The wait for the Mandalorian representative had gone on for far longer than expected, to the point that it was during a recess from the meeting when word finally came through of her arrival.

For Surik, that meant hunking down the last of her sandwich in a hurry before the face-to-face meeting itself. There was no telling who was about to walk into the smaller meeting room. Her experience with the Miresians was limited indeed. And as for other Mandalorians…

"Master Surik, I presume?"

She waited a few seconds before turning to be certain she was in ideal composure. That barely lasted anyway as she was caught by surprise upon seeing the Mandalorian woman's armor.

"Clan Keldau? I was told-"

The woman gave a slight nod of her head with a cocked smile, tugging her helmet up by her side a little more. "I haven't been Shara Keldau in nearly nine years now. But we don't change what is printed on the armour."

After recovering again, Surik nodded herself and gestured to a nearby seat. She took one to her right, a fair distance set between them.

"Forgive the confusion, it hasn't been easy catching up on Mandalorian politics with all the instability. I'm just uncertain as to why Mires is a Mandalorian clan, when the last I heard was that they had outlasted the Neo-Crusader wars."

Shara placed her helmet on the table with a soft thud as she sat down. The cocked smile remained, but in a shallower form. "They joined willingly; surprising yes. We had developed a mutual respect in the battles fought between our peoples. They had an interest in our culture, and access to spacefaring technology and other such things from Mandalore. And in return, we gained a safe haven from Republic clean-up forces. A saving grace for our people."

Surik's own forced smile twitched a little at that. There was of course no ill will being harbored, just an uncomfortable feeling.

"I see. If only other worlds, such as Cathar for instance, were so fortunate. But this isn't the time for war regrets."

"No, it isn't."

Shara retrieved a datapad from a compartment in her chestpiece and slid it across the table to the Jedi. "That's a current readout of the resources available to you, pending the outcome of stabilizing Mandalore itself. Manpower is limited yes, but if things go well that will change quickly."

She began tapping her thigh while Surik read over the manifest. It wasn't easy to hide that she had pressing concerns on her mind, though she tried nonetheless.

"The Preserver also expressed the strong opinion that a Republic presence on Mandalore anytime soon would not go over well. Of course, he's more than happy to establish an embassy here when he actually finds people willing to fill it."

The impatience didn't go unnoticed by Surik of course. But she knew better than to ask directly of anyone, let alone the prideful type. Especially when there was a sense that there was a great pain linked to that impatience. For once, tact was needed above all else.

"I'm sure the Senate can find some building to convert."

The tapping continued.

Surik tried to break the silence by politely yawning into her hand.

At last, the tapping stopped.

"There's another issue at hand, a very, personal one…"

When she finally had something new to focus on, her small smile making an appearance yet again. A silent nod to the Mandalorian followed.

"My husband, Jay Corren…" There was a nervous draw of breath. A hard admission, and a harder question accompanying it. "He needs the care of a Jedi healer, in short. A poison he was exposed to years ago has left him stricken, typically it kills humans. Mandalorian and Miresian physicians have had no success in treating it."

It didn't take long at all for Surik to deduce the rest. "He's a Jedi too then?"

Shara nodded.

"Not too long ago I had a rather unpleasant reminder of what resistance to toxins can mean when they don't kill." She set the pad aside and sat back up, taking that moment to think. "I wouldn't hesitate to send a healer to Mires if I knew there was one available. And not to be crass, but while I possess the skills, I also have an immense amount of issues that need my attention above all else first. Not least of which is an expedition to Korriban."

A sigh followed as she continued weighing up the options in her head. From the limited description alone, any kind of treatment would take far more time than she could possibly spare. It was a painful truth made worse by not knowing who else to call upon.

"There are still Jedi returning to the Temple from hiding, and we now have secure allies to call on. I will put the word out that I need a healer to accompany you back to Mires. I wish I could do more myself."

That brought the smirk back for Shara. "I don't take that lightly, coming from you. Saving the husband of a Mandalorian might seem insignificant compared to helping our people rebuild in the grand scheme. But, to me, it means a hell of a lot. And it'll mean the world to Jayden to see her father walking again."

That one final revelation made Surik sit up at last, her mild amusement swept away to be replaced by a hint of awe.

After another glance at the door, she rose to her feet and beckoned for Shara to accompany her. "How about a short tour of the gardens before the meeting resumes. I'd like to learn more about you and your family, while we have the chance."

Shara's smirk quickly twisted into an awkward look. "As nice as that sounds, I'd rather do that another time. Perhaps when Jay himself can finally return here."

"And Jayden?"

The real intent behind the question didn't slip by, so Shara answered duly. "Jayden hasn't shown any sign that she's Force sensitive. Though, given she's only two years of age, and the fact that there's no other way to test..."

"Point taken." Surik quietly pushed her chair back in, ready to make her way back to the meeting hall. "As interesting as it would be to have a Mandalorian amongst the Jedi, I can already see a conflict of needs. We're both desperate for new blood in our ranks."

"That's one way of putting it. Personally I want to see my daughter follow her own path. I don't like the idea that cooperation might mean torn loyalties."

"That makes two of us."

Surik brought on her usual smile, making way for Shara to leave the room. "It's not just tension between Jedi and Mandalorians I have to deal with. If you have insight on how to handle some of the other groups, I'm open to it."