na'Tatha struggled to keep a note of contempt out of her voice. When her words did come out, they were cold and concise. "Welcome to the world of politics." She fastened her eyes on Viree13, reciting an old Taarin proverb. "'A wise man once said, War is merely the continuation of policy by other means, while another countered, Diplomacy is merely the continuation of war by other means. Which one was correct?'"
The subcommander turned back to Faradej. "The venue is a chamber in the administrative complex of one of the Mixed Cities, so neither party will be at a strategic disadvantage - unless one chooses to flaunt the rules of diplomatic immunity. At that point, we will need to leave - rapidly. I can offer some tactical advice on that matter."

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<center>Nothing but the Rain</center>

Viree13 answers without hesitation. "The first one... But he forgot to mention that war is also the best part of negotiation....." Her smirk is sarcastic and biting....

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For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not die, but have everlasting Life. ~John 3:16~





~The Mercenary A-U Gentlewoman~

"They were both correct. Diplomacy is simply a war of words and ideas. Both policy and war require skill - some of us have both skills, some only one."

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<center>Nothing but the Rain</center>

Viree13 smiles. "I know which one you have.... Whereas me, I prefer war, but I can just as easily be diplomatic when needed....."

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For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not die, but have everlasting Life. ~John 3:16~





~The Mercenary A-U Gentlewoman~

na'Tatha raised an eyebrow before deciding not to carry her Jedi-baiting any further. Yes, it was entertaining, but they had serious issues to discuss. "It is needed," she replied simply, then waited for Sahrai.

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<center>Nothing but the Rain</center>

Viree13 rolls her eyes and waits for Sahrai's answer....

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For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not die, but have everlasting Life. ~John 3:16~





~The Mercenary A-U Gentlewoman~

Sorry guys, I was at a friends house and didn't have computer access.

Sahrai nodded. "Your advice could be very useful - I have never been to this planet, and aside from what was covered in my briefing and in the datapad, I know next to nothing about the culture, and I have a feeling I would stand out - a lot." He shook his head slightly. Viree and na'Tatha were getting along less well than he could have hoped for - they needed cooperation on this mission, not catfights.

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(lol. we didn't have anything else to do )

na'Tatha nodded - at least someone was being humble - and walked over to a screen on the wall. Bringing up a blueprint of the venue, she pointed out the conference room in which the discussion would be held, in the heart of the administrative complex.
"First of all, the building will be cleared of all personnel. The Jedi, Taarin, and Maedan delegations will be the only people in there.
Word of these talks has, not surprisingly, spread to the public, so you can expect large crowds outside the complex. They'll be held back at a distance of twenty meters by the city police, which is composed of both Taarin and Maedan. The city is mixed, so there is no clear delineation of 'sides'."

(will finish later, got to run)

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<center>Nothing but the Rain</center>

Viree13 nods. "Sounds good.... Although I think it would've been better if the people hadn't heard about it....."

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For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not die, but have everlasting Life. ~John 3:16~





~The Mercenary A-U Gentlewoman~

The subcommander shrugged. "We can't control the media. The whole situation has been worked out to be as secure as possible. Hence, what we have to worry about is the Maedan not keeping their side of the bargain. They'll be wondering the same thing about us, but I assure you that we have no intention of deviating from this agreement. We'd like to breathe a non-lethal atmosphere.
"If they do mean to break faith, their best bet would be to either place people in the building or in the crowd. The most favorable situation for you would be in the crowd - there are more neutral people and it's out in the open, so you can make a quick getaway. A firefight in the building itself would be bad, to state it mildly. Your exits are limited, you don't know all the passages and shortcuts, and to top it all you have to protect the Taarin delegation.
"One other option for them would be to actually drop a bomb on the complex, but that's unlikely, since the Maedan's highest officials are in there." She looked down as her comm link beeped. "Excuse me, I have to take this."
na'Tatha stepped into a corner of the room to answer the communique.

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<center>Nothing but the Rain</center>

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"Subcommander na'Tatha? This is Defense Associate Y'Garam."
"How may I be of service, sir?"
The associate's voice was crisp and loud, belying years of field service. "That's the right question to ask, subcommander. di'Tonoro and I have picked the military officer who will accompany us to the negotiations. It's you."
na'Tatha's mind whirled. She'd expected a higher-ranking officer to go, someone with prestige, someone more well-known..."Sir?" she managed to say.

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<center>Nothing but the Rain</center>

Viree13 rolls her eyes. "If they want you, don't stand stammering like a dithering idiot.... Say yes!!!...." She looks over at Sahrai and walks over to him. "So, where d'you want me?.... I can trn my hand t'just about anything..." She grins wickedly. "After all, we bounty-hunters are very good at such things...."

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For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not die, but have everlasting Life. ~John 3:16~





~The Mercenary A-U Gentlewoman~

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(actually Aerandir, if they're mediating, the Jedi will essentially be chairing/moderating the discussion)

"Let me clarify, subcommander," Y'Garam continued. "You have an extensive background in Taarin-Maedan relations, and are quite respected in that area. Not only will this be a reassurance to the few Taarin who don't put much faith in either di'Tonoro or I - we're known to be more conservative - but you also know how to read the Maedan. I need have a second opinion, to know when they're serious, when they're bluffing, and when they're being evasive."
"I'm honored, sir." na'Tatha meant it. This would be negotiation as usual - but on a much higher level.
"You know the drill, na'Tatha. Diplomatic dress code, portfolio, communication. Report to my office in four hours." He ended the transmission.

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<center>Nothing but the Rain</center>

<_< >_>
That too, lol.

Sahrai couldn't help but overhear everything spoken over the comlink, so he needed no filling in when the transmission ended and na'Tatha turned back towards them. "Congratulations, sub-commander," he said, meaning every bit of it.

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