(Nah, Ithrorn is not a Master. He's the Knight who helped you guys on Damagran before you had enough players for me not to have to bolster you any more.)
"We shall see what happens in a week," says Trorn. "I shall contact the Chancellor's Department now."
A few hours later, yerss, you are wating outside the Chancellor's office. he is meeting with the Senator named Orm right now.
-
Sieri, suddenly you can sense your quarry nearby- a presence you have felt before. But strangely, none of Nayler's men seem to be pursuing him in the right direction.
(No, he's HEARD of him. Androni is a man of some reputation)
-
Androni stiffens up as soon as you mention you are Jedi.
"I... err... ah... well, this IS private..." he says. "Not that I have done anything wrong anyway!"
Gundark, the girl drifts across to you also, and lazily twirls in front of you.
"Hi..." she says to you, too.
A door near the back opens and a remarkably unpleasant looking man enters- tall and muscular, with short hair complimented by a pony tail at the rear, and cruel eyes at the front. He is dressed in light body armour.
"All done, Androni," he says. "Who are these people?"
"Ahh... err..." says an increasingly nervous Androni.
-
Yerssot, you are invited in soon afterwards. Palpatine is watching the traffic go by outside the window. He turns when you enter and smiles widely, offering you his hand.
"Why, the Jedi Yerssot..." he says. "I have heard a lot about you from your first visit to Damagran onwards. A great shame about Derin," says Palpatine, heavily. "If only we had known the ful extent of the forces arrayed against him... we need more men like him in the Republic. I am afraid Verlaine is no replacement. Damagran still has many complaints about the Republic.
"Still, you did not come here to talk of history. I understand the Jedi have decided to send you back to help out Master Gundark. I am pleased. Master Gundark deserves all the support she can get, although it seems things did not go quite as we would have helped. Now, are there some questions you had to ask me before you depart?"
The man locks eyes with you, Gundark. Then he produces a small black device from his belt and pushes a single button on it.
The girl in front of you starts to choke and clutches at her throat. Strangled attempts to breathe sound through her windpipe, to no avil.
"Leave those people alone," says the man to her. "You are not theirs."
The girl staggers away from you, and the man releases the button. The girl inhales deeply as her throat starts to work again.
"You need more social company, Androni," the man says. "Anyway, the payment is in your account. If there aren't any problems I will be leaving tonight."
"Um... yes... glad you are happy, Arazi..." says Androni. Arazi smiles and heads towards the door, girl in tow.
"Thank you Supreme Chancelor.
I understood the mission was supposed to be secret, but now master marcus and jedi knight mah have been descovered as jedi knights and they're stuck in the local bureaucracy.
It was my feeling that if you, surpeme chancelor, could write out the mandate to arrest this Persis, who's a serious threat to the universe.
With that mandate, master marcus could give it to the local bureaucracy, so the mission won't get into danger.
If this is ok, it might be handy to also establish a direct link to your office when any troubles concerning the mandate should arrive, this contact will be useful to clear up the problems.
This should grately help the Jedi Order and the people in the universe we protect. I hope you can give me a positive answer to my questions, Supreme Chancelor."
"Ah yes," says Palpatine, "problems at Tartarus... I sympathise, of course. It was ridiculous Republican Bureaucracy that allowed my homeworld to be occupied by the perfidious Trade Federation whilst the Senate stood by and did nothing.
"But it is difficult to see what I can now do. Your warrants to arrest Persis are perfectly valid and come with my direct support, of course, but that does not help. You see, my esteemed colleague and leader of my world, Queen Amidala, was successful in preventing the establishment of a Commission about Naboo with her vote of no confidence in my unfortunate predecessor. A Commission would have dleayed matters for months, even years. But here we are a little too late. The Tartaran commission has already been in existence for 12 years. Though to be sure, that Commission has noble aims, it has done little so far other than to frustrate with its inadequacy.
"Now, that commission, and any decisions it makes, have the authority of the Senate. The Commission only exists by direct vote from the Senate. That being the case I have no power to interfere- I cannot dismiss a democratic decision of the Senate except in an emergency, and even then the Senate would have to vote me such powers, which is a horrible thing to contemplate, if you think about it. And even if I could dmismiss it, I must admit I am loathe to create a situation which will see the case against the Tartarans collapse, which this might well do.
"So, the way I see it, I have several options if you want me to try and help. I could call a meeting of the Senate and propose a motion to create a special clause to let your friends in. Unfortunately I would need to convince a majority of Senators AND the people on the Commission to do such a thing. That could be difficult since Master Gundark made your mission... unpopular... on Malastare. I could try... but it could take weeks.
"We could launch a legal action to have the prohibition against your friends suspended. But as Queen Amidala pointed out, the Courts are even slower than the Senate. And if anyone opposed to your investigation has any legal representation, it will be left to the lawyers to argue the case and I doubt I will be of any use at all. And this option would almost CERTAINLY destroy the investigation against the Tartarans.
"The third option would be for the Commission itself to change the rules at Tartarus... but it only meets every two months and it last met two weeks ago. And I doubt they can be convinced- they will care little for your investigation.
"So as I say, yerssot, I sympathise, but there is little directly I can do to help. But I can provide as much support as you need. I shall talk to the Lamellan Senator and explain the importance of your mission. I will give you a note to take to his representative on Tartarus, T'Lo Nebb, to the same effect. And I shall certainly det up a direct link between your team and this office, though forgive me if I am not always ready to answer questions myself.
"I wish I could help you more but you will be surprised how limited the position of Chancellor is. I just try and do the best that I an for the people of the Republic but problems like Tartarus could take years or longer to be unsnarled, I fear."
"I thank you for your wise words, Supreme Chancelor.
The Jedi Order would grately appreciate your efforts to talk to the Lamellan Senator and your proposal of a direct link, which I happily accept.
Do you have any idea what the effects of your note could be on T'Lo Nebb? Will it change his attitude?
And if I may sound rude, could you tell me when the meeting iwth the senator would be?
I hope to reach Tartarus in time before anything happens to Parsis."