Visitation

[Tobias Dracks]

Walking through the halls the reptilian sentient being stepped with his eyes forward and hands clasped behind his back. His eyes filled with the black void of his pupils with only the dark yellow iris with the black pinpoint in their center. Wearing a pressed blue suite with white trim, he was under the protection of the Elite New Republic Commandos. Being as he was still the Marshal Commander of the 3rd New Republic Marine Corps he was a valuable target for terrorist. He was not afraid though, if anything they were a annoyance more then a real threat. It did not help that this election was something that was coming very close.

Stopping at large doors and looking back to his Commando Escort, he nodded and they turned to face away from the large Durasteel Doors. Placing his palms on the on four different sized wholes that were placed similar parts as his fingers. Once the door made a noise, the doors separated and the entrance was made. Walking though he was greeted by darkness until the doors closed, where he did not look back to the vanishing guards.

A dim light turned on and revealed the mans office, outside the blaster resistance windows was the skyline of the current capital planet of the New Republic. He only walked up there to look out the city lights below and the streaks of the passing vehicles. Peace to the Core Worlds.

Speaking up he spoke to the air around him, "Katrina, open a level 1 dash alpha encryption spacial communication to site Charlie Delta Three Three," He only paused a second later to wait for the noise of the rooms AI, "Be sure the Sentinel Security Link is air tight before transmitting."

Their was a second before the doorbell like sound appeared. "Understood Vice Chancellor Tobias Dracks, secure line will be transmitted to your specified connection."

The Glaucus did not laugh at the notion of his title, the election was still a few weeks off. However, it seemed the government had faith in his running mates victory. None the less he turned to face the Holo-Projector, he was meeting with Queen [member="Lady Kay"] after all.

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The Queen of Commenors office would receive a message that stated the following.

.... Data Link From New Republic Chancellor Office
.. Accept Link for Connection to Begin

Once accepted, Tobias would appear in Holographic Form and thanks to previous instillation of communication software the meeting is completely confidential. All not in the room would never be aware of its occurrence during or after.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay was reading one of her holo-novels on her datapad when the message came through. She didn't react to it. Instead she just continued reading for another moment. After a yawn she got to her feet and stretched, glancing over to the guards that stood sentry in her room. There were cameras as well, but she ignored them as always. Luckily it was still morning and she was still in her nightgown and housecoat. Time for a shower.

She kept her datapad in hand as she went up the stairs to her bedchambers that were connected to her office. Kay stepped into the bathroom and started her shower. At least there were no cameras or anything in there. Yet instead of undressing and going into the shower, she sat down on the counter and accepted the message.

The holo-image of [member="Tobias Dracks"] appeared. Her voice was quiet when she spoke, for she didn't want to attract any attention. "I don't have long. New Republic? Who are you?" There was always a chance that this was all some Sith trick.

 

[Tobias Dracks]

Tobias stood in a standard posture for his species, strait, tall and elegant to his form. In his holographic form it mattered little as his cloths were blue and was speaking on a secure chancel. This meeting was of importance to him and the stories and legend of this Queen of the people was something he needed.

Looking at [member="Lady Kay"] through the projector he paused for a second, then started, "I am Vice Chancellor Tobias Dracks of the New Republic, do not worry about the time or sound, my agents were able to infiltrate Sith Securities before and the guards outside your door are my agents as well."

The New Republic had spend major economic funds into the Republic Strategic Intelligence Services. When the Jedi Sentinel Division was able to break into the Commenorian Palace, more funds were pushed into the only stronghold within the Core Worlds owned by the Sith Empire. Neimoidia was becoming a large Fleet Port and home base for not just one but two Sector Armies in fear of the planet becoming a launching point for another invasion of the Core Worlds.

He continued his from where he left off, "I have been a long time fan of your actions and the legend that has evolved though your actions, I am to stand before the New Republic Senate in a few hours and dictate a plan of action for the restoration of the Core Worlds, though your actions have brought the eyes of the Sith Empire down upon this sector of space."

Pausing to look deep within the Prisoner Queens eyes he continued, "As neighbors we need to know if actions will be taken to displease our friends in the Outer Rim."

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay bowed her head in greeting as [member="Tobias Dracks"] introduced himself. She raised a brow as he spoke of the guards in her room being his. There was one that she knew of before, but as far as she knew, that man had left the Palace during that day. But with the armour the guards wore, it was very hard to tell one from the other. So what he was saying was certainly plausible.

"Legend?" She raised a brow. It wasn't like she was some hero. Plenty of times she had been chastised by the bigger powers out there for her neutral stance. What's worse, they often hated it and her own voice carried no weight. And now that there was the Occupation going on, she had even less of a voice than before. "My actions? I didn't cause this Vice Chancellor. It's all a bid for the Sith Emperor to control my niece. And I believe that it could be working. So their focus is elsewhere for the moment. The only thing that can draw their attention to us is if we attack them. That's something that we can't handle right now."

 

[Tobias Dracks]

The women was remarkably ademat about this, though the is spies had found information about the Emperor finding slight with the Commenoran People. The actions were still a mystery to how the Emperor would cause a problem for the Queen. Though a Fleet moving from the Empire to the Core Worlds was worrying to say the least.

He nodded at the comments of [member="Lady Kay"], "The legend of the your past, peace can only be achieved though diplomatic talks and not at the end of a blaster barrel," He was a fan of her, being neutral for so long was something many diplomats sought after. "I agree that the actions of the Sith Empire are out of order and illegal in its origins, but the actions of your friends who follow your husband and a force user names Krest has poked Emperor in a bad way, and they have already deemed your planets aggression towards them."

The New Republic had attempted to close the diplomatic gap between them and Commenor, but the Senate was still fearful of the threat the Sith posed. With the Elections of the War Hawks an inevitability, he would need to stand before the Senate and push a vote one direction or the other.

He decided to just spit it out, "The Senate will be voting to sending Aid to the people of Commenor and we have received push back from Commenoran Rebels and my faction holds the swing votes to either send Military Aid or stay out of your struggles and I must ask if the people of Commenor would even accept our assistance or would we be acting as just another conquering nation?"

The Second and Third Republic Sector Armies were on stand by in a defensive stance should Commenor turn into anything more then an occupied nation. They were weak after their move, and they could never withstand a full attack of the Empire that was apparent. However, their morals would not allow a planet in pain to stay under the occupation of another and more cruel nation. "Even in our weaken state, we hold the values you fought for, though it would be better to ask if your people need the assistance then just fighting for a planet that will only see us as conquerors."

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay took in a breath and held it once she had heard the news about [member="Veiere Arenais"] and [member="Krest"] . So they were preparing. Already. And whether the two had meant to act on it now or later, that was irrelevant if the Sith Lord was aware.

She let that breath out slowly as [member="Tobias Dracks"] gave her even more information about what was going on outside of Commenor. Some New Republic was gaining strength and looking to fight for Commenor's cause. But doing so would be suicide right now, most especially if the Sith Emperor had Commenor in his crosshairs again.

"Vice Chancellor...as much as I would love to accept, I'm afraid that now is not the time. I've told me husband and any other that I can that we have to be patient. If the Sith Emperor is gunning for me again, I can't give him reasons to glass us. Our freedom will come. In time. It could be a few years. I am trying to keep my family and the Commenori alive in the meantime."

Kay gave herself a moment before speaking again. "I hope you understand. Diplomacy before bloodshed...that's what I must do."

 

[Tobias Dracks]

He knew this was a long shot in the least, the Queen [member="Lady Kay"] was always one to choose a path of peace over bloodshed. His information was limited, but he could tell that the Queen had really compassion for her people. His faction will vote for a more peaceful path instead of a threat to her and his people.

"I appreciate your honesty Lady Kay, your stanch position is an inspiration to me and I wished I had more senators who saw the world like you did," Tobais tapped a few buttons on his Data-Tables, "My faction within the New Republic will make sure that aid and support will be available to your people, but no military action will follow."

The Senators of his Faction would listen to him, and they would continue to work on diplomatic solutions. He was chosen to assist with the reconstruction of the New Republic, they could not move on to the other Core Worlds without substantial proof that Commenor was not a threat. He found the Queen trustworthy enough to prevent Commenor from turning into a Battlefield again, so he could move the Republic Fleets from port to another location.

He looked up from his Data-Pad and back at the Queen, "Your peoples occupation by the Sith is very displeasing to the New Republic, is there anything our government can assist with in your time of need?"

If he could not send in the New Republic Military, then maybe he could help in another way. Being Vice Chancellor meant very little in reality, but Tobias would use it in full force to further the goals of the Republic.

 

[Kay-Larr]

"Thank you Vice-Chancellor. If there were more Senators and government officials that thought like I did, there'd be less conflict in the Galaxy. And as for the aid, remember that due to the blockade, anything not being sent by the Sith Empire and their closest allies will be searched. We are doing not so badly in regards to food and medical supplies. However construction could need a bit of help. And some engineering..." Of course there was a different reason why Kay would request such a thing.

And now [member="Tobias Dracks"] gave her a question that she had to think about more closely. The steam from the shower started to fog up the bathroom, making her appear less there. Or maybe like she was in a cloud.

"If you see my family, keep them safe and away from here. I don't want them caught and used against me. Veiere already has an execution order out on him. As for our children, I believe that they are free of bounties so far. But that could change..."

 

[Tobias Dracks]

Resonable request of the prisoner queen, nothing that they could not agree to. Commenor was a planet that deserved to be free like any other. Freedom and the Rights of Sentient were the cornerstone of the Republic and to not act would be seen as cowardice in the eyes of the War Hawks Faction. He was neither Dove or Hawk within the Senate, he was a realist, and he would whip the senate into seeing the reality of their situation. Sending laborers as well as engineers would also help the Republic in the long run, jobs payed by the Galactic Government did limit the power of the member planets. However when those laborers, architects, and engineers returned home they would have experience and ability to replace those lost to the Sith Attacks. His mind was lost in the thought of how this could jump start the economy as well as improve relations with the Commenorians.

By the time he tuned into what [member="Lady Kay"] and her second request, the holographic projection was turning into more and more of a fog monster. However, she was still loud and clear in her request.

"The Republic is in the middle of rebuilding Balmorra after the Sith Invasion, as such we can send you some of our laborers and smartest individuals to assist with whatever project you would require," He tapped away on his Data-Table again to make notes, "I will set up a meeting with the Sith Empire immediately to discuss transfer of these rebuilding efforts."

It was the second request that was a little more difficult, "The Commenorian Rebels lead by your husband have been rather difficult to find, the Sith Empire has been actively been looking for their base of operations as well as their supporters, and the previous Chancellor only saw fit to have the Republic focused on threats, it may take time but I will make sure they have the ability to seek asylum within the Republic where we can support them properly," He looked up to her... Fog figure, "I am not the Republic of old, the values we write on paper are those we stand by, I promise to find your family and keep them safe and assist them with the full backing of the Republic."

He knew the failures of the Old Republic, their downfall was well known throughout the Galaxy. The New Republic was built on better foundations and he would drag it kicking and screaming should it fall into its old habits. Commenor must be free, not for its value to the Republic, but because they were suffering and the Republic had the means to assist it.

"Is there anything else you may request of," His hologram looked off to the side, "The communications will be cut soon and it may be some time till the we could speak again."

 

[Kay-Larr]

"Don't search for them.
I'm sure that they have enough people actively searching already. But...if you happen to stumble across them, then help keep them safe. I can't do much from here." At least she could talk to [member="Veiere Arenais"] within the confines of her mind. She'd be able to give him a heads up of whatever movements the Sith are making. Hopefully she'd never lead him to a trap.

She focused on [member="Tobias Dracks"] once more, no doubt feeling quite pressed for time. "I can't think of anything else at the moment.
It's been rather uneventful here as of late. Which in itself is a good thing. If anything changes, I'll find some way to spread it out there."

What else was there to do besides biding her time? She could become fully compliant to the Sith, but even they would suspect it of being a ruse. So no matter what she did, she was hooped.

It could always be worse though.

 

[Tobias Dracks]

Tobias knew the Queen was not in the best position for making political moves for the good of her people, but she still cared. The Sith Intelligence Network was very strong. The Republic SIS had captured and disposed of a large handful of operators, but he knew they were not the last of them. Even the SIS had their moles, he would have to keep this information within the confines of his own faction loyal Senate Guards. The Commenorian Rebel Faction would have to stay at arms length, and he hoped he could find some way to get those signals out to the right people.

Looking through the fog to [member="Lady Kay"] he nodded in confirmation. "We will put out the proper feelers and I will be discreet in my conversation points," He let her talk about the other points, "We have operators on Commenor that are watching military movement and fleet sizes, if you would like we could detach a Cell and focus on you getting your voice out to the Galaxy through thinner channels?"

Commenor was a huge threat to the Republic, the Sith were a force to be recon with. It was only common sense that the Government would have spies deep within the planet. Criminals, Commandos, Operators, and even Sith Soldiers had joined the Republic Cause. Though they were more focus on the threats that could arise, they were not there to assist in any rebellion of that sort. If it was found, it could justify a war between the Republic and Sith, and Tobias would not be known as the man who caused that.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay pondered on the idea of a cell being put in place to help her get word out. Then she shook her head. "It's too risky for me to try to input a cell. Though I will do what I can, either through Sith propaganda holo-vids or interviews to get some of my messages across. I can be quite cryptic with my wording when I need to be."

She chewed the inside of her cheek. It was tough not knowing what was going on outside of her world. She had no idea of the movements of other governments. It was like being blind.
"Your government could pass along messages in the same way.
I should hopefully be able to see them. And it'd be safer than doing this." She gestured through the fog to the bathroom. Whether or not [member="Tobias Dracks"] could see that, she wasn't certain.

 

[Tobias Dracks]

The queen was correct in that aspect as well. SIS Agents were still very limited in their trained operators and with budget constraints and limited access to high tech equipment, everything was slower. They were skilled slicers and getting information out of nations covertly, but without proper soldiers to complete operations, they were only information gathering service.

He nodded in agreement, "The Republic is already on the move with that aspect your majesty, we have opened several new informational Holo-Vid Agencies that are privately owned and protected by Freedom of Information Bill, they will report any news freely and without threat, the government itself also works to make our work transparent to our citizens and the galaxy at large, I do not like the use of propaganda and will use free press to combat the Information War that is waged across the Galaxy."

On the other side of the conversation as [member="Lady Kay"] mention the Republic spreading their word, "We will continue to gather all information we can in hopes of assisting the Commenorian People, our operators will attempt to get you in the loop of the temperature of the Galaxy when they can," He tried to focus on the Queen, "Is there anyone you trust that comes and goes your office, we have access to the Palace, but your quarters are a little more troublesome for my agents."

They were not as strong as he would have liked, but he pushed the bottom line of the New Republic to strive for better results. It may not be today, but one day the New Republic had the possibility to become better then the governments it replaced. Politically, Militarily, and Economically, the Citizens of the Galaxy needed another nation they could consider safe from the Age of Darkness.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay was quite certain that information was flowing freely through the Galaxy. But it wasn't doing so on Commenor. At least not for her. Everything was screened beforehand. The only things that she got to see was what the Sith wanted her to see.

A bird in a guilded cage.

Those words echoed in her mind. She was doing her best to try to help her people, but there was so little that she could do. Whatever efforts were being undertaken outside of her cage was out of her control. Even out of her knowledge. Escape was entirely possible, but she dared not to try. More cities could be destroyed if she left.

Her attention turned back to [member="Tobias Dracks"] as he asked about who she trusted. "Olivia Hughes, my Head of the House. She'd never turn on me. I trust her with my life."

 

[Tobias Dracks]

He nodded as [member="Lady Kay"] made her decisions on trusting her Head Maid, things would be a little difficult as if she trusted her then the Sith had their eyes on her. The difficulties would be mounted, but he would do his best to get the Queen the peace of mind that she deserved. He would get in contact with her family, organize and supply them, and get any messages or news to her.

"The lease we could do is give you hope," He nodded and paused for a second, "It may be limited but inform your maid that she will be contacted by a Sith Trooper who will give her a pin, once you have it, break the ball point tip and it can be plugged into any Data-Terminal," He began writing an email to the Director of the SIS, "It will only be Republic New, but at least it wont be Sith Propaganda."

The Queen was the master piece of this whole investment, if she lost hope, or broken by the Sith it would all be for nothing. The Core Worlds would be cut off from the Outer Rim and their Resources. Many of those that were also trying to flee the Sith were falling victim to the Cartels and Criminal Organizations, without Commenor free, Republic and Jedi Peacekeepers could not save those needing the help. Giving the Darker Forces the recruiting pool they need for their armies of hate and greed. The Republic was the only force left standing that could oppose the Sith, and any small victory was a dash of hope for the current under dogs.

"Your majesty, I ask that you continue to hold onto hope for your are still a galactic hero to many in the galaxy," He paused on his email and turned to face her again, "I should know, I am one of those that see you as a hero."

His doors opened as one of the SIS agents shook his head, "It looks like our conversation must be cut for now your majesty, I hope we will be able to speak like this once again," Pausing for a second to hear her response he closed the conversation with, "May the Force guild you through these dark times Lady Kay."

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay smirked at the fact that [member="Tobias Dracks"] called Olivia a maid. The Head of the House was not a maid at all. Thankfully she wasn't here to hear that.

She listened to the instructions about the pen, yet she wasn't sure if she could get away with using such a device. Privacy was so limited. Where there were no cameras, there were audio recording devices. And when there were neither of those, there were guards. So it'd be tough to find the right time to use it.

Kay furrowed her brows as Tobias called her a galactic hero, claiming to be one of her fans. A hero? Hardly. Millions lost their lives in one fell swoop because of her. And now her people live under Occupation. Her family were scattered in the Galaxy and are more than likely being hunted. If she was a hero, she was a very poor one.

But there was no time to argue. They both had to go. Kay bowed her head to him and replied quietly, "Thank you...Goodbye Vice Chancellor." She turned off the datapad and set it aside. Now it was time for her to have that shower that she was supposed to be having. At least she had a stronger sense that she wasn't alone in this. But still, she didn't want to risk a big war.

 

[Tobias Dracks]

The transmission was now terminated, the Queen and the Vice Chancellor were now in this together. While what he was doing was technically illegal he knew he was doing the right thing. Getting senate approval would not be a problem for his recent approval and success as well a playing his connections correctly.

[member="Lady Kay"] may not have realized it, but she was a icon for the Core Worlds. She was only able to contain the chaos of her defeat to one world, unlike Balmorra, Alderaan, Coruscant, Fondor, or even Chandrila. Those worlds were killed in the billions, slaves were not taken, and Sith Spawns were still on many of those worlds. They lived in constant fear of another Sith invasion and occupation, and worlds like Fondor already knew their fate. In the eyes of those that were not on Commenor during the siege, rumors spread that the Queen sacrificed herself to save her allies. Unfortunately for the Queen, the Republic Press were spinning it off that way and the Senate saw no reason to stop this publication due to the Freedom of Press Bill.

Tobias waved over the SIS Agent and the man in his black uniform walked over, "Get me Director Deacon, we have a new mission for the Commenor Operation, also get me General Corek, his now operators may get their first test with a new mission."

Weather or not the Queen wanted it, the war was already here and at this stage information was its goal to winning.