Diplomacy

Revan

With nothing more to fix for the medical team, I decided to check myself out of the triage tent and open it up for somebody who really needed it.  I met up with Mission and Canderous outside the tent.  After searching the Twi'lek girl carefully--she seemed none the worse for wear for all her mental adventures, I turned to Canderous.  "I have bad news," I said.  Canderous's hand went to the repeater.  "Not that kind of bad news," I said, almost wishing it were.  I told them about the governor, and the reception, and watched Canderous's face turn mean when I mentioned the media.  "No," I said, before he asked, "you can't shoot them."

The planetary governor, Ch'uul Bethra, was an obsequious human surrounded by surly-looking Aqualish "aides" -- read, bodyguards--who immediately stepped forward.  "Heroes of the Republic deserve no less than the finest the Yavin settlement has to offer.  Please  honor us by agreeing to be guests at my estate."

"Estate?" Mission asked.  "There's an estate somewhere in this dump?" she whispered.

Her thoughts echoed my own.  I muttered back,  "Maybe they're hiding it under a junk pile."  I wanted more to be a guest in an extensive medical facility, but Master Vrook's nod made the acid remark die a silent death on my tongue. 

The governor was a diplomat, and I didn't like diplomats, but the man hadn't done anything to me or my crew personally.  Maybe all he really did want to do was show some gratitude to the people who helped repel a Sith invasion of his planetary settlement.

"We'd be honored," I said.  I gritted my teeth, and bowed slightly.  "As soon as we've all been released by the medics."

Back when I was training on Dantooine, Bastila forced me into diplomatic exercises against my will.  I was sneaking around the galaxy and looking for ancient ruins to fight the Sith, why did I need to know how to behave at dinner parties?  I figured as long as I didn't wet myself or tell dirty jokes in public, I'd do all right, but she grabbed my shoulders and shook me.  "Noura, you are a Jedi now!  Our function is to keep the peace throughout the galaxy, wherever we are, and no matter what our main quests might be.  What if we should visit one of these worlds and the Star Map is in the possession of some dignitary?  Will you start a war by murdering someone who stands in your way?"

There she was, going on about the damn Dark Side again.  "Of course not," I snapped.  "I'd be nice.  You may not have been listening, but Carth and I managed to get Sith uniforms to get to the Tarisian Lower City without killing anyone."

"Indeed?"  She arched one perfectly-shaped eyebrow.  "Do tell."

"I got us invited to a party," I said.  The taste of Tarisian ale still gave me the willies.  I didn't tell her that the only reason I stumbled on Yun and Sarna in the cantina was because I was sulking between fights with Carth.  He'd just finished telling me that my survival of the crash seemed "odd" to him, and that he'd be watching me closely.  Sorry, he said, but I just don't trust people.  I'm not built that way.

I panicked, suddenly terrified that my only anchor of sanity--the only person I recognized or remembered from longer than three or four days ago, when the Endar Spire was destroyed--suddenly wanted to distance himself from me.  But I discovered I wasn't a clingy female, and stalked off to the Cantina.

Yun had been right next to the bar when I ordered my drink in an angry voice.  He slid over next to me and said, "Hey, pretty.  He isn't worth it if he makes you frown like that."

I'd been about to tell him to take the sympathy act somewhere else, but just then, I saw Captain Paranoid's orange jacket out of the corner of my eye.  Fine, I thought.  If he doesn't want to trust me, maybe I'll just find someone who will.  I smiled up at Yun. "You got a name, soldier?"

He laughed.  "Does it show? Junior officer first class in the Sith fleet.  I'm Yun."  I blinked in surprise.  My scoundrel's luck must be malfunctioning, I thought.  Figures that I storm off in a snit from a Republican soldier straight into the arms of the enemy.  I couldn't have found a nice Tarisian droid mechanic, could I?

"I'm Noura."  We bantered, and he revealed that the life of an invader isn't all sunshine and roses.  Somehow, I made the right responses in the "people just don't understand conquering armies" department, and he led me over to a booth where a few others were gathered, their ramrod postures indicating soldiering careers.  I saw Carth glower as I passed him, and linked arms with Yun to grind it in.  I told Yun I was a swoop racer, in for the season opener.  "And I guess the rest of the season, unless this quarantine lifts soon."

To his credit, Carth waited a good quarter of an hour before coming over to our table.  "Noura," he said carefully.

"Hello Carth," I said flatly.

Yun sent a hostile look in Carth's direction.  "Is this the guy that made you frown, sweetheart?"

I didn't reply for a long moment.  All I had to do was nod, and I could get Carth knocked around for free, and teach him a lesson about not trusting me.  And prove him absolutely right.  Or I could take the time and earn his trust.  Who was my real ally here?  Carth, or the Sith?  "No," I said.  But not quite ready to forgive him all the way.  "He's my garage mechanic."

Carth's lips quirked slightly and he raised one eyebrow.

"This is Yun, and this is Sarna," I said.  "They're officers in the Sith fleet."

"Really?" he said.  I discovered that in addition to his holovid action-star looks, he could also act halfway decently.  He slid into the booth next to Sarna.  "Hey, beautiful," he said.

Anger flashed through me. I was supposed to be "beautiful," dammit!  He offered me a bland, challenging smile.

Our companions began talking about a party that evening, and Sarna said, "I can't wait--I'm so eager to blow off a little steam I'm going right after my shift.  Probably won't even stop home to change out of uniform."

Yun put an arm around my shoulders.  "Why don't you come by?  Quite a few of us are swoop fans."

"Sounds like fun," I said.  "Nothing perks up a party like a fast woman, eh?"

He nuzzled my neck and I wondered if I was the kind of person who'd do whatever it took to meet an objective.  I took down the address of the party into my datapad.  Yun traced little circles on my back and I drained my drink and let him.

Carth started a conversation with Sarna about the dueling matches taking places in the arena, and I focused on keeping my reactions to a minimum.

But he broke first.  "Okay, boss," he said.  "Time to go."  Or maybe he just had the timing to stage a strategic retreat.  "If you want me to lube your engines, that is."

I choked on my last swallow of ale, and sputtered.  He winked at me, and I stood up.  Arrogant rogue, I thought.  I thought we'd established our relationship by then--I was the one who made the double-edged comments, and he was the one who blushed and stammered.

I refocused on Bastila.  I wouldn't go into the events of the party with her, of how I'd been unprepared for the effect Tarisian ale would have on me--how was I supposed to know I was such a lightweight?  Of my foggy memories ending with Yun pushing me up against the wall to kiss my neck, his hands slipping into the neckline of my tunic.  Of not being coordinated enough to form a decent "no" before the ale's effect hammered me into oblivion.  Of waking in abject panic only to find Carth maintaining watchful vigilance over me and Yun out cold with a bloody nose.  I couldn't meet Carth's eyes for a long time after that.  "To make a long story short," I told her, "we let alcohol and merriment do the work of stun sticks, then lifted uniforms.  So no, I don't do everything by the sword."

Nevertheless, she forced me into basic diplomatic training.  "Experienced diplomats will very quickly see through clumsy attempts to seduce and subdue."

"And I'm sure you know all about that, right?" I said.  "Given your charm and people skills."

She stiffened at my words, and I realized I'd hurt her more than she would admit.  I discovered that day that I had a wider vicious streak than I previously thought.  I learned that I could be just plain mean, and I didn't like the lesson.  I went through the diplomatic training without another complaint.

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