ʀᴇᴘᴜʙʟɪᴄ sᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟ ᴇɴᴠᴏʏ
OFFICE OF THE CHANCELLOR // ENVOY FIELD RECORD
TAVO HALOR
TAVO HALOR
LOCATION The South Solleu Quarter, Theed, Naboo ⟡ OBJECTIVE Engage in negotiations
The evacuation had been thorough, with three streets emptied entirely and another two closed at either end by Republic security vehicles and temporary barricades. What had probably been a noisy commercial quarter only hours earlier had become unnaturally still, the kind of silence that made every distant engine and clipped burst of radio traffic seem louder than it was.
The South Solleu Quarter was one of the older parts of Theed, built in tighter streets than the broad avenues surrounding the Royal Palace. Sandstone residences crowded above small shops and workshops, joined in places by balconies, covered passages and additions accumulated over generations. The streets curved where newer districts would have run straight, narrowing unpredictably between buildings before opening again into small courtyards and pedestrian squares.
It was not difficult to understand why the building had been chosen. There were few clean approaches, several ways to watch anybody coming, and enough surrounding construction to make a direct assault considerably more complicated than it looked on a map.
Tavo Halor stood beneath the awning of what had become the forward command point and studied the building at the centre of it all. Four storeys rose above the street, with two visible entrances at ground level, although one appeared to serve the shuttered shopfront beneath the apartments. The windows overlooking the main avenue had been covered from inside, while the adjoining structures pressed closely enough against either side that the gaps between them were little more than narrow passageways.
A pair of uniformed officers stood beside a portable tactical display nearby. Others moved quietly between parked security vehicles and the barricades further back, speaking in low voices or listening to the steady traffic coming through their comms.
Nobody appeared particularly interested in pretending the situation was routine.
"Three hostages confirmed," the security captain said. "All civilians. We have four captors inside as far as we can establish."
Tavo looked away from the building.
"As far as you can establish?"
"No movement suggesting anyone else since we locked the area down. Four distinct signatures, four individuals seen through the windows before they covered them."
Captain Rellan had the increasingly tired look of somebody who had spent the last several hours being given responsibility for a situation in which every available option carried its own particular variety of disaster. She was perhaps in her early forties, her uniform still immaculate beneath the tactical vest thrown over it, while the comm unit clipped near one shoulder seemed determined to demand her attention every few minutes.
She tapped the display.
"Initial call came from inside. They identified themselves, gave us their demands and twenty minutes to clear the surrounding blocks. They claimed they had enough explosives inside to bring part of the structure down and damage the adjoining buildings if we attempted an assault."
"Claimed?"
"They gave us a demonstration."
Another touch brought up an image of the rear of the property. A small service courtyard sat between several adjoining buildings, one wall blackened and partially fractured around the remains of what had apparently been a storage structure.
"Small charge. Nobody hurt. They warned us first and gave the evacuation team enough time to clear the immediate area."
Tavo studied the image.
"Enough to make the rest credible."
"Enough that I wasn't inclined to find out."
He gave a slight nod.
There was little reason to gamble civilian lives merely to determine whether the people inside had exaggerated the quantity of explosives at their disposal. The empty streets beyond the command post suggested Rellan had reached much the same conclusion some time ago.
She changed the display, replacing the image with a map of the surrounding blocks.
"We've got containment here, here and here. Traffic control is another street beyond that, with evacuation teams holding outside the exclusion zone. Nobody enters this section without us knowing about it, and nobody leaving gets through without being challenged."
Her finger moved toward the hostage building.
"The problem is everything closer than that. Main entrance gives them a clear view along the street. North side narrows considerably before reaching the rear courtyard. South is worse. There's another building adjoining the eastern wall, but we've kept our people out of it rather than risk them noticing movement next door."
Tavo followed the route of her finger across the display.
The people inside had planned well enough. They had selected somewhere awkward to approach, demonstrated that their threat of explosives was credible and forced enough of the surrounding district clear that nobody on the Republic side was particularly eager to test their patience.
They had also been unusually specific about who they wanted to speak with.
Not an intermediary or police negotiator, nor somebody who would simply carry their demands elsewhere and return once permission had passed through half a dozen offices. They wanted somebody from the Chancellor's Office who could act on what was discussed.
Inconvenient, certainly, but hardly incomprehensible. If they intended to demand political concessions, asking for somebody empowered to discuss them saved everyone several unnecessary steps.
"They're still expecting me?"
"Specifically," Rellan said. "Someone with authority to make immediate decisions on demands."
"Anyone else?"
Rellan considered the question before answering. "They'll tolerate one escort if we insist on it, but anyone entering gets searched and disarmed before they go upstairs. No blasters, knives, lightsabers or anything else they decide qualifies."
Her attention shifted briefly toward Connel. "They were particularly clear about the lightsaber."
Tavo followed the glance. He could negotiate without a weapon easily enough; that was hardly unusual. Whether taking a Jedi into the same room after first depriving him of his lightsaber improved their position was another matter entirely, and not one Tavo felt any particular urge to decide on Connel's behalf.
Rellan looked back toward him. "Anything you want changed before you go in?"
Tavo glanced at Connel.
"Ask the Jedi."
Rellan accepted the redirection without hesitation, shifting toward the tactical display and leaving the map open between them.
"Master Vanagor? My people know the district, but you've seen the briefing and you've seen the ground now. If this were yours, is there anything about the cordon you'd change?"
She gestured toward the hostage building and the surrounding streets.
"Anything you'd want us watching, clearing or leaving alone before anyone goes through that door?"
The South Solleu Quarter was one of the older parts of Theed, built in tighter streets than the broad avenues surrounding the Royal Palace. Sandstone residences crowded above small shops and workshops, joined in places by balconies, covered passages and additions accumulated over generations. The streets curved where newer districts would have run straight, narrowing unpredictably between buildings before opening again into small courtyards and pedestrian squares.
It was not difficult to understand why the building had been chosen. There were few clean approaches, several ways to watch anybody coming, and enough surrounding construction to make a direct assault considerably more complicated than it looked on a map.
Tavo Halor stood beneath the awning of what had become the forward command point and studied the building at the centre of it all. Four storeys rose above the street, with two visible entrances at ground level, although one appeared to serve the shuttered shopfront beneath the apartments. The windows overlooking the main avenue had been covered from inside, while the adjoining structures pressed closely enough against either side that the gaps between them were little more than narrow passageways.
A pair of uniformed officers stood beside a portable tactical display nearby. Others moved quietly between parked security vehicles and the barricades further back, speaking in low voices or listening to the steady traffic coming through their comms.
Nobody appeared particularly interested in pretending the situation was routine.
"Three hostages confirmed," the security captain said. "All civilians. We have four captors inside as far as we can establish."
Tavo looked away from the building.
"As far as you can establish?"
"No movement suggesting anyone else since we locked the area down. Four distinct signatures, four individuals seen through the windows before they covered them."
Captain Rellan had the increasingly tired look of somebody who had spent the last several hours being given responsibility for a situation in which every available option carried its own particular variety of disaster. She was perhaps in her early forties, her uniform still immaculate beneath the tactical vest thrown over it, while the comm unit clipped near one shoulder seemed determined to demand her attention every few minutes.
She tapped the display.
"Initial call came from inside. They identified themselves, gave us their demands and twenty minutes to clear the surrounding blocks. They claimed they had enough explosives inside to bring part of the structure down and damage the adjoining buildings if we attempted an assault."
"Claimed?"
"They gave us a demonstration."
Another touch brought up an image of the rear of the property. A small service courtyard sat between several adjoining buildings, one wall blackened and partially fractured around the remains of what had apparently been a storage structure.
"Small charge. Nobody hurt. They warned us first and gave the evacuation team enough time to clear the immediate area."
Tavo studied the image.
"Enough to make the rest credible."
"Enough that I wasn't inclined to find out."
He gave a slight nod.
There was little reason to gamble civilian lives merely to determine whether the people inside had exaggerated the quantity of explosives at their disposal. The empty streets beyond the command post suggested Rellan had reached much the same conclusion some time ago.
She changed the display, replacing the image with a map of the surrounding blocks.
"We've got containment here, here and here. Traffic control is another street beyond that, with evacuation teams holding outside the exclusion zone. Nobody enters this section without us knowing about it, and nobody leaving gets through without being challenged."
Her finger moved toward the hostage building.
"The problem is everything closer than that. Main entrance gives them a clear view along the street. North side narrows considerably before reaching the rear courtyard. South is worse. There's another building adjoining the eastern wall, but we've kept our people out of it rather than risk them noticing movement next door."
Tavo followed the route of her finger across the display.
The people inside had planned well enough. They had selected somewhere awkward to approach, demonstrated that their threat of explosives was credible and forced enough of the surrounding district clear that nobody on the Republic side was particularly eager to test their patience.
They had also been unusually specific about who they wanted to speak with.
Not an intermediary or police negotiator, nor somebody who would simply carry their demands elsewhere and return once permission had passed through half a dozen offices. They wanted somebody from the Chancellor's Office who could act on what was discussed.
Inconvenient, certainly, but hardly incomprehensible. If they intended to demand political concessions, asking for somebody empowered to discuss them saved everyone several unnecessary steps.
"They're still expecting me?"
"Specifically," Rellan said. "Someone with authority to make immediate decisions on demands."
"Anyone else?"
Rellan considered the question before answering. "They'll tolerate one escort if we insist on it, but anyone entering gets searched and disarmed before they go upstairs. No blasters, knives, lightsabers or anything else they decide qualifies."
Her attention shifted briefly toward Connel. "They were particularly clear about the lightsaber."
Tavo followed the glance. He could negotiate without a weapon easily enough; that was hardly unusual. Whether taking a Jedi into the same room after first depriving him of his lightsaber improved their position was another matter entirely, and not one Tavo felt any particular urge to decide on Connel's behalf.
Rellan looked back toward him. "Anything you want changed before you go in?"
Tavo glanced at Connel.
"Ask the Jedi."
Rellan accepted the redirection without hesitation, shifting toward the tactical display and leaving the map open between them.
"Master Vanagor? My people know the district, but you've seen the briefing and you've seen the ground now. If this were yours, is there anything about the cordon you'd change?"
She gestured toward the hostage building and the surrounding streets.
"Anything you'd want us watching, clearing or leaving alone before anyone goes through that door?"
HOUSE HALOR // SERVICE • DISCIPLINE • UNDERSTANDING