Private Vampire Politics

[Sycorax Laveaux]

“The GA doesn’t care about Hapan men,” she replied. “They all sucked up to the Queen, eager to gain access to the Hapan fleet. I was there, I saw it. The only person who even bothered to address the matter directly was the Ambassador for Lao-mon, and she was ignored. And before you say that I should have said something, I couldn’t afford to draw suspicion while I was in the midst of doing something about it.”

There was a bitter irony to the fact that both of them had eschewed diplomacy in favor of action on Hapes. Similar arguments could’ve been made that Alicio should have been in the throne room of the palace, arguing for equality. But instead he had gone after the Se’n Dorrin, lightsaber blazing.

"There were other options. Many other options. You have to at least see that."

“You didn’t exactly take the peaceful option either.” But her words had lost their biting tone. Disappointing as he could be, she still held the utmost respect for the Count. She wanted him to be Chancellor some day. She believed he was the only one worthy of that kind of power. The only one who cared.

“Don’t make an enemy of me, Alicio!” she called out to him, as the engines of his shuttle grew louder on approach. “Even if we disagree, you’ll need someone on your side who knows how to deal with Werdegast and the rest of the Voivodes.”

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

"You are the Alliance, Senator. We are the Alliance." Alicio felt his voice rise, if only a little. But the mention of Inanna... tempered him slightly. "If it means so much to you, start the conversation now. Hapes has calmed. Hell, I'll help if you ask! We'll march up to the Queen Mother together."

Sycorax was looking to point fingers at the people in power... they were the people in power. They could drum up the support needed for the Hapan men.

“You didn’t exactly take the peaceful option either.”

Alicio noticed the shift in Senator Laveaux's tone. Bit back the immediate retort that tried to claw from his throat. "I was tracking Dark Side artifacts for the Jedi. I didn't realize it was Djo's hideout." Then, he got caught with a bit of introspection. "I was going to bring Indra Djo offworld, into Alliance custody, out of the hands of the Crown. I knew what they would do to him."

Sycorax raised her voice again as the shuttle landed, but Alicio simply stood still, awaiting the engines to calm before responding. "I won't. I believe you want to make this galaxy a better place, and the people need you in the Senate." He walked to the shuttle, and stepped inside for only a moment, before returning with a small device. He held it out to her.

"Here. My suggestion. Find a suitable, more agreeable heir to Werdegast's dynasty. Empower them somehow, and perhaps more vampires will join them, destabilizing Han. Then, you can use this to reveal Werdegast's wrongdoings to the people you trust, and commission a legal strike team to capture or eliminate him. Petition the Jedi. Then, secure a peaceful transition to the heir."

"Or, destroy it now, and go back to your gridlock, and I'll leave all this behind me."

- Sycorax Laveaux -

 

[Sycorax Laveaux]

Sycorax stared at Alicio, then shook her head. “I am many things—an orphan, a politician, a widowed bride—but I am not the Alliance. Hell, I’m not even Dahrtag. I am only myself.”

Was he a tool of the establishment, as Lon had called him? Yes. Alicio was as establishment as they come. To him the government was always there to help, if the people would only ask for it. After all, he was the embodiment of all that the Senate could do. If only all Senators and politicians were like him. Sycorax was far more skeptical and cynical, viewing the bloated galactic government with suspicion at best. She’d rather do things herself than look to an entity full of corruption, idiocy, and madness to solve her problems for her. They’d probably feth it up. They almost always did.

She found his excuse for charging into Indra Djo’s hideout hard to believe, but her story was probably just as difficult for him to accept. Neither of them could afford to take the easy way out and accept the simplest explanation as truth. “You would’ve saved him from the wrath of the Hapans, so that he could rot in an Alliance prison.”

Their arguing was going around in circles. Neither was willing to give ground to the other. There was something invigorating about it, to finally have an opponent with whom she was on equal footing, but that didn’t make it a productive activity. She watched him walk away in silence, not sure what to make of it all… but then he walked back.

Bandaged fingers reached for the little device. She assumed it wasn’t the original, merely a copy of the recording.

"Here. My suggestion. Find a suitable, more agreeable heir to Werdegast's dynasty. Empower him somehow, and perhaps more vampires will join him, destabilizing Han. Then, you can use this to reveal Werdegast's wrongdoings to the people you trust, and commission a legal strike team to capture or eliminate him. Petition the Jedi. Then, secure a peaceful transition to the heir."

"Or, destroy it now, and go back to your gridlock, and I'll leave all this behind me."

Did such an heir exist? She didn’t know. But it was an option she hadn’t considered. Her fingers closed around the device, tucking it away. “I’ll see what I can do,” she said. For a moment her hand lingered near his, as if to clasp or shake it, though they never did touch. “Thank you.”

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

It was the only copy.

Not that he would make a point of telling her. It wasn't as if Alicio needed a recording to spur the Jedi into action. His wife was on the council, and they went on double dates with the Sword and Shield of the Jedi. They would listen if he spoke about vampire gangsters and corrupt senators.

He didn't trust her. Not at all. She had been clear enough about her underhanded methods, and it wouldn't take much for them to be bitter enemies in the future. But here, now? He knew she was trying to help the people of Dahrtag, had tried to help the people of Hapes. That was worthy of something.

If not his trust, then... his favor.

Alicio didn't make a motion to shake Sycorax's hand, returning his arms back to within the folds of his cloak. "I will accept a safer Dahrtag as thanks, Senator." Had he actually helped? He supposed he would have to see.

Alicio turned towards the spacecraft one last time, stepping up the ramp, though he did pause at the entrance. "You are the Alliance, Sycorax. We are all the Alliance. Every one of us." An outdated phrase from an older time, the kind that grey-haired politicians churned to the masses for votes, but to Alicio, there was nothing truer.

"Be well."

And away he went.

- Sycorax Laveaux -