Ask Dining in Gold

[Clove Vanhoop]

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Dressed in her mother's latest creation, a silky shimmery lace gold gown with plenty of hand-embroidered flowers, Clove made her way to the Lassiter estate. Much to her own disbelief. All she had done was contact Sibyl's assistant and request that an upcoming fundraising gala be held on Brentaal. Instead of a simple yes or no, she received an invitation to visit the Senator in the woman's estate.

And well, Clove couldn't exactly say no to that.

Still, she'd be lying if she said her hands weren't trembling from nerves as she tucked her curly mane into a messy bun—because Force knew she couldn't tame her hair into anything neater than this. Sibyl was.... Sibyl was scary. Sure! Clove has spoken with diplomats before, and even with Zak and Raze! But while meeting Raze was terrifying, to say the least, she somewhat knew what to expect. It would either go well or she'd have to fight her way out of there alive. With Sibyl... Sibyl was different. She wasn't as strong or as dangerous as Raze, but you couldn't fight her with a lightsaber. No, if you get on Sibyl's bad side, it isn't your health you are concerned about. It's everything else. And that idea petrified Clove. But if she could get over her fears to meet Raze, she could also get over her fears to meet Sibyl.

Plus, she was also curious as to why Sibyl wanted to meet her in the first place. It'd be the first New Republic meeting after all!

Despite her nerves, the short half-Annfyn found herself in front of the estate's gates, ID'ing herself in order to be let in. Clove couldn't help but stare with wide eyes as she passed through the gates and made her way toward the manor's main grand door. It was one of the few unexpected benefits of creating the Star Guardians, seeing some of the most beautiful places she'd never even dared to dream of. And so, after a lot of dreamy sighs, Clove finally came to a stop in front of the large white door. She looked down at her dress for a second to ensure that everything was as perfect as it could be. And, after brushing her hand over a fold to force it to lay smoothly, that same hand rose into the air to knock on the wooden frame.

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Tag @LouJoVi ​

 

[Sibyl Lassiter]

As soon as Clove touched the wood of the door, it opened. The half-Annfyn would be able to see the rich foyer of Sibyl’s mansion.The chandelier was made of crystals from Christophsis, while the marble came from Jelucan. Nothing less than the best should exist here, after all the Governor wanted to make the entire place worth being her home.

Waiting for Clove in front of the door was Dongwa, Sybil’s C4T protocol droid. “Welcome, Ms. Vanhoop. The Governor Lassiter is waiting for you in the living room. Please, follow me.” he said, before turning to walk through a corridor. Like the rest of the mansion, it also showed the fancy taste of Sibyl. There was another set of crystal chandeliers and paintings of different historical and mythological scenes in the ceiling. Most of them were about Brentaal.

When they arrived at the living room, Clove would find Sibyl seating in an armchair. The Brentaalan was wearing a blue dress, which she had bought especially for this meeting. “Ma’am, Ms. Vanhoop. If you excuse me, I’ll see if the dinner is already done.” with that, the droid left the two women to discuss business.

With a smile at her lips, Sibyl rose from her seat and approached Clove. “Ms. Vanhoop, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I need to say that your efforts with the Star Guardian project are admirable.” if the half-Annfyn’s idea wasn’t good for her to win votes among the Brentaalan rabble, she would have never invited this tiny thing to her home. With such height, she even doubted if the girl was old enough to be here alone. Perhaps she could call her parents.

“I hope that you are appreciating your visit in Brentaal and in my home.” seeing how Clove was dressed, the Governor doubted that she had any knowledge to appreciate the Lassiter estate. Her dress was so simple that Sibyl couldn’t believe that the half-Annfyn was daughter of an estilist.

@LilyNion

 

[Clove Vanhoop]

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The door was opened by a... cat? Clove blinked at the droid, which was shaped to look like the cutest thing while speaking like any other humanoid droid. She'd seen a lot of droids, many of which she disliked, but this droid was a first. She shook her head quickly, recomposing herself. "Thank you very much." She smiled at the droid before following him down the corridor.

The mansion was absurd. She'd never seen so many paintings and crystals together before. She had no idea where to look or what to even think of the beauty she walked past. Clove only knew to close her gaping mouth before embarrassing herself in front of Sibyl. So she quickly closed her mouth and took one last look at the paintings before following the protocol droid into the living room. The half-head Annfyn's lowered in thanks to the cat when he said he was checking the kitchen for dinner before her warm eyes danced to Sibyl.

Much like the mansion, the woman was surrounded by beauty. Her dress was extremely pretty, simple yet refined, and made of fabric she could only wish she could get her hands on. All of it was enough to make her lose the sliver of confidence she had in her wealth. Sure, her mother was more than wealthy thanks to Vanhoop's boutique, but none of that compared to this.

Oh well, at least her family loved her. That was more important than money or pretty dresses.

... Sugar. She just really wanted a stupidly pretty dress like Sibyl's.

Clove's lips were drawn into a warm and kind smile when she approached Sibyl. She admired her efforts?! That was a good start! "Thank you so much, Governor Lassiter. An' it's a pleasure to meet you as well. You look absolutely radiant! An' thank you for invitin' me over." The half-smile Annfyn's brightened slightly.

"I do, Brentaal is such a lovely an' unique planet, an' I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the capital city. And your home..!" Clove's eyes widened ever so slightly. "It's breathtakin'. I feel honored to be here." It started already. She knew instinctively that she needed to be careful with her words. Was this how it felt to talk to Sibyl? A balancing act of being genuine while also filtering your words to avoid coming on too strong or offending her? Would it be like this with any other governors and senators? Regardless, this was going to be a tricky night.

"I must admit, the invitation somewhat surprised me." Clove clasped her hands in front of her chest, her ears slightly lifted. She wasn't sure if she could sit or not, but she remembered her meeting with Galek, where he told her to take a seat, and she assumed the same would apply here. So she'd stand there, patiently waiting, with that gentle smile.

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Tag @LouJoVi ​

 

[Sibyl Lassiter]

When Clove started to talk, Sibyl immediately regretted having invited her. The sweet voice was annoying and something that the Brentaalan could have lived without hearing. At least it didn’t damage her ears like the one that came out of Senator Hergalor’s translator machine.

The voice wasn’t the only thing sweet on the half-Annfyn, Clove’s entire being was this way. At least that was what her search revealed. Of course she had searched about the girl’s life before inviting her to this meeting. The Governor always wanted to have something that she could use against other people, who knows when a blackmail would be necessary.

However, her search only ended with her discovering that Clove was probably one of most boring creatures in the entire Galaxy. She had lived with her parents, then became a Jedi and left sometime ago to create the Star Guardians. The girl was a perfect goody two shoes, like the idiot of her aide. She was certain that the half-Annfyn and Tristodd would be good friends, both fools.

After the girl stopped talking, the two remained standing and Sibyl stared at Clove. She wondered why the half-Annfyn still didn’t sit, was the ex-Jedi waiting for her to allow it? Like some type of dog? She's already had her share of dealing with trained dogs, Emil Ro was enough for an entire lifetime.

She doubted that he could have gone to the bathroom without Jin saying that he could, perhaps it was why that accident happened during that Senate Session. The Fondorian forgot to tell Emil that he could go. Hopefully it wasn’t going to be the case with Clove, or at least she hoped.

“Please, take a seat.” she said, after a time of awkwardness. While the Brentaalan liked politeness, she also appreciated proactive people. “It’s a pleasure to have the creator of the Star Guardians at my home. The way that you help the people of the Galaxy is admirable. With this dinner I not only want to celebrate your efforts, but also I hope that you can offer your help to the poor people of Brentaal.”

@LilyNion

 

[Clove Vanhoop]

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Clove smiled gently at Sibyl when an awkward silence fell between them... Surely she'd say something right? Anytime now? Force, why wouldn't Sibyl just tell her to sit? Galek had done it?! Same counted for other people she met in more formal settings. Sugar! She even told people to sit when they came into her house?! Come on, just say 'please, sit down,' or 'please, enjoy my incredibly soft and nice sofa, and relax your feet because these heels are not made for standing.' Fair to say, Clove's gentle smile became a little more awkward as she held her hands together.

Then, at last, sweet mercy.

"Thank you." The half-Annfyn said while sitting on the sofa, deeply appreciating how truly soft and nice it was. She could only dream of having a sofa like this. But she couldn't linger in those thoughts for long because Sibyl kept going. Celebrating her accomplishments with a fancy dinner? That was a first for her, and she wasn't sure how she felt about it. But for the time being, she has decided to accept it gratefully. "That is extremely generous of you, Governor Lassiter. I'm grateful."

But there was a catch to the diner. A request for help.

Hearing she wanted the Star Guardians' offer to help the people of Brentaal was... unexpected. She didn't see Sibyl as the type to embrace floaty healing for everyone. Or did she have a different agenda? "I do have some small questions. But I assume these finer details will be discussed durin' dinner itself." Clove said with a soft smile. "However, the Star Guardians would be glad to help the people of Brentaal. After all, our eventual goal is to offer help throughout the entire galaxy." Of course, that offer could only be accepted if they both reached an agreement. But she assumed Sibyl expected nothing less.

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Tag @LouJoVi ​

 

[Sibyl Lassiter]

In the end Sibyl was right, Clove had waited for her order to sit. In the end the half-Annfyn gave the Brentaalan the impression that she was really an obedient girl, who needed to have others saying what she needed to do. While dealing with this type of person was good, because it allowed the Governor to apply some manipulation, she wasn’t wanting to deal with a dog today.

During the diner, Sibyl would see if the ex-Jedi was this type of person. Hopefully Clove would know how to eat food alone, without having the Brentaalan saying it to her. Unless the girl was really that stupid and even needed to be feed in the mouth. If it was the case, the Governor was going to throw her through the window. She wasn’t going to act as a mother.

Sibyl hated children and Clove size reminded her so much of one. She even thought about asking the half-Annfyn for her ID, because she wasn’t sure if alcoholic beverages should be served during the diner. The girl looked like a kid and even if she was really an adult, someone so tiny probably got drunk with less than half a glass.

“I’m glad to hear it. While Brentaal is part of the Core Worlds, we still have these social problems. The access to good medical care is one of them, even with our recent efforts together with the MorataCorp.” Sibyl said, while smiling at Clove. It was thanks to her actions that it happened. With the rable happy, she ended up securing more support for the next senatorial elections.

At this point, Dongwa returned. “Ma’am, the diner is already done. If you want, you can move to the dining room.” Sibyl nodded at him, before getting up from her seat. The droid would walk in front of the two women. They would walk across another corridor, this one full of marble statues. All of them depicted important members of House Lassiter.

When they reached the dining room, Clove would once again see the wealth of the Governor. The light coming from the crystal chandeliers made the golden details in the walls shiny wonderfully. "Take a seat, please." this time Sibyl decided to say, rather than leaving Clove looking at the table. It would make her look even more like an idiot than her normal face already did.

@LilyNion

 

[Clove Vanhoop]

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Clove was taken aback by Sibyl's brutal honesty. She had never imagined that a woman of such dignity and pride would admit that her planet had such social problems. And, while she was still nervous around the woman, she couldn't deny that it made her respect the Senator. As a result, when she returned the smile, it was slightly warmer than before. "I see, I'm sorry to hear your planet suffers from such social problems. I can't imagine that bein' easy as a Senator. But we'd love to help, in any way we can."

The concept seemed to genuinely excite her. Because if she can get a facility built on Brentaal, it will be the first in a place that desperately needs one. Bothawui, the first planet to grant permission, was in far less desperate need. And Bespin, the planet she'd been looking at in Sith space, was no different. Sure, there would be plenty of people on those planets who required help, but the locations were chosen by logistics and political calculations. Bothawui because it was a popular destination for tourists and other travelers, and Bespin because allying with the leader of Bespin may result in lower gas prices, giving the Star Guardians more room to build more facilities. Brentaal carried no such plans; it was only to help the planet. And she adored it; it was one of the reasons she founded the Star Guardians in the first place.

The half-Annfyn's large eyes shifted to the droid as he announced dinner time. Clove stood up and began to follow Sibyl through the corridor, which seemed even more ridiculously beautiful than the previous one. While it was pretty clear she was looking at the statues, she didn't linger or stare like she did when she was just with the droid cat. No, she made a point of walking gracefully into the dining room, knowing Sibyl could see her. That same grace continued when she entered the dining room and saw the most beautiful chandeliers she'd ever seen in her life.

She gave the chandelier a quick look before nodding and taking a seat that seemed appropriate in comparison to Sibyl's. She wouldn't thank her with words this time, because otherwise she'd be thanking Sibyl all night, and she didn't want to come across as a servant or a puppy.

It was clear by the way Clove sat that she knew her table manners; her back was straight, her chin slightly raised, and her elbows lingered behind the table rather than on top of it. One of the benefits of having a pure Annfyn mother who was concerned with appearances was that she was taught the most common manners.

Instead of letting an awkward silence in the dining room linger while they waited for their plates to be served, Clove looked Sibyl in the eyes and picked up where they left off. "Excuse me for continuin' so quickly, but I'm incredibly curious an' interested! How would you like the Star Guardians to help the people of Brentaal?"

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Tag @LouJoVi ​

 

[Sibyl Lassiter]

”I’m grateful to hear that. The Galaxy needs more people like you, with golden hearts.” Sibyl said, while controlling herself to not vomit. Clove’s sweetness was starting to make her sick, to the point of thinking that he should avoid the dessert today. The Governor would become diabetic if she ate it, because she was already facing too much sweetness at the moment.

During their walk to the diner room, the Brentaalan noticed that CLove was impressed with her home. She didn’t need to be a Force sensitive to see how the tiny creature looked around the corridors, with her bizarrely expressive eyes. Seriously, the girl looked like one of these creepy dolls that the youngest daughter of her cousin seemed to be obsessed with. Not only her eyes matched it, but even her insignificant height.

Good girl. Sibyl thought, while watching Clove sit on the dining table. In the end, the half-Annfyn was really a perfect dog. The Brentaalan was sure that even if the girl was Force sensitive, she would be gullible enough to be manipulated by her. After all, the Governor had years dealing with her kind, she was sure that she could at least be capable of concealing her true intentions.

The way that Clove sat on the table satisfied Sibyl. It was in the same way that a member of the nobility would do. The Brentaalan thought that the half-Annfyn deserved a bone-shaped cookie, she was being a good girl.

Before answering the half-Annfyn, the Brentaalan raised her right hand and gestured. One of her servants approached with a drink cart. It was full of different types of beverages from several worlds, with both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. While she offered her glass to be filled with a Nabooian wine of the Domaine de la Maison sur le Lac brand, Sibyl waited for Clove to ask what she wanted.

The Governor thought that she should ask the girl's parents if they allowed her to drink alcohol.

“While the medical care that the Sky Guardians’ offer isn't the most conventional, it’s still very effective. I would like to offer the possibility of establishing a hospital in Brentaal, so my people could have access to it. ” she said, before sipping some of her drink. “The Brentaal Houses and I would fund its construction, of course.” while she waited for an answer, two waiters arrived bringing plates full of different types of hors d'oeuvres.

@LilyNion

 

[Clove Vanhoop]

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Clove noticed Sibyl motion for the drink cart and saw her take a glass of very expensive Naboo wine. Clove briefly considered drinking something non-alcoholic, but this was Sibyl she was drinking with. Going for non-alcoholic drinks would have been strange, right? So she looked at the cart, hoping to recognize one of the bottles. They were all overly fancy, but something caught her eye. A bottle with beautiful flowers on it. OH! Was that the Blossom Wine Galek had given her? It looked like it could be. "I'd like that one, please." She made a gesture with her open hand, knowing that pointing is considered impolite in formal settings.

The servant gave her a strange look, but not wanting to offend Sibyl's guests, she grabbed the bottle and filled Clove's glass. Clove excitedly took it in her hand before placing it against her lips and taking a sip.
...

It took every muscle in her body to keep from gagging right then and there. On the outside she froze, the glass pressing against her lips, her eyes focused on a fixed point in the air. On the inside, she was fighting to keep her stomach under control. It was the most rancid thing she had ever drunk. This was not the lovely floral Naboo wine. So then, what was it? Poison? Did Sibyl try to poison her?! No way, surely not, she's a politician. ... Or is that exactly why she would do it?! Was she about to drop dead on the table!? Well, she'd find out soon enough.

It took her a few seconds to unfreeze and remove her glass from her lips. She returned her gaze to Sibyl after clearing her throat. "My apologies, I've never tasted somethin' like this before. It's unique." She said with a faint smile. Clove shook her head at herself and returned her attention to Sibyl and her explanation of her plans. And the plan was so incredible that she forgot about the aftertaste of death that lingered in her throat for a moment.

Still, she took a moment to calculate the costs of running a second hospital, using numbers she remembered off the top of her head. Even with the Brentaal houses funding the construction, it would be pricey. However, security on ISC planets was provided by the ISC, which greatly reduced the costs. And she could comfortably pay the first few paychecks with money she had set aside for the facility she had planned for Bespin, thanks to Galek's funding. It just meant that the fundraising gala had to be a success or she wouldn't be able to continue with her plan for Bespin and Kashyyyk. But, securing a second facility would make the Star Guardians a far more fundable project, which in return meant that the chances of receiving extra funding increased. And having two facilities meant she could grow twice as many herbs and sell them as medications.

"Hm." She said after a second, instinctively taking another sip. Kriff, kriff, kriff, KRIFF. Why in the name of Force did she do that?! She set the glass down next to her plate before clearing her throat and carrying on. "I think it should be more than possible for the Star Guardians to build their second facility on Brentaal. I assume you are aware of the 'rules' associated with a Star Guardian facility, given that you mentioned it is less than conventional." She smiled non-judgmentally at Sibyl. She was well aware that it was not the most practical system. Sure, it worked, but it wasn't without its own trickiness. "Are there any questions you have about this or anythin' else? Because otherwise, I'd be delighted to reach an agreement right away. It would be an honor to build a facility on Brentaal."

Clove tasted the small spinach roll with salmon while waiting for Sibyl's reply, which was a welcome palate cleanser after the rancid drink she was forced to drink to avoid offending the host.

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Tag @LouJoVi ​

 

[Sibyl Lassiter]

When she saw Clove asking for the bottle of Annfyn wine, Sibyl raised an eyebrow. None of her guests ever wanted to drink that thing. That bottle in particular had been in her family since a diplomat of Annwfyn had visited her grandfather and gave it as a gift. At the time it already had 300 years.

The Governor could have thrown it away, but such a drink used to be so rare outside of its homeworld that she allowed it to remain on the drink cart as a way of showing her guests how she had a great diversity of beverages. Sibyl never expected that someone in their good mind would want to put even the smallest drop of it on their mouth. Even less a person that was so small that falling from a chair could be the same if they were jumping from a cliff.

She was even more impressed when Clove drank it and didn’t spit immediately. She couldn't be normal, her stomach must be mate of steel. The girl even said that it was unique. “Well, you are the first person that I know that appreciate an Annfyn wine. Few can appreciate something that was aged for 300 years.” she picked the bottle to read the label. Then, she looked at the ex-Jedi with a smile. “My bad. It was aged for 400 years. It’s probably older, since my grandfather already owned it.”

After she finished explaining what Brentaal wanted from the Star Guardians, Sibyl watched Clove sip some more of the wine. Like before, the girl didn’t vomit. The Governor decided that she was going to give this bottle as a gift to the ex-Jedi. “Please, prepare this bottle for Ms. Vanhoop.” she said to the waiter that was at the drink cart. “Since you like it. I’ll give it to you.” the Brentaalan smiled at the girl, before she picked a fancy version of a deviled egg. "It's a gift, for you to remember our visit to Brentaal."

Since the half-Annfyn apparently was capable of drinking it and the Brentaalan didn’t like this vinegar-like beverage, the best that she could do was hand it to her. At least someone would be capable of appreciating it, while her drink cart would have space for new and better drinks.

“Yes, I have some.” she made a pause to eat the hor d'oeuvres. “I’m aware that the Star Guardians aren’t conventional, but I would like to hear more about the details of it from you. The people of Brentaal can find it difficult to accept new things, but together we can work in ways of convincing them.” the rabble could be so stupid sometimes, even when what was being offered could save them.

@LilyNion

 

[Clove Vanhoop]

Annfyn wine? A wine that's 400 years old, even!? What in the name of the Force did the Annfyn drink, utter poison? Was this the reason her mother chose to leave her home planet?! She couldn't imagine how vile the other drinks and dishes would've been if the wine had been this bad. That poor lady. And how did Sibyl get her hands on such a bottle? What made her keep it? It had to be to poison others, people like Clove.

And, much to her horror, Sibyl decided to gift the entire bottle. Well. She would never forget a bottle like that or the meeting tied with it, so Sibyl was correct in that regard. "Thank you," Clove said as she wiped her lips with a table napkin after eating a slightly messier-filled tomato, allowing her to straighten her face. "That's incredibly kind of you, Governor Lassiter." She'd have to keep the bottle safe, somewhere no one else could ever touch it again.

Clove listened while eating another hor d'oeuvre, nodding slightly. "Absolutely! The hospital's and the Star Guardians' overall goal is to provide healthcare to everyone. Including the wealthy, the poor, the goodie-two-shoes, the criminals, and those who are not members of the ISC. This inevitably means that some less-than-nice people may receive help from the facility. It's a reality to 'we don't discriminate." The half-Annfyn raised her shoulders slightly, as if to say; oh well, that's the price you pay for complete neutrality. "To ensure that no one is in danger, the facilities themselves are staffed with guards, soldiers, and security droids. Another layer of security is ensuring that no one enters the facility without being escorted, and the same is true when leaving." She was about to take another sip from her glass of liquid death when she realized her mistake and smoothly redirected her hand to a salmon hor d'oeuvre, taking a quick bite before continuing. "This will prevent Sith, criminals, or anyone else from setting foot on any land that is not watched over by the Star Guardians. If something goes wrong and the Star Guardians cannot handle it, the planet's authority will be notified, and they are free to intervene as they see fit."

"The Star Guardians offer free medical care in the form of a fully functional hospital in exchange for all of that. Anyone in Brentaal who needs help receives it. Furthermore, if you end up disagreeing with a facility, the Star Guardians will continue to help where they are allowed. It just won't be in the form of a hospital, but rather in refugee relief, first-aid camps and other similar endeavors. Things that we will do regardless of a facility or not." And that was the end of her explanation. Clove could only hope she did it well, but at the end of the day, she gave it her all and that was all she could do.

---

tag @LouJoVi ​

 

[Sibyl Lassiter]

Sibyl hid her desire to grimace when she saw Clove get her lips dirty with one of the hors d'oeuvres. In her opinion, even a Kowakian monkey-lizard would have better etiquette than the girl sitting in front of her. Did she grow up in a pigsty? Were her parents Gamorrean pigs? At least the half-Annfyn had the decency of using a napkin to clean herself.

Of course, the Governor was conveniently ignoring the fact that sometimes it was impossible to avoid a messier appetizer and was exactly for such occasions that they had napkins. If she did it, Sibyl would never be able to do what she loved the most: judge people.

The more that Clove talked about the Star Guardians’ mission, the more Sibyl got bored. Besides the annoying sweet voice of the girl, the Brentaalan could barely stand her idealistic ideas regarding the purpose of her hospitals. They were boring and nauseating like the minuscule creature in front of her.

She couldn’t wait to see the half-Annfyn’s dreams crash and burn when the first rabble of some Outer Rim backwater planet started a fight inside one of her buildings. Her desire to attend to the criminals and other dirty individuals could easily end in trouble, even if there were guards protecting these hospitals. Only a fool like Clove to think that people would be respectful once inside it.

However, who was Sibyl to question? When it happened, she would at least have something to laugh about. She would only need to be careful to not have Brentaal being the stage of this circus. “If you allow, I would like to have the Brentaalan Security Force helping in the guard of your hospitals. The poor areas of my world can be dangerous and I believe that you could use the help of those that already know the region.”

“Another point is that by law, Sith and Jedi aren’t allowed in Brentaal. In this case, I believe that you’ll not attend them in your installations here.” as soon as she finished speaking, the main course of the dinner arrived. It was a grilled filet of Mon Calamarian fish with cherry tomatoes from Uyter.

@LilyNion