Private Enemies Foreign and Domestic

[Verity Stuyveris]

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Verity Stuyveris left the intelligence briefing and headed directly to the car, telling her Chief of Staff Lucien Varencourt to call ahead to the Alderaanian Embassy for an urgent appointment, with apologies for the short notice. Verity was no stranger to the embassy, having championed Alderaan's entry into the High Republic from the beginning, she had been there a few times to work out details and of course to attend the gala there, where she had met the Queen of Alderaan herself. She had been pleased when their diplomatic efforts had won through and the Senate had endorsed the notion that Alderaan must be brought into the fold.

She was decidedly less pleased now.

Crossing the lobby of the Senate office building, where the political press liked to lie in wait, she offered no comment to their questions. "Not now, ladies and gentlemen, sorry. Perhaps when I get back." That didn't stop them surrounding and peppering her with questions, but Verity was true to her word and didn't answer a single one. She tried to keep her face serene, but she could feel her jaw throb at how tightly she had clenched her teeth. Varencourt met her at the entryway with confirmation that he had called ahead to the Alderaanians. When they were safely ensconced in the speeder, easing into midday Theed traffic, she turned toward her Chief of Staff. "Can you get me a version of the intelligence I can share with the Alderaanians? Whatever we have that's not classified."

"It should be coming through any moment, Senator," Varencourt said. "I requested it before we left the briefing."

Verity's eyebrows lifted and she nodded, quietly impressed. "Right. Good."

True to form, she had the document on her datapad by the time the car eased to a halt outside the plaza which hosted the Alderaanian Embassy in Theed. The pair emerged from the backseat and Verity slid on a pair of sunglasses before they began to wind through the artisan stalls that peppered the square. Verity made a note to stop on the way back to the speeder; there were a few things that caught her attention, but there was important business to attend to. They stopped at the security office, where Verity tucked her sunglasses into her pocketbook and then turned the works over for security inspection. When that was all through, she and Varencourt took to the stairs and met the reception area at the top. Verity came to a rest at the receptionist's desk. "Good afternoon," she said, her voice polite and mildly apologetic. "Senator Stuyveris of Druckenwell for the Ambassador and Junior Ambassador. My office called ahead, but it is rather short notice. Do you know if they will be able to see me?"

Gram Arranda | Liana Organa

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[Gram Arranda]

"... And you are absolutely certain?" Gram asked, his voice pitched low and secret as he spoke into his comlink. He paced the floor of his apartment, the shutters drawn over the windows. The response on the other end was muffled, unable to be heard by anyone but him, and yet he cast a furtive glance at the door as if expecting someone to burst in and react to what was being said.

"I see. Yes, be sure to look into it. I will be in touch."

He ended the call and exhaled a sigh, running a hand through his white hair. Trembling fingers reached up to remove his glasses, wiping a bit of sweat from his brow on the back of a sleeve...

He startled at the sound of the intercom buzzing. The Senator of Druckenwell wanted to see him and the princess. He hadn't forgotten, he was just... overwhelmed. Things were moving faster than expected, and in a new and unpredictable direction.

"Send her to my office," he informed the front desk. "Tell her Princess Liana and I will be with her shortly."

---

The ambassador's office was nontraditional in that it did not have a desk. Rather, there was a round table and chairs at the center of the room with filing cabinets and shelving along the walls, giving it the air of a conference room. It spoke to the unusual nature of the Alderaanian delegation; though Gram had seniority and final say in all decisions, the Junior Ambassador was present at every meeting and held considerable influence.

Gram arrived not long after, dressed in a stately blue and gray suit. "Senator Stuyveris. A pleasure," he greeted her with a polite smile and an offered handshake. "Feel free to have a seat. Junior Ambassador Organa will be here shortly."

He sat at the table and folded his hands in front of him. Nothing about his appearance or demeanor gave anything away. He regarded Verity with curiosity, but waited to ask her what this spur-of-the-moment meeting was about until all parties had arrived.

Verity Stuyveris Liana Organa​

 

[Liana Organa]

Liana was a couple minutes later than Gram. She looked frazzled when she entered, and indeed she was. Ever since her incident at the big treaty press conference, the Princess had been keeping her public appearances more brief and more sparse. She was hunkered down in her private quarters when the urgent request for a meeting had been patched through to her.

Liana opened the door to the conference room quietly, peering inside as if to make sure she had the right location. She saw Gram already there, alongside Verity. The Princes gave them both a flat smile, and shuffled into the nearest seat at the table, "Sorry I'm late," Liana said at last, "What can we do for you, Senator?" A bit to-the-point, but frankly no one in this room seemed in search of pleasantries right now.

Gram Arranda - Verity Stuyveris​

 

[Verity Stuyveris]

​

Verity nodded for Varencourt to wait in the outer office for her and he gracefully acquiesced, handing over the data slate with the shareable intelligence. Verity followed the aide into the Ambassador's office. The Ambassador would be along presently, and Verity contented herself admiring the conference table and chairs. Alderaanian craftsmanship was something special, she recognized, and not for the first time the Senator for Druckenwell thought about getting something Alderaanian for her flat. But her attention lifted to Gram Arranda as the Ambassador entered.

She met him half-way, extending her hand to grasp his in a firm handshake. "Mister Ambassador -- how nice to see you again." She smiled broadly -- a rare enough occasion in public. "Thank you so much for taking the time, especially on short notice."

Verity took the offered seat and set her handbag down on the chair next to her, setting her datapad and the data slate on the table before her. She rose again when the door opened to admit Liana Organa . Though Verity was not a subject of the Alderaanian Crown, in deference to the fact that their embassy was, legally, Alderaanian soil, Verity offered a graceful dip of her head and a slight flexing of one leg behind the other in something like a curtsy. "Your Royal Highness."

Straight to business, then. Verity put her fingertips on the data slate in front of her. "I've just come from a Senate security briefing where we've heard some troubling things about Alderaan. Given our partnership, I wanted to be sure you had access to what I can share." She picked up the data slate and held it out across the table to the Alderaanians. "In short, Republic Intelligence has reason to believe that there are those in Alderaan's noble houses that have been infiltrated, coerced, or otherwise influenced to support efforts to dissuade Alderaan from joining the Republic and to ally with the Sith Covenant instead. We have reason to believe that they may well try for your parents' throne, Your Royal Highness."

"We're still getting details, but I wanted to loop you in as quickly as possible. And perhaps you have more insight into local politics than Republic Intelligence does."

​

 

[Gram Arranda]

Gram acknowledged Liana's arrival with a smile and a more formalized bow. The princess looked like she had seen better days. Frankly, they all had.

He turned his attention to Verity. Gram had found that the most effective tool he possessed was his poker face; he rarely showed what he was actually feeling, appearing attentive but expressionless. A reaction was telling, and once the people around him knew what he felt, they could use that information to manipulate. Politics 101, really, but a valuable lesson nonetheless.

In this case, it wasn't hard to maintain his placidity—he already knew everything she was telling them. Nor was he surprised that the Chancellor had caught wind of what was happening in the white halls of the Alderaanian nobility. It was useful to know that they knew, however.

"Queen Amani is already aware of certain rogue elements within the noble houses," Gram said. He was not personally as familiar with the internal machinations of the nobility - they considered him an outsider, after all - but the Organas were steeped in it. Only a generation ago the infighting between the so-called "Great Houses" had forced their family to flee Alderaan altogether, adopting new names and going into hiding. "Alderaan is a democracy devoted to freedom of speech, provided it does not threaten our national security."

He briefly glanced at Liana, gauging her reaction, before leaning toward Verity. "What would you suggest we do?" he asked.

Liana Organa Verity Stuyveris​

 

[Liana Organa]

"So it's happening?" Liana said, glancing at Gram. The Alderaanian delegation was more up-to-date than the Republic suspected, it seems. The details were not all clear, and it was good to know that reports were being verified by another source, but neither the Ambassador nor the Princess were particularly shocked by the reveal. For Liana's part, the vision she suffered that fateful night was messy, but not exactly difficult to infer from: The Sith were coming. By conquest or by subterfuge, they were coming.

"What can we do?" Liana said pessimistically. If things were moving this quickly, it seemed unlikely the Republic would be able to swoop in and save them. The Alderaanians were formidable, but they stood no chance against the full might of the Covenant, especially when some of their own were being swayed to their side. She wanted there to be a magic solution, some strategy she hadn't thought of that maybe the adults could conjure up. But deep down, she feared it was inevitable.

Gram Arranda - Verity Stuyveris​

 

[Verity Stuyveris]

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Verity allowed herself a brief, inward smile of satisfaction. The Alderaanians had talked tough during the discussion over their willingness to be the site of a war should push come to shove with the Sith Covenant. She had believed them then, and she believed them even more now. It was hard to tell with crowned heads, she mused. Sometimes they proved to be just as effete and ineffectual as monarchy might suggest. But these Organas? A different breed entirely, and thank the Force for that.

"I'm relieved to find I'm not telling you anything you don't already know," Verity said, her voice brisk in its honesty. She sat back down and smoothed her skirt beneath the table. It allowed them to bypass such sticky matters as whether to believe Republic Intelligence's reports and allowed them to skirt the potentially uncomfortable matter of whether there were certain elements of Alderaan's nobility under surveillance. She rested her hands on the table and laced her fingers together, studying the pair opposite her briefly.

She had complete faith in the Alderaanian side of the table. She only hoped that the High Republic would rise to the occasion if it came to that.

"As to what we do to proceed -- that's what I came to discuss. You know how the Alderaanian houses work better than I." She pulled her lucky stylus from her pocketbook and jotted the date at the top of her datapad, underlined it twice, then cast her appraising eye back to the Alderaanians. "How many houses do you suspect of being under the Covenant's influence? What is their influence relative to the rest of the Houses? Apologies -- that is something of an abstract question, I know." She cleared her throat. "It would help to understand the nature of their complaints. Is it a matter of Alderaan joining the High Republic, or something more abstract? We can better organize the response if we understand what could refute the Covenant's influences."

Gram Arranda | Liana Organa
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[Gram Arranda]

Liana appeared tired and overwhelmed. Considering all that had happened, Gram wasn't surprised. He could sympathize with her wish for a simple solution, even though he knew quite well by now that there never was one.

"As far as we know, not many yet," he said. "House Thul appears to be leading the charge. When Queen Faith disappeared and we had no choice but to choose a new monarch, they were reluctant to support King Alicio's claim." Which was to say that this was nothing new. House Thul had long desired to have the throne of Alderaan for themselves, and the Sith were simply providing a chance to seize power. "But it is only a matter of time before others may be compelled to rebel. There are some nobles who hold... misgivings about Queen Amani's rule. She is not Alderaanian nor an Organa by birth, and in King Alicio's absence there are those who would hold these things against her." He was careful with his wording. For his part, he quite liked Amani and even felt a sense of kinship with her. They were both outsiders among Alderaan's born-and-bred elites.

Gram steepled his hands. "Our Great Houses are not like Naboo's. The nobility is a carryover from a bygone age of colonial feudalism. They oversee their respective fiefdoms and have a voice in the Council. We do not elect our King or Queen; it is hereditary, but an heir must publicly demand the right to rule and prove their worthiness." He wondered what Senator Stuyveris would think of such practices. "If the Sith want to control Alderaan without the burden of more extensive measures, fueling a coup and installing a puppet on the throne would be most efficient."

Verity Stuyveris Liana Organa​

 

[Liana Organa]

"House Thul appears to be leading the charge..."

"Wouldn't be the first time," Liana grumbled, drawing invisible shapes along the table with her finger. Yes, she paid some attention in history class. The Thuls had a history of coveting the throne, and going to any lengths to claim it, "But didn't Duke Thul agree to support dad's claim to the throne during that moot?" She was speaking of Osiris Thul , who she had never known personally but was aware of through the ever-watered grapevine of the Great Houses. But it had been a long time since then. Who knew what had changed in his attitudes since that meeting. Or perhaps Osiris was no longer calling the shots in the House of Thul at all.

Liana grimaced when Gram admitted to her mother's status. Without Alicio present, it was true that some, especially amongst the high blooded nobles, probably did not like seeing Amani of all people on the throne. "They all just want the power for themselves," Liana sharply cast them all in the same light, "They'd sell the planet to the highest bidder as long as they got to rule it in the end." For some houses that was probably true, but certainly not all. Liana was frustrated, and getting angry with their inability to act decisively.

Gram Arranda - Verity Stuyveris​

 

[Verity Stuyveris]

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Verity considered what she heard, her face going very still except for the occasional flicker of her eyes, the occasional twitch in her jaw.

This was delicate. If the Thuls were causing the usual amount of problems, a consolidated effort on behalf of the High Republic might well look like overreach, and it might play directly into the Thuls' hands. Yet, doing nothing risked allowing the Thul conspirators to grow their influence and turn what looked like crankery into something like momentum. And momentum had the possibility to upset the balance of things.

Troublesome.

"The way I see it," Verity said slowly. "And correct me if I'm wrong, please. But the way I see it we can come at this from one of two angles. The first is to undercut the troublemakers. If House Thul supported your father's claim and are now opposing it -- well, I can't rightly say for sure, but it seems like there would be some kind of -- dishonor -- that would be inherent in such a position, no?" Verity briefly chewed her lip, cupping her jaw as she looked into the ether above the Alderaanians' heads, as if looking for the answers written in the air. "Perhaps their motives can be undermined..."

"Of course, there's -- another consideration," Verity said, and here she seemed hesitant. Her gaze went to Arranda. "You say the Thuls are sowing uncertainty because Her Majesty is not an Organa by birth, and is not Alderaanian by blood." Her eyes slid almost reluctantly over to Liana. "The Princess, on the other hand..." She straightened a little (mostly because there was not much more she could straighten). "Might it help for the Princess to take a more... direct role in the affairs of the realm? Would it be as easy for the Thuls to attempt to undermine the daughter of Alicio Organa?"

"I have no wish to sideline the Queen of Alderaan; quite the opposite, in fact," Verity hastened to add, lifting a hand as if it was a shield. "I am a strong proponent of the concept of there being no bad ideas in a brainstorm. Consider this -- establishing the outer limits of what is possible."

Liana Organa | Gram Arranda​

 

[Gram Arranda]

Stroking his chin, Gram considered Verity's suggestions. While he could see the merits of both options she presented, he could also see how they could be twisted against the Organas. Declaring House Thul dishonorable could foment further dissent, and having Liana effectively take Amani's place would place the princess in their enemies' crosshairs.

Gram had two daughters roughly the same age as Liana. He did not relish the thought of heaping such a responsibility on them, putting their lives at risk, even for the sake of preserving order and saving Alderaan.

It was in that moment that a strange but creative idea popped into his head. One so crazy that it just might work. But he couldn't share it with Verity or Liana without spoiling things, so he kept it to himself.

Liana spoke negatively of the Great Houses. Gram gave her a little look that was neither disapproving nor agreeing, then faced Verity. "I will relay your suggestions to Queen Amani and see what she says. But I doubt she will agree to your second option, if only because it would place Princess Liana in danger."

Verity Stuyveris Liana Organa​

 

[Liana Organa]

"Me? Queen?" The mere thought made her shiver. It was possible, logistically speaking anyway. Amani steps down, and the line of succession would put Liana on the throne. "I'm just a kid. I couldn't... I wouldn't be..." It was a lot of responsibility, and the weight of it scared her. She didn't want to let her people down, but she feared that her being given that power would only hasten Alderaan's downfall. "They need someone better than me. My mom knows what she's doing."

"We have to get proof of collaboration with the Sith right? That's the best way to unravel this whole plot. Is there anything we can do about that?"

Verity Stuyveris - Gram Arranda​

 

[Verity Stuyveris]

​

"I wasn't suggesting that you replace Her Majesty, necessarily," Verity said. "But if the objection is that she is not Alderaanian and not an Organa by blood..." Her voice trailed off and she looked at Liana Organa with raised eyebrows. She leaned forward, as if to create intimacy which was absurd in such a room, and said: "But just between us, women -- and men, for that matter -- younger and less accomplished than you have taken a crown in the past. But -- you raise a good point."

She straightened. Public Verity again.

"You know Alderaan better than I." She spread her hands to encompass both of them now. "How would you defeat machinations of this kind? And if the Sith are involved, do you have the means to stand against that? What can we -- the High Republic -- offer toward that end? I am committed to fulfilling your request of membership, and will work to get whatever resources you require."

Liana Organa | Gram Arranda​

 

[Gram Arranda]

What was the idea which Gram was keeping to himself?

To have one of the Abzu Honor Guard pose as a returned Alicio Organa. The shapeshifters had taken the King of Alderaan's place before, albeit never for longer than one public appearance. As crazy and risky as the idea seemed, desperate times called for desperate measures. Gram had a feeling Queen Amani would be open to pursuing his suggestion, even if the result strayed from his initial concept to better suit their needs.

"You know Alderaan better than I. How would you defeat machinations of this kind? And if the Sith are involved, do you have the means to stand against that? What can we -- the High Republic -- offer toward that end? I am committed to fulfilling your request of membership, and will work to get whatever resources you require."

Gram pressed his steepled fingers to his lips, deep in thought. "In the end, Senator Stuyveris, all that Alderaan requires of the High Republic is that they show up," he said at last. "You have already promised to lend us the aid of your ships and armies. We can ask no more than that."

Verity Stuyveris Liana Organa​

 

[Liana Organa]

Verity's words did give Liana some comfort, and she smirked at the thought of being adept enough to take on such a role. Regardless, they all seemed in agreement that it would not be the solution they need.

Liana could tell Gram had something up his sleeve, even if she wasn't sure what. He responded to Verity's question humbly, though he stressed the importance of upholding their end of this partnership. Liana, however, spoke up a little more firmly, "We need you to keep gathering intelligence. We can help with the Great Houses, but there's not much we can gather on the Sith without your resources." Her visions weren't exactly clear instructions on how to stop the takeover, now were they?

"A-and you need to reach us faster. The longer this cession takes, the more time the Sith have to corrupt our people. This wouldn't be such a problem if we were in your borders."

Gram Arranda - Verity Stuyveris​

 

[Verity Stuyveris]

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Verity sighed and nodded her commiseration with the Princess. "Believe me, if it were up to me, Alderaan would already be a member. But -- " She fell silent for a moment and swallowed what she might have said. And what might she have said? That the Republic had moved too slowly for her tastes. That she had been screaming bloody murder about the Sith Covenant for months while the rest of Theed seemed content to sip cocktails at fancy soirees. That if the Sith Covenant were allowed to run riot on Alderaan -- or heaven forfend, able to supplant the Organas and take control of the planet in the long term -- it would be a colossal failure.

Not on my watch, she vowed to herself.

"I will do what I can, of course," Verity promised the two Alderaanians, looking between them. "Intelligence, we can also do, I'm certain. We are willing to do what is required, but I don't want to push in if there is a thought that the Republic being seen as attempting to openly influence the houses or other political balances would backfire. So I suppose what I can say is this: I will share what intelligence I can, as soon as I can. I would suggest that you do the same. The more we are all informed, the better chance we have."

She traced the edge of her datapad absent-mindedly, nudging along its edge as if it wasn't already at a 90 degree angle to the table edge. "And my comlink -- and door -- are always open to you. If there is more we can do for you, some resource or intercession we can make, please don't hesitate for a moment"

Liana Organa | Gram Arranda​

 

[Gram Arranda]

"Thank you for your help." Gram rose from his chair and gave a knowing look to Liana. "Well, if there's nothing else to add, I believe we have our work cut out for us." Preparing to leave, he gave Verity a nod and held out his hand for a final shake. "We'll keep in touch, Senator."

The days ahead were going to be... interesting, if nothing else.

Liana Organa Verity Stuyveris​

 

[Liana Organa]

Liana picked up on what Verity left unsaid. Her thoughts mirrored much of what the young ambassador felt these last few weeks. In the long run, Alderaan's fate was in the hands of a bureaucracy that had its own agenda, its own timetable. They would not make a decision based on her pleas alone, it would be about what was in the High Republic's best interest first and foremost. It probably wasn't fair to blame them for that, but Liana felt compelled to nonetheless. When her entire home and people were at stake, it was hard not to take things personally.

Nonetheless, Verity's involvement was appreciated. They needed people like her to make things happen in the Republic, "Thank you," Liana said, catching Gram's look as he stood up. She couldn't imagine what would have such a mischievous glint in his eye, but she was most interested in finding out. "Then let's get to work," She nodded to Gram, then to Verity, before following the former out the door.

Verity Stuyveris - Gram Arranda​

 

[Verity Stuyveris]

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"Understood," Verity said, rising to her feet. She collected her dataslate and tucked it into her attaché. "Thank you both for the time. Remember, whatever you need." She looked between them and then headed for the door with them. She gave a professional nod as the trio split, Verity reconnecting with her Chief of Staff as the two Alderaanians went about their work.

"What news?" Varencourt asked under his breath.

"In the car," she murmured back. By the time they emerged into the Theed sun, all thought of stopping to peruse the stalls in the plaza was forgotten. The Alderaanians were going to work. So was Senator Stuyveris.

Liana Organa | Gram Arranda
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