Private Staffing Issues

[Dominic Praxon]

The hours were evaporating, and Dominic walked as if he could outrun them.

Staffers orbited him in loose formation through the corridor. Datapads appeared in his hands, explanations trailing behind them. Most he skimmed for half a second before handing them back without breaking stride. Another replaced it almost immediately. Chaos. Pure, industrious chaos.

One thing he had assumed would remain stable while he was away from Naboo was his office. His staff. His systems. His Chief of Staff most of all.

Anda Bavula had been a force of nature, efficient, sharp-tongued and, entirely immune to excuses. She kept the machine running and everyone inside it terrified of disappointing her.

She was also, apparently, retired.

Retired.

Dominic suppressed the urge to sigh. A midlife epiphany had apparently led to a spiritual awakening somewhere in Naboo's Lake Country. Bavula now spent her days in quiet reflection and meditation. Meditation. He privately suspected it looked suspiciously like an extended holiday.

What a waste.

Another intern slipped nervously into step beside him and pushed a datapad forward like a peace offering. "Donor obligations, sir. And there's an opening tonight at the Theed Modern...they were hoping you might..."

Dominic glanced down just long enough to understand the problem before returning the datapad. "I will not." The intern swallowed and peeled away into the current of aides behind him. His shuttle back to the Outbound Flight departed at day's end. Every hour until then had already been promised to someone else.

Dominic stopped walking. The sudden halt nearly caused two interns to collide with him. He turned, shoulders straightening slightly as he exhaled the last of his irritation. "Is Elsie here yet?"

Elysia Thanopis​

 

[Elysia Thanopis]

Time felt like it moved differently around Elysia. Ever, what felt like, the most calm in the room, the hustle and bustle of busy corridors rarely affected her mental fortitude. Stood off to the side of the frantic corridor, Elysia waited for her master, and friend, to arrive. Her eyes were closed, her face sporting a peaceful but concerned expression, and fully engulfed in her own thoughts as if in some sort of trance.

Whispers of Elsie's past had been beginning to make its rounds again. It felt like the murmurs of her shame were spreading through the political world like wildfire. At present, she had a few moments of downtime, she knew perfectly well that these precious moments should be for preparing. However her mind was unable to escape her worries.

Just as her self deprecating thoughts were about to plunge her further into the void of worry and anxiety, the sound of a rabble of hurried feet broke through the murky cloud of her mental judgement. Her focus was broken.

"uh....Lady Thanopis?" said a shaky and nervous voice.

Elsie immediately snapped out of her mental funk. Above anything else, she was a professional who took her job seriously. Someone was addressing her, thoughts can wait. It was time for her to do her job.

Elsie's gloom demeanour faded instantly, and gracefully formed into a peaceful one. She opened her pearlescent blue eyes slowly, looked at the nervous intern before and smiled a smile that could calm the most enraged beast.

"Yes? How can I help you" Elsie said, in her soothing breathy voice.

"I....I wanted to let you know that the Senator is approaching" the intern replied. His voice trembling, beads of anxious sweat forming on his brow. Elsie giggled softly at his comment.

"I know. The noise filling this corridor made it very apparent. Regardless, I thank you"

It was true, Dominic was fast approaching, with a group of stressed interns in hot pursuit. Giving the one who informed her of his arrival a small wink, she took a step back and watched Dominic and the group pass by. After a couple years of being Dominic's faithful aide, she was all too familiar with him. She knew he would be too stressed to notice her standing in plain sight. Elsie waited for her cue. I took but only a moment.
Hearing Dominic inquire about Elsie's location, she smiled and instantly revealed herself to him.

"Right here, Dominic"

Elsie approached his side, smiling playfully at him.

Dominic Praxon

 

[Dominic Praxon]

His jaw immediately unclenched when his eyes finally focused, and the Rutian Twi'lek became apparent among the crowd. "Gods be thanked," he said, returning her smile though his was still laced with impending deadlines.

The chatter had died down a little, and Dominic took full advantage. His hand lifted and two fingers beckoned she join him at his side. "Everyone. You know her already...but in the interim until we have a new Chief of Staff hired...Lady Elysia Thanopis will be your primary point of contact. It should only be a week...no more."

He offered his aide, and friend, an apologetic glance. "She is well capable."

Then, surprising all the interns that had thought Dominic was not taking all the clamour on board, he began to rattle off instructions. "You..." He pointed at an intern, whose eyebrows perked immediately. "...tell the Senator from Vaklin that I will not be voting for such a motion. Tell him to get it back to the draft phase, and get rid of all those provisions for fast tracking mining contracts."

He turned to the next. "And you. That reporter is not worth the effort. If we really want to impress, get Gannet Mandray from HNN to do a sit down interview on the Outbound. Just forward me his itinerary. I will make it work."

To the next, "Thank you for the update on Lady Sal-Soren's condition. Send her flowers. Nothing...ostentatious. It should give...friend of the family...not anything more."

He turned a full one hundred and eighty degrees, and fired off a few quick replies. "No..." And then to the next intern. "...tell them a week. If they ask for eight days, tell them a week. If they ask for six, tell them a week...." And then to the next. "...give them an ultimatum. Either vote for it, or we pull out support of the Reclamation Bill."

His eyes flicked towards Elsie. "Walk with me."

He set off at an unrelenting pace, walking with purpose towards his office, and leaving the interns to disperse and get to their assigned duties. "Please tell me you have a candidate picked out to replace Anda. I can't have you running this mess long term. I have no doubt you would be good at it, but I need you elsewhere..."

Elysia Thanopis​