Turn Up The Lights In Here, Baby. Extra Bright I Want Y'all To See This. (GR/GA/Naboo)

[Jamie Pyne]

Naboo - Royal Court Chambers Office D3​

The gentle notes of a pianist in tandem with a violinist echoed throughout the room, a somber tune playing through a radio in the far corner of the room setting the back drop for the mood. Drapes were pulled back, sealing away the warm summer glow of the morning, leaving the office in a dim shade. On the desk sat a lone datapad, entry notes and communications sent and received to and from the royal palace displayed on the screen. The information was grim, and deeply concerning to the crown. It had been a long evening, filled with HoloCalls and thrice confirming the evidence to secure the data matched the accusations. There was no refuting what had been done. What had kept the young woman awake however was not only the verification of the intelligence, but the manner or decision in which to announce, or bury this information.

On the one hand, the Galactic Republic had been close friends of Naboo, though in recent history that had been marked by a steady decline of relations, notably the weight of that blame falling to the Republic. Their lack of leadership, dereliction of duty, and failure to act saw to their inevitable collapse. And like all empires, their fall was hardly graceful. The ailing Republic struck blows like a savage beast at friend and foe alike, searching for a scapegoat to blame their issues upon. Naboo had been part of that vengeance.

The people deserved to know. They needed to know.

That was the decision that the crown and court council had made. It was now her job to deliver the message on behalf of her King. Tired hands raised to rub away the weariness from her eyes, a drawn out yawn detouring her attention for a few brief moments. Any moment the steward would knock, informing her that the people of Theed were gathered by the steps of the palace for the address. This address, however, was not only for the people of Naboo, but the galaxy as a whole. HoloNet Transmitters would be stationed by the podium, broadcasting the young noblewoman's speech to those watching. The Alliance needed to know, and the Republic would hear the stern words from the sovereign world of Naboo and her people.

The knock came sooner than Jamie anticipated, startling her as the door creaked open. "My lady, they're ready for you."

A single nod to the man before she slowly stood, papers in hand from which she would read her prepared address to the galaxy. The first of many to come now that she had taken a more public facing role within the court she served. Still, to say she wasn't a bit nervous would be folly. A heavy breath of air pushed through thinned lips as she stepped out of the office, accompanied by the gentleman escorting her to the entrance of the grand palace, and to the podium where she stepped up to view the masses at the base of the stairway.

The microphone hissed as she adjusted it, clearing her throat and placing her hands on either side of the wooden frame.

"Great people of Naboo! Today the eyes of the galaxy are upon us, for we have a message to send! We are not conquerors. We are not savages. And we do not sow the seeds of war. Our people wish no more than to live without the threat of invasion, without the threat of destruction. We call upon all people, their governments, and the leaders of this galaxy to recognize and respect our way of life. We wish to take nothing from you, and we humbly ask that you do the same. As a sovereign world, a neutral world, we ask, no, we plead with you to seek peaceful means of settling the differences between one another without bloodshed. Sadly I must relay to you, my fellow people, on behalf of King [member="Marcello Matteo"], that a deliberate act of aggression was carried out by those we thought to call friends! Irrefutable evidence has surfaced which has been confirmed by this court that the Galactic Republic, acting solo, and in tandem of other, known belligerents such as the Sith, deliberately sabotaged and destroyed valuable probes and data belonging to Naboo, as well as laid a dangerous minefield in the center of civilian shipping routes. It has been further confirmed that the forces of Naboo did not engage the belligerents, despite these acts of violence against her people."

As the woman spoke, segments of video recording, including the attack, followed by the subsequent loss of feed by the probes was displayed on the projection screen behind her.

"This broadcast will serve as a direct protest against the Republic and what it has become, as well as those who authorized this act of violence, and a demand for reparation in an expedient manner. Sanctions will be implemented, if deemed necessary, against trade with the Republic and known associates in the event that reparations are not made or acknowledged as legitimate by those responsible. Furthermore we wish to see disciplinary action taken against those who issued and carried out the order to attack and destroy assets belonging to Naboo. The people of Naboo are watching. Thank you all, may the stars guide your path."

Without taking questions from the reporters positioned at the base of the podium, the young woman lowered her head in a bow toward her fellow people, turned on her heels, and headed back into the inner palace, accompanied by a number of guard and her steward. Shortly thereafter the Holo feed would cut, returning viewers to their previous programs.

[member="Lady Shambleau"] | [member="Arieth zh'Vranthi"] | [member="Zark"]

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

Kurt was laying on the couch in the backof The Messa's cargo hold flicking through the channels of the holo-screen when suddenly he saw his girlfriend on one.

For a moment his head cocked to the side.

Was-was he dreaming? Usually dreams that involved Jamie didn't involve her being on TV. He looked around for a moment and then reached down, pinching himself and feeling the slight prick of pain. Okay not dreaming. He blinked once or twice, then turned up the volume to the holo-tv and began to listen attentively.

To say he was confused was the least of it.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

THEED PALACE
OFFICE OF DG CARDEI

As the broadcast ended, Ajira let out a long-held breath and sat back in her chair. She nodded once to herself and turned to her principal aide, [member="Lady Shambleau"], who stood by the door. "Tell Comms they have the green light."

The violet-skinned Mikan slipped out, leaving Ajira alone with the senior shipwright Tavassem. The Xagobahn Malvil's cap dominated half the office, and his tendrils writhed in gentle contemplation. His collar-like annulus flexed, emitting a passable Basic.

"To think the Republic could have been capable of such things, Ajira. Such times we live in."

She patted the nearest tendril on her broad desk as one might pat a friend's hand in reassurance. "The modern Republic has always been capable of sneering at sovereign worlds and smaller governments, Tavassem. The conquest of Cato Neimoidia, the travesties at Contruum and Metalorn and Manaan and Nar Shaddaa -- time and again, what calls itself the Republic has decided not to live up to its ideals. No, the only real surprise at Cuvacia is the Republic's remnants fighting alongside the Sith against the Galactic Alliance. That probe data is...fascinating."

"And this...public shaming, you believe is the best way to address the issue?"

Ajira shrugged. "If there's one thing I've learned about the Republic over the years, it's that they won't respond to either public or private remonstrance, so all one can do is make the issue known for the sake of other sovereign worlds."

Meanwhile, she knew, Theed Hangar's Communications Division was issuing a press release. It included high-resolution data on numerous Republic vessels under multiple commanders: ignoring hails, helping Sith, attacking Galactic Alliance forces unprovoked, laying a deadly minefield on a civilian shipping route, and destroying Naboo-flagged sensor probes.

 

[Eugen Aker]

She couldn't help but chuckle as she reached the part of the transmission demanding reparations. Even if she cared to pay them, there no long existed a treasury or any semblance of a central government for that matter. What remained of the old Republic hierarchy was scattered among the ghost fleet under her reigns, growing smaller by the day as aging vessels were cannibalized and scrapped. Of course, others were free to rise up and claim to represent the dead Republic, but she had nothing to do with them.

In the past, she had always found it strange how hard the Imperial Remnant had fought so hard to endure over the centuries, but now she found herself in their shoes. What a wild ride it had been, from a Senator to warlord. Most of her followers had come to her directly from the Republic, but recently, her ranks had become flush with ex-soldiers and Sith from the One Sith by way of the Dominion. There were even a few disillusioned imperialists from a confused First Order.

Together, she and her motley band were on a journey, but a destination had yet to be determined. Maybe it never would. For now, she would act as their shepherd, no other purpose left for the pariah.

When the playback of the transmission ended, she cut off the projector and returned the empty bridge to darkness, enjoying a steaming thermos of tea in silence.

[member="Jamie Pyne"] [member="Kurt Meyer"] @Ajira Cardei

 

[Carbon]

Out in Lake Country, a lone Mirialan in a sleeveless gi stood staring into the winter sky. A cloudy haze had settled over the area, the featureless gray mass of impending snowfall, and that peculiar sharpness to the air seemed to agree with his assessment. Violet eyes blinked before dropping to the waterfall before him, and he was thankful that even now, despite the harsh winter temperatures, the waters still flowed. He was merely traveling through, as he'd taken to doing in recent memory.

A datapad secured by an obi about his waist kept him in contact with the company his father had left him, though he preferred not to dwell on that. It had taken time to come to terms with such things, but he had, and he was grateful for the steady influx of money into his trust.

Ironic that a Mandalorian would be a 'trust fund kid.' Though, it hadn't changed anything about him, he didn't think.

Smiling in serene fashion, he pulled his cape from his shoulders and discarded it onto the ground. Reaching down, he brought the datapad towards his face, aiming to check on things before beginning his meditations. Briefly checking the news, he was forced to pause, unsure just what he was hearing.

For once, the world around him was forgotten, and he stood there, a lone, wandering monk watching their hero fall from grace by the light of a tiny datapad screen.

 

[Raziel]

[member="Ajira Cardei"]

Everyone had a personal device. The kind of thing you weren't allowed to hold company information on. And with good reason. Such things were vulnerable. Even to benign things to little hidden encrypted containers that set up secure channels.

That was all very bold. How much is the location of their remaining ships, or the infrastructure that supports them worth? And is this information in the public domain everything, or are you keeping the good bits? And how much if the latter.

The message matched the tone of their first encounter and quite deliberately so. His demeanour was always carefully chosen. In this case bold, brash. Perhaps giving the impression of overconfidence. Such an attitude had spooked her assistant. But that wasn't his aim with her. She wouldn't see it as something to fear. He hoped it would make him seem fallible, less threatening. Raziel was never overconfident. Everything was always planned meticulously, but there was no need to give that impression.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Raziel"]

After Tavassem excused himself, Ajira turned her attention to said personal device. She had two, one more public than the other; this was the other one.

The Palace will pay for information, as I'm sure you've seen, but their pay schedule is limited in scope. For what you're proposing, I'd personally offer two hundred thousand, or payment in kind.

There's more information that wasn't released, yes. The IFF telesponder identities and engine signatures of the specific ships involved. Scans of fuel tanks. Points where Republic reinforcements passed through secretly monitored routes. Extrapolated potential routes. We think they came from the Deep Core. I'll sent it all along.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

The blonde dropped like a dead weight onto the nearby sofa that served as a waiting space outside of her office. The pressure, more so than anything, was overwhelming. During the speech she felt the palms of her hands begun to warm and nearly sweat. Addressing the planet and the galaxy was something she hadn't quite believed she would ever actually have to do, even despite her very geared childhood towards this very thing. Her parents would have likely seen the address by now, though they were currently off world, engaged with their own humanitarian excursion at the time. She smiled for a second, wondering just how long it would take before Kurt, or her parents sent her a message. In her head she bet against herself as to which of them would actually contact her first. It was a difficult gamble to make, all things considered. She supposed it boiled down to which had access to the broadcast first, in the end.

"That was a fine delivery, my lady." The man standing by her side relayed, a warm smile on his face and a tilt of his head. "Fine indeed."

Glistening lips fluttered a breath, "Do you think so? I know nothing will come of it, but the people deserve to be in the know, at the very least. And who knows, perhaps the galaxy will pressure them into coming forward."

She knew that wasn't going to happen, but it was an optimistic hope, something she was trying to maintain these days, optimism. Some days it was more difficult than others, but she knew this was the right path. Naboo would not go to war with the Republic, neither side had the resources or manpower to escalate things to such a degree, nor did Jamie wish for it, but she did want the galaxy to know just what the Republic, or whatever remnant of it remained, was capable of, and willing to do, even to those who had called themselves friends.

Perhaps by releasing some of the footage, as well as supplying a bounty, the incentive to turn over the culprits would be enough.

[member="Ajira Cardei"] | [member="Kurt Meyer"]

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

Kurt stared at the screen for a few seconds.

He wasn't quite sure what to do.

The Courier was proud of Jamie of course, it took courage to get up on a stage like that and talk to...well pretty much the entire galaxy, but the other half of him was very confused. He hadn't expected Jamie to take up what was essentially politics, and he certainly hadn't expected her to do so without even mentioning it to him. He wasn't hurt or anything by the lack of information, just...well surprised. The broadcast ended, and then Kurt simply sat on the couch.

"Huh." He said to himself quietly.

Kaile was in her bunk sleeping, Kurt having stayed up to watch the Malestar Swoop races. He frowned for a moment and then slowly reached for the small communicator on the coffee table, fingers wiggling as he tried not to fall off the couch by stretching too much. Eventually he picked up a magazine and used it to push the communicator closer towards himself, sticking his tongue out as he grabbed the device and began to type Jamie a message.

Spoiler

Hey Honey,

Just saw your message on the Holo-news, you looked beautiful.

I'm not really sure what to say. I never expected you to get on Holo or anything, but I'm proud of you.

Love,
Kurt

P.S: If you become Queen of Naboo i'm not calling you "Your Majesty".

 

[Kenrath]

[member="Jamie Pyne"] [member="Kurt Meyer"] [member="Ajira Cardei"] [member="Suravi Teigra"] [member="Yarva Adisu"] @Raziel

Public addresses were always an entertaining thing to watch and listen to. Most of the time he just skimmed and largely ignored them. This one however from Lady Pyne caught his interest. Less because of what she said but more because of who it was. It seemed the little explorer was growing up.

He listened to what had happen and leaned back scratching his chin. It gave him an idea.............an idea of how to help. He sent a message to the good lady.

"Jamie,

Lady Pyne is it? I am glad to see you are embracing broader roles. It saddens me to hear of the plight Naboo is facing and would like to help out. I have some interest parties who would like to assist Naboo in any rebuilds and reparations that may be needed. While we have no ties to the Republic we feel relying on them to make good should not put the stability and sovereignty of Naboo at risk.

With your permission and blessing we can be there within the week.

-Marcus Nichols"

He leaned back and waited to hear back from his old friend.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

To her surprise, Kurt managed to beat her parents to the punch. Shortly after she had resumed her regular duties her comm vibrated, which she promptly scooped up in the palm of her hand, as just about anything being directed to her at this moment in time could be critically important to the planet as a whole. For a moment she paused, realizing the weight she was now bearing, alongside the others within the palace, and the importance of tracking down these fugitives and criminals. Her blue eyes fell to the comm, opening the message. A wide smile grew her expression as she laughed to herself, the bit of noise echoing off the walls until it fell silent once more.

Her fingers tapped quickly to reply to him, as another message alert popped up mid-writing.

Spoiler

Hey dear,

Spoiler

Thank you. Though looking pretty was hardly the objective I do appreciate the compliment. We'll talk more later this evening. Things are quite hectic right now. But don't you worry, I don't think I'll be crowned queen over a public speech or anything.

After she sent the message off her fingers circled back to the next message, which even more surprisingly came from Marcus. A brow raised as she read through his message, curiosity taking over as she finished the last words and began to type another response.

Spoiler

Hey Marcus!

Jamie is quite fine. Thrust into the fold out of association and upbringing, I'm afraid. Your words are of course of interest, though I have to admit you have me at a disadvantage as I am unsure of what you're parties are looking for in return for assisting my people. I would welcome you to the palace though, if you so desire, to speak in private. I will attach clearance for you and yours to this message and have an escort waiting when you arrive. Take care.

It would seem however, that the craziness of the day had yet one more turn to take. As luck would have it, shortly after sending that message and placing the datapad back onto the table, her communicator began buzzing, the device vibrating against the top of the desk as it awaited answering. With a sigh Jamie leaned forward and picked up the device. "Yes? Hello?" Almost immediately the port authority commander began to relay the key details of the situation to her. "Miss Pyne, there's been an incident. The star port has come under terrorist attack, and we are confident that it is the same group responsible for the acts condemned earlier. A YT-1300 freighter loaded with Empion Mines docked and subsequently detonated, causing quite the scene. Casualties are at this time uncounted, but guaranteed. There were losses of ships and infrastructure as well I'm told. We've since apprehended the man accused, though after interrogation we've come to believe he was somehow brainwashed to commit this crime, as he has no recollection of the events, and it seems a calling card was left behind by the actual assailants. It was a ruse to bypass our security."

A deep, irritated sigh escaped her, eyes closing momentarily as she pondered how the Republic could have sunk so low. "It makes no sense. This is blatant terrorism!" A deep scowl cast over her as she spoke more sternly. "Ensure that evidence is collected and thoroughly vetted. Then do what is necessary to clean up. Contact Theed Hangar's [member="Ajira Cardei"] as well. Have the man escorted to the palace immediately. Ensure he is comfortable and unharmed." An affirmative rang through the comm before the call was cut short.

The palace guards would escort Jamie to the main chamber as the man arrived in cuffs and tears, apologizing and begging for mercy every step up to meet her. A gentle, reassuring smile along with a hand on the mans shoulder came first and foremost. "Free him." She stated plainly. Without hesitation it was done, and he stood nervously before her. "What is your name, sir?" Her voice was soft and calm. The man's meek and shaken voice answered. "Farlen."

"Please, come with me, Farlen. I am aware you are innocent. There is no need to worry. You will be released shortly. I just have a few questions for you, if you will." The distraught man nodded, following the girl inside and to a secure room. "Have a seat, if you don't mind. I just need a few moments of your time." With little reason to object the man plopped down into the comfort of the armchair, next to which Jamie knelt. "We have reason to believe you were manipulated unwillingly by a terrorist seeking to harm Naboo. If you can, please try and relax your mind, steady your heart rate, imagine yourself in a state of happiness."

The effort required for Jamie to accomplish such a task was monumental, and it would likely have been much more beneficial if Aela were present to perform this instead of she, however the circumstances were what they were, and if she wanted the best chance of catching the one responsible, now was all she had to work with. Several long moments of concentration and focus would pass, an eerie silence between the two as she slipped into the subconscious of the man sitting beside her, subdued memories being shifted gently aside as she sifted through the recent past, looking for the faces or names of those who had hypnotized the man to do their bidding.

Finally! She found something. It was hazy at first, difficult to make out, but the more she focused, the more the figure came into view. Mumbled words were hard to make out, but she began to see through Farlen's eyes. It was a woman she didn't recognize, but was confident that with her SIS connections could uncover the records of ex-Republic personnel with little trouble. Records never disappeared, not even when governments fell. Data always went somewhere, and the SIS were specialists at obtaining data.

The blonde relinquished her grip on the man's memories, thanking him for his assistance and dismissing him promptly. The next several hours would be spent sifting through data files until finally she discovered what she was after. It would be revealed that the acts of terror were committed by a one [member="Suravi Teigra"]. Without delay this information would be brought to the king and released to the galaxy at large exactly who was responsible for such heinous war crimes.

[member="Kurt Meyer"] | [member="Zark"] | [member="Vengeance"] | [member="Raziel"] | [member="Yarva Adisu"]

 

[H3xle]

[member="Ajira Cardei"] [member="Jamie Pyne"] @Vengeance @Kurt Meyer @Raziel @Yarva Adisu [member="Suravi Teigra"]

A new transmission approached the Naboo networks. The codes it used were Galactic Republic, old Galactic Republic. When the message was played, a dark skinned human in the robes of a Jedi appeared and performed a very formal bow. He slowly rose and paused before speaking.

'Honorable Royalty of Naboo, my name is Nicolas Thorne, and I am a Jedi Knight sworn to the Galactic Republic. In our ancient past, some of our greatest heroes called your planet home.' he began, his voice was deep and melodious, and entirely calm. His eyes held nothing but empathy. 'It is in their memory, and a hope for a truly peaceful future that I have been asked to reach out to you. The Galactic Republic has recently had multiple schisms, resulting in a large portion of our military forces abandoning the civilian populace they were sworn to protect. Worse, we have had reports that they joined forces with people that are anathema to what the Galactic Republic has long stood for, and in the process done harm to both the people and planet of Atrisia, and to our noble friends on Naboo. It is in this dire time that we wish to make our presence known. The forces that assaulted Atrisia and Nabooan interests are largely without funds. The government has reformed, with the treasury largely intact. A majority of our funds currently go to providing for protection of former Republic areas from piracy, but we wish to offer what we can in reparations. If you are amenable, my superiors would like to send me to meet with you personally, on Naboo, to discuss this further. Please respond to this message, we truly wish to help.'

The Jedi on the screen smiled then, and nodded. Before the camera clicked off, stress lines could be seen at his eyes and lips. Evidence of lack of sleep and long hours spent in frenetic activity trying to secure a Republic he still believed in.

 

[Carbon]

His brow furrowed at the conference, but as it ended, he looked back to the waterfall. Caught momentarily in his delight at the beauties of nature laid bare, he didn't turn the datapad off. Thankfully, he didn't, because the starport in Theed had come under attack. An... empion mine? Without looking at the reported damage, he immediately browsed the holonet for what an Empion mine even was and blinked. Suddenly, his head was filled with explosions.

Not from the mines, but from the ships that had been taking off who'd been disabled, only to crash back to the starport and explode. Stowing his datapad as he swept his cape up into a hand, he threw it back around his shoulders and bundled it about his neck before sprinting for the nearby landspeeder. An hour, maybe two, and he'd be in Theed - and if there were fires, he doubted they'd be cleared away by then, not with all that starship fuel going up.

He simply prayed he was wrong, even as he gunned it back towards the city.

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Her forehead rested in the palm of her hand, propped up by her elbow on the desk. A writhing pain in her head from all of the commotion finally settling in. It had been several hours since the prior events, and still the young woman had yet to achieve any measure of sleep. Still in her office, still reading through the latest reports regarding the star port disaster and the criminal now known as former Republic supreme commander Suravi Teigra. Hundreds of questions still lingered.

Why Naboo? Why at all? What were the motivations? What was the end goal?

And that was just the tip of the iceberg.

As she began to nod off unwillingly to the grips of unconsciousness, another communication was pushed through to her office. While the king was busy dealing with the public this time, as well as taking personal charge of the star port fiasco, Jamie was busy fielding the background duties. If ever she envied her parents for the roles they played in the royal court, this would not have been one of those times. She was absolutely certain in that regard.

Jamie listened to [member="Nicolas Thorne"]'s message in silence. At the very least it seemed that not all of those within the shadow of the former Republic had gone completely insane.As the message dispersed and the screen went blank the young blonde let her head fall back against the wall, resting as she closed her eyes, losing herself in deep thought and deliberation for several minutes. On one hand there was a chance that this was a ruse as well, meant to deter Naboo from further pursuing the ones responsible for funding the acts of terrorism. It wouldn't be the first time a grander scheme had been plotted in the background of a disaster on Naboo. That being said however, if there was a chance that this Jedi Knight was indeed genuine in his proposition, it may be in the best interests of her people to meet with the man.

A heavy sigh escaped her before she began to send a recording back to Nicolas.

Jedi Knight Thorne,

My name, if you are not already familiar, is Jamie Pyne. I thank you on behalf of the people of Naboo for reaching out in these troubling times. It seems that The Republic, or at least parts of it, for all its' good intentions, has forgotten what it once stood for. As the voice for this royal court, the people of Naboo, and her majesty, King Matteo, we respectfully acknowledge your condemning of the terrorism brought upon in the name of the Republic. Tensions at this time are of course high, and while it is the belief that your intentions are genuine, your presence here, in the name of any subsequent sect of the old Republic may be seen as hostile. I would propose a meeting elsewhere, perhaps in neutral space, while the dust settles and our people collect themselves in the face of these tragic events. As a gesture of faith I am willing to meet you aboard your starship, should you be able to make the journey, on behalf of Naboo.

Spoiler

[member="Ajira Cardei"] | [member="Kurt Meyer"] | [member="Yarva Adisu"] | [member="Vengeance"] | [member="Raziel"] | [member="Lady Shambleau"]

 

[H3xle]

Aboard the Azure Star, the Jedi Knight had not gone to sleep either. Instead, he remained in his quarters, sitting on the floor meditating. Meditation helped to rejuvenate him, as sleep had been unattainable since the schism happened. The Supreme Commander had taken a large part of their military, and other forces went third part or turned to piracy and such. What they had been left with was a Republic in Exile, a fleet of ships patrolling through former Republic space trying to keep citizens safe while keeping the remains of the government operational and secure.

A soft tone announced the receipt of a new message. Nicolas slowly rose from his meditation and paced over to the comm unit on his desk. He hit the button, and played the message from the Naboo Royal named Jamie Pyne. As he watched it, he smiled and nodded. He had hoped for a positive reply, but was worried about what Suravi had been doing that might have hurt his chances. He came around the desk and sat in the chair, tapping keys to record another message.

'Ms Pyne, thank you for agreeing to meet with me. I know the decision must have been a difficult one, concerning all Suravi has done to sour the name of the Republic upon the galaxies lips, coupled of course with prior events. I want to assure you that those with me are not going to allow such to happen again. Words are wind, however. My assurance should not be enough, not with prior history. I suggest we meet in the Sullust system. I will bring only my ship, the Azure Star. We will remain well within range of the weaponry of the FLEETCOM station there and can meet on my ship, yours, or the station itself. I can be there in sixty-three hours, traveling along the Hydian. I look forward to meeting you there.'

He sent the message, then sat back. He thought for a moment before keying the intercom to the bridge.

"Take us onto the Hydian, route for Sullust. Once in system, lock down all weapons, bring down the shields, and park us two kilometers from the FLEETCOM. We will be waiting for the Naboo delegation."

The bridge acknowledged, and Nic stood and walked to the center of the room again. He slid down into his meditative pose again, and began his meditations once more.

[member="Jamie Pyne"] [member="Ajira Cardei"] | [member="Kurt Meyer"] | [member="Yarva Adisu"] | [member="Vengeance"] | [member="Raziel"] | [member="Lady Shambleau"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Nicolas Thorne"] [member="Jamie Pyne"]

Whether Lady Pyne opted to take a personal ship or to ride aboard her escort was up to her. The escort was the same in either case: the cruiser RNS Jamillia, plus Theed Hangar's First Patrol Group, comprising one Spinnaker-class light carrier, two Handmaiden flak escorts, and two H9 patrol corvettes. Not the heaviest hitters around, admittedly, but pure death against anything subcapital, and loaded with enough options to tie larger fleets in knots. The escort was commanded personally by Director General Cardei of Strategic Security Branch. She wouldn't be the one doing the negotiating -- that was squarely in Pyne's court -- but she'd be available for strategic consultation.

Her primary job, other than bringing a respectable number of elegant little ships to show the flag, was to gauge the level of scanning being done. The Jamillia, with its long, narrow sensor pylons, constituted arguably the best sensor ship in history. Careful, precise use of the cruiser's DER arrays and more exotic receptors would give the Naboo delegation a clear idea of the resources the Republic could bring to the table.

 

[Carbon]

A few hours travel brought him to Theed, where he was forced to slow and maneuver through the broad city thoroughfares. Dropping the speeder off with the rental company he'd secured it from a few days before, he paid his bill and took his leave, walking the two blocks to the starport lifts. With the starport situated at the base of a lengthy cliff, the lift plunged him several hundred meters down through the darkness and into a scene of organized chaos.

Droids and work crews sprinted about, medical teams attempting to triage the walking wounded, while outside hospital shuttles were pulling on the most severe cases for immediate transfer to more... adequately equipped facilities. He recognized the ruined form of an AA-9 that was, more or less, a smouldering hulk of only mostly-compressed metal. Making his way towards the crash site, where he could see rescue teams braving lingering smoke and stubborn flame to pull out bodies and find survivors, he was stopped by a member of security.

Of course, he should have realized they wouldn't have let him in, but he had to try. A wave of his hand, a manipulation of the Force, and he was trying to bluff his way past the guard using his own Force-amplified power of will.

[member="Jamie Pyne"] [member="Ajira Cardei"]

 

[Kenrath]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]


Vengeance read the response and nodded. He figured it would be a positive one but one could never be sure. He sent a short message back to her.

"Jamie,

I will contact you closer to the meeting date to confirm location and time. Until then may the Force be with you.

-Marcus"

Vengeance turned with a small smile back towards his quarters. It would be a slow moving process but then all good things took time. For now he would see to other preparations in advance of his trip to Naboo.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

No rest for the weary. That was for sure, ever more so of late. Pressing twenty eight hours now without sleep the blonde was starting to feel the effects. Her constant yawning and reddening of the eyes was terrible unattractive, coupled with the constant dazed look on her face made for a rather tough time interacting with others. Once she boarded her ship she would send a reply to Nicolas, and then attempt to rest during the flight from Naboo to Sullust. In the mean time she would accept the offer made by the RNS Jamillia to escort her to the meeting. Flying was not her thing, so wherever she could avoid having to do any sort of thing she would happily oblige.

The gracious acceptance would be passed back to [member="Ajira Cardei"] by her steward while she prepared her belongings for the trip.

A transport shuttle would take Jamie on the short trip from the palace to where the ship awaited. While on the way she caught Marcus' message and decided to quickly return something before boarding the Jamillia.

Marcus,

That will be fine. I look forward to hearing from you. Take care.

- Jamie

After she got settled in her quarters aboard the escort ship the blonde sent a response to the Jedi Knight [member="Nicolas Thorne"]. By this point she looked about ready to collapse from exhaustion, though hoped her demeanor and overall attitude covered that appearance in some way.

Knight Thorne, difficult decisions will always need to be made, but it is with those made decisions that move us forward in the end. A meeting at Sullust in sixty three hours is agreeable. We will inform the GADF to expect you and grant you clearance. For your offer of good faith I will, in exchange, board the Azure Star to meet with you. Hopefully this will serve to alleviate tensions between all parties. I look forward to meeting with you in a few days time as well. May the stars guide your path.

Now hopefully she could get a few hours of sleep.

[member="Nicolas Thorne"] | [member="Vengeance"] | [member="Yarva Adisu"] | [member="Ajira Cardei"] |

 

[H3xle]

[member="Jamie Pyne"] [member="vengeance"] [member="yarva adisu"] [member="ajira cardei"]

Knight Thorne, difficult decisions will always need to be made, but it is with those made decisions that move us forward in the end. A meeting at Sullust in sixty three hours is agreeable. We will inform the GADF to expect you and grant you clearance. For your offer of good faith I will, in exchange, board the Azure Star to meet with you. Hopefully this will serve to alleviate tensions between all parties. I look forward to meeting with you in a few days time as well. May the stars guide your path.

Nicolas smiled at the message and nodded to himself before closing it. He shut off his desktop and stood to pace the room. He had a few members of the reforming Republic aboard, a risk he needed to take. He couldn't represent the Republic by himself, he needed allies. He had a few from the Republic of before, and a few more that have agreed to work with this new Republic. Now they were going to try to gain allies outside of the Republic, and smooth over the actions of the renegades that tore the Republic down.

A triple beep over the intercom told of the oncoming transition to normal space. Nicolas stepped out of his room and walked down the hall towards the bridge. It wasn't a large ship, and he was soon standing on the familiar plates, looking out of the front viewscreen as they dropped from hyperspace into the Sullust system. The Captain, Ander Vasali, was giving the orders that Nicolas had instructed him to give. They were moving via sublight to within a few kilometers of the systems Fleetcom, weapons and shields were taken off line and locked down, and the communications officer was talking to the Galactic Alliance fleet, requesting an escort while explaining the situation. The Naboo delegation had kept it's word and informed the GA of their arrival and purpose.

The Jedi aligned vessel stopped beneath the guns of the massive station, and waited.