Ask Prison Chatter

[Alexander Xerxes]

Alexander walked through the quiet hallways of the prison on Courscant, it was built back during the birth years of the New Republic. Mostly to hold old Imperial stalwart’s and criminals until the Republic’s justice system was up and running. Now it was almost empty, only a dozen cells of the two hundred were actively used, one of which held the Senator of Kuat, Trina Kalist.

A signature tap echoed through the hallways, a cane. It had become something of a crux for the Supreme Chancellor when he needed to walk any further than a hundred metres or so. The clicking of the steel bottomed cane came to a stop as he stood outside the Senator’s door. “Here you are Supreme Chancellor.” “You may leave us, I wish to speak to the Senator alone.” A sharp salute greeted the command and the door would open revealing Alexander’s dark suit to the Senator.

The room was cut in two by a ray shield, protecting the Chancellor from the Senator and colouring her and her small room in shades of red. Stepping down the pair of steps from the door he made his way towards a lone chair set up on his side of the shield. “Mrs Kalist, I hope we can talk?”

@Sreeya

 

[Trina Kalist]

Trina was silently seated on her side of the cell. Despite being a prisoner, she was still allowed to dress in her regular attire as this was a detention period till she had a formal trial. As always, she kept a calm and collected resolve. While she was passionate about issues, she seldom broke down. She had never been in a cell before and it left her feeling with a sick feeling under the weight of it all. Was this how her career would be colored? Was this how she would be remembered? Would this stain on her record permanently ensure she could never progress further? A part of her began to question her principles, but she squashed that immediately. If no one ever spoke up, the New Republic would continue to collapse even without the Sith's help.

Trina glanced over when the Chancellor arrived, a hint of surprise briefly gracing her features before it faded. She didn’t stand up from her seat, eyeing him through the red wall of the shield, “I’m surprised you haven’t brought cameras here to record your grand gesture of visiting me,” She said quietly. However, that was where her jabs would end. She had no desire to waste energy chastising him, not when it would make no difference.

“What do you wish to discuss, Chancellor?” She asked curtly, her face impassive.

@Braden

 

[Alexander Xerxes]

Alexander pulled back the seat, placing his cane against the wall he plopped himself down into the hard metal chair with an audible groan. He shot Trina a sly grin when she brought up the cameras. “It did cross my mind, but then I realised red wasn’t either your or my colour.” As Trina was cast in shades of red, so too did the ray shields vibrant colour shine onto the Supreme Chancellor giving him a devilish glow.

“A few items, but first, a rather simple one. Why look to empower the Jedi over the Republic? Your idea for a clone army is a rather brilliant one, one I am ashamed of slipped my own mind. You claim that its creation is to help defend the Republic against the ‘coming’ Sith threat. So why not look to create an army for the Republic?

You must understand that even supporting the Jedi has brought the wrath and ruin of many a planet in the past. Creating an army for them would only pull down the full might of them on not only Kuat but the rest of the Republic? So I wonder if there is another reason for such a rash course of action?”

@Sreeya

 

[Trina Kalist]

Trina considered the questions, finding the veiled compliment about the clones curious. In the end, a faint smirk crossed her lips.

“I’m the Senator of Kuat,” She said as she looked him dead in the eye, “I didn’t get where I am today by being altruistic. However, that kind of mentality is exactly the best way to utilize a clone army without politics or ulterior motives getting in the way. I trust the Jedi will always put the needs of the galaxy above their own. I do not trust myself to do that, nor do I trust you nor anyone else within the Republic or Alliance to do it."

Trina looked away, staring vacantly at the wall across from her, “Giving the Jedi the keys ensures that the clones always serve where needed without any personal agendas driving them. To me it’s worth the looming threat of the Sith which is always there no matter what. Our lives and the survival of our planets come down to the whims of characters like Raze or Draugr and whether they had a slightly inconvenienced day.”

@Braden

 

[Alexander Xerxes]

“And what if the Jedi decide that we are a threat to their vision of the Galaxy? The Jedi have as many internal politics and ulterior motives as ourselves. Yes they seek peace in the galaxy, or so they claim at least, but they also seek the complete destruction of the Dark Side and all who hold to it. I remind you the Jedi Order have pursued the complete annihilation of the Sith as much as the Sith have pursued the Jedi.”

“Let us say, I was a Sith, or President Thorne or Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl was a member of the Order. No matter the good we have done for the Galaxy, are you sure the Jedi would not come seeking our heads? And perhaps pull our Governments to ashes to claim them? I cannot be so certain.” He said, Alexander’s eyes never left the red hued figure of Trina as he spoke.

“I understand your desire to see your dream of a Clone Army used for good, but I cannot see a better good than defending one's own home. That is why I became a politician to serve and defend my people as I am sure was the same for you. So why seek a war where there is none? If you and others fear that we are too weak to fight off the Sith and that we will one day become easy pickings for them, let us band together and strengthen our defences, raise our armies, build our fleets. Then if it is necessary strike out.”

@Sreeya

 

[Trina Kalist]

Trina exhaled slowly, “No, Chancellor, I do not believe the Jedi would come for our heads,” She said as she looked at him, “They are not extremists like that. Even with Sith, they do not seek to actively kill them or they would have been exterminated back when they first began to appear on the scene and when Jedi were still at large. No, I believe the Jedi first seek to rehabilitate before they consider someone a lost cause.”

She looked across herself again, “If you or Senator Aezz were Sith, the Jedi would first seek to understand your goals and persuade you to do the right thing.”

Trina considered his words. She couldn’t deny there was merit in the logic, “The last time a clone army was commissioned, it was controlled by a Chancellor. We all saw how that turned out. I’m sure that Chancellor also spoke tall tales about protecting his people. The reality is that we are not equipped to set our own personal emotions and agendas aside and the Jedi are.”

She looked him in the eye, “Why do you despise the Jedi so much? You harbor a great distaste for them even outside of their penchant for drawing out Sith.”

@Braden

 

[Alexander Xerxes]

“And why do the Jedi get to decide what the right thing is? What if what they believe is right is against the population of Kuat? What would you do then?” Even before he spent time amongst the Sith, Alexander had wondered why people were so trusting of The Jedi Order. They were seemingly held higher in the minds of many just because they followed a religious practice that once birthed a few Heroes of the Rebellion.

“I don’t despise them, Miss Kalist, I just don’t trust them. And I feel my mistrust must be more vocal and adamant because of the blind faith so many others put in them for no other reason than the name on their tunic’s. A blind faith I might add which has plunged this galaxy into many a Galactic War which has torn apart the Galaxy. Why do you have such trust in them? What have they done to you personally which means you would entrust the safety of the Republic, Kuat and your Family so wholeheartedly. Because that is what this army is. A wholehearted leap of faith on the Jedi, to not only win a war they are currently losing, but to also be magnanimous victors their after.”

@Sreeya