Lord Darth Yoda - I don't know if Nara and Sascha are friendly in that way, though maybe it is impossible to have platonic female friends when you are a teenager. Who knows. I do think the schoolwork thing is kind of funny too. I can imagine a conversation like 'I know that you saved twelve people and foiled a ring of smugglers but make sure you do your history homework or you'll never make Jedi Knight!'

thejoker122 - Yeah Aurine kind of had to do that - Tyra remains Sascha's most obvious weakness, so it would be poor teaching not to keep testing him on it.

Speechbubbleme - Totally and utterly non-canon. I really wanted a world where Sascha and Co. would be the first Jedi to ever be on a planet, so I needed a world that is a bit isolated from the rest of the galaxy and unimportant enough that it makes sense that it exists and that nothing important in the Star Wars Universe has occurred there.

A/N - I've got nothing.

Please enjoy the next chapter! As always your favourites and follows are appreciated!

Chapter 14: Landing

Sascha Whitestar stared out the viewport of the Emerald Dream at the approaching blue-green world of Ubrora. The planet looked more serene then many he had visited, and when he quieted his emotions and searched in the Force, the general emotion he found on the planet was contentedness. That was as he expected, Ubrora was a peaceful world and the Ubrorans themselves were a friendly, if isolationist people. Nara was sitting beside him, trying very hard to conceal her restlessness. Sometimes he was shocked by how easily he perceived the Togruta's emotions and he wondered if Nara could do the same to him. As if on cue, Nara leaned over and whispered, "I can feel you thinking about me again, don't get attached now, little human."

Sascha suppressed a smile, Nara was an impetuous scamp, but she was also a very good friend. Not since Tyra had he someone around his age that he worked so well with. But Nara was different then Tyra. Tyra had seemed always mature beyond her age, and looking back, Sascha had always treated her as if she was older even though they were the same age. Nara was younger than he was and was still sorting out some parts of her personality; Nara was more willing than Tyra ever was to be the junior partner, to let him take the lead and he appreciated it.

"Only one landing beacon, that's quaint," remarked Master Brynar who was piloting the ship, "been a long time since I've been on a world where there is only one designated place to land on the entire planet."

He piped up, "Ubrora doesn't get much traffic, Master, only the cargo haulers that come by once a month to get the new Thys roots."

"I understand why there is only one landing beacon, thank you Sascha," his Master replied.

Nettled, Sascha sat back in his chair, and made himself look busy by rechecking that his appearance was appropriate for a diplomatic function. Ubrora had never had a Jedi on its surface in all of its recorded history, so it was important to look presentable. He was also amused at the idea that he would be recorded in history as one of the first Jedi to visit Ubrora. Idly, he wondered if the Ubrorans would be disappointed by the appearance of the Jedi, for all their reputation, they were just four modestly dressed beings who came as diplomats, not as warriors. Some cultures thought of the Jedi as almost gods, Ubrora hadn't had time to come to its own decision yet, and it was their job to make sure that they Jedi came away well respected.

As the Emerald Dream flew over the capital city of Bontha, Sascha tried to see as much as he could through the viewport. Bontha was sprawling as cities went, lacking the skyscrapers that dominated many industrialized planes, the Ubrorans had instead built their city outward, making it quite big in terms of area, if not population. The preponderance of speeder traffic indicated that the Ubrorans dealt with the cities size by driving everywhere. Not a terrible solution, he decided.

Aurine brought the Emerald Dream in for a perfect landing on indicated hangar bay. The bay itself was rather small as hangar bays went, he estimated that it would only fit fifteen or twenty ships and it was bizarrely…foreign. There was a certain way that hangars were built across the galaxy, as sort of cultural homogenization of the galaxy occurred. Ubrora obviously hadn't gotten the memo. The walls of the hangar came in at awkward angles like it was a work of art rather than a building whose main purpose was to be functional. He noted with some amusement that there were even little murals painted on the sides. Nice. But weird.

As the party of four Jedi prepared to leave the shuttle, Tiplee gave them all a last minute reminder, "Remember, we are here to negotiate a treaty to bring this planet into the Republic so make a good impression. Considering that anyone can be transmitting audio and video feed at any time, we need to be very careful of what we say, unless you are in private. Also, remember that this is a planet not used to aliens like us or Jedi, so be polite but firm when answering questions. If you are unsure about what you should say, say nothing." The three other Jedi murmured acknowledgement, while Aurine and Tiplee were theoretically equals, both being Jedi Knights, Tiplee's diplomatic experience made her in charge by default. His Master didn't seem to mind, deferring easily to the more senior Jedi Knight.

Their greeting party was waiting for them as the Jedi marched down the boarding ramp. Four Ubrorans, Sascha guessed that they were about middle-aged or older, judging by their manner and dress. All four Ubrorans wore elegant, robe-like clothing. The fox-like Ubrorans were all male, their fur ranged from auburn to deep brown in colour, and he was immediately struck by how bright and intelligent their eyes seemed to be.

The Ubroran in the most elaborate robe stepped forward, and spoke in slightly accented basic, "Welcome to Ubrora, I am President Keicho Mollek and with me are Murgo Bokiana, mayor of our capital city, as well as two of my senior advisors, Bernon Seafire, and Dagos Tarwin." The Ubroans bowed politely as they were introduced.

Tiplee took the fore, speaking in a calm, clear tone, probably aware that this moment was being recorded for posterity at the least. It was also quite possibly being broadcast live to millions of homes. "I am Jedi Knight Tiplee, and with me is Jedi Knight Aurine Brynar. Our apprentices are Nara Nalto and Sascha Whitestar respectively. We look forward to productive negotiations and ultimately bringing Ubrora into the Republic."

President Mollek smiled, a small grin that showed off sharp teeth, "I will take you to your home for the duration of the negotiations," he said, walking slowly in the direction of the exit of the hangar, "The house we have for you is usually used by the workers that transport our Thys root shipments and thus will likely be more to your usual standards.

"We appreciate the gesture, President," Tiplee said politely, her voice not betraying the slightest hint of emotion.

The President smiled in a self-deprecating way, "Please, call me Keicho. Too many titles will slow down our negotiations." The President paused before the party reached the exit, "I understand that the correct honorarium for addressing one of your order is 'Master Jedi,' am I correct? Does that apply to your apprentices as well?"

"You may call me Tiplee, or Jedi Tiplee if it is easier, Keicho. The apprentices, you may call by that honorarium if you wish, but calling them Padawan Nalto or Jedi Whitestar would certainly suffice."

The Ubroran seemed satisfied, "I only wish to fit in with the rest of the Republic, Master Jedi."

Sascha smiled to himself, the little back and forth between the two chief negotiators had seemed innocuous, but to him it seemed like two prizefighters in the opening rounds of a fight, just prodding at the opposition. He reached a little into the Force to just get an impression from their four hosts, Keicho was by far the brightest personality, he seemed to be excited and eager to meet the Jedi. The mayor of Bontha, Murgo Bokiana seemed cool and guarded, perhaps unhappy that he wouldn't be the one negotiating the treaty he speculated. The other two Ubrorans were blank slates.

The party of Ubrorans and Jedi were led out into the early afternoon sun. Sascha observed the city, taking in the sights and sounds of a new planet. The main thing that he noticed was that everything was so colourful. Buildings, speeders, clothing, basically everything was coloured in bright, dazzling hues. The drab robes of the Jedi stood out like sore thumbs in comparison. He also noticed that there was a ton of speeder traffic around, it actually reminded him of Courscant. Besides the speeder traffic, there was a fair amount of pedestrian traffic as well. Various Ubrorans hustled around with their bushy tails jutting out of their clothing, often taking a second to look at the group, but moving on with their day after that.

While they were walking along, he quietly dropped back and whispered to Nara, "I think you fit in well here. Purple seems to be a popular colour."

"So does orange, red and green," Nara whispered right back. She nudged him playfully, "I don't see any teal though. They don't like your favourite colour here."

It was true, he noticed. "Maybe when they see my lightsaber, they'll change their mind."

Nara eyed him, "Exactly when do you think you'll be using your lightsaber on this routine diplomatic mission?"

He felt his cheeks reddening, "Uh..."

Nara nudged him, indicating that his Master was glaring at him. Taking the hint, he quickened his pace and caught up to Aurine and settled into his usual position.

Up front, Keicho and his aides were extolling the virtues of Ubrora, promising that their planet would be a fine addition to the Republic. Tiplee was replying in a polite but noncommittal manner, not wanting to make it seem like Ubrora was guaranteed entry into the Republic. Though Sascha couldn't see why Ubrora shouldn't be admitted to the Republic, sure the culture had a few quirks to it, but the world was prosperous and safe, and it could probably integrate into the Republic with little effort.

After a short, ten minute walk, the Jedi were led to their home for the foreseeable future, an unremarkable two storey-home that wouldn't have looked out of place in suburban Corellia. Of course, that same house in suburban Corelia wouldn't have been coloured bright red and orange.

President Mollek opened the door and then handed Tiplee the key, "This will be yours for the duration. May I give you a brief tour?"

Tiplee nodded in acceptance, "Please."

Inside, President Mollek led a brief tour, before returning to the foyer, "I know this house isn't much and you are probably used to more luxurious…"

"This house more than meets our needs, President," said Aurine, speaking for the first time, "We Jedi are simple peacekeepers, and we have few needs."

"Very well then," continued Keicho, upbeat, "we shall expect you at the banquet in your honour tonight at 1800 tonight. Until then, if you wish to leave this house you are of course free to do so, but if you wish to have a guide, please contact me and I will make arrangements."

"I believe the two Padawans were interested in a quick tour of the city," said Tiplee.

Sascha turned to Nara who seemed equally confused by the pronouncement from the Jedi Knight. He didn't remember either he or Nara vocalizing such a desire. He wouldn't have minded seeing the city, but he would have liked to get settled in their new 'home' first.

President Mollek smiled at the two Padawans, "I'm sure we can show you the best of Bontha. As for guides…aren't your kids around today, Murgo?"

The mayor of Bontha looked surprised at being addressed, "I believe they are home, yes."

"Then I can think of no better guides than Lirri and Parv. I'm sure they'll be honored to give our guests a tour of their city."

Sascha nudged his Master in the Force to ask a question that he wanted to ask, but couldn't, given that it was just the 'adults' that were speaking. "Will this tour be broadcasted live?" she asked.

"I assume that they would like to," answered President Mollek, "Considering it will be of interest to most of our citizenry, though of course if you have concerns…"

"That will be fine," answered Tiplee for the two Padawans, who were trying very hard to conceal their displeasure at that answer. Interacting with the Ubrorans was fine, in his opinion, but he wasn't exactly comfortable at being an object of spectacle.

More polite words and promises were exchanged a and a few minutes later the party of Ubrorans left the house.

The second they were gone Nara spoke up, "I don't know when Sascha and I signed up to take a tour of the city"

"Why, Padawan? Do you have an appointment that I'm not aware of?" Tiplee replied icily. "This is a perfect opportunity to interact with a normal member of this city and a chance to find out what the average Ubroran might think about joining the Republic. This is how you can help me in these negotiations, Padawan."

Thought Nara was the one being chastened, Sascha found himself embarrassed as well. Frankly, if Nara hadn't spoken out first, he would have.

"Sorry, Master," replied Nara, her red markings flaring into a brighter red, "It's a good idea, I just don't like the idea of being recorded everywhere I go…frankly if every planet had these cameras, they could be used to track Jedi. We already have enough trouble with people being annoyances to us as it is."

"They were wearing their cameras when we walked out of the Dream," Tiplee said flatly. "You will have to assume that everyone is broadcasting. Nothing is private on this planet."

"We'll just need to be professional this whole trip," he said, moving to Nara's side to support her, "We can do it."

"I am trusting you, Padawans," Tiplee said, taking the time to look the two of them in the eye, "I am sending you out alone in a city that none of us are familiar with. While this planet is a safe one, do not let your guard down."

Nara stomped her foot impatiently, "I just don't understand what the big deal about negotiating a treaty to enter the Republic is. Aren't there just a bunch of regulations that they have to conform to and we just check that they are up to snuff?"

"There is lots of that, and we will be doing lots of travelling to confirm such things, but there is still much to be negotiated and I would like to be able to make the best deal for Ubrora and the Republic, and for that I need information. And that is where you can be of help, apprentice," said Tiplee.

"What could possibly even be up for negotiation?" Nara asked, exasperated. "Just hand them a treaty and say, if you like it, congratulations you are a part of the Republic. If not…too bad, the Republic already has a ton of planets anyway and Ubrora isn't all that important."

Tiplee looked sternly at her apprentice, "So you are saying that there should just be one treaty that all the planets in the Republic abide by and we should do nothing to accommodate the various cultures that make up the galaxy?"

Put in such stark terms, Nara could hardly disagree, so she muttered a quick apology.

Sascha quickly directed the conversation away from her, "What exactly is up for negotiation, Master Tiplee?"

"Many things, Sascha. I have direction from the diplomatic corps as to what I can and cannot give the Ubrorans, and of course it all needs to be approved by the Senate in the end, but I have a great deal of leeway when it comes to when and how Ubrora is admitted into the Republic."

The Rishati started ticking off points on her fingers, "For example, military size will need to be negotiated and we will have to determine whether their Sarkiss class ships are starfighters or blastboats and how many of them they will be allowed to have. There is also army size, the weapons they are allowed to have, and so on and so forth. Plus we have to negotiate things like how they will receive representation in the Senate, given there already is a Senator for this sector. I'll have to negotiate taxes, whether Thys root could be considered a 'protected crop' for tax purposes. And I'll have to negotiate immigration policies, the Ubrorans will probably want to keep their planet pretty much as is, and they will probably want to attach a camera to everyone, though the Republic Privacy Act prevents such measures. I anticipate that will be the biggest stumbling block for the negotiations."

"Are you trying to get the best deal for the Republic?" Sascha asked, genuinely curious.

"The fairest deal," Tiplee clarified, "the one that will lead to the most productive relationship."

"It's an education for me too, Sascha," commented his Master.

Both Padawans seemed to puzzle out that there was more at stake than just negotiating a simple treaty with a planet that ostensibly wanted to join the Republic and that they might be here a while. Which was fine. This was likely to be a nice, quiet diplomatic mission where he would hopefully learn more about high level negotiating. He'd probably be bored if all of his missions were like this, but as a change of pace…he wasn't going to complain.

He nudged Nara, "Come on Nara, let's go upstairs and pick out our rooms."

Nara smiled slyly and bounded up the stairs enthusiastically.

Aurine called out, "Remember the bigger rooms are for the adults!"

The Togruta peered down on them from the second floor, her lekku dangling over the railing, "That's ageism!"

"No, Padawan, that's being nice to your Master," Tiplee said patiently. "Remember, we get to set your assignments. It would good to be on our good side."

Sascha started walking up the stairs, "Can't argue with that logic."

"I mean I could argue, but I think I'd lose," remarked Nara. The Togruta walked casually down the hallway, stopping outside the doors to two of the smaller rooms, "I think we should take these two."

"Why? There are bigger rooms back down the hall."

Nara leaned over and whispered conspiratorially, "Because these rooms are the two furthest rooms from where our Masters are going to be. And thus, they are the best rooms."

"Are you trying to get me in trouble, Miss Nalto?"

"Trouble? No. But being away from our Masters is the tiniest bit of freedom, don't you want to take it?"

Sascha didn't particularly have strong feelings either way, but it was kind of fun to play along with Nara. "Okay, lets take the two rooms at the end."

The two rooms that Nara picked out were the smallest in the house, but they were much larger than their rooms in the Jedi Temple. Sascha's room was painted a bright blue, while Nara's room was painted in a loud orange colour. He walked around his room, looking around, "They sure like their colour here, don't they?" he muttered to himself.

He wandered over to his bed and tested it out. The bed would have been considered small for the average humanoid, but considering Sascha was under average height, he didn't think that it would be a problem. Indeed, while the bed was a bit soft for his liking, he was sure he'd be able to get used to it.

He walked over to Nara's room and saw that Nara was laying face up on her bed, her hands folded peacefully overtop her stomach, eyes closed. It was arguably the most peaceful looking he had ever seen Nara. He rapped a knuckle against the wall and Nara startled at the noise, bouncing off of her bed in an awkward motion. "Taking a nap?" he teased.

Nara frowned at herself, looking slightly out of sorts, "I meant to just test out the bed…then closed my eyes and I just felt so….I don't know."

"You looked really peaceful."

"Hmm…maybe this room reminds me of something…." Nara trailed off again.

He was a bit weirded out by how oddly Nara was acting, "I see. You got the magical bed I guess."

Nara perked up, "I was always lucky. Come on, lets go back downstairs."

Sascha took one last room around Nara's room, shrugged and then followed Nara out of the roomThey returned to the downstairs area of the house to find Aurine swearing in what Sascha recognized as a little used language from Selvaris, her homeworld. The beige-robed Jedi Knight was huddling over a smallish holoprojector and trying to get it to respond to her vocal commands. The machine was clearly having trouble with her accent.

The three Jedi quietly gathered to observer the irate Jedi in silence, amusement permeating the Force around them. After a minute of careful instructions, Aurine managed to get the holoprojector to show what looked like a news program, a well-coiffed anchor with startlingly blue hair detailed the news of the day, in a very bored sounding monotone.

"Kriff the news, I want personal broadcasts," Aurine said, slamming a fist into the carpeted floor. Usually Sascha would have aided his Master, but he was going to get all the amusement out of this situation that he could.

Finally, the Jedi Knight said in a voice that enunciated every syllable, "Show me the broadcast of Lirri Boikana." The device responded, showing a hologram of their very building. Aurine looked triumphant, "it looks like your tour guides are here, Padawans." She sat on a nearby couch and kicked off her boots, "I'll be watching you, on your tour" she said mirthfully. "I'm beginning to like this planet. Being able to spy on your apprentices is underrated. I think when I get back to Coruscant, I'll recommend these cameras put cameras on all apprentices."

Nara and Sascha looked at each other in absolute horror, which caused both Jedi Knights to burst out in genuine laughter that was only interrupted by the chime ringing.

Aurine gestured to the door grandiosely, "Your guides await, Padawans. Bring all of our travel packs from the Emerald Dream when you get back."

The two Padawans sighed dramatically and trudged towards the door.