An Audience With Her Majesty (Completed)

[Mariya Fleischer]

"Right, the king [member="Veiere Arenais"]. Sure, I can work with him as well." She had heard about him being a Jedi and a well respected man. Besides, there was no reason not to trust her soon-to-be boss' husband. All she wanted to ask for was a direct reporting line to the top, and the three people were the cream of the crop in Commenor. Nothing else to ask for, unless the queen decided to move the reporting line later on.

"Oh, the protected designation of origin. Commonly known as P.D.O., a term specifically used for wines grades. A P.D.O. refers to wine made using grapes from a selected region. In this case, specific regions in Alderaan known for producing premium grapes. The whole manufacturing process from harvesting to fermentation and bottling has to be from the same region to be labelled P.D.O. by the Alderaan government."

She gave a brief explanation to [member="Lady Kay"], deciding that she was not much of a drinker. Perhaps Commenorians prefer their own hard liquors, but her cantina could still sell other things.

"The cantina will bring in other foodstuff though, as long as the menu appeals to the locals' tastebuds," Mariya added to clarify that the business would include more than wines. Business would drive the demand for certain goods, so she was not too worried about selling less wines. The conversation was about payment and the queen had also agreed to her request.

"Thank you for your generosity, your Majesty. That's all the requests I have." The merecenary knew that the queen would need some time to get herself acquainted with her, so she decided to offer a suggestion to build up the basics. "I humbly suggest that we start by building a base of operations in the civilian sector for intelligence gathering. It can be anything, ranging from a academic school to a theater."

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay nodded at the explanation for the process of the wine designation and how it was all done. No doubt the wine was a popular item for them, though she didn't quite take notice as it wasn't really her drink of choice. Now tea, especially Sapir tea. She knew a lot about that.

She nodded again as [member="Mariya Fleischer"] spoke of having food as well. That was good. A variety of foods was always welcome. Although Plenty's was a very popular chain, there were other unique restaurants as well. Afterall, Commenor was used to getting visitors from all over the Galaxy.

And now back to the real business at hand. Gathering intelligence. A base of operations was needed to be selected? Well, that did make sense. Better to be out in the open, than secluded somewhere. "We have a couple of Universities here in Chasin City, as well as a range of theatres going from staged plays to screening holo-movies. Which would you prefer?" Afterall, Mariya was more of the expert in that regard than she was.

 

[Mariya Fleischer]

"Hmm... I would think that a theatre sounds plausible. The human traffic will be high during performances and we will have all sorts of folks to provide interesting information during their conversations, but other times will be quiet. Of course, to do this well, we will need our people to work as staff in the theatre. For agents who actually perform on the stage, it can double up as a platform to train their impromptu acting."

Mariya went along with the theatre concept as it was one of the first things she noticed about the city. No doubt it might become a fancy attraction, but it would also become a place capable of funding itself in the future. More people would mean more information to be collected. As for privacy laws, she had no idea how strict they were in Commenor. How much electronic surveillance was acceptable? She would need to clarify on that later.

"So the basic concept would be a haven where agents could be trained and report in. Civilians who came in to watch their shows and visit the stores would usually talk a lot, so expect a certain amount of eavesdropping unless your Majesty is totally against it. Behind the scenes, personnel will be needed to process the various information sources to see if they are relevant."

She offered her preliminary concept to [member="Lady Kay"], a rough sketch of what she had in mind. It covered on the basics which would already take up manpower and resources. Advanced strategies about converting spies or recruiting enemy agents would require much more time beyond her current contract.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay raised a brow slightly as [member="Mariya Fleischer"] spoke of using the theatre as some kind of base of operations for a spy network. At first she didn't quite understand it, especially with having spies pretend to be the actors. What information could those on stage possibly gleen from the audience? They'd have to focus on their performance, blocking everyone else out as far as she understood it. But then she thought about it some more. People liked to meet the performers after the show. Perhaps that was how it was done. Yet Kay was no spy, had never been in the field, so she wasn't certain.

To the subject of eavesdropping, she was against it. At least at first. This was a public place however, not a place for delicate diplomatic meetings. It wasn't anyone's home either, it was a place of business. "Eavesdropping is fine, so long as none of it is spread to gossip. That's the last thing that we need. Anything of value to an investigation can be kept, the rest should be erased. It's very easy to abuse it otherwise." Blackmail was the first thing to come to mind.

 

[Mariya Fleischer]

Judging from the look of [member="Lady Kay"]'s expression, Mariya knew that she might have to explain herself more clearly. That was fine by her to prevent any misunderstanding that could happen later. The concept of spycraft was usually difficult to grasp, and now she had mixed it up with a crazy idea of using a theater as a base.

I think I should clarify what does acting have to do with a spy. On the ground, the agent usually has to put on a mask to pretend to be someone else. There is generally not a lot of focus on the acting ability. The theater serves as a place for them to get used to playing another role, to get their feet wet."

She slipped on the tea, quite liking the taste. She had a feeling the tea was of a particular brew specially made for the royal palace, though she was no expert in this area. She could certainly envision herself drinking more tea in the future though if she ever got tired of stimcaf.

Regarding eavesdropping... I guess one of the easier ways to save on budget and to avoid the problem of capturing unnecessary information is to do it manually. The staff on the ground may find themselves coming in contact with enough information already. This is something that needs to be tested. If it doesn't work then we need to switch things up."

It had been quite a while since she touched on intelligence gathering. Mariya knew that patience and some form of trial run was necessary to test out the whole system. And even though she might not be directly reporting to any military command, information such as the military doctrines and tactics would serve to drive how the intelligence network be built to support the whole nation's defense capabilities.

In short, further discussion would be pointless until she had more information. But for now, she was glad to call Commenor home for the time being.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay slowly nodded in understanding. So the theatre also acts as a training ground. How very interesting. She hadn't heard of such a thing before, but it was brilliant. She wasn't sure of how many spies-in-training her keen on the idea. But there was only one way to find out.

She nodded again as [member="Mariya Fleischer"] touched on how the eavesdropping would take place. Manually. That was Kay's preferred method. But it wasn't always good enough. Some things could be heard wrong. Still, it wasn't as though the information would be acted on right away.

"I'm sure that there'll be some practice sessions? I'd love to see it all in action some day, even if it was just practice." Kay was no stranger to having to pretend. She was a politician afterall.

 

[Mariya Fleischer]

"There will definitely be enough practices to make the agents wish they are on the field instead. And actual performances, if your Majesty prefers a crowd to accompany you."

She nodded her head, glad that the whole idea seemed to be shaping up. She finished her tea and decided there was nothing else she wanted to add. The reporting line was discussed. So was payment and setup of the infrastructure. Details like the training, how to recruit personnel and stuff were not meant for the ears of [member="Lady Kay"] who had more important things to do. The new intelligence officer would submit her proposals to the queen for review and approval to continue in due time.

"I do not think there is anything else to discuss, not till more details are made. Perhaps your Majesty might have the time to share your thoughts about Commenor in terms of vision or future?"

 

[Kay-Larr]

[member="Mariya Fleischer"] seemed to have read her mind. Or maybe only her body language. There was no easier book to read than Kay's face, afterall. She knew that. Yet either despite that or because of it, she was a good politician that got things done, things that weren't even selfish. At least that was her opinion.

Kay blinked as she was asked on what she saw for Commenor's future. Most people tended to just tell her what would happen, would try to warn her about everyone swooping in on all sides, each person believing the other to be evil when they were both as bad as eachother.

"Well, we've already accomplished what I wanted. We're a safe haven in the Galaxy. Our economy is great and we've done our best to work with others rather than shoot at them. My hope is that it continues."

 

[Mariya Fleischer]

"I think most people just want the same things. Safety, food on their tables, roofs over their heads, families and friends. A safe haven is appealing to them. When I first joined the Collective, which was already stated in my resume* earlier, they kept talking about human transcendence. I have no idea what they mean... or do I think they actually know what they are doing..."

It was an alliance of convenience. Mariya needed the credits and someone by the name of Evoros popped up one day to recruit her. The whole experience was interesting but the organisation was fuzzy at best. There was something going on behind the scenes, but the blonde had no idea what it was.

"People will always have cognitive bias. It's part of us, living beings processing with imperfect information. However, I like to think that your Majesty might be on a certain path to... I guess I'll just call it... enlightenment. Holding the fort for your people. If only other factions are capable of thinking the same lines... war could be avoided. But no, the odds of that happening probably won't happen."

She shook her head, knowing that she had been blabbering on about something which was too philosophical.

"Anyway... as long as I'm in your service, you can be assured that I'll do my best for Commenor. It's also getting late, I'm not sure if your Majesty requires some rest and time to accompany the twins?"

A valid concern. [member="Lady Kay"] had spent the whole day in court so far.

*OOC: Forgot to mention this in the beginning of the roleplay, but I am just going to assume it is stated and Kay knows. Else both of us will have to go all the way back to the posts earlier and amend...

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay blinked in surprise as [member="Mariya Fleischer"] suggested that she was on the path of enlightenment. In truth all that she did was follow her instincts, which weren't always right. But for at least half the time they were. She owed it all for those that worked with her. Without them, they wouldn't be successful.

"Trying to end war is as futile as trying to end slavery. When I was a Senator I had spent much of my time in Hutt Cartel space rescuing slaves and stopping raids. I was told how futile my efforts were and they were right. But the way that I justified it was that for all of those people that I saved.. slavery ended for them. And that was important. I use that same kind of thought process for our efforts here. For each new world that wants to join us, for each person that chooses to live and work here, the wars have ended. Here there is peace and safety. It may not last forever, but I'll work on maintaining it for as long as possible." She owed favours to at least one of the major powers in the Galaxy. But they weren't malicious ones.

Kay bowed her head as Mariya offered her best efforts as well as having courtesy in respects to her family. "Thank you very much. I look forward to what your efforts can produce. And yes I should be getting back to the twins and my dear husband. Let me know if you need anything as it all progresses and I'll see what I can do."

 

[Mariya Fleischer]

"Hutt Cartel..."

So the queen did spend her time with the Hutts in the past. Mariya had no idea, but was obviously curious to know more about the slave rescuing missions and which part of the Hutt space the queen was referring to. That would be a story for later, since [member="Lady Kay"] seemed to look forward to end the discussion since it was getting late.

"Alright. I'll begin my work tomorrow officially. Will start by surveying the city and picking out potential locations to build or convert existing buildings. I will draft out a proposal and your majesty can take a look through when the plans are ready."

The mercenary curtsied and was about to take a step to leave when she remembered the queen mentioning a room to stay. She figured she might as well ask for it instead of going back to the cantina to rent a room for another night.

"Would... your majesty's earlier mention of a place to stay be ready... by any chance?"

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay nodded as [member="Mariya Fleischer"] spoke of choosing a suitable location and getting the proper procedures in place to get it all set up. That was wonderful. It seemed as though she was the type to be sure that there were checks and balances for everything. No cutting corners. She liked that.

A brow was raised as she asked for a room, to which softened her expression to add a smile. "Of course. The eastern wing has plenty of guest suites. They're quite spacious. I can show them to you, or have Olivia do so. They aren't far from the kitchens, so you'll have access to food when you need it." Some people ate in the middle of the night afterall. She didn't. But Kay knew of others that did.

 

[Mariya Fleischer]

"I will ask Olivia then. Won't want the Queen to waste her time on such trivial matters."

She grinned at the offer, glad to be able to stay in the palace for the night. She had never stayed in a palace before, much less the royal palace which took her breath away when she first saw it. Of course, the kitchens were a plus. She would definitely considered grabbing a bite when necessary.

"I wish you a good evening then, your Majesty. I'll take leave now and start off tomorrow."

Mariya excused herself from [member="Lady Kay"] and left the room, asking the nearest guard for Olivia's location. A good night's rest would be nice, including a hot shower and some food. Tomorrow would be a brand new chapter of her life.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay smirked a little as [member="Mariya Fleischer"] seemed to think that showing her around was something that was beneath her. That couldn't be further from the truth. "If there's one thing that I've learned in all my years, and especially now, it's that nothing's trivial. Everyone is deserving of my time, for I serve my people as much as they serve me." One of her former bodyguards had said that she was a slave to her position. For a long time she didn't agree. But now she knew that he was right all along.

"Goodnight Miss Mariya. And thank you." Finding dedicated people was difficult. So many have come and gone, advancing their careers elsewhere. It was hard to predict who had the tenacity and desire to stay.

Mariya was soon directed to Olivia, of whom gladly showed her a guest suite, if not just to get her own idea of what the new hire was all about. She was Head of the House. It was her job to see that everything ran smoothly. And she wasn't going to let anything or anyone stop her from doing her job well.