Public The Front Lines

[Loomi]

Zolan
Tags: Valery Noble , Kahlil Noble , Arianna Belasko

"I have a wonderful deal for all of you, but I want to hear the Jedi's pitch first, just out of curiosity."

Loomi frowned. Wonderful? That sure seemed contradictory to the threat of a fleet.

In fact, what did this random woman even want? She didn't seem to be a Mandalorian. If her classes on tactics had taught her anything (which was admittedly rather slim as she struggled in those classes), trying to set up territory between two waring groups seemed like a bad decision. It only risked innocent people being killed in the crossfire whenever war came, and Kahlil and Valery were here because war was indeed coming.

If what this stranger was offering was the opportunity to get attacked by two forces or get blown up by her fleet it seemed more like she was just here to insure that Zolan burned. That frustrated the Godoan. There was no logic to that at all, not to mention how heartless it was.

Not that she'd say any of this of course. She was still scared. Loomi just clutched Valery's hand tighter and hoped that the Jedi Masters could work things out.

 

[Valery Noble]

Zolan

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble Loomi Arianna Belasko

There they were.

Valery had hoped that they could have a private conversation with this Council, but right after her husband had finished speaking, the House IO representatives appeared as well. This wasn't her first time meeting one of them, but it was the first time they were a potential threat to her cause, and she wasn't going to allow this to happen.

"A wonderful deal?" Valery challenged more directly. "You really show a willingness to make deals when you bring a fleet to support your wishes. But why this planet?" It still made no sense to Valery at all. Zolan didn't really have anything too special to it, so why even bring a fleet here to begin with?

The only reason the Jedi were here, was because the Mandalorian war path could potentially reach this world.

"Our pitch is quite simple, and does not involve putting military pressure on these people. We are here to help facilitate their defense against the Mandalorians without surrendering themselves to a different foreign power." She definitely didn't believe House IO would be interested in offering protection for free.

There had to be a catch.

 

[Arianna Belasko]

Arianna scoffed the practiced scoff of the Aristocrat, waving her hand precisely once in curt dismissal in the direction of Valery Noble .

"So like a Jedi to assume that just because someone, somewhere, has it out for them, they assume that same someone has it out for everyone..." Arianna sneered before addressing the representatives.

"The fleet is not here to intimidate you, honorable representatives. The fleet is to show we could potentially be powerful business partners. And really, you must take Miss Noble's bleating with a grain of salt. For the first thing out of her mouth is something disingenuous. It's something her entire cult has in common, and part of why my entire House reviles the Jedi with such intensity."

Arianna had been calm, collected, smooth, as she spoke, as though she was having guests over for tea.

"She claims to want to facilitate your defense without surrender to a foreign power. But I ask you, leaders of Zolan, look within yourselves...can you really see a scenario where you accept Jedi help that doesn't end in an all but 'necessary' military annexation? You let even one of these moral busybodies into your realm and the Alliance will come flooding in like a mass of shoppers looking to get a deal on Dark Benduday. They will eventually make your land a vassal state and they'll use your planet as their latest dumping ground for all those unfortunates fleeing the latest bunch of cookie cutter conquerors with an axe to grind against the Jedi Order."

Arianna twisted her seat in a single slow irritating squeak of its swivel mechanism to face Kahlil Noble and his wife, her golden hair and youthful features radiating vitality and beauty and practiced confidence

"Our fleet is very special to Zolan. Do you know why? Because it is the only fleet that has visited their world that is not here to conquer it. The next fleet that visits Zolan is the one that will be helmed by the Mandalorians." Arianna said to the Jedi present with a feminine, dulcet purr in her voice.

She swiveled back to face them, blue eyes sliding between each Zolan minister.

"Military Pressure... that is the only thing that will drive the Mandalorians back. I'll be perfectly honest with you in a way they won't be: House Io has admittedly self centered reasons for offering you our expertise in such things. We have an interest in this region around your world's system. Interests that will be disrupted if the Mandalorians are allowed to lay claim to Zolan. Helping you, helps us. Besides, no one wants to lick Mandalorian boots clean." Arianna explained calmly and politely to Zolan's representatives.

"What my fleet brings is something you will very desperately need: Raw resources. Baradium. Bacta. Tibanna, Hypermatter. Aurodium Bullion, about seven billion credits worth to start. Rations. Parts for the construction of molecular furnaces. We have starfighters to sell on the cheap, and star destroyers too. Our shipyards are some of the most advanced in the Galaxy. And what do we ask in return? It's very simple..." Arianna trailed in a somehow luxurious tone.

"We don't want to put troops on your world or embassies. Those would be pointless and stir up all kind of noise from your own citizens. What we instead ask is genetic samples of your Clawdite population, along with all records of the genetic research that produced them."

Then Arianna sat back, and then came the biggest term

"Of course one really effective means to hamper things would be to interdict the parts of the Corellian Run and the Llanic Spice Run that pass the closest to Zolan. As well as out right mine those areas."

Loomi

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"You talk a lot of shit for a machine."

Kahlil found a spot within the room to sit during the machine's speech. Was it preprepared? Preloaded? He wasn't too sure how the Io androids worked, but he found little warmth in a fake face and a false attitude.

Worse still with lies, even.

"You brought a fleet, but you won't bring any troops on world. Save for the ones you already did, so I guess that points already broken. Worse, you want the genetics of the Clawdite? So did the Maw. Those people have suffered far more than any one species should. Hinging something on the experimentation of a population is very much a droids path, isn't it?"

He turned his gaze to the embassy, who looked rather shocked at his rather brazen swearing. Same thing with the Senate, actually.

"You're in the way of the Mandalorians. That's all the reason they need to invade your world. It's the sad truth. Will there be refugees? Always. In this galaxy, while there are people only ever interested in their own gains and playing it off as helping you, that's a guarantee. We're not asking you to harbor any, but the Jedi will help defend this world. Not the Alliance, the Jedi. They might help, but we certainly can't speak on their behalf. In good faith of this, we'll start with protecting you from the Io threats they decided to make, mm?"

Valery Noble | Loomi | Arianna Belasko

 

[Arianna Belasko]

Arianna remained unflappable.

"It is fitting that my honored counterpart should open his response with so primitive a vernacular to express his abiding contempt." Arianna began smoothly, showing no signs of being offended by his outburst.

"I guarantee you, he'll employ the same verbage when the Mandalorians come to torch your homes and cities after his well intentioned defense of your world comes short of his lofty expectations." she continued. "And again, another demonstration of his limited grasp of nuance. I was allowed to land with my personal guard by your own officials."

She spared Kahlil Noble only a single, very brief glance of her eyes.

"He offers you the protection of the Jedi, but how much teeth will that really have without the assistance of his precious Alliance? Be honest with yourselves: His promise of aid means nothing without a military to back it. Pretty laser swords won't buy your people shields, won't put rifles in the hands of your soldiers, won't obtain starfighters for your pilots to fly. And again, he paints us as your enemies. Would an enemy offer to sell these precious resources to you? Would an enemy simply leave after being told no, as we will, should you decide that?

Whereas Kahlil's statements had drawn shock for their vulgarity, Arianna's caused a series of disquieting murmurs to erupt subtly in the back. Looks of discomfort as Arianna refused to let Kahlil make them all forget what was at stake here.

"Would an enemy have told you their motivation was self centered, or would they have tried to butter you up, lie to your face about their great love for your people? Would an enemy try and purchase what they could clearly take? Would an enemy have even bothered asking?" Arianna inquired of the representatives.

Arianna's question drew a very noticeable drought of silence in the representatives.

Arianna sensed an opening.

"The Maw wanted to steal from and make slaves of you. The Alliance will want to steal from and annex you. The Mandalorians will want to steal from and annihilate you. Master Noble's motivation, however, is perhaps worse than all the others. Master Noble simply wants your world, your people, to become a martyr. To his cause. Perhaps he perceived some heroic final stand for all the Jedi his words shall bring here to fall dead on your soil..."

The representatives were dead silent, hanging on her velvet covered words.

"There is a difference between a simple flex and a threat. Master Noble unfortunately, has much to learn in understanding the difference. And here we arrive to what I'm afraid is Master Noble's most prolific failing...one of perception..."

Arianna turned to him, smirked faintly, and with a practiced, upper class callousness, drove the dagger in metaphorically.

"After all, if such an esteemed, renowned Jedi Master cannot tell that all this..." she trailed, gesturing to her incredible figure hugged by the glistening silver catsuit.

"...is one hundred percent natural, and that I'm a Force User, can we really trust any of his perceptions on what is best for your world?" she questioned, flashing a devilish smile his direction.

"Of course, considering his spouse, it's perhaps no surprise his taste in women is the same quality as his choice of verbage in these sensitive proceedings."


Valery Noble

Loomi

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Don't mistake my words as complacency."

Kahlil raised a brow slowly, though the frown on his face made it very clear the lack of patience he truly held. "A body of flesh is no different to you than a body of a machine, is it not, Shard?" He shook his head before giving the Official a sad, apologetic smile. "The queen here minces words because it makes her sound intelligent while being rude. I don't play that game. Io is a cult that has abused countless worlds after the Brin crisis. They're vultures, picking bones. Regardless of your choice, the Jedi will protect the Clawdite from them regardless, just as we protected them from the Maw and their desires for experimentations."

He turned his gaze back to Arianna, the patient smile on his face once more, but certainly not in his eyes. "Insult my wife again and you'll need a new body, though."

Valery Noble | Loomi | Arianna Belasko

 

[Loomi]

Zolan
Tags: Kahlil Noble , Valery Noble

"Of course, considering his spouse, it's perhaps no surprise his taste in women is the same quality as his choice of verbage in these sensitive proceedings."

"H-hold on," Loomi began, raising her voice. "W-what kind of diplomat even are you? I thought leaders were supposed to make well educated arguments, b-but you've just been standing here throwing out insults and talking semantics."

All of this was just wrong. This wasn't what a leader was supposed to be like at all, not to mention she was just here grinning to herself like her words meant anything. It was just hypothetical claims with no substance.

"The Mandalorians are coming," she continued. "D-don't you care at all that these people's lives might be at risk? Coming in with soldiers and a fleet... its been scaring people. The staff of that hotel are still terrified, a-and you're occupying it with military force. It's a hotel, not a fortress."

Loomi's brow actually furrowed. She was very upset now. Who even was this lady anyways, coming in here acting like she was some sort of higher being. Throwing around insults, claiming the worst with no evidence, being sly and rude to everyone around her including the court of Zolan. This wasn't a leader at all, not truly. This was a terrible excuse for a person, one who just wanted to throw around their power to scare people into getting what she wanted.

"If you cared about these people you'd treat them with respect," the girl frowned. "The fate of their world is at stake and all you've shown is hostility. The least you could do is give them actual assurance that they'll be protected when the Enclave comes."

 

[Arianna Belasko]

Arianna wrinkled her nose, and rolled her eyes as Loomi started speaking.

"I'm sorry, is this a daycare center? Or a meeting to determine the fate of a world?" she asked dryly. "Master Noble, I know the Jedi like to get 'em while they're young, but you could have at least left her in the lobby. Preferably with a large coloring book..." Arianna muttered. "But in answer to your question, child, I am treating them with respect. I'm telling them the truth. I'm probably the only one in this room who actually is telling the complete, unvarnished truth. I'm willing to cut a deal with them. I'm willing to leave without incident if they say no. I'm even giving them a visual foreshadowing in orbit to remind them that when their actual enemy arrives, they won't be anywhere near as restrained or friendly as I have thus far acted, even with the pathetic sniping of your guardians towards me. How is that not respectful?"

Her eyes then slid back to Valery Noble and her husband.

"I'm the one who actually came here with resources. What did you delightful pair bring again?" Arianna asked, maintaining her dulcet purr of a tone. "To a diplomatic meeting? Ah yes, a child that inevitably spoke out of turn on matters she doesn't understand. And of course her opinion, is inevitably a Padawan opinion, and thus, about the same quality as Master Noble's simply exquisite fantasy of the Jedi Order protecting your world and families successfully without the full backing of a military. He wants to protect you, yet he cannot keep even a child quiet. Just like he cannot appreciate the difference between flesh and metal, or that a shard is not artificial, but a product of nature. Just like he and his wife would have no chance if House Io wasn't here for peaceful interaction."

Her nose wrinkled slightly at Kahlil's claims of her House

"Abused Countless Worlds? Master Noble, tisk tisk!" Arianna chided in a faux shocked manner.

But then she sighed.

"How completely like a Jedi to paint their enemies in such unfair strokes with such tattered brushes. Master Noble, we took in the refugees proud fools like Ryv Karis and your peers abandoned completely to the Bryn'adul slaughters to fight the Sith Lords. We count among our citizens those who saw their families burn. The cultures they lived permanently erased. Cultures that had Jedi who abandoned them for Ryv's cause. We know very well the kind of danger these people are in. We have lived that danger."

Her mouth tightened ever so slightly into a frown of aristocratic disdain at Kahlil Noble . But at no point did she raise her voice, refusing to let him manipulate her into sinking to his level.

"It was why my adopted daughter, Laertia Io , rebelled against your horrid system." Arianna explained like a strict school teacher lecturing a recalcitrant student.

"All she had to do was experience the fall of Nar Kreeta, to feel the death of world after world falling to the Bryn'adul, and the supposedly noble Jedi ignoring their evil, and getting their governments to do the same, in favor of a mad frenzy to finish off an empire that was doomed to collapse anyway. She saw the crime your Jedi, your governments committed, and she and the people she took in and organized refused to let you and your friends get away with what you all did. Because all of them suffered for it. My daughter, perhaps, most of all..." Arianna added softly, though her feminine purr carried a very subtle edge of poison and bitterness at that last sentence, before her gaze hardened and she spoke to the Jedi again, this time even more silkenly then she had prior.

"Abused Countless Worlds?! You dare make such a claim of us?! After what Ryv's mad crusade enabled the Bryn'adul to accomplish before they were finally crippled and stopped, first at Sarka, and again at Danuta, both times having much to do with the sacrifices Laertia made in those battles, that her mechanical sons made? Our war against the Jedi has only ever been a quest for justice. To punish those like Ryv, who left the people who became our citizens to their deaths. Whose precious Governments then proceeded to ignore the threat and join the Imperials in their squabble with the tenth Empire. Whose unquestioning, unbreakable fanaticism in the process enabled the very rise of The Maw they ended up later almost bleeding themselves dry to defeat! Churlish man! Empty man! You know nothing of our House!" she finished saying to him in an ever so delicate hiss.

 

[Valery Noble]

Zolan

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble Loomi Arianna Belasko

"Don't talk down on her because she's a kid."

Loomi was being respectful and offered some actual wisdom too, especially for her age. But Arianna Belasko decided to ignore all of that, and instead belittle the Jedi Padawan. The fact she had insulted Valery herself didn't even matter, though Kahlil clearly wasn't appreciating it at all. To avoid things from escalating, Valery then stepped between Arianna and her husband, her back turned towards the strange lady while she looked Kahlil in the eyes.

"I think her program is malfunctioning," she said softly just to him with a smirk, before looking at everybody in the room. "This fighting is pointless. The Mandalorians are coming, and I urge you all to listen to what we've talked about today, and make your own decision for your people's future. The Alliance and Jedi have the ability to send a lot of help, and we will never ask for anything in return."

"If you still decide to find your protection elsewhere, that is your decision to make. Just know that we will be here if you need our help." That's the best she could do, and any arguing against that would just make IO look bad. Valery also highly doubted they'd make the same offer — there had to be something in it for them, and the second that came to light, the people of Zolan would never support them.

"Love, I think it's time for us to go. We've said our piece, and we have to prepare for what could be coming this way."

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"That reminds me, since we're talking about the crimes of uninvolved individuals, Laertia is still wanted for her own war crimes. Perhaps, droid, you should remember what it is to be a kettle." Kahlil's attention turned to the representative, who justifiably just looked bewildered and confused that there was this much drama after hours and long before the appointed meeting time. If there was one thing the Io was correct about, it was that Kahlil and Valery hadn't brought a fleet with them.

Even if they sided with the Jedi, the threat of the fleet above and the clear threat to their supply lines made it impossibly for him to make such a choice.

"We'll be off."

Loomi | Valery Noble | Arianna Belasko