STAR WARS: RETROSPECTION- Diplomacy

"What are the conditions they work under?" Jelena asks out of curiosity. She bears in mind that she is not here to get involved in their issues. Only to make sure negotiations go well.

"Cruel ones," Hardrew says. "The mines are so cold that men freeze to death and nobody notices, and so unstable that other men disappear in collapsing tunnels. Medical supplies are limited, and the miners are worked to exhaustion."

"Mines have never been a safe place," Senator Lobs says. "Not on Fest, not anywhere in the Galaxy."

"I don't expect them to be completely safe, but I don't expect them to blatantly disregard those workin' in 'em," Hardrew says. "I've worked in mines before. This'n is 'specially awful."

There is not a whole lot that Jelena can do about that, is there? She is not here to help with workers' rights or anything...

Indeed, that is not your mandate.

sorry for being out, I got a foot injury I got from a holiday

But just like Qui-Gon Jinn in TPM we can perhaps do a bit?
Since mining is such a big thing on this planet and the arguements can be (partly) traced back to this, why not have a walk around the place?

(Feel better, Jovan!)

If we can somehow figure that into our agenda. We don't want to upset anyone attending the negotiations by getting involved with the mining situation, whatever it is.

A walk around the mines sounds like a good idea though. Do we both want to go or just one of us? I guess that depends on what else needs to be done. I could talk to the Council about the arrival and you could do the mines or vice versa.

You can talk to the council, I'll do the walking? I mean, you have been the peaceful negotiator till now so it's perhaps better to keep that up and stay "the good cop"?

That sounds good to me.

"It would be our pleasure for one of us to escort you through the mines," Jelena says. "While it is not in our mandate and we cannot guarantee that we can assist in any way, it may be beneficial for us to see what you refer to. My associate Jovan would be happy to go with you, when you are ready to receive him.

"I will remain here with the Senator and establish contact with my Council."

I"ll take a bow to the guy to indicate I'm ready when he is.

"I understand, Master Jedi," Hardrew says. "I appreciate your time. Both of you."

Hardrew has a speeder waiting, Jovan. It is an open-top landspeeder that has been adapted into a sort of lorry. A large compartment has been welded to the rear of the speeder with a second set of thrusters.

"After you, sir," Hardrew invites.

-

Senators Lobs simply sighs and beckons you to come along, Jelena. The sooner you contact the Council, he says, the more readily a Jedi presence will be accepted at the negotiations.

The Senator also has a speeder waiting, this one a sleek airspeeder adapted for the frigid atmosphere of Fest. The driver emerges to open the side hatch for you.

Senator Lobs steps in first and settles into the comfortable plush seating. He beckons for you to do the same.

I'll take a bow again and enter the vehicle

can't help to think suddenly they are not stupid enough to kidnap a jedi ... would be fun though 😛

An interesting tactic for getting the Jedi to help you!

This thing was not designed for comfort, Jovan. You sit bolt-upright in the cold metal seat that Hardrew has offered while he jumps in the driver's seat.

"Buckle up," he warns as the speeder coughs to life.

Jelena will gingerly step over the threshold and into the warmth and comfort of the Senator's airspeeder, gracefully seating herself in the plush.

"An airspeeder," Jelena observes. "We won't be taking the streets, then?"

"No," Senators Lobs says. "It is faster this way. Take off, pilot."

The airspeeder lifts slowly into the air, and you are glad to be out of the cold as it coasts over Fest City. It is a very short flight to the Senator's apartments, which are fairly plan on the outside. Most of Fest City is that way, as you saw in your approach; squat and gray and block-shaped.

"You've not been to Fest before," Senator Lobs states.

-

Jovan is seeing Fest City from its narrow streets as the speeder trundles along with Hardrew behind the wheel. It moves in a jerky fashion when the gruff miner speeds up and slows down.

The streets are mostly devoid of people.

"Nobody comes outside much," Hardrew says. "It's too cold to really do anything anyway. Better to stay indoors if the social halls aren't open. Which they're not, what with the blockade and all."

they're desperate, they want to be heard... camera's will be there if they kidnap a jedi of course

"Do people find enough time to have some free time? And how is the food supply, is that still good?"
(I want to know how the people are holding up)

Kidnapping a Jedi isn't easy!

"The blockade isn't preventing food coming in," Hardrew says. "That'd be a real disaster. We can't grow anything here on Fest, it's too cold.

"Not everyone is a miner here. Free time is limited for them that are."

"Do you fear them blockading the food supply?"

Originally posted by REXXXX
Kidnapping a Jedi isn't easy!

"It's a possibility," Hardrew says. "If things don't go their way, the Mantooinians will do anything they need to do to get what they want. They always do."

(history check: is this true from what I learnt, what is their defence to this?)

The Mantooinians do tend to be fairly ruthless. You would have to ask them what their rebuttal would be, though.

Hardrew thinks the presence of the Trade Federation will stop that from becoming an issue. In fact, the Federation is sympathetic to the plight of the miners, too, and is promising to donate droids to help mine.