Objective 2
Location: Random Humanitarian Center, Groundside
1/20
To say the Galactic Alliance was moving quickly would be an understatement. Starting from Sullust, they'd spread to Eriadu and Vandelhelm, Susefi and Suarbi, Thyferra, and now Fondor. Maybe this was common for governments looking to make their mark, maybe the leaders were ambitious, or maybe they were moving too quickly for their own good. Time would tell. Audren certainly couldn't; while he helped out as much as his duties as part of the Coalition would allow, he was far from leadership. And he was happy with that.
With this particular venture, he'd chosen to accompany many of his fellow Coalition members and help with the humanitarian side of things. Fondor was experiencing a surge of refugees due to the constant strife between the Republic and the One Sith, and they were a pressing need. One of many. While his talents were not to the diplomatic side of things, but it didn't take much in terms of diplomacy to hand out rations to lines of needy people. He wasn't above doing that.
Whoever had planned this thing out had done a good job, they'd expected that refugees would swarm the supply lines. Guides had been set up, both living and not, that channeled the displaced in an orderly fashion. When they neared the distribution point, they keyed in their species and stage of life if necessary, then computers kept track of where they were and alerted the volunteers if any special rations were needed. The computational and surveillance needs weren't especially demanding with the small amount of space in question.
Guards had also been set up for those who were a bit too rowdy, or ones who tried to get to the rations without going through the line. While he actively handed out rations, he was also designated as one of the escalation points for said guards. The use of force was only authorized in exceedingly specific circumstances, talking someone down was far more desired, and the Force could often help with that. Or so the Padawan had been told. Sometimes the Force wasn't even needed, people who held no compunction against screaming at a soldier who wouldn't harm them oftentimes backed away from confrontation with a Jedi.
So it was that he found himself heading over to a family of three who'd recently received rations. The mother and daughter standing a step or two behind the father, who was actively yelling at the soldier on guard duty. Basic placating measures hadn't worked, and the soldier was nearing the edge of his patience though his face gave nothing away.
"Back to your post, Corporal, I'll take over here. My name is Audren, what seems to be the issue?"
"Well, Audren, it's simple enough. My family isn't getting enough food. We're still hungry."
"I see. Are there any special dietary requirements that you need that aren't the same as your general species?"
"No, it just isn't enough. Now, what are you going to do to fix it for me?"
The Padawan was silent for a second, covering for his time thinking by examining a datapad screen. In reality, he was examining the man through the Force and mulling over what to do. Others were watching so even if he could afford to give the man more rations, he wouldn't be able to do so. The others would wonder why he was getting special treatment and start demanding their own extras, and the place would devolve into a madhouse. Nor, he suspected, would the man be happy with a single instance of more food, he'd come back and expect that extra amount or more every time. Through the Force, the man's tendrils were knotted and swollen.
Were [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] present and viewing the same thing, no doubt she'd have a specific method for those tendrils, rumor had it she enjoyed that sort of thing. Audren, however, had only the faintest ideas how to handle the Force side of the situation. He didn't force the cables into a non-knotted state, he simply provided the guides so they would hopefully de-tangle themselves. Simultaneously, he placed a mental picture of ice around the swollen cables in an attempt to reduce the swelling. Now for logic.
"Sir, would you agree that your family is not starving to death, though you are still hungry after finishing your meals?"
"Yes, but we deserve to be full."
"Would you rather another family did starve to death so yours could be full?"
"What?! What kind of a question is that?"
"A simple one, sir. There are limited resources to go around. Increasing what is given to some means decreasing what is given to others, which means someone isn't going to have enough."
"I...I hadn't thought of it that way."
"Once the situation here stabilizes, things will improve. The Galactic Alliance and their allies are doing the best they can and will start making headway soon. We don't want anyone dying in the meantime though, not if their deaths are preventable."
Physically, it seemed like the man almost wilted. The fight had gone out of him. Through the Force, the cables that made up his personality were far less knotted than they had been, and there was no indication of swelling or inflammation. A useful trick, that. Good thing to have learned.
"I guess we'll go home then. Thanks for explaining it."
"Of course, sir. If you ever find yourself with some spare time too, we could always use help. The more quickly things are stabilized, the more quickly life improves for all."
The man nodded slowly, then joined his wife and daughter and headed away. Meanwhile, Audren headed back into line. The work here was far from over.
[member="Matsu Ike"] | [member="Coci Heavenshield"]
