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Making Arrangements
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| Morgan_Shays | Date: Monday, 16 May 2016, 10:24 PM | Message # 1 |
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| As a meeting of old enemies occurred elsewhere in the Senate office compound, Morgan Shays, a member of the younger generation of Senators, stood relatively alone on a moving walkway, looking pensively out of the large, slanted windows above him at a towering statue of Bail Organa. He wondered if his father had known the man. Both had been Rebels and men of action, but Organa was the more admirable of them, in Morgan's opinion—a man of grace, and a family man, too; the kind of father that Morgan aspired one day to be.
His eyes followed the statue as he moved past it, and eventually came to rest on the Senator from Naboo, a Gungan, waving merrily from behind him on the walkway. Oh no, Morgan thought. He averted his eyes and pretended not to have seen him, or her? He began to walk forward, ponderously at first, then faster. Slowly, but surely faster. He felt the air on his face and in his hair as the moving walkway propelled him closer to his destination—the office of the Empress Tetan senator, Adeleide D'Marko.
(Not that Morgan harbored any particular prejudice for the Gungans. No more than anyone else, at least. As a newly-elected Senator, it seemed as though everyone on Hosnian wanted to pull Morgan aside and find out what his views were and how he'd vote on this or that. He had been cherishing his long moment of solitude on the walk to D'Marko's office and simply wasn't prepared to feign pleasantries with the Gungan senator. Not now, with his mind elsewhere—on Bail Organa, and more importantly, on the preparations for his upcoming trip with Senator D'Marko).
He arrived at her office in no time. He and D'Marko were both new to the Senate, so Morgan hoped he wasn't violating some unwritten rule about which of them was supposed to call upon the other. Morgan had been in the Senate just long enough to learn that etiquette and protocol were very important here, far more so than on Corulag. Now he understood why Senators so often had protocol droids, and supposed he would need one eventually. But in the meantime, he was hopeful that D'Marko wouldn't mind him showing up unannounced.
Morgan knew almost nothing about Adelaide D'Marko, not even whether she was a Centrist or a Populist. He figured her for a Populist, though. He had volunteered for Chancellor Villecham's trade mission to gain experience (among other, more personal reasons), and he expected that she had done the same. It made sense to have one Centrist and one Populist on the delegation to appease both sides. That was fine with him—he disagreed with the Populists, but was determined to work with them. From Corulag, he had seen from afar the dysfunction of the Senate and knew that the New Republic needed more voices of compromise. He imagined, perhaps naively so, that he could be one of those voices, and that the Senate would listen. Time would tell.
He stepped into the foyer of the Senator's office. She was still moving in, by the look of it. So was he; his own office was a mess of new furniture, as well as paintings and other items of decor—gifts from well-wishers on Corulag (and influence-peddlers, no doubt). "Hello?" he called out, seeing no one in the foyer. "Is Senator D'Marko in?" He frowned, beginning to feel silly that the possibility of her not being here hadn't occurred to him until now.
Morgan Shays
Senator of Corulag
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| Adelaide_DMarko | Date: Monday, 16 May 2016, 11:39 PM | Message # 2 |
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| The first face that Morgan Shays would see was the blonde haired, blue eyed assistant to the new Senator, Grier VonIns. He absolutely sparkled with hope and promise for this new venture. Despite the fact that he was not a Senator, this his Senator could make all the difference in the galaxy. That was, after all, why he worked so hard to get the job working for her. When Shays walked in, Grier was organizing his own modest desk. His writing implements were lined up neatly, and placed next to a fresh, and yet unwritten in datebook. However, boxes still sat unopened, reminders of home and why they were here were packed carefully away, awaiting his time to unpack and decorate the office.
"Ah yes, she is, just in her office. If I could announce you? Or....you could just...." He frowned momentarily, as he glanced longingly at the appointment book. "Would you like to make an appointment?" Grier felt a little out of sorts when it came to unannounced company.
"That will hardly be necessary, Grier, please." The Senator said as she whisked from the adjoining room that was her office itself. Unlike so many of the other senators and politicians, Adelaide preferred to have a human assistant. And Grier was from her home planet, and he was meticulous when it came to planning an organizing....just about anything. "Adelaide D'Marko, a pleasure to meet you, Mr.....?" She held out her hand to shake his in greeting. Grier, meanwhile, looked a bit flustered as he did not even know the visitors name yet.
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| Morgan_Shays | Date: Wednesday, 18 May 2016, 1:58 AM | Message # 3 |
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| Morgan was momentarily speechless, a poor character trait for a Senator. For whatever reason, he had expected Senator D'Marko to be older. Perhaps he imagined all Populists as Princess Leia. But even in her youth, the Princess didn't compare to Adelaide D'Marko. She was disarmingly beautiful, and for a brief, playful moment he considered abandoning his Centrist convictions for the Populist cause. The moment passed. Slowly. He glanced at Grier, the Senator's assistant, and noticed that both of them were looking to him with anticipation. "Oh. Yes," he said, "I'm Morgan Shays, of Corulag." He shook her hand, the well-practiced gesture causing him to remember himself. "I understand we're both serving on the trade delegation. I thought we should meet and perhaps go over our travel arrangements."
He hastily reminded himself of everything he knew about Empress Teta. A Deep Core world, Morgan had never been there. A city-planet, he recalled, but more stylish than Coruscant, renowned for its fashions and ornate architecture that, somehow, had survived the Empire. The asceticism of the Empire was still felt throughout the galaxy, especially on Corulag. Morgan was accustomed to grey, Imperial-style tunics and grey, Imperial-style architecture. To him, Empress Teta seemed like a throwback to a more majestic time. A beautiful, elegant world, with a beautiful and elegant senator. He admonished himself not to stare.
"I'm sorry to have shown up unannounced," he said, glancing about the room. "Of course if you don't have the time, we can schedule a meeting for later."
Morgan Shays
Senator of Corulag
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| Adelaide_DMarko | Date: Wednesday, 18 May 2016, 1:14 PM | Message # 4 |
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| Adelaide released his hand, and then waived him off. "Oh please, it is hardly an issue. For me, at least. Grier may have a meltdown, however." She smiled warmly and lightly pushed her loose blonde curls back with her fingertips. The assistant shot her a glance, and the softened as he realized she was joking. None the less, he sat down at his desk, and dutifully wrote the impromptu appointment in his book. It was always good to have a record of things.
"Please, come in. I apologize for the mess. We only arrived here late last night, to the point that I have not even seen my new apartments yet. We stayed in the hotel just down the block from here. So we have hardly had time to unpack." Adelaide explained, as she led him into her proper office. There were boxes still unpacked stacked in the corners, but the office was relatively tidy. Her desk was glass and was positioned so that her back would be to the floor to ceiling windows. There was a large floral arrangement sitting on a small table near the window, that filled the room with a subtle fragrance.
The Senator took a moment and pulled her coat off of one of the chairs in front of her desk, and placed it on top a of the boxes so that he would have a place to sit. Her gaze trailed over him for a moment and she smiled slightly. His centrist nature hardly bothered her. She was of the belief that everyone was entitled to their own opinions. Time would tell if they would get along or not, but hopefully it would be the former.
"I can have Grier order lunch and coffee while we set up plans. I do not know about you, but I am famished." She said, having assumed that Grier would have already completed the task.
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| Morgan_Shays | Date: Thursday, 19 May 2016, 0:08 AM | Message # 5 |
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| Morgan smiled. He often forgot to eat, something he could almost hear his mother admonishing him for even now. He'd been so busy all morning that he'd not eaten a thing. "Yes, thank you. That's very gracious of you," he said as he accepted the chair opposite the Senator's desk, happy that she wasn't the stickler for protocol that her assistant clearly was. Morgan was a man of simple tastes, content to order Ivarujari food and eat in his office, but he had a feeling that other Senators would frown upon this. Refreshingly, Adelaide D'Marko didn't appear to be one of them. There'd be plenty of time for him to sample the many types of cuisine that Hosnian had to offer, but for now a sandwich from the cafeteria was all he wanted.
"I propose we travel in my ship, the Resoria," he said. "It's large enough to accommodate us comfortably, and any members of your staff you may wish to bring." That was an understatement. The Resoria, a Pinnacle-class luxury ship, had been a 'gift' from Luuneray Kruus, a lobbyist for the Commerce Guild. Morgan was no fool—he knew the ship was a none-too-subtle attempt to buy his support. But he'd accepted it nonetheless, having no intention of returning the favor. His life on Corulag had been austere, his mother explaining that they'd had to forgo luxury during the war. In school, he'd been jealous of his peers for having the newest speeder from SoroSuub or sporting the finest Vjun tunics. Morgan had worked hard to get where he was now, and he was determined to enjoy it for once in his life.
That, and status symbols seemed to be important here, and he reasoned that he had to fit in to the Senate before he could begin to change it. (Or so he told himself.) And if there was no quid pro quo, then what, truly, was the harm in accepting the gift?
"I suppose we'll be assigned some sort of security," he mused. "The Resoria should be able to accommodate an X-wing or two."
Morgan Shays
Senator of Corulag
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| Adelaide_DMarko | Date: Thursday, 19 May 2016, 8:16 AM | Message # 6 |
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| Grier had, in fact, just ordered a simple lunch from the senate cafeteria, and made a pot of coffee for their guest, and brought a tea to Adelaide. Since the Senator rarely, if ever, ate meat, lunch consisted of salads, fruit and a couple of sandwich choices for Senator Shays. Adelaide listened to his suggestion as she poured him a coffee. "My father once knew a senator, before I was born and before the senate was abolished by the Empire, who loved coffee. His name escapes me at the moment. You do like coffee, yes?" She cleared her throat, momentarily embarrassed at the assumption she had made, though the feeling passed as quickly as it came.
"That sounds perfectly fine to me. As far as staff...I only have Grier at present. I feel that he is really all I need. Though he hardly cares for space travel, so I wonder of the importance of him coming along. I suppose it would be for the best that he gets used to it." She mused. Adelaide herself, did not have a ship of her own. Her parents opened several, one of which her father allowed her to use as often as she wanted. Briefly, she wondered if it would be a sound investment for her. No, she thought, she had better things to do with her money perhaps. She did, however, have her own speeder, which she rarely drove. It was still on Empress Teta, so it would hardly do her any good here.
"If you would not mind refreshing my memory as to where we are going, I would appreciate it. It has been a busy few days, so I am sure that you understand." As she settled back into her seat, Grier took a place nearby, but out of the way, in order to take notes and make lists, and do whatever his little organizational heart needed to do. Adelaide as good enough at ignoring him and focusing on Morgan Shays for the moment.
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| Morgan_Shays | Date: Sunday, 22 May 2016, 9:27 PM | Message # 7 |
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| "I do, thank you," he said politely as he accepted a cup of caf from the Senator. He resisted the urge to recount for her the highly-intoxicating concoction of caf and Rishi nectar that his roommate at the Corulag University of Economics had dared him to drink on the morning of his Inner Rim Economies final. 'Rishi coffee,' he had called it. Absolutely dreadful. (Morgan had aced his exam, but had no memory of doing so). But he highly-doubted that a woman as refined as Adelaide D'Marko would care about his university antics, and the story no doubt would scandalize poor Grier VonIns, whom Morgan was perfectly aware was listening in on the conversation.
What Morgan Shays may have lacked in maturity and political experience, however, he made up for with his strongly-held Centrist convictions. D'Marko may have noticed the Imperial signet ring he wore as he accepted the cup from her. Considered provocative by most Populists and admired by many of his Centrist colleagues, the real reason he wore a relic of the Empire was more personal than political. But it was a reason that he kept to himself. He hadn't come here to discuss his personal life, nor his politics.
"Well," he shrugged, crossing one leg over the other as he made himself more comfortable in his chair. "The Chancellor has given us a certain amount of discretion over the itinerary. I was going to suggest..."
* * *
Over lunch, they brainstormed which neutral worlds would most benefit from New Republic trade and, thus, which of them merited a visit. He and D'Marko would undoubtedly receive invitations during the trip, too. Morgan proposed that the route should be loosely based on the Perlemian Trade Route as far as the Corporate Sector, and returning to Hosnian Prime via the Hydian Way.
"... this, of course, would cover most of the Borderlands region. And—who knows?—perhaps we could fit in a visit to Spira." This was a poor attempt at humor on Morgan's part, the planet Spira being known almost exclusively as a destination for romantic getaways. But he had a belated feeling that he'd succeeded only in making the conversation awkward. He cleared his throat as he went on, "The Chancellor did want us to visit the Ciutric Hegemony as well, as they have an important election coming up. So the entire trip would last, oh, a month or so. Do you enjoy traveling, Senator D'Marko?"
Morgan Shays
Senator of Corulag
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| Adelaide_DMarko | Date: Thursday, 26 May 2016, 8:36 PM | Message # 8 |
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| Adelaide ate her lunch quietly, and took notes as they discussed and planned the trip. When he asked her about traveling, she looked up and laid her pen down. "I have not done much traveling, to be honest, Senator. This will be my first extended trip like this." She sincerely hoped that it would not make the trip more difficult for either of them. "I look forward to it, however." She spoke up a moment later. "I think that this trip will not only be educational for you and I, but it will show a senate....unity to the galaxy." Of course, she was optimistic about things, despite their differing views.
"Do you enjoy traveling?" Adelaide asked, in kind. Grier busied himself in cleaning up and disposing of the lunch trays, and he brought back fresh tea for his senator and another coffee from the Senator from Corulag. It was clear to him that the planning phase was over, and he had taken diligent notes and already had started planning the packing lists.
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| Morgan_Shays | Date: Thursday, 26 May 2016, 11:25 PM | Message # 9 |
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| "I agree completely," he said warmly. Most of the Centrists in the Senate considered 'compromise' a four-letter word, as did most Populists, for that matter. Morgan wasn't one of them, and it was refreshing to find that D'Marko wasn't, either. Both of them were new to the Senate, so it was possible they'd become as cynical as the rest eventually. But for now, it encouraged him that there were at least one Centrist and one Populist who could work with another. Or were willing to, at least. Morgan wanted to say so, but decided not to—they had studiously not discussed politics once during this conversation, and Morgan didn't want to be the one to bring it up. He didn't know much about Adelaide D'Marko, and she'd revealed almost nothing about herself thus far, but there was something disarming about her. She was more authentic than most of the Senators he'd met, and had a certain provincial charm, too. Morgan found that he was enjoying her company, and he hoped she wouldn't tire of him during the trip.
"I do," he confessed, in answer to her question. In truth, he hadn't traveled much either. Sure, he knew the worlds of the Ringali Shell, and he'd resided on Rhinnal for the better part of a year during his mother's illness. But it was on a visit to Brentaal as a young man that he'd first encountered a hundred worlds' worth of culture—exotic foods, music, and species from one end of the Perlemian Trade Route to the other. Since then, he'd wanted to see as much of the galaxy as he could, but his career on Corulag left him little time to do so. This trip had been an ambition of his for many years, and he hoped that he'd done a good job of hiding his boyish enthusiasm from D'Marko.
"You'll love it," Morgan said, hopefully. "There are so many wonders to see; Rubyflame Lake on Centares, Sky City on Lianna, the Ansharii Caverns of Toprawa, the Sacred Pools of Telos IV—" He hesitated, knowing that he'd just revealed that he'd volunteered for this trip as much for pleasure as for business. He remembered himself and did his best professional voice as he went on: "—And, of course, we have much work to do."
But still, he had every intention of enjoying himself on this trip, too.
"If you'll forgive me for saying so, I'm surprised you've not traveled much," he said. "Empress Teta is so secluded, it must be lonely there, no?"
Morgan Shays
Senator of Corulag
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| Adelaide_DMarko | Date: Monday, 30 May 2016, 3:38 PM | Message # 10 |
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| "My family is there." She explained gently as she sipped from her cup of tea. The Senator reclined slightly in her chair, letting it rock slightly as she pushed off of the floor with her foot. "My father is a prominent mine owner and my mother spends his money. And my brother, well....he sleeps and spends money." She said, though her voice held no notes of bitterness or disdain. "My father and I have an estate in the country, while my mother and Cam stay in the city." She said as she delicately rested her cup and the saucer on the desk in front of her. "So I was home alone, a good deal, until I went to university. So lonely, I suppose, is a state of mind. I never felt lonely there, per say. I was always busy with school or my art and music." Adelaide glanced wistfully out one of the windows from the corner of her eye. "I have only been here for a day, and it seems so....busy."
She cleared her throat and glanced back to him and offered a soft smile. "But yes, I look forward to seeing some of the galaxy, despite the amount of work we have to do. It will be nice to see things that I have never seen before, so I do hope to have the time to enjoy it." Her gaze followed Grier, who entered the room again and took his seat. "If your assistant would like, Senator, Grier can finish making the arrangements with him, or her, as the case may be. As far as travel arrangements and such, I mean. In the meantime, would you care to elaborate....what are the sacred pools of Telos IV?"
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| Morgan_Shays | Date: Thursday, 02 Jun 2016, 7:00 PM | Message # 11 |
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| Morgan was interested to learn more about D'Marko, or Adelaide, as he dared to think of her. An 'estate in the country' sounded exotic to him, almost as much as the sacred pools of Telos IV or any of the other places he'd just mentioned. Corulag didn't have much in the way of 'country.' The Empire had seen to that, constructing prisons across the planet, using up its resources and ruining its environment. Adelaide's life in the country seemed nice, but no less lonely than he'd first assumed, despite her insisting otherwise. This trip would indeed be eye-opening for her.
He looked out the window beyond Senator D'Marko as if imagining the sacred pools—though he'd never seen them personally. "They're beautiful, naturally-occurring pools on Telos IV that are considered to be—" he paused, noting the presence of Grier VonIns and remembering what the Senator had said about concluding arrangements among their staffs. "Forgive me," he said, rising to his feet with a sheepish grin, "I realize that I've been rude, taking up so much of your time. I'm sure you have much to do, and yes, I'll direct my people to work with yours on the final details." He nodded to VonIns.
Not that he had 'people,' per se. Not yet, at least. He had a pilot who had come highly-recommended by the governor of Corulag and had supposedly flown a Tartan-class cruiser during the war, but clearly Morgan would need a protocol droid and perhaps a full-time staff. As a member of the House of Citizens, he'd preferred to manage his own affairs, but as the old saying went, 'We're not on Kothlis anymore.' (Not that he'd ever been to Kothlis, either).
"Senator," he bowed cordially to D'Marko as he prepared to take his leave.
Morgan Shays
Senator of Corulag
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