Private Rage Against the Dying of the Light

[Sycorax Laveaux]

​

Office of Senator Sycorax Laveaux
Planetary capital of Lamont, Dahrtag
The Core Worlds

Seated at her writing desk, Sycorax finished typing up a letter to the governor, then closed her computer. Today had been unusually quiet, which she hoped was a good omen. She had one final meeting scheduled before she left for the day, but it was a meeting of great importance. Perhaps the most important of her entire career.

Her office would be hosting a guest of honor: Aurelian Veruna, the future King of Naboo. She wasn't sure what sort of man Aurelian was or what to expect. Normally she hated not knowing what she was in for, but in this case she was desperate enough to cast out her line into uncharted territory. From where they stood now, things were only going to get worse. Something had to be done. She wouldn't wait until it was too late.

She got up and approached the table at the other end of the room, where a tray sat with a decanter and glasses waiting to be filled. While she was pouring herself a drink, her datapad chimed. It was time.

"Send him in."

Aurelian Veruna​

 

[Aurelian Veruna]

X | X​

Aurelian stepped through the door with the easy confidence. His guard lingered outside, dismissed with a flick of his hand, leaving him alone to face the woman whose letter had reached his ears quicker than he might have liked.

Word traveled faster than hyperlanes these days; Ukatis had proven that. Their King had accepted his proposal, but Aurelian's chief fascination was with the real ruler who keeps their puppet King in line. Had she spoken with others in the Alliance about their deal? Was that why he received a summons to meet in Lamont? He was curious how far the Alliance would continue to fall. But for now, another board, another player.

He gave a shallow bow to Senator Sycorax Laveaux, lips curved in the kind of smile that could pass for polite courtesy or a threat, depending on how one looked at it.

"Senator," he said smoothly, straightening and letting his gaze wander the room before settling on her. His eyes were sharp, bright with a predator's curiosity. He noted everything: the glass tray on the table, the faint lines of weariness at the corners of her mouth, the possible tension in her shoulders. He filed it all away.

"Your Necropolis is... fascinating. Do they still call it that?" His tone was almost mocking, but not unkind, like an amused prince turning a cruel word into a jest. "A planet of graves, yet still a place where the living struggle for relevance. I imagine it teaches perspective."

Sycorax Laveaux​

 

[Sycorax Laveaux]

Aurelian strode into the room like he owned the place. Tall, dark, and handsome, he was dressed in an ornate black outfit befitting of royalty, the style simultaneously flamboyant and austere in that way which was unique to Naboo. He signaled to his guards to remain outside with a wave of his hand and then gave his host a shallow bow, his smile not quite reaching his eyes.

Sycorax smiled back, though she didn't bow. It wasn't the custom here on her planet to lower oneself before another. Next to him she looked downright bizarre, with her eccentric beehive hairstyle, theatrical makeup, and designer dress. Like the corpse bride meeting with a storybook prince. But hey, the history books wouldn't mention what they were wearing... probably.

"Your Necropolis is... fascinating. Do they still call it that?" His tone was almost mocking, but not unkind, like an amused prince turning a cruel word into a jest. "A planet of graves, yet still a place where the living struggle for relevance. I imagine it teaches perspective."

She shrugged. "It taught me that life is short, so I better do what I can while I still can. And to answer your question, yes, although the name on all the official documents is still Dahrtag." She gestured to a couch. "Feel free to have a seat, Your Majesty. We have much to discuss. Would you care for a drink?"

Aurelian Veruna​

 

[Aurelian Veruna]

X | X​

Aurelian moved to the offered seat without hesitation, his long stride carrying him across the room with a kind of restrained grace. Crossing his legs, he looked entirely at ease, as if the senator's office were merely another salon on Naboo, and she another courtier to charm or disarm.

When she mentioned a drink, he gave a quiet laugh. "I'll have whatever you're having, Senator," he said, tilting his head slightly, a dangerous smile flickering across his lips. He wouldn't play to the risk of poison any more. He would see to it he had what she had and she drank first. His sharp gaze followed her as she poured, not unkind, like a man studying a painting he wasn't yet sure he liked.

"I must admit," he went on, his tone carrying a lilt of curiosity wrapped in velvet irony, "I am surprised to find myself summoned here. An Alliance world so far removed from the Mid Rim. I'd have thought your attentions would typically be consumed by Coreward affairs. Surely this isn't a social call." He leaned back, shoulders settling in with deliberate ease, his eyes fixed on her through the haze of her eccentric elegance. The Naboo prince could look languid, almost careless, but there was a sharpness in the way he spoke; each word chosen, weighted.

"Of course," he added, his voice softening into something that could almost be mistaken for charm, "it is a great honor to be in my presence. Or so I'm told." The smirk that followed gave the impression he was as amused at himself as he was at the line. "So tell me, Senator Laveaux, what is it you seek from this meeting? Is it word of Ukatis that brought you to my doorstep so quickly?" His dark eyes narrowed with interest, a flicker of mischief dancing there. "Or are you reaching for something altogether different?"

Sycorax Laveaux​

 

[Sycorax Laveaux]

She poured a second glass and handed it to him, taking a seat across from his couch. While he droned on about what a surprise her request for a meeting had been, she retrieved her datapad and pulled up her notes for this meeting. What she had in mind wasn't complicated, but she still wanted to make sure she covered all her bases.

"Of course, it is a great honor to be in my presence. Or so I'm told."

She looked up at him over her drink and datapad, her expression quizzical. Was he fishing for compliments? If so, she didn't humor him. He might think her joyless, but the situation she was in, as he would soon find out, was rather too dire for jokes or idle charm.

"So tell me, Senator Laveaux, what is it you seek from this meeting? Is it word of Ukatis that brought you to my doorstep so quickly? Or are you reaching for something altogether different?"

"I was there when they joined the Republic," she said with a nod. "That affair was well done on the part of you and Ukatians. It was a quiet, amicable separation with no loose ends or strings attached. I wish I had thought of it."

Which brought her to the subject of today's meeting. "The Alliance is dying, as I'm sure you're aware. Except it is not the slow, sickly death of an aging empire. No, the GA is being devoured from within by members of its own state whose sole concern is saving their own skins. There is already talk in the Senate of abandoning member worlds to conquest by foreign invaders. I fought the idea as soon as it was introduced, but those pushing for it are gaining followers, not losing them." Moreover, her dissent had painted a target on her back. She was used to being a target, but there was a vast difference between the crime lords of her homeworld wanting her dead, and the leaders of planets with more power and influence than she could dream of desiring her demise.

As she spoke about her fellow Senators, her gaze seemed to grow distant, her eyes narrowing contemptuously. Far from being indifferent, their actions infuriated her, partly because she felt powerless to stop them. She refused to stand by and let them make her world into yet another plaything for them to use and discard. "I see no point in Dahrtag continuing to be part of the Alliance if they will not provide the protection and security which was promised. But we cannot survive as an independent world, either. So..." She met Aurelian's eyes. "We must follow Ukatis' example and join another friendly faction. Provided the price the High Republic demands is not too great a cost to pay."

Aurelian Veruna​