Nar Shaddaa

And now, the fun starts.

Usually, when she comes back from one of her trips, Arali can take a moment. Unwind. Not walk right into the most important and delicate negotiations of the war so far, with an enclave about to explode with more visitors than it's had in years.

Including Master Shan...

For years, Arali had done her best to stay out of Jedi politics, but this woman is Jedi politics, and with the peace talks coming here... well, that's not an option anymore.

Best to make herself known as the asset she is, then. The twi'lek heads through the garden, tea set and a pot of boiling water in hand, in search of Master Satele Shan.

She is not had to find, she has found a clearing and is doing meditative martial arts. It is a slow but methodical dance of steps to focus her body and mind, around her are three stones floating as she maintains focus on her movements and keeps the stones in the air.

Arali takes a moment. Both out of courtesy, and out of interest. Similar displays are not uncommon at the enclave, but seldom a master duelist in her prime, and over the past several years, she's honed her eye to a point where she can actually appreciate the display, maybe even get some value out of it.

She holds no delusion that Satele hasn't noticed her. One does not sneak up on a Jedi master by walking plainly into a room with a boiling tea pot. But both women are patient, and Arali waits for the kata's conclusion before she bows, and speaks. "Good morning, Master Shan. Would you care for morning tea?"

“Thank you, yes,” Satele says with a smile.

“Arali, yes?” she asks. “Thank you for the warm hospitality.”

"It is my pleasure, Master Shan," she responds, though to her name, Arali simply nods, impressed one of her standing would bother learning the name of someone as low as she. Then again, Jedi staffing at the enclave is minimal, and it's a roster worth reviewing en route. Or maybe Master Lorne mentioned her.

But no matter.

The twi'lek kneels and sets down her tea set. In a clever mechanism, as she opens the lid, it rises and separates, layers interlocking into a very small serving table, with the contents accessible inside.

She takes out a small bowl and a single tea cup. "I have a selection. A floral blend, of my own creation for one, but perhaps after your travels, something black and strong is in order? Or perhaps, if you partake in the more extreme varieties, I do have a Wookie blend." To an average sapient, Wookie tea has a strong chance of giving you a heart attack, but she's certainly met a few Jedi who exercise sufficient control over their metabolism to enjoy it safely.

“Whatever you prefer is fine, thank you,” Satele responds.

Again, Arali nods, selecting the black tea as most appropriate to the circumstance, and putting the other containers away. Selecting a stirrer and a spoon, she sets to work.

Portion the powder into the bowl. Add just a few drops of water. Mix into paste. Pour tea into cup. Transfer paste into cup. A few quick, sharp stirs, let it set, and... done.

It lacks the ceremony some cultures place on the preparation, but not the quality, as Arali places the cup before her guest.

"Is this your first visit to Nar Shaddaa, Master Shan?" she asks. A question with many purposes, not the least of which is to give the tea a moment to cool.

“No, I have been several times actually my duties have taken me all over the galaxy to some of the oddest places. This Enclave has really come along, Master Resmi has really outdone herself,” she says with a smile.

A knot of tension releases in Arali's back. A first interaction with the hutts seldom goes smoothly.

"Some days, even we have trouble keeping up with her," she admits, the slightest edge of concern in her voice. "I hope our preparations are sufficient for the needs of the delegation?"

“It is fine,” she says honestly.

“There really is no need for fuss, we are all Jedi here and I expect nothing more than I would offer to another.”

Arali lets her most professional smile lock in place, as she withdraws to a place inside herself, to steam.

'It's fine,' yes. Her home, or second home, as it may be, is 'fine,' and she's even so generous as to volunteer excuses for its inadequacy. Lovely. Absolutely lovely.

A moment to process, though, and she returns to herself, still smiling, hiding her inner monologue as best she can. "I'm glad it meets your approval."

Can't let hurt feelings get in the way of feelings.

"Given the scope and length of this mission, I must also ask, how thoroughly have our people been briefed on interacting with the Hutts? For those unaccustomed to them, risk for an 'incident' is high. Proper preparation is vital to prevent anything... unfortunate."

“I did my best to advise as many as I could but they will have to learn through experience, for good or ill. The Hutts are tricky and dangerous, but I have faith and belief that they will quickly learn to navigate the intrigues,” she says with a smile.

“Or they don’t and well I try not to think of that.”

"That is reassuring," Arali replies to the first half, even if the second is less so.

"Hopefully, you will not have to think of that, but dealing with 'incidents' that occur during Jedi dealings with the Hutts is among my duties. We do have a standard holovideo briefing on the subject which we can distribute to those gathered, with your permission. Guests coming to Nar Shaddaa for business having never dealt with the Hutts before is a rather common occurrence here."

"Thank you, yes please do so," she says agreeing with that.

"It will be done."

Then, there's the most awkward concern to bring up.

"One final order of business. Our personnel are, of course, ready to field calls regarding the negotiations. The media has adopted the term 'peace talks,' and that is what we are using for internal communications, but for consistency of message, how are we referring to the summit in dealings with outside entities?"

She tries to stay diplomatic on the matter, but liberal use of the word 'peace' around these discussions is such a glaring and fundamental fault that Arali cannot hold her tongue.

"Speak your mind Arali, I am not a politician," she says warmly.

"You obviously have an opinion."

"Very well," the washout drops her professional smile, her manner growing more serious.

"One of the most important lessons working on Nar Shaddaa is learning how to approach those whose ethics are not your own from a place of respect. In the course of a normal day, I work peaceably with people whom many in our order would kill purely on principle. When negotiating with the Sith, we have the advantage of knowing their ethics. Their code. And to them, peace is a lie. Every time we use that word, we offend them, and approach from a position of disrespect, dishonesty, and weakness, fundamentally undermining our chances of success."

Had this been an issue with her former master, she wouldn't bother with such directness. For Lorne, showing any respect for the Sith code is unacceptable, even at the cost of eternal war. But Satele? Satele, she can show the respect of faith in her ability to acknowledge reason and necessity.

“I am not sure what principle the Jedi here use but there is no one I would simply kill on principle. If I engage in combat I do so for the sake of others or to defend myself from harm. There is no Jedi principle where death is a certainty from the onset,” Satele responds.

She listens carefully to the rest and is quiet a moment. She sips the tea and then responds, “The Sith Code like the Jedi Code is due for many interpretations, we can call these talks whatever we feel but they are in the pursuit of ending hostilities and preserving peace. Sith may posture that Peace is a Lie but what peace are they referring to? Internal stillness of mind? Peace between neighbors? The Peace of mind of doing a job well done? Not even they can agree on what exactly that means, some may approach it literally others more philosophically.”

“The Sith are not a uniform group, no more so than the Jedi. More importantly the Sith guide the Empire but they are a stark minority, many more people would welcome peace to not lose family and friends, same as the Republic. As much as the Sith posture they are subject to the same pressures of state and society we Jedi are.”

“Our mission here is to appeal to those who seek the same cause we do, and there are many on the other side who want this peace. Once we get past the rhetoric and the ideology, our goals become the same. I believe that is the intent of Senator Herresh, and I will support his mission in any way I can.”

((In one of the most conveniently timed character details I've ever seen...))

"So when your apprentice came to my world and killed what, here, are considered legal traders, that was not at your direction?" she jabs. "Amends have since been made to the Hutts following Nunki's actions, but if she is here, I advise warning her to caution. They are unlikely to be so forgiving next time."

But it is the lesser point.

"The individual Sith's interpretation of their code may vary, and we should absolutely investigate their representative's interpretation, but the foundation values honing personal strength and power through conflict. They see the same pressures, but under different values and priorities. Conflict not with us, but with the Jedi in particular? That is an irreplaceable treasure. A foe that can unite them, that can face them on their own terms as equals to hone not just the individual, but the entirety of the Sith. Asking for peace is asking for something we value, but they do not, which begs the question of cost.

"Like-minded allies are rare on Nar Shaddaa. The more effective approach here is to reframe the question, with respect to an alternate viewpoint. In this case? The goal is not nominal peace, but renegotiating the terms of engagement, to something more in line with our notion of peace, without using the term. If we can offer them conflict on more mutually beneficial terms, in terms more consistent with their world view. And advising on Sith philosophy is one of the most useful ways we can arm Senator Herresh for the negotiation."

“Then I think you have found your role, this means much to you and you seem the best advocate to act on this. Senator Herresh needs good council and you have good council,” she says warmly.

“The deaths caused by my apprentice are not to be forgotten but I am sure she did not set out to simply kill them, if she did then I will speak to her as that is not the Jedi way. Every Jedi must be prepared to take a life in defense of others if need be it is part of our training but they should not seek to end lives callously. The Hutts value money and their power they don’t hold morality in high regard, or at least aspire to in the same ways as Jedi.”

Satele finishes with, “Legal or not these individuals deal in real lives, which is despicable no matter what side of the law they believe they stand on. We are not here to uphold Hutt laws, we are here to protect Republic interests and by extension aid those in need.”

Arali accepts the assignment, glad it didn't fall on deaf ears, as was too often with her former master.

But with that as settled as it's getting at the moment, she dives into the new debate, this time without an agenda.

"It is not about the money," Arali counters, cutting at one of the most common misconceptions about Hutt society.

"One of the first things one must understand in dealing with the Hutts is that they exist on a different scale from most other sapients. By the age they are considered adults, most other species have grown up, grown old, and died. By the time they have reached their prime, the grandchildren of shorter-lived sapients they may have once considered peers are dead. The only relationships that persist are with other Hutts, or with organizations that outlive their original members. To many Hutts, you are not a person; you are a part of the person that is the Jedi Council, or the Shan name, because these are the aspects of you that persist long enough for them to care.

"To a Hutt, what is valued by their society is foresight. Planning. Leadership, particularly indirect leadership. The ability to direct resources to demonstrable ends. Money is but one manifestation, and one that grew more prominent not due to the Hutts themselves, but by other species. Between Hutts, favors and contacts hold greater value, but credits will suffice when dealing with us; they are an assurance that they do not have to rely on the word of what they regard as an infant to make good on a favor.

"The proof of their standing lies not in their wealth, but in their organization. In demonstration that they can gather and direct followers to greatness. This is why huttball, if you are familiar with the sport, is not a competition between athletes. It is a competition between Hutts. A game of foresight, tactics, and administration to construct this organization and engineer circumstances in which they can outperform a competing organization. It contributes to their standing in the intricate web of Hutt social structure, in which glories and disgraces are remembered for centuries.

"To them, other species generally barely register as people. The Hutts have a relationship with the Jedi Council, or the Republic, but not with the members. We are momentary, and largely irrelevant to them. Slavery is, thus, a natural extension of their nature. They are not born into the same world we are, and their morality and values grow from completely different assumptions. They are truly alien. Not evil, nor monstrous, nor necessarily wrong.

"In the rim, the efficacy of violence in combating slavery is... possible to argue favorably for." She's not about to say violence is ever the right answer. "Here, on Nar Shaddaa, any slaving ring you strike down will be rebuilt by the Hutt who claims it as a part of their domain, who will, if not mollified, hold a grudge against the Republic and the Jedi council for centuries. They wield the power to make this a very bad idea long-term.

"While I respect your and your apprentice's goals in the matter, the ends are impure. This was not about slaves and their lives. If that were the case, there are many other, larger, more vulnerable slaving organizations you could have taken action against. No, this was about the trafficking of force sensitives specifically, and about the possibility of them being purchased by the Sith. And the short-sighted decision was made that the correct choice on the matter was violence, not negotiation. Or purchase.

"As much as we do not like to admit it, we buy children. We engage in the slave trade. There are many worlds outside Republic jurisdiction where local slaving laws are the basis for our recruitment of force sensitive children and infants into the order. We phrase it as 'helping' or 'compensating' the parents, but the practice remains. With the moral courage to acknowledge our actions and methods, we can negotiate with the Hutts. Pay an access fee to station screeners on-world to identify force-sensitives. All slaves are appraised, for what is here considered fair market value. We pay, we transport them into republic space, we set them free and offer them the option of joining the order or else help them build a new life.

"Instead, we choose to kill, and liberate only a few, leaving a market vacuum that is quickly filled. This is not peace as I interpret it."

“I have to disagree with the idea that the Jedi are slave traders, we don’t traffic in people. If we can rescue them by simply paying that price we do so and every person has a choice to be Jedi or not. I know that there have been edge cases recently of people being pressed to be Jedi but that shouldn’t and will not happen if I can help it. I can see where you are coming from but if Jedi are using these methods to bolster numbers you give me their names and they will be disciplined and removed from the Order,” she says honestly.

With that done she considers the treatise on the Hutts and says, “In truth we may never fully understand their mindset but the reality is clear even if they view things from a different moral perspective we have to work with the world we are in. The stance on the Hutts and their practices of slavery or criminal activity is clear we have to resist we can’t simply excuse it just because they view it as some special right based on their longevity and view of the galaxy.”

“Real people suffer,” she says plainly.

“Do you know what happens to the majority of force sensitives sent to Korriban? Most are killed, very few if any even become Sith which is in and itself another dangerous issue. Saving those Force Sensitives and freeing them to follow their own paths was the best possible choice with the information we had. I will not fault that. I never will.”

“I appreciate your view on the Hutts and it will be useful but life is life, and if we could end all suffering we could. We can’t but we try, and as long as I breathe we will keep trying. Through peaceful means, and if pushed then violence,” she says.

"Stumbling upon, then purchasing and freeing a force sensitive slave and presenting them with options is not uncommon here. I do not maintain a list, for the sake of those freed. Those who search the slave markets more thoroughly for force sensitives are not Jedi. We rarely positively identify them, but those reports go directly to our intelligence services." Could even be how Shan learned of this ring, though Republic intelligence has far more effective ears to the ground than the handful of enclave Jedi.

"I assure you, I am as aware of the suffering as anyone. Those of my colony who were not killed or taken by the Sith were killed or taken by the Jaw of Oblivion." Old scars. Still, it disturbs her how stoically she can broach the topic sometimes. Like Jedi training killed something inside her. "Now, they are my neighbors. If I were to kill them, I can name five other slaving circles who would vie for their territory, striking the same soft targets for the same end buyers."

But now they're talking in circles.

"But that's future concerns. As long as we can get through these next couple weeks without committing crimes against Hutt law that could turn them against us, we're doing better than I expect."

“Killing slavers is never my intent only stopping them from trafficking real people. It should be our last option and if it is the fist then we have failed as Jedi.”

Satele adds, “It will be tense no matter what happens, the Hutts will not make it easy and doubtless they will try to compromise the talks to their advantage. We will just have to be alert and ready.”

And right back to speaking as if the Hutts are mustache-twirling villains. "The Hutts live in this galaxy, too," she reminds Master Shan. "They have every right to be concerned with the outcome of a major war between the most militarily powerful forces around them. Matters have escalated to the point where their homes may be at risk if they don't intervene. Yes, they will absolutely interfere. But that, too, can be turned to our advantage if they can be persuaded that an end to this war is more beneficial to them than choosing a side. War time profits are mostly played out, and either of the major powers scoring a definitive victory in the war will put the Hutts in a vulnerable position against the emerging dominant power. We can use this."

She looks to the tea. Not steaming. Hopefully not cold.

"But I disturb you from tea for too long. Please, forgive my prattle, Master Shan."