Hoth: Blood and Ice

[Hacha Tsuko]

"Well good, that means that there won't be any more to mess with my tech." Hacha nods to himself, oblivious to the insult.

[Pipka]

Pipka considered the answer for a split moment before offering a nod, "Acceptable answer. I like my goats more too."

He looks around at the others, "So, I may be kind of out of the loop. I've been busy with my goats. But, as long as we're friends now and you aren't going to tear the Turtle or any of us apart, then we can be friends and maybe even family. I'm open to having an older sister."

[Nudimsu]

"Yeah, that anger may never go away. You've been thru a lot of things, things I do not quite understand, and it's barely been a day since it was in any way meaningfully resolved." His eyes turned to Pipka for a moment before darting back to Vaylin. "Don't suppose you would want a goat, then?"

He takes his caf and drinks some before continuing. "But, what is important is using that anger for something constructive to yourself and for those close to you. I wish I could tell you what that would be. That is something you need to work out with your mother." He still didn't like being called a savage by a human, of all things, but he would let it slide.

[Vaylin]

"If it helps I have no desire to do any damage to this ship," Vaylin said.

[Nudimsu]

"Well, any more damage." Nudimsu said it plainly. "But thank you; I do appreciate that." He takes another sip and thinks. "Though, another question I must ask, that has puzzled me for some time since I first laid eyes on you."

He stared at her for a moment, looking her down and pondered how to best approach the question. "...But I feel I should wait to ask it." He understood most people would not like to be asked this question. Maybe down the line. "Another one, then. Tell me about your home. If we're all going to be dealing with the Eternal Empire, I would like to know it a little better."

[Vaylin]

"Surely mother has told you about Zakuul," she said glancing to Senya.

[Senya Tirall]

Senya added, "Is there something specific, you are interested in?"

[Nudimsu]

"Bits and pieces of information." He shrugs. "I've always found listening to others talk about something is a better way to get to know them. For instance, where my people come from, we have the Chiss Ascendency. We are a people who have similar view of people at large in this galaxy to what it sounds like of your own people: We look down upon those who are not worthy of it. Though we do not yield the Force, we are more than capable of defending our home and our interests within the Ascendency thru superior technology. No emperors, only Houses. No war, expect the one we've found ourselves dragged into by the Empire. We feed our people, everyone has a chance to rise up based on merit, no slavery, and we travel the Unknown Regions better than most, exploring and thriving within."

He nods and sips his caf again. "It is unfortunate that we must soon face down your Empire, so I wish to understand it a little bit more. I don't expect a long drawn out explanation and your history, unless you feel like talking about it. Instead, I merely wish to understand your people's view better: what makes us savages and you the noble conquerors and educators."

[Senya Tirall]

“Zakuul was a barbaric nation in our distant past, plagued by warlords and religious division. Until Valkorian’s coming. He broke the lesser states and bound them to his vision, guided our brightest through the ages to produce technological wonders, including the Eternal Fleet and the Eternal Throne. Now in Zakuul machines do our labor, freeing us to pursue greater interests. Lesser barbaric states pay us in tributary and perhaps in time if they prove loyal and worthy, we shall elevate them to our status.”

Senya added, “Or so that was the vision that was promised. But at least on Zakuul, that vision is realized.”

[Hacha Tsuko]

"Oooh. Does that mean that I can open up your technology to improve it?" Hacha asks, a gleam in his eye. "I mean, the Gree stuff isn't that crazy."

[Senya Tirall]

"Oooh. Does that mean that I can open up your technology to improve it?" Hacha asks, a gleam in his eye. "I mean, the Gree stuff isn't that crazy."

"I don't understand your question, what Gree stuff?" she asked.

[Hacha Tsuko]

"Oh yeah, we ran into some weird droid when we got sent on a mission by the protocol one here. Holographic camouflage, fought a mix of four Jedi and Sith on its own for a good bit. I managed to get a piece of it that I've been studying. One of the Jedi said it was "Gree origin". I assume that if you have fancy tech, I can study it too and crack how it works."

[Senya Tirall]

"We are an advanced civilization, if that's what you mean," she responded. "I am not familiar with this, Gree."

[Hacha Tsuko]

"I mean, you say that but I'm not really having much to go on here, at least tech wise." Hacha holds up his hands. "I am not saying you are wrong. Maybe you have been keeping a pazaak tile hidden, but everything I've seen so far looks like something I could replicate with time and resources."

[Senya Tirall]

“It’s no single thing, I am no engineer it is the sum total of our efforts, our culture and society. I could not point to some device and say that is the sum total of our knowledge. You seem a brilliant engineer and possibly could but the work of Zakuul is a work of ages molded by Valkorian.”

“The Eternal Fleet is far more advanced than your ships; your societies’ are fractured, broken. Even internally you face great division. Zakuul has none of that, all parties work towards Valkorian’s vision.”

[Hacha Tsuko]

Hacha thinks about it. "I mean, the division is a fair knock. A lot of teeth have been clenched helping each other out here, and that's to say nothing of sphincters."

[Pipka]

"But look at what we've done here on Hoth, everyone's getting along just fine... for the most part. I think we all just need to put the past behind us and move forward together." Pipka adds optimistically.

[Hacha Tsuko]

"Pip, we literally had a tribunal for an ex-Sith who became a Jedi, and was then accused of betraying the Republic." Hacha shrugs. "I mean, we mostly stay out of it, but they keep finding ways to act like a pair of wet Loth cats thrown into a sack...or at least how I've heard they act." The Duros' eyes shift for a moment. "There was certainly never any betting on such a thing"

[Pipka]

"I mean, you're not wrong. But isn't that also a indication of cooperation. They didn't break out into open hostilities, it was a tribunal with representatives from both sides who came together to decide how justice would be handled, there was even a Sith and a Jedi working together to defend her.

And you make her sound like some kind of arch-villain. Layne is a complicated woman with a lot of pressure on her. Plus, she's lonely because she is stuck here far away from her lover."

[Hacha Tsuko]

"I don't mean to make fun of the Vera Hawke knock off, can we agree that it would take a serious "back-against-the-wall" threat to convince the sides to work together long term?"

[Hacha Tsuko]

"Surely mother has told you about Zakuul," she said glancing to Senya.

Hacha seems to think of something. "So, what's the deal with the pirates? You seem to be working with them and...well, I can think of worse fodder to throw around "

[Vaylin]

"I paid tribute and made sure that betraying me would not be in their best interests, that was the end of our relationship. They fear those stronger, and I was that personification, but we had no official allegiance," she responded.

"I loathe them."

[Nudimsu]

“It’s no single thing, I am no engineer it is the sum total of our efforts, our culture and society. I could not point to some device and say that is the sum total of our knowledge. You seem a brilliant engineer and possibly could but the work of Zakuul is a work of ages molded by Valkorian.”

“The Eternal Fleet is far more advanced than your ships; your societies’ are fractured, broken. Even internally you face great division. Zakuul has none of that, all parties work towards Valkorian’s vision.”

"Oh, so your society relies heavily on droid and mechanical labor, leaving the citizens to sit there and just solely enjoy their creature comforts." He nods his head. They must be bored out of their minds.

"So then I assume the military is a strong mix of both human Force users and droid as Infantry, then. That would make half of them reliable to a fault, easily dealt with by someone who could take over control. The Force users are Chaos, so who knows. That at least gives us some perspective on what we face."

He listened on as Hacha and Senya continued. "Well, of the fracturing, we are in agreement. We are in a war we did not choose. Even before then, there was much disagreement and division. It is why I still remain independent. Too much squabbling, too much emotion. Not enough rational thought in the body politic."

As he looked to Vaylin. "I had originally thought you hired them and stocked them with materials to pin your mother to Hoth. They are contemptible sorts. I have a meeting with their Chiss leader in a little while, in fact. Another Chiss and I have used the rules of our people to allow a chance for diplomacy. Even if successful, I would expect them to break any agreement once it became convenient. "

[Senya Tirall]

Senya replied, "Well best of luck with this Chiss."

[Hacha Tsuko]

Hacha pauses. "So you use Droid infantry? Were...you the one who supplied the pirates with ion cannons?"