Hoth: Blood and Ice

[Jan Melmoar]

Jan leans back with a quiet sigh, the warm mineral rich water doing wonders for her skin (she hoped). Maybe this was the future of high-end tourism, death-planet luxury camping.

It was an added benefit that the the cave was also nearly pitch black and apart from the gentle hiss and bubble of the vents, quiet. A perfect place to get away from it all for a few hours. It in this case being scheming and shooting. It was also probably the least likely location on bases to have been bugged.

With another contented sigh she reaches over and lifts her Czerka Nutrient Shake with fast acting nutrients that will power you throughout the day! It looked like a water bottle full of a bright green slude.

"Now N'Zzi, where were we?"
Her assistant is perched awkwardly nearby on a rock, the Chiss' bright red eyes easily able to pierce the gloom as she shuffles some papers uncomfortable. The woman was clearly overheating in her formal suit, but had only slightly loosened her tie.

"Section 3, Director. The -uh independent venture."
Jan nodded languidly, sinking a little lower into the water until it was up to her shoulders.
"Yes, where are we on that?"
Some more dry shuffling. "With the backing from both branches of the Malveaux family, and if your projected deal with Kuat goes through-"
"-It will."
"Yes, well in that case, I believe we still require the funds from this Miss Calculation venture."

There's a short pause as Jan considers this, her slight frown mostly hidden by the darkness.
"I see. Well, we shall just have to ensure that goes through, won't we? Think about it N'Zzi, you could be vice-president."
"How many vice-presidents would the company have?"
"That's not important."
Some people, Jan reflected, had no sense of gratitude.

[Cynella Alde]

A new area meant new possibilities. Part of her wondered if the lift's activation had led to the dysfunction of other areas in the base. If needed, she hoped that there would be a way to disable it.

Due to the lack of power, she brought along a lantern with her. But before she flicked it on, she caught on to an oddity. Are those... voices? From what she could tell, it wasn't anything particularly nefarious like the total annihilation of the Republic contingent here. Instead, business talk.

Cynella shook her head and flicked on the light. When she finally illuminated the other two, her brow raised. "Oh! You know, I thought people would explore... I thought so myself. But, huh, I guess this is one application." Her attention shifted to the Chiss and then to Jan. Was there... no lantern between them?

[Jan Melmoar]

Jan squints up at Cynella (and her bright lantern) slowly lowering a small chromed pistol back into the water.

"Oh, Lady Alder, Cynella, darling. Fancy meeting you down here."
Pause
"Where we were just, well, I think we were plotting." She looks over at the Chiss.
"Conspiring, M'am."
"Yes, conspiring. And also working on my skin and enjoying some blessed warmth."
Jan reaches behind her into a large bag and pulls out a second green sludge bottle.

"Nutrient shake?"

[Cynella Alde]

"Conspiring," Cynella echoed. After a few moments, she shrugged it off. More pressing was the shake. "It's healthier to eat your nutrients than drink them. You never know what happens to it when it goes through machine processing."

She blinked a few times then looked back. "I can go if you want to keep, uh, conspiring."

[Jan Melmoar]

N'Zzi' clears her throat, and jerks her head at Cynella with a sound a lot like 'Kuat'. And Jan coughs back with a sound a lot like 'She heard you.'

"No dear, not at all. You should come conspire with us."
She gives the shake a last inviting twirl, or as inviting as something that looked like moss could be before setting it down.
"We were actually just talking about you, and about the future, weren't we?"

N'Zzi who has just turned her binder (full of women) to the Cynella page nods.
"Yes, we would be honoured if you would join us."

[Cynella Alde]

"I thought I heard about Kuat. There's a lot to be desired there," Cynella said with great fondness. She didn't miss it nearly as much as she missed Alderaan (or more-so what the planet represented) but thoughts of home would never leave her bones. "You really should consider changing that up for the diet." She pursed her lips. "Though they are a good substitute given our current circumstances. Especially now."

Her eyes went up. After a few moments, her head tilted. "Hm. We might be able to use this steam." Somebody at Kuat had once wanted to use steam for an engine. Why anyone would ever do that on a regular basis... well, that guy had been a laughing stock for a reason.

"Oh! But yes, let's discuss more. I assume this will be more about the future instead of our time here on the planet?"

[Jan Melmoar]

"Oh yes. Its people, its natural beauty...its orbital foundries producing billions of credits worth of vessels. Wonderful planet."
Jan goes to pat the water next to herself, pauses and then pats a drier rock nearby instead.

"Change up my diet? I pay a dietician fabulous amounts to tell me what I already know. Although perhaps I have let my fitness lapse slightly since running around outside was business and not pleasure. The sacrifices we make." She tuts. N'Zzi keeps a straight face.

"Use the steam? It is good for one's skin. But I suppose it could heat...things."
Madness, but perhaps madness was what they needed.
"Yes, the future of our time off planet. I've had a couple nice chats with your wife. What a striking woman, so stern, so principled, so very slightly uncomfortable being involved in organised crime. I can imagine what you see in her."

Closing her eyes and allowing herself to relax, or at the very least appear to relax.
"A great prince, but I wonder, is she the businesswoman in the family? That always struck me as being you."

[Cynella Alde]

"I would liken it closer to trillions, personally," Cynella said with a faint smile. Though she wasn't actually sure if that was true. A trillion was like a LOT more than a billion, just like a billion was a lot more than a million. Tutors had been very insistent on that.

"Hey, some people take money despite not knowing anything. Sometimes we have to fire ship designers at Kuat for that very reason." Her butt tensed a little. Sometimes people were bad at making chairs of all things. And just a prototype too!

Surely the people in this base were smarter than that. They could make some sort of steam-harnessing machine! "I suppose it is good for the skin. In regulation, of course." She tugged at her clothes. They were getting a little stuffy.

"My wife has principles that make mine look like..." Well, she was going to compare herself to a Sith. "Hmm, like a womp rat next to a rancor. As for matters of commerce, the comparison cannot be so easily reversed. I am only marginally more adept at handling such matters."

[Jan Melmoar]

"A reasonably principled womp rat, I am sure. I have delegated most of my principles to N'Zzi."
Her assistant shrugs awkwardly.

"But still, surely if you are more adept, if only marginally, then you're really the one I should be talking to, hmmm?"
Jan pauses for a few moments before adding.
"You still keep in touch with your family back home?"

[Dapper Dog]

It was warm and relaxing besides the feeling of things crawling across in the water and the ledges...

[Cynella Alde]

There wasn't much for Cynella to say in regards to lack of principles. She'd gotten used to it... Scarily so. "Speaking of womp rats, it seems we have some guests." Fuzzy creatures, even if vermin, rarely bothered her.

She cleared her throat. "In matters of business, sure. Both for Alderaan and Kuat. Admittedly, my influence in the latter has waned. Duties have kept me away."

Though she had been unphased by the prospect of RAT SCUM, there was entirely different matter which... Well...

"EEEEK!" With a flick of the wrist, she flung the insect into the wall. "Dreadful! Positively dreadful! Ugh, I've had enough of this place."

[Jan Melmoar]

Jan sighs, withdraws said small blaster and spends a few enjoyable moments hunting impressively large pests. Finally, when most of them had got the message and as the near blinding from the blaster discharge begins to fade she lowers her piece.

"Could be worse, it reminds me of an army barracks I once stayed in. I'll have to remind the cook to put down some more vermin bait tonight though."
Turning her attention back to Cynella as she twirls the little pistol.
"Well, I should hope your influence isn't completely gone. Once we get out of this 'positively dreadful' place I need to conclude some business on Kuat's ring and I'm sure your assistance would be beneficial.

[Cynella Alde]

The sudden blaster shots seemed rather unnecessary to Cynella. Still, she'd seen enough violence to not be terrible phased by the sounds. Talk of using them in meals, though, made her let out an exasperated sigh. "I will have to pass on vermin meat. That or trade it for something more appropriate for my palate."

Cynella readjusted her clothes. Though it was still stuffy, she didn't feel even the slightest urge to dive into the water anymore. "We've spoken of family. Once family, always family, even if that child squanders the legacy for a few years." She leaned forward and smiled. "That loyalty, double-sided, goes farther than a few harsh words."

[Jan Melmoar]

"Oh wonderful, then I look forward to working alongside with you in a mutually beneficial endeavour."
Jan waves a hand at N'Zzi, clearly considering the matter settled. Her assistant writes something on the notes page in meticulous small script.

"I'm sure we will have more time to discuss the appropriate response to a child's harsh words as we do. If all goes well you'll be able to leave your numerous progeny an even larger fortune."

[Cynella Alde]

Cynella looked around for any more creepy crawlies. Oh this was truly a horrible planet. "We will have to coordinate our schedules. I imagine you too will have much to catch up on once we are free of this place."

But talk of children was much more awkward. "I meant if you were to overly lecture a kid... Oh dear." Maybe she needed to apologize to Carlotta? Stars forbid!

[Jan Melmoar]

"Overly lecture?"
Jan arches an eyebrow.

"That sounds tiresome, is the child stupid? If imparting information requires an overly long lecture I shall just purchase a droid to do so. I don't have enough time in my day to waste repeating myself. All the more reason to adopt a smart child I think."

[Cynella Alde]

"E-Excuse me?" Cynella blinked a few times. "No, none of the children are stupid. Children simply experience a lot of new stimuli in a short amount of times." She glanced at the Chiss then back at Jan. "Well, a droid wouldn't do. Otherwise, the child will become, well, just like them. If needed, a person would be a better substitute." She couldn't quite say that they best not used though. Whoops.

[Jan Melmoar]

"Hmmm."
Jan shrugs with a slight splash.
"I suppose that's reasonable, social skills will be a key part of their job after all. And nobodies like droids, even droids are ambivalent on droids. Maybe N'z-"
The Chiss shakes her head firmly."
"-Maybe I could find a suitable tutor to lecture them then. But I'll consider it a real failure if they're slow on the uptake. I never had anyone to teach me, and I learnt quickly enough. I trust with a real education any talented child will do well."

[Cynella Alde]

It came as no surprise that the Chiss wasn't in favor of the nanny role. "There are plenty of Alderaanian children who may do well for this," she said, immediately closing her fist afterwards. She was selling one out to... well, Jan's plans. On the other hand, maybe the kid would like being out of foster care, even if the Alderaanian system was pretty good by galactic standards. "You won't be able to gleam immediately what their talents will be. Our firstborn, Ashley, is showing his first signs now."

[Jan Melmoar]

"An Alderaanian child?"
Jan ponders this quietly for a few moments.

"I suppose it is not impossible. It is a reasonably populated planet, and doubtless there are a share of disenfranchised children. It would depend though, the Royal Princess' paladins, are they screening children for force sensitivity? I simply will not take a reject. Any child of mine has to be first class."

[Cynella Alde]

Cynella raised an eyebrow. "Force Sensitive? Ah, well, such is particularly important, given your connection to Luci...nia." She couldn't be certain if they were still calling each other such ridiculous names. Ellie... bah! "I admit that I'm not entirely privy to the Paladin's methods."

[Jan Melmoar]

"Of course, being force sensitive is a huge advantage. It's their galaxy dear, we just live in it."
She fires some slightly tired finer guns over at Cynella.

"Imagine the edge in negotiations when you can feel the emotions of your counterpart, or even tweak them subtly. The advantage in combat of being able to react that second faster than everyone else. Yes, if I'm looking for the best possible child they must be strong with the force. And I think Lucinia should have something to share with the child. It will be hers as much as mine, after all."

With a sniff.
"And frankly the sith education system is the worst combination of bound by tradition and completely unbound by morality. I think she would welcome the opportunity to educate a child on the right way to draw on the dark, or the light or whatever it's supposed to be these days."

[Cynella Alde]

For all the talk of advantages, Cynella still dreaded her talk later with Tethys. If she could have her way, she would have that sensitivity suppressed for any or all of her children.

The why was obvious: this Dark Side disturbed her to the bone. "It would be a balance between dogma and innovation," she said with a faint child. Maybe the moral thing to do is to give her terrible advice so that the child doesn't become some sort of... mega evil dictator.

[Jan Melmoar]

"Hmmmph, I have no use for dogma. I find it only ever seems to get repeated by those it benefits. No, if the best way for the child to succeed is to think nice thoughts while offering free holovids to the homeless."
Jan shivers.
"Then that is what they should do. All this nonsense about rituals and the way things have to be done. It only lasts long enough until someone else comes along to force their way of doing business on everyone."
She harrumphs.

"Say what you want about the Jedi. But at least they are consistent, it's been the same bored, staid, quasi-effective system for years. It only ever seems to change when someone wipes out most of them. Meanwhile the sith, it feels like every day they're coming up with new paths to reaching unlimited powers. I've heard that the old emperor survived because he was..,what was it? Living a variety of separate lives as a force god? By ever star, how does that work? How does it mesh with how the sith are supposed to work?"

She makes a cutting motion with her hand.
"He doesn't have the slightest shred of dogma, yet seems to do better for himself than Darth Angerproblemsuss, or whoever is in charge these days."

[Cynella Alde]

"Free holovids likely wouldn't solve anything," Cynella said with a faint smile.

"It does raise the question of... how long exactly was this other body alive? How old are his children exactly?" Cynella shook her head. Some things were better left just accepted instead of questioned.

"But I do wonder: would you want your child to be, say, a Force God?"