The Beginning
Coruscant
President Johnson slammed his fists on the table, "People, we are here to discuss, not threaten each other." He looked at each of the council members, most of them now downcast. The only member with a smile on his face was Minister Conn. And it just so happened he had something to say.
"President Johnson, I suggest we take a short break to allow the tempers to cool down."
"Agreed. Five minute recess."
The various senators, ministers, and councilors filed out of the room as Lance Conn stood and walked over to where the President sat. "No one ever said passing the draft would be easy."
Dack put his head in his hands, obviously over-stressed. "You would think after five years of being a senator I would've learned politics."
"You learned politics, learned they were bad, and put them behind you. That's why your job is so difficult, you do it right. Let's face it, without the Bothans, the Republic wouldn't have the word argue."
Dack chuckled, "I would go crazy if you weren't on this council. All of the other meetings go smoothly. But," Dack should his head, "Jonas Rob'rin is just too tempermental. Even for a Bothan."
"He'll make a good politician one day, we just have to cut his legs out from under him so he knows he has faults."
Dack looked up, a smile on his face, "What's your plan?"
---------------------------
The meeting over, Jonas Rob'rin back in his place, Minister Conn set out for his Coruscant apartment while President Johnson headed for the local bar. Maneuvering through the locale, Dack made sure why he was paying his guard detail so much. Keeping a safe distance as to not set off alarms, the two Republic undercover guards stationed themselves at a table while Dack sat at the bar. He noticed a shockball game on and soon forgot how much liquor he had consumed. Hours passed and the guard detail was scheduled to leave. Fortunately for them, President Johnson had passed out. They picked him up and headed back towards his apartment.
-------------------------
Early the next morning, long before Dack was awake or hours before his hangover would leave him, Lance M Conn was staring at a datapad in Coruscant Old Imperial Library. The Senate was discussing the draft today, and he had to be well learned of all matters, past and present. What the Minister didn't see was the mysterious Gotal standing at an upper level banister watching him. Ever so slowly, the Gotal pulled a blaster from his clothing and leveled it at Lance.
What the Gotal didn't see was a Republic guard standing at the entrance of the library pull his blaster. A red bolt shot through the library, making Lance duck to the floor. The Gotal bolted, but not before Minister Conn got a good look at him. Up shot Lance from the floor to the nearest flight of stairs. The guard was taking another flight of stairs on the opposite side of the library and the two were bound to find the deadly, horned alien.
Lance saw the guard at the end of a long row of shelves holding ancient books, datapads of old. Using hand motions, the Minister and guard began the search. Suddenly out of a row of shelves shot the Gotal, bolting over the side of railing he plummeted slowly to the bottom floor. Minister Conn had never known that Gotals were injury resistant, but he still hurried back down the stairs in hopes of catching the Gotal.
By the time he reached the lobby, a platoon of guards had arrived from a call placed by the librarian. "Any idea why he was here?" asked Lance.
"It's obvious isn't it?" the platoon leader replied. Drawing a blank stare from the Minister, he continued, "This bounty hunter was trying to turn your head in for money."
After being escorted to the Senate chamber, Minister Lance M Conn met up with President Johnson. The two moved into the President's office and Dack began, "We're pulling you off of Coruscant."
"What?" asked Lance, not really believing. "I haven't been off of Coruscant in ... well, decades."
"Exactly," Dack said, "You're the Minister of State, you should be off somewhere trying to win planets to the Republic."
"But I've only been Minister for a year, and I wasn't elected to this position. I'm here because ..." and Lance stopped.
"That's right, you're here because my last Minister of State was killed."
"How did that happen? I never got the full story."
Dack took a seat on his desk, "We never found out where the bounty originated, but a bounty hunter called Frierden Naffer slit his throat while he was in a library."
"This is a little to coincidental. It's suicide to be your Minister of State."
"Apparently. Either way, you're leaving Coruscant and no one will know where you're going."
-------------------------
Twenty four hours later, Lance boarded a Lambda-class shuttle and was shuttled to the Mon Calamari 90-class Battle Cruiser Glory of the Republic. The ship was one of the front-line warriors, but had been pulled recently due to heavy damage done to its hull. Now fully repaired, it has been placed on diplomatic duty for a short period.
The shuttle landed in the forward hangar bay amidst X-Wings and Y-Wings. The ramp lowered and there to greet the Minister was Admiral Zike Sigrism, a former colleague of the Minister. The two shook hands and Zike led Lance to the bridge, "This is control central. You'll be doing most of your work through that door," Zike pointed to a door off to the right of the bridge.
"And where are we headed first?" asked Lance.
"That's your choice, Minister. Your technically in charge of this vessel until we find ourselves in battle."
"Well then, set course for the Woostri system in the Sarin Sector."
Admiral Sigrism walked over to a station and told the officer sitting there to launch a patrol and set course for Woostri. Out of the hangars came a squadron of X-Wings while the MC-90's shields lowered and then the ship suddenly dissapeared.
Coruscant
President Johnson slammed his fists on the table, "People, we are here to discuss, not threaten each other." He looked at each of the council members, most of them now downcast. The only member with a smile on his face was Minister Conn. And it just so happened he had something to say.
"President Johnson, I suggest we take a short break to allow the tempers to cool down."
"Agreed. Five minute recess."
The various senators, ministers, and councilors filed out of the room as Lance Conn stood and walked over to where the President sat. "No one ever said passing the draft would be easy."
Dack put his head in his hands, obviously over-stressed. "You would think after five years of being a senator I would've learned politics."
"You learned politics, learned they were bad, and put them behind you. That's why your job is so difficult, you do it right. Let's face it, without the Bothans, the Republic wouldn't have the word argue."
Dack chuckled, "I would go crazy if you weren't on this council. All of the other meetings go smoothly. But," Dack should his head, "Jonas Rob'rin is just too tempermental. Even for a Bothan."
"He'll make a good politician one day, we just have to cut his legs out from under him so he knows he has faults."
Dack looked up, a smile on his face, "What's your plan?"
---------------------------
The meeting over, Jonas Rob'rin back in his place, Minister Conn set out for his Coruscant apartment while President Johnson headed for the local bar. Maneuvering through the locale, Dack made sure why he was paying his guard detail so much. Keeping a safe distance as to not set off alarms, the two Republic undercover guards stationed themselves at a table while Dack sat at the bar. He noticed a shockball game on and soon forgot how much liquor he had consumed. Hours passed and the guard detail was scheduled to leave. Fortunately for them, President Johnson had passed out. They picked him up and headed back towards his apartment.
-------------------------
Early the next morning, long before Dack was awake or hours before his hangover would leave him, Lance M Conn was staring at a datapad in Coruscant Old Imperial Library. The Senate was discussing the draft today, and he had to be well learned of all matters, past and present. What the Minister didn't see was the mysterious Gotal standing at an upper level banister watching him. Ever so slowly, the Gotal pulled a blaster from his clothing and leveled it at Lance.
What the Gotal didn't see was a Republic guard standing at the entrance of the library pull his blaster. A red bolt shot through the library, making Lance duck to the floor. The Gotal bolted, but not before Minister Conn got a good look at him. Up shot Lance from the floor to the nearest flight of stairs. The guard was taking another flight of stairs on the opposite side of the library and the two were bound to find the deadly, horned alien.
Lance saw the guard at the end of a long row of shelves holding ancient books, datapads of old. Using hand motions, the Minister and guard began the search. Suddenly out of a row of shelves shot the Gotal, bolting over the side of railing he plummeted slowly to the bottom floor. Minister Conn had never known that Gotals were injury resistant, but he still hurried back down the stairs in hopes of catching the Gotal.
By the time he reached the lobby, a platoon of guards had arrived from a call placed by the librarian. "Any idea why he was here?" asked Lance.
"It's obvious isn't it?" the platoon leader replied. Drawing a blank stare from the Minister, he continued, "This bounty hunter was trying to turn your head in for money."
After being escorted to the Senate chamber, Minister Lance M Conn met up with President Johnson. The two moved into the President's office and Dack began, "We're pulling you off of Coruscant."
"What?" asked Lance, not really believing. "I haven't been off of Coruscant in ... well, decades."
"Exactly," Dack said, "You're the Minister of State, you should be off somewhere trying to win planets to the Republic."
"But I've only been Minister for a year, and I wasn't elected to this position. I'm here because ..." and Lance stopped.
"That's right, you're here because my last Minister of State was killed."
"How did that happen? I never got the full story."
Dack took a seat on his desk, "We never found out where the bounty originated, but a bounty hunter called Frierden Naffer slit his throat while he was in a library."
"This is a little to coincidental. It's suicide to be your Minister of State."
"Apparently. Either way, you're leaving Coruscant and no one will know where you're going."
-------------------------
Twenty four hours later, Lance boarded a Lambda-class shuttle and was shuttled to the Mon Calamari 90-class Battle Cruiser Glory of the Republic. The ship was one of the front-line warriors, but had been pulled recently due to heavy damage done to its hull. Now fully repaired, it has been placed on diplomatic duty for a short period.
The shuttle landed in the forward hangar bay amidst X-Wings and Y-Wings. The ramp lowered and there to greet the Minister was Admiral Zike Sigrism, a former colleague of the Minister. The two shook hands and Zike led Lance to the bridge, "This is control central. You'll be doing most of your work through that door," Zike pointed to a door off to the right of the bridge.
"And where are we headed first?" asked Lance.
"That's your choice, Minister. Your technically in charge of this vessel until we find ourselves in battle."
"Well then, set course for the Woostri system in the Sarin Sector."
Admiral Sigrism walked over to a station and told the officer sitting there to launch a patrol and set course for Woostri. Out of the hangars came a squadron of X-Wings while the MC-90's shields lowered and then the ship suddenly dissapeared.