Palace Courtyard

The shuttle of the Coalition's minister had landed in a private pad and, sooner than later, a comitive of Naboo honor guards came to lead the aged Thyferran through the streets of Theed, whose delicate and beautiful architecture was as charming as ever. Flowers were blooming and their scent covered the alleys, where the plants hung from walls and balconies. Folks dressed colorfully and fancily and speeders were rare, with natives prefering to use hoverbikes and the silent public transports, powered by solar energy. The skies over Theed were clean and bright and blue: the aerial traffic was diverted through several spacelanes that avoided crossing over or around the city proper. Naboo flocked to see the minister, with some girls handing him bouquets of flowers and a group of elderly women and men of scientific prestige handling him a recently published "Social History of the Naboo after the Clone Wars" and "The Royal Lines and the Constitutional Monarchy", which they thought would interest him.

Finally, in the grand scenario of the Palace Couryard, the most scenic plaza in Naboo, awaited a woman with greying hair, dignified and elegant, wearing something that was both regal and functional, with carefully combed hair. She had also allowed herself to wear pinned on her chest, with certain grace, the badge of a senator. And behind her stood a cadre of Palace Guards and a pair of blue-clad Senatorial guardsmen or guardswomen -hard to ascertain with their all-obscuring garb.

"Minister Argon, I presume?"

"The pleasure is mutual"

She said with the hint of a smile flickering on her lips.

"The Queen is absent, carrying her duties towards the moon colonists. I will have to suffice"

In fact, the current elected monarch was more of a figurehead than ever. Few could rival Pontia's influence, moreso after her role in the bombing of Theed and continued service in the Galactic Senate. Just as Padmé had been Naboo's leader in troubled times, Leonis tried to navigate the turbulent waters of Galactic politics in the current era.

"If you follow me, minister"

The aging woman walked with a certain lightness, the former senator's feet were still nimble, hands clasped behind her back. They entered the palace recint, crossing marble-covered corridors, the ceilings decorated with sprawling frescoes. They entered a room, which had been readied for the meeting: two carved chairs and a small tabble with refreshments between them both. Colossal windows offered a view of the grassing hills and running waters below.

"I understand you are here to include our world into your Coalition, isn't it?"

"Indeed, you're not"

She said, with a slight smile.

"Yet, you're the only government who cares about the smallfolk, the simple every day woman and man in this Galaxy. We're surrounded by despots and worse"

The senator poured herself some tea, made from dried leaves from the bottom of Naboo's tranquil lakes and from the sweet and smell-rich cinnamon grown in the planet, with a hint of lemon and plump red, blood-like oranges. She pointed at the decorated teapot, indicating Argon to suit himself. Of course, she wasn't going to pour him tea herself, she had been a queen after all and not one to serve men, no matter their rank or how simple the gesture.

"It would be wise for the Naboo, one might think"

She ships.

"Yet, it would not. We're removed from your core worlds, joining you would make us a greater target than we already are. Thus, I want guarantees and I have conditions"

The woman looks at Argon for a moment, over the porcelain border of her cup, and then through the window, to the verdent fields.

"You have to station a fleet in this sector and provide that Naboo is safe against attacks. This is first and foremost, I wish to spare more suffering to the world"

She places the cup at the table, while clasping her hands on her lap, legs crossed.

"Second. We're not a second-rate member of your coalition, we want identical rights and standing than Corellia, Thyferra, the Twin Worlds or Fondor. Same representation. The Naboo will not suffer centralist policies implemented by a distant cadre of self-serving politicians who very often believe we're still but a distant colony in the outer fringes of the Galaxy"

Her gaze ventures back into Salvor's.

"Third. The resources of the Naboo are for the Naboo and the Naboo alone. Its wealth might be integrated into the economical spheres of your Coalition, but trade treaties shall be imposed and there will be no capitalization of our resources, no matter if a rich fuel vein is discovered in one of our territories or not. The companies shall not be absorbed by off-worlders and investments will be supervised and agreed upon beforehand. The Naboo have not the economic power of your central worlds and thus, I wish not the planet to be converted into a periphery to be predated upon and exploited by plutocrats"

She did not smile.

"Fourth. The Gungan are to have representatives. While they're a minority compared to the Human inhabitants of the planets they shall have proportional representation, so their voice is heard. I wish them not to feel alienated, but an integral part of this regime"

She raised a finger.

"Fifth. I want our youth to be offered opportunities in the academies and universities of your Core Worlds, so our younglings might share and partake in the same ground and same pool of knowledge and experiences. Thus, we shall forge a generation of people who will belong to a new wider world"

Clearly, she had strong and clear ideas.

"We will surrender a sizable part of our prerrogatives in matters of defense and foreign policy, it's but fair to set certain limitations, don't you agree?"