Coruscant, Celebration Hall
The news that the esteemed humanitarian Lady Ciaran would be hosting a diplomatic gathering with high-ranking (and wealthy) representatives from the Republic and CNS sent ripples through Coruscant's upper classes, and soon everyone who was anyone found a way to get invited to the party.
Unfortunately for Ciaran, that meant that she had to put up with a nigh-on endless stream of "well-wishers" and "fellow philanthropists" who did nothing but brown-nose around her. She never did like sycophants such as them, but she had to keep up appearances when she was socializing.
Still, she managed to duck into an unoccupied side room without anyone noticing her so she got a chance to breathe...and hear from the teams infiltrating Ziro's compound on the planet.
"Report," she whispered into a comlink camouflaged by an expensive-looking necklace.
"Infiltration team Alpha has entered the compound. No signs of detection so far, moving to locate databanks before we capture Ziro," replied a voice from the other end.
"Excellent. Try not to contact me unless there's an emergency."
"Understood, boss."
Deactivating her comlink, she turned back to the door to see PR-1 moving towards her. "Lady Ciaran, Raith Sienar has just entered the building. If you would be willing to wait here this would be an excellent location for the meeting."
Ciaran nodded. "Of course. Bring him here right away."
"Understood, Lady Ciaran."
As PR-1 left, Ciaran sent down and went over what she knew about Raith in her mind. The man by all accounts was a skilled engineer in his own right, and according to official records he was in charge of the Design Systems branch before ascending to control the entire company. Said branch's products were geared towards highly customized ships for particularly wealthy customers.
Meaning that she was essentially his preferred customer...
A beep from the comlink interrupted her thoughts. "Yes?"
"Boss, we've managed to slice into some of Ziro's files. Looks like the Hutt has a lot of dirt on the Hutts on a datapad in one of his safes. What should we do with it when we find it?"
Ciaran briefly closed her eyes in thought for a moment before opening again. "Get a copy of the pad's contents, then we'll hand it over to Jabba afterwards. Anything else?"
"No ma'am."
Ciaran glanced towards the door as she heard PR-1's distinct voice. "Right then. Report to Gulan until I say otherwise; I will be busy with other matters." Not bothering for a response, she closed the comlink and faced the door as Raith Sienar walked in, flanked by PR-1. "Raith Sienar, I presume? A pleasure to finally meet you in person," Ciaran said as she shook Raith's hand, who gave the traditional "look polite" smile in response. "And you as well, Lady Ciaran. Shall we?" he said, gesturing to a table with seats on either side.
"Of course," Ciaran said, turning to PR-1 who handed her a holoprojector before she sat down opposite to Raith who briefly regarded it with curiosity.
"Is there anything either of you would require?" the droid asked.
"No thank you." "I will be fine."
"Of course," it replied, leaving the room and closing the door behind it. With that Raith turned to face Ciaran. "First of all, I would like to profusely apologize for my employee's treatment of your people, rest assured that the offender has been reprimanded for his actions."
"While I appreciate the gesture I understand that your...representative most assuredly did not reflect your company and yourself in a proper manner. But enough about that unpleasantness," Ciaran said as she leaned forward. "I would much rather talk about business."
Raith did not say anything, but nodded in affirmation as he awaited Ciaran's pitch.
She began to idly drum her fingers on the table. "You are aware of my humanitarian and corporate efforts, yes?"
"Of course, there are very few in the galaxy who haven't at least heard of you, though I would admit that the Karada Corporation is not as popular yet."
The man has done his research. Good, Ciaran thought to herself.
"Naturally. However, what may not be obvious at first glance is that I have branched out into many different fields. And my work in those areas has required different approaches-"
As she spoke, she placed the holoprojector she held at the center of the table and activated it. The projector displayed an image of the Scimitar, causing Raith's eyes to widen.
"-and different assets such as this. It is truly a remarkable vessel and has proven to be considerably helpful for me in my endeavors. A fine piece of Sienar engineering."
To Raith's credit, he managed not to betray any real emotion as he faced Ciaran again. "Might I ask where you acquired that vessel?"
Ciaran smiled. "You might."
Raith nodded, understanding the veiled meaning. Clever too. Very interesting...
"At any rate, my organization has been expanding dramatically in recent years, and with that expansion comes a need for new materiel, more supplies, and ships to move said assets around the galaxy. And while I can certainly use conventional ships for my ends..." Ciaran explained, gesturing to the Scimitar projection as she did so, "There are certain advantages to having more refined vessels such as this."
Raith's expression didn't change, but Ciaran could tell that the man's eyes were beginning to light up as he leaned forward slightly. "Of course. And you would naturally like to ensure that your organization would continue to be supported as it expands and new needs within it arise."
Well now, I think I'm beginning to like him. He can read between the lines so very well...
Ciaran nodded and smiled. "Which is why I would like to offer a partnership. My organization would certainly be willing and able to pay for any of your customized vessels, and we have certain abilities to potentially assist your own business in other was. I firmly believe there is considerable mutual profit that could be gained at this juncture."
Raith leaned forward and clasped his hands, glancing between Ciaran and the projection of the Scimitar. "Officially speaking, I will have to take some time to consider the nature of your request." He looked directly at Ciaran, his gaze intense. "Privately, I can assure you that said request will go through."
Ciaran smiled, then offered her hand to Raith. "To a mutually beneficial arrangement."
Raith clasped her hand then shook it. "But of course."
------
As Raith discreetly left, Ciaran checked back in on the infiltration. "Report."
"Pretty much wrapped up here boss. You sure you don't want Ziro dead instead of captured?"
"No. I have other plans for him that will require him to stay alive-if only for a few more days."
"Got it, boss."
With that conversation over, Ciaran settled back into her "kindly philanthropist" persona and exited the room herself, mingling with the crowd once again. As she began to move through the party, she noticed Satine talking with her "close friend" Obi-Wan.
Well, I suppose I have at least some time to entertain myself~
Smirking she walked over to the couple who were oblivious to her presence until-
"Hello there, you two. Enjoying yourselves?"
Satine shot a glare at Ciaran though it was much less intense than the first time the three of them had spoken together on Mandalore. As for Obi-Wan, he was clearly resisting the urge to facepalm, though he managed to succeed in that endeavor.
"We are doing just fine," Satine said neutrally. "I was merely discussing recent events with Obi-Wan."
"In fact, we were talking about the new Guardian Corps that have been forming on Mandalore," Obi-Wan commented. "They've been the subject of a lot of debates in the Order lately."
Ciaran quickly glanced between the two of them, though neither of them seemed particularly angry or worried about the topic. "I can imagine; though hasn't their declaration that they are meant to be defenders first alleviated some worries?"
"They have, the debate's been more along the lines of whether or not there should be any official response from the Order since the Mandalorians and Jedi have been such bitter rivals in the past," Obi-Wan explained.
"In fact, I plan on speaking with the Order soon on the matter," Satine commented. "I would at least like to reassure them that these new warriors are nothing like the crusaders of old."
"Of course," Ciaran said, noticing Anakin and Padme walking together nearby. "Well, I'll let you two enjoy yourselves. Oh, Obi-Wan, you should introduce Siri to Satine sometime, I'm sure they'll get along splendidly."
As Ciaran quickly left to the sound of Satine confusedly asking Obi-Wan who exactly this "Siri" person was, she crossed the room over to the other people she actually wanted to meet while she was here. While Anakin didn't see Ciaran coming closer at first, Padme did and became clearly nervous when she noticed. Anakin was about to ask what was wrong before-
"Padme!~"
Before she could properly react, Ciaran was already up in her face. "It's been too long, how are you doing my dear? Meet any new people? Go on any wild parties?"
Fortunately for Padme she'd gotten at least partly used to Ciaran being...well Ciaran. "Fine, yes but no one you'd know, and no, I've been too busy."
"Well we should fix that last one as soon as possible my dear, you can never go wrong with a wild party, or two, or several~"
As for Anakin, the Jedi could only look on in confusion as he tried to keep up with the banter between the two before giving up and loudly clearing his throat, getting both of their attention. "Oh of course, it's nice to see you too even if it has been less time since we last saw each other," Ciaran said, causing Padme to look confused. "When was that?" she asked.
"I was on Mandalore during the recent Death Watch uprising, and she was there as well," Anakin explained, looking briefly uncomfortable before settling back into a more neutral expression, though the shift was not lost on Ciaran who quickly glanced in his direction and smiled before turning back to Padme. "That we were, and we had a lovely time while we were alone together," said Ciaran prompting both Padme and Anakin to roll their eyes in almost perfect sync. "Speaking of which, do you mind if I speak with him alone for just a moment?" Ciaran asked of Padme.
Padme folded her arms and raised an eyebrow.
"I promise it won't involve dragging him to a bar or anything like that."
Padme still said nothing.
"And it won't involve any strippers like that one time."
Anakin started to look between the two rapidly as both his and Padme's faces started to turn bright red. "F-fine!" she manged to get out, before she briskly walked away, though before she did Ciaran stopped her and whispered something to her before dragging Anakin away.
"There will be a change on this planet soon, and it may benefit you if you choose to take advantage of it."
For his part, Anakin was repeating various mantras in his head to try and clear his mind before he noticed Ciaran dragging him along. "Where-"
"Shh. I meant it when I said we need to be alone."
Quickly maneuvering through the crowds any trying not to draw attention to the two of them, Ciaran dragged a visibly confused Anakin into a nearby room. "What exactly-"
Ciaran whirled on him. "What I wanted to talk to you about was sending a message to the Council that I can't do through official channels."
That got Anakin's attention as he froze up before staring down Ciaran. "And that would be...?"
"Simple. About two days ago I received word from one Jabba the Hutt about his son being kidnapped."
Anakin looked confused and slightly angry, though interested in where she was going with this.
"He did this because the evidence at the scene initially pointed to the Jedi being the perpetrators." Ciaran explained, causing Anakin to reel back in shock.
"Are-you're serious!? The Jedi would never-"
"Jabba doesn't believe in ideologies, he believes in facts and power. And the facts at the time pointed to the Jedi kidnapping his son which would have gave them power over him if it were true. As such I was forced to intervene lest he be forced to publicly accuse the Jedi of the act and massively scar their credibility."
At that, Anakin was visibly downcast, processing what Ciaran had said. "But you figured out the truth and got his son back, meaning that..."
Ciaran nodded. "As you might guess, the plot did in fact involve the CIS. So yes, were it not for me the situation would have escalated considerably and served to benefit your enemies." She looked straight at Anakin, who still didn't make eye contact with her. "I understand that words alone are not enough for the Council, so I will be sure to provide you with the data that will prove my testimony later tonight."
Anakin looked back up at her again with an intensity in his eyes. "And you want me to tell them...?"
"That I am not their enemy. My methods may seem dangerous, my allies untrustworthy, but I do not want to see the Republic or the Jedi fall," Ciaran said with intensity. "Hopefully this will prove to be the wake up call they need again."
"Why me then?" Anakin asked, folding his arms. "Obi-Wan is here with me and he's far more popular with the Council, wouldn't he be a better messenger?"
At that Ciaran sighed and shook her head sadly. "While I do respect Obi-Wan he's definitely a more orthodox Jedi," and Anakin mentally admitted that she was right about that point, "and I suspect that he would likely not be as willing as you are to hear what I have to say."
When she said that, Anakin started to look to the side, avoiding her gaze.
"You're still trying to figure out what being a Jedi means to you right?" Ciaran quietly asked.
The room went silent for a long moment, and while it was clear Anakin was feeling conflicted again he didn't seem to be able to find the words to speak.
"...Perhaps you would be willing to a story I know of a-" Ciaran hesitated, but only for an instant and which was not noticed by Anakin, "-man who called himself Darth Vectivus."
All of a sudden, the lighting in the room seemed to dim and the air felt colder, and to Ciaran's worry she wasn't entirely sure why for once. All the while Anakin started to focus on her with rapt intensity...
"He was a wise man, gifted not only in the Force but with an intelligent mind. When he first discovered the Force he was but a humble businessman, curious about the new powers he had awakened within himself."
As she continued to explain her "story," Ciaran started to become nervous as she was now able to feel that Anakin was starting to unconsciously affect the room through his Force power, as though it were pressure starting to build up around her...
"So he traveled the galaxy, seeking to learn more about the Force. And through his studies he became powerful, strong enough that he was considered a master of the Force. Though in spite of the power that he could have fought with...he walked away from the great conflict between the Jedi and the Sith and chose to return to his humble life as a businessman. He..."
Ciaran composed herself as the pressure from Anakin slowly continued to intensify. "He was wise enough to realize that his path was not predetermined, that he could choose his own destiny no matter what others may have believed of him."
Anakin was still silent, though the pressure from him continued to intensify before it suddenly cut off as he closed his eyes. "I see," he said neutrally, seemingly unaware of the power he had just exerted. With that, he simply tuned and with a "thank you for your time, Lady Ciaran," he left in contemplation as Ciaran waited until the door had shut (though she distinctly heard the voice of Obi-Wan speaking to Anakin about something she couldn't quite overhear before it did), then collapsed into a chair to catch her breath.
She had known that Anakin looked as though he was a flashbang through her Force vision, but she had never felt anything like the wave of sheer power that he had exuded just now, unconsciously at that. Not from any of the Jedi Masters she had been around, not from Dooku, not from anyone...
Ciaran breathed in deeply, calming herself through her Force training techniques before slowly getting up, reasserting herself, and moving to rejoin the party as though she had never left.
-------
One Hour After Party's End
"Uncle Borvo, it's Ciaran."
"OHOHOHOHOHOHO, sorry my dear, I wasn't expecting you to keep using that nickname. What did you wish to talk about?"
"How would you like to share the credit for turning over one Ziro the Hutt as well as incriminating information he held on the Hutts over to Jabba himself? In person, no less?"
"...You continue to astound me my dear. But that does sound like a wonderful proposition..."
One Day Later, Jabba's Palace, Tatooine
"...And as you can see, with the aid of Borvo I have not only brought you Ziro to do with as you please but I have eliminated the ability for him to retaliate against you in life or death," explained Ciaran as she and Borvo respectfully bowed to Jabba, ignoring the thrashing and muffled shouting coming from the Hutt-sized crate next to them.
Jabba looked at Ciaran, then Borvo, then the crate containing Ziro, then at the datapad that Ciaran had given him and then,
"HOHOHOHOHO, HOHOHOHOHOHO!"
"The both of you are quite impressive, I have not heard him laugh so hard in joy in a long while," a servant commented.
After a moment of roaring laughter from the Hutt, he calmed down and faced Ciaran and Borvo. "I asked for you to return my son, and in response you not only completed the task at hand quickly and quietly, but you also thoroughly dealt with the root cause behind the incident in a similar fashion." He spread his arms in a magnanimous gesture. "I was right to come to you as I did. Now then such actions should be generously rewarded. First, Borvo."
The Hutt in question moved slightly and bowed to Jabba.
"As you have no doubt guessed, Ziro will no longer be responsible for operations on Coruscant...or his assets in general. Since you have proven to be loyal to the Hutt Clans, you will be given control of Ziro's assets to do with whatever you see fit, as well as my favor of course."
"Thank you, Lord Jabba," Borvo said respectfully, moving back and glancing over at Ciaran with a look of happiness clearly visible on his face.
"As for you, Lady Ciaran..."
Ciaran stepped forward, making sure to look respectful but still maintain a commanding presence.
"You have proven to be a great ally to the Hutt Clans, not only in this matter but through your destruction of the Black Sun." Ciaran was nonplussed as Jabba chuckled briefly. "We were very pleased to hear about your success in that matter. As such..."
Jabba leaned back and smiled.
"You have certainly earned passage through our space and the ability to trade within it, but that seems to be an insufficient gift for your considerable efforts. Which is why I am pleased to inform you that the rest of the Hutt Council have taken note of your efforts and along with myself have declared you to be a respected partner, which will be made apparent in additional benefits to you and your Abyss Watchers. Furthermore," he said, activating a holoprojector which displayed the top of a tall building, "as a token of both our appreciation and our good faith, we have set aside a building on Nar Shaddaa to do with as you please, in the hopes of fostering greater ties between us."
Ciaran bowed respectfully. "You and your brethren are most generous, Lord Jabba."
"As for Ziro, you may leave him here and he will be dealt with," Jabba said venomously as he turned to the crate, which suddenly stopped moving around as much.
Ciaran and Borvo nodded, then respectfully took their leave.
-------
As Ciaran and Borvo boarded the Scimitar and prepared to leave Tatooine, Ciaran was suddenly yanked into a suffocating hug by Borvo.
"I'm so proud of you my dear, you've come so very far since we've first met and it's been wonderful to see us both benefit so much from our partnership!"
"B-Borvo, c-can't breathe..."
The Hutt laughed happily as he released Ciaran who was gasping for breath though noticeably smiling in spite of it. "I do have one favor I need to ask, though."
"Anything, my dear!"
"Since you're going to be taking over Ziro's assets, that means you're going to be the Hutt closest to Republic politics. Which is why I want you to try and negotiate a treaty between them and the Hutt Council," Ciaran explained, briefly shifting into her business mode.
Borvo nodded. "I see, since I have the ear of the Council they will be more responsive to the idea. But why not somehow have someone in the Republic formally take credit?"
"Much as I was tempted to somehow have Padme publicly take credit for all of this it would have raised too much suspicion with the Separatists, and it might have convinced their leaders to take more drastic measures had I been perceived as being responsible for giving the Republic such a huge advantage in the war."
Borvo laughed again. "Cunning as always, my dear. But let's forget about all of that conspiracy nonsense for now; once we get back to Coruscant we're going to have a celebration for the Abyss Watchers at my palace!"
Rewards:
Diplomacy: Renewed ties with Padme, Obi-Wan, and Anakin, discussion about Anakin's status as a Jedi continued
Stewardship: Partnership with Sienar Fleet Systems established, customized ships now available for creation/purchase from Sienar, gained personal contact with Raith Sienar, PR-1 gains Bartering Routines trait
Intrigue: Income penalty reduced by 15% due to Hutt Space trade (will be converted to new income at end of war), Stewardship action regained due to Hutt Space access, free base on Nar Shaddaa, Hutt-Republic alliance covertly discussed, Jedi grudgingly and quietly give credit to Ciaran for averting a diplomatic incident, Ciaran gains Hutt Favoritism trait
AN: As it turns out when I smooshed these three actions together they became a lot more than the sum of their parts...which is why so much happened because of the Rotta action. It all makes logical sense in my head at least, though you all might have different opinions. Maybe.
Though by far my favorite part of writing up this chapter was Ciaran telling Anakin about Vectivus; obviously I took my inspiration for that scene from Sidious telling him about Plagueis in canon but I fell in love with the idea of making Anakin the more dominant figure of the two in that conversation despite him not saying anything, giving a glimpse of what it would be like for a normal Force user to feel the sheer power of The Chosen One. I think it turned out great, though obviously your opinions may differ.
Also at close to 4k words this marks the biggest update I have ever done for anything ever. Go me!
