STAR WARS: RETROSPECTION- The Council of Taneshla

Tanic can fill you in.

The Mecrossan advisors and guards all brought concealable weapons into the meeting. The Imperial advisors (aside from you and Tanic) all did the same thing. Everyone jumped for cover; Tanic pushed Geful down, then snatched away a pair of blasters. He brought the fight to a swift end by blasting down Calthell's men and placing him at gunpoint.

Gallador did nothing to resist.

Well of course not, Gallador is incapable of doing anything offensive.

(not that we actually know that yet, though)

"And the negotiations are going to continue after that?" Rianna asks, slightly incredulously.

And who came after us outside?

"These things happen," Tanic says. "If criminal empires cut off relations every time somebody got shot, they'd never get any business done. Not in this Galaxy, anyway."

Tanic and Gallador both followed you down, jumping being the fastest method. Gallador treated your poisoning without any fuss.

"I'm obviously too much of a Jedi still, because such things just don't make sense to me..." Rianna comments, shaking her head slightly.

(also, would this poison happen to be similar to the one you decided to use on Rianna in Rescue? 😛)

That one was a burning sensation that caused intense pain. This one caused a fever that rendered you unconscious.

Heh, okay.

Well, Rianna's impatient to get out of there, so she'll cooperate and rest so that she can be deemed well enough to get out.

While you are in, you see the briefest fragment of a vision... yourself wearing a red cloak... but that is all you can recall. The Dark Side is clouding your precognitive abilities even more than ever before. The close proximity to Rand and Gallador is not helping.

Remove 15 damage and your Medicine rating x3 for spending a full day resting. Rand did no lasting damage to you but you are still weak when the conference resumes the next day.

More Mecrossan delegates arrive to replace those that were slain, all gaunt and snobby. The Empire of Pity calls in a few unfriendly Serpent advisors itself. Rand and Gallador take their seats as before.

Rianna is unhappy that they are allowing Rand to remain at the negotiations, after the deceptions he pulled and the trouble he caused, but she says nothing for now, and joins everyone else and takes a seat. And she hopes that he doesn't decide to attack again as she's certainly not in the shape to deal with something like that again...

The tiny flash of a vision that she had is troubling her, though, since she can recall dreaming of it before and Gallador had mentioned it.

Penalties have been leveled against Rand; he is not allowed to participate, only observe. Additionally, Geful sped up the process for Borm's execution; it was carried out this morning.

Rand is moody but fully healed, you note; greater talent with the Force and with Medicine has seen to it.

Calthell starts off today's meeting by having you penalized as well.

What? Why would Rianna be penalized? She didn't actually do anything but point out things that were mildly important to know, and then got her ass kicked for doing so.

And just what penalties is he trying to impose?

Calthell is claiming that you instigated the fight into breaking out by meddling with business you did not understand.

Oh, and because you are a woman and have no place at this table.

"I was only doing exactly what I am here to do. Point out anything that I felt wasn't right to Lord Geful. It is neither my fault nor my problem that you felt it necessary to keep such things hidden," Rianna says, extremely irritated. "And just what does that have to do with anything?"

"You do not hold the capability to be diplomatic, only troublesome," Calthell says. "It is in your gender. I will not move on with this meeting until she is removed from the table."

"The only trouble that has been caused here is deceptions from you and your 'attaches', and one of them being unable to control himself..." Rianna says quietly and angrily.

"I maintain my statement," Calthell says to Geful, ignoring you.

Geful sighs. "We'll convene for a moment to assess this."

"I'm not leaving for such an absolutely ridiculous reason," Rianna says to Geful, in a flat tone. "And I'm guessing this is why Tanic said I wouldn't like him..."

Tanic just nods as the Mecrossans file out of the meeting.

"Look, I know how ridiculous this is, but it is too blatant a delay on my part," Geful says.

"They're angry that I found out that Rand was more than just an attache and are trying to get back at you," Rianna says. "They're trying to find ways to regain control. And he just gets a slap on the wrist..."

"I think having the man he wanted returned executed is more than a wrist slap," Tanic says. "Borm was a Dark Jedi."

"Even so," Geful says. "I can try to minimize it. But it means you can only advise me when we're away from the table."

"What? Well, that would explain why Rand was interested in him...'simply wanting a fellow Mecrossan returned' indeed..." Rianna said.

"And fine. But I will not be pleased with that..."