Ask Coruscant Smoke filled rooms

[Cal Starros]

"Have they arrived yet Hask?" Senator Cal Starros chuntered to the waiting doorman o the 'Populists Club', a high-end members-only club for the political elite of the Galaxy on Coruscant as he handed the man his coat. "No, Senator - you are the first of your party." came the dour reply from the well-dressed man, who stood ramrod straight as he hung up the Senators coat.

"Maybe the President has a busier schedule than I, eh Hask?" Cal chuckled to himself as he plodded inside, the gentle tap-tap-tap of his cane rapping out a staccato on the wooden floorboards as Hask led him to the private smoking room on the ground floor. "Surely not Sir!" Hask exclaimed, with a hint of wit in his otherwise monotone voice, as his charge chuckled to himself before walking through the dark wooden door Hask held open for him.

"Do show them up when they arrive won't you?" he asked, receiving a polite nod in reply, as Cal wandered over to one of the windows of the room, and peered from behind the curtain to the club's entrance below, as he chewed on a fat cigar, which was long overdue being lit. Truth be told he was somewhat nervous about today's meeting, for he had never spent any time with either of his guests outside of the Senate chamber, but, Mrs Starros was very insistent - he had to make some friends because she was quite fed up with him chewing her ear off about Galactic politics each and every day.

Plus - they did have some business to discuss as well.

Cal chuckled to himself again, as he looked back into the room proper, and clocked the richly adorned shelf at the far end, bowed with bottles of all shapes and sizes. Perhaps that, and the Cigar case off to the right, made the membership fee for this place worth the credits? He decided not to muse to much on that point, and instead plodded over to the cigar stand, and started rummaging around for something a little more exotic than the sorry article he was champing on.

@ThisIsHowLibertyDies @Sreeya

 

[Raycom Hedarial]

The rain was pouring outside the 'Populists Club', as the first tach of dawn illuminated the roaring clouds above. For a moment Hedarial regretted being on the upmost level of the planet, but it only took him a moment before dismissing the folly. Gesturing his driver that he should stay in the area, he made the few steps towards the club shielded by a force field umbrella. Only when reaching the stylised canopy, did he turn off the device and hand it to his guard.

"That would be all for today Malc, tell Sturge to wait for me here when your shift is over. Have a nice evening." After a simple nod of the man, Hedarial entered the vestibule. A grinning doorman approached him and forced Raycom to try and remember the darn name. Hulk? no... what was it? He had frequented the club far too little.

"Ah, Mr Hedarial, welcome to the Populists', you will be pleased to hear that Senator Starros is awaiting you already in the "Ambassadors Lounge", I assume you are familiar with the smoking room." Raycom handed over the coat, and with the somewhat special voice of the staff member, he also remembered the name. "Yes Hask, I have been there before. Do you know how many others are expected tonight?" He looked at a wall mirror the doorman as he hung up the coat, and straightened his darb.

"Yes Sir, President Thorne stands on the list, yet he is often held up by his duties as a representative, so he may need some time still." The porter said, waiting for Hedarial to finish. "If you would follow me, Sir, the Senator is waiting." That made Hedarial pause. he had known the man was a big deal in the FWA, but this surprised him greatly. With a smile, he finished his clothes inspection.

Following the man, Raycom once again pondered who truly was in charge in this club, the guests or the staff? The working spirit in the local was amazing, but manners were placed above all else, and he knew a few senators who had been kicked out for their behaviour, if ever so polite.

Hask opened the door, and he entered the smoking-room. He spotted Mr Starros on the other side of the room, expecting the stocked shelves. With a smile he wades a few steps into the room, acknowledging his presence for the man to hear. "Mr Senator, I must thank you for this opportunity. I must admit your invitation has been a surprise, but a welcome one."

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc was sometimes late to these things because people still liked to believe he had AMS from that one story. Despite being tested for AMS on live Holonet many times and flashing his vaccination card, he was usually stopped at extra checkpoints. He took it in stride, keeping his usual stoic expression as he was checked yet again.

“I’m vaccinated,” He muttered coolly as he was checked yet again, lights shining into his eyes. Nevertheless, he was delayed to the gathering as a result, his speeder pulling up to the location about five minutes later. He didn’t travel in flashy accommodations, usually taking public transports as they usually fit his tall and broad frame.

Like most places, Emryc had to duck to get through the doorways here as well as he made his way towards the others. He was adorned in a simple button down shirt, a blazer on top and some jeans with dress shoes. His hair was perfectly styled, a chrono on his left wrist. He had long given on appearing as anything less than a douchebag, but he simply owned the look now.

Emryc was admittedly curious about this gathering - especially as he was convinced most of the Republic and Free World Senators had a hate-boner for him for no apparent reason. However, he was also largely apathetic towards most individuals and he wasn’t going to turn down a chance to profile these men in a setting away from the Galactic Senate and streaming live across the galaxy.

The smell of his expensive cologne would fill the air as he stepped into the room, ducking through the doorway. In person, it was even more apparent how absurdly tall and broad he was, appearing more as a professional bodybuilder than a politician.

“Senators,” His baritone cut through the air as his hawk-like gaze panned across them both, “I apologize for my tardiness,” A faint grin touched his lips, “As you know, the media loves to speculate on whether or not I have AMS,” Emryc paused for a moment before the grin widened, “So I suppose we can kick off this evening with an exercise in trust.”

@Nor'baal @ThisIsHowLibetyDies

 

[Cal Starros]

Starros jumped slightly as the other men broke his deep concentration over the available cigars, and he turned around, breaking into a warm smile "Please, let's leave the formalities for the Chamber - call me Cal," he shook Raycoms hand, before gesturing for the drinks bar behind them as Emryc walked into the room.

"The Media?" he laughed, shaking hands with the ISC President as well "I find it best to not read the tabloids." he chuckled, offering the two gentlemen a cigar each, which he had deftly plucked earlier from the cabinet. "Speculation, I find, is not worth ones time." he added, before briefly doing a double-take at the Presidents hand.

"But, you do feel a little clammy Emryc, are you sure I don't need to take the Herald seriously?" the Senator remarked with a cheeky grin "I jest - please, take a seat." he added, walking around with a large decanter, and pouring a portion of Corellian Whiskey into each man's glass, before taking a seat himself.

 

[Raycom Hedarial]

"I am honoured Cal. Please call me Ray, Raycom sounds so very snobbish."

He greeted the man's hand with a firm shake and then turned as a well-known voice spoke behind him.

"Mr President, it is my honour. We all have our perceptions twisted by the Herald, I sometimes wonder who deforms us more, the tabloids or Sith propaganda." He offered his hand once more to greet the new arrival. A smile on his face.

He was careful not to sit down before the President, but tried not to make it obvious he was waiting. he had to smirk as he realised that there were exactly three of them, one for each faction of the Galactic Senate. "I think by now all Senators have found their way to a vaccine, even those that have made it their policy to doubt them in public, slowing down the vaccination process." he shook his head at the last thought. Some populists just took it too far.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc grinned at Cal’s quip about feeling clammy, taking the proffered cigar. He ignited it and took a drag, “Hmm, this is most impressive,” He quirked a brow as he glanced at Cal with mock suspicion, “You sure got this from somewhere legal?” Some of the best cigars, naturally, were from planets that had some sort of sanctions placed on them for one reason or another.

He glanced over at Raycom, shaking his hand as well. Though he was the man whose ideas Emryc had wanted shot down at once, right now they were not just Senators in the room. He took a seat, noting the respect the New Republic Senator showed. It was that old fashioned kind of nod that he didn’t see too much nowadays.

“To what do we owe this fine gathering?” Emryc took a sip from his whiskey, also impressed by the taste. He nursed his cigar before he spoke with a grin, “Is it to make sure we don’t all have fangs, Reek horns and claws up close?” Mainly a joke at his own expense. It was no secret he was often a source of contempt for the New Republic and FWA Senators. He was surprised, and a bit humbled, by this invite at all. It was a sign that some of them were at least somewhat intelligent enough to realize that making friends with him could prove to their benefit.

@Nor'baal @ThisIsHowLibertyDies

 

[Cal Starros]

”None of the good stuff is legal Emryc.” Starros remarked with an obvious layer of irony in his voice. Truth be told, he had never actually asked where the cigars came from, working under the logic that in this instance, ignorance was almost certainly the better side of valour. ”You’ve seen through my ruse! I admit, I was alarmed to see that up close, you are lacking the horns and fangs some on our side of the fence have alluded to.” the Senator continued, his voice jovial.

Outside of the Senate chamber, a great deal of his usual bombast had gone. Yet, for those in the room it was probably not that surprising, Cal Starros was a politician like any other, he knew what the public, and more specifically, his voters, expected of him, and played that part up to the cameras when it suited him.

”But there is a secondary purpose for this meeting,” he took a sip from his drink ”...the primary being the fang-inspection of course. I think it is probably fair to say that temperatures have risen in the Senate of late, some hotter heads have ruled the day and even my own choleric side has come to the fore.”

“I think it is a shame, and I wanted to put any bad blood to one side.”

“Ultimately, I think we have a lot more in common that we have apart. The ISC wants to be self-sufficient, to stand on its own two feet and forge a new path in the Rim, for worlds that all too often have been ignored by the Core. I want the same for Lothal and our allies.”

“We just disagree on how.”

“I wanted to meet today, in an informal setting, to cool things down, to discuss where we agree, and, ultimately, how we can help one another moving forward.”

He took up his cigar again, and left the room open for someone else to speak.

 

[Raycom Hedarial]

"I will spare you the normal political circumlocution and cut right to the chase Senators," Hedarial said with a slight grin, his hands placed on the armrests of the chair. "I am here mostly because I thought that it is necessary to coordinate more with outsiders. The Galactic Senate is starting to turn more and more into a system, where factionalism and self-interest are digging deeper divides than our political goals ever could."

He shook his head and sighed as he reached for his glass, stirring it in his hands. "With a pardon, Mr President, but if I hear one more New Republic or Free Senator just trashing the ISC for no apparent reason, and then have to listen to retorts against that one Senator from your side, I might feel forced to leave the Senate chamber. Sometimes needless bashing of the ISC seems to take over the minds of our peers, and it is so awfully unconstructive."

He mustered the President, a man whom he honestly respected deeply. He had shown what a good politician can accomplish, and whilst Raycom was certain that there was the occasional skeleton in Mr Thorne's closet, his hands were not clean either. One had to break some eggs, to make an omelette. And the President had made plenty of political omelettes to show.

"But your vote in the Last session, Mr President, restored some faith in me." Of course, he chose his words with choice, but this meeting was by far not one in which Raycom had the need to act much. The worlds easily rolled off the tongue, as in essence, they were true. "For a man in your position to just go that much against his party lines, that is truly remarkable. It proves that there is a willingness to listen to reason, and for the ISC it seems to be at the very top."

Looking between Cal and Thorne, he talked on. "I really think, that we can work together, and achieve things. I am a confederate in heart and believe all of our three bodies require some internal liberty, but the divide between them in the face of recent troubles, that is certainly not required."