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Thread: The Third Pillar: Self-Discipline

  1. #1

    Thread Semi-Open The Third Pillar: Self-Discipline

    "Exiting hyperspace in five minutes."

    Serena Laran toggled the intercom from the cockpit of the Gaoth Agus Domhain, alerting her padawan in the back of the TL-1800. Sullust was about as far from Ossus as you could go and still be in the Alliance of Free Planets. The Jedi had been asked to help negotiate a dispute between union workers and the SoroSuub Corporation, and as one of the Jedi trained in diplomacy prior to Order 66, Serena had been tagged to go. Bringing her padawan along was an added benefit. Draiya would listen, learn how to find the middle ground between two sides, but her abilities in the mental disciplines would be extremely helpful.

    Serena looked at the countdown display. Four minutes to realspace.


    there is no passion; there is serenity
    there is no death; there is the Force


  2. #2
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    A day earlier, when Master Laran had informed her that she would be accompanying her on a mission offworld, Draiya had taken time to prepare in the smallest detail. She packed thoroughly, both the mundane items necessary for a trip, but also things that might prove useful in a contingency. Reference materials for Sullust on datapads, a personal field generator rated for thermal trauma, and a medical kit from the infirmary. She'd also made certain that her tunic and boots were flawless. This was a diplomatic mission, Master Laran had said. They would be representing the Jedi Order beyond Sanctuary. It felt so long ago that she'd traveled with Master Laran on a mission to investigate an archaeological site with Scout. In the time since, Draiya had changed, and she was ever aware of the change.

    Finally, Draiya had set aside hours before the flight to deeply meditate. She focused on her center, and on the leylines of living energy that tethered her to the familiar and the possible. She'd traveled since - on missions with Master Evanar and also on a personal journey back to her home of Syragor, and she found that with the change of place, there came a disorientation if she wasn't expecting it. Now, she knew better.

    When the call came from the cockpit, Draiya left the cabin of the ship, heading up front to view the maelstrom as they prepared to fall back into realspace. Master Laran stood tall and serene - her living energy every bit as colorful as the swirl of hyperspace that danced as a corona around her silhouette.

    "I'm rready, Masterr."

    Her hair was drawn back into a tight bun, accenting the smooth contours of her face. A far cry from the grubby and brash latchkey from Syragor, Draiya had been utterly transformed by her trials as a Jedi Padawan. And though she sometimes marveled at the change she'd made from the girl she'd once been, she felt strongly that the journey was just beginning.

  3. #3
    "Three minutes."

    Serena looked over her shoulder at her padawan and smiled. "Better strap in."

    She indicated one of the jump seats behind her. Dreg Noru'lya, a Bothan civilian, nodded at Draiya from the co-pilot's station. He had come to Ossus as a shuttle pilot, and had placed himself at the service of the Council. Having another being along on the trip was Solomon's idea, and Serena couldn't disagree with the logic. Should anything happen to the ship, it was best to have another pair of hands.

    At the very least, Dreg wasn't going to get in the way.

    Draiya took a seat, and the last few seconds ticked away. Swirls of hyperspace smeared across the viewscreen, and then in a blink were replaced by stars; the inertial dampners took the brunt of the reversion, but they were pressed into their crash webbing as the system spread out before them.

    Sullust was a heavily volcanic planet, dotted with surface factories in service of the famous shipyards. The Sullustians lived in great underground cities, powered by the extensive geothermal activity of their home planet.

    Serena activated the ship's sublights and set them on a course to the coordinates SoroSuub had given them. She looked back at Draiya again.

    "Have you studied the information on the union conflict?"
    Last edited by Serena Laran; Mar 12th, 2019 at 12:16:20 PM. Reason: tttypo

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    "I have."

    Draiya secured the crash webbing around her midsection in the jump seat, eschewing looking at her master for a view of the planet ahead. The planet was a quiltwork of greys and reds, obfuscated in broad patches by cloud cover. Here and there, craters could be seen even from near-orbit. Some were natural, but others were certainly man-made impacts.

    "The Cobalt Rreforrmation League is the political arrm of the worrkerrs union. They spearrheaded the planet's liberration frrom the Empirre. The Sorrosuub Corrporration employs rroughly half the planet's population, most of them memberrs of the union. The Corrporration contrrols the planetarry goverrnment and rreprresentation in the Alliance Senate. They have been underr incrreasing prressurre to deliverr rreparrations and aid frrom the Alliance, aid that the Senate is incrreasingly rreluctant to prrovide."

    The words rolled out, regurgitated roughly unchanged from the text. Draiya paused, pressing her lips thin before continuing.

    "The worrkerrs are becoming disillusioned. They're overrworrked, underrpaid, and are starrting to feel that neitherr the Sullustan goverrnment norr the Alliance has theirr best interrests at hearrt."

  5. #5
    "Very good."

    Serena nodded to Dreg, who began communicating with the planet to let SoroSuub Corp know they had arrived. She glanced at Draiya.

    "And what do you think our goal is, mediating these negotiations?"

  6. #6
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    Draiya's attention broke from the planet, and she met her master's eyes with a serious expression.

    "We are herre to ensurre the rresolution is peaceful, even if that rresolution is not in the goverrnment's favorr."

    The answer felt uneasy on her tongue, and the Syragori Padawan's eyebrows knit as she thought about it.

    "Masterr, I'm uncerrtain. We'rre herre at the invitation of the goverrnment. If negotiations do go against them, I feel they would be inclined to crreate an excuse to put down the union with forrce. I underrstand how this worrked in the Rrepublic. I'm less cerrtain now."

  7. #7
    "Ideally both sides will feel satisfied with the outcome, but yes, when finding a middle ground sometimes neither side will be happy." Serena guided the ship into the atmosphere, breaking through the top of an ashcloud to bring the volcanic surface of Sullust into focus.

    "If it appears that the corporation will disregard the agreement, or punish the union outside of it, then we will enforce it." Serena looked sideways at Draiya and patted the lightsaber at her own hip. "With our words, if we can."

  8. #8
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    Draiya said nothing at that, but simply nodded in affirmative. Master Laran's words didn't completely reassure her, but they at least demonstrated that there was a plan for all outcomes. Her attention shifted to the approaching landscape, shrouded by heavy clouds of volcanic ash and gases. The shuttle thumped down at a landing platform built up above a large formation of basalt. A group of Sullustans stood ready on the platform, their faces partially obscured by breathing masks. From her pre-mission research, Draiya knew the upper atmosphere of Sullust was barely habitable, but the subterranean cities were far better suited for life.

    When given the all clear, Draiya unclasped her crash webbing and rose from her seat. She wore no robe, so her twin shoto lightsabers glinted in plain view from their leather scabbard on the belt of her tunic.

  9. #9
    Serena was dressed in typical Jedi robes. Projecting what the Sullustians expected in a Jedi diplomat was important. She handed her padawan a breathing mask and put on her own.

    "Greetings, gentlebeings," said one of the Sullustians as they exited the ship. "Esteemed Jedi."

    Serena returned the bow, and they were quickly ushered into a small building that housed a bank of turbolifts and little else.

    "Everything is prepared for you," said the Sullustian, most of his face covered by the breathing mask. His voice was muffled. "As requested, two rooms, adjoining. A conference room with a round table, for the negotiations." He paused, breathing noisily. "Do you have a preference for food?"

    "Human standard fare," Serena said, smiling under her mask. "No dietary restrictions. Thank you, it is good to know that my messages were received."

    "SoroSuub is pleased to host you and the negotiations. It is our great privilege."

  10. #10
    The Sullustan entourage escorted the Jedi to the lift at the periphery of the landing pad.

    "Senator Minetii has requested a private, informal audience before the negotiations begin in earnest." One of the hospitality officials spoke politely - if nasally - through the breathing mask.

    "I am instructed to escort you to his office."

    The elevator descended a hundred or more meters before coming to a feathery stop. The opaque durasteel retracted, revealing an immense, open, and bustling subterranean city below. The lift pod glided onto a magnetic rail, and the entire apparatus propelled into criscrossing city traffic as a sky car.

  11. #11
    The city of Pinyumb lay before them, nestled in a vast cavern that lay beneath the Inyusu Tor volcano. While it was not dark, it was certainly not as bright as the Jedi were used to, living on the surface of a sunlit world like Ossus. A river of lava cut through one part of the cavern, casting a red glow on the buildings around it.

    The dimly lit skycab carried them quickly toward their destination, and Serena clipped her breathing mask to her belt.

    "We are amenable to meeting with the Senator," she told their escort, and the Sullustian nodded. "It was my understanding that the negotiations are to begin tomorrow morning?"

  12. #12
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    Draiya mimed her master, stowing away her minimalist breathing mask into its designated pouch on her belt. She tried not to play tourist, but the vista of Pinyumb from the sky cab was a feast for the eyes. While it certainly wasn't beautiful , it was the kind of impressive that demanded attention for its insistence on defying the natural order. The Sullustans had beaten back and battled the geology of their world in such a way as to make it in their image. She'd seen pictures of these underground cities and their far more beautiful and impressive counterparts on the ill-fated world of Shu-Torun. Viewing it in person, it left her with an ambivalence between awe and unease. The Padawan reluctantly turned her eyes away from the window, centering herself in the moment, where Master Laran needed her.

    She stood just behind her master, who stood parallel with Senator Minetii's aide. Draiya could feel a sense of nervousness from the aide, but the feeling didn't lend itself towards any particular reason. Without a direction, there was little reason for the Syragori Padawan to delve into it, other than to continue observing passively.

  13. #13
    "That is the intended schedule, Master Jedi." Minetii's aide nodded, his jowls jiggling slightly as he did.

    "Barring any last-minute change from the Unionists. With our request for Jedi arbitration, they may interject at the last minute for a change of venue in an attempt to have the meeting on their terms. You can appreciate the delicacy of the situation."

    The sky car was nearing their destination.

    "We are at a precipice, I'm afraid. If these negotiations fail, there could be a global strike. If our production falls off, the consequences could be devastating."

  14. #14
    Serena “hmm”ed non-committedly, the sky car finally slowing as they reached their destination.

    “Come,” she said to her padawan. “Let us see what the Senator has to say.”

    It was a short walk to Senator Minetii’s office, placed in a prime location with a view of the underground city. The aide knocked, announced them, and then Serena and Draiya were walking inside.

    ”Senator,” she said, inclining her head, her hands folded neatly at her waist. “Thank you for the welcome into Pinyumb.”

  15. #15
    "Yes, yes, yes."

    Minetii gruffed, not immediately giving the Jedi his full attention. The Sullustan sat at his desk, stooped over a series of documents he was intently studying. A pair of spectacles rested across his broad nose so that when he finally looked up, it was almost a comically owlish expression. Niev quickly dispelled that, setting aside his reading frames.

    When he did, his somewhat dour and jowly expression seemed to deepen, accentuated by the dropping of his brow as well.

    "Master Jedi, you have brought a child to these negotiations."

  16. #16
    “Draiya Naaianeya is a skilled Jedi, and my padawan. Where I go, she goes.” Serena’s tone was warm, but brooked no nonsense.

    ”We are here to facilitate and mediate these negotiations, so any requests you may have of us will be considered... but we cannot show favoritisms to either side.”

  17. #17
    Senator Minetii's expression didn't brighten any. He drew out a long "Hrmm..." steepling his fingers together as he looked to the human youngster Master Laran vouched for.

    "It was our request for arbitration that brought you here, Master Laran. I am acutely aware of the dangers of bias, or even the appearance of it. I assure you, I have no interest in projecting an appearance of impartiality upon you."

    Minetii stood. He was short like most Sullustans, but quite stocky, hinting at a past life of manual labor. Age had added pounds to the august politician, but he was anything but frail or soft.

    "Pinyumb is already quite aware that we enter this game in a deficit of public opinion. Populist movements like the Unionists are attractive to the rabble, both here on Sullust and across the Alliance."

  18. #18
    Serena let the Senator speak, assuming he would get to his point soon. As Senator Minetii paused for a breath, she looked at her padawan, to ascertain what Draiya was making of all this.
    Last edited by Lilaena De'Ville; Apr 30th, 2019 at 01:21:20 PM. Reason: ttt

  19. #19
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    Seen but not heard, Draiya ignored the eyes of her master, keeping her attention fixed squarely on the Senator, intensely focused on not just his words, but something just beyond as well.

    "Those rrabble toil the mines and powerr the machines upon which Sullust functions, Senatorr."

    There lay a vein of irritation in Draiya's words, though small enough that it could have been mistaken for nothing at all. Nevertheless, the girl who grew up poor on Syragor knew which side of the table she could more easily sympathize with.

  20. #20
    Niev leveled his displeasured expression at Draiya again.

    "And it is Sorosuub that provides them with a trade, work, wages, and a livelihood."

    He turned back to Serena, his severe expression softening only slightly.

    "A symbiotic circle, for want of a metaphor. Each side needs the other. Even if we may not like the other."

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