Private We Don't Talk about Politics and Religion

[Count Tarsus]

Location: Ossus Grand Temple, Archbeacon Office
Tags: Isla Draellix-Kobitana

"It's unfair, and I won't stand for it." Beacon Thaeden stated, putting his proverbial foot down. The man was younger then most in the clergy, but his management skills were unmatched in this sector.

"Unfair? You want to talk unfair? My region is twice the size of yours, and we have a third of the personnel needed to attend to it." A reply from Beacon Trahnul, and a good point on his part. The two men were locked in a serious debate here, a debate that Tarsus was unfortunately part of.

The small office in the grand temple was filled with all sorts scrolls, papers, and other nostalgic memorabilia. It was well-known that Tarsus loved to collect information, and some of his most prized possessions were old scrollwork. The calls to the past were comfortable to Tarsus, before technology took over. Some of the scrolls in the office were ages old, far beyond the time of now. Tarsus would give anything to be nose-deep in one of those scrolls right about now.

Tarsus was the Archbeacon of Ossus, and the man was a sight to behold. Getting old in this galaxy was a feat on it's own, and Tarsus' white hair shared everything you needed to know. The ceremonial robes he wore clung to his body loosely, and the lightsaber he barely used hung loosely as well. Even with his age however, one look at Tarsus' eyes would tell you that he was still quite spry. He was filled with both wisdom, and passion for the crusade.

"The both of you need to stop this arguing. Ossus has come under our control rather recently, and it hurts the Church for the two of you to be arguing about something so small." His voice was resolute, and his tone was obvious. Squabbling like this could literally kill empires, and the Crusade was fragile at best. It would take nothing for darkness to sweep in and destroy all the good work the Church had done in the area. Tarsus cleared his throat as he led his words set, before continuing on.

"Thaeden, your region has more tithe because it is closer to population centers. You should be proud of the fervent masses that donate, and you should also be willing to part with some of that to assist other regions." Thaeden looked away from Tarsus, too ashamed to argue further.

"As for you, Trahnul. Asking for additional personnel will help more in the long run. Taking tithe from other regions is not the way to best assist your congregation." Tarsus stood up, marking a holopad with his own seal with orders to assist the larger region, tasking more clergy to help. Both Beacons stood up and bowed, before making their way out of the office. Tarsus took a deep breath after they left, and seated himself yet again.

The weather on Ossus was perfect, and the temple's windows were wide open. The breeze and warm air made Tarsus smile as he looked out, his eyes searching the beautiful sky. The recent events on Pho Ph'eah were concerning to say the least, as the Bogan were making strong attempts to breech the holiness of the Church. Tarsus had spoken with many about this problem, but the Church seemed more interested in tithes and offerings for the most part. Not everyone was like this of course, and to think such corruption was everywhere was foolish at best.

Even still, Tarsus couldn't help but wonder if there was more he could be doing for his flock. Turning from the open window and looking at his messy desk, the old man took another hard breath and started work on the nearest holopad.

Would someone be visiting him today that could hopefully take him away from his busywork?

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[Isla Draellix-Kobitana]

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Location: Ossus
Objective: meet with new Archbeacon
Tags: Count Tarsus

Spoiler: Isla's Personal Gear

Admiral's Sabre
Ashlan Rosary
Kaldrweave military uniform
Personal guard of Ashlan Praetorian droids
Overseer Biochip OPBC-01a
Diamond snowflake necklade

Personal Diplomatic Transport -
Bucephalus Class Fast Diplomat

Wearing: this and this made of Kaldrweave

Diplomatic Shuttle Adreena kicked up clouds from the landing pad as it arrested its descent and landed gracefully on the landing platform not far from the office of the Archbeacon of Ossus. Isla had not arranged this in advance but had been in a nearby system so she had sent a Diplomatic transmission to the planet and attended. There was newly appointed Archbeacon making a name for himself and she thought it only proper she introduce herself in person. She was had used the refresher, changed into her preferred political attire and now stood at the top of the outstretched landing ramp, breathing in the fresh air on the Ossus breeze.

Two Praetorian droids, painted white and guided in Ashlan gold followed her at a short distance as she walked up the bridge that connected the pad to the grand temple. One of the official staff ran to greet her. "Prime Minister Draellix, welcome to Ossus, your missive has been passed to the Archbeacon, he has finished his meetings for the day but I hope it doesn't cause offence if he has personal plans, we have not had much time to prepare for your visit."

Isla laughed, still after all these years she was bemused by the panic a visit could cause sometimes. "Relax, I just happened to be in the area and thought I would stop by, I will head to see him, but if he can't I would love for one of your staff to give me a tour of the Grand Temple instead." she replied. The greeted visibly relaxed and led the way through the temple towards the office of archbeacon. As she walked through she saw several Jedi meditating in the garden and she passed two gentlemen wearing the emblem of Beacons of Ashla. She nodded politely to them "Ashla be with you"
"And also with you" They replied together.

The temple was a beautiful place, but the limited number of people that had come her so far made it eerily quiet and almost solemn. That would soon change as word spread that the Grand Temple of Ossus had been liberated.

Before long she was at the door of the office, her droids went into low profile mode and stationed themselves in the corridor opposite the door. Isla Quickly straightened her hair before knocking loudly on the door.
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[Count Tarsus]

Location: Ossus Grand Temple, Archbeacon Office
Tags: Isla Draellix-Kobitana

The knock on the door made the Archbeacon jump a bit, his meetings done for the day. Suddenly, like from the shadows of his own mind, he remembered that the Grand Admiral was in the area for an impromptu visit. Setting his glasses down on the desk and standing up, his bones and body heavy from the end of day and age itself, Tarsus called out to the visitor to enter.

Draellix and him had never met, with Tarsus being heavily involved in the Clergy for far too long. He actually had not met much of the armed forces, or even the Jury for that matter. This was a massive oversight on his part, and probably why he was not even nominated to lead the Crusade. If he had spent time getting to know the military of the Crusade, the actual people who were offering Ashla's light, he probably would have been a shoe-in for the election.

But that was no matter now. Today, he was to meet the Grand Admiral herself. Tarsus had done some light digging, as information was a forte of his. The Admiral was a fierce leader, and was known to many for their incredible beauty. It had been rumored that she had been created by Ashla itself, as there was barely a flaw in the woman, at least on the surface. Tarsus knew that it probably dug deeper then that, but was never going to ask her himself.

Those were not questions one asked in a political meeting like this.

And it truly was a political one. Tarsus was the Archbeacon now, and his sudden promotion to the rank had made many nervous. His unorthodox methods and pragmatic thinking went against much of the clergy, and his promotion to this position was filled with woe from his opponents.

Even in the Crusade, there is maneuvering.

"Come in, please!"

His voice hoarse from the previous debate with the two Beacons, Tarsus let out a harsh cough as he cleared his throat. The door would open to reveal the Grand Admiral herself, and two droids. Ugh, machinery. Tarsus was never a fan of droids or artificial intelligence. He barely enjoyed the fact that his lightsaber was a mechanical tool. Nevertheless, Isla was a very high up positioned admiral, and her security was of the utmost importance.

"Grand Admiral Draellix! It is an absolute pleasure to see you!" His words were not simply flattery, and Tarsus moved to a smaller desk nearby where teas and coffee sat idly. "Care for some tea?"

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[Isla Draellix-Kobitana]

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Location: Ossus
Objective: meet with new Archbeacon
Tags: Count Tarsus

Spoiler: Isla's Personal Gear

Admiral's Sabre
Ashlan Rosary
Kaldrweave military uniform
Personal guard of Ashlan Praetorian droids
Overseer Biochip OPBC-01a
Diamond snowflake necklade

Personal Diplomatic Transport -
Bucephalus Class Fast Diplomat

Wearing: this and this made of Kaldrweave

"Good afternoon, Archbeacon, may Ashla be with you." It was suprised her slightly to here a non-military person using her military title but it was a title she was very proud of so she would not say anything. She looked at the man in front of her, she knew what he looked like from his biographical information but she had to admit he cut a very striking image. She glanced and ordered her droids with a mental command to stand down, then crouched low holding their chests to their knees and retracting their limbs slightly to reduce their presence.

"The pleasure is mine, and tea would be lovely, I prefer Deschan if you have it, but whatever leaves are available would fine." She smiled at him. Several of her aides had mentioned to her that the appointment of a man who was more political than priest had ruffled some feathers, but moderates that could straddle the line between the church and the wider government were useful, the Ashlan Kaisereich was a Theocracy, but it needed people who could see other elements.

Isla looked around the office, it was more cluttered than hers, but so was that of Pietro Demici. "I can see you have already made the old temple offices your own, how are you settling in the new role?" this was a friendly question, a man elevated to Archbeacon would have long ago proved their devotion and competenance and she want here in any official capacity.

It was warm here, so she removed her jacket as she sat down having to stand her sabre against the edge of the chair, then adjust both her necklace and the Rosary that hung from her belt. She looked at the golden charm, its metal well polished but beginning to show the wear of years of rubbing.

"You can call me Isla if you would like, I prefer to reserve my titles for official duties or when I am in command." she thanked the serving staff for the tea and delicately sipped it as she got comfortable in the well appointed chair.
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[Count Tarsus]

Location: Ossus Grand Temple, Archbeacon Office
Tags: Isla Draellix-Kobitana

Tarsus tapped a few orders into a holopad, ordering tea for the both of them. The staff were incredibly kind, though Tarsus rarely used them beyond their official capacity. He was not a fan of having people wait on him hand and foot, and was more resigned to the life of his own work.

The Admiral was kind enough, or at the very least knew how to be political. One could hazard a guess that she knew exactly how to maneuver these types of conversations. She didn't become admiral just from her good looks, that was obvious. As the tea was brought by the staff, Tarsus settled himself in a nearby chair.

"I'm settling down here well enough. Ossus has perfect weather for me and my tired bones." Grabbing the nearby tea cup and swirling the herbs that flitted about inside, Tarsus gave an subconscious smile. No matter what technology came out, or how advanced things became, tea was still tea. It was still made the same way, and could be easily prepared by even the most dull individual.

"How about you? Grand Admiral is a strong title to have in the Kaiserreich." The both of them were feeling one out, and Tarsus felt like he had a strong idea over who Isla was. He refrained from using any power from Ashla here, knowing that his intuition would serve him better here.

"And I prefer the titles, Grand Admiral Draellix. We work hard for our titles, and I prefer the old ways of speaking to one another." Tarsus tapped the side of his cup as he laid it down after a small sip, his eyes wandering to the droids that stood guard right outside of his office. She was no doubt incredibly protected, and Tarsus wondered if he was adequately protected as well.

"Dare I ask how the frontier goes? Are our enemies feeling the sting of the Crusade just yet?" The Ashlan Crusade had been declared not so long ago, in the grand scheme of the galaxy. Though we had good numbers, the Kaiserreich was still an infant on the galactic stage.

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[Isla Draellix-Kobitana]

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Location: Ossus
Objective: meet with new Archbeacon
Tags: Count Tarsus

Spoiler: Isla's Personal Gear

Admiral's Sabre
Ashlan Rosary
Kaldrweave military uniform
Personal guard of Ashlan Praetorian droids
Overseer Biochip OPBC-01a
Diamond snowflake necklade

Personal Diplomatic Transport -
Bucephalus Class Fast Diplomat

Wearing: this and this made of Kaldrweave

"And I prefer the titles, Grand Admiral Draellix. We work hard for our titles, and I prefer the old ways of speaking to one another."

Isla smiled "If you insist. You know, you would get along very well with my grandfather. The Marshall is a few years older than you and blind in one eye, but a fierce traditionalist." She had a reminiscent look in her eyes, he had been a field Marshall in the Galidraani armed forces and had cried with pride from his good eye the day Isla had made Admiral. "Maybe next time I am on Ossus I shall bring one of his books." The Prime Minister was well known for her love of old fashioned paper books and had an extensive library at her home.

She warched as his eye wandered back to the Praetorian droids, she hadnt seen many droids around since she arrived, maybe this was another tradition he preferred, she knew many people who were unconfortable around droids, particularly class 4 droids such as these. "Do my droids bother you? I hardly notice their presence any more. The one on the left with the gallantry star welded to his chest has been with me for seven years now. He saved my life during the Invasion of Coruscant." He had also been responsible for waiting outside the hotel room door on Alderaan the first night she had spent with Tiresh Kobitana-Draellix , but that was a story for another time.

Isla wondered what specifically the Count meant by The Frontier the Stygian Caldera had mostly been liberated and actually the majority of it was between here and the capital, deeper in Ashlan space. "Our wars against the Bogan go well, The battle for Tython was a success, a costly one, but the Mawites were unable to destroy that sacred world. It is my hope that the accords signed there will provide us even greater strength for the future." she would not go into every minute detail about the many campaigns that were active, it would take to long and likely be dull from someone in a non-military leaning.

"How about you Archdeacon? Is there any issues you would like to discuss? Is there anything more that I or the wider government could be doing here? Ossus is far from our most populous world but it is a culturally significant one, so I would like to ensure we are showing are best faces here." The Archdeacon seemed to be a formal and pragmatic man, so she was happy to steer the conversation towards matters of state, rather than milling around with small talk. Unless she had read him wrong and he just wanted to get to know her.
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[Count Tarsus]

Location: Ossus Grand Temple, Archbeacon Office
Tags: Isla Draellix-Kobitana

"I hesitate to ask how old your grandfather is." Tarsus gave a slight chuckle, which eventually evolved into a rough cough. Clearing himself after a few slight coughs, Tarsus made sure she did not assist him. "Apologies, the dust mites in here are awful. My fault for using paper."

Once he had regained control of himself, Tarsus continued. "I would love to read his books. I have a bit of a backlog as you can see, but I would never turn down a book."

Looking back at the droids as Isla spoke of them, Tarsus merely smiled. She was obviously attached to them, as people tended to be. Something about their cold exteriors always rubbed Tarsus the wrong way, but he would never judge those that enjoyed them. Knowing that Isla had fought during the invasion of Coruscant was a good piece of knowledge to tuck away, as it proved both her tenacity and survival skills. "They don't bother me at all. I am simply not used to them. Don't let an oldtimer make you uncomfortable."

Onto the topic of Tython, Tarsus smiled. He had traveled extensively throughout much of the old planets, hoping to find relics of the ancient times. The galaxy was so old, and treasures could be found if one looked hard enough. Knowing that Tython had an old history with the Jedi, and Ashla itself, Tarsus had been there a handful of times. Knowing that the planet was safe was good, and make him even more joyous. "The Bogan are pushed back at every stage. Ashla protects!"

As for Ossus, Tarsus just arced an eyebrow. The recent population that had begun returning had their fair share of problems. Slowly, people were coming back to their homes, but cultural ties were still quite strong. Old families were even returning, and bad blood had been spread over the decades since Ossus had been tightly controlled.

"Security could definitely be increased in some of the more urban areas. Some of my clergymen have heard rumors of rebellion, though I understand they are just whispers. Not all are comfortable with the Crusade of course. Some still cling to the old ways." Tarsus looked off, as if in deep thought. "Religion can unite a great many people, but it can also be divisive. Sometimes, it is hard to separate the Reich from the Crusade itself."

Tarsus looked back at Isla, flashing his typical smile. "But that is the hard part, isn't it? Bringing unity to worlds that have gone through so much turmoil?"

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[Isla Draellix-Kobitana]

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Location: Ossus
Objective: meet with new Archbeacon
Tags: Count Tarsus

Spoiler: Isla's Personal Gear

Admiral's Sabre
Ashlan Rosary
Kaldrweave military uniform
Personal guard of Ashlan Praetorian droids
Overseer Biochip OPBC-01a
Diamond snowflake necklade

Personal Diplomatic Transport -
Bucephalus Class Fast Diplomat

Wearing: this and this made of Kaldrweave

Isla let out a short laugh, "Whispers of rebellion are rarely just rumours, the whole of the Caldera is a tinderbox really, the Sith leadership is gone but their influence is much harder to root out." She thought of the many levels of Ession and the countless millions of Sith sympathisers that likely still skulked in the darkness waiting for their opportunity to return. "It makes governance such a tightrope, there are bogan followers all around, but when running a planet we have to try and work out which ones are corrupt to their core and which can be saved. And all the time trying to reduce bloodshed." she sighed at the challenges she had faced over the years, she was good at her job but it was hard work. "I will make sure you have the assistance you need. If you have any specific concerns about named individuals, the Holy Jury will also be called forth as necessary." those talented individuals were wonderful at getting into the cracks of a world.

Isla was one of the key proponents of having a seperate government and church. There would never be full seperation, not for a long time at least, that was how theocracy worked. Her role leading the nations parliament and cabinet, with the trust of the cardinal was giving her more power than she ever dreamt of welding and she was improving representation amongst the people and their worlds.

"Have you considered politics yourself? Ossus officially still has no high lord to fill its seat in the senate?"
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[Count Tarsus]

Location: Ossus Grand Temple, Archbeacon Office
Tags: Isla Draellix-Kobitana

"You aren't wrong about it being a tinderbox. I try to relay that type of thought to my clergymen. We don't need a flashpoint to erupt in the middle of Ossus. So many are returning home." Tarsus took a light sip of his tea, clearing his throat afterwards. The dry air today was not helping him much. Damn his old age. "We have to make sure they still feel like this is home. If we do not, we will lose countless converts."

Tarsus hated speaking of people like currency, but that's what they were for the most part. A zealous convert fighting for the Crusade could be your next commander, or a powerful warrior for Ashla. It was just the way things were, and that was never going to change.

"The Holy Jury have a small post here, though I am sure they are more bored then anything. I keep in contact with them as much as possible." The Jury and the Clergy had to work hand in hand with one another, rooting out Bogan influence while directly administering aid to the people. As Archbeacon, Tarsus had spoken with the Jury a handful of times, and he was not totally a fan of their methods. Their holy wrath was absolute, though Tarsus wondered if it was completely necessary at times.

The mention of politics made Tarsus wave away the thought with a large gesture. "Politics are not my game. I've never been one for political maneuvering. My pragmatic methods are good for the Clergy, and I think I should stay here in the meantime."

It was a bit self-serving to say so, and that part was not entirely subtle. Tarsus was indeed a political animal, though he did not want to make a foray into the senate just yet. Murmurs of how he received the Archbeacon position were still abound, and he did not need further scrutiny right now.

"What about you, Grand Admiral? You've already made quite a name for yourself. Is politics your next adventure? Your tenure as Prime Minister has been well received." Trying to figure out what type of lady the Grand Admiral was is not an easy task, though Tarsus needed to know. She seemed as pragmatic as Tarsus was, and she was incredibly cool-headed. Was she going to angle for even more power in the future?

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