Private A Sinister Vice [Adhira & Tithe]

[Adhira Chandra]

The Chancellor's Office
Coruscant // Late in the Evening
Aerarii Tithe

Three of Coruscant's four moons were hanging low on the horizon when the Senate session finally adjourned for the evening. The vast legislature had spent the day and a good portion of the later hours debating the Alliance's involvement in the mysterious portions of the galaxy that had historically come to be known as the Unknown Regions. And while those planets and systems were no longer as undiscoverable as when they were named, they were a no-less lawless place now. They were also facing a new threat in the Brotherhood of the Maw and that was what they had struggled to address. When the elevator opened onto the wide velvet-carpeted corridor leading into the Chancellor's wing of the Executive Building, Adhira could feel a ripple of relief wash over her. She leaned against the doors of the lift and bent down to remove her heels and, grasping them firmly in one hand, reached up to release the tight coils of her ebony mane, unleashing a cascade of dark hair down her back.

"Ma'am," the cerulean-clad guards acknowledged her approach with a salute, which she acknowledged with a smile. "I am expecting the Vice Chancellor," she breathed as she swept into the state office, "let me know when he has arrived."

The doors hissed closed behind her and the old woman let her posture relax. She tossed the heels onto one of the sofas and slouched her way to the crystal drink cart to busy herself pouring a stiff constitutional. The last several months - the war with the Sith Empire - had been taxing... not just for her, but for the entire Alliance. The bloody conflict had served as the first great test for the young democracy and under the strain, Adhira had often feared the fragile republic might break. As the battles raged in Sith space, Adhira had enjoyed the swell of popularity that patriotism had lent her, but now, in the face of a waning confrontation, the cracks in her political coalition were beginning to show.

Several perennial challengers to her authority: Marlon Sularen and Gat Tambor had become increasingly more defiant in their assertions that she was no longer fit to lead the Alliance and there were whispers of a third opponent in Senator Annasari Vahl of Jakku. She had been Chancellor for a little over a decade now, reigning for most of her term with an overwhelming majority in the Senate. However, special elections and new appointments had slowly eaten away at the supremacy of the Federalist Bloc. Adhira knew that if she was to remain at the helm of the Alliance, she would need to demonstrate that she still commanded the confidence of their citizens.

"My Lady," she turned to see one of the Senate Guards standing in her open doorway, "the Vice Chancellor." The robed figure stood aside, rendering a salute to Aerarii Tithe as he entered her office. Adhira tensed, then smiled warmly at his approach. "Aerarii, I am glad you could come on such short notice... can I interest you in a nightcap?"

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[Aerarii Tithe]

LOCATION: The Chancellor’s Office, Coruscant
OBJECTIVE: Has the Chancellor called?
TAG: Adhira Chandra

Tithe followed the blue-clad Senate guard through the ornate halls of the Chancellor’s inner sanctum toward her office. He’d spent many late nights and early mornings working with Adhira and her staff in the face of political disasters, foreign upheaval, and enemy invasions. But during those times he had been surrounded by a sea of aides and advisers - it was rare that he was invited alone. While the two stood side-by-side in the Chancellors podium and worked together to strengthen and uphold the Alliance, their interactions never strayed far from work. They were friendly, those not necessarily friends.

“Madam Chancellor,” he replied as he was introduced. Though the meeting was undoubtedly less formal than most, he could never fully detach himself from the expectations of etiquette, especially with a Senate Guard in earshot.

The Vice Chancellor took a seat on a nearby sofa as he was offered a drink. “Well, I’d ah, be lying if I said it was my first this eve,” he replied with a slight smirk. “I will, of course, defer to your impeccable proffer.” The protocol droid which had emerged to serve them paused for a moment as it considered Tithe’s phrasing.

“Whatever the Chancellor is having will be suitable,” he explained.

He turned his attention back to Adhira. “And to what do I owe this unforeseen pleasure?” There was always a political crisis brewing within the borders of the Alliance, and if Tithe was here rather than the High Admirals, he imagined there was a solution he was well versed in - credits.

 

[Adhira Chandra]

The Chancellor's Office
Coruscant // Late in the Evening
Aerarii Tithe

"Brandy, on the rocks," she said to the protocol doing as the Vice-Chancellor deferred to her drink of choice. The squat droid toddled off to an area of the office with an ornate drink cabinet and they could hear the process begin. As Aerarii attempted to move them along to the reason she had called him to her office, Adhira held up a polite hand and met his eyes with a smile. "Actually, would you just eh- excuse me for one moment?" The old woman slipped behind what looked like a mere divider, albeit ornate, but when Adhira stepped behind it, the areas that could previously be seen through went opaque. It took only a moment for Adhira to slide off her robes from the session and into something else. When she reappeared at the edge of the divider she had changes in an ivory white gown, much more informal than her Senate dress.

Adhira took the glass of brandy from the droid as it toddled over to Tithe and sat back in one of the large fluffy chairs. "Where were we?" She seemed far more at ease now. "Oh! Right, this 'unforeseen pleasure,'" Adhira laughed warmly, "A man who gets right to the point is a rare thing indeed on Coruscant. It's one of the reasons I asked you to become my Vice Chancellor so many years ago." Adhira took a deep drink of the brandy and let it swirl around her mouth as silence pervaded the space between them. Then she swallowed.

"You have proven to be reliable, steadfast, and loyal to the Alliance, all qualities I sought after with my choice. You've exceeded my expectations."

Adhira paused, looking at the swirling brown liquid in her glass for a moment. Then she finished the drink and set it aside, looking directly at Tithe for the first time. "It has been a long time since the last election, all of these retirements and special elections have seen our legislative power shrink as a result. This has all made it fairly difficult to legitimize my administration's policy positions. How would you suggest we deal with this problem, Aerarii? Adhira's curious brown eyes narrowed in anticipation.​