Star Wars: From the Clone Wars to Starfaring Heroes

Chapter 28 - Politicians
The Lacus main planetary system, Lacus 2 satellite.

Kalulla Sector.

The Ondron Embassy on Lax is located on the edge of the planet's capital, Laxuron.

People can arrive by short shuttle bus accompanied by the whirring of the engine and the hum of anti-gravity, or by car along steep, winding mountain roads.

The embassy is built on a rocky promontory, overlooking the rest of the city.

The building resembles a somber Gothic mansion, its soaring spires piercing the indigo twilight sky above the LAX 2 satellite.

At dusk, the rustling autumn woods all around created an eerie atmosphere.

The air was filled with the slightly sweet smell of decaying fallen leaves and the faint metallic dust drifting from the distant industrial area.

As an embassy, ​​it is indeed somewhat peculiar.

It was filled with unsettling, gothic sharp angles and heavy shadows, rather than the openness and welcoming atmosphere that is usually expected in diplomatic settings.

But if you want to experience the oppressive and mysterious Ondron atmosphere in Las Vegas, this is the closest you can get.

Raine had never liked the mansion in the capital, which resembled a beast's lair, and felt no interest in this place either.

He clearly came at the wrong time.

On the not-so-spacious landing pad in front of the embassy, ​​a medium-sized transport plane painted with gray-green stripes was already parked.

He could only have the shuttle pilot place him at the edge of the landing pad and then enter a circling waiting mode.

The shuttle engine maintained a low roar, stirring up fallen leaves and dust.

Renn took a deep breath, feeling the chilly wind from the cliff edge brush against his cheek.

He stepped over the dangerous gap, his boots landing firmly on the rough edge of the rock.

With a hint of curiosity, he crawled under the wing of the transport plane, his fingertips inadvertently brushing against the cold metal skin, curiously examining the registration code and emblem on its tail, trying to identify who the owner was.

Immediately afterwards, Ryan saw the familiar, slightly overweight figure of Congressman Avi Singh descending the wide stone steps leading to the heavy oak gate of the embassy, ​​accompanied by two guards in plain clothes but with wary eyes.

The elderly man's head was as smooth as a polished pebble, completely bald, with a meticulously trimmed, slightly upturned mustache that extended like thick ink from his already graying sideburns.

He was wearing a well-tailored dark suit that was tight around the waist, and several conspicuous rings on his fingers.

Out of a show of respect, Renn waited on the smooth stone floor at the bottom of the stairs.

He noticed that since their last meeting, the congressman from Lax had noticeably thickened his waist and his face was rounder, and he had to hold onto the railing to support his weight when going downstairs.

“Congressman Singh,” Ryan greeted him with a perfectly timed smile, “I hope I haven’t bothered you at an inopportune time.”

Congressman Singh paused, looking at Ryan in surprise, a barely perceptible glint flashing in his deep-set eyes.

Then, as was his habit, he looked up over him, probably to see his shuttle hovering overhead.

“Not at all. I was just about to leave. Don’t worry about it. It’s more that I might have taken your parking spot and caused you trouble.” The senator forced a social smile, hurriedly walked down the last few steps, and stopped in front of Ryan, adjusting his breathing slightly. “But it’s a pleasant surprise to see you again, Ryan.”

“Not at all,” Ryan extended his right hand, his movements fluid and natural, and grasped his thick, slightly sweaty palm. “I didn’t tell you I was coming beforehand, so you couldn’t possibly have known. In fact, I myself am just as surprised to be here at this moment.”

His words hinted at the informal or even clandestine nature of the trip.

Avi Singh grinned more sincerely beneath his mustache. “Indeed. I thought you were still on a mission in that godforsaken border region of Abrion.”

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Ryan as if assessing his condition. "Will you be staying in Lax for long? I'd love to have a cup of tea and chat with you at a more suitable time." His words carried the almost instinctive thirst for information characteristic of politicians.

“That definitely needs to be arranged,” Ryan said with a smile. “Yes, I’ll be staying in Lax for a while because…”

He deliberately slowed his speech, as if carefully choosing his words, "I want to build a new fleet."

This statement is like a pebble thrown into calm water.

You mean a new fleet?

Upon hearing Ryan's words, a hint of undisguised, hound-like curiosity immediately flashed in Senator Singh's eyes.

This shows that he really wants to know more about the reasons.

Despite his efforts to stay away from politics, Raine's influential surname in the Core World inevitably draws him into the web of politics.

He was, after all, a politician, and politicians are keen on trading secrets.

Every bit of information allows Singh to gain the upper hand in the complex power games of Parliament.

This is especially true for something as significant as forming a brand-new fleet of unknown size and purpose.

The air seemed to thicken because of this information.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t reveal too much at this stage,” Ryan said, offering a smile that was a mix of apology and helplessness, and shrugged slightly. “I hope you can understand.”

“No, no, of course I understand,” Senator Singh quickly waved his hand, a knowing smile plastered on his face. “Don’t let my damned politician’s curiosity cause you any trouble…”

He leaned forward slightly, lowered his voice, and spoke in a sincere tone, "But if you encounter any... well... resistance from specific interest groups during the process of forming this organization, feel free to contact me. I can still put in a good word for you locally."

A subtle proposal, an investment in the future.

“I will remember that, Congressman,” Ryan nodded solemnly, paused, and glanced at the two silent, statue-like guards behind the Congressman and the transport plane with its engines already running and emitting a low rumble. “I shouldn’t take up any more of your precious time; you’re a very busy man. Have a pleasant evening, sir.”

"You too."

Senator Singh patted him on the shoulder, then turned and walked toward his waiting transport plane.

Ryan stood motionless until the senator's guards walked behind him and climbed the transport plane ramp, at which point he smiled with satisfaction.

The twilight concealed the fleeting glint in his eyes.

The harvest is not small.

What a beautiful encounter.

After all, what's wrong with revealing some seemingly insignificant but actually invaluable and potentially confidential information in exchange for huge benefits in working in the murky waters of Lax later?

Half of the military and political figures are doing this.

They even made a living from it.

Senator Singh is the de facto leader of this sector!

Thinking of this, Renn couldn't help but feel secretly delighted.

However, the thought of the other congressman he was about to meet caused his smile to fade away, as if blown away by the cold evening breeze of the LAX2 satellite.

(End of this chapter)