Private The Wooden Horse

[Alicio Organa]

​

Aboard the Gift of Peace
Edge of Mandalorian Space
- Jenn Kryze - Veshok Rook -
​

The Gift was ready to flee into hyperspace at any given moment.

The calculations had already been made by Captain da Silva, the Alderaanian officer aboard the corvette. She was one of nine volunteer crewmembers, people who knew the risks, and had signed up for them. People that trusted Senator Organa with their lives. Alicio could only hope to hold that trust.

The Enclave had already proven their eagerness to raid diplomatic vessels. That was what had gotten them in this mess to begin with.

Alicio himself stood on the bridge of the cruiser, like a silent specter in a dark flowing cape, grey eyes staring into the vast emptiness of space, tracking something unseen behind it's black curtains. He tried to peek ahead in the Future, to see what was in store for them, to give the Count any sense of peace, but there was none to be found. Only uncertainty.

"Sir? We're tracking a vessel coming out of hyperspace." Captain da Silva's crisp, proper cadence betrayed none of her own anxiety, though Alicio could sense it clearly through the Force. She was just barely holding it together, for her crew's sake. For his sake.

"Thank you, Captain." Alicio tucked his arms behind his back. Let loose one shaky, unsure breath, and felt confidence fill him in it's stead. "Invite them aboard."

It was time to barter for Natasi Fortan 's life.

 

[Jenn Kryze]

Beskar'gam
​

| Location | Edge of Mandalorian Space
| Objective | Negotiate the Handover

Jenn was more anxious now than she had been since the war started.

This was her very first venture as the Alor of Clan Kryze. Although the Guildmaster had given her his blessing to handle the handover, the responsibility was almost dizzying... and it would be but the first of many, now that she had placed herself into a position of leadership, determined to see the renewal of her people through her efforts. Peacekeepers, not Crusaders.

In spite of her actions aboard the Ans Corvo, as a pair of Senators would certainly like to remind her if she ever brought up her desire for a peaceful resolution to it all. A certain fire was expected from her as the Alor, and she certainly delivered in that department. With but a skeleton crew to man the frigate under her command, Jenn had wisely chosen to leave the Bes'kyrade to do the flying: knowing when to delegate was a strength, after all. No, for her part, she was keen on reminding the small squad that would accompany her on their engagement rules.

"No matter what happens, I want everyone's blasters set to stun", warned the Mandalorian sternly to the three warriors before her - and Veshok, who must have felt a little odd, being the only member of another Clan in the entire ship. "Things are already bad enough without us shooting up the envoys. If things get out of control, we are to avoid unecessary loss of life. It'll make it easier on the Enclave in the long run."

"What if they're laying an ambush?" asked one of the warriors standing before her, his arms crossed over his chest. "These are aruetii, and they'll take what they can get, when they can get it."

"If this entire thing turns out to be nothing more than foul play, than I will give you all permission to eliminate any Alliance personnel in the vicinity", assured the Alor coolly. "But you are Mando'ade. I expect you not to lose your nerve. If your trigger finger is too itchy, then you can sit this one out - and go join the Saxon, the Vizsla, or some other Crusader Clan when we get back home."

As she predicted, Jenn received no answer to that. Nothing more than a respectful nod of deference.

<Alor, we're receiving a transmission from the Alliance ship. They're inviting us aboard.>

<Understood. Keep the Enduring Flame here for now, and be ready for anything.>

<As you command, Alor.>

Jenn turned to face Veshok, giving him a firm nod.

"Veshok of Clan Rook, you have proved yourself a steady hand to have by my side. You will be charged to keep an eye on Senator Fortan. If our hosts find themselves hungering for battle, you know what to do. Now, all of you, pile in! Karrys, you're our pilot for this trip."

With that, the squad joined her in the gunship... and, soon as Veshok returned with the prisoner, they were out of the hangar, heading towards the Gift of Peace.

​

Alicio Organa Veshok Rook ​

 

[Veshok Rook]

The Wooden Horse​

For the time being, there was relative silence. Veshok stood by the back of the bridge, close to the corridor leading out into the remainder of the ship. From there, he watched Jenn's interactions with her crew and clan, how they went about operating the ship whilst listening to the low hum of the hyperdrive working in concert with the power generators and a multitude of command consoles producing beeps and boops as they went. Eventually, he heard a command which affected him as well. With a slow move, his hand reached for his blaster and flicked a switch, thus setting it to stun mode.

He walked up to where Jenn stood when she turned to talk to him. His beautifully decorated helmet hung by his belt and the fine clothed cape in a deep rich brown fluttered a little when he moved. Clasping his hands behind his back, the detailed decorative engravings on his chest and shoulder plates were put at full display. By now, the scratch that Jenn had produced during their bout in the battle circle had been completely worked away.

Vesh spoke with a low and reserved voice "Thank you." His expression didn't change as she continued, instructing him on what to do in case of a battle. Instead his hand went up to rest on the grip of his blaster, now in stun mode, and offered a slow nod. When they were all ready to move, the warrior sprung into a light jog towards the chambers where the senator was housed.

From inside the chambers, a single knock on the door and a few beeps from the door console could be heard, followed by a sharp swooshing sound as the doors opened. Vesh was just taking his helmet on and then stepped in. Just like when they had met before, he was armed - the addition now was the cuffs that hung by his belt next to the beskad. "Natasi" he offered a simple and quiet greeting.

"It's time" he raised an arm to point at the door that he had just walked in through. Assuming that she was in a cooperative mood, he would walk with her to their destination. Instead of using the cuffs, he would make sure to stay within arms reach of her whilst showing the way to board the transport.

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Natasi didn't immediately look up when the door opened, though she heard it, somewhere, far away. Rook's greeting was of a similar quality, though something about his familiar voice made her heart race. Adrenaline, wrought by fear. The worst moments, the most terrifying moments of her captivity had been spent in Veshok Rook's company, and though he may not have held the whip -- or the syringe, such as it was -- his presence was an indelible stain. She flinched when she heard him, almost a wince, and looked up and over at him, eyelids drooping somewhat, as if she couldn't bear to look him in the T-visor.

It was convenient to let the Mandalorians think her a broken woman, and even Natasi couldn't say for sure. But one thing was for certain, though her hatred of their every molecule burned as bright as ever, she had nary a quip to offer these days. "Yes, Mr. Rook," she said dully, and rose from her position to follow where he led.

The Senator's steps were light as she proceeded through the doorway. "May I ask what it is time for, Mr. Rook?" Natasi ventured, straightening with some difficulty. The ache -- part posture, part tension, part residual pain from her first interaction with Jenn Kryze , and part reaction to the uncomfortable furnishings of her captivity -- made her want to stoop, but she managed to force herself erect.

Whatever was coming, Natasi didn't want to let the side down any worse than she already had.

Veshok Rook | Jenn Kryze | Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio went to meet them in the hangar.

No guards accompanied his footsteps as he walked, his cape rushing behind him like a black river. They would have been a token force, unable to stop a dedicated Mandalorian kill squad. But Alicio alone could escape them long enough for the bridge to lock down the ship, give the volunteers a chance to jump away.

Arriving outside a set of heavy durasteel doors. Alicio waited a beat. Collected himself with a slow breath in and out. He had a nasty habit of putting himself in grave danger for the sake of the greater good. Out of all of the times he had done that, this was maybe the most dangerous. Perhaps only trumped by the time he leapt into an active warzone to lead families out of danger during the Hyperspace War.

If he failed... there was always Plan B. But even then, there was little room for error.

In.

Letting a hand drift along the door controls to the hangar bay, Alicio opened them, and stepped into the open area, watching as the bay doors inched open, revealing the expansive black of space, marred by a single approaching shuttle.

Out.

- Jenn Kryze - Veshok Rook - Natasi Fortan -

 

[Jenn Kryze]

​

| Location | Gift of Peace
| Objective | Open Negotiations

The dropship's doors opened before long, allowing the Mandalorians of Clan Kryze to pile on out and into the hangar itself. They were, by the standards of an Alor's personal guard, few. But, then again, a squad of the galaxy's fiercest warriors was not to be underestimated, even less so during a boarding action... as Senator Fortan would painfully remember. The Enclave had only cared to send Jenn to board the Ans Corvo, and she had acquitted herself particularly well: surgical enough to keep both targets alive, but unrelentingly brutal when it came to reducing the opposition to a fine red mist.

The warriors of Clan Kryze, clad in blue armor with white undertones, were quite a sight to behold. No words escaped their helmets for Alicio to hear, the T and Y shapes scanning the room as the honor guard spoke to one another solely through their comms, before finally giving the all clear and falling into formation, one line on each side of the dropship's open door.

For all of this professional display and slight ceremony, Jenn was an unremarkable sight to behold, in truth. Her amor was similar to that of her kin, and devoid of any particular stripe or fancy marker of her station: and, if Alicio expected the sheer weight of presence some Mandalorians seemed to carry with them everywhere they went, he would be disappointed. Staring him down from behind her Y visor, she remained quiet for a moment, as if staring through him... but she knew better than to reach out through the Force. Not with how tenuous her grasp on her powers was.

"Senator Organa of Alderaan." A slight, if polite cant of her head followed. "I am Jenn, Alor of Clan Kryze. You know of the purpose behind my presence here. And, as stipulated under your terms... I have brought the prisoner, if only so that you may ascertain of her status before we may begin."

With that, she flicked on over to the squad's channel, and spoke directly to the last member of the team - yet to make his exit from the small transport.

<Veshok, you may step out of the dropship. Take Senator Fortan with you.>

​

Alicio Organa Veshok Rook Natasi Fortan ​

 

[Veshok Rook]

The Wooden Horse​

A leisurely pace would be an inaccurate description but the two of them sure didn't walk very quickly as they moved towards the transport. Vesh looked down to the senator when she asked what it was time for. A dry and objective answer came her way "It was time for you to leave the chambers and follow me. As for what's going to happen: You'll see soon enough. I don't think this is something you should worry about."

It wouldn't be long before they had boarded the ship and settled in with a respectable distance separating them from the rest. He would show her to a seat next to a wall and would promptly take the seat next to hers when she sat down. Vesh would allow the journey over to the Gift of Peace to be enjoyed in silence. Similarly to how he had behaved during the first part of their interview, the broad shouldered warrior did not seem to move a muscle with the gaze of his t-visor fixed straight ahead. This time, however, he was not studying her, instead, he simply gazed into the viewport on the opposite wall.

Upon arriving, his first job was to wait in the ship with her. For before anything started, the warriors of clan Kryze would make a quick safety assessment before giving their leader the go-ahead to present herself and begin the talks. It was only after that where Natasi and Vesh would have to do something.

When the others had left, he remained still whilst asking a simple "How are you holding up?"

Whether they had exchanged many words or just a few, Jenn's call wouldn't take long. Possibly interrupting her, Veshok spoke another "It is time" whilst standing up and waiting for her to do the same. Once she did, he would raise his arm to show her towards the exit ramp.

Like before, he would move close to her, keeping her well within arms reach. Should she for some reason lose the control she had put such a priority on maintaining, his hand would be in an excellent position to grab her arm with a vice-like grip, well before she could possibly manage to get anywhere. Although he may have remained watchful of the prisoner, he would also offer her a heads-up upon reaching the ramp "When we get down there, you might see a familiar face."

Upon getting down to the others, Vesh gave both Jenn and the Alderaanian senator polite nods. Still he remained silent: For now, his job was not to talk or make polite introductions. Right now, he was looking after Natasi.

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Natasi regarded Mr. Rook with a slightly furrowed brow, but she made no further inquiries. Being cryptic just fit some people. The Senator followed the instructions, boarded the ship as directed, and despite Rook's suggestion, she worried. Of the three of them, Rook had been the least underhand. He was marred in her mind by his participation in the process of her interrogation. But she had never been afraid of him, not in the way she had been afraid of the others. She didn't know what to make of him, or of his assurances, and anyway he didn't seem to be in charge of Kryze -- or Celt, for that matter -- so she didn't know how much weight to give his assurances.

The others came and went. Natasi remained much like her custodian: stoic and staring; Rook out the viewport and Natasi at her fingers folded together in her lap. "Well enough," she answered Rook, and left it at that. She had no more bon mots to offer the Mandalorians, not today.

The Supreme Leader followed again as she was bid, half-staggering down the landing ramp. Natasi didn't know what to expect from Rook's cryptic remark. If Raphael Calgar was there, she would strangle him herself for putting himself back in harm's way when they had both suffered so to buy his chance at escape. Maybe it was Dyrn Grav , following the beacon of her bracelet; if there was any one man she thought could wreck his way through a Mandalorian prison, it was Dyrn. Even Nikolai Messervy crossed her mind; had she spilled so much actionable intelligence that he had come to put an end to the damage?

Natasi didn't immediately recognize Alicio Organa, although she knew that she knew him from somewhere. It came to her all of a sudden when her brain reconstructed his face in the scale she was used to: on holovision, in the media, and on viewscreens in the Senate. She couldn't remember ever having spoken to him in person, and why should she? He was a power player in the Galactic Alliance Federal Assembly, odds-on favorite for the next Chancellor if Auteme Denko-Durren ever loosened her grip on power, and just about the most highly-regarded Senator since another Organa some several hundred years before.

She narrowed her eyes, concern evident in her gaze when she realized he did not have an army of the Galactic Alliance's finest at his back. Her eyes cut to the Nite Owl. What did this malevolent termagant want with Alicio Organa? She glanced between Kryze and Alicio. "What is the meaning of this?" she asked to the room broadly, wary of some trick or trap, some scheme to get Senator Organa into Mandalorian clutches, too.

Alicio Organa | Jenn Kryze | Veshok Rook​

 

[Alicio Organa]

"Jenn, Alor of Clan Kryze." Alicio repeated the title, his face just as much a mask of inscrutable emotion as hers. He put a hand over his heart, and executed a shallow bow. "Thank you for coming." There was a cutting sharpness to his steel-colored eyes. That was the only thanks he could give her.

The Count let his daggered gaze sweep over the gathered Mandalorians, his eyes narrowing as he focused his feelings on the Future. The hangar seemed calm, for now, but Alicio dreaded that changing.

Little room for error, indeed.

Alicio observed the ramp of the shuttle as a Mandalorian with distinct armor and the lack of the Clan Kryze crest exited, accompanied by the woman of the hour. He'd never met Natasi Fortan before, but he'd heard plenty about her, especially after she'd petitioned her Renascent Republic to join the Alliance. Supreme Leader in the twilight years of the First Order. Broker of peace between the Alliance and the aforementioned Order. It was a treaty he'd discussed in his classes at university. Practically ancient history, yet here she stood, young and...

Not quite healthy.

"What is the meaning of this?"

Concern flashed across his face like a cloud passing in front of an unyielding sun, turning his lip down at the corner. He paused, collected his thoughts, deciding to be straight-forward. Honest. "I'm here on behalf of the Galactic Alliance, Senator Fortan. I'm trying to get you home." Unmistakable care colored his tone, seeping through his hard exterior.

"Are you injured, Natasi?"

- Jenn Kryze - Veshok Rook - Natasi Fortan -

 

[Jenn Kryze]

​

| Location | Gift of Peace
| Objective | Open Negotiations

There was no response to Alicio's words - not even a cant of the head from the figure before him, not this time. All that needed to be said between the two had been said: looking over her shoulder, she kept her hand raised as Veshok approached their host, prisoner close by... before closing it into a fist. "That's close enough", spoke the Alor calmly, if firmly. After all, it wouldn't do to give too much of an opportunity for the man before her to double cross them. Jenn cared not for his reputation: just like Calgar and Fortan, he was a Senator. Keeping an honest view of the man proved to be a difficult proposition, when the Senate proved to be a gathering of corrupt tyrants each and every single time.

After all, they had allowed the former Supreme Leader of the First Order among their ranks. Moral integrity was foreign to them.

Resisting the desire to speak for Fortan and assure the delegation's host of the conditions she had found herself in, the Alor remained quiet, giving Alicio the opportunity to receive a proper response from the prisoner she had taken from the Ans Corvo. Patience would serve her well in this matter: the presence of a Senator of the Galactic Alliance alone was enough to arouse her suspicion. Where was his escort, his guards? Was this all a trap, a means to get their hands on an Alor?

<Enduring Flame, readiness check.>

The answer was practically immediate.

<Weapon systems are fully operational. We are standing by for further orders, Alor.>

​

Alicio Organa Veshok Rook Natasi Fortan ​

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Natasi glanced sidelong at Jenn Kryze , wonder just what the Mandalorian maniac would do if her crimes were laid bare here. She had no intention to give the woman the satisfaction. Her dark eyes turned warily back to Alicio Organa and she very nearly lost her composure then. So sure had she been that the Alliance would let her languish that she hadn't let herself hope for a rescue. And here was a Senator that she didn't know, who didn't know her, but he was here, trying to help.

It was enough to get the old Galidraani aristocrat misty-eyed, which for anyone else would likely have been full-blown crying.

"I can walk under my own power," she told Alicio guardedly, her voice uncharacteristically quiet. "But -- suffice to say -- I would be pleased to be seen by a physician in Alliance space."

That was all Natasi was willing to say in the presence of her captors. It wouldn't do to give the rabid nexu of a Mandalorian another excuse to deploy her beskar'gam fist -- or worse, her flamethrower. She wanted to ask for details about what was happening here, but there was something afoot. She was clearly the subject of these discussions -- not a participant -- so she settled back into a circumspect and uneasy silence.

Jenn Kryze | Alicio Organa | Veshok Rook​

 

[Alicio Organa]

"I understand."

Alicio's frown severed dramatically.

That frown turned on the Mandalorians. On Jenn Kryze, specifically. "Do you believe she was treated well, Alor Kryze?" Then, he flicked his eyes to the odd man out, silently asking the same. He needed to know her captors' responses. It would bring him one step closer to knowing them.

Regardless of what they said, Alicio folded his hands behind his back, obscuring them within the midnight cloth of his cloak. The trickiest part about a negotiation was figuring out how to start.

"Before we begin, I must inform you that there is little of value aboard this vessel, and myself and the crew are prepared to defend ourselves via any means necessary." His tone was even, lower, as he rattled off the preamble. "I assume you are prepared to do the same."

"Natasi Fortan leaves a free woman today. How do you see that happening?"

- Jenn Kryze - Veshok Rook - Natasi Fortan -

 

[Jenn Kryze]

​

| Location | Gift of Peace
| Objective | Open Negotiations

Jenn's response to that line of inquiry was particularly quick.

"I do not believe Senator Fortan was treated well, nor did she particularly need to be. As with all prisoners of the Mandalorian Enclave, she was treated fairly. We did not deprive her of access to food, water, or rest, and our medical corps treated the injuries sustained aboard the Ans Corvo. The immense stress she was put under during the interrogation under my supervision was caused by fear. Nothing more, and nothing less." Words spoken calmly, confidently, and without letting her profound distaste for the woman behind her be known. Through the power of the Guildmaster, she had been granted the authority to lead the negotiations, and so a certain degree of professionalism was expected of her.

And yet, she turned her helmet towards Veshok nonetheless, giving him a small nod - as if granting him permission to speak his mind on the matter. Not that he particularly needed it, given the fact that he fell outside of the Clan and its structure, thus making him well out of her jurisdiction. But the young warrior of Clan Rook had proven himself to be a reliable soul, and if he found her assessment unfair, she would give him the chance to dispute it before the prisoner and her would-be rescuer - or perhaps add on to it, if he so agreed.

Turning her visored helm back towards Alicio, the Mandalorian listened to him set the stage for the negotiations proper with an honest attempt at letting the conditions be known. Jenn supposed he was aware of just how Fortan and Calgar had been boarded during the bold raid on the Alliance's worlds, and sought to avoid a similar fate. Or to let her know that it would not be quite so easy this time. For her part, she mere nodded in response to his words, giving a laconic response. "We are."

Jenn frowned behind her visor. What she truly took issue with was the certainty behind Alicio's words. Natasi would be leaving a free woman today? Such assurance on his part!

"Natasi Fortan is a Senator of the Galactic Alliance. Her symbolic worth as a prisoner is not unknown to us, and so I am sure you understand that I will not merely hand her over without a significant exchange in return." There was a pause, then, as she allowed her words to sink in, her piercing gaze meeting Alicio's own. With her personal participation in the prison break on Coruscant as well as the assault on an Alliance transport ferrying a captured vode taken prisoner during the battles fought groundside, she knew that the chances to spring more prisoners from captivity would be difficult now that the Alliance had been caught lacking. They would doubtlessly step up security, and perhaps even take vengeance on those who remained imprisoned.

"The release of all remaining prisoners in your possession, taken after the battles of Ukatis, Kiffu, Thyferra, and Yag'dhul. And, of course, the return of their armor to them."

​

Alicio Organa Veshok Rook Natasi Fortan ​

 

[Veshok Rook]

The Wooden Horse​

The proceedings continued at a good pace. Natasi established that her health was acceptable and Jenn offered some more detail. The broad-shouldered warrior had brought the Senator's medical data with him on his encrypted datapad but chose not to produce it. Upon seeing Jenn's nod, he gave her a subtle nod in return, indicating that he recognised her intent. Gratitude would not be conveyed - but then, expressing gratitude through helmeted head gestures was a rather complex challenge in its own right.

Without anything to add on Natasi's health, Vesh remained silent. Towering over her, a small distance behind her, slightly to the right, his visors pointed at the emptiness between Jenn and Organa. His gaze, however, mostly lingered in the vicinity of the captive. This time, there wouldn't be much to observe, for she remained relatively docile whilst the main agents in the conversation did the more meaningful part of their discussions.

A few different possible asks were available to the Mandalorians in exchange for the Senator's freedom. Vesh had prepared some options in case they came up for discussion. None of them would be presented now, however. Jenn had just made a rather absolute-sounding demand - any alternative offers now would work to undermine her position. And so, his silence continued.

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Like a tennis match, Natasi watched the inquiries and answers, the points and counterpoints. She would enjoy setting the record straight once she was safely back on Coruscant. She wondered whether Jenn Kryze would feel the same about the necessity to treat prisoners well when it was she who was being treated to accommodations within an Alliance prison facility. It was an empty wish, though; she knew that Galactic Alliance well enough to know that the Mandalorian would be treated far better than she had been.

Not necessarily true for a Renascent Republic prison, she thought absentmindedly. If she was going to carry around the historically illiterate burden of the First Order's so-called war crimes, she might as well actually do some to make all the hackneyed moral outrage worth the trouble. She took a breath and then shook her head minutely. However angry, however injured, however indignant, Natasi did not have it in herself to torture another living person, nor to order her tortured.

A clean death according to the rules of war is what Jenn Kryze deserved; absent that, a length detention and the lasting label of war criminal would have to suffice.

The answer she gave to Senator Organa's question regarding how to achieve her release -- well, that was something she could not stay silent to, no matter the consequence. "You cannot be serious," she snarled derisively at Kryze before her gaze swept to Senator Organa. "You must not release these savages. How many more innocents will suffer and die as a result? Nothing is worth that -- certainly not my sorry skin."

She lifted her chin, eyes bright with rage just daring Kryze to raise a hand to her.

Jenn Kryze | Alicio Organa | Veshok Rook​

 

[Alicio Organa]

"Immense. Hmm."

Alicio repeated the word, his expression darkening coldly. Why had Alor Kryze felt the need to clarify? He, and the rest of the Alliance, would gain a clearer picture of the lines the Enclave was prepared to cross once Natasi was safe. Until then, the Count could only speculate what 'immense' meant.

The silver-plated Mandalorian offered no response. Their dynamic was becoming clear.

Jenn was surprisingly fiery after Alicio asked his hypothetical. And her demand was appropriately... outlandish. He was still trying to decide whether she'd meant it as an actual proposal, or a refusal of negotiation altogether, when Senator Fortan spoke up on her own.

Part of the Alderaanian was glad Natasi hadn't lost heart in captivity. Every other part was trying to keep from pulling his hair out at the danger she was putting them all in. The best he could do to help her was... stand silently. Offer his eyes as well, should they retaliate.

"You are not a savage," he started, hoping that would be the end of that. Even if he could sympathize with Natasi's pain, he couldn't let her words sabotage her own chance for escape. "But what you ask is impossible. And I hope you know why." They couldn't trade warriors for symbolic power. "Especially for a prisoner that you should not have taken."

"The Ans Corvo was a diplomatic vessel, caught in the middle of a surprise raid, on a mission of hydroponics." Alicio couldn't stop the anger from twisting his gut. But he took a breath before it got out of hand. No, he had to be the calm one here. "But that is neither here nor there."

"I am permitted to offer beskar. Eight sets of armor. But I could not, in good conscious, let your soldiers walk free." It was worth a small fortune. But if her first demand was any indication, Jenn wouldn't settle for anything so 'small'.

- Jenn Kryze - Veshok Rook - Natasi Fortan -

 

[Jenn Kryze]

​

| Location | Gift of Peace
| Objective | Open Negotiations

Seeing little to add to their host's line of inquiry, the Alor merely waited in silence as he repeated that word. Perceptive as she was, Jenn cared precious little for what he might think of the conditions Natasi had been kept in: as far as she was concerned, using the spear of truth against a Senator was a pointless venture. If the prisoner chose to speak ill of the Enclave upon her return to Coruscant, then let her! There was nothing she could do to win the war of deceit and lies waged with propaganda, falsehoods, and carefully altered truths. Even when that loathsome woman called her people savages, she did little more than turn her visor to look over her shoulder, refocusing on Organa before long.

Perhaps there was some irony in the fact that she only cared to interrupt him when he spoke the opposite words his colleague had just uttered. "Senator Organa, the perception held by your Alliance and your allies in the Jedi Order are well known to my people." There was a cutting edge to her tone now: patient as she was, there were lines to be drawn, and reminders to be given. Almost every last person she had met after the war, may they be citizens of the Alliance or those would-be peacekeepers calling themselves Jedi, had shown nothing but contempt for her people and their ways. They were barbarians, savages, monsters - and she found herself less and less inclined to prove them wrong as time went on.

Killing everyone aboard this ship would be so, so very easy.

The thought was strangled as quickly as it made its interruption into her mind. This was no longer the person she wanted to be, even when she found herself faced with despicable cowards and liars. And besides... Alicio's words gave her some measure of pause, too. The raid on Alliance space was more than justified in her eyes: they had declared war first, and now dared to act the victims when they paid the price for it? No, all of those whining whelps could burn for all she cared. But the Ans Corvo had been clearly marked as a diplomatic vessel, and its cargo had been nothing more than a promise for the future - seeds that would benefit the worlds of both Senators. Still, the Enclave had sent her to board the ship and take its VIPs prisoner.

Jenn gave but a cant of her head in the wake of Organa's words.

"Eight sets?" repeated the Alor, disbelief filtering through her voice. "Surely you jest, Senator Organa."

It was better this way, she reasoned. Having the Alliance refuse her terms would prevent her from making the terrible choice between the prisoners and their beskar'gam. The freedom of her vode... or the chance to see their second skin given to another, that they may continue their mission in their stead.

And then, a thought struck her. If Senator Organa sought to leave with Natasi Fortan today, then surely it meant that the eight sets of beskar'gam were aboard the Gift of Peace.

The intrusive thoughts returned to her.

​

Alicio Organa Veshok Rook Natasi Fortan ​

 

[Veshok Rook]

The Wooden Horse​

Vesh had remained still for long. Still, he had been listening in on the conversation intently. Where he had previously studied Natasi, he now stood behind her. Instead, his gaze - well hidden behind the T-visor - fell upon Organa. The statue-esque guard would finally shift in his stance upon hearing the Senator's first motivation for not agreeing to an exchange of prisoners. Justice. His head now turned fully to the negotiator with a slight tilt to the side.

His head would soon return to a more neutral position - for the Alderaanian Senator abandoned his initial position himself. The main reason for not agreeing to the exchange shifted from one based on a particular perception of justice to one based on what authority he carried with him from the Galactic Alliance.

Upon hearing Jenn's response, Vesh nodded softly and whispered a low "He must be" before slowly turning his attention down to Natasi, hunching his back a little and then speaking with a low hushed voice "From Supreme Leader to eight pieces of armour. It is a good thing that you're thick skinned"

Whether Senator Organa had answered Jenn's question yet or not, Vesh would soon speak up, raising his voice above his usually reserved and quiet tone - just enough to compensate for likely standing the farthest away from the man. "Vesh Rook" he introduced himself. "Everyone in this hangar knows that Natasi's freedom is worth more than eight sets of beskar, yet that's all the Alliance authorised you to offer. To me, it sounds like you are either lying or; the Alliance isn't all that interested in negotiating a release for the Senator. I don't know if you are a liar, Senator Organa, but judging by what you said earlier, I'm willing to bet that the political types in the Alliance are too outraged over what happened to be willing make any sincere offers at this time."

A pause followed. It offered an opportunity for everyone to process what had just been said. He then let out a simple "Alicio" before asking "So, if the Alliance isn't interested in negotiating her release, why are you here?"

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Natasi tried to repress the stab of irritation she felt at Alicio's response; from the looks of the other Senator, she had been conducting high-level diplomatic strategies when he was in nappies! And yet, she reminded herself, Alicio Organa was among the most highly-regarded members of the Senate. If anyone's abilities and motivations were above reproach, it was Senator Organa's. She smothered the flames of irritation with the knowledge that this was his operation, not hers. Natasi made a face that she hoped communicated her contrition, combined with a subtle bow of her head. Mea culpa.

Still, she had to consider his offer. Every Mandalorian she had ever encountered had been obviously proud of their beskar'gam, to the point of near obsession. Natasi couldn't quite understand being so attached to what was, at the end of the day, just a hunk of metal -- however garish and gaudy it was, in Kryze's case. Then again, Natasi had never had much need of armor herself. She didn't typically thrust herself into danger, nor did she spend much time conquering or oppressing. Diplomacy and compromise were her tools. Different cultures, she supposed, would value different things.

She didn't know what eight sets of beskar'gam was worth in whatever currency these savages -- they were, she reasoned, whether Senator Organa wished to acknowledge the reality of the situation or not -- used. In some ways, the Mandalorians were an advanced civilization, but in others Natasi knew them to be quite primitive. Perhaps the next offer could include coconuts or shiny rocks, something to tempt Kryze out of her intransigence.

Mr. Rook chimed in, and Natasi gave a low chuckle, exhaling sharply through her nose, as if a schoolmate had just whispered a joke. Her lips turning up at the edges. "After all this time," Natasi said quietly, a hint of amusement in her barely-audible murmur, soft enough that she would not interrupt the ongoing negotiations. "You have learned nothing of me. I confess myself disappointed, Mr. Rook." Natasi Fortan may have been prejudiced, she certainly was disdainful -- both of which she felt she had good cause to be where the Mandalorians were concerned -- but she was certainly not self-important. Too many failures had taught Natasi Fortan humility the hard way. She supposed superciliousness where their villainous culture was concerned might justify the misapprehension of her as some sort of egomaniac.

The Supreme Leader half-turned, her dark eyes going to his T-visor, something like sadness in their rich chocolate hue. "Here I thought you were the best of them: inquisitive, bright. But I have learned much and more about your people, so whether I leave here today -- or never -- our time together hasn't been a waste." Turning her attention back to the Senator and the war criminal, she straightened her back and clasped her hands behind her, content to observe the next volley.

Jenn Kryze | Veshok Rook | Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

"Surely you jest, Senator Organa."

"Everyone in this hangar knows that Natasi's freedom is worth more than eight sets of beskar, yet that's all the Alliance authorised you to offer. To me, it sounds like you are either lying or; the Alliance isn't all that interested in negotiating a release for the Senator. I don't know if you are a liar, Senator Organa, but judging by what you said earlier, I'm willing to bet that the political types in the Alliance are too outraged over what happened to be willing make any sincere offers at this time."

Alicio let them finish, a knowing stillness to him. They were incredulous at his low-ball. More important information. Rook's sudden interest in the talks was also noted.

"I said I was authorized. I did not say that was all I was authorized to give." He let his eyes flick between them, perhaps more admonishingly towards Veshok Rook. He was quick to make some far-flung assumptions. "This is a negotiation."

"I... apologize if my initial offer insulted you. Yours did not insult me." One of Alicio's hands reached out to straighten his cape, before he continued. "But, if I were being honest, I'd hoped you would take it. I think you overestimate your captive's strategic value. Senators are not kings and queens." He wasn't going to minimize the former Supreme Leader in front of her face any more, but he hoped the implications were clear.

She was a new senator. Valuable to the Renascent Republic, but senators were replaceable. If Natasi died, or was kept indefinitely, the next senator would be elected. One voice of hundreds. The same was true for him.

"But, Vesh Rook, you are correct. The Alliance of governments and planets I represent in this matter believe that we shouldn't reward the Enclave for plucking non-combatants from diplomatic vessels. I would hope you both can see the wisdom in that." A shadow of a frown overtook his face. He'd already had to burn through his tools. This was not looking good. "All I want is for Natasi to walk free today. And to do that, we need to make a deal."

"So, make a counter-offer. What, realistically, can I give you for her release?"

- Jenn Kryze - Veshok Rook - Natasi Fortan -