The Dauntless

[Faith Organa]

[SIZE=12pt]Location: Republic Capital[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Faith needed to speak with the Supreme Commander. As the Minister of Intelligence she wanted to get his feedback and what the military needed to help them fight the war against the Sith.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]She did not mean supplies, she meant intel, knowledge. What would help the most?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]She had never met the Supreme Commander [member="Gir Quee"] but she had heard his name many times since her time in the Senate. When the last Supreme Commander was brought up on charges Faith argued her best to just have her reprimanded, but she had failed in that action.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]She tried to find some information out about him, to have other talking points. She liked to know who she was speaking with. It helped to ease any stiffness, or stress that could often arise between two people who knew nothing of one another.[/SIZE]

 

[Gir Quee]

"Sir, you do know something about her, do you not?"

Gir eyed the silver protocol droid intently, "Not as much as I would like..."

But that's almost the case for everyone and everything...you can never know too much in our line of work...and that's why GRIM exists...He spared a glance in the refresher station's mirror. He eyed his own mirror image up and down several times, paying particular attention to his fitted business suit. It seemed strange to see himself in black instead of that gray military tunic. Yet he felt that it didn't seem entirely unbecoming to his image. He eyed some of the faint gray pinstripes that ran down his jacket. It looks good...but it's still civilian clothing...A brief grin flitted across his face. I'm becoming vain...Salmakk would probably start chiding me if he knew my thoughts...Gir turned his eyes to bore into C-6PO's glowing photo-receptors.

"Well C-6PO, I suppose that we should be off. I guess we'll find out more about her soon."

"Oh, yes indeed sir. I for one am quite pleased to..."

The silver droid began to prattle as they exited the room. Hopefully he won't do all of the talking...maybe I'll have turn him off or leave him outside when we get to her...

[member="Faith Balor-Organa"]

 

[Faith Organa]

[SIZE=12pt]Faith looked in the mirror, “ok so what does one wear to meet the Supreme Commander?”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Faith was talking to herself, she had missed her run this morning she had to speak with her mother who was on Alderaan holding vigil for the next ten years to have Alderaan heal itself, that is if that man even knew what he was talking about.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]UGH[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]“clothes” Faith walked to her closet, what to wear the question again, “Yeah, the long robes of office to show that I’m from Alderaan, and a senator.” She made a face, “NO. I won’t do it, I just wont, not today”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Faith pushed the clothes aside and began looking at the things she would be comfortable in.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=12pt]“Oh…yes the pink. With…hmm..maybe not pink. OH the white, I really like the white and its' formal enough to meet the Supreme Commander" Now in a dress she felt comfortable in that fit her and flowed effortless around her. She could meet the commander, she would need stimcaf this morning though. She would stop by the little shop just around the corner from the offices.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]A time later she stood in line like everyone else, everyone dressed for work. she was smiling just like anyone else.[/SIZE]

[member="Gir Quee"]

 

[Gir Quee]

"It would be a nice touch sir if I do say so myself."

Gir briefly stopped and glanced at his wrist chrono. Well, I do have the time for a stop...it might not hurt to make an impression like that as well...that's why I keep you around C-6PO...Gir turned his eyes upward to make eye contact with the droid.

"Closest shop?"

"There is a shop half a kilometer away from here," said the protocol droid gesturing with his metallic hand, "on that street corner."

The blonde man nodded, "Excellent. Let's go."

The two strolled down the walkway, with Gir glancing at the occasional passersby. After his initial time in the Academy, he found it incredibly jarring to be among who weren't wearing a uniform. To the very day, it did seem odd to not see everyone wearing gray tunics or Republic battle armor of some sort. Certainly he knew from a logical standpoint that most people did not live his life and were accustomed to every day street clothes. But he couldn't quite break that psychological gap that such a practice was, or should be, normal for him.

After several minutes of walking, they entered the caf shop. He took a brief moment to enjoy the menagerie of caf aromas that permeated the shop. But he was quickly interrupted by the feel of C-6PO's cold metallic grasp on his forearm.

"Look sir, there she is."

Sure enough, the droid was pointing to a woman in white that remarkably matched the holos that he had seen of [member="Faith Balor-Organa"]. Well, we are in the right geographical location for this to be a reasonable probability...He briefly let a sheepish grin cross his face. Listen to yourself Gir, you're already thinking like this is a tactical scenario...The man from Hast shook the thoughts away as he entered the line behind her. Gir briefly cleared his throat to catch her attention before letting a warm smile slowly crease his face.

"It looks like I'm not the only one who can enjoy a hot morning drink..."

 

[Faith Organa]

Faith was caught off guard, a bit startled she looked up, oh she knew this face. She attempted to recover her composure. But gave him a welcoming smile followed by a short laugh that he had caught her off guard, and getting stimcaf.

“It’s a terrible habit I know but sometimes I can’t help it. It’s the smell, the warm cup, and that jolt it gives me to be awake that I crave. How about you, what drives you to stop in here for such a temptation?”

Faith moved up to the counter to make her order, “White Chocolate Mocha, with a shot of expresso, no whip cream, and make it a large”

She paused for a moment, looking back at the Commander, “And what will you have this morning? I’m buying” She had lost her moment of shock and was once again herself, assured of who and what she was.

She nodded an approving look at his attire it suited him but the movements of his body seem to say he wasn’t quite comfortable in it. Faith wondered why?


[member="Gir Quee"]

 

[Gir Quee]

"Only if you insist on paying," said Gir quietly, "but I'm paying the next time."

If Gir felt out of place in his suit, he felt more lost than a bantha on a Coruscant sidewalk looking at the shop's menu. While he knew there were a lot of varieties of caf, he wouldn't call himself an affinicado by any means. Whatever happened to be in his ship's cafeteria menu for the day, he drank. usually it was simple black caf, though he recalled a particularly rich brew of Javarican espresso when he was on the Arendal. His eyes briefly skimmed the menu before catching a name that become more to him from nostalgia rather than any inherent properties of the drink itself. The blonde man nodded.

"I'll have a cup of stim tea..."

I may be a long way from Hast...but it's never bad to remember one's roots...

"...do you come here often?"

 

[Faith Organa]

He is paying next time…oo

Does she com here often?

Faith handed the credit chit over, “No, only on days when I think I need something stronger than tea. I too usually drink nothing but tea. [member="Lady Kay"] matter of fact just turned me onto a new blend which I found flavorful, not as flowery as the Alderaan blend my Tia makes, but strong something close to what you’d find on Tatooine. “

Faith took her cup and then [member="Gir Quee"] and handed his to him, “How about next time you bring something to go with tea and we’ll have tea” She nodded to the young woman behind the counter thanking her with a tip.

Faith headed toward the door, “I’m not a big fan of large crowds, and this place seems to have a following” Faith took a sip of her stimcaf she felt it hot, all the way down till it pooled in her stomach. It felt good.

“Do you go there often?”

Could the Supreme Commander and the Princess of Alderaan walk without gathering their own little following outside. Faith looked outside and saw no one, soo she assumed they could. She would need to put her Minister of Intelligence hat on soon but right now she enjoyed just being Faith, girl after a cup of something hot.

 

[Gir Quee]

"That was my first time there," admitted Gir, "something of a suggested spontaneous event...if that makes sense."

He blinked as they entered the street. Well that sounded idiotic...He gazed up at the capital's rising sun; watching its radiant beams pass through the towering buildings onto the streets below. He took a brief sip of his tea, letting the warm liquid flow down this throat, all while feeling the tea's warmth radiate through his body. He gave a brief glance at the chesnut-colored liquid sloshing in his cup.

"I have to admit, that I'm a bit of space-bound hermit," revealed the admiral, "I don't come down to the ground very often. But when I do come groundside, C-6PO tries to get me to see new places. Maybe next time he'll show me a good bakery before we meet for tea."

His eyes briefly wandered among the passersby on the street, catching glimpses of the assembled cultures through their fashion and speech. He watched as cerean walked by them, talking plainly on his comlink to what Gir guessed was either his wife or a malfunctioning droid. That's a conversation I'd never hear on a warship...His eyes briefly fell upon a tree. They lingered over it briefly. Another thing I wouldn't see on a warship...He turned his attention back to [member="Faith Balor-Organa"].

"Do you like it here? It doesn't quite seem to be like Alderaan, at least from what I've seen of the holos."

 

[Faith Organa]

[member="Gir Quee"]

So the Supreme Commander of the fleet lived in space for the most part. How many other things had he not experienced regularly that she took for granted. She had not thought his comment idiotic at all if she could read minds she would have told him that.

“I love sweets’ she laughed she had an awful sweet tooth at times, “a bakery would be perfect. Depending on where we have tea next I can recommend a bakery to him, though he probably knows them all” Droids were like that, especially the protocol droids.

The conversation drifted as it would with any two people speaking and learning about one another. Home. Alderaan was home for her. He had not asked her if she missed it but each time it was mentioned she felt the loss of it. A pang of pain hurt her heart, and touched something within the core of her being and tears welled up but she would not let them fall.

He asked her if she liked it here.

Faith’s eyes shining with the tears touched upon many things around them, “here has many advantages that are not available at home. Here there are so many people, so many cultures” Faith reached up and brushed the tears away, here she could see a twi’lek walking besides a bothan carrying on a conversation about who knew what.

Faith smiled so did she like it here, “Commander I do like it here. I like diversity, but I also miss my home even though here has many advantages to being here, such as home to the Republic, and where I have friends.”

She missed home sadly because Tia’s garden house was no longer there, the crystal blue seas, the lush green valleys, the snowcapped mountains and everything else that she grew up with. Faith had to take a deep breath, she could feel her sadness she never let it out, and she always kept it in check.

“What about you, where is home for you?” She liked this talking finding out what kind of man he was.

 

[Gir Quee]

Gir listened carefully to [member="Faith Balor-Organa"]. It was one thing to see the warzones from high up in a warship over a planet, but quite another to hear about the destruction from up close and personal standpoint. Gir had heard a lot about Alderaan, the beautiful world that always seemed to attract more than its fair share of war and violence. It seemed that the world was again at peace for the moment, as shattered as it was by the Vong occupation.

"Please, call me Gir...as for home...hmm... According to my official service records," said Gir, "it's a water world called Hast, far off by what was Silver Jedi space not too long ago. Part of the family that adopted me still lives there, and we chat from time to time, but at the same time, it's not a place where I feel a whole lot of connection to it. It's sort of just there. I guess from a practical standpoint, home is where the fleet is. I know it probably seems a bit corny to think of my fellow Republic soldiers as family, but they're the people I have spent most of my life with. I feel that there's a sort of connection that you can only get from spending time with another person just doing the normal, daily routines, as boring as they are. Are there people here you spend a lot of time with? A fellow senator, perhaps?"

 

[Faith Organa]

[SIZE=12pt]“Gir” she repeated and listened. Hast, what did she knew of this world. She had been required to study many different worlds before heading to the Senate was this one of them.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]She smiled as she tried to remember yes a water world for certain, OH..they had ship yards why she couldn’t remember anything else escaped her.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]She shook her head as he spoke, “Gir it is not corny at all to feel that you have connections to people who put their lives on the line and serve. “ She could understand this, she had spent so much time with Captain Lindsey that she felt he was part of her family, but he was gone now.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]“I would find it odd if you did not feel close to them, or think of them as part of your family”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Captain Lindsey had been her guard since she turned twelve and now as an adult she felt his presence missing.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]She turned slightly as they walked she sipped her drink enjoying the taste, “I don’t have many friends here at all.” She use to have a sister here but no more.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]Her mother did not visit much, her Tia was on Mandalore caring for her young cousins, her brothers were missing, and other sister Arabella she had no idea where she was. While she had lots of family, she was for the most part alone.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]“I’ve tried to make a few friends, but being in my position I think puts some people off. They feel under a microscope perhaps, or something” She gave that half laugh again that said she didn’t know. She spent time alone, and time reading proposed bills, in reports from Alderaan, in reports from GRIM. [/SIZE]


[SIZE=12pt]“Maybe you will take me on board one of the ships and show me around, let me see your family and how well you all work together. I am very curious about the workings of the military. I am also very concerned that I and my office is lax in getting you, what you need to fight the enemy”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]She was concerned.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]“You should call me Faith” the other things were just titles, “would it be possible to tour a ship?” She had never asked, “perhaps meet some of your other officers?” Faith needed to build a relationship with the military.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]And she was enjoying the company of the Commander, he had a calm disposition, and a surety that she enjoyed.[/SIZE]


[member="Gir Quee"]

 

[Gir Quee]

Gir listened intently to [member="Faith Balor-Organa"] as they wandered the streets. Hast was known for its shipyards; one of the few worlds outside of Dac that routinely built Mon Calamari starships. It was exceptionally rare for him to see any of that culture's ships these days though. But more likely than not, it was due to his duty stations rather than any descent in the mon calamari's manufacture of such vessels. He briefly smiled as he remembered seeing his first starship, a mon calamari passenger liner coming down to land at his home town. But he quickly turned his focus back to the present as she talked about GRIM. He nodded in understanding.

"Intelligence is a tricky field," mused the man, "I think that in some ways, you're probably braver than me for tackling on that job. Much of the time, my job is fairly straight forward, but from the few operatives of yours that I've met, it doesn't always seem that the way is so clear in your field. But I have been impressed by them from what I've seen."

Though I suppose I should be impressed by what I don't see as well...perhaps even more so in some, no, in most cases...

Tour a warship...His eyes briefly flickered upwards as he thought about his current flagship, the Obi-Wan Kenobi. The glistening hull of star destroyer hung over the world almost a thousand kilometers away. It seemed like such a far distance while he walked, though he knew that it would only be a matter of minutes of a flight. Still...Gir briefly cleared his throat.

"When would you like to tour a ship?" asked Gir, "if you would like, I could take you to the Obi-Wan Kenobi today if your schedule permits."

 

[Faith Organa]

[SIZE=12pt]When could she tour, oh she was a girl of action. She pulled out her communications device, “Kayla, move all my appointments today to tomorrow.” Faith didn’t offer her assistant any explanation. She rarely took a day like today to do things.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Faith quickly put it away and looked to Gir, “Sir I am all yours for the rest of the day” She couldn’t believe her luck that he would take her today, she thought for certain this would take an special act of the Senate. She was also being sarcastic in her own thoughts.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]“thank you for the compliment on our agents they are doing their best, we lose some though. Too often we send them to planets that are close to the Republic borders, and too often they don’t return” She did not know anything on some of them but their first name, or their code names but she recognized their names in reports. That was part of the job she hated, she hated the look on the faces of the families.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Faith cleared her mind, she shouldn’t think about that, “The Obi Wan Kenobi very fitting for a Republic Ship. Your flag ship yes?” She thought she had seen a flash of pride in his eyes.[/SIZE]

[member="Gir Quee"]

 

[Gir Quee]

"The Obi-Wan is my flagship," confirmed the admiral, "but there are many star destroyers like it in the Republic Navy."

He briefly glanced into [member="Faith Balor-Organa"]'s eyes, "Many are named after our heroes of old. I find it pretty humbling that through the thousands of years, the Republic has had so many guardians and champions. I have to admit that I think far more about that jedi master now than I ever would have thought possible before. It's weird to think that perhaps one day, people will think of us the same way..."

Oh Gir...before you get too carried away...

"Do you have a ship? Or would you like to fly up to it on my shuttle?"

 

[Faith Organa]

Faith nodded she had that bit of information correct, thank goodness. The bit about there being other star destroyers like it in the Navy to Faith seemed to be his attempt to tell her it was not special in any other way except that it was the ship he chose as his Flagship.

She wondered about why he chose that ship. She knew that maybe it wasn't the design, maybe that was where he was serving when he made Supreme Commander, or it was the crew, or maybe it was the name itself. She was curious to know why to begin to understand how the Commander thought.

Then he continued on as he caught her gaze she smiled and nodded to show she listened and was interested in what he said.

"I never thought of that" it made her pause to literally stand still that in the future someone could look at all they did today and think of it on the same level as Princess Leia, or Obi Wan Kenobi.

"Oh..um I have a shuttle like all Senators since I am learning about the military today I would prefer your shuttle" Also she thought by using your shuttle the gossip mongers of the Senate won't know that I am touring the military and speaking with the dashing Supreme Commander.

"Did you always know that you would be in the military?" For some it was the dream come true to serve in the military, for others it was the only way they would survive, so what was it that brought [member="Gir Quee"] to the path he traveled?

 

[Gir Quee]

Gir briefly hesitated at her question. Not something that I was planning on talking about, but I'm certain she could find a way if she really wanted to. How big is GRIM again? He shuffled the thought away as he began to lead them towards his shuttle's landing pad.

"I never really thought that I would make it this far in the military," admitted Gir, "I joined thinking that I could do something good in the galaxy for a couple of years, and during that time, I'd help myself. I figured that after my first commission was up, I would have saved enough money to buy a small ship or two and go into the shipping business..."

A rueful smile slowly crept across his face.

"But that was not to be, and I'm glad that I ended up staying in. I think that sometimes it was simple inertia that kept me going from day to day," said Gir, his voice briefly growing softer, "but I've found it hard not to be affected by what I've seen on the battlefield. I'm not sure if I could ever turn back from this life now. I think that on some level, I'd feel morally responsible, or maybe even irresponsible, if I left the field while the Republic is wracked by war.

But enough about me."

The admiral turned his eyes to gaze into [member="Faith Balor-Organa"]'s.

"What about you? Did you always plan on becoming a senator or a spymaster?"

 

[Faith Organa]

[member="Gir Quee"]

[SIZE=12pt]She wished she could have dodged his question each time she said it out loud she felt like a traitor to her family, and her home world.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]She shrugged her shoulders as she looked down before answering, “I didn’t want to be any of these things. I was content to be on Alderaan away from the politics and games played between planets and governments”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]She gave him a sidelong glance wondering if she had just lost any respect he may have had for her, “I have learned a lot more about the galaxy in general by being here. I was made Intelligence Minister because I was someone who spoke louder than someone else.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Did she speak louder that day, she didn’t think so, and she just wanted to revamp what existed how that merited doing this, well. She had yet to figure it all out.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]“The other positions I guess I inherited” She was the only one left was more like it. She tried not to focus on that, not to bring the thoughts and doubts to now.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]“I hear nothing but praise for you Gir and the job that you do. I would say that the Republic is quite fortunate to have you.” She nodded.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]She started to speak and stopped, then started again, “I could find out a lot of things just by running checks or looking in personnel folders. But that lacks the social graces. And I think it can be invasive. If I want to know something personal about say you, I’d ask rather than pry.” Maybe she wasn’t a good Intelligence Minister, maybe her moral compass pointed the wrong direction.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]“You should come to Alderaan, even though it is still a frightening place. It is changing slowly, come be my guest sometime let me show you my home as it use to be. I can bore you pictures” She laughed fully now.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]“I would like an officer assigned to my office so help me keep an open line of communication with you. That our offices work more cohesively. Is that possible?”[/SIZE]

 

[Gir Quee]

Gir listened closely as [member="Faith Balor-Organa"] revealed a more private part of herself as they neared his ship. His respect for her only grew larger the more that he listened. It's not easy being honest and open about the facts that aren't always to our favor. But if she's willing to share that with me, I guess that means that she trusts me, and that I'll trust her...I think we're going to work with each other just fine. The blonde man pulled out a silver comlink as they approached a red and white emblazoned Orbital Jumper.

"I think that it is absolutely possible. It would be good to have liaison personnel set up with each other's organizations," said the man from Hast, "If you can spare it, I would like to have someone from your ministry that could travel with me on the Obi-Wan to help advise me. I suppose it almost goes without saying that intelligence is vital to any military effort, but also I'd rather not accidentally mess up any operations that GRIM has going on wherever the fleet goes..."

He tapped a button on the comlink, causing the doors on either side of the diminutive ship to silently slide open.

"It's not my normal ship," said Gir, "since my normal shuttle is undergoing some modifications. But it's a bit more fun to fly, and I almost hating that I have to give it back to the starship pool at the end of the month. I think I'm growing to like it a little too much for something that's government property."

The admiral moved to help the woman into her side of the ship, briefly glancing upwards at the sky, "Looks like the weather will be pleasant enough for our trip. Do you fly often?"

 

[Faith Organa]

[member="Gir Quee"]

Hints of his mood his beliefs filtered through with his words. "I will have someone assigned" She would put someone she trusted someone who could think on their feet.

"I couldn't agree more. Our intelligence gathering needs to be focused on the objective of finding ways to cause turmoil within the one sith." ,Faith nodded this was what she hoped to accomplish creating cohesiveness between their organisations.

"I fly when opportunity and happy circumstance allow. So. Yes whenever I can" she had a thought, "I'm hoping to go Bespin to ride a thranta, would you like to go if it is safe enough?"

She had to ask herself what was she doing.

 

[Gir Quee]

Thranta...where I have heard that name before? He briefly remembered seeing a holo of one that his mother had kept before her disappearance. He knew that they had something to do with Alderaan, though he couldn't recall what exactly. Still, she had mentioned Bespin, which made him more curious. Gir blinked as he finished strapping himself into the orbital jumper's chair and briefly turned his face towards her with a warm grin.

"I have found that I'm absolutely terrible at riding animals," said the man, starting the ship's pre-flight checkoff list, "there's something unpredictable about their movement sometimes that unnerves me, but perhaps I'm a bit of a control freak after being used to being able to control every little detail from the helm of a starship."

The repulsorlifts began to whine as the ship rose up from the ground. Gir gently nudged the ship's yoke to the left before slowly depressing a pedal; the Suncrest began to gradually jet forward and climb through the skies to the upper reaches of the atmosphere. He spared a quick glance downward to see the city disappear among the backdrop of earth. He turned his eyes to her once more.

"I imagine that the views on Bespin from a thranta must be quite magnificent," mused the admiral, "if you do go, you'll have to send me holos."

The wedge-shaped prow of the Obi-Wan Kenobi slowly came into view, hovering over the world like a guardian angel. The man felt the ship's inertial gravity generators slowly kick in as natural gravity became less strong. It was an oddly reassuring feeling, but perhaps it had to do with the familiarity. He turned his blue eyes onto [member="Faith Balor-Organa"] once more.

"Have you ever been on a warship before?"