Private First Impressions

[Kaela Verrin]

The soft hum of repulsorlifts and distant voices echoed through the marble corridors outside the Chancellor's office. Everything here — from the gold-veined pillars to the minimalist lighting — seemed designed to make one feel both important… and very small. Kaela stood just outside the grand doors, trying to ignore the flutter just beneath her ribcage. She'd reviewed her notes twice. Rehearsed what she wanted to say three times. And yet, as she passed a tall reflective panel on the wall, she slowed.

Just a glance.

Her fingers reached up to adjust the braid that fell over her right shoulder, making sure it still held the same precision it had that morning. Her tunic — a deep navy brushed with silver threading near the collar — was smooth, crisp. The crest of Anaxes sat proudly pinned above her heart. Not a single wrinkle.

Good.

Kaela exhaled, slow and steady. The nerves were a quiet storm in her chest, but they would not reach her face. This meeting mattered. The Chancellor's time was precious — and she had much to say. She folded her hands in front of her, just as a staffer approached.

"The Chancellor will see you now."

Kaela nodded once, stepping forward with calm, deliberate grace — her mind already in motion.

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

Office of the Chancellor
Fondor
- Kaela Verrin -
​

"You know, the first time I met her, Auteme Denko-Durren offered me tea."

The words were out before Senator Verrin could completely enter the room. They came not from the ornate Chancellor's desk, or somewhere else around the tactical holotable, or even by the wide window, showing a stunning view of industrious Fondor. No, the words emanated from a small, portable burner in the corner of the room, where Alicio worked. The leader of the Galactic Alliance dilligently took to piping-hot pot from the stovetop, transitioning it to an ornate tray.

"We were both senators, fighting the same fight against a Corporatist-controlled Alliance. I was... frazzled, with my first day in the building, hands full with heaps of new responsibilities. She helped me move a table. We drank Atrisian Green." Alicio spun around, bringing the tray over to his table, nodding with his head for Kaela to follow. Two teacups with swirling thranta patterns stood ready for hot water, surrounded by a garden of flavors. Tea bags, loose leaves, even some syrups and sugars completed his arsenal.

"It's a cliché, I know. Meeting someone over a cup of chai. But I'm a sucker for it, all the same."

"So, if you care to indulge me..." He finally looked at her, a question and a smirk fighting on his face. "How do you like your tea?"

 

[Kaela Verrin]

Kaela blinked once as the Chancellor's voice met her before the rest of him did. She stepped fully into the room with a hint of a smile playing at the corners of her mouth, posture still straight, still proper… but some of the tension in her shoulders began to ease.

There was something disarming about Alicio not behind his desk, but beside a tea tray. It made the grand, gleaming office feel more human.

"I'd be honored," she said, voice smooth but sincere. Her eyes flicked briefly to the tray — the assortment of blends and sweeteners — before returning to his with a faint note of gratitude warming her features. She'd be lying if she claimed that it didn't help settle her nerves.

She stepped closer, the hush of her boots soft against the floor.

"I appreciate you taking the time, Chancellor. I know your schedule isn't exactly forgiving." A small beat passed — not quite formality, not quite personal. "But I thought this conversation worth stealing a little time for."

Kaela glanced toward the options laid out, reaching carefully for a modest blend of Corellian blossom — something fragrant, but not too bold.

"I won't claim to be an expert," she added lightly, plucking a packet and letting it rest between her fingers, "But my father always swore you could learn more from a person over tea than over an entire negotiation." Her smile sharpened, just slightly. "He was a naval admiral, so I suspect that says more about his opinion of politicians than tea."

A breath, then she looked to him again — the humor gentling to something more earnest.

"But I'm glad we're meeting."

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

Noticing the slight unbunching of the freshman senator's shoulders, Alicio hid a private smile on his face as he turned to gently pick up the pot. It was obvious the Chancellor had done this many times- tea bag went in first, followed by a gentle stream of hot water, raising the pot slightly as the cup filled to avoid a splash. He poured Kaela's cup first, before deciding on his own flavor - a gentle Tythonian chamomile, with just a hint of lavender syrup. Smooth, mildly floral, bittersweet.

"I appreciate you taking the time, Chancellor. I know your schedule isn't exactly forgiving."

"No, it is not," Alicio agreed, obscuring the downtick of his features by moving the tea tray back to the corner of the room. "But we make do. Thank you for reaching out."

Returning to the table, Alicio found a seat, dabbing his tea bag up and down as Kaela spoke to release the flavor, the corner of his mouth pressing into a thin smile. "Wise man. Sounds like he has experience with our ability to... talk in circles, until everyone is dizzy." Alicio held his cup in two hands, letting it's warmth leech into his fingers. "My father had some tea-based sayings, too. Though, his were more... well, instructional. How to hold it to keep your hands from fidgeting. Using sips to buy time for thought." He chuckled, just a little. "I imagine your father wouldn't have liked mine very much."

"But I'm glad we're meeting."

Pausing for a sip, Alicio glanced up at Kaela again, his grey eyes searching hers. He clocked the slight change in her demeanor, the shift from polite humor to something more open. She was ready.

"What can I help you with, Senator Verrin?"

- Kaela Verrin -

 

[Kaela Verrin]

Kaela let her tea steep as she listened, her fingers brushing the edge of the cup. She smiled faintly at his comment about their fathers. "Perhaps not," she said with amusement, "But I think they might have respected each other in the end. There's something to be said for understanding the game, even if you play it differently."

She paused.

"I won't waste your time with pleasantries. I asked for this meeting because I could use your perspective." She sat straighter, not out of stiffness, but clarity. "I've been invited to speak with representatives of the Imperial Confederation. A formal meeting. Peaceful, at least on the surface."

Her tone remained measured, but it was clear she had weighed every word carefully.

"I understand how volatile these kinds of encounters can be. Their structure is different, their priorities not always aligned with ours. But I believe there's a chance to build something productive. Or at the very least, prevent something far worse from happening."

Her hands wrapped around the cup as she glanced down.

"I know there are limits to what one meeting can accomplish. This is meant to be an introduction before a more official delegation handles it."

She looked back up, steady now.

"But what would you do, Chancellor? What would you listen for, if you were in that room?"

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

She had been invited personally? That was noteworthy.

As Kaela spoke, Alicio considered her, letting his tea warm his hands, it's heat leeching into his fingers. He'd studied the Senator from Anaxes before their meeting, knew that her politics revolved around growth, and a pure idealism that Alicio still tried to desperately hold onto. Of course, he couldn't help but draw comparisons to his time in the Senate.

Alicio nodded. "I'm sure I can't tell you anything you haven't heard before. But I'm happy to talk you through it." Despite what some detractors may cry, Chancellor Organa was an accomplished diplomat. He'd played a part in many of the Alliance's negotiations, over the years. And he knew, from personal experience, that a university lecture was very different from the real thing.

"The first and most important step in any negotiation is cutting through the subtext. Figuring out the goals of those you wish to convince." Alicio crossed one of his legs over the other, tilting his head in thought. "If you can figure out what the other party truly wants, you can then focus your discussion on convincing them that what they want, and what we want, can be accomplished at the same time. Worse, you won't get anywhere if you play the wrong song."

"This Imperial faction is new, but if you had to guess, what do you think are the Confederation's goals in the galaxy? What do they need?" He had his own guesses, but if Kaela was going to represent the Alliance, she needed to draw her own conclusions.

- Kaela Verrin -

 

[Kaela Verrin]

Kaela let his words settle without rushing to answer. She just sat in silence for a moment to organize her thoughts and think through a proper response.

When she did speak, her tone was much more certain, "The last few decades, imperials have only had two postures. Either they align themselves with the Sith and make war against the Alliance, or they take a firm stance against the Sith and try to shape the galaxy by their own ideals."

She looked up at him then.

"The latter has always been more complicated. The New Imperial Order, the Empire that followed... they rejected Sith control and fought against it. We may not have shared values with them, but we did share enemies. That opened a door for a while, even if it was narrow."

Her fingers curved gently around the tea, untouched.

"This Confederation seems to follow a similar path. They've positioned themselves differently, uninterested in Sith alliances, and from what I've seen so far, that isn't just for show."

She met his gaze again.

"If that's the case, we may not need to agree on everything. But if we understand what they're trying to build, and what they're trying to avoid, we may find common ground to stand on. Even if it's temporary."

Kaela paused, then added, quieter, "But I know that surface impressions can lie and deceive. We had a fragile alliance with the New Imperial Order once, and even that turned into war."

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

"But I know that surface impressions can lie and deceive. We had a fragile alliance with the New Imperial Order once, and even that turned into war."

The Chancellor gave that a moment of thought. He'd fought that Empire. Killed it's troopers, in the caves below Neshtab. Bitter memories, that didn't make the thought of this alliance any easier to swallow.

May as well state his musings on the subject. "From what I've heard, the Confederation is a conglomerate of many disparate factions and splinter groups of Imperials, tied together with broad beliefs to catch widespread support. I imagine, given time, they'll attempt to cinch these groups closer together, refine their doctrine, but for now, their goal is likely to consolidate power, and stabilize their region of space."

Alicio sipped his tea to keep his lips from running away from him. "They want order. And we are by far the most stable economic partner a fledgling government could want. If we want to close, I believe that should be the angle."

Alicio paused to swirl his tea, his mind obviously elsewhere. "My family history is rather... infamous, for being antagonistic to their contemporary Empires." Thoughts of ancient heroes and leaders flitted through his mind. "Imperial methods change... but I don't think their goals ever truly do."

"What do you... expect to come from these talks, Senator?"

- Kaela Verrin -