Diplomacy

[Darth Inheris]

House Knylenn were not the most powerful house on Kuat, that belonged to the House that gave the planet its namesake. But they were its closest rival, and that meant they'd often go to great, at times unreasonable lengths, to try and one up their competitors.

That was exactly why they had been the focus of the rebuilding efforts attempts at funding. With evidence having been forged to say House Kuat was onboard, Knylenn would, hopefully, want to match them, if not exceed it. It fell then to two very particular Sith to try and make sure that deal went through.

But a meeting with Knylenn would not be easy, even with such preparation work done. There would still need to be something in it for them. Hopefully the two could sell it to them correctly,

"We've managed to make it look like House Kuat is onboard, but you still need to convince them to back us. If you can, we'll all come out of this doing much better, and the shipyards will be back online in no time" Saorise's flickering hologram informed them, she had only one more word for the pair before they went in,

"Don't mess this up"

@Nefieslab @Alhon @Ulysses

 

[Saric Noms]

Saric watched the hologram flicker. He had never met this Saorise in person. He had been waiting in Coruscant after graduating from the academy with not much to do when he bumped into a former mentor who said they needed young blood for a mission. Saric was glad for the distraction and to be useful to the Empire. He had heard of the recent tragedy on Kuat, of course, but had never been there himself.

Now he saw the fabled ship yards with his own eyes out the porthole behind the ethereal head. He drew breath inward sharply. Yes he had grown used to the mind-bogglingly high storeys of Coruscant, but he rarely saw them from space. Now he saw the endless expanse of industry.

As the voice finished, with its final encouragement, Saric looked over to his new companion. As an established Sith, Saric would defer to him and follow after into the shuttle down to the meeting.

He instinctively reached back to his belt to check his gear: his helmet hanging below his right kidney and both lightsabers on his left hip.

 

[Percy Fleck]

Percy reclined in his seat, clicking his fingers rhythmically as he watched Saorise’s image dissipate and vanish. He was starting to quite like their taskmaster, a direct, ambitious young woman with the spark of one who would go far. It always did to make friends with such people and Percy had made a good start working with her on the Mehrest mining interests.

Now another House needed bringing into the fold.

He glanced through the viewing port to his right, just able to make out the green plains of the Knylenn estate rolling beneath the clouds. Their shuttle was taking them down into another diplomatic mire. Part of Percy resented having to come cap in hand to such people; whether it was House Mehrest or House Knylenn, they were second-rate aristocrats kept safe by an Empire that shouldn’t have to ask for their support. They should be begging to give it.

But the fiasco with the Drive Yards had weakened the bonds of fealty here. The brutish Mandalorians had shown the Imperium up well and truly, punching a hole through an almost vital organ. Percy hated them for it. It meant that worlds like Kuat needed closer guard, while powerful families like the Knylenn needed holding close, and reminding what was in it for them.

The shuttle banked, beginning a glide down to the estate’s south courtyard. Percy shut off his datapad, pocketing it for the moment. He’d even done a bit of pre-reading this time. His talents would get him so far, but the bigger the audience the harder it was to make the right inroads. Apparently, there were lots of these guys. They would need something on top of Percy Fleck’s wit and charm this time. Just as well the pad contained a few helpful forgeries then.

He had a companion too of course, for good measure. The Acolyte Saric wasn’t someone he’d had the pleasure of working with before; he’d definitely have remembered. The other Sith was tall and willowy, sat rigidly in his seat like a military man on parade. He radiated the kind of discipline that said he wasn’t the life of the party, but the two sabers on his belt were exciting in a different way.

“With any luck you won’t need to use those today” Percy remarked, nodding towards the Sith’s weapons “if there’s any sparring at all, it’ll be the talking kind. Is that up your alley?”.

@Nefieslab @Ulysses

 

[Saric Noms]

As the other Sith's voice broke the silence, Saric realised that he had stiffened up. He wasn't exactly nervous, but his usual response to new people was not to leap in with small talk. He allowed his shoulders to relax marginally.

Saric was quite flattered by the way his new companion spoke as if he was the brawn. Probably this was the only pairing where this was true. "Up my ally perfectly. What do you know about our hosts?"

 

[Percy Fleck]

“Hopefully enough” Percy said in reply, sounding more mysterious than he intended to be. “The Knylenns are the historical rival of the ruling Kuat family” he explained, knowing it was in his interest for Saric to be equally well-informed. “Any opportunity to challenge or outdo the Kuats and these guys will take it. That’s hopefully are way in”.

The shuttle shuddered as it slowed to a hover, setting down amidst the lush lawns of the Knylenn estate. The hatch depressurised and rose open, half a dozen pleasant aromas drifting in on the wind.

These guys even smell posh. Perhaps Percy would find them to his taste after all.

He rose and hopped down out of the craft, buttoning his floral print jacket in the beaming sun. He wore his saber on his belt, but had otherwise dispensed of his Sith attire. They were here as diplomats, not warriors, and Percy was doing his best to embody the prestige and wealth of the Republica. There would be strong-arming for sure today, but not the martial kind.

“Look sharp” he said to Saric, walking towards the nearest buildings. He spied movement in the distance.

House Knylenn was here to meet them.

@Nefieslab @Ulysses

 

[The Storyteller]

Arthur Knylenn, of House Knylenn, was not a man who liked to be kept waiting so rather than wait for the two Sith coming to see him in his office or his study, he was outside ready to meet them. He was a man who wanted things kept brief and to the point - and he was a man who would get that come hell or high water or any deals would be off the table until such a time as those opposite him at the debate table realised that the most valuable commodity of all was time.

And as it got infinitely more valuable the more important you were?

Well his time was worth a lot.

Flanked by two elite guards, armed with vibroswords, Arthur stood at the entrance to the estate from the landing pad they would disembark their shuttle onto. He was perhaps a little bit on the older side but there was nothing wrong with a bit of seasoning in his opinion.

And his was the one that mattered in this negotiation.

"Gentlemen." he greeted them once they had disembarked, "Forgive me but I find offices to be restricting - walk with me through the gardens and make your proposal."

He didn't wait to see if they followed - he just turned and started idly walking through the well-maintained gardens of his estate.

@Alhon @Ulysses

 

[Percy Fleck]

Arthur Knylenn was something of a surprise. Not his name, age or even his appearance; those had been discoverable enough in Percy’s pre-reading. What he hadn’t quite banked on was the man’s directness. Aristocrats usually preferred pleasantries and vagaries in equal measure. The young Sith remembered that his father’s meetings on Aargau had often taken hours, dragging all the more because they kept them apart.

But Knylenn didn’t seem to plan on wasting any time. He greeted them civilly enough, but was then off through the gardens at a marching pace. Percy maintained his trademark smile, stepping long subtly to keep up with the man.

“We shall get straight to it then” Percy said after introductions. “The revitalisation of the Drive Yards is underway as we speak”. It was rebuilding of course, but there was little gained from reminding everyone of the recent attack. “A number of Kuati Houses have pledged their support to the efforts. House Knylenn is among the greatest of this world’s nobility and will no doubt wish to make its own contribution. We have come to see you personally to make the arrangements”.

Percy opted for presuming the Knylenn’s support. Arthur might consider it as insult if he didn’t. Besides, the Kuati were proud, but their roots in the Core and Republica went deep. Here, in this garden, Percy and Saric were the Republica.

If Arthur Knylenn was going to break faith with the Imperium, then he would have to come out and say so himself.

@Ulysses @Nefieslab

Spoiler

Ulysses asked if I would go first and open the conversation with Arthur.

 

[Saric Noms]

Saric came up, flanking the older Sith. He quickly eyed up the guards before turning his attention to the man in the centre as they came to conversation distance.

He introduced himself along with the others but when the nobleman turned to walk away, he fell in behind the gap between the two other men, forming the point of a backwards facing triangle.

Had he been leading negotiations, he would want to be the sole voice - at least when setting out the opening position - and so he offered Percy the same courtesy. Saric therefore walked at a deferential distance behind - not at any risk of catching the others' heels, but definitely close enough that he could hear what was being discussed and offer his input if required.

Although his ears were on the discussions, his eyes were taking in the surroundings, both looking out for unidentified threats and for routes if they needed to come back past here.

 

[The Storyteller]

Arthur had set a strict pace and his guards had kept up - by the time he stopped to check on some Lothal Lilacs he was concerned that the Sith had been left behind. But they spoke up. Or one of them did at any rate but it would be unfair to judge them too harshly. He glanced at the silent Sith for a moment.

"So do you not speak?" he asked bluntly, "Or do you accept that you are not intelligent enough to join this conversation?"

Putting them off their game.

It was the reason why they were in the gardens and it was the reason why he was picking on one of them and would continue to do so. Get them angry and sloppy while the other one tried to maintain order. Then he would see the true character of them both. But for now he would just wait and play along a little bit.

"And why..." he began as he pruned the flowers, "Do I need the assistance of a saber-waver to make the arrangements for my own efforts to rebuild my home?"

He glanced up at the speaker again.

"Or do you expect I shall merely hand over the wealth and prosperity of my family to you to do with as you please?"

@Alhon @Ulysses

 

[Saric Noms]

Saric was surprised. He was not put off by the location - no, he wouldn't care if they were in a garden, an office or even the lip of an active volcano. His mind was on the job. Rather, he was surprised by the man who had been so brusque and efficient in the introductions was now turning round to play games and trade insults. For insult it was, as the man had very well heard his voice during the introductions.

Saric did his best to rise above it. He was not sure of the precisely correct title for his interlocutor, so decided on a neutral option. "Sir, I speak when there is something to say. I try not simply to add to the noise." He paused for a moment to emphasise his point. "We have an offer to make you. It matters not whether it comes from my mouth, or that of master Fleck."

As the noble went on, he would pause after he finished to see if his colleague responded. If the pause was left for more than a heartbeat, he would respond himself: "Sir, you know that no single house here on Kuat can manage this feat by themselves. You also know that no two houses will work simply at the behest of another. We are not merely 'saber-wavers'" he deliberately echoed his host's word, "We represent the Republic, represent the Emperor. We therefore also represent an opportunity: an opportunity to be part of something bigger; an opportunity to show your loyalty to the Empire. The only question that remains is: do you want to play a small part - and be a small house - or play a big part, and reap the rewards of glory and victory?"

 

[Percy Fleck]

Arthur stopped to admire or prune various parts of the garden as they walked, titivating this and that as if it wasn’t in the least bit discourteous. Percy suspected it was a show of course; Knylenn was giving them his full attention even if it didn’t seem like it. The way he was starting out, he wanted to hear the Sith sing for their supper.

Percy let Saric say his piece when questioned; the Kuati noble seemed to want to hear from both of them, at least initially. He agreed with much of the other’s Sith response, in particular the reminder that they represented much more than themselves in this discussion.

“As my comrade says” he added “we come to you personally both out of respect, and to see if we can lay the foundation of a continuing relationship. This is of course your home” he acknowledged, nodding to the gardens all around “and a fine one at that. No one doubts your commitment to its revitalisation, for Kuat and the Empire”.

“The Empire takes the credits of lesser houses with gratitude. But your house stands above many others. With you, we would like to build a more lasting partnership, one in which we discuss together the best uses for your investment”.

Percy paused, trying to gauge if his words were having any effect. “You don’t need us to make a payment, true enough. But everyone needs friends in the troubled times ahead”.

@Nefieslab

 

[The Storyteller]

Arthur looked at his garden for a moment longer before sighing, giving up any hope of being able to actually get to enjoy the garden during this talk. He glanced at the two Sith for a moment as they spoke.

They both spoke and they were singing from the same hymn sheet it appeared - however, it was rather clear that the two of them were rather unaccustomed to diplomacy. He supposed that diplomacy seemed like an afterthought when you could bend the rules of physics to your whim.

"Alright you're both in sync now and you're both offering me the same thing." He looked between the two of them, "A lot of vague talk... what, exactly, are you offering me and why should I accept it?"

Time to cut to the meat.

@Alhon @Ulysses

 

[Saric Noms]

Saric was surprised by this response. Their opposite number seemed to be blowing hot and cold... No, that wasn't it; it was only cold, but it wasn't sincere opposition to their offer, just smoke and mirrors. He was playing hard to get.

Therefore Saric slowed himself right down, not saying anything just yet as his host would simply find a reason to scorn it. Instead he looked across to the Knylenni and mirrored his interest in the garden.

"Let's not be hasty. We can discuss rates of return and capital growth at any time. It's not all the time that we see such beauty on this industrialised planet. I'm afraid that I don't know many native species." He would ask for the names of a few.

The last he would ask for would be a resplendent creeper winding up the tallest tree. "That is what we are offering. You may be the finest flower in the garden, but which tree would you rather grow on? The easiest tree? Or the tree that grows the tallest in the sun? Yes there will be competition, and the House of Kuat are already taking an early lead, but there's only one way to reach the top and that's to put down roots and grow."

He would leave the figures to Percy as the senior Sith - and to ensure that there was no confusion in the negotiation.

@Alhon @Nefieslab

 

[Percy Fleck]

“Exactly” Percy followed up, nodding in thanks towards Saric. “In short, we’re offering you and House Knylenn the chance to be on top”.

He reached into the pocket of his jacket, withdrawing the datapad and holding it up. “Like you say Sir, the Drive Yards are more yours than ours. Your investment in their revitalisation is already assured. But what isn’t is how big that investment is and whether its going to matter compared to House Kuat’s. They’ve put their bid forward and it’s big”.

The Crusader was getting into his groove now and began to give in to his natural impulse to let the Force out to play. Letting the persuasive energy of the Dark Side slip into his voice, Percy stepped up to the nearest flowerbed and marshalled a spark of power.

“Money talks, Arthur. If Kuat’s investment is the biggest, then they’re going to be in the driving seat with in decisions all the way through”. He clicked his fingers, giving the illusion that one of the flowers was growing tall and large, expanding exponentially. “If they’re front and centre, their input will dwarf Knylenn, Andrim, Depon, Purkis...” he pointed with each name, causing each of the smaller flowers to wither and die. It was all an illusion of course, but it drove the point home.

“Frankly, people will forget you invested at all” he continued, “when the Yards are rebuilt and gleaming, they will say House Kuat did that, every knut and bolt”.

Percy waved his makeshift mirage away, stepping away for the kill.

“But they’ve been quick Arthur, maybe too quick. They’ve put their bid out there and now House Knylenn can see just what it is. And beat it. Beat it and put yourselves at the front of the operation, paint the Knylenn name on those new Yards instead”.

“Put the credits in now” he concluded, “and be the Republica’s preferred partner on Kuat for generations to come”.

@Nefieslab @Ulysses

 

[The Storyteller]

Arthur could understand what they were going for now.

Reaching into his jacket, he withdrew a cigara case and popped one out for his own consumption. He would offer the Sith one each before lighting his own with a lighter - the Sith, he knew, could use the Force to light their own cigara. Taking a deep pull from the cigara, he thought about it for a moment.

He DID want to really stick it to his rivals after all...

"... and how much would I need to donate to be the biggest backer?" he asked with a raised eyebrow, "Just how many zeros do you expect me to add to the cheque?"

It was mostly just a formality from here. Regardless of their reasons for being here, Arthur really couldn't resist the urge to show up some rivals. There was just something in his blood that called out for him to crush his challengers, his rivals.

@Alhon @Ulysses

 

[Saric Noms]

Saric knew that this was his cue to keep his mouth shut. There was no need to over egg the investment pudding. He would therefore allow Master Fleck to seal the deal.

He would pay the noble enough attention so as not to be rude, but not so much that he was overbearing. Otherwise, he would try to pay homage to him by admiring his garden quietly.

 

[Percy Fleck]

Arthur didn’t answer immediately, instead reaching inside his jacket. He could have been going for a firearm, but with the two guards beside him it wouldn’t make a lot of sense. Besides, Percy’s mind was alive now, racing about the air between him and the noble. If there was danger, he would sense it.

Instead, it proved a mere cigar, just as dangerous but killed you a lot less slowly. Percy declined politely, having little time for such slavish addictions.

“Well....” the young Sith answered, hiding a Cheshire cat smile. The Knylenn had gone for it. “How about I just key in a winning bid right here and get you to lock it right now. We don’t want that window to close on us”.

Percy entered a nice round amount of credits, putting Arthur a few million ahead of the forged Kuat bid on the datapad. Just in case he decided to check. Adding a few hundred thousand for good measure, the Crusader passed the pad to the noble with a smile, channelling his powers to bear down on the man’s will.

“Just press the green, and they’ll be calling them the Knylenn Drive Yards in no time”.

@Nefieslab @Ulysses

 

[The Storyteller]

He merely waited as it seemed that the leader of the two Sith was going to be the one to make the final argument. The younger, lesser, of the two of them was clearly letting the higher ranked man go first and he could respect that. The way said man drew his cigar annoyed his guards, which amused Arthur somewhat he would freely admit.

Taking the offered pad, Arthur frowned ever so slightly as he read it over thoroughly.

Something needed to be said.

"In the future?" he sighed, signing the pad with a finger before passing the pad back to Percy, meeting his eyes with a steely gaze, "Don't try the mind trick on someone like me. I am an intelligent businessman and I have grown up in Sith space my entire life - I know what someone is trying it, even when it doesn't work. However..."

He shrugged once.

"The numbers add up so I've signed. Now get the hell out of my garden."

But he was not to know that the numbers were forged - he was not to know that he was still duped.

/End