Private Are All Imperials Like the Others?

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori had arrived to Ketaris on her newest vessel; Jaster's Delight. She needed to be sure that she had a good means to escape should the Eternal Empire be setting a trap for her. Even while she was aware that the Eternal Empire held tensions amongst some of the other powers of the Galaxy, they also had alliances with them too. And with that brought an inherent danger to the Eclipse Rebellion and especially to herself.

Lori was quite well known, given that she was the Face of the Rebellion; the one that was spreading the word of the Empire's atrocities in the western side of the Galaxy. She did whatever she could to thwart the efforts of the Eternal Empire, either by encouraging the masses to revolt, or to help them escape occupation and slaughter. She was there when ship factories were attacked, when communications were hacked into and information leaked. She had been captured twice and escaped both times, earning herself arrest warrants in Eternal Empire's growing territory. She was very much a thorn in the Empire's side.

And one that common enemies reached out to. Funding for the Eclipse Rebellion came from many different places, and there was no shortage outside of manpower. Such a vast array of funding was needed, just in case one source was cut off. The Eclipse Rebellion needed to survive if the Empire was to be stopped and freedom from military dictatorship restored.

The New Imperial Order however was more than likely one and the same. But as the saying goes; the enemy of my enemy....

After gaining clearance and piloting the Jaster's Delight down to the designated landing pad, Lori exited it on her own. She wore her Rebel Ops armour and carried The Hornet over her shoulder, with her quiver on her back. A dagger lay hidden in her boot. She was set to meet Enlil at the building just ahead of her, which appeared to be some old university. Her eyes scanned the area and even though this was just supposed to be a meeting of sorts, she couldn't be too careful. Imperials were cunning. Her objective here was a simple one; to get a better sense of this regime and see whether or not they were a threat too.

 

[Enlil]

The transmission came through a secure channel, and his communications team had decrypted it thereafter. When it reached the King, he considered how to proceed very carefully. Their relations with the Eternal Empire were flimsy, hanging by a thread. Reports reflected that the head of their state had been less than amicable with the Sovereign Imperator during their last visit. Moreover, after their actions that had in part aided the Imperial actions along the Braxant Run, Ingrid L'lirum-Vandiir spat in the New Imperials face by turning yet again to defend the Sith at Dantooine.

While his tactical acumen screamed about how little sense their recent decisions made, the more pressing matter was the woman poised to meet with him. There was no treaty, and no formal ceasefire. He had no obligation to do no harm to them; and yet, the reverse was also true.

Actions that directly undermined the sovereignty of a Foreign power were a matter to be handled delicately. This Loreena Arenais approached him with a surprising revelation, and it might just be the answer that they needed to deal with a growing pest problem in the Western fringes.

Enlil made preparations to receive her at the defunct University of Ketaris, a building worn by age but well preserved out of respect for its history. In part, he redirected her away from the situation in the Capital for her safety. There was also no significant Stormtrooper presence, a gesture of good faith. He was certain if she were an assassin, he could contain the situation himself.

The King busied himself with preparation. Ever the mindful host, he had two glasses ready and a deep, bodied red wine set out on a table. Two chairs on either side, he took a seat and laid out some documents that they could peruse idly. Mostly statistics and meager state matters, they dealt with the state of the Eternal Empire relative to the NIO.

If what she said were true, this woman dealt very intimately with a group that Imperial Intelligence would love to have words with.

When Loreena reached them, she would find the doors unlocked and Enlil waiting just inside.

Loreena Arenais-Valhoun

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori stood in front of the University for a moment, the doors just fifteen feet away. All seemed quiet, which in and of itself was a good thing. There seemed to be no sign of an ambush. She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, wondering is she could somehow gain a sense of things through the Force. However her training was minimal and that wasn't her strongest skillset. So she'd just have to stick with her Mandalorian training instead; which was that everything around her could be utilized as a weapon if need be. But it was her hope that she didn't need to resort to any of that.

Stepping to the door, she opened it and walked inside, her eyes darting around with each step, looking for a trap. Yet as she went further inside it seemed clear that there was no such trap to be had and so she found the tension leaving her body.

Enlil was spotted easily enough, seated at a small table that seemed to be set just for the two of them. The man seemed very relaxed, even casual in appearance. So as she approached, Lori removed her bow and quiver, placing the items down beside her as she sat down. "Thank you for meeting with me. And wine to boot? My thanks. It has been a long journey." She picked up the glass in front of her and had a small sip, letting the red liquid swirl over her taste buds before swallowing. "This sector of the Galaxy is bustling with activity, I hear. And not all of it good."

 

[Enlil]

When he heard the doors open, the King looked up. She approached, and he rose from his seat. "Of course," he gestured toward the chair opposite his own as she moved to disarm and sit. Once she was seated, he uncorked the wine and let it aerate. "It is important to meet all guests cordially, I firmly believe that."

Two years, two minutes. He would speak and wait for it to breathe. "You are not wrong," he replied honestly. "The burden of rule is not an easy one to bear. I suspect you understand that better than most, Miss Arenais. I am aware of your family name. Are you kin to Caedyn?" he inquired.

Enlil motioned for one of the attendants to come closer. Once the man was there, he revealed a platter with an assortment of cheeses and charteucerie. "You are my guest on Ketaris, and for the moment, this is not a New Imperial matter. I cannot afford to bring attention to the Sovereign Imperator without merit, you understand. So please, speak freely and be at ease."

Loreena Arenais-Valhoun

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Oh yes, she knew full well the burdens of ruling. Although she had yet to take up such a task herself, fate had already thrusted it upon her. After the deaths of her parents, it was discovered that they had secretly ruled in part over Mnemosyne, and had left the Monarchy to bother herself and her brother. Such a position she had not yet been ready to take on. It was far too dangerous. The Eternal Empire was sure to exploit it as a weakness and use it to force her to stop her actions against them. And the last thing that she needed was for the planet; a legacy left to her and her brother by their parents; to be taken hostage by her enemies.

But at least Mnemosyne was safe in SJC territory. At least for now...

"Caedyn is my twin brother. Have you met him?" It wouldn't surprise Lori at all if Enlil had. Caedyn traveled a lot too, and moreso in this part of the Galaxy than she did. There was no doubt in her mind that he had spoken with multiple Governments in the area. It was she that had the least amount of diplomatic experience among House Arenais. But that was beginning to change. She had to learn on the fly with nothing to guide her but her own experiences and the memories of how her Mom used to behave during these meetings.

After taking a small selection of the foods being offered, Lori took a couple of small bites and washed it down with a sip of the wine. "The Galaxy is getting smaller and the Eternal Empire is making it less and less easy for me to travel. I'm glad that their reach doesn't extend here. Yet I'm quite sure that it'll only be a matter of time before they find out that I have come out this way." She wasn't sure of just how many different methods that the Eternal Empire were using to watch her. But she knew that they were doing so. And at times just the thought was unnerving.

 

[Enlil]

"I have," he said. "Caedyn is among the few Jedi I have met personally." He reached over and lifted the bottle by its neck, then poured himself a glass. "We shared a conversation on the burden of rule, much the same. He also offered explanations of the role of Jedi, and wisdom on the Sith Eternal."

He knew better speak ill of the man in front of his sister; for the decisions of the Silver Concord of late had soured his opinion of all the Jedi who called it home. Still, he had a measure of respect for Caedyn himself still. Nothing had happened to change that, yet.

The King lifted the wine to his nose, inhaled, and blinked twice. Acceptable. "You need not fear that information being leaked from Ketaris. The Eternal Empire have no friends here; but if your movements are such that they keep track of you, there is little that can be done."

He took a sip of the merlot and smiled languidly as it rolled down his throat. Enlil turned his ruby gaze on Loreena and took his seat once more. "What I can offer you, at the right price, is protection. Should you have something that might interest the Moffs, I would be more than willing to entreat with Irveric Tavlar on your behalf and request that you be given sanctuary within the Imperium."

He slid the papers across the table toward her, then set the wine bottle down in their wake. "After the death of Tacitus, the good faith between these two nations fell apart. The new leadership has proven inept, and even undone the hard work that its former Emperor did against our common enemy. These are minutes from the meeting of Lady L'lerum and the Sovereign Imperator. As you can see, any sort of fuel that might start the blaze would be beneficial."

He gave her a moment to review the documents. There was nothing damning among them, and if anything, this woman already feared the Eternal Empire enough that she did not wish to be found by them. What he said here was highly unlikely to find its way back.

"So," he placed his glass down and asked, "will you cooperate with me?"

Loreena Arenais-Valhoun

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

The Sith Eternal? Lori raised a brow at that. She had never heard of the Sith Eternal before, yet she had been quite preoccupied as of late and the Sith weren't as much of her concern as the Eternal Empire were. And the fact that the two were aligned, now more so than ever, it didn't really sit well with her that there was more to the Sith now than she was aware of.

As for being tracked, Lori had hoped that her newly acquired ship would help to make it a little more difficult for the Eternal Empire to follow her. The Jaster's Sparrow was too well known, and she had already had Arla fly it into SJC space towards Commenor in a bid to try to trick anyone that might have been tailing her.

She had another sip of her wine after a nibble of cheese, her gaze studying Enlil as he spoke. Outside of Tacitus, he was the only King that she had ever come across. Monarchs didn't exactly hang out with goofball spacers like what she used to be, ever since the Monarchy of her parents had seemed to fall. Both Caedyn and Lori got to lead their own lives in the ways that they saw fit. Even though they were twins, it was quite the thing to see how very different each of their paths were.

"Tacitus....the new Empress accuses my brother and I of murdering him. She claims that she has proof, but we had nothing to do with it. What does the Imperium say about that? Would they so willingly provide sanctuary to one that potentially murdered their ally?" That was a political gamble in it's own right, should the rumours be believed. And what exactly that proof was, Lori had yet to learn what it was. Apparently it was merely just the words of some now-dead-traitor. But there just had to be more than that. There just had to be.

Lori looked down to the documents, reading over them quickly, her eyes searching for certain key words that were bound to catch her attention. However there wasn't a whole lot that stuck out. The proposition of sanctuary for co-operation was an appealing one. Deep down in her gut was the nudge for her to be cautious. There were many different factors for her to take into consideration. It was far better for her to act with optimistic caution.

 

[Enlil]

"Though we had positive relations leading up to the Braxant Campaign and through to the execution of Kyber Dark, we never had a formal alliance with the Eternal Empire," he answered. "So, while the death of Tacitus means the loss of a potential alliance, we cannot concern ourselves with the minutia surrounding the alleged events that led to the death of a foreign dignitary."

It was blunt, precise, but honest. Pragmatism paved the path to a more unified future, not idealistic drivel. If he balked at treachery, regardless of whether or not it was founded, he lost a significant potential asset.

"If you did nothing wrong, you have nothing to fear from Tavlar. The Lady L'lerum is no friend to him, and her forked tongue can easily be dismissed as dishonest." He tapped the table gently, patiently with a finger. "But, even if you did have a hand in the death of Tacitus, your cooperation would be seen as an act of good faith to the Imperium, and you would be pardoned accordingly."

Enlil lifted the wine once more. In order to gain her cooperation, the offer had to be sweet enough for her to take significant risk. She was well versed in self-preservation, if not politics. He could tell from the way she reviewed the papers that she was loathe to fully trust him.

"Things are heavily stacked in your favor should you have something suitable," he added as he brought the lip of the glass to his mouth once more. "Time has elapsed since the Braxant Campaign. The Eternal Empire has conveniently thrown their lot in with Carnifex and his lackeys. They are not an entity for which we hold any sympathy, now."

Loreena Arenais-Valhoun

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

An act of good faith? Lori dropped her gaze to the papers once more, using the study of them as a proper cover while she was really going over everything in her mind. She was not a fan of Imperial regimes, that much was clear in her actions against the Eternal Empire. It was the whole military dictatorship complex that she revolted against. Being forced to live as another saw fit to have you live was a lot like slavery in her opinion. She valued freedoms and the freedom of choice without punishment. Those didn't really go hand in hand with Imperial governments.

"Alliances are delicate things. They are so easily made and so easily broken..." Her eyes lifted to meet those of Enlil . "...much like promises. I trust that you'll keep your word, even though you probably know full well that the Rebellion that I represent is a potential threat to the Imperium." By the Force she hoped that they would all keep their word. It seemed clear from what she had read in the document that deals that were struck weren't entirely binding. Just one event or decision made could wipe every deal struck down.

"I will co-operate. I can only hope that what I have to give is suitible enough to grant me your protection. Soon enough the Eternal Empire may decide that making a martyr out of me is worth the risk of repercussions. And I can't have Caedyn losing all of his family in such a short span of time." Nor could she stop her rebellious tactics against the Eternal Empire either. She tried, but something always came up and Lori tended to find herself jumping in with both feet again.

 

[Enlil]

He held her gaze evenly. "You need not be concerned with my honesty. If I say something, you can know for certain that I will follow through."

The King knew that mistruth poisoned the well, and everyone who drank from it would never trust the poisoner again.

Loreena spoke of martyrdom and a desire to survive for Caedyn, and he nodded. He knew the burden of living where others did not. He understood what it meant to have a grim duty. "Then speak, and I will hear you," he told her.

If she was part of a rebellion, she could be trusted to turn those assets on what she believed to be a tyrannical regime at any time. That made her dangerous; but her intent was to bring down the Eternal Empire, and in this moment, that made them allies of convenience.

Under those circumstances, he hardly minded advocating on her behalf for sanctuary from Tavlar. The Sovereign Imperator would not doubt feel the same. One life in exchange for a failed regime brought down? It was more than a fair trade.

"More wine?"

Loreena Arenais-Valhoun

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

"I am the same way, with honesty, I mean." Lori wasn't a good liar at all, even when she was a child. So she never took up the practice of it at all. Only in play did she ever try, but that was usually accompanied with a sheepish grin and mischievous wink. However that type of behaviour wasn't going to occur here.

She held out her glass as Enlil offered her more wine, giving him a nod in thanks. It wasn't often that she was ever treated in such a manner by a stranger. But this was all a part of politics, wasn't it? Lori was far too used to the spacer and soldier crowd. She was used to her own little crew, her ramshackle bunch of friends and of course her fiance, the last of whom the Eternal Empire had replaced with a copy before to spy and keep tabs on her. Even Caedyn and her Mom had come across a shifter that had used such tactics to gain intel on her. Once Lori was made aware of it, she had felt more vulnerable. Especially after her Mom was killed in an explosion. Was that a warning to her? More than likely it was.

And now to speak. What is it that she was to tell him? What would the Imperium need to know? What kind of information could help her gain sanctuary? Lori had a sip of her wine and leaned back in her chair, once more glancing at the documents in front of her before turning her gaze back up to his. "The Eclipse Rebellion is small in the grand scheme of things, yet our funding comes from a variety of sources, as does our intel. There are people within the Eternal Empire itself that have sought it's destruction since well before Tacitus' death. Yet with the regime change, that intel has gone a little quieter at the moment. We have access to some of their networks, however they are well aware of it. A trap was set on us when they had invaded the Sith. Yet the whole thing turned into a different mess altogether and us Rebels got out of there. Right now the Empire is working on a campaign to discredit me and turn people in the western sector against me. I'm surprised that they haven't put bounties on my head too."

It was a start at least. Enlil was far more experienced in this than she was.

 

[Enlil]

He watched over the top of his glass as she spoke his face like etched stone. The descriptors she used lined up with the usual suspects: a few dissenters in the right place who let things slip and pivotal access to just the right information. Curiously though, the regime allowed for that information to flow. It was as though they wanted the rebels to have data.

She confirmed that in the next breath, saying that a trap was laid out for them and that they narrowly escaped. "Any data you've received is likely to have been calculated," he surmised carefully. The rebellion's information network inside sounded compromised. From the inference that things had gone quiet, he understood all too well.

They knew who was slipping the Intel, and they fed them faulty secrets to lure the rebels in. Then, once the trap sprang, they liquidated those compromised assets swiftly. Efficient.

"I have a better idea of your situation now," he told her as he poured himself another glass. "At this time, we can assume that your network will not be reliable to you. That does hinder some things; however, it does not make you less of an asset."

There was a bright side to this, and he had to give her hope. Hope was what kept rebels from drowning in depression. It was the lodestone would win her confidence.

"They want to demoralize your efforts by painting you as a pariah. If they've decided to turn Tacitus into a martyr, I have associates who can turn their efforts into dust."

Djorn Bline and his COMPNOR associates had their work cut out for them.

"I have read papers that lead me to believe Tacitus ran a despotic regime that revered him to the point of Sainthood; but with his death, their outrage would presumably outweigh their loyalty. When a living god dies, it shakes the faith of their believers to the core."

Enlil placed the glass down once again and folded his hands. "They are a state with a nihilistic outlook on the Force," he explained, "and so, the belief in an afterlife or spiritual eternity is anathema to them. Tacitus cannot be their guiding light, because they do not believe his soul transcends into eternity. L'lerum would be hard pressed to backpedal on those teachings now."

He gestured toward her. "So, you embrace her propaganda. You fully accept responsibility for Tacitus' death, and you become the face of your rebellion. Loreena Arenais, who killed their god."

With a gentler expression, he smiled.

"Would you be prepared to shoulder that burden?"

Loreena Arenais-Valhoun

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

"There was a group among the Empire called the Eternal Truth. They were extremely loyal to Tacitus and once he disappeared, they started working with us to fight the Empire. And given their silence, I'm quite sure that they were either caught and executed or brainwashed into Loyalists."

Lori sipped her wine, still in a relaxed posture. The more that Enlil spoke, the more at ease she became. Her confidence in herself was growing in regards to handling herself in a political meeting. More than likely that'll be needed in the future. "I'm sure that there'll be others that'll pop up. They'll either reach out to me or the Rebellion as a whole. I recently put a callout for recruits and likeminded individuals to rally against the Eternal Empire. There has been some results from that. Yet many are quite intimidated, so they hold back."

A brow was raised as Enlil suggested that she take up the claim of killing Tacitus. He'd be asking her to lie and she wasn't very good at that. Already she was the Face of the Rebellion; the false leader for their enemies to go after while the real leaders ensured the survival of the Rebellion itself. Lori had long ago accepted that position; to be the scapegoat and have a target on her back. Perhaps it wouldn't be such a stretch to expand on that further.

"I will take that burden if that's what's needed to be done. Tacitus tortured and broke my Mom. I have every reason to have wanted him dead. The same that I do for the Sith." She could never ally herself with that lot.

"What is the Imperium's stance towards the First Order?" Her own question was out of the blue, yet sometimes her thoughts worked that way.

 

[Enlil]

He kept notes of the things she told him, apprised of every possible weakness. Loyalists that defected at the loss of their Emperor, the possibility that they were killed by the new regime, and even the potential for more active radicalization. These things existed in every time period, it seemed.

"All ammunition that my associates can use," he nodded. "The more ears that are not deaf to the message, the greater the unrest that will result."

He knew all too well how people responded to the perceived loss of freedom. Everyone thought that they wanted the responsibility for themselves, but seldom understood what it actually meant. The King could hardly blame them. The human condition was one of Paradox, after all.

"A counter-claim would only serve to create further friction and polarize the conflict between the two parties," he explained. "Neither side would be able to discern truth from lie. You say you did not kill him, the Empress-Regent claims you did. People are wont to make decisions based on their own prejudices."

It was a rational conclusion. "By accepting fault, you turn their lie into a truth that they do not want. They will spread it for you, all across their realm, to every ear. Then, when you do not protest, the confusion will quickly fall away. People will no longer simply have to decide on what the truth is."

Enlil had no love for the Sith. The New Imperials were born out of necessity, to destroy the false Empire. He could say that in a way, the young Lady Arenais was on the same side with them. To fully acknowledge her as an ally however, might be premature.

Still, his plan did not require a promise of allegiance. To sow chaos within the Eternal Empire, he need only create a reality where they would turn on themselves and the power vacuum that would result would remove them from the problems of the Sovereign Imperator for good.

"You tell them that you killed him, and you did it so that they could be free. The Empress Regent can only paint you as a villain if you refute her claims. She will only be able to control a small amount of the population. They do not have the means to subvert their entire Empire."

He paused once she mentioned the First Order. It was a question outside the Eternal Empire's realm of purview. Did she intend to extend the rebellion toward other sovereign powers?

"Neutral leaning positive," he answered honestly. "Our talks with the First Imperial leadership have tended toward eventual friendly terms. They share Tavlar's Imperialist viewpoint, so naturally we cannot consider them an enemy. At this time, anyway."

Loreena Arenais-Valhoun

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori nibbled on more of the snacks while Enlil spoke, keeping mindful to make as little crumbs as possible. His logic in regards to her taking the blame for the Emperor was sound enough. She could almost spin it in such a way to seem as though she had plotted with the Empress to kill the Emperor so that she could rule the Eternal Empire instead of him. The slaughters at Bakura and Orellion II were clear signs of Tacitus' obsession with gaining territory and power by any means necessary.

It was his actions that spawned the Eclipse Rebellion in the first place.

"They put fault on my brother as well. Yet I'll refute that, for he has enough going on already in dealing with the Sith. And with the Bryn. I'll let the blame fall solely on me."

In regards to the First Order, Lori wasn't quite surprised there. "The Eternal Empire and the First Order are on friendly terms with eachother, given the territories that they've mutually shared. You should proceed with caution. Unless you firmly believe that if it boiled down to it, the First Order would side with you? I can't trust them. They also conspired and acted against my family. If they could be somehow swayed against doing so in the future, I would be grateful."

 

[Enlil]

"It should prove simple enough to cast doubt on your brother's involvement, given his duties as a Jedi," he agreed, "if not by placing him elsewhere and immaterial altogether, then by making the the truth of it impossible to glean. So long as you remain the focal point, all else will fall to the wayside."

The Eternal Empire wanted to paint the Jedi in a foul light, but the truth was that a single Jedi acting on behalf of his family hardly represented the collective. Their Empress-Regent clearly had not factored tidbit that into her plans. Caedyn's involvement actually weakened the message she intended to send overall.

The King would remedy that for her.

If L'lerum wanted to run a propaganda campaign, COMPNOR would be glad to assist. She might not enjoy the results, but the skewed facts would leave their mark.

She shifted gears back to the First Order, and her input was valuable. They were on fairly good terms with the Eternal Empire- a fact that Tavlar would certainly find illuminating. In his dealings with Natasi Fortan, he might have some sway in that stance.

But that was in the future, and difficult to shape. Enlil could only offer insight. The Imperator would have to do the rest.

"My personal allegiance is to Irveric Tavlar and his Imperium only. The First Order may eventually be looked to as an ally, but as of yet, I hold them in suspicion the same as I do with the greater galaxy. I will speak on your behalf to Tavlar and make the request that the Arenais family be left out of their plans for the foreseeable future; if you or yours take action against the First Imperials, however, my hands will be tied."

He held those hands out, palm up, for her to inspect.

"And so, the arrow is in your quiver. Shoot it where you will, and let it land where it may."

Loreena Arenais-Valhoun

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori nearly finished off her wine, washing down the morsels of food that she had eaten. All of it was quite tastey, even though they were just snacks.

"Right. The attention should all be on me...." It was a good thing that the Jaster's Delight was built. The vessel was almost a chameleon and although it wouldn' last her forever, it could at least buy her some time. With MandalArms under her control, she had plenty of resources and ships to utilize. Kaine Australis had built her parents a few Capital ships and she was well on her way to recovering two of them. Then the next stage in her plans would be ready.

"If the First Order attack us, then the rules of engagement allow us to defend ourselves. I might be getting ahead of myself, but I can see tensions on all three Imperial sides. One may fall and then another. The question will remain however, and that is who would be on top? I can better stay my hand against the Imperials that are against the Sith. Their allegiences can never be trusted, except to further their own agendas. When one is no longer of use, they destroy them."

Is that what would happen to her, Lori wondered? If she was no longer of any use, would the Imperium destroy her? Right now she didn't know very much about Enlil and the Imperium to know for certain. Yet that was sure to change.

She looked at his palms, smirking slightly at the metaphor; no doubt inspired by The Hornet. Did he want her to place her own hands in them? Lori just held out one of her own for him to shake. "I think that we're in agreement. We can work together on this campaign. I just hope that it is a successful one, for the both of us."

 

[Enlil]

He took her offered hand and shook it.

"Pragmatism in conflict always triumphs over ideals," he said as they ended the shake. "I cannot speak for the future beyond our agreement, but for the time being, you have good faith with the Imperium. After our goals are accomplished, I will assure that you are allowed to leave unassailed."

That much was fair to say. Though they might come to blows in the distant future, the enemy present was the Sith. The Eternal Empire propped up the enemy, and so, destabilization of their effects would insure that they could do no further harm. If she helped in that, safe passage for the Arenais girl was a pittance.

"I will make the necessary transmissions over the next few days. If you require lodgings here, I can make the preparations; otherwise, I will be in contact once I have spoken with Tavlar."

Loreena Arenais-Valhoun

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori nodded as he shook her hand. The deal was struck and she was honour-bound to keep her end of it. To refrain from doing so would tarnish her family's name and she didn't want to do that.

Their meeting was more or less concluded. Now all that she had to do was wait for Enlil to speak to Tavlar and see what thinks of the proposal. There was no telling how long that'll take. "Some lodgings would be appreciated. I spend most of my time on my ships. To be onworld would be a nice change. But only if it's not too much trouble."

 

[Enlil]

"Consider it done," he said, and waved a hand. One of the attendants hurried to make the preparations for her as Enlil finished his glass. "Your cooperation on this matter is greatly appreciated, and it is my hope that we can see a prosperous ending to things."

He rose from his seat and gestured toward the second servant. "Deckard will show you to the lodgings once they are prepared, and have meals prepared upon request. Should you need anything else, my staff can get in contact with me quickly. I beg your pardon, but I have matters of state to attend; so for now, I bid you safe travels, Lady Arenais."

The King moved toward the door, and the shuttle that would return him to the capital.

Loreena Arenais-Valhoun