They wait for the assembled group to leave, and head back to their room; Deskyl goes to practice forms, and DZ messages Peka.

Hey, how are you doing?

We're doing good! What's up?

Deskyl was finally up for talking to the blues again today. We're going to have some consulting work for you soon, it looks like.

Gosh. What on?

Whatever they come up with, after we screen out the obviously bad ideas - she told them she wants you being treated like any other caste for anything that doesn't spread pollution, and it seemed like they got the idea eventually.

They did? That's kinda surprising.

Sith can be pretty scary when they want to be. They really didn't like it when she pulled out the creepy aura.

It's pretty scary!

Yeah. It seemed like it affected them more than it affected you, though. Either that or Deskyl was doing it more strongly, but that seems out of character.

Well, if it makes a difference that me and some blues are really different people...

There's some variance, yeah. Not usually like that, though.

I dunno. I'll ask Deskyl about it when she's done calming down.

She needs to calm down?

Yeah. Cultural differences again; she's handling it pretty well, but the way the blues have been acting seems really disrespectful to her, I'm sure. She'd never need to repeat herself about what she wanted back at home.

I'm kind of surprised that blues made her repeat herself.

"It isn't actually acceptable for people to be living under those conditions. Even the ones we haven't taken a personal interest in."

    "In the army? They're essential services in the army; we don't have a draft active for any caste, it's volunteer."

"In general. Our understanding is for example that the army has a significant advantage over other employment because reds there are guaranteed to be paid."

    "You want us to act as a collections service?"

    "Did we miss an email about some request you had, somewhere along the line, I don't think I understand."

"We did mention, last time, that reds are people, and should be treated as such, with the same respect that's given to any other caste. That you hadn't understood that is acceptable, barely. But it is a mistake that needs to be corrected."

    "Is there a specific policy change you have in mind?"

"Figuring out the best way to bring their quality of life in line with other castes' isn't the best use of our time. But giving them the same protections that purples have, in practice, not just in theory, would be a good start."

 They must be trying; she wouldn't be this patient with them if they were just acting confused. But they're lucky she cares about that at all, most Sith wouldn't.

Why are Sith like that?

Not caring about just trying, you mean?

Yeah. I mean, especially trying to get aliens to do stuff.

Sith care a lot about effectiveness - strength and competence and things like that. If someone tries to do something and fails, the important thing is that they failed, not whether it's because they didn't try or weren't strong enough or were unlucky or whatever.

It's a little like Calado, except that if someone messes up they don't just not get a credit, they usually die.

If she starts killing important blues, uh. They know she cares about me-in-particular.

It would take a lot for things to get that bad, and she's pretty good at politics, I don't think she'll let it happen. But we can put together a plan for if it does, if that'd make you more comfortable.

I mean they'll give her tons of leeway. But if she starts rampaging around and they don't think they can work with her then there's not planets to look forward to any more...

She's not going to do that, it wouldn't get her what she wants.

Okay.

She really is very pacifistic for a Sith. It used to get her in trouble sometimes, back home, people thought they could push her around because she didn't go right to threatening to kill them for annoying her.