| abstract | - Sitting in her office, Alta Eddicus was quickly typing messages to her fellow senators, asking for patience while the Governmental Investigative Network looked into the death of their colleague, Hanik Regueny. To keep the messages slightly personal, she addressed each note individually and added a short sentence or two to the end that was unique to each senator. Her breathing was regular and straight, as she was intensely focused on her task. It took nearly two hours to finish, having sent the message to over three hundred senators. Satisfied with this step in the process, she turned in her chair toward the large window next to her computer. She closed her eyes for a few moments and pondered the earlier meeting with Director Aiden. Her next task was to send a message to Master Yoda to make certain the Jedi were kept at bay for a little longer. Suddenly, a buzz sounded at the door. Eddicus spun around in her chair and flipped a switch on her desk. A viewscreen popped up off the desk that showed the office doorway and any potential visitors. Looking at the screen, she saw another fellow senator. The door whisked open and a short, thin woman entered. She was wearing a silver dress and had long dark brown hair and almond-shaped, dark eyes. The visitor was in her thirties but appeared to Eddicus as older on account of being mentally worn and saddened. "Senator Eddicus," the woman replied, sitting in a chair near the large window. "Senator Moonflower," the Taanabi senator replied, pressing a button to close the office door. "I need to speak with you for a moment in confidence," the woman replied. Alta Eddicus sat back in her chair and nodded. Even though she was six years younger than Senator Moonflower and had held a position in the Senate for even fewer years, Eddicus knew that she had become well-respected by her peers. Senator Moonflower often turned to the junior senator for advice in brokering deals and for confidential discussions. "Of course, Awa," Eddicus returned mercifully. "In light of Hanik's death, I have confession to make," Moonflower said. "What do you mean?" "Alta, for about eleven months I have been receiving death threats from xenophobic radicals on Eriadu. They've been sending me secret hand-written letters each month. They've all been delivered here, to Coruscant. I've told none of my staff, and none of the letters have ever made it back to Seswenna." "Awa, why didn't you say something?" "The first few were vague, and I assumed that it was due time that I received something like this. In my fifteen years as senator, I had never had a death threat before. I thought it was normal." "Okay, so, why say something now?" "With Hanik dead—and maybe murdered…" The senator from Seswenna's voice trailed off and she began to gently cry. Senator Eddicus sat quietly for a moment while her colleague wiped her face with her hands. Reaching over, she handed the Seswennan a hygiene cloth. "I didn't think it was a serious threat until everything started happening," Moonflower blurted. "Now, there are riots, Humanocentric rallies, my sector is internally divided, and… and I don't know. I've never been this emotional about something." "We need to tell somebody," Eddicus stated carefully. "I know, but I trust you. I don't know who else I can right now." "Awa, are you sure you're just not being paranoid? We all get death threats periodically." "No! I'm not! The one I got today said that I will be dead before the next letter could even arrive!" Eddicus quietly leaned forward and embraced the emotional senator. In her few years of experience, she had known Senator Moonflower to be aloof and shy but never overtly emotional. In fact, she seemed almost on the verge of a meltdown. The admission of death threats, however, seemed to connect why the Seswennan had been paranoid and fearful of late. In fact, it seemed logical to assume that this oppressed her so much that this was why the woman's face seemed to have aged and grown more and more pale. "What do you want me to do, Awa?" "Tell your father. I think I'm going to go back home for a few days to rest and calm down. The last place I want to be is on Coruscant. I need to see trees; I need to see a flowing brook; I need to see my home." "Okay, I'll tell him. Can I see the letters? Is there a way I can get them from you?" "Why?" "The investigator might want to see them." "So they can see if the threats are credible?" Moonflower quipped, standing quickly and turning around. She was bordering on hysterical now, rubbing her forhead with her hands. "Alta, for the love of the Force! I know they are credible." "I didn't say that. They will need to check… to find out what ways they need to protect you." "I don't want police all around me." "Awa, if I tell my father, he's going to have at least a Jedi or two go with you to Seswenna." The Seswennan senator turned around and sat back in the chair. Her eyes swelled with tears, but none fell off her face. She breathed slowly and appeared to be calming herself and deeply thinking. "Fine. I can live with that," she slowly said. "Okay, Awa. That is what we'll do. I do confess that it would probably be easier to protect you here." "No, Alta, I'm leaving. I need to go home." "Fair enough. I'll tell my father in a few minutes." "Thank you. I'm going to finish gathering some belongings from my office." Awa Moonflower rose from her seat, straightened her silvery gown with her hands and wiped her eyes once more. She then walked toward the exit of the office and tossed the cloth in a disposal bin. "Awa, don't leave until I've talked to my father. He may want the Jedi to go with you." "If they get there by the time I leave, then fine. Otherwise, I'm going. The less people that know, the better. I haven't even told my staff. I don't want them to even know I'm leaving." "Then let the Jedi shuttle you home." "I'll wait a touch for them, but I cannot wait long." The senator from Seswenna turned and left the office, the door closing quickly behind her. Concerned, Alta Eddicus quickly grabbed her datapad and entered a memo that simply noted that a meeting had occurred. Then, she made a note to postpone contacting Master Yoda until after something was discussed about these new threats. Eddicus noted the time before rapidly running to the hallway door. She exited and locked the office behind her. Without regard for the corridor traffic, she scampered between the passersby and through the maze of corridors to the central repulsorlifts. Depressing a button, she rode one to the top floor. From there, she exited the lift and ran down the hallway, almost knocking over three well-dressed Gands in the process. She finally arrived at the Chancellor's office and depressed the buzzer on the door. Identifying herself with the computer screen next to the doorframe and nodding at each of the guards, the metal barriers whisked open. "Chancellor Eddicus?" the senator called as she entered the office suite, the door sealing behind her. "Father?" "Yes?" the chancellor said, looking up from his desk where he was reading. He quickly stood, obviously noting the informality that Alta had just displayed. It was usually a breach of her own personal protocol to call the Supreme Chancellor "Father" except when the two were together on personal time. "We need to talk," she replied, walking toward the desk. "About?" the chancellor said, setting aside his datapad. Alta Eddicus sat quietly opposite her father and gathered her thoughts. He stared at her straightly and without expression. Finally, she handed him her datapad that noted a meeting with Senator Moonflower. "Awa was just in my office," she said. "And?" he chided impatiently, reading the memo on the datapad. Alta sneered back at her father. "Look, she was nearly hysterical as she mentioned that she was receiving death threats." "I see. How many?" the senior Eddicus questioned. "She said she's been getting one a month for almost a year," she replied. "You don't seem surprised." "I'd be lying if I said I was," he returned, handing the datapad back to his daughter. "What are the threats, exactly?" "She didn't exactly say," Alta stated. She leaned back and plopped in a nearby chair; a quick recounting of the scene that had played out only moments earlier in her office flooded her mind. "She did note that the most recent guaranteed death before the next message could arrive. She left out any other specifics but insisted that they were credible. Oh, and she did mention that they were from some type of Humanocentric radicals on Eriadu. She made a point to mention them twice." Chancellor Eddicus moved away from the desk and walked along the wall window toward a statue of his late predecessor, Rosock Mekosk. Alta watched as he brushed off some dust and continued down the length of the wall, glancing at artwork. She knew that he was thinking and processing, his arms folded tightly across his chest. "Where is she now?" he asked, having reached the main office doors. "She went back to her office," Alta replied. "She said she's going back to Seswenna as soon as she could throw some belongings together." "Alta, that's not advisable." "Father, I agree, but I could not convince her otherwise," she spat in frustration. Then, she stood and walked over to her father, who was now half-way back toward the desk. "She's in no mental state to be considering alternatives. Still, she's going to need some type of protection, if in the least, for her own sanity." "Perhaps we can have a Jedi or two go with her," he offered. "I'll contact Master Yoda and see what he can do." "She was intent on keeping this secretive. She said her staff doesn't even know about this." "But, why does she want to go home? It seems far easier to keep her safe here, where we know how to defend this building and her apartment." "That's what I thought, too, but she says she really wants to see her home." "She must really be afraid." The two sighed and leaned against the wall simultaneously. Alta took her right hand and brushed the hair away from her face then looked back up at her father, who was looking upward. Breaking the stillness, the chancellor quickly walked away. Alta turned and watched as her father went to the desk and pressed a series of buttons. A quiet, albeit inaudible from such distance, voice said something through a speaker on the desk, to which the chancellor replied that he wished to speak with Master Yoda immediately. He then walked around the desk and activated the hololink for incoming communications. Alta walked toward her father as the image of Master Yoda flickered into place. She opted to join him in range of the device, so that Master Yoda would see her, as well. "Greetings, Chancellor Eddicus and Senator Eddicus," the Jedi said. "I am sorry to bother you again, Master Yoda," the chancellor replied. "My daughter has made me aware of a series of threats against another senator." "Oh?" the Jedi interjected. "Senator Moonflower of Seswenna appears to be targeted," he answered. "Targeted you say?" "She did not give specifics, but noted that they were from radicals on Eriadu. With that conincidence, I'm not willing to take a chance with her safety." "Logical to assume a connection, Chancellor Eddicus," the Jedi remarked while closing his eyes. Alta looked up at her father, who was still intently staring at the image of the Jedi, and then peered over to Master Yoda himself. Finally, he broke the silence with a long sigh. "There are Jedi we can send," Yoda commented. "Travel with the senator to Seswenna Masters Fay and T'dal will." "I will tell Senator Moonflower to meet her here, in my office," he added. "That way, it looks like a meeting rather than an arranged escape." "Excellent idea," the Jedi said. "Keep this secretive we must. Master T'dal will arrive on Seswenna shortly, once I contact him. Master Fay will be in your office within one hour." "Wonderful," the chancellor remarked. "I'll have the senator here shortly." "Now, questions have you for me, Senator Eddicus?" the Jedi asked. Alta stepped slightly forward and bowed her head out of respect. "Master Jedi, I have contacted many senators telling them to essentially hold off on launching a separate investigation yet. Have you spoken with the Jedi Council on this yet?" "Many members of the Jedi Council have spoken to me," he returned. "Tell each one of them quietly, I am—the Grand Master included. To our benefit it is that this be treated as secretive." "I understand," she added. "Is there a way we can help appease Grand Master m'Ord Vinka?" "No," he returned with a small sigh. "Deal with him quietly I will." "Thank you for your time, Master Yoda," Alta said. "May the Force be with you," the Jedi said as the connection terminated. Alta walked back over to the chair near the desk but did not sit down. Her father walked behind her and quietly wrapped his arms around her waist. When she turned around, he planted a tender kiss on her forehead. She smiled as he released the embrace and walked back around to his desk. Once he sat, she returned to a somewhat stoic state and sat. "Thank you, Alta," her father spoke, adjusting the seat position at the desk. "I'd like for you to contact Senator Moonflower. She'll trust you. Come with her here and once she departs with the Jedi, we'll go have dinner." "Fair enough," she returned. "I just hope that the senator doesn't decide to act irrationally over the next few hours." "I'm certain that she will be fine," he replied. "Is there anything else we need now?" she volleyed. "Actually, yes, there is." the chancellor said with a long breath. "In an effort to have some type of normalcy, I want you to propose the new fiscal year budget at the session tomorrow and make a motion that it should be voted upon after the recess." "I can do that," Alta replied. "I've been meaning to ask you about it because it has been sitting on my desk for a week, now. How much support do we have for it?" "The same as always, Alta," he confessed while sitting back in his seat. The chancellor folded his arms across his chest and closed his eyes tightly. "Too much squabbling in this senate session. It's almost like the Republic doesn't want to stay together." "So, I need to start pestering our usual friends for concessions and deals," she said. "Any objections to starting with Drawoh from Brodo Asogi? He's a very staunch proponent of exploration. I'm sure I could broker a deal with him and his allies to shift funding toward his pet projects if we can increase the funding for planetary aid that planets like ours need." "You're the master politician now, Alta," he responded. "I trust you on this. My biggest concern is making sure we pass something that holds this Republic together while not stripping power and credits away from smaller planets—planets like ours." "I'll see what I can do," she returned as she stood and reclaimed her datapad. "First, I need to make certain that Senator Moonflower comes here to meet with the Jedi. I'll be back shortly, your excellency." The chancellor nodded and grunted an affirming sound as Alta turned toward the door to exit the office. Reaching the doorway, she noticed that his breathing seemed to have become loud and laborious. She turned and noted that her father was simply sitting and reading from a piece of paper. Convinced it was her imagination, she exited the office and traversed back toward the repulsorlift. From there, she meandered through the Senate Office Building to Senator Moonflower's office. Upon reaching the office, however, the door whirred open and the Seswennan senator darted through. Alta was unable to dodge the woman and was knocked to the floor. Senator Moonflower put out her hands to break her fall as she lost balance, but the woman fell directly atop her colleague. In the calamity, a small case of documents spilled throughout that area of the hallway. As Senator Moonflower stood, she began to profusely apologize for not having paid attention. Alta simply grunted as she postured herself into an upright sitting position on the dark blue carpeted floor. "I did not mean to almost put you through that window, Alta," the Seswennan apologized, now standing. "Friendly fire," the young Eddicus replied. Senator Moonflower then began to quietly and dutifully pick up each of the papers that had been strewn across the carpet. Meanwhile, Alta took herself off the carpet and dusted off her backside with her right hand. "I spoke to the chancellor about what you had told me," she said. Awa Moonflower froze in place, hunched over in the middle of the hallway. "He has requested an impromptu meeting with you, me, and another in his office as soon as possible," Alta continued. "I can't do that, my friend," the Seswennan said, finally grabbing the piece of paper directly beneath her. "Why not?" the Taanabi asked, throwing her arms up in frustration. "Even for safety—safety that you should have?" "I don't want this to get out," the woman replied softly and coldly. "We know that, Awa," Alta said with angst. "That's why we want to meet with you in private and… and not discuss this in the hallway anymore." "Fine," Senator Moonflower capitulated, reaching for the last piece of paper. "If you insist." The two senators once again meandered through the corridors of the building and to the chancellor's office suite. The walk was slow and arduous. In a way, the Seswennan senator looked as if she was walking the march of death. Finally upon entering the Chancery Suite, Chancellor Eddicus rose and met the two ladies near the couches. "Please, Senator Moonflower, have a seat," the chancellor said, gesturing toward the large blue couch. Alta watched as her father walked to the hallway door, spoke to the guards, and locked the entryway with the security door. She glanced over at her colleague, who was now leaning forward, her hands tightly wrapped around her legs below the knees. "Jedi Master Fay is on her way here, Senator," the chancellor spoke as he approached the distressed woman. "She will escort you home." The senator looked up at the chancellor, smiled softly and thanked him. Awkward silence filled the room for a few moments as no one moved. Then, Alta rose and pulled her father toward the windows behind his desk. "I've never seen her like this," he confessed in a whisper. "I know," Alta said. "She's a complete wreck right now. I'm not sure what those letters said, but she normally doesn't get this emotional." "I still don't like her going back to Seswenna," the chancellor continued. "Neither do I," she returned. "I just don't think we are going to convince her otherwise." Alta stared out the window for a moment, watching the dense traffic go by on the skylanes. "I got word a few moments ago that our friend, Cos Peradhi, is not relenting," the chancellor quietly blurted, causing he and Alta to make eye-contact. "He's demanding the Jedi investigate Regueny's death. He held a press conference with Grand Master m'Ord Vinka right after you left my office. He's leaving for Eriadu tonight." "Who's leaving for Eriadu?" Alta asked. "The Grand Master," he returned. "That's a problem," Alta replied, turning her sights back toward the bustling traffic. "It is," the chancellor continued. "First, Director Aiden is going to be irate about this move; next, the Eriaduan authorities are not willfully cooperating anyway, so the Jedi there will only make matters worse; and, of course, he's not Human. On that planet, that is a recipe for disaster." "We need someone to stall him," she said, turning her gaze to her father's moustache and goatee. "Still, why is he somehow teaming up with Peradhi? That power-hungry crook wants nothing more than a Corellian-run dictatorship." "He needs Jedi approval to continue his crusade of amassing power, Alta," her father replied. "He needs a good conflict, and someone who is also power-crazed on the Jedi side gives him an ally to consolidate power." Disgusted, Alta walked away from the windows and sat on a couch opposite Senator Moonflower and slumped backwards.
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