Ask Naboo Arduus ad solem

[Emil Ro]

Naboo was perhaps the most beautiful planet in the galaxy. That title might have once belonged to Alderaan, but Alderaan was no more and Emil was far too young to remember it. He remembered, instead, the waste of his homeworld. Where Naboo had crystalline falls, spilling over cliffsides like liquid silver, Balmorra had rivers dyed mustard yellow from centuries of unregulated corporate pollution. To this day, it surprised him that the planet yet contained human life.

Emil had imagined moving to Naboo one day and renting a studio apartment with a view of the Royal Palace in Theed. Instead, he made his first trip to the planet as the newly elected Supreme Chancellor of the New Republic, at the personal invitation of Emryc Thorne, the popular president of the Independent Systems Consortium. His first foreign trip to an allied nation.

His ship rocked and lurched as it settled into the hangar of the Royal Palace. Already outside his viewport, an assembly of the press had gathered, along with what he suspected was the welcoming party from his host. When the departure ramp descended, he was waiting there, a politicians's smile upon his lips. He waved to the press as he descended, ignoring questions shouted at him as he beelined for President Thorne, trailed by his retinue of secret service.

"President Thorne," Emil said warmly, extending a hand for a professional handshake. "I have seen you from a distance in the Galactic Senate, but I am honored to finally meet you in person."

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Of all the different diplomatic buildings for ISC, Naboo by far was one of the best. With Indupar joining the ISC, he anticipated another aesthetically stunning location for future sessions.

The President’s own retinue was already waiting for the Chancellor, droves of reporters congregating on all sides. There were droids that stood poised at the ready for crowd control. Curiously, none of the reporters stepped towards the droids, keeping to their lines of demarcation. Cameras flashed and journalists rapidly briefed on the developing story.

The tall half Sephi was adorned in a gray suit, hair styled as always. He was standing in front of a luxury speeder courtesy of the Queen. Instead of dedicated agents, he was flanked by two very imposing droids. It was clear they were state of the art models from Blackwell.

Emryc extended a hand to shake that of the Chancellor’s, offering a polite smile. The half Sephi stood far taller than the Chancellor, but he had perfected the art of making himself not appear too imposing. Though Emryc was infamous across the galaxy for a while now, there was not a single trace of elitism in his demeanor as he greeted the newer player.

“Likewise, Chancellor Ro,” He said quietly, “I thought to introduce myself on Indupar but you appeared to be…” There was the subtlest glint in his piercing silver eye, “Otherwise occupied,” It was far too subtle for anyone but the other man to notice. Emryc turned and gestured for the Chancellor to enter the speeder.

“This will take us to the Palace quarters that the Queen has graciously provided for your visit,” Emryc would wait for him to slide in before he followed. The Chancellor would notice that the speeder was exceptionally spacious and definitely built for people with larger frames. The speeder also offered a reprieve from the paparazzi and reporters.

“Thank you for making the trip out here,” Emryc said as the vehicle began to move towards their destination, “Admittedly I have gotten a bit tired of visits to Coruscant and I’m sure you don’t mind fresh air once in a while,” He flashed the man a grin, not afraid to make quips about the highly polluted planets that made up the Core.

@Mockingjay

 

[Emil Ro]

Emil met Emryc's grin with one of his own. Anyone who was familiar with him knew how often he made jokes about Balmorra's own pollution, and Coruscant was certainly not above reproach in that regard. Naboo, by contrast, was like sucking in the pristine air of a mountain glade. Emil felt cleansed from the inside every time he inhaled; it was almost a shame that they had to take a speeder to their destination.

Still, he ducked inside, thankful for the sudden quiet as the press' rancor were muffled by the slamming of doors. "I used to tell myself that Coruscant was a break from Balmorra. Back home, it's often hard to tell the storm clouds apart from the smoke stacks pouring out of the nearest arms factory. But Corsucant isn't really better. If anything, it's just better at hiding it."

And only marginally at that. Coruscant's weather satellites were in dire need of an upgrade. The New Republic had not enacted infrastructure legislation in some time. He would have to see that matter resolved when he got back to the capitol.

"I have to thank you for the invitation, and the queen, of course, for her hospitality," he continued. "Too often, those in the Core don't appreciate the beauty of the Rim worlds. Their... simplicity."

They also didn't appreciate the quality of the men, clearly. The arrogant snobbiness of Core men was entirely absent from Emryc. He had also seemingly discovered the reservoir of charm and charisma they apparently lacked, as well. Emil would have to invite the Fondor delegation to his next visit to the ISC. Jin Vaisra could certainly learn a thing or two, he thought, hiding a bemused smirk.

"Things look so pristine here, one might be led to believe the AMS virus has never touched Naboo," Emil remarked, crossing one leg over the other. "How fares the ISC with vaccine distribution? Hopefully better than the New Republic under my predecessor." @Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc had expected some sort of snarky response as was usually the case with Core Senators. To his pleasant surprise, the man handled his commentary with a dignified poise that won him some points with the half Sephi.

He couldn’t disagree with the Chancellor’s assessment of how Core worlders viewed the Outer Rim. Things were much slower paced out here, and the ideals and principles were different. Lunches took long and were leisurely and many planets had afternoon siestas. Such concepts were virtually unthinkable in the Core Worlds.

“I will fully admit that the distribution is not going nearly as well as I had hoped,” Emryc said with a slight exhale, “While we have the supplies and infrastructure established on Thyferra along the trading routes normally used for bacta, we’ve had to lay down entirely new foundations on some of the more distant planets that have recently joined the ISC. The fortunate thing is that they now have a direct line to bacta distribution - something that wasn’t possible before we set up the ISC trading networks.”

They arrived at their destination, the speeder dropping them off at a massive palace chamber. Stairs led up to the upper quarters that were also reserved for meetings. Tall floor to ceiling windows gazed out to waterfalls, mountain ranges and lakes.

Emryc gestured for the Chancellor to take a seat in one of the plush lounges, seating himself across the man. Attendants arrived at once, offering refreshments. Emryc opted for a tea before he turned his attention back to the Chancellor.

“Before I make you suffer through any of my ideas or agendas, I’d first like to hear your observations,” Emryc stated. He was not one for idle smalltalk unless the other party appeared interested, “I understand that you weren’t exactly..expecting the nomination. I’m sure you came into the position with some understanding and perspectives of the governing bodies that make up the Galactic Senate. What are your observations on the ISC, good or bad?”

@Mockingjay

 

[Emil Ro]

Emil had indeed not expected the sudden nomination to Chancellor. Though, the quiet part that he left quiet was that his humility in accepting it had been forged—somewhat. He wanted the position. Craved it. He knew the mechanisms of governance, knew enough about the forces they were in league with in the Senate, felt that he could steer the Republic on the right course. He still felt that way. But the power he now wore came with a weight he had not expected. It was that dilemma with which he still wrestled.

"My understanding of your Consortium is that it was forged out of a rejection of another war borne out of this ancient Jedi struggle our galaxy can't quite seem to shake," Emil replied. "That, and, as you've hinted, the Core's unwillingness to acknowledge the needs of the Rim. In that last bit, I can sympathize. Balmorra might be in the Core, famous for its arms industry, but the Balmorran people have been used as a stool for the wealthy corporations in the Core to get wealthier. That is part of the reason I started a career in politics."

Partially true. Of course, the Balmorran arms industry had aided his ascent through Balmorran politics, practically ensuring him a place in the New Republic Senate. But there were whispers they were beginning to see him as a bad investment. Thusfar, they had yet to reap any material benefit from his election.

"I must confess," Emil continued, "I am rather impressed with how quickly the Consortium has pulled together its resources. Your territory is disconnected and spread out, and yet you've created an impressive trading network to obtain medical supplies and the necessary components to launch what will no doubt be a powerful military. And its obvious your message has resonance. More worlds join the Consortium every time I turn on the HoloNet."

Here, Emil paused. Emryc had asked for the good and the bad; and this man struck him as one who preferred honesty to flattery. "That said, I've often found your governors and secretaries abrasive, suspicious of us, even though we're supposed to be allies. And it is this that I hope to gain perspective on during my stay here with you. What would you say is the greatest point of contention between our two governments?" @Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc quietly heard the man as he spoke, more than surprised to hear praise. In the past, there had been quite a bit of tension between the ISC and the New Republic. There may have been polite, forced respect, but never praise or admiration. The half Sephi wasn’t the type to immediately assume the worst or suspect others. Emryc doubted anyone had a shadier profile than he did when things came down to it. As a result, he was seldom one to draw immediate conclusions or suspicion about others.

“Are we supposed to be allies?” Emryc asked after a moment of silence when the man had finished speaking. There was a subtle glint of amusement in his eye as he asked the question, “No formal alliance exists between our governments because no one has approached us for it. You are correct that there have been tensions, but I assure you it has been going both ways. I believe the contention exists because of all those things you listed off as strengths of the ISC. We are new and different, and therefore we must pose some sort of threat. The fatal flaw on the flip side is perhaps that outer rim governors believe New Republic to be archaic and elitist in its ways. There are a lot of poor planets out there, and they may look upon the rich and wealthy Core planets as leeches. However, I am diligently working to shift that mentality by prioritizing building up an economical infrastructure that can exist on its own with the external trade dependencies being more of a surplus.”

The half Sephi sipped from his tea for a moment, “Our biggest concerns about formal alliances come from our wariness of the Jedi. Most of the worlds within the ISC, and quite frankly, in the Core, believe that Jedi and Sith are two sides of the same coin. Sith just happen to be Jedi deciding to choose violence that day. I’m inclined to agree in many ways. As a result, we are collectively concerned about attaching ourselves to allies that more or less invite aggression. Empirically speaking, there has been a consistent correlation between Jedi presence and Sith aggression. Now, my personal views are not set in stone about this, but nothing has really taken place to shift my stance on it.”

@Mockingjay

 

[Emil Ro]

Emil thought deeply on what President Thorne had said. He didn't have to dig deep in his memory to know what tensions he spoke of. Though he did not know Senator Rayne well, he was aware of her broadside shots at the ISC. More importantly, he himself had been involved in a spat with the Consortium at the last meeting of the Galactic Senate. It was only natural that these aggressions would be seen by the Consortium as an unwillingness to cooperate.

His gaze drifted out the window of limo-speeder, and though he wished to marvel at the splendor of Naboo, there were more important issues on his plate at the moment. "I too am concerned about the New Republic's relationship to the Rim. Too often, the rich worlds you spoke of forget that the very resources that allow them to be rich come not from their own worlds, but from the Rim. They owe their very livelihood to the Rim, and yet turn their nose up at the thought of rendering Rim worlds aid. You have my assurances that this will not be the stance of my administration. Already, I am preparing to use what resources I have at my disposal to send aid to the Anoat sector, in the hopes of containing a deadly outbreak of the AMS virus there. It is a small step, but I hope a solid first one in repairing the New Republic's relationship to Rim."

And then there was the Jedi problem. Emil had his own conflicted ideas about the Jedi. He had expressed as much to Jedi Master Voran during their audience earlier in the week. Yet, despite his ambivalence, he also held the belief that a relationship with the Jedi would be beneficial should a true war with the Sith ever break out. But how did he go about explaining that to the President of the Independent Systems Consortium? Especially when the man wasn't wrong about his suspicions—the Jedi did invite Sith presence.

"As for the Jedi," he continued, "I have expressed those very sentiments directly to a member of the Jedi Council recently. I understand the galaxy's ambivalence towards the Order; but I am also wary of their red-bladed counterparts. After all, not a century ago, two lone Sith had the entire galaxy in their fists. My fear is that, if we leave the Jedi without allies and alone, to whom do the Sith turn their sights once the Jedi are gone? Already, they make trouble along the edges of the Free Worlds Alliance, and the nature of their fiefdoms make it difficult to imagine peace is possible—not when one betrayal from within can change the stance of that fiefdom, or erase it from the map entirely."

Emil paused, more to give himself a breath than to let his words sink in. He considered the question he wanted to ask next careful. He had a feeling it would define his relationship with President Thorne for the foreseeable future. "I must be frank, Mr. President. I cannot fully rule out the Jedi as future allies, though I am also not willing to just overlook the mistakes they have made, the lives they've cost us all. But I also desire a friendship between our two governments, our two peoples, and between us personally. I believe that there is much work the two of us can do for the benefit of this galaxy. What can the New Republic do to see that desire reciprocated in you?" @Sreeya