Chapter 34: I'm doomed
Varielle and Yeren talked softly.
"You think we should talk to them?" Yeren asked.
"It's not accomplishing anything," she said.
"That's not what I asked. If you were in charge, how would you do this?" Her tone said it was a test.
"Wait for the names and liabilities. We can't afford to back down on that one. After that negotiate for some tactical information - I was thinking of offering them some improved life support systems for on board ships, apparently they don't have any exchange filters for oxygen and carbon dioxide. I think that's a mild enough technology." "What else?"
"Language lessons - swap ours for theirs. Basic for English. Then start on the other languages - the important ones on this planet, and the Goa'uld language. But we'd need to iron out some kind of rules about other deals with the Tok'ra and the Jaffa. We'd probably get the best deal by holding competitive bidding…"
At that Yeren cracked up.
"In that case," she grinned and pulled up two chairs, "Captain, please take a seat and listen in." He did so. "We'd better move fast, because we've run roughshod over the people who should be dealing with this and they'll want to run things their way, the politically expedient way. So to do things our way, we need several things. First, we're going to need a permanent ambassador to this place, and it's got to be someone who speaks the languages and savvies the politics and laws of both sides…"
"Oh, no, no, no. No way in hell! I mean, I'm not even old enough to drink, legally! I've been a full Knight for all of a day!"
"Quite a bit longer than that; the Council ruled Amarell's field promotion as valid. Now I don't want an embassy here to be without a Jedi. We've got to move fast if we don't what this to be an election issue; it'll take forever to get it settled. So we do this now."
Varielle crossed her wrists on the table and banged her head rhythmically against her forearms. "Oh, great."
"And your first job as our newest - and only - Ambassador is to convince them to give us the plans for the control devices for the Stargates so we never have another team trapped like yours was."
"Does this mean we have to take her orders?" the Captain asked.
"We'll send a few special fighters to take over the job of embassy guards as soon as we've got an actual embassy to guard," Yeren said. "People very good at languages and science. We'll offer them the same courtesy, but you have to make sure you chose their ambassador to us. I don't want someone you don't trust coming to our home."
"Alright." Varielle was breathing deeply, trying to think.
"Oh," Yeren paused in the doorway in the act of leaving, "and ask that nice blonde scientist out to dinner. As a thank-you. We'll foot the bill."
"Don't match-make, Yeren, it doesn't suit you. Why don't you take the General out to dinner? He'd be alright, he's quite mature for all you're three times his age, and I gather he's widowed…" A pillow bounced off her head. The Captain, a not overly serious man by nature, was fighting not to laugh.
"Are all Jedi so interesting to be around?" he asked.
"Oh, no. But the two of us aren't exactly typical."
"So what are you going to do now?"
Varielle's eyes unfocused for a moment. "I am a servant of the Second Republic. I'll do my duty."
"Good. Now which one was she asking you to date?"
"I'm doomed."
Varielle and Yeren talked softly.
"You think we should talk to them?" Yeren asked.
"It's not accomplishing anything," she said.
"That's not what I asked. If you were in charge, how would you do this?" Her tone said it was a test.
"Wait for the names and liabilities. We can't afford to back down on that one. After that negotiate for some tactical information - I was thinking of offering them some improved life support systems for on board ships, apparently they don't have any exchange filters for oxygen and carbon dioxide. I think that's a mild enough technology." "What else?"
"Language lessons - swap ours for theirs. Basic for English. Then start on the other languages - the important ones on this planet, and the Goa'uld language. But we'd need to iron out some kind of rules about other deals with the Tok'ra and the Jaffa. We'd probably get the best deal by holding competitive bidding…"
At that Yeren cracked up.
"In that case," she grinned and pulled up two chairs, "Captain, please take a seat and listen in." He did so. "We'd better move fast, because we've run roughshod over the people who should be dealing with this and they'll want to run things their way, the politically expedient way. So to do things our way, we need several things. First, we're going to need a permanent ambassador to this place, and it's got to be someone who speaks the languages and savvies the politics and laws of both sides…"
"Oh, no, no, no. No way in hell! I mean, I'm not even old enough to drink, legally! I've been a full Knight for all of a day!"
"Quite a bit longer than that; the Council ruled Amarell's field promotion as valid. Now I don't want an embassy here to be without a Jedi. We've got to move fast if we don't what this to be an election issue; it'll take forever to get it settled. So we do this now."
Varielle crossed her wrists on the table and banged her head rhythmically against her forearms. "Oh, great."
"And your first job as our newest - and only - Ambassador is to convince them to give us the plans for the control devices for the Stargates so we never have another team trapped like yours was."
"Does this mean we have to take her orders?" the Captain asked.
"We'll send a few special fighters to take over the job of embassy guards as soon as we've got an actual embassy to guard," Yeren said. "People very good at languages and science. We'll offer them the same courtesy, but you have to make sure you chose their ambassador to us. I don't want someone you don't trust coming to our home."
"Alright." Varielle was breathing deeply, trying to think.
"Oh," Yeren paused in the doorway in the act of leaving, "and ask that nice blonde scientist out to dinner. As a thank-you. We'll foot the bill."
"Don't match-make, Yeren, it doesn't suit you. Why don't you take the General out to dinner? He'd be alright, he's quite mature for all you're three times his age, and I gather he's widowed…" A pillow bounced off her head. The Captain, a not overly serious man by nature, was fighting not to laugh.
"Are all Jedi so interesting to be around?" he asked.
"Oh, no. But the two of us aren't exactly typical."
"So what are you going to do now?"
Varielle's eyes unfocused for a moment. "I am a servant of the Second Republic. I'll do my duty."
"Good. Now which one was she asking you to date?"
"I'm doomed."