Dealing Under the Table

The YT-700 freighter Raconteur touched down at the main hub starport on Pandath with little fanfare, slipping between the regular ebb and flow of star traffic with little to differentiate itself. The hold manifest would display a cargo of farm equipment and agricultural-grade antibiotics. There was no deception on that front, the ship carried exactly what the manifest implied. The cargo wasn't important. The pilot, however, was.

Eluna promptly ran the cooldown checklist, exiting the cockpit for the refresher in the back. Alone in the privy, she looked at her reflection in the mirror. A hand ran up through her bright red hair. As it passed, her hair began to fall out in clumps, which she collected in the waste disposal. Balding before her eyes, Eluna blinked. Green eyes turned icy blue as her normally-fair skin turned degrees paler and chalkier. The skin around her eyes darkened somewhat, giving her the gloomy appearance of a Rattataki. The Girl remembered her fight with Ze'Chot. The Machine remembered the near-human's mannerisms. The human replica droid changed identity as easily as changing a shirt. Once satisfied in the results, Eluna returned to the cockpit and sent a message to the provisional government house.

"Thees ees Aaya Teekfa oof zee Alleeance Geeld oof Farmers too speak weet Meeneester Dakler Prown."

"The expansion of our cities has been extraordinary, especially in the southern hemisphere. The farm belt continues to be the primary source of income for the government. The Senate, however is concerned about the Northern Hemisphere, which is failing to match the progress in the South. If I can't present a solution to the other Consul and the Senate, I fear my position may be compromised." Consul Dakler Prown said to the woman he faced in his private office in Pandath.

He watched the woman closely as she spoke deliberately, "Fear not, Consul. The economic difficulties in the North will resolve themselves." He couldn't bring himself to fully trust the woman, despite the fact that her guidance had led him to achieve such success in Taanab politics. Without her corporate connections and insight to the political preocess on Taanab, Dakler Prown would never have left his family's farm in the belt. He had every reason to trust her fully, but was still hesitant. He wondered if perhaps he had some sort of Force sensitivity. His Daughter, Luna was Force sensitive, it seemed logical that he might have some sort of sensitivity that he passed on to her. "Taanab's droid works will undoubtedly revolutionize the whole planet, which will elevate the North with the South. In time you will be regarded as the greatest leader in this planet's history."

"Hmm." Dakler nodded as he listened to the woman speak, but still he found himself lost in thought about the woman before him. If the rumors were true, then she could easily be sensing his thoughts without him even knowing it was happening. It was entirely possible that she could be influencing his mind to think what she wanted him to think. No, she was a good woman, she was teaching his own daughter at her academy. She made possible free education to all people on Taanab through her academy. And her economic insights had transformed Taanab from a farming backwater to a rival of the Core in trade and production.

Darkler said, "If Taanab farming droids are as popular as you expect, the it is inevitable that production will have to expand out of the South and into the North."

The woman nodded, "Exactly. And that is what you will tell the Senate and the other officials."

Dakler matched her nod and said, "And have you arrived at a solution in regards to the Empire?"

"I'm afraid I don't know exactly how to resolve the issue, Once Taanab stopped buying farming droids from the Industrial planets and stopped exporting as much food, it seems that Coruscant certainly took notice. They're inevitably going to try to force Taanab into compliance with their wishes. The question is: how far are they willing to go?" As the woman spoke Dakler felt she could be very sinister at times, but her loyalty to Taanab was powerful and most importantly, useful to him. "As always Taanab's govenment of Taanab must remain loyal to Taanab and serve its interests above all else."

"Of course." Dakler smiled his campaign smile at her. She smiled back. "As you advised, I sent out feelers to Alliance in regards to arming our population in the event that Coruscant doesn't like the new way of things."

The woman seemed to have become lost in thought but focused on him after a moment. "I believe Alliance representitives are, in fact, on planet now."

"Hmm. Are they?" He asked rhetorically. The woman's intuition was almost always correct, he supposed that she was very strong in the Force, though she never indicated how strong she was.

"Consul Prown, an official from the Alliance Farmer's guild seeks an audience." was the message over his office holo.

His eyes met the woman's as he spoke, "Granted, let them in."

"I will leave you to your business, Consul, I look forward to seeing you next week at the Academy to discuss your daughter's performance at our school."

"Likewise, Lady Frygt." He bowed gracefully and quickly and then stood upright in a military posture to receive her salute.

The woman struck her chest with her fist and extended her fist perpendicular to her body towards Dakler and said firmly, "Taanab First, Consul."

Dakler repeated the motion with his arm and fist and said. "Taanab First!"

As the woman walked out of his office, he seated himself behind his desk and gave an order to his Taanab built secretary droid, "T5, when the representative arrives, see to it we are undisturbed."

"As you wish Consul Prown." came the droid's reply.

He watched as the droids from who knew where in the Empire sorted his papers and tidied his desk. His mind wandered and he wondered about Rikke Frygt, she was alternately friendly and terrifying. Despite all his efforts, he'd never once managed to successfully spy on her. Either she was as innocent as she claimed or she was extremely good at hiding secrets. But, her advice to him had not once yet failed. He let his mind find ease in the idea that perhaps Rikke Frygt's interests and hios own simply coincided. Which was why, when the Alliance was seeking to open relaytions with Taanab, he would do exactly as Lady Frygt advised and indicate that Taanab was prepared to defect from the Empire and join the cluster of independent systems in the area or become part of the Alliance's coreward border planets. But, above all, Taanab First.

The Rattataki woman entered Prown's office as bidden by T5. She dipped her bald head in respect.

"Meeneester Prown. Eet ees pleasure to at last meet."

Righting herself, Aaya Teefka offered a polite smile at Tanaab's first man. They both knew why she was here, and she was prepared to dispense with pleasantries at his convenience.

"Likewise, Ms. Teefka." Dakler said with a curt nod.

"Let's just dive right in, shall we?" He asked rhetorically and smiled. "With Taanab's recent growth spurt there have been concerns amongst the leadership in regards to Coruscant's likely response. The Planetary government does not wish to curtail our economic growth and wishes to see the growth through to its natural conclusion. So abiding by any economic direction from the Moffs or Coruscant is out of the question. We expect that this may lead to use of force on the part of the Empire, though we're working to ensure it does not. But it is a possibility, however unfortunate. Now I ask, what can the Alliance do for Taanab?"

He studied the woman's face wishing he could know what she was thinking. Rikke Frygt had assurred him that the Alliance would likely be interested in supporting Taanab's ambition to slip out of Imperial rule. But the threat that the Alliance would leave Taanab to squirm was enough to worry him. Frygt believed Taanab could expel the Empire on its own without monetary support from the Alliance, but Dakler was unsure.

"We beleev een preparing for conteengency." The droid plied her Rattataki patois casually.

"Thee Eempire, eef they make first move, then eet ees a heavy move. They do not do half measure. You ask thees question, then already it ees time to act."

Eluna slapped a closed fist against a flat hand for emphasis.

"Sudden. Geev Eempire brooken nose. They are stunned. Geev you more time to punch again."

The Rattataki alias raised an eyebrow.

"We have people to help. They have training to fight and disappear. Can assemble on Tanaab quickly. But quickly ees good. You strike quick, claim Tanaab ees...sovereign. Make entreaty to Bothawui. Thees...Eempire must respect. Weell limit reprisal to...small things."

Dakler reclined as he listened. Her accent was thick and frankly annoying to him. But this meeting was very much necessary. As she spoke his mind worked frantically to analyze her words and their hidden meanings. If the Alliance wanted Taanab to strike first, then they must be already fairly committed to seeing Taanab succeed in revolt.

When she finished, Dakler took a deep breath and spoke carefully. "I feel that in striking first, we may be inviting disaster. A war is going to spark a massive reaction in public opinion. Taanab does not need a military victory so much as she needs a public opinion victory. If a war on Taanab is unpopular among the Imperial subjects, the Empire will not be able to pursue it effectively. If Taanab appears to be the aggressor, the galaxy will favor Coruscant and the other way around. That said, there may be ways to make the Empire appear the aggressor. Either way, Coruscant will skew the information in their favor, we need a way around that."

"Then you need how ees to say casus belli?"

Eluna tapped a finger to her lower lip in thought.

"Sometheeng to rally cause, no? Thee lightneeng rod? Thee Eempire, they have many poleetical preesoner? Wee move on them. Make eessue of freedom."

Retrieving a small disc, Eluna placed it on Consul Prown's desk, activating a holographic image to display the workings of an Imperial prison located not far from where they now spoke.

"You supply cause. Wee supply solution."

"The actual cause is that Taanab refuses to participate in the Imperial Economic system, but the problem is that even if Taanab is justified, not one person in the Empire will see the issue that way. Taanab people will know that our planet will thrive if independent, but someone on Coruscant will only hear that Taanab is sabotaging the Empire and likely will shift blame on Taanab and the Alliance. What I'm asking is how do we win public opinion?"

"Perhaps if we had a means to subvert the Imperial holo network..." He pondered outloud, "During the war, didn't the Alliance have some sort of ungerground, pirate holo broadcast?"

"The actual cause of war is a done deal, we have various public reasons prepared, the prison displayed here is one of them. But my peers in the capital do not believe the time is right just yet."

"The question is how far is the Alliance willing to go in supporting Taanab's independence?"

Consul Prown was careful, and rightfully so. He did not wish to push the calculus of Tanaab's independence too aggressively for worry of losing the crowd.

"Wee have such a network, yes. It would bee no problem to send propaganda through Imperial channel."

Frankly, Eluna was disappointed in the level of preparedness in making the first move. Taking over the signal was well and good, but without a decisive violent resistance, it would be only a matter of time before the Empire either shut the signal down or put spin on it.

"Consul, if you ask are wee willing for full galactic war, I say no. But neither is the Eempire. We keep stakes small. To that end, wee can bring troops in plain clothes and equipment to arm and train your men. But wee need to strike first and soon."

"Imperial Stormtroopers in plain view firing on Taanab civilians... My people can organize a large protest in Pandath, you see to it that your people are in Stormtrooper armor and under the command of someone in Imperial Officer uniform. I want as few casualties as possible. And I want the event recorded from multiple angles, The protesters will not provoke the Imperials. It absolutely has to look like a clear case of unwarranted aggression." He said and looked over the woman's head in thought.

People would die because he conspired against the Empire, his own citizens, the people he was supposed to protect and help. Families would be devastated. The people who elected him would no doubt call for blood and revolt, but that was of course the idea. But it was the fact that his actions here in this room would result in the murder of several civilians that shook him. Of course that disturbing woman, Rikke Frygt would approve of the organized massacre, she wanted Taanab to become independent most of all, and she rarely seemed concerned about the collateral damage. But she'd already been so good to him, she took in his daughter and taught her to use the Force, she'd almost entirely arranged for Dakler to get elected and before that, the construction of her academy had made Dakler rich. Five years ago, he was a farm owner, which was good for a Taanab person at that time, but c9ompared to the rich people in the rest of the galaxy, it was nothing, he might as well have been a peasent. Frygt had to date never led him wrong. If she wanted a revolution, he would give it to her. But the casualties... He just couldn't get past it.

"The protest is what we'll do. See to it that your people are in place. I'll see to it that mine are as well."

For the next day or two, he would hate himself for condemning his own people to die. But he'd see Rikke Frygt soon and she'd do that Force healing thing where he never remembered ever caring about the hard decision he made in the first place. Yes, that's what he'd do. Rikke Frygt would make everything better for him, the incident would happen as planned, the Revolution would happen and Taanab would win, The whole planet would be so much better off at just the cost of a few lives. Hmm, maybe he wouldn't go to Frygt after all, it was like she was already nearby, making him forget why he cared at all.

OOC: Really sorry about the delay, Work has been insane lately and my housemate decided it was a good time to revive her old drug habit and get in a relationship with a minor. It was a whole big thing with Lawyers and stuff.