"Come on! I'm sure a light meal would help us digest the progress we made today? You've got to answer the mystery of Kashan cuisine!"

Corise jumped out after the Cerean prime minister, feeling somewhat like a babysitter chasing after a little kid in an amusement park. Apparently, the Kashan Shock Troopers felt the same way, judging by how they managed to encircle the foreign minister and his bodyguards so quickly. Perhaps the Kashan Government was being overly protective, but if anything bad happened to the Cerean delegation, there would be more than a few problems. Corise moved over to the Kashan Lieutenant in charge of security.

“We’re going to have to make a little change. Keep your men around the perimeter. Afterwards, I’ll take only four of your soldiers in the landspeeder to the park. I think we might be attracting too much attention.”

Corise’s comment was probably an understandment. Armored convoys ferrying important personnel around Kashan was commonplace because of Kashan culture. Thus, most citizens never paid too much attention, as many upper officers and officials were cautious. However, when a landspeeder screeched to a halt, and aliens jumped out, that would attract attention, since 99% of the population was human. As it was, that would be the first time such treatment was given to an alien as well. Based on the growing crowd of people, Corise guessed that if there were no bodyguards of any sort, Pro Moon would be flocked by curious onlookers. He made his way to Pro Moon.

“Ah, Prime Minister, this is the Trifallix Café, an old world Alderaanian restaurant. I regret to say that there really is no such thing as Kashan cusine, as our culture is rather young. But the Trifallix is one of the best there is on Kashan.”

The neoclassical Trifallix building was more fluid and light than most of the surrounding buildings and would probably fit in easily on Alderaan. The proprietors were from Alderaan, as was about 20% of Kashan’s population. Corise himself was part Alderaanian, with his other half of genes being from Kuat. In any case, the Trifallix would was arguably one of the better places to eat.

“Right this way sir,” directed the Kashan officer, leading Pro Moon through the crystal doors into the lobby.

As they passed through the doors, they were immediately hit by the smell of Alderaanian L’lahsh and the Kuari Bivoli Tempari. The lobby, as was the rest of the restaurant, was covered in white marble. A waiter arrived, looked at the aliens and Corise, and left. A few seconds later, a familiar manager, Luccio, arrived and motioned over Corise, an occasional visitor of the restaurant.

“What is this Corise?” asked the bewildered man.

“They,” pointed out Corise, “are the diplomatic delegation from the Coalition. I know we need reservations, but they literally jumped out and insisted upon eating here. Is there any room?”

Luccio leaned back thoughtfully, caught between restaurant protocols and Kashan diplomatic obligations.

“I’ll get you the Consular Room.”

Corise nodded. The Consular Room was rarely used, reserved only for special occasions and the occasional high-ranking visitor. It was a unique room because all of its furnishings, from the cloth napkins to the marble table, had been imported from Alderaan before the planet’s destruction. Rumor had it that the owners had also imported Alderaanian wine along with the other items in the room, but that was never confirmed.

The entourage entered the room and sat down, being basked through the crystal windows by the Kashan sun. From the high-vaulted ceiling, the flags and banners of the major worlds from which the Kashan people were from hung down. Obviously, the Alderaanian flag was hung first, then Corellia, then Kuat, and lastly, Corsin. There were other flags present, but their origin was obscured by the other flags.

The entire delegation sat down as the menus were passed out. They had barely been seated when waiters arrived with exquisite Vors-glass Wine glasses along with a variety of wines and other alcohols.

Corise turned to Pro Moon. “I recommend the L’lahsh personally; it is the house specialty. But as you can see, the Trifallix has most of the common dishes of the galaxy along with a few of the more uncommon ones.”

Corise grabbed a bottle of Chimbak wine and poured into his glass. Chimbak wine was from Alderaan and out of production, except for on Kashan, where a group of Alderaanians had started a vineyard for producing native alcohol for the Kashan people. The Kashan commodore thought though that Cambrian wine was better. Of course, wine was wine.

The waiters came around and started taking orders…

"A L'lash, please," said Pro moon, passing the menu to the waiter. He didn't ask what a L'lash was - never ask what you're eating in a foreign land. Eat it, and if worst comes to worst, pack salt.

After politely turning down a glass of spirits, he turned to view the assembled delegates, guides, and escorts. The face of Corise Lucerne, the captain who seemed to command a great deal of respect, stood out clearly, and Pro Moon began rubbing his chin in thought.

What was it about this officer that made him stand out so? A whiff of potential, perhaps? He had some time before food arrived, so the Prime Minister decided to take another opportunity to explore the nation and the people he had inducted to the Coalition.

"So, captain," said Pro Moon. "You seem a military man in both rank and manner, Corise. In fact, your entire nation seems of a military mindset. We are not a violent people, the Cereans, but culturally we have many forms of ceremonial combat and ranks - the guards you have met being just an example.

"What makes me curious, though, is what has sustained your people's affinity for soldiering? Not just that, but do your people have stories? Heroes, whose memories are passed from the older generation to the next? A young nation though you may be, have you actually seen any of the battles that your society seems constantly braced to undertake?"

Corise somberly glanced at his wine, set down the glass, and leaned back.

“It has been said that those who have not experienced war glorify and romanticize it. That is true. Most of the Kashan people have only heard the stories of the ancestors fighting in various battles of the Clone Wars or other disputes before then. For example, my grandfather on my mother’s side was Captain Haresk of the Kuat Defence Fleet; he commanded a star destroyer during the times of the Old Republic until the end of the Clone Wars, when he retired back to Kuat. I have heard his stories about the war several times over. It is easy to get caught up in the romanticism of war.”

He leaned forward, recovering his former stance.

“Most of the Kashan Defence Forces have only seen action against pirates; usually not a challenging foe. The Kashan government decided that the KDF would need more experience than that, so many of us spent several years out of Kashan working for corporate fleets, security firms, and other planetary defence forces. For example, I experienced war as a corporate officer for the Corellian Engineering Corporation fleet. I didn’t see much action except for against pirates and those who owed credits to the company. Still, it was a valuable experience. We can’t give everyone that experience for obvious reasons, so we have settled for combat simulations. And some of those are designed to automatically make you fail just see how horrible war can become.

I think the Kashan people do have a disciplined mindset that will allow us to be ready for battle.”

A waiter brought Corise’s dish to him, a sort of braised steak along with fried vegetables.

Ah, meat. thought Pro Moon as he examined his plate. Just what sort of meat it was is the sort of thing only an amateur diplomat or politician would dare ask - it wasn't moving, so that's all he needed to know. He ate it, and made the universally understood 'this is tasty' sound as he did so.

"So I can see you're a practical man, with a little experience in fighting. I also agree that your people seem the practical type not up for romanticizing war. Fair enough, I myself am unfamiliar enough with war to leave it to those better trained.

"But you say you served with corporations, and fought pirates? So you have fought a few battles. I can only imagine that experience is the exception, not the rule around here, so I have to ask - what does the rank of captain mean for you here?"

The food was good, which always made diplomacy easier. There were a few awkward moments as his bodyguards struggled with eating their food and standing at full vigilance and attention, not to mention the constricting ceremonial armor.

"What I mean, Mr. Lucerne, is what does your rank mean in this nation of yours, and is there any deference paid to your experience? In the Coalition system, the captain is a sort of league of equals, where particular captains of particular ships are further empowered to lead fleets or coordinate the armed forces. I can only imagine what mix of Old Republic, CIS, and invented military ranks exist for the people of Kashan, so what is it, exactly, that you do?"

Corise leaned forward and faced the Cerean delegate, occasionally making eye contact with Pro Moon as he talked. The Kashan officer thoughtfully leaned back, thinking how the Kashan system would be best explained.

“Yes, you’re correct in your assessment; most of our ranks are based on the Old Republic system. However, any officer that commands a naval vessel is referred to captain, whether his or her rank is above or below that actual rank. So it is equally appropiate to call an admiral or a mere ensign captain depending on the situation. Currently, the officer ranks from lowest to highest in the Kashan Navy is as follows: Ensign, Sub-Lieutenant, Lieutenant, Lieutenant-Commander, Commander, Captain, and Commodore.

Most people simply refer to me as captain, but my actual rank is Commodore, as I command the Kashan Defence Fleet. I suppose it is like being an admiral or a line captain in another faction’s fleet. In any case, the position is not only commands all of the Kashan capital ships, but also the forces attached to those vessels, such as Shock Troopers and Starfighters. It’s an overlap of commands, but it works for all of Kashan’s armed services.

For example, the General in charge of defending Kashan’s capital has naval crewmen and the local starfighter units under his direct command. Likewise, the starfighter base on our moon is under the command of the Flight Director, so she has direct control of the naval forces and infantry assigned to the base as well. May I ask you a question? How are the militaries of the various planets of the Coalition integrated into the regular Coalition Navy?”

A Commodore? clearly, the man was higher ranking than he'd thought. Pro Moon started to reevalute the circumstances of their meeting - Corise was highly ranked enough to delegate a political meeting if he'd wanted. That he was meeting him now came as a great sign of respect and personal involvment.

Feeling more at ease around his guide, Pro Moon dug into his dish before replying. "The Coalition is an independant league of planets, meaning that several planets can choose to band together and form their own subgroup in the government, pass their own laws, and pursue their own common agendas and goals. This means that militaries are often privately modelled after the region they defend, so Kashan would be free to maintain its' own autona... autony... autonon... It's own individual military, except with access to Coalition technology and funds.

"If your government chose to join with one of the provinces, though - I'd guess the Eastern Province, since they're right next door - then you'd make joint decisions on how to model and deploy your military. The Coalition also makes a lot of executive decisions on deployments and reinforcements, so you'd probably get a lot of foreign forces stopping by since you're near a warzone."

Having finished his meal, Pro Moon paused to collect his thoughts on the military, before continuing "I guess, if Kashan integrates its' military, you'd gain the title of Captain of the Coalition, Kashan province, or some such thing. Along with whatever your current title gives you, you'd also get a seat in the military command, and be assigned a contact in the Coalition High Command."

The server came to take away their plates, as Pro Moon poured himself another glass of water. He took a long draught to revitalize himself, and finished by saying "The Coalition Military is, to be honest, an entirely different beast altogether. Prime Minister Regrad is head of both, but at times it seems like he's the only point of contact between us politicians and soldiers like you. He passes down the orders and communicates for each side. Really, if you wanted to know more about where you'd all fit into the military buraucracy, you'd have to either speak to Minister Dondana, Prime Minister Regrad, or someone in the military."

The blond-haired man merely nodded before taking another sip from his glass of wine. Admittedly, after sitting through the legislative section and taking a tour in a hovercar, Corise was both hungry and feeling somewhat cramped; he thought about stretching, but the room would not allow it. He finished his L'lash and faced Pro Moon.

“It is getting late, at least to Kashan Standard Time. The Pro-Consuls have arranged rooms for you directly in the government building if you wish. Alternatively, there is a villa in the mountains surrounding our capital if you wish for more privacy…”

"No, no - I'm more than used to sleeping in government buildings," said Pro Moon, casually. "You don't last long in this galaxy without learning that the comfy bed to sleepy person ratio is a little skewed. Besides, we might be needed for something, you know, political. Stranger things have happened, Commodore."

Their waiter returned, and Pro Moon decided to show a touch of class to the natives, rising. "If you accept Credits, then I'll gladly pick up the tab tonight, gentlemen. It's the least I can do for all your hospitality," and handing us our first peaceful membership aqusition in months. That last bit was said only in his conical mind, but the smile was quite genuine as he paid for the meal.

The trip back was comparatively uneventful, as the Prime Minister attributed the conversation lull to a full stomache. Upon returning, he and his guards exited their armored vehicle and stood upon the steps leading upwards and inwards to the heart of Kashan's fledgling (by Cerean standards) government.

"My thanks, Commodore, for a pleasant evening. I must say I was impressed by your people, as well as you yourself. You show talent, experience, and discipline even in the heart of your safest territories and even when laxer regulations would take precedent - not for sake of tradition, or for mere appearances, but out of excellent and impeccable military procedure.

"With skill like that I can see you going far with the Coalition, and I will watch your progress with great interest." Always close with a compliment, or at least benevloence. With a smile and a bow, Pro Moon's party excused themselves for the night.

The shades opened, casting a brilliant light across Corise’ bedroom at the family home in the capital. He opened up the window, taking a deep breath of the morning air; Dawn had come. Looking down, he noticed Kashan people continuing with their daily lives. But today would not be normal, at least for this Kashan man. The commodore paced to his closet and pulled out a dress uniform.
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Shock Troopers paced the hallways as Corise entered the capitol building. He never was particularly fond of the place, perhaps because it was normally a place of meeting with bureaucrats about minor issues such as the Phoenix Naval Base water supply system. But today, instead of dull officials, the building was flooded with visitors; Several press conferences had been taking place or were about to with the Pro-Consuls and politicians that served in the legislation regarding the treaty. The dull roar these guests produced was second in annoyance to Corise only after how they continually managed to get in his way, asking questions about the Cereans and the Coalition.

“Commodore Lucerne, how do you feel about the treaty?”

“No comment.”

“Do you agree with the treaty?”

“No comment.”

“Do you disagree with the treaty?”

“No comment.”

“Sir-”

Corise instantly cut in. “Gentlemen and ladies, it’s not that I don’t want to answer your questions, I am tending to the Cerean delegates currently. After the parade, I will answer your questions.”

They protested with a storm of more questions, which the military man ignored. Several Kashan Shock Troopers fell in alongside the Commodore as they pushed their way through the crowd. Corise admitted that they were particularly good shields for blocking out the journalists and other reporters. However, they had the higher purpose of guarding the Cereans during the annual military parade. After crossing the main lobby, they entered a turbolift that took them up to the floor in which the Cerean delegates were housed.

The door opened, revealing the black and white marble décor that was commonplace throughout the capital building. They entered the hallway, with only the tread of the troopers’ armoured boots echoing throughout the floor to break the silence. From a distant window, the men could see the sun continue to rise into the mid-morning. Corise hoped that the Cerean delegates had a good sleep. As they continued forward, he noticed a pair of the Cerean bodyguards standing guard over Pro Moon’s quarters. He saluted them.

There are very few things that never sleep - Crime, for example. As does evil. Business, too. The Riddler.

On the other hand, forces of good and justice are reknowned as deep sleepers and frequent cat-nappers. Pro Moon mumbled in his sleep, tossing and turning a little as he did so until knocks at his door alerted him to the presence of Corise.

"One moment, please," he managed, as he struggled out of bed and worked to make himself look properly diplomatic. One couldn't go face the press of a new and alien world with stubble and yesterday's underwear.

Blue robes, or business casual? He went with the robes, they were just a little more alien and mystical, which was a good look for foreign ambassadors. He pulled the robe over his head (with some difficulty - remember, cone-headed) and straightened it out.

Now... what else did he have to remember? Ah yes, the parade. That had been on the agenda, now that he thought about it. Parades weren't something normally done on Cerea, which made him wonder just what it would involve. Perhaps he'd have to ride a float? Or wave? Best to avoid bringing it up in case he sounded ignorant.

Once he was back together again, he took an extra moment to recollect at the doorway, before stepping out with a gentle smile.

"Ah, Corise - so good to see you again. I'm glad you'll continue as our guide for the remainder of this diplomatic visit." The door shut behind him, and the Cerean guards formed around him once more. "Please, lead the way my good man."