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Chapter One The
rain pattered on the window of the speeder Elassi Mehand was riding in.
Hannah City, the capital of Chandrila, was currently in the rainy season.
The elderly queen let her forehead rest against the cold glass of the
speeder window.
Outside she watched as damp people on the wet streets went about their
daily lives.
These people are why I am here.
But do they need a leader such as I any more?
My life is nearly up; they need someone new, someone with the vigor that
I no longer possess.
The woman sighed and closed her brown eyes.
She was tired, but life had to go on. “My
lady, we are here. Elassi
nodded at the helpful advice and walked slowly up the stairs.
Behind her, a woman who had been on Elassi’s staff since she first
became the ruler of Chandrila held up a parasol to protect her from the rain.
“Thank you Shani, mind the steps dear, you and I both need to be
careful, we are not as spry as we used to be.” Shani
laughed and took Elassi’s arm.
Together they made their way up the stairs of the University of
Knowledge.
In a quiet whisper she said, “El, you and I both know that you
are…” Elassi
gave the woman an uncharacteristic elbow in the side.
“Shhh…”
Then they both burst into a fit of quiet girl-like giggles. Once
Inside the majestic University, Elassi dismissed Shani.
She was giving a lecture, not addressing the state; Shani would not be
needed to keep up her regal appearance.
In fact most of the students dressed in clothes that only a pauper would
wear (beaten up jackets, threadbare pants, all complimenting the secondhand
boots that were the norm among students).
The
classroom she usually gave her lectures in was the largest in the University.
It seated nearly five hundred, and sometimes more would come in.
Apparently Elassi’s class was one of the students’ favorites.
The classroom was also the closest to the main doors of the building.
“Hello class!”
She said in a singsong voice as she opened the doors to the lecture hall. The
class stood until she reached the lectern.
This had become a standard practice of respect for all the professors at
the University.
At first it had only been an honor shown to Elassi, but she insisted that
here at the school she was only a professor and if the students were going to
treat her that way, that all the other professors deserved the same. “Today
I think I will talk about pacifism versus aggressiveness.”
She smiled and walked in front of the lectern.
It obstructed the students’ views of her body language, which was
important to the students’ learning process.
“For the past twelve years the government of Chandrila has been
developing an Interstellar Navy.
This is a common fact all of you know very well.
But before this was in existence, when you were all small children,
Chandrila was known for its pacifism.
Much like Alderaan is today. “However
it seems that to continue protecting this planet we need to take a more
aggressive stance on galactic politics.
The systems around us are changing, and we need to go with those times.
Smuggling is the largest threat to our well-being, and that is the main
problem that the Interstellar Navy deals with.”
Elassi paused to make sure that the class was absorbing her information.
Her eyes passed over a young woman in the front row.
She was biting her lower lip as if she had something to say.
“Miss Tryashoenu, do you have something to say?” The
young woman stood up and smiled.
She was very pretty, with long golden hair piled in a loose bun with
small tendrils that escaped the hair tie’s grasp.
A pale blue off the shoulder dress exaggerated her well-defined
shoulders, but it slightly exposed a dark purple burn mark on her left shoulder.
“Yes milady, I do have a question.
Merely one of statistics, but maybe you could answer it for me.” Elassi
nodded, prompting the young woman to go on. “Well,
I was just contemplating the possibility of an attack on Chandrila from a nearby
system, not that I am saying that there is a chance of something like that
happening.”
Xana Tryashoenu blushed at suggesting such a thing to the planet’s
leader.
“But would the Navy be ready for such a threat?
And would we rise to fight back like all those other systems that have
succumbed to violence as a way of life?” Elassi
nodded and said to the rest of the class, “Why can’t the rest of you come up
with such questions!
Young Xana here could be a member of my staff with such insights as this
one. “This
question is very valid.
But many variables come into play here.
If a planet such as Corellia would threaten us, I doubt that we would
stand much of a chance.
Yes we are a very powerful trade planet, but I am afraid to say that we
bought most of our Navy from Corellia.”
Elassi paused before continuing.
“But as far as us being ready for an attack from any system, I would
say we are more prepared than we have ever been before.
Thanks to Silvas Orian, who has done a tremendous amount of work for this
project since I asked him to spearhead it for me.” There
was a bang as the door of the classroom flew open.
“Speak of the man…” said Elassi as she recognized Silvas.
“What are you-“ He
cut her off, “Everyone must listen to me.
There are some very dangerous men in the University right now.” Creator: Jedi Girl of Corellia (Sarah)
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