Open Invasion Malastare Force of Nature II

[Darth Invictus]

Invictus let Emryc speak ahead of this time, curious what the Marauder would have in store for his questioning. He was fine with letting him take the point, if it backfired, the brunt would fall on his shoulders. But, even Invictus had to admit it was a good plan and it would tug on the Doge's ambition if there was any inside him. Emryc was once again accurate in what he said and once he finished, he simply stood up and proceeded to leave the room. Everything had been laid out and it was up to the Dug.

Invictus simply pushed against the armrests of his chair and stood up himself as his gaze was directed to the Doge and given a nod afterward. "Doge, our thanks for giving us your time." He simply turned and left the Doge and the Jedi to their own devices as he made his way to the door. If the Dug truly saw no reason to expand their interests outside of Malastare, then maybe they weren't actually the right people for what they have intended in mind. In Invictus' mind, if the Doge let the two of them walk out, he should have apologized to them for their wasted time.

Invictus finally arrived at the door and was about to ready to step out and leave with Emryc, as well as the Dug's chances of Sith involvement.

@Painus @Nefieslab @Mr. Teatime @Fantasy Liver

 

[Maxims Tionson]

The Doge might well like the sound of some of the things that both the Jedi and the Sith had to offer but he wasn't one to accept things based purely on their advantages it seemed. Indeed he was asking all the right questions to poke holes in the promises of both sides; the Dug had truly earned his position, making him either a keen future ally or enemy. He decided to answer the issue that had been thrown his own way rather than let Hannibal or Drow do it for him.

"Because the Gran like to believe that they are a family and family disputes are some of the messiest you will ever see. Their entire culture is based on their close familial links, which extends to the species as a whole and not just immediate family." he took a sip from a glass of water that he'd poured himself awhile ago before the Sith had arrived, "You can truly defeat your enemies in many way, esteemed Doge, and in this case I suggest you bury them. Out-produce them, out-maneuver them and out-think them... why kill them when you can have them subject to your rule instead?"

The Sith then stood up and made to leave, confusing Max for a moment before he smiled a little bit. Ah... a gamble? No, not quite perhaps. They left tempting offers on the table and rose to leave; he quite appreciated it really. If the Doge took them up and asked them back then they had more power and if he didn't then he probably wasn't the type of ally they were looking for. Matching wits with these Sith was proving to be a challenge that Max couldn't deny he enjoyed very much.

"Indeed the Sith have spoken correctly; the FWA worlds speak for themselves with trade agreements standard and non-standard between them." acknowledging that the FWA was more of a trade federation than a concrete system like the Republic or the Empire, "But even the standard, basic, trade agreement from one FWA world to another, spread across the FWA as a whole, would stand to profit more than even exclusive trade from Sullust and Eriadu alone, though their new Lords have been rather brutally effective."

He nodded politely to the younger Sith first before the elder, giving them an honestly respectful farewell if they were to truly leave the table. His estimation of the two Sith in front of him was rather high actually. Two intelligent young men who believed in what they were saying and what they were fighting for; he could respect that.

"Pleasure to have met you, Lords."

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@Orbit @Sreeya

 

[Drow Venn]

"Partners. Allies. Friends. Never pawns." Drow promised firmly, looking the Doge in the eye as he answered the question addressed to him. He let the more practiced masters talk more but he figured he might as well talk to the Doge since he'd been specifically asked the question. Drow was inexperienced in the arts of negotiation so he wasn't actually too sure if the Jedi were winning or not (or if there even was winning in political games like this) but he kept his ears sharp and his eyes open in the meantime.

@Mr. Teatime @Painus @Orbit @Sreeya

 

[The Storyteller]

The guests of Sidduso Ssobres waited no time before responding to his battery of questions. The Sith answered first, and the Dug’s attention fell on the younger-looking of the two envoys. Rather than navigate a political minefield, Emryc was direct and to the point. An alliance with the Jedi would mean a slow and assured victory over the Gran, but not with the glory and fanfare that outright conquest would bring. He found the idea of Jedi actively working to sabotage an in-their-eyes-innocent group of people almost laughable. Why would these stalwart defenders of galactic peace help the Dug bleed dry and subjugate the Gran? Such a thought seemed contrary to what their Order believed. Another point to consider.

The end of the Sith’s spiel marked their attempted departure, and, as Max spoke, Sidduso Ssobres rose and hastened to intercept them before they left. For one, he found it almost an insult that they would simply leave before being dismissed, but the Sith were not a group known for their limitless patience. He raised his hands as he stepped in their path, halting them. ”Now just a minute,” he challenged, ”I never said anything of the sort.” He was an ambitious man, and these Sith were the immediate key to his success. Generations of Dug would remember his name as the Doge who not only conquered their enemies, but also expanded their territory beyond the dreary wastes of Malastare.

It was foolproof. The Dug controlled the Malastare fuel reserves, a vital resource for whomever they ally with, which granted them a degree of immunity. That, combined with the arms from Blackwell and Sith strength, meant that his people might see an era of prosperity they hadn’t experienced since from before the Clone Wars. With the Sith’s open acknowledgement that enslaving their partners was foolhardy, Sidduso Ssobres believed that his decision had been much easier to determine.

”Sit down, we’ll discuss further how the Dug and Sith might benefit from an alliance,” he offered to the two Sith, ”Compared to the vast territory of the Free Worlds, our worlds are much closer. I’m sure we can work out… arrangements to benefit our people.” It was certainly a gamble to accept the Sith offer, especially with Jedi present. He knew that wherever these groups went, calamity followed, but he had no reason to believe the Jedi would actively help his people undermine, starve out, and subjugate the Gran.

Sidduso Ssobres walked back over to his seat and gestured towards the Jedi with him. ”Master Jedi,” he began, his tone stern, yet dripping with false remorse, ”The Dug of Malastare and the Jedi have opposing ideals. The Free Worlds is stretched thin enough as it is, and the mutual defense pact,” he continued, now gesturing towards the Sith, ”Does not seem advantageous if the Sith simply were to come to my world and conquer it. We are simply too far away.”

He folded his arms across his chest and hemmed, turning his attention back to the Jedi. ”We are willing to open our fuel reserves for trade with the FWA, of course,” he added, ”Provided my potential partners recognize the benefit of such trade. But allying with the Jedi at a time like this, I simply cannot do.”

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