Ask Ladies Who Lunch

[Alexandria Voran]

The Force shifted slowly. Paths ever changing with each small step. Futures were impossible clouded as the darkness descended on the galaxy. Alex spent hours in mediation trying to piece the possibilities together. Bits and pieces came to her but nothing more. Frustration was all she found in those hours. Was this how the Master of the past felt? Always uncertain…always searching…but forced to project confidence into the galaxy? It was not easy, but this was her choice. Alex’s shuttle glided slowly above Belasco. The Liberty waited in orbit above the planet. Her choice of vessel was little outrageous but sometimes the occasion called for outrage.

The Order had the support of the New Republic and was gaining some steam among the worlds of the FWA. She walked a difficult path with the Free Worlds. They both fiercely defendant their right to rule but also allowed the Sith to run amok. Prime Minister Belasi was young…almost dangerously so but Alex had hope. The Prime Minister seemed to understand the stakes of their choices. New Alderaan, Lothal, and Mon Cala stood with the Jedi. Those comprised many of her most influential worlds. The FWA would never unite behind a single cause but perhaps a majority could be convinced. Her shuttle stopped a short distance from the Prime Minister’s home world office. Alex gathered the Force and jumped from the back. The Grandmaster landed lightly on her feet, traditional Jedi robes fluttering around her. Perception mattered.

She walked swiftly to the offices. She was every bit the Jedi she claimed to be. Impossible calm demeanor, flowing robes, and unmatchable confidence. Grandmaster Alexandria Voran had arrived. No one need ever know the concern that gnawed at her heart. Certainly not the Prime Minister.

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[Korre Belasi]

Korre had received Alexandria Voran's request to speak shortly after Felucia voted to rejoin the Sith, but she had requested that such a meeting wait until after the Free Worlds Senate met. Such an event had now passed, so the Prime Minister had invited the Morellian woman to her office on Belasco.

Alex had been given clearance to enter Belasco's space upon arrival, and Korre was notified both when she was let through and when she arrived at the office. Unfortunately the AMS virus was still a thing--the GHO was experiencing a temporary lull in organization as Korre settled into her duties as Prime Minster--so ships entering the atmosphere either needed to be given clearance or undergo a health inspection.

It really was a pain, but hopefully it wouldn't be necessary for much longer.

When Alex was buzzed into Korre's office, she would find the Free Worlds Prime Minster seated at a desk in front of a large window overlooking the Belascan sea. She wore a dark green pant suit, though its fit was much more business casual than anything she would wear to the Senate. Her ginger hair was pulled back in a bun, and a pair of white glasses sat on the bridge of her nose. When the Jedi was spotted, she would be greeted by the woman's bright smile.

"Grandmaster Voran, welcome! Come take a seat." Korre gestured to the chair that had been pulled to sit opposite of her on the other side of the desk.

tag: @Valen Pelora

 

[Alexandria Voran]

Alex was not forced to wait long. An aid ushered her into the Prime Minsters office where the Jedi would find the young politician staring out across the sea. By the Force, she was young. She would need to remind herself age was just a number. It did not beget wisdom. Her mind was carefully locked in the Force, her face all Jedi serenity. She met Prime Minister Belasi’s smile with one of her own. “Thank you, Prime Minister.” Alex took the seat offered smoothly. Korre was the third head of state she had met in a matter of months. Only one of those meeting was especially violent.

“I appreciate you seeing me on such short notice.” She folded her hands in her lap. “And with the galactic climate is changing rapidly.” The Free Worlds would never be fully aligned but some could be made to pull in a single direction. “I’m sure you know why I’m here.” Her eyes met those of the Prime Minister.

“The Sith have annexed Dantooine, Yaga Minor, Kalee, Munnilinst, Ajan Kloss, Aeten II…nearly all worlds devoid of Jedi. They came for Ossus without knowing we were there.” Alex paused for a moment. “They want the galaxy, despite what Andruil says, but we can’t stand against them alone.” Her face scrunched for a moment. “We need help.” She had no idea where the Prime Minister stood but the Sith had been devouring worlds with abandon. It was becoming more and more difficult to use the Jedi as their boogieman when they assaulted neutral planets.

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[Korre Belasi]

As Alexandria began her plea, Korre listened attentively. Her hands were folded on the desk before her, supporting her as sat leaning slightly forward with her two eyes trained carefully on the Jedi grandmaster. 'Help?' The smile remained on her lips but her eyes dulled just slightly. The Free Worlds Senate had convened not long ago, and while opinions varied individually, it was the majority opinion that the Free Worlds should not declare a formal friendship with the Jedi. Korre agreed with that sentiment. If diplomacy were to be attempted at all, they could not support the Jedi as a whole.

"What are you asking of us?" Her words could be taken to mean multiple things, and Korre wanted to know exactly what Alexandria wanted when she had said "We need help." Did she wish for supplies? Ease of access to intergalactic hyperlanes? An official tie with the Sector Rangers?

tag: @Valen Pelora

 

[Alexandria Voran]

Her gifts were often a curse. Her fight to gain favor within the Free World Alliance already lost. Alex could read thoughts more easily than faces. She saw the distant look in the Prime Minsters eyes. The thoughts flipping across her mind. Alex shook her head sadly. Emil was right. The Free Worlds would forever be paralyzed by fear. They would forever be prey. “I had hoped we might unite together against the encroaching Empire. Andruil uses us as an excuse, but they won’t stop when we’re gone. She wants her Empire.” Korre was young. Alex wished she could show the woman what decades of suffering wrought. “But you’ve already made your choice, haven’t you?” They would seek their deal with the Darkness. She believed a similar path was their greatest chance at victory. A respite to prepare for the next bout.

“We want peace. We would stop all efforts to curb the Sith if they did the same...but they won’t. They want the Jedi exterminated. What happens to Lothal, New Alderaan, and Mon Cala then?” Her voice was soft as she spoke. “Will you let them have us?" A pause hung in the air. "What Starros did on Felucia was a disaster, but Jedi fought and died to defend Taris, Ossus, and Byblos.” She leaned forward. The Grandmaster kept her face emotionless. Her presence in the Force a calming beacon. Her heart beat in time with the Light. “So, what do you intend Prime Minister?” Felucia changed too much. Starros and his grandstanding now put them all at risk.

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[Korre Belasi]

"It's not that I've made my choice. I am not the chancellor of the New Republic nor the President of the ISC. It is not my place to make such a choice of my own accord." Korre was quick to correct Alexandria, though she waited to speak until the grandmaster was finished with her spiel. It was not her intention to be blunt, but to be specific. "I brought the Free Worlds together a few days ago, and there it was decided that the Free Worlds as a whole would not openly declare our friendship with the Jedi. Not by me, but by the senate. The New Republic has the privilege of being surrounded by Free World space. We serve as a buffer between them and the Sith, and thus, we do not have the same liberty to make rash decisions."

Korre unclasped her hands and sat back before tapping two fingers on the surface of her desk. The surface brightened and a flattened map of the galaxy appeared as a hologram a few inches above the desk a second later. With a few more taps, the known territories of the different nations replaced the plain blue color of the hologram. Alexandria would clearly be able to see how the New Republic was shielded from the Sith by the Free Worlds Alliance, though Korre was aware the Jedi grandmaster likely already knew this.

"My intention, Master Voran, is to follow the will of my Senate. General Widase of Mon Cala believes that if at all possible, we should attempt to establish diplomatic relations with the Sith. I, amongst many others, believe this--alongside other actions on our part--is the best course of action. If all out war can be prevented any further, then we will try for it."

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[Alexandria Voran]

A small smirk appeared on Alex’s face. The meaning of the holomap was clear. “Jal and I know each other well. He is a good man. There aren’t many of those left.” She had a fondness for the Commander. They were not always aligned but his heart was strong. “What if I told you we wanted the same.” She sighed and leaned back. “The galaxy is exhausted, and this war serve no one.” Her personal beliefs were the Sith needed to be defeated. She no longer spoke only for herself.

“All we’ve done is cause pain and suffering. I’m sick of standing for the very opposite of what our oaths swear us to protect.” Alex let her mental walls slip down. The earnest truth in her words palpable. “There are horrors committed under Sith rule but not all rule the same. We could agree to peace with the Sith if the conquering stopped.” She would not call it a compromise. Her morals were not for sale, but the fighting had to stop. “But if the Free Worlds were to offer the Jedi as their price for peace…open season on the Order. I don’t know what we would do.” They had no worlds of their own. The Order exclusively existed at the pleasure of the Free Worlds and the Republic. Jal was working on that but it might not be fast enough.

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[Korre Belasi]

"I'm not sure where you are getting the idea that the Free Worlds will be 'offering the Jedi as their price for peace.' " Korre gave the Jedi a confused look. Truthfully, at this point, Korre was grasping at straws trying to understand the point Alexandria was trying to make. Was this a play on her emotions? An attempt to cater to her sympathies? If so, Alex was not going to find a large amount of success taking that route with Korre. She came prepared to have a direct, honest conversation and was instead met with something she was unprepared for. It was truly throwing her for a loop. Nevermind that. She could fix this.

"Grandmaster Voran: I am going to be direct, and I ask that you are direct in turn." Korre straightened her back and maintained eye contact with the Jedi. "The Free Worlds will not, at this time, declare open friendship with the Jedi. Our worlds are most at risk to Sith attacks, and we do not wish to provoke them further by doing the very thing the Empress warned us not to do. This does not, however, mean that we will disallow individual planets from continuing their open friendship with the Jedi. This does not mean that we will stand to the side and let the Sith ravage Jedi-occupied Free Worlds.

"This is the decision of the Free Worlds Senate. If you wish to try and change their minds, I would be more than happy to invite you to speak at the next senate meeting. I need you to understand that we want action. The Jedi have lost the trust of the galaxy as a whole. At this moment, few would believe that the Jedi could stand to protect the Free Worlds against the inevitable Sith attacks that would come with a declaration of friendship."

Korre paused for a moment and let her eyes drift down to the holographic map before her. She had no hard opinions about the Jedi. They were never a presence on Belasco, but they also did not need to be. Korre had never had a negative interaction with a Jedi, nor had she ever had a positive one. What she wanted from Alexandria right now was honesty. What could the Jedi do, and what was outside of their reach? Could they be certain that they could move to protect the Free Worlds in a way that a military defense pact amongst the Free World planets could not? Her eyes raised back to meet Alex's.

"You came here asking for help. Tell me exactly the help you need. I will not declare friendship with the Jedi without the approval of the Senate, but that does not mean everything is off the table."

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[Alexandria Voran]

Alex smiled. Now they were getting somewhere. She had waged the same awkward war with Jal when they first met. A little uncomfortable conversation helped break down the barriers of diplomacy. She needed frank honesty and that is what she got from the Prime Minster. Alex’s voice softened. “I want peace.” She looked at that same holomap. “Chancellor Ro’s heart is in the right place…but the Republic remains on the sidelines.” She pointed at the map. “Jedi and Free World soldiers died defending Ossus and Dantooine. Where was the Republic? Felucia was freed by Jedi and Free World forces…no Republic help.” The Grandmaster shook her head slowly. “The ill-advised blockade of Denon was short lived and accomplished nothing. We have not been fighting this war with the Republic, and Chancellor Ro may have a continued appetite for war, but we do not.” Her fingers tapped towards all the worlds effected by the Sith. Not one received aid from the New Republic.

“We are meant to be guardians of life. The longer this war drags on, the greater our failure. I want peace and I am willing to accept the Sith as a reality we live with if that means the fighting stops and lives are no longer lost.” Alex ran a hand through her hair. “The suffering must end.” She could feel the aching of the galaxy. That feeling never left her. “We will continue to fiercely defend any world attacked by the Sith, just as we did on Denon, Byblos, Taris, and Ossus. That will never change.” When the Sith came they would sacrifice for those worlds.

“I want to return the Jedi to what we are supposed to be. Give us the chance to win back that trust. We have healers, scholars, engineers. We are more than just warriors. Let us use those other skills to help the people of the Free Worlds and let us try for peace.” She was so tired of the endless conflict, but she knew Andruil wanted her Empire. Alex’s fight was different…Alex’s fight was to chance perception of why they fought.

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[Korre Belasi]

She asked for what Alexandria wanted, but what she received was still not the direct answers she wanted. The Jedi were unsatisfied with the Republic's efforts against the Sith. They were meant to be guardians of life, which she took to mean an end to suffering through defense. She wanted to return the Jedi to that and asked for a chance to win that trust back. Korre listened to her intently and noted that she was never given an answer.

"Tell me exactly the help you need," Korre reiterated. "What actions do you want to take? What actions will you take? Do you wish to speak before the Free Worlds' Senate? If all you can give me are blanket, idealized statements then I'm afraid this is going to go nowhere."

The Prime Minister was beginning to grow frustrated, but at the rise of the feeling she nipped it. She often had to deal with politicians who would never give her straight answers. Eventually, with a bit of direct questioning, they could be backed into a corner and forced to lay out their real intentions. She was a bit disappointed with this meeting so far, but perhaps it could be salvaged.

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[Alexandria Voran]

She ran a hand through her hair. She was trying to be direct. None of this was particularly easy. “I want to speak before the Senate.” Alex met Korre’s eyes again. “I am going to try to negotiate peace with the Sith and I have started.” How much could she reveal? “At least one of the Sith Lords is open to ending the fighting…for a time.” The Grandmaster sighed. None of this was easy. “I have growing concerns about the Chancellor and the Republic's lust for war…” She raised a hand. “No, I don’t know what I am going to do about that. The Republic is our closest ally, but endless bloodshed serves no one.” What else did she intend?

“We are going to redouble our humanitarian efforts within the Republic and Free Worlds. Medical supplies, food, healers…anything we can muster.” The Jedi as they were meant to be. “I need help keeping the Free Worlds minds open to change. I understand you don’t want a formal alliance. I understand the damage we have done through our mistakes.” She pointed at the map again. “I want to know where our help is most needed. On what worlds might we do the most good.” Slowly, she was trying to change the perception of the Order, but it was a painfully slow change. Her predecessors had done them no favors.

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