Private Into the Lion's Den

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

Sakadi leaned back in the comfortable passenger's chair of the royal star ship. With her legs crossed and fingers intertwined, the lavender-colored Sephi observed the stronghold they were approaching. It was the first time in decades that she found herself back on Thustra, her home planet. Because that was what the planet was supposed to be, wasn't it? The planet where the Sinvala line originated from. Where she originated from. And yet, all she could remember were the strict faces of her pointy-eared audience.

"Commencing landing sequence." their droid pilot exclaimed, which caused the Jedi Master's attention to shift to her companion. The very reason why she was here; for she was invited by the woman who sat next to her. Jessaria Amarantha, Queen of Thustra. Sakadi had never met her in person before, only having seen her appear on the holonews once or twice. And well, since the mute wasn't much of a conversationalist, she still knew nothing about the Queen.

The reason why the white haired Jedi master was here, was a simple one. To prove the value of the Jedi to the people of Thustra, Sakadi would act as her bodyguard in this dangerous endeavor. If the Jedi truly were the mighty and trustworthy protectors of peace and justice they claimed to be, they should be more than capable enough to protect the Queen. In summary, this was a chance for the Jedi to prove themselves to the people of Thustra.

With almost no shocks or vibrations, the spacecraft touched down upon the soft soil. Take a deep breath, Sakadi rose from her seat. This was where she would come in. This fortress belonged to a fanatical group who opposed the crown. Somehow, they had managed to arrange a meeting with the Queen herself. A meeting that would take place in their own fortress. In enemy territory, where they even had a number advantage. If the situation would get out of hand, it was going to get rather difficult to get alive.

With a small bow as thanks to the pilot, Sakadi turned and headed for the ramp. With a small and graceful gesture, she politely allowed the Queen to head out first.

Jessaria Amarantha

 

[Jessaria Amarantha]

It was largely a quiet journey aside from a few interjections from the Queen as she was noticeably nervous about the meeting. It gave her great comfort, however, that the Jedi who accompanied her was also a native of Thustra - Not that she would have been displeased with any other Jedi but the common heritage between the two Sephi already gave them a bond above political ties and made her feel more at ease.

Wishing to give a more humble appearance to those who were opposed to her, Jessaria dressed down considerably for the occasion, wearing no jewellery or hair accessories but simply a plain, pale blue floor-length dress in an attempt to level with the group she was meeting while still maintaining a tasteful appearance. To enter their dwelling in a modest manner seemed to be the best way to approach the situation.

Jessaria followed the Jedi Master to the ramp and gave a small bow of the head. "Thank you." She said before descending onto the ground. She knew the Jedi had been trained for similar situations and so she likely didn't need instructions on how to handle this one. Jessaria on the other hand, wished she could have had some guidance as she had never expected to be Queen and felt woefully unprepared when the time of the coronation came.

As second born, she was never given as much preparation as her elder sister had been given and now, alone, she had to rely on her instincts. Thus far, there had not been any major uproar from the public and a majority seemed content with her ruling, although it seemed this group were not among them but she couldn't judge them too harshly because neither was her brother.

With a deep breath, Jessaria approached the fortress' entrance, accompanied by her Jedi protector and was met at the door by a man. After a few moments of awkward silence, the Queen was prompted to bow her head towards her hosts in greeting. "Thank you for inviting us here." She told him politely which received a bow of the head in response. The man led the pair inside and Jess became conscious of the fact she needed to keep the Jedi in her sight at all times so she stuck closely to her companion.

They were led to a brightly lit room with a large table inside and sat at the table were a handful of men and women. Jess was shown a seat and smiled thankfully at the man in response. She sat with her hands folded in her lap and began to speak. "I'm committed to finding a way to settle any issues you may have. I hope I can put your minds at ease." She told the group before her. There was an undeniable tension in the room but for now it was bearable.


Sakadi Marathi Sinvala

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

Sakadi followed right behind the Queen as they approached the entrance of the stronghold. The extravagant garden that surrounded the building almost managed to create a sense of safety and comfort, had the Jedi not felt the emotions the men and women strolling present in the garden. She wasn't fond of probing the minds of others, but she couldn't help but notice that those who caught a glimpse of the Queen reacted rather.. angry. And given that the inhabitants of this place were all like-minded individuals, she was getting a rather bad feeling about all this.

Of course, Sakadi had come fully equipped for this mission. Everything she could possibly be need was attached to her utility belt. Her lightsabers, binoculars, fibercord, food and energy capsules, all concealed under her brown cloak. Anyone present could tell that she was a Jedi and that she was armed. But considering the heavily armed guards walking around the place, each of them with slight malicious intent towards them, she doubted that they would really care.

After following the man inside and arriving in what she presumed was the meeting room, Sakadi took position behind the Queen, hands folded across her chest. A slight glance around the room told her all she needed to know. None of the men and women who sat at the table appeared to be armed, which was a good thing. It meant that all she had to worry about were the security droids positioned near every exit. And they weren't cheap models either. In total, she counted 8 KX-security droids. There were possibly more outside this room, but unlike sentient beings, she wasn't able to sense them. It was a bit annoying, but nothing that would pose an obstacle to her, in case things went south. But for now all she had to was listen, and stay aware.

Jessaria Amarantha

 

[Jessaria Amarantha]

The hosts didn't appear to be too accepting of her statement and instead shared a look with one another which the Queen couldn't decipher as anything other than disapproval. She knew little about this particular group other than that they opposed the crown, as many before them had and many after them would, and how they were infamous for their fanaticism. It was unavoidable; not everyone was going to agree with the political situation of Thustra and so she took complaints seriously and reached out to people who were unhappy in hope of minimising the risk of anyone taking drastic measures to further their aims.

Jessaria followed in her mother's footsteps, as her sister never left a legacy for her to follow, and thus she wanted to do what was best for the many rather than for the few. It would undoubtedly mean that some people would be unhappy but she knew that she could not please everyone and trying to do so would be a wasted effort. This group, however, had the appearance of being a threat and for the sake of all, Jess wanted to assess and neutralise the threat. Hopefully, these people would gain something from their encounter with the Queen but if not then she knew as long as she had attempted to diffuse the threat then she couldn't do any more. Not every problem had a solution and not everyone's minds can be changed.

"I trust you know why we invited you here." A man's voice rippled throughout the room. "Of course. You have some issues you wish to discuss." The Queen replied, confidently. "More like demands." A woman chimed in which made the Queen feel even more tense than she already was. "Demands?" She echoed, hoping for some clarification. Part of her wondered who they thought they were to make demands to the sovereign ruler of their planet but another part of her knew they weren't so different from each other other than what family they had been born into. So far, life had been a lottery and she was winning.

"We want the people to have power and so we want the Monarchy to disengage in political activity immediately, meaning we can have a democracy and a republic." The man read from a sheet of paper, looking up to meet Jess' eyes as he finished, though she showed no emotion on her face. Inside, however, she was shocked at the notion being proposed. They wanted an abolition of the monarchy? She could understand that they were displeased but this was taking it too far. "I can understand that you don't feel your voices are being heard and I want to change that. I have people from all over the planet who meet with me to share their thoughts and worries so I can try and improve the planet for everyone." She replied, though of what use it would be, she didn't know. This group appeared to be rather zealous and so this meeting seemed as though it ought to be heeded as a warning.

The woman at the table shook her head, seemingly irritated by such a response. "Don't you see? The monarchy is outdated. It has only dwindled in power and influence and you are all out of touch with reality. You don't know what 'the people' want, you just think you do. We need to choose our leaders based on their ideals and goals, not based on the blood they have running through their veins." The woman spat out, passionately. "There are things I can do to make your concerns heard-" She started but was swiftly interrupted by the woman again who spoke to her companions. "See, she's avoiding it. I told you this would happen." She snarled, causing a few moments of bickering between the group.

Jessaria took the opportunity to case a concerned glance over at Sakadi to voice her concerns before returning her gaze to her hosts. "I hear what you're saying but you must understand that it's unreasonable to ask me to abolish the monarchy. It seems that most people are satisfied with the current political climate and while I do appreciate you voicing your concerns, you are asking me to do something I cannot." She replied calmly. "I know if must be frustrating but please, we can work together peacefully to solve this." She offered.


Sakadi Marathi Sinvala

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

With her head tilted slightly ajar, the Jedi Master listened to the unreasonable request of the committee. The committee, consisting out of seven Sephi, was clearly set on having their request fulfilled. Abolishing the monarchy itself. that was beyond unreasonable. It was impossible on a planet such as Thustra, which has been led by kings and queens for centuries. And yet, there was something.. noble about it, wanting to give the power back to the people. It made her wonder, was she truly on the right side of this growing conflict? The Jedi were the keepers of peace, freedom and justice. And well, this had freedom written all over it.

Sakadi followed the conversation with growing interesting. She could tell that it was getting out of hand, but there was no reason to intervene just yet. The man and woman who had spoken so far were bickering now, to great annoyance of their colleagues. Following the look exchanged between the Jedi Master and the Queen, the latter made yet another offer. An offer that caused the committee to fall silent for a moment.

The same woman as before wanted to respond, but was swiftly silenced by the third member of the committee. A Sephi with orange hair and pale skin. She had something authoritative and charismatic to her. It made Sakadi believe that she was part of the aristocracy herself. "It seems that most people are satisfied with the current political climate?" she repeated, before dismissing the Queen's explanation with a slight gesture of her hand. "It seems as if the rumors are true. Your court really does consist out of liars and frauds." she continued, her tone calm and confident. "Like my dear colleague said already, our humble request shouldn't be viewed as such." with a snap of her fingers, a protocol droid holding a small datapad entered the room.

"Allow me to explain." The droid circled around the table, until it could hand the datapad to the Queen. "At this very moment, the inner circle of our movement holds the rights to the nine most influential companies located here, on Thustra. Over half of the planet's population is under our direct or indirect employment and a majority of the labor unions have been actively backing us since last week." she paused, giving a Queen a moment to take all of it in. "We are not asking you if you will abolish the monarchy, but if you will do so peacefully."

Sakadi blinked twice. How did this happen so suddenly? It was as if the movement suddenly came into being at full size. But... how? No, that didn't matter.... what mattered, was how the Queen would respond.

"All we need is your signature on that datapad, and we can turn this in a peaceful transition. The royal family will have a ceremonial role in the new republic, so rest assured, we won't force you to leave your palace." she added, a slight smile playing about her lips. It was clearly visible that she was enjoying this.

Jessaria Amarantha

 

[Jessaria Amarantha]

It had been expected that the situation would be difficult, after all, these people were said to be set in their beliefs, fanatical even. Their request, however, was far from expected and struck fear in her heart. It became clear the issue would not conclude with their meeting today because the Queen was not confident she had the negotiation skills needed to end the situation in a way that was satisfactory for both parties. It was at times like this that she wished she was just the Princess again, without the responsibility of the planet on her shoulders. This should never have been her role to play and she wasn't ready.

The Queen listened politely as the new speaker challenged her, relying on empathy to guide her, although she could never truly understand how these people felt, she could feel the emotions in the room and it was uncomfortable so she wanted to do all she could to alleviate the situation, even if it couldn't be truly resolved today. She frowned at the accusation against her court but didn't interrupt as it seemed the speaker had a point to make. Jessaria took the datapad from the droid and looked down at in in confusion and then back to the speaker.

As the Sephi progressed, Jessaria felt her heart sink. How did this happen? She was smarter than this. To have the backing of so much of the working force was disastrous; they were already outnumbered. The real kick came moments later when the speaker declared that this was not an offer but a decision that they had already been decided. Her fingers tightened around the fabric of her dress in her lap and fear began to rise within her. There was no way to come back from this, there were two options now and neither were desirable.

Jessaria looked down at the data pad in her hands again and stared at it for a while, causing the room to fall into silence. How was she supposed to respond to this? How would her sister respond? Questions swirled throughout her mind in a flurry but throughout it all she remained expressionless. When she finally came to a conclusion, she looked up from the datapad at the woman. "No." She said confidently. Their monarchy had lasted for centuries and there had been peace for a majority of that time so would the most noble conclusion be to abdicate and allow the peace to continue? Was that the will of the people?

"I will not be bullied into abdication. I have done all I can to improve this planet and help its' people, why is that not enough for you?" She asked, exasperated. "We have been at peace for so long, why now plunge the planet into a civil war?!" She shook her head and stood up, causing all droids in the room to stand to attention. The negotiations were short. "I will not sign." She said definitively. If they were to kill her now then her brother would simply take her place. The monarchy would not go down without a fight.



Sakadi Marathi Sinvala

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

Sakadi would cast a quick glance at the Queen, as she remarked that she wouldn't sign. A part of her understood the Queen's decision, but did this have to be the outcome? The possibility of violence, conflict and bloodshed if things went further south?

The unexpected movement of the Queen caused all the droids to stand at attention, ready to act against the 'visitors'. In turn, Sakadi took a slight step forward, her hand moving to the cold metal of her lightsaber's hilt. The situation truly had become volatile.

The Queen's exclamation had seemingly little effect on the orange-haired Sephi, or the committee in general. "Is that still not clear to you?" she asked, with her head tilted slightly ajar. "Because this is not a matter of 'all I can do', or 'this is the best I have'. Your attempts to rule, to lead, are indeed not enough, my dear Queen. That is why you should leave ruling this planet in more capable hands. And well, if you truly can't see that, you'll have proven our point." Slowly and with a steadfast elegance, the orange-haired Sephi rose from her seat, followed by the other members of the committee. "We gave you a chance to do this peacefully, Jessaria. Know that whatever the outcome may be, has been decided by you, and you alone." With that said, the Sephi turned, ready to leave the conference room herself.

Giving the Queen no chance to reply, another member of the committee spoke up. "Droids, show them the exit please." The droids immediately responded, four of them approaching the duo to force them out.

Sakadi would turn to the Queen again, ready to move at her command. She was here a a servant of the Queen after all, so it was up to her to decide what their next action would be.

Jessaria Amarantha

 

[Jessaria Amarantha]

This should never have been her decision and yet she would bare all responsibility for whatever the future may hold on account of her choice to have the threat of civil war looming over the ever-peaceful planet. As far as she saw it, there wasn't any other option and she believed her family to be the best for Thustra over what appeared to be the far more corrupt among them. Part of her wondered if she should back down and allow these people to reform the government, was that what the people wanted?

The fear within her was gone and was replaced by a confident defiance. She had come to meet these people with good intentions, intentions of helping them and they threw it back in their face and only wanted everything to go their way. The utter disrespect was shocking, not just as a Queen but as a person. People like this wanted to govern the planet? They didn't seem to know the first thing about compassion and no rulers were noble without compassion.

Jessaria opened her mouth to reply but was promptly surrounded by droids to usher them out. She looked at the Jedi who accompanied her with an expression of complete bewilderment. Everything had progressed so quickly; how was she ever supposed to return to the palace and declare that she had initiated a civil war? Would the Jedi even help them?

The Queen slowly started to walk towards the exit as guided by the droids as she felt that escalating the situation further would prove to be futile. "I don't want to start a war." She reaffirmed to herself but also for the benefit of the Jedi who was with her. "Isn't there anything the Jedi can do?" She asked the Jedi Master. They were keepers of the peace after all and at the moment they were still at peace until whispers of war reached the lips of the people. All that had just happened pained her; she loved her planet and her people but was she really acting on their behalf?


Sakadi Marathi Sinvala