious expression painted across his face. The question would usually be rhetorical or at least just be not much of a question, but for him it was more of a probing one; he wanted to see what she thought, if she figured this would be simpler or more difficult than usual.

[member="Nilia Saavilin"]

 

[Nilia Saavilin]

Nar Haaskan Orbit, Sovereignty Transport, Unknown Time | Here

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Ignorant to the struggle happening within Varik, Nilia considered his question, leaning back a bit as she set her temple against the cool glass of the viewport. The feeling brought some meaningless comfort, but her voice seemed rather heavy with worry despite it -- She clearly had been neglecting her feelings towards how hard their task was going to be up until now, and he had freshly reminded her of it, "I'm not sure, to be frank. I'm not that experienced with these types of people. I just hope they won't be too difficult, that we can handle them. Though I do feel better having someone who holds serious authority along with me. If I were alone, I'd probably be a nervous wreck up until I had to depart the ship. At least that's delayed." She was clearly teasing about that last part, but also seemingly not, even if Nilia didn't seem like someone who could 'lose it' often. But then again they were only familiar with each other in a public sense anyhow, this was really the only time they'd gotten to talk with a modicum of privacy.

Perhaps that was a good thing, being forced to speak so casually by circumstance. It meant something good came out of the legal red tape barring their landing, if their conversation could be considered 'good'. Either way, it made the inconvenience a little less annoying in Nilia's mind.

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Spoiler: Interacting With

[member="Varik Ice"]

 

[Varik Ice]

Varik Ice​

Equipment: Lightsaber ​

Location: Diplomatic Transport​

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Varik let out another deep breath as Nilia finished speaking once again, trying not to overthink things too much for now. He walked to a small speaker on the wall, pressing on a small button on the bottom of the panel that let him speak through to the cockpit. "Hail them again. Try to speed this up." Obviously the pilot already wanted it over and done with, just from their tone earlier. It couldn't hurt to have some encouragement, though.

"I'm glad I can help." He walked from the speaker, sitting down near where Nilia was as he began staring out the window again, clearly doing his best to try and think of small talk. He didn't usually do such a thing - he found it pointless, though he saw the reason now, at least for her. She must have felt awkward and nervous in the silence; perhaps that was why she was a good Senator.

[member="Nilia Saavilin"]

 

[Nilia Saavilin]

Nar Haaskan Orbit, Sovereignty Transport, Unknown Time | Here

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Nilia's posture seemed to straighten as he sat closer instead of returning to his farther seat. She was clearly focused on him now instead of the approaching skyline, "Yeah... Well, I'm sure it'll be fine. It normally is." Her self-affirming nod afterwards seemed to be enough to reassure herself for now and she set her fidgeting hands to rest in her lap, "And I'm sure they'll go faster knowing you're impatient." Indeed, her prophetic words rang true as the transport began to dip down more rapidly to the ports.

"Attention passengers; It seems we've finally gotten that clearance we've been waiting for. We'll be reaching the planet surface imminently."

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Spoiler: Interacting With

[member="Varik Ice"]

 

[Varik Ice]

Varik Ice​

Equipment: Lightsaber ​

Location: Diplomatic Transport​

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"I'm never impatient." Which wasn't true - at times, he was. It was just much less common than it might be for both. Waiting for a large, furred creature to move from its sleeping position for hours, waiting with a spear at the ready tended to drill patience into someone. Varik stared at the window, watching as the skyline began coming much closer than before, and soon, they were heading towards their landing destination.

He stood up, preparing to go check if he had anything else he needed. "Thank you, Senator." He didn't tell her what for, since there wasn't any need to. If she knew already, it was unnecessary, and if she didn't; she would figure it out eventually. He left the room for his own quarters, hoping to look over his belongings and information for anything further he might need. The last thing anyone needed was for him to say something specifically offensive and ruin the entire meeting, after all.

[member="Nilia Saavilin"]