Private Dust Settles, We Do Not

[Kel Se'Taav]

DUST SETTLES, WE DO NOT
War on the Senate, Pt. I

Tags: Anneliese Kaohal
Location: Senate Offices, Coruscant
Music: Guardian

Judging by Senator Kel Se'Taav's calm demeanor as he poured over a datapad at his desk, you'd have no idea the Galactic Senate had suffered a terrorist attack just that morning. Dozens of citizens, Senate Guards, and even a handful of Jedi were harmed in the assault, including Senator Se'Taav himself; despite the blaster bolt that glanced his left arm, the stubborn Bothan remained in his office, to the disdain of the Senate Guards who insisted he seek medical attention - or, at the very least, go home.

"Home?!" Kel exclaimed, baffled at the thought.

"Home's where they'd expect me! No, I'm not giving those mongrels the satisfaction of killing me in my bed. If they want to end me, they'll do it right here in my office."

To further solidify his unwillingness to go down on someone else's terms, Kel refused the personal security detail comprised of Senate Guards. Despite their intense training, years of service to the Galactic Alliance, and their unwavering loyalty to the Senators, Se'Taav preferred much more... personal means of protection. Someone he could trust, not just some rank-and-file marine brought up from the Defense Force.

He wanted - needed - someone who'd put their life on the line for him because they wanted to, not because they were on a payroll. He needed a friend.

He needed a Jedi.

And that's exactly what he said through the telecom.

 

[Anneliese Kaohal]

Dropping out of Hyperdrive l Senate Offices
Coruscant
Kel Se'Taav
​

Anneliese sat in the cockpit of the The Disperser studying a holopad, speaking aloud, she spoke to the on board AI. "Lazarus? Can you pull up a physical description, or even picture of this Senator... um, Kel Se 'Taav?" Rapidly responding back, a smooth, velvety male voice would answer as a picture would appear on her screen. "Huh, he has... kind eyes." Anneliese noted. Kel Se' Taav was the contact who had requested aide from the NJO & SJO alliances. With the upcoming war on Tython, most of the Masters and higher level Knights were busy bolstering defenses and ensuring a quick and efficient evacuation of Tython and her peoples... these thoughts caused a pit in the bottom of the young Padawans stomach. War, she'd never seen it, but she had been assured by the council that she was to be paired to her newly appointed Master, Jax Thio, whom she'd met on mission whilst on Tatooine weeks prior... finally, a Master.

Upon finishing her brief mission debriefing on the holopad, she sat it down and viewed her screen, noting that the ship would drop out of Hyperdrive in just mere seconds, she had arrived to Coruscant. Fixing her robes Anneliese sent out a comm to arrive her arrival. "This is Anneliese Kaohal of the New Jedi Order, I will be landing at the Senate Offices, per request and mandate from Kel Se 'Taav." Pausing for just a second, she received the green light for landing from Orbital Control and proceeded to landing her starfighter. Standing up, and smoothing out her attire as the computer did its post flight checks and shutdowns she approached the door and let out a long and anxious breath. "You are a Padawan, thats one step closer to Knight. You have studied for years. The counsel trusts you. You can do this, you can do this." She let out a squeal as the door to the fighter began to lower. "Time to go to work."

Led in with uniformity by the Senate Guards, Anneliese quickly found herself just outside the offices of Kel. Taking long and deep breathes in and out, she focused herself as she quickly, and anxiously fiddled with the stray locks of hair that managed to find their way out of place. Walking into the office, she saw the man that seemed to fit the description in the briefing packet she had read on the way over. Bowing politely, Anneliese spoke in a polite and prompt manner. "Hello Senator Kel Se 'Taav, I am Padawan Anneliese Kaohal of the Jedi Order. I am here on summons for a personal protection detail, I am happy to be of service."

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[Kel Se'Taav]

"Jedi Padawan, you say?" Kel pondered aloud, looking up from his datapad to meet the eyes of the girl who stood before him.

The senator stood with a groan, favoring his good arm to help himself up. He walked around the desk and offered her a respectful bow in return. Kel gestured to a leather armchair opposite his desk.

"Please, Padawan Kaohal, have a seat. Make yourself comfortable."

He made his way to a small bar near the desk. He grabbed two clear glasses and nodded at the assortment of bottles and carafes on display. Kel wasn’t fond of alcohol, but the events of the day and the dull pain in his arm warranted a small indulgence.

"Would you fancy a drink?" he asked warmly, as if a band of bounty hunters and assassins hadn’t ransacked the Senate hours ago.

He offered Anneliese a selection of sparkling waters and fruit juices.

Anneliese Kaohal

 

[Anneliese Kaohal]

Dropping out of Hyperdrive l Senate Offices
Coruscant
Kel Se'Taav
​

Anneliese smiled warmly at Kel as he acknowledge her, but noted the tone in which he spoke in. Most people, understandably would want a higher ranking member of the Order to handle requests, but -- Anneliese felt confident she might be able to assist in some manner, after all, it was simply guard duty, and in her mind most terrorists wouldn't attack so soon after having done one.

Noting that Kel seemed to be favoring one arm over the other, she walked quietly over to him as she looked at his arm and motioned to it. "With your permission, I believe I can make your wounds feel better, temporarily, and obviously if you rest... they will be back to normal." If he would accept her help, Anneliese would gently place her hands on the lower and upper portion of his arm and close her eyes as her breathing would be steady, in and out, rhythmically almost as it would echo and fill the room. Warmth would begin to spread into his arm, as well as a tingling sensation as tissue, sinew and anything out of place would begin to heal... cells dividing and multiplying faster than normal, all speed up and aided by the force.Simply finishing with a smile, Anneliese would release his arm with an assuring squeeze and take his offer to sit down as a small bead of sweat rolled down her forehead... but just like any teenage girl or boy offered flavored sweets and delicacies, Anneliese pointed to the flavored fruit water. "I would love one, thank you Senator Kel."

She would pause briefly as upon receiving the drink, and taking a few sips off of the bubbling drink, but would set it down, speaking in a ' as a matter of fact' type business tone. "I'm curious as to the attack Senator. Have they followed up with an investigation... and if they have, do you happen to know their findings? Such as, target, motive -- and what specifically they had hoped to achieve with this stunt?" Young in years, but already showing a wisdom that exceeded her length of time in the universe, Anneliese was quick to get to the point.

​

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[Kel Se'Taav]

The Senator accepted Anneliese's offer to heal his wound, containing a wince as she placed her hands on his injured arm. After a brief moment of pain from the contact, a wave of tingling warmth spread within his muscles as the blaster burn began to heal. It felt immensely better already; When he was a young Bothan, shadowrunning for the Bothawui Intelligence Corps, he'd have run for miles through the jungle or engaged a dozen insurgents with an injury like this... in his waning years, however, his body was far less tolerant of blaster fire.

Kel smiled at the Padawan as she gently squeezed his arm, giving her an appreciative nod while she sat in the armchair. She accepted his drink offer, which he fulfilled by pouring her a glass of kothtri, a spiced fruit juice that tasted vaguely of citrus and apple. It was one of Kel's favorites, a traditional Bothan beverage he'd drank often as a child when his extended family would gather for dinner.

"I'm curious as to the attack, Senator. Have they followed up with an investigation... and if they have, do you happen to know their findings? Such as, target, motive -- and what specifically they had hoped to achieve with this stunt?" Anneliese asked.

With his back still turned to the girl, Kel cracked an impressed grin. She may be just a Padawan, but Anneliese was wise beyond her years, a trait that he shared with her when he was about her age. He turned to her, their drinks in hand, and passed her the glass of kothtri.

"I think you'll like this," Kel said warmly as he handed Anneliese the beverage.

The Senator then held his own glass forward, beckoning her to toast with him.

"Cheers!" the man said, clinking his cup against Anneliese's before shooting the contents in one heavy gulp.

He sat down behind his desk and reached for the datapad he'd been studying when she arrived.

"The investigation began as soon as the Senate was secure," Kel began, his voice softened by the whiskey.

"There's a lot of speculation, but a distinct pattern has emerged already from the attack: It seems that the majority of those who were injured or killed were members of the Free Alliance Coalition."

The Senator held Anneliese's gaze as he revealed the information to her, trying to gauge her familiarity with the political climate in the Galactic Senate as of late.

Anneliese Kaohal

 

[Anneliese Kaohal]

Dropping out of Hyperdrive l Senate Offices
Coruscant
Kel Se'Taav
​

Anneliese took a small sip off of the drink as she smiled, the drink held delicately in her hands as she looked around the room briefly. It was a nice office, it felt... homely to the young Padawan, but not even the decor, as it was the man whom it housed. Kel, in her opinion already seemed like a very gentle, and warm individual, honest and quick to the point... Anneliese didn't feel that he fit the 'politician' title... and this already made her trust him and respect him more.

He sat down behind his desk and reached for the datapad he'd been studying when she arrived.

"The investigation began as soon as the Senate was secure," Kel began, his voice softened by the whiskey.

Setting her cup down gently, the young padawan stood up, and walked towards the desk, pulling her own datapad out as she brought her left thumb up to her mouth and began to nibble slightly on it, her eyes scanning over the report once again. "That's... good, but not good. The scene's been tampered with, it'll be harder to gain a defining scent, too much to process." The young woman chided. "Options.... options, options...." Loosing herself into her already one tracked thought, she snapped back to attention as Kel continued.

"There's a lot of speculation, but a distinct pattern has emerged already from the attack: It seems that the majority of those who were injured or killed were members of the Free Alliance Coalition."

Chirping slightly aloud, Anneliese looked at Kel, her jade eyes narrowing onto him. "So, I guess that means out of the frying pan, and into the fire we go?" This was already more than they Council had been made aware of, or, rather this particular finding. Anneliese chuffed slightly under her breath as she turned towards the couch grimacing inwardly... so much for a simple security matter. Removing her robe and laying it gently on the couch, the young woman would be seen now in her normal attire, her sabre dangling from her waste as she paced the room back and forth, her thumb coming back up to her mouth. "Ok... so, this can be a good or bad thing. I won't lie...this is a bit more than i was briefed on. However, what if we played this to our advantage? If they are targeting you Senator, and know you've been injured... but were to appear again, well, fine... you would be targeted again." She paused as her pacing continued, the woman formulating the plan in her mind. "I can set my ship to auto pilot, have whomever believe I've gone... no Jedi interference, easier target. They go to attack you, they are flushed out, we get them." She paused then looked towards Kel. "Not exactly a soundproof plan, but, the makings of one at least."

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[Kel Se'Taav]

Anneliese's datapad blinked as Kel transmitted her an encrypted copy of the official report, then again as a second copy came through. It was annotated by the senator himself.

"Out of the frying pan indeed," Kel said as he gestured to the Padawan's device.

"I've sent you the official report, as well as my personal notes on the attack. You'll find I've... corrected some discrepancies in the official report and debriefing."

As Anneliese perused through Kel's adaptation of the report, she very quickly noticed what the Bothan meant: Names that were redacted in the official document were revealed in Kel's; The locations of several notable senators prior to the attack were also included, regardless of how unflattering or even suspicious they seemed; Even the identities of a handful of bounty hunters were present in Kel's version where they had been 'unnamed' or 'unidentifiable' in the official report. Kel sighed, seemingly troubled by the questionable validity of the report. He eyed the information once more on his own datapad, then faced Anneliese to hear her plan.

"I can set my ship to auto pilot, have whomever believe I've gone... no Jedi interference, easier target. They go to attack you, they are flushed out, we get them."

The senator nodded thoughtfully as he processed the ruse, memories of his days in the Spy Corps stirring inside him as she detailed her trap. He gave Anneliese a wolfish grin.

"My dear, I must say, I'm chuffed chips! That's rather clever! It just might work. Those mongrels may be confident, attacking the Senate and whatnot, but they're not the least bit intelligent." He paused for a moment, thinking over her plan.

"Tell me, Padawan Kaohal, have you ever faced a bounty hunter before?" Kel asked, trying to mask his concern for her well-being.

Anneliese Kaohal

 

[Anneliese Kaohal]

Dropping out of Hyperdrive l Senate Offices
Coruscant
Kel Se'Taav
​

Her eyes narrowed a little as Kel spoke on the discrepancies he had to fix; that wasn't good… there shouldn't have been errors like that on an official report. "That seems rather suspicious for that many errors to have to be corrected… Senator Kel, do you believe this might have been a inside job?"

"My dear, I must say, I'm chuffed chips! That's rather clever! It just might work. Those mongrels may be confident, attacking the Senate and whatnot, but they're not the least bit intelligent." He paused for a moment, thinking over her plan.

Anneliese couldn't help but to smile as the Senator gave praise to her plan, this was one of those rare moments where she felt confident, and proud of her knowledge in being able to help others or find a solution… and even then, as of late, those moments were beginning to take an up trend. It was, encouraging. "Thank you Kel, I'm very thankful you approve of the plan, I've even brought a change of clothing to help blend in more."

"Tell me, Padawan Kaohal, have you ever faced a bounty hunter before?" Kel asked, trying to mask his concern for her well-being.

She paused for a moment. Bounty Hunters, her mind going back to Tatooine, working along side Ghora. "I can't say I ever have Senator, but, I have worked alongside one or two. In regards to battle,I have engage with other varieties of attackers." She paused, shifting the focus back to the bounty hunters. "Each one has their own attack style, 'do what it takes' type mentality, so it's hard to guess unless there is a discernible pattern as to how the said hunter would react... but with that said, I'm confident I can hold my own. Each battle is different, but my mandate is the same. Protect, Serve and Defend the Senator, with my life. I won't fail you."

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[Kel Se'Taav]

”That seems rather suspicious for that many errors to have to be corrected… Senator Kel, do you believe this might have been a inside job?"

Kel tried to mask his reaction to Anneliese’s wit, but couldn’t help cracking a smile. He was thoroughly impressed with the Padawan’s line of reasoning.

“An inside job?” the senator repeated, an artificial tone of surprise in his voice.

“I’d never think to cast blame on my fellow compatriots of the Alliance. But it is odd,” he said, gesturing to his blaster-burned bicep, “that such ruthless and deadly bounty hunters managed only to maim members of the Free Alliance Coalition.”

The Bothan’s nose twitched in amusement, as if he’d been looking into the acts of violence against the FAC for some time now. He stood from his chair, his words quickening with excitement.

“Why do you suppose, Padawan Kaohal, that Senator Auteme was shot, but Chancellor Tithe was unscathed?” Kel pushed, raising a brow.

He didn’t want to frighten the girl with thoughts of corruption in the Senate, but Kel figured she was mature enough to handle the truth.

“I cannot say as to who was behind the attack today, nor the assassination attempts that have plagued my fellow senators in the FAC, but it is quite a spectacle to see such blatant redactions of information from an official report.”

Kel sighed heavily; The excitement of unfurling the plot had tired him, especially after the events of the morning. He gave Anneliese a warm smile as he lowered himself back into his seat. He listened intently as Anneliese explained her experiences with bounty hunters, nodding his understanding as she spoke.

“Each battle is different, but my mandate is the same. Protect, Serve and Defend the Senator, with my life. I won't fail you."

“I do not doubt your capabilities, Padawan Kaohal,” Kel said apologetically through labored breaths as he calmed himself with another glass of whiskey.

“I’m just a concerned old man is all,” he said with a kind smile.

He sipped the dark liquor, perusing the datapad on his desk before continuing.

”I trust your plan and your skills completely, my dear. Shall I request validation for your departure?” he asked with a wry smirk.

Anneliese Kaohal

 

[Anneliese Kaohal]

​

Objective: Locate and Apprehend Terrorists l Go Undercover
Tags: Kel Se'Taav
Location: Coruscant; Senate Building

Anneliese couldn't help but to smile at the Senator as she chuckled, her hand coming up towards her mouth to quiet down her rather rambunctious giggle. "People do not give you near the credit you deserve Senator Kel; you may have missed your true calling as a detective." The tone settled down once again, as it seemed to be the trend, up one minute then back down. Furrowing her eyebrows in concern as Kel spoke, pouring himself another drink.

“Why do you suppose, Padawan Kaohal, that Senator Auteme was shot, but Chancellor Tithe was unscathed?” Kel pushed, raising a brow.

He didn’t want to frighten the girl with thoughts of corruption in the Senate, but Kel figured she was mature enough to handle the truth.

“I cannot say as to who was behind the attack today, nor the assassination attempts that have plagued my fellow senators in the FAC, but it is quite a spectacle to see such blatant redactions of information from an official report.”

Kel sighed heavily; The excitement of unfurling the plot had tired him, especially after the events of the morning. He gave Anneliese a warm smile as he lowered himself back into his seat. He listened intently as Anneliese explained her experiences with bounty hunters, nodding his understanding as she spoke.

"I have no explanation as to the pattern Senator, only a theory. One shot, one unscathed. Division and strife in a community is a powerful tool among the untrained and for whomever has set this elaborate game of 'cat and mouse' up. The attempt was a ruse to try to make one party look guiltier than the other, well... that's a thought rather. But in all honesty, I'm afraid I don't have any real facts to base my speculation off of." She sat back down as the Senator did, holding her drink once again and taking a sip off of the carbonated fruit beverage. He spoke on the report, it was strange, and surely they would find answers the further down this rabbit hole they went.

Smiling at the man as he complimented her abilities, she simply raised her hand towards him. "I'm flattered Senator, but its hardly anything to brag about. There are far greater fighters than me... but thank you. I'm always trying to better myself, so that way, I can always say I gave it my all at the end of each day." Moving her hand to her ear, Anneliese spoke aloud, this time, to another person, well, if you could call an A.I. a person that is. "Lazarus, would you be so kind as to begin pre-flight inspections and once finished leave and establish a low orbit around Coruscant?" The beep chiming in her ears the young woman would just smile as she looked towards Kel. "I've brought different clothing with me, in the event you would agree to this, that way I'll be a bit more 'blended' in."

 

[Kel Se'Taav]

”I've brought different clothing with me, in the event you would agree to this, that way I'll be a bit more 'blended' in."

Kel chuckled, impressed again by Anneliese’s preparedness. It wasn’t entirely uncommon for young Jedi to show such wit and forethought, but Padawan Kaohal was particularly sharp. Admittedly, Kel had apprehensions about a Padawan heading his security detail, but they subsided more and more as he spoke with Anneliese.

The senator swiped his datapad to a secured screen and tapped a code on a number pad. He looked up at Anneliese and gave her a nod.

“I approved your departure myself,” he said, gesturing with the datapad.

“My digital footprint is tied to your request. If those mongrels are watching your ship or monitoring the logs, they’ll know that I’m here instead of hiding in some safe house.”

Kel smiled confidently.

“My people have a saying, Padawan Kaohal: ‘When baiting a rat, use the best cheese’. If they had any doubts I was here, they’re gone now. You’d better change, my dear. I suspect the hunters won’t wait long knowing their prey is wounded and alone,” he said with a wolffish smirk.

Kel stood from his chair and waved his hand toward a door on the far side of the room.

“You’re welcome to use my quarters, if you’d like. I’ll busy myself here, fit the role of helpless senator.”

Anneliese Kaohal

 

[Anneliese Kaohal]

​

Objective: Locate and Apprehend Terrorists l Go Undercover
Tags: Kel Se'Taav
Location: Coruscant; Senate Building

Anneliese smiled once again as she excused herself from his presence and walked into his quarters. Unrolling her bundle, she began to clothe down, neatly folding her Jedi Robes and bundling them back up as she proceeded to dressing herself with what she felt would be civilian clothing, something she felt a high ranking secretary to a senator would wear. Now grabbing her saber and concealing it within the folds of her current outfit, Anneliese stepped in front of a mirror and simply smiled once again, now letting out a soft sigh as she spoke. "You are apart of the Jedi Order. You can do this." Stepping back now from the mirror, she walked back from the way she came and stepped foot back into Kel's office, giving a soft but firm knock before entering. "Senator? I believe that I'm ready to continue with our plan. I figured this might be suitable for someone that would be a potential aide in your offices, but rest assured, I'm still ready for anything that may come our way."

 

[Kel Se'Taav]

"Senator? I believe that I'm ready to continue with our plan. I figured this might be suitable for someone that would be a potential aide in your offices, but rest assured, I'm still ready for anything that may come our way."

Kel turned to inspect Anneliese’s garb. He chuckled warmly. The girl truly did look the part.

“Such a wise little bird,” the senator said, taking a sip of amber liquid from a new glass. A fine Correllian brandy.

“In a past life, you could’ve put that sharp mind to work against the Senate! I could use an aide like you to keep me straight in this madhouse.”

The old Bothan chortled, amused by himself. He calmed after a moment, took another sip from his glass, and gave Anneliese a nod.

“Yes, I’m ready when you are, dear. Let them come if they want blood!”

FINAL POST​

Anneliese Kaohal