STAR WARS: RETROSPECTION- Diplomacy

As a Jedi Knight, Jelena is welcome at the table.

"Yes, I know why you're here," Van Statten says. "Have you figured out why nobody notified us yet? I'm not happy about that."

He narrows his eyes.

"At all."

"I will investigate that as soon as possible," Jelena says. "Obviously we would have notified you of our arrival. I didn't exactly want to be shot down from orbit, after all."

Jelena offers a smile.

"No harm done," Jelena says. "The Trade Federation lost a few of their easily replaceable droid fighters, I can't imagine they'll be too upset about that."

"Assuming they do not try to bill us for the fighters you destroyed," Van Statten snips. "I would have thought the Jedi would not have such petty problems as reception."

"I assure you the Council researches this matter as we speak," Jelena says. "It is beyond me for the moment. My attention is here."

"You'd better have some answers for us before this whole thing is over," Van Statten snarls. "It's just unacceptable, the position you put everyone in. It could have jeopardized the entire negotiation!"

"I'm certain the Jedi meant no harm," comes the voice of Senator Nide-Fals of Mantooine, as their delegation steps into the boardroom. "Don't you agree, Van Statten?"

"Chairman," Van Statten corrects, before resuming his seat at the head of the table. He says nothing else.

Senator Lott Dod arrives shortly after, having been supervising the droid security down at the entrance.

Jelena greets Nide-Fals and Dod when they enter with the same courtesy she provided Van Statten and Hardrew. She will take a seat when it seems appropriate and observe the situation.

Everyone settles in. You can already sense the tension broiling in this room, Jelena. You wonder if maybe Fest was not the best meeting place for these negotiations, let alone the sterile corporate offices of Van Statten's Fest Corporation.

Nide-Fals takes initiative when the three Festan representatives do not, and Lot Dodd abstains.

"I will now outline the Mantooinian issues with Festan violations of Mantooinian trade routes and hyperspace lanes..." he begins.

Senator Lobs sighs heavily.

Jelena just holds her tongue. She wants everyone to be heard equally and vent their frustrations so they can move past them.

Nide-Fals goes over a bunch of technical jargon and legalese regarding treaties made over the years between Mantooine and Fest. It seems like a formality; you imagine the present parties already know all of this. Hardrew looks downright bored and fiddles with his datapad, while Lobs continues to deepen the intensity of his sighs while Nide-Fals talks. Van Statten looks annoyed. Lott Dod listens intently, as is his task.

Jelena keeps listening, trying to keep track of what Nide-Fals is recounting to the table and checking things with her knowledge of Law and Language. What is the nature of most of those treaties?

Treaties of economic concern, primarily. Possession of trade routes and contracts and restrictions on business partners, the application and removal of sanctions over the centuries, and so on.

This process takes an inordinate amount of time. Nide-Fals goes over each in great detail. One in particular appears almost irrelevant to the discussions and Van Statten interrupts him, despite Lobs urging him not to.

"Since when does our business on the Outer Rim have anything to do with you and yours?!" Van Statten shouts. "The trade routes out there..."

"... are denied to Mantooine by mercenaries on your payroll," Nide-Fals quips.

It falls to argument and raised voices immediately.

Jelena rolls her eyes and wishes she could interject, realizing that in her role as observer she shouldn't intervene or interrupt the verbal foreplay taking place in front of her. She just shrugs and settles into her seat, realizing it will take some time before anything gets sorted out.

You almost wonder what the point of having you here as an observer is. As far as Knights go, you are quite the negotiator and mediator, you would serve greater purpose actually being involved in the process.

Van Statten and Nide-Fals continue to loudly berate one another over some trivial border issue while everyone else talks heatedly among themselves.

You notice that one of the Trade Federation battle droids has entered the room.

Jelena takes note of the battle droid, wondering if there is some security issue. She turns her attention back to the argument so she can understand the problem better, wondering why she can't just step in and fix it.

The battle droid reaches back over its shoulder and grabs its blaster carbine.

Without a moment's delay, Jelena interposes herself between the droid and the meeting, jumping over the table if needed. She throws her cloak over the battle droid to obscure its sensors. Then she leaps forward and kicks it down.

In a flurry of movement that nobody in the meeting was prepared for, the Jedi suddenly springs into action. You whip your robe over the droid's head and obscure its vision, then try to knock it over. Only one success on the Combat action, however, so you merely push it back.

It grabs the cloak with a free hand and pulls it off, then raises its gun at you.

Jelena will ignite her lightsaber and chop the droid down, aiming for the thing's midriff.

The snap-hiss of your lightsaber igniting and the purple flash of the blade stand in stark contrast to the cold gray room and the hushed gasps. Six successes is overkill on a battle droid; you land a blow that tears the thing in half cleanly, complete with the snapping of metal superheated and the clatter of the droid parts hitting the floor panels.

Nobody moves, with the exception of another battle droid marching through the same door, gun raised.

"Get down!" Jelena urges to the negotiators and their attendants. She raises her blade against the droid, preparing to deflect its fire and draw its attention.

"What are you doing?" she demands of the droid.