Private Quid Pro Nihilo

[Caius Arden]

Caius Arden stepped down from the shuttle and hit the duracrete harder than he intended, a dull shock running up his leg that made him shudder before he could stop it, an old injury that never quite healed correctly reasserting itself as he sped off toward the embassy.

Alderaan was beautiful. There wasn't a lot of urban sprawl like back home, a lot of the architecture seemingly more in tune with nature. The lines were clean, sightlines clear and even the traffic seemed to be just a tad bit more pure than other worlds. Although he was walking fast, he did appreciate the artistry of the world around him, hands clasped behind his back beneath the fall of his cape, aides desperately trying to keep up. Noticing the lack of urgency displayed by his underlings, he adjusted his stride slightly into something they can manage.

"We got a last-minute confirmation, Senator," one of the aides offered, slightly out of breath. "A senior representative of the Crown just like we asked."

"That's wonderful news!" Caius said, not looking back. Slowly but surely, he was starting to walk fast again. Rendili did not send supplicants, and in Caius Arden they had chosen a representative who could project along with the best of them, a man who understood that respect was most durable when it was mutual and most persuasive when it came with money or supplies.

As fate would have it, he came to Alderaan with both.

Alderaan wanted to join the Republic, Rendili wanted to reassert its position in the galaxy. An alliance between the two worlds would be mutually beneficial! On that thought, he cracked a toothy grin as he entered the embassy. His staff, having finally adjusted to his pace, were not far behind and immediately went to schmooze the receptionist. Caius, on the other hand, went to take his seat, reviewing his data pad and making sure the gifts he'd brought the crown were in transit. The details were already fixed in his mind. Whatever representative awaited him beyond that door would find him prepared, composed, and entirely unwilling to waste the moment. He sat, and he waited.

Liana Organa​

 

[Liana Organa]

Alderaan was quite busy entertaining all the criterion demanded of them by the High Republic. Many things they were already checking off naturally; Alderaan was something of a model world after all. But not even they were immune to the dredges of paperwork that came with induction into a new galactic superpower.

When a world called Rendili came knocking, Alderaan could hardly spare a notable face to treat with them. But Princess Liana, as luck would have it, had just returned home for a holiday from her time on Naboo, and the other public servants of Alderaan saw a prime opportunity to get the Rendili delegation off their backs, and the young junior ambassador a little more experience. Liana accepted with little thought.

She stepped through the doors to see an older man who had no doubt been waiting for her arrival. He would see a small, pale green girl dressed nicely though not quite royally. If he paid any attention at all to Alderaanian politics, he would recognize her as the Princess Liana Organa. If he didn't, then he was probably walking into this meeting just as unprepared as Liana.

"Ah, hello!" Liana replied after an awkward pause, "I'm junior ambassador Organa. A pleasure to meet you...?" She waited to let the man introduce himself, having missed his name the first time around. To her credit, she was trying at least. As much as she could with such a last minute meeting thrown on her plate.

Caius Arden​

 

[Caius Arden]

"Ahh…Junior Ambassador Organa!" He paused just long enough for the title to settle into place, the faintest flicker of recalibration passing behind his eyes as one of his aides' alerts illuminated his holopad. He glanced down, read, and looked back up without breaking composure. "Princess Organa. Of course. The pleasure is mine."

He rose smoothly to his feet, offering a measured incline of his head rather than a bow, his expression composed but attentive. "Caius Arden, Senator for Rendili." His tone remained even, though there was a subtle shift in it now, an adjustment rather than a retreat. "I understand schedules can be…fluid. I appreciate you receiving me."

He gestured lightly, and one of his aides stepped forward with a slim case, opening it with practiced precision. Inside rested a small, impeccably machined model frigate, its lines exact down to the last hull seam. "A token," Caius said. "To be cashed in a date of your choosing."

Another case followed, this one more understated, containing a thin data wafer set in a polished frame. "And something less visible," he continued. "A preliminary technical brief on modular shipyard integration. Civilian applications, primarily. Logistics, disaster response, infrastructure support. We thought it…relevant."

He gestured lightly toward the seating area, already making the calculation to proceed as if nothing were amiss. "Rendili values Alderaan's consideration, regardless of who carries it forward and we look forward to co-sponsoring your application to join the Republic. Perhaps that is where we begin."

Liana Organa​

 

[Liana Organa]

"Yes, Rendili..." Liana repeated the name to encode it within her memory. Thankfully she had enough context to not go 'what's a Rendili?' to the planet's very representative. "Of course, it's a pleasure, Senator Arden." The man had some of his aides bring in cases, one of which contained a model of a ship, "Oh!" Liana said, initially assuming that the model itself was the gift. Before she could thank him he clarified its nature, and the pieces seemed to come together in her mind, "Ah, yes, thank you." The next case continued a data wafer, with lots of information that went mostly above the Princess' head.

"Rendili values Alderaan's consideration, regardless of who carries it forward and we look forward to co-sponsoring your application to join the Republic. Perhaps that is where we begin."

Now the bill, Liana was familiar with. She had helped construct it, after all. Her first genuine piece of legislation, and one which had been received with overwhelming support already. "We would be happy to have the backing of another Republic world. But, if you'd care to enlighten me, what does Rendili seek to gain from this?"

Caius Arden​

 

[Caius Arden]

Caius remained standing, and for a brief moment just looked at the Junior Ambassador with a blank stare. He had not prepared for this. Pleasant entreaties were supposed to continue for at least another twenty minutes, the schmoozing typical of usual diplomatic efforts. To say he had been caught off guard would be an understatement. He considered his options for a brief few milliseconds before committing. He could lie, obfuscate or tell the truth. Again, he considered a more careful option but recommitted to the truth.

"Rendili, Ambassador Organa, is in short supply of allies these days" He began to explain. "A long time ago, a handful of millennia ago really, we used to be one of the most powerful planets in the galaxy. The largest shipwright and weapons supplier to the Old Republic. Well -- the oldest Republic." He offered that last part with a bit more emphasis than he intended, but it wasn't embarrassing. At least he didn't think it was. "Naturally, spending thousands of years with endless contracts to fulfill the galaxy's increasing need for weapons of war, exploration and travel makes a planet very rich. Even today, we still are rich. Just demonstrably less so since losing favored status to Foerost, Kuat and Rothana."

His tone stayed even, conversational. "An alliance, of any sort really, with Alderaan wouldn't materially change our economic forecasts but it would position us as a relevant player in Republic policymaking, policymaking that has been dominated as of late by a number of the more ne'er to do worlds like Denon."

"That is the part I can offer you plainly," he continued. "Rendili will sponsor Alderaan's application to join the High Republic. Publicly, formally, and without conditions attached to that act itself. No procedural delays, no quiet expectations buried in the language. You will have our support because we believe it is the correct position to take."

A slight shift of his posture, still composed.

"I was also sent here with a second objective. To explore the possibility of an economic development pact between our worlds. Mutual investment in key, lagging sectors." He did not press it. He simply stated it. "But that is a separate conversation. Our sponsorship is not contingent on it. There is no hidden lever here, no implied exchange. Quid pro nihilo. This, for nothing."

Another pause, but this one was more even and preceded a friendly smirk.

"After all, what is a deal between friends? Nothing really"

Liana Organa​

 

[Liana Organa]

Caius regaled her with Rendili's past glories and current struggle for relevancy, all with little detectable subterfuge. His offer and interest seemed transparent enough, though he admitted the people of Rendili ultimately wanted more. She couldn't blame them for that. Liana silently enjoyed this feeling of importance, both for herself and for the people she represented. That Rendili would come to them— ostensibly for mutual support— but deep down it seemed they needed this more than Alderaan, at least now. It felt good. She supposed the people of Rendili were looking to feel that same way.

"Friends? Is that what we are? We only just met," Liana smirked, "In any case, Alderaan would be happy to see more public support from fellow Republic worlds, and we are eager to help our soon-to-be neighbors in what ways we can.

I can't make any binding promises, that would need to be approved to higher ups, but I'm sure there's a conversation to be had about a direct partnership." Liana shrugged, then suddenly seemed to stare more studiously at the man, as if gleaning some hidden detail from his features alone, "But since we've been forthcoming so far, I'm curious... Why does Rendili want a pact with Alderaan? Why not any other planet already in the Republic?

…Why is Rendili in such sort supply of allies these days, as you put it?"

Caius Arden​

 

[Caius Arden]

Caius did not answer immediately. His hand remained where it was, resting lightly on the back of the chair, fingers still, posture composed. There was a flicker of something behind his eyes, calculation more than hesitation.

"There are many worlds in the Republic," he began evenly, "and most of them already have established relationships, entrenched interests, and long memories. Rendili is…not unique amongst them."

He let that sit for a moment, measured, controlled.

"As I stated earlier, a long, long time ago we were the largest shipbuilder and weapons manufacturer in the galaxy. Now, there are dozens of competitors who, in many cases have outpaced our advantages." A pause. Then a faint exhale, almost imperceptible, as if he had reached the end of the version he had intended to give. "Oh, what the hell."

His tone shifted, the edges of formality softening into something more candid. "Rendili built its identity around a single pillar for so long that when the galaxy moved on, we found ourselves with very little else to fall back on. Shipbuilding still matters, of course, but revenues have dropped dramatically from the heights they reached a thousand years ago, or even a hundred years ago." He glanced briefly toward the cases his aides had brought, then back to her. "If we are to remain relevant, truly relevant, we have to become more than what we have always been. That means investment, partnerships, and, frankly, learning from worlds that have already done it successfully."

He straightened slightly, his voice returning to that measured, deliberate cadence. "An economic pact with Alderaan is not about immediate gain. It is about direction. Joint ventures, shared development, access to sectors of the economy we have historically neglected. Energy, infrastructure, even cultural exchange if it comes to it. You help us broaden what Rendili is, and in return, you gain a partner with industrial capacity that, while diminished, is still…considerable."

He met her gaze a bit more directly now, less guarded than before. "You asked the right question, and you asked it plainly. That is rare. You are still learning, which means you have not yet been trained out of that instinct. I respect it." A small pause followed, not awkward this time, but deliberate. "So I answered you the same way. Rendili needs partners who see value in what we can become, not just what we were. If Alderaan is willing to be one of those partners, then I think we will both find the arrangement…worthwhile."

Liana Organa​

 

[Liana Organa]

Liana was surprised by Caius' openness. He was not blind to his world's shortcomings, or the necessary measures for improving on them. He admitted respect for the Princesses' own candid manner-- which she supposed she appreciated-- though Liana had found that oftentimes it was less respect and more being underestimated by her older peers. Either way, it gave her advantage that she was increasingly learning to make use of.

"Well, I appreciate your honesty. Alderaan is always happy to exchange with like-minded worlds," Caius seemed reasonable enough. Whatever other motives he might have, both worlds were currently on the same side, and neither stood to gain anything from alienating the other, "And given our current situation, we wouldn't say no to seeing just what made Rendili shipbilding so renowned in its day either." Liana frowned now, "Having said that... you understand our troubles are time-sensitive, yes? The Republic may agree to grant us membership, but it still doesn't mean anything if the Sith get to us first.

Is Rendili willing to make this kind of parternship with a world under threat of occupation? Are they willing to protect their investment when push comes to shove?" The stakes were clear, but Liana did not strive to pressure the man, merely ensure he understood what kind of deal they would be making.

Caius Arden​