Objective I: Gunboat Diplomacy
Point of View: Syndra Gornam
Post Number: 3
The rest of the journey to the planet was spent in professional conversation, though Syndra could hardly believe her luck. She was tempted to pinch herself to see if she was dreaming. The Grand Moff of the entire First Order, listening to her, Syndra Gornam from Nowhere-on-Nowhere, post-code 00000, was a thrill. When the ship landed, Natasi invited Syndra to accompany her to the negotiations, although that was quite beyond her brief. It was a real compliment, Syndra thought, and she accepted readily. They bundled into the back of an armored landspeeder and they were off towards the Parliament. "Can I ask you a question, ma'am?" asked Syndra as she looked across the seat at the Grand Moff.
The Grand Moff, for her part, was peering at her reflection in a compact and touching up her makeup. Syndra wanted to ask what shade lipstick she was putting on, too, but she stuck with the professional for the time being. "Our Foreign Office suggests that the reason the Fondorians are reluctant to commit now is because of the events at Skor II. Do you think they're right?"
Natasi was silent for a moment; Syndra watched as the older woman carefully applied her lipstick, waiting. Finally, Natasi put the lid back on her lipstick and looked beyond the mirror to Syndra. "I doubt it very much," was the response, flat and businesslike. "They'll give that reason because they hope it will embarrass us into changing our course. They want what Atrisia got, but unfortunately Atrisia and Fondor are not at all similarly situated. Independent vassal states aren't for everyone; after all if they were, what would the First Order have to govern? From where would we get our ships and our soldiers? But what they don't realize is that we have nothing to be embarrassed for when it comes to Skor. We lost, but we weren't beaten. Can you imagine, being beaten by a band of teenaged ne'er-do-wells like the Outer Rim Coalition?"
By now, Syndra could almost taste the poison dripping from the Grand Moff's lips. "But that doesn't weaken our position?"
The Grand Moff had an eyeliner pencil now, and she spoke in a semi-distracted tone as she carefully touched up her makeup. "Of course not. We will get Fondor, today or tomorrow or next month or next year. We will have it, that part is already settled. And Skor -- well, if they read into Skor some kind of weakness or failure then that is all the bigger mistake for them to regret. I really can't say why we lost Skor II, Syndra, but it wasn't failure on our part and we certainly weren't outperformed by the Coalition. Do you know, my late husband and I were quite different from a religious standpoint. I am, as you may know, an Equilibriate, a follower of the Cosmic Balance."
"Your faith holds that for every bit of good or evil done in the galaxy, somewhere, the opposite is being done to balance it out."
Natasi smiled tightly. "You've read my biography."
"All six of them, ma'am."
"Oh dear. That many?" Natasi put the cap back on her eyeliner and tucked it back into her handbag. "As far as I can tell, we lost because it was our turn to lose. It had nothing to do with them or their idiotic Mandalorian tools and everything to do with the fact that, perhaps, the galaxy couldn't stand to see the First Order triumphant forever." She pulled out a brush and began to run it through her chestnut locks. Syndra detected the scent of Galidraani wildflowers and vanilla. "My husband, on the other hand, believed in a God. I don't know how much I go in for all that, but he would tell you that our retreat from Skor II was a result of a vengeful God. I would call it an ill-advised temper tantrum brought on by envy and impotent rage, but who are we, mere mortals, to question the divine? In any event, it would certainly explain the miraculous appearance of a long-extinct species of space kraken. But in reality, we retreated because we suspected that one of their Jedi sorcerers were attempting to sexually coerce our troops. No tinpot junkyard of a planet is worth subjecting our men and women to that kind of humiliation."
Syndra blanched, looking at Natasi, who suddenly grew quiet. Had the Grand Moff overshared? Syndra cleared her throat and went on: "So the Fondorians are hesitating in hopes of a better deal, hoping to leverage our embarrassment, but that won't work."
"That's correct," Natasi said, her tone matter of fact and steely. "And do you know why?"
"Because we have nothing to be embarrased about?" Syndra ventured hopefully.
Natasi's smile was cool. "True, but that's not the main reason. The main reason is because I will take Fondor from the Parliament if they resist me. If I have to burn the entire lot of them in Parliament Square and declare myself Queen Regent of this damnable planet, I will do it, because I have neither the time nor the inclination to beat around the bush with these people. We had an agreement; their Foreign Minister shook hands with ours, and that is what I will hold them to. Oh dear, are we here already?"
Syndra wasn't quite sure, but she thought she could see hellfire in the Grand Moff's eyes as she leaned forward to look out the armored transparisteel window. "If that's what it takes, ma'am... I'll fetch the kerosene."