Private Under the Wing

[Annasari]

Personal Apartments, Coruscant
Kristyl Arenais

Breaking from the oppressive heat of Jakku, Annasari had chosen to host her guest in her apartments on Coruscant. All the better. Galactic City had much to awe visitors with - whilst her own planet had only scrap, grit, and sand. It was no place for an impressionable young girl. Her own place was a penthouse, overlooking the Senate district. It was decorated minimalistically, but those furnishings present were tasteful. A polesnake slithered in a bras cage. A bantha skin rug covered the floor in front of the couch. A desk sat in the corner, datapads stacked neatly for work. Mira hummed a tune in another room. The assistant who had become family was never far from the senator's side.

She chose to wait on the balcony for Kristyl's arrival, and thought on how she would present the proposal. In truth, she hadn't known the girl existed until a few short weeks ago. A party on Naboo had brought them together. The attendance of aristocrats and politicians was expected, but the heir of Mnemosyne was amongst the youngest of them. Something had struck Annasari at seeing her - a curiosity of sort. The same feeling had driven her to reach out to Auteme when she was blossoming in the Senate. It had not been a misjudged instinct, given the occupancy of the Senate Building.

Returning inside, Annasari straightened the jumper she had chosen for the meeting. A word was sent to the lobby to send the girl up as soon as she arrived. There was more to the call than just personal interest. A good impression was key - after all, the membership of Mnemosyne would be invaluable to the Alliance. Best to start on the right note.

"Kristyl Arenais." Annasari would meet her personally at the door. "It is good of you to travel all this way. Please, come in."

 

[Kristyl Arenais]

To say that Kristyl's life had been an adventurous one would be an understatement; The Girl had been born on the World of Naboo to her Mother, Asaraa Vaashe , on the Capital of the governance of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Some fourteen years later they had been attacked and the Confederacy was forced to disband the Shiraya Expanse where Kris herself would experience the exploration of entirely uncharted worlds such as Cyreus Prime.

When she had become of legal age, Kristyl had decided to wander the Outer Rim Territories by herself, wanting to grow, and explore the unknown but also gain some sense and connection to her Father Caedyn Arenais and his past service to the Galaxy. This was what led to her visiting Mnemosyne, where her Father resided as one half of the Monarchy while also trying to hide it from the public spotlight in order to focus on his service as a Jedi.

The news of Loreena Arenais-Valhoun 's unexpected retirement shocked Kristyl and her Father, both. While her Aunt Lori had been a major figurehead in the Elysium Empire, she had also been the only in the Monarchy to publically acknowledge and serve Mnemosyne without hesitation. Caedyn had carried on the constitutional monarchy that Kristyl's Grandparents had established, but Loreena had gone above and beyond in order to promote the economy of Mnemosyne.

Over the months since Aunt Loreena had informed them of her decision, leading up to the official notice to the public media, Kristyl had grown far more interested in what part she herself might be able to play. Naturally, her father hated the idea, but it wasn't Caedyn's decision now that Kristyl was Eighteen; Nor did she like having an absentee father while he was off playing hero to the Galaxy. This was something real that she could do, some good that she could achieve after so much time serving only her self-interests. Her Dad was being over-protective, and he didn't need to like the idea, but he would come to respect it eventually.

She first had to dedicate time. Learn the ropes of politics, not from a family member as that meant potential bias and favouritism, but from someone on a larger political stage. Kristyl had decided to revisit her homeworld, to see if her Mother still had some contacts there....-And it was there that the young woman had met Annasari .

Personal Apartments, Coruscant.
​

So. This was Coruscant.

Kristyl had seen and read plenty about it, and her Father served in the Jedi Temple there, yet this was the first time she had visited. Standing in the Turbolift, she wore a black dress that ran down past her knees, and a black pressed jacket. Black shoes accompanied the formal attire well, and it all splendidly made her auburn hair stand out as her defining feature. Frankly, she may have been overdressed for an invitation to one's private estate, yet being invited to do so had caught her entirely by surprise and Kristyl wanted to make a good impression.

Perhaps she was overcompensating for her youth compared to others she'd seen and heard getting involved in politics, yet she was determined to show others that she could be someone of note, something more than a mere vagabond. It seemed it was time to start living up to her family name.

The turbolift chimed briefly before the doors would slide open to either side, Kristyl Arenais took a deep breath just as they parted and then felt as though that breath had been lost all at once when she found she was being greeted not by an aide, but by Annasari herself. "Kristyl Arenais. It is good of you to travel all this way. Please, come in".

Kris had to force herself to remember where she was, and why she was there, soon clearing her throat and smiling politely; "Thank you Ma'am, I was honoured by your invitation" she replied respectfully, and truthfully at that. Stepping out and away from the turbo-lift, Kristyl moved along beside Annasari whilst staring at the beautiful apartment complex, her eyes clearly expressing her being impressed with the decor.

"Your home is truly beautiful" She continued, soon to turn and return her gaze upon Annasari. Her host was experienced well beyond what Kristyl had imagined she might see as a potential employer and mentor, but this meeting held a promise that she could not have refused to try for. Given that experience, Kristyl expected that Annasari would read that the younger woman held her tongue from saying more than she meant to.

Namely, the reason for their meeting in such a personal space when they did not know one another nearly so intimately.

 

[Annasari]

"Many thanks. I've tried to combine my two worlds - that of a business woman and representative of Jakku, and the Coruscanti lifestyle that is expected of a member of the senate." An arch brow raised as she surveyed Kristyl's body language. "I do hope it does not seem too... informal. One grows tired of stuffy offices, and my proposal will extend beyond the Chamber's business."

A gesture invited her out of the foyer and into the den. Without call, Mira appeared, offering a curtsy to their guest. She was an an elderly Echani woman. Dressed in black, her cardigan was decorated with silver threads, the moons of Eshan dancing with the suns of Jakku.

"A pleasure to meet you, Ms. Arenais. May I fetch you either of you anything?"

"Sprite, please."

Seating herself on the sofa, Senator Vahl left the armchair for the girl. One leg crossed another as she considered the pitch. The line between abrasivity and appropriate still eluded her.

"Business first, then. Mnemosyne. As the chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, I do my best to reach out to those near our borders. Cooperation is often beneficial, economically. Those relationships can even bloom into more. As our borders grow rapidly, they can often set the precedence for membership." The implication was clear enough, but choice remained. "Tell me of Mnemosyne, of your world's goals and values. Perhaps I can assist in them."

 

[Kristyl Arenais]

"Many thanks. I've tried to combine my two worlds - that of a business woman and representative of Jakku, and the Coruscanti lifestyle that is expected of a member of the senate." An arch brow raised as she surveyed Kristyl's body language. "I do hope it does not seem too... informal. One grows tired of stuffy offices, and my proposal will extend beyond the Chamber's business."

Kristyl Arenais couldn't claim to know Annasari well at all. Their first meeting on Naboo had been pleasant and Jakku had come up in mention yet all details had been spared as they had shared pleasantries and first impressions. Now it seemed that Kris was being granted a much more personal impression of the Lady's home and character, to which the young woman was most comfortable with.

"Oh no, Ma'am" Kris gave a polite yet dismissive wave of Annasari's concern; "This is perfectly suitable. I feel I would be more comfortable here than I would in Office given my lack of experience. I am most appreciative" she expressed with a thankful smile.

"A pleasure to meet you, Ms. Arenais. May I fetch you either of you anything?"

Before long, the voice of one of Annasari's personal assistants sounded from the side, Kristyl turning to greet the woman with a friendly smile, waiting for Annasari to request a sprite, a beverage, to which Kristyl apprehensively requested the same. She wasn't accustomed to having a servant or butler, handler or whatever they were called. Come to think of it, she didn't even know the appropriate title for their position. Her origins were much more...-rough and self-serving since Naboo's attack that forced The Ascendancy into a life of exploration and vagrancy.

That wasn't to say that she didn't have financial acquisition however, as House Arenais was well-endowed with wealth thanks to her Parents and Grandparents' royalties on Mnemosyne and before that, Commenor. Her Grandmother, Lady Kay and Grandfather Veiere Arenais were Monarchs of Commenor during the time of the Commenor Systems Alliance, neighbors of the Free Worlds Coalition before the Galactic Alliance of today. They then directed their attention to Mnemosyne during the height of the CSA's expansion, where they would assume leadership and governance as a constitutional monarchy, one which they had kept a secret from their children as their reputation had grown.

"Business first, then. Mnemosyne. As the chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, I do my best to reach out to those near our borders. Cooperation is often beneficial, economically. Those relationships can even bloom into more. As our borders grow rapidly, they can often set the precedence for membership." The implication was clear enough, but choice remained. "Tell me of Mnemosyne, of your world's goals and values. Perhaps I can assist in them."

"Mnemosyne is a peaceful, self-sustaining World" Kristyl answered, pleased to be able to speak of her father's birthright; "While the largest source of income does come from tourism, each of the five established countries boast resources that embolden Mnemosyne's ability to rain independently if needs be. During times of war for example". There had been plenty of times in recent years when borders had been required to tighten their security due to raiders, pirates, and hostile governments such as The Sith Empire for example. Mnemosyne was well equipped to manage its own needs were it to ever be blockaded.

"Ovates is the Agricultural Capital of Mnemosyne, while Pleroma hosts a number of five-star holiday resorts and tourism attractions" Kristyl went on to describe the countries of Mnemosyne in small detail. "Asphodel is a country that consists of a great deal of mountainous terrain, providing metals and mineral resources through its mining industry. Chīmalmā on the other hand is a barren desert region, their people live a more nomadic, tribal lifestyle yet Mnemosyne's Military has seen great use of the land and some of our greatest soldiers have enlisted from there; It's a harder lifestyle and so I suppose you might say the routines and challenges of military life suit the people there".

"The Fifth Country is Velichor, situated by dense forestry, appearing endless should you find yourself looking upon it. Hunting and Arborism is largely profitable here and contribute to the overall resources of Mnemosyne's needs. Each of these countries all contributes their share, as well as providing export goods to other worlds through the World's Capital City Port Solaris. Similar to Coruscant's landscape, Solaris is a metropolitan Cityscape, our largest on Mnemosyne and also the seat of government that presides over each of the country's leadership. Parliament is made up of the Prime Ministers of the five countries, and above them is the Monarchy. My father, Caedyn Arenais is the sole Monarch still in place as my Aunt Loreena Arenais-Valhoun has since resigned".

Kristyl exhaled slowly, soon to grin as she looked to Annasari apologetically; "Phew, that's a lot to take in I know. My apologies" she gave a quiet huff of breath in a withheld chuckle.