Private Diplomacy and Other Matters

[Alexi di Garthos]

The offered lingered longer than most words tended to. A photograph of a moment already dead. It was not a metaphor she dismissed lightly. Her gaze drifted ahead along the path, though it did not stray far. Not as it had before. The world beyond them remained present, but no longer required her full attention.

“I have sat in those rooms,” she admitted after a moment, her tone no longer purely observational. “Where certainty fills the space so completely that nothing else is permitted to enter. Not dissent. Nor curiosity.” A faint pause followed, that was more thoughtful than critical. “Not even the possibility of being wrong.” Her hand remained where it was, though the awareness of it had changed. It no longer felt incidental. “They are not boring,” Alexi said, and there was the faintest trace of something warmer in it now. “They are….dangerous.” Her gaze shifted slightly toward him; not fully, but enough to mark that the thought was shared, instead of being simply spoken into the air. “Because they do not realize that they have stopped listening.”

The path curved again, more gently this time. She adjusted with it without thinking, her steps naturally falling into pace with his. “But no,” she added, and here the faint echo of his earlier smile found it's answer “I do not find them particularly engaging.”

A brief silence followed, though it carried something lighter than before. It was not an empty silence either, just unguarded. “And you are right,” she continued, her voice softening by a degree that might have gone unnoticed to anyone not listening for it. “There is far more honesty in things that are still becoming. They have not yet learned how to pretend otherwise.”

Her gaze lowered briefly in thought before lifting again; this time settling more directly on him than it had before. The distance in it had lessened. It was not gone. Just....adjusted. “You speak of it as though you learned it early,” Alexi said, the question forming without the structure of one. “That sense of… watching for what others overlook.” A slight pause, then as she considered her next question more carefully: “What was your childhood like? Were you raised among those locked doors,” she added quietly, “or somewhere that still allowed for things to change?”

Tag: Jack Sheltrak

 

[Jack Sheltrak]

Alexi di Garthos

He gave her a softening look but offered a nod. "I served in the Army of the Republic during the earlier sith wars. We had to observe because the Empress Ashin was more cunning then other sith. No less brutal mind but she haad a far more keen tactical mind then most wanted to admit and afterwards I became a senator on Zeltros. It was different but you have to be able to observe to be careful. The zeltrons are amazing, wonderful and kind but they are also in their way. They will never force upon people but they are also fully aware that simply being there alters everything so political figures that go there are warned... and as Chancellor it was much the same. My term only lasted one go because once the sith were gone no one wanted the people who helped around except when the one sith rose up." He spoke though while moving with her. "And being with the Lady Leori well I learned to watch carefully." He smirked a little with that in memory. "You could say all of my adult life has been watching others and trying to navigate it but none of it was ever a bad things... well the waking up drugged with a jedi master and two other jedi knights maybe but only one of the people there tried to reframe it as something more."

 

[Alexi di Garthos]

She listened to him without interruption, though her attention sharpened rather than softened as he spoke. Not to the titles, nor even the events themselves; but to the shape of the answer he chose to give.

When he finished, the quiet that followed was not empty. It lingered, just long enough to settle what had been said and what had not. “You learned it well,” Alexi said at last, her tone thoughtful rather than complimentary. “To observe without announcing that you are doing so. To move within spaces that expect something of you, and still see beyond it.” Her gaze drifted briefly ahead again, though it did not fully leave him this time. “It is not a simple skill,” she added. “Nor one that is often taught intentionally.” A small pause followed.
Then she added more gently; “But it was not what I asked.” There was no edge to it. No correction. Only quiet clarity.

Her attention returned to him more fully now, though the distance in it had softened further still. “You spoke of what came after,” she continued, “and of what it required of you. But not of where it began.” Another brief pause; this one more deliberate than the last. “I am not asking out of idle curiosity,” Alexi said, her voice lowering slightly. “Patterns rarely form without reason.”

There was no pressure. Not quite. But an invitation to speak of his youth that may be difficult to ignore.

Tag: Jack Sheltrak

 

[Jack Sheltrak]

Alexi di Garthos

"THe beginning?" He said it and it was more a question to himself as well when he was trying to think about it. He wasn't entirely certain. "I suppose if I look back far enough then it would have been parties on Coruscant, my family was big in trade and shipping so we owned several of the larger ports used. They had me attend parties but also sent me off to the finest academies and schools that I would need to go to for a better education. Me well I just enjoyed standing on a ships bridge for the longest time and would watch the crew. Even in a mock flight or battle there is something that all of them could do."

 

[Alexi di Garthos]

Alexi did not respond to his answer immediately. Not out of hesitation; but because she allowed his answer the space that it deserved. It was not polished. And not structured in the way his earlier words had been. And that, in and of itself, told her something. “Coruscant,” she repeated softly, as if testing the weight of it rather than the name.

Her gaze then drifted briefly; not away from him, but inward, tracing the shape of what he had described. The scale. The expectation. The quiet positioning of a child within a world already in motion. “Environments like that rarely leave much room to simply….be,” she said, her tone thoughtful, but not heavy. “They tend to decide what you will become long before you are asked.” A small pause followed. “But you stepped outside of it.” Her eyes returned to him then; not sharp, but clear. “Not physically,” she added, with the faintest hint of softness. “You remained where you were placed. You attended. You observed. You learned what was expected of you. But your attention went elsewhere.”

Her gaze held his now, a touch more steadily than before. “To the bridge. To the crew.” A subtle tilt of her head, as though aligning the pieces he had given her. “To the people who were not being watched but were essential all the same.” There was something quieter in her expression now. Not quite a smile. Not distant either. “Most would have seen the spectacle,” Alexi said. “The position. The advantage. But you watched the function. And more than that….you found something in it.”

It was not a question. But an understanding forming in real time. “Even then.”

A small silence followed that was not empty, but shared. When she spoke again, it was more gently than before. “What was it?” Alexi asked, her gaze steady, but no longer distant. “That drew you there instead of everything else you were meant to want?”

Tag: Jack Sheltrak

 

[Jack Sheltrak]

Alexi di Garthos

He had to think about it more less then a moment. "A challenge, there is something about being the best when you are younger I find. You want to show it and for soldiers well the girls like a man in uniform on Coruscant. The lower levels believe they will be able to take them up to the surface, other worlds in the outer rim looking at it as a way to get towards civilization." He said it with a small shrug to his shoulders. A mixture of practicality and some pride in it. "I won't pretend that isn't motivating but testing your skills and showing you are the best is enjoyable... even when I joined the senaate for the first time I wanted to be the best and it got me to chancellor. Now I hold position at the zeltron royal court."

 

[Alexi di Garthos]

Alexi listened without interruption, her attention steady on him. Not assessing this time, but considering. When he finished, she allowed a small silence to settle between them. Not to weigh his words….but to let them stand as he had given them.

“A challenge,” she repeated softly. There was no dismissal in it. No correction. “If it were only that,” she said after a moment, her tone thoughtful rather than contrary, “you would have found it anywhere.” Her gaze drifted briefly ahead, following the curve of the path before returning to him; not distant, but more focused now. “There are no shortages of places to prove oneself,” Alexi continued. “No shortage of audiences willing to watch someone try.” A faint pause. “And no shortage of rewards for those who succeed.”

Her eyes met his again, quietly steady. “You chose something more specific.” It was not a contradiction. But refinement. “The bridge,” she said. “The crew. A system where every part matters, and failure is not….theoretical.” A subtle shift in her expression into something quieter, more perceptive. “That kind of challenge is different.” She let that settle before continuing. “It doesn’t reward spectacle,” Alexi added. “It rewards awareness. Precision. The ability to understand what others are doing….and how it all fits together.” A faint breath was taken. “And to step in where it’s needed… without being asked.”

Now, just slightly, the tone softened. “That’s not the kind of ambition that comes from wanting to be seen,” she said. Her gaze held his; not piercing, nor distant. “It’s the kind that comes from wanting to be….effective.” A small silence followed, companionable. “And perhaps,” Alexi added more quietly, “from wanting to matter in a way that isn’t dependent on who’s watching.” There was no judgment in it. Only recognition.

Her attention lingered on him a moment longer before easing again, giving him space rather than pressing further. “But I can see why the rest didn’t hurt,” she added, and there - just faintly - that hint of something lighter returned. Not quite amusement, but close enough to touch it.

Tag: Jack Sheltrak

 

[Jack Sheltrak]

Alexi di Garthos

He offered her a nod and small laugh. "There is much truth in that but captains on bridges get long coats for walking around... and those in the wind are what some of the visiting tourists on Zeltros apparently call instant aura farming generators." He said it with more amusement but she was not wrong he could have done a lot of different things to really challenge himself anad he had found a lot more prospects in some cases. While he was looking over different things though. "But I should want to see what comes for you. Ralltiri benefitting from everything is nice but you should be able to expand your own ambitions."

 

[Alexi di Garthos]

The faintest hint of that earlier softness lingered at his remark, though it did not quite become a smile. “Aura farming,” Alexi repeated lightly, as though testing the phrasing rather than dismissing it. “I imagine that is a more efficient strategy than most.” There was a quiet note of amusement there that was brief, but real. It faded naturally as his question settled between them.

She did not answer immediately. Not out of reluctance; but because she understood what he was asking….and what it assumed. “That depends,” Alexi said at last, her tone thoughtful, but steady. “On whether you believe ambition must exist independently to be….valid.” Her gaze drifted ahead once more, following the path as it opened slightly before them. “For me, it never has.” A small pause of reflection was given. “I was raised to understand that what I build does not begin with me,” she continued. “And it does not end with me either.”

Her attention returned to him. It was not distant, but grounded. “Ralltiir. My House. They are not obligations I set aside to discover something else.” A faint breath was released. “They are the framework within which everything else has meaning.” There was no defensiveness in it. Only clarity. “That doesn’t make the ambition smaller,” Alexi added. “Only….more precise.”

A brief silence followed, companionable rather than closed. “And it doesn’t mean there is nothing beyond it.” Now, just slightly, something more personal surfaced; quiet, but intentional. “I would like to see it endure,” she said. “Not simply continue….but remain what it was meant to be.” A subtle shift of her gaze, softer now. “And I would like to know that when my part in it is done….that I did not narrow it in the process of protecting it.” A small pause was taken. “That I left it capable of becoming more without losing itself.” Her attention lingered on him a moment longer than before. “That is ambition,” Alexi said quietly. “Even if it doesn’t look like expansion.”

Then, just faintly; there it was again, that near-smile. “But I suspect you’re asking whether there is something I would choose….if none of that were a factor.” It was not a deflection, but an understanding. Her head tilted slightly. “I don’t think I’ve ever had reason to consider that question separately. And I’m not entirely certain I would trust the answer if I did.”

Tag: Jack Sheltrak

 

[Jack Sheltrak]

Alexi di Garthos

"In a way more I am trying to see what interests you have outside of your house, your goals are noble, ambition is good but one should have something even if it is considered silly, in the clouds or for dreamers. Something that gives them enjoyment. Mine is an unending challenge to myself sure but I also enjoy from time to time trying my hand at smaller hobbies like painting. No where near good but the few times I have done it the Lady Leori did not complain much." He said it with a small melancholic smile but gave a nod. "Or there is being able to do some of the courses on hologram fun world." Zeltros did have a lot and hardlight technologies were a benefit to them.

 

[Alexi di Garthos]

Alexi listened to him without interruption, her attention settling more quietly as he spoke. Not assessing. Not refining. Just....listening.

The faint trace of that earlier softness returned at his mention of painting; less in the act itself, and more in the way he allowed himself to be imperfect within it. “A hobby,” she repeated, though the word carried more consideration than uncertainty. Her gaze drifted briefly; not outward this time, but inward, as though searching for something she did not often have reason to name. “There are things that I do,” Alexi said at last, her tone measured - not guarded, but careful in a different way now. “Though I’ve never thought to define them that way.” A small pause followed. “When I have the time….I prefer work that requires precision.”

Her attention returned to him; steady, but softer at the edges. “Something contained. Structured.” A faint breath. “I work with marble,” she said, simply. Not announced. Not emphasized. Just stated. Another small pause, as though deciding how much more to give. “Not on a scale that would interest anyone beyond myself,” Alexi added. “But smaller pieces. Studies, more than anything.”

Her gaze lowered briefly, not in avoidance, but in memory; of form, of motion, of quiet. “It requires patience,” she continued. “You cannot force the material to become what it is not. Only refine what is already there….without removing too much.” A subtle shift in her expression to something quieter and more personal. “And once it’s gone, it cannot be replaced.”

Her attention returned to him. “I don’t display them,” she said, not defensively, but as fact. “They are not made to be seen.” A brief silence settled, gentle rather than guarded. “They are… a way of thinking,” Alexi added. “Without needing to explain the result.”

Then, just slightly, that faint near-smile returned. “Though I suspect it would not compare well to ‘aura farming’ or holographic obstacle courses.”

Tag: Jack Sheltrak

 

[Jack Sheltrak]

Alexi di Garthos

"I wouldn't say that. Even if it is not seen it is something that you do, something that should make you excited and happy." He said it while looking at her. "And well hologram fun world is the premiere spot in the galaxy for fun and family. A lot safer then zeltros for many as it is largely offworld run so no pheromone clouds making the atmosphere. Doesn't affect as many." He said it while still walking and moving around. "I don't suppose you do any other things of interest? There are a number of holonet books that are great reads or shows." He said the last with a small shrug mostly to set it up. She was smart, she was precise but opening about herself was something very different after being on a world of the ultimate oversharers."

 

[Alexi di Garthos]

Alexi did not respond to him straight away. Not because she had nothing to offer; but because she understood what he was trying to do. Not pry. Not force. Just find something human enough to meet her halfway.

Her gaze drifted briefly along the path ahead, following the quiet symmetry of the gardens before returning to him with that same measured presence. “It does not need to be exciting,” she said at last, her tone calm, though not dismissive. “Or even particularly joyful in the way you mean it. Not everything that matters presents itself that way.” There was no resistance in her words. Only a difference in perspective. “But it is grounding,” Alexi continued more quietly. “It requires attention. And in return, it gives clarity.” A subtle breath followed. “That is enough.”

She listened as he spoke of holonet shows and books, and this time there was the faintest shift. Not quite amusement, but something close to it. “I’m familiar with them,” she said. “Though I suspect not in the way you’re suggesting.” Her head tilted slightly, considering rather than deflecting. “Most of what I read is….historical. Economic. Structural. Patterns interest me more than stories.” Then, just slightly, she allowed a fraction more of a pause. “But there are exceptions.” Her gaze met his again, steady; though softer now at the edges. “There are a few works that focus less on outcome and more on process. On how people arrive at the decisions that define them.” A faint shift of her expression, quieter, more inward. “Those tend to hold my attention longer.”

Another small silence settled between them, companionable rather than closed. “And you’re right about one thing,” Alexi added after a moment, her tone easing just slightly. “It is something that belongs to me. Even if it isn’t shared.” A faint near-smile returned, brief but real. “That seems to satisfy your criteria….at least in part.” Then, just lightly, she added enough to meet him where he stood: “But I suspect you’re still hoping for something a little less….structured than that.”

Tag: Jack Sheltrak

 

[Jack Sheltrak]

Alexi di Garthos

He gave a small nod, just a fraction. "Only a little, an admittance that you secretly horde Lady Velvet holonovels, follow a holodrama like Zeltrons in love or a number of others that they make. A tiny crack to get a little more common ground." He said it but it wasn't a complaint, the easierr option. "I'll just have to work to charm you aand convince you that I am as interesting in decision making as some of the more historical figures." He said it like it was a lament, a burden to a point but all for the humor. At least he would try and endure so she would remember and want to have him come back orr make a trip to come and enjoy Zeltros for a visit.

 

[Alexi di Garthos]

Alexi’s gaze rested on him as he spoke, and this time - there it was. Not quite a smile, but closer than before. The faintest shift at the corner of her expression, as though the idea itself had brushed against something unexpectedly amusing. “Lady Velvet holonovels,” she repeated, lightly testing the phrase as though it were an unfamiliar currency. “That would be….an efficient way to simplify me.” A small pause followed, just long enough to let the humor breathe without dismissing it. “I’m afraid though, you would be disappointed,” she added, her tone calm, though no longer entirely untouched by warmth. “I don’t keep hidden indulgences for the sake of contrast.” A slight tilt of her head. “If I did, I suspect they would be far less….recognizable.”

Her gaze lingered on him a moment longer. It was steadier now, but not distant. “But I understand the intent,” Alexi continued. “Common ground is easier to build when it begins somewhere familiar.” A faint breath. “And perhaps more comfortable….when it feels unguarded.”

Another step along the path, unhurried. “Though I’m not certain I would find you more interesting for resembling someone else’s idea of it,” she said, not dismissively, but with quiet clarity. “Historical or otherwise.” Her attention returned fully to him now. “You already occupy your own position in that regard.” It wasn’t praise. But it wasn’t neutral either.

A small silence settled, companionable. “Charm, however…” Alexi added, just slightly lighter than before, “…is not something I would recommend relying on too heavily.” That near-smile surfaced again, fleeting but real. “It tends to lose effectiveness when it becomes a strategy.” A brief pause was taken for thought. “Though I imagine you’re aware of that.” Then, just enough to meet him where he stood; without yielding more than she intended: “If you’re determined to be remembered,” she said, her tone quiet, composed, “you may find it more effective to continue as you have been.” A subtle glance, measured but not cold. “You’re already doing something most people don’t.” She paused for a beat. “You’re listening.”

Tag: Jack Sheltrak

 

[Jack Sheltrak]

Alexi di Garthos

She did give him a lot to go with and it was more interesting. The look of interest rose up in his opinion as she seemed to like it but also pull a little. "Well you are not wrong but there is something to for listening." He shrugged with a look. "Listening's easier when the person on the other side is worth hearing. You are. So I'm asking." He gave a look. "You said most people don't listen. That I am." A pause, not fishing for confirmation. "Makes me wonder how many conversations you sit through where you're doing all the real work. Where you're the only one actually paying attention while the other person waits for their turn to talk." He met her eyes, something quieter behind the observation. "That sounds exhausting.

 

[Alexi di Garthos]

Alexi did not respond right away. Not because the question was difficult; but because it was….accurate. Her gaze shifted briefly ahead along the path, following its quiet symmetry before returning to him. There was no deflection this time. No reframing. Only a small, measured breath.

“It can be,” she said at last. The admission was simple. Unembellished. And, for her, unusually direct. A faint pause followed, but she didn’t retreat from it. “Most conversations,” Alexi continued, her tone calm but quieter now, “are structured around response, not understanding.” Her head tilted slightly, not in critique, but in recognition. “People listen long enough to find their place in what’s being said… not to actually absorb it." Her gaze held his then, steadier than before. “And when you’re aware of that,” she added, “you begin to account for it. You adjust. You anticipate where they’ll misinterpret, where they’ll interrupt, where they’ll redirect.” A subtle breath. “So yes….you end up doing more of the work.” There was no frustration in her voice. Only clarity.

Another small silence settled between them, but this one was softer. “But I wouldn’t call it exhausting,” Alexi said after a moment. “Not exactly.” A faint shift in her expression followed. “It’s….isolating, at times.” The word was chosen carefully, but it landed without hesitation.

Her gaze drifted briefly, then returned to him. “You stop expecting to be understood,” she continued. “Which makes it less tiring… but also less…” She paused, just slightly. “Engaging.” That near-smile surfaced again, though quieter now, and more reflective than before. “That’s why it stands out,” Alexi added, her tone easing just a fraction, “when someone doesn’t treat it like a performance.” Her eyes met his again, steady, but no longer distant. “You’re not waiting for your turn,” she said. “You’re actually following the thread. That’s rare.” She let that settle, not as praise; but as acknowledgment. Then, just lightly; enough to keep the balance from tipping too far into weight: “So no,” Alexi finished, the faintest hint of warmth returning, “it’s not exhausting. But it does make it… difficult to settle for less once you’ve noticed the difference.”

Tag: Jack Sheltrak

 

[Jack Sheltrak]

Alexi di Garthos

He gave a nod to her explanation. He wouldn't say she might be aiming to high for the clouds but he didn't disagree with her. He just knew such things were better in moderation. "Sometimes understood by others is overrated. Better at times to have that one who really gets you. That was something I was surprised to find and it led to some friendships with Vulpesen even if he will hate to admit it. One or two others maybe who I could have counted." He thought about it but therre was not nearly as many. "But perhaps the next time, you will indulge me, something slightly less structured with a show. I know there are traveling shows that preform at hologram fun world when the new season comes around."

 

[Alexi di Garthos]

Alexi listened as he spoke, her gaze steady on him. Not distant, but thoughtful in a quieter way than before. There was something in what he said that she did not dismiss though she didn’t fully accept it either. “One,” she repeated softly. “That’s usually how it is.” A small pause followed, not to challenge him; but to acknowledge the truth in it.

Her attention shifted briefly ahead as they walked, then returned to him as his suggestion settled between them. This time, the silence that followed was different. Not analytical. Not guarded. Simply considered.

“A show,” Alexi said at last, the words carrying a faint note of curiosity rather than resistance. “Something less structured...” There was the slightest shift in her expression. It was subtle, but real. Not quite amusement. Not quite hesitation. “I imagine that would require a different kind of attention,” she added. “One that I don’t often have reason to practice.” She gave a brief pause, then her gaze met his again, steadier now; but softer at the edges than before. “You’re asking for time,” Alexi said, not as a question, but as a clear understanding of what he meant. “Without purpose. Without outcome.” There was no discomfort in the observation. Just clarity. Another small silence passed. “I don’t tend to accept those lightly,” she continued. Not refusal. Just truth. “Not because I don’t see the value in them, but because they’re rarely offered without expectation attached.” Her head tilted slightly, studying him; not defensively, but with quiet precision. “And I don’t think that’s what you’re doing,” Alexi added after a moment.

There it was. Measured trust. Given, not assumed. The faintest trace of that near-smile returned. “But I will be very clear about something,” she said, her tone calm, though carrying just a touch more weight now. “If I agree to it….it won’t be to meet an expectation. Or to satisfy curiosity. It will be because I chose to be there.” Her gaze held his, steady and entirely her own.

Then, just slightly lighter; enough to ease the weight without undoing it: “And if I do,” Alexi added, “I suspect you’ll find I’m not particularly well suited to being....entertained.” A faint pause ensued. “But,” she finished, that quiet hint of warmth returning, “I may be willing to find out whether that’s actually true.”

Tag: Jack Sheltrak

 

[Jack Sheltrak]

Alexi di Garthos

In the short time he had known her so far he might not know everything but somehow her reply to going out somewhere, sometimes... wasn't as unexpected as he had expected. If anything it almost was what he had expected... not entirely in truth he wasn't a force user predicting the conversation but the tone was there and she offered her a small nod. "Understood though I have less expectations from you then myself." He said it but remained there and looked at her. "Should it be something you are willing to do, then I will endeavor to make it something you like. While keeping your interest though there is no obligation of reciprocation."