STAR WARS: RETROSPECTION- Broken

Vera-Kin responds with a "Hmph" before she takes her leave of Dalt's table, motioning for Barker to follow her as she heads back down the stairs to the bar.

Is Akro anywhere to be found in here? He should be informed.

You do not see Akro in the tavern, no. Unless there is anything else you wish to do while you're in the Stain, we can get moving. Rianna has averted what would have been a very bad situation had you been in the Stain when those papers arrived, it is only a matter of time before more come.

Yes, probably a good idea to get out of here before more papers turn up, or someone that's read it comes in, or anything like that...

I can't think of anything. Vera-Kin will get out of there, then.

Back to the Fort, then, I suppose?

Maybe call ahead to make sure that General Hirget is there. We need to talk with him before we start pestering Dame Astrune about her actions.

Vera-Kin feels a certain amount of relief as she leaves the Stain, especially after Rianna explains to her what is on the front page. Once the miners get their papers they will be unhappy, but if she had been present... you don't want to think of it.

You can do so. Lieutenant Colonel Nehmen responds to your message by confirming that the General has returned to the Fort to conduct routine inspection of the soldiers and check their preparedness for situational actions.

You find the General in the courtyard, looking over a row of soldiers.

"Ah, Master Jedi," the General says. "How goes the day?"

If there is anything else you want to do while in the Fort, run it by me.

"It could be better," Vera-Kin says. "I believe we have discovered part of what our foes are up to with certainty. Their ends we can only theorize, but their means are clear. They want to incite a miners' riot."

"Do they?" the General says, looking back to his troops. "If I place this with what you have pondered about regarding the Rift, then you think that they want to use the riot as a sort of distraction, no doubt. What are you doing to stop this?"

"We need to get the miners back on our side, and to do that...we'll need to deal with Astrune," Rianna says.

"In what way do you mean?" Hirget asks.

"Her withholding of pay from the miners is the main cause of these problems," Vera-Kin says. "We understand that she is acting out against your policies, but she needs to stop. I am hoping that you can help us persuade her to change her mind about this. If she starts paying her miners again, they will settle down."

"I do not think she will listen to me," the General says. "I would have to employ force, and you know as well as I do that these soldiers of mine are no match for her followers. But, I can try, if that is what is required."

"Surely there is a diplomatic means of reaching an agreement?" Vera-Kin says. "I normally am all for aggressive negotiations, but in this case, I think that would just cause more problems than it would solve. Perhaps you can give the mining corporations some slack and reinstate things later, once the villains have been apprehended."

"That would require putting it to vote," General Hirget says. "Unless I instate martial law, it would take time. More than we have. Political promises are not something you can give the mining corporations, not unless you have something to show for it. They will disbelieve me.

"I do not think they'll trust you much more. Jedi are champions of the small and defenseless, not backers of greedy corporations. They know they are exactly that."

"If the riots are not prevented, however, the city will likely wind up under martial law anyway, correct?" Rianna says.

"It would..." General Hirget says. "IF the riots broke out. Which, if negotiating with the Dame is the only option you two have established, seems likely to happen."

"It is the only real option I can see, and it's not one that I can foresee actually going well..."

"The start of the riots means death, Rianna," General Hirget says. "I cannot have that."

"Nor is it something we want to see, but I must admit that this sort of situation is not one I have much in the way of experience in handling," Rianna says with a grimace. "What does instating martial law require?"