"My pleasure, Rianna. I will see you tomorrow, then. Be prepared, will you? Might want to do some research on Beseedran battle droids."
He winks, then bows to the Chancellor and leaves the office.
"A charming man, Palpatine," Chancellor Valorum says. "I have a feeling that he will win many people over with a demeanor such as that..."
"Quite," Myraline says, agreeing.
"If there is one thing I've learned, politicians will act a certain way to get people on their side," Myraline says. "No offense, Chancellor."
"None taken, Miss Kiros," Valorum says. He turns to include Master Windu in his address. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have other matters to attend to. The Trade Federation is complaining about the rights to certain space lanes..."
"Yes, Chancellor," Myraline says, giving a slight bow. "May the Force be with you."
"And with you."
Myraline and Mace Windu guide you back to the air shuttle and secure themselves as it returns to the Jedi Temple.
"What did Senator Palpatine wish to speak to you about?" Myraline asks you.
Myraline does one of her half-smiles, the one that hints at her being glad that you are confident in your abilities but simultaneously seeking more in your performance as her Padawan. It makes you uncomfortable.
"Additionally security will be sent if required," Master Windu says. "Not because Rianna is not sufficient in that capacity, but because any threat can be underestimated."
"Of course, Master Windu. I do not think there will be a need, but I have long since learned to keep an open mind on such matters..."
If there is one thing you really adore about Myraline, it is her capacity to plan ahead. There have been very few missions in your time with Myraline that have gone from diplomacy to aggressive negotiations, but even when those occur, Myraline is normally well-prepared for dealing with any situation. She attributes it to whispers of the future that she attains from the Force, something that has never happened for you, thus far into your training.
When you return to the Temple, Myraline asks that you access the Jedi Archives on her permission (she has Ties to the Library).
"Study Beseedra, my Padawan," Myraline requests. "I already know much of the world, but you should too."
Beseedra is a world located just outside of the Chommell Sector and a few parsecs off the Enarc Run (on the Galactic Map, square O16). It has great oceans that have more or less been frozen solid into pale blue ice, surrounding dark landmasses that are rich in valuable ore. The landmasses themselves are flat but horrendously rocky from volcanic activity. Where the cities are located, the jagged surface has been smoothed by machine. Native wildlife is incredibly rare and mostly extinct. It was colonized around the same time as Naboo by humans from Grizmallt, an ecumenopolis notable for funding colonization expeditions (Naboo, for example). Those that colonized Beseedra maintained the industrialized mentality that Naboo completely rejected. Once the colony was well-established, they began the production of droids and technology.
Beseedra is fairly notorious for its competition with the Trade Federation. Beseedran business previously used the Enarc Run to transport their goods inwards toward the Inner Rim and then hop onto the Corellian Run, which took Beseedran freighters directly to Corellia and Coruscant. But then the Trade Federation gained influence on Enarc and took control of it. The Beseedrans were forced to hop on the Corellian Run sooner... but then the Trade Federation gained influence on Druckenwell, cutting them off on that route before they got anywhere near Corellia. At that point they began hiring smugglers to run Federation blockades, something that the Federation complained about and got the Senate involved in around a hundred years ago.
More recently, the Beseedrans have been using the Hydian Way that connects with Malastare and Denon (an ecumenopolis second only to Coruscant), where they have made good business despite competition with the Trade Federation. But to reach the Core Worlds, the Hydian Way loops just out of reach and connects with the Perlemian Trade Route... it's all very complicated.
Relations have been fairly uninteresting with Naboo as far as political confrontations. The Naboo and the Beseedrans are ancestors of Grizmallt colonizing efforts, but Naboo certainly has an issue with their blatant disregard for Beseedra's environment and the environments of other worlds where they test their droids and build more factories.
Oh, and they specialize in technology for waging warfare. Most of their droid designs are created with battle in mind. The Naboo are not pacifists, but they are far from military might.
Hmmm. While that's very interesting and all, Rianna's not sure how much of it is really important at the moment.
What was the resolution of the Senate involvement, and, as they appear to be getting ready for war and have a history of competition with the Trade Federation, has there been any hostilities between them and Beseedra in recent years? Or any actions from the Trade Federation that could cause Beseedra to feel more threatened than usual?
The only time the Trade Federation and the Beseedrans have openly exchanged shots was during the Druckenwell incident. After the Senate became involved over the smuggling issue, the Beseedrans sent two cruisers disguised as freighters to bombard the Federation foundry on Druckenwell. The fighters were intercepted by four-engined droid starfighters (a new concept at the time) and torn apart. The Senate ruled in favor of the Federation, giving them superiority over those trade lanes and threatening to fine Beseedra for such openly violent competition against the Neimoidians.
The Trade Federation is rather perturbed about threats against them by the Nebula Front, an organization of terrorists fighting against corporate interests. Neimoidia openly accused Beseedra of funding the terrorists, but without proof. Beseedra is likely annoyed, but preparing for war is hardly the response to take.
Then we move on.
Night falls. At first you are not sure if sleep is possible. It rarely is for you. But slowly you drift into a deep, dark sleep... and receive a Dream.
-
The village is empty, abandoned to the jungle around it. You feel alone, so alone. You have no one but yourself.
Wait, there is someone with you. A young girl. She is crying over a man in robes. He is dead. He smolders. She cries. She cannot understand. She is too young.
Something approaches! But nothing approaches. It is just you and this little girl.
She cries. But you cannot help. You do not know what threatens her.
A city in the clouds. Lightsabers hum and crash. The little girl is here, still crying. You stand over her. You hate her. You hate them all. You shift the lightsabers in your hands and swing downwards...
-
You wake up in a cold sweat, breathing heavily. It is nearly morning.
Rianna lies still for a few moments after she wakes up, getting her breathing back under control and thinking over the dream that she had had. She had never had a dream like that before and while she didn't really want to, she thought that she should probably tell Myraline about it later. She might have a better chance at understanding what it meant.
Deciding there was no point in trying to sleep anymore, Rianna gets up and dresses.